The man known as Klahadore traveled through the nearly empty town with a frown on his face. Just thinking about those imbeciles who showed up was enough to make him seethe.

It was why he left dealing with them up to Merry. If he had to do it, he likely would have blown his cover, and that just wouldn't do. Not now, not when he was so close to achieving his goal.

What did this intrepid butler desire you ask? Simple, money. Kaya's money to be precise. Money that did not rightfully belong to him. But it would, one way or another, that silly girl's fortune would be his.

His plan so far had been going almost perfectly. A few slight hiccups here and there but nothing that would interfere with the schedule he put in place. If nothing happened that he did not expect, he would be the proud owner of a shipping company, and young Miss Kaya would be out of the picture.

But that was just the thing. Something happened that he didn't expect, which was quite rare. But then again, it was hard to predict the actions of fools. And he now had four more to contend with.

As much as they didn't concern him, he would leave nothing to chance, even if the fools didn't have a pair of brain cells to rub together. So here he was, walking through town to meet with his crew at the bottom of a cliff to issue new orders.

As much as he detested having to deal with pirates, even if they were his own subordinates, he had little choice in the matter. He couldn't trust them to think for themselves after all. That was dangerous for a multitude of reasons.

But this should be the last time he was forced to degrade himself in such a manner. Because after tomorrow, he would be rid of his former lives as a pirate and a butler.

Reaching the predesignated meeting spot, Klahadore checked his pocket watch. There were still two minutes before they needed to show up. After that, he would have to remind them why it was a bad idea to keep him waiting.

Alas, it appeared as if he would have no need to put them through synch remedial lessons. From a small distance away, he could make out a rowboat, steadily approaching him.

Before long, it made shore, and three individuals stepped out. The first was a very large individual by every definition of the word. He stood just over 7 feet tall, and could be classified as obese. The worst part was his refusal to wear a shirt, not wanting to cover up his glorious bod.

His words.

He wore a large, fur lined cape that was striped in the back in two different shades of purple, with a large brass cat bell acting like a clasp to keep it in place. He had what appeared to be a cat mask covering part of his face, with two pointy ears on top of his head.

He wore a pair of red and black striped pants and a yellow sash. On his hands were a pair of gloves with elongated, razor sharp nails he used to great effect to slice and dice his opponents. He also wore a pair of clunky looking shoes on his feet.

Completing his cat-like ensemble was a pair of large fake canines that looked like they belonged to a vampire more than a cat. This was Buchi, one of his officers and half of the Meowban Brothers.

Next to him was the other half of the duo, known as Sham. Like Buchi, Sham was a very tall man, nearly 7 feet himself. But unlike his brother, Sham was fairly svelte.

He has a hunched back, making him appear smaller than he really is, and wore a small navy blue shirt with white buttons and a magenta colored bowtie. The shirt was small enough that he left part of his midriff showing.

His light blue shorts were also much smaller than they needed to be, looking like they belonged to a small child rather than a grown ass man. He wore a pair of similarly clunky appearing shoes as his brother, as well as a pair of gloves with claws on them.

His swirly green hair was topped with a pair of small, cat ears, completing his motif. Unlike his brother, he did not have large, fake canines in his mouth.

However, neither of the two could compare to the last weirdo to exit the boat. That crazy bugger was looking flamboyant in the rearview mirror. His outfit consisted of a white, sleeveless shirt with a blue trench coat over top.

Normal enough, right? But you see, the trench coat was covered in gaudy, gold colored rings each about the size of his fist. His pants were also an eyesore, considering they were mustard yellow, with just the brightest orange stars woven all over it.

The worst part of the pants was that they didn't even reach his ankles, stopping about mid calf. Thankfully no one could see his hairy legs due to the bright white socks that went all the way up to his knees.

At least his shoes were normal. So were his gloves, besides the comically large size of them.

But the weirdest part was reserved for his face. First was the heart shaped glasses that hid his own heart shaped eyes. (AN: Yes, this is canon.) What was even worse was the man's goatee, which wasn't a goatee at all, but a mushroom that grew on his chin while he slept one day.

He bit the head of it off, but was so disgusted, he just left the rest of it there. (AN: This is also canon) His hair was long and straight, coming to about his chin, and was grayish, blonde color. On top of said head was a navy blue fedora with gold trim along the base of the crown, with a shiny star right dab in the middle.

This is Jango the Hypnotist, second in command of the Black Cat Pirates.

"Well, at least you still know how to be punctual," stated Klahadore, fixing his glasses as he glared at the three approaching pirates.

"Of course Boss. We're always on time for a party," stated Sham with a shifty grin on his face.

"Lucky you. As much as I'd love to hunt you down, there's more pressing matters which require my attention," threatened the butler, causing the rest of them to shiver in fear. That was the last thing they wanted.

"Something happen, Captain Kuro?" asked Jango, having moonwalked across the beach to reach his leader. Which would explain why he was the last one there.

"I told you not to call me that anymore," stated Kuro. The others began to sweat at feeling the pressure their Captain was giving off. It was a sure sign he was unhappy, and an unhappy Kuro was a dangerous one.

"S-sorry about that. Won't happen again," stuttered out Jango. Kuro continued to glare at them for a few moments before he relented, making them sigh in relief. Honestly, they had thought living as a butler for these last few years would have dulled his killer instinct, but if anything the opposite has happened.

It allowed him to hone it to a razor's edge.

"To answer your question, yes something has happened. We have a few new players in the game," Kuro claimed, fixing his glasses once more.

"A few new players huh? They must be something to have you worried," mentioned Jango, scratching his mushroom beard.

"No kidding. Who are they?" asked Buchi.

"Nobodies mostly. However, they do claim Roronoa Zoro in their midst," Kuro said, which caught their attention.

"Hang on, the bounty hunter? What's he doing here?" asked Sham.

"It appears as if he's turned over a new leaf and became a pirate," said Kuro with some amusement. Ironic that he, a former pirate turned butler and soon to be millionaire, was facing off against a former bounty hunter turned pirate.

The world sure was funny sometimes.

"Seriously? Why would he do that?" asked Sham.

"I haven't a clue. But it is worth mentioning he doesn't appear to be the Captain," Kuro told them. And wasn't that a surprise, even for a man like him. Zoro had quite the reputation for his strength, so much so that even he has heard of him while playing the loyal butler.

Kuro couldn't say for sure that the man's reputation was well earned, but it was best to err on the side of caution.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Can't believe there's someone who could tame that mad dog," claimed Buchi.

"Is there anyone else we should be concerning ourselves with, besides the Pirate Hunter and his Captain?" asked Jango. And this is why Kuro put him in charge after him. For all his flamboyance, he was clever.

"There is. A man and a woman. The man is nothing special, a thorn in the side and nothing more, but the girl is clever, if a bit cowardly. They shouldn't prove much of an issue," Kuro said, much to their relief.

"That's good. You had me worried there for a second Captain," laughed Buchi, the giant oaf. Jango could feel another bead of sweat drip down his face as the pressure started forming again.

"I see you are as simpleminded as ever," growled Kuro. That shut the man up. Kuro took a few moments to regain his composure, before asking a question.

"Tell me, how fare our… allies?"

The three turned to look at each other, not entirely knowing what to say. "Spit it out already," demanded Kuro with impatience.

"They're getting a bit antsy. I can't say for sure they'll follow the plan," warned Jango. That made Kuro frown even deeper, though it wasn't entirely unexpected. When dealing with pirates, one should always expect the unexpected.

"I see. Then we'll simply have to plan around them as well. So listen, and listen closely. I'll not be repeating myself," stated Kuro, as he began to tell them his change in plans. The man with a thousand plans always had a backup or two just waiting to be used.

*Line Break*

"This is a red alert! I repeat this is a red alert! So look alive you fucking donkeys! I have never failed to satisfy a guest and I will not start today! Do you understand me!?" shouted the head chef of Kaya's mansion, Ram Zee.

"Yes Chef!" shouted the other cooks. There were four of them, with the head chef making five. It didn't take much to keep Kaya herself fed, but they also had to deal with the bodyguards, whose numbers have swelled recently.

But never in their careers have they faced a challenge so great, so daunting, as Monkey D. Luffy. No matter how much food they sent out, it was never enough. Plate after plate was served, but the orders never stopped.

"How can he still be hungry!"

"I can't feel my legs!"

"We're out of meat! We're out of meat!"

"What do we do!? I wasn't trained for this!"

"None of us were!"

"Shut the hell up, all of you!" shouted Ram Zee. He was just as exhausted as the rest of them, but he's been through far worse circumstances than this. He once served food to a World Noble who didn't like the taste, forcing him to flee for his life.

People don't survive after offending one of them, no matter how slight the offense might have been.

"Listen to me and listen good you fucking halfwits! We're chefs! It's our job to feed someone when they're hungry, and if I'm not mistaken, there's someone up there who's still hungry! So what does that mean?" yelled Ram Zee.

The four cooks stared at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Are you all fucking stupid!? If someone's hungry, what do we do!? It's not that fucking difficult, is it!?" screamed Ram Zee.

They stood straighter, and a fierce gleam entered their eyes, "We feed them Chef!"

"That's fucking right you do! So get your asses back to your stations, and if I hear one more person complain, I'll personally chop off your balls and feed them to our guests! Do you understand me!?"

"Yes Chef!"

"Good! Now get back to fucking work!"

With renewed vigor, the cooks all started making food anew. The path ahead may be difficult, but they would see it through, no matter what. Because feeding hungry people is what chefs do!

*Line Break*

Luffy leaned back in his chair, patting his extended belly with satisfaction. He looked like he swallowed a whole dan beach ball. "Man, that was tasty."

Kaya and Merry could only stare at the rubber man with a combination of disgust and confoundment. "Where does he put it all?" asked Kaya.

"I have no idea my lady," responded Merry. The straw hat wearing youth ate more than all the others combined. Twice over! As impressive as it was, it was still disgusting to watch.

"He has a rubber stomach," said Nick, finishing off the last of his own meal. He did agree with Luffy, the food was damn good. Much better than anything he's ever had before, in this world or the last one.

It was soured slightly by the fact that Klahadore didn't even have the decency to show up. That jackass made them get all dolled up, and then had the nerve to take a midnight stroll?

Although, maybe he should be grateful. Not like he wanted to deal with him in the first place, and he did get to see Nami in a sexy little dress.

Yeah, it was probably for the best.

"But it has to have some limit, doesn't it?" asked Usopp. He wasn't as shocked as Kaya or Merry, having seen him eating lunch earlier, but the amount of food he just ate dwarfed the meal they had at lunch.

"Luffy's stomach is just one of life's many mysteries," commented Nami, who was doing her best to ignore the shenanigans around her.

"When I first met him I had been starved for about three weeks, and he still managed to eat more than me," mentioned Zoro, as he took another swig of beer. He couldn't help but feel like he lost something that day.

"Are you serious?" asked Akisu with awe in his voice. As a young boy, he couldn't help but be amazed by the disgusting act he just witnessed. It was just about the coolest thing ever. He was too suspicious of the group to truly appreciate the grotesque scene before, but now, he could fully marvel at the spectacle in front of him.

"Not my fault you're such a lightweight," snarked Luffy, giving Zoro a smug grin, much to the swordsman's frustration. Not like he could do much about it. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of him beating Luffy in any type of eating contest.

But maybe a drinking contest…

"Ugh, boys," groaned Nami.

Nick could only snicker at her revulsion. "Hey, girls can be gross too."

"Careful. Don't make me fine you," she said back. After that, the group descended into light hearted bickering, much to Kaya and Merry's further confusion. But at the same time she couldn't help but smile seeing Usopp getting along so well with them. He seemed to be fitting right in.

It took them several minutes to finally calm down. Long enough that Luffy was asking about dessert. Talk about being a glutton. But with them all settled down, it was finally time for Kaya to begin explaining everything.

"So, I'm sure by now you know all about the attacks. But what you probably don't know is why," Kaya started, with everyone giving her their full attention. She gave Merry a nod, and the butler pulled out a letter.

"I received this letter about a month ago, right before the attacks began, sent by someone calling himself the Bear King. He's a fairly notorious pirate, I believe," she continued.

"I've heard of him. But he hasn't been seen in years. Heard he got his ass kicked and went into hiding," stated Zoro. Everyone looked confused as to why a pirate would be sending her a letter of all things.

Especially Nick, who was racking his brain trying to figure out who the hell this guy was. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't place the name. Was he somebody new, or was he some kind of filler villain?

"So, why did he send you this letter?" asked Nami. Kaya seemed to shrink in on herself at the question, looking like a tiny kitten trying to hide itself.

"Oh, well… Um, yes, about that," she stuttered, trying and failing to explain what the letter said.

"Perhaps I should just read it?" suggested Merry, who received a grateful nod in response.

"Ahem…"

Dear Miss Kaya,

I am pleased to cordially demand your hand in marriage. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one for me. Should you refuse this generous opportunity, I will have no choice but to act swiftly and decisively. I hope to hear from you soon with good news. You have until your 18th birthday to respond. Afterward, I will have no choice but to force the issue, and that's something I'm sure we'd all like to avoid.

Sincerely,

The Bear King

The room was deathly silent as Merry read the letter. Nick really had no idea who this clown was now. And how do you cordially demand something like that. Guy had a few screws loose.

Hopefully when they fought, and Nick knew they would, Luffy would handle the obviously crazy guy. But with a name like Bear King he might turn out to be a furry, and if that's the case, then it might fall to him to deal with it.

"Kaya, why didn't you tell me about this?" asked Usopp, sounding genuinely hurt. Everyone there winced at the tone of his voice.

"I'm sorry Usopp, I just didn't want to worry you. And I could never seem to find the right time to bring it up," she said, though it didn't do much to make Usopp feel better. If anything, it made him feel even worse.

"Hang on. So this creep has been attacking the shipyard because you refused to marry him?" asked Nami in disbelief. She didn't care how powerful or rich the so-called Bear King was, nothing entitled him to Kaya. She wasn't a piece of property he could just decide belonged to him one day.

She was really looking forward to kicking his ass now. Oh, and robbing him of course. She would make sure to take everything he owned for herself.

"Well… Not exactly. You see, I haven't actually refused yet," Kaya said sheepishly. Everyone gave her a look like, "WTF".

"Hang on. If you haven't technically rejected him yet, why the attacks?" Nami asked.

"Fear," said Nick, face set in stone. Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for his explanation.

"Look, this whole ordeal has people shook, and I'm sure you've thought about what he would do if he was actually rejected. Would he attack you, the island? There's no telling what he would do. Am I right?" Nick asked, to which Kaya nodded in response.

"That's exactly the point. He made you afraid to reject him."

Having said his piece, the others looked contemplative. Well, everyone except for Luffy, who just looked around confused.

"So when exactly is your birthday?" Nami asked Kaya.

"Tomorrow…"

"Of course it is."

The room grew silent once again as everybody began thinking over the information shared. However, one such individual was not nearly so brooding.

"So what's the problem? All we have to do is beat him up right?" asked Luffy.

"It's not that simple," said Nami like she was speaking to a five year old.

"It's not?" Luffy asked again, giving her a confused look. That brought her up short, as everyone thought over what Luffy said. It really was that simple.

"Huh, maybe it is that simple…" conceded Nami, somewhat reluctantly.

"Leave it to Luffy to put things into perspective," stated Zoro with amusement. Not like this information really changed anything. They always knew they had to fight someone, now they just had a name.

"Good thing he's here to remind us of the simple solutions," mentioned Nick with his own grin. The whole Bear King thing really threw him off, since he was sure it was that damn butler who was behind everything. But even if he did have a hand in this, all they would have to do is beat him up as well.

"You're welcome," Luffy said with a happy smile. He wasn't exactly sure about what he did, but he was happy to help.

"So if the deadline is tomorrow, then lover boy will likely make an appearance," Nick stated, the atmosphere of the room turning serious. Everyone nodded at his statement, reaching the same conclusion as him.

"Alright, in that case, here's the plan."

With that said, Nick began laying out what he thought was the best plan of action. He only hoped it would be enough to deal with whatever bullshit was about to happen.