So, this was a random idea I came up with while going back through early One Piece, and Enies Lobby.

Warning: Character Death(s), a certain bastard living, and worst-case scenario thinking. Also, Alternate Universe!

Mercy

He only has one option.

Kaku wants to laugh, but he was sure that would be detrimental to his ability to breathe. Which he needs in order to keep running on the sea train tracks.

Spandam, the bastard, had turned on them for their failure. Lucci, in a coma, was killed. 'For Failing,' Spandam had said. Fukurou, Kumadori and Blueno hadn't even gotten to the ship, some bastards, probably looking to get in Spandam's graces, had killed them while they'd been trying to move to escape the Buster Call.

Jyabura, he'd tossed Kaku off the ship despite fractured and cracked bones, yelling at him to run before shots were fired, cutting him off. Kaku doesn't know why, unless Jyabura did it to piss off Spandam.

Kaku doesn't know what happened to Kalifa, but he hadn't seen her and Spandam had ranted about her defeat, so she was probably dead, too. He hoped she was dead. Better than him.

He only has one option now, Cipher Pol is off limits, as are the marines, and forget about appealing to the World Government.

And even though he is running to Water 7, he knows he can't go to Galley-La or even the Franky Family- they'd probably finish the job the Pirate Hunter started, and the Marines tried to finish.

He's using soru as much as he can, praying he won't trip and fall into the sea, because Kaku might not have anything worth living for, but he doesn't want to die either.

His only chance for survival is the same crew of pirates that defeated them. An unreasonable person might blame them for their teammates' death, but Kaku knows the Strawhats didn't kill any of them, even when they could have, and the person he hates is the one who gave the order.

Some time later, Kaku finally makes it to Water 7. He pulls himself onto the remains of buildings, and tries not to pass out. He's not sure how well he succeeds, but he manages to get into the city, and learn Franky is building a ship for the pirates who are being hailed as heroes for defeating the traitors, rescuing Franky, and destroying Enies Lobby.

The irony is not lost on him.

He sneaks aboard their ship, and after a rather frightening bombarge of cannon balls, and a sensation of flying, he slips out on deck. Everysingle Strawhat, and he is a little surprised to see Franky, stops and looks at him, not with hate, like he was expecting, but wariness and protectiveness that a wolf pack gives when another predator is too close to them.

"What do you want, Square-nose?" The Captain asks and Kaku sees the way they all shift to be ready to attack.

"P-please-" the croaking sound startles him, because it comes from him, "I know I have no right, but, I have no where to go!" Kaku feels his body start to tremble, and his vision blurs slightly. "Spandam, has ordered our execution for our failure at Enies Lobby, he killed Lucci while he was unconcious, and Jyabura told met to run and survive, and," he's not sure if it's desperation or the shaking that has him dropping to his knees, then bowing so his head tocuhes the ground. "Please! I'll do whatever you want!"

He's not sure if he's begging for safe passage or for joining the crew. He can only imagine what they'll demand in reparation, and growing up in Cipher Pol training he knows of every single thing that pirates will do to those unwelcome on their ship. Torture, indentured servitude (if one was lucky, they could pay off the debt before getting a bounty and being trapped), outright slavery, and some truly horrible things that had made Lucci sneer in disgust.

He can hear the crew's objections and arguments immediately come flying, reminders of how they infiltrated Galley-La to turn on them, the possibility that he was lying, and omniously, the Captain, Nico Robin and Franky's silence.

"Robin." The one word cuts through the objections like a knife. "What do you think?"

"The agents of CP9 did not harm me, that was Spandam. As long as we keep an eye on him, I have no objection to him staying." Promptly, the chef swooned agreeing with Nico Robin.

"Franky?"

"CP9 wasn't the issue, it was that idiot Spandam. I believe him, that bastard probably would sell out his own mother."

"Zoro?" There was nothing, no response, and Kaku was too fearful to raise his head to see their expressions.

[Once, he might have laughed at the thought, but now, he was at rock bottom, and his life as he once knew it was gone.]

"Alright, it's decided!" The Captain declared. "You can stay, Square-nose! Shishishi!"

He almost collapses from relief, or disbelief. "Thank you! I'll do my best!" Except now his body is refusing to get up, and he feels a hoof on his shoulder, pushing him to his side.

"He's sick! Someone get a doctor!" A high-pitched voice yells.

"You are the doctor!" Someone else yells, and Kaku doesn't stay concious for long.

When he wakes, he's lying on a bed in a very nice infirmary, and the tanuki/reindeer creature is frowning at a book. Kaku only manages a croak, and he is surprised when it shifts to a furry sort of man to prop him up and give him water.

"Your wounds were infected." The high-pitched voice is soft, and Kaku barely registers the I.V. in his arm as the Doctor lowers him back down and tucks the covers in. "Go back to sleep." Kaku obeys, too tired to do anything else.

The next time he wakes, it's to the girl [Nami, his mind supplies] that he talked to when they first arrived. She's sitting so her back is to the door, but her odd weapon is right by her side as she writes in a logbook.

"Miss?" He asks, and she glances up.

"You're awake, think you can drink something?" It's not really a question, he finds out. But as she helps him lie back down, he notes her tattoo, and the silvery-scar underneath.

Some Pirates were known to brand their crews, especially the slaves, and he suddenly realizes he's probably been branded while he was asleep, or they were waiting for him to be awake to force their mark on him.

Well, he had said he'd do anything. But the question is when they planned to do it.

"We don't do that." Is her response to his question, and her hand reflexively goes up to her arm. "Luffy would never do that to someone." She adds, glaring at him, but the anger isn't directed at him. "You'll be helping Sanji or Franky, and that will count towards your debt, as well as 80% of any treasure you find, but you are not property."

It's a relief to hear it, and the relief is interupted when a yelling Doctor in the furry-man form drags an annoyed Roronoa Zoro into the room. "You're still healing!"

"I'm fine, drinking helps!"

"It doesn't work that way!"

Nami rolls her eyes and disappears, letting the Doctor shove a grumpy Roronoa into the chair and start inspecting him.

"The stitches are gone, Chopper, it's not like I pulled them." But Roronoa lets him poke and prod. As the doctor does so, Roronoa looks at him in annoyance. "Oi, was the witch creating your debt? Ignore her, she keeps all the treasure for herself, anyway."

And just like that, whatever expectations Kaku had of the crew started to crumble away.

They crumbled further as he was allowed on deck, which had actual grass, and saw the Captain get kicked by the cook for stealing food.

"You'll start with washing dishes and peeling whatever I give you." Was all the cook said when he asked about working. "Can't trust anyone else on this shit crew to do it right, and I'd never ask the ladies to do it."

"Perverted Cook." Was all Roronoa said, and the two were at it like a cat and dog.

Kaku watched their fight, and the Captain and Usopp go past carrying a fish for the Aquarium, as well as Nami and Nico Robin sitting on beach chairs, as Chopper and Franky laughed, and wondered what would happen to him now.

I may, MAY, write more for this little AU. For now, it's a one shot.