Luffy could feel the presence of the man who attacked him. He sank as low as he could in the seat, and ended up crouched behind the passenger seat. His right arm was still above his seat, and he tried to pull off the other end of the cuff off of the armrest. No luck, and he only succeeded in aggravating his hand.

He cursed silently as he watched the white bandages slowly turn red. He stilled, keeping his ears open. The hunters had parked the car on the street and left. He tried to watch where they went, but they had turned down another street and Luffy lost sight of them.

He was alone for about an hour, the two hunters reappearing and climbing into the car without a word. Luffy watched them curiously, burning with curiosity. They had just gone to New York's hunter headquarters. If he could find out where they'd just been, he could have told Ace, and… Ace!

"Hey," Luffy started, getting shushed in response. He ignored it and continued talking. "Can I use your phone?"

"Don't have one," Zoro grunted.

Luffy tried crossing his arms, his restrained hand getting in the way. They pulled up in the apartment parking garage soon after. When they returned to the apartment, Usopp changed his bandages, and Luffy was confined to the couch.

Bored, he picked up one of the books stacked within reach.

"Where'd you get these?" Luffy asked.

Usopp, the only one in the room, looked up. "The library at headquarters." He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why?"

Luffy shrugged, turning a page. "They're hard to get ahold of. I'm just wondering how you guys got them."

"You know them?"

"Sure. My Dad has a lot of them."

"Father?" Usopp repeated. "You mean the one who turned you?"

"No, my Dad." Luffy said. "He made me read them as a kid."

"Who is your father?" Usopp asked. "Is he a vampire too? Can he walk in the sunlight?"

"Yeah."

"How is that?" Usopp asked. "No normal vampire can do that, they just burn. Why?"

"Dunno. Dad explained it to me once, but I can't remember all the big words he said."

"How many others are like you?"

Luffy shrugged. "I've only met one other than me." He sat up, resting the open book on the armrest of the couch. "I'm a hybrid. My Dad's kind don't like mingling with others, they think they're better than everyone else."

"You're… A hybrid of what?"

Luffy grinned, pressing a finger to his lips. "Can't tell you that."

"So you're not a vampire? You act just like them."

"So?"

"Do you need blood? You bit Zoro."

"Yeah. And I didn't hurt him."

"You marked him, though."

Luffy looked confused. "I can't mark people. That's strictly vampire. Not me."

Usopp sighed and leaned back. "You're strange."

Luffy just grinned. "I've gotten that before."

Luff went back to the book, flipping through pages faster than Usopp thought was possible. They were written in Old English, which was a bitch to translate.

He was scared, but the vampire, or whatever he was, was secured and couldn't leave the couch.

"So where is the hunter's council?" The question came out of nowhere and Usopp almost answered it.

"It's… I can't tell you!"

The vampire laughed, "Worth a try."

"Where's Newgate's lair?"

"I can't tell you." The vampire stuck out his tongue, looking very childish.

"Do you even know?"

"Sure. It's not that big a secret. Almost everyone who's not human knows."

Usopp frowned. That was unusual behavior. "Why?"

"Why not?" Luffy replied. "You humans are strange."

Usopp snorted, but didn't answer. He was having a civilized conversation with a savage beast. Or at least a creature he was taught was a savage beast. "… Zoro mentioned you had a variety of… underlings. You're the leader of a clan, right?"

"They're not my underlings," Luffy said sharply. "They're my friends."

"Tell me about them."

Luffy looked at the hunter strangely, but began talking. Usopp was amazed at what he said. He described a group of people that were all incredibly different. "How do you work together?"

"Everyone has a job," Luffy said. "If everyone could only do one thing, no one would get anything done. That's why I don't care about having a clan of all my kind."

"Kinda impossible, if what you say about your kind is true." Usopp commented.

"So that's why I don't. Besides, we all get along. And no one wants to fight us."

"Are you guys that powerful?"

"Sure."

"So why are you so afraid of hunters?"

Usopp knew he said something wrong when Luffy narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth slightly. The aggression wasn't aimed at him, but it was still terrifying to see his fangs descend. Luffy's hands curled into fists, and Usopp immediately grabbed them, not wanting him to start bleeding again.

He held on tight, carefully watching the vampire's face. He relaxed, his fangs disappearing and the red in his eyes fading. "You alright?" Usopp froze for a moment when he felt something strange under his fingers." What's…? This is a pulse."

Luffy blinked. "Course."

"You're alive?!"

Luffy blinked at him, "Yeah. I thought you knew that."

"Vampires are corpses."

"But I just told you I'm not a vampire."

Usopp stood up and released Luffy's wrists. He didn't say a word as he headed to the kitchen and sat down out of the vampire's sight. The vampire didn't say anything, and after a few moments he heard the turning of pages again.

He stayed out of sight until Zoro came out of his room, yawning. "Were you talking to him? I thought you were too scared to go near him."

"Be quiet," Usopp muttered. "I got a lot out of him."

"Oh?"

"He's not a vampire."

"Well, we knew that already. He can walk in the sunlight."

"I thought you were going to do some research on his kind." Usopp accused.

"I'm getting to that."

Usopp sighed, "He said there's only one other person like him, and that he's a hybrid."

"Of what?"

"No idea. He wouldn't tell me that. Whatever his parents are, or were, they're probably closely connected to the vampire."

"Are there any species like that?"

Usopp shrugged, "Not in recent times. He says he's only a hundred years old. That would mean the species would have to be something known, right?"

"I can hear everything you're saying!" The vampire called from the other room.

Zoro walked to the doorway. "Then tell us."

"But then you'd tell your council, and Dad doesn't want that to happen."

Zoro crossed his arms. "The council thinks you're dead."

Their guest was silent for a moment. "So then why am I still here?"

"I want to know. And I'm going to know."

Usopp heard the rattle of chains and a low growl. He risked a peek into the living room to see the vampire on his feet and straining at the chain, pulled taunt. "Why?" He hissed out.

"Curiosity." Zoro replied.

The chain rattled loudly again, "You stupid humans, thinking you can do whatever the hell you want. I have a life, and I need to get back to it!"

"What do creatures like you even do?"

There was a snapping sound, and Usopp had to dive out of the way to avoid being barreled over when the vampire crashed into Zoro. The two of them hit the tiled floor, the vampire grabbing a handful of Zoro's shirt, aiming a fist at his face. Zoro barely managed to move his head out of the way, the fist grazing his cheek rather than breaking his nose.

Luffy didn't give him any time to recuperate, diving towards his neck, fangs out. He bit hard into Zoro's shoulder. Blood spilled onto the white, tiled floor before Zoro managed to get a handful of Luffy's hair, yanking him back. The vampire winced as Zoro tightened his grip, grabbing one of the swords resting in the corner.

Luffy lashed out with one of his hands, raking his nails across Zoro's face. Zoro dropped his sword in favour of grabbing the remains of the chain, slamming his arm to the ground. The vampire was pulled down with it, but he just used a foot to knock the blade away.

Zoro shoved him to the ground, a hand on the back of his neck keeping him in place. He underestimated the kid's flexibility when he received a foot to the face. The vampire scrambled out of Zoro's grip and disappeared.

Zoro was on his feet an instant later, and Usopp pointed him in the right direction. He found the vampire in the bathroom, a bloody handprint on the mirror. He paused in the doorway, wondering what he was doing.

"Robin?"

Who was that? Zoro wondered. The vampire pressed his other hand, closing his eyes and muttering something indistinguishable under his breath.

"Are you there? Robin?" The vampire leaned in close, staring at his own reflection for a few seconds.

Then it flickered, a fuzzy image appearing. "Lu… You?.. Are you?" The voice was disembodied and echoed.

"Robin!" The vampire seemed excited. "You're alright. Where are you? Are you guys alright?"

"Fine… We… Ace's… You?"

"I'm alive. Stay with him. You'll be safer there."

The flickering image of a woman nodded, "…Careful… Hurt…" Before fading completely. Luffy smiled, falling to his knees and resting his forehead against the cabinets. Zoro watched him for a few minutes, wondering who it was he was talking to. He called her Robin. He had heard that name before. And what had just happened was obviously magic.

"Oi," Zoro walked in and grabbed the vampire's arm.

Luffy growled, but Zoro wasn't the least bit intimidated. "Leave me the hell alone."

"'Fraid I can't do that. You're dangerous."

Luffy glanced up, noticing the blood dripping down his face and neck. "So are humans." He held his hands up in surrender, one of the bandages peeled off.

"Fair point." Zoro said, pulling Luffy to his feet. "You scared the crap out of Usopp." Luffy shrugged. "And you're cleaning up the blood this time."

"Only if you take off this stupid chain." Luffy held up his arm.

"As long as you don't attack me again."

Luffy hummed, picking at the bandages. Zoro sat him down in the kitchen, avoiding the puddle of blood.

"You guys done fighting?" Usopp asked timidly, emerging from the living room with the medical kit. "Geez. This is the most I've ever used this thing."

"Yeah." Zoro laughed, taking a seat and holding out his hand towards the vampire's wrist. Luffy held out the chain, and a few seconds later it fell to the table. Luffy rubbed his wrist.

Usopp moved the cuff out of the way and opened the medical kid. He started with Zoro, hesitating when he reached for Luffy's hand. "Don't move." He began unwinding the bandages, frowning. "These haven't healed much. I thought you could heal quickly."

"I can." Luffy said. He examined his free hand, the thin scab a dark red.

"The blades were probably enchanted," Zoro said.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're probably going to heal at the rate of an average human."

"What?!"

"Is that an issue? It'll make you lay low until the High Council leaves."

Luffy frowned, watching as Usopp rewrapped his hands. "I need to get to my clan."

"You know where they are? I saw that conversation. I didn't hear a location."

"They're with my brother." He admitted. "They'll be safe there for now. But I still want to see them."

Zoro and Usopp exchanged a look, unsure of what to do.

Luffy ended up sleeping on the couch, after helping clean up all the blood his and Zoro's fight produced.

"Why'd you take of his restraints?" Usopp asked quietly.

"I think that if we work with him, he's not going to be a problem."

"He's not human," Usopp insisted.

"Maybe not, but he cares about his friends more than some of the hunters seem to."

Usopp seemed taken aback by the statement, glancing at the door. He sighed, "Maybe."

Ace paced back and forth in his office. "Are you sure it was him? You did say the image wasn't clear."

"I could hear his voice," Robin said calmly. "He seemed fine."

"Did you see where he was?"

Robin pursed her lips, her thin fingers tightening against the edges of her book. "No. But, there was someone with him."

Ace ran a hand over his face, "Did you recognize them?"

Robin shook her head. "No."

Ace looked ready to snap. He turned away and leaned his forehead against the large window overlooking the city. Nami rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He's stronger than any of us." She said. "And he knows how to hide when he needs to. He does have some strange instincts."

Ace turned his head, a faint and worried smile on his face. "Yeah. I know. Thanks for trying to help. I can't help but worry for him though. I…"

"He's like a brother to you, right?" Nami said gently, squeezing his shoulder and releasing him.

"Stop picking at those!" Usopp scolded.

"But they're itchy. Why are they itchy?"

"It's healing." Usopp said. "It's supposed to itch. Now stop scratching. You'll just aggravate it."

Luffy huffed and rested his hands on his chest, staring up at the ceiling. His fingers twitched, and he tried to resist the urge to scratch again. It had been a boring two days. He could sense the fear Usopp was emitting, and that was bothering him as well. It mostly went away when Zoro was in the same room, but Luffy had no idea where the other hunter was. And it also sucked that he wasn't allowed to leave the apartment. He could probably get away with only Usopp in the room, but in his current state he wouldn't get very far.

"I'm hungry," Luffy said. Maybe food will help.

The fear escalated, and Usopp scrambled backwards, holding a book as a weapon. "Y-you can wait until Zoro comes back for that…"

Luffy laughed, pushing himself up and sitting cross legged on the couch. "Don't you have any food?"

"Food?" Usopp repeated, and the levels of fear decreased again. "Yeah. Sure. I can do that. I still think we have leftover Chinese in the fridge…"

He left, fully expecting Luffy to stay in the living room. So he nearly dropped the container when he turned around to see him sitting at the table. He sighed and placed the container in front of him, "Here."

Luffy grinned and dug in as Usopp sat across the table and watched him. "You know, Robin would like you."

"Who?"

"Robin. My friend. She likes old books too." He gestured to the stack on the counter.

Usopp huffed. "I only have those because of my job."

"They're a load of bullshit, though."

"Those things are priceless and hold a lot of valuable information."

"But most of them are wrong."

"You've read them?" Usopp challenged.

"Yeah. Well, some of them."

Usopp frowned, "Yeah, didn't you say your father made you read them?"

"Mm hm." Luffy nodded around a mouthful.

Usopp tapped his chin in thought. "How does that work? You said you're a hybrid, and I'm assuming one of your parents was a vampire. But vampires are infertile."

"But I told you I'm not a vampire." Luffy said.

"And you won't tell us what you are." Usopp said. "I'm making assumptions, working with what I know. And I know that you act like a vampire compared to any other supernatural creature out there."

Luffy pouted, but continued to shovel rice into his mouth. "What about you? Why are you a hunter?"

Usopp drummed his fingers on the table. "I've never been asked that before."

Luffy shrugged, "You've been asking me all these questions. It's only fair that I get to ask some too. Like… Where's your headquarters?"

"Like I'm going to tell you that." Usopp said.

"Then answer my first question." Luffy said. "Why are you a hunter. There's got to be a reason, because you can choose to be one. We can't help what we are, but you can. So why?"

Usopp looked down at the table, "My… My father was turned when I was younger, bitten by a werewolf."

"Your Dad?"

Usopp nodded. "I was five. And then a year later, my mother died. The hunters are the ones who showed up, and there was magic residue in her body. She was killed by a witch. The hunters took me in."

"So you were raised as one?" Luffy surmised.

"Pretty much."

"What's your Dad's name?" Luffy questioned.

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I know the local pack. If he's with them, I might know them."

Usopp blinked. "Yassop."

Luffy laughed brightly, "I do know him. He's awesome. So you're the one he always talks about."

"He talks about me?" Usopp asked.

"All the time." Luffy said. "He said he misses you."

"Really?" Usopp asked quietly.

Luffy nodded, and Usopp was inclined to believe him. From what he had said so far, there was nothing that went against him telling the truth. "Do you want to see him?"

Usopp wanted to say yes. He hadn't seen his father in years. But he still had qualms about willingly meeting a werewolf. "I…"

Luffy reached across the table and placed a hand over his, "You can wait to answer. He's really awesome, though. You should meet Shanks, too! He's the Alpha."

Usopp barely registered the contact, "So did this Shanks guy turn him?"

Luffy shook his head. "There are a few rogues in the area. Shanks takes in the people who were turned by them."

"That's… That's actually…"

"Not evil?" Luffy questioned.

"…Yeah."

"If you want to, I know where they live. They didn't leave town."

Usopp smiled, momentarily forgetting that the person he was talking to was dangerous. "Thanks."

Luffy grinned again and went back to his food. When Luffy finished, Usopp asked him to help with their current job, translating the old texts.

"It's hard to understand this old gibberish," Usopp grumbled. "How the hell did you learn?"

Luffy shrugged, "I started learning it when I was really young. My mother spoke English, but Dad speaks this stuff."

"Why?"

"Because he's really old fashioned. Well, his superiors are. He doesn't really care, but I had to learn it to earn their approval."

"That's… Well, you are over a century old. And I still don't know what you are."

Luffy laughed and didn't answer, reaching over Usopp's shoulder and turning his page. "Where'd you get this book?"

"The library at headquarters. Why?"

"Because this one's accurate."

Usopp faced him, "I thought you said that none of these were right."

"Gimme that," Luffy pulled the book from Usopp's grasp and frowned, looking wary. He turned to the front cover, his eyes moving quickly across the page, and then opened the front cover.

"What's wrong?"

"This thing is really old, but it… Ace and I weren't born, they couldn't have known about…"

"Hey," Usopp waved a hand in front of Luffy's face. "Are you alright?"

Luffy blinked a few times, clearing his head. "Yeah. I need to talk to Robin, right now."

"Your friend?"

"Yeah." He stood and all but ran into the bathroom, tearing off his bandages and breaking the scab. He placed a bloody handprint on the mirror. "Robin?"

"Luffy!" A relieved voice exclaimed. Usopp yelped and ducked beneath the counter. "The connection is more secure this time. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He held up the book, "Is this the book your old coven leader had?"

"It is." The woman on the other side of the mirror said, her voice calm but sounding awed. "Where did you find that? It's been missing ever since she disappeared."

Luffy glanced down at Usopp, "Do you know where the library got it?"

"No!" Usopp squeaked.

He heard the woman laugh lightly. "Well, you have it. That is amazing. Now, where are you?"

"Uh, I don't know the address. Downtown. I'm fine. And you're with Ace?"

"That's right. He's in front of me, actually. Do you want to speak to him?"

"Yeah."

A new voice could be heard, this one male. "How much trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Hey…" Luffy protested. "You've gotten into worse."

"Yeah, well that's in the past. This is happening right now. I hope you've been avoiding any hunters. The big guy has been moving around." Luffy laughed sheepishly, and Ace groaned. "You met him?"

Luffy held up his hands. "I lost. But I'm alive. He underestimated me."

"Big guy?" Usopp repeated, before shooting up. He hit his head on the underside of the counter before standing fully. "You were attacked by Akainu?!"

"You know his name?" Luffy asked.

"Who the hell are you?" Ace demanded.

Usopp held his hands up and backed away, "Innocent?"

Luffy laughed, "This is Usopp. He's my friend."

"And what are you?" Ace asked.

"Human?" Usopp said hesitantly.

The man on the other side of the mirror sighed and pressed a hand against his face. "Just don't do anything unusually stupid, Lu."

Luffy laughed, "I won't. I'll see you soon."

The connection broke abruptly, the mirror showing the hunter and vampire instead of the people Luffy knew. Luffy picked up the book, holding it protectively to his chest. "I need to keep this book."

"It's not mine to give away," Usopp said.

"It's powerful, and can be dangerous. Especially in the hands of the hunters. I don't think you guys understand."

Usopp shook his head, "Look, keeping it would just draw more suspicion. Keeping you here is dangerous enough. If anyone shows up, we're screwed."

Luffy pouted, "I don't care. If this is translated, it'll only cause disaster."

Usopp sighed, "What kind of disaster?"

Luffy hesitated, debating the severity. Was it worth it to tell a hunter? The hunter seemed trustworthy enough. Luffy could tell that much. "How… How much do you know about the ancient races?"

"You mean the Ancients?" Usopp asked. "Just the old legends."

Luffy glanced down at the book, "This book was written by one of the Ancients."

Usopp froze, his face paling dramatically. "What?!"

"This book disappeared with Robin's old coven leader, nineteen years ago." Luffy explained. "It holds a lot of the secrets of our world. Including the movements of the Ancients. It's dangerous."

"For you?"

Luffy shook his head, "For you. I know you guys are really impulsive, and if you found out where they are right now, you'd attack."

"They would. What's wrong with that?"

"You'd all die."