Dark!Defeat, and it's dark.

"Strip."

The dawning realization in Luffy's features was delicious to see. His widened eyes, quickened breath, and fingers sunk into the ground all spoke of a man who knew the consequences of his actions but was still terrified to face them.

That was too bad. "I said strip. Or I'll do it for you, and I think we both know you're not going to like that."

Luffy choked out something in response, but Katakuri wasn't listening. He was already turning around, snapping the clasp on his belt and tearing it out of its loops. The thing broke in his hands, buckle crumbling and rendering it useless, but he didn't have it in him to give a shit.

His scarf was the next to go, ripped from his shoulders and tossed to the ground where it landed with a wet smack. It was obviously ruined, shredded and soaked through with blood, but he didn't care about that either. He had a backup stored inside himself if he needed it.

His jacket followed soon after as he shrugged it off and let it fall to the floor. He'd given Luffy enough time to get undressed, now; if the little bitch still had clothes on when he turned back around, he was going to regret it.

When Katakuri did turn back, it was to be greeted by the sight of a naked Luffy, clutching his shoulders and shivering in the cold air. The brat's clothes were laying next to him on the floor, but there was one thing missing.

"Take the hat off."

Luffy winced, hands clenching tighter around his shoulders. His signature straw hat was hanging by a strap around his neck, seemingly the one thing he wasn't willing to part with.

Katakuri was in no mood to be disobeyed. "Take the fucking hat off."

A wailing cry, trailing off into bitter, wracking sobs. Hot tears splashing on the cold ground.

The thump of straw as it hit stone.

Luffy crumpled to the floor as soon as the hat left his hand, his legs collapsing beneath him and leaving him a heaving, shuddering mess at Katakuri's feet.

Katakuri left him there as he scouted around for a flat piece of rubble or undamaged tile. The size difference would be too much to manage without something to prop Luffy up, and it wasn't like the brat could run away from him, anyway.

True to the scale of their battle, there wasn't a single piece of mirror-world wall near them that hadn't already been smashed to bits. Katakuri was forced to make do with the largest fragment he could find. The jagged sides were enough to slice through Luffy's rubber flesh if he wasn't careful, but that was Luffy's problem.

When he returned, Luffy was waiting exactly where he left him, curled up into a ball on the ground. He didn't seem to sense Katakuri coming, his eyes glazed over and his breathing ragged, but when Katakuri picked him up he let out a blood-curdling shriek.

The noise, and its unexpectedness, was enough to make him wince. Katakuri closed his grip tighter around Luffy, haki-hardened fingers digging into the dripping wound in his stomach, and the scream trailed off into a heavy, pained panting.

Katakuri carried him over to the makeshift table and tossed him down on it, summoning mochi to fill up the walls around them. "On your hands and knees."

Luffy shuddered, choking back what might have been another bout of tears, but he obeyed. He didn't seem to have full control of his limbs, shivering so hard as he turned himself over that he slipped several times before finally holding and presenting his back and bare ass.

The mochi beneath his hands bubbled, and Luffy let out a high-pitched cry as his arms sank in almost up to the shoulders. He sat back on his knees, tugging as hard as he could, but in his weakened state all he could do was stretch.

"I said hands and knees, you little bitch. Bend over." Katakuri still had plenty left in him to hand out another beating if Luffy kept trying to resist him. He didn't owe the brat anything; Luffy was lucky he was even bothering to give him orders.

Luffy winced at his tone, abandoning his pathetic attempt to break free and pressing his face against the mochi table. He was still shivering, legs visibly shaking as he fought to keep them still, but he'd leaned forward and his naked ass was pushed high in the air.

That's more fucking like it.

Katakuri's hands went to his zipper.

Luffy's face was a reddish smear, the tears tracking down his face mixing with the blood spattering his skin to horrific effect. His whole body was shaking, curled up into a ball and trying to disappear into the floor, but it only took a single narrow-eyed look from Katakuri for him to spread himself out again.

The brat's learning. Luffy seemed to have finally figured out that his resistance only led to more pain, but that didn't matter to Katakuri. Fucking Luffy when he was fighting back was just as satisfying as fucking Luffy when he'd given up, and the only difference was saving them both a little time.

"On your back."

A pained look.

"You think I'm fucking done with you?"

Luffy's legs clamped together, thighs tightly closed but shivering uncontrollably. He rolled onto his back but it was only to try to crawl away, his frantic, horrified gaze still locked on Katakuri.

A boot slammed straight into his gut stopped him, forcing him into the ground hard enough to crack it. Luffy's hands came up to push at the foot planted on his stomach, but it was useless; Katakuri pressed down harder just to watch him struggle.

It was a pathetic sight, and it eased some deep ache inside of him that demanded payment for all the times Luffy had dodged his attacks or sought to disarm him. It felt good to crush that insolence beneath him, to feel soft flesh give under his heel as Luffy gasped for air.

Katakuri leaned in. "You better hope I'm not done with you. You better fucking pray that I'm not done with you. Because the second I get tired of you, I'm going to walk out of here and slaughter your entire fucking crew."

He saw the shriek coming before he'd even finished speaking, but a hand slapped over Luffy's mouth kept it from being too loud. Luffy's fingers came up to tear at his glove, tears streaking down his face as he moaned into his palm.

"What are you crying about? Didn't you know this was going to happen?" Katakuri lifted his foot only to push down harder with his palm, closing his grip tighter over Luffy's face until all he could see was one terrified, bloodshot eye peering at him through his fingers. "Did you think I forgot?"

More muffled screaming, Luffy clawing at the back of his hand as he struggled to break free

Guess he didn't learn after all. Katakuri pulled him up by his face, lifting him several inches off the ground before slamming him back down with enough force to crack the stone. "You think resisting is going to help now? You think that won't make me lose interest in you faster?"

Luffy went still, realization seeming to sink into him as his one visible eye widened.

"That's right. Keep fighting me, see what happens when I really get annoyed." If Luffy's allies weren't dead already, they would be the moment he got to them. Hell, it wouldn't be too difficult to take a mirror with him to track them down; that way, Luffy would have a front-row seat to watch from as everyone he cared about was torn to pieces.

Luffy didn't blink, his eye focused helplessly, hopelessly, up at Katakuri. His face was still wet, his body still shivering, but Katakuri could feel the brat's lips moving against his palm. The voice that came out was garbled, choked off by the tight press of leather, but it sounded like he'd stopped screaming.

That was…unexpected. No matter how much he'd threatened him before, Luffy hadn't seemed to be affected by it, but for whatever reason this was getting to him. "Got something to say, bitch?"

A fresh wave of tears, welling up in those dark, dark eyes. This time, the words muffled by his palm were spoken in a whisper too soft to hear.

Katakuri couldn't help but be curious. He pulled back, loosening his grip on Luffy's face just enough to allow him to breathe.

"No," was the word Luffy gasped out, his voice rough. "No, god, don't hurt them, you can't hurt them-"

Katakuri laughed. "You think you get a say in this?"

"No, no, god no, don't touch them-"

It was nice to finally hit a nerve. Katakuri relished the feeling of power, drinking in the sight of Luffy's tear-stained, frantic expression beneath him. The brat had caused him no end of trouble during their fight, from refusing to stay down to ruining his merienda, and it felt beyond good to see him suffer for it.

Fucking him had been great, of course, Luffy's body stretching to accommodate his size in a way he didn't hesitate to make use of, but Katakuri was an opportunist. He recognized a chance to wring more out of him when he saw it.

He pressed a fingertip into the hollow of Luffy's throat, enjoying how the brat had to grasp it with both hands to keep from being choked. "I'll tell you what, little bitch. I'll make you a deal. You got four crewmembers here, right?"

Luffy hesitated, but he didn't have a choice, and Katakuri could see that he knew that. A moment later, he nodded.

"Well, I've got some time to kill." Katakuri pointed to a nearby clock, visible through one of the few unbroken mirrors on the wall. "It's around seven now. You keep me entertained until eight, and I won't kill one of your crewmates. Keep me entertained until nine, that's two crewmates I won't kill. Another hour, another corpse I don't drag back to Whole Cake Island. Think you can do that?"

Luffy's eyes were wide, his bruised body shaking. With all the abuse he'd already taken, it didn't look like he had four hours of life left in him, not even to speak of four hours of hard, merciless fucking.

That didn't matter to Katakuri. If the brat cared about his crew, he'd take the deal. If not… "It won't be hard to find them. I know exactly where they're headed, remember? And I doubt any of them can put up half the fight you did."

A choked cry, then a single, silent nod. Luffy wasn't stupid; he recognized that his crew wouldn't stand a chance.

Katakuri felt a grin twist at the side of his mouth. Having Luffy the first time had only made him hungrier for another taste, and he had so much time to make up for. He reached for brat again, clamping down around his waist with ruthless force as he picked him up once more.

This was going to be fun.

Four hours, and three minutes. Barely enough time to be safe, but a deal was a deal.

Katakuri tugged his zipper back up, plunging a hand into his own chest to root around for his spare scarf. He shook the remnants of mochi off the edges, then wrapped it around his face, taking a moment to make sure it sat comfortably on his shoulders.

His limbs were loose, his movements easy, and the tight knots that had built up in his lower back from dodging Strawhat's punches had all wrung themselves out. When he reached for Mogura, it felt light in his hands, and even though the last ten hours had been filled with some of the greatest exertion of his life, he felt…refreshed, almost.

He supposed he had Luffy to thank for that, but annoyance still simmered beneath his skin.

Four hours, and three minutes. The captain had managed to save his crew.

That alone didn't bother him. He'd made a deal, and Luffy had upheld his part, so Katakuri would uphold his own. But since he hadn't been able to end his battle with Luffy in the traditional way, he was itching for a kill, and if all of the Strawhats were off the table…that didn't leave him with many options.

Capone wouldn't be hard to corner, and his whole crew was always conveniently right inside of him, so he could hardly call that a challenge. The rabbit mink hadn't posed him any trouble earlier, so he didn't see any reason to bother chasing down the Strawhat's ship to waste his time on just her. The other mink had taken himself out for them, Caesar had been recaptured, and the rest of Luffy's crew was untouchable to him.

That left only the traitorous Sun Pirates and their captain, the filthy, lying, son-of-a-bitch Jinbei. The crew themselves had disappeared before the wedding, so he'd probably have to follow them to Fishman Island to hunt them all down. They'd hardly be a threat, but the thought of all the time he'd have to spend underwater in the next few weeks irked him.

Who else was there? There has to be others. His siblings would have been trying to eliminate their enemies as well, and he'd gotten a denden call informing him that the Germa had been slaughtered, but an attack of this magnitude hadn't been carried out without allies. The Germa themselves had a few nations pledge themselves to their cause, but none of them were nearby, and it was unlikely they'd stand against Mama even if they were.

Perhaps the Fishman Pirates were still around, hoping they could save their boss. Jinbei had been at the wedding, so he couldn't have left with them-

Jinbei had been running with Luffy and the rest out of the forest, headed for the Strawhats' ship.

Jinbei had joined the Strawhat Pirates.

Katakuri came to a halt, mid-stride, hands caught halfway between tugging his gloves back on.

One hour for every Strawhat.

Four hours. Four Strawhats.

Jinbei's declaration ringing in his ears, his promise to follow Luffy as his new captain bellowed loud for all to hear.

Four hours.

Five Strawhats.

He felt a jagged grin stretching the scarred flesh of his mouth, dark anticipation rising under his skin. He could still hear Luffy's breathing behind him, the boy having collapsed to the ground the moment he'd set him down.

Katakuri turned around, gazing downward to address Luffy from where he lay on the floor. "Congratulations. You've done well."

The only response was ragged panting, but that was all he expected.

"You made it four hours. Four crewmembers saved. That's quite the accomplishment, especially considering it's me you've saved them from." Katakuri wouldn't deny it; the brat really had managed to keep him interested for that long. There had been so much to explore with his rubber flesh, so much to enjoy in the easy way his body yielded beneath Katakuri's hands, and the pent-up energy of over a decade without release had made him reach for Luffy time after time. The memories alone would be plenty to keep him satisfied for years to come.

More panting. Luffy was splayed out flat on his back, covered in bruises and cum, and with his eyes closed there was no indication he'd even heard Katakuri speak.

"It's a shame, though. Four wasn't quite enough."

The breathing stopped.

Katakuri's smile was razor-sharp, sadistic thrill thrumming in his veins. God, how he lived for these moments. "A simple mistake. Entirely my fault, of course. I seem to have forgotten about your newest member."

Luffy was undoubtedly awake now, but still he remained silent. Was he hoping that Katakuri would let him get away with it? Was he hoping for another deal, another chance to save his doomed ally?

A pity, that. Katakuri hated to be the bearer of bad news. "You'll have to excuse me. It seems I have some work to do."

Luffy was on the ground one moment then in the air the next, a howl echoing in the massive room that was equal parts fury and terror.

Katakuri swatted him with the flat edge of his trident, sending him smashing back into the floor. He wasn't interested in toying around with him anymore; he'd tested the limits of his ability, used him for every dirty fantasy he'd ever had, reduced a captain who'd sought to match him in battle into a wrecked whore leaking cum on the ground.

He'd seen all there was to see of Strawhat Luffy. The boy couldn't entertain him for another five minutes, let alone another hour.

Katakuri turned back around, scanning the walls for anything that looked familiar. A mirror that lead to Cacao Island would be ideal, since that was where the Strawhats were expecting to pick up Luffy. It was a shame that they wouldn't be arriving for another few hours; he'd like to imagine the looks on their faces when he stepped out instead of their captain.

Luffy's voice rose behind him. "No! Come back! I'll do it! I'll do another hour, whatever you want!"

Katakuri ignored him.

"I'll give you anything, just don't hurt him! Tell me what you want, I'll do it!"

The screeching was beginning to irk him. For such a small person, Luffy could certainly make a lot of noise.

Katakuri looked over his shoulder, taking in the sight of Luffy crawling on his hands and knees, helpless agony etched into his face. "Don't worry so much. I might not kill him."

Hope, such a tiny flare, lit in his eyes-

"It could be any of them. It'll just be whoever I see first."

"No!"

Katakuri faced forward once more, mentally blocking out Luffy's sobbed pleas as he searched for an unbroken mirror. Jam Island would do if he couldn't find any that led to Cacao, or even Cheese Island was close enough to catch a ship. It was entirely possible that his siblings had broken all the mirrors on Cacao to prevent Luffy from escaping to it, and he could applaud their caution even if it was causing him trouble now.

Scrabbling came from behind him as Luffy fought to keep up, but Katakuri's long strides were taking him further and further away. Soon, the boy would be out of his mind altogether, little more than a few pleasant memories to tide him over during the nights.

He wondered how he'd kill whoever he came across as Luffy's screams faded into the background. Mogura would make it easy enough, but perhaps that would be too quick. It would be better to suffocate them, to see the fear in their eyes as they-

"Please."

His feet stopped moving, more out of some striking sense of shock than his own volition.

"I'll give you anything." Luffy's voice was so small, so weak, so far away. "Anything you want. I'll do it. I won't fight back. Please."

Katakuri's grip tightened around Mogura. The boy's words were getting to him in a way that the sex hadn't, the acknowledgement of his superiority soothing his ego and quelling his anger. By all rights Luffy should have been begging with him hours ago, but he hadn't, and Katakuri had been forced to accept a wholly unsatisfying victory.

But this…

"I'm ready for whatever you ask. I'll do anything. Just please, don't hurt them."

…this was nice.

To his chagrin, Katakuri found himself seriously considering the boy's offer. Sure, he'd already had him in all sense of the word, owning his body with punishing force and making certain that all who saw Luffy would know he'd been used. And sure, his family must be wondering where he was right now, when they knew he must've crushed the rookie ages ago.

And yet, this was a new avenue for him to explore. How would Luffy sound now, if he pinned him down and spread his legs apart to delve inside? How easily would he give now if he stretched him, held him open and took him once more? Would he moan? Would he hold on to him?

Would he beg?

…Would it be enough?

If he spent any more time with Luffy, there was a chance that Capone and the others would get away. His family was competent, but they relied heavily on him to fix their mistakes, and the fact that none of their enemies besides the Germa had been reported dead yet told Katakuri that there had been many mistakes.

Could he afford to face Mama without a mountain of corpses behind him? Could he afford the chance that he'd be shamed, called a failure, looked down on, or even demoted?

The answer was easy. He'd fought for his reputation for far too long to give it up for one rookie, no matter how sweet that rookie promised to be. There was nothing to be done for it; it was simply a risk he wasn't willing to take.

"It's not enough, Luffy," Katakuri told the boy. There wasn't any softness in his tone, but there was regret. "Someone's going to die. That's the price. You knew it when you came here, and you know it now."

The boy's incredible will was worth acknowledgment, and Katakuri had faced plenty of captains before who'd clung to their own worthless pride rather than admit they'd been beaten. Strawhat was easily one of the greatest foes he'd ever faced, and he had to respect how Luffy had survived for so long against him both during their battle and after it.

But he had responsibilities as a Sweet Commander, to his family and to his mother's empire. He'd offered a trade that he'd seen as worth his time, but Luffy would be foolish to mistake his willingness to bargain for mercy.

Luffy didn't respond. It seemed that he'd finally realized the gravity of his situation. He'd played every card he'd had, but the game was over. He'd lost, and now he had to face the reality of defeat.

Katakuri left him to his misery. He expected this to be the end, knew this to be the end.

But Luffy was ever full of surprises. "I w-want to serve under you."

Katakuri knew he must have misheard, of course. Luffy wouldn't say something like that. It was the opposite of everything the boy stood for, both as a captain and a person. "Repeat yourself. You're mumbling."

"I want to serve y-you."

Blood pounding in his head. Breath, caught in his throat. Luffy's form, crouched on the floor.

He couldn't have heard that. That couldn't have been what Luffy said. "Repeat yourself."

Luffy's voice was trembling, the words obviously difficult for him, but there was no mistaking what he said. "You're…you're stronger than me. I want to learn. I want to serve you. Please."

A long moment of silence. Katakuri couldn't hear his own thoughts for the ringing in his ears.

He'd never planned to let Strawhat go. The crew he could ignore; Mama would track them down later, anyway, but his reputation would be forever tarnished if he didn't at least present her with the captain. Luffy would be killed, of course, but seeing as he'd already gotten everything he wanted out of the boy that wouldn't be a major loss.

But now…

Katakuri wanted to ask if Luffy knew what he was offering, if he realized what he was giving up. Surely the boy who'd fought him until he'd been a bleeding mess, who'd resisted him even when he'd been used even when he was treated no better than a toy, wouldn't give in to him over the life of a single crewmember.

There were other pirates in these seas who'd follow his banner. There were others in this world who'd rise to fill the empty space.

One life could be replaced so easily. Half of a loyal crew, especially one so small, perhaps not.

But one life?

He should tell him to shut up, shake him off and walk away. Luffy's life was already forfeit, and to come back with a single head from the Strawhats would ease Mama's ire, no matter who that head belonged to. All had wronged them in equally terrible ways, from the skeleton's thievery to the woman's manipulation.

But, a voice whispered to him, from a corner of his mind where he rarely ventured, he'll be yours, forever. Don't you want that? Something that's yours?

I don't want anything else from him, he argued in his head, standing still with Luffy wrapped around his leg. I've taken what I was interested in. He's used now. I'm satisfied.

But Luffy's dark eyes were fixed on his, gazing up at him from far below. His expression was subservient, pleading for his acceptance.

He's seen your face and he didn't flinch. He fought you for hours and he didn't break. If you took him in, if you trained him, he could be magnificent. And if he's this loyal to his crew…

How loyal would he be to me?

"You'd only be stopping me," Katakuri told him. His own words sounded foreign to his ears, echoing as if from far away. "My siblings will still chase them. I won't promise that any of them will make it out alive."

"You know so much." Luffy's eyes were deep, bottomless wells with pinprick stars in the middle, and Katakuri found that he couldn't look away. "You're so strong. So much stronger than me. Will you teach me? Please?"

"You'd never see them again." He didn't have control of his own voice, his own thoughts. That dark, hidden corner of his mind was speaking directly through him in a way he'd never let it before. "I'd keep you here. You'd always be by my side. I won't share you with anyone else. You'll be mine."

"Let me serve you, Katakuri. Please." Two black holes, two inverted suns, purple walls and shattered glass shrinking away in the face of an endless night that swallowed him whole. The boy's hands around his leg were so small, but he felt their soft touch all around him, holding him still, closing him off from everything else except for Luffy and his whispered promise.

"I want to be yours."