“Hey, Penguin, you jerk! I was grilling that alligator meat for myself!”
“So what?! Finders, keepers!”
“Hold on a second! Both Penguin and Shachi have had three pieces already! I’ve only had two! You guys are newer, so you should be watching out for me!”
Dinner was always a noisy affair for us. It usually started with Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo fighting over food.
Things would be much easier if we gave them each equal portions, rather than putting out a communal plate of meat to argue over. I thought it over as I silently shoved a fourth serving of meat into my mouth.
“Pipe down, you little brats! How many times do I have to tell you to eat in silence?” growled Wolf, slapping the table. Once he got riled up, the old man tended to lecture us for hours. I rose from the table quietly, trying to leave the room without drawing notice…but a powerful hand grabbed the back of my collar.
“Hey! I know you’re trying to sneak off on your own, Law!” the old man said. “You’re the leader of this band of miscreants, so clearly the example you’re setting is causing their bad behavior!”
“It’s not my fault,” I defended myself. “They’re my followers, but that doesn’t mean I’m responsible for taking care of them.”
“Enough! I’ve had enough of all this sassing! Ugh, what happened to all my peace and quiet?”
“Oh, calm down. Your life is way better and more exciting than when you were just sitting around alone building junk,” I said.
“Watch your tongue, you obnoxious little punk!” Wolf exploded. Then I was the one who had to endure his long lecture about manners. The others watched apologetically, but I knew that they’d be back to the usual shouting match in no time. Having lived with them for a while, I had come to realize realized that any lesson they learned they’d surely forget before the day was over.
✦ ✦ ✦
Two months passed in the blink of an eye once the five of us started living together. We ate meals under the same roof, came up with games to play, and goofed around together. It was a way of living that I’d never experienced before.
When I was with the Doflamingo Family, I had no hope. I was fueled only by a dark desire to see the world burn, and nothing I did felt fun. Doflamingo, Diamante, Lao G., Gladius… Each of them taught me many things, but only with the purpose of turning me into a tool who would do their bidding.
I didn’t know what future awaited me after my time with Wolf, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi. But in contrast to the Doflamingo Family, they at least treated me like a fellow human being. I wasn’t a tool, but a person—a companion who talked and felt and laughed and did stupid things alongside themselves.
My anger toward Doflamingo hadn’t gone away. The drive for vengeance still lurked in my heart, dark and searing, and occasionally rose to the surface. But now I had friends—people who would do silly things with me and help me forget the anger and hatred. For now, that was enough.
✦ ✦ ✦
We became better and better at splitting up the work, too. Whereas at first we were awkward and uncertain, starting arguments and blaming each other about workloads, as time went on we started acting like a real team—even me.
Every morning Wolf would leave the house at eight and walk to his laboratory, which was thirty minutes away. For about a month he’d had business in town after his lab and rarely returned before it was dark out.
“Whatever it is Wolf’s up to, is everything okay with him? Between his inventing work and his trips to town, I’m worried he’s going to wear out,” Bepo remarked.
“Not a problem,” I reassured him. “That Junker’s body is made special. He was boasting about his latest invention just this morning. He said, ‘Pretty soon you’ll get to see the whole landscape from up above!’”
“Well, as long as he’s okay…”
Wolf was actually the picture of good health, and I knew that for sure. I’d given him a physical just to be certain, and all of his numbers were good. On top of that, his overall musculature and lung capacity were much better than most younger men’s. He didn’t like to talk about his past, but it was obvious to me that he’d kept himself incredibly fit.
While Wolf was away we worked in the fields, went fishing, and took care of cleaning the house and doing the laundry. Sometimes it was a pain in the butt, but I did feel sort of proud about being able to get the job done.
When we had free time, we each spent it on our own interests. I read books on medicine and practiced using my powers, while Bepo almost always studied navigation.
Penguin and Shachi often spoke of wanting to get stronger. But training without any supervision wasn’t going to help, so I borrowed some weapons from Wolf and taught them to fight with swords and guns. It was a lot of work and was often tiring, but it wasn’t boring. They both had a talent for fighting, and because they were willing to listen and learn from me, they quickly improved. I hadn’t realized how satisfying it felt when people followed my instructions and mastered the lessons I gave. When Penguin and Shachi hit a distant target with a great shot and celebrated together, I would find a smile turning up the ends of my mouth, too.
When evening came and Wolf returned, and we all sat together to eat dinner and talk about the day, I went to bed tired and slept well. It was a daily rhythm that I found quite satisfying and fulfilling. But our life of leisure was about to end.