Nested Vault Chapter 1

[mekachu04]

Nested Vault by Mekachu04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Additional Tags:

Klabautermann Post-Wano Arc Egghead Island Arc Age Regression/De-Aging Shenanigans feral child!Killer

hurt!Kidd Smile Fruit author abuses languages other than english Kidd Pirates don't survive, as far as we know Victoria Punk has been destroyed, but she's not out of the fight yet, she sticks around doing her freaking best - long enough to get who she can out alive Merry haunts the sunny - and by extention Usopp - but in a nice way

hey what if my story 'adrift' went differently?
Luffy and Co find a raft drifting on the seas. It's not exactly what they expected to find.

---

Luffy stood up on the Sunny's head, smoke falling away. Zoro had joined him at the rail, staring out at the sea in front of them.

No one needed to ask, they could see it for themselves soon enough. Flotsam and burned wreckage floated on the waves, a bloated body or two face down in the water.

Shredded black sails in the sea.

They sailed carefully though the wreckage, checking the few bodies for life. There was none. But their clothes were painfully familiar. The Strawhats may have not known their names, but the crew they hailed from was obvious.

The Kidd Pirates had been obliterated.

"Any sign of Gizao or Kaman?"

Not so far... except... Usopp braced against the railing, "I see.. something?" he wasn't sure how to word it. But there was a crawling on his spine and he felt those tiny little fingers of Merry's ghost curl into his hand. He risked glancing down to her misty face. She too was looking at the dark form on the sea he had spotted.

A barely cobbled together refuge on the water, struggling to stay upright on the waves. A immobile, stationary beast curl at it's center, fur stiff from the salty sea. Next to it, a ghost as incorporeal as Merry, fading into the sun. Usopp was watching a klabautermann die, he realized. She had a beast skull for a face but the rest of her was ambiguous and undefined. Even in Skypiea, Merry had had a form to her.

Not this one.

Thousand Sunny would have sunk her with the waves pushing off her bow; Zoro dropped anchor and Sanji & Franky pulled the sails so they stop well before they overtook the raft. Jinbe took silently to the water to approach.

Usopp didn't know if the fishman saw the last mist of the Victoria Punk or not; she slipped away just as he surfaced at the raft.

"Chopper," Zoro said quietly, dragging the young doctor's attention up to him, "You should prep... we got company."

Chopper regarded Jinbe, who had turned to signal that what was on the raft still lived, before taking Zoro's advice and running off. Jinbe starting to swim back, raft gently following behind. He had to go slow to avoid it crumbling under his pull.

With stretchy arms and blossomed hands, Luffy and Robin carefully lifted the dead-weight of Eustass Kidd up the side of the Sunny's bow and onto the grassy deck.

Jinbe caught Usopp's eye from where he tread water, and made an distinguishable gesture of opening a closed fist slowly, before moving to climb the ladder Zoro had lowered down for him.

As Franky moved to carry Kidd to Chopper's infirmary, Jinbe's meaning soon became clear.

There was an unmistakable growl coming from Kidd, but the man was clearly unconscious. Robin's hands carefully turned to lay the rival Captain flat on his back, out of the fetal position he'd been found in, and started to pull away the coat tangled around his torso. Underneath, a ragged child was held firmly in Kidd's right arm, protected by body and fur. A child with boundaries Robin had overstepped, as he lashed out grabbing her at arm and biting down. The limb blossomed away as Robin held her real arm in pain, as the child then returned to its growling at them, hunkering back down in the protective circle of Kidd.

They were vaguely away of the Kidd Pirates having a small bitey person as a member of their crew, but what they could recollect of Dive, that was not this person. They also had never been certain if Dive has just been a small statued woman or a rambunctious juvenile. This was clearly a feral child. Dive had long, well cared for dark hair. The creature hiding, hunkered back down on Kidd's chest under his arm and coat, had a mop of dirty tangled blond hair.

"Maybe they had two kids in their care?" Brooke offered, though even he didn't sound so sure of his own suggestion.

Chopper nervously reappeared, signalling he was ready. Now the problem of moving Kidd without being mauled.

Zoro sighed, moving forward before squatting down to look down into the void with his good eye. "Chopper," he gestured to the reindeer, the kid never took his eyes off Zoro, but his head did tilt a little. He was listening, "is a doctor. He's gonna look over your captain now."

The growl came back.

"Yeah, no," Zoro warned, "we're not playing that. Kidd goes with Chopper. You can go to if you play nice, or you get to stay out here if you cant."

"Zoro..." Nami worried, Sanji at her side, both looking uncertain.

Luffy had approached, squatting next to Zoro. He peered down under the coat, studying the child. Zoro was right, the kid probably needed a check up too, but not at the risk of Chopper or Kidd.

If they moved fast, they could separate the two, get Kidd in and stabilized. Try to apologize later. But Luffy could see now that it wouldn't smooth over later. A breach of trust they would not be able to mend. Luffy slowly reached forwards, moving open and slow. Easily tracked. He unwrapped the tangle of Kidd's coat, pulling the worn battered fur away to get a better look at the kid.

Kidd was a big man - normal people looked small next to him. This child was tiny. Kidd's right arm, limp and heavy, was draped over the kid's back, hand loose at this side. Kidd's hand was as big as the kid's entire head, his arm as thick as the boy's torso.

Zoro's heart sank - a terrified smile shone back at him now that the kid was out in the light. If the kid wasn't hyperventilating, Zoro had no doubts that haunting laugh would be heard.

"Hi Kaman." Luffy said, confirming Zoro's suspicion. The child Killer made no move that he recognized any of them, but Zoro wasn't sure if it was because of the days events or by whatever means had caused his small stature. "Got small huh?" Luffy continued, "that happens to me sometimes too. You're really fluffy like this - what happen to your mask?"

This at least succeeded in confusing the kid, Killer no longer in terrified defensive mode and more confused defensive mode. Zoro pressed that, "I'm sure Chopper would appreciate your help." Give a kid a job, something - anything - that they can do, something to give them some semblance of control. "He'll need to know where you and your captain are hurt. Get your captain patched up that much faster."

Chopper look that as his cue to approach. He was about eye level already, and offered Killer a small wave, "Hello Killer," he offered, "we met after your fight with Hawkins? Do you remember me?"

The boy shook his head no. To be fair, the man had been concussed pretty bad at the time. He might not remember much of the night regardless. But he looked less tense; Chopper had that effect on people.

Zoro had moved to kneel, focused on Kidd now and how he was going to carry the man into the infirmary. Kidd was big enough he might need Franky or Jinbe so they could finagle him though the door way. What he wasn't expecting is for Killer to reach out for him in the universal 'Up' gesture.

Everyone froze.

Luffy broke the stillness first with a 'shishishi' and stood up, using Zoro's shoulder as support as he did. "Zoro can carry Fuwao. Can Jinbe carry Gizao?" He turned to organize his crew into action, leaving Zoro to stare at the kid.

Killer's smile couldn't fall, but it looked pained then, and he started to drop his arms down when Zoro didn't move initially. Zoro picked him up with the ease he carried Chopper around, Killer burying his face into Zoro's neck immediately. Luffy had cooed at him from behind them chatting on with the little boy, as Jinbe followed Chopper with Kidd. Franky was needed to did help him maneuver Kidd though the door, Jinbe supporting the man's shoulders and head while Franky walk backwards with his legs in hand. Zoro followed steadily behind, Killer's attention flickering between Luffy and his own captain as the man was laid out on the infirmary bed.

Zoro stood awkwardly to the side as Chopper worked, fetching and taking things one handedly as requested but otherwise a silent observer. He already hated this room; standing around uselessly did not improve things. Killer watched Chopper like a hawk, nodding or shaking his head when prompted by the good little doctor. He didn't say anything however, leaving them no closer to understanding why or how any of this had happened. He was also flagging, energy spent, and was sleeping soundly on Zoro's shoulder when Chopper finally declared Kidd stable.

Sanji popped in after; Chopper giving a recommendation of broth for Kidd before eyeing Killer resting in Zoro's arm.

"He's way too little," Zoro offered; they'd run across enough hungry kids during the course of their voyage, "But not bones. More malnutrition that starvation."

"We know of any allergies?" Sanji questioned, pinching a tiny child arm in his hands. Killer made a soft noise of complaint but was fighting off sleep too hard to fight off the unwelcome touching, "How old do you think he is?"

"I'm guessing 5 or so, but if you think malnutrition, he might just be small for his age." Chopper offered.

Zoro thought about the some of the boys he'd grown up with at the dojo. "7 or 8, maybe." he offered before catching Sanji's eye. "Stay away from anything with apples, or similar texture." The cook nodded his understood and slipped back out of the room.

Chopper was normally pretty against two patients in a single bed, but Killer was so tiny when placed alone on one - and even sleep, refused to let go of Zoro's arm. Only did Killer relent once they tucked him up against Kidd's left side; they turned into each other regardless of how passed out they both were.

"It would never use a word like 'cute' for Kidd... or Killer, normally..." Chopper voiced, as Zoro picked him up next and they regarded the rival captain and first mate. Zoro only grunted that he understood, as the left to update Luffy. Sanji would have soft foods ready once either woke up.

---

Zoro - for all his murdereriness- really has this effect on animals and children though out the series and i love that for him.
 

Luffy and names:

Canonically we have Luffy calling Kidd Giza-o. ギザギザ - giza giza meaning jagged

As best as I can find, he doesn't directly refer to Killer. Some of the English fandom uses Masky while I've seen some of the Japaneses fandom use different words for Fluffy. I love the idea of both and will be using both.

When talking about adult!Killer - Luffy will be calling him Kamen. 仮面 (かめん) - ka men - mask specifically used as a disguise, sticking with a 'K' sound for the start of the name

After some thought, small!Killer will be Fuwa-o. ふわふわ - fuwafuwa meaning soft and fluffy. It also reminds me of Killer's laugh, which while being slightly cruel of me, I think i can use this for some nice symbology down the road.