The Bear King had many titles to his name. Tyrant, monster, pirate, smoopy pie; the last one was his from his mother. But the one thing he wished to be called more than anything else, is husband.

  Pin Joker watched as his boss paced back and forth, biting his nails in worry. The man was massive, with a capital M. Standing around 15 feet tall, he was a towering mass of flesh and hair.

  Because the Bear King was very, very hairy.

  His face wasn't what one would call handsome, or even pleasant, but anyone with the balls to point that out would soon find themselves without. The large man did not take kindly to those who pointed out his flaws.

  His many, many flaws.

  His hair was black and scraggly, looking like you might cut yourself if you gave him a head pat, and his beard didn't look any better. His nose was bulbous, and his chin was big and square and covered in patchy hair.

  He wore a brightly colored blue shirt adorned with images of card suits. Hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs, covering the entire thing like a checkerboard. Over top this he wore a large, furry vest, likely made out of his namesake, a bear. His pants were a dark red, held up by an orange sash.

  "Where are they, where are they…" he mumbled to himself as he paced about the room. "They should have been here by now, shouldn't they? Do you think something happened? Is my bride ok?"

  "I'm sure they're fine, sir. You've been up all night, perhaps you should get some rest?" suggested PIn Joker. Said man was dressed similarly to a circus performer, looking like he belonged more with Buggy than the Bear King.

  His dark hair was slicked back with so much gel it might have become permanent. While not nearly as ugly as his boss, he certainly wouldn't be winning any beauty pageants. His face was angular, with a red, heart shaped tattoo covering his left eye and a teardrop one below his right. A scar ran across his face, going from his left temple, between his eyes, and reaching the right side of his jaw.

  His clothing consisted of a fancy, purple suit covered with diamond shapes. Over top he wore a red cape, with a circle of yellow fur going around his neck. On his waist he carried a long, thin rapier.

  "No, not until I know my beloved is ok. Oh, where are they," he whined, continuing his pacing. Pin Joker sighed, watching the distraught man wear a groove into the floor. Most times he was decidingly ruthless, but when it came to romance, he was a blubbering mess.

  "Puru-puru-puru-puru… puru-puru-puru-puru… puru-puru-puru-puru."

  The two turned to the sound of the Den-Den Mushi, staring at it. Neither one moved for a minute, just watching the thing ring, over and over again.

  "You get it, Pin Joker, I'm too nervous," ordered the Bear King. With a sigh, the clown based pirate did just that, picking up the receiver.

  "Ka-Lick."

  "Hello, this is Pin Joker."

  "Ah, Jokey, so good to hear your voice. This is Honey Queen," said the voice on the other line, sounding way too chipper for the time of day it was.

  "Ah Honey Queen, we were wondering where you were. I trust everything is in order?" he asked, shooing away the Bear King who had bent down near his head to listen.

  "Of course, no problems here. Sorry for the delay, we ran into a bit of trouble. But we'll be there soon," she cooed, making Pin Joker's skin crawl. He couldn't stand that sickly sweet voice she used, not when he knew her true nature. She and the Bear King were a lot alike in that regard.

  "Good, good. Big brother was getting nervous. If you wouldn't mind putting his mind at ease?" he asked, staring at the massive man who was staring at him with large, hopeful eyes.

  "Of course, put him on," Honey Queen said. Pin Joker held out the receiver for the Bear King to take, who eagerly snatched it up.

  "Honey, how is she? Is my bride ok? Please tell me she's ok," he begged, tears forming in his eyes, making Pin Joker roll his own. He didn't understand why they were so obsessed with romance. It boggled the mind.

  "She's right as rain Kingy, no problems here. And she's quite eager to meet you," Honey Queen lied. Not that she had any intention of telling him that.

  "Oh that makes me so happy. Please hurry, I don't know how much longer I can take," he pleaded.

  "We're heading up the elevator now, so we'll be there soon enough. Just hang tight. Oh, and before I forget, I got you a little something special as well," she said, making the man's face light up.

  "Oh, a present, for me!? You know how I love gifts," he grinned.

  "Of course, and I'm sure you'll love what I picked out for you," she giggled, turning to look at said gift, who was currently trying to kill her with a glare. If only looks could kill.

  "Well, don't keep me waiting! What is it!?" he asked, or more like, begged.

  "Ah, ah, ah. You'll just have to wait, mister," she said like she was talking to a child. "But I promise, it'll be worth it."

  The Bear King's face lit up with delight, tossing away the Den-Den Mushi as he started to dance around the room. Seeing this, Pin Joker frantically went to catch the poor thing, sighing in relief once he did so.

  These snails weren't cheap.

  "And there he goes. We'll see you when you get here," he said, getting a chuckle from the woman.

  "Roger that. See you soon, Jokey!" she said cheerfully, hanging up the phone.

  "Ka-Lick."

  She turned to face the two women, who were still glaring daggers at her. Well one was, the other still hadn't mastered the angry face yet.

  "Well, our big brother sure is excited to meet you," she said, with a condescending sneer.

  "I hate to tell you this, but the feeling's not mutual," Nami growled. But Honey Queen simply chuckled, giving the sexy ginger a pitying, yet smug look.

  "Well, I wouldn't tell him that. He doesn't take rejection well. Who knows what he'll do to you if that happens," Honey Queen said.

  "She's right, you know, my ladies. Big brother has a few, shall we say, insecurities. Best not to poke at them," stated Skunk One. He sat at a table, sipping on a cup of tea, trying to look posh and sophisticated. Too bad he was dressed as a steampunk skunk, ruining the whole image.

  "Or what?" Nami asked.

  "Or he might just throw you off the island entirely. It's quite a long way down, so I wouldn't recommend it," Skunk One replied with a grin. But his tone suggested he would enjoy watching them fall to their deaths.

  "Gee, thanks for your concern," Nami shot back sarcastically.

  "If you're really unlucky, he'll give you to Boo Jack," he said. Nami turned to look at the large, rotund man, following the blonde haired slut around with his tongue out, looking like a horny puppy that would start humping her leg any minute now.

  "I'd rather be thrown from the island," she said with a shudder.

  Kuro watched the whole exchange with a sneer. Hopefully he wouldn't have to suffer these fools long and he could get back to building up his wealth. The company may have taken a hit, but he was confident he could smooth things over with their customer base. Just having him in charge rather than a girl barely into her adulthood should be enough to ease many of their concerns.

  It's a seed he planted quite a while ago, after all, and he's been carefully tending to the buds ever since. He needed them worried about her taking over so there would be a feeling of relief when he usurped her. That way they would be eager to stick around.

  "What are you thinking so hard about, Puddin?" Honey Queen asked, sauntering over to him. He cast a glance in her direction while adjusting his glasses.

  "My future plans, if you must know."

  "Oh, and do those plans include little old me?" she asked, placing her hands behind her back and pushing out her bust, shaking her chest in an attempt to tantalize him. But much to her chagrin, he barely gave them a glance.

  "Perhaps…" he stated, making her face light up. Of course, he was lying through his teeth, but he couldn't afford to antagonize the woman just yet. He'll likely have to arrange an accident at some point, just so he didn't have some psychotic woman coming after him. He was thinking… shipwreck. What better way to get rid of a Logia user?

  "Oh, Puddin, you make me so happy," she smiled, clinging onto his arm. He could only stand there and groan, having no choice but to wait until the elevator brought them to the top of the island.

  As loath as he was to admit it, the feat of engineering was a marvel to behold. Not only was the island nearly a mile into the air, but the mechanism that brought the whole ship up was quite the sight. He would say it offered some protection, but all one would have to do was shoot the shaft leading up with a cannon or two and the whole thing would collapse, and the island would fall to the sea.

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  So while it was impressive, he also saw it as a waste of time.

  It took nearly 30 minutes for them to reach the top, their ship sailing out of the chamber and into a small port. To reach the Bear King's castle, they would have to walk through town, something that none of them in particular wanted to do.

  "Come on you three. And don't even think about escaping," Honey Queen threatened, giving Nami and Kaya a pointed look.

  "How can we when you have us chained up?" Nami asked sarcastically, holding up her hands which had shackles made of honey keeping them together. Not only that, but her feet were shackled too, connected by a chain that would make running rather difficult.

  "Of course, silly me," Honey Queen giggled, making Nami mutter, "Bitch," under her breath. But if the older woman heard her, she gave no indication.

  The group left the ship, walking off of a large wooden plank. Nami and Kaya stared at the town in wonder, especially at all the wind-up windmills. The buildings were mostly shaped like spiraling towers, and none of them appeared straight, each of them misshapen in some way.

  As they made their way through the town, Nami took special notice that no one seemed to be up and about. It reminded her of Orange Town with how desolate it was. She didn't have a hard time at all believing pirates took it over.

  "How are you, Akisu? Are you doing alright?" Nami heard from beside her. She turned and saw Kaya staring at the boy with worry. He took a few good hits while trying to keep them safe, and Nami felt a pang of guilt at not thinking about him more.

  But he didn't look like he was in pain. Or at least, not much pain. He was staring at the town in wonder, not that she could blame him. They were practically in the clouds after all.

  "I'm fine Kaya, it's just… Everything looks so familiar," he said, his voice carrying a hint of longing to it.

  "Do you think this is where you're from?" Kaya asked gently, getting Nami's attention.

  "Hang on, I thought he was Usopp's brother?" she asked, confused. Akisu nodded, though he wasn't paying her much attention.

  "I am, but not by blood. Usopp took me in when I washed up on shore a few years ago, but I'm not from Syrup village. I don't know where I'm from…" he said sadly. Nami could certainly relate to that, having an adopted sibling and having no idea where you came from.

  She placed her hand on his head, which was a bit awkward given the fact that she was chained up. He looked up at her, surprised, and she gave him a warm smile in return. "I know what that's like, I have an adopted sibling too. Her name is Nojiko. For the longest time, I wondered where I came from as well, wondered if there wasn't somewhere else I belonged, but you know what?"

  "What?" he asked, thoroughly invested in the story. And he wasn't the only one either, with Kaya laser focused on her as well. Girl really loved her stories.

  "Turns out, I was right where I belonged the whole time. With people who love me. So even if you are from here, the place you belong is where there are people who love you, no matter what," she said.

  Akisu stared at her for a moment before his eyes gained a determined, happy look to them. "Yeah, you're right! My home is Syrup Village!"

  "That a boy," she said, ruffling his hair. But of course, the moment was ruined by a certain blonde haired bitch.

  "Aw, isn't that touching? Well I'm sorry to say that you belong to the Bear King now. This is your new home."

  Nami glared at the woman again, "Would you mind your own business you hag!"

  "Hag!? How dare you! I am the pinnacle of youthful beauty. You're just jealous that your tits are already starting to sag!"

  "Excuse me!? My tits are full and perky, thank you very much. Don't project your insecurities onto me!"

  "I'm not the one who's insecure here you little whore!"

  "Oh yeah!"

  "Yeah!"

  The group watching couldn't help but sweat drop at the scene. "Um, should we do something?" asked Boo Jack.

  "Not if you wish to retain all of your fingers," Skunk One stated. Kuro ignored the screaming buffoons, continuing towards the castle. Not for the first time did he wish Jango was up and about. Hypnotizing these fools was looking more and more appealing.

  Nami and Honey Queen continued to exchange barbs with each other as they made their way towards their destination. They eventually came to a large, steel gate, guarded by dozens of men.

  "If you gents would be so kind as to open the gate, we would be ever so grateful," stated Skunk One, confusing the illiterate pirates for a moment. Once they figured out they wanted inside, they quickly opened the gate.

  Watching this from above was none other than the Bear King, who was growing more and more nervous with each passing second. The moment he laid eyes on Kaya, he swore his heart tried to leap out of his chest and run towards her.

  "Oh, there she is Joker! Quick, how do I look?" he asked. Once Honey Queen had told them that they were nearly there, he ran to his room, after dancing of course, to change into something more appropriate. He only really had the one outfit, but at least he was in a fresh one.

  "You cut a fine figure sir. She won't be able to resist," Pin Joker said, barely even looking at the man. But his words caused a swell of confidence either way.

  "You're right, of course. There's no man as handsome as me. I have nothing to worry about," he said. The pair watched as the group walked across the courtyard, entering the castle.

  "Um, but are you sure?" the Bear King asked, making Pin Joker sigh.

  Nami, Kaya and Akisu stared at the surroundings with wonder. They were in a large circular room, made mostly out of stone. But that wasn't what caught their attention. That honor belonged to the massive, screw-like object in the center of the room. It was probably 30 feet in diameter, and twisted slowly, the sound of a ticking clock echoing in the background.

  Beneath them, near the center of the room surrounding the screw, was a glass floor, dozens of feet thick. This allowed them to see the numerous gears all moving in tandem. Nami would be far more impressed with the sight if she hadn't been kidnapped to see it.

  "Impressive isn't it?" Honey Queen asked, giving them a smirk.

  "What the hell is it?" Nami asked.

  "Don't worry, you'll find it soon enough. Come along, we mustn't keep big brother waiting," she said, heading for the stairs. Seeing this, Nami groaned in frustration.

  "Seriously, more walking? Couldn't you have figured out a better way with all this technology you have?"

  "Now, now, no need to shout. Besides, walking is good for you, helps keep you from getting fat. And it looks like you could use all the help you can get," stated the blonde with a smirk.

  "Oh, that's it! You're dead!" Nami yelled, ready to charge right at her, only to be stopped by Kaya stepping in front of her.

  "Nami, please calm down," she said, making the ginger haired girl stop in her tracks.

  "But Kaya, she called me fat," Nami whined, glaring over Kaya's shoulder at the smug looking woman.

  "I know, but we both know that's not true, so there's no reason to get upset," Kaya said, trying to soothe her friend.

  "I guess…"

  "No dallying fatty, we have places to be."

  "That's it! Come here!"

  The men could only sigh in frustration at having to listen to more of the catfight. Even Boo Jack, the major simp general, was getting tired of it.

  After climbing up numerous flights of stairs, the group finally reached the top, where the Bear King was waiting. The two girls who were meant to be his brides gulped as the large, metal doors opened.

  And that's when they saw him for the first time.

  "You've gotta be kidding me…" Nami said, staring at the enormous and unattractive man. He gave them a big smile, showing off his yellowing teeth.

  "Welcome my darling, to your new home! I hope the trip wasn't an unpleasant one. And might I say, you look lovely in that dress," he shouted, making Kaya take a step back in fear. "U-um…" she stuttered, getting a look of confusion from the man.

  "Hmm, is something wrong? If there is, tell me so I can fix it. I want you to be happy you know," he said, laying it on way too thick for the girls' taste, his honeyed words making them shudder in revulsion.

  "Oh, um… no, I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Kaya managed to get out, only after Nami nudged her in the side.

  "Good, good. I want my wife to be happy. Ooh, I just love saying that. Wife. Eeehehe," he squealed. Nami turned to the others, an expression that clearly said, "Dafuq?" But they only shrugged in response, already used to the Bear King's mannerisms.

  "Oh, and who is this you brought with you? I don't remember inviting her to the wedding," Bear King said, staring at Nami. The navigator began to sweat a bit, now that the attention was on her. "Um…"

  "She's my gift, brother dear. A second wife. Or mistress, if that appeals to you," sated Honey Queen. That caught his interest, staring at Nami with a new light.

  "Oh really. Well, let's get a good look at you," he said, peering down at her with a contemplative look in his eyes. Nami did her best not to barf as his eyes lingered on her assets, wishing she had the foresight to change out of the little black dress she was wearing.

  This guy was not the man she wore it for.

  "Oh god why is this taking so long? Just stop staring at me already you creep!" Nami thought. But on the outside she could only give him a nervous smile, remembering the warning the blonde haired bimbo gave. She didn't know if his ego was really that fragile, but considering he attacked an entire island when Kaya didn't respond to his letter, she was leaning towards it was.

  "Hmm, yes… I like her! Two wives! Could any man be so lucky?' he stated, turning away from Nami, making her sigh in relief.

  "But we'll need to make some adjustments to tonight's ceremony. Is this what they call a double wedding?" he asked no one in particular. Nami wasn't sure what to make of his enthusiasm, but he seemed surprisingly sincere.

  Which means she can use it against him. Nudging Kaya, she mouthed, "Follow my lead." Confused, but willing to trust her friend, she nodded.

  "I'm sorry, but did you say you want to get married tonight?" Nami asked, doing her best to act like she wanted to be there. The Bear King turned around, giving her a big, happy smile.

  "But of course! I simply can't wait to be married. Why, is something the matter my sweet?" he asked, and Nami had to force down the vomit.

  "It's just, Kaya and I are awfully tired from our journey. If we get married today, we won't look our best. And you want us to look our best, don't you?" she asked, fluttering her eyes at him, making his own turn to hearts.

  "Of course I do, pumpkin. But I don't know if I can wait a whole, nother day," he complained.

  "I know, it's hard. I can't wait to be married to such a big… strong man such as yourself. But a girl only gets one wedding day, and I want to remember it fondly. Right Kaya?" Nami asked, making the blonde haired girl jump. She swallowed the lump in her throat as the Bear King turned his attention to her. The same man who had instilled fear in her heart for months and harmed the people of her home.

  And now she has to act like she wants to marry him? The very thought made her sick to her stomach. But she trusted that Nami had a plan, so she just had to suck it up and go along with it.

  "R-right! Our special day should be perfect. You wouldn't want us too tired for the… for the honeymoon, would you?" she asked, nearly gagging. Nami gave her a subtle thumbs up.

  "Yes, well… I suppose that's true. I guess one more day wouldn't hurt," he said, making Nami give him a big, wide smile.

  "Oh thank you darling, you won't regret it!"

  "Of course! Anything for my sweets!" he said, puffing out his chest and feeling real proud of himself. His crew could only watch as he was completely played by the two girls. Not that they could say anything, as disagreeing with them right now might set him off.

  They had no choice but to acknowledge they lost this round.

  "Oh, I'm so excited! I can't wait for our honeymoon. Do you think we could even.. Hold hands?" the Bear King asked, blushing and giggling at the very thought. Nami couldn't help but sweat drop at that. Holding hands is the last thing she'd be thinking about on her honeymoon.

  If it was her, she and her new hubby wouldn't be leaving the hotel room for hours. She blushed deeply when the image of a husband entered her mind, and she could only picture a certain brown haired man. But the Bear King thought she was blushing over him and her, holding hands while walking along a beach.

  "Alright, take them to their room so they can get the rest they need. I want them fresh as can be for tomorrow," he ordered.

  "Alright you three, come along," Honey Queen ordered. They had no choice but to obey, following the blonde through the castle halls.

  "That was pretty clever of you, I'll admit. But you only bought yourself a little time. Don't think it changes anything," Honey Queen said.

  "We'll see about that," Nami countered. She knew that her friends were coming for them, all she had to do now was be patient. She bought them all the time she could, the rest was up to them.

  "You guys better not let me down."