"So.. this changes things, right?" Usopp's eyes flitted between (Y/n) and the newly returned Eustass Kidd, being one of the surprising few to keep a cool demeanor upon seeing the man metaphorically and literally come back from the dead.

Ignoring the multitude of conversations overgoing above her head, as per usual, (Y/n) busied herself with rolling around the gaming area with her fellow ghoul, repeatedly circling around each other in a cycle of lightly mauling each other in between hisses and yips, only to pull away momentarily to lick their wounds before one would initiate a chase that would eventually bring them back to square one.

A few feet away from them, Killer hovered about the arcade games with a visible sort of stress, both elated with having his friend back and worried sick with his unusual behavior since returning.

It didn't help that Kidd refused Killer's approach upon arrival.

Law hummed, eyes never leaving the pair in a calculative gaze, "in which way?"

"Well, now we can be sure that Katakuri's case wasn't a fluke" Robin calmly sipped a drink that Law guessed was alcoholic in nature, if Nami's ever shifting demeanor after downing several cups meant anything to go by.

"True, though I doubt it could've been, in any case" the doctor watched in fascination as the ghouls continued to roll around as play fighting wolves, with (Y/n) ending up on top of Eustass more often than the alternative.

Now having the chance to take a few steps away and watch their interactions with a more steady thought, Law could notice how the two never actually went to 'bite' each other in the literal since, but more like latching onto each other using their teeth in order to steady the other, or as a small gesture to communicate 'slow down' or 'stop for a moment'.

He could also see how they blunted their own hands into folded palms when clawing at each other, more obviously hooking at each other's clothes and curves than actually catching onto skin and digging in it.

The licking was still a problem though.

"Eustass!" The ghouls jumped with a pair of yelps before throwing heavy stares that weren't quite glares his way.

"Watch your fucking mouth or I'll fucking muzzle you!"

The redhead simply yowled in displeasure at his threat with a half-mumble of something like 'go fwck ya'self' before hopping on (Y/n) once more and initiating another chase around the arcade machines.

"The fuck're they doing over there?" Sanji walked in just in time to watch the pair lose balance and topple over each other into the ball pit, in which soon afterwards, all that could be heard were unholy screeches and wails that would chill unknowing passersby right down to the core of their soul. 

"Whatever the fuck they're doing I've not drunk enough for it" Zoro proceeded to thrust out an empty tankard towards the blonde with an irritable snarl on his face.

Shockingly enough, Sanji actually filled it up without as much as an insult on his lips.

The situation was burning through them all more than he thought.

Law himself was passed down a mug with contents that looked exactly like whatever it was the Strawhats have been chugging down for the past half hour.

"I think they're play fighting" Law cautiously sniffed the contents of the mug before taking a testing sip, it was bitter, a sharp fruity aftertaste was noted as well, but all in all, the drink wasn't bad.

Bepo, god bless him for his endless patience, allowed Law to finish chugging his drink down before speaking, "Captain? Are we gonna do something about.. them?"

Everyone at the bar turned back to see balls and limbs fly from the pit.

"I wanna go play too.." Luffy flopped over and slammed his face into the counter with the whine of a child being refused their favorite toy.

"And havin' three undead lunatics tearing down the halls? I don't think so!" Nami swatted the teenager over the head with a drunken glare.

Jinbe, being both the only one sober and completely nonchalant through this entire ordeal, gave Luffy his own grimace of disapproval.

"I don't think it's a good idea to even approach them at the moment.. I think.. I think (Y/n) and Eustass are establishing their new structure"

Luffy's head instantly turned up from the table, "new structure?" He echoed.

"I.. I've been.. somewhat forming a theory around (Y/n)'s circumstances, but I've refrained from sharing them considering..." the older man's eyes slowly slid over to meet Law, and the doctor felt his stomach drop.

"Because it will sound controversial?"

Jinbe hesitated before nodding, "to put it simply, it might also hurt (Y/n)'s image"

Law could already hear the questions and rebuttals already building up in the other Strawhats' brains, it was only in moments like these where the group seemed to be on similar brainwaves.

"(Y/n) is (Y/n), and (Y/n) will always be my friend" Luffy leveled Jinbe his own stern glare, as if daring the other man to say anything to defame her.

"If something as stupid as a theory made anybody here think bad of (Y/n).. then they can get the fuck out"

And be left for dead, which was left unspoken on his lips, but no doubt heard loud and clear all the same.

The doctor had the sense of mind not to visibly shiver from the rare display of callousness that laid dormant within the Strawhat leader.

No matter how many times he tried to keep the memory fresh and potent in his mind, Luffy's ever consistent goofy demeanor made it impossible to actively keep in mind the unforgiving conqueror that dwelled right beneath the surface.

It was always too easy to let your guard down around him, and he knew that if he wasn't careful, no doubt that mistake will become his undoing, as it was for many others before him.

Luffy was a dangerous, dangerous man, and it frustrated him to always have to be reminded of it in moments like these instead of just knowing and remembering well.

"I won't let anybody throw shit about my friends, and especially not in my own fucking house" Luffy swept a glare across the room, silently challenging any of the guests present to speak out against his statement.

When nobody objected, just like that, the stony grimace etched onto the boy's face evened out and Luffy gifted Jinbe with a curious smile.

"So! What's the theory you got? I wanna know so we can fix it and I can go play with her again! Shesheshe!"

Jinbe licked his lips, obviously finding a taste for the words before speaking.

"From what I've gathered, Trafalgar hasn't been able to find any major differences in (Y/n)'s DNA as compared to a normal zombie's" the man prompted the doctor with a look.

"No" Law sighed.

"Unfortunately, I'm not in possession of any operational technology that would give me a more thorough examination, however, from what I've managed with Tony, so far we haven't found any difference between her and other zombies, molecularly"

Jimbe nodded, "yes, and that got me thinking.. that maybe (Y/n) isn't actually so different from the others than we've been thinking"

A few people in the room exchanged nervous looks, with Luffy's outburst and the way the conversation was beginning to turn, things were slowly looking to become a problem.

"What are you getting at here?" growled Zoro.

"What I'm getting at, is that I think that (Y/n)'s case may not be the result of a mutation, at least not directly"

"You think that she's a zombie" Robin murmured against the rim of her glass. 

Luffy was quick to rise in offense, "she's not like that!" A string of arguments were no doubt to follow, but were interrupted by a simple gesture from Jinbe.

Despite not liking what he was hearing, Luffy relented and sat back down.

"I don't mean to imply that (Y/n) is like them in the way that they're dangerous, or seemingly malicious in their mindlessness, I just think that what makes her different from the rest isn't something as special as we're led to believe"

"Then" Sanji prompted, "what do you think, if it's not a mutation?"

The older man turned back to the Strawhat leader, "Luffy, when you first met (Y/n), she said that after being bit, she found herself turned a week or so later?"

Luffy narrowed his eyes in confusion, not knowing where this turn in the conversation was going to lead, "yeah, she said she couldn't remember what happened between then though.."

Jinbe nodded, "and Eustass, over there" he gestured to the ghoul as he yowled about with (Y/n) raised high in his arms, both of them grinning widely as Killer chased them from a distance in a tizzy of worry, "he was killed a few months ago, however, he can't recall what happened during that time as well"

Law's eyes widened in understanding, "you think they were zombies during those periods?"

Jinbe nodded, "yes, and I think that they were all zombies initially, but something different that sets them apart from the rest is what gave them their awareness back"

"Yosh!" Luffy abruptly stood up from his seat with a dismissive look.

"Whether (Y/n)'s a ghoul or a zombie doesn't matter to me, (Y/n)'s (Y/n)!" Law and many others at the arcade sweat-dropped at his simplicity, "I don't need to hear anymore, it doesn't matter to me"

Usually one would expect the teen to get scolded for his apathetic standing in such a weighted topic, however, much to Law's vexation, the other Strawhats laughed along with his decision.

"He's right! It's not like there's a difference either way if she's a zombie or ghoul" Usopp dramatically sighed.

Nami swung over so her upper body leaned more heavily on the counter top where she sat, "yeah.. yeah.. it's not like we were expecting Luffy to actually pay attention to something so important"

Law really had to wonder how he got here...

"You all do realize that it's incredibly important whether she's a zombie or a ghoul, right? It changes everything, if we really want to find a cure to this then we need to know all we can"

When none of them gave him any mind, the doctor felt his temper flare.

"I doubt that such a vague technicality will really affect your research, Trafalgar" Law met Robin's sweet smile with a narrowed sneer.

"Are you the doctor here?"

Robin just sweetly smiled back, as if he just told her a joke, "of course not, however, I do know for a fact that you've never dealt with a virus like this before, or epidemiology"

"Yarch!"

Several people startled in their seats from the abrupt bark.

Lurching his head around in his seat, Law's eyes met (Y/n)'s, as the ghoul stood a few feet behind him with a dopey looking grin.

"(Y/n)?"

In response, and evidently thinking her name being called was meant in invitation, (Y/n) hopped over to the table and gave Law an eager head-bonk before scampering around the bar to Luffy.

"Luffy!" Was the only initial warning the teen got, before he was essentially body slammed by several pounds of frenzied ghoul.

"(Y/n)!" Luffy cheered in response, only cradling you closer to his body, no hesitation shown even as you nipped and slobbered on his clothes as you babbled nonsensically like a hyped up toddler.

"Luffy! Luffy! Kidd's back! And everything is okay again! And you're safe! And Big Mom is gone! And-! And!"

The excitement and relief flooding over you must've been too much to process, as you just continued to transition between actual words and yips of endearment and joy as you just continued to practically maul Luffy and manhandle him all over the floor.

"Woah, woah, (Y/n)! Calm down there!" A few of the Strawhats began to crowd the two in attempts to ease the ghoul's erratic behavior, though all who tried eventually were dragged in by her themselves and just as equally mauled.

Law dared to peek back at the arcade floor to see Eustass doing much the same with Killer and his other companions.

It seems after finally having their fill of each other, the ghouls have moved on to shower their human companions with affection and mischief.

And who were they to deny them?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You guys are leaving?" Luffy gave the two gang leaders a blank stare, the only emotion escaping him being surprise.

Law shrugged his shoulders with a huff, "the only reason my crew came here in the first place was because this was the best strategic place to hole up while we dealt with Big Mom, now that she's no longer a threat there's no reason to linger"

Besides, Tama and the nurses must've been absolutely rife with anxiousness back at the safehouse, though not like he'd ever admit to anybody that he cared.

Kidd, for his part, just wrinkled his face like he stepped on a particularly large and messy bug, "I'd rather not s'day here any longer with your cwazy ass than absolutely necessary"

Good-naturedly, Luffy just laughed off the clear distaste in his voice, "'Kay! Chopper and (Y/n) would like it if you guys would visit maybe once a week, though"

The ghoul just snorted at the teen's suggestion before walking off, it was unspoken that out of the two of them, Kidd was the one who was probably planning on coming around even more frequently than that.

Law just rolled his eyes at the suggestion, "it's not like I wouldn't have to drop in once in a while to do my research anyway"

Without warning, the surgeon was hugged goodbye before he could even stalk off, and he really had to wonder once more if this alliance was going to be alright in the long run with Doflamingo now finally out of his life.

All it took was one glimpse of your stupid, drooling grin, and hearing you sing farewells and blessings upon his leave, to know that everything was going to inevitably be alright.

As long as you were around, everything was going to be okay.