The few weeks following your return to the ship were far from easy, just like Whitebeard said. Readjusting to being around so many people was the first hurdle you expected but at least you knew everyone. The next hardest part was putting up with someone always watching you. You weren't sure when you'd go feral again and neither did they. So it was agreed that to keep anyone else from getting hurt, you'd have someone with you almost 24/7 and it was usually one of three people; Marco, Ace, or Jozu.

They were the best choices in case you did manage to lash out. Marco had his regeneration abilities that came with being a phoenix, so even if you did manage to get your paws on him, he could heal easily. Ace could just turn into fire on contact, discouraging further attacks and keeping him safe at the same time. And Jozu was practically indestructible with his diamond abilities. There wasn't a better team to keep you under tabs. And while you did enjoy their company, they weren't the ones that unsettled you.

It was obvious that you wouldn't be able to cause any real problems but many of the lower ranking members of the crew still seemed on edge in your presence. They were always skirting around you and watching nervously. Not like you could blame them though, you did almost kill someone on accident.

At least the higher ups didn't worry about you. They were just as friendly as always and came around often to spend time with you, confident that if the worst happened, they'd have no problem fending you off.

The small addition in security actually came in handy during the last week before reaching Manta. During a stop at an island, someone brought some red meat on board that was still very fresh. Your instincts had kicked in and Jozu had to put you in a headlock to keep you pinned. No one was hurt and it took a solid hour for you to snap out of it. You were embarrassed by the scene you caused to say the least and hid away on the back of the ship for a while, out of sight and out of mind.

Eventually Marco joined you, taking over on the guard duty, but he didn't give you a hard time over what happened. He simply asked if you were in the mood for a book and sat down by you, letting you read over his shoulder. You appreciated how much he understood about you going feral. It made you feel like shit every time it happened and it wasn't something you liked to talk about. He never asked for details or bothered you about the topic and instead chose to treat things like normal, just how you liked it.

Lucky for you, after that episode, time passed fast and before you knew it Manta was in sight. You bounced around the deck of the ship excitedly, ready to hop off and figure out what you needed to do to be human again. You were sure you'd do just about anything at this point.

The men laughed merrily as you paced and your tail swiped from one side to the other. They had no idea how ready you were for this.

"(Y/n)!" Whitebeard called to you and you begrudgingly left the side of the ship to sit in front of him. "Manta is neutral ground and as such, pirates are welcome here. That being said, stay on your best behavior. They won't hesitate to bring you back to the ship and send us away if you aren't."

Your board was often left by his seat nowadays so you didn't have to go far to find it.

You talk like you aren't coming.

"Because I'm not." He grunted. "While pirates are welcome, they aren't interested in housing those that aren't their kind for extended periods of time. This will be a quick stop, you'll go inland with one person, get fixed up, and make your way back here so we can leave."

You nodded. That was simple enough. Be polite and make it snappy, easy.

"Pick someone to tag along, I'm sure someone will meet us at the docks and want to know what's going on and who all will be on the island." With a dismissive wave, Whitebeard turned his focus to a barrel of alcohol being offered up to him by Izo.

You glanced around the ship, thinking who you'd like to join you. It'd have to be someone who had a good grasp on the full story and while you were at it, someone you wouldn't mind spending time with outside the ship. Your eyes fell to Marco who gave you a lazy smile. He knew you better than the rest of the crew in all honesty and you could count on him to behave himself. You trotted up to him, nudging his shoulder with your nose.

"Am I going with you-yoi?" He asked with a chuckle.

You nodded.

"Sounds good." He waved up to Whitebeard. "I'll be going with her pops! We'll be back before you know it."

"You better be! And don't come back unless she's on two feet and substantially less furry." He broke into a fit of laughter as the ship hit the dock. It was time to go.

You were a ball of nerves as you and Marco hopped down to the dock. The anxious feeling only increased when you were immediately approached by a man. He was tall, almost the same height as Marco, with a slim build and almost feminine features. There were no hard edges to his face, just soft corners and stunningly good looks. He was down right beautiful.

His long, silver hair swayed in a ponytail behind him and he held a hand to his chin thoughtfully. There wasn't even the hint of facial hair on him and all you could think is if there was such a thing as elves, they'd be like him.

"What do we have here?" His voice was deep but smooth, something you could listen to all day. "The Phoenix of the Whitebeard pirates and a wolf that doesn't understand it's impolite to introduce herself as a human."

Marco's mouth pressed into a fine line at the insult but held his temper. "Our apologies if it seems rude, but I'm afraid she can't change between forms."

"Ah." The man looked you over with vague interest. "You're here because she's lost then?"

"We were hoping she could be fixed."

"Fixed." The man repeated with a chuckle, like it was a joke. "You say it likes she's broken. No, she doesn't need fixing, just guidance."

You didn't like being talked about in such a way with you standing right with them, but if putting up with it and canning your attitude meant you weren't pissing anyone off, you could tolerate it.

"Alright." The man smiled. "I can help you with this, follow me."

He turned on his heel and started off, fully expecting you two to follow behind. This man had entirely too much confidence in himself.

"So," He continued. "as she is unable to introduce herself and I am not keen on changing my form to accommodate her, tell me about her."

Marco and you shared a glance. He was snobby too.

"Her name's (Y/n)."

"Go on."

"We picked her up a few months back and added her to the crew. Pops suggested her getting back to normal herself but she's been unable to. I'm pretty sure it has to do with how long she's been stuck like this."

"I'm surprised he's willing to help a Druid. He doesn't care for our kind you know."

"I didn't actually." Marco replied with a hint of surprise.

"I suppose that'd be hard to see when there's not many Druids living off the island. They're quite the rarity."

He led you into a town that you almost wanted to call a village. There were no definite roads, only worn dirt paths. While you expected stone houses and buildings, you were met with open markets and homes made of logs. Plants grew out of every crevice and opening you could see, wrapping around the buildings and spilling into the streets. Every single person you saw was another Druid and many of them watched you curiously. All of them were just as beautiful as the man guiding you to your destination. You couldn't quite remember what you looked like, but you hoped you were just as good looking.

"Why is it so rare to see them away from Manta-yoi?" Marco was enjoying the island's charm easily as much as you were.

"Here, we are free to be ourselves without judgement or going through the same treatment fishmen do. Any Druid who leaves is forced to hide themselves away to blend in and I wouldn't be surprised if that is what led your wolf friend to her current problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Druid's are made with a balance between humans and nature in mind. Shifting between forms helps maintain that balance. Let's say a druid goes without shifting for....maybe a year, would you say they have been balanced?"

Marco frowned as he thought. "No, they wouldn't have been in touch with their animal side enough."

"Exactly." The man smiled brilliantly. "And usually when things are thrown off that much, the body does what it can to compensate for that. But usually it leads to an overcompensation and leaves the Druid stuck in their animal form."

"So you think she can't change back because her body thinks it still hasn't balanced out properly?"

"Precisely!" He was practically beaming knowing that Marco could keep up so well. "Luckily, we have an easy fix for such an issue here and we aren't ones to leave our kind to suffer. It is safe to assume your friend (Y/n) here was ignorant of the consequences and she shouldn't have to be punished for that."

He was an overconfident snob, but somehow also nice to some extent. You never knew the combination could exist.

"We appreciate the help." Marco said, genuinely meaning it. "Things have been getting tough for her and she's overdue for a break."

"I imagine so. How long did you say she's been like this?"

"She thinks it's been about two to three years but the details are vague so we don't have a definite timeline-yoi."

The man turned quickly to face you both with an alarmed stare. "That's a long time to stay in one form."

"We know...." Marco raised an eyebrow at him. "We've been trying to move quickly to get her right again."

He started forward again, now to a small path leading into a densely wooded area. "Then you should be warned, because she's been in this form for so long, there may be some permanent changes to her human form. Ones that won't allow her to blend in if she ever wanted to again."

That was something you weren't worried about, not while staying on the Moby Dick. Everyone there knew exactly what you were and no one cared. There weren't really any threats of someone else, whether it be other pirates or marines, causing you problems. You were strong and so was everyone else on the ship.

Marco noticed how the new information didn't seem to phase you and relaxed. If you weren't worried, he wasn't either.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Marco said with confidence. "The crew accepted her day one and nothing will change that."

The man chuckled. "Well (Y/n), it seems you've found some good friends. What a rare thing for one of our kind to come across out on the seas."

You let out a sound that was something between a growl and almost a hum. He understood it was you agreeing with him and gave a small smile in return. Okay, you kind of liked him as a person. The guy wasn't half bad.

"Now, one last warning, while our way of getting you back to normal is easy, it isn't painless."

You heard the sound of running water as you walked into a clearing. There was a crystal clear lake nestled beside a hill, water flowed into it from a small waterfall above. Around the edges were a few logs for seating, each one carved with delicate designs. A few geese played in the water, ignoring your presence altogether.

"Holy shit....this is amazing." Marco spun around slowly to get the full view.

"Language." Your guide chastised with a frown. "But yes, it is. All you'll need to do (Y/n), is take a dip."

"...That's it?" Marco found it to be too easy.

"This place special. There isn't a better natural environment anywhere else and the water has healing properties that can't be replicated by anything else. It can force her body to return to normal and over time, she'll balance out."

"It forces her back to normal?"

"And that's why it's painful."

Marco grimaced before turning his gaze to you. "Well, as far as we know, there's no other way for you. And you know what they say, no pain no gain. Right-yoi?"

Right he was. The man nodded towards the water and you padded up before hesitating at the edge. You could see the bottom clearly and make out the different fish swimming about. The geese had moved out of the water and to the side, almost like they were waiting and watching.

"Don't overthink it. The sooner you go in the sooner it will be done." The man encouraged you.

It was now or never.

You walked in, feeling the cool water welcome you immediately. It actually felt good, enough so that you moved in until it reached your chest and you dipped your head in to wet every part of yourself. Suddenly the water's temperature started to rise.

And before you knew it, it felt like you were burning alive.

(A/n)
I've always imagined my Druid's to be very in touch with nature in multiple ways and like to imagine they live in gatherings without having all the industrialization. It's a fun little touch that reminds me of elves and such~