When I woke up I was still in Luffy's lap. His arms were wrapped in bandages and his clothes were already repaired nicely.

He gave me a huge grin and said "You're finally awake! You better now Shadow?"

I tilted my head.

He smiled and said "That was the name we decided to call you. You're black like a shadow and you were super sneaky so we decided that would be what we'd call you instead of 'Demon Cat'

Well..... Zorro still wants to call you that, but he's weird like that!" He said before chuckling.

I chuckled along with him.

Then I decided to do something very risky. I leapt off of Luffy and grabbed his hat midair.

Let me tell you..... Luffy is a lot harder to avoid when he's actually trying.

I actually had to give up the hat once he started getting creative.

How he managed to keep his hand flat to do 'Gum Gum Fly Swatter.' I have no clue. It almost got me and I knew if it wasn't an on the spot idea he would have nailed me with it.

The instant I dropped it he calmed down.

Luffy chuckled "If you just wanted to get chased you could have just said so."

I meowed "I know you're retarded but how fucking retarded are we talking?"

He blinked and said "Oh yeah..... I can't understand cat....."

He smacked his fist into his hand like he got it and said "How about you just pounce on me anytime you want me to chase you!"

I just walked away hoping not to lose more brain cells.

I found Ussop making some Tabasco sauce bullets.

I saw Zorro napping in the crow's nest.

Nami was lounging on the deck with a refreshing beverage.

And finally Sanji was waiting on her hand and foot.

I walked up to Sanji and meowed loudly.

He froze and looked down at me.

"What do you want shitty cat? Can't you see I'm waiting on my darling Nami-chan?"

Damn.... so he can't hear my stomach like I can.

I meowed loudly "Feed me you perverted fuck! You're the cook aren't you?!"

He grumbled and said "Give me a hint you little shit!"

You want a hint?! Fine!

I jumped up and bit right where the sun don't shine.

He screamed in pain as I dropped down and spit out the taste from my mouth.

How do people like that taste?!

I didn't have long to ponder that as Sanji punted me yelling "Stupid cat!"

I meowed loudly as I flew through the air before landing in the sea.

I was suddenly unable to move.

What?! I'm not a devil fruit user! Why can't I move?!

Wait...... Zeff said he was gonna drown me.......

Is this what he meant?

I heard a loud splash before I lost my breath and fell unconscious.

I woke up and coughed up what felt like a gallon of water.

I heard someone say "I didn't know it couldn't swim! It almost sank like a devil fruit user......"

Someone else said "It's lucky we were paying attention."

"Yeah! If our newest crew member died like that it'd be a shame! At least we know now!"

I shook my fur out and slowly got to my feet. I felt like shit.

I opened my eyes to see Zorro's blade in my face.

"If you're a cat with a devil fruit you're probably a Zoan. Change to your real form."

I looked at him and stood my ground.

I looked him in the eyes and said "Don't you think I tried that you bastard. I am a cat now! Go fuck yourself!"

He seemed to get it and sheathed his sword.

"He isn't a Zoan. If he was and was just resisting he would've ran or hid. And he wouldn't have looked so pissed." Zorro said.

Luffy asked "So he doesn't have a devil fruit?"

Sanji said "Of coarse he does! He couldn't even move in the water. Plus he sunk just like you do. The thing is.... what is it? He hasn't shown any weird powers besides his two tails and his agility....."

I meowed and shook my head no.

"No to what?" Sanji said.

Luffy said "I think he's saying he doesn't have a devil fruit...... but why did you sink like that?!"

I ran off and got some paint from Ussop.

I dipped my tail in the paint and drew both a moon and my mark.

While Ussop groaned about me stealing more paint Sanji asked "Moon Cat?"

I nodded and pointed to him.

Nami's eyes widened and she ducked back into her room before coming back with..... a fairy tale book?

She opened to a random page and read out loud.

"Beware the cats of the moon
Or they will lead to your doom.

They drown like users of forbidden fruit.
Any other way of being rid of them is mute.

Their fur is as black as the night.

Find a cat with multiple tails and you'll experience quite a fight.

The moon cat is a serious threat
If you find one put it to external rest."

Great.... people who recognize what I am will try to drown me. Wait.... so there are others like me?

My thoughts were interrupted by my stomach again. I still had some paint on my tail so I drew a cartoon piece of meat and meowed at it.

Sanji finally got it and said "That's what you wanted? Fine, I'll go get you something. Next time just paw at my leg or something. You do that again and I'll make mince meat out of you."

I waved and meowed "You'd have to catch me first bitch!"

Nami cleared her throat and said "So.... what now? If anyone knows what he is, then he won't be safe. We can't just hide Shadow. Plus he's apparently super dangerous.

Are you sure....."

Luffy looked at her darkly and said "He's a part of the crew and that's final. If anyone tries to drown him they'd have to drown me first!"

I added my two cents saying "Plus I have to be caught to be drowned. I have been learning well how to avoid that thanks to everyone so far trying to catch me."

My input was ignored of coarse.

Nami said "Although I'm curious..... it says anything but drowning is mute. Does that mean Shadow can't die any other way?"

Everyone but Luffy got a glimmer in their eyes at that thought.

Ussop said "He did recover surprisingly well. I definitely heard a loud crack when Sanji kicked him. He seems fine though......."

A shiver went down my spine as everyone unsheathed their weapons.

I meowed as I backed up "I know what you're all thinking. Should I kick the crap out of the cat? Well the answer may surprise yo...."

I was cut off by a swipe of Zorro's blade just barely not slicing me in half.

I still howled in pain because he damn near sliced my front paws off.

I stumbled back and was hit with a
Gunpowder Star that singed my fur and left me deaf.

Then Nami slammed into me and I felt several bones snap.

I was filled with pain, but still alive. And then I felt my right tail...... well it's hard to describe the feeling. I shivered as my bones snapped themselves back into place, my blood slid back into me, my fur grew back, and my ears stopped ringing.

I got up and angrily starred at all of them.

I saw Sanji come back with my food.

I snatched and ran.

I need to get back at them for that..... HARD.

For now I settled on doing normal pissed cat stuff. I pissed in Ussop's supplies, ripped Nami's paper to shreds, and shit in Zorro's bed.

All without their knowledge of coarse.

Until I was met with Nami's shriek, followed shortly by Ussop's 'manly' yells of disgust, followed by Zorro yelling "I'm gonna slice you in half you stupid cat!"

Luckily I had prepared for the end times. I had stolen many snacks from Sanji and made a nest for myself in the rafters hidden quite well if I say so myself.

Now I must hold in my laughter until they stop being mad.......

Zorro came in the cargo hold muttering "Stupid cat. If its the last thing I do I'll slice him to ribbons and watch him reform fifty times over.

No one uses my bed for a litter box!"

I sat in the rafters holding my laughter and munching on a bit of jerky.

Holding my laughter will be hard and waiting until they aren't mad will be hard.

Oh well. I know how the cycle of vengeance goes.

I just hope to whatever gods rule this batshit insane world that it doesn't escalate to them downing me.

I felt a cold wind blow through me as if the gods were telling me not to hold my breath.

Considering I was in the cargo hold and it was warm as fuck outside I took it pretty seriously.

I sighed.

I have to make peace with them don't I?

The wind stopped.

Fuck

Nami called out "Everyone up here!" I also got up there to see what was happening.

"Alright Luffy. We need supplies for the grand line so we need to head here at Lougetown.

It's called the town of the beginning and the end because it's where the king of the pirates both was born, and died."

I tuned the rest out and got ready. I had seen how Nami makes bags for her loot. I'd just have to steal a couple trinkets and hopefully those would be enough. Plus I'd be pissing off other people while stealing so win win.

Hmmmm...... Sanji and Luffy are probably the easiest to get something for.

I found a bookstore and went to the sexy isle to find a magazine for Sanji, I stole a thing of wrapped meat for Luffy, I got Zorro a new bandanna, Nami I got a log pose, and I got Ussop some Tabasco sauce for more Tabasco stars.

It was easy enough to hide the gifts before going out to face Mochi

I waited patiently for the lion tamer and his pet.

It started raining and I knew he would come any second.

The instant I saw that freak covered in that white hair vest I launched myself at him claws extended.

I apparently had good aim because my two front paws landed right in his eyes.

He screamed as I almost ripped out his eyes dismounting him.

His lion roared and said "Master! You little....."

"Go fuck yourself!" I yelled as I climbed into his mane and started biting his ears.

He instinctively swatted at me so I jumped at the last second. He swatted himself soo hard he actually knocked himself out.

I decided they were both incapacitated enough so I started licking my claws clean of Mochi's eye jelly.

Shrek was right this would be quite good on toast!

So Nami and Ussop came back to the sight of me in a licking session on top of a passed out lion and next to a guy with bleeding eyes.

Nami said "Ummmmmm good job protecting the ship?"

I meowed "Bitch I did awesome!" before I jumped up to the ship and got my bag of stuff.

I grabbed the log pose and the Tobasco in my tails before running out to them.

I meowed "Christmas came early mother fuckers!"

They turned to me.

I tossed the bottle to Ussop and ran over to Nami with the Log Pose bracelet.

She took it and said "What's this thing?"

She looked at me like I was crazy.

I rolled my eyes and meowed "You'll thank me later."

I ran back to a hiding spot and waited. The ship started moving and the monster trio landed heavily on the ship.

I ran out with my presents in my tails and mouth.

Sanji and Zorro said "What do you want shitty cat?"

I handed Sanji the the paper and dodged Zorro's blade.

He seemed to smile as he saw the cover and stuffed it into his jacket.

I managed to put Zorro's bandanna on his sword before tossing the meat to Luffy.

I flipped everyone off before scampering off to a hiding spot.

Zorro asked "Did that little shit just give us gifts or am I hallucinating from bad Sake?"

Luffy swallowed his present whole and said "He wanted a truce and that's how he did it."

Zorro grumbled, but tied my bandanna under his old one.

I smiled.

Now are we going to the grand line or are we meeting Apis? I guess I'll know when......

"Marines!" Nami yelled.

Apis it is.

We quickly changed direction to make the headwind perpendicular to us.

I decided to sit this one out. I couldn't do jack shit about those harpoons so I decided to go to the center of the cargo hold so I wouldn't get impaled and waited for the yelling to stop.

It did so a whole day later. I came out of hiding with slightly shot nerves, but unharmed.

The others were all collapsed on deck. I walked past them over to the mast and sat down on Luffy's special seat.

He joined me and started scratching behind my ears.

It was nice.

And then Luffy spotted Apis's dinghy.

He stretched out his arm, grabbed her, and I managed to cushion her fall as best I could. She did have like fifty pounds on me even if she was a little girl. So it wasn't a surprise that I broke a couple of ribs.

Oh gods that hurts!

Apis seemed distraught in her sleep as I silently coughed up some blood.

The others ignored me since the glowing in my tail healed me. They took Apis to Nami's room.

As they did that many thoughts ran through my head.

What'll I say when she wakes up? What won't I say? Can she hear me right now? Should I save proper introductions for when Chopper joins?

Oh I can't decide!!!!!

I took a deep breath and calmed down.

You'll be fine..... just do what you need to.....

I walked into the room and saw everyone surrounding her.

I jumped onto the bed and sat next to her.

Before anyone could stop me I sang "Wake up in the morning with a big big smile and a good good dayyyy! How can you ever go wrong when you roll out of bed with a song!!!!!"

Apis opened her eyes and smiled at the goofy song my family has been singing for three generations.

Well that's before Sanji kicked me off yelling "Stupid cat getting on Nami's bed just to wake our guest up with that racket!"

Thankfully I didn't break anything as I slammed into the wall.

I got up, shook myself off, and said "Someone didn't wake up with a good morning."

Apis went from shock to giggling.

I jumped up to her and said "Aha! You can understand me! Finally someone can appreciate my singing for what it is and not whatever my vocal cords produce!"

She seemed horrified that I already figured it out.

Well before Sanji kicked me so hard I'm pretty sure my spine snapped in two.

She seemed horrified.

As I healed I turned to him "You f-freaking j-jerk! You're brutally injuring a cat in front of a child! Do you have no clue how scary that just was to her?!"

She looked at me with surprise and said "You're okay?"

I nudged against her arm and said "I'm fine. It still hurts, but I can regenerate everything."

She glared at Sanji and he shrunk back.

"How dare you hurt such a nice kitty! Even if he is fine afterwards!" She scolded him afterwards.

Sanji stammered "B-but....."

I interrupted her with my thoughts.

I'm only a nice kitty to children. I've been a real jerk to them. They're nice people.

She was really bad at hiding her reaction and turned back to them with a smile.

Can you translate some stuff? They know nothing about me and I'd like to change that.

She stiffened.

Please!

She seemed conflicted.

Please! I used to be a person! A human like you! I woke up some...... cat. I need this!!!

She gasped and held me tight.

It was..... nice.

She said "I......... I........ I ate the whisper whisper fruit. I can speak to animals. This little guy told me a lot. I wanted to help him."

The others seemed shocked.

She continued "He wants to say a few things through me.

First of all.... he remembers his last life as a human."

Everyone gasped and starred at me. I nodded and she said for me "I remember my death and everything. I was so cold..... then I woke up as this moon cat on the Baratie just as you guys arrived."

Luffy said "Woah seriously?!"

I nodded "Yes you rubber idiot seriously."

Apis blinked and said "Wait..... rubber?"

Luffy nodded and stretched out his cheek like usual saying "I ate the Gum Gum Fruit! I'm a rubber man!"

Apis didn't know what to say to that.

I told her "Trust me when I say I was actively a jerk, I wasn't kidding....... Luffy is really good at seeing past that.

He saw who I really was even under all the pranks and language barrier. He's the coolest guy ever.

And you wanna know something awesome?"

She looked at me and asked "What?"

"He's all that and he's a pirate! How crazy is that?"

She froze.

I frowned and said "Before you say anything. Not all pirates are evil murderers like the government wants everyone to believe. Just as you know that not every marine is an unwavering symbol of justice.

People are people and can only be judged on their actions. I swear on every shred of honor and dignity I have left that these people are good and will only be your friends."

I yawned.

Now if you'll excuse me...... I'm weirdly tired right now.......

I curled up and fell asleep before I could hear her reply.