(AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I'm gonna be real with y'all, a part of this arc, specifically the part with Chouchou the dog, brought up some emotions for me because I recently found out my dog's gonna die from Cancer and the vet gave us an estimate of about a month for how much time we have left with her. So as a sort of pre-coping mechanism, I'm writing this part with my self-insert referencing that around the time he was isekai'd would be after my dog has already passed. I also thought it would be a little way to have him and Chouchou empathize with each other and it made me smile so just-uh-bear with me! Also, the picture I'm using for this chapter is in fact, my dog. )

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Chapter Four :

" The Dog, The Pet Shop, And Isaac's Resolve"

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(ISAAC'S POV)

Zoro had been dragging Luffy's cage all on his own for the past 5-10 minutes, and when he finally puts it down he was panting hard. Zoro then fell to the ground causing me to panic, "Zoro! Zoro please don't die on us we still need to get Luffy out of this cage and I don't even know the first thing about that and-and-" But my rambling was interrupted by Zoro raising his head and asking, "What's with the dog?" I looked in the direction his head was pointing and there stood an average-sized white dog. My mind immediately shoved away my nerves as I squealed, "IT'S A DOG!!!" I immediately went over there and began petting it and unfortunately, my habit of using a baby-talk voice with animals came out, "Who's a good boy! You are! Yeah, you're such a good boy!" I was petting his head and scratching behind his ears and although his face was stoic, I could see his tail wagging just a little bit out of the corner of my eye.

Luffy somehow hopped the cage over to the dog and the dog's tail immediately stopped wagging. Luffy made a funny face at the dog but he was clearly unamused, "Hey Zoro, it looks like this dog is frozen in place!" Luffy exclaimed as Zoro got up and slowly sat on the building entrance behind the dog. "The Hell if I care, that dog can stay there forever if it wants," Zoro replied, and I gasped, feeling offended for the dog. "Zoro! What's wrong with you!? How can you say that about such a handsome boy!" I shouted. He looked at me and rolled his eyes, "It's just a dog. More importantly, why do you care so much?" I shot a glare at the green-haired man and looked back at the dog and continued giving it affection, "Don't listen to that mean ol' Zoro, he's just jealous because you're much better looking than him! You're much more handsome than that dummy!" I said. "You don't have to insult me to prove a point to a damn dog, Pinky!" Zoro shouts. I huff and I stand up and walk away from the dog toward him, and then I sit on my knees, close my eyes, and smile as I say, "If you keep insulting that poor dog, then maybe I'll see if there's a doctor on this island to see if we can have you neutered! How about that?"

"I swear if I wasn't injured right now I'd kick your ass..." He muttered. And just as I was about to yell something in retaliation Luffy screams in pain and we turn to see the dog biting Luffy's face, "GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF GET OOOOOOOOFF!" He shouted. "LOOK AT WHAT YOUR PRECIOUS DOG IS DOING TO OUR CAPTAIN! YOU STILL WANNA CALL HIM A 'GOOD BOY'!? I swear after this I'm gonna-" Before he could finish his sentence Zoro was on his back. "I don't feel good..." He muttered. I wanted to make a comment about how it served him right but looking at him bleeding out through the stab wound and on the ground after seeing him before fighting all those Marines I started to feel bad.

I sigh, 'I shouldn't be arguing with him when he's like this...I mean, this dog isn't even mine...He's nothing like my precious girl...' I close my eyes and rub my temples. It wasn't until Luffy says, "Hey, Navigator!" That I open my eyes again and see the girl, Nami, from earlier. She takes something out of her pocket, "I guess you can have this since you saved me and all." And she tossed a key on the ground by Luffy's cage. "Great! The key to the cage! You went and got it for me!?" Luffy exclaimed. Nami smiles, "Don't get the wrong idea, I just didn't want to wind up owing you!" Luffy began to reach for the key but then a certain furball picked it up in his mouth and ATE IT. The four of us stared at the dog before Luffy began strangling it! "That's not food! Gimme that key back!" "LUFFY STOP STRANGLING THE POOR DOG! IF HE DIES THEN HE CAN'T POOP IT OUT AND THEN WE WON'T EVER GET YOU OUT OF THERE!"

"STOP THAT!" Shouted a foreign voice, Nami and I looked to see an old man who shouts, "Quit bullying poor Chouchou! Leave him alone!" Luffy stops strangling the dog, now known as Chouchou, and Chouchou started barking. "And who are you, old man?" Zoro asked, but that seemed to make the old man more pissed as he retorted, "Old man, why I'm the mayor of this town! Who are you and why are you hurting Chouchou!?" He then looks down and sees Zoro's stab wound. "My, that's a pretty bad injury you got there. I'm guessing you all had a run-in with Buggy, we need to get you to a doctor."

He then took Zoro inside a nearby building and when he came back out Luffy asked, "How's Zoro?" I bit my bottom lip, 'Damn now I'm really feeling shitty for yelling at him...'. "He-He's not gonna die right!?" I ask worriedly. "He needs to see a doctor, but he insisted that he would just sleep it off." The mayor replies. "So this dog's name is Chouchou?" Nami asks, and I crouch down and pet his head to calm my nerves. "Why's he just standing here? He's kind of a lazy dog." Luffy said. "He's guarding the shop." The mayor replies. "Guarding it?" Nami asks before looking back at the building behind us, "Oh! This is a pet food shop!"

"Yes. This shop's owner was a good friend of mine..." The mayor gets a bowl of dog food and places it in front of Chouchou, who began eating it. "I'm here to feed Chouchou in his place." He explained. "In his place?" Nami asked and he nodded, "He died 3 months ago from illness." He said solemnly, "Don't tell me Chouchou's been waiting for him to return all this time?" The mayor closed the door to the pet shop, "That's what everyone thinks...But I don't think that's it. Chouchou is a smart dog and he's probably known that his owner is dead." Nami raised a brow, "But then why does he guard the store?" The mayor began smoking out of a pipe, "I think it's because this shop is a treasure in Chouchou's eyes. I think he continues to protect it, it's a memento. I've tried to make him evacuate on many occasions, but he won't take as much as a step away from here."

I felt my lip tremble and my eyes tear up and before I knew it I was crying. The mayor looked at me with concern, "You okay there, boy?" I sniffled, "I'm sorry...It's just...I had a dog once. She was loyal just like ol' Chouchou here, but she was bigger than him and probably less likely to bite a person's face...But, hearing Chouchou's story of loyalty to his owner even after his passing, just reminded me of her...She passed a few months ago before I ended up with Luffy and Zoro...I just wish I had something I could guard in honor of her, as Chouchou does for his owner..." I explained. He gave me a pat on the back, "I'm sure she's doing a lot better now. If the words of an old man you just met matter at all, you've got your memories of her to cherish and protect." I nod slowly and look down at Chouchou before smiling as I pet his head more. "I knew you were a good boy."

Suddenly a strange noise was heard throughout the area of town we were in, "What's that sound?" I asked. The mayor stood up quickly in panic, "It's him! It's Beast Tamer Mohji! We gotta go!" And he ran off. "What do you mean by 'Beast Tamer'!? Wait! Hold on!" Nami shouted going after him. Luffy sighed, "Come on, something's here, so why don't you give me that key back?" A shadow loomed over Luffy and I, and when I hesitantly turned around there was a gigantic lion and a very hairy looking man on top of it. "I see your friends have deserted you. And after you just escaped, too." He said. "Who the heck are you?" Luffy asked, looking up from inside the cage. "I am the Beast Tamer Mohji, a member of the Buggy Pirates."

"Woah that's a pretty weird animal suit you got on," Luffy says. "How rude! This is my hair!" Mohji retorts. "That's even weirder." Chouchou started growling, "Do you think you can rest easy because you're inside that cage? You must not know my skill! There is no animal in this world...That Beast Tamer Mohji can't tame!" Mohji walks toward Chouchou, "Shake." He commands, and in response, Chouchou latches his canines onto Mohji's hand. After screaming and attempting to remove Chouchou Mohji looks at us and exclaims, "You two are nothing but a nameless thief and a loser who serves a nameless thief, I have no interest in taking your lives. Now tell me where Roronoa Zoro is before I change my mind!"

"No way!" Luffy retorts, and in response Mohji yells, "Richie, ATTACK!". I yelped as I quickly moved out of the way and the lion named Richie attacked the cage and broke it, finally freeing Luffy.

"Yes! I'm finally out!" Luffy cheered before being thrown through several houses by Richie the lion. "Luffy!" I cry, and Mohji praises his lion, "Now let's go find Zoro so I can defeat him and raise my reputation!" He exclaims. When he receives no response from his pet he asks in annoyance, "What's wrong? Oh, a pet food store. Alright, make your meal quick!"

I put my arms out in front of the pet food store in a way to try and help Chouchou, "NO WAY IN HELL ARE YOU TOUCHING THIS SHOP!" I shout and Chouchou glares at the beast tamer and his big cat. "Huh? Don't tell me that you and this pathetic little thing can protect this shop?" Chouchou starts angrily barking before the lion swipes a paw at him, throwing Chouchou off his feet and then swiping another at me, and I yell out as his claws slash my chest. Chouchou quickly gets up, runs back, and bites one of the lion's paws, causing him to roar in pain. I go after Chouchou and start kicking and hitting the lion, "Oh? You still come at us?" Mohji smirks in amusement. The lion continues beating the crap out of me and Chouchou, the poor dog covered in wounds from every hit. The smell of smoke hits my nostrils and I hear Chouchou howling in misery, it was then I knew that somehow his beloved treasure had been set ablaze. As Chouchou howls I turn to Mohji and his stupid cat, anger running through my veins.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU AND YOUR STUPID CAT TOOK CHOUCHOU'S TREASURE! I MAY NOT BE A STRONG SWORDSMAN LIKE ZORO OR HAVE A DEVIL FRUIT LIKE LUFFY, BUT I'M NOT GONNA STOP UNTIL EITHER I SEE YOU AND YOUR PUSSYCAT'S CORPSES ON THE GROUND OR UNTIL I TAKE MY FINAL BREATH!"

Mohji scoffs, "You're not worth my time, Kid. Go mourn that stupid shop with that dumb dog." He then begins to leave and tears stream down my face as I continue screaming at him at the top of my lungs, "YOU COWARD! GET BACK HERE AND KILL ME DAMMIT! I SWEAR I'LL SEND YOUR ASS TO HELL! I'LL-I'LL-" I feel my throat strain and I stop, I turn back to Chouchou and I sniffle. "Dammit...I'm sorry Chouchou....I'm sorry Luffy...Zoro...I can't do anything...I'm helpless..." I fall to my knees and clutch the ground, "Why did Luffy even want a weakling like me on his crew..." I whimper.

"Because, I'm your friend. And as your friend, I know you'll be able to get stronger." Said a voice. I looked up and saw Luffy, but he wasn't wearing his usual smile. "Stay here with Chouchou, I'll take care of Mohji. He's after Zoro so I gotta check on him too." He says. I slowly nod and he goes off after Mohji. I sigh, "I am gonna get stronger...I'll get stronger because my captain sees potential in me...That I promise." 

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TO BE CONTINUED...