The crew sat huddled in the kitchen, 30 odd faces staring in bewilderment at the fate of their vice-captain. For most of them - Captain Kidd was the youngest persons they'd dealt with over their lives, and all the present adults didn't know Kidd until he was in his late teens at the youngest. Babies were something that happened to other people, and a complete mystery to them all and they found themselves legit wondering if they might kill Killer by sheer incompetence before this got sorted.

So it was a shock to everyone present when Killer quite suddenly shot up from a baby on the table to a full ass grown man in nothing but a t-shirt.

He looked just as confused as the rest of them looked at his bare forehead furrowing in confusion, then noting his lack of clothes on on top of his lack of gear. He sat up abruptly, hands pulling his already tight shirt down to cover his waist, head hunching until his bangs settled back over his face. In a crew as close as theirs, it was inevitable to have seen everyone naked at some point but that didn't mean he wanted to have it all out on display for everyone.

"What.. Okay, where are my pants?"

"You can probably borrow Captain's..." spoke up Quincy, effectively drawing the crews attention away from Killer's situation to the new development with Kidd.

Swamped in coat & goggles, now worn as a necklace, couldn't be more then 5 year old Eustass Kidd sat at the place of honor of their dinning hall. His prosthetic was detached from the small stump of his left arm and he was staring at his tiny right hand in a growing déjà-vu sort of panic.

Kidd started to cry.

Quincy tossed Killer the captain's pants - no one can make those look good, but Killer was just happy to deal the newest issue at hand with his junk at least covered.

Mosh had started out of the room as soon as Killer had sat up a sudden adult, and while they crew was still explaining to him the hours he was missing, had returned with a helmet from Killer's room.

Killer donned the offering gratefully, nerves fraying at it was explained his recent foray into infant-hood. He was barely holding it together so exposed to his crew-mates, and even if he lost it to mad giggles, in the end, he'd much rather do that from the comfort of a steel mask.

Whatever attack he'd taken the brunt of, he clearly hadn't shielded Kidd from all of it, seeing as when Killer returned to his proper age, Kidd lost is maturity in turn. They were only lucky that Kidd only lost shy of 20 years instead of nearly all of Killer's well earned 27.

5 year old Kidd had seemed less confounded from his sudden world shift. It seemed he was still the 23 year old asshole they all knew and loved, but trapped behind the mental understanding of a school child. He also lacked the fine motor skills he'd had as an adult and that extended to this devil fruit abilities.

Dive & Pomp had to furiously collect dinnerware during Kidd's mental break down, and Kidd was attempting to reattach his hand had Wire not bodily taken the small captain up in his arms before he was crushed by the massive metal contraption Bubblegum was attempting to wrestle away from him.

Kidd missed his friend so damn much. Killer was never out of sight these days, but never so far away. he admitted, he was out of his depth completely.

By day, Kidd captained his ship, small fragile body of his best confident now alternated between being strapped tightly to his or Heat's chest for safety or tucked away below desk. Honestly, leaving Killer below was probably the safer idea, but Kidd found himself unable to leave the baby alone, and unable to keep himself tucked away and forgotten. Something also felt so wrong to keep killer down in the dark. Killer's upbringing before he fell in with Kidd was still mostly a mystery to even Kidd. He may have known the details at one point but was too young to understand it and so had forgotten it. But bringing the little boy out into fresh air and bright sun was an undeniable thrill.

He would die himself before he ever let anything happen to killer, but he could feel it in his gut. better to die in the sun than live locked away in the dark.

Killer's tiny little blond head nestled over the gnarled scars on Kidd's chest - ear pressed against his own heart. Kidd could easily check on him with the soft fingers of his right hand when needed, could reconfigure his left to shield the tiny body should the need arise. so far only rough seas under a summer storm had caused any issues bit even at its worse killer seemed to show no mind, content to be held close.

He still cried unconsolably from time to time, his tiny little mouth wailing under his permanent smile. heat wondered if he cried because the /smile/ had all of his feeling jumbled up at this size and he just couldn't understand. his body literally too young to laugh yet and all those feelings trapped inside.

this small, Kidd also knew that the only way they had not watched their tiny murderhobo waste away was because the curse had been spread across the two men. they had nothing to feed a body so mall, doing lettle better than getting him to keep down water most days. but the time the sun was reaching fo rhte horizon, the whole crew had to suffer throught he desperate hungry wales of  a tiny little body literally starving away in front of them.

Kidd would help help with prep work for sun set, trying and tested sunsets had them with dense soups and gravies waiting for the crust to switch targets, an understandably desperate adult killer gulpuing down nuiritant rich soft foods by sundown to keep them from passing out. kidd's turn at night left hazzy memories the next day, but the terror of of watching Killer's desperate eating as seen from the frame of mind of a 5 year old.

{haw} the curse off at nightfall was enough, but [summer] had meant planning in advance, Kidd wasn't sure how much of the day Killer could recollect - the big problem neogn that kidd is 5 when he has the chance to ask Killer. and Killer was never one to dump his trauma on kidd dwven then theere where onyl 4 years abart. with two decades between them, Killer is less willing to discuse it, and better skilled at sirtacting kidd onto a new topic with decades of priactive.

they've gotten a routine set up - half hour or so before sunrise, the crew eats breakfast, more to stuff killer with as much food as he can handle. he and kidd return to kidds captib, Killer often food comatose by that poiitn, if not already dozing off on kidd's bed. sometimes he's awake for them to play a card game or rwo, no matter where they are, kidd knows the moment the sun breask the horizen, becuase he's shooting up two meters and a couple hundred pounds and it makes his head spin everytime. they have a few desperate minutes to themselves, typically no longer then five at the most to exist togehter uncursed, before Killer starts to sway, unsteady, having to lay down quickly or force to be caught by kidd before he supepres fall manage. kidd would wease off his helmaete, stroke his bangs as hold him as the years and might of him disapears like mornign mist. it was no less terrifing than it was hte first day, been if kidd knew it would happen this time around.

After their pre-day breakfast, kidd had removed the clothes Dive had gifted him and would crawl onto his bed. he'd dress in oversied small clothes, wrapping up in his coat or an loose robe. Once he was adult he'd have to adjust himelf, bit would then carefully fold Killer's discared clothes.

they'd facssioned nappies for his partner and alothe rof dive's dresses had been sacrifices for wire to sew into a little onces. kidd woulf dress his first mare in it, making sure he was secure in the center of the bed, before dessing fo the day. killer would hate it, but one of the monoxious pars of kidds pants had been remade fro the sling he was wrpeed in around kdd's chest.

then together, they would step out to great the day.

tot he surprise of hte cveryone, including kidd - kidd was not teriiebel with an infant. for someone who'd been the child of every group fro most of his life, Kidd had little patiance for chidlish behvoit that wasn't his own,a nd the in hretant cowrdass that inevabelt came from a lciak od worls expericce. neing as hed neevr neem around an  actuall baby, no one was sure if this new found soft was case that kidd held killer with was some untapped natual tallent he'd always had or if it was just the narutal case he had liller has always (crished) in forgar.

eben as rivels and turd bosses agiansr each other kidd and killer had always had an ease around each other that was unusally in any blue.

with his girst mate turned babe strapped fristmly in plade, kidd stood out on deck to being the day. the morning looked like it would be stay clear, with a chance of light riain in the wafternoon is the clouds on the horizon heald - but it was the grand line after all, and they'd lone learned to prepared for anything.

by high noon, they broke for lunch, and kidd would send killer to his crew to fuss and coo over him for a few hours. heat had a clean cloth saoked with milky water for him to suck on and it gave kidd a change to update their logs and a few mintues to himeslf. as of late, ehat seamed ot hae taken over babties, a surprise to all parties.

there was something very soothing in just existing with his infant partner, Kidd found. on the sea, days upon days exist with nothing but open ocean. his crew had a pretty good idea of most of the part of the new world was like, and had set up a base about a year back to organize their search for the one piece. after kaido, the place had fallen into ruin, a few squatters having to be run out once he returned.

but land under his feet felt unsteady and Kidd prefer the sea. With the curse, how ever, they were heading back; even Kidd would admit the risk to injury to killer or his crew too great right now. his own attention wandered constantly, and he knew if they got in a good brawl right now, he was sure about one thing; Killer was at too great a risk.

Killer - small enough to hold one handed if he wanted. Even in his flesh arm, killer was small enough to tuck in close