Varin was currently getting patched up by Chopper in the small room they had more or less converted into a clinic for him. "Clinic" was generous. It was a spare cabin with a bed, some clean cloth, a bucket of water, and whatever medical supplies Chopper had managed to gather and organize before someone tried to eat them. Still, it worked.
Chopper was perched on a stool, tongue poking out in concentration as he tightened a bandage around Varin's ribs. He was noticeably less skittish now, movements steadier, hooves no longer tapping nervously against the floor every time Varin shifted. That probably had something to do with the fact that Varin had spent over a full day as a wolf and had not, in fact, eaten either him or Karoo. Expectations had been exceeded.
"Hold still," Chopper muttered, adjusting the wrap. "You're healing weirdly fast, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to move."
Varin snorted softly, ears flicking. "Aye, aye, doc. Wouldn't want to ruin your hard work."
Chopper paused. Slowly looked up.
"…You're still making jokes. That means you're not dying. Good."
Varin grinned, sharp teeth flashing for just a second before he remembered himself and shut his mouth again. He laid his head back against the pillow, tail giving a lazy flick across the floor.
The real reason he was getting patched up again was… well.
He had figured out he could talk.
That discovery had lasted all of ten seconds before he used it to insult Zoro.
Talking as a wolf felt strange. Not difficult, just wrong in a way he couldn't quite explain. The words came out the same as they always had, same accent, same tone, same bite. The only difference was that they were coming from a mouth longer than it should be, filled with teeth meant for tearing meat, not trading insults.
Zoro had not appreciated being called "a lawn ornament with commitment issues."
Sanji had not appreciated being included.
One thing led to another, as it always did.
There was shouting. There was posturing. There was Varin laughing his ass off while still technically on medical orders not to move too much. Sanji tried to kick him. Zoro tried to cut him. Luffy cheered. Usopp screamed something about "ship fighting regulations" that no one listened to.
The fight itself didn't really have a winner.
It mostly ended because Sanji got launched backwards through the doorway and into the kitchen at full speed, feet first.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Nami was in the kitchen.
With her maps.
Varin still wasn't entirely sure what happened next. His memory of it was mostly sound-based. A crack like thunder. A shriek that could curdle seawater. Followed by the unmistakable noise of multiple grown men reconsidering their life choices all at once.
From what he'd been told afterward, Nami had taken one look at the damage to her maps, gone completely still for half a second, and then unleashed something ancient and terrible upon the ship. He had briefly wondered if Odin himself might be taking notes.
By the time it was over, Sanji was embedded in a wall, Zoro was face down on the deck, Luffy was laughing while being electrocuted, and Usopp was apologizing to gods he didn't believe in.
Chopper had dragged Varin back to the room personally, muttering about "idiots" and "stress levels" and "why is everyone like this."
Which was how Varin ended up here, ribs rewrapped, dignity bruised, tail flicking idly as Chopper finished his work.
Chopper tied off the bandage and stepped back, hands on his hips. "There. Try not to start another fight."
Varin tilted his head, ears angling back innocently. "No promises."
Chopper groaned. "I knew it."
Varin chuckled, low and rumbling. Despite the pain, despite the bruises, despite the chaos, he felt… good. Better than he had in a long time.
"So, doc," Varin said, settling back on his haunches while Chopper rinsed blood from his tools, "you ever think about how we're gonna handle Alabasta?"
Chopper paused, ears twitching, then glanced over his shoulder. "What about it?"
Varin tipped his head, tail giving a slow swish against the floor. "We're both built for the cold. Snow, ice, blizzards, all that. You get fur. I get… more fur." He snorted quietly. "But from what the princess said, Alabasta isn't exactly friendly to that sort of thing. Tourists melt just walking off the ship."
Chopper's expression shifted, the thought clearly sinking in. He looked down at his own hooves, then at the thick coat covering his arms. "Oh," he said softly. "Yeah. Hot places are… bad for reindeer."
Varin gave a dry chuckle. "Aye. And unlike me, you can't just shed half your coat and pretend you're human for a while. Least, not without it hurting like hell, I imagine."
Chopper shuddered at the idea. "No. I can't do that." After a moment, he added, quieter, "I've never been somewhere hot before."
Varin watched him for a second, then shrugged one shoulder, careful of his ribs. "We'll manage. Always do. Shade when we can get it, water whenever possible, and if anyone complains, we bite them."
Chopper blinked. "…That was a joke, right?"
Varin grinned, teeth flashing. "Mostly."
Chopper sighed, setting the cleaned tools aside. "You're all impossible."
"Aye, but you joined of your own free will, doc," Varin said, letting out a low laugh, tail thumping once against the floor. "So this mess is at least partly on you."
Chopper shot him a look. "Only partly?"
Varin grinned, sharp and unapologetic. "Well… mostly. Though I'm still not sure Luffy's version of persuasion doesn't count as kidnapping half the time."
Chopper snorted despite himself, then quickly tried to look serious again. "He just… doesn't give people time to say no."
"Aye, that's one way to put it," Varin said. "Another would be he barrels through life like a storm and drags anyone interesting along for the ride."
Chopper glanced toward the door, where distant laughter and arguing echoed through the ship. "It's loud. And scary. And everyone keeps getting hurt."
"True," Varin said easily. "But they also keep gettin' back up. And they don't leave their own behind."
Chopper went quiet at that, ears drooping just a bit as he thought about it.
Varin shifted, then added more softly, "You'll be fine, doc. Hot desert or frozen mountain, it doesn't matter. You've already survived this crew for a day. Everything else is just details."
Chopper looked back at him, cheeks faintly pink beneath his fur. "D-don't say it like that. It makes it sound like I'm stuck."
Varin's grin widened. "Oh, you are."
It didn't take long for the heat to start climbing. Not gradually either. It hit them like a wall, thick and oppressive, the kind of warmth that sank into skin and refused to leave. The air itself felt heavier, like breathing took more effort than it should.
Vivi inhaled slowly and smiled despite the sweat already forming at her temples. "Feels like home," she said, almost fondly.
Nami barely looked up from the log pose. "That's because we're less than two hours out from Alabasta," she replied. "Enjoy it now. It only gets worse."
Varin cared about exactly none of that.
The second the temperature crossed from uncomfortable into actively hostile, he shifted back. Fur vanished, claws dulled back into fingers, and suddenly he was standing there human again, breathing hard like he'd just climbed a mountain.
And even then, it was bad.
The sun hit his skin like a hammer. Pale didn't even begin to cover it. He looked like someone who hadn't seen direct sunlight by choice, habit, or survival instinct in years. His fur boots and heavy pants only made it worse, heat trapped and clinging, sweat already soaking into the layers.
He rolled his shoulders, grimacing. "Gods above this place is cursed."
"You're not taking those off," Nami said without even turning around.
Varin froze mid-motion, hands already drifting toward the ties on his boots. He glanced at her, hopeful.
She finally looked up, eyes sharp. "Don't even think about it."
He sighed, long and dramatic. "Lass, I'm gonna cook alive."
"Better cooked than arrested," Nami shot back. "You walk into Alabasta in your birthday suit, and half the guards will think you're either a criminal or insane. And that's if I let you live after flashing me."
"Both can be true, both are actually." Varin muttered.
Vivi laughed softly. "You'll get used to it. Everyone does."
Varin wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, squinting toward the horizon where the desert shimmered like a living thing. "Aye," he said dryly. "That's what they say about hypothermia, too."
Chopper, already looking miserable, tugged at his hat. "It's really hot," he mumbled. "I don't like it."
Varin glanced down at him, sympathy immediate. "Stick close to shade and water, doc. And if anyone gives you trouble, point 'em at me."
Chopper blinked. "You're scary in the heat, too?"
Varin snorted. "I'm always scary. But no. I'm just grumpy."
The ship cut through the waves toward the sandy horizon, heat pressing in from all sides now. Varin leaned against the railing. He was already missing snow, shadows, and cold nights.
Alabasta hadn't even welcomed them yet. And it was already trying to kill him.
"Gods, lass," Varin muttered, squinting at Vivi. "How in all the realms are you paler than Nami, and you live on Sol's holy land?"
He gestured vaguely between them, palm up like he was weighing options that made no sense. Nami was already tan from weeks at sea, sun-kissed in that effortless way that made it look intentional. Vivi, princess of a desert kingdom, was somehow lighter, her skin only just starting to warm with color despite the brutal sun overhead.
Vivi blinked, then laughed, a little embarrassed. "I spend a lot of time indoors. Castles have thick walls. And shade. Lots of shade."
"Cowardice disguised as royalty," Varin nodded solemnly. "Respectable."
Nami snorted. "Says the man who's one bad look away from combusting."
Varin wiped his forehead again, already sweating through layers he had deeply begun to regret. "I was built for snowstorms and long nights. This place feels like the sun itself has a personal vendetta," he grumbled, tugging uselessly at his collar. "Need I remind you, you found me on an iceberg colder than Chopper's island? And I was still in this get-up."
He gestured down at himself like the outfit personally offended him now. Layers meant for wind that tried to kill you, though he made it clear it was more for modesty than anything, not heat that crawled under your skin and stayed there.
Nami arched a brow. "And that was your first mistake."
Vivi smiled apologetically. "Alabasta isn't kind to people who dress like that."
"Alabasta isn't kind to people, period," Varin shot back. "This heat isn't natural. It's aggressive. I can feel it judging me."
Chopper nodded seriously. "It does feel like that."
Varin pointed at him. "See. The doctor agrees. If I pass out, drag me into the shade and tell Odin I died fighting a star."
Nami rolled her eyes. "You are not dying on my ship because you refuse to change clothes."
He sighed, long and dramatic, staring out toward the endless sand ahead. "I'd take a blizzard with teeth over this any day."
Nami clapped her hands once, sharp and decisive, snapping everyone's attention to her. "Alright, listen up. We're landing at the port city of Nanohana. It's busy, lots of travelers, merchants, tourists. Which means it's the perfect place to disappear if we do this right."
She unrolled a map across the deck, holding it down as the hot wind tried to steal the corners. "First thing we do is get disguises. Nothing flashy, nothing that screams pirate. We blend in, get supplies, and move on before anyone realizes who we are."
Her eyes flicked to Varin, slow and deliberate. "You're staying with Vivi. The two of you do not separate. Not for food, not for sightseeing, not because Luffy wandered off chasing something stupid."
Luffy opened his mouth.
"No," Nami said flatly.
Varin gave a short nod, already serious despite the heat cooking him alive. "Aye. Princess doesn't leave my sight."
Vivi looked between them, surprised, then smiled softly. "Thank you."
He shrugged one shoulder. "Just… try not to make me run. I'll melt."
Chopper raised a hoof. "What about me?"
"You're with Usopp," Nami said. "If either of you disappears, I'm charging you double."
Usopp paled. "Double what?"
Nami's smile was sharp. "Everything."
Varin leaned closer to Vivi, lowering his voice. "My rule of the desert, lass. Stay close, and if anyone looks at you wrong—" he cracked his knuckles "—they get introduced to northern hospitality."
Vivi laughed quietly, but she didn't move an inch away from him.
Varin's eyes narrowed a moment later. He lifted one hand and pointed off the starboard side. "Ah… Navigator. That somethin' we ought to be worried about?"
A massive yellowish haze was bubbling up from the sea ahead, thick and rolling like a living thing.
Nami glanced once, barely concerned. "Nope. Sulfur pocket under the water. We'll pass straight through. Totally harmless."
"That sounds like a lie," Usopp muttered.
"It is not a lie," Nami snapped. "It's a navigator's reassurance."
They sailed straight into it.
It did not peel flesh from bone, despite Usopp's frantic screaming. It did not melt the deck, despite Luffy poking it with a stick. What it did do was smell so profoundly awful that Varin's knees buckled almost instantly.
"Oh—by Odin's left—" he gagged, clapping a hand over his mouth.
Chopper dropped flat to the deck, eyes watering, making a sound somewhere between a sob and a dying kettle. "I CAN TASTE COLORS."
Varin's enhanced senses turned the fog into a full-body assault. Rotting eggs, burned metal, something vaguely alive and deeply offended. He retreated two steps, hit the railing, and seriously considered throwing himself into the sea.
"This is not harmless," he wheezed. "This is chemical warfare."
They burst out the other side of the fog like survivors of a tragedy, gasping, coughing, everyone talking at once.
And then there was silence.
Varin was the first to notice it.
"…Why," he said slowly, squinting, "is there a man on our deck?"
Everyone turned.
Standing near the mast, striking a pose like he'd always belonged there, was a man. Tall. Broad. Shirtless under a ridiculous open jacket. His legs were encased in a pristine white swan tutu, complete with feathered trim. Ballet shoes. Dramatic posture. Thick stubble on his chin.
He smiled.
"Ah," the man said smoothly, one hand fluttering to his cheek. "The sea truly is full of destiny."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "COOL."
Usopp screamed. "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!"
Varin stared at him, head tilting. "Did… did the fog make me hallucinate?"
Chopper rubbed his eyes. "If this is a smell-induced vision, I don't like it."
The man bowed deeply, tutu flaring. "Allow me to introduce myself. Bon Clay. A humble traveler, an artist, and a man of passion."
Varin pinched the bridge of his nose. "We sailed into poison gas and came out with a swan."
Vivi blinked, then leaned closer to Varin, whispering, "Is this normal?"
It didn't take long for the usual idiots to latch onto Bon Clay like barnacles. The man was loud, dramatic, and apparently possessed a Devil Fruit that let him change his face into anyone he'd touched. He proved it with zero hesitation, darting around the deck and slapping Luffy, Usopp, and a few others before anyone could stop him. Each transformation came with a flourish, a spin, a bow, like it was all part of some twisted stage act.
Varin stayed up on the higher deck with Vivi, arms folded, watching it unfold with wary amusement. He didn't let the stranger get close, and neither did Vivi. Call it instinct.
Then Bon Clay shifted again.
This time it was Nami.
Same hair. Same face. Same voice. And the first thing the bastard did was tug open her shirt a bit too far, striking a pose that made the deck go dead silent for half a second before chaos erupted.
Sanji's nose detonated. Usopp screamed. Luffy cheered like this was the greatest magic trick he'd ever seen.
Below them, the real Nami froze.
Then very slowly, very deliberately, she cracked her knuckles.
Varin winced. "Aye… that man's got a death wish."
Bon Clay laughed, spun, and changed back just in time to avoid being struck by a rage-charged swing that would've sent most men into the afterlife. Nami was shaking with rage, teeth clenched, eyes murderous. Fair, really. It was still a very large, very unsettling man doing that, even if he'd borrowed her face to do it.
But everything shifted the moment Bon Clay changed again. This time, the face wasn't a familiar crew member or a flamboyant caricature, it was an older man, skin darkened and weathered by years under the sun, hair thick and wild, flaring out below his ears like horns. The swagger and theatrics vanished, replaced by a weight in the air that made even Varin pause.
No one else on the crew seemed to notice, at least, Varin didn't think so, but Vivi stiffened. Just enough for him to feel it through the subtle twitch of her posture, the tenseness in her shoulders. Her eyes widened, just the slightest, but it was enough.
Varin leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Lass… who is that?"
Vivi didn't answer immediately. She bit her lip, knuckles tightening around her arms, and for the first time that day, her calm, collected demeanor cracked. Her gaze stayed fixed on Bon Clay, who seemed completely unaware of the effect he'd just triggered.
Varin's wolf instincts flared. Something about that face, about the way it carried a quiet, dangerous authority, set every sense on alert. "That one… don't play with me, lass. That's someone to actually worry about, isn't it?"
Vivi's jaw tightened, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't know… what he's capable of. If he has my father's face. If he can impersonate a king…" Her words faltered, fear settling in her chest like a weight. Her eyes never left Bon Clay's borrowed features.
Varin followed her gaze, the humor gone from him entirely now. "Aye," he murmured. "I can imagine exactly what sort of hell that opens the door to."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear him over the noise of the deck. "Your orders, princess. Say the word, and I'll handle him before this turns into something uglier. He's distracted. I wouldn't even need to try that hard."
Vivi turned to him then, confusion cutting through her fear. "Why… why are you asking me?"
Varin didn't hesitate. "Because I'm a warrior, lass. I fight. I kill. Sometimes I die. Then, if the gods are kind, I do it all again somewhere loud and bloody." His mouth twitched, but there was no humor in his eyes. "I'm not a tactician. I'm not the one who decides what wins a war. I'm the thing you point at the wall when you want it gone."
He looked back toward Bon Clay, watching the man twirl and preen below, utterly unaware of the danger standing above him. "If you want him removed, I'll do it. Quiet or messy. But that choice isn't mine."
"…..Alive," Vivi whispered. Hope crept into her expression, fragile but real. "He might know what's happened since I left."
"Aye," Varin said nothing more.
He vaulted the railing in one smooth motion and hit the main deck with a heavy thump that rattled the planks. Every conversation died on the spot.
Bon Clay turned mid-pose, one leg still raised, fan frozen in the air. "Oh my. Another admirer? Care to see yourself reflected in perfection as well?" He spun, arms wide, already stepping in close.
Varin grinned, sharp and humorless. "Got somethin' else in mind, mate."
Bon Clay reached out, fingers brushing Varin's arm.
Varin grabbed his wrist, yanked him forward, and before anyone had time to register what was happening, snapped his head forward. The impact echoed across the deck like a dropped cannonball. Bon Clay's eyes rolled back instantly, and his body went limp.
Varin released him unceremoniously. Bon Clay hit the deck in a heap, completely unconscious.
For exactly half a second, there was silence.
Then Luffy moved.
"HEY, WHAT THE HELL?" Luffy shouted, rubber arm snapping back for a punch.
Varin barely had time to turn. His forearm came up on instinct, catching the blow before it could cave his ribs in. The impact still rattled him to the bone, pain blooming up his shoulder, but he held his ground, boots scraping against the deck as he slid back half a step.
"Captain," Varin snapped, voice cutting sharp through the chaos, "stand down."
"He was our friend," Luffy yelled back, already winding up again, face twisted in pure outrage.
Varin growled low in his chest, teeth bared as he blocked another punch and twisted aside from a third. Rubber fists cracked against wood where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.
"He was Baroque Works," Varin barked, shoving Luffy's arm aside hard enough to make the mast creak. "And I swear on Odin's bones if you don't stop swingin, I'll figure out how to snap your arm off."
That got a reaction.
Zoro stepped in fast, blades halfway drawn, planting himself between them. "Oi. Enough. Both of you."
Sanji was already at Luffy's side, grabbing his shoulder. "Idiot, calm down. You can hear him out before you start breaking things."
Luffy struggled for a second longer, fists still clenched, then froze. His eyes flicked past Varin to the crumpled form of Bon Clay on the deck. "But he was nice. He danced. He made us laugh "
"Aye," Varin said, breathing hard now, chest rising and falling. "And he can wear your face, your face, or hers." He jerked his head toward the railing where Vivi stood, white knuckled and silent. "Including her father's."
That finally punched through.
Luffy's anger faltered, confusion creeping in. "Huh"
Vivi's voice carried down, steady but thin. "He has my father's face, Luffy. If he walks into Alabasta like that, people will listen to him. Soldiers will obey."
Silence followed. The kind that only shows up when something ugly sinks in.
Luffy's fists slowly unclenched. "Oh."
Varin straightened, rolling his shoulder with a hiss. "I didn't kill him. Didn't even break his jaw, though he earned it. He's alive because she asked for answers."
Usopp swallowed hard, staring at Bon Clay. "So that whole friendly weirdo thing was an act."
"Doesn't matter lad. He's dangerous."
Luffy scratched the back of his head, then looked up at Vivi. "You wanna ask him stuff."
She nodded. "Yes. Please."
Luffy turned back to Varin, studying him for a long second. Then he grinned, wide and sudden like nothing heavy had just happened. "Okay. Then i guess we shouldn't hurt him more?"
Varin snorted. "No promises if he starts runnin' his mouth."
Zoro sheathed his blade fully. "Tie him up. We'll keep watch."
Varin bent down, hauling Bon Clay up by the collar again like a sack of laundry. "Aye. Alive, talkative, and regretting his life choices. That's the plan."
As he dragged the unconscious man toward the mast, Luffy followed alongside, peering down curiously. "You hit him really hard."
Varin didn't look back. "I was bein gentle."
From the railing above, Vivi finally let out the breath she'd been holding. "I don't know if you know how to be gentle," she laughed softly, the sound shaky but real.
"I help you, and this is what I get?" Varin shot back, hauling another length of rope tight around Bon Clay's torso. He glanced up just long enough to squint at her. "Cruel. Absolutely cruel." There was no heat in it, just the familiar dry edge he used when things almost went very wrong but didn't.
Vivi smiled despite herself.
"I see how it is," Varin went on, giving the knot an extra tug for good measure. "Next time you willingly touch the" he looked down at the unconscious man, then tilted his head, clearly reconsidering the word choice "whatever that's supposed to be, I'm lettin it play dress up somewhere else."
Usopp edged closer, peering at Bon Clay with suspicion. "So uh. He's not gonna wake up and turn into me again, right?"
"He will," Varin said flatly. "Eventually. That's why we're keepin him tied and watched."
Luffy crouched down in front of Bon Clay's face, poking his cheek once. "He really does look peaceful."
Varin snorted. "That's the headbutt talkin. Give it time."
Vivi leaned over the railing now, more composed, eyes following Varin as he worked. "Thank you," she said quietly. Not loud. Not for the whole crew. Just enough for him.
He paused for half a second, fingers still on the rope. Then he gave a small shrug. "Part of the job, princess."
Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "Next time, maybe warn us before you knock out the new guy."
Varin finally straightened, rolling his neck until it popped. "Next time, when the new guy doesn't wear a king's face."
That wiped the humor right off Sanji's expression.
Zoro leaned against the rail, arms crossed. "We keep sailing. He wakes up, we question him. Simple."
"Aye," Varin agreed. He stepped back, giving Bon Clay one last look.