Chapter 123 - Marzipan Adventure 1: Runt of the Pack

This is the start of a side-story that continues the adventure of the Marzipan Pirates! This follows the continuity of their adventures in Pirate Wars, Gourmet Hunt, or other roles. Today, we learn about a plot point that was hinted in "Festival Friends 6."

Henrietta Fizzuras was escorted out of the hospital in a wheelchair. She lit up in delight seeing three familiar faces in the waiting room.

Her husband and her son sat one chair apart. She couldn't even remember the last time she saw them together. Augustus looked even more identical to Antonio with the way he matured. But she almost didn't see the little pair of legs swaying between them in the middle chair. They belonged to a green-haired girl with a white dress and light-purple shorts, sucking on a lollipop much like her big cousin.

Antonio looked over with a cool smirk. "Look who just got out of bed!"

"Ace! Augustus… and Pea! You're okay!"

"Thanks to Augustus and his crew!" Pea hugged the Marzipan captain.

"Yup." Augustus cracked a halfhearted smile. "But it didn't go well… we lost a crewmate."

"What?! What happened?"

Augustus explained their encounter with Majora and what Pea was forced to do. "So, it vas all to release one of those Newborn…"

"Yeah, and it wasn't anything like Gourmerry. It was way more sick. I hope the KND put it down the same way they did Majora."

"Oh, Augustus… I'm so sorry…" Henrietta rolled up and welcomed her son in a hug.

"Hm…I thought you'd be chewing my ear off."

"Why vould I do that?"

"Because you always yell at me for everything."

"Now is hardly the time for that! You had to save Pea… and you couldn't have expected Majora to appear."

"And if he didn't bring a crew at all, it could've been him we lost." Antonio replied. "So, you just gotta accept what happened."

"Hmm…" Augustus had blamed himself for the loss, for flying in without anticipating the ambush, and that his mom would only enforce that feeling.

"So, what happened after you saved Pea?"

"Well, we took Rallo back to his family. Honestly, we didn't feel comfortable confronting them, so… I guess it was more of a delivery. We watched them from far away, and his mom was pretty upset."

"I can't really say I approve, but I won't pressure you for that. Vhat's done is done."

"Alright… Thanks, Mom." Augustus stretched up from his seat. "Want me to fly you home?"

"That vould be sweet of you… but I don't suppose you'll be staying long?"

"I could stay for a day, at least, but I got a crew to get back to."

"Haylee has told me about all the new friends you made… Don't I get to meet them?"

"I can't just bring all my friends to meet my mom."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll wind up sharing embarrassing stories about me, and they'll share their own stories, you'll make fun of me, maybe criticize me…"

"Fine, then I promise I won't do that."

"It ain't the best time now, okay? At least let us cool down from this whole thing. Then I'll introduce you."

"Alright… but you'd better not keep me vaiting too long."

"Don't worry!" Pea cheered. "I'll make sure he keeps his promise~"

"Now, let's get going!" Antonio ushered, standing up. "Hospital chilidogs don't measure up to the real thing."

"Dad, you brought those from down the street."

"And they taste better out there."

The family began their leisurely exit from the building. "By the way, Augustus," Pea began, "there are some matters I want to tend to before I formally join the crew. Do you think you could wait a little while?"

"Sure, Pea. But if you're thinking of inviting the other Kiddie Corn to join, I don't think I can afford to feed that many mouths."

"Ha ha! You don't need to worry about that. Just don't get into trouble while I'm away!"

Ace Hunter, the following day

After spending a night at his old home, Augustus returned to his newly-built flagship, setting course for the stars. "All right!" the captain declared. "I feel like going to Mushroom today! The Waffle Kingdom just became Big Mom territory, so let's see if they're taking care of the place! …?"

Kohaku and Tressa were staring at him reprovingly. "What?"

"Why couldn't we come to meet your family?" Tressa asked. Originally a merchant girl from Avalar, she was swayed by Augustus to seek higher adventure. She wore a brown leather vest and boots like Augustus, a brown hat with a gold feather, and was usually defined by a large pack on her back. "I thought I could at least come, since I'm your girlfriend."

"That doesn't mean we should rush things. We shouldn't meet each other's families until we're ready, it's relationshipping 101."

"I know you're distraught over Rallo's death, but I don't get why you're afraid of your own loved ones." Kohaku argued. Clothed in a blue ragged dress and stone platform sandals, Kohaku was a primitive girl from Historia's Stone Kingdom. Her blonde hair was tied in a spiked bun via thick rope, and her blue eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. She possessed a tomboyish demeanor fit with her warrior status, and was very swift, nimble, and steadfast with her thin, tall, and sturdy body. Still, Kohaku was as sassy and almost street-smart as a modern woman, so she was quick to blend in the outside world.

"Listen, Gorilla, don't push him on this." An arm put itself around Kohaku from behind. Senku was a leek-haired scientist who inspired Kohaku with stories of the outside universe. After committing some legally-questionable acts on Historia, he convinced Augustus to help take Kohaku and Suika off the planet. "Not all families work like yours do. Lots of people wanna distance their self from parents, for one reason or another."

"Well, it's pretty pathetic." Kohaku puffed her cheeks. Was it because of the statement, or was it the Gorilla comment?

"Yay! Suika wins again!"

Four children were playing a board game on the floor. One was O-Tama, a purple-haired Japanese girl with a light-green yukata and zōri on her feet. Suika was a girl in a watermelon helmet with glass eye holes, and a blue dress and sandals like Kohaku. Konayuki was a yeti girl with a human face and hands, and at 11 years old, she was about six feet tall like Augustus, dwarfing her friends. The fourth was Nel, a cavegirl with a green dress, cyan hair, and a skull mask.

"Mario Party is so hard." Konayuki said. They seemed to be playing a model Mario Party board. "Why do Mario people party like this?"

"It confuse Nel, too…" She scratched her head. "Dice not even tasty…"

"Honestly, Captain, you've got nothing to complain about." Stewie Griffin reasoned. The football-headed infant was managing the radar. "Without the Linlins, your immediate family isn't nearly as toxic as mine."

"Maybe, but I'll decide when's the best time for them to meet you guys."

"Whatever, Captain." Tressa rolled her eyes. Augustus was really like any other boy deep down.

A ringing resounded from the speakers. "We're receiving a transmission!" Stewie alerted, clicking the answer button.

The staticky image of a purple-skinned girl displayed. They recognized her as Kipo Oak, a friend of theirs from Mobius. "Guys!" She lit up. "Hey, Dad, it worked!"

"Really?" A large, African-American man in a black boiler suit appeared. "So, these are the Marzipan Pirates!"

"Kipo!" Kohaku beamed. "Is Wolf there?"

"She's in the bathroom." Lio Oak answered. "I'm calling because I never got a chance to thank you, for saving my daughter."

"Ah, don't mention it!" Augustus smiled, rubbing his belly. "It was a fruitful journey for all of us! Oof!" Kohaku stomped his foot.

"Where are you guys now?" asked the Stonewoman.

"We're at our home in Station Square." Kipo answered.

"Do you mind if we come for a visit?"

"Yeah!" Tressa agreed. "Since we're not meeting Cap's family, I guess this could make up! Is it fine with you, Boss?"

"Alright, alright, Waffle Kingdom can wait."

"Well, it's fine by me!" Lio shrugged, confused by the context. "Tell you what, we'll meet you at the port near the Emerald Coast Resort."

"Wolf's gonna be so happy to see you!"

"Probably more happy for some of us than others." Kohaku figured.

"Let's chart a course for Mobius!" Augustus declared.

The Ace Hunter turned around and zoomed back through hyperspace. …A ship designed with the head of a wolf had been several miles behind them, having stayed just out of their radar. The Great Wolf served as the flagship for Team Star Wolf. "So, they're flyin' to Mobius now?" Wolf O'Donnell smirked. He was an ancient Mobian wolf with whitish-gray fur and a beard, as well as an eyepatch. "Heh, and they have a pal named Wolf, too."

"What's the plan, Boss?" asked John Fett, a Mobian blue fox.

"We do as scheduled. Follow the Marzipans to Mobius and wait for our chance."

"We're shootin' for one hell of a bounty here." Aurorra Bane replied. She was a blue-skinned Duro with a black ponytail in several braids, and a black tank-top and shorts.

"Prey like Augustus don't come around very often." Wolf said. "And I say he's just about prime. Let's get hunting, boys!"

"Ahem!"

"And girl. Heh, force of habit."

Station Square

Station Square was a metropolis built about 100 years ago to house human immigrants from Earth. It was otherwise not much different from an Earth town on this planet of humanoid animals.

Wolf still hadn't become accustomed to such a civilized setting filled with members of her own species. Even while growing up with the civilized Mobian wolves who adopted her, she was trained in their animalistic style of hunting and combat. Then, she spent the last two years surviving on the streets of Wonderbeast World, fending herself against the mutant animals and thuggish Mobians who lurked the surface. She became a wild animal in her own right.

Walking through this human-filled and monster-free town earned Wolf several curious looks. The dark-skinned girl always kept her wolf pelt hood on, armed with her scorpion stinger spear. Her black hair was thick and messy, matching her black shirt. Her khaki gray pants were rolled up above her bare feet.

Passing citizens wondered if Wolf came from a tribe somewhere, but it's not like she was the oddest thing to walk through town… heck, just look at her best friend, Kipo. Her skin was a light-purplish color with lighter, spiked hair and a pale-bluish shirt. She wore black pants and red Converses.

Kipo and Wolf followed Lio to the port, where other citizens were already drawn to the pirate ship approaching from the horizon. The Ace Hunter had parked on the sea behind it. "Ain't that gonna throw the city into a panic?" Wolf asked.

"It wouldn't be the first time a spaceship parked itself off the coast." Lio mentioned.

"Let's make sure they can see us, Wolf!" Kipo pulled her friend to the end of the pier.

…

Kohaku was an excellent lookout with her hawklike vision, her eyes serving as built-in binoculars. Amongst the hundreds of people roaming the docks and around it, she noticed a purple girl waving, and beside her was a girl in a wolf hood. "I see them!" Kohaku pointed. "Hey, can I swim ahead and meet them?"

"Thou art going to swim from HITHER?!" Tama shouted.

"Kohaku is the best swimmer!" Suika cheered.

"Be my guest, Kohaku!" Augustus approved. "We need someone to take out any sharks in those waters."

"Sh-sh-SHARKS?!" Suika panicked.

"He's just kidding, Suika. And even then, I can take a few sharks. Meet you there!" Kohaku dove into the sea and swam with rapid speed.

"Hey, what's that thing in the water?" Wolf asked, drawing her spear with a whirl and pointing readily.

"Is that some kind of torpedo?!" Lio wondered.

"They wouldn't shoot at us." Kipo reasoned. "It almost looks like…"

When the speeding "object" arrived at the pier, it splashed up! "WOOOOL-"

Wolf instinctively jabbed Kohaku's stomach! "Uck!" The Stonegirl's face froze as she plopped on her front.

Wolf gasped. "Kohaku! I'm sorry, I thought you were a torpedo!"

"It's… okay, Wolf…"

Kipo hoisted her up by the arms. The Marzipans parked their ship and rode the rest of the way on boats. "What happened, Kohaku, you get seasick?" Senku asked.

"No, it was just Stalky." Kipo smiled, garnering a blush from Wolf.

"Is Kohaku gonna be okay?!" Suika asked.

"It wears off in 10 minutes at best." Wolf said.

"Not a big deal." Augustus shrugged. "This Gorilla's too restless sometimes."

"Grrrrrr!" Kohaku couldn't even inflate her fists to pound him.

"Uh, well, first impressions aside," Lio began, "it's good to finally meet you, Captain Augustus!"

"Pleasure's all mine," August twirled his lollipop, "Mister…?"

"Oak! But you can call me Lio. Is this your whole crew?"

"Some of them stayed to guard the ship." Senku answered. "Can't go traveling with too big a crowd. Name's Senku! Scientist. This here's Tressa the merchant, Kohaku the warrior, and Tama and Suika are our elite scouts."

"Suika is Great Detective!" She raised a magnifying glass.

"That's quite a party!" Lio chuckled. "A scientist, huh? What's your field?"

"Rocket science~" Senku tapped his own noggin. "But I'm pretty rounded in all areas. Except medication."

"Cool! I'm an astronomer myself. But most of my time is spent researching the mutant animals at Wonderbeast World."

"You know, I've been wondering about that." Augustus said. "What kind of creature is Kipo exactly? Is she a metahuman or something else? A giant Purple Jaguar seems kind of odd to be a regular meta."

"Well, uh…that's not something to discuss so casually on the street." Lio smiled awkwardly.

"Especially with the captain's weird tastes." Tressa remarked. "I'd rather go sightseeing!"

"Yeah, Wolf!" Kohaku smiled. "Think you could tour us around the city?"

"Er, I'm not very used to the area myself."

"After Kohaku's back to normal, I'll show you guys around!" Kipo offered.

"You ladies have fun with that!" Senku grinned and patted Lio's back. "I'm gonna talk science with this dude!"

"Heh heh, if you want to. Make sure you kids stay outta trouble."

Senku left with Lio, Kohaku and Suika joined Wolf and Kipo, and O-Tama followed Augustus and Tressa. "Oooooo, Captain, what's that?"

Tressa noticed an elevator with a yellow and red sphere on top and pink neon star rings orbiting it. A glass walkway led from the top of the elevator to a fancy building, and the label indicated it was, "That's Twinkle Park. Heard that was the local amusement park."

"How much does it cost?" She jogged up to a sign. "Cute couples get in free?! What kind of business sense is that?"

"August'n, O-Tama wishes to see Park of Twinkles!"

"Hold on, kiddo, it says couples get in free, not kids."

"It's only an extra 200 Rings of admission, it's fine!" Tressa stated. "Or it will be once we stop at the Currency Exchange!"

"Why can't we go to Emerald Coast? I'm a Gourmet Hunter, I at least need a good fishing spot!"

"It says the park has fishing, too!"

"Come on, I don't wanna go to a park. Can't we do something chill? Nice, relaxing beach, warm sand, clean water, tasty fish?"

"Has Tama even ever been to a theme park?"

"O-Tama wants to go!" the child stomped. "Prithee, August'n?"

"Ugh, fine! I'll settle with the cheap fishing pool."

"You're such a bummer, Captain." Tressa huffed. "Now come on, let's get some Rings."

Mall

"Should've known you would bring us here first." Wolf said grumpily. The four crossed the parking lot to a silver mall with a glass-made cylindrical center.

"What kind of place is this?" Kohaku asked.

"A shopping mall!" Kipo spun to them while walking backwards. "Commonly known as the perfect hangout! Whether you like clothes, restaurants, arcades or gift shops, the mall has it all!"

"That one big house has all of that?" Suika wondered.

"It's more of a fortress than a house." Kohaku replied. "Still, it sounds incredible."

"So, how about we visit the fashion center first?" Kipo asked. "You two look like you can do with some new duds! I tried to get Wolf to go shopping, but she didn't like anything."

"They were too colorful." Wolf stated. "I would totally expose myself to night predators."

"This is a city! There are no predators! …Okay, maybe there are, but you're more than tough enough for them!"

Kohaku pulled up one of the points on her stitched skirt. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try on something new. What do you think they'll have, Suika?"

"Maybe a new watermelon!"

"Come on, you guys shouldn't bite into this." Wolf said. "Have some dignity as warriors! You were raised in the wild, cutting down fearsome beasts and eating their remains! You're too good for fancy clothes."

"But Suika never killed any beasts."

"Not true, Suika." Kohaku smiled. "Remember that nasty spider that crawled up on your foot?"

"Oh, yeah! That was so scary!"

"But you squished that monster flat!"

"Then Suika is warrior!"

"Let's find something that'll really capture your fierceness!"

"Ugh…" Wolf sighed.

Though it was primarily a human city, Mobians naturally found residence here, too, so they were frequent visitors to the mall as well. John Fett easily blended in with civilian clothes, the blue fox following the group discreetly.

"Boss, it looks like the crew is splitting up." Aurorra said, eying them through binoculars.

"This makes it easier." Wolf smirked. "I don't know who these kids are, but as far as I know, they don't have bounties. Still, we can't have them rush to save their captain. John, Bane, tail those four. Daddy, Dandy, stay by the harbor and keep tabs on the ship. I'll follow Augustus myself."

Aurorra's blue skin stood out in this setting, so she remained hidden outside the parking lot. "That tall one looks to be the strongest… but we shouldn't underestimate the children."

…

Kohaku studied the alignment of high-heel shoes on the shelf. There were all kinds of colors and designs. The people of her Stone Tribe only ever crafted shoes out of rocks, but she has since seen shoes of various materials and shapes worn by the outsiders. If Kohaku were going to try on outsider shoes, she would still like something tall and open-toed. She picked up a white one, rubbing the pad tenderly. "It's so smooth… Such fine craftsmanship."

Kohaku picked up the other one and sat on the bench. The sandals fit her feet nicely, the warrior stretching back up. "Whoa, it curves down a little too much. Hmm…" She walked around a bit. "And it doesn't feel that stable."

"Kohaku, I found something you might like!" Kipo approached with a sky-blue dress. "It should be about your size, right?"

Kohaku took the clothesline and held it up. "Okay, I'll try it on." She stepped out of her heels, untied the thick rope around her waist, and pulled her dress down.

"WHOA, don't change here! There's a closet for that!"

"I'm wearing undergarments."

"Th-that's not…"

A pair of boys whistled from behind another clothes rack. "Check her out! That's a girl with some skin~"

Wolf jumped out and whirled her spear threateningly. "You keep your dirty hands off her skin!"

"Whoa! Take it easy, kiddo, you'll poke a guy's eye out." The boys backed away nervously.

"There we go!" Kohaku fit the dress on. "But… it's a little wide. Do you have a rope?"

"I got this!" Kipo took a white ribbon and tied it around Kohaku's waist.

Kohaku slipped the heels back on and smiled at herself in the mirror. "Wow… this is very nice! I feel versatile. HYAH!" She thrusted a kick skyward. "HWAH!" A whirling kick. "CHA!" She thrusted her heel at a headless mannequin, blasting it through two shirt racks.

"KOHAKU!"

"What? I thought it was a training dummy."

"It's not, it's a dress dummy!"

"Yo, I'll be your training dummy!" one of the boys yelled.

"GET LOST!" Wolf jumped at them and lashed her weapon, scaring the teens off. Wolf felt a shirt under her foot, one that fell from the rack that was knocked down. "?" It had the design of a skull with a pink rose in its teeth.

"What happened over here?!" One of the workers ran up, a woman with sandy-blonde hair and a purple shirt.

"Uh, sorry!" Kipo grinned embarrassedly. "She kind of has a bad habit of… kicking things when she likes her outfit!"

"Well, you'd better control yourself or you'll have to leave! Hey, can I get someone to pick these up?!"

The woman walked off, leaving Kohaku and Kipo to stare ashamedly at the floor, the former rubbing her arm. …But Kohaku looked up when she saw Wolf pick up a shirt. The black shirt was slightly thicker than her current one, with a distinguishing skull. Kohaku approached from behind. "What's that, Wolf?"

Wolf turned—the sight of Kohaku's dress made her cringe. Her feet were more slanted on those heels, making her seem less like a firm warrior and more like a curtsying lady. Besides, Wolf already felt small next to the older and more mature warrior, so she didn't like Kohaku standing directly over her. "It's just a shirt."

She held it up, and Kohaku squatted down to better see. "Nice skull! That would look good on you."

"Mmm…I guess. I mean, the skull could scare off predators… but I feel like the flower takes away from that."

"Take it to the closet and try it on, Wolf!" Kipo encouraged.

"Fine." She went to the changing closet. After a moment, she returned with the shirt on. Her wolf hood had been left down, letting her wild hair puff up.

"Niiiiice!" Kipo thumbed up. Kohaku gave a nod of approval. "Next, why don't we find you some new shoes?"

"I don't need any shoes."

"Nonsense, you're gonna get blisters one of these days."

"Well, I haven't so far."

"Let's just look for something, come on." Kipo insistently led her to the shoe shelves.

"Fine, but I'm not wearing anything cutesy."

Wolf paid no mind to the girls' shoes and studied the boys' shoes instead. As Kohaku looked over them herself, she wondered if Suika would… She gasped. "Wait! Kipo, where did Suika go?"

"Uh…I know she came up here with us, but…" Kipo looked, but couldn't find a hint of the melonhead.

"SUIKA! Suika, where are you??"

"I-It's okay!" Kipo said. "I know my way around, so I'll look for her. I'm sure she's just around the corner!" She raced off around some shelves. She bypassed a blue fox man, who cocked his brow curiously.

Wolf perked up, finding some black shoes with gray soles and white laces. "You like those?" Kohaku asked.

"Uh, I dunno." She glanced down embarrassedly.

"Do you want sandals or something?"

"Eh, those look hard to run around in."

"How come you go barefoot, anyway? Is that what the wolves made you do?"

John Fett listened from the other side of the shelf. "As if. They made me wear a business suit and shoes like they did. I didn't mind, but as soon as they tried to sell me, I decided I was done with the outfit. Decided to become a real predator."

"It's horrible what they did…" Kohaku sat on a stool. "Did you ever see them again after that?"

"When I escaped, the family tried to catch me." Wolf shot a glare up. "But they learned their lesson…" She tugged the cape of her hood.

"You… killed them?"

"Only the mom. The others gave up chasing me after that."

She carried no remorse in her voice, but Kohaku wondered if her feelings were different before. Wolf felt her silence and said, "Er, I guess that was too much info."

"No, I didn't mean to prowl." Kohaku said. "But, all that stuff is behind you now. The wolves and the Wonderbeasts… Maybe this is your chance to reinvent yourself."

"Is that what you wanna do?"

"Hehe! I mean, I don't really think I'll keep this outfit. I'm still a Stone Warrior at heart. As much as I love the outside universe, I love my home, too, so I wouldn't wanna stray too far from it. What about you?"

Wolf looked again at the shoes. She was still a warrior at heart… and she used to love her home… but not anymore. And living here with Kipo was much nicer than fending for herself in the wild. Wolf picked the shoes up and tried them on. "Yeah… who needs the Wonderbeasts? Or the O'Donnells?"

John tensed up. Just how did that girl… know that name?

Twinkle Park

Augustus cast his lure into the pool once more. With a bored sigh, he waited for a fish to bite. A force tugged his string, so he began to reel and maneuver his arms. "Hup!" He caught a cyan piranha with a white belly and steel teeth. "Neat." He casually tossed it beside the green and purple flounders he caught.

"Mister, I want a turn!" yelled a yellow-shirted boy behind him. There was a line of other kids.

"I still got a minute left."

"But you caught almost all the fish!"

"There won't be any left for us!" a pig girl cried.

"AUGUSTUUUUUS/'NNNNNNNNN!" A roller-coaster zoomed overhead. Tressa and Tama had arms raised, screaming ecstatically. Since they were in the front seat, they had the privilege of being launched when it came to a stop at the end. "AAAAHH!" They fell down a hole and bounced a trampoline. "Hahahahaha!"

They visited a bowling area as Tressa focused wind around her ball. She launched it with airbending and scored a strike. "Yaaaaaaaa!" Inside a merry-go-round room, the floor was twisting counterclockwise of the ride, so Tressa and Tama were running against it. "Aaaaaahhhhh!" They were then riding pirate ship swings that looped 360 degrees.

Augustus loaded his caught fish in a basket and marched away from the pool, leaving children annoyed and frustrated. He stepped up the stairs of the main castle, reaching the balcony where people could board the swinging ships. Tressa and Tama stepped off in a wobbly fashion. "August'n, O-Tama is greatly enjoying this park of amusement!"

"Great! Once you're all tuckered out, we can rest at Emerald Coast! Be able to catch WAY more fish than in that dinky pool."

"August'n, wherefore dost thou not wisheth to spend time with us?"

"I told you I didn't feel up for a park."

"What, upset that we didn't go to Waffle Land or whatever?" Tressa inquired.

"Well, we did just lose Rallo, so I didn't feel like doing something exciting. I dunno what I expected to do in Waffle Kingdom, but…"

"Well, maybe we're just trying to cheer you up. If you don't want us to meet your parents for personal reasons, then fine, but I'd at least hope you care enough to wanna have fun with us."

"I guess August'n dost not like O-Tama after all…" The ninja was on the verge of weeping.

"Okay, okay! If it'll make you feel better, I'll join you on the next ride."

"Good." Tressa said. "Then we're hitting the Twinkle Circuit."

The Twinkle Circuit was a bumper car track that took place in a large building. The karts were hovering and the track displayed an illusion of outer space with meteors and planets. Once people paid to enter, they would grab one of the karts floating around the lobby. The customers were either children or guardians, but a peculiar elderly wolf man with an eyepatch didn't seem to have any kids. He probably just had nothing better to do.

O-Tama happily ran to a purple car. "August'n, let us use this one!"

"Haha, okay!" Augustus climbed in the car and set Tama on his lap. "Tressa can get that one."

"Fine, Cap." She sat in an orange one. "We racing the others or what?"

"Can't we just cruise through the stars?"

"We might as well be in our ship for that."

"The view's more open here, anyway!"

When the gate opened, the other goers sped off into a race. August, Tama, and Tressa stayed far in the back, the child awestruck by the artificial scenery. The hologram really did make it feel like the road was wrapping through space, with small satellites, asteroids, and planets hanging from strings. "Hey, Tama, you know what that planet is?"

"'Tis where we art! Mobius!"

"What's that one with the ring of stars around it?"

"Uhhh… Tama is not sure."

"It's Mushroom!" They calmly drove around a snaky path and through a tunnel. "And there's Gaia! I'd like to explore that planet sometime. Oh, and do you remember that planet with the two giants?"

"Oh! We hath been thither! It is, um…Mirror?"

"Mira."

"Mira! O-Tama remembers!"

"There we go! Oh, we're about to hit some ramps!"

"Wah!" They rode off a short ramp. "Wah!" They rode off others scattered around the road. "Wah! Wah!" One more ramp covered the end, launching them high and down to the next piece of road. "Waaaaaa—AAAH!"

"DUAH!" Tama's joyous scream abruptly ended when a black bumper rammed them just upon landing.

"Captain! Tama!" Tressa braked her car and twisted around. Tama had been flung off Augustus's lap and on the track.

"What's the big idea, bud—diiiiiiii!" The culprit threw an electric whip around Augustus.

"Sorry, Augustus. Playtime's over!" Wolf leapt off the car and approached with a glowing device.

Augustus broke free of the electric whip and leapt off. He quickly tossed his Gobstopper, but Wolf smacked it away. "Star Wolf?!"

"What's a Star Wolf?" Tressa questioned.

"He's one of Galaxia's best bounty hunters!"

"Make that THE best, Candy Boy." Wolf bore his claws. "Have you heard? Your bounty's been upgraded to a billion."

"ONE BILLION?! HOLY MOLEY!"

"That's nothing to be excited about!" Tressa yelled.

"It is for me!" Wolf lunged. "That's just enough to retire!"

The Mobian slashed claws at Augustus, who used his hardened arm to block them before punching Wolf's snout. Wolf zipped behind him with a Shave and tried to stab August with a Finger Pistol, but August endured and elbowed Wolf. The Mobian grabbed his arm and threw Augustus into the track's railing. Wolf glanced at Tama, trying to look fierce, but frightened. Tressa blew a gust of wind over the hunter and ran to grab Tama. "Come on, we have to call the others! The park staff should do something, too, but I don't know if they can."

Augustus shaped his fingers like forks and thrusted them, Wolf countering with claw swipes before grabbing August's hands. August jumped and kicked off Wolf, leaping onto the border wall. Wolf drew a laser rifle and shot him, chasing as Augustus ran along the border. August spun his Gobstopper and tossed it, but Wolf used a device to project a barrier, deflecting the Gobstopper. August grabbed the candy, though it slightly drilled his hands. Running under the hanging asteroids, August leapt onto on, climbed atop, and jumped around the others in evasion.

Wolf leapt up as well, but August quickly chucked the Gobstopper at his knee. Wolf knelt only briefly before shooting the string of August's asteroid, the boy jumping to another before it fell. August threw his ball at the string of Wolf's asteroid, so he jumped to another, and the exchange repeated as several of the makeshift asteroids fell. Augustus leapt to one that was higher than Wolf's, so when the bounty hunter shot it down, the Gourmet Hunter dropped behind and kicked it directly at Wolf, knocking him off his asteroid. Wolf hit the road and recovered, growling in search of the human. Augustus threw his Gob-Spinner from around some asteroids, Wolf dodging and rushing around to pounce him, only for Augustus to deal a Mallet attack to his head.

A team of park security rode in on hover-bumper cars. "Stop what you're doing immediately! You're ruining the track!"

"This man is a wanted criminal worth one billion!" Wolf pointed. "I'll leave as soon as I catch him."

"I was only trying to play with my kid!" Augustus argued. "This guy started it!"

"Just take your fight outside! We got customers waiting!"

"Gladly!" Augustus dashed up the track, but Wolf was on the pursuit.

Mall

"Suika!" Kipo searched over in a glasses shop. "Suika, yell if you can hear me!"

"Suika is over here!" The melon-headed child was pushing a stool over to a rack of sunglasses. Suika climbed on the stool, and from there climbed the rack like a ladder, kicking down some glasses.

"Suika, don't climb it!" Kipo ran over. "Just ask me to get the one you want!"

"It's okay! Suika has it!" She grabbed a pair of dark-pink, heart-shaped shades. Suika jumped down and squished some glasses beneath her sandals. "Kipo, why are all these glasses different shapes? Most people Suika sees have round eyes."

"It's just a cosmetic thing. Some people think those glasses are fashionable. But, why do you want sunglasses, anyway?"

"Captain August wears dark glasses, so Suika wondered if he had blurry eye sickness. But August said he wears them to look cool. Suika wants to look cool, too!"

"Suika, you shouldn't try to copy someone else to be cool. You become cool just by being yourself. Be who you want to be and dress how you want--Suika!"

The girl popped the heart lenses out of the glasses and held them up to her melon's holes. "They're too small."

"Hey, what're you kids doing over here?!" A large man in a black shirt marched up.

"Mister, can people really see through these dark glasses?" Suika faced up at him with the lenses held. "Everything is all the same color."

"I'm sorry!" Kipo picked Suika up. "She ran off on her own."

"Well, keep her under control!" He took the lenses from Suika and began collecting the fallen glasses. "Is there anything we can help you find?"

"No, it's okay. Come on, Suika, Kohaku's worried about you." Kipo set her down and led her away.

"Did Suika do bad?"

"It's fine, Suika, but you shouldn't wander off on your own."

After returning to the clothing store, Kipo was surprised to see Wolf in a new pair of shoes, black with white laces. They matched her skull shirt, and even the skull's pink rose matched Wolf's hairpin. She was smiling at herself in the mirror, proud, and Kohaku's smile was that of a supportive big sister. "Ha ha ha!" Kipo laughed. "With those outfits, you look like a high society lady and a street punk!"

"High society?" Kohaku questioned.

"Street punk?" Wolf repeated, looking over hers and Kohaku's outfits. "…Yeah, I can see it."

"So, what do you think? You wanna get these clothes?"

"I think I will!" Kohaku replied. "I don't know how these'll work in the wild, but in towns like this, they'll really help me fit in!"

"But you look way cooler in your other outfit." Wolf stated. "You're a warrior, not some high class lady. You need to show people that you know how to kick butt!"

"I want to look approachable, too. I could even convince my enemies to drop their guard around me~" She leaned forward with her rear stretched out.

"Suika hopes she's as pretty as Kohaku some day!"

They brought the clothes up to a counter as Kipo paid for them. "Now, who's hungry?" Kipo asked. "The restaurant here sells some great-"

Kohaku's phone began to ring. "It's Tressa." Remembering how to use it, she clicked the green button. "Hey, Tressa! …What?! Who's attacking you?!"

"An attack?!" Wolf gasped. John Fett's ears perked up, the fox several feet to their side.

"A bounty hunter called 'Star Wolf'?"

"S-Star Wolf?" Wolf stuttered.

"Heh, that's a coincidence, huh?" Kipo chuckled.

"We have to go to Twinkle Park!" Kohaku told them.

"I'll call my dad to pick us up!" Kipo grabbed her phone as they ran for the exit.

John grabbed his communicator. "Aurorra, they're heading for the exit, they're going to assist their captain. And listen, there's something you gotta know about one of them…"

After racing out of the mall, the girls were quick to spot Lio's car at the porch, Senku in the back. "Did you get the call, too?!" Senku asked.

"Yeah!" Kohaku answered. "Where's Twinkle Park?!"

"It's near where we met you guys!" Lio answered. "Should only take a few-" The front tires of his car were punctured by laser bullets. "WHAT the-?!"

"An enemy?!" Kohaku drew her daggers and glared that direction. The sun reflected off a scope amidst some branches. Kohaku dashed fearlessly.

"She saw me?!" Aurorra gasped. The blue-dressed girl was stunningly swift in her high-heels, though Aurorra noticed the slightest stumbling of her movement. Regardless, Aurorra knew it was pointless to shoot her, so she dropped from the tree and whipped out her nun-chucks, connected by a light rope. Kohaku lashed her daggers wildly, Aurorra swinging her chucks just as quickly. The beam of her nun-chucks snagged Kohaku's dagger, electrifying the warrior, and Bane kicked her down afterward. Kohaku was quick to recover and dodge the chucks, swinging a whirling kick at Bane's head. Bane swung at her leg, but Kohaku blocked with her shield, put her swinging foot down, and thrusted the other's heel at Bane's stomach.

Wolf and Kipo ran to assist her, but a laser gun shot them both, stunning them. "Not so fast, kiddos!" John flew over on jetpacks.

"Another one?!" Kipo gasped.

"Didn't I see you in the store?!" Wolf glared.

"Yeah!" John landed. "And I couldn't help but overhear something. So… you're the adopted child of the O'Donnell family."

Wolf's pupils creased. "H-how do you know them?"

"Because my boss is Wolf O'Donnell. And he'll love to see you."

"HEY!" Lio and Senku ran for them, the latter shooting his own rifle. John expertly blocked with his lightsabers before grabbing Wolf, taking flight with his jetpacks.

"WOLF!" Kohaku tried to pursue, but Bane caught her leg, electrified, and yanked Kohaku over. The warrior enlarged her fist and PUNCHED Bane away.

"You're a metahuman, too?!"

"Nope! I just get really angry!"

"Dammit!" Lio dialed his phone. "I'm calling the cops. I'm gonna need a mechanic, too!"

"No need!" Senku grabbed several materials from his Infi-Cube. "I'm always prepared for stuff like this. I'll craft some tires myself!"

"Just hurry!" Kipo grunted, trying to fight the stun. "We need to save… Wolf!"

The harbor

Daddy the Parent was a Western-clothed man with several guns along his torso and a thick brown mustache. He studied the Ace Hunter through a telescope. "Hmmm…" A small plane flew off the ship and was headed to the park. Stewie, Maggie, and Nel were riding. "Dandy, they're coming! Get ready to battle!"

"Dandy, why can't we go to the park, too?" whined a girl of about 12 years old. Her blonde hair was in a large bun and had two long, white antennas sticking out the bottom. She had green eyes, wore a blue backless, V-shaped romper, a black jumpsuit underneath, and yellow-heeled shoes with pointed white tips. The tips of her fingers were square-shaped and completely white, and she carried a small, orange and yellow, patchwork penguin doll.

"Adélie, we're here to catch Augustus, not play around." argued Space Dandy. He was a man with a black pompadour, a red shirt under a gray and white jacket, and brown boots with metal soles.

"Then why did you make me come?" She puffed her cheeks.

"In case we need your power!"

"Hmph…" Adélie glared over at the park's elevator grumpily. "?" She saw Tressa and Tama running through the glass tunnel to ride down the lift. "Hey, aren't those two part of the pirates?"

"Huh?" Dandy looked over. "Yeah! Maybe we can catch them!"

"I'll get these brats." Daddy locked onto the Baby Trio's plane and fired at the propeller.

"AH!" Stewie yelled, the plane beginning to sink. "Damn! I'll have to land on the harbor. Maggie, who's shooting?!"

Maggie zoomed her vision on Daddy and fired her own rifle, the hunter dodging as his hip was scraped. "That's Maggie and Stewie! Together, they're worth 136,000!"

"I sure hope the park refunds us!" Tressa said as they ran off the elevator. "WHOA!" A grenade rolled beside them, but she grabbed Tama and jumped from its explosion.

"Hey there, darling!" Dandy greeted with a smooth grin. "What's a young lady like you doing with the Marzipans?"

"Searching for adventure and merchandise!" Tressa thrusted air blasts at Dandy, the hunter dodging and blasting his pink laser gun. The gun blew open small vortexes that sucked Tressa's air in, so she grabbed Tama and maneuvered away. Tressa ran across the street and set Tama on a grass island. The merchant charged at Dandy and kicked him off his feet, then tried to take his weapon, but Dandy rolled away and shot again. Tressa dodged and bent a gust from Dandy's side.

Tama crouched behind a bush, watching as Augustus dropped down the elevator, waiting to greet Wolf with a punch. The bounty hunter readily dodged his punch and kicked Augustus, the boy back-rolling and chucking the Gobstopper at Wolf's nose. "O-Tama must help, too… but how best to approach?"

"Excuse me?" Tama gasped and spun. An older girl with a penguin doll greeted her. "It's not safe here. Are you lost?"

"Shhhh!" Tama hissed. "Do not disturb O-Tama! Thou must go!"

"Is there something I can do to help?"

Tama glared at Wolf. "I wouldst like to distract that man so August'n may-!"

One of Adélie's antennae punctured the back of Tama's head. The other antenna attached to the penguin doll. An energy was channeled through the antenna as Tama's purple eyes grew dull and the child lost consciousness. The doll began to squirm frantically, Adélie sporting a smirk.

Wolf Shaved circles around Augustus and thrusted Finger Pistols at the human, Augustus intercepting with Forks, but tanking some hits. Augustus chopped against Wolf's shoulder with the Knife technique, then kicked the Mobian in the gut, and Wolf scratched August's face.

"Dandy! I caught one of them!"

The group looked to Adélie with a gasp. She was holding Tama's unconscious body, but had hidden the penguin doll under her romper. Wolf immediately jumped to take Tama from her grasp, holding a claw to her neck. "Alright, Augustus, maybe this will convince you. Don't make another move or your kiddo gets it."

"Well, that's a low blow, Wolf." Augustus glared. "I thought you liked to catch your prey in a fair fight."

"Yeah, but this city's getting a little crowded, and I'd like to get going. You want me to drop this brat, then hold still for a second. That goes for the rest of you, too."

"Hmph…" Augustus raised his hands sardonically. Wolf set his gun to stun and shot Augustus several times, numbing his body as he fell to the ground. As Dandy began to tie him up, Wolf dropped Tama and tapped his wrist watch.

Two Wolfen came flying in for a landing. Wolf hauled Augustus and hopped on one while Dandy leapt on the other, pulling Adélie up with him. "Daddy, you coming or what?!"

"I'm not leaving without my prey either!" Daddy smirked as the Baby Trio landed at the harbor.

"Fine, but hurry it up!" Wolf and Dandy took flight across town, and John Fett followed on his own Wolfen. …Suika was clinging onto the wing of John's Wolfen, holding as tight as her little fingers could.

Great Wolf

Star Wolf's flagship was parked in the jungle at Mystic Ruins, a region that bordered Station Square. Augustus was dragged to the brig and locked behind a barriered cell. "I'll admit you put up a good fight. Too bad it couldn't last a little longer." Wolf said.

"Well, since we aren't in a public area, let's duke it out some more." Augustus smirked.

"Nah, you didn't seem like you were into our fight. You'd sooner try to run away."

"Hey, Boss." John walked in, dragging a tied-up Human Wolf. "This kid was with the crew at the mall."

"Yeah, does she have a bounty? We don't need an extra prisoner."

"But there's something you need to know about this one. This girl was… raised by your family."

"What?" Star Wolf approached and looked directly over the human. H-Wolf looked him in the eye, her own creasing back in spite.

"She was also wearing this." John held up the wolf pelt.

S-Wolf took and studied the hoodie. It belonged to a female Mobian… "Then you're the one." He glared at H-Wolf. "The one who killed my cousin's wife."

"They sold me as a slave!"

"You two know each other?!" Augustus exclaimed.

"I don't 'know' her, kid." S-Wolf replied. "I only heard that my cousin adopted a human they found abandoned in the Wonderbeast Region. And that same human went rogue after they tried to get her a job with the local crime lord."

"It wasn't a job, it was servitude!" H-Wolf squirmed in her binds. "That monkey was gonna make a puppet out of me and they were just okay with that! The mom fucking deserved what she got!"

"Can it, kid!" S-Wolf bore fangs directly at her. "I'll admit they were never clear about the 'slavery' thing, and I don't approve of it. If I were in your shoes, I might've done the same thing. But the fact is, you killed a member of our family, and I can't just let that slide."

"So, what're you gonna do?!"

"I'm gonna raise you myself, kid. Make you into a proper bounty hunter."

"You serious, Wolf?" Dandy asked. "We about to babysit another brat?"

"I don't want anything to do with you!" H-Wolf jumped to bite S-Wolf in the arm, but he grabbed her by the rope and yanked her off.

"Well, no matter how you feel, another hostage don't hurt." Wolf tossed her into another cell and sealed it. "Bane and Daddy are still here, so we'll have to hand Augustus to the local Bounty Office. Let's call and work out an arrangement." The hunters left the brig on that note, leaving a pair of Sargasso ape guards to watch them.

…

Adélie returned to her personal bedroom, which had a few stuffed dolls. She withdrew the penguin toy from her romper. "What hast thou done to O-Tama?!" the penguin shouted. "I am in form of baby penguin!"

"My ability lets me transfer souls into toys. I can only use it once a day for 11 minutes and 6 seconds, but as long as I keep you far from your body, you're stuck in there. Thought we should keep you in case Augustus tries to make a break for it."

"No matter what form O-Tama takest, she wilt not bend to thine will!"

"We'll see about that!" Adélie held the squirming doll firmly.

Clang, clang, clang.

"Huh? What was that?" Adélie heard a sound and looked up at the vent.

A big, bright green watermelon was staring through the vent with big eyes. O-Tama is trapped inside that dolly? Suika can save her… but she needs to call the others. Suika rolled backwards in the vent, the rattling sounds making Adélie nervous. Once far enough in, Suika stuck an arm out of her helmet and tapped her wristwatch communicator. "Uh-oh. It's all blurry." The screen displayed static. "I guess it's too stuffy in here. Suika will have to go outside…"

Mall

Aurorra Bane climbed up the mall's central glass cylinder via the metal strips that were along it. She saw Kohaku climbing up after her and shot down at the warrior, but Kohaku blocked with her shield. Bane reached the domed roof of the cylinder and ran around its right. When Kohaku made it up, unsure where she fled, she climbed onto the dome. "!" Bane stretched her nun-chucks up to catch her ankle, but Kohaku rose her foot and tried to pin the chuck down… only for it to stay safe in the gap of her high-heel and slip out. Bane quickly lashed them again and caught her leg this time, swinging Kohaku toward the left roof of the mall.

Kohaku positioned her heels to land--but the left heel snapped off and shook her off balance. Bane drew her rifle and tried to snipe her from the cylinder's rim, and though Kohaku tried to evade on her swift legs, the broken heel threw her off as she took a shot to the hip. Kohaku climbed the layers of the roof and had to perform a greater leap to grab the rim of the center layer. She pulled up, but Bane was quick to snipe her from the dome. Kohaku dodged her head before fully climbing and rushing at Bane.

The hunter whipped her nun-chucks, but Kohaku swatted them away with a dagger before leaping to the dome. Bane kicked at her legs, but Kohaku intercepted her leg and stabbed Bane's hip. Bane maneuvered to Kohaku's right and tried to shock her head with the nun-chucks, the human ducking and thrusting her intact heel directly at Bane's chin. As Bane reeled back, she whipped her chucks once more to catch Kohaku's leg, swinging her against the dome and electrocuting the warrior.

However, Kohaku had tossed one of her daggers up, and it dropped to cut Bane's arm, dropping her nun-chuck. Kohaku escaped and performed an upside-down whirling kick, knocking Bane off the dome. She landed on the rim, but Kohaku pounced down and tackled Bane off the roof. "Are you crazy?!" Bane yelled as they plummeted toward the concrete.

"Nope! I'm trustful!" What awaited them was a large tire Senku had already prepared. They landed against the soft tire and bounced up, with Kohaku readily throwing Bane on the ground. She flipped and KICKED the blue hunter with her other heel, snapping it off the shoe as Bane conked out. "I guess they're not too suited for combat after all…"

"Is THAT why you carry that big tire around?" Lio asked.

"Don't you know gorillas can go high with tires?" Senku remarked, earning a puffy face from Kohaku.

"At least we got the car fixed. Let the cops handle her and let's catch up with the others!"

Harbor

Daddy the Parent used a helipack to fly to the roof of the train station. Tressa spun a whirlwind to propel Maggie up to the roof, the baby reflexively dodging Daddy's bullets. The infant nimbly rolled around, exchanging bullets with the grown-up, and only Daddy took damage from their scuffle. "I know you're not a real infant." Daddy said, sending out two floating pods that surrounded Maggie in attempt to shoot her. "Somehow, you're incapable of aging despite being decades old."

"Mw-mw!" Maggie drew dual pistols, crossed her arms, and expertly shot the pods in their turrets, taking them down.

"My daughter wrote me of her adventures with the Raccoon Pirates." Daddy drew a bazooka and fired skyward. The shells would burst and rain bullets, but Maggie raised a metal umbrella shield in defense. "You gave those kids quite a bit of trouble, and so did that Augustus fellow. It'll be nice to finally bag you!"

Maggie shot a grappling hook at the parent, who dodged right, but her hook snagged a gap in the roof and pulled Maggie over. As she flew, she aimed her umbrella and launched a small missile at Daddy, blasting him away. Maggie launched missiles at the ground around Daddy, prompting him to maneuver away. "The train is now departing for Mystic Ruins. The next train will arrive in…"

Maggie shot a spring gun against the ground behind her, launched herself through the smoke, and RAMMED Daddy. He went flying off the roof and crashing through the glass roof of the train tunnel, landing on the train itself. Maggie launched herself again and fell through the hole, landing on another part of the train. The city whooshed beyond the tunnel as Maggie crawled up the train, ducking and dodging Daddy's bullets. Daddy was crouched as well, hiding behind one of the train vents.

Maggie climbed off and along the rim of the next car. Daddy peeped out, wondering where she had gone. Maggie peeked up and saw the tip of his boot sticking out from his hiding spot, so she took a quick snipe. "AH!" Daddy lost a couple toes from the strike. Maggie climbed up for a follow-up to the shoulder. Maggie then climbed back on her roof, then leapt to Daddy's roof, so the hunter made his way further up the train. However, he didn't have long to go before reaching the front. On the way, he planted some devices on the roof designed to shoot Maggie on sight, so the child hid behind his previous vent.

By now, the train had left the city and was traveling through a cave to Mystic Ruins. There were lanterns along the walls to help light the way. Maggie switched to a gun with Bouncy Bullets and shot them against the wall, in which they would bounce to hit Daddy's head with force. The rubber bullets wouldn't puncture him, but dizzy him enough for Maggie to drop off without being seen. The infant reached the bottom of the train and climbed along the underside.

Once at the very front, Maggie climbed up against the windshield, planting her face against it in a startling fashion. "AAAAAHH!!" The engineer screamed and IMMEDIATELY hit the brakes. As the train screeched along the tracks, the sudden shift in momentum caused Daddy to tumble off. Maggie whipped up her spring gun and thrusted it up against the parent, causing Daddy to fly up, over part of the train, and fall off the side. He crashed wildly against the ground, but thankfully away from the screeching wheels.

Maggie saluted the driver and leapt on the track once the train came to a halt. She pulled a wagon out of her Infi-Cube and drove up the rest of the tunnel.

Great Wolf

Augustus lay lazily on the bench of his cell. If one thing was frustrating, it's that he couldn't even fish out a new lollipop.

"Nnnnnnnhh!" Contrarily, Wolf was still aggressively trying to shake out of her own ropes, but she looked like an overgrown worm having a tantrum. She glared at the lazy captain in the cell across. "Hey! You're strong, can't you rip those things off you?!"

"Kiddo, these are reinforced ropes made with Devil Snare. They know better than to take us superhumans lightly."

"Dude, I can't hear you this far! Speak up!"

August rolled his eyes. They heard someone enter the brig, so neither of them said anything else. The captain would then see Space Dandy step before his cell. "So, 'Stone Fist' Augustus… you're an acquaintance of Haylee Gilligan, aren't you?"

"Yeah! My little protégé told me she knew you, Dandy."

"Yeah, I thought so." Dandy smirked. "I heard she was often seen traveling with you. Kid had a lot of spunk. All her friends were pretty good, but she had a different charm about her."

"She got that from me, baby~"

"Heh heh. And it seems you have plenty other fine ladies onboard, too. I don't suppose you're… hittin' any of them?"

"Are you insinuating that I abuse my crewmates?"

"What, no!! Lay it on me, you're a ladies' man, aren't you? I can tell."

"Ah!" August perked up in understanding. "Oh, certainly. Girls can't resist me! It's actually hard work keeping them all happy. And I can see you have quite the lovely lady yourself~"

"Huh? Oh, you mean Adélie."

"Yeah, who is that kid?"

"Hah, I'm not telling you that!"

"When Haylee told me about you, she mentioned that you specialized in rare aliens. You hunt them and hand them to a research center for some hefty mulas. So, I reckon that girl's a rare creature."

"Look, I'm helping her search for her grandpa. Figured if I found two Gentooans, I'd get some extra cash."

"So, that's the deal. Well, ya know, I happen to be acquainted with a rare creature. But if you guys turn me in to the bounty collectors, I might not be able to tell you."

"Who you trying to fool, kid?"

"I mean it. You ever heard of a Purple Jaguar?"

Wolf perked up. She had distinctly picked up that part of the conversation. "Purple Jaguar? Never heard of it."

"They're a creature that can disguise as a human with purple skin."

"Seriously? Wait…" Dandy recalled seeing a purple girl with Augustus's crew.

"HEY! Leave Kipo out of this!" Wolf shouted.

"Interesting…" Dandy glanced back at her with a raised brow. "Well, we don't need to keep you around for that. Still, it's worth bringing up with the others. 'Guess I'll catch you later then!" Dandy waved and took his leave.

That should give you incentive to stick around when my crew shows up. Augustus smirked.

…

Suika pushed open a vent leading outside. She carefully set foot on a thin ledge along the side of the ship, overlooking the dense jungle. Suika raised her staticky communicator. "Come in, Senku. This is Suika. Can you hear me, Senku?"

"Krrrzt…ika…Suika? Where… you…"

"It's not coming through well enough. Maybe if Suika goes somewhere else…"

She sidled along the ledge toward the front of the ship. From here, she was above a balcony and underneath the Great Wolf's "head." No one was on the balcony, so Suika tried to speak again. "Senku, can you hear Suika?"

"Suika, I hear you loud and clear. Where are you?"

"I'm on a spaceship in a forest." As she spoke, John Fett walked out onto the balcony for a smoke break. "They have Wolf, Augustus, and even O-Tama."

"Tama? But she's here with Tressa. She hasn't shown any signs of conscience."

"A girl trapped her soul in a dolly."

"Sounds like a metahuman power. We missed the train to Mystic Ruins, so we'll have to get there by car. Maggie just made it there, so maybe she can-"

"AAH!" A laser bullet shot the watch off her wrist.

"You're with the pirates, aren't you?!" John yelled.

"YIPE!" Suika hurriedly sidled back along the rim. John flipped on his jetpack and flew after her, but Suika was already in the vent. John tried to shoot through the vent, but the melon had already rolled out of range. "Damn it!" John flew back to reenter the ship. "Boss, this is John!" he called. "Some thing with a watermelon head is on the ship, it's with the pirates! I think it sent a call to its crew."

In her room, Adélie gasped at hearing the rattling sound. "There it is again. Where is that-" Suika burst through the vent. "AAAH!"

"Suika can at least save Tama first!" She curled up and rolled against the Gentooan, knocking Adélie on her back. Suika uncurled and grabbed the penguin doll.

"No! You can't have her!" Adélie played tug-o-war against Suika.

"Suika! Thou canst save me if thou bringest me back to mine-"

Suika tore the head apart from the body. "AAAAAH! What've I done?! Tama!!"

"Suika, O-Tama is still alive!" the penguin's head said. "Thou must bringeth me back!"

"I know! But we need to wait for the others—whoa!"

Adélie caught Suika's ankles with her antennae and swung her against the wall, cracking her melon. She suspended Suika upside-down, but the child escaped Adélie's grip by retracting herself into the melon. Suika rolled around the floor, dodging the antennae before jumping at Adélie and kicking her in the face. Her stone sandal broke Adélie's nose, and Suika returned to melon form immediately. Adélie swiped her antennae on the ground and whacked Suika into the wall, shattering her melon.

"Hm?" Adélie cocked a brow. Suika had pretty blue eyes and a head of bushy blonde hair. She was sort of cute- "AH!" until her face scrunched up. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Suika can't see without her lenses. They must be somewhere around-" Adélie swiped Tama from her. "Hey, give Tama back!"

"Try and find her!" Adélie violently teared the doll to pieces.

"NOOOO! TAMAAAAA!"

"Your friend is still trapped within a tiny piece of fluff! Good luck finding her!" She whipped Suika again. The child recovered and ran to Adélie, trying to dodge her antennae, but her poor vision caused her to take a hit.

"Suika! Suika!" A small piece of fluff was squirming. "What canst O-Tama do like this?! Wait…" Tama noticed the bottom half of the torn penguin, still intact. "Mayhaps if Tama joins with a greater part of the doll, she canst control more of it." The tiny lint bounced its way over to the torn half and jumped in. Tama burrowed into the fluff.

Adélie grabbed Suika's by the wrists and tried to pull her arms apart. "Let Suika go! Aaaaahh!"

"I'll tear you apart next! Ahh!" A penguin's rear sat itself on Adélie's face.

"Releaseth my friend now!"

"Get off me!" Adélie grabbed the doll and threw it fluff-first at Suika's head.

"Oh! Maybe Suika can fit in this!" Suika escaped her binds and compressed herself into the doll, but it immediately ripped under Suika's girth.

"What is with your body?!" Adélie shouted. Suika dodged her next whip and pulled off her sandals, throwing the rocks at Adélie's face. Suika ran and shoved her against the wall, bashing her head once more and knocking Adélie out.

"Tama!" Suika looked to the doll's torn form. "Thank you for saving Suika!" She got down and crawled in search for her friend. "Suika promises she'll save you, too…"

"Suika! Suika!" She glanced left at a dancing piece of fluff.

"Tama, is that you?"

"Hai!" The fluff morphed into Tama's shape. "O-Tama wilt not let sorcery defeat her! Let us go rescue August'n!"

"We should wait for the others to show up." Suika picked her friend up. "!" She heard a sound and looked up, seeing the vent seal.

"All staff, be on the lookout for a strange melon creature in a blue dress!"

"Suika, we must hide!"

"Suika needs a new disguise. What could she…?" Suika looked to a large, chubby pink bunny doll in the corner.

…

Maggie had hitched a ride in a jungle car, driven by a gopher explorer. Senku sent her the approximate coordinates of Suika's last call. "Don't worry, little missy! I'll help ya find your parents! It sure was smart of them to leave ya with that little tracker gizmo. SWEET JIMMY BEANS!" Gunfire began unloading on them, shooting off the tires as the gopher ducked in his seat. Sargasso apes stepped out of the shrubs and closed in. "Missy, get down! They're bandits! Eh?" Maggie flipped out of the buggy, evasively dodging their guns. She shot down two of them, so the others raised energy shields and took evasive measures.

"Wait! That child is one of the pirates!" An ape made a call to, "Wolf! We've engaged Maggie Simpson the Spiked Sniper! Repeat, Maggie Simpson is in the jung—AH!"

…

"Grrrrr…" S-Wolf growled as the call cut to static. "Dandy, get out there and ensure our trespasser is captured. More bounty is fine by me."

"Boss, Augustus's allies are probably on their way, too." John said. "We should bring him to the office now."

"Hang on, we need to see about that Purple Jaguar girl, right?" Dandy asked. "I don't have any other ride outta here!"

"Well, that's what you get for trying to steer the Aloha through the Bermuda Tetrahedron!"

"For the last time, it wasn't the Tetrahedron! We got jumped by a freaky-looking space-spider, so we made a mad dash to the escape pods! Damn thing had 12 legs!"

"We ain't going anywhere." Wolf said. "I'll bring Augustus to the office in my Wolfen after I rough him up. So, you get moving, Dandy; you shouldn't have much problem if you take the mech. And John, you watch the bridge for a minute. I need a word with our other guest before I go."

Wolf and Dandy left the bridge, proceeding down the hall. "…Huh?" They stopped to glance at a pink, stuffed bunny leaned on the wall. "What's that?" Wolf asked.

"Must be one of Adélie's toys. HEY, ADÉLIE! YOU LEFT YOUR BUNNY UP HERE!" Dandy proceeded along without bothering, Wolf following his example.

Suika peeped the doll's head open, glancing until they were gone. The "ninja bunny" snuck onto the bridge. John had his boots propped on the control desk, nodding his head to a rock song in his earbuds (the Credits theme from Star Fox Adventures). "What can we do from here…" Suika wondered, sneaking just under John's seat before peeping up at the desk. There was a monitor view of the brig, the two watching as S-Wolf walked in to unlock H-Wolf's cell.

"August'n must be in thither." Tama assumed. "We need a number password to dispel yonder barriers. But mayhaps… wouldst it dispel should we destroy such device?"

"That's a good idea. Maybe this guy has a good weapon we can borrow." Suika picked a cylindrical thing off his belt. "What does this-" she flicked the switch, sparking on the blue lightsaber. "EEK!" The light change in weight surprised her as she dropped it, burning through part of the floor. "Uweeeehh!" She was frantic to pick it back up and turn it off.

"Suika, we canst easily sever August'n's bonds with this!"

"You're right. Let's hurry!" The pseudo-bunny quickly hopped off.

In the brig, S-Wolf unlocked H-Wolf's cell, freeing the girl of her bonds. "Now what?" she snapped.

"I never got a chance to ask you, kid. What were you doing hanging out with these pirates?"

"None of your business."

"Don't tell me you were part of their crew?"

"Maybe I am. They treat me better than your family did. HUUK!" She coughed as S-Wolf jabbed her stomach with a "gentle" Finger Pistol.

"Maybe my cousin did sell you as a slave. Maybe you were owed your revenge. So, instead of owing me a debt… maybe I owe you one."

"Then I'll take it!" She jumped to kick his nose, but S-Wolf grabbed her leg and slammed her to the floor.

"You're weak, kid. You picked up some skills out in Wonderbeast World, but you hold yourself back. Even your weapon is cheap. But I can teach you the way my father taught me. You'll learn how to fly a ship, shoot a gun, use all the right tools, and even some Rokushiki. It's gonna be a lot of tough love, but one day, you'll thank me for it." S-Wolf released her, the child turning up at him growling. "I promise not to betray or sell you out. You'll have the strength not just to hunt bounties, but to protect those you care about."

"Peh. Hunting gourmet sounds more fun."

"Then show me how far that's gotten you." S-Wolf raised Stalky and dropped it beside her. H-Wolf grabbed and swung at his leg, barely scratching the combat pants, and her thrust at his neck was only met by his palm. S-Wolf kicked her across the room, but she got up and dashed forth. Rather than a direct attack, H-Wolf began to run circles around him, suddenly changing direction and going in zigzags. "Is that your phony interpretation of Shave?" S-Wolf used Shaves to swiftly outpace and confuse the human. Just as he appeared to her left, she jabbed Stalky, at his chin, but S-Wolf grabbed and threw her into the wall. "It's not even that strong of a numbing poison. Any fighter worth his Power Level won't go down in one shot."

H-Wolf glared at him before facing August's cell. She stood and kicked off the wall for a boost, racing right for the cell and stabbing the code pad. Unfortunately, Stabby failed to puncture it, no matter how much H-Wolf jabbed or tried to dig into the buttons, until S-Wolf kicked her to the right. "You'll have better luck with our laser weapons. But hey, let me show you a neat trick." S-Wolf input a code before pressing 'Enter,' the button turning yellow.

"AAAAAAAGH!" August's cell was electrocuted.

"CAPTAIN!"

"I like to bring my bounties in hot. But if you agree to my offer, I'll let you stab him senseless with that staff. This can be your first official bounty." H-Wolf's answer was clear as she charged the Mobian again, dodging and thrusting Stalky from different angles that S-Wolf merely blocked. After flicking her across the room again, S-Wolf reentered the electrifying code.

Jungle

Maggie had been pinned to the ground by a hunter's shock rod, the others pelting her with stun guns. "That's a wrap." one smirked. "We're claiming the dough on this one, boys. AAH!" Kohaku tackled him. As Lio's car drove into view, the remaining hunters turned guns on the pirates, but with Tressa's airbending to spin them dizzy and Kohaku's fists to crush them flat, the hunters hadn't enough strength left to succeed.

Kohaku knelt and picked Maggie up. "You poor thing… Are you okay?" Maggie glared and suckled her binky in a way that meant, 'What do you think, bitch?'

"We can administer some treatment on the way." Lio said. "Kipo, get the…?" There was rumbling, and trees were heard falling as Flickies took flight out of panic.

An enormous, almost egg-shaped robot with a yellow and white frame, large wheels, and vacuum arms halted and loomed above the crew. A familiar pompadour man was in the glass cockpit. "Hey, young missy! We meet again!" Dandy grinned.

"Him again!" Tressa glared.

"Kids like my QTXL? It slurps crooks and rare aliens like a magnetic metal detector!" He aimed the vacuums and tried to suck the crew in, but Tressa wrestled them with her airbending to weaken the flow, allowing Lio to back his car to safety. "I'm just here for the jaguar! Sorry about this, ladies!" Dandy spun the arms along the ground, Tressa and Kohaku jumping, but they barely dodged in time as Dandy drove past toward the car.

"The jaguar? Why do you want me?!" Kipo asked.

"Your captain told me you're quite a rare specimen."

"He told you what?!" Tressa exclaimed. "Don't tell me he tried to use Kipo to save himself!"

"Cut the captain some slack." Senku reasoned. "He obviously told them that to make them stay longer. It works because it IS true."

"Senku!" Lio shouted.

"I'm just a regular metahuman!" Kipo yelled up at Dandy. "There's a whole planet of them, isn't there? I'm no one special."

"That's for Alien Registration to decide!" Dandy tried to suck her in, but Senku threw two explosive pouches up the tubes, clogging them.

"Their base has to be close!" Kohaku said. "I'll run ahead. Tressa, can the rest of you-"

"You know, that might not be necessary." Senku smirked. "Tressa, why don't you run ahead and go with her. If this man wants jaguar, we'll give him jaguar." He withdrew a purple vial.

"Is that… liquefied Bang Gas?" Kipo asked.

"We dropped by your dad's lab. He was working on a formula to regenerate your tiger form faster, but not to the point you'll go crazy again. I helped him put the finishing touches on it."

"I didn't think we were gonna use it NOW!"

"Lio, man, I'm a scientist! I need to watch this 'rare specimen' in action."

"Senku, you—WHOA, LOOK OUT!" Lio stomped the gas, dodging the car backward in a wild swerve to dodge the QTXL's arm, but wound up ramming a tree.

"Fine, I'll take care of it!" Kipo snatched the formula. "Just hurry and save Wolf!" She popped it open and drank in one gulp. Feeling her muscles contort and swell from within, Kipo quickly climbed out of the car before worse damage could be done to it. Her arms grew into huge jaguar legs with claws, her ears shaped like a jaguar's, and two tails grew from her rear. "WHOA! It's… pretty incomplete, huh?"

"We said we didn't want you to go crazy again." Lio shrugged. (Play "Star Wolf" from Star Fox Zero!)

"Well, it's good enough!" Kipo charged at Dandy, who tried to suck her in with the right vacuum. Kipo clapped the vacuum in both claws and struggled to squeeze it shut. Dandy flipped the arm and flung her into some trees, but as the robot plowed through the jungle in search of her, Kipo leapt to the cockpit's level and punched it, toppling the mech on its back. Kipo landed on the windshield, hanging on as Dandy stood it back up and tried to spin her off. Kipo hung on and scratched the right claw on the windshield, leaving scratch marks before Dandy was able to swat her off. Dandy charged to ram the mutant with the base of the mech, but Kipo dug a wide hole out of the ground with her claws and quickly ducked in as the QTXL rolled above her.

Kipo jumped out and pounced the machine's back, climbing toward the left arm and squeezing it. When Dandy caught on, he bent the right arm overhead to suck Kipo in, but the suction caused the left arm to snap off as she kept holding onto it. Kipo traveled partway up the right vacuum, but her claws refused to let her all the way in. The vacuum shut off automatically due to the clog, but Kipo still struggled to pull out. "Huuurr…come on, come on! Just a little more-!" With a subconscious instinct, Kipo spun her tails, pushing the air behind her. As she ejected herself from the vacuum, she found herself afloat with the tails. "Heh…whoa! I didn't think I could be Tails!" When Dandy re-aimed the vacuum, Kipo did a tight lean right to escape its suction, stopping the tails to drop back in the jungle.

Dandy kept the vacuum aimed in her direction, but Kipo began to rip trees out and throw them into the current. The cluster of trees wound up clogging the arm again, "Darn it! I knew I shouldn't have gotten this at 20% off!" Kipo leapt from the jungle and grabbed the arm before landing. She leapt high while holding it, twisting the arm as it finally snapped off, and throwing what remained at the windshield. The QTXL performed its own high jumps, trying to Ground Pound her. As Kipo evaded the girthy robot, she finally leapt to its cockpit after a finished bounce. She forcefully scratched it, holding on when Dandy tried to spin her off, then after a few good punches, the glass finally shattered. Kipo climbed in and grabbed the panicking Dandy, tearing up the controls before leaping out of the robot.

"Looks like we got a hostage of our own." Kipo smirked, a claw touched to the frightened man's cheek. "Think your teammates would be willing to trade you?"

"E-Easy, kid! I got ladies to smooch! Boobies to rub! And they need a handsome face to rub them!"

"Okaaaaay, I'm gonna cut you, anyway."

"Easy there, kiddo." Lio consoled. "Let's leave him alive long enough to trade him first."

Great Wolf

"Fox… McCloud~" John sang. "Ba-dananana-dananana, BOM…BA-BAO, ba-ba-ba-BAOOO, how're we doing down here?" He decided to do his job for a bit and face the monitor. "…?" It seems a strange guest intruded on Wolf's 'training.' "…A lightsaber?" He felt for his own. "Where's my blue lightsaber?! Why, that little-!" He spun the chair and bolted for the- "AGH!" and stepped in the hole Suika accidentally cut open. "GOD, UXIE'S FUCKING TAILS!" He aggressively tore his boot free before resuming.

S-Wolf socked H-Wolf in the stomach, knocking her back into her former cell. She huffed through her teeth from the pain in her bowels. "If kids like you pass Augustus's standards, I can't believe the Big Mom Pirates couldn't stop him. Must've been 'cause of the KND's backing. Take a breath and ask yourself…" The hunter approached the young warrior. "Do you really wanna stand by this man?"

"Huff…hu…" H-Wolf pressed the seat to stand up. In her resolve not to show weakness, she swallowed the pain and marched out of the cell. After being electrocuted twice, his wrists and ankles tied, he still sat confident in an upright position. After his ordeals at Cook Fest or the war, he wouldn't give in to such simple torture. That's why H-Wolf couldn't let herself falter either. …Also, the pink bunny sneaking up on August's cell left her mildly hopeful. "All I want is to stand by Kipo. I wanna be strong enough for her. But if following that idiot captain can help me do that…" She picked Stalky off the floor, stamping the floor with it, "maybe I'll give it a shot."

"!" S-Wolf heard a lightsaber sound, looking too late as Suika stabbed the code pad, opening the cell. "GROWL!!" The wolf dashed and grabbed the child by her big head, Suika throwing the lightsaber before she was slammed in the floor before the captain's cell.

"Suikaaaaa!" The tiny Tama cried up at her friend's hurt, unconscious face.

"See what you get these kids into, Captain?" he asked as August lay on his side. "I bet they don't trust you to train KND cadets—GAH!" H-Wolf threw Stalky into the base of his tail, the wolf feeling just slightly weak in the legs as he glared at her.

"DOUGH ROLL!" Augustus hardened his whole body and bowled right over S-Wolf, afterwards spinning as his boots bashed the hunter's skull. "Wolf!" he rolled to H-Wolf, "cut these cuffs off, will ya?"

Seeing the dropped lightsaber, H-Wolf grabbed and switched it on, quickly slicing through his ankle cuffs. She panicked as S-Wolf charged her, but Gus flipped up and punched him away with conjoined fists. Growling, Wolf bared his claws, countered by the cuffed hands. S-Wolf Shaved behind, Gus dropping to duck his Finger Pistol, then kicking both knees to bring S-Wolf down. Gus quickly bent his legs up to choke Wolf's neck, rapidly rolling in attempt to twist it while S-Wolf rapidly thrust Pistols until he was forced off. Both were upright, S-Wolf rapidly Shaving around Gus. When he stopped, Gus attempted a Hammer swing, but was bounced by S-Wolf's deflective shield, the hunter socking his jaw and knocking Gus on his back. It was then H-Wolf ran from behind Gus, chopping her lightsaber on his arm cuffs. She had also moved Suika to the corner.

"Boss!" John rushed in.

"John, take care of the little brat!" S-Wolf ordered as Gus engaged with both fists free.

"It's getting a bit crowded up here, Wolfgang. Wanna take this somewhere else?"

"Yeah. How 'bout the roof?"

Seeing the lightsaber in her possession, John ran at H-Wolf with a swing of his red saber. H-Wolf dodged left and jabbed his hip, the fox moving before the sword burned too much. They engaged in a direct clash: while John's force was stronger, H-Wolf was faster, and couldn't muster enough force by the time he had to defend. John leapt and did a vertical spin, H-Wolf rolling left before slashing him in the hip. John withstood the cut before batting the saber out of her grasp, but when he tried to grab her, Wolf grabbed Stalky from behind (propped in her pants) and stuck him between the eyes. John was quick to swat it away, Wolf keeping hold as she rolled that direction. He pursued with the lightsaber aimed, but Wolf reclaimed the other sword, dropped beneath his, and slashed his boots.

John cried out and fell on his rear, quickly rolling away and onto his knees to defend when Wolf ran for the next round. John grabbed a gun, Wolf running back and evading his shots. John fought the pain in his soles, forcing himself to stand, using the saber to engage Wolf's in tandem with the gun to shoot at her feet. Wolf glanced at the ceiling light above them and tossed her saber up, causing sparks to rain onto John when cut. She swiped the gun and dealt some shots, John later evading and tapping a button on his wrist. The gun beeped, Wolf gasping and tossing, but was still in range for the explosion to graze her.

"When my dad became a crime boss on Secco," John grabbed the second lightsaber, "my mom was killed by some enemies. That's why he sent me away to live with Wolf. He and Dad were like brothers. I was even named after his dad. And deep down… I think Wolf always wanted kids of his own."

"If he's fine letting his kids fight like this, maybe you need new parents."

"'Guess you just don't have the right skin, sweetheart. I can cut it like a hot knife through butter. What's red and blue mixed together?" He pressed the sabers into, "PURPLE RAIN!" an extended, purple saber. He inched closer to Wolf, the child thinking and backing up fearfully. She turned away so John wouldn't see as she ripped Stalky off its stick. With a quick spin back, she threw the stick at his head, John flipping his saber up to slice it, only to wind up confused. Wolf dashed underneath with Stalky's head, ducked between his legs, "HOOOOK!" and was stabbed in the tail's base! His legs faltered trying to turn, but Wolf pounced over his back and shoved Stalky down his throat. John furiously shook her off and chomped the tail's tip off, spitting it away. Unfortunately, by that time, he'd already directly ingested the poison. John's senses numbed, his conjoined saber shrinking as he passed out.

"Get yourself a doctor." Wolf looked to Suika and approached the sleeping girl. She noticed a Kittentia inside a cell in the corner, dressed like Solid Snake, so she used the dropped lightsaber to set it free. Then, she returned to Suika. …Wolf cocked a brow, seeing the Tama-shaped stuffing on her head.

"Wolf! Thine performance was most amazing! O-Tama hopes to be as brave a warrior as thou!"

"Uh…thanks!" Wolf wasn't even gonna question her current state. "Better get you both outta here."

…

Augustus and Wolf O'Donnell stood face-to-face on the roof, the twilight shining on their standoff. The captain was pleased to welcome a lollipop on his tongue. "It's been a while since I hunted prey as fresh as you, Augustus." Wolf slipped off his boots and crouched on all fours. "So, I hope you make this worth the wait. HOOOOOWWWWWL!" His fur sharply stood on end and his eyepatch popped off, unveiling a shining white aura that coursed through his fur: this was Wolf's Primal Fury.

Shaving with greater range and reflexes, Augustus suffered a scratch to the back, his Haki lessening the damage. Wolf lunged to bite him, but Gus quickly flipped into an upside-down spin, kicking Wolf's jaw, then was ready to grab Wolf's leg mid-kick. He twisted the ankle while slamming Wolf on the roof, but Wolf scratched Gus's cheek to shake free and twist it back. Wolf thrust his jaw at him repeatedly and varying angles, Gus hardening every corner of himself to withstand his bites. Gus was flipped by a sudden spin attack, Wolf lunging to claw and bite him, but Gus held the claws back and spit his lollipop in the gnashing mouth. As Wolf gagged on it, Gus flipped up his legs to catch Wolf and slam him on his head, and as they rolled back up, Gus dealt a Fork into the lunging beast's mouth, followed by a Knife to the hip.

Augustus bore his own fingers with the Bare Hands technique, engaging Wolf's in a wild scratch-off. Gus finally grabbed Wolf's torso directly, squeezing it, while Wolf clawed his shoulders. Wolf wound up in more pain first when Gus tried to twist his chest, pulling away. Crouching once more, Wolf Shaved with such speed that afterimages surrounded August. They closed in, but Gus drew his signature Gobstopper and willed it to Spin with his Haki. He tossed it in a manner that would orbit around him, bashing the real Wolf's nose twice, before August stuck his fingers in Wolf's mouth, clenching the roof of his mouth, lifting, and slamming him down. Gus leapt to stomp Wolf's gut with both boots, but took a scratch in the back of the legs. When Wolf recovered, the hunter unleashed a storm of Finger Pistols from all front and hind claws. As Augustus danced and swung his Gobstopper at any angle to block them, he suddenly threw the candy. Wolf expected this and projected his deflective shield, but Gus's Spin had set it to curve around and drill into Wolf's hip.

"Imagine how much harder this would be for you if I kept my sword!" Augustus leapt over the shield to Hammer Wolf's head directly! The Mobian grabbed his arms and slammed Gus down, enhancing his teeth and digging into his left shoulder. He channeled Haki to withstand the bite, kicking Wolf desperately until he was finally pushed off, scratching his own arm in turn. Wolf Shaved wildly around him again, the captain doing his best to guess his movements and swinging his Gobstopper to bash his teeth. Some of Wolf's bites still managed to cleave his flesh, but when Gus felt an aim to his neck, his reflexes were quick to punch the predator away.

The Gobstopper twirling in hand, August readied himself for Wolf's Predator Tornado, drilling toward Augustus teeth first. He slapped the Gobstopper into Wolf's mouth, his fingers suffering immense pain and he himself being pushed backward. He had willed the Gob-Spinner to twist opposite of Wolf's spin, the hardened jawbreaker chipping the tips of Wolf's teeth and grazing a quarter through them. When Wolf's tornado slowed to a halt, only one sensation coursed through the ravenous dog: "'OOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW…" Even a hungry predator would immediately lose their appetite over toothache.

"And that's why they call it a Gobstopper." (End song.)

"Captain!"

Gus turned to the doorway. "Hey, Wolf! Uh, Little Wolf. You just missed the beatdown!"

She was in relief to see the wolf's Fury dying down. "Aw, man. Sorry, girls, we're too late."

Kohaku and Tressa raced in behind her. "Captain! You're…you look terrible!" Tressa cheered. "But you look victorious, so you must be okay!"

"How could you let this happen to poor Suika and Tama?! Don't think a few wolf bites are gonna spare you from MY beatdown!"

"Ay-ay-ay…"

H-Wolf approached her so-called adoptive uncle. "'Guess I made the right choice after all. I don't think I'm gonna learn anything from a pushover like you."

"Heh heh…alright then… I know when I've met my match. Go on and be a pirate. But you know… I haven't felt this good in years. I don't want it to end. And that's why… I'll keep hunting you, Augustus. I'll hunt your girlfriends… and I'll hunt my little pup, too."

"Hmmm…" H-Wolf's glare was his only response.

"Before I go… tell me… what name… did my family give you?"

"…" She turned away. She really had no business telling him… and at the same time… holding it in would be a sign of weakness. It was embarrassing, after all… but she didn't want to fall for such a weakness. "…nt."

"What?"

"…Runt. They called me Runt. Okay?"

"…heh heh…HA HA HA HA ha ha ha ha ha! Yep! Every pack… has one." And so, the pain in Wolf's teeth wore out the last of his stamina, and he slept.

H-Wolf felt a hand on her hair and looked up at Kohaku. Her elder warrior smiled sweetly, proud of Wolf's bravery. "Hey, uh, Kohaku?" Gus grunted. "I'm startin' to… feel the pain now. Need you… to carry me." She then looked disdainfully at her careless captain.

The Marzipans regrouped with Kipo and co. outside the ship. Tama's soul transferred back to her body when it was brought close. She joyously felt her squishy, dango cheeks and stretched her tired limbs. "Looks like you're the only able-bodied guy left." Kipo tossed Dandy onto the soil. "So, get your crew some treatment and get outta here."

"Relax, relax." Dandy stood and leisurely brushed himself. "Dandy knows when he's beat. But ya know, my hunt for rare species is never-ending. This may not be the last you'll see of me." Winking at the crew, Dandy boarded the Great Wolf.

As they drove back through the jungle, they heard the hunters' ship taking off. "So, what happened up there, Wolf?" Kipo asked.

"Tell ya later. But, basically… he reminded me who my real family is. It's you. It's all you guys. I'm… really glad I met you all. I got to leave Wonderbeast World… see new places, eat great food, and meet cool people. And I… hope we get to do more."

"Oh, yeah?" Gus cocked a brow. "Does that mean you wanna join the crew?"

"Hmmmm…strongly thinking about it. But not right now. I think I wanna unwind for a bit. …And find a new Stalky."

"I'd like to join, too." Kipo smiled. "But I want to get better at my powers first. When I can go full jaguar again, I need to be able to control it. And, Dad… I think there are some things you need to tell me."

"Heh heh…sure, kiddo. How about an adventure to the hospital first?"

"I'm a wanted man, so I can't stay long. But yeah, anytime you're ready to come with us, give us a call. In the meantime… there's something else on Mobius I wanted to look for. Know anything about giant elephants?"

Their cruise through the jungle was peaceful and uninterrupted, passing by the gopher in his parked car. "…Those are some neglectful parents." He would then be waiting awhile for roadside assistance.

…

…

…

"So, Mr. O'Donnell, what seems to be troubling you today?" asked the Fishman dentist.

"…" Wolf bore his broken fangs. "I used my Predator Tornado attack on an iron jawbreaker."