Hello all! I'm back with a new chapter! It's a little later than I'd hoped but that's life. I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations and thank you to all who have favorited and followed the story!

Coming back into awareness, the first thing I


noticed was that I was comfortable. The bed beneath me was soft and the covers were warm. I must still be in a dream as my bed was barely more than a slab of wood and a ratty blanket. There was a steady beep emanating from my right, taking a deep breath I opened my eyes and for the first time in recent memory, I actually felt completely rested.

The room around me was dark but even with minimal light I could still tell that this was not my usual, windowless room. This place was white, clean and smelled of disinfectant. My previous room was decrepit, moldy and had a constant scurrying of rats across the stone floor.

My heart began to race in fear, where was I? How did I get here?

A sudden rush of memories flooded into my mind. The escape, Kensei's sacrifice, the Whitebeard rescue and the-

Panicked, I whipped my head down to see my wrists. Empty. The beeping beside me began to accelerate in time with my racing heartbeat and that's when I noticed the patch on the back of my hand.

A needle was firmly embedded into my vein and attached to a tube running upwards into a bag full of a clear liquid. Breathing hard and fast, the beeping machine accelerating to dangerous levels until it sounded closer to a steady flat line than individual sounds.

Desperately I began to claw at the needle in my skin. Get it out. Get it out. Get it out.

"GET IT OUT!" I screamed and the tape and gauze finally came loose and I yanked the sharp object from my skin.

The machine beside me began to scream an alarm just in time for a woman in a white dress to burst through the door.

Memories immediately resurfaced. The white room. The white outfits. The needle.

I wasn't restrained. I took that opportunity.

Leaping from the bed, I slipped only once. The bandages on my feet were slippery against the smooth floor.

"Wait! You're injured! Please, let us help you." she cried reaching out to grab me but I was too quick and dodged her hands. Quickly leaping over the bed, I knocked over several pieces of equipment before I was able to quickly dash out the door.

I couldn't remember the last time I had this much energy or felt this well rested. Normally the cuffs-

THE CUFFS!

"Danger. We are in danger."

"No no no." I chanted under my breath as I continued to dash through the hallways taking random turns until I found a set of stairs.

"Do not lie."

"Don't talk to me, demon." I hissed at the voice in my head as I quickly climbed the stairs before me, feet protesting all the way up.

There was a door at the top of the long staircase, without any hesitation I burst through it. Light blinded me for a moment before my eyes adjusted and I was able to see again.

On deck there were groups of people. The closest ones stared at me in shock and confusion while the others didn't seem to take note of my presence at all and continued laughing and drinking.

Pirates. These men were pirates.

I stood in fear and shock at the sight that lay before me. The deck was expansive and there must have been nearly a hundred men on deck.

"What are you doing out of the infirmary, brat?" a deep, gravelly voice addressed me and I whipped my head to the side to see the largest man I'd ever laid eyes on. He must have easily been fifty feet tall. He was sat in a large chair taking up a good portion of the deck, but what was most captivating were his eyes that pinned me in place by the sheer intensity of the stare. I understood where the tattoo of the man in purple had come from, this must be Whitebeard himself as his great white moustache curved upwards in a perfect crescent.

I stared up in horror, completely at a loss for how to respond. What did one say to a multi-story-tall man? Others had stopped their festivities to turn and pay attention to what was happening between me and their captain.

"We are in danger." the demon stated in my head as the handle of a white katana appeared in my grip.

Terror took hold of me, "No, no no stop! Stop!" I cried trying desperately to pry the sword handle from my grasp. But the demon held fast and I couldn't even uncurl my fingers as the ghostly white flames engulfed my arm.

"I asked you a question, brat." the same rumbling voice insisted and I glanced up to lock eyes with Whitebeard glaring fiercely down at me. Clearly he did not like being ignored, "Are you attempting to challenge me here?"

A big scurry among the others on deck had the rest reaching for weapons and assuming battle stances. Scanning the deck, it became apparent that I was surrounded by hostile pirates now.

"No, get back! I can't control it! Please, stop!" I cried, terrified.

The familiar pressure on my mind appeared as the demon tried to take control of my body. The ghostly flames continued to spread as my shoulders and upper body became engulfed. Deep down I knew this was a losing battle, it always was.

"What's she doing, Pops? I don't think she wants to fight, but..." a voice stated from the crowd.

"Someone find Commander Thatch and Izo!" called another.

I screamed in effort of holding the demon at bay but ultimately the familiar weightlessness consumed me as I took a backseat in my own mind. The ghostly flames consumed me as the demon manifested its glowing form above me, a giant specter holding its own version of the sword that now rested in my own hand.

My body moved on its own, now under the control of the devil within me. Assuming a fighting stance, the demon held the sword out directly in front of him. "Come, I am ready." my lips moved but it was not my voice, it echoed with an otherworldly air.

"Oi," a familiar lazy voice called. My body turned towards it, "you already tried this once, remember yoi? We're not here to fight, we're only trying to help girlie." the purple shirted man spoke with a well guarded laziness. He stood with a hand on his hip, half lidded stare levelled solely on my body.

"Commander Marco!" cried the crowd.

I screamed at him to run, to hide, anything to get away from this demon taking over my will. My mouth refused to move despite my insistence.

"It is my duty to protect my host, even one as inadequate as this one."

"We went through this already, yoi. No one here is going to hurt her." he responded, crossing his arms and taking a slightly firmer stance.

Already been through this once? What was he talking about?

"Contain your power, brat. I don't like kids who don't listen to their parents." Whitebeard rumbled and thrust the butt of his halberd into the deck. A rush of wind threatened to knock me over but the demon held us strong against it.

I was in danger, this was Whitebeard, he could squash me like a bug and there wouldn't be anything I could do to stop him. It was unlikely that the demon possessing me would even be enough to do anything. The rustling of weapons around me suggested that the situation was escalating in the worst possible way.

Tears began to overflow onto my cheeks as I locked eyes with Marco. I desperately tried to convey my fear and lack of control over the situation. On some level I must have connected with him because his expression softened ever so slightly as I continued to cry silently, engulfed in the demon's power.

"I answer to no one, my power is my own." the demon answered Whitebeard's statement. The tension increased tenfold as it refused to back down from the threat of the intimidating captain.

"She's threatening Pops!" yelled a man from the surrounding crowd. I tried to deny it, I had no hand in this, the demon refused to listen to me.

"Take a deep breath, focus yoi. You can control this, girlie." Marco stated calmly staring directly into my eyes with a determination that I could feel through the air. His shoulders lit on fire with his now familiar blue flames, yet again I was captivated by their beauty. "Deep breath in," he demonstrated and the flames grew bigger and brighter.

Instinctively, I followed him and drew a deep breath into my lungs, likewise the ghostly specter above me solidified into a clearer image, "And let it out." he blew out the breath he'd been holding and the flames shrank and dimmed.

As I followed, the ghostly image above me dimmed and I felt its hold on my mind slip. Shocked and hopeful with this new step towards dominating the demon, I refused to let go and continued to breathe deeply. My eyes closed of their own accord to allow me to concentrate better. "Focus, it holds no power over you. You control it, yoi"

I felt myself slip somewhat. I was in control? I had never been in control of this thing inside me. Was that possible? I had always been told that it controlled me, not the other way around.

For a moment the ghostly flames around me gew brighter than before as the demon focused on Marco and raised the sword to attack. "I do not answer to you, I answer to no one."

My eyes snapped open as the sword began to descend. Marco didn't even budge and continued to stare intently at me. I felt a cold wave of fear wash through my body, he was going to die. That sword would kill him!

"NO!" I screamed and with all my might I surged against the demon's hold. I felt something break deep in the recesses of my mind as the blade stopped barely a hair's breadth above Marco's head. Eyes wide with fear and strain, I stared at the proudly grinning Whitebeard pirate.

"See, girlie? You can control it. Deep breath again, you can do this, yoi."

Tears continued to stream from my eyes. Breathing was hard, it was taking everything I had to keep the sword from rending him in two. I was barely able to manage quick shallow breaths let alone the deep calming ones he was telling me to do.

"You can do this, yoi." his encouragement echoed in my head. He… believed in me. Only one person had ever believed in me before. Gritting my teeth, I sucked in a breath and biting down so hard I thought my teeth would crack, I strained my muscles and slowly but surely managed to pull the sword away from his head.

The demon fought me the whole way, the blade visibly shook with our struggle, "You are not worthy to command my will." it spoke with a seething rage.

Breathing out in a big gust of wind, the aura surrounding me dimmed as I regained control over my body once again. Taking another deep breath was easier as the ghostly flames extinguished little by little until only my sword arm was encased. "Go back… to hell… you bastard." I cursed it through gritted teeth.

The voice chuckled in my head as the body disappeared from the air above me and the blade evaporated until only the glowing white hilt was left. "Very well, I shall accept my defeat with dignity." as his voice faded from my head, the hilt disappeared and I felt my knees buckle beneath me.

"Hang in there, girlie, I got you." Marco reassured me as I landed in a pair of arms and was saved from the unforgiving wood deck. For moment, there was silence from around us. No one barely dared to breathe as I instinctively started to curl into a ball. Any moment I'd be hauled up and locked away in a cell. I'd attacked them, I was a danger, this wouldn't be tolerated. It never was, even when the lab rats had prodded and pushed me past my limits.

My body began to shake uncontrollably, a clear indicator that a panic attack was setting in. Any moment now they would turn on me. They would attack they would-

A hand suddenly appeared on my buzzed head and began to comfortingly rub circles on my scalp. "See? I knew you could do it, girlie." the one holding me stated with a confidence in my ability like I'd never experienced before. I risked a glance up to see this 'Marco' grinning down at me.

A door slamming and hurried footsteps had me gripping his shirt tightly in fear as I turned to see Thatch and Izo push their way to the front of the crowd. "Pops, Marco! What happened?" the one in white asked with terror over his features. Izo was similarly fearful but it quickly morphed to shock when he saw me clinging tightly to Marco.

"The brat lost control of her power." Whitebeard grumbled lowly and the bass of his voice vibrated through my entire body causing my adrenaline to spike. Any minute now I'd be taken away to a barred room. The captain had clearly taken offence with my actions. I'd attacked his crew right in front of him. I was a danger. I was a danger, I needed to be locked away.

Once again I started to tremble in utter terror. There was no telling what these pirates would do with me now. "Woah, hey girlie, calm down. You're okay." Marco continued to brush my shaven head but it was no longer calming and only served to spike my anxiety further.

"She lost control? Again? How did you stop it?" Thatch gasped, arms spread wide, head whipping back and forth between the one I clung to as a lifeline and Whitebeard himself.

"The cuffs…" I breathed, panicked. My eyes were pried open as far as they would go and they refused to close.

"Girlie…?"

"Please! I need the cuffs! I can't control this thing inside me!" Something in me broke completely as I slid to my knees, cradling my head in my hands. My chest heaved with quick, shallow breath that did little to ease my stress. Rubbing my shaking hands together I tried to get them to stop trembling and bring some warmth back to my cold and clammy fingers.

A comforting hand gently started to rub my exposed back and I flinched away from the contact.

Hands grabbing my arms, forcefully lifting me up and dragging me away flashed across my mind, a familiar reedy voice "It's no more use for today. Take it away." echoed in my ears. No, I couldn't go back to that cell, that wretched existence. Chained away like a feral animal.

But what choice did I have?

I was a danger to everything and everyone around me. The chains were the only thing that kept the demon even remotely at bay. I owed it to everyone on this ship to just be locked away and forgotten about.

But Kensei.

He had risked and given everything to free me. Didn't I owe it to him to live?

My vision began to bend in and out of focus as I started to lose consciousness.

The hand appeared on my back again, just as gentle as before and in my panicked state I ducked away, backing into a set of legs as I turned to stare up at the men currently surrounding me.

Izo was kneeling beside me, his hand stretched out;Thatch stood to my left; and it was Marco who I'd bumped into. All three men looked worried and concerned. Distantly I could hear murmuring from the rest of the deck but I couldn't make out the words even if I wanted to.

"The cuffs? What you mean, dear?" Izo inquired gently as he offered his hand, likely to help me stand but I couldn't manage more than a distant stare. "Do you mean the sea stone shackles we removed?"

Yes, the cuffs, I needed them.

Nodding, I thrust my hands forward, offering my wrists so they could be put on. The three men stared in shock at my apparent willingness to be shackled. Izo shared an uneasy glance with the other two men before turning back to me, deep concern etched into every line of his face.

"No, we can't put those on you, it would be inhuman to do so when you're in such a state." he replied softly, "Now come, we need to get you back to the infirmary. You need time to heal."

I shook my head violently from side to side as I lunged towards Izo and grabbed the front of his kimono, "No, I need them, I need them! I can't control this thing inside me! I don't want to hurt anyone, please!" I begged, tears streamed down my face.

"You're going to be alright. I promise, okay? You won't have to worry about that while we're here." he gently cupped the side of my face and smiled reassuringly, "We are strong, even if it does take you over again, you won't hurt us. We are the Whitebeard Pirates, you are safe here with us, it's okay," Izo started to tear up himself, "you can rest, everyone is safe here."

I choked on the lump that swelled in my throat a moment before the dam broke inside my chest and I began to cry, truly sob. I hadn't been safe in so long, surrounded by people who said I couldn't hurt them. Did I truly not need the shackles anymore? A large part of me doubted it but as I cried into Izo's chest, and his arms wrapped around my back, I let myself believe that, even if it was only for a moment.

! $! #$ !#

Coming back to awareness, the first thing I noticed was the harsh smell of antiseptic. The steady beep of a heart rate monitor sounded to my left and light snoring emanated to my right.

A streak of fear shot through me. There was someone in the room with me.

Carefully I opened my eyes and turned my head to see the man in white- Thatch was his name I think- sleeping soundly, arms crossed over his chest and head resting on the wall behind him. There was very little light to be had except for the small standing light illuminating the room from the desk beside him.

Glancing around the room, I tried to see if I could determine the time, but my eyes locked onto the steady drip of the bag, suspended in the air by a metal pole. A tube extended out the bottom and I followed it with increasing horror and distress as I saw it connect to my arm down into the back of my hand.

The heart rate monitor beeped my distress as a wave of panic swept over my body. "Get it out, get it out, get it out." I chanted desperately clawing at the needle firmly embedded and attached to the back of my hand.

"Woah, hey there," a calming voice spoke hurriedly as a large pair of hands placed themselves over mine.

Surprised, I jolted out of my panic to glance over to Thatch. His cheerful face was adorned with his usual grin that held so much genuine joy I was absolutely entranced as he gently pulled my fingers away from the needle.

"There, that's better now isn't it?" he murmured quietly as he continued to hold my hand.

Looking back at the tube attached to me I felt a cold wave of fear wash through me. Images of black and blue splotches appeared across my arms, swollen and so painful I remembered spending nights wide awake, unable to sleep through the pain. My breathing quickened as the images refused to go away no matter how many times I shut my eyes.

A warm pressure appeared on my hand that pulled me out of my spiral. Thatch's callused thumb was rubbing comforting circles into the back of my hand. It was such a simple action but I felt myself relaxing back into the pillow behind me as my heart slowed and the phantom pains faded completely.

"You gave us all quite the scare today." he spoke with a lilt and I felt my heart speed up ever so slightly. His hand tightened comfortingly around mine, "Hey, no it's okay, I meant that we were worried about you. Your injuries were quite serious, and pushing yourself so hard so soon after your treatment began was dangerous."

I paused for a moment to process what he'd said, "You… weren't afraid?" I glanced up, eyebrows drawn down in confusion. "But… I almost killed one of you… Marcus." I think that was his name at least, my brain was refusing to work properly in my shock.

"Marcus-!" the man wheezed before devolving into full bellied laughter. Throwing his head back he continued to guffaw with a strength that shook his whole body. His laugh was infectious and after a moment I couldn't help the grin that began to tug at the corners of my mouth even as I blushed in embarrassment. "Ah, I'm sorry for laughing, it's just too perfect." Thatch apologised as he wiped tears from his eyes and a couple wayward giggles escaped him, "I think you mean Marco, although while your concern is appreciated, there's very little chance you would have even scratched him let alone killed him."

Marco! Dammit, yeah that was it. I furrowed my brow in confusion once again, the grin slipping from my face, "Why?"

"You don't know?" he was surprised, and I felt shame as I shook my head back and forth, clueless. "Marco has one of the rare Mythical Devil Fruits, the Phoenix. He has healing powers along with his phoenix form, his wounds heal instantly." Thatch explained sincerely, no trace of shame anywhere in his voice.

I felt my eyes widen in awe, that would explain why he was able to fly and produce his blue flames. Relief flooded through me for a guilt I didn't know i'd been holding on to. No wonder Marco hadn't been scared by the blade descending to his head, he wouldn't have been hurt at all. Izo was right, I wasn't a danger here. If they had someone like Marco on their side, I didn't have to worry about hurting anyone.

Thatch continued to rub and reassuringly squeeze my hand. "I don't think we were ever properly introduced in all the excitement, my name is Thatch. I'm the Fourth Division Commander under the Whitebeard pirates. Marco- or Markus as you called him-" Thatch paused to giggle, "is the First Division Commander and Izo- the man who wears the pink kimono- is the 16th Division Commander. What's your name?"

"My name…" I hadn't forgotten, Kensei had helped me remember when the scientists refused to call me anything but the numbers tattooed on the inside of my wrist. I glanced down the black blocky numbers, "My name is Ardyn," I spoke softly, something twisted uncomfortably at the mention of it. It did nothing but remind me of my time in the lab and the optimistic young man who had given his life to help me escape. "But I don't want you to call me that."

Thatch nodded in understanding, "Alright then, what would you like us to call you?"

I paused in thought for a moment, "I'd like it to be similar I think."

"Hmm, Aerin? Arwen? Eowen?" the brown haired man started to throw out suggestions but I shook my head no to each one, none of them felt right, they all seemed too… impressive, too dramatic. They all implied things that were not true of me.

More names continued to be rattled off by the exuberant man beside me, but it all began to turn into a constant hum of noise as my eyes began to grow heavy and droop down. He had continued to absentmindedly massage my hand and the gentle pressure was lulling me back to sleep. I couldn't remember the last time I had been so comfortable, warm and… safe.

"What about Arry?"

The name cut through my drowsiness like a hot knife through butter and I instantly felt a sense of recognition and peace, "Yeah… I like… Arry…" I managed to mumble before exhaustion overtook me and the world faded from around me.

"Alright, Arry it is." Thatch acknowledged quietly as he gently placed my hand to rest on my chest, "Sleep well, Arry."


Thatch is such a good bean, I love him so much ;A;

Thank you for reading! Leave me with a review if you'd like! I'd love to hear your thoughts!