Hey~ new chapter! Anyways, let me clear a few things up. Some of the things aren't completely canon, and I guess you could call this a canon divergence. For one, yes, I know Jinbe didn't have a muzzle in canon, but it is something that I added in. Second, no, Sabo does not lose his memories. The blast and explosion and injuries he had received were severe, yes, but in this case, his desire to see his brothers won out and he was able to call out to them before he fell unconscious, and Dragon had brought him back to them. So, there's that.
Warning: There's a lot of conversations in this chapter. Like, a lot.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Oda-sensei does. QWQ If I did, Ace won't ever be dead, and Sabo would reunite with all his brothers.
Chapter 2: The Admirals
"We are going to prepare some cots for you. The floor isn't the most comfortable sleeping place, I should know."
Marco didn't know what to make of this situation. This new…revelation. Marine Rear Admirals, two of them, treating him with kindness, compassion, and dare he say it, respect?
Marco watched, confused and slightly wary, as the two marines, Ace and Sabo went about setting up cots for him and Jinbe. Marco frowned as he shifted slightly in his chains. "Why are you doing this?" He blurted.
Ace shot him a look of confusion, his silver eyes gleamed a fiery red with the light of the flame outside his cell. "Is this for pity's sake, to humour the prisoners, mock us? What is it-yoi?"
Ace gave a scoffing laugh, "If you think that we are doing this out of mockery or boredom, Mr First Division Commander, then you are sorely mistaken." He focused his attention back on fluffing his pillows. "I read your profile, Phoenix, and I know that you are only here because you lost the fight with the new up and rising Shichibukai Blackbeard, and the only reason you are in level 6 is because you were deemed a threat and are to be executed."
"Then why-yoi? Why help me, if I am so threatening, as they say? Why help a pirate? Aren't we your enemies-yoi?" Frustration was starting to seep into his voice.
Here, Ace set the pillow down and took a seat on what was to be Marco's bed. "Because… I've learned a long time ago to not take anything the Marines say at face value." Here, his features twisted into a grimace. "It's more often than not, a bunch of lies to protect the Marines' honour. I've heard stories, Phoenix, stories of Whitebeard and his crew, whom he sees as family. I have heard about stuff that you did, Phoenix, but also stuff that you did not do." Ace stood up from the bed so suddenly, Marco startled, although his countenance didn't show it.
"I've also learnt to not judge a book by its cover, and even less by the stories that have been told." He sounded as if he spoke from personal experience.
"Just because you are the First Mate to the strongest crew in the world, doesn't mean you are a bad person." Why does it sound like he was talking about something else?
"Why do you think that you are here, far away from all the other more dangerous criminals in level 6?" Here, he smirked, his eyes glinting with mirth. "I will judge for myself, just what kind of pirate you are Marco the Phoenix."
With that, Ace swept out of the cell, meeting his brother outside. Sabo turned to address him, "Phoenix-san, we will bring you your meals soon, do you have any food allergies?"
Marco numbly shook his head, still trying to process whatever Ace had said. Sabo chuckled as he turned to head off, "Good luck, Phoenix, you will need it."
Marco watched silently as Sabo and Ace walked off, suspiciously close to one another, as they faded into the shadows of the darkened hallways, their footsteps echoing in the darkness. Marco turned over Sabo's cryptic words in his head. The blonde's eyes had been brimming with intelligence, and Marco supposed that he truly needed an immense amount of luck if he wanted to get out of this alive. His family would surely come.
Thinking of his family made Ace's words echo in his head, 'Whitebeard…his crew…whom he sees as family…"
'Yeah right,' Marco thought bitterly, 'If we had truly been a family as we had hoped, we would never have been betrayed…Thatch…' Oh god, he missed Thatch soooo much. Marco didn't even know how he was doing, and he couldn't; for he had gotten his stupid ass thrown in prison.
Marco was drawn out of his darkening thoughts by Jinbe's voice cutting through the silence, calling out to him. "Marco?"
Marco lifted his head wearily and squinted, trying to see as best as his could through the darkness. With his devil fruit powers dampened, he was virtually blind in the dark. "Yes Jinbe-yoi?" He managed to croak out.
Marco could hear the rustling of chains. "How are you holding up, Marco?"
"I'm doing as well as I can be in this situation, Jinbe." Marco responded with a tired sigh. "But what are you doing here-yoi? What did you do?"
"I had refused to help the Marines fight in a war against Pops."
Marco was instantly alert and straining against his chains to better look at Jinbe. "So it's true-yoi? Pops is really going to wage a war with the Marines and the World Government? Over…" Marco swallowed. "Over me?"
Jinbe nodded solemnly, not that Marco could see it. "Yes…Pops is rallying all his available allies and leading the charge on Marineford."
Marco nodded, dropping his head. His voice took on a tentative tone, almost as if he was afraid to ask, for fear of the answer, "And…how is…how is Thatch?"
"The last I had heard, Thatch had recently woken up but was still in recovery." Jinbe murmured slowly.
At this, Marco's heart swelled to the point of wanting to burst. Thatch was alive! Thatch was alright! It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and it seemed like, for the first time in a long while, Marco could finally smile.
However, his mood immediately darkened when he once again, was reminded of his predicament, and his impending execution. What an idiot he had truly been…Thatch was well, and he couldn't even see him. Thatch must have been asking for him the moment he had regained consciousness, and to learn the minute he was awake, that Marco had gone and let himself he captured…Marco was certain that Thatch was cursing his name right about them. The thought and image almost made Marco chuckle. Almost.
Marco heaved a bone-deep sigh of exhaustion. He had truly let his mate down, hadn't he?
Jinbe's voice, once again, interrupted his musings. "Still…I never expected to encounter such…unique marines in Impel Down, have you, Marco?"
"No, I haven't-yoi." Marco replied, in a vexed tone. "They are…unconventional, yoi."
Sure, Marco had met a few Marines with morals, who didn't preach the absolute justice shit that was emptily spouted by the corps, but they were few and far in between.
He also knew that the Whitebeards weren't exactly your run-off-the-mill pirates, and could be considered unconventional to those other sleazy rookie pirates out there who wouldn't even survive a day in the Grand Line; but they still plundered, still fought, and still killed. Just like there were good and bad pirates out there, there were also good and corrupted marines. There was however, only so much good a "good" pirate could be. Just like how there was so much good a "good" marine could be.
He also knew some Marines out there, whose hearts and morals were in the right place, but those came with consequences. For one, they were fucking insane. Take Monkey D. Garp for example. He had high moral standards and a great heart, but he was also a bat-shit crazy old man. Seriously, who in their right mind will barge through walls, and choose that as their primary mode of entrance?! To add to that, that man was a D, all Ds were insane; not to mention crazy strong. As no doubt, these two Marines were.
This is why he was wary, and sceptical. Who knew what those insane Ds could do, just to relieve their boredom. Marco had long learnt to not underestimate a D's ability to attract and cause all sorts of trouble. Excuse him for not having the most positive image of a D; considering the Ds that he had met- the late Pirate King, who was strong, albeit a pain to deal with, a Hero of the Marines, who was crazy strong and crazy-insane, and a lying, betraying son of a bitch-. You get his point right?
Sure they were game-changers, but they were also likely to leave chaos in their wake; chaos he would much rather not deal with.
In fact, because he knew of the Will of D…That was the only reason he and Pops had accepted Marshall into the family; because he was a D. Marshall had been a special case. Throughout all the years, people had only joined Pop's crew by way of invitation. They had to explicitly gain Whitebeard's approval and invitation in order to join his family. Whitebeard had great instincts, and more often than not, the person he invited to join his crew was a great addition to the family.
Teach, Marshall, had not gained that invitation. No, he had specifically requested to join. It was only his name, the D. in it, which had gained him acceptance. Pops' had had high hopes for a D. in the ranks. However, Teach had not really made much of an impression other than coming off as a large, portly brother with a strange laugh and a penchant for cherry-pies. Marco should have known he had an ulterior motive, had an agenda. Heck, Marshall didn't even display any of the qualities of a true D. No, Marshall was not a D. He was nothing but a coward.
A new voice cut into their conversation, "Ace-boy and Sabo-boy may not be your typical Marines, but that is why they have hearts of gold."
Marco turned his attention to the cell next to Jinbe's and squinted. In the faint light, he could just make out the mop of purple hair that shifted with the person.
"We have been here for a long time, and we have received nothing but kind hospitality since we were put here. Ask Croco-boy, even he likes them, and he rarely likes anyone. Right Crocy?"
A grunt came from the cell on Marco's right, and a gruff voice bounced off the walls. "They give me good food and entertainment; it isn't as boring as I thought. Although I would like them more, if they stopped talking about the very person who beat me, all the time."
A chuckle sounded out from within the cell that the purple hair was in, but this sounded lighter, and lilted. "I'm sure."
"You are Crocodile, aren't you? The ex-Shichibukai." Jinbe called out. He got no reply.
"Who beat you, yoi?" Curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't stop himself from asking. The reports and newspapers had said that a crew of Marines led by a Commodore had been the ones responsible, but Marco was starting to think otherwise.
"You'll see." Was all the answer he got, remaining tight-lipped.
Marco pursed his lips, while his attention was once again returned to the talking mop of purple hair, their voice a strange mixture of masculine and feminine.
"In the entire Impel Down, Sabo-boy and Ace-boy are your only hope of salvation, of even a semblance of humanity in this inhumane place. They are the only ones brave enough to go where even the Jailers and Wardens do not dare trespass. You should count your lucky stars they are your guards, Phoenix-boy."
Marco frowned and drawled out, "They are Marine Rear Admirals, why are they stationed in Impel Down? Much less Level 6?"
Marco just could not comprehend why they were here, it was almost unheard of.
The reply was a hum. "Mmmmm…it is not my place to tell, but let's just say that it is more for the sake of the Marine Headquarters that they are stationed here than anywhere else."
Huh? They were that disastrous? Marco voiced that thought.
There was a chuckle before the lilted voice started, "You can also say that they had no choice in the matter, and they were stationed here to keep an eye on things for the Marines, while also being kept an eye on by the Marines."
Crocodile's voice then sounded out, "Also, they aren't both stationed in Level 6, they just frequent it. Blondie is supposed to be watching Level 5, while Freckles is to watch Level 6. Mostly because Freckles can't be in Level 5, 'cause if he is, that place won't be known as the Freezing Hell anymore. Although you rarely see one of them without the other."
The purple afro (cause that's what it looked like) giggled, "Those two watch the last two levels that the Wardens and Jailers don't enter. The warden's office is on level 4, level 5 is a frozen tundra with ravenous wolves that only Sabo-boy seems to be able to tame. I have seen it happen when I was in level 5, it was truly remarkable. I think Level 6 speaks for itself."
Marco arched a high brow, "Are they truly that strong, yoi?"
The lilted voice responded, "Of course, they are the grandsons of Garp the Fist after all."
Marco's thoughts screeched to a halt, "Wait wait wait, yoi. Are you fucking telling me, that my new guards, the Rear Admirals, are the fucking grandsons of Fucking Garp the Fist?!"
"Yes, Phoenix-boy. Is that a problem?"
Marco found it difficult to answer past his new pounding, news-induced migraine. "The problem is…" he gritted out, "That I'm expected to entrust my well-being to a bunch of brats who are Garp's grandsons-yoi?!"
There was a huff, "Of course, Phoenix-boy. Like I said, they are your only hope of salvation, to not go insane here. What part of that didn't you get?" A tick appeared on Marco's temple.
"Are you expecting me to trust someone with the blood of that lunatic-"
"And why should blood matter, Mr. Phoenix?" The lilted voice interrupted softly. "I'm sure you of all people should know that blood does not make a person. The two brothers do not judge someone by their blood, and you shouldn't too."
That person was right…As Pop's had once said, "Blood doesn't matter. We are all a child of the seas." God! Didn't his time with Pop's and his family teach him anything?! He was truly a disappointment…He sighed. Pops would be sad to hear him evaluate a person based on their blood and not their character. Damn! He was falling, wasn't he?
He spoke softly, his head bowed, feeling ashamed, "What…are those two like?"
There was a burst of laughter and the voice that spoke once more had a hint of joy and admiration in their tone. "They are kind, compassionate, passionate and strong. Polite too. They have never judged a person from their previous deeds, but by their personality after interacting with them. They also possess remarkable instincts, and incredible conviction. Sabo is the brains, while Ace is the brawn, although they are both tremendously strong. Ace is the fire, while Sabo is the storm. They are two peas in a pod and one half of a whole. Their relationship with each other is beautiful and precious; I'm sure you will get my meaning after you get to know them." There was a smile in his voice.
Marco chewed his chapped lips, "Ace said that the other Level 6 prisoners were far away from us-yoi."
The purple afro added, "Yes. They have interacted with virtually everyone on this level, and the ones whom they deemed too dangerous or corrupted are left in isolation in the deepest parts of the level. We are the lucky ones, to have interaction, and a little light, and such sweet, pretty boys to take care of us!" There was now a little bit of over-enthusiastic adoration creeping into the voice, which was a little unsettling.
Marco shifted uncomfortably in his bindings while Jinbe just hummed, soaking up all the new information quietly.
"Now now, Iva-chan. You don't have to say it like that; I think you are creeping out our new friends!"
Marco almost jumped. The Rear Admirals were back; and he didn't even hear them!
The purple afro –Iva-chan, apparently- merely giggled.
Marco watched as the blonde marine presented piping hot plates of food to the inhabitants of the cell next to Jinbe's.
"Here, Iva-chan, Ina-san, I'm sure you would love this. It's from one of the Kamabakka recipes. I took it from level 5.5."
"Ah~ Thank you, Sabo-boy! I trust that the Newkama Land is doing well?"
"It is doing very well with Bon-san as its temporary queen."
"Excellent! Thank you, Sabo-boy~!"
There was the soft squeak of wheels on the floor, as Sabo pushed the cart of food practically towering with plates of delicious goodness that wafted into his nose, the aroma making Marco drool a little as he realised just how famished he was.
At that moment, Ace strode into view, pushing his own trolley of food, and he opened Marco's cell door and stepped in, a large plate of meat in his hands.
"Yo, Phoenix, you look like you could use a few pounds." Marco rolled his eyes, "Yes, yoi. Thank you, I hadn't noticed that I had been skipping meals-yoi. I was too busy getting my ass captured." He was only being half sarcastic.
Ace grin fell, and his expression morphed into one of concern, "Really? You shouldn't be skipping meals, Phoenix. Food is like, the most important thing!" Marco sighed. It seemed that that sarcasm had flown right past his head.
"He means that in a sarcastic way, Ace!" Sabo's voice travelled from across the hallway, exasperated.
"Oh…" Ace muttered, while Marco simply shook his head. "Well then, I'll just…" Ace set the plate down on the cot and set about removing Marco's seastone chains, but not before slapping on a seastone bracelet. "That's to ensure that you won't try to escape right now." Ace commented softly. "Now so isn't the time for a break out."
Marco blinked at the strange choice of words.
Ace set the seastone chains for to the side, and Marco felt slightly more invigorated; strong enough to move his limbs at least.
Ace then shoved the plate of food into his lap and stepped out of his cell. He smirked, "Enjoy, Pineapple." He then moved away from his cell and deeper into the hallways, his strong footsteps fading out.
Marco groaned and caught Sabo's eye from across the hallway. Sabo chuckled and wink, tipping the brim of his hat, "Bon appetit." He then followed Ace down the path, his sure gait echoing through the cavernous walls.
Marco eyed the plate of food in his lap warily. He apprehensively lifted it to his nose and sniffed. It didn't smell different or weird, but you never knew. He tried to examine the plate for any signs of poison, for any signs that it had been drugged. Huh, none that he could tell… Eventually, after inspecting his plate for 5 minutes, his hunger won out, and he shrugged, might as well…
Marco dug into his plate with never before seen fervour, almost moaning when the taste of freshly cooked food hit his tongue. God, he missed this…After almost a month of having eaten next to nothing, this was heavenly. Marco licked his plate clean and placed it on the ground, fully sated.
Marco had an inkling that he wasn't supposed to have such great food in level 6, but who cares? He certainly didn't. He was going to be executed anyway, might as well make his last days count. He was most definitely not complaining.
As he sat there, patting his slightly bloated stomach, footsteps sounded again and this time, Ace and Sabo returned. Their carts were significantly diminished in size from the towering plates, but it was still packed full. Marco briefly wondered if those were for the other levels.
No, they stopped right in between the four cells. They then did the strangest thing ever. They started to remove the plates of food from the tray and set them out on the floor in a circle. Marco and Jinbe watched with curiosity as they placed plate upon plate out on the floor. When there was a circle around them, they did the most astonishing thing.
Ace and Sabo, Marine Rear Admirals, sat on the same floor of the level that all prisoners sat on, and started to eat, lunging and gorging on their plates like rabid animals.
Marco stared in shock and awe as Ace and Sabo polished off one plate after another, stopping only to either 1) Talk to each other, 2) Make conversation with the other inmates in the cell beside Marco and Jinbe; while they were looking on in fond amusement, 3) Steal from their brother's plates, or 4) Choke.
Marco watched in morbid fascination as Sabo turned an interesting shade of blue, pounding on his chest while the whole chicken leg that he had attempted to swallow whole was lodged in his throat.
Ace, not looking up from his own leg of chicken, simply slammed a hand onto the back of his hacking brother, hard. Marco winced, any other person would have keeled over from the force of the blow. Not Sabo, though. The chicken leg simply went flying and disappeared into the darkness of the hallways.
Sabo barely breathed as he regained his composure and dove right back into his food, tearing a chunk off a large slab of meat.
Marco cleared his throat, "Do you always eat like this-yoi?" He was both captivated and disgusted.
Ace decided to dignify Marco with a response. "Well, of course! We always eat this amount!" He stated in between chews.
Sabo swallowed, "Ace, don't talk with your mouth full."
Ace grumbled and proceeded to bite into a drumstick.
Sabo nodded to Marco, "We may have retained some habits from our childhood."
Their childhood required them to eat like ravenous beasts? What kind of childhood did they have?
"But why do you eat here? With us?" Jinbe voiced, his almost empty plate on his lap. The two boys paused in the middle of their twenty-something plate; a testament to how fast they were eating.
They turned to address Jinbe, their eyes shining with unexplainable intensity, "Is there a problem with that, Jinbe-san? There are no rules stating that we cannot eat with the inmates."
Ace scowled, "They can't control what we do, no matter how much they think they do. We do what we want, and we want to eat here."
In tandem, they both turned back to their food.
Marco simply watched, highly impressed, a smirk quirking on his lips, when a thought occurred to him. "This level is pretty dark, yoi. And it doesn't seem like you carry any torches with you. How do you see?"
At this, both Sabo and Ace grinned cheekily. Ace simply answered by lifting a fore finger, and fire bust to life at the tip of it, illuminating Ace's silver eyes, from which a mesmerizing dance of flames sparkled in his eyes, giving his eyes a hypnotic gaze.
"Sabo can see even better than me, and he doesn't even need a light." Was all Ace said as he snuffed the dancing flicker of flame out, returning to his meal, and breaking the entrancing spell that Marco was drawn into by the display of fiery power so much like his own.
Marco blinked and asked, confusion lacing his voice, "So, he has a devil fruit that allows him to see in the dark?"
Sabo's laugh ricocheted off the walls, a tinkling, silver peal that lifted Marco's spirit, and lightened his heart. "Partly, Phoenix-san. My zoan form just so happens to have incredibly sharp eyes well suited for seeing in the dark." For a moment, when Sabo turned to face him, Marco thought he saw his purplish-blue eyes glow in the dim fire light, slit pupils akin to that of a cat.
So, Ace was a logia, and Sabo was a zoan. An interesting pair, indeed.
Marco was beginning to feel rejuvenated, as if for once, everything may just turn out fine.
Jinbe leaned forward, "That's right, Marco. I just remembered. Pops wanted me to tell you, should I see you, that you have to wait for a little while longer. Give Pops time to gather all our allies, and then he will meet you at Marineford, just in time for your execution in six days."
Marco nodded, "Alright, yoi."
Marco didn't mind that they were discussing this in front of Marines; after all, it wasn't anything that the marines didn't know. They wanted a war with Whitebeard, and so, it will be a war they will get.
Marco caught Sabo and Ace sharing a glance with one another before Ace questioned, "What the heck are you talking about?"
For a moment, Marco and Jinbe tensed. Did Ace and Sabo not know what was happening outside Impel Down? Had they really just revealed sensitive information in front of Marines who could possibly prevent them from executing their plan?
Sabo rolled his eyes, "You idiot, they don't know what you are talking about!" He chided as he slapped his brother's arm.
Ace pouted, rubbing his arm. "Saaaaboooo~~" He whined. "That hurt!"
"That's payback for your smack just now." Sabo rebutted.
"You were choking!"
Ignoring Ace's indignant squawk of excuses, Sabo turned to the sons of Whitebeard. "Please forgive my brother, he doesn't think before he speaks, and tends to make things confusing."
In the background, Ace gasped, "I don't make things confusing, you do!" Arms flailing.
Continuing as if he hadn't been shouted at, "What he meant was that it has recently just been released, and kept hush hush through the marine ranks, but Marco the Phoenix's execution date has been rescheduled from six days, to four."
Well, Fucking shit.
Done~ Please rate and review~ Thankies, and peace!
