Chapter 4
I need to mention my publisher/spell checker/walking dictionary who has been fixing up the errors in my fan fic (there has been quite a few) THANKYOU xx (Love you Monty! – Fox8299), I will be uploading my rough drafts with her comments on them because they are so funny! It's worth taking a look, it will be under the name Purple reVAMPED!
I also want to thank the people who took the time to review my chapters, Keep them coming, let me know what you like, what you don't and I'll do my best to oblige.
I do not own one piece, its Oda-sensei's, but I do own the OC's such as Marty, Beth and Charlene X)
PLEASE REVIEW, GOOD OR BAD I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! XX
. . .
Marco dragged the food crates out though the hole Ace had created.
"Is that the last one?" He called down to Jozu, leaning back to avoid having his head cut-off. He stuck out his foot which his charging attacker tripped over. Falling and screaming through the hole knocking himself out.
"Yep," said Jozu pulling himself out, Thatch chose to use the ladder.
"YOU. BASTARD!" Marco raised an eyebrow looking over his shoulder to see Ace standing alone at the ships railing bent over with laughter.
"He doesn't know how to treat a lady," said Thatch disapprovingly moving to pick up his share of the supplies. Marco grabbed two crates, hefting one onto his shoulder, and then marched over to Ace who was wiping away tears of mirth as he listened to the blond girl from the cage screaming for his bloody murder.
"…Wasn't there two other girls?" He asked, as they were not visible on the deck of the Moby Dick. Ace turned, leaning against the railing.
"They got distracted," Ace said, glaring over Marco's shoulder. Marco turned in the direction of his gaze to see Straw-hat and Pixie ganging up on the smuggler captain. They were taking turns whacking the man with… were those planks of wood? Marco laughed.
"Interesting girls."
"Weird girls," Ace corrected grumpily.
"Pot calling the kettle black," Marco replied, repositioning his load and began walking back to the ship, "you'd better fetch them, this battle is over."
Ace glanced around, Marco was right; the only people still fighting were the girls. He sighed, then wandered over to the pair.
"… You can stop now," He said, causing the two girls to halt the attack, allowing their target to escape.
"He's getting away!" Said Straw-Hat outraged, looking set to pursue the man but was pulled up short once again by Ace's hand on her arm.
"… If you're planning on hitching a ride with us you should come now," Ace said frowning. Pixie shrugged.
"Fine," she said calmly and hurled her plank, striking the Captain in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Marty cheered, Ace grabbed Pixie with his free arm and began dragging them towards the Moby Dick before they could cause any more trouble.
. . .
Marty was still holding onto the plank of wood she'd scavenged from the smugglers ship as she stared at the man before her in awe. She hugged the plank, Marty knew whitebeard was gonna be big but… whoa.
Whitebeard, shooing away the nurse attempting to relieve him of his sake, studied the three young ladies before him.
"Why don't you tell me what you were doing on a smuggler ship," Whitebeard suggested, though it sounded more like a command. Marty glanced at Beth hesitantly; she was the oldest after all.
"You see-…" Beth started, her voice only slightly unsure, before being cut off by Nee-nee.
"Whitebeard," the girl stepped forward, curtsying gracefully, "My name is Charlene Alexandra Kaitlyn Edborough."
"Her initials spell cake," Marty muttered out the side of her mouth, Beth coughed to hide her laugh.
"My father is the Mayor of Billion's Cove," Nee-nee the cake continued importantly.
"28," the girls chorused under their breath, Whitebeard frowned confused, did he just hear that correctly.
"And it was from there three days ago that I was rudely captured by those vagabonds. I was brutally thrown into a cage and stowed below deck. We were later informed by a member of their crew that we were intended to be sold as slaves." The girl straightened out of her curtsy, smoothing her soiled, ripped dress, "I ask that you please provide us with a passage back to our home." She concluded. Beth raised an eyebrow while Marty shrugged, if nothing else Nee-nee the Cake was well spoken. Whitebeard was similarly interested by the girl's ability with words. His gaze shifted to the girls behind her.
"And your names?"
"Beth if you please," replied the elder calmly.
Watching the exchange from his place with the commanders, Marco raised an eyebrow impressed. It was rare for a person to be so relaxed when brought under Pop's gaze for the first time.
"Do you require the same passage?" Whitebeard asked taking a swig of sake, Beth smiled.
"The closet island on your log post would do." Whitebeard laughed at her collected tone.
"Guarararara, Billion's Cove is the next island on the log post we make port at," he said. Ace smacked his face in realisation, that's where he had heard the name from. He looked up to see Straw-hat watching him curiously. No, not Straw-hat, that was his brother's calling card, not hers.
"Well what's you name Purple?" Ace demanded, staring daggers at the girl, who matched his glare.
"It's rude to ask for someone's name without first supplying your own, wannabe cowboy," she shot back, startling some of the crew into laughter, including Whitebeard.
"It is indeed," Whitebeard chuckled, "I am Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard." The girl met his gaze evenly with eyes that matched her hair.
"Marty," she said simply then broke into a huge smile, dissipating any leftover tension, "call me Marty."
"A pleasure," said the pirate captain, "Well then Marty, Beth, Charlene, I can offer you a safe passage with us to Billion's cove," Charlene clasped her hands together in joy, "I also would like to extend an invitation to join my crew as my daughters. You don't have to give me an answer now," he smiled at the looks of surprise on the girl's faces, "You may have till we reach port to decide." Over in the commanders Haruta smiled in delight. That was three whole days! She could convince at least one to join by then!
"For now the three of you may share the spare commander's room. Ace, Marco," he said gesturing for the men to approach, which they did, "these are the commanders of my first and second division. Show the girls the way." He said in dismissal, watching Marty and Ace eyeing each other off.
"Sure Pops," Marco said when Ace failed to reply. Ace turned on his heel and began walking without checking to see if he was being followed. Marco motioned for the girls to go first and brought up the rear.
. . .
"The commanders sleep in private chambers, separate from the rest of the men," Marco explained as Ace led them down a hallway with doors stretching along either side of the corridor. They stopped at the last door on the left.
"The rooms have a personal bathroom and shower," Ace said opening the door then stepping out of the way to let the girls in, "there's only one bed but there should be a futon in the cupboard." He leaned against the doorframe, Marco moved up beside him.
"If you need any help, I'm in the room across the hall and Ace is next door," said Marco watching the girls inspect their lodgings. Beth glanced up from the small port hole on the wall.
"Actually, if it's not too much trouble, do you think we could borrow some clothes?" She asked," ours are, well…" she trailed off glancing down at herself, her once white singlet was brown and ripped, her pants were in a likewise condition and the other girls didn't look any better. Marco and Ace glanced at each other uncomfortably.
"Uh, sure, clothes, um…" Marco tailed of unsure, when a quiet voice came from behind him.
"I can help with that." The men turned to see one of Pop's nurses standing behind them with a bundle of clothes. She squeezed through the men, moving into the room to tip the clothes onto the bed.
"My name is Martha," she said clasping her hands behind her back. She looked to be about 18, with bright red hair and a spray of freckles across her nose, "the nurses quarters are situated at the end of the hall if you ever need anything," she said smiling before leaving the way she came.
"Thank you!" Marty called after her retreating figure as Charlene and Beth began sorting through the clothes. Marco watched he go before returning his attention back to the girls.
"Dinner is in a few hours," he said calmly he stepped back out of the doorway pulling Ace behind him, "we will come and fetch you then," and with that the door was shut behind them.
Marty frowned at the closed door.
"Why does it feel like we traded one cage for another?" Beth shrugged.
"At least this one comes with clean clothes and a shower."
. . .
Marty stared at the ceiling bored out of her mind. It had taken thirty minutes for the girls to shower and change. Well actually it had taken Beth and Marty a total of six minutes, but that still left them with a couple spare hours before dinner. Marty rolled over till she was face down on the futon she and Beth were sharing, (Nee-nee the Cake had claimed the bed and demanded they stop calling her that). The purple dress that Donna had given her was gone, she was now wearing a black singlet and short pants that were a little tight, but bearable. The straw hat that she had taken from Donna's house was still in good shape and was sitting beside her. Beth had chosen a white t-shirt and similar shorts to Marty, while Nee-nee had on a knee length blue skirt and sleeveless blouse. Their shoes had all managed to survive with minimal damage and hadn't needed replacing.
"MMMPPPHHHFFF," Marty screamed into her pillow making the other girls jump, before pushing herself up onto her hands and knees, "that's it I've already endured three days of sitting still." She climbed to her feet, grabbing her hat as she went, and walked over to the door.
"Where are you going," asked Nee-nee the Cake sharply, sitting up on her bed.
"Field trip."
"They said they would come and fetch us!"
"Then they should have locked the door," Marty replied, pulling it open. She looked over her shoulder, "are you coming or not?"
"Not," said The Cake stiffly but Beth grinned pushing herself to her feet.
"Lead on," and with that the two girls pulled open the door and, after checking to see it was empty, slipped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind them.
. . .
XD WHEW, ok thanks so much for reading. Next chapter the girls explore Whitebeards ship! What will happen when Ace and Marco return to find only The Cake alone in the room? What will dinner with the crew be like?
PLEASE REVIEW – I'd love to hear your thoughts, or any idea's you might have for the next chapter.
(Fox8299 says bye too!)