Chapter Quote: "War does not discriminate who is right - only who is left."

Bedlam: Sorry for the wait everyone. Life has gotten in the way big time. I know for me, I've had a wedding I was in, a job promotion and relocation which I am in training for right now, and finally getting help for my hip. That's not to say we haven't been plotting and planning and editing. It just means everything has been going slow! SO SLOW! Hopefully the both of us will be able to get back on track soon.

Anjelle: Yeah, I have to say we both played a part in delaying this chapter, but it's just life, you know? And right now I'm sick as hell, I'm barely coherent… So if there are a lot of missed typos this time around, please bear with me. It's hard to catch them when I'm hopped up on like 3 different meds OTL But I wanted to get it done for you guys, so I did my best to push through my scenes and the editing! But hey, look on the bright side: last chapter was 2ce as long as usual, so you didn't really miss out on a chapter, if you think about it!


Atche held his brother's hand as he looked up at the phoenix, a slight anxiety rising in his gut as blue eyes softly glanced over them before returning to Thatch. "You'll be alright while I'm gone, yoi?"

"We'll be fine; don't worry about it," he replied with a wave and grin, showing off impressively sharp teeth. They still made the boys a little uneasy, though they no longer saw him as particularly dangerous.

"They've been quiet lately. It's disconcerting."

"I know. I'll try to see about that."

"...Thanks, yoi." The mythos exchanged hard-to-read stares before Marco returned his attention to the humans, crouching in front of them with a gentle, weak smile. "Hey, pets…"

Atche shifted nervously on his feet, Izo's words echoing in his mind. He's like a papa. But what did that mean? Weren't they… slaves, or something? He'd always known slavery was a possibility—it wasn't uncommon back in the village, and they were orphans—but then… then he said that.

"I'm going to be away for a few days. Thatch will take care of you." A taloned hand reached out, beckoning them closer. He wasn't sure whether to listen or not. "Please don't be like this yoi. I'm not going to see you for a while."

"Think you can keep your instincts in check for that long?" Thatch asked. "You've already bonded. It's not going to be easy."

"I know, but I'm going to have to," the blond replied with a sigh, repeating the gesture. That time Atche stepped forward, hesitantly placing his hand in Marco's. The bird caressed his knuckles with the pad of his thumb, feeling the fresh, new bandages that had just been reapplied to his burns. Blue eyes softened, turning from the injury to the humans' faces. He'd been a lot… kinder since that day. Atche wondered if it had more to do with the incident, or with that title Izo bestowed upon him. "I go."

His eyes widened at that. "...Go?"

"You're leaving?" Luhfi asked as he stepped forward.

The effect was instant and both were pulled into his arms, cradled in warmth. They were stiff at first—Marco rarely initiated such intimate contact—but quickly gave in and returned it. Lately he'd been… nice, and Atche couldn't help but think that maybe he was starting to like them again. Before the bird looked so angry, and he could still feel the way he trembled when Marco snapped at them, but now…

"Yes, I go," he answered before pulling away, placing a taloned hand on each of their cheeks. "Be good, yes?"

They exchanged wary glances before nodding. "We'll be good."

He smiled, "Good," and rose to his feet, his long, traditional regalia trailing across the ground as he headed for the door, stopping only once to look back at them. "Ace, Luffy, goodbye."

Atche swallowed a lump in his throat. "Goodbye…"

"Byebye, Mister Marco."

The door closed and footsteps faded into silence. They looked up worriedly at Thatch, who smiled. "Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere, cubs."

"Are you staying, Thatchy?" Luhfi questioned, large, brown eyes pleading with the man. Neither of them wanted to know what it meant if they were left alone.

"Yes, cub. I'll stay."


Thatch sighed as he tapped the lobster tank. He was more than grateful Jinbe had sent such a gift—that man certainly catered to his love of seafood—but he almost felt bad, in a way. The poor thing was going to have to suffer to quell the rage of one pissed off turtle. It was for the greater good, he told himself, but that did nothing to erase the pity in his heart. While the tiger had cooked lobster many times before, he wasn't one to relish in needless suffering. So as the water started to heat and as he grabbed the largest one he could spot from the tank, he was lead to pout.

The lobster was placed on a cutting board where it sat still as Thatch turned away from the counter and checked the water. It looked like he would have just enough time to prepare before it would have a chance to boil over. He was thankful; over recent rebirths he'd been a bit squeamish about causing small creatures like that harm. Maybe it tied into his attachment to humans—they were about as weak as high-intelligence beings could get, and compared to his height of seven feet in that form they were pretty tiny—but whatever the reason, last time he cooked lobster he'd hesitated too long and a pot of scalding water boiled over. When he went to stop it he'd tripped and soon it blanketed the floor. He couldn't walk without whimpering in pain for two weeks, and Marco was stuck helping him out as he healed.

Spinning back around, his eyes caught on the lobster's form, its legs scurrying beneath it as it tried to move. It didn't get very far, though, and Thatch just sighed once more as he picked it up and faced it. "Tryin' to run, little buddy? Sorry, I don't think you're gonna get too far." It looked at him—or it looked like it looked at him—and his face sagged even further. "D'ya know what's coming? That why you wanna make a break for it?"

Replacing the lobster on the cutting board, he added salt to the water and retrieved some butter from cold storage—because he'd completely overlooked it beforehand. Soon he found himself with the pot at a running boil, ready to take in the key ingredient.

And then he returned to the lobster. And he pulled his mouth taut.

With a heavy heart, he stood over the pit and looked down into the bubbling water that gurgled and groaned, almost like it was taunting its soon-to-be prey. He turned the crustacean around to face him once more. "Sorry, little buddy. This is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you, but if I don't do it I'm gonna have a really pissed off turtle on my hands and that's a scary sight." It did nothing but slowly move one of its legs. "Don't look at me like that—this is hard enough as it is! ...May you find peace in seafood heaven."

With a slight bow of his head he turned the creature around once more, dumping it head-first. Its entire body was enveloped in the water and Thatch was quick to grab his tongs and wait as he watched the shell turn a bright, vibrant red. He removed it once he was sure it was fully cooked—being sure to put on the butter immediately after to allow it to melt—and grabbed the cutting board off the counter, placing it within a tray on the table, the lobster on top of it.

He steadied the creature with one hand and grabbed his knife with the other. "Poor little guy," he muttered with a sigh as he looked over the lifeless yet tasty remains, jabbing the knife down through the shell of the back and cutting it lengthwise, the blade coming down between the eyes with a loud crunch. Once that was done he removed the knife, spun the tray and repeated the action, chopping straight through the tail. After assuring the halves were separated he pulled them apart and discarded the knife onto the tabletop. First he went about removing the severed stomach sack from each side, then did the same to the intestinal tract in the tail.

Discarding the waste, Thatch once more picked up his knife, holding the blunt end to one of the lobster's claws. In quick, heavy movements he thumped the back of the blade along the shell, then finished cracking it with his hands so that it would be easier to eat. Satisfied, he took his freshly-made meal and arranged it neatly on a plate, grabbing the melted butter and pouring it into a bowl.

After grabbing a nice bottle of wine he was ready to serve it, carrying it all to the doorway. He stopped and glanced to his right at the tank, being sure to hide the meal from the view of the ones inside it. Whether they understood that he was carrying the corpse of their dead friend or not, he didn't care. Counting them, he sighed. Seven. Jinbe had given them eight, and so he would have to do this seven more times. And while it really wasn't that bad—he killed and ate things all the time—he just couldn't help but look at their little faces and feel a pinch of guilt.

Several hundred years ago, he wouldn't have batted an eye no matter his prey.

Tapping the glass, he smiled. "Don't worry; it was over quick. And it's for a good cause—Izo loves this stuff."

He headed into the hall and down to Marco's wing, knowing with certainty he would find Izo there. With the featherhead gone the turtle had been left to watch over the children as he prepped lunch. He'd fed them first, though he was certain it wasn't enough and that he'd have to make more, as their appetites had been increasing as of late. That was great, and he was fine with making more if they wanted it, but he thought it best to serve his brother before readying seconds for the children.

When he opened the door to the inner sitting room he was sure to put on his biggest grin. Izo was sitting at the table, vibrant robes resting gently against his form as he looked into the distance. Thatch followed his eyes to the garden where the children sat on the porch with their dolls, talking in hushed whispers even his ears had trouble picking up. He was happy to see the used plates and cutlery placed in a neat pile at the far corner of the table.

Silver eyes looked up at him, curiously studying his form as he bent down and presented the turtle with his meal.

"Made you something special," he stated as he poured the wine.

"Oh?" was his only response as he shifted in his spot and looked it over. Thatch straightened, just knowing that this was going to make things a little better between them. "Ace, Luffy."

The boys had been giggling about something, both craning their necks around to look at the turtle with owlish eyes.

"Come here, boys." They looked between each other but did as they were told, hobbling over to sit across from their current caretaker. Izo's painted red lips curved into a smile as he pushed the plate towards them.

Wait, what?

"Go on, take it."

Thatch dropped to the ground, head in his hands as he groaned in defeat. The jerk snubbed his peace offering. He snubbed it. Just like that. He didn't even taste it first.

A tug at the white cloth of his sleeve had him looking up to see Luffy staring at him with brown eyes full of worry.

"Mister Thatchy, you okay?"

He did his best to force a smile, no matter how pitiable the result. "Fine, cub. Thatch is fine." That was about the best a response he could manage, seeing as his brother avoided teaching him to the best of his abilities. He'd asked days ago but so far managed no more than two lessons. It wasn't so bad—he'd learned some human languages by fully immersing himself in their societies until he'd grasped them—but as the only sources he had to learn from were two quiet cubs and a moody turtle, he'd only picked up a little thus far.

Smiling, the younger boy crawled back over to join his sibling in staring at the plate of food. "Atche, look! It's like the crusty thing the fishermen used to sell!"

"Lobster, Lu. It's really expensive…" Ace glanced up uncertainly at Thatch.

"Eat," he encouraged with a nod, being sure to give Izo a sideways glare. "He certainly won't."

"I'm not hungry," Genbu defended without skipping a beat as he retrieved fabric and thread from a sack beneath the table. Upon closer inspection it looked like a child-sized overskirt, the embroidery half finished. It somewhat resembled the robes of Suzaku, only in dark colours.

Thatch simply rolled his eyes, deciding not to let it get to him. At least his hard work wasn't going to waste if the boys ate it. Sure enough they poked and prodded the meat with a fork, Luffy grabbing a claw between his fingers. His eyes softened at the sight, knowing that was probably their first time eating it. "That's a human recipe, so it should be a little more familiar than some of the stuff you've been given, even if you've never had it yourself." Ace was the first to actually taste it, putting some meat from the tail into his mouth. His expression at first was blank as he chewed and swallowed and for a moment Thatch wasn't sure if he liked it or not, but sure enough he went in for a second piece, and the tiger was there to help him by separating the meat from the shell. "Your species can get pretty creative with your food—you guys eat everything, it's amazing."

Izo sighed as he continued his task, never once looking up from the tip of his needle. "I swear you know more about human food than mythos." And Thatch had to laugh, because he had to agree. "What's with that obsession of yours?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as Luffy cracked the claw and extracted the insides. "An old friend introduced me, I guess you could say." At that those silver eyes looked up, but neither spoke.

"It's really good!"

"Yeah… Don't eat too fast, 'kay?"

"Mhmm!" Ace held the fork in front of his face which Luffy readily accepted, trying the tail meat next. "Say, Atche?"

"Hm?"

"Think Mama ever tried this?"

Ace was quiet at first and the mythos found themselves looking towards him with sympathetic expressions. After… well, after the incident a few days ago, they were sure the cubs never knew their sire, but their dam… They talked about her a lot. Must've been close.

"...Maybe. I hope so."


It was hard not to admire the view of the ocean floor when it surrounded him on all sides. The substance separating them from the water was thin yet sturdy and clear like glass. Above he could see the far-off sunlight catching on the water's surface, all manner of aquatic life swimming around. Every time Marco visited he couldn't help but wonder why Izo never stayed in his underwater territory; he'd birthed there a few times, the phoenix knew, even if he hadn't been there to witness it. One would think the turtle would see it as a second home, and yet he didn't.

In any case, it sure was calming.

The fishman before him was a tall fellow with a sawshark base and long, jagged nose. He seemed familiar, vaguely, and Marco found himself wondering if they'd met before, perhaps when the man was no more than a young pup. It was possible, as merfolk weren't immortal. He'd seen plenty grow up over the centuries, Jinbe included. But he never voiced his pondering as the man's face was set in a firm scowl. The bird was in a foul sort of mood himself, instincts taking over more of his conscious thought the longer he was apart from his hatchlings—no, they're not mine, they're just pets—and he figured it best to avoid any unnecessary mingling.

The man—a guard, judging by the armoured uniform he sported—led him down a long, narrow hall. Marco always found it curious how, no matter how crowded the area, it always felt spacious, like the rooms stretched on for eternity. He supposed that was one of the positives of the clear walls trapping the pocket of air. Were it not for being able to breath he wouldn't have been able to tell that he wasn't standing on the ocean floor. He could even feel the dry, white sands between his taloned feet, gritting against his toes with every step he took.

Marco narrowed his eyes on his entourage consisting of a few servants from the main compound. He'd almost forgotten they were there until one stepped on the back of his robe, causing him to pause and glance back. Immediately the woman raised her foot and dove into a full bow, holding the position despite its awkward nature.

"My sincerest apologies, Milord!"

"It matters little," he replied, maintaining half-lidded eyes of indifference as he studied her. He couldn't recall seeing her around before today. "What is your name, girl?"

She glanced up, raising her eyes to meet his, her body following soon after. "Synesthesia, Master Suzaku."

So she was new, then. But he paid it little mind and continued following the impatient fellow acting as his guide.

Soon they reached an area of white, towering walls. From that point on every structure was opaque, the materials thick and heavy to signal the start of the palace grounds. A glare from two fishmen at the front gate had his entourage staying behind; only Suzaku himself and members of the clan were permitted to press onward. He was actually pleased; the servants were more an unwelcomed nuisance than anything.

As the gated, double doors were pulled open—he was always impressed by their raw, physical strength, no matter how many times he witnessed it—he caught sight of gold framing every edge and corner of the white paneling with intricate designs, giving the whole place a regal feel. He took his first step and was immediately met with the cold touch of water. Looking down he saw that the walkway, which was off to the side to leave room for a massive pool of water, was slightly flooded. He grimaced at the thought of what Izo would to do him if his traditional regalia got water damage and stepped to the side. The shark saw that and snorted, but he paid it no mind.

Eventually they arrived at a clear, sliding panel, frosted glass preventing him from seeing much within. He managed to make out a blue mass and smiled, the guide knocking once on the door before smirking at him and wordlessly diving into the pool beside the walkway, swimming back the way they came in a furious blur of blue and black. By the time he was out of sight the door opened, and he was greeted with a snort.

"Already left, did he?"

Marco faced forward, smiling when he was met with a stern, set frown. "So it would seem."

Jinbe shook his head with a grunt before turning to face the bird, the rigid look melting away into something fonder, though his frown remained. "Welcome, great Suzaku." The tone that was used had Marco's eyes dancing in amusement; such formalities were lost on them, having known each other as long as they had. "Please, come join me."

The fishman stepped aside and he started into the room, comforted when his feet were met with the dry feel of thick carpet. He didn't care for standing in the water and, even if his robes were already wet, it was at least a slight improvement. When his host sat on the floor at a low table, he followed suit, taking his place across from him.

They sat in relative silence for a while and Marco was quick to note that the other representatives were absent. The official meeting itself wasn't to start until the third day—he'd come early so that he could be filled in on the details beforehand—but he expected at least one other to greet him.

"The queen is running late," his host stated as he reached forward, pouring a steaming liquid into the cups between them. He watched Marco through the fog, "You'll have to excuse her."

The phoenix raised an eyebrow as he reached between them and snaked a hand around the fine china he was offered, holding it up to his lips. It didn't have a scent, and momentarily he wondered what it was—certainly not tea. "Has something happened, yoi?"

Jinbe waved off his worries. "Not at all, she's in good health," or as good as she can get, Marco found himself adding, "she's just been… preoccupied."

"Oh?"

"She birthed an heir recently, only months ago."

So she was caring for her fry. "You must remind me to greet the child before I leave, then," he said, sipping from the cup. His brows knitted in confusion and he closed his eyes as he tasted the drink. Heated water. I should've known.

Another grunt from the man and they were both staring through the adjacent wall to the connect room, separated by a strip of sea secured behind the clear substance from before. Coral sprouted from the ocean floor amongst various plants, a school of bright orange fish swimming through, tinted by the water. Those lands were peaceful, and he found his thoughts returning to the reason he was there. It would be a travesty to see its people ravaged by human curs.

His mouth drew into a thin line. "Jinbe, as enjoyable as your company is, I would like to speak of the issue at hand yoi. I feel little need to wait for her Majesty."

The man ran a hand along the gills of his neck, webbed fingers gliding over blue skin as he sighed. "I don't think she would appreciate that," he stated, tone resigned, "but I'm sure you'll hear her out when she gets here."

Hear her out? Figuring he'd understand with time, Marco nodded.

"The humans have begun stealing our women and children, turning them into commodities." He found himself fisting the front of his robes but the emotion never reached his face. "They seem to favour merfolk over fishmen. We've had men go to the surface against our warning to retrieve them, however…"

"Caught?"

"Dead."

The phoenix narrowed his eyes, the only visible sign of his displeasure as he resisted the urge to spout inappropriate curses. What he loved most about those lands was that, despite how different the two species that resided there were, they were at peace, fully integrated into what had become an exemplary society to the rest of the mythos world. With so much division between clans, so much hostility, the fishmen and merfolk were a beacon of hope—a sign that things could get better. And for humans to tamper with that, to kidnap and murder their people…

"Savages," he spat low under his breath, withholding emotion from the tone of his voice.

Jinbe released a heavy breath, foregoing any comments he may have had dwelling within the recedes of his mind. Despite being very much the younger of the two, sometimes Marco felt his old friend was the more mature—or at least the more stoic of the both of them. He was calm and composed, even when discussing the deaths of his brethren. The bird had to admire him for that.

"We've called the meeting to address the situation. None of us wanted to fight without discussing it first. Our kingdom resides in the mortal world, after all."

The blond offered a curt nod, understanding how that could be worrying. Those were lands overrun by humans, after all. If they started a retaliation, brought a war upon the surface, there was no telling how it would end. Should the ones living on the surface request assistance from other human colonies, they could end up greatly outnumbered, especially with no other clans backing them. That wasn't including the fact that the kingdom had been at peace with the humans for centuries as one of the only ones that would tolerate living so close to them.

"Understandable, yoi," Marco admitted, closing his eyes as he thought, his lips pressed tightly together. It didn't sit well with him—none of it did. "Can I ask you something?"

Jinbe grunted in affirmation, resting his hands on his knees.

He looked the fishman dead in the eyes, conveying all unspoken concern. He wanted to back them up—to tell them to put their foes in their place, slaughter them if they dared to take another of their people—but he needed to know… "Why now, yoi?"

There wasn't an immediate answer, and he worried there wouldn't be one at all. But then Jinbe's eyes scrolled down to his cup, the steam from the water dancing about his face. "We do not know, I'm afraid." That was exactly what he didn't want to hear. "We think… they may have something—to stand against us. Possibly… bind us."

The bird shivered, sipping from his cup to rid the disgusting taste from his mouth. Filthy mortals. "If that is the case, we shouldn't hesitate, yoi."

The conversation was halted there by the quiet slide of the frosted glass panel, the stern face of a young-looking blonde on the other side. She was quite the picture of beauty in her white and orange traditional regalia, her hair done up neatly, lips pressed firmly together in a show of her resolve. But the way she evenly met the phoenix's eyes betrayed the fragility of her tiny form, the delicate crafting of her robes and the quiet feel she gave off.

His mouth curved into the faintest of smiles. "So kind of you to join us, your Majesty."

She stormed over to occupy the seat beside the fishman, never breaking their stare, never backing down, and the first words out of her mouth made Jinbe's earlier comments suddenly very easy to understand: "We will not fight."

Marco raised an eyebrow, blinking at her. Surely she couldn't be serious. It was true that Otohime was known for her almost faulty benevolent nature, but even she had to know when a line had been crossed. Her people were suffering—losing mothers and daughters, fathers and husbands, to those cretons occupying the shore. As a ruler she couldn't honestly mean to try to settle this matter peacefully.

"We can reason with them," she continued, proving Marco's thoughts—hopes—wrong. That look on her face was telling enough; she wouldn't back down. "We do not need to stoop to violence."

He held in a snort, simply nodding his head in acknowledgement of the queen's views. Reasoning with humans was just foolish. They never listened, and sometimes he wondered if they were even capable

His body turned numb as he remembered his pets, a knot forming in his stomach. They weren't… unreasonable… but they weren't like other humans, either. He'd determined that not too long ago.

Marco clenched his fists around the fabric of his overskirt, his face impassive as a rush of instincts flooded conscious thought. He wanted to go home—to see them, make sure they were okay—and he hated himself for it.

"What do you suppose, then?" he questioned evenly, his voice portraying no emotion as he stared across at the woman before him. When she didn't immediately propose something, he continued, "The humans won't listen. You know that. And if they did, it wouldn't change what they've done, yoi. They've taken your people. They've killed them."

Otohime pursed her lips. "I believe we can come to an understanding. We at least need to try, Lord Suzaku. I will not allow anymore blood to be spilled."

And seeing the emotion in her eyes, he had to back down. "If you can do so, then I will not interfere. But," and he lowered his voice for this, "if not, I do not think the council will give you a second chance, yoi. Be warned."


Whitebeard snorted as the abrasive scent of lemons and vinegar woke him. I must have fallen asleep, he realized as he shifted slightly in his massive chair. It wasn't the first time he'd spent the night in the great hall, nor did he think it would be the last. His chair was very comfortable and the side panels slid back to offer a splendid view of the grounds. Given his height, he could easily see over the wall if he stood, making the room ideal in allowing him to feel connected to his staff. So he honestly couldn't say he was that surprised that the servants had just started cleaning around him. In fact, it amused him to an extent that they just ignored his presence there.

So he continued to pretend he was sleeping. It was that or deal with their bowing and scraping. Listening to them prattle on was always entertaining, not to mention enlightening.

At first it was quiet as the servants moved about the room, more than likely for fear of waking him. After a while though, they started to chat amongst themselves. At first it was the normal gossip; who was the father of what litter, where to get the best deals in town, but then it turned to more serious matters. Or what was more serious to them, at least. "Did you see that young Eastern dragon with Lord Dragon?"

A higher pitched voice giggled. Probably a sparrow, if he knew his servants. "Mmhmmm. I wouldn't mind a little cross-clan action for that!"

"Oh please. From what I've heard that drake is nothing but a head-case. The rest of the group was talking about how uncouth he was. Can you imagine? An Eastern dragon with no manners! What if he became violent?" And that would be a rabbit. Silly does were always worried about things like that.

"Honey, do you have your clans crossed? Western dragons are the violent ones." There was a pause from the first speaker again. A rat, and the leader of this little group. "It was a bit odd when he just suddenly left the group like that, though."

"Well, I heard he went to check on the lord." The sparrow huffed, "Apparently Dragon had a run-in with those two… pets… of Master Marco's. I heard he was injured—the little monsters."

He almost opened his eyes at that. Last Whitebeard had heard, the human younglings had been horribly skittish around everyone, including his sons. He couldn't for the life of him imagine them attacking Dragon, let alone hurting the drake. Apparently he wasn't the only one who didn't believe her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course I do! They're humans—you can't trust them!"

"Well, that's a given, but honestly." He could hear the annoyance in the doe's voice "They're just kits. Human or not, they'd barely make a dent on a dragon, you know. Besides, I saw them when the masters brought them here. Trust me—they're in no shape to hurt anyone."

"What do you mean?"

"Poor kits were all bandaged up. I even heard Master Thatch telling Master Izo that they'd almost died recently. That's the real reason we're not allowed in the master wing, by the way. They're apparently afraid someone's going to finish what that other servant started."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" There were gasps, "They might be pups now, but when they get older? I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of them so close to the masters. Not one bit."

"Marigold, you have a point. But I'd like to think Master Marco knows what he's doing."

"Does he? He and Master Izo are speaking in tongues now! Really! They came into the kitchen the other day and I swear to Kizaru they were speaking a human language! And Lord Thatch! He's going out of his way to cook food for the little savages. Who's controlling who, I wonder?"

"Are you three still in here? Hurry it up, will you? There's still Master Thatch and Master Izo's chambers to do while they're busy."

"You mean watching those human kits."

"Don't you pull an attitude, Missy. It's not your place to question your betters."

There were three sighs, "Yes, Ma'am."

"That's more like it."

"Madame Tsuru, is it true what the other staff is saying? That the… pets… hurt Lord Dragon and Master Marco?"

The maître d' snorted, "Hardly."

"Then, what happened? Everyone saw Master Izo and Master Marco the other day! Their clothes were simply ruined. And Lord Dragon left so abruptly…"

"That is none of your concern. All you need to know is the masters are fine."

Whitebeard noticed how she didn't offer assurances on Marco's 'pets', however. He waited until they left the room before opening his eyes with a frown, not liking the sound of that. It sounded like something had happened between Marco and Dragon—something that had caused harm to the younglings. That… was not good. Marco's instincts were very volatile right now. He didn't think his son would do something foolhardy, but there was a possibility he might have, and the last thing Whitebeard wanted was for the silly bird to go to war over something that was going to die in a few decades anyway. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard from Marco in a few days. With a sigh he summoned a servant back into the room. It was time to get to the bottom of this mess.


Izo looked up at his father, more than a little annoyed by the interruption in what had become his new routine. If he were to be completely honest with himself, it more had to do with the fact of his beloved father-figure seeing him when he was not at his best. Caring for the two human hatchlings was exhausting and taking a toll on him. The boys needed him, and not just the human ones. Poor Marco and Thatch—as much as he loathed to admit it right now—would be lost without his help. The little ones needed near round-the-clock care and even with the three of them, well... it was no wonder he wasn't looking his best. Especially with Marco away for the week.

"Is there something you needed to see me about, Father?"

Whitebeard raised a brow before taking a swig of whatever alcohol he'd managed to procure from the kitchens so far, "I thought I had called for Thatch."

"Yes, well, your eldest is currently on pet-sitting detail, so I came in his stead. I hope you don't mind." He sighed, brushing a strand of hair from his face with a grimace. The hair was oily and in need of a good washing. "If this is about the bamboo gardens, I have to say it honestly wasn't Thatch's fault. Not entirely, anyway. The poor cat was distraught and we all know he goes there to cool off. If the servants had just done proper maintenance on it like I told them to months ago—"

"This has nothing to do with simply one destroyed garden," his father interrupted. Izo frowned; he had been afraid of that.

"Then what is this about, Father?" He had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Son, I've been hearing rumors as of late. Nasty, vicious things rumors can be. But there is always a grain of truth to be had in them. And as your Father, I worry about the three of you, especially in light of the most recent rumors that abound."

Izo crossed his arms defiantly, struggling to keep his rising temper in check. He understood that their father was truly just worried about them, but at the same time, he didn't like having his actions called into question. No one did, and given that he and his brothers were Saint Beasts, they had grown used to being beyond reproach. "What sort of rumors are you talking about?"

"The sort of rumors that have you three under the spell of two half-grown human calves." Despite the twinkle in his eye there was an honest note of worry in his voice. Izo just stared at his father in shock for a moment, stunned that the man would even give any weight to such ridiculous rumors for a second. Worried or not, it was complete nonsense in every sense of the word.

"Firstly, Father, they are hardly half grown. I wouldn't even venture to say a third grown, they're so tiny. Secondly, you must be joking to think they'd have even a chance of controlling us. For one thing, the two hatchlings are terrified of their own shadows half the time, much less us. We've just convinced them they're not going to be beaten for every little thing or eaten… and what a chore that was! They don't even speak our language, Father."

The older man frowned down at him, "Has Thatch explained things to them then? He does have a way with common human languages."

"That's part of the problem. They don't speak a common language. I know a really old version of what they do speak... It's an island dialect, but I'm not sure where it's from."

"I see. That would be why the servants have heard you and Marco talking in 'tongues'; you're teaching your brothers the language." His father nodded approvingly, "I'm glad to have that cleared up. It will make Marco's pets feel more at ease."

He felt a wave of guilt. "Actually," Izo began, cringing inwardly, "I'm only teaching Marco."

There was the disapproving parental look. "Why?"

"Marco should be the one explaining this to you," he stressed, hoping to avoid the displeasure he knew was to come. "He and I decided it would be best not to teach Thatch because that way he could learn their language while teaching them ours, after I've taught them some important phases." Whitebeard looked absolutely scandalized. Hoping to cut off the fight before it could start, Izo kept going. "It makes sense if you think about it! They're so young, and Marco's just abysmal at other languages, It really is sad. Honestly, the hatchlings are smart, too. I'd have thought they would have had horrible accents or been completely inept but they're surprisingly quick studies. And the accent is cute. They have picked up 'yoi', though..."

"Enough." He stopped, gazing up at his father with more than a little trepidation. "What is done is done. I will allow this to continue, but I want weekly updates. Now, what is this I hear about them attacking Dragon?"

"Attack Dragon of all people?" Izo stared up at his father in surprise. The idea was completely ludicrous. If his father had met them he wouldn't have even asked such a question. But, given how scared the little ones were with anyone new, introducing them to Whitebeard would end badly right now, especially considering how large his adoptive father was. Hopefully soon. Still, he tried not to laugh at the mental image of the two of them attempting to attack Dragon. "What would they do to him that could possibly hurt him? They spent most of the time cowering from the poor man. If anything, his pride was insulted."

The giant laughed, "I take it the little calves were frightened of him?"

"That's one way of putting it. They clung to Marco something fierce. Apparently they were under the impression he was going to be buying them, or some such. Poor things."

"And did he do anything to warrant this fear?" his father rumbled threateningly. Now that he knew the hatchlings were not to blame, apparently the man was willing to turn his ire on Dragon. Izo really wished he understood where this was coming from. Whitebeard was an easy going fellow, and slow to anger unless someone was threatening his children. It was worrying. "Burn one of them, perhaps?"

"What? Why would he do—oh, oh!" It looks like the servants have been gossiping. He schooled his face into one of calm amusement, though he was seething on the inside. This is why the servants need to be exposed to the hatchlings, no matter what Marco says. "Dragon did nothing to them, Father. The older one, Ace, became a bit… worked up… over the idea of being sold and injured himself. It was an accident, and he is fine now. Dragon and that little Eastern of his, Law, actually helped afterwards."

"You're sure of this?"

"Positive. In fact, I think in a week or so, they should be up to a visit." Seeing the way his father lit up, he clarified, "A short visit. They're still uneasy around strangers, but by then their language skills should be adequate enough. At least to the point where they should understand you're not a threat."

"I shall be holding you to that, you and Marco both. It's been too long since they arrived!" The elder mythos boomed, "I worry that they've bespelled you somehow, Izo."

"Bespelled? Surely you haven't been listening to those old tales! You know as well as I that humans have no such powers, Father. Though I will admit we have been spending quite a bit of time with them. When you meet them, you'll understand—they're so fragile, how could we not?"

"I see." And those golden eyes sparkled in a way that told him that he truly did. Perhaps he saw some of himself in his sons' caring for those wayward hatchlings. "Go, then. Go back to them. But first, rest. Your brother is more than able to care for younglings for a few hours."


Marco had decided long ago that he liked the sea kingdom. From further back than his last rebirth he remembered paying frequent visits. It was quiet, calm, and the pleasure of seeing two species occupy the same territory without fuss was always a treat. Despite fishmen and merfolk being such differing creatures, they always coexisted peacefully, fully integrated into the open society they'd created. The mythos lands weren't as joined. While differing species were accepted, they were protective of their territories—unnervingly so. Other than the larger cities and Father's property, it was uncommon to see different mythos living amongst each other. They weren't like that in this kingdom.

And then the humans came.

His mouth turned dry and expression soured at the thought as he took slow, dignified strides across the cobblestone walkway of the city square. Having nothing to do until morning, the phoenix lord thought he would re-familiarize himself with the area, as he hadn't been there in almost a decade. Ten years was nothing to an immortal, but it was plenty of time for the world around him to change. He'd noticed they'd expanded their territory deeper into the sea; perhaps the humans were to blame for that, as well. Its inhabitants would've liked to enjoy dry land, too, he knew.

Blue eyes glanced around at the vibrantly-coloured coral lining the walkway, admiring the lovely view of fishman architecture before noticing the stares. Marco stood out, with his fiery red and gold robes and blond hair. Were it not for the phoenix crest embroidered on his overskirt he might have been suspected as a human. He hated that knowledge.

For the most part the mythos kept their distance until one boy stood before him, stopping his leisurely stroll. Marco's interest was piqued and he looked down at the shorter male, a youth still in early adolescence. Pedestrians stopped in their walk, stiffened when they saw that the foreigner was being addressed. They were on edge because of the recent kidnappings, poor things.

The boy swallowed and bit his lip. "Master Suzaku…?"

His mind flashed to Ace, to the burns on his hands and the title Izo said he'd bestowed upon the bird. Master. His frown deepened. "Yes, boy?"

The fishman's eyes widened, glossy with tears. "Y-you're really…?"

"I am," he answered with a curt nod. "What is it?"

He was so very small—young—and Marco couldn't help but think back to the nestlings waiting for him at home. It made his expression soften into something kinder as he fully turned to the fishman, watching as he fumbled about nervously. As rare as it was for him to walk around alone on the streets of foreign territories, he wasn't used to this. Strangers didn't normally approach him.

"My… my mother—" The boy's breath hitched and he went quiet again, fisting the front of his robes.

His mind flashed back to days earlier—asking Izo what 'Mama' meant once everything settled down—and he found himself anxious behind his mask of indifference. More and more he found himself wondering how those boys had ended up as objects to be sold at Hancock's auction, and what role their mother played in it. Izo said they spoke fondly of her…

The boy wouldn't meet his eyes. "W-what's going to happen to her, Master Suzaku? They—they took her. T-the humans…"

Something seemed to change in the crowd's atmosphere with those words and everything felt heavy. They knew what would happen. They knew what the humans were doing. But that didn't stop them from silently urging Marco on, asking to be told just what the Saint Beast sent to aid them thought about the matter. It had him pulling his mouth into a taut line, meeting all of their stares, watching as they tensed under his gaze.

He was left with the heavy burden of choosing to admit the horrible truth or granting the boy a reassuring lie. He was never one to avoid the truth, however.

Straightening his back, the phoenix returned his sight to the child, his face just as unexpressive as always. "I do not know."

The boy's eyes shot up, reddened and pleading, begging for more than that. "B-but you're Suzaku. You're s'pposed to know everything…"

He sighed. "I am not a god, yoi." Marco felt the atmosphere tense further at that. "And I can only do what the council deems an appropriate countermeasure. But I assure that we will do our utmost to protect you—and your mother."

The child sniffled, scrubbing furiously at his eyes in an attempt to rid them of their tears, and he nodded mutely.

Releasing a breath, Marco looked up at the rest of them, watching them flinch under his gaze. "This goes for all of you. We'll do what we can to protect you, but you need to cooperate as well, yoi. We don't want anyone else to attempt another unauthorized rescue mission. It will only lead to further casualties. Am I understood?"

Members of the crowd nodded, hushed whispers spreading like wildfire. The phoenix paid them little mind, though, instead kneeling in front of the boy and dabbing at his cheeks with a handkerchief. To the fishman's confusion, he offered the faintest of smiles. He'd never been good with younglings, but his instincts compelled him to try to quell the worries of the one before him. How to do that, though…

"It's scary, isn't it, yoi?" he found himself asking quietly, too low for the others to hear. "What the humans are doing."

Slowly, the hatchling nodded.

Marco inhaled, unsure of where he was going with this. "Humans are… very scary creatures, when they want to be. Very cruel."

"...I hate them."

He flinched at that, his mind instantly brought back to the two boys in his care. "I don't blame you for that." How could he, when he felt the same? "But when you're scared… I want you to close your eyes. Go on—try it."

The child looked skeptically at the bird for a moment before complying, his lids slipping shut. And soon his body relaxed, his breaths calming.

"I don't want you to think about what's happening, yoi. You're too young for that. I want you to think about before."

The boy let out a trembling breath. "M-my mother?"

"Yes. Your mother. Better times, yoi. When bad things happen, I want you to remember the times before. They'll… return, one day. And you'll be able to smile again." His eyes became distant, memories dancing in his head. "But for now, you can't forget. Can you promise me that?"

"...P-promise."

He smiled, rising to his feet and turning to the rest. They were all still tense and worried, and he really couldn't blame them. But all he could really say...

His mind flashed to the queen's words.

"We don't want war, yoi. We shall try to resolve this without any more bloodshed. So please, trust us. Trust us and I'll assure that, no matter what happens, this land is left in peace. You have my word as a Saint Beast."


"Hello, cubs. How are you feeling this afternoon?" Thatch asked, plastering a smile on his face as he settled into the chair in front of the fireplace and set the cups on the small table. He'd noticed both boys had a certain reluctance to approach the table since the incident with Dragon and that just wouldn't do. If it went on, it was possible they'd become afraid of that part of the room, and he and his brothers had been working very hard to show them that there was nothing to be afraid of—within these chambers, at least. So while it was a little mean, he was going to make them use the table.

Instead of the usual cheerful reply from Luffy, he just got a silent nod. Thatch refused to let that bother him, however. More than likely they were just missing Marco. Instead he busied himself with stoking the fireplace before settling in for what should be a typical afternoon and evening with his two favorite humans. Dark eyes followed his movements wordlessly as he went about his tasks.

"Did you have a nice morning with Izo?" Still no answer. He pouted a little bit, wondering if it was because he wasn't speaking their language. But no, he'd kept his sentences to words they should know... Once again he cursed Izo and his refusal to help him learn the language.

He caught motion out of the corner of his eyes as Luffy slightly leaned into his brother's side, "Why does he have to sit THERE, Atche? I don't like that table… bad stuff happens there…."
"It's okay, Lu. I don't think he's going to make us do anything.
" The elder cub whispered back, wrapping a bandaged limb around the other and pulling him close. Hearing the hiss of pain, Thatch couldn't help the way his head snapped up and he looked over, causing both to flinch back. Some instincts were harder to suppress than others, especially when young were involved.

"Are you alright, Ace? Poor cub, you must still be in a lot of pain, huh?" He stood and went to walk over to them. Thatch tried not to take it personally as both huddled deeper into the cushions they sat on. He knew they weren't afraid of him—not really. But they were so young, so easily spooked. It hurt seeing them like that when he knew that human cubs at their ages were usually off running around making pests out of themselves like most young. With a sigh, he sat back down, heart heavy as he questioned if they'd ever be able to make this right. It was kind of cute to see the way Luffy attempted to block his brother from view, though. He focused on that as he sat, calmly sipping his tea.

Luffy waited until he seemed sure that Thatch wasn't going to try anything before turning to his brother. Every few seconds he would pause in his examination to shoot Thatch an unreadable look that in any other circumstance would have been adorable, but instead it just felt like a knife to his heart. "Atche? Are—are you alright? You wanna go lay down?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Just stings a bit." Ace bit his lip, glancing over the mop of dark hair in front of him to look at Thatch for a brief moment. When he caught the tiger looking, however, he blushed slightly and looked away.

Thatch was beginning to feel hurt. It was like they didn't want him to even be there. As he subtly watched the two, he went over everything the last few days that could possibly have led to such behavior, and he couldn't think of anything. Just the other day they seemed content enough in his presence, even if it was obvious they missed Marco—which was definitely adorable, but made him wonder how the featherhead was holding up. His only conclusion was that they were holding him personally responsible for chasing Marco away. And since he had no way of communicating with them, he couldn't explain it to the poor cubs. "Stupid Izo," he grumbled, his head hitting the table with a resounding thump. "He better explain this to them!" Raising his head slightly, he let it fall back to the table. "I feel like such a bad guy," he bemoaned as he continued to knock his head against the teak wood.

After a few moments he realized the room had gone silent. Slowly he rotated his head to the side so he could look over at Ace and Luffy, who were now staring at him with wide eyes. "Don't mind me." He offered a wane smile. "Just getting to know my friend here. The table. Nice table, good table. You're the only one who likes me anymore, table," he bemoaned as he rolled his face back into the wood.

He ignored the slight rustling sounds, too caught up in his self-pity to even care all that much what the cubs were getting up to. As long as it wasn't dangerous, what did it matter anyway? They were scared of him. "Oh!" He almost fell out of his seat in surprise at the sound of Luffy right next to him, "'Table' means 'table', Atche!" He blinked at the young boy in shock, noting his wide smile and the way he pointed to the decorative table that he had just been banging his head into before glancing over at the other one. Ace looked interested but still hadn't moved. He wasn't surprised at that, but he was surprised by how calm and relaxed he seemed, even with his brother so close to Thatch. "Cup!" He glanced back down at Luffy. The boy was pointing at one of the thicker cups, a hesitant smile on his face, "C-u-p. Cup!" He glanced at his brother, "Atche, he's not playing anymore!"

"Uh, Cup?" Both boys smiled wider.

"Cup," Ace repeated from his spot, before pointing at the table, "T-gah… Table?"

"Yeah, Table." He nodded, "I thought Izo was working with you guys on this stuff?" he wondered, trying to remember how Luffy had pronounced the word. "Table?" He was more confident with the second, "Cup."

"Shihihi! Yay! This is fun! Cup!" Luffy cheered, picking up both cups and carefully bring them over to the cushions as he tried not to spill. Of course, he didn't quite succeed, but he was still young.

"Ask him about the chair, Lu…" He caught Ace muttering as he took the cup, eyes still locked on the tiger.

This time he was less surprised when Luffy practically skipped up to him. He grabbed the chair by its leg and looked up plaintively at him with those big, dark brown eyes. "Chair?"

"That's a chair. Chair, chair."

"Chair?" He nodded and the boy beamed at him before looking about the room for other things to name. Thatch suppressed a chuckle at the sight, realizing that for all Izo's knowledge of the language, it was outdated, and his brother had just been going over phrases the cubs would hear most often. This was something he could do with the boys, and maybe he'd be able to teach his brother a thing or two. "Door!"

"Door? Door." Well, until they got to grammar. That was going to be interesting.


Atche winced as he tucked his brother in amongst the various cushions and blankets of their… nest… bed… thing. He wasn't really sure what to call it, but it sure as hell was comfortable. The movement aggravated his burns but, really, they weren't so bad. They hurt, of course, but not nearly as much as they did a week before.

A week…

The child's mouth settled into a hard frown as he thought back to when Marco left, a sense of unease rising in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like it. It'd been two days since then, and they still weren't told anything, other than to be good… And they were being good! They didn't break anything or get mad at anyone, or upset the monsters—not once! So… why hadn't he come back?

Atche knew that Master Marco was an important man. He'd known since the moment they'd met. It was in the way he carried himself, and those pretty red and gold clothes he wore. So naturally he'd have things he'd have to do, and he'd have to leave, but Atche just… wanted to know why. He liked Izo and Thatch a lot, too, but one of them missing for so long just made him anxious. It was a break in the routine they'd developed, and change scared him.

"What is it, little one?"

His head snapped up when he heard Izo's voice, eyes settling on the gentle upward curve of the man's lips, and he pulled his mouth taut. He knew what was being asked—he and Luhfi had been doing their best to pick up as much as they could, as it made things a lot easier—but he was hesitant to answer. Would Izo be mad if he knew? No, Izo wasn't really… He was nice, mostly. And less scary than the other two, even if he felt more attached to Marco, as he was the one who'd taken them in. But Izo was the one who'd explained things to them, so…

The boy swallowed, trying to form some sort of sentence. He wanted to try using their language. Maybe it would make Izo happy. They'd thought that it was bad to speak it, so they'd gotten quiet, but Thatch seemed to be happy with their new game, so…

He searched for the proper words to use. "Marco… not here. Why?"

The mythos blinked at first before allowing his smile to widen. "Good try, Ace. Very good. Repeat after me: why isn't Marco here?"

Atche nodded, "Why… i-isn't Marco here?"

Izo patted him on the head and he suppressed a flinch. "Your accent's so cute. Marco's gone for work."

"Work?"

He nodded. "Work. Duties. Obligations. Those sorts of things."

So his assumptions were correct. That made him relax, if only a little. "Where?"

"Fishman Island. The human world."

"Hu—human?"

Atche blinked when he felt the gentle press of a claw to his chest, looking down at it and then back up at the mythos, a bit perplexed.

"Human. Like you."

His eyes widened, and he nodded in understanding. "What is… Fishman Island?" He fumbled over the unfamiliar name, and he knew he probably butchered the pronunciation, but they were long, difficult words and that was his best attempt.

Izo settled down beside him, beginning to tuck him in beside his brother. He allowed it, finally starting to get used to it after it being done so regularly, and laid back against the pillows beside his brother. "Fishman Island is a very nice place. Merfolk colonized there, but they are… having problems. So Marco went to try to help."

Atche nodded. He wasn't sure what kind of problems Izo meant, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know, either. "Marco… come back?"

"Of course he will, little one. Yes."

"Soon?"

"Soon."


Thatch pulled his mouth taut as he removed the next largest lobster from the tank, not sparing in sentimentality as he guided himself over to the pit. The water had already been brought to a rolling boil and by that time he wasn't nearly as sympathetic. The fact that he was doing this twice more irked him than anything, and he found himself scowling at the water. Stupid turtle, giving away my gift.

Suddenly a yelp escaped his throat and he looked to the crustacean to see it had clawed his finger. The redhead was quick to pry it off, his patience shot as he dunked it into the water with a heated glower. "DIE, SEACHICKEN, DIE!"

And as he watched its shell turn a striking red, relishing in his revenge, he decided that he was done. If Izo tossed that one aside, his plan to win his brother back with seafood dishes would be aborted.

Say, Marco could regenerate… and chicken breast was delicious…


To our lovelies~

LovelyMinx17: (B) Here's the next update! (A) Here ya go!

CaptainChaparral: (B) You flatter us~ (A) Glad you like~

Mad Y u e: (A) Very happy to hear that you liked our story!

Sparkyflame101: (B) Sorry it took a while (A) Here ya go.

Ada: (B) He does make a good Papa-bird, doesn't he? (A) Or he will eventually.. we hope...

ToscaThorCat: Interesting story XD We don't really… Well, we haven't actually left any of our chapters on cliffhangers yet, and I'm not sure we will. It doesn't really fit the tone of the story. Glad you like!

Wicken25: Well, there's a reason for them being on the ship, that's true, but them being related to Seiryuu… Think of it this way: Marco said they'd know when Seiryu was around as fellow Saint Beasts and they don't.

Aerle: Pfft yep, sounds like it XD Unfortunately, very little is resolved and the story is still in its beginning phases :'D

mschriber67: (B) Thank you very much! Is it because it's a fantasy AU that you normally wouldn't read it? We'll try and keep up the good work. (A) Is it because it's an AU? We get that a lot… the whole 'I normally don't read AUs' thing. I seriously don't know why, those are the funnest stories to read and write XD

Guest: Gah, you flatter us XD (Don't bother with suggestions, we already have a lot of the story planned out so we don't really take them XD) Yep, writing these takes a loooot of time, especially since we have to work with one another's schedules. Here it is hun~

Eira: (B) Thanks for waiting. (A) Here's an update!

Rheassa: (B) Thank you! (A) You're sweet, thank you XD

Vivianne95: (B) I'm glad you like it. (A) Here ya go.

trina: (B) Here you go. (A) Glad you like.

Alex Penedo: (B) I'll address the giants having poor eyesight, since anything else would be a spoiler. It depends on the giant clan. Not all mythologies have giants with bad eyesight, after all, or the same skills/ habits. Nami was already mentioned~ I don't you know if you caught that. We have planned out the roles and mythos clan for everyone WELL in advance, so we do occasionally slip vague references in to the characters that'll make sense when we mention them. (A) As Beddy said, we've mentioned Nami back in chapterrrrrr… 1, I do believe. And Zoro and Kuina in chapter 2. We DO have most characters planned out already if we plan on including them, and rarely do their roles in the story line up with the ones in canon. Now I'll say that you haven't met all of the dragon characters yet, but you HAVE met most of them, and I can assure you that Robin's role suits her far more than being a dragon clan member would ;)

Ayz283: (B) Thanks! We put a look of work into it. (A) Glad you like!

weirdo18745: (B) I love getting weird looks, and earning weird looks for my/our readers. (A) Awe, you're so sweet XD

Mingming: (B) Well, I am sorry about the wait, but as we said: Life. (A) Yeah, things just keep happening… OTL

Sara: (B) You are making me blush~ No really, I don't know what to do with praise! Can I tell you a secret? We get ourselves with the feels and the funnies too. There is a lot of chat between us that's just "HOW COULD WE DO THAT?!" and "OMG THE BABIES!" and "SOOOO CUTE!" and laughing. lots of that. (A) Asjdfgljdghjdsk you're so sweet QAQ But Beddy's right… When we're plotting, we get too into it. Like today we plotted something involving Law (we've like fully fleshed him out now, it's fantastic) and it was just… XD

EleisonSoul: (B) We swore we'd never stop till the story ended. It just might be a while before we update sometimes. (A) After what Ace went though (and some other things you'll find out later *cough*), he's definitely vulnerable. And easily scared. We're continuing the story so long as you guys can be patient with us. 10K chapters aren't easy to pull off on top of all the other things we've got going on, you know?

Diclonious57: (B) I promise I won't wax on about the philosophy of what is 'humanity' and if non-humans can have it. Promise. Mostly because then we'd have to define what 'humanity' really is, and that'd take longer then I want to spend typing right now. (A) I'll just say that what they're displaying isn't what I would consider 'humanity', and whether you have to be human to display compassion or care… well, certainly not.

Diclonious57: (B) Thank you. (A) Glad you like.

trina: (B) All I can say is we have basically plotted out the whole story including which characters will be appearing. But I can't tell you who or when. (A) What she said.

Alex Penedo: (B) The chapter quotes are generally a joint effort. Or, more like Anj goes "We need a title!" and I spam her with ones that would work for the chapter and she picks the one that she likes too, or actually FITS in the space they give us. We find a lot that would work LATER though… (A) Who knows? Dragon could have plenty more scenes. Or none. As for Whitebeard, they're going to try to introduce the boys, but they have to wait until they think they can handle it. He's a freaking giant, after all. And Teach was never intended to be a big villain in this story. No, we have better things to go by… hehehehe...

Nugni: (B) And then we take forever. Oops. Law was fun to write. We were excited to add him. (A) Law is one of the characters we'd been looking forward to adding most XD For various reasons. We has plans. Dragon's mom is a personal favourite, too *cough* And don't question Izo. You just don't wanna do it. Bad things happen.

caring16: (B) Then I shall burn the berry bush. Seriously that's a lot to read in one go. (A) Yeah, let's burn the bush.

uchiha-sakura193: (B) Yes, we're horrible. I'm sorry, little Atche. (A) Believe it or not, it was a necessary evil for the plot. But we promise they won't get mutilated anytime soon. The focus is shifting, I'm sure you can see.

gdesertsand: (B) We've already planned out the roles for all the characters well in advance, and that's all I'll say. If I say more, Anj yells at me. (A) It's true, I'll yell at her something fierce. Despite being the younger, I'm always lecturing her. But yeah, Seiryu isn't really fire-related… There's the dragon thing, but Seiryu's powers are a little different.

killerpuppy: (B) Well, Marco 'saved' them, and he hasn't hurt them. He doesn't want to have to leave. Yeah, instincts like that would suck, even if you KNEW they were instincts. (A) To Ace and Luffy, Marco's becoming a sort of constant. So when he's not there (like this chapter) they get anxious, and when they think they'll be given away (like with Dragon) they get scared. Plus, even if Marco scares them he treats them better than all the others have in the past, so they want to stay with him.

PhantoMNiGHT321: (B) Yeah a lot happened. Plot is starting to pick up and you're starting to see bits of the world beyond just Marco, Thatch and Izo. And hey, even the best parent gets annoyed with their kid, right? Marco just needs practice. LOTS of it. (A) Marco's instincts ARE very dangerous, as he's become bonded to them to a point where if they're harmed, he'll act on those instincts. So yeah, not good. And actually, Ace IS more scared than Luffy. Luffy doesn't think about the negative aspects of situations the same way Ace does. I feel they work off each other well like that.

pilvenpiirtaja: (B) Atche was trying to be good! It just kinda backfired? You'll be learning more about dragon clans, rest assured. (A) Yeah, the fireplace thing was pretty harsh (blame Beddy) but you'll start to see some stuff form from the interactions last chapter, including that scene. It was a REALLY important chapter. So… is for the sake of plot.

kanji855: (B) Izo is a cool uncle, but I like Uncle Thatch more. (A) Here ya go.

bluedog96: (B) Well, we can't do it to Luhfi, he's too little and Atche wouldn't allow it. (A) I hate to say it, but the injury was necessary, and you'll see why later. Also yes, Dragon's rage is going to play a role in the story. But of course.

bardofchaos: (B) There are no devil fruits in this world. Just Mythos and Humans. (A) Yep, no devil fruits whatsoever. Nooooot a one.

lilyoftheval5: (B) It's really hard sometimes to keep the pacing, because we have the whole thing plotted. Somethings we can't WAIT to get to, you know? (A) I'm excited particularly for something we planned today… but I won't be able to write it for a long, long time OTL We have to go over chapters a bunch to be sure of the pacing, and we normally let the other read the scenes we write to make sure they work individually as well as together. It can be… frustrating :'D

lunarshores: (B) You won't be in the dark about what had happened to them before the mythos forever. Just, you won't get it all at once. I don't think you're the only one who missed stuff. Lot's of people will be going "OH!" later. (A) Trust me when I say that judging by reviews, most people haven't picked up on a lot of the foreshadowing XD Or at least, they're not mentioning it.

WeevilOne: (B) It's alright, I'll be there to gloat about being good at what I did that it wasn't so predictable when you have that moment. …. You'd want the skirt, right? (A) Trust me, a lot of people are gonna get that "AHA!" moment XD

Frostheart D. Blaize: (B) Rage will be elaborated on further later in the story, so we can't really say anything other then it's a dragon thing. Dragon is from the Western clan, as is his father Garp and his mother. We loved Dragon too, he ended up being a lot more dynamic than we'd originally expected him to be. (A) Baaasically what Beddy said. She sums it up quite well. Rage is… not really like that. I would compare it to something to be taken seriously, since it's a big part of a dragon's life. It's something the mythos don't mess around with.

shinXlullaby: (B) I know I'm evil. Emotional rollercoaster. It's what we do. (A) You can blame Beddy for the feels. /I/ was nice last chapter, unlike her :P

6Lisa9: (B) Thanks! It was a lot of work to write and then re-writing some scenes….It took us lots longer than an hour. (A) Pfft yeah, it took us weeks because we kept having to mess around with every damn thing to get it right...

Nurofen: (B) That'll be explained in more detail later in the story, so I'm not going to explain. (A) You'll see eventually~

Thank you all so much for your reviews and patience, and I'm so happy to see you're still interested in the story! As you can see, the plot is now starting to branch out, and you're getting a better picture of the world. Hopefully we're doing okay on the world building so far... It can be so difficult! X'D So please, tell us what you think as always, and we hope you enjoyed!

Adieu~

*quote by Bertrand Russell