Chapter 9: Prologue of Ellix

The earliest memory I ever had was when I was five, surrounded by people that towered above me and talking. I didn't know anything, only that my name was Wodos T. Ellix, and that I was scared.

"I just don't get it, a bunch of News Coo's turn up and just dump a basket with a kid and a note inside it. Who the hell does that?"

"Maybe he's a problem child or something, got issues up here."

"What if he's dangerous?"

"Grow a brain ya retard, he's practically a toddler!"

I wrapped my arms over my head and shook it frantically, trying to make the voices go away, or at least block them out as tears formed in my eyes. 'I don't get what's going on! I want my mummy! But I can't remember her...or anything! I just don't want to be here!'

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I jumped at the loud voice as the people made way for an old man. He had a wispy white beard and big bushy snow eyebrows, and he was wearing a really cool white cape. "Can't you see your scaring the poor boy?"

"M-Master Oren!" I didn't know who this Oren guy was, but I was greatful for his help.

"This child...Ellix, is obviously frightened. He will need time to calm down and adjust, if even only slightly. I shall take him to my house for the night. I presume that is okay, Mayor Boodle?"

"If you think it is best, I shall allow it."

The old man then offered a hand to me. "C'mon young man, let's get out of here." Hesitantly, I took his hand and he helped me up, clutching the seemingly important small chest under my arm, he walked me along the street.

We reached what looked like a bakery and he ushered me inside, the place was only filled with the necessities, bed, table, chair, shelf, kitchen, that was it.

He got out a second chair from a closet and placed it down. "Take I seat." I hesitantly accepted his offer, I felt weirdly comfortable in the room, maybe because of the warmth and the smell of bread.

"So tell me." The man sat down too. "How was it that you came to be dropped off by a flock of News Coo?"

I looked down sheepishly, afraid to meet his gaze. "I...I don't...know..."

"...Do you know where you came from?"

I swallowed in an attempt to clean my parched throat. "N-No...I can't remember..."

"So...you have amnesia..." At the time I thought: 'What the heck is amnesia?'

"May I have a look at that chest?" As if on reflex I clutched the object close to my chest, as if it was a prized possession...why though? "I'll take that as a no."

He got up and left for a second, during which I tossed the box in my hand, hurriedly debating in my mind if I should jump out the window and run for it, but decided against the idea, fearing I would cut myself and ruin this nice man's house.

He came back in with a slice of bread and butter. "Sorry it's so simple, I make it as part of my retirement job, simple needs in terms of food nowadays." I still didn't know what he meant, but I graciously wolfed the simple meal down, though taking care not to rush and get a stomach ache.

He didn't interrupt me as I ate, just stared at me in interest until I had finished. I stood up and bowed. "Thank you for the meal." I then grabbed the plate and walked into the kitchen, placing it on the side, I did it because I wanted to be polite.

"Aren't you a kind one?" He chuckled, as I walked back in my legs suddenly buckled and I fell. "Woah there!" He caught me before I hit the floor. "Poor boy, seems like your more exhausted then you look, you must have gone through some ordeal."

He gently carried me over to his bed, and tucked me in. "You can sleep here tonight, get some rest." I tried to stay awake and protest because it was HIS bed, but I ran out of stamina and drifted off to sleep.

xxxEoExxx

Over the next few days Oren showed me around the strange place known as Orange Town, and I slowly (VERY slowly) got used to it. I now knew Mayor Funny-Hair Boodle and Chouchou and Hocker.

The main meal me and Oren had was bread and butter, but since I was temporarily living with him, he also brought other foods for a strong growing boy, namely vegetables and meats. I had developed a habit of licking all the butter off of the bread before eating the bread itself, a habit that was hard to kick.

It was one day that I was rummaging through Oren's books that I found a dusty old scrapbook, that I hurriedly flipped through out of curiosity. Cionfused by the pictures, I ran to my father figure and presented the book to him. "Hey Oren, what's this?"

He shot me his traditional furrowed brow look. "Have you been looking through my stuff again? Alright, what have you got this time?" He took the book and examined it, before chuckling softly. "Ahhh...haven't seen this one in a long time."

"So, what is it?" I asked.

He sat me on his lap. "It's a scrapbook, of my time as a Marine."

"Marine?" I echoed as he opened the book, after flipping through a few pages I threw my finger on a picture of a man wearing a white shirt with a blue neckerchief, with scruffy black hair and a big grin. "Is that you?"

"Indeed it is." He nodded. "That was when I first signed up." He flipped to another one which showed him furiously scrubbing a deck. "I was just a regular soldier..."

"Heeeeey! Why are you cleaning? I thought you'd be the captain!" I pouted.

Oren gave a hearty laugh. "It's harder to become a Captain then you think!"

The more Oren flipped through his memories, the more I became fascinated with Marines, I couldn't sleep that night due to being so jittery with my head swimming with ideas of being a hero and beating evil pirates.

I became obsessed with it, burying myself in Marine based books, telling all my newly required friends about it, I went as far to make wooden swords and dress up stray cats in pirate gear, chasing after them swinging my toy around like a madman.

"You really wanna be a Marine, Ellix?" One of my friends, Max, said.

"Yep!" I nodded. "And I'm gonna be an Admiral someday!...I just need to find a way to start..."

"Why not just ask Oren?" Amy asked.

"Huh? No! I can't ask Oren!" I panicked. "He'd get mad and say I can't do it because I'd get hurt!"

"Come on! If anyone can help you it's Oren!" Max persisted. "He was a Vice-Admiral!"

"No!" I stamped. "Not Oren! And that's final!"

xxxEoExxx

"Oren, I wanna be a Marine!" I glanced at the window, where my friends gave me encouraging thumbs-ups.

Oren gave me that look again, and I stood rigid as a board with baited breath, until...

"Okay then."

My eyes widened. "...That's it?"

"Yep."

"No, warnings?"

"You've heard the dangers."

"...Okayyyy...l"

"And I'm willingf to help." He added. "But I must warn you, my training is harsh. I'll push you to your little 6-year old limits."

I stood rigid as a board and saluted. "Yessir!"

"You have been busy..." He stood up. "In that case...we begin immediantely, starting with a jog around town!"

"N-Nani? Ahhh!" I bolted out of the house as Oren chased me with the viotality of a bear mixed with a pig on steroids!

"Move those legs! Lift those knees! C'mon soldier!"

"Oren! Stop! Somebody help meeeeee!"

xxxEoExxx

By the age of seven I was already being trained in Rokushiki, too bad I couldn't even grasp Soru with my scrawmy little legs. And yes, surprisingly I wasn't always lanky.

I still thought about my real family a lot, and always kept my precious chest close to me, even after I opened it and found a Devil Fruit inside. I kept it in the chest for safe keeping.

It was one day when me and Oren were in town shopping for food that I was rambling on again about Marines. "Hey Oren, you think that there could be any pirates out there I could beat?"

"Hopefully you won't see any whilst your here." Oren chuckled before browsing once again.

In sheer boredom I plodded back and forth, until my eyes fell on a figure draped entirely in a grey cloak. "Hey Oren! Who's that?"

I pointed at the guy and Oren followed my finger. "Hmmm...I don't know."

My eyes widened in excitement. "You think he's a bad guy?"

"Ellix, you cannot go around making accusations like that." Oren said before thanking the clerk. "C'mon now, we've got tonights dinner."

I looked back at the guy and saw him slipping away! "Uhmmm...Oren? Can I take my saved up brealk time?"

Oren raised an eyebrow. "Never thought you'd actually use it...alright then, just be back in time to eat."

I nodded before jogging off after the figure. I thought of it as a test, to prove myself and how capable I could become, I just didn't anticipate him to walk all the way out of town and up a hill to a run down little cottage.

Going for a more awesome approach, I snuck in through the window and hid behind a table. The guy walked over to a red plush chair and took off his cloak, revealing an elderly man with graying black hair, dulled grey eyes, raggedy brown clothes and a long, tattered, but clean, dark blue scarf wrapped around his neck.

I clamped my hands over my mouth as I watched him walk around, putting down his groceries and relaxing in his chair. 'C'mon...do something evil!' I begged in my head.

The guy eventually looked over to a wall with a forlorn look on his face, I also looked and saw my evidence, a pirate flag! It was a regular skull and crossbones with a blue scarf tied around its lower jaw.

"Ah-ha!" I cried, jumping out from my hiding place. "I knew it! Your a pirate!"

He didn't even seem surprised as he gave me a warm smile. "Why hello there, I didn't realise you'd come in." He got up and started picking up random stuff. "I apologise about the state of my home, I wasn't expecting visitors."

I strolled up and seized his wrist. "Your coming with me you filthy pirate! I'm gonna take you to Oren and show him I'm a real Marine!" I then began dragging him out of his house and into town.

"Ahhh! Of course! Your Ellix, how has your two years here been?"

"You can't talk while I'm escrorting you!" I yelled as I dragged him into Oren's bakery. "Oren! Oren! I caught a pirate!"

"Nani? What are you talking about, Ellix?" Oren walked in and stared at my 'prisoner'. "Marcus!?"

"Hello there Oren." The man chuckled. "You sure have an energetic young man here."

"Did he bring you all the way here? I apologise for that."

My head snapped back and forth between the two. "Wait...you know each other?"

"Me and Oren are acquaintances." The scarf guy said.

"Did you know he was a pirate!?" I accused Oren.

"He's retired, Ellix." Oren said. "He gave up pirating years ago. Besides, he never did anything extreme."

"Ehhhhhh!?" I screamed.

"Since your here Marcus, will you stay for dinner?" Oren offered despite my 'No way in hell I'm eating with that guy' look.

"I don't wish to be a burden." Marcus said, but Oren insisted, and that's how I sat in the corner of my room, eating whilst I glared at the pirate.

As he left, he turned and nodded. "Thank you again for having me, stay safe you two." I blew him a raspberry as the door shut.

xxxEoExxx

The next day, I ran back up to Marcus' house and rapped on the door until he opened it. "Oh, hello again Ellix, it's nice to see you again."

Without speaking I grabbed his wrist and started dragging him to town again, only this time I took him to Mayor Boogle. "Mr. Mayor! I caught a pirate!"

"Marcus? Are you alright?" The Mayor asked.

"No worries Mayor." Marcus assured him. "Ellix is just using me for Marine practice."

"C'mon!" I facefaulted.

Over the next few days I dragged him everywhere, telling everybody that I'd caught Marcus, and everyone just brushed it off because he was retired. I couldn't believe this! He was a PIRATE! Retired or not!

It was one day that I walked up to his house, where he was waiting. "Good morning Ellix, where are we going today?"

I stomped past him and sat down cross-legged on the floor. "I'm staying here! Until you do something bad and then I'll have an excuse to take you in!"

He gave me a warm smile. "Is that so? Well, please make yourself comfortable, do you want anything to eat?"

"I won't accept anything from a pirate!" I refused stubbornly.

"Alright, alright." He chuckled. "Just say if you want anything."

I sat in my huffy position as Marcus sat in his chair, neither of us talking. "...You must be bored sitting down there." Marcus commented. "Would you like to hear a story?"

"Not if it's a pirate story." I glared.

"I'd better be quiet then." He nodded. "But don't hesitate to ask for anything."

We sat in silence, with me accosionally fidgeting. 'Why's he so nice?' I thought in slight panic. 'Pirates aren't meant to be nice! Maybe he is different...no! No! No! Pirates are horrible mean people! But...why do I feel so bad being mean to him? Ahhhh! Damn it!'

"Why are you so nice!?" I asked in panic.

"Hm? Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just...pirates are supposed to be mean and terrible...why aren't you like that?"

He simply smiled. "Not all pirates are terrible, some just be pirates for the freedom, and others for the One Piece."

"Freedom? One Piece?" I repeated in confusion.

"Seems like I'll have to exdplain it...would you like to hear a story?"

I thought about it, shaking my head to try and tell myself this was wrong, but I was really fascinated by Marcus, and I wanted to know if he really was a good pirate. "...Okay."

"Then take a seat." I sat down as Marcus cleared his throat. "When I was younger, I set off with a dream of finding the One Piece. I decided to call my crew the Blue Scarf Pirates."

"Is that why you wear that scarf?" I asked, pointing at it.

"That's right, this was one of my first presents as a chiuld, and is very important to me, I have a lot of memories with this scarf..." He looked at it with distant eyes, before continunig. "Sorry about that, but I actually started here in Orange Town, with nothing but the clothes on my back and a little raft..."

I sat there, completely transfixed with his story, of his nakama, and his tales of beyond the four seas into the Grand Line, until it had gotten dark.

"But Marcus, if you and your crew were so awesome, why are you retired, didn't you want to find One Piece?" I said.

Marcus sighed. "I grew old, Ellix. It happens to all of us, my crew shared one last party, said our farewells, and returned to our hometowns...and besides, there are lots of others who are more worthy to be the title of Pirate King. It was late for me when Roger passed on..."

"No way!" I stood up. "You deserve to be Pirate King Marcus! You-" I suddenly yawned.

"Oh dear, it appears I've taken up far too much of your time." Marcus hurriedly stood up and picked me up. "I'd better get you back to Oren."

"Mm...Marcus...Pirate King..." I mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

xxxEoExxx

By the time I was ten, I had learned Soru, Tekkai, and Geppo, and had a Doriki of 364, and was currently learning Shigan and Rankyaku. I was hanging out with Max and Amy.

"C'mon! Show us it again!" Amy persisted.

"Okay!" I jumped up. "Geppo!" I then began hopping in then air with every burst of air.

"Your like a superhero!" Max commented.

"Yeah!" I then noticed a clock. "Oh no! I'm late meeting Marcus!"

"Oh no! Ellix!" Amy warned. "I swear, if I have to fix my hair AGAIN-"

"Soru!" I zipped past them, dashing up the hill and to the familiar little house, door open. "Marcus! I'm here!"

"Hey Ellix." Marcus gave me that familiar smile, unaged even with his grey hair. "Finished training?"

"Planning to do some more tonight." I said. "Had to give Chouchou a bath today, he still doesn't like water."

"Poor Chouchou..." Marcus sighed as he set down a cup of tea. "Hasn't been the same since Hocker died...I'm sure he is appreciative of your help though."

"Does him not biting me count?" We both laughed at my comment, and as I sat, looking out of the window, I drifted to the debate I was having with myself. "Marcus..."

"Yes?"

"I'm feeling...conflicted over something."

"Conflicted? About what?"

"...About my future."

"Ohhh, I see. Marine or Pirate, right?"

"Yep."

"Listen Ellix, don't let me or Oren or anyone try to tell you what you want to become, only you can make that choice."

I sighed inwardly. 'Can I though...?'

xxxEoExxx

At sixteen I had now mastered Shigan and Rankyaku, as well as my variations of each skill with a Doriki of 2100, and yet in terms of my vocation, I was still stumped.

"You still feel unready to sign up?" Oren asked, steadying himself with a walking cane, though that did not subtract from his masterful Rokushiki skills.

"Yeah...please...can I just have a little more time?" I asked, dusting down my Criminal brand T-shirt, a gift from Marcus.

"Take all the time you need." Oren nodded, when we heard a bang outside.

"What was that!?" I gasped as we rushed outside.

There were a group of unfamiliar ships docked, and a large group of pirates walking up the street, lead by a...clown?

"Listen up! This town is now property of the Buggy Pirates!" Clown guy yelled. "Anybody got a problem with that!?"

"Hey!" I yelled pushing my way to the front and making room for Oren.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Oren asked in a stern voice. "What gives you the right to come here and declare this town your own!?"

"How dare you insult the great Captain Buggy!" One of the pirates yelled.

"What kind of 'Great' guy says a town is his own? Get out of here!" I yelled.

"Why you-!" A group of pirates charged at us.

"Shigan!" I stabbed one in the stomach.

"Rankyaku!" Oren slashed through five more with an air slice.

"C-Captain Buggy! That kid and old guy are really tough!" A guy on a unicycle gasped.

"Shit." Buggy mumbled. "I didn't think such tough guys would be in some tiny town like this...bring out the cannon!"

Members at the back wheeled a large cannon to the front. "Listen up, heroes..." Buggy smirked as he stood by the cannon. "This baby has enough power to level all the houses in front of it, along with any people, you pull any more stunts and I might 'accidentally' light the fuse."

"Your bluffing!" I yelled.

"Am I?" He lit a match. "You wanna test that theory?"

"You-!?"

"Ellix!" I turned to Oren. "If it is to endanger the people around us, we can't take that risk!"

"Ellix!" I turned to Max and Amy. "You can take this guy out before he even lights it! Just hikt 'em with a Soru!"

"I think I'd listen to your grandpa, boy." The captain held the fire dangerously close to the fuse.

"Alright! Stop!" I let my arms go limp. "Don't fire, just leave these people alone..."

Buggy smirked before blowing out the match. "Glad we could come to an agreement."

I stepped out of the way and allowed the pirates to pass. 'Crap..this is serious...Marcus!' I quickly dashed out of the way and up to the house, banging on the door. "Marcus? Marcus! Open up, please!"

The pirate opened the door with an unusually serious look on his face. "Ellix, what's all the commotion about?"

"A bunch of pirates just came into town and are settling here!" I said. "This is serious Marcus! We've gotta get you moutta here!"

"Nani?" I then ran past his house and down a hill to the seaside. "Ellix!?"

I grabbed a fistful of twigs and branches and tossed them aside, revealing an admittedly shoddily constructed raft. "See? This is a raft I made for you!"

"For me?" Marcus echoed. "Ellix, what is this all about?"

"I...I've been working on this for a while now." I admitted. "A raft, in case I decided to become a pirate, to sail off on! But now...I want you to sail away Marcus! If those pirates find you, they could kill you! And I...I don't want you to die, Marcus! Your...my nakama!"

He stared at me in shock for a few seconds, before smiling softly. "Ellix...your a good kid...but I can't leave."

"But if they find you-"

"They'll kill me for being an enemy pirate?" He finished. "They very well could. But remember, this is my hometown, the people here have been kind to me, I refuse to turn my back on them...but...thank you for worrying about me, my nakama."

"Marcus..." I breathed, before noticing something in the distance. "Hey...what's that?"

Marcus strained to see the thing on the distant waves. "...Oh no...it's another ship!"

"Another one!?" I gasped.

"This is bad." Marcus shook his head. "If two pirate groups meet, all hell will break loose! The entire town could be destroyed!"

"Nani!? That can't happen!" I yelled.

"Your right..." Marcus drew a shining blade from his belt, polished in substitution of usage. "We must force them away, if they pass this hill everyone we know could very well die. Fight for everyone you care about, Ellix!"

"Of course!"

xxxEoExxx

Three ships were moored on the sandy beach, two of which had been completely broken, and could now only be called a pile of splinters. The middle one remained intact, with a pirate flag depicting a skull with a red lightning bolt behind it flying.

"I must admit, boy." A burly man with a red buzzsaw haircut sneered. "You put up one hell of a fight."

My body lay limp with two grunts holding up my arms, exhaustion clouded over me as blood dribbled out of my mouth.

"That old geezer didn't last long though." He commented, gesturing to Marcus' battered body.

"Don't insult him you bastard!" I roared, before my face was forcefully thrust into the sand.

"Touchy, aren't we?" He commented.

"Captain Renik! This kid took out two thirds of our crew! What are we gonna do with him?" A member asked.

"Simple." He pulled out a single barreled shotgun. "We kill him, then nail up his corpse to tell others what happens when they cross us." The remaining crew cheered as he removed the safety.

'Looks like this is how I die...' I admitted in defeat as Renik began to pull the trigger.

"Not so fast!" Every head snapped towards Marcus, who was standing up, covered in injuries and panting heavily. "Hah...hah...leave the boy alone...he's just my...nakama...hah...I'm the captain."

"You?" Renik laughed, followed by the rest of the crew.

"Marcus..." I panted.

"It's me you want..." He continued. "Let him go..."

Renik gave an evil grin. "How noble of you." He turned the gun on the captain. "Guess the captain goes first, isn't that right?"

Marcus chuckled. "That's true...hah...seems this is the end of the line for me..."

"You getting sentimental on me you old fart?" I thrashed around at Renik's insult, but couldn't remove myself from my captors' grips.

"I am, so can you let an old man have some parting words?" He snapped, taking the crew aback. He ran his hands delicately along his scarf. "So many memories...my nakama...our adventures...the good times and the bad...I wouldn't trade away a second of it."

"I suppose...looking back...I've had too many regrets. Sure, I didn't become famous, I didn't find One Piece, or become Pirate King. But...I had fun..,and I am so, so pleased to say that I didn't lose a single one of my nakama to murder...that's all a captain could ever ask for..."

"I returned here...feeling as if I'd missed something, failed in some way. But then...I met this boy...who took me to all these people and places, and listened to my stories, and made me feel...special. He made me realise...that I've had a perfect life."

'Stop it...' I begged in my head. 'Stop saying stuff like this!'

"I suppose this is a fitting way to go...fighting as I did in my youth..." He swallowed as he drew his rapier.

"So you've still got some fight in you?" Renik asked. "I'll snuff that out quick."

"...Ellix!" I looked up at the back of his head. "I've watched you grow into a fine young man that I've become so proud of...to call my nakama...you are truly...someone special to me...a boy who saw something special in this old, retired captain of the Blue Scarf Pirates."

"Marcus..." I sobbed. "I want to tell you..."

"It's alright...I know..."

He turned to me with a warm smile, tears running down his face. "I love you, Ellix."

And so he leapt forward with a blinding slash.

BANG!

Ba-bump...

My eyes widened in horror.

Ba-bump...

A tattered blus scarf flew on the breeze.

Ba-bump...

"MAAAAAAAARCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!"

Man...I cried just writing this! It's so sad!...*Sniff*...

Sorry this is late, I was off on a break for New Year, but I'm back now!

To Son of Whitebeard and R.E.W. 4: If you thought last chapter was emorional how are you feeling now?

To Thief-chan: I'm glad you didn't punch him Eri-chn, I'm pretty sure you would've broken his nose.

Now I'd better ship this chapter off and up, so...here you go!