Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and One Piece, I do not have any rights to Harry Potter and One Piece and I do not make any money from writing these fic's.

Written for: I got this plot bunny from the HP Crossover Challenges fic by phantom00. As Much As You Can Challenge.

Chapter Thirteen

Griphook turned and gave the two pirates a smile full of sharp teeth. "You can convince us by answering Bane and mine's questions."

Harry watched nervously as his two new friends seem to share a silent message though a knowing gaze. His emerald green eyes used their new entrenched vision to watch as the facial muscles on both Ace's and Marco's faces seem to twitch ever so slightly in different ways. To Harry it was as if the two seasoned pirates where having a full and in depth conversation with one another with just a quick and silent glance at one another.

"As long as we do not end up being killed or took prisoner or anything of the sort. Something tells me that neither side would be ready or able to cope with the results of just an action," Marco said seriously while still holding his lazy air about him. "So...just what are these questions of yours, yoi? Are they going to be hard? If it is anything too personal then both Ace and myself have the right to ask for another question."

Griphook shot Marco a sharp toothy grin. "Do not worry, it is nothing of the sort. For my question it is a straight forward one...depending on how you look at it. What makes you think that you are worthy of entering our stone home? You might be able to walk upon the ground outside our castle but what makes you worthy of entering the castle?"

"Well to start with neither of us have any right beyond the basic rights all living beings have right now. After all this is your island, your new home and your ways, customs and rules are the rules here that we have to follow to a certain degree," Ace said with a lazy shrug of his shoulders. "And I understand about you both wanting to protect your home, especially after everything you must of gone though to get here. At the same time though you have to remember that neither of us or those who are a part of our crew wish anyone here any harm. We came to help, learn and build and introduce you to your new world."

"We do not come to judge you or anyone here," Marco said quickly from where he had been standing silently besides Ace while watching not only Bane's and Griphook's expressions and reactions but also everyone else's. "We just want to be friends, it is going to be a give and take relationship, yoi. What we want to make bonds, maybe one day some of you can even come sailing on one of our ships."

Silence fell as Ace's and Marco's words washed over them like the sea waves crashing up against the side of the Moby Dick. Tension grew as eyes flashed from one owner to another, full of emotions and uncertainty. Unsure on what they should do next Ace did his best to ignore the stares and quiet murmurs of those around them and turned to Marco.

"Marco, do you think we should just wait for Pops?" Ace said with a waiver of uncertainty in his voice. Eyes flickering from the two strange creatures in front of them to Harry and his group and back to Marco, Ace opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by a loud childish squeal of excitement.

"Ship! Ship!" Teddy squealed excitedly, his adorableness breaking the tense atmosphere much like a magical spell. "Fishies! Fishies!"

"It looks like we might have a possible pirate in the making here," Ace said with a grin as he turned around to face Harry and Teddy while trusting Marco to protect his back. As he did so Ace made sure to hide the relief from his face, thanks to his experience with Luffy he was now back on familiar ground. "You want to see our big whale ship Teddy? Do you want to help me defeat those big bad Sea King's and kick some Marine's Butt?"

"Fishies! Ship!" Teddy cried out happily with a small laugh making Harry smile also as he adjusted Teddy in his grip slightly. "Fishies!"

"Nice try Ace, but I do not think that he fully understood what you were on about," Harry said with a shy smile as he looked between his Godson and pirate. "Sea Kings? What are they? And how do you kick the sea's butt?"

"I mean Marine's who try to arrest us for being pirates. They try to arrest us when we have done nothing wrong at all!" Ace said with a laugh as understanding hit Harry. "As for Sea King's...they are a nasty piece of work. Just think of a giant snake or sea serpent that can grow to be the length of a small island sometimes with sharp poisonous teeth and live in the ocean. They have almost no natural predators, especially if they can grow to their full size!"

"Snake Fishies?" Teddy asked curiously as he cutely tilted his head to the side while staring at Ace.

"These Sea King creatures sound a lot like salt water based Basilisk, a large and deadly snake creature I battled against when I was twelve, fish to me," Harry said slowly as he adjusted his grip on Teddy slightly. "They...as they are snake can they come onto the land too?"

"Do they put up much of a fight?" Griphook said suddenly, his blood thirsty nature as a goblin shining though.

"Do not worry, they do not come up onto land, they are basically a fish and they are unable to survive outside of water," Ace said with an understanding smile to the new Devil Fruit user before turning towards the strange looking small creature. "And yes, they do put up a good strong fight. Only the most strongest and experienced people can even think about putting up a fight and walking away alive. I've known people to lose arms, legs, boats, ships, crew members, treasure and more to the Sea Kings! How do you think they got their name?"

"Then maybe this place might be fun after all," Griphook chuckled darkly as slyly shot a sharp look at the group of Goblins that stood off to the side, just behind Ace. In return Griphook received the same blood thirsty grin. "Now then...let us return to our business of entering the castle."

"Quite right," Bane agreed as he gave Ace and Marco a searching look. "How do I know that the words you speak hold only the truth and the meaning you present us? Do they hold any hidden truths or lies?"

"No, they do not," both Ace and Marco said together at the same time only to pause and share a quick look. After a few seconds Marco nodded his head and began speaking again, this time though Ace stayed quiet.

"The only words that might change is those of which we do not know about yet, after all our pirate crew's captain and your Albus Dumbledore are having talk's down on the beach together," Marco said with a lazy but alert shrug of his shoulders. "But I do know that Ace, myself and any of the Whitebeard crew will hurt anyone. We-"

"Enough, we have all heard what you have spoken, and what you have not spoken," Griphook said suddenly, cutting off Marco with a sharp look. "The answer you have given us has caused us to decide that you can enter the castle but be warned. We will be watching you both closely."

"And anything you might do or say will be watched closely," Bane said seriously as he gave the one grinning and one lazy smirking pirates a penetrating stare. "We do not need or want a repeat of the hell that we have just gone though with the human muggles of our old world. You will also have to understand that the reactions of those that you and meet, after all it has only been a matter of an hour or two since our arrival here."

"We understand and we thank you for this opportunity. We promise you that we will be on our best behaviour and if we do anything that is insulting or rude that we do not know about or understand then please tell us and we will stop right away," Marco said seriously only to gain twin approving nods from both Bane and Griphook.

"Very well then, you may enter but remember one thing," Griphook said as he stepped aside allowing the group entrance as Bane moved to stand on the opposite side of the door.

"What's that then?" Ace asked curiously as his attention fluttered from the strange Griphook to the castle's main entrance and back again.

Griphook shot him a sharp toothed grin. "The other goblins and myself all want to see how we measure up against this Sea King of yours, pirate."

To Be Continued...