A/N: I do not own One Piece.

A/N: English is not my first language.

This letter: Flashback, or important remarks

The newspaper was wrinkled on the sides, due to the rough treatment of those who had fought over it just a few hours ago, but after Doma steps in and reads it aloud for those interested she tries to smooth the uneven zones with a hot frying pan when she finds nothing better to use. It does the work just alright though, and at the end is Izou who does it because no one trusts in her hands being able to hold a hot thing without letting it drop and hurting herself, although she is more worried about damaging a ship so warmly welcomes them from time to time, and the woman is left with an almost brand new paper in one hand and a coat in the other, pushing open the door of the galley and stepping into the deck.

Haruta, who arrived two days ago but will probably leave in less than twenty four hours, nods at her before walking up the steps of the stairs, holding his sword on one hand. To be honest, she doesn't miss them as much and one would think, mainly because they come and go so often you wouldn't have that much time to miss any of them. There always were those who crossed the Grand Line for whatever reason and didn't come back in what seemed an awfully long time, but calls and letter were often received, so in at least one aspect of the whole thing, it was okay. The sooner you embraced it to be necessary the less time you spent missing people and the more you spent planning.

"What are you doing?"

She half expected the on board nurses to be the ones to ask, to eye her watchfully as Kaede put on the coat, like she promised she would always do. But the voice didn't belong to a nurse, nor a woman for that case, and it actually was kind of funny having thought the possibility of Marco sounding feminine. He came out of the same door Haruta had knocked on and proceed to open, a hand on his pants while he walked down the stairs, briefly glancing around them and raising an eyebrow at the growing wind; Kaede knew that look, and didn't feel that guilty when trying to change the subject on his mind before he could elaborate anything about it.

"I wish I could place it on their graves, but we are way too far" She raised the newspaper slightly, the grey paper and it's front letters taking his attention, the photo on the front page large enough for anyone to recognize the brilliant smile of the young man the news was about. Marco grinned sideways as he walked closer and closer until he was standing beside her, and Kaede was quick on flipping the pages so to look at the article herself, reading over the words with a wide smile on her face "I'm sure someone else did it already, though"

"Yeah, I think so too" The man leaned against the railing of the ship, arms crossed over his shoulders, snickering at Doflamingo's face in the picture. Surely, that man was not smiling so brightly, at least not when he had his ass kicked by a rookie "I was talking to Nemur not so long ago. He arrived at Fisherman Island a few days ago for a visit to his family, and was surprised to find out certain they were all saved a certain crew with a particular Captain wearing a Straw Hate" Kaede blinked at him, then laughed, covering her mouth with the side of her hand incredulously "I believe the Straw Hat Pirates have declared they soon are to place Fisherman Island under their protection and, how did he phrase it, 'kick Big Mom's ass'"

Under the sun light, in the ship full of crewmates but that couldn't be called 'home' when no one was there enough to make it feel like one, Marco's lips twitched with amazingly controlled frustration. They had not been there to see what had happened to Fisherman Island after the flag that protected it from danger was tear down, but they had been there to see Nemur's expression when he had been told by Jimbei. They had been there to see on land that turned out to be, how peaceful towns, some of their crews hometowns, suffered the consequences of a new era; they had all seen what came to be of the peaceful lives that had been constructed around one man's existence, and although the original Whitebeard's Pirates had known it couldn't last forever, it still was a bitter reminder.

No one on that ship liked Big Mom, but that didn't mean it didn't help a little. I was conflictive, yes, to see something go under someone else's name.

But if it had to be protected by someone, no one else besides Monkey D. Luffy would have Marco's blessing.

Kaede looked at him for a long time, until her eyes once more found the picture on the newspaper. It was a joyful face, a strong aura, a scared body, obviously so. But the first time around, when they had heard of his crew come back, it had been such a major relief Kaede couldn't help but thank the heavens for that scar, because if all the things they had already done was something to go by then instead of a sad reminder that uneven skin was actually keeping him going. It was an infectious smile.

"He has grown so much"

It was a quiet affirmation, and when it was said by someone who sure wasn't that young anymore, it had to be somehow true. Kaede didn't realize Marco started staring at her until the man chuckled, then snickered not so kindly, catching her attention. When she looked over at him he was already smirking mockingly.

"Don't go crying on me now"

"Don't worry, I won't"

"I spoke with Toshiro as well" The sudden mention of the familiar name had her blinking in surprise. All in all, Marco didn't look as serious as he had been looking for the past days, although he was speaking of a Marine "He says the World Government is pressing Akainu with something regarding Aokiji, and he is not taking it well. But there are no major movements, yet" Marco paused, nodding slightly "He sends his regards"

She considered this, smiling sideways. It had been hard to keep on communication with said Rear Admiral since Bakainu, much to the world's disgrace, became Fleet Admiral and used all he possibly could to make sure most things were as he liked them to be. One of them being Kaede not having a Wanted poster, because all in all the woman just knew he wanted to take care of her himself, probably regretting not having done so a long time ago. It probably disgraced his sense of justice how she lived under his nose all that time and never once did he wonder why he naturally hated her so much. She bit down a cough when the wind hit them stronger than before, gripping on the newspaper and making it all wrinkled again "Everyone seems to be at the top of their games"

Marco had turned at her at the sound, taking the paper out of her hands before she coughed again and two more times, until it was gone and she was left rubbing her chest, although it didn't necessarily make things better. She was aware of those who had paused on their chores to look at her and prepare in case something worse happened, but when it didn't happen and Marco himself didn't seem to want to do anything else before rubbing her back, the deck was once more full of life.

"I think you should go inside" Said the pirate quietly, gripping slightly on the fabric of her coat. Because Marco probably felt as badly as she did, if not even worse.

"And I think you should take a break" Was her answer, and Kaede had to clear her throat when she realized it was raspy, fighting the urge to wince when the gesture turned into an uncomfortable struggle "Don't think I don't know you haven't been sleeping well this past weeks"

"I'll be better once you are sitting inside and not standing where the wind is strong"

It had gotten to a point Kaede would have gladly shrugged at those kind of words, but she didn't, because it was obvious were all the worry came from, so instead she smiled "It's okay" It wasn't that reassuring, but it couldn't be exactly called a lie. The woman nodded, pressed her fist against his shoulder, and nodded again "I'm okay"

It was ironic in every possible way.

What the World Government and the Navy and most of the world's population, including pirates, hated her lineage almost as much as they dared to hate Gold Roger after he was executed and no one was going to beat them up or hushing them in order to keep their lives, and it the end of everything it was that same blood line what was going to kill her. She could still remember telling Crocus when they had to go through the Reverse Mountain, taking the opportunity to ask for a second opinion since Marco knew for a fact the old man was a very good doctor, and she could still remember his face when he figured out that the reason why he couldn't possibly heal the Pirate King mostly was due to it being an hereditary thin, and consequently there was nothing anyone could have actually done. From her part Kaede had been able to know just why coughing blood wasn't all that normal.

After all, it really was a 'cursed' blood line.

Incredibly ironic.

But the worst part had not been discovering it herself, or having to take medicines that tasted horrible, oh no- The worst part had come when it was time to tell Marco.

That had not been a pleasant conversation. At all.

It had gotten to the point Marco had rampaged out of the room, and had it not been their first fight, Kaede would have stared in shock at the door. But that time had been different in all senses, including where Marco was actually acting out of frustration instead of anger. Because if they had known been told by Toshiro that Akainu was looking for all of them after that terrible fight with Black Bear, including Kaede, in a way that the only solution was to completely disappear from sight by constantly be on the move, she would have been made to stay with Crocus, under medical care. So since it wasn't an option they were always reminded of how careful they had to be with everything, how many precautions they had had to take in order to stay alive.

But things were changing.

Everyone would feel it.

The world started to shift, and it would be a matter of time until they were faced with the choice of stay in the hiding or take part of the world Shirohige wanted to protect and to see, a new era supported by young people with brilliant futures. And considering the now, considering Luffy and the kids of the new era, considering what she had to protect it was not like Kaede wanted to life forever- It wasn't the so desired immortality what she was looking for. It was not an extremely long life either, nor some sort of miraculous cure to solve all her problems or the illness that was consuming her with its complications. What she looked for was not some sort of salvation from anything.

The only thing that she asked for was a little bit of time. And for the first time in her life she didn't thought that it was a selfish thing to wish for, because if all of that were only for her, then Kaede would just let the thing inside of her finish her time as quickly as possible. But that was the thing: she was not doing it for her.

Just a little bit more was okay in her opinion; one year, even two or three, and that would more than what she could ever expect. Whatever could be granted to her, she wanted it. Gripping her coat tighter around her body, holding it together in front of her stomach, the woman allowed herself to soak on the wonderfully warm feeling that bumped with each tiny heartbeat. So tiny, so much no one would ever notice it was there.

"Marco?"

"Mm?"

"Did you know I have another someone to live for?"