Chapter 36
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AMBER POV
Amber glanced up from the snap battle (what do you mean game, this was a war) to where Ace was sitting chatting to the Pineapple-Hairdo-Man with Marty fast asleep in her lap.
The sight made Amber happy in a way she would never show outwardly. She liked how Ace was holding Marty. She was tucked into Aces chest with the top of her head under his chin. Ace's left arm wrapped behind her for support holding her securely against him. His right arm, when it wasn't being used to drink or eat, lay draped across her midsection or legs.
Marty looked safe. She was being looked after. It had been a long time since Amber had seen her look that way. Amber returned her gaze to the battle at hand just as a pair came up.
"IT MINE!'
"THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MY HAND IS UNDER"
"IT IS MOTHER TRUCKING NOT AND YOU KNOW IT"
Amber rolled her eyes over the bickering flicking her eyes back up to the pair just as Marty muttered something in her sleep causing Ace to glance down for a moment. He grinned at her and seemed to quietly answer her sleep gibberish while Marco and Jack looked on amused. A smile tugged at the edge of Amber's mouth that she immediately got rid of.
Enough feelings Amber decided returning her focus to the game.
"BITCH YOU SNAPPED OUT OF TURN," Amber snapped at Beth.
/
Marty blinked her eyes open slightly, she was so warm. Voices and laughter washed over her, raising and falling in volume at random intervals. She distinctly remembered falling asleep on top of Fee Fee. It shouldn't be this warm. Or soft. Her eyes moved to the gigantic bonfire, before dismissing it as too far away to be the immediate source of warmth. Her eyes moved to see Marco who was laughing, eyes fixed on something in front of him. He turned towards Marty, seemingly about to say something, when he caught sight of her open eyes. Marco's expression was surprised for a moment before he grinned at the girl. Marty blinked her eyes at him sluggishly.
"Evening Starshine," Marco said cheerfully. Ace turned to look at his friend with an expression that questioned his sanity.
"I'm sorry what did you just call me?" Ace asked, then glanced down to see Marty looking back at him with a confused expression. Marty blinked tipping her head to the side finally taking in her surroundings.
"I swear the creature I fell asleep on was better looking," Marty said yawning as Ace's expression became bemused.
"You're almost cute when you're asleep, maybe we should go back to that," Ace shot back as Jack laughed.
"Why am I being held captive by Ace again," Marty asked tipping her head all the way back to look at Jack.
"You need to see a Doctor, we can't have you gallivanting off after another Sea King," Jack said cheerfully knocking his knuckles gently against her forehead, "We're waiting for one to reach us on their rounds now."
"How long have I been out," Marty asked sitting up to take in the ruins of Cakes Mansion, as well as the party that had sprung up on the front lawn, "Is that statue of the baby in the bonfire over there Cake- Are they playing snap!?" Marty exclaimed sitting bolt upright, wincing slightly as she realised sudden movement may not be the smartest idea. Ace grabbed wrapped his hands around her upper-arm's before she could fling herself out of his lap towards the game.
"No more walking on your ankle," Marco said cheerfully, taking a swig from his tankard.
"Come on Ace it's just snap," Marty pleaded tugging at Ace's hands which remained unmoved in a vice like grip.
"Sorry Purple, but you're staying where we can stop you from escaping till you get looked at," Ace said calmly. Marty stopped tugging at his hands to look up him hopefully.
"So I can play snap so long as I stay in your lap?" Marty said brightly as Ace blinked surprised then frowned.
"What no-,"
"Let's go over there!" Marty said cheerfully tugging at his arms again.
"I am NOT going over there," Ace said as Cake threw one of her shoes at Brad's face. Marty let out a huff giving Ace the brief hope he had won this argument for a moment before she leant towards the group.
"GUYS," Marty called, the group turned surprised to find the girl awake.
"Marty!" They chorused in greeting.
"You need to come over here so I can play!" Marty called cheerfully. Ace let go of Marty's arms with a defeated sigh as she swung her legs around to face the group. As Marty settled her back against his chest, Ace looped his arm around her waist in the vain hope that it would prevent her taking off on another whim.
"Attaboy Ace, show her who's boss," Marco said grinning as his friend shot him a sarcastic look causing Beth to laugh as she wandered over.
"Yeah he's totally in charge of the situation," Beth chuckled, dropping down to sit cross legged in front of Marco she began dealing the cards as the others wandered over, "You boys in?"
"Not on your life," Ace muttered watching Brad drop down next Beth, rubbing the red imprint of Cake's shoes on his face.
"Pass," Marco said cheerfully, as Jack nodded with a shrug when Beth looked his way.
"God damn your reflexes suck," Amber muttered as Marty's hand was last to slap down three times in a row.
"I'm injured what's your excuse," Marty said cheerfully.
"You suck so bad you're actually making me worse," Amber retorted.
"Maybe we should play poker instead," Marty suggested.
"No," Cake, Rory, and Beth chorused in unison causing Brad to look between them confused.
"You and Amber cheat," Cake snapped. Marty grinned unrepentant.
"Exactly."
"MINE. ITS MINE," Rory crowed.
"BULL MY HAND- wait never mind," Brad said pulling Beth's hand off his to check.
"Heck yes," Rory said cheerfully dragging the pile towards him, before chucking his new card into the centre "Question by the way."
"What," Cake snapped, her eyes riveted on the growing pile.
"If Marty's so good at cheating- MINE," Rory yelled.
"IS NOT," Amber snapped pushing Rory over to show his hand was third.
"If she's so good how come she lost to Ace in that game of strip poker?" Rory continued picking himself up. Brad glanced from Rory to Marty eyes wide.
"She did what?"
Ace snorted.
"Maybe I'm just better at poker than she is," Ace objected.
"Or maybe she just wanted Ace to see her naked," Beth said calmly as her brother went a bright red, "or maybe she wasn't cheating- Amber snap out of turn again and I'll shoot your hand."
"Go ahead, I'll sew your ugly eyes shut. Marty always cheats," Amber replied glancing at Marty with a raised eyebrow, "All the way nude?"
"Close enough. I had underwear, how did you think I ended up with Ace's pants," Marty said chucking her card down before glancing at said item of clothing, "Which you didn't have to cut open by the way."
"You'll survive, so he got your bra? Does he still have it?" Amber said interestedly.
"I gave it back to the nurse who lent it to you guys in the first place, Polo wanted to nail it to the mast," Ace said rolling his eyes.
"The question still stands, did you let Ace win?" Brad asked his face still red. Marty shook her head.
"Nah Ace was cheating too," said Marty, causing Ace to look down surprised, "He was swapping up the cards making it hard for me to count them, right?" Marty tipped head back to look at the underside of his chin. Ace shrugged, significantly not denying it. He glanced back up to see the Brad and Caked staring at him with judgmental expressions while the others looked on amused.
"What?"
"You cheated a young girl out of her clothes on a pirate ship inhabited mostly by men," Cake said aghast. Ace frowned.
"She started it," Ace objected.
"You didn't have to finish it-," Brad said disapprovingly as Marty slammed her hand down in the middle of the distracted group.
"SNAP SNAP BITCHES," She crowed cheerfully. Beth snorted.
"I get the feeling your judgement is misplaced," Beth said cheerfully, "She must have stripped half the crew before Ace wandered by. Pure Karma." Amber tipped her head to the side looking impressed.
"I'll say, it's not often Marty gets out cheated-."
"Are there any injured who need medical attention?" A deep voice asked quietly. Ace looked up from the game to see one of Doctors from the Moby dick hovering near by.
"Hey there Doc, Yeah the one in Ace's lap," Marco said getting to his feet. Marty glanced up from the game.
"Not yet, I just started winning!" She protested as Ace slid an arm under her legs, lifting her as he got to his feet.
"You won one round," Ace objected, "And that was a fluke."
"I could fluke more rounds," Marty muttered passing her cards to Beth who took them without even looking up.
"The saying 'Quit while you're ahead' comes to mind," Ace said stepping around the card players to walk towards the doctor, "Where do you want her?"
"Just set her down," The Doctor kneeling down as Ace laid her gently on the ground his front of him, "So what's the damage?" He asked reaching out to touch the bandage on her forehead
"Injured ankle, I don't think it's sprained or broken but she's been limping. Various minor cuts and bruises, well," Amber paused to shove Beth's hand of the top of hers, "Everywhere, as well as a cut I sewed shut on her forehead and deep bruising along her left side. I don't know if anything internal is damaged, but she couldn't damage her brain since she has none." The Doctor looked at Amber surprised before glancing between Ace and Marco.
"Is she a Doctor?" He asked confused, moving to check Marty's side, hissing in sympathy at the bruise he found there. Marty snorted.
"Nah, wants to be though. It's her life goal."
"At least I have a life goal –BITCH MY HAND IS UNDER."
"AS IF YOU BRAIN DEAD BAT."
"They've been like this for a while now," Marco said in answer to the confused look the Doctor sent his way.
"Ace, Marco," The pair turned at their names to see Polo dodging around a group of drunken villagers to head towards them.
"MARCO," Marty yelled out startling the Doctor who was in the process of checking her ears.
"POLO," Polo yelled back then turned to the two commanders without missing a beat, "Pop wants to see you."
"What. Now?" Ace said startled.
"Why?" Marty asked starting to sit up only to get pushed back down by the Doctor.
"Did he say Pop wanted to see a purple haired gremlin?" Ace asked raising an eyebrow, "No he did not, mind your business."
"If he wants to see you it can't be that important," Marty shot back.
"Weren't you at the Doctors house watching Edgar and Marty's friend?" Marco asked as Marty and Ace began bickering over who was more important.
"ARE YOU ACTUALLY RETARTED GET YOUR HAND OFF ME."
"YOU GET YOUR HAND OFF IT'S MY SNAP."
"There's only two cards in the pile, it isn't worth fighting over," Jack said amused.
"Jozu and Thatch came by earlier to collect Edgar, and the Doc was already back looking after Donna, so I tagged alone with them," Polo said tearing his eyes away from Rory and Cake who were in a tug of war over two cards, "They are gonna rip those cards."
"We would only be so lucky," Marco said absently as Marty and Ace's fight was cut short by the Doctor sticking one of his instruments into her mouth the check her throat, "You would think we all hate each other with all the brawling that goes on around here. Are you really a Division commander?" The last comment was directed at Ace who had chosen that moment to stick out his tongue in Marty's direction.
"Don't point that at her unless you plan to use it," Beth warned. Ace and Marco blinked turning to stare at the girl.
"Excuse me?" Ace said startled, Beth turned to look at him.
"What? If Rory thinks proposing a sword fight will cower Cake into giving him the cards he's going to get his ass handed to him," Beth said nodding towards Rory and Cake who had their swords out and were preparing to duel. Ace blinked.
"Oh, right," Ace said turning to exchange a glance with Marco. As such Marty was the only one whose gaze was directed at Beth. So when Marty raised an eyebrow she was the only one to see Beth slowly wink in return.
"Rude," Marty hummed drawing a questioning look from her Doctor. Ace sent Marty a look before turning back to Polo.
"Can we wait a few a minutes so we can tie Purple up and stow her in one of those cages?" Ace asked hopefully.
"You can try," Marty muttered darkly.
"I agree. I don't want to leave them to run riot again," Marco said drawing a scandalised look from Marty.
"I think not, I already spent my fair share of time in a cage," Marty protested sitting up, only to get pushed back down.
"Stay still," The Doctor said absently.
"And I was in there with Cake before she mellowed out and stabbed some people, that should count for at least double the time," Marty continued.
"Triple I'd say," Beth agreed as Cake disarmed Rory and crowed in victory, "You still only get the two cards that were in the pile."
"I know that," Cake said smugly.
"Actually," Polo said, sounding as if he would rather keep quiet, "Pop said I would watch them till you were finished. He wants you to come immediately. "
Ace and Marco glanced at each other before turning back to Polo.
"It's on your head then," Ace said cheerfully clapping Polo on the shoulder as he passed.
"Look after them well," Marco said waving as he followed after Ace.
"Only temporarily! You have to come back after!" Polo yelled after them, his voice slightly desperate.
"Why Polo, you would think you regretted the assignment," Beth said surprised ducking as Amber hurled her full drinking glass at Cake.
"YOU EXPIRED JAR OF MAYONAISE."
"WHAT THE HELL IS MAYONAISE."
"Not at all," Polo said weakly
/
"So in addition to the large cache of off-worldly weaponry, our friend Edgar here also has a stash of devil fruits that he had filched over time from the regular shipments that pass through here," Jozu said waving his hand towards Edgar himself how was tied up, gagged, and annoyed on the outskirts of the meeting.
"What are you planning to do with it all?" Thatch asked curiously turning to the Mayor who had been allowed to remain present at the meeting. The Mayor shook his head in disgust.
"How long do you think we have," Marco said under his breath.
"Dunno, hopefully they get held up by Purples Medical exam," Ace hissed back.
"I don't want to run around in the dark looking for them," Marco groaned.
"Get rid of it all," The Mayor snapped.
"Even the Devil fruits?" Thatch asked surprised, the Mayor nodded.
"Trying to sell them off ourselves is too dangerous and illegal since they come from a government shipment," the Mayor said, "while we could return them to the government, it would raise questions as to why there absence wasn't reported in the first place. This port needs the income from the government; we can't risk them moving their route to a new island. You're welcome to the lot."
"Maybe if they're gone we just let them be till morning," Ace whispered tiredly, Marco looked at him as if he'd gone mad.
"You've seen what they can do an hour, and you want to give them a whole night?"
"I guess not," Ace sighed defeated turning his focus back to the conversation.
"Are you sure?" Pop's was asking, "If the government found you offered them to us you could get in serious trouble." The Mayor nodded again smiling this time.
"You rescued my daughter and saved the island from those thugs, that's more than the government has done so far."
"Technically Marty's power tantrum was the tipping point," Marco muttered out the side of his mouth to Ace. Ace snorted before stepping forward.
"Keeping the devil fruits is well enough, but we should destroy the off-world weaponry," Ace said at full volume drawing stares from the other commanders.
"I disagree, we should keep them," Vista objected frowning, "They could prove useful."
"According to Marty, and a new girl Amber, they are too dangerous if let spread through our world," Marco said smoothly, "And seeing as the both come from the same world as the weapons I'm inclined to trust their judgment."
"They think the impact would be a wholly negative one?" Pops rumbled his voice cutting through the murmurs that had broken out due to Marcos announcement of Marty's origins.
"To the point Purple was against sending them back to her world," Ace answered.
"And what of the girls?" Pop asked after a moment. Ace blinked glancing at Marco confused.
"What of them?" Ace asked confused.
"Do they want to be sent home?" Pop clarified, Ace frowned.
"Is that even possible? The portals might be one way," Marco said glancing at Blamenco who lifted Edgar up by the scruff of his shirt, tearing out his gag.
"Well?" Pop said taking a drink from his tankard. Edgar sniffed disdainfully turning his head away.
"Oh good," Ace said calmly drawing Edgars eyes, "We get to beat it out of you." Edgar blinked drawing back against his bonds.
"It's possible," He said through gritted teeth. Pops nodding leaning his chin on a hand.
"Well it's too late for it now any way. As for the weapons," Whitebeard huffed out a sigh, "I was never fond of relying upon unknown and possibly double edged weapons anyway. Well ask the girls what they want to do once we've finished disposing of the weapon stash. But that can wait till tomorrow." He said with a finality that meant the meeting was over for the night.
"Better get back to find out what or who your girls have damaged this time," Thatch said cheerfully falling into step beside Ace and Marco. They glanced at each other but didn't answer, acknowledging the truth in Thatch's statement.
/
They probably have mayonnaise in one piece, but for my own amusement i'm going to assume they call it something different.
Also regarding reviews on the last chapter, one particular review made me nearly crying from laughter, another had me crying for about five minutes.
Basically you're all assholes (i love you never leave me)