Chapter 14

Marco

"So let me get this straight. You were leading a research expedition into the Grand Line."

Marco nodded.

"And, in the middle of this, you ran into a minefield, which the marines have desperately been keeping secret by sabotaging any IPEC station that thinks to point this way."

Another nod.

"You survived the explosion but got thrown onto the biggest rock this place has to offer, where you found…a Devil Fruit."

"Sounds all correct so far yoi," Marco said. They hadn't really been able to argue with his demonstration; fire like that wasn't easily produced.

The pirate Marco currently called Blue sighed.

"Right. After this, a marine ship sent to investigate the mines that blew up your ship and crewmate made a detour to investigate that rock. You hijacked it, piloted it out, and that's when we ran into you."

"That is what happened."

Blue sighed again. Marco raised an eyebrow. He'd removed his helmet as a sign of trust, although none of the other three had done the same. Nor had they given their names. Still, Marco wasn't dead, so that had to count for something.

"You know, I was really hoping this would be a simple smash 'n grab," Blue muttered. "This is gonna mean a whole bunch of paperwork."

"If you don't mind me asking," Marco said with deliberate calm, "why attack this ship yoi? I thought you had bigger targets."

"UBMC headquarters, you mean," Blue inferred. "Yeah, you don't win the war by charging to your death against the enemy castle. Still…"

Pink and Blue exchanged looks, and then Pink took charge. "We came after you because you—or, rather, this ship, I guess—split off from the rest of its patrol group. It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. Didn't expect to run into a wanted IPEC engineer, though. Small system."

"Very," Marco agreed. The Revolutionary Army and the IPEC weren't allies, but they weren't enemies, either. It was a universal understanding that both went against the UBMC, and neither was active enough in the other's circles to actually get in the way. "I'm sure you can get information from the two crewmembers yoi."

"Offering them up, are you?"

"I can't really say no if you want them."

Blue tilted his head in a silent "fair enough." He then leaned forward. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know anything about a source of significant interference around here, would you? We got hit hard on approach."

"It's either because of the fruit I ate or a massive coincidence."

"Huh. At least you're honest."

Marco smiled grimly. "What would lying get me?"

"You have a point." Blue rubbed his chin, an effort thoroughly ruined by his helmet. "We will be taking this ship, but I would feel bad about booting you back into space." He glanced at his companions. They were clearly having a conversation judging by the gestures, but they must have turned their exterior speakers off, because Marco heard no words spoken. Finally, Blue turned back to face him.

"Decided my fate yoi?" Marco asked, affecting the same dry tone that seemed to bother Ace so much.

"We'll take you with us," Blue said. "But we just can't have you knowing where we're going, so."

Marco sighed. Blindfolding. Wonderful.

When they landed many hours later and Blue removed the blindfold, Marco blinked once, glanced around, looked into Blue's opaque visor, and said: "I didn't realize Farrow was such an ideal vacation spot this time of year."

Blue stilled, then groaned. "Scientists."

As they walked, Blue plied Marco for an explanation of how he'd known where they were. Marco, uncomfortable with the silence in the narrow underground corridor, obliged.

"We were only travelling for about a day. I suspect you did a loop in there somewhere to throw off my estimates, but even with that, the only planet in range would be Farrow. The Revolutionary Army wouldn't have a base on Eos or Ios because the IPEC is already there and the moons aren't large enough to support two covert operations. Bovekk is too hostile yoi."

Marco paused when they entered some kind of elevator. Blue's two companions were quiet, but both were keeping a close eye on Marco. "The descent was rough. When I last passed Farrow, the storms were quite active—the storms that conveniently interfere with all scanning equipment yoi. It just makes sense. The IPEC was looking at a base here, but that project kept getting deferred." Suspicion struck and Marco side-eyed Blue. "That wouldn't happen to have anything to do with your group, would it?"

Blue shrugged, voice breezy. "Who knows?"

Marco would have to pass his suspicions along, but for now, all he could do was follow the three revolutionaries into a small conference room that was disconcertingly sleek after the rough cave trek.

"Stay here," ordered Blue. "Leave without an escort, and you'll get shot. We'll have someone in here to talk to you soon."

The door closed. Marco was suddenly alone. He stared at the door, entirely unsure what to do with himself. While blindfolded, he had distracted himself with speculation on where he was headed and fitful sleep. Now, however, there was nothing. He could speculate on what the Revolutionaries were going to do with him, but he truly did not want to. At the very least, it would be indefinite detention. He now knew they had a base on Farrow; they couldn't risk that information getting out.

Additionally, Marco had eaten a Devil Fruit, and Blue had been particularly interested in that detail. They were going to want something from him, most likely.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He thought about the sloop, its wreckage still drifting through the Grand Line, and about Ace, whose body was lost to space. He swallowed. He was going to have to tell Ace's kid brother—Luffy, he was pretty sure—what had happened. The two had obviously been close. It wasn't going to be easy.

Of course it wasn't. He'd gotten Ace killed. Not intentionally, and not in any way he could've anticipated, but the fact remained: Ace was dead.

God.

Marco's suit tracked another fifteen minutes passing before anyone else came in. Marco removed his helmet, setting it on the table.

His visitor—interviewer?—was a woman some ten years his junior. Her smooth black hair fell just past her shoulders as she took a seat opposite Marco.

"Robin," she said without preamble, holding out her hand over the table. Marco awkwardly shook it.

"Marco, but I think you know that."

He got the ghost of a smile, but Robin schooled it into neutrality when she tapped a folder against the table. She opened it to reveal Marco's IPEC personnel file, which Marco knew was supposed to be confidential. "You've been a member of the InterPlanetary Exploration Corps for twenty-two years."

"Joined when I was seventeen yoi."

Robin hummed and paged through the file. Marco wasn't fooled in the slightest. Blue had radioed someone on their approach, and while Marco hadn't been able to hear any of the conversation, the Revolutionaries had known he was coming. This was not Robin's first time reading his file.

"You have some rather remarkable achievements under your belt," Robin mused. "Multiple engineering awards, three patents…and you served with Whitebeard for the year before his death."

Marco lips thinned into a humorless line. So that was what this was about. "I did."

"What did you do as a member of his crew?"

"I was largely an assistant to the other members of his crew. He let me aboard because of my expertise in geological features and solar system formation."

"I see." She paused. Deliberately. "And you were aware of his intent to recruit you as a formal member of his crew, yes?"

Marco's mind went blank. "What?"

"I said—"

"I heard what you said." He sat back, reeling. "I just…I never knew yoi. No one told me."

Robin allowed him a moment to process, her expression softening minutely. "My apologies. I thought you knew."

"No." Marco took a deep breath. "I didn't."

It explained a hell of a lot about those last three weeks, though. Everyone acting weirdly towards him, congratulations for no reason; the list went on.

Shaking his head, Marco refocused on Robin. "So, what's the point of all these questions yoi? It seems like you're just confirming what you already know."

"We are," Robin admitted. "Someone made recent changes to your file to mark you as KIA."

Marco's chair crashed to the floor. "What?"

"Please sit down, Marco."

Begrudgingly, he recovered his chair and sat.

"It was likely one of your colleagues. Per the IPEC ship specifications, your ship would have broadcast the emergency signal in its last moments. There was only one assumption to make."

"And Ace?"

"I'm afraid we have not come across any remains of your ISPC contractor."

"It was naïve to hope."

"Optimistic," Robin corrected gently, and Marco got the distinct impression he was being patronized. He sat a little straighter.

"Now, you claim to have eaten a Devil Fruit. Do you have evidence of this?"

Marco held up a hand. Unnatural fire licked at his skin and disappeared a second later. "Is that sufficient?"

Robin blinked, pen poised over the file for a brief moment before she shook herself and nodded. "Yes, thank you. Are you aware of the full extent of your abilities?"

"Uh, no. I heal quickly, and I…"

Robin glanced up. "You…?"

"I turn into a bird."

"Pardon?"

Marco knew his face was a little red, but he couldn't help it. Saying it out loud made it sound ridiculous, and while it was, it had seemed much cooler in the moment. "A phoenix. I can turn into a phoenix."

Robin's eyes were lit with interest, but she maintained her professionalism as she took notes. "Very well."

"You still haven't told me what all this is for yoi."

"I have not." She finished writing and set down her pen. "You, Marco, are being recruited."

"I'm sorry?"

"There is an opening in the UBMC stronghold on Cysk, one we want to put an agent into. All our qualified operatives are otherwise occupied. This position requires extensive technical knowledge and experience."

"I don't work for you," Marco said, thrown off but still guarded. "Why would I do this?"

Robin offered him a sly, confident smile. "Because we will share all information you gather with the IPEC. You must understand, the IPEC is crippled. Not broken, but it is down and very vulnerable. We are doing what we can to protect it, but every scrap of intelligence is valuable, especially if it comes from a base we have yet to infiltrate. You will be doing the IPEC a greater service here than by going back to your base and sending legal emails."

Marco stared at the table for a long minute. "Why me?" he finally asked. "Clearly you've been watching me."

Robin's expression remained as enigmatic as it had been since the start. "We keep our eye on the best of the best. The time to act simply came earlier than anticipated."

He met Robin's cool gaze with one of his own. He'd been a head engineer for a reason. "Very well yoi. I'll do it. But I want our agreement in writing."

A small stack of papers slid across the table, followed by a pen. "I'll give you time to read it over. Your signature goes on the last page."

"Of course," Marco muttered.

"You'll be a ghost," Marco's escort warned. "No contact except for the designated drop points. Something goes wrong, you're on your own."

Marco swallowed, watching as Cysk came into view, a point of vibrant green orbiting around Durs. He shifted his shoulders, still unused to his disguise despite the crash course in espionage. "I know."

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