Chapter 23

"What have you done?" Marco hisses.

Dadan stares at the fearsome sight of the First Commander, of the Phoenix, right before her. Mighty, powerful and deadly in all his glory as a half-man, half-bird creature. His eyes narrowed into slits, almost demonic in nature. Dadan couldn't say a word as a she gawks.

The by standers stayed away from the scene. Scared of Marco and worried about their fallen captain. Ace pushes his way past the crowd. "Stand aside, I'm-" He reaches the deck to see Pops on the floor, releasing some sort of smoke, Dadan on her knees and Marco before her, wings wide and raised and threatening. His body moves on it's own. "Marco, don't!"

He reaches her before he could press a talon over her raised arms, now protecting her face and neck. "Ace!" She screams as she watches Ace take on Marco's talons. His arms black with armament haki, but was too weak to stay for long as his arms return to their normal color. "Stay out of this Ace, she did something to Pops, your Captain yoi!"

"She's my family too! Calm the fuck down Marco!" Ace screams. The Phoenix screeches, an unholy bird-like wail.

"Sons?" A voice groans from the side.

Their attention immediately shifts to Edward Newgate— a younger version of Edward Newgate. Golden hair cascades down his shoulder, his complexion was paler, but brighter and he looked so much like a man from a time long gone; from a time where he was glorious and at his prime. Marco wouldn't admit that he cried in joy.

"Pops?" Marco asks, relieved, still disbelieving and still worried. He shifts his attention back to Dadan, she was cowering behind Ace. She was also looking over to Newgate, also gawking at the man, trying to understand what was happening but arriving at nothing. This time, with a voice less threatening and more disbelievingly curious, Marco repeats his question "What. Did. You. Do (yoi)?"

"I have- no idea." She says. Before she faints in shock.

"Commander, I do not need two seniors passed out in my infirmary!" The first thing Dadan hears.

Oh, that must be nurse Hannah.

Commander Marco answers. "Actually, they're not quite seniors just yet, yoi. They're about the same age now. About 52 to 53 years-old, yoi."

"Pops was 72 just a few minutes ago! How could he have turned into- how did he…" Nurse Hanna tries to find the accurate description, but was already completed by Ace.

"How did he turn younger?"

Hanna glares at the person to interrupt her, "Actually, I was going to ask how did he reverse his bodily functions to recover his hair and repair his cells."

"Devil Fruit." Ace says it, dead pan and like the answer was obvious. Marco glares at the fire starter. "Well, what else could it be? Grand Line bullshit has three logical explanations. Geographical Luck or Unluckiness, Historic Curse or whatever, or Devil Fruit."

"Fine. Let's say it's a devil fruit. Who's devil fruit, yoi?"

Ace crosses his arms as he answers with confidence. "Dadan's, obviously."

Hanna shakes her head. "That's not quite possible yet Ace. Dadan doesn't know how to use her fruit. She hadn't made a single elixir even when we tried to teach her."

"She gets lucky sometimes." Ace defends. "She must have been thinking of something and Pops must have eaten something that had her hair in it or something like that."

"That's gross." Marco comments without a thought, but groans when he realizes something. "Ugh… they must have been sharing a bottle of sake, yoi." Recalling the bottle his talon had broken into pieces.

"Well, that's not good. Who gave Pops liquid poison?" Nurse Hanna scowls, a bunch of wrinkles on her pretty face. "When I find out the idiot that started this, I'm gonna skewer their heads on the mast."

Marco raises his hand and hides his eyes with the other, "I did, yoi." He admits.

"Commander!/ Marco?!" The nurse and Ace react the same time. Flabbergasted that of all the people who could have snuck Pops a bottle, it would be his own Physician! The very guy who's telling him to lay-off it!

"He said it was a present for someone. I thought he was going to be talking with you, yoi." Marco points to Ace.

"Well, apparently, he was gonna share it with Dadan." Ace begins to string it all together in his mind. "There's the story. They literally drank from the same bottle and Dadan unknowingly activates her devil fruit and Pops is like, 20 years younger now!" Ace summarizes. "Shouldn't we be celebrating instead of arguing?"

"We're not through with the tests Ace. What if this reverses years of his treatments? What if his tumor is still-"

"Pops has a tumor?" Because Ace didn't know. Marco covers his mouth with his hand. His eyes wide, like he cannot believe he'd just said one of the most well kept secrets from the world out loud.

Marco shakes his head, tries to collect himself. "Ace. That was confidential information, yoi. Promise me-"

"Pops was sick and you said it was due to old age. Were you lying to me?" Ace's voice was slowly rising in volume. "When were you planning to tell us this Marco? Don't we have the right to know-"

"You do! Yes, you do, but it's for his safety, Ace. Can you please-"

"Brats, shut the fuck up! I'm tryin' ta sleep here." Dadan grumbles as she gets up from bed. "Noisy brats. The infirmary's supposed ta' be a quiet place."

"Dadan-san, how long have you been up?" Marco asks, diverting his attention to the patient.

"We're not through with this Marco." Ace says. Marco could only nod in acceptance. 'We'll talk later.' He seems to say with his eyes.

Dadan answers "When you brats started screaming." She scratches her head, and rubs the edges of her lips, checking for drool.

"Do you have any recollection of what happened on deck?" Marco asks, going back to professional doctor mode.

Dadan stares at the man, and suddenly she remembered everything she felt about him. Truthfully, she was scared, a shiver ran down her spine when she remembered his eyes, and the dangerous feeling around him and his flames.

He backs away from her when he notices her trembling.

"I guess you remembered that." He comments, but bows his head low. "I'm sorry. I really am sorry." He says with sincerity.

"I- I get it. Just… I don't think I want to see you for a while." She gulps. Hands fisting the blanket until her knuckles were white.

"I understand." Marco raises his head back up. "I'll sent for Deuce to be your Physician instead." He pauses before he adds. "I'm really sorry I did that to you Dadan-san. I shouldn't have jumped into conclusions."

"I said I get it… just. Watch over Newgate for me. He was about to get a stupid cold because he went out at deck without a fuckin' shirt on." She says instead. "Stupid idiot, gettin' a cold." She grumbles to herself.

Marco stares, at a loss for words. Was she seriously concerned or was this just another act to get closer to Pops?

People around the deck have been speculating… That Dadan was after Pop's treasure.

That she was going to seduce Pops and take everything she wants from his cold dead hands.

At first, Marco thought that was impossible, and tells those people to "shove-off" and "mind their own damn business".

Dadan wasn't that kind of person. She was a lot of things, but that kind of person she wasn't.

She was Ace's foster mother, a bandit boss— and a cowardly person hiding from Garp the Fist of all people. (Oh wait, it is possible…) She's a bandit after all, and aren't all bandit's greedy?

And the fact that she was cowardly meant she results to other means to get her wealth. She was competent enough to do that. Heck, Marco thinks she'd had Garp under her finger the whole time she was fostering Ace. She probably had Garp delivering everything she needs to her hideout. Everything she could ever wish for while completely ignoring Ace's needs. (Actually, that's not true. Ace is still alive, and with just a busted elbow from when he was a kid, but what would Marco expect from a bunch of medically illiterate bandits?)

She was a rude, loud-mouthed (maybe mentally ill) woman who's had her life destroyed by a Buster Call out of nowhere. Then, she eats a devil fruit- (and what an interesting fruit that was!) The Pharma-pharma no Mi. A legendary fruit, when eaten by a capable chemist, could create the cure to every illness known to man!

Only, it ended up in the hands of one (very) dumb woman. (That's not true either. She's knowledgeable in other things. She's competent in raising children- like a midwife or an orphanage manager. But he won't tell her that.)

Then Pops started talking to her, calling her a friend, getting familiar and smitten with her.

At first, Marco thought it would be good for her to talk about it to someone who can bear her pain; save her from what appears to be signs of depression -but he's not that kind of doctor, and Sanchez (another 1st division doctor on psychology) didn't think she had it bad after she talks to Pops.

Pops was someone wiser and older. Someone who isn't under her care and someone more understanding. Pops was the perfect candidate for it and it was also good for his health to talk with people around his age that woun't get the marines constantly monitoring their ship. All of Pop's friends are either high ranking criminals or high ranking Marines. Dadan was neither. She was just a woman…. So Marco thought it's fine.

But then, they started talking EVERY NIGHT. (Well, that was an exaggeration, but they talk ALMOST every night) That sent alarm bells ringing in Marco. They were getting too friendly with each other.

It's not the first time someone's tried that trick, and Marco thinks it wouldn't be the last one either. From Pops' stories, some women were just born to be gold diggers- he thinks. So he warns him to be cautious of her. Marco himself is cautious of her and her bandits, who are like shadows in the night; who blends well with their environment, Marco thought they were real threats with such an outstanding ability.

She tries to act like she was stern; but openly calls Pops stupid and an idiot at the same time like they were mere juveniles.

Well, that was rude, and definitely wasn't meant to flatter. (Do gold diggers do that?)

Then Pops laughs- at her, with her, for her. Marco was conflicted. She laughs for him too. And multiple times, he really did think she was a friend. A clueless, well-meaning friend… but the doubt lingers.

Everyone hides their doubt, but until she does something actually harmful, she was a good lady.

She was a friend of the crew. She was an extended family. Heck, Haruta was very close to calling her mom that one time in the Mess hall. The nurses are close to her too, and some other people who actually ask her for advice on some matters. It's not everyone, but she's made enough friends to warrant her part of the family.

And now this. Pops is suddenly younger. SHE made Pops younger, and she is currently more worried he'll get sick without a shirt on.

— What is Marco suppose to think?

"I will see to it that he wears a shirt from now on." Marco adds. "He's behind that curtain, by the way. He passed out after he told us you didn't do anything wrong."

"Honestly, I have no idea what happened. One moment he was coughing and hacking, the next he was releasing smoke everywhere." Dadan adds. "What if the sake is poisoned? Shouldn't I also be smoking?"

Ace chooses the perfect time to pipe-up. "Dadan, I think we're going to have to talk about this… We think it's your devil fruit."

"My devil fruit?" Dadan scans the room. Marco was gone from her sight, probably with Newgate, but the curtains were drawn and she doesn't know who else were in the room other than Ace and Nurse Hanna. "I don't want to talk about it here." She says as she lays back down. "And I don't have a devil fruit." She says loudly.

"Dadan, there's no one else here. Just us."

"Who's 'just us' Ace?" Dadan huffs, "-and walls got ears. You never know who's there."

"Geeze, stop being so paranoid." Ace's comment. "We're in The Moby Dick, this is the safest ship in the whole sea!"

"If you're more cautious, ya'll live longer."

"I'll live long enough if I'm strong enough."

"There's always gonna be someone stronger than you, brat."

"Then I'll beat him up with my crew."

"You'll never know when your crew'll be be there for you."

Hanna slams her hand on the table. "That's enough from the two of you." Before it escalates into something more hurtful.

Ace just wasn't the obedient type, was he. "Dadan, I think you should find a mountain, soon." He adds, "I can't stand living in the same place as you." Still calm, but Dadan could hear the bitterness by the way he said it.

"At least we're at an agreement." Dadan comments. "You were better off living on your own with Luffy. Saved us a lot of trouble cleaning-up after you."

"I can clean after myself. I just like driving you bandits on edge." He grins. She grits her teeth in frustration.

"Fine!" She throws her blanket at him. "Find us a mountain and we'll conquer it before the end of the year."

"That's 4 months away old hag." Ace retorts with reason. "I doubt you'll ever conquer one in 4 months, we still have to sail to it and scout it."

"I don't care. The sooner I get off this boat, the further I'll be from you." She hisses. "The safer I'll be from your antics and all the pain you cause me."

Her words must have hurt Ace. A small down turn of his lips trembled, like when he was a child about to cry… But Ace didn't show his weaknesses for long. He steels himself instead. "Fine then! The sooner you're off my hair, the sooner I can get on with my life."

"Fine!" Dadan yells at Ace with finality.

"FINE!" Ace storms out the curtained area, having the last word. Dadan hears the door of the infirmary slam shut.

And Dadan was left fuming with a silenced Nurse Hanna beside her.

Dadan huffs, takes her pillow, bunches it in a ball by punching it together, then shoves it in her face. Her muffled screams were heard by the patient at the other curtain.

"Dadan?" Newgate calls, still groggy. Obviously having been woken up from his nap.

Dadan flops on the metal bed, creaking from the force of her movement. She removes the pillow from her head as she takes a deep breath.

"Newgate." She calls. Reaches over her side and pulls the curtain a little until their eyes meet through the gap. With all the seriousness she could mutter, she says "You are now his only parent. I quit. He's your problem now."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So yeah, Another short Chapter. I'm still very VERY tired and I wrote a mourning song for my cat. :(

I'm very out of it. So I'll probably not be posting for some time. Maybe till next year_ I dunno. Depends.

To Selet: Yes, She just accidentally activates her fruit. Just like she got Ace one day and just like she got Luffy one day. Completely unexpected. Like the rest of her life. Nothin' she planned. As I was implying- Dadan's luck is really grey. She's super unlucky but at the same time, she's also lucky. Her inability to understand her fruit is unlucky, but look at the bright side; she can use it only when she feels the need to. Even if someone kidnapped her and told her to make them immortality juice, she wouldn't have the slightest clue how to! The same way she can't make anti-biotics and tonics and elixirs. You can't force her to do it if she doesn't know how ;)

Shadow: Thank you for your kind words!

Guest: As explained in this chapter. Marco has a lot to fear. Bandits are competent in both the sea and the land.

To everyone else, Thank you and enjoy! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. XD

:( (First Christmas I'm not gonna give my cat Century Tuna for her Christmas present.) :(