Chapter 24

"Well, the tumor is gone." Marco announces, happy and content. There's a contagious smile on his face, and everyone in the room just can't help but be elated with the news.

Pops had pulled open the curtain dividing his and Dadan's beds so that Ace, Luffy, Thatch and Haruta can also hear Marco's good news on Pop's health.

"It's a miracle!" Thatch exclaims as he jumps for joy. Thatch being one of the rare few that was told Pop's illnesses. No one could keep a secret from Haruta despite his young age- and all the other older tenured members of the Whitebeard Pirates also knew of these tumors that started popping-up 20 or so years ago… Some time after the second division commander was kidnapped by Roger. (Or so they like to think)

"You had a tumor?" Dadan asks, bewildered.

"What's a tumor?" Luffy asks, head cocking tot he side and showing a very clueless expression.

"Idiot," Dadan comments, "It's a bad pimple that hurts a lot and lasts forever." Dadan explains. To which Ace just face palms and hides his face from embarrassment. (This was the woman that cured him, and she didn't even know what she's done- he whispers under his breath.)

"Well, technically it would sometimes look like a pimple, but it isn't Dadan-san." Nurse Hanna explains from the side. "A Tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue either on the skin or inside you or your organs. It's normally the cause of cancer Dadan-san."

"Cancer?!" Dadan exclaims. She's heard of that before… but she'd also heard of a cure for that. "Doesn't he just need to eat a hundred berries a day every week to cure that?" Because that's what she'd been told to do in the past.

"Dadan, eating berries doesn't solve anything stupid old hag." Ace groans.

"Actually-" Thatch pipes in, "Berries are very rich in anti-oxidants and polyphenols, not to mentions vitamins. They could help a lot in stopping or slowing down the free-radicals from causing more harm to the body and helps control aging." Thatch explains. All three mountain dwellers cocked their head to the side, obviously lost in his jargon filled explanation. "In short, berries are good for treating tumors."

"Ha! Told ya'!" Dadan's smug reply at Ace. The ravenette just rolls his eyes and lets it go.

"Ne ne, old man," Luffy starts, "How strong are you now?"

"Gurararara! Careful what you're asking boy." Whitebeard's only comment. That however, was answered by Haruta.

"Luffy, this was the age Pops was able to fight and equal the Pirate King and Garp the Fist! This was the age where he was unbeatable!" Haruta was practically singing his praises with stars in his eyes. "This was also around the time the crew began, isn't that right Pops?"

Whitebeard laughed. Haruta was such a smart child, remembering the time long past, before he was even born. "That is close my son. The crew had been sailing for 35 years since, but the divisions started around 20 years ago."

While Whitebeard went on to reminiscing, Ace was frozen to one sentence. 'The age Pops fought equal with the Pirate King.' Ace gulps.

"Hey Pops, can you do me a favor once Marco says you're ok to go." Ace interrupts. Edward Newgate looks down at the boy, already having an idea of what he wants. "Spar with me." Ace says casually.

"Ace!" Dadan shoots up from her reclined position, she instead turns to the man being challenged. "Newgate, don't do it." She says, almost a command.

"Sure my son. A friendly spar, but…" He adds a condition, "only on a different island we'll dock at. An island with no civilization, where no one can get hurt in the aftermath."

"Deal!" Ace smiles. "I'll go find one!" He says with cheer.

"After you find Dadan a mountain island." Whitebeard adds. Ace pauses. Is he serious?

"What, yoi?" It was Marco who asks. "B-but, her powers-"

"-Are not something I should take advantage of." Newgate completes. "She's already done a wonderful job giving me back my youth and health. The last thing I want to do is keep her from her own goals, son."

"But Oyaji!" Ace interrupts. "We wouldn't know how long this will last! It could last only days or hours after you part with her. Heck, if someone beats her, she might loose control of her devil fruit and you might return to your normal age."

"And there's nothing wrong with that." Newgate smiles. "We humans shouldn't get used to altering our time like this…" He smiles at Dadan, "But I have to admit, one bright side of doing this is that I could act a little more reckless with you and the younger boys." He grins, cheeky and devilish, and Dadan really should compile a list of things pirates would want to do when they suddenly get younger (to know what to expect).

"What do you say boys? Who wants to raid a marine base?!"

"YEAH!" Thatch, Haruta and Luffy cheers together.

A scolding "Pops!" From Marco was barely heard in the cheer, and Ace- "Wait, do we raid a base before or after we find Dadan a mountain?"

"What do we have here, son?"

"A list of mountains." Ace states as he drops 20-25 leaflets of papers on Pop's bed. Dadan was sharing the spot beside Newgate's bed, now also intrigued at the papers Ace brought in.

"Are all of those even liveable?" Dadan asks.

"Well, these places have water, sun and soil. It's as inhabitable as it can be." Ace remarks, Dadan shoots him a glare. "And besides, last I checked, Mt. Corvo isn't really one of the safest mountains in the list, neither was it really considered "liveable" by the normal people."

"I get your point brat, don't be a smart ass about it." Dadan scolds, but reaches out for a paper none the less.

"What about this one Boss?" Mogra seems to materialize out of no where (behind the separating curtain), holding one of the papers Ace had presented. "Mt. Hokutoo." He reads. "Looks green and lush. I wonder how many seasons there are here…"

"That actually has 13 seasons. Very fast paced and Grand Line level unpredictable." Newgate explains as he rubs his chin, tries to remember the small details about it. "Has big animals, usually a lush green island, has a volcano-"

"Nope. No volcanoes. Next." Dadan interrupts. Picks out a random mountain from the pile. She practically shoves it to Newgate's face, forcing him to read the name of the mountain.

"Mt. Hexalawilliania" He reads a mouthful, but enough to remember exactly what kind of place it is. 'A terrible place, cursed by creatures said to be descendants of demons. Anyone who steps there is said to forever bear the curse of paranoia, even after they escape the island; if they escape the island. No one has really succeeded.' He prepares to say but was ultimately shot down at the spot.

"Nah. The name's too much of a mouthful. Next." Well, she dodged a bullet there. Newgate sighs in relief.

"How about this boss." Dogra pops up from the left, also showing her a poster.

"How about this Newgate?" Dadan asks the captain beside her.

Ace takes the paper. "You bandits ought to read this stuff your selves. Quit being lazy." He looks at the leaflet… and blanks. He didn't remember putting this specific mountain here.

Dadan huffs in impatience, "What's the matter brat? Can't read?"

"I can read, and you fuckin' know it old hag. Not that you taught me how anyway." His response, but ultimately frowns. "I don't remember placing this mountain on the list."

Now that intrigued the people around them. "What mountain is it son?" Newgate inquires. Ace hesitates, but decides it best to tell him.

"It's Mt. Cabra. Twin mountain to Mt. Clova at Paradise." Dadan's eyes widens to the term "Paradise"….

"Tell me what it is Ace. Twin mountains sounds interesting. What makes them twins?" She inquires.

"They're twins cuz they look alike, same height, same trees on the mountains' faces; and they are kinda in the same island but there's a different signal on the log pose for the other mountain which is weird… But there's a difference in what their soil is made of. One of them might have been a volcano in the past, but no one's really got the whole story of it. Scientists gets scared of the large animals in the area."

"Did you say large animals?" Dadan interjects, sounding more and more like she found the perfect island. "How many seasons does this have again?"

"I'm not sure, but it's in Paradise so the weather would be unpredictable, but this looks like a summer island. Could get chilly, but tropical all through the year." Dadan tilts her head to the side. It takes a while for Ace to realize his mistake "Tropical means warm climate or weather."

"This one. I wanna see this one first." Dadan says "When can we visit it?"

"So soon?" Newgate asks, Dadan swore he was pouting when he asked.

"Well, we don't want to be dead weight for ya. We've been causing trouble around yer' ship; and other things. I think the sooner we conquer a mountain and build a base, the faster we can get on out of your noses. Sooner we can get back ta' bein' bandits n' all that."

"You're no burden. I like you here." Newgate admits shamelessly.

"And I like staying beside ya' too." Dadan responds, honestly and with the same amount of embarrassment as the captain. She settles back down beside him, wholly content with the bicep at her back and the arm resting over her thighs. She looks like a doll in the Captain's arms, but there really was no where else she'd rather be. "-But we're still gonna have to visit that island."

Newgate sighs, "Fine… Ace, set course for that island after we visit Penguin island."

"Pops, that's all the way in Paradise. If anything, I was thinking the Moby Two could take us there instead of the main ship."

"Nope, I insist. I would also like to see this island."

"Absolutely not, yoi." Marco replies with finality. "Moby cannot make the trip back to Paradise. She's not ready to go underwater just yet. Takes months for us to get her ready to travel like that, yoi." He reasons when he sees Whitebeard and Dadan pouting. Both looking so alike, it would have made him laugh seeing the both of them sulk.

"It's fine Newgate. Me and my boys will scout the island ourselves. It's only the first island after all. Not even sure it's the perfect one for us to set our base on." Dadan assures the captain beside her. Patting his arm slung over her shoulder.

"But I want to go see it with you." He says, sounding like a whine. This only got Dadan smiling and smirking, teasing. "We're goin' ta' an adventure in that winter place. Don't ya' think two adventures in a row's gonna make you bored of me?" She chuckles.

"I don't think I'll really ever get bored with you." He says. She blushes, but hits his arm to hide the red tint on her cheeks. "You're making me sound like a toy you can play with. You are such a kid." She says.

"Well, I did just get 20 years younger." He smirks, lifts her up with a squeek and sets her down on his lap. "And at this position, you already look like a doll in my arms."

"Hey! Watch it Newgate! Brats are looking- this is embarrassing." She squirms like a cat, and makes her way back to the side of the bed, off his lap. Marco notices however, she doesn't stray far. She simply sits back beside him, comfortably close enough so he can sling over an arm around her.

"Don't worry Dadan-san. It's not like you don't always migrate to his lap anyway, yoi." Marco comments with an amused chuckle.

"What dya' say brat?" Dadan asks. She didn't think she was always on Newgate's lap.

Ace groans from beside them, seemingly forgotten. "I can't believe you don't realize it. You ALWAYS end-up on his lap. Thatch won't stop gushing about it since the third day you roped him into making you guys snacks for your tea time."

"Now wait just a minute!" Dadan screeches at Ace. "I don't always sit on his lap. I sit on his chair's arm rest too."

"With your feet on his lap." Ace rolls his eyes. "Don't tell me you just naturally gravitate to his lap without you noticing."

"Well, Commander Marco sits on Newgate's shoulder like a parrot." Marco may or may not have let out an offended squack at the statement. "Why can't I sit on his lap?"

"Marco's his First Mate! And he's a bird Zoan. He's earned the right to sit on Pop's shoulder." And Ace smirks, a cruel tone to his words "What excuse do you have? Why do you think you can hang around the strongest man in the world? Who are you to him anyway?"

And Dadan could only glare in contempt. But she knew the answer. "I'm nobody." She says. And Ace already regrets asking her that question. "Just a friend." She says, looks to Newgate's eyes, nodding his head in approval. The smile brings a warmth to her heart, enough to soften the corners of her mouth into a straight line instead of a frown.

"I'm going to the mess hall. Don't find me. I'll be back in here after dinner." She grumbles as she storms out of the infirmary with as much stomp to her feet as she could. The door slams with the loud clack of the metal door knob, and those left in the scene could only cross their arms and shake their heads in disappointment at one Portagas D. Ace.

"You shouldn't have said that, yoi." Marco says as he thunk's the back of Ace's head.

"You don't think I regret saying it?" Ace sulks. Marco stares at his brother and takes a deep breath. "I don't think you regret it enough to never repeat it again." Because Ace could, and he would, and Ace knew he deserved the disapproving stares from Whitebeard and Marco.

"Son," Whitebeard starts, "It's time for an overdue talk."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I'm Still Alive! -But I can't promise regular updates. Sorry in advance. TT - TT

Wow, so much has happened in one month, and it's only January! I can't beleive it! Did you hear about Taal Eruption? Did you hear about the Israel rocket and the Ukranean air craft? Did you hear about Corona Virus? And Wow, it's Chinese Newyear- on a January! Did You hear about Kobe Bryant?! Did you Know Stocks in Oil and Steel are low right now becuase of the Corona virus; because the Chinese workforce is sick or staying at home? SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN A MONTH- and that's not including the things in my life. Seriously! The world is playing a cruel joke on us. TT v TT (*I'm crying while I'm smiling)

Well, Enjoy this chapter, and the next one would take some time to make. I stll haven't written it! XP Have a Happy! New Year! (and keep safe- because it's becoming more and more prevalent that this year, we may just have a spike in transport accidents.)