Last time, Ussop, Robin and Franky discuss the health of Luffy and Marco's relationship, in order to offer some reassurance, Franky offers a scandalous piece of information about Luffy and Marco's convoluted history.

Brook is a ghost as he strolls through the jungle in search of Marco. Apparently, Luffy's ship has found some trouble (a pet man? ), and they're now several hours behind. Nami, a lovely lady with plenty of foresight, has asked Brook to let the blonde man know lest he freaks the fuck out for nothing when Luffy doesn't arrive fast enough, as she so eloquently words it. He's almost there when he hears the yelling, a voice screaming Marco's name, and his leisure steps quicken. Brook isn't the fastest straw hat for nothing, but as he breaks the foliage, breezing by the moss-covered arc that marks the entrance to Zou, he only catches a hint of furious blue.

"-fuck are you going?!" The figure Brook heard before hurries as well, and the skeleton barely has time to snap in front of him. He's not sure what's happening, but Mister Marco clearly needs some space, and this man looks like he's about to hurl himself at the disappearing phoenix.

"I'm going to have to ask who you are, sir," Brook offers, grabbing on to his cane. He spots Master Cat Viper in the back looking unhappy, and he's unsure if his presence should be reassuring or further concerning. From what little he's heard, Mister Marco and some of the mink go way back, but the skeleton knows that history doesn't mean good history. Some could say he and Moria go way back too.

The man, wearing an elaborate, sunset-colored kimono, stops dead on his tracks, blinking up at Brook. His jaw drops, and he seems frozen for a moment. Brook blinks, taken aback by the man's stunned reaction. Before he can ask if the other is okay, the man jumps, startled, and points his gun.

"Why is there a talking skeleton here?!" he startles out of his shock. Huh. Brook really has to stop being surprised at people's reactions to him one of these days. At the moment, he's a little more concerned about the weapon being waved in his direction by an unknown entity.

"Excuse me, sir! Would you mind not pointing your weapon at me?" he asks, politely like his long-learned manners indicate. Jokes are always good to diffuse unpleasant situations, so… "it's no good for my heart, you see? Although I have no heart! Yohohoho! Skull joke!"

Silence.

Ah, it is a bit hit or missed at times.

"I don't have time for this, I can't let Marco…" as the man attempts to circumvent the musician, Brook is quick to reposition himself.

"And what is your business with Mister Marco?"

"What do you care?" he bites out angrily, arms crossing in his chest and taking the aim of his gun away from Brook, thankfully. "Who are you anyway?"

"This is one of the visiting Pirates, the ones that are with Kin'emon, Izou," Cat Viper steps in, watching calmly as if his two guests (?) weren't worrisomely close to exchanging blows. So, this man is familiar with the samurai—a good start.

"A pirate…" Izou repeats, turning back to stare at Brook. He's openly hostile, Brook notes. "And who is your captain? Are you really just a skeleton?!" Easy enough questions, reasonable ones too.

"Let me introduce myself," he begins, relishing an artist's flair, "my name is Brook, the musician of the Straw Hat Pirates under the command of Monkey D. Luffy." He bows as he brings his top hat to rest on his chest, slow enough to not miss the widening of Mister Izou's eyes. Recognition, no doubt. "Mister Marco is under my captain's protection at the moment, and as such, you will understand I wish to know your intentions towards him."

"My intentions towards him, huh?! My intentions toward him?! That guy is my fucking brother!"

Brook swallows his surprise, instead offering a glib apology. No wonder Mister Marco had run, though.

"If it's okay with Master Cat Viper, why don't you come in and meet the rest of us. I assure you, we have at least some of the answers you are looking for."

"Where's Straw Hat? And will… will Marco come back…?"

"My captain is on his way here from Dressrosa, and about Mister Marco…" well, Brook has a fair idea of where the phoenix might've turned to "I believe so, yes." The other man deflates and nods. He shoots a look to the Mink Chief, who nods reassuringly, smoking away any discomfort.

"I'll go with you then."

And off they go.

Izou sits around the table speechless. Heartbroken is maybe more accurate a word. He thinks of the one glimpse he'd caught of Marco, his hair the same sunray blonde and his skin healthily tanned and his back just as broad. His older brother looked just as Marco remembers him, even larger than life now that'd resurrected himself from Izou's dreary worries of his whereabouts. But of course, that dissonance between appearance and feeling has always been Marco's weak spot.

"Tortured," he mutters for what must be the tenth time, at least. The redheaded woman clamps down on his hand again, offering a measure of reassurance as the tiny reindeer (their doctor of all things) explains what he can of Izou's brothers' circumstances.

"Yes, from what we've gathered, he was taken from the island he'd been living in by Kaido, and eventually forcefully interned at Punk Hazard under the… care of former government scientist Caesar Clown," he repeats patiently. "We stumbled upon him a scant few weeks ago, and he's spent all the time recuperating."

"But do you know…? Why would they…? How?" Izou doesn't even know what to ask. His brain keeps looping back helplessly to the last visit he gave Sphinx.

It's never going to be okay or the same, but yeah, Izou, I'm happy.

And not,

This.

Just… how? Why?

Hadn't they suffered enough?

"I'm sorry, Izou," Chopper says as Brook carefully refills their teacups, "but I can't give you any details without Marco's consent. It falls within doctor-patient confidentiality, and, well, you haven't been authorized for these types of sensitive information. Not even as his next of kin. Psychiatric therapy depends a lot on trust, you see."

There's something about the way he says it that deviates Izou's anger from demanding answers to questioning.

"Someone though," he says, before rethinking such a strangely worded sentence "access, I mean. Someone else is authorized to know about what Marco says." Chopper looks away guiltily but nods reluctantly. "You can tell me who, right?" Again he nods.

"It's Luffy." Izou huffs an unamused laugh as he shakes his head.

"Of course, it would be."

"Hey now," Nami interjects, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just, out of everyone in the seas who could've stumbled upon him, it was Straw Hat."

"I don't think we follow, Mister Izou," Brook intervenes, a looming shadow that alternates wildly between fiercely intimidating and disconcertingly comedic, "you have met our captain before?"

"I have," Izou agrees. "The last time I saw him… Well, Marco and Luffy were together for a while after the war. Briefly, very briefly, but… I've always thought Marco regretted leaving."

The three pirates share a look and jump forward, elbowing each other to get closer to Izou across the table, the teacups rattling in the commotion as widened eyes beg for questions.

"Wait!"

"Hold on a minute!"

"The captain was…."

"...with Marco?!"

"So," they chorus, "they'd slept together before?"

"They're sleeping together now?!" Izou's shock mirrors their own.

This chapter is actually split in half, and I'll post the other half probably over the weekend :) What did you think about Izou?

Take care