Freedom Fighters Pirates

by kerennie

Macey changed things without meaning, how was she meant to be know that she wasn't meant to exist in this world? That by her being here was going to change a lot of things for a lot people. How was she meant to know that her showing up was going to change Ace's, Sabo's and Luffy's futures? How was she meant to know? But one thing for sure, Freedom will happen. DiffDF Ace

28. Chapter 21

and we are back with another chapter.

Macey: we are back to the main storyline everyone!

that we are. anyway, just to warn everyone. not sure when the next chapter is going to be coming out. i... um... er... well, you see... how do i explain this?

Macey: we are waiting for AceAyane to be free to help with part of the chapter as kerennie isn't sure how to do a conservation between two characters- that being one of kerennie's characters and one of AceAyane's. the talk is kind of important and is needed in the next chapter.

but i am working on everything around that though. plus, the next omake chapter is roughly half finished and i have workplacement for the next few weeks so i won't have as much to time and work on my chapters as well.

Macey: plus, kerennie was giving her friend fireandicephoenix some small advice and helping with character designs.

i know phoenix (i am allowed to called icefirephoenix that) outside fanfic. i am really good friends with phoenix's sister and with phoenix them-self too. not telling if phoenix is a girl or not. but if worse comes to worse, i will do up a draft conversation between Blue and Shao and AceAyane can find it up and i can change it later on. been stuck and trying chapter 22 for 3 weeks, almost a month now. it's a lot of harder than i thought it was going to be.

Macey: thanks to gerlibfriend for beta'ing this chapter. there could be minor changes to the chapter later on. in case kerennie didn't get Shao's character's speech completely right.

i tried *sighing* it's just hard to do 'old formal style' speech. i have never really written it before.

Macey: we'll do the reviews easily then on with the chapter! i like this chapter! it's a fun one! espect for the boring part.

shut up Macey! it was an important bonding part with the crew for this chapter. to show their closeness and stuff!

Don: but it was weird as hell.

Max: i agree.

shut up both of you!

Jack: how about we just get on with the reviews, hmm?

fine. to review time!

Nekohime-chan-

welcome back Nekohime-chan. yes, my birthday has already based and yes. i did have a nice birthday. yes, Macey and Sabo are so cute. i think the normal human response when they wake up is breakfast. it was funny that Macey was thinking about food while Sabo was asking about joining the crew. i think a few almost died from laughter. and yes, i think Luffy is the only other person that any of us can think of that would do that too.

yes, Marco did make a girl cry, even though it wasn't on purpose. i think we all want to rub in to annoy him. and i think we'll glad that they made up. Marco's and Naomi's love is eternal. isn't it?

yes, what a way to greet a family member Naomi. yes, Naomi's and her mother's relationship is like water and oil or fire and water. there is a story behind that and we cover a small bit of it in the next omake chapter. and yes Nix, Naomi and Marco do a have in the future.

Nix: i knew it. they're together!

anyway! no, Nic isn't a marine. he's marine older brother just picked him up from Isila is all. no, Nic isn't going to be a marine or pirate. he is going to be a travelling researcher.

yes, Laffitte is a future Blackbeard Pirate. i kind of made up a history for Laffitte since out of all of the Blackbeards, he is my fav XD. No, Ralph is a character from One Piece. Ralph is an OC that AceAyne created for this story. and i decided that he and Laffitte should be cousins, for some interesting and fun character develop down the track. here is the update. i will try to update when i can.

will be updating Fire Brothers at one point or another, just going through a 'edit the past chapters' stage at the moment while i am working out the next chapter. having a little bit of writer's block with that one while We're Taking Ace is on hold and the other side stories that i have been doing will be updated up as soon as i have some free time to write. been focusing all of my writing power into Freedom Fighters Pirates at the moment.

Ace: next review!

Himeka-

yes, an update. Sabo and Macey are so young and yet so adorable at the same time. they don't need to worry about love until they're older and undersand their feelings better. though, i wonder... who will realise their feelings first? Sabo or Macey?

Don: my money is on Sabo.

Jack: agreed. Macey is a dense as a concreate pillar as Don has said in the past, Sabo will realise and understand first. even though Macey is older.

anyway! yes, Macey is like an younger version of Naomi herself. Wes had already enough experience to know not to anger Macey. i think he has a good idea what Macey is capable of. yes, people are smart but dense at the same time. like in real life XD! Naomi and Marco are the best, aren't they? no, they don't and didn't announce it. private is private. and yes, they find out later. when do they find out? well, the Whitebeards all had an idea that they might be going out/seeing each other but nothing was really officially confirmed/admitted till Naomi's death. though, Whitebeard and Melody both kind of knew the whole time. and i know right? why deny the obvious?

yes, Nix's, Nic's and Naomi's relationship is touching and interesting to say the least.

Naomi: i did no such thing. i didn't greet my brother a strange greeting. he got expectably what he deceived.

Nic: says you!

Naomi *grinning*: yep!

*sigh* we have a time loop here again. anyway, yes, Laffitte is a future Blackbeard Pirate. Who's Ralph? an character you should all remember for future storyline reasons. he's an OC, created by AceAyne for this story. yes, Nome. yes, my characters sure do have a nicknames. and yes, lol Nix. they do have a daughter in the future. and yes, Naomi's and Macey's relationship is very different to Naomi's and her mother's. Naomi's and Macey's relationship is how Naomi wished hers and her mothers was like. What happened between them? wait to the next omake chapter to find out a little bit about it. some of it gets explained then.

Sabo: next review

Guest-

all good. i'm about to busy for the next few weeks so i don't know when a new update will happen. and yes, Marco and Naomi got together but they're making it public but making it public at the same time. they can't make both work but they're going to try. and if you notice and pay close enough attention, it's Naomi who is really making their relationship public while Marco just sighs and goes along with it though he wants to keep it quiet. Naomi's brothers did show up without her knowing until they were almost there, it was just asking for trouble, wasn't it?

Nix: it was so she couldn't tell us to not come.

whatever, it almost cost you guys your lives. yes, Nix is the one who Naomi get pissed off about being called girl, no, he isn't responsible... at least, not fully anyway, for Macey getting pissed off when called girl. another story for another time.

Naomi: that would be correct, i didn't and would never do that kind of research with Macey. you will find out next omake how far is too far. it was not just studying the kids to se if their parents devil fruit affects them, it was far worse then that.

but all will be relieved next omake chapter! the things done are really inhumane, hence, why Naomi and her mother rocky relationship. but read about it next omake chapter. the kind of small and little research that Naomi does went up doing on Macey for special reasons later no will all be explained and none of them are bad or evil or inhumane.

anyway, yes, Laffitte is the Blackbeard Pirate Laffitte. more to come on that later.

Luffy: next review

ASL Fan-

yes, it has been a little while. welcome back. thank you and it's all good. I've been sick too and i am about to become very busy. yes, Marco and Naomi are adorable aren't they? and yes, Sabo and Macey had a cuteness moment as well from the other chapter. Yes, that is why Naomi hates being called girl. it is all Nix's fault. yeah, most older siblings do like teasing their younger siblings, don't worry, i based Naomi hating it to the point where she hits people over it, like Colin, on my own personal experiences. but for me, it's because my dad and younger siblings all take the point that i am shorter than them to the extreme. well, let's just say they have taken the joke too far too many times and mum and i are just sick of it- i mean, it's up to the point where my mum yells, grounds and threaten people.

i mean at first, i guess it was a funny and all. but then you get to the point where it just isn't funny anymore and just gets plain out old annoying. even mum says that they need to get new material, that's how over used it is.

Macey: whatever kerennie, back to the review itself!

anyway, we to get back on track. yes, for poor Colin, that was an unfortunate accident. Marco really should have warn him. Yes, Ralph is a flirt, kind of like Sanji but i think Ralph has been laid more times. yes, Marco was watching, i think we might need to wish luck and he should probably watch his back.

Ralph: if she's loyal to him, nothing will happen. i do have morals you know.

Marco: you do?

Ralph: yes! i don't force myself on women and i don't do anything they don't want to me to do. anything and everything else is fair game. i only give the ladies what they want.

Marco: even if they are married or have a boyfriend or have a fiancée?

Ralph: what part of i only give the ladies what they want and i don't do anything they don't want to me to do, do you not understand?

Naomi: don't worry Marco. i'm not going to cheat you.

Ralph: there you have it. but i', still gonna flirt with her.

Marco: why?!

Ralph *grinning*: cause it's fun!

seriously, we have huge time loop here. i have past and present and future characters here... god damn it.

Ralph: whatever, anyway kerennie. what you doing after this?

Marco: don't go hitting on the author damn it!

ignore Marco and Ralph right now guys. anyway, yes. i'm a fan of the ASL trio too. how should you Laffitte? yeah, i kind feel the way. Don't really ate Laffitte himself but hate Teach himself to death. you can feel however you want to about Laffitte. he is here because he is here.

Ralph: what's wrong with my cousin?

nothing Ralph. we talk and cover this another day.

Ralph: okay, it's a date!

Marco: stop flirting and hitting single female you see god damn it!

Ralph *sticks out tongue*: make me!

*Marco and Ralph now wrestling in background- sigh* damn those two. i will deal with them later. anyway, why do Nix, Nic and Naomi will all start with N? because they do! might cover the reason about it later in the omake. does it have any significance? um... kind of does and kind of doesn't. and yes, Macey and Marco don't start with N, they do both start with M. and i like your random trivial add- m and n are both together in the alphabet. but that's not why i choose the name Naomi for Macey's mum. i just really like the name and it starting with N was just random and the real world real why Nix, Nic and Naomi and their parents, Neil and Nina start with N was because i was bored and was looking up N names and, well, from there i just randomly choice some N names and the rest is history.

here's another update. and not going to comment on the whole Marco trying to murder me and you being too lazy to help/intervene. i was lucky and ran into Pops and he protected me.

Macey: next review

okay, okay. moving on.

Anonymous-

yes, the last chapter was another omake. thank you. yay! cheesecake counts as cake! it does have cake in it's after all. lols. yes, i was sick and still am unfortunately. but i am getting better, i think and hope. sorry to hear that you are sick too. i don't think it's strange that everyone around your school is sick too, someone who was sick must gone to school when they shouldn't have and then pasted on whatever bug they had to everyone else. that's normally what happens.

Macey: it is funny

Don: no it's not Mace.

Ralph: yes it is.

Laffitte: no it's not

Macey: yes it is!

Don: no it's not Macey!

oh god this fight could go on forever! let's just ignore them and get on with the review. yes, love BLACK to death. yes, too bad they weren't with the review and it was too bad that they weren't there to protect me either. yes, the marines knowing who Macey's connections are, is bad. it could put Macey in the same position as Ace.

i think we are all glad that Naomi and Marco made up, though, we all knew that they were going too. just the when and how might have been a different thought for everyone. i don't think many are thrilled with Naomi soon to be death. i think a lot of people would have to be crazy to be happy about it. though, i think people are interested in learning how she died and why and stuff.

okay, will make an omake about Naomi staying!

Naomi: why do i have a feeling that it is going to start off as omake then it will somehow turn into an alternative universe story with a lot of chapters?

Macey: because we know kerennie too well.

ack! i would not do that... *sweating dropping as it has already started to happen since i have had trouble with writing the next chapter and omake*

Naomi and Macey *sighing*: what are we going to do with you and your side projects?

nothing. and yes, HE is the one who kills Naomi! i think we all glad he went down too, i guess it might be a cruel thought. but i have nothing what happened to him in the main One Piece cannon so i thought, awesome, someone who all don't like any way. might as well kill him off and have him as the main bad guy with the whole Isila stuff. perfect plan right? XD.

Laffitte is seriously my fav Blackbeard Pirate. he didn't really attempt to fight Ace or anything. i don't know why, but i just like Laffitte. and after reading Blackout by yaoifan124, who is one of my favourite author of all time by the way, where she has Laffitte kind of turn into a good guy and other stuff, well, i kind of just ended up liking him more. i mean, other than him being called the 'Demon Sheriff' and him being from the West Blue. what do we really know about them? i don't think he was always bad, i believe things happen and he turned bad. that's why i have him appearing and stuff. but we will cover more on the matter at a later date. but i mean, come on? don't you ever wonder how Blackbeard and him met? why Laffitte seems so loyal and stuff to him? no, i won't covering a lot of that, though, i might cover in an omake or chapter later on. depending onw hat i end up deciding to do with his character- whether i make it he stays with Teach or if he ends up leaving, since Teach's role and position in the story is going to be end up being different this time.

wait... fireandicphoenix? i'm to PM or text you later about ask you about doing a little a joint project *grinning* i just had an idea that i want to run with but i think i'll get you to post the story itself since we'll co-write it. i'll have one of my betas betaread the story though. i'm sure fireandicephoenix will say yes.

Macey: oh dear god... stop getting random ideas damn it! just concreate on your stories kerennie!

anyway, why was Naomi angry? because she doesn't like or do surprises. longwinded story there and don't really want to get into it. yes, poor Nix and Nic. Naomi did pull a weapon on them. yes, i think we all understand why Naomi hates being girl, not answering if that's also why Macey hates being girl too.

yes, Pops is right. they do all N for the start of their names. but Macey. Macey and Marco do both belong to the M category. yes, lols. i think we all respect and admire Whitebeard even more now. He won't and wouldn't ever force Naomi to tell him about her research or her family's. it's up to her to tell him whatever she wants. yes, the Marines but Garp and Sengoku and a small handful others, could learn from Whitebeard.

you will find what Naomi's means about 'turning innocent people into experiments' next omake chapter. Naomi's and her mother's relationship is very complicated.

Naomi: it was not heartless!

Nic and Nix: yes it kind was.

Naomi: shut up you too!

anyway... all will be relieved next omake chapter. okay, maybe not all. but close enough to it. why do they not admit it openly to the crew? because Marco doesn't want to and Naomi just doesn't care if they know or not. that's pretty much why. and yeah, pretty much, they didn't officially know till Naomi's death. they all had feelings, but having a feeling and actually knowing are completely and utterly different.

and thank you for acting as a shield to buy me time to find Naomi and her to distract Marco. here is the next chapter!

Don: next review

that's all of the reviews Don.

Don: oh... my bad *rubbing the back of his neck a little embarrassed that he hasn't noticed*

anyway guys, enjoy the chapter and if you have time, check out fireandicephoenix aka phoenix's story. i like the idea of the whole thing and have been giving phoenix a small hand with some characters. since we were able to meet up in the real world and told about some ideas and write them down and stuff. i'm not beta'ing for phoenix, i would if i could. but i can't, i'm too busy but at least phoenix was able to make some friends who should be able to help them.

i think if you like my stories that you might not mind theirs. i helped set up somethings up and have some OCs (none of my main OCs though) in their story. kind of helped with some characters and stuff. what? i use to let phoenix read with my account and i got phoenix into fanfics. we use to have reading them together before i even officially signed up. i also managed to convince them to start up their own account and to post a storyline i know they had for a while and then saw some SYOC future stories that i am following and favourited and decided that they wanted to write one too, since they had an idea for one.

Macey: anyway, kerennie doesn't own One Piece but does this story and many of the characters. other characters are owned by their respected owners.

ASL: enjoy the chapter!

*sighing* whatever. enjoy.

---

FFP Chapter 21

A few days in the future… North Blue to East Blue, somewhere on along the sea…

Doflamingo smiled, they finally had a number for the Freedom Fighters. It had taken a bit of time and a surprising amount of work, but they finally had a number to call. Plus, Doflamingo was waiting for Vergo to get back to him on and all information he can find on Captain Mace. And Doflamingo was still going over his books and his memories on why the name sounded so familiar… there had to be a reason why the damn name Mace was ringing a bell to him! But how and why!?

Doflamingo wish he knew why though! Why the hell does the name ring such a bell? Why does feel so important? Like he could use it to his advantage somehow.

"Doffy?" Baby 5 said knocking on the door. "There's a call for you."

"Thank you, Baby," Doflamingo said with a small nod as he took the snail from her. "You may go now. This is a private matter."

"Of course," Baby 5 nodded then closed the door behind her as she left the room so Doffy could talk to whoever he was going to talk to in private.

"Hello Corazon," Doflamingo smiled as he talked to the snail. "My first Corazon. How are we?"

"I am well Doffy," Vergo answered. "But I do not have long so we may make this quick please?"

"Of course," Doflamingo said with a small grin. "What have you found on our dear Captain Mace of the Freedom Fighters?"

"Vice Admiral Garp made a report and with that information I was about to find out who Captain Mace really is," Vergo answered.

Who she really is? What did Vergo mean by that? This sounds interesting and promising.

"Oh ho? What do you mean?" Doflamingo asked with a small frown on his face. He wasn't sure if this was good or not. Was this 'Mace' going to get in the way of their plans?

"You remember Aschgate?" Vergo asked, in an interesting sounding voice.

Aschgate? As in Naomi? As in Aschgate Naomi? The devil fruit researcher? Of course Doflamingo remembered the woman, she was the one who got away from him. The damn woman would have been very useful, well her family research would have been anyway. Too bad her and her family's research on devil fruit was destroyed.

"As in that woman researcher we met officially about ten years ago?" Doflamingo asked on in interest. Wasn't the island she from got destroyed or something around four years ago? Doflamingo had heard and had met the woman before ten years ago. But Doflamingo didn't officially meet or get to talk to her till ten years ago. She had a child with her at the time as well if Doflamingo's memory served correctly.

"Do you remember what she had called her child?"

"Something like Lacey? Mackenzie?" No wait, that was wrong. It rhythmed with Ace… Mace! It was Macey! An evil grin appeared on Doflamingo's face. "No, wait. It was Macey."

"Correct. This Captain Mace, she matches the only photo I could find of Aschgate Macey. Just older. I believe they are the same person…. And I wasn't the only one who was looking up information on her either. I was able to copy everything I could before the information suddenly disappeared and was permanently deleted. I am waiting on hard copies to come as well. Hopefully my contact will come back with the hard copy information."

Oh ho ho? Things had seemed to gotten interesting. Maybe Doffy won't be killing the crew of young Miss Captain Mace quite yet. Doffy should be able to use this information to his advantage somehow.

"Aschgate, hmm?" Doffy couldn't help but grin and smile evilly. He couldn't get his hands on the Aschgate Family research last time and he thought that he never would, with the research thought to have been destroyed when the island was and there were no reported survivors. Did that mean that he might have a chance to get it, finally? "That's an interesting ace card you just gave me Vergo. Thank you." Doflamingo was definitely going use it against Young Captain Mace, or should he say Young Captain Macey.

---

Present time… with the Freedom Fighters, Garp and Shao.

"Oh! Sabo, here you are!" Garp grinned as Max and he walked into the navigation room. Kaitlyn come into the room with Marc. Max handed Macey and Sabo some food. West was still hidden away in the ship, so he couldn't walk around freely at the moment. They needed to wait for Garp and his Marines to go before West could do that. So currently, West was being hidden away in the library that they had, which was really just a bedroom turned storage room with a lot of books in it. It was really where Macey stored all the unimportant books, a make-shifted library.

West will be able to move freely, once Garp and his friends leave.

"Thanks Max!" Macey smiled. "You're the best!"

Max blushed lightly as rubbed the back of his neck. The guy gets easily embarrassed sometimes. "Thanks Lady… I mean, thanks Captain Mace."

"I like your cook here young Mace!" Garp told Macey as Garp put his arms around Max's shoulders. Macey and Jack noticed right away that Max had flinched at the contact. It had nothing to do with Garp himself; Garp was an all right guy. For a marine. It had everything to do about Max's past. "He's very good!"

Max looked at Mace, partly afraid as he gripped a tray in his arms. Max had nightmares from his time as a cook and sex slave before Macey and the others saved him. So, unwanted contacted… it was not something that Max was quite used too. Especially from a stranger. The only ones who really touched Max at all are Macey when she gives hugs, Don or Sin when they pat Max on the shoulder or back lightly or Jack when he does a check-up. Other than that, no one touches Max- Marc doesn't like touching people, especially when he knows that they don't liked to be touched, like Max. So Marc avoids touching Max unless he is getting the cook's attention. Blue is rarely here and the only person that Blue normally touches is Jack. Red isn't a touchy-feely person, so the only real contact from the older guy is when he wants a person's attention. Max has never met G, so Max is not sure what he or she is like and Kaitlyn isn't really a touchy-feely either.

Though, the small touch that Max gets from touching people's hands lightly when he gives him food or a plate or whatever doesn't bother him. It's other forms of contact that he doesn't like and is uncomfortable with. Sabo and Ace doesn't really touch or hug Max, unless they are getting his attention and Luffy… well, he's Luffy. Max is still getting to use to the little rubber terror but Max didn't mind too much when Luffy touches him, after all, Luffy's a kid and he doesn't fully understand personal space.

Even with Sabo and Ace trying to explain it to him. All Luffy seems to understand with 'personal space', is that sometimes he shouldn't touch Max because Max doesn't like people touching him. but then Luffy forgets and ends up touching or hugging Max again later. So, Max was slowly getting use to Luffy and his… behaviour.

"Nice to know Garp-san," Macey said, with an odd-looking smile on her face. Garp better let Max go if he knows what is good for him, or Macey is going to cut his hand off. Macey doesn't want Max to feel or be uncomfortable in their ship, their home.

Shao removed Garp's arm from around the red hair cook as quickly as he could. Shao could see that the cook, Max. Shao could see that he did not seem uncomfortable with the contact that Garp was giving him, but that smile on Macey's face though… it reminded Shao of Naomi and the way she used to smile before she tried to break someone's arm or leg, or nose. The reason why was not always clear, but Shao knew that look. Shao might have only known Naomi for a week many years ago. But a facial expression like that… it was not something that anyone could forget quite so easily.

Shao could say one thing for sure- Macey was her mother's daughter. There are many things that Macey did that reminded Shao of Naomi. Then again, a child normally learned their mannerisms and behaviours from their parents. So, Shao could see all of Naomi's bad habits in Macey right now. As they were young Macey's bad habits as well. Like getting worked up and annoyed about being called 'girl'.

"I believe we are saying good-bye Garp," Shao said to Garp who just looked at Shao a little funny. Garp didn't seem to understand that he had been making Max uncomfortable without meaning too. "Good-bye Captain Mace," Shao nodded to her then to everyone else. "Good-bye Garp's grandsons. Good-bye Freedom Fighters."

"Good-bye Shao-san," Macey smiled. "Good-bye Elijah. Good-bye Garp."

"Bye bye Grandpa!" Luffy smiled. "Bye Blue! Bye Tiger man!"

Macey wasn't going to correct Luffy on that. Luffy was calling Blue, Blue because of his blue hair and because that's what the others were calling him before and with Shao, well, he pretty much does look like a Tiger man, so Macey saw no point in correcting Luffy on that.

"Luffy!" Sabo said in a stern voice. "It's Shao-san. Not Tiger man."

"But Tiger man is easier to remember!" Luffy whined.

How was Tiger man easier to remember then Shao?

"Bye," was all Ace said.

"Good bye Shao-san, Elijah-san and Shitty Gramps," Sabo smiled and bowed. "I hope we see each other again. But under different circumstances." In all honesty, Sabo didn't want to see Garp again. The man was insane, but still, he was family and Sabo's Shitty Gramps. Like it or not. So it was only polite to say 'I hope we see each other again, but under different circumstances.'

"Good-bye," the Freedom Fighters all said.

Kaitlyn said nothing, she technically wasn't a Freedom Fighter. She hasn't actually joined the crew, well, at least not officially anyway. But at the same time, it's not like she has said that she didn't want to join the crew officially either.

Don't get Kaitlyn wrong- the crew isn't too bad. A bit nosey and noisy but other than that, they're fine. They're really nice, funny, sweet, friendly, protective, generous and patience. Kaitlyn doesn't know if she wanted join, but Kaitlyn did know that whether she liked it or not, it did kind of hurt thinking about leaving and not seeing any of them again…

Captain Macey was really cool and nice. The cook, Max, could be a little pushy at times, but that was mostly because he was trying to get Kaitlyn to eat. Don, the First Mate, well, he kind of saved Kaitlyn's life and was the one who had brought her onto the ship. The doctor Jack, he was… Kaitlyn wasn't sure what to think of him- he was kind of bossy and pushy but at the same time he seemed to let the others walk over him. Marc, the musician, he was fine and had being telling and showing Kaitlyn a lot of his explosives, even said that Kaitlyn can help him test out a new explosive sometime. They couldn't test the new explosive out yet, they had to wait because Sin would kill them if they hurt eh ship, but he still said that she could help and she couldn't wait.

Then there were the brothers. Ace was kind of cool and interesting, he seemed to understand Kaitlyn's feelings about her parents and not wanting to be compared to them and not liking that people were going after her just because of who they are. Sabo was… Kaitlyn wasn't sure. He seemed to be okay and really nice, but she felt like there was something she was missing about him, like he was hiding something or something. Then there's Luffy… Kaitlyn was not sure what to make of Luffy at all, to say that he is unique and different is the understatement of the century. But, he wasn't too bad. Expect when he was being nosy and annoying.

But overall, they didn't seem too bad.

"We will see each other again! I will make sure of it!" Garp grinned as he hugged Luffy, Sabo, Ace and Macey. Why Macey too? Garp wasn't too sure, he just hugged her as well. It just felt right. Lavi stayed as far away as he could from Garp. And of course, Ace was protesting about the hug.

"Bye-Bye Blue," Lavi smiled and waved to said person.

"Bye-bye young Lavi," Blue smiled and waved back. "I'm sure we see each other again." Because Blue was going to be making sure of it. After all, Jack was here and there was no way in hell that Blue was going to leave Jack. "Good-bye, Doctor Jack…." For now, was left unsaid and Jack was blushing and not looking at Blue at all.

"Good-bye…" Jack muttered.

Garp looked between Blue and Jack for a moment. As if he was trying to get an understanding from something. But he said nothing as he shrugged it off, putting it down under- deal with it if it becomes a problem later on.

"Time to go then!" Garp said as he put Luffy, Sabo, Ace and Macey down. "We will see each other again my shitty grandsons and Captain Mace."

"Maybe on an unofficial matter next time would be best," Macey smiled and nodded. "Your welcomed aboard any time Garp-san. Just let me know when first please."

"Of course!" Garp laughed.

Why do they have a feeling that the visits are going to be random and out of the blue? (pun not intended) And without warning? Unless Blue knows about them and warns them about the visits first.

---

Alexia Island, New World, Whitebeard Pirates…

Marco was pacing. Marco has been a little on edge since talking to Macey. Everyone thought it would make him happy, which he was at first. Then suddenly he started to get his 'mama bird' look and started pacing. Like he was thinking about something, for some reason or was worried about something, for some reason. The problem was, no-one was sure what Marco was worried about.

"Marco my son, what is wrong?" Pops asked.

Marco stopped and looked at Pops. "I have a bad feeling Pops…"

What…?

"What about?" Vista asked. "Is it the same one like when…." Vista didn't finish the sentence. Everyone knew what Vista was talking about. They have lost many brothers, sisters and Naomi was just one of them over the years. So if Pops or Marco or anyone said they had a bad feeling, there was a reason behind it.

"No, not the same as when Cole died-yoi," Marco told Vista. "Remind me when we call Macey and West later, that West needs to visit Charlie and see how the kid is doing. Charlie still lives in the East Blue doesn't she?"

"Right," Vista nodded. Well, as far as they knew Charlie still lived in the East Blue, since that's where Colin was from. Charlie was Colin's younger sister, though Colin was enough to be Charlie's dad.

"I'm back!" a voice shouted across the deck.

The crew turned to see a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties though she looks like she is still in her twenties with long dark brown hair with blonde highlights that was tied back in a ponytail and dark shiny brown eyes, who was a hundred and seventy-three centimetres tall wearing long black jeans, dark brown laced boots, a grey, black and white shirt and a dark red jacket plus a pink headband to keep her hair out of her eyes. Her glasses were safely in their case in her black travel bag.

"Melody!" the crew cheered as the Head Nurse and Doctor walked into the Moby Dick. They had come to Alexia Island to pick Mel up. This was the island that Melody and her mother Eva were from before they met Whitebeard and his crew. Eva had left to be with Melody's father, when he died, Melody and Eva were stuck in the Grandline. Then they met Whitebeard and the others. Eva and Melody were the first to join Pop's crew, after Marco of course. Marco and Melody had both been very young when they had joined Pop's crews.

"Marc!" Melody pouted, seeing that Marco seemed to be pacing and worrying for whatever reason. She thought he would have given her hug or something by now. They pretty much grew up together and were as close as a brother and sister could be, blood didn't factor in at all. "Yo Marc! Marco!"

Melody was the only one in the whole crew who could get away with calling Marco Marc.

"Melody!" Haruta shouted and ran into her arms, hugging the older girl. "Your back! How was Mama Eva's funeral?"

Eva had passed away and Melody left to take care of a few things. Since Eva had left the crew due to her not really being to fight like she uses to be able and she didn't want to be a burden to Whitebeard, his crew, her family and to her daughter. So, Eva decided to go back to her island and be a doctor there.

Eva had left not long after they had found out about Naomi's death. Melody had gone with mother to make sure that she got to Alexia Island okay then came back. Melody and Marco pretty much had a talk and small cry together. Melody was the only one that Marco would talk to about the whole thing till Macey reappeared.

The Whitebeards' all did their own thing when they had heard that Eva had passed. It was okay though; she passed away peacefully in her sleep.

"It was okay, sad but it went well," Melody smiled then pointed to Marco. "What's wrong with Marc?"

"He has a bad feeling!" Haruta told Melody. Melody instantly looked worried. "But I don't know what about…"

"Pops?" Marco said finally speaking up and looking at his father. "I… I'm worried Macey."

The crew all sighed. They should have known, oh, wait. They did! They just don't know WHY Marco was worried about Macey right now.

"Oh? You don't think she is safe?" Pops asked.

"No, it's not that," Marco answered with a shake of his head. "It's more… it's just… I don't know why but… I… I have a feeling that Macey was not as happy or as fine as she was trying to make herself out to be when we were talking…"

"What do you mean?" Thatch asked.

"Yes Marco," Izo nodded in agreement. "What do you mean?"

"Macey and I talked for a while," Marco told them. They all knew that. And it totally wasn't because they were spying and eavesdropping on them or anything. "And things seemed to be really good. Then when I was saying good-bye to her since it was getting so late and she's still kid so she needs to sleep and rest… I don't know… it felt like she didn't want to stop talking to me…"

"Probably because you're her father and you two have never officially met?" Kingdew offered as an answer. "So she just wanted to talk and get to know you better?"

"I don't think that's it-yoi," Marco shook his head. "Macey… she witnessed her mother's death. She watched her home being destroyed and her family research and legacy. And she couldn't do anything about it. How would that make any of us feel? Let alone a kid? Imagine how scary and frustrating that would have been…"

No-one said anything as they thought about it. It would have felt horrible and they would have hate it. It would have been terrifying not being able to do anything when you would think you should have done or should be doing something to help. Let along being a kid and that happening… Macey must have nightmares and scary flashbacks and stuff…carrying such a burden… it would haunt them, let alone a kid.

Wait… is there someone in the crew that Macey can talk to about this?

"You think that Macey could have trauma?" Melody said. Reading where Marco was going with this. "Like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or something? You think she didn't want to hang up because she didn't want to go to sleep and have nightmares?"

"Exactly-yoi," Marco nodded then noticed Melody. "Oh, welcome back Melody. I hope everything was fine with your trip and the funeral?"

Melody looked annoyed then went to kick Marco in the head, but it didn't work. Marco easily caught Melody's leg.

"Asshole!" Melody told him.

"Nice to see you again too," Marco lightly chuckled.

Okay, Whitebeard can't blame Marco for being worried about Macey. Especially with reasoning like that. Whitebeard hoped that his granddaughter is okay and that she does have someone to talk to and share her burden with. It would not be good if she was keeping things bottled up.

"You think she has someone to talk to about this?" Pops asked.

Marco sighed as he let go of Melody's leg, who just looked really annoyed at him then stuck her tongue out at him.

"I hope she does-yoi… but I don't know… it was just a sense and feeling I got Pops," Marco told his father. "I'm worried about her… I don't know if the girl I was talking to- the happy and go-lucky person is the real Macey or just a mask she puts on to make everyone else around her happy and feel better… I'm worried Pops."

"What are you going to do about it then?" Pops asked, now worried himself. "You can always make Macey and her crew come here to the New World. But that could also put them in danger since they are kids and I don't know how well they will be handle things here. Even though we can always put them on one of our protected islands to hide them and have them train. But if Macey is anything like Naomi, which I believe my grand-daughter will be…."

"She won't like that," Marco sighed knowing what Pops meant. Marco knew and was sure of one thing, Macey was his and Naomi's daughter. So there was no way in hell that Macey would want to be put on an island for her and her crew's 'own safety'. "Macey is so much like her mother I don't know what she has even gotten from me, other than my clothes, hair colour and eye colour-yoi."

"I'm sure she has your smarts Marco," Vista told Marco.

"Her mother was even smarter than me-yoi," Marco reminded Vista. It was true, Naomi was the smartest person that Marco knew. She just had a very childish personality at times and did not like being told she was wrong, since it was very rare for her to ever be wrong in the first place. "Despite her short temper and unique attitude towards things and people, she was a fucking genius."

"Then again, you had to be a genius to understand anything that she wrote in that book of hers with research," Thatch told Marco, reminding Marco that Naomi did write in code to keep her family research safe from anyone or anything thinking of stealing or looking at it. "And to understand devil fruits and stuff too. Plus, she spoke like every language known to freaking mankind! How many people do you know who speak that many languages and pretty much sound like a local?"

"You both know what I mean," Vista sighed and shook his head at them. "Naomi was ridiculously book smart but her sea-smarts and street-smarts were… interesting to say the least. Let's just hope that Macey has some of Marco's smarts in there, not just her mothers or I feel sorry for that crew of hers. They have no idea what they have gotten themselves in for."

"Like we ever did when it came to Naomi," Namur said. "That lady was just crazy. We never knew what was going to happened with her."

"Naomi wasn't crazy!" Melody told them. A little annoyed that they could say those things about her, especially since she was dead and couldn't beat the hell out of them for saying them. Wait… that was probably why they were saying those things, but that's not the point right now! They still shouldn't be saying things like that about Naomi! "She was just a little different and didn't take shit from no-one. There's a difference!"

That was saying it nicely…

"What do you want to do Marco?" Pops asked him. It was Marco's decision on what they should do, Macey was his daughter after all. Everyone turned and looked at Marco.

Marco sighed as he thought about it. "I'll just see how things go… if my feeling gets worse or if it is really bad like when I met Melody for the fifth anniversary in the West Blue. Then I will drag her and her crew here, kicking and screaming if I have too-yoi."

"What's going on everyone?" Teach asked, just now getting back from a small mission that he had been sent on.

"Nothing Teach," Marco smiled. He remembered how Naomi didn't like Teach, especially his interest in her family's devil fruit research. It might be better to not talk too much about Macey around him. "Back to work everyone-yoi!" Marco told them all as he took Melody's bags. "Maybe we talk more in private Mel?"

"Sounds like a plan," Melody nodded. "Come along Haruta!" dragging their youngest crew member with them.

Teach just looked around him as everyone went back to doing whatever it was they were doing or going and doing chores. What was that about?

---

A few days later… An island in the East Blue…

Britta stay hidden behind some carts till the voices she recognised disappeared. Damn that was close. Britta really needs to get out and off this island! But how? And where to?

Britta looked around the docks just where she was hidden quickly. A ship…?

Free Flyer- that was an odd name for a ship but at the same time it was kind of interesting. Britta looked around her quickly and show no-one then climbed onto the ship quickly as she looked around it. She could tell it was being used by someone, well, at least by some group. Who though…. Britta wasn't sure.

An idea hit Britta, it was risky because if she got caught, only the sea gods would know what would happen to her. But, if Britta stayed on this ship, but hidden somewhere, probably wherever they have their cargo. Then she can leave the ship at the next island or maybe even the next blue depending on where this ship is going!

It was risky since Britta didn't know who the owner was or how they would react if they found her… but it was better than staying here! Especially after she had seen that the Marines had put a bounty on her head. She couldn't stay on the island anymore, so she'll just leave and hid on this ship. Everything should be fine as long Britta doesn't get caught.

Now… where would the cargo area be…? That would be the best place to hide.

---

Sin looked at the chick who just hopped onto the Free Flyer. Who was she and what was she doing on his ship? Well, on the Freedom Fighters' Ship, but it was partly his. Sin did build her after all.

"That way," Sin heard the girl mutter to herself.

Wait… no, she wasn't a girl. She seemed to be older than Sin since he was sixteen. She seemed to be closer to Jack's and Blue's age than Sin's but she wasn't older than Red. So, she must be around eighteen, so yeah, that would make her around the same age as Blue and Jack. But who she was and what was doing on the Free Flyer? She was not a member of the crew, they only had two female members- their Captain Mace who was twelve and their newest female… now that Sin thinks about it, is Kaitlyn actually officially a member of the crew?

Not like it mattered right now.

Speaking of Macey. Since they left Garp, the Marines, Shao and Blue. They decided to stop at this island to restock up on food and because West wanted to take Macey shopping for presents or something. Wanting to spend some uncle-daughter time with her or something. They left a little while ago…

Sin hopes that Jack or Max or hell, even Don had warned West to not take Macey to pub or tavern. Because if Macey ended up drinking alcohol… it did not end for someone and Sin DID NOT want to be that person.

---

Jack sighed as he looked through the medical records of the crew. Damn it, this can't be right and yet it was. Jack was going to have to talk to Max about this. This was not a good, not a good thing at all. Good thing that Marc is doing the shopping with Lavi, Kaitlyn, Ace, Sabo and Luffy right now.

People would freak out if they saw Don, Jack doesn't understand why people are scared or get freaked by Fishman, especially one like Don, he was really nice and cool. So Don was in the kitchen with Max right now. Max got too nervous in big crowds or group of people so someone else normally does the shopping, just with a shopping list that Max had written. Sin rarely leaves the ship, only doing it when he feels comfortable, which is a rare thing.

"I need to talk to Max…" Jack sighed as he grabbed Macey's folder again. He needed to double check with Max on his concern. Something was not right and he needed to talk to Max about this. It didn't matter if Don heard about it, he was the First Mate and he should know when things are going on with the captain, especially something that is, to Jack, as concerning as this.

---

Sin looked over a store he could see from the mast of the ship. It looked like had…

Sin noticed Jack and let go of the mast, landing on his feet right next to the doctor, scaring the hell out of older teen at the same time. Sin was use to falling and landing on his feet, he jumps or falls from the masts of the ship all the time. So the crew should be used to it by now too since Sin does it all the time.

"Holy shit!" Jack shouted as he felt something land right next to him. So the young doctor looked and noticed that it was just Sin. "For fuck sakes Sin! Don't scare me like that!" Seriously, why does Sin do that? It freaks Jack and the others out every single time he does! Though… they should be used to it by now… but still!

"I'm leaving the ship for a few minutes to check something out," Sin told Jack.

Jack was a little in shock. Sin was leaving the ship? To check something out?

"Where and why?" was all came out of Jack's mouth. After all, this was Sin. He doesn't just leave the Free Flyer to 'check anything' out. Unless there was a good reason for it. So why was Sin doing it now?

"I thought I saw something and I want to check it out," was all Sin said then he pointed to the toy store which only confused Jack more. "I'm going over for a few minutes. If I am not back in five minutes. Please come looking for me."

Jack just sighed. Macey is the weird and mysterious one, not Sin. So why was he acting like this right now?

"Okay, sure," Jack said waving it off. Jack would just ask Don about it. Don knows Sin best, after the Captain. Since Jack is pretty sure if he asks Macey about it, she will say to ask or talk to Don or Sin about it. So it was just quicker and easier to ask Don, since Sin would most likely not answer.

Sin gave a small smile and nodded. Jumping from the deck of the ship to the dock without any effect in it at all.

Jack swore he is the most normal one in this crew. As normal as a run away Marine brat who is in love with a guy who looks like girl, who is pretty much his best friend and who is a doctor though he has no formal training except for what his mother who was a marine doctor has taught him and what he has learned through book, can be normal…. Right… there is nothing normal about that….

No-one else on this crew could be normal… were they?

Jack sighed and shook his head. Still, out of everyone here. Jack is the most normal. Jack just kept walking towards the kitchen. He needed to talk to Max about Captain Mace… then talk to Don about Sin.

Sin walked right to the window and he stared at the toy in front of him. It was a dog… it looked like the one… it… it looked just like the one from Sin's childhood that he had given to Soul after the Celestial Dragon forced Sin to eat his fruit and then kill everyone he ever knew and loved… the small dog… Sammy….

That's the name that Sign and Soul had given the dog- Sammy, an S name, like theirs and their parents and little Soul's. Sammy was all that Sin and Soul had left from their home, from their town, from their childhood and from their island. Sammy had disappeared when Soul was killed, all of Soul's old life and his life at the time- it had all died when Soul died. Sin felt like his whole life had died when Soul had been killed.

Sammy… Soul…

Sin put his hand up to the window, it looked weird to the people walking around. It was nice looking, the toy and was from the New World. Just like Sin and Soul were. All Sin could see when he saw the toy was Soul's smiling face and the few good and nice memories that Sin did have. All of them with Soul. Though those memories were also of that time when he was that bastard and was killing people. But still… the happy memories of Soul and him… Sin missed those times. Sin missed Soul.

"Can I help sir?" a young female store clerk asked. Though, she was around the same age of Sin.

"The dog…" Sin said looking and pointing at the stuff toy grey and brown dog in the window. "It is from the New World?"

"Yes, it was very popular over there for many years so the company has decided to try here in the Blues after a huge success in the Grandline," the clerk explained. "Well, at least that's what I was told sir. They say you name the dog yourself. Why?"

"I'm from the New World," Sin lightly smiled. "I remember having one when I was younger when I lived there… but, it got lost before I was young teen."

The clerk nodded her head. "Would you like to buy one? To replace the one, you lost?"

Sin looked at the window. It might be childish and Sin didn't know how the others would react… but yes, Sin wanted another one.

"I would very much like that," Sin smiled and the young female clerk blushed. She had never seen such a cute guy, nor has she never met or seen anyone from the New World.

"Of course sir," the girl nodded. "Come with me and I will organise it for you… what would you like to call him?"

Sin smiled again, though Sign and Sin called the dog Sammy. Soul has always called the toy by a different name.

"Doggy," Sin smiled, already knowing what he was going to tell the toy. He was going to name the toy the same name that Soul called it. No matter how many times Sin had told Soul the dog was called Sammy, Soul kept calling him Doggy. "That's what my baby brother use to call ours before he died and Sammy was lost"

---

"Max?" Jack said as he knocked on the kitchen door and opened it. "We need to talk. Do you some time?"

Don and Max looked over at Jack.

"Sure Jack…" Max nodded, a little nervous about why Jack wanted to talk. "What is going on? What do we need to talk about?"

"It's about the captain," Jack said as he closed the door behind him and came into the kitchen.

"What about the captain?" Don asked worried.

"This going to sound crazy and maybe a little rude," Jack signed as he put the file on the bunch and sat down at it. "It will sound crazy and you might not understand what I am talking about. But I am worried about the Captain's weigh."

"What…?" Don and Max both said looking at him. Max looked at Jack very confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The captain eats a lot, yes?" Jack said putting out some papers. "More than most of us. Nearly every day, correct?"

"Right…" Max nodded, confused on why he was asked this.

"Did you know that we all have an average height and weight?" Jack said looking at Don and Sin seriously. "For our ages and our sexes? It is different for Mermen, Mermaids and Merfolk of course. I do not know the numbers for them, but I do know the approximate numbers for humans." Showing Don and Max the paperwork that he had. "For example, the average weight for a 9 year old is 29 kilograms or 64 pounds and the average weight of a 12 year old is 41.71 kilograms or 92 pounds. There's a 12.71 kilogram or 28 pounds difference."

Max and Don nodded their heads, not fully understanding what Jack was talking about but they understand enough. But why was Jack asking or telling them this?

"When I joined- Macey was 9 and weighed around 29.5 kilograms or 65 pounds," Jack told the First Mate and the Cook. "I'm worried, because Macey has always been tall for her age, especially for a girl. No offence meant to the captain, we all respect her. But I am worried, she still somehow only weighs 29.5 kilograms or 65 pounds. I do not understand how the captains weight is still the same as it was 3 years ago. That should be wrong, no matter what happens. Macey should not weigh the same as she did 3 years ago, especially with and considering how much Macey eats. I do not understand how this is possible."

"…." Neither Max or Don said anything. They weren't sure what to say or think about this.

"How the hell doesn't the captain gain any weight!?" Jack said in frustration. "The captain is underweight for not only her age but her height as well! Do you have idea what kind of damage that does to a body?!"

"No…" Max answered. Now Jack was just confusing Max. Was this the same as Max trying to get Kaitlyn to eat because she looks so thin and pale and hungry? Or was this was something else? Could the same thing be happening to young Miss Kaitlyn? Just minus the whole bit of her being tall for her age?

"No idea," Dona answered and agreed with Max. "But I'm guessing you know."

"Yes, and it is not good!" Jack told them then sighed. "It is not good at all…"

"Why does it matter…?" Max asked. Confused on why they were talking about this. "Why are we talking about this?"

Don sighed as he nodded his head in agreement. "Max is right Jack. Why does it matter? And why are talking about this?"

Jack sighed. "I might be worrying about nothing… but I am worried about her. Macey eats a lot of food. Before the boys joined," talking about Ace, Luffy and Sabo. "The Captain was the one who ate the most food. Still eats and give those boy's a good run for their money when it comes to eating food."

"I guess so," Don nodded.

"Weight is something that goes up and down," Jack told them. "It is not something that stays the same. Weigh does not stay exactly the same, especially for 3 years."

"I guess so…" Max slowly nodded and agreed as he thought about it.

Don sighed. "Can we not talk about Captain's weigh like this? It does not feel right. Sure Jack, we can worry about it and maybe we will say something to the Captain about maybe putting a little bit more weight on so that she doesn't hurt her body. But we can stop talking about it like this? It does not feel right."

"Okay, sorry Don," Jack nodded. happy to see that Don did agree with Jack about having to talk to Macey about it. After all, a 12 year old who is tall for their age should not weigh the same as an 9 year old.

"We're not going to start talking young Miss Kaitlyn and her weight, now are we?" Don asked.

Jack laughed till he realised that Don was serious. "What? God, no. I will help Max work on a diet plan for Kaitlyn, since she is a little underweight for her age as well. But it's not something that worrying since she is also on the smaller size for her age. It will just take some time for her to get use to us and to trust, after all, she is use to not eating all of the time. It will just take her body time to adjust being with us is all."

"Good," Don and Max nodded. "Because I do not want to this conversation again, about any crew mate ever again." Don added.

"Noted Don," Jack lightly smiled. Jack will try to have this conversation with Don again, unless it was utterly necessary. "Though… I do want to talk to you about Sin."

"Argh," Don half whined and half sighed. Then the Fishman fully sighed and looked at Jack. Don swears if this is about Sin's weight, he is going to strangle Jack. And if it is about Sin not sleeping again, well, there wasn't anything that Don could do about that. He tried in the past and didn't work or success, so why would it now? "About what Sin?"

"He left the ship," Jack said and Max and Don both looked shocked. Sin did what? But Sin never leaves the ship, unless he really has too. Other than that, Sin pretty much never leaves ship. "He was looking at a toy store."

"Oh," Don commented and Max looked confused as hell. Don wasn't that surprised or worried or shocked anymore.

"A toy store…?" Max slowly said looking between Don and Jack.

"Do you know why?" Jack asked Don.

"Sin has a very complicated past, as you know Jack," Don told their doctor, who nodded his head in agreement. Complicated was the nicest way of putting it. The physical, emotional and psychotically damaged done to Sin, the scars that will heal and others that will not. Jack knows only a few of them, mostly the physical ones- like scars, bruises, past breaks of bones and things like that. Jack knows about them, not the whole story but little things. Sin use to be a slave after all, like Don and Max. There are just some scars that may never heal. "It was a little before my time and just as I got there. Sin had a younger brother called Soul, who the bastard used against Sin every chance he got." Jack nodded his head. Jack remembers Sin letting something spilt about having no living family and how he had once been close to a younger brother till he was killed. It was the whole reason behind Sin's attitude when they had first met. Sin has changed a bit since then. Sin doesn't try to kill himself every other night anymore. "Sin had given Soul a toy dog from their childhood home when they were taken. It was lost when Soul died…. When he was killed. Sin was a completely different person to the one I had met when that had happened. Sin pretty much raised Soul. Soul had been Sin's baby brother. So when Sin had lost Soul, to Sin, for Sin. It was literally like losing a part of himself. All Sin had was Soul."

"I know," Jack lightly smiled. "So you think Sin might have seen a toy similar to the one he had given his little brother and went to buy it?"

"It's a possibility," Don nodded. "But you never know."

Jack lightly nodded his head then sighed as he looked Don dead in the eyes. "Sin isn't sleeping again, is he?"

Don sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't think he is."

"I saw Sin sleeping the other day," Max told them. "I don't know how long he slept for or anything… but when I was doing lunch. He was asleep on top of his desk. I moved his work away and put a blanket on him."

Jack sighed as he shook his head. "Sin had probably passed out. Not fallen asleep. I'm going to need to talk to him again about his sleeping habits. Just sleeping for an hour or two here or there every few nights is not good for the body."

"I thought you were giving Sin sleeping pills?" Don inquired. Only just remembering that Jack had said something about giving Sin so sleeping pills to help him sleep at night time.

"I need to organise to get some more," Jack told the Don. "Even if I give them to Sin, it is up to him to take them."

That was true. They couldn't force their Shipwright to take the sleeping pills. Even if he really needed too.

"Did anyone tell West to make sure that the Captain doesn't drink?" Max asked the Doctor and First Mate. "We know what Captain Mace is like drunk. The others don't. Someone told West to make sure that she doesn't drink right? And someone has warned the others what the captain is like when she is drunk, right?"

"No…" Jack and Don said at the same time. Shit!

"We'll have to warn the others when they get back then," Max sighed- half not believing that they had completely forgotten about that small little fact.

They just need to pray to any and all sea gods that Macey doesn't drink any alcohol and that she doesn't get drunk. The Captain is a damn handful when that happens, and she is even more annoying and childish as well.

Max, Don and Jack just prayed that Ace, Sabo, Luffy, Kaitlyn, Lavi and Marc get back before Macey and West do.

---

Many hours later…

West watched on nervously as Macey was having a drinking contest with some men in the tavern that they stopped at for some food. Why does West have a strange feeling that he was going to be murdered by someone? And that, that someone was NOT going to be Marco? Though, if Marco ever finds out that West let Macey drink at a tavern, let alone let her get into a drinking contest… West wouldn't live to see another day, ever. He would be as dead as dead could be.

Shit… what has West gotten himself into?

West just prayed to all of the sea gods in all of the seas that Macey is nothing like Naomi when it comes to being drunk. Naomi was not a fun person to be around when she was drunk, especially if she had been mad at you before she was drinking. Naomi was an emotional drunk, taking out whatever feeling she had for you. For Marco, well, he was lucky, she loved him so he just got kisses and a happy Naomi. Some others, well, they were not lucky. If people thought Naomi was scary when she was sober, it was nothing compared to scary drunk Naomi. That Naomi was the cause of many nightmares and emotional scarring for many of the Whitebeards.

"Uncle West!" Macey grinned the declared, "I win!" As all of the people that Macey had been drinking against, were out cold on the floor. Well, at least West knew one thing for sure, Macey could drink people under the table like Naomi could. Then again, Marco could do the same thing.

"Maybe we should go back to the ship Mace," West awkwardly smiled to his young niece. West made a mental note right here and now to never challenge Macey to a drinking contest, the kid would and could easily out drink him. He tired to forget the time that Naomi had laughed at him for being a total lightweight…

"Okay!" Macey smiled as she jumped from her seat to her uncle and gave him a hug. Drinks was just want Macey needed after the past few days that she has. Plus, it had been fun to go shopping with her uncle and get presents and stuff as well. "Let's go!"

---

"Macey is what…?" Sabo asked as looked at Jack funny. Sabo, Ace, Luffy, Lavi, Kaitlyn and Marc had gotten back and had been helping Max put the food away when Jack and Don had been giving them a warning about how Macey acts when she drunk. Sin had been the kitchen when Sabo and the others got here. Sabo wasn't sure if he should believe what Jack and Don were telling him, Ace, Luffy, Lavi and Kaitlyn about, well, more like warning them, but not the point.

"Macey is allowed to drink!?" Ace asked- sounding and looking really jealous over the small fact that Macey could drink. "Does that mean…"

"No!" Don and Jack both said at the same time. "You guys are not allowed to drink! We barely let Macey do it, especially after… especially since…." the two of them and Max shivered. It was kind of scary sometimes when Macey was drunk.

"Captain Mace can be possessive when she is drunk," Max said.

"How possessive?" Luffy asked out of curiosity. Since Luffy knew roughly what that word meant. It means someone who wanted lots of attention of someone else. Or something like that, well, at least that's how Luffy understood it. "What is being drunk? And what do you mean when she drinking? Like juice or something?"

"Like sake Lu," Sabo told Luffy. "Alcohol."

"Oh…" Luffy nodded- understanding fully now. Wait, weren't they were too young to drink? Was Macey was too young to drink too right? "Isn't Macey too young to drink?"

"There's no official legal drinking age," Sin sighed- not actually knowing if there was an official drinking age or not. "But drinking or alcohol is something very rare for us. It is not an everyday thing. And we try our hardest to not let the captain get drunk as well as we try our hardest to not let her drink at all. Macey not only gets possessive when she is drunk but she also goes through what we call FPS- 'Favourite Person Syndrome' and it's a pain in the ass, let's just say that."

"Marc, Blue, Red and G have been lucky enough to not be victims of Macey's drunkenness possessiveness as well as they have been lucky to not go through Macey's FPS mode." Jack told and explained to the others. "It is scary and annoying. Sin, Max, Don or myself normally end up being the victim of Macey's drunk attention."

Really…?

"You mean unlucky enough that I haven't," Marc told them as he crossed his arms and put a pout on his face.

"No, we mean lucky," Sin, Max, Don and Jack said all at the same time. Marc has no idea how lucky he is that Macey hasn't been drunk possessive with him. Marc is seriously the luckiest person in the crew. Minus G, Blue and Red since they aren't here so it's not like Macey can be possessive drunk with them.

"What do you mean?" Ace asked, even more confused now.

"You kind of have to see it to understand what we talking about," Max sighed- since he wasn't sure how else to explain it. "But it is not something that is an enjoyable experience at all. Let me tell you."

"Though," Jack commented. "Somehow the captain is lucky." Almost sounding jealous for a moment. What was Jack talking about now?

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

"Most people have to go through a hangover or after effects of drinking, after being drunk," Jack explained as simply as he could for Luffy. "Mace is lucky as she does not get hangovers or get sick or have after effects or side effects from drinking alcohol. No matter how much it was. Macey is always perfectly fine in the morning. She is always completely normal. It is kind of scary… and kind of annoying… and not at all normal."

"And we're all kind of jealous," Marc told their new friends. "I mean, we all would get headaches and be sick while the captain would be pretty fine, as if it had never happened. It's odd. The Captain is completely and utterly normal…. Well, as normal as the Captain can be anyway."

The words normal and Macey do not really belong in the same sentence. There is nothing 'normal' about Captain Mace, nothing at all.

"So if the captains say 'mine' or anything like that about a single person," Don told their newest members and friends. "Please do not take offence to it and try to ignore it. It's just the captain being a possessive drunk. Okay?"

"Okay!" Luffy nodded, still not fully understanding what the Freedom Fighters were talking about but said okay anyway.

Lavi and Kaitlyn looked at each nervously then slowly nodded their heads in understanding. Sabo just sighed and nodded while Ace just shrugged it off as if it was nothing. As if it was no big deal. Probably because it didn't seem like a big deal to Ace.

Hopefully they don't have to ever deal with or have to experience drink Macey then. Because drunk Macey sounds like a pain in the ass.

"Sabo!" Macey's voice shouted- echoing throughout the whole ship. What the hell…?

Everyone looked at Sabo who looked just as confused and shocked that Macey had shouted his name out like that, like the others did. Why was Macey shouting his name?

The kitchen door was kicked opened and Macey came running in.

Don and Jack were both frowning. They could smell the alcohol and could tell by the way that Macey was moving and talking that she was drunk. God damn it! Why!?

"You're my favourite person! Sabo!" Macey smiled as she tackled him to the ground and hugged him. "Mine! My favourite!"

"Captain…?" Sabo said looking confused.

"She's drunk," Don sighed and told the poor confused blonde. The kid would have no idea what is going on, while the others do. This is what Macey is like when she is drunk after all. "West?" the First Mate said eyeing Macey's Uncle. "Do you care to explain this?" looking annoyed and pissed as hell. Jack looked annoyed and pissed as hell as well.

"Macey got into a drinking competition…." West nervously answered. "And she won. I swear! I tried to stop it but they were very insisted on it and… well…. Let's just say, Macey got her stubbornness from her mother."

"Of course, the Captain did," Marc sighed but then smiled proudly. "She can drink anyone under the table. And of course the Captain's stubborn! She's stubbornness person we know!"

They all looked over to Sabo, who seemed to be the poor victim of Macey's drunk attention right now. Macey's favourite person when she is drunk is normally either the person who made Macey the happiest or the one who seemed to be need attention and cheering up the most. Which is why Max, Sin, Don and Jack normally end up being the targets. They either normally end up making the captain happy or they are the ones who normally end up needing the cheering up.

Sabo would have made Macey the happiest this time for joining the crew. Don, Max, Sin and Jack really should have seen this coming.

"Luffy! Ace!" Macey smiled as she hugged them. Ace blushed as he had not been expecting it. "Lavi! Kaitlyn!" Macey hugged them. Kaitlyn looked unimpressed while Lavi looked confused to why they were getting hugs too. "My family!" giving everyone else hugs. Sabo looked confused again to what was going on. Then Macey tackled him down to the ground, again and hugged him more. "Sabo's my favourite though! My Sabo!"

"Don't call our brothers yours!" Ace yelled at Macey. Luffy looked confused on why Ace was yelling at Macey. Didn't Don and Jack and the others just tell them that Macey gets like sometimes?

Macey just pouted at Ace who froze in place. What the hell…? How does she make a face like that!? It was… it was… it was cute! God damn it! It reminded Ace of Luffy when he was pouting! Why?!

"Mine!" Macey whined hugging Sabo more. "Sabo's mine! He's my favourite person! My best friend! Mine! My Sabo!" Hugging Sabo even more.

God… damn… it… Sabo can't breathe and he can't help but blush.

"Captain, you're drunk." Marc told her.

Macey spat her tongue out and just smiled and giggled as she hugged Sabo.

"Was the Captain's mother like this when she was drunk?" Max asked West.

"Nope," West answered. "Naomi normally just hang over Marco being all loving dovely and anyone who had annoyed her that day had to stay clear of her."

"Why?" Lavi asked.

"Because Naomi was vicious," West answered- remembering it happening to a few people, himself being the target once. "Naomi was kind of ridiculously strong, especially for a woman. And she did not know how to hold back or know how to hold back when drunk. Naomi was scary sober, let alone when she was drunk."

Okay. Maybe they are lucky to only have a possessive drunk. A scary drunk who could kill you was much worse than a possessive drunk.

"Captain," Don lightly smiled. "One- I am your best friend. I am your First Mate. Two- if you are not carefully you will cut off Sabo's air supply and he won't be able to breath. And three- I thought I was your favourite?"

Macey looked at Don for a moment, as if she was thinking what he had said over then she spat her tongue out at him. "No! You're my First Mate! My first friend! Sabo is my best friend! And is my favourite!" Loosening her grip on the younger blonde slightly so she didn't cut off his air supply and kill him. "So there!"

Don sighed. Macey was hard to talk to and reason with when she gets like this. But at least Sabo has air and can breath again.

"Okay Captain, whatever you say." Jack smiled- finding it was easier to agree with drunk Macey than to argue with her. "How about we go lay down for a little bit while Max cooks dinner? Hmm?"

"Only if Sabo comes too!" Macey pouted. When Macey was drunk, sometimes she acts her age, or sometimes she just acts like a five year ready to throw a hissy fit if she doesn't get her way.

"I'm sure Sabo won't mind," Jack smiled to said blonde.

God damn it…

"I guess I could do with a lay down…" Sabo said seeing that Jack was asking him to do it with his eyes.

"Yay!" Macey cheered.

"What if Marco calls?" West asked.

"This is your fault, you can tell him," Jack told West. That was not a conversation that West looking forward to…. Maybe West can just lie to Marco and say that Macey fell asleep early since they had a busy day?

---

The next day…

"You sure you should go Uncle West?" Macey asked him as they were having breakfast. With no signs that she had been drunk yesterday. Yeah… that was scary and at all not normal. Even Naomi showed signs of a hangover, the only one who didn't normally was Marco because of his phoenix powers. Damn lucky bastard, but what was the chance that Macey inherited that from Marco. Next to impossible, after all, devil fruit powers can't be passed on like that. Or could they?

"Yeah, I better," West said as he was finishing up his breakfast. "I'm already in trouble with Marco as it is. If I delay going back, I'll be in even more shit."

"Okay, say hi to everyone for me," Macey smiled as she finished eating.

Macey finished eating then followed West as he left the kitchen.

Sin had West's little ship all sent up and ready to go. They had left the island they were at yesterday. That way no-one could see West leave them with his Whitebeard Pirate Flag flying high and proud.

"Be good Macey," West told his young and very beloved niece. "And try to not cause us to have too many heart-attacks. Okay?" After all, Macey was family and they worried about their reckless relative.

"I make no so such promises," Macey told West. "It's better to not a promise something that I know I won't be able to keep."

West laughed lightly as the other Freedom Fighters, Ace, Luffy and Kaitlyn all were now here to say good-bye to West. West should have known that was Macey was going to say tgat, Naomi said something similar if not the same when she left them.

"Everything is good to go West," Sin told him.

"You guys can all call me Uncle West if you like," West told Sin with a happy and proud smile on his face. "If Macey says and sees you all as family then that's what you are. Family. If you ever need us, call and we will be there. Got it?"

"Thank you," Don nodded as Sin just looked at West funny. "Uncle West."

"Hope we see you again Uncle West!" Luffy grinned as he gave the man a hug and Ace looked conflicted on what to do. Yell at the man for saying that they can call him Uncle West or yell at Luffy for actually calling the man it.

Sabo lightly laughed at Luffy who was so easy to accept the offer to call West, Uncle West.

"I hope we see each other one day," West smiled to everyone. "And that you can all meet the crew. Pops and the others would love you all."

"We'll meet the Whitebeards in about five or so years Uncle West!" Macey smiled. "Just depends on our training goes. Right guys?"

"Right Mace!"

"You plan on coming to the New World in five years?" West asked Macey a little surprised.

"Yep!" Macey smirked. "There are islands there I want to visit. They were islands that were very close to my family and that we were allied with them and stuff. Every Aschgate should visit them. I remember my mum and uncles say that. So that's what I plan on doing. And the crew might as well come with me. And Luffy and Ace of course too. Good places to train are in the New World. After all, if you want to stronger you have to go where the stronger opponents are. Right?" Macey grinned at Luffy and Ace who both had stars in their eyes and nodded their heads in agreement. They wanted to fight as many strong opponents as they could so that they become strong in return.

"But I will become the King of Pirates!" Luffy declared. "And find the One Piece!"

"Of course, Luffy!" Macey smiled to him. "I wouldn't dream of taking that away from you!"

"Not if I get there first!" Ace teased his younger brother. "After all, I get to leave before you do."

"Shut up Ace! I will beat you!" Luffy told his brother.

"Oh yeah?!" Ace shouted.

"Yeah!" Luffy shouted right back.

Sabo sighed as he shook his head. "Okay you two, break it up." Getting between his two brothers since it looked like they were about to start fighting for real. "Good bye West."

West laughed and smiled. "You're going to have your hands full. Between those two and Macey. I wish you good luck young Sabo."

"Hey!" Ace and Luffy complained as Macey just shrugged her shoulders. It was probably true, Sabo was going to have his hands full between Macey, Ace and Luffy. The three of them will probably be a handful. But if anyone can handle it, Sabo can.

"I'm sure Sabo is up to the job!" Macey smiled.

"Mace!" Ace and Luffy whined.

"I'm sure he is," West laughed. "Good-bye."

Everyone waved good-bye as West sailed away. Waving good-bye till neither West or Macey, Freedom Fighters, Ace, Luffy and Kaitlyn couldn't see each other. Kaitlyn just watched them all waved with Ace. Neither of them waved, Ace and Kaitlyn didn't see the point of waving good-bye to West.

"Let's go to the next island!" Macey cheered.

Zoom. Zoom. Zoom. Zoom.

Is that a snail ringing…?

"Captain?" Jack asked not sure what is going on.

Macey looked confusingly to her left-hand side, towards where the communication room and pulled a snail out of her pocket. It seems even the captain has no idea who is calling or why.

"Who the hell is calling us?" Macey said- looking confused. "It's not G or Blue or Red…" they would have used a different snail, aka the snail in her hand and that she had pulled out of her pocket. If not this one, then another snail in her room. But the point is, is that it was not most likely not Blue, Red or G. "And it's not my dad… I left that snail in my room… is that the communication room snail? Who the hell is calling us?"

There was no way in hell it was Garp. He didn't have their number, Macey and the others weren't stupid enough to give him and the Marines their number to use against them later on or to let them use it to track them. If it was Red, G or Blue they would be calling from the special snail in Macey's room and it wasn't her father since he would call the snail that West left behind for Macey to use to call her father and the Whitebeard Pirates on, and for them to call her on as well.

"I have no idea…" Jack said.

"It's not Blue or Red or G?" Marc asked his Captain. Worrying why she looked confused on why the snail was calling. It could only be Blue, Red or G.

"No," Jack answered with a shake of his head. "They know to call on the special snail. They won't call the normal snail, not unless it was emergency. And Blue was just here a few days, he wouldn't be calling us right away after leaving us. Not like this anyway…"

Closer to four days ago, but Jack won't admit out loud that he was counting.

"Did Blue give you a snail so you two could talk privately?" Marc smirked teasing.

Jack blushed hard as he was speechless at what Marc was impairing. Was Marc saying what Jack thinks he is trying to say without saying it? NO! Jack isn't going think about it! Marc is just saying to get a kick out of him.

"What…?" Luffy asked looking confused. "What is Marc talking about?"

"Nothing Luffy," Macey smiled knowingly. She's smart for a kid her age, maybe too smart for her own good sometimes. "You might understand one day when you were a grown up."

"You're not that much older me!" Luffy whined. Not happy that Macey wouldn't explain it. "Sabo! Ace! Tell me what their talking about!"

Ace shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know and don't really care. Sabo?"

"It's…" Sabo said looking at Luffy and Ace then he looked at Macey, Marc and Jack. "I'm not quite sure… I think it's an adult thing Luffy. I don't really understand."

"But Sabo!" Luffy whined.

"Not buts," Macey told Luffy. "It's an adult thing. You don't need to understand what is going on."

"Should someone answer the snail?" Marc said pointing towards the communication room then realised that Sin was already there with Don.

Oh… since when were those two there?

"Captain!" Sin shouted very alerted as Don looked worried. "We have a problem!"

Problem? What problem?

"What is it?!" Macey shouted as she walked over to her first two crew mates and put the snail in her hand back in her pocket. Walking into the communication room.

"There's someone calling for you Mace," Don told Macey looking very worried. "They're a male and they know who you are."

What…?

"What?" Macey said. "Of course they know who I am. I am Mace, Captain of the Freedom Fighters. Who doesn't know me?"

"Not that you Mace," Sin told Macey as Don looked worried, very worried. "They know who you really are. They know you are Aschgate."

What…? But no-one is meant to know that!

"Give me the snail!" Macey told Sin and Don, taking the snail from them. Macey looked rather pissed and kind of scary about this. Sabo and the others don't think they have ever seen Macey this is pissed about something before. "Who is this? and what do you know?!"

"That's no way to talk to one of your mother's old friends girl," a devilish male sounding voice said. "Miss Aschgate Macey."

The voice sent a small shiver down everyone's spines. Kaitlyn stopped and was staring at the snail. She did not like the sound of voice. the owner of that voice… there was something about them… it was creepy Kaitlyn out completely and utterly. There was something evil about the owner of the voice, Kaitlyn can't see them but she could see their murderous aura and intent from here. They need to stay away as far as they can from the owner of that voice.

"I'm sorry who?" Macey smiled, acting like she had no idea what the person was talking about. "I'm not this Aschgate person. I am Mace, not Macey."

"Fufufu," the voice laughed.

Fufufu…? Why was that laugh familiar to Macey? Like it was a distant memory or something… Why was it so familiar?

"Don't lie to me Macey dear," the voice said. "I met you when you very young. You probably won't remember it since you so little when we met. But I remember you, and your mother Naomi. Very well."

"…." Macey glared at the snail. Who the hell was this person? "Who the hell are you?"

"Donquixote Doflamingo," the voice answered and Macey froze in place. Doflamingo? That name sound familiar… yet unfamiliar at the same time…

"Ito-Ito no Mi…" Macey muttered out, remembering the note of D.D being near the devil fruit in her mother's notes. "The String-String Devil Fruit…"

"Fufufu, correct Miss Aschgate," Doflamingo said with a smirk. "It seems that you do remember me. Or is it, that you have some of your family's research and it survived the destruction of your home island of Isila?"

Macey glared even harder at the snail, which shivered. "I do not know what you are talking about. I am not an Aschgate. The Aschgates all died when Isila was destroyed by the Marines on the World Government's order."

"Then how did you know my devil fruit's name?"

"Because I am not idiot, Donoflamengo."

"It's Doflamingo, girl."

"Call me girl again and I will break your nose if we ever meet in person, pinky."

"Mingo!" Luffy smiled and declared since he couldn't Doflamingo either.

"Oh?" Doflamingo said hearing Luffy's voice. "Can I hear your crew in the background Miss Aschgate?"

Macey looked at Sabo who nodded his head and covered Luffy's mouth as he put his fingers to his own lips. They needed to be quiet and stay out of this right now.

"Why would you care Mingo?" Macey asked.

"Well, it seems that a member of your crew took two members of my crew away to see you," Doflamingo explained and told Macey. "And I would very much like them back. And the devil fruit he took as well."

Devil fruit…? Don looked at Macey confused, what was this man on about?

"I don't know what you are talking about," Macey told him. looking rather pissed. Oh boy, Macey was pissed. That was not good.

"I believe his name was Red, the man who took Corazon and Law," Doflamingo said still going on and ignoring that Macey was denying what he was saying. "Wouldn't it be a shame if something happened to him?"

"Mace…" Jack said in a low and worried whispered. Red was like an older brother to them, especially to Blue. Red was Blue's older cousin, but that's not the point. The point is, Red is one of them.

"What me and my people do is none of your concern Mingo," Macey told him. Looking like she was about ready to murder someone. "Touch any of my family and I will kill you."

"Fufufu! The only crew that I know of who see and call each other family are the Whitebeard Pirates, taking a leaf out of that old man's book?"

Macey looked like she was about ready to snap someone in half as she smiled rather creepily. "Maybe I am? Who knows."

"Or are you just trying to replace what you lost with poor unfortunate souls? After all, didn't you just sit by and watch your family and home be destroyed? Your mother was an useless creature after all, just like you are."

Shit… Don could tell that Macey was about lose it. Don could see cracks in the talking part of the snail phone, the receiver. This was not going to end well... Don just knows it.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about me or my mother! She wasn't useless! And I didn't just sit by and watch Isila get destroyed! But there also wasn't anything I could do to stop it! I was just powerless kid who was focused to leave and was forced to watch everyone and everything she ever knew be destroyed! There wasn't anything I could do! No matter how much I wish there was!" Macey had tears streaming down face. She was getting worked up. That was not good. Don or Sin or Jack or someone needed to calm Macey down. "I'm not trying to replace anyone." Macey said with venom in her voice. Damn it… Macey was in serious dangerous mode right now. "Nothing can replace my family or my home. And I would never dream of making my crew replace what I have lost. That's not fair on not only me but mostly, that's not fair on them. And there's nothing poor or unfortunate about the people who have joined my crew. They are my family, my new family. They are who they are. There's nothing poor or unfortunate about them. I wouldn't change any of them for the world, or for the past."

Captain… Macey…

"Nor could I do the same to our allies," Macey smiled to Ace and Luffy.

"Hmm… you at least sound smarter than you mother," Doflamingo said. Pissing Macey off even more and making Don curse under his breath. Damn it. The man is bad mouthing Macey's mother deliberately, isn't he? "Maybe you and I can come to deal where your mother and I couldn't."

"Oh and what's that?" Macey rolled her eyes.

"You will return my brother, Law and the Op-Op No Mi to me," Doflamingo demanded. "In return. I won't hurt you. And then, after that, you will join me and will tell me everything you know and share all of your family research that you have on devil fruits. And before you say anything, I am sure that some information and research of your families survived. Naomi wouldn't have destroyed all of the research that she was collecting or that her family was collecting for a thousand years and was trying to complete so you didn't have to, just like that. I'm sure she left you things. In exchange for that, I will keep your secret on who you really are Macey-chan and I will not kill your crew and little allies. How about it? hmm?"

"Go fuck yourself," Macey told him without a second thought or a second thought to think about his offer.

"I was hoping you would be smarter than your mother," Doflamingo frowned.

"I am," Macey smirked. "You don't think I wasn't listening careful to what you were saying? You kept saying I. Meaning you won't tell the Marines or World Government who I am. That you won't hurt me or my crew, that you won't tell them. But is stopping your crew from doing that? What is stopping you from telling someone who isn't a marine or who works for the World Government and one of them then tell the Marines and World Government?"

Doflamingo said nothing. It seems that he was surprised with what Macey was saying. Or didn't think that she would work out his plan and was now not saying anything.

"Nothing. My point exactly. I am not an idiot pinky. Just because I am kid, did you think by threatening me and my crew, by threatening our lives that I would just agree to whatever you say and wanted?"

Once again, Doflamingo said nothing.

"I don't think so. You see, I am a hell a lot of smarter then I seem or let on, aren't I? I'm not an idiot. I was told and taught from a young age to listen to people's words carefully. Look for the loopholes that people like using. Think ten steps ahead of your enemy. My mum taught me to learn from her mistakes, that way I don't make the same ones. That way, I don't get myself killed. So that deal of yours, you can shove it up your ass. I'm not stupid enough to take it. You have to be better than that to outwit me."

Sabo and the others just stared at Macey. She was listening and thinking that careful to what this Doflamingo person was saying? Like, damn, Sabo never would have noticed that or had thought like Macey had.

"Do you know who I am girl?" Doflamingo said in an angry voice. Not seeming to be happy or impressed that he was outwitted by a 12 year old.

"Not really. Not like I care," Macey shrugged and told the man. "But I do know one thing. If it's a fight you want, I will be more than happy to give you one, old man."

"Captain…" Don said trying to get Macey's attention.

"I am going to kill everyone single member of your little crew and make you watch," Doflamingo told Macey who just stared down the snail as Doflamingo seemed to be trying to stare the young captain down. "Then you will join me and work for me, like it or not. Girl."

"Never going to happen pinky," Macey told Doflamingo. "Call me again, or try to make a shitty deal like that with me again and I will end you."

"Mace!" Don shouted. She is getting in over her head right now. Don needs to put a stop to this quickly before Mace gets them into more trouble than she already has.

"I would like to see you try girl."

"Captain Mace!" Don shouted finally getting her attention.

"Seems I have to go," Macey smirked having an idea on how to get one up on the man. "Bye." Hanging up on him before the man could say more. Macey stood there with a triumphant smile on her face. "We need to change snail lines." Looking right to Jack. "Think you handle that Jack?" Knowing that Jack could handle it since Blue taught and showed Jack everything he knew on snails and their lines before he left.

"Right Captain…" Jack slowly nodded as he took the snail to change the lines. "Make sure you tell Blue, Red and G."

"I will," Macey smiled as she looked at Don.

"What did you do?" Don shouted, losing his calm posture. Was Macey trying to get them fucking killed?! "Are you trying to get us killed or something?! Do you have any idea who that was?!"

"The Heavenly Demon or something like that, right?" Macey asked looking bored. Macey is going to need to look him up in her mother's book.

"You don't care, do you?" Don asked, noticing Macey's carefree attitude hasn't changed at all, though, she did seem a little calmer now. Macey is insane, she does know that, right? She is insane and they are all insane by default for following her and calling her their captain. Mace is seriously going to get them killed one day if she isn't careful.

"Pretty much," Macey nodded and agreed with Don. "We can deal with the problem if he raises. Right now. I need to go break something. Insult my mother and my family would he… asshole."

"Macey…?" Sabo asked as she was starting to walk off. "Are you okay?"

Macey smiled as she ruffled Sabo's hair a little. "I'm fine. I just need to go destroy something." Then she walked off.

"He got to her Don," Sin said noticing how Macy was. "Really badly."

Don sighed and he nodded his head in agreement. "I know. We need to be careful and avoid Doflamingo and his people the best we can. We were lucky, that could have ended a hell of a lot worse and Mace could be in a hell of a worse mood."

---

Cocoyashi Village….

Rex sighed as he looked over to the little girl with orange hair. God damn, of course somehow Rex and Mike end up crushed landed on an island that was being taken over by Fishman. Of fucking course. Their bad luck just had to get fucking worse, didn't it? Oh wait, no it got even worse than that.

Rex and Mike went up walking into the middle of crew of Fishman taking over the island, then without realising it, stood up to the leader and saved some pink haired lady's life. Rex swore he didn't do it on purpose! He just heard and saw the two crying kids and remembered his own childhood of his mother being killed before his vary eyes… he didn't want those poor two girls to go through that. So he made sure that the gun that the Fishman called Arlong had, that it didn't kill the lady.

Rex had managed to almost break the Fishman's arm too… Rex doesn't even fully remember what happened… even Mike said he was impressed with Rex's speed and skill used. Which is odd, since Rex doesn't really have any skill, other than drawing.

And things still get worse from there.

Mike pulled the woman away and made sure to protect her and the two kids. They ended up solving the matter with money, luckily that Rex always keeps cash on hand and a lot of it. So they handed over money and thought that was going to be the end of the matter, but nope, it wasn't.

Arlong picked up some map that the young orange hair girl had drawn and then tried to take her away. Mike was holding the woman and her other daughter back with the townspeople as they were trying to work out what to do about it, whether they should fight or not. Till Rex of course had to open his big fat mouth and end up being taken by Arlong and his crew as well.

Why did Rex have to say anything about his own drawing skills? Then again, why the hell did he get himself involved in this at all? He could have just let the woman get killed and he and Mike could have found some place to lay low till they got another ship or the materials to build one and then leave. Why did Rex have to save the woman? Why did he have to get himself and Mike involved in this? Why the hell did they have crash-land on crazy island like this!? Why?!

Do Mike and Rex just have that much bad luck or something? This is so unfair! And so fucking frustrating!

"Nami was it?" Rex smiled lightly to the young girl who nodded her head. She was scared and sad. Rex could tell.

"Yes…" Nami muttered.

"Come here sweetie," Rex smiled as he picked her up and gave her a small hug. "I'll get us out of this okay? I'll get you back to your family and I'll protect you, okay? Just stick with me. I won't let them hurt you."

"But you're hurt…" Nami pointed.

After all, the Fishman did beat the shit out of Rex and Mike for standing up to them. And for Rex hurting their leader.

"I'm fine kid," Rex smiled as he ruffled her hair. "In fact, if I can manage to get my second bag back. I might even be able to call someone to help us."

"Who? How?"

"A friend who I am hoping is still in the area and who would not like what is going on right now. They would not to see that people's freedoms are being taken away like this. After all, freedom is something they stand up for."

"What…?" Nami said looking confused.

"Nothing," Rex smiled. "Hopefully Mike has his snail and he thinks of calling of them, since I can't get or use mine. We could use a miracle and I know that they are able to give one."

Who was this older boy talking about…?

"What…? Who…?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Just stay close to me and I will protect you kid. No matter what, okay?"

"…. Okay…."

---

"You want to call a pirate crew to come fight these guys?" Bellamere said looking at Mike. Was the kid insane or something? "Are you insane? No-one is crazy enough to fight against Fishman! Especially pirate ones!"

"Then is just up their alley," Mike told Bellamere with a serious smile. "Look, I know pirates are dangerous. I'm not an idiot. I know Fishman are dangerous. So Pirate Fishman? They as dangerous as dangerous can be. But this person owes me and Rex a favour after we did them a favour and they won't think twice about helping when I give them the details. Please Bellamere-san, let me call them."

"The others won't trust them."

"I don't care about the villagers. I just want to make sure that you are okay with it. You're an ex-marine after all."

"…. How did you know that?"

"I can just tell. Please Bellamere-san, trust me on this. This crew is strong and kind, they are different to any pirate crew I have ever met. And they are good at working miracles, and right now, that's what we need. A miracle."

Bellamere sighed. "I don't think we have much of a choice, do we?" Mike nodded his head in agreement. "Okay. Call your friends. But before we do, can you please tell me who we are going to be dealing with?"

"The Freedom Fighters."

"The who…?"

"Freedom Fighters. They're a pirate crew from the West Blue. Their Captain, a young lady by the name of Mace, she's… interesting to say the least. Please trust me on this, they are strong and I think they're our the best chance of beating Arlong and his crew and getting Nami and Rex back."

"I don't think I have heard them."

"I'm not that surprised. They are a young crew and I don't know how much information you would get out here about things outside your own Blue. But let's just say, Captain Mace is the right amount of crazy and insane we need right now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, she's crazy enough to take on a Celestial Dragon. Would she really be scared with taking on a Fishman and his crew? I don't think so. Especially when a member of her own crew is a Fishman himself."

"What!?"

"Like I said before Bellamere-san, we don't have much of a choice… Don, the Fishman in the Freedom Fighters. He's a kid, not much younger than me. He's a good guy. If you look past the fact about him being different and him being an Fishman…"

"And a pirate."

"Yes, and a pirate as well. If you look past all of those facts. You'll see what I mean. He's just like you or me. He's a good guy, someone who easily liked and someone that you want to know and be friends with."

"It sounds as if you know him."

"Not really," Mike laughed as he thought about it. "I only met him once and Rex and I travelled with them a very short time. Our ship got wrecked and they saved us. And don't get me wrong, at first Don is kind of scary looking. I mean, he looks like Human-Shark Hybrid. And if you have no idea what a Fishman is, it kind of freaks you out. But once I overlooked that little fact, once I got to know Don as the person… well, you know, his personality and stuff, he's a really great guy. I don't think there's anyone who Mace trusts more than Don."

"Mace?"

"The Captain of the Freedom Fighters. She is interesting to say the least, I would be more worried about her then I would be of Don."

"Why?"

"Well, Mace is terrifying when she wants to be. Her personality and attitude changes like the wind. She is crazy smart, probably too smart for her own good. Really good with words and at reading what people are saying. Especially when they are trying to say something without actually saying it."

"What…?" Bellamere did not understand that one at all.

"Well…" Mike said trying to think about how to explain it. "When people makes deals, there's normally some kind of catch or loophole. Mace looks for those, she can point them know and she will either correct someone so that the catch or loophole aren't there anymore, or she will use it to her advantage. She always seems to be ten steps ahead of everyone, even if it looks like she is five steps behind. Like I said before, Mace is crazy smart."

"And you really think that this Mace person will help us?"

"I have no doubts about it. Just don't call her girl and everything will be fine."

"What…? Why would I call this person girl? And why not call them girl?"

"Bad shit will happen if you call her girl. And, well, when you meet Mace everything will become clear. Just tell everyone to not call her girl if they want to live."

Bellamere looked confused as hell as she had no idea what Mike was talking about or why he was saying that, so Bellamere just nodded her head in agreement.

"Cool. I'll go call Mace now," Mike smiled and told Bellamere as he got. "Bellamere-san?"

"Yes?"

"What island is this so I can tell Mace. And what's the town's name?"

---

Mike took a deep breath in. Mike wasn't as sure about Mace helping him and this island and this village as he told Bellamere. That was the problem with Mace, she's unpredictable. A wild card. And she really did change her mind like the wind. It was hard to work out the girl and what she was thinking because of it.

It also doesn't help that Mace thinks that she is the smartest person in the room, though she probably is. The smartest person in the room Mike means. Mace normally is, she picks up thinks that others overlook or don't think or don't see as being important. The damn kid was smart, probably too smart for her own good sometimes.

'Well,' Mike thought as he dialled in the number he knew into a snail. 'here goes something.'

---

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i hope you all enjoyed the chapter and sorry about the weird conversation with Jack, Don and Max about Macey's weight. but it was kind of needed for character development and to show much Macey means to her crew and how some of her crew get along and stuff.

Don: we are never speaking of this again.

Max: agreed.

Jack: i already said i would try to not bring it up again, didn't i?

Marc *teasingly*: you know a good way to lose weigh though, don't you Jack? if you ever get overweight, all you need is Blue.

Jack *blushing like crazy at what Marc was teasing him about and trying his hardest to not think about it- though his reddening face was saying that he wasn't winning that fight*

okay, stop right there you *pulling Marc's ear* you are going to over excite the BLACK yaoi fan group and girls, and guys if there are some. only Macey, Blue and i can do that. plus Jack with he does it by accident. anyway guys, i hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway and the next chapter will be up as soon as possible but i have no idea when. like said at the start, i am starting work placement and that is going to take up 3-6 days for the next few weeks.

Marco: plus we are waiting for Ayane (AceAyane) to be free and help us out with some of chapter 22.

West: the next chapter will most likely be an oamke chapter.

P.S. we cover Max's past soon and it is sad and tragic and there will be warnings at the start of that chapter about it. since there will talk about rape and stuff. but that's still not for another chapter or two in the main storyline, i think. (if things go to plan at least anyway) we will be covering a lot with the next few chapters. and i know we covered a lot this chapter. with it being over 15, 500 odd words (story) wise.

Macey: but anyway, bye! till next time everyone!