DISCLAIMER: EIICHIRO ODA OWNS ONE PIECE
After that ominous message his father gave him, Marco spent all his time keeping a more or less watch on the brats. Although, he would always get the slip. He didn't know how or where they found out how to hide their auras, but they found out, and that just made it infinitely harder.
And that was saying something if Marco couldn't find them. Haruta was half-sure that the apocalypse had begun.
"I've got a bad feeling Marco" Marco grimaced, remembering the words his father had told when he asked what the man was hiding.
Marco walked around the deck of the ship, nodding his head and waving a hand in greeting to whoever passed by, before he noticed something slightly empty about the ship. Haruta had been less creative with his pranks recently, and they were always half-done when people triggered them.
Why? Marco frowned, This is Haruta, we're talking about, one of the masterminds of the Marineford Scenario, so why is he pranking… badly?
Marco froze mid-step, Could he be planning something? No… then he wouldn't be pranking at all… he resumed walking, WHAT AM I MISSING?!
Thatch.
The name just popped into his head without welcome, and out of nowhere, but it was enough to make him trip over his own foot. Either way, that got him thinking. Thatch, who was Haruta's pranking buddy, hadn't been seen for a while now, and he had been recently disappearing during these times too. He wasn't there during the meeting either, and he was almost 100% sure that he would be there during the meeting.
Come to think of it, Haruta had been slightly more sober these days than when he was with Thatch. Not to mention, Thatch had managed to get closer to the 5 brats within 6 days, than anyone could in the 3 weeks that they had unofficially joined. So, how?
Down a ways, he spotted Thatch prowling around. Better now than never, Marco resolved and hid his aura expertly. He activated his Devil Fruit ability and flew across the sky, landing just a ways behind Thatch.
It was far enough to deem not-suspicious, and close enough to listen and see what he was doing.
o-o
Haruta was bored. He wasn't creative to come up with pranks on the go, like Thatch could. He was good only with execution! Where was Thatch, anyways? After that one time they pranked Jozu into a diaper, he had borderline disappeared!
Haruta frowned, and filled up the bucket with water.
Thatch was his best friend. They both had bonded over their love of pranks, but… where was he now?
Haruta scowled and began throwing hot pink and purple glitter into the water, having no care whatsoever if some fell on him.
Where are you Thatch? He thought as he put the bucket in place, It's no fun doing all these pranks without you.
Haruta launched himself up into the rafters into a safe spot to watch his prank smoothly be executed.
Soon enough, angry curses from one certain speedy commander Jiru floated itself up into his ears. Haruta hid a snicker, and silently bounded off.
o-o
Marco silently stalked after Thatch's retreating form, sweating in anticipation. Show me your secrets, Thatch…
Thatch stopped about 2 feet from a blank wall, before shaking his head and muttering something under his breath, that Marco just couldn't catch.
What…? Marco narrowed his eyes and analyzed as Thatch began sounding out a series of taps on the wall. After what seemed to be about, twenty taps, or so, Thatch walked forward—
Wait what? Marco blinked.
Thatch walked forward. And disappeared… Disappeared…
Marco sighed, I need some sake, he thought while kneading a headache.
o-o
Thatch looked over his shoulder and frowned a little before making his way to the secret entrance to the secret base. Why do I feel like someone's watching me?
Thatch grimaced, stopping just in front of a blank wall. Can't afford anyone finding us.
Thatch looked up and scanned the sky with his eyes, before meeting eyes with one certain freckled pyromaniac, and he nodded. All of a sudden, Ace disappeared.
Thatch had no doubt that the kid was probably hovering around him right now, so he quietly murmured, "I'm being followed,"
He could feel the air heat up a little, before rapidly cooling down. He smirked and squinted his eyes, seeing a hazy outline of where the air rippled around Ace's presence.
Thatch stepped forward and began tapping the wall at random, to try and throw his watcher off. After 22 taps, he walked forward, and subtly held out his hand.
One moment, he was walking on wooden ground, and the next, he was searing through the air at rocket-speed with a human candle dragging him along.
"Heyo!" Ace teased, "Wassup, Thatchy?"
Thatch pouted and stuck his tongue out, "Oh, shut up, you,"
Before Ace could retort, they reached the spot in the rafters that they all had coined as their own base.
Sabo stepped forward, as Ace was making a show of dusting himself off, and threw some cloth at him, "Here's some decency, Ace," he teased.
Over the span of the few days that Thatch knew their secret, they became inseparably close, and the ASLZU felt safe enough to lower their guard in his presence.
Once everyone was settled down and Ace got some clothes back on, Sabo rested his forehead on the heel of his palm, "It just keeps getting harder and harder," he groaned.
A cacophony of agreements and murmurs floated up from the 5 people before him, and it was true. It had been getting harder. There's the enlightenment of Teach's murder plans, and the new vampiric scourge resting in Sabo's body, waiting to kill them all.
"Okay!" Sabo dragged his hand down his face and sighed, "Wolf-dude come out now,"
On cue, a shimmering light blonde wolf—almost white—phased into existence. It looked ethereal, and it gave off an aura of protection. Its mere presence lit up the entire 'base' with its radiance. It was so beautiful. It was so stunning. It was so, so—
"Stop shining, you're giving me an eye ache, and you're going to give away our position," Sabo deadpanned.
The wolf grumbled a little, and the beautiful radiance turned down until the wolf was nothing more than a wolf with a pale ghostly aura shimmering around it.
o-o
In hindsight, Thatch should've been expecting this. He was told about the wolf, and its otherworldly aura around it, but it was one thing to hear it, but to actually see it…
It was beautiful.
Then his worldview shattered when Sabo deadpanned something so casual to such a… a… magnificent being!
Then his worldview turned to dust when the said magnificent being grumbled—grumbled—and proceeded to shift into a considerably less magnificent form.
"You can see him, right?" Sabo questioned, scanning the 'base'.
Luffy nodded, but then again, he's got the Voice of all Things, of course he could see the wolf, so that wasn't much of an epiphany.
Zoro hummed in affirmation, and Usopp's eyes were tracking the wolf's every moment, with his talons unsheathed, ready to fight at Luffy's word.
"So, you were the one that was about to snap my head off?" Ace looked and sounded thoroughly unimpressed.
"What you expecting?" The wolf questioned curiously.
"Something bigger," Ace said sassily.
The wolf's eyes darkened and his lips were pulled into a thin line, "Stop making comments about my size," after a moment he tacked on, "Please,".
Ace shrugged, "Well, now that you're so polite," he sneered, "I guess I won't make any comments about your size,"
The wolf relaxed.
"Everything else is free game, though," Ace sang.
The wolf's eyes flew up to meet Ace's, "Are you crazy?!" he snapped.
"Yes," Ace muttered, loud enough for the rest of the room to catch it.
Thatch hid a wince, So hopelessly blunt, that kid, he shook his head.
"Okay, okay," Sabo gestured grandly, "Settle down," he held the rim of his top hat gently between his two fingers and frowned, "We're here for a reason,"
All at once, the mood in the room darkened, and Luffy's face was dangerously blank, it sent chills down Thatch's spine.
"So, how do we get rid of this… Vampire?" Sabo got comfortable and sat down, staring the wolf dead in the eye.
The wolf fearlessly met Sabo's red and blue eyes and—to his credit—only sweat a little bit under the intense gaze.
"So?"
The wolf yelped and flipped around, baring his teeth in a snarl, but almost forcefully relaxing when he saw Ace's flaming face not too far from where he was prior.
"Are you going to tell us or not?" Ace deadpanned, "Or do I have to force it out of you?" for added effect, he lit the tip of his finger on fire, and carelessly waved it around in front of his face.
The wolf made an expression something akin to a grimace and said, "You think that just because you have Fruit of Demon, you have all the power. When you truly see the world, you realize that you not as powerful as you once think,"
Ace's face darkened, and he snuffed out the flame on his finger, "Oh well, are you going to talk or not?"
Thatch got a nagging feeling that the wolf just mentally rolled his eyes before the ethereal being spoke, "We need to go to Kuraigana island. Known as 'Gloom Island' in your language. We go there, and we go to underground runes. We purge Vampire spirit there. Outside of there, I cannot talk about purging process, or we all die,"
"And why, pray tell, would we die?" Ace responded sarcastically.
"Vampire don't like losing their hosts," was the only ominous reply.
"Wait, if we're talking about purging the Vampire here out in the open, won't the Vampire inside me, I don't know, try to stop it?" Sabo questioned.
The wolf gazed solemnly at Sabo, "He will,"
"Then why would you tell us?" Zoro questioned.
"The second you transformed into Vampire-wolf form- you were on a time crunch. We have to make it to Kuraigana within one month, or…"
We'll all die, was left unsaid, but the message was heard.
"Well—" Luffy got up and stretched his arms, "What are we waiting for?" he smiled a D-centric smile, and the mood in the 'base' marginally brightened.
o-o
After Luffy let loose his D-centric smile, Zoro stopped playing with the hilt of Wado and took a good look at the kid Usopp chose to be his captain. Scrutinizing him from top to bottom, picking him open and searching his insides.
Zoro let a small grin creep onto his face, and unhanded the hilt of his sword.
He approved of Usopp's choice. That kid will make an amazing captain. Most likely better than Whitebeard himself. Zoro sighed silently, but then froze.
Why does it feel like I want to go with him?!
Zoro dug his nails into his arms, and bit back the screeching of the Asura inside him. No. he told himself firmly, I have my own dream. And that dream has no place for him in it.
He forlornly looked at the straw-hatted teen who was making jokes with Usopp.
No matter how much I want to.
Who cares? Zoro startled at the voice ringing out in his mind. He carefully, mentally reached out the strings connecting him to the Asura. He was… apprehensive to say the least. The Asura had never talked to him before. Most of the time it was bloodthirsty screeches and howls for carnage. So, Zoro was rightfully apprehensive.
Hello? Zoro's mental voice was guarded, and for a moment there, he could almost hear the Asura's crackling laugh.
Oh wait, he wasn't imagining it.
'Who's there?' You're faced with a demon and that's the best you can come up with?The Asura cackled.
Zoro's spirit bristled at the jab. He couldn't tell whether it was lighthearted and friendly, or an actual threat with a sneer hidden somewhere within the words.
What's your point? Zoro's spirit spoke coldly. If that Asura has bad intentions, then he could be possessed and used to hurt Luffy! That absolutely cannot—
Even through everything, you're still thinking about that child, the Asura quietly spoke.
Zoro froze, a vehement denial right on the tip of his tongue, before he stopped to actually think. Why was Luffy the first thing that came to mind on who he wanted to protect? Why him? Why not Usopp?
Any sort of rebuttal died in his throat, and all of a sudden, his currently nonexistent mouth became very, very dry.
My point, as you so barbarically said earlier, the Asura snarked, picking up the silence, Was for you to suck it up and join the kid. You know you want to, and really—It's best to chase what you want now instead of regretting it later, the Asura went quiet.
I should know.
All of a sudden, the dark void of his mind flickered for a bit, before Zoro snapped back to reality, and felt pain blossoming in his stomach. He hacked and gagged for a bit before sucking in a deep breath and looking whoever was in front of him in the eye.
"What the hell happened?"
o-o
Ace was trying, and failing to look nonchalant, but really, he was sweating under the pressure. After Zoro didn't respond to a question that was directed his way, everyone assumed he was just napping. But then, when they failed to hear the snores, they really got worried.
Usopp in particular was panicking, which was completely understandable, considering Zoro was the first person after the Facility that cared for him somewhat.
Under Usopp's panicking and everyone else's peer pressure, Ace buckled and began panicking as well.
"Zoro? ZORO?!" he ended up punching the moss head in the stomach to try to get him to wake up. A few moments after the punch, and when Zoro did not stir, Thatch began crying, and Sabo began literally planning out a funeral, while Luffy kept looking at the one he decided to be his first mate with blank, unreadable eyes.
All of a sudden, Zoro burst into a fit of coughing and hacking, and Ace almost screamed because he was 100% sure that Zoro was dead.
Zoro sucked in a deep breath and looked Ace dead in the eye, and for a moment, Ace was sure his heart stopped.
"What the hell happened?"
Ace pressed his lips together and proceeded to turn into his intangible form before replying, "I kind of punched you in the stomach because I wanted to wake you up, and I thought you were dead when you didn't reply, and—oh my god YOU'RE OKAY!"
As if a switch was flipped, everyone created a dogpile over Zoro, who was completely and thoroughly confused.
"What…"
o-o
Zoom to Marco and Haruta for a sec.
They both kind of wanted Thatch back into the crew instead of being virtually, well, gone. Therefore, they were holding a secret meeting to discuss their observations. In Marco's defense, it was all Haruta's idea. It was definitely not his idea to be wearing mock-sunglasses just to be cool.
Nope.
No sirree!
Marco felt like an idiot wearing those glasses, but his sulking was interrupted when Haruta cleared his throat.
"Okay, so what do we know so far?"
Marco made to open his mouth and answer the question, before Haruta glanced at him and lazily waved his hand in a motion that simultaneously meant both 'quiet' and 'sit down'.
Marco silently closed his mouth, and lowered his finger, patiently waiting for Haruta to go on.
"You! The One with the Pineapple!" Haruta pointed a finger towards Marco who was getting much less patient by the second.
"Okay," Marco stood up, "Thatch disappeared,"
"Yeah, genius, we kind of know that already," Haruta rolled his eyes.
Marco noticed something about Haruta that he didn't before. Without Thatch, Haruta became very, very grumpy. Thatch needed to come back soon, otherwise Marco was genuinely frightened that someone might die by Haruta's hand.
"I mean, that he literally disappeared. Walked two steps on deck and immediately vanished into thin air," he paused, "That's the best way to describe it, at least,"
"Wait, you mean, he literally vanished?" Haruta's jaw dropped at Marco's nodding.
Haruta's jaw trembled and a fire lit in his eyes, before he screamed out, effectively bursting Marco's eardrums, "THERE IS AN IMPOSTOR AMONG US!"
o-o
Whitebeard heard Haruta scream something unintelligible, and for a moment, wondered if he should go check on him before shrugging it off and noting it down as something his son could handle on his own.
It was definitely not because Whitebeard was actually frightened by Haruta's psycho-ness after Thatch began mysteriously disappearing daily.
Nope!
Whitebeard threw away his worries, and guzzled at another sake gourd, silently contemplating if he should be worried for Thatch.
Oh well, he shrugged.
o-o
After the meeting was over, Thatch dropped down into his room, waving off the ASLZU with a smile on his face. He hummed a cheery tune to himself and got his spatula ready to cook dinner for the entire ship.
He opened the door, and was immediately smacked in the face by a fist.
He doubled backward in pain, and through his haze, he tracked the owner of the fist as Marco, who was wearing an extremely horrified expression on his face, while his hand was stuck in a knocking position.
"Oh my god, Thatch, I'm so sor…" Thatch held up his free hand, stopping Marco from saying anymore, and took his other hand off his nose, smiling brightly, "It's fine!"
Before Marco could say anything, another person burst through the door. This time, it was an extremely grumpy Haruta.
"Hey, Thatch," Haruta put a saccharine sweet smile on his face, "What's going on, my man?" Haruta's face shifted into a much darker expression, "What's going on that you can't even play PRANKS WITH ME, DAMMIT! I'm lonely…"
Haruta looked at Thatch, who was currently feeling his heart clench at Haruta's teary face, "Why, Thatch, WHYY?!"
Thatch stepped backward and reflexively put a hand over his heart, and said, "I promise you, we will mass-prank the entire ship. I promise,"
As if a switch had been flipped, Haruta's expression went from teary to unimpressed, "Am I seriously supposed to believe you're Thatch, impostor? Your impression is terrible,"
Thatch mutely looked at Haruta in mock horror, before saying, "You don't believe me? I thought… I thought we bonded. All three of us, you know? The pineapple, the smol bean, and the bread head," Thatch couldn't fight the smile on his face, while he cried exaggerated tears.
"You shame me,"
Haruta's face brightened, "Never mind! Hey, Thatch,"
"Hmmm?" Thatch opened an eye to stare at Haruta questioningly.
"Let's go prank Oyaji!"
Thatch felt his blood run cold, "Seriously?"
Haruta nodded, carefully gauging Thatch's reaction, which was quickly turning into adrenaline-enhanced bliss, "Well, what do you want to do?"
Haruta hid a smile, he really is Thatch. Good. If he were an impostor…
Haruta refused to finish the thought.
o-o
Whitebeard shivered a bit, and paused in his guzzling of the sake. Why do I get such a bad feeling in the near future…?
AN: In my defense, I had at least 6 different projects to worry about, and each was worth a test grade. I had this chapter half-written to begin with, and it's hopelessly small, but it works. I'll try to update more often! Here you go!
~~Oracle Norzi