Chapter 22: Marco Grows a Beard

Star once again screwed up. Marco was working hard on growing a mustache, however then he over heard Jackie complementing a nearby guy about his beard and so he wanted a beard of his own.

However Star offered to grow it for him, but he said no… as he felt she was using magic for everything.

Also he wanted to do it himself, which was also very important.

But the point still stood, he didn't want magic to be the thing to grow his beard.

So when he tried to shave it everything went wrong.

It grew at an alarming rate, to the extent that the Diaz house was filled with his beard hair.

Not only that but it pushed out Star… and she dropped the wand in the bathroom.

She knew she needed help without her wand thankfully in a type match Fire-Type was strong against Hair-Type.

So she called her oldest brother.

"Hey Ace!" she cheered.

"Hey Star…" said Ace, "What do you need my help with?"

"What! I don't need your help with anything!" said Star.

"It's morning on a school day. You usually don't call me at this time unless you need something" Said Ace, "What happened…"

Star sighed knowing and told him the story.

"He's got a point." Said Ace.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Star.

"Well first off don't magically make a beard grow!" said Ace.

"Oh this is a manly pride thing?" asked Star.

"Of course it is!" said Ace, "A man should grow his own beard."

"Okay… okay I get it…" said Star having three older brothers (yes she was the youngest) made her realize that there was thing about manly pride.

"Also you have been using magic too much." Said Ace.

"What you talking about?" asked Star.

"How many times have you beaten things up without using your wand?" asked Ace.

"So many times!" said Star.

"Exactly!" said Ace, "That's why I think Marco has a point in this…"

"Okay, okay… I get it! You're not going to help." Sighed Star.

"No I'm going to help." Said Ace, "I was just telling you're wrong."

Star sighed.

"There's a reason why Sabo is considered the nice brother." Sighed Star.

"Hey!" yelled Ace.

"All right! Let's get you here!" said Star taking out her Dimensional Scissors however it wasn't her dimensional scissors.

"Star… that's a taquito." Said Ace.

"Where do these keep coming from?" asked Star who then ate the taquito.

"I'll call Luffy…" said Ace.

He hung up the call and a minute later Luffy cut open a portal and both he and Ace saw the state of the house. Durring the minute thankfully Star realized the shed wasn't consumed by hair and decided to grab a pair of hedge clippers.

"Whoa!" said Luffy.

"All right, let's get inside and save Marco from his beard." Said Ace, "Which is not the weirdest thing I said this week…"

"What did you say?" asked Luffy.

"You'll see when you get to the grand line." Laughed Ace.

"Awesome." Laughed Luffy.

Star kicked down the door and they entered the hair-covered house.

The good news thanks to Ace he was able to burn away some of the hair, but he knew he had to be careful, after all with all that hair meant that something could easily burn down the house.

Plus the hedge clippers were a bit of help too. Though the hair which was alive (it was created using magic) did steal them a few times, however Ace burned away any tendril that did so.

Luffy on the other hand was the weakest link among the three. He had nothing to cut the hair.

The hair tendrils kept grabbed him and stretching him.

"Help!" yelled Luffy.

"I helped him last time." Sighed Star .

Ace burned away the hair that had captured him.

"You okay?" asked Ace.

"I'm fine!' said Luffy, "Are we close to the bathroom?"

"We should be!" said Star.

They continued on their way then Star landed on the couch.

"The couch!" yelled Star.

"We're still in the living room." Sighed Ace.

That was when once again Luffy was captured by the hair.

However they heard some barking. Star and Ace turned and noticed one of the Laser Puppies was trapped in the hair.

"That's it!" said Star.

She cut out the puppy and tossed it at Luffy.

"What?" asked Luffy.

Then the puppy shot its laser from their eyes.

"Oh right!" said Luffy.

He used the puppy to shoot away the hair.

However they weren't aware that Ludo's new henchman had wand tracker and realized it was away from Star.

So they knew it was time to steal it.

Even with Ludo's crippling fear of hair.

Yeah… it involves a birthday party entertainer called the tickle monster that mentally scared him for life… as birthday party entertainers tend to do.

Eventually after digging they found the group.

"Ludo!" yelled Star.

"Get them!" Ludo yelled to his hench-monsters.

The monsters attacked the three.

Of the monsters punched Ace, punching him through the chest.

However it didn't result in his death as the monster's arm was surrounded by a ring of fire.

The monster screamed in both a combination of pain and horror.

He withdrew his arm and stared it closed up.

"How!" yelled the monster.

"I just don't control flames! I turn in them." Said Ace with a smirk.

"That is so very awesome! But I'm also terrified!" yelled the monster.

Ace shrugged as he delivered a flaming punch to the monster.

Luffy put the laser puppy on his hat, and began to fight off the monster.

"Daw! It's so cute!" said one of the monsters getting distracted with the laser puppy on his head.

Then the laser puppy shot the monster, with Luffy shouting "Gum Gum Pistol!" while using the attack to knock out the monster.

Meanwhile Star beat down several of the monsters while also trying to climb the stairs however a bear like monsters with a unicorn horn made it to the door of the bathroom.

He saw Marco wrapped up in his beard hair terrified at what was going on.

"Uh… it's occupied." Said the monster shutting the door.

However Star managed to kick the monster though the door, she gasped as she the state that Marco was in.

Luffy and Ace looked at this then at Star.

"Never grow someone's facial again for them." Said Ace.

"I know…" sighed Star.

That was when all three of them were tackled by the monsters.

Ludo and the monster he was riding on also made it in.

However the chicken like monster was pulled away by the hair.

The three siblings managed to get the monsters off them, but they continued the fight, making sure none of them were able to get the wand.

While Ludo slowly made his way to the wand.

"Why is he acting like that?" asked Luffy kicking away the deer like monster.

"Who knows." Muttered Star punching the two-headed monster.

Ludo made his way to the wand, however he fell and started laughing with him saying, "It's my birthday! It's my birthday!"

Everyone stared at him.

Thankfully Star saw the opening dove through the hair, and grabbed the wand.

"You know normally I'd be blasting you with Narwhals right now… but hey I don't need magic for everything…" said Star.

She saw her bother who both smiled.

However Luffy saw from the corner of his eye the lizard like monster leaving the house, however he shrugged it off and turned his attention back to his attention back to his sister.

She proceeded to lay the beat down on the monsters kicking them out of the house.

"You were all right! I was using my wand way to too much! I am Star Butterfly! A strong independent woman with fists like hammers!" said Star.

Marco said something but it was muffled.

"Don't worry, I got this!" said Ace.

"No! I insist I was the one who him into this! I will get him out of this." Said Star, "But using this tiny razor to get him out of there. Like a normal person!"

"Star that's a horrible idea!" said Ace.

"Oh come on! You were telling me that I shouldn't use my wand!" said Star.

"I meant all the time! This is one of those times you should use your wand… or if you don't want to have me use my powers! That's why you brought me into it." Said Ace.

"Make up your mind!" said Star.

"I did make up my mind, I'm telling you to do things in moderation." Said Ace.

Marco looked at Luffy.

"This is going to take a while." Said Luffy, "Both of them are stupidly stubborn."

"We heard that!" yelled both Ace and Star before going back to their argument.

Marco started crying in his giant beard.

However what none of them knew was that this partial fight was one that made things worse… Ludo's new lizard like henchmen used how he reacted as the catalyst to usurp his position…

And he had a plan… a plan that would shake them to the very core and change everything…

Next Time: Marco gets kidnapped by the one now controlling Ludo's monsters. However part of the threat is that Star must go alone. But Marco's parents knows that's it's for the best that help is called so they call for the brothers. What will happen? Who is the monster and does he have a past with the Butterfly family? Find out next time!