| Chapter 2 |

Chapter summary:

Marco calls Moby Dick
Buggy have a mental breakdown
Raoul tells a story

A/N: One AO3 reviewer asked me about time line and ages:
year 1492 - Buggy and Shanks join Roger
year 1494 - they met Marco for the first time
year 1498 - Roger stole Oden
year 1499 - Roger becomes Pirate King, The last meeting with Whitebeard
year 1500 - Roger gets executed (at the age 53)
year 1502 - Marco meets Buggy in Loguetown (Buggy is 17, Marco is 23. Calculate other ages if you want.)


Marco finished his mission fast. It wasn't hard at all aside from hiding from marine patrols. Then again he was on East Blue so what was he expecting.

"I guess Commander Venecia just wanted to send me as far as possible." he muttered.

Before the task was assigned to him he played a trick on Rakuyo and Vista causing a prank war to break out and maybe, just maybe someone had burned part of Pops' hair.

He put the memory aside. Buggy was now his priority. He really hoped his friend would join him on his way to Moby Dick.

'Note to self, if he does we need a boat because Clownboy cannot fly in the state that he's in and I'm not a fancy airline transport.'

He needed to call Pops first, though. Edward Newgate wasn't generally opposed to his children bringing him more children but this was a sensitive issue. Buggy was once part of Roger Pirates, and there was no telling what the rest of the bunch would do if they heard Whitebeard adopted their cabin boy. Just because their captain was gone doesn't mean Pops wanted a war with the crew.

'If they don't like it then they shouldn't have left him like that.' thought Marco. He knew that Pirate King's crew was hunted by the marines and they probably weren't feeling very well after Roger died but they should have taken care of the two of their youngest.

Inu and Neko returned with Oden and his family to Wano (dude, you were supposed to go back to Moby!) so at least they were safe but Shanks and Buggy needed someone to take care of them. They had just lost their father.

Marco pulled out a den-den mushi and called the Moby Dick. After a few signals, it was answered and the sounds of music and parting filled his ear.

"Hi! Hey! Hello! You just called the Moby Dick! Best ship ever~!" cackled the person on the other side.

Marco almost groaned. Of course, it must have been the cauldron witch who picked it up!

"Hello to you too, witch, I see the party is going great."

"Oh, baby boy, how are ya?!"

"I'm doing amazing. I finished my mission. Are Vista and Rakuyo back too?"

"Your other pranksters in crime are on their way too. Only you, baby boy, could make two Commanders start a prank war that got them kicked out of Moby for a mission." the woman laughed.

"That's good to hear." he said and took a deep breath as he decided it was time to talk about the most important issue. "Commander Olivia," he said seriously "during my mission I ran into someone."

"Really, baby boy? Tell me what happened." she was still acting a bit jolly, though.

"I will but I hope you can get Pops and Commander Venecia on it too. They should hear about it as well."

Olivia was quiet for a few seconds.

"It's something serious, right? Tell me, Marco, are you hurt?"

'Great!' he thought 'Now she's using my name instead of that stupid nickname.'

"Not really. There was this one guy who came close with a seastone garotte-"

"What?!"

"-but he's dead already."

Olivia sighed.

"Venecia is going to take a look at you when you return."

"Oh come on, the earliest date I can be back is in another 3 weeks! There'll be nothing he can loo-"

"Don't backtalk to me, Marco, or I'll make sure that the only mission you'll get from Venecia will be cleaning the main deck!"

She wasn't kidding! Their resident cauldron witch always kept her promises.

"Okay…"

"Now wait, baby boy, and I'll go get the big guys!"

For a minute or two, Marco was once again rehearsing what he wanted to tell his superiors.

"Baby boy called." he heard from the other side as finally, Olivia found Pops and Venecia. "He finished his punishment on East Blue but apparently something happened and wanted to talk to you, Ed."

"Gurarara, give me that silly brat."

"Hi, Pops!" he greeted "Hi Commander!"

"Hello to you to bird brat." said Venecia "What do you have for us?"

"Umm… When I came to Loguetown-" he started explaining everything that happened "Pops" he finally said, "He's in a really bad place I cannot just leave him like that."

"I understand son, take him with you if he wishes so. If Rayleigh and Copper want to fight, they can come. It's payback for Oden anyway!"

Marco sweatdropped.

"Really, Pops?"

"I'm a pirate, son, I can be petty if I want to."

Marco laughed.

"Bye Pops, Venecia… oh and you too witch!" he cackled and ended the call.

Now he needed to go back to Raoul's bar.


When Marco came back he saw Clownboy sitting at the table and eating fried chicken with potatoes and broccoli.

'Good. He needs food.' he thought.

"I see you're up." he greeted and sat in front of him.

"I see you're back." he replied.

He seemed to put on a brave face but Marco could tell how unsure he was.

"I called Pops and a few others."

Buggy looked up at him.

"What did you and the big guy talk about?"

Marco sighed. He really hoped Buggy would agree and come with him.

"I told him I met you. If you want to join-"

Buggy cut him off

"You know perfectly-" his voice was firm "that I will never call him 'father'."

"I know." Marco agreed. "But you need help, Clownboy, and I wish to help you. If you want you can leave whenever you want. Pops is not like that."

Buggy sighed and his tense shoulders fell.

"I know."

Marco wasn't sure if it was a response to the first or the second part of his statement.

"Look, Buggy." he tried to sound as reasonable as possible. "I'm your friend and friends hel-"

In a second younger man's eyes lit up with fury. He stood up and smashed his right fist against the wooden table while the back of his left hand smashed the food on the floor.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled.

Marco yelped in surprise at the sudden change of conversation.

"I DON'T NEED ANYONE! YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE! YOU SAY ALL THOSE NICE THINGS BUT YOU MEAN NONE OF THEM! YOU'LL LEAVE LIKE THEM DID AND-" a fit of couth stopped the rant in half. Buggy's left hand went to his throat as if to help himself with a soreness. His right hand, thus far huddled into a fist was now used to brace himself from falling. It was trembling dangerously.

'He's so thin even such little amount of movement and stress is dangerous for him' Marco was scared too noticed.

"By the Skull! Buggy, are you alright?!"

"Khy! Khy! Gwo aghwy!'' The younger one tried to scream again, but the only thing that left his mouth was a weak squawk and a second later his eyes rolled back to his skull. If Marco was slightly slower, the teenager would have fallen on the wooden table into smashed food waste.

"Sweet winds…" Marco gasped. He knew Buggy was thin but when he carried him into the bar he was too distracted to realize how light he was. "He's like a bag of feathers."

'And it's all because he was here alone with no one to raise him up.'

Marco's eyes darkened as he remembered Buggy's rant. It didn't matter how long it was going to take. He was going to find all of the previous members of Roger's crew, kick their asses and made them apologise.

"Did he faint again?" asked Raoul behind him. He didn't even wait for Marco's response "Get him upstairs to his room. It's the last one on the left." Marco went upstairs and found a room. When he opened the room he couldn't help but flinch. The place looked almost unused. Was it even wise to trust Raoul?

No, this didn't make sense… he found Buggy sitting outside his bar and when the Clownboy woke up he stayed there and even ate something that was given to him. He was always smarter than everyone around him and he wouldn't fall for an obvious trap.

Then again, he was malnourished and deeply in depression. Expecting him to be rational was irrational.

Ok, what did he know about Raoul?

He owned a bar next to which he found Buggy

Buggy didn't leave the location after he woke up.

Raoul's explanation of what happened to Shanks matched what Buggy said (as little as it was) and his behaviour.

According to Raoul Rayleigh left Buggy and Shanks here, so they could be safe and not chase after Roger.

He also called them "Roger's boys".

That calmed Marco down. The two cabin boys had a tendency to call their captain "dad" at some occasions, mostly when they were upset although they made sure not to say it while in the presence of strangers or enemies. Whitebeard Pirates were one of few who knew how much care was between the father-sons trio. If Raoul called them that he must have been at least private to some information.

Marco sighed. He would have to have a talk with a man. Just in case. If he needed to escape with Buggy he needed to make sure who he could trust even just a little.

He walked downstairs and sat at the bar.

"You know," he said, starting the conversation "you won't earn any money if you keep the bar closed."

"I have little need for gold, devil-boy."

"Oh, really?" Marco asked. He couldn't get swayed by pretty words.

Raoul sighed.

"Would you like to hear a story?"

"Who knows? Speak up."


40 years ago, year 1462

"Get him!" yelled a man dressed in dark clothes with a red bandana on his right arm. His gang, in the same clothes, rushed at the teenager with a straw hat. The young man laughed and ran, the bunch after him. He travelled the city with a finesse known only to alley cats.

"He turned into a dead-end alley! That's our chance!" yelled the leader following the chase. The teenager didn't stop running even when the wall was closer and closer to him and then he jumped.

Never before had he saw anyone jump that high. His prey disappeared behind the high wall.

"He's on the other side!"

The gang ran the other way around.

"I see him!" yelled the tallest of the thugs "He's on the roof!"

"Oh fuck!" cursed the young man. He tried to mislead them and then go back on the original path but he was spotted. He started running again. He tried to lose them again only to get surrounded.

"You have nowhere left to run, Gol!" snarled the leader. "Now give back what you stole, you little thief!"

The teenager turned to look at one of the thug squares in the eyes.

"I'm disappointed Al." his voice was filled with loathing "To become some cheap guard for a bastard that smuggles drugs? I thought it was below you?"

The leader looked at one of his thugs, a new guy called Aldford who looked at Gol brat with hard eyes.

"You know Gol, Ford?"

"We spent time in the same orphanage." Aldford said dryly.

"I hope you aren't chickening on me, are you, Ford? Or I swear on Great Red, I'll cut off every finger you have."

"I would never dream of it, boss."

The fight started and wasn't a Gol brat a tricky little shit? He was like a wind, untouchable and swift. In a matter of seconds the whole group, except the leader, second in command and Aldford, were on the ground unconscious. But it also took a second when the brat yelled in pain. Behind him stood his previous orphanage mate. A knife stained in blood in his hand.

He pointed the weapon at Gol.

"Goodbye, Roger, I'll be happy to see you gone." said Aldford.

Roger ran. He needed to get away or he would die. The blood loss was too overwhelming. He needed to hide. He was lucky he was a much better runner than the members of Red Wolf. Even with a wound, he was able to outrun them. Previously it was a much more difficult task as they had bigger numbers and could easily surround him but now with only 3 of them left?

"Fuck!" he cursed as he almost fell on the ground. The bastards were behind but he could already hear them getting close.

Suddenly he saw one of the boathouses was open. Someone was inside but maybe they would help him. He wasn't very well known in this part of the city. He ran inside and almost collided with a tall broad man.

"Hide me!" he whisper-yelled and sat behind barrels in the corner.

The thugs were closing in. They were just in front of the building.

"Where do you think you're going, boys?" asked the unfamiliar voice, probably the tall-guy.

"Get out of the way, Raoul!" barked the leader "Gol brat must have come here! We're looking for him!"

"Mallory." The tall guy said firmly "No one has come here and I'm not letting you in. Boss doesn't like the Red Wolf and prefers to get Albatrosses as the guards. If he sees you here I'll be kicked out!"

"Come on, Raoul, I've known you since you helped at Three-eyed Skull! I'll just check the inside and I'm gone!"

"No way, Mallory. You know I need the money t-."

Roger didn't hear more as his eyes closed.


"So…" Marco finally said "You helped a teenage Pirate King?"

"Nah, I helped a poor street rat known as the Gol brat."


Roger woke up in an unknown location.

"Don't stand up!" said the voice on his left "Your wound will reopen."

"Umm… okay?"

The man (Roger was sure his name was Raoul) helped him sit up and gave him a mug with a warm, bitter liquid.

"Ewww" he stuck out his tongue to show his disgust.

"Drink it all up!" said the man sharply "It'll help you heal."

Roger muttered something about disgusting medicines and put the mug to his mouth again. When he finished the silence fell.

"Why did you help me?" he finally asked.

"Because you asked me?" Raoul rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. But you didn't have to. You could tell them."

"Sure I could but that way I wouldn't get anything from you in return."


"Did you blackmail Roger? By what miracle were you his friend?"

"I didn't blackmail him. The story is not over yet, devil-boy!"


"I don't have any money."

"I have no need for gold."

"That's not what you said to the Red Wolf leader."

Raoul rolled his eyes.

"I need a job and some cash like everybody else but I'm not some greedy bastard!"

Roger's eyes opened widely and he gasped.

"So you want my virginity!"

"I'M NOT A PEDOPHILE EITHER!"


"Are you not?"

"What sort of tone is that?!"

"Well, I mean you help a lot of minors…"

"It's common decency to help kids! Now stop interrupting!"


"What I want from you is your story."

"Story?" asked surprised Roger.

"Yes, exactly. I love hearing them and collecting them. When I open my bar I'll make sure all those weird people who travelled the world can visit and they get a discount if they tell me their story."

"But… I don't have a story…"

Raoul laughed.

"Surely you had some adventures you could tell me about."

Roger shook his head.

Raoul sighed. He hoped he would listen to something interesting for once. Recently there was nothing interesting going on.

"How about that." he finally said "I'm going to open a bar in a few years. You go live your life as if it was a book and when you return you'll tell me all about it."


"You're trying to make me believe you made a Pirate King want to be a pirate?"

"Not really but who knows? He was 15 at the time and left Polestar a few years later.


38 years ago, year 1464

"Raoul!" A familiar face ran into the boathouse. Raoul blinked and gave his boss an apologising look.

"Roger? What are you doing here?"

"Umm… remember when a few days ago you told me about this fisherman Rayleigh guy?"

"Yes… what did you do?"

"I offered him a place on my pirate crew!" the kid said and his eyes shone like stars. A few of Raoul's coworkers snickered. It was well known that Roger was a menace but a good person non the less. Roger gave them a dirty look and looked back at his friend "But I may or may not get myself involved with a murder."

Everybody froze.

"How?" asked finally Raoul.

"Umm… I invited Rayleigh to the bar to tell him about my plans and all that but when I was waiting for him I needed to take a leak. And the toilet was clogged and the bartender told me to go outside and piss there and so I did and then I saw some Red Wolves murdering this one guy and they saw me and now some people think I'm involved with them…"

"Ocean dear…" muttered Raoul and a few people facepalmed. Murders happened quite often in the city as cold and cruel as Loguetown but the marines still took it seriously and no one really wanted to see Roger got stuck in prison for seeing a murder. "Can't you just explain the situation?" he asked again. The last time Roger committed any crime (read steal and pickpocket) was a few years ago and he wasn't even listed by the marines.

"I guess but the guy who saw me was this new Warrant and we kinda beat the crap out of each other and-"

"THERE YOU ARE!"

A man in a marine uniform stood in the entrance of the boathouse.

"I CAUGHT YOU, YOU CRIMINAL!"

Raoul's boss shot him an annoyed look but he turned to a young marine.

"Look, kid, Roger told us what happened and we know him, he definitely didn't kill anybody."

"What kill?" asked the marine making everybody around them fall on the ground. Even Roger looked lost.

"Then why are you chasing me?!" he yelled.

"For pissing in a public place! My eyes will never unsee another man's dick!"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"NOW PREPARE FOR JUSTICE!"

"Right… okay." Roger deadpanned "Raoul's boss! I'm borrowing supplies and Rayleigh!" he yelled and started running.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!

The young marine ran after Roger and the remaining day was peaceful not counting the moment when the same Warrant took a warship to chase Roger and Rayleigh who were in a small sailing boat. At the end of the day, he was reprimanded by his superiors but never kicked out.

Good because now he's a marine hero.


"This is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard!"

"And?"

"Definitely something those two insane bastards would have been involved with, please continue."

"There is much else there." Raoul laughed "Roger returned years later to Loguetown and returned the 'borrowed supplies' to my old boss and gave me his story. It was just before his last voyage before they called him King. I met his crew, at least those who were with him at that time. When I heard he was captured I was quite surprised but not as much when I met with Rayleigh who asked me to take the boys in. He paid me a lifetime by telling me the greatest laughing tale one could ever tell"

Marco froze.

"He told you about One Piece." he whispered.

Raoul only shrugged his arms.

"As you can see I'm not running to the marines with that information. I'm going to take it to my grave… although it would be nice for someone to find it again."

"So you agreed to take them in." Marco finally said and something dark appeared in his eyes. "Then tell me, why is Buggy in such a state? How is that he's a walking skeleton when he was supposed to be safe here." his voice was hard, dripping with cold fury.

Raoul didn't even blink and looked him square into the eyes.

"When Redhead and Bug-boy had they fight they split up."

"I know that already!"

"Then listen." Raoul hissed. "Bug-boy returned here and waited three days for the Redhead to return. When he didn't we looked for him. It took us a week to realize he was no longer on the island."

The Whitebeard pirate felt his fury being redirected at Shanks.

"Bug-boy ran away the next. He tried to find Redhead but it was all for nothing. When he returned he looked bad. I tried to get him to eat but he ran away again and when I saw him again he told me he tried going to the Grand Line."

Marco almost choked.

"Grand Line? Alone?"

"That was my reaction as well." Raoul agreed. "Ever since that happened he runs away and tries again. Over and over and over again."

"Shouldn't you stop him?"

"I would love to, devil-boy, but that kid is not only a devil-fruit user but also extremely smart. I could chain him with a seastone to a wall and look away for a minute and he would be free."

Marco felt his heart drop.

"There is nothing I can do for him." said Raoul solemnly. "But I hope you do."


A/N: I actually feel really bad about writing the flashback for Roger because after reading it again I was like "Oda will do it better." The only part I'm happy about is when Garp appears because I can write Garp and I love him. I actually thought of yeeting the entire flashback sequence as a new story but finally decided otherwise. Tell me what you think, and how can I improve!

Till next time!