Chapter 2
After I ate, Marco and I went on deck. But before that I refilled my cup with coffee and took it with me. Yes, I loved coffee, my friends always say I'm addicted to it. When I arrived on deck I immediately felt uncomfortable again. All those people buzzing around. In the galley Marco and I were alone, I liked that more. The closer we got to the emperor the more nervous I became. "Don't worry, nobody here will hurt you." Marco tried to calm me down. If I'm honest I wasn't even afraid of that. I knew the Whitebeard pirates did not belong to the "bad guys". It's more the fact that I still don't know if this is just a dream or reality that makes me nervous and the reaction of the captain and his commanders when I tell them that I come from another world. Should I even mention that? Should I tell them everything in the beginning or wait and see what happens? "You drink this black poison, too?" Ace asked a little disgusted and ripped me out of my thoughts. So lost in thought I didn't even notice that we were already standing in front of Whitebeard. Marco had kept his word because only Ace and Thatch stood next to him, all the others he had sent away. "I wouldn't survive without coffee." I gave Ace the answer after looking at him confused for a moment. It was a strange feeling that he was standing in front of me when I know he died in the Marine Ford Arc. But I should not think about it now or I'll start crying again. I saw the episode with his death only once. A part of my friends could understand that but another part found it ridiculous to cry because of a fictitious person. "What is your name?" Thatch wanted to know. "My name is Tiara and I am 23 years old." he got as an answer. Whitebeard wanted to know where I came from and why I was alone on this probably uninhabited island. I decided not to mention that I didn't come from this world. "I don't know. The only thing I remember is that I was on my way to a friend, I think. After that everything is black until I woke up and saw the blue eyes of Marco. I can't tell you how I got to this island or how long I was there before your commanders found me." I explained to him. He then decided that I could stay on board until the next island, which is about 2 to 3 weeks away, and then decide later what to do next. "Where should I sleep in that time?" I asked. "We have a cabin for guests that you can use. If you need anything just contact one of my sons or me." the emperor explained to me. I just nodded.
After the conversation was finished I went to the railing and looked at the sea. My thoughts digressed again. I wondered if I would meet Shanks. He was the emperor I liked the most. "You seem to love the sea." said Ace, who had stood next to me. "Yes very much and most of all I would like to jump in there now to swim a few rounds." I meant and had to grin slightly. "Come with me!" Ace ordered after a while of silence, took my hand and pulled me behind him. Where was he going? He went below deck. "When we found you there was a bag next to you. I just took it with me and brought it to my room. I'm sure it's yours." he just babbled. So we went, well he ran and dragged me behind him, to the commander corridor and stopped in front of a door with a big 2 on it. After he opened it and we entered, I distorted my face a little disgusted. His cabin looked as if a bomb had hit it! But it didn't really surprise me. It's Ace, a D, you can't expect anything but pure chaos. On his bed lay my shoulder bag which luckily was still closed. I only hoped that he didn't look inside, because I always had a One Piece Manga in my bag which I read when I was travelling by bus or train. He gave it to me and I thanked him, turned around and left his room. "Hey where do you want to go?" it came immediately from the fire fist. "I want to go back on deck." I said not telling the truth that I just wanted to get out of his cabin as fast as possible. When I stood in the hallway again, my eyes fell on the door in the directly opposite. The door with a big 1 on it. That was Marcos room! What does it look like inside it? Certainly very neat and clean. "Oh yes, the door there is, by the way, the cabin for our guests." Ace explained to me and pointed to the door to the left of his door. I couldn't do more than a nod. "Come with me now it's time to introduce you to the others. They were also curious who you are but the pineapple on two legs has all sent away." it suddenly came from Ace. He grabbed my hand again and pulled me back. I would have loved to give him a punch on his head but I had to deal with not to fall as fast as he was back on the road. No! Wait a minute! Had he just said the others? No I don't want that! I tried to stop him, told him I didn't want that but it didn't help anything. He was more stubborn than a donkey. Typical for a D, I thought to myself. "What will it be when it is finished?" Ace was asked slightly annoyed. I knew this voice all too well. She belonged to Marco. "You are my saviour!" slipped out of my mouth, took advantage of Ace's confusion with my statement, tore me away from him and fled by Marco's side. "Why rescuer? I didn't do anything to you!" it came from Ace after he had caught himself again. Marco looked at me questioningly and probably waited for an explanation which I gave him. After my explanation I was allowed to go and Ace was ordered to fulfil his duties as commander of the 2nd division. I simply sat down at the railing and took my sketchpad out of my bag which I always had with me as drawing always calmed me down. First I looked at some of the drawings. There were many of Trafalgar Law, I loved to draw him because of his many tattoos. Yes, I definitely had a weakness for tattooed men. Then there were drawings of Marco, Thatch, Ace, Luffy, Shanks and some other characters. I took a pencil and thought about who I could draw and decided on a picture of Ace and Luffy.
I was a little astonished about the fact that they left me in peace but I had also the assumption that there were a certain phoenix who made sure I have a bit time for myself. But when I was almost finished with my drawing someone came to me. "Wow is that awesome! You can draw really well. I am Haruta by the way." said the only woman of the crew. "Why do you sit here all alone? Are you afraid of us?" she simply asked without me having a chance to react to her first statement. "No I am not afraid of you. It was just a little too much for me after I arrived here on board. I am Tiara by the way." I explained to her. "Who is that next to Ace?" Haruta then wanted to know and pointed to my drawing. "That's Luffy. Ace's little brother." I replied, "Ace his brother?" she asked a bit confused rather she shouted. "You have to show that to Ace!" whereupon Thatch interfered in our conversation. "What does she have to show to Ace?" Haruta took my sketchpad and showed this Thatch, who unfortunately began to flip through. "Why did you draw so many pictures of our pineapple? Who is this other guy you always draw half naked? I know I have seen him somewhere before. And why do you draw Shanks?" asked the commander of the 4th division. "That's my secret." I said and took my block out of his hand. He doesn't have to know everything now and how should I explain to him where I knew all these people so well to be able to draw them so exactly. He grinned at me and then added, "I'll get that out of ya! Actually, I just wanted to let you know it's time for dinner."
So we went to the galley where I sat between Marco and Thatch at the commander's table. Ace sat opposite of me and I wondered how long it would take for him to have one of his typical narcoleptic attack. One after the other the commanders introduced themselves and with everyone I thought yes I know. The food tasted good even if I was not so hungry, after all Marco had given me a little something to eat earlier. "Doesn't it taste good to you? You hardly eat anything." Ace wanted to know. "I'm not as hungry as you are and I don't have a black hole like you either." I replied to him. He had really stowed away a lot in that short time. I knew that he and Luffy were actually always hungry and eat a lot but to experience this live was then again something completely different. When I was about to ask Marco something, there was a bang. My gaze wandered to Ace. He lay with his face in his food and slept. I knew this would happen. With his narcoleptic attacks during the meal it is always only a question of time when it will be happen. "Can I talk to you in private after dinner?" I asked Marco and ignored what happened with Ace. He will wake up immediately anyway and then continue eating. "Stop it! Why are you not a bit surprised about it?" Haruta wanted to know who sat to the left of Ace and pointed to him. "What should surprise me? Ace has narcolepsy so it's normal." I talked about it again without thinking about what I actually said. Now everyone looked at me in a slightly confused way. Did they even know what narcolepsy is? "He has what?" then Vista wanted to know. "He has narcolepsy, which can also be called pathological sleep. Narcolepsy belongs to the group of sleep addictions. They have a sleep-wake regulation disorder and no control over when they get the attacks." I explained. Since I was interested in medicine, I read many books and knew a few things that were sometimes helpful. "So that means it's a disease. Can it be cured?" the doc who was sitting at the table behind Ace wanted to know. "As far as I know, there is a medicine that reduces the attacks but doesn't make them disappear completely. It's a disease that you keep for life, so it's not curable." I answered his question. The commanders looked at me in astonishment. After dinner Marco and I went into his cabin to talk. But it did not go as I expected. As soon as he had closed his door he immediately asked a question that made me freeze. "What are you hiding from us and who are you really?" he asked very seriously and suddenly seemed very threatening.