Chapter 13

Tiara POV

Was it the right decision? I had agreed to tell the other commanders everything, but I wasn't really sure. But why? Was I afraid of the reactions of the others? Or better said, especially of Ace's reaction? Actually, it should be an advantage if they know, shouldn't it? "Tiara, what do you know about me?" Marco asked suddenly and pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked at him a little confused and Whitebeard also seemed surprised that his son asked this question. "What do you mean?" I asked him. "You said you had information or knew the past of some people from our world. I would like to know what you know about me," he explained and somehow I couldn't tell if it was just curiosity or if he was afraid that I knew something about him that he didn't want anyone to know. "Unfortunately, not much is really known about you," I said and thought about it for a moment. "Why unfortunately?" Whitebeard wanted to know.

"Well, because I would like to know more about Marco, like where he got his devil fruit or when exactly he joined the Whitebeard Pirates," I answered. "Can you please tell me what you know anyway?" Marco asked and I nodded. "So you were born on the 5th of October somewhere on the Grandline. The exact island is unknown. You are 203 cm tall and have blood type X. Your hobby is collecting bar coasters. At the age of 15 you were already on the Moby Dick, but it is not known how long you were on board at that time or how you came to Whitebeard. You are in possession of a devil fruit of the type Mythical Zoan which is rarer than a Logia fruit. To be precise, you have the Tori Tori no mi Model Phoenix. When exactly you got it and whether you found it yourself or got it from someone is not known. What is known, however, is that you already had it at the age of 15. It is also known that you are able to use Armament and Observation Haki. If you also possess the Conqueror's Haki is not known. Then there is the fact that you are the vice and commandant of the first division of the Whitebeard Pirates. What position you and your division have is not really known either. Some say it's the navigation section because there's a picture of you as a child drawing sea charts and others say it's the medical section because you'll be working as a doctor in the future. Well, at least that's how the story should go as far as I know it," I told him what I knew and wondered if I had forgotten anything else. "Oh yes, you like pineapple and hate beans. And your bounty is 1.374.000.000 berries," I added.

Both Whitebeard and Marco looked at me a little puzzled. Somehow I wondered why. Sure it's weird when a stranger knows so much about you but in the end it was actually very little information compared to Luffy, Ace, Law or Ruffy's crew that was known about Marco. Well, at least for someone like me who has Marco as a favourite character, it is very little because I would like to know more about him and his past. "That's all you know?" Marco asked. "Yes, as I said, unfortunately not much is known about you. Which is a pity but the books are more about Luffy and his adventures. The Whitebeard pirates are only side characters except for Ace because he is Luffy's brother," I answered him. He just looked at me and nodded. Somehow he seemed relieved. I wonder why? What had happened in his past? But what interested me most was where he got the scars on his back that I had seen. Theoretically, he should not suffer any injuries due to his devil friut powers. But since he was already in possession of these powers at the age of 15 and probably before that, it would have to mean that these scars come from his childhood or that for some reason his powers did not work or were not usable for him for a very long time, so that these scars came after an injury.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. It was Izou who had come to tell us that lunch was ready. How long had we been in Whitebeard's cabin that it was already time for lunch? "I'm sorry for the way I pressured you earlier," Izou apologised on the way to the galley. "That's okay. You couldn't know that I don't like to talk about it, or rather never do," I assured him that I wasn't really mad at him. In fact, his reaction only showed that he was worried. He couldn't know that I was trying to forget or rather block out these events from my past. The meal itself went relatively normally, although a little chaotically. "You're eating so little again!" remarked Ace and the attention of all the commanders as well as that of Whitebeard was focused on Ace and me. "I like to tell you again. I don't have a black hole for a stomach like you do," I said, trying to remain calm. "Yet you eat far too little!" he remained stubborn. "What I have eaten is quite enough for me. Besides, I had a late breakfast anyway, so I'm not that hungry yet. And the most important point: it's none of your business how much I eat." I said a little coldly and left the galley. Actually, I wasn't one to run away so easily, but it was better that way. I didn't want them to know the real reason why I ate so little.

"Tiara wait!" I heard just before I reached the guest cabin. "Marco what do you want?" I asked quietly without turning to him. "How did you know?" he wanted to know. "I would always recognise your voice." I gave him as an answer and it was true. "I just wanted to see if everything was ok with you." he explained why he had followed me. "Yes everything is ok. I'm sorry I know I shouldn't have overreacted like that." I apologised for my behaviour. "Don't worry about it, knowing Ace, he's already forgotten about it," Marco said. It was clear to me that Marco had understood after my reaction that there was more to it than just not being really hungry, because I had reacted too strongly for that. "Come with me, I want to show you a certain room," he said suddenly and grabbed my hand and led me to a door near our cabins.

Marco POV

It was a bit strange to learn what Tiara knew about me even though we didn't really know each other. Besides the obvious like my devil fruit or my position in the crew and the amount of my bounty, she also knew very private things like my blood type. But at least she didn't know what had happened 10 years ago and that reassured me. However, that only answered one of my many questions. It still didn't explain why she wants to change history for me or why I seem to have such a strong effect on her. And why did she want to know more about me?According to her, I was only a minor character in this story as she knew it. So why was she so interested in me? Normally people are more interested in the main characters. I was aware that Izou and Thatch thought Tiara was in love with me, but why should that be true? For her, I was just a fictional character from a book. She didn't know that I really existed. Somehow none of this makes any sense and every time I get an answer to one of my questions, all the more new questions arise. She confuses me.

Her behaviour in the galley was also strange. Ace was right and I had also noticed that Tiara ate very little. But after she had told that she came from another world, I assumed that it was perhaps normal to eat so little where she came from. After all, she hadn't revealed much about herself or about her world. However, her reaction to Ace suggests that there was some other reason for it and that it had nothing to do with her origins. After she just left everyone was very surprised about her behaviour. I decided to follow her to see if everything was alright. "Tiara wait!" I asked when I caught up with her. "Marco what do you want?" she asked without turning around. She seemed calmer again. But how did she know it was me? Anyone could have followed her. So how did she know it was me even though she hadn't checked who it was? "How?" I therefore wanted to know from her. "I would always recognise your voice." she gave me as an answer. "I just wanted to see if you were alright." I answered her question. "Yes everything is ok. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have overreacted like that." she apologised. I could tell she didn't want to talk about it any further. "Don't worry, knowing Ace, he's already forgotten about it," I said, partly because it was true, as Ace was already eating by the time I left and had apparently forgotten about the conversation. On the other hand, I wanted to show her that I wouldn't ask any more questions, even though I would like to know why she hardly eats anything. But she had also asked me when she came to me that night to give her time to get used to her current situation and then she would answer all my questions. I doubted that she would answer every question, but at least it would be worth a try.

I briefly thought about leaving her alone but decided against it, after all I wanted to show her something. Hopefully I was right in my assumption that she would like it. "Come with me, I want to show you a certain room," I said, grabbing her hand and leading her to a specific room.