A/N: SO! I decided with the mild delay and the craziness of life, I'll be attempting to return to the weekly uniform updates for both Kyoudai and Bonds next week :D Don't hold me to that because I'm also trying to get a job right now, but I will do my best. Writing is my passion in life! So, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who is reviewing, faving, following, and messaging me on tumblr. You lovely readers make me so incredibly happy to be sharing my writing again.

On that note, a plot idea has ensured Bonds will have a sequel or at least a lengthy epilogue. Thank you SO MUCH to Beyond Kailani for her contribution to that plot! As well as the nickname idea of "Snow White".

Double-triple-quadruple thanks to Beyond Kailani for her super fast beta'ing. As always, this story is dedicated to her :) Which reminds me, be on the lookout for A Brother's Lesson, which she'll be posting soon. It's my favorite story by Kailani-chan and I absolutely recommend it to everyone! I AM SO EXCITED! *pterodactyl screeching*

Rakuen = Paradise, or as one translation put it, "Pleasure Garden" XD

Bonds of Sea and Fire

Chapter 14: Bay's Party and the Death of Snow White

"Holy shit," Fossa leaned back against the railing, raising his eyebrow. "Color me impressed!"

"Shouldn't you be watching your mouth?" Kingdew asked.

"We've heard way worse than that," Ace retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

The party had started less than an hour earlier, but from the way everyone had thrown themselves into the swing of things, it seemed like it had been going on all day. Every single commander was in attendance - Sabo had pointed them out based on the list he'd gotten from Izo - although Haruta and Thatch had vanished almost as soon as they'd arrived.

Luffy was currently devouring everything on the table in front of him and two commanders whom Ace recalled being named Rakuyo and Jiru were passing food to him at a rapid pace. Several others had taken bets on how much Luffy would be able to eat, and based off how hungry Luffy had been coming into the party, Ace and Sabo already knew who the winner would be. Thatch, Izo, and Marco hadn't been allowed to bet.

"Pretty sure you've said worse than that," Sabo teased, elbowing Ace.

Ace smirked back at him. "That's true. Besides, we lived with mountain bandits. Pirates can't be much worse."

"You lived with mountain bandits?" Kingdew echoed.

"Yeah," Sabo turned his attention to Kingdew, craning his neck to meet his eyes. Kingdew was one of the taller ones. "Ace was raised by them, but me and Luffy were only there for a year."

"Well you lived in a garbage heap for five years," Ace countered. "You probably heard worse there."

"Bandits and a garbage heap, huh?" Rakuyo tore his eyes from the spectacle that was Luffy-at-dinnertime, grinning cheekily at them.

"We're no pushovers," Sabo said, returning the grin with one of his own. "We were gonna become pirates way before we ran into Thatch and the others."

"How did you run into Thatch?" Jiru spoke up this time, though he was seemingly unable to tear his gaze away from Luffy.

"It's a long story," Sabo answered, seeing the way Ace's shoulders tensed. "And this party's about Bay, right?" He glanced across the deck to Whitebeard's chair, where several people had gathered to laugh and drink alcohol. Bay was standing near one of Whitebeard's legs, laughing boisterously with an arm around a young woman in a nurse's uniform.

"Yeah, the kid's right," Rakuyo agreed, sensing the shift in Ace's mood and seeking to keep things light. "We don't need to hound them for all the details right now. There's plenty of time. Tonight's about Bay!"

"Cheers to that!" Someone called from the end of the table they were gathered around, the sound followed by several mugs clanking together.

"Speaking of Thatch… where is he, anyway?" Ace asked, frowning. He wouldn't admit out loud that he'd been keeping tabs on Marco, Izo, and Thatch since they'd joined the party. Thatch had definitely been the first one to the party with Haruta at his side - everyone had briefly cheered for Haruta and congratulated him on his manliness despite his flustered protests - but Ace couldn't see either one of them anymore.

"Wait… where is Thatch?" Rakuyo asked, exchanging a wary glance with Jiru.

As if summoned by his name, Thatch plopped into a seat across from Luffy at the table, wickedly grinning in a way that had his brothers tensing. "Did you miss me?"

Haruta quickly joined him, hiding a smirk in his freshly bandaged hand and glancing across the deck to one of the various tables of refreshments.

"What did you two do?" Kingdew sighed, sounding more exasperated than alarmed.

"I wouldn't drink any punch if I were you," was Haruta's cheeky answer. When he noticed Ace and Sabo giving him curious looks his grin dimmed for a moment, only to quickly brighten again. "Next time, we'll let you guys in on it."

"In on what…?" Sabo wondered, his interest piqued. Ace was struggling to look uninterested, but he wasn't fooling his blond brother.

"Haruta!" Luffy chirped, finally swallowing a giant mouthful of food. He barely paused in eating, but he did give a happy wave with a drumstick in one hand.

"Hey, Luffy," Haruta answered. "You're still eating?"

"He's always eating," Ace said, shaking his head. "Your brothers have been placing bets on when he'll finish. Fossa's gonna win."

"Hah!" Fossa smirked and held his hand out for the money, but Rakuyo knocked it away.

"You don't win just because the kid says you will," Rakuyo complained.

"They're used to him," Fossa argued. "That's good enough for me!"

"You can wait with the rest of them," Thatch said. "You wouldn't even let me bet."

"You've been cooking for him for weeks," Jiru retorted. "That's practically cheating."

"He has a point," Sabo grinned at Thatch. "You know how much Luffy eats if you let him have his way."

"But I need the money so I can get Bay a present, or she'll never let me hear the end of it," Thatch whined. "It'll be like Blamenco and Vista's birthday all over again. Not to mention all the birthdays I missed while I was gone! I'm so behind…"

"Speaking of Vista," Haruta murmured secretively, nudging Thatch. "He's about to get some punch."

Thatch immediately perked up and turned his attention to the table with the giant punch bowl, grabbing one of Haruta's arms and snickering. "He's gonna do it."

"What did you…" Kingdew trailed off, whirling around at the sound of Vista's alarmed grunt and a distinctly loud 'POP'.

The entire crew seemed to go silent as bright pink punch splashed out of the bowl in what seemed like a mini-explosion, dousing Vista and tagging a few others who'd been standing nearby. After a few moments of silence with Vista frozen on the spot, Thatch and Haruta could no longer hold back their laughter, practically falling out of their chairs.

"Here, here!" someone shouted, and another round of cheers went off, people clinking their mugs and sake cups together. Bay doubled over with laughter, gripping onto Whitebeard's pant leg to keep herself from falling over.

"You really just did that," Izo's disapproving voice was nearly lost in the raucous laughter as he made his way over, lightly smacking Thatch upside the head. "What if I'd been the one getting punch?"

"Aw, Izo," Thatch chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with a charming grin. "That's pink lemonade punch. You hate that stuff."

"You… made the punch explode?" Sabo asked, turning to look at Thatch and Haruta with wide eyes. Ace had turned as well, looking confused yet fascinated, while Luffy laughed around a mouthful of food and kept eating like nothing had happened.

Izo sighed, looking far less annoyed than he had been when he'd hit Thatch, a red tint to his cheeks. "They do stuff like this all the time. By the way, Vista's no longer in shock. Run."

"Oh, shit!" Thatch was scrambling back out of his chair a moment later, making a mad dash across the deck and narrowly missing a sword that would have severed his entire pompadour. A very pink and still-smiling Vista was in hot pursuit, both swords drawn and a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Wow," Haruta breathed as Vista and Thatch continued the chase around Whitebeard's chair and then to the upper levels. "Vista must be going easy on me since I'm still hurt."

"Bay's orders," Izo took Thatch's empty seat. "She said no one's allowed to retaliate until you're out of the bandages."

"Awesome," Haruta said with a devious grin.

"That does not mean we won't retaliate once you've recovered," Izo clarified with a stern look. "And don't forget, we have terrific memories."

"Noted," Haruta said in a tone that indicated Izo's warning hadn't deterred him at all.

"This is… normal?" Ace asked, staring at Izo.

"Sadly, yes," Izo chuckled. "I'm sure Thatch bragged about his pranks to impress you three."

"He did, but I didn't believe all of it," Sabo admitted.

"And you guys put up with him?" Ace asked.

"Don't we put up with Luffy?" Sabo grinned sheepishly, nudging Ace. "He might not pull pranks, but remember the mushrooms? Or all the times he uses his rocket without warning?"

"I guess it's kind of the same," Ace relented, though he still seemed skeptical.

"Ahhhh!" Luffy leaned back with both hands on his extended belly, looking completely content. "That was so tasty!"

Rakuyo and Jiru immediately looked to the number of empty plates, only to groan in dismay as Fossa smirked.

"I won," Fossa smirked around his cigar, holding his hand out for the money again. Rakuyo grumbled but gave no further complaint as he handed over a large jar stuffed with bills.

"Told ya." Ace couldn't keep the smug look from his face. As far as he was concerned, no one would ever know Luffy the way he and Sabo did.

"Well, there goes my monthly spending money," Rakuyo sighed, slumping on the table and flicking at an empty plate.

"Why would you bet all of it?" Izo scolded.

"You should have just asked Thatch for the answer and offered to split your winnings," Haruta said.

"Aw, damn it! Haruta's right," Rakuyo moaned.

"That's cheating," Jiru reminded him.

"Only if they get caught," Haruta added with a grin.

"Sometimes, I worry about Thatch's influence on you," Izo sighed, shaking his head.

"No, that's fair," Kingdew interjected. "It's only cheating if they get caught."

"We are pirates, ya know," Haruta added. Before he could say anything else, Luffy's body went back to normal and he hopped up from his chair with a wide grin.

"I'm gonna go thank Boy for the party," Luffy declared.

"Boy?" Izo asked. "I think you mean Bay-"

Completely ignoring him - and his brothers, who warned him not to run off - Luffy jumped down from his seat and dashed towards Whitebeard.

"Does he get anyone's names right?" Rakuyo questioned while watching Ace and Sabo take off after him.

"My name," Haruta teased. "And Izo's name."

"We are a privileged few," Izo joked.

"What did you do to get him to remember?" Rakuyo asked. "He called me 'Rakuen' earlier and I thought Blenheim was gonna piss himself."

"What a fitting name," Izo teased, smirking deviously and causing Rakuyo's cheeks to redden. "In any case, I have no idea why he gets my name right when he didn't catch on to Thatch's or Marco's."

"He didn't get my name right until I saved his hat," Haruta added.

"Don't you mean his life?" Kingdew asked.

"No, I literally mean his hat," Haruta said. "He was still calling me Haru when I dragged him out of the water. We had to dive again for his hat, though. He said it was his treasure."

"Come to think of it, Ace had that hat when they were reunited on Thatch's boat," Izo commented, watching from afar as Luffy wrapped Bay up in excited hugs. The laughter carried - no doubt he'd called her 'Boy' and amused the others - but both Sabo and Ace were still hesitant. "It seems to mean a lot to Luffy."

"Doesn't it seem familiar to you?" Kingdew asked, cocking his head to the side. "That hat, I mean."

"Hardly," Izo frowned. "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing straw."

"Not you," Kingdew said. "It just struck me as familiar."

"Kingdew noticing clothes? The world is ending," Rakuyo snickered, giving his much taller brother's leggings a tug.

Kingdew glowered, quickly yanking his leggings back up before they slid low enough to cause a scene. "Quit that."

"We don't need a repeat of Thatch's birthday party," Haruta swore, shaking his head. "That was more than I ever needed to see."

"More than any of us needed to see, kiddo," Rakuyo agreed. "I never want to be that drunk again. I think I sang a song about Kingdew's nudity."

"I am not ashamed of my body," Kingdew stated calmly. "However there are children present." He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I agree. We should never get that drunk again. I still remember that song."

Izo chuckled, standing back up and heading after the boys, coming to a stop near Bay. Luffy was still wrapped around her upper body but she didn't seem to mind the clingy affection. The crossdresser immediately noticed Ace and Sabo relaxing when he joined them.

"Has Thatch been thoroughly scolded?" Bay joked in lieu of a proper greeting.

"Vista hasn't caught him yet, so, no," Izo said with a delicate shrug. "Not like scolding him actually does anything."

"On the contrary. He listens to you, dear brother," Bay finally untangled Luffy from around her midsection and dropped him next to Ace and Sabo, watching with undisguised amusement as Ace reached out and caught the rubber boy before he hit the deck. "I wonder why that is."

"Thatchy's fun," Luffy chimed in. "He talks about his family all the time."

"He really does," Sabo added, knowing Ace wouldn't join the conversation. They were too close to Whitebeard, who despite seeming relaxed and cheerful, was still quite intimidating. Ace hadn't dropped his guard at all since they'd approached.

"Good things, I hope," Bay said.

Sabo nodded, watching as Luffy waved his arms up at Whitebeard to try and get the captain's attention. Whitebeard was currently engaged in a conversation with another one of the giant crewmates - a man named Jozu, if Sabo recalled correctly. "He told me about some of the other commanders when I was helping him cook."

"He put you to work, huh?" Another large commander, one whose name escaped Sabo, spoke up. He lifted his mug to take a large swig of alcohol, before grinning at the boys. "Probably because Izo didn't want to break a nail."

"Very funny, Blenheim," Izo muttered.

"No, no," Sabo laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "But Thatch was cooking for all of us, and Luffy eats a lot, so I thought it'd be nice for him to have some help."

"Hey, Ossan!" Luffy called, flailing his arms again.

"Oi, leave him alone," Ace scolded, setting Luffy down and frowning. "He's not paying any attention anyway."

"So, your name's Blenheim?" Sabo asked, ignoring his brothers for a moment. "I'm still trying to learn from the list Izo gave us."

"Yeah, don't sweat it, brat. Lot of fuckin' names to learn. I won't take it personally if you get mine wrong," Blenheim said with a laugh.

"Blenheim, I swear on Marco's godforsaken pineapple hair, if you start teaching these three to cuss as much as you do, I will shave your head in your sleep," Izo promised.

"Ossan!" Luffy called again while Blenheim laughed. "Giant-beard-Ossan!"

"Luffy, just leave him alone," Ace scolded, smacking Luffy upside the head and nearly knocking his hat off. He crossed his arms over his chest, sharing an exasperated glance with Sabo.

"But I wanna ask him stuff," Luffy whined, peering up at Ace with wide eyes. "Maybe he just can't hear me because he's so big?"

"Just stop bothering h-" Ace started to order him, but it was too late. Luffy reeled back before abruptly shooting his arm forward until one small hand grasped at Whitebeard's pant leg. He shot into the air before either of his brothers could stop him, rocketing towards Whitebeard with a determined look on his face.

The gathered group could only stare with varied expressions of horror and fascination as Luffy flew right into Whitebeard's knee, making contact with a sharp yelp. The force caused him to start spinning, and as Whitebeard turned his attention to his sudden company, the rubber boy landed in his sake cup with a small splash.

"Luffy!" Ace shouted, sounding equal parts frustrated and worried.

Jozu raised an eyebrow, watching as Whitebeard carefully set his sake cup on the armrest of his chair and lifted the flailing boy by the back of his shirt. He held the fabric carefully between two fingers, curiosity in his gaze as Luffy sputtered and wiped at his eyes.

"Yuck!" Luffy shouted, vigorously shaking his head back and forth in a motion that sent droplets of sake all over the crowd below.

"Don't like the taste of sake, eh kid?" Jozu asked, smirking.

"No, it's gross," Luffy whined, sticking his tongue out and scrunching his face.

"Luffy, get back down here!" Ace demanded. He tensed at a light touch to his shoulder, only to relax as he realized it was Marco's hand. The older man had joined them while everyone had been watching Luffy.

"He's fine, yoi," Marco promised. "Oyaji finds him amusing. You can relax."

Sabo gave a hesitant smile up at Marco, before turning his attention back to Whitebeard and Luffy. "Sorry, Whitebeard-san," he called. "Luffy was just excited to talk to you!"

Whitebeard laughed, the deep and rumbling sound reverberating in his chest. It should have been intimidating to all three boys, but Sabo found it to be quite soothing, and Ace didn't tense up again. Luffy merely grinned in response, interpreting the laughter as an open invitation to act however he wanted.

"Ne, Ossan," Luffy said, completely unfazed by the fact that he was still dripping with alcohol. "Your mustache is huge! Does it come off?"

"Why the f- er," Blenheim shot a nervous glance at Izo, only looking back to Luffy when Izo nodded in approval. He raised an eyebrow. "Why would it come off?"

"There was a mystery doctor back home, and her mustache came off once," Luffy explained.

"A mystery doctor?" Izo echoed, glancing to Sabo and Ace. When neither of them seemed alarmed - in fact, Sabo was smiling as if recalling something endearing - he simply wrote it off as one of the many nonsensical things Luffy said.

"No, it doesn't come off," Whitebeard answered, setting Luffy down on the opposite armrest from his sake cup.

Luffy twisted himself to wring out a bit more of the sake before his body snapped back into shape and he sat down with a satisfied grin, tilting his head up to see Whitebeard easier. He sat cross-legged, grasping his ankles and leaning forward slightly.

"So you're a devil fruit user, huh?" Jozu asked, reaching out to lightly tug one of Luffy's cheeks.

"Oi, don't stretch his face like that," Ace said, immediately bristling at the sight.

"Jozu, right?" Sabo asked. "You should at least ask permission before you do that."

"Yeah, Jaws. I ate the Gomu Gomu fruit. I'm a rubber man!" Luffy answered, grinning with his cheek stretched out. Jozu let go and Luffy nearly fell off the armrest from the recoil, but he righted himself quickly with a sheepish giggle.

"It's Jozu," Jozu corrected, ignoring the muttered 'good luck with that' from Marco. Ace was still glaring at him, but Luffy hadn't seemed to mind having his cheek stretched out.

"Well, Thatch is going for another swim," Vista said as he approached, still tinted pink from the punch but looking much happier. "What did I miss?"

"You're not the only one who decided to play in the refreshments," Bay answered, motioning to Luffy. "The new kid took a swim in Oyaji's sake."

"And he thinks Bay's name is 'Boy'," Jozu added, amused.

"Luffy just doesn't remember names that easily," Ace interrupted.

"It really doesn't bother us," Marco promised, turning his gaze to Ace again. "Besides, no one's expecting him to memorize everyone's names on the first day, yoi."

"He got my name instantly," Izo stated with a small smirk in Marco's direction. "Maybe he just likes me better… Mango."

Marco's eye twitched ever-so-slightly, but he otherwise remained impassive to Izo's goading. "I think we both know, out of the three of us, he likes Thatch the best, yoi. And he still doesn't get Thatch's name completely correct."

"I wonder why that is?" Sabo asked aloud, interrupting their conversation. "I mean with Ace and me, he never messed up."

"Hey, Luffy," Ace called, prompting Luffy to crane his neck so he could look down at his freckled brother. "How come you get Izo and Haruta right, but you call the others things like 'Thatchy' and 'Mango'?"

Luffy blinked at the straightforward question, tilting his head to the side. "Those are their names," he answered. "That's what Thatchy said. And Haruta got my hat for me!"

"Thatch told you his name was Thatchy?" Jozu asked, barely holding back his laughter.

"Yeah!" Luffy grinned, flailing his arms. "When Thatchy found me, I was really, really sick. I was also really worried about my big brothers - ah, but I shouldn't worry about them or they get mad - and Thatchy said he missed his brothers, too! And I didn't want to be alone, so Thatchy sat with me and told me about some of his brothers!"

"Wait," Marco's eyes widened imperceptibly before his lips quirked into a lazy grin. "Thatch was telling you about the time Izo joined us, wasn't he?"

"Yeah," Luffy agreed, eyes bright. "And then he said something about talking to himself and I learned his name was Thatchy."

"I see," Marco shared an amused grin with Whitebeard, chuckling. "That makes a little more sense now, yoi."

"How does that make sense?" Izo asked, frowning.

"You called me 'Margo' because you misheard Thatch and thought I was a woman at first," Marco reminded him. "That's what Luffy called me when he woke up, remember?"

"I messed up Mango's name at first, but now I have it right!" Luffy added with a cheerful grin. "And Thatchy said Izo's name a lot, so I remembered it the best!"

Izo opened his mouth, then shut it. He felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks again at the realization that Thatch had been talking about him enough to make someone like Luffy - who sometimes couldn't seem to retain information for longer than two minutes - remember his name so easily.

"I get it now," Sabo grinned knowingly, nodding to Ace. "When Luffy said 'Margo', Marco correct him right away and it confused him, so he came up with a new name. Thatch told him he could call him 'Thatchy', which to Luffy, sounded like he'd gotten it right. And of course he'd get Haruta's name right since Haruta's the one who saved his hat."

"Luffy logic at its finest," Ace sighed, though he was also smiling.

"That hat seems pretty important to you," Whitebeard commented, drawing Luffy's attention again. "I feel like I've seen it before."

"My hat?" Luffy reached up to grasp the rim, clutching it with a bright smile. "It's my treasure! Shanks gave it to me to hold onto!"

"He never shuts up about Shanks," Ace warned, looking up at Marco. "I'm surprised he didn't talk about it more on the way… here…? Marco?"

Marco snapped out of it, looking down at Ace. He wasn't the only one in the group who'd had a reaction to the name. Even Bay's eyes had widened a little, and Blenheim stopped chugging his alcohol. A pin could have dropped in the hull and they still might have heard it on deck.

Ace and Sabo exchanged a worried glance, unsure of how to handle the sudden mood shift. Ace's stance shifted like he might jump onto the armrest to defend Luffy if necessary.

"Shanks? As in, Red-Haired Shanks?" Marco clarified, causing Ace to hesitate.

"You know Shanks?" Luffy's face lit up even more. Despite the fact that no one seemed alarmed or hostile, Sabo remained tense. Shanks was the pirate who had saved Luffy's life - meaning both boys owed him a debt of gratitude - and they knew Luffy still held traces of guilt in his heart over Shanks' injury.

"Yeah, you could say that," Whitebeard chuckled, studying Luffy a bit more intently than before. "We've met."

"I wonder how they're doing," Luffy chirped, looking the happiest he'd been since boarding the ship. "Shanks and the guys…"

"Well, at some point before they left East Blue, Red Hair lost his sword arm," Jozu explained. "He's still alive, but we don't know what kind of-"

"That's enough!" Ace interrupted. "Why don't you all mind your own damn business?!"

"Ace-" Marco started, only to turn as he caught sight of Sabo jumping up onto the armrest of Whitebeard's chair out of the corner of his eye.

It was then that everyone noticed Luffy. He'd gone from smiling that special brand of Luffy-smile that took up half his face to looking incredibly lost. Even as Sabo placed a hand on his shoulder and Ace broke away from Marco's support to join his brothers, his smile remained absent.

"It's okay," Luffy said, looking up at Ace and Sabo. Ace was glaring furiously at Jozu, while all of Sabo's attention seemed to be focused on Luffy. "Besides… it was my fault. That's why I have to get stronger."

"Your fault, yoi?" Marco echoed, holding his hand up to hush everyone else. His first impression had been that Ace was trying to stop Jozu from telling Luffy the bad news about Shanks, but seeing the way Ace and Sabo had immediately gone to Luffy's side to try and offer comfort told him they were missing a vital part of the story.

"It wasn't your fault," Ace argued, turning his attention to Luffy.

Luffy sucked in a deep breath, then jumped to his feet and shook his head. "No, it's okay, Ace. I wasn't strong enough then, but I'll be stronger next time I see Shanks." He looked to Jozu next. "Shanks lost his arm because he was saving me from the Lord of the Coast," he explained. "He was really cool! He didn't even have to fight. He scared it away!"

"The Lord of the Coast is the sea king that lives outside the village Luffy grew up in," Sabo clarified.

"Well, that sounds like Red Hair," Whitebeard cut in, chuckling and breaking the tension. "So, you're gonna get stronger than him, brat?"

"That's right," Luffy declared, placing his hands on his hips. "I promised Shanks I'd return his hat when I became a great pirate, and I'm gonna put together a crew that can beat his! That's why I can't join Ossan's crew - I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

"I see," Jozu's grin came back.

Marco was smiling as well, placing a hand on his hip. "So Red Hair was spending his time in the Goa Kingdom, yoi?"

"No, he was at my village," Luffy said.

"So yes," Sabo answered, tugging on Luffy and jumping to the ground with him. Ace shot Whitebeard a distrustful look before following. "Your village was part of the Goa Kingdom, Luffy."

"Oh, okay," Luffy grinned. "Shanks and his crew came by a lot. They told me stories and sang songs for me! Shanks wouldn't let me join his crew back then, but now I don't wanna anyway."

"So let me guess," Marco asked, lightly flicking Luffy's hat off so it hung by the strings. He ruffled Luffy's hair. "You got into their treasure at some point and that's how you ate a devil fruit?"

"No," Luffy giggled, half-heartedly swatting at Marco's hand. "They had it in Makino's bar and I thought it was dessert. It tasted nasty!"

"They do taste pretty awful," Jozu agreed with a laugh. "Dessert, huh? You're something else, kid."

"Still, of all the reasons, who'd have thought…" Vista trailed off with a shrug. "Oh well. It's not really our business what Red Hair does."

"What'd I miss about Red Hair?" Thatch wheezed, falling onto the deck and flopping on his back. He was thoroughly soaked and sporting a few lumps on his head.

"Only the entire conversation, moron," Izo sighed, making his way over and placing his hands on his hips. "Have a nice swim?"

"Gotta stay in shape, ya know… muscles… ladies swooning… the usual," Thatch rasped, still trying to catch his breath.

Izo rolled his eyes, but rather than get irritated he simply offered Thatch a hand. "Come on, get up. You can go find some dry clothes and rejoin the party."

"Cheers to that!" someone shouted, and just like that, the party kicked back into high gear with people toasting and laughing. All the while, Whitebeard kept his thoughtful gaze trained on Luffy and his brothers.

...

"How long could they possibly party for?" Ace sighed, throwing himself backwards onto the bed. It had been at least an hour, maybe two since they'd been sent to bed by Izo. Almost everyone on deck had been drunk, except for Marco who claimed he couldn't get drunk. The sky had darkened as well, and while they'd been allowed to remain at the party as lanterns were lifted into the air and lit in rows of soft pastel colors, Izo had finally insisted they head to their room once someone called attention to how late it was.

Marco had escorted them since Thatch was busy laughing and making a fool of himself with some of the nurses in his drunken state.

"At least everyone's having fun," Sabo answered, eyes closed and posture relaxed. Luffy was fast asleep between them, still smelling faintly of sake despite having been thoroughly rinsed off at one point.

"Haruta's barely older than us and he got to stay," Ace muttered.

"You didn't even want to stay at the party. You were in a bad mood."

"I was not in a bad mood."

"You nearly popped a vein when Atmos started tossing Luffy around."

"What if he'd thrown Luffy over the side?!"

Sabo sighed at the change in Ace's voice. His overprotective streak had really started to surface and shine since they'd stepped onto the Moby Dick. "One, I'm pretty sure one of the other giant commanders could have caught him. Two? He already threw himself over the side once today and they saved him then too. Plenty of the commanders aren't devil fruit users. Namur already said he'd be on hammer-duty, and he did get that Blamenco fellow pretty quickly when he fell in."

Ace cringed at the mention of Namur. "Namur… Ugh…"

"Yeah, yeah. Me too."

"I swear, I don't even want to see him tomorrow," Ace muttered.

"It can't be that bad," Sabo reasoned. "I mean, how were we supposed to know?"

"We should have."

Another sigh. Sabo opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I was just too excited to learn more about him and I didn't think to stop Luffy."

"Did you see his face? I thought he was gonna bite Luffy in half," Ace groaned.

"Everyone else thought it was funny?" Sabo tried.

"Izo looked like he wanted to bite Luffy in half too."

"That's because Izo has manners," Sabo countered. "But Thatch was laughing so hard he almost choked."

"Who does that?" Ace groaned, tossing one of his arms over his face to cover his eyes. "Who goes up to the first Fishman they meet and asks if they can poop?"

"Luffy, apparently."

"I don't want to think about it anymore," Ace said. "Just let me erase it from my memory."

"Thatchy," Luffy mumbled in his sleep. "More meat…"

"At least everyone seems friendly," Sabo murmured. "And Marco's room is right across from ours." He let out a rather loud sigh of irritation as the boisterous laughter echoed through the halls. "And they said they don't party like this all the time."

"Bay also tried to hug me," Ace said with a scowl.

"Let's chalk it up to everyone being drunk. If anyone tries to hug you while they're sober, then we'll deal with it."

"Fine."

"Well, tomorrow's a brand new day for Luffy to get himself in trouble. We'd better try to sleep while we can."

"Good luck."

"You too, Ace."

Another burst of laughter accompanied by offkey singing wafted down the hall, causing both boys to groan and attempt to block the sound with pillows. All the while, Luffy slept blissfully unaware of the noise.

...

Izo leaned back against the railing, a fancy glass balanced in one hand as he relaxed. From his vantage point, he had the perfect view of his family. Atmos was sleeping behind Whitebeard's chair, covered in confetti with his ankles tied together. Izo made a note to make sure not to be around when Atmos finally woke up. The 'first person to fall asleep' pranks could be brutal.

He took a sip of his drink - a fruity concoction made specifically for him by Thatch - and grinned when Marco joined him. "Not going to partake?"

"Any point in it?" Marco asked.

"Sucks to be you," Izo chuckled.

"I don't know, being drunk doesn't look very fun from here," Marco motioned to Rakuyo, who was singing very loudly with an arm slung around Jiru's shoulders. Jiru didn't seem to mind the singing or the contact, but he was staring straight ahead with a creepy grin on his face.

"I'm glad the trio didn't see this side of them," Izo agreed, grimacing. "Jiru is giving me the damn creeps."

They watched in silence for a little while before Marco tilted his head to the side. "You aren't angry, yoi."

"At Thatch?" Izo stole a glance at the pompadour-sporting chef, who was happily feeding bites of pudding to a giggling and very drunk nurse. "Normally this would piss me off, but… well, I'll let it slide this time."

"I forgot that you called me 'Margo' before you saw me face-to-face."

Izo snorted, nearly choking on his drink. "That was so long ago," he complained, handing Marco the nearly-empty glass. "But yes, that's what I'm talking about. Thatch can't remember half the names of the women he's flirted with in a single month, but he can remember something that specific after all these years…"

"And he spoke about you so much, Luffy got your name right instantly, yoi," Marco added with a teasing smirk, finishing the drink off. "You're thinking about that one, right?"

"Oh, shut up," Izo sighed. "It's not like it changes anything. It just makes me happy."

"I know." Marco's smirk faded into a sincere smile.

Izo chuckled, tilting his head back to look at the sky. Between the stars and the multi-colored lanterns, it seemed like the entire sky was twinkling. "It's enough for me. It really is."

They stood in comfortable silence after that, occasionally pointing out the antics of their drunken siblings. Rakuyo had switched from random singing to serenading the giggling nurses, and despite being clearly intoxicated, Bay and Vista were starting another drinking competition.

Blamenco wound up overboard - again - and during his rescue, Namur swam in a circle three times while others shouted helpful directions to guide him to the rope ladder. All the while, Whitebeard watched and laughed, a truly content smile on his face.

"Hey, Marco," Izo said, glancing over at him.

"You want me to tell you Oyaji's reasons for coming to Paradise," Marco guessed.

"You and Bay know something," Izo stated. "And I want to know what it is."

"Oyaji told me not to worry my brothers, yoi," Marco said. He raised an eyebrow at Izo. "So I guess that means I can tell you, since you couldn't possibly worry more than you already do."

"So it is his health," Izo sighed. "How bad?"

"Not very," Marco assured him. "He's looking for more nursing staff, medicine, that kind of thing, yoi."

"He's wearing that bandana to hide the fact that his hair is falling out, isn't he?" Izo asked, lowering his voice. It was absurd to think anyone would hear them over the ruckus of the party, but he figured a little discretion couldn't hurt.

"Yeah," Marco answered just as quietly. "Part of the reason he and Bay reached an agreement on her becoming a Commander is an unspoken arrangement for her to help in recruiting doctors and nurses. Haruta needing time to train was an added perk to this side trip."

"And convenient for us, given the circumstances," Izo sighed. "Tell me honestly. Should I be worried?"

"No," Marco said without hesitation. "I doubt it's worth worrying over for another decade or so. That's why the others don't need to know."

"Alright. So what did he think about the idea of the boys staying?"

Marco snorted. "Do you even have to ask? Besides, even if he had reservations about their ages, you can tell he likes all three of them, yoi."

"What do you think about Luffy's connection to Red Hair?" Izo wondered.

"It was surprising to hear, but at the same time, should we really be surprised?" Marco joked. "I can't believe I didn't notice it sooner, yoi. I saw Red Hair once a long time ago and he had that hat on. Leave it to Oyaji to remember something like that."

"I think it was mentioned at least three times during the party that Red Hair and his crew are technically our enemies, and all Luffy did was laugh and talk about how cool he thought they were," Izo said. "His way of thinking really does seem refreshing sometimes."

"What are you two doin' all the way over here?!" Thatch's voice slurred just a little as he made his way over, flailing his arms and grinning as brightly as the lanterns. "It's a party!"

"Just enjoying the view, yoi," Marco said, smirking again. "I think I'll go check on the boys and leave you to your fun."

"Oh, you're such a grumpy bird," Thatch complained, stumbling to Izo and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "C'mon Izo, let's go play and leave Marco to his grumpy bird duties."

Izo snorted delicately, sliding an arm around Thatch's waist to help steady him. "Well, how can I resist such a charming invitation?" he joked. "Have fun with your grumpy bird duties, Marco."

Marco rolled his eyes, but his smile warmed as he watched Izo and Thatch head back into the chaos of the party. He glanced over at Whitebeard, catching his eye and sharing a warm smile. Truly, nothing compared to having the family together.

...

Her hand clutched tightly at the pendant, gripping it in a way that was sure to leave an imprint on her palm. She didn't let go of it even once as she slipped into the crowd, holding her breath as if she thought the sound of her breathing might be heard over the bustling townsfolk. Her other hand came up to tug her hood down, hiding her face from sight.

She wasn't afraid of being recognized. It was the opposite. The very idea that someone might see her and question her presence was downright terrifying, and the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself. She had no way of knowing exactly where she was; the ship had stopped multiple times before she'd gathered the courage to sneak from her position as a stowaway. The thought of trying to find food or warmth on her own in some unknown port town was almost as scary as the thought of remaining with the Marines a day longer.

Distracted by her thoughts, she almost collided with a man carrying several boxes, yelping and losing her hood for a moment as she swerved out of the way. "Please excuse me," she apologized, grabbing her hood and pulling it back down as she hurried on her way.

Just keep moving, she told herself, weaving through the larger bodies with ease. No one spared her a second glance, no one shouted at noticing her absence, and the missing weight around her neck told her there would be no shock if she kept moving.

No one's going to come looking. No one knows I'm alive except for him. Snow White is dead, she repeated, trying to ease her anxiety. I have a name. I have a name and I'll learn it as soon as I'm safe.

A sharp ache pierced through her palm, but she didn't cry out. It wasn't the first time she'd gripped the pendant hard enough to cut into her skin in the last few weeks, and it wasn't like she cared about scars. Sometimes, she was scared she couldn't even feel trivial pain like that anymore.

"Young lady," a voice called out, making her freeze in her tracks. Running would only raise suspicion and she doubted she'd be able to do so without shoes anyway. The sidewalks were uneven cobblestones littered with pebbles.

Instead, she turned towards the owner of the voice - a kindly looking older woman - forcing the muscles of her face to relax and hoping there were no traces of fear or apprehension in her eyes. A fake smile quirked her lips, though it was by no means intended to be friendly. The woman had to have seen her when her hood had fallen. "Yes?"

"Where are your shoes?" The woman approached, kneeling down to look at her.

She tugged her cloak a bit tighter. "I haven't got any," she answered politely.

"What's your name?"

A pang of fear raced through her, but she resisted the urge to run. When she didn't answer, the woman gave an understanding smile.

"I see… well, how old are you, young lady?"

"Eleven," she answered since the woman wasn't pushing for a name. She hoped it wasn't a lie, at least. With no idea when her birthday was or exactly how long she'd been at the facility, she only had a rough estimate of her current age.

"I have a couple boys that age," the woman commented wistfully. "I don't know if you'd take a liking to their style, but I'm sure I have an extra pair of shoes and some clothes if you'd like."

"I… I won't go with you," she stammered. "I'm just passing thr-"

"I can see you're in a hurry, but if you wait just a moment, I'll come back," the woman promised. "I'll go now, and if you leave before I return, I'll simply wish you safe travels."

She opened her mouth to answer, but the woman had already turned and headed down the street. Shaking her head, she started to leave, only to wince as she took an uneven step. As cautious as she was, the promise of shoes was too great to pass up. It wasn't like her face was on any newspaper or poster, and there wasn't anything special about her appearance that would entice someone to try and kidnap her for ransom. She was clearly an abandoned child or an orphan with no money, and while she was wary of other dangerous intentions, she was standing in a crowded area. The woman hadn't asked her to follow or tried to lure her somewhere private.

It couldn't hurt, she told herself, slowly lessening her grip on the pendant in her hand. Just wait a little and see if she really wants to help.

The minutes ticking by felt like hours and she swore she heard every single footstep around her, but the woman returned as she'd stated she would. She held a pair of plain black slippers in one hand, a small bag of clothing and what appeared to be a loaf of bread in the other.

"Here you are," the woman said, kneeling down and placing the shoes in front of her. She had barely placed her feet into them before the sigh of relief escaped. They fit - albeit loosely - and the ache in her soles immediately started to dissipate.

"I can't pay you back," she stated, despite how obvious it must have been.

"That's quite alright, dear," the woman handed her the bag and smiled. "You take care of yourself now, alright?"

"I will…" She accepted the bag, hugging it to her chest and turning to walk away. She'd barely made it three steps before she turned again. "Snow White."

"Pardon?" The woman blinked, tilting her head to the side.

"My name," she said, grip tightening painfully on the pendant again. She couldn't very well give the woman her number, and she didn't know her real name yet. It seemed to be safe enough to give the nickname she'd earned from the only person who had seen her as a human and not a tool. "It was Snow White."

She turned and ran then, putting as much distance between herself and the kind stranger as she could without calling attention to herself.

It wasn't until she'd reached the outskirts of town that she let go, leaning against the rough bark of a tree and sinking to the ground to catch her breath. With the bag resting in her lap and the enticing scent of fresh bread causing her mouth to water, she had to force herself to remain patient.

Both hands moved to the nape of her neck, the cloak restricting her movement as her fingers tangled in her light brown hair. It took some difficulty before she was able to unlatch the delicate clasp of the chain and remove it from her throat, silver glinting in the dim light of the setting sun.

The silver cross was beautiful, with not a single scratch on it, and the only discoloration came from the traces of dried blood from continuously cutting into her palm. The engraving that had been hidden from her ever since she'd received the necklace from the one who'd 'killed' her was a single word - a single name.

She twisted her left wrist, letting the cross rest next to the tattoo there. #106. More of a label than a name, and one she'd never have to be called again. Her eyes slid closed for a moment as she recalled the last time she'd seen the kind man.

"Listen, Snow White. You can be free now. It was my duty to dispose of you, but I can't kill you. You're not a number. You're not a Thing. You've got your whole life ahead of you if you can just make it out of here." He smiled at her, but the smile was strained.

"What about you?" She reached out to grip the sleeve of his lab coat but he pulled back, distancing himself a little.

"I'll be fine. I'll make sure they believe the evidence I bring back."

"But-"

"No buts, Snow. You managed to survive almost four years here. Do you want to die now?" He reached out to unlock the collar at her throat, shoving it into his coat once it came off.

"No, I don't…" She automatically rubbed at her neck for a moment, as if somehow feeling the tingling energy that always preceded a violent shock. It was surreal having the collar off.

He smiled kindly, reaching into his pocket and removing a delicate silver chain. Before she could question it, he was clasping it around her neck and pulling a cloak around her thin shoulders. "You're not a number anymore. And you're not Snow White, either. This was the only thing they kept from the day they found you. There's a name engraved on the back. Use it from now on."

She tried to turn the cross to see, but it was too close to her throat. "I can't-"

"Not yet. When you're safe, then look. Now, I'm going to take some blood. Hold still."

Her dark eyes studied his as the needle slid into her arm. She barely even felt it. Not after everything else the 'doctors' had done.

"There. With this, I've killed Snow White," he said, pocketing the blood sample and opening the crate. "Hop in, but make sure not to get out until you're absolutely sure the coast is clear."

Her eyes fluttered open. She hoped he was alright, and that whatever he'd told his superiors had sufficed. Her blood would be used as an identifier, but she had no idea what he was showing them as proof, or if they'd even care. It wasn't like anyone at the facility had looked at her as a human anyway, so maybe they hadn't realized he had?

She didn't know, and she couldn't let herself dwell on it. She'd given them enough of her life already.

#106 was dead.

Snow White was dead.

It was time for her to finally live.

She smiled at her new - or rather, original - name, then carefully brought the necklace back to her neck, clasping it again. Next, she began eating the bread, savoring the rich taste and blocking out the weeks of eating stale or moldy leftovers to avoid being caught on the ship. She blocked out the years of nutrient injections and bland grape-flavored water she'd been given at the facility.

Even if she had no memories of her life before the facility - before the numbers and tests and dreams of escaping - she finally had a name and a life to call her own.

...

A/N: The plot thickens. BWAHAHAHAHA! Okay so first off, there will be more conversation about the Shanks connection, but no one wanted to do it in front of Luffy. I'm going to be including all of the commanders as much as possible.

Also, Snow White/#106 is not an original character. Can anyone guess who it is? :D I'm curious to know your thoughts! I won't be revealing it for quite some time, though!

THANKS AGAIN ALL, HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS STORY STILL!

And for anyone wondering, yes, I ugly sobbed my way through Marineford with Ayns. We're on Punk Hazard now though, so no crying for me until we get to Law's backstory! (and maybe a bit of Rebecca's)

~Mithril