Last time, Marco ponders on his inner demons with Chopper on their way to Whole Cake Island. When the crew meets Sanji, Marco seems to understands some of his pain, but eventually is urged by Luffy back to the Sunny.

If Luffy's arms actually do come off, Nami is going to die. She needs to distract him, and she needs to distract him fast.

"This might be the weirdest moment in history to ask this, buy..." she murmurs to herself, avoiding looking at Luffy's contorted form. "Oi, Luffy?"

"What?" her captain barks out as he twists his arms again and again.

"How come you never told anyone that you dated Marco?" It's a little comical how the teen loses his footing, twisting at least a hundred times in the air before slamming against the wall. He immediately looks up at Nami with wondering eyes. Bingo.

"Namiii!" he whines, "how do you know that? Is that a mystery power?" Nami's tempted to make him believe she's omniscient, if only for the laughs, but there are some things she actually wants to know.

"Izou said something about it before you got to Zou,"

"Oh, Ace's Nakama, I see." Ace's, not Marco's.

"So?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Honestly, Nami's expecting a reaction similar to when she'd first seen Ace. Some really dismissive, oh, it never came up, shishishi. Instead, this is what Luffy answers, voice serious:

"I... forgot," he's frowning and puffing out his lips, Luffy-speak for this is total bullshit, and even I'm aware of it.

"What?" There is no way that's true. She stares at Luffy, and her captain stares back stubbornly. It takes a moment, but in the end, his impatience runs out, and he deflates against the wall. Thankfully, his intentions of breaking himself apart to escape have been curved for the time being.

"That's what I'm supposed to do," he explains softly.

"You're supposed to forget?" Nami echoes, puzzled at such a strange declaration.

"Yeah, that's what Marco told me."

Katakuri steps off the mirror-world into the so-called Thousand Sunny. Despite the ruckus the Straw Hats have made on Whole Cake Island and the epic shit show they've unleashed, going to crush them doesn't feel any different than squishing any other uppity bug that's come after his family. Katakuri has never been particularly attached to his mother, not to her person or her flaky ambitions, but many little brothers and sisters do matter to him. They're his blessing, coming in to give him a reason to keep going, and his curse, keeping him tied down to the way life has continued to be.

Perosperos follows him in, looking over the small rooms in distaste.

"What an amateur mistake, leaving their ship unattended," his older brother mutters, "I cannot believe they've given us so much trouble, perore."

It might be triggered by his brother's words, but Katakuri's vision is quick to prove the contrary. The door to deck opens, a figure cast in shadow but unmistakeable nonetheless. How long ago was it since Katakuri met Marco the Phoenix? It could've easily been ten-years. Rumors about the former Whitebeard Pirates run rampant; they've become a little like ghosts. Some say their defeat has made them merciless and bloodthirsty, others that they're weak and defeated. He looks at Marco's lazy, blue stare, unmoved by two of Big Mom's best fighters boarding his ship... Wait.

"Marco the Phoenix?" Perospero exclaims in surprise, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a little ballsy of you to ask that, isn't it? You're the ones uninvited." A deflection if Katakuri's ever heard one. Despite his words, Marco stands on the doorway, making no move to attack the pirates. "I imagine it'll mean little if I ask you to turn around from whence you came from."

"Indeed," Katakuri surmises.

"What are you planning to do here? Where are Luffy and the others?"

"Mama is going after them, we're just here as a precaution."

"...I see," the man seems to be going over his choices. Katakuri doesn't think the Phoenix can possibly take them both, but he's also pretty sure that if he's anything like Katakuri saw him last, it's also not going to be easy to put him down. His Devil Fruit is an annoying business. "Are you going to do anything to the ship?"

Katakuri and Perospero exchange a look.

"...We were going to take this mirror out to deck," Katakuri answers him; Marco's eyes light up.

"That's how you came in, then."

It's one of the strangest stand-off's Katakuri has ever being a part of. The air is tight and suffocating but somewhat civil? Like looking down a precipice, not entirely aware of how long the way down is, and having little interest in finding out. Marco seems to be looking down on them, and it reminds Katakuri a little that this man inherited the throne of an Emperor. (Lost it, too.) Katakuri's confident he can take him, but he also knows that underestimating the other pirate is a mistake. It will take quite a lot to put the Phoenix down. Other than making the first aggressive move, none of the futures he can see end up with the Phoenix attacking the pair of Big Mom Pirates. A strange notion.

"You don't plan to attack us," Katakuri reflects out loud.

"That Haki of yours is annoying," the former first-mate mutters but doesn't deny it.

Oh.

"I promised Luffy to stay out of his fights," the man shrugs, "this ship, though, is off-limits. Put a scratch on it, and my promise is off." With that, Marco takes a step back, grins at them as if wishing for them to dare him, and flies up to curl around the roof of the crow's nest. His bird form is so big that his tail feathers fall down the side of the small chamber, blue and golden tresses swaying in the wind. The look in his eye is dangerous.

"What the fuck is up with that kid, perore." Katakuri doesn't answer the other's comment, but he whole-heartedly agrees. He wonders if the Phoenix will do something if they bring in more soldiers, but decides to not try it. He and Perosperos are enough for the rookies, and the foot soldiers will be useless against the Phoenix anyway. "No way he'll let us put the candy block around it?" Katakuri gives him a flat stare. "Thought so. I'm sure Mama will get them." That's how they stay until chaos finds them, Perospero and Katakuri on deck under the sharp gaze of a firebird. Katakuri hums.

What a strange day.

Marco, still inside the Sunny, bides his time, feels his heart pound furiously against his chest. He's genuinely concerned about hyperventilating and passing out because he recognizes the people out there. None of the bravadoes he'd piled on himself during the way to Whole Cake island stays with him, like an unfed cat, it flees.

Take care of the Sunny for me, will you?

The Phoenix retreats up into the crow's nest, his heart is shaking as he wonders were all the rabidity that possessed him last time he met Big Mom pirates went. He's taken on his bird form because it is a lot harder to read. Marco's slipping. He can't breathe. Marco can't breathe.

Take care of the Sunny for me, will you?

Marco holds on to his promise with everything he has; he keeps sharp eyes on the invading pirates, something in him eating away at his heart from how close they are to the tangerine trees. Marco hopes this can resolve itself without fighting, but he's not stupid enough to really believe it. He wonders what he will do if it comes down to it.

Take care of the Sunny for me, will you?

On his whole way to Whole Cake Island, Marco said he was overwhelmed.

Watching the Sunny invasion is all of his despair, insecurities, and nightmares rolled into one. When Chopper and Brook arrive, the situation takes a turn for the worst. Perospero offers to let them go, but Marco knows Luffy's crew much too well by now. They will never abandon the Sunny or her captain. He watches them fight and twist themselves around the pirate captain, while he and Katakuri keep each other in check.

A thunderstorm materializes itself in the distance. Marco deduces that Nami must be involved from what the navigator's told him, though she'd failed to mention that her climate tact could work on such a scale. It bleeds some hope into him that the crew isn't far. Just when Chopper and Brook finally go down to Perospero, Marco realizes he's going to have to jump in, after all, Luffy and the rest break-in. Is that... Jinbei with them? Luffy immediately clashes with Katakuri, and Marco lowers himself to the railings on deck. Closer just in case something happens.

"Marco?" Jinbei exclaims, and Marco chirps in response.

The crew is distracted; how can they not be? Marco is quickly swept into helping Jinbei with the Coup de Burst. He almost misses it with everything going on, but Marco's hyper-aware of Luffy at all times. When the other man grabs Charlotte Karakuri by the face and throws him through the mirror, Marco moves fast enough that the shards of it being destroyed from the inside hit him in the face. The cuts heal instantly, but he does have to pull one fragment out of his eye. How nostalgic. Marco looks at the broken mirror, detached from reality, a flame caresses his face, washing away the blood, and the mirror isn't the only thing that breaks.

Whatever fear or self-control keeping Marco calm snaps. He jumps in between Perospero and Pedro, uncaring of whatever battle they're trying to have.

"I thought you weren't going to fight, Phoenix?" Perosperos doesn't look at all happy, even as the Sunny is steadily surrounded by all sides. Big Mom is most definitely on her way, but Marco cannot even think about any of that. Luffy's call, his promise to come back, Marco's promise to him... it's all muddling itself in his mind. Marco's so fucking tired. Tired of Whole Cake Island, Marineford, Punk Hazard... Marco never wanted to be a warrior; he only wanted to stay with the people he loved. Why does it always go down this way? He shifts, turning upside down, grasping the floor so a sharp talon can swoop up and slap Perospero across the face. The man blocks with his cane, but Marco's clawed feet pull on to the bar, leaving him wide open for Marco to pull himself off the floor to punch him in the face. The first thing he does as Perospero stumbles back is snatching his cane and throwing it at sea. He looks down at the Big Mom Pirates, chest heaving in rage.

"Where is he?" Marco mutters out, more beast than man, as he watches the Charlotte eldest with all the repulsion he can muster, Perospero might look like a children's book ill-drawn nightmare, but he has been around as long as Marco has. He won't go down smoothly. Something in the back of Marco's mind is screaming, watching Luffy disappear through the mirror again and again. Why didn't he reach him faster?

"Peros? Straw Hat, you mean?" The man cleans off some blood dripping down his check from whatever tooth Marco felt crack under his fist.

"He took Katakuri through the mirror, yoi, where is he?" The Phoenix hears himself speak, but it's more like watching someone else demand answers through his body.

"They're in Brulee's world, and if Katakuri went through with him well, probably dead, perore." The eldest Charlotte child answers, sparing the broken mirror nary a glance. "It's about time for his merienda, so I'm sure he'll be quick about it."

It's the wrong thing to say.

This chapter was so hard to write, and I have no idea why guys. Pedro lives, though! Which wasn't planned at all; literally just didn't make sense for him to die with Marco there.

I don't know if I've said this, but we have like - two chapters left, which is insane.

Also, for any WWW, I have a new thing coming your way, one more romantic oneshot that's been taking over my heart the last two days. Any guesses as to who it's about? ;)

I'm specially fond of the Nami and Luffy scene of today, though I'm not too sure why. Thoughts?

take care,

dee