"Repeat after me..."

"I, Jane Domino, Solemnly swear to uphold the name of justice with honor and courage. to defend those who need no matter the cost." Stated a gruff older man. His white Marine uniform swayed with the small breeze that blew up. Ironically so did his long nose hairs that almost touche the black book that he held out for Domino to hold. He had bags under his eyes and was thin and hunched over from years of holding books for other Marines.

Domino looked around the circle of people who awaited her to speak. Behind the man with the book Garp sat with a small grin happily munching away at his cookies while Kuzan leaned against a pole that surrounded the outside court yard. Adaline was behind her, her uniform freshly pressed and clean. Domino looked down at the black book and shook her head putting her hand on the book. She watched her reflection in her shoes as the weight on her shoulders grew. Everyone was watching but she couldn't focus on the words she found herself repeating. In fact as she spoke she felt hallow, as if she was just repeating empty phrases. She was, at least to herself.

The man nodded "Very good," He stopped.

Domino so lost in her repeated his exact words. "Very good," She mumbled before her eyes went wide and she looked up at the mans nose hair before finally finding his shocked wide brown eyes.

"Excuse me?" He asked concerned as Garp's laughter belted out behind the scenes.

She blinked and leaned to look at Kuzan who just shrugged with no expression.

"Um, I'm sorry sir!" She stated her body tight and clenched at anything but ease. She could feel the tight fabrics of her clean formal uniform suddenly constrict her more as the mans nose hair swayed with his head shaking.

"You new Marines have no respect for the rules these days! You just want to make jokes all day long." He stated rambling to himself still holding Dominos hand on the black book.

Domino went wide eyed and suddenly relaxing. "Listen here you old geezer I told you I was sorry!" She stated moving closer to him as he snatched the book from her hand.

"Oh, now I'm an old geezer now huh? I'll have you know I did this as a favor! If I had it my way none of you marines would be here." The old man stated his nose hair moving with every syllable.

Domino blinked at him surprised and enraged. "Hey hey hey, keep that book here, I know you're old but is your memory gone too? You still gotta swear me in! I said I was sorry and I am. You can accept it or not but swear me in damn-it!" She stated not realizing that she had just yelled at this pour old man to actually swear her in to a promotion she didn't want.

The old man stared at her before he let out a giant sigh. "Fine," He stated holding out the black book. Dusting off some cherry blossoms that had landed on the book while they argued.

Domino nodded. "Fine." She repeated with a confident smile only to go wide eyed again as Grap hollered in laughter. This time she heard Adaline giggling behind her. Domino didn't have to look at Kuzan to know he was shaking his head. The only person who showed no emotion was the man in front of her gripping the book so tightly his knuckles began to turn white.

"Look. Um." She scratched her head trying to find words to speak but the still man worried her. Nothing moved the wind didn't carry the cherry blossoms from the courtyard. Grap dared not take a bite of his cookie watching with to much joy. And Domino stood frozen slowly swallowing the lump in her throat.

The small move she made cause the man to jump towards her knocking her to the ground and beating her with the black book.

"I will not be... (ThWack) Insulted by (Thwack) Some overrated young (Thwack, thwack Thwack.) Marine! You are a captain (Thwack) act like it!" The old man yelled as Domino tried her best to protect her face from the onslaught of nose hair, and the spine of the book.

Domino suddenly shot out her hand pushing the old man with ease and sat up. "Wait you heard him!?" She asked looking at Garp a welt beginning to grow on her head as she smiled. Grap nodded shoving a cookie In his face. "I did." He laughed.

Domino then looked over to where Kuzan was, yet frowned when he was not there anymore. Then back to Adaline. "You heard it he said it!" She cheered jumping up, clearing the layer of dirt that had accumulated on her uniform. Adaline nodded moving to pull the old man up who still mumbled and groaned.

"I did. He called you a captain captain." She smiled giving the old man a polite bow as he gave the measly group a one over before looking at Domino who put two fingers to her head in a mock salute. The old man watched her with anger growing before he took a big sniff inhealing his nose hairs before huffing away. Mumbling about the disgrace of the Marines.

Domino watched the man leave and waved him away "Ahh, I think I'mm gonna miss him. You know. He kinda grew on me." She teased then looked at where Garp was sitting before a playful diagram appeared in her mind.

See Garp was sitting next to the sole cherry tree in the courtyard. He was sitting to the left of the tree eating cookie. (An arrow appeared in her head) But he was not there.

Domino grew tense, not knowing where Garp was at all times was a problem for her. She held out her arms and leaned over slightly trying to expect anything. But he wasn't in her field of vision. She felt her heart rate increase and her breathing grow shallow as she called out "Ada...Wher'd he goo?" She asked holding out the go for 2 seconds longer.

Adaline shrugged and watched as Domino slowly turned to face her. The look on Dominos face was pure terror and it made her giggle. Not many people could cause this look and it was refreshing to see it.

Domino eyed her surroundings but felt something tug at her left side. Quickly she dodged to the right pushing herself off the ground and landing a few feet away from where a crater was. Her eyes went wide in realization.

She slowly looked up at Adaline who's eyes where now the size of disks staring directly behind where Domino stood. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Accepting death as it came. This was her moment she had lived a...life. She had lived a life to be sure. And even though it was a life it was hers and she was sad.

She kept her eyes closed and head down for what felt like eternity waiting for Garps fist to drop yet instead a light weight fell on her shoulders. Followed by a harder pat.

Quickly she opened her eyes to see an over-sized coat draped across her shoulders fanning outwards with the wind slightly. The heavy pressure on her back was Garp giving her a small pat with a smile.

"Don't think this means your training's over kid. You still got a lot to go." He smiled.

She nodded and turned to him intending to smile when suddenly a dark foreboding shadow grew over her and once again the fear was back.

Marco kept his arms draped lazily off the side of the railing watching as the sea lapped at the side of the ship. He wasn't "Down" as Thatch had put it days ago when he was doing this same thing. He was bored which was something you had to really try to do on this ship. With so many people coming and going at all times. As well as the booze never stopped flowing it was hard to be brought down by the mundane, yet here he stood draped over the railing like laundry waiting to dry.

At any moment he could simply transform and leave yet that didn't seem like fun to him. He wanted to fight the obstacles as they came. But nothing was coming! Here they sailed with targets on their backs but no one dared the Whitebeards. It was as if everyone was to timid. It made him sick. Well it didn't make him sick, he understood why no one dared pick a fight with the them. They where the top dogs and they didn't get there by just a name most of the men on this ship where strong enough to take on a vice admiral at least. But still no one tried.

He gave a soft smile and scoffed at his own thoughts. "They can keep their Vice Admirals, I will take the captain-yoi." He laughed to himself before turning around to see the wide eyes of his brothers. One of whom was an overly concerned man with a bouncing pompadour to match his smile.

Thatch leaned in slightly "You okay buddy?" He asked lightly as if Marco was a scared dog in need of a home. Marco rolled his eyes he was no dog. But still he answered.

"Fine-yoi." He stated sternly before leaning against the railing and crossing his arms. Thatch nodded and approached him slowly with arms out open. "It's okay bud, we understand whatever your planning don't do it. We love you very...Very much." He stated approaching a confused Marco.

Marco looked at Thatch with a raised eyebrow. "What are you..." He stopped as Thatch put his hand on his shoulder and held his head down sadly.

"Look we know you miss the Marine but suicide is not the answer." He stated motioning his eyes to how far Marco was leaning over the railing. Marco looked over the railing himself and adjusted his posture but it was already to late. Marco was already the attention of the whole deck. Including pops who watched the shenanigans with a pleased smile.

"I wasn't thinking.."

"About suicide we know, we know." Thatch stated cutting Marco off and wrapping his arms around his shoulders pushing him away from the edge. "It's a tough time, getting left and all. Trust me we've all been there." He cooed pulling Marco to the center of the deck pushing on his shoulders to sit.

Of course Marco tried to resist only to have Thatch push harder and force him down with a very grumpy "oomph."

"Thatch I wasn't thinking about.."

"The marine we know we know, she was the one the light and the moon, she left you a rose.. we've heard the stories." He stated a joking smile on his face as the others leaned in now playing along.

Pops nodded "How she smiled." He stated waving his hand in the air mimicking a drunken Marco.

The whole crew now in laughter as every time Marco rose to speak was cut off.

"I never said she was the sun and the m..."

"You don't have to say it your being yells it." Thatch stated motioning with his arms from his heart towards the crew. "You exude it out into the world. To let it be known!" He stated now hollering as if he was preaching a sermon to the drunk pirates just as bored.

Izo nodded his top knot bouncing has he did so. "Your aura is chalk full of depression." He stated sipping a cup of tea while he did. Marco looked at him confused. "When did you get..."

"So well versed in the ways of our brother who knows. But what we do know is that you are depressed." Thatch sang out to the ever watchful crowd. They all crowded in on each other nothing but gleeful heads nodding as Thatch spoke. Now realizing that he had an audience stood up and spread his arms.

"You my dear, poor pineapple have been so distraught by the inevitable ditching that became of you from the Marine that we as both friends and brothers have decided to have an intervention." He called out to the nodding of heads. Whitebeards head included. They all had closed eyes and stern faces.

Marco sighed and leaned back snatching a mug from someone's hand before holding out his hand and waving Thatch on.

If he was going to sit through this he might as well be drunk. He watched as Thatch held out his hands once again readying to speak and couldn't help but let out a relaxed smile. If anything he was cured of this boredom