Continued-
Whitebeard looked at the scene curiously. As Thatch failed to once again woo another girl, "What does this vault have to do with anything?" He asked the questions the pirates had been wondering.
Adaline looked up at the tower of a man and gave a weak smile. "It holds all of our records, reports, maps, and more importantly a direct link to home, in case things like this happen." She stated and then heard Gator call out "We also have camera snails that are placed around the ships key points that filter into one specific monitor. Which we can access once we get back home, a contingency plan really. But to be honest not many ships have them." He stated squinting to look at such a tall man. He also secretly thanked the heavens that his captain banged the first mate, so they weren't dying right now.
"We Only got ours and I mean only, because Domino is constantly paranoid." Adaline spoke before looking back at a smiling Domino who nodded then let go of Marco to put her arm gingerly over her eyes. She was feeling a lot better now. She still felt useless and a disappointment, but at least she was a useless disappointment laying down.
"Who knew?" Gator asked as Marco watched Domino point blindly in the air. "I, I knew, You guys don't give me credit sometimes, just Trust me, I know a thing or two cause I've seen a thing or two." She mumbled before Adaline shook her head and motioned to the sliver wheel.
"Alright then how do we open it?" She asked Domino who moved to sit up before taking in a sharp breath and instead held out her hand and made circle motion in the air.
"Two this way, one that way and then three back this way." She spoke before her hand stopped, as Adaline quickly turned the wheel watching as Domino returned her hands "Or is it backwards?" She asked herself before the group watched as Domino held out both her hands as if she was moving the wheel. And then nodded "No no that's right." She hummed before looking at the faces that watched her and smiled nodding. "Is it open?" She asked cheerfully.
Adaline took in a breath and rubbed her temples as Thatch nodded the vault creaking open. She tapped Thatch's shoulder and quickly rushed towards the opening. "Thank you so much for bringing this up here really like I can't thank...Domino!" She yelled quickly appearing from the slouched over position staring at Domino as she opened the door wider to reveal a large bottle of Saki, four whiskey bottles as well as three leather bound books and an eternal pose to Marineford.
No private records, no snails, nothing useful. Just Domino's own books and alcohol.
Domino raised an eyebrow before looking over and hollering with laughter. "Oh, shit. Oh shit, I forgot that was in there." she hollered with a cheerful smile careful not to laugh to much as she then frowned at the pain.
"Domino! HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU THE VAULT IS NOT FOR YOUR PRIVATE COLLECTION!" She shrieked causing everyone to wince while Domino rolled her eyes. "Please Ada, give me credit, why don't you open up that green book. Before you start yelling." She chirped still staring at the white canvas above her.
Adaline took in a deep breath and opened up the book to see it completely hollowed except for the inside held a transponder snail next to a clover.
Adaline looked at her and blinked "Gee thanks, It's dead." She mumbled before throwing the book at Domino who quickly caught it letting out a groan of pain. "No he's not dead, Sometimes snails take on the personality of the owner, this one is Kuzan's private line, so naturally the little bastard is always asleep."
Domino then tried to sit up before taking sharp breaths and shaking her head committing herself to just holding the snail above her head dropping the book on the ground. "I think, he's asleep." She mumbled before she flicked his shell as Adaline looked back in the vault.
Gator furrowed his eyebrows "How do you have Kuzan's personal snail? No one calls on him except the WG themselves." He asked as Domino looked over the little snail with an eye mask and tapped on it more.
"I stole it from Kato the second time he tried to screw me over. Which is why I changed the code on the vault as well as put our snails in the books, I figured that whatever he was planning he was going to try get in there so I made it a little harder. One thing you didn't know Ada is that those books were wrapped in sharp thorns till I was able to decay them a second ago. It would have made him bleed quite a lot if he tried opening them by his self." She smirked as the group watched her.
Adaline nodded her head "And the alcohol? Hiding something in that too." She asked obviously upset with Domino's tendencies. Domino's face contoured "Are you kidding me? That stuff is the good good shit back from my island. no more like it in the world. I wouldn't dare disgrace it like that." She asked and then held out her hand "But while it's out hand me the big one." She smiled before Marco sent a sharp glare and intercepted the bottle and held it in his hands.
"You can't have any while you are injured-yoi." He stated starting to open it with a smile. "I however," He started before two very large fingers plucked it from his hands. Everyone's eyes shifting to Whitebeard as he moved to open the bottle.
"I am allowing you on my island you ungrateful brats!" He shouted before he watched as a rose vine appeared around the bottle pulling the bottle from his very hands.
"I'm sorry sir but that bottles not for you." Domino spoke sternly. Marco gave her a sharp glance before standing up. "It's for my men, the ones who didn't make it. I keep those bottles in there for things like this, it goes with a saying from my island. So I rather not have their right to one last drink ruined by any of the living." She stated sternly as Whitebeard sent her a sharp glare and burst into laughter at her unchanging face.
"You sure are a cheeky one that's for sure. But we get the whiskey." He stated throwing his fist on the ground. Marco raised and eyebrow to watch as Domino had to really think about it before twisting her wrist and the flowers decayed at their feet. "That's only fair." She responded before Adaline tapped her foot.
"Are you done Dom? I kinda want to make sure we can get off this island sometime soon you know." She stated as Domino nodded holding out the snail still asleep.
"He's dead just smash his little shell in. He's no use to us." She stated her voice cold as it has been in the past few minutes. The group once again went wide-eyed. Marco by far was the most puzzled. Before he gave a light knowing smile. He almost fell for it.
Adaline began to move, with concern in her eyes, before Domino shook her head and smiled as the snails eyes shot open with fear as everyone watched.
Adaline took in a deep breath and quickly reached for it and smiling happily as the snail purred in her hands. Domino sent a glare at the snail before trying to move to sit up again. Marco swatted her on the shoulder as she grumbled and laid back down.
Adaline nodded and turned towards the vault and nodded "Okay which one is the long distance code book?" She asked looking at them "I remember I put it in here, the last time we reorganized it."
Domino frowned turning her head and shrugged closing her eyes the pain coursing through her body. Adaline was right she doesn't handle pain well. She never had and it was beginning to take its toll on her. "I don't think it's in there anymore, besides we don't need it. For a direct line," She hummed trying not to focus on her throbbing wounds. Or the fact that Adaline ignored her.
Instead she focused on the fact that Marco was still leaning next to her legs watching her with a caring face. Or how her heart fluttered when he was near.
Adaline sighed and shook her head pulling out an old leather-bound book. And began to open it "Of course we do!" She responded as she opened the book and watched as two white cards fell from the book followed by a wanted poster.
"Wha-" Adaline yelled before Domino's eyes shot open and instantly she tried to reach for the two cards before the wind caught them. Quickly without realizing what was happening she twisted her left wrist in pain "Be careful!" She called out before two large vines appeared from the ground catching the cards and then slowly decaying as Marco walked over and grabbed them.
"What apart of no movement do you not understand-yoi?" He asked her looking at the two names and frowning at them. He had no idea who they belonged to but how she jumped meant they must be important.
"I'm sorry." She smiled before taking sharp breaths holding her left wrist as Marco handed them to her.
Her body relaxing as she closed her eyes and held them to her bandaged chest.
Adaline picked up the wanted poster and quickly placed it back in the book shaking her head "Domino I'm so sorry," She whispered as Domino shook her head tears forming in her closed eyes before she gave a light smile. "No no, it's my fault I should of paid attention when we reorganized, then I could tell you which it was." She whispered.
Marco watched as the two girls grew quiet and the crew around him grow silent. In this moment he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt out of place. As if there was something, he wasn't a part of.
Avery looked up "Who's are they?" He asked. Domino sent him a questioning glance before smiling. "They're my brothers. But that's not important anymore." She sighed before placing the cards in the book and placed it beside her.
Marco took a second to notice his picture among the cards before he smiled as Adaline appeared from the vault a smile on her face as she held a large faded brown book.
"Here! Here. Okay great let's gooo!" She cheered plopping herself down on the sand with the others and flipped through the book happily. She then looked up and smiled at the pirates that watched her.
"You guys ready to see the Marines ingenuity?" She asked with a beaming smile only to frown at Domino's scoff. Marco shook his head "Not really."
Adaline sagged her shoulders and rolled her eyes "You guys are no fun." She mumbled before the snail began to ring.
Marco noticed as the other marines grew tense which each ring. Domino however laid still with her eyes closed. Marco silently thought to himself before he leaned over and poked her to see a light smile appear on her face. "Yes?" She asked opening one eye looking at the relaxed pirate stick his tongue out. "Just making sure you didn't waste my time-yoi."
Domino let out a genuine smile and moved gingerly so her arm could loop itself in his belt loop. Her hand wrapping around it. "Please, give me more credit Phoenix. I won't die this easily." She hummed as Adalines cheerful voice piped up "M-cor?" She asked as a woman's voice appeared on the other side of the snail.
"Identification number?" The voice asked. Adaline looked up at Domino who took in a deep breath "Captain, Domino, J id number 246534- SLV." Domino stated in a monotone voice before the snail hummed silently for a second before it beeped again.
Thatch smirked "That's a lot of words for just your name." He teased before receiving a sharp glare from a frustrated Adaline.
Domino who's eyes where closed moved her head towards the confused pirates and smiled "Say what you want but these codes are the only way we can identify who we are. It's not something that's really known but whenever we make secure calls that's what we have to use." She explained as Adaline nodded "It may take a few minutes they're having to wire us from snail to snail." She mumbled.
Thatch snickered "Impressive technology." He smiled then held up his hands in defense as Adaline sent him another glare.
Marco looked down at a relaxed Domino confused at how she sounded.
Whitebeard had already drank the bottles from the vault and was growing bored of the scene before him. "Why can't you brats just use your names?" He asked. Domino gave him an exaggerated frown. "I don't know. It would be nice." She mumbled.
Adaline rolled her eyes "Some find it very easy to adjust to." She muttered before tapping the shell again.
Domino with eyes still closed, shrugged "I've always had a number since I was a kid so I don't really care." She stated before her eyes shot open as a lazy and tired voice groaned from the snail.
"Domino? I'm in the middle of a meeting?" Kuzans lazy voice rang out as Domino quickly held out her hand in a 'give me' motion and watched as Adaline held it up to her.
Domino growled as her faced changed "Shove that nap up your ass you overrated snow cone machine." She spat.
Everyone's eyes went wide as Adaline quickly pulled the phone away frantically giving Domino glances who shook her head and held out her hand again. "NO, sir, that's not what she means,"
Domino nodded vigorously now shouting "I meant every last word!" She shouted as Adaline socked Domino in the jaw while staring at the snail.
"No I'm sorry sir. She means to say that this is an emergency that should supersede your meeting. Or nap, Nap is a very good thing too." Adaline stated watching the snail as it went wide eyed.
She didn't register a frantic Marco look between the two or Thatch pale at the sight of how effortlessly Adaline had punched her captain.
"Oooooh, Adaline, you're the one with voluptuous figure?" He asked. Domino stared at Adaline, as she let out a sigh, and began to twist her wrists.
"Ah yes, that's me, sir we seem-"Suddenly green plants sprouted from the ground enveloping Adaline in a cocoon of vines and Domino quickly snatched the snail and sat up before the pain could get to her.
"Listen, now's not the time to talk nice okay? Where the hell was my back up we ordered? Huh? What the flipping fuck happened to that Kuzan?" She snarled to see Gator pass out and Thatch begin to cut Adaline lose with a terrified look as she screamed curses in the background.
"Rude as always, I think I'll hang up now." Kuzan stated before Domino held the snail tighter. "If you hang up now my men will die. And I'll take you with them so help me god Kuzan." She growled.
The sudden realization of Domino's words rang through Adalines ears as she crossed her arms and moved to lean against the table Domino's cot laid on. She leaned in and held out her hand as Domino nodded and held on to the mouthpiece.
"What?" Kuzan asked. Domino smiled and ran her hand through her hand pulling it back and staring at it in pain before ignoring it. "You awake yet?" She asked her voice calming down.
Marco watched with wide eyes at how her body seemed to shake with either pain or anger. "I am." His response was cold and quick.
Domino nodded "Good, now from the top. We're stranded on an island in Whitebeards territory. We don't know which and quite frankly I don't care. Get Garp and my Viver card and get my men off this island." She growled.
Marco watched as Adaline held the snail with one hand and then her face in the other rubbing her temples as the line clicked. "Domino?!" The gruff old voice asked.
Domino looked around at the sand and tilted her head "Garp you on this thing?" She asked her smile growing. Marco wasn't fooled this wasn't a happy smile this was an intrigued one that sent mischievous signals through the air.
"Yeah, now whats this about you with the Whitebeards I thought we went over this? You looking for another 3 months of my retraining?" He asked his tone changing from the warm cheerful man to a man of authority.
Domino put down the mic and gave a look to Adaline who held up her hands and made a motion to continue catching on to what she was planning. Domino rolled her eyes. "Honestly Garp, That rule sank to the bottom of the ocean, Along with my ship." She stated hearing the click as another man came on.
"Captain you are out of line!" Akainu's voice yelled morphing the snail. Adaline started jumping up mouthing don't as Domino gave a sharp smirk and took a breath as exasperated Adaline threw her arms down.
"Oh yeah you magma dog piece of shit? It was your ships that would have intercepted our call so where the hell were they? Huh? Thought you'd just let us muscle through you no good son of a bitch." She shouted only to see the faces around her drop.
Adaline threw herself on the ground holding her head in her hands. She knew why this needed to happen but towards Akainu?
Domino tcked as Akainu began to shout. "We received no reports of a distress call. But knowing your command I am not surprised." Domino's eyes snapped to them as she held the mic her knuckles growing white, when Adaline sprung up and snatched the snail as Marco moved to hold Domino as she began to yell "You stupid son of a bitch, I'ma kick your ass you no good..."
Adaline walked further away from the scene as Domino yelled "I'll kill him!"
"Sir This is Commander Adaline, forgive us truly, however We've been stranded for 4 days now and tensions have been running high we need an evac asap." She spoke softly as Domino shouted in the background "Come pick us up so I can shove bamboo up your ass! You dog shit loo-"
"I see commander,-click." Akainu's voice chopped off as Garp yelled "Hey you little brat! You're making me look bad! Cut that out before I come up there and beat it out of you!"
Quickly Adaline and Domino yelled in unison "That's what we want!" Domino then went wide eyed looking at Marco as her body began to scream and she teared up. "Oh ouch," Was all she said relaxing as Marco looked at her and then sighed letting her arms go and walking to sit next to Whitebeard who was laughing at the scene.
"Oh! Right, right, we can get somebody up there in about 4 days." His snail giving a wide smile.
Domino looked up and yelled as Adaline brought the snail back "Listen here you old bag of bones, Whitebeard's not here yet and if you guys take your sweet time then he could be, and I don't know bout you but you think a flipping fucking Emperor would enjoy seeing a bunch of marines just hanging out on his beach?" She stated staring at Whitebeard and then Marco who held a smirk on his face.
Garp's voice hummed "I see, maybe you could sleep with them to distract them? You seem-" He stated in an honest voice before falling asleep as Domino looked on in anger. How dare he fall asleep.
"Just for that!, I'll sleep with whole god damn crew just to spite you. Now are you going to get your ass up here or not?" She stated sternly but a light smile on her face as she watched Marco blink in surprise.
"Whats the place called!" He yelled at her his smile growing. Domino looked up at Adaline who was nearly fainted, then looked at Gator, "Whats this place called?" Gator shrugged and pointed at Whitebeard and his crew who also shrugged.
"Party island-yoi?" Marco asked himself to a snickering crew. Suddenly they went quite and cut their snickers short because of the sharp glances from the two woman.
"Hey who was that?" Garp called. Domino snapped her eyes to the snail and sighed "A hot pirate doctor who has stolen my heart. Come quick or i'll have to sleep with him among the others." She stated seriously to Marcos and Whitebeards surprises as Garp hollered in laughter.
"Ah! You've already gone delirious!" He hollered before another click cut him off. "Domino, we have no records of your ship asking for backup. How did you get stranded? Are there Pirates still in your area?" Kuzan asked, his tired voice seemed strained.
Domino tcked and held up the mic looking at Adaline who shook her head and looked up towards the beach. "I was afraid of that, Look Kuzan it's a long story, we're good pirate wise but we have a bigger problem internally. I need a ship here yesterday." She pleaded with her cold voice.
The snail nodded. "I'll depart right now and pick up a ship on my way. It shouldn't be more then a day." Kuzan's relaxed and lazy voice stated.
Domino nodded "Yes, please." She spoke her body calming and growing cold at what he said. Kato was in charge of the back up.
"Domino, are you okay?" Kuzans voice asked her as she looked up trying to hold her tears back before sighing. "I have no choice but to be." She gave a relaxing smile before the snail nodded. "Just hold tight," And it clanked.
Adaline looked at Domino as she held her head down putting her head in her right hand and tried not to cry.
"He's not serious, I don't believe it. Kato wouldn't just not call for reinforcements, if Domino hadn't of beat the captain then we would of..." Avery looked down as he asked his question.
Gator gritted his teeth. "My wife was almost a widow." He took a deep breath, "I know we signed up for it, but, I was expecting to go out fighting pirates and be a hero something for my kids to be proud of, not from our own man who was sore he wasn't captain." He slammed his fist in the sand as he said so.
Thatch looked between the group his heart hurting at the marines who slowly picked up their heads.
Domino spit out some blood on the ground and moved to lay back down. "Adaline, I give you control of what you do with Kato, I trust your best judgement." Her voice growing cold as she placed her right arm over her head and taking sharp but deep breaths.
Adaline nodded "You sure Captain?" She asked. Domino nodded not moving her arm from her eyes. "If I see him, I won't just kill him. And that's not Marine like is it?" She asked with a snarky smile as Adaline moved to sit next to Domino and lightly peeled her arm off to see Domino's honey eyes now red, her face not breaking from the blank stare.
Adaline nodded and jumped from the bed. And pointed to Avery who started to get up and Gator who just held his hands out and pointed at his leg with a smug smile and laid down in the sand. "No one is to say a word of this to the others. Our first priority is making sure the crew knows they have 1 more day, there will be no fighting with the pirates they are the only reason we are alive, give them respect. It's the least we can do."
Domino gave a light smile and called out to Adaline as she started to walk off Avery behind her. "You're so cute as Captain." She teased as Adaline turned around and rolled her eyes and said "And you are so cute when you are not coughing up blood." She nodded "Just rest, I'll take care of Kato." She smiled as Domino nodded.
Thatch watched as the two left and looked back between the two women. Torn on what he should do before Domino's voice called out.
"Are they still here?" She asked her voice breaking. Thatch looked between Pops and himself and patted him to walk away as Marco moved to walk over to her.
Of course Whitebeard gave him a face and tried to pull away before Thatch pushed him to move. Reluctantly they sulked back behind the trees still watching but not as obvious.
Marco looked at the past out Gator in the sand and shook his head walking over to her. "No-yoi."
Domino gave a weary smile as her body seemed to pull in, "Good." She whimpered before she unwrapped her arms to revel her face wet and morphed in to one of pure sadness.
Marco grabbed her right hand and held it placing his head even with hers. "I almost believed you-yoi." She smiled as she let out a nice laugh. "You mean when I was yelling?" She asked.
He nodded, "It was very believable and surprising-yoi." He smiled making a face before moving his other hand to her hair. She smiled "It was stupid. And probably will get me killed." She sighed as Marco nodded. "Probably." He smiled before he looked back expecting to sigh any moment.
"If you knew that! Then why did you do it." Gator called out from the floor to see Marco pull away looking at Gator with annoyance. He has allowed him to stay under a tent meant for Domino and here he was yelling and disrupting her peace.
Gator opened his eyes and shrugged waving the two off "Go on, I'm not one to judge. I'm grateful for you two." He mumbled before Domino scoffed "You think old Magma dog, would have cared if I didn't? Please. His ships are the only ones around this area, knowing him he'd make it a personal vendetta not to help us." She stated matter of fact as Marco smiled.
"So you goaded him-yoi." He stated watching her smile spread across her face. "Of course. Men like him, they're to twisted for their own good. He'd sooner sacrifice whole islands with innocent people and marines then let one guy get away. Very prideful type." She stated holding out a finger.
"That is a type of justice I never want to be apart of by the way." She sighed before her voice snapped out of the cold stern sound and a small groan appeared.
"But that's neither here nor there." She winced looking at Marcos blue eyes smiling softly.
"Thank you for everything Marco. Really, I am actually in your debt." Her soft voice luring him in to a dizzy. He felt his heart flutter forgetting the very words he wanted to say.
Instead he smiled "I'm the hot sexy pirate doctor what else am I good for-yoi?" He asked at her weak laugh before he ran his hand through her hair.
"Now you need to rest more-yoi." He whispered as she gave a light nod and soon was asleep. Marco looked over her bandages again before turning around to see Thatch and Gator sitting up watching him with goofy smiles across their faces.
He wondered to himself when did Thatch get there before Gator nodded towards the two.
"Man, anyone who can do that to Captain is a demon in their own right." He stated as Thatch laughed and Marco looked down "These wounds-yoi?" He asked clinching his fist at anyone who would dare attempt to hurt her before Gator shook his head.
"No, Captain is always injured. I mean make her smile like that! She smiles a lot but its always this crazy smile. That! that was not the same, The only way I can describe it is I wish my wife did that to me." He gave out a heart felt sigh as Thatch nodded wrapping his arm around Gator with a with a smile.
"Anything about Adaline when she looks at me?" He asked as Marco looked back at Domino's peaceful face. A small smile on her lips as she slept.
"No. Adaline doesn't change." Gator stated matter of fact as Thatch pouted "I must change this." And walked off. Marco gave a light smile at Thatch marching off and looked down at the man named Gator and nodded towards Domino.
"Tell me more-yoi." He stated crossing his legs and sitting to listen.