Moby Dick's New Residents

by rose7anne101

Ace was supposed to feel proud and delighted when he saw his siblings wanted posters. Then why was he feeling anger and dread. Oh yes, because Luffy was 15 and Marcy was 16. AU 2 YEARS before the canon, OC. beta'd partly now.

11. Benny, Burns, the Birds and Bees

Author notes:

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The chapter was beta'd by the amazing Gerbilfriend who helped me a lot with grammar and paraphrasing and general ideas. My greatest admiration and respect :D

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Gerbilfriend: Sorry for the delay, I was doing costuming for a play and it was a HUGE time sink.

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Warnings:

English is my fourth language. Warning may change in the future.

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Fanfiction addicted

Thank you for your review and support.

I am so happy to hear I made laugh. That is the purpose of my writing. Hope this make you laugh even more.

I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Let me know your thoughts :)

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Small and werid

Thank you for your review and support.

I can't tell you what is going to happen, cause spoilers. But when Marcy and Luffy in the field, nothing goes as planned.

I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Let me know your thoughts :)

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see notes at the END, IMPORTANT please.

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Fire!

He shifted his head frantically from side to side.

The dancing flames had spread all around him.

He could feel the heat of the flame as it singed his skin and he instinctively took step back. But it made it worse. So much worse.

The flames burned his back and pain wracked his body.

The fire was raging completely out of control.

He was in a prison made of flame and it was getting smaller by the second.

Suddenly he knew what he had to do. He needed to keep the flames away from any living tissue.

Him.

How?

He opened his mouth to call for help, unknown names flashed in his head... Ace...L...uffy, Dada… no that's not right.

He should be calling Koala or Hack or...

It didn't matter.

The second he opened his mouth, smoke rushed in along the hot air and the names were forgotten.

Coughing, he covered his face with his arm and looked quickly around.

Everything was ablaze and there was nothing to see, except the billowing black, acrid smoke that made his eyes stream and seeped into his lungs.

He couldn't stop coughing.

He could hear the sizzle louder than his own uncontrollable coughing but was there something else or was the flame and smoke making him delusional.

He forced his mouth shut, the struggle nearly burning his lungs to ash.

A voice was shouting, maybe more than one.

He strained his ears, his body, to listen but in vain.

"S.."

" ...ooo.."

Was it his nam..

His coughing took over. He felt very close to hacking his lungs up.

Memories buried deeply roiled to the surface. He felt the struggle, the turmoil inside of his mind, splitting his head. He grabbed his head, squeezing his eyes against the sudden throbbing pain, then fell to his knees.

They wanted to push through, to bare themselves to the world.

He could feel it.

A hovering presence.

His watery eyes were barely able to see the shape of it shadow but he knew deep down in his bones what it was.

The blazing hot flame surrounding him couldn't hope to stop the chill shiver running down his spine as he felt eyes on him.

He could feel him inhale as if he were taking an extra deep breath to finish of his prey.

Him.

Aim.

Him.

Aim.

He tried to dodge.

Anywhere.

Everywhere.

But there was no escaping the Dragon's Flame.

.

Sabo flashed his eyes open, jolted up in his creaking narrow bed, coughing.

At least he wasn't screaming this time, he congratulated himself sardonically.

Still coughing, Sabo fumbled in the darkness beside his bed until he grabbed the glass of water he knew was there. He had kept one by his side at all nights since he boarded this ship.

Trying to steady his shaking hands. He bought the glass to his lips, taking a sip.

He drank it slowly, slowly sipping until it was empty.

Putting the glass back on the small table, he exhaled, counting to ten in an effort to calm his racing heart, then leaned against the wall, still trying to relax his rigid body.

Since the beginning of this mission, he had not one night of good sleep.

Sabo tried to get as comfortable as possible in the tiny narrow bed he paid for in this small merchant ship heading to Sabaody Archipelago.

There was no going back to sleep after one of those nightmare, he had learned that the hard way the last few days. He might as well try to get comfortable.

At least he had the room for himself right now, the other occupants had probably decided that sleeping on the deck of sailing ship was more comfy than sharing the room with the screaming man. Sabo felt a twinge of guilt, but it wasn't like he did it on purpose. The whole thing unnerved him even more.

He was used to having nightmares, especially when he had first joined the Revolutionaries. The doctors told him it was how his mind dealt with the trauma and amnesia, and that it would get better with time. And it did, eventually.

He barely even remembered what he used to dream about.

But even then, it was never in this intensity. It seemed like his subconscious was trying to tell him something, and the more he ignored it the more his brain persisted with the idea that he should know.

He felt like he was playing "Hangman" without any information. What more, the game was played inside of his mind. He was sure the poor 'Hangman' was him. His headaches and sore throat were proof of that.

Sabo rubbed the back of his head.

His mind wandering as it had since he had begun his current mission to the ones he was sure that were somehow to blame for his current sleepless state.

The problem he wasn't quite sure how.

Did he know these people? Used to know them? Or someone really similar to them enough to trigger these kinds of nightmares that made so little sense to him?

The dreams were a bit different each time, but they had always contained fire, and things being aimed at him, unfamiliar voices calling him, and he could never see what or who attacked him. He always woke up before he could.

It was a pattern! It had taken him a while to finally get it, he grudgingly admitted to himself. He could hear Koala unimpressed voice saying "Really, good thing you finally noticed, Sabo-kun."

He ignored the mocking voice and tried to focus.

But what did it all mean? How his new mission factored in all of this.

Monkey D. Luffy and Marcy were both from East Blue, at least their bounties were issued from there.

He was saved by the revolutionaries on an island in the East Blue. But the East Blue wasn't a small place. It could be just a coincidence.

He could see in his mind's eye Dragon's eyebrow raised as if to say, "Is there such a thing as a coincidence,".

Sabo shook his head, banishing the image.

No, it couldn't be a coincidence. It was his only link for now.

He couldn't deny that after seeing their wanted posters the persistent flashes of memories (he thinks they are memories, it couldn't be anything else, could it?) began and so did the nightmares.

Sabo brought their faces to the front of his mind, remembering every little detail. They were young. They looked a bit younger than him. So, in theory he could have met them if they lived in the same area in East Blue.

Were they friends, people important to him? If they triggered his memory, they should be. Right?

Hmmm.. The only thing he remembered for certainty about his supposed home that he didn't want to go back, that he would prefer to die than to go back there.

If he had had any close friends or family he wouldn't have felt like that, would he?

So... did that mean they were enemies? But they were young.. They would have been small children when Sabo had been saved.

But that meant nothing, children can be really cruel and his nightmares (because of those children?) were about fire, burns, pain, dying.

Yet.. Sabo couldn't shake the feeling that there was no malice in their eyes.

The girl -Marcy- looked very unhappy, but she wasn't hmm .. evil, he shrugged mentally. Not finding a better word to describe it and the smiling boy, he seemed genuinely happy. It made him want to smile or complain about his aching jaw just looking at the picture.

But, it was only a picture. You couldn't know a person just from one picture. Or judge their character.

He remembered Koala's story about why she chose to join the Revolutionary Army and her words rung in his mind, "You can live with someone for a very long time, you would think you know them inside out, but you really …. don't."

The look of pain on her face when she quietly uttered these words were engraved into his memory.

And there were Dragon warning words "Never judge a book by its cover."

Sabo sighed, he would have to wait and see.

Sill his orders to this mission were … weird... strange ... not helping matters one bit.

Secrecy and paranoia were the stock and the trade of the Revolutionary Army. They were, after all, an independent militia fighting against the World Government and what it stood for in every form possible.

But even by their standard, Dragon's orders were very vague.

He was just given the posters and told they would probably stop on Sabaody Archipelago in their way to the New World at some point in the near future. His job was to shadow them without making any kind of contact and to update Dragon personally and regularly.

Their code names were: Luffy -King, Marcy- Princess. It had been really bizarre. The first time he heard king in connection with Luffy's name. He saw a very vivid image of the smiling boy with serious eyes staring into him, wearing a gleaming crown on his straw hat (shouldn't he take the hat off first? His mind was really strange), which was utterly ridiculous. The boy was the farthest thing from a picture of lowly noble even. His features were plain, ordinary, his boyish smiling face did not fit the commanding role. On the other hand, put a dress and jewelry on the girl and she would fit the image of a highborn maiden. Her aristocratic superior pose clearly saying, "you better obey, you simpleton."

Sabo was to await any further orders from Dragon. They would be given as appropriate.

He knew that for some reason Marcy and Luffy were important, very important.

Anything - no matter how minor it seemed- that Dragon was interested in was important, and in these two he was vastly invested.

Sabo had no idea why they were important, were they future allies? Recruits? Why all the secrecy then.

Enemies? Spies? Did they have some kind of valuable information? And was Sabo to check if they were trustworthy? Why wasn't their leader blunt about it? Was it because of their relation to the Vice Admiral Garp. If that was the case shouldn't he be told specifically more information as to know what to expect and what to be cautious about.

It really made no sense. The fact that one part of his brain was waging war on the other wasn't helping him think clearer. (Should he be cheering one side? Which? hmmm.. Which side made his head hurt less? He was on that side! Definitely).

All of this made his head hurt even more, and he wasn't sure if he should feel curious or nervous.

He should arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago in another day or two, where he might 'meet' them.

Sabo searched through his unsettled feelings. As much as he tried to focus and treat this like any other mission. He grudgingly admitted to himself that he couldn't.

He was as much anticipating as dreading this 'fated' meeting.

…

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XXXXX

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…

Heaven was the place where .. No; was the feeling when things were going your way. It was the only way, the perfect way... Well ...until the other shoe dropped, Marcy pondered.

She was standing on the ship, hands on her hips ... glar..Ahem.. surveying her domain .. Ahem ..the working bees.. The pirates- their allies- obeying her wish... commands.

The whole changing mental gears thingy was hard.

Oh well, who cared! she wasn't saying anything out loud. There was no need to.

It was a genius technique she had developed as a coping mechanism as she grew up with Dumb and Dumber, to whom words meant absolutely nothing. She had, in her desperation, developed an easy to understand nonverbal communication method, AKA speaking to their inner instincts, for Short II. II proved to be - she was saying this in her most careful and cautious manner- a partial success in most of the cases, but when applied to other beings it worked like magic.

For example, right now, she had only to glare at any person (that was not Luffy)- that had the misfortune to make an eye contact in that specific second in time-, narrowing her eyes, and maybe adding an arched eyebrow to have him and everyone around him hurrying to do something very important, that had needed to be done right in that very second. That assuming they didn't for some reason stumbled on air and fell with whatever thing they were holding, just like -ouch- now.

She should probably lessen the tapping foot, it was too effective, she could only guess what they were imagining. No, not really... Their hands protecting the jewels was a broad indication. Kicking the first mate was a pure act of genius on her part.

Marcy had to admit to herself, she was kinda having fun with others obeying her every whim.. terrorizing (Yes, she would admit she had developed a newfound sadistic streak, totally not her fault. It was thrust upon her by life, no, by the moronic family of D!) the poor crew.

They seemed like the obedient law-abiding kind which was total bollocks. They were bloody pirates, New World pirates allied with a Yonko. The Yonko.

Marcy gradually acknowledged that she may- may, mind you- be high on power, which was really dangerous and very, extremely stupid thing cause after the high came the inevitable fall, the deep unmerciful long fall.

But Marcy argued right back if she was going to fall anyway might as well enjoy the high while she could. She had earned a break after the fun (if by any chance you missed it! The sarcasm flowing from her mouth would overflow the ocean) adventure.

Everyone was giving her a very wide berth, making sure not to intrude on her personal bubble. The fact that they were able to do it when she was purposely standing few steps from the entrance to the ship made her admire their tenacity and creativity. Life had never been particularly kind to her (no cream and strawberries for her). Really at times it was downright nasty. So why should she go out of her way to make nice for others.

And why life couldn't always be this…Kind... to her ...well, Luffy for one.

Marcy shrugged, Luffy was Luffy. You could either accept him with all the unexplained and unexpected craziness that he seemed to pull to him wherever he went or you could run like hell, faster than the blowing storm, praying to any deity or god that it would be enough to escape the 'lure' around him. Try to change him? Luffy?

You would have a more likely chance of becoming the Pirate King (a really bad idea, that is Luffy's goal), defeating the World Government and Yonko's, and have the blasted Celestial Dragons serve you while kneeling before that could ever even be considered. She knew! When she was young and naive she had tried.

She let a sigh of nostalgia marveling about her naivety in the past, and moved in the direction of the rail, almost giving a collective heart attack to the totally-not-watching crew. She leaned quietly against the ship's rail while going over the mental list of things she needed be done before they were on their way to the New World, to meet Ace and his new family. It promised to be quite entertaining.

Hmmm...

Everything they were given (actually given freely! What a strange concept!) at Goddess island was either stored in the ship with her having the only key or still safe in the small ship (more like a boat, but Luffy called her a ship and her name (it was a she) Moony), that was now being held with several ropes to the main ship and would be pulled along as they sailed. She didn't even need to deman.. ask and it was done.

Life was so nice when it was like this.

They had gotten enough supplies, especially food that even Luffy wouldn't able to finish (she was trying to be optimistic and of course, she had several words with cooks and chefs about locks, hidden places, and 24-hour guard duty in the kitchen. Luffy's earlier performance helped hammer her points!) with reasonable price (Ahem.. not one tiny Beli paid).

Life was looking up!

They were under the protection of a Yonko, who people called the Strongest Man in the World, and in their way to meet their older brother.

Life was extremely good, for now.

The other shoe had yet to drop.

Make no mistake it always, always dropped. That was without even adding her dear adorable brother to the equation.

Life was complicated enough as it was, adding Luffy was like adding several enormous universes of how to F**k my life sideways in the worst possible way with a touch of "nope... Never say it can never get any worse... Because Ohhh Deary, Deary we live to deliver."

Speaking of Luffy!

Where was he?

She scanned her surroundings, once, twice.

The last time she saw him, a few minutes ago, he was helping haul the fixed engine back into the ship. He had already made friends with most of the crew with his constant chatting and questions about the ship, flag and, pirate life while helping around with tasks.

Thrice.

Things were going good her ass.

Marcy peered suspiciously around, trying to see from where the upcoming disaster would strike. Not that it helped, but she could always tell herself she at least tried.

Luffy was nowhere to be seen, she finally concluded the obvious.

She had got soft and let her guard down. Dammit!

"Did you know where Luffy is?" She demanded loudly to the world, startling several of the crew, some shook their heads or looked around searching for the bundle of sunshine.

She tried to slow her beating heart, no need to panic just yet.

"Ahmmm..."

"Yes?" she snapped while mentally checking where he could be from the most likely to the most disastrous places. She should probably begin with kitchen and the mess hall and hope he didn't, by some unexplained phenomenon, invited a black hole to the table (no, she wasn't speaking about his stomach but an actual one). It really wouldn't surprise her if he did.

Sometimes she was almost sure that the World, Fate, Destiny whatever the hell it was called .. was bending over backwards, over forwards and doing some very, very complicated sequence of gymnastic moves that needed the performer to have absolute flexibility (No bones would help immensely, *cough* Luffy *cough*.. She was sure it was some kind of cosmic joke to have Luffy eat the rubber fruit, he or she was probably gesturing at her right now while laughing hysterically! Just you wait.. What comes around goes around, Marcy would get her 'justice') just to be able to answer Luffy's every whim.

There was luck and then there was Luffy's luck. Be it bad or good, it was always all or nothing.

Don't get her wrong, she loved her brother, she never thought she could love something or someone like that, but that didn't stop her from wanting to strangle the life out of him.

"Yes?" she repeated to the speechless pirate turning to fully face him when he didn't reply. He seemed even less happy to get her undivided attention.

"Chao was it? Do you know anything about Luffy?" she used her pleasant voice, and a cheery smile was plastered across her face. It made him recoil as if he had been stung.

When you had already shown your 'nasty' side, being pleasant made you more scary.

He swallowed, nodded once and pointed at the captain's cabin, well, the ex-captain's cabin, it had new occupants now.

"I saw him go there."

"Thank you!" she told him pleasantly, her eyes not leaving him.

He nodded and skittered away.

That was strange, for Luffy to go willingly to the small room, maybe he was sleepy. If someone had called ( Ace?!), they would have cried out to her.

She cautiously moved to the room direction. She gripped the handle and flung the door open and get in. Hoping to sup..

Luffy was there, looking at her.

He was staring at the .. door .. where she now stood. Like he was waiting for someone to come in. Was someone supposed to come here, maybe someone bringing food.

No, that was not it.

Luffy's face was blank. The blank of seriousness. It was the one that told her he had made his mind and her one and only choice was to go along with what he wanted (it wasn't a choice really, it was a fact! But she tried to console herself by calling it 'choice'). It usually came before a fight, but Luffy was not poised to fight. His was sitting cross-legged, his hands spread beside him, the palms touching the floor and he was yet to say anything (or was he?).

His stare was unnerving, was that how his opponents felt?

The fact that she knew that her brother would never ever hurt her didn't matter. A small shiver ran down her spine.

She forced her eyes to scan the room, looking for clues to Luffy's mood and on what exactly she walked in.

The Den Den Mushi in front of Luffy caught her eyes straight away. Ace? Or maybe another person of his crew? Hatchy, the Phoenix, those Fishmen maybe..

She eyed her brother from the corner of her eye.

No… it was Ace.

She shifted her gaze, to Luffy's left was...one of the crew members was standing there. He was trying to make himself look smaller, unnoticeable and it wasn't because of her, that was for sure.

He seemed somehow familiar, she vaguely recognized… ohhhh I see.

How cute!

She was being ambushed.

Her own brothers were ambushing her.

The man was the ship doctor.

Fancy that.

She had expected another argument about her injuries and taking care of them when Luffy had aired her dirty laundry.

That was why she had asked about the doctor and intended to visit him after they sailed. So, when the inevitable question about her health came she would say that doctor had checked her and she was right as rain. What the hell did the morons think of her?!

She wasn't the stupid one or one of those cliché people that ignored their wounds and injuries and acted all macho (like some unnamed morons) and heroic.

She knew her injuries were not life-threatening and took care of them to the best of her ability with the time and resources that had been available to them.

It always was about priorities.

It meant nothing if your injuries were tended to if you were stuck inside a prison cell or had people almost standing on your tail or had no idea where the heck to go.

Everything had its time and place.

Oh well, it seemed that now was the time and the place (and nobody had bothered to tell her until now).

Luffy was still saying nothing, his gaze piercing through her.

So it was her move.

How amusing.

But still.. To think that those two airhead Ds would try to ambush her.. oh my what day to live in.

Marcy wondered if she should be a party pooper or just play along.

"Luffy, is there something wrong?" She said in her normal voice. Choosing not to show her cards.

"Marcy."

It wasn't Luffy, but Ace.

Clueless she would act. For now.

"Yes, Ace?"

"Luffy had found the doctor, he needs to give you a checkup."

Right to the point. Her brothers never knew how to beat around the bushes.

Not a question or a request but a demand, no, a fact.

Luffy gripped the man and brought him in front of her to the man surprise, he didn't even have time to resist or complain.

"I see," Marcy uttered blankly. Frontal attack, put her on the spot.

"I assume you already checked Luffy."

Luffy's eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Ace said curtly.

Marcy arched an eyebrow at the silent doctor, who stammered in turn.

"Yes, I checked him … his injuries are not serious... they mostly healed.. he said you used some salve and that made him sleep .. I think his devil's fruit helps with his healing and the quant... food he eats help with his recovery... he just needs some rest and … a.. and food ..that's it.."

"Thank you," Marcy told him pleasantly, smiling.

The man seemed to shrink away.

"Marc.."

"I assume it's my turn now." Marcy cut in. She tried to make her smile more natural. His reaction told her she probably failed miserably. Woops.

"Yes," stammered the doctor.

"Where is your bag?"

He gaped at her uncomprehending. God, really? she was supposed to believe he is a professional.

She huffed, erasing the smile from her face. She doesn't have any extra energy to waste on this.

"Where you keep your equipment to check your patients." DUH

The doctor nodded and hurried back to where he was standing to get the bag.

She didn't move or give any indication that he could move closer to her and he was smart to understand that he needed her permission.

She eyeballed him, making him squirm and finally in a soft yet insistent voice asked.

"How many years have you been a doctor?"

"Twenty years, I joined the crew fourteen years ago and been the ship doctor ever since then."

He answered fast, he was expecting these questions, that meant that someone had warned him. Ace.

Well, she had no intention of stopping.

"Where did you get your license?"

She was eyeing him closely for any reaction. She saw that he hesitated for a brief moment before answering.

"Flevance, North Blue."

Marcy searched her memory and the answer became clear as sunny day.

"Oh.. the city with Amber Lead Syndrome accident a few years ago."

"Fourteen..." murmured the doctor quietly.

The same time he joined this pirate crew. There a story hidden in those words. But that wasn't any of her business. All she cared about was how good doctor was he.

"Were you there?"

"No, I wouldn't be alive if I were in the city…." the man was about to add more but decided that this wasn't the time or the audience and stopped.

"No, you wouldn't." Marcy agreed.

"It was so stupid ... The syndrome is not contagious," he said despite himself.

That was not what was she had read!

"I thought it was contagious. The doctors globally came to the conclusion that Amber Lead Syndrome was contagious, and anyone who has it was a danger that should be exterminated with prejudice," she quoted from memory.

She had read and researched about anything and everything that was unique and dangerous, especially both. She had hypothesized that with her brothers' luck (or lack of it) the more things were highly improbable to occur in general, the more likely they would happen to them and by extension her.

To her deep and boundless irritation, she was yet to be proven wrong. Looking at the bright side, she had a vast knowledge in a variety of things, and she could proudly say that her time invested in this wasn't in vain, she had met more of these dangerous and unique things then she was comfortable with admitting.

"That's bulls. Doctor Trafalgar said …"

She only had to arch an eyebrow.

"Oh.. Doctor Trafalgar is.. was the best doctor in Flevance.. Maybe even the world .. but for sure in the Blues ..and he was adamant that extracting the lead from the patients was possible and would help find a cure. I had gone to Flevance to learn under him, he was a brilliant doctor, anyone in the profession would wish to be like him."

"Is that why you become a pirate?" she asked as much out of curiosity as to find out his motivation.

She shifted her gaze from him to give him the privacy to put his thoughts in order and eyed the sleeping form of Luffy. Typical Luffy when there was anything emotional or too much information (it didn't matter if it was important), a story without pirates, heroes, dinosaurs or, robots was the perfect nap time. At least he wasn't looking at her like that anymore. Ace was smart enough to let her do her probing without interfering or hurrying her.

"The whole thing was... A tragedy.. Thousands died... that we may have been able to save.. And the fact that the... World Government refused to disclose the disease's true nature and send us… other doctors to try and help.. They only helped the royal family escape the country … and that was another thing if the disease was contagious shouldn't the Government refuse to help them... They all abandoned the people .. they didn't even let us doctors go there and help.."

She would never trust anyone from the marines or the World Government. Not even Garp (she was right not to put his trust in him as the recent events showed) but she did understand how it felt when the person you looked up to and trust to keep you safe, looked the other way when you needed him the most.

She waited quietly, her face blank.

"I was in bad place when I meet A.O and he offered me a place in his crew," and that was that. He seemed drained and tense at the same time. Marcy was wondering how to handl..

POP

As on cue, a small snore bubble popped, startling the man and melting the tense mood. The man turned abruptly, his shoulders sagging with amusement as he saw the creation of another bubble. Marcy gave him points for not taking offense for Luffy sleeping so deeply when he was telling story that was personal and emotional.

He seemed to remember her presence in the room and turned to face her unsure, he cleared his throat and fidgeted quietly.

"Turn around."

"W ...?"

Marcy made a turnaround gesture with her finger,

"You too Luffy," she said a bit loudly.

Another of Luffy's snore bubbles popped as an answer. The doctor tried to shake him awake without success. Marcy sighed and went to the door closed it and locked it.

Facing the door, she stripped from her shirt and her bra, using her shirt to hide her chest.

"Okay, You can turn back and check my back and tell those morons that I am fine."

She heard the rustling of clothes as he turned around.

"Oh, what the..."

"What's s the problem doctor?" Ace asked in panic. The quiet from the other side was finally broken. Not that she had any doubt that they were listening in.

"Amh...her back is fu.."

Marcy resisted the urge to turn back and smack the doctor.

"Really? Would you get over it already. They are scar burns from when I was eight. The one you should look at are on my left shoulder and lower back."

She heard the man take a step in her direction and then stop.

"If you don't mind me asking.. .What happened?"

Marcy considered telling him. I mind, none of your freaking business.

"What do you think, fire happened."

She had gone with the less snarky road (he should take pride). But snarky nonetheless.

She heard a sharp inward intake of breath that could only be Luffy's and some muffled curses from the Den Den Mushi.

She was grateful there was no mirror for her to see Luffy's face. She always cringed when she saw how he and Ace looked when her back was exposed.

At first, it confused her. It didn't make any sense for them to be so pained and furious at something that happened so long ago. They didn't even know her then, and it wasn't like they could do something about it.

Now, she at least kind of understand where they were coming from... It still didn't make sense to her. Why be angry when your anger wouldn't change a thing.

The look they wore never changed, no matter how many times they saw it, even though she had assured them (honestly) that only the scars were left but not the pain.

It made her feel self-conscious, and she had actively tried not to show her back too much. It didn't stop her from using it as a tool to make them listen or do things her way. And if she felt a bit guilty afterward she crushed it and moved along.

"Can I touch your back..." came the hesitant question.

"Well, can you check it without touching it?"

"Ahh.. no,.. That would be diff.."

"Yes, you can."

"Thank you."

Marcy purposely didn't flinch when he touched her shoulder gently. His touch was cold. She hardly let others touch her, even Ace and Luffy were cautious when hugging her, and there were no causal touches or surprise hugs from behind. They usually let her be the one to initiate any form of contact. She really appreciated it, because of both of them - especially Luffy- were touchy feely people but they made the effort to make her feel more at ease.

"I had salve that I used for a while."

She felt him probing the lower side and then it was over. It didn't make her any less tense.

She heard him taking off the gloves and cleared his throat.

"There is no infection, whatever you used did the trick..." he paused.

"...but they would scar."

She ignored the loud curses from the other side of the Den Den Mushi and demands to do something about it and asked in a conversational tone.

"Can I get dressed?"

"Oh.. yes... We turned around, please do."

Marcy snorted, Ace was still shouting.

"Unlike some people... I am not ashamed of my scars, the physical or the mental, I wear them as badges. I survived, I am here."

"Marcy, I am not trying to .."

"Though aren't you?"

"No, we aren't," Luffy said decisively catching her by surprise, it was the first time he spoke. Luffy's voice reminded her of tempered steel.

"Marcy should keep her promise to take a better care of herself."

She knew she shouldn't have made that promise, she didn't trust promises, promises would always be broken. Wasn't there a saying about rules were made to be broken. It was doubly so with promises.

But promises were something sacred to her brothers.

"She should depend on us more, we are family." Again, it was said in a matter of fact tone like it was something that couldn't be refuted.

She had always envied Luffy his certainty. There was no doubt in his world. (Ace has his whole existence dilemma and daddy issues).

She had once tried to speak with Luffy about different possible futures. She wasted two hours trying to explain the concept to him and in the end in every possible future, he could see he was always the Pirate King with the best Nakama. The only difference was the meat amount he had, it ranged from a lot, a lot to enormously, really big amounts and, huge a lot.

She was his family, that wasn't for her to decide or change.

She had promised she would try to share and depend on them more. Yes, she had noticed the irony, thank you so much.

"I am trying."

And she was.

Trying. And it wasn't easy. It was almost seven years since she met the two brothers, and she had been changing, slowly but steadily. They had changed her, she admitted to herself (and no one else).

Luffy's staring eyes and the accusing eyes of the Den Den Mushi were screaming at her, "That it isn't enough, try harder, much harder."

"What do you want from me?" she asked bluntly. It was the best option when dealing with these two. There was no reading between the lines.

"I want my sister to be safe and healthy." Ace told her just as bluntly.

"Your sister is saying she is fine, healthy, extremely relieved and happy..."

"Marcy don't try..."

"I mean we found our moron of big brother and he is alive despite his suicidal tendencies, we are safe with allies and in our way to meet him, right?"

"Of course," the immediate answer came from both sides of the Den Den Mushi.

The doctor cleared his throat, "it doesn't matter who or what, we won't let anything harm you."

Another promise, those never gave her any assurance. It was quite the opposite, in fact, they made her dread the future. Yet she said cheerily.

"See.. everything is Peachey."

On cue, Luffy's stomach grumbled. Really, life seemed sometimes like a damn play, when everything happened with the goal of creating the maximum amount of comedy. Other times, it was utterly impossible chaos.

"Mister doctor, is there anything more?"

"No.. I would bring you a salve to put on your injuries, it would help them fade a bit," he said unsure.

"Would you mind please let the kitchen know that we would like a snack right now?"

"Meat," shouted Luffy.

"Ermm... no problem.. I will be on my way then."

He bolted hurriedly from the room after she had opened the door for him (she could be a gentleman).

"Marcy are you.. "

"Where were we?"

"Emm.. what?"

"The story of our adventure, you don't want to know what happened next?"

"Of course, bu.." Ace began to be cut b a chorus of voices.

"Yes, please."

"We are waiting here."

"You wouldn't mind telling us the whole thing from the beginning, your grace, pretty please..."

"Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee."

"Some stingy people refused to share.."

"You got to the point about the training exercise and your speech, yoi."

"I remember," she cleared her throat, ignoring the begging voices.

…

..

.

XXXXX

.

..

...

Ace was muttering under his breath while fidgeting in his seat as if he was sitting on coals, Marco mused and then shook his head. He was really tired if he was thinking that coals could burn hotter than Ace.

Marco shifted his gaze, scanning the small group that was surrounding the Den Den Mushi in front of his Father's chair.

It was a downright fight, but he was able to reduce the number of people present from the whole crew that wanted to listen in to the 'fellowship of the one gold ball' as The Idiot Thatch had announced them to be. Nine of them had embarked on this dangerous and most vital journey to save the balls and spread the wisdom of the Aces (God Luffy, Goddess Marcy, God Ace).

The chosen brave were Ace, Pops and him -of course -, Jinbe who looked much better -the talk with pops did it magic it seemed- and his sidekick Aladine (Really, it felt more and more that Aladine's role was the comic relief to the gloomy and serious Jinbe. No, perish the thought. Thatch wasn't his sidekick. He doesn't have or want one. He was a funny guy. His humour was of the highest quality. Ask anyone! No, Not Thatch).

Unfortunately, slimy Thatch was also Present. Pops had permitted it. Marco felt truly and utterly betrayed and the accusing dirty look he threw at his father said it all. Whitebeard had looked at him amusedly while cheerily raising his drink in celebration of his son's misery. (After this, Macro was going to visit the infirmary to check what need to be added to his never-ending list of tasks and offhandedly mention his father's health. Specifically the drinking. Just a worried son asking after his father's health.)

Haruta, Izo and Jozu were also listening in. Some with more gleeful interest than others.

Marco eyed the excited Thatch. He glared at him but even though Thatch tensed slightly he didn't turn around and continued to scribble away excitedly in his notebook, his warped body and hair (more like a mummy than a mummy) not deterring him one bit. Thatch had pointedly avoided looking at him in the eyes since he arrived, and had at least three people between him and Marco, which suited Marco perfectly.

He did notice the others eyeing him a bit warily from the corner of their eyes (except Pops who found it entertaining, Aladine (Marco was not sure if he was this oblivious or was making himself look this oblivious), and Ace who had other things on his mind and could be extremely oblivious).

It all came to a head an hour ago.

.

Marco was trying to finish the cleaning quickly, having everyone working simultaneously at different tasks before the next call came. He had been able to convince Ace to take a food break. Ace was still feeling guilty about the damage and Thatch's minor injuries (he hardly needed a plaster!).

When the sound of loud laughter from the lower deck attracted his attention.

He intended to go find out who was slacking off and give him a -verbal- thrashing AKA he had a list of the least favorite chores and if it was who thought it was, it would be glor..

He easily found the place the raucous laughter was emanating from. As he stood in the entrance, eyeing the scene in front of him with an arched eyebrow.

Everyone around him was clutching their sides or stomach in different poses and laughing all out, no one paid him any attention.

Marco looked down at the two ringleaders (no doubt about it) on the floor, with tears rolling down their bright faces, clutching their sides, they both looked up at him - Marco arched his eyebrow even more, his face telling the glorious story of how unimpressed he was- and for the briefest of moments they stopped laughing. They then caught sight of each other out of the corner of their eyes and burst into even more thunderous hysterics.

Marco sighed (what had he expected) and searched the room for an explanation and his eyes settled on the sound sleeping Ace laying on chair, his hands hugging his torso loosely, half-eaten food scattered on the ground around him. The only one that was not choking on laughter but snoring deeply with his mouth open.

Marco was still wondering what was going on and who he should demand an answer from when a pop sound caught his attention. Ace opened his eyes, laughter emanating from his open mouth. Like a Den Den Mushi recorder that was paused and someone had just clicked the play button.

Ace's laugh was loud, brash, and entirely infectious.

Everyone around doubled over as one, roaring with more laughter and clutching their stomachs harder. Some nearly fell over in fits of laughter. Others were bent over, clutching their stomachs and gasping for breath in between chuckles.

Marco felt his lip twitch in annoyance and was about to demand 'what the hell was so funny, yoi', when a loud snort interrupted his thoughts.

Ace had his head tipped back in the chair, his eyes were shut and his mouth hung open, snoring.

The laughter around him increased several notches in volume. Several just give up trying to keep upright, trusting gravity to take it course. Marco cringed at the loud noises piercing his ears.

Some of them were trying to speak through their uncontrollable laughter without much success.

"I ...can't, I j….ust c..an...'t. " gasped someone that Marco was not able to see his face as his dark blue hair was hiding his features. Marco felt a twinge of discomfort as he peered at the color.

"Shit.. I can ..t take it.. Any .. more.."

"I … alm..ost…. Lo..st.. the.. U..se.. Of.. my.. Facu...lti...es..." wheezed Tim, his spittle running down over his beard. He was somehow still in his chair while his other half was laying on the floor. He was tall enough to be able to pull it off. Marco recognized him as one of the seven to find the damn golden balls.

He and the other six were banned from any hunting or food duty. He made sure of it. That was what he needed another damned egg in his basket. Shit, Thatch and his antics were rubbing on him. He needed to sleep and eat something, some restful alone time would do him a world of good. He could keep his temper contained for only so long—and the fuse was almost burned up. (Someone once mockingly told him 'is the devil's fuse getting short', such a pity he would never say it again (or anything else)).

"HUH," Shiky choked, the young redhead was sitting on the floor alternating between laughing and coughing

"What di..d y..ou lose .. Tim..myy.." Gerald loudly wheezed, voice scratching with soreness before hacking into coughs. Marco realized that all them were here. His fatigued mind was trying to nudge him into paying attention, yelling that this was a clue.

"De..ar .. Sma..ll Timm... yyy… almos..tt peeedddddd… hims..elff.." Ben hissed in his unsuccessful try to sing and laugh at the same time.

"Me..toooo .." Darren rasped.

"Wat..er.. Plea..se...n..eed water..," croaked Lee, laying on the floor clutching his big belly with huge grimace on his face, yet was still snorting laughs in between inhaling.

Ace jerked up again laughing and clapping his hands loudly together.

"Shit .. I peed.. My .. self .. a little... I think," enthusiastically shrieked the one with dark blue hair, earning gasped and wheezed laughter from the ones in hearing range. Rin?!

Yes, it was Rin from Thatch's division. Marco knew trouble when he saw it.

"I thi..nk .. need.. A doc...tor.. Oh m.. y Ac..eee .. it ..hurt..sss.." gasped Darren, his aristocratic nose twitching with each long inhale.

"You.. Nee..d.. A ..bathhh..oh.. My ..Aceeeeyy.." Ben sing to him, panting.

"Oh ..my.. Aceeee .." chorused the group spontaneously, with grins on their faces, before delving into different coughing fits.

Loud snoring made Marco aware that Ace had fallen asleep again. Marco shook his head, things becoming clear to him at last.

With some pity, he eyed the half grimacing, half laughing crew (in most of the cases it was the same person).

Some of them managed to gain some sort of control for a moment and were trying to control their breathing, ignoring the laughter of their mates around them.

Ace chose that moment to gasp and continue in his merry laughter.

Making their efforts disappear in vain.

It took a while but Marco was able to piece it together from the rumbling and half sentences of whoever was able to speak.

Someone had finally explained coherently (it took several tries) to Ace about the Goddess Island, the whole newfound Gods (Aces) and a new religion in the making and the three golden balls (they were egg-shaped, but everyone called them balls. Until confused Ace asked what they would hatch and that opened a new freaking pandora's box. He preferred not to think about it. Someone had even suggested that he - Marco the Phoenix- should sit on them. The birds and chicken jokes got boring a century ago) and all the drama.

Apparently, after hearing the whole tale, Ace had what would you call a laughter heart attack that was interrupted by sleep attacks. Marco had grudgingly admitted that it was rib-tickling hilarious (maybe he would appreciate it more if he wasn't feeling three-quarter dead)! But he still couldn't stop himself from chuckling a bit.

Ace would be laughing, clutching his stomach hard and then suddenly he goes to sleep snoring loudly. Ten seconds to a few minutes could pass until he woke up to continue laughing again, still clutching his stomach. Everyone was laughing with him or at him.

In those long breaks (few minutes), sometimes most of the crew was able to get control of themselves and stop laughing but when Ace inevitably woke up laughing; then like a contagious disease, a slight involuntary snigger left their mouths and with no time it spread into a chuckle and eventually into tremendous rumbles that filled the air. It was a never-ending cycle of laughter and stomach aches.

Someone at one point in time had brought popcorn and snacks, which made things much worse.

Instead of only choking on your spit and air from laughing so hard you could now choke on a piece of popcorn that get stuck in your throat or went down the wrong way. It made for few close calls and few of the crew took the chance to show off their unique techniques in performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Marco really wanted to unsee some of them (even though he couldn't argue that they weren't effective).

Haruta had even put red hot chili pepper on Ace's hands when he fell asleep one time while wiping the tears from his eyes. Remarking that this way they could stop his laughter and the ball of laughter from rolling (Marco knew excuses when he heard them), which need not be said, didn't it work. Ace didn't even register the pepper as he continued laughing rubbing his teary eyes vigorously.

The whole sordid affair took more than an hour.

By the end, someone came to stand beside him, his distinct laughter made him easy to recognize.

"You are back Teach, yoi."

"A few hours ago...Zehahahahahah … it is lively here..."

"Utter chaos you mean..."

"Zehahah...Ace's siblings sound like fun bunch to be around. Can't wait to meet them."

"Don't we all?" muttered Marco disconcerted.

"You don't sound excited about it, commander...Zehah.."

"Just imagining the chaos makes my head hurt..."

"Zehzeh.. I see .. Thatch seems to be excited about the meeting... He has plans.. "

Marco groaned.

"Don't remind me..."

Ace let out a loud snore and began to mumble his siblings' name loudly in his sleep.

"Commander Ace is one funny guy.. Zehzeh.. Zehzeh," remarked Teach.

"He is not a commander," Marco reminded him.

"Only a matter of time," Teach told him shrewdly.

"You're sure you are not up to the job? yoi."

"Nah.. new blood would do the second division a world of good.. "

Their conversation was interrupted by hands clutching Marco's back.

"Yo, what.." Marco turned in annoyance, trying to get rid of the slippery hands grabbing his purple jacket.

.

In desperate attempt to stop his fall after he had stood up abruptly, Thatch had clutched wildly at the nearest object, Marco.

"Sorry .. Marco", Thatch sheepishly apologized, still trying to find his balance.

"It is fine, yoi… get a grip already," told him Marco in slight annoyance while trying to help Thatch find his balance and stop using him as a cane.

In that moment, Ace resumed his unrestrained laughter, howling loudly accompanied by loud banging.

Thatch let out a sudden guffaw, involuntarily sputtering all over his savior's face.

Looking at the face covered in his spit, veins throbbing visibly on his forehead, Thatch swallowed the sudden lump in his throat.

He opened his mouth to apologize and noticed that a very solemn silence spread through the room.

"ZZZ-Zzzz-ZZzzz-hngGGggh-Ppbhwwww- zZZzzzZZ . . ."

His last thought was 'Oh my Ace, when I die send me to place where pineapples don't have claws'.

..

.

Marco felt much better afterward, and strangely enough everyone (except sleeping Ace) was very motivated to clean the ship.

Still, a lot of the audience needed medical attention first. Not his fault, seriously, not.

They arrived at the infirmary complaining of sore throats, painful cramps and stomach aches (See, not his fault. He owned up to his shit, unlike some unnamed people).

The nurses and doctors seeing the number of people that had the same symptoms had quickly gone to panic frenzy thinking that new kind of virus had spread in the crew and seemed to be very contagious (very, it was called laughter).

They didn't find the explanation very funny to say the least. Ace was dragged there for a thorough examination (his sleeping attacks was what had stopped his attempts at escaping from the infirmary). Ace not having any attacks for long while and then having several consecutively had worried them and Marco.

They still didn't have any grip on how Ace's narcolepsy worked but their semi-conclusion was that now that Ace was less stressed his narcolepsy was catching up on lost time.

Ace was not the only one that his body was acting funny on him. Marco was also bone tired and the exertion had him unwillingly sleeping standing up with his eyes lazily open -as usual- for few seconds each time, his body trying to catch up on his rest.

The long shower and nap (that Pops had insisted he take) helped a bit. (Really, he felt like a naughty kid that stayed awake over his curfew. Dammit, he was the commander of the first division in the Strongest Man in the World's crew). He even ate something (No idea what! He couldn't even remember what it smelt like or how it tasted) while sitting down.

The annoying Red Hair's Den Den Mushi had mysteriously disappeared. (Really, it wasn't him. Like seriously, nope) which had brightened his mood much more.

Marco snapped from his reverie to the giggling of the group gathered by the Den Den Mushi.

He moved closer to listen more closely yet trying to keep the whole group in his sight.

The fact that Thatch, Aladine, Haruta each had notebook? Book?... open in their hand and in the other one pen scrawling down their new bible was very disconcerting.

Hearing few minutes ago, the argument about what the title of this heaven-sent book should be was the perfect equation to make a raging headache. Even though some of the suggestions that his hearing had caught were quite funny: "The best ways to avoid cracking nuts", "Protection of Genitals and You: Surviving the Way of the Marcy"; "Oh my Ace: the prayer for guaranteed Gold", "The secret to Golden balls and eternal life" (how did eternal life play into this? He had no idea), "The meaty Jewels" or "A Way of life: guaranteed way to keep your family jewels intact and your line from becoming extinct"... The choice of the title promised an uphill battle (Marco had a feeling that Marcy would have a lot to say when she heard about it).

Marco shook his head in a gesture approaching despair and reflected instead on the conversation between Marcy and Ace. If it could be called a conversation.

Marco never thought he would see the day when Ace and his brother conferring to trick -anybody-their sister into getting treated (Ace was too straightforward with things he wanted. Even some of his 'sneaky' attacks on his father lacked the nature of true deception). It did show Ace in a new light, how far he was willing to go to protect his family. It made Ace a very reliable and trustworthy person, fit for the commander role, but it was also something that could be easily taken advantage from. He could easily be provoked to do stupid and dangerous shit, adding his hotheaded personality and stubbornness and it was likely to end being a disaster of great magnitude.

He would have to speak to him about it. Marco sighed mentally, he had a long list of things he wanted to speak with Ace about. Really, if things kept going on like this, the list would only grow and nothing would be done.

He didn't know what he thought when he began building mental lists for things he needed to do and keep watch for. Probably that it was a good idea to keep things organized in his head, less actual paperwork to handle, training his mind as he trained his body or something smart like that. Now he needed a list to try and keep up with his mental lists.

Marco shook his head in dismay this time, ignoring the wary and worried looks discretely throwing his way and tried to look at the bright side.

Marcy and Luffy were not badly hurt. Marcy was still paranoid and suspicious as ever which was a good sign in his book. He really couldn't imagine her as anything else even though he had never actually met her.

Marcy's injuries were somewhat curable. Even though the tantrum that Ace threw when he heard that they would scar was far from reassuring, neither was the doctor first response to seeing her back. She said she was eight when she got them. What kind of childhood did she have? It didn't seem to have been sunshine and roses or peachy as she liked to say.

The fact that she seemed nonchalant about it, more annoyed than anything was also very worrying.

He did learn new things about A.O's doctor. He would like to have a conversation with him sometimes (added to his mental list, which one? Maybe in 'things to do in your endless free time list').

The thing that had caught his attention and the others (except some oblivious dude that shall not be named) was about wearing her scars as a badge. Her mental scars. He couldn't put his finger on why exactly. Her voice didn't change when she said those words (it was a fact in her eyes), yet it resounded in everyone's hearts.

Maybe because they all had pasts. Scars. Some not visible to the eye. Even though he didn't have scars on the surface of his skin. Thanks to his devil fruit he would never will. Sometimes he wished he could have. He had ones deep into his bone, maybe if they were visible to the naked eye dealing with them would have been easier.

The dig at Ace's own mental scars had the flame head freeze for few seconds then he shook his head mumbling under his breath. It was clearly conversation they had before, several times at least.

She wasn't someone that would back down or would see a chance and not take it. Ace needed a reminder to deal with his own issues before butting in her own, seemed was what she was trying to say, Marco thought amusedly.

He forced himself to concentrate on the conversation via the Den Den Mushi.

Marcy and Luffy were explaining again about what they had to do to escape from the marines. After more begging, she even repeated the speech to egg the marines to their death. It was impressive like the first time he heard it.

"...Yeah, it wasn't easy. I needed to drag Luffy several times, because he would go back to help them instead of running away like we should do.." the exasperation was clear in her voice.

"Wanted to beat grandpa up," Luffy whined in protest.

Ace nodding making it seems like a very legitimate reason.

"Really, you think you have chance in hell?" Marcy asked icily.

They heard Luffy swallow audibly and his small "no," and then his burst out shouting "but soon I will be strong enough to beat him up."

"Yeah right.." 'that would be the day' had gone unsaid.

Marco noted a shiver run down Ace's spine, his eyes were unfocused as if remembering something unpleasant.

"Anyway we used one of the emergency motor boats to sail away telling the marines we would watch their performance from a bit far as not to get in the way... Luffy's insisting on helping them did sell the story better," she reluctantly admitted.

"Some of them even shouted after us not to worry they would bring glory to our name," her voice mildly amused at their stupidity. She probably didn't believe there was such thing as glory.

Luffy laughter resounded in the room as he added, "Without me they had no chance."

"You are the one that told them I am counting on you in your serious tone, giving them your beaming smile."

Luffy's answer was another loud laugh, "morons!"

Marco found his mouth involuntarily turning up in the closest thing to a smile that had crossed his face in what felt like a very long time.

"… I wonder what kind of fate was thrust upon the poor bastards. That's assuming they are alive."

Even though her voice had no malice in it, it didn't have any real worry about it either. It was just idle curiosity.

A sudden noise interrupted his observation.

Several loud voices could be heard from the other side of Den Den Mushi, they couldn't make the words. But Marcy's answer was clear.

"No,... no .. I said put it in that room and the other… yes… no.."

There was a pause as someone else explained something to her, they couldn't make.

"No, that won't work.. I am coming and making sure it's done properly. Tell them to wait," she was clearly irritated.

"What about my food?" Luffy demanded.

Another multiple muffled voices, probably answering Luffy's question.

"If you want something, you have to do it yourself," Marcy muttered to herself while cursing.

"I am going to the kitchen," Luffy announced, having made his mind. If the food doesn't come to you, you go to the food.

"Ace, we will call you back."

Not waiting for any response.

Clank.

Dazed Ace, looked up from his daydreaming and muttered under his breath, "God have mercy on their souls."

Thatch enthusiastically corrected him, "it should be Ace have mercy .."

"Shut up, this becoming old," Izo snapped irritably. He was clearly still annoyed with Thatch about the whole kimono-dress fiasco. Marco regretted having to had to miss it. Maybe he would watch the encore soon.

Ace ignoring all of the rackets, stood up and strode to Pop's chair.

"It should be MARCY get their souls," Aladine corrected amusedly. He seemed in an extremely good mood.

"Actually, this may work as the book title 'Marcy the soul catcher", Haruta added.

Marco sighed. He knew what was coming. More titles. JOY.

"Save your soul from Marcy."

"Marcy has no mercy!"

"That's catchy," Thatch cheery agreed.

"It is stupid," Izo muttered loudly. Marco agreed, they all lacked creativity. Who would actually want to read such book with those kinds of titles? Especially when what it contained made no sense. Did they intend to sell it? For-profit? Mass production? Printing it would definitely not come from his budget. Marco turned around eyeing his father speaking quietly with Ace.

Nope, no matter what anyone said. The Whitebeard Pirates were not becoming the Whitebeard Press.

"Marcy's guide to cleanse your soul and save your balls."

"Gild your balls."

"Maintain the family jewels in working order."

"It is good thing she isn't here .. or none of yours would be working, yoi."

They all ignored his warning and continued with their discussion. Only Jozu give a snort. He was standing in the middle; his hands folded in front of his chest and was listening quietly in interest.

"By how things are going in Fishman Island we may not need to wait for her to arrive," Jinbe said coming to stand beside Marco.

"Oh.. it couldn't be that bad..." could it? wondered Marco.

"Ichika and Nika .. The two small mermaids they saved, and their sisters had built a gang..."

"It is a pirate crew. They get almost all the mermaids to join from what I heard.. they called it Jewels.. " Aladine injected into the conversation. He had left the heated discussion and joined them. His eyes were twinkling alarmingly. Jinbe tensed.

"As in.." Marco trailed off. The balls, testicles, the family Jewels… this theme was repeating itself too much lately.

Jinbe sighed and Aladine raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"They know what..." they were seven years old, they shouldn't know about the birds and bees. Marcy didn't explain it. Did she? What kind of explanation would she give. Marco shuddered mentally just imagining it.

"No," Jinbe choked looking horrified. Marco had an inkling what he was imagining in his eyes' mind.

"Nope! Only that it hurts the bad guys."Aladine cheerfully explained. The whole thing seemed to be one big joke to him which was irritating Jinbe. He was clearly glaring at him.

"They sure know where to strike," Aladine added conspiratorially with a wink.

Marco heard Jinbe mutter, "why do I have him as my first mate... Why". Marco was sure Aladine heard but he didn't comment. His face showing nothing but his amusement.

"You are going to be one of their victims when we get back," Jinbe told him bluntly and even a bit nastily. Marco could see it happen. Karma at work.

"Nope, not gonna happen." Aladine didn't seem a bit bothered by this prospect.

"How can you be sure?" Jinbe demanded while Marco raised an eyebrow questionably.

"I joined!" Aladine said in a matter of fact tone. 'You are so stupid Duh' was underlined in every fiber of his being.

"You what?" Jinbe gaped at him.

"I am a member of the Jewels crew," Aladine told them proudly.

"…"

".."

"."

"Did that mean that you quit the Sun crew, yoi?" Marco was the one that finally asked.

"Of course not." Aladine was looking at him as if he lost his mind as did Jinbe. Jinbe seemed unable to comprehend what he was hearing. Then he perked up. Maybe he thought that if Aladine quit himself, he didn't need to 'fire' him.

"You can't be in both," Jinbe protested decisively.

"You sure can, if the captain is part of it too." Aladine had a sinister smile plastered on his face. He was waiting for this.

"HUH?" Jinbe eloquently responded.

Aladine nodded, his face turning solemn and serious, and he may have even been able to sell it, if not for the dancing mirth in his eyes.

"I am part of the Jewels crew? When? How? I didn't .." Jinbe sputtered, seemingly confused. Marco was sure that he hadn't joined willingly or knowingly at least.

"You did," Aladine repeated insistently.

"No, for god sake.." they ignored the shouted 'ACE' and the answering 'WHAT'.. "... I would remember joining another crew.."

Aladine cut in.

"Remember two days ago when I was speaking with girls and you refused to go near the Den Den Mushi … and I told you they wanted to ask you something .. and you said to tell them, yes, not to worry." Aladine was not trying to hide his glee right now.

"What.. Yes..I thought they were asking about the Tangerines again.. That was what they were always asking.. Not.."

Aadine shrugged amused. His body language appeared to say '

What is done cannot be undone'. Marco tried to imagine how the conversation between Jinbe and the two girls would go if he tried to explain that it was all one big mistake. Marco would love to listen in to this conversation.

"Too late.. Almost all of the crew joined already.."

"W...What?"

Jinbe froze and then in small hesitant voice asked, "when? How … did they..." he paused and tried again, "you…"

The 'you' -Aladine- was waiting, listening in patience, his eyes twinkling a storm. Marco could see the effort he was exerting trying to keep his face from splitting into a big smile at the dumbfounded Jinbe that was still trying to make sense of it all.

Marco could relate. More times than he would like to admit he had the same look on his face, and in his mind was running in a loop the same broken record 'this all bad dream, really bad dream but it isn't real.. Yeah, nope. It can't be real.. Any minute now I am going to wake up to the real world and it's all going to be alright'.

Nope, unfortunately it didn't work like that. He can really relate but that doesn't mean he can't have some fun. Enjoying someone else's misery for change. He does know his misery would undoubtedly arrive in some form soon. It always does. He eyed the laughing Thatch discretely.

"Sounds like a logical choice to me, yoi."

Jinbe looked at him accusingly while Aladine had finally given up and was snickering quietly into his hand. His tries to disguise it as a cough and had failed miserably. He didn't seem to really mind

"You are either from the side that strikes or the receiving end, yoi."

Marco drawled, his eyelids slowly dropping to half-mast, explaining his logic.

Jinbe had his mouth wide open in shock as if the idea had never occurred to him. His brain slowly trying to catch up. It was taking its time.

Aladine coughed and cleared his throat before saying in cajoling tone.

"Think of it like this, we don't need to waste money on paying a genital protection gear anymore."

Jinbe closed his mouth, he had a thoughtful look. Apparently joining the Jewels crew had his advantages.

"Stick the bad guys with the pointy end." Aladine abruptly cheered.

".."

"..."

Jinbe and Marco shared confused look leading to more snickering from Aladine.

"That is their motto."

"..."

"Motto?" Jinbe repeated. Marco smirked inwardly. Stick them with pointy end. It had a rung to it. As Whitebeard's pirates they didn't have an official motto but if they had it would be ' if you wanna keep your life intact don't mess with any Whitebeard son's or daughter' or maybe ' Whitebeard takes care of his own (better not piss him off by touching any of his adorable children. It doesn't matter if they are big and ugly, covered with injuries and wounds and may have beards longer than them. Just stay away. You don't have to listen to Marco. It's just friendly advice. For your sake.)'

".."

"OH.. I have good idea.." suddenly burst Aladine and turned running to other group yelling.

"Hey guys.. How about the title 'no pointy end for you, how to be the good guy'."

"Mouthful," protested Thatch with a disapproving shake of his head.

"Your suggestion meatballs, golden balls and keep your two balls in perfect shape was short and catchy," pointed sarcastically Izo.

Thatch who on good day missed things that were slowly and pointedly spelled out to him, nodded and told Aladine.

"What Izo said is a good example for what we are looking for… actually it sounds very familiar… " he had confused look.

Izo looked to the sky, praying for patience or maybe fast death.

"You said it first," Jozu that had endless patience reminded him.

"I did? .. oh yes I did." he brightened up and then scowling turned to Izo, "Why did you .."

Haruta who had glimpsed Izo's twitching hands hovering nears where he kept his pistols, cut in.

"Izo quoted you."

"Oh..." Thatch brightened up and happily said "Izo, you have a good taste. It's great title."

Marco saw Izo's body deflate as he literally gave up. He should probably go sp…

The thread of his thought was cut when Aladine hurried back to them.

Jinbe was still muttering to himself, 'stick them with pointy end, stick …'

"I almost forget," Aladine said and paused, his face adorned with a big anticipating smile. Marco didn't believe for a second that he did, forget.

"It seems like the princess joined too.."

Silence greeted his announcement.

Few long seconds passed.

"The crew? Jewels crew?" Jinbe said in total disbelief.

Aladine nodded excitedly. He was clearly anticipating Jinbe's reaction.

"Oh my god..." Jinbe exclaimed loudly.

"Ace!" the loud correction come from Aladine, Thatch and Hurata.

"What?" the actual Ace shouted. He looked around from where he sat on Whitebeard's chair's arm. Then shook his head, understanding that he wasn't the one being called and turned to continue his quiet conversation with the laughing Whitebeard.

"Oh my Ace.. you have to get the hang of it..." Aladine reprimanded him seriously.

Jinbe opened his mouth probably to demand why the hell should I? or are you to out of your freaking mind (to which the answer was glaring yes) but stopped. His face turning green in panic, he uttered.

"Did you teach the mermaids about the whole..." he trailed off in dread. It was clear he was asking about the 'oh my Ace' and the story behind it.

"Of course," Aladine announced, clearly very proud of himself.

Jinbe deflated at the unwanted answer and stared open-mouthed at the floor for a long moment before he soberly demanded.

"What do you mean princess Shirahoshi joined? What about Vander Decken?"

Marco had heard of him before. Vander Decken IX is the captain of the Flying Pirates and was the descendant of some cursed legendary captain. He had a really dangerous Devil fruit. He need only to touch someone with his bare hand and then he can 'lock on' them and make them the target to anything he wanted to projectile on them. This deranged person was obsessed with the princess since she was six. Threatening that she could either marry him or die.

He remembered his father offering his help in taking care of him. He didn't know what was agreed upon but if nothing was done then the king may have refused. Marco was sure the king had his reasons.

"He is locked up!" Aladine exclaimed half in happiness and half in disbelief as If he wasn't believing what he himself was saying.

"What? how.." Jinbe was in total shock. Alternating between emotions too fast. If this continued Jinbe would surely get a dizzy spell any minute now. A Shichibukai as fainting maiden. He wouldn't be surprised if that was Aladine goal all along.

"Not exactly sure...I couldn't understand what they told me happened but the gist of it..." Aladine paused.

"The girls.. Ichika, Nika, Sanka, Yonka, and Yonka Two ..." the Quintuplets mermaids, two of them were friends of Marcy and Luffy after they saved them.

" … heard about Decken and his ..ahmm.. relationship to the princess.. You know .. how he sent her love notes in the form of weapons with his ability .."

Aladine was clearly trying to make sense of the story in his head before he shared it out loud.

"They somehow gathered the crew, armed themselves with their spears and went out to face him.. Cause he is a bad guy..."

Jinbe cut enraged, "What? Did nobody stop them? How can that be possible? They are little girls, they aren't… he better not have hurt.. " Jinbe stopped and to a k long breath. He forced himself to relax and nodded to Aladine to continue.

"They actually found him… I mean the king send guards daily to look for him.. But those girls found him on the first try.. not sure how it happened but he slipped, hit his head and was knocked out.."

Jinbe gaped at him "Are you sure? How is that possible?... Is he really locked up?"

That sounded quite unbelievable. Like one of Luffy and Marcy stories, Marco reflected.

"Yeah, Prince Fukaboshi himself told me he is being held in one of the deep prisons in the castle, tied with sea stones chains all over him. The prince said that when he heard about what the girls were intending to do, he and guards followed them in hurry to stop them and bring them back. But by the time they found them, it was all over.. Decken was tied up with rope and gagged up, written on his forehead was 'pervert' in bright pink and so was half the crew with different slurs written on them.. The prince was pretty impressed with their rope work .. they tied the prisoner's hands behind their back and tied the thumbs together with strings. They tied ropes around their ankles and knees, stopping any movement with several kinds of knots and the rope was looped several times around the neck in double bow .. like gift.."

Halfway through the explanation Jinbe's jaw dropped and his desperate tries to lift it back up to its normal place were not working.

"They told the prince that sister Macy taught them how to knot the rope so bad men don't escape and writing on him "pervert" was the punishment they all had decided on."

Her teachings were put to a good use. Marco wondered if the 'rope knots' was another one of those unsavory skills she had added to her arsenal, besides picking locks.

Jinbe reached out with his hand, raised his dropped jaw and removed his hand gingerly after making sure that his jaw would not drop again, he asked in a voice filled with apprehension.

"What about Wadatsumi? They wouldn't have been able to handle him?"

"They did."

"W.. h..at?" Jinbe asked slowly while his hand flew up to his jaw to stop its descent.

The raised eyebrow on Marco's face seemed to transmit its confusion as Aldine explained before he moved on to what had happened.

"Wadatsumi is a giant tiger blowfish Fishman .. He is bigger than captain Whitebeard."

Marco's already raised eyebrow arched a bit more.

"When the prince and the guards arrived, he was already sitting down speaking with girls.. " the girls were undoubtedly the troublemaker Quintuplets.. " apparently he joined the crew."

"The Jewels Crew?" Jinbe asked in dismay, his hands still hovering by his jaw.

"He had become their subordinate, no...their Nakama."

"This is a disaster… an utter disaster.. it jus... shit... Shit!"

Marco eyed the hysteric Jinbe that was trying to keep his panic under semi-control as not to startle the others and turned to Aladine with his questioning look.

"Wadatsumi is not bad.. Despite his size he is childlike .. maybe that's why he gets along with girls quickly .. He is very loyal and obedient which made the whole Decken defeat come in quite a shock … that he didn't help Decken.. He usually obeys his every command without question. .."

"What is he doing? The girls did they order him to do something? Please, tell me someone is keeping watch on this. Someone has his eyes on the girls. Why didn't you tell me earlier.."

Aladine ignored the barge of questions and answered the first one.

"According to Hatchan they were teaching him how to kick the jewels area... "

Jinbe's hand dropped to his side and to begin to mutter uncomprehendingly while swaying on his legs.

Both Aladine and Marco pretended not to notice.

"At first, they wanted Den to build him a huge spear with a pointed end like he did for them, but Den pointed out that Wadatsumi has legs unlike them. So he is making him a huge red shoes with a pointy end."

Jinbe froze, opened his mouth (luckily his jaw didn't drop) looking like gaping dead fish, technically he was one (and seemed right now that he also preferred to be dead).

"It isn't going well right now.. You know because of his size.. His kick makes them fly instead of screaming in pain and collapsing in heap of agony... But they are working on it... " Aladine sounded like a proud father.

"What is being done about this? What did King Neptune do? Say? He had to stop this." Jinbe seemed to finally get his composure back.

"He seemed quite happy with it."

"HUH, what do you mean happy?" Maybe not all of his composure. He was clearly not sure what he should be feeling.

"They saved his daughter somehow... The mermaid princess getting out of her shell .. he wants to support mermaids empowering themselves or some shit.."

Jinbe was looking around him, clearly in a state of are you freaking kidding me right now.

"There was talk actually of the whole crew becoming part of the royal guard..."

"What is he thinking.. The king had lost his mind." Jinbe sighed in defeat, his huge blue body seemed to shrink and his face looked like a skull with paper stretched over it, and his skin looked ill, almost grey-blue.

"The Minister of the Left is against it.. So nothing happened.. Yet."

"Small mercies," Jinbe muttered while saying a small prayer in thanks to the catfish merman.

"We are going back and stopping this."

He looked a bit better. Having a plan did help ease him.

"I would let the crew know that the long vacation is canceled," cheered Aladine.

He seemed very happy about a canceled vacation. The opposite of the expected normal reaction.

Jinbe shook his whole body trying to wake himself out of the nightmare and get his barring back.

"I guess this is a bad time to ask about the octopus that had all his arms around Marcy..." Marco mentioned casually.

Jinbe froze in mid-shake. Marco felt really bad for him. So much it made him almost stop. Almost.

"You know, the one she only got to kick once before he escaped, yoi."

The grayish color was back with vengeance.

"in the jewels, yoi."

Marco saw Jinbe turn slightly making sure that Ace was still busy and wasn't in hearing range.

"You know the future takoyaki," Marco deliberately paused "octopuses balls, yoi ."

Jinbe looked at him pleadingly. Marco considered taking pity on him. The guy had suffered enough and he -himself- was a witness to it all.

Nah.

"Maybe you should suggest for Hatchan to join the Jewels crew, if he didn't yet. It may be the only way to keep his jewels intact.. maybe the mermaids can talk her out of kicking him.. Not so sure about the takoyaki thought .. I wouldn't want to be the person that comes between Luffy and his meat, yoi."

Jinbe opened his mouth, Marco was almost sure that he saw tears in his eyes. He was about to deliver the final blow..

"Purupurupurupurupurupuru."

Ace immediately jumped, and in second was sitting beside the Den Den Mushi. Thatch's stretched hand didn't have the time to touch it before Ace answered it.

"Hellloooooooooo.. This is Luffy, the future Pirate King."

Jinbe, eyes downcast, moved hurriedly to stand bedside Aladine. Purposely not looking at Marco's direction.

Oh well, he had the patience of saint. His chance would arrive.

"Hey Luffy," the usual crowd echoed, including Ace.

Luffy laughed.

"Give me that," Marcy demanded irritation clear in her voice.

"Everything is alright?" Ace asked.

"The food is so yummy here and Ace's friends are nice. I ate whole bunch of meat and they said they would bring me more."

"Yeah, had to explain to some moro.. the crew how to store some of the supplies."

No one missed the slip, not even Thatch, but they chose not to comment on it.

"Where were we?"

Thatch actually eyed his book and said.

"Luffy told the morons I am counting on you and you said what kind of fate was thrust upon the poor bastards."

"You have a good memory," Marcy remarked suspiciously.

Thatch was smart enough not to tell her he was writing all of this. His laughter sounded forced as he said.

"I eat celery every day, it's good for the memory."

"No, meat is good for the memory."

"No, some fo ..."

"Meat is the best," insisted Luffy.

"Don't bother arguing with Luffy. For your sanity sake just agree and move along," Marcy advised quietly while Ace nodded along. It seemed they had accumulated quite a lot of experience. Yet Ace was still a stubborn bastard. Wasn't he?

"If those morons ate more meat they would have been able to beat grandpa.."

Marco saw Ace open his mouth. To point the obvious. By your logic, you eat a lot of meat you should be able to beat him but you clearly can't.

He seemed to think better of it and stayed quiet.

Marcy was also suspiciously quiet on the other side.

"I told the morons to eat meat. Didn't listen. That's why they lost." Luffy was clearly boasting.

"Some of those morons had stars in their eyes while they saluted you… I never understand how can you charm anyone you meet.. You don't know the meaning of shrewd and it isn't like you do anything charming or cute..." Marcy complained quietly.

Ace gave a smile and shook his head in amusement.

"Food! I don't give anyone meat! It's all mine."

"What?"

"You said I give free food.. And they give me fruit.."

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, okay."

"How everything is somehow related to food with you I really don't know," Marcy grumbled, clearly vexed.

"Luffy had always had the uncanny ability to turn every word into something related to food," Ace agreed, chuckling.

"Look like you have your own Lucky charm," murmured Aladine.

"Who? Luffy? Lucky charm," asked Ace, looking incredulously at him.

"Lucky charm this dork.. I think you committed some kind of crime by using those two words in association to Luffy." Marcy hotly agreed.

"Trouble magnet is the most accurate term," Ace explained to them in the voice of a true veteran.

The trouble magnet had nothing to say. Was he sleeping? Marco thought he glimpsed -for few seconds -the Den Den Mushi nostrils twitch. He thought the same thing the last time they spoke. His mind was playing a trick on him.

"You are one to speak, " Marcy shot at him.

"I am not bad as Luffy."

"Challenging a Yonko," Marcy said in a matter of fact tone.

Ace cringed but didn't try to deny it, he instead said.

"Not my brightest idea."

"On the contrary .. it worked perfectly," Marcy causally purred.

A roar of laughter ensued following her accurate observation. Thatch and Haruta both pounded Ace on the back.

Ace opened his mouth and shut it, finding no words. Whitebeard gave a hearty laugh and toasted his drink when Ace sheepishly looked his way.

Marcy continued unbothered.

"More like irony in the flesh with the both of you.. When you think things are going great they are not and when you think things are bad they somehow work out.. The problem you never know which is which. "

"You worry too much... If it doesn't have food and doesn't want to go out of the way you just has to beat it up."

The simplicity in which Luffy saw the world in was astounding.

"See.. this what I have to work with.." Marcy complained. Her voice was on the border of whining.

Ace had to stop himself from laughing. He clearly agreed with Luffy's philosophy but didn't want to earn Marcy's ire.

"ANYWAY...we get away using the boat and Luffy thought it was pretty cool and wanted to take hold the steering handle..."

"I am the captain, I should be the one to steer."

Marcy snorted.

"I knew it was going to be a bad idea, so I tried to stop him.."

"We fought for it and I won...shishishi," Luffy announced, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah.. I just didn't want us to end with cliche situation like a broken handle and us hugging and screaming for help while sailing straight into frozen iceberg .. which wouldn't have been as bad compared to the heart attack I almost had later..."

"You are so funny Marcy, ice is water.. It will melt .. we can't crush into water."

Marcy mumbled something under her breath that they couldn't clearly hear, Ace snorted a laugh.

Marco wondered what it meant that he could see the scenario that she just described so clearly in his mind's eye. He wouldn't have been surprised if that what she had imagined had actually happened.

"Luffy's steering crashed us into another boat, when I say crashed .. I mean our boat turned to tiny little pieces and the other one didn't have any scratch on it," her voice showing her disbelief.

"From all the boats in the world the one we crushed was.. Well I give one guess! "

"Hawkey!" shouted Luffy, giving none of them the time to wonder.

Marcy quietly said as if she was reflecting on an inner dilemma.

"I don't know how the world works if there is deity or god or something but it clearly has one sick sense of humor and irony it is middle name..."

It seemed that it was something she pondered a lot about before.

"I almost had a heart attack. It was horrible," she grumbled. Ace had pained look on his face.

"What was it like?" Thatch asked. The moron, what is he thinking asking her something like that.

"Imagine being saved from imminent death to face the grim reaper with a glass of wine in his other hand, looking at ...his eyes pouring into you, judging you, striping you from your flesh and bones and finding you wanting .. not deserving of …" Marcy cut herself.

"Me saying I almost had a heart attack wasn't me being metaphorical but literal. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it would burst out of my chest."

"It was scary," she admitted after a long pause.

"Hawkey isn't scary, he is nice," protested Luffy.

Only Luffy it seemed could think of one the Shichibukai, the strongest swordsman alive, Marco can't even venture a guess about his kill count, as nice.

"Everyone is nice, especially if they give you food." Marcy grouched.

"He is Shanks's friend," Luffy calmly explained and that was enough for him.

"He knows Shanks, doesn't mean he is his friend."

"It does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does"

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"YES, IT DOES."

Even though Marcy gave the impression of the mature, responsible adult, she was still sixteen years old or maybe more accurately that her younger brother was able to bring out the childish side out of her.

If Marco didn't know better he would think Luffy was doing it on purpose. Making both his siblings relax. The mood more relaxed and bright.

Yet, it wasn't the first time that he had done something similar to dispel the tense mood or to break the ice.

Marco moved closer to Whitebeard ignoring the still ongoing loud match.

"Is he doing it on purpose, yoi?" he asked quietly. Not bothering with any beforehand explanation.

Whitebeard smiling face didn't falter. He gave no indication that he heard.

Marco was about to repeat his question when-

"Yes and no."

Marco nodded once indicating that he was listening.

"He is selfish being, but he listens to his instincts."

"He dispelled the tense atmosphere instinctively, yoi?" Marco repeated skeptically. But then considered Luffy's ringing laughter. His infectious laughter was hearty with warmth like shining sun and glorious cheerfulness and delight in the smallest of things. Marco put his brain on pause. Marco the Phoenix, the first division commander of the Whitebeard pirates was being mushy.

'...'

Nope, it never happened. Move along folks.

The whole thought was erased, sent to oblivion. Move along.

"I knew someone who did. He always knew the right… no, the wrong thing to say... But it worked."

Whitebeard had a reminiscent look on his face that quickly disappeared.

Marco wanted to question him more but decided that now wasn't the time.

He moved back to the Den Den Mushi who was crowded with cheering group. Egging both of the children on with loud cheers (not as loud as the two contestants of course, not even close.) while Ace was shouting futility to stop them.

"NO, IT DOESN'T."

"YES, IT. DOES."

"NO, IT DOESN'T."

"YES, IT. DOES."

"NO, IT DOESN'T."

"YES, IT. DOES."

"NO, IT DOESN'T."

"YES, IT. DOES."

Marcy huffed in clear irritation.

He could imagine the staring contest between them from the other side of the Den Den Mushi.

"Let say he is really Shanks' friend it doesn't mean he is your friend."

"Yes, It DOES."

"No, it doesn't"

"Yes, IT DOES."

"That just makes no SENSE."

"Yes, IT DOES."

"HOW?"

"ACE's friends, you are also my friends, right?"

"YES."

"Of course."

"Absolutely."

"Yeah.."

The whole group echoed their affirmative. Jinbe less enthusiastically than the others, but even he had said yes. What the two had done for the mermaids made them more than friends in his eyes.

Even Pops bellowed his 'you bet, cheeky brat'.

Only him, and Jozu had an amused smile while Ace was clutching his stomach, trying to keep his laughter from reaching the other side of the call and failing.

Marcy had just lost, spectacularly.

"You morons..." screeched Marcy with fury.

"That's why I can never get anything inside of his empty skull."

"We are basically best friends already."Thatch ignored her and beamed at Luffy.

"Shishis… Ace, Thatchy is also my crush, not only you."

Marcy groaned as laughter echoed around.

"You can keep him," said Ace, trying to get his laughter under control.

"Thatchy as my crush, you are going to cook me a lot of meat, okay?"

"Sure, but don't call me a crush."

Thatch was spluttering with undecidedness. To be happy or upset.

"Why.. you don't want to be my friend, you just said yes.." Luffy pouted. The Den Den Mushi showed a quivering lip and misty eyes.

"Nooo.. noo.. I am your friend. I will cook you lots of meat.. I promise"

"Okay, my crush Hatchy. It's a promise. A loooot of meat." Luffy was cheering loudly.

"Don't bother, you are stuck with it forever and ever..." Marcy told him nastily.

"You know Marcy, you are also our friend, not only Luffy." Izo quietly told her.

To the loud agreement of the others.

"No, we are not." The sternness in her voice leaving no room for argument.

Thatch opened his mouth to argue nonetheless, but Jozu used his hand to stop him from speaking.

"We are still in the getting acquainted stage," her voice left no doubt that she was pushing it as it is. In her mind they were way before the get to know you stage.

"Not everybody is good person even if they give you food, you need to be wary and cautious. There is no such thing as a free meal."

Those were her words, and her delivery, no doubt about it but not her voice that said them.

Marco had a picture of Luffy, his face screwed up with disapproval, hands on his hips delivering his lecture (or Marcy's lecture).

While everyone was choking on laughter on their side, Marcy seemed not impressed.

"Ouch, you stupid meany."

"You are the stupid one. You don't even mock me right."

Marco disagreed, it sounded quite accurate. The boy had a knack for it and nothing scared him. Last time mocking Hawkeyes, now this.

"Huh… is there a right way to mock someone?" Thatch asked in wonder.

"Of course there is," Haruta told him with a straight face, without missing a beat.

"No one had ever told me," whined Thatch pitifully.

"You never asked.."

"Is that why some people don't find my pranks funny... cause I am not doing it right."

Several heads nodded. Marco also nodded because his pranks were not funny period and making fun of Thatch was a good thing in his book.

"Who should I ask?" Thatch squeaked, his head turning panicky around.

"Oh right, her highness.."

"She meant to imitate, not tease and make fun, you impeccable moron", told him Izo impatiently.

"Ohh… are you sure? I don't need a lecture from her?"

"Spare us, no, yoi. Shut up. We want to listen."

Jozu put a hand on Thatch's shoulder, getting his attention and gesturing for him to listen.

"...I am hungry. Meat. I want Meat. no vegetables. Meat. only meat.. Hungry.. Meat.. "

Marcy was loudly saying. She even got the whining perfectly. Her initiation was spot on.

"Meat is the best. I didn't know you were this hungry Marcy. Meat."

"No, I was showing you how..."

"MEAT."

They heard the door open…the boy had a sense smell to envy.

"Did we come at the wrong time?" they heard the hesitant voice of the Doctor asking.

Marco assumed that Marcy was glaring. The bugged eyed Den Den Mushi certainly give that impression.

"No, it was timed perfectly," she coolly answered.

"Excuse me?" came the confused answer.

"Here Ma...rcy, c...ame eat.. FOOD," Luffy yelled between bites. His chewing could be heard clearly on this side.

"No, thank you," Marcy refused.

"But, you were whining about bei…" gulped "..ng hungry and wanting meat."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you did." More loud chewing sounds.

"No, I was imitating you."

"No, you said you wanted meat." Luffy insisted.

"No, I just told.." Marcy sighed, paused and asked instead.

"Do you want to share?"

"Nope," Luffy answered instantly.

Marcy said nothing out loud, but they get the feeling she was gesturing to Luffy to make her point.

"Oh, cool. It is all mine," Luffy brightened up.

"Let the poor men put the tray down, will you?" Marcy murmured, sighing.

"Just put it here," Marcy said loudly.

They heard sounds of movement, rustled clothes, muffled voices, and the chewing sound became even closer.

"Oh.. hey… is everything okay here?" a voice suddenly asked, they could hear it over the other sounds. Marco recognized him immediately. The nose effect was still prominent.

"A.O," yelled Luffy in greeting. Proving Marco's assumption right.

"Everything is peachy," intoned Marcy and added, "is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh.. no, just let you know we will be sailing shortly."

"All the supplies stored in place?"

"Yes… you are welcome to check if you want." A.O added hurriedly.

"Thank you, no need. I am sure you know how to do your job," Marcy answered politely. It was too polite to Marco's ears. No sincerity just civility.

"Then, I will get goin.."

"A.O," yelled Luffy cutting him, they heard him audibly swallow.

"Do we need to pay for the food?" he obnoxiously demanded.

"Of course not," A.O sounded taking back. Even a bit offended.

"See stupid Marcy, there is something like a free meal. Meat is always free."

This announcement was met with silence. Not a peep was heard anywhere. It was as if the whole world was collectively holding his breath waiting for her response (except Luffy which his chewing seemed to be louder by the minute). Even Whitebeard waited with his bottle barely touching his lips.

It felt like an eternity.

Marco could see Marcy glaring in his mind's eye. Not sure who was the poor bastard that was facing her wrath and ire. Luffy was the only one that proved to be able to handle her (immune).

Marcy sighed audibly in defeat and mumbled accusingly, though it was loud enough for them to hear.

"It is all your damn fault Ace."

"What? What did I do.." Ace was clearly taking back.

"You are the one that taught him about the stupid IOU notes."

Ace opened his mouth to counter.

"IOU, yoi?"

Ace just shook his head.

"Why can't you just be like normal lowlife pirates and steal things and take what you want.. But no.. you have to leave an IOU notes with your name on it."

Marco wondered if he should point to her that she was contradicting herself. No free meal and take what you want don't exactly work well together.

"They are going to come one day and bite us in the ass." The IOU notes?

"No… who I am kidding? It is going to come and bite me in the ass," she sounded so dejected.

"You shit and I am the one that has to wipe the ass."

That was too graphic even for him.

There were several choking sounds from their side (clearly not Luffy, who you could still hear his chewing).

The girl had no shame.

Pops bellowed his loud laughter, while Thatch choked on air laughing. Izo was giggling behind his hand and even Jozu had a lopsided smile on his face. Jinbe looked embarrassed while Aladine was cracking up. Ace was staring intensely at the extremely interesting deck, his ears pink. Marco had a smirk.

"Ass, Marcy is an ass. Marcy has a hug… OUCH .. why did you … noooo..this is mine … my meat ..."

They could hear someone chewing audibly.

"Ohhh .. so yummy..."

"Marcy," screeched Luffy, "you said you're not hungry. This is my meat. Give it back."

"I changed my mind… ummm..so yummy and juicy… .yammm.. hmm"

They heard A.O saying, " ahh.. I … I better go and tell them to bring more food.. ."

"MEAT," both Luffy and Marcy demanded loudly.

A sound of a crash and...

Clank.

The call had ended for now and the story of their journey would remain a mystery for a while longer.

They were too erratic and distracted easily. But now that they were safe and in their way here, they had the time, so there was no rush. They would surely call later after things calmed down.

"Eemmmmm … Ace … what exactly is the a lot of meat that I just promised your brother?"

Ace turned giving Thatch his boyish, innocent smile.

Thatch swallowed audibly. Even though idiocy streamed in Thatch's blood but his instincts - when he listened to them- were spot on.

"Of course it means," Ace paused, " A Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-Thatch was nodding rhythmically to the tone-…..ooooooooooooooo..oooooooooooooooooooooooo -Aladine was counting the o's- …oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... -few minutes passed - ..oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopopoooo - Huarta sat down and snickered to his hand every few seconds- oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo - Jozu raised an eyebrow in an appreciation - oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopoooooooooooooooooo -Jinbe was glaring at Aladine and then eyeing Ace with newfound respect- oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-Aladine gave up- ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo - Thatch stopped nodding and was swaying instead, clutching his head- oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo- Pops begin to Gurararararararrarararra - oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -Gururuururuur- ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.. -Another ten minutes passed- ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo - Hurata begin to snore- ooooooooooo….oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-Gururuurur-oooooooooooooooo- ZZZZZzzzZZ- oooooooooooooooooooooooooo -rurururuururu - oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooottttttt of Meat."

Jozu caught dizzy Thatch before he touched the ground.

Pity.

"Imagine me still going for another half hour," Ace cheerily told them.

"At least!"

...

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XXXXX

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"I was just about to call you," an amused, soft voice said.

"I am glad to see we are on the same wavelength," came the curt reply and added calmly.

"Found anything new?"

"Whitebeard's allies are pulling back to the New World."

"That's strange. Found what their purpose here was?"

"It could be a mere coincidence."

"Do you really think so?" asked the deep voice with slight humor.

"No, but right now it is a good explanation as any."

".."

"I have a confirmation that Garp is in Paradise."

"Vice-admiral Garp?"

"Yes, apparently on vacation."

The soft voice paused waiting for a reaction but it never came. The soft voice further elaborated.

"He was seemingly suspended for some mess-up."

"It is a ploy of the marines? Does it have something to do with old man's movement?"

"It still quite unclear, I am unable to find any trustworthy source of information. The news I am getting doesn't make any kind of coherent chain of events.." the voice trailed off.

"This could be worrying… we can't have anything affect our plans."

"Indeed not, After two years, every pawn is in its place on the board."

The other speaker hummed his agreement and added.

"It took us a lot of time and effort to arrive at this point. A lot of it is thanks to your Brainpower and command ability."

"That's a high praise coming for you, but you are the key to everything. It was your plan, I am just another pawn."

"The queen at that."

The soft voice hummed in response, giving no further comment.

"It would be unfortunate... If we were caught unawares. Any move by the marines or Whitebeard will generate waves and the ripples might affect our operation."

"That's why I intended to personally go and check what is really going on."

"You have information." It was a statement.

"Of course, I do, this is my trade."

"Of course."

"I have a lead or two that may throw light on the situation. I would have to go undercover and won't be able to keep you informed."

"Understandable."

"I will be leaving in an hour. If there isn't something urgent you wish me to handle."

"Oh yes. I almost forget why I called, about the new recruits."

"Any problem?"

"The blue haired girl.."

"No one arrives at your desk before he or she is thoroughly checked. Is there something specific about the girl?"

"The look in her eyes.. No, it doesn't matter," the deep voice paused and added solemnly.

"Good hunting."

"Until then, Mr.0." the voice replied in the same manner.

"I will wait to hear from you, Miss All Sunday."

Clank.

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XXXXX

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"Still no answer?"

"No, nothing, sorry."

Shanks was about to tear his hair out in worry. He could hear Benn and the crew complaining about working under a bald captain while called Red Haired Pirates. But he really didn't give f**k.

"Anything?" he demanded from his flustered crewmember that was handling the Den Den Mushi.

"Nothing, sorry," he mumbled after few seconds with no eye contact.

"Shanks," Benn called in a tired voice, giving him a pleading look. But Shank ignored him. He needed to speak with Ace, who could ask Luffy and then he would know if it was a true or not.

Damn you Hawkeyes. Damn you, a party popper to the end.

Shanks shouldn't have let him leave. He should have made him explain himself. What did it all mean?

"Now?"

The man shook his head slowly.

"You are sure nothing wrong with it?" Shanks demanded for the thousandth time.

"It works perfectly. The problem isn't on our side."

"The problem on the other side then?"

The man nodded reluctantly.

"Okay, then it's decided, we are going to visit the old man again."

His crew as one groaned then grumbled and finally ignored him and looked at their first mate for directions.

Shanks turned and faced him too, his hand on his hip, looking at his first mate expectantly.

"Shanks .." Benn mumbled and added in a solemn voice.

"We just came from meeting Whitebeard, we can't meet him again so soon. He is a Yonko too, and we and him are being watched even more tightly now."

"But the old man may be in some kind of trouble .." Shanks protested, he knew he was being stupid while he said it but couldn't stop himself.

His crew snickered and some choked on their drink (you deserved it Yasopp), Benn only raised his eyebrow as if saying' Really? Like really? You are going to tell me next that Fleet Admiral had changed his occupation and became the captain of the notorious crew the Goat Rice Cracker pirates.'

"Fine, not in trouble, but I am Yonko, I can't have another Yonko ignore me. He would be looking down on my crew, and we can't have that, can we?"

Take that, what do you have to say to that Mister First Mate.

He got some 'aye's and nods from the listening audience.

"That's why you should be the bigger person, and send someone as a messenger to check things, either way he can scout the enemy while he's at it."

"Fine, who?"

More than half the crew had suddenly remembered that they had something urgent to do and left, the other half was looking intensely at the sky, some whistling tune.

Only Lucky Roo, Rock Star, Yasopp had their hands up.

Well, only Rockstar had his hands up.

Yasopp had his sake bottle up long enough for him to swallow the burning liquid in his throat and then right back to his mouth.

Lucky Roo waved his huge chunk of meat, stopping to take a huge bite and then waving it again.

"Rockstar?"

"Too new."

"Yasopp.."

Benn said nothing, Shanks turned to face him "what do you think about Y.. "

Shanks paused eyeing the look in Benn's eyes. He could see reflected on them the image of meeting between the drunk head sniper and the old man, not a good idea at all, Shanks concluded.

"Lucky Roo?"

"You remember what happened with the last mission we sent him."

"No, when was that?"

"Exactly."

"Then.."

"That's leaves me."

"So..." Shanks asked hesitantly.

"I would worry about what the hell you would do without me here, but you are worrying and acting stupidly regardless. So, I will go and speak with the old man and also have chat with Luffy and his sister while I'm at it."

"That's great Benny, I know I can trust you." Shanks cheered, patting his first mate on the shoulder.

"We should have a p.."

"No, we aren't having a party."

Shanks and the audience give him disappointed puppy eyes, that were getting bigger with each passing second. How the hell was that even possible, even actual puppies couldn't pull that look.

Benn could see the quivering lip in Shanks's face. This would not end well. Shanks' mood swings never ever ended well, usually that wasn't a problem because they were not the receiving of his ire (cough tantrum cough).

"I will be leaving now so there is no time."

Shanks sagged, disappointed and disgruntled murmurs filled the air.

Benn was about to say something to lighten up the mood before he left (not that it was needed, he was sure that someone really soon was going to point out that they could have a party for him without him being present. He could already hear Shanks shout that Benny was with them in spirit) when Shanks straighten up, patted him briefly on the shoulder and with serious tone ordered.

"Take several Den Den Mushi with you. But most importantly... Benny…."

"Yes?"

Shanks had an air of wiry strength to him, and reeked of danger. It was this air that commanded everyone's attention. It demanded to be heard, no, listened to.

In these moments, no one could mistake Shanks as anything but an Emperor of the seas. That was what had appealed to Benn's soul. Those moments were the ones that reminded him of the reason why he chose to willingly follow this man, his captain.

Benn faced his captain straight ahead, refusing to flinch at the intensity while waited to listen to his captain's command.

"You have to make sure that Luffy is very clear and sure on who is he meeting at the sea. Me or Hawkeye! "

Benn sighed, his body slumping. He should have known. What had he expected?

"You should give Luffy a clue, he is stupid.. that it us," Yasopp told him helpfully before bursting into drunken laughter.

"Okay, Bennyyy?..."

"Benny, pleaseeee…" his esteemed captain continued to whine.

"Me or that weird-eyed moron… okay.. Remind him about the hat.. An… and our parties…"

Benn sighed, why did he join this crew again.

"Luffy wouldn't be holding grudges about the pranks we pulled on him.. Right?... They were only few and harmless... He wouldn't choose Hawkeye instead..."

"It wasn't we but I. meaning you captain!" Yasopp pointed out.

"Not few, several a day.." Lucky Roo added his two Beli, a big smile adorning his face.

"Bennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyy."

Benn was sure that leaving the ship right now was his wisest option, it was the only way to keep. No .. to save the little sanity that he had left.

"Bennnnnnnnyyyyyyyy, it is me, right?"

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Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd what do you all think with all the new developments? Who you pity the most? Shishishi

Who would you like to join the Jewels crew (please stand in orderly fashion XD)..

I am officially announcing the start of THE competition for the Title of the Book (do I need to explain what Book? Do I?).

Black' Victor Cachat had suggested 'Protection of Genitals and You: Surviving the Way of the Marcy' the title that I mentioned in this chapter. You are as awesome as always.

If the titles you suggest are imaginative, fit the idea and 'cool' I would use them in the eternal argument about the title. If you suggest you are giving me the permission to use. Credits would be given.

The ultimate Winner geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttt….. Hmmmm credits and my eternal gratitude (it is enough, right? ;)) also, can ask me for one shot with a specific idea (how about this?).

Let your creativity soar high XD Make Marcy proud.

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I had a really busy few months, work, family, medical emergencies, olives, a nasty cold, my car broke down and work (Did I say work?).

Some of those things are behind me, so I hope to be able to write more now.

Thank you all for the PM's and cheering. It helped make me feel much better.

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But I did write few new stories that you are welcome to check and share your thoughts.

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ReunionS: Written in collaboration with amazing Syrisna (the same one that did some of my beautiful cover image of Lina and Marcy). It is about Sabo after he got his memories back and his own journey facing the past.

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Shanks's Hair Trouble: One Shot. inspired by an idea from my other story D Sway the Waves of Time. Drunk Shanks try to solve his hair's trouble. As you can imagine it doesn't go well.
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My Family Can Beat Up Your Family: One Shot. my first time writing a Big Mom POV.

Big Mom decided she needed to make an unforgettable example of one of the Worst Generation, her chosen target: Straw Hat Luffy.

Me: Seriously!

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Leave a review, don't forget to suggest a Title. Waiting to hear from you all. ^^