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.

12. Peculiar crew and Pearls of wisdom

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. Please go and check her stories. My greatest admiration and LOVE :D

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Guest Reviews :-D

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lolz 2000

Thank you for your review and support.

I know right (to both your comments) XD

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

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Guest (Oh my god ! (sorry, oh my Ace !)...)

You are getting it. OH MY ACE. Bravo.

Happy to hear you enjoyed yourself.

Thank you for your review.

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

P.S use a nickname next time. :D

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Guest2 (update soon….)

Thank you for your review and support.

Here is more. Feel free to tell me in detail all about what you love.

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

P.S use a nickname next time. :D

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Warnings:

English is my fourth language. Mention of suicide, near death experience, depression and cussing. Warning may change in the future.

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IMPORTANT: to get the full impact read chapters 3,4, 7-10 again... basically do yourself a solid and read the whole thing again (and leave me a new review to each chapter *cheekily grinning*)

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Smoker put a cigar in his mouth and blew out a cloud of smoke.

Then he did it again- he needed it.

He really wasn't the kind of man you wanted to handle this kind of situation.

But here he was.

His words, beliefs, his self-definition put to the test once more.

He had told the brats that being a marine meant taking responsibility for your mistakes, admitting that you were wrong and trying to make it right.

The boy had blinked at him with his finger inside his nostril, digging at something (probably his brain), and the girl snorted, murmuring about idiotic idealists and the stick up their assess.

The marines had… to put it mildly messed up here.

His bosses wanted him to ignore it and move on. Like it never happened.

They were going to be pissed when they find out he had come here.

But he couldn't, that wasn't why he joined the marines. That wasn't what he thought justice meant.

They screwed up, so it was only right they should fix it.

At least he could try to mend this part.

He really could do nothing to help those siblings, not that he didn't try.

Maybe it would had been better if he hadn't tried.

The little fiery brat had given it to him. He was sooo useless, he was ... How had she put it?

Yes.

It was hard to forget.

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Marcy was looking at him with sneer in her face as she said with flat unfeeling voice.

"The smoke coming from your nose have a better chance of being useful than you. It can at least make drops of rain."

Smoker hadn't flinched. He deserved it.

"Smoke doesn't create rain," he finally said, finding nothing else he can say.

She had a look on her face that spelled, 'no shit, genius.'

"Exactly," that is how useless you were, was left unsaid. He heard it anyways.

She waited a moment for the response that he didn't have, then merely shook her head, and left. The door closing quietly behind her.

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If she had stormed out angrily, slamming the door shut, would I have felt better, Smoker wondered now, eyeing another fiery brat looking at him with disdain and suspicion.

He let out a whiff of smoke from his mouth, took out one of the cigars of his mouth and said.

"What did you say your name was kid?"

"I didn't," the girl snapped. She looked defiantly at him as if daring him to call her on her rude, antagonizing behavior.

They were clearly unwelcome here on this small island.

If the first thing they had done once arriving wasn't apologizing, a mob would had chased them out.

His crew was helping with cleaning and rebuilding of the village.

As he understood most of the damage wasn't of the fight but of the aftermath. The celebrating and the D. Monkeys.

People were still mulling around them, doing small things but mainly eyeing them.

Him.

They were all very clearly protective of this girl, which would make what he wanted to do almost impossible.

One wrong move and the mob would be after his head, and he really wasn't sure if his devil fruit powers would help him out of it.

He returned the cigar near it brothers in his mouth, took another deep drag, letting the smoke curl up out of his mouth.

He heard the brat murmur something about marines and their stupid smoking obsession, but wasn't sure what should his response be, so he ignored it.

His conversation with little miss sunshine was not going anywhere.

He needed to implement a new technique.

"You are his navigator… future one…" he finally murmured.

"You know Luffy?" She blurted out, surprising even herself.

Oops.

Gotcha.

"He was my guest for a while ... with his sister."

Which how I know about this place and what happened here, he narrated in his head.

"That must have been fun!" The girl couldn't help but say.

She seemed to look at him with pity in her eyes.

Smoker groaned mentally, keeping his face blank while remembering the exciting experience. Apparently, his poker face needed work as the brat in front of him hid her snickers behind her hands, unsuccessfully. Was she even trying?

She had met the two for short while, from what he read in the reports and heard from the brats themselves, but they seemed to have left a lasting impression judging by her reaction.

A meeting that could change a man's fate, or girl's. (No, he wasn't speaking about himself, okay.)

"Wait, you said for a while. How long? Where you said you are from? Where are they now? What did they tell you? What happened?"

Smoker wondered how to answer the barrage of questions and decided to sum it up in few words.

"They escaped."

"Finally," the girl cheered, and some of the nearby people that were clearly not listening in on their conversation, cheered too for some reason.

"What about their crazy grandpa?" the girl asked enthusiastically.

Crazy was a good word to sum Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp. Personally, he would have gone with batshit insane, send him the hell away from me (and keep him away). I beg you.

But crazy worked just fine.

It was really bizarre to find that Luffy -I will be the Pirate King-, had a grandpa that was the hero of the marines.

Yet, there was no doubt that they were related. They were both mental! Off the charts.

The man nodded with a raised eyebrow, "escaped him too."

"You don't seems too upset about their escape..." she clearly wanted to ask more. Smoker could guess a few of her questions from her face: why aren't you chasing them? was their grandpa still chasing them? What happened to them after?

But she seemed to control her impulse, she did strongly remind him of another fiery brat.

"It was for the best..." he murmured more to himself than to her. He had chased after them for a bit, until sense come knocking back and asked what was the point. They shouldn't be chased down like criminals.

Even if they impersonated an officer and stole a boat? The marine side of his brain responsible for categorizing every possible offence and crime and how severe it was demanded.

Smoker ignored it like had started doing since he had learned a few hard truths.

"Because of the wanted posters..." the girl shrewdly said, looking at him for reaction. Searching.

She knew about them, he wondered how much Marcy had told her.

No way was it Luffy. The brat was … naive. He ignored that thought. The word didn't seem right. He himself had no idea what Marcy really knew and how much.

Marcy probably knew more than him and what he knew was from hearing the shouting match between the Fleet Admiral and the Vice Admiral (which didn't happen, and if he breathed a word about the conversation that never happened….well...let's just say he would see the enlightenment with fist-shape of love).

He said nothing, he really couldn't.

He wasn't sure what she had read from his face, but instead of insisting to know more like he had expected, she asked.

"How did they escape?"

Smoker keeping his face blank, raised an eyebrow.

And waited.

Would it work?

or ...

The girl huffed, crossing her hands in front of her, she murmured.

"Fine. I am Nami."

Finally, things were moving along.

"They impersonated marine officers, stole a boat, and made the marines ships fight each other."

The marine side of his brain was insistently trying to get his attention.

It supplied: 'they were probably also responsible for the attack those drunken criminals were planning on the HQ, or maybe say she (Marcy) was somehow responsible'.

Nami finally closed her dropped mouth and let out a choked laugh.

Smoker would also have found it funny- if he wasn't left to clean up the aftermath.

The paperwork was still waiting back at the office. Mountains and mountains of it.

Handling the Vice Admiral was another story altogether.

It was a nightmare.

The crazy man had gone from murderously angry at the marines for letting his cute adorable grandchildren escape, to singing his grandchildren praise for being so smart, to having the marines repeating the speech and gushing how they will be great marine officers in the future (He did say the man was mental, didn't he?!), and then repeating the cycle once more, until he left. Thank the seven seas.

He really wasn't sure if they had enough money to pay for therapists to treat the scarred marines. Even after he asked money from the special budget reserved for GDM survivors (it stood for God -has- Damned Me or Garp D. Monkey), he wasn't even sure if it would help 'cure' the poor sods. There were some things once you 'experienced' you could never forget. They were engraved into your body and soul in literal manner.

"How... did... They made the marines fight each other?" she asked, getting herself under control, looking all innocent, as if she wasn't laughing her lungs out just a second ago.

How indeed?

"Training exercise."

"Of course," Nami answered nonchalantly. Her eyes were full of mirth, but she had her facial expression under control.

Smoker wondered again if what was he intending to do was a smart thing. His marine side insisted it was a mistake. A Huge. Big mistake.

Now or never

"I would like you to join the marines."

She looked taken back, or more accurately she looked at him like he lost all his marbles. Maybe he had?

He ignored the gasps, cursing, and the hushhhhhh shushing noise.

He had surprised her, but her answer come quickly.

"No way."

Her 'No way' received even higher cheers and applause than the 'they escaped' bit. They had indeed messed up here.

Then she paused looking him up and down and demanded.

"Why?"

He wondered how he could answer this question, when he wasn't sure of the answer.

The truth was the best policy he said to himself (except when it wasn't).

"We failed here..."

She let out a long snort.

He sighed and said "we messed up, maybe not me personally but if one marine messed up, that means..." he trailed off.

She seemed to understand without him needing to elaborate.

"So, I should be grateful that you are admitting that you messed up, instead of covering it up… oh wait, you already did. I mean according to the newspaper, once the threat was known Vice Admiral Garp himself took care of it immediately. I mean it isn't like we had this problem for years or anything or the marines stationed nearby didn't know what was happening."

He felt a sense of deja vu facing her ire, he had nothing to counter her with and she knew it.

She finally said breaking the tense silence.

"So, because you failed me, you want me to join you?" Are you crazy? was left unsaid.

"Yes," he answered her. (Yes, he was answering both questions).

"You tried to protect your island in the only way you knew. I am giving you an opportunity to learn new ones, and to follow in your mothe..." he stopped, when he saw her face.

The anger, hate and pain.

In the corner of his eye, he saw several people stopping the sheriff from coming over. Things were not going well. Maybe mentioning the mother wasn't the best idea. The reports had mentioned that a retired marine officer -Bellmère- had tried to stop the fishmen at one point and failed. A marine was always marine. It had surprised him the similarity between Nami and Luffy, both with a marine paternal figure, yet both choosing a different path. An opposite path.

"You came here because of Luffy," she accused him, ignoring everything, he said until now.

Why was he doing this again.

"Luffy will come to find you..."

"So you are going to use me as bait?" She cut in, her eyes like enraged fire.

"I am not going to hurt him," he defended himself, even though his marine side was cheering at the idea. Already calculating how best to use it.

"Just catch him."

"No… he did nothing wrong."

The wanted posters appeared in his mind, making the guilt stir in his gut.

"Yet," she reminded him. And her eyes asked, demanded: what if they did 'wrong' things while running from the wrong that was done to them was that a crime or wasn't?

They already did wrong! His brain gleefully supplied few examples. Smoker shut it down forcefully. He didn't need the distraction right now.

"I am not going to be used by anyone ever." She spit out and turned around to leave. Her back tense, hands fisted.

He could feel the angry glares directed his way. The sheriff had shoved his way free and was moving their way. Time was running out.

"I am suggesting you use me or the marines more accurately."

She stopped and turned back to face him.

"Huh?"

"You have something you want to protect, something you aspire to, you need skills, information, power, these things you can get as marine recruit," he spoke fast.

The girl looked thoughtful for few seconds, then she shook her head.

"I will never be a marine, I am already spoken for."

Smoker raised his eyebrow, he tried hard not to smile (He didn't! curling the corner of his lip doesn't count).

The tilt of her head and the look in her eyes, both indicating that no, it wasn't a 'slip of the tongue' but what she had intended to say all along. He may have even believed her if it wasn't for the slight blush adoring her cheeks.

She stared at him.

Sure, she had made her point clear. She would not join the marines.

Unfortunately, the listening masses didn't see it as clearly.

"What you mean spoken for?" someone shouted from the other side. The sheriff stopped on his track stunned. His face was a picture of horror.

Discussion about the 'incoming marriage' erupted all around.

"But she is young..."

"Only fifteen!"

"Yeah, but they are supposed to wait..."

"Two years."

"Seventeen still young."

"I am confused, I thought he asked her to be a pirate not marry him..."

"Yeah, join his crew..."

"Maybe it is a code word..."

"Wait a moment, so the celebration we had before was the engagement party..."

"What? No..."

"Wasn't it because we are free from those criminals..."

"Oh... that mean we need to do another party..."

"But we are still out of sake..."

"Why?"

"To celebrate that we are free..."

"Yeah… let's do it..."

"In two years, the wedding...so dreamy..."

"So romantic… asked for her to wait until they are adults..."

"Seventeen is still young..."

"What? You want them to wait until they are thirty..."

"He will come to sweep her away..."

"What do you mean sweep her way, Nami will do the sweeping..."

"Yeah."

"Nami is the sweeper."

"No way, she doesn't know how to use a broom."

"Yeah, except as bat."

"Hushhh… she will hear you!"

"Yeah and come to sweep you away."

He tuned out the commotion and focused on the girl still staring at him.

He couldn't help but admire her. Her face was turning red faster than a ripe tomato. He wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. But she still stood her ground and didn't look away. He was sure the impulse to turn around and shout at them was huge, judging by the throbbing vein on her forehead alone.

"I am going to be a pirate," She said slowly with an obvious challenge in her voice and eyes.

Smoker didn't let that deter him.

"Yes," he acknowledged, surprising her once more.

"In two years," he added. Smoker readied himself for the onslaught of the marine side on his own mind, but surprisingly it was not murderously shouting.

"How do you know?"

Smoker raised an eyebrow in challenge. My turn.

It took her few seconds, her eyebrows furrowing in deep thought before she exclaimed.

"Wait, he asked you?" Nami looked at him in awe. Her tone however was accusing.

Smoker didn't answer, he didn't need to.

"Of course, he did," Nami laughed answering herself. The awe, he concluded, wasn't aimed at him, but at the one that asked him.

"And you, of course refused."

"The first thirty times, it didn't stop him from asking again and again."

Nami let out a high-pitched chuckle and clutched her sides.

He waited until she calmed down and said.

"I may not be able to join him in literal fashion, but I can help one of his future nakama." He hoped he sounded as sincere as he felt. His marine side was eerily silent.

The look in her eyes was calculating when she asked quietly.

"And I can leave whenever I want?"

"In two years, I myself will bring you back to this island."

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but he answered her before she could, "and leave before Luffy arrives." He had anticipated that would be the next issue.

"And afterwards?" she still insisted.

Smoker waited for her to elaborate.

"Will you be waiting for us somewhere near to ambush us?"

The girl was sharp and paranoid. A good trait to have as a marine officer (and future wannabe pirate).

"No need. I will be waiting at Loguetown."

"How do you know that we will stop at Loguetown?"

Smoker shrugged, taking the cigars out of his mouth.

"Luffy was not able to climb the execution platform of the Pirate King," he stated.

For the first time the girl had genuine smile as she looked at him.

She paused, her face clearing from all emotions.

"Fine," she said, "we have a deal," as she extended her hand grasping his to seal the deal.

Her grip was strong as was the look in her eyes.

He felt like he just made deal with demon, his soul on the balance.

"You better not mess up," she said airily as she turned around indicating for him to follow her.

"Now, you have to explain all of this to the town people."

"But they were listening in," pointed out Smoker, taken aback.

She let out a long laugh full of amusement and said nothing more.

He didn't need to see her expression to know it was full of glee.

Smoker wondered if it was too late to turn tail and run.

It wasn't the cowardly way if you were fleeing for your life. It would be a strategic retreat.

Discretion was the better part of valor and all that.

Smoker suddenly turned around. His eyes searching. But there was no one near him. He could have sworn he heard someone snorting right by his ear.

It left the impression that it was highly unimpressed.

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"Somehow you are still going to be a marine."

"Only for two years as recruit then I will be a pirate," Nami corrected, continuing in her packing while she sat at the floor.

"Or get married..."

Nami tensed but said nothing.

"I am confused after what you said."

"Oh, come on... It was clearly a slip of tongue, something you all took out of context." Nami turned, looking at her sister accusingly

"Was it?" Nojiko innocently asked.

"YES," Nami snapped, hidden her face in her hands.

"I should have beat them up, those stupid...Agehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Where was the broom? She will show them sweeping.

"Here, here," Nojiko patted her on the head while Nami batted her hands away. She wasn't a little girl, she was fifteen, for god's sake.

"Are you sure about this?" Nojiko asked while she sat down beside her. Her voice turning serious instead of teasing.

Nami huffed and said, "which do you mean?" marine or the pirate bit?

"All of it?" Nojiko said with a sigh.

"You are not the first to ask."

"Oh, Genzo get to you first?"

"No, even though I am so not looking forward for his lecture."

"Not that his lectures ever stopped you and he know it."

Both of the sisters laughed, pumping shoulders, enjoying each other company.

"I am sure," Nami turned to look at her sister, answering the previous question.

Nojiko looked at her face searching and then she nodded her understanding.

"Mom would be so proud of you."

Uncertainty flushed in Nami's face.

"Would she?" she asked hesitantly, looking at her hands. Forcing her fingers to stop moving.

"Of course," Nojiko assured her, her tone of voice leaving no doubt that was what she believed. Wholeheartedly.

"How do you know?" Nami asked her, voice full of curiosity, and a bit of doubt. How are you so sure?

"Because I am," Nojiko said, steadily looking at her sister's eyes. "Proud of you."

Unblinking, they both stared at each other.

One sister showing the other her truth in the only way she knew how.

Nami's eyes glittered with unshed tears, she tried to hide them by turning away, but Nojiko stopped her, reaching for her and hugging her. Nojiko's hand wrapped around her, and the other patted her hair gently.

Nami hadn't cried since her mother died. She didn't have the time to pity herself, to be sad, to shed tears.

She clung to a purpose to escape her darkness.

She took all the responsibility on her tiny shoulders and refused to blink.

Even when Arlong was no more, the village was free. She clung to it, refusing to feel anything. Refusing to part from her sanity. Her safe shore.

She had been so afraid if she stopped, she would collapse. If she let a tiny bit of emotion inside, the walls would crack, would come tumbling down.

She was safe without it.

Until Luffy had asked her about her dream.

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"I'm gonna use my navigation skills to travel to all the world's oceans!" Nami excitedly told Bellemère, showing her the map that she had drawn of their tiny island.

"And then I am gonna make a world map of everything I see," a young Nami had vowed with stars in her eyes.

"So, you're map of this island is your first step toward your dream, then?" had asked her mother.

"Yeah," Nami had nodded with a big smile. Big Dreams.

"A map of the world, huh?" Her mother raised the map to the sky, looking at it with a half-smile and a cigarette dangling from her mouth. She had a faraway look in her eyes as if she could see the far away future.

"Nami, someday, you will make your dream come true!" Her mother had said. It felt like a vow.

"I just know it."

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Crack.

Until Luffy had looked at her excitedly and demanded she sail with him. To follow their dreams.

Crack.

To be his Nakama.

Crack.

She was ready to go with him then. To follow at the drop of a strawhat.

Crack.

But even then, after he left with a promise to meet again, to sail, to see the world, to achieve their dreams. She had not cried. She shed no tears.

But now.

Now, the dome had opened.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack.

Nami clung to her sister as tears streamed down her face. Mumbling incoherent words.

She gasped and shed tears.

Tears of sadness. She is gone. Gone.

Tears of loss. Why? Why? Why her? Why did they? She was...

Of anger. It's not fair. It's not FAIR.

Of relief. It's over. Over. Free. Free.

Happiness. Is it okay to be happy? YES.

She cried.

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It took awhile for the tears to dry up.

Nami stayed in her sister embrace for a while, comforted by the heat and the human connection.

She let a sigh leave her lips, and let the warmth go.

She looked at her sister and smiled.

A true one, a genuine smile born from hurt, acceptance and the desire to move on.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking at her sister face, shiny with half-dried tears. Probably just like mine, Nami mused to herself.

Nojiko smiled brilliantly back and nodded. They shared a quiet moment before Nojiko stood up.

"Don't bottle things inside," Nojiko warned half-jokingly, cleaning her face with a handkerchief, she took from a nearby chair.

Nami made annoyed face and huffed, "you want me to be impulsive like mom."

"You are already impulsive like her," Nojiko pointedly said. They both laughed.

"I better get back to packing," Nami finally said as she gestured to the mess around her.

"And I better go save the poor marine," Nojiko said with dramatic flair.

Nami snickered. She felt a tiny bit bad for ignoring the pleading look he shot her way when she left him surrounded by the villagers (but only a tiny bit).

"You'd better, I want to leave as soon as possible. There are a lot of things I need to learn, and two years are short time."

Her sister shook her head in amusement as she left her to pack.

And Nami did.

She would be ready when Luffy arrived in two years, and she will show that snot... Marcy. Marcy. Nami will show her that she knew what she was doing, she wouldn't be a damsel in distress anymore, she will pull her weight. She will...

Their conversation come to her mind once more. Like it had never left.

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"Nami...was it?"

Nami turned to look at the girl, her name was Marcy- she recalled Luffy calling her that.

"Yes," she answered with a tiny nod.

Nami was still dazed and unable to wrap her head around what had just happened. It was supposed to be the memorial of her mother death, that she and Nojiko secretly performed every year on this day and somehow it ended with…

She turned to look at where the party was still ongoing strong. Yes, they were still there, the shackled prisoners, near Luffy and his grandfather. Those two were still eating and fighting or fighting and eating or fighting about eating or an eating fight (she really wasn't sure).

It wasn't a dream.

"Hey," Marcy called impatiently.

She was the one that kicked Arlong, Nami recalled, the glorious image flashing through her head. She didn't think she could ever forget it.

Kicking. Repeatedly.

Marcy was furious when Hatchan had stopped her. How many times would she have kicked Arlong without Hatchan interfering? No, would she have stopped? Felt like a better question.

Marcy indicated for her to follow and Nami followed automatically, feeling unsure, overwhelmed and a bit uneasy.

Nami didn't know much about her, except she could fight, especially kick, and shout like nobody's business and curse too, and she was Luffy's sister and the Hero of the Marines granddaughter, not that she called him grandpa.

The girl had gone a bit of crazy while fighting, and even Genzo blushed when he heard her cursing. Not that it was much of an accomplishment or anything. Nami could make him blush too. Easily.

Marcy stopped and turned to face her. They had gone deep inside the tangerine's farms. They were a bit far away from the celebration, but the noise of the cheers and the drunken singing could still be heard.

"Are you sure about sailing with Luffy?" Marcy demanded. Straight to the point.

"Emm... Yes." Nami said. She admitted to herself that she was a bit intimidated. Just a tiny bit.

"That doesn't sound so sure to me," Marcy said as she folded her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"I said I will, which mean I WILL," Nami snapped.

She faced more scary people and refused to bow down. The girl was only one year older from her, from what she had gathered.

"Good, you need some backbone if you want to survive with Luffy." Marcy told her with a nod of approval. Nami didn't know how to answer. Did she just praise me? Was this an interrogation? What did she want?

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You know, that he will come back in two years expecting you to sail with him."

"I already said yes," Nami repeated stubbornly.

"Nothing will stop him, and I mean it literally."

"I know," Nami said testily. She felt at edge. It felt like a job interview, and the interviewer was not impressed with what she was seeing.

"Do you?"

"Yes." Nami snapped. Luffy was the captain, so he was the one to decide who was to be on his crew. Not his sister. Even if she was older.

Why the hell was I even answering her? I should just leave, Nami decided.

"And what do you intend to do in the meantime?" Marcy curved the conversation. Her eyes were gleaming with amusement and challenge.

"Excuse me?" Nami felt her hackle raising. What did she want from me? Did she disapprove of Luffy choosing me to the crew? Well, too bad.

"Ohhh... I have to explain everything… do you intend to stay the damsel in distress that needs the prince in shining armor ... No, a pirate with no brains and black hole of stomach to save you."

"What?" Nami uttered from behind clenched teeth. She was no damsel of distress. She would show her. So, what if she helped save them… and was Luffy's sister, that didn't give her the right to look down at her. She would...

Nami took step forward considering which way was best to erase that arrogant look from that stuck-up, toffee-nosed face. Her fists clenched hard.

"Why are you so indignant, isn't that what happened. I mean I helped the no brain pirate, but still it is a good summary of what happened."

No, it wasn't. She was also fighting in the one way she could. Things were complicated. And Nami wasn't going to explain it to this fancy-pants bitch, instead she pointed out.

"The no brain pirate is your brother."

The toffee-nosed brat was insulting her own brother. It was true that Nami and Nojiko didn't always get along. As kids she had once had a fit and shouted that she did not consider Nojiko her real sister, causing her mother to slap her. But not like this. To insult him in front of 'stranger'. Just like that felt wrong.

Maybe she was trying to get Nami to change her mind, and not sail with Luffy.

Haah, as if that will work.

"So..." Marcy said airily.

Nami took a long breath, let her clenched fists relax, and answered calmly.

"I will become stronger."

Two can play the game, she thought nastily.

"How?" Marcy was looking at her like hawk. Nami had seen Marcy glance at her hands when Nami unclenched them.

"I will train. I will find someone to train me both as fighter and as navigator, and I will find more books and maps about navigation. Now that I don't have to use the money to buy our freedom, I will invest it in acquiring more skills."

"Good," was the reply.

But it felt like it wasn't enough, which made Nami's hackle raise even more. I don't need to explain myself to her or to try to impress her, dammit.

"I will make sure to have even more money. Luffy doesn't seem the responsible kind, and I will make sure it will be used wisely. Maybe buy us a ship."

Nami wasn't sure if something flushed on Marcy's face at the last bit or it was her imagination. But Marcy's face was back to being blank. She said nothing and neither did Nami.

Finally, the silence was too much for Nami so she demanded.

"What about you?" It was her turn to attack.

"Me?"

"You will be sailing with us... So what do you bring t..."

"Do I look suicidal to you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I am not sailing with Luffy."

"He is your brother."

"Again, So…"

"And you have been sailing with him."

"Unfortunately, under duress on my part, I assure you."

Nami wanted to say: 'you don't seem to be under any duress. The duress seems to be your choice of fashion'. But she held her tongue.

"Unforeseen circumstances were thrust upon me, that I had no control over whatsoever." Her voice was clapped, noted Nami.

"And let me tell you if I find out which god is responsible for it. I am going to smoke his balls, roast them and then make him eat them while they are still attached to him." Her flat delivery made her seem angrier and more serious.

A shiver run down Nami's spine. She had no doubt that older girl meant every word.

But Nami wondered if she should or shouldn't point the 'flaw' in her plan?

Oh, what the hell?

"What if it was a goddess?" Instead if god, Nami asked sweetly.

"Are you stupid," snapped Marcy and with a roll of her eyes, she added.

"Goddesses have more brain and tact. They would not make the mistake of messing with me."

"I see." Nami forced herself not to say anything else. The girl was infuriating.

Marcy's face clearly said you don't.

Don't let her get to you. That is her goal, Nami thought. Still it didn't help calm the anger burning inside her.

Getting back to the main topic, seemed like a safe haven.

"But... you seem to like your brother..."

Marcy did come to save Luffy, and she had gotten furious when the pirates attacked him, she was also furious at him too. And when their grandpa had come, she had put Luffy behind her and shouted at the old man like there was no tomorrow (or like vocal cords didn't get tired).

"I don't," Marcy simply answered.

Nami gaped.

Marcy huffed in clear annoyance.

"You like eating crisp potatoes, like the smell of roses, like the view of those tangerines, and their taste..." she gestured around.

"I don't like Luffy. I love him."

"Isn't that the same…?" Nami asked really confused. Maybe the older girl got hit on the head in the fight? Or was she crazy to begin with?

"Didn't I just explain it to you," she said in a tone of long-suffering patience.

"So… you don't like him, but you love him."

Marcy nodded to her encouragingly.

She is treating me like invalid, Nami seethed, but kept her temper in check. It was getting harder and harder to find a reason why she should bother.

Marcy unfolded her hands and began counting on her fingers.

"He is selfish, stubborn, greedy, his food mannerism makes me want to pluck my eyes out. He is stupid, or makes himself stupid sometimes, and you could never tell which is which... Yes, he is that good. And He is stubborn, so unbelievably stubborn… his way or the… no, his way only... You can try to manipulate him, and it work sometimes… but only sometimes... And you end up feeling guilty, I mean that damn smile… you saw the smile… and in the end you aren't even sure... If you were the manipulator or were the manipulatee…"

Marcy was ranting, Nami astoundly noted. It was the first sign of... life...humanity, she had seen so far. She cared about Luffy. Too much. Maybe she didn't like him, but she knew him.

"He cares sometimes too little, sometimes too much... If you are his… not as thing or as belonging... But his, as friend, comrade... Then it's for life…. you get stuck with it, so move on. He always keeps his promises… and he is stubborn, did I say stubborn?" She turned to Nami and demanded.

"Yes," Nami obediently answered. She felt her anger and resentment vanishing bit by bit.

Nami wasn't sure if Marcy was even aware that Nami was standing beside her anymore. The older girl just wanted to vent and Nami just happened to be there.

"It's worth repeating, headstrong stubborn." Marcy announced, folding her arms, with frown of disapproval on her face.

Nami was sympathizing with her, involuntarily.

Marcy unfolded her arms once again, her hands coming to rest at her wrist, and with a shrug she added.

"He is unique, He is Luffy."

Luffy was a description as much as a name.

"The times that I don't like him because of his personality, his choices, how his choices affect me are way more than the times I like him for them. So I don't like Luffy, but I love him. He is my little brother. Do you understand?" Marcy demanded.

Nami huffed inwardly. Here come back the snarky Marcy we all know and love.

But she did understand.

"I think so. You accept his shortcomings... You accept what you don't like about him. You accept him as he is. You don't try to change him. You love him but you don't like everything about him."

Marcy eyed her sharply for a while before saying.

"At least he will have one crewmember that isn't completely stupid."

Nami made an annoyed face but said nothing.

"Which may be a good or bad thing, days will tell," Marcy added.

She folded her arms again.

"For the last time, you want to sail with Luffy?"

Nami took a minute and considered the question with all the information that was giving to her directly and indirectly. Was Marcy's rant just a simple rant, or was it a way for her to give Nami a glimpse to what she will be up against when she sailed with Luffy?

She understood the question was not a simple or an innocent one. It was a warning. A double warning.

Warning of what it meant to be Luffy's Nakama, and warning if she chose to fail her promise.

Nami took a deep breath and looked her square in the eyes.

"Yes."

Nami waited with bated breath but there was no response, only a nod of acknowledgment after few seconds.

"You said that you were a good navigator. Know your way around map and boat?"

"Yes," Nami said automatically, unbalanced by the sudden change of subject.

Apparently, the conversation about sailing with Luffy had ended. Nami needed to move onto more important issues, the calculating look on Marcy's face said.

"Good, good. Show me your maps, me and Luffy need to escape from Garp's clutches and soon, and I need information... is there a boat here we can use? … just so you know you are not getting it back."

"Okay, ... I need to check, we can… steal one..." said Nami, unsure leading her to the map room.

Marcy gave her a look of approval. Nami could swear she heard a murmur of, 'you will fit right in.'

"And there are few things you should know... I better tell ya so you wouldn't be too surprised..."

.

.

Nami huffed at the memory, as she finished packing.

She stood up, with her bag strapped to her back.

She was ready.

In two years, she was going to be sooo ready.

…

..

.

XXXXX

.

..

…

"Ah-choo!"

Marcy sneezed once more.

She was having these sneezing attacks recently. A lot of them. She wasn't sick and didn't have a cold according to the doctor, and he had checked her symptoms few times a day, religiously.

Allergies, he had finally concluded. Allergy to what? He did some tests, but it was undetermined.

She had begun to wonder if she was allergic to air, water, salt or maybe just idiocy in general. That last one was possible. Maybe after everything she had experienced these few months, she had become allergic to reality as well. With her luck, she wouldn't be surprised.

At least they should arrive in two days to where Oars Jr. was.

Whoever who they were.

Oars Jr. would meet them at Sabaody Archipelago, where they will sail on their ship to the New World to finally meet Ace. Of course, they planned to stop by the Fishman Island to meet the mermaids in their way.

It was easy to see just how excited about this Luffy was. Not only that, she also wanted to make sure all the mermaids were okay with her own eyes (She was suspicious and paranoid person, and proud of it. Really? Can anyone blame her?).

Ace and co refused to give her any information about who was this Oars Jr. person. She was sure she heard the name before, or maybe read it but wasn't sure where.

She had wondered if she should put her persuasive techniques into the test (not test per se. It was an expression. Her methods were accurate. The results limpe... spoke for themselves), but it just didn't seem worth it. Let them have their fun.

Letting them think they could get one over her, or whatever they were planning, would probably make them feel good -a bit smug even- about themselves, which suited her just fine.

It meant that they would underestimate her. They would think they could pull something over her. Anyway, if it was something dangerous, Ace wouldn't have agreed to it, not when he was in full throttle protective-hen mode. Harmless fun could be 'fun'.

She will wait and see what the 'fun-surprise' was and decided accordingly how to respond.

She couldn't wait to get out of this ship. Don't get her wrong, it was great being here. No worry about food, how to get to their next destination, what was there next destination to begin with, and lots of eyes watching Luffy every move, so she doesn't need to worry too much, and she can shower with hot water and sit in a bath with bubbles until her hands wrinkled without having a panic attack that someone attacked, Luffy did something, Garp had caught up to them….. It was sooooo, just soooo good. And another plus was having a competent doctor. After their first meeting, she had gone to visit him few times and he seemed to know what he was doing more or less, barring the allergies issue.

So, life was looking good, and the other shoe has yet to drop. Marcy was beginning to think that it would not drop. She was of course cautiously optimistic. Very, cautiously.

The fact that they spoke with Ace everyday - few times a day sometimes- was reassuring, especially the times without his eavesdropping crewmates. Ace's crew was… hmmm.. Nice.

They seemed to get on with Luffy, more like worship him, which was a good sign (they were going to be stuck with him for a while). Ace seemed to like them. And they seemed to really care about him. They were not afraid to tease Ace and rub it in, deep. They also loved cursing him, or cursing and cussing using his name, or praying with his name or praying for him?. She had the patience to hear their explanation to why only once. It made no sense. She decided to archive it under stupid, tasteless inside joke that she wanted nothing to do with.

The crew wanted all the dirt they can get on Ace. That was nice. She felt it was her solemn duty as his younger sister to oblige. Of course, she didn't give them all of it. Just small doses when appropriate, and of course, a one as wise as her never gave up all her well-organized blackmail stash (Alphabetically, dated, measured by: 1. Ace's blush, 2. redden of ears, 3. spluttering 4. vein bobbing).

But as appropriate to Ace, he found crew as abnormal as him. She really wasn't looking forward to meeting Luffy's crew, she had already met some of the chosen ones to receive such an honor and they were as crazy as her younger brother.

Telling the crew the story of the journey was so tiring. It took them six days to finish. And she still got calls asking them about random tidbits.

The fact it took so long was caused by both sides, but it was mainly and squarely Ace's crew fault.

Usually she would use her ranting technique when facing something like that. Basically, she would talk their ears off about everything and nothing, repeating herself repeatedly. She found it to be very useful when wanting to gloss over details, shut people up, or just to distract them or dumbfounded them into just agreeing with her.

Of course, (surprise, surprise) this didn't work on her dear brothers. Well, let it not be said that Marcy couldn't find use for her ranting even with the double D. She was very resourceful. Whenever she wanted them out of the way for one of her schemes... Ahem... plans… she would rant... lecture them… until they went to sleep. Both morons thought she doesn't know about their sleeping with eye opens technique. As if.

But Ace's crew was … peculiar.

Her ranting technique not only didn't work on them, it encouraged them. They wanted to know everything. Every little tiny detail about their journey. They had even made her repeat herself several times. It was…peculiar.

She didn't mind it at first. She had decided to be more nice and polite to them, they were their generous hosts. She was well aware of the fact that she was vain and loved hearing the sound of her voice. After all, everything she said was a pearl of wisdom. Mortals should shut up and pay attention to each majestic pearl. But they were seriously pushing it with their demands for more details. And no begging or flattering were going to save them when she arrived at the Moby.

She had concluded in her worldly wisdom that Ace's crew was what one would call a busybody (the entire crew was one busybody. Somehow).

They had demanded to know every detail about the two weeks they had spent with the Warlord; Hawkeyes. Really, there wasn't much to tell. Luffy was his Luffiness self, eat, sleep and ask stupid questions or brilliant ones and stared at the sea. At least he stopped asking Hawkeyes to join his crew after the first day unlike with Smoky, thank the Four Blue for small mercies. They spoke about Shanks, hat, swords and some more about swords. Mostly Luffy doing the talking.

What did she do? She prayed every time Luffy opened his mouth and tried to stay physically away from the… man, which amused him, which in turn made her hackle rise but she kept the lid on it which amused him more which … Marcy sighed.

After few days and finally getting her paralyzed brain to function again, and not flinching every time his bloody hawky eyes landed on her. She had understood that Hawkeyes was simply a bored man. He liked his wine, sword fights and entertainment and for some reason he found them entertainment (beat the hell out of her to why) and thank the Calm Belts for that stupid hat.

They really had smooth sailing, except the few suicidal idiots that didn't paddle away like crazy as soon they found out who he was. He usually didn't even bother to put the glass of wine out of his hand to take care of those. Luffy, of course, always wanted to fight and she was pulled along, as usual. She and Luffy took care of the cannon fodder, even though most times it was hard to distinguish the 'main hero' from the cannon fodder. After each fight, Hawkeyes had given them few pointers, which she took as he didn't mind them interfering in his fight. Even though calling them fights was a very unbelievably longggg stretch. It was like a fight between a carrot and tsunami.

The climax of the story was when he began teaching Luffy how to wield a sword. She wasn't sure how it happened, and who suggested it, and Luffy was closed mouth about it.

But one day she woke up to see it. She had blinked. And blinked.

Inhale, wait and exhale, repeat.

Blinked.

Her eyes and ears were not deceiving her, she had finally decided.

She remembered his explanation clearly.

The Warlord took out a regular sword of one of the boxes on the boat and unsheathed it.

He handed it to Luffy, made sure that Luffy held it in a certain way and then he named each part while pointing at the sword: pommel, hilt, guard, back, flat, edge, fuller, tip. Then he explained in few words about each one.

Luffy was intensely focused and nodded along as Hawkeyes spoke in calm tone.

When he finished, he took out a similar sword, unsheathed it, and slashed it in the air. Marcy could swear she saw the air part for a second.

He then turned to Luffy, who tried to do the same.

The man said nothing, he just repeated the same movement (Yup, she was sure it parted), then it was Luffy's turn. Again, and again, and again.

Again.

After a while he changed the way he slashed, and Luffy once more tried to mimic him.

There were no words exchanged between them, only movement.

Marcy give the man credit for understanding that Luffy was the kind to learn by physical experience. His body needed to learn- not his brain. Luffy lacked innate talent for most things, and he wasn't the brightest crayon of the pack, he was more like brown-black-ish. But he was stubborn, so extremely stubborn and he wasn't afraid of working hard, of trying new thing and of getting hurt. The fact that his body was made of rubber also helped the last point. A lot.

This man after only knowing Luffy for few days, understood enough to know the best way to teach Luffy was for him to just hold a sword and do it. He didn't try to complicate things, to correct his figure or stance, to teach him techniques, and the different kind of swords…. he just wanted him to know how to grip it and how to use it. Simple.

But.

.

It was clear to a blind man that Luffy was not going to be a good swordsman.

But the older man continued to train him day after day. Both of them taking it seriously.

It was clear to her, that in fight, if it was a choice between a sword or a fist, Luffy would instinctively fight with his body. Punch, kick, use his head (not to think, but to knock something out, if that wasn't clear). The only other weapon Luffy ever used was a pipe, and there was a lot of good reasons why he stopped using it early on.

So she felt that she was missing something, not seeing something that should be clear.

So, she asked.

"Emm...can I ask question?" You just asked one, you dumbass. Marcy facepalmed mentally.

Unbelievable. Now focus.

"Two questions?" She said in small voice.

Seriously Marcy, two. Two. You just filled 'I made a fool of myself' quota for the next ten years. Get grip.

The hell with it.

"Why are you training Luffy with a sword? Please, please don't say you except him to become a swordsman."

He turned to face her, she thought he looked amused but wasn't sure. She hoped he was amused. Amusement was good for her chances of survival.

She was wondering if she had made the biggest mistake of her life, when he calmly asked.

"You don't think your brother can?"

She didn't think that Luffy knew the meaning of the word can't.

"I thank the stars and seas that he doesn't want to. He is going for the harmless ambitions Pirate King and all the jazz," she answered almost immediately.

Then, she figuratively kicked herself for the smart-assness of her answer. Really, she always complained that Luffy had no filter and didn't know how to lie. She could be just as dumb; she didn't know how to turn off her sarcastic and snarkiness (her default mode).

He turned to look at Luffy as he let out a short chuckle. Surprising both her and Luffy. Luffy had even stumbled, losing his footing, almost taking out the eye that he missed once before. He stared at the now quiet solemn man just like her but then returned to his sword with a shrug.

"Luffy and pointy things don't mesh," she added when the silence continued, trying to make her voice nonchalant.

Don't judge her. Young Luffy tried to stab himself in the eye to prove a point. She didn't want him near sharp things.

Marcy was considering just turning away and acting like the whole thing never happened when he finally said. God did he love to take his time.

"No, I am happy that he knows how to hold it."

He was still looking at Luffy.

"Well, I am happy when he doesn't point the pointy end my way."

The boat wasn't that big, and Luffy was all over the place, especially at first.

He finally turned to look at her.

"He wants to recruit the best swordsman to his crew. I am just letting him experience the standard he should aim for."

.

It left her wonder about the future swordsman that Luffy would choose. And couldn't help but feel pity for him. He was still a twinkle in Luffy's eye, a thought, a wish, and he had to face down this monster to be deemed worthy. After all, Luffy had promised. And Hawkeyes seemed to understand the weight of Luffy's promise.

She really didn't envy the poor future swordsman.

Afterward she found it easier to speak with the Warlord.

So, she tried to get information from him, subtly at first, which she found that he saw right through. His eyes were scary, and she didn't mean it only in literal way. So, she did it bluntly, she asked about what to expect, where the places they may meet the most trouble, what was essential for their journey, where to get it… he answered in simple, monotonous tone (did he even have any other tones?). He was very knowledgeable, even though she got the feeling he wasn't being 'too forthcoming', but still she got more than she expected.

Truthfully, sailing with him was the most relaxing time they had if you overlooked her paralyzing fear and Luffy's swordsmanship quest and the Warlord was true to his word leaving them in 'safe' island. He had even given them a map and Log Pose. They had actually got in a boat and left the next day, boring and normal, which was what she had dearly missed so much.

Of course, from there things had gone downhill very fast. She had wanted to sail and get as far away as possible before their unavoidable wanted posters were published, but they get stuck on a deserted island with weird current and a wreck of boat. The place had reminded her of the forest in Mt. Colubo, back home. It felt familiar, even a bit homey. But it wasn't as deserted as they thought. It had one bloody weird crow. A talking crow. A moody crow.

Stupid weird crow island, Marcy cursed under her breath in remembrance.

The island was an actual crow nest. A whole island as nest for one crow which somehow get really HUGE sometimes or small depending on his mood (Luffy trying to play with it vs eating it). Luffy wanted of course to eat it at first and then of course he wanted it to join his crew. Of course, it ended with them being BFF, and Luffy promising to visit again with his future crew.

She was there as 'scenery' for their meeting, their friendship and their tear-jerking farewell. She was an extra with no role to play, except stand there either screaming or as dumbstruck idiot (she was still new and naive then, how she missed these days). At least the stupid crow took them to another island nearby, which ended being Candyland of sort. From one weird island to the next.

This was supposed to be a paradise for her, heaven. The happiest place on the whole bloody universe. A place she would never want to leave.

Chocolate cakes, cookies, cupcakes… what not to love and adore.

Instead a cheesecake tried to eat her and Gummi bears bit her fingers and toes. Cotton candy get close and personal with her and wanted to give her a trim and really, she could never look the same way at candy canes.

It was the first time, and hopefully the last time, she was thankful for Luffy's black hole of stomach. It one point, Luffy had his mouth open, and candies and desserts just… no word to describe it except committed a willing suicide. It wasn't pretty view. Basically, they wanted to kill Luffy by making him overeat. Blow his stomach up. It tested the theory of the black-holness of Luffy's stomach. For conclusion, a rematch was needed as a baby sea king with sweet 'tooth' -a bit bigger from Lord of the Coast from back home- attacked the place. It was more like he was trying to take a bite and Luffy tamed it.

Well, first ball Luffy rolled down the hill, then he tried to stand up, then he punched the ground trying to stand up, and ended up flying right into the head of the sea king, and butt-headed it. No, she doesn't mean that Luffy was stupid, even though he was. She meant that ball-Luffy's-butt headed the sea king head.

They get out of there, thankfully. She still has nightmares about pies with ice cream singing:

"Mar ra ra ra ra ra ra Marcy

You're the apple of my eye

Ice cream in my cherry pie, pie~".

And woke up with strawberry lollipops taste in her mouth. The horror.

If she thought she would get any sympathy for the trauma that she had suffered from these sympathetic caring bunch, she was extremely mistaken.

"It was a pun-cake-time, after all it is breakfast time," Luffy's crush, Hatchey had announced, and it rolled down the steep cliff from there.

"The whole adventure was a piece of cake."

"It was whole-some!"

"Hushh… lets them speak; they are on a roll!"

"You should be filling us on what happened."

"Speak, your voice melts me away."

"Shut up, you are crumbling their style!"

"Isn't cramping my style?"

"That's the joke you moron."

"You butter believe it."

"You've got to be yolking me."

"I know, it was egg-cellent. I-ce screamed and almost sprinkled my pants."

"That explain the chocolaty smell."

"I said almost."

"Hey all of you stop acting like popsicles."

"You mean cool?"

"No, like you have stick up your butts."

After half hour of those morons competing for the lamest of lamest of puns and jokes. Some of them turned to more serious conversation about one Big Mom, which from what she had gathered was A Yonko that had Luffy's fascination with candy instead of meat. Candy fetish instead of meat fetish.

In her humble opinion, this didn't bode well for the world's survival. Two Luffy's.

Please send help.

SOS signal activated.

.

"Oi… how the hell Big Mom didn't know about this island?"

"Do we know for sure that she doesn't know?"

Marcy had assured them that they saw no pirate flag anywhere on it. They were busy trying to escape the cookie cutter and homicidal fondue, but still something like that would have caught their eyes.

"Maybe someone should tell her?"

"You want her to devour it? I mean literally devour it."

"That's the point! Maybe it will devour her instead."

"I don't know. We are talking about BIG mom here."

"I will bet on her."

"She does order tons of candies from her territories every month."

Marcy actually approved. Deleting that place, sounded like a sweet idea.

Kraken tentacles, those lame morons had infected her with puns. But still, it was sickly sweet idea.

"Is it good idea?"

"Yeah, it's great idea. She would leave the New World searching for it, and we could take over her territories. That's not bad."

"She will probably send her commanders or her allies, but I will speak with Pops about it, yoi."

.

She glossed as much as possible over their journey on back of the baby sea king and then sailing with bounty hunters. Really it wasn't her choice of ride.

They were not so bad at first. They seemed to think Luffy's announcement that he wanted to be the Pirate King was cute and enduring. Two days later, when they found their Wanted Posters in the papers... it wasn't so cute. They were handcuffed. Seastone for Luffy, those bounty hunters meant business. They put them in cell, and told them 'it's nothing personal, it's just their professional obligation'.

They promptly changed course to the nearest marine station. Marcy and Luffy had managed to run away somehow, as usual at the last moment. By that time, she had become an expert in picking locks, even though they took her bag, they hadn't searched her. Big mistake for the so-called professionals. The only problem was the guard. But they thought of them as harmless, and Luffy after experiencing the seastone cuffs was in no mood to be charitable. Finding the perfect timing was easy. A careless guard that slept on his duty, another two on the deck playing cards. Retrieving their things, borrowing everything in the kitchen stores. They put two small boats together, held by few thick ropes and were in their way. Pissed Luffy knew how to be really quiet and stealthy, he was focused when angered.

As parting gift for their generosity, Marcy took it on herself to set their ship on fire. She, of course, made sure the alarm was sounded first. It wouldn't be for them to miss the fireworks, and her elaborate artwork that spelled: 'this isn't professional obligation, but a personal courtesy.'.

By that time, she had lost the map and Log Pose, and only found out after they escaped from the bounty hunters or else, she would have also borrowed those. In hindsight, it was probably for the best. Just imaging herself planning a route for sailing and choosing a destination, to end being directed by Fate's Hand (steered by Luffy) to somewhere else entirely would have given her aneurysm.

Somehow, she was really not entirely sure how they ended as the unwilling guest of one Captain Foxy. According to Luffy it had somehow to do with huge turtle named Barney, that was visiting his nephew Bon-bon and had agreed to give them a ride.

Marcy wasn't conscious for this part (maybe that was a good thing), so really, she can't tell if Luffy was hallucinating or speaking the truth. She would go with 50/50 odds on this one.

All she knew, that she closed her eyes to rest for a tiny bit and then woke up to see two black spikes pointing upwards, when she looked down, she found a long, long red nose attached to a man. Foxy, who swore it was his god given name. His mother was hysterical that for sure.

He told them graciously that they should be honored to join his crew. For he, captain Foxy was the Davy Back Fight champion. He had said this with the thundering cheers and applause of his crew in the background. Another weird bunch that wore black masks (They had insistently given her one to wore, she had insistently refused, please she has standards). Which she and Luffy had no idea what the hell it was. Foxy wasn't discouraged and had explained in detail. Davy Back Fight was a contest between pirate crews where the winning team can steal crew members from the losing team. He had proudly proclaimed that the members of his now crew had joined him because he won them in these contests.

For once, Luffy had a brilliant idea, and pointed out that he doesn't have crew yet. Thus, they man to man promised, that Luffy will fight him when he had his own crew in the future, and for now they would drop them off on the nearest island.

At least she had thought that settled it.

It didn't.

.

"I should have known better," said Marcy, chiding herself.

"What was he planning?" demanded Ace.

"What did he do?"

"He was lulling us into a false sense of security. I was too careless. The trickster liar. His name fit him. His mother knew what she was doing naming him Foxy. Sly fox."

"Marcy you are liar. Foxy is nice. He gives us food, lots of meat, and sang song with us..." Luffy announced loudly, looking disappointedly at her.

Marcy tuned him out as he counted all the fun things Foxy crew shared with them.

She huffed in annoyance, accompanied with a sigh of defeat. Luffy and Foxy did get along, and both of them had a horrible singing voice. It was a true and utter joy listening to them harmonizing.

"... and I taught him the nose chopsticks song… it was so much fun. They all did it, except Marcy… and, and we..."

Yeah, yeah, she was the downer, the party popper. Didn't know how to have fun and let go.

"Excuse me, if having chopsticks stuck in each of my nostrils while horsing around to 'aho, aho, ahoooooo' wasn't what I considered fun," Marcy murmured under her breath with a feeling.

A better joy was seeing them dancing together, arm on each other's back, and singing of course with those chopsticks stuck in their noses. It was just spectacular.

Luffy was still going on and on about all the wonderful things they did there.

The moron didn't believe a thing she told him about Foxy and still intended to keep his promise. Either way, it wasn't her problem. Good luck future crew. Actually, maybe the future crew was in luck and wouldn't need to bother. Foxy's fate was still unknown.

"Exactly," Marcy muttered when Luffy stopped to breath. She ignored the annoyed look he shot her way. It was just a lost case trying to make him see sense.

"I am not following," Ace said quietly. He knew better than to trust Luffy's judgment. Luffy had a good instincts about people, but when food was involved, it would haywire, spectacularly.

"We had banquets every night with a lot of food and songs and games."

"It was a lot of fun, they had a band with musicians," Luffy cheerfully added, trying to cut in.

"Still not following," Ace told her.

"He was trying to get us used to that place. It's safe, fun with a lot of food, why would we want to leave..." they had kept them too busy, but in 'how the time fly when you are having fun' kind of way.

"Oh."

Maybe she should try.

"Luffy for that week you didn't ask about Ace or was upset about leaving home, we were like in dream induced state. I am not sure, but maybe there was even drugs involved," Marcy said thoughtfully. Luffy had gone quiet, but Marcy wasn't expecting a miracle.

"We were never ever near a land when we sailed with them, even though we were supposed to be near several islands. And they were supposedly giving us a ride to the nearest island. It just didn't make sense, and by the time I noticed, I could never get Luffy alone. Someone was always around, being cheerful, giving us food, playing songs or games or found something that either I or Luffy would enjoy. I couldn't ask to speak with Luffy alone without making it awkward as hell, and without them suspecting that I figured out what they were trying to do."

"That didn't stop you," Ace said knowingly.

"Like hell it did," Marcy snidely answered.

"But it got to a point where violence was needed. And I didn't want to use violence without having a plan of attack or escape up my sleeve." Or another possible scenario was that I may had ended fighting Luffy or dragging him forcefully away, she didn't say out loud.

"I really was at my wits' end, when for once Garp arrived exactly at time."

"Foxy and Garp fought?"

"What happened? "

"The Vice Admiral was still following?"

"What a great development!"

"Did Garp catch you? And you escaped again?"

"Did you give another speech here to encourage the Foxy Pirates to their death?"

"No, I didn't," Marcy chose to answer only the last question out of the barrage of the questions aimed at her.

"Yes, you did," Luffy's voice cut in.

"I didn't," Marcy denied. As of one speech would have helped her out of that shitty situation. She didn't have a lot of time to plan or to think.

"You shouted for grandpa to come save us from those scoundrels low life pirates that were keeping us against our will… which was mean... Foxy and his friends were nice to us, they give us food, and played with us… You Liar..." Luffy said, but it didn't have the same heat as the days after they 'escaped', when he didn't even want to speak with her. A lot had happened since then.

"Beahhh… nice... The long nose Rudolph is on the naughty list."

"Who?"

"Rudo-what?"

"What list?"

"Naughty?"

"You know, because Foxy asshole has two spikes of hair that look like antlers and he has red nose so like Santa's reindeer..." Marcy trailed off. "Oh bloody hell, I am explaining my own joke. I am becoming like your pathetic crew, your lameness is infectious, and we didn't even meet in person yet."

"Hey, we are not lame!"

"We are cool."

"Yeah, like cucumber."

"Cooler than frozen yogurt"

"So Foxy is Rudolph…?"

"No. Foxy is Foxy."

"Please stop trying to sound sexy, it's revolting."

"Just erase the last five minutes of my life," groaned Marcy to herself. Why the hell had she thought a joke would help here.

Stuck to the facts. F. A. C. T. S.

"How did you let Garp know that you were held captive on the Foxy ship, yoi?"

Thank you, Mr. Mature, for the timely save.

"They had a Baby Den Den Mushi on the ship which Foxy used for the game announcements, I guess. I kept eyes on where he kept it, and borrowed it for the personal use of letting Garp know about our whereabouts."

"Then?"

"So everyone heard what you said?"

"Were the Foxy Pirate not angry?"

"I bet they were furious."

"What happened?"

"Did the Foxy pirates try to throw you out of the ship?"

Marcy shrugged, wondering how she should tell the next part.

She really shouldn't have bothered.

"Marcy cried," Luffy supplied.

"WHAT?"

"Why?"

"Marcy," Ace's very soft voice asked. Very softly.

Heaven save her from brothers with serious cases of overprotectiveness and little-siblings-complex.

"I was acting, acting…" Marcy huffed angrily and sighed.

"I cried and begged him to save us from the clutch of Garp tyranny..."

"What?"

"Tyranny… it does fit," muttered Ace amused. Seeming to have relaxed.

Marcy ignored the laughs, amusement snorts and bravely marched on.

"I said that if I didn't shout that we were on this ship, held captive and then Garp found us to be here, we will receive a divine punishment, called the fist of love. As marine hero he would lose face to find his grandchildren were associating with pirates willingly. Luffy shuddering and turning all pale helped make my point. And then I begged the dear sir to save us. Told him that the last week was the happiest time of our life and that we wanted to be part of his crew and away from that monster."

Thankfully Luffy was still confused by her tears and stunned by Garp's arrival and the possibility of his love fists to burst and say anything.

"Damn you, you monster. I didn't think the hero of the marine was this bad." someone said, the same time as "They believed you?"

"Never mind. Go on please."

"So they didn't run away? Taking you with them?"

"It worked?"

"Come on, what happened?"

Marcy's upbringing made sure her acting skills was top notch. If anything good come from it, it was only this.

"At first he tried to run, promising that he will keep us safe… as crew members of the Foxy Pirate he would die for us… it was kinda sweet. But then I reminded him that he was the champion, a winner, not a runner and there was a way for us to be become part of his crew without all the fuss, right? He even explained it to us the first day. We will officially be a part of his crew and Garp can do nothing. I even put on the stupid black mask to make my point." She should have burned that it. It was an abomination in the name of Nuggan.

"Annnnd?" few people demanded; she could feel them salivating. Yuck, the Den Den Mushi was drooling.

"He snatched the Den Den Mushi from my hand and announced that he was challenging Garp in Davy Back Fight for us."

She was half sure it wouldn't work, that someone would point out that Garp was a marine (as not a pirate and thus he can't play the game), or he was related to them, or insist they should run away or Luffy would say something and foul her scheme...plans.

"WOW!"

"He is so brave."

"He is so stupid, you mean."

"How did Garp take that?"

"Ohhhh..."

"Last I saw he was throwing cannonballs at them...I assume not so well."

"No shit," Ace murmured, she could her some pity in his voice.

"You ran away then?"

"Stole a boat again?"

"Maybe a huge bird appeared?"

"Sea king?"

"The Turtle? What his name... Barney?"

"Bonbon?"

"Flying unicorn?"

"What?"

"HUH?"

"Hey, if someone is going meet a unicorn it's gonna be them."

Marcy sighed inwardly; she was dealing with toddlers. Seriously. Luffy behaved better than this. Well, he didn't listen either, as he was usually busy sleeping. But at least he didn't cut in and interrupted her every other sentence.

"I conked Luffy on the head," Marcy said loudly, cutting in.

"Hey, what? You said I went to sleep," Luffy looked at her accusingly.

Oops. What the hell did I told him happened. Think Marcy.

"Oh right, you fainted," she hurriedly corrected.

"What? Huh?" Luffy looked unamused. She was going to pay for this. Later. Dammit.

"Basically, you went to sleep with help," she tried again. Nope, Luffy had caught on and he wasn't a happy camper.

"Marcy?" Ace said. Agehhh… she didn't have time for unimpressed brothers. She had needed to work fast then, without having to drag Luffy away kicking and screaming. She needed him to cooperate, the next best thing was for him to be unconscious.

"What?" she snapped. It was ranting time.

"I didn't have time to plan. I was hardly able to improvise. I was alone. And Luffy had not caught on what was going in. He loved them. Still does. Wants to keep his promise. I needed to improvise. Do something fast. Garp was right there. I didn't want to be caught by him. That would be awful. The worst. I mean we are talking about Garp here. God knows what he planned. He is a Marine. Couldn't even stop the Wanted posters. I didn't have time to his screaming or…. Fist of Love. So I did what I needed to do. No one was there to do it for me. I helped him go to sleep, told them that he fainted from fear, and that we were going to hide, leaving it to them to win. We believed in their victory. Prayed for it. Dragged Luffy into the first boat I found and left," she run out of steam, but it seemed to have worked. They were all quietly waiting.

"We sailed straight into a storm, which was lucky, I guess… so we somehow get away..." she kept her voice even and soft. Lucky that they didn't drown too. Most of the storm she was holding to Luffy for dear life, who in turn had warped his legs and arms around the boat in several loops. There were few close calls, especially when the damn hat almost flew away and Luffy tried to grab it in haste, as in his hands stopped grabbing the boat for few seconds. Marcy had convinced Luffy to give the hat to her (shouting over the storm was so much fun) and she had placed it inside of her bag for safe keeping.

"I thought somehow they will find us… the pirates or Garp …. But they didn't. We didn't meet anyone for a while..." Marcy trailed off.

"Marcy?"

"We were gone in hurry, so the boat had only the essential things and the storm didn't help. So ummm… we kind of... drifted away… Luffy and I tried to catch fish or birds or anything, but basically we were drifting in the sea hoping for someone to find us," Luffy nodded beside her. Her slip from before forgotten for now.

She heard murmurs of pity, and some of sympathy. She wouldn't be surprised if few of the listening pirates had the same experience. It come in the job description. You know, sailing in the sea and all that.

But it was bad. It got really bad. It was so bad that she wanted the Foxy pirates to find them, maybe even the bounty hunters. Even marines, preferably not Garp. Hell, even Garp. Just for someone to find them, she didn't care who.

They do say careful what you wish for.

"After few days..." She was about ready to give up by then. She did nothing, could do nothing, they didn't even have an oar. But still she felt bone tired, thirsty and starving and Luffy was in much worse state. He had stopped complaining about being hungry by then.

"A ship picked us up…. They gave us water and food…"

She thought they were saved. She wasn't exactly too conscious for this part. She just felt thankful. She glanced from the corner of her eye at Luffy. He was clenching his hands into a fists.

"After day or two...not so sure how many...some hack doctor checked us…"

He probably checked on them before, but this time she and Luffy were conscious to it.

"…. He said we were malnourished and needed to be fatten up to have any value.… He wasn't impressed with Luffy's scar … near his eye... and the burns on my back made him tsk-tsk in annoyance…" Marcy tried to keep her cool as she spoke, but she could feel the temperature drop, but the other side was silent. Luffy's face was scarily blank.

"He called us 'damaged goods', we stayed there in the bed for another day, before they deemed us fit and took us down to where they kept the other captives, the mermaids …. It was lucky or maybe because of Luffy's exhaustion he didn't use his devil fruit power…"

Maybe then they wouldn't had deemed him as 'damaged goods', maybe they would have considered him as an 'exotic toy' instead.

"... because the lowlife bastards were well funded, had a lot of supplies, seastone, Log Pose, maps, Eternal Pose..." Marcy's trailed off.

They were saved not by marine, or pirates, or bounty hunters, not even Garp, nooooooo, they had been saved by slavers… if one could call that saving.

"There is not much to tell … we fought, I stole the keys to the collars around the mermaids' neck and we somehow won." She hadn't even begun to plan how to escape, too tired to think. She wanted for her and Luffy to be well rested, able to function and fight, before they tried anything.

But... Luffy had fought, so she had done what she could.

At least it ended with them winning, still half dead with new injuries but victorious.

"Oh come on..."

"Yeah, tell us mor..."

"Shut up," Ace snapped. His voice sharp. So sharp, that no one spoke for a while.

"You already heard from Jinbe, yoi," someone interjected calmly, with an underlying threatening tone.

Even Luffy refused to say anything about what happened. It wasn't something anyone of them wanted to remember. Seeing how those lowlifes treated others as sub-humans, as something to be sold and bought… as things. As Things without feeling and emotions… as things that had a price tag.

"Why didn't you go with mermaids?" someone finally asked, breaking the gloomy and awkward atmosphere.

They should have. They would have been nearer to Ace. Maybe with him by now.

"In hindsight that will have been a good idea, but we still didn't know where Ace was, and I was worried if we had gone with mermaids, they will have to go slow and stay close to the surface because of us. And I thought if we went a bit back maybe we could confuse Garp and lose him, it sounded like a good idea then to me," Marcy murmured to herself. There was another reason that she chose not to share, she wasn't sure that the merfolk and fishpeople would welcome humans after this. Not that she could blame them.

It was good to hear that the mermaids explained everything, and that the fishpeople didn't hold a collective grudge against all the human race.

"What happened afterwards?"

Marcy let out a long-suffering sigh.

Overused plot that kept on repeating. It reminded her of her breathing technique, really.

Inhale, wait and exhale, repeat.

She hadn't needed to use it for a while.

"We sailed to near island that was supposed to have some supplies, where we thought we could search for information, especially because news coo were nowhere to be found. Even the Foxy Pirates had noted that it was strange that no news coo had passed by, usually at least one passed by a day." Thank you very much, Luffy.

"But alas, it was not meant to be."

It was getting so boring and so predictable by then.

"We ended being found by some other pirate crew that seemed wary of us, but didn't mind sharing their food and give us a ride… that until Luffy mentioned Foxy... then they ehh... weren't happy… something to do with Davy Back Fight... What was there name again? Froged, fangey, forgey frng...toad… toady frog... Something with frog in it… so we stol.. borrowed some food from them and ran away with our boat."

This seemed to be a recurring element. Running.

"They followed us with cannonballs blazing."

Someone angrily following them demanding retribution of some kind. Check.

"We ended thanks to Luffy's powers crushing at stupid ceremony while we were still in the boat."

Again. Nami's island was not enough. A repeat was a must. Check.

Oh, and the boat had become pieces of tiny wood. Check.

"It wasn't the island we were aiming for," Marcy clarified. Check. It never is.

"Luffy ended eating all the food, and the people that prepared it were not happy." Check and Check.

"The mob got angry and decided to sacrifice us instead of the food they prepared to their goddess as we were the one to… Luffy ate it..."

Shackled again. Check.

But, oh, wait a second.

A new twist.

Wonderful.

Instead of being captured and almost exchanged for bounty, sold on auction or the black market. This time it was a sacrifice (at least it was to a goddess). YAY for the originality. What a creative mind fate had.

"They were discussing how best to go on about it… you know, burn us, throw us from cliff with anchors strapped to our feet, things like that… the most popular idea was to throw us into a volcano."

Someone eagerly discussing their ultimate demise, check.

"In the meantime, while they were discussing how best to murder us, Luffy and I were able to untangle the ropes, and were about to escape using Luffy's devil fruit."

Probably for the best that he didn't use it, with their excellent and definitely predictable luck, he would have aimed them straight into the volcano.

"When the frog... Whatever pirates arrived. They announced their arrival by sending cannonballs our way. Luffy decided to protect the mass..."

Solving one problem and next appear. Check.

"They gave us food, so it was only right we save them," Luffy stubbornly said.

Food blah, blah blahhhh meant they were nice people. Check.

"Pleaseeee… you just wanted to fight."

"Shishishishi."

"So we beat those whatever pirates it wasn't so hard once Luffy sent few of the cannonballs back their way and destroyed the ship."

They were Lucky, so Lucky.

Unbelievable luck in the nick of time, check.

"I am so good now, no one can beat me. Could have send grandpa's cannonballs right back to his face," Luffy boasted.

"The whole residents of that bloody island begin running our way after that… so we ran from them."

One problem solved, next appeared. AGAIN. Check.

Marcy couldn't tell exactly what she saw in their faces, but it gave her the creeps. Her instincts screamed at her run, so she run.

"We ended running all the way to the edge of the volcano."

Ending in the destination you wished to avoid. Check.

"Somehow it erupted, and instead of lava, or at least regular lava. It was molten gold..."

The happy ending. Check. Usually it lasts…...it ranged from an hour- to a couple of days at most.

Unfortunately, she had another eruption to deal with right here.

"So the story was true!"

"I am going to call Doma."

"Me too!"

"This is even better than three golden balls we found."

"Eggs. Golden Eggs."

"Oh my Ace."

"Hey, was there any golden balls in the volcano?"

"E. G. G. S, I said."

"Doma didn't mention it was volcano, he said earthquake..."

"Maybe the volcano is the nest for whatever laid the eg...balls?"

"EGGS!"

"You are just being crazy..."

"WOW, just wow."

"Holy golden balls!"

"EGGS!"

"OH MY ACE, that's awesome."

"Your life is abnormal."

"That was a sight to see... eruption of gold."

"Did it burn if you touch it?"

"The gold?"

"Liquefied gold, can you imagine?"

"Goddess."

"Ace!"

"What happened to all the gold? Did it flow to the sea?"

"That would be a waste..."

"Maybe it just hardened out in the air?"

"Did it erupt more than once?"

"Maybe we should go to that island..."

"Visit the place where it all started..."

Marcy ignored everything being said and stubbornly continued. It made no sense anyway. She was almost finished. She was going to finish today.

She looked around her as she spoke. Luffy had left. And she hadn't even noticed. Damn him, what was he planning. Let's hope it was a food run, and not a payback.

"The residents of the island were under the illusion that we were sent by the goddess…maybe because of saving them and the whole volcano of gold... I was so surprised to find out that the name of the island was Goddess Island."

Talk about unoriginality.

"I didn't bother correcting them and asked nicely that they prepare us a boat and use the melted gold to make tools for us … using those crucible thingy."

She talked loudly, as noise was still coming from the other side.

She heard the mature one threatening bathroom cleaning shifts and hunting duties for eternity if they didn't put their mature pants on, and shut the hell up, yoi.

"Tools?"

"I thought it best for the gold not to look too goldy."

"HUH!"

"Why?"

She heard a growl, and things quieted down drastically.

"I didn't want the gold to look as…. valuable, as gold coins or such... Not to look shiny...and we wouldn't be able to take too much anyway... but if the gold took the shape of cup, or fork or pan, and was painted it, so it didn't look shiny. We can use it for other things, and no one would be the wiser about how valuable it really is. Who would steal a plate or fork?"

"That's smart."

"Creative."

"Never thought of that."

"Brilliant idea."

"As expected of ...cough"

"Hushhhhh.."

"GREAT IDEA."

"AWESOME!"

What a bunch of weirdos, mused Marcy. It wasn't anything amazing, it was practical. When they needed money, they could go and sell any of the 'tools' at very good price. She knew how to haggle (wasn't that obvious). She would suck the beli dry out of anyone (exclusion: Hawkeyes, Luffy. The former she wouldn't dare. The latter tended to suck the life out of her).

"What about Luffy?" Ace asked.

Luffy was not here, she wanted to snark. He was still not back from wherever he went. Hopefully to the kitchen. But she had understood what Ace was asking and answered accordingly.

"I left him with residents, told them to watch him and give him food. He was either eating or animatedly speaking with them every time I checked on him." And they were intensely listening to him. She wasn't paying too much attention to the masses surrounding him, but she thought she saw some with open notebooks. Maybe noting down the historical visit of the inflation God or was it balloon God.

What was the name they give her? Goddess of Mercy, No. It was...

Who cared.

They were promoted from Goddess messengers to Gods at one point. Not that anyone had bothered to take her opinion under consideration in the matter.

God... Goddess knew what they spoke about, and frankly she didn't care. She wanted him safe and occupied. What harm could it be to speak with people that believed she and Luffy were goddess messengers or gods or some other bollocks.

"We left the few days later, when the boat was ready …"

The residents had insisted in building them a boat -ship- from scratch. She just wanted to take a log and flee. She wouldn't have minded carrying Luffy on her back all the damn way. But she endured, and thankfully they were able to finish it fast.

Time and tide wait for no God. she had told them. It was from the essence they leave and spread the blah blah fabulous words of blah blah Goddess. To sum it up: Hurry the fuck up.

She made them pull shifts around the clock.

"...and for once we arrived where we intended to, and I was looking for information when we heard someone was looking for us, so we run... and you know the rest..." Marcy trailed off.

It was over. She had finally finished.

Hallelujah, Marcy silently gave a 'prayer' of thanks.

Blessed be the meat.

Kraken tentacles tickle you.

Black hole adopts you.

Our lord and savior balloon God inf….

"Where you met A.O and his crew?"

"You didn't get lost in the way?"

"Meet something strange in the way?"

"Storm?"

"Some exotic animal… like unicorn?"

"Stop with unicorn talk already."

"Where you rearranged A.O.'s face?"

"Garp didn't catch up?"

Marcy heaved a long-suffering sigh. Doing her utmost to ignore all the jumbled voices from the other side. This was going to be a long night. Unfortunately, it was far from over. They surely had questions and wanted more details. And even more details. She could cut the call short, but they would call back, again and again and again.

Better finish everything in one go and be done with it.

"Poor A.O"

"I say Poor Dustin."

"The place where you gave A.O his nose surgery?"

"Yeah, he should pay you for the surgery."

"Where Dustin met your foot?"

"Where a pot tried to eat A.O's nose?"

"Eat A.O's face, you mean...but only get his nose!"

"Where Dustin lost his maidenhood?"

"Isn't manhood?"

"Nahhhhh."

"Pretty sure, it's maidenhood."

"Pretty sure, it's both."

"Where his balls were treasured?"

"Treated like the jewels they are?"

"Not virgin anymore."

"And what an experience."

They loved to joke about Dustin-the first mate- getting the family jewels treatment, which annoyed her. Especially after sailing with the man, he was ...not bad. He didn't ask her to apologize, and was… attentive for her demand... requests. So, she was feeling a tiny bit guilty. Only a tiny bit.

The consistent reminder -of this tiny feeling- was getting extremely irksome. She would love to see what they would have to say after she give each one of them the same treatment with lots of love and care.

"Hey, Marcy how much of the things in the sma...ship is made of gold, yoi?"

Should she answer that? It couldn't hurt and some trust needed to be established. Give and take. Now that they were safe, she really didn't give crap about the boat.

"Hmmm... all of it… except the ship body... Skelton... I don't know much about ships... It floated. Didn't sink... And sailed smoothly… It was made from wood. They said it was some holy wood… Adam wood I think its name. They said its some secret treasured tree that they worshiped. But that we deserved no less," Marcy shrugged. Those fanatics loved to find things to worship. She really didn't care. She wanted to leave their stares and bows behind.

They were zealots that only half an hour ago were discussing how best to kill her but now they were bowing whenever she entered or exited the room. She smiled, nodded, and said please.

"Adam wood you said, yoi. You were really sailing in treasure trove, literarily."

.

Ace's crew was very impressed with their story. They were very… peculiar, to say the least. They had lots of question and they especially wanted to know about the accident with hat. That reminded her with everything going on, she had yet to check and mend Luffy's hat as she promised. She should probably look at paying sewing kit or check a hat repair place when they arrived in Sabaody Archipelago. It was no less than a miracle in her opinion that after everything they went through the hat not only was still somehow intact, but it didn't get lost. Luffy's important treasure. Even more important than meat.

Anyway, there were a lot of accidents concerning the bloody hat. But they were very interested in the one with the uncultured cucumber, potato and tomato and their whale flukes of father. They had fits of laughter after each sentence of her explanation, and nothing she had said was even funny. Weirdos.

She hadn't understood half of the things the crew had said and asked. Maybe it was a pirate slang, or a New World slang, or crazy slang.

But for now, they were in her good books. They were asking for her opinions and including her in their plans for them. And not going over her head like some unnamed villains (Ah-choo Garp).

It was good thinking on Whitebeard part to have someone with coated ship ready and waiting to take them from Sabaody Archipelago directly to the New World.

She was glad that they wouldn't have to stay on Sabaody Archipelago too long... She had a bad feeling about the place. It was where the Celestial Dragons roamed and slavers too. She had enough meeting with those.

Afterward they would stop at Fishman island for a short visit, and then they would go directly to the Moby Dick where Ace was waiting.

Whitebeard had few of his allies waiting at the entrance of the New World, just in case, and few would even accompany them until they reached the Moby Dick.

Marcy was actually impressed, not that she said that out loud.

Whitebeard was taken their safety seriously, and they were strangers. Yes, they were Ace's Family, but the Yonko owed them nothing. What bothered her was that she couldn't find another explanation for all what he was doing, except that he genuinely cared about Ace.

Don't rush to conclusion, she admonished herself. We will meet him soon and then decided.

But…

But maybe now she could consider what she wanted to do in the future, after they were safe.

Until now, she was busy trying to get to safety, trying to survive, trying to keep herself floating and sometimes not only figuratively, that she never considered what next.

After Finding Ace.

Her goal was always to get to Ace, sometimes it felt like it was a far-fetched dream but now that it was reachable.

Maybe now she can consider what she should do next. She had accepted that she couldn't go back home, maybe even never.

Still, it would be nice to have place to call home, Marcy wishfully thought.

Would she want to stay with Luffy for the two years until he become seventeen? Join Ace's crew? Stay for a year until she became seventeen and then look for her own adventure? Maybe go meet this Shanks that Luffy always fondly spoke of and demanded an explanation about the bloody hat (it's treasure didn't cut it with her), he was also a Yonko… decisions, decisions, and for once she had the time to sit, consider and plan.

First, she was going to find Luffy, then a bath.

Long hot, steamy bath.

She had plans to make.

"Ah-choo!"

Not again. Damn allergies.

…

..

.

XXXXX

.

..

…

A black-haired woman sat enjoying a cup of coffee and a good book in cafe at Grove 42.

She had been here every day. Waiting.

I am not the only one, she mused to himself, without even glancing away from her book.

She saw a young man with tophat as he sat outside of the bar in the other side. As usual he had a newspaper with him and as usual, he ordered astronomical amount of food, which he always finished.

She had no doubt that he had noticed her, just as she noticed him. Even though he never looked her way, just as she never did. Well, she never looked directly at him at least. She wondered if he had any special ability or power.

It didn't matter.

They both seemed to be here for the same reason.

She flipped a page as the young man casually glanced at the coated ships waiting at the dock.

She in the other hand was always watching.

…

..

.

XXXXX

.

..

…

"Pops, Jinbe on the line, yoi."

Whitebeard indicated for him to hand him the Den Den Mushi. He was still sitting comfortably at his chair in his private room exactly as Marco had left him six hours ago. Since then Marco was waiting for this call to arrive on Pops' orders.

It had finally came at one in the morning.

"Son," Whitebeard greeted him.

"Pops," come Jinbe quiet voice, and then he added, "I asked."

Whitebeard stayed quiet. Waiting. Not rushing his son.

"The Fleet Admiral said he will get back to me," Jinbe finally said.

That information received a reaction, "Oh?" accompanied with an arched eyebrow as Whitebeard body moved forward in his chair.

"He finally called me back just a later while ago. And said... no," Jinbe finally said. Marco could hear the disbelief in his voice as he said the words.

"I see," Whitebeard replied. He didn't seem surprised.

"He even apologized," Jinbe sounded like he didn't believe what he himself was saying.

Whitebeard hummed.

"It seems that Marcy is right and one or even more of the Celestial Dragons are involved," Jinbe said dazedly. It seemed as if he was speaking to himself.

He somberly added, "I didn't want to believe it, but..."

"Did he explain, yoi?" Marco asked.

"No." Jinbe answered immediately.

"Just said that Marcy and Luffy can't be accepted into any Warlord crew,"

"Any?" Whitebeard demanded abruptly, his body leaning forward. His back tensed.

"Ehhh….," Jinbe seemed confused.

"He said any crew, yoi?" Marco asked, having also found the wording to be odd, and added "Someone else asked already?"

"Who?" Jinbe finally said.

"Maybe Hawkeyes? They met him before and he seemed to like them if he took them with him for two weeks, yoi," Marco contemplated.

"I don't know him personally, but it is hard to believe," Jinbe mumbled, he still seemed in daze. Dracule 'Hawkeyes' Mihawk was notoriously known for not having 'followers'.

Still, Marco wanted to ask him, 'as hard to believe as that a young boy demanded a Warlord join his nonexistent crew' (and meant it), but he stopped himself.

"Maybe you should ask the Red Hair brat discreetly about this," Pops suggested with gleam in his eyes.

Marco glared, and under his breath he cursed that red-headed menace.

"Fine, yoi. I am sure the Red-Haired Den Den Mushi will mysteriously appear again." He should have destroyed the bloody thing. Maybe drop it in the ocean again.

"It better not go swimming again," Whitebeard warned with stern look. A father admonishing his youngest for his naughty behavior.

Marco somberly nodded. His personal feeling would not affect his duty. They never did.

Even if he personally thought it was a waste of time to ask. The man was a drunken slob. Maybe he would ask to speak to the first mate instead. Marco would even had called him a steady, trustworthy and competent man but the man not only chose to associate with Red Hair, but willingly chose to be his first mate. Still better him than the menace.

"But what does the whole thing even mean?" Jinbe asked, sounding as someone that just wake up to a world that was upside down and just wanted to understand (Someone please explain in small words, pictures were also accepted, even drawings by Luffy).

"Indeed," Whitebeard murmured.

The stayed quiet for few seconds considering the implication of what they learned.

"Did you arrive back to Fishman Island, Jinbe?"

"Not yet, we should be there by tomorrow night."

"Be vigilant my son."

"You think there will be trouble?"

'More trouble' mused Marco to himself.

"Safe to assume with two cheeky brats involved," Whitebeard agreed with deep laugh.

"True. They didn't even arrive and there is a world of trouble waiting for me to clear back home," murmured Jinbe in defeat, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

Marco would have laughed at him if he didn't know that he will be in the same situation when the two arrived on the Moby. He was sooooooooo not looking forward to this.

But he couldn't help but added a bit of trouble on Jinbe's already sagging shoulders.

"You better hide... What was his name... Hatchan... You know the future takoyaki, yoi"

Jinbe groaned, murmuring about headache, Jewels' doom and Aladine's fault.

Whitebeard looked at him questionably, but Marco just shrugged his shoulders innocently.

Pops' looked at him suspiciously, but with shake of his head, he let it go.

"Safe travel my son," he ended the call.

Clank.

Whitebeard relaxed back into his chair, giving the Den Den Mushi back to Marco, and after few seconds he ordered.

"Don't tell Ace."

Marco nodded his assent, and turned to leave, after saying his good nights.

But he stopped at his tracks and asked, "should I call Red Hair now or wait for the morning?" It was morning technically.

Whitebeard snorted.

"The brat doesn't need his beauty sleep."

Marco had an evil look on his face as he closed the door behind him.

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"W...W... WHAT? HAWKEYES TRIED TO RECRUIT LUFFY... HE TOLD ME NOTHING OF THIS…...NO, THAT'S NOT IT…. I KNOW IT! HE DIDN'T TRY TO PROTECT THEM…HE IS MENACE…. HE WANTED TO STEAL HIM…. STEAL HIM FROM WHOM YOU ASK? FROM MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…. CALL BENNNNNNNNNNY!"

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Who is the manipulator? And who is the manipulatee?

What did you like the most? Didn't like? What surprised you the most?

Your thoughts on their journey? Which part was the most fun or surprising?

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Sooooooo

I apologize for taking this long.

The first part of the story. Nami and Smoker conversation. Well, I wrote it first from Nami's POV and let me tell you it was badddd… I did write it, get to 2.5k, it was like pulling teeth out slowly, and I get stuck with it. Then after a while (few months), I had the brilliant idea (God, I can be so stupid sometimes) that there are two in this conversation. Let's write it from Smoker's POV, and BAMMMMM I wrote 4.5k in one setting.

Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here, same for my other stories.

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So again. ONCE MORE.

I am not gonna abandon any of my stories. I already said this before, but I am saying it again here. After getting many reviews and PM's in this story and others, I thought I should make it clear, barring something happening out of my control, I would see all of my stories to the end. I hate leaving things unfinished.

Things may take time, life should stop spinning first, so I can find my keyboard and begin typing. I am writing 8 stories, and I have real life projects to finish.

That doesn't mean I don't want you to review or PM me, feel free to do so about anything (I love hearing from all of you, especially about my spectacular stories). Just don't worry about me abandoning any of my stories. If you are worrying, leave me a long assed review. They usually make my day and make the inspiration gears work extra hours.

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To my lovely anonymous Guests, please use a name or nickname when reviewing as for me to be able to answer you.

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Want me to write a one-shot story with your idea? THE competition for the Title of the Book (if you don't know which book, read the damn story again) is still on, soooooo send me some inspirational titles.

(read notes in last chapter)

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Looking forward to your reactions, thoughts, and theories.

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Send me some love, M&M's or at least do the right thing and leave a review.

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Look…see…...there…. A unicorn. ;)