Chapter 20

You guys basically made me loose a bet.

Yooo…. Sooo… bin a while, bin a while…

tagged/marty - For Amayarawrz, and anyone else who wants to see my shitty fan art doodles.

I do not own One Piece.

. . .

"Billion's is on fire, we saw smoke outside," Marco took his eyes off his food just as Marty swayed, then collapsed backwards onto the mess room floor and began to snore.

"What she said," said Ace stealing food off a passing plate.

\ \ \

Marty blinked her eyes open to behold the very exciting ceiling of her shared cabin. It felt like she had been asleep for a while. She moved to sit up and groaned, feeling worse than the aftermath of those stupid cross country events her school used to make her do.

Marty frowned, oh yeah I'm still supposed to be at school, she had been gone what – just under two weeks? It felt like way longer. Pushing her hair back Marty glanced around realising for the first time she wasn't the only one in the room.

"… Jack?" Marty swept her eyes over the older man amused.

"snnnnnnOOOEERK mmmphfmble…," Silver Jack answered shifting slightly. He was sitting slightly away from the wall, upright with his arms and legs crossed. His stern position was entirely at odds with his head, lolling backward to the point where he was looking directly upwards.

"Well ok then," Marty said cheerfully getting to her feet. She grabbed the corner of her blanket, flinging it as carefully as she could over her friend. The blanket landed with its centre was directly over his face. The edge of the blanket just brushed jacks legs, muffling the majority of his snoring. Marty made a mental note to re-enact this moment with cake later that night before turning and heading towards the door.

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Beth slammed her hands down onto the table, causing plates leftover from lunch to jump and clatter.

"That's not good enough," Marco raised an eyebrow at her low tone – unlike the blond brat; Beth didn't need to raise her voice to make an impression. Her calm tone set of warning bells in Marco's mind, far more dangerous than the incessant screaming that came from Charlene.

"What would you have us do?" Ace snapped, shifting slightly to avoid the flailing of Charlenes limbs as he kept his hand anchored over her mouth, "We will reach Billions late this evening, at the most tomorrow morning."

"I would have you send ahead a skip to assess damage and help protect whoever's still alive," Beth said meeting Ace's eyes her own full of steel.

"In case you haven't noticed," Marco said quietly, watching the stare down warily "We are Pirates, not marines." Beth's gaze snapped back to him.

"I was under the assumption that I was joining pirates who valued the meaning of nakama," Beth said through her teeth, "My family is in danger – and the quickest path to that island is the one I need to be on. Cake's too." Beth added glancing towards the blonde who was now ramming her boot heel into Ace's leg as he continued to pretend it didn't hurt.

"Pop's made his decision," Marco said, "He want to reach the island with all hands on deck, - and," Marco said sharply, cutting Beth off as she opened her mouth, "The islands not under our protection, we don't actually know who has claim laid on it." Beth expression darkened.

"Bloody hell!" Ace yelped, shaking his hand as Charlene sank her teeth into it, "You got three seconds before I set your mouth on fire." Charlene let go, immediately ducking away, wiping her mouth indignantly.

"Anyway," Marco said, raising his tone as Charlene began a torrent of abuse, "You island has a certain … stigma about it. Making it an unwise place to go running into without a plan."

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Marty frowned at the lack of activity on deck. You would have thought the smoke pillar on the horizon was invisible by the way the men calmly ambled about from duty to duty.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Marty ducked back into the hold before anyone important saw her. Obviously, the only plan of attack so far was to continue at the same pace, towards the same destination.

Marty could just imagine her friend's reaction to this. Sighing she scratched her cheek thoughtfully. Ace should have a boat right? Or did he not have that yet? Even if he didn't there would have to be a skip or small shopping boat on board somewhere. Worse came to worse, the girls could steal it. Marco might get mad, but assuming they managed to keep it in one piece, it would technically be just a loan. Marty turned a corner with no real purpose in mind. She couldn't find her way around when she tried, so she couldn't see the point of actually trying to navigate.

Then again, Marty didn't actually know how to sail a boat. She figured if Ace could do it, it must be simple enough. Maybe Beth knew. Marty didn't hear the door open in front of her, Nor did she see the person who stepped out until she ran into them.

"Oh crumbs, sorry I didn't …" The words died in her throat as she glanced upwards and froze.

"Harharhar, no harm kid," Marshall D Teach bared his teeth in what Marty assumed to be a smile. Marty took a step back and met his gaze with a stony expression.

"Nasty business this fire," Teach continued seemingly oblivious to Marty's discomfort, "especially on an island with such valuable import." Marty frowned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Valuable import? As in treasure?" Teach laughed again. Marty decided she didn't like it when he laughed.

"You could say that, but treasure differs from person to pirate," Teach leaned against the wall crossing his arms, "If it was something as paltry as gold and what not, I'm sure Pop's would have sent ahead a small boat of commanders to deal with the situation."

"Paltry as gold, you consider gold to be paltry?"

"Well no, but in this world, that islands import is far more prized. A fact you yourself should agree with." Marty rose an eyebrow.

"I can assure you I have no such treasure; I didn't even own the clothes I came on board with."

"Nor the clothes you're wearing now." Teach said flicking his eyes to Ace's pants, "but I wasn't talking about possession's, I be talking about your habit for destroying the ship with various elements." Marty blinked before her eyes widened in comprehension.

"Devil fruit," Marty hissed, Teach's lips stretched wider, showing even more holes where teeth should be.

"Bingo."

"The island's main import is devil fruit," Marty said slowly, it was confirmation rather than a question.

"Makes your island a dangerous place to barge in unawares."

"Like busting into a town making nuclear warheads," Marty said thoughtfully

"Nuclear war- I don't believe I've heard of that before," Marty stiffened, and resumed glaring.

"No you wouldn't have," Teach waited a few seconds, as if expecting Marty to continue, then shrugged when she didn't.

"Regardless it presents a difficult situation, it be right wouldn't it," Teach continued, not noticing or choosing to ignore the hostile expression that had taken route on Marty's face, "first time we land at a port famous for devil fruit and its under attack."

"Interested in possessing a devil fruit are you?" Teach's eyes flicked over the slight girl.

"Har, you could say that."

"Any one in particular?"

"Nar, I'm not a fussy man."

"… is that so." Teach narrowed his eye's at her tone.

"Aye." Marty held his gaze with her own, not glancing away. Even when two men spilled out of a doorway further up the passageway, from what Marty was almost certain was a closet. Clothes in slight disarray the shot guilt glances at the pair in their stare down before splitting up to walk in different directions.

Marty weighed up her options in her head. Even before Teach got his fruit, he was a powerful man, respected among his crew mates. The island may just be a coincidence; his treason may yet be months away.

Marty hoped for once she was that lucky.

"Say, how be it that you're unaware of you home islands import?" Teach asked calmly even though even though his grimace/smile had been wiped completely off his face.

"I was only there a short time before this whole incident."

"Oh, where'd you hail from then?" Marty crossed her arms and said nothing.

"Strange that is," Teach continued, "Travel between islands in the grand line is rare for common folk."

"I'm not so common," Marty said calmly.

"And why wouldn't you be." Marty studied the suspicious look on Teach's face, weighing her options. If she got into it with Teach there was a good chance she would be killed alongside Thatch, or just mysteriously fall over board – Marty knew no one would question it. Hell, she could think of several who would celebrate. Marty tipped her head slightly to the side, first time she would be going out of her way to make Ace's day.

"Say Teach, ever heard of a Yami Yami Fruit?"

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The absence of air, and the sudden presence of a blanket being sucked into his throat raised Jack from his nap. Hacking he tore the cloth out of his mouth, raising his free hand to his throat as attempted to couch up a lung. Jack threw a confused, watery eyed glance at the offending object before turning his eyes towards a now empty bed. It took him about five seconds to compute what was missing in this picture.

Oh, Ace was going to be pissed.

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"No and that's final," Marco said in a voice holding no room for arguments, "It is too dangerous and not worth the few extra hours." Beth looked like she would have quite happily started setting things on fire at this point, Charlene was so mad she was silent. It was a nice change.

"You know what," Beth said, flicking her eyes to Ace, "You tell that to Marty, I wanna see what she does." Ace frowned.

"First off we are hoping she stays asleep till we reach the island, Second, what do you mean what she does, she's gonna do what everyone else does."

"Somehow I can't see Marty being that obedient," Charlene said loftily, "Marty has a, talent for doing exactly the opposite of what you want and think she will do." Beth grinned at Charlene who, for the first time, sounded proud of their friend's destructive tendencies. Ace snorted.

"Fine we just jab her with a sleeping dart loaded with enough juice to keep her conked out for the next two hours.

"Well… that may not work so well," Ace turned around to see Silver Jack standing behind him, for a dude so big he was quiet. Ace suddenly realised who was missing.

"Where is she."

"Welll," Jack said again shifting his weight.

"Seriously?"

"You see…"

"Again?"

"I dozed off for a couple of seconds." Beth raised a smug eyebrow as Ace visibly strained against blowing his top. Marco sighed as if he know expected and accepted this.

"Jack go with Ace and find her, and make sure he doesn't kill her when you do."

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Marty slammed into the wall with a rather muffled thump. Dam the man hit like a mother rearing dump truck. She snapped out her leg aiming for Teaches family jewels but was only tall enough for his stomach. Teach tightened his grip around Marty's throat. Marty struggled to pull in a breath, wondering if he would break her neck or through the wall first.

"Pluck a nerve Teach?" Marty gasped. Teach stared at the girl, face void of emotion.

Great, how many stupid girls does it take to snap a psycho? Need Air.

"Where did you hear that name?" Air, need air. "Tell Me!" Teach dragged her away from the wall, before slamming her back.

Air.

"Who are you?" Teach snarled, "Who are you really? No simple peasant whore would know that name."

Air. Air. Air. Marty scratched his arm desperately, digging in her nails watching as yellow and red spots started flashing across Teach's face. It may have just been her.

"Well" Marty ceased scratching and began frantically pounding Teach's wrists with her fists.

Air.

"Fine, die," a gruesome smile stretched across Teach's face even as it began dissolving into black.

Air.

"And take that name with you."

"TEACH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Teach flinched, whipping his head around to see Ace running up the hallway , the hulking figure of Silver Jack right behind him.

AIR! Marty slammed her closed fist down desperately towards Teach's wrist. It slowed down as though moving through water. Jack was shouting somewhere off in the distance, as a hand that Marty was sure belonged to Ace darted into her vision.

Three things happened all at once.

Marty's vision went completely black as she passed out.

Ace wrenched Teach's hand away from Marty's throat, grabbing her arm with his free hand pulling her towards him.

Marty's fist connected with Teach's arm before Ace could pull it or her out of the way. Ace barely registered there had been an explosion before he was flying backwards to crash into Jack, tumbling to the floor. His head snapped up to see Teach had come to rest in a large dent in the far wall.

Marty was nowhere to be seen. A large hole had been blasted into the wall she had been pinned to moment before she had learnt how to make gale force wind bombs.

Ace shook his head glancing dazedly between his friend struggling to his feet on one side of the hallway, to the gaping maw of a hole on the other. He didn't want to think how long that would take to fix.

Ace wasn't really sure who he was supposed to be yelling at.

/

So yup – till next time

Let me know if you see any mistakes.