Chapter 23

Blargh blargh notes blargh

If you haven't read the first chapter in the while and have forgotten what happened in it, or hey if you skipped it all together, you might want to glance back at it. A character from there is re-appearing.

I don't own one piece

/

Macro was going to kill them. Inventively, and slowly, starting with Polo. The only way they would have known about the stupid, insane Nelson translating device was if the bloody kid told them. Frigging idjit was too smart for his own good.

He watched in horror as Marty launched herself and her four accomplices over the side with a gust of wind. Flinging them to land not-so-gracefully on a Sea king named Fee Fee Trixabell. And by not so gracefully, he meant that Charlene slammed into Polo sending them both toppling over the side. They were stopped short of free falling by Silver Jack grabbing their ankles, bringing them up, upside down, with Charlene's skirt the wrong way up and her knickers on display. By the time he pulled them back onto "safe ground" Polo looked like his head was going to explode, either from the redness of his face or from the screeching coming out of Charlene. Marco wasn't sure which.

"GO, GO, GO," yelled Beth, ignoring the drama going on in the background. Fee Fee Trixabell reared her head back from the ship, blinking as Charlene's screeching went up a new octave at the sudden movement.

-GO?- Fee Fee trixabell said confused

"Sorry!" Marty exclaimed jumping precariously to her feet, "We didn't mean to surprise you!"

-MAKE IT STOP- Marty stepped back confused

"Make it stop?" Marty repeated.

-MAKE IT STOP- Fee Fee Trixabell confirmed practically crossing her eye's to fix them on Marty.

"Make what stop?" Marty asked.

-MAKE THE YELLOW HATCHELING STOP IT'S SQUALLING-

"Yellow? Oh – Cake shut up," Marty said loudly. Cakes mouth shut with loud snap.

-GOOD-

"Sorry about that," Marty said cheerfully, Beth stood carefully before looking up into the Sea Kings eyes.

"Please, can you help us?" Beth said politely, as if she was offering her grandmother afternoon tea rather than propositioning a giant monster.

-HELP?-

"Yes we need to go there," Beth said pointing toward the thinning plume of black smoke.

-HELP MORHEY-

"Yes this would help me," agreed Marty.

-HELP MORHEY AND AYYS-

"No Ace is staying here, this is Beth," Marty said helpfully.

-BERFH-

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME," Marty leaned over the front of Fee Fee Trixabell's snout to look down at Ace, "I EXPECTED YOU TO STEAL A BOAT, NOT ROPE IN MOTHER FREAKING FEE FEE TRIXABELL."

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAIL A BOAT!" Marty called back cheerfully.

"OH SO THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY THE NEXT BEST OPTION!"

"I THOUGHT SO TOO!" Marty said cheerfully, stumbling as Fee Fee Trixabell snorted.

-TIZIBELL?-

"Oh that's what I named you – Fee Fee Trixabell – sorry I didn't know your real name," Marty explained cheerfully.

-EVEE TIXABELL- the Sea King repeated sounding pleased.

"PURPLE, GET BACK DOWN OF THE GODDAMN SEA MONSTER!" Ace yelled leaning over the railing.

"SORRY COWBOY THAT AINT HAPPENING," Marty yelled back waving, Ace let out a string of swear words.

-DUCKS?-

"No, no its fu-,"

"STOP TEACHING THE SEA KING SWEARWORDS AND GET DOWN!"

-MORHEY AND AYYS STOP FIGHTING-

"I agree we really haven't got time for this," said Beth in a resigned voice, Marty waved over her shoulder.

"He started it-,"

-MATES SHOULD NOT FIGHT-

"wait- WHAT," Ace yelled as Marty stared at the Fee Fee Trixabell uncomprehendingly.

"Yeah, not my mate," Marty said firmly.

"I SHOULD THINK NOT!" Ace said agreeing for once as Marco began cacking himself.

"Flippin hell, being match mated by a Sea King," Marco wheezed between bursts of laughter. Fee fee Trixabell tipped her head to the side, which would have been cute if it hadn't meant the group scrambling to get a hold of something before they slid off into the eighty odd meter drop.

-HE WAS PROTECTING YOU – YOU ARE MATES-

"Um, I think it gets a bit more physical than protection before someone's your mate," Polo said helpfully. Charlene kicked him and started bitching about indecency.

"Ok fine," Marty said shrugging – who was she to argue with a giant, English speaking, sea monster, "any way do you think you could take us to the smoke?" Marty asked getting back onto her knees as the snout levelled out and turned in the direction of Billion's cove.

-TO SMOKE?-

"Pretty much," Marty said as Jack helped Cake onto the top of Fee Fee Trixabell's head after Polo. Getting them settled in the large hollow between the ridges of the Sea Kings eyes.

-EE FEE TRIXABELL GOES TO SMOKE, MORHEY MAKES SKY WATER DANCE- Marty considered the offer.

"Sure I can do that, deal," Marty said with a grin, before walking over to be pulled up next to Beth on Fee Fee's forehead.

"PURPLE!"

"BYE ACE, MARCO!" Marty said waving at the agitated man.

-DUCKS- Fee Fee said helpfully as way of farewell.

"BETH, CHARLENE, BE REASONABLE!" Marco yelled.

"SORRY MARCO," Beth called leaning forward, "SEE YOU THERE YEAH?"

"FOR THE LOVE OF ALL UNHOLY," Marco snapped as he hauled himself onto the railing, prepared to jump off after the when whitebeard began to laugh. Marco flinched, having forgotten their captain who had been watching the exchange in silence. Whitebeard raised his grog bottle.

"BEST OF LUCK GIRLS, WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE ISLAND," Marco nearly fell off the railing in shock.

"Pop's!" Ace protested wheeling around. Marty laughed, the sound bright and happy as the Sea king turned and began moving away from the ship, increasing in speed.

"Thanks Mister Whitebeard Sir!" She called, her voice faint as Fee Fee Trixabell sped off, moving out of earshot in seconds.

"Of all the stupid, under thought, naïve, irresponsible, bumbling plans," Marco cursed, watching the distance between them growing, "Pop's? Permission to go after them?"

"To do what?" Whitebeard asked, swigging from his bottle as his nurses unfroze and began berating him.

"Drag them back by their hair," Ace said stubbornly.

"How?" Whitebeard growled amused, Ace blinked, "You won't fit 'em all onto Marco, and I doubt your toy boat'll catch Miss Trixabell. You certainly won't get them to turn around." Marco growled seeing the sense in white beards words.

"How did Beth go along with something this stupid?" Marco asked annoyed, "I mean I can see Marty and Charlene getting drawn into it." Ace stared at him amused.

"She's as crazy as the rest of them, she just hides it better," Ace warned leaning his back against the rail, "They are going to get their fool asses killed," he said after a moment. Whitebeard chuckled.

"Well you have my permission to go after them, but I don't think you'll be able to bring them back," Ace groaned.

"Which means we are getting our fool asses dragged along with them?" Ace asked glancing at Marco.

"We're seriously going after them?"

"What are the other options?"

"I'm mad at them, I don't really feel like helping them at this point."

"Ok, if we don't go, they might not get killed. I'd like to get my hands on Polo regardless," Ace said with a sigh, "and this way I might find an excuse to push the Princess back into the water."

/

It took them one and a half hours. One and a half freaking hours for Marco to catch up with Fee Fee Trixabell and co. in his phoenix form, flying flat out.

The Sea king could really book it.

When they finally drew up next to them Marty was sitting crossed legged on the tip of Fee Fee Trixabell's snout. Her arms were flung out straight into the wind, her hair whipping around her face as she made pillars of water shoot up into the sky on either side of them as they passed. Her hat was nowhere to be seen. The sea king hummed in contentment with each new pillar that was made.

"Incoming," Beth said tapping Jacks shoulder. Jack glanced back spotting the blue bird flying towards them.

"They can't make us go back," Cake said primly, "I won't allow it."

"You can allow duck all and it will still happen," Beth said calmly, though she secretly agreed, watching the two land in front of them with a thump. Marco turned to them, having switched back to human on the way down, and crossed his arms.

"Hiya," Beth said calmly over the sound of crashing water as Polo tried to subtly move backwards out of his line of vision, "To what do we owe the visit." Marco's face reddened with anger just as Fee Fee's eyes swivelled to catch sight of them.

-AAAYYYYSSS- she hummed in what Marco could swear was a pleased tone.

"Ace what?" Marty said confused, barely audible from the front of the snout as water pillars crashed into the sea. Ace rolled his eyes before stalking over to stand behind her. He bent forwards, holding onto his hat, till his face was upside down in her line of vision.

"Ace this," Ace said coolly as Marty shrieked in surprise. Jumping backwards she slammed into Ace's leg's, losing her hold over the water.

"Jesus Christs," Marty swore, "Way to give a girl a heart attack." Ace blinked.

"Give you a heart attack?"

"Uh oh."

"Give you a heart attack?"

-SKY WATERS GONE- Fee fee sighed sadly.

Marco turned back to the four trouble makers in front of him as Ace preceded in chewing Marty a new one.

"Hullo Commander, so are we getting dragged back by our hair and/or beards or are you here to join us," Jack said cheerfully. Marco fixed his glare on him.

"Unfortunately," Marco said through his teeth, "To make sure your fool necks don't get wrung before we can get to them."

"Oh good," Jack said spinning Marty's hat around on his finger.

"While we're on the subject, what the hell are you doing in the middle of all this," Marco snapped glaring down the cheerful older male.

"It was important to Marty, Beth, and Miss Charlene," Jack said, still unerringly cheerfully.

"That ain't a good enough reason to go off on your own against orders," Marco flicked his gaze to Polo who was still trying to make himself invisible.

"Actually Commander, if you don't mind me saying so, it is," Jack said, bringing Marty's hat to a halt, studying the chunk burnt out of it. Marco frowned re-focusing on him, "Pop invited them into the crew, which makes them family. Which makes their family our family."

"That's why we were going to help the island! All of us!" Marco said balling up his fists, "Skipping off on a solo recuse could have gotten them killed!"

"Which is why Polo and I shouldn't have been the only ones helping them lug Nelson's device from the bottom of the ship, commander," Jack said quietly, his smile finally gone. Marco drew back surprised, "It was important to them, so it should have been important to you." Marco sighed

"What's that supposed to imply," Marco said in a resigned voice rubbing a hand over his eyes. Jack shrugged as he leant back, putting Marty's hat over his eyes and hands behind his head.

"The same thing has Ace is getting so worked up and worried over Marty's wellbeing to the point he's continually snapping at her implies."

"… Impending and hopeful murder?" Jack chuckled darkly.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Jack yawned. Marco gave him the gimlet eye before dropping down to sit between Jack and Beth to watch what had basically deteriorated into name calling.

"So we're… not suffering a horrible, painful death?" Polo asked tentatively from the back. Beth laughed as Marty told Ace he was an Ill-mannered, pig-snouted, strumpet.

"Not yet anyway," Beth said smiling calmly at Marco who had begun to list means of torture under his breath.

"That's rich coming from a twitchy, flat, harbinger of- Oi Marco, Land ho" Called Ace, cuffing Marty lightly across the back of the head.

"Flat?"

"Yippee," Marco said darkly, Beth nudged him with her elbow as she got to her feet.

"What do you mean flat?"

"Stop sulking," Beth advised as Cake started instructing Polo how to properly help a lady to her feet.

"As a plank," Ace said cheerful again.

"Fee, toss Cowboy overboard."

-COW?- asked Fee Fee sounding confused –SEACOW? AYYYS MALE SEACOW?-

/

In the end Fee Fee could only go within twenty metres of the shore, so Marco and Ace had to ferry everyone (Except for Jack who had decided to swim it. Polo had tried to decide that too, but Ace had dragged him up into a princess hold before he managed to jump over the side) one at a time onto the Docks. The same docks that had held a market when Marty had last been here, also where she'd been kidnapped from. Good times.

The giant blue Sea King just off shore would have usually probably cause some kind of fuss. If it wasn't for the Dock's being completely and utterly empty.

"This isn't right," Cake sniffed primly at the silence. Beth rolled her eyes, which Marty took to mean she was worried too. On the plus side the island wasn't on fire. Well not the whole island, there was still smoke coming from what looked to be the far side of the island.

"You think genius," Beth snapped peering down an alleyway, as if she expected someone to jump out of a doorway yelling 'SURPRISE.' Marty pushed her hat, which Jack had dropped on her head before going the way of the whale, down firmly, turning ocean-side to see Fee Fee watching them forlornly.

"BYE FEE!" Marty yelled waving her arms over her head, "THANK YOOOU!"

-MORHEY?- Fee Fee called back dipping her head.

"Should we be taking the Nellie thing off, er, her?" Polo asked tentatively.

-MORHEY COME BACK? SKY WATER?-

"It shouldn't have gone on Fee Fee in the first place," Ace said fixed him with an amused stare, "But the things water proof, so unless she takes off we can get it back later."

"I'LL COME BACK AND SEE YOU," Marty promised with a final wave, before turning to the group, "So where to?" Marco frowned at her.

"Isn't this your plan?"

"Of course not," Marty said offended, "I'm the brawn of thjs operation not the brains." Jack raised an eyebrow pointing to himself, "Well Jack and I are the brawns." Jack nodded, looking pleased with the verdict, while Ace frowned.

"While Marco and I are?"

"Stow-a-way's mostly," Marco snorted as Ace shrugged.

"Right well that leaves me as the girl brain, so we will be heading towards my house," Beth said turning on her heel as Cake puffed herself up.

"You're the girl brain?! How dare you!" Cake said stomping most unladylike after her as Marty trailed absently along behind, leaving the men to make their own way. "And Why are we going to your house? We should be going to my house! Need I remind you, my father-"

"Oh stow it Cake," Marty said Cheerfully.

"Stop calling me that!"

"She raises a good point though," Jake chuckled, "Why Beth's house- I understand the need for her to see her parents but is it the closest house? Or the safest?"

"Also you might want to keep you're voice's down since we don't actually know why the islands gone ghost," Polo said hopefully

"I don't know where Marty lives, but its closer than Cake's," Beth said glancing back at Marty who was now whistling cheerfully in spite of Polo's pleading, "And while I would like to check on my folks, that's not the reason we are going there."

"It isn't?" Marco said staring down a passing alleyway.

"No, our house doubles as a weapons shop," Beth said calmly rounding the corner, as Marco looked at her sharply.

"You don't need to fight, that's what Ace and I are here for," Marco said quickening his pace to walk beside Beth as Ace snorted and muttered.

"Bad call."

"What a load of horse manure," Cake snapped, crossing her arms as everyone turned to her surprised. Marty Laughed.

"Well put Cake."

"Oh for the god's sake, shut up Marty," Marty had just began a new bout of laughter when Ace clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Mmmmmpfh?"

"Shhh," Ace hissed, "Listen." A clatter down the street ahead froze them in their tracks, and then split them in several directions to hide. Marty was hauled after Ace into a doorway. She had dragged Ace's hand down off her to breathe.

"Don't you dare," Marty wheezed, gasping as Ace reached to re-cover her mouth. Snorting quietly, Ace wrapped an arm across her front, pulling her back against him as he examined the street corner.

"I'm not going to ninja leap onto the street," Marty hissed, as the footsteps drew nearer. She tipped her head back so she had a nice view of the underside of his chin.

"History tells us otherwise, now shut up," Ace whispered back, as a figure rounded the street corner.

"… It's just a girl?" Ace said in quiet voice, Marty frowned leaning into Ace's arm for a better view.

"I would put out a friendly reminder that Marty is also just a girl," Marco's voice said drily from somewhere to their left.

"True, would you stop that," Ace jerked Marty back as she attempted to lean father forward, "What are you doing?" Marty stared intently at the approaching figure.

There is no way in freaking hell. She knew those clothes. Of course she knew those clothes.

"He-hello," Ace glanced down confused as Marty stiffened at the girls voice, "hello? Who's there? I need help."

"Purple what-OI," Ace cursed as Marty wrenched herself from his grip flinging herself out onto the street in front of the now startled girl. Panting she pushed her hair and hat out of her face for a better look as Ace moved to stand behind her. Gripping her shoulder harder than necessary.

"What did you just say about ninjas?" Ace spat flicking his eyes over the newcomer.

Of course she knew those clothes. She'd worn the damn uniform for as long as she could remember, hell she had even worn them in the same state when she had first met Donna. Although Marty was sure she didn't look as good in them.

The girl blinked at the pair of them, before focusing on Marty's face. Her eyes widened.

"Lord almighty, Marty? We all thought you were dead! What are you wearing… and what did you do to your hair?" Taken aback, Ace looked down at Marty who was unsettled as he had ever seen her.

"Jesus Christ alright," Marty breathed, "Amber what the hell are you doing here?"

/

BOOM, weren't expecting that were you? Meh maybe you were.

(if you don't remember Amber is a friend-ish from Marty's world – meh they go to school together)

Anyway Fee Fee ships it :)