Welcome, ladies and gents!

A very fast update, I was surprised, too.

I would like to thank Clairenwj for the fav and alert! Welcome to the family :)

Wren, love, thanks for the reviews, you totally made me write this chapter like I was on fire xD

Chapter 24: Secret – Miyavi & Let her go – Passenger

"You have to do everything I say." Ran's voice was low, deep, a mere whisper, but he heard it just fine. It was dark, but Ace could see her eyes. They were mischievous, twinkling. She was looking at him like he was her prey. And Ace liked it.

"Alright." He agreed to her weird condition. He hadn't really experimented in his sex life. More like, he had casual flings on the side and maybe one or two relationships that didn't last too long. Ace simply hadn't had a chance to make his bedroom life fun. So, with Ran, who was as kinky as he had ever met, he was willing to accept any condition that she put. He wanted to try out all the things that he had heard about from his fellow pirates. Ran didn't seem to mind it.

"You can't talk." She told him sternly and her hand came up to his bare chest. He felt his temperature rise, especially in the spot that she touched. Ace nodded, accepting the condition. Ran smirked and pushed him back. Ace couldn't pinpoint their location because of the darkness. However, his knees hit the bed, and he fell back. Ran stood still, just looking at him. Ace moved to get up, but she interrupted him.

"Don't get up."

He obeyed, sitting on the bed comfortably. The pilot moved back. Her hands came to her many pouches and half skirt and she undid them, letting them clang and flutter to the floor. Ace watched in anticipation, painfully aware of the blood pooling down south. Ran bent down, giving him a nice view of her back and bum and undid her boots. They came off. She opened the fly on her shorts and undid the zipper slowly. Ace could feel his hand twitching with each soft click. He wanted to help her out. Speed up the whole painful process. The last click finally sounded and she opened her shorts further, giving him a nice view of her soft purple, lacy underwear. Ace felt himself freeze. His breath quickened, temperature rising once more. He reached out his hands, aiming for her hips. He needed for her to hurry it up. He couldn't take all of this teasing. Ran's hand slapped his swiftly, stopping him. Ace looked up, bewildered.

"You can't touch."

Ran ordered. Ace looked up at her. Her eyes told him that her control was just as thin as his. She wanted him. But, she wanted him to grovel at her feet before that. She enjoyed ordering him around. She got excited by the dominance and the pain and pleasure that it promised.

Ace pulled back his hands, putting them on the bed. He clenched the sheets tightly, to prevent himself from reaching out again. To prevent himself from ripping the remaining clothes off her and having his way with the young pilot.

Ran's thumbs hooked into her shorts and she slowly slid them down. Very slowly. Ace followed the path with his eyes. He wasn't sure where to look. At her panties? Damn, they left little to imagination. Lacy and pale, also sinfully small. He wanted them off of her. No. Maybe at her legs? Years of flying gave her defined leg muscles, not a lot of fat, either. They were strong, smooth and graceful legs. He liked them. He liked them wrapped around his waist. Maybe her butt? Small and round, also formed by years of flying. In these panties, it was simply delicious. He wanted to touch. Ace gripped the sheets tighter. He saw Ran's smirk widen and she slowly did a turn for him. It gave him a whole three-sixty vision of her. Ran kept her back to him and undid her chopstick bun. Ace watched the soft chocolate strands cascade down her shoulders and back in gentle waves. He groaned. Ran chuckled, deep and raw. She was getting the reaction that she had wanted.

She turned around, facing him now. She dropped to her knees suddenly, right in front of Ace. The raven froze. Was this really happening? Ran's hands reached out, but not where he wanted. He felt the heat slightly lower, but it was still almost impossible to handle. Ran undid his boots and threw them somewhere behind her. She smiled and placed her palms flat onto his knees. The skin under her hands quickly heated up and she sighed in pleasure. She dragged her palms gently upwards, leaving goose bumps in her wake. Her hands left the skin, only her fingertips touching the flesh. Ace took a shaky breath as she strayed into the inside of his thighs, spreading his legs open. He obeyed, not waiting for the verbal command. Ran moved back, frowning.

"Did I say you could move?" She scolded, voice raised. Ace stared in disbelief. He wanted those hands back on him. She had just been getting to the best place. He wanted her to touch again. He wanted her to bring him his release. He would play along. It was torture. But it was a torture full of pleasure.

"No, but- Argh!" Ace groaned in pain as Ran's fingers came back to the inside of his thighs. She wasn't gentle, though, she dug her nails into the soft and sensitive flesh harshly. He gave her an incredulous look. What had he done now?

"No talking." Ran scolded. The pressure from her nails eased. She let go slowly, her soft fingertips gently kneading the flesh now. She bent down, to Ace's surprise and rising anticipation, and she pressed a chaste kiss to the crescent marks, barely touching the skin. She looked up from that position, and Ace almost exploded at the sight. Ran was kneeling in front of him, almost naked, hair disheveled and unbound, lips pressed to the skin of his thigh, so close to where he wanted them to be. Her eyes were locked with his, trapping him. Hypnotizing. He was powerless in her hands.

Ace nodded his head, accepting her conditions. She smiled slightly. "Good." Her cheek was pressed against the inside of his leg now, fingers gently massaging his skin. "I suppose I should give you a reward now?" Ace trembled at the thought. So many possibilities were going through his head. His hands twitched, but he forced them to stay still. If he broke the rules, he wouldn't get his release. He nodded again, his face slowly heating up.

"I can do that." Ran smiled. Her hands reached up, nimble fingers reaching his pants. Ace froze, trembling, holding his breath. The heat was unbearable by now. He needed to release his fire, or to push it back down, into the depths of his Logia body. The pads of her fingers touched him, his pants and Ace released a throaty moan. When he heard it ring through the room, his hand flew to his mouth, the back of it, stifling any more that might come. He was painfully aware of the bright red blush on his face. He was pretty sure that all his freckles had vanished into it.

Ran chuckled and pushed herself up, using his legs as leverage. Her fingers brushed against the tent in is pants as she reached up, but Ace managed to muffle the moan. The pilot bent forward, catching herself on her hands on each side of his body. She bent even lower, her loose hair caressing his sweaty, hot and very naked torso. She smiled at his closed eyes and her mouth reached his hand. The one that was stifling all those wonderful noises. She pressed a chaste kiss on it inside, causing Ace's eyes to fly open. He looked at her in shock, waiting for the punishment. It never came. Her leg came up, knee leaning on the bed and moving upwards in between his. Her lower thigh made slight contact with his groin, causing him to muffle another moan. She bit into his palm, causing him to yelp in surprise. The slight movement of her leg and the pleasure it brought banished all the pain in a flash.

"Let me hear you." The woman ordered next. Ace nodded. He was too far gone. She had teased him too much. He would do anything now. Just to get that beautiful release in the end. Ran moved back and Ace lowered his hand back to the sheets. "Better." Ran said with a smile, leg moving away from his groin. "Move further up." Was her new demand. The pirate obeyed.

Ran stayed still, watching him crawl on his back. Ace was painfully aware of his quick, hot breaths. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. He didn't doubt that he could overpower her, but going against her will was not something that Ace wanted to do. The pilot watched him, her own heart beating wildly. Ace stared in anticipation. He wanted more of her. More of her game. Ran then smirked and got on the bed. She slowly moved towards him on all fours, giving him a nice view of her cleavage. Ace could feel his pants becoming increasingly uncomfortable with each slow sway of her breasts. When she finally reached his body, Ace held his breath. Maybe if he breathed, he would spook her and she would move away.

Her limbs brushed against his legs as she moved up. Her fingers touched the hot skin of his sides as she passed. Ace shuddered at the contact, his eyes fluttering closed. When he opened them back up Ran was smirking at him. She had stopped moving up and was hovering above him. Her chest was just above his face. Ace's gaze fell on the breasts, and he couldn't look it away. Ran lowered herself on him, her bare skin and soft panties making contact with his abdomen. With a smirk she slid down, pressing just right against him. Ace groaned. The pilot started moving her hips in small circular motions, changing the amount of pressure that was on his groin. She alternated between fast and slow circles, the smirk widening at every single little pant he gave. After one particularly hard grind Ace moaned and his hands flew up, grabbing her hips and pulling her back down. Ran slapped his hands, rising onto her knees, not touching him.

"You can't touch." She ordered him. Ace groaned, letting his arms fall onto the bed. He clenched the sheets in a vice grip. "Good." Ran lowered herself back down, sliding to his thighs. "I should give a reward." The pilot bent down, placing small, open mouthed kissed on Ace's chest and abdomen, heading further down. She drank up every single moan and groan that he gave. Her fingers undid his zipper swiftly, pulling his pants slightly down. Ace wasn't sure if he was breathing or not anymore. He must've been breathing, else he would've died or fainted. Ran nipped lightly on the sensitive skin below his abs and pulled away. Her fingers touched his chest and then slid down. She traced his abs and went even lower, reaching his underwear. Ace wasn't breathing now. He really wasn't. He just needed her to go a bit lower. Just a little bit lower.

"Ace! Wake up!" Leo's face appeared on Ran's body. "We're under attack!" The dark room and seductive body vanished and the group sleeping quarters came into focus. Leo shook him once more. "Let's go! Get up!" And with that the blonde ran out, heading for the deck. The ship shook once again and Ace groaned at the problem in his pants. However, he did get up and head towards the deck.

In the past few days his wounds had gotten a bit better, so he could walk and do daily chores fairly easily. However, a new problem had presented itself. Ace was addicted to Ran. He dreamed about her. He thought about her. He felt her touches even when awake. He had to be sick or something. This wasn't normal. He figured, that since he had broken his celibacy, he had become incredibly high on the feeling. On the anticipation of release. Getting simply a small taste wasn't enough. He needed the whole package. Many, many times. The ship shook again and Ace quickened his pace.

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran sipped her coffee, enjoying the nice, spring weather. It was a good change from the last couple of islands she and Izo had landed on. They had mostly been winter or autumn islands, which were all going through their cold seasons. This one was a winter island, too, but it was going through its summer cycle. That basically meant a nice, cool, spring like weather.

Ran was sitting in a cute, outdoors cafe, enjoying a cup of coffee and waiting for her client. It was going to be noon soon, and the man should be arriving. Then again, Ran didn't mind people being late. She, herself, was sometimes late. So, she figured she couldn't complain. She had worn one of the short kimonos Izo had suggested she buy, and she was now glad that she had listened. The material was fine, silky and comfortable. It wasn't too hot in it, but she wasn't cold either. Ran smiled to herself and took another sip of the sweet beverage. She took her coffee sweet, with milk.

Speaking of the cross-dresser. Ran had dropped the pink Commander off at his destination that morning. The man had agreed to meet up later that day, after she picked up her package. Meanwhile, he needed to meet with the governor and tend to the problems of the island. Apparently, they had bandits pillaging their villages and towns. Ran was glad to leave the man to deal with it. She knew how scary Izo could get. It was all fun and games until he pulled out his guns. The dazzling beauty would become terrifying once you were staring at his cold eyes down the barrel of his gun. Ran was thankful that she had been on that end only once. Izo wasn't someone who accepted new faces easily. He tended to be suspicious. The first time Ran had worked for Whitebeard, Izo had been away when she took the job. So, when she delivered, he considered her a threat, as he was the lookout. She had never been gladder to see Thatch than that night. So, Ran didn't really worry about Izo. The pink Commander could more than take care of himself, battle wise.

"R-Ran-san?" A voice asked. The pilot turned around a bit, a polite smile plastered on her face.

"Yes?" The man that stood before her seemed nervous. He was in his thirties, his longish black hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck, and it seemed to stick out it weird directions. His eyes were on the ground, but Ran could see that they were grey. What a peculiar color, she mused. He also had a scar on his face. It ran jaggedly just under his right eye. It looked old. Other than that, he had no other distinguishable marks on him. His clothes were casual, plain. His posture was hunched, as if he were hiding. Generally, Ran's impression of him was 'one of those invisible people in the mass'.

"I am Erebus, but most people call me Kage. I-It's very nice to meet you." The man slowly came towards her. Ran noticed how reluctant he was to sit. The pilot stood, dropping a few belis on the table. She picked up her bag and motioned for Kage to follow. He gladly did, seeming a bit more relaxed.

"May I see the package?" Ran asked the man. He nodded shakily and opened his bag. Kage started rummaging through, looking for it. He became increasingly more upset the longer he searched. Ran raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any questions.

"I-I seem to have misplaced it. I-I am so sorry. Forgive me." He started bowing to her in apology. Ran smiled, raising her hands to stop him.

"It's alright. Shall we go and pick it up?" She gave him a bright, encouraging smile, causing his face to brighten up. He seemed more at ease. He started nodding frantically.

"Y-Yes, of course! I-it's here, just around the corner." He led Ran away from the main street, which was full of colors and people. Kage kept talking, telling her about Silver Peak, and how beautiful it was here. Ran felt guilty to admit, but she had tuned out his stuttering babble. "Right h-here." He unlocked one of the houses and entered, still shaking while he walked. Ran followed, her encouraging smile in place. The house was dark and dusty. It smelled of mold and rotten food. Ran wrinkled her nose, but didn't comment. Did this man really live here? The house didn't seem lived in. She turned to Kage to ask him about it, her curiosity breaking her polite façade.

"H-here you go, miss." He handed her a small package, barely the size of her hand. It was wrapped in strong, brown paper, the industrial kind. When she took it her gloved hands couldn't feel the texture, but she was willing to bet that it was rough. The small package wasn't too heavy, and was strangely warm. Ran frowned at it.

"Is this package fragile in any way? Because I do not accept living packages, sir." She looked up at him. Kage nodded shakily.

"It is very fragile, miss. But, I assure you, it is not alive." Ran threw another look at the package. It seemed strangely squishy in her hand. She turned it around slowly, aiming to inspect the underside. What she saw, was entirely unexpected. The bottom had gone a deep burgundy and it seemed wet. When Ran pulled her hand away, there was a crimson smear left on her white glove. Uneasiness pooled into the pit of her stomach and her heart started beating like it had gone insane. She looked up at Kage cautiously. "At least, it is not alive anymore." His grey eyes had gone stone cold. Then, everything went black.

~~~~pb~~~~

"Move those planks over there!" Leo yelled out to Teach across the deck as the pirates tidied up. The fight was over, the victory had been theirs, as usual. And now, now came the cleanup. Along with the scorched hole that Ace and Marco had made a few days back, now they had quite a few more holes, broken or sliced planks, and burn marks. All in all, major cleanup was necessary. One of the well-aimed cannon balls had hit the sleeping quarters, so that had to be fixed, too. Some enemies had ended up falling through the deck and into the cafeteria, where Kondor had luckily done some cleanup. Ace had been shocked that the drunken cook could fight that well. But, even though the old man had reacted quickly, and neutralized the threat, there was damage. Thatch had suggested separating the room into two different levels and lowering the ceiling for supplies. The idea had been accepted quickly. Ace had been assigned, along with most of the Second division, to the cafeteria.

"Are we going to use these?" The raven showed Leo the couple of toolboxes that had been stored in a wooden cargo container. The blonde nodded.

"Take them down. There are quite a few useful things in those." Leo laughed. "Thatch was actually looking for them a few months back, but I had no idea where they were." Ace nodded, picking up the heavy cargo box with ease. He passed Teach who was struggling with a pile of planks on his way down. A couple of guys from their division rushed to their comrade and helped him with the wood. Ace continued on his way down.

Kondor was in the cafeteria, attempting to do some kind of damage control. Apparently, the old pirate was very attached to the current design of the cafeteria. He didn't really appreciate the ceiling being lowered to accommodate more supplies, nor the fact that the Second division was making a raised part of the room. There was going to be a step that led to a higher positioned set of tables and chairs. Those were going to be cushioned, as the crew had agreed that they needed more comfortable seats. Sure, they were keeping their old ones, too, but they were leaving those in the wider part of the room.

"Please don't put that there! A-aaah~ Why is this even necessary?" The old pirate gave up and drank from his bottle. It wasn't a short sip, like usual, it was a deep gulp. Penny walked out from the kitchen and placed her small hand on the old cook's shoulder. She smiled at him encouragingly.

"It's going to be fine, Kondor-sensei-sama." She reassured him. "They know what they're doing." The small girl walked back into the kitchen and started setting glasses full of liquid onto the window counter. "Lemonade is ready, everyone!" She yelled out, causing most of the working pirates to take a break and go get a glass. Penny was a godsend, and no one could counter that. She was a little angel, always thinking about others. "The sandwiches are going to be ready in a moment." She informed the now chatting pirates and went farther into the kitchen to prepare them. Kondor gave a smile and took another small sip from his bottle. He saw Ace putting his load down.

"A-aaah~ Ace, my boy! Hungry yet? You've been working for a while." Ace shrugged.

"I'm fine for now. I had a great breakfast." He grinned at the old cook. The raven wiped his forehead, removing the sweat. He needed a shower. Bad. Soon, he promised himself. He needed to finish chores first. Leo arrived from the deck and headed straight for the lemonades. Ace laughed at him. The blonde gulped down one of the glassed and then came up to his former charge and the old cook.

"Is my pain funny, Ace?" The blonde wondered. He had been out in the heat, helping and trying to organize the Second division. He had basically been selected as acting Commander. In this mess, where they worked on their own, everyone agreed that they should go to Leo with their questions. The blonde wasn't ecstatic about it, but he was secretly happy. He liked being depended on. That meant that he was trusted.

Ace bent down and took a toolbox. He opened it, seeing the nails and hammers. He nodded to himself. "Hilarious, actually." He told Leo and ran away, not waiting for the answer. He needed to get some work done.

~~~~pb~~~~

Afternoon couldn't come quickly enough for Marco. Chores were impossible when they were doing repairs on the ship. Everyone had questions. Most of those were directed at the phoenix. The first mate wanted a break. Or a drink, or something. He ate a little bit of food with Thatch and Ace on the deck, as the cafeteria was out of order. Then he escaped the bickering duo and ended up sitting next to Pops, as usual. He wanted to tell the Captain about his newest discoveries about the traitor on board. He really did. But, it was a rather delicate issue.

"Pops, yoi." He greeted the old pirate. Whitebeard didn't respond. He did, however, look at his son. The blonde seemed troubled, even though his expression was schooled in his usual bored one.

"Have you decided to tell me about that issue now?" The old pirate began, voice deep, rumbling. "Have you discovered anything new?" Whitebeard took a sip from his sake cup, looking over his dancing and singing crew on deck. It sickened him that one of his precious sons had chosen to betray him. It was one of the unspoken rules on his ship. Protect your brothers. Trust your comrades. He could see that Marco was struggling with telling him what was on his mind. "Speak freely, son. I will not judge."

The phoenix sighed softly. "I received information that Penelope was our mole, yoi." Whitebeard frowned. "Of course, I chose to follow through, even though the information came from Jade." The old pirate reached for his bare chin, stroking it absent mindedly.

"I don't think that the little brat is capable of betrayal."

"She isn't, yoi." The first mate continued. "Upon further inquiry, I discovered that the tip was false, yoi. Penny is innocent. She wants to learn about navigation, though. She was adorable, yoi. She told me how she didn't want to be a bother to us." Marco laughed and Whitebeard joined in.

"Gurararara! Did she now?"

"Yes." Marco nodded. He reached behind Pop's chair and found one of the bottles in his stash. Everyone knew where the stash was. Even the nurses. They allowed him that small pleasure, though. "She wants to find her mother, yoi."

Whitebeard nodded. "Are you saying that my precious daughter has betrayed me, son?" The old pirate frowned at him.

"No." The first mate clarified. "I'm saying that the information didn't come from Jade, yoi." The blonde took a sip from the strong alcohol and put it back into the stash. Whitebeard frowned, but then his eyes narrowed. He flared his Haki in anger.

"Chameleone?" He rumbled, lowering his voice. Marco gave a small nod. The old man sighed and drank some more alcohol. "Thank you, son. This was not an easy task that I gave you."

"I know, yoi. It isn't going to get any easier." Marco inspected his hands, as if they were fascinating. "Should I call a Commanders meeting?" He asked, looking up at his Captain.

"Yes." Whitebeard said. "I want their opinions, but I will take care of it in the end. I also want to talk to Rakuyo. Chameleone is in his division." The old pirate drank some more booze.

"I understand, yoi." Marco agreed.

"Marco." The phoenix looked up at his Captain. "Do you think we made the wrong decision? Becoming a Yonko, creating a big family? Do you think it was better back then, when our territory was small and our friends were close to none?" Marco smiled.

"We all know that the name of Yonko means nothing to you, Pops, yoi. We know that you merely use it to protect our family." The phoenix paused, listening to the singing crew. "I miss the old days. But, I love the present, yoi. Just listen to them." For a moment, the two sat in silence, listening to the song and watching the dancing pirates.

"Gurararara!" The giant man laughed. "They do sound rather happy!"

~~~~pb~~~~

Ran woke to the sound of dripping water. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times through the darkness. Her body felt numb and a bit cold. The back of her head was throbbing uncomfortably. She looked down and noticed that her kimono was still on. She sighed in relief. The pilot inspected the room next. She couldn't see far. Thanking Bohai for the nth time for teaching her mantra, she allowed her senses to spread out and feel the room. She was alone. Ran looked back down, inspecting her restraints. They were strong. There was no way that she could break free. Bohai had told her about that other kind of mantra, the reinforcing kind, but she had never managed to learn it. She wished that she had worked harder.

Next, Ran closed her eyes. She let the room flood her senses. She spread her mantra as far as it would go. She was somewhere underground. In some kind of a basement. There was a leaky pipe to her left, dripping annoyingly. The smell of mold and rotten food was heavy in the air. She could feel the dust that had gathered under her arms and legs. She was still in the same house that Kage had brought her to. If not that one, then, she was in the same neighborhood. It wouldn't do any good for her to scream. If she remembered well, she was pretty far off the main street. The streets that Kage had led her through had been empty. The realization hit her like a brick wall. She was alone. In a basement. Unable to move. No one would help her.

Izo. She had come here with Izo. The Commander was smart. He would realize once she didn't come to the meeting place that something was wrong. He knew where she was going. He knew that she was going to meet the man named Erebus. He would come for her. Maybe he would come and find her body. Who knows how long it had been since she had met up with Kage. Minutes? Hours?

The reality crashed on her once more. Like ice cold water. No one was coming for her. She had chosen to be a lone Migratory Bird.

Panic gripped her and she opened her mouth and screamed her lungs out. She wasn't going to go down easy. Ran's voice cracked and she took one more breath. Screaming again, she could feel her throat getting rawer and rawer. She started struggling against the ropes while yelling. She couldn't get her hands free. Her legs were strapped tight, too, separated, each to one leg of the chair. She could feel something crackling under the toes of her right foot. Ran stilled for a second. Then, she started rocking left and right. Her chair fell on its side. She felt glass on the floor. Lucky, she thought and managed to catch one with her numb fingers. Ignoring the way the shards bit into her cheek, shoulder, hip and legs, she started trying to sever the binds. She heard a squeal somewhere above her head. Ew, she thought, rats.

"Well, well, well. She's on her way out." A deep male voice came from the dark. Ran cursed herself for not keeping her mantra alert. "You were right, she is rather street smart." She didn't know this man. Light burst into the room, showing Ran the mess that her mantra had felt out earlier. It looked like a right abandoned pigsty. She shivered at the thought that she was laying on the ground in that room.

"I'm always right." Ran knew that voice. Only it wasn't stuttering anymore. Looking up, she saw Kage. His eyes were as cold as they had been before her lights went out. His face was emotionless, the empathy, the nervousness, it had vanished from his body. His ponytail was up now, still just as messy. It gave her a clear view of his neck. When he turned around, she saw it. A Scorpio tattoo. It was wide on his skin, threatening somehow.

"I bet all that acting was annoying, eh?" The other man spoke, but Kage didn't react. Ran looked at him now. He was tall, taller than Kage and well built. While Kage was skinny and scrawny looking, this man was wide, muscular. His hair was short, almost nonexistent. His clothes were plain, black, making him blend into the background. But, when she looked between the new man and Kage, the latter seemed to go in and out of the shadows, as if he were a part of them, but the other seemed to try and escape into the darkness. The muscular man picked up Ran's chair and set it straight. He kicked at her hands, making her cut herself and drop the glass shard in pain. "That's better." He praised her, a sick smile on his face. He dragged one finger over the cut on her hands and bent so she could see him better. He raised the blood to his mouth and licked it off. Ran could bet that she would never forget his eyes. They were the same color as the blood that he lapped up with pleasure.

"Greetings from the Zodiacs." The man spoke.

That's all for now, folks :D I'm so eeeebil!

A question for you guys, Zodiacs, good or evil? What do you think?

Wren (Cheese Queen :P ): I'm glad that I surprised you xD I'm usually really bad at making those unexpected plots and all that xD

Proof? Well, considering that Marco came to Whitebeard first with the inconsistency in reports, and the Captain asked him to find the leak, I don't think he really needs proof… At least not for Whitebeard, maybe for the Commanders meeting, though… Still, it's a pirate ship, you don't get less law that that… hehehehe~

Ran… Ran needs a slap to the face. She is irritating sometimes… xD But, she is afraid of change, of being tied down. She has a bit of a realization moment in this chapter, though..

I get what you mean with Izo and Thatch completing each other. While Izo is more of a thinker and a paranoid person, Thatch is easy going and trusting, a prankster. They are a pretty good fit in my opinion. For that hot and fast kind of love. Mmmmm xD

Durarara! is awesome :) I love the first opening, though! It used to be my alarm clock, and I still love it xD That says enough hahahahha

Hope you enjoyed :D