EIGHT YEARS AGO

Sora took a deep breath, pushing open the door. She was greeted with the bright rays of the sun and the familiar sound of the Moby Dick cutting through the sea.

"Oy," greeted Marco. He was sitting on the deck, leaning against the railing. He yawned, stretching his shoulder blades back. He stood up, placing a hand on Sora's head. "You had a good night's sleep?"

Sora nodded. She had passed out the moment she hit her hammock last night, so stuffed from all the food at dinner. The division commanders were impressed with how much the small girl could eat – she had a bottomless stomach but didn't gain a pound.

"Want to practice or no?" he offered with a grin.

Sora nodded again and they shifted decks, Sora pulling her sword from her sheath. She could see it becoming a little dull. So could Marco. He lifted the blade slightly, examining it. "We'll get this sharpened later," he said, ruffling her hair again. Sora had gotten used to Marco always touching her hair – it actually made her feel a little closer to him.

Not that it mattered.

As soon as Marco set a stance, Sora charged him, whipping her blade across his chest. Marco was faster and leapt out of the way, lifting his arm to block another strike. He figured she was going to slash again like how she normally did but before he could even move, he was on the ground.

Sora leapt back, holding her blade out in front of her. Marco rubbed his jaw, feeling it ache slightly. "Did you just hit me?"

Izou, who normally watched their spars in the morning, seemed extremely shocked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. He hadn't even seen what had happened.

"Maybe," Sora said, smiling. She sheathed her sword and simply placed her hand on it, like how Izou had been teaching her for Iaidou style swords fighting.

Marco took a stance, beckoning at her. "Bet you can't do it again."

Sora swooped towards him again, keeping low to the ground, and Marco prepped to block from below. He guarded against her strike, and pushed her back, leaping at her. He struck down, knowing too well that Sora would collide with the ground, but instead, he felt her elbow slam into his back.

He rolled over to see her dancing. "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah," Sora chanted, pumping her fists wiggling her body triumphantly. "Unghhhhh that's what I'm talkin' about," she teased, pulling down her lower eyelid and sticking out her tongue. Marco pushed himself off the ground, dusting his shoulders off as the younger girl danced.

"You should probably be more serious," Marco told her and in a second, was right in front her, arm cocked back for a punch. He saw Sora lift her hands as though that were supposed to stop a punch from the first division commander. And then he felt it.

Swirling around him was wind. Sora let the wind explode around her hands, creating a sort of wall. But Marco easily punched through it, sending her flying backwards, her shoulder hitting the deck.

"Ow," she complained, sitting up.

Marco held out a hand and pulled her up with ease. "You're using your fruit," he said with a grin.

"What? I am most certainly not," Sora said, making a face as she pretended that she hadn't used her new powers just now. Her denial was quite cute.

"A wind wall?" Marco asked, patting her on the head. "You know that's like making a wall of air, right?"

Sora huffed, crossing her arms. "It sounded like a good idea."

"How about air compression?" Marco suggested. Sora looked up at him with a puzzled expression, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Instead of spreading out the wind, why don't you just press it together? That'd make a better defensive move."

Sora squeezed her hands open and close, nodding. She took a stance, holding her hands out. "Okay, let me try," she told Marco.

The blonde man smiled. "Try to stop my punch," Marco said, and launched his fist at her. Sora tried to concentrate all the wind around her to one point in her palm, trying to repel his fist, but it wasn't strong enough, and she was blown backwards again.

"Ugh," she groaned, rolling around on the deck.

Marco helped her up again and smiled. "That was good. Ready to try again?"

Sora grinned, and nodded, setting a stance once more.

The days went on as such, Sora being a little more open with using her powers. Marco had learned that she had hit him several times by using the wind to propel herself. "Do that only at the last second," he advised. "Once someone sees an attack coming, they unconsciously time it to prepare for a block, so if you speed it up at the last second, you can catch your opponent off guard."

Sora also had been applying her newfound strength into trying to get the key to the ship storage. Everyday, Sora ran at the captain of the Moby Dick, accelerated by wind around her ankles, but still, she could never lay a finger on the key. Her hands always fell short before Whitebeard swatted her away like an annoying summer fly.

Applying her powers to her swordsmanship as well, Marco noticed a substantial increase in her speed and strength. She had also learned to cut the air itself. Again, however, she did try these things on Whitebeard, who merely laughed and deflected her attacks as he drank from his giant bowl of sake.

"Cut your hair or tie it," Whitebeard told her one afternoon. Sora brushed the hair out of her face constantly, only to have it fall over her shoulders again. She was friendly towards Marco and Izou, but did not appreciate Whitebeard keeping her hostage on this ship.

"Not a chance," she replied, glowering at the captain. She was friendly to everyone on the ship except Whitebeard. She still hadn't even introduced herself.

"Who are you growing it out for?" he asked, a question that surprised even the division commanders? They always watched Sora trying to take the key, critiquing her technique, and then taking her back to the training deck to improve.

Marco glanced at Sora, who also seemed to have been caught off guard by Whitebeard's question. "T-that's none of your business," she snapped.

Whitebeard laughed heartily. "I am sure that person you are growing your hair out for is a lucky man."

Marco watched Sora's face visibly turn pink all over, and it seemed like steam was going to blow out of her ears. The division commanders and Whitebeard just laughed at her girlish act.

"Why don't you join me?" Whitebeared asked. The division commanders smiled at that idea, gazing at the younger girl hopefully. They wanted to keep her on the ship as a nakama. "Maybe you will be able to meet that man again someday."

"I'm going to become a marine," Sora replied immediately. "That's how I'm going to meet with him again."

And that was that. Every time Sora tried to capture the key and failed, Whitebeard would offer her to become a part of the crew, and she would decline, stating that her goal was to become a marine.

"Oy, Sora," Marco called one morning. Sora was foling paper cranes with Izou, using her wind to make them float in the air and fly around the ship. She had been doing this for a few days now, making a crane for every single crewmate and sending it to them via wind. Men on the ship had actually grown quite fond of Sora. She was funny, and cute, and had the appetite of a starved animal, which the men thought was quite hilarious.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up at Marco. She was dressed in one of his shirts again, with the sleeves rolled up. It was quite big on her, though, and the pants she was wearing were also a little big. She didn't seem to mind, however, and looked comfortable, like she was wearing pajamas at all times of the day.

"Oyajii wants to talk to you," he said, pointing a thumb to the upper deck. Again with that title. But Sora didn't say anything, standing up and following Marco to the captain. She hadn't tried to grab the key today. She wondered if he was going to ask if she gave up and then ask her to join the crew again.

"What?" Sora snapped, crossing her arms over her chest when she reached the giant pirate. He picked something out of his coat pocket and tossed it at her. Sora quickly caught it, noticing that it was light. She stared at it. There were at least hundreds of thousands of Beli messily clipped together.

"We will be reaching another island shortly. Go and buy yourself some new clothes. It is unnatural for a young woman to be walking around barefoot in a man's clothes."

Sora was completely speechless. Marco watched her, smiling slightly as she struggled for words. Just by scanning the size of the wad of money, Marco could tell there was at least 100,000,000 Beli in her hands; probably more money than she had ever seen in her life. "You can't bribe me," Sora said, her voice faltering a little. "Just because you're paying for my clothes doesn't mean I'll join you. I'm still going to take that key from you and become a marine."

Whitebeard nodded, waving her off. "Go. Marco will be leading an advance so you may accompany him to the island first," Whitebeard instructed. He saw a light spark in Sora's eyes - she was going to be on dry land! "There is no marine base on this island," he informed her, watching her spirits fall.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," Marco assured his captain with a grin. He opened his arm, Sora coming to his side, feeling Marco's limb drape over her shoulders. "Come on, let's go."

Sora hopped into a small ship with Marco and a few men from his division. Izou also wanted to come along, and Thatch as well, so they brought some of their division. "You know, joining the crew wouldn't be that bad," Izou suggested, grinning. "It would be fun to have you travel with us."

"I can't," Sora said, keeping her eyes in front of her.

"You should think about it," Thatch said, standing at her side.

Sora just hummed in some kind of pending agreement, brushing Thatch off. These people were her friends, yes, but she couldn't call them nakama – she couldn't become a pirate. She needed to become a marine and catch up with Ken. It was the only way for her to see him. She had waited five long years to chase after her dream – to meet with him again.

Marco just watched from the side, wondering what it was about this girl that made her so interesting. She was well liked by the crew because of her outgoing personality, but at times she was distant and caged herself in. Marco rubbed the bridge of his nose. She was so intriguing, it was hard not to think about her.

They reached the island, a small suburban patch of land. They anchored their ship, pulling down their sails and made their way to the shore, Sora sitting quietly in the dinghy some crewmen were rowing. Marco sat her side, noticing that she was a little tense, wringing her hands together. She rolled up her pants, hopping into the shallow waters as the boat got closer, feeling a little weak as she made her way to the sand. The heavy feeling disappeared as soon as her feet left the water and she turned back, waiting for Marco. She was a little annoyed that she had to be babysitted, but she understood the situation.

Marco patted her on the head. "Go ahead. Just be back here by sunset."

"I thought you're going to keep an eye on me," Sora said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're not a kid. Do your own thing. I'll be around, so just find me if you need anything. We're going to go shop for food supplies and such, dinner will be had on the main ship," Marco told her, smiling. Sora still didn't move. What if this was a trick? He seemed to sense her hesitation and added, "Go. I trust you."

Sora seemed surprised by his words, blinking at him for a moment before smiling, dimples appearing on her cheeks. "Thanks. I'll be back."

"See you for dinner," Marco said, waving as she headed up the sand to the village.

"Oy, stop hitting on her; she's sixteen," Izou teased, shoving Marco playfully as they dragged the dinghy up the beach away from the ocean.

"I'm not hitting on her," Marco defended, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever," Izou sighed. "She's cute, but that's just the thing, Marco, she's just cute. And you heard her – she already has a man."

Marco scoffed as though he didn't care but the truth was that he was very interested in who this person was. It seemed like she wanted to be a marine so badly for this person and always let her long hair get in the way of her fighting because she was keeping it that way for him. He agreed with his captain – the man she was waiting for surely was quite lucky.

Sora brushed the sand off her bare feet, feeling the pavement hot under her feet. She hopped from foot to foot, glancing around as she entered the town. Shoes come first. She quickly darted under awnings to the shade so the soles of her feet wouldn't burn off, reading shop names as she passed.

She was surprised that Marco had let her go without supervision. Sure, she wasn't a kid, but she was technically a hostage on Whitebeard's ship. How did he know she wasn't going to run away? Sora sighed. Not like there was anywhere she could go. The money Whitebeard gave her was enough for new clothes, but not anywhere near enough for a ship to get her all the way to Marineford, or another island. She needed to get the Kairoseki coating as well and that would cost a lot of money, too. She was better off just buying clothes and waiting.

She ducked into a shoe store, and the owner greeted her with a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, miss," she said. She glanced down at Sora's bare feet and came out from behind the counter. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Um, just something comfortable," she said, and the owner looked Sora up and down briefly, and then at the shelves.

She smiled. "I think I have something for you."

Sunset came a lot faster than expected. Marco had been with Izou and Thatch for most of the day, buying supplies and looking around the stores. No one dared to say anything about them being from the Whitebeard Pirates, but the men were polite and paid for everything they bought. It wasn't like they didn't have the money.

Izou glanced at a clock in a clothing store they were in. "We should go meet Sora," he said, noticing that outside, the sky had turned orange. "She's probably heading over to the beach, if she didn't try to run away. It was sweet that you let her off on her own, Marco, but if she did really leave, I'm going to be broken hearted."

Izou pushed open the door, thanking the owner as they left the shop. Marco chuckled. "I don't think she did—"

"Hey, guys," said a voice, and the division commanders looked up. Sora had been walking by, and smiled upon seeing the pirates. She was dressed in a black bikini, contrasting against her very fair skin, accentuating her now very obvious chest. Her hair was slightly curled, cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her belly was flat and she had on a pair of gray shorts that followed the curves of her hips. Sora's new knee-high heeled boots, showed off her lean legs. She was carrying several multicolored bags all form today's shopping adventure. With a body like that, she did not look sixteen.

"I take back what I said earlier," Izou whispered to Marco, even his eyes outlining Sora's new look. She was definitely not "just cute" anymore.

"Is this okay?" Sora asked, looking down at herself nervously as the division commanders could only stare. "Should I buy something else? It's always so hot, I just thought—"

"No," Izou said immediately, feeling like he was speaking for his nakama as well. "You are very sexy."

Sora giggled. "Thanks, I guess," she said. "Marco's clothes aren't exactly flattering." She realized what she had said and held up her hands, shaking them, her bags rustling. "No, I-I mean, not flattering on me! Not on me, I mean, I guess, they're made for you, but yeah, I don't know, okay."

Izou smirked slightly at Sora's quick, awkward reaction. "Well, shall we go back to the ship?"

Sora nodded, following behind the men, her boots clicking softly. Izou and Thatch began chatting about something, so Sora was walking next to Marco. She dug something out of a blue bag. "Um," she started, glancing up at Marco. "I finished kinda early, so I-uh, yeah, okay, here." She shoved the item into Marco's hands. It was a gold chain belt decorated with metals and gems.

Marco smiled at her. "You bought this for me?"

"I made it," Sora said, looking away. "There's this shop and stuff to make stuff and I just bought the materials and yeah, stop."

Marco strung it over his waist immediately, letting it hang from his sash. He couldn't believe that she had used some of the allowance Whitebeard gave her and bought something for him. She made it. It was a small gesture, but it made Marco happy. "Thank you," he said, ruffling her hair and slinging that arm around her shoulders.

"It's my thank you for training me and stuff. I…really don't think I would have been ale to get this far without you," Sora mumbled, looking away. Izou glanced back, smirking again before whispering something to Thatch. The brown haired man tried to inconspicuously glance back as well, and Marco rolled his eyes. Izou tended to go off tangent with his gossip sometimes.

Why was Marco's heart was beating so quickly? He was struggling to keep his composure. This girl…was so genuine. She said she didn't want to be a pirate and yet she bought something for Marco as a thanks. She said being a devil fruit made her a monster, but she had progressed so far in using her fruit in a matter of weeks. Not to mention that she was absolutely stunning. It was unbelievable that she was only sixteen.

Marco realized he never paid much attention to her body at all because most of it was hidden under baggy clothes. It sounded bad, but he actually thought that she had a really pretty face. He had memorized it – heart shaped, long eyelashes, big blue eyes, a smile with three dimples on one cheek and two on the other - but seeing her body along with it was completely different. She definitely was not just a kid. He struggled not to just stare at her.

They walked back to the dinghy, just chatting about their day. Sora told Marco about the places she went and the things she bought, and Marco told her about the people they met – it was all nice small talk. And for now, that was enough.

But it quickly stopped being enough. As the days went by, everyone began to consider Sora a woman rather than a kid. She had started to help cook, and clean, but still made time to spar in the morning and have dinner with the crew quite late into the night. She and Marco grew closer everyday – after dinner, she normally followed him to his room to talk. She just listened to him talk about pirate stories – but Marco had never really had the chance to talk to a woman so intimately before. Sure, there had been other women, but none like Sora.

And the way she listened, looking at him as though she were actually interested, her big eyes wide, laughing whole heartedly, the way she hooked her hair behind her ear, the way she wrung her thin fingers together during a suspenseful part – Marco noticed it all. He didn't want to – he wanted to stop caring about what she thought, but he couldn't help it. Everyday, Sora still chased after the key around Whitebeard's neck, getting closer and closer each time, and everyday, Marco prayed that her fingers wouldn't wrap around that tiny silver key.

Was it selfish? Was it selfish to care about her so much that he wanted her to stay here with the crew? With him? If her dream was to become strong, she could become stronger here than she ever could with the marines. But unfortunately, he knew that wasn't her dream. Her dream was to become a marine. While they were not enemies now, when she donned that white uniform, they might be. A day would come when he would have to fight her and maybe even kill her.

Dinner was on the deck tonight, as the sky was clear and the moon was full. The crew had set up torches to help provide light and dinner was being carried up from the kitchen. Sora walked away from the pirates for a moment, and sat at Whitebeard's side. He glanced down at her. "I'm tired, kid. No sneaking up on me tonight."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, it's not that," she said quietly, keeping her eyes fixed on the party. It seemed like their laughter was so far away, even when she was right there. Her eyes landed on Marco and she couldn't help but smile gently. The man was so kind to her. He always made her laugh and helped her hone her powers, all the while knowing that she wanted to become a marine.

"Oyaji," Thatch called, glancing back at his captain. "Come eat!"

"Later," the old man said, waving him off. Thatch just nodded, returning to conversation with his nakama.

"Why do they call you that?" Sora blurted, looking up at Whitebeard. "Why do they address their captain as their father?" There was no one in the world who Sora could call her mother or father. Michio was a friend. Eiichi was a friend. She had friends on the island that cared for her because she was a child. She had floated there and was just taken in. She had friends. But she didn't have parents. She didn't have a family.

Whitebeard peered down at the small woman. "What is your treasure?" he asked.

Sora furrowed her brows. "Treasure?"

"My treasure is my family," the giant man said, and Sora felt her lungs tighten. "We are not just a pirate crew. These boys are my family. They are my sons."

"Your…sons," Sora said quietly, her eyes scanning the party in front of her.

"We protect each other, like a family. I believe that this why we have survived for so long. We support each other, no matter what. That is what a family is, isn't it?"

Sora shook her head. "I wouldn't know. I don't really have a real family."

"The offer still stands," Whitebeard said, and Sora immediately knew what he was talking about.

"I can't," she said, but Whitebeard didn't hear the normal conviction in her voice when she denied him. He didn't hear her strength, or her stubbornness. For the first time since she came on this ship, Whitebeard heard her.

They sat in silence for a little while. "You're going to stay, though?" he asked.

Sora sighed a little, nodding. She glanced up at Whitebeard, and grinned. "'Til I can get that key. I'm gonna be a marine."

Whitebeard laughed heartily. "What a waste. You are a talented woman. You and I both know you could become stronger aboard my ship."

"I don't need to be the best in the world. I just want to catch up to someone," Sora said, shaking her head.

"That man?"

"Yeah. I always…looked up to him and he became a marine. He's so strong. He's the reason I wield a sword. I want to be just like him."

"Why try to be someone you are not?" the pirate asked. Sora felt uneasy – how did this man have the power to say things that really struck her heart? "You are you, child, no one else. Why not become strong in your own way? You don't need to be the best in the world? Of course you don't. But why put a cap on how much you can grow?"

Sora was silent. What could she say? "I—"

White laughed again, tapping her head with his finger. "Don't fret about it too much, kid. You want to leave, sure. Get the key from me and you can leave, no questions asked."

Sora nodded, sighing. She would get that key no matter what.