I'm back and with a chapter for you guys even.

Oh my gosh, thank you everyone so much for your reviews and follows/faves. I don't have time to respond to everyone individually this time but I love you all!

Reality sucks and I'm not sure when i'll get the next chapter up.

I don't own One Piece. Just my OC's and crazy ideas. I still can't find my other sock.


"You know Bluejam then?" Makino inquired, nothing but pure innocence in her voice.

Marco shook his head. "No but, we know of him and that's more then enough. We've been following his progress through the East blue. We intend to take him and his crew out before they do any more harm."

Makino treated them to a real smile after hearing of their intentions. "While I find your quest truly noble, I'm afraid you've come to late to carry it out."

Thatch sighed. "He's already left the island then. Any idea where he headed to next."

This time Makino shook her head. "No, no nothing like that. He and his men have already been killed."

"What?!"

The shout came from both Marco and Thatch. The East Blue was known to all as one of the "weakest oceans", to think that there was anyone already here that could put a stop to Bluejam was mind-boggling. One of the first things anyone did who was looking to make a name for themselves was to get the hell out of the East Blue.

Maybe that was why so many big name Pirates, Marines, bounty hunters, and so on that came from the East Blue were absolutely nuts and went all out in making themselves known to the world.Thatch mused. Years of pent up boredom being released at once. Thatch shuttered. Thank the seas I wasn't born here.

Marco's next question caused Thatch to blink, bringing out of his pondering and back to the current situation.

"Do you know who did it, yoi?" Even Marco couldn't shake the surprise out of his voice.

Makino had been weighing the options she had since they first started questioning her about recent Island events. If I tell them nothing more, they will likely find another person from the village more than willing to tell them. Makino thought. They would tell them all the wrong things too. If I do tell them and they turn out to not be like the pirates I think they are... They remind me so much of Shanks... He would have come hunting the pirate scum too and he would have gone after the boys even if he didn't know them...

Makino needed to know more about these pirates before deciding how much to tell them. She would never unknowingly bring harm down upon her boys but her options were limited... Either they would learn of them from her or... someone else.

Makino meet the pirates gaze with a determined glint in her eye. "Before I answer anymore of your questions, I have a few of my own. I'd like to know what pirate crew you are from and why you want to know who took care of Bluejam." Makino never once looked away and said Bluejam in much the same way as someone might refer to a dead rat in a trap.

Marco suppressed a smile at the woman's actions and tone. She is protecting someone.Marco mused, he liked that. Marco reached up and took hold of the zipper on his jacket and unzipped it, proudly putting back on display his tattoo.

Makino's eyes widened. "So, WhiteBeard Pirates all they way in the East Blue."

Thatch grinned "That's right, the East Blue has some of the best sake and other booze around. Have you heard much about us?"

Before replying to him Makino placed to steaming bowls of her seamen's stew in front of them. "I've heard a few things from the papers and from some of the travelers. You sail under Whitebeard, who is said to be the strongest man in the world. He treats his crew like family and has several islands under his protection."

Thatch downed another spoonful of the stew. "Nearly right. Whitebeard doesn't just treat us like family, we are family. We call him Pop's or Oyaji and he calls us his sons and daughters. This is really good stew. Could I have the recipe?"

Makino laughed at the random request for her recipe but nodded her consent. Her eyes grew distant as she considered her next move. They seem alright.Makino thought. Whitebeard wasn't the kind of pirate who went around killing children or the helpless.Makino thought. Right now, they may be her boys best hope. Not for the first time Makino wished for some way to contact Shanks but, she dare not ask for fear of them being enemy's of Shanks.

"Tell me, how do you think Whitebeard would feel about having three more sons..." Makino asked, her voice sounded hopeful yet, nervous.

Marco placed his spoon back in his bowl. "These three you speak of, are they the ones that took out Bluejam and his men?"

"Yes." Makino answered hesitantly before rushing on "They were only trying to protect each other and stop Bluejam from burning down the Grey Terminal." The look in Makino's eyes and the pleading in her voice begged the two pirates to understand.

"The Grey Terminal, is that the burned out area in the forest with all of the homes.?" Marco asked.

"Yes, it is. The boys did their best to stop them but it was already to late. They didn't know that Bluejam was going to set the Grey Terminal on fire."

Thatch sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Did everyone make it out ok?"

Makino swallowed a lump in her throat. "Only two people didn't make it out. An elderly couple who couldn't escape the fire. They lived to close to the center of the Grey Terminal for anyone to be able to reach them."

Thatch kept his eyes closed for a few seconds longer. He remembered the fiery path of destruction that was left behind. It could have been much, much worse.

"Well," Marco said breaking the silence. "They sound like the kind Oyaji would love to call sons."

"And the kind we would like to call brothers." Thatch added with a grin.

"Please, tell us more about them. We'd love to meet these 'boys' of yours." Marco smiled warmly at Makino. He had the feeling that he was soon to get some new brothers though, the warm thoughts he had now would turn into shock when he learned more about his hopefully-new to be brothers.


Marco stood at the bow of their boat, staring intently ahead as though by willpower alone he could will the boat they were seeking into view. The boys had a few days head start and would reach their destined island before they could reach them. Hopefully, they would stay there for a few days to rest up.

Thatch was below deck putting their new supplies away and probably worrying.

Marco's mind was still whirling with the information Makino had given them about the boys. Marco snorted at that and thought. Yes boys indeed... Makino had been eager to tell them about their perspective new brothers...

"Well, the youngest one's name is Luffy. He's seven years old and his two older brothers, Ace and Sabo are eleven."

Marco had been unable to fully appreciate the look on Thatch's face as he was too busy choking on a mouthful of stew at that little bit of information. Marco still had a hard time wrapping his head around the idea that two eleven year old's and their seven year old brother are out here on the ocean somewhere, all alone.

"Eveven!?" Thatch had managed to squeak out.

Marco managed a smile at that particular memory. Thatch usually only squeaked like that when you caught him setting up for a prank.

Marco's smile faded as he recalled Makino's rather sad smile when she replied. "The boys are very strong and resourceful for their age, specifically Ace and Sabo. They look after Luffy."

There was a lot of holes in Makino's story. Some of it was deliberate, Makino was keeping something from them. An important part of the real reason of why they had to leave. Though, there were somethings, like what exactly happened to Bluejam, that Makino honestly seemed to have no answer to.

Makino eluded to the fact that the boys were abnormally strong, leading to many of the villagers to be wary of them even before the fire. She had also mentioned that their grandfather was in the Marines and would take this as an opportunity to try and get them enlisted early.

"The three of them hate the idea of being a Marine!" Makino laughed. "They've always wanted to be pirates."

Though what fulled Marco's hate, even more than Bluejam's actions was learning of the reason why he set the Grey Terminal on fire.

"Bluejam was paid by the island nobles to set the Grey Terminal on fire. Some Celestial Dragon was visiting and the local nobles wanted to make a good impression." Makino trailed off, her voice full of emotion.

Marco seethed at the memory but he pushed it aside. There was nothing the he could do about it now. His only focus now was to find his three new brothers and... and...

Marco did a double take at his own thoughts... his new brothers. Was he really considering them family before even meeting them? It appeared so. That was very unlike him, it was something that he would except from Thatch or even Izou but not himself. Marco knew that Oyaji would like them and would want to take them in.

Perhaps it was their very young age bringing out his natural protective streak towards those he saw as family or maybe it was because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the gain of three more brothers. Whatever it was, part of him was already seeing them as family, wanted them as his youngest brothers.

Some of Makino's words brought Marco and Thatch no end of worry for the boys. She had said that they were all injured though Ace, the oldest, was the worst off. The heap of extra dressings and bandages brought little relief from their worry.

Marco sighed and shook his head. It was time to head below and see what Thatch was up to. He also needed to get the den den mushi and give Oyaji an update and to get a hold of their ship doctor for some advice. As the first division commander it was his duty to keep their captain informed of their situation. Whitebeard had wanted to be kept up to date on their unexpected pirate chase.

Marco smiled. Now he had to tell their pop's that their wild sake chase turned pirate hunt has now turned into a brother roundup. Oyaji would be pleased, Marco knew.

So would Haruta for that matter. Their current youngest sister would be pleased not to be the youngest anymore. Haruta had been bemoaning over being the youngest for quite some time. Even getting the position of the twelfth division commander hadn't stopped everyone from treating her like their baby sister.

Yes, there was much he needed to tell his family.