New chapter and I can tell you the next one is already taking forms on paper if my mind doesn't change. But enjoy and I have a little spoiler hidden for you in the chapter. It will give you a hint what is going on in the next chapter if my mind doesn't change. Until then ;)

namisnamaka: Marco's mother-hen-modus is more active with his boyfriend, who likes to attract trouble xD Their bond is strong, even if they didn't see each other much after Luffy set sail again. But that is something for the flashback chapters^^

I never thought that by using that word the question would come. xD What is the English word? I imagine someone asking the question if I forget to check all "is" since my writing programme changes these to "ist" or a favorite change of my programme "to the" - "tot he". But yes, I am German. So it can be possible I don't notice a few errors which come from my writing programme and the programme I use for grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. mistakes says everything is fine.

Shahana-G: Awesome. Happy to help by writing it ;)

I wonder if you got the same idea as I got. But I won't say anything in case of spoilers^^ The story won't be over so quickly. I still have some persons left to find out, one or two flashback chapters in mind and an epilogue. The only thing that would stop me is my mind which can't focus on just one story (but since this is the only one I published at the moment, it should work fine).

Headbutts helped to get some time until the others arrived;) It seems terrifying especially since he didn't seem to use them often in a fight(only saw it against Akainu in the Anime). But I personally would worry more if he got back to his beginnings and fight with a katana.

Yep, he does care a lot and I don't think I could show it in this FF how much he cares without bringing some characters into it, that I don't want to.

~Chapter 7 – Younger siblings know best~

Haruta had to stay in the sick bay for three days before she was finally allowed to leave. If it wasn't for her scary sisters, the nurses, she would have left after one day. But since her sisters insisted she stayed a bit longer because of her head injury.

During her time in the sickbay, no one was allowed to take Luffy's straw hat away. She felt responsible to give the hat back herself. Also, she wanted to give her little brother a piece of her mind for worrying her.

From what she heard, he was kidnapped by unknown bandits and nearly raped by the bandit boss if Marco and Namur didn't show up at the moment they did. Well, the story also included that Luffy did fight back as much as he could even in sea stone handcuffs (something that did make her proud to a certain degree, but she wouldn't tell him that).

But back to the hat. A few of her brothers suggested that they took the hat and brought it back to Luffy. But with the help of pouting and whining, the hat stayed with her. She did feel a bit bad to use her brothers' weakness against them, but it was for her own personal feelings. If she didn't give back the hat herself, she would still feel guilty a bit for not being more careful.

Fortunately for her was also, that the only person, who was immune to that special behavior of her, didn't come. Haruta was sure, that Marco wouldn't leave without the hat of his…

Well, what exactly was Luffy to her older brother? She did hear and see him worried to a certain degree a lot, but never like he was a few days ago except during the Paramount war for their father. That was understandable.

Marco had been the longest time with Oyaji. Oyaji was the one who gave the blonde a place to call home.

So the boy, their youngest unofficial brother, had to be important to Marco, too. It would be around the same importance as Oyaji. But what relationship was that?

She looked at the hat in her hand like it knew the answer. If it could talk and see, it would be probably able to answer as it was rare to see Luffy without his hat. His promise to become a great pirate, no not just great. Her little brother would be the pirate king.

Haruta shook her head with a slight smile. She should focus on finding out, what was going on between Luffy and Marco.

There a few facts that she knew. It didn't matter what kind of relationship it was, but it was two-sided as Luffy mentioned Marco separately from the crew as he listed his important persons. The blonde was very protective of the boy going as far to attack a low bandit with his talons for planning to rape Luffy. It made Haruta shiver in fear when she thought about it. That was one step away from getting Marco really mad. The man was mostly lucky that their ship was on the other side of the island so he wouldn't end up as katana training dummy.

She had to force her thoughts back to the topic. It would have been easier to find out if Luffy also stayed in the sickbay.

But he didn't have any injuries, so he could sleep in his bed in Marco's room. She envied him a bit that he didn't have to deal with her sisters.

She sighed and looked in front of her. Marco's door. When she had left the sickbay, she had asked Izo, if he had seen Luffy. The cross-dresser told her that the boy was fishing with Namur in the morning and wanted to sleep in the afternoon, so he would most likely be in Marco's room.

She pondered if she should knock thus waking Luffy up if the boy still slept or if she should risk getting scolded by Marco, if he was in his room, but could wake up Luffy less softly. A grin ghosted across her face.

Getting scold was nothing new, so the decision was quickly made.

She opened the door silently and peaked carefully into the room.

At first, Haruta didn't saw someone. The extra bed was empty. Had Izo lied to her? No, the cross-dresser had no reason.

Then she could see Marco's bed. The blonde sat on it with his back against the wall. In his left hand was a paper and his right caressed Luffy's back up and down. The boy himself was seated in the Phoenix's lap. His legs were right and left from Marco's waist and his arms around the blonde's shoulders while he busied himself with planting kisses over the older one's face and burying his face in the other's neck.

„Aren't you finished, yet?" Luffy's voice hinted that he was mostly annoyed with Marco doing paperwork. „This is the last one. I thought you would sleep longer, yoi." Luffy made a whining noise, to which the blonde chuckled. A pout formed on the boy's face and he turned his head to glare at the paper. As he could make it disappear just by looking at it.

Marco sighed and lifted his right hand to Luffy's chin. Softly the blonde turned the boy's face to him. „Two minutes then I have time until dinner. So can you behave for two more minutes? I'll promise I make it up to you, yoi."

Haruta could still see the pout on Luffy's face, but he nodded and Marco leaned a bit forward him. Their lips touched for a soft and short kiss before Luffy went back to cover the Phoenix's face with little kisses and the blonde's hand was back on the boy's spine.

Haruta closed the door quietly and leaned her forehead against it. How stupid could she be? Her answer had always been in Luffy's eyes when he looked at her older brother. She only recognized it now, when it was clear to see by their interaction with each other.

The connection she had looked for. It was a romantical relationship.

She had to bite her lip to stop her from grinning and perhaps squealing. Luffy and Marco were in a romantical relationship with each other. That meant, when the relationship was made public, the boy would be an official part of the family.

Haruta thought about running around and telling it to the gossip-lovers of the ship, but she stopped when she saw the straw hat in her hand.

She should give it back first and perhaps tease them a bit. She nodded and turned back to the door. The female commander lifted her hand and knocked, but didn't wait for an answer, before she entered.

„Hi Marco, hi Luffy. I wanted to bring Luffy's hat", she said in her innocent voice and closed the door behind her. She had to force herself to not burst out into laughter.

The look on Marco's face was hilarious. She couldn't describe it. On Luffy's face was little pout again, but it vanished when he saw his hat and she could see a spark in his brown eyes.

„My hat! Thank you, Haru." His arm stretched for the hat, but she side-stepped and went closer to the bed. „Don't be mean, too, Haru. Pineapple is mean. He had said he would be finished by now with the stupid paperwork."

Haruta laughed and put the hat on Luffy's head. She took the paper from her brother and looked at them. Supply lists… boring. „You seriously prefer to work on this, if there is a cute ball of sunshine on your lap demanding your attention? You are really a workaholic."

Marco looked a bit annoyed. „I'm not a workaholic. I just don't like collecting too much like you other …" Haruta rolled her eyes and interrupted him. „You collect yourself more work than us. Really there are better things to focus on making your relationship public so Luffy belongs official to the family and we can have a big gratulation party." „It won't be public until we got to tell Ace."

„So you don't tell anyone, even if it is most obvious as hell that something is between you two? Does anyone know? I mean, if they know they could tell Ace before you got the chance."

„Ossan, Izo, Sparkle, Thatch, and Sharky found out. But they won't say anything to Ace and also promised not to tell, yet. And thank you for taking care of my hat." Luffy chirped and grinned.

Haruta waved her hand slightly. „Not for that. So people are finding out and you still want to tell Ace first. How cute. But I can see your point. Otherwise, there will probably roast chicky with pineapple." Marco groaned and Luffy's face darkened a bit.

The boy's legs and arms were tighter around Marco. „No one gets Marco for that. I share him with his family, but only his family. And he isn't made for lunch!"

Haruta grinned and Marco blushed lightly at Luffy's exclamation. „Well, you heard your boyfriend. He won't share you with anyone else then your family. That means no paperwork for you until Luffy is back on the Sunny."

The female commander giggled as her older brother looked at her annoyed. She folded the paper and went to the door. The blonde wouldn't be able to follow her as quick as usual with Luffy on his lap. So she had to take the chance.

Haruta turned her to the unofficial couple. „Well, since you are taking your sweet time to make it official. I hope you won't take so long to get married."

„Haruta!" That was her cue to open the door and to start running. She could hear Luffy's laugh, some mumble from Marco and the closing of the door. But no steps behind her.

Well, now Luffy owned her something for taking Marco's paperwork. Whistling she made her way to the kitchen to bother Thatch for information as he knew about these two.