It was almost half an hour after Yamato and Izuku collected themselves and were following Whitebeard through the massive halls of the Moby Dick. The female oni's eyes were darting around, taking in the layout of the ship, the cabins, even the decoration on the walls. This was going to be her new home?

Thankfully she was brought out of her gushing moment by Marco talking with some of the crew, arranging for her and Izuku to have new cabins assigned. As they passed, Yamato could see the looks on their faces, the way they looked at her and Izuku. She heard them hall out "Hello Pops" or "Hey Pops", but their eyes were not on him. They were on her, and on Izuku.

And they were smiling. As if they knew.

Then again, the big grin on her face was a dead giveaway. She glanced at Izuku, and saw him wiping tears from his eyes.

Tears of joy, for he finally had a home in this unfamiliar, frightening world. A place to rest, to relax.

That thought made her smile even brighter, knowing that finally after all he'd done for her and so many others, he could finally know some semblance of peace.

They followed Whitebeard up onto the deck. Tables and chairs had been set up, and blankets were spread on the deck. There was even a bar off to one side. Hundreds of crewmen were taking their seats on chairs or blankets, while others handed out mugs and tankards. As Whitebeard took his throne, Yamato headed for an empty mat and sat down, Izuku following on.

"Hey," whispered a voice. Yamato turned, and saw a boy standing there. He had brown hair and eyes, and wore a green tunic with puffed shoulders and white flared trousers. Like most of the crew he was armed, a saber at his hip. "Mind if I join ya?"

"Sure," Izuku said, with boyish cheer. "I'm Izuku and this is Yamato."

"Oh I know. I was in the back with Namur during that whole meeting you had on the deck." The boy offered his hand as he sat down beside them. "Name's Haruta. I'm the Twelfth Division Commander. Nice to meet you!" He smiled as Izuku clasped it, then offered it to Yamato.

"Oh, ummm, it's nice to meet you Commander," Yamato greeted him awkwardly .

"Ah none of that, not a stickler for the whole authority thing," the boy insisted cheerfully. "What you've gotta do is tell me how you managed to sneak around Onigashima. You're younger than me, Izuku?"

Haruta gave the green haired hero a hardy pat on the back, with Izuku blinking, taken aback that a battle hardened pirate was happily praising him.

"Ummm, maybe later, if you want."

"Here." One of the servers held out a tray of tankards. Yamato took one, and sniffed it; beaming as she smelt ale. Izuku blanched, but took a tankard, while Haruta took another.

"Pops is about to speak," he whispered. The duo looked towards Whitebeard, as he sat down on his throne, picking up a keg and putting it on his knee. Around them, the chatter died down, all eyes turning to the old man on the throne. Edward Newgate, the Pirate Emperor Whitebeard; the center of their world.

"Today," he said, in a voice that carried across the deck. "We gather to honor Kozuki Oden. Those who knew him knew him for what he was, for he was brave enough to not hide anything. He was a wild man, a reckless man, but above all an honorable man."

The silence hung heavy over the deck. All around, Yamato could see eyes lowered, some bright with tears.

"I remember," Whitebeard went on, his tone suddenly wry, "the day I first met him. He tried to cut me in half, and I punched him in the face." He smirked, and some of the older crew chuckled at the memory.

"And then that crazy bastard wanted to join us, and I refused him, but he didn't listen," Whitebeard continued. "So I cut him a deal. If he could hang onto our anchor for seventy-two hours, he could join our crew. At first I thought he would wimp out. Imagine my shock when he held onto that chain without hesitation, and I was sure he would fail, that he would drown. But he held on for seventy-one hours, and only then did he let go."

He paused, still smirking.

"Why? Why did he sacrifice his chance to see the world? Why did he throw away all he'd worked for so close to success? I'll tell you why. It was to save one innocent life. The person who would go on to become his wife, and bear his children. What I knew, in that moment, Kozuki Oden wasn't some fool seeking something as petty as glory. No, he was a man who answered the sea's cry for adventure and discovery. So he became a brother. To me, to you, and to all under our Jolly Roger."

He held up his keg, and the crew raised their tankards.

"He was the first into danger, and the last out. He was always ready to learn, and to see new things. Sometimes he was a fool, and sometimes he was wise. He was the finest of pirates, and the noblest of Shoguns. A man, I am honored and proud to call my brother."

Yamato's heart ached as she looked around, taking in their faces; their smiles, and their sorrow. She saw Izou far in the back, with tears running down his smooth, doll-like cheeks.

"To my foolish and rambunctious brother, our Second Division Commander, and the Shogun of Wano. To Oden."

"To Oden," came the reply, echoing across the deck. Yamato and Izuku did likewise, Izuku momentarily choking at the bitter taste, and then, in time with the rest, raised the tankards to their lips. Not a sound was heard, save for the creaking of the ship, the waves on the sea, and the chirping of the seagulls.

"And now!" Whitebeard declared, grinning. "We will welcome the newest members of our family!" He raised his grog again. "To my newest children! Yamato, whose bravery and tenacity made an Emperor of the Sea dance naked in his own halls!" He paused amid a chorus of sniggering. "And to Midoriya Izuku, who made a fool of that same Emperor with a quick wit and a brave heart. To the protectors of Ludeterin, and the saviors of Doyle!"

"YEAAAAAAH!" The crew let out a cheer, thrusting their tankards high into the air. All cheered, and all were smiling. Yamato had never seen, or felt, anything like it before.

Was this what a true celebration was meant to look like?

"Now, let us feast!"

And the feast began. All around, pirates clanked and drank from their tankards, as servers brought them plates of food. All was merriment and cheer, unlike the festivals at Onigashima.

"So how did ya do it!" Haruta asked, turning to Izuku. "How did you do it, how'd you managed to make a fool out of Kaido of all people?"

"I want to know too!" asked another man, as more pirates gathered around them, eager to hear.

"Yeah, not everyday someone gets to fool an Emperor!"

"Yeah there' got to be more there lil bro!"

"Well uhhh," Izuku stammered. Yamato grinned and sipped her ale.

"Hey Commander Haruta! Guess you're not the baby anymore. Kid hasn't touched his beer yet!" called one of the pirates.

"Oh yeah, how old are ya Izuku?" Haruta asked.

"Ummm, sixteen." Izuku replied, blushing. "Gonna be seventeen in a few weeks." Haruta perked up.

"So you are younger than me. I'm nineteen myself!" the boy remarked. "So go on then, drink up dude! We're having this feast to welcome you guys in and honor Oden's memory, even if I never knew the guy. He sounds awesome though."

"Oh! I can tell you all about him!" Yamato exclaimed. "Like how…"

She faltered, as she felt their eyes upon her. She glanced at Marco and Whitebeard, both of them looking exasperated.

"Hoooowww…I can tell you a little later," she changed her tack, blushing. "It's a long story!"

"Fine by me!" Haruta drank from his beer and sighed, grinning. "Good ale Brew Island makes lemme tell ya. Ya gotta try it Izuku, seriously!"

"I'm underage though." Izuku said on the spot. "Yamato, you want my drink?"

"GLADLY!" She swiped it from him, and began to chug it down; as the pirates around her cheered her on.

"No harm in having a sip though," Marco said, moving to join them. "I had a few drinks when I was sixteen too, never hurt me."

"But the age to drink is twenty where I'm from!" pleaded Izuku. Marco laughed.

"Relax, you're a pirate now. You don't have to follow all the rules from where you came from." He ruffled Izuku's hair as he grinned, making the green haired boy pout.

"W-Well… well I'm not. I mean…" He looked to the side. "Like, what would my mom say!" He said, trying to find whatever means to get out of his predicament.

The pirates fell silent.

"Well… he has a point."

"Yeah, I couldn't imagine facing my ma right now."

"Ain't your mom, like, dead or something?"

"Well I never knew mine so… bottoms up for me!"

"I bet she'd be happy I'm drinking among brothers at least. Yeah, let's go with that."

Izuku frowned a bit. "You're just rationalizing it for your own…"

"Hey that reminds me, we gotta give ya your tattoos!" Haruta exclaimed happily. Yamato spat out her drink, turning and grinning. Izuku's eyes went wide, his skin pale.

"Oh! When!" Yamato exclaimed.

"Tattoos? But, I…what….can't," Izuku's mind was fried, the vestiges not helping matters weighing in on the situation.

"I can tat ya up!" declared a muscular, balding man with a lit cigar in his mouth. "Name's Fossa, Fifteenth Division Commander. Pleased to meet you two pups!" He offered his hand to Yamato, who shook it, then to a nervous-looking Izuku, who did likewise.

"Oh, can I get one on my back!" Yamato asked. Fossa stroked his chin, as Yamato began to take off her kimono.

"Heyeyeyeyey! Leeeets do it inside!" Izuku exclaimed, hands on the white haired girl. Yamato paused, and then saw Haruta and Fossa staring at her with wide eyes.

"Oh, umm…"

"Give her one on the arm Fossa," Whitebeard ordered. Fossa nodded.

"You got it Pops. And yeah girl, I can mark ya on the arm. If I did it on your back, it'd be a bit immodest."

Yamato blinked. What were they talking about?

"Well… okay," she agreed.

"Besides, if it's on your arm, we can hide it better," Izuku suggested. "I'll have to decline Mr. Fossa, I-"

"Just Fossa is fine, Izuku." The man raised a hand. "We're brothers now ya know."

"F-Fossa. Having a Whitebeard Pirate tattoo would be an honor and all, but I'd like to not have one, please." He looked very awkward. "I still want to go around and help others…and I still sort-of have plans for the future." He looked up at Whitebeard. "I'd like to be anonymous… as best I can, well, for as long as I can."

Internally the young hero felt every eye on him, knowing full well how rude this likely was.

Whitebeard regarded him for a moment, and Yamato feared he might take offense. They had just been welcomed into the Whitebeard Pirates, and there was Izuku refusing the tattoo.

But he didn't. He just nodded.

"Hmm…ya make a good point kid." Fossa shrugged. "Fair nuff. Hey Yamato, after the feast, I can mark up your arm, sound good?"

"Yes please!" Yamato grinned, and the man blew out a puff of smoke before walking off. Yamato sighed, and looked up at the main mast; the Jolly Roger of the Whitebeard Pirates billowing in the wind above.

"We're pirates now Izuku," she said softly. Izuku was matching her gaze, and smiling. "Whitebeard Pirates."

"Yeah… guess so." He laughed wryly. "Never imagined I would call myself one but…life can be weird that way."

Nearby, Haruta was grabbing some food and talking with Thatch. He pointed their way, and Yamato waved. Thatch gave a mock salute, and gestured for them to come over.

"This feast is your welcoming party." Whitebeard said. "Aren't you two hungry?" He set his keg down, grabbed a fresh one, then handed another to Yamato. Izuku's eyes bulged at the sight of it. It looked to be as big as he was tall!

"You sure you're gonna be okay drinking all that?" he asked. Yamato nodded, feeling her heart burst.

"THIS IS THE BEEEEEST!" she cheered, running across the deck into a mighty leap to get in line for food, the keg of Newgate's grog in her arms.

"H-Hey wait up!" Izuku leapt after her, Whitebeard and the others laughed.

Her adventure as a Whitebeard Pirate was beginning at last! With good food, drink, and soon, Pops' mark on her shoulder!


And thus we begin the Acclimation Arc! A nice short and sweet chapter, thus beginning our duo's bonding with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Look Teach is around, but he will show up. I promise.

But yeah, little memorial for Oden, then a classical pirate feast. Given its a memorial, no need to play the Binks Sake song JUUUUST yet. Of the acclimation Arc, I say we have about... 10-15 chapters or so. 80-90% of them shorties. And the two long ones which will be key battles.

Hope you all enjoyed! big thanks to Juubi-K , IKnowNothing and WildJoker000 for their help on this one. Now I need to get to finishing FFESS, but dabbing in this did help the creative juices flow I do confess.