Hello everyone, here is the next chapter

This might not be the most interesting chapter, but it's mostly for things later and the next chapter will have more of vampire things and vampire Ace

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax

They had been sailing for a couple weeks, Aoba having left after being with them for almost 5 days, when Shanks met up with them, the other pirate needing to leave for a couple days to fix something. And since then, things had been going okay. Ace was settling to not being a devil fruit user and the things that came with being a full vampire. They had made so he had the same routine as Aoba and didn't have any duties until after noon, just in case. So Marco frowned when he saw Ace half an hour later, who looked his normal self, but had a shirt on. He was sure he wouldn't see Ace today, seeing how they were docked at an island. "I thought today was a blood moon, yoi" Asked Marco, sure Ace had said that yesterday. "I can hide my wings now!" Marco blinked. "You can? You learned it so fast?" Ace nodded. "Aoba is a good teacher!" That was good to know, now they didn't need to worry about being on an island when it was a blood moon as Ace could hide them. "Are there any signs of you having wings when you hide them, or not, yoi?" Ace hummed. "Well, there is these two small bumps, but that's it. You can barely see it when I wear a shirt." Marco lifted an eyebrow at Ace. "You rarely wear shirts, yoi." Ace shrugged. "I know. But it either that or the chance to someone recognizing it and knowing I'm a vampire." Marco nodded. "You're right, yoi. We can survive a shirt now and then." They could, and they didn't want everyone they met to know Ace was a vampire.

They stayed a night at the island before they headed on, Marco glad Ace could now hide his wings; it made things easier when they were docked. When they docked a week later, it was decided Ace would go get something warm from the island, and it was decided Marco was the one going with him. Or Marco offered to go with Ace, knowing some of them, most of them actually, was still uncomfortable watching Ace eat, or help him eat. They would all head out later, when Ace was done. So when Ace came out to meet him when evening came, Marco was prepared for what he was about to do. "Shall we head on, Ace, yoi?"Asked Marco, which Ace nodded to. "We can. Thanks for coming with me; i like it when it's you, you're not bothered by it." Marco chuckled. "I'm glad you think that, and I like to be open minded. You need to feed. Are there any animals around, yoi?" Ace hummed as he closed his eyes, smelling the air. "There are some cows, seeming to wander freely. Can I get a cow?" Marco blinked. "Are you asking me, yoi?" Ace nodded. "Yeah! They are a domesticated animal, and I don't know what you feel about that." Ah, that made sense, and it was nice for Ace to ask. "It's fine by me, yoi. They are walking free? I don't want to break into a farm." Ace nodded. "They are free, the reason I mentioned it." Then it was fine for Marco, who nodded and said that. They then headed on, and when they saw a herd of cows, Ace was quick to single one out and tackle it to the ground, Marco looking away as he bit down on its neck, both to give Ace some privacy and because his phenix did still react to feeling Ace eat.

When Ace was done, or it felt like Ace was done, he looked back to Ace, blinking when Ace was using his nails to create claw marks on the dead cow. "Why are you doing that, yoi?" Ace looked up with a blink, before he hummed. "To make it look like a wolf hit, and not vampire. So they don't start a vampire hunt while we're here." That made sense and Ace was smart to do that. It was easier to brush off as the animal did belong to a farmer, who would be mad. But Ace needed to eat, so it was fine by Marco. As Ace was done, they headed closer to the boat, and when they were close, Marco turned to Ace. "Wait here, okay. I'll get the rest and we can check the place out, yoi. We haven't been here for some time." Ace nodded, looking to be in a good mood. "Okay! I can do that. Be quick! I wanna check the town out!" Of course Ace wanted to, it was a new island for him, he hadn't been in this side of the New World before. When Marco got the rest, telling he and Ace was done with their thing, all of them ready to head to town and they wanted to head together for once. But when they came to the place he told Ace to wait, he had to frown as no one was there. "Ace was supposed to wait for us here, yoi. He said he would." It did happen Ace wandered off, but Ace had promised, and he always kept his promises. It was one of the things Marco really liked about Ace; he was trustworthy.

Lance held a hand up, having a frown. "No, smell that? The minty one?" Marco sniffed the air, finding some sort of minty smell, but it smelled more… earthy. "Yeah, what is it?" Lance shook his head. "It's sage, strong one as the scent is still here." Marco frowned. "What does sage mean?" Lance sighed. "It means a witch, strong one. Regular witches don't use sage; it takes the attention to others, especially creatures. Witches often use it to lure creatures to them and use them for rituals. This witch might have been after Ace." That was bad news. "How would a witch know Ace was a vampire, yoi?" Lance sighed. "Ritual. You can do a ritual to find creatures." That was bad news. They needed to find Ace now. "Can you tell where they went, yoi?" Lance nodded, taking something out of his bag. "Thankfully, you can do a ritual to find witches." That was good news. And lance took a small bowl and other things out, mixing it in the bowl, before lighting a match and putting it in the bowl, making a cloud appear, a yellow one. Lance then moved his hand to the cloud, grasping in it, making it disappear. "Here. Where it's warm, they are." Lance then moved his hand around, and when he was more east, the shaded of his hand changed to more of a red one. "This way." That was a neat trick, and now they just needed to find Ace.

They walked for half an hour, the shade on Lance's hand becoming more and more brighter. His hand was almost glowing red when they were outside a huge house. "It must be in here. Let's go careful, and let me just." Lance then opened his hand and made the red shade disappear in a small cloud, before he lit another match and held around it. "Preapre ad induendum ad somnum." Then another cloud was made, this one purple, and Lance caught it in his hand again. "Just so we're prepared." Marco was glad they had Lance with them. They then carefully walked into the house, it being large enough for Pops even, who hadn't said anything yet, probably worried and let Lance take control.

When they got inside the house, they soon got into a living room, where Marco felt a breath leave him when he saw who was sitting on top of a large table. Ace gave out a laugh when he saw them. "Hi!" Marco stood shocked. "Ace! Why are you here, yoi? There's a witch here." Maybe the witch had put Ace in a trance. "No!" Said Ace, moving down from the table. "I know her! She's an old friend!" As Ace was down, he headed for an open door, putting his head out it. "Heather! They're here!" It had Lance frown, before he looked shocked. "Heather? The Heather?!" Ace tilted his head at Lance. "Yeah. You know her?" Lance seemed lost for words for a few seconds. "K-know her?! Everyone know her! She was offered a place in the Grand Coven years ago!" That had Marco frown, not liking that. The Grand Coven sounded to be a bad thing for vampires.

"Well," Said a new voice, coming from the door Ace had yelled out of. "There's a reason I'm not part of it. I am actually friends with the supernatural. They took the offer back." The woman who came through the door looked a bit special. She had white hair reaching down half her back, and pale skin. Not sickly pale, but pale. Her eyes a deep red and some markings on her hands, most likely a witch thing. Lance just looked shocked as he spoke. "You're friends with the supernatural? How do you know Ace?" The female witch, Heather, chuckled. "I knew his mother. When she was alive that is. We were close friends. I also made the ring Ace has." Lance blinked, before he moved over to Ace, looking at the ring. "Wow, this is a well made one. I never gave it much thought." Heather put a hand on her hip. "Well, I hope so. Took me months to make it." Lance just stood flabbergasted for a few seconds, before he recovered, looking at Ace. "Why did you never tell you knew Heather! Or that you knew a witch!" Ace shrugged. "Forgot about it. I haven't seen Heather in years."

Lance just stood shocked, and Marco decided he could speak up. "Why did you suddenly take Ace, yoi? Why just take him?" Heather hummed. "I didn't know you were friends. I didn't see the tattoo until after. And my stone said something was wrong with Ace." Marco had no idea what that meant. "Stone, yoi?" Heather nodded, taking a stone out of her pocket, a black one with a crack in it. "I have a protection stone on him. It cracked, meaning something significant happened to mess with him. I was worried." Marco blinked. "Protection stone?" Heather nodded. "Yes. Are you a parrot? You keep repeating what i say." That had Marco try and catch up with his mind. "I didn't know it was a thing. Why would it crack? He hasn't been injured, yoi." Heather let out a hum. "Well, I heard about the Dread Doctors from him. They messed with his usual healthy self; the Devil Fruit. My stone cracked because of it." That made sense at least. It still had Marco glad this was a friendly witch. From what Lance said and they had seen, witches could be mean to creatures. "How did you know where we were, yoi?" Heather hummed. "My stone can show me were Ace is too. Like a Vivre card, but easier to deal with. When it cracks in two, it means the person is dead, but I can still be led to the corpse." That sounded like a neat thing.

Lance hummed as he looked thoughtful. "I've heard about it, but I've never managed to make it." Heather nodded. "It can be hard. But remember; you need to have a positive relation." That had Lance blink. "Ah, then that's why. I will remember that." Heather chuckled. "Many don't know that. But it's as easy as that." Lance snorted. "Easy and easy. It's still some hours to make it." Heather nodded. "Yes. But you don't need to have something specific like nail clippings. You just need a thing from the person; a hair is enough. Easier than a Vivre card. And another spell to make a small pocket hold many stones, makes searching for people easy." That sounded neat. Maybe they should make a few stones for them, maybe Lance could do it. It sounded easier than a Vivre card, and easier to deal with. But he would ask him later. Right now, he was curious on who this was. "You knew Ace's mother, yoi?" Heather nodded. "Yes. Childhood friends. I cared for Ace a small bit, before I handed him on when I was needed somewhere. I promised to watch out for him, the reason I have the protection stone on him." Marco would have liked to know Ace knew a witch, but it had gone by fine, it was good it was someone Ace knew.

Heather then sighed. "I am also worried about this. Something happened to him, and it made him a full vampire. I've never heard about that before." Lance nodded. "I know. We have no idea why even. Why take the fruit away?" Heather hummed. "It could be since it was a wild card. He's not as dangerous now." That was true in a way, and Lance had said the same thing. To have two witches agree on it made it easier to believe it was that. Lance nodded. "True. But, we also found a thing inside him, in his blood; mercury. But it was too pure for regular one. Know anything about that?" Heather frowned. "Mercury? Are you sure?" Lance shook his head. "I am not sure. As I said, it's too pure for regular mercury. You can get a sample if you want." Heather nodded. "I would like that. Maybe I can get somewhere with it. We still know way to little about these dread doctors." Marco really hoped this Heather could get somewhere. Heather then clapped her hands. "Well, Ace is fine, so I think I'll leave, I just need that sample. I am needed elsewhere soon.I'll come to you if I find anything out." That was good to know, Marco hoping the woman would find something they hadn't yet. They just wanted Ace to be safe, and to know these doctors would come for him, was worrisome. He hoped it was wrong, but Lance knew more than them.

As Heather needed to leave, she and Lance headed to the boat to give the sample to Heather, while they headed to the town, still wanting to be out. They were in the town until sunrise, when they headed back to the ship. They could only stay for one day, and almost everyone was drunk, some barely able to walk back to the ship, but everyone did get back, many passing out on deck. But it was warm weather out, so it would go fine. Ace also seemed fine after everything, seeming glad to have gotten something warm, also feeling satisfied. Marco was glad Ace was fine and okay. He was still their youngest sibling, and everyone cared for the kid.

And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed

It probably wasn't the most interesting chapter, but it's more for later, and I promise the next chapter will be more interesting

Preapre ad induendum ad somnum = Prepare to put to sleep

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