So. This is mostly the product of missmungoe's death grip on not only my life but also my entire work in this fandom. They are an incredible writer who focus mostly on Shanks/Makino, and do a PHENOMENAL job of depicting this couple. But it did get me thinking.

How would Ariadne react is there was suddenly another woman on the crew. It's no secret that our girl is a little insecure and more than a little territorial. But Makino has technically been a part of the crew for far longer than Addie has. So does that mean Addie is the newcomer? The outsider? She doesn't know but she i T.

Anyways here's this.

Also there isn't any singing in this chapter but the song "Push You Away" but Catie Turner is very much how Addie is feeling here.

New World

Addie didn't bother concealing her Haki as she rapidly seam towards the Red Force. Not only would it be a wasted effort trying to sneak up on her crew but she also saw no reason to not announce her return. She had been away on business for about a month, holding concerts here and there, while also ensuring their influence didn't corrode in some of the more remote parts of their territory. But regardless, she was ready to be home.

Jumping out of the water and landing in the center of the deck Addie looked around with a smile. But instead she was met with silence and not a soul in sight.

Weird, she thought as she made her way down to the galley where the crew was obviously gathered. She shrugged at the lack of a greeting and instead just figured they were already celebrating as they certainly sounded like drinks were already pouring.

"Thanks for the warm welcome guys. Way to make a girl feel-" She trailed off as she realized no one was listening.

The entire crew was gathered in the galley, as expected, and the drinks were already flowing, as expected. What was not expected was the petite woman sitting in the center of the commotion. The petite woman sitting in the center of her crew.

"Who-" Addie started to ask but was interrupted by Roux calling out to her.

"Hey Ads! Come meet Makino! She's been a member of the crew for forever but is finally sailing with us!" He said.

Despite being taken aback Addie put on her most polite smile and walked over to meet the interloper newcomer. The woman had long hair the color of sea glass along with wide innocent eyes. She looked gentle, fragile, clean, and most of all, kind. Everything Addie wasn't.

Addie hated her.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ariadne, the crew musician." Addie said while reaching out a hand for her to shake.

Makino nodded and reached to return the gesture but was interrupted by someone asking if she had heard the soup story.

As the crew quickly moved on from Addie's arrival all attention returned to Makino, the shiny new toy. Ariadne was more than used to the rowdy nature of her crew, she'd come to thrive on it even. But it had been years since she felt like an outsider.

The crew talked over each other shouting out ancient inside jokes while also making sure Makino was up to date on all the stories the crew had gained in the years since they had seen her. But Addie neither knew the old jokes or felt able to share the new ones.

It's just been a long time since they all saw her. It's fine. You're just being sensitive because you're tired. Everything will be back to normal in the morning. She thought to herself as she turned to make her way to her cabin.

Everything was not back to normal in the morning.

Sure the crew was no longer drunkenly telling stories, no now they were trying to teach Makino everything that came with sailing a ship. So Addie simply picked up her book and made her way below deck to give them their space.

Only to find that the galley was being used to work on Makino's "phenomenal" observation Haki. So she went to the coconut grove.

Where Shanks apparently had to be teaching her the basics of swordplay. And oh! Wouldn't you know it? She's a prodigy at that too. With a huff and an eyeroll, Addie finally went to her cabin and did her best not to slam the door.

"You're fine." Addie said to herself as she paced the length of her cabin. "Sure everyone is paying attention to her right now, but that doesn't mean they don't care about you anymore. It's not like she's replacing you. She isn't even a musician!"

But she has known the crew for decades longer than you. She doesn't cause them trouble every other day. She's too good for that. Her mind taunted her.

So on the verge of tears she tore out of her cabin seeking the person best at reassuring her of her place in the crew and the world, her captain.

Knocking on the door Addie did her best not to cry and fidget and generally look a mess. That is until the door opened only for Makino to be standing there.

Only for Makino to be standing there looking flushed and wearing Shanks' shirt.

Without a word Addie turned on her heel and walked, ran, back to her cabin. There she scribbled a note that read "back soon", taped it to her door, and promptly jumped overboard.

"Incoming off the port bow!" Called out the lookout standing in the tallest crows nest on the Moby Dick.

The smattering of commanders and crew members gathered far below on the deck lazily looked to see who would be dumb enough to come at them.

"I don't see anything." Rakuyo, 7th division commander, called back."

"It's underwater! Coming up fast!" The lookout called back.

The commanders all went from relaxed to alert as soon as the heard that news along with something splashing up out of the water, only to land on the deck.

Ariadne didn't spare a glance at any of the dangerous pirates now wielding weapons (all pointing at her) as she made her way across the deck with singular focus. That focus being only for one man. The only man not on her crew who could claim her love. The only one to ever break her heart and not only live to tell about it, but to mend it. The only man who had made her fall in love with him twice.

Ace tilted his head like a confused puppy when his girlfriend not only appeared on the deck of the ship she made no secret of despising, but also hugged him in front of the crew she made no secret of despising. Which is why he hesitated a second before returning the bone crushing hug she had him wrapped in.

His momentary hesitation was the final straw for Addie's tears and to the horror of everyone gathered, she whimpered and started to cry into Ace's chest. On the deck of the Moby Dick. In front of the entire gathered Whitebeard pirates, enemies of the Red Hairs. Donquixote Ariadne, one of the most feared women to ever sail the seas, stood crying in the arms of their 2nd commander.

Ace felt his protective instincts flare as he scooped Addie up in a bear hug and carried her (still crying) to the privacy of his cabin.

"It's so fucking stupid." Addie finally said from where she lay tucked between the wall and Ace's chest in his bed.

"What is?"

"Everything. I shouldn't be this upset but I still can't stop crying like a little bitch."

"Hey, don't talk about my girlfriend like that. Besides I know you well enough to know that you don't get like this for no reason."

"But it's stupid."

"And clearly upsetting. What happened?"

Addie sniffled and somehow managed to press her face deeper into Ace's chest before she said, "Makino joined the crew."

"Makino? Wait, you don't mean Luffy's Makino?"

She pushed away from him and rolled on to her back before roughing wiping at her face with her hands. Then she stared up at the ceiling and sniffled again before saying, "Shanks' Makino. But yeah the one from Dawn Island. The single most perfect fucking bartender in the enitre god damn world."

"Hey what's wrong with her?" Ace said as he propped his head up on his hand to look down at her face.

Addie shook her head and looked away. "Nothing, forget it. I told you it was stupid. I just want to have a nice little sulk before going back and pretending nothing happened."

"Hmm, sounds good. I'll leave you to it then." He said before laying on his back and picking up a book from his bedside table.

He managed to read through half a page before Addie huffed and said, "What is even so damn special about her?"

"I thought you wanted to sulk, not talk."

"Shut up, I'm just thinking out loud. I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Right, you just swam through the most dangerous sea in the world to find me, specifically just so you could not hear my opinion. That makes total sense."

"Shut up." She said before rolling over and throwing an arm over his chest. "It's just that- ugh. Everyone is so obsessed with her. All they do is talk to her or about her and it's- it's like I don't even exist anymore."

"I highly doubt your crew forgot you exist. Besides Makino can't fight so don't-"

"Oh no! Shanks is teaching her how to use a sword and apparently she's a prodigy with observation haki."

"Ok but she still will never be able to compete with you."

"For now."

"No, never. Air, baby, listen to me. I am naturally strong and have spent my entire life training to hone that strength and I still don't have a chance in hell of beating you in a fight. So Makino, who has maybe a few weeks of training, will never out shine you in a fight."

"She doesn't need to. Everything else she does is perfect and has none of the baggage I do."

"Yeah because she's lived in a tiny village in the East Blue her entire life. I love Makino likely as much as your crew, but she's lived an extremely sheltered life. She hasn't gone through the shit you have. She hasn't been strengthened by it like you have."

"I wish I hadn't been." Addie said with a grumble and a sniffle as she traced lines on Ace's chest.

Ace caught her hand and kissed it before saying, "But then you wouldn't be who you are and you wouldn't have your unique place in your crew at all."

"So what, my baggage makes me valuable?"

"Your baggage makes you strong. Makino's great but she isn't you."

"Yeah maybe…"

"Also, you need to keep in mind that your crew is tiny, so of course any new person is going to cause a huge splash. Guess that's one thing my crew has over yours. We get new members daily so no one gives a shit about newbies."

"My crew's still better." She said mostly as a reflex to defend her family. "But that does make sense. So what, should I just suck it up and wait until they get bored of her?"

"You can. Or you could just hang out here for a few more days so they'll really miss you when you get back."

"Why didn't I think of that? Then they'll all be bored of her and they'll be excited to see me again! It'll be like that little bitch never mattered!"

"Glad to see you're back to yourself, Air." He said with a laugh.

"Hey," Addie said softly and waited till her eyes met his before saying, "I love you."

"Love you too." He said just as softly, before leaning down to press a kiss to her lips.