The days after the rescue stretched long and slow. Marco was recovering steadily under the care of the nurses, but Siren was grappling with something deeper. Her body was foreign, and every moment seemed to remind her of the sacrifice she'd made.

Her clothes no longer fit properly. Her limbs felt too long, her movements clumsier than ever. And then there were the more embarrassing changes - things she barely understood.

One afternoon, Marco found her sitting on the floor of their shared cabin, her knees pulled to her chest. She didn't look up when he entered.

"Siren?" he said softly.

She didn't respond.

Marco hesitated before sitting down beside her. He noticed her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, and she looked paler than usual.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I..." She trailed off, her voice shaky. "I don't feel right."

Marco frowned. "What do you mean?"

Siren hesitated, then whispered, "My body - it's different. I don't even know how to move properly anymore. And... there's this." She slowly uncrossed her arms, revealing bloodstains on her pants.

Marco's eyes widened in alarm. "You're bleeding! Did you get hurt?"

She quickly shook her head, embarrassed. "No! It's not... it's not like that." Her face turned red as she tried to explain. "The nurses told me it's something that happens when girls get older, but I... I don't understand it. And it's just another thing that makes me feel like I'm not me anymore."

Marco blinked, processing what she said. "So... it's normal? But it still bothers you?"

"It's not just this," she said, her voice breaking. "It's everything. My body feels wrong, Marco. I feel wrong. Like I don't belong in my own skin anymore."

Marco watched her for a moment before leaning back against the wall. "You've been through a lot," he said quietly. "Maybe it just takes time to figure it all out."

Siren sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "I hope so." After a moment, she added, "Do you know why I was alone on that island?"

Marco looked at her curiously. "You've never really told me."

She took a deep breath, her hands tightening into fists. "The Voice of All Things told me my mother was a noble. She was rich, powerful, and cared more about her reputation than anything else. One night, she slept with a pirate, and I was the result."

Marco's eyes widened, but he stayed silent, letting her continue.

"She didn't want me," Siren said, her voice trembling. "She tried everything to get rid of me before I was born. Even hiring someone to... take care of it. But nothing worked. Nature wouldn't let her."

Marco shuddered. "That's horrible."

"When I was born, there was a storm," Siren said, her voice growing quieter. "The kind of storm that splits the sky in two. My mother... she hated me so much that the moment I was born, she tried to kill me. She reached for me, but before she could..." Siren hesitated, her hands trembling. "A lightning strike. It hit the house, the size of a ship. It destroyed everything. She didn't survive, but I did."

Marco's breath caught. "You were just a baby."

"I could feel it," Siren whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Even before I was born, I could feel her hatred. Her malice. She didn't want me, and now... now I feel like I don't even want myself."

Marco moved closer, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Siren, you're not alone anymore. You have the crew. You have me."

She wiped her eyes but didn't look at him. "It's hard. This body doesn't feel like mine. And now that it's changed, I feel like I'm different all over again."

Marco felt a pang of guilt deep in his chest. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Siren glanced at him. "Why are you apologizing?"

"For everything. If I hadn't been so stupid, if I hadn't gotten us into trouble, you wouldn't have had to do this. You wouldn't have had to give so much."

Siren shook her head, her voice firm. "Stop it, Marco. It wasn't your fault. I made the choice. And I'd do it again."

"But look at you now," Marco said, his voice breaking. "You had to grow up too fast. It's not fair."

Siren placed a hand on his. "Marco, you're my friend. My only friend, for a long time. I don't care what I had to give. It was worth it, for you."

...

Over the next few weeks, Siren began to adjust to her new reality. Marco stayed by her side, helping her retrain and relearn how to fight with her changed body. He tried not to stare when she stumbled over herself or when she blushed at her own awkwardness.

The two of them grew closer than ever, their bond unshaken by the chaos they'd endured. Marco was determined to make sure Siren knew she wasn't alone - not now, not ever.

One evening, as they sat together under the stars, Marco broke the silence. "You know, Siren... you're the strongest person I've ever met."

Siren smiled faintly. "I don't feel strong."

"Well, you are," Marco said firmly. "And you're not alone anymore. No matter what happens, I'll always have your back."

Siren looked at him, her eyes glistening. For the first time in a long while, she felt hope blooming in her chest.

"Thank you, Marco," she whispered.

They sat together, the waves gently rocking the Moby Dick, their friendship stronger than ever.

...

Time passed. The months that followed the rescue brought many changes for Siren and Marco. They were both growing older, but not in the same way. Siren, appearing physically much older due to the effects of her used power-the Life-Life Fruit, which had saved Marco's life but also aged her rapidly. Her insides still carried memories of her childhood and insecurities. Marco, still at the age of nine, seemed to change little on the outside, but his eyes began to reflect the seriousness of their shared journey.

Both were slowly becoming teenagers, each facing their own challenges and changes, yet they always stuck together. At times, it was hard, but there were moments when they sat around the fire, under the stars, and all they needed was each other-friendship and trust.

With each passing day, they learned from each other. Siren adjusted to her new body, slowly gaining more confidence in her movements, though she still felt awkward at times. Marco was always there, supporting her, encouraging her, helping her through her struggles, even though he sometimes watched as she struggled with the changes happening to her. It felt as though they were both in a constant process of growing up, trying to understand their own transformations and emotions.

The dynamic aboard the Moby Dick was changing as well. The Whitebeard Pirates' crew was becoming closer, more united. Yet, Siren and Marco remained the central point. There was something special about their friendship that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the crew.

And then, she arrived.

A medic named Lira. Young, yet highly skilled, a doctor who often took on tasks that required quick and precise decisions. Her calm demeanor and expertise in healing helped both Siren and Marco with their injuries, but her presence started to subtly change things. Lira was versatile, attractive, and mysterious, and it didn't take long for both Siren and Marco to begin noticing the shift.

Siren felt her feelings towards Lira becoming complicated. Though Marco was still her only true friend, there were moments when she felt a connection with Lira, something more than just admiration. Sometimes, she wondered if she was just imagining it, but there was something in Lira's self-assurance that stirred overwhelming feelings in Siren.

Marco, on the other hand, couldn't deny that he was changing as well. When Lira came aboard the ship, he started noticing how her gaze often lingered on Siren. Sometimes, they would laugh together, and other times, Marco found himself quietly watching their interactions. There was something enigmatic between them, but Marco didn't know what it meant. His own body was still young, and despite all the battles and experiences he had been through, it was something he wasn't sure how to process.

One evening, as Siren stood by the edge of the ship, Lira walked by. Slowly, they began to talk about wounds and injuries, and it was then that Siren noticed her hands trembling. Her strength wasn't clumsy anymore, but there were still things she couldn't fully control.

"I have to learn to find balance," Siren said, running her hand along her arm.

Lira looked at Siren, her smile filled with understanding. "You'll get there," she said softly. "Everyone has to learn how to be in their own body."

Marco, listening from a distance, witnessed the moment between them. He was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. He was happy that Siren was feeling better, but he couldn't help but feel that something was changing. The feeling that things were shifting slowly, and that he couldn't control it anymore.

It didn't take long for Marco to realize that things wouldn't be as simple anymore. Siren wasn't just the girl he had saved on the island. She was becoming something more, something he didn't know how to name. And Lira, despite her calmness, was something that was beginning to change everything he thought he knew.

It was a time when growing up meant more than just physical changes. It was a time when everyone was searching for their path, and Marco and Siren were, of course, finding theirs.

As the time passed, Marco and Siren felt the weight of their age difference from some of the older members of the Whitebeard Pirates more and more. One such example was Thatch, who had once been their companion. He had been their friend, their equal, but now things had changed. Thatch, now much older than them, had begun to drink with the older crew members and had started to engage in behaviors that Marco and Siren didn't fully understand yet-things like flirting, relationships, and the freedom that came with being an adult pirate.

For Marco and Siren, those things felt like a distant world. They were still in their early teens, adjusting to their changing bodies, still learning what it meant to grow up. Thatch, who had once been a companion they could relate to, no longer felt like one of them. They missed the moments when it was just the three of them, carefree and innocent, but now there was a growing divide. On the one hand, they missed him, but on the other, they were curious about what he was doing that they hadn't yet experienced.

Thatch's laughter, his carefree attitude, and his willingness to share stories of wild escapades were a stark contrast to the quiet moments Marco and Siren shared while grappling with the confusing changes their bodies were going through. He would laugh when they would ask questions or seem out of place, often teasing Marco about his youth or Siren about her awkwardness, but Marco and Siren both knew that Thatch wasn't the same person anymore. And, perhaps, they weren't the same children either.

Siren, in particular, felt the shift deeply. Her body was changing, and it seemed like everything around her suddenly became... alluring. She was just starting to feel the stirrings of attraction, but she didn't know what to do with them. There were moments when her eyes would linger on a crew member, or when she'd catch the smile of someone older. Her body would react in ways that made her flush, but her mind couldn't quite keep up with the emotions. She found herself growing starstruck by different people. It wasn't just the men of the crew-sometimes it was the women too. The way they carried themselves, the way they moved. She couldn't help but feel drawn to them, even if she didn't fully understand why.

Her body would give her these little clues: the warmth spreading in her chest, the fluttering in her stomach, the quickening of her heartbeat. It was both thrilling and confusing, and she often found herself retreating into the corners of the ship to collect her thoughts. But her hormones, her body, couldn't be ignored. They reacted in ways she had no control over, and it made her feel both powerful and lost.

Marco, too, was undergoing changes, though his experiences were different. As his body grew taller and more muscular, he began to notice things in a new light. His teenage years were rapidly approaching, and with them, new urges and curiosities he hadn't quite known how to handle. He noticed how Siren looked at other people-sometimes with a faraway expression, her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed-but it wasn't just that. He began to notice the differences between Siren and the other girls and women on the ship.

Siren's changes were far more pronounced than his own. She was still adjusting to her newfound body, which seemed both familiar and alien at times. But as Marco's hormones kicked in, he couldn't help but notice the physical differences between Siren and the older women-how their bodies were shaped, how they carried themselves, the way they seemed comfortable in their skin. There were moments when Marco felt a strange, unsettling curiosity toward the subject. Why did Siren look so different from them? Why did he feel certain sensations when he saw women on the ship that he couldn't quite place?

One night, the crew was preparing for a long voyage. The ship was rocking gently in the waves, and Marco, unable to sleep, decided to take a walk on deck. He passed the women's quarters and, by accident, overheard a conversation about the physical changes of growing up. It was a casual conversation, but it sent a spark of curiosity through him.

Later, Marco found himself by the showers. It wasn't his intention to spy, but as he passed by, he heard the sound of water running. He wasn't sure why his feet brought him to that spot-maybe it was the thought of Siren, or the curiosity that had been bubbling up inside of him. He hesitated, but then he saw a shadow through the steam and mist.

It was Siren, still unfamiliar with how her new body was changing. She had grown more confident over the months, but there were still moments when she was caught off guard by her own reflection, unsure of how to handle the way others looked at her. Marco stood there, hidden in the shadows, his heart racing as he tried to process the flood of emotions he couldn't quite name.

For a moment, Marco felt like an intruder in a space where he shouldn't be. But as he watched Siren, the way she moved-clumsy but determined-he couldn't help but feel a deep mixture of concern and something else. He knew he shouldn't be there. He knew it wasn't right to watch her like that. Yet, he couldn't stop himself.

Siren, oblivious to Marco's presence, stepped out of the water, her hair wet and her body exposed. It wasn't anything she was used to thinking about-she was still processing how to be comfortable in her own skin. Marco turned away quickly, his face flushed with embarrassment and guilt. He didn't know what to make of what he had seen. He didn't know if he had just crossed a line, but he knew something was changing between them. It wasn't just their friendship anymore; it was something more complicated, something he didn't fully understand.

The next day, Siren and Marco avoided each other, the silence between them thick with unspoken tension. Marco couldn't look Siren in the eye, and Siren felt her stomach tighten every time she saw Marco. She had felt his gaze on her during the night, but she wasn't sure what it meant. Did he see her differently now? Or was it just a momentary lapse, something she could ignore?

But things had already shifted. They both felt it, but neither knew how to voice it. The confusion lingered, even as they tried to pretend everything was normal.

In the meantime, the rest of the crew noticed the growing distance between them. Thatch, as much as he was an older, more experienced member of the crew, noticed it too. He would sometimes make sly comments, trying to get a laugh, but the awkwardness between Marco and Siren never escaped his notice. He didn't know what to make of it, but he was beginning to sense the invisible line that had been drawn between them. He wasn't sure if he should intervene or just let them figure it out on their own. But one thing was clear-things had changed. They were no longer the same children they had been when they first joined the crew.