A Strange New Little Brother

New Adventures, And a Few Set Backs

After Ace was gone, Thatch asked what had happened, and Marco told him what Ace had. Thatch scowled, but was also perplexed by the behavior. "Teach doesn't really seem like one to act like that. I wonder why? I mean, I get why there are some who still have reservations, but not to purposely piss him off. It's strange." Marco agreed. He was confused from it, too.

"And Teach didn't deny it, so Ace wasn't lying in any way. I hope everything is fine. So, how you holding up? About going to Fishman Island?" Marco asked, sitting at the bar counter while Thatch worked on the last batch of pumpkin pie ingredients they had until they reached the island tomorrow night.

Thatch frowned, looking at the floor in sadness. "I just hope everything is okay by the time we get there," he said softly. "I don't want to find everything in chaos, with more people dead." Marco sighed and agreed. "How do you think Princess Shirahoshi is doing?"

Marco rested his chin on his hand, and said, "Probably not well. She had to miss her own mother's funeral out of safety precaution. This Hody and Vander Decken are assholes. I'm surprised they haven't stopped their actions after hearing we were coming to help. Since they're so persistent, I won't be surprised if we have to kill them all.

"But given just how many there seems to be, it would be akin to a genocide. And I doubt any prison could hold all of them. At least, any prison besides Impel Down, that is," Thatch said. He went back to baking the pie they both knew was for Ace mostly. The man couldn't stop giving him sweets.

He sighed and Thatch said he couldn't wait to be back on land, even if it had only been a handful of days since they were last on land. "Marco, has there ever been this kind of thing? Where we have to help an island ward off people on that island?" Thatch questioned, putting the pie in the oven.

"Yeah. A long time ago. I think you weren't there that time. It was really messy. The people who were there for that are more nervous. By the time we got there, pretty much everybody was dead. That's the terrible thing about how long it takes to travel. The world isn't just gonna wait for you to get there," Marco said softly.

Thatch sighed and rubbed his hands down his face. Both he and Marco were in bad moods. Marco said he was going back to finish his book, having left off when Ace told him about Teach's disrespectful behavior. He passed the man in the hall, who didn't make eye contact. He was clearly angry at himself or them. Well, Marco knew Teach could be an idiot but he wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to risk getting trouble again. Probably mostly because he couldn't imagine being sober for so long.

When he got back to the library, he continued to read his book.

-x-

Ace was pacing on the railing when the island came into sight. Marco assumed he was nervous. He'd never been at a human place. Besides the ship, where the people were open minded enough to accept him and knew where he came from and what he was. Marco was worried about his pacing, not wanting him to fall overboard.

But then he did. "Ace!" Marco shouted, and Ace managed to claw himself up the side of the ship. Marco flew down and grabbed him, carrying him back onto deck. He was wet, all of his fur matted down. He looked a lot smaller when he wasn't fluffy. "Are you okay?" Ace was shaking, but nodded.

"Was scary. Say Ace can't swim, but can swim. Thought would drown," Ace said. Marco picked him up to take him inside and get dry. Ace was holding onto him, limbs wrapped around him, the claws digging in but not painful.

Marco took him to the nearest bathroom and got a towel for him. He took the towel and dried himself off. "You okay?" Marco asked the faupta softly. He looked so small and meek, holding his ears down flatter. His second arms were wrapped around himself. He nodded, though he clearly wasn't okay. Marco hugged him. "You're okay. Maybe no more pacing on the railing?" he said, trying to lighten to mood.