With different eyes

A jolly evening

Lucia's POV

Whitebeard walks ahead of me to his cabin. I follow in silence, fully aware of the looks of the others, but what should I do? First I have to talk to Whitebeard, I don't want to give the others hope that will then dissolve into nothing. So I walk silently behind Whitebeard, ignoring Ace's questioning voice in my head. Only when I close the door of Whitebeard's cabin behind me do I relax a little. "What's wrong my daughter?" Whitebeard asks me. I swallow and then ask, "If there was a way to get well again, would you take it?" I ask the counter question. He looks at me calmly while taking a sip from his bottle. I start to sway nervously from one foot to the other. "Where did you get that idea?" the old man asks me. I swallow and don't manage to look him in the eye as I reply, "There's a rookie who might be able to cure you. His name is Law." I say. Whitebeard doesn't say, but looks at the opposite wall. "Father?" I ask. He growls and takes a deep breath, "Child, I am old..." he says to me.

I knew what it was really about. He's too proud to accept help from anyone else. That stubborn old man. "Father, it's worth a try. You are still needed here." I say and reach for his hand, or rather for a finger. He looks at me with a smile and I know he will refuse. So I use the secret weapon of all daughters: I push my lower lip forward and let tears appear in my eyes. Whitebeard hesitates and I start to whimper. He snorts and then sighs abysmally. "All right, let's find the brat!" I beam at the old emperor, completely ignoring the fact that he is a little grumpy. "You tell Marco!" he instructs me. I nod and leave the room. I quickly run through the corridors before the old dickhead changes his mind.

I run past a stunned Ace and just run senseless through the corridors, Marco will be somewhere. I rush past Haruta who asks me roaring, "What's wrong?" I run backwards and yell back, "I'm looking for Marco!" And run around a corner. "He's in the library!" I hear the shouted reply. That doesn't really help me much, because I don't know where the library is at all. Ace was really helpful as a navigator. Now the only thing that helps is to search or find someone. But... 'Ace, where is the library?' I ask my navigation system. 'Why?' he asks me. 'Well, I'm looking for Marco,' I say and just keep running. Ace comes running around a corner and I blink in surprise. "How did you get here now, you were behind me," I ask Ace. He laughs as he walks leisurely beside me. "You really have no sense of direction," he tells me.

I shrug, when he's right, he's right. But at least I'm not as bad as Zorro! Ace just turns off now and I just follow him, he'll get me there. At least I hope so. Ace opens the big door that I know leads to the library. I go into the room and instead of spending a long time searching, I yell: "MARCO!" Inwardly, I add Polo. I start to grin wickedly. I'll have to teach the others that game too. Ace flicks me on the forehead and asks, "What were you just thinking?" I grin at him, "Nothing important!" I reply. Ace raises his eyebrows and says sceptically, "Ah well!" I just grin and see the chicken cutlet coming around a shelf. "Marco!" I chirp and jump towards the vice.

He just looks at me questioningly. Don't say too much, he might get a facial muscle ache! "Maaarccccoooo?" I draw his name and get a slap on the back of the head with the remark: "Don't draw my name like that!" I grin and explain my request to Marco. Although he continues to have his bored face, I can see the joy in his eyes. Ace, on the other hand, beams at me. "I don't know if it's possible, but it's worth a try!" I say with a grin. "Then I'll go and get some information on where this Law is. Do you know anything?" says Marco thoughtfully. "He was last in Sabaody with Luffy!" I say explaining. Ace notices, but Marco leaves the room grinning. "What's he got to do with my brother?" I smile, Ace is and always will be the big brother. "Well at the moment? I'd say it's a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time!" I say, hoping Ace won't ask any more questions. Otherwise he would teach Luffy a lesson.

Ace nods and now asks me: "What are we supposed to do now?" His growling stomach apparently already knows the answer, as he whines for food. I laugh and say, "You probably go to the mess hall first and bother the cook. I'll see what else needs to be done in the division." I laugh. A moment later I am alone in the library and blink with laughter. Then I make my way back to the deck. Well I try to at least, in reality I end up in the commanders' workroom. I scratch my head in confusion. Why does the Moby have to be so big? It will take me ages to find my way around here. I sigh in surrender and sit down at Ace's place. As long as I'm here, I might as well get started on the paperwork. I take a pen and start working through the pile of papers. I see Jozu come in and greet him before I get back to work. Out of sheer habit, I reach with my hand for a bowl of biscuits that I always had in front of me when I was studying. Only there aren't any here! I look up and grumble, how can one think rationally without sugar?