Erstwhile | One Piece - ABANDONED

4 - through curiosity and grief

[A/N

Btw my editor is Grammarly so sometimes it doesn't go right :D]

It was only on her 2nd month of hospitalisation did she manage to leave the dead (literally) place and experiment with her newly found fruit, along with heavy supervision from Gramps, Aokiji, and sometimes Sengoku when the other 2 are busy. But it was mostly her crew throwing books and items at her when she overdosed on power. Forcing her to "calm the fuck down"

With a bit of research from the information department of the Marines, they found out that this beautiful piece of disgusting flavoured swirl was the Dark-Dark fruit. The marines were wary of the fruit, claiming it was evil and that if it lands in the wrong hands it would bring doom to this world. It's ok, they trust Marie enough to use it for goodwill.

She has heard of it before, but where?
"A character once known to be an ally, betrayed and murdered for this fruit- stowed away in a crater at the sea,"

Marie paid no mind to that, it may be a theory of hers or a little bumble on her ear.

Days and days of experiments. She learnt of it's uses and advantages to other devil fruit users. The fruit was made of black flames but she learnt to solidify it (it's good to have friends with different skills, in this occasion, Jacob was intrigued by Chemistry and Physics). Though this solidification never lasted long, and it's solid form tends to create a huge gravitational pull that harms others and Marie as well, so that's off the hook.

In one accident, she longed for her beauty in the mirror, worrying about her future and what if she looked ugly when older? What if she earned wrinkles soon and got white hair at the age of 30? She'll worry about that later that's not the point of this experiment with fruits.

(That was a lie. At the dead of the night under moonlight, without Garp's or Aokiji's supervision. Her intrusive thoughts attempted to suck her youth out, attempting to look younger.

This backfired.

The youth was sucked a bit to much making her look like a child. Out of panic she reversed it and attempted to slap her age back on.

It worked. But she's never trying that again)

By this new found power, every second day she would ask Aokiji for a match. No she does not care if he's busy and no, he will not get any afternoon naps until she attempts to beat the living shits out of him (mostly vice-versa due to him having more experience, but it wasn't power it was just experience. Yes that's it just experience)

(Aokiji- "are you just using me as your punching bag or you have a grunge against me?"

Marie- "Yes"

Aokiji- "which one- you know what, I can't be bothered")

—•—•—•—

"Out of all the boats, A ROW BOAT?"

"Bwahahahha! It's only 3 hours away!"

"WHAT IF I WANT TO PISS?"

"The ocean is there!"

"GRAMPS!"

It was nearing Sabo's birthday. Marie bought him a customisable weapon, able to retract itself into a small keychain and turn back into a sturdy staff. Garp just bought himself and his fist of love.

They were arguing for a while before boarding this row boat, she didn't get why he wanted to row for 3 hours straight into our home island. Marie suggested her usual small boat for one person that she takes every year back home, but no, Garp wanted to row... FOR THREE WHOLE HOURS. Marie doesn't even know her limits of being with one person in 3 hours, she's a very social person and needs constant love and attention. Garp doesn't count in that category, attention yes, but his love is a bit... Jungle-like.

After three long hours they arrived at the island.

"I'M FREE," at first sight of land Marie propeled herself with her fruit by shooting fire out of her hands which blasted her off. Her boots touched the sand and ran off to the location of her house up in the mountains, not waiting for her grandpa.

"Luffy, Ace, Sabo! I'm home!"

"Big sis?" Marie froze. Ace's voice was supposed to be bold and loud, snarky even. Not soft and whimpering, not hopeless and sorrow. Ace came into view with puffy eyes and Luffy (who grew a few inches since she last saw him, Ace grew a lot too) tucked under his arm, clinging onto his shirt with fresh tears still rolling.

Marie doesn't question, she assumes based of the missing Sabo. He may be in the house isolating himself.

She spreads her arms wide, both of her brothers launched themselves into her hands- wailing loudly and wetting her shirt. What had happened?

Heavy steps approach from behind. Warm hands embraced the three of them. Marie and Gramps made eye contact, not knowing what had happened.

Ace sniffs, "Sabo!... He's gone!"

"He's taken away?" Garp asks.

"No!" Puffy wails, his voice barely detectable by the screams of sorrow, "he's gone- gone!"

Oh

Oh...

Oh.

—•—•—•—

Marie took a walk along the sandy beach, humid air passed her and the waves were barely in motion, sounding dead as if mourning for a loss. The dead sea. She passed by her little boy's private tree house but could not bare to look at it any more than a few seconds. Laughs in the distance if the trio reminds her of a phantom pain she didn't know she had.

Her legs dragged across the sand, eyes lowered and in a blank expression. They said that Sabo fell to the sea right? (The dead sea) He may still be alive, he took swimming lessons as a noble so he should know how to swim. She could swim for him, be his lungs.

Marie's hands unconsciously covered itself with black flames, the same flames she was under for 18 days. Those flames that brought fear into all those people who were sucked into it. The very flames that made her seem so helpless.

A few hours ago, Monkey D. Marie went into a fit. She cursed all the nobles in existence, vowing to save her Sabo. He was not dead, it was just a fluke, the nobles faked it to take him back and become a prince. It was normal for them to do so, so she set out to take her brother back. But Garp stopped by her.

"Marie, you can't hurt the nobles in any way, they are under our protection. If we hurt them then we'll lose our job. Imprisonment even."

"WHAT'S THE POINT OF THESE LAWS? THESE VERY LAWS THAT TOOK MY BABY AWAY,"

She didn't like the laws.

She didn't like the noble's protections.

She didn't like the abuse of power.

Was she blind this whole time?

Or did gramps just hid it for her?

Marie joined to make money and help her sibling.

Marie stayed for her friends and the thrill of the mission.

Now Marie continues to change it's laws and bring in justice fit for all views.

And who has the most power to change the laws? The Fleet Admirals.

The Fleet Admirals have the most influence, even with the higher ups ordering them around. The power they hold, the influence and the connections to do the impossible. The power of status allows them to get away with many illegal doings. Marie wants that. Marie now has a goal to achieve, a dream to make reality.

The current Fleet Admirals are only Akainu and the other guy, they just need one more person to fill up the spot. There was a debate for the final spot, either Aokiji and her.

Marie D. Monkey was willing to murder anyone to gain that spot.