The Whitebeard Pirates' Playground

Ch. 26 - You're not Whitebeard (Part 11)

I had to re-read and edited the plural 'hands' to it's singular form 'hand' with Shanks cause I forgot he only got one.

POV from the deck.

Ace was wheezing next to the railing, "Thatch! Thatch! Oh god hahah come look!"

"What is it? Did Shanks get h- Are those pineapples???" he looked over the railing, seeing various pineapples bobbing along the ocean.

"Y-yes! They're- they're Marco's ankers! Oh my god! Does the pigeon not know pineapples float!!!"

Thatch blinked at that and blinked again, wrapping his mind around that before he too needed to hold his stomach laughing, clutching to the railing to not fall over. "That stupid pigeon hahahahahahahha! U-using pineapples- to pull him down haha- making s-sure he drowns- hahahhahhaha THEY FLOAT?! Hahahahahhaha"

"He should have known they float haha, they got holes in the middle, like c'mon Marco!"

"Haha yea they hav- wait what holes???"

Ace wiped some tears away, still laughing every few seconds, "y-yea, you know- pineapples slices have holes."

"Yes..."

"So the center is hollow- oof my stomach hurts from laughing haha. But yea, floaties float because of air we blow in. Pineapples are filled with air in the center. So of course they would float. Aah, I really thought bluey would be smarter than this."

".... Ace.. That's not... The center is hollow because we take out the core before slicing."

"Hmm?"

He was about to explain but decided to just not. It's Ace. He's just going to let the teen enjoy his life as he wishes... even if he thinks pineapples are hollow. He knows if he's going to try to even explain, he's going to follow Marco into the ocean soon by becoming insane. Speaking of Marco. "Oh Shanks made it to him."

"I'll grab a rope ladder to throw down!"

Thatch nodded, "Thanks Ace." he said as he looked down, "Oi Shanks! Thanks for saving him! We're getting you a ladder right now!"

"'Kay! He seems really happy haha! He smiled when he saw me!!!!"

"Huh?" focusing on Marco, there was indeed a silly smile on the blond's lips. Wtf. Has he really lost it????

"He probably realised I was saving him! And he will now join me because he's forever grateful! I mean, look how happy he is! I never saw him smile like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Yea... yea... that's... that sounds about right......." Thatch voiced slowly and unsure, very unsure...

POV Marco - from the ocean

He was sinking, sinking peacefully to his end. Ah, no more paperwork, no more creepy fire being staring at him from every crack, no more laundry, no more Shanks. A smile graced his lips at that, no more Shanks. The ocean really was a pirate's blessing.

He relaxed as he made his way down, not like he could do anything else, the sea kind of immobilized him. After a little bit he felt a tug at his legs. Not really like someone was pulling, nothing was grabbing him, but still he felt like he was floating up. Opening his eyes he saw blurry small round shapes above him, lightly swaying as they pulled him towards the light. He didn't think dying would be so peaceful. Going to a light, carried by little balloons.