𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 { 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 | 𝟏 }

Chapter 10:Discussion

The more I see, the less I know

The more I like to let it go

-Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Snow/Hey Oh)

✧✦✧

Third pov

Anahera lead the group back to the dining room, where an extravagant arrangement of food awaited. There was Ramen, Okonomiyaki, Rice with curry, yakitori, Gyudon, and miso soup. Upon seeing the food, Ace began to drool, "Is this a dream come true?" Ace drooled. "Not gonna lie, this looks like a meal fit for kings, yoi!" Marco grinned as they all took their seat. Izo nods in agreement, "This all looks delicious." Kora grins, "Iggy's pretty neat with what he can whip up.

They were assigned some seats. The dining table was large and round, so it could fit everyone in. Kora was assigned to sit next to Akira and Thatch. Whitebeard sat next to Thatch, with Izo, Marco, and Ace next to each other. once they were all seated, the two older men entered, and they sat down. "Wow, I'm thoroughly impressed by this food!" Whitebeard grinned. Akira nods in agreement, "Ignis has done an outstanding job as always, I must make a note to hire him."

They all dug into their food quickly. Kora noticed that Marco had to constantly nudge Ace, as he kept falling asleep in his food, or would pig out instantly. It made her chuckle to herself.

"So..it's come to my attention that you two are friends now?" Akira asks. Thatch nods, "Yes, that's true." "I assume that the two of you only see each other as friends then?" Akira presses. "I guess so, I mean, we've only known each other for one day, I don't know if we're like legit friends." Kora said. "We had an idea." Whitebeard starts, "Because the two of you will probably only see each other as friends, we thought that maybe...maybe a couple years after the marriage, you two can split, and we can keep the alliance."

'How about we just have no marriage at all, for fucks sake.' Kora growled in her mind.

"So long as the alliance is in tact and there's no funny business." Thatch said. "Trust me, you have my word." Akira confirmed, "What do you think, Kora?" he asked. Kora silently placed her spoon down, "So my input is important after you decide on a marriage?" She grumbled. "Kora, don't start now." Akira sighed, obviously sounding tired. "I'm not starting anything, I'm just pointing out a mistake. After all, we learn from our mistakes, right?" Kora hissed.

'She just had to run her mouth, did she?' Thatch sighed in his mind.

'They didn't tell her about the marriage, yoi?'

'Oh fuck this food is good!'

'Ace has got food in his hair I should get it out before someone sees, and makes a fool of us.'

"Well, are you gonna agree with this or not, otherwise we're gonna have the marriage unbreakable." Whitebeard warned. Both Kora and Thatch flinch. Kora was holding back from yelling obscenities at Whitebeard. Momentarily, Kora and Thatch looked at each other. Within seconds, they communicated. Kora then looked at her Father, "By a couple of years after the marriage, how many is a couple?" She asks. "Two years. That's the least we can ask for." Akira said.

'Just be married to him for two years....I can do that. It just means we only have to kiss once, and I can live with that. I mean....Thatch is cute, but it's the fact that we're strangers kind of. I don't know a lot about him. He's...he's not Shanks.'

"I agree to the terms." Kora said. "And you, Thatch?" Whitebeard asked. "Yeah, I agree."

✧✦✧

After dinner, Kora took the boys to the games room, where they could play a game of pool before they left.

'Kora really doesn't want this marriage to go ahead....I don't think it's because she simply is against marrying me...maybe it's about Shanks?' Thatch thought.

Izo was score keeper, while Thatch was teamed up with Kora, and Marco was teamed up with Ace. They got their cue sticks, and chalked them up. Kora set up the balls in a triangle, then went over to hit the balls, so that she could see if her team was going to have the balls with or without a stripe. She watched as a ball with a stripe sunk into a pocket.

'Guess the balls with stripes are our balls.' Thatch thought.

"So....marriage huh?" Ace asked, as Thatch aligned his next shot. Kora's jaw moved forward, indicating her annoyance, "Fucking unbelievable." "I don't get what the Old Man is planning really, yoi." Marco said as Thatch fired and missed, "The alliance doesn't need a marriage, yoi." "Not that I think Whitebeard is idiotic, it's just...I don't get it." Kora huffed, placing a cig in-between her lips, "I know that they want us to marry after high school so that we know each other better but....it's just..." Kora was struggling for words. She didn't want to say things without offending them or Whitebeard.

"Unless there's something else going on in the shadows." Izo chimes in, as Ace aligns his shot. "What do you mean by that?" Ace asked. "The arranged marriage is, just as Marco said, unnecessary. Most only ever decide on an arranged marriages if they're truly desperate for something. I noticed before the alliance started a couple months back, where Pops would talk highly of Akira about things, and he'd call him." Kora frowned, "Whitebeard called my Father?" She asked out of confusion.

'He hardly ever makes personal calls. I'm always the one having to call people and deal with bullshit over the phone. If he steps in, it must be urgent.'

Ace swore out loud when he missed, and ended up getting a striped ball into a pocket, rather than a non stripe. Kora smirked, and then went over to see where she can line her shot up without touching the opponents ball.

"I suspect that they've been planning this for a while, if they were talking earlier." Ace said. "Yes, but the marriage isn't needed for either of us. None of us are desperate for anything." Thatch adds. Kora blew out some smoke as she drew the cue stick back, and strike the cue ball. She watched as the ball she was aiming for bounced around, causing other balls to bit the wall. She felt herself smile as two striped balls were sunk. "Nice shot." Thatch complimented. Kora winked, "Thanks."

"Anyway." Marco carried on, "We could just be over thinking everything, yoi. It is strange that this is all going ahead when none of us are having any troubles, but either way, it's beneficial, yoi." Kora huffed, "Yeah, I guess so..."

'They don't get it though. This is seriously weird. Father never calls anyone, he doesn't handle technology well, it's always been why I've had to handle a lot of things with people. So for him to call someone, he'd have to ask someone to help him, maybe? I don't know, I guess...I just don't want it all to go ahead. Thatch is strictly my friend, he can never replace Shanks.'

"So...I'm guessing you're going to Shanks's party?" Ace asked. "How do you know about it?" Kora asked. "He invited us three." Thatch said. "Who's Shanks?" Izo asked. "New kid, Kira's friend, yoi." Marco explained. "But yeah...I'm going." Kora said. "I heard he's invited a lot of people, yoi." Marco smirked. "I swear to god if you-" "I won't, yoi." Marco assured. "I don't even wanna know." Kora sighed. "Anyway," Thatch said, "can we catch a ride?"

"No, because I don't wanna be sober driver, and I don't trust you shits with Camo-I mean...my car." She grumbled. "Besides, I can drive, yoi." Marco calls. "I wanna involve our new member." Thatch smiled. "New member of what?" Kora asked. "Of the lads.tm." Ace responded. "You have no friends, apart from Shanks, you might as well, yoi." Marco shrugged. "Besides, Shanks is with us now so you might as well." Ace adds. Kora huffs, "So long as you don't embarrass me."