"Hey, big guy, I bet you can put me in touch with Whitebeard!" I said with confidence to the Fishman before me. I had finally heard about Whitebeard going to this island but had found him instead.

"You might be right, but you'd still lose that bet. Maybe I could introduce you, but I won't!" He wasn't giving a direct answer at all.

"Captain, do you realise that's Jinbe!" Saber a member of my crew said, trying to stop me, but instead, it made me want to fight him more.

"Oh yeah, the Warlord! Beating him might bring us some prestige then!"

"I'm my own pirate; I'm not part of Whitebeard's crew. But I owe him one, so let's see what you've got!" And that's how the 5-day fight started, my crew, watching as I took hit after hit and dealt my own firey blows.

"You're both going to die; knock it off!" Saber tried to stop us before me, and Jinbe breathed heavily and collapsed into the dirt.

"Ace noooooo!" However, a giant ship appeared from the fog before my crew could come and get me.

"I heard one of you boys has made it your life mission to see me dead. You wanna fight? I'm here to grant your wish!" The commanding voice of Whitebeard rang out over the area.

"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!" My crew sounded terrified.

"One of me is enough for all of you!" I looked up to see him and the rest of his crew. I recognised the green and purple-haired girl from a few months ago. She stood next to the large man, and I saw a look of concern on her face. But I didn't have time to think as Whitebeard closed the distance between us.
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I sat in the crow's nest, looking at the deep blue ocean. Gunpowder was running around the deck, making the crew laugh, the wind carrying the sound up to me. Now is a good time to describe my Fae form; my green ringleted hair is wild-looking, mixed with moss, and has lavender that grows out of it. My skin is green and covered in vines that almost look like tattoos. Leaves and more vines form a dress with armour over the top. My ears are pointed, and my golden eyes are slightly larger than my human form. I'm only in my human form on the ship when we have rookies. We must ensure they get used to everything else before showing them, as it's a lot to take in. A voice behind me broke through my thoughts.

"I thought you might be up here. We're taking a quick detour to the nearby island." Marco still had his blue phoenix wings out as he landed beside me in the crow's nest.

"Wait, why are we going to an island so soon? I thought we stocked up enough for the journey on the last one?" I asked, confused.

"A kid is talking about killing Pops, so he's interested. We're heading there now."

"This kid wants to kill him?" We laughed at that; Pops is too strong for a kid to kill. He once joked that I might be the only one who could do him serious harm, but I doubt it. "He sure has guts to think that. Now I'm curious about who it is. How far out are we?"

"We're a day out, so not too long." I nodded as Marco said this. He got his wings ready again. "You're staying out of trouble which is good, those cuts aren't going to heal on their own!"

"That's only because of the iron, but I can talk which is all that matters!" 2 weeks ago we were attacked by some new pirates, it is a common occurrence as they all want to take out Whitebeard. The odd thing was they all had some form of iron on them, and one was good enough to cut my throat with their iron dagger. Luckily, it wasn't too deep, but it still hurt like hell, and because of the iron, it wasn't healing on its own. I also got a few cuts on my legs as well, as the pirates went straight for me. Pops didn't like this, so the pirates weren't around to tell the tail. None of us understands how they knew about me being Fae, that I'm weak to iron, and why they went straight for me in the first place. The only other people (other than those on this ship) who know are the Marines, and it's not like they're going to tell pirates how to take me out. It put us all on edge and made everyone more protective of me if that was possible. I'm under strict orders from both the doctor and my captain not to do anything, so I haven't been. At least I can talk again and be outside, although my magic hasn't returned after the iron took it away. I hope whatever happens next won't be too harsh because I'm not sure that I could stand back and watch my family get hurt. I also hate waiting, so a day will drag a lot!
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"We're by the island; get ready, everyone!" Pops yelled as we gathered at the front of the ship. I shifted into my human form, of course, as Gunpowder was left in my room. I'm an honorary division commander, taking control of the 2nd division when we fight. I may not be good at mundane, busy places, but I'm alright with being in command of others. Also, I'm not alone; the 2nd division likes having me as their commander and says I'm a good leader. I've always been good at helping others, so this was just the next step. I hope I won't have to command on my own for too much longer, though, as it is a lot for me to do alone. The others have been kind and have been helping me if I needed it, but I need someone to help me permanently, mainly to talk with strangers.

All 16 division commanders stood around Pops with the rest of the crew looming behind us as the ship broke through the fog and stopped on the shore. It was Ace who I saw first, face on the ground not too far away from Jinbei, who was in the same condition. They both looked so tired and beaten up. That kid was strong enough to face a Warlord and still be able to move. He was certainly impressive.

"I heard one of you boys has made it your life's mission to see me dead! You wanna fight! I'm here to grant your wish!" Pops was very intimidating, but he wasn't using his Haki. I was worried for the boy who had been nice to me when he did not have to be.

"It's the Whitebeard pirates!" One of Ace's crew said as they all became terrified.

"One of me is enough for all of you!" Ace looked up at that; he was struggling as Pops walked down the ramp and towards him using his favourite scare tactic, hitting his naginata on the floor as he walked. I followed, but at a distance, I didn't want Pops to kill him, so I would step in if I had to. Pops pushed Ace's crew out of the way before the flame boy put up a firewall. I stepped through the wall harmlessly; it was warm and felt different than a normal fire, like a piece of Ace was within them. 

"Captain Ace, what are you doing?" His crew were worried about him but I could see the look on his face, that was the look of someone who had felt loss before and didn't want to feel it again.

"Get out of here! Run now!" His voice broke slightly as Pops looked down at him, watching this interaction.

"Captain, NO!" I was going to stall him no matter what.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet!" Pops' was mocking Ace. I held my breath. Marco put his hand on my shoulder and said in my head.

'You look worried there; you also seem to recognise him?' I let out a sigh as I thought back to him.

'I met him a few months ago in that alleyway that Vista found me in when I had my breakdown. He was nice to me, even though I was not doing okay; he also respected me when I told him to leave.'

'Ah, I see. Don't push yourself, you're still recovering don't forget.' He gave a firm look.

'I'm not, but I'm also not going just to stand by and watch him die!' Marco just nodded as we both went back to paying attention again.

"My crew is not trying to kill you; that's all me. You let them go!" A look of determination crossed the boy's face as he faced Pops. Ace's crew had listened to his orders and ran.

"Giving me orders! You cocky punk!" Pops had a grin on his face as Ace got into a fight position and charged at him. Pops quickly knocked him back hard. Ace fell back onto the ground. He was out cold and dying. I ran up to him without a second thought. I could feel Marco's and Pops' eyes following me as I did so. I knelt next to him as the flames burnt away around us. I checked his pulse; it was still there but faint. I looked at Pops as Marco went over to help Jinbei.

"Pops, please don't kill him! He helped me when I had my breakdown a few months ago when he didn't have to!" His eyes flicked to the boy and then back to me. He said nothing as the boy's fingers twitched, letting us know he was awake again. He was struggling but looked up at me next to him and then at Pops. He got himself up onto his knees as he muttered.

"I...I won't lose!"

"Hehehe! You've got some fight left! Look, I'm not going to kill you today, alright!" Ace looked shocked as he said this. I let out a relieved breath. I didn't know what about this boy made me want to protect him; maybe I saw too much of myself relaxed in his eyes. "Don't fight it; you're too valuable to die in a place like this. Run wild with us, and our flag will be yours." Ace looked away from him and at me again. I gave him a small smile and a nod. Pops put his hand out to the freckled boy, and Ace looked back, even more shocked, as Pops continued, "And I will call you my son!" Ace's eyes went wide before yelling at Pops.

"SCREW YOU, YOU OLD FART!" His exhaustion from the apparently five days of fighting Jinbei nonstop and his attack at Pops caught up with him as he collapsed into the dirt again. This time, he was passing out entirely. Pops chuckled as he said to me.

"He has guts, that's for sure. Bring him on board the Moby Dick, he's your problem to watch over now my daughter!" I looked at him, a little surprised.

"You're not going to tell me to be careful or for me to keep my distance until we know we can trust him 100%?"

"You seem to be familiar with him, and I trust what else I see," and that was that. He returned to the ship, leaving me to carry the rookie alone. I sighed as I went to pick him up, but I was startled by a sudden loud meow from behind me. Gunpowder was there, ready to help. That's why Pops walked away without helping me; he knew Gunpowder would help me.

"You sneaky cat!" I was startled and then started to laugh as he rubbed his body against my legs and his chin against Ace's back as he chirped. "Okay, I get it!" I lifted Ace's unconscious body onto the fluffy cat's back, vines wrapped around the boy's body to keep him in place whilst we moved. I grabbed the orange hat before we returned to the ship and up the ramp.
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I woke up suddenly, covered in sweat and an unknown bed. The room was filled with boxes, crates, and barrels. There was also a chair next to the bed. The green and purple-haired girl was fast asleep in it. I breathed heavily as my brain caught up with what was going on. She looked so peaceful, considering the chair did not look the most comfortable to sit in, never mind sleep in. Now that I could see her up close, I noticed she was wearing a Western-style necktie, the same dark green as her trousers that she had not worn a few months before. I let out a sigh, I couldn't stay here, I needed to leave. I went to the door, carefully trying not to wake her up. I was still a little sore from fighting but I couldn't stay still, I opened the door up to the sunlight and put my hand over my eyes so I could see over the side of the unknown ship. I could only see the few fluffy white clouds in the blue sky, some seagulls screeching as they flew past, and the vast, deep ocean stretching for miles. The sound of the waves mixed with the sound of the wind that tossed my hair around as I looked out in utter horror. I huffed as I spun around on the spot and fell onto the deck in annoyance. My legs crossed as I rested my elbows on my knees and put my head in my hands as I tried to figure out what to do now.

"Hey! I'm Whitebeard's 4th division commander. The name's Thatch! If you're going to join us, I'm a good friend to have!" This tall man with a light brown pompadour hairstyle said as I looked up at him. He hopped up to sit on the side of the ship, looking cocky.

"SHUT UP!" I didn't care that I was being rude right now; I was far too on edge. I put my head back into my hands with a sigh.

"Kinda grumpy when you wake up, ah! Oh yeah, you're probably wondering what happened since you passed out, I mean. Well, your crew proved their loyalty and came to get you back. So of course we beat the hell out of them, but they're not dead, they're all on the ship too!" I looked up at him and asked.

"Shouldn't I be in a cell or something? You don't even have shackles on me!" I was so confused about what was happening.

"Shackles? Nah, we don't need them, not on you!" That pissed me off, but before I could say anything back to the guy, the door to the room that I had come from opened to reveal the girl who was now awake. Dam, my yelling probably woke her up.

"You're awake, that's good!" She smiled at me before looking at the man who introduced himself as Thatch. "I've got it from here Thatch, you don't need to hover." The guy chuckled, gave me another smile, and nodded as he walked away. "Sorry about him. He can be a lot, but he means well. I assume by your expression he filled you in on what happened since you passed out," she was being careful but kind. She looked different when she wasn't having a panic attack in an alleyway.

"Why is the Daughter of the Sea being nice to me? I just tried to kill your captain?" She chuckled as she sat beside me on the deck, carefully leaving plenty of space between us.

"You did figure out who I am then. I'm repaying the kindness you showed me when we met, and I wasn't doing well. You didn't have to follow me down that alleyway to check on me, interesting or not." Her eyes showed gratitude before turning to pain briefly before she lifted her legs off the deck. I saw the two deep-looking slashes on her legs. They had scarred over, but they were still slightly pink-looking, showing they were new. I realised she was wearing a skirt and not the trousers she was just a few minutes ago. I also saw the other scars that looked new as well.

"You were attacked, weren't you?" She followed my gaze to her legs.

"Unfortunately, some other pirates attacked us a few weeks ago, and they went for me first. They seemed to know more about me than any other pirate before them. Luckily, they're not around anymore, but not before they tried to kill me and Whitebeard." She sighed, and I realised the necktie was probably covering another scar. I also felt a little bad because I knew about the attack, and I had been trying to take advantage of it myself. Not that it worked out anyway, but now it felt worse. "But don't worry; I'm doing just fine now. I forget that they're there sometimes and catch the edges slightly." She got up and held her hand out to help me. "Let me show you around. It's a big ship, so it's easy to get lost, to begin with, but you'll get used to it!" I let out a slight huff, but I took her hand. I didn't want to hurt my crew by doing something wrong, and she wasn't irritating me like that guy. Her hand was soft, but she had a firm grip as she pulled me to my feet with a smile. So I let her take me on a tour of the Moby Dick!
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I was startled by the crashing sound coming from Pops' room. Gunpowder's head peeked over the side of the crow's nest as I floated down to the ground and went to investigate. The sound of talking caught my attention as I approached the scene.

"Come on, you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, we got people trying to sleep on this ship!" I walked around the corner to see two drinking crew members telling Ace off. He was bleeding from the nose and had dented the side of the ship slightly, and there was also a massive hole in the wall of Pops' room, where the older man was still sleeping soundly. I couldn't help but laugh at the scene in front of me.

"It's ok, guys, I'll handle this; you can go back to drinking," I smiled at the two as I held my hand out for Ace to take.

"Of course, commander, do you want something from the kitchen?" One of them offered.

"If you could bring me some of that saki, that would be great. Bring it by Marco's office." They nodded and wandered off as Ace finally took my hand so I could help him up. "You certainly know how to cause a commotion, don't you! Come on, I'll get something to help with that!" He followed after me as I headed for Marco's office.

"How the hell is he still asleep?" He was trying not to let the blood trickle into his throat.

"Observation, Haki," was all I said in response. I opened the door to the office and grabbed some stuff to help stop the bleeding. He sat down on the bed, and I gave him the gauze so he could hold it to his face. I then made sure his head was pointed down. One of the two men brought me some of the saki as I asked; I gave a nod as he returned to his friend. I took a deep swig of the alcohol before holding it out for Ace. He also took a swig before passing the bottle back. "Learned your lesson yet?" He just sent me a glare. I let out a sigh, "Didn't think so! After that stops bleeding, you might want to clean up and go to bed. Long day tomorrow!" I headed back out of the door to the crow's nest and the waiting cat. I spend the rest of the night on watch, drinking the saki.

The next day, I was talking to Marco and Thatch whilst we watched over the deck. Pops was in his chair with the nurses nearby. Ace charged around the corner with an axe, straight at the back of Pops. He got knocked straight into the ocean, breaking the ship's side a little. He also made a funny sound as he went in, and I couldn't help but laugh at it.

"Guy's, he went overboard!"

"I don't think he can swim!"

"Hey, someone fish him out!" The three closest crew members said, one by one. The last one looked at me as Marco nudged me.

"Ok, ok, I'm on it. It's a good job I got my magic back isn't it!" I walked to the ship's side, focusing on the water, and found Ace. I formed a bubble around him and brought him back onto the deck. He was coughing up water and was soaked, but otherwise, he was alright. Gunpowder came up and started to lick him as I said, "Ready to give up yet?" I just got another glare, so I let out a sigh. He pushed Gunpowder away and stormed off.

And so it kept happening. Every time he would try, he would either get hurt or go overboard and every time, I was there to help pick him back up or fish him out of the ocean. All 100 times! And whenever I asked that question, he would glare back at me. I was sitting on the deck laughing with a few others when I noticed Ace alone. I excused myself and brought him a bowl of stew. He didn't react at first, so I started to walk away until his voice stopped me.

"Tell me, why does everyone on this ship call him Pops?" I turned around with a smile.

"You don't get it? Because he calls us his children. None of us have any family left. Hell, the whole world hates us, so it's nice, right? I mean, I know it's just a word, but it still feels nice." He hid his face again. I let out a sigh and walked back over to him. "What's the deal? Are you really going to keep on doing this even after he spared your life? Cause you can't keep this up. Hate to break it to ya, but you're not strong enough to kill him. So you can either get off this ship and start over, or you can stay here and wear the mark of Whitebeard on your back!" He didn't respond to me again, so I let out another sigh and started to walk away again. His hand caught my arm before I had moved out of his range. I looked back right into his dark eyes. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes, nor did he let go of my arm. He broke the silence as he let go and moved his head away.

"You're right. I want the mark!" I smiled.

"I knew you would come around, freckles," I chuckled. He looked a little speechless at that. "What?"

"You just...you just called me 'freckles'!" It was my turn to hide my face briefly as I blushed a little. I let out a cough before looking back at him.

"Sorry, it just felt right. I won't do it again," I hurriedly said. He smiled genuinely, which I had not seen since the alleyway.

"It's ok, I like the nickname!" That made me blush again.

"Right, well, I'll keep that in mind. You should go and talk to Pops about getting your tattoo!" I walked away quickly, right into Gunpowder, whose ears were forward and watching me. "Don't give me that look, it's nothing!" He let out a meow as he brushed himself against me. He then walked over to Ace and brushed against him until he started petting the giant cat. I laughed at that; it was good to see them getting on. I shook my head and returned to the conversation I had been having before taking Ace's food, but my mind couldn't fully concentrate anymore.