Chapter Text
Marco was four hundred-ten years old but took the form of a ten-year-old, or what humans call a child. He liked this form a lot because adults will give him food from their stands after he tells them a true but false situation. He had no parents, but when said to humans, they think his parents died when he was younger. He never had parents. Phoenixes are rebirths of the previous phoenix so they don’t have a family. There's only one born at a time and they live between 500 to 1,000 years old. There are also two different types of phoenixes. You have your original red, which is your basic phoenix with its original powers. Then you have your blue or purple Phoenix, which is what Marco is. They are rare. One is born every million or so years, sometimes even longer. Blue phoenixes have the ability to transform into humans and change their age to help them fit in better. They can heal others and sometimes even bring back the dead. They have the other powers of the red but they are two times or even five times stronger than a red phoenix. They can also choose when their flames are for healing or hurting.
Phoenixes have their own personalities but they are still animals and have animal instincts. Their hearing, smell, and sight are better than humans and most other animals. They don’t have a mating season like other animals because there's only one at a time so there's no need for one but they can choose a mate and they know immediately if the person is the one but they don’t know when they’ll find their mate.
They also have their weakness and they can die but they come back not long later after dying. They can heal from any wound and if too wounded they can lay in a fire to heal quicker, definitely if it is by iron. Pure Iron is their prime weakness that most don’t know of and if hit by it, it can cause lots of damage and can take longer to heal. A nice nap in a fire can help the healing process go faster and comfort them. Marco sleeps in a fire most of the time because it helps him sleep. The warmth of the fire soothes him from the pain of his loneliness.
Marco walked along the road of the town he was in. He had bread in his hand that a nice lady gave him to eat. He was starving. He likes fruits more but he’ll have to live with bread. He thought about making himself older and getting a job again but he doesn’t know what he’d go into. He’s been a doctor, an archaeologist, he’s studied navigation; like making maps and reading the weather. He learned to cook when working under a chef. He knows how to fish and hunt because that's also how he survives in the woods. He’s learned different fighting styles over the years, along with learning how to use weapons.
He lives in a cabin he made years ago in the middle of the woods away from society by a lake. He likes it there. It’s peaceful. He can also transform as he pleases and doesn't have to worry about people finding out about him. People usually avoid the woods because of dangerous animals but their small fries compared to Marco. He can take them down with ease.
He was then attacked, being tackled to the ground. He groaned as his body slammed into the gravel. He looked quickly pushed who tackled him off of him and stood up. He looked at who attacked him. It was a boy around the age Marco appeared to be. He saw two other boys helping the other up. He didn’t want to fight them but they’ll probably leave him no choice.
“What do you guys want?” He asked them, trying not to sound too pissed off about being tackled and ruining his bread.
The one that tackled him spoke up first, “You have to share with us. She didn’t give us any”. Marco looked at them as if they were dumb. Just looking at them he could tell they had parents that had money and could provide food for them. The lady had no reason to give them any bread. Marco on the other hand basically wore rags. His clothes were old and had multiple holes. The leg holes of his pants ripped to his mid cafes with ragged edges. He basically looked homeless. He wasn’t but he was poor. He didn’t have money and any clothes he had he made himself or found in the trash and fixed them up if needed.
“I can’t share it even if I wanted to. You ruined it yoi,” he told him as he grabbed the smushed and dirty loaf of bread. He showed it to the three boys.
The boy on the left, the one that pushed him down, spoke, “Then you should have shared with us when we told you too you freak”. He felt his eye twitch as his blood boiled.
“And how am I a freak?” he asked the young boys.
The one on the right answered, “You have no parents and you leave in the woods. You're definitely a freak”. And how did that make him a freak? It just made him an orphan. He couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you laughing at, freak!?” The one in the middle yelled at him angrily.
“You guys,” he answered honestly and cockly. The three boys attacked him, trying to get him down. Marco held back as he punched and kicked them, having them fall to the ground in pain. Two had started crying while the one that tackled him before had attacked again. Marco grabbed the kid's arm and pulled him to him before flipping him over, making him land on his back. The boy groaned as he started to cry. Marco sighed. He grabbed the ruined loaf of bread and started his way back home. He didn’t feel like dealing with them anymore.
As he walked away he heard the boy's name calling him. He didn’t care. He’s been called multiple things. He just rolled his eyes as he kept on walking. He dusted off the beard the best he could to see if any was still edible. He was able to get some out of it but the rest was garbage to those who weren’t scavengers like him.
A tall and muscular man then walked up to him. Marco looked up at him. The man then knelt in front of him. He had long curly blond hair that went past his shoulders with a black bandana on his head, covering the whole top of his head. He had a white mustache that curved up like a quarter moon and soft grey eyes. He wore a dark brown no-sleeve cardigan, loose khaki pants, a red sash wrapped around his waist, and black boots. “You're a tough cookie aren't ya boy Gurararara,” the man told him with a laugh. Marco blinked confused. The man then spoke again, “I saw how you handled those brats. You're a good fighter for your age”.
“I guess I am. Who are you?” Marco asked the man.
The man grinned, “I’m Edward Newgate”. Marco’s eye’s then widened. He was a part of the rock pirates before they disbanded. “You seemed shocked to hear my name,” Newgate told him.
“I know you you are yoi,” Marco told him after he calmed his disbelief.
“Oh, do you know?” Newgate questioned with a smirk.
“You were a part of the Rock Pirates,” Marco told him.
“Oh, so you do know. Aren’t you a smart one Gurararara,” he told him with a laugh. He seemed so carefree and not the brightest. “Want to eat with me? I doubt the bread filled you,” he told him. Marco blinked in surprise.
“You want me to eat with you?” he questioned him in disbelief. Newgate laughed with a nod.
“I want to get to know you some. Some like you would be nice to have on my crew,” he told him. Him joining Edward Newgate's crew? Why would he become a pirate? He then started to talk again, “I’m looking for people to join my crew, we'll start my crew with me. I don’t have anyone on the crew yet”.
“No one’s joined your crew yet?” Marco questioned. He nodded sadly.
“Your parent’s probably don’t want you becoming a pirate anyways,” he said.
“I don’t have any. They’ve already died,” Marco told him. Newgate raised his eyebrows.
“You don’t have parents?” He asked. Marco nodded. “Then want to join my family and become my son?” he asked him. Marco’s eyes widened. No one has ever asked him to join their family. He’s always been by himself. He didn’t even have friends. He might be older than him but as a phoenix, he’s still plenty young.
“You’ll take me in?” Marco asked him. He couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. He smiled softly at him and nodded. Marco pushed his lips together as he thought about his answer.
Newgate patted his head as he spoke, “How about I get you something to eat and you think about it”. Marco only nodded. He didn’t have to tell Newgate what he was yet if he even wanted to tell him. “Then let's go get something to eat! I’m starving!” he told him as he picked him up with one hand. Marco yelped in surprise as Negate stood up. He let Marco get on his shoulder as they headed to a restaurant to eat at.
They went to a cheap restaurant but they sold good food. Newgate ordered for them. Marco wasn’t picky so he didn’t mind. Plus he didn’t even know what he wanted. Once the food was ordered, Negate looked at him. “So where did you learn to fight?” he asked him. Marco had no idea how to answer that.
“I’m self-taught. The kids pick fights with me all the time so I needed to protect myself somehow,” he told him. He hummed with a soft nod.
“Must be hard without your parents,” he said. Marco only nodded. Even when he was actually young, it was hard to survive without what humans called parents. He didn’t have anyone to provide for him or keep him safe. “When did they die?” he asked.
“My dad died a little before I was born and my mother died a month or so after giving birth because of heartbreak over losing my father,” he told him. It was all made up but it was the best he could come up with. “An old lady in the village raised me before they died when I was five.” Newgate looked at him mournfully.
“So you’ve been defending for yourself since you were young,” he said. Marco nodded. That was actually true.
“Aren’t I a little too young to join a pirate crew?” he asked the older man. Newgate thought for a bit.
“You probably are but I’m sure you’ll grow up to be a fine and strong man,” he told him with a grin. Marco held back a smile. Negate gave off the vibe of a father. Something he wished to have.
“What is your dream?” Marco asked. He at least needs to know what type of dream he has.
“To have a big family. I want to give people a home to those who don’t have any. If they join me I'll treat them as if they are my son or daughter,” he told him. Marco felt his heart squeeze. He wanted a home. He wanted someone to call his father. He wanted a family.
“I’ll join you. I’ve always wanted to explore the world!” Marco told him with a grin. Newgate blinked surprised before grinning happily. Marco felt so happy that he’ll be able to have an actual family in his long life. Even if they die before him, he’ll treasure all of them and any memories he has with them.
“So, besides fighting skills, know anything else? You seem like a smart child,” he asked. Marco grinned.
“I know some navigation and archaeology along with medical things and I can cook,” he told him. Newgate looked at him surprised.
“You're a smart kid indeed. Those skills will come in handy on our goal to make our family bigger!” he grinned. Marco couldn’t help but nod and grin happily.
~
It’s been a few years since then. He was now four-hundred-thirteen or thirteen. The crew has gotten bigger. Marco had brothers and sisters now. He was so happy. He now calls Newgate “Pops” along with others on the crew, but it took some time. Marco was his first mate but he wasn’t his right hand, well not yet. He was too young and small so when someone more capable joined they became the right hand. When he gets older he’ll become his right hand then.
Though it has been harder to seal his true identity. Everyone thinks he has devil fruit powers but he doesn’t. He has to fake he can’t swim and that seastone affects him. He has to hold back more on his animal instincts. It was starting to get too much for him. He had to tell someone. He needs someone he can talk to about his problems. He thought for a bit about who he could tell but the only person he trusted was Pops.
He looked at Pops who sat in his big chair in the middle of the front deck. He was looking through the newspaper. Marco already read it. He changed his arms into wings and flew over to Pops, landing on his thigh. Pops looked at him. “Marco, do you need something, my boy?” He asked him.
Marco pushed his lips together before speaking softly, “Can I talk to you in private?” Pops looked at him worriedly, thinking something was wrong with his son.
“Of course, son. When do you want to talk?” he asked him.
“Whenever you're free to talk,” he told him.
“Then let's go to my room and talk,” Pops told him as he picked him up, putting down the newspaper. Marco only nodded as Pops took them to his room. He closed the door behind him before sitting down on his big bed. He sat Marco down on the bed and he looked down at him as he spoke to him, “What is it that you need to speak to me about”? Marco got comfortable on the bed the best he could with his body tense.
He swallowed dryly before he said, “There's something I need to tell you that I’ve kept secret from everyone”. Pops nodded, signaling him to continue. “I didn’t actually eat a devil fruit,” he told him. Pops blinked confused.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I’m an actual phoenix. I can swim and seastone doesn’t affect me. I’m actually 413 years old and taking the form of 13-year-old me to blend in,” he told him, looking at his lap. He couldn’t look Pops in the face.
“You're what?” Pops hesitantly asked him.
“A phoenix. I can even prove it if you want to somehow if you don’t believe me,” he told him.
“But how? Phoenixes aren’t real,” he asked. Marcos sighed.
“There's only one of us at a time. We live between 500 to 1,000 years and once the previous one dies a new one is born in its ashes. So it’s very rare to almost impossible to actually see a phoenix,” Marco told him. Pops looked at him, his eyes filled with different emotions. “I can’t have others finding out about what I am. You can only guess what would happen if the government finds out or bad people. So I have to act as if I have a devil's fruit and change my age appearance to fit in with humans. While living with the humans I learned a lot of skills so I could travel the world and explore all the islands but I never had a family so I was really happy when you asked me to join your family.” He knew he was going off track but he couldn’t help it. He was holding so much in.
“So you're an actual phoenix huh? That wasn’t what I was expecting to find out,” He told him.
“So you're not going to sell me to the government?” Marco asked.
Pops laughed as he patted his head before speaking, “Heavens no. You're my son and always will be even when I pass. I just hope I’m always going to be your father”. Marco’s eyes widened as tears welled up in his eyes.
“You’ll always be my father! Even when you die, I’ll always remember you!” Marco told him as tears slipped down his cheeks. Pops smiled softly at him as he gently wiped his tears away with the back of his pointing finger. Marco grabbed onto his finger, hugging it.
“I’m glad to hear that Marco but you don’t have to be scared to tell me anything,” he told him. Marco nodded as he let out a soft sob before he climbed onto Pop's thigh to hug him. Pops patted his back before rubbing it.
Marco was so happy Pops still accepted him as his son and won’t sell him off or see him differently. He knows Pops will keep a secret. He never says anything someone tells him to keep secret so he knows that he’ll keep his secret safe.