Chapter Text
“What’s your name?” The young girl didn’t know how to respond to such a question. She wasn’t even certain what a name was. The woman with the big purple eyes and long black hair smiled at her. She looked kind, and so familiar.
A loud crash woke her up from the dream. Instead of kind eyes, she was met with a furious scowl. A hand reached out and grabbed her her pulling her out of the rotting house. She knew to stay silent, to never look anyone in the eye, unless she wants to turn up dead like the others kids that she once knew. She wish she could dream forever. To keep looking into those kind eyes. Even though the rest of the woman’s features were a blur.
——
When Marco woke up that morning he should’ve known something was up. When wasn’t it? With a sigh he wiped his face with his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. He should really stop falling asleep at his desk. With a yawn he got up and was ready to face whatever problems were to occur in the Moby Dick.
Heading to the kitchen he swung open the door, knowing that Thatch was already up, meaning a pot of coffee was already brewing.
“Good morning,” Marco strolled in and got himself a mug. He looked around noticing that he didn’t get a response back. “Uh Thatch..? Listen this better not be another prank-“
As Marco finished his words he noticed not only Thatch but Izo under the table holding a small and filthy child. All of them were silent and looked at each other wondering what the other might do. Marco looked back at his coffee mug and sighed. He knew he would need to drink the whole pot.
Thatch and Izo looked at each other mumbling under their breath arguing over who’s going to explain first. Izo furrowed his brow and kicked Thatch out from under the table. Thatch cursed out loud which earned him another kick.
“Ow! Okay damn.”
Thatch stood up and gave Marco an awkward smile as if that would explain anything.
Marco gave him a look that said: this is way too early to deal with this shit.
“I can explain…. Sorta.”
—x-
*Five hours ago*
Now was it the brightest idea for Thatch to be out this early? Yes it was! He knew how mean the grannies were at the market, they’ll get the good products and deals first. That’s when Thatch had the brightest idea to have a stake out. He made his way to the dock when a voice called out to him.
“Now where the hell are you off to?”
Thatch covered his mouth as he let out a scream. He turned around to spot Izo crossing his arms, brow raised and looked annoyed. Thatch let out a nervous laugh; which seemed to be the wrong call as Izo frowned deeper. He stepped up to Thatch clicking his tongue in annoyance.
“Are you not going to answer, or do I have to smack it out of you?”
“H-hey no need for that!” Thatch took several steps back covering his head knowing that Izo could reach him at any moment.
“I need to beat the grannies! They are always the first ones at the market and I need those deals!”
Thatch looked quite passionate when it came to being in a one sided competition with the local grandmas.
It made Izo laugh, in turn making Thatch frown.
“This isn’t a laughing matter-“
Thatch couldn’t even defend himself from the onslaught laughter of Izo’s judgement. He crossed his arms and let himself be laughed at. Izo wiped the unshed tears from his eyes and dragged Thatch to the market. “Cmon we have some grannies to race” Izo winked at a sulking Thatch.
——-
The grannies were already there- Thatch fell to his knees in distraught. To think he could beat the locals when it came to a great deal. Izo pat the cooks shoulder trying to comfort him. “How come they’re up so early…?” Thatch was in disbelief, his perfect plan came to ruins. He got up still sulking. Izo had already left him to his grief to get in line… and totally not cut some old women in line.
With groceries bought with the price halved by Izo’s haggling and getting into arguments with powdered hair women. The two men seemed pleased with their haul. As they made their way back to the Moby Dick a sight that made their blood boil stopped them in their tracks. A bald man was tugging on a rope that was wrapped around a young child’s waist. The child had unruly black hair that even from afar you could see the fleas jumping around. Their garb was filthy, from torn off pieces, dirt, and even blood. The man on the other hand was the epitome of cleanliness. Izo and Thatch stared at the scene and approached the man with glares that even made the leashed child perk up.
The man either ignorant or stupid as to not recognize two commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, began to yell at them.
“Move out of the way! You’re wasting my time,” he tugged at the child’s leash once more attempting to barrel his way through the two men. “Fuck, the hell do you two want! I need to meet up with my buyer to sell this brat!” That seemed to snap Izo out of his blind anger and pushed his bags of groceries into Thatch’s arms. He then grabbed the bald man by his shirt towering over him.
“How much?”
The bald man seemed confused looking towards the brat who still hadn’t reacted at all to the encounter, then back to Izo.
“Listen I don’t know what type of idiot you take me for but-“
the bald bastard was cut off from his idiotic tangent as Izo pulled out the remaining berrie he had left and shoved it into the guys chest pushing him to the ground. Izo then grabbed the dropped leash untying it from the child, softly taking their hand.
Izo smiled trying to comfort the child.
“C’mon I’m going to start running.”
As those two ran off, Thatch quickly caught up to them laughing maniacally.
“Oh man Marco is gonna have a laugh with this one!”
The two commanders laughed their way back to the Moby Dick with now a new crew member.
Kanao didn’t know what to make of these two, yet there was an inkling inside her that is telling her this has happened before. The way her heart is pounding not only from adrenaline- but trying to piece this feeling of nostalgia.
—-