fierybluebird | [Voice] / Question for the masses

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[Voice] / Question for the masses

[Marco is chilling out on the roof of what used to be the Straw Hat house. He's not sure what it is anymore. They're all scattered, through different worlds, different times, lost and confused. Marco is too, really, if he's honest with himself. So, as he often does during such things, he surrounded himself with fellow birds. This, if anything, however, just created more juxtaposition of the very question he was trying to hide from. A bird, but not a bird. A friend, but not a friend. An ally? A guardian? Of who, of what? The changing of eras? What did it mean? What did it matter? He was a bird separated from his flock, and indeed, everyone in Luceti was to some degree or another. So sometime during twilight, he opens up the journal, still on the roof with a couple dozen birds, and poses a question to Luceti at large. A question? No, more like a dozen.]

What does it mean to be a monster?

My father once said a man's worth can only be measured by those he cherishes and who cherish him in return. He adopted a bunch of worthless pirates and gave us worth because we became his treasure, so he was ours.

None of us matched. During all that illusion crap, a lot of people got to understand, I suppose, what I've been lucky enough to have for decades. Family just for the sake of wanting to be. My family are all pirates. From my father, our captain, to every last brother. For that, there is rarely a soul in the world who doesn't hate us. We're outnumbered all over the world, between the world government, Kaidou, Big Mam, to slavers like Joker, or idiots we kicked out of the New World and sent packing like Crocodile.

Piracy is a fickle thing, eh? Everyone has some strong ideas of what it means. I don't care when other people call me a monster, or when I'm hated, because I'm always in the best of company. Two decades ago, I would have taken being called that with pride. My friends are all monsters, and being like them is a compliment. And while I know I'm nothing like Kaidou, or Joker, and Teach and Crocodile can go fuck themselves, they laugh at my father's idea of piracy as much as I scoff at theirs. They think piracy should be about power or money, or security, rather than the exact opposite. Two eras ago by my world's time, piracy was about freedom and camaraderie. Freedom from a judgmental society and their restrictions and rules. Freedom from things like blood lines or having someone else decide for you when you would grow up or how. And the only rule was to never hurt a fellow nakama.

I consider pirates who don't get that to be worthless fools, because their allies and friends aren't always their first priority, but even idiots like the Third Party have friends and people who share their ideals. Is it really just that I value my family over obfuscated ideals that makes me better than them? Or is just a style preference? That I'll kick an enemy in the face, but I'll never bother pretending to befriend someone to get close enough to stab them in the back. There are many who would say "whatever works," and I never really thought myself one to give a damn about morals. After all, I'm a monster, eh? But then perhaps, even I have lines I won't cross, and won't forgive.

Sorry, I suppose I've just been rambling. It's been on my mind, and you'd be amazed how much spending a week trying to get people to hear your voice makes you want to use it when you get it back. I'm Marco, and if you're a new feather, just give a little whistle, and I'll come flying if you're lost, eh.

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[But what?]

[Marco didn't care if Nami hated him. Well, he did care, but not so personally. Hell, if anything, the masochist in him wouldn't mind that, because seeing her passions stirred so strongly was a good thing. Just as how sometimes he really liked arguing with Robin when his own temper got the better of him. And they had disagreed before, hadn't they?]

[So then why?]

[Because it was all of piracy? The whole world viewed them as monsters, and always had. But no, it was more than that.]

[She was part of the select few Marco had come to see as the future. Reluctantly, but when had he given into that point of view? Oh yes, Whitebeard's era was truly dead and over if Marco let it be, but there were things even he couldn't fight.]

She's the future of piracy.

[His voice is quiet. He loathes this. Loathes that they are setting up to take his place, that there is a place to be taken, that he is a falling star and it's all just signs of the end of the era, the end of everything that mattered to Marco.]

And if she thinks that's all piracy is about, then we've truly failed.

Pops asked me and my brothers to carry on into the new era, to live, to survive, because without us, it doesn't mean much. He died to protect us, and our burden is to live with that.

More than anything, I'd like to kill all those who ruin what it means to be a pirate, but if I could... [He shakes his head.] No, rather, I could, but the cost would be breaking my father's wish.

I don't just want to be different from those I despise, I suppose I want others to see them for the scum they are as well. And if I am viewed as just the same, then all perspective is lost.

[Ikki takes a drink and listens in silence, remaining silent once Marco is done talking. Nami... He can't really say he knew the woman, but he had seen enough, heard enough before and now to have an idea. Still, there are things he needs to get clear before he can really say much.]

The future of piracy, and a symptom of the whole world's view of piracy... Just so we're on the same page, and since I never got to know her properly before, isn't she younger than she normally is? And from one of those four seas that there are at your world?

[She was asking about the East Blue and Ikki has learned enough about their world to remember that.]

Aye. The weakest and dullest of the oceans. [Waves a hand.] Roger was from there. Garp too.

Ace and Luffy grew up there.

Why?

Because from where I stand you're getting like this over a baby not knowing how to stand up, even though it will obviously know how to once it's older.

[He takes a sip before he continues in order to explain his point.]

She is younger, not inexperienced but compared to how she will be we may say that she is so. She comes from, as you just said, the weakest and dullest of the oceans, and from what I know of your world, those four oceans in general are pretty much the last corner of your world. Everything important happens in the Grand Line and the New World, and everything that doesn't make the cut, that isn't good enough, strong enough to survive in either of those places... Is thrown to those oceans. So in sort, she is young and all she has ever seen is your world's garbage dump, where not even the Marines probably bother much with and end sending their worst elements there, because all the good units they have are needed at the center of the action.

She may be the future of the piracy, but I doubt she's even on a point at which you can really say that, not with how little of the real world she has been able to see.

Say, the Nami that was here before, older, more experienced and all. Do you think she thought that? The exact same way as the one we have here does?

[He thinks about it. For the most part, Ikki's right, and indeed, they are the same thoughts Marco himself had already.]

I do not know, but she is right about getting rid of the pirates who are so in the wrong. How can I say piracy is supposed to be about protecting people and islands when I can't do that at all?

What, do you guys spend your days back in your world just drinking rum and sunbathing?

[Ikki snorts and shakes his head.]

Look at it this way, houses are for people, not for pests and whenever you find one of those in your house you eliminate it. Does that mean there aren't pests in the rest of the world? No. Can anyone expect you to eliminate all of them on your own or with your family? No and if they do then they should start doing something themselves rather than sit and complain. Does that mean that houses aren't supposed to be without pests? No.

She lives in the garbage dump of your world, so logically she'll be more used to houses full of pests and people not doing anything about them than not. Is it your responsibility to keep her house clean of pests? No. And even if it was, it's rather impossible for you to given that you're all the way in the New World and at her time you probably don't even know of her. She can say whatever she wants, but it's illogical and stupid to expect you to be able to magically clean all the trash in your world on your own, or even with your brothers. She hasn't seen what you really do, she can't know if you give trash like that a beating or invite them to drink rum while you watch villages burn. She may think she knows, but she doesn't, and as rude as it is, that means her opinion isn't worth to take seriously.

Granted.

And I don't want to take them all on. Just because there are pirates I hate, doesn't mean it has anything to do with me.

It's the ones in my own turf that bother me. They are my responsibility and I can't take them down. If I can't even do that, what right have I to even claim my piracy is different? If there's no way to prove to her that there is a difference, then what difference even exists, eh?

And how would you be able to proof it to her here if you were able to take them down there?

[That just stops him cold.]

[Oh right.]

[The most obvious problem and he forgot it entirely.]

Ah... right. That's a good point, eh.

Hn.

[There's a soft chuckle at that, yeah he figured Marco had missed that little detail.]

It's not that I don't understand what you mean, or what troubles you. But I've come to realize that at the end of the day, the only thing that counts is what people see with their own eyes. So unless Blackbeard or those guys come here and you beat them right in front of her... There's not much else you can do.

As for when you're home... The answer is simple, just keep doing what you have done, protect what's yours and if you can stretch your arm to protect something else. Most people will keep thinking that piracy is about all the things that bother you, and there will always be scum sailing the seas. But even that will change one day, trying to rush it or over worry about it won't serve you for anything. That only serves to those whose time is limited, ours isn't so much, whether we like it or not.

[He nods and grins.] When did my cute little brother get to be so smart?

[Pokes Ikki's cheek and ruffles his hair to tease him.] Mah, but I'm not like those other guys, right?

I think it's more that you just got stupid for a moment.

[He growls at the poke and ruffling, but doesn't do anything to really stop the other.]

If you were like them I wouldn't have this by now.

[He doesn't signal or explain what "this" is. It may just be the moment of having a drink with Marco, it may be the part of having an older brother, a friend with whom he can talk about the burden the phoenix has given him since he discovered it, the tattoo on his shoulder, or everything at once.]

Not even when the Malnosso stripped you of your "nice guy" face were you like them.

Heh...

[A secretive grin over his drink.] If it weren't for freaking out Robin and Norma, I think I might have really enjoyed that whole thing. More than I should have anyway.

Was it that bad? I thought it would just be the initial surprise. You weren't that different after all.

[At least not that Ikki could see. The biggest discomfort he got was due the flag issue and because of the risk that Kotomi could see or meet him and be terrified forever.]

I was certainly embarrassing with Robin.

And Norma has never seen my fully violent side. It's probably best to keep it that way a little longer.

[Ikki shrugs.]

Women. I thought it was fun, though it started to get annoying after the fifth time I had to put up the flag again in two days.

[A small chuckle.] Robin too.

Even though I was the one changing it, she knew I'd be angry when I came back so she kept trying to stop me.

Did I ever thank you both for that?

Not enough.

[It wasn't that much of a pain, but Ikki isn't going to admit that. Or that it wasn't even a pain or a bother, frustrating yes but not that much.]

I'm just glad I didn't get the tattoo before that, or you would have tried to cut off my shoulder.

Hah. I wouldn't have done that, just been confused.

Then think that I was mocking you or something? I'm still glad I didn't get it until later. Besides, when Smoker returned I was turned into a phoenix, so he has the excuse to think that it's a side effect of that kidnapping.

[He's sure Smoker knows well that it's not the case, but no one said their friendship didn't have moments in which they lied to themselves to avoid certain arguments.]

Possibly. I was a bit befuddled.

[There's a long pause as he thinks over the thing with Smoker.] So you're hiding your tattoo now? [He can't say he likes that. He DOES like that it was a surprise, but it should always be worn with pride. Then again, plenty of the crew covered theirs up, especially when they had to work undercover, but it leaves an uneasy feeling in Marco's gut. They shouldn't be afraid of what people will think of it, they should revel in it.]

[But Ikki said it was so that Smoker had the excuse to convince himself of that. Turn a blind eye then? Marco can't pretend to tolerate marines, but Ace seemed strangely okay with Smoker, and even Robin didn't hate him. Hm.]

[Ikki snorts at that.]

Of course not, if I wanted to hide it I wouldn't have got it there. Not even my Cloth covers that part.

[It's true that sometimes he wears sleeves or jackets, but must of the time his arms and shoulders are in clear view. And he has no plans to change his habits.]

Hide it, who do you think I am?

I just don't rub in his face that I don't like his dear Marines, which isn't anything new or coming from knowing you, actually. He knew that if I was at your world I would be either a pirate or a revolutionary way before you started calling me brother. But despite that he trusts me and is my friend, if he wants to act as if the tattoo wasn't there or as if it came from the Malnosso, I won't argue with him.

[Pause.]

At least as long as he doesn't target you. If that were to happen I would have to "remind" him of it.

[And if Marco was the one to target Smoker then he would have to do the same and remind him that Smoker is Ikki's bff. He will never stop being glad that they ignore each other for the most part.]

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[Voice] / Question for the masses

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