fierybluebird | [voice]

[voice]

[Marco's voice starts off cheerfully enough.]

Hey everyone, I think I found the place where the cave-in for the train-thing is. The currents here are pretty weird so if we can get ... some ... strong swimmers then...

[He starts trailing off, obviously seeing something.] Pops...? [His voice is quiet, barely audible. It's not possible, he knows it's not, he watched the man die. So it's just like Luffy's food and an illusion. Has to be. But then it gets stronger.] POPS!! [He starts running, sandals hitting the wood of the deck.] Pops... [This time he just sounds anguished. And then suddenly there's a splash. Uh where did Marco go?]

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Marco?!

[After rescue.]

Ah... sorry for worrying you Chiara.

What happened?

There's a lot of corpses around... suddenly.

Oh. You're seeing them too.

Yes. You too, eh? Anyone you know?

Yes. [Goes silent, long enough that he may start to think she's dropped the call, before slowly speaking, voice softly with the slightest tremble] Nonna. Spagna, Francia... the ones from my world.

Ah... Chiara.... it's not real. I swear it, eh. Just don't look. It's not real. And we're too strong to let this place fuck with us, aye? [Growls.]

I-I know that. I'm not stupid... it's just. Very realistic. [Completely lying, she is so shaken]

I know... it is... S-so realistic... but not still... not real.

N-No... [Her voice catches and she goes silent again, struggling to not show her emotions.]

[Deep breath and trembles slightly.]

Of course not. Digging up his grave just for this... No... people who come here come here alive even if they were dead in their world. I'm sure of it.

What if they... no. [Bites her lip, refusing to voice her fear that maybe these people were killed on arrival]

No. Even... the dead killed here get brought back to life. It's fucked up, but it means this isn't possible.

[Sighs, voice low] What if they were killed as they arrived... would they have been brought back already?

[Growls.] Yes. And if they were killed upon arrival it wouldn't be like this. This... this is how my father really died. Cannon fire, arrows, bullets, stab wounds, half of his head gone, he died standing and never retreated a single step. This number of wounds... half of his head melted by magma... nothing here could do that. And if they were going to bring people here dead the way they died, Ace wouldn't be as healed over as he is, scarred tattoo or not.

...I see. Then I guess it's... all a lie, a trick.

They brought my Nonna here the way she died. I was young but... I know this is how Germania killed her. But there was no blood on the sheets.

I feel ill.

[.... LONG stretch of silence and then...]

Germany... your forced current ally killed your Grandmother? Killed Rome?

[And his blood is running cold.]

No. Her grandmother did. She was the Germanic States, but Nonna always called her Germania... [Sighs softly]

Nonna was the Roman Empire... one of the greatest. But she stretched too far and she started to fall. Germania, who was under Nonna, who was supposed to be her bodyguard... finished her off. That's how the Ancients were.

I see... that's... still terrible. I'm sorry Romana.

It's... how it was. Nonna knew that. [Doesn't stop her from holding a grudge against Germany, half because the young nation looks so much like her grandmother, as much as Venezia resembles Rome. Romana won't let the past repeat itself]

Mah, but at least Germany is different, right? Sons or daughters are only like their parents if they choose to be.

[While he is talking about Germany and Germania, for him, he's talking about Ace and certain war from his own home world.]

It depends. And the idea of parents... it's very different for us. Germany may be Germania's grandchild, but Prussia raised her... and. Well...

It's complicated.

[And Romana is distrustful]

Trust me, for my circumstances and my family, it's not that different.

Belgium said my Pops sounded a lot like Rome. A child shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of a parent.

What's your definition?

... I can't say. Unless the Belgium you met was a man... My Nonna could differ to him, I can't be sure. And while that shouldn't happen, it... can.

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