Another week passed, and things were honestly pretty good.

Thatch had graciously taken our shackles off once we had returned to the ship from Hilltide Island, and I had made a beeline for the showers, bullying Marco into standing guard so nobody walked in on me.

Despite having spent so long attached to Ace, and also being caught in a very suspicious position, I still spent most of my time around him. Maybe it was because I had grown used to it, or maybe it was something more. I was still struggling to figure it out.

With each passing day, I discovered through my interactions with the raven haired pirate that maybe it was a good thing to have been plucked from my sheltered life in Dressrosa. I still deeply cared for Doflamingo, I always would, but I was beginning to realise that it wasn't a good thing.

On the Moby Dick, I didn't get punished for doing what I wanted, as long as it wasn't going to bring harm to anybody else. Ace, Marco, Thatch, even Whitebeard himself encouraged me to do what I wanted to do, and that was entirely new to me.

I was far from coddled, and nobody treated me like I was a belonging. The feelings from when I had been free on Dawn Island began to resurface, and I spent a lot of time reflecting on everything.

"So, all this time, his love was hurting me...wasn't it..?" In my new room, which was small, but all mine, I turned to the spectre of Corazon, who just stared back into my eyes. It had been a while since I had conjured him up, and it felt therapeutic to have him there to listen, without any judgement, even if he was just a memory.

He did something...Whatever it was, it ended with you dying...but I can't remember it clearly...That should be enough of an answer...

"What should I do? I miss Dressrosa, and...well, kind of Doffy...but I like it here. I...like it with Ace...Cora, tell me what to do. Not what I want, but what the real you would tell me to do." Pursing his lips, Corazon pulled me closer into his side, silent and unable to answer me. I knew that would be the case, but it still frustrated me.

After spending a little more time just existing with my dearest memory, I decided to return to the deck, only to find Ace hopping around like a madman, shoving a sheet of paper into people's faces. When he spotted me, he rushed over with the speed of light, moving to stand behind me and trapping me between his chest and the paper.
"Hey hey hey look look look! See! Look!"

Blinking furiously to make my eyes adjust, I lit up once they did. There, right in front of me, was a picture of Luffy, right beneath the bold letters of the word 'Wanted'.
"Oh my god, it's Luffy!" Snatching the poster, I pulled it closer to my face, using Ace as support as I leaned back a little.

"Yep! Already making a name for himself, just like he swore he would!" Ace was positively beaming, and it was definitely infectious. He began gushing over how proud he was, and I found it to be incredibly sweet. There went my heart again, pounding away.

"Thirty million berries...That's pretty damn high for a first bounty, isn't it?" I wondered aloud, glancing up as one of the other commanders who had stopped by to chat to Whitebeard, Jozu, approached, nodding along with what I had said.

"Yep, but I heard he took down that shitty Arlong, of the Fishman Pirates, so that's pretty deserving of that kind of a price. Watch out, Fire Fist. He might surpass you before you know it." Ace reached around me again to pluck the poster out of my hands, turning me a little so he could lean upon my shoulder, having to bend down a fair way to do so somewhat comfortably.

"He's welcome to try, but he's no match for his awesome big brother." He grinned, thumbing towards himself. Deciding to mess with him a little, I made a show of rolling my eyes, scoffing loudly.
"Oh, I dunno, Pepper. I'm pretty sure he's going to run circles around you once he hits the Grand Line."

Gasping dramatically, Ace grasped at his chest, jaw dropping and eyes narrowing, though I could see the playful glint behind them.
"You know that's not true! You'd never betray me like that! I'm your favourite!" I couldn't help but snort at that.

"Sorry, buddy, but Luffy will always be my favourite. He's a little angel, and was always nice to me, unlike another black-haired boy I know. Besides, he was the first to ask me to join his crew, so of course he'd be my number one."

I laughed out a yelp as Ace took a playful grab at me, trying to hold me still as I joked around with him.
"Aw, come on! I'm a thousand times cooler than him! That's so not fair!" He chuckled, finally catching me and wrestling me into a light headlock. We were pro preoccupied that we didn't take notice of the surrounding crew members exchanging knowing looks.

"Ace, you seem to be in high spirits." Pausing our little bout of roughhousing, we both turned our attention to Whitebeard, who had emerged to stand upon the balcony in front of his quarters. In a flash, Ace had released me and jumped up to meet him, waving the poster around excitedly.

"Pops! This is my brother, Luffy! The one I always tell you about! He got his first ever bounty!" As Ace raved about his brother to his captain, I couldn't help but smile fondly. I had been wrong. Ace had changed, and definitely for the better. Sure, he still had his temper, but he really had grown up.

"Well, would you look at that. Won't be long before you two run into each other, I'm sure." Whitebeard chuckled, playfully squishing Ace's hat down onto his head with his massive hand. "I'd love you to tell me more about it later, but I actually want to speak with (Y/N) for a minute, if you wouldn't mind."

Hearing my name, I awkwardly pointed to myself, as though there were any other people with my name onboard. When the legendary captain nodded, I made my way up to meet him, watching as he shooed a curious Ace away before he ushered me into his room.

Once the door was closed and he was seated upon the edge of his bed, Whitebeard studied me, just like he had done when we had first met, though this time I didn't feel terrified.
"What's up, Sir?" I asked, choosing to use a kind of honorific to be polite.

"It's been a few weeks since you joined us here. How have you been finding things?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious about my experience. Shrugging my shoulders, I opted to lean against the wall directly across from him, folding my arms loosely.

"Started out rough, but over the past week it's been pretty good. Everyone on your crew is really nice, and I've gotten used to being on a ship again." I answered truthfully, wondering if these kinds of check-ins would become a common occurrence.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Whitebeard was giving me his full attention, and I respected it. It wasn't something I would have expected before getting to know him.
"So, you'd say you're comfortable, then?" He queried, and it was my turn to nod. "I haven't heard you mention returning about Dressrosa lately. Is that still what you want?"

I wasn't exactly prepared for that kind of question, so I fumbled a bit, the inside of my cheek falling victim to my teeth.
"I...Can I be honest with you? I mean, I'm sure that's what you'd want, right?" I waited for him to agree before I continued. "While I do miss Dressrosa, and the family...and Doffy...it kind of feels right to be here...Like, within reason, I get to do what I want, and I feel...I guess free is pretty cliché, but that's the only word I can think of..."

What do I want?

The hulking man waited until he was certain I had finished speaking before he started.
"Taking all of that into account, what would you think of me inviting you into my family?" For a long moment I wasn't quite sure I had heard him correctly, or that he had been joking, but when he continued to wait for an answer, it clicked.

"Wh..what? Wait, what? You mean you're asking if I'll...join your crew..?" I had to be dreaming. What good was a weak little thing like me for such a crew? He had to be pulling my leg.
"I prefer to call it a family, but yes, that's exactly what I'm asking. You fit in well here, my boys like you, Ace especially. Truthfully, that was the plan all along before you reacted the way you did when you first arrived."

This is insane...

So why did I feel so happy? Why was my body literally bubbling with excitement? Still, I was beyond hesitant, my hand coming up to cover my mouth as I really thought about the offer.
"B..but...Doflamingo...and my engagement..."

But Ace...

"It's entirely your decision. It's not my place to tell you what's best for you, but if you want to remain here, you can. All you have to do is say yes, and that all goes away. You will become my daughter, and a part of this crew. If you need time to think about it, that's perfec-"

"Yes." My mouth threw the words out of my heart before my brain had a chance to even consider any possible consequences. "I..if it's really okay with you, Sir, I think...I'd like to stay..."

I had known for a long time that Doflamingo had been poisoning me, but it had taken a kidnapping and time away from him to realise it. It didn't mean that I didn't still care for him, or love him in some kind of way, but being out on the sea, with the Whitebeard Pirates, with Ace, felt too right to turn my back on now.

Beneath his oddly stiff moustache, Whitebeard's lips stretched into a wide smile, and he stood up with a grunt, reaching to gently pet the top of my head.
"Then you better start calling me Pops then, huh?"

After a little more conversation, we exited the room, and I was immediately crushed by two strong arms.
"Are you seriously staying?!" It was Ace, who had obviously been eavesdropping on our discussion, but I couldn't even me mad. Returning his embrace, which seemed to take him by surprise, I nodded excitedly, squeezing him tighter.

"Yep, I guess I am!"

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***ELSEWHERE***

"I'm sorry, Young Master. We haven't been able to locate her yet, but we'll keep looking, I swear."

Doflamingo sat upon the windowsill, head resting against the freshly replaced glass, not a shred of emotion upon his face.
"You'd better. Now, leave me be. I have a few calls to make." Immediately, likely fearing for his life, the grunt scurried from the room.

That was when the man finally dropped his facade, reeling his head back and smashing it into the glass pane, shattering it to pieces. The fresh sting upon his forehead seemed to ground him to a degree, but his closed fists still shook, and his teeth threatened to crack under constant pressure.

"I'll find you. I swear to you, no matter what, I'll find you, and I won't ever let you out of my sight again...That's a promise..."

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***Doffy is still shitting and pissing and throwing up.

It was hard writing this when the only thing in my head right now is "We Don't Talk About Bruno-no-no" from Encanto xD

Next Time: How It Was Really Meant to Be***