Chapter Text
The Whitebeards were just on an island to restock.
Meeting the rookie crew known as the Strawhats was not a part of their plan.
Neither were the Revolutionaries.
They would’ve attacked them by now if their second division commander didn’t just launch himself onto the captain of the Strawhats and the right hand of the Revolutionaries. Marco almost had a heart attack.
But apparently they were the infamous brothers of Ace. So they calmed down drastically.
They were away together now actually. Ace was dragged away by the rubbery captain and Sabo was tagged along with them. The others just let them be and refrained from attacking the others. The Strawhats were also restocking, and the Revs were here for…. something.
But they seemed to be searching for something that they knew.
The commanders were mostly on deck now, as they finished giving their orders to their divisions. And the second division were acting on their own diligently as their Commander was dragged away from them before he could give them their orders. Whitebeard was on the deck with them, just relaxing after the nurse had taken away his sake.
The Strawhats seemed to be doing the same, just around the deck as only who they assumed was the cook and sniper went out. The Revolutionaries seemed to have been done with whatever they were doing too, likely just waiting for their Chief of Staff. Now that they think about it, haven’t they been gone far too long-
Ear piercing screams filled their ears as they jolted into their guard immediately, Marco and a few others flaring up their Observation Haki.
The captain ordered for the division members to head into the boat and wait for any necessary orders whilst the commanders were already finding their way off the Moby Dick. The Strawhats took immediate action as well, The Revolutionaries already gone from where they originally were.
The captain got off the boat and ran with the others to the main city on the island. Only one thought clouding their minds, Where were the three brothers?!
~<’>~
Sabo laughed as he watched Luffy and Ace compete in an eating contest and realised how much he missed just being with them. He was about to take another bite of his own food until his heart felt a stab. He dropped his fork, the cutlery making a clank on the table as he clenched his aching chest. He gasped with his breaths as he desperately clenched around the fabric of his vest.
He looked up with shaking breaths to see his brothers in the same state. He was about to reach out to them but is caught off guard when they collapse onto their plates and Sabo finds his vision blurring more and more before he himself collapses.
~
Ace was not losing to Luffy. He ate more and more as plates stacked up higher and higher. He was about to stuff more mashed potatoes into his mouth before a sharpness hit his chest. He dropped everything he was holding as he gripped onto the table like his life depended on it.
He clenched at the nonexistent arrow that pierced his heart as the pain became unbearable. He looked at his brothers to see the same and that was the last he saw before he collapsed forward. This was one of the few times he prayed this was his narcolepsy.
~
Luffy was not losing to Ace. He ate more and more and didn’t stop as he grabbed anything in range of his hands without needing to use his powers. He stuffed his face, his competitive streak at its strongest with his elder brother. His hand stopped mid-air as he felt a unbearable pain in his chest. He swallowed the food painfully and choked as the pain became worse.
He sees his brothers in pain as well and tries calling out only to feel the pain tighten and gasps. He almost screamed when he saw Ace faint but before he knew it, he fell head first into his plate as well.
~
Someone in the restaurant stared at the trio stuffing their faces and grimaced at the lack of manners from two of them but kept looking. She watched as the brothers collapsed on the desk one at a time, a nearby waitress letting out a scream that echoed across the street. The sound travelled across the town square as horrified looks turned their way.
Finally, they’ve stopped being animals. She laughed against her wine glass as she stood up, pushing past the small crowd that formed around the trio and grinned wickedly. She let her fire escape her and the hood fall as she stared at the bodies. Her personal little puppets.
Meanwhile the three groups were scouting the entire town for wherever those screams had come from. It was a shock for everyone, and the island was peaceful. The scream was ear piercing, so in no way was this just a little scare.
The Revolutionaries were taking a look on the outskirts while the Strawhats and Whitebeard commanders were looking around in the center with a few Revolutionaries joining them, Koala and Hack were their names.
They had searched and soon Whitebeard heard sounds coming from his pocket and pulled out the Den Den Mushi that was connected to the other commander's own little creature. He answered it and the first person he heard was Jozu. “Oyaji! Ace and his brothers are passed out at town square with some… woman hovering over them.” The captain raised a brow in concern.
He ran off in the direction of the town square as he continued talking into the snail. “Ace is unconscious at the town square with his brothers ? It’s great that you found them but-” Before the captain could finish another voice that was clearly Marco cut in. “Not to alarm anyone, although I have to, but the scream came from around the town square.”
~<’>~
The Revolutionaries were already gathered around the three brothers and that strange woman who was just standing and staring. But that was the least of their concerns when there were purple flames quite literally bursting out around them.
One by one the Whitebeard commanders surrounded the flames in accompaniment of the Revolutionaries and soon enough the Strawhats joined the circle as well. The woman in the middle remained unfazed, only from some of the positions members of the three groups were in, they could see her mouth moving, as if chanting something.
They were all caught off guard when she fucking cackled. She finally moved to turn around and Whitebeard felt a shiver when he saw the crazzed look on her. Her hair was pearl white and it grew to her waist. Her eye colour was something nobody was certain of with that malicious purple glow that seemed to have fogged out her original eye color. She wore a pitch black robe that dragged across the ground with her movement, and under it was a plain red shirt with black leggings. She had gloves on her hands with peculiar markings but they could care less about that at the moment.
“Ace!” “Chief!” “Luffy!”
Everyone's heads turned to the unconsc- standing bodies? Ace, Sabo and Luffy were standing in a line with their heads down, their hats ever irritating shadowing their eyes. The woman cackled again as she looked at everyone surrounding the flames, but her gaze soon landed on the pirate captain, sending a shiver down the old mans spine(Yes he’d old and I’m acknowledging it DEAL WITH IT!).
“The Whitebeards, Revolutionaries and Strawhat Pirates, hm?” She all but giggled out. It was unnerving to say the least, she looked….. Insane. Her eyes glowed mischievously and her lips curled in a smile that was too cocky and wide. “I never thought that my puppets would find such great pastimes before their time was up~” She said as she strutted around.
Her body held confidence as she strolled around the flames, not touching them but hiding behind them like a barrier. “I don’t think you all even knew, you should look at your own faces!” She continued with delight. “Oh wait! I’ve forgotten the Intro! Heyo pirates and revolutionaries~ My name’s Marionette! I have the Ningyo Ningyo No Mi! The puppet puppet fruit!” She said with a cocky grin that just frustrated everyone further.
Ningyo Ningyo No Mi. A name that made its functions absolutely clear. She could make people puppets, that was for sure, but why take Ace, Sabo or Luffy? Nonetheless all? Besides, it’s a little obvious that the flames were produced by her, what connection does fire have to do with her puppeteer creeps.
Her face screamed danger by itself, but everyone was more occupied with their worry for the three brothers. They were so still it was unnerving them all. People who are so energetic shouldn’t be standing still. Were they dead?
She pranced around again, continuing with her taunts, before looking at Ace, Sabo and Luffy once more. She giggled before walking over and tapping each of their foreheads with her index and middle. Purple flames sprouted from around the trio's feet and the inferno slowly engulfed them all, the flames crawling up their body like vines.
Everyone felt panic rising as the flames engulfed them. They were unsure why, perhaps it was the unnatural colour, because usually they wouldn’t worry of such things. Ace could control fire, Luffy could use it, and Sabo was well basically fire proof to it.
Marionette stared at the crackling flames with that gleeful grin, looking as if she’s watching her favourite play unfold. She flicked her wrist just as the fire surrounding the trio was about to engulf their bodies completely, almost instantlythe inferno quieting down to a soft crackle. The sparks left behind scattered around with the disruption and the only evidence left after the bizarre events were the scorch marks that charred the ground around their feet.
Ace, Luffy and Sabo looked fine, the only thing that made everyone uneasy was still their stillness.
Everyone jolted when their heads suddenly snapped up and loud laughter was heard. The shiver that went down everyone's spines at the usual joyous sound was cold and unforgiving. Observation haki flared as a new threat was announced into their system, but their gazes remained fixed at the laughing boys.
Marionette grinned at them before turning to face the pirates and revolutionaries alike. “Say hello to the renewed boys, meatsacks!” She cackled and everyone's eyes darted to the originally unresponsive boys and noticed a disturbing detail.
Their eyes that were so full of warmth and happiness were now chilled to a cold gaze and the crazy purple glow was present in their eyes, exactly like Marionette. Their vibe and haki gave off a deranged feeling to it and it served to worry them more.
“Ace!” Marco called out in worry as the commander was then met with the maniacal purple eyes. The raven grinned wide and Marco felt his insides squeeze knowing this wasn’t his lover anymore, but a perfectly made crazed shell. “Heya, babe!” He proclaimed with that grin still ever present.
His voice sounded different, another tone was overlapping his usual voice. They guessed it was the tell-tale someone was a puppet. Luffy seemed to let his eyes travel the crowd as well, and his eyes landing on a certain swordsman.
“Zoro~” He said in a masked sweet tone as he approached the wall. Out of instinct, most of them backed away from the young rookie. Zoro on the other hand stood rooted to his spot as he stared at the other with unease. Sabo wasn’t faring too well, he just let his eyes dart around and sighed before posting himself next to Marionette.
He looked the most sane out of everyone for some reason, seems even under the effects of a devil fruit, which seemed to have the extra side effect of taking your sanity, Sabo was still the most reasonable one.
Marionette had a pleased expression before calling to Ace and Luffy to return to her side, though, her choice of label were quite strange. “Red~ Yellow~ Come back to my side, the carnival is about to start!~” She said in a sugary voice that made everyone a little disgusted. The two ravens complied immediately as they suddenly disappeared within purple flames, reappearing beside their other brother.
“A-Ace!” Thatch called out as he tried reaching out for him. But before the hand could even pass the barrier, the fire crackled to an eery white before it burned Thatch’s hand. The cook immediately retracted his hand as he hissed at the red marks on his right hand. Marco, on instinct, ran off to his fellow commander and the blue flames latched onto the burns.
The others backed away from the flames even more after the Whitebeard Commander was burned. “Ohh~ Such a loving brother, eh?~” Marionette gleefully cheered, looking in fascination at the blue phoenix flame. “Such a pretty blue… it would go nicely with my collection.” Before anyone could react, Marionette was in front of Marco with a maniacal grin as she thrust her index and middle to Marcos back, intending to hit his heart. Luckily after years on the sea, Marco was able to dodge it swiftly.
Marionette clicked her tongue in annoyance as her so annoying smile down turned into an ugly scowl. “Damn observation Haki.” She cursed under her breath as Thatch took the chance and kicked her in the shins. She didn’t give the attack a second glance before aiming to stab Marcos heart a second time. Ace meanwhile was actually cheering. “Yeah, yeah! Get Marco in!!” He said grinning ear to ear.
Sabo meanwhile was sulking a little bit, and Luffy was also cheering. “Get Zoro next! Zoro~~!!”. Sabo clicked his tongue as he sat cross legged on the floor. “Lucky fucks, my lover isn’t here.” He said in a sort of pout. Ace and Luffy just patted his back and head before cheering again.
Marionette had gotten tired of just trying to stab Marcos and just groaned exasperatedly before the look on her face contorted to a happier, smiling expression.
“Red~ Yellow~ Blue~ Wanna turn them yourselves?~”. She said as she burst into flames and reappeared back to the three brothers. The three of them shared a look before they were giggling to themselves. “We can? Well could’ve said so earlier!~” Luffy immediately said before Marionette whispered something under her breath and the three stilled unnaturally. Before anyone knew it, everything had faded into a black void.