Title: and much madness must make

Rating: M

Summary: Being reborn in a chaotic fantasy world of superhuman pirates isn't quite as terrifying as being reborn the daughter of a heartless, gluttonous cannibal. [OC, AU]

Warnings: Mentions of cannibalism via Big Mom, violence, disturbing elements.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

(AN at bottom.)

.

and much madness must make

"courage blaze within our hearts"

(AU #1.2: In which Madeleine makes a friend.)

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Charlotte Madeleine rarely finds herself blindsided by anything these days, but it does happen, on occasion. Such occurrences, infrequent as they are, generally all have the unfortunate tendency to be of a lethal nature one way or another, which... comes as no surprise, considering the harrowing tasks that the girl undertakes for her mother on a depressingly regular basis.

But this one, however. This one is benign, for once, and it goes a little something like this:

In a run-down shack masquerading as a bar, rowdy patrons are loud and raucous amid their own ranks. To the corner, Madeleine is sitting alone as she patiently waits for her brother's arrival –until she suddenly isn't, because suddenly there is a voice directly addressing her, smoothly cutting through the chaotic background din.

"Huh, wasn't expecting to see you here."

Madeleine blinks, and looks up.

It is instinct by this point, an automatic reaction ingrained in her every motion as she reflexively casts a cursory look over the new arrival, swiftly assessing and scrutinizing details in a heartbeat. Dark hair, orange hat, easygoing smile. His hands are rough and calloused, scars littering knuckles and tracing fingertips in a way that speaks of a man who fights with his fists. The young man's body language might be loose and harmless, but the well-defined musculature of his body betrays him: This is someone who has certainly seen his fair share of fights... as so many who wander these seas are wont to do.

Then, her mind belatedly processes his words.

I wasn't expecting to see you here.

… Charlotte Madeleine is rarely caught off guard, but one day when a young man sits himself down across the table from her and flashes her a quick grin, it's not an exaggeration in the least to say that she's very, very confused.

And for good reason: There aren't very many people who dare to approach a Charlotte so casually in the first place, much less Charlotte Madeleine, whose very name is synonymous with death in certain circles on these seas. Battle and bloodshed, cold violence and unflinching cruelty.

(Heartless.)

Even within the sizable ranks of her numerous siblings, monsters and aberrations alike in their own rights, Madeleine is not considered to be one of the more approachable sisters, not by any stretch of the word. In fact, a not-insignificant number of her siblings are distinctly uncomfortable in her presence; she's not blind, and that's–

… Fair enough. Madeleine would be uncomfortable with herself, too, if she were in their place, so it's not as if she has any room to criticize.

So, she's used to being left alone, has grown accustomed to being carefully avoided wherever she goes. And it is for this very pitiful reason that, for a single paralyzing moment, she can only sit and stare blankly as a young man approaches her in the run-down bar of a nameless island, his movements smooth and steady and easy-as-you-please.

Huh, wasn't expecting to see you here, he says. He greets her easily, the way one might greet an old friend, and something in Madeleine just. Freezes. Who is this person? Why did he just walk over to her, why is he talking to her? And why is he acting so casually, so familiarly?

... Why aren't you afraid of me?

Even the conversations in their immediate vicinity seem to lull, shocked into silence at this stranger's brazen approach.

Or perhaps that is just her imagination.

Still, Charlotte Madeleine herself is nothing if not recognizable, with her candyfloss hair and bone-white swords. No one in the New World lives long if they are unaware of the Yonkou ruling the seas, and the monsters serving under their command. So for someone to approach her like this, it's–

(It's strange, so strange, what is this strange feeling fluttering in her chest, this apprehension, this suspicion, this–?)

What do you mean, she wants to ask him. Who are you? Why are you here?

The words falter before they can emerge from her throat, dying unspoken on the tip of her tongue.

Madeleine is trained for combat. Put a sword in her hands, point her at their enemies, and she knows what to do. Social conventions, on the other hand, might as well be an entirely different language for her at this point, considering all her bumbling grace in navigating them.

(Doesn't this stranger know that you're supposed to leave monsters alone?)

Belatedly, Madeleine realizes that her prolonged silence must be off-putting to the extreme, when the young man suddenly starts apologizing to her.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean anything by that," he smiles, and it's a gesture that's open and friendly and genuine in a way that Madeleine does not know how to respond to. How long has it been since anyone has looked at her with clear eyes like that? Has anyone ever looked at her that way? "Forgive me, please?"

… Forgive?

Madeleine is unsure of what the strange young man is referring to. Forgive him for what? For sitting down in an empty seat? Approaching her? For acting so familiarly with her, as if she should know full well who he is? True, she doesn't quite recall, but that doesn't mean he is–

"I just wanted to say thanks for the help last time; you might not have intended it, but you really helped us out of a tight spot back on Pocus Land. Could I get the name of the lovely lady who helped me and my crew?"

–oh.

Oh, wait. Pocus Land.

She... remembers that, yes.

Clarity blooms, realization dawning. Blood Roses, wasn't it? Mama had wanted to eat Rose-Apple Fruit Tarts that day, and since Pocus Land refused to yield to Totto Land's rule, Madeleine had been sent in instead. Yes. She remembers. Of course she remembers.

The guards hadn't put up much of a fight, if she's thinking of the correct memory. In fact, it seemed like they had been rather distracted with something else at the time Madeleine came knocking on their doorstep… but even if they hadn't had their attentions divided like that, it really wouldn't have made any difference in the end.

What Mama wants, Mama gets. That's all there is to it.

"Sorry," the stranger suddenly apologizes again, this time with a somewhat rueful expression on his face. Madeleine blinks as the young man then proceeds to stand up from his seat.

… Did she stay silent for too long again? Is that why he's leaving?

"Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything; you probably don't even remember me, huh?" the young man laughs, a sheepish sound. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No."

It's hard to say who's more surprised in that moment: The stranger standing across from her, or Madeleine herself. It's only a single word, soft and quiet, but at least it's something. The singular word falls from her lips before her mind has even really processed it, and Madeleine suddenly finds herself struck with a profound awkwardness once more.

She ducks her head, eyes flickering to the ground. "I… remember. Pocus Land. Blood Roses."

Short and succinct, the way Katakuri had always instructed her to be during debriefs and such. Thankfully, there's no further explanation she needs to offer; the young man seems to take it as an invitation of some sorts, and slowly sits down again, reclaiming his seat.

"Yeah, you were there after those flowers. Blood Roses." His words are cautious, as if he wants to avoid startling a skittish animal, or something to that effect. Madeleine almost wants to laugh at this mental comparison. Out of the two of them, she is most certainly not the one who needs to be worried for their own well-being. "Out of curiosity, what did you need them for? If it's not a sensitive question, I mean?"

"Ingredients," Madeleine responds easily. Words begin to flow steadily to her tongue, now that she's broken her silence. "Mama wanted Rose-Apple Tarts."

At this point, it's become abundantly clear to Madeleine that this stranger is a rookie in every sense of the word: She does not use this word with any ill intent, but merely to describe his glaringly conspicuous lack of knowledge. His lack of awareness regarding Big Mom's demands for Rose-Apple Fruit Tarts, and blatant lack of recognition towards the monster that he's chosen to strike up conversation with.

"… Oookay," the oblivious pirate mutters, incomprehension evident in every nuance of his tone. "That sounds, uh. Tasty?"

Were she anyone else, Madeleine might've smiled at the visible befuddlement that the young man is currently exuding. "Yes. The Head Chef is very skilled."

"A skilled chef, eh?" he suddenly grins. "Hey, I'll have you know the cook on my ship is plenty skilled, too. He's much more into cooking meats and stuff than making pastries, but he makes a mean pumpkin pie. Trade secret: He doesn't actually use pumpkin. It's all squash."

… There's no harm in going along with it. "Yes. Squash is sweeter. Less stringy."

"You're in on it, too?" His expression lights up, and a boyish grin spreads over his lips. "Damn. And here I thought it was actually a trade secret!"

"Mama likes sweets." Madeleine lowers her eyes. "So, more or less, we all know a few things about making sweets."

A slight pause. "Wait, 'we?'"

"My siblings," she answers simply.

"Siblings, huh…" The stranger's voice trails off into a reflective pause. For the briefest of moments, it seems as if his mind is somewhere else entirely, and the Katakuri-sounding voice in the back of her head disapproves wholly of such careless inattention. "I've got siblings, too. Well, a little brother. Means the entire world and more, right?"

Madeleine tilts her head, "… I do not understand."

"What's not to understand? Siblings, right?" He blinks, as if Madeleine has failed to grasp a fundamental law of the way the world works. "Sure they get irritating and annoying at times, but –how could they ever mean anything less?"

"Perhaps." She still doesn't understand, but this is not a topic she feels inclined to discuss in any detail anytime soon. Moreover–

The edge of her senses tingle, and Madeleine looks up.

"Hello, brother. You're late."

Cracker is tall in stature, but kitted out in his full biscuit-armor regalia, it's not an exaggeration at all to say that his form is absolutely massive. Other patrons of the bar pale rapidly as they catch sight of him, inadvertently setting in motion a mad rush among themselves as they push and shove at each other in a vain attempt to put as much distance between themselves and the Sweet General cutting through their midst.

It does not take long for Cracker to approach her table, all long, sweeping strides. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, little sister. You're not the one who had to sail through a giant thunderstorm to get here."

Madeleine shakes her head. Her brother's words might be the truth, but if they were late in returning to Totto Land, there would be consequences regardless. Consequences that Cracker was well aware of as well, so it would be best that they take their leave immediately–

"Oh? Who's this?"

Cracker's gaze falls upon the clueless stranger. The friendly stranger who'd been talking to her all this time, who'd approached her of his own volition, and Madeleine can see the suspicion seeping into her brother's eyes. She would be a fool to not notice the way her brother curls his fingers over the hilt of the sword carried across his shoulder. And… the overly-friendly stranger is still completely oblivious to everything, amazingly enough.

(How is he still alive?)

Cracker's eyes narrow. Inwardly, Madeleine frowns.

When her brother shifts and hefts his blade in a way that leaves no doubt as to what his intentions are, Madeleine responds by discreetly turning and resting her hand on her own sword, subtly giving a single sharp shake of her head. Cracker's expression does not change, but his gaze cuts to her sharply. He is an outsider, sister. What do you think you're doing?

To be perfectly honest, Madeleine doesn't really know what she's doing, either. But… she knows that it's rare for anyone who does not bear the Charlotte surname to approach her without any ill intent; it's rarer still for those approaching her to be wholly unafraid.

… She still thinks that this block-headed stranger is an idiot and is definitely going to get himself killed one day through sheer obliviousness, if nothing else, but that doesn't mean it needs to be Cracker committing the deed, here and now.

It's the least she could do, as thanks for the company in the last few minutes from someone she'll never see again.

(It was nice, while it lasted.)

Cracker clicks his tongue, finally releasing his grip on his sword with a derisive snort as he grudgingly acquiesces to her rare, unspoken request and crosses his arms. "… Alright, I know that Galette's been telling you to loosen up, but finding yourself a boy-toy is a little–"

Madeleine tilts her head questioningly, mouth parting, but is cut off by a sharp interjection before she can actually voice anything.

"Not a boy-toy here."

Irritation, that much is clear. Madeleine briefly glances back at the young man, idly noting the scowl and bristling body language, and if Cracker has any sense–

"Che, and of course he's fiery, too. He's going to be trouble one day, mark my words." Her older brother straightens, looking away dismissively. Of course. "I'd say this qualifies as bad taste, little sister, but to each their own, I guess."

The, suddenly, a burst of hot air scrapes across her skin. Searing, but not threatening. Madeleine tenses regardless, eyes tracking the visible lines of heat shimmering in the air, radiating from crackling flames that have spontaneously appeared out of nowhere–

"Oh, I'll show you fiery–"

No, not nowhere, she realizes. It's coming from the stranger sitting next to her, whose entire body is now alight in a blazing inferno. Some sort of Devil Fruit ability?

(Cracker's always had a knack for riling people up, something that Brûlée has always despaired over.)

"… Fire? No, you're…" There is something almost contemplative in her brother's tone as he gives the young man a once-over again, this time with none of the earlier dismissal. "Devil Fruit user. Fire Logia. You. You're that Fire-Fist Rookie who made such a ruckus in Paradise, aren't you?"

The what from where, now?

Madeleine… does not pay much attention to the happenings of Paradise, admittedly. The first half of the Grand Line... she has never sailed those waters before, unlike some of her other siblings. Madeleine highly doubts that she will ever be sent there in the future, so she's never really bothered much with keeping herself updated on the events there. Honestly, she's rather surprised that Cracker is apparently well-aware of the going-ons in Paradise, but perhaps it's one of the many responsibilities expected of him, as a Sweet Commander?

A small smirk appears over her brother's face. "… Huh, imagine that. Well, congrats on not dying in the New World. Yet."

The younger pirate glares. "Okay, that's it, you–"

Alright, enough is enough. This is getting nowhere. It's easy to see that Cracker is doing this all on purpose now, although whether it's for amusement or for something else, Madeleine cannot say. Regardless, it still doesn't change the fact of the matter that he was late and the two of them are currently behind schedule.

"That's enough." Madeleine sighs, standing up from her own seat. "Stop antagonizing him, brother."

"… Whatever," the gargantuan man looks away, sniffing. "Protect your boy-toy all you want; don't think I don't know what you're doing–"

"I AM NOT A FUCKING BOY-TOY!"

"My, my, temper," Cracker drawls condescendingly, "You're not going to get very far like that, kid."

"And what's it to you?" the stranger fires back without missing a beat.

… At this rate, they're going to be stuck here forever.

"My apologies," Madeleine cuts in, picking carefully at her next words. "My brother… lacks consideration when it comes to his choice of words."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it these days? I'm just calling things the way I see them." Cracker rolls his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. "C'mon now, enough delays, little sister. Mama's going to be upset with us if we're late."

The sheer gall of him to say that to her.

Madeleine pins her brother with a withering look. "… I was not the one late to this rendezvous."

Her irritating brother throws his arms up in the air, exasperated. "Are you kidding me? There was a shitty thunderstorm. Extenuating circumstances, okay?"

As if that's any real excuse. "Well–"

"ACE!"

Simultaneously, the three of them turn. There is no mistaking that the sudden call had been aimed towards their direction, aimed towards the stranger–

Cracker clicks his tongue, losing interest entirely by this point.

"Time to go, little sister." Her brother spins on his heel and makes for the door, his biscuit-armored frame brushing up against the bottom of the door frame as he passes through underneath. "Chop, chop, let's get to it. Can't keep Mama waiting."

Madeleine easily falls into step after him. It's good that Cracker finally has his priorities straight again, regardless of–

"W-Wait!"

What now?

By the stiffening of Cracker's shoulders, it's clear that he's itching to reach for his sword again, at all these repeated disruptions. At this point, Madeleine can't help but wonder if the overly-friendly stranger has some sort of death wish, even as she idly shifts so that she's standing between them as a barrier. The way Cracker arches a heavy eyebrow at her makes it abundantly clear that her actions do not go unnoticed.

"Your brother's an ass, but I still owe you one!" the stranger calls out to her in a clear, firm voice. "My name's Ace; if you ever need me for anything, just look for the Spade Pirates!"

"Rookie," Cracker snorts, short and condescending, before pinning Madeleine with a pointed look. "Let's get out of this godforsaken waterhole already, little sister."

Her brother turns and ducks under the tavern's doorframe without another word, very clearly having reached the end of his patience. But no blood was spilled, so Madeleine tentatively tallies it as a success in her books.

Briefly, she glances back one last time, then turns and leaves.

"You've gotta be kidding me," is the deadpan drawl from Cracker that greets her as she catches up and returns to his side again. "Have you really fallen head-over-heels for some little boy-toy in, what, not even an hour? You? Really?"

Head-over-heels, as if she is some infatuated, lovesick fool? No. But…

Madeleine shakes her head. Slowly, thoughtfully, attempting to articulate this strange feeling she can't quite name in words that her brother would understand, "… He wasn't scared of me."

"He doesn't even know who we fucking are," Cracker rolls his eyes, hard, a careless gesture that does nothing to take away the biting edge to his blunt observation. "So that's a bit besides the point, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," the younger girl shrugs. It's unimportant, in the end.

A short beat of silence. Madeleine hesitates, then tentatively voices the question she had wanted to ask earlier.

"… What's a 'boy-toy?'"

.

.

(In a world where Big Mom does not crave Rose-Apple Fruit Tarts, Cracker meets up with Madeleine in a run-down bar a few months down the line with little fanfare. Their returning trip is spent in stilted, frosty silence. After finally reaching Totto Land, the two hand in their reports separately, and that's all there is to it.

But in another world where Big Mom does crave Rose-Apple Fruit Tarts, things go a little differently. The little display in the bar is immediately followed by several weeks of Cracker desperately coming up with increasingly-creative ways to avoid Madeleine on his own ship, on their return to Totto Land. When they finally turn in their reports to Katakuri together, Cracker is determinedly looking anywhere in the room but at the bewildered sister trailing along in his wake. It doesn't take a genius to pick up on the fact that there's definitely something amiss between the two, and Katakuri notices this in a heartbeat. After receiving their reports, he sends Madeleine to find Brûlée, while he himself turns towards his brother–

Cracker lunges forward across the desk the minute the door swings shut behind their little sister, seizing Katakuri by the collar of his scarf with all the strength of a deeply traumatized sibling. Katakuri, to his credit, merely raises an eyebrow at this uncharacteristic display, though it does nothing to abate his confusion. He's never seen this particular sort of expression on Cracker's face before –the sort of aggrieved, haunted look a man only wears when he is questioning all the life decisions that led him to this moment.

Cracker's jaw opens, then closes.

"… I am never picking up Madeleine from another mission again," he says.)

.

.

Her run-in with one Portgas D. Ace at a nameless bar is what Madeleine tends to consider to be their first encounter, for all that it's technically their second, if one wishes to be accurate about things. He really hadn't left much of an impression on her on Pocus Land, initially.

Still, as pleasantly surprised as Madeleine had been at the time when she'd been approached for innocent, casual conversation, it hadn't taken long before the encounter with a friendly stranger slipped to the back of her mind. There were other things to be focusing on in the present, after all, endless training and tasks until–

"Yo! Small world, isn't it?"

–until suddenly, one day they encounter each other again.

Ironically enough, this time Madeleine is the one in a disadvantaged position, injured and outnumbered by enemies as she is. It's nothing new. What is new, however, is the sudden blaze of fire that appears out of thin air to scorch her enemies. Madeleine had not been expecting reinforcements at all, and she knows for a fact that none of her siblings wield flames like this. She tilts her head, trying to catch sight of who this new arrival is, and it actually takes a moment before she recognizes the grinning young man.

It's him. The not-stranger from the bar all those months ago, the one who obliviously sat down across from her to make small talk, whose fiery temperament had irritated the hell out of Cracker for days afterwards, if her brother's attitude on his ship was anything to go by.

Madeleine blinks in surprise.

"Fancy running into you again," the young man grins, cocking his head and giving her a two-fingered salute. "Must be fate, eh?"

Fate, indeed. Madeleine isn't quite sure how to respond, now that the fighting is decidedly over and done with. She stiltedly raises a hand to her cheek to brush off excess blood and hopefully hide her own panicked silence. At least the other pirate doesn't seem to take offense at her silence; he simply turns and throws his arms out in a sweeping gesture, extinguishing the flames around them in a flash.

At once, the ambient temperature cools down.

Fire Logia, Madeleine remembers, in that coldly analytical corner of her mind that is forever detached from everything around her. Manipulation of fire, control over flames. What would it be like, fighting someone whose body could be literally comprised of flames at will? You'd probably need some way to limit their Devil Fruit ability, for starters. Natural wildfires could be hard enough to deal with on their own, never mind someone who could wield fire in their hands as easily as any conventional weapon. Fire was the sort of thing that could easily cause massive collateral damage on top of that, too, not to mention the possible dangers from smoke inhalation–

She's a little understandably distracted, when the young man starts talking again. Wary, eyeing him carefully to see if she would have to prepare herself for another unexpected battle. Though he had helped her only mere moments before, Madeleine knows firsthand how fickle and whimsical pirates can be. It wouldn't do to lower her guard so easily, despite his aid.

It's surprising, then, when all he does is ask for her name.

She hadn't thought that he'd still…

… Well, no, maybe that's just egotistical of her. It's not as if she's anywhere near Katakuri's league, anyways, why should she expect people to instantly recognize her on sight? And it's… nice, talking to someone who doesn't know who 'Charlotte Madeleine' is.

It almost feels a little like underhanded trickery on her part, talking to someone so obviously oblivious to who she is like this, but… how would one even go about explaining that sort of thing, anyways?

Hi, my name is Charlotte Madeleine and I'm actually a pirate who's murdered a lot people so you should probably stay away from me like everyone else does if you value your continued health and well-being.

Madeleine automatically represses the instinctive urge to pull a face at the thought. The snide Cracker-voice in her head tells her to channel her inner Brûlée. Would that she had one in the first place… although, her sister would definitely know what to say and what to do in this sort of situation, ugh.

The young man grins charmingly at her, wholly unaware of the direction her thoughts had taken. "So, uh… it's been awhile, hasn't it? Have you been up to anything interesting recently?"

An innocuous question, something simple that's only meant to invite small talk, nothing more. Unfortunately, there's no good answer that Madeleine can offer to it.

I murdered a lot of people to satisfy my mother's gluttonous palate.

Yeah, that's… not a good answer. Abort, abort!

"No."

… That's not a good answer, either!

"Really?" Luckily, he doesn't seem to be deterred. If anything, the way his smile widens implies that he's happy that she responded at all, and Madeleine can only nod mutely in response, even as the strange feeling in her chest tightens.

It's not fear. Madeleine is thoroughly, intimately familiar with and very much aware of what fear feels like. Guilt, then, perhaps? … But what for? She owes this pirate nothing, absolutely nothing at all –even if he's helped her out of a tight spot just now, it's nothing that she wouldn't have been take care of on her own, eventually, just with some extra injuries and perhaps a slight delay in reporting back. If one wants to be particular about it, technically this pirate is just paying her back for helping him out all those months ago with the Blood Roses, even if it had been completely unintentional on her end.

So, why? Madeleine doesn't know, and she doesn't like it. It's… unsettling. But whatever is there for her to be unsettled by in the first place? This pirate, this young man with an easygoing grip and fire burning over his fists, he…

He talks to her so easily, so simply, as if Madeleine is no different from any other ordinary person, and she just doesn't know what to do About it. What can she do?

She's not sure. She doesn't know. Is there even anything to be done about this in the first place?

Madeleine is internally cringing through the entire remainder of their conversation, but somehow the young pirate doesn't take offense. Miraculously. Madeleine knows that she would certainly struggle to hold conversation with someone who only gave stilted responses to whatever she said. But she just doesn't know what to say.

It's all so horribly, horribly awkward. She knows that much at least. And if even she can tell that things are awkward, her of all people –Cracker regularly needles Madeleine about being socially incompetent, but she's not that bad and she really doesn't need to hear that from him, out of all her brothers– it's probably a glaring sign of something.

… Still. Somehow, somehow even though the conversation is mostly certainly very one-sided, the young man's cajoling smile never falters as they muddle through, awkward but amiable enough. Madeleine has no idea how he does it. She's grateful for it all the same, though.

"See ya around, yeah?" he grins, when they are each back on their own ships and preparing to depart, offering her a jaunty little salute in farewell. "The Spade Pirates will probably stick around these parts for a week or so, but we're planning to head west afterwards. If you're around the area for the next few days, feel free to drop by!"

Madeleine notes mutely, throat tight. She most certainly won't be 'dropping by,' she has a schedule to keep –but she appreciates the sentiment behind that open invitation.

The long trip back to Totto Land on her own ship is spent in silence.

And in that silence, somehow Madeleine finds herself slowly mulling over the awkward conversation with the overly-friendly pirate in her head. Should she have changed her responses to something more verbose? Was there some strange social cue that she'd missed? What did some of those comments that he'd made even mean?

Portgas D. Ace is a strange, strange pirate. Of that she has no doubt, but the precise nature of his strangeness is something she has yet to draw any conclusions on.

"A beli for your thoughts, sister?"

Madeleine eyes her older sister blandly. Even several days later after returning to Totto Land, she has yet to draw any conclusions regarding the matter. None of her siblings seem to have noticed anything, aside from Brûlée. Her perceptive older sister hadn't exactly been discreet in those speculative looks she'd been shooting Madeleine's way over the past few days.

"Nothing's wrong, sister," she responds.

Brûlée rolls her eyes. Madeleine wonders if she should feel vaguely insulted by the distinctly patronizing gesture. "Yes, yes, you're very strong and capable and I'm sure you haven't encountered any issues that you couldn't resolve on your own on your last mission, seeing as you came back safely and unharmed. Now, would you care to indulge your nosy sister on why you seem like you've been walking around with your head lost in the clouds lately?"

… Had she really been that obvious?

"Oh, Madeleine." Something must've come across in her blank expression; her older sister leans over and gives her a sympathetic pat on the head. "No, nothing like what you're thinking. I daresay Katakuri might've caught on to something of your mood... although he seems to have decided that staying back and giving you space is what you need. Typical Katakuri."

"It's nothing," Madeleine reiterates as her gaze drops, unable to maintain eye contact with that earnest look in her sister's eyes. "… Not on my own."

"What?"

That… that last tidbit is not something that she'd meant to say aloud, but it's not as if she can retract the words that somehow slipped out on their own volition. Madeleine closes her eyes briefly, resigning herself to her fate. "… It wasn't. On my own. The last mission I was on."

Brûlée's brow furrows in confusion. "Wasn't it a solo mission?"

"It was, yes," she hesitates. Better to be brief and concise, Madeleine decides. "A… another pirate helped me. He was passing by, and–"

"Wait, wait, wait," her sister holds up gnarled hands in a 'stop right there' gesture, and the younger girl obediently pauses her explanation. "Hold on, run that by me again. 'Another pirate helped you?' Someone just coincidentally happened to be passing by the area where you were undertaking a dangerous mission by yourself? 'He?'"

"Yes." Why is her sister literally just repeating what she'd said?

Brûlée groans, an acutely pained sound, for some reason. "Oh, I'm going to have to overhaul Information Security sometime soon again, aren't I? … Great. Just… great. Go on, little sister."

Madeleine blinks, mystified by her sister's strange reaction. Briefly, she attempts to follow her older sister's line of thought... before just as swiftly giving it up as a lost cause. Brûlée's mind is something that's never entirely made sense to her. "He helped? And we talked. That's it."

Brûlée makes a frustrated sound, not unlike a dying teakettle. "Someone save me from oblivious little siblings. Let me get this straight: A strange pirate who was coincidentally passing by decided to help you out while you were in a pinch, and proceeded to chat you up afterwards? Does that sound about right?"

"… Yes?" Madeleine answers slowly. Something about Brûlée's tone seems a little off, but her summation of the events that occurred are factually correct. There's nothing wrong with it. So why does Madeleine feel as if–

"I see," her older sister smiles, a mirthless expression that is all teeth and little else. It's an unnerving expression that does not reach her eyes. "Did he ask you anything about Totto Land? Make any insinuations that he's owed a favor by the Big Mom Pirates, maybe? Ah, you wouldn't have happened to have caught this young gentleman's name, would you?"

Madeleine pauses for a moment to parse through the rapid questions, thinking. "… No, and no. His name is Portgas D. Ace."

"Portgas D. Ace," her older sister repeats. "Fantastic. I'll have to remember that."

… Why?

Madeleine opens and closes her mouth mutely, caught flat-footed by the strange feeling that she's out of her depth, for some unfathomable reason. Brûlée reaches over and ruffles her hair, an affectionate gesture that is more exasperated than anything else. "Don't worry about this, Madeleine. I'll take care of this. Is there anything else you can tell me about this 'Portgas D. Ace?' Such a considerate stranger, we'll certainly have to thank him properly."

Madeleine isn't quite sure what possesses her in this moment, but–

"Technically he's not a stranger, we're already acquainted with each other."

"… What."

A strange chill runs down her spine from the sudden dark tone that enters Brûlée's voice. How unusual. Brûlée is far from being one of her more intimidating siblings and only has the basic combat training under her belt, so why…?

"We've met before," Madeleine says slowly under her sister's heavy gaze. Technically their first encounter had been on Pocus Land, but there hadn't been any words exchanged between them until –yes, until their encounter with each other in that tavern. "Cracker can confirm that."

Brûlée smiles fixedly, unrelenting. "Oho? Cracker? … You don't say."

… Did she just throw her older brother under the bus? Going by her sister's expression… well, Madeleine still can't say she's particularly concerned about it. In regards to this particular brother, at least.

"I'm going to find Cracker for a quick chat, then." Brûlée pats her on the shoulder, then turns to leave. "Stay out of trouble, Madeleine."

The girl stares silently after her older sister's departing figure. Somehow, even though they've been speaking the same language this entire time, she can't help but be struck with the strange, niggling sensation that there had been another layer to their conversation that had gone completely over her head.

… But that's just silly, right? Madeleine might be bad with reading social cues in a conversation, but that doesn't mean she doesn't even comprehend what's being said in the first place.

Right?

.

.

So, she's not entirely sure what Brûlée did after that conversation, nor why Cracker went and avoided her for a solid two months on the heels of it. Madeleine did end up spending the entirety of the following month confined to Totto Land, however. She doesn't really understand how that came about, considering that Madeleine is one of the family's front-line fighters and constantly, constantly being sent out on missions with only small pauses in-between, but she… appreciates it.

Madeleine's never liked killing.

(Even if she happens to be disturbingly good at it.)

It's nice, having an entire month to herself without missions bearing down on her day after day. An entire gloriously peaceful month where she doesn't need to worry about blood staining her blade, pooling in every footstep. Madeleine spends her days alternating between sparring with her brothers (the ones who aren't avoiding her, at least) and helping out with paperwork. Quiet, mundane.

Peaceful.

… And then, eventually her missions eventually start up again, shattering the illusion. Madeleine supposes that she should be grateful for the break she'd gotten a break at all to begin with –a break that she's still not quite sure how it even came to be around in the first place, actually. Had it been something she'd said to Brûlée that day?

Or perhaps, was it encountering Portgas D. Ace that had been the key here?

She doesn't… she doesn't go out of her way to find him, not exactly. There's no real reason for her to. But once the thought has occurred to her, it lingers, persisting in the recesses of her mind. And from that moment on Madeleine can't help but wonder.

If Ace ever notices anything about her underlying motives for approaching him, he's tactful enough to not mention anything about it. His first mate certainly seems to be suspicious of her, the first few times Madeleine drops in on the Spade Pirates without warning –which is a good thing, in Madeleine's personal opinion. She approves. It's the sensible reaction.

Probably the only thing that's kept his idiot of a captain alive on the Grand Line all this time, too.

It's… nice. Talking with Ace, that is.

Even just aside from being someone who talks to her not as Madeleine, the bloody terror, but as a person, he's… nice. Genuine and earnest, in a way that is so very different from what Madeleine knows to be true of most pirates. And for some unfathomable reason, he actually seems to enjoy having her around from time to time, even if she's not the best conversationalist.

(Brûlée's referred to conversing with Madeleine being akin to 'pulling teeth' on more than one occasion before, but it does nothing to change the fact that she just doesn't know what to say. What is there to say? What can she say?

Words are important, this she knows. It's a pity that Madeleine's never been particularly… verbose.)

"I didn't know you were a Yonkou's daughter," Ace says to her one day.

How does he do it? Madeleine marvels. A simple sentence, and something in her immediately tightens, wary and resigned in equal measure. So the day has finally come. The oblivious idiot has finally realized the monstrous nature of what 'Charlotte Madeleine' is, and it's not what anyone in their right mind would look upon and call 'friend.'

But for all the charade is up now, Madeleine still goes to play out the final few notes remaining. It was nice, while it lasted.

"It's not a secret," she shrugs. "Currently, Mama has seventy-nine children."

They're sitting in a bar together. A bar that's much nicer than the one they'd met in, one that's busy and filled with the low hum of conversation in the air. She doesn't think that Ace would attack her on the spot here, not exactly –out of the two of them, Ace is actually the one who's more conscientious about collateral damage most of the time, probably as a side effect of having a highly destructive Devil Fruit ability.

No, if he wanted to claim her bounty, he wouldn't do it here. Not when the entire bar and all the people inside it would easily go up in flames.

"S-seventy-nine? What the hell?"

But contrary to her expectations, the other pirate's only reaction is to choke, spitting his drink out over the entire table. Madeleine shoots Ace a mildly disgusted look.

"Yes. I have seventy-eight other siblings." … She can't believe she was concerned about this idiot attacking her on the spot just mere moments prior. Madeleine resists the urge to rest her face in her hands, like she's seen Brûlée do all too often. "I'm the fifty-sixth."

The gobsmacked look on the young man's face would be hilarious, if she were in any mood to appreciate it in this moment. Ace works his jaw slowly. "How is that even possible? Actually, hold on –that guy I met back then, the giant guy with the weird biscuit armor, you mean he's actually your brother?"

Really? Is this only just occurring to him now? "Yes. That's Cracker, he's the fourteenth."

"… The New World is crazy, isn't it?"

Madeleine shakes her head, suddenly exasperated. "Maybe."

"Ha! There it is! You smiled!" She freezes, then instinctively flinches back when the other pirate is suddenly directly in front of her face, grinning so brightly that it's almost blinding. "Knew I could get a smile out of you sooner or later. You should do it more often, really."

… She's smiling? Madeleine almost reaches up with cold fingers to touch her own face and ascertain the veracity of his words, before forcibly stilling her movements.

No. No, she isn't. Of course she isn't. Weapons don't smile.

There's a strange, almost contemplative look on Ace's face as he slowly pulls back, sitting down in his seat again. "Y'know, you don't have to force yourself to be this… this perfect machine, or anything. You're a living, breathing person, so of course you have feelings and emotions. It's perfectly fine to feel."

Feel? His words feel like knives, peeling through flesh and digging into bone. What does he know about what it's like? Nothing and nothing. Madeleine isn't sure what expression she's wearing in this moment, but it's probably nothing… nice. "That does not concern you."

Ace frowns. "Why shouldn't I be concerned? We're friends, aren't we?"

Madeleine stiffens.

Friends.

He considers them to be friends?

But… but she's a Charlotte. She's Charlotte Madeleine. A killing machine, honed to perfection. She's not the sort of person anyone should be making friends with, and that's not even touching upon the fact that she's not the sort of person anyone would want to make friends with, in the first place. He knows that, doesn't he? He knows what she is now. It's not something that can be explained away by simple ignorance anymore. Just how stupid can a person be?

Portgas D. Ace is an entirely different breed from Charlotte Madeleine. He's a pirate, yes, but he's not ruthless, and Madeleine isn't blind to the qualities of his character. Ace cares, he cares so very much for his crew and family and it's a rare sort of thing, this sort of selfless caring. It fascinates and frustrates her almost as much as it scares her, if Madeleine is being honest with herself. Unfathomable. To care for anyone in such a manner… it's…

We're friends, aren't we?

… utterly ridiculous.

"I'm leaving," she says abruptly, struck by the sudden urge to… not flee, but to just get away. Anywhere would be fine, so long as it was away from here, away from this pirate sitting across from her. Striking up an acquaintanceship with this idiot was clearly a mistake from the very beginning. "Good-bye, Ace."

"No, hang on, wait–"

Instincts already wound tight, her sword slices through the air the instant his hand reaches for her, before it even registers as a conscious action in her mind. Ace yelps, flinching back –but all Madeleine can hear is the thudding of her heartbeat, pounding in her chest like like a thunderous drum. Had he been anyone else, had he not been a Logia, there is no doubt that he would've lost his entire arm just now.

It's not safe to be around Charlotte Madeleine.

(There is a reason why a good number of her siblings actively avoid her.)

"Okay, I get it! No touching, no touching!" Ace raises both hands in a vaguely placating gesture, as if he's the one who's in the wrong here. "But would you please just calm down and listen to me for a moment?"

No. Madeleine doesn't want to listen anymore. She just wants to leave—

But for some reason, her feet simply refuse to move.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, and I don't know what other people have been telling you, but it's not a weakness to be human." There's a steely light in the young man's eyes as he speaks again, voice lined with conviction and belief. If only she could believe the same, when the truth is anything but.

"Experience has shown me otherwise," Madeleine responds lowly. "You do not understand."

"I understand enough," Ace retorts. "What, just because I didn't grow up in the New World, you think I don't know the world is a shitty place?"

The girl clicks her tongue, barely suppressing the frustrated noise rising in the back of her throat. "No, that's not what I–"

"Hang on, stop. Stop. I'm honestly not trying to argue with you or anything here, but just… listen to me for a moment, okay?" Ace meets her eyes steadily. "The world's a shitty place where shitty things happen, and it's not going to stop being a shitty place just because you've managed to turn yourself into some –some fucking unfeeling machine. You're a person, not a machine, and all you're going to achieve by going down that route is driving yourself crazy, or end up killing yourself. Don't do that to yourself, Madeleine."

"And if I do not, what's the difference?" she shakes her head. He talks as if he understands, but he doesn't, not really. Madeleine hates killing, true. But even more than that, she fears dying. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's something she's come to terms with years and years ago –or hadn't she?

… It doesn't matter. The moment she'd picked up a blade in her hands, there had been no turning back for her, not in a world like this. Not in a world where–

"Only strength is afforded respect," she murmurs softly.

And the weak will perish.

"Well, yes, but strength doesn't mean you have to make yourself into some emotionless killing machine!" Madeleine blinks at his outburst, and for a moment the surprise catches her off guard. She'd been half-expecting Ace to disagree with her entirely. For all that Cracker constantly sneers and mocks Ace as being far too soft… well, he is a pirate.

"I'm not telling you to put down your swords and pick up embroidery or something," Ace throws his hands up in the air helplessly. "I'm just saying, you could stand to show a little more emotion instead of keeping everything bottled up inside you all the time!"

…

The young man lets out a long breath. "Look. If you're upset, it's okay to get angry. If you're sad, it's fine to cry. And if you're happy, then it's alright to laugh. You're alive, so isn't it fine to live?"

He says all of that so easily.

"If it was just for myself… perhaps." Madeleine closes her eyes briefly, the only weakness she allows herself in this one single moment. Just for one moment. She doesn't like dwelling upon 'what-if's, even for reasons entirely separate from the encroaching madness inherent in her Devil Fruit ability, but…

(For a single moment, she indulges in this weakness. A world where she isn't the daughter of a monstrous Yonkou. A world in which she lives a normal life, free of fighting and bloodshed.)

"… But I am a Charlotte," Madeleine opens her eyes again, sighing. "I do not live for myself. I cannot."

Why is she even talking to him about this? For all that Ace has been in the New World for quite some time at this point, she rather doubts that he really understands anything about the Big Mom Pirates. Because if he truly did, then he'd have the good sense to stay away from Charlotte Madeleine, at the very least.

"Mama's crew is built on family." There's a distant, almost-clinical intonation to her quiet explanation as she chooses her words carefully. How can she explain this to him in a way that would make things clear? "Everyone serves to their best ability, in the areas where they are capable. I am… very good at killing."

"Fighting isn't the equivalent of killing."

How can someone be so insightful and so stupid at the same time?

"No, not fighting. Killing," Madeleine stresses the difference between the words. "… I was eleven years old when I first took care of an entire city on my own, under Mama's orders. No survivors."

She remembers it. Even with all the people she's murdered since, she still remembers that day. It's… not a memory she likes to dwell on. For obvious reasons.

"And… how did that make you feel?" There's a cautious cant to Ace's words now, slow and careful. But there's still no fear in his eyes. Those warm eyes are as bright and fearless as ever, but they're filled with something, even if Madeleine can't quite discern, despite his gaze fixing directly on her.

"Feel?"

"Yeah."

"… Nothing. I did not feel anything." That's a blatant lie. She remembers how her hands had trembled, remembers the bitter taste of blood in her mouth. But it's also the truth, the only truth that matters, if only because– "I couldn't."

Couldn't, shouldn't, and so she wouldn't, not ever. Because–

Madeleine looks away, unable to look the other pirate in the eyes with her final quiet, shameful admission. "Because if I did, then I wouldn't be able to do it again."

The silence that falls between them after this is deafening, even against the backdrop of indistinct chatter in the bar's background.

… Or maybe it's all just in her mind. Who knows? It probably wouldn't be the first time.

"I appreciate your concern, but it's unnecessary," she finally says. "I do not wish to be discarded."

Because she is a disgusting coward who does not wish to die, she brought this upon herself. Really, Madeleine only has herself to blame, in the end.

"There's more to life than just killing," Ace responds quietly.

"Not for me."

It's something she's long since resigned herself to, this senseless killing and killing and killing. Making herself useful. Staying alive. This topic, it's not exactly something that comes up in conversations with her siblings, and talking about it to an outsider like Ace in this manner makes her feel… not vulnerable, because Madeleine might be many things but vulnerable is most certainly not one of them. No, she–

"No."

What?

Abruptly losing track of her train of thought, Madeleine tilts her head and–

"No," Ace says. An empty rejection. But his eyes –there's a sudden intensity in them, bearing down on her, and somehow she can't bring herself to look away again. "I'm not –I can't do it right now. But I'm going to become strong, strong enough that no one can stop me, and… I'm going to show you a way out of this. The world's a shitty place, yeah, but there are still things worth living for, worth fighting for. Not everything has to be about killing."

What is he even saying? Does he have any idea what he's saying, in this moment?!

The other pirate squares his shoulders resolutely. "I'll show you what the world has to offer. Then, you can decide for yourself what it is you want to live for, and how you want to live it. Okay?"

Madeleine stares mutely, eyes wide.

… How can he even say something like that? Declaring it so easily, as if strength and freedom is something so easily achieved –how can possibly he say something like that? How can he say that to her, how dare he offer something like that to her–

He's–

He's insane. He's insane, he's insane, he's insane. Of this, there is no doubt.

And yet–

And yet–

You can decide for yourself what it is you want to live for, and how you want to live it. Okay?

And yet, if this is what insanity is like, Madeleine has never so fiercely wanted to be insane, too. It's almost a visceral feeling in her chest, this nameless emotion that strikes her in this instant, lightning-sharp in response to his words. She doesn't believe him. She can't believe him. She knows better than to trust in empty declarations, hollow claims. But–

Ahh, what is she doing? What is she doing?

… What are you doing to me, Ace?

Madeleine closes her eyes.

.

.

Because she is a coward, Madeleine deliberately avoids Ace for an entire month after a certain, particular conversation.

… And then the idiot goes and challenges Whitebeard.

There are far less painful ways to die out there! Idiot, idiot, idiot. Idiot, and insane.

Why didn't you say anything?

(… Oh, wait, she was the one who was avoiding him first, wasn't she? That… that's just… damn.)

Madeleine quietly requests the next mission into the White Slaughter's territories, determinedly ignoring the strange looks that this garners from her siblings. Everyone is allowed to request certain assignments from time to time, why is it so surprising that she would choose to exercise this right? … Just because she's never seen the need to request specific assignments before?

"Is everything alright, Madeleine?" Brûlée asks, raising an eyebrow.

Madeleine blithely ignores her sister as she brushes past, foregoing an answer entirely as she swiftly exits the room. Knowing her siblings and their overblown reactions to... just about anything, really, it's probably for the best that she keeps quiet.

Discovering that Ace had joined the Whitebeard Pirates was… surprising.

It's not something she would've expected of the man, as fiercely headstrong and willful as he was. Not with what she'd known of the other man's opinions regarding Whitebeard, either. She hadn't thought he would be the type to bow under another Yonkou's banner–

I'm going to become strong enough that no one can stop me, and… I'm going to show you a way out of this.

You can decide for yourself what it is you want to live for, and how you want to live it. Okay?

–but then, after carefully observing Ace and his interactions with Whitebeard's crew for the better part of two weeks, Madeleine comes to the tentative conclusion that perhaps Ace's decision was one that had nothing to do with power or protection. She's not quite sure what to make of that realization.

And so she silently returns to Totto Land, without having alerted her friend of her presence at all. Is he still her friend? Whitebeard and Big Mom are at odds with each other and by extension, so are their crews. Madeleine herself has fought against several of the pirates under Whitebeard's command before. Would she have to fight against Ace in the future, then? What would this mean for them?

"You have that look on your face again, little sister."

Madeleine lifts her gaze, then stiffens. "Brûlée. And… Katakuri?"

"He's my backup, just in case you decide to take off and sprint across five islands again to avoid me." Brûlée informs her wryly. The tall woman proceeds to march up to the younger girl fearlessly, gnarled hands resting on bony hips determinedly. Madeleine twitches. "You've been acting off again ever since you came back from that trip into Whitebeard's territories, so spill. It wasn't the mission, you completed all the objectives flawlessly. Was it that boy? Ace?"

Madeleine blinks, bewildered. How did she–

Wait, no, there's something wrong here. Madeleine knows that her siblings aren't particularly fond of Ace, but they seemed to like him well enough, the few times that his name had come up in casual conversation. But the twist to her sister's tone now as she says Ace, something that's almost contemptuous–

Brûlée's expression softens. "Oh, Madeleine. No, we didn't know that he was joining Whitebeard, either. I only looked into it when you suddenly requested a specific assignment that day, since it was rather unusual for you. I'd guessed it, but… he really didn't tell you, did he?"

Madeleine ducks her head uncomfortably. "… Unnecessary. There was no need for him to."

"Bullshit." Katakuri's voice suddenly cuts across, sharp and biting, with an undercurrent of something unerringly dark. "He was the one who approached you in the first place! To think that boy would turn and join Whitebeard like this…"

"It's not like that." Madeleine shakes her head. Something in her siblings' tone seems a little strange, but she's fairly certain that they've gotten the wrong impression. "He's not… he didn't join the Whitebeard Pirates for power, or protection. I checked, after I finished my last assignment. He… he's decided to stay there with them because he sees them as… family."

Family. The word is faint, wondrous upon her lips. How does she know that?

"All the more reason, then," Brûlée's eyes narrow, lip curling. "He knows that you're one of the Big Mom Pirates. He knows that Mama and Whitebeard are enemies! And that– that traitor sees them as family? How can you be so unconcerned, Madeleine, can you not see what this means?"

What this means? … That Ace has never cared for her, that he'd only been using her for her status and her connections?

No. Nothing of the sort. In the time that they've known each other, Madeleine can say with absolute confidence that Portgas D. Ace is most definitely not that type of person. Her siblings might roll their eyes and proceed to call her oblivious behind her back, but sometimes Madeleine can't help but wonder if they're the oblivious ones. Because Ace is actually a very straightforward sort of person –reckless and brash and impulsive, yes, but he's also frank and open in a way that means Madeleine never has to guess at his motives, or so she's come to find.

"It's not like that," Madeleine repeats. "… This is his decision, one that he has made of his own free will. Who am I to interfere with that?"

The incredulous looks from her siblings that these words earn her is unwarranted, really. "Are we even having the same conversation here? Madeleine, you know we've been making preparations for his inclusion in the Big Mom Pirates, it's not a secret–"

"Then you should also know that he has never actually expressed any interest in sailing under Mama's flag," she responds calmly, folding her arms across her chest. Ace, serving under Mama? That would never happen. "Even if the preparations had been completed earlier and an invitation extended, he would've turned it down."

Katakuri frowns. "He has spoken to you on this matter before, then?"

"No, he doesn't need to." Madeleine knows Ace well enough that she most definitely knows how that particular conversation would've gone down. So, perhaps it's for the best that her siblings have never managed to finish their so-called 'preparations' for Ace's recruitment into the Big Mom Pirates. "We're friends. He's not –it's not as if he's somehow obligated towards me for anything, simply because we're acquainted with each other as we are. He doesn't owe the Big Mom Pirates anything."

Brûlée looks sharply at her, scowl deepening. "He's gone and joined up with our enemies. Why in the world are you still defending that little traitor?"

"He's made no pledges, no promises." Madeleine blinks in confusion, "Why are you so insistent on calling Ace a traitor?"

"But he promised you!"

… What?

It takes several long moments before her sister's words finally click in her mind, embarrassingly enough. But then clarity dawns, ice-cold and chilling, and when she opens her mouth it's like the distant voice that comes out isn't even her own, for all that the words echo in her ears.

"How do you know that."

It's not even a question. A blank statement, one that comes out as something more of a flat accusation, even as her mind is suddenly set awhirl by the implications. Madeleine's never made a secret of her acquaintanceship with Ace, true enough, but she's never thought her siblings would take it as an invitation to eavesdrop–

Brûlée blanches. "I… uh…"

Mirrors. Her sister's Devil Fruit ability means that she can travel through mirrors, and there are reflective surfaces everywhere. How long has this been going on?!

"Don't blame Brûlée for this." Madeleine glances towards her brother as he cuts in, stepping in front of Brûlée and blocking her line of sight. Katakuri's gaze in this moment is inscrutable as he regards her, unreadable. "She was only concerned for you, as we all were. As we all are."

Something in her throat tightens. "Why didn't you ask?"

"… We didn't want to startle you. You rarely reach out to others as it is, we didn't want to–"

"Not that," Madeleine cuts her brother off sharply. The older brother she's always diligently obeyed, the brother who is so awkwardly trying to express in his own words that he and Brûlée –and how many of her other siblings were also tagging along through the mirrors, how many– were trying to be considerate. Of her. Of Madeleine meeting with Ace as friends. "If you really wanted to know how I was doing, then why didn't you ask me?"

"We did!" Brûlée bursts out from the side, wringing her hands. "We did, we always do! But you –Madeleine, you've been lying to us for years!"

"Did you, now?" The girl smiles bitterly, "… And why would I ever lie?"

Katakuri shakes his head, stopping Brûlée's aborted gesture forward with a single hand. "Enough, we're not here to argue. As… as poorly-worded as that was, we're not trying to accuse you of anything here, Madeleine. That we've misunderstood you so severely for years is a fault on our part, and while words cannot erase the past… the blame for our failings rests squarely at our feet, I will not refute that. In this matter, it is our mistake, little sister."

His eyes are quiet, calm. Madeleine cuts her gaze away, swallowing roughly. The tacit apology from her brother does nothing to dull the strange edge of outrage-hurt-betrayal flickering in the back of her mind, but it… helps.

"… I've spoken out of turn as well. I apologize."

"But you don't have to apologize for that, don't you see?" Brûlée asks softly, something unusually gentle and fragile in her voice. "Oh, Madeleine… You have no idea how sorry we are, all these years..."

Madeleine closes her eyes. Ah, she's feeling it again in this moment, this suddenly overwhelming urge to just –run. Run. Away from what, she isn't sure. But with Katakuri present and standing here right in front of her, all thoughts of fleeing is completely and utterly useless.

… Why would you say this to me now, when it's far too late to change anything? When my hands are stained red with blood, and black with death? What's even the point anymore?

"… Madeleine?"

"Do as you will," the girl murmurs quietly, defeated. Just as you've always done. But then she looks up again, lips thinning as she levels a flat look at her siblings. "… It makes no difference to me, in the end. But I'm only saying this once: Leave Ace be. Please."

Brûlée frowns in consternation, an expression mirrored on Katakuri beside her. "Do you even know what you're saying here, Madeleine? That– that boy, he's clearly not even worth it, pulling something like this! And he's a Whitebeard pirate now, isn't he? Why in the world are you still protecting him?"

"Because he's my friend," Madeleine says lightly, the words soft and unfamiliar on her tongue. "… That's all."

.

.

Heartfelt declarations of friendship made in the heat of the moment aside –Madeleine wants to cringe every time she thinks back on the moment, what on earth had been going through her mind at the time, and right in front of Brûlée and Katakuri of all people– it's not until she finally gathers her composure has a proper conversation with Ace again that something finally settles inside her. Because despite the words she'd spoken to her siblings, Brûlée wasn't wrong in pointing out that Ace was quite literally a member of an enemy crew now. Logically, it would be for the best for them to break off contact with each other going from this point forward, to end their association with each other–

"I am the daughter of a Yonkou who is an actively hostile enemy of the captain you now serve."

"Nah, I trust you. You're not the type of person to use our friendship to sabotage us or stab me in the back. So, we're still friends, yeah?"

"… Yeah."

Madeleine has always known from day one of their acquaintance with each other that Portgas D. Ace is a fool. An utter fool, a fool of the highest order, whose trusting nature is most definitely going to end up getting him killed one day.

… It seems that being friends with him has made her a bit foolish, as well.

Still, for all the doubts she's ever had about becoming friends with someone like Ace, Madeleine's never regretted it–

At least, not until this particular moment, when what was only supposed to be a quick meet-up in one of the bordering neutral islands has turned into… whatever this currently is.

Madeleine squints. What seems to be practically the entire Whitebeard Crew is currently present along the sandy shores, and the girl can't help but feel like she's been set up and ambushed, so to speak. While Ace had mentioned before that the others in the Whitebeard Crew were aware of their friendship with each other and had also expressed an interest in meeting her, she'd been under the impression that they wouldn't press on the matter–

Pirates.

Madeleine gives Ace a deadpan look as he's dragged away by the 'Phoenix' in short order. Then sighs, squaring her shoulders as she turns around to face the massive form of the legendary captain towering behind her.

… The things she does for this idiot. He'd better appreciate her staring down a Yonkou for him. If she dies today, she's definitely going to come back as a ghost to haunt him!

"So, you're that daughter of Linlin's I've been hearing so much about," Whitebeard says. He hasn't raised his voice at all, but his words come out low and rumbling all the same, a tremble that she can literally feel to her very bones.

Madeleine looks up, and up, and up. While she's always been a little on the shorter side among her siblings, she's unused to being completely dwarfed like this. Aside from standing in Mama's presence, that is, but... strangely enough, in this moment there is very little of Whitebeard that resembles Big Mom, for all that they are both Emperors.

It is rather intimidating, though, not that Madeleine allows any of her apprehension to show on her face. Instead, she simply folds her hands together and sketches a quick, polite bow to the 'Strongest Man in the World.'

"Hello," she greets simply, at leaves it at that.

There is a beat of silence that rests awkwardly in the air, before Whitebeard breaks it by raising a massive arched brow at her. "… Really, no questions?"

Madeleine shrugs, still vaguely off-kilter and unsettled by this entire situation. She is literally surrounded by Whitebeard Pirates, there's no way she can fight her way off of this island in one piece even if she tried. Even though she's always been careful about her meet-ups with Ace, in retrospect perhaps a situation like this was only inevitable. She supposes that she should be glad that for all that this is undoubtedly an ambush set up for her, there is a distinct lack of hostility.

"I suppose that's what I should be asking you," she finally responds. "This is about Ace, isn't it?"

Whitebeard smiles, a jovial expression that is entirely devoid of humor, but approving. "Clever. But then, that's only obvious, isn't it? Ace is one of my sons. When I heard that he was sneaking off to meet with one of Linlin's daughters –well, it's only natural for a parent to look out for their children, isn't it?"

… Is it? Madeleine cannot help but instinctively think of her own monstrous mother, and it's a testament to the iron grip she has over herself that she does not react outwardly to those careless words.

Instead, she changes the subject. "We were acquainted with each other before he joined your crew."

"Yes, that's what Ace mentioned to me as well," the man muses. "I believe there was something in there about roses, too. Or was it decapitation?"

A little ways behind them, a few of the not-so-subtly eavesdroppers loitering around in the background suddenly start coughing. Violently. Madeleine eyes them for a moment, before flicking her gaze up to observe Whitebeard's amused expression, then promptly decides to ignore the background noise entirely for the sake of her sanity.

She makes a 'so-so' motion with her hand, a gesture that she'd picked up from Ace. "Ah, why can't it be both?"

The startled coughs in the back abruptly turn into choked wheezes and panicked flailing. In front of her, Whitebeard openly chuckles, a rumbling sound that sends tremors running through the ground. "Gurarara! You are not as the rumors paint you out to be, Charlotte Madeleine."

Rumors? … Madeleine has never made an effort to learn about the details of the rumors regarding her, but considering her bloody work, it's really not too hard to extrapolate from there. That Whitebeard is clearly aware of the things she's done in Big Mom's service over the years… that he has even made the effort to find out in the first place, it's…

… is this it, then? Is this entire setup his way of warning her away from Ace?

Madeleine clenches her hands uneasily, then forcibly relaxes them again, inwardly biting her tongue. She doesn't…

…

She doesn't understand.

… They talk, that day. It's almost surreal, talking with Whitebeard in a manner that could almost be construed as normal. Her siblings would never believe her, if she told them about this. She belongs to an enemy crew. She's the daughter of an enemy captain!

And yet–

And yet, while it's evident that a good number of the Whitebeard Pirates are wary of her, none of them are actually… actively hostile, strangely enough.

Whitebeard himself is the strangest. He says things like–

"Did you know that Ace asked us to 'not go overboard' or 'scare her off' when we asked about you? Hah!"

Because he's reckless and impulsive at the best of times, but he's also considerate, the way only someone who cares would be.

"We were quite concerned in the beginning, you know? That Ace was apparently good friends with one of Linlin's, and he was quite adamant about continuing to be friends… it was certainly a surprise. But, knowing Ace, not entirely unexpected, wouldn't you say?"

Yes. Because he's an idiot who's too trusting for his own good.

"To think that a daughter of Linlin's would care for Ace as you clearly do…" Whitebeard chuckles, then levels a serious gaze on her. "So, tell me. Why him?"

"… Because he made me a promise." A foolish promise, a fool's promise, the sort of promise that only a clueless, oblivious fool would make. But Madeleine's realized from the first day they met each other that Ace was a fool –and she's starting to resign herself to the fact that she apparently is one, too.

The girl glances up. From a little distance off, it seems like Ace has finally managed to shake off the 'Phoenix,' and appears to be headed back towards her. His footsteps are a little quick, an edge of concern to his usual countenance.

Madeleine smiles softly, then turns back to the enemy captain. "He made me a promise. I trust him to hold it."

"Oho?" Whitebeard raises an eyebrow. "A promise, you say?"

"… It's not important."

.

.

(In one world, Big Mom's sudden craving for Rose-Apple Tarts changes things. Two people who would otherwise have never met encounter each other, strike up an amiable friendship with the potential to become something more, and the future changes correspondingly.

Remember: No future is ever set in stone.)

.

.

'Firefirst' Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates Brought to Justice, Execution Confirmed.

.

.

Execution. Marineford.

Marco wasn't entirely surprised that Ace had managed to stir up trouble again, going after Tea– Blackbeard, on his lonesome as he did. Getting captured and slated for execution was a bit much, though, even by his usual outrageous standards.

When the news first reached the Moby Dick, Pops had immediately declared that they were rescuing Ace, Marines be damned. That's something Marco can fully get behind; Ace is his brother, and it's only natural for older brothers to look after their younger ones, no matter the massive scale of trouble they manage to get themselves into.

No one is getting executed on his watch, yoi.

… Still. Marco knows that the Marines have put out some pretty impressive efforts in place in an attempt to prevent any mishaps for Ace's execution. That's fine. They'd just have to make their own preparations for it, as well, mobilize their forces and rally everyone–

But the last thing anyone had expected was for a fleet from the Big Mom Pirates to come crashing in on the scene, in one of the more dramatic entrances that Marco has seen in a long time.

(In the aftermath of it all, he's not entirely surprised to learn that it's Ace's Not-Girlfriend behind it. Charlotte Madeleine is a quiet girl, but beneath that deceptively docile exterior is a spine of solid steel, so it's not surprising in the least to see the sparks fly out every now and then.)

It's a close call, in the end. Much too close. And the steep losses that the Whitebeard Pirates suffered at Marineford in the efforts to rescue Ace were –heavy. There's no other way to put it.

"How is he?"

Marco very carefully does not grimace, schooling his features into something calm and level. Calm. He needs to be calm. "We'll know if the surgery was successful in the next forty-eight hours. There's a full team monitoring Pops right now, we're not taking any chances."

Vista exhales shakily. "Good. Good. Gods, for a moment back there, I'd feared the worst… and Teach, how dare that backstabbing traitor…!"

At the mention of Teach, Marco can feel his own expression darken as well. Marshall D. Teach. Blackbeard. He'd killed Thatch, then brought Ace to the Marines to be executed, and as if all of that wasn't enough–

"No one's ever seen anything like this before," Vista murmurs shakily, laughing. There's a hysterical whisper to it, sharp and bitter and tinged with disbelief. "Teach, he… he stole Pop's Devil Fruit power! That shouldn't even be fucking possible!"

"It shouldn't be," Marco mutters under his breath in agreement. But what Blackbeard had done –he'd certainly done something, he'd fucking gone ahead and used Pops' ability in front of the entire world! Stealing someone's Devil Fruit power from them was supposed to be impossible. Possessing multiple Devil Fruit powers simultaneously was supposed to be impossible, too!

… He'd save the headache of that for another time. Gods, they'd definitely have to do something about Marshall D. Teach. But in the meantime–

"At least Pops is still alive."

Something in Marco's chest lightens. Pops is still alive. That was quite possibly the only silver lining to the mess that was this entire debacle –they had been closely matched, the Whitebeard Pirates pitting their forces against the Marines and their Warlords, and the timely arrival of Big Mom's fleet had been just the edge they needed to tip the scales in their favor. They'd managed to successfully rescue Ace, and even though Pops was severely injured and in critical condition, even though he'd lost his Devil Fruit power–

Pops is still alive.

Unbidden, Marco suddenly can't help but wonder, what if. If the Big Mom Pirates had not arrived when they did, if Akainu's magma fist had struck true. If Ace had died, if Pops had...

(An eerie chill runs down his spine at the thought.)

… Well, it's a good thing that things clearly didn't turn out that way. Marco grimaces. He didn't think he'd ever see the day when he'd be thankful towards the Big Mom Pirates, but with the situation being what it was… he's grateful for their assistance. Even though it's also crystal clear on both sides that the Big Mom Pirates didn't exactly intervene on their behalf out of the kindness in their hearts.

Intervened entirely on Madeleine's behalf, if he's being honest here. Katakuri hadn't exactly been discreet about it in the first place.

Marco hadn't really known what to make of Charlotte Madeleine, in the beginning. As a Whitebeard Commander, he'd been vaguely aware of her –she was a rising star in Big Mom's crew, of course he'd be peripherally aware of the girl– but it hadn't been until the crew had discovered that she was the girl Ace frequently sneaked away to meet with that he'd taken a good, long look at her.

He hadn't liked what he'd seen, initially.

… Ace had seen something in her, though. And now, with undeniable proof that it was clearly reciprocated on her end –the girl had convinced her siblings to help and brought an entire fleet with her to rescue Ace, for crying out loud. No one goes and does something like that on a whim.

'Just friends,' indeed.

Marco sighs.

Making his way out onto the deck of the ship, the tall man straightens and stretches, taking a brief moment to survey the scene before him. It's almost a bizarre sight, seeing a mix of Whitebeard and Big Mom pirates alike mingling together. In any other situation, Marco would consider it a miracle that nobody had died yet.

"Oi, what'cha lookin' at?! Want me to claw your eyes out?"

… Or not, maybe.

To his side, Vista rolls his eyes and heads over to break up the imminent fight between fraying tempers. Marco, on the other hand, takes the chance to slip away and head for the back of the ship, because if he remembers correctly–

Bingo, there he is.

Ace. The young pirate is heavily injured, and despite the fact that he's already been treated for his injuries, Marco doesn't miss how his bandages are already stained with blood again. He's sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking out at the sea in a solemn way that is very uncharacteristic for Ace –but the girl at his side gives a sharp tug on the cloth bandages that she is currently wrapping around his arm, and he hisses, his attention returning to her.

Their heads are bowed together, quietly discussing something together, and while the last thing Marco wants to do is interrupt two lovebirds, there are also certain things that cannot remain unsaid.

The blond pirate clears his throat as he leans against the nearby railing, "Get a room already, yoi."

It's hilarious, the way the duo instantly startle away from each other at his dry, sarcastic drawl. Much to Ace's detriment, since Madeleine is still holding the other end of the cloth wrappings in her hands, and Marco watches on in amusement as the young man gives him a dirty look for the sudden interruption. But the momentary annoyance gives away to something almost pensive, nervous, and so very clearly concerned –and it's the only reason why Marco straightens, sighing as he answers the unspoken question.

"Pops is still alive." For now, he doesn't add. The surgery itself had been much too close, touch and go. Even putting aside the severity of Pop's injuries –Pops was getting old. And that wasn't even touching on whatever the hell it was Blackbeard had done to him at the very end. "We're still monitoring his condition, but the surgery itself was successful. You can rest easy on that front, yoi."

The tense lines in the younger man's frame ease, ever so slightly. "Thanks, Marco."

He nods. "So, what is it that you plan to do now?"

Ace blinks. "What?"

"What do you plan to do?" Marco repeats, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "You know we don't care about your blood, or your actual parentage. There's no need for you to head off on your own."

Ace winces, chagrined. "… Was I that obvious?"

A little, yeah. Marco had seen that look in his brother's eyes earlier, something that spoke of guilt and hard-headed stubbornness and imminent stupidity –but it seems like someone else had beat him to shaking said stupidity out of Ace. He eyes the quiet girl for a moment, and Madeleine returns his gaze steadily.

Marco lets slip a crooked little grin.

"Not going to insist on taking Ace back with you to Totto Land?" he asks, teasing and testing all in the same question.

The pink-haired girl shakes her head. "… He should not go to Totto Land."

Well. That's certainly not what Katakuri has been saying, that's for sure. Marco blinks, mildly surprised.

Madeleine hesitates.

"Mama… Big Mom… she would not…" Her words trail off brokenly, before she suddenly bursts out with a sharp, "Totto Land isn't safe. Big Mom's plans… cannot be trusted, not with things as they are."

That was a fairly diplomatic way of referring to the absolute clusterfuck that was the aftermath of the Marineford situation and Ace's rescue. And with Pops himself in such a vulnerable state as he currently was, when the eyes of the world were focused upon them, upon Ace...

Marco exhales, "You're going together, then?"

Madeleine nods firmly. Ace, on the other hand, immediately shakes his head. The duo turn to glare at each other, Ace with defiance and concern warring in his eyes, while Madeleine is resigned and unmoving.

Marco snorts, "The two of you deserve each other, yoi."

Ace shoots him a withering look. "… And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all," Marco replies breezily, before turning on his heel to head back to the medical ward on the ship. "Remember to keep in touch, yeah? See if you can't beg a Den Den Mushi off of Haruta before you head out together."

"We're not heading out together, Marco I swear to god–"

"Care to repeat that?"

"Ow, ow, ow, I told you! I'm not going to drag you down with me, Madeleine! … You deserve better than this."

"I'll thank you to not make my decisions for me, Ace."

"That wasn't what I meant!"

Yeah. Marco bites back a grin as he turns the corner, the agitated conversation slowly fading behind him as he makes his way below the decks again.

Despite the grimness of the current situation, despite the uncertainty of the future ahead... somehow, Marco still thinks that he can rest assured, knowing that everything will turn out alright.

.

.

("Has anyone seen Ace or Madeleine around? We were supposed to have started heading back for Totto Land yesterday, we can't waste any more time here just–"

"..."

"… What the hell do you mean, they eloped?!")

.

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..

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Author's Notes:

The mirrored flipside of the 'Ace makes a promise' AU, complete at last.

To any of my old readers who might still be around, apologies for the many delays in getting this written and posted! A lot of it boils down to RL being unexpectedly busy and hectic, as well as numerous other bumps and losing steam along the way, But at least it's finally posted now.

Looking back on this fic as a whole, personally it seems to be not very structured or mapped out very well. On the other hand, I feel like... for a 2k-word one-shot that spiraled out of control, things are surprisingly as coherent as they are. Mixed feelings all around, haha.

For anyone who might be interested in extra snippets of "madness" that are not posted here in the fic, please feel free to check out my Tumblr, since I have some extra tidbits scattered there. It's a little disorganized and most of them were written quite awhile back, but there are several snippets floating around under the #Writing tag.

Now that part 2 of the Ace!AU is finally finished, I will be focusing my attention on the new fic that I will be working on (for the remainder of this month, at least). The first chapter has just recently been posted! BNHA fandom, for anyone who might be curious. Fingers crossed for meeting personal NaNo goals~

I will also be cross-posting this chapter to AO3 shortly as well.

Thank you for reading! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.

-XxZuiliu