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.)

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and much madness must make

"a helping hand"

(AU#2: Finders Keepers [1/2])

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Carefully, painstakingly, Marco reaches up slowly. Gingerly, he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"… You've gotta be kidding me," he finally grits out through his teeth. There is an imminent headache throbbing at his temples again, a sensation that's been growing ever-more-familiar these days, and how is this his life now, goddamnit.

In front of him, his brothers shuffle nervously, like little kids who know they're in trouble. Which they are. Overgrown kids and blockheaded idiots, the whole lot of them.

"So," Marco says slowly, after a long, awkward pause in which no one says anything at all. Somewhere in the distance, a seagull warbles obliviously. "Is anyone going to explain to me why Thatch is carrying an unconscious little girl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes? I know we're pirates, but we're not human traffickers, yoi."

And yeah, he knows that none of his brothers would ever attempt to stick their fingers into that particular business –cesspit of slavery and prostitution and harvesting of internal organs and all the lovely problems that come along with it, not to mention that Pops would never stand for any of that happening in his territory, under his eyes– but he's got to break the ice and get them talking somehow, right?

"This little thing tried to gut me with a rusty knife just now," Thatch beams cheerfully. "Very spirited! Can we keep it, bro?"

Almost as if this were a signal of some sort, the silence breaks.

"Yeah, she almost got me in the eye earlier!"

"Vicious little thing, she'll make a great swordswoman someday."

"Think we can start her on firearms, maybe?"

'Bro' feels his brow twitching involuntarily. "… The fuck? Have you guys gone insane? I only left for a minute to pick up supplies, what the hell have I missed here?!"

"Don't worry too much about it, Marco," Thatch gives the older man a commiserating pat on the shoulder, but his eyes twinkle with mischievous laughter. "Say hi to Pinky. She can be our mascot!"

"We're the goddamned Whitebeard Pirates, yoi, why do we need a mascot."

In particular, why would the Whitebeard Pirates need a fluffy, pink little mascot, never mind the fact that said mascot had apparently done her level best to murder half the crew, at that. Marco casts a quick sideways glance at the girl in question. Young, soft. But that's only if he goes off of initial appearances alone; if not for the faint traces of battle that he sees on his brothers, there is no way he would've thought a little thing like that to be capable of such violence as his brothers are currently animatedly describing.

… Not that that was particularly relevant to the problem at hand, anyways.

"Thatch," Marco says patiently, determinedly wrestling down his the long-suffering edge to his words as he attempts to talk some sense into his brother, goddamnit. "We can't kidnap psychotic little kids off the streets, no matter how cute they are. People might miss them, yoi. And have you even asked the girl what she wants for herself?"

A strange light slants across Thatch's eyes for a moment, quicksilver and fleeting. But Marco catches it, notes the hard look and slight clench of his brother's jaw, before the minuscule expression smooths out to nothing. "She has no one, Marco."

Lie, Marco realizes instantly. But also, Truth. Marco might be the ship's doctor, but when it comes to things like empathy, compassion–

There is a reason, why Thatch is well-loved and trusted by everyone.

"… Okay, whatever. But you're going to be the one bringing this up to Pops, y'hear?" Marco sighs, finally conceding. "And once the little lady wakes up, if she wants to leave, then let her, okay?"

Thatch grins.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, bro!"

…

And so, this is the story of how Marco and his brothers somewhat unanimously decided to adopt a random, psychotic little girl.

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(Alternatively:

Marco left his brothers alone for thirty minutes, and they kidnapped the young daughter of an enemy Yonkou whose first reaction was to try and kill them, when they stumbled upon her.

... In their defense, they hadn't realized that the girl was a Charlotte. They don't actually realize this until a good few years later, more or less.

Not that it would've changed anything in the end, regarding this chance encounter.)

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Pinky is a quiet girl, a child of few words and even less expressions. It's unnatural, not to mention downright eerie. Marco thinks he finally understands a little better why Thatch had been so adamant about taking the girl with them now, even if he still doesn't entirely approve of it. He's no stranger to accepting new siblings into the family, and it's something that he welcomes, but–

She's just a kid.

Not in the sense that Marco had anything against kids, but… well, what kid could really understand the consequences, the magnitude of the sort of shit they were getting themselves into?

… And that wasn't even taking into consideration the question of just what had a little kid like that been doing all on her own, wandering around by her lonesome in a dangerous island in the New World as Pinky had been. Pinky herself was just another box of problems; a kid whose first reaction to seeing people hadn't been to seek comfort or company, but to try her best to murder them all instead?

There's definitely something not right with that.

Tiredly, Marco reaches up and rubs his eyes, groaning. "Thatch is going to have his hands full with that one, yoi."

"What, and you aren't?"

His head snaps up, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "…. I don't like what you're implying, Vista."

Behind him, Vista snorts, sword shifting in the harness at his hips. "Hey, it's not like we don't know you're good with kids, okay?"

"… I'm what?"

His brother rolls his eyes. "Remember Cerrie? Tim? Oh, how about that thing with Snapper, back in the last village? He started crying and no one could figure out how the hell to calm him down–"

"They were sick, yoi! I'm the doctor! It's not like I have some magic mojo that–"

"Yeah, yeah, and I'm a fish." Vista shrugs. Marco despairs. "Thatch is trying to get Pinky to open up some more today, wanna head over so we can keep the damage to a minimum?"

Marco stares blankly at Vista for a long moment. "No. No, I'm not going to–"

"What was that? 'Yes, of course I'll come along?' Great! Let's get going, bro."

Exasperated, the blond throws up his hands in the air.

"… Just who is the First Commander here, again?"

(The things he does for his brothers, ugh. Marco needs a vacation.)

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"What's your name, little one?"

Pops is doing his level best to soften his voice, but his words still come out in a low rumble, fine tremors running over the surface of the deck. That's not good. Pops' control over his Devil Fruit is immaculate –except for when it isn't, and with his old injuries acting up again these days, his health…

Not for the first time, Marco wishes that the regenerative healing powers of the Phoenix Fruit were not limited merely to its user. He'd done his best to bring back stronger medicines from their supply run this time, but there was a limit to what he could do, with his skills.

… Some doctor he is.

And that's not even mentioning the whole fucking mountain of issues with the little pink thing they'd brought back with them. Unsurprisingly, none of them had much luck with getting the girl to speak more than a few words at a time. Marco had tried, courtesy of Vista's proddings, but he hadn't managed to make much progress on that end, either. Thatch was a little better off than him, but he wasn't much better, last Marco had checked. Though, when they'd asked the little girl if she wanted to leave…

…

As a pirate and a doctor, Marco is well aware that he can be very heartless, when necessary. That doesn't mean he's cruel.

"Sorry, Pops. I think she's a shy one." Thatch's sly grin is all mischief, but there is no mistaking the concern in his eyes. The plea. Help her, Pops. Please. Goddamnit, that bleeding heart. "We've just been calling her 'Pinky.'"

A few of his brothers laugh. Some from amusement, others from sheepish embarrassment. Whitebeard shakes his head, then turns the full force of his gaze upon the girl. Measuring. Considering.

"Do you know who I am?"

It's a simple question, and the girl nods.

"… White Slaughter," she responds quietly.

Marco gives a small start of surprise, brow furrowing. That's… that's definitely not one of Pops' more flattering epithets. Most would simply say Whitebeard and be done with it. Or, if they wished to curry favor, then their answer would fall something along the lines of, Strongest Man in the World. For her first response to be White Slaughter–

"Well, at least we finally know where she's from," Vista mutters under his breath, eyes dark. "… Should've known that this is what happens to kids from the Mad Glutton's territories. Fuck."

Not the most eloquent of phrasings, but Marco agrees.

"Yes. I am Whitebeard." To his credit, Pops doesn't even bat an eye at the kid's behavior. "The men who you've been traveling with these past few days, they are my sons. Are you aware of why they brought you to me?"

It's a little blunt, but at least Pops is making sure that the girl has the important things down. Come to think of it, had they really explained anything to her, after bringing her onboard and asking if she wanted to leave? Marco had always assumed that Thatch sat down and talked things through with the kid at some point, but…

"Family."

"Correct," Pops nods. "They are my family. Thatch and the others have expressed their willingness to accept you, as one of us. What is your decision?"

The little girl blinks, pastel strands of soft pink hair falling into her eyes. She does not push them away, and all it does is make her seem… lost. "Decision? … There is a choice?"

Vista doesn't quite break the tray in his hands, but it's a near thing. Which is a good, since Marco would've smacked him for it –that tray has delicate medical instruments on it, for crying out loud– but it's not as if he doesn't understand his brother's sudden urge for violence.

Just what happened to you, Pinky?

"No one will force you into anything." Pops frowns. "… Thatch. Didn't you–"

"'Course I did, Pops. Or at least I tried." To the side, Thatch steps forward and crouches down in front of the little girl, lowering himself to her height. The girl twitches minutely. Flinches. "Remember what I told you? This isn't –isn't some sort of conscripted service, or anything. We're family here. We look out for each other, and Pops looks out for all of us. And yeah, maybe we're not related by blood or anything, but that's not important–"

The girl shakes her head, "I do not understand."

"… Yeah. Yeah, I get that much." Thatch mutters something under his breath darkly. Marco gets the feeling that it's not very complimentary, nor suitable for children's ears. "Look, just… I told you that I'd help you, didn't I? And you're the one who said you couldn't do this anymore, that you didn't want to become a mindless killing machine–"

The frown on Pops' face deepens, and Marco can feel a frown of his own tugging down on his lips. Thatch had not mentioned that from any of his conversations with the girl, and… really? Mindless killing machine?

"–so trust me. Trust us. Didn't you come all the way here for that?" Gently, as if reaching out to a skittish animal, Thatch takes her hands. "A new start. A clean slate. Isn't that what you wanted?"

For a moment, the deck is silent.

"… Why?" Her voice trembles, barely above a whisper. "Why are you –why would you… just, why?"

You and all the rest of us, little lady. Marco shakes his head. Out of all of them, it's Thatch who's the bleeding heart of the lot, not to mention his sixth sense regarding other people and their intentions, emotions.

"Because you need the help," he tells her honestly. "Because I want to help you. Because we are willing to help you, as one of our own. Isn't that enough?"

…

And that is the story of how the Whitebeard Pirates welcome a little pink-haired girl into their ranks. Things might've gotten off to a shaky start with their newest little sister, but Thatch seems confident that things will start looking up soon, and Marco has long since learned to trust Thatch's instincts.

"So… now that that's finally over and done with, can we finally get a name out of you, little sis?"

"… Pinky."

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Extra: Saccharine

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A conversation that happens while the Whitebeard Pirates are celebrating the addition of their newest member:

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"What do you mean, you lost our sister?!"

Charlotte Cracker flinches, cowering under his sister's dark glare and fiery rage. "It's not my fault, okay?! How was I supposed to know she couldn't even fucking stay put in one place–"

Brûlée screeches."You were supposed to watch over her, you absolute–"

"That's enough." Upon the sharp reprimand, both of the bickering Charlottes fall silent. Though his voice is quiet, there is something distinctly sharp in Katakuri's words. Cracker might've been the one to lose Madeleine on this latest excursion, but it's Katakuri who is more invested in the unexpected emergency of the two –he's the one who's been teaching their little sister how to fight and kill and keep herself alive, after all.

"… There was no body," is all he offers in terms of his own opinions, and while this might sound callous to any outsider, they are Charlottes, and so they understand the implications immediately. There was no body. No surefire proof of death, and so they will put forth their best efforts to search for her, and continue holding onto hope. Even if it's unlikely, the grim chances of a young child cast to the unforgiving waters of the New World by herself–

"How could you?" There's a note of something downright wretched in Brûlée's voice. "I know you never got along with each other. That's fine, you don't get along with half the family, and Madeleine is even worse. But, Cracker… why would you ever–"

Cracker's face contorts into something ugly, red and blotchy. "I know I fucking screwed up, okay? I didn't mean to! And I'd like to see how well you would do in my place; you weren't the one who had to babysit that hoity-toity little monster."

"Brother." Katakuri frowns, the expression hidden behind his scarf, but not from his furrowed eyes. "That's enough."

Cracker shuts his jaw with an audible click, and stiffly looks away. To the side, Praline bodily leaps forward and latches onto Brûlée, doing her level best to hold her older sister back from stomping over and decking Cracker in the face –not that she would've succeeded, considering Cracker's combat skills and Brûlée's distinct lack thereof– and it's a testament to how furious Brûlée is, that Praline is actually being half-dragged out from the water's edge.

"Calm down, sister," Praline begs. "I-I'm sure Madeleine is fine. Mama has such high hopes for her, remember? I'm sure it'll take something more than just getting lost to endanger her. She's probably made her way to one of our checkpoints and is just waiting for us to pick her up or something."

"Hopefully… " Brûlée sags, strength seeping out from her limbs as she finally falls limp. "I know you all think she's capable, but she's just a fledgling. What if she ran into our enemies? What if she was kidnapped? Oh gods, what if she was accosted by thugs?"

Bloodthirsty little Madeleine, against two-bit thugs?

"… Those poor, poor thugs?" Praline tries. Cracker snorts, but Brûlée gives her a dark glower. Katakuri does not react at all, but it's evident that some of the tension remaining in the air finally drains away.

"Right, so. I'm glad we've sorted that out! Let's see if we can't put together a search squad real quick, yeah?

"… Yeah."

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…

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Author's Notes:

Hi! It's been awhile. Dug around and found this half-written snippet from a few months back, so I decided to clean things up a little. Clearly, I didn't get as far with it as I did the Ace!AU from the last update, but I have a few ideas for where I want to take this, hence the [1/2] note in the beginning. Possibly [1/3]? Haven't quite made up my mind yet.

In case it's not obvious enough, this was supposed to be a Marco!AU, but I think it kind of turned into a Thatch!AU halfway through instead…

There are other snippets and drabble stuff for madness-verse on my Tumblr that I have not posted on FFN, for anyone who might be interested in that sort of thing.

TBD scenes from the Ace!AU: Charlotte siblings spying on Madeleine's first date, Madeleine's conversation with Whitebeard, encounter between the Big Mom Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates post-Marineford. That's all I have on the list for now.

New fic up: Just posted yesterday, this time for Magi. Featuring OC who will become heavily involved with Kou Empire stuff, probably. Maybe also peeking into some pre-Magi Sinbad stuff?

Toodles,

-XxZuiliu