My head. What did I drink last night?

Oh, I knew exactly what I drank. The Merry swayed under my feet, as if we were in a storm. But I knew better.

"You look terrible," Sanji commented, completely accurate, as I let my pounding head rest against the table.

"I figured you were a lightweight, Nathan, but I didn't think you were that much of one," Nami said, giving me a brief pat on the shoulder. I appreciated the gesture, but it did nothing to calm my pounding head. If anything, it made things worse.

"This is why I don't drink," I grumble, hating how the words made my head pulse and throb. It was also why I wasn't going to drink in the feature. If only a little bit were enough to lay me flat, I was correct in my initial assessment to never drink alcohol. "Does anyone know if we've run out of snow already?"

"That has to be one of the biggest nonsequiturs I've heard out of you," Thomas was at the very least nursing his own hangover, unlike Nami, who didn't seem to care about the number of cups she had.

"I want to dunk my head in something cold. It might do something about my headache," I groaned, keeping my eyes squeezed shut. I knew it was a long, long hope that there would be any left by this point in the day. But something to dull the pain would be nice. Especially as this was the start of the day. We had a ways to go before we got to Alabasta, but missing out on planning because my head hurt?

"I could take a look at that if you don't mind," Chopper said, looking up at me with a worried expression. "I could be a sign of something more troubling."

That was a fair point. I wasn't allergic to anything that I tended to eat or drink. But I didn't drink alcohol. And even if it wasn't allergies, what if it was something else? Well, there was no reason to let it fester, now was there?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I'll have to run some tests, but I think it's just a hangover," Chopper said, as he finished taking a blood sample.

"At least it's an easy solution," I shrugged. "No more drinking for me."

Not that I was going to miss that. Sake tasted just as bad as I expected it to. Alcohol was off the table. Not that I should have ever put it on the table in the first place.

"Be sure to eat some food and drink some water. You don't wantto become dehydrated," Chopper nodded, placing my blood sample in storage.

"Can do," I groaned, sliding off the improve workbench that Chopper had set up on. "Thanks for the help, Chopper."

I was going to give the little guy all the credit he was worth. It was nice having a dedicated doctor on the crew. Though, I wasn't sure whether or not I didn't notice the sparks of curiosity in Chopper's eyes was because of my hangover, or because I simply didn't wish to see it.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It wasn't until midday that my head stopped pounding hard enough for me to be useful. And not risk pitching myself off the side of the ship or the rigging. Not that it would have mattered. Thus far, things had been surprisingly calm. I lightly tapped on the wood on the Merry's door, not wanting to jinx things.

"Luffy, what do you have in your mouth?" Sanji was struggling with Luffy, the rubber man having cheeks like a chipmunk. A scene I decided to ignore, as whatever was happening was going to press my sanity. Or show that that Grand Line didn't need to do anything to prove dangerous.

It had something to do with why Usopp and Chopper had fishing poles, and I wanted nothing to do with that. And with the steam coming off the water, I doubt they'd have much luck anyway.

Wait? Steam?

"It's nothing to worry about, Nathan. Just underneath us is an island that will be here in a few thousand years," Nami said, sitting next to Vivi, relaxing as the smooth sailing.

"Ah, a hot spot, then?" So, they did have those here. At least that was a common geologic point, for once. I gazed out over the ocean, taking in the sight. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see one of these in person before."

"That isn't the term I've heard used for it, but probably," Nami nodded, as I let myself think. "I know they aren't common."

"They really aren't. You need the proper activity in the mantle before a volcano begins to form on the surface. Or the ocean floor, as is the case right now," I said, remembering my old classes about volcanology. "So for it to be active enough right now for steam is pretty lucky. For us, I imagine the fish probably aren't having fun."

"Nathan, what do you mean by that?" Usopp shouted from the other end of the ship.

"The water, it's boiling, right? Not, very pleasant to swim in," I started, hoping to get the point across. "Anything that can't take the heat, it's, going to want to make itself scarce. Most of what's around is the really, deep sea stuff. The animals that live in environments where most don't."

"Nathan, are you still hung over?" Thomas asked as he poked his head out of the Merry. I gestured, having my hand go back and forth. My mind wasn't in tip-top shape, but I could at least get the point across. I think.

"Quack!" Karoo's voice cut me off before I could respond, noticing that Chopper and Usopp were using the poor bird as bait. I could expect such from Usopp. But Chopper?

Vivi was already standing up, but the next few seconds happened quickly. It sounded as if voices came from the steam, rushing past us in a blur.

What I didn't expect was that there was now a person hanging off of Karoo. Not just any person. The man's face was lathered in makeup, complete with bright red lipstick, a pair of red dots that I thought was meant to be a blush. His eyes were heavily covered as well.

His outfit, aside from the white cloak, looked kinda like a ballerina. Replace the tutu with very circular pants, and put in a whole lot of swan iconography. A band attached two fluffy balls to his head, completing the look.

"I think I'm still drunk," I muttered, mostly to myself.

"What makes you think that? Because I'm seeing it too," Nami said as I paused.

"Nope."

"What do you mean, 'nope'!" Vivi shouted at me.

"Nope, as in, I refuse to accept this is my reality, Vivi. They just caught a cross-dresser in the middle of the ocean with a duck. A duck!" I exclaimed, throwing up my hands. Just as the man himself let go of Karoo. "Don't tell me I'm going to have to go after him."

"He's sinking!" Usopp's panicked voice came through loud and clear.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

By the time I had managed to fish this guy out of the water, most of the crew had been assembled on the deck. Norris and Sanji both weren't present, but everyone else was.

"Swan thanks!" He said, still dripping with water as I transformed back. At least with the sun I'd dry out quickly. Getting a look at the man, I had no idea what to think of him. He seemed like a goof. But so did Luffy.

"My life has been saved by pirates I've never met before! I am forever in your debt!" He continued, being surprisingly polite. He was lucky the Going Merry had passed away from the hot spot, so the water was uncomfortably warm, rather than scalding. "Do you have any food you can spare, even if it is a nice bowl of soup?"

"We're starving!" Was the response of the vast majority of my crewmates.

"I'm guessing you've eaten some type of Devil Fruit?" I asked, hoping to get the topic off food. He sank like a rock, as if being in contact with the ocean sapped his strength.

"Naturally!" The man beamed. "If I may demonstrate?"

I shrugged, largely uncaring until I found his left hand enveloping my face. Enough old instincts remained as I broke into a roll as everyone tensed, going for weapons.

"Wait! It's all part of my act, see!" My eyes widened as he spoke. But it wasn't with his voice.

It was with mine.

"Ta-dah!" My green-blue eyes stared back at me, matched with an almost too wide grin. Looking at my face for the first time in a while was weird. Especially when it came to that outfit. Then his eyes narrowed, as if he were squinting. "I can see why you need glasses, though."

The break in character was brief but notable.

"That's pretty cool," I admitted. I didn't want to get palm-struck in the face, but that was a pretty neat hat trick. Also, a terrifying one. A power like that? If he knew how to act, then he would be pretty threatening. Then again, that was what any good disguise-based power was. You throw things out of whack, make it so your enemy can't trust their allies.

What was he though? He didn't seem like a pirate, and I doubt a marine would be this, jovial about being around pirates. We really just didn't pull some random, wandering crossdresser out of the ocean, right?

"And with one swipe of my left hand!" One swipe of his hand over his face, and his old one was back. "That is the power of the Clone-Clone fruit!"

"With my right hand, I can touch your face, and exactly like that, I can look like anyone!" His face shifted between Usopp, Zoro, Chopper, and Nami, all in rapid succession.

Still, this was making me a bit curious. About not just his powers, but also my own.

"Hey, could you go back to my face for a second?" I asked, rubbing my hands together as Chopper, Luffy and Usopp crowded the man like excited children. Not that the man was any better, as he seemed to glow from the attention.

But I was feeling scientific. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

"Oh, and why may that be?" He asked, already going back to my face.

"You'll see," I grinned, letting the transformation take hold. My body shrunk down, becoming a small, pink blob. I could tell everyone was looking at me, confusion clear on their faces.

Then I began to transform again. It wasn't like usual, where it was a glow, and I couldn't feel much. My body contorted and twisted painlessly, expanding outward. Slowly, my body became arms and legs, pants and clothes.

My face looked at me in surprise, as I became, me.

"Wow, so cool!" I heard Luffy and Usopp shout.

"Marvelous! Most Marvelous!" My voice said, posing on his tippy toes.

"Don't get me wrong, that is impressive. But what is wrong with the face?" Nami said. Yeah, I should have figured that out.

"What's wrong with it? I can't tell the difference," Luffy said, looking between me and the other man.

"Now that you mention it," the man squinted his eyes. "The face looks a bit off."

Zoro's laughter likely confirmed what was going on. I was stuck with ditto face.

"Ditto!" Yep, couldn't talk either.

"That's its name?" My face asked, giving the rest of my crewmates a look.

"I presume so," Nami said, looking between the two of us with a somewhat amused expression.

"Can you copy his new face!" Usopp shouted, a question picked up by Chopper and Luffy in rapid succession.

A question quickly answered as he put his hand over my face, only for his expression to change to the absolute derp face that ditto was known for, just two empty black dots with a goofy, head-empty, no-thought smile.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy was rolling on the ground laughing, as Usopp hit the Merry's deck, doubled over in laughter.

"Oh my! I never expected to see someone with an ability so familiar to my own! A swan hello to you!" The man went back to his original face, clapping his hands excitedly.

I wonder.

Ditto had the power of transformation. This was generally, not great, as Ditto's base stats were, not great. It was largely something bolstered by its imposter ability, largely in the revenge-killing department. Its impersonations were also flawed on a physical level, marked with a dopey grin. But it did copy powers and abilities. As the man's face and body returned to it's default, I copied his appearance, slowly making my way towards Zoro.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" Zoro asked, as I quickly raised my left hand to his face, before using my right to change mine. Based on Nami's now hardly restrained laughs, and the increasing anger on Zoro's face was a sign of partial success.

"Well, if that form is capable of copying someone's skills," Zoro stood up, unsheathing one of his blades.

I'm good at math. Honest. I just didn't bother to calculate the risks.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well, that was going to bite us on the ass. And me doubly on the ass. Or did Zoro wanting to use ditto as a grindstone count as thrice?

Far be it me to criticize people making poor choices right about now, but I was still resting my palm in my hand.

"Vivi, we could have had him right where we wanted him!" I groaned. "We aren't Greeks, we don't play by their rules of hospitality!"

Seriously! He was getting away with just about everyone's faces. Sanji and Norris were spared, as they weren't even here, while Vivi and Thomas were up top and out of reach. More than half the crew was compromised as was, and Ditto was something I'd just made them aware of freely. Not it's full extent, thank goodness. But despite seeming like a goof, this Bon Clay fellow was smart. If he saw that exact same derpy expression on an inanimate object, he could figure it out.

I wonder if I could use that to mess with him.

"It wasn't like I didn't draw the dots either," Thomas protested, trying to draw heat away from his former partner. "And what a Greek, anyway?"

"Irrelevant!" I said. "The real question is, what do we do about the person who stole half our faces, who is an enemy?"

Because I could do paranoid rat, but I didn't think that was a good idea.

"Nathan's got a point. If he disguises himself as one of us, we wouldn't be able to trust one another," Nami said, echoing my sentiment exactly. "He could end up making a lot of trouble for us."

"You think so?" Luffy gave us a confused look. I pinched my brow, annoyed. Seriously, how could he not grasp the situation at hand?

"Hold on. Luffy's got a point, as groundless as it seems," Zoro placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "But I don't think we're going to have to worry about Mr. Bon Clay too much. This was a lucky break for us. How we can plan our strategy accordingly."

The grin on his face was promising.

"And that plan is?"

Zoro's grin became even more feral as he told us. Me? I just laughed. If I ever made it back home, this was going to make for a great story!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"What is that!" I poked my head out the door of the Merry when the sudden shouting happened. Well, that was something you didn't see every day. Looming out of the water behind the Going Merry was what appeared to be a cross between a cat and a sea serpent of some sort. My stomach rumbled at the sight. Which meant.

"MEAT!"

"Our first meal in four days!"

Okay, it wasn't that dire, but if you were a carnivore like Luffy was, then yeah, we were out of food. But things were getting a bit scarce, despite Thomas's best efforts. Sure I could go for some meat myself right now, but we had to be getting pretty close to Alabasta by this point.

Plus, knowing our luck, that thing is scared, or something. Or sacred, I always get the two of those mixed up.

By the time I'd poked my head back out again, the creature was gone. Likely not a successful capture, gnawing on the banister like he was.

"The ocean is full of strange creatures," Chopper said, as Usopp pulled himself up to his feet.

"I don't know, once you get to the stuff that just turns into a blob when it gets to the surface, you've kinda gotten to the point of maximum weird," I shrugged. The ocean was full of all sorts of strange stuff.

"They do what!" Usopp pointed at me. "How do you know that?"

"I've seen pictures of blobfish before. There's a lot of species that live so deep in the ocean, that if they get too close to the surface, they just," I expand my hands.

"Those poor fish," Chopper shook his head.

I heard Nami say that we had entered the Alabasta climate zone, as my stomach released another rumble. However, that was a secondary concern, compared to the ships dotting the horizon. Fourteen in total from what I could see.

"Hey, they're all Baroque Works ships!"

Given their matching insignia, it was either them or the Navy.

"Those must be the billions," Vivi explained.

"They're the underlings of the officer agents. Two hundred at least," Norris crossed her arms.

"This would be a harder fight than Whiskey Peak, even with the three of us," Thomas nodded, as I frowned.

Should we start picking them off now? Sure, compared to their flag officers, they might not be much. But numbers were a quality of their own.

"I don't think we'd take a direct fight on the ocean. Merry is a fighting ship, but she's still outmatched here," I frowned. If I had Blastoise, then I had options.

"Let's blast them all right now!" Usopp shouted.

"If I have Blastoise, I'd be able to hit them at the waterline," I said, stroking my chin. It'd be a cruel trick, but it could work. Putting a hole right at the water line in a ship was a death blow, but it wouldn't sink too quickly. It would take time for the water to lap in.

"What's a Blastoise?" Thomas gave me a look.

"It's a turtle with cannons on its back," Nami said, posturing matching mine. "You know, that might work."

"Forget the small fry," Zoro grinned.

"Yeah, don't lose sight of the real target," Sanji said, causing me to perk up. If you got Sanji and Zoro to agree on something, it was best to pay attention. "There are only twelve of us."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I made sure to tie the knot tightly. It wouldn't help me when transformed, and whether Bon Clay could copy that was inconclusive.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"This is a good idea. We'll be able to tell who's who," Nami grinned as Vivi helped pull hers tight.

"Is this guy really that good?" Norris frowned, tightening hers with her teeth before working to adjust Thomas's.

"They're pretty much perfect," Usopp nodded, working on his own.

"Still, sounds like a bit of a freak to me," Sanji muttered, frowning to himself.

"Eh, he's alright," I shrugged. "He's not that much weirder than several people on this ship. A shame he's our enemy, but there isn't much we can do about that."

That wasn't entirely true. I imagine Luffy could friendship Shingahi the man, as he had with so many others. But that wasn't here nor there.

Sanji had moved on to adding Karoo, bandaging his wing as well, as we began to approach the harbor. It looked like a small, Middle East town when it came to style. But given the environment, that wasn't too much of a surprise. Arid. It'd probably be smart to pick up some clothes for the weather.

"We're going to need to hide the ship," I turned around, the words cutting through my thoughts. Us, fighting a group of deadly assassins with all sorts of wacky powers I wouldn't comprehend in advance.

Luffy held out his left hand, as we stood in a circle. "Right! No matter what happens from here on out, our left arms will bear the sign of our fellowship!" The eleven of us stood, extending our left arms outward, grinning like mad.

"All right! Let's go ashore!" Luffy shouted. "And eat!"

I laughed, unable to help myself, even as Nami chastised Luffy. So close to being a killer prep speech.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Why aren't you worried about your friend there?"

"Because he isn't dead. He just has insomnia. Observe, if you would."

Suddenly there was a quiet but distinct thap, as the man flicked his sleeping partner's ear.

"Ow!"

"See?"

"Do you have to use Haki for that every time?"

"Yeah, my finger goes through you otherwise."

The man laid back, turning to the chief, ignoring the crowd behind them. "Like I said, insomnia. None of this Desert Strawberry nonsense. Though I do have to compliment you on your work."

Splat!

"I'd take it better if your friend didn't keep taking naps in my food," the chief grumbled. "What brings the two of you around these parts, anyway?"

"I was wondering that exact same question," a voice boomed from the back, as smoke began to fill the room. "What exactly is Whitebeard's Second Division Commander and Whitebeard's Monster doing in Alabasta?"

Portgas D. Ace and Jackson looked at each other.

And smiled.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Sadly, that is where he would be," I pinch my brow. Luffy had run off, and now that was going to be our problem. Finding him wouldn't be hard, but that still didn't make it any less of a pain.

"He has the right idea of it, though. We all need food, and stock up on additional supplies," Thomas said. "I've done my best, but we're stretched pretty thin, and I wouldn't want to travel through Alabasta without picking up more."

"Thomas is right," Zoro nodded. "Luffy can handle himself. We can eat, and come up with a plan after."

Would the wonders never cease? Still, Alabasta was a beautiful country. The rocks were majestic, especially when they'd been carved into by. Waves.

"I swear, if that's Mr. 3's ship right there," I pointed at the small vessel, and its very clear three theming.

"It is!" Vivi gasped.

Please let it just be some random dumbass who just stole the ship or something.

"Doesn't that require the Wax-Wax fruit to even function?" Thomas's comment rang through my ears.

"Then he's here in Alabasta. Somewhere," the crack of Norris's knuckles could not have sounded more ominous.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Okay, so I think that's the last of the outfits we need," *I say, holding several bags. I know Nami had sent Sanji to go shopping for her and Vivi, and he'd probably grabbed extra. But we were walking through the desert, so I wanted everyone to be prepared. And while I didn't know much about deserts, I'd worked in pretty nasty heat. I knew the tricks. Then again, so did the locals. "Thomas, have you gotten all the food ready to go yet?"

"Just a second!" Thomas shouted back, haggling with one of the stall owners. The conversation was going quickly, but Thomas seemed like he was getting the best deal he could. The heat was beating down on us, and I was probably going to have sunburns soon, but it was, relaxing in a way.

I was still on edge, though. Vivi's country this may be, but we were firmly in enemy territory now. If Mr. 3 or Bon Clay had spread the word of our appearance, then Baroque Works could have agents in the city looking for us right now.

"Alright, that should be the last of it," Thomas said, holding several packs of provisions. "Let's head back. Everyone else is probably done."

Everyone but Luffy, most likely. Still. The streets of the city were filled with people selling their wares, children running around playing, and the scents, and sounds a town should have. If it wasn't for the undercurrent of tension, it would be hard to tell that there was a water crisis or a Civil War.

"What'd you get us?" I asked as we made our way through the streets.

"A fair amount of salted meat, but I was able to get some dried fruits for a good price," Thomas grinned, appearing to be pleased with himself. "I don't think Nami will be disappointed. I don't think the same could be said for you. You need to learn to haggle."

"I'm sorry, everything where I'm from is fixed price. Haggling isn't a skill I've managed to develop!" I protested, even if he wasn't wrong. I could have gotten away with getting this cheaper, I just wasn't sure how.

"It's an acquired skill, taking practice and effort," Thomas nodded. "It's not a surprise. You give off the air of coming from one of the larger, stabler islands."

Click.

"And isn't that a shame?" A voice came from the alleyway, a flintlock pistol pointed at us. "Now, hand over everything you got, and you might just walk away with your lives." Several swords glinted in the darkness, a sign that there was more than one person.

"Are we being mugged right now?" Thomas gave me a look.

"I think the proper term is robbed. I'm honestly more impressed how low people pointing guns at me is becoming as a threat," I looked at him back. "I've been shot by a canon now. This is just becoming a whatever. I've had someone pull a gun on me at least three times now."

"What? Put your hands where I can see them!" The man shouted, clearly not impressed with how we were kinda treating him like a joke.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Thomas asked.

"It's my line," I grinned. They were lined up in an alleyway. They were making this way too easy on me. "Good sir, would you like paper or plastic?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!" The man shouted as I threw up the bags of clothes, adding a few more seconds of distraction, as I began to transform.

"Rhyhorn!" My feet crashed into the ground, sending up a wave of earth and stone, sending the men in the alley flying upwards, guns and swords going every which way. By the time it was done, they were in a groaning heap, Thomas balancing the bags around his bat.

"Damn, that one looks pretty tough for something so small," Thomas said, as I did the best impression of a grin that I could. Rhyhorn might as well have been a mini rhino, but covered in plates as hard as stone.

"It's the monster! Get him!" I heard someone shout. Turning to face the source, I found at least ten people in a marine uniform charging at us with swords.

"What?" Thomas's words mimic what mine would have been, if I could speak. But that was a lot of soldiers, and we didn't have time for this.

"Nathan, what are you doing!" Thomas shouted as I flipped him onto my back. Then I began to book it, my feet thundering down the street as I went.

"Why? Are? They? Chasing? Us?" Thomas clung to my back for dear life, holding onto our purchased goods just as tightly as we broke out onto the Main Street, getting the attention of even more marines. Which immediately followed in pursuit, screaming about some monster, or how they had spotted Jackson.

It better have been a coincidence that they were screaming about how I was my brother, or I was going to be pissed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"That's a lot of Marines!" Thomas shouted. I saw them too. How had they gotten around us that quickly? It was like a wall of white and blue. And we still had a lot to our backs, too. It looked like we were going to have to go through them. Or over.

"There's another one, above us!" One of the Marine's towards the center of the formation pointed up, but by that point, it was far too late. A shadow dived, slamming into the ground, the street buckling under the force. Earth and stone rippled, as if it were a liquid, knocking aside Marines like they were leaves on the wind.

And at the epicenter? Its hide was a light shade of purple. It had two mighty pincers and a stinger tail. Its joints were covered red, with a black membrane that severed as wings. No way.

What was a Gliscor doing here?

"Well, well. This is a surprise," the voice that came from it sounded weird. "I take it you're with those Straw Hats?"

"What's it worth to you?" I rumbled back, pawing at the ground. God, the type matchup was not in my favor. For a moment, the Gliscor's beady yellow eyes widened, before going back to normal.

"If you are, then I suggest that you take advantage of the path I cleared," it said, as I squinted. It looked like the others were in the distance.

"Fine," I growled out, starting to move again, not in the mood to keep looking the gift horse in the mouth.

"I just watched two animals have a conversation by doing nothing but say their names," Thomas groaned on my back.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Great, you guys finally made it!" Norris shouted, already pulling up the anchor as I managed to reach the deck. Thomas barely had enough time to get off my back, groaning in soreness.

"Never again," the man groaned, as I changed back. Not that i blamed him. Even with a saddle, Rhyhorn did not seem like a comfy ride.

"I'm guessing the two of you ran into problems too," Nami asked, crossing her arms.

"Some people tried to rob us, I transformed to beat them up, and next thing I know, we have a bunch of Marines on our tail, shouting stuff including my brother's name, for some reason," I huffed, sitting down against the Merry's deck as everyone else shared a look. "What?"

"Does anyone else have family members they want to disclose right now?" Usopp shouted as Sanji flinched.

"Well, most," Nami paused. "No, not even half of you have met my sister now."

"You have a sister?" I gave Nami a confused look.

"Luffy has a brother," Zoro said, as if such a thing were like the sky being blue.

"Luffy has a brother!" Thomas and I shouted at the same time.

"It sounds like you might, too," Norris looked at me.

"It can't be my brother. It's likely just a coincidence that the person they're looking for share a name with my younger brother," I say. Even if it's voiced sounded passingly familiar.

"And the odds of that are?" Thomas pointed at me.

"How many Jackson's are there in the world?" I shot back, rolling my eyes.

"Given that the name of the Pirate King's ship was the Oro Jackson? Not many. Not many that are younger than you," Norris crossed her arms. Oh. Well, that was concerning then.

"If he is your brother, it's nice that yours and mine are friends!" Luffy beamed, just like his usual self. I wasn't even going to question why the topic didn't come up in the first place. Nami had a sister I didn't know about, as did Luffy. It likely just didn't come up because it never became relevant.

"Still, two members of the same family eating a Devil Fruit is pretty strange though. They're pretty rare outside of the Grand Line," Norris commented as Sanji took a long drag of smoke.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either!" Luffy grinned. "Even when Ace hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit and I had, I still couldn't beat him!"

That was a disturbing thought, kids or not. Luffy was the strongest person I knew. Sure, there had to be stronger people out there in the world. But the fact that Luffy couldn't get the one up on this guy was impressive.

"I guess the big brother of a beast would be an even bigger beast," Usopp said.

"You kinda have to be. Comes with the territory," I grin slightly, looking back on old times.

"Oh really? Please, by all means, do tell."

WHAP!

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, stop doing that!" I shouted, ignoring the fact that my fist was currently in his grip.

"Whichever one of you is responsible for teaching my brother how to properly throw a punch, you have my thanks," Jackson's smug expression grinned back at me, as he pulled me into a hug. I blinked in surprise, shocked to even see his freckled face and brown hair, with his green eyes.

"What? How?" I exclaimed, not even trying to struggle in his grip. This was someone who didn't do hugs!

"I'll let you know when I've figured out the answer, big brother," Jackson put me down as I rubbed tears out of my eyes.

"How exactly are you the older brother?" Nami pointed between the two of us.

"The family curse." We said at the same time.

"Curse?" Usopp shuddered.

"Yeah, the younger sibling gets all the height. On both sides of the family," how that happened, I'll never know.

"Greetings all!" Suddenly, a man appeared behind Luffy, knocking him off the banister in a way that screamed sibling energy. "Thank you for looking after my kid brother."

He bowed, bowed! A gesture everyone returned.

"What are you doing in Alabasta, Ace?" Luffy was even more smiles than usual.

"You didn't get my message on Drum Island?" Ace asked as I turned to Jackson.

"You were on Drum?" I gave him a look.

"And?"

"I know about your feelings about jackets!"

"I'm guessing they're a bit more confrontational in their brotherhood," I heard Nami whisper.

"It's just a little cold," Jackson shrugged. "And that's not important right now."

"No thanks," Luffy's voice cut through the conversation, causing my brother to slump as Ace just laughed.

"I thought so, but I figured I would ask," Ace grinned, before giving my brother a look.

"Nathan, a quick word, if you would," I could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn't exactly asking. Ace's look only grew sterner.

This had something to do with whatever it was the Luffy told Ace no on, didn't it?

"If it's something you don't feel safe asking me in front of my crewmates, it's probably not something you should be asking at all," I glared at him.

"Ace offered your Captain, and the rest of the crew, a spot on Whitebeard's crew, one of the Four Emperors of the sea. It would do me well knowing that you'd be safe under such an aegis," Jackson looked down at me, or more accurately, down on me. Ace groaned in the background, as everyone else went silent, the tension skyrocketing instantly. On one hand, if this Whitebeard was really that strong, then it would be the safest option by far.

On the other hand?

I didn't need the cloth around my left arm, or the itching underneath it, for me to have my answer.

"Get bent," I snarled. "I'm staying put."

"Fine," I blinkled slightly, as the energy seemed to dissipate. Jackson didn't tend to back down that quickly. "But I want you to show me that you can handle yourself."

The tension shot back up again.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" I glared at him. He was always the athlete. He was stronger and faster than me on a normal day. I was the bookish smart one.

"One vs. One. Only a single switch."

I paused. That's how he wanted to settle things? He wanted to challenge me? To a battle?

"You're on."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I'm sorry about this," Ace rubbed the back of his head. He should have put his foot down harder than he did. But the moment Jackson got a stupid idea in his head, sometimes not even pops could stop him.

"It's okay. Nathan's going to win!" Luffy said. Ace admired his younger brother's faith in his crew. But this wasn't a fight Nathan was going to win. Jackson was a New World Veteran. Even without his Haki, Jackson had spent far, far longer in a harsher environment than Nathan had. Yes, Nathan didn't need to win. Just show he could handle himself. But that was still a high bar to clear.

They'd found a place, isolated enough where even Jackson's strikes wouldn't cause much collateral damage. Rocky outcrops almost created an arena of sorts, with silts, sands, and clay making up the rest. One of their crewmates carried a large book, flipping through the pages, as the two brothers stared each other down. Then they nodded, transforming at the same time.

Nathan's body emitted a light of deep brown mixed with blue, body coming down on all fours, fins emerging from his head and back.

"Swampert!" Nathan roared. It was a form Ace recognized. Jackson had used it too. It was strong, dependable, and hard to bring down.

As for Jackson himself? Instead of blue mixed with brown, the light coming from him was purple and brown. His body narrowed, becoming lean and strong, arms growing razor-sharp fins, hands coming down to a single claw. Its head grew tubes, and as the light faded away, it stepped out.

"Garchomp!"