Chapter 22: The "Fruit" Selection — A Family of Two-yoi
The screen brightened, focusing on the massive, looming figure of a younger Edward Newgate. He wasn't wearing his captain's coat yet; he just had a simple vest, his chest as broad as a mountain range. The slave traders, who moments ago were acting like big shots, were now vibrating so hard their teeth were rattling.
[System: The First Recruitment — The Birth of the First Division.]
The Scene: The Giant and the Pineapple
Whitebeard looked down, his golden eyes scanning the alleyway. He ignored the traders entirely, his gaze landing on the scrawny kid with the blue-flaming hands and the gravity-defying hair.
"Hey, brat," Newgate's voice boomed, vibrating the very stones of Sphinx. "I've been watching you for ten minutes. You've got a strange power... and an even stranger head of hair. Is that a hairstyle or did a bird build a nest on you while you were sleeping?"
Little Marco didn't flinch. He just squinted up at the giant. "It's my natural hair-yoi. And you're blocking my sun. Who are you? Another guy looking for a free doctor?"
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: "BWAHAHAHA! 'Blocking my sun'! Newgate, the kid didn't even care who you were! He was just worried about his tan! I love this brat! Can we trade? I'll give you three of my division leads for the Pineapple!"
> [Whitebeard]: "Gurarara! Stay in the grave, Rocks. He was mine the moment he looked me in the eye without blinking. And for the record, I still think it's a nest."
> [Kaido]: "Hmph. If I were there, I would have tested his 'Undying' claim by dropping a club on his head. A Phoenix that can't handle a little weight isn't worth a damn."
> [Big Mom]: "Shush, Kaido! Look at those little cheeks! I could have put him in a nice blue suit and kept him in my library. Newgate, you always were a thief of good ingredients!"
>
The Chat: The "Adopted" Squad
The world was losing its mind. The chat was moving so fast that the text was starting to overlap.
> [Portgas D. Ace]: "Wait, is this how it started?! The Old Man just walked into an alley and started insulting people's hair?! That explains so much about how he recruited me!"
> [Thatch (Rest in Peace)]: "Hey, Ace! Don't forget, he told me I looked like I knew how to cook a decent ham! The Old Man's recruitment strategy is basically 'You look weird, come join my family!'"
> [Vista]: "To be fair, Thatch, you do know how to cook a decent ham. And Marco... well, he's still a pineapple."
> [Buggy the Clown]: "OI! Why is Whitebeard so nice to kids?! When I met him, he looked like he wanted to swat me like a fly! Is it because I don't have blue fire?! SYSTEM! Is my nose not 'exotic' enough for a Yonko?!"
> [Morgans]: "KWA! Buggy, your nose is iconic, but it doesn't heal wounds! Focus on the screen! Newgate is about to make the offer!"
>
The Offer: More Than a Crew
The traders finally found their voices. One of them pointed a shaky finger at Newgate. "H-hey! That boy is our property! We found him first! Move aside, you giant freak!"
Whitebeard didn't even look at them. He just shifted his weight. The mere pressure of his presence sent a shockwave through the alley, knocking the traders flat on their backs.
"Property?" Newgate spat the word like it was poison. He knelt down so he was eye-level with Marco. "Listen, brat. I'm starting a crew. But I'm not looking for subordinates. I'm looking for a family. My home is a ship, and we've got plenty of room for a Pineapple who knows how to fix things."
Little Marco blinked. He looked at the dog he'd just healed, then back at the giant man with the kind eyes and the ridiculous mustache.
"Will there be food-yoi? Good food? Not just dry bread?"
Whitebeard laughed, a sound like rolling thunder. "As much as you can eat. And we'll find a barber who can handle that mess on your head."
"Deal-yoi."
> [Monkey D. Luffy]: "SHISHISHI! That's a good reason to join! Food is the best! Hey Pineapple, did you get to eat meat?! Was it better than the seeds?!"
> [Marco]: "It was the best meal of my life, Straw Hat. Though the Old Man lied about the barber. No one has ever been able to fix this-yoi."
> [Sengoku]: "SQUEAK! (And just like that, the most dangerous medical officer in pirate history was born over a bowl of soup. SQUEAK! This list is a security nightmare!)"
>
The First Flight
The screen shifted. It showed a slightly older Marco, maybe twelve now, standing on the railing of the Moby Dick. He looked out at the vast, open ocean. He took a deep breath, and for the first time, the blue flames didn't just stay on his hands. They erupted from his shoulders, forming massive, shimmering wings of azure light.
He took off. He didn't just fly; he danced through the clouds, his laughter echoing across the waves.
[System Note: A Phoenix doesn't fly because it has wings. It flies because it finally found a nest worth returning to.]