9.) Luffy's Little Adventure Part I

(Luffy: 8 months)

A/N: Yes I have some things that need explained for this but don't worry it'll come later and I know this is cliche but.. yea.

Marco snorted and rolled his eyes as he turned away from the sight of Thatch running from Haruta. Another prank of course being the cause of that little escapade.

His eyes absentmindedly roamed over the dock of the neutral island they had arrived at, noticing a few of the townspeople milling around, curious but cautious as they bored their eyes into the Moby Dick. Some animatedly talking to the few crew members who got off the ship to stretch their land legs.

His eyes seemed to roam, suddenly attracted to the edge of the dock. He stilled at the sight and blinked. Hoping that the sight would change. On the edge of the dock was a toddler, looking barely old enough to walk with a head of dark hair and shining eyes as they stared at the Moby.

And that little toddler was steadily crawling towards the edge of the dock.

He quickly glanced around looking for anyone who was close by to be looking near the child who could stop the kid before he toppled over the edge- but no one. No one looked in his direction. No one was paying any attention to the kid who's life could be taken if he-

Marco acted without thinking. Leaping from the side of the ship, shifting in mid air and shooting through the open air towards the child. He ignored the startled noises from the people and instead focused solely on the toddler.

He breathed out a sigh of relief as his beak closed around the boy's clothes just before the toddler hit the water. Flapping his wings once to lift them to the dock he gently placed the child safely on the stones and quickly glanced over him. Pausing at the almost stars in the boy's eyes as he stared at Marco with a huge smile on his face... not even phased that he could have just drowned.

Nonetheless, the boy didn't seem harmed and being stared at in wonder by a toddler was better than the alternative.

He exhaled slowly as the spark of uncharacteristic adrenaline died down and stared at the toddler as he giggled and clapped his hands while chanting. "Birdy. Birdy. Birdy!"

"Marco! What happened?!" He twitched at the yell from behind him and turned his head to look over his shoulder back at the ship. Izo and a few other of his siblings stared over the edge of the ship at him, worried, wary, and curious looks on their faces depending on the person.

He glanced back at the child as the toddler grabbed a handful of the little feathers on his chest- over his tattoo- giggling as he did so with that stupidly wide smile on his face. Marco tilted his head as the child looked up at him, suppressing his phoenix's croon that built in his chest.

Ignoring the stares from the townspeople he once again picked up the child in his beak by the shirt he wore and took to the sky once again. Flying up to the deck of the Moby Dick he noticed Thatch had come over to see the commotion and changed his direction slightly towards the chef.

Thatch blinked in surprise at the child laughing in his beak, but took the child without a word as Marco held the toddler out to him, instantly changing his form back when the boy was no longer connected to him.

"What the fu-uudge Marco!?" Thatch's voice was the first he heard out of the instant cacophony of questions so he deemed that one as the most relevant... at the moment.

He effectively silenced everyone with a well placed glare before answering. "The kid almost just took a nosedive into the sea," the other's faces all grimaced and he knew he didn't have to tell them what that little trip in the sea could have done to the kid. He didn't even look like he could swim yet. "no one was concerned about him on the dock so I brung him up here."

"Well what are we supposed to do with him. I mean.. he's adorable, but we can't just keep him here when someone might be looking for him." Izo places a hand on his chin as he spoke and Marco had to agree, but at the moment he wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't just leave the kid on the dock and potentially let him try to go for a swim again.

That let out a yelp, making Marco turn towards him. The toddler was currently pulling on Thatch's hair while the other was trying to balance him and gently pry the strands from his hair at the same time. All the while trying to convince the kid his hair wasn't a toy, or something to go in his mouth.

Marco smirked as Izo and the other two crew members laughed behind him at Thatch's struggle. Shaking his head after a moment longer, he decided to help his mate and plucked the boy from Thatch's arms. Catching, but not acknowledging, the grateful look sent his way he glanced down at the toddler as the other started playing with his shirt and the dark purple ink of his tattoo. "I'm going to take him to Oyaji. Maybe he'll know what to do about this."

He heard Izo hum behind him as he walked off, footsteps came up beside him and he glanced at Thatch in question as the other leaned down as they walked to look at the distracted child. "So what do you think his name is?"

Marco hummed. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

Thatch Shot a surprised look up at him. "You think he'd understand a question?!"

Marco shrugged. "Maybe. He did name my Phoenix form, as a bird when he saw it, so he probably at least understands some basics."

Thatch blinked a moment longer before grinning and tapping the boy on the stomach to get his attention. The kid giggled and looked over, reaching for Thatch again. Marco banded the kid over and watched them out of the corner of his eye as Thatch eagerly smiled at the boy. "What's your name little one?"

The boy giggled and somehow looked at Thatch like he was silly for not knowing, somehow simultaneously. "I Uffy!!"

Thatch's eyebrows scrunched in confusion at the kids words while an amused smirk ghosted across Marco's features.

He looked at the boy, who smiled up at him when he noticed the blonde again. "Luffy huh." Thatch looked sharply over at him before smirking. Spinning Luffy around once in exaggerated excitement, the boy answering with a loud giggle. "Well welcome aboard the Moby Dick Luffy!"