"Even if our meeting ended with a farewell, I'm so glad that I'm able to know you. Good bye. And thank you for everything, Marco."

His eyes jerked open as he sat immediately. His breath ragged, his throat felt sore and dry. Beads of sweat were sliding down his temples. That one was not a nightmare, but it's able to shake the almighty phoenix that great. It's been around two years since the first time he got that similar dream. That dream didn't come frequently, though. But once it came, Marco's condition would be exact the same like right now.

He needed some time to calm himself down. And when he finally managed to do it, the commander put his purple jacket and black sandals on before he went out of his room and walked towards the galley to have his breakfast.

"Mornin' Marco!" Haruta greeted him cheerfully.
"Morning," Marco replied as he took a seat beside Izo.
"You looked pretty tired," said the cross dresser.
"Did something happen?" Asked Thatch who walked out from the kitchen. The cook then sat beside Marco after he put several big bowls of soup on the tables.
"You can say that."
"Only one thing that could make you like this early in the morning," Thatch sighed, "It's Cal, isn't it?"

The blonde only nodded to answer.

"You still get that dream? About Cal's saying 'good bye' and 'thank you' to you?" Now, Vista also joined their conversation.
"Probably, it's just me who feel guilty."
"But, it's not your fault. It's normal to be shock and feel betrayed like you did," Izo said.
"Still, It's mine. I was the one who took her on our ship and yet I lashed out at her without even trying to hear her arguments. I should have—"
"She said that she's glad to be able to meet you," Thatch intercepted.

For a moment, Marco's eyes widened. She did say that in his recurring dream and in her letter. Always. But was that true? Didn't she say that just because she owed him?

"Go finish your breakfast and get your works done. You said you have a mountain of paperwork, didn't you?" Thatch said, as the brunet cook gave Marco's shoulders an encouraging squeeze. "The best way to distract oneself is being busy, after all."

The First Division Commander of Whitebeard Pirates replied with a faint smile and a nod.

"Yeah. I should do that. Thanks, Thatch."

Two and a half years ago, they met by chance. It was like, fate drew them to each other. The woman's white attire disheveled, blood's dripping from her head, her ankle sprained, and cuts were visible in some parts of her body. She was in an awful state and moreover, she had to escape from a bunch of marines that led by three Vice Admirals; Onigumo, Doberman, and Momonga. And what made her really pissed off was the fact that two of those three Vice Admirals firmly believed in Absolute Justice, while she and Momonga didn't have a good relationship either, as she hated how the said Vice Admiral was overly stern.

"Really. They don't give me any mercy, huh? Only to capture me, they send three, f*ckin', Vice Admirals here," she chuckled to herself in disbelief. No matter how strong she was, she couldn't face all of them alone.

She realized that it was the price of her deeds. Well, she dared to kill a Tenryuubito and beated another one until he was on the verge of dying, after all. Even though she was a pretty valuable asset for them, the World Government didn't hesitate to punish her severely, which meant that she had to be captured and beheaded. In other words, a public execution. What she did was inexcusable, everyone knew that fact. It was a sin that would never be forgiven, that made the price of her head went up until it reached the same amount as one of the World's greatest criminals. Why she did it? No one knew.

"On a pinch, little one?"

The silver-haired woman looked around while still running, searching for the source of the voice just now. She staggered a lot, which made someone suddenly grabbed her shoulders to help her steady herself.

"Whoa, easy, yoi."

It's the same voice. The woman looked up and met a pair of droopy eyes.

"Just get lost. I need to keep running," she said as she shoved his hands quite harshly and continued running –or probably walking on a not-so-quick pace—. Her curt reply made him laughed. He was clearly amused and truly enjoying this. Not a bad way to refresh his mind from the constant works that he did for the past weeks, he thought.
"I've been observing the situation for awhile. You got chased by marines, huh?" He threw a rhetoric question, which ended being ignored by her. "But in this level, you might get caught easily, no?"

The man didn't intend to mock her. He was just stating the fact, which was referring to her sprained ankle. It was really obvious since it started to swell and hinder her attempt to flee.

"At least I'm trying to save myself. When they come, I'll try to think for another way."
"Then, what if I help you, yoi?"

Her wobbly movement came to a halt. She turned to him, glaring, "Listen. Why don't you leave me alone and—" her voice trailed off when she noticed the mark on his chest, which wasn't an unfamiliar mark for a government agent like her. Her eyes then wandered, once again making an eye contact with him and finally had a clear view of his face.

"And?"
"Go back to your crew, Phoenix."

"Yo, kiddo."
"I'm not a kid anymore, you old hag."
"How dare you called me like that, fried chicken?!"
"You two are as close as ever before, aren't you?"
"NO WAY!"

The unison denial which came from the Phoenix and the ex-member of Whitebeard Pirates, which had established her own crew and risen to infamy made almost everyone on the deck laughed. Whitey Bay and Marco were once sailed on the same ship, with the man being a junior for the woman, one whom she called an 'apprentice'. And now, her crews were one of Whitebeard's subordinates.

"So? Why did you come here, yoi?"
"What? I can't come to see Pops?!"

Marco just rolled his eyes upon hearing her words. Well, it didn't mean that he hated her. No, not like that. It just, sometimes, the pirate captain got on his nerves, thus they would end up bickering on something so trivial such as the food shares or the division of chores. But it made them close, indeed, albeit they always denied it.

"Oh yeah. I have a juicy news that even Morgans and anyone probably hasn't heard."
"And why did you join us for dinner now? Did you say that you just come for seeing Pops?" Asked Marco when he saw that the woman hadn't left yet.
"Stop picking a fight wimme, you birdie!"
"I was the one who make Whitey Bay stayed for dinner, Marco."
"Geh—" Marco gasped when his captain appeared behind him. "Pops."
"Gurararara! I know that you're glad to see each other too after such a long time. Am I right?"
"NO WAY!"

Again, with their unison denial (and the same response as before). And again, everyone laughed at it. It was like a comedy skit, their interaction was. Both Marco and Whitey Bay finally calmed down as Thatch ushered them to eat their dinner.

"So, what is it about?" Vista asked, in the middle of savoring his honey chipotle ribs. "The news, I mean."
"It must be another cheap gossip."
"Shut up, Marco!" the woman practically hissed. "Around two years ago, didn't you guys welcome a woman in this ship?"

Everyone who heard the pirate captain's words immediately threw a concerned glance at their first division commander who had already stiffened in his seat. Although Whitey Bay hadn't mentioned any names, they all knew who she was referring to, especially Marco. Seeing no response, the woman continued to talk.

"You know. The ex-government agent who killed a Tenryuubito. What was her name again? I can't re—"
"Calixta."

It was Marco who answered it, through gritted teeth. No, it wasn't because he was angry when Whitey Bay talked about her nor disgusted to say her name. Absolutely not. He just felt something stirred in his chest when someone mentioned something about that particular woman.

"OH! You're right, kiddo!"
"And what about her, yoi? Why did you mention a dead person?"

Usually, Marco would have replied with something like 'Did you grow that old to the point that you can't even remember names, yoi?' or 'You should try to train your brain so you wouldn't turn into a forgetful old hag.' But not this time. He was being (real) serious when he asked about the reason why Whitey Bay mentioned Calixta in her so-called-juicy-news.

"No, no, no. She's alive, you know."
"Stop spouting nonsense! All of us knew that she's dead in the hand of Akainu! It's reported in the newspaper two years ago!" The usual calm and collected commander shouted, all the while banged the dinner table as he got up. It was such a rare sight, for Marco to lose control, even for them who had been with him for the longest time.
"Marco, calm down," said Thatch, trying to make his friend back to his seat.
"That's why I said, they probably didn't know about that! But as I said before, that woman is alive."
"Where is she?" Asked Jozu. The third division commander thought that it was the best question to be asked at that time, instead of arguing whether the 'news' was credible or not.
"I saw her in Lavalette," she answered.
"It's one of the lawless countries, right?" Asked Rakuyo, this time.
"Yes. She somewhat stands as a protector of that poor country," Whitey Bay replied. "And actually, she told me to keep her existence a secret from everyone. Including from all of you."
"… Eh? From us… too?" Izo asked, as if he couldn't believe it.
"I do believe the reason was for your own good," she said, a small smile appeared on her face. "Especially for Marco."

After he lashed out at Whitey Bay, Marco stayed quiet until he finished his meal, probably too shocked or it's just his way to calm himself down. Nevertheless, he did listen to others' questions and her answers, regarding Calixta's whereabouts. The phoenix was undoubtedly dumbfounded upon learning the fact that Calixta was still alive and she hid her existence from them intentionally. It's fine if she wanted to hide it from the marines or world government, even from the world. But did she need to hide it from the crew, too? They, once, were her 'family', weren't they?

"Hey. I'm sorry for shouting like that, back in the dining room," said Marco to Whitey Bay, when the dinner was over.
"It's fine. I heard from the others that you're a bit sensitive if it's about that woman," she replied, a smirk formed on her lips. "So, what's your relationship with her?"
"We're just normal crewmates."
"Don't treat me like an idiot. I know that a normal crewmate won't make you lose your cool like that."

It's no use to keep avoiding it. Whitey Bay knew him since his younger days, after all.

"You might say that she was a little special than a normal crewmate," Marco finally said after he thought what's the best words to describe Calixta.
"I believe 'was' isn't the right word?"
"Okay. Is, then."
The woman laughed immediately. "You finally admitted it!"
"Cut it out, yoi," he snapped, before he went quiet again. His eyes wandered to the vast ocean.
"If you have something to ask, just ask. I'll answer it if I can."

Apparently, Whitey Bay saw through him, once again. There were so much questions that he wanted to ask her, about Calixta.

"… How's her?"
"I visited Lavalette 5 months ago. By that time, she looked fine to me. She's loved by the people in Lavalette, too. Probably that's one of the reasons that she looked happy."

Marco was relieved to hear that, yet there was a sudden twinge in his heart. She's happy, which meant that she never thought of them? She didn't feel sad to leave this crew?

"But at the same time, I noticed sorrow in her eyes when we talked about you guys, even though she tried to cover it with a smile. You know, eyes can't lie."
"What did you talk about with her, yoi?"
"Mainly about your crew. She asked me how did you guys do and I ended telling her about our adventure when we were young. When you were just a stupid apprentice."
"You badmouthed me behind my back, huh?"
"You could say it like that," she replied as she laughed. "Yet that woman was really excited to hear stories about you."
"… Only me?"
"Don't be to conceited. She also laughed when I told her about the others."

Oh. It's understandable, since she was also pretty close with the other guys. But Marco couldn't deny that he's a bit disappointed. He thought that he was a little special for her too. Yet she considered her only as a normal—

"The first guy whom she personally asked me was indeed you, though."

Huh? So… he's also spe— no. Let's don't be conceited, just what Whitey Bay said, thought Marco.

"That's what makes me really curious about your relationship with her. It's so damn obvious that you both care about each other. Were you going out with her back then?"
"It's not like that!" Marco answered immediately. "I do care about her since I still feel guilty for what I did to her, yoi."
"Which made her leave without saying anything other than that letter on the next day?"
"Yeah," he said as he hung his head. "It was all my fault."
A long sigh slipped out as a smile crossed her face. "Well, do you want to go with us, then?"
His eyebrows furrowed automatically when he heard her offer. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"I originally planned to visit Lavalette to get some supplies. They're famous for their delicious—"
"I'm going!"
"I even haven't finished my sentence yet," the woman scoffed. "Got it. We'll depart tomorrow morning, after breakfast. After all, I can't miss Thatch's wonderful cooking. So, be ready, kiddo."
"Okay. Thanks a lot, Whitey Bay."

Marco was really grateful for Whitey Bay's offer. It's not because his sense of direction or his navigation skill was terrible. But it was because he didn't have any confidence to meet her on his own. He couldn't help but feel scared of her reaction. Also, the way she wanted to keep her existence a secret from the crew was the main reason why Marco doubt what Whitey Bay thought wasn't the truth. She said that it was for their sake, for his sake, especially. But what if the pirate captain just misinterpreted it? And even worse, what if Calixta's words were just a decoy to hide her true feelings, that she hated the crew, especially him, the guy who pointed a gun at her right away without even trying to hear the true story behind that letter from her?

"Pops, it's me," the commander said after knocking then opening the door of his captain's chamber. "Can I talk to you right now?"
"Oh, sure. Come in, Marco."

The younger man closed the door behind him when he had already entered the room.

"I'm sure that the old hag had already told you that she met Calixta."
"Yeah, she did tell me when we talked earlier at noon," the captain said before he drank his sake. "And then? What about it, son?"
"Actually, she offered me to go with her since her crew will visit Lavalette and I had already accepted it," Marco explained. "But I still need to ask your permission, Pops. Is it alright for me to go for a while, even though it's not for a mission?"

Whitebeard laughed hard upon hearing the first division commander's question.

"If I don't allow you to go, what would you do?"
"I'll persuade you with everything I got because I really need to meet her."
"Gurararara! I know you'll do that," said Whitebeard with a wide grin. "So, go, Marco. And bring that stupid daughter of mine back."
Marco's eyes widened. "… You'll accept her again, Pops? Even though she got ordered to kill you and the others?"
"After these two years, don't you realize that you were actually fell right into the World Government and the Marine's plan?" Asked his father. "Although I was surprised that you would react impulsively like that since it was so unlike you."

The conversation that he had with his captain made Marco felt like a fool. Everything fit the puzzle perfectly. They would never forgive Calixta since what that woman did is truly unforgiveable. Why didn't he realize it at that time?

"It was their plan from the beginning. The letter was originally served to fool her. I realized that there were three possibilities of outcome from that plan. The first was for Calixta to carry out that mission then die in our hands since she had to be punished for breaking this ship's one and only rule. Second possibility, if we didn't kill her and instead banished her from Moby Dick, they would hunt her more easily since she's no longer under our protection. The last one, Calixta may not want to execute the plan or in other words, their plan failed."
"Yet, I managed to grant them the fourth possibility, huh, Pops? Something that they might not think of it."
"Perhaps, they also had calculated that outcome," Whitebeard said. "Until now, I don't know whether she wanted to fulfill her mission or not, whether she saw through their plan and was aware of the outcome's possibilities or not. But I believe that actually she's just a kind-hearted brat who was put in a really difficult situation and she didn't have any choice if she ever thought or even wanted to commit the murder. That's why I think it's better for you to meet her and talk things out. Find the truth yourself, Marco, so you won't regret it or continuously feel guilty for your entire life."

He was guilty for sure. He's the one who chased her off, he's the reason why she's gone. And if Calixta didn't survive the assault, that would mean he killed her indirectly.

Marco pulled something from his bedside table as soon as he sat on his bed. It was a little wooden box, contained a letter from Calixta which she left on his bedside table before she vanished from Moby Dick; a dried flower bookmark that she made for him; some photographs of him and Calixta; and a silver bracelet that he couldn't manage to give her for her birthday. Even though that time Marco was really disappointed at Calixta, he couldn't throw all of them away. Those things were his only memento of her, after all. The commander picked the letter and for the umpteenth time, he re-read it.

Dear Marco,

When you read this, I probably had gone already. If, and only if, you ever regretted your decision, then don't be. With this letter, I want to remind you that you're not wrong, at all. You picked the right decision, Marco, since I did think to fulfill their request. And it is my decision to leave, so you're not the one to blame. To be honest, I decided to write this because I don't have any confidence to talk to you and I believe that you won't hear any craps that come out from my mouth.

You know, I was merely a World Government's dog, who obeyed their orders, no matter how ridiculous they were. I realized that I'm the lowest of the low. I used to take people's life so easily. What made me do that was the hatred that I held for this fucked up world. That's why, I didn't want anyone to be happy so it would be fair for me.

But then I met you. You stuck your nose into my business even though I'm a stranger. You were willing to help me to get away from the marines, you took care of my injuries, and even gave me a place to live. The entire crew gave me a new understanding about this world and its people, that there are also kind and warm bunch like you guys. I had so many beautiful memories during my stay in Moby Dick. And it all happened because of you, Marco. If I didn't meet you, probably even in my death, I still held a grudge towards this world.

I know what kind of man you are. A mother hen, someone who will act cool even though you're such a worrywart. You love your family and I fully understand your reaction. I'm really sorry for breaking your trust, for disappointing you. From this moment, I won't intrude your life, nor your family, ever again. I promise.

Finally, it has come to an end. I really enjoyed this past 6 months. And I'm glad I can meet you guys before I die. Thank you, especially you, Marco, for everything.

Sincerely,
Cederschiöld Calixta