"We don't know who our father was. Who our family are. All we've ever known was that mom was once the princess of Spain, and she did something to end up here." Leo said as he poured two glasses of water from a big flask.

Both Jackie and Eddie refused to drink it, and gave the glasses back. Valeria took them, and continued the story.

"We've lived here for as long as we can remember. I can't remember any time when mom wasn't hard at work. She told us she'd strap us to her back with a piece of torn cloth when we were babies."

"As we grew up, we didn't have any friends. That was just an irritation. We helped mom with her work at Farmer Rann's stall, and in the fields since we were 7. There wasn't much time to play, or even eat. But mom gave us everything she could whenever she had the opportunity."

She paused, and walked back to the kitchen to keep the glasses and flask. As she was in the kitchen, Leo picked up from where she had left off.

"We can't remember a single moment when mom wasn't abused by customers. Same goes for us. Farmer Rann, at least, is a bit nicer to us than most of the people in the city. He used to give us food and even clothes for nothing, or as payment. There's also Madam Bayl, one of mom's relatives. She's in her sixties, but is really nice. Used to give us food and stuff too, like Rann."

Jackie asked, "Used to? Meaning they don't anymore?"

Leo nodded sadly. Valeria came and sat down next to him on the old mattress resting on the ground. "It's because of...the spies."

"Spies, you say?"

"Yes. According to mom, those spies were sent by the Spanish prince to protect her. But lately, they've started to make life difficult for us by threatening to arrest anyone who gives us anything for free, or tries to help us at all. We think they're trying to kill us." Leo's hushed words deeply disturbed Eddie, who already suspected that their mother had been poisoned. This could have been the work of those "protectors."

Jackie looked at the woman in bed. She didn't look like a bad person. Even asleep and sick, she looked graceful and kind. Could she really have done something bad enough to deserve this?

Leo continued, "Of course, this isn't the first time that mom fell sick. She's been sick before, but this is way too intense for a regular sickness. We honestly thought she was fine at first, because she kept insisting she was fine, and even went to work for a couple of days while sick. But then she collapsed, and we've had to steal food and water from stalls to stay alive and help mom."

"So that's why you've been stealing."

He nodded, his trembling hands clasped together on his lap. "We were never bandits. We were just kids earning money through work like anybody else. But Farmer Rann and Madam Bayl were both threatened not to give us any food or help, and we were left to die." As he finished, Leo's voice cracked. He gulped, and allowed himself a shuddering breath.

Jackie saw Valeria bite her lip with a sorrowful expression on her face. And at this point, Leo was digging his nails into the back of his hands to stop the tears from flowing.

Eddie sighed, and took out the vial of Trycitiam. He handed it to a surprised Leo, and smiled. "Give this to her once every six hours. She's going to be fine. I'll come over once in a while to check on her condition, so wipe those looks off your faces. Your mom will be fine!"

Jackie had never heard such reassurance in Eddie's voice when it came to a patient from Eddie. It was always serious remarks on their condition, or enraged screaming (the latter of which always happened to Jackie alone).

Leo took the vial, but still looked concerned. "But we don't have a clock anymore. The only one we had fell and broke, and we couldn't get it repaired." Eddie thought it over, and put his hand in his coat. He pulled out a small golden clock-watch, and gave it to Leo.

"There. Problem solved."

Leo stared at the clock-watch, dumbfounded. "W-Wait. I can't take this. Are you an idiot? Why are you giving me a solid gold clock-watch? My sister stole his pears barely a few hours ago!"

Eddie looked at Jackie with a look of confusion. "Stolen? Pears? Do you have any idea what they're talking about, Jackie?"

He grinned. "Nope."

"Then let's go home."

The two of them stood up, turned around and walked out the door, as casually as they had walked in. Leo looked at a stunned Valeria, and saw his thoughts mirrored on her face. Are they stupid? Why did they even do so much for a couple of thieves? And they're pirates too. Why would they do so much for our sake?

As they walked out the tiny path, Jackie looked at Eddie. "So...you're gonna take that watch back, right?" Eddie nodded.

"Yup. I'm gonna need it in case I get in a situation where I have to sell it." He said this with a perfectly natural face, which angered Jackie. "Are you kidding me? Your parents gave you that watch! You're just gonna throw away the last gift they gave you like that?"

Eddie put his hand on Jackie's shoulder. "Listen. My dad taught me something a long time ago. If I can do good for someone's sake, then I have to make sure I do everything I can to accomplish that. Even if it means forgetting about something that doesn't matter to me anymore."

He gave Jackie a pained smile. "That's why dad died. Mom too. They ignored their own lives for the sake of my future. So please, Jackie. Don't stop me from doing what I must. I'm a doctor. I have a duty."

Jackie didn't reply. He respected Eddie's reason, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

As they walked away, Leo and Valeria ran out of the path and watched them go. After watching them for a moment, Valeria cupped her hands over her mouth and called them.

"Jackie! Eddie! Thanks for everything today!" They both heard this, and couldn't help smiling. Jackie raised his arm up in recognition, and continued walking forward. "Weird kids, aren't they?" He said. Eddie simply nodded, and looked straight ahead as they walked.

"So what's all this about "Ley"? You told me Whitebeard agreed to teach it to you." He asked Jackie, who only shrugged. "He said he'd teach me. Dunno about you guys though."

Eddie sighed in disappointment. "Well, let me know if he agrees to training the rest of us too. The concept seemed really interesting, so I'm sure it would be a great research subject...."

He scares me sometimes. I swear, he's gonna rewrite the world someday if this keeps up. Images of Eddie wildly laughing as a town burned to ash behind him flashed in Jackie's mind. It really would he bad if Eddie were his enemy.

*****

Elma was drunk.

On food.

Again.

Fortunately, she had been already tied up to a chair by the time Eddie and Jackie arrived from their trip to the city. The plump man, Brice, kept an eye on her with his hand not far from one of the two guns he had strapped to his belt.

"W-We're so sorry about this, Brice. You know she just...does that sometimes." Jackie muttered, and poked her straining arms. The rope was damn strong to keep her in one place.

"Let me go you shits. I need some goddamn food!" She roared at them. Some of the other pirates jumped, while others just shot looks of displeasure at her.

Some were laughing though, most notably Captain Cotton and Brice. Though Brice did have his hand awfully close to the gun. "You know you don't need to shoot her...right?" Eddie asked, pointing at his hand.

Brice shook his head. "I will if I have ta. She's terrifying." He said seriously, and Eddie somehow found it difficult to disagree. She really was something else when she was hungry. "It's just a little fit she has occasionally. It's not like she's always like this when she eats you know!" Jackie explained with a bright smile.

"Then take your cutlass away from her throat." Eddie growled, and he had to comply. As he put the sword back in it's scabbard and left, Eddie could still hear him mumbling something about having a little "fun".

He was about to hide in his room again before he heard Elma call him, her voice sober and strong again. "Eddie. Get me off this thing. Right now."

"D-Do I have to?"

"I'll punch you if you don't."

Once he finished untying her, she explained why she had a fit. "There's a really good bar nearby, specifically made for sailors and travellers to relax there. Word has it that the place has the best blueberry wine and cow meat in the island. We've gotta pay a visit tonight!" She put her hands on her hips, apparently quite smug about her food finding skills.

It was impossible for Eddie to say no to her. For one thing, he always found it difficult to deny women. For another, not only was she his vice-captain, but she was bloody Elma.

A wise man never says no to a woman who can tear his head off.

"F-Fine. But if there's any trouble, I'm blaming you for all of it. Deal?"

She grinned from ear to ear. "Deal!" He watched her prance off to Captain Cotton, excitedly chittering about how good this bar was.

Wondering when those two had become such good friends, he started to walk away to his room again. This time, he walked straight into Captain Caine.

"Watch it. What's your hurry?" He asked, clearly annoyed. He glared at Eddie with those intimidating, tired eyes. Eddie shrugged, wanting to get away from his as fast as possible. "I'm just in a bit of a rush to write down everything I remember from my research."

He tried to walk around him, but Caine grabbed his arm. "Research? What kind of research?"

"Medical research. I'm a doctor, so I'm sure you can see the importance of-"

Caine rubbed his jaw, thinking hard. Eddie couldn't get away, thanks to his hand still firmly gripping his shoulder. After a moment, he finally said, "Alright then. You're coming with me."

Huh?

Before he knew what had happened, he was being dragged behind Caine across the deck of the ship. Watching this whole comedy play out, Brice laughed and continued eating his second lunch of the day. These brats must be interesting, for the captains to take such a liking to them. He thought to himself with a grin.

While everyone else made themselves busy, he simply sat there, munching on food by himself. Behind him, or rather, above him in the crow's nest located on the main mast, Old Man Jack kept a close eye on the top deck. His black cloak flowed behind him, fittingly making him look like a crow.

There was lots going on, both visible and invisible.