Half A Wing

Chapter 7 - Unexpected Guest On Board

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The Whitebeard Pirates were starting to prepare for departure from the winter island. Marco was informed about it when Luffy went to the bushes, and he was just coming back to the ship.

"Luffy!" Thatch waved to the child being held in Marco's arms as he entered the deck of Moby Dick.

"Tat!" Luffy exclaimed and got from Marco's arms to Thatch's.

"How was your snow?" He asked with a smile.

"Gut!" Luffy showed his thumb, the gloves making it really puffy.

"Haha, that's good! Now come, we're going to eat." Thatch said, and they entered the inside. It was a lot warmer than on the outside, and they could undress from unnecessary clothes. Marco was taking the clothes from others, wanting to hang them neatly, he opened his eyes and looked at a wall, feeling something.

"Hm?" He placed his ear on it and listened...nothing. He decided to leave it, and he soon followed the others to the Mess Hall. Little did he know...that behind the wall was someone.

"Uff..." Ace sighed, sliding down the wall. He has been hiding in a storage room near the Hall. He yet didn't know where he was or who they were, but he knew...that Luffy kid was here just a moment ago. If he could stick with them till another island and run away as soon as they hit the land, maybe it would be a good idea. But Ace didn't know that they were able to sense strange and unfamiliar auras. At least he was warm...his shattered clothes were making him freeze in the snow. But when he was with Luffy, he must have ignored the cold...somehow.

"Who are these guys...there's so many, it was hard coming here." He whispered. His eyes inspected the room, and he saw some barrels, deciding to go for them now.

"Man, I'm starving." Ace opened one barrel, seeing fruits in them. "Hoho!" He drooled and had stars in his eyes. Quickly, he dipped into his meal. If he's lucky enough, maybe he'll find some meat.

But before he could open another barrel, a noise got him when a light appeared on his back and wings. His eyes wide open, while still having the fruit in his mouth. The demon almost choked, but he quickly took a stance of fighting. The person had weird hair...tied in some kind of bread, he assumed.

"Who're you!" The kid exclaimed.

"Hah?! I should be the one asking that, kid!" Thatch exclaimed, holding a machete to the demon. Ace flinched, backing off and almost tripping on a barrel. "Kid, you'll need to explain it." The brown-haired entered the room, a shadow appearing on Ace's body, while his eyes widened in horror. As Thatch came closer, he began to mark out particular features of the child's appearance. His eyes opened wide as he was within an arm length from the child.

"You're..." He murmured. Ace flinched, backing out and tripping on an apple, falling on his backside. Thatch was frozen. He noticed...the horns, the wings. It looked...eerie. Ace snapped to sit up, and he decided...to make a run for it, quickly standing up and running beside the shocked cook, through the doors and to the hallways. "OI!" Thatch came after him after a while.

Some of his crewmates were walking, talking, beside each other. They noticed an unfamiliar kid running in their direction. They stopped and soon heard Thatch running after Ace. The child ran beside them and they finally noticed his features.

"What the hell?!" One threw a document in the air, jumping at the other. "WAS THAT A DEMON?!" He exclaimed.

"Wait!" Thatch ran beside them and after the kid. He noticed the child's wings spread as he tried to fly through the hallway, only to end up at an attempt. A hole was clearly seen in his left wing.