Chapter Text
It started because Izo had found a photo while cleaning his room.
He walked into the galley with a wide grin, sitting down beside Marco and setting the photo down between them. He set his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. He was clearly very proud about it, whatever it was, and waited patiently for him to notice it.
Marco raised an eyebrow, leaning in a bit and pushing his bowl of sunflower seeds out of the way so he could see better. The photo was a bit yellowed with age but in otherwise perfect condition, depicting two small children sitting on the steps to one of the traditional dance buildings of Wano.
“What is this?” He asked, gently picking it up and taking a closer look. Rubbing his thumb over one of the faces in the photo, he suddenly paused, chuckling softly to himself. “Is this you?”
“What gave it away?” Izo responded, reaching out and sneaking a sunflower seed out of the man’s bowl. “That’s me and my little sister Kiku. She’s only about five years old there.” Popping the seed in his mouth, he leaned in further so he could see the photo as well. “I found it in a book on one of my shelves today...I thought I’d lost it years ago.”
The blonde nodded, looking to the little girl in the photo beside him. She was dressed in a yellow kimono patterned with little pink flowers, her hair in a short bob that framed her face in just the right way. One hand was holding onto a shamisen –an instrument he only knew about because of Izo’s drunken ramblings– the other wrapped tightly around her brother’s arm. She had a wide grin on her face, and Marco could only assume it was due to something Izo had said.
“She’s adorable.” He finally commented, returning the photo back to Izo with a definite nod. “And so were you.”
“You’re too kind to me, birdie.” With a delicate laugh he tucked the photo away on the inside of his kimono, too pleased to finally have a photo of his little sister to keep with him at all times like he’d always wanted. “Truly the cutest little sibling to exist; I’m quite lucky.”
“Impossible!”
Izo hadn’t even noticed Ace’s presence at the table until that moment, turning in his seat to face the younger man. Oh, yes, he’d heard all about Ace’s precious baby brother, but no one was cuter than Kiku.
“I’m just saying that in a one on one contest,” Ace started, picking up his fork and stabbing a large amount of scrambled eggs onto the end. “Luffy would win, every time.” He shoveled the eggs into his mouth with a grin, looking quite proud of himself.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes really!”
“Boys, boys…” Marco reached out, holding his hand up between his brothers, as if that would stop the ensuing argument between them. With the way the two of them were now staring daggers at the other, though, he figured there was only one way to stop it before guns were drawn between them. “Ace, do you have a photo of--”
The man couldn’t even finish his sentence before the photo was presented to him, slightly crumpled and ripped on the edges, but Marco knew it was just a sign that Ace loved the photo deeply over the years. He thanked him, gently taking the photo from his freckled hand.
Compared to Kiku, Luffy looked...feral. He was covered in dirt and missing a tooth in the photo, but had a giant grin across his face. If Marco didn’t already know that he was made of rubber, it would freak him out greatly. Yes, of course he looked cute, but in a completely different way from the other child.
He held his hand out to Izo then, silently asking for his photo as well, although he knew Izo would be reluctant to hand it over. The man huffed softly but complied, setting the photo in Marco’s palm.
“I’ll show these to some unbiased judges and let you know the results.” He stood up from the table picking up his bowl of seeds and getting ready to leave the area. Anything to avoid listening to them bicker.
“And who exactly are these unbiased judges?” Ace asked, chewing slowly on a mouthful of fruit and narrowing his eyes slightly.
“None of your business, Fire Fist.” Marco only waved to him over his shoulder, tucking the photos away safely in his shirt pocket. He knew exactly where to go to get the answer he wanted.
Thatch was just as excited about the photos as Marco had hoped he’d be. He was all too eager to see baby Izo, and nearly forgot topay attention to what Marco was asking of him.
“How am I supposed to choose?” He asked, looking between the two photos he’d been given. Both little siblings were clearly adorable in their own way! Kiku looked like a little angel sitting there beside her big brother, whereas Luffy looked more like some kind of monkey clinging to a tree branch. “I feel like no matter which I choose, someone is going to yell at me for it.”
“That’s what I was afraid of too.” Marco chuckled and leaned back in his seat, nibbling happily on the cinnamon stick that Thatch had provided for him when he’d entered the kitchen. “No matter who we choose, one of them will be mad.”
Humming softly, the redhead glanced between the photos again before turning to Marco. “Should we ask pops? Is he unbiased enough?” He knew he wouldn’t be, though. If anything he would just choose Kiku out of spite; the man had already sat through too many stories about how amazing Luffy was to last a lifetime.
The two were silent before Marco spoke again, sitting up and gathering the two photos. “They’re not going to accept anything other than ‘they’re both too cute to pick,’ are they?”
“Nope, they’re not.” Thatch flashed him a grin as he pushed up from the table, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I’ll make their favorites for dinner tonight to try and smooth it over in case they get too upset.”
“Smart man, Thatch.” Marco sat up once again, picking up the photos and taking another look. He’d heard many stories about Luffy and how adorable he was; the most energetic and hyperactive kid, and yet somehow still an incredibly loyal and loving little brother. While the constant stories were beginning to get on the nerves of many people on the ship, it was hard to look at the little boy in the photo and not smile.
On the other hand, Izo wasn’t as open about his past. The Whitebeards knew of Kiku, and they had all heard the stories the man was willing to share, but those were reserved for night watches in the crows nest or drunken parties on deck. From what he had heard, however, Kiku was a kind and loyal little girl. She stuck to Izo’s side like glue, but Izo never minded. He appreciated it, even. When he looked at the photo, it was hard not to remember the pure love in Izo’s eyes as he talked about her.
He sighed softly, standing up and gesturing for Thatch to follow. They would have to give their official ruling at some point.
When they returned to the galley, the scene was exactly as they expected. Izo, the ever careful gunman he was, had at least one pistol drawn and pointed upwards in anger. One finger jabbing into Ace’s collarbone, face scrunched in frustration at the situation. He was very clearly passionate about making his point heard.
Ace was standing on his toes, one hand clutching the front of Izo’s kimono in a tight grip, the other gesturing wildly in an attempt to make his point more clear, whatever that point was. Flames were flickering from his shoulders now, smoke beginning to rise from the top of his head. He moved a bit closer to the man, narrowing his eyes as if trying to make himself look more serious and not like an adorable, freckled ray of sunshine. It didn’t work.
Marco stepped closer to the two, clearing his throat loudly to get their attention.
“No, not possible! Luffy is clearly more adorable in every way, you’ve just never heard him talk!”
“Oh, as if his voice could be any more angelic than Kiku’s! She’s the cutest kid to ever exist!”
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d ever gotten to hold him when he was so little!”
The blonde had had enough of the bickering, handing the photos off to Thatch before briskly walking towards them, reaching up and gently smacking the back of their heads, finally stopping their argument, if only just for a moment. He put his hands on his hips, looking between them.
“Do you two want the results or not?” He asked, raising an eyebrow now and watching as Izo slowly put his gun away once again, smoothing out the front of his kimono. Ace adjusted his hat and turned to face him, crossing his arms now.
“We would like to know the results, yes.” Izo reached up, delicately adjusting the golden comb that kept his hair in place.
Marco waited a moment before speaking again, letting out a sigh. He gestured for Thatch to come closer, pointing to the two photos that he held up proudly.
“We’ve decided that they both deserve to win. A tie. Ten out of ten for both.” He punctuated his sentence with a nod, showing that the decision was final and that there wouldn’t be any more discussion. “Both very cute and perfect little siblings.”
Silence fell between them for a few beautiful moments before Ace began to puff up, ready to make another statement, ready to continue fighting.
“And!” Thatch spoke before Ace could get a word out, leaning forward slightly and giving them both a wide smile. “I’m making your favorites for dinner! So it’s a good day!”
Ace grumbled softly, but looked to Thatch with an interested sparkle in his eye. “Barbecue seaking with ghost peppers?” He asked hopefully, jutting his lower lip out just a bit.
“The spiciest.” Thatch replied, holding the photo out to him now.
The young man reached out, snatching the photo away from him and turning away, heading back out of the galley and mumbling something about going to find Kotatsu and Deuce; most likely to have someone to talk into taking his side.
Izo was next, stepping closer to Thatch and raising an eyebrow.
“Ganmodoki?”
“Just the way you like it.” He wiggled the photo playfully, giving him his best cat like grin. He was usually able to get out of trouble with the man with this smile.
Izo sighed and plucked the photo out of his hand, rolling his eyes and heading in the opposite direction Ace had gone in; he had some paperwork to catch up on anyway.
Thatch was silent until the two were gone completely, turning to face Marco with wide eyes. He crossed his arms, giving him a pout. “I thought I was about to die ! You know how good his aim is, he could have shot off my pomp without a second thought!”
“You can live without your pomp, dumbass.” Marco rolled his eyes, shoving his friend’s shoulder gently before walking away.
“I would be a very sad man without it and you know it!”