piratejournal | [Voice & Written]

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[Voice & Written]

[He's going to regret this later, but there's a bunch of excitedly high-pitched chirps like a bird singing a love song.]

[That's okay. It matches the background sounds.]

[But FAR more embarrassing is the scribbles he makes into the journal:]

[So someone has a case of Spring Fever. Or maybe just a fever.]

[And then in big bold colorful levels Marco makes sure to add:]

FREE FLOWER CROWNS FOR EVERYONE WHO SIGNS UP NOW.

[Yeah. He's kind of lost it.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sweet.

Living enemies can get stronger and come back it's true, but sometimes that's fun! That's how you can show the world you're so strong that not even allowing survivors can stop you.

[His handwriting is way sloppier than usual, quicker, more intense, and also practically written in berry juice.]

[Yeah....]

Quite true. I am not entirely without mercy, but if someone attacks me with extreme violence, then they shall receive the same in return.

Besides, when they abandoned ship, they set the sails on fire with the intent to damage our ship as well - and they left four cats shut in the larder. The least they could have done was open the door. Had I not found them, the poor things would be dead now - and I am not that fond of cats.

Standard practice unfortunately. Marines have enough ships that they don't have any reason to get attached or beholden to them.

It's worse fighting their fleets when they do that. Domino blockade effect. That's why blitzkreig isn't serviceable on the seas.

I'm hardly merciful, the only reason I don't kill more often is so that I can send a message when I do. It also makes the others less desperate when they assume they have a chance provided they act reasonably.

Of course these navy dogs appear to completely rabid, so I'm not sure there's any reason not to crush them.

It is rather difficult to begin a discussion with them when they begin shooting before you can even formulate a request to parlay.

It is our hope that the next confrontation might lead to something other than trying to sink both ships.

Don't count on it. The whole thing seems like more hassle than it's worth.

I'm biased because of my own world, but we haven't exactly given them any reason to suddenly change their minds, and far more reasons than ever to distrust us.

This discussion has not ruined your lively mood, I hope?

NO WORRIES FAIR MAIDEN!

[Back to crazy crayon scrawl.] NOTHING COULD!

Good! The day is far too nice to be spent thinking of Navy battles. I am glad that it stopped raining here.

It's very very Spring here.

Very.

[Too very.]

Spring can be lovely in the right location. Highever was beautiful that time of year even with the Spring rains. What was it like at your home?

Every island was different but I avoided the Spring islands when I could

Home, to me, has always been the ocean and my Pops' ships more than any land.

So you were always a sailor? My home was on the Cliffs of Conobar that overlooked the Waking Sea, so I had some small experience with sailing for pleasure before arriving here. A sailing skiff is much, much smaller than a ship, however.

Correct.

My world is all ocean and islands, and my father was a pirate emperor who led me and my brothers in an escape from the laws of the world. I've been a pirate many decades before coming here.

Can't say I envy you rookies at it.

The way you describe your life makes it sound like some grand adventure one might read in a book. I would certainly be happy to read it. The son of a pirate emperor? Few can claim that birthright!

More than you'd think. [He's laughing.]

My Pops' dream was for a big family. He adopted well over a few thousand of us.

But any son or daughter of Whitebeard is a sibling of mine forever.

Over a thousand of you? You have to be jesting. How could one man possibly attend to the needs and education of that many children? Were you truly like his children or merely the recipients of his charity?

[More laughing.] Pirates don't do charity, Miss.

We're his children. I was spoiled enough to be with him the longest. He didn't even become an emperor until later years. He was recognized the world over as the strongest man in the world, but he always said it was because he had to protect us. So we all protected him right back.

He didn't find most of us as children, but he took us in as his own because we were all outcasts of the world: monsters, okama, what have you.

Ace is the baby of the family, and he didn't come to us until he was 17. But he's our firestarter. We're very proud of him. He set the world ablaze and changed an era.

We had sixteen hundred directly in the crew before I wound up here. And sixteen divisions of one hundred each. Ace was the second division commander, Thatch led fourth, Namur leads the 8th division, and I led the first and some additional jobs. [Because Marco's basically first mate.]

But Pops also adopted a lot of our allies. [Normally Marco wouldn't explain this much, but he's over the top giddy from Spring and so extra forthcoming with words for once. And this is an important facet of the Whitebeard alliance for canon reasons.] Whitey Bay, Doma, Squardo, the Decalvan Brothers, Jinbei, and several thousand others. So long as they wanted to call him Pops, and wanted him to be their old man, he'd look after them. It was his dream, and it made him happy, so it made us all happy too!

And the more of us there were, the more we all looked after each other. That's how he made sure we'll never be alone even if we wanted to. Someone like Namur or my other brothers will always be sent to come get me and vice versa.

[Reading his words brings a smile to Elissa's face.]

Your Pops seems to be a wonderful man. I would like him, I am certain. He sounds like a man with a big heart to have created family for so many of those in need of it. That is quite admirable and your words are a glowing testament to his success.

You have reminded me that family can exist beyond the bounds of blood. It is a much-needed reminder for me this time of year.

What happens at this time of year?

A sad remembrance. In a few weeks, it will have been two years since I lost my family. I was too busy fighting a war to make much note of it last year which is probably for the best. Thus far, the approaching time causes me to struggle a bit with memories of the event.

I miss them.

I see.

I'm sorry for your loss.

It was my Pops' birthday just last week. They say it gets a little easier with each year. Do you think that's true?

Perhaps that is true. Deep wounds grow less sharp with time and become more of a dull pain. We can hope it is the same in this instance. I am sorry your Pops is gone. Losing a beloved father is not an easy thing.

Still, it is Spring and that is a time of renewal and new life. It is a good reminder that life continues.

If you truly do send me a flower crown, I will wear it with honor and with a happy heart, that I promise.

[Oh lord, he's actually hissing at the whole renewal and Spring thing.]

[But yes.]

[Joys.]

[Flooooowers.]

[He is the slayer of flowers, the weaver of the crowns, and the spreader of their joy. He is good with this.]

I hope you will enjoy it very much!

[Have some quickly doodled flowers all around the page because he's seriously kind of insane right now.] Does your family have house colors?

Yes, we do. Blue and white - though green is also predominant. There is heraldry for my family. Give me a few moments and I shall try to show you.

[Elissa is not an accomplished artist, but she is more than fair at drawing her family's heraldry - including that of Highever and the Grey Wardens. Colored pencils are painstakingly applied to the page to draw out the Cousland family heraldry as displayed upon the shield of the guardsmen - a green laurel wreath outlined in white and blue.

]

Let me see if I can't do something suitable then. [He will literally duplicate that laurel crown to the best of his ability and complete with an armband.]

My family has variations on a mark of our own. It's our flag of course. We use Ace's Spade mark here, but we all had a tattoo of our own so that Pops could watch over us even if he wasn't there in person.

How many family members did you lose that day?

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