Chapter 8: Anne leaves the Island! Welcome to the Marines!

Some time had passed since the burning of Gray Terminal. Things had already started going back to the way things were, as another Trash Mountain was built and people flocked back.

Ace, Luffy and I have been practicing our independence slightly differently now. Before, we used to practice it together, working together to survive on our own without the help of any adults like the Dadan family. Now, we are practicing it individually in order to take care of ourselves for when we leave the island separately.

We each built our own little places to live. Ace and Luffy built their "independent countries" side-by-side right outside of the Dadan house, while I built mine up above theirs, only accessible by flight. Luffy attempts to get up to it by stretching, but he still didn't have complete control over his stretching abilities, so it's hit-or-miss if he can get up here. In other words, only I could reach my "independent airspace" 100% of the time.

Luffy's little hut appeared to be a little shabby with a sign with sloppy handwriting. Ace's was built more neatly with neater penmanship, while mine was built on tall stilts with the nicest penmanship of the three of us.

One day, while I was moving stuff inside my hut. Tt started to rain. Ace came running out of the forest with Luffy on his back, shouting my name in desperation. Looking over, I saw a severely injured Luffy passed out on Ace's back.

"What in the hell happened," I exclaimed as I jumped down to the ground. "A-Ace, this requires more skilled medical aid than I can give! These aren't the simple scratches I can patch up! These require an actual doctor!"

We immediately ran over to the Dadan family's house and started banging on the door. Magra finally answered and Ace shouted, "Magra! Please! Treat Luffy!"

Magra quickly rushed us inside. He went to get the Dadan family doctor while I set up a futon for Ace to lay Luffy down on. Just as Ace was setting him down, Magra came rushing back with the doctor, who immediately began treating Luffy. Ace was curled up against the wall as the doctor worked, so I went and sat next to him. "What in the world happened, Ace," I asked him. "This wasn't a simple fall, training accident, or a typical ruffian brawl. What were you two idiots doing?"

"H-He asked for help," Ace muttered. "He asked for help fighting a bear, yet I didn't help him. I was just trying to help him become independent."

"This isn't a laughing joke," Magra said as he covered Luffy with a blanket as he slept. "He might have died if the cut was a little bit deeper. You, Sabo, and Luffy fought those beasts together and not on your own, right?"

Ace then began to actually cry, saying he wasn't good enough, apologizing to Luffy, and then me, for not keeping our little brother safe. I took him into my arms as he wept, holding him tightly. "It'll all be okay," I murmured to him. "Luffy's stronger than you might think, so he'll get through this."

"W-Why aren't you mad at me," Ace asked in frustration with himself. "If I had stepped in, Luffy wouldn't have been hurt this badly! It's all my fault, so you SHOULD be mad! I deserve it!"

"You didn't mean for this to happen," I told him, stroking the back of his head the way I vaguely remembered our mother doing when I cried. "Luffy's alive and he'll heal. You know that boy bounces back like rubber, just you watch. You made a mistake, but that does not define you. He'll be fine."

"Why don't you ever hate me," Ace asked as he pulled back. "I always cause trouble, I get us into trouble all the time, I make you worry nonstop, and I got Luffy hurt! So, why do you still care so much for me when everyone else would have given up? I don't get it!"

I simply stared at the boy for a moment before giving him a light smack on the back of his head. "Ace, you're still a kid, just like the rest of us. Of course you're going to cause trouble. You wanted to be punished for what happened? There. I am your big sister, so of course I'm gonna worry. It's part of it, and there's nothing you can do to fix that. Just be yourself and everything will go back to the way it was."

Ace wiped his eyes and nose with his shirt. "I sure hope so..."

Sure enough, after a bit of recovery, Luffy was back to his usual goofy self and everything returned to normalcy. From now on, instead of fighting the island's beasts on their own, the two boys would always fight together, and occasionally invite me to help. Also during this time, Gramps seemed to start visiting me more often to give me individual Marine-specific training.

While the boys were out training with each other, Gramps would take me out into the forest. We'd talk a bit and share our adventures before training started, then we'd start with a warm-up spar. It was then followed by basic martial arts training that Marines went through. Lastly, Gramps would remind me to try and convince the boys to join the Marines… but let's be honest, I never even brought it up with them, knowing it was a lost cause. If anything, the boys would probably disown me and call me a traitor for mentioning becoming a Marines to them. Instead, I just let Gramps tell them for himself during their training. I'll tell ya, their training with him were a lot rougher than mine, since they never shut up about becoming pirates.

Before any of us even knew it, years went by and it had now become my 15th birthday. Ace, Luffy, Gramps and the Dadan all helped me celebrate it with a giant feast that night. There was plenty of meat and sake (for the adults) and everyone had a merry time. Gramps was nearly in tears as he cried out, "My little angel has grown up so fast! When did the years go by?!"

"That happens when you're gone most of the time," 12 year-old Ace teased him.

"Yeah," nine year-old Luffy joined in, "you really are gone a lot! And Anne, an angel? Psh! Hahaha! More like a demon!"

I balled my fist as I hit Luffy on the head as I defended, "Hey! I'm not that bad! Compared to you two, I'm a saint without even trying!"

Everyone continued to laugh and have a good time, but Gramps was the first to stop laughing and gave a sigh. He stood up from the long table in front of us and said, "Anne, may I speak with you for a moment outside?"

"Uh, sure, I guess," I said with a raised eyebrow, getting up from the table to follow behind him.

"Uh oh," Luffy started to joke, "someone's in trouble!"

"Ya better hurry before Luffy and I eat all of the food," Ace said with a playful grin.

"You two gluttons better not touch my plate," I shouted back at my brothers.

Following behind Gramps, we walked a bit of a distance away from the house. He walked over to a tree, turned his back to it, and leaned against it. "I know this is your birthday and all, and you should be in there enjoying yourself, but there is something I want to discuss. Away from the boys... We've talked about this many times before, but it's about time for an answer, since I think you're ready. I know it is most likely impossible to convince the other, but I still have hope in you. I know you are planning to go out and sail in two years, and I can't stop you from doing that. It would be too cruel. So all I can ask for is... will you join the Marines and sail safely?"

I looked at him in confusion and asked him why. "Look, you can always become a Marine now, serve a couple of years, and you might find that you really enjoy serving the people of the world! You'll get to sail the seas, hunt the despicable pirates that steal from the innocent, and fight side-by-side with your brothers- and sisters-in-arms. You get a paycheck, a roof over your head, food and all of the other basics you need to live. It's honest work! If after a few years you find that the Marine life is not for you, you can always turn in your resignation and return to the island, or wherever you want to go, without any repercussions. So won't you come back with me to the Marines? I truly think you are ready, and could easily go straight into being a Warrant Officer or so, with all of the training you've had, your Devil Fruit power, and your connection to me!"

I didn't know what to think, other than the fact Gramps was pulling the nepotism card. I knew Gramps only had the best intentions for me, and he did have a point where I could just quit if I didn't like it. Although, there were other factors I had to consider. Would I really have to serve for years before they would let me leave? When Ace and Luffy become pirates, would I be tasked with hunting them down? How would Ace and Luffy treat me if I became a Marine instead of a pirate? What if I couldn't meet the expectations set for me, being Gramps' granddaughter and all? I looked down as I rubbed my arm, saying, "I… I don't know. I mean, this is so sudden, and I'm worried about the boys, and…"

"If it's Ace and Luffy that are keeping you, you don't have to worry. I'll still be coming to the island to train them. Not to mention, when you aren't busy with work, you could always come visit them, as well. One plus is that, with the salary you'll be earning, you could always send some of it back to the brats if you're that worried! I just worry… once you become a pirate, those pirate ties stay with you, and it'll be much harder to become a Marine that isn't under watchful eye. Your next best Marine-related occupation would have to be becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Seas, which are pirates that ally with the government. However, that's a rank owned by some of the most powerful and notorious people, so it's very unlikely. I just… want you to be on the right path, your own path."

I thought for a moment. "When do you need an answer by?"

"I plan on leaving tomorrow afternoon," Garp told me. "So probably by then. Needless to say, it'd be best not to bring this up with the boys quite yet, at least the Marine part. I'll be at Makino's Partys Bar if you choose to go, so wear something nice to see your friends and family off if you come! Remember, it's your choice. On that note, we should probably head on back in. It is your party, after all."

I nodded and we both went back inside. As we entered the room, I happened to see most of the food was already gone, and Luffy and Ace were both about to stick a fork into some of the meat I left on my plate. "Hey," I shouted at the boys as I levitated two forks from the table with air and stabbed the forks into the two boys' hands.

"Ow," Luffy yelped, waving the forked hand in the air. "Why would you do that, Anne?!"

"No kidding," Ace said, taking the fork out of his hand. "Did you have to go and do that to us?"

I sat back down in front of my plate with a glare directed towards both of them as I hissed, "I said don't touch my food."

The night was full of laughter and fun as the adults drank themselves silly and us kids messed with said drunks. Once the adults passed out from drinking too much, Ace, Luffy and I went to work drawing on everyone's' faces and bodies with a marker. Ace and Luffy also went and hung Dadan's bras all over the place…

Once we were done creating havoc, the three of us went to our own little huts to lay down. I laid there in silence for a while, lost in thought about what I should do. Peeking over the edge of my high platform, I looked down to see if Ace was asleep. "...Ace? Are you awake," I asked.

"Nope," I heard him say with a chuckle. "What's up?"

"Can we… talk," I asked sheepishly.

"Of course," he told me as he sat up. "So are you coming down here or are you gonna make me try to climb up there?"

"Er, right," I said as I gave an awkward laugh. I hopped down to the ground in my pajama shirt and shorts and took a seat next to Ace. "So… well… I don't even know where to begin."

"Does it have something to do with what Gramps talked to you about earlier," Ace asked.

I nodded. "Yeah," I told him. "So, you see, Gramps wants to, uh, take me somewhere off of the island for a while, kind of for a job. I don't know how long I would be gone, but it's an opportunity for me to leave the island early. A chance to go out and explore the world and earn money at the same time. I'd be able to send you guys money, and you could save for your journeys! But… I'm not sure. I mean… The three of us promised to leave when we're 17, so I'd be two years early..."

Ace sat there, cross-legged and cross-armed, eyes shut as he thought. "I see," he said with a single nod. "Well, since it's Gramps that's offering the job, it must not have anything to do with piracy. So, after you're done with whatever job you're doing, you can always come back and then set off as a pirate."

"But what if I don't make it back by the time I'm 17," I asked. "I don't know how long this job will last."

"Well, just do whatever you want," Ace said with a serious look. "You should live your life without any regrets, just like I'm going to! I know we made a promise, but Luffy and I still have each other for another five years. We'll be fine, if that's what's worrying you. We don't constantly need our big sister looking after us!"

Ace and I roughhoused a little bit before I headed back up to my airhut. I may have been woebegone before our talk, but now I felt slightly better. I was able to fall asleep sometime later, but was awoken the next morning by Luffy yelling at me, "Are you leaving us, Anne?!?!"

Irritated to this rude awakening, I blew Luffy off of the platform of my hut. I groggily sat up, looking down to see Luffy had fallen right next to Ace, who stood there with his arms crossed like usual. Grabbing a brush to calm my long, wild hair, I called down, "You told him?!"

Ace just shrugged. "But you aren't 17 yet," Luffy protested. "Besides, what kind of job is it?! That's not fair that you get to leave early!"

"It's a secret," I told him as I pulled a curtain to my hut shut, so that I could get changed into today's clothes. Looking through the clothes Makino had gotten for me recently, I decided to go with a baby blue ruffle dress with a pair of black shorts underneath. After all, you can't fly around an island in a dress without them! I packed a bag with some clothes and supplies, pulled the curtain aside, and jumped down to the two waiting boys with my bag slung over my shoulder. "I'm supposed to meet up with Gramps in Windmill Village, so I guess… I'll see you off here."

Luffy was sobbing as he wrapped his arms around me. "Y-You'll make sure to come back, right," Luffy asked as he separated from me with a determined look on his face. "If you don't, I'll come hunt you down when I become a pirate!"

I ruffled his hair as I told him, "Don't worry, you can't get rid of me that easily."

I then turned to Ace, who had a hand on his hip. "Remember, you can always come back here if this new job of yours doesn't cut it," he told me.

The three of us raised our fists and tapped them together. "I'm gonna miss you two like crazy," I said with a smirk.

Luffy just bawled while Ace said, "And we'll miss you, too. Don't be a stranger, sis."

After bidding farewell one last time, I turned and started to glide through the forest and down the mountain path. Once I made it to the base of the mountain, I flew all the way over to Windmill Village. As I flew to Partys Bar, people would greet me with smiling faces and kids would call out that the Airess of Goa had come to visit.

I lowered my feet onto the ground once I was right outside the bar. I pushed aside the bat-wing doors and walked in. Inside, there were a few patrons enjoying themselves as Makino tended the bar. "Oh! Anne! What are you doing down the mountain," Makino asked in surprise.

I went over and climbed onto a bar stool at the bar. "I'm supposed to be meeting Gramps here, but it looks like I beat him," I told her, kicking my dangling feet. "I take it you haven't seen him yet?"

She shook her head. She bent down and came back up, placing a glass of water in front of me. "Here, something for you to drink while you wait," she told me with a soft, warm smile. "While you wait, why don't you tell me how you and the other two boys have been?"

I spent the next half hour going on and on about Luffy and Ace... That is, until a booming voice called out with a bang of the bat-wing doors swinging open, "Where's my adorable granddaughter!"

As I was turning around, I was tightly embraced by my large Gramps. "Gr-Gramps, how did you know I was already here?"

Gramps let go of me and just gave a hardy laugh. "Are you kidding," he asked with a grin, "Word spreads quickly around town when the 'Airess of Goa' visits the village. So, I take it that you being here means… *sniffle* you've decided to come with me! I am so proud!!!"

"D-Don't make me regret it, Gramps," I bashfully said.

As Gramps and I started to walk out of the bar, Makino and a few patrons bid me farewell and safe travels. Gramps led the way to the Marine ship he had used to get here and soon we were setting sail.

I was up in the crow's nest, taking in the sea breeze. This was so much better than the crow's nest we made for the hideout. The swaying motion of the ship, the caws of the sea gulls flying near the vessel, and the salty breeze hitting my face made me feel right at home. I knew that I was born to be on a ship. I could go as far as to say it was in my blood, being the daughter of the King of the Pirates.

It was about a week's trip to reach the nearest Marine base island. It was just a simple, small-sized island with a large building with a giant blue word "Marine" on it. Garp called up to me to come on down, so I did as he said and floated down to the deck.

Garp led me to the main building and through the front doors. Inside, we walked over to the front desk. "Well, if it isn't the Hero, Garp," one of the front desk ladies said happily. "What are you doing here, of all places? How can we help you, Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Actually, I'm here to help sign my granddaughter up for the Marines," Garp said proudly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "She finally agreed!"

The other ladies overheard the mention of the hero's granddaughter and they all came over to see. The first lady looked at me and said happily, "You don't say! Well, we're glad to have the great Garp's granddaughter join our ranks! Let's go ahead and get started with the paperwork."

The lady would ask me questions like my name, age, my home island, basic knowledge about the Marines, etc. We then got to the question if I had any medical illnesses or disabilities. "I can't swim," I told her, considering that as a disability.

"Oh, that's no big deal," the lady tried to reassure me. "Swimming is one of the training courses you can take."

"No, I mean I literally can't swim. I'll sink and drown," I said as I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.

Gramps gave a sigh as he elaborated, "She has Devil Fruit powers."

So now I had to tell them the name of my Fruit and the powers I gained from it. As with all of the previous information I gave her, she continued to document everything I said into a file to go into the Marines' main base. "Alright, I believe that is all for now. Since you have received prior training from a Vice Admiral and have the powers of a Devil Fruit, you'll be starting off as a Chief Petty Officer, skipping the Choreboy and Seaman ranks," the lady said. "Welcome to the Youth company of the Marines, Y-1 Chief Petty Officer Anne. Your information will be sent to your company and leading officer, Captain Bleu. For now, you can make your way to your barracks to meet your squad. The barracks are located just outside to the right. It's the long building with the "5" on it."

Gramps and I thanked the lady for her help. Just as we were about to turn and leave, the lady called out, "Oh! Captain Delta Bleu! Perfect timing! Your newest recruit has just arrived! She is the great Garp's granddaughter! Anne, meet the captain of the Y-1 company."

I looked towards the entrance and saw a tall man with toned muscles. The man had tan skin, slicked back dark brown hair with gray streaks running through it, as well as his dark, well-kempt goatee. The man wore a stern look on his face with a scar running across it. He was a very intimidating man. I gave a solute and attempted to introduce myself, coming out slightly informally, "Sir, it's nice to meet ya! My name's Portgas D. Anne, I'm pleased to be a part of your group."

Before reaching the island, Garp had instructed me not to use the Gol name. It would undoubted cause nothing but chaos if word got out that Roger had a child, let alone two. I needed to make sure no one found out until I was positive I was ready for countless targets on my back.

The captain glanced me up and down, clearly unimpressed by what he saw. "This is the Hero Garp's grandchild that was recruited," the captain said, almost with an insulting tone. "I was unaware that he had a second child other than Dragon, given that she does not share the same family name."

"Oh, I'm not-," I was saying, trying to say I wasn't blood-related to Gramps before getting interrupted. I also realized he said Dragon, as in the same person that helped me save Gray Terminal?

"Bwahahahahaha! What's in a name, truly," Garp laughed. "She's my family and I've trained her to be a proper Marine! She's going to go far! Soon enough, she'll be where you are in no time at all, or even higher!"

"Gramps," I hissed as I elbowed his side, "that's rude! No one wants to hear about a rookie surpassing them. I doubt that'd ever even happen. Come on, Gramps, you were showing me where to go?"

With another laugh, Garp began to push me forward as he led the way. He led me to a pair of large doors to the building we were looking for and threw them open, excitably exclaiming, "These are the barracks! This is where you'll be temporarily staying, at least until your company is given a proper location!"

Garp noticed a boy with dark brown hair, who looked about my age, maybe a year older, with a clipboard, looking our way with surprised eyes. "Hey, boy! Are you a part of the Y-1 company? If so, I take it you will be staying in these quarters with my granddaughter?"

"Um, yes, sir," the boy replied as he turned to Gramps and gave a solute to his superior. "The name's Delta Kai, but you can call me Kai. I'm a Warrant Officer in Y-1, under Captain Delta. Back there is my brother, River."

The first boy gestured behind him towards a boy with light brown hair around Ace's age or a year younger, sweeping the floor. The boy, River, noticed us and straightened up with a sharp and tense solute. "H-Hello there," he greeted. "My name is Delta River! Please, call me River, as our father goes by Delta! I am a Petty Officer, following in the footsteps of my father and older brother!"

My first thought of these two was that they were… unique. River seemed overly formal and determined, almost as if he had something to prove. His posture was stiff and his voice was not as strong as his father's. Kai, on the other hand, seemed a bit more analytical, confident, and knew what he was doing. His posture was more relaxed, yet still scanning over me and Gramps.

Before I could analyze them any further, Kai looked at me and continued, "I take it you must be the new Chief Petty Officer, Portgas D. Anne. I just looked over the report about you. Welcome to the Y-1 company. You'll be in our squad, along with one other, who should have been back by now… But I'm sure you'll meet Felix soon enough. He'll be your partner in the near future, once our department is fully constructed and we are deployed. So, to summarize, each company has a certain number of squads within it. Each squad consists of two pairs, one superior officer and a second-in-command. My partner is my younger brother, River, and your partner will be Warrant Officer Felix. Our commanding officer of the whole company is Captain Delta, who we directly report to. Until we are actually deployed, we'll be sharing the barracks with a few other companies, hence all of the other bunks."

Gramp's eyes squinted as he examined the room closely. He put a hand on my shoulder as he glared at the boys. "Alright, you two seem… decent enough," he said with a growl. "My granddaughter will be in your care. If I ever hear even a rumor of you laying a finger on her or any kind of mistreatment from either of you, so help me, I'll make you two regret ever even meeting her!"

"N-Never, sir," River defended. "It is our job to protect and serve the people by enforcing Justice!"

"Don't forget," Kai said, "One cannot behave inappropriately if they wish to enforce Absolute Justice to all criminals and pirates."

Gramps raised his hand, took his index and middle finger and did the "I'm watching you" gesture towards them. He then turned and told me, "I trust you'll be able to handle yourself? I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I've got my own assignment I need to go take care of. Make sure to take care of yourself, watch your back, and… stay your lovable self, angel!"

Gramps forced me into one last bear hug as I tried to protest in embarrassment. He let go of me and left the barracks with a wave.

So here I was, alone in the barracks with two strangers, about to start my life as a Marine. It was silent for a moment, until a blond boy a year older than I with toned arms and broad shoulders entered through the doors with an arm full of sheets and other supplies. "Oh, good. You're here," the blond said as he pushed the stuff he was carrying into my arms. "You must be the new girl. Here, these are your bedding and uniforms. Your bed is the one in the back corner, obviously the top bunk without any sheets yet."

Kai gave a sigh as he told the blond, "Geez, Felix. Show some manners and introduce yourself before tossing things at your partner."

The blond clicked his tongue in annoyance with a roll of the eyes, leaning to one side as if he would rather be anywhere else doing anything else. "As you could probably put together, I'm Felix. There, happy now, Kai," the blond, Felix, mocked the boy with the clipboard. "So, you're the granddaughter of the Marine Hero, Garp. I was expecting some kind of gorilla woman, since you're entering at the level of a Chief Petty Officer. But I gotta say… you're pretty easy on the eyes."

I took my new supplies and my bag over to my bunk, ignoring his last comment. I had heard stories about guys like him, and I wasn't going to fall for his fake charisma. Like, who flirts with someone they just met?

I set everything up on the bed and turned back towards the three boys. Leaning to one side with a hand on my hip, I introduced myself, "Nice to meet you all. My name's Portgas D. Anne. Don't underestimate me, I got enough of that back home, blondie. I hope that we can get along well as a team, and I am in your care."

River shook his head up and down in agreement with a big smile, Kai gave a smirk and a nod, and Felix snickered as he went and sat on the bunk under mine. "You might want to get ready, we'll be going through training soon. Bathroom is right outside to the right, buuuut," Felix was saying but then gave a sly wink, "you could always change in here like the rest of us do."

I picked up a uniform set and headed towards the door as I said with a roll of the eyes, "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. That is disgusting."

Once I entered the women's room, I locked the door and set the clothes down. I removed the dress I was wearing, slipped into the dark blue trousers, put on my work boots that went up mid-calf, pulled the white short-sleeve Marine shirt over my head, and completed the ensemble with the Marine baseball cap on top of my head and the blue neckerchief under the collar of my shirt. I side-braided my long, wind-swept hair so that it wouldn't get in the way. Once finished, I picked up the clothes I just had on and went back to the barracks. As I went to put my clothes into my bag, I heard Kai say, "Your uniform looks great. I'm glad everything fits. And complaints? I was tasked with inventory and invoicing everything for this month, so I can add anything you need, as well as any adjustments if anything doesn't fit."

"Everything's perfect," I told him, showing off the uniform. "So, what's the daily routine like?"

"Oh! I can answer that one," River said, setting his broom aside. "Every morning, we wake up at 0500 and start cleaning the barracks for morning inspection at 0530. Then, we have company formation at 0600 and have our morning run and exercise. After about an hour, we come back for breakfast from about 0730-0800. We then go to drills and training until lunch! After lunch, we start teamwork drills where we work with our partner to accomplish certain tasks, as well as some squad teamwork training. Around 1630, we finally get to have the rest of the day to ourselves! This schedule is all until the higher ups feel as though we are ready for deployment as a company to start patrolling the seas."

"It sounds like a lot to take in, but once you understand it, it's pretty simple to follow," Kai added.

"Or you could just follow everyone else's lead, or hope for the best and wing it," Felix said with a carefree shrug. "It's worked for me so far."

"How you managed to become a Warrant Officer is beyond me, Felix," River said, shaking his head in disappointment. "You can't just skate by in life! One day, the higher-ups will catch on to your slacking and you'll get reprimanded!"

Felix just shrugged it off, "That'll be then, so I'll keep doing what I'm doing for now. Don't worry, it's all until something exciting happens, if it ever does. It's been way too boring around here lately. Hey, newbie! I heard a rumor that you were some 'heiress' back on your island? What's that about? Your family own a conglomerate or something?"

I was surprised a rumor like that had already spread around the island. "Oh, well, I got the nickname 'Airess of the Goa Kingdom' mostly from being able to fly around the kingdom a lot," I told them, figuring there was no use hiding my Devil Fruit powers, since it was already in the Marine's files.

"Wait, did you say you can fly," Kai asked, looking for confirmation.

I nodded, getting River excited. "You gotta show us! Come on," River exclaimed, basically jumping up and down.

I gave a slight grin, remembering when my brothers first found out I had powers. Summoning air around me, I used it to levitate myself off of the ground and flip a few times. "Now that's pretty sick," Felix said, moderately impressed. "I think things just might finally get interesting around here with the noble 'Airess' around."

"Noble? Where did that come from," Kai asked him.

"You know, added flare," Felix said, taking pride in what he said. "I'm not taking it back. I mean, just look at her. Her looks just scream that she's probably some kind of heiress. She'll probably inherit a pretty Berry from her parents. I know the feeling well."

I just looked at them with a deadpan expression as I said in a monotone voice, "Both my parents are already dead."

It was awkwardly silent. "Nice going, idiot," River said, breaking the silence as he elbowed Felix. "Way to make things awkward, man."

"Well how was I supposed to know," Felix tried to defend himself.

"Nah, it's fine," I told them, easing the tension. "I barely knew either of them. I've only got a few vague memories, so it's no big deal. Besides, how could you have known?"

"You don't need to defend this moron," Kai teased Felix. "Maybe now he'll be careful with his words."

"We both know that's not going to happen," Felix joked around.

I spent the rest of the evening unpacking and putting the sheets on my bunk. For the next few months, we mostly ate, slept, and trained. But it didn't last too long, because we had finally been deemed ready for deployment!