Chapter 14

Standard disclaimer applies

Marco was in the living room with his hand at the collar of Angelo's shirt in seconds. He pulled the younger man away from Crista and across the room. The shelf Angelo crashed into clattered with him, sending the pictures atop it shattering. Crista's hand rested at the base of her throat as she struggled to regain her breath and fell to her knees behind Marco.

 

"You should get out of here while you still can. Non stai bene qui (You don't belong here)," Angelo warned darkly as he picked himself up off the floor.

 

"Sto bene dove Crista ha bisogno di me (I belong where Crista needs me)," Marco answered, shifting his body so he could better protect Crista.

 

"You think you're one of us just because you speak our language? Have seen our culture? Or maybe because you're Il Guardiano di Dio (God's Guardian)? I outrank you! I have Il Sangue di Dio (God's Blood)!" Angelo grabbed a piece of broken glass from the shattered picture frames and dragged it across his right palm. Blood began trickling from the cut. Marco watched as the red fluid lifted itself from Angelo's palm, seemingly of its own accord.

 

"Crista, run outside now."

 

"But-" she began.

 

"Sar�™ bene. Vai (I'll be fine. Go)!" Marco ordered, his eyes never leaving Angelo's hand nor the blood lifting from it. Crista stood shakily and stumbled out of the living room, into the kitchen. The door slammed shut moments later.

 

"I'll kill you and go after her once I'm done," Angelo growled, his blood now taking the form of a whip in his hand.

 

"You can't kill me."

 

"L'apparenaza inga-"

 

"I know, 'Looks are deceiving', but I know you can't. You're inexperienced with your Devil Fruit."

 

"You're too confident!" Angelo yelled and used his blood like the whip it resembled. Marco jumped to the right as a slash three centimeters deep was etched into the wall.

 

"The overconfident one is you." Marco easily held his balance as Angelo continued to throw his weaponized blood. More cuts were made into the walls of Crista's living room, but Marco had yet to be hit.

 

"Quit running, you coward!"

 

Marco knew Angelo was quickly growing frustrated, which was exactly what he wanted. Being a commander in Whitebeard's crew wasn't just about being strong, and he now remembered the tactics he'd learned in his many years as a pirate. This was one of the simplest Marco could think of.

 

"As you wish," he answered and ran forward, shoving Angelo through the picture window that led to the front yard.

 

Glass shattered around the two men and drew blood from them both. Marco's cuts were healed in a matter of seconds by blue flames that licked and warmed his skin. Angelo shoved him away, hissing in pain at both the glass shards and the newly-formed burns.

 

"I see you've started without us," Vista's voice said from behind Marco.

 

"Where's Crista?" Marco never took his eyes away from Angelo, who was struggling to grasp his blood through the burns on his hands.

 

"We used her to keep Hotaru out of the fight. Both are on the ship."

 

"Good," Marco mumbled as he stood and dusted himself off. Angelo was glaring, but had yet to make another offensive move. "What do you want with Crista's Devil Fruit, Angelo."

 

The younger man sneered. "Il suo Frutto di Dio è il dragone. È La Forza di Dio (Her Fruit of God is the dragon. It is the God's Strength)."

 

"Does the lad come with a translator?" Emile asked. Marco now glanced behind him to see that Vista, Emile and Jozu had been the ones to come to his aid.

 

"Her Devil Fruit is powerful," he provided, turning back to Angelo. "But you've already been through your ceremony. What need could you have for it now?"

 

"I had planned to eat the Fruit for my ceremony, but it wasn't mature. I was instead given Il Sangue di Dio."

 

"What does that have to do with now?"

 

"Voglio venderlo ( I want to sell it)!"

 

"You'd kill the woman you call your sister for a few billion beli?"

 

"Like you pirates wouldn't do the same!" Angelo yelled and clenched his fist through the pain. His blood reformed the whip and he flung it wildly at Marco, Vista, Emile and Jozu. The four men easily evaded the attack, Jozu turning his body into diamond.

 

"He has no skill," Vista commented, his voice almost sounding bored. "I still stand firm in my belief that Anne was the only one fit to have eaten the Doki Doki no Mi."

 

Marco's head snapped towards Vista, his eyes wide in realization. Angelo's ability had seemed familiar, but he could never quite place why. Through all the dreams and half-memories, he'd never been able to fully remember the Devil Fruit ability that Anne possessed. He know understood where the scars on her hands had come from, as well as remembered more of the specific details of the Doki Doki no Mi. He knew all of Angelo's weaknesses.

 

"Divide and conquer," Marco said, glancing at the men of his crew- his brothers. "I want this quick and easy."

 

A low chuckle. "You got it," Jozu answered. He, Emile and Vista backed away from Marco to surround Angelo, who was already breathing heavily as he glanced frantically at the older men.

 

"You can't stop me!" the young man yelled and raised his whip.

 

"We've already won," Emile answered. "You haven't had your Devil Fruit powers for very long, and it's obvious."

 

"You're slow to gather and manipulate your blood. You use too much of it, and you lack any grace whatsoever," Vista added.

 

"Because of your overconfidence and inexperience, you've already worn yourself out. You're dizzy and disoriented," Jozu continued.

 

"Arrivaderci, Angelo. Vedr�™ nell'inferno (Goodbye, Angelo. See you in Hell)," Marco finished as he transformed into the blue phoenix and lunged at Angelo.