Chapter Text
I’m starving.
Is it possible to feel hunger even in death?
Mmmm…How weird.
The weirdest possible thing is that I still have a useless amount of paperwork left on my desk to do.
Wait, what?! Desk? Paperwork! What type of afterlife is this! More importantly the interior of this room looks familiar. Ahh Moby? That shouldn’t be possible. Moby Dick perished because of that marine mutt. Unless Moby Dick became a klabautermann. “Oh Davy Jones-sama.”
Then fxck we didn’t just lose Oyaji, Ace, our other brothers, and Moby Dick our home but also our klabautermann brother Moby in that war.
Tears started to fall out of Izou’s eyes. “We lost so much that day. It still hurts 2 and half years later. Don’t think the hurt will ever lessen,” he chuckled as tears continued to fall down.
Mourning has always been hard for Izou. Oyaji’s death was something he wasn’t ready for. Oyaji, he thinks, I don’t know how much longer I can do this.
Huh now that he thinks about Oden-sama’s was just as hard to swallow. He just got better at repressing the need to stand by them. He really doesn’t know how to deal with never being able to see them, to interact with them. So he tries to not think about it. “That’s how I doomed the people of Wano. I should’ve gone back…a coward that’s what I am. A fxcking coward,” he mutters.
Ha ha I can never make it up to them he thinks. Whether it’d be Oden-sama or Wano. Ace’s lil brother is truly amazing as Ace gushed about exclaimed. I swear that boy has a huge brother complex.
Although our Whitebeard family is just as amazing he thinks as his chest puffs with pride.
I miss them so much. I’m grateful to Davy Jones for allowing me to visit our home, Moby, one last time.
He lets out a whimper and shaky breath as he says, “Since when was I such a cry baby, fxck.”
He slaps both his cheeks at the same time. The sting seemed to stop his tears. He lifts the right sleeve of his yukata and wipes the tears off his face.
This must be the perks of knowing 3 D’s. Ha ha.
“Davy Jones-sama, thank you very much. I’m ready.”
……..…I’m not waking up
Mmm…maybe this is Davy Jones’s locker room? So my room in Moby is my locker on Davy Jones’s ship??
No. No. That’s not right.
Calm down Izou. You can do this. Think logically. Maybe Moby was given a locker room also, but even if Moby is a klabautermann why would Davy Jones give me my room on the Moby? I mean it’s my first time in his locker room so maybe this is how it works around here.
A small smile blossoms on his slightly red face. So it’s just a design, something I’m comfortable with. Seems reasonable. That’s very kind of Davy Jones-sama.
—-
Should I try leaving this room?
“I mean there is a door and all,” murmured Izou.
He didn’t know why but he felt like if he opened that door he’d send himself into a panic attack.
Izou may be a coward when it comes to some aspects of his life. Especially when it comes to his feelings. But he’s also a Whitebeard pirate, and the most important thing Oyaji has taught him over the years is to move forward because Whitebeards are not quitters. I thought back to that a lot after Oyaji’s death. Ha ha.
I really just want to lay down. I mean I don’t have to open that door. They’ll understand? Right? How painful it is to see them?! Oyaji, brothers, Oden-sama, Toki-sama, Ashura. I just need a little more time. Please! “Please…” he said unconsciously. As he moved to lay down he heard a few familiar voices in his head.
‘My son how long are you going to pout for’
With that he stopped his action.
‘Let him be Oyaji he’ll stop when he wants to yoi’
Izou put both of his hands on top of each thigh and leaned forward to let his forehand touch his knees.
’Come on Izou don’t be so down’
‘Yeah we’re all here for you’
He moved his forehead off his knees, tilted his head and rested the left side of his face on his hand.
“Ah my family…is behind that door,” he said with a broadening smile.
He moved his face up. Situated his hands to his knees and pushed his body up with vigor.
“I can’t keep being so down. I have a family to meet and a family to wait for. I can’t wait!”
His voice and facial expression brightened with each expectation. He felt a breath of fresh air enter his lungs. With this determination he stood up. Instantly it felt as if he was 20 years younger. He paused to chuckle at this feeling.
He moved to take his yukata off as he felt sticky.
“Weird. Let’s try to not think about it right now.”
He didn’t move to pick up the fallen yukata, instead he contemplated checking the state of his hair in his suteteko.
“Ughh alright alright let’s get on with it…”
So he went to his dressing table and grabbed the desk chair on the way there.
Taking a seat down, Izou finally looked at the bird's nest he dared call his hair. It was all over the place. “How did it come to this,” he asked himself. Picking up his comb he first undid the knots in his hair.
“Finally I look human.”
Izou put his comb down and grabbed his brush. Today, he decided he was gonna forgo his usual hairstyle and decided to put it up in a high ponytail. As he was styling it he decided he wasn’t going to do any of his usual routines today. Whether it’d be his hair, makeup or even his usual nagagi kimono. He just didn’t feel like doing it or anything to be honest.
Death was so cold, and the lack of control he experienced was honestly so terrifying. He’s always had complete control over his body, it was a skill he’s honed since childhood after all. Izou couldn’t even begin to describe it. It was, for a lack of words, weird, maybe even frightening. But he can’t let these thoughts get the best of him after all, they’re waiting for him. “So get it together Izou,” he softly voices as he finishes up his hair.
He finally takes a close look at the face in the mirror and notices a few missing scars on his face and body. It makes him pause but officially thinks nothing of it. If he keeps trying to comprehend Davy Jones’s will his mind will definitely be thrown in a loop. And right now he needs some stability not discord.
“Out of mind out of sight,” he hums while putting the brush down.
He pushes back the chair with his heel and gets up. He moves the chair back to his desk which still has a shit ton of paperwork. “Where did you even come from,” he says with an exaggerated sigh. “Ughh don’t look at it Zo, it’s not even there. Just a fragment of your imagination.”
He feels way better after comforting himself, and walks up to the door. With his right hand on the knob he twists and pulls the door open. He comes face to face with Moby’s corridor which is completely empty at the moment, and moves to go to the bathroom that is located 2 doors left of his room.
“How quiet,” he says, opening the bathroom door. Izou plans to just wash his face and mouth and then head to the dining area. “Hopefully, there’ll be someone there.”
He doesn’t want to think about the possibility of being the only here or how this could still be a twisted fantasy conjured by his dying mind.
“They're gonna be there. I'm positive. When I see them I’m gonna tell them that I’m thankful they are alive and give them some hugs and kisses. Then they’ll try to correct me by saying they're actually dead but still are happy nonetheless by my declaration,” Izou says determinedly.
After drying his face with a clean towel he found near the basin Izou dumps the towel in the hamper and walks out the door. Moving towards the main deck as the dining area is located on the main deck which is across the commander's quarters. He opens the door and walks onto the deck. The first thing he feels is the blazing sun on skin. It feels amazing. Makes him feel alive, happy, like he could die a thousand more times for this feeling.
Ughh no dying once was more than enough.
What he doesn’t know is that there’s commotion going around him. Everyone is shocked and it’s not just because he's barely getting up. But because he’s not wearing his usual attire or makeup. After all he’s that Izou, the one who never forgoes his schedule or routine, the one who’s always consistent. They can’t help but worry. Is he okay? They also feel very protective of the Izou in front of them. The one who’s just standing there in his trousers and beaming at them. They can’t help but think Brother Izou we’re here for you. or Tell us if you need us to beat someone up for you Big Bro. If someone dared to mess with their Brother they won’t be getting away with it.
Izou, completely blind to everything going around him, just stands there taking everything in and smiles brightly.
Ah my brothers are here.