Chapter Text
Nelly and Prim said their Papa was a prince from the Ryugu kingdom. Of course, that was before he was kidnapped by Mama, used and thrown away, possibly even killed right after her birth. Prim said it was unprecedented that Mama even kept him around for as long as she did, but considering both Prim and Nelly were born as mermaid-human hybrids, their growth spurts faster compared to their half siblings, Mama supposed she would turn out the same.
But Charlotte Carmela was born with two legs. She was no hybrid. At least not in the physical sense that Mama had wanted. She didn't have her older sister's height, nor did she gain the berth of three year old toddler in a mere year.
From a young age, she understood three things—
First, Mama didn't love them. Mama was pleased as long as they did as they were told, and there were consequences for failing to meet her expectations.
Second, some of her siblings were a menace. And she had lots of siblings.
Third, if she didn't find a way to freedom, away from the clutches of Mama, then she was going to die.
—
Age 4
On Sunday afternoons, Prim and Nelly took her roaming towards the Coral reefs surrounding Blueberry Island. Their excursions had started ever since she was two, and she'd learn to swim faster than she'd learn to walk. Whenever she got tired, she hung on Nelly's back, basking in the sunlight while her sister complained she was sinking from the weight on her. Both Prim and her were taller and stronger than most of their siblings, Ellie's lanky limbs should hardly weigh a thing.
"'s not fair," she whined, "I wanna breathe underwater too!"
Prim laughed, her tentacle scales gleaming under the sun as she ruffled her hair, "I'm sure you'll adapt soon enough."
Her head pressed on Nelly's shoulder with a frown. They'd been saying that for awhile now, but so far she'd manage to hold her breath for a good forty-five seconds. She was half-fishmen, yet the only traits she'd inherited from her father was her teal hair and eyes. At this rate, how would she be of use to Mama? How could she possibly compete with Brother Katakuri's prowess? Or even brother Daifuku? Sister Citron? How could she vye for a position as an Officer, let alone a Minister? She sighed, hugging Nelly tighter as they made their way to the harbor of Cake Island. If she couldn't manifest any of her inborn fishermeness, if she wasn't destined for such, then she'd just have to make it up with her own strength. She nodded to herself. That's it. Maybe she'd ask her other siblings for help, they were amiable…at times.
"Cheer up, Ellie," Prim slid a tentacle around her stomach, easily lifting her up to the bridge.
"Yeah," Nelly grinned, "it doesn't matter if you're flailing brat, we're always gonna protect you."
"You can't always protect me." she huffed, twisting her hair, squeezing the water out.
"Don't you mouth off." Nelly tugged her cheek. Prim pulled at the other. Her eyes pricked at the minor sting, willing herself to hold back the tears. She wasn't a crybaby.
"Gah! You both are so annoying," she slapped their hands away, running off towards the port with wet clothes hanging off her back. Barefooted, she weaved her way towards the Mama's Castle, then not even two minutes into her sprint she was panting, the wet clothes chafing her, and pain shooting up her feet. Ellie slowed, limping her way towards La La Park.
It's a large stretch of land Mama had constructed to keep them occupied, holding swings, slides, an assortment of rides, barricaded spaces with homies stationed around for supervision. She climbed the thick railing despite Crane's warning squawk of how dangerous it was, looking over the shimmering sea with longing she shouldn't have when she'd just taken a swim. Crane doesn't warn her again, his attention shifting to the decuplets maiming each to decide which of them were going to ride the caramelized slide first. When Crane says to split themselves and enjoy the other rides, the decuplets take offense, attacking the Homie with their underdeveloped limbs.
She looked away from the scene, staring back at the ocean. Nelly and Prim should be on their way to Cheese Island to spar. There was a natural training arch formed under the island, Prim had discovered it two years ago, and they'd disappear off to train since then. Though Prim was more enthusiastic than Nelly.
"Hey, Seaweed hair!"
She blinked, meeting Melise's heated gaze. The roe-lipped triplets hobble near, as if smelling the conflict. Mondée, who had been enjoying a game of Ludo with Amande and Gala, shook her head.
"What?" she said, quirking a brow. Sister Melise was three years her senior, though the seniority hardly mattered in the Charlotte family. Power did though.
Melise twisted her lips into a scowl, "Get down here when I'm talking to you, you little imp!"
"Don't start again, Melise." Gala warned without looking up, throwing the dice, and making his move.
"What'd Ellie do?"
"Yeah, What'd she do?"
"Maybe Mel's angry 'Cos everyone's growing, but she ain't."
"Sister Mel's a midget!"
"I'd say your father was a dwarf if I didn't know any better."
"Hafsha- Hafsha- Hafsha!"
The triplets taunted, and much to Melise's growing rage, Gala snorted. Mondée kicked him under the table, which did the opposite of having him hide his amusement; he kicked her back, and now both the older siblings dished out their weapons, much to Amande's annoyance. Ellie has no idea why Melise came to trouble her in the first place, but the triplets get into a brawl with Melise who has a fierce upper hand, Amade drew her weapon because Gala had managed to nick her cheek with a dice.
She inched away from the conflict, wincing once her barefoot touched the stone platform. Billshoe and Billrack swoop in to ease the fighting while Melise flipped out with her tanto. Cadenza attempted to dodge and knocked into her. Ellie stumbled over her own feet, sensing that she had landed on something jagged as pain shot up her legs. Then she's plunging into the cerulean blue, nose filling with water and mouth opening on impulse.
She choked on salt water, panicking in the same element she yearned for, lungs constricting and heart erratic as she plunged down and down and down. Her limbs flailed, forgetting how to swim back to safety.
She fisted her tank top, kicking at the water, chest constricting excruciatingly with every second she held her breath. Finally, bubbles erupted with the last of her breath vanishing, and something inside her snapped frightfully, blinding in the depths, and then she inhaled.
Water.
It filled her lungs like air, cool and sweet and welcoming. The panic disappeared instantly, replaced by a profound sense of coming home. Around her, the sea itself seemed to pulse with life, with consciousness, with recognition.
Child of two worlds. Daughter of land and sea, blessed by the depths themselves.
"What—" she tried to speak, surprised when her voice carried clearly through the water, when schools of fish turned toward her with curious, intelligent eyes.
Born to bridge the gap between the waters and those who would harm them. You are our voice, our will, our protection made flesh.
The water around her began to glow, soft bioluminescent currents that traced along her skin, highlighting scales that shimmered into existence along her arms, her legs, her temples. Her eyes burned with power, with light that emanated from within.
You are our antithesis to their corruption, our answer to those who would abuse power stolen from the depths.
She looked up toward the surface, toward the chaos she'd left behind, Hide, little one. When the time comes, you will know.
Amande's ice blue eyes were the first thing she focused on when she’d pulled out, oddly frothing in concern for the first time ever. Water dripped off from her sleek chin, splattering agonizingly slow, and jarringly loud. Everything heightened; her reflection in Amande's shiny blue eyes, the water that clung to her long lashes, every drop of water that slid down her long neck, even her blueberry mint scent. There were others, her other siblings, Melise, the triplets, Gala, Mondée, the homies— she could smell them, hear their heartbeats, sense the very essence of their beings.
"Woah," one of the triplets gasped, "you have shiny scales."
"And pretty glowy eyes."
"I've never seen you do that before."
"Boys, I hardly think this is the time,"
Ellie blinked, feeling the luminescence fade from her eyes, watching the scales shimmer and disappear beneath her skin. The sea's voice had quieted to a gentle whisper in the back of her mind, "I can breathe underwater,"
Melise snorted, "Don't be so dramatic. All fishmen can do that eventually."
But Amande was studying her with sharp eyes, and she caught a flicker of suspicion there. "That's not all, is it?"
The sea whispered a warning, and Ellie forced her most innocent smile. "What do you mean? I just figured out how to breathe underwater like Prim and Nelly!"
—
Nelly and Prim looked at her quite eerily when she told them what had happened in the water. Then they exchanged looks.
Prim sighed, "Do you remember the story about the Poseidon Princess?"
She nodded.
"Just like the Poseidon reincarnation who can wield the command of the great sea beasts, there are other special powers granted to Poseidon descendents. Papa had the Voice, the same that Nelly inherited, some are Amphibious, others have Oceanic healing, Tide control, Nautical navigation, there's more of course, and some abilities are just inherent, deep rooted because of our heritage," Prim took her hand and squeezed, "Ellie, you're something special."
She tilted her head.
"Papa used to tell us stories," Prim said, appearing troubled. "About children blessed directly by the sea itself."
"Extremely rare," Nelly added, her jaws taut. "He called them... what was it, Prim?"
"Sea's Chosen," Prim whispered. "Papa said they were the ocean's own children, born to protect the balance between land and sea."
Prim had a worried smile on her face, "You awakened something beyond normal fishman abilities. You can communicate with any and all aquatic beasts. And those scales, those glowing eyes..." she trailed off. "Papa said the Sea's Chosen were loved by every drop of water in the world."
"I— what does that even mean?" she asked, confused. "Why are you both staring at me as if I've just received a death sentence?!"
Nelly closed in, her fin grazing her knee. Prim pulled her, and she was sandwiched between the both of them, tucked in like a cocoon, the smell of sea salts and wind soothing the panic ringing inside her.
"We don't know much about it. All we have are the stories Papa told us before he was sent away. Killed. I'm not sure," Nelly murmured, "But Papa said the Sea's Chosen had great burdens... and great power. If Mama knew..."
"We won't tell," Prim clutched her tighter, "and you won't either."
Nelly hummed in agreement.
She's not sure she can fathom any of it. She can't wrap her mind around being the sea's chosen anything. She can't express her jubilance over inheriting abilities when she'd wanted them for as long as she could remember. But she can feel the intensity of their love and protection, and she knew she was eternally glad to have Nelly and Prim by her side.
That night, they snuggled in the same bed, and she dreamed of vast ocean currents carrying whispered secrets across the world.
Age 9
Half an hour into dinner, and Mama had already threatened to toss the decuplets into the sea three times. She had also prodded at sister Compote's weight along with her other more physically larger siblings, reprimanded Mozart and Marnier over some nonsensical mission, made three of her younger, still teething siblings cry with her thunderous bouts of rage, and lastly, though certainly not the least, snapped at Ellie for zoning out when Mama had asked a question on why Nelly and Prim didn't make it to dinner when it had been her order that both her elder siblings accompany the aquatic homies to a scout and scavenge mission near the Akabada Pirate territory to steal some sort of devil fruit she can't bother remember the name to.
"Airheaded thing! Did you get water in your brain with all the time you spend at the sea?! I ought to hang you upside down and whack you with a mallet!" Mama boomed, chest heaving up and down, the effects of her devil fruit escaping in wisps as her siblings seized up in alarm.
Truth was, she hadn't been prone to Mama's devil powers since she awakened her powers five years ago. Prim and Nelly had said it was because she was loved by the sea, protected by the sea, and that essentially meant she repelled anything the sea repelled.
Still, she looked down, and her fingers shook around the silverware. It wasn't so much that she spaced out on purpose, her mind took her elsewhere, listening to the whispers of the sea that called to her even here in Mama's dining hall, telling her of the pain inflicted on the waters around their territory, of the creatures displaced by Mama's hunger-fueled rampages across distant islands.
"I'm sorry,"
"Sorry doesn't cut it, you brat!" she pointed at her with a chicken bone.
She blinked at the drawn weapon, finding Mama panting and tired, her other hand resting her hip, body slumped and her belly bloated with her future sibling to Husband Number 30, a poor mink fellow that had been caught drifting in the sea.
Finally, Mama dropped the bone and let out an incomprehensible mumble, shifting in her seat with scowl. Ellie was off the hook, and Mama forgot why she ever asked her a question as Marble and Mable started giggling over spilled pudding which fortunately doesn't elicit a negative reaction since the pair does have an adorable laughter.
Ellie sighed. How she hated Sunday dinners where the whole family was a required present no matter the place they were stationed. She picked at her mashed potatoes, ignoring the way Melise and Mobile and Poire were glaring daggers into her skull.
One of these days she was going to beat Prim in a spear fight.
She was going to learn to control the voice that pounded her ears every waking moment.
She was going to escape this hell hole where the ocean itself wept for the damage Mama caused.
Age 16
"I've decided." Mama said, seated in her throne ornamented with everything sweet.
Ellie stared at Pudding tucked under Mama's arm, watching the haughty child look down at the rest of them with a smug smile. Mama favored her for a reason. The three-eyed tribe had the power to listen to the Voice of All Things. Pudding was only a child, she hadn't awakened the ability, but she had the physical attributes of her father’s tribe— either the prospective power waiting to be awakened or Pudding with her bangs covering forehead looked quite the Pretty Poster child. The type that mama liked. Prim had said she would have taken the position if it weren't for her personality.
Ellie had no idea what she was talking about. She had a wonderful personality. It's just that Mama was particularly crude, though saying that out loud was certain death.
All the ministers stood on the first row, shoulders pulled back and giving Mama their full attention. She slouched on Prim, receiving a warning jab to her stomach, but she remained as she was. There was no way Mama could see her behind Daifuku's towering frame.
"We're entering an alliance with the Jakoba pirates." Mama continued with a grin.
A shiver ran down her spine.
"Why?" Sister Compote asked with an apparent frown, "They've been stealing resources near Meringue Island and Macaroon cliff, no matter how you look at it, they're not trustworthy, Mama."
Mama brushed her off, "That's of no importance. We are forming a marriage alliance."
Well, that's not the first time she's heard of that nonsense. Ellie tucked herself into, effectively hiding behind her many tentacles.
Tense silence filled the room. And she knew even if they were opposed to such union's, there wasn't much to be said once Mama voiced her stance.
"Captain of the crew, Kajo Jakoba of the three-limbed tribe. In exchange for marrying one of you, he will be stationed in Pie Island. He and his crew will be incharge of making weapons with mineral resources— the same ones they've been stealing from me." Mama looked wickedly smug, peering down at them as if they would sing her praises any second now.
When they didn't, she simply huffed, announcing the poor soul who would be forced to bind themselves in marriage.
Melise had eyes bulging out of her sockets when Mama named her, "B-but Mama, he's so ugly— why not someone else? Why me?! Why not— why not Smoothie? Citron? Mozart? Marnier? Heck even Ellie is a better fit!"
Ellie had the wildest urge to stab her. So did the rest of the female siblings that were named by Melise, she deduced.
Daifuku moved when her name resonated in the throne room, revealing her figure tucked and tangled in Prim's tentacles.
Prim glared at Melise. Ellie glared at brother Daifuku who has the audacity to look amused. But it's Nelly who said, "Are you out of your mind? Ellie isn't even an adult!"
"And I care!" Melise threw back back.
"Shut it!"
"Mama…" Melise protested tearfully.
Ellie didn't allow herself to feel bad for her. She'd just tried to toss her under the ship.
"He is ugly," Mama grunted, evidently in a good enough mood to forgo the continuous opposition, "but Smoothie, Marnier, and Citron are stationed in different islands, I won't dismiss them just to marry them off to a gormless dork. Mozart is too timid. Ellie isn't suitable— you were chosen for your cunning."
Melise, oddly, is happy at the prospect of being chosen for her cunning. She can't figure out for the life of her why her siblings didn't see anything wrong with the whole picture of Mama and her rancid methods, and why they readily gave her their loyalty.
In the end, the date for the wedding is set. Melise is subdued. They move on to other agenda's, and it all goes relatively well until Mama's eyes glaze with a Look and halted Smoothie's briefing with a wave of her hand, announcing dinner to be served. Pudding is tossed off her, swiftly caught by Oven mid air.
She's sure no one needs a premonition to realize that Mama was displaying signs of her spontaneous hunger pangs. Though no one is stupid enough to excuse themselves on a Sunday night.
She's sandwiched between Nelly and Prim, losing any and all appetite when Mama dug into the food. Still, she nibbled on a fist-sized caramel cookie, and the rest of them ate in smaller portions, no doubt, planning to have a different dinner when they were excused from the table.
When Mama grabbed the last of the custard cake and unconsciously reached for another, finding the plate with a few scattered crumbs, Ellie made a motion with her hand to both her siblings indicating to run on her signal.
"CAKE! WHERE IS MY CAKE?!"
—'Crash!'— 'Bang'—
"—RUN!!"
"Don't trample on the toddlers, you idiots!"
"Sorry brother Oven!"
"Hurry up! The food on the table won't last! Get out of here, all of you!"
Prim scoops up however many she can with her tentacles, grabbing the shorter, younger ones as she escapes through one of the windows. Nelly has her hand full with Wafers and Wiro who'd latch onto her for some reason, and bawled like no tomorrow before the crying intensified with the swan-dive she took out of the window, shouting at Ellie to follow suit. Save for a few ministers, the rest depart to alert their islands, and the pandemonium of her siblings trying to flee out of any opening they can find is alarming to say the least.
She doesn't have the size the same way half her step-siblings do, nor had she reached maturity and received her first heat cycle that was supposed to speed her growth spurt— she was a 5'2 at best, and that hardly has her from swaying when Angie, with his fat fingers latched on her thigh to save himself from being trampled and caught up in the chaos of Mama's outbursts.
She grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, throwing him over her shoulder as she used Harumeg's crouched figure to leap off into the air, ignoring the curses thrown her way as she landed on the window sill.
"Do you even know how to swim?!" he cried.
She snorted, jumping down, her laugh echoing, mixing Angie's screams that indicated he didn't have a semblance of faith in her.
The sea embraced her, and his thrashing remained. She swam up, breaking the surface, and the brat clung to her so tightly that his nails dug into her nape.
"Boy, if you don't get your fingers off me, I'm going to drown you myself."
"I'll die if I let go!"
She rolled her eyes, "I'm holding you right now, aren't I?"
He sniffed. Then his hand detangled, pulling out some of her hair in the process.
"Mama's gonna be like that for a while, isn't she?"
"Probably,"
She started swimming towards Unique Island.
"Lemme' sleep over."
"Yeah, yeah,"
His nose twitched, from the aftermath of Mama's rage, the plunge to the sea, or how they were weaving through dark seas— she deduced the reason was all of them.
"Sis Ellie,"
"Hmm,"
"You're pretty, with scales."
His small, chubby hand traced the teal scales on her arm, his button-like eyes shining with an odd sort of fascination.
"I'm always pretty," she huffed jokingly.
"Sis Smoothie is always pretty. And sis Amande. Also sis Galette. Sis Prim. And sis Myukuru— you're always hiding, so you're not always pretty."
She stared at him, contemplating those words, "Why do you think I'm hiding?"
He gave a shrug, "Everyone hides when they're scared, don't they?"
She doesn't answer. But he chattered anyways, "So what exactly is your power? Mama says you're an airhead— is that your power?"
She had an erupting headache, "Angie, be quiet."
Age 17
The Mansion of Maple in Unique Island had five mirrors. One in the dining room where they sparsely ate. One in Prim’s bathroom, the other in Nelly's, a decorative piece gifted by Mama at the foyer, and finally a small mirror tucked away in a sound proof cupboard in her closet, taken out when needed, tucked away when she was done— because sister Brulee was always spying. Always listening.
She and siblings also never talked freely in the presence of homies, they escaped to an underwater cave, free from the eyes of Mama's aquatic homies when they had to do so.
It's by pure luck that she has her first heat cycle in the dead of the night when they gather in the underwater cave for some quality time ever since brother Newshi wedded to a princess of some small nation in exchange of three valuable devil fruits that were currently tucked away in Mama's treasury.
At first it's just a gripping fever. Nelly tries to usher her into bed, but the moment she's touched, it's a pounding pain. It's nothing at all like the ambrosia and delirium Nelly preached off— it's agony, its searing, its being boiled alive in a pot of oil, and through her glazed eyes, she can see both Nelly and Prim cover their noses with their palm before their doing their twin telepathy shenanigans, and she's being lugged into the cool water.
It's somewhat bearable. She can breathe without her body convulsing and jerking at the heat pooling in her stomach.
"She just has to hold on….the worst will be over soon. After her bones set in place, hopefully she'll be cognizant enough to fuck it out."
"You and your horrid tongue, Charlotte Praline!"
—
Six days later
When she entered the throne room, it's already packed with her siblings. Prim and Nellie were in the front, and she made her way towards them trying her best to ignore how the lot of them were staring at her. She had expected this with her adding a couple of inches to her height. The simple loose, black dress she had put on had reached her knees, now it brushed her mid-thigh. Even the strap around the waist was a little tight on her, though it wasn't as if she had the liberty to shop for clothes over attending Mama's summons.
"Ellie!"
She halted mid-way through her venture of reaching her siblings. The path around her curved, somewhat like the sea parting, leading straight to Mama's throne. She gulped, staring at Mama who has an odd look on her face. It's not happiness. It's not anger either. But it's not nothing.
"Are you mute, girl?" she drawled.
"No, Mama."
Stifled snickering occurred, probably from her more evil step-siblings that relished in impending violence. Death. Or worse.
She doesn't realize the nature of the summon. It's a Tuesday night, nothing special happened on Tuesday nights. Except the fact that her heat had ended today after being indisposed for almost a week.
"Well, you've certainly grown." Mama grinned.
It's so eerie she has to stop herself from shivering. Instead she gave her a short smile.
"Smoothie," Mama said.
That's it. There's no command, but sister Smoothie stepped forward, her long limbs taking no time to cover the distance— covering the distance towards her.
She had half the mind to hightail out of the throne room, but Nelly wouldn't have been so composed if she had been in danger of anything, so she stayed rooted to her spot as Smoothie halted in front of her, staring down at her with cool blue eyes. Then she sighed.
"Sister Smoothie?"
"Your hand."
She blinked, "My…hand? What do you want with my hand?"
"Hold it out," she said.
"Why?"
"Ellie," she pressed.
She stuck out her hand, confused. Sister Smoothie grabbed it, and they stayed that way for over thirty seconds before Mama boomed, "Well? What is happening?"
"Nothing is happening," Sister Smoothie said, her face twisting weirdly.
"Ho?"
With a bust of wind, brother Oven stepped forward, his fist in the color of magma. She yanked her hand from Smoothie on impulse, but sister Smoothie held on, and she screamed involuntarily when the large, luminescent fist came down on her.
Except he only bumped it into her shoulder.
"Huh, I thought it was a joke." Oven laughed.
"So devil fruit powers really don't work on you?" Smoothie let go of her hand.
An alarm went off in her head, "Aren't there better ways to see how I respond to devil fruit powers?"
"Something like this then?"
Her gaze shifted to Galette, her hand twirled up oddly as she conjured a slimy ball of yellow, tossing it towards her.
The butter mixture dissipated into thin air, but it didn't stop her from flinching at the trajectory. Another missile launched, this time, a mochi bullet from Katakuri. Perospero shot a projectile of candy. Both attacks fizzled into nothing, and she wanted nothing more than to strangle Nelly who was grinning from ear to ear.
"You got your proof, stop attacking me!" she swatted away another candy shot Perospero sent her way.
Perospero cackled, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, "But it's so fun, kukukukuk."
"Then, isn't Sis Ellie a walking, talking sea prison stone?" Flampe jeered.
"That's a stupid."
"You would know, wouldn't you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"SILENCE!"
The chatter dissipated instantly, the room temperature decreasing by several notes. Mama rose from her seat, the ground groaning beneath her. Wisps of eerie black escaped from behind her, a telltale sign of her devil fruit powers spreading throughout the throne room. Prometheus and Zeus hung behind, precariously elated. Her step-siblings instantly caved back, she was no exception, blending in the crowd— or at least she tried, until Mama came right at her, and she's rooted in her spot, horror and fear seeping out of her in abundance.
Mama was a giant. She easily towered over everyone, and it was no secret that Mama could break a person as easily as snapping a candy cane. A large, clammy hand closed around her waist, eyes zeroed in, and mouth salivating.
Her eyes naturally deviated to her sisters; Prim screamed, Nelly didn't look as amused as she previously did, and she was sure this was not part of Nelly's grand plan, "Mamamamam! If I eat you, will I inherit your powers?"
A scream lodged in her throat. She was gleeful— gleeful about eating her own child and gaining her powers.
A heat swirled in her chest, red hot and angry. Mama was going to kill her now to inherit powers that were solely based on her own crazed hypothesis— her powers didn't stem from a devil fruit, just because Mama gained Mother Caramel's powers, it didn't mean this would be the same. Then again, no matter what kind of logic was bludgeoned into Mama, she wasn't one to listen when she was on one of her sprees.
It didn't matter what happened, she was always going to be endangered here, constantly under Mama's surveillance, having to subdue her intelligence, hide her abilities, and stay within the ranks of an officer.
If she was as stupid as Mama deemed her, she'd think she was going to get sold off to form some nonsensical marriage alliance, but Mama only chose smart ones for that. Someone who could manipulate, someone who could make situations advantageous for her, like Melise and her cunning, and Newshi with his charms.
It wasn't fair. She was going to end up miserable anyway. She was going to die miserably anyways, so she wouldn't die without a fight—
She stared back at Mama, right into her beady eyes, jaws clenched and nail digging into her skin so hard she was drawing blood.
Mama glowered, "What's that look on your face, you ingrate?"
Ellie opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by Nelly.
“Mama! There’s no guarantee you'll inherit Ellie’s power even if you do eat her— her ability only affects her, the proof of that is right there,” she pointed towards Prometheus and Zeus, “If she could dissipate other devil fruit abilities, then those homies would’ve disappeared once you touched her. Brother Oven’s fist was still heated when he came in contact with her, it didn't hinder him, it just didn't affect Ellie— Mama, eating her could hurt you, her powers come from the sea, both your abilities are polar opposite. Please, Mama, think about this!”
She bit her lip, staring down at her sister who was shivering from fear, yet bold enough to confront Mama. Slowly, she released her grip on Mama, unwilling to stare back into those cold, cruel, amber eyes.
Nelly gave her a shaky smile.
She can’t reciprocate because she just might start bawling if she did.
“Praline is right, Mama.” Oven said, which had her blinking in surprise.
“I was able to activate my abilities as well,” Smoothie backed up.
“Please, M-mama,” Prim sobbed, “p-please let her go.”
Mama produced a sound somewhere between a bloated bear and choking fish, “So you’re still useless?” she barked.
“Of course not, Mama,” she regarded the woman who gave birth to her, looking between her eyes, “I can swim three times faster than before.”
With an astounding growl, Mama tossed her out of the window, thrown to her safety net; the sea.
—
“It’s like you have a death wish,” Prim tutted, pouring lavender tea into her baby blue mug, “Was there any need to talk back to Mama? You could’ve stayed quiet.”
“Mama was about to eat me. I thought I was going to die, aren't I allowed to curse her before being scorched by her stomach acid?”
“You were going to curse her?!”
“Before Nelly spoke up.”
Nelly ruffled her hair, then reached over, bringing her into a hug with one shoulder, “I’m sorry, I didn't know the whole thing was going to fuck up so bad. Mama expected you to get some type of ability after you put the territory on yellow alert, we had to tell her something of substance.”
She hummed, “It’s okay.”
Prim patted her knee, “Come on, let’s get you a haircut.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll get you a new wardrobe.” Nelly added.
“Yeah,” she smiled, sipping her tea.
Age 19
It happened after a Sunday lunch, when the dining hall had mostly emptied. Angie appeared at her elbow, his boisterous energy replaced by something frantic and hushed.
"Sis Ellie," he whispered, glancing around to make sure they weren't overheard, "I need to tell you something. It's about Mama and the alliance—"
His words came in a rushed, panicked stream that made her blood run cold.
"She said..." he swallowed hard, "she said since you went through your heat and grew up proper, you could be useful for something."
As far as Mama knew, Ellie's "blessing from the sea" only extended to immunity from devil fruit powers. A useful ability, but not game-changing enough to keep her permanently valuable. Now she was going to be sold as a sacrifice to cover up Mama's lies.
During the Sunday assembly before dinner was served, Mama dropped the bomb.
Ellie doesn't feel surprise—only the deep, cold certainty of Angie warning proven true. She fluttered her lashes, tilted her head in her usual airheaded manner, "Donquixote Doflamingo?"
"Don't tell me you don't know him?" Mama sneered.
She scrunched her face, "I know him. He wears funny glasses."
Mama snorted, so did some of her siblings. She doesn't have to look back to know Nelly and Prim are horrified.
—
Brother Katakuri patted her head and handed her a laser gun. He doesn't explain anything, she doesn't ask anything.
Sister Smoothie, who had once upon time tried to make juice out of her, offered to pay for her wedding dress with a profoundly pitiful look in her cool blue eyes. Ellie decided to buy the most expensive one there was.
As for Prim and Nelly, well, they were hysterical.
As soon as they reached the cave, Prim bursted into tears.
"You knew!" Nelly raged, looking betrayed, "You fucking knew Mama was going to do this! How long have you known, Ellie?!"
She blinked back her tears, "It doesn't matter. There's no other way."
"No other way?!" Prim cried, wrapping her tentacles around her, sandwiching her cheeks in her warm palms, and holding her close enough that she could see her reflection in her tearful eyes, "Ellie do you have any idea what the alliance is for?"
"Yes…." she said in a low voice.
There were rumors of Mama being in possession of the Ope Ope no Mi, consequently, the Donquixote Pirates approached Mama, and she'd confirmed the rumor. She had shown the fruit before tucking away in her treasury. Which was why an alliance was proposed with peculiar terms. A member of the Donquixote family was to wed one of the Charlotte children, in return, they were to supply Mama with specific treasures, and after the handover, Mama would give them the Ope Ope no Mi.
"What's stranger is why she chose you." Prim sniffed.
She stared at her lap, picking a stray thread from her skirt, "...she hired an additional crew member. I believe his name was Zurich. He was promoted to an officer as soon as he was stationed at Meringue Island. He can perform mirages. Angie was getting up to his usual mischief, spying on things he's not supposed to... he said it looked pretty damn real. Mama fooled the Donquixote pirates into thinking it was real. I'm just assurance until she gets her fair share of treasures. By the time they find out it's a scam…"
"But..but I doubt she would let go of such a precious alliance just for a few treasures—" Prim cut herself off as if realizing something, "No, nevermind. Mama would do that."
Of course Mama would do that.
"So you already knew that Mama was planning an alliance with them?"
Ellie had a hard time looking at them in the eye. Then she's pulled into a hug by Nelly, "Runaway, Ellie."
Alarmed, she tried to push out of her embrace, only for Prim to join in, keeping her trapped between the both of them, "She's right, let's run away."
"No way! Are you both crazy? I would've run away if that was a choice. Mama would skin us alive if she caught us, I'm not doing it!"
Nelly grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her, "Then you'll marry that sadistic asshole?! For what? This is not a simple marriage, Ellie. You're a hostage, a scapegoat, your being sent away as a pity prize for them to beat down— to fucking kill off when they realize they're not getting what they bargained for!"
In the end, they stop trying to convince her to run away. Any outcome from that type of solution was bound to turn out blood and messy.