And what can he do here? The good feeling deflates a little as he realizes there's no way he can really win this. It's not like he can force the gremlin's respect and he can't get it naturally either. What respect he has from his own crew comes from his pockets and that's not something Izzy would be interested in- not that Stede can pay him either.

Only he can't lose it either. If he loses, too much will go with it. And he had made promises to Ed too. Promises that mean he has to be strong and, if not win Izzy's respect by force, at least hold him to the place he has. They are not equals and they never will be and they can't be.

And now he understands a bit of Ed more, of that pressure of expectation. Of needing to be something more than you were, or something you weren't. But if he has to lose more to protect what he needs to then, fine. He'll lose it all if he needs to. Here he can't afford to keep it.

"Well we're co-captains, which means we work together, so get used to it."

He reaches out to grip the cutlass, wincing without meaning to as the sharp edge cuts into his fingers. Fortunately there are bandaids because he can already feel his blood slip over his skin and patter to the deck. If it gets on Izzy's shoes or not, he can't tell.

"And we have a crew that someone needs to look out for." In ways that he and Lucius can't and that Ed shouldn't have to.

Ow. Ow. Ow. Posturing really hurts. How the hell can Ed do it so much?

Well he already has respect, doesn't he? That's why he doesn't even have to try.

"So if you can't handle it, then you can go find another crew, just like you left Ed's."