Archive of Our Own

"Heh, so my soulmate is the brat who wants to kill Oyaji, yoi."

Ace has had strange symbols on his right thigh since he was born. At first, he doesn't know what it is, the bandits don't tell him anything and he doesn't ask. The black ink is ignored until he turns five and meets Sabo.

Sabo has a lovely letter necklace. He teaches him to read and write and tells him about soulmates.

"Your soulmate is your special someone", explains the little boy with a soft smile. "She is the person who will take care of you and who will always love you until the end."

Ace snorts. He is bitter about his existence and the only person who has treated him well to this day is this boy who lives in a dump. He does not believe that there is a person who is really going to love him, nor does he believe that he needs it.

However, Ace is curious.

"Heh…", Ace narrows his eyes as he tries to read the sentence. "So... my soulmate is the bre... bra..."

"Brat", Sabo helps patiently.

"Brat?!", he snaps.

"We're six, Ace", Sabo says evenly.

“The brat who wants to… Kill Oyu…”

"Oyaji."

"Oyaji?"

"And then they say 'yoi'. I guess that's a tic."

Ace stares at the words for a while before making up his mind.

"My mate thing looks like a jerk."

Sabo laughs shaking his head.

"We'll see if you keep saying the same when you meet them."

Years go by and Ace forgets his words. The letter ring is kept hidden under his pants and Ace ignores it as if it doesn't exist. He's glad he doesn't have his words in as exposed a place as Sabo's, he'd hate to have to wear those stupid scarves to hide them.

However, when Luffy appears, Ace pays attention to his first words. The boy yells "Hey, you" in an angry tone while wiping the spittle from his cheek. He doesn't know whether to be relieved that the fool isn't his soulmate or upset that if he was, he could kill him and get out of trouble pretty quickly.

In the end, neither one nor the other. After facing Porchemy, Ace only feels warmth and regret. Luffy is a loudmouth, he is dumb and oblivious, but he is also the person who has brought a new light to Ace's life. With Sabo and Luffy by his side, his soul is fuller than ever.

"He called you a brat!", Luffy chuckles as he reads his words.

"Shut up!", Ace punches him to stop him from laughing. "What kind of idiot says 'yoi' at the end of his sentence? I'll kill him and that father of his!"

"You could at least give them a chance", Sabo says with a drop of sweat.

"Besides!", he ignores his blond brother to point at the younger one. "You haven't taught us your words yet!"

"Oh, I don't know what they say", the boy admits, dropping his pants.

"Stay still, I'll set you free", Sabo reads.

The three children stare at the words in silence. Then Ace scoffs.

"Even your soulmate has to save you, Luffy! You're such a weakling, like a princess in distress!"

Sabo laughs. "Ace, don't be mean. Sounds pretty romantic to me."

Luffy continues to stare at his words, but he has an excited smile on his face.

"I bet my soulmate is a cool pirate! I hope to meet them soon to fight them!"

"Soulmates aren't for fighting!", Sabo scolds.

"That's it, I'll kick 'yoi' and his Oyaji's ass!", Ace exclaims, echoing the youngest’s idea.

Sabo sighs in resignation and Luffy jumps on them to fight. It's all as wonderful as it could be, but then Sabo dies and everything falls apart.

If you ask Ace what he would like the words on his skin to be, he would probably say the last lines of Sabo's letter.

«Luffy is still a weak crybaby but... He is our little brother, so take good care of him!»

Despite not having them written down, they remain engraved in his mind for a long time. The years pass quickly, he and Luffy grow up and the promised age arrives. The night before he leaves, he is too anxious to sleep. He knows what his goal is and for that, he will have to become much stronger than he is now.

"Ace, Ace", Luffy's voice echoes through the silent tree house. The teenager turns to look at his sleepy little brother. "Will you tell your soulmate to join your crew?"

Ace scoffs. "Of course not, silly", he says. "Only an idiot would join his soulmate's crew, it's just a weakness that others can exploit."

His younger brother stares at him for a while. He blinks slowly like he's trying not to fall asleep. In the end, his expression turns into something akin to sadness.

"I don't know about soulmates, but I'm sure having someone you love in your crew will never be a weakness. By the way, you should join my crew…"

Luffy trails off until he falls asleep in the middle of his sentence. Ace frowns and punches the sleeping boy in the forehead. Luffy is an idiot, but he always says the most profound nonsense. Not for the first time, Ace questions how his mind works and why he can't share a little of his wisdom with him.

"Stupid Luffy", he moans exhausted knowing that his words will be spinning in his head all night. "I don't need anyone else. You and Sabo are my true soulmates."

"I don’t have any words", Deuce confesses as they sail their Striker to an island that isn't a dead-end maze-like Sixis.

Ace stops and gapes at him. He's probably ruining all of Makino's efforts to teach him manners with the intrusive way he's looking at the boy, but he can't help but be surprised.

"You don’t have words?"

Deuce laughs sheepishly. "Actually it's not that weird. We are a minority, but there are people who are born without a mark."

In his mind, Ace goes over all the people he's ever met, which isn't many. Grandpa proudly showed them his words "You've got a tough fist, Monkey D. Garp" and he was very terrified to learn that someone willingly approached the old man after witnessing his fist. Dadan always kept her words hidden, the topic was always delicate for her but Ace managed to catch a glimpse of a "bandit" somewhere on her ankle. Makino told him that he couldn't go around asking people about their words like that, but she agreed to show him hers finally. He was disappointed to see "Do you have any sake?" written on his arm since those are pretty generic words for someone who works in a bar.

He just assumed that everyone had some ink on their skin.

"Sorry, I'm probably being insulting. I thought everyone had words."

"It's kind of sad", Deuce says. "I've never been interested in being tied to another person, but soulmates seem like a very romantic concept to me."

Ace waves a hand dismissively. "I assure you it is not. I wish I was born speechless, I hope I never meet my soulmate."

The other boy gives him a strange look but then smiles. "So many say, but it's different when you meet that person. We'll be together for a long time, Cap. I'll be happy to see if your denial sticks."

The fire teen sighs and shrugs.

The crew of two sails aimlessly but with a fixed goal. On their way, they meet many people who end up swearing allegiance to the freckled boy and Ace is not surprised when he is forced to admit that Luffy was right. He knows that Luffy wasn't referring to this kind of love, but after all, the only love Luffy knows is that of family, so it's just as useful. Ace can't help but love each and every one of his nakama and would never dare think of them as a weakness.

Meeting Red-Haired Shanks becomes quite an experience when the man throws a party and pumps out a lot of alcohol. After a few drinks, their tongues loosen up. Shanks, who keeps telling stories about his little brother, blurts out something interesting.

"Well, I guess I'm a bit biased when it comes to Luffy", the Yonkou chuckles. "After all, I knew his name since I was born."

Ace blinks. "You knew his name since...?"

Shanks seems to realize what he just said and smiles a little resignedly. When he answers, he lowers his voice so that only he can hear it.

"That day in Villa Foosha I not only lost my arm, I also lost the words written on it", the man admits. "I had just met my soulmate, though I hadn't told her yet. The first words I said to her were pretty ordinary compared to the ones she gave me. I thought she hadn't noticed."

He puts his only hand into his pants pocket and pulls out a well-kept medallion. Ace takes it with a hesitant hand and opens it to see a very familiar handwrite inside.

"Sure, just let me help Luffy up the barrels."

Ace's eyes widen as he remembered Makino's words: "Do you have any sake?" so common that he was disappointed to see them.

"She hadn't seen the mark on my arm to confirm it, but she still knew we were soulmates. She gave me this when we said goodbye so I wouldn't forget her."

The young man can't help the surprise in his voice when he answers.

"But you're not with her?", he asks. "She's your soulmate, aren't soulmates supposed to be together?"

The redhead shakes his head. "We're pirates, Ace, not even fate can bind us. My future is at sea, hers isn't. That doesn't mean I love her any less, it's just that we can't be together all the time."

And Ace understands and respects it. His words only bring relief to Ace. Fate can't tie him to one person, his soulmate will have to accept that Ace owes him nothing, much less his heart.

The first time his life was turned upside down was when Ace met Luffy, the second; the moment when Whitebeard set out to make him his son.

Ace hasn't felt this angry in years. The passage of time had tempered his volatile anger and made it a one-off. He used to get very angry when he was younger, but he managed to control his bad mood. However, hearing Yonkou's intentions made him breathe fire.

"Shut up you bastard! I don't need a fucking father!"

The commanders look at him with raised eyebrows, which further infuriates the young captain. Whitebeard himself looks vaguely amused rather than offended. What annoys Ace the most is undoubtedly the impassive and unimpressed face of the first commander.

With a snarl and a menacing look, Ace turns and goes back to his hideout. He promises himself that he won't get off this ship without killing that man.

He has just successfully stolen a whole bag of fruit from the kitchen. Smiling slyly and smugly, Ace climbs back up into the vents. You'd think pirates from such a prestigious crew would be more careful, but no one seems to pay enough attention to it. That pisses him off to no end. Don't they take him seriously? Well, when their captain kicks the bucket, they will see that Ace can be a great threat.

On his way through the vents, he stops as he passes a room. He can't see them, but he hears the recognisable voice of the annoying cook, Thatch. He stays listening to them for a few seconds under the pretext of 'studying the enemy'.

"And I found them kissing!", the cook ends up recounting, sounding shocked.

"Commanders' meetings are not for gossiping, Thatch", scolds another of those present.

There are various opinions on this statement. Apart from the commander of the fourth division, Ace is unable to connect any of the voices to the pirates. Not everyone talks as much as Thatch.

"I propose a vote. Those who want to keep hearing about our brothers' secret romance, raise your hand", Thatch said.

There is a jaded sigh and a thump. He recognizes the sound as Izo's fan hitting the cook's head, but he believes that the voice that follows it doesn’t belong to the samurai.

"Enough, Thatch. There are a thousand things I'd rather do than listen to your ravings, yoi."

Ace freezes. Then he stirs, drops the bag of fruit, and pulls down his pants in the tight space of the vent, desperate to check. He knows his words by heart, but as he stares at the ink, he deeply wishes the tic at the end would go away.

It makes sense, he decides. He should have realized it sooner. The Whitebeard pirates call their captain 'Oyaji', and Ace is trying to kill him. The 'yoi' at the end is just a tease because the world has decided that Ace has no right to rest in peace.

He thinks he hears the commanders talking to each other, but his ears appear to have been plugged with cotton. Quickly, Ace picks up the bag of fruit again and crawls towards his hideout.

Every time a commander approaches the Spade captain, the boy starts running. It's not an act of cowardice, he tells himself, but a method of survival.

The attacks on Whitebeard don't stop, but Ace now snarls at the commanders whenever they try to scold him for his stubbornness or help him with his injuries. The only ones with special treatment, if you can call it that, are Thatch and Izo. Despite being annoying in their own way, they're the only ones he knows for sure aren't his soulmate, so Ace allows himself to relax a bit.

He has plans. Ace will kill Whitebeard as soon as possible and leave the ship before his soulmate can find him. If that means he's going to have to punch every commander who tries to talk to him before he runs off, he'll do it.

His resolution, however, is diminishing as the days go by. He gets stronger, trains his haki, and even helps defeat some enemy crews alongside the Whitebeards. It is increasingly common to find him with Thatch, drinking or arguing. The pirates begin to see him less as a nuisance and more like one of the crew, betting every time he faces their captain and cheering him on. The commanders keep their distance, but they no longer frown at him every time they see him. Deuce doesn't say anything, but his look suggests he knows what's going through his captain's head.

Embarrassed, Ace cowers on the deck of Moby Dick. He is emaciated after another of the defeats that have become his day-to-day. There's a plate of food Thatch left at his feet before Ace kicked him out. He doesn't plan on interacting with anyone again tonight until he feels a presence approaching. He lifts his head to find the impassive face of Marco the Phoenix.

Ace looks at him with a deep frown. He pulls out its teeth like an animal, forcing the man back. The blonde's face doesn't change and that makes Ace's blood boil.

He doesn't know the phoenix very well, he is the only commander who never tried to talk to him. He knows from Thatch's chatty mouth that Marco is the 'mother hen' of the crew and that he is always looking out for his nakama, but Ace hasn't seen him interact with anyone since the day he arrived. It may be because every time Ace is in his presence, the captain's right-hand does not take his eyes off him, only focused on Ace.

And he does well. Ace is threatening to kill his father, the least these jerks can do is take him seriously.

The man doesn't speak, just looks at Ace. The boy stares back at him, but he begins to feel more anxious with each passing second of silence.

"If you don't leave, I'll turn you into a roast chicken, damned bastard", he threatens, getting fed up with his attitude.

For a second, Marco freezes. There's a little widening in his sharp eyes and the corner of his mouth turns up humorously.

"Heh, so my soulmate is the brat who wants to kill Oyaji, yoi ", he sneers.

Ace stands there for a few seconds, processing it. When he finishes digesting the words, his mouth opens and he stays like that, looking at him like a fish.

It shouldn't be a surprise, Ace already knew that one of those idiots was his soulmate, it's just that it's different to imagine it than to hear it. Marco's face shows nothing, whether he's excited or disgusted to find his soulmate, Ace can't figure it out.

Before he can say anything or, worse yet, run away from his soulmate, Marco crouches in front of Ace to look him in the eye.

"Say what you came here to say and walk away", Ace says rudely.

Marco just arches an eyebrow. Perhaps he is thinking about the way Ace ignored what happened just a few seconds ago.

"Fine, if you want it that way. How long will you keep risking your life like that, Ace? You have a choice to make, yoi. You cannot take Oyaji's head."

Ace frowns.

"So, either you get off this ship and start over…", his voice softens a bit. "Or you stay here and take Whitebeard's mark on your back", he stands up with a slight smile and turns around. "Just think about it Ace, you can be whatever you want. You just have to be clear.”

As Marco leaves, Ace stares at the place where the blonde had been. The words 'soulmate', 'oyaji' and 'family' run through his mind and do not let him rest even when he returns to his hiding place.

The following weeks are hectic. Ace avoids everyone, even Thatch and Deuce. When he faces Whitebeard, he does it with fury.

Secretly, Ace overhears a conversation between Thatch and his father. The cook's voice does not have a hint of his usual cheerfulness, he talks about medicines and his condition.

"Whether it's 100 or 200 times, I'll accept the boy's challenge! If I let him go, his passion will only lead him straight to death... And that's something I can't allow", is Whitebeard's reply.

Then comes the 100th matchup. And then he exchanges sake cups with his new father. And then he has more ink on his skin.

But one doesn't erase the other and Ace is still very aware of the words on his thigh.

"If you don't go I'll turn you into a roast chicken, damned bastard."

There was a time when Marco was desperate to find his soulmate.

He was very young, lonely and desperate for something to call 'his own'. His words, sitting at the base of his hip, were always out in the open, waiting to be spoken. It was a naive act and many tried to take advantage of it.

"Don't be ridiculous, brat. The only thing you'll get by carrying your words like that is someone getting to trick you."

Edward Newgate took off his own sash to tie it around the child's waist, covering his words. It was too big and Marco couldn't walk more than two steps without tripping, but it was so touching that he couldn't take it off.

"Become my son", the man proposed.

Marco accepted.

"Oyaji, have you ever met your soulmate?"

Newgate took the sake cup from his lips to look at his first son. The teenager had one hand on the sash that he himself gave him a few years ago.

"Maybe. Is there something that worries you about soulmates?"

Marco hesitated for a few seconds before removing his sash. His father had already seen his words before, but he taught them again.

"Do you think a person can hate their soulmate?", he asked. "He doesn't seem to like me very much, yoi."

The captain's eyes softened, looking at his son fondly.

"I think so, a person can hate their soulmate at some point in their life", Newgate admitted making the boy tense up. "But Marco, I don't think any soulmate could hate you."

The younger blond's eyes filled with tears and he rushed to hug his father.

Over the years, Marco stops obsessing. He gets a family with an amazing dad and a huge number of siblings. He fights, trains and becomes strong. He falls in love once, not with his soulmate. It's a secret between the two of them, but their captains know about it somehow. Newgate just smiles, Roger is a little less discreet about it. Their encounters are short and when the illusion wears off, they both go their separate ways without any remorse.

Marco lives freely and does not need his soulmate to be happy, but a part of him longs for it .

Portgas D. Ace hits Moby Dick like a storm and Marco can't take his eyes off him. He is too young and naive to in any way pose a threat to his father or his crew, but he can't help but keep an eye on him whenever he's around. Thatch would make fun of him if he knew, but it's some kind of instinct that has ruffled his feathers.

The teenager is quite cunning, despite being a jerk most of the time. He nimbly slinks around the ship when he wants to be avoided and turns into a bright flame when trying to attract attention. He has incredible potential, Marco understands why Whitebeard is so insistent on keeping him on his ship.

Looking back, he knows that perhaps he should have taken his caution around the commanders to see that there was something else hiding in the boy. Even when he was starting to warm up to the rest of the pirates, Marco would see him growling at Rakuyo or fleeing from Haruta before any of them could open their mouths.

"If you don't go I'll turn you into a roast chicken, damned bastard."

Marco doesn't keep secrets from his father, but he decides to keep this to himself. After Ace finally joined the crew, they haven't exchanged more than two words of courtesy. Thatch scolds him for being so cold to his new brother, but everyone takes this as the First Commander's usual behaviour. No one thinks there's anything else and Ace doesn't show that he wants to talk about it.

But Marco is suddenly fifteen and obsessed with his soulmate again. What colour will his eyes be? Stone gray. Will he have an Akuma no Mi? Yes, Mera Mera. Will he want to train with me? Probably not.

As eager as he is to talk to Ace, Marco acts rather nonchalant the first time he meets him alone. He sees him leaning out on the deck, under the sky bathed in stars. He approaches him with silent steps and leans forward to whisper in his ear:

"We'll have to work on your observation haki, yoi."

Ace is startled and would have fallen overboard if not for his amazing reflexes. He looks at Marco with wide eyes and his shoulders let out some flames. It takes the commander a few seconds to realize that it's not a defensive reaction, but shame. He almost lets out a giggle. Cute , he thinks.

"Mar... Command... Marco", says the young man hesitantly. "Commander?"

"Marco is fine, yoi", he replies quickly.

"Marco", Ace repeats this time more confident. "My haki is fine, I was just distracted."

The blonde arches an eyebrow. "Distracted."

"I want to thank you", the young man suddenly confesses. "Because of what you said a few weeks ago. Thanks to you I was able to take a decision."

"I don't think it's me you have to thank. You wouldn't still be here if Oyaji didn't want you on his ship, yoi."

Ace awkwardly scratches the back of his neck with a mixture of embarrassment and affection on his face. His nervousness is a contrast to the furious confidence he has when he wants to cut someone's head off.

"I'm not used to what you do, this whole family thing. I have…I had two brothers, but Luffy is an animal of instincts and I never had to think how to act around him."

Marco walks over to the railing to lean on it. "You don't have to think about how to act when you're with us, Ace. Just be yourself, yoi. Is this Luffy your brother?"

All the shyness on Ace's face disappears and he brightens.

"Yeah! He's an idiot. He's three years younger than me, but no matter how old he is, he'll always be just as impulsive. I don't know how he's surviving without me to get him out of trouble, he's a magnet. He once…"

The commander hides a smile when he hears the boy's tirade. He makes a mental note: ask for his brother whenever you want him to talk.

So, emboldened by the confidence Ace was giving him by talking about his dear brother, Marco tries.

"And what do you think of soulmates?"

Ace's expression closes, it doesn't take Marco two seconds to regret asking. He waits a few seconds, and when he's about to change the subject, the boy's mouth opens again.

"We need to talk about it, right?", he mutters a little to himself.

"Well, we can take it lightly..."

"Look, Marco... Commander", Ace says tentatively. "I want to be in this crew, I want to be a part of Oyaji's family, and I don't want to make things awkward between us, so I should make it clear from the start. I don't believe in soulmates. It's not because of you or anyone, just I'm not going to let fate dictate my life as it pleases."

The gray eyes move away from the ground to connect with Marco's.

"You're just another crewmate to me, a couple of silly words couldn't matter less."

Marco tries not to be affected by the directness in his voice, but the words cut through him worse than a thousand swords. He nods trying to put on an understanding expression.

"Yes, of course."

Ace looks at him for a few more seconds and shakes his head in silent farewell before entering the cabins.

He spends the night like a phoenix, dozing on his captain's shoulder. The older man doesn't ask, just strokes his feathers until he falls asleep.

Ace's presence on the ship gives new vitality to the crew. The youngest was Haruta, twenty-seven years old, but apart from him, all the pirates are well past their forties. Thatch joins the two young men in their antics and they all feel like they are back in the prime of life.

Izo is slightly less amused by the new addition since he accidentally ripped his kimono while engaging in a chase with the 4th Division commander. He huffs every time the boy tries to apologize to him.

"You should forgive him, he looks like a kicked puppy every time you reject him, yoi", Marco tells his brother.

The sixteenth commander narrows his eyes at the blonde.

"He has to learn what the limits are on this ship," he says flatly. "You Marco seem too soft on him even though I've never seen you two together. What is it all about?"

He mentally curses the sharpness of the Wano samurai and sighs.

"It's between him and me, nothing that concerns you."

Izo crosses his arms as he studies Marco. The blonde tries not to flinch under his brother's scrutiny, but the sixteenth commander has an incredible ability to get what he wants.

"Okay, he's my soulmate, yoi", he relents.

Izo suppresses a gasp of excitement, covers his mouth, and jumps.

"Tell me EVERYTHING."

"Okay, this is the plan", Izo says, unfolding the scroll full of words and pictures.

"I can’t see it, bring it over here", Thatch asks.

"Don't touch it with your dirty hooves, fool", Izo smacks the cook's hands with his fan.

"Just read it out loud so we don't all need to read it", Jozu suggests.

"Wait, do we need some popcorn?", Haruta asks.

"I would say no. What do you think, Marco?", Vista asks, smoothing his moustache.

"What the hell are you doing in my damn room?", the phoenix asks patiently.

"Action plan to get Marco and Ace together", Izo replies looking at him innocently.

"Get out, yoi."

"Hey, Marco!", Ace greets, walking over with an excited smile. "When do we go?"

The First Commander looks at Ace with his typical bored expression. Inside, his brain just short-circuited.

"Go where?" he asks, keeping his cool and trying not to melt at that smile.

Ace cocks his head curiously. "Oyaji told me that I will accompany you on your next mission. Don’t you need help?"

No, Marco doesn't need help. His mission is to go to Sphinx with some treasures, as he usually does every two months. Always alone. Looking over Ace's shoulder at his father, Whitebeard winks at him before laughing out loud and continuing to drink sake.

Damn Izo, damn his brothers and damn his father.

"Marco? If you don't want me to go..."

"No!", Marco quickly replies. "I mean, yes. Yes, I need help. Are you sure you want to come? It's a very boring mission, yoi", he warns.

"Of course I do. If it gets boring we just have to make it fun in our own way", Ace shrugs giving him a knowing smile.

Marco rolls his eyes and smiles. The mission had better go well, or else Marco will be in charge of burning this damned ship with everyone on board.

Marco has witnessed plenty of soulmate unions. He remembers how excited he was as the relationship grew between Toki and Oden, who was doing a lousy job of hiding who his other half was from the crew. For many years, he has hoped to be the protagonist of one of these stories.

It turns out that living a cliché scene is a little more uncomfortable than what the love books say.

"Sorry, I can't fly in this storm", he apologizes as he wrings out his vest on the damp edge of the cold cave where they take refuge.

"Don't worry! It's not my first time on an abandoned island. At least there's food here", says the youngest, pointing to the fruits they found along the way.

"You were on an abandoned island with no food? And you survived?", the blonde sneers.

"Would you believe me if I told you that the only bite I could take was the Mera Mera?"

Marco sits next to his new brother as he listens to him talk about Sixis and his first meeting with Deuce with a smirk. With Ace, he doesn't have to worry about thinking about filling the silence because he is able to speak for both of them. However, as the hours pass, the conversation dies down and the rain begins to echo in the increasingly silent cave. Neither of them feels cold despite the wind and humidity, but they sit uncomfortably beside each other.

Don't do it, he tells his brain. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it...

"Hey Ace, can I ask you something?"

Damn bigmouth.

Ace tenses, they both know what he wants to talk about. Still, the boy nods inviting him to ask.

"What is it that makes you so repulsed about us being soulmates?"

The only answer is silence while both watch the drops fall. The raven sighs heavily as he rests his chin on his knees.

"It's not about us, Marco", Ace says. "It's about... I think it doesn't make sense. It's impossible to love a person just because fate decided it."

The blonde frowns.

"Ace, a soulmate is a person who is there for you. No one forces you to love your soulmate, that just...happens, yoi."

The younger one shakes his head and turns it slightly to look at the commander.

"How could you love a person who should not have been born?"

Marco's eyes widen and all the alarms in his head go off.

"Ace, what do you mean? There isn't a person in the world who shouldn't have been born, we're all here for a reason."

"Not me. I am hated for my very existence, Marco. How could you love me?", he says without hesitation in his tone.

Marco moves to face Ace with a scowl.

"What you're saying doesn't make any sense, Ace. Hate you? There are people who love you, yoi. What about your brother?"

"Luffy is different", he says, shaking his head.

"Yeah, sure. What about your old crew? What about Thatch? And Oyaji?"

And me?, he doesn't say.

"It's different!", he exclaims, standing up hotheaded. "It's different, Marco! They don't know anything and neither do you!"

Keeping his face calm, Marco also stands up.

"What is there to know? That you are an amazing friend? That you are a trustworthy leader? That you are an idiot that many would give their lives for?"

"That I am the son of the devil!"

Marco and Ace look at each other in silence, the latter breathing heavily. Marco frowns as he takes a step forward. Ace steps back.

"Son of the devil? What the hell does that mean, Ace?"

Ace looks like he’s about to run, pouring rain or not. Marco fights the urge to grab the boy's arm to keep him from running away.

"Marco, I...I shouldn't have been born, everyone says so. Nobody wants to have Roger's cursed son hanging around."

Ace starts to run, but Marco moves before he even processes the words. He grabs his soulmate by the shoulders and looks into his eyes as he lets his statement sink in.

"Roger's son…", he murmurs.

"Let me go!", Ace snarls. "I won't let you kill me, I still have to find the answer!"

"Kill you?", Marco smiles dangerously. "No, that would be too easy."

Before Ace can respond, the commander kicks him in the stomach, throwing him against the cave wall. The haki doesn't disappear from the blonde's leg as he walks over to the boy and stomps on the battered body.

"I knew. I knew you…" Ace mutters.

"I don't want to kill you", says Marco. "But right now I'm dying to hit you, yoi."

"You..."

"Listen to me, Ace", Marco crouches down next to the minor's lying body. "You're an idiot, you're stupid, and you probably got dropped one too many times as a baby," he smiles at Ace's offended expression. "There are probably people who would want you dead if they found out about your heritage", he admits thoughtfully. "But don't compare us to those cowards, yoi. None of that matters on my captain's ship, we are all children of the sea and Whitebeard’s sons. Don't be an idiot, stand up and show your back to the world!"

Ace blinks slowly, letting Marco drag himself to his feet. Look at the commander's chest, the way he proudly displays the crew's Jolly Roger.

"If you hate Roger that much, get rid of him. You don't bear his last name or a mark and the blood you share with him is just as red as mine, yoi. Whitebeard has adopted you as his son, you don't have to keep feeling a slave to an inheritance that, in the eyes of your family, does not exist."

"But", Ace speaks in a choked voice. "If someone finds out I have his blood..."

"You can't live in his shadow, Ace. If it upsets you so much that people recognize you as 'Roger's son,' just become an amazing man and make them say, Gold Roger? Oh yeah, he's just the man who spawned the great Fire Fist Ace."

"That bastard… He’d hate to see his name tarnished like that, wouldn't he?", Ace says with the beginning of a smile tugging at his lips.

Marco snorts. "For sure he would hate it, yoi. He was the most selfish guy you can imagine."

Ace rolls his eyes. "You only say that because you haven't met Luffy."

Marco sighs in relief at the mention of Ace's little brother and smiles knowing he's off dangerous ground.

"I don't believe you, he sounds like a good boy."

"And he is! But I feel very sorry for his future crew. And his soulmate? I don't even want to think about that poor bastard", he says, sitting back in the previous position.

The blond smiles and imitates him. He closes his eyes as he listens to his soulmate speak in his ear just as he had before. It's just... Now it's different.

"Marco! Come join us for dinner!"

"Hey, Marco! Do you want to fish with me?"

"Marcooo! I'm bored! Shall we go on a mission?"

"Marco, you're back! I was telling everyone about the time I saved Luffy from a five-meter tiger."

"Marco!"

Marco hides a smile as Ace stands awkwardly in the room doorway. All the commanders are in their seats, including Marco with his captain. To Marco's right is an empty seat that hasn't seen another person since Oden's departure.

"Oyaji?", Ace asks hesitantly. "Whatever they told you, it wasn't me!", he says quickly, glaring at Thatch.

"Gurararara!", the old man laughs heartily. "It's not that, Ace. Come here."

The boy approaches his captain with open curiosity. Whitebeard turns in his seat to look at the young pirate.

"Are you happy here, Ace?", he asks.

Marco sees how an affectionate smile is drawn on his brother's face. It looks a bit like his 'I'm thinking of Luffy' smile and the thought of him smiling like that when thinking of them as his new family makes his heart full.

"A lot”, he admits and Marco melts when Ace's gaze meets his for a few seconds before turning back to the captain. "They are all amazing, Oyaji."

"They are", the older man agrees. "Ace, what do you think of becoming the commander of the Second Division?"

The boy’s eyes widen. His gaze is fixed on the empty seat for a few seconds before answering.

"Oyaji, you... are you sure?"

"I wouldn't propose it if I wasn't."

Ace bites his lip as he looks at all the commanders thoughtfully.

"Can you give me time to think about it?", he asks.

"As much as you need", his father offers.

Ace nods and shares a little look with Marco before heading out the door. The First Commander shakes his head, not caring in the least. He wonders if he should warn Whitebeard that he will have a little visitor soon. The next day, everyone is celebrating the announcement of the new commander.

"You seem happy", Thatch says, sitting down next to him.

"Everyone seems happy, idiot", he replies, feigning annoyance.

"Allow me to rectify myself, you look like an idiot looking at Ace with that goofy grin."

Marco arches an eyebrow as he looks at the cook. The other commander shrugs and smiles before raising his drink to his mouth. It surprises him that he isn't still reeling seeing that even Ace and his fiendish metabolism have given way tonight.

"I wish I had a mirror handy every time you look at Izo, yoi", he answers.

"My dear brother", Thatch says with a dramatic sigh. "I know you want to give him his space and all, but Ace is the most oblivious guy I've ever met. By the time he realizes what he wants, you'll all be wizened!"

"Wizen...?"

"Nobody likes it flabby, not even if it's from the amazing Marco the Phoenix", the man continues.

"Thatch, I’ll..."

"And let me tell you, Marco, you're not as young as you seem to think. Fruit is only enjoyed when it's ripe!"

"Thatch, I'm two seconds away from throwing you overboard, yoi."

The cook sighs and pats his brother on the shoulder.

"Best of luck, Marco. No pressure, but we'll all be happier when you finally get laid so hurry up."

"..."

Ace giggles and brings his alcohol-flushed face closer to Marco's face shamelessly.

"Marco, someone just threw Thatch into the sea", he stammers.

"Don't worry about it, he knows how to swim. Now go to sleep, Ace."

Marco doesn't think much about Thatch's words. He knows that Ace has his own demons, and until he loves himself, he won't leave space for someone else. Despite the limits implicitly imposed, their relationship is everything they ever wanted and more. He just needs to sit next to him, feel his head on his shoulder, and see his smile. Every time he hears him laugh, he feels more filled than ever.

Everything is fine, the missing piece has fitted correctly and Marco doesn't need anything else to be happy. He wonders what he did to deserve so much love with his father, his brothers and his soulmate.

So much is the calm that by the time the storm arrives, everyone has lowered their guard.

Teach is a traitor, Thatch is dead, and Ace disobeys his father's orders.

He watches as Ace pushes his brothers aside and heads for the railing of Moby Dick. Everyone is pale, Marco still feels that his knees will give out at any moment. Ace seems more composed than all of them and Marco envies how assertive he looks.

"Ace, don't do it", Izo says with a small voice. "I don't have a good feeling about this either."

Others beg in the same way, but Ace ignores all of them. Marco doesn't know when he started walking but is surprised when he reaches out to grab his soulmate's bicep.

"You can't stop me", Ace says, staring off into the horizon.

Yes, I can , his mind says. I am strong, I can knock you out, I can lock you in seastone manacles until you cool your head. It is what I want to do. It is what everyone wants .

"Ace", his voice is shaky, the image of Thatch's lifeless body playing on a loop in his head. "Ace, stay."

"I can't."

Marco has never felt so vulnerable and powerless. He blames the weakness of the moment for the next words he utters.

"If you really love me, you'll stay here", he says with a stability in his voice that he didn't expect to have. "Stay, yoi."

He doesn't care that everyone is watching and doesn't mind looking weaker than ever, he needs Ace to stay. He can't lose him too.

But Ace shakes his head without meeting his eyes, pulls his arm away and jumps to his striker.

After that, all Marco knows is pain .

The pain of seeing his soulmate's face in a newspaper along with the words 'public execution'.

The pain of seeing Ace kneeling on the gallows.

The pain of hearing his cries.

Pain like the bullets that pierce him while he is helpless by the seastone.

Pain like the moment the blades come down on his soulmate's neck and his rookie brother is the only one to stop him.

Pain like when his breath catches when he sees Ace and Luffy under an explosion of gunpowder.

And after all that, there's a second where he can breathe.

He can breathe, he's still breathing, and he doesn't understand how it's possible. A fist of magma has pierced his lungs. How can he keep breathing?

Oh, because it's not his lungs. They are Ace's.

Ace lies collapsed on the body of his little brother. His mouth moves as he whispers a few last words to his younger brother and his eyes begin to water. Then he looks up and his eyes meet Marco's.

There was never a kiss or an 'I love you', but Marco never needed them. That look was enough.

"Ah. It's the first time I've seen your soulmate mark", Ace said as he gently stroked the blue and gold feathers. "I don't understand when you saw this and thought that having a soulmate was a good idea."

"Shut up and stop staring at me, yoi. We're watching the sunset", Marco muttered grateful his blush didn't spread to his animal form.

"Now that I'm a commander, I don't have to listen to you", replied the boy with a chuckle.

"Brat, yoi."

"Damned bastard chicken."

They both exchanged a glance and began to laugh.

"Marco..."

"Hm, yoi?"

"Thank you."

For those words you said to me before I joined the crew, for making me love my soulmate mark and for loving me.

"You're welcome, Ace."