Work Text:
Monkey D. Luffy didn’t lie when he said he would check on Ace more often.
His first visit ever to the Whitebeard pirates was already two weeks ago and he had called two times, monopolizing Ace on the denden mushi for over an hour each time.
Ace, their newest brother (not counting the whole crew he had before), adapted well on the ship. Since his brother’s visit, the young pyromaniac was more open to them, laughing more, caring more for them all, even if his original crew took often precedence in everything.
Marco was not surprise by that. Ace was a captain for a year before joining them, he had people to guide and protect.
The Spades, Ace’s crew, were a bit shy with them, despite officially joining for a month and a half. Again, totally understandable, Whitebeard was a bit intimidating for newcomers.
From the crow’s nest, Marco eyed the second division who was on deck duty. The Spades merged with that division when they accepted to become part of their crew. It seemed to the phoenix that everyone was on speaking term in that division, saved for Teach who avoided them like the plague.
Actually, Marco didn’t see Teach on the deck. He sighed, he needed Jain, the actual second in command of the division, to hunt down his lazy subordinate again.
While descending from the mast and strolling through the people, Marco eyed a blond boy, cover with a full black cloak, discussing with Deuce. That was another man in the Spade’s crew he didn’t catch the name of – Marco didn’t think he saw him often before today. The guy was rather shy. He didn’t think it through, they would eventually grew closer as time passed.
And closer they were going to grew, but he didn’t know that at the time.
The sun was blinding Thatch as he took guard at the head of the Moby Dick. They were sailing for two days without encountering other ships besides merchants who didn’t dare approach.
The monotony was killing him. Haruta, his prank-accomplice, was only returning in a week and the large ship was rather quiet.
“OI!” An angry voice rang across the deck.
Immediately, Thatch’s attention was caught by the mess that their youngest brother made.
Ace was a prankster just like him, but he often refused the cook’s help to raise hell on the ship. Right now, the flame boy was evading a very curiously dressed Izou while laughing.
Thatch’s mind became blank as he eyed the state Izou was in. Disheveled, hair everywhere, make-up undone and clothes torn apart by what seemed to be claws.
“I will murder you!” The sniper yelled while shooting the flaming, laughing, newest addition to their crew.
“But you look better like this!” Ace retort.
Ouch, worst thing to say. Thatch was sure the young man would get injured, he just needed to watch as the angry red creeping on Izou’s cheeks.
“Come back here you little shit! Let me perforate you skin!”
“Nope, I like my body as it is!”
“GURARARARARA!” The Moby Dick shook from the booming laugh their father let escape.
“Oyaji!” Izou cried with a look akin to betrayal.
Thatch didn’t listen further to Izou’s plea because a chuckle came from his right side.
Right side where no one was standing minutes prior!
Thatch did an abrupt turnaround and watched a member of the crew laughing behind his hand.
“What?”
“Sorry, didn’t think I would startle you,” the young man said while bowing slightly.
The blond boy was a member of the former Spades. It was one of the shiest member because Thatch only saw him a couple of time these last two days. And the man always stuck with Deuce or another Spade.
“I think it’s cute,” the man continued.
“What do you mean, cute? Who, Ace?”
“Yup, he was a bit too calm to not plan something these last two days.”
“That speaks of experience.” Thatch was fishing for information. He didn’t grew that close to Ace since Strawhat’s visit. And damn, he wanted to be close to him.
“For all the time I knew him, I don’t think there was a day without planning a prank or a new adventure.”
“Seems like you didn’t have an easy life with him as captain,” Thatch sympathized.
The comment drew a sharp laugh from the young man.
“Life is fun with him. If we didn’t team up back then, I don’t think I would have grown to be the man I am now.”
When Ace came to them to take refuge behind Thatch, the young blond made himself scarce.
“Thatch, help me! Your prank didn’t go well!” Ace shouted.
“WHAT?! Ace, what are you talking…”
“So it was you idea,” Izou’s deadly tone sent shivers through Thatch’s body.
“Wait, Izou, listen…”
And now, Thatch was also chased by a trigger-happy commandant.
No one noticed as the dubbed shy blond chuckled while disappearing inside of the ship.
The crew was having fun!
Well except for the captain who was sulking like a child against the mainmast. People close to him heard the captain mutter about unfairness, but no one took the time to placate the man. They were just enjoying the sight.
Rookies were attacking and, funny thing, they thought they had a fair chance against an Emperor’s crew! They didn’t even have a plan and the enemy captain got into the New World with a bounty of 50 millions berries… Risible!
After three days without animation on the sea, Marco was now enjoying toying with the captain, when a shot missed him by an inch. The first mate of their crew – at least Marco thought it was the first mate – may have a lucky star because he did break out of the crow to come assist his captain. Not that the man deserved it, seeing as he sneered at his crew mate.
“Hey there, play with me,” a voice came form Marco’s left side.
Flabbergasted, the Phoenix eyed the blond man from the Spades take down the other first mate with a pipe! Who the hell use a pipe in a fight?! Ace’s previous crew mates were insane!
Marco took down the hostile captain shortly after, but by the time the man flied overboard, the blond whom he still didn’t know the name of already vanished, as did his opponent.
“What a strange man he is, that shy one,” Marco mused before returning on the Moby Dick where he now had to deal with a very childlike captain.
Haruta’s scream was audible from across the deck.
And as they would usually ignore it because it was a recurring thing when the pranksters were at work, they didn’t. Because that scream was filled with genuine fear.
Everyone converged urgently towards the shout and Marco arrived first among the commanders. He watched as Haruta dissolved in panic while the other members of the 12th division hesitated to approach their commander.
“Haruta, what happened?” Marco asked calmly as he closed in.
“He is here… I saw him! What is he doing here?!”
Waiting patiently for his hysteria to calm down a bit, Thatch, Izou and Curiel made everyone else return to their previous activities.
When Haruta finally stopped sobbing, a determined look – even if scared – came across his face.
“We need to go to Oyaji immediately.”
As they processed through the ship, they were eyed by every pirate but no one said anything, much to Marco’s pleasure.
The first mate still didn’t know what happened to Haruta, but there didn’t seem to be any immediate danger.
“Actually,” Haruta said while slowing his steps, “I don’t know if it is wise to tell Oyaji. I may have imagined him…”
“Are you a hundred percent sure?” Thatch retorted.
“… Well, no. But it’s stupid to think that the guy would ever be on this ship…”
As they talked, they made it to the captain and the man in front of them didn’t hesitate to take Haruta in his arms.
“Haruta, son, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Oyaji. I just thought I saw someone terrifying.”
“Who was he anyway?” Izou asked.
“It’s stupid!” Haruta denied. “He couldn’t be here.”
“Son, you are obviously shaken. Even if he is not here, it doesn’t hurt to be on guard.”
The silence filled the deserted deck before Haruta seemed to lose the battle in his mind and open his mouth to reveal who was causing his panic.
“It was the Revolutionaries’ second in command.”
Izou and Thatch both choked on air, while Whitebeard, Marco and Curiel said nothing.
“I know:” Haruta shouted. “It is impossible for him to be here! The Revolution Army doesn’t mess with Pirates!”
“I think you are the only one in our crew to have ever come across him. No one here know what he looks like. I wonder who he is…” Curiel wondered.
“Please tell me he isn’t here!” Thatch wined. “It is said the man is insanely strong!”
“You are not helping you shitty cook!” Haruta screamed.
“Hey! Take that back, you little…”
“I. AM. NOT. LITTLE!”
Before the small quarrel could dissolve into a screaming fight, Whitebeard placed his hands on their shoulders.
“What does that boy look like, Haruta?”
“He is young, barely in his twenties. Blond hair, a scar across the face but I don’t remember where exactly…” Haruta described.
Marco and Thatch both jumped at the description.
“That’s one of Ace’s crew mates!” Thatch exclaimed. “Why is a Revolutionary part of Ace’s crew?!”
“He confounded him, obviously,” Marco sighed while hitting Thatch before turning to Haruta. “It makes sense you would confuse him with that man. One of the Spades fits your description. You were not enough on board with them to memorize all of their faces. That was probably him you saw.”
Haruta was thinking.
“That makes sense. The guy was accompanying Deuce.”
“See, no Revolution guy on board!” Thatch said, and there wasn’t a debate on who was the most relieved.
Even Haruta laughed at the 4th division commander. The captain didn’t say a thing, but the hug he was still giving his shortest son was less tight.
…
And there came the apocalypse.
Innocent – or at least trying to be –, Ace closed in with the most devilish angelic smile Marco ever witnessed.
“Yo! I heard an interesting noise about half an hour ago. Who wants to go investigate the sound? I’m very invest in recreating it…”
“Fuck off, you half-arsed lighter!” Haruta responded to the implication that was intended for him.
“Hey! I’m proud of my flames!”
“Oh! Great that you’re here, Ace!” The captain smiled. “Mind introducing us to one of the Spades?”
“Don’t you already know them?” Ace questioned with a puzzled face.
“There are still names we don’t remember, but one of your crew members reminded Haruta of someone else so we want to clear the mistake.”
“Haruta’s scream probably frightened your crew member. So, please call you blond crew mate,” Izou explained.
Ace’s eyebrows shot up high on his face. “Hublot is not one to to shy away when screamed at, but sure…”
“Not him, the other blond,” Curiel said.
“Ain’t another blond in the Spades.”
“Yes, there is! I saw him with Deuce!” Thatch insisted, along with Marco’s nod.
“Still don’t know who that is. Deuce!” Ace shouted to the masked man. “Who was the blond pirate you were often seen with lately?”
“Oh! That guy? Dunno, didn’t catch a name when he came to talk. Isn’t he one of the Whitebeard’s?”
Silence. Then Haruta mumbled. “Just your fucking imagination, he was not real…”
Thatch was rather loud with his reaction. “Then who was he?!”
“Seems like we have a stoaway on our ship.” Whitebeard said.
Ace frown altogether with the commanders. That was something they didn’t think of. And it was unsettling. How long was the guy on this ship? No one saw him or reported seeing him come onboard.
“I’m sure he’s part of your crew, Ace.” Thatch said. “The guy knew you, he said things only someone who know you personally would say!”
“I don’t accuse you of lying,” Ace tempered. “But I can’t pinpoint the man you’re talking about. I don’t think I’ve seen him.”
“Do you at least have a crew member who fights with a pipe?” Marco sighed, already forming a plan to flush the intruder out. He, at least, guessed there wasn’t many people who would choose this weapon.
That comment made Ace turn around.
“A pipe?! You saw a blond guy fighting with a pipe?!”
“Does that ring a bell?” Curiel asked.
“Yes, it does! And I will strangle him…” Then Ace look up at the sky and shouted. “Hey, Sabo! Come here, you little shit! I know you are listening!”
Silence.
They waited.
And waited.
Nothing seemed to move.
Then a black silhouette appeared soundlessly behind Ace.
“You called?”
“GAAAAH! WHAT THE FUCK, SABO! Who told you to appear behind me?!”
“I took the liberty to do so.”
Ace groaned before grabbing the man by the collar and shake. It was clear that no animosity took over Ace, neither over the blond man who was laughing.
When Ace finally let the guy apparently named Sabo go, he grabbed him by the shoulders before turning to the small, speechless group.
“Guys, meet Sabo, the guy who shouldn’t be here. What in the bloody hell are you even doing on the Moby Dick?!”
“… Tourism?” The stranger had the gall to say.
Marco was already tired, and they still didn’t know who the man really was and what he was doing on their ship. Also, what was his relationship with their youngest brother?
“The more I look at you, the more you resemble the second in command of the Revolution Army,” Haruta hissed.
Both Ace and Sabo turned to him with a wicked grin.
“Oh, that’s because I am. Please don’t stress about it.” That was the response of the blond guy.
Silence.
“WHAT?!” All the commander exclaimed.
“I’m sorry, I should’ve introduce myself properly,” he said while throwing Ace’s arm off his shoulders. The man stood straight before bowing slightly. “My name is Sabo and I am the Revolution Army’s chief of staff. Nice to meet you.”
“What is a Revolutionary doing on my ship?” Whitebeard asked.
“Oh, I’m also the twin brother of this aggressive goofball” He declared while leaning on Ace’s shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of him, I know he’s a handful.”
“Says you!”
But Sabo was not stopping. “I am also very aware that Ace and I are sharing the same brain.” He was indifferent at Ace’s tentative to silence him. “Although, I’m the one who got all the brain cells, but that doesn’t seem to affect him.”
All the commanders tried to navigate between all the information they were showered with and then it seemed to hit them.
“There is another one?!” Thatch screamed, he was close to lose it.
“Oh, yeah. Didn’t I tell you about him?”
“Please, tell me there’s no one else!” Izou pleaded. “I barely got over the fact that Monkey D. Luffy was your older brother!”
“Oh, glad you mentioned him,” Sabo took Ace’s ear between his fingers and twisted.
“Ow! What the heck, Sabo!”
“Care to tell me why I had to wait for Luffy to tell me you were on another Emperor’s ship?”
“Weren’t you on a mission? Ow! Let me go!
“You know damn well who you can contact if I am out of reach! I was worried, you dumb fucker!”
Marco, his brothers and their father observed the two younger ones’ argument dissolve into a mock fight… Well, not so fake anymore as Haki and Devil’s fruit abilities were used.
“Don’t set the ship on fire, yoi!”
“GURARARARARARA!”
As usual, the ship trembled along with the captain’s booming laugh, taking the twins – as Sabo introduced them – by surprise.
“I am still not over the fact that you infiltrated my ship, but family of family is family! Welcome onboard.”
“Thank you,” Sabo replied while taking a top hat from goddamn knows where and tilting it on his head as he nodded gratefully. “But my family lies with both my brothers, no one else.”
“Gurarara! You’re just like Strawhat!”
Sabo took the compliment with a smile before frowning and inched closer with an air that screamed secrecy.
“I don’t want to sound bossy. But, you need to pay more attention to the people that board your ship, especially after recruiting new crews.”
“And pray tell what a little boy like you would know about how to manage a crew?”
Ouch, Marco thought. Oyaji is annoyed.
Before answering, the young man took a folder from his jacket.
“I did my research on your crew. I wouldn’t let Ace here if you were not on par with our morals, whatever Luffy would say. Your crew is okay, I guess. But there are some people who are not upholding your principles on this ship. I won’t let Ace get hurt, even by accident, because you didn’t reign in your… dissident members.”
That’s it, Oyaji is now pissed, every commander thought.
“Sabo, what are you playing at?” Ace tried to diffuse the situation.
Portgas D. Ace was not stupid, he wasn’t academic smart, but he was… people smart, as Luffy would put it. He excelled at analyzing others and their interactions. And right now, if he didn’t remind them he was there, they would probably fight. And if Sabo was anything close to his level, he would lose the fight.
Sabo was also pissed because the tall man didn’t want to at least listen to what he had to say. “People are wearing masks, Whitebeard. When you decided to take Ace as you son and, when Ace accepted, you also became someone close to family. I won’t care for you like a close member of mine, but I won’t let your crew dissolve into nothingness when I can help it!”
“What in the bloody fuck are you even talking about?” Haruta asked from behind Izou. The sniper understood his position, the blond was now upholding his reputation of one of the most terrifying man in the world.
“Here,” Sabo said, agitating the folder, “is a list of every crew member that conspired in your back.”
“And why would we trust you?” Curiel mused. “Beside being Ace’s brother, you don’t mean anything to us.”
“I don’t ask to be trusted, if I wanted to make Ace leave this ship, I would’ve already done this.”
Still silent, Marco wondered how they got that fast from a goofing subject to this terrible mood.
“If we take that folder, you won’t feel insulted if we do you own research on them?” Marco tried while closing in.
Sabo let a crooked smile creep on his face. “I would’ve been disappointed if you took it for granted.”
And just like that, the gloomy, terrifying, absolutely serious mood lift up.
“Let us investigate another time.” Whitebeard said. “Now is a time for a reunion party!”
“Oyaji, you health!” Marco stressed, again.
“Live a little, son!”
“You always say that!”
“As fun as it would be, I won’t be able to stay. I already took ten days before being discover and I can’t let my work pile up on my desk. I made sure Ace didn’t die and was happy here, so I’m taking my leave.”
“And how would you go? We are in the middle of the sea, there’s no island close.” Izou remarked.
“Same as I came here, don’t worry.”
“You should’ve say something when you arrived, dumbass. We would’ve been able to spend time together.” Ace mumbled while fixing his hat on his head.
Sabo cooed. “You’re such a cutie. Don’t fret, I will be back soon enough.”
“Hey, you little shit, you take that back!”
And Sabo ran to the railing, followed by a very angry and very flaming blackhead. Sabo jumped overboard, making everyone’s heart miss a beat. They rushed to the railing and discovered Sabo waving at them on a small boat which wasn’t here before!
“What the fuck.” Thatch summarized all of their thoughts.
“See you again, Ace!”
“Be safe, Sabo!”
And just like that, the boat sailed away.
“That was a dream.” Haruta declared.
“Agreed.” Thatch, Curiel and Izou followed.
Marco snorted. Of course it would go there. The last hour looked like a hurricane.
“And that was my little brother, ain’t he cute?”
“Sure, Ace, sure.” Haruta and Thatch responded.
“GURARARARA! You truly have a lovely family, son.”
“I know, they’re the best!”
And just like another day, they resumed their previous activities. Everyone returned to what they were previously doing.
Marco returned in his cabin, the folder still in his hands. He would drop it on his desk and study it later. Now, he had to manage his division.