"If it's a girl Ann, if it's a boy Ace."
- Portgas D Rogue -
The rookie pirate had put up a good fight Marco thought from atop the Moby's figurehead as he watched Oyaji extended his hand out to the defeated brat.
With his hearing, even from this distance, Marco could hear Pops ask the fire wielder to become his son. He had a feeling that would be the case when the Old Man had first set eyes on the brat as he lay next to an equally exhausted Jinbi, still somehow managing to get to his feet and square off against Pops when they'd shown up. It was impressive to say the least. Even fire fists crew would more than likely end up as part of the family Marco thought as he surveyed the members of the Spade Pirates who stood on the edge of the clearing watching and waiting to see what happened next.
His attention was drawn back to his Pops when Ace roared "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" before making one last ditch effort to attack the old geezer. However the young pirate was easily subdued by a punch, the Old Man not even having to use Haki because the fire brat was so worn out.
Marco knew shit was about to hit the proverbial fan when Pops picked up the downed teenager and the young pirates crew yelled out in protest. However nothing could of prepared his for what happened next.
He'd seen a lot of strange and next to impossible things in his time as a pirate while being apart of the Old Man's crew... but he had no explanation for the torrent of flames that was currently heading towards his Pops.
The fire Logia was currently unconscious over the top of Oyaji's shoulder... wasn't he?
I expected something like this to happen, it always bloody did. Ace got himself into the shit with that ego of his and I had to pull him out of it.
I'd watched the hotheaded idiot fight against Jinbi, a frigging Shichibukai, for the better part of five long damn days and then like the fool I knew him to be he went up against Whitebeard as soon as the Yonko had shown up.
And I was quite content to leave him to his fight and hang in the background to keep the crew from doing anything stupid as I knew full well that I'd have to be the one to bandage him up and deal with his foul mood once this was done. I was literally the only one on our crew who could withstand his fire based outburst and attitude.
Maybe Whitebeard could knock some sense into the idiot?
But my decision to just sit back and watch went up in flames when, instead of leaving my idiot brother on the ground like I thought the Yonko would do, the giant man picked Ace up and slung him over his shoulder before turning around to walk back to his ship.
That's when I saw red... literally.
I shot myself at Whitebeard in a torrent of flames, noticing the genuine surprise in his wide eyes as I came at him. My brother was the show pony, I preferred to keep to the shadows. It's why I didn't have a bounty poster and aside from our crew and a few dead pirates who I'd been forced to use my abilities on, no one knew that technically there were two Mera Mera No Mi users running around.
The world government was already after us because we were pirates, not to mention Ace had told them to stick their offer of making him a Shichibukai up their double standard arse's. We didn't need them after us because we'd somehow done the supposedly impossible. I had no intention of being a lab rat thank you very much. I was only out here to keep my idiotic twin from getting himself killed like what happened to our other brother Sabo. Not make a name for myself.
But it seemed that even though I was fresh faced and raring to go all it took from the Yonko was one solid punch - that my logia abilities somehow weren't able to protect me from - and I was down on the ground clutching my stomach as I coughed up blood.
What the fuck was that about?
With blackness dancing on the edge of my vision I made one last ditch effort to retrieve my brother but was instantly felled to the ground, my jean clad knees hitting with enough force to rip holes in the fabric, as an invisible force that felt like someone had just dropped a ship on me weighed me down.
I screamed out my frustration as red flames licked up my arms briefly before fading while I could hear the crew yell out my name in panic. It wasn't often that I got my arse beet, normally I was patching up our idiot Captain.
Somehow during the fight - if you could even call it that. More like a one sided arse kicking - Ace's orange hat that I had been keeping safe had fallen off my head, taking my red bandanna with it and allowing my untameable mess of ringlets to fly free. I used the last of my strength to try and search for the orange monstrosity and my precious red bandanna that our younger brother Luffy had given Ace and I as presents before we'd left.
My long strawberry blonde locks that Gramps said looked so much like my mothers were obscuring my line of sight slightly as they hung loosely around my face, but not enough that I wasn't able to see the precious objects that were scant feet in front of me as I reached out for them.
However it wasn't until I suddenly collapsed forward under the crushing invisible assault and strong arms caught me before my face smashed into the ground that I realised I'd failed to notice someone was sneaking up on me. And the person wasn't part of my crew who I could still hear yelling my name with renewed fear.
"Please don't take my brother from me." I begged from the stranger before darkness finally claimed my mind.
Marco carried the small blonde back to the ship as Pops carried the women's Captain, easily leaping up onto the Moby with her as Pops's did the same with the still unconscious pirate that was slung over the Old Man's shoulder. The other commanders took care of the rest of the Spade Pirate crew that had attacked in a futile attempt to get their two crew members back. At least they were loyal to the end, which was always a good quality to have in a crew.
He'd picked up the strange orange hat and red piece of fabric that the blonde had been reaching for right before she'd passed out, handing them to Thatch as the commander had come to stand between him and Pops.
They'd known Ace was a devil fruit user, his nickname of 'Fire Fist' a well earned epithet from the young pirates overzealous tendency to rely heavily on his logia abilities, but the pirate in his arms was completely unknown to him.
"So was I seeing things, or did they both turn into fire?" Thatch asked loudly as Marco laid the women down on one of the stretchers that had been placed on Moby's deck while the Old Man did the same with Ace, the nurses fussing around the pair as Curiel came over to look at their injuries. Ace was definitely in worse shape than his crew member. Marco stayed crouching beside her even as one of the nurses pulled the long sleeved white button down shirt and red singlet that was under it up to reveal the darkening bruise now adoring her stomach.
Marco had been surprised that she'd not only taken one of the Old Mans Haki enforced punches but she'd managed to stay conscious for more time than most rookies did when faced with the Old Mans Haoshoku Haki, which was an impressive feet.
"What was it she said to you my son?"
Marco looked over at the Old Man as he sat down into his chair that was built into the main deck. "She begged us not to take her brother from her, yoi."
"Interesting." Was all Pops would say as some of the nurses began to fuss over him.
Just as he was about to question the Old Man over the fact that he obviously knew more than what he was letting on a strangled gasp sounded followed by a few sputtering coughs before the small blonde laying down in front of him sat up with surprising speed and aimed at fiery punch straight at his head.
Marco managed to catch the burning appendage and his own blue flames came out to repair the damage her fire was causing, the blue intertwining with the red and turning purple in places while causing a strange feedback to flow up his arm. His eyes went to hers as he heard the low gasp, noticing the wide chocolate stare and how her lightly freckled cheeks went red as she tried to pry her hand back.
He let her have it back and watched as her shoulders tensed and her gaze bounced around those on deck before landing on Ace who was a few feet away being bandaged up by Curiel. He saw her visibly relax a fraction as she breathed out a sigh of relief.
Movement behind him however had her tensing again and Marco looked over his shoulder to see the unconscious members of the Spade Pirates, most of who were being carried by Jozu, Blenheim and Atmos, being put down onto the deck.
"They're only unconscious, yoi. You're not in any danger unless you do something stupid." He said in reassurance as he turned back to her.
However now her jaw was clenched and her once warm chocolate eyes held a fierceness to them that sent a small shiver down his spine as her gaze looked onto where the Old Man was sitting. "What do you want from us Whitebeard?" Even through clenched teeth her voice was smooth like silk and sweet like honey.
"I'll offer you the same thing I offered your Captain, if you still want to fight then take my name and roam the seas wild and free. Become my daughter." Marco tensed next to her, expecting the supposed fire user to react in the same volatile manner Ace had to Pops question.
Instead she threw her head back and laughed and he noticed everyone raise their brows at her reaction. No one had ever laughed before when Pops had offered them a place on his crew as apart of his family.
"So that's what you said to get the baka so upset." Marco watched her continue to chuckle for a few more seconds before wiping under her eyes and looking back at Pops with a wide grin. "It's up to that idiot over there." She pointed to the now bandaged and still unconscious Ace. "I go wherever he goes. No ifs, buts or maybes." She chuckled some more. "But I do look forward to you trying to convince him to join you," She stood up and Marco got to his feet too, watching her as she brushed the dirt off her ripped shin tight jeans while still slightly chuckling "he's a stubborn as they come and it should provide me with hours of entertainment."
Marco's impassive expression failed him for the moment and he actually raised a quizzical brow. What exactly was the blondes relationship to the black haired pirate captain?
"What's your name brat?" Marco was just as curious as his captain for that answer.
"The names Ann, Sir. Portgas D Ann." She said with a wide grin before she walked off towards where the members of her crew laid, some of which were coming round to consciousness. "Now that I know you're not going to hurt my twin you'll get no trouble from me." She threw over her shoulder.
Portgas D Ann... Portgas D Ace... Marco was still trying get the information through his head. She was Ace's twin? They'd never seen a wanted poster of the women and even when the newspaper had been reporting that the world government was offering the rookie a place in the ranks of the Shichibukai there hadn't been any mention of a sibling... let alone a twin sister.
He found himself momentarily watching her heart shaped arse as her hips swung in a mesmerising manner while the heels of her knee high sea boots clapped against the deck as she walked over to one of her awake crew mates.
"I like that one. She's got spunk." His stupor was broken as Thatch slung his arm over Marcos shoulders. "But how the hell are both of them fire type Logias?" There was no doubt that they possessed the same abilities, the only other fire type user Marco knew of was that asshole marine. But that was lava and not fire, which both Ace and Ann definitely used.
"Why don't you go ask her, yoi." He pushed Thatch's arm off his shoulder and then pointed to the strange cowboy hat and red cloth that the ginger still held. "You can give those back to her while you're at it."
Thatch had a knack for getting people to drop their guard and he had a feeling that the normally prank happy idiots easy nature would come in handy this time. Not just with getting the information out of the blonde on how both her and Ace possessed the same devil fruit, but when it came to convincing the blondes volatile brother to stay.
Because Marco really wanted the interesting pair to stay.
"Where's Captain." I sat my sore arse down next to Roman with a groan. Ok my arse didn't hurt as much as my guts did. How in the hell had the old coot hit me while I'd been fire? Id seen no frigging Kairoseki, just Whitebeards fist and arm turning a blacky-purple colour seconds before he'd thumped me.
"He's unconscious and getting his injuries taken care of." I lifted my shirts back up and winced at the dark bruise that covered most of my abdomen. "It's going to be hilarious when he wakes up. I wish I could go get my camera from our ship so I could document what he does... maybe make him a commemorative scrapbook."
Beside me Roman groaned, he knew how much I liked to torment Ace when I thought he'd acted like a moron. "You're such a lovely sister."
"His fault, look at what I got from trying to rescue his stupid ass." I laid down and pulled the shirts further up, exposing more of the tender flesh.
"That looks like it hurts"
I looked up to see a ginger haired man with a goatee grinning at me while holding my twins beloved hat. "No... it feels like the greatest pleasure I've ever had." I drawled "I'm practically orgasming from it."
Roman snorted beside me, he was used to my sarcasm, but the ginger pirate wasn't. He spluttered and blushed, causing me to laugh which turned into one of those laughing whimpers as pain lanced through my stomach. "What the fuck did he hit me with?" I groaned while clutching my gut.
"Busoshoku Haki." He simply said as if I should know exactly what that was.
"And what the fuck is Bous... Bush... fucking Haki?" I managed to get out, completely giving up on trying to pronounce the first word.
"Something a rookie like you probably hasn't encountered yet." The ginger came and sat down on the other side of me, handing me Ace's hat as he did so. "Here, I thought you'd want your hat and this back. They seemed pretty important to you."
"It's my dumbass twins hat." I lifted my head to glare at Ace as I stuffed my bandanna into my pocket, but he was no longer on deck and I sort of panicked a bit.
"They moved him to one of the spare room towards the back of the ship. Pops has a feeling that he won't be that friendly when he wakes up." A man with a top hat and the most ridiculous moustache I'd ever seen informed me as he sat with us. "I'm Vista by the way, I see Thatch has already introduced his annoying self."
I snorted at Vistas comment about my brother as the man he'd called Thatch protested that he was about to introduce himself as I laid my head back down. They had no idea how bratty Ace could truly be but they were about to find out. "I'd burn this ugly thing to ash as payback for the mess he's put us in if not for the fact that it was a very dear present."
"Speaking of fire..." I looked at the ginger "How are you both users of the same fruit?"
I groaned, well the cat was out of the bag now so to speak so I might as well tell them. "Because my very special sibling decided that we should see if sharing a devil fruit was possible and hey presto we both ended up as fire Logias. No I have no idea how" I stated before they had a chance to ask "only that if the world government knew we'd be hunted for reasons besides the fact that we're pirates. And we have enough shit to worry about already."
"Like what?"
"Like none of your business Mr Thatch." He didn't get offended at my words, only laughed. It wasn't only my secret to tell so I'd keep my mouth shut on the subject.
"Have any of yous got a camera?" I asked to change the subject.
Thatch looked at me with curiosity "Why?"
"Because my guts hurt too much to go get mine and I want to document Ace's inevitable temper tantrum." I groaned once more at the pain.
"I'll give you mine but first you're coming with me to see one of the doctors. Pops hits pretty hard." Well that was a fucking understatement. I nodded at Thatch, letting him help pull me to my feet. I didn't get far before I turned and dashed over to the closest railing and vomited over the side of the ship. Ace was definitely going to pay for this.
I felt a gentle hand rubbing circles on my back and looked over my shoulder to see Thatch's concerned face as I heaved and moaned in misery. "Common, after you see the doctors I'll take you to your brother's room."
My arm ended up over Thatch's shoulders and his arm around my waist as I leaned on him heavily and practically let him carry me to where I presumed was medical aid. "Hell no, you lot kidnapped him, you get to deal with the fallout."
About half an hour later I didn't have to worry about the possibility of having to deal with my pissy sibling when he woke up seeing as a man called Curiel and one who was literally called Doc and was a doctor - irony - informed me that the Old Man's punch had ruptured my appendix and they needed to remove it.
I'd been out like a light seconds after Doc finished putting the strong aesthetic in my system.
Ace was definitely going to fucking pay for this.
"Thatch..." Marcos normally calm demeanour had crumbled slightly after the ginger had barged into Pops room while Marco had been discussing with the Old Man what they were going to do with the Spade Pirates ship and mumbled something about Ann before just standing in the doorway fiddling with his hands. "Just spit it out already yoi."
"Well... you see..." Marco was about to yell at the idiot when his next words came out in such a fast jumbled mess that Marco almost couldn't understand him. "WhenPopshitAnnwithhisHakiherupturedherappendixandnowDochastoremoveitbeforeitexplodesandkillsher." Thatch mouthed the word boom while trying to imitate an explosion with his hands.
Marco blinked a few times as the words sunk in before turning a concerned gaze to the silent Man in the corner of the room. Bumps, cuts and bruises like the Old Man had given Ace were one thing but Pops had never liked inflicting any true damage on the people he considered family. And Marco could see that the Pirate considered the twins family already, no matter what the pair said.
"Will the brat be alright?" He could hear the strain in Oyaji's voice.
"Well she was well enough to laugh at me and tell me to have fun informing her sibling of this when he asks where she is. Said Ace would probably go homicidal over it and to take pictures." Thatch said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Ann was certainly taking this better than Ace. "She also told me to tell you Pops, and I quote 'this is all my dumbass twins fault so don't blame yourself or I'll come up here and kick your arse after I'm done with my idiot brothers'."
Marco grinned as Pops laughed.
"That cheeky brat." Marco could tell that the Old Man still felt guilty over the fact the he'd unknowingly seriously injured Ann, but her words had managed to lessen his guilt and make the Yonko laugh.
Marco liked the female pirate already.
Who do you think tells Ace about Ann?
I had to do it... -.- I had to write another of these god damn headache inducing stories... This one was prompted by a fanfic pic I saw of Ace and 'Ann' standing back to back (although she had black hair which I chose not to do because I didn't need them to be too similar)
As Always Enjoy
Xhex xoxo