The blond sat back in his office chair in the back of his hair salon, a sigh escaping his lips. It was really quiet today. His half-lidded eyes glanced casually out of his office to look at the near-empty salon only to see his brother lying back in one of the unused salon chairs, snoring. Ace had been hanging out in his salon every day for the past month since his 'death'; it was getting annoying.

"Oi! Wake up!" Marco demanded, walking out of his office towards Ace.

"Come on, tell me I can't interest you in this look-it'd suit you well!" He almost forgot about the other nuisance that'd been hanging around in his salon lately. The red-haired bastard was standing at the front counter of the salon talking to a customer. It took Marco a few moments before he noticed the pineapple in the redhead's hand as he held it out for the customer to see with a giant grin on his face.

"I just want my hair trimmed. Stop trying to sell me on this idea," the customer argued, crossing her arms and staring at the man.

"Look! See, Marco makes it look alright!" Shanks pointed, noticing Marco had left his office. The customer turned her attention to Marco as well with a grunt.

"That looks nothing like a pineapple! It looks like a squid sitting on his head!" she declared, pointing at Marco as his eyes grew wide with shock. Why was he being insulted?

"Mhm," Shanks murmured, scratching his chin-hairs, "you have a point there. I guess only Marco can make that look work."

"I think he was just going bald and decided to cut off the sides and pretend it's his 'style'," the customer said, smirking. Shanks hunched over on the counter, trying not to laugh as Marco glared over at them both. Seriously, why was he being insulted?

"Alright, let's set you up with the stylist, then," Shanks said as he began flipping through an appointment book on the counter.

"No one's here; why would I need an appointment," she stated.

"Fine. Find yourself a seat yoi," Marco ordered, walking up behind Shanks, "And as for you, Red Hair... Take Ace and get out of here before I end up killing one of you," Marco commanded, gripping tightly to Shanks's shoulder.

"Try to help a guy out and this is what I get," Shanks muttered, walking to the back of the store and smacking Ace in the face, jolting him awake.

"What was that for?!" Ace asks while rubbing his face.

"Queen Marco wants us to leave," Shanks said, pouting. "I'm keeping the pineapple!" he shouted, tucking the fruit beneath his arm.

"I don't want the frickin' pineapple!" Marco yelled angrily in reply.

"How rude!" Ace interrupted as the two turned to glare at Marco with their bottom lips sticking out as they pouted. The two walked out of the salon before quickly running across the street to Thatch's Bar and Grill. The two usually hung out at Marco's salon until it started getting dark before heading over there but since Marco kicked them out it seemed only logical to go there next.

"Marco kicked you out already?" Izo asked, cleaning a table as the two walked into the bar.

"It gets earlier and earlier every day." Thatch smirked, standing behind the bar and washing out some mugs with a rag.

"I was working! I was helping a customer pick a hairstyle!" Shanks defended, plopping down on the stool.

"You were doing the pineapple thing again, weren't you?" Izo asked with a worried look on his face.

"One day I'm going to talk someone into that hair style, then Marco will be happy," Shanks said, smiling as he placed the pineapple on the counter. "Can you make us a drink from this?"

"I'll see what I can do for you," Thatch replied before grabbing the pineapple and disappearing into the back of the restaurant.

"Ace, have you decided on what you're going to do?" Shanks asked, reaching over the bar and grabbing a bottle of rum from the shelf.

"Give me that, you dumbass!" Izo demanded, quickly grabbing the bottle from Shanks's hands. "We've told you that you're not allowed to serve yourself, you idiot." Izo stated as he put the bottle back.

"I started a driving school last week." Ace sighed, seemingly annoyed by his own statement.

"Dahaha!" Shanks laughed as he turned around to face the younger.

"What's so funny about that?" Ace asked, glaring at him. Shanks began to cough, covering up his last few laughs before returning to a straight face.

"Go on.." Shanks encouraged.

"So I got into the car and started it when suddenly everything went black," Ace began to describe.

"You crashed that quickly?" Shanks asked with mild surprise and a smile on his face.

"I fell asleep," Ace admitted, biting his bottom lip, slightly embarrassed at having to admit that he'd done such a thing. "I woke up and Izo was shaking me and yelling at me."

"No one told you that you were allowed to drive!" Izo shouted, glaring at him.

"No one told me I wasn't, either," Ace pointed in a childish tone as he crossed his arms.

"You're not allowed to drive," Izo stated as he leaned over the counter close to Ace's face, being sure he could hear him clearly, "ever."

"It's not like anyone was hurt, Izo. You shouldn't be so hard on him," Shanks said only to hear the thud of Ace's head falling on the counter. "You hit someone!?" Shanks asked in a panic.

"No, he had someone in the car with him," Izo explained while crossing his arms.

"I wanted to show Sabo I could drive!" Ace yelled defensively.

"Now his poor brother has a scar on his eye." Izo sighed, rubbing his temples in annoyance. "Luckily your brother was so understanding."

"Well it's not like he's coming back into the story, anyways." Ace sighed grumpily.

"Facial scars just make people look cooler. Right, Thatch?" Shanks called out.

"Damn right!" Thatch yelled from the back room.

"See? He's got nothing to complain about," Shanks declared, smiling happily.

"What about you, Red Hair? You thought of anything to do with you spare time while you're waiting?" Ace asked, turning to Shanks and trying to ignore Izo's burning gaze.

"Me?" Shanks asked, blinking. "Benn actually came up with a good idea; I'm opening a shop right next to Marco's salon."

"What kind of shop?" Izo asked, pouring himself a drink.

"A hat shop," Shanks replied with a grin.

"And you just happened to decide to open it beside Marco's place?" Izo asked with a suspicious stare.

"Nah, I made sure I got that place so I could still bother him." Shanks announced with an honest smile.

"Alright, Shanks, I made some mai-tai's for us," Thatch declared, walking out from the back with a tray of drinks.

A child-like grin stretched across his face, "Let's celebrate the opening of my hat shop!"

"Does that mean everything is on you tonight?" Ace asked with a smirk.

"Of course, everything is on me tonight!" he assured.

"Bring me your most expensive meals," Ace demanded as Thatch placed the drinks on the counter.

"I suddenly have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach..." Shanks murmured, his smile fading slowly from his face.

~

The door rang open as Marco looked up from his empty appointment book, his dull eyes widened when he saw the man standing in front of him.

"I'd like to have my hair trimmed," the man said as Marco stared at his hair, still surprised. Is it really shaped like a three? How on Earth did he manage that? WHY on Earth did he manage that?

"Ah, yes, right away," Marco replied as he broke from his amazement at the man's strange hair, "have a seat."

"It has been a while since I let anyone cut my hair," Mr. Three stated as Marco began taking the elastics out of the man's hair, only to be shocked that the hair continued to form a three – HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO WORK WITH THIS?!

"What kind of product do you use?" Marco asked, admiring the strange hair.

"Wax," Mr. Three stated with a nod.

"It looks like your tips are charred... Were you in a fire or something?" Marco question, trying to force the hair down-that wasn't working, either.

"Ah, no. That's part of my wax wax fruit's ability. When I use it, my hair turns to fire at the tips-like a candle," Mr. Three explained.

Maybe if I wash it? Does wax wash out? I bet he uses actual wax! This is going to take forever! If Ace was here he could melt the wax out... Who am I kidding? He'd melt the guy's head along with it.

"That must make managing your hair a bit troublesome," Marco noted, bringing his thoughts back to his customer's comment. Marco pulled out his spray bottle and began spraying the hair, trying desperately to get the wax to loosen up the hair, which fell a bit but still held strong. Marco began to scratch his chin, staring at the hair questioningly, as though searching for the answer to life's mysteries within this man's hair.

Marco smiled-almost an evil grin-as an idea popped into his head and he quickly ran over to the temperature control in the room and turned the dial as high as it would go. The room instantly warmed up and as Marco began to walk back over to the man he noticed the hair began to fall, loosening immensely.

Success! Well, I'm not the first division commander of the Whitebeard pirates for nothing.

Marco pulled out his comb and scissors and began working with the hair with a big grin on his face; he seemed quite proud of himself. Mr. Three, on the other hand, was beginning to have flashbacks of Impel down and Level Three as sweat began pouring from him like waterfalls. Could it be phoenixes need it hot in order to work properly?

~

It was the grand opening of Shanks's Hat Shop, located right next to Marco's Salon. Shanks stood outside with a sign, happily chatting with anyone who happened by with a grin on his face, though the strong smell of alcohol that surrounded him kept most people away.

Marco sat inside his salon, flipping through a magazine. "Oh, Izo made it as the centerfold again, yoi," Marco noted, stopping on the center page to see a full-length poster of Izo posing seductively with his kimono barely hiding him.

"Izo's always the centerfold," Ace commented, leaning back in one of the stylist chairs behind Marco.

"Well, I guess it helps that Pops is the one who runs the magazine." Marco sighed, closing the magazine. "Red Hair is being rather loud out there."

"He said he was going to help you get customers, too," Ace announced with a big grin on his face.

"Why does that statement worry me?" Marco wondered, walking around the counter and heading outside with Ace following closely behind him.

"Get your hats here!" Shanks yelled as he danced around, "Become a pirate king!"

"What a moron, yoi," Marco mumbled to himself as he watched the man.

"Get a bad hair cut at Marco's Salon and come here to get a hat to cover it up!" Shanks yelled, waving to some people walking by across the street.

"Oi!" Marco yelled angrily, "Thought you were suppose to be helping me yoi?"

"I told them to go to your place, too, jeez," Shanks said, sticking out his bottom lip like a pouting child.

"He did mention your place, too," Ace repeated, leaning over Marco's shoulder.

"You're both idiots." Marco sighed, rubbing his head before turning back around to walk into his salon.

"Oi! Shanks!" Ace yelled, walking over to the redhead, "I was wondering if you'd go pick up my hat for me. They left it at my grave."

"Why don't you buy a new hat here?" Shanks offered, gesturing to his store.

"But I've been through a lot with that hat," he countered, crossing his arms.

"Fine," Shanks conceded with a shrug, "I was going to head out soon anyways. I can pick it up for you."

"Thanks, old man," Ace said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Don't call me old or I'll toss your hat into the ocean when I pick it up," the yonko threatened, glaring at the pirate.

"Alright, fine." Ace sighed, leaning against the building, "Has Luffy visited my grave yet?"

"I don't think he knows where it is," Shanks admitted while inspecting the sign to his store.

"You didn't tell him where I was buried?" Ace asked, shocked.

"I didn't talk to him at all," Shanks pointed casually.

"So my little brother was heartbroken and crying and you decided that wasn't a good enough time to talk to him?" Ace questioned, glaring at Shanks with his arms folded.

"I don't like dealing with crying kids," Shanks declared, sticking a finger in his nose, "plus I promised Luffy I wouldn't see him until he became a great pirate."

"Douche." The pirate turned to walk away.

"I'm not the one who died in his arms, dick!" Shanks argued.

"At least I was there for him! You were fucking late!" Ace retorted, turning back around to face him.

"But you were there and what did you do?" Shanks asked fake curiosity on his face.

"Ass!" Ace yelled with a glare.

"Whore!" Shanks yelled back.

"Whore?" Ace repeated in confusion. "Slut!" He decidedly shrugged it off and returned quickly to yelling.

"So what if I am!" Shanks yelled back.

"Drunk!"

"Narcoleptic!"

"That's not an insult," Ace points, staring at Shanks.

"It isn't?" Shanks asked, confused, "It sounds like one."

"How?" Ace asked with curiosity.

"It sounds like necrophiliac," Shanks stated, crossing his arms.

"Two very different things there, buddy." The pirate sighed.

"Anyways, I'll go pick up your hat this weekend while I'm out," Shanks said calmly.

"Alright, see you at the bar later," Ace replies, walking away happily.

Later that day in Thatch's bar..

"Wait! We were fighting!" Ace yelled suddenly, standing up at his table.

"What?" Thatch questioned, looking at Ace, clearly confused.

"That red-haired bastard, he distracted me," Ace mumbled as he sat back down. "Put my bill on Red Hair's tab." Ace demands crossing his arms.

~

"Damn Red Hair's pissing me off," Marco complained as he sat at the bar.

"What'd he do this time?" Thatch asked, placing a drink in front of Marco.

"He said he wants to install a door between our two businesses so we can see each other whenever we want." Marco heaved a sigh, slamming his head onto the table.

"What'd you say to that idea?"

"I said no, obviously!" Marco yelled, slamming his drink down, "I was very clean when I said it!"

"So why are you complaining?"

"Because the idiot decided to smash a hole in the wall with a hammer and make a door anyways!" Marco shouted in complaint.

Thatch began laughing hard at Marco's suffering while Izo at least tried to hide his laughter by covering his mouth, though the smile was very visible on his face as Marco glared at them both.

"Is it me or did it just get hot in here?" Shanks questioned, walking up behind Marco.

"And it isn't me this time," Ace said, patting Marco on the back.

"How would you like to join us for some strip poker, Sweetheart?" Shanks offered, winking at Marco.

"Careful, Redhead cheats," Ace cautioned with a laugh.

"It's not cheating when you walk around half naked anyways," the other pointed.

"Get me another drink; I want to be so drunk I don't remember tonight," Marco demanded. "Alright, let's get this game started."

"He agreed!" Shanks exclaimed, jumping up happily.

"Seriously, Thatch, I want the strongest drink you have." Marco said, glancing back at him.

"I feel bad for him." Izo sighed, watching Marco walk over to the table with Shanks and Ace.

"I don't." Thatch smiled. "He put everything on Shanks's tab. Shanks is in for a rude surprise when he gets his bill."

The two began to laugh as they watched Ace begin to hand out the cards.