AH, months after I said I'd do this here it is! The first and hopefully not the last chapter. This got a lot of attention when it was a small drabble and a scribbled sketch, I hope y'all enjoy it. If this is your first time hearing about it feel free to check out my art blog on tumblr (art-farting) to see the drawing I did for it and more of the like.

"Damn Marines!" Ace shouted as he weaved around the annoyingly organized attack. Bullets running past and through his body.

"They certainly are persistent today." Marco drawled as he closed behind Ace. Practically surrounded, they fought back to back. But despite Marco's cool and indifferent tone, Ace heard a concerning tightness too it. "They knew we'd be here."

"How the hell would they know that?" They're backs bumped briefly before Ace stepped away, only just, and shot a flame coated fist towards a cluster of marines.

"I don't know but we've -". Marco was cut short as a black coated hand reached through his blue flames and grasped onto his arm. Ace yelped in surprise as the same happened to him when he stepped back to Marco.

"Damn-

"What are you-

The jarringly loud sound of metal clasping together had both commanders still. A freezing chill ran up Ace's spine as his fire instantly sputtered out. Marco was wide eyed as his own abilities abandoned him. In the midst of a battle the first and second command of the Whitebeard pirates found themselves bound together. A short chain connecting them with the only type of cuff in the world that could hold them. Seastone.

Ace stumbled slightly as his energy was drained by the stone. A couple marines cheered in victory when the flames that danced on both pirates vanished. However Marco was quick to act, in what seemed like an instant he clasped his connected hand to Ace's and darted off to the side. Ace almost tripped but quickly righted himself just in time to duck an oncoming sword.

"What are we doing?" Ace snapped as he kicked his right, hitting the marine in the gut causing him to fall back into another.

"Tactical retreat." Came his reply, pulling Ace to the left, dodging another oncoming marine.

"T-tactical? You mean we're running away! I never-"

"Run away from a fight, yes I know." A punch with Ace's right and a kick with Marco's left and another couple marines were down. "Ace, we are not only stuck together but both of us are at a huge disadvantage in case you didn't notice the band of sea stone on your arm. You're pride is the least of my-" a duck to the right "concerns."

Ace grumbled as he and Marco made a last break for the forest just beyond the beach. This was not a situation to be gentle and not a situation to question a man you find yourself suddenly chained to. Sand turned to mud and grass as they weaved trying to avoid the bullets being shot their way. "Okay First Commander-" Ace ducked when a bullet lodged in a tree at head height "-what's the next step?"

"Well, Second Commander, how about we live through the first step." Marco couldn't help but chuckle as he continued to drag Ace along with him. Laughter from Ace echoed along, almost drowned out by the gunshots ringing around them. It didn't last long as more bullets splintered trees around them. But after what felt like hours in their legs the firing faded enough for Marco to catch a breath. Both pirates struggled to breathe, Ace leaning heavily on a tree.

"How the hell" Ace panted "do you have so much energy with this damn thing on?"

"I really don't." Ace raised a brow and Marco looked back with a small smile before looking away. "Lets just say when you've been exposed to the stuff enough you can built up a bit of tolerance." Ace wanted to question for more details but a gut feeling told him to keep his mouth shut, for now at least. He slid to the side as Marco joined him against the tree.

"We need somewhere to duck into." The first commander breathed out. "Marines will be here within minutes and we can't keep running, especially with our energy drained like so." he raised their joined hands as if Ace had forgotten. Leaning his head back against the tree, Ace suddenly grinned.

"I can't think of anything to hide down in but maybe we can try hiding up somewhere?" He grinned to Marco who looked up as well.

"You want to climb a tree to hide in? While cuffed together?" Raising a brow in disbelief, he couldn't help but smile as Ace laughed.

"Yeah I've done it before." Marco looked at him disbelievingly . "Well I wasn't chained to someone and it was just a broken arm. And the branches were wider. But look that one up there looks big enough for both of us." He pointing up to a particularly high branch. "It shouldn't be too hard."

It turned out being chained to someone made it very hard to climb a tree. They both had to keep their joint hands clasped to each other to avoid putting more strain on their bruising wrists. Ace took lead as they slowly weaved around branches and helping each other up. At one point they struggled to keep balance as they pressed their bodies to the trunk and held still when a small search group of marines ran right under them. But eventually the duo made it to the very branch Ace pointed out.

"See? Easy." Ace said in a breathy laugh. The duo slouched over trying to reign in the air that escaped them. Marco rolled his eyes and gently punch Ace in his joined arm.

"Easy." Marco pressed his back to the trunk, eyes closed, trying to relax his aching muscles the best he could. He wasn't use to this. The fatigue. At least not in this way.

He heard Ace shuffle in front of him, trying to keep their joined wrists as close as he can. Marco opened his eyes when Ace's knees pressed against his legs. The second commander was sitting cross legged reaching across his body with his right hand. He was digging into the blue pouch that was strapped to his left leg. Curiously, Marco watched with secret anticipation. Little did Ace know that his fellow commanders had a bid on just what was in the mysterious pouch.

Haruta had guessed emergency rations. Thatch was quick to dismiss the idea, reasoning they'd never last around Ace's appetite. He only half joke about a list of people he aimed to conquer. Whitebeard's name just barely erased at the top. They told Thatch to never mention it to Ace less he has a death wish.

Izo bet all things bright orange and atrocious, they were never a fan of the fire user's hat. Jozu had betted junk. Ace had a habit of picking up what some reasoned as souvenirs and others called trash. Mainly cause some came from literal dump mounds. Marco held his breath as Ace retracted his hand. What he pulled out was some kind of little jar and gauze.

"Medical supplies?" Ace lifted his head confused before his mind made the connection when he saw Marco looking at the objects in hand.

"Of course, what else would I have in here?" 'Of course' Marco smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing." Was his simple reply. Looks like he didn't win but no need to break it to the others when they got back. Where would be the fun in that?

"Nothing? Well it'd be pretty pointless to have it then, wouldn't it?" Ace smirked nudging his knee against Marco's draw up leg.

"Smart ass." Marco playfully bumped him back. With a snort, Ace opened the jar and gently grabbed Marco's wrist. He pushed back the cuff as much as he could and applied the greenish brown substance from the jar. Marco scrunched his nose slightly at the smell. "Where did you get that?"

"I made it." Ace paused when Marco hissed and flinched ever so slightly and he brushed over some of the raw skin that had bled. He mumbled an apology and wrapped the wrist twice.

"I'm just not use to it." When Ace looked up and rose his brow, he sighed. "I'm not use to being hurt I guess. It's been awhile." Finishing up, Ace held up his own joined wrist to let Marco do the same.

"When I ate my fruit I was warned that could happen." Adjusting his leg, Ace rested his tired arm on his knee. "They said that logia makes it hard to remember you can get hurt and they just forget what pain even feels like. I guess it's kind of like that for you." Marco shrugged as he finished off Ace's wrist.

"It's easy to forget when so little can hurt you." Putting away his supplies, Ace scooted over beside Marco and rested his tired arm next to his. They were quiet for a moment before Marco chuckled. "I bet it's hard to forget when it's the strongest man on the sea's smacking you around." It was hard to contain his laughter when his companion glared at him from the corner of his eye.

Ace gave a snort and leaned back against the tree trying to adjust himself in a more comfortable position. When he moved his left arm, the arm that was connected to Marco's, he flinch and Marco's eyes moved to the braced elbow. No doubt being dragged around and jolted this way and that put a strain on it. Marco made a mental note to address it later. "So you made it?" Motioning down to their wrists "whatever this is."

Ace hummed in response. "Growing up in the jungle, you kind of have to learn to make your own remedies. It wasn't like we could buy proper supplies anyways." Marco couldn't help but smile softly when Ace grumbled as he adjusted himself again, this time leaning his head against Marco's shoulder. Obviously he was comfortable by the content sigh he heard a second later.

"Plus, Luffy was a walking, talking disaster." He continued a second later. By the way he talked Marco could tell that Ace wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer. "The kid got into so much damn trouble even if I could just waltz in a buy what I need I could never afford the amount he would use up. Luffy was too damn reckless."

Marco smile and leaned his head against Ace's "Just Luffy?" Ace snapped at him to shut up but there was no heat to it as they both laughed. You couldn't claim not to be so reckless when one of your goals at seventeen was to take a man notorious for being unbeatable. After a few seconds Marco opened his eyes, not even realizing that he had closed them. Ace's breathing was slow and steady, asleep. Resting his head more comfortably on Ace's he couldn't help the weight of exhaustion, unable to even keep his eyes open he too fell asleep.

Mmm, I like it. It's probably not the greatest but I did try my best so that's all I can really do. Anyways, thanks for reading, hoped you liked it. Feel free to leave a review or kudos below, that'd be cool of ya. (and super encouraging honestly)

Side note. I've also read this so many times I'm so tired of looking at it so if they's a mistake pretend that shit ain't there, I tired.

Onward to the next chapter I guess, whoooooooooow.