School finally started for me! I'm new at the school so I'm a little bit nervous. Haha, I hope I won't let that hinder me from updating my stories. XD Anyways, OP Dead and Alive. Dozo!

Ace floated over his grave where Marco sat cross-legged in front of. He had his head lowered, hiding it from view. Behind him stood his other friends, Jozu, Izo, Haruta, Namur, Vista and the rest of the Whitebeard pirates, looking onto him in worry. Ace couldn't help but feel for him too. After all, the ones closest to Marco were the ones who had already died: Ace, Pops and Thatch.

Everyone knew that but Ace's sure that's not the only reason. The Whitebeard pirates were without a captain. And with Pops gone, the position falls onto the next in line, the 1st Division Commander which was Marco. After everything that has happened, it must be heavy on the guy.

"Marco…"

"Oh! What if isn't Ace!" said a very familiar voice. Ace hasn't heard it for so many months now. He raised his head from Marco and floating behind him was one of his best friends and fellow commanders, Thatch.

"Thatch?! Wow, it's so good to see you!" Ace said. He threw an arm around his shoulders and gave a light punch on his cheek. Both of them laughed heartily for a moment before their gazes fell on their friend. Thatch crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back on the air.

"You know, I probably would've said that you should have listened to Pops to wait before going after that bastard. But then after thinking about it for almost 2 weeks, if you had been murdered, I'd go after him too. If Blackbeard died in that war, I'd be hunting him down right now until his existence poofs!" Thatch said. His friend didn't reply but continued to look at Marco.

Seeing that Ace actually didn't have any intention to reply, Thatch continued, "Why… Is it that people, who deserve to die, live on and those who deserve to live die? Heh, well, to the world, we deserve to die. I guess it depends on the person. Let me ask you a question Ace; was it good that you were born?"

Ace swiveled his head to look directly at Thatch. His face was blank, unreadable. Ace felt no anger or annoyance for invading his personal space. Considering his question, he thought briefly. All that has happened in his lifetime went through his mind in a span of a second. There were the innocent days he spent at Dadan's until the time he found out he was the son of the Pirate King. Then one day, he met a boy that quickly became his best friend and brother, Sabo. Following soon after there was this annoying little guy who touched both their hearts and he's grown overprotective of although he won't admit it. They became brothers but then Sabo 'died.' Then years after, there were those almost fleeting moments with his crew as the Spade Pirates before he was accepted into the Whitebeard Pirates despite his heritage and his early attempts to kill the captain whom he now called father or Pops.

He gave Thatch a concerned look and the rip in his shirt where Teach had stabbed him through with a knife. He went after Blackbeard, got himself captured. More than a thousand people including his little brother came to save him and were successful. But shortly after, he sacrificed his own life for his little brother taking with him only one regret, not being able to see Luffy become the Pirate King. 'My life is too good.' He said so himself at the war.

"Yeah." He said simply. His friend smiled fondly at him.

"So, where you've been all this time?" Ace said.

"I never really left the ship since the incident. Mostly I've been bugging Marco with our ghost abilities. You know them right? Like the cold sensation they feel when a ghost goes through them only if they're on purpose though." Ace nodded although he didn't know about the 'on purpose' part. He then noticed a slight change of atmosphere between them.

"One day, Red Hair came to warn Pops about the coming era and tried to convince him to stop you. I got worried and I actually have been with you since then." Thatch continued. The fire user furrowed his eyebrows. So it wasn't just Pops who had a bad premonition on what's about to happen. But either way, he would've regretted not avenging Thatch. On the other hand, he was grateful to know that Thatch was with him although he did go through some rough places along the way.

"After you died, I tried looking for you up there but it's too damn large. I even met with Pops and spent our reunion drinking until I asked where you were. He said you were down here. I was with Marco after 5 whole days searching for you knowing that you'd turn up sooner or later." Thatch ended. Ace lowered his head, he hasn't met with Pops properly yet and it's been 2 weeks.

"Marco. What do we do now?" Said a voice from down below. They turned their attention to the speaker, Izo.

Marco raised his head and looked at the graves. He seemed to be thinking deeply and both of them wondered what his decision was considering he was now the captain and Marco can be very unpredictable at times.

"Thatch, Ace and now Pops." Marco thought, dedicating it to his three closest family members and they could hear it well. "I'd be lying if I told you that I'm alone but I'll sure say that you guys are jerks –save for Pops- for leaving me here to take care of this rowdy bunch. Well, Ace and Thatch, you saved me my sanity and I don't have to deal with your stupid antics from this point on. The times when Thatch would make fun of my hair or the times where Ace would make jokes about me and all of those stupid birds, I'll have less to get annoyed about. But you know… It hurts me to admit it but I'll definitely miss your stupid faces."

Ace and Thatch blinked before laughing loudly, "Bwahahaha! He got that right! Remember the time where one of those giant birds actually considered Marco for a mate?"

"Oh yeah! Boy was Marco in a bad mood that whole day!"

"I bet you guys are laughing at me. Shut up you assholes."

The two of them laughed harder. "… I'd ask what the hell I'm supposed to do. But then again, I had it coming when I agreed to become the 1st division commander. It's going to be a pain in the ass. I'm sure you guys already know me well enough for my decision from here on then... I'll do it... So you better have my back on this! Tch, I don't know how Pops deals with this bunch…"

"What do you think?" Marco started softly. He stood up and turned to the rest of the crew. He raised a fist high in the sky and shouted, "We'll continue our adventures as the Whitebeard Pirates for Thatch, Ace and especially Pops! Neither of them would've wanted us to stop adventuring because of their deaths and I'm sure none of you would probably want to go under the 'Phoenix' Pirates."

"No!" They replied. Marco cursed them under his breath. That was a way too fast of a reply, "Whatever… We are still the Whitebeard Pirates and we are family. That's why we'll continue to venture out across the seas and enjoy our ultimate freedom!"

Everyone cheered with their fists raised just as high. Thatch and Ace smiled at each other and threw their fists in the sky as well. "You go tell them pineapple-bastard!"

Marco kicked Ace's grave suddenly. All of them grew quiet.

"Um… Marco what was that for?" Haruta said as she came forward.

Marco blinked at himself before lowering his foot. He turned to Haruta who got more confused at the sight of the popped vein on his forehead.

"I don't know… I suddenly felt really annoyed. Maybe Ace was insulting me from up there." Marco shook his head.

Everyone laughed at him especially Ace. That only added to his annoyance. Afterwards, they went back to their new ship since the main ship, the Moby Dick was destroyed, with Ace and Thatch following them. The Whitebeard Pirates, now led by Marco the Phoenix, had a party for the new found hope and in remembrance to all of those whom they have lost.

Marco made sure that everyone was asleep before he went outside to the sea where he could see the island drifting farther and farther away. He leaned his elbows against the railings and thought deeply to himself. There was no turning back at this point. He was captain of a ship filled with the wildest bunch of pirates one could ever experience. Not only that, he was captain of a ship that was very infamous throughout the Blue Seas. He let himself sigh. Marco wondered where they were headed to next. Hm… Maybe he could go visit Ace's brother to check up on him.

His mind drifted off to their last meeting almost 2 weeks ago, just right after Ace's brother had rung the bell. They were at sea and Ace's brother had rocketed himself onto their ship when his (holding the ex-Shichibukai fishman and a man looking very similar to the Dark King) was a little more than a football field away.

"Urgh…" Vista had his body planted onto the ship's main mast before he slid down to the floor.

"Oops, sorry!" said the person on top of him. Vista drew out his swords at him and lowered it immediately after recognizing him. Almost everyone was on deck after the loud crash even Marco; he's been in his room for quite some time now.

"Aren't you Ace's brother?" Marco said, stepping out.

"Monkey D. Luffy! Sorry for crashing onto the ship." He grinned slightly but everyone could see past his exterior; although they noticed a glimmer of hope in his eyes, there was still a bucketful of loneliness in them. Not that they were any different.

"So, why have you come here?" Namur asked politely.

"I came to deliver a message." Luffy lowered his hat to cover his eyes. "I didn't have the chance to earlier."

"A message? From who?" The fishman replied.

Luffy didn't answer. "It's from Ace isn't it?" Marco said, knowing fully well that the name was currently taboo.

"Yeah... He told me this just before he…" Luffy never continued. He raised his head to face them all while keeping his body from trembling and breaking down again. He felt cold on his shoulder but oddly enough, it was very familiar and comforting.

"If it's too painful for you, you can tell us later." Marco said. The teen shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak but some way, somehow, Marco felt the presence of a different person.

"Everyone…" Luffy started. The feeling on his shoulder now was all over the top of his head moving from side to side as if stroking it. "Even though… I'm worthless… Even though I carry the blood of a demon…"

"Thank you for loving me." The smiling form of Ace appeared beside Luffy's as he said those words. The pirates on board blinked their eyes and the form was no more. Marco smirked to himself; the kid really did inherit Ace's will. Luffy bowed in respect of the crew and himself thanked for their support in the war before he rocketed himself back to his own ship. After he left, the last words Ace said, they wondered about it the day he died and now they heard it and they let it sink in. Almost everyone started crying for Ace while Marco went back to his room.

Ace and Thatch stood on either side of Marco with their elbows on the railings as well. All three of them looked up to the stars where they shone brightly. Ace smiled. It was just like that time he became the 2nd commander. Right now, it was actually the first time he looked at the stars properly ever since he left for Blackbeard.

"You know, it looked like this when you first became 2nd commander, Ace." Thatch said. He laughed, they were both thinking of the same thing.

"Yeah…" Ace replied. Marco let out another sigh. "This is like the 5th sigh he's let out."

"Probably the stress don't you think?" Ace shrugged. Then a bright idea came to mind.

"Hey, wanna 'de-stress' him?" Thatch looked over to Ace with a raised eyebrow. One look at his gleaming eyes and he found himself grinning.

"Now… Didn't Marco dedicate that wine to us? We should be able to use it…" Ace pointed at the empty wine bottle nearby the mast.

Marco didn't how long he stayed like that watching stars but he did know that he had stayed long enough when he noticed that the moon was on a different position than it was before. Letting out another sigh, he turned around and prepared to walk back to wake up one of the commanders to end his shift. However he froze in his tracks when he felt a cold presence on his shoulders. He felt himself trembling even though he wasn't scared and the feeling wasn't that cold either. He looked around and saw no one on the ship. Marco placed his thumb and his forefinger over his eyes and shook his head. He probably drank too much and was imagining things. That is, until he felt something, not a cold presence or anything like that, but a physical object brushed against his hair.

He turned around and his eyes widened at the floating wine bottle. "I'm that drunk?" He asked himself.

Ace and Thatch snickered. Thatch leaned in and blew in his ear. Marco jumped.

"Pineapple head, you're definitely drunk." Ace said, swinging the wine bottle. Marco immediately kicked the wine bottle and it fell into the sea.

"Do you think he can hear us?" Thatch said.

"We sometimes have those moments when we feel like someone's talking to us right? It might be like that." Ace replied. The cook shrugged.

Marco looked over the railing where the bottle had fallen and sighed once more. He was definitely hallucinating. "I'm going crazy… I think I'm going to need help…"

"Gladly!" Ace cheered.

"Wait, Ace me first!"

"First come first serve." And Ace started 'slapping' Marco even though it kept passing through. Thatch was laughing hard in the background while Marco was confused as to what was happening with his body. His teeth chattered as cold drafts swept across his face. He was getting really annoyed after each draft. What he didn't know that he'd be going through this torture the whole night.

The sun rose high in the sky and Marco didn't get even a wink of sleep. When asked, he would grumble something about 'curses' and 'bastards.' It wasn't obvious but it definitely lightened the stress on his body.

"It's nice to relive the memories." Thatch said sitting from one of the yard masts and looking down at the people below them.

"Yeah… It sure is." Ace said. He was floating beside Thatch with his arms behind his head. They stayed like that wordlessly, enjoying the increasing chatter of their friends. They were finally moving on. Thatch smiled and then looked towards Ace. His friend was looking out towards the sea.

"You gotta go to your bro right?" He said.

"I'm still worried about him. He still has nightmares…" Ace lowered his head, a dark expression on his face. Thatch stood up and patted Ace on the back.

"Go, but make sure to come and visit sometime." Ace smiled at him and nodded. He turned to Marco down and was surprised to see that he was looking at them and smiling too. He then felt someone pass through him from above and jumping down towards Marco. Ace realized that he was actually looking at Jozu and not him. He smiled to himself before he said his goodbyes and floated away. Thatch waved goodbye and floated down to follow wherever Jozu was going in curiosity.

After Jozu left, Marco looked back up where Ace had been and smiling to himself. 'Watch over us Pops, Thatch, Ace.'

END!

Well, sorry for the late and rather rushed chapter! I just needed some time to adjust my schedule and I wanted to update as soon as I could… So I hope you enjoyed it. Review Please!