Hey all sorry for the wait. Right after I posted the chapter for my other story I got a terrible stomach bug. I hope no one else has ever had a terrible stomach bug, it sucks. Set me back an entire week. Good news is, this chapter is done. Please Enjoy.


Chapter 11

Marco had been watching the prison known as Impel Down for nearly two full days and had by now figured out the pattern the guards used to patrol. He had also figured out the holes in their watch. None of those holes however had been enough for him to chance breaking into the prison. That was ok though. He could wait. Like he had said to Thatch, he could always wait till they had taken Ace out of the Prison, and started moving him to Marineford.

Slowly losing altitude, Marco flapped his wings until he had caught another updraft, slowly raising him back up above the clouds. Many other than Whitebeard did not know the full extent of his devil fruit powers. And most though they knew he could fly, fully underestimated his ability to stay aloft for hours, simply by riding air currents. This was something that he had taught himself after years of practice and watching the sea birds that often surrounded the Moby Dick, who used the same method of staying aloft.

It was on the third day that Marco observed a huge change in behaviors among the guards. He then watched as Boa Hancock the Pirate Empress left the newly arrived Naval Ship. Marco was surprised to see her of all people exit the ship, while not familiar with Boa Hancock in person, he had meet Amazon Lilies women on the off occasion that they had left to travel, or had been exiled. So he knew their standing on men and everything associated with them.

So why was she here?

He would have to figure that out later. As he watched the Pirate Empress enter Impel Down he saw the opening he had been waiting for. The men on guard, too exited and the prospect of seeing Boa Hancock, left their posts in too much haste to activate the surveillance Den Den Mushi's.

He wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. He was inside Impel Down almost too quickly to be seen, and much to quickly to be detected right away.

Landing in a hallway that was clear of guards, he quickly assumed his human form and pressed up against the wall to avoid detection. Taking on last deep breath he was off down the hallway. "I'm coming Ace."


Ace's head reeled as he processed the information that Boa Hancock had just told him. His brother was here? Luffy in Impel Down? How did he even convince the Pirate Empress to help him.

Ugh. Thinking about it too much made his head hurt.

Laying him head back on the stone wall he closed his eyes and he thought of his brother.

Luffy was strong that was for sure. But he wasn't aware of how strong some of the people in the Navy and the New World really were. He didn't think before he did anything, always relying on brute strength.

Not that he was one to complain about someone else doing that. He was only slightly better than Luffy about thinking things through. Now Marco was the epitome of a well-balanced fighter. He was smart and always had a plan, and was strong and unyielding in a fight. Plus he was loyal. And Brave. And not to mention great in bed.

Ace's eyes snapped open. Oh yeah got to stop thinking about Marco. That line of thought was only going to upset him.

Then he thought of his children. His dragon side said he still had time to get back to them, but not much. It wasn't much to go by and wasn't the most helpful piece of information in his arsenal.

No what was probably the most important piece of information was that the seastone shackles on his arms may have cut off his Mera Mera no Mi powers, but they seemed to have done nothing to his dragon abilities. However lack of food and water, and little rest had killed most of his fortitude and while he could probably transform, he wasn't sure what would give first from transforming; the cuffs or his wrists. He wasn't keen on finding out. He rather liked his hands where they were.

The sound of many boots on stone was what broke his reverie. Looking up he was surprised to see numerous guns pointed at his head and then the large form of Magellan coming up behind the men holding them.

"Firefist your transfer to marine headquarters has been moved up. You will will come with up and put up no resistance."

Ace stared back. He didn't reply as Magellan moved forward to unchain him from the wall. And slowly he followed the men that were leading him outside for the first time in weeks.


*With Marco*

Marco had been inside Impel Down for almost two days now. On the first he had managed to find some unused guards uniforms and changed to at least make himself that much less noticeable. However things had not gone to plan as shortly after he had changed the call had gone up for all the guards to head out in search of Straw Hat Luffy, who had managed to infiltrate the prison and was tearing his way towards the bottom of the prison where Ace was being kept. Marco had just left the room he'd changed in when a group of passing guards had hailed him to come help them.

So that's where he was now, standing guard at a door that Ace's little brother was supposedly headed for, and trying not to stand out.

Bored out of his mind, Marco idly wondered how these men managed to stand doing such a menial job day in and day out. Then he heard the familiar noise of a Den Den Mushi ringing, and the man in charge of their group answering it.

"Yes?" A pause then he was saluting. "Warden Magellan sir. We are stationed at the doors like you requested sir."

Another pause. Marco tried listening, but was too far away to hear anything. "Yes. Of course sir. We will keep Straw Hat busy till you finish the transfer. Yes sir. We will do our best."

Now Marco's interest was piqued. Transfer? What transfer? Were they moving Ace to a different part of the prison? Or god forbid…

He didn't get to finish his thought as the doors began to turn to dust. Marco's brow furrowed as he contemplated the meaning behind that. Ace's little brother was a rubber man right? So he shouldn't be able to do that. Wait that power.

He ducked just in time to avoid the leg of sand that would have reduced him to dust.

So he teamed up with Crocodile. Wait. Crocodile would have been on the bottom floor with Ace.

"So that means, when they said transfer…"

"Get out of my way I have to save ACE!" Marco barely dodged the leg the snapped by his head.

"Wait Straw Hat boy-o." Marco grimaced. Oh god, not Ivankov. "It's been awhile Marco boy-o. I assume you are here to save your Crewmate?"

"You know him Iva-chan?" Luffy had stopped trying to attack him, and was now staring at Ivankov and pointing, rather rudely Marco might add, at him.

Pulling off the guard cap he spoke up, "I'm on the same crew as your brother Luffy. My name is Marco. I came here looking for him."

"On the same crew as Ace?"

"Yes. I'm the First Division Commander on Whitebeards crew your brother is Second. We're very good friends. I snuck in here to try and free him yoi."

Luffy blinked at him and seemed to contemplate his words. Then he smiled widely. "Ok. Ace's friend is my friend."

Marco smiled back at his mate's brother. Luffy was everything that Ace had described him as.

However Luffy's cry of alarm brought him out of his reverie, "Ah, Ace! We have to hurry and save Ace." And without a second thought he was running again.

Marco turned to stop him, "Wait Luffy the bottom floor is the other way!"

"Marco boy-o. They have already moved Ace-chan and are taking him to Marineford."

Marco paled. "They're what yoi?!" And then he was after Luffy without a second thought.


As the group ran through the prison Marco used the knowledge he had gained from the last few days wandering through to help speed up their climb. He had been glad to note that Luffy had also released Jinbe, the Warlord Fishman would be a valuable ally and Marco had always liked the Whale Shark Fishman as a friend of his crew.

"Marco-san, I'm still surprised that the Old man allowed you to come to Impel Down. Even more so that you were allowed to come on your own."

Marco smiled slightly. "I am his First Division Commander. I am capable of taking on jobs like this, even if it's been a while. However this is a more personal mission for me. He knew that I couldn't sit back and wait, so he let me leave."

Jinbe stared hard at Marco for a minute, then he nodded as if understanding.

Finally a few minutes later their group cleared the second floor, and began racing towards the exit. Buggy and Mr.3 had gone off and released almost all the prisoners on the first floor and they were all screaming something about 'Captain Buggy.'

Marco could care less about what the clown did. They'd known each other since they were kids on rival ships. Buggy and Shanks had always been the sort of rivals for Marco and Thatch. Which after the two had eaten their devil fruits, it had become almost a tradition that when Whitebeard and Roger would fight Marco and Buggy would each try to prove their fruit superior. Thatch and Shanks had often sat by and watched, often sharing a barrel or two of alcohol. At least until one or more often than not both of the fruit users had gotten knocked in the water.

Looking back, those times had actually been almost fun, almost drowning aside. However Shanks would always be a stupid drunk and Buggy a red nosed idiot.

Marco smiled thinking about it. Then frowned as he noted Magellan waiting for their group ahead. He didn't have time for this. He could only hope Pop's was ready to intercept the ship Ace was on. He didn't think he'd be getting to his mate anytime soon.


So what do you all think? Sorry the end was a bit rushed. I really wanted to get this chapter out of the way and didn't think you all wanted to wait anymore. Please Review.