Individual: Marco

Prompt: A soulmate!au where the older soulmate knows when their younger half is born. (Or in Ace's case when he was supposed to be born w/o his mother's haki lengthening her pregnancy). In addition, Marco can sense that his (infant) soulmate is in danger and gets permission from WB to seek the baby out. You can choose the moment Marco finds Ace, but what if its the moment Ace is actually born? From a lowly mortal that thrives off of reading. Non-romantic

Rating: K+

In all of Marco's extended life, he never felt the bristling like others described when they got such a feeling when younger. Most feel it up to ten years old, but Marco's never came and he figured he was left without a soulmate. It was something he became adjusted to, never feeling anything strong for the fact he didn't have one as he never truly got them. Some he knew had experienced heartbreak when their soulmate would die, it was hard to see the devastation on them, especially if it was a slow death.

Then one day, Marco felt as if something burst through his chest as he was reporting to his captain. He had paused in his report and stared off to the side and was giving cooing as he felt the bristling in him. Edward Newgate, just pronounced Whitebeard, had gave a questioning of why his first mate was acting abnormally, even just a few years being with him had shown how well he knew the phoenix.

"Something wrong, Marco?" The captain asks, and Marco gives a hazed look before it started to show something lightening up the dark blue in his eyes.

"It's… They're… here?" Questioning lingers from Marco, not understanding as it felt like what he had heard, his other half born into the world, but not exactly. Something was wrong with this all, a pressure lingering around the bursting warmth in his chest, as if it was prevented from filling his entire body.

"Your soulmate?" Whitebeard asks in light confusion, not thinking this late of someone being of soulmate ties would happen.

"I think so, yoi?" Confusion lingers as Marco feels joyful, but yet stressed at the fact as there is something preventing his soulmate. Another thing that left him curious on was why he had one, so late as well in age?

It wasn't like you grow a fancy with someone off the back, that came with time and some soulmates even just stay as friends. For example, Curiel and Rakuyou were lovers, but Jozu and their newest member Blenheim became quick friends with no other lingering emotions like the other two. It was just something you felt if the time was right or if it blossoms into that. Soulmates in their world just meant someone else there for you, another half of you to feel complete and understood.

"Something's wrong though…" Marco mutters with brows furrowing, a festering of that stress showing as if sensing from the other.

"I don't mind a detour, guararara…" A soft chuckle leaves Whitebeard as he sees a pure joy in his first son and gets a hurried nod.

"If we can," the words linger out with a cooing and it was evident on the worry lingering. "It will take some time to get there though, I sense them in South Blue."

"Then let's set course, son."

-o-o-o-o-

It did take several months, and each passing month put Marco on edge as he could feel a devastation lingering in his gut as that warmth felt smaller. Most worried over him, the established first commander of their five commander system, and tried to give solace in distraction as they were unsure on what was going on with him–Marco not wanting to mention it. It would work for the time being, but then he was back to fretting and everyone worried about his own stress. The thing that worked the longest were when Thatch and Lavi played pranks, getting Marco distracted for most of the day.

"Baterilla?" Whitebeard questions as they are to the front of the ship, a ship they are using until their much larger one is provided for them and Whitebeard's expected large family through the years to come.

"They are here, yoi." Marco mentions and can see a marine ship docked, having him bristle that even them wouldn't stop him. If anything, it made him more determined to find the babe to protect from the world.

"Fly ahead, son. We will get the ship docked." Whitebeard comments, seeing the festering only growing as they draw near and gets an appreciated gleam.

"Thanks, Pops." Blue flames show before Marco moves to push off the railing and fly ahead towards the island.

Soaring through the air as he changed into a full phoenix, he wastes no time to swoop into the market of the village, noticing the warm weather and tropical like fawn lingering. A few marines are standing around with confusion, watching as he moves along in his human form with focus along through the town. A feeling bristles in him, the warmth bursting again fully this time in through his whole body and he moves quickly. Everyone stays out of his way as he moves to a more residential area and seeing marines lingering nearby, but trying to act like they were just loitering and not have expressions of business.

Approaching a home, he hears crying from a baby and immediately knocks to the door. There are voices of slight panic before a man opens the door with a gun ready, tense and soon confused.

"Where is the babe? Are they hurt, yoi?" The questions fire off as he keeps hands up and flickering eyes in worry and the man shifts a bit.

"Come in," he states while Marco moves in, noticing the man swiftly close the door.

"Who was it, Kai?" A woman rushes to peer out a doorway, freezing at the sight of the commander. Words lightly stumble, and Marco only moves towards her and glancing into the room, seeing a woman holding a bundle of a small wailing baby that is starting to calm. "What are you doing here? Why are the Whitebeards here?" The woman at the door way starts up in a rush and that has the woman on the bed move to peer at him.

"Let him in, Hallie." She speaks weakly, and the mentioned woman moves to let Marco trail in. "Roger told me good things about Edward and his crew," she continues while letting a finger run along a chubby cheek, the baby calmed.

"They are safe…" A sigh of relief lingers from Marco and the woman looks up to him in light surprise.

"You must be his soulmate then?" The question has the commander slowly nod and she smiles to that. "I'm glad he will be in good hands." The words linger and moves a hand out, Marco moving to grasp to it lightly and knows she is fragile as blood is seeping through blankets. "Please, take good care of him."

"He will be loved so much he won't know what to do with it, yoi." Marco responds with utter devotion in his voice to make sure this child would grow to know what that is.

"His name is Ace. Portgas D Ace, for now. The world is not ready for another Gol right now." She speaks softly while leaning back into the pillows more and Marco moves to rest next to her with a shoulder near hers. A smile shows on her pale face, the freckles not as prominent as well, and she leans into the commander with a small humming, slowly letting it fade from her as she slips away in peace.

-o-o-o-o-

When Marco had left, he had been provided with some items for Ace and a list from Hallie on what a baby needs. Marco vaguely knew of how to take care of one and figured they would learn along the way, with a few baby books provided by Hallie. The couple had taken in Rouge and worried as Roger had asked Garp to take in the baby, but somehow word got out that prevented Garp from keeping his promise. The marines had waited by to kill the baby, trying to act like they didn't know it was the offspring of Roger until the baby was being delivered. When Marco emerged from the home with the baby, they stood down in fear as they hadn't expected him to take the child. They wouldn't let word get out of the baby being Roger's for now, already dealing with too much backlash of killing children that resembled the former Pirate King and no doubt people would think this baby was another victim.

Making his way through the town, Marco had brothers wandering for supplies and some were startled at the sight of him carrying a baby. It had started giving them thoughts that his soulmate had a child, just never telling of already having one, which could make sense on why he never said anything. Then again, the time frame had them muddled unless the woman had sailed off back to here and told him. No one had been too sure, Marco being past the max age point.

"So, who did you bring along, son?" Whitebeard asks curiously as Marco came up onto the ship with the bundle against him securely.

"Portgas D Ace." Marco says the name, a bristling in him of joy as he had his other half. He would be sure to care and teach the other of the world and protect him from the dangers. "His mother held off on her pregnancy, that's why it felt different, yoi." He comments while drawing closer to his captain that kneels to view the sleeping baby better, the faded freckles lingering on cheeks. "Marines were waiting to kill him…" The words leave Marco softly, almost tempted to kill those marines where they stand for such a thing.

"Then it was good you sensed something wrong, son." Whitebeard comments, uplifting Marco a little as he smiles and runs a finger along Ace's cheek fondly.

"Yeah… He deserves to live…"