We've got only 10 or so more chapters to go. I know it's slowed down a little but it'll pay off (hopefully). As always reading any comments or opinions is more than welcomed 3

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Ace hasn't had time to realize how much he's been missing his family. The part of Luffy's crew that stayed, Rayleigh, even Shakky... Ace knows they're wonderful people and they're really good to him, but when Marco enters the tree house, blue fire still clinging to him, Ace feels like he might cry and there is no shame in how tightly he grabs on to his brother.

Ace is trying to put into words just how incredibly heavy he feels, how quickly he feels like he's sinking and how terrified he is that he's going to lose his little brother. Marco's hand wastes no time ruffling his hair and Ace's resolves falters and he lets out a hiccup.

"It's good to see too-yoi." Ace nods into his brother chest before stepping back, grinning up at Marco. It'd been so long, how had Ace been away from home so long? "Run me through what's happening."

Marco is here to serve as liaison between the former marines and the Whitebeard Pirates, flying over the Red Line while the rest of the crew prepares the ship. He's the first member of the alliance who arrives. He looks over at Rayleigh, sittingat the bar where he'd been drinking in daylight -as usual- and relaying Ace with tales about his mother. The air becomes heavy when the two first mate's lock eyes, but then Marco's smiling and Rayleigh invites him a drink.

The meeting of the allies begin.


The Bounties come in on the early news of day 3. Ace is surprised when Shakky shows them too him.

"Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro.

"Weather Witch" Nami.

"Sogeking" Usopp.

"Black Leg" Sanji.

"Beast Whisperer" Tony Tony Chopper.

"Devil Child" Nico Robin.

"Cyborg" Franky.

"Dead Bones" Brook.

The skeletons looks fondly upon the posters.

"Doesn't it bother you, yoi?" It's Marco who had been reading the day away, that asks, but Ace is also curious.

"Yohohoho." The skeleton laughs. "Not at all, I was a pirate during my first life. I joined the marines because of Luffy."

Ace doesn't know which part of that sentence is strangest, but Marco dismisses the motion and before Ace can ask, he's asleep.


Hachi's involvement is a complete accident, but a very welcomed surprise. The first Ace hears about involving the fishmen pirates is in a hushed conversation between Brook and Shakky. They discuss the idea of asking them for help over the first few days, but eventually decide it's too risky and there's no way to send a reliable message on time.

Sad, because the fishmen would've been invaluable in a battle at sea, but nothing to be done now. They only have four days and the reminder bites Ace deeply. Four days to scramble around and manage to pull-off the most daring rescue the world has ever seen.

Luffy's miracle making seems to be with them when on day 3 a pink Octopus fishman bursts through the base. Only Ace and Brook are present.

"Mister Hacchi!" The musician acknowledges, delight coloring his tone.

"Brook!" He greets. "Where is everybody? I've heard about Luffy... is it true that they plan to execute him?" The skeleton's mood gives a U turn, but his expression is determined.

"Ah, it is." Brook states calmly, and suddely it feels a little chilly around the room. "Not that we're going to let that happen, yohohoho!" Ace found the skeleton creepy before, but in that moment he looks terrifying.

"The Sun Pirates want to help." Hacchi states without preamble.

"Mister Hacchi..."

"Princess orders." Hacchi smiles happily. "I cannot possibly go against her majesty's will."

Ace wants to point out that the fishman is a pirate, but he's not going to shoot himself in the foot like that. They need all the help they can get. At dinnertime, Ace is relegated to the story of how his brother saved a mermaid princess.


While Ace and their gathering allies are enjoying dinner, Garp the Fist has finally tracked down his criminal of a son. He's prepared to take the door of this stupid base down if he has to, and when he's considering doing exactly that -consequences be damned!- they open. Garp gets the shock of his life.

"You're that other brat!" He exclaims, said other brat looks at Garp with wide eyes.

"Huh?"


Before food and stories about Ace's little brother, Robin and Ussop arrive, mission objective completed.

They have interesting reactions to their bounties. Robin seems to be slightly upset, and Ace turns to tell her -well, he's not sure what to say, but something when Ussop beats him to it. The young man looks over at his comrade, eyes shining and says:

"Robin!" He's waving his wanted poster around and jumpin on the sofa. "Robin! This is the first step to being true warriors of the sea! Luffy will be so proud!" And Ace watches the frown melt from Robin's face and smile at the younger, and she means it.

"Very exciting, indeed."

Their new ally doesn't warm Ace's heart nearly as much.

Ace is immediatly apprehensive of Trafalgar Law. Whether his caution is born from the fact that the pirate is famous for dismembering his enemies or just the captain of a rival crew, is up for debate, but Ace is mostly concerned that the key figure of their plan is probably their shakiest ally. If Trafalgar changes his mind or betrays them, there will be no way to rescue Luffy.

"Stop glaring at me, Fire Fist-ya." The other man says, calmly laying on one of the living room couches, looking decidely at home as he sifts through the newspaper. Ace can hear Robin and Ussop working in the kitchen.

"I heard my little brother ripped out your arm."

"I see your level of tact is comparable to Whatdog's-ya." The Warlord says, though initially suprised, easily immersing himself back into his reading. Tch. As if the paper could be interesting. The hand that flips to the next page has DEATH spelled out on his fingers, what a creep.

"What's that supposed to mean, huh?" Ace doesn't give him time to answer that because there's a a more pressing question on his mind. "Why are you helping us?"

"Nico-ya has assured me a quid-pro-quo."

"What is it?" The surgeon looks up coldly at Ace, enough intention that Ace feels flames flicker across his shoulder blades.

"That," he says pointedly, "is none of your business."


Nami calls right before dinner starts. Ace picks up the den-den mushi after setting down the last plate, glaring at Trafalgar all the way -who ignores him, the bastard. The table has two different reactions to hearing that the Roaming Emperor, Red Hair Shanks, is on his way. For those in the know, it's a huge relief and definitely a fantastic omen. For those that hadn't know, well, they were a little surprised.

Trafalgar Law actually chokes on what he's drinking and the biker gang leader, a man Ace has learned is named Duval tips his chair so far back he falls. Hacchi just looks around and wonders why he's not more suprised. Marco chuckles easily under his breath.

The crewmembers' reaction to being wanted criminals vary.

Zoro offers a very nonchalant, "so, am I worth more than the cook?"

Choper cannot contain his excitement at being recognized as a "real pirate".

Nami cries that her head is the most expensive thing about her.


Sanji and Franky arrive late on the fourth day, accompanied by a tall, slender woman. She is reserved and coy, but the swirl in her eyebrow is unmistakably genetic.

"I'm Vinsmoke Reiju." The name sends alarms ringing in Ace's brain, but in that particular moment he doesn't really connect the dots, which considering how uncomfortable Sanji looks, is probably for the best. "I'll be the liaison between you and the Vinsmokes, this will be our way to pay off our acquired debt." No on in the room, neither Ace, nor Marco, nor Trafalgar have any idea what she's talking about and they're all uninterested enough to not ask.

Marco later on fills him in who the Vinsmoke's are and Ace thinks back that his brother has formed the weirdest friendships.

The Franky Family also arrived with them. Apparently, they are a gang that Franky used to run in Water 7 before becoming a marine. (And what is up with the backstories of these marines?) Additionally, he tells them that Iceburg (Water 7's mayor!) has lent them some men from his Galley La Company.

"He's SUPER cool like that!" Is all Franky says on the subject.

"Wanted posters?" Sanji exclaims surprised from where he'd been catching up with Brook inside the kitchen. Seconds later, he comes into the living room. "Oi, Franky!" He makes a beeline for the cyborg, bringing the worn wanted posters with him. They're barely days old but they've been held by anybody who has stopped by. "Look at this!We have bounties. This is so strange. Hopefully, it'll make more popular with the ladies!" Are those... heart-shaped eyes? Franky eyes his poster.

"Cyborg Franky, hahahaha!" The man stands up, holding his signature pose, looking ridiculously big in the room. "SUPERRR!"


On the fifth night, sitting around one table stands the most colorful arrangement of people Ace has ever seen at once, and Ace is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates.

The Leader of a Biker Gang. Duval.

A daughter of Big Mom. Lola.

A robot-engineered princess of a criminal empire. Reiju.

One of the 7 Warlords of the Sea. Trafalgar.

A Fishman from the Sun Pirates. Hacchi.

The former first mate to the Pirate King. Rayleigh.

The first mate of the Whitebeard Pirates. Marco.

A small division of former marines.

And Ace himself.

Only missing from the table, and on their way at full speed is the Red Force, carrying a second Emperor of the Sea.

Only you, Luffy, he thinks to himself, only you.

Nico Robin takes the lead.

"Shall we go over the plan one more time?" She smiles, and Ace starts believing little by little that they might just pull this off.