Chapter 3: Smoker/Ace: Unexpected

The prompt for this one was Marines so let's go Marine Ace AU!

Notes: For you Skye!

Late. Smoker sighed. His new Ensign was late. It was bad enough that Hina poached Tashigi from him, now whomever his stupid new Ensign was, was fucking late to show up. Smoke billowed upward towards the ceiling of his office.

Life in the streets of Loguetown continued smoothly. Pirates were captured, paperwork was filed. It was the East Blue and it was boring as hell. Smoker supposed that his superiors figured shunting him here in the ass end of nowhere was not punishment enough.

Now he didn't even get to handpick his damn underlings. A whooshing of the wind hissed gently outside the window.

He knew Hina was laughing at him. He just fucking knew it (picturing Tashigi's chagrined smile wasn't helping). Whatever. When his new subordinate arrived, Smoker could tear him a new one then. Teach the idiot not to be late (regardless of whether Smoker was actively working or not).

The whooshing was getting louder. Smoker narrowed his eyes. It was a calm day, bright, sunny. Why was the wind picking up? Actually was that yelling he heard-

CRASH!

The window shattered inward, a something slamming into him, sending him through the wall and into the hallway with the rubble. Smoker stared upward, mouth open slightly, the little hamster in his brain having been flung off its wheel.

The something jumped off of him, turning back to the hole and screaming. The words were not words in Smoker's head for a moment before the hamster begrudgingly returned with a vengeance.

"-NOT BEING STATIONED IN THE EAST BLUE SHITTY OLD MAN!"

"TOO BAD BRAT!" That was a voice Smoker knew. Vice Admiral Garp's. Garp. Garp was here? What the fuck?! Smoker got to his feet, eye twitching, turning towards the something . The screaming something was, in fact, a person. A younger guy in a Navy uniform, the front open, an atrocious orange hat around his neck. Black hair. Shorter than Smoker.

A Marine Smoker did not recognize.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" he bellowed, interrupting the screaming match.

"Oh shit, I didn't see you there, I apol..o…gize," the unknown Marine trailed off, whipping around to look at him. But their eyes met. The world went silent. Then rushing music and colors and a brightness settling in the back of Smoker's head.

Where the brat had once had two dark eyes, now one of Smoker's own amber ones was looking back at him. He knew instinctively that his looked the same. They continued to look at one another, dumbfounded. Speechless. Shock. Bewildered. Other words to describe an earth shattering, life changing occurrence.

A huge form jumped through the broken window, casting a massive shadow over them both. "Oh Smoker, see you've met Ace, my grand-" Garp stopped, staring at the two of them staring at each other.

Then the bastard started laughing. "Oh I'm not gonna be stationed in the East Blue! The East Blue is boring! Wah wah I'm too strong for the East Blue! Bahahaha! And yet, here's your soulmate!" The stupid old asshat pointed at Smoker, wheezing with laughter.

Both he and Ace's eyes twitched and as one, they turned on him and threw him back out the window. He continued laughing outside on the ground, having the audacity to yell "Welcome to the family Smoker Bahahahaha!"

Ace turned to look at him. "Uh. Sorry I'm late. Ensign Ace reporting for duty." He saluted and before Smoker could say a goddamned thing, he fell asleep. Smoker sighed. Yeah, Hina was never going to let him live this down.

Notes: Okay the idea of Smoker and Ace as a buddy cop romance is pretty fun.