Hello everyone, here is another one shot, this one from the 'Mute' story

This was a request from Fantasylovermagi

It isn't the exact thing you wanted 'Fantasylovermagi' I think, but a small scene of Ace and Marco developing a brotherly bond

This will be Marco helping Ace feel more at home and comfortable aboard the Moby Dick

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax

Marco gave a sigh, seeing that Thatch was getting everyone rallied for another stupid singing competition. He had been doing that almost every night after they had visited an island which had played a lot of music: singing their songs and mimicking their style of dancing and party activities. The worst part was that most were drunk, making it barely coherent. But, they were having fun, everyone seeming to enjoy it. When they tried to make him join in, the first commander just gave them a look, making them give up on that idea completely. Pops had said to relax, but this wasn't for Marco.

After an hour, Marco needed to step away for a bit, exiting from the main part of the desk, as everyone was getting louder and more rowdy. He noticed Ace sitting on a crate to the side, with his back leaning on another crate behind him, his legs up with him and looking at the ones having fun. Ace usually joined Thatch with his parties and pranks, but they had been lacking the presence of Ace lately. Ace was sitting a bit away from the festivities, and Marco walked over, leaning on the railing next to Ace. "How are you doing Ace, yoi?" The black-haired kid gave a small shrug. 'Fine,' Marco sent a look at the other. "I wasn't born yesterday, Ace. What's wrong? You've been keeping to yourself lately, yoi." Ace went to open his mouth to answer, before he gave a breath, closing his eyes as he looked down.

'It's stupid… but I feel left out… alone… I don't know.' Marco frowned a bit, not sure why Ace felt that way, before it hit him as he heard the others sing. Ace was mute; he couldn't join in on this new amusing activity. No one had even asked Ace since he was mute. No wonder Ace felt left out.

Marco had to say he often forgot about Ace not being able to speak, he had gotten used to reading lips and hadn't even thought about it. He moved to perch on the edge of the crate, moving an arm to Ace's shoulder. "That's not stupid, Ace. Why haven't you told anyone, yoi? I mean, they don't need to do this every night." Ace gave a sigh. 'No, they're having fun, I don't want to ruin it.' Marco hit himself mentally, for not noticing this earlier. He understood that Ace didn't want to be in his room alone- that would be worse- but being out here made him feel excluded. Marco wasn't too sure what to do, or how to make Ace feel better. He felt bad for not noticing, and needed to come up with something.

After a couple of seconds, he remembered something and looked at Ace. "Hey, I have an idea, yoi. Come." The black-haired kid looked at him with a frown, and when Marco made a motion for Ace to follow, he did, jumping down from the crate. Marco made sure that they walked side by side, so that he knew if Ace said something; they had been bad at that at first, but they're better at it now, and it felt natural. After they had been walking for a couple of minutes, heading inside the ship and towards the lower decks, Ace did ask where they were going, to which Marco just responded with a 'you'll see'.

After another couple of minutes, they walked through a door Marco hadn't been through in a while. When they got inside, he could see that Ace was shocked as they were at the back of the ship, where there was a long window that could be opened, close to the water. A few others were there, sitting around the open window, each holding a fishing line. Marco looked at Ace. "At the start, we used to catch a lot of food here, before we were so many, yoi. Now, a few use it to relax and occasionally catch and release some fish, or so that we can eat a different kind of fish, but mostly to just watch the ocean." Marco used a lot of time here when he needed a break, but he hadn't for a while now. He went to a couple of chairs a bit away from the others, but close to the window, and sat down with Ace joining him. "There is one major rule here; don't make noise. It scares everything away, taking away the fun of being here, yoi." Ace gave a nod, looking out the window somewhat shocked.

Marco opened the nearest window, letting the salty air in. It was actually nice, the small breeze that came. He then looked at Ace. "Want to give it a try?" Ace looked at him and blinked. 'Fishing?' Marco shook his head. "Nah, not in the evening. At this time of night, the fish come closer to the surface; in the New World, there are many beautiful species - it's the best, yoi. Here." Marco handed a small line to Ace, this one having no hooks, and instead released a scent which made the aquatic animals come closer to the surface. Ace blinked, giving him an uncertain look, making Marco give a small motion. Ace slowly let the line out and into the ocean, blinking when he saw that the line gave off a faint light- a bluish hue- when it touched the water. 'It glows.' Marco nodded. "Yeah, an essence Paul over there made." Marco pointed to the man who sat in the middle of the two others, him also having a line out and a Cameko Den Den Mushi and notebook in his hands. They loved to find and record any new species.

After a minute, a few small fish came in to sight by the fishing line. He saw Ace starting to move his mouth, having a small smile. 'It's quiet here.' Marco nodded. "Yeah. I sometimes come here to just listen to the waves and ocean; it's calming. And, no one is making a ruckus or noise." Ace's smile grew a bit with that, seeming to enjoy himself. After a couple of minutes, Ace looked at him. 'Can you change your hand to fire for a second?' Marco didn't know why, but saw no harm in it and did, holding the blue flames of his palm out a bit. Ace had tied the line to the window and moved to take some of the flames into his cupped palms. Ace then moved his hands to his face, closed his eyes, and blew the fire, sending it out towards the sea.

Ace then, with his eyes still closed, made some motions with his hands, and the small blue flame divided into many more, each taking the shape of a blue jellyfish. The jellyfishes slowly moved an inch above the water, mimicking the way the animals really move.

It was one of the most amazing things Marco had seen; it was beautiful.

The others in the room thought the same as they gave small gasps of amazement. How the blue flames moved slowly and beautifully in the night, being reflected in the water along with the moon. They illuminated the other fish and animals in the sea, like they were swimming along with the jellyfish. It was calming to watch. "It's beautiful, Ace." Ace gave a small nod, eyes half open as he watched the sea himself. 'I often used my powers at the start to communicate, making shapes or words. It's always stuck with me, it calms me.' Marco gave a small smile, moving to sit a bit closer to Ace, an arm over his shoulders. "It was the last thing you had, yoi. Your only way to tell how you feel."

Ace gave a small nod, having a slightly somber look. 'Yeah. I hate that I'm mute. But, because of it, I was able to learn to do this.' Marco got that, and he had never heard Ace say he didn't like being mute, so he felt it was a step forward, they would help Ace. "I can understand that, and what happened was terrible, but I am glad you're here, yoi. I would much rather have you here mute, than you not being here at all. You are family; you're my brother." Ace gave a smile to him, eyes a bit blank. 'Thank you, I needed to hear that.' Marco shook his head, moving his arm to have Ace a bit closer. "Don't thank me for that; it's what a brother does, yoi."

Ace gave a nod, looking happy, turning to look out at the ocean. Marco leaned his head against Ace's, looking out at the sea himself, mesmerized by the movements of the small, blue fire jellyfishes. It was amazing. Ace was amazing, and Marco was glad to have him as a member of his family.

And that's the one shot, hope you enjoyed it

This was a small bonding scene as the Mute story was short. I couldn't help but use this idea, as it really touched me. I hope it was nice for everyone too

If you have any ideas, don't be afraid to tell them, I love making things other want

And I love feedback and it is what keeps me going

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