Original Characters © Eiichiro Oda. Cover Art & Creative Story © shipfiend.

"Baddest Girl in Town" – Pitbull

"Yo, Marco?"

The monotone voice replied back, "Ace. Where have you been?"

Ace pushed the brim of his orange hat up, the two blue smiley faces attached by red beads to his hat caught the sun as seagulls called above him. The wind picked up but the two long orange side straps holding down his hat with the support of the large bull's skull medallion kept it from flying off his head. "It's almost like paradise, Marco."

"Mm," Marco mused dryly. "Are you actually working or enjoying yourself?"

Ace chuckled, "Why can't someone mix work with pleasure?" His voice picked up in insinuation as he imagined Marco blushing on the other line.

"You fire eating ass," Marco chuckled, "Just hurry up."

Ace tossed a chin at some women who glanced at his half-naked body as it lazily stood against the decaying pay phone. "You miss me?" Marco tried his best not to laugh but instead opted for a smile which Ace could practically hear through the statically line. "It's just taking me a bit longer to travel without…issue."

"Well, perhaps if you wore a damn shirt, no one would be hunting you down."

At that, Ace defiantly flipped over, showing his tattooed back to all that dared to slow down and ogle. "I'm a proud man, Marco. I'd die before I cover up this promise."

Marco understood Ace well enough that what he said was not some pompous self-praise. It was why Ace left in the first place. Though they ran with Whitebeard and their gang was considered a lethal threat no matter where they went, the murder of a fellow crew member was nothing to ignore. Because the culprit was Ace's responsibility, it was up to him to find him and bring him back for judgment …or dole out that judgment himself. Ace was prepared to do both, but this journey was taking much longer than he anticipated.

Marshall D. Teach had taken it upon himself to create a gang of his own. With the Oka Shichibukai in turmoil due to Mihawk and Hancock's removal, Ace feared that Teach would use this opportunity to gain power. Though the crime family heads respected Whitebeard as one of the four Yonko in the underworld, if Teach gained enough notoriety even Whitebeard would have trouble reaching him without the World Government coming down on them. The only difference between the Shichibukai and the Yonko was that the World Government managed to strike a deal with the Shichibukai. With that alone, crime was almost regulated. However, Ace did not join Whitebeard for the power. He believed in the old man, and for someone to disrespect Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate, Ace would bring them down with hellfire. Teach even had the audacity to call himself "Blackbeard" as if the betrayal was not enough.

Marco heard his best friend struggle on the other end and quietly responded, "You will get him, Ace. I have no doubt about that. Just…get back here in one piece."

If Ace could kiss him, he would but instead, he let a wide grin grace his face. "Of course, babe." He continued to chuckle as knew the other crew members were making mocking kissy-faces as they inevitable listened in.

"Ass."

"The best ass that you love." And without another word, Marco hung up as Ace smirked.

Ace's black boots crunched against the gravel as he attempted to find anyone who would be willing to transport him where he needed to go. Again, his proud tattoo gave him a lot of leverage but also created a lot of fear. Not many men wanted to have "Fire Fist" Ace on their ship if they could help it. Planes, trains, and automobiles were regularly checked but boats were almost an oversight in the World Government's many eyes. Pulling the crumbled map out of his pocket, he stood amid the busy port and pondered his next move. As confident as he was about his purpose, the direction and subsequent steps to get there were elusive, to say the least.

Nami had watched the tall well-built man swagger around as she directed her crew to restock before their next bout. However, what caught her attention and held it was the large shameless bearded grin that marked his back. This guy's with Whitebeard?

Whitebeard was like a mythical creature, known through his exploits, his power, and more importantly to Nami, the way people who seemed affected by his presence praised him rather than ran in fear. Unlike the Shichibukai, heads of royal crime families that Hancock and Mihawk were a part of, the Yonko, or emperors of the criminal underworld, were almost elected by average people. Ironically, there was honor among thieves. Regardless of how much spin the government, media, or second-hand stories made him out to be some villainous monster, Whitebeard was almost like a beacon of hope, stability, and heroism in the face of corruption and evil easily touted by the official parties in power, whether it be the Shichibukai or the World Government.

Her eyes traced over his bright hat, over his chiseled chest, held onto the belts around his slim waist, and then memorized the "ASCE" tattoo. It was strange, as if someone had misspelled it and proceeded to cross out the permanent "S" with an X then continued with a "C" and an "E". Her curiosity got the better of her, partially due to the freedom she so easily guzzled through large inhales of fresh air and exploded with uncontrollable laughter. In this instance, it was a laugh which brought his furrowed brows and dark eyes to her.

Nami could not be blamed for admiring someone. Even if her life had taken on a series of twists and turns, even when danger was around every corner, and perhaps it was because he was clearly dangerous that she felt no worry in staring back at his freckled face until he brought his lips into a smug grin.

"Would you happen to know anyone headed to Banaro Island?" his firm voice called out.

Everyone was suddenly perturbed around him, as he was not exactly caught up in world affairs, nor the town's current condition. Nami gave him an equally smug grin, "That place is a powder keg. Why would you want to go there?"

Suddenly, it seemed to dawn on the man that the port had gone quite still. They looked not at him but to her, and she relished in the fact that though they had docked here only a few days ago, she ran this town. Nami wondered what brought a member of Whitebeard's crew to her unlucky shores.

He walked forward, as it seemed like there was an audible gasp around him. Perhaps the townies did not understand the weight of having that tattoo on your back, but she knew. However, it seemed like he could not read the situation either. Sure, she was no Whitebeard, but she did run the baddest crew this side of the border. She leaned against the railing, her chin in her hand as her hooded eyes watched him fervently.

"I am not one to share my plans with others I don't know. No matter how cute." It was a Sanji level compliment but dripped with a suaveness that seemed to incinerate the hairs that brushed Nami's brow. It was a quick movement for him to tuck the map back into his shorts and swing up towards her. One hand on his pack, and the other gripping the wood of the railing as he lifted himself up right into her space. He balanced himself on his toes even in his boots, and with a hand outreached, he continued, "Name's Ace."

She was just as quick to move back and straighten herself, her hair waving around her rounding breasts. Her men wanted to help but they were also wary. She was not necessarily a cruel boss, but she was also not one they were willing to die for. The man before her seemed more than capable of killing each one of them. Nami's folded arms did not leave space for formality, but perhaps she could use him to her advantage. Truth be told, she needed it. Between Robin's radio silence and her constant redirection, reevaluation, and desire to go back, Nami needed a distraction. Otherwise, her thoughts constantly landed back on a moss-headed fool that she swore she could not return to. At least, not yet. More importantly, she needed a power boost.

Before Ace could figure out what happened, Nami had one soft palm in his but the other ripped the paper from his pocket as if she was aiming to rip his shorts off, too. "You can call me Captain. And if you want to get to Banaro…I'm going to put you to work."

Ace's tightened his grip on his shoulder pack, but instead of assaulting Nami and taking back what was clearly his, he grinned. It was overconfident, too smoldering. It took Nami all her strength to remove her hand from his heated hold. "I'll give you that map and my body as service…but I won't call you Captain."

Fuck me, she nearly said it out loud, but instead, she stuck her tongue in her cheek and managed a simple, "Fine. Nami will do. Welcome aboard The Sea Witch."

A/N: Way back when, when OP was nothing more than a ragtag team of teens out exploring the world, we met Ace. Lovely, extremely f-able Ace. And as much as I wanted to make a pun of Ace being…well, ace – Marco x Ace is a legit heart jerking ship of mine. However, I will not deny that whether it was a crack ship or not, Ace could get it. I often saw people pair Ace with Nojiko so Luffy would subsequently be with Nami, but here's a wild thought…maybe Luffy is ace?! WOWOW.

*deadpan face* We'll never know cause he's dead in this AU so.

FUN FACT: Way back when I tried to work out Zoro and Nami's personality based on personality types, I confirmed (for myself) that Zoro was ISTP. Ace, according to the same post/image, is ESTP – Ace being more extrovert while Zoro is introvert. And I thought, well, hot dang - if Ace has ¾ of the things Nami may match well with, why not? I could see it. Nami is ENJT, differing to Ace in her being intuitive over sensing and judging over perceiving. All this being said, I am going to love writing Ace and Nami interactions. I think they are both committed but before Ace was taken from us so soon (still hurts) I think Nami and him would have gotten along quite well. It also makes me giggle because I think Zoro is not possessive enough to being jealous but…well, Ace is legitimately fire so. Also, side note, like Ace was hella strong and amazing and I just can't even. Ya know?

Also, it brought me so much joy to know that Robin unknowingly got a ship called The Sea Witch for Nami. Hint, hint to that chapter where they were talking and Nami was just like…Y JESUS Y?

Okay, now we know Nami is good and well, I'll give more descriptors as her hair has probably grown out a bit and whatnot…but guess who will be giving it – you guessed right. Let this crack ship sail if only for a moment.

XoXo shipfiend