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And now, the next installment of Peppymint's Fanfiction Blitz 2017

Day two of seven

Marco the Phoenix

Marco opened his door to find a sulky twelve year old. Who knew how long the other had been standing there. Ace's dark eyes blazed defiance, jaw clenched tight, but he was there. Ah well, the phoenix thought to himself. One step at a time right; he would take what he could get. He opened the door wider. "Come in yoi."

"I," Ace began biting his lip. "I want. Um I mean . . ." Small fingers twisted the hem of his shirt uncertainly.

Marco's eyes softened as he inwardly cursed everyone who had ever given this child a reason to think that he didn't deserve to live. "I understand yoi." He dropped back onto his bunk, pulling up one leg to rest his arms on his knees. "People today like to talk like Roger and Pops were mortal enemies. But the truth yoi, is that they rivals. A meeting with the Roger Pirates was more likely to end in a party than a fight." The phoenix snorted with amusement. "I'd have to look at the records to be sure but I think the number one way to land in the infirmary when Roger was around was alcohol poisoning."

Ace blinked. Say what now?

Casting his mind back, Marco settled on which memory he would share today. As long as Ace was determined to be nothing like his Father, he could at least make sure the kid was nothing like Roger in all the right ways. "We did fight sometimes though," he admitted freely. Hey, they were pirates.

"I remember one time we ran into Roger's crew near the calm belt. I never did find out what they had been tangling with, but it must have been huge. Your Father looked like shit." The redhead smirked remembering the sight of the swaying pirate king. "Say what you will about Roger, he was tough yoi," the phoenix continued. "But he never did know when to back down. Half dead and still insisting he could take Pops in a fight."

"Seriously," muttered Ace. That sounded, well to be honest it sounded like something Luffy would do.

"Lucky for him," Marco went on as though he hadn't heard. "His first mate had a solid head on his shoulders. One moment Rayleigh was calling Roger's name and the next he had socked his own Captain in the face." Haki and all. The veteran pirate chuckled. "Roger went down like a sack of seastone."

"And then what happened?" Ace asked. He was getting into the story in spite of himself.

"And then Rayleigh threw Roger over his shoulder and shouted for everyone to run away." Marco shrugged, "not that he was gone for long. He showed up a week later, no ship, no crew. He must have swum the entire way yoi; all to demand a rematch."

"Just for a rematch?" the kid whispered in disbelief. His Father had been insane.

"Not entirely."

Ace looked up questioningly to be met with a smirk.

"Roger wanted his hat back too."

/

I do have plans for more segments of this. They will be forthcoming when I have both time and inspiration.

Until then hope you enjoyed and please review.