Open Seas

by banshee-hime

Ace begins his adventures as a WB Pirate only to meet the charismatic and bold one-(wo)man delivery service pilot. The young pirate soon learns that there is more to the strange girl than looks and sick flying skills. She was proud of her freedom. Of her ability to have an exit strategy. She was a Migratory Bird. Then she met that darn stubborn pirate. She blames the rum. AcexOC

32. Here's to us

Welcome ladies and gents!

Thank you XxHeartMenderxX and Serinity750 for the favs! :D

Also, I'm very grateful to Alies16 and Serinity750 for following the story!

Also, XxFire-PhoenixxX and guests, thank you for the reviews! They keep me writing! :D

I've been listening to a lot of Halestorm, so here comes one of theirs, enjoy!

Chapter 32: Halestorm – Here's to us

It was only after a while of the lad being gone that Thatch actually got worried. Leaving the meat in a shade, nicely covered and almost ready for the fire, the Commander headed towards the city. He found his companion not too far away from the beach. Ace was lying flat, headfirst in the sand, bags and food all around him. Thatch laughed, shaking his head. And he had actually been worried.

The wide and rather beautiful Whitebeard Pirates tattoo on his brother's back was more than enough to protect him in these times. It was a known fact that Whitebeard didn't take kindly to his crew members being attacked. The Captain considered them his family, his children. He would take action if needed. That meant that they were mostly left alone by those who knew the mark in these kinds of situations (though Ace was a bit of a special case). And there weren't many in the New World that didn't know the Yonko's mark.

"C'mon, brother." Smiled Thatch, bending over and gathering all the groceries. "Let's get you somewhere a bit closer to food." He chuckled as he pulled up Ace by one of his limp arms. "That'll wake you up in a jiffy."

"Commander of the Fourth division of the Whitebeard Pirates, Thatch." Said a cold voice behind the pompadour, but it didn't deter him. He had sensed their arrival a while back. He didn't even flinch. Gaging by their soundless approach and their knowledge, they weren't your everyday bounty hunters. No, these were pros.

"Hellu!" Thatch greeted with an easy-going smile and a small wave. He turned to the newcomers, arms full of Ace and groceries. Though, he wasn't vulnerable. His every muscle was taunt, waiting for the attack. His sword was almost shimmering with the Haki that he had gathered. He was ready. He was always ready. Even though he wished that Ace was awake. Well, can't help what you can't influence.

"He's a clown!" Remarked the other (much larger, noted Thatch) attacker. Though, size didn't mean power. And, Thatch was in a crew with many large people. He knew that idiom well. "Are you sure that he's a Whitebeard Commander, Shadow?" The man's outfit was really ridiculous. Seriously, who wears that flamboyant shirt with that body size? He was the one that looked like a clown. Thatch bit his tongue not to allow the comment to pass. Obviously, he needed to spend less time with Izo. The infatuation with the pink clad Commander was getting annoying. And so was his rapidly increasing fashion expertize.

"I am confident in my abilities." The shorter, and much less ridiculous-looking man retorted. "Unlike yourself." Thatch watched the exchange in amusement. He gripped Ace a bit better, preparing to make a run for it.

Crack!

In an instant the air changed. "Whoooo~" Whistled Thatch. "Scary!~" He grinned at the shorter man. It wasn't a friendly grin at all.

The moment that Thatch had looked for a way around the duo, the smaller one had noticed. His silver eyes, like liquid lead, had locked onto his prey. He was like a predator, in every single way. If Thatch had run, the assassin would've given chase and killed him without a second thought.

"Commander of the Fourth division, Thatch, we are not here for you." Spoke the short man. The larger had a grin on his face now. It was a rather bloodthirsty one. Thatch didn't seem all that bothered by the tension in the air.

He shrugged to the best of his abilities. "Well, I was going to say that you've come at a wrong time. I've got my hands a bit full." The Commander joked. The short man frowned at him. The larger burst into laughter.

"I like him!" He wheezed through. "Are you sure we can't kill 'im?" He was still laughing, like he didn't mention death of a human being at all. Thatch felt a shiver run down his spine. He had met many people in his voyages. He had met pirates, marines, bounty hunters and civilians alike. He had met people that were poor, that were rich, that were famous and that were almost dead. But, he could name only a few who had had this level of apathy and general insanity. This man, he was an assassin, through and through.

"No." Denied the smaller one. "I do not wish to answer for starting a war with the Whitebeard Pirates, too. We have had one too many incidents of that sort already." With an expressionless, but none the less terrifying, face he turned to his companion, pinning him in place with those silver eyes that demanded respect. "Or have you forgotten already, former Taurus?"

"Call me Bull, dammit!"

Thatch squished his amusement and laughter. The name confirmed his suspicion a bit too well. The Zodiacs. Now, this was some careful, and slippery, ground that he was on. Besides, by the title, the man had some impressive skill, to become one of the commanding officers. Demoted or not, he was still dangerous.

"Well-" Thatch interjected. "If you're not here for me, I'll be going then!" He headed towards their beach camp, tension still in his every muscle. He was ready for the two to attack him at any moment.

The silver eyed man moved in a flash, vanishing. He appeared in front of Thatch, seemingly out of the shadows of the trees. "Do not believe that we are letting you go, Commander. You are simply of no interest to us." Thatch grinned even wider, gritting his teeth. Did Ace provoke the two? Did he? Or were they just passing by and decided to get a thrill? "However, do tell your companion to pick his battles a bit better next time. I cannot promise that my colleague will be as cool-headed as I am, if caught alone." Thatch was sure of that. He could feel the blood thirst from behind, seeping from the mountain of a man. He was ready to kill.

"Will do!" And then, the Commander left with a cheeky wave to the two assassins. The former Taurus looked to his companion.

"We let them go?" He frowned. "I was quite enjoying the cheeky one with the ridiculous hairdo. Fucking powerhouse, did you feel his Haki?" He asked his companion excitedly, like a small child before Christmas.

"We needed to let them go. War has never done us good, former Taurus." Replied Kage, heading towards the city. "It is bad for business."

The larger assassin shook his head. "Bullshit! That's when it actually blooms!" He grinned, remembering the last war that he had been in (as an assassin, of course). "There will always be people wanting to kill other people, Shadow."

His short companion finally smiled up at him, almost warmly. But, former Taurus wouldn't be fooled. The short man was emotionless. He was void, like a black hole. And he drank up others' suffering like it was hot chocolate (which the former Taurus rather liked).

"And there will always be those who will kill for another." Spoke the silver eyed man, almost nostalgically.

~~~~~~pb~~~~~~

Slowly, Ace came to, focusing on the reality. He blinked, once, twice and then shot up. He didn't remember this place. Then, a smell drifted to his nose. Whipping his head away from the palm trees, the raven turned, taking in the beach. This, he remembered. But, he hadn't managed to get all the way to Thatch. The man had probably gone back to pick him up.

Ace jumped to his feet, shaking the sand off of his shorts. He looked up, seeing the slowly darkening sky. Stars were already visible. He had been asleep for longer than usual. That was strange. He needed to talk to doc when they got back. His sleeping pattern was going whack once again.

Thatch was standing and flipping the meat over the fire skillfully. He didn't even turn to greet Ace. "Morning, sleepyhead." He joked. The bright fire stood out against the darkness of the sea and the beach. The only sound besides the sizzling meat and the cracking of the wood were the rhythmic waves that washed over the sand. Ace took a deep breath, his joints popping as he stretched.

"Evenin'." He greeted back, walking to the pompadour. "Did I get everything alright?" He asked, seeing the salad already prepared on the side. Thatch nodded a bit absent-mindedly, turning the meat.

"The tomatoes were a bit squished, though." Thatch grinned cheekily. "You kind of fell asleep on them."

Ace snorted. "I kind of have no control of that."

"Unlucky you, you're getting the squished ones." Laughed Thatch causing Ace to almost pout and then start whining. "Sit, relax. The food will be done in a bit." The raven obeyed. "Soooo~" Began Thatch after a moment of silence. He was the kind of person that couldn't stand the lack of conversation. He simply felt awkward and attempted to begin it once more. "Didja meet any girls?" That did the trick. Ace proudly launched into a long retelling of his visit to the island and its city.

Thatch mostly listened, making different comments here and there. He hummed and nodded in agreement as Ace gave his thoughts on the things that had happened. It was quite a development for the young pirate, in Thatches opinion. When Ace had arrived, he had hated the crew. And even after beginning to understand them and their ways, he had kept his walls up, not opening up to anyone. Talking to Ace used to be a short, anger-filled conversation with sometimes yelling and mostly setting things on fire.

Now, the youth volunteered information. Not only official, Whitebeard Pirates', business, but also personal. He talked about his younger brother Luffy all the time. How the youngster would sail, and how it was just a matter of time when he did that. He also talked about women. That was, after all, a popular topic on a pirate ship. He had had some pretty interesting conversations with Thatch at around one or two ante meridiem, more than a bit tipsy. Despite Ace's attempt to hide it by boasting, his relative inexperience with the other gender had spread like wildfire among the crew. This had caused one or two more nurses to wink or wave at him in passing. And, it had caused Izo's wildest matchmaking fantasies to take flight and attempt realization.

"Here you go." Thatch handed the pirate his plate. Ace grinned happily.

"Thanks!" And then he stuffed his face, without waiting a second longer. Thatch smiled, watching the young man. He had been a part of the crew for a while and he had had the pleasure of seeing some rather amazing members develop. And Ace, he had real potential. Becoming a Commander would do him good. "Seconds, please!"

Thatch almost face planted. "Right there, brother. Just have to get up and get some more." He told the youngster and watched him get another piece of meat, which vanished just as quickly as the first one. The pirate was a black hole for sure. Thatch had barely taken two bites out of his meal, and the other was already getting seconds, and probably soon a third helping.

"So-" Ace began, food gone once again. He lowered his plate and took some milk from the cracked coconut. "When are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

Thatch smiled, swallowing. "What would you like to talk about?" He asked, watching Ace's expression go from serious to exasperated.

"Really? You told me that I was going to get a crash course on being a Commander, right?" When Thatch gave a nod, he continued. "We haven't even mentioned that topic yet!"

The Commander lowered his plate, too. "We haven't mentioned it, yes. But, you've gone through a crash course already." Ace gave him a confused look. "Walking all the way here. You didn't know where you were going. You didn't know how long you were going to walk and how you were going to get there. You didn't have all the information, yet you followed the some that you had with conviction."

"As a Commander, you will often get half-formed information. You won't know all the details and you will need to believe in what we do, what we live for, with all your being to be successful. Then, I gave you a task, right?"

Ace nodded. "Get us a room with two beds for a certain price?"

Thatch smiled approvingly. "I knew how difficult it was to get such a room here, so I gave you that task. It took a while to find one, right? And even after you did, it was a competition to get it, right? We are constantly looking for good islands to protect. Often, we don't get the ones that we want, even after we find them. It's a constant struggle. But, you can't lose faith and be rude to the next island, just because you lost the previous one. You need to convince them with even more polite words and positive energy. You can't allow for one island to cost you having another as an ally." Thatch explained.

"And then, there was the last thing. Buying ingredients. Even though we are pirates, we protect many territories and send them funds. We often find ourselves in a situation where we need to decide where to send out gold, choosing one thing, over the other. Prioritizing is a very highly ranked skill. Also, figuring out how to do everything with the funds given. For example, if our ship is damaged, and you need to get supplies with a specific amount of money that we have onboard at that moment, you have to get creative. Quality is important when doing something like that, but so are the items that are required."

Ace nodded. So, this was the ability of a Commander? Thatch had used some simple, everyday activities, to show him how to become a leader that he needed to be. "But, what about the actual activities on the ship?" Wondered Ace. Wasn't he supposed to learn some kind of secrets of something?

Thatch laughed. "You already know almost everything. Anything that you're hazy about, you can ask any Commander."

"But, isn't there some sort of a secret about becoming a Commander?" Ace asked, dumbfounded.

Thatch kept laughing. "Not really. I don't know who began that, but it stuck with the crew." He shrugged, taking his plate once again and putting some more meat on it. "We're a pretty transparent bunch, if you look closely. Anyone who wants to get involved in organizing has a chance to. And, we tell each other everything. No secret meeting on the Moby Dick is really a secret meeting."

"You don't have to tell me that." Ace laughed. "I've been the victim of the Whitebeard gossip, after all." Ace commented. And to think that he had believed this crew to be some kind of an evil organization, spreading its propaganda left and right. They were possibly one of the rarest crews existing, seeing as they involved all of their members in the decision process.

"True. Izo got you good, though!" Laughed Thatch through his food. When he looked up from his plate, though, Ace was asleep, head hanging limply. "Narcoleptic." Sighed Thatch with a smile. It was sometimes annoying, but mostly, I amused the Commander. What was Ace thinking, becoming a pirate despite his uncontrolled habit of falling asleep at all times?

~~~~~pb~~~~~

The next few days Ace and Thatch mostly hung out at the peaceful island. The raven had many questions about being a Commander. How do people get chosen? Will he have to do all the paperwork? Does he get a say in who ends up in which division during recruitment? Would he need to be present during all of the Commanders' meetings? Will he get special missions? And, most importantly, why in the world did they keep switching duties on the ship?

Thatch had, of course, tried to answer all of them to the best of his ability. Ace was a relative greenhorn, that was for sure, but he wasn't that naive and he was rather clever. Leo had recommended him good, and Marco had supported him even better. It was the first mate that had argued Ace into consideration. Though, he had had some (a lot) of support from Thatch. Becoming a Commander after less than a year onboard the Moby Dick was unheard of. However, Ace was a bright lad, he believed in the dream and he wasn't afraid to put his life on the line.

"When are we leaving the island?" Asked Ace, shaking out his shorts before he put them back on. The lad had taken a dip in the ocean, attempting to cool off. Despite the uncomfortable feeling of his power being drained, Ace still loved the sea. He couldn't help himself. He would remember all the time that he used to spend swimming, diving and fetching Luffy. He could still picture the vibrant corals and the various fish that used to swim around him. He could remember the cool of the turquoise water and the slight sting in his eyes that he had gotten used to a long time ago. Yes, Ace missed the sea in a way that a pirate shouldn't.

Thatch hummed, thinking. "Soon, probably." He replied. Ace gave him a questioning look, raising his eyebrow. He shook his hair, trying to get all the sand out of it. Well, no use. He would wait for the wavy locks to dry.

"That's not an answer, you know?" The raven complained. They had already spent over a week grounded, and he was feeling the itch. Sure, every morning, the pirate would take the boat out for a ride. No, not the normal one, but the one that Ran had built. It was hard, but he was getting the hang of it, slowly. He understood her comments from back then now. She had told him to focus his weight into his hips and evenly distribute it there. He had unconsciously been putting it more on one leg than the other, and Ran's keen pilot eyes had caught his habit.

"I know." Replied Thatch. "We're waiting to be picked up." He replied with a shrug. "Outta my hands." Ace sighed. Thatch. Yes, this was Thatch.

"Shall we get some food?" Asked Ace. He was already feeling the emptiness in his stomach, despite the large breakfast that they had had. Thatch really needed to cook more often.

Purupurupuru!

"You go ahead." Thatch replied, taking out his Den Den Mushi. "I need to take this." Ace nodded and picked up his hat and bag, leaving as the Commander answered the call.

The walk to the city wasn't long. It was a nice day, unlike yesterday, when it had rained. Today, it was sunny and Ace's hair was dry by the time he got to the outskirts of the small town. Not that he needed the help, as he could always use his Devil Fruit powers to dry himself. But, Ace had found himself using his ability less and less for his day to day activities. Somehow, the initial high of the unknown was slowly passing, and the fire had become a part of him, more than an ability to use. Now, he used it on a daily basis, but rather than to show off, he used it to help him get around. Though, now that he had the option of using it to make his life easier, he missed the usual small hardships.

A familiar scent of baked goods wafted his nose and Ace changed direction, heading for the food. He quickly purchased some donuts and headed further towards the center. There, he found the restaurant whose owner was under protection of Whitebeard.

"Morning, Ossan!" The Commander-in-making greeted and plopped down into one of the chairs outside. The town was slowly waking up, its citizens going to the market and opening their own shops and restaurants.

"Oh! Ace-kun!" Greeted the tall man back. He was roughly in his fifties, by Ace's estimation, and he was a chief through and though. The former pirate was tall, with most of his head bald and always covered with a cook's hat. He smiled at the customer and placed a glass of juice in front of the raven. Ossan refused to serve alcohol, pirate or not. It was against his code. "What will you be having today?"

"Nothing yet." Responded Ace. "I'm just waiting for Thatch."

"Take your time, Ace-kun." Smiled the former pirate and headed back inside. He knew that the front of his store was safe if the Whitebeard pirate sat there. Then again, the island wasn't one for violence. That's why he had settled down there. Ossan had wanted to retire from the violence and finally get off the battlefield. This island had been the only one that had popped into his mind after all of his travels. It had been his first choice. Whitebeard's protection was also a good bonus.

Ace sat in the front, simply enjoying the day. He wondered about Leo and Penny and Ran. Thought about Teach and Marco. Pops and the other Commanders. Koto and his wish to become a pirate. Ran and her love for rum. Luffy and Shanks. Makino. Ran. Garp. There were so many people that he held dear. On a day like this, when everything was calm, he couldn't help it. His mind wandered to his precious family.

"Fire Fist Ace!" A voice yelled out from behind him. "I'll have your head!" Ace flared his Haki, in an attempt to find his attacker. Someone was running at him from behind. Expertly, the pirate stood, catching the enemy and flipping them onto the table before him. Instead of seeing white and blue, what he was expecting, Ace wasn't greeted by a Marine uniform. Instead, all he saw was flesh. Tanned from the sun, smooth, scarred in places, flesh.

"R-Ranmao!" The girl grinned up at him and Ace couldn't help the way his body heated up at the sight. Ran was wearing shorts and a small tank top (too small to be called that, in his opinion) once again, instead of the white pilot suit. Her eyes were looking up at him, locking him in place. Just friends, rang through Ace's mind. Ran's chest was going up and down as she breathed heavily from their scuffle, making the pirate focus on her front. Friends. She must've jumped into the water at some point, as the front of her top was partially soaked. Friends. Ace could see the outline of everything. Friends.

"Hi." Greeted the pilot with a sly grin. She knew exactly what she was making him feel. And she was enjoying every single moment of that. Ace focused back up on her face and noticed the way her hair was splayed around her head, like a halo. On a table. In public. Friends.

"Hi." Breathed Ace and lowered his head a bit more, finally kissing her. Ran hummed in approval, reaching up and pulling the pirate closer. Her lips were softer than he remembered. They were warmer, too. Friends. She smelled of sea, motor oil and fresh air, like the wind that came before the storm. And Ace knew that Ran was the storm itself.

He pulled back to take a breath, but the pilot didn't allow him to go very far. Her fingers went through his hair gently pulling and tugging on the slightly wavy, dark locks. Grains of sand fell from it onto her face and Ran chuckled.

"Were you rolling around in sand earlier?" She teased. "Your hair's full of it." Ace grinned cheekily.

"Why don't you help me get it out?" Friends. Ran laughed at the innuendo and shook her head.

"It would be my absolute pleasure, kind sir." The girl planted one more chaste kiss on his lips before pushing herself up. Ace helped her off the table and into one of the chairs, going so far as to kiss her gloved hand. He felt metal gears underneath his lips and saw the way her eyes fixed on him. Kinky didn't even cover the fantasy that flashed through his mind.

"My lady." Ace let go of the pilot's hand, settling back into his chair. For a moment, there was silence. Ran was taking in the changes that had happened to the pirate since she had last seen him. Ace took this time to do the same.

Ace's hair had grown out quite a bit, almost reaching his shoulders. His freckles were even more prominent on his face, as he had tanned quite a bit over the last few months. His arms, though. Ran had always liked his arms. They were muscular, yet, his fingers were strong and thin somehow. You mostly saw that kind of arm shape in lanky men. She could see the veins on the top of his right hand, which was playing with the glass on the table.

Ran looked up, locking eyes with the pirate once more. She liked his eyes, too. They were dark, smoldering and they switched through emotions like a storm switched through winds. She liked his lips and his nose. She liked his adorable, child-like freckles. She liked the way he looked to the side, cheeks reddening, whenever he got embarrassed. She liked every single scorching touch that Ace provided.

"Your hair's longer."

"You cut your hair." They spoke at the same time, breaking the slightly awkward silence. Ran smiled and then fully laughed. Ace gave a grin.

"You wanna cut it?" He asked, pulling one strand in front of his eyes, checking the length. True, it had grown quite a bit.

Ran shook her head. "I like it." She smirked at him. "It's sexy." Ace gulped. Friends. He told himself. Only friends. Get it through your thick skull! You won't be drinking rum anytime soon! "You like?" Ace's mind went blank and he stupidly stared at the pilot. "The hair, silly." She chuckled, pulling one of the loose strands to show him the difference in color. Yes, he had noticed the different bright parts in her usual bun.

"Y-yeah." Ace cleared his throat. "It's nice." Ran frowned slightly, but then smiled once more. "Say, I wanted to talk to you about-"

"The boat that you made, right?" Ace interrupted, switching topics. He knew what she wanted to talk about. He knew a bit too well. But, he wasn't ready. He didn't want to label anything. He wasn't ready to tell her. He couldn't tell her. She had kissed and caressed the son of the Devil. She would be disgusted with him.

Ran raised one eyebrow, but allowed the topic switch. "Sure." She would give him time, if he needed it. Her mind was made up. One way or another, she was going to have him. She had been shamelessly infatuated with the boy playing a pirate that she had met a year ago. And now, she was becoming increasingly obsessed with the man, and the true pirate that he was becoming before her eyes.

"I think I need a sail, too." Ace finished, but she hadn't been listening.

"Sure." Ran repeated, her smirk becoming wider.

"Were you listening?" Ace frowned.

"Always, dear. Paddles, sail, stronger engine, color, inside and waterproof coating." She counted off her fingers, looking at them, and not Ace. Then, Ran bit her lip, thinking. "Did I miss anything?" She wondered out loud. The pirate focused on her lip. Damn her. Damn this rum drinking woman. She was going to make him suffer for avoiding that topic, wasn't she?

"Hellu!" Greeted Thatch, plopping next to them, not noticing the sexual tension between the two. Ace gave him a tortured look and Ran grinned.

"Commander Thatch!" She stood and walked over, making a big show out of giving him a hug and kissing his cheek. The pompadour grinned, tossing a questioning look at Ace over her shoulder. What the heck was the younger pirate doing?

"Ran-chan! Shouldn't you be giving that flaming cowboy over there this kind of attention?" Teased Thatch, finally noticing the frustrated look on Ace's face. The idiot had screwed up.

The pilot shrugged, strutting over to her chair. "It's just a greeting, Commander Thatch. Get your head out of your gutter." Oh, her eyes were dangerous, giving him a warning. Ace had screwed up good.

"How was your trip, Ran-chan?" Thatch attempted to diffuse the tension between the two.

~~~~~~pb~~~~~~

"What do you mean, it's not here, yoi?" Marco fumed, blue flames dancing around his shoulders.

"B-but, Commander! I don't have a-anything to-" The other pirate tried to make an excuse.

"That doesn't matter!" The first mate cut him off. "We can't proceed without those materials, yoi! What should we do if a storm hits us? Without the extra material, we could sink, yoi!" Marco wasn't showing any signs of stopping. Izo watched, shaking his head. Well, he agreed that they needed the materials, but this certainly wasn't the correct way to motivate their brothers.

"Father, should we do somethi-"

"Not yet." Whitebeard cut off his meddling son. He chugged some sake and sighed in happiness, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Those youngsters should figure it out on their own. Ah, to be young! Gurararara!" Laughed Whitebeard.

Izo chuckled, sipping some sake from his own cup. "True." But, something that he honestly wasn't expecting happened then. Doc appeared from below deck, her hands clenched at her sides and her eyes shooting lightning. She was not in a good mood. The dark skinned woman headed towards the first mate (who was still lecturing the poor pirate) and delivered a swift, undoubtedly Haki-filled, punch to the back of his head.

Marco swayed and then turned around, anger in his eyes, despite the seemingly bored expression on his face. However, he didn't let out a sound once he saw who had hit him. "You're coming with me." Doc ended the discussion, grabbing the man's ear and pulling. "Reckless man." Izo caught her angry murmur as she passed them, heading towards the medical wing.

"See?" Whitebeard laughed. "All's good. Gurararara!" He drank again.

~~~~~~~pb~~~~~~

Marco allowed Jade to drag him all the way to her office. However, he drew the line when she slammed the door behind them and pushed him against it. She let go of his ear, in favor of grabbing his open button up, instead.

"What the hell, yoi?!" The First Commander grabbed her fist, pushing it away from him, but Jade wouldn't budge. She pushed once more, slamming his hand onto his chest, too. Marco wondered why in the hell had he taught her to use Haki?

"Same to you, reckless moron!" Jade yelled right back. "Be mad at me, like an ignorant child, but don't you dare take it out on the crew, you coward!" Jade slammed their hands once more against his chest in anger. Her eyes were shooting lightning at him. Volcano, Marco thought. She was beautiful when she was mad.

"I wasn't taking anything out on anyone, yoi!" The phoenix defended himself, shoulders flaming once more. He tried to push himself away from the door, but Jade slammed against him with her whole body.

"Like hell! You can't even control your Devil Fruit! Like a petulant child!" She screamed in anger, her leg coming down on his toes for good measure. The Commander winced, but otherwise didn't react to the low blow.

"What?!" Marco shot back, choosing an alternative. He pushed her to the side, reversing their positions. Pinning the smaller woman against the door now, he had the advantage. "You don't know anything, dammit!" He slammed her hands above her head, each on one side.

For a moment, there was silence. Marco was panting, looking down. She was going to break him. He was falling apart already. He couldn't. He shouldn't. But he did.

"I love you."

The first mate's head shot up, jaw hanging. "What?" He dumbly asked. Jade was staring right back at him. She was vulnerable, he could tell. She was giving it another shot. She wasn't pulling back this time. It was him. It had always been him. He was the one screwing it all up.

"I love you, you reckless moron." Doc repeated, watching Marco's expressions carefully. She gave him a small, weak smile. "I know that much."

It was like a dam broke inside of Marco. He was aware of Jade's lips touching him, but not of the fact that he had initiated the heated kisses. He pushed her against the door, needing to feel more of her. He wanted her. He wanted every part of her. Because she made him stick his poor pieces together and be the man he wanted to be. He couldn't imagine himself without this volcano of a woman.

Jade moaned, her leg coming up between Marco's to his crotch. She gently, expertly, rubbed against him making him groan into their open mouthed kiss. The phoenix let go of her hands to grab her hips and pull her towards the bed. Damn it all to hell, he thought. Jade shrugged her white coat off, allowing the Commander to explore her torso more freely.

Marco sat down and pulled her to him, raising her shirt. His mouth connected with the dark skin of her stomach and he began kissing, nipping and licking it as he went further and further up. Jade's hands felt like heaven in his hair, on his neck and back. They never stayed still. She was always exploring for more, for a better spot, releasing moans as he gave her pleasure.

"Off." She murmured and he obeyed, pushing her shirt further up and then pulling it off as soon as she raised her hands to accommodate him. Jade's hair spread down her shoulders in a dark waterfall, causing Marco to look up at her. She lowered her head, giving him another heated kiss. Marco pushed her skirt up, allowing her to straddle him. He felt one of her heels make contact with his knee and groaned. Those heels were going to be the death if him.

"Jade." He murmured, as she switched attention to his neck. She found his sweet spot fast enough, gently sucking on it. "Jade." He spoke, a bit louder this time. The woman pushed him fully back this time, causing him to lay flat on her bed. It was uncomfortable, the bed was digging into the back of his knees and his head was hanging almost all the way down, but he didn't care.

"Marco. Shut up." The woman told him, lowering herself once more to kiss him. He took in the scarlet, almost see-through, lingerie on her breasts in that one second and felt the rest of the blood leave his brain and head lower. When Jade lowered her hips down onto his, that was when Marco stopped thinking.

"I love you." He realized that he was chanting over and over again, along with 'I'm sorry'. Jade kissed his neck and chest once more before heading up to give him a gentle kiss. She slowed it down, made it less messy and broke it off into tiny ones, barely connecting to his mouth for longer than a few seconds. She then pulled back a bit, giving Marco a good view of her eyes. Somehow, she seemed at peace then.

"I know."

~~~~~~pb~~~~~~

Later that day, Thatch, Ace and Ran prepared to leave. They had decided to tie the Sparrow to the main boat, so the glider could pull them. Ace had, of course, argued that he could propel them in his boat, too, but that idea had been rejected by Thatch. The Commander had argued that he had seen Ace use his boat during their stay on the island, ad he had yet to be impressed. Ran had agreed, saying that she had more experience with these jobs and that the extra weight would probably throw Ace off balance. This caused the raven to pout for an hour because they had 'ganged up' on him. To Ran, it had been adorable. To Thatch, it had been annoying.

"You ready to go?" Asked Ace, coming up to Ran to help her with the luggage. She had insisted on getting some things for someone named Daithi. She had also picked up a couple of souvenirs, despite the fact that Ace and Thatch had told her that Izo had visited the island many times.

"Mhm." The pilot confirmed, slamming the Sparrow's storage closed with her foot. She turned to the pirate, as if remembering something. "Ace, do you still have that package that I asked you to pick up on Grandia?" She wondered.

"Yeah, it's on the ship." He replied. "This, too." And the raven handed her a piece of completely white and empty paper. Ran gave him a confused look. "Your Vivre Card." He explained. "You left it on Grandia to be made?" Ace tried to get the pilot to remember.

"Right!" She said, turning it over in her hands. "There's nothing on it." She told him. Ace laughed.

"It's a Vivre Card. Look." He tore off a piece of the paper, and put it in his open palm.

"It moved!" Ran yelled out in excitement. Ace nodded.

"It moves towards the owner. Also, it shows your health and stuff. If you get injured, it'll get smaller and if you get better, it will recover." The pirate proudly showed his knowledge. Then, he began searching through his pockets and pulled out a paper of his own, tearing a small piece. He handed it to Ran. "My Vivre Card." Ace grinned.

Ran smiled suddenly, causing his breath to hitch. Damn, he had forgotten how bright her smile was. "Thanks!" She said, handing him back the smaller piece of her own Vivre Card. "I guess we won't lose each other on this vast sea, then?"

Ace chuckled. "Guess so." He placed the Vivre Cards back into his pocket. "Thatch's waiting." He told Ran and the pilot nodded.

"Let's go."

And the group headed once more to the open seas.

That's it folks! I love a review, so if you're up for it, I'd adore to hear your thoughts :D

XxFire-PhoenixxX: The Zodiacs are gjwbigbeibe I adore them! Are you doing well with your assassin group? Some more JadexMarco in here :P And of course, our dearest idiot – Ace. But, Ran's a pretty stubborn one, too :3

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too :D

Guests: I have no idea how many of you guys are reviewing, and if you're actually one person? So, let me answer like this, sorry.

Thank you very much for the compliments! I tend to spend a lot of time developing my characters, both during the story and before I start writing. I'm glad that people notice that and appreciate it :D

As for the deaths of Ace and Thatch, I really have no idea what to tell you xD I'm debating about it myself… One thing is certain, Whitebeard is definitely going to die. I'm sorry, but that would mess up the timeline too much. As for the other two, I've dropped some hints here and there, who knows? I know that I love them both and don't want them to die xD I suppose it will be voted by the readers? As soon as this story ends, which will be soon, I will post a poll and let you guys vote about who dies and who lives :D

There will be a sequel, though, I have this thing planned out all the way to the Dressrosa Arc :D I'm just trying to make the characters have a certain amount of progress in each story :D

I hope you enjoyed!