Marco

After the initial shock of being blasted through the clouds wore off, the Strawhat crew along with their company of Whitebeard's two commanders noticed that they were floating atop waves, white, serene waves. This ocean was new to them. It was unlike the ocean of the Grand Line (and to Marco and Ace, the New World) below them, under the clouds. It was a mystery that such a place could even exist. They were all in awe from the sight surrounding the Going Merry, some of the younger pirates jumping ship to bounce on the fluffy clouds, which proved rather durable.

And then one of the Strawhats, the younger looking woman, took it upon herself to break the tension that no one had bothered to address earlier. "Are you going to get off of him?" she asked Marco with the raise of an eyebrow.

Marco, who had just now realized that he had not transformed back into his human form, did so and clambered off of Ace, coughing awkwardly. He hadn't meant to put Ace into such a position, especially one that was almost sexual looking. It was rude, even if he had seen the Ace like that before: lying down, spread out, hair tousled, cheeks flushed, begging for mo-

'Stop it, Marco,' he scolded himself. 'This is a serious situation.' Dismissing the inappropriate thought, he kindly offered a hand out to Ace to help him up, but he ignored it, choosing to stand up on his own. Ace scowled at Marco. It looked as if he was about to say something, but he was interrupted.

"You are the Phoenix. Correct?" the other woman asked. Her voice was smoother and calmer than the redhead's. Marco turned to the source of the voice, recognizing its owner right away.

"I am," he responded with a nod. "Your reputation precedes you, Nico Robin."

"I will take that as a compliment."

"Can somebody please explain why Whitebeard's first mate is on our ship?!" the redhead exclaimed. "People are going to think something's up!"

"Calm down, woman," the swordsman (Marco recognized him as Roronoa Zoro) muttered. "It's not like anyone's around to care."

He was correct. Their ship floated among no others.

"You have nothing to worry about, Nami-swan!" the blond cooed, eyes filled with hearts. "I won't let this man hurt you!"

The woman, Nami, rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Hey, Ace," she called.

"Uh, yeah?" Ace answered.

"Introduce us. Why don't you?"

"Sure, I guess," he said, scratching the back of his head. "This is Marco the Phoenix, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard pirates. He's my... crewmate and superior."

Marco frowned. He did not like how Ace was addressing him so formally, titles and all. Was he still angry at him? Marco thought maybe that some time would have calmed him down, but apparently not. Marco waved at them. "Hello," he greeted. "It's nice to meet you, yoi."

They introduced themselves each by name. Of course he recognized Strawhat Luffy and Pirate Hunter (how ironic) Zoro from the recent wanted posters, and Devil's Child Robin from her own, but there was also Nami their navigator, Usopp their sniper, Sanji their cook, and Chopper the doctor and another Zoan type user. Marco took note to talk to him later. It would be interesting to talk to the user of the Human Human fruit.

"Excuse me," Ace interjected, stopping the introductions. "I need to talk with Marco."

"Oh?" Nami smirked. The gesture made a bad feeling settle in Marco's stomach, though he was not quite sure why. "Take your sweet time. I'll make sure that no one interrupts you~"

"Nami!"

"Oh, nothing. But let me just say that you might owe me a few beri-"

Ace ignored her, seizing Marco by the wrist and dragging him below deck. The ship was small caravel, so it didn't take them a long time to reach their destination, which was labeled "Male Sleeping Quarters".

The door slammed shut behind them. "What are you doing here?" Ace demanded furiously, throwing down Marco's wrist. There were no beds or chairs in the room, only hammocks, so Marco elected to lean against the wall. It was no surprise that Ace was angry. It would take some effort to convince him to come back. Marco would have preferred not to drag him back forcefully, but if things came to that...

"Why do you think?" he shot back.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Marco!" Ace snapped. "You think I don't know that you're here to drag me back to the ship? To keep me from my- our revenge?"

Marco elected not to answer (it might have made things worse), allowing Ace to continue on with his rant.

"He was right there! Right there! I almost had him! I almost got to that traitor! But then you had to get in the way!"

"What were you possibly going to do?" Marco asked, challenging Ace's logic. "There was no room for you to fight anywhere! Only open waves! How were you possibly going to take him down? You would have drowned yourself!"

"I would have figured something out!"

"Really? You didn't think to have a plan beforehand? You really are too reckless, yoi."

"That's it?" Ace raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you came here to tell me? You always say that to me!" The freckled commander began imitating the blond horribly, pulling his hair in a way to resemble the shape of a pineapple's and dropping his eyelids to a half-opened state. Marco scowled at this. "'Ace, think first, yoi. Ace, you'll hurt yourself, yoi. Ace, Stop being reckless, yoi!' 'Yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi!'"

"I do not say 'yoi' that much," Marco insisted. It was a speech quirk, and he really had no control over it, but he definitely did not say 'yoi' at the end of every single sentence.

"How would you know? You never know when to shut up-"

"Ace, calm down."

"It's like you don't know how much crap spews out of your stupid, fat beak!"

Ace was being much too stubborn, and Marco was losing his patience.

"Ace," he growled. "As soon as we get back to the Grand Line, you are coming back to the Moby Dick with me. No arguments."

"You really think you can just say that to me? You really think I won't go down without a fight?" Ace snorted. "If Pops really wanted to drag me back home, then he should have sent someone else. Someone that wasn't you."

Ace's words made Marco's heart pang. That comment was unneeded. That contradicted all of Marco's thoughts. He thought that Ace would be more inclined to listen to him. He thought Ace would listen to him because he loved him. Of course that wasn't the case. Marco was such a fool. He was a fool for assuming such things about Ace. But wait. Maybe there was one way he could get Ace to listen to him. He had planning to do this first, but everything, the knock up stream, the White Sea, Ace's anger, had distracted him. He had to say it now.

He suddenly noticed that Ace was trying to leave. Marco pushed off the wall. "Wait." He grabbed Ace's wrist.

"No," Ace snarled with his teeth bared. He yanked his appendage back from Marco's grip, which was pretty slack in the first place. "Leave me alone. I'll be in the crow's nest. Don't come after me." He stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Marco sunk to the ground. The thing in his pocket seemed to turn into a heavy weight, but Marco remained too apathetic to remove it from his person. Ace had been so angry at him, and Marco had gotten angry right back. He had not planned to argue with Ace that furiously (though thankfully, they had not resorted to physical blows), and he had a feeling that more fights like that were to come. Ace would not have seen Marco's words as sincere anyways. He would not have seen that Marco truly loved him.

Ace

Ace had bolted to the crow's nest as soon as he had left the men's quarters. He ignored the concerned shouts of Luffy and the others, which was pretty difficult to do considering how small the ship was. He had faith though, that they would give him some privacy (even Luffy since he knew how Ace needed space when upset). He collapsed in the cramped space, drawing his knees up to his chest.

He had been so close! Marco just had to butt in at the last second. Now they were stuck up here together, and it would be significantly more difficult to avoid the man on this tiny ship with this tiny crew (not that there was anything wrong with that considering the strengths each of them displayed).

Teach had been right there! If Marco hadn't stopped him, then he would've been on his way home with Teach's head. He should've seen that too. This whole thing could've been over and done with by now. Okay. Maybe the odds were a little bit questionable considering that they were above rough waves, but he totally could have done it! Why did Marco have to stop him? What a moron! Stupid flying turkey!

"If you really want to make it up to me, then I want you to promise me something. Talk to him."

Ace gasped quietly, eyes widening. Shit.

He fucked up! Didn't he? Because he promised that! Of course the princess's words chose now to pop into his head, though this was no one's fault but his own. He promised Vivi that he would talk to Marco, not yell at him and give him no chance to respond!

How could he have been so stupid? Just yelling at Marco like that! 'Way to be counterproductive!' he scolded himself. He was trying to make amends with Marco, not antagonize him! Why did he just yell? Why did he have to get angry? Curse his lack of self-control!

Surely Marco would be angry at him as well for more reasons than just his current outburst. For one, they fought before Ace left the Moby Dick, and he had called Marco things he probably shouldn't have. Second, he left against their father's orders, and he imagined that no one was too thrilled about that. He still fully intended to return with the traitor's head, but when he thought about it, it would be awkward to come back if everyone was mad at him, even if he was trying to prove a point.

That's why it would've been beneficial to talk to Marco. He already promised that he would talk to him (though for different reasons). Now that he was up alone in the crow's nest with time to think, he saw that he probably just made things more awkward for himself. Oops.

Why did he mess everything up?

Without a doubt, Ace knew that there would be some newfound tension between them.

God. He needed a nap.

Someone was there when he awoke. Someone was there, poking at the freckles on his cheeks. "Oi, Nami," he mumbled sleepily. "Quit it."

"Oi, moron," she mocked. "Wake up."

Ace blinked his eyes open, but decided not to say anything.

It was Nami who finally responded. "I'm surprised you slept through that attack."

"What attack?"

"Oh, nothing." Silence fell once more. "Everyone heard you yelling, you know," she informed suddenly.

Ace groaned incoherently. He didn't think that he was too loud.

"Luffy was surprised at how angry you got. Said you haven't been that mad since you tried to kill him?"

Ace blushed. Luffy didn't have to bring that up! He was angry at Bluejam that one time. Wasn't he? And that's the thing that Luffy remembers? "Don't ask."

But she decided to continue. "And here I thought that you were some caring and nurturing older brother."

"Things change," Ace replied vaguely. 'Though that role belonged more to Sabo than to me,' he mused silently. He had always been more responsible than Ace. He could only imagine what Sabo would say if he were here.

"You're too stubborn."

"You're too hot-headed."

"Yeah that too."

Nami, who was the speaker of the former statement, stared at Ace confused. "What?"

"Oh, nothing!" Had he really said that out loud? Geez. Nami sounded too much like Sabo right now. He supposed that both were the type that knew when things needed to be done.

"Anyways," she continued, "onto what I was actually going to say."

"Yeah? What's that?" Though Ace wasn't quite sure why he asked. He already knew the answer.

"You're breaking your promise to Vivi, you know."

And there it was. Of course Nami would be the one nagging him about this. She was there when he said that he would talk with Marco. He had a feeling that this chat wasn't going to end well, but it was too late to back out.

"I'm pretty sure she meant a nice, civil talk, and yelling like that-"

"Yeah, yeah," Ace grumbled. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I just-"

"Excuses, excuses."

"Would you let me finish?" he hissed. "I just got so angry when I saw him. I mean, I was so close! And he ruined it."

"Like I said. Hot-headed."

"Heard that one before."

"You want to know what I think?" Nami asked, leaning back to look at Ace more directly. "He wasn't yelling like you were, so I don't think he's too angry."

Ace became more attentive to these words. Did that mean that he still had a chance?

"Just wait for the tension to die down. We'll be in Skypiea soon, so you can wait till we're there. You'll probably be able to get more privacy then."

A breath of relief passed through Ace's lips. So he did have a chance. He had a chance to fix things. He had a chance to reach closure. "Thanks, Nami. I'll do just that."

Marco

Marco decided to stay off the deck. It's not that he was avoiding the Strawhats, but rather he preferred not to get overly involved in their business. He would wait out his time here before he could return to the Blue Sea down below. Besides, nothing would be accomplished if he just sat here moping, which was very unlike him. Hopefully, the tension between him and Ace would die down soon, so they could talk like family again.

He decided that he would explore the small ship, which Marco noted earlier was small with not much to it. There were very few rooms, and from what he could see, the ship lacked a captain's quarters. The Moby Dick was impossibly large compared to this, but seeing as how small the crew was, Marco guessed that it wasn't much of a problem. They must have been strong to make it this far with only seven members.

He eventually ended up in what he supposed was the kitchen. The ship also lacked a mess hall, so this was probably where they ate. The steering mechanism for the ship was also in here. He took a seat at the table, which was empty since most of the ship's crew remained outside.

There was not much he could do as of now. It would only provoke Ace if he followed him up to the crow's nest, and Marco would have preferred not to argue again. He had been at fault as well. His paranoia of losing Ace had taken over when he saw him about to fight Blackbeard, causing him to become recklessly protective. His anger was instinctive, but Ace had every right to be angry at him as well. He must still be upset about what happened between them. No wonder he did not want Marco here.

That incident before was Marco's fault too. He did not say anything back that night when Ace confessed, yet he allowed their game to continue without any consideration for Ace's feelings. Why hadn't he realized that Ace was being sincere? Was it too late for him?

"What's on your mind, Phoenix?

Marco craned his head. Nico Robin was standing in the doorway. She approached, taking a seat across from him. "You look quite troubled."

He did not know why she decided to join the Strawhat crew, but he wouldn't pry. If she wanted to listen, then he would indulge. It might help to vent a little anyways.

"As you can see, Ace is… upset with me, yoi."

"That was rather obvious."

Marco sighed. "We've both been struggling for awhile now, and I came to end this, but-"

"He's too stubborn to listen."

He stared at Robin incredulously, causing her to smile. "I can tell," she explained. "That yelling of his made it clear."

'So much for privacy.' Marco would have liked it if the crew did not hear their argument. They might antagonize him for upsetting Ace.

"Oh, do not worry. The others don't blame you. They seem more surprised at how angry he was."

"And why would that be?"

Another voice chimed in, "Ace hasn't gotten like that since he started traveling with us." Marco recognized the girl's voice from earlier. Without looking, he felt her slide into the seat next to him. "Robin hasn't been with us the whole time, so I'll explain it," Nami said.

"I'll leave you to it, Miss Navigator."

"Ace has been pretty polite since the moment he got here."

Marco snorted.

"Is something wrong?"

"Brat's been angry at our crew since day one. It took a lot to get him to let up and join."

Nami looked taken aback at the concept of Ace being an angry brat, but Robin on the other hand seemed intrigued. "It seems there's much more to the captain's brother than we originally thought," she commented.

"He can be very stubborn when he's angry, yoi," Marco continued. "I'm not sure when I'll be able to talk to him again."

"I'll talk to him for you," Nami offered suddenly. Marco just looked at her. Wasn't it obvious that this was a private matter?

Seeing this stare, she waved her hand. "No, no!" she insisted. "I mean that I'll get him to talk to you. This is something you guys need to sort out. Besides," a sly smirk made its way onto the navigator's face, "I'm sure you two have some things to say to each other, one of those things having to do with that thing in your pocket."

Marco froze. How in the world did she know?

He must have been an open book with the way these two were responding to his questions without him asking. "You reached into your pocket earlier to check if something was there," she explained. "And it's pretty obvious the way you feel from how you look at him."

"Oh?" piped Robin. "I see you two have a certain history together."

"I'll tell you about that later," Nami interrupted, preventing any further questions. Though he was still unsettled by the fact that they were going to discuss his feelings for Ace, he was thankful they would do it when he couldn't hear. "Anyways, we're rooting for you guys. Ace is practically part of the crew!"

Marco's expression darkened into a glare. He did not want to hear that. As far as he was concerned, Ace's only home was the Moby Dick. As nice as the Strawhats seemed, he would not have them keeping Ace away from him and the rest family. They were all worried about Ace. He had to silently remind himself that Luffy was Ace's brother, and that his crew was, in a way, also a part of the family before he ripped the ship apart.

Nami rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry. We're not trying to replace your crew or anything."

Wow. He must have really been an open book.

Nami stood, leaving Marco and Robin at the table. "I'll go talk to him now, so don't worry about it. You'll get your private time, though I'd recommend waiting for everything to cool down first. See ya!" She left, making sure to shut the door behind her.

Marco let out a sigh of relief. He could fix this. He could tell Ace his feelings.

"Ah, Phoenix?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sure that you appreciate Miss Navigator's help, but I feel inclined to warn you that she will probably charge you later."

"Excuse me?

Ace

Skypiea's beach was a beautiful one, though it was strange to see such a thing. Everything was white from the water to the island itself. The Strawhats had taken it upon themselves to relax and play in the clouds, and as much as Ace would've liked to slip off his boots and join them, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Marco.

Ace could tell that there was still some tension between them. They were standing next to each other, about a meter away, and they weren't saying anything. Still, this would be a good opportunity to actually talk. Just as he was about to cough to break the silence, Marco spoke.

"Ace?"

Ace honestly expected to be the first one to speak, but he answered anyways. "Er- Yeah, Marco?"

"Can you come with me, yoi?" the blond asked, leaning towards the emptier part of the beach.

Ace responded with a silent nod. He followed behind Marco, neither of them speaking. They sat next to each other upon the soft ground. Well, now they had privacy, but they weren't making such a good use of it. He might as well prepare himself for the inevitable conversation since they both stayed quiet. Any wrong word could set either of them off again, but one of them had to start eventually.

And apparently, Ace decided that it would be him.

"Marco," Ace started, causing Marco to turn his head towards him. "I'm- uh- sorry for yelling at you." The blush on his face made it clear that he was embarrassed. "I didn't mean to get so mad."

"You have every right to be mad," Marco said, hoping he wasn't too quick. This was a matter of putting Ace in a position of comfort before they got to the real bulk of the conversation. He felt tempted to ease his hand above Ace's but decided against it for now. Things weren't completely fixed yet. "Believe me, Ace. We're all mad at what Teach did."

It was good that he chose not to hold Ace's hand, because he saw it tense for a moment. He released a breath and continued. "We'll find him again."

"He was a part of my division," Ace whispered, releasing his thoughts. "I need to catch him. Please understand."

Even though he was significantly calmer, he was still stubborn. "Ace. Listen to me." Marco made sure to sound calm, not hostile. It was time to use reason to get Ace on his side. "The last thing we need right now is you away from the ship."

Ace looked at the ground.

"Everyone's worried about you."

"They wouldn't have to if they just believed in me!" Ace's eyes widened when his outburst finished. He hadn't meant to yell again. Would Marco be angry with him?

But he was not. "We do believe in you, Ace," he insisted. "But that Devil Fruit." His eyes darkened, staring into the distance. "I know what that fruit can do. It takes power. Chokes it. Absorbs it."

"W-What?" Ace gasped. Marco's description wasn't overly graphic, but it made Ace's stomach lurch.

"He is darkness, and you are light, Ace. You don't know the odds you are at." Marco touched Ace's hand softly. It flinched away but slowly returned to its position.

"I want to bring you back, so we can face him together, yoi," Marco continued, adjusting his grip. "The last thing we want is you to die."

"I won't die, Marco!" He promised after all. He didn't want them to think that!

Ace's voice was full of passion, so much that Marco felt genuinely inclined to believe him. But there were never any guarantees.

"Then let us see you through to the end." Marco said, voice firm. He knew exactly what to say, and perhaps he would feel bad for being manipulative, but right now, he needed to get Ace to come home. "We're in this together, Ace. We're family, Ace. Aren't we?"

Family.

Family.

It was Ace's turn to be shocked. Thoughts if truth came rushing into his mind. All this time, he had forgotten what he was fighting for. He had been mad at Teach. He had been mad at Marco. That's why he left. Because all of his emotions overwhelmed him. He hadn't even considered the danger he was in. He hadn't even considered how his family would feel. "Marco, I-!"

He must have looked distressed because the man pulled him closer. "Come home, Ace," he whispered. "Come home. Don't let him take your light."

Ace thrust his arms around Marco, embracing him tightly. Marco stroked his hair. Ace wanted to go home, truly. He wanted to go home with Marco. They would catch Teach together. All of them would. It was funny. Maybe, so determined to shoulder his responsibility, he forgot that he wasn't alone

But there was still something that needed to be addressed.

Ace pulled away. "Sorry about that," he apologized quietly.

Marco smiled at him. "It's fine, Ace. I don't mind."

Ace couldn't help but question the truth of that statement, and question it he shall.

"There's one more thing, Marco," he declared.

"I'm listening, yoi."

He took a deep breath in preparation. It was now or never.

"Remember what I told you that one time?"

Marco didn't respond, but Ace knew that he understood.

"I meant it. I-" He turned his head away, refusing to look at the older man. He feared his reaction, but he needed this. He needed closure. "I love you, and I know you don't feel the same way." He smiled bitterly over the waves.

Marco sat there listening, heart light once he heard those three words once more, but the next thing Ace said made him cringe. Marco himself was to blame for that assumption. He needed to say something. He needed to tell Ace the truth. "Ace-"

"And things have been awkward between us even though we're still sleeping together," Ace continued without giving Marco a chance to speak. "Marco, it hurts," he breathed. "I can't be like that with you, one-sided. I'm prepared to just be brothers again." He closed his eyes, leaning back onto the ground. Finally. It was all off of his chest.

Ace felt a sudden presence above him, so he opened his eyes. His face heated up at the sight. Marco was above him, knees on either side of Ace's thighs. "M-Marco?"

"You couldn't be more wrong, yoi," he whispered, and before Ace could say anything else, Marco craned his head down and brought their lips together.

At first, Ace didn't fully understand what was happening. He didn't comprehend Marco's words, or his lips. When he did, Ace's lips parted against Marco's in a gasp. Surprisingly, Marco didn't intrude Ace's mouth with his tongue as he usually would. The kiss stayed chaste and pure, letting Ace relax into it.

Eventually, they parted, and Ace sat up, eyes wide from shock. Things were happening too fast to understand (not that he didn't like what just happened). Not everything had been addressed yet. There was still the matter of that incident, yet he remained robbed of speech.

And it was Marco who broke the silence by saying, "Marry me."

Ace stared blankly, not quite sure if he heard Marco correctly. "E-Excuse me?" There was no way that was correct! Why would Marco ask him to-

"Marry me," Marco recited without hesitation. He moved from on top of Ace and retrieved the thing that had been weighing down his pocket all this time. "I finally realized how I felt when I was coming after you, yoi," he explained. "I also realized that I don't want to lose you." Shifting onto one knee, he cracked the box open. "Let me stay by your side."

To say much had happened in a short amount of time was an understatement. They were arguing mere hours earlier, and Ace only recently reaffirmed his feelings. Now, even though he himself had not yet said those three words, Marco was proposing with a beautiful ring. Ace couldn't say he was against jewelry (though the accessories he wore were mostly gifts), but he never anticipated wearing such a thing. Its bright red looked as if it contained burning fire akin to Ace's. It was perfect for him. Needless to say Ace was speechless.

"I thought you didn't... Because you..." Though still confused, Ace swallowed, prepared for confrontation. "You were cheating on me! That one night when I got back from my mission. I saw you in the bar-"

"Let me explain, yoi," Marco interrupted. He squeezed Ace's hand in reassurance and looked into his eyes. "I was drinking that night because I was worried about you." Ace's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "You've been late before, Ace, but never by a week."

"It's not my fault those Marines distracted me!" Ace defended. Garp's ship had been in the area where his mission was. If he had been caught, it wouldn't have ended well since he wasn't actually on the Moby Dick. Ace chose to lay low for a bit to avoid the man, causing him to be a week late.

"I know. You told us when you got back."

"Oh, right."

"Anyways, I was just drinking, yoi," Marco continued. "That woman approached me. Nothing happened between us. I know she was touching me, but I never touched her back. I was only thinking about you that night."

Now Ace felt really dumb. He thought Marco had cheated on him, sending him into a frantic dilemma about his feelings. "But that's why I confessed in the first place!" Ace admitted. His voice dropped in volume. "I thought I was going to lose you." Could he really have avoided everything by just not saying anything in the first place? "Sorry for jumping to conclusions." Gods! This was mortifying!

A small smile broke out across Marco's face. It was rare to see Ace acting this way, but he couldn't say that it was a terrible sight. "Don't apologize, Ace. If you had told me that, I wouldn't be here with you right now." He leaned in, so that their foreheads touched, his breath warm on his lover's face. "Now pay attention, Ace." Placing a soft kiss on Ace's cheek, he said, "I love you."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place, you dumb turkey?"

Marco chuckled. Despite the nickname, he knew that Ace had no malicious intent behind his voice. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realize."

"Don't apologize either," Ace whispered, burying his face in Marco's chest. "And yes," he continued. "I want to marry you."

"Thank you, yoi," Marco said. Taking the ring out of the box, he gently cradled Ace's left hand and slid it onto his finger, fitting perfectly. Ace couldn't contain his smile. This ring was a sign of Marco's love for him, and the fact that it fit on his finger exactly only emphasized the man's feelings. Marco truly knew him well. For the first time in a while, Ace felt at peace. So much had happened lately that he hadn't the time to relax, but now, he could be content with Marco. Thank god that he searched for closure through his promise with Vivi, or else he wouldn't have considered just talking with Marco like this. He wrapped his arms around Marco once more, melting into his warmth. He was content in the embrace, listening to the waves of the White Sea and losing track of time.

They couldn't stay there forever though.

Marco stood, holding out his hand. "Let's go home, yoi."

They headed over to the Luffy to inform them of their departure. They actually left the beach for awhile to eat (Ace was a little offended that they didn't invite him), but they came back with a new friend named Conis. Even though Marco had some eternal poses with him that would help them navigate away from Skypiea, they still asked for the general direction of the exit.

Nami easily spotted the ring upon Ace's finger, smirking when she saw it. Ace quickly whispered to Marco that they should leave before there was talk of debt. But there was one last thing he needed to do.

"Hey, Lu," he grinned, messing with the younger's hair.

"Oh, Ace! You made up with pineapple man!"

"Excuse me, yoi?"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Thanks for making Ace happy, pineapple man. He kept talking about you."

"O-oi, Lu," Ace blushed. "Anyways, here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his vivre card, depositing it into Luffy's hand. "Come and see us sometime. You can find me with this." And then he turned, addressing the rest of the crew. "You guys are welcome anytime!"

Marco nodded in agreement.

With cheerful goodbyes and a giant grin from Luffy, Marco transformed, Ace climbing onto his back. They flew off, ready to return together.