SapphireGarry here, with a new chapter. I hope you like it :D please enjoy.

Ace hit Luffy with his pipe, making a lump form on his head.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous the forest is Lu, if Marco hadn't come you might have been eaten by the mountain bear or tiger, what would have I done!? HUH!?"

Lu for once didn't start to cry but pouted, looking like he had ate a sour lemon. Ace was fuming but seeing Luffy, calmed down and puffed his cheeks. Ace then turned away from Lu so that his face wasn't seen.

"Well...you weren't hurt so...never do that again you hear me Lu?!"

Luffy just nodded and hugged Ace, with Ace hugging back. Suddenly Ace felt another pressure against him but from behind.(This sounds so wrong XD) Ace slightly turned his head and saw Sabo hugging him from behind.

Ace split up the hug and stepped back coughing in his hand.

"Alright enough of that...Anyway it's the last days of summer and we didn't get to enjoy it with Garp so let's go do something."

Sabo and Lu both nodded but they all started to think. What could they do before the end of summer?

Lu jumped up and started to run in a random direction, with Ace and Sabo running after him.

"Lu wait! What did I say!

"Luffy! Hold one a minute!"

Luffy continued to run before he stopped in front a a big tree with vines coming down it.

Ace and Sabo caught up to the rubber boy and BOTH Ace and Sabo hit him on the head, which was rare for Sabo.

"Lu what did I say about running without us like last time!"

"Luffy, you can't just run off! You got lost last time you did that!"

"But I was running to Marco this time!"

Ace and Sabo started to look around and looked at Luffy.

"Since it's the last few days of summer, I thought that maybe Marco would want to join us…."

Ace hadn't even thought of Marco. Ever since Sabo and Lu had come into his life, he forgot his first friend and his promise to Marco as well. Ace felt really bad now.

Ace without Sabo and Lu started to climb the tree on the vines to get to Marco's nest. When he arrived at the top he didn't find Marco there.

In his panicked mind he had thought Marco had left and climb down past Lu and Sabo who were climbing up and ran into the forest.

Ace looked for hours at the places that he and Marco went to but couldn't find Marco anywhere...Ace had messed up and Marco was gone.

Ace was walking through the woods, tears starting to well up in his eyes when he bumped into something...or rather someone?

Ace looked up with tears in his eyes from realizing that Marco wasn't here and wouldn't come back ever.

He had bumped into a man. A man? What was someone else doing here unless they were a tourist or stupid?

Ace took in the appearance of the man in.

He had a pineapple top shaped haircut.

Lazy eyes.

A purple jacket with a light blue sash.

Navy blue pants that went below his knees.

And had opened toed sandals.

He flinched when he heard a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Why are you crying, yoi?"

Ace touched his face, there were still tears on his face. He wiped them off, and scowled at the man, forgetting questioning the man and why was he here.

"I'm not crying!"

The man simply shrugged and started to walk away. Ace looked back before turning to leave, then remembered Marco. Ace turned around and ran to the man, tugging on the man's sash. The man turned around and looked down at Ace. Ace hated to rely on people but Marco was more important.

Ace's was looking down, thinking how to ask the man without putting making the man suspect anything about Marco.

"Is there something you need little boy?"

Ace grew angry.

"I'm not a little boy!"

Ace shook his head that didn't matter Marco did. Ace faced the man.

"I wanted to ask something…"

The man only looked at Ace waiting for the question. Ace went on.

"It's a friend of mine and he went away...it's because I forgot about him...I don't deserve it but I wanted to find him and say sorry!"

Ace huffed after his speech and looked down.

"What does he look like?"

Ace looked up. He was surprised that the man was willing to help him...he must be a tourist...because he didn't know about Him.

Ace for once smiled.

"He's actually a bird...but he's very unique. He has the colors of yellow and light blue that align his feathers. He has dark blue rings around his eyes and he has ring tails!"

The man looked surprised, as if he wasn't expecting that answer.

"Please you have to help me find him!"

The man looked at Ace with a neutral face.

"How do I know you're not like the others? Who will catch him and imprison him, yoi?"

Ace looked at the man with horror then angry.

"If you know Marco then you would know that I would never do that to him!"

The man leaned forward, his eyes looking into Ace's eyes, looking for the truth.

"Birds can't talk, yoi…."

"Marco is different! He knows what I'm saying!"

"How different?"

Ace was tired of these 20-20 questions and was on the verge of crying, he was clearly wasting his time here.

"If YOU won't help me find MY BEST FRIEND then I'LL do IT!

Ace tried to run past the man, but the man grabbed his arm.

"Stop Ace...You're hurting yourself yoi…."

Ace stopped and looked at the man.

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out Ace. You know Ace, I'm not mad at you for having found brothers...I'm glad you have family now yoi…"

Ace started to let some tears out and hugged Marco.

"You never told me you could turn human Marco…."

Marco hugged back.

"I didn't need too, I was content where I was, and I wouldn't leave I promised you I would go out to sea with you, remember?"

Ace nodded into the Marco's coat. He suddenly remembered Lu and Sabo.

"Oh no...I left Sabo and Lu! After I told Lu not to do the same thing...He starting to rub off on me."

Marco chuckled.

"So come one let's go meet them."

Ace looked up at Marco.

"B-but you're still human…."

Marco shook his head and grabbed Ace's hand.

"Doesn't matter yoi. Let's go little Tsundere-Kun."

Ace smacked Marco's arm since he couldn't reach his head.

"I'M NOT A TSUNDERE!"

Sorry for the delay in updating my stories :D but I'm updating this now, Neko Ace tomorrow, and Chemical teacher tomorrow or Monday as well so I hope you enjoyed and tell me what you think :D

Thanks

Sapphire~