Marco has never ever thought he'd meet another person as obsessed and dedicated to following Monkey D. Luffy's achievements as Fire-fist Ace.

Actually he is beginning to think that that statement isn't wrong yet because if anything this latest oddball is even more of a fangirl than the fire user ever was, coupled with a great deal of hero-worshiping and utter devotion the likes of which even the most zealous of Whitebeard's children would have been hard pressed to match. (He does know that they are both grown men and calling them fangirls is wrong and slightly disturbing, but he has also seen his fellow commander squealing and giggling over his sister's poster enough times that he can't bring himself to care).

With his rum forgotten in the counter, Ace is retelling for the hundredth time how he and the straw-hatted captain mugged a noble once, the punk's eyes are now shining so much that he could have provided light for the pub they are in for a week and the idea of a couple of eleven and nine years old children doing half the things Ace say they did makes some remote part of Marco's brain break a little, even after everything he has seen and especially what he has seen the siblings do, like confronting Pops as if he hadn't been a yonkou and on par with the Pirate King once. Then again that could be a simple family trait.

Then the super rookie begins gushing with a flush on his fanged face that does no favors to Marco's dwindling sanity about lightning and clowns and "of course Luffy-sempai will become Pirate Queen" saying it with some sort of religious fanatism that there and then forms a sense of kinship and leaves the two younger men feeling incredibly pleased with themselves because finally somebody gets it.

A few shots of rum later and Ace whips out the few photos he has been able to keep from his childhood that Marco himself has already memorized but have the other pirate almost fainting with glee. Honestly, the Phoenix is a bit amazed that Ace has not resorted to violence yet as it has happened repeatedly in the past when those come out, though that could be because Bartolomeo's praise is not about the girl being cute but the "oh my God, she is so cool I want to be just like her when I grow up" type (only it is said much more crudely) and that just seems to endear him further in the fire user's eyes.

When the inevitable fight with other thugs in several degrees of drunkenness does break out, the blond quickly jumps to the banister on the second floor well out of the way of the flying mugs and sprayed blood, because like an idiot he decided to wear his new shirt today and he's not about to let it get ruined. It doesn't hinder Ace in the slightest, especially with the hair-dyed pirate by his side, and despite being nearly strangers they are fighting with a synchronization that leaves Marco thinking they must be a match made in heaven. In a completely non-romantic way, of course (he still somewhat values his life, after all).

Finally he deems it safe to descend back to the floor and the three men leave the pub under the stink eye the owner is giving them (another place they can cross out of returning). Marco is allowing himself to believe that he is going to have a relatively peaceful night for once; that something good has come out of this whole outing since Ace has not sulked once the whole evening when the Cannibal opens his mouth and he realizes that he really should have known better.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting Luffy-sempai and Zoro-sempai in the New World!" the younger pirate says as he is about to take a road further south towards his own ship.

Ace's eyelid twitches and he manages to choke out a "who?" that has Bartolomeo blinking in confusion and Marco cringing internally.

"Straw Hat Luffy-sempai?"

"Ah, ha, ha, yes I'm sure she will be wreaking havoc in no time, the idiot might even go and challenge a Yonkou next. Maybe I should check up on her…" He mumbles and the Phoenix hopes against hope that the crisis has been averted.

"Oh, I'm sure Zoro-sempai will have her back! I was so happy when I saw that newspaper, they make a kick-ass couple don't you think so too, Ace-sempai?" The twitching returns along with a rapid clenching and unclenching of fists. The unfortunate rookie does not notice. "I heard they trashed this marine captain good back at East Blue and it was like they could read each other's minds! Not that I expected any less of course" He looks affronted by the mere idea.

Marco's mind goes back to Marineford and the flawless teamwork the siblings displayed and he can see exactly what the other is trying to say. Unfortunately Ace can too and… is that hissing? He could swear it sounds like a kettle full of boiling water about to explode.

Unfortunately, his hesitation has allowed Bartolomeo to gain momentum and he is now back in full rabid fan mode, spouting off data about his two role models while producing his 'source' from somewhere inside his coat, an offensive pink thing that, when he stops waving around, the older man identifies as a particularly bad tabloid magazine: East Star, the fact-tweaking, wild-guessing rag full of sensationalist gossip the likes of which only a Blue that has nothing interesting to report could create. The ascension to fame of the Straw Hats added to the new information on both Ace and Revolutionist Dragon has only made its claims much more outlandish and outrageous than ever.

Pity. Marco truly did like this shirt.

The resulting explosion takes down three houses on the vicinity, some poor bloke's laundry and all trash cans within a hundred feet, and leaves Marco covered in ash, Bartolomeo's hair singed and smoking slightly and a mangy dog that was sleeping nearby fleeing with its tail on fire.

When they recover the ability to see, Ace is muttering death threats under his breath while staring off into space and rocking back and forth ever so slightly and the blonde feels that he has lost the ability to feel sorry for his comrade over these recurring episodes of his anymore. So he nods slightly as way of goodbye, drags Ace by his elbow fully intending to make the other sleep on the deck and wonders not for the first time if it wouldn't be better to chase the Straw Hats, unleash Ace on them and hightail it out of the vicinity until they have solved their issues.

Then he remembers that the Straw Hat captain can and will kick their collective Whitebeard behinds if their Ace-bomb kills her swordsman and/or sinks her ship in the process.

… Damn.

...

I know I said Garp was next. Sorry. He was being difficult.