WinterRose61 - Haven't written it yet, but I'm just expecting an 'Ow shit' moment from Marco when he sees the Whitebeards again. He will physically survive, but if his heart can take it is something else. Gotte love the bird!

Marco nodded at the results of the meeting, going over everything just a last time before pointing to one of the bullet points on the paper in the centre of the table. "Pops, you up for this soon-yoi?"

"Whenever you want, son."

"Alright. Let's show him." Marco smiled as he read the title of the paper, 'Portgas D. Ace.'.

It was just a day later that they put the plan into action. The sooner the could proof Pops was actually the real Whitebeard the better.

Ace gasped as he saw the old man suddenly do some weird arm movements and simultaneously a freaking earthquake happened.

"Spades!" He instantly called for his crew, trying not to curse at seeing the old man.

His loyal friends instantly ran to them, dropping the deck duties or other duties they were doing to join him... with weapons?

"We're ready captain!" - "We've been waiting for this!" - "Goodjob figuring it out cap', we're with you!"

"What?" he was confused, what were they talking about. He saw out of the corner of his eyes that the old man looked to be hitting air and there was a crack? Wtf. New world earthquakes are sure something else. "Never mind whatever all of you are talking about! We need to help the old man!"

"Help..." - "The old man?" - "Captain? Aren't we... you know... gonne-"

"We don't have time for this! Don't you see he's having an episode of- of-" Ace uselessly waved his arms around, "SOMETHING! I don't know! But of course it's also the moment a stupid earthquake hits, everything always happening together. We need to get him inside to safety and let him lay down!"

"..."

"And none of his 'children' are doing jackshit about it, even that pineapple that's supposed to care the most for him. Look at h- YES I'M SPEAKING ABOUT YOU YOU EGG-HEAD! WATCH YOUR PA INSTEAD OF ME!" Ace yelled before shaking his shoulders, mumbling more, "Stupid freaking chicken with stupid good abs, stupid... yoi."

"Captain?"

"Hmm? RIGHT! Spades! Commence mission get the old man to take a nap and make sure he's safe from the earthquake!"

"..."

Unlike the rest of the crew, the Spades were only briefly stumped before they quickly followed their captain he was already next to the giant, having literally pushes the poor first commander aside. Who of course let himself be pushed, if he didn't want to move, the spades were sure he wouldn't have budged, but the blond has learned by now to just let it happen and the more you prevent their captain from doing anything, the worse the situation will become. For you. Not for their captain.

"C'mon jiji! Let's go inside, it's not safe here."

"Gurarara boy! Don't worry, these are my powers, my devilfruit! I have perfect control, nothing will harm anyone on this ship!"

"This is not the time to play Whitebeard old m-", polite Ace, polite, remember the lessons. He took a breath and started again, "Please old man, I'm worried for you. Can you please come inside, please."

"Boy, I made this earthquake, didn't you see the cracks behind my hands? It's the fruit activating. Look, I'll do it again." True to his word, Edward raised a hand, balled a fist and slammed it against the air, hitting something and creating cracks while nothing was there.

Ace eeped as the ship shook violently, the wood around them creaking at the sea growing more intense, "It's getting worse! Spades! We need the old man inside, NOW!"

"Bo-"

"Kotatsu! Distraction!"

With a loud meow the cat came out of nowhere, scrambling up the rigging until he was high enough to jump on the shoulders of the old man.

"How is a cat going to help you get our pops inside-yoi? You really are an i-"

"Oh hello puss, how's it going? You're a cutie you know that." Pops smiled as he saw the kitten, so small and soft. He fully awed when the kitten laid on his back, wiggling in place and "oh, you're playing with my jacket? Aww", with his paws, Kotatsu was lightly hitting the collar of the jacket, still on his back.

"WE GOT HIM! BE READY TO PUSH!"

"Ay captain!"

Everyone on deck watched as the spades gathered behind their captain's legs. But … where was Ace? He just yelled?

Marco scanned the deck only for his visions to be pulled up when the fire hazard called again.

"PUSH LEFT IN 3 – 2 – PUSH!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"He's flying-yoi... How..."

"Well, I would say thank to those huge plumes of flame under his feet, but I wouldn't know for sure of course." Thatch who had come closer to watch the spectacle said as he watched that exact thing. Portgas D. Ace was, with huge jets of fire shooting from his feet, hovering at Pop's shoulder-hight, pushing right in the middle.

Okay, Thatch was probably right, "But Pop's is half giant, you can't just push him or move him if he doesn't want to. That's imposi-….."

Thatch cleared his throat as Marco was stunned into silence, "Let me vocalize your should be next reaction. Ahem ahem- 'Whyyyy- whyy do I speak-yoi? Why do I keep thinking logically with these people-yoi? Why is Pops moving-yoi? He weighs as much as an island-yoi? Why do I have such a weird hairdo-yoi? Why is the world against me-yoi? Why does someone like Portgas even exist-yoi? Why hasn't he figured it out yet-yoi? Why is the turkey not healing my headaches-yoi? Why haven't I laid eggs yet-yoi? ... Why haven't I thrown the chef into the sea yet-yoi? Why is the idiot still continuing when he knows-yoi? Why-…...' I-….. Ehem... I need to go!"

Without even trying to move to chase the chef, Marco just turned back to watch the spades push at his captain.

"RIGHT! …. LEFT! … RIGHT! KEEP IT UP! ALMOST THERE!"

And seeing his own captain take steps. He was right, probably right that you can't move the giant if he didn't want to. But... the 'useless' distraction method, assured that well... Pops was distracted and just stepped along as he felt the pushes while he himself was cooing over Ace's cat. Or kitten how pops calls the obvious Lynx.

"OI- YOI YOI!"

Closing his eyes he ignored the calls for him but..., he sighed heavily as he walked a bit closer to the whole spades almost at the door, why would he bother ignoring the kid. He knows it won't help. He'll somehow still get him involved who knows how. It would be quicker to just go, get it taken care of like a bandage that needs taken off. One fell swoop.

"Yes-yoi. What do you want?"

"... Be polite near you old man! And open the door for us... please!"

"... Sure..." Slowly walking forward he pulled open the giant doors, the mechanics had a neat system behind it so even for the smaller humans the door weights nothing, there were even multiple doorknobs on it for people of different hights. He held it open until they passed, now a cup of coffee was in orde-

"FOLLOW US SMOOTHIE!"

"Smoothie?" Was that also to him?

"He's trying to be original." - "Yea, trying to impress you."

He raised a brow at the spades now almost next to him, still behind pop's leg."

"Why would he want to impress me? And still, smoothie?"

"He likes you."

Choking on air he tried to say something in return because what the actual fuck?

"And for Smoothie. I'm guessing he's still got pineapple in his mind but doesn't want to repeat that, so is thinking of other things to say but can't think of other things that really relate to your appearance or anything and is now just thinking of relevant things to pineapple. He loves food, smoothies are thick and you can drink or eat them like soup and thus is food and probably one of the first things that came to his mind."

"OI PIÑATA!"

He just raised his eyebrows more at this, not at the captain but at the spades, the only people that could give some form of reasoning.

"He was thinking of smoothies." - "Then went to piña colada." - "Didn't actually get why he thought of it, but the first word made him think of piñata."

"... He has an interesting thinking process-yoi."

The spades hummed in agreement, switching to the other foot as Pops took another step inside.

Before Ace could yell again, Marco changed into hybried form and fly to Ace, following along slowly. He saw the boy gasp and sparks of flames came from his shoulders when he got close, with a shake of the head and they were gone, the usual Ace in front of him.

"Why do I need to follow?"

"To open the door to his room, duh. And since you're here, you can help push!"

"... I would love to... help you. But I don't have arms-yoi."

"Huh? What are you talking about- pfffft- bahahhahahahah you really don't omfg that's amazing. OOOII GUYYYYSSSSSS! Look! Marc-Bluey has no arms like this!"

Marco had the blink, he was almost called by his name, "So you did remember my name. Thank you-yoi." He gave the boy a smile, somehow happy for that.

The laughter was abruptly stopped by stuttering and once again the release of sparks from the teen's shoulder, "I- of course I know! You're my biggest enemy right now! I need to know- I- just got down and help with the doors please!"

"Of course." He flew down, landing a bit in front of them and walking ahead, opening every door and move all items that may be in the way. Ending at holding the door to Pop's room open.

He watched how the spades got him inside and somehow to even sit and lay down. Even if this was weird, hella weird, it was also kind of nice to see Ace actually caring for the wellbeing of his captain. Though maybe... him tucking him in... kissing his forehead... sitting down to read a fairytale as pops was still patting the lynx... was a bit much but... well...

As all the spades left the room, just leaving Ace sitting on the edge of the bed, book held open towards the old man so he could see the pictures, Marco also left with them. Walking back towards the deck and restarting their duties as if nothing just happened. He only barely, just barely, remembered to cross out the idea that pops using his power could convince Ace that their captain was the real deal.

A big thank you to 'Samaren' (AO3) for the idea of this chapter! Suggesting if maybe Pop's devil fruit could convince Ace is the real deal or if our sweet firecracker would just think the old man needs to lay down for a bit as he's being strange.