Chapter 1

The Hunters Guild was located deep within the East Blue region. They hunted the dark races, such as the Vampires, ghosts, Dragons, Banshees, and so one, and so forth. Ace had been born into it, the Portgas clan had been successful Hunters for generations now, and it was a good place to call home. His bloodline was famous for hunting Vampires, due to their blood's sweet, irresistible scent.

The problem was that his mother had been captured. She had been taken by the Ultimate Vampire himself, Gol D. Roger. The bastard had seduced and mind controlled Portgas D. Rouge, and Ace was the product of that enslavement. Akainu had told him that they had rescued Rouge, but she had been beaten down, far too worn out to survive for much longer. Her strength had been all but spent, and she had managed to just deliver Ace into the world before she died. Ace had been born fully elven, which was a relief.

He would have been killed otherwise.

Roger had been executed for what he had done to Ace's mum, although Ace wished he had suffered more for it. Akainu told him not to think too much on it, because the Portgas bloodline still lived on. It was hard not to though. If it hadn't been for Roger, his mother never would have died.

Ace threw open the door, and happily walked into the office. Akainu threw him a scowl, while Sabo grinned. Sabo was Ace's Guardian. The Portgas' always had a Guardian to protect them because their bloodline was so powerful. Sabo was a human, descended from some kind of noble lineage, but he threw all that away to join the Guild.

"Ace, don't just bang my door open," Akainu scolded. "Knock, like a normal person would."

Akainu was a fellow fire elf. The elves and elements of the world chose one another at the age of twelve. Earth and Wind were common, Water was rare, Darkness wasn't too unusual, but most usually became Dark Elves over time, under the power of the Old God. So it wasn't chosen overly often. It was extremely powerful though.

Fire was rare, and Light was extremely rare. Ace had a pact with both of those elementals, not that he knew exactly how to use light, because only his family knew how to. So that made things difficult, since he was the only Portgas left. Ace usually just identified himself as a fire elf, since it usually made things so much easier. Most elves only had one pact in the first place after all.

"Sorry, sorry," Ace winced, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

He took the seat beside Sabo who threw him a fond smile, before they at once turned to Akainu. Akainu sat stiffly in his seat, eyes boring into them.

"The villagers of Micqueot Town have reported a vampire sighting. They believe it has taken residence in the manor the town Mayor used to reside in, before he left for his Summer home," Akainu said. "You're to go and kill it."

"Any idea how strong the vampire is?" Sabo asked.

"We don't have many details on it, it shouldn't be too serious though. I believe you two should be able to handle it," Akainu said. "And Outlook, make sure this one doesn't go wandering about this time. Return him straight back to the Guild after you're finished your mission."

Ace huffed. "I'm not three years old."

Sabo nudged his side. "Sorry, Ace. Orders are orders. No getting into trouble this time."

"Sabo, you're just about as much trouble as me," Ace smirked. "You just hide it better."

"What? Me?" Sabo mocked gasped. "Of course not!"

Akainu sighed. "Get going you two."

"Right, right, bye," Ace grinned, following after Sabo. "And try not to miss us too much!"

"I doubt I will," Akainu grunted.

.::.

It took two weeks to get to Micqueot Town. Micqueot Town was renowned for it's vineyards. It was a large, mostly quiet village, until now. Now there was a vampire lingering in it's peaceful land, leaving Ace and Sabo to kill it off. It was bright and early in the morning, just how they both liked it. The sun shined brightly down on them. Ace basked within the heat, while Sabo threw him a grin.

Ace whistled. "This is a pretty big place."

"Looks posh," Sabo grinned. "Think we should do some robbing?"

"And here I thought you were going to keep me out of trouble."

Sabo laughed. "You said I was just as much trouble as you."

"True," Ace said, nodding. "How about we deal with the vampire first, then rob them?"

"A responsible answer. I'm surprised," Sabo snorted.

"Posh napkin ass."

"Stupid large eared elf."

"My ears are perfectly normal!" Ace pouted.

"Of course, of course," Sabo grinned. "My apologises."

"Humans," Ace rolled his eyes.

"Elves."

"Bastards."

"Hey, my parents were married."

"And you hate them."

"Indeed I do!"

Ace shook his head. "Anyway, who is doing what exactly?"

"You scope out the castle grounds. I'll go talk to the villagers," Sabo said. "Once you're done, you can find me in the inn."

"I see how it is," Ace snorted. "You sit back and relax, drinking away, while I do all the hard work."

"Exactly," Sabo winked. "It's the least I can do after being your Guardian for all this time. It's amazing I haven't turned grey yet."

"Careful, you humans do tend to get wrinkles so easily," Ace smirked.

"Rude," Sabo laughed. "Now you're definitely going to the castle."

"Fine," Ace grinned. "See you soon."

It was probably fair. Sabo scoped out last time they were on a mission, while Ace chatted up the locals, finding out information. Ace turned and headed for the castle, while Sabo headed deeper into the village. It was broad daylight, so no vampire would venture outside the walls of the manor. They had to be ancient to survive something like that, and ancient vampires were extremely rare. You had to be thousands of years old to become one.

The garden was huge, with a giant water fountain smack bang in the middle of it. The front door towered over him, but Ace ignored it and began to stroll. The curtains were all closed, which made sense. Funnily enough though, the garden was surprisingly well tended. Ace frowned, but perhaps the vampire had enthralled someone to tend it for them? Or it strangely enjoyed gardening. Hard to tell with vampires sometimes. Some did get hobbies.

Most enjoyed drinking and murdering people. He had met one that liked drawing... It's usually dead victims, but still, it liked to draw. It wanted to draw him once, but Sabo killed it before Ace could even punch it.

The back of the garden had a graveyard, filled with old ancestors that probably belonged to the owner of the manor. He briefly glanced over the names before a click of a door startled him. Ace reached for his dagger, but a hand clamped over his mouth, and another pinned his arms to his sides. The world went by, and suddenly he was being thrown down against a thick, red carpet.

"Well, well, look at the pretty thing I've found scurrying about my garden yoi," the blonde smirked down at him, while Ace struggled to regain his bearings.

He stiffened, and instantly Ace found himself pinned against the wall. It took him a moment to realise that his arms were above his head, the vampire's hand clamped around his wrists. It was pressed up against him, carefully between Ace's legs so he couldn't kick.

Shit, This vampire was fast. Too fast.

The blonde sniffed at his neck. Ace squirmed, tried to knee it's side, but it didn't faze the vampire. It only chuckled, nuzzling his neck. Ace shuddered when a warm tongue licked a long strip over his neck, sucking on his pulse. A pleasant shiver ran down his spine, but Ace's struggles only grew.

"Get off-"

"Now, now, hush. Relax yoi. Let me see you," the blonde purred. "A Fire Elf, who is obviously a Hunter, and has amazingly sweet blood that I could smell even from inside my manor. I believe you're a Portgas, aren't you, darling?"

"I'm not your 'darling'!" Ace spat.

"No? I don't know, you're such a lovely thing," the blonde smirked, pressing their forehead's together. "I would love to keep you yoi. You could join my pretty pets down in the cellar."

Bastard's been kidnapping people then.

"Fucking vampires-"

"No need to be rude," the blonde chuckled. "Now, c'mon. Tell me your name."

"Like hell-"

His head grew fuzzy, and those eyes, they were so blue, and Ace felt as if he could get sucked into them. Everything relaxed, and he softened in the vampire's touch. The blonde went back to licking his neck, and Ace shuddered, groaning softly at each tender lick.

"Tell me your name, firefly."

"Portgas D. Ace..." he heard his voice, but he was confused.

He sounded so distant, as if his mouth was far away. A blissful warmth clouded his mind again, and he felt so at ease. The blonde paused against him, humming, before continuing to soften his neck.

"Well, dear Ace," the blonde grinned against his neck. "My name is Marco."

.::.

It was a busy, sunny morning. The weather was nice, and it would have been the perfect time to nap if there hadn't been a wedding going on right now. Zoro's wedding. He had been trying to marry Sanji for decades now, but so far it hadn't worked out. The first time he had been Chosen, and just when he and Sanji were about to kiss. Zoro was teleported (just seconds away from kissing the blonde)away so he could meet his fellow Chosen.

Second time, Perona had went missing. Third time, somebody had challenged his father to a sword fight and ruined the wedding. Fourth time, Zeff had fallen ill and Sanji didn't want to have a wedding without his father there to see it.

The last time was when the Charlotte and Vinsmoke families bombarded the ceremony, and managed to null the wedding by knocking out the minister. Okay, sure, the minister had been a Demon of Pleasure, and kept being perverted, even more so than Sanji, but still. It should have been official.

Stupid pink leathered torture woman being knocked out cold by a punch from Big Mom.

Zoro grumbled. Perona was attempting to adjust his suit, all while lecturing him.

"Remember, this is a wedding. A wedding to save Sanji from being married off to the Charlotte family. You have to do this properly," Perona continued.

"Zoro will," Mihawk said, nodding at him. "He is the one who proposed, Perona. Zoro had declared his intentions quite clearly."

Zoro grinned. "Yeah, the love cook was certainly surprised that we're trying this again after the last time."

"Well at least this time both Houses are distracted," Zoro continued. "So hopefully, this wedding will go off without a problem. Zeff is healthy, Perona is right here and not being kidnapped by Moria-"

"Moria didn't kidnap me," Perona pouted.

"Father has not announced where he is this time. So finally, finally, I get to marry the love cook. Then love cook and I can go and do whatever we finally want without some assholes trying to kidnap him."

Because he was getting really sick of people trying to kidnap his fiancé to marry him off to someone else. Zoro didn't care about whatever bargain the Vinsmoke family had set up with the Charlotte family, who knows how many years ago. Sanji was his, and he was Sanji's.

.::.

Nami crept along the shadows, thanking all of her spell collections that she placed a silencer on herself. Her heels would have echoed off the stone floor otherwise. Okay sure, it was a nice sound, she enjoyed it, but it would have alerted people of her presence.

She was here to loot the treasury though, so she didn't want anyone to know she was here.

Nami had been slowly, but surely making her way to the country of Alabasta, so she could visit her girlfriend. After she visited Vivi, she would have to go back home to pay off some more debts to Arlong. Nami and her village should have been free from his crew a couple of years ago, but the fishman pirate had paid the city guards to dig out all her money from it's hiding spots, and take it away.

Nami had been forced to start all over again.

Desperate, she had tried to steal from Alabasta, only to learn that they hardly had any money either due to a civil war. Vivi had been the one to find her in the treasury, and while her bird guard wanted to arrest her, Vivi refused to. Vivi was very kind, maybe a bit too kind at times, but it had made Nami fall madly in love with her.

She had been furious to learn that bandits were trying to frame Vivi's family, and ruin her Kingdom. So Nami had tried her best to help Vivi, who swore to help her in return with whatever she needed.

The Princess, Nami, some sand elemental, and two dwarves had defeated the bandits together. Although the sand elemental and dwarves had taken some kind of banshee from the tribe of bandits with them after they left Alabasta. Nami had asked about the three, but King Cobra asked her not to get involved in those affairs. That they had not been important.

That had only made her even more curious, but she never learned anything about the three.

Nami at that point, realised she didn't want Vivi to be involved with the Arlong situation. So while she had told Vivi what had been going on, she never told her where Nami lived. Vivi hadn't been happy, but her guards afterwards thanked Nami, because they didn't want Vivi to sneak off and try assassinate someone.

Nami smiled at the thought even now. After all, Vivi was definitely the type to go after someone with her fists swinging, her at least, with her poisoned claws.

.::.

"Fufufufu, you can't hide forever."

Law pressed himself as far back as he could against the wall. Doflamingo was somewhere nearby, he could hear the laugher and the footsteps creaking against the floorboards. Law had been on the run for three months now, but it was over. He had been surrounded by the Donquixote family, and his only choice had been to try lose them in an abandoned house.

That hadn't exactly worked. He could feel their souls all surrounding the house, while Doflamingo crept through the house, chuckling away happily.

"You're apart of my family, Law. I don't let my family leave me so easily, especially not the misguided ones," Doflamingo said. "So come on out, nice and easy, and things won't have to be difficult anymore. I promise."

Law just needed to save up some more energy, then he could get away. Until then, he had to hide, because if he gave Doflamingo the chance, the bastard would put a thread into his head, and put him back under his control.

That's what most of his 'family members' suffered. They all had Doflamingo's threads in their brains, and were warned that if they ever turned against him, he'd take control over them himself.

It had taken Law months to get his thread out, and he didn't want another one back in so soon.