Zoysite - I loved this chapter too hahah. I had no real plan for Garp and the pineapples were a random thought, but it turned out so nice haha. Garp is the best grandpa indeed hahahah Ace is so lucky to have a supporting family hahah Even if they make Marco suffer more.
I had to re-read and edited the plural 'hands' to it's singular form 'hand' with Shanks cause I forgot he only got one.
POV from the deck.
Ace was wheezing next to the railing, "Thatch! Thatch! Oh god hahah come look!"
"What is it? Did Shanks get h- Are those pineapples?" he looked over the railing, seeing various pineapples bobbing along the ocean.
"Y-yes! They're- they're Marco's ankers! Oh my god! Does the pigeon not know pineapples float!"
Thatch blinked at that and blinked again, wrapping his mind around that before he too needed to hold his stomach laughing, clutching to the railing to not fall over. "That stupid pigeon hahahahahahahha! U-using pineapples- to pull him down haha- making s-sure he drowns- hahahhahhaha THEY FLOAT?! Hahahahahhaha"
"He should have known they float haha, they got holes in the middle, like c'mon Marco!"
"Haha yea they hav- wait what holes?"
Ace wiped some tears away, still laughing every few seconds, "y-yea, you know- pineapples slices have holes."
"Yes..."
"So the center is hollow- oof my stomach hurts from laughing haha. But yea, floaties float because of air we blow in. Pineapples are filled with air in the center. So of course they would float. Aah, I really thought bluey would be smarter than this."
"... Ace.. That's not... The center is hollow because we take out the core before slicing."
"Hmm?"
He was about to explain but decided to just not. It's Ace. He's just going to let the teen enjoy his life as he wishes... even if he thinks pineapples are hollow. He knows if he's going to try to even explain, he's going to follow Marco into the ocean soon by becoming insane. Speaking of Marco. "Oh Shanks made it to him."
"I'll grab a rope ladder to throw down!"
Thatch nodded, "Thanks Ace." he said as he looked down, "Oi Shanks! Thanks for saving him! We're getting you a ladder right now!"
"'Kay! He seems really happy haha! He smiled when he saw me!"
"Huh?" focusing on Marco, there was indeed a silly smile on the blond's lips. Wtf. Has he really lost it?
"He probably realised I was saving him! And he will now join me because he's forever grateful! I mean, look how happy he is! I never saw him smile like this!"
"Yea... yea... that's... that sounds about right..." Thatch voiced slowly and unsure, very unsure...
POV Marco - from the ocean
He was sinking, sinking peacefully to his end. Ah, no more paperwork, no more creepy fire being staring at him from every crack, no more laundry, no more Shanks. A smile graced his lips at that, no more Shanks. The ocean really was a pirate's blessing.
He relaxed as he made his way down, not like he could do anything else, the sea kind of immobilized him. After a little bit he felt a tug at his legs. Not really like someone was pulling, nothing was grabbing him, but still he felt like he was floating up. Opening his eyes he saw blurry small round shapes above him, lightly swaying as they pulled him towards the light. He didn't think dying would be so peaceful. Going to a light, carried by little balloons.
He saw his vision blur more, air bubbles escaping him. It was nearly time. He wondered if he would be able to see himself enter through that light or not.
In his last seconds of being able to retain consciousness, he saw it. A mermaid. A mermaid with beautiful wavy hair and the longest veiltail he had ever seen was swimming towards him. He felt a slender arm move around him before he lost consciousness. A renewed smile was on his lips, knowing this being will carry him over to the other side safely. So many childhood pirate stories were turning out to be true.
POV Marco – From heaven?
He heard voices yelling around him. Why was heaven so loud. He thought he could rest in peac-
Thoughts shut down as he felt pressure on his lips. He was being kissed?! Why was he being kissed in heave- THE MERMAID! Oh god! He was being kissed by a mermaid! He was gay but... this was a mermaid! And he was a pirate! AND HE WAS DEAD! So fuck this! He was kissing this freaking mermaid!
And maybe it was the correct answer or something, because as he kissed back, raising a hand sloppily to rest on the other's cheek, the voices around him quieted down.
He was kissing a mermaid. It was quiet. No shanks. Everything he could wish for. He smiled lightly into the kiss, moving to trace a thumb over the cheek. Feeling the contours of her face... A little sharp angled for a woman's face but well, he's no one to judge. He also felt like she had a few scars close to her eye, he liked a woman that wasn't afraid to fight.
He moved his fingers to hold her chin, wanting to deepen the kiss but... she had a stubble? He wasn't stupid, he knew woman had hair on their faces too. But... this was... it didn't feel right...
Still rubbing the thumb over the hairs and moving his lips he started to blink his eyes open. A blurry figure right in front of him, the reddish-brown hair confirming it was the mermaid from earlier. However... the more he blinked. The more his vision cleared up. His lips slowed down with it and breath was starting to catch in his throat as he noticed more features.
The hairs on her chin became the clear stubble of a beard. The sharp corners were definitely a man's facial features. The scares around her eye were three, very recognizable, large gashes spanning over the eye. And... and …. the brownish-red hair... was a vibrant... a vibrant red color. The exact color of-
"Oh you're awake! Hi Marco! Glad to have you back with us! Man, I thought you were-
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" A scream tore from his throat when the kiss was broken after the other pulled back, giving him a clear view of Shanks. Shanks with red wavy hair and a veiltail... his jacket... smiling at him.
With uncoordinated movements he turned around and started dry heaving onto the deck. AND SHANKS CAME TO GENTLY PAT HIS BACK!
Tears sprung to his eyes and while he was kind of sure it was from the sea-water that he was somehow hacking up and irritating his throat + the seawater that was stinging his eyes, he discarded that idea because for sure these tears were here because HE HAD BEEN KISSING SHANKS!
"It's okay Marco" Shanks said gently, "get it all out. You were under for a little bit. It's a good thing you had those pineapples on tough to carry you back to the surface. Made retrieving you a lot easier. Diving with one arm is a little difficult you know."
It's not okay. It so wasn't okay! He still felt the press of warm lips on his own. Felt himself kissing back. Kissing back Shanks. Stupid fucking ugly Shanks!
"... Neh, can someone call a nurse?" Shanks asked worried to the onlookers, "He keeps crying, I think maybe he's hurt... Get some towels too maybe, if we can dry him off he can heal."
The only thing that hurt is his dignity! Scratch that, his whole existence pains him now!
"C'mon Marco, nothing is coming out anymore, let's sit down" Shanks carefully helped Marco to turn around, leaning him on the railing. He was worried as the blond was just staring at the sky as tears flowed. Poor Marco.
He was in shock. Everything going on. He let everything be done to him even if it was Shanks. He felt powers return as water dried. Naturally and by that towel wiping over his chest. He didn't have the strength... or will... to try and stop Shank's hand from taking off his wet shirt or... that was until said hand went for his pants.
The second he heard the zipper he was screeching like a madman, or should he say mad bird? Transforming first to hybrid form to slap the hand away with his wings before fully turning into his phoenix-form and flying, clumsily, to his captain. Diving for the small opening under the man's cloak next to his leg and hiding away.
Shanks blinked at the blue fire bird hiding in the crevice, beaded eyes glaring at him with unknown emotions. The eyes didn't leave him even when a freckled hand reached for the bird, it was simply pecked away without remorse, uncaring for the orange flames that spurted from it. With a laugh Shanks grabbed the towel he had put down on the deck and got up. "Glad you're feeling better Marco!" And handed the towel over to one of the crew members before he was moving to help his crew secure the Red-Force to the Moby. His ship perfectly arriving with the healing of the first commander.
x
When Ace was done poking at Marco he looked over the deck, searching for a specific person. When he spotted him he hollered over to the man and jumped him.
"Shanks!"
"Hahaha Hello there Sparkles." Shanks laughed as he caught the teen with one arm, easily putting him down after.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you."
"I'm here on a mission!"
Shanks snorted, "Taking Whitebeard's head I assume?" he did remember the teen telling him he was going to the old man.
"Huh?" Ace cocked his head, "No, why would I do that here? I'm still working on that of course, but I'm first giving the old man the journey of his life, and then me and the Spades are continuing our journey to look for Whitebeard."
"Look for Whitebeard?" Shanks blinked, glancing at said man towering over the deck as he sat in his chair, "He's right there."
"WHERE!?" Ace was swiveling around, looking the direction pointing in, when he followed the finger he saw who it was pointed to and chuckled, turning back and patting Shank's shoulder. "Luffy was really right about you, you really are a great person! Playing along too even as a fellow Yonko" he smiled and happy sigh left him, "Such a nice person. I'll be sure to tell Luffy in my next letter."
"Thanks... but ehm... what are y-"
"So, my mission now is to give the old man the journey he always wanted." Ace interrupted the other captain, crossing arms as he nodded to himself, occasionally glaring at Marco. "And protect his inheritance from the Pineapples Bird."
Pineapple bird was obviously Marco, that was very clear, but everything else was... "I'm a little confused, Ace."
"I get that, I get that. They got a lot of people fooled. Saying they're his kids and all. Most turned out to be nice, like Thatch and such, making food. But that fruit-salad is something else... I'm still figuring him out."
"... Marco's a mysterious person..."
Ace looked at shanks nodding excited that he got it, "yea! He's just- I don't get him sometimes! He's nice sometimes and then he looks bored, but he smiles. And then he's flexing and putting on a show with his bird and-…"
Shanks Tuned out the rambling for a bit because... how did Ace know so many details of Marco's room, sleep schedule, routines... just... private stuff... Even he didn't bother Marco enough to know all of that...
"-nd he's yet to steal the inheritance even if I know he's after it!"
"He's going to steal Edward's inheritance?"
"Yea! And he got an accomplice! And he tried to get Garp to join and-"
Oh Roger... What the hell did you create? Shanks thought as he was just nodding along, letting the kid ramble out conspiracy theories and ideas. All focusing around Marco. The kid seemed a little obsessed with the bird. Was this what he sounded like to Marco when he asked him to join every single time? Oh god, has he been bullying Marco all along!?
He was panicking inside when something clicked. Is this why Marco called him? Asked for his help? Because Roger's kid is suspicious of him and obviously he can't clear his own name if he is the suspicious person, and the brothers of said suspicious person also are not going to be able to help so an outsider is needed. He nodded, more to himself then to Ace –even if Ace seemed to get even louder after the nod– Yosh! He would help Marco clear his name!
"Marco's a good guy!"
"I swear he- huh? What?" Ace blinked, bringing his arms down and letting his fire-puppet-show die down.
"Marco's a good guy!"
"A... a good guy?"
"Yes" Shanks nodded, "Have you even heard a bad guy have a speech tick? And a stupid one like Yoi at that?"
"... No? But.. Maybe it's fake.."
"He's been doing it since a child! I have known him since he was a lil ugly baby! His first word was Yoi!"
"Marco's not ugly."
"All babies are ugly."
"... Fair."
"Good. Now, As I was saying. He can't be the evil one onboard because his speech tick is not evil sounding. If he was evil, he would have an evil sounding tick."
"And laugh."
"Yes!" Shanks smiled pointing at him, "All people with hidden evil schemes have evil laughs. Like like hmmmmm ZEHAHHAHA! Something like that! That sounds evil right?"
Ace thought for a moment before nodding "Yea... yea... maybe.. Maybe you're rig-"
"ZEHHAHAHA-hahah seeeee!" Shanks laughed as Ace already had a fireball ready to hit someone, "You were ready to woop my ass! You knew I was evil just by that laugh! You've got good instincts Ace. You know deep down Marco isn't evil. I know he can be annoying and boring and stupid and a prick and boring a-"
"You already said boring."
"Twice is not even enough for him. And boring aaaand a little stubborn in trying to make Edward live a healthy life, so he steals his sake. But That's the only thing he takes. He's got no evil schemes behind it. No plans to take his money, he can grow his own golden coins on his own butt! He's a good person. A good little birdy."
Ace blinked "coins on butt... ah! You're right!... that's like an infinite money glitch!"
"Yeap" Shanks nodded, even if he was unsure if those ringlets Marco had were actually metal and worth something... he didn't even know if they could grow back but... a little lie never hurt. "So, he doesn't need an inheritance."
"Since he poops coins."
"Grows coins, yes."
Ace nodded, "you're right. You're right... I have to apologize. I've been hiding in his ceiling and everything these past months to figure out his plan when there had never been one to begin with."
"That's a good idea. Why don't you go to him. I'm sure he'll forgive you if you say you're sorry." … But also... Hiding in his ceiling? WTF!?
With yet another resolute nod Ace was running off towards Marco's hiding spot. Screeching heard over the deck seconds later as Ace catapulted himself into the crevice as a little fireball.
In the meanwhile, Shanks was proud he had been able to help Marco clear his image. The blond was going to be so delighted that he fixed this whole situation in like under an hour! Now it was time to get some well-deserved drinks!
Yeap not the end. But I'm working on that RIGHT NOW! The last chapter is already halfway done. It will be posted within a couple of hours. It was just getting a bit too long to how long I like my chapters.