The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the deck of the Moby Dick. The crew was busy with their duties, but there was an undercurrent of unease, like the calm before a storm.

Ace stood at the bow of the ship, looking out at the horizon, his mind a swirl of conflicting emotions. The news had spread quickly-a tip-off, a rumor, but one with a distinct ring of truth. Teach, with the newly acquired power of the Yami Yami no Mi, was somewhere around Alabasta. The fruit, the cost of its power, and the dangers it posed were still fresh in his mind. His anger simmered just beneath the surface, but there was something more-something deeper-that made him want to act before they lost track of Teach.

"I need to go," Ace said, his voice low but firm.

Marco, standing behind him, narrowed his eyes. "Ace, we all know how dangerous Teach is now. But leaving alone, with your power fueling a ship... it's reckless."

Ace turned to face Marco, his expression unreadable. "I need to do this. I have to go. Teach hurt Thatch, and he stole something he shouldn't have. I'll find him and stop him before he can use that power against us."

Marco's gaze softened. He understood Ace's pain, his need for vengeance, and his desire to protect those he loved. But that didn't make it any easier. "I know you're hurting, Ace. But this doesn't mean you need to do it alone. We're a crew. We face things together."

"I can't risk it. Not yet," Ace said, the frustration in his voice barely contained. "If I go with the crew, if we wait... he could slip away again. I can't afford that." He paused, his hand tightening around the railing. "I can't afford to lose anyone else."

Siren entered the scene, her presence felt even before she spoke. She stepped up beside Marco, her green eyes watching Ace intently, as if trying to decipher his every thought. There was a silent understanding between them, but the unspoken tension in the air was palpable.

"I'll go with you," she said quietly, her voice surprisingly steady despite the vulnerability she felt. "You don't have to do this alone, Ace. We'll-"

"No," Ace interjected before she could finish, shaking his head. "Not yet. You need time to recover. I need you both to stay here for a while. Let me go. I'll leave the ship running off my power, and when you're ready, you can catch up."

Siren's heart ached at his words. She could hear the desperation in his voice, the weight of the need to protect her and Marco. She understood it, but that didn't make it easier to bear. She had always been the one to heal others, but now, she felt helpless.

Marco, too, stood silently by her side, his jaw clenched. "You think you can just go alone and leave us behind?" he said, his tone gentle but firm. "You know it doesn't work like that. We all fight together. You don't get to carry this alone."

Ace met Marco's gaze, and for a moment, there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He knew they had always faced things together, but this felt different.The urgency, the need to do something now-it was overwhelming.

"I can't risk both of you," Ace muttered, his voice strained. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'll come back once I've dealt with Teach. Trust me."

There was a long silence. Siren's hand reached out, touching Ace's arm gently, her fingers tracing the contours of his muscles in a way that felt intimate, as if grounding him back to the present moment.

"Ace," she said softly, "you don't have to do this alone. But I understand... I just wish you didn't feel you had to protect us from everything. We're here for you, too."

Ace's eyes softened as he met her gaze, the conflict inside him raging. But there was something in her expression that made him pause. She had always been a healer, a caretaker, but now, she was the one who needed protecting. And he couldn't deny her that safety.

"I'll be careful," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I promise. I'll come back as soon as I can. Stay here. Rest... recover. I'll be back for you."

Siren nodded slowly, though her heart didn't fully believe his words. She wanted to argue, to insist on going with him, but she could see the resolve in his eyes, the same determination that she herself had seen in Marco countless times. He had made up his mind. And despite her instincts screaming at her to go with him, she knew that there was a part of him that needed to prove something-to himself.

Marco exhaled slowly and stepped forward, placing a hand on Ace's shoulder. "We'll be here. Don't do anything stupid, Ace."

Ace's lips quirked up into a half-smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "When have I ever?"

Marco gave him a pointed look, but Ace simply grinned, already turning to make his way toward the small boat that would carry him off.

...

The boat was ready, its engine powered by Ace's flames, but before he could step onto it, something made him hesitate. His eyes lingered on Siren, standing near Marco. Her green eyes were soft, but there was a storm in them-an unspoken plea that he couldn't ignore.

He walked back towards them, each step heavier than the last, his heart pounding in his chest. The silence between them felt thick, like it might shatter if anyone spoke.

Siren's lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but Ace was already in front of her, close enough to feel the warmth of her presence. Without a word, he reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb brushing gently over her skin. She looked up at him, her gaze steady, though it was laced with fear. For a brief moment, he could see the vulnerability she had always tried to hide-the very same vulnerability she had shown when she first asked for their protection.

Siren had always been strong, but in this moment, she felt like something precious that might slip through his fingers.

"Ace," she whispered, almost pleading, but not with words. Her eyes said it all-Don't go.

But Ace had already made up his mind, and the pain of leaving her, leaving both of them, twisted his chest.

Without thinking, he leaned forward, closing the space between them. His lips met hers in a kiss that was soft, full of the sorrow neither of them wanted to speak aloud. It wasn't hurried or desperate, but it held an urgency-a promise. He was leaving, but he wasn't abandoning her. The kiss was a silent vow.

When they pulled apart, Siren's fingers lingered on his jaw for a moment longer, as though holding on to the warmth that could soon fade. There was so much left unsaid between them, but in that kiss, it was enough.

Ace didn't trust himself to speak, afraid that if he did, the crack in his voice would betray how much he was struggling. Instead, he turned to Marco, who had been watching them from a distance, his expression unreadable.

Marco stepped forward, his eyes meeting Ace's. Without a word, Ace moved toward him, and without hesitation, Marco reached up, pressing his forehead against Ace's in a gesture of reassurance.

"I'll be back," Ace said, his voice quieter now, as if the bond between them-both brothers, both fighters-spoke louder than any words could.

Marco's hand stayed on Ace's shoulder, his forehead still touching his, grounding him, reassuring him. "You better be," Marco replied, his voice steady but laced with an unspoken promise that no matter how far Ace went, their bond would always pull him back.

For a long moment, they stayed like that-silent, yet connected. The world outside them was already moving forward, but in that brief exchange, time seemed to stretch, to hold still.

When Ace finally pulled away, he looked at both of them-Siren, who was watching him with a mix of longing and concern, and Marco, who was trying to mask his own worry with stoic calm. But in their eyes, Ace saw the same thing: trust, love, and a deep understanding of the man he was and the one he still needed to become.

"I'll come back for you," Ace said, the words low but certain.

With one last look, he stepped onto the boat, the sound roaring to life as he powered the boat forward.

As Ace's figure grew smaller in the distance, Marco stood beside Siren, his hand resting on her shoulder. Neither of them spoke. There was too much weight in the silence-too much to say that wouldn't fit into words.

But in their shared gaze, there was a single promise that carried them both through the long days ahead.

...