"You have a younger brother?!" several of Ace's brothers said in surprise.
"I have two. The youngest just entered the Grand Line. That's my reason for going to give him a little visit," Ace responded, showing Luffy's wanted poster.
"Be careful, the tenth division detected that our coordinates have been tracked this past week..." Marco mentioned while carrying his paperwork.
"I'll be fine, nothing to worry about, old Marco," replied Ace, who was preparing everything to leave on his ship, the Striker.
"Classic Ace," Thatch joked as Marco resigned himself.
"I just hope he doesn't get into trouble," Marco added. "That just means more paperwork for me."
Ace is a good commander for the second division. Although he tries to hide it, he doesn't stop acting like a kid.
"You have to let him resolve his own issues," Thatch told Marco, "you can't do his duties for him..." referring to how Marco always ends up doing Ace's paperwork.
"I can't leave the second division to fend for itself," Marco retorted.
He could only hope that Ace didn't get into trouble for his own sanity.
Days after his departure.
Ace was near Sabaody when he realized he was being followed. He accelerated, and without realizing it, went straight into a storm. He tried to fly away but was thrown far away and crashed, losing consciousness.
Those following him easily located his whereabouts since the only nearby island was above them. An island divided into three parts, giving the illusion of three rings floating above each other.
When Ace woke up, he was in the middle of a forest. He regretted not taking Marco's warnings seriously. In his defense, he didn't know it was him they were following.
"Hello?! Is anyone there?" Ace shouted, trying to detect any sign of life around him.
Silence reigned in the forest. A long time passed with nothing heard but the whisper of the wind through the trees, until someone knocked him out again from behind.
When he opened his eyes this time, he found himself in front of his brother Marco.
"Marco?" Ace said, astonished.
Or rather, Marcos. It seemed his brother had cloned himself: the same pineapple hairstyle, blonde hair, blue eyes, and familiar face.
"We don't know what you're talking about, human..." said one of the Marcos, approaching Ace, who was tied hand and foot. "Give us a reason not to throw you to the beasts."
"Not going to talk? Fine, then you'll die," declared another of the Marcos, giving the order with a gesture. They took Ace to the edge of the island and threw him into the void, straight towards the sea from a great height.
In the air, Ace quickly burned his restraints and created a cloud to cushion his fall.
The spectacle caught the attention of the island's inhabitants, but also of a sea king who seized the opportunity to devour him. However, before the beast could claim victory, it was incinerated by a blazing flame, and from the ashes emerged a majestic red phoenix.
Red phoenixes are known for controlling flames, they shouldn't be able to create clouds. Creating clouds is a skill unique to a storm phoenix. This could only mean one thing.
"Our king has arrived!" proclaimed the island's inhabitants, as everyone removed their helmets in a show of respect and reverence.
Some time later on the Moby Dick.
Those who had been tracking the Moby Dick had stopped doing so a while after Ace left. This led the crew to believe that it was Ace they were looking for.
After a while with no signs of Ace, Marco and Haruta were assigned the mission of finding their brother's whereabouts using his vivre card.
"Ace, you better not do something stupid or you can declare yourself a dead man yoi!" Marco declared. Ace is one of his brothers and he will protect him. Even if it means protecting him from himself.