"A flower knows, when its butterfly will return,and if the moon walks out, the sky will understand;
but now it hurts, to watch you leave so soon, when I don't know, if you will ever come back."Sanober Khan

The conversations around the table were loud and filled with laughter much to Marco's amusement and Ace's annoyance at times due to some of Luffy's stories.

"Ne, remember the time when…" He would begin and Marco would smile or frown depending on the story.

"No that was clearly you that did that." Ace would pout as Nami smiled at him, but silently stole from Ace's plate. Ace was too distracted to notice that one of his Tempura shrimps had been stolen by the red head.

"But that one time when you-oh wait that was Thatch wasn't it?" Luffy asked Marco who shrugged his shoulders not knowing each prank the commander had pulled.

"Has Luffy yet given any of you the painted wall treatment-yoi?" Marco asked them who looked confused.

"Ma! I grew out of that forever ago!" Luffy pouted as Ace looked at Marco in confusion

"The what treatment?" His confusion brought more confusion to the others around them.

"The painted wall treatment-yoi." Luffy scowled as Marco smirked.

"You were such a cranky feathery bastard I had no other choice, but to do it and Thatch was the mastermind!" He said as Marco laughed more.

"Really, Thatch you say, I was so sure that all those paint marks reached to about your height-yoi."

"Not the ones on the ceiling!" He defended himself as Ace looked at them fondly their bond shining from the years of love.

"Are you going to explain this or what?" He asked as Marco and Luffy looked at one another and laughed.

"No point if you've actually truly grown out of it-yoi." He said as Luffy closed his eyes smirking.

"Just for that I'll be reminding Thatch all of our special painting days." He opened his eyes a spark of mischief there "Maybe he can have the same fun again just without my help. I bet there's some new members who would love to ruffle your feathers." He smiled.

"No need little brother, Thatch has enough fun as it is, without the help of others thank you very much." Ace shook his head at the two of them seeing how they had blocked everyone out, but themselves and their own little jokes.

"Sorry about them." Ace pointed his thumb back towards Luffy and Marco who were talking about something else and laughing.

"They're quite close, aren't they?" Vivi asked leaning on her hand watching them missing her father more and more.

"Almost makes me jealous." Usopp added.

"We'll be leaving soon so please bear with it for now."

"You're leaving?" Luffy asked turning his head towards Ace who looked up at Marco for a moment.

"Soon, but not quite yet-yoi."

"We can't stay forever Lu, we have our own work to do." Ace recognized the look in Luffy's eyes. It was the same look he gave when one of the siblings were going on a mission he couldn't go on. It sucked being the one to make him look like that but, Luffy had his place here now.

Laughter filled the ship that night as a party was held to welcome Ace to the ship officially.

"You sure you don't want anything else Ace?" Usopp asked taking a finished plate of food away from the fire user to bring to the galley.

"Nah I'm alright." He waved the long-nosed boy off Marco sitting down next to him.

"You've been watching them-yoi?" He said looking at the laughing crew but mostly at the laughing Luffy.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Just a bit." Marco smiled as Ace shook his head. Marco turned his eyes towards Zoro who was watching them just as strongly as Ace was watching the crew.

"He's so carefree, all of them are really but he's acting like…" Ace started looking at Luffy put some chopsticks in his nose and begin a weird dance Ace remembered teaching him.

"Like he's not probably going into a fight fairly soon-yoi." Marco finished wondering which person he needed to kill for teaching Luffy to dance like that.

"Exactly." Ace said as a cold glass of some sort of drink was placed beside him by Sanji.

"That's because he isn't thinking like that. Luffy is Luffy whether he's fighting a battle or dancing with his friends. No matter what happens we'll be there to support him in anything he does." Sanji left Ace speechless for a moment before he smiled.

"They're something aren't they-yoi?"

"I'll never say that to Sanji but yeah, I guess they are." The party finished off with everyone sleeping wherever they fell while Nami closed her door locking the noisy boys out while she went to her own room.

"So, when are we going to beat Crocodile?" Luffy asked at breakfast casually making a few tired and hungover pirates' sigh.

"Don't be so excited Luffy we have a little while to go before we get to the capital."

"Ehh, why can't he just come to us?" Luffy complained while Marco bopped him on the head catching his attention.

"You can't be saying you don't want to go on an adventure-yoi?" He asked Luffy who shook his head rapidly.

"Of course not, just hate the sand and heat." He put his chin on the table thinking angry thoughts at the heat.

"You'll need plenty of water for this trip and to change into proper clothing as well-yoi." Marco said to those who were listening.

"We're already good on the clothing." Nami smiled holding some clothes in her arms and placing a few around the boy's normal seats.

"And I've got the water and lunches covered for now." Sanji blew out some smoke and waved going to do his job of preparing the meals.

"Then we should all get into proper clothing as well." Marco smiled taking the clothes offered to him from Nami.

"Why do we need to put on these things?" Usopp asked picking up the long sleeved long shirt.

"It will help to keep the sun off you during the day and keep you warm at night." Vivi said coming back to the galley in her own clothes.

"It's a desert island though…" Usopp mumbled but began to walk towards the door.

"Yes, but the temperatures drop to near freezing at night time so you'll need the layers to keep warm then." She said as he nodded leaving to put on his own clothes.

"Come on Luffy let's get going." Ace all but pushed Luffy to his feet to get him to get changed as the boys moved to the men's quarters to put their clothes on.

"Ne, Ace…" Luffy started once he had thrown on his new clothes.

"Mn?"

"What's going to happen when you find stupid face?" He asked his brother who tried not to laugh at the nickname given to Black Beard.

"We'll punish him in the ways of a pirate Lu." He was changing into his own clothes as well as Marco.

"Yeah, but what then?" He asked the older two stopping and looking at Luffy not sure what he was going on about.

"Luffy?" Marco asked but the boy turned his eyes up towards Marco and Ace sternly-or as sternly as Luffy could really get.

"Once you've beaten Black Beard guy then what? Another person's going to cross my path, and want to take me out. If I can't handle that guy then you guys will help, then another will take his place." Luffy wasn't smiling as he tilted his hat covering his eyes.

"There's always going to be someone stronger waiting in the shadows for their turn to fight me are you guys going to come to my rescue each time?"

"Teach isn't like any other guys you'll come to face Luffy." Ace tried to reassure his brother, but Luffy gave his blank face to his brothers.

"What if I decided to go after the Four Emperors? Will you back me up then?" He asked them as Ace looked towards Marco who was silent his blue eyes searching through Luffy's darkened over shadowed eyes. He searched blue meeting a darker brown he was unable to properly read them like he usually could.

"Luffy…" Ace started but Luffy lifted his hat up his hand on the back of his head and began to laugh.

"I'm just joking, but seriously I needed to see just how far you'd go. Deal with stupid guy but let me handle my own enemies okay?" He asked his brothers who were still speechless as the boy ran out of the room to rejoin his crew.

"You don't think he was really serious, do you?" Ace whispered to Marco who looked towards the door his own face lazy and expressionless.

"I don't know-yoi, I really don't."

-x-

The walk through the desert was not fun for Luffy as the heat beamed down on his rubbery body making him feel like he might melt.

"This sucks." He complained for what felt like the thousandth time to his crew.

"We know." Nami nearly growled as Vivi smiled at them in sympathy.

"This place isn't good for people who've never been here." She sighed but Luffy put his finger up in the air to make a point.

"I've been here before and it sucked then and still sucks now!" then he dropped his hand as the energy drained from him.

"Vivi can we have some more water now?" Luffy asked her as she gave an exasperated smile knowing that she couldn't really say no to Luffy when he was looking at her like that.

"Just a sip we still have quite a way to go still before we can rest." She said carefully to Luffy who was ready to down the whole jug.

"She said just a sip Luffy." Marco warned his little brother who opened his mouth and closed it looking back at Marco who was giving one of his parent looks that Luffy loved and hated.

"Fine…" He drawled out taking the said sip and looking back at the man who nodded then frowned as Luffy took another and another.

"That's enough!" Sanji growled as Luffy chuckled while passing back the half empty water jug.

"Shitty captain." He grumbled lighting up a new smoke as they continued until the sun had set.

"We should all get some sleep we need to keep moving tomorrow." Vivi said unrolling a blanket from the supplies they had brought with them. Everyone had settled down except for one, Luffy.

"Close your eyes Luffy and try and sleep." Zoro grumbled not liking that Luffy's nervous energy was keeping him awake.

"Hmmm." Was all he said as he wrapped the blanket around himself and sat down beside Zoro who was lying on his back looking up at the stars.

"Talk already." He said shortly knowing Luffy probably had something on his mind.

"I think I said something I shouldn't have today." He looked up at the stars as well waiting for Zoro to ask him what he said.

"Was it the truth?" The question caught Luffy off guard slightly so he chuckled.

"Mn, I think it was."

"Then does it matter? You were going to say it sooner or later so why question it?" He asked Luffy who smiled.

"The Emperors are strong." He said to Zoro who closed his eyes giving his trademark smirk

"Then let's get stronger."

"Right. Thanks Zoro."

"Shut up and sleep." Zoro let the sleep fall on him easily but Luffy continued to look at the stars.

"You guys can't keep protecting me forever Ma, let me do this my own way." Flopping back into the sand and digging himself a comfortable little hole Luffy fell asleep beside his best friend.

"Wake up Luffy we need to keep moving." Ace was standing over Luffy as the boy rubbed his eyes.

"Too hot." Were the first things he said making Ace sigh.

"You stink as well, as soon as we find water you're bathing in it-don't give me that look!" He added as Luffy scowled.

"I don't smell that bad."

"You smell worse than when you returned from your training with Mihawk." He added as Luffy stood up lifting his arm in the air and smelling.

"I do smell." He added easily before laughing and walking away.

"Training with Mihawk?" Zoro was beside Ace giving the man a look and crossing his arms.

"Long story, get Lu to tell you about it sometime." He sighed and followed Luffy who was laughing with the others.

"Where's the next stop?" Marco asked Vivi who pulled out a map and looked over it.

"If it survived the next place we should get to is a small oasis called Yuba." She said frowning old memories flashing in her mind as she closed the map and looked at Marco tears forming in her eyes before she blinked them away.

"Then we should keep moving-yoi."

Luffy looked around him at the sands blowing and felt a deep sense of sadness for this island and all it has been going through. He cared for Vivi and she cared for her people but was it enough for her to really help them?

"Let's get going." Luffy said softly before putting his smirk back on, and running off towards the open sands.

"I might get whiplash from his mood swings." Ace grumbled but smiled regardless.

"You get used to it pretty quickly." Zoro yawned walking past everyone towards Luffy to keep a close eye on him in case something happened, which something usually did.

"They shouldn't wander off like that, they'll get lost!" Vivi cried out as Marco sighed following behind the swordsman.

"Zoro just needs to move and he'll get lost." Usopp sighed and the others followed behind Marco and while they followed as close as they could some way or another Luffy, Zoro, chopper and Marco ended up lost.

"Where'd everyone go?" Luffy asked suddenly looking back making Marco freeze mid-step and look behind him as well.

"They probably got lost." Zoro scoffed, but Marco knew it was the other way around.

"It's hot." Luffy complained dropping into the sand to pant.

"We know Luffy; look I'll go up and see if I can see them?" Marco sighed and pushed his usually well-groomed hair out of his face wiping sweat off him at the same time.

"Just stay where you are, Chopper I'm leaving them to you since you seem to be the most responsible here-yoi." Marco said and took off before Zoro and Luffy could object.

"Why's Ma so mad?" Luffy asked from his spot in the sand as he watched the phoenix fly up and look around.

"Who knows." Zoro yawned as Luffy lifted his head and looked around.

"Water…" He yelled jumping up and running towards a cactus and breaking it open to see the liquid inside.

"Wait Luffy you shouldn't do that!" Chopper yelled but it was too late as the teenager drank the water down his eyes slowly starting to lose focus.

"Luffy?" Chopper asked Zoro standing beside the reindeer just watching as Luffy turned to face them a blank look on his face.

"Feel better now idiot?" Zoro asked and was about to smile until Luffy's face turned into a growl he had never really seen on Luffy so reacting on instinct he hit Luffy in the head knocking him to the ground before sitting on him.

"Marco's going to kill us, isn't he?" Chopper asked as Zoro looked up at Chopper who was shaking his head as Luffy thrashed in the sand.

"I left you all alone for a moment-yoi." Marco sounded disappointed, but Zoro turned on him silver eyes flashing dangerously.

"You know it takes only a short second for Luffy to get into trouble." He growled reminding the commander that Luffy did what he wanted no matter who was near him.

"I found them we're not that far away." Marco sighed and looked at his raging little brother who was yelling louder.

"That's enough Luffy-yoi." And like that Luffy was silent and sleepy.

"What did you do to him?" Zoro asked getting off the boy who was now sleeping in the sand.

"Saved us some trouble we can't stay lost long, this place will kill the weak and I don't exactly want to die here-yoi." Marco said then looked at Chopper who was panting heavily.

"I know this place isn't kind to you as well, thank you for being strong." Marco praised those who tried and this little reindeer was doing his best.

"Shut up bastard, I don't need any of your praises." Chopper said but the grin on his face and the way he was slightly moving showed his true feelings. Marco liked this little guy and appreciated him taking care of Luffy no matter the troubles given to him for it.

"Will Lu be alright-yoi?" He pointed to his little brother who was now snoring away on Zoro's back.

"He'll sleep off the juice and be back to trouble in no time at all." Zoro sighed but held a tight grip on his captain.

"Good I'm trusting you to take care of him-yoi." Just as Marco and Zoro grinned at each other Chopper collapsed from heat exhaustion.

"I guess I'll carry him, the others aren't too far ahead of us I know the way." Marco picked the small reindeer up and carried him much the way he used to carry Luffy. He could almost close his eyes and picture it, the little boy holding his brother tightly weighing barely anything.

"Luffy said something to me-yoi." He wasn't sure why he was bringing it up but he felt he needed to.

"He did, didn't he?" Zoro wasn't going to betray his captain no matter who it was. Marco thought about this before stopping and turning to face the vice-captain.

"Don't be foolish the Emperors are out of your league." He was being harsh but he was protective of what was his and Luffy and this crew were his to protect.

"Then maybe they should hurry up and get in ours. Luffy will do what he wants with or without your permission and telling him no is near challenging him to do it anyway. If they or anyone else threatens my captain I will make them regret it, even if I need to kill them for it." His silver eyes gleamed like the blades he was so proud of Marco pitied the men who got on his bad side.

"You sound like you're above the Emperors and that can get you killed here be cautious and wait it will protect you longer-yoi." He meant well but Luffy knew how to pick the most stubborn to be his friends.

"Waiting gets us nowhere, we will act as we please, are we not pirates?" Zoro scoffed but Marco wasn't taking any of it.

"We are pirates but you've only just entered the Grand Line. There are people here who are stronger than you and even stronger than Luffy. If word gets out where Luffy was raised that won't stop them from trying to kill him, and even you. Grow in strength then take on the emperor's if you still wish for that." Marco knew this man would do anything to protect Luffy, in fact the whole crew would but going up against people like pops was ridiculous for the strength they had right now, this crew still needed to grow.

"You can stop worrying mother, we don't plan on challenging them yet." Zoro nearly laughed at Marco's expression.

"But Luffy said-."

"Luffy was giving you his warning that doesn't mean he's stupid enough to actually do it, yet. He may look and act like an idiot but underneath all that he's been planning it all out." Zoro looked to the side to see the sleeping face of Luffy blowing a snot bubble.

"Really…." Marco too looked at the boy.

"Don't forget from where you came… Him and I and everyone on our crew will get stronger." They had continued walking in silence as Marco took in everything that had been said when they finally reached the group again Ace stomped right up to sleeping Luffy and punched him in the head waking him up.

"Ouch!" He cried out grabbing the growing bump and giving Ace a glare.

"What the hell was that for! Huh? Where are we?" He looked around as Nami was scowling being held back by Vivi. Usopp and Sanji were shaking their heads and sighed.

"Wander off like that again and we're getting you boys a leash." Nami growled from behind Ace.

"We're close to Yuba we just have a little while left to go." Vivi tried to calm everyone down but Luffy laughed and apologized for wandering off swearing he won't do it again.

"Right, they'll stay put when the sea dries up." Sanji sighed lighting up a new smoke. Marco watched them all regroup as if they had never been separated from each other.

"It's time for us to go-yoi." He said stunning everyone including Ace.

"What? Ma you guys just got here why are you leaving?" Luffy's eyes were a little panicked he had gotten used to having Ace and Marco on this adventure.

"We have important work to do Luffy we can't continue to be sidetracked. Ace it's time we moved on." Ace nodded knowing the time to leave would be soon.

"Have your adventure Lu we'll be close by if you really need us." He smiled a bit as Luffy fought back a pout.

"The two of us will be together but should you need to find us again take this." Marco pulled a vivre card out of his pocket tore a piece off and passed it to Luffy.

"I have one of these from Ace…" He remembered placing it in his hat before leaving the Moby Dick.

"Yeah but now you have one from me in case anything happens, not that anything is going to happen Lu, don't give me that look-yoi." Luffy frowned but took the piece of card anyways putting it right beside Ace and Sabo's in his hat.

"I'm impressed by all of you, you're a great team I can't wait to see you all in the New World-yoi." Marco bowed to them making a few of them bow back in embarrassment.

"It's not everyday we get to meet the first commander of an Emperor's crew; the pleasure was all ours!" Nami lifted herself out of the bow and smiled at Marco the man who helped save both her Luffy' life not that long ago, she owed the commander.

"Take care of him for us, I know he can be a pain but he's still my baby brother." Everyone nodded as Luffy stepped forward grabbing Ace's hand.

"I won't lose to you Ace." Ace smiled.

"Keep rising Luffy we're all waiting for you at the top."

Zoro looked at Marco they both locked eyes knowing they'd meet again the amount of love they held for the boy-captain insured that.

"Be my eyes while I'm gone, I'll be counting on you brother." Marco and Zoro gripped hands grinning at one another. Ace and Marco left waving goodbye as the small crew continued their way to Yuba.

"I'm going to miss them." Ace sighed pulling his hat on stronger as the wind picked up.

"Well see them again but we have work to do." Taking a deep breath Marco turned himself into the phoenix he was and waited for Ace to get on his back.

"I feel honoured!" He laughed as Marco lifted off into the air.

"I'm sick and tired of being lost now where is your little ship?"

Hey guys! A chapter yay! Once more, thank you all for the encouraging comments! I will keep going don't worry just at my own pace. :) Health wise… I'm fine for now or until I can't walk any more. Doctors frustrate me but I'll make it! This chapter was fun to write but it's time for our duo to move on. I'll be following Ace and Marco now. Just wait until they hear about the crap Lu does. And Boa I smile thinking about it :P Marco and Zoro bonded yay! Well I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I did. Keep well everyone! DR