I own nothing but the writing- i did that.

Ace had been with the crew for almost a year now. An entire year. Some of which he will admit was spent trying to kill Whitebeard with a large array of weapons and various plans- all of which had failed but that's okay because it's Whitebeard- its Pops so it's okay if Ace can't even scratch him. But he's a Whitebeard pirate now, the purple Jolly Roger on his back proudly stating that he was a part of this family. He had brothers and sisters, more than he had ever had before- well he had only really had two brothers before but he's not the oldest! So there's that! He's got friends, and Marco- who is a weird mix of brother, friend, and lover and the thing he knows how to do with his tongue—Ace shouldn't mention it.

He had settled in rather nicely after his original unwillingness- he was positive if Sabo was alive he would probably say it was that Stockholm syndrome he had mentioned once. That's beside the point- the end of all things happy and good for ace happened on a Friday. Almost exactly two weeks after he sent his letter to Luffy and a day after Thatch had finally let him back in to the kitchen after the éclair insistent.

The day was actually pretty boring for the New World, nothing was happening the weather wasn't changing there was no new opponents and they were not that close to their destination. The sun was warm and high up in the sky beating down on the Moby Dick as lazily as the pirate crew moved around. The sun was shining and the sea gently lolling the massive ship along. The rather large captain of the Whitebeard pirate was gently laughing as his youngest son hid behind him, looking to escape the wrath of the first division commander.

"Gurarara, you cannot hide from Marco forever."

"No," Ace agreed. "I just need to hide longer then Thatch!" He said with a large grin.

Ω

"Why pink yoi?" the unamused face of the first division commander asked sullenly, looking at his brother's smiling faces. His once blond hair was now a light cherry blossom pink clashing rather horrible with his purple shirt.

"If it helps it was originally supposed to be red." The red haired chief announced cheerfully.

"Like Fire." Ace said, demonstrating the color by allowing his shoulders and hair into a ruby red.

Marco starred at the men he called his boyfriend and brother in mute horror. His mind flashed to another man with vivid red hair. A man he had a great hatred for.

"Like Akagami no Shankusu?"

Both Thatch and Ace grew quiet- the hatred Marco had for the red haired Yonko was rather legendary in the crew and something everyone knew not to mess with or mention (even if Ace disagress).

"NO! Nonononono, we wouldn't do that!" The two shouted together, looking horrified, ashamed, and panicked.

"No! I would never! It was Thatch's idea!"

"It came out pink any- hey you still helped you flame-butt!" The pompadour man turned, his teeth turning sharp as he yelled at his freckled friend.

"That was the lamest insult ever! And you call yourself a pirate!" the flame user sniffed, turning his head up pompously.

Thatch fumed, glowering over the smaller man before huffing and turning around, forgetting about Marco completely.

"Ace! Hey Ace!" Haruta called, cheerful jumping over his surrounding crew-mates and barrels and other things left out on deck. "Ace! The news coo brought a letter for you."

"Ace got a letter?" Thatch inquired, turning back around to peer at the one of the smallest members of the crew.

"Is it from a girl?" A member from the fourth division called out from his position on the rigging.

"Shut up Davis, you know Ace is with Marco." Izo commented from where he longed against the railing gazing at his brother's almost lazily.

"Well it could be from a girl before he joined, maybe he has a kid?"

"Ace has a kid?" Another crew member muttered looking confused at his partner that was helping him mop the deck.

"Poor bastard has flame-brain for a father?"

And before Ace had even gotten the letter more than half of the crew believed Ace was a father to a child that had been born half giant, had a horn like a unicorn, and that could shoot fire. If not cheating on Marco with a girl from Paradise.

"SHUT UP!" Ace yelled, grabbing the letter from Haruta and storming into his room.

"Why is he mad? It's not like he was going to get any, anyway, he turned his boyfriend's hair pink." Davis muttered, ignoring said boyfriend's heated glare.

Ω

Ace ducked inside of Marco's office, hiding from his obnoxious older brothers and his curious boyfriend. Finally alone he looked at the letter. He did not squeal, no matter what anyone said they heard or saw… and if he did it may or may not be because the minute he stopped to look at the front of his letter he instantly recognized his younger brother's messy handwriting. Since he had set sail he and Luffy had exchanged numerous letters. None of which were sent regularly as Luffy could only send letters after Ace sent the news coo to him as Luffy was at a set location and Ace was in fact constantly moving. Two weeks ago Ace had sent his first letter to his little brother since joining the notorious Whitebeard pirates! He almost didn't want to know what it said. To scared that his brother would be disappointed in him for joining someone else's crew and giving up the fight for the title.

But this was Luffy, he thought, his adorably stupid baby brother, he surely wouldn't be mad as long as he knew Ace was happy. Swiftly he opened the letter and looked the other way counting down before he actually turned and read it.

Fire-Fist Ace,

A chill went down his spine, and he felt his fire disappear from under his skin for the first time in a long time Ace felt cold.

In closed in this envelope is a picture of your brother to prove everything we say is true: If you want to see your litter brother again you will do as I say. By next week we expect the head of Marco the Phoenix by Tuesday at the Hogswash inn on Hand island. If you go against this we will know, if you bring us a fake head we will know, if you do not do what we ask your brother will pay the price. You will bring us Marco the phoenix or the news coo will bring you his head.

With trembling hands Ace fished out the picture, looking like just an innocent piece of paper, ignorant of what it showed, was what would cause the end. In the picture a dark haired boy in nothing but jean shorts and only one sandal. Luffy was tied up with think chains of what had to be sea-stone, wrapping around his thin frame nearly five times before leading off and out of the picture. The left side of his face was completely covered in blood matting his hair down and dripping onto the wooden floor. A collar was wrapped around his neck and like the chains that bound his body the skin that could be seen around it was red and raw. Luffy's eyes were set and nosed flared, looking at the camera defiantly with his mouth completely gagged. The only thing around him was the un-unique floor boards, covered in so much red puddles, and hard wood walls, stained in some places in dried blood.

The picture fell out of his hand gently floating to the floor along with the letter and his life.