Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

"Sorry!" The girl says shifting the load in her arms until she can just barely peer over the top of it. "I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

Marco grins, more smirk then anything, "I'm fine. Do you need some help with that?"

"Oh, please? There's a small ship in the harbor, I promised that I would deliver it to the next island over tomorrow," She smiles as Marco slips half of her load into his grasp. "I'm Ann, Portgas D Ann."

"Marco. No fancy last names or initials."

Ann grins, "Thanks for the help then, Marco of the no last names or initials. This is mine."

It's a tiny slip of a ship, more like those boards he's seen used to ride the waves with an even smaller lean to under which Ann stacks the fabric, draping a piece of waterproof cloth over the opening to protect it all from weather.

"Thanks, it would have taken hours to get here without your help."

"My pleasure. Are you sure your little boat will hold up for delivery tomorrow?"

Ann nods, "It'll hold. One of my dad's friends made it special for me," She gestures to his chest, "Whitebeard pirate?"

"First Division Commander," Marco agrees.

"Oh, that Marco. The Phoenix Marco, sorry, I don't deal much with pirates so I don't always recognize. I won't be here much longer, I didn't know this island was under your fleet's protection."

Marco smiles and Ann pauses, "You're rambling."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Are you planning to cause any issues? Raid and pillage? Steal anything?" Marco asks, watching Ann relax again. "Because as long as you behave, you're fine, you're just a normal citizen of Blue."

"Thanks, I've been kicked off a couple islands that belonged to Kaido and Big Mom because I have a devil's fruit. It'll nice to stay the night in an inn that I've already paid for. So, thanks again."

Watching her walk away, Marco feels the longing to talk to her more, to see her smile and hear her laugh again, and before he makes a conscious choice, he's already hurrying to catch up with her.

"Would you like to join me for dinner?"

"Now why would I agree to that, Phoenix Marco?" Ann teases, eyes glittering with mirth. "I have a perfectly good meal waiting at my inn for me."

Marco smiles, "Just Marco. And who doesn't enjoy company for dinner?"

Ann studies him for a long minute, her hands on her hips and her eyes watching him with the same intensity that Marco is use to seeing on Oyaji when he has done something questionable on a mission. She drops her hands with a defeated sigh.

"Alright, Marco, I suppose I can join you for dinner. Just this once!"

Marco grins, heading towards one of the nicer restaurants on the island, not one that needed a reservation, but nicer then the bar by the docks or the inn that Ann was staying in. Ann keeps up with him, talking excitedly about the island that she had been on before this and the strange creatures that she had seen on it when she had been exploring.

He's been to the island, it's one of the more popular, abandoned one that they use for parties, but it's interesting hearing about it from someone who came just to explore. She talks about everything she saw like it was a treasure and like each step was an adventure.

"Wow," Ann mutters, glancing at the menu. "I...I am probably gonna eat like half the menu, if not the whole menu."

"Go ahead," Marco whispers back, smiling at the look she sends him. "Every D I have ever met has eaten more in one sitting then I can in a day."

Ann studies him for a moment longer, as if making sure, before returning to her menu. Marco wonders what she sees in that moment, but ducks his head to study his own menu and consider his options. He doesn't eat as much as a D, but he's spent a lot of time shifting and that takes more energy then he's use to using, and he ends up ordering a quarter of the menu to Anne's whole menu.

"So what do you do?" Marco asks curiously after their orders have been taken and the waitress has run to the kitchens like marines are on her tail. "Other than delivering fabric?"

"Dad's made a lot of money in the shipping industry," Ann explains nervously, like Marco will think differently of her now, "So I don't really have to work, but I love exploring, so I meet up with Dad's ship every few months and do odd jobs for something to do, but I don't have to do anything."

Marco nods, "Are you going to take over?"

"No. I have my own thing to do," Ann smiles vaguely, not bothering to explain, "But Dad's set up a contest to see who will take his job when he's ready to retire, who knows when that'll be of course. If no one wins before he dies, I'm to hold it in trust."

"That's rather morbid."

Ann shrugs as the first plates start to trickle out the kitchen, "Dad says that death is a natural part of life, he almost died before I was born, you see, so he's strange when it comes to mentions of his death. What about you?"

"I'm the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard fleet," Marco shrugs at Ann's snort of laughter. "I'll take over as captain when Oyaji dies, but there's not really much to explain. Everyone thinks it's all fighting and treasure, when I spend most of my time on paperwork."

"You have ruined the magic," Ann declares dramatically, spoon clutched to her chest and food stuck to the corner of her mouth. "The romance, the drama, all soiled by the truth of," She shudders. "Paperwork."

Marco laughs and Ann looks pleased with herself, returning her meal and devouring it with the speed of a woman starving. It's disgusting, but not something that Marco hasn't seen before, what with Roger stopping by to challenge Oyaji to fights and then eating and drinking long into the night. Ann is cuter then Roger too, which helps.

"So, are you going to tell me why you asked me to dinner?" Ann asks as Marco walks her to her inn for the night. "Because I don't think most people meet strangers and invite them to dinner."

"Are you saying you aren't invited to dinner often?"

Ann glances at him from the corner of her eye, "Most people are off put by the sheer amount of food that I can put away."

"Maybe I just wanted to invite a cute girl to dinner," Marco counters, smirking as she stumbles. "So I did."

"I'm not cute," Ann mutters, cheeks flushed red and literal flames tangling in the ends of her hair. "I'm not."

And Marco, if he wasn't before, is smitten. Pretty people with fire logica is a type and it's his type. Not to mention she's pretty interesting, and if pretty people with fire logica is Marco's type, the secondary portion of that is interesting.

"I think you're pretty cute," Marco adds.

Ann sputters, cheeks still red and flames still in her hair, "Wha- buh- huh?"

"I think you're pretty cute," Marco repeats. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

"You want to eat another meal with me? After seeing what a disaster I was during this one?"

"Wouldn't have asked if I hadn't meant it."

Marco is going to be teased about this by his siblings, there's no way that at least one of them missed seeing him helping Ann or eating with her or escorting her to the inn. He might as well enjoy himself if he's not going to be able to escape.

"Seven," Ann says finally, "I'll be here, tomorrow morning at seven. See you then?"

"Tomorrow at seven," Marco repeats with a grin.

Ann bites her bottom lip for a moment, watching him with the kind of intent that he can't quite figure out what it means, before darting forward to press a kiss to his cheek, "Good night."

"Good night," She nods, waving as she closes the door to the inn behind her and Marco raises a hand to his cheek.

"What was that?" Thatch sputters, Marco turns to face his brother, "What? That was- What?"

Marco grins, "You act like I haven't kissed someone before."

"That wasn't a kiss! That was we went on a date, probably a first date, and I want to let you know that I'm really interested in you! Who was that?"

"My date for breakfast tomorrow," Thatch turns the most interesting colors sometimes, it almost makes up for his personality. "I'm going to be heading back now, I have to be up early to meet her."

Thatch launches himself at Marco's back before he's even made it to the end of the street, arms wrapping around his neck and legs gripping his waist, "I've caught you now, give me real answers, Marco!"

"Answers?" Izo asks, blinking at them both curiously, bags hanging from his wrists. "What are you doing?"

"Marco had a date! He had a date with a girl and he said he has another one tomorrow!"

"Marco?"

Marco sighs, "I had a date, we went out to dinner after I helped her take some things to her ship, then I walked her to her inn and asked her out to breakfast."

"She kissed his cheek!"

Izo raises an eyebrow, "That doesn't mean much, Thatch."

Thatch whines, "You didn't see it! It wasn't just like the ones you give when you feel obligated, you know? It was one of the ones you give when you're actually interested but feel it's too early to kiss them on the mouth."

"Seriously, I have to get to bed or I'm going to miss my plans," Marco states, watching both his brothers with narrowed eyes. "So either shut up and let me return to the ship or argue and let me return to the ship."

Ann is already outside by the time Marco makes to their meeting place, her hat resting on her head and her yellow shirt tucked into the waistband of her shorts.

"I'm not late, am I?" He asks, checking his watch. "I had to try and avoid my brothers, they wanted to come along."

"Are siblings always like that?" Ann asks, falling into step with him, arms behind her back.

Marco grins, "Mine are. They're nosy and like to know everything going on in my life, but I wouldn't trade them."

"That sounds nice. I don't have any siblings and both of my parents were only children, so I don't have any cousins either," Ann explains, "Just me, Dad, and his best friend."

"You can have one, Oyaji wouldn't mind too much if I gave one away."

Ann giggles, "I'm sure he would. So, where are we going?"

"This is it," Marco nods to the simple wood door before them. "I set a notice ahead so that it would be done a little sooner then dinner was," Ann flushes. "I hope that's alright?"

"It's fine, I have to head out by ten if I want the order to arrive on time."

Talking to Ann while there's food on the table is hit or miss, sometimes she answers and sometimes she doesn't hear him, but she is interested in what he does say and she hears, she's just easily distracted by food. A trait, no doubt, that can be traced by to the single letter that makes up her middle name.

"I have come up with a list," Ann states as they head back to the inn for her bag. "About why I can't be cute."

"Okay. Hit me."

"I have freckles."

Marco frowns at her, "Freckles are very cute. Don't look at me, it's a law, I don't make them."

"I eat like that," She accompanies the statement with a gesture that Marco assumes is suppose to represent how she shovels food into her mouth. "And I am really rude when I'm eating."

"I still think you're cute, even after you ate like that twice in front of me and I have many siblings. Most of them aren't morning people and won't hear anything I say to them at breakfast no matter how many attempts I make, you did much better then them," Marco returns.

Ann pouts, "Just, just don't move while I grab my stuff."

Marco grins, "And you pout cutely too."

"UGH!"

She slams the door behind her and Marco laughs, leaning against one of the pillars on the porch, arms crossing over his chest. This is more fun then he's had since the first time that Thatch had tricked him into participating in a prank, because Marco thinks Ann is cute, no matter what she says. At least so far.

Ann slams back out the inn with a bag over her shoulder, "I hate staying in one place."

"You're talking to the man who is incharge of one of the largest pirate fleets in the world, I'm lucky to stay in the same section of the territory for a week at a time."

"My dad hates everyone that has ever tried to get close to me."

Marco grins, feeling rather like he's won something, "Are you trying to convince me that I shouldn't ask for your transponder number?"

"No!" Ann answers just a touch too fast. "I mean." She stops before her ship, shoving a scrap of paper at him. "Just a warning."

"I'll call," He promises. "I might not get many chances, but I'll call you."

Ann stares at him for a long moment, just like she had the night before, her gaze searching before she grabs the collar of his shirt and drags him down to her height, kissing him soundly.

"Bye!" She jumps onto her ship and fire burns at her feet, sending her off like a rocket as Marco watches.

He grins, mouth still tingling and number in his hand as he turns to find Izo watching him, eyebrow looking ready to vanish into his hairline.

"What?" Marco asks resigned.

"A pretty, interesting girl with a fire logica, I see."

Marco smirks, "I do have a type."

"Of course you do," Izo mutters, but his eyebrow drops back down to it's normal spot on his face and Marco counts that as a win.

"Hello?" Ann's voice is thick with sleep and the snail is blinking slowly, tiredly up at him. "Who?"

"Should I call back later?" Marco asks a hint of humor in his voice as the snail blinks twice and a smile spreads slowly across it's face.

"Marco!" She says brightly. "I thought you said it might be a while, it's only been two days since I saw you."

He smiles, "Well, I got some free time," Izo cleared his schedule and kicked him into his room and demanded he called Ann, same thing. "Where are you now?"

"Very edge of your territory, Dad's going to sail close to here and I'm going to catch up with him for a bit before trying to track down my dad's former apprentice for a bit."

"Former apprentice?"

The transponder nods, "Yeah, he's like my big brother. When he finished learning under Dad he set off on his own and is doing well for himself, but I miss him and try to see him at least every few months."

"And you said you didn't have any siblings."

"He doesn't count, he's as likely to give me a lecture for talking to strange men as he is to shove enough booze at me to see what happens to my fire when I get drunk."

Marco laughs, "And what does happen to it when you get drunk?"

"It makes shapes, last time I was pretty drunk I had a whole pod of sea kings swimming around the beach. What about you, you're a zoan, right? What happens to you when you get drunk?"

"I can't. The healing ability heals the intoxication before I get to enjoy it."

Ann yawns, "That sucks. How's the paperwork?"

"Piling up," Marco admits glancing to where the newest pile of it has eaten the corner of his desk. "How's travelling?"

"It too has it's downfall, which is paperwork. Not as much as I'm sure you have," Ann grins. "But enough to make a girl wish that she wasn't sailing the ocean blue."

Marco snorts, "I think that people who don't sail have even more paperwork."

"Well there goes another dream, shattered. I suppose there is still hermitage on a deserted island. That can't have paperwork, can it?"

"I don't know, it is a hermitage, we can't exactly go and ask a hermit, now can we?"

There's a pout on Ann's face, the snail doesn't do it justice, but Marco smiles at the memory of it, "You're ruining all my fun," She does something that doesn't translate, probably rubbing at her face, "What time is it?"

"Almost ten," Marco answers with a sigh. "I have to go in a moment, there's a meeting that I have to go to."

"Boo!" She laughs, "Well, I have to hurry, dad should be passing by soon and I have to catch him before he starts to panic about where I am and comes looking for me. Call me later?"

Marco smirks, "Yeah. Have fun with your dad."

"Have a good meeting," She shoots back before cutting the connection.

Marco leans back in his seat and smiles to himself. It's nice, talking to someone without the worry that saying the wrong thing or it ending poorly will affect the treaties put in place by the crews.

Ann is nice, nicer than the last few people that he had carried on with, and she's far more understanding.

"Yo, are you coming?" Haruta asks, leaning in through the doorway, "We're about ready to start, unless you want to take your sweet ass time."

Marco rolls his eyes and scoots his chair out, "One day, I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap and watch you try to talk around the soap bubbles."

"You have to catch me first!" Haruta shouts over her shoulder, taking off with a speed that put most the crew to shame, "Hurry up loser or people are going to start listening to Thatch's story about you mooning over a girl."

Marco slams one hand onto the back of Thatch's chair the moment that he's standing behind his brother, eyes glittering darkly, "What's this about me mooning over a girl, Thatch?"

"I didn't say anything it was Izo!" Thatch shouts, ducking in his chair. "I swear."

"Really, because I was told that it was you and you don't look anything like Izo," Marco continues, ignoring the looks that he's getting from the rest of the commanders and Whitebeard. "Thatch?"

Thatch winces, "So I might have mentioned your date."

"Might have?"

"So I talked about your date and then Jiro might have said he saw you walking with a girl! It was a small island, Marco, we were going to see you!"

Marco frowns down at him before directing his gaze to the rest of the room, "I hope you will understand that I'm rather reluctant to talk about my dates, two, that I went on and the girl that they were with."

"Did she not want to go out with you after that?" Juzo asks.

Izo snorts, "I'm sorry, I can't," He starts to laugh. "She kissed him after giving him the number for her transponder and asking him to call. I think she likes him."

"Thank you, Izo," Marco says drolly, taking his seat, "Now, if we could conduct this meeting without interruption?"

Ann flips Striker over the waves, laughing brightly as her father waves excitedly from the deck of the Oro Jackson, throwing her down a rope to tie her ship up to. She scrambles up it the moment her ship's secure.

"Ann!" Roger shouts, wrapping her up in a hug and swinging her around. "You've gotten tanner! How are you?"

"I'm fine, dad. How are you? I saw that you took down Shiki again, is he ever going to learn?" Ann returns just as excited. "Is your hair getting more gray?"

Roger laughs, holding her out at arms length to get a look at her, "Well, I suppose you aren't hurt..."

"I'm fine, dad, don't worry so much," Ace insists, her smile bright. "Where's Uncle Ray?"

"Right here, brat," Rayleigh answers, joining them with a grin.

"Uncle Ray!" She laughs, launching herself at him and hugging him tightly. "How are you?"

Rayleigh pats her back, "I'm fine, you little brat. Better than your old man, he spent the last week worried that you had gotten lost and couldn't find the meet up. 'What if she can't travel?' 'What if she forgot where we were going to meet up?'"

"I couldn't forget, I've gotten calls from dad every day for the last week reminding me where I was suppose to be. You need to keep him away from the transponders or I'm going to start hanging up when he calls," Ann warns with a grin as Roger whines. "I have other people that I have to talk to, dad, you can't keep the line busy."

"Who are you talking to? You have me, Rayleigh, and Shanks," Roger says in confusion.

Ann smirks, "Maybe I got a job."

"Yeah right, you're an information broker, Princess, we all know it," Rayleigh laughs, patting her on the shoulder. "How was your trip?"

"I met someone!"

Roger stops, freezing in place suddenly as if made of stone, "What?"

"I met someone, we went on two dates and he called me this morning," Ann answers brightly. "He's really sweet and he doesn't care that I eat funny and he thinks I'm cute!"

"What?"

"Dad, are you okay?" Ann asks tilting her head back to look at him. "Do you need to sit down? Have you been in the sun too long?"

Roger whines, "You've been on a date?"

"Dad, I had a boyfriend before this, I've been on more than one date. How did you forget that? Should we call the doctor?"

"I think you broke him, Princess," Rayleigh says with a laugh. "He doesn't want to believe his little girl is all grown up. So tell me about this boy."

Ann bounces, smile stretching across her face, "He's tall, like dad's height, and we met because I agreed to help transport some fabric and I ran into him. He helped me carry it to my Striker and then he asked me to dinner."

"He wasn't mad that you ran into him?"

"No! And he didn't care that I ordered the whole menu and then," She blushes red. "When we agreed to have a breakfast date, he actually told the restaurant before hand that I would order everything and some of it was ready just after we arrived."

Rayleigh grins, "That's sweet."

"And he told me I was cute."

"You are cute."

Ann sticks her tongue out at him, "Like dateable cute? Not the family cute? He likes my freckles and he didn't care that I ate like a pig, or that I travel a lot. I think I might want to give him a chance."

Roger makes a strangled noise, collapsing onto the ground and staring up at Ann with wide eyes, "You don't need boys."

"You keep saying that, but I like boys. How did you ever get mom to like you if this is how you act?" Ann demands kneeling down to steal his hat, placing it jauntily on her own head, "Set sail! We have islands to check up on!"

Rayleigh grins as the crew scurries to obey her commands, "You always did get them moving," He shoves the hat into her face, "You're still a brat."

"You're still a cranky old man!" Ann sighs, "Come on, dad, let's get you out of the sun."

This takes place in an AU where Roger was never sick, but Rouge still died, in case anyone was curious. As for why no one knows about Ann, Roger strikes me as a rather over protective father and didn't want his daughter to be found out by anyone.

So this is probably just going to be a one shot, but there's a chance for a sequel if I ever figure out where to take this next.