Title: What are the Odds?

Summary: For denizens of the Territories, life is generally pretty good. Provided of course that one is able and willing to conform to the rules imposed by whomever is in the charge of the area. However when the World Collective, a group of allied territories, declares that they are resuming hunts for people who seem to have the Devils own abilities, life becomes very complicated very quickly.

Pairings: Marco/Ace.

Warnings: AU, Language, canon-typical violence, possible Out of Character moments, too many characters, OC's galore, implied sexual content, slow burn

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I simply play with them for my, and your amusement.

Authors Note: So. Here we are. My second multichaptered fic and holy hell is this one a doozy. For those who know me IRL, this is the Sandwich. This was written for the One Piece Big Bang though when I started writing it I had no intention of entering the thing at all. What started as a 4 page plot bunny that I needed to get rid of before I went on vacation somehow consumed my vacation and turned into 28 pages. And then it kept growing. And growing. And growing. So I needed a deadline and the sign ups opened and i figured, eh why not? I didnt make it, not entirely as a good majority of it is still unedited. Hence the appearance of only the first chapter for now and the tentative update schedule of once a week or every two weeks here and on AO3. If you have a burning desire to read it all then you can find it on tumblr, but it is seriously a read at your own risk. Also I feel the need to place another disclaimer on this. This is the first fic Ive ever written with the intent of it being a shipfic so I may have screwed up some of the characterization in that regard. Anyways I hope you enjoy this.

Also, there is art! For that is the purpose of the Big Bang! My partner is Idaida on tumblr and they produced the magnificent piece of art that they graciously allowed me to use as the cover for this story. A much more amazing large version can be found here! post/143364258999/one-piece-big-bang-2016-what-are-the-odds

Chapter 1: Extra! Extra! Hear all about it!

"Well what do you want me to say?" Marco snapped. The conversation wasn't going anywhere. His brother had barely let him get a word in edgewise for the duration of the call. Normally, Marco wouldn't have minded as it would have allowed him to catch up on all the news he had missed but he had somewhere he wanted to visit before returning home and he loathed the idea of either skipping the stop or dragging his work with him.

"I don't know," Izo said sounding as frustrated as Marco felt. "Maybe that you have good news this time; that we actually managed to learn something; that this entire endeavor wasn't a waste of time?"

"Well," Marco drawled, his mood starting to abate. "I don't think it was a complete waste of time."

"Oh really?"

"It did allow me to get out of the office for a while"

He could practically hear the eye roll that accompanied the next comment. "I'm so happy for you." Sarcasm vanishing, Izo's voice became serious, "Did you manage to find out anything other than just more rumors?"

And we finally get to the point Marco thought. Just maybe he would be able to finish up his initial report and manage to have some time to himself. "About the vandals?"

"No, about the price of peas in Persopolis. Yes, about the vandals."

"Well the rest of the territories hav3 finally realized that it's not one group but at least two. It might even be three."

"That's not new. We knew that there were two groups months ago. But what's this about a possible third?"

"Currently its all speculation. No one has been able to positively confirm the third group exists but if it does it's got to be quite a bit more secretive than the other two. Whatever the number, all two or three of these groups seem to have their main objective as running around causing massive headaches and troubles for the Powers that Be in the World Collective. I also found out that the two groups they know for sure exist have been given official names. The one that tends to set things on fire has been officially dubbed Fire Fist and the other one that causes massive property damage has been nicknamed Straw-hat. "

"Straw-hat?"

"The leader of that particular group allegedly wears one."

"And we're supposed to take a group called Straw-hat seriously?" Izo asked in disbelief.

Marco chuckled. He had wondered the exact same thing the first time he had come across the name. "Well you can't deny the damage attributed to them is extensive. You have to respect anything that can cause that much mayhem in such a short amount of time. Truthfully, I'm more worried about the Fire Fist. Those attacks have been creeping steadily closer to our territories. According to some sources the original fires shouldn't have been able to do that much damage not without some sort of assistance. However, no one has ever managed to find any sort of accelerant or incendiary devices in the remains."

There was a silence, "No accelerant? No assisting mechanics? The number of bodies and lack of witnesses means…." There was a snapping noise as Izo figured it out, "You think it's a Devil. Pardon, that whomever is causing the fires has one of the Devil's Abilities."

"I do," Marco said shortly.

"And he, she, they, whomever appear to be heading towards our territories. Odds are they will be seeking asylum. Great. Wonderful. Anything else?"

"The situations in the World Collective's Nefertari Territory and the independent Skypeia Territory appear to be worsening. Looks like the first is heading towards a Civil war and the latter's religious war appears to be picking up again. I couldn't find out much more than that although I ran across a troop of Brass heading in the direction of Nefertari. Needless to say they weren't terribly forthcoming with information about where they were headed and what exactly they were going to be doing when they got there."

There was a silence, as if Izo couldn't or didn't want to comprehend what he had just heard. Marco didn't blame him. They and the rest of the Border areas would be rather busy for a while if both of those situations developed as they were threatening to.

Marco ran the conversation over again in his mind. Something Izo had said was bothering him. "Izo," he asked, "Why would you expect a User to suddenly be seeking asylum from us? Is there anything going on that I need to know?"

"It's nothing," Izo replied absentmindedly as if he were paying attention to something else. A muffled booming voice in the background let Marco know immediately what it was. It was extremely hard to have multiple conversations when their father was talking.

"How close are you?" Izo asked suddenly. "We know you're in the last couple clicks of the border because you're in transmission range, but where exactly are you?"

Marco raised an eyebrow even though he knew his brother couldn't see his expression. That was rather strange though not for the reasons one would expect. Normally no one bothered to ask how close he was to their territory as distance was rather relative to him. The fact that Izo was actually bothering to ask about distance and the faint concern that Marco could hear in his tone had Marco on high alert and he answered cautiously, "Near Outskirts."

"Good. How soon can you get back?"

The sudden return to what he would normally be asked about did nothing to assuage his worries and Marco glanced at the sun to check the time. It was about mid-afternoon now. "If I hurried, I could make it back in an hour, but I was planning on being back before dusk. I missed lunch avoiding the Brass and was going to grab a sandwich or something. Izo, what's going on? Do I need to get back sooner?"

"I don't think so," Izo said, and Marco heard another muffled comment from the background.

"Nah, you're close enough to the territory according to Pops. Just be careful. We just got news that the World Coalition declared the Hunts back on. Strange coincidence though. From what you said they must have issued the proclamation almost immediately after you left."

Marco frowned. "They did what? Did they give an official reason or the same protection of the social order crap again?"

"Nothing new. Its just the same old, same old. It looks like they are really on the warpath this time though. Be careful you understand?" Izo cautioned.

He chuckled darkly, "I've been surviving Hunts longer than you've been alive."

"Well excuse me for worrying," Izo snapped though the undertone of concern persisted even in a statement that was normally said in jest. "Go get your lunch," His brother continued. Then in a rather teasing tone he asked, "You said something about getting a sandwich?"

"Yes," Marco said warily, putting what he had just learned out of his mind for the moment. Things never boded well for him when Izo had that tone of voice.

"So can I presume that you're going to that Sandwich shop? The one in Outskirts? Where your friend works?"

Marco shrugged before remembering that the other couldn't see him then said calmly, "Ace's shop is close and I know I can get a sandwich right now, unlike most anywhere else that will be closed between lunch and dinner."

"I see..." The resultant silence seemed to indicate the end of the conversation despite the dangling nature of the comment. Marco was about to hang up when Izo spoke again, "When do we get to meet him?"

"What?"

"Ace, or whoever it is that you keep going to that shop to see."

"Izo, I have no idea what you are talking about," Marco protested while lying through his teeth. He knew exactly what his brother was attempting to do but there was no way he was going to inform Izo that this time he might just be right. For years his siblings had amused themselves by speculating and betting on his potential romantic entanglements. He wasn't ready to admit it to his family that he actually might be interested in someone. Not only would the teasing be unbearable but there would be gloating as well. Besides he knew who held what time periods in the Marco gets a special friend bet, and he owed Thatch a good turn after a disastrous dispute some six months ago.

"Sure you don't," Izo agreed. "Anyways, enjoy your lunch. If you're not back before dusk, I'm sending Haruta out after you." There was no goodbye, only a soft whine signaled the end of the conversation as the transmission dropped. Marco hummed softly while slipping the transfract into his drawstring bag then he ambled down the side road toward the small border town called Outskirts.

The sun glared harshly, baking the red soil beneath his feet. It was hot. Marco shaded his eyes with his hand attempting to judge exactly how much farther before he reached the welcome shade of the trees that marked the official entrance to Outskirts.

The Border was a rather interesting place. Officially it served as a buffer between specific territories and The Waste. The truth was that The Border was marginal land between the temperate areas that formed the core of each territory and the area completely unfit for human habitation. These were areas that no-one really wanted because it would take too much time, effort and funds to make it not only livable but decently productive. As such it functioned as an unofficial no-man's-land where settlements and encampments sprang up overnight and disappeared just as fast. The harsh environment drove most people towards the comparative comfort of the territories, even though it meant living under the rules of whoever controlled that territory. But there were always those who would not, could not, or simply did not want to live under the rules posed by the territory rulers, which was why the Border population continued to survive.

There were a few quasi-permanent towns in the Boarder. They were on the whole populated by a rather eclectic conglomeration of individuals living together with the minimum amount of rules necessary to function as a community. Outskirts was one of the oldest and largest of these settlements, with a cluster of multistoried buildings along its main road while another dozen or two peppered the surrounding landscape on the side facing the Waste. It's only real claim to fame was due to its proximity to Agvitatmaa. Agvitatmaa, as the largest unaffiliated territory outside of the World Collective run by Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate, tended to attract people both into itself as well as to the surrounding area. It also happened to be the place Marco called home.

Outskirts specifically was just shy of halfway between the road leading down from the First Gate and the main route that linked Little Hazards Garden, the Eastern Territories and the World Collective. In the past, it had been used as a staging area for Whitebeard and enemy forces alike for numerous reasons. It was also, due to its location, a prime spot for trading in information, goods and services. Of course some of those items were frowned upon and others were illegal within one or another of the territories. All in all Outskirts was not a place where you'd expect to find an excellent sandwich shop even if said shop did double as a bar after the sun went down. However, there it sat a testament to the perseverance of the man that owned and ran the place. It was a curiosity. But just like the town in which it was located Marco had found it was a wonderful place to both give and receive information.

Now that he thought about it, what was really strange was not the business itself but the fact that it had been unmolested by the gangs, the outsiders, and even the criminal elements that made the Border their home. Not that there had been any outsiders using Outskirts as a scouting base for a while which could mean any number of things. It could easily be a spy who had not yet been found and was quietly eliminating any competition; or the calm before a storm; or it could mean that the people who lived in Outskirts had decided to police their own to avoid having to deal with any of Whitebeards forces again. After all, a lot of criminals ended up living in Outskirts and a raid would disrupt a good deal of underground activity. Whatever the reason it meant that businesses like The S'andwich Bar could survive and thrive.

Not that The S'andwich Bar and its proprietor Ace were clean. Most everyone who lived in Outskirts had some ties to the underworld even if they themselves were not directly involved in illicit activity. How exactly Ace was connected to the underworld was a mystery that Marco was uneager to solve if only to preserve his own anonymity. When he had begun frequenting the shop approximately 9 cycles ago, Ace had acted as if he didn't even know who Marco was. It had been slightly suspicious, as anyone with a transfract could have discovered the information but after a couple of weeks, Marco realized that Ace didn't even own one. As far as Marco could tell the highest level of technology the bar had was its solar generated electricity and an old water filtration system, both of which were the bare necessities for life in the borderlands. Ace could be a technophobe with no interest in the political situation of the neighboring territory, a clever criminal hiding in plain sight or something else entirely.

Now that he thought about it, Marco realized it might just be something else entirely. Another rather bizarre feature of Outskirts was that certain types of technology seemed not to work very well in the area. It wasn't limited to border made technology, which was hit or miss to begin with either. Marco had noted early on in his visits that despite being within transmission range, his own transfract had only worked one out of five times that he had tried to use it near the bar. If such a low possibility of a successful connection was the norm then owning one probably wasn't worth it. Despite all the questions Marco's gut feeling counted the shop's proprietor as a friendly force rather than a potential enemy and Marco had been around long enough that he trusted his feelings.

Weaving through the hodgepodge streets between smooth red buildings towards three story one on the edge of town that housed The S'andwich Bar, Marco decided that he would most definitely be passing on the news about the Hunts starting up again. There were Users living and hiding in Outskirts. The spiral-like patterns painted on, crudely carved or otherwise incorporated into the architecture made it rather obvious. If one understood the meaning behind it the spiral was a rather obvious sign that Users were tolerated and maybe even welcomed by the residents. Normally he didn't care if there were Users in an area; it would have been rather hypocritical if he had considering his own special ability. As long as any Users around stayed out of his way and he out of theirs everything was better for all involved. Live and let well enough alone was Marco's philosophy on the matter.

Marco knew that his attitude was common among the User community. Being an unregistered User wasn't illegal anywhere except inside the World Collective, however, people tended to frown upon blatant displays of non-standard abilities especially if such abilities caused damage or attracted adverse attention 'An it harm none do as you will' along with 'don't be blatantly obvious with your power' were precepts followed religiously by most, if not all, users in the Border. All in all it made for less conflict, minimized property destruction as well as ensured happier neighbors. Unfortunately with the World Coalition declaring the Hunts open again that simple creed would no longer suffice. No the situation would soon change and not for the better.

The Coalition and by default The Brass, didn't care where the so called Devils lived. Their only concern was if they didn't work for the Coalition in some form or fashion then they were considered renegades. A known renegade Devil had few options: move and hope to keep their powers hidden, seek refuge in one of the territories with the ability to protect its own Users, join the Users sworn to the Coalition, or be killed. The Hunts were simply an excuse for the Coalition to send The Brass out to round up Users and "offer employment." While declining such an offer could result in imprisonment with a life sentence public executions were a much more common result. Such executions were spectacles billed as a service to the community and an elimination of vermin regardless of how the community in question happened to feel about the User who happened to have been caught and executed. The Hunts turned people against each other as the rewards for the location of a User were substantial. They also had a nasty habit of disrupting trade, increasing paranoia and hostility while causing substantial property damage as the Brass attempted to ferret out the closet Devils. No, it was not a good thing for anyone, let alone a border town like Outpost, when the Brass came hunting.

Marco would make sure to pass the information onto Ace who in turn would ensure that it got passed on to the appropriate people. Anyone who might be a target could conveniently be elsewhere for a day or two if they so wished. For a moment, Marco contemplated not warning anyone if only to see the reactions when The Brass arrived. He was sure that whatever happened it would be hilarious to watch. The only people Marco had ever come across that hated The Brass more than the citizens of Agvitatmaa were the denizens of Outskirts. The Brass would have a tough time prying any users out of this town. In fact, they might even have trouble getting themselves out of town if they angered the locals too much. Marco considered the potential ramifications if the Coalition lost a platoon of Brass as close to Agvitatmaa as Outskirts. No, he decided, it just wasn't worth the risk.

About to push open the heavy wooden door and enter The S'andwich Bar he looked up at the bar's sign. For the first time Marco noticed that sitting on the S of sandwich was a painted Straw-hat and the S itself was slightly separate from the rest of the word by a heart, no not a heart, an upside-down spade packed tightly with the Devils spiral. Well, Marco mused wasn't that interesting. Did the spirals in the upside-down spade mean someone who lived in the building was a User, or was it simply a sign of safe haven? Was the straw-hat a cute coincidence or a connection to the Straw-Hat Vandals? Hmmmm… Either way, it was something to ponder at a future date. Marco decided to keep his eyes and ears open while he traded information.

Opening the door, Marco quickly slipped inside to prevent the slightly cooler air of the room from escaping. Fans spun lazily overhead keeping the air moving and the lights themselves were dimmed aiding in keeping the room cool. Blinking to let his eyes adjust to the dim light, he glanced about the room. As expected this late in the day hardly anyone was around. The few people that were present Marco recognized as other denizens of Outskirts and friends with Ace's younger brother to boot. No one reacted to his appearance in the entranceway. He'd always found it interesting that none of the shops regulars had ever acknowledged him as one of Whitebeard's top men. He was relatively sure that at least a few of them knew very well who he was and what position he held. Marco wasn't sure if they were taking their cue from Ace's behavior, were just being polite or truly didn't care. Whatever the reason he reveled in the anonymity; it was one of the things that had attracted him to the business in the first place.

Moving towards the counter a small smile slipped onto Marco's face as he realized Ace was working today and hadn't managed to notice him yet. If anything, it looked like Ace was leaning on the counter fast asleep. David, a tall lanky curly haired man and one of Ace's friends and coworkers appeared to be about to poke him awake but instead turned to smile at Marco as he approached the counter.

"Marco."

"David," Marco replied placing one elbow on the counter. "How's business?"

"We're doing all right."

"That's good," Marco said as the both of them studied their sleeping friend. "He have a narcolepsy fit?"

"Yeah. Looks like its going to be a short one though. He's already stirring. You mind waiting a few? He'll pout if he doesn't get to take care of your order."

"I'm not in a terribly big rush."

David nodded in acceptance and moved down towards the other end of the counter to work on something or another. Marco took a moment to assess his still sleeping friend. Ace's shoulder black hair created curtains around his face hiding it from view while his favorite orange hat rested on his back. His shirtsleeves had ridden up ever so slightly exposing the bottom edge of a very elaborate tattoo on his left bicep.

It was probably a good thing that David King was working today Marco mused absently as he studied what little he could see of the ink in an attempt to figure out what Ace's tattoo was. Had Ace's other employee been working there was no doubt in his mind that Marie would have attempted to play connect the dots with the numerous freckles on Ace's face while he was asleep. It was just as that thought crossed his mind that Ace happened to wake up. Marco was treated to the rare sight of his normally cool and confident friend suddenly become rather flustered. Apparently Ace hadn't expected to wake with someone that close to him because with a undignified squawk Ace shot backwards stumbling over his own feet, arms flailing before eventually landing on the floor with a grimace and a loud bang.

Snickers erupted from the room behind him and Marco didn't have to look to know the other patrons were laughing at Ace. He himself was tempted to let loose a chuckle but instead traded it for raising an eyebrow while Ace recovered his bearings.

"Oh shut up!" Ace called to the still snickering patrons as he picked himself up off of the floor. "You too, King!"

"Sure thing, Captain but just so you know you've got a customer."

Marco's smirk grew wider as Ace froze. Apparently he hadn't realized that the person standing so close had been there for a reason other than a prank.

"Sorry about that," Ace said finally turning around. "What can I…" He stopped mid-sentence as he finally realized who he was talking to. "Marco!" Ace said smiling, a larger smile then any Marco had ever seen him make before.

"Hey." Marco replied simply.

"Hey, yourself!" Ace returned cheerfully. "Been a while. Couple of weeks, yeah? How are things going? Want your usual I suppose?"

"Please," Marco said with a nod. "And things are fine."

"Botched Construct, right?" Ace dusted his hands off on his pants before turning to the sink to wash them. "Trade deals keeping you busy then?"

"That's right. You know you have the weirdest names for your sandwiches," Marco stated taking the time to appreciate the view while Ace was turned around. "And I am busier than you would probably believe."

"I like my sandwich names," came the mild protest as Ace turned back to the counter. "That busy hunh? So does that mean anything interesting has happened or does it mean you've been to busy to be involved with whatever interesting stuff is happening lately?" Ace asked not looking up at Marco while making the sandwich.

"Hmm. I wonder." Marco teased.

"You wonder?" Ace asked looking up and raising an eyebrow as he handed the plate with Marco's sandwich off to David so he could ring it up before grabbing another plate and starting to create a new sandwich.

"That's what I said"

"Does that mean you're not going to tell me?"

Marco's smirk grew. "Maybe."

"Maybe hmm?" A wicked gleam appeared in Ace's eye as he leaned closer towards Marco. "And what would I have to do to do in order to make you tell me?"

Marco didn't get a chance to answer as a mildly annoyed call of "Oi!" drew both of their attention down the line where David was standing by the register. "Will the two of you stop flirting so Marco can pay for his damned sandwich already?"

Ace rolled his eyes but leaned back now intent upon the sandwich he was creating. Marco shook his head slightly, trying to clear it from the head pounding rush that he was feeling. Flirting? Well he had been flirting but at the same time he had hoped that it hadn't been that obvious.

Pulling out his wallet Marco handed his money over to David, "Here."

"Its nice to see you back," David said, handing him the change. "The boss spent the past couple of weeks moping when he remembered that you wouldn't be coming in for a while."

"Really?"

"No I didn't" Ace protested suddenly from behind David holding a couple of plates of his own, each with a rather large sandwich upon it.

David simply rolled his eyes, and handed Marco his sandwich while Marco turned his gaze on his friend. Ace refused to meet his eyes and busied himself with getting around the counter carrying everything without having to make two trips, but Marco could swear that he saw the hint of a blush appear in his friend's cheeks. Well. That was new and if it meant what he thought it did then perhaps Marco had more of a chance than he realized. While he had been thinking Ace had managed to successfully get around the counter and had headed towards a table. It took him a second to realize that Marco was not following.

"Marco," Ace said rather petulantly. "Are you coming? You've got to tell me what interesting things you've encountered since you were here last!"

"I do?" Marco asked as he followed his friend to the table.

"Yes, you do" Ace retorted, sliding out a chair and sitting down. Taking a large bite out of his first sandwich he used his foot to shove out a chair opposite of him.

"You first" Marco said taking the offered seat with a small smile before tucking into his own sandwich. Almost immediately Ace launched into a rather dramatic retelling of a number of amusing things he saw as the primary bartender and provider of lunch in this area of the Border.

It didn't take long for Marco to finish his own sandwich and for Ace to run out of stories. Despite their friendship Marco was still an outsider and he knew there were things that occurred out here that he just wasn't supposed to know. Ace clearly wasn't telling him everything. He too had to be careful in what he told Ace and make sure that it matched what a true merchant's scout might know. Despite the caution he needed to employ Marco enjoyed having a place that knew him only as Marco not as Commander Marco, Sir, or Boss and didn't expect anything more from him than the latest news.

"So, I was just in the Cocoyashi Territory," He began leaning back in his chair.

"Where's that?" Ace asked through a mouthful of sandwich

"East of here. It was originally a part of the Arlong Empire."

"What happened to it?"

"It was destroyed. The Straw-hat Vandals…"

Ace blinked, "Who?"

Marco raised an eyebrow watching his friend very carefully "The Straw-hat Vandals?" He studied Ace's face looking for any sign that the straw-hat on the shop's logo was more than just a coincidence. "They are that unaffiliated group who have been running around the various Territories and Borders. Their only aim appears to be to cause massive property damage for no apparent reason and thus making my life harder."

Ace blinked again then burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Marco asked. That had not been the reaction that he had been expecting.

Ace tried to say something but couldn't, he was laughing too hard. Marco waited and eventually Ace managed to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Sorry" he gasped wiping his eyes. "I've heard of them, but I hadn't realized they had a name. So that's what they are calling them officially? I get that they are making your life harder and you're right it's not funny but…" whatever the thought was, Ace was having trouble expressing it. "Its just…" he finally managed. "Straw-hat! That's like saying be afraid of Moss!" Ace giggled again then adopted what was actually a semi decent imitation of the kind of voice one would hear over an official transfract broadcast. "Moss struck again in the neighboring territory last night. All citizens are requested to keep an eye out for anything suspiciously green and fuzzy!" Mock broadcast complete Ace once again dissolved into laughter.

Marco stared at his friend for a moment before releasing a chuckle of his own to join the noise that Ace was already making. Well that answered that question. Ace clearly wasn't a technophobe he was just living in a dead zone where transfact broadcasts were hit or miss. It also seemed he had worried over nothing. Judging by this reaction, the straw-hat on Ace's sign was simply a decoration not a declaration of loyalty or belonging.

"So," Ace finally said once he had himself under control "What did the Straw-hat Vandals do?"

Marco used his serious tone, "They overthrew Arlong." That garnered an appropriate reaction Marco thought as Ace gaped at him.

"They overthrew Arlong" Ace repeated sounding incredulous. "The Arlong who ruled the majority of the Eastern Territories; that Arlong? The guy who and couldn't care less about what went on there lest it happened to interfere with his plans for creating a ruling coalition of Fishmen to dominate the whole world? Why did they take him out? Who are these people? Are they Users, other Fishmen, proxies for the World Collective or what?"

"The rumors that I've heard say all the members of the Straw-hat gang are human. Unfortunately the residents of Cocoyashi were so determined to claim responsibility for Arlong's defeat themselves they wouldn't confirm or deny the rumors. I couldn't push it. I was only there because the company wanted me to see if the newly independent Cocoyashi would consider allowing us to set up a company outpost and its not a good idea to piss off your potential customers 'eh?"

Ace wrinkled his nose, but waved his hands in a go on gesture so Marco did. "Anyways, that's only the first thing. Something has stirred up a hornet's nest in the World Collective. According to other merchants the Nefertari Territory is headed towards an all out civil war and the amount of Brass headed in that direction isn't helping the rumors."

"Civil War?" Ace asked, "Really? They've been making noises about that for months but nothing was actually happening. I didn't think anyone was actually going to do anything except grumble."

"Apparently they've reached the boiling point. But that's not all. You know Nefertari's neighbor?

"Jaya right?"

"That's one of them. I was actually referring to Skypeia."

"That place actually exists?"

"Yes, it does. It's located deep in the Abyss but if you know how to get through the mist it's rather easy to find. It's a nice place, mostly."

"Mostly? What's wrong with it?"

"It can be rather isolationist, bigoted and is ruled by a fanatical cult leader. Have you heard of the Shandia?"

"Those are the nomads who live on the edges of the Abyss right?"

"Yeah. They claim that they are the native peoples of Skypeia and that the Skypieans are invaders who pushed them out of their sacred lands. The whole thing happened years ago and the regions been locked in a religious war ever since. Every other generation or so the war will stop for a bit but with no official peace it always escalates again."

"And it's starting to escalate?"

"Exactly. I have to let the company know so that they can figure out if they want to continue expanding into the Jaya area " Marco said still keeping a close eye on Ace's expressions. "There might be refugees headed this way as well; seeing as the Whitebeard territory is seen as one of the nearest safe havens. No clue if they'll come this far but if they do the company will probably be drafted into helping deal with them."

"Wow." Ace said lounging in his chair. "Nothing happens by the halves in the Coalition held areas huh."

Marco snorted in agreement. "You said it, 'eh." Marco was thinking furiously. He had to pass on the news about the Hunts but there wasn't really a good way to ease into that topic. If he broached it wrong it could get him tossed out on his ear as either a Collective sympathizer or an agitator for User rights depending upon where Ace stood on the matter.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ace asked teasingly as opposed to sounding insulted.

Marco didn't answer immediately, he was thinking too hard. How was he going to do this? He really needed to pass on this information about the Hunts without revealing his actual position or that he himself was a User.

"Marco?" Ace asked and it was the lack of a teasing tone that had Marco looking up at his friend.

"Hm?"

"Something wrong?"

"Not particularly. Its just…" Marco huffed and ran a hand through his hair; this was going to be tricky. Scooting closer to the table he motioned for Ace to do the same. Ace complied though Marco could see the curiosity in his eyes. Before Ace could ask anything though, Marco dropped his voice to a low whisper "Ace, what do the swirls in the spade on your logo mean?"

Ace froze. "I don't know what you mean," he said all warmth gone from his voice.

Marco winced internally. Oh that went over well, he thought. This was important however and he would never forgive himself for leaving his friend unaware of the potential danger if there was the slightest chance that he was a User or was sheltering Users. Marco reached across the table to rest his hand on Ace's arm and prevent him from leaving. "No, Ace… shit. I'm not doing this right."

"Well," Ace said in a dangerous tone. "I suggest you explain and quickly."

"I've traveled through the Borders long enough to know that the spiral normally means that this is a safe place for people with Devil's Abilities."

"They're not Devils!" Ace all but growled.

"I know. I know," Marco reassured. "The only Devils I know are those who do things horrendous things to others; rape, murder, torture, pillaging. Those are Devils that have earned the name not just folks who happen to have interesting talents."

"Congratulations!" Ace now sounded more sarcastic than angry, "You're aware that the term can be applied to nonusers." He paused, "Your point, Marco?" Ace twitched as if he was preparing to leave.

Marco gave a slight tug on his arm to have him resettle in his chair. "It means I'm going out on a limb here, I have to trust you're not going to panic and out me to all and sundry as the bearer of bad tidings when I tell you what I know." It was clear that Marco had Ace's full attention now. "The last thing I picked up on the way out of Coalition was the declaration that they had resumed the Hunts."

Ace froze again. Marco could feel him tense up even further as he processed the news. His anger was still present but it was slowly abating. "Why in the world would they do that? Don't they remember what happened the last time?"

Marco simply shrugged. He had no answers for the younger man. Frankly he was just as confused about the Collective's decision.

Ace's reaction was slightly off. There was anger yes, but Ace appeared to be more upset and concerned than anything else. In fact the young man seemed to be oscillating between grim determination and hopeless disbelief for reasons Marco didn't know and couldn't even begin guess at. His best guess would be that there was some serious history there. Glancing out the window to give his friend some privacy to regain his composure Marco frowned. More time had passed than he had thought. He would have to leave now in order to make it back to the territory in time. Turning back he realized that Ace had managed to get his emotions under control. Marco smiled then giving Ace's arm a gentle squeeze he stood and shouldered his rucksack.

"You need to leave?" Ace asked though he clearly knew the answer.

"Yeah. The company is expecting me back. I need ensure that I make it on time so they don't ask uncomfortable questions. I'll try to come by tomorrow though. They're not going to make me take such a long trip anytime soon when I deliver my news. With the hunts starting again strangers and travelers will be easy targets for a bit."

Ace shook his head, but a smile was starting to form on his face, "So I'll take it you'll be in for lunch again tomorrow?"

Marco grinned, "Should be, yeah."

Ace smiled up at him, "Great. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Exactly," Marco said.

As he was walking out the door he barely avoided a collision with a young man wearing a red vest and a straw hat. Cries of "Luffy!" came from some of the regulars as the Marco and the young man traded places in the doorway. Fortunately, Marco managed to get a good look at the other and with a shock realized who he'd just run into. They'd never met, but there was no doubt in Marco's mind that this was Ace's younger brother. The family resemblance was unmistakable.

The kid was slightly banged up, but from the stories he had heard that was somewhat normal. Marco didn't quite know how but Luffy somehow managed to get into the most ridiculous amount trouble. What was strange was that the trouble he attracted seemed to be neither illegal nor immoral in nature. How he managed to do that living and working in Outskirts Marco had no idea.

Taking another few steps out into the street, Marco turned back to look at the door that was still closing shut behind Luffy offering him another look at the straw hat. It was nearly identical to the one on the sign. There was something familiar about that hat. It was clearly the hat on the sign but Marco was sure he'd seen it in another context. He wasn't sure entirely where or when but he'd seen that hat previously somewhere.

Taking another look at the sun's position Marco nearly swore. If he dallied for much longer, he really would be late and Izo wouldn't hesitate to make good on his threat. And frankly Marco wasn't keen on the idea of his family meeting Ace just yet. The mystery of the hat, the meaning of the sign and Ace's younger brother would have to be put off until a later date.