LAST WARNING: SPOILER TO NEW CHAPTER 909. READ AT OWN RISK. Or you know, just read it first before reading this one, it was amazeballs it pulled me out of vacation.

This is just.. nonsensical. Why are you here? Maybe here to forgive me for writing this.

Anyway, enjoy?

Mr. Mochi's aching back was healing off nicely last week, a progress that was thrown out of the window this morning when he forgo all of Marco's warnings and decided to lift a bucketful of water from the well.

"You know, it's the, what? 3rd time that he ignored your words? You should teach him a lesson and refuse to heal his back for a day or two,"

A smile graced his lips as his hands emitted blue flames, hovering the painless fire over the old man's wrinkly back, "Good idea, but i'm not as vindictive as you. It's my job to heal sick people around here,"

"Oh bless you, doctor Marco. I don't know what this village would do without you around,"

The sight of Mr. Mochi's pitiful yet awed face met him the moment Marco looked away from a pair of exasperated rolling eyes, and he smiled, "Now, now, it's just part of the job. No need to thank me,"

The flames on his hand slowly faded, as he let the elderly man move his torso around to test the pain. He began jumping for joy, loudly claiming he felt nothing, and under the blonde's own sigh was a louder grumble coming from right next to him, "Just after you told him not to strain himself. Seriously, your power's wasted on this guy,"

"He's just happy, cut him some slack,"

"I am indeed, Doctor! Your power truly is amazing!"

With a couple more profuse thanks did the old man finally left, skipping along the way as if he's decades younger. It's not even the first time Marco healed him and yet he kept acting like it's some wondrous miracle.

The same way his enthusiasm, along with the othet villaget clamouring over to gain his attention never failed to make him feel at peace.

"Settle down everyone, i promise i'll get through all of you," he told them calmly, before turning to the lone figure inside of his exam room, "Who's next?"

The figure jutted his chin to the direction of the entrance door, where one of the village children stood next to her massive pet cat, "Little Cindy. How much you wanna bet Tama stepped on the thorn bushes again?"

Marco smiled, walking out of the door, "No need to bet on certainty, Ace. This one should go as quick as the last one,"

He had a routine in his life now, once a luxury on board of Moby Dick but now a constant in his day to day basis.

Wake up, shower, cook for himself and Ace, watch Ace stumble out of the bedroom sleepily, force him to the shower and cleans up breakfast, open his practice, has arguments about how prone to injury and clumsy everyone around them seems to be with Ace while treating the very same people they complained about, closes up practice, cooks dinner for him and Ace using whatever products he was given that day as payment and thank you, occasionally opens up practice again because request for healing knows no time, showers, and then go to bed. This cycle will repeat everyday, and as much as Ace complained, Marco knew he enjoyed it as much as he did.

This was his life for the past year. Mundane, yet safe and serene.

But of course it didn't last that long.

Nekomamushi's arrival comes without any fanfare, only curious villagers pointing out that 'Doctor Marco has a very, very big visitor'.

He knew who he was the moment he landed eyes on the feline mink, and he didn't realize how long he had been staring until Ace's voice penetrated his thoughts.

"Who is he?" The younger asked, curious and yet with a hint of sadness.

"Another memory," he answered, before walking over to the mink, ignoring voices calling for him.

He came to whisk him back to that life. To take him away from the life as 'Doctor Marco' back to 'Marco the Phoenix, First Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates'.

(Failed commander who couldn't protect anyone, on a crew without a leader, one that no longer exist.

A crew whose destruction he sealed. He and his thirst for revenge, destroying what was left of Pops' family)

Back to the seas.

(To Pops' beloved seas)

His place is here, he told Nekomamushi. He knows of Bakkin and Edward Weevil's quest to find him, he knew what had became of Pops' other allies and that was why he'd stay. Someone had to protect Pops' hometown, his last keepsake and his most precious treasure.

Nekomamushi didn't push it, much to his surprise and relief. And for that understanding, he was glad.

But along the way home, he noticed that Ace had been nothing but quiet, and knows things aren't quite done yet.

"Your food's going to go cold if you don't eat soon,"

Something was bothering Ace, that much is clear. The younger kept stating at his bowl, lips pressed close and thin. His brows were creased, showing that he's deep in thought.

Marco's own spoon hovered over his bowl of porridge, eyes looking down at the murky surface within hiw own steaming bowl. After a long bout of silence, he finally said, "I'm doing what's right. You know this is Pops' beloved hometown. There is no way i can leave it defenseless,"

"You stayed because you wanted to protect what's important to someone precious to you,"

"Yes, Ace, you know tha—"

"But Luffy's important to me too,"

The soft meat and porridge goes down like gravel in his throat, "I know he is,"

"Then why didn't you go to protect him too?"

"He defeated a Shichibukai recently, Ace. And he has the likes of Nekomamushi and the new Shichibukai Traflagar Law with him. Hell, your other brother, Sabo turns out to be alive, and he possessed your devil fruit now. He hardly needs a washed up pirate coming along,"

One who couldn't protect anyone, one who sent the rest of his nakama to their demise, useless, worthless, pathetic—

"He's aiming for Kaido and Big Mom,"

"Shanks'll land a hand, even if it's his last one,"

"Marco—"

"Ace, stop it," he barked sternly, aiming a glare at sullen and gloomy grey eyes, "I'm not going anywhere. Your brother doesn't need me, but this place does. Pops would've wanted me to take care of his hometown,"

Ace grew quiet, yet his eyes never left Marco, unnervingly silent.

When he opened his mouth again, Marco's inside grew cold, and the insides of his mouth felt dry.

"Pops wouldn't want you to slowly lose your sanity in the place he loves either. What sane man hallucinate a dead one for over a year?"

Something was not quite right with Marco the Phoenix.

Of course, it's not obvious, but he still remembered that young man from decades ago, when he, Inuarashi and Kozuki Oden first boarded Whitebeard's ship, and found massive difference with this one.

Perhaps it was the sunken eyes and heavy tone that make it clear, especially as he spoke of his late captain. Perhaps it was the small twitches that gave away unsincere smiles, despite how relaxed he may seem.

Or maybe, maybe it was the fact that he kept turning away and calling out to 'Ace', turning the two way conversation to a three way with a figure thay only he seems to be able to see.

Even in the depths of Zunesha, the news of Paramount War and the aftermath did not escape them. Gol D. Roger's son, unknown until 2 years ago, died the same day as his captain, his own father's rival. Another nakama that Marco lost that day.

"And you're saying that this 'Ace' is... like Doctor Marco's imaginary friend?"

The little girl, Cindy, nodded, one hand patting through the fur of her pet, Tama, who was more interested in sniffing Nekomamushi's fur. He petted his fellow feline's head, nose still tingling from rubbing it against Tama's as felines would greet each other.

"Every time he healed someone, he always talks to himself and calls for Ace. He lives alone, but one time i saw him made two bowls of rice and he didn't eat the other one because it's for Ace. Mommy said i should never ask, because Doctor Marco has done a lot for this village, but she also said he's been through a lot. Uncle Cacao from 2 house over said he's not right in the head," at this, the young girl sounded saddened, as if without fully knowing the meaning of her neighbor's words, she already knew it was a bad one, "Mommy and everyone else always got mad at him when he said that,"

The mink let out a rumble, displeased, "Your mother's right. That's a very rude thing to say,"

Inhaling his pipe - and making sure he exhaled away from Cindy and Tama - Nekomamushi set his gaze to the lone house on the top of the hills, where Marco had retreated to after their talk. The rest of the houses were build together, close to one another, but not that house. It spoke volumes, he thinks, that even if Marco's reason to stay was genuine, that was not all of it.

"Are you leaving soon, Mr. Neko? You said you're here to ask Doctor Marco to join you on a journey right? Is he leaving?"

"I don't think so, kiddo," the Ruler of the Night spoke solemnly, breathing in the last of his pipe before standing up. Marco's message to Luffy was easily tucked into the depth of his mind, never to leave until it is safely delivered to the intended receiver.

"So Doctor Marco's staying with us?"

"Yes he will, it is his own choice,"He gave Tama one last pat to the head and walked away.

"After all, a man too haunted by his past can never see the future,"

I DON'T KNOW OKAY

Seriously, it just came to me after reading the chapter and it won't stop bugging my mind i knew i gotta write it down. I don't know where it came from, i don't even dislike this outcome like dude, he found his peace let bird man be happy in his Pops' hometown but then THIS.

Well, back to vacation! Bye bye and see ya!