text: Five days later.
  
  "So, we have an alliance?" Marco asked.
  
  "Yep. All they really want are our doctors to exchange medical info with their doctors and any info we have on Kaido and his men," Ace said.
  
  "Oh man, they're really going for the Beast?"
  
  "Yep," Ace said. "That's going to make the papers all right."
  
  "Well, if we need them for Weevil, they'll come, right? Same kind of deal as the Heart Pirates."
  
  "No."
  
  "No?"
  
  "As far as I can tell the Heart Pirates aren't going to leave for any great length of time," Ace said. "The alliance also won't be the same because you won't be sleeping with my brother."
  
  Marco choked on his coffee, "Yeah…yeah, not doing that…shit, how'd you take it?"
  
  "Tried to kill Law."
  
  "Shit. Ace," Marco said. "You are going to die because of that temper. And the guy you tried to kill is the only reason you didn't die of that temper two years ago!"
  
  "We worked it out!" Ace said quickly. "No problems…okay I still don't like it but, you know, it's…functional."
  
  "Functional…" Marco sighed. "Sure, I'll take functional…okay, rest up. In a few days you're going to talk to Shanks. I'm hoping new of Luffy will be an opener that gets him in a good mood."
  
  "Jeez, can't wait to get rid of me," Ace sulked.
  
  "Now Ace, yoi don't be like that," Marco said, pushing him against the wall and kissing him. "Tell you what, when this mess with Weevil is over, let's grab Luffy and Law for a double date?"
  
  Ace kicked him, "Asshole!"
  
  Marco doubled over laughing. Ace chuckled a fireball at him, only for Marco's own blue flames to absorb it at once.
  
  "Or, or maybe find your newly resurrected brother someone nice?" Marco teased.
  
  "That's it!" Ace yelled. "You may be the captain now but you don't get to torture me like this!"
  
  He tackled Marco to the floor, unknowingly mimicking the wrestling match Luffy and Law were having miles away over Luffy trying to steal off Law's plate.