Saving Ace Chapter 2

Luffy was shocked to hear the news from Hamcock and the old lady. "What?" What were they were talking about? That wasn't right, that can't be right. Ace was strongest, the strongest person that Luffy knew. He was hunting down someone who tried to kill one of his own crew mates. Ace would beat this Teach guy. So how was he… why was Ace…. They had to be lying! There was no way that Marines had Ace and were going to execute him!

"Portgas D.Ace is to be executed," the old woman repeated.

"Hamcock! You have to help me get to Ace!" Luffy told Hancock.

Boa Hancock was torn between a rock and a hard place. She couldn't just say no to Luffy but saying yes would put her and Amazon Lily in dangerous trouble. The last thing Boa Handcock needed right was to be kicked out of the Warlords, even if she disliked the Marines and being a Warlord. But maybe there was a way to help Luffy but keep her title as Warlord at the same time? "There might be a way… but it's dangerous Luffy."

The old lady went to protest but Handcock's sisters stopped her as The Pirate Empresses explained the situation and her idea.

*

Sabo was pacing as he was trying to not panicking. Ace, that stupid maronic idiot. He had to go and get cocky then caught and now on death row with the Marines didn't he?

Sabo knew that Luffy would be freaking out, he better find a way to contact Luffy somehow. Their oldest brother would be flipping tables or something over this whole thing before his calculating mind calmed down and thinks of some kind of plan. Probably several plans. Haru will be in major freak out. And here Sabo is, pacing like the worrier he is. Their lines down due to a storm so he was waiting for Ezra to fix them up so the blond could call and talk to Haru to calm the younger down before he does something stupid.

"There we go captain, all good now," a green haired young man said as he was wiping oil onto his clothes. "Works perfectly once more."

"Thanks Ez," Sabo told him as he raced into the room. First thing that he was doing was calling his little brother Haru. Then he would call his older brother and see what their plan of attack was going to be. Sabo dialed in Haru's snail number. Waiting for him to pick up, so Sabo was thinking about what he should say and how they should handle this whole situation.

The blond's crew was already setting course for Sabaody Archipelago then they were going to go to Marineford. They were only a day away actually. Having business to take care of in the area anyway.

*

A dark pink haired male just stood there frozen as he saw the news paper that held information that his brother was going to be executed. No! No! No! No! No! This cannot be happening! This had to be a dream! This could not be real. The pink haired male grasped onto the hand of the blonde that was next to him for comfort. The blond had seen his captain stressed and was by his side in an instant. "J-Jace is that… is that real? I'm not just seeing things?" The captain asked desperately, hoping beyond hope that what he just saw wasn't real.

Jace hugged the other. "Calm down Haru, okay? I'm sure that someone will be calling very soon okay? So let's calm down."

"But Ace is… He's going to executed! And I can't lose him! I can't lose someone else!" The pink haired male cried, clinging to Jace.

"We'll rescue him captain," an orange haired male said.

"B-But Dex… What if we're not strong enough? What if we can't save him?" Haru whimpered.

"Zuki will work out a plan and Ace is a Whitebeard right? So we'll have them on our side too," Dex told the captain. "We have nothing to worry about."

"Dex is right," another orange haired male signed to Haru. The orange haired male had a scar across his throat and wore ninja like garb. Dex was his younger brother. "We will save him."

"But what i-"

"No buts," the older signed to his captain.

"That's right Haru, no butts. We have nothing to worry about," Jace smiled to him. "We'll save Ace with everyone's help."

"But Kenu, Jace…." Haru said softly, tears in his eyes as the snail suddenly rang. Haru went over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey HarHar, did you see the article about Acey?" The voice said gently.

"Y-yeah, I did Sabo," Haru whimpered. "Ace is going to die and I don't know if I can save him an… an… and I'm scared Sabo. I don't want to lose anyone else. Is Lulu and Zuzu okay?"

"Lu is safe as far as I know but I have someone looking into him and making sure. I mean, he should be here Sabaody Archipelagos. But you never know for sure," Sabo informed the other. "And Zu was in the New World when I spoke to him last."

"Alright… I… I'm going to Marine Ford and we're going to rescue Ace together. Right Bo?" Haru asked, asking the last part softly.

"Of course! I'll call Zu and find out the plan and a spot where we can meet so we can all go together," Sabo told him. "And Lu doesnt have a snail yet does he? I'll get J-J and Ezra to give Lu one so we can keep in contact with him after this."

"Alright, I'll meet you at Sabaody. Me and my crew are on our way there and we're about an hours journey away. We're planning on taking a break for a year or two to train up together. Would you be willing to give us pointers? I already asked Zuzu and Mr. Whitebeard and Ace and they said alright," Haru said, now calmed down. He knew that they would save his brother. It would be okay. Haru had called Ace one time and Marco had ended up picking up. Somehow, some way because of Ace he ended up being one of Whitebeards sons. Which was interesting. In all honesty Haru was considering joining Whitebeard's crew. He already explained as much to Ace. Ace was excited and kept talking about how he was going to love it. No matter the fact that he said he was still only thinking about it. Haru's crew said they didn't care either way. It was Haru's decision and they would follow him like always.

"Sounds good. I'll you call back soon and we'll set up a three way between us and Zu, sound good?" Sabo said with a smile on his face so his snail was smiling too.

"Alright sounds good," Haru nodded. "I'll see you soon."

"Sounds good. I'll be there with my crew later this afternoon, maybe tonight. Alright?" Sabo let the other know. "So keep an eye out for us. We'll keep an eye out for you too. So, on a scale of murder, what you do the whitebeards are with Zu? 1 or 1000?"

"One milion. And yes I know that's not an option," Haru said. "But this breaks the scale. Zuzu isn't going to be happy. And um… what would you think if I became a Whitebeard? To be honest I'm really seriously considering it. Whitebeard reminds me of dad before he and mom died. And I like the other members that I've met so far."

"I think as long as Whitebeard manages to not die by Zu's hand, its fine," he chuckled lightly. They both knew protective their oldest brother was. He was even worse than Ace. "It's probably more Zu who will have a problem with it than any of us."

"Alright then, that settles it, as soon as we rescue Ace I'm going to tell him I'm joining Whitebeard's crew. Can you tell Whitebeard for me that I would like to join his crew if he'll accept me?" Haru asked his brother. "I want it to be official and stuff to be able to tell Ace the moment he's rescued… If Whitebeard accepts me that is…"

"I'll ask him, hopefully. Depends on Zu," Sabo joked a little. Zu could have a bit of a temper and throw hissy fits when he was mad. Zero liked to call it The Captain's Tantrums.

"Kazuki wouldn't actually kill Whitebeard, would he?" Jace asked his captain. The blond was never sure with Haru's brother. It was hard to tell when he was joking or being dead serious. Plus, he heard about what happened the first time that Kazuki had met the Whitebeards. Zero had not been happy about that.

"If he was strong enough he would. But Zuzu isn't stronger than Whitebeard. Which annoys him to death. Whitebeard is known as the strongest man alive for a reason," Haru said.

"True, but we all know that won't stop Zu from trying to kill him," Sabo chuckled lightly. "Though, Zu wouldn't actually kill Old Man Whitebeard since Ace and Haru adore him."

"And he wuves me~" Haru said, batting his eyelashes. "And he doesn't want to hurt his sweet innocent wittle brother's feelings~"

"You're anything but innocent HarHar," Sabo told him. He knew just how mischevious Haru could get. Said mischief usually got him into a lot of trouble. Like the many times he played a prank on Garp. The first thing Haru did when he saw Garp again in the Grandline was prank him. Haru literally had him and all his crew members dress in marine uniforms, stealing a marine ship and tell Garp that he joined the marines. Haru went on with this ruse for a day at least before he climbed on his actual ship and left a note on Garp's while he was sleeping, saying he never joined the marines. It's safe to say Garp was not happy at all when he found out.

Haru, Trace and Dex all thought it was the best prank ever. The other crew members not so much. Eiko just sighed and just went along with it because 'This was her life now.' Jace was depressed because he stuck between two mischief makers, one his captain and the other his boyfriend.

"I have no idea what you're talking Sabo. I am perfectly innocent," Haru huffed at his older brother over the snail.

*

The Whitebeards were having a meeting, well the commanders were while the others were getting ready for a fight. They were trying to work out their best point of attack. Marineford was going to be dangerous, but with as high profile as Ace, they weren't going to take any changes with him between Impel Down, where they knew the Marines currently had Ace and Marineford, where the Marines wanted to kill him.

So there were going to be several problems. The Marine Admirals, the Marine Fleet Admiral, Marine Hero Garp, that traitor Blackbeard aka Teach whom they were sure somehow managed to beat Ace and hand him over to Marines and most importantly, and most dangerously, Ace's older brother whom they have had to deal with before and none of them want a repeat of that bad experience again.

"Ace's brothers are going to kill us," one of the commanders sighed.

"No, Kazuki will kill us all. Sabo and Haru will just watch him do so," commander Haruta said.

"We're fine my sons," Whitebear told them before they started arguing all over again about how they should have to call Kazuki sooner or later to let him know what was going on or should have done as Shanks told him and gone after and stop Ace from going after Teach. But in the Whitebeard Pirates' defense. None of them thought that Teach was strong enough to take down Ace.

"He'll call us any moment-yoi," Marco told his brothers as he had every single snail they owned was in the commander's meeting room.

"Marco, you spent some time with Kazuki," Whitebeard said to his son. "What do you think the situation with him will be?"

"He'll be pissed as hell-yoi," Marco answered honestly. The other Whitebeards paled a little. They've seen Kazuki angry, so pissed didn't sound good.

"Do you think you can talk to him?" Whitebeard asked Marco.

"I know Ace told Kazuki that he owes me for when we met, so I will do my best to smooth things over-yoi," Marco replied with a nod as a snail with bear skull for a jolly roger on it started ringing. Marco answered it. "Hello Kazuki."

"What the hell is going?! You guys better have an explanation for what happened with Ace or else not even the Marines will be able to save you from my wrath!"

"Calm down Kazuki," Marco told him in his usual calm manner.

"Calm down?! Calm down?!" Kazuki was screeching. "My brother is going to be executed by the Marines! How am I meant to be calm?!"

"How are we meant to talk if you're screaming at us-yoi?" Marco countered at him. "Ace is our brother too. We were just as shocked by the news of his capture and execution announcement as you were."

"Why wasn't he with you guys or one of you guys with him?" Kazuki said sounding a bit calmer hearing Marco tell him that they were shocked by the news as well.

"Ace went off on his own after one of our crew mates was attacked by a now ex-member of our crew," Marco explained to him. "Teach, well Blackbeard as he's calling himself now. He attacked commander Thatch and most killed him. And since Teach was a second division member. Ace saw it as his duty to take him out."

"I see," Kazuki said seeming to be thinking. "Ace would want to take the guy down."

"Blackbeard sounds like a rip-off of your captain's name," A new voice said as he came into the room Kazuki was. "Captain, Sabo called your snail and couldn't reach you so he called mine." The voice said as he handed Kazuki the snail. "And I apologize if my captain said anything rude or threatening to you." the voice apologized to the Whitebeard pirates.

"I'm not sorry," Kazuki huffed. If he threatened them then they deserved it!

"I am not getting Whitebeard angry and attacking us again Kazu. You do that and I will leave you and never return," The voice said.

"You've threatened that before and never did Zero," Kazuki pointed out.

"..." Zero glared at his captain. He knew he was right but he really wished he didn't point it out. Zero bopped his captain upside the head. "So what if I did? Doesn't mean I won't do it now." Okay so maybe he was acting a little like a child right now but… It was a matter of pride! He couldn't let this slight against his pride go unpunished! It seemed completely out of character for him but none of the Whitebeards really knew how prideful Zero really was. He can be childish if it concerns his pride.

"Ouch! Zeze! That hurt!" Kazuki complained to him.

"Anyway," Marco coughed at the pair.

"Don't call me Zeze in front of people!" Zero said as he hit Kazuki again. His cheeks tinged red. He did not want Kazuki calling him that embarrassing nickname when people were around. Especially important people. He told Kazuki that. "I am so sorry for the interruption and my captain's behaviour."

"I did nothing wrong!" Kazuki argued.

"Yes you did," Zero growled.

"Ace tells me you're the smart one Kazuki," Whitebeard said to him.

"Holy cow, the old man can talk," Kazuki said in shock as he has never had Whitebeard talk to him on the snail before.

"Cheeky brat," Whitebeard chuckled.

"Trust me Mr Whitebeard sir," Zero said to the man as he hit his caprain and the Whitebeards all heard it. "Sabo is the smart one. My captain is just as hotheaded and stupid as his other brothers, he is just more likely to have smart moments."

"Hey! I am too smart!" Kazuki complained to his first mate.

"I never said you weren't smart. I said you are stupid and hotheaded. And by stupid I mean you do inredibly stupid things that I know if I were the captain I wouldn't do. But I'm stuck with a stupid captain," Zero told him. Not that he would have it any other way. He really loved his captain.

"Mutiny!" Kazuki huffed at his First Mate.

"I didn't say I didn't want you as my captain or try to overthrow you Kazu. You're still my captain and I wouldn't have it any other way," Zero told him before he placed a kiss on his head. He sometimes did things like that to see Kazuki all flustered. He was so cute when he was flustered. And his dense captain had not yet put together that he loved him. Which was annoying. But what was he going to do?

Kazuki got all flustered and fell off his chair. The Whitebeards all laughed hearing the thump.

"It's seems Kazuki has calmed down," Whitebeard chuckled. "And he wasn't threatening us, though I am sure some of my sons would argue that he did. Its more that he was frustrated and needed someone to take it out on."

"No, I'm sure I threatened to kill you guys and that not even the Marines would be able to protect you," Kazuki said seeming to be thinking about his threat to them. They all heard something hit him.

"You baka, you do not threaten the most powerful man in the world," Zero growled before turning to Whitebeard. "I am so sorry Whitebeard-sama. My baka captain didn't mean it, at all." Zero said, glaring at his captain. As if daring him to say something different. Zero was honestly really irritated that his japanese accent was showing and he was using japanese suffixes. He usually called his captain baka when he was really irritated. Which happened a lot more than Zero cared to count.

"He's an old man playing a young man's game! He will be threatened by many, and the best one and the one who will beat him will be me!" Kazuki said very confidently with a shit eating grin.

"Kono baka! Anata wa orokana baka! Anata wa watashitachi no shikei shikkō reijō ni shomei shita bakaridesu! Kami, Dōshite jigoku wa watashi no kyaputen ni naru tame ni anata o erabanakereba naranakatta nodesu ka?! Naze?!" Zero groaned as he hit his captain, several times. (You idiot! You stupid idiot! You just signed our death warrants! God, why the hell did I have to choose you to be my captain?! Why?!)

"Because who else would choose you for the sole reason of you looking trustworthy and dependable to be their First Mate?" Kazuki asked as though it was obvious.

"A baka, a stupid baka," Zero told him. "And I'm a baka for joining you."

"Oh we both know you love me and you're too reliable, trustworthy and dependable to leave me now Zeze," Kazuki told him. They all heard Kazuki get a hard hit.

"Don't call me Zeze!" Zero told him before kissing him on the lips. "You guys were saying?"

"Why is the monster dead quiet?" One of the Whitebeard commanders asked.

"Because I kissed him to shut him up. He always does this when I kiss him," Zero said matter of factly. He was just pointing out the facts after all. Not trying to tease anyone… Okay maybe he was teasing Kazuki. But no-one needed to know that.

"Kazuki isn't a monster-yoi," Marco told his brothers. "He's a wild card. And as I was saying, right now is where we need one of your captain's brilliant but idiotic plans. Do you have anything in mind for the rescue Kazuki?"

"Well Zu?" Sabo said finally speaking up.

"Hi Sabo," Marco said.

"Hi Marco," Sabo said back. Sabo had met Marco with Ace a couple of times. Though the first time they met was when Kazuki had kidnapped him when the other thought that Whitebeard Pirates had kidnapped and was holding Ace against his will.

"I have about eight different plans worked out," Kazuki finally said after several seconds of dead air.

"How many of them are thought out?" Sabo and Marco asked at the same time.

"None. Who needs to work it all at once?" Kazuki said waving it off.

"I take it Haru will be helping Sabo?" Zero asked. This would help Kazuki's plans. Even though he knew that Kazuki would hate and despise that Haru was helping with something this dangerous.

"The planet will explode into a firey hell hole before Haru doesn't one help one of his brothers in trouble out," Kazuki reminded Zero. "So you're in charge Zeze of keeping Haru safe when we get there. The only unpredictable joker card we will have will be Luffy. Who I will keep an eye on."

"Got it captain," Zero nodded.

"Pretty sure you're an unpredictable wild card too Kazuki," Marco added in casusally.

"I am the unpredictable wild card we have but Luffy can't follow a plan to save his life. So I'm going to do my best to plan myself and my movements around Luffy while everyone else follows a different plan," Kazuki replied. "I'll have Ty organise us a wireless ear snail piece or something to contact each other on the battlefield."

"So what exactly is the plan besides the obvious of saving Ace?" Sabo asked his older brother.

"Some of it will depends on when Luffy gets there but I have a rough idea of several things we could do," Kazuki told them as he then explained his plan ideas to them.