An Eternal Bond

Return

"Marco!" I landed on the island and jumped into his arms. "Y/N, you're back!" He hugged me tightly and I smiled up at him.

"I missed you so much!"

"I did too." He tapped my nose. "I heard you caused a bit of trouble?"

"Not that much!"

"Is that so?"

"...It was just a few marine bases."

"Really?"

"...And Impel Down."

"That's what I was looking for."

I crossed my arms. "Well, I didn't get hurt or anything. Besides, I could have just killed Magellan and been on my way." I gave Marco a serious look. "He hurt Ace. I could have chopped him into pieces, set them on fire, and thrown them into the ocean as I smiled down at him."

Marco blinked. "You're a scary one, Y/N."

"Only for the ones important to me, Marco."

He smiled and put his hand on my head. "You know, you look... older. Not in a bad way. Just... less like a child. Mature." He knelt down to my level. "I'm proud of you."

My eyes swelled with tears as memories came flooding back to me. My crew constantly standing in front of me to protect me, holding me when I'm sad; everything. Now I stood with them. Not behind. And he was proud of me for it.

"S-Sorry." I wiped my tears and felt Marco's hand on my cheek. "You apologize too much."

He hugged me close and he said, "Welcome back."

•••

"Those two years are up." Marco said. I looked over at him with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"

"The three days, two years thing?" He got up and opened a box that he kept in the back, searching through it until he pulled out a folded newspaper, slightly yellowed from how old it was. "Here."

I took it and read through it, not knowing what was so important about it until I saw the picture of Luffy. "3D2Y... Oh! That's why the 3D is crossed out, right? Since they were supposed to meet in three days, but it ended up being two years?"

"That's why no one's seen them."

"Ah..." I folded the newspaper and put it back in the box. "I have to tell Luffy's crew something. I'm heading off."

He smiled and waved as I swung my bag over my shoulder. "Have fun, then."

I walked out onto the plain in front of Marco's house and kissed my hand, putting it up in the air like I did every morning from the time I got back. It just felt like a lucky charm, although it was rather cliche.

"See you, Marco!"

And I was off.

Sabaody Archipelago. Beautiful place, but used threateningly close to the navy base, if it weren't for what happened at Marineford. I remember Ace wanted to go there for a date but Marco said no solely because he knew that Ace would cause trouble.