A Strange New Little Brother

Upsetting Times

A lot of stuff happens this chapter! Of course with cute Ace. No chapter can pass with him not being cute. Enjoy~

It was fifteen minutes later that a blood soaked Thatch came running out, holding an unconscious Ace. "THATCH!" Marco shouted, many seeing the shape he was in and running to him. He was so pale. He handed Ace to Haruta and then got on his hands and knees to breathe deeply. He was clearly suffering from blood loss, and what was wrong with Ace? He had a dark bruise forming on his cheek.

Marco picked Thatch up and ran with him to the infirmary, the nurses already having gotten up from their spot and running where they needed to be to prep. Haruta ran after him with Ace, and both of them laid the injured crew members on hospital beds. Ace looked so tiny on the large bed.

Thatch was still awake, but just barely. "Thatch, what the hell happened!?" Marco demanded, eyes wide in worry and fear. Had he stabbed fallen on something that impaled him?

"Teach stabbed me and attacked Ace," Thatch said, seeming determined to speak, even as he was pale. He was getting an IV drip for his blood loss. Those in the room froze. Teach had left after stabbing Thatch? That's why he got off the ship! But where the hell was he planning on going? He was trapped on Fishman Island, didn't he know that?

Pops looked shocked and angry. He walked to the bed Ace was on and sat down next to him. It was the bed sized for the largest on the crew. He picked up the faupta and held him in his warm hands.

"What happened? Can you go into detail?" the captain asked, voice low. Thatch nodded and explained.

"I was making Ace the sauce he wanted. I was the only one in the storage room, Ace standing in the hallway. I was looking for some cinnamon and Ace made a squealing noise from the hallway, so I hurried to the doorway. He was crying and holding his face where Teach kicked him.

"I didn't even get to ask what the hell he did before he stabbed me. Then he grabbed Ace and threw him into the room where I was bleeding out. I couldn't even scream for help, and even if I did, the hallway was cleared. Teach took the devil fruit from me before leaving, laughing about it.

"I don't remember falling asleep, but Ace was crying. And then I was better. I still have a fuckin' killer headache, but the stab wound was gone. Ace was unconscious next to me, so I brought him out and here we are." suddenly tears sprung into his eyes. "My brother tried to kill me," he sniffled. Then he finally fell asleep, and the room was in shock. If there was no proof, they wouldn't have believed it. Thatch's wound was checked, the place with the most blood, but the injury was gone.

"What? How'd that happen?" Izo asked. All of the commanders were in there, with pirates bunched in the hallway behind the closed double doors.

Marco explained about Ace's healing power, how it had helped Pops. They demanded to know why they weren't told. "At first it was because we didn't want you to only like Ace because he helped him. Then it slipped my mind after all the stress."

Namur looked at Ace and asked, "So, he saved Thatch's life, then?" Marco nodded and asked Tami to check on him. She hurried over and checked him over. He had a few bruises on his face and left front arm. It made Marco furious that anyone had harmed Ace, and that Thatch had almost lost his life.

"Get a search party out, now," Pops said darkly. "And I want those proficient in haki. Keep yourself covered if you find him. We all know what that devil fruit can do. Don't let it harm you," he ordered. Those with the best haki left, which were Jozu, Atmos, Rayuko and Fossa. They hurried out, going to get their weapons before leaving.

Marco didn't want to leave them, but said he was going to search from above, even though it was dark out, he could see well with his sensitive eye sight. Whitebeard told him to be careful, and the phoenix nodded, leaving immediately and flying away.