Our last sail

9. The arrival of the phoenix

"Luffy": talk

"Sabo": whisper

"ACE": shout

"Gomu Gomu no": the skill's name

'idiot': thinking

<Joyboy>: voice of all things

-Somewhere in the New World- 

Marco had come back for a few months, but he hadn't made a move yet. On the first day of his arrival, Marco quickly ran to the deck and saw the sight of a giant man sitting on his chair to watch his children running around. Marco was shaking, it had been so long since the last time he saw his Captain, but he had to hold himself. Marco didn't want to look suspicious. But in the end, Whitebeard had noticed his unusual, because when Marco woke up, he would sit on his shoulder to watch his siblings or go around like a mother hen. Now the blond just stood there and looked at him like he saw a ghost while shaking. This got the Giant to worry, so he asked 

"What's matter son? Do you need anything?" 

But Marco decided to hide his shaking voice with a tired one and replied back. 

"I-I'm just tired from the paperwork, yoi. You don't need to worry about me, pops" 

"If you say so, how about you going to the kitchen and finding something to eat? You don't need to work today if you're not feeling well", Whitebeard said with a worried and caring tone. 

"Y-yeah! I'll do that, yoi"

Marco then walked to the kitchen still shaking. When he was out of Whitebeard's sight, he let a few tears from his eyes run down his cheeks. They had succeeded in traveling back in time. They could finally change the horrible future. He wouldn't be alone again, he wouldn't feel guilty again. Marco was glad that there was nobody in the hall right now, so no one would see this side of him. After he had let all his tears down, Marco then walked to the kitchen. Just when he thought that he could go through today easily, Marco then saw Izo, who was flirting with Thatch. That was when he couldn't hold himself anymore, seeing all his lost siblings and a man who he considered as his father after so long. He suddenly broke down in tears and started to scream at top of his lungs. This wasn't sorrow, this was true happiness about seeing them again. But then he blacked out from all the crying and screaming. 

The loving duo were shocked to see their brother break down like that. They knew the phoenix would always overwork, so he sometimes had stress. But this time it didn't seem simple like that, something serious must have happened to let the first commander break down and scream like that. When Marco suddenly fell to the ground, Thatch immediately caught him and took him to the infirmary. Izo then went to inform everyone. Thatch was worried sick about Marco. This was the first time he had seen the first commander be like this. Marco was burning up so badly and he even had tears falling down his cheeks, he looked so vulnerable. As his brother and best friend, Thatch was desperate because he didn't know what caused Marco to be like that. Later, Izo went to the infirmary with other commanders. They were all worried about Marco. After a while, Sheira, one of the nurses and their sisters, walked out and told them that 

"Marco was fine, but he seemed like he hadn't had a proper sleep for a long time. It would be better if some of you shared his work from now on or else he will have another break down like today. That man has so many responsibilities already."

After the blue hair nurse finished, the commanders had all agreed that they would share Marco's work, they would only let him do his part. Whitebeard had also agreed that they should let him rest a few days, but he himself knew it wasn't just overwork, so did Thatch and Izo, who had seen his break down. But they didn't say anything, they all wanted to wait for Marco to fully heal, then they would talk about it. Sheira gave Thatch a paper and told him that was everything he should prepare for Marco's meal.