[Gulps and nods. It doesn't make the pain go away, but it helps. More than just that Ace wouldn't want him to be upset; that just made Marco frustrated at this point. But having a goal to keep stepping forwards to, someone to look after, that he needed most of all.]

Hai. Thank you love. [Hugs tightly and leans his head against Japan's.] I think this is the first time it's felt permanent. Back home... I was too busy dealing with trying to keep the crew together and the islands and Blackbeard and Shanks... here he was here from the day I got here. Even when he felt a million light years away, he was still just an arm's length away. [And he was only mad at Ace now because it hurt.] I guess I don't deal with pain too well, eh. [Because he could always cheat and turn into a phoenix before when he wanted to.]