#opmarcozine

[softcenteregg]

This is my finished page piece for @opmarcozine ! I had such a lovely time with this zine, it was really fun and everyone did excellent work. I also did the bandana, which you can get in aftersales until 3/10 ~ 💛💛

[art-of-firefly]

My pieces for @opmarcozine ! Leftovers Close on March 10th 💙💜

[chenziee]

Writing Patterns

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I was tagged by @quackquackcey! Thank you, Cey 🥺🤍

Alright, here we go! Newest to oldest posted.. though not newest to oldest written ahaha (Very much not surprised by the pattern xD I'm more surprised not all of them start with a 5-10 word sentence ahaha)

Red

LawLu for @/lovinglawzine

The first time Law noticed the red cord tangled around his little finger, he dismissed it.

The Plight of the (not) house cat

MarcoAce for @/opmarcozine

The first time it happened, Kotatsu didn't pay it any mind.

Fly, little bird (away from everything)

Marco & Izo for @/opmarcozine

The one time the Whitebeard Pirates had visited the Land of Wano, it was a peaceful and beautiful country.

Cigars, smoke, you, and I

SmoLaw commission for RitsukoRyoku

Punk Hazard was a mess.

Of Murder bunnies and stray marimos

ZoSan for @/zosanauzine

The sun was setting.

Revelations (we could do without)

LawLu chaos

Nami couldn’t believe it.

The Stubborn

ZoSan for @/zosanauzine (part of the Obstacles series)

They say that everyone has a soulmate out there somewhere.

World Economic Journal - Grand Line Edition

LawLu newspaper for @/truffyfest (reminds me i never finished posting this on here whoops)

A mere few days since Straw Hat Luffy and his crew appeared on Sabaody after disappearing off the face of earth for two whole years, they are already sending waves throughout the Grand Line and the entire world.

The Coming of autumn (sudden like your love)

LawLu Hades x Persephone AU for @/truffyfest

Contrary to popular belief, being the God of the Underworld was incredibly boring.

Menace

LawLu & ASL for @/truffyfest

To say Sabo was surprised would be a severe understatement as he watched Trafalgar Law and Luffy interact after all was said and done in Dressrosa.

[ah-scheisse-its-you]

Finally time to share the second fic I wrote for the Marco zine!! @opmarcozine 💙💙🧡🧡

I loved writing this one and it made me feel all warm at the end of writing it, so I hope I can share that feeling now

MarcoAce | Rated: T | Words: 1946

Last week to get the zine, come and get the cool shit!

[standfucker]

Wig: snatched.

Jaw: on the floor.

Tears: streaming down my face

@opmarcozine you guys have fucking outdone yourselves. The print quality on the zine is insane. The quality of the merch is insane. I am beside myself with excitement. I couldn't have asked for a better production for one of my favorite characters. I am so, so happy with everything! Thank you so much to the entire team for putting this together!!!!

[opmarcozine]

Merry Christmas!! 💙✨

Interest checks are opened! Sharing is Appreciated!

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Website

Original meme

[opdilfzine]

"What does DILF Stand for?"

We just love the bird man over at @opmarcozine

[chenziee]

The Plight of the (not) house cat

This is the second of my pieces for the amazing @opmarcozine! You can find it in the digital add-on 💙

Last chance to grab yourself a copy!

[ READ ON AO3 | KO-FI | COMM INFO ]

—————

The first time it happened, Kotatsu didn't pay it any mind. After all, Ace could hang out with whomever he wanted. The Spade Pirates were now a part of the Whitebeards so it was only right they socialise with them. Kotatsu himself liked to play with some of them… Blamenco in particular was fun, always carrying toys and snacks that he would sneak to Kotatsu when the Spades—especially Deuce—weren't looking.

It was fine for Ace to hang out with the first division commander. Perfectly reasonable.

But was it still reasonable if they were together everyday, every waking hour? Was it still reasonable if Ace seemed to completely forget about everyone else—forget about Kotatsu?

No, he didn't miss his captain and he most definitely wasn't jealous.

Kotatsu simply thought it was unfair. To other people.

He finally reached a breaking point one calm afternoon on the Moby Dick. It was a beautiful day too, just begging for a nap in his favourite corner of the deck—the one that was just secluded enough to give him some peace from the training and fighting people, but still close enough to know if something happened. The sun warmed the wood up all day there as well, making it perfect for the lynx to rest, relax, and enjoy his moment of repose.

But that day, he was shocked and disgusted to find his spot already occupied.

And not only that; it was occupied by the stupid big bird man in his hybrid form, a large book propped up against one of his legs while Ace slept on his lap using a wing as a goddamn blanket. For a moment, Kotatsu could do nothing but stare at the scene with wide eyes and an open mouth, completely frozen in place while the bird flipped a page lazily as if he wasn't completely ruining Kotatsu's day.

That was his spot. His corner, his sun, and his captain. Kotatsu was the one Ace was supposed to nap with, not some ugly blue canary.

Maybe Kotatsu should hunt him for sport one of these days? It was what he deserved.

"Kotatsu? What are you doing?"

Kotatsu didn't even move to acknowledge Skull's confused question. He refused to look away, refused to give up his silent fight. The lynx only swished his tail in annoyance from where he was sitting motionlessly, a few metres away from the… cuddle party, staring intently at the two men in an effort to get them to leave.

"You know you can just join them, right?" Skull asked with something that sounded suspiciously like amusement in his voice.

Kotatsu bristled, an angry hiss that he didn't bother to suppress, escaping him at the very suggestion. Join them? Why the hell should he? Why would he even want to? How preposterous.

Finally, Kotatsu sighed and got up, leaving the two bastards who stole his spot and a smug looking Skull behind in search of a new, nicer spot to nap. As he slowly walked away, however, he came to a decision. He was going to watch this Marco and he was going to make sure Ace remembered where he belonged.

—————

From that day on, Kotatsu made it his mission to keep an eye on his captain. Whenever he sensed there might be foul play at work, he would sniff Ace out… and inevitably find him in the company of that stupid bird. In the bird’s cabin, in Ace’s bunk in the communal cabin, in the kitchen, in the crows nest. The last one was admittedly the worst place by far as Kotatsu, with his four legs and no hands, had no way to get all the way up there—and especially down from there—safely.

Most often, however, they could be found in the infirmary.

Ace would sleep on one of the cots while Marco tended to his patients or they would just chat absentmindedly while Ace sharpened his daggers and Marco worked on the crew’s medical records. Or they would both be on the bed Ace had managed to claim for his own in the few months since they had become a part of the crew.

Just like they were doing right now.

Kotatsu wasn't sure what exactly it was that they were doing but he sure as hell knew he didn’t like it. The bird was resting his back against the headboard with Ace sitting in his lap, the bird’s hands resting on Ace’s thighs with his thumbs rubbing circles into the fabric of his shorts. The captain had one of his hands on the bird’s naked chest, the fingers of the other one tangled in the little hair the bird had left on his stupid, weirdly shaved head.

Their faces were squished together in a way that couldn’t be comfortable in Kotatsu’s opinion. He was pretty sure he saw one of their tongues moving into the other’s mouth and briefly, Kotatsu wondered since when had humans groomed each other.

Not that it mattered to him.

He bristled when he realised neither of them was even going to acknowledge his presence. They didn’t even notice Kotatsu opening the infirmary door and walking inside, nor did they pay it any attention when he meowed in irritation at them. Huffing to himself, Kotatsu looked around the infirmary, his eyes scanning the room carefully until they fell on the cabinet in the back of the room that was full of bottles with herbs, creams, pills, and liquid medications.

A series of loud crashes followed only moments later; glass shattering, shards and contents scattering all over the floor.

“What the—” Ace yelped as he jumped in shock, finally separating himself from the bird.

Said bird wasn’t far behind in his reaction. “What happened?!” he asked with a slight panic in his voice as he whipped his head around to find the source of the sudden noise.

If it were possible for him, Kotatsu would be smirking evilly right then. As it was though, he could only stare the two of them in the eyes when they had finally noticed him sitting proudly next to the cabinet, which was now missing nearly half of its contents thanks to Kotatsu’s handiwork.

“Kotatsu, what the fuck?” Ace asked with exasperation when he managed to process what had happened.

“I hope you realise you’ll be paying for all this, yoi,” Marco told Ace, giving the other man an unimpressed look.

“Why me?!” Ace protested immediately.

A lazy, amused smile appeared on Marco’s face. “He’s your cat. And he can’t very well pay the money back himself.”

“Fuck you.” Ace groaned. “And fuck you, too,” he added, throwing an annoyed look at Koatsu.

Kotatsu only meowed in satisfaction.

—————

To Kotatsu’s horror, the two of them started locking the door after that. That meant Kotatsu was forced to sit in front of the door, complaining loudly and demanding to be let inside. Unfortunately, the door never opened and the single one positive result of this tactic was more pets and treats from the rest of the crew.

However, being reduced to a demanding house cat didn’t sit well with Kotatsu and so, after a while, he stopped trying.

—————

It was about a month of stalking and glaring later that everything changed.

After an ugly run in with a marine fleet, Kotatsu found himself finally allowed into the infirmary again—unfortunately, it was as a patient because of the… minor injury of a broken hind leg he had sustained. He didn’t want to be treated by the stupid bird but since he could barely walk, he could do nothing about it except snarl at him with questionable results and focus on Ace’s warm hand rubbing his ears.

Completely ignoring Kotatsu’s complaints, Marco examined Kotatsu's leg, touching it carefully to gauge the extent and severity of the injury. It didn’t take him long to sigh and nod at one of the nurses, who only nodded back and went to rummage through one of the cabinets.

“Okay, Kotatsu. I have good news and bad news, yoi. Good news, it’s not too serious and will heal quickly. Bad news, I will have to reset the bone so it’s in the right place,” he explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kotatsu huffed. He had expected as much; this wasn’t his first fracture, after all. It had happened once before, back when he was kept in the freak show. He still remembered how much the resetting hurt, the pain almost making him pass out. He had never wanted to go through it again… but he supposed at least this time, he had Ace next to him.

“It’s not going to be too bad,” his captain said in a soothing tone when he noticed Kotatsu tensing. “Just sting a little, you big baby.”

Sting? A little?

“Yep,” the nurse, Tate, agreed. “Here I go.”

With wide eyes, Kotasu stared as Tate took a syringe and injected him with something several times around the swollen fracture. This… wasn't what he was expecting. And what he was expecting even less was the numbness that followed—all feeling in the area went away and with it, the pain.

Kotatsu blinked, watching in awe as Marco took an expert hold of his leg… then set it right as if it were nothing and Kotatsu barely felt a thing. It was so different from the freak show treatment that he didn't know how to react.

"See? Not too bad, right?" Marco said with a smile, scratching Kotatsu below the chin briefly. "Now I'm gonna do a quick treatment and Tate will finish you all up, yoi."

Kotatsu chirped in acknowledgement, and only then did Marco nod at him and turned back to his leg. A second later, blue fire crackled in his palm and he slowly, carefully brought it to Kotatsu's injury, letting the fire gently lick at the fur and skin. He waited a moment, gauging Kotatsu's reaction but when the lynx didn't protest, he pushed the flames further.

It was… strange, seeing his leg on fire but not burning. Instead, comfortable warmth spread from the area of the injury, covering his entire leg in the feeling of being huddled into a soft, fluffy blanket in front of a fireplace.

It was surprisingly pleasant; not like the burning heat of Ace's bright red flame. Not like the scorching power that blue flames usually carried. A warm flame, a safe haven, a healing hand.

And Kotatsu had to fight really hard to not start purring.

"There, all done, yoi." Marco nodded in satisfaction when the flames died out. "Tate will wrap the leg up now. No running and jumping around until I say so, understand?" he added with a stern look in Kotatsu's direction.

Kotatsu glared at him, baring his teeth in a voiceless hiss to indicate his annoyance at this treatment. He wasn't stupid, alright?

"Okay, next patient. Take your kitty and go after Tate's done, yoi," Marco said to Ace then.

"Are you kicking me out?" Ace asked in a mock scandalised tone.

Marco huffed out a small laugh. "Yes."

"Asshole." Ace's tone was amused now, obviously fighting back laughter.

"Brat," Marco shot back without hesitation. "I'll see you later."

And when the bird leaned over, pressing his mouth to Ace's in that weird way they sometimes did and that always made Kotatsu bristle and the rest of the crew to tell them to 'get a room,' whatever that meant… Kotatsu was shocked to realise he didn't mind that much anymore.

Maybe the bird wasn't all that bad after all.

—————

"What the hell is going on here?!" Ace asked no one in particular.

In the time since the Spade Pirates had joined the Whitebeard Pirates, he had never once seen Kotatsu and Marco get along. It was always glares and hissing and raised eyebrows and 'Ace, he's sitting on my paperwork again, yoi!'

Nothing, and he meant nothing… could have prepared him for the sight that met him when he walked to the quiet, sunny corner on the Moby Dick's deck. He had expected to find Kotatsu there, ready for a nap and possibly willing to let Ace join him but instead, there Kotatsu was, sleeping soundly while curled up next to Marco.

Marco, whom Kotatsu was ready to eat at the first opportunity, whom the lynx hated and messed around with constantly since they met. Ace had assumed it was because of some cat-and-bird thing but then why did he seem so… comfortable now, huddled under the phoenix’s wing? 

It didn't make sense. It was bizarre. It wasn't fair.

That was his spot.

"Ace? Why do you look like you're about to combust?" Skull asked, voice full of confusion as he stopped right behind Ace.

"What—what are they doing?" Ace asked back instead of replying.

"Hm?" Skull hummed. "You mean Kotatsu? Apparently, he likes how warm Marco’s power is.” 

Ace didn’t say anything. He simply continued glaring at the scene before him, seething. How dare they? Ace felt like he was being cheated on. By the both of them. At once.

“I feel like I’ve had this conversation already but you do know you can just join them, right?” Skull asked and Ace was positive he had his eyebrows raised under that mask of his.

Asshole.

Shrugging as if it didn’t matter to him, Ace turned on his heel, uttering a simple. “No, thank you.”

As he walked away—while pointedly ignoring Skull’s all too amused laughter—Ace came to a decision; he was going to watch these two and he was going to make sure they damn well remembered who they belonged to.

[chenziee]

Fly, little bird (away from everything)

Written for the wonderful @opmarcozine! So happy and honoured to have been able to take part in this project 💙

I wrote one more fic for the digital add-on which is much, much lighter than this ahaha If you fancy yourself some silly pineapple flambe and jealous kittens, stay tuned for later this week! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Last chance to grab yourself a copy!

[ READ ON AO3 | KO-FI | COMM INFO ]

—————

The one time the Whitebeard Pirates had visited the Land of Wano, it was a peaceful and beautiful country. Marco still remembered the lush forests of Kuri, could smell the aroma of the giant koi being grilled over fire, could hear Kin'emon scolding Oden for wanting to leave. It was a great place; the stories Oden, Inu, Neko, and later Izo had shared with the family were all fun and happy.

With the isolation policy, they all assumed the country was still the same. That Oden had made his way back to the country after Roger's execution and was now busy being a terrible Shogun—having more fun than governing, giving Kin'emon and Denjiro grey hair while Toki did nothing but encourage her husband.

They had no reason to think there was anything wrong with their brother (or uncle?) and his country.

But then the news reached them.

Watching Pops' almost permanent wide grin freeze and eventually disappear was never a good sign. Honestly, a skirmish with some stray Beast Pirates who thought picking a fight with another Emperor was a bright idea wasn't a good sign either but Pops going from relaxed to shocked to angry was in a league of its own.

"What's going on, yoi?" Marco asked as he rushed towards the group dealing with the mess.

When Izo turned to look at him, Marco startled at the sight that met him. Izo's lips were pressed into a thin line, his jaw clenched. His brow was furrowed so deeply that his carefully applied make-up was creasing and the look in his eyes was… full of fear.

Marco took a deep breath, his gaze darting between Izo's twisted expression, the looks of anger on his other brothers' faces, and Pops, who had stood up to his full height with Murakumogiri in hand, his grip tight as he glowered at the pirates in front of him. Haki was vibrating in the air when he finally spoke up, his voice resounding around the Moby Dick with a commanding tone that would make even the greatest Neptunians quiver.

"Kaido's ruling the Land of Wano? What's that mean, squirt?" he asked.

"Exactly what I said," one of the Beasts said, voice full of fake confidence even as he visibly shook in fear.

Dead silence followed his words. Everyone could imagine what it meant.

Carefully, tentatively, Marco raised his hand, placing it on Izo's shoulder. When he didn't immediately shake him off, Marco squeezed lightly, hoping to remind his fellow division commander that he wasn't alone. Marco wasn't sure if that was enough… but he didn't know what else to do for him right then.

It seemed like a pointless question when Pops demanded to know what happened to his little brother; Marco was sure they could all imagine Oden's reaction when he had learned Kaido put a pawn on the Shogun's throne and took control of his homeland. Oden might have hated the isolation policy but he loved his country and its people.

Letting go of a shaky breath, Marco tried not to imagine what Oden's last moments might have been like. He simply squeezed Izo's shoulder tighter.

The man stood still for a moment longer but then he finally shook Marco's hand off and stepped forward.

"What about the retainers? What happened to them?" he asked, voice carefully measured.

"The castle burned down. There's no way anyone survived," the Beast answered after a reluctant pause.

Heavy silence settled over the deck before Izo turned around, his coat swishing behind him as he walked away. No one dared follow him.

"Toss them overboard. I don't care what happens to them," Pops announced, sitting back down in his chair to signify the matter over.

Marco didn't wait around to see Jozu leaving their lives in the mother sea's care. With one powerful wave of his wings, he rose up high to the air, soon leaving the Moby Dick behind as he shifted into full phoenix form and took off to nowhere in particular.

It was moments like this that he was grateful to his devil fruit. The ability to just up and leave when he wanted to clear his head or just needed a break—that alone was worth the threat of drowning in a puddle. Maybe he should take Izo up here once the gunman sorted out his thoughts.

Once Marco sorted out his own.

He wanted to go back; he wanted to go to Pops and demand they turn the ship around and go to Wano to free their family's country, to get revenge… But he wasn't stupid. He knew it was impossible—not without putting countless lives in danger and not without the World Government getting involved. After all, this wouldn't be just a matter of two rival crews fighting amongst themselves. This would be an open war between two Emperors.

It was simply not going to happen. Pops would never agree and Marco himself wouldn't easily make that decision. Maybe if Oden was still alive, if they were sure Izo's sister was alive… it would be different. But as it was, there was nothing to gain, Marco knew.

He knew, but that didn't stop him from wishing they could just go and do it.

And so he merely waved his wings, rising higher still.

—————

­­Looking at the large stones in front of him, Marco wondered if it was possible for tears to run out. It had barely been a week since Marineford, the wounds still fresh, still tender, still so damn painful... and yet, Marco's eyes stayed dry now. They stayed dry despite the cold, hard reminders within an arm's reach; reminders that he would never again hear Pops' laughter, never again find Ace sleeping on top of his own medical records and setting them on fire.

It almost felt like the gravestones were mocking his inability to cry anymore.

It didn't come as much of a surprise when quiet steps approached him before a delicate hand came to rest on his shoulder.

It took a long time for either of them to speak, time filled with mutual understanding and mourning for the ones they had lost. But finally, Izo's soft whisper was carried by the breeze to Marco's ears. "Thank you for being here."

At that, Marco snorted. "Shouldn't I be saying that in this situation?"

"Maybe. I just wanted to say it," Izo replied, his tone lighter but every bit as serious as it was before and Marco's shoulders sagged.

"I'm sorry. This is the second time we let your family die," he muttered.

Izo clicked his tongue, letting go of Marco's shoulder to instead whack him over the head. "Shut up. Neither what happened in Wano, nor this was your fault. We all did what we wanted in the end. Including Pops and Ace."

"I know," Marco sighed. "It's just hard, yoi."

"It is," Izo agreed quietly, his hand landing back on Marco's shoulder to give it one last squeeze.

Marco huffed, a small smile finding its way to his lips for the first time in days. "Thanks, yoi."

"You know where to find me," Izo said before he took a step back.

Marco briefly wondered whether he was that predictable or if Izo was simply that perceptive but he decided not to dwell on it. He let his arms be engulfed in blue flames that soon formed into fiery feathers—soft, warm, and familiar, turning his arms into powerful wings which could carry so much weight… but which still couldn't carry the future of the crew.

But if he let them… maybe they could at least carry the guilt and leave it somewhere far above in the clouds. Maybe turn it into rain to replace the tears Marco couldn't shed anymore.

"I'll see you later," Marco only said before raising into the air, Izo's nod nothing but an afterimage as he took to the air, just like he had done years ago after they had learned about Wano’s fate. Just like he had done countless times in the past few days.

As he rose up, higher and higher, he was surprised by how much lighter he felt now; it was like he was leaving behind not only Izo and Whitebeard and Ace’s graves, but also a large portion of the weight that had been sitting on his shoulders for days—months, really; ever since Thatch was killed—and which had been keeping his wings from spreading fully.

It would probably never go away but maybe, just maybe… it would become easier.

And he would never have to take to the air to mourn ever again.

—————

As he soared through the skies of Wano, Marco couldn't help the wry smile pulling on his lips. What a naive wish he had made two years ago.

There was no one to comfort him now; no one to squeeze his shoulder and smile encouragingly. Izo was gone, just like Pops and Ace and so many others.

But Marco… kept soaring.

[ah-scheisse-its-you]

I am so very proud to show off the first piece I wrote for the Marco zine!! @opmarcozine 💙💙

Delving into Marco's emotions when he gets his glasses was interesting (and painful) to explore and I'm so glad this zine gave me the chance to

Rated: T | Gen | Words: 1515

Go check it out, were in after sales right now (2/15/24)

[chenziee]

Another preview of my @opmarcozine fic!! You can find it in the main zine 🍍🍍

Pre-orders are open right now and there is a giveaway happening on twitter as well!

[chenziee]

Oh no, another outsider POV from me, who would have guessed??

Have a little preview of my @opmarcozine Marco/Ace piece 🍍🔥You can find it in the digital add-on that you can get with any order - pre-orders for the zine are open until the 24th so don't miss it 💙

There's also a giveaway happening right now!

[opmarcozine]

Marco wishes you a very happy Valentine's Day! Don't forget us! our interest check is still open on this lovey dovey day!

This graphic is provided by the @opvsdayzine , get yours by checking out their merch package! ;)

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[opmarcozine]

Happy Halloween from the team!

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Art by @mushroomgrenade

[opmarcozine]

메리 크리스마스!! 💙✨

관심도 조사 설문지가 열렸어요! 공유까지 해주시면 좋겠습니다!

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작품 원작자 - @mushroomgrenade

[opmarcozine]

'He's middle aged and I want him' 

Interest checks are opened! Sharing is Appreciated!

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Original meme Art by @mushroomgrenade