What if Ace isn't after Whitebeard's Head, and the Spade Pirates meet Whitebeard a different way, like fishing a drowning blue bird out of the sea and … why does the bird have a seastone cuff on? Why is Whitebeard destroying so many marine ships and bases? And most important, why is a Whitebeard ship with a few commafjnders after them? They didn't do anything wrong!

Atop a long ship sat a tall man. His eyes were half closed in boardom. In his hands he held a fishing pole, the line in the ocean. This man was known as Dusty, first mate of the Spade Pirates. He usually enjoyed fishing, sitting in wait for a fish to come, but something about this day, this spot, gave him the chills. It was as if something would happen that would affect this crew greatly.

Several other Spade Pirates called to him, asking if anything was biting, where he responded in the negative. Everyone on the ship (minus their sleeping captain) was on edge, there had been news that there was a conflict between Marines and the strongest man live, Whitebeard. They were all happy that their captain had some sense in him to realize that fighting Whitebeard would end in disaster.

"Hey there Dusty!" The first mate sighed, feeling some relief at hearing their strong captain, "Anything biting?"

"Nothing yet Captain, still waiting."

"Dusty, I want to destroy something, is there any ships nearby?"

"No captain". Silence. "Captain?"

When Dusty looked back he saw his captain, Fire Fist Ace face first on the deck, asleep.

All the crew turned and looked at their captain, a fierce fighter, and fire man, and laughed. At times their captain was dangerous, and like a cornered animal, while other times he was like this, where the entire crew got to see just how old he was.

Dusty sighed and put down his fishing rod. He walked over to a nearby crate and pulled a conveniently placed blanket off it. Draping the blanket over his captain, he motioned for the rest of the crew to keep quiet.

Several minutes later, Ace opened his eyes and blinked up at the bright sunny sky.

Sitting up, he looked to where Dusty was.

"I did it again, didn't I?"

At the affirmative nod, Ace groaned. He was always doing this.

Dusty opened his mouth to tell his captain that he should get that looked at when the fishing rod in his hand gave a sudden lurch, almost pulling him off the ship.

The crew immediately surrounded him cheering for hi. To pull they would only help if Dusty asked. Ace stood right by his side, his voice the loudest when cheering.

Whatever was on the was strong, or just heavy.with another lurch,the first mate almost went overboard if not for Ace grabbing his shirt and holding him steady.

"Need help?" At the affirmative nod, Ace reached around and grasped the rod.

"On the count of three pull.

One

Two

Three!"

At the signal both Dusty and Ace yanked up. It was no surprise that with his captain's inhuman strength that whatever was on the line was yanked up and landed with a heavy "thump" on the deck. What was surprising was that the object that they fished up was a large metal bird cage, with something in it.

After a moment of silence, Ace ran over to it, intending to open the cage and look at the bird trapped inside. Despite being know to beat up people when he felt like it, he had a soft spot for animals. Once he touched the cage however, he jerked back, hissing.

"Spook, get over here and open this, it's Seastone."

The shocked silence that hung over all of them was broken by their captain's voice and they all rushed over. Once the cage was opened and the bird removed, they could clearly see the blue and yellow bird, they could also see the locked seastone cuff on its leg and the large wound that was on its chest.

"Doc!" Ace called "can you do anything?"

Doc, whose name most have forgotten is favor of just calling him Doc, ran over, his medical bag that he carried everywhere hitting the deck as he looked over the bird.

After awhile the bird was bandaged and Doc sat back. "I did what I could, but I don't specialize in animals. But the wound is bandaged and isn't infected. What I want to know is what is this bird, where did it come from, why does it have a seastone cuff on, and what the hell it was doing in the ocean!"

After Spook, resident thief and picklocker looked at the cuff, he shook his head saying that the lock was complicated and he had no idea how to pick it.

Ace stood up, holding the bird as he did so.

"He needs too dry off, I'll take him to my cabin and use my fire to speed along the process. And DON'T WORRY" Ace looked at Dusty smirking, "I won't roast him. Also in my cabin he'll have the space needed to heal."

Ace starts to walk over to the door of his cabin before stopping. Turning he asks,

"Dusty?... What do birds eat?"