A/N: I am taking a lot of creative license with this story.
-I had a sudden burst of creativity some time ago so I just had to write this idea down, after some editing here it is.
-I am not super knowledgeable about one piece. I've read some of the manga and own four box sets for the anime; to fill in the gaps I've used the wiki sight as a reference.
-I do not believe the prison that Ace was in is the same area that he was executed at but for the purpose of my story the prison and execution stand are both in the same area.
-I have not attempted a fight scene just yet in my writing so for now there will not be one
-In advance forgive me if the characters are beyond out of character, I've seen a little bit of Ace, and Buggy I know is very "flashy", but there is one character in this chapter who I have yet to see that maybe out of character.
-This is set a week before Ace's execution, I hope anyone who reads this finds some enjoyment!
-Oh yeah, I am a very spastic writer. I won't update a story unless I have a stroke of inspiration. I won't get upset if those who enjoy this story just add it to their story alert.
I looked across my cell at my new cellmate. Fire Fist Ace…I would recognize his face anywhere. I did not need his wanted sheet to know him; after all he looked just like Captain Rogers. This boy was his son, one look at the glare on the Ace's face proved it. I am sure his glare was well deserved; I mean I was the one who started glaring first.
Reining in my bitter anger I felt narrowed eyes relax slightly into a more natural state. I felt a superior smirk form onto my inked lips while my eyes turned cold. I could not stand to look at him. Twisting my head to the side I settled for gazing dispassionately at the bars of my cell.
Obviously my silence was a good enough clue to the boy as his lips stayed sealed and quiet. As our silent agreement to leave each other continued I returned to my plans of escape. Three months in this cell should have provided me with plenty of time to form several escape routes each with various degrees of success. Unfortunately it seemed that my last two escapes had been enough to teach my captures. They now knew I was not a pirate who gave up after being locked up and the speed in which I escaped the two other times the marines had captured me proved I was not without intelligence.
As much as the thought of marines being wary of my power and intelligence boosted my ego and pride, their latest attempt to incarcerate me was proving to be infallible. The walls of my cell were either made of or with sea stone making the use of my powers impossible. Getting out of my cell to explore other possibilities was also impossible as I was not allowed within two feet of the bars of my cell door without threat of gunfire. It seemed my reputation was more infamous than I had previously thought as there was always a guard standing opposite my cell door.
I could not help but twitch slightly with stress at this thought. As much as it disgusted me all the guards assigned to my cell were on orders to keep me in sight at all times and under no circumstance were they to allow their sight to falter even to greet their relief. Irritatingly this also meant that they watched me as I used the chamber pot in the cell and as I washed my hair in the sink, it was humiliating and it made me feel emasculated. In my mind there was no doubt that they were all seriously demented perverts, each and every one of them. How else could they stand to watch a man like me have bowel movements?
Gritting my teeth I could feel my anger and bitterness return as my indifferent gaze turned once more into a chilling glare. Only this time I was not looking at the son of my late captain instead my gaze was trained on the guard outside of my cell.
It seemed that my anger did nothing to the guard in fact it looked to me as if the mindless drone had not even noticed it, either that or the man was plain ignoring me. Whatever the case once I was free of this cage I would gut the first guard I came across, those bastards would regret my imprisonment.
"What are you looking at, eh? You look like someone just kicked you in the balls." I could feel my eyes harden even more at the bland voice of my cellmate.
Ace could not have sounded more bored if he tried, that added with his little comment only increased my ire. My teeth felt like they were about to shatter I was gritting them so hard. Turning from the guard I glared at Ace for breaking our silent agreement to leave each other alone. Surprisingly Ace's face did not look near as bored as his voice had sounded; in fact the boy looked genuinely interested in my answer.
The look on Ace's face was like a balm to my bruised pride. The interest on it stroked my ego enough to warrant a reply even as unfriendly as it would most likely be.
"I'm not looking at anything brat!" My tone was as sharp as the daggers I usually carried on my person.
"You shouldn't lie... it's bad for your health." Ace's face held a slightly scolding tilt to it as if he wanted to teach me the importance of honesty. The fact that his voice came out sounding just as bland and bored as before only made him seem condescending. I could feel my jaw drop slightly at his disrespect while my twitch grew even worse at his audacity.
"The hell! How is lying bad for my health? And who are you to tell me what to do? I've killed men for less!" Though my words were harsh my voice barely rose above a whisper. This was the second in command of the Whitebeard pirates, bratty as Ace may be he had gained that title not by luck. I was no fool much as I may look like one; I would not anger Ace unnecessarily. Of course that did not mean I was going to let some brat tell me what to do. I was my own man and no one would order me around unless I allowed them to, even then they would not be ordering me for long.
"Eh? It's bad for you because lying will make your teeth rot and fall out. And what did ya mean when you said less than lying? Oh! Is laughing at your big red nose less than lying?" Ace actually had the nerve to grin at me while he said this. I could feel blood rush up to my ears as my vision started to turn red.
"Big… red… nose! Why you damn brat I'll gut you like a fish! I'll show you who has a big red nose once I've smashed yours into your skull! How dare you speak to the great Captain Buggy like that?"
My voice had reached a dull roar by this point, my composure was completely gone and the only thing I could think of was beating this brat bloody. Just as I was hopping off my cot to do just that, the guard I had been glaring at before this entire conversation started interrupted.
"Stand down Buggy! There is not to be any fighting between you and Portgas D. Ace understood! If you fail to comply you will be subdued and your meals will be suspended until it is deemed you have learned your lesson. I repeat stand down Buggy!" The mindless guard was serious, his gun held and pointed straight at me. Without my devil fruit powers this weak fool could kill me with it.
Slightly uneasy at the prospect of death I slowly sat back down on my cot, not once did the guard's gun leave me as I did so. Once I was reseated the guard took back his original position, standing at attention while watching me his rifle resting against his right shoulder.
I could feel my hands shaking while my attention was still on the guard. This time I was not glaring, but instead my eyes held a new wariness and discomfort as I gazed at him. The man I had recently been planning to gut had just threatened my life successfully; he could have killed me easily and without effort. My dream of finding all the hidden treasures across the ocean ruined before I could even find one.
I am not sure exactly what my face portrayed, but shamefully I would have to guess that fear was probably the most prevalent emotion on it. My hands still shaking I gathered the ruins of my pride and looked at my fellow prisoner.
Ace's face held a strange emotion on it, one I could not recognize. He was looking at me and seemed to be unaffected by the threat of death or punishment. He was not shaking in fear like myself; I must have looked like a coward to him. I clenched my still shaking hands into fists at the thought, I was no coward! Just because I wanted to live to fulfill my dream did not mean I was afraid of death.
No, I had lived with the knowledge that I could die following the life of a pirate. But dying on my ship sailing towards my hopes and dream was different than dying in a small cell. There was no pride in a dog's death and being killed at the hands of a two-bit marine lackey was sickening.
My nostrils flared slightly as I took slow deep breaths to calm my shattered nerves. I felt a flash of unease when I noticed Ace's eyebrows scrunch down and his gaze focus even more on me as I did so. The grin that had previously been on his face gone, replaced by a neutral line.
"Why are you scared?" I was not shocked when I heard him speak; in fact I had been waiting for him to do so. His question was not very original either, I had an answer for it waiting on the tip of my tongue, but his tone stilled my voice. I had expected the second in command of Whitebeards crew, not to mention the son of the pirate king, to find my fear disgusting. I thought he would sound angry with me for being a spineless pirate let alone pirate captain. Instead his tone held a certain knowledge and wistfulness, it was almost as if he wanted to react the same way I did.
My red lips closed as I lost my voice. I clenched my eyes shut to ward off a sudden pressure in my chest, my throat swelling while my tear ducts betrayed me. Clenching my teeth tightly together I refused to let my emotions leave me in the form of tears and sobs. Maybe I was a coward, but I would not be emasculated any more than I already have been.
I did not even know why his question and tone upset me. His question was meaningless; of course I was afraid because I did not want to die. Just because the guard had not directly threatened to kill me did not mean his loaded gun had not. How easily would that guard have gotten off if he had shot me? A quick excuse of being threatened or attacked and the marine would have been free by lunch time, then off to regular duties afterwards. Meanwhile my dead carcass would be hung up as an example to others of why the life of a pirate was to be avoided.
Ace's tone should not have mattered either. So what if he knew how I felt and why, obviously the brat had some intelligence to figure it out but even then why should I care if he understood my fear? I did not need anyone to understand me, and I did not care if the brat sounded wistful and sad.
"Are you going to cry? Maybe you should, it might make you feel better. They say holding in your tears can make your eyes explode."
Suddenly my raging emotions stopped. I do not know why but hearing Ace say I should cry then suddenly lying about why eased the pressure on my chest. I felt my sobs break apart while my tears returned back to their nest. Opening my eyes to look at Ace I am sure my eyes were slightly red as I gave him a small glare combined with a scowl.
"Would you shut up for five seconds you stupid brat? First you tell me my teeth will fall out from lying and now you lie straight to my face telling me my eyes will explode from not crying! If anyone's teeth are about to fall out your teeth will be the first that is the second lie you've told me in ten minutes time."
Huffing slightly I watched to see how the brat would take my scolding. Unsurprisingly the brat took my words with a grain of salt seemingly ignoring them completely. Though his face did seem lighter than it had been a few minutes ago, I was not about to assume he had been trying to make me feel better. The brat had probably just wanted me to make a fool of myself again; he had gotten me to yell about the stupidest things so far.
"Well…maybe your eyes won't explode, I'm not really sure about that saying. As for lying I think that only counts if you know you're lying, your teeth falling out that is. So…you're Buggy the Clown?" This brat was not going to shut up was he? Ace was grinning again; it was so wide the brat's freckles were very noticeable.
Grumbling slightly to myself about stupid brats who did not know when to shut up I thought about my answer. Yes I was Buggy the Clown, So? Why would Fire Fist Ace care about a small time pirate from the east blue?
"Of course I'm Buggy the Clown! Who the hell walks around with a red nose but me? Why so curious huh? What would the second in command of Whitebeards pirates want with me?" I am sure my arrogant tone of voice was grating, but Ace seemed to ignore it like it was not even there. I felt my irritated twitch come back.
"Eh…it's just I heard rumors. They say that you've had a few run ins with Monkey D. Luffy. Well he's my brother and I just wanted to hear about him, and I wanted to learn about some of the things he's done since becoming a pirate." Ace's voice was full of pride as he told me about his relationship with the bane of my existence.
Of course how appropriate and fitting, the brother of Luffy would end up in the same cell as me. Luffy had to be one of the most arrogant pirates I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. Repeatedly stating his fate as the next pirate king all the while believing every other pirate should just accept it and move on.
The nerve of that kid really irritated me, not to mention the brat defeated me in a humiliating fashion while robbing me blind. Well…he did not really steal from me so much as he let that bitch Nami do it instead, damn her to hell! One day I would have my revenge for that.
Just the thought of beating that girl blue brought a demented smirk to my face.
"Hey! Are you ignoring me? Buggy!"
After I beat Nami to a pulp I imagine I will toss that fool Luffy into the sea to drown, it would serve him right for getting the best of me. While the thought of violence had brought a smirk to my face, the hint of murdering the thorn in my side named Luffy set my ribs to aching. I could not seem to stop laughing in hysterical glee.
Smack!
Suddenly I felt like my face was on fire and my left cheek hurt terribly. With my eyes watering slightly I looked up to see Ace standing in front of me with his cuffed hands hanging from his left slightly.
Surprisingly instead of anger I felt relieved I had never taken pleasure in killing others when I was younger, sure I liked to beat the snot out of people who disrespected me but never kill. As I have grown older more and more I find myself thinking that killing is ok, that it is what I need to do. Thankfully I have not given in to the urge to kill needlessly yet.
The click of a gun jolted me out of my thoughts. The whole time I had been thinking I had stared at Ace. Now as I looked toward our guard I saw a rifle cocked and ready to fire. The guard's uniform hat shadowed his face giving him a grim look, like dealing death is what he was made for. Adrenaline rushed through my veins towards my brain; thoughts were running rampant through my mind trying to find a solution to this dangerous situation I was now in. The gun was aimed at Ace but for some reason that did not ease my anxiety. I blame it on the boy's father, I may not care that much for Ace but he was the son of my beloved Captain Rogers.
I coughed rather loudly trying to ease the tension and dangerous atmosphere. When the guard stayed as still as a statue and Ace refused to back away from me I decided that words would probably solve this problem. I just wish I was good with them.
"Ahem. If you wouldn't mind Portgas kindly sit down on your side of the cell. I rather like eating and getting shot was not on my agenda today." I tried to make my words sound arrogant and dismissive as if this whole situation was not a big deal, I added a sneer just hoping it would hammer the effect in.
For one agonizing moment Ace just stood there staring at me blankly, while later I was curious of what he was thinking at that time I just wished he would sit the hell down across the cell. Finally Ace seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in, he blinked ridiculously slowly before he turned around took three steps and flopped onto his mattress. Not even a second later a soft snore could be heard.
Not relaxing just yet I glanced to the guard. The man seemed to debate with himself for a minute before coming to a decision. Releasing his tight grip on the rifle the guard resumed his watch stance but for the first time looked me directly in the eye while he issued judgment.
"Prisoner Buggy and Prisoner Portgas your meal privileges are here by suspended for the next three days. Any further violence out of you two and further punishment will be issued. That is all."
As the guards gaze fell away from me and Ace continued his nap I could not help but let out a hiss of frustration.
'Why the hell am I being punished with that brat? I didn't do anything! Shit!'
Nothing to eat for three days, I would be starving by the end of the day. They did not exactly feed me much to begin with, so even a day would be long enough for my stomach to protest.
Glancing over at the kid that got me into this mess I watched as he slept. I could not believe how peaceful he looked, surely he knew what fate awaited him, hell the both of us really. Just the thought of the public execution that would soon be around the corner sent chills down my spine.
Deciding to take a leaf out of Ace's book I laid down on my own cot. Feeling my right cheek where the brat had struck me I noticed that it was slightly swollen. Shifting so I was lying on my side facing Ace I laid my cheek on the cool fabric of my pillow. The sensation was soothing against the slight burn I felt and I soon found myself nodding off to the sound of soft snoring.
"Hey! Can you bring something to eat already! I'm starving man, come on have a heart."
I swear Ace's whining could not be any more annoying, the brat was just like his brother always whining about something it seemed. The first thing the brat whined about was the chamber pot. He said he refused to use it with someone watching, he would rather soil his breeches he stated. The whole day he refused until finally I had enough of his pinched expression and exaggerated noises of discomfort.
I had pushed the brat over to the chamber pot and stood behind him facing the guard. I practically dared the guard to shot me by that point I had been so annoyed I would not have cared. Thankfully the guard did not take my glare as an offense, instead the man just tensed slightly until Ace finished his business and returned to his cot. Obviously I was not the only one who had been annoyed otherwise I do not think the guard would have let the brat have the privacy he got.
After that incident was over the boy had learned about the no eating punishment. At first it had seemed the boy was going to tough it out, earning him some brownie points from me for his restraint. But by the morning of the second day the brat had started whining again, and he did not stop whining until he had a narcoleptic fit around noon.
My ears had felt like they were bleeding by that point. Grateful for the brief lull in noise I had used the chamber pot myself and then carried it over to the door of our cell before returning to my cot. When the second guard came to relieve the first I watched them take the chamber pot to empty it. The first guard came back with it about ten minutes later and returned it to our cell. Once the cell had been secured I returned the pot to the back corner once more, at least I got some privacy there.
Glancing around the cell I once more watched Ace sleep. It was so boring being stuck in this cell with nothing to do, my muscles practically ached from no stimulation. They did not even let me out to exercise, probably did not want me to have the chance to use my devil fruit powers. Still three months is a long time, I probably would not win any fights I got into at this point.
Thankfully I was not getting fat; they did not give me enough to eat for that to happen. Unfortunately to tell the truth I was actually losing weight and it was definitely starting to look unhealthy by this point.
Looking at my prison uniform that had fit me rather well when I first arrived I noticed the rather baggy look it now supported. Not exactly a comforting sight I will admit, glancing up toward Ace I jumped slightly at the stare that I saw.
Shocked to see the boy abruptly awake after being in such a deep sleep, I felt rather self-conscious when I noticed where he was looking. Guess I was not the only one who noticed how thin and frail I looked. I felt angered as he continued to stare; he was probably thinking it would be easy to beat me if we ever fought.
When the brat had finally looked away and started complaining for food I was relieved. Why should I care if the brat thought I was weak or not? His opinion did not matter to me, soon enough I would be out of this cell and back to my old self anyway.
I watched two marines escort Ace away from our cell. They were leading him to his execution. My eyes refused to leave Ace's face, it was resigned. The son of my Captain had given up without a fight; he did not struggle even a little. There was no defiance on his face, no hope in his eyes for a miracle. Ace's eyes were dead and the only thing on his face was a slight frown. As Ace trudged beside his guards not once did he look back to see me.
I should have felt relieved to be rid of the brat; at last my ears would be free of prideful rants about Ace's beloved brother Luffy and his all-powerful father Whitebeard. No longer would I have to suffer a wounded ego as Ace insulted my red nose and commented on the length of my hair. His presence had only been an annoyance to me the entire time I had lived in it.
Not only was he finally gone but my constant watch dogs had also disappeared to witness his death. I was finally free to escape this retched cell and leave Impel Down forever.
Only as Ace disappeared up the stairs to the upper levels my lungs stopped working. I could not breathe and there were tears streaming down my cheeks. I could not stop the first sob from breaking free, my emotions were beyond my control and my pride was no more.
Damn that brat! Even when I was free of him he still refused to leave my thoughts. How dare he affect me so? When had I come to see Ace as more than a nuisance? Why did the thought of him dying leave me in anguish?
As more tears escaped my control I felt clarity come to me. I cared for him. Over the week we had been together Ace had wormed his way into my cold heart and warmed it from the inside. At first I had resented the boy for looking so much like his father. My captain who I had secretly cared greatly for and respected above all others had also been executed, only Captain Rogers had been ready for death.
Ace was not ready to die. My sobs came to a stop at this thought while my tears slowed. Lifting my head up I raised my right hand to my chest to ease the pressure I felt there.
Ace was too young to die. Was I really going to stand by like a coward while he was killed?
"No."
No. I cared for that brat and on Captain Rogers's grave I swore I would save Ace. I was no coward; I was the dreaded Clown Buggy! It would be a cold day in hell before I allowed myself to lose to the marines.
My resolve steeled I reached into thick blue hair. What I retrieved was two pins skillfully hidden where fingers would not reach unless knowledge of their location was already known. Without any delay I wiped my thoughts clean of everything but escape.
If I wanted to rescue Ace I would have to hurry. Picking the lock on my cell door was a simple process, easily done in five minutes. Once free of my cell I could feel power and strength return to me. It seems my cell had been made of sea stone. The marines really were idiots for leaving me unsupervised, even a few minutes gave me ample time to escape. Not to mention they had left me free of sea stone cuffs, now free of my cage my devil fruit abilities would come in very handy.
Heartened at the marines stupidity I quickly separated my left eye from my body and used it as a scout as I ascended the same stairs Ace had used previously.
"You fucking brat! I'll kill Luffy if you let yourself be killed by these rotten marines!" I mumbled the threat under my breath as I raced up the stairs and around corners.
Of course I had no idea where the hell I was, but hopefully I would keep stumbling across stairs until I reached either the roof or an exit. Just as I was preparing to take another right turn my left eye showed me an empty room ahead that held an assortment of weapons.
Whispering an arrogant cheer to myself about my awesome powers, I ran to the room my eye had spotted. Entering quickly I searched frantically for any daggers or short swords, using a weapon I was not very good with would hurt rather than help me at the moment.
Spotting two daggers laying on a nearby table to my left and a short sword on a shelf on the wall I started to grab them when I noticed my lack of space. I could only take the two daggers unless I found something to hold them to me with. Looking around the room once more, only a little more thoroughly, I finally spotted two belts in an open locker.
"Yes." I hissed with glee at my discovery. Quickly placing and adjusting the belts around my waist I then proceeded to grab the daggers and sword I had spotted before.
Placing them in my new belts I turned away from the storage room and continued my sprint to rescue Ace, the stupid brat.
Panting slightly with effort I recalled my left eye, having two sets of vision was starting to give me a migraine not to mention the urge to puke from dizziness. Praying to whatever pirate god would listen for a lucky break; I hoped all the marines were too busy getting pumped for the execution to get in my way.
Seeing another set of stairs ahead of me I almost groaned with annoyance. How many levels were there in this place? Gritting my teeth I started to climb once more. Just as I got half way there was a sudden light to my right slightly above my head.
My eyes widened slightly at the window above me. There were no bars on this window, and it was big enough for me to get through if I separated my body parts and moved them through the portal one at a time.
Dousing the slight hope that was welling up in my chest I once more separated my left eye from its socket so that it could scout ahead for me. Closing my right eye I looked through the left.
Outside of the window I could see the marine base; it seemed I had somehow managed to run my way up the only tower on the tiny island. Looking down toward the ground I could see a platform. My breath hitched in my chest.
"Ace." His name came out as a sort of mournful moan. The boy was on his knees with two long swords resting in front of his neck. Ace's head was bowed in defeat.
I could feel my own head start to bow down; there was an army of marines standing in front of the raised platform. There were also three Admirals seated to watch the show as well, not to mention the Admiral standing to Ace's left. I'd have to be the biggest fool alive not to recognize them Sakazuki, Kuzan, Borsalino and Sengoku.
The chances of me getting to Ace, rescuing him, and escaping with him, were almost none now that I saw the odds.
"Damn it! Damn it all to hell! Shit! What the hell am I gonna do!? Fuck!" I could feel tears forming from where I was pulling my hair in stress. I had to think, I would die before I gave up now.
Gritting my teeth even harder than before, I started to think. A frontal assault would be suicide, Ace would die and so would I before we could even blink. My only option was to grab Ace and run, but getting to Ace without being seen was almost as impossible as a frontal assault. Pulling on my hair harder I summoned my left eye. What I needed was a distraction, something big enough to catch all the marines' attention while I snuck up and grabbed Ace. Once I had him I would run to the nearest ship and pray we could get away, hopefully with a good enough head start we would be far enough that the marines would not be able to catch up.
Pulling even harder on my hair I could feel a few strands come loose, I had to think faster damn it! In order to grab the boy unnoticed the two marines holding the long swords would have to be knocked out without anyone noticing. I could feel sweat forming on my face as I drew a blank on how to do this. Unclenching my teeth I started to chew on my thumb as I thought of possibilities.
As I was thinking a strand of my blue hair drifted in front of my face catching my attention. I let go of my thumb as the thought struck me like lightning.
I had been working on a new technique recently that involved my long locks. I had discovered that my powers not only held complete control of my body but also my hair. If I used my hair to choke the two executioners while using my hands to muffle their mouths and my toes to capture their swords to muffle them clattering to the ground, I could essentially knock them out without being noticed as long as the other marines were distracted enough. The Admiral on the other hand was just a risk I would have to take; hopefully the old geezer would be too distracted to notice anything happening beside him.
There was still a good chance that my plan would fail, but at least I now had a chance. If I died at least it would not be a dog's death, but instead I would die with pride and defiance against these monsters.
Lifting my long hair in one hand while pulling out one of my daggers with the other, I quickly but carefully cut my hair off at the base of my neck. Letting my now shortened hair hang about my neck while my hair band fell to the ground I did not pause to mourn my hair, maybe later but not now.
Crouching down to the floor I split my hair into two even piles then proceeded to braid one pile and then the other. Once the braids were done I concentrated determinedly on my hair and grinned with relief when the braids heeded me and started to move.
Standing up from my crouch I lifted my right hand to my nose. If anyone had seen me picking my nose I think I might have just died from humiliation. Pulling my mini buggy ball out of my left nostril I could not help but feel a little pride on my hiding spot, after all I had been in this fucking prison for over three months and not one of my guards had noticed anything amiss.
Now where should I use it? Thinking quickly I decided that to the left of the Admiral Sengoku and behind the mass of marines, hopefully I had put enough powder in this ball to make a loud enough distraction to muffle any surprise from Ace.
It was now or never. Clenching my mini buggy ball between my teeth I proceeded. My teeth went first followed by my right eye that way they would get to where they were supposed to. I made sure that both appendages stayed high in the air; hopefully if they were spotted they would be mistaken for seagulls.
With that on its way my hands and braids were next while my left eye kept them in sight from the window, making sure they took the stealthiest route to the back of the platform as possible. Once my hands and braids reached their destination without detection I breathed a sigh of relief. Using the same route that my hands had I carefully moved the rest of my body in small pieces to the back of the platform with my left eye coming last.
Once I was hidden behind the platform I reformed my body with the exception of my left eye and hands but without my pinky fingers. I had learned that while my separated body parts would defy gravity on my command, once I started the reformation process the body that was slightly reformed would once more be susceptible to it.
Using only my pinky fingers to hold my body to the platform was torture, but my will to succeed would not falter. I could do this; I know I can do this.
Using my left eye I carefully raised it enough were I would be able to see the two guards and Admiral Sengoku. My braids were ready and so were my semi-whole hands.
Focusing on my right eye I saw that it and my teeth were in a good section of the base to set off my bomb. Turning my right eye slightly I looked for a building that might house some cannon powder to make the explosion bigger than it would already be. A smirk formed on my face when I caught sight of a sign that spelled Armory; surely they would keep cannon powder in the armory no? And maybe the explosion would set off a few of the weapons inside hopefully creating a huge racket.
Using my right eye I noticed an open window, once my teeth and eye were inside I could feel my throat constrict in happiness.
'Jackpot!'
I could not have gotten luckier if I tried the armory my teeth and eye entered was full of cannon balls and powder.
Grinning with glee I summoned my right eye being careful that it was not discovered. On the journey back my right eye caught a glimpse against the horizon.
I could feel my mouth drop in awe and shock. Whitebeards fleet was sailing right towards the base.
Feeling my heart clench with even more hope than it had when I discovered the window; I gently closed my toothless jaw. This was no time to lose myself I had a rescue to accomplish, a rescue made ten times easier since Whitebeard was coming from the same direction as the armory my bomb was set up in.
Tensing slightly I readied myself for the pain I was about to feel, if I wanted to succeed I could not howl in agony when I blew up my teeth with my bomb. Shaking slightly with fear I counted to ten.
'One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten! '
Boom.
Oh god! It hurt so badly! Gritting my teeth in agony was impossible now that they were gone. Using strength I did not know I had I forced myself to keep quiet and my eyes not to water. It should have been impossible to stop my tears, but I refused to fail because I could not keep myself from crying.
Seeing through my left eye that the Admiral and executioners were both distracted I seized my chance and prayed that the other marines were as distracted as these three. My hands and braids practically flew towards the two marines and proceeded to choke and muffle them. At the last minute I realized I had forgotten about their weapons, seeing them start to fall to the ground through my left eye I had no choice but to let one of my hands release a marines mouth to catch them.
Fortune was on my side it seemed. Catching the swords before they made any noise my left hand lowered them quietly to the ground, while the marine I had released had already lost so much air he could no longer make any sounds. Thanking the pirate gods for helping me in this impossible situation I summoned my left eye and used some more of my unknown strength to lift myself onto the platform.
Admiral Sengoku was oblivious to what was happening behind him as he had turned toward the explosion and it seemed the sight of Whitebeards fleet held his attention. The knowledge that the powerful man could turn around at any second put a fire under my feet.
Seeing that my braids had effectively choked the two marines unconscious and my hands had also lowered them quietly to the ground, I hurried as quietly as I could while summoning my hands behind Ace. I stayed in a crouch hoping to make less noise and keep quiet; it seems my plan was working.
Ace seemed to be in shock when I finally reached him. Ignoring him for the moment I only prayed that the brat would keep quiet long enough for us to get out of sight. Pressing my chest against Ace's back firmly I felt him tense slightly but thankfully he kept still and quiet. Seeing as Ace was kneeling on his forelegs I reached under them and gripped his ankles.
It was awkward but I lifted his weight and started to slowly creep backwards. I am not sure who was more tense me or Ace but after I felt and had moved back enough to avoid Sengoku's vision I once more settled into a crouch and urged Ace to do the same.
Ace was quick to comply though I did notice his eyes widen when he finally saw who was saving him. Once again I was ignoring the brat until we were as far from these marines as we could get. Pushing Ace toward the edge of the platform the boy quietly followed my silent directions.
Once at the edge I let my hands detach once more. Gripping Ace's wrists like a second pair of cuffs I pulled him off the platform and gently started to lower him to the ground. While I was lowering the boy I noticed his hands clenched around something, if I was not mistaken I think he had my braids in his hands.
Shaking my head slightly to refocus myself I ignored what I had just noticed and proceeded to disassemble my body and move to the ground to join Ace who was now standing waiting on me.
I could not believe that my plan was working it should have failed already. Ignoring my doubts I quickly reached the ground and reassembled my body. Looking at Ace I could see shock mixed with gratitude and hope on his face. I would have smacked that look right off his face if our situation had not been so dire.
Whitebeard was on the horizon. We had to get to him before the fleet reached the base, if we did not there was no telling how many pirates would die at the hands of these monsters.
Lifting Ace's cuffs up I reached for my upper belt for the pins I had stashed in one of its side pockets. Using the pins to unlock Ace's cuffs only took a few seconds considering how weak the lock was. Once he was free of the sea stone Ace's face seemed to gain some color and life to it.
Gripping the boy by his shoulders tightly to keep him quiet I tried my best to convey our situation without teeth while whispering. Thankfully Ace seemed to understand me mostly.
"We have to get out of here. Whitebeards on his way, if we don't get to him before he gets too close to the base then your comrades are gonna die. Though I haven't got any idea how to get to his ship in time, we've probably got a few minutes max before the marine's notice you're missing. You've got till then to think of something brat cause I'm all out of ideas."
I tried to be as serious as possible without giving up hope, but I really had no clue how to finish our escape. Ace seemed to understand though because he gave me a look filled with promise, I noticed his hands grip my hair tightly before he carefully put the braids into his right shorts pocket.
Ace was still giving me a hard look as he seemed to come to a decision. Walking up to me until we were nearly chest to chest Ace suddenly turned and crouched down.
"Get on. Wrap your legs around my hips and arms around my neck. Don't let go until I tell you to for any reason. Hurry up we don't have any more time."
Once again I ignored any unwanted thoughts that rose up at the thought of being carried like a child and did what I had to do.
Wrapping my legs onto Ace's hips I then crossed them in an x fashion to make my hold more firm, then I placed my arms over his shoulders and under his chin while my right hand gripped my left as tightly as possible without cutting off my blood circulation.
Resting my head against Ace's neck I felt the boy stand up. My nerves were getting the better of me now, I knew this brat was about to do something unimaginable something I would never be ready for.
Breathing as slowly and deeply as possible I kept myself as calm as possible when Ace suddenly burst into flames and took off in a lifesaving sprint. I felt when Ace lowered his arms towards the ground and blasted it sending us both up and flying through the air at breakneck speed.
I felt my gut flutter at the sudden increase in altitude while Ace just kept increasing his fire sending us even higher in the air at a speed so fast I could not lift my head from his neck if I wanted to.
Just when I was sure my life could not get any worse Ace suddenly started blasting up instead of down. We were speeding down to our deaths; there was no way Ace could slow us down enough to keep us from breaking to pieces. But I would not let go, he had told me to hold on and not let go. Even if I died I was going to hold on to this stupid brat and pray for a miracle.
Even though I was willing to die I could not stop myself from squeezing as close as I could to Ace in fear. As a few tears escaped my control I felt Ace grip my hands in reassurance and promise.
That moment felt like it lasted forever. Fortunately for my pride in realty it was only a few seconds so I did not end up doing anything that would have humiliated me later. Just as Ace had finished squeezing my hands our plummet suddenly slowed down drastically.
Now that our speed had decreased I was able to lift my head slightly to get a glimpse of what exactly was saving us from death. In front of Ace was Whitebeards first in command Marco the Phoenix. Marco's arms were covered in blue flames shaped like the wings of the avian he was named after; it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
The man was holding Ace by his wrist as he gently but quickly brought us down to Whitebeards ship the Moby Dick. Once both of Ace's legs were firmly planted on the ship chaos erupted. Ace wasted no time at all he went straight to Whitebeard. He did not even give me a chance to get down.
Whitebeard was a giant of man easily three times larger than an average human. He looked impossible, but I had learned not to be surprised by anything on the Grand Line. Anything that could happen would if you traveled along it long enough.
Whitebeard was standing up waiting for Ace to greet him. There was relief and happiness on the giant's face when his eyes landed on Ace's face. It seemed the only thing that kept the giant from embracing the boy was me, I was still wrapped around Ace and each time I would attempt to get down the brat would stop me via a pinch of my right thigh.
If Whitebeard found this strange or disturbing it didn't show on his face.
"Ace! My son I was worried for you! I received word you had been captured and imprisoned. I was told you were sentenced for execution today!" Whitebeards face as he spoke of Ace's date with death was murderous. I have never seen such a bloodthirsty look in my life. I am sure if given the chance Whitebeard would have murdered every marine who had been at Impel Down to witness Ace's execution.
"Of course as you can see I was on my way to rescue you Ace. No son of mine will be murdered by marines. Your brothers and sisters are with me, they were all just as worried for you as I was. Tell me son, how did you manage to escape?"
Whitebeard sounded genuinely concerned for Ace as he stated his rescue attempt and he held a mild curiosity about Ace's freedom from one of the most guarded marine bases on the grand line, though I did notice Whitebeards eyes flicker to me as he asked his question.
"I'll explain later Pops! Right now you need to turn the fleet around! If you keep on course many of our namaka will die. I spotted four Admirals while I was speeding for the ship; they were all devil fruit users Pops!"
Ace's concern for his comrades seemed to persuade Whitebeard more than the knowledge of the admirals, in fact the giant seemed rather unconcerned with the threat they presented.
"Hmm…I believe you are correct Ace. Now that you are safely on board the Moby Dick I suppose endangering your brothers and sisters is unnecessary. Marco!"
Whitebeards voice thundered across the ship as he called out to his first mate. Marco had been standing behind Ace while the two in front of him were speaking with each other; he now stood up from his slouch attentive to Whitebeards every word.
"Yes sir Captain!"
"Inform your fellow commanders to turn about, we've recovered Ace and are returning to base! Any questions?" Whitebeards command was simple and efficient.
"No Captain! I'll go inform them now Pops!" With that I assume Marco went to find the nearest den den mushi.
As I watched the phoenix slip away the aching in my mouth grew unbearable. Ignoring Whitebeard I instead lowered my head onto Ace's neck once more. As tears of pain started to flow I could only hope Ace would spare me the embarrassment by not bringing attention to my weakness.
Ace's hold on my knees tightened, I wonder if the brat will use this moment as blackmail or something. While I cried I could hear a huge commotion on board the Moby Dick, I could also feel the ship move as it turned around away from the naval base. There was a thunder of running feet and loud yelling as Whitebeard's fleet organized and swiftly gained speed away from approaching navy ships.
A wet cackle escaped my burning mouth, even as more tears escaped my control I could not help but feel joy in the knowledge that it was too late for those naval losers to catch up. The navy had been completely embarrassed today because of me; I have never felt so pleased. Even at the cost of my teeth I was happy, saving Ace had been the most important thing but I would never admit it to the brat.
As I was thinking I heard a loud creak as I assumed Whitebeard sat down on his throne. There was also some worried feminine rambling, something about resting and warnings against drinking sake, before I heard Whitebeard shoo the women away. I was quite surprised when the man spoke to me.
"It's been a long time but I'd recognize that red nose anywhere. To think I just got done speaking with Shanks and now here I am with Buggy."
I stiffened in surprise shocked that Whitebeard knew me. This is the man rumored to be closest to the One Piece, many herald this man to be the next pirate king, and this guy had a fleet of sixteen hundred men. How was it that this man knew me and why did his voice carry a note of fondness as he spoke to me?
I wanted to ask but even as I tried to lift my head to look at him agonizing pain seared through me and my head flopped back onto Ace's neck. I felt loathing for my weakness fill me, I could defy the navy and succeed in rescuing a man from an inescapable fate but I could not even raise my head because of some pain. I had never felt so weak in all of my life and more tears fell from my eyes at my failure.
As I waited for Whitebeard to ask me why I was rude enough not to look at him while he spoke to me one of Ace's hands broke away from my knees. I was surprised again when the boy gripped my hands that were below his collarbone, his sign of support eased my shame and tears of relief escaped me as he spoke for me.
"Can this wait pops? Buggy got hurt when he helped me escape, I don't think he's ready to talk right now." Ace's words were short but true, I could not handle any of this right now.
If Whitebeard was upset he did not sound like it, instead there seemed to be a note of surprised humor in his voice when he replied.
"Buggy saved you? Hmm. No wonder you seem so anxious, for a minute there I could have sworn you were protecting a lover. Not that Buggy would be a bad catch; I've heard there's something special about him. Young Shanks has been after the boy since those two became pirates together. It's a wonder Buggy's been able to outmaneuver the fox for so long, Shanks has definitely grown into a powerful pirate lord."
I felt my face heat up in mortification at being called Ace's lover. When Whitebeard mentioned Shank's obsessive crush on me I could have died, I was just waiting to melt into an embarrassed heap. I did not think anyone had known about that, I had made sure never to get drunk enough to mention it.
'Damn you Shanks! What the hell are you telling everyone?'
While I fumed at Shanks in my head Ace coughed to cover his badly hidden laugh.
'Just you wait brat, the minute I'm able I'll wipe the smirk I knows on your face right off!'
Recovering from his amusement Ace shifted his hand from mine and gripped my knee once more; shifting slightly to get his balance the brat was obviously getting ready to tote me somewhere.
"Well captain as interesting as this conversations been do you mind if I take Buggy to the Doc? We can finish talking about Shank's and Buggy's love affair later of course." The brat was grinning while he said this I could tell.
"Alright, but before you go Ace I have some news I think you should hear. That brother of yours that you speak so fondly of, Luffy I believe, I've been informed he was last seen heading toward Impel Down." Whitebeards words were spoken with a hint of worry. As Ace stiffened beneath me I could not help but share Whitebeards fear. Would Ace run back to sure death to see if Luffy was really there?
I was shocked and relieved when Ace's body relaxed and he spoke with faith and pride for his brother.
"Luffy will be fine. I know my brother he's not going to let those navy guys get him. Next time we get word of him his bounty will probably have gone up again." Ace was chuckling by the end of his speech. The genuine pride and love in his voice touched a part of me that I had forgotten about.
The deep rumbling laugh I heard issue from Whitebeard held relief and pride.
"One of these days I hope your brother joins my crew. I know he'll be just as strong and hardheaded as you Ace. Though I've heard rumor that the crew he's gathered has potential. Now get out of here and see that Buggy gets the best treatment the Whitebeard pirates have to offer! He's saved one of my beloved sons I'll see him repaid for it."
I twitched slightly as Ace seemed to take Whitebeard's order with enthusiasm. Instead of gently walking towards wherever the doctor on board was Ace immediately fell into a dash around the ship hollering at the top of his lungs for the doctor.