(Two years before Luffy sets out to sea.)
Somewhere in New World...
Ace leaned on the railing of the Moby Dick, trying to appear cool and composed. Braziers were lit across the wide deck of the ship to hold back the night's darkness and his shipmates were partying hard. The young man twitched his shoulders as the night wind caressed them. He should be mingling among the men of the ship, he had officially joined the White Beard pirates, he even had the tattoo that proved he belonged on his back now. He was fully accepted, no longer the rookie causing their great captain problems with his petty attempts to kill him. So why did he remain at the edge of the deck sipping his ale instead of joining in with the lively conversations and drunken dancing?
The new tattoo was the problem.
Ace had known the tattoo would be uncomfortable until it healed completely. His experience with the one on his arm had told him as much. He just didn't realize how uncomfortable it would be this time or, more likely, he had just forgotten the degree of discomfort. His back stung and itched and felt as if a low flame was searing his skin. A sensation he hadn't felt since acquiring his devil fruit abilities. The water from the bath had felt nice on his abused flesh but back in the dry air it stung all the fiercer. The fires from the braziers only aggravated the feeling so he stood where the cool ocean breeze could kiss the irritated skin and relieve his suffering if but a fraction.
At least his physical suffering.
Ace glowered at his shipmates who he swore were taking sidelong glances in his direction and snickering into their drinks. Many knew what he was going through, having experienced this same rite of passage, but were barely suppressing the urge to tease him over it. Whether it was from sympathy or simply not wanting to enrage the infamous Fire Fist Ace, was unclear. Ace, however, firmly believed that if he failed to remain stoic while he healed, any whiff of weakness, and they would verbally dog pile him, flame-flame fruit be damned! So Ace sipped his ale, looking for all the world like he didn't care, too cool to participate in the drunken revelry.
Watching some of the more dorky pirates prance around like a bunch of fools reminded him of his little brother. Luffy would have been right in the middle of that, probably winning the prize on how much of a fool one could be without having a single drop of alcohol in his system, unlike the current batch competing for the prize at the moment who had to be completely smashed. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. His mind's eye added his little brother to the mix and he imagined what weird and wild ways he would stretch himself out. Everyone laughing at his antics and Luffy enjoying the attention, having fun as he laughed along. It allowed Ace to momentarily forget his pain.
"So Ace..."
Whack!
Ace barely bit back a yelp, ale spilling all over the deck as his mug bounced in his grip.
Teech stood next to him, having just slapped Ace's sensitive back with a force just shy of activating his logia powers. So Ace had felt the impact. That coupled with his sore flesh caused it to smart something fierce. The uncomfortable itching was now replaced with the roaring inferno of offended nerves.
"I heard you finally accepted your place on the ship. Guess we're really shipmates now, huh? Hahahhha!" Teech continued to pat Ace's back, though, with a little more care than before.
He did that on purpose! Ace thought, suppressing the urge to incinerate the barrel shaped man. True, even if the impact had been amplified by his raw pain receptors, it was still less painful then being punched by the old geezer, his grandfather. It was more the surprise of the moment that got him.
"Though it was fun watching you try to kill the old man," Teech continued, either ignoring or oblivious to Ace's piercing glare. Ace suspected the former.
Ace's cheeks turned red as he remembered his several attempts on White Beard. The laughter of the crew as he was sent sailing through the cabin's wall. Sometimes he even went right off the ship and into the water which resulted in someone from the White Beard's side rescuing him before he drowned. If he actually had been a threat to White Beard none of them would have found him so funny. Which made his previous attitude all the more embarrassing. And Jimbei actually tried to stop me from seeing White Beard. I wonder if he wasn't trying to spare my feelings by defeating me himself rather than protecting White Beard like he claimed. I'm sure Shanks had a good laugh after I left his camp, as well. Dark thoughts. Ace shook his head to clear it then went to take a sip of his ale, only to discover the mug empty. He had spilled it all when Teech hit him.
"Oh you ran out," said Teech with an innocent expression. Ace thought it was rather miraculous that Teech could even possess a passable expression of innocence. The man's face was the very picture of scumbag. Every time Ace looked at him he wondered what it was he was plotting at that moment. Ace couldn't put his finger on why he was on edge around Teech. He hadn't done anything to Ace or even to stand out from the others. He was so far removed from being anything exceptional that it was only this feeling of wrongness that had gotten Teech's name into Ace's memory so quickly. An old-timer of the crew that didn't seem to have a shred of ambition.
"Let me get you another round," Teech continued, reaching for Ace's mug. Ace bristled but couldn't think of a single reason to refuse him. He was now a White Beard Pirate, there was no reason to distrust a shipmate.
Ace handed over his mug. "I appreciate that." He watched as Teech waddled away. He probably would move faster if he just rolled like the giant barrel that he is, thought Ace uncharitably. I wonder how far he'd tumble if I kicked him in the ass right now. Ace squelched the idea. Attacking a senior member of the crew without cause would most likely get him trounced by everyone else. He was the newbie, the bottom of the pecking order, and he had to take his hazing like a man. In time he would gain enough notoriety on the ship that the others would respect him but right now he was just the upstart super rookie that White Beard had taken a liking to even as he crushed him into the ground along with all his dreams and ambitions.
Ace caught himself. His thoughts were going dark again. It had been several weeks since Ace had challenged the legendary pirate resulting in his complete and total defeat and enforced recruitment to the White Beards. But it was only yesterday that he decided to take the mark after his conversation with Marco. Earlier today, they had gotten him on the table and went to work. Ace crossed his arms as he rolled his shoulders. The roar of insulted nerves had dulled to a pulsing throb. He sighed. He was going to have to drink a lot more ale if he wanted to sleep tonight. He waited quietly for Teech to return with his mug.
*************
Baltigo...Dragon's chin rested on his left fist while the fingers of his other hand drummed on the desk at a quick but controlled pace. Before his desk stood Sabo, Koala and Hack. Young Koala had her fists planted on her hips and was glaring at her contemporary, Sabo who stood at the center of the trio. The fishman, Hack, simply stood with arms crossed to the right, his eyes focused on something on the other side of the wall that only he could see. An obvious attempt to avoid Dragon's thunderous expression, which Dragon didn't mind. Hack wasn't the one he was angry with. Sabo stood between the two, sheepish smile on his face, his hands clasped behind his back looking like a naughty school boy caught skipping class instead of one of the revolutionary army's elite fighters. Dragon continued to drum his fingers without saying a word.
Sabo shifted his weight, withering slightly at his commander's gaze. He knew what was coming. Dragon needn't say anything. Sabo had heard the lecture so many times that he had it memorized. His brain played its own recording in the silent room for only him to hear.
"We revolutionaries guide the oppressed people is freeing themselves from tyrants. We do not lead them much less own the entire campaign single handed! We do them no favors when we do this. They must have the confidence to stand on their own or else they will fall victim to a new tyrant. We cannot have them be dependent on us!"
Sabo shifted again and Dragon narrowed his eyes. Despite the repeated lectures, chastising and even confinement, Sabo still wasn't taking it to heart. This time he had charged a fortress that contained the royal army alone, tore down the gate with his bare hands then proceeded to blow apart the fortress with the dragon fist techniques that he had mastered last year. Sabo was a dedicated warrior and one of their strongest but he needed to learn restraint. It did their cause no good if Sabo went overboard during a mission. Dragon sighed and Sabo flinched.
"You got carried away again," stated Dragon in a soft voice. He had found long ago that a soft voice could be even more effective than a yell when it came to scolding subordinates. It made them listen.
"Sorry," whispered Sabo. He at least didn't offer any excuses are try to justify his defiance but he had been apologizing too often and too readily of late. Dragon was certain that Sabo would continue to let his passions rule him and not follow orders. Sabo cared too much about the people he fought with. He couldn't stand to let them fight and die when he could spare them all that pain by fighting in their place but, in the long run, he wasn't helping them.
"You're always sorry yet you never change," said Dragon. He raised his head and shuffled the papers of Sabo's report, placing it to the side. "I'm going to have you remain here. You can help Martha in the kitchen."
"What?!" yelled Sabo in shock. "That's kid's work!"
"Perhaps peeling a few thousand potatoes like you did in the past will remind you the benefits of taking small, deliberate actions and not large, flashy ones." Dragon looked up at the outraged young man. Sabo was a passionate man but he was also prideful. Being taken out of fieldwork and made to do chores like when he was still in training as a boy was a blow to his ego. Sabo's fists were clenched and raised. His teeth bared and eyes flashing. "You're dismissed," Dragon added coolly.
Sabo spun, snapping, "Fine!" and stormed out of the room, Koala running after him. Probably to console him, he thought before turning his attention to Hack who had remained behind.
Hack hesitated then glanced at Dragon. "His heart is in the right place. This only happens because he cares too much."
"If that wasn't the case I would have to take more drastic action," Dragon replied, folding his hands before him.
"Is this because of what Helgram has said?"
"..." Dragon glanced at the door Sabo had disappeared through. Helgram was one of his advisors. With his commanders scattered and in hiding, Dragon had to rely on less powerful staff to get the day to day missions done. What was said between him and his advisors was supposed to be just between them, however, it seemed that was not the case if Hack was bringing it up. He would have to discuss that with them.
Helgram had stated just before this latest mission that Sabo was in the same class as a commander and needed to be put away until the day for the big mission came. Dragon understood what he meant. His commanders were all people of extreme power and capabilities that he couldn't use in the small revolutions he orchestrated across the globe. Like Sabo it would be too easy for them to bring down a corrupt ruling party all by themselves. That was why Helgram suggested Sabo needed to be ordered to go to ground and await the summons. However, the commanders were older veterans that knew how to ignore current events and wait. Sabo was barely a man and still impatient and full of fire. He would not sit quietly on some island waiting for a call that could take years to come. If Dragon didn't keep the young man close he was likely to go off and do something on his own and possibly endanger the entire Revolutionary Army's goals. Though, none of it would be deliberate. It would just be a natural consequence of Sabo acting on his own.
Dragon needed Sabo to stay at headquarters where he could be supervised and controlled to a certain extent. At least until he matured a bit more. Dragon sighed again.