Second thoughts
A/N: Hey everybody, I just thought I should give it a go at OneShots. Hope you enjoy!
Diclaimer: I do not own anything. They all belong to Oda-sensei or artist that drew cover photo.
Summary:
After hearing horrid stories about the Whitebeard Pirates growing up and then learning firsthand how wrong the tales were, Ace can't help but wonder that maybe, just maybe, the stories about Gol D. Roger were the same way.
Ace would never say that his life was perfect. But at the moment, he could say it was pretty good. After joining the Whitebeard crew life was pretty good. For once in his life, Ace didn't feel responsible for everything around him. He had older brothers and sisters to look out for him, not to mention the old man who he called Pops.
Looking at the crew right now, Ace could never understand why everyone around the world would fear them so much. The sun had set and the crew was innocently partying, dancing and singing drunkenly with laughter filling the ship with warm feelings and mirth. Everybody was just glad to be alive!
Ace didn't see why the stories about them were so horrible. It's not like they went around pillaging and raping or anything like that! They didn't kill for pleasure, they hardly even stole! In fact, they were probably doing more good than bad, with the amount of island that were protected with the Whitebeard mark.
The only time they really fought was to protect what they believed in and what they cared about. That seemed like a really good reason to be fighting to Ace. They fight to protect what they loved, isn't that what everybody does?
So all things considered, Ace didn't understand.
He had heard so many stories about how his adoptive father was a monster. A murderer. Everyone seemed to hate them. Of course, hearing stories like that reminded Ace of someone else. Someone whose name he refuses to take.
That man had ruined his life. Just because of what that man did, Ace had to live a horrible, isolated childhood. He could help but hate the man. Gol D. Roger was a man that Ace would never acknowledge as father.
But he had met Shanks, hearing nothing but good stories about the Pirate King from the red haired man. And Rayleigh had only good things to say, where Whitebeard had admitted to even occasionally having a drink with that man, almost calling him a friend. Garp even said that he had trusted the man, going as far as to save and protect his son.
But society disagreed. All Ace had ever hear growing up was how that man was evil, and how he shouldn't exist.
"If Gold Roger had a son? He'd be beheaded, no doubt about it!"
"His last words should be something like this: 'I'm so sorry I was born! I'm just garbage!'"
Just thinking about it mad Ace's blood boil. At least things were different now, Ace knew. He deserved to live, he was worth something, Luffy had taught him so. And now the Whitebeard Pirates had confirmed it to him. The feeling of hatred never left him completely but at least Ace could block out those useless thoughts now.
Ace clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He HATED that man. But somewhere along the way, he had honestly hoped that the stories that were told to him as a child were wrong. That the man that gave him life wasn't actually a devil.
That he wasn't a devil.
It was a frustrating topic that often gave him headaches. And now he wasn't sure whether it was his "father" that he hated or society. He suspected that it was society that just deceived him into hating the man. After all, that's how it was with Whitebeard. The world told countless stories of the horror that Whitebeard brought upon innocent people. Instead, Ace had discovered kindness from the man firsthand and now was proud to call him Captain.
The same should be with Gol D. Roger. It's a shame that Ace would never be able to meet Gol D. Roger. Not that Ace would be particularly excited about that, he was convinced that he hated the man. But somewhere deep down in his soul, Ace knew that he hoped ever so slightly that his blood father was actually a good man. It was like a tiny crack in his well-built wall around his guarded heart.
But with no proof, Ace continues to hate the man, denying his linage, till the very day of his death, unbeknownst of his father's kindness and love that rivalled Whitebeard's as well as his strength.
On the other side, looking back, Ace could only wish that he wasn't so easily swayed by stories that held no truth.
A/N: Did you enjoy? please review and PM if you have any suggestions!