...I honestly don't know WHAT inspired me to create this one-shot...
But I've just gotten into the Fishman Island arc of One Piece, and honestly, I started this months back, after first watching Ace's death...
And I saw a picture of Nami and Ace, and I never really see fanfictions of those two... and I honestly think that a hothead versus hothead would make for interesting, even if I do ship Nami and Luffy together. ^_^''
But, basically, I got a bit of inspiration randomly. So here's my one-shot.
I couldn't believe it…
Fire Fist Ace… Portgas D. Ace… had just been killed…
Normally, anyone would have been overjoyed. One of this era's most notorious pirates, executed by the Marines. Sounds peace-provoking, right? Well, not if you're an up and coming pirate yourself. It's like losing a part of yourself the moment that the life of someone that you held admiration for is suddenly taken away.
It's even more horrifying to think about when you've actually met the person at hand for yourself.
I did meet Ace only once before. He was my Captain's older brother. Our meeting was fated to happen someday solely because of him… but it was only chance at that moment in time. We hardly exchanged words with one another, but just from the air that he gave off, I knew that he was a good person. Even despite being a pirate like me, he was extremely polite, powerful… he had fire in those energetic brown eyes and in the palm of his hands, quite literally.
He was one of the most amazing men I had ever met on the Grand Line.
What tore me apart the most was that Ace had died right in front of his youngest brother. He got killed… right in front of Luffy… and I couldn't even be there for him. What kind of crewmate was I, not to be able to leave Weatheria, take him into my arms and hold him as he cried? What kind of person was I for choosing to stay here…?
I had tried numerous times to get back to Sabaody Archipelago within the last week, but the harder I tried, the harder I felt it was to leave.
And then I learned that Luffy was still alive, and in hiding somewhere on the Grand Line. After reading further, I learned that he had rung the Ox Bell in Marineford.
Luffy had passed along a plethora of emotions all to pass us, his crewmates, a message… and behind them, he opened the door to the new era.
I saw the markings on his arm… At first, I didn't understand it… But the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize…
Luffy was selfish.
It was time to start preparing for the New World. We'd have two years until we met again. It was best to use that time wisely.
Nearly a year had gone by since the execution of Portgas D. Ace.
Nami had just returned from a long day of training, snapping on some of the residents, attempting to steal some of their mechanics, and then being put in jail only to use her emotional female tactics to get free again.
All in a day's work.
She began running her fingers through her hair a bit and wiping sweat off of her brow. In the past year, it had begun to hang a few inches past her shoulders, the tips curling.
After getting in a shower and cleansing herself of the dirt and oils from working in the fields and then having dinner with Haredas, she got in some reading.
"'Due to advanced development in satellite and radar technology over the last several decades, meteorologists and-'"
"Studying hard again?"
Nami froze at the sound of the voice directly in her ear and immediately jerked her head back, frantically looking around the room. She was expecting Haredas to be possibly checking up on her. But the room was empty spare her and her books, just as it had usually been.
A few moments passed by. She sighed before turning to her book once again, tucking a strand of her tangerine-colored hair behind her left ear.
"You really are dedicated to all those weather books…"
She dared not turn around this time around, instead closing her book and rising from her desk. "Maybe I'm just tired…" She practically leapt into bed, letting out a deep sigh. Man, that leap felt more relaxing than it should have. She slowly closed her eyes, prepared to fall asleep.
"You're a lot duller than I thought to be someone who's on Luffy's crew…" Nami turned over on her side and pulled the blankets over her.
"Whoever you are, stop talking…" She mumbled. And only minutes after did she fall asleep, comforted by the heat building in her room.
I wondered if I was possibly schizophrenic after that day.
A few days went by, and Nami repeated her process again of returning home after training, showering, and then proceeding to study. But this time felt a bit different. Now the entire room emanated a sort of heat. She was sure that there wasn't a heater on or anything… It felt strange.
"You came from Cocoyashi Village, right? I always thought that place was a summer island…"
"It's in East Blue, but that doesn't make it a summer island." Then Nami paused when she realized that she had actually spoken back to the voice. "…I'm losing my mind…"
"So, what made you want to start living the pirate's life?"
"Can you leave me alone, voice…?"
"I wouldn't be just a voice if you just accepted that I was here."
"Well, I don't, so leave me alone!" She exclaimed, slamming her fists on the table. And then moments later, she felt heat gently caressing her shoulders.
"…I can't have one of his close friends being upset." Then Nami gasped a bit. Slowly, it was coming back to her.
"His…?"
"Having a younger brother that's a bit on the slow side makes his older brother worry. He's probably going to keep burning your hands too. Take care of him for me."
Nami immediately whirled around, and sure enough, there he was. He was a bit muscular, his messy black hair tossed about. He was topless, revealing a tattoo down his left arm of "A-S-C-E," the S crossed out with a large X, and wore a pair of black pants with a blue pouch tied on the left side, just below his knee. However, he didn't appear to have a physical body… It was more as though he were a silhouette. Nonetheless, she broke into tears upon seeing his face.
"Ace…?" He gave her a grin. She took a few steps back, running into the desk and causing some books to fall over. "N-No. You can't be here. It's not possible, you're-!"
"Don't be afraid." He began, hands up in defense.
"HOW do you expect me not to be afraid?!" Nami exclaimed.
"Young Lady?" She heard Haredas call from the other room. She glanced back to the door a bit, then over to Ace. He took a step towards her.
"No, you stay AWAY from me!" She hissed, halfway in a whisper. Then she exited the room and made her way to Haredas, who was sitting at the table drinking tea.
"Are you all right in there? I heard you yelling."
Nami gave off a nervous smile. "I just read something interesting about hurricanes, and it made so excited that I had to yell about it!"
"…You are a strange one." The elder man mumbled. "Try to contain yourself. And try not to stay up too late."
"Sure, no problem. Night!" Then she went racing back to her room and closed the door. Ace was still standing there. "…GO. AWAY."
"Hey, if I could, I would, ya know? But somehow I ended up here."
"Ace… you do know that you're dead… Your spirit lingers here. I thought that you were supposed to die with no regrets-"
"I can remember everything that happened, Nami. I DID die with no regrets, with a big stupid grin plastered on my face. I said my last dues to my family… That was what confused me when I ended up here. I thought maybe you would have an answer."
"What am I, a parapsychologist?!"
"Navigator." And then he gave her a grin. "Maybe you can navigate me down the right path?"
"…Okay, I had to admit, that was a very clever play on words." Nami mumbled, crossing her arms. "Still, even if I HAD an answer, I wouldn't give it to you."
"Are you always this sharp-tongued?"
"Ask anyone who's ever crossed paths with me, they'd tell you."
"…Feisty. I like that." Nami's heart skipped a beat, and she had no idea why.
"…You make me feel like I've gone mentally insane. So I'm going to bed." Then she made her way over to the bed and climbed in, pulling the covers over her head. "And you better be gone by the time that I wake up in the morning."
"No guarantee…" Ace replied softly. He watched over her for some time. "Good night, Nami."
"Whatever…" She mumbled back. Within minutes, she was asleep again.
Nami woke up with a disgusted expression on her face the following morning, her hair spread out in all directions. Ace was right there, kneeling next to her bedside, just watching her intently.
"I thought I told you to be gone WHEN I WOKE UP!" She threw her pillow, but it just passed right through him and landed on the floor behind him. He glanced back at it.
"I told you, it wasn't a guarantee…"
She rubbed her temples. "I can't believe this, am I going nuts…?"
Instinctively, he was doing the same as her. "If you are, then I must be going nuts right along with you. I just don't understand why I'm HERE… What, did I get lost on the way to the afterlife…?"
"Or maybe your head spun around too much."
"What's that mean?" He asked.
"That you're just as crazy as your little brother."
"Hey, don't loop me in with Luffy." Ace replied, chuckling a bit afterwards. "I'm tons smarter than he is, ya know. Lot hotter too."
"Do you mean that metaphorically or because of your Devil Fruit power?"
"That depends." He stepped a bit closer to her. "What do you think I meant by it?" Her eyes narrowed and she turned her head to the left, looking away from him.
"I think you're full of hot air." He just rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead with his index finger. Amazingly, she felt it, which stunned her more. Rather than an actual finger, usually a rush of slight pain… it felt more like a pang of heat that rushed out as quickly as it had come in. "D-D-D-Don't DO that! You're creeping me out!"
"You know, you act all big and tough… but I remember seeing the way you looked at Luffy before, when we first met. You melted like ice cream on a summer day."
Nami's face reddened immensely at that comparison. "W-WHAT?!"
"You talk bad about someone you really care about, and when the two of you are alone together, you fall apart." Ace said simply before taking a seat on the bed next to her, leaning back, covering his face with his hand. Immediately, she moved over, leaning her back against the wall. "Gotta admit one thing, Nami… you're pretty interesting. Not many people I know are able to be snappy like you, get their point across, and then turn right around and be cute and loving."
Nami's mouth went agape. "Y-You-"
"Hey, got anything to eat?"
"YOU'RE A GHOST, I'M NOT FEEDING YOU!"
"So, you never denied the fact that you like Luffy."
"STOP CHANGING THE SUBJECT!"
"Oh, and you might want to do your hair or something, you look like a mess."
"YOUR HAIR IS WORSE THAN MINE!"
"I love that you have a retort for everything."
"Because you're making me go INSANE! I HAVE to retort to everything you say, or it's gonna drive me crazy not to!"
Ace opened one eye and smirked, laughing a bit. "This is going to be fun. I can already tell."
Before I realized it… we had ended up talking for hours. We talked about the pirate life, about his time having his own crew before he ended up being drafted into the Whitebeard Pirates… and before I knew it, I was telling him all about how I first decided to become a thief and how I eventually ended up joining the Straw Hat pirates.
"…I don't think what you did was wrong. After all, you only joined Arlong's crew just to be able to save your village. It's far more admirable than you let on." He crossed his legs and leaned back against the bed a bit. "You're… really not a bad person, Nami. I can tell that much just from your demeanor alone…" Nami was a bit stunned.
"You know…" He glanced up at her. She was warmly smiling now, which nearly made his heart skip a beat. "You really don't act anything like your brother… And not just because you're a lot more polite… It's just… I don't know… Something about you just is so…"
He grinned. "Let me know when you have your words together." Then he stood up again before facing her. Reluctantly, he reached out a hand and ruffled her hair a bit. "…I still don't understand how you're able to feel me… It doesn't seem like anyone else can."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll show you. Call your friend. Ask him for tea or something."
"Why-?"
"Just do it."
Nami sighed. "Hey, Haredas!" Moments later, the small elder man poked his head in the door.
"Yes?"
"Is there any chance you can make tea?" Nami began, eyes slightly darting to Ace.
"Don't look at me right now. Keep him distracted, just keep talking until I get to him." Ace told her before making his way over to the man.
"Sure, of course." Then he turned to leave.
"O-Oh, Haredas, one second!" Nami called again. Then at that moment, Ace reached him, giving her a thumbs-up. "…So I found some information earlier on the weather patterns be-" Nami watched as Ace stuck his hand right through the man's face, Ace chuckling a bit. "Weather patterns between here and the Grand Line, and it turns out they don't…" Then he knelt down in front of him, sticking his tongue out and picking his nose a bit. Nami just shook it off. "They don't differ much. Do they?"
Haredas chuckled a bit. "Didn't we have this discussion once before?"
"Y-Yeah, I think we did, I'm not too sure at the moment."
Ace looked back at her, grinning and continuing to laugh. "When you die and become a ghost, you have GOT to try this out, it's gold!"
"Real immature…" She mumbled.
"Pardon?" Haredas asked.
"A-Ah, nothing! That was it, thanks!"
"Did you still want tea?"
"Yeah, that'd be great!" Nami beamed, nervous smile on her face.
"…You are very strange, Young Lady." Haredas mumbled before closing the door again. "Maybe I should get that girl some medical help…"
"See? Told you. No one but you can see me."
"See, that's not really helping the idea on me wondering whether or not I'm schizophrenic." She uncrossed her arms, fiddling a bit with her hair. "Ace… you have to leave."
"How do you expect me to? Think I want to listen to you snoring at night?"
"I do NOT snore." She hissed.
"Remind me to record you sleeping tonight." She was about to throw her pillow, when she paused and realized that it wouldn't be affecting him whether she had or not. She set the pillow on her lap again and sighed. "…I can keep quiet if you'd like me to…"
"…No, it's okay. I guess… maybe it could be nice having someone to talk to. Even if you are an immature hothead."
"YOU'RE the hothead. Immature, I am not." Ace joked. "Fun, I am."
"There's nothing fun about immaturity. It's more annoying than anything." Then he grabbed her by her chin and turned her to face him. She was taken by those calm brown eyes.
"You should try it. Take a few more risks out there. You've been doing some already with becoming a thief turned pirate… Change your clothes, change your hair… I was living proof that you should learn to live life to the fullest before it's gone. Maybe… Luffy can teach you a thing or two about that. You see how he has fun even though he's constantly fighting danger."
"With that big grin on his face…" She breathed out.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We should all be able to die with no regrets, being happy and satisfied with the lives we lived, no matter how short or prolonged. We shouldn't go out with something to hold onto…"
The days after that were relatively faster.
Each morning, I'd wake up to see him watching over me. And each evening after I would return from my training, he would continue to wait for me just for the opportunity to talk. It seemed like talking alone was enough for him in the days that his spirit wandered aimlessly.
But the more months that passed… the more I noticed Ace begin to change a bit. The heat that once emanated the entire room just from his smile alone was beginning to dim out.
I didn't understand it… And he didn't seem to notice it.
So I decided to leave it alone.
"You look really pale." Ace stated once he had gotten a look at her. Nami had been resting her head on her desk for the past ten minutes or so, just coughing a bit. She had claimed that she was taking a break from today's reading, and Ace was finally gathering up the nerve to say something. "Ya know, if you don't feel well, you really shouldn't force yourself."
"I'm fine…" Nami mumbled, sitting up. The moment she rose, a wave of dizziness hit her and she gripped a bit to the chair.
Ace slowly put a hand over her forehead, her back still turned to him. "You're really damn stubborn. I'm practically made of heat, and even I know this fever is high…" She slowly closed her eyes. His hand wasn't nearly as hot as it had been when he had first come to her. The heat… was dimming.
Nami's vision was clouding, and before she knew it, everything had gone dark around her. "A…"
Ace looked horrified as the girl went collapsing onto the floor. "Nami!" He wanted to reach out, try to wake her again, but realized that there was no good he could do. He nearly panicked. "Think, Ace, what do ghosts do…? They walk through walls, they haunt people, they're afraid of commitment, uh… They…" He snapped a finger, and a small flame lit up on it. "Oh! Oops…" He shook the flame away. "Ghosts are able to possess people, right? That guy that lives here with Nami, maybe I can possess him and bring him in here with Nami." Then he paused. "How do you even possess people…? Oh well, worth a shot anyways!"
Then Ace exited the room, noticing Haredas sitting at the dining room table, drinking tea and reading a newspaper. "Ah, it appears that the storm patterns from the south will be moving in soon…"
Ace cracked his knuckles a bit. "All right, old man, you're gonna lend me a hand." Ace made his way over to the man, and then mimicked his siting position, fazing through the man.
"Hm?" Haredas's eyes went blank, and before he even realized anything, his body was moving on its own. "Okay… Left… right… le-no, not right again…" It took a bit of work, but once Haredas had reached Nami's room, Ace immediately broke free from the man's body.
"UGH, this guy needs to shower a little more often…"
Haredas snapped out of it, then looked down to Nami, letting out a gasp. "Young Lady…!"
It wasn't very long before Nami was situated in her bed. Ace didn't leave her side the entire time. The poor girl looked miserable right down to the loss of sheen in her tangerine locks.
Several hours went by before Nami awoke again, glancing around the room a bit. The lights were off and the entire room was nearly dark. Then she looked to her left and saw Ace, that snuff of burning light emanating from him. He was on his knees, one of his hands resting atop hers.
He almost looked as if he had been sleeping… but ghosts had been known as restless spirits, so Nami assumed that he had been relaxing.
She reached out a hand towards him, then hesitated before, finally, she rested her hand atop his messy black hair. Ace's eyes slowly opened again and his gaze darted up towards her.
"Hey, you're up… Feeling better…?"
Nami couldn't brush off that look that he had in his eyes. Her face got a bit hotter, but she wasn't for certain if it were the fever or a blush.
"…Yeah… I'll be okay… What, did you wait here all of this time?"
"Granted you decided to be stubborn and collapse… Didn't get much of a choice but to help."
"…I what?"
"Collapsed." He repeated before flicking her forehead, causing her to wince. Then he once again rested his chin on the edge of the bed. "You know how much energy it takes to possess someone to get them to walk into another ROOM? A hell of a lot. Don't make me do it again."
"Ace-"
"You're stubborn in a completely different way from Luffy… How annoying…"
"HEY." She hissed.
"And don't you dare start yelling at me until your fever drops." And he was completely serious in his tone. Nami sighed a bit, slowly closing her eyes again.
"I'm… going to be leaving to meet with the rest of the crew soon."
Ace glanced back at Nami, managing a curved grin. She was sporting a green and white striped bikini top, a pair of boot-cut blue jeans, and red heels. Her tangerine-colored hair was curling down, reaching the middle of her back, and her café-colored eyes harbored the confidence that he had come to know over the course of these last two years.
"Gotta say, Nami… You clean up really nice. If you weren't so committed to the Straw Hats back then, I would've taken you in to the Whitebeard Pirates. I'm sure the old man… would've loved you…" His voice drifted off a bit.
Ace knew well of the casualties that had taken place at Marineford. He had been one of them, after all. He thought for a moment of his family, the Whitebeard Pirates. He had spent years with them, grew to love them as his own just as Whitebeard had done for them.
Then he thought of Luffy, his kid brother that was always getting thrown into mayhem. Luffy put himself right in the middle of the battle in Marineford… and he watched all of the bloodshed, the tears, the sorrow, the agony… he watched it all with the determination of seeing Ace go free again… all for it to be stripped away from him…
All because of the sins of pride.
Ace only blamed himself for his death, for putting Luffy through such torment. But at the same time, he didn't have any regrets for his death. He had found a reason to live. And now he was taking the next step in that journey.
"Ace…?" Nami called. "…ACE!" Ace snapped out of his thoughts, but continued to stare down at her. She crossed her arms in a huff, sharp look on her face. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"
"Not a thing." He said simply, rubbing his nose.
"You never change!" She hissed. Ace only laughed. "I was saying… that I really appreciate… that you've been here all of this time."
Ace was a bit stunned. Then he walked over to her, placing a hand over her forehead. "Nami is being nice? Are you sick? Do I need to make you wait a few more days before you leave?"
"Don't be stupid." She warned. "You know what, forget it, I'm already running late, and I don't have time for your immaturity." Then she turned to leave.
Ace bit his bottom lip, nervously tapping his foot. "Nami."
She whirled around in mid-walk. Then Ace placed her hands on her arms, pulling her towards him a bit before he gently pressed his lips against hers. Nami was completely stunned not only by his actions… but the fact that she could feel the lingering warmth still remaining on his lips. His hands were freezing against her arms…
His powers were about to fade away soon, and with them, his spirit.
He slowly pulled away, staring down at her, letting out a breath. Nami was captivated by those dark brown eyes bearing down into her soul. He caressed her cheek. "…If I could have turned back time as the person that I am right now, and lived on for just a little longer…" His voice was beginning to grow inaudible. "I would have told you when we first met… that you are more valuable than any piece of treasure in the seven seas. "
"Ace…" She breathed out. Nami wasn't sure how she was supposed to react to his words. Normally if a guy had pulled something like that to her, she would have slapped him, knocked him clean out, and then robbed him of everything in his pockets. Why hadn't she been able to do it now?
Was it because Ace was a ghost? Or was it because… she saw something in him that she had never found in someone else?
"…You should get going. Luffy… is waiting for you… You don't have to tell him anything about what you've done these last two years… Just… do your best out there… okay…? A pirate king… deserves to have a queen… and you should be that queen for him. He needs you."
Nami swallowed, wordless. She gave him a nod as he slowly moved away from her. She took a few steps back towards the door, the two staring at one another for some time.
"…Goodbye, Ace." She finally said.
He managed a tired smile. "Goodbye, Nami…"
And the moment that door closed, Ace let out a heavy sigh, brushing a few strands of hair upward, rubbing his temples.
That was twice now he had let her get away from him so easily. But at least this time… he didn't regret letting her go back to where she needed to be.
Nami was the third to arrive back on Sabaody Archipelago, and after waiting for some time for the Straw Hats to gather, things seemed to be in order. Everyone's skill had improved to a t, and they were finally going to set sail for the New World.
Nami had decided it better not to mention to Luffy about the things that she had done while staying in Weatheria.
It would have been better on everyone if she hadn't mentioned anything about Ace to him, not when he was in the prime of his pirate nature.
She only hoped from then on that Ace would have been able to rest in peace properly. Every now and again, she would think of him.
And every now and again when he crossed her mind… she felt a bit more at ease.
Ace had eventually found his way back to the New World after aimlessly drifting for some time. And the moment that he returned, all of his spirit energy had faded away. He gazed up at his marked grave for a moment, dropping to his knees.
Then his gaze turned to the grave of Edward Newgate.
"…Hey, old man…" He said calmly, his voice no longer carrying strength. "Sorry that… I left you… but I… had someone I… needed to go see…" His hands trembled a bit as he reached out to run his fingers along the inscription. He managed a weak smile. "I'm ready… to rest… now…"
And then he felt the warmth of light once again engulf him, his spirit finally at peace.
Moments later, a man stepped up towards Ace's grave, setting a wooden crate down in front of it, along with a bottle of sake and three cups. With a grin, he also pinned a newspaper article to the tombstone.
"…I'm pretty sure that you'll be proud of our little brother and his crew… And I'll pass along your message for you. I'll be your living legacy…"
...Living legacy. That is a line that, being an advent fan of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, kills me each and every time that I hear it.
Anyways... I hadn't intended for this one-shot to be very long, nor do I necessarily think it gets story of the year...
But hopefully it works out. ^_^ Hope you enjoyed!