A/N: I've always been wondering about this to be honest... What if Ace left behind someone he loves dearly, what if she is left with something more than just memories?? This is just one of the many ideas I had in mind when I think about this topic ️ I kinda wrote it late at night and while being so damn sleepy so yeah, sorry for grammar errors and such... I think y'all get the idea of the story anyway it's kind of short but hey, maybe I'll write another shorr story about them again!! If this one gets enough love

Oh yeah, and sorry for the lack of space... I don't know why there is such a problem... I wrote everything with spaces between each paragraph!!

Please enjoy~

Yep, and One Piece doesn't belong to me. Only Hayley belongs to me

~~~~~

"psst!" Hayley stopped as she was changing into her pyjamas when she heard someone calling for her. She immediately went into battle mode by grabbing her sword and them she went slowly to the balcony.

She didn't exactly live in the headquarters like most of the marines so it wouldn't be weird if someone suddenly decided to take revenge on her in the middle of the night.

As she was about to go back inside after looking around, she heard the familiar laugh of someone who she knew pretty well.

"Hey princess, why so edgy?" she immediately turned around to look towards the source of the voice, her sword pointing directly towards that person's neck.

"Woah, there. Let's calm down, shall we?" and there, right infront of her in all his glory stood Portgas D. Ace, the comander of the second division of Whitebeard's fleet.

"Why are you here?" she asked with a really strict voice as her sword got nearer to his neck almost cutting him. But he knew she wouldn't do that, he knew she didn't have the guts even though they are sworn enemies.

A pirate commander and a marine captain?? The worst ever combination, I tell you.

"Why so bitter, princess? Did you eat something bad again?" he sarcastically asked only to be silenced by one of her infamous slaps.

"Where have you been all this time, huh?? Ace, six months! You've been away six damn months! Then you suddenly pretend like nothing happened? Not even a visit nor a letter! I didn't even know if you were still alive somewhere out there!! Or if you were imprisoned or even worse killed!!" she shouted, it was one of those times she was thankful for the fact that she lived alone and far from his colleagues.

He was afterall one of her deepest secrets...

"I'm so sorry, Hayley. I swear it wasn't my intention to suddenly disappear like that... No excuses could be enough to justify my behavior but I had to" he whispered to her as he hugged her close to his chest, her precious princess was crying because of his negligence.

He felt like he was the worse boyfriend ever.

"Thatch was killed and I had to avenge him! I'm almost there, I know where Blackbeard is! I can finally avenge my friend and then everything will be back to normal, I promise. I'll come by every now and then when I can and we'll spend the time together, we can travel together like how you wanted in many isolated islands so we don't ever have to hide our identities when we're together!" he promised as he looked into her eyes, those piercing blue eyes that made him fall in love with someone he wasn't supposed to fall for.

The same woman who made him feel alive all over again.

"It's dangerous, Ace... I heard about Blackbeard from other marines, I know his new powers and what he's capable of! He's far worser than he was before, he won't close an eye on you just because you were his captain! Please, just don't leave me again!" she begged amd begged, something she has never done in her life but she was ready to put aside her pride and beg him. She didn't want to lose him. Just the thought of not ever hearing from him again or not meeting him in the vast ocean coincidentally pains her.

She didn't wanna give up their fake fights with swords infront of everyone whenever they meet to pretend they were enemies. She didn't wanna give up the happiness she had since she met him. She didn't wanna give up their secret dates in unknown islands or their secret date as they dressed up like idiots. She wasn't ready to give all of that up nor what they could have in the future, together.

"You don't have to worry, it will be alright. I can do it, I'll win and bring back home my vistory and..." as he was talking, he was imterrupted by her.

"But..!"

"Hayley, I will win, I promise" he said hugging her even tighter like he was afraid she might just disappear on him. Those six months were a pain for him, not being able to hold her in his arms and kiss her...

"How can you be so sure of that?" she asked as her voice broke. She never cried but it seems like anything could happen with Ace around.

"Because once I'm done, I'll come back and take you away with me" when he said that, Hayley was suddenly released from their hug as Ace stood in front of her smiling. Not his typical smirk as if to make fun of you. No, it was a genuine smile he only wore with her around.

"What do you mean?" she whispered confused, they never actually talked about being together as in together! It was like saying she'd give up being a marine or he'd give up being a pirate or both would have to give up their position.

"Hayley, marry me" he said as he smiled brightly at her, that goofy genuine smile she learned to love.

It was an absurd thing to even think about, a marine and a pirate getting married!? It was absolutely outrageous but she found out that she somehow didn't mind it that much...

"Ace... You do realize you don't even have a damn ring? " she asked with her shaky voice, barely containing herself from crying.

"So?" he asked back still smiling widely to which she answered with a punch on his head.

"So? SO!? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT A PROPOSAL IS? BECAUSE I HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS!!" she said shrieking as she was also busy waving around her sword, almost hitting the poor clueless man several times.

As Ace was cowering in front of her in fear, she suddenly stopped her banshee mode and dropped her sword. Sensing it was finally safe to look up, he saw her crying looking at him, which obviously left him clueless again.

What did he do wrong this time again??

"P-princess, are you okay?? I'm really sorry, I didn't thought it would matter..." he said standing up to approach her but instead she stopped him with another one of her infamous punches.

"Yes... Yes damn it!" she shouted at him leaving him confused for a second before a smile appeared onto his face as he realized what she meant.

"I love you, Hayley!" he smiled at her before kissing her passionately.

"Baka..." she whispered as she kept crying.

"Your baka" it was her last memory of him before he went to face Blackbeard. Oh how she wished she never let him go on that crazy trip...

Since that faithful night, she had been waiting for him to come back home and take her away as he promised. She didn't even doubt him. Sure, she got worried but she was so sure he'd win that... She never expected the arrival of such news.

The execution of her beloved Ace, his death by the hands of her own father and in the arms of his brother.

"Why... Ace, you lied to us..." she whispered as she caressed her swollen stomach, the one last thing Ace left her other than the promise that faithful night.

"Ace, your daughter needs you... We need you... Please come back home!" she shouted as she held the newspapers in her shaky hands.