Author's note: I will only say this once: I do not own One Piece.

Warning: This is going to be smutty so peel your virgin eyes away if you can't handle it.

Certain words or phrases are marked with asterisk for clarification at the end of every chapter.

Enjoy

CHAPTER 1

It had been exactly eighteen days since he'd left the entire crew at sea, much to their disapproval. He'd gone from port to port, following the leads he got in his search for the rogue ex-crewmate, the murderous mutineer, Teach, newly referred to as Blackbeard. It had only then began to dawn on him that perhaps his decision had been too rash, his actions not well thought out. In eighteen days, he had run dry of all monetary resources. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem. He was, after all, a pirate of the Whitebeard Crew. Fire Fist Ace, they called him. It was the great pirate age and men like him were of means, in more ways than one.

However, he had wound up in a small seaside town he had neither ever been to nor heard of nor known anyone from, without a Beri* on his person, bringing the word "stranded" to a whole new light. Yet he'd made up his mind to not resort to theft or violence to get by. It was imperative that he not draw unnecessary attention to himself if he was to sail through with his plans.

He could still feel the rage burning within him but rage alone would not suffice to keep him fed or pave his way.

The long and short of Ace's plan had been to make quick work of his manhunt. He hadn't realized at the time that there were more factors in play, factors out of his control. The last tip he'd received was that Blackbeard had been spotted in Crystal Cove meeting up in with two other men. Nothing more. However, it had turned out to be quite the dead end. Blackbeard had left several hours prior to Ace's arrival, destination unknown.

That was not the worst of it.

A large number of marine officers had shown up in the town shortly afterwards. Word was that there was even a vice admiral in tow. His movement had been greatly compromised. No doubt they were after either him or Teach…maybe both.

It was a bind. Stranded in unfamiliar territory with neither a means of survival nor escape; the threat of getting captured by the marines looming heavily over his wanted head. His bounty now stood at five hundred and fifty million Beri. He was big game! If the World Government ever got their hands on him, it would be the gallows for him. They would even do it just to make a statement against the Great Pirate Age.

Regardless, someone had to bring Blackbeard to justice! To murder a crew mate in cold blood, to renounce allegiance to the captain and the ship…Unforgivable!

Thoughts of the events left Ace livid every time they surfaced. He remembered painfully the image of Thatch lying dead in a pool of blood…

He clenched his fist till the knuckles turned white. Soon. He closed his eyes and found composure. Soon, he would deliver justice.

His stomach growled, for the umpteenth time that day. Ace had been running on an empty stomach for nearly three whole days. Anyone would have been worn out from the physical exertion but it was particularly difficult for him, a bearer of devil fruit powers. It was rarely mentioned, but the devil fruit powers took a toll on the host body's energy. Subsequently, bearers had unnaturally large appetites and could hardly go very long without food.

Sunset. The town wasn't highly populous and there were few tall buildings but it had that relic beauty common with all old coastal towns. The view of the amber sun setting over the ocean never ceased to captivate him. The last of its rays had turned the sky a warm orange and the colours danced and shimmered in broken reflection over the waters.

The streets were filling up with marine officers. His body was giving in. He had overreached and over-exerted and his chickens were coming home to roost. He wasn't going to last long without food and rest. A fierce hunger was mauling him and his insides felt painfully hollow. How many years had it been since he'd felt that way? He just had to find some place…

He began to make his way across the town. He purposed towards a part of the town that was far away from the busier centre, keeping his head low and taking alleys wherever there were any. Civilians were still walking along the streets, but they all seemed to be heading into a building: houses, motels, restaurants and the occasional bar. Eventually, he made it across the little town without any trouble.

And there it was: a quiet little pub by the beach. It was surrounded by only a few small houses and little else. This was it. It would have to be. He was spent, sweating from having used up what was left of his energy. All he could do was stumble in and hope for the best. As he made his way through the entrance he noticed, much to his relief that the place was nearly empty. He plopped himself onto a high stool at the counter.

As she busied herself with wiping the counter, a hooded figure took its place on a seat across from her. He wasn't a regular, this one, she noted immediately. She walked over to him.

"Good evening sir! You're just in time for dinner," she said softly.

No response. She tried again, "Would you like to have a drink first?"

His elbows were propped up on the counter, fingers interlocked to form a sort of tent under which he'd kept his face shaded, a thumb to either temple. She wasn't sure what to make of the lack of response and stood there studying the stranger's form for a moment. Finally, she noticed the beads of sweat and the awfully chapped lips. There was a bit of a tremor in his hands and he was breathing through his mouth, rather heavily.

The man needed help. It was clear to her. She went into the kitchen, served up a hot meal and a cold drink and set them before him.

A woman's voice had spoken to him. Ace had hardly heard a word. In fact, for a moment he thought he'd imagined it but the aroma of spicy meat and potatoes and pickled vegetables was undeniable. Slowly, he pulled his hands away from his face. As his right hand reached for the spoon beside the plate, he looked up to see the face of his saviour. It lasted but a moment for he was soon bent over his meal, stuffing himself unapologetically. The image stayed etched in his mind. Dark hair, blue eyes, warm smile, beautiful face…

The moment he looked up at her, that very instant in which their eyes had met, her mind went blank. She stood there staring at him, unable to pull away; uncertain of whether her eyes had deceived her. If they were to be believed, the person seated just across the counter from her, gobbling away at the meal she had cooked, was none other than Portgas D. Ace*, one of the most notorious pirates of the age…though she wasn't sure just what he was notorious for.

She watched him. Just stood there and watched him. It was all she could manage. Her mind had fast been thrown into total disarray. In spite of the hooded coat he wore, she was certain who the man was. There wasn't a doubt in her mind about it. She'd seen enough "wanted" posters with his face on them.

It's really him. That one thought was playing over and over in her mind, like a broken record or a line in a nursery rhyme.

The last patron of the day had already left. She'd heard them talking about marine officers in town. There might soon be trouble and they would much rather be in the safety of their homes and out of harms way.

Ace cleared the plate fast. She offered him seconds as he downed the cold mug of beer. All he gave in response was an "mmh", which she interpreted as a "yes" and served him another plate just like the last one …and another …and another. He would look up at her every now and then, never saying a word and she would feel herself blushing.

When at last he'd had his fill, he pushed the plate gently forward and uttered his first words to her, eyes still lowered. "Thank you for the meal, miss."

"It's on the house", she said to him with a sweet smile. "I'm in a generous mood and you're the last patron of the night."

Aah, who was this angel? She must've seen right through him. Was it that obvious? He might have blushed if he wasn't already so filled with awe and relief.

"What's your name?" he asked watching her tuck some strands of her jet black hair behind her right ear. He'd already noticed her beauty when he'd first set eyes on her but was only then in full realization of it. She had silky jet black hair cropped at the nape of her neck, which contrasted highly with her flawless milky skin. Her brilliant blue eyes danced in the light and reminded him of large, polished, exquisitely cut sapphires gleaming in the light of day. Her pretty lips were pink and plush. He struggled momentarily to peel his eyes away from them. She was petite but with a womanly voluptuousness that could not entirely be hidden by the loose fitting clothes she wore.

"Rose," she said, dragging him back into time and space.

"Rose, huh?" He smiled back. "I'm Ace."

Silently, she contemplated mentioning that she already knew exactly who he was and inquiring about his situation, but instead responded with a smile and a nod. It had never been her place to meddle in the personal affairs of her customers.

After all, he would soon be gone and it would become but a distant memory; a mere moment in the grand scale of time. She needed to close up soon anyway. It had been a long day. Hardly anyone had come in since late afternoon.

She studied him closely. The sweating had hardly subsided. Perhaps he was ill. But before Rose could ask, he had stood up to leave.

"It's gotten quite late. I should be on my way. I'm sure there's plenty you have to do before closing up." In truth, Ace knew damn well that he had no place to go for the night. In his condition, he knew he wouldn't get far. He would have to search the beach in hopes of finding an abandoned hut to spend the night in. With food and drink in him at least, he felt a tad more capable than he did earlier that evening and it was thanks to her. He would hate to press.

"Very well," she said, "goodnight…and goodbye." A part of her had hated their parting. It was illogical; she knew that but the feeling was there all the same. Should she have insisted he stay a while? He didn't seem too well…

With a sigh, she turned away and began to clean the polished dark wood of the counter. She chuckled. Pirates were supposed to be villainous and terrifying. But in Ace, she had seen just a man.

THUD!

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. It was the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. She ceased her actions and immediately went towards the source.

There he lay, a heap on the ground. Kneeling beside him, she turned his heavy body face-up. Ace was completely passed out. She put the back of her hand to his forehead and held it there a few seconds. His temperature was through the roof! She made the same motion, this time holding the back of her hand a little above his nose and mouth for a few seconds. His breath was abnormally hot.

He had a high fever. For his body to have just caved in on him in such way, Rose guessed he must have caught it at least a day or two prior but had been pushing himself, consequently draining his energy. He needed medical attention and fast! His condition would only deteriorate otherwise. She couldn't just wait there for anyone to waltz in and find him in her premises.

Nothing for it: She had to get him to some place where he could get some form of help even if the help would only come from her. They had only just met but Rose felt an urge to protect him, to save him.

She locked up the front entrance and began her struggle. She managed to pull him up. With her back to his unconscious body, she pulled his arms up over her shoulders and lifted him off the ground. He was much taller than she so his feet would have to drag behind him as she carried him. There was no other way. God, what was she doing?

*Beri – Monetary currency used in One Piece…like dollars/sterling pounds/Euros/shillings/Yen etc.

*Portgas D. Ace - In Japan, where the story of One Piece was created, surnames (e.g. Portgas) are mentioned first and first names (e.g. Ace) last.

Rate & review…Let me know what you think.