"That's hilarious!" Portgas D. Ace whooped with laughter.

The paper lanterns Usopp had created just for this occasion threw a warm, honey-colored light over the celebrating crewmembers. At the center of attention, basking in the limelight was Usopp himself.

"Another story!" Luffy bellowed, "And more meat!!"

Encouraged by the cheers, Usopp puffed out his chest and began another long-winded story of high adventure on the sea. Ace detached himself from the group, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

He made his way up the stairs and through the grove of tangerine trees to climb up one of the riggings and into the crow's nest. He could faintly hear Usopp saying something about a giant goldfish below, but mostly he just heard the wind in his ears.

The moon was just overhead, huge and omniscient and majestic. Ace smiled at it, wondering how long it had watched over the dark side of the earth and commanded the tides. He didn't dwell long on the moon, though; philosophic thoughts tended to give him a headache.

There was silence on the deck. Usopp must have finished his story, Ace guessed. The calm lasted for only a few minutes before Luffy piped up.

"Do you think that Smokey-guy is okay?" Ace was surprised enough by the underlying seriousness in his voice to lean over the crow's nest and look down.

"Who cares?" the first mate and swordsman was first to answer, taking a gulp of whatever was in his captain's tankard.

"Heeeey," Luffy complained, making a face which Zoro returned, "I care."

"Why? He's a marine," that was the navigator, the voice of reason.

"Smokey's a good guy," Luffy defended, "and I like him."

"Except for when he's hunting you down and trying to capture you," the cook snorted. Ace was particularly fond of the chef. Then again, Ace was particularly fond of food. So as far as he was concerned anyone who made food, and good food at that, deserved a gold star in his book. The sarcastic nature that came with the food was just a bonus.

"Luffy's got a point, though," Usopp muscled his way into the conversation, "He did look a little hurt after our last encounter…"

The ship's doctor, whom Ace had a healthy respect for, decided to make himself known at this point, "Was that after he fought with Ace? I didn't notice any wounds on him."

"Come to think of it," Nami mused, "Smoker did look a little down in the dumps after he fought with Ace…"

Ace was quick to pull his head back into the crow's nest before anyone could see him. A little ball of guilt squirmed unhappily under his ribcage.

"Where is Ace, anyway?" Any other day, Ace would have sung high praises for the navigator, for certainly, she was one in a million, but why, oh why did she have to be so damn perceptive?

After that there was a silence that lasted long enough to make Ace both nervous and curious. Cautiously he tipped his head over the side of the crow's nest; only to nearly lose it as two strong, familiar hands attached themselves on the wood and Luffy came rocketing up into the air after them.

"Aaaaaaace," Luffy frowned at him in that way that made Ace think of a time when peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were still his favorite food.

"Luuuufffyyyyy," he mimicked. His stomach, already twisted in knots, flipped when Luffy's expression stayed serious.

"You need to apologize to Smokey." Luffy said bluntly, his expression was so serious and un-Luffy-like that there was only one thing Ace could do.

He howled with laughter.

---

"I'll have the next chapter up in a couple of days" my ass. Seriously. I will no longer make those sort of promises.
:|

Three-shot FTW?

(Thanks for being patient with me~)