So in this chapter we start to refer to Ann as a boy :D In scene 4. I thought it would be weird to start the chapter off randomly calling 'Ann' by 'Ace' so basically she resigns to her fate muahaha.
Also the story's getting a decent amount of responses so I'll keep the story going for now. If I notice people are losing interest at some point I'll stop. Fair enough?
Hand Status: I can hold a pencil for a minute or so! ...Gonna be a while u_u;
Disclaimer: I own stupidity! I mean no! What? Gah, forget it. I'm sure you've figured out that I don't own One Piece by now.
Having been a man from morning until nightfall, Ann came to the realization that many things were going to be awkward as she adjusted to the changes. The first was that she was taller than both Luffy and Sabo. While she was happy of that fact, she kept underestimating her height and bumped her head four or five times throughout the day. She'd been laughed at repeatedly by her brothers for her clumsiness and was getting pretty annoyed with it.
The second was that she had to adjust to everything involving her sex. That was the hard part. So, while preparing for a shower, she really did not feel comfortable with herself. It took everything she had to get through it without freaking out. Sure she saw naked men in the past but it wasn't the same when that man was you. She would have been amazed if she ever got used to it.
Ann sighed as she walked out into the main area of the hideout, towel hanging from her waist. After her earlier outburst she resigned herself to accept that hiding her chest was no longer necessary. Still wasn't comfortable, though.
She stretched and headed over to her brothers, collapsing lazily beside them. Yawning, she pulled some meat from the tray between them, ripped at it with her teeth and grabbed a bottle of booze. She couldn't hold her liquor well as a woman and doubted she'd do any better as a man but felt the buzz it gave her would help her deal with all of the stress she acquired. She spotted Sabo from the corner of her eye, his mouth curved into a wicked grin. Ann narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"Nothing—just thinking that your appearance and personality finally fit," he teased.
She sent him a glare. "I don't know whether that's a compliment or an insult."
"Neither do I."
The two older brothers watched as Luffy set sail, waving at him from the same cliff he stood on three years before. It was strange for Ann, especially under the circumstances, to see her brother set off alone. But she was proud. They stared out, watching his tiny ship vanish over the horizon, smiling all-the-while.
Sabo turned to her, his eyes showing a bit of concern. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"
Ann shook her head, still smiling. "Nah, I'll be fine. Gotta get used to this, right?"
"What's your plan?"
"Well…" She scratched her head. Ann wasn't one for plans. She worked on impulse. Maybe she was better suited to be a man. "Just get back to the ship and tell them, I guess."
"Not much of a plan."
"Shut up. Why do I need a plan for telling the crew I'm 'Ann' anyways? It's fine, isn't it?"
"Right, perfectly fine. Just tell them that as they make up assumptions as to why some strange man has their crewmate's belongings."
Ann's eyebrow twitched. "…You have a point."
"Always do."
"Then what should I do?"
"Hide your things until you can explain it to them; that way you can avoid any misunderstandings."
She sighed and, as much as she hated to admit it, knew he was right. It wouldn't look too good if she showed up wearing her hat and other trademark items. Her bag was generic enough for her to explain, but the hat and beads? No, that wouldn't slide. They were very personal items, after all; one she got as a going-away present from Luffy and the other was a gift from Dadan. So she listened and reluctantly removed the items and hid them away inside the black and green bag she brought with her.
They headed down to the village docks and prepared to leave, each going their own separate ways.
"You sure you're going to be alright?"
"Damn it, Sabo, for the last time, yes."
"I'm just worried about you, you know." The blonde pulled out a small, folded sheet of paper and handed it to Ann. She stared at it inquisitively. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
He smiled. "Don't mention it. I'm just looking out for my brother." Ann shot him a look, glaring at his amused expression. She really wasn't getting used to being referred to as a man and he was just teasing her with it. "Well, I'll be off. See you soon, Ace."
With that the two set off in different directions. Ann took a deep breath to prepare for the journey ahead. From then on out she was going to have to live as a man, whether she liked it or not. And she didn't, of course, but was sure she would get used to it eventually. After all, Sabo said so last night—male or female, she was still the same person. That would never change.
Marco sat scowling on the deck, his usual calm overrun by worry and fear. His lover had been gone for three weeks and there hadn't been so much as a single sign that she was okay. There wasn't anything that said otherwise, either; she wasn't in the papers and hadn't been caught by the Marines. Normally she would have called to assure him that she was fine, but she didn't. What's worse was that, along with a first-aid kit, she forgot her baby den den mushi. That meant that Marco had no way of contacting her. That was not helping with his anxiety.
To make matters worse, someone had called his personal line a week and a half earlier. He picked it up immediately in the hope that it was Ann but when he did so he was greeted by silence before the line was abruptly cut off. It was unnerving to say the least and he couldn't help but wonder who it was on the other side. A part of him thought it might have been his girlfriend calling for help but unable to speak. He knew he was overreacting but couldn't help himself—she never went that long without contacting him.
"Still there?" Thatch asked no one in particular as he looked over the Moby Dick's rail.
Marco's ears perked up at that and he raised himself to his feet, stumbling over to his friend with curiosity. "What is it yoi?"
Thatch pointed out at the sea behind the ship as he leant over the rail. The blonde quirked an eyebrow and spotted a small boat trailing them in the distance. He couldn't make out any of the details and wasn't sure what the commander found so interesting. "I saw it earlier and thought we were just heading in the same direction, but it's been hours and it's still following us."
"Strange."
"Yeah. And it's maintained that distance. Kinda feels like we've got a stalker."
"Any idea who it is yoi?"
"Nah; too far to tell. But…"
"What?"
"The boat kind of looks like Striker, doesn't it?"
Marco's eyes widened and he took a good, hard look at the vessel pursuing them. Thatch was right; it resembled Striker a lot from what he could tell, being so far away. Suddenly he felt newfound hope build up within him. Without another word he rushed down the stairs to the lower deck and dashed into Whitebeard's office. The old man looked at him with amused eyes—it was rare for his first mate to be so frantic.
"What is it, Marco?" he asked in a big, booming voice.
"Oyaji, permission to stop the ship yoi."
"Why?"
"There's a boat following us. I think it might be Striker yoi."
Whitebeard gave the blonde an inquisitive look. Striker was able to easily catch up to the Moby Dick so there was no real reason to stop. Still, the pleading look in the commander's eyes was worrying and so he nodded his head, giving his consent. Though he didn't smile, Whitebeard could see Marco's face brighten before he gave his thanks and left the room. The blonde had been so out of it since Ann left that he was growing concerned. He only hoped that Marco's guess was right and that their female commander was returning home.
Ace stared off into the distance half-dazed. When he set off two weeks ago he realized that he never bothered to ask where his crew was headed and the long, arduous task of tracking down the Moby Dick began. It was a seemingly endless, boring journey and angered him to no end. It got to the point where he called Marco absentmindedly when he stopped at an island not long after he set out. He planned on telling the blonde that he was okay and asking what the ship's coordinates were but as soon as he heard his voice his heart sank. It was only then, when Marco was on the line, that he realized he wouldn't recognize his voice. He remained silent—shocked at his own stupidity—until Marco asked if it was 'Ann' he was speaking to. He hung up.
After that depressing event Ace resigned himself to searching for the ship alone. He knew they would be in the first half of the New World and searched there. Finally a few hours earlier he came across it and was ready to sail beside it and reunite with his family. But then he got worried. He was scared of how they might react to his new appearance. He was scared of what Marco would think of him when he saw.
He stayed back and followed, trying to sort himself out. But that didn't last long—while Striker continued on its path, the Moby Dick stopped. They were waiting for him. He decided to man-up, seeing as he was a man now, and continued up to the ship. A rope ladder was thrown down. This is it. He took a deep, inward breath and picked up his black and green bag, hauling it over his shoulder before he pulled himself up the side of the massive vessel. One more step to go. He exhaled before dragging himself over the rail, met with at least a dozen familiar faces.
He looked the deck over and noticed that there weren't as many men on board as there usually were—probably out doing something for Oyaji, he surmised. It wasn't long before he noticed their stern, cautious expressions and he felt his body grow heavy under the knowledge that they didn't recognise him, just as he feared.
"Hey," he greeted quietly, raising his hand in a mock salute. The crew's eyes narrowed further, distrust apparent in each of their stances.
"Who are you yoi?"
Ace's heart froze momentarily as he took in the voice. His eyes went wide as he turned his head to see a rather irate blonde. If the circumstances were different he would have ran up to Marco and embraced him as he always did when he was 'Ann', kissing him and urging him to their shared bedroom so that they could talk and catch up… maybe do some other things. Unfortunately those actions were highly inappropriate in his current situation and he just stood there blankly.
Marco scowled, glaring the man down with his arms crossed. Never before had he felt such crushing disappointment as when he saw it wasn't his lover who arrived onboard. He was a tall individual with dark eyes and childish freckles scattered about his cheeks. Black waves hung about his face and, in some strange sense, he looked familiar. He appeared to be strong, if his muscles were any indication, but wasn't overly bulky like most pirates. And he looked scared. He should have been; Marco was in a terrible mood and while he was usually passive he felt like he wanted to tear someone's head off.
"I'm, uh…" Crap. Ace was starting to realize why Sabo had suggested he plan out his introduction—he had nothing to say. He couldn't just blurt it out, right? They wouldn't believe him! 'Hey it's me, Anne. Got changed into a man, not sure how. Continue with whatever you were doing.' That would never work. And he wasn't sure he wanted to tell them in the first place. He didn't want to see the disappointment in Marco's eyes when he found out. "I'm here to see Whitebeard," he stated firmly, catching himself before he called the man 'Oyaji' like he was used to.
"Why?"
"I have something to tell him. It's, uh, kind of important." Ace noticed that his crewmates were more suspicious than before. He really should have thought of something a little more tactful to say but his mind was drawing a blank. He felt like curling up into a ball and pretending none of that was happening.
"We can't just let you see Oyaji, kid," Thatch interrupted, folding his arms in a similar fashion to the first mate. "For all we know you could be after his head."
Shit. Why were they suddenly so guarded? When he first arrived on the Moby Dick as 'Ann' he was openly allowed around the old man despite his daily assassination attempts. What changed? Was it because he was a boy now? Or was it because they didn't know his skill level? Did he look strong? "I won't try anything."
"We don't know that yoi. You haven't told us your name yet, either."
He knew why they wanted his name—if they recognized it they could tell whether he was a threat or not. But they wouldn't, he knew, because 'Ace' hadn't existed until two weeks ago. "It's Ace."
"Ace…?" Thatch repeated, gesturing for him to continue.
He bit his lip. Couldn't call himself Portgas D. Ace, could he? That would raise too many questions. So what did he call himself? Well, he didn't like what he came up with. He never wanted to take that bastard's name. But did he have a choice?
"Gol D. Ace."
The deck fell completely still. All eyes were on him now, staring in shock and disbelief. Only Whitebeard knew that Portgas D. Ann was the child of the Pirate King. He had never gotten around to telling anyone else—not even Marco. Right then he was glad he didn't; he wasn't prepared to face the blonde as he was.
Marco scrutinized the man who claimed to be Gold Roger's son. After eyeing him for a few moments he started seeing similarities between that boy and the fallen pirate. They looked alike, at least. Most of the crew would turn the kid down after stating that. They saw Roger as being Oyaji's deceased enemy. But Marco knew differently. He knew that, despite their rivalry, the two also held a great respect for one another. While that had nothing to do with the boy, Ace, who stood before him, he felt inclined to allow the meeting. Even if something did happen, he knew the old man would be able to take care of it. "Follow me," he commanded, retaining his scowl as he turned on his heel and headed to his captain's office.
"O-oi, you can't be serious!" Thatch shouted as he watched the stranger trail behind the first mate. The blonde ignored him and the rest of the crew gawked as they walked away.
They arrived at Whitebeard's room and Marco opened the door without knocking. "Oyaji, you have a visitor."
The captain grunted. "Who is it?"
"Claims to be Roger's son yoi."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed on the young boy who entered the room, analyzing his appearance. As far as he knew, Ann was the only child Roger had. Not only that but, based on his appearance, he would have been the same age as the second division commander, but Ann didn't have a twin. And, though subtle, there were similarities between the two. The boy's nervous eyes met his before he bowed his greeting and Whitebeard turned back to Marco. "Leave us."
Marco was surprised at that but quickly left the room and closed the door, heading back to his regular position on deck.
"What's this about?" Oyaji asked, his voice stern and powerful.
Ace shifted a bit as he thought. He knew he had to tell Whitebeard even if he hid it from everyone else. "I, uh… It's me, Oyaji." Whitebeard quirked an eyebrow when he heard the title that the boy used and motioned for him to continue. "Ann."
The old man narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, studying the man who claimed to be his daughter. He looked worried and scared, but not because of the Yonko's stature or title. He recognized the look from when Ann told him about her lineage; the boy was scared of being rejected. That expression in itself was enough for him to believe his claim. "What happened?"
Ace's eyes widened and he came to abruptly face his captain, shocked that he didn't protest his identity. Tears of relief pricked at his eyes but he didn't let them fall and instead readied himself to reply. Damn, he'd done far too much crying as a man. "I don't know. I just… woke up like this two weeks ago when I was with my brothers."
"I see. Have you told the crew?"
He shook his head. "I don't think I'm ready to face them yet. I thought I'd tell you first."
Whitebeard smiled down at the boy and reached over to ruffle his hair. The touch was soothing and before long silent streams of tears made their way down Ace's face. He was just so relieved that the man he called 'Father' accepted him, despite the change. He reached up and held the massive hand in both of his own, as proof that his response was real.
"It's alright, child."
"…You believe me?"
"Of course, my boy. I've seen far stranger things over the years."
"…Thanks, Oyaji."
After a few minutes of quiet Ace's tears dried just in time for them to hear a knock on the door. Marco entered once more, being sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened while he was gone. Whitebeard's gaze went from Ace to his first mate. "Marco, see to it that he's properly taken care of."
"What?"
"He's your new brother; I expect you to treat him well."
Both sets of eyes widened at they realized what he said—Marco wondering how the boy managed to join the crew so quickly and Ace shocked that Whitebeard was allowing him to keep the situation a secret. The old man knew of his relations with Marco yet still allowed him the selfish desire of keeping his identity hidden. He silently thanked the Yonko once more, trying to properly express his gratitude.
Marco eyed the boy warily. Something wasn't right about the whole situation and he didn't like it. He wasn't sure he could just accept the kid as one of his own, either, seeing how strange his appearance had been. He would keep an eye on him, just in case.
A/N: And the awkwardness begins. Not much to say here... Umm... Damn, normally I go off on a tangent in the Author's Note but I can't really think of anything... Damn.
Question: Is the the first story of mine you've read or are you a veteran?
To my lovelies~
Kitsune Foxfire: Hehe sorry. I have up to chapter 6 written out so I figured I'd update quickly. Going to slow down after this chapter though. I'm resting as much as I can during midterms :) But anyways, hope you enjoy~
RoXaS707: A few of your questions were answered this chapter and the rest you'll have to wait for :P
Portgas D. Paula: Yeah, I'd probably have a panic attack if that happened to me, especially if I had a boyfriend who wasn't bi XD Marco's reaction is... confusing. Thanks!
Cyborgnetics: Don't worry, he'll act like the Ace you know a good portion of the time. Though... feminine, which will be amusing :P Yeah that is lucky. But, well, Marco... ah, you'll just have to wait and see.
Son Goshen: Really? I find her reaction perfectly natural :P I mean she won't be recognized by her crew and her boyfriend is very straight and likely to reject her, not to mention waking up as the opposing gender is enough to cause anyone to freak out (even if you don't think you would, the same would happen) and I think she did pretty good for freaking out for only 10min or so ;) You're laughing at her pain, you evil person XD Most reviewers were like "poor Ann" and then you come in laughing... priceless. My hand's rested long enough =3=
Weiss Dragon: Hehe glad you liked it! Thanks!
alniyat: Well I suppose 30 reviews for the first two chapters is decent enough :) People don't like genderbenders much though, so... Nope, not easy. At first it looks like it's going to be easy but then... Well, you'll see. Lol I would too. I would convince myself it was all a dream. Or hide in some random person's closet. The end's been decided, but I won't say :P And yes, that is the reason for the change. It's not very important but I needed some sort of reason for it, you know? And Iva-chan was the most obvious cause.
mamc97nolongeranonymous: You'll see eventually.
azab: Well he's a boy now, so... Wait and see.
StrawberryGirlKairi: Lol so would I XD Or go into denial. Marco's reaction has a few stages. You'll see what I mean later on ;) Awe you're so sweet. I'm glad you like my stories! I'd like to update the others but I have to wait for my hand to heal and for midterms to end =_=;
ApplesOranges: Yeah, many people don't like genderbenders. I actually didn't like writing Ace as Ann before but she grew on me :D I hope they get better soon too T^T
Sealing Mistress: Hehehe I'm glad you liked that part XD It was my favourite to write. Marco's reaction will have several stages... I can't say any more without giving it away but it's... interesting. To be perfectly honest I always feel like dropping Skip hehe... But I won't, because that wouldn't be fair to the readers. Luckily many of my stories are fairly short so it won't be too hard to finish them. This one will be VERY short, so will Skip, Reverse and Imagined Life (when I get far enough to post it) so the only long ones I have are The Divide and A Pirate's Resolve. And random oneshots. Gotta love the random oneshots. But yeah, I am able to keep it up because I know that they're not that long :D Though now I can't write anything because of my stupid hand...
Haruka-desu: I'm glad you do :) Hehe I wouldn't say I'm a genius, just a university student with a fucked up imagination.
spoons-are-evil: Hehe yeah, you gotta love Luffy for that XD Yeah, Sabo is eerily nice in this story, isn't he? Makes me think he's up to something because I'm so used to writing his witty banter in Divide e_e; Lol actually I agree with that, he acted a bit like a mother... Gotta love that connection :P I know, isn't it messed up?! My Author's Notes are supposed to be like 1000 words long! It's unnatural! Even this one is really short! It feel's wrong e_e It's okay, I'm just happy you reviewed at all ^^
(So that's it with this update! Tell me what you think and all that jazz. Note to self: never say that again. I took a 7 hour 'nap' this afternoon so I'm not going to sleep at all tonight o.o I'm going to be so tired for class tomorrow... And I'm drinking caffiene! I'm so fucking smart! Well, my mini-rant's over. Please review! Adieu~)