MsWildLuck: Thank you very much! It means a lot! :')

MewKew: Well, I was planning in that too :pp thank you!

So, here's chapter 3. :)


"Soooo.. Can you fight?"

Rose tilted her head and find Ace behind her. She's currently sitting on the edge of the ship after being dragged around and introduced to other crew members by Haruta. The commander already taking a liking to her. She tapped the wood beside her, gesturing for Ace to sit on. Ace just followed her orders and sits.

"Surprisingly, I do. Need to prepare for some worst case." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"Like this time?" Ace smiled asking her. Surprisingly, she laughed.

"Yeah.." she said with a smile. There's a long comfortable silence. Ace is about to ask her a question before she asked her more or less about the same thing.

"It's nice, isn't it? To have a family like this?" She said smiling sadly while looking at him.

"Yeah.. What about yours?"

"What? Mine? Well, I don't really know. My parents died murdered in a robbery when I'm still a teenager. I was sleeping over in the night it happens, you know.." He catch a sad glint in her eyes, Ace felt his heart sank into his stomach. To see that look from anyone never been fun. Especially from the girl he had a crush on in the first sight.

"I'm sorry." Ace could only say that, resisting the urge to hug her, he patted Rose's hair instead. Rose smiled at him and leaned her head at his shoulder. "It's okay."

They stayed that way for hours, just staring at the sea and enjoying each other company. They had only met this morning and talked for a minute. But it feels like they've been friends for years and they don't even know why. Marco and Thatch is looking at them for the whole time. Thatch leaned his head to Marco's and whispered to his ear so that he won't disturb Ace and Rose's 'quality time'.

"Do you think he will get the chick this time?" Marco smirked and raised one if his eyebrows at Thatch.

"Are you kidding? He's totally is." He said.

"I guess so. It's a good thing, isn't it?"

"What are you worried about, Thatch?"

"I don't know. I'm happy if Ace finally found someone and stuffs but, what happened if Rose somehow hurts him or what? What if the plan didn't work and.. you know? It's just I don't want to see him sad. He's already burdened by his anxiety of his family.."

"I know, Thatch. For now, we can just see how it goes, right?"


"LAND HO!"

Rose and Ace turned to see the island they're going to dock at and found Marco and Thatch going in their way.

"Let's go get you some clothes and other things, shall we?" Marco said to them.

"Can I come too?" asks Ace.

"The four of us are going, Ace." said Thatch and receiving a 'Yaayy!' from Ace.

"Uh, why did all of us needs to go?" Rose asked.

"Because, milady, I need to know if you had any fashion sense." said Thatch putting his arm around Rose's shoulders. She just stared at him and shrugged. "I'm a girl at very least, thank you." Ace and Marco laughed and step down to the dinky.

Once they got to the island, Thatch quickly dragged Rose to the nearest clothing store. Marco and Ace just followed the two together. They stepped inside the clothing store and goes to the dress section. Rose and Thatch already choosing the dresses, they argued, asked for Ace's and Marco's opinions (which they don't answered to). They final choose is to the white sleeveless knee-length simple dress. And then the two goes into the tops section. Rose choose a black-tight and a camo tank top, a red and white T-shirt, and a leather jacket. They moved again into the pants section while Rose go find some underwears. Thatch already chooses a flexible jeans, a cargo pants, and few other shorts when Rose come back. Ace looked at the shoes section and found a really adorable boots. It was black and length up to knee with a silver tribal decoration on it. It also had a 2cm heels. He also find a flat shoes that would be able to provide in other situations. It was also black with some spikes. The both could be some weapons if Rose knows how to use it. He picked the two things up and passed it to Rose

"Hey, this two will look good on you." He said with a smile. She looked at it and had a glint in her eyes.

"Thank you, Ace!" and then she runs off to the fitting room. Ace stared at the fitting room's doors.

"...What?" Ace found Marco and Thatch stared at him. Marco chuckled and answered him. "Nothing..", said Marco. But his eyes says the opposite.

"Seriously, what?" The two looked at each other and then Marco turns into to look at Thatch and back at Ace..

"You like her, didn't you?" He said with a grin. Ace blushed very instantly and made the other two laughed. Marco was about to ask more questions when Rose stepped out of the fitting room, wearing the white dress and the flat shoes. Their eyes is on Rose. For a few moments, they're speechless. Marco's the one who snapped out of it first.

"Woah, you look really good on that." Rose blushed and lowered her head.

"Thank you" she says, and then looked at Ace and Thatch.

"What do you think?" She said with smile and put her hands behind her back, and spin.

"YOU'RE SO CUTE! I'm so proud of you.." Thatch screamed and wiped his teary eyes. Rose laughed and looked at the-still-stunned Ace.

"You are currently the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my life." He said with a cheeky grin. Rose blushed again and muttered her 'thank you'. The four of them walked out the store after paying for Rose's clothes. Before they got out, Rose asked the manager the popular spot on the town. He said that there's a flowery field which is very beautiful in the west side of the island. They decided to go back to the ship, dropped off Rose's thing, and go to the field. The commanders and few other crew members comes along too. When they reached the field, the 'wooaahh' could be heard from everyone. They run around the field laughing and joking.

"Ace! Rose! Come here too!" shouted Haruta from the spot she's currently sitting on with Marco and Thatch. Ace quickly reached out his hand to Rose and she quickly take it. They run together and laughed feeling the tickling sensation the grasses in their legs. When they reached Haruta, Rose suddenly tripped and make the both of them fall into the ground. Ace catches Rose and laughed, so does Rose. Ignoring the whistling the other crewmembers is making. Rose rolled over and make Ace's chest to be her pillow.

"What is that bird?" She said pointing at a bird.

"They're Song Birds, they liked songs. You can make them sing, but you need to catch their attention first." said Marco. 'Just like Mockingjays from the movie.' she thought. She quickly sits up and make Ace does too. She turn her face to face Marco and the others.

"Check this out." She said with a grin. They looked at each other and turn their attentions to Rose again. She cleared her throat, take a breath, and closed her eyes.

Each day we met sunrises,

I hurry from my sleep.

I can't wait to greet you with my song.

You are every kind of flower,

Every animal I meet.

You are nature,

Full of grace and majesty.

From your skies the snow gently falls,

To the Earth.

From your trees,

The birds nest and play.

From your oceans,

The fish school and,

Travel the world.

Oh Nature,

Please don't ever go away..

Each day when the sun rises,

I hurry from my sleep.

I can't wait to greet you with my song.

You are every kind of flower,

Every animal I meet.

Nature,

You are grace and majesty.

She opened her eyes and found the birds is crowding in the branches near her and all eyes are on her. She also noticed that their jaws are dropped and she laughed at the funny look.

"Holy shit.." muttered Thatch.

"Just.. How the heck did you able to sing like that?" asks Izou with a still obvious shock on his face.

"I learned to sing from I was 3. My parents told me how to sing. They said it's my natural talent. And I've been studying singing ever since." She said with a smile.

"Wow.." said Ace. Rose smiled again and leaned her head at Ace's shoulders again. After that, they talked about their adventures and joking all the while. They went back to the ship when it's getting dark, and they had dinner. They still stayed to talk about few things and then started to leave to bed, when it hits Rose. Where exactly she's going to sleep?

"Uh.. Ace?" Ace turns around to look at her.

"Yes, Rose?"

"Where am I going to sleep?" Ace looked dumbfounded, he stays silent for a while before answering her.

"Uh, well, you surely can't sleep in the man's cabin so.. You can sleep with me since there's no empty rooms left. Unless you want to stay on the infirmary?" he said while scratching his neck in confusion.

"No, thank you. I'd rather to not to go back to the infirmary, please. I hate the bed."

"Agreed. So, you wanna go to bed now?"

"Um, sure.. I'm feeling tired."

"Let's go then."

They walked out of the kitchen and then goes into Ace's room. His bed fits into two people so she surely can sleep in there. Ace passed her his old shirt to use. Since the shirt is too big for her, she don't need to wear pants anymore. She walked into the bathroom to get changed. 'It feels like we're a married couple or something..' she thought and giggled, not disliking the idea of her marrying Ace. After she finished changing her clothes, she washed her hands and feet. When she walked put of bed, Ace is already in the bed. She smiled at Ace and snuggle up into the bed too. Ace smiled when Rose snuggle up to him to gain some warmth. He held his hands around her and turned off the lamp.

"Goodnight, Rose."

"Goodnight, Ace."