Guess who forgot to update before finals started? Me.

Sorry about the long wait! Finals are over now and I'm officially on summer break. I still have school though, so updates won't be frequent (I'm much busier over summer than the regular school year). Chapter 10 has been completed since last year, but I haven't even started on 11 yet, so please forgive me if it takes a while! As always, my PM's are open if you want to chat.

A hexadecagon is a sixteen-sided polygon.

-Jeis


Chapter 9: Hexadecagon


Fight for yourself

Fight for your dreams

Fight for your life


After the ceremony, I danced with Ace. He was warm, as usual, and we talked about my past and future, as usual. But I feel like he knows more about me—a person with amnesia, than I do about him—someone who still clearly remembers his past.

Falco looked at the words on her journal and frowned. Her handwriting had gotten significantly better—she even thought that they had a degree of fluidity, with even strokes throughout the entire page.

No, she was frowning at the content of the words. Ever since she had talked to Eve, Falco couldn't stop thinking about what potential secrets Ace had. She figured it would be disrespectful to pry, but Eve had mentioned that whatever he was hiding, he was hiding it from the entire crew, not just her.

She also wondered why she was so curious. Sure, Falco was curious about Amare's past, but she didn't feel the same way about Marco, Thatch, Florence, or even Whitebeard himself. She was only curious about Ace and what had led him to become the person that he was today.

"Hmm? You want to know more about me?"

Falco whipped her head around, only to find her face inches away from Ace's. She stumbled back in surprise, knocking her chair over and almost falling, if it weren't for Ace's lightning-fast reflexes that caught her arm.

"Sorry," he chuckled, gently pulling her back up. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Falco's frown deepened as she closed the book shut with an angry thump. "I thought these things were supposed to be private."

"You're right—I apologize," he smiled, eyes crinkling into innocent crescents. "Just wanted to check up on your handwriting, but I didn't think you would be writing about me."

The girl didn't say anything, her face turning redder and redder.

Ace laughed as he sat on the edge of the bed. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about! I think it's natural to be curious."

He grinned at her reassuringly after watching her skeptical face. "Really. And in all honesty, we should be apologizing to you, Falco. Your past will probably have things you don't want to remember or things you don't want others to find out about, but because you've lost your memories, someone may find out before you. And… that's not fair."

Falco clutched the large book close to her, looking down. "Yeah. I'm scared to know, even though I am a bit curious. I could've done something heinous in the past… and then I'll get kicked out from the family."

The vice-commander stood up before crouching down so that he was looking up at Falco's golden eyes. Ruffling her head gently, he said: "Even if everyone else disowns you for what you've done in the past, I never will. I'll give you my word."

Instead of giving him a appreciative reply or being cheerful, Falco grew even more curious.

What's so terrible about your history that you can confidently tell an amnesiac you'll never judge her for what was done in the past? She thought. It's scaring me.

At Falco's lack of response, Ace dropped his hand and sighed.

"I don't know why you've suddenly grown curious," he said, rubbing he back of his neck. "But… I can't say much for now. Things change when I tell people."

"So you're telling me that you won't judge me for what I did in the past," she said slowly. "But you don't think I'll be impartial back to you?"

Ace chuckled. "Well… I don't think that's how impartiality works."

Falco blew the bangs out of her forehead in annoyance. "Fine, I won't pry. But I'm the same as you—I won't judge. As long as… you know, you're not a mass-murderer who hunts down amnesiac women and disembowels their organs while drinking their—"

"NO!" Ace cut her off, looking shocked. "And since when did you have this… this dark sense of humour?"

"Can't remember. Amnesiac, remember?" She grinned. Ace gave out another hearty laughter before starting to fold his clean laundry.

Not even a minute later, Ace stopped his task and looked around curiously. "Maybe I was gone for too long for breakfast, but where's Amare?"

"In the bathroom," Falco said, looking at a picture of a map. "It's been a while though… maybe she's sick?"

Just as Ace stood up to knock on the door, Amare came out, looking at them curiously with her emerald eyes.

"Heard my name," she said, sitting next to Falco and across from Ace. "You guys missed me?"

Falco smiled and tapped her nose. "Of course we did. What took you so long? Feeling sick?"

"Constipation," Amare shrugged. "Damn, I swear to god those churros from yesterday are still messing with me. What were in those fu—"

"THAT'S NICE!" Ace cut her off immediately. "CONSTIPATION. NICE."

Falco furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't think we even had churros yesterday."

"It's no biggie," Amare shrugged casually. "At least I don't smell. Holy smokes, if you've ever smelled Ace's farts you'd be sharing a room with someone else by now—"

"That was ONE time," Ace cried, jumping up. "You know what cold food does to me—"

"Fukubuchou, you had like, two cubes of ice," Amare said, plugging her nose as if Ace had farted again. "Putting the 'fuk-u' in 'fukubuchou' alright…"

Falco paused for a brief moment. "Did… did Amare swear successfully for once?"

"Okay, she was talking about my title, not fu… you know, that word," Ace grumbled. "And Amare, it's not my fault that my body doesn't do well with cold food!"

"Either way, I was the one who had to breathe through that stench for twenty-four hours," she frowned. "Falco, you'd be shocked if you knew how potent they were."

"Are not! You're making me look terrible—I thought you wanted me to get married to her but you're making me look illegible for anyone!"

"That's true, but she needs to love your flaws so she can love your good traits as well," Amare said in a matter-of-factly tone. "Otherwise, she'll be disappointed!"

"D-disappointed?!" Ace sputtered. "I have a lot of good traits!"

"I'm still here guys…"

"Right, so we need to make sure you don't eat anything cold—so no ice-cream dates. Make sure to always wear clean shoes and clean socks. And have a mint before you go in for the first kiss—"

"Where did you learn all of these things from?!" Ace cried.

Falco's eyes widened in horror. "Wait, didn't I give you the rest of my ice cream when we shopped? On that first island after Oyaji gave me some allowance?"

"Yeah! That's why fukubuchou was in the bathroom the entire night afterwards."

"I didn't even realize," she cried in horror. "I'm so sorry!"

Before Ace had a chance to say he was fine, Amare cut in again. "But Ace, I swear you used Marco's bathroom—isn't that because you knew how… potent… you could be?"

"That's it." Ace seethed, angrily throwing a clean shirt down. "Come here!"

Amare squealed in surprise as the vice-commander leaped over the table and tackled Amare to the floor, tickling her as she went down. Falco laughed quietly in her seat, watching the two sibling-like pair fight as if they were children.

"No, Ace!" She cried, squirming as he continuously jabbed her waist. "I'm sorry! I surrender! I surrender!"

"Never!"

The door suddenly clicked open, making everyone freeze immediately.

The first commander's tired eyes looked at each one of their faces before scoffing, as if he didn't believe the sight before him.

"I came here to tell you about the Hexadecagon Tournament… but I heard some… interesting things as I made my trip down the hall," he said, looking amused. "All the other commanders and vice-commanders are preparing their divisions for the next battle or training on deck but I come here and you guys are talking about poo? Unbelievable."

"Aw, c'mon!" Amare grinned, pulling the commander inside. "You're not actually mad, are you buchou? Please don't be mad! I thought I should give Falco a fair warning."

Marco chuckled as he picked up the child. "I can never be mad at you. Besides, I think it's good we warn Falco beforehand."

"MARCO!"

"Sorry, Ace. Now, Amare… what did you call your vice-commander instead of 'fukubuchou'?"

"BUCHOU!"

"Sorry, sorry…"


Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

IX: Hexadecagon


Falco stared at the sheet in her hand, feeling bewildered.

"So… you're telling me that we're approaching this giant island…"

"Yep."

"And each division will fight against each other?"

"Yep. Well… only the commanders and vice-commanders."

"And it'll be a fight to the death?"

Amare looked up from her snack, which consisted of soggy chips and a stale bread. "The tournament normally stops right before death."

Falco blinked, but still looked ticked off. "Okay, so… we pummel each other right until we're an inch away from death's door."

"Yep," Ace said for the umpteenth time. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah, just one," Falco said, whipping her head to the side to glare at her commander. "So why did you put me as the representative for the fourth division?!"

Thatch raised his hands up, giving Falco a sheepish look. "I'm sorry—I'm actually a bit sore from my last mission and you're the closest person I have to a vice-commander."

"Vice-commanders are normally nominated through this tournament," Marco added helpfully. "To lead a division requires two things: strength that can be proven, and a popularity vote from the crew."

Florence nodded next to the man. "If a commander nominates you and you perform well in this tournament, the crew can vote if they want you as a vice-commander or not. If you're approved—congratulations!"

Falco shook her head and closed her eyes, sighing. "That's not the point. I'm asking why you nominated me to be a vice-commander when I never even wanted the spot!"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Amare cried, bounding up to her. "Then even if you leave, you'll know that there's always a crew out here waiting for you. A home that you're in charge of."

The girl relaxed a little bit and chuckled. "Oh, Amare. You know me too well, don't you?"

"Well, guess that's settled," Marco grinned. "We're an hour away from docking at New Moon, so get ready."

Everyone dismissed themselves immediately, Florence rushing back to the nurses who were preparing for the worst casualties, Marco talking to his group of vice-commanders, and Thatch who began to converse with Whitebeard. Ace, Amare, and Falco all headed back to their room, a nervous tension in the air.

Falco's eyes were glued onto the roster, reading the list of names in her head.

Marco, Ace, no one from the third division, me, Vista, Blamenco, Rakuyo, Namur, Blenheim, Curiel, Kingew, Haruta, Atmos, Jiru, Fossa, Izo… Ace is the only vice-commander and I'm the only person trying to get a position.

"Memorizing the roster?" Ace asked, walking out of the bathroom with his inconspicuous orange hat. "We'll be drawing the names once we dock so no need to worry right now."

Falco looked up from the sheet of paper and couldn't help but smile at Amare and Ace's attires, despite the grave situation.

"What?" The man asked. "Got something on my face?"

She shook her head. "No. It's just that we haven't worn these clothes in a while."

Amare looked down at her own clothes and grinned. "You're right! This is what we wore the first time we met on Root Island!"

Everyone was in their own attire—Ace wearing his black shorts, black boots, red accessories, and the bright orange hat. Amare was in her green shorts and black tank-top, outlined by white fabric. Falco was wearing her off-shouldered blue sweater and shorts, with her swords next to her. Because she had so many new clothes now, she didn't don her past apparel as often.

"Feels like you've been here forever," Amare smiled, bounding up to the girl. "It's like we were meant to be!"

Falco nodded in agreement. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be here, training for ten years to only be slaughtered by my own family."

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad!" said Amare, holding her hand. "Florence is a great doctor! If someone rips your limbs off, I'll rip theirs too, and then I'll ask the nurses to treat you!"

The swordsman rolled her eyes heavenward at the thought. "Lovely. I'm not nervous anymore."

Ace placed his hat on his shaggy hair and ruffled Falco's head. "You'll be okay. I'm actually kind of excited to watch you fight."

"What if we end up fighting each other?" Falco asked. "What should I do?"

"Better prepare yourself," the vice-commander grinned. "Because I won't go easy on you."

Falco opened her mouth to retort but then smiled. "That's good. I'm the same."


Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

IX: Hexadecagon


Falco was shocked once she saw New Moon—it was a circular island with little vegetation, and the lowest point of the land was below the sea level as a giant crater had apparently formed it into the shape of a bowl.

"Children of the sea!" Whitebeard cried, once everyone was off the four ships. "Today will be our annual Hexadecagon Tournament!"

The deafening roars of her crewmates startled Falco—this was a completely different air compared to the Ducere Tournament or Lambon Island.

"Commanders. Vice-commanders. Future vice-commanders," the captain said, holding up his massive bisento. "As a family we fight for each other. But today, we fight to see who is the most capable—the strongest of the strong, and the man who leads the most triumphant division!"

"WHITEBEARD! WHITEBEARD! WHITEBEARD!" Everyone chanted.

"Because Jozu is away on a mission with his vice-commanders, one person will be sitting out from the first round. But first, we must draw the ladder that will determine the fate of the divisions for the next year!"

Florence stood next to the massive man and picked out a small piece of paper. She handed it to the captain, who read out from the much-too-small scrap.

"The first round… Marco!"

"Looks like my time's here!" Marco said, chuckling next to Ace.

Florence read out the next name. "Up against Commander Marco will be… Commander Izo!"

A delicate looking man with more make-up than Florence also stepped forwards, spinning twin rifles around his fingers.

Falco watched quietly as the two men walked to the centre of the crater—everyone else remained around them, a tense feeling lingering in the air. Whitebeard sat a few meters away from her, downing a bowl of sake.

"Watch carefully," Ace said softly next to her. "Because there isn't anyone more graceful in the skies."

Before Falco could ask what he meant by that, the ringing of a gong nearly made her jump and before she knew it, the 1600 members of the Whitebeard Pirates began to cheer.

Marco and Izo immediately jumped away from each other with the latter firing quickly from his rifles. Marco quickly maneuvered sideways, dodging the shots.

"My devil fruit lets me shoot with impeccable aim," Amare said next to her. "Reagan can dodge regular shots. Marco doesn't have Reagan's speed and Izo doesn't have my aim—"

"Then how are they commanders?" Falco asked. "If you and Reagan can do what they can't?"

Just as she said the last word, a bright blue light illuminated the gloomy island, and when Falco looked up, the commander had changed to his phoenix form. She smiled a little at the bird of fire—Marco had been the first commander she met after being rescued by Ace and Amare, and she had wondered what he was initially.

"I'd forgotten that we all wielded fire," Falco said softly to Ace. "You have red fire, Marco has blue, and I have silver."

Izo pulled back as Marco threw down a flurry of fireballs at him before firing several more rounds. Instead of dodging, however, Marco stood still in the air.

"LOOK OUT!" Falco cried.

But rather than the bullets piercing him as she expected, they went cleanly through the man—and any subsequent scratches and injuries he bore also disappeared with his fire.

"What the—" Falco breathed. "Did… did he just heal himself?"

"Phoenix Marco, with the blue flames that heal," Ace confirmed. "Izo is strong and no one here doubts that—but when it comes to Marco, he's pretty impossible to beat. His flames hurt like hell and even if you can hit him, he'll heal before he gets injured again."

Indeed, Falco's eyes widened at Marco's ultimate ability. There was just no ways that anyone could beat Marco, who was strong even without his Devil Fruit. But with his blue wings of fire, Falco was not surprised when Izo collapsed a few minutes later. Secretly, she wondered what a battle against Oyaji or his own father against Marco would be like.

"The winner is," Whitebeard said, standing up from his chair. "MARCO!"

"Marco! Marco! Marco!" Everyone cheered. Several nurses helped Izo up and moved him to an infirmary, with his division trailing worriedly behind him.

Falco tapped Ace gently. "How injured is Izo? I'm not afraid of a few scratches but damn… Marco didn't look like he was holding back."

Ace raised an eyebrow amusedly. "Didn't you say you weren't going to hold back either? We're representing an entire division, of course you don't want to go soft against your opponent!"

That's true. Falco thought. "Well, I'm glad I can minimize my injuries by not going this round."

The vice-commander smirked and patter her head. "You'll be fine. I can't promise that you'll get out unscathed, but no one here has the intent to kill."

Falco worriedly looked over the arena as the rest of the matches flew by. The knot in her stomach was growing tighter and tighter, and all she could remember by the end of it was how impressed she was at everyone's ability to fight, as well as the dreaded feeling of knowing that she was going to get pulverized.

Still, she noted Vista's match against Commander Rakuyo, a man that used a terrifying spiked flail to create uneven ground wherever it landed. But after a few minutes of cat and mouse, the fifth division's commander was able to successfully defeat Commander Rakuyo by using an elaborate combination of elegant sword moves, as well as quick thinking on his feet.

Ace's match had also been interesting as he had gone against Commander Namur, a fishman. Generally, Ace's fire would be weak against Namur's natural element, however, Ace was able to fight evenly on the waterless terrain and became the first vice-commander of the tournament to defeat a commander.

"We will move on to the second round," Whitebeard announced once the rest of the matches had ended. "Congratulations to Marco, Curiel, Vista, Ace, Blenheim, Atmos, Fossa, and Falco."

"Ace was able to defeat a commander… looks like he proved himself to be ready," someone whispered behind Falco.

"Maria's daughter will be in the next round. But didn't she lose to Vista last time?"

"Idiot, she won against Mir and Talis during the Hexadecagon Tournament!"

"No, that's true but I remember someone telling me that Vista crushed her on Lambon."

Falco frowned slightly as she heard the chatter. She wasn't able to showcase her decade of hard work on Lambon. It was different than when she fought with Ace, because Vista knew her weakness and was able to break her—he took her biggest fears and insecurities and turned it against her.

Everyone watched intensely as Florence brought the bowl of names to Oyaji again. The captain picked them out quickly, and a new roster was soon formed.

"The first match will be between Atmos and Ace," he thundered. "Then Falco and Vista."

The girl stiffened immediately. Vista again! She wasn't sure if she was excited to have another chance to show her skills, or absolutely terrified at the thought that she was going to lose again.

"Then we have Bleinheim and Fossa, followed by the last match for this round—Marco versus Blamenco."

Ace put a warm hand on Falco, startling the girl. He gave her a kind smile and said: "You'll be fine. You're not the same person as you were when you fought him on Lambon Island."

"Ace, it hasn't even been a month since I last fought him," Falco hissed. "I've barely trained during my time here—he'll murder me."

"Listen," the vice-commander said, as the crowd around them dissipated to find a good spot to watch. "Do you remember why you lost last time?"

Falco was silent for a moment, gazing evenly at Ace's silver eyes. "He made me afraid. Not really because of the injuries, but because of the thought that I would lose."

The vice-commander nodded. "Right. Vista could see that. Hell, we all could see that. But Falco—don't forget that losing to Mihawk once, losing to Vista once doesn't mean that your decade or whatever of training on Root Island was pointless. And it doesn't mean that you're weak."

She nodded quickly, looking away. "I know."

"And it doesn't mean that you won't get a chance to defeat Mihawk in the future."

"I know."

Ace gently grabbed the side of her face and made her look up at him, completely surprising her. Falco could feel her face grow warm, and any nervousness she felt from hearing her name being called against Vista's soon disappeared.

"Why is your face so cold?" Ace asked, frowning.

"Well, why are you holding my face?" She asked, grinning. "People are going to get the wrong idea."

The vice-commander rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "If they didn't get the 'wrong idea' before, they sure are late to the party…"

"Ace!" Falco scolded, slapping his arm gently. "You know it's nothing like that. Besides, Amare and I sleep away from you."

"Oh, that's not what I told the rest of the crew."

"WHAT?!"

"Kidding, kidding," he grinned. "You're still as gullible as ever."

Falco groaned but she couldn't hide the grin from her face. "Is this another one of your stupid tactics to make me relaxed?"

The older man looked offended. "What do you mean 'stupid tactics'? And as far as I'm concerned, they've worked every time so they're not stupid."

"You're right," Falco said. "Just childish."

"JUST—" Ace sputtered angrily. "I AM NOT A BABY!"

"Well you're acting like one because we've already called your name ten times!" Marco yelled, suddenly running up to him from nowhere. "Do your best, baby!"

Before Ace even had a moment to register what happened, Marco and Thatch had kicked the vice-commander forcefully into the arena, where Atmos sweatdropped as he watched Ace land on his face.

The Whitebeard Pirates laughed heartily as Ace cursed furiously at his superiors. Falco too, couldn't help but grin at the sight of them. Even in the midst of such an intense battle, the crew never stopped joking around and having fun. She watched carefully as the vice-commander brushed himself off and lowered his stance right before the gong rang and leapt forward with his signature move.

Hiken no Ace. She thought, watching the brilliant flames illuminate the small island. The one who illuminates the world.


Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

IX: Hexadecagon


Ace had won against Atmos after much difficulty—the vice-commander and the commander both wouldn't give in, until one final hiken from Ace settled the score. Falco could tell that both were tired from their previous battles, but was impressed at Ace's persistence to keep fighting against his superior.

"Good work," Falco said, handing Ace a towel. "You look tired."

"Guess you can say that," Ace sighed, sitting down. He groaned painfully while clasping his shoulder, where Falco spotted a nasty gash.

"Ace…" Amare said worriedly. "Maybe you should go see Florence?"

Ace quickly eyed the blonde nurse who was treating Atmos who had been knocked out by Ace's hiken. "No, just let the nurses be. They have enough on their hands already."

Falco bit her lower lip in worry until she felt a hand clasp her shoulder. She turned around abruptly only to face Thatch.

"You're up," he smiled. "Go get 'em, champ!"

Falco glanced back at Ace who gave her a small smile. "You can do it. I believe in you."

"Falco," Amare frowned, tugging on her shirt. "Here, take this."

The girl handed her a small, black pendant shaped like a rose.

"Whoa," Falco said. "What's this? Looks expensive."

"It's just something I like to have around," Amare explained sheepishly. "Kind of dumb, but I like to think it keeps me safe. It's like a good luck charm!"

The swordsman looked at the intricate design curiously. "Are you sure you want to lend this to me? It could get lost or destroyed in a fight."

Amare shook her head quickly. "It won't. It's made from black diamonds."

Falco raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "Where did you get something so—"

"Falco, you're up!" Marco cried, shoving the girl into the large crater. "Go get him!"

The girl quickly put the expensive pendant into her pocket and took a step closer to Vista, who bowed politely at her.

"So we meet again, Falco D. Mihawk," the commander smiled. "Are you ready to face my wrath?"

Falco drew one of her swords—Asa no Eiko and held it between them. "It won't be like last time. I'm stronger than I was back then."

"Oh? Brave words for a young girl." Vista smiled. "Then don't expect me to go easy on you!"

A gong rang in the distance and both Vista and Falco leaped forward, the ringing of metals clashing and the cheers of their crewmates echoing almost dizzily in the horizon.

Don't be scared. Falco told herself, as she quickly deflected Vista's strikes. You know his abilities. You know you can work your way around them.

"I wonder why she's not using her other swords," Amare said, frowning. "Must be harder to block since Vista's using two and she's only using one."

"Good observation," Thatch said, patting the girl's head. "But having more swords doesn't always mean that you'll be at an advantage. Falco most likely understands this."

"While nittoryu gives you the benefit of attacking and blocking at the same time, you're also required to have the strength to block and strike with one hand. Not doubting that Falco has the strength, but look at Vista," Marco said, looking at the two fighters. "His frame is massive, compared to Falco."

"I'm guessing she's just going to entrust everything to one sword," Thatch shrugged, sitting down next to Ace. "That seems to be more her style, anyways. Clean and simple."

Falco wasn't sure if Vista was fighting to the best of his abilities, but she could see somewhat of a pattern when he was striking. The two had gotten into a rhythm, of Vista striking, Falco blocking, Falco striking, then Vista blocking.

Amare's eyes widened. "Whoa! It's like the two of them are dancing. It… looks kind of pretty!"

Ace's eyes narrowed. The most dangerous thing to do in a swordfight was to get into a rhythm. Being in a rhythm meant that your moves were predictable, which led to unexpected counterattacks.

"Wonder who's going to break the beat first," Marco whispered, echoing his thoughts. "One of them is probably caught in the others' rhythm."

But when Ace looked at their faces, Vista simply looked excited, and Falco looked as calm and determined as ever. Neither of them looked like they were trapped in the dance.

Suddenly, the two swords clashed as the swordsmen stood still, locked in an intent gaze.

"Mm?" Vista went, raising an eyebrow. "You've gotten stronger, little one."

"Yeah?" Falco smiled, gritting her teeth. "That's a surprise, because I haven't practiced at all since coming here."

"You allowed yourself to fall into my steps," the commander explained. "But you didn't panic and worry about what I would do next. You merely followed the beats and made the dance into your own."

Falco leaped backwards to ease the tension and held out the sword before her. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But if you want to dance—"

The girl jumped into the air before somersaulting forwards, using her entire weight to strike Vista. "Then I'll gladly give you one!"

The two leaped with incredible speed, but Falco's nimble body was much faster. She moved with agility, in quick bursts of gold and silver from when her sword briefly clashed with his.

That's right. She thought, allowing herself to move faster and faster. It doesn't matter who I am or how long I've trained for. I need to fight without bringing the burdens of my past to the battlefield.

"Look at her go," Thatch chuckled. "What elegant swordsmanship. Vista's flower dance is beautiful, but there's something about Falco's blade that's so cultured."

Indeed, Vista's blade brought with them wisps of dangerous and magnificent petals, ready to pierce with each strike, but Falco moved with her blades as if they were an extension of her body. The nimbleness and the way she so elegantly dodged and struck back reminded those watching of a viscous liquid.

"Magnificent!" Vista all but cackled, rushing forward with a fury in his eyes. "Simply magnificent! I won't go easy on you!"

Falco knew that Vista's biggest advantage over her was his large frame and significant weight, which could crush her even if he didn't have any swords. Though Vista's strikes slowed down slightly, each one left a numbing feeling in her hands, vibrating throughout her entire body.

"Rose Rondo!"

"Blessed Gale!"

A flurry of rose petals mixed with a hurricane of white exploded in the centre of the crater, knocking a few people off their feet. Both Vista and Falco landed gracefully, but struck again the moment their feet touched the ground.

"They're dancing again," Ace said, watching the familiar pattern of blocking and striking. "But Falco seems to be on the offensive this time—holy shit!"

Just Vista was about to strike, Falco disappeared and suddenly materialized behind the commander, sweeping his legs off the ground with a brutal kick. Because of Vista's large frame, the man fell unceremoniously, before quickly standing up again.

"Where is—oof!"

Falco came out of nowhere and kneed his chin, before disappearing behind him.

"Commander, look out!" A voice called.

Before Vista even had a moment to register what was happening, the saw murderous golden eyes only several feet away, coming in towards him with frightening speed. He wondered for a split second if this was the last thing a prey would see as a hungry falcon swooped down to kill.

Vista could only see bright sparks from Falco's blade as it rode up his sabre, and then a satisfying clang as his swords flew up to the sky.

No one moved. No one breathed.

"W-winner is," a crewmate said, hitting the gong. "Falco D. Mihawk!"

The island erupted with cheers as Falco breathed heavily, not quite believing what had happened. She had allowed her instincts to take over, and when she came to, Vista was staring at her with disbelief.

"Falco!" Amare cried, launching herself into her arms. "That was amazing! Kind of terrifying, but amazing!"

Thatch, Marco, Florence, and Ace all trailed behind the young girl, a proud look on each of their faces. Vista too, was smiling gently as he clapped with the rest of the crew.

Thatch gently grabbed her hand. "I know you don't want to stay with us forever. And I know you have your reasons of not being able to stay with us. But for the time that you're here… why don't you lead Division Four with me?"

Falco's eyes widened at his sudden proposal. "Eh? Me? B-but I barely know anyone from the crew except for you guys…"

"You can meet people with time," Marco said gently. "Everyone here is impressed, and I have no doubt they'll respect you and your strength. You beat Vista, after all."

The commander nodded. "Roam the seas with us, Falco. Continue to train with me and the others here. We won't hold you back from your dreams, so move forward with us. You've already gotten stronger since the last time we fought."

If Falco's heart was a big, knotted ball of yarn, she could feel it starting to slowly unwind.

"It's not fun to travel without you," Amare smiled, hugging her tightly.

"C'mon, the nurses adore you already!" said Florence.

"Mir and Talis have been itching for a rematch."

Falco looked at each one of them nervously, but her eyes lingered on one man.

"You did it," Ace said softly, eyes crinkling into crescents. "I knew you could. I believed in you."

The girl looked at the vice-commander's silver orbs, full of worry and excitement.

"Will you still be with me?" She asked quietly. "And would you still teach me everything you know about the world?"

Ace smiled gently at the swordsman. "I wouldn't teach you anything. Because we'd experience them together."

Falco nodded stiffly before turning to Thatch. "Commander Thatch. It would be my honour to serve you and Division Four as its newest vice-commander."

Thatch smiled and enclasped her hand with his, raising it up to the sky. "The newest vice-commander of the Whitebeard Pirates! Falco D. Mihawk!"

"Falco! Falco! Falco!" The crew chanted. Falco grinned shyly, waving her free hand to her brand new family.

Maria, Thatch thought, looking up at the orange-purple sky. Today, in over ten years… Division Four got a new member.


Romance Dawn: Bearer of the Silver Flames

IX: Hexadecagon


The rest of round two was as exciting as the other matches, with Fossa defeating Bleinheim, and Marco overpowering Blamenco, commander of Division Six. Soon, the ballot for the third battle was drawn, and everyone was excited to know if the two vice-commanders would be able to defeat the commanders for the first time.

"The first round," Whitebeard said. "Marco versus…"

Please not me, Falco begged silently. I'd rather go against someone I don't know.

"Fossa!"

Falco let out a sigh of relief as she watched the other commander look dejected. She remember hearing from Florence that Marco had completely annihilated Fossa the year before, so she understood why he looked worried.

"What's with that look of relief on your face?" Ace asked, smirking. "Are you trying to say that going against me is better than Marco or Fossa?"

Go against—WAIT.

Panic immediately struck as she looked at the ladder and indeed, saw her name next to Ace's. She could immediately feel her hands turning clammy and her vision becoming white.

"Keep your composure," Vista chuckled behind her. "I thought you got over panicking in battle."

Falco was frozen stiff, face turning paler and paler by the moment. Beads of sweat dripped nervously down her face.

"Oi oi, are you alright?" Marco said, looking worried. "Ace, what did you say to her?"

"Nothing!" He cried. "Just telling her that we're fighting next."

"Oh boy!" Amare smiled, jumping up and down. "Go beat Ace's a—"

"Anyways," Florence interrupted, giving Amare a deadly stare. "This will be an interesting fight! I've seen Falco and Ace work together, but never against each other! It'll be great to see our baby be put to his place by a woman for once!"

Ace snapped his head towards the nurse, looking furious. "I'm not a baby! And what do you mean 'for once'?! Every woman on this godforsaken ship puts me 'in my place', whatever that means!"

Everyone but Falco laughed heartily at the bickering, but the crowd dissolved once Fossa and Marco entered the battlefield.

"You coming?" asked Ace, staring at Falco who was completely white and stiff with fear. "C'mon! Let's go watch Marco wipe the floor with Fossa!"

She heard the gong ring in the distance, and saw Marco's magnificent blue flames roast the poor man into charcoal.

I…is that what's going to happen to me? She thought, petrified. I didn't come all this way to end up as barbecue!

"YEOWCH!" Fossa cried, as a flurry of blue feathers pelted down.

"Ooh," the crowd went, as the centre of the crater illuminated brightly. "Ahh."

Marco reverted back to his human form and stuck out a thumb, grinning brightly over his victory.

"Marco! Marco! Marco!"

"Hey Falco?" Florence asked. "You don't look so good."

I'm doomed!

"They're telling us to go in," Ace said, pointing at Fossa who was being taken away by a stretcher. "No use dilly-dallying!"

"Um," Falco meekly said. "I think I broke my—"

"No bones broken," Florence said unhelpfully. "I examined you quickly."

"My sword is—"

"Right here," Vista smiled, materializing next to her. "Go get him!"

"I think I'm—"

"Ready to go?" Marco asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's the spirit!"

Before Falco could even attempt to finish her sentence, Marco had shoved her off the ledge and into the arena, where Ace was waiting patiently for her. Immediately, she could hear the crowd starting to whisper.

"Isn't that Mihawk's daughter?"

"I heard they share a room together."

"If Falco beat Vista, does that mean the winner of this match will become a commander?"

"Swords versus fire? Is that even fair?"

"Ace will probably go easy on the girl."

Falco gripped her sword tightly, listening intently to the voices. She hadn't realized that so many people who she had never met were assuming and gossiping about her. She wasn't even sure what the extent of Ace's powers were, but the things that she had seen absolutely petrified her.

"Che," Ace said, smirking. "Pirates like to gossip as much as regular townsfolk do, eh?"

Falco averted her gaze, shifting uncomfortably. "Yeah…"

Ace took a step closer to her and peered at her. "Hmm? What happened to all that zeal when you were fighting Vista?"

The girl let out a deep sigh as she regained her composure. She looked at Ace directly in the eye as if to make her mind up about something, before unclasping her belt which had all of her sheathes.

"Amare," she called. "Take these."

The young girl quickly jumped next to her and grabbed the three swords. "Eh? Aren't you going to use them?"

Falco smacked her fists, a burst of silver fire appearing at the impact. "Nah. Not for this fight."

"Oh, interesting," Ace said, grinning at her enthusiasm. "But wait, didn't you say that using your Devil Fruit abilities made you lose your memories?"

That's true, she thought, looking downwards. "That's just how much I care about this fight. Besides…"

"Hm?"

"Even if I forget, you're in the memories that I want to remember the most—so you can just remind me," she said, blushing. "Or… is that too much to ask?"

The vice-commander blinked, feeling surprised. When the gong rang in the distance, he grinned as he regained his composure.

"Not a problem," he said, getting into a defensive stance. "So do your best!"

Ace swiped quickly with a fist of fire while Falco jumped away, shocked again at Ace's speed. She could tell that he was testing her out, as he hadn't used a full-blown hiken.

"It's here!" Amare cried, looking up at the sky.

With a cloud of smoke, Falco had soared into the sky with iridescent wings reminiscent of a dragons'. Her golden eyes looked at Ace unkindly as she flew downwards, body covered with silver fire.

"Maybe it's because she doesn't normally use her Devil Fruit abilities in a fight," Thatch said, scratching his head. "But I don't think she ever told us what the properties of her fire were, right?"

Marco nodded next to the commander. "You're right. Ace's fire burns like regular fire, my fire can burn and heal, but Falco's silver fire… well, looks like we're about to find out."

Falco attempted to hit Ace with a burning foot but the vice-commander successfully blocked her attack by crossing his arms before his body, until he suddenly felt a prickling sensation that he had never experienced before.

No… he thought. I've felt this up to the point that I consumed the Mera Mera no Mi…

"What is that?!" Someone cried, pointing at Ace.

A small, black and purple fire streaked across Ace's left arm before slowly disappearing, leaving a patch of mildly burned skin.

"That's… impossible," Ace whispered, looking at his burned flesh. "You didn't even use haki… there's no ways that fire should've burned me…"

"You're right," said Falco, looking at the silver and orange fire around them. "Unless your fire burns forever."

"The colour of that fire is weird," Amare murmured. "Isn't Falco's signature fire silver?"

Falco turned to Amare and nodded. "My fire is split into two kinds—silver fire, which can take shape at my command—including how hot I want it to be, and black fire, which cannot be extinguished unless I command it to do so."

"That's why he got burned…" Marco muttered. "Incredible."

I can't use it for long though, Falco thought, gritting her teeth. She pulled a hand back and covered it with black fire, before launching it forward towards Ace.

"I call this," she said, just barely missing Ace. "Hellfire!"

Ace flipped backwards before regaining his composure, looking carefully at his black shorts which were being burned by a small, dark flame.

Wait a minute.

"I was wondering why a devil fruit would give you two different kinds of powers," Ace said, smirking. "I thought it was a little unfair, but I think I understand it now. As well as the reason why you rarely use this power—other than the fact that it worsens your amnesia."

Shit. Falco thought, biting her lower lip nervously. He figured it out with just two attacks?

"First," Ace said, looking at Falco's bright red hand. "Hellfire—it can be powerful against people like me and Marco, people who normally don't get burned—but it also means that you need to burn yourself to utilize it, right? That's why you don't use it often—because having an injured hand means you can't wield a sword."

He got me.

"Second," Ace continued. "I know you can't remember the origins of your Devil Fruit, and I admit I don't understand why it would worsen your amnesia, so it's impossible to tell what Devil Fruit you actually own. Is it a fruit based on dragons? Or fire? Or something else entirely?"

Thatch frowned, crossing his arms. "That's true. Given her form though, I'd say it's more likely she's a dragon though. Dragons breathe fire, but fire doesn't always equate to dragons, since Ace doesn't have a form and you turn into a phoenix."

Marco nodded next to him. "But then why are there two different types of fire?"

"Again, I don't know the properties of your Devil Fruit," Ace said. "But what I can understand is that you can't just use your silver flames as they don't burn me, even though they can mould at will but you can't always rely on Hellfire for attacking, since it injures you as well. Am I right?"

Falco gave him a pleasant smile. "All right. It's amazing how you managed to figure it out with only two punches."

"I didn't understand," said Ace. "When we fought for the first time against the Marines, I saw no Hellfire. My best guess was that you didn't want to use it, in case you got injured or injured someone else by accident."

The girl nodded. "Correct."

"But I also saw that the small fire that was burning my pants didn't grow any larger in size, unlike regular fire. It led me to guess that your black and silver flames are like two halves of a same whole. You can't mould Hellfire as easily as your silver flames, but you can't use your silver fire offensively like you can with Hellfire—at least, not with people like me and Marco."

"The silver fire is called Moonlight by the way," Falco said. "And once again, you're correct."

"Can I ask why you're using it now?" The man asked, still inspecting his burnt skin.

Falco held two hands in front of her where one had a small, black flame, and the other, her signature silver flames.

"No good reason," Falco said. "I used my swords against a swordsman, and now I'm using my fire against the infamous Hiken. Is that a problem?"

Ace grinned as he pulled his flame-covered fist back. "You asked for it! HIKEN!"

Falco smirked as she pulled her fist back as well.

"HIKEN!"

"Whoa, wait, what?" Amare sputtered, looking at the silver and orange flames nullify each other. "That's got to be copyright. Bet Ace is pissed."

Florence glared at the little girl but nodded, nonetheless. "Falco is copying Ace's moves. I'm guessing that's because she doesn't use her flames very often herself, so she needed some last-minute ideas."

Sure enough, the vice-commander pointed at Falco angrily. "HEY! That's my move! You can't just take it!"

"Sorry," Falco said, looking sheepish. "But a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do!"

Ace's frown deepened. "Kagero!"

Falco swiftly dodged the stream of fire before flying up with her iridescent wings.

"Pyxis."

White pellets of fire, which Ace realized were white feathers, rained down around the entire crater.

"Higan!"

Falco maneuvered around the skies, attempting to dodge all of the bullets. Although she had a good resistance to fire, it didn't mean that Ace's fire (which she knew had haki), wasn't deadly.

The girl landed gracefully on the ground, but not before covering both her hands with black fire. Ace instantly braced himself, knowing that these flames could be lethal.

At the last moment, Falco made the flames on her hands disappear and kicked Ace's abdomen forcefully.

"A good hit," Marco nodded. "But she's underestimating Ace if she thinks he'll be remotely injured from that."

Falco gritted her teeth as she felt her hand sting with every successful punch. Damn… do I have to use that?

"If you're not going to fight seriously, you'll get hurt!" Ace cried, doing a backflip to give himself distance. "Hidaruma!"

Bright fireflies surrounded the girl as she looked at them curiously. What are these?

"Got you."

They exploded quickly at once dust and debris flying everywhere. Falco winced at her now-burned clothes and skin whereas Ace merely looked tired from her brief encounters.

"Hydra!" Falco cried, flying towards Ace at a frightening speed. She quickly elbowed Ace and sent him flying to the other side of the crater while she gave herself some distance. "Ares!"

Black fire swirled around her before expanding rapidly, patches of the ground flickering with dark flames. Ace wiped the blood away from his mouth as he looked at the devastation before him worriedly. He could quickly tell that though the black flames were powerful, Falco couldn't seem to control it to a level that he could with his Devil Fruit.

It's time to finish this, he thought, slowly standing up. Good fight, Falco, but you're light years away from me without a sword…

Falco panted heavily, vision blurring in front of her eyes. Using her Devil Fruit wore her out because Hellfire was so difficult to contain, and she couldn't risk hurting others in the crowd. But even with so many powerful moves, Ace was too experienced of a fighter to get caught in random attacks—and experience was one thing she sorely lacked.

Ace covered himself with fire, tipping his orange hat. You're full of surprises, but I won't lose to someone else with fire.

"Is Falco okay?" Marco asked, looking down worriedly. "She's not moving."

"Maybe she's just thinking," Thatch said. "Or she's nervous."

Amare's eyes narrowed at the black fire all over the crater. They seemed to slowly move back to Falco, as if she was a magnet.

Hmm? Ace thought, looking at the black fire curiously. I thought she couldn't mould Hellfire to her will…

"Are the black flames going out?" Florence asked. "Or a different kind of fire?"

"No, they're moving towards her," Amare whispered, eyes suddenly widening. "What is that?!"

Just as Ace took off with a fist full of fire, massive black flames spurred out from Falco, growing slowly in size.

What the hell? Ace thought. No matter—it's time to end this. "Enkai!"

"Heed my call," Falco said quietly, closing her eyes.. "Izanami!"

With a mighty and terrifying roar, a massive woman entirely covered with black fire rose up from the ground, towering over the entire island.

Thatch's jaw dropped at the incredible sight before him. This must be why she calls it 'Hellfire'…

Ace skidded to a halt, looking up at her creation with terror.

"I'm not done yet," Falco murmured, but Ace could see that the girl was slightly panting. "Answer my prayers, Amaterasu!"

Silver fire emerged from the girl and moulded into the shape of a massive silver wolf, peering over everyone from the clouds. Everyone's jaws dropped in shock from the two figures before them.

"One who rises from hell, and the other from heaven…" Thatch said, whistling. "Would you look at that?"

What is this hidden card up your sleeve? Ace thought, feeling slightly nervous. I'm the one who didn't take you seriously…

Falco stretched a hand before her body. "Skybreaker."

The massive silver wolf and the terrifying face of Izanami rushed towards him at a breakneck speed.

I can't lose to fire, he thought, smiling cryptically. "Dai Enkai: Entei!"

Silver, black, and orange fire all swirled into one, sending a wave of hot air blasting throughout the parameter of the island. Marco quickly shielded his face to avoid any flying debris, and smaller crewmates like Amare were knocked off their feet.

"What power!" Thatch exclaimed, looking at the two tired vice-commanders. "Looks like Falco really did get something out of her ten years of training…"

Even Whitebeard had stood up from his seat to see who the winner was. The entire island remained silent, stunned at the new vice-commander's power.

"T-THE WINNER IS…" a crewmate cried out, hitting the gong.

Ace panted heavily in front of Falco's unconscious and injured body.

"PORTGAS D. ACE!"


Author's Note:

Please leave a review!

-Jeis


Special thanks to:
mindmybiz
Guest