The Pirate King's Son

by AsianFighter

Long before he was a pirate, he was simply a boy growing up with bandits. This story is a creative re-telling of Portgas D. Ace's early days on Dawn Island. Coming of age story featuring Ace x female OC.

25. Allies

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I am so, so sorry for the delay with this chapter! It's a lengthier one so I hope that makes up for it a little :) I'm actually in the process of making a small Ace Kaiya comic for Valentine's Day! You can check out my progress on AsianFighterArt on Instagram :)

Now without further delay, here is chapter 25!

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

There was nothing like a good shit in the morning.

In fact, that was usually the way Ace liked to start his day. His stomach hurt and he could feel nature calling him to get out from beneath his warm blankets. He hated waking up when everything was darker and spookier. He sucked at reading clocks so he never bothered to check, but a look outside indicated it was definitely before dawn.

None of the bandits were up and that was just fine with him. No one to tell him the usual shit about being respectful and listening, blah blah blah.

Ace groaned and stretched out his limbs. Sleeping on the floor was the only thing he'd known; as a baby, he didn't have a crib, just a thin futon that he'd long since outgrown. He didn't know what it was like to be spoiled by a comfortable bed. While the hardwood floor certainly wasn't the most luxurious resting spot, it really didn't bother him much. Ace unceremoniously threw his blankets into the usual corner and walked towards a smaller pile that was his winter stuff.

He dressed quickly. He preferred to sleep in just boxers (who was he kidding, he didn't even like those on when he slept) but in the winter, the cold often forced him to sleep in socks and a shirt as well.

The boy slid open the door and peeked his head out. He could hear snoring from below. Ace descended the ladder and quietly walked past the two on guard duty. He stopped outside the storage room door; he couldn't hear anything from the other side of it.

Ace grabbed a torch from one corner of the foyer, quickly lit it, and made his way outside. On his way to the outhouse, he realized a light layer of snow had fallen in the night. There was a fresh pair of tracks - the exact same size as his - that led towards the outhouse first, then the bath shed.

The bathing shed was simply made, four walls and a few holes for ventilation. Surely enough, he could see a warm light flickering from inside the building. He could hear a repetitious creak as someone pumped water.

Ace ignored the sound. He was walking in the same tracks that came before his when a very girlish squeal reached his ears. The noise was accompanied by the sound of water - ice cold, no doubt - splashing concrete. He rolled his eyes. Idiot.

He continued towards the small outhouse and listened as Kaiya emitted another yelp of agony as she bathed. A small part of him felt the need to tell her she should have probably heated up some water; he ignored it and slammed the outhouse door shut. He'd already learned that lesson the hard way. She was no dummy (though that didn't stop him from calling her one; her reaction was always gold). He had no doubt in his mind that she'd learn soon enough, too.

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The Crack of Dawn

Kaiya groaned as she stared into the wash basin. She clearly hadn't thought this through. She sat, shivering and naked, on the small stool while her teeth chattered.

Her last thought before she did it: This is not going to be fun.

With her eyes closed, Kaiya poured the water over herself. She didn't mean to squeal but that was exactly the sound that came out of her mouth. The cold water hit her body and she broke out in goosebumps.

This was, by far, the worst bath she had ever taken in her entire life, and she had even showered outside with nothing but the rain and a bar of soap before. The difference was that at least it had been warm.

Kaiya groaned. Last time she tried to heat up water, it ended up killing the fire, much to the annoyance of many of the residents. Magra had, thankfully, helped her boil water to do dishes last night but at the moment her favorite bandit was asleep, just like everybody else.

It was still dark outside. The only light Kaiya had was a small lantern. A thin candle burned from inside four dirty, glass walls. Magra assured her the flame was properly contained.

Warm light flickered her shadow onto the wall as she hastily rubbed soap over her body. Oh, she would have given anything for a proper shower right about now. Kaiya bent over and allowed cold water to trickle onto her scalp, into her hair, so she could properly wash out the days of accumulated filth. There was no way she was going to go on day three without a proper wash. No. Thanks.

By the time she got done, she couldn't feel her fingers and toes. The numbness was quickly spreading. Kaiya hastily dried off and dressed, thankful to finally have some protection against the chill. She wrapped a towel around her head, collected her things, and ripped open the door to the bathhouse. The plan: get back inside Dadan's home as soon as possible. Despite the anxiety fire gave her, she couldn't deny its usefulness.

Kaiya was so focused on hurrying back into the warm hut and juggling the things in her arms despite the constant shivering. Her backpack, her small lantern, and the bundle of dirty clothes in her hands was enough to keep her hands occupied while her mind wandered, wondering what the day would bring. Kaiya had just slipped through the foyer door of the hut when the towel fell in front of her eyes. She was moving fast, hurrying back to the safety of the cabin, when she bumped right into something - or rather, someone.

"Watch it!" Ace snapped.

She plopped right onto the foyer floor with a thud. Everything in her arms spilled into the foyer area and Kaiya moved the towel up and out of her eyes just in time to see a small blaze erupt. Her clothes were spread across the entrance area and the lantern had landed on its side. The small glass door had opened and the candle rolled out, quickly igniting the cloth.

Kaiya gasped and scurried against the wall. She felt her heart sputter in fear as the fire danced before her. She began to hyperventilate as screams filled her head and visions of smoke flashed.

Ace was there in an instant. "Gimme that!"

He ripped the damp towel off her head. The fire was close to her backpack but he quickly punted it towards the wall. Kaiya watched as the boy raised the towel in the air and smothered the fire. It hissed and smoked but the flames died down.

Kaiya reached down with shaky hands and grabbed ahold of the leather backpack. She clutched it close to her chest and sank along the wall with her head bowed.

Ace watched as she buried her face in the bag. He was silent as she took big, shaky breaths. When Ace lifted the towel, he could see her clothing still smoking slightly. Didn't look like there was going to be any saving the outfit she'd arrived in but at least no one had gotten burned.

Kaiya ran her fingers over the scorch mark on the leather backpack. There was a big, black scuff where the initials had been. She could still make them out. Just barely.

She licked a finger and ran it over the darkened spot but there was no removing the imperfection. Kaiya's fingers tightened on the bag. It was the only physical thing she had left from him.

"Sorry, daddy," she murmured to the bag. Her fingers kept rubbing the mark, feeling the initials pressed into the bag. It took her a moment to remember Ace was there as well.

"Thank you," Kaiya said. There was gratitude in her voice and the way she looked at him made him stiffen. Thankfully, she averted her eyes. She quickly slid the backpack over her shoulders and raised the towel to observe the charred clothing she'd arrived in.

"That sucks," Ace said as he nodded at the pile. Kaiya gave him a deadpan expression. "Watch where you're going next time."

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It didn't take too long for the earliest bandits to start stirring. Kaiya was thankful she had woken when she did. Three of bandits started off by fighting about who needed to use the shitter more as they ran outside. Others queued up their things in a line by the door while they waited to take a rinse. Dogra, the smallest bandit there, seemed to be the one in charge of assigning people's tasks for the day. Dogra: dictionary reader and mini manager, Kaiya noted to herself.

She had spent her time trying to braid her still-damp hair but after countless tries of attempting to get her fingers to work properly, she gave up. Plus she didn't really bring a mirror and that didn't make it any easier. So Kaiya sat and waited. She was in the main room and she faced the fire as well as the only entrance.

When Dadan woke up, it didn't take long for her to start barking orders at the others. Kaiya idly tried counting how many bandits there were but she kept forgetting who she had counted because they kept going back and forth. She noticed the bandits were mostly men but there were some women here and there. No one seemed to even notice her. The girl silently watched their morning routine and wondered what Dadan had in store for her today.

Like any others, though, there were certain morning rituals that Dadan had to perform before she started her day. Kaiya was feeling a little fidgety but she stayed in the same place as the woman brushed her teeth, washed her face, had her morning smoke. Kaiya couldn't move just yet. She had to wait and see what Dadan wanted her to do today. She had to prove she could live here so she didn't get sent back to the village.

The young girl speculated what the woman had in store for her today. It wasn't until something new caught her eye as she looked down.

Surely enough, the burnt skin on her hand had darkened, just as Magra predicted. There was a little brown egg shape about an inch below her wrist. It was small, not very noticeable, but still. Another burn to add to the collection, she thought bitterly. She didn't get to see what her back looked like when it was healing. This little burn, however, seemed to have grown its own bubble.

"Quit poking at it," Magra said suddenly. Kaiya jumped at his voice. "Unless you want it to get infected."

"Why does it look like that?" Kaiya asked curiously. "It's all bubbly."

"New skin's gonna grow underneath it," Magra said. "The blister actually has fluid inside. Keeps your skin clean, helps you heal, stuff like that. Our bodies can do some pretty cool stuff."

Kaiya brought her hand to her face and examined the little welt. She supposed it was pretty cool. Magra turned his back and Kaiya watched her skin tighten as she put pressure on half of the little egg.

"OW!" A flick to the back of her head made her turn.

"Leave it alone," Magra said firmly.

"Yes sir," Kaiya murmured.

By that time, Dadan finally approached. The woman had a cigarette in her mouth as she approached the fire. She stopped when she got close to Kaiya.

"Eh? You're still here?" The woman sounded genuinely surprised. Kaiya gave her a curt nod. "Did you get all your chores done?" Dadan asked with narrowed eyes. Another nod from Kaiya. Dadan saw Magra smile in approval from behind the girl.

The woman blinked. She really thought the girl wouldn't be able to get all the chores done in one day, but… the living area was cleaner than it usually was. Most of the bandits like to cut corners when it was their turn but not Kaiya. Dadan had seen her Kaiya's handiwork reorganizing the weapons and storage. The attention she paid to little details was impressive.

"You better be ready to work your ass off today, because yesterday was just the beginning," Dadan told her darkly. Kaiya took a deep breath and gave another curt nod. She had already frozen half of her body and unintentionally started a small fire today. Plus it was only breakfast time. How much worse could it get?

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

Winter sucked.

It was cold. Food was harder to find. Ice and snow on the mountain made the landscape more treacherous. And to add more to his misery, there was a certain girl hanging around, too. He clenched his jaw. He wished she would just go away. He couldn't focus on anything when she was around.

Ace had his pipe hanging from his back so he could stick his hands in his pockets as he walked. He'd wasted the entire morning tracking a deer only to find it had been mauled by another creature. There was also a rabbit he happened to stumble across but the quick little bastard got away.

He was tired and hungry. Ace reached a gloved finger up and scratched at his chin. Something had screwed with his traps at the river so that had been a dead end, too. He made a mental note to remake his traps later. There were usually people assigned to hunting and foraging but Ace hated relying on the bandits. He came home with a successful kill more often than anyone. Though he didn't like sharing his bounty, it was nice to have someone else worry about all the prep, cooking, and clean up. Plus Dadan let him sit next to her at meal times and there was nothing more gratifying than having a giant plate of hot food set down right in front of you.

A far off bell resonated in the distance and Ace picked up the pace. Mealtime. Thankfully, someone else had brought something home for lunch. He walked as fast as he could. The snow had started to melt the day before but the night brought more cold, turning the mountain into a giant, icy slope. He would have ran home if it weren't so slippery.

Bandits gratefully hurried away from their current tasks and hurried inside to claim a seat and some much needed grub. Ace had just passed by the bathing shed when he heard a weird sound.

It was a groan.

Curiously, Ace snuck close to the shed. He heard the sound of sloshing water. The sound of something being scraped against the washboard. The door was slightly ajar. He peeked his head in ever so slowly.

Kaiya was on the stool. She had her winter coat hung up on the wall and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. In front of her, a large tub full of hot, soapy water and… a hell of a lot of underwear.

Her hair was pulled back into a simple, low ponytail. Her bangs shadowed her face slightly when she was bent down. He could see her cheeks were flushed slightly. There was already one full line of undergarments hanging up.

"Ewww." Kaiya held up a large pair of untidy whities with a very noticeable brown streak on it.

Ace burst out laughing. Her head whipped around in time to see him clutch his stomach and point. "You got stuck on laundry duty!" Kaiya had a very sour look on her face. "Hope you like scrubbing everyone's shit," Ace said as he turned.

"Whatever," Kaiya said, "skid mark."

He stopped walking. He turned to face her with a very dark look on his face. "What the hell did you just call me?"

Kaiya smirked and pointed her thumb towards a pair of small boxers that were drip drying behind her. He gulped. "You heard me."

Ace didn't need a mirror to know his face was bright red. There wasn't always shit to wipe with in the woods! Plus he'd accidentally used poison ivy once and he definitely wasn't going to make that mistake again. He may or may not have adequately wiped his ass last time he took a dump.

"You tell anyone about that and I'll make sure you pay for it." Ace pointed a threatening finger in her direction.

Kaiya simply smirked and resumed her chore. Ace watched her face as she worked. Her hair obscured his view a bit and her eyes were shadowed by her bangs. The smirk disappeared quickly. She looked so serious. He didn't get why. It was just laundry.

It was then he realized the bell had gone still. He could hear the bandits inside the hut. Ace knew that meant he'd missed the start of lunch.

"Shit." He was going to have to hurry if he wanted to eat. He turned his back to Kaiya. "Have fun smelling everyone's assholes."

When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Kaiya's mouth turn upwards at the corners for just a moment before her serious demeanor returned. Ace began to make his way to the hut for some warm lunch.

"Yeah," Kaiya said to his back. She picked up another large pair of boxers and sighed. "I'm having a blast."

The only upside to washing everyone's underwear, she figured, was at least they'd given her hot water.

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

Lunch Time

By the time he got into the cabin, lunch time was in full swing. The huge dish of meat was already half gone.

"Oi," Dadan said to Ace, "where's the princess at?"

Ace rolled his eyes. "She's busy scrubbing shit."

The woman hummed as she watched Ace kick and shove a few bandits out of the way to grab a portion. She had told Kaiya she wasn't allowed to eat until she finished the laundry but…

From the looks of it, she wouldn't be eating at all. There was a small pile of food on the large serving platter and it was diminishing quickly. Dadan scratched her head. Maybe she'd been a little too harsh, after all. Kid needed to toughen up but she deserved the chance to eat…

"You think Kaiya would be alright with a few drumsticks?" Magra asked.

"Heh?" Dadan looked down at the plate.

The man smiled. "She's got a lot of laundry to do," he pointed out. "She's going to have a hard time wrapping up her afternoon chores if she does get some food in her."

"I told her to finish the laundry before she ate," Dadan told him. She couldn't start going back on her rules now.

"I'll get her," he offered. Magra gave Dadan's shoulder a squeeze as he passed by. The woman crossed her arms as she watched him walk away. He might have been a man but he was damn soft.

Ace's keen eyes didn't miss the interaction. He knew all about Dadan and Magra, try as they might to hide it. Everyone knew about the two but no one said anything, like it was some big secret. The man disappeared out the door and minutes later, he reappeared with her in tow.

Kaiya's eyes grew large when she saw the plate sitting beside Dadan. He couldn't make out what Magra said exactly, but the large bandit nodded in the direction of her plate. It also happened to be the direction of Ace and Dadan.

"Thank you!" Kaiya said gratefully. She hastily slipped out of her winter gear and made her way just in time to see Ace nab one of her drumsticks.
"Hey! Magra said that was mine!"

"Too bad," Ace said with a mouthful, "shoulda been faster."

Dadan silently watched the two interact. Survival of the fittest was the rule out here. She couldn't make an exception for Kaiya.

"That's not fair!" Kaiya said with a stomp. "Magra," she complained, pointing, "tell him it's mine!"

"Jeez," Ace said, itching the inside of his ear. "Shut up already. You just got here and you're already getting on my nerves."

"I wasn't even talking to you!" Kaiya snapped.

"You were talking shit about me!"

"I wouldn't waste my breath-"

Dadan groaned and rubbed her temples as their voices grew louder and louder. "These damn kids are driving me crazy," she said to herself.

Magra laughed and placed a small cup of sake in front of her. It might have been lunchtime but he thought she more than deserved it. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly, "one day you'll have little gold-eyed grandbabies running around here."

She was in the middle of taking a sip but the sentence caused her to sputter on the sweet liquid.

"Boss!" Dogra cried. Magra pounded on her back until the coughing subsided.

"No," Dadan said upon recovery. She pointed a finger to Magra. "No. Don't even say that." The woman feigned irritation but Magra could see the gears started to turn in her head as she watched the kids bicker.

They were standing up now and almost nose to nose. Kaiya had a sassy hand on her hip as leaned forward and wagged a finger in the boy's face. Ace was standing straight up with his arms crossed while she told him off.

"They kinda remind me of us when we were younger," Magra said in a low voice. He gave Dadan a gentle nudge. The woman blushed somewhat and cleared her throat. Magra shrugged innocently when Dadan shot him a dark look. "They'd be pretty cute, is all I'm saying. Nice girl like that… wouldn't be too bad for him. Might soften him up a bit."

The woman snorted. "She could use some toughening up."

Dogra watched the spat with a frown on his face. "Are they at it again?" he asked. His tone was beyond exasperated. "This is the third time today."

"Fourth," someone corrected. The other bandits seemed to enjoy the fact Ace was bothering someone else for a change. The boy had a bad temper, that was for sure, and they were all silently thankful they weren't the target of his aggression.

Kaiya shrieked as Ace grabbed a fistful of her hair. He yanked her head downward violently. Her skull would have made an impact with the floor if she hadn't hastily grabbed onto the front of his shirt. The two collapsed in a heap with Ace on top.

"Here!" Ace said, grabbing the partially eaten drumstick. "You can have it!" He shoved the food in her face, making sure to smear it all over her cheeks while he was at it. Kaiya shrieked and tried pushing him. When that didn't work, her legs recoiled and she placed two feet on his chest, ready to shove him away.

Magra hurried over and grabbed them both by the scruff of the neck.

"Alright, alright," he said, "that's enough."

"He started it!"

"Did not, you big dumb baby."

"I am NOT a-"

And the vicious cycle started over again until they were forced to sit on opposite sides of the fire as they finished their meal.

"These kids are gonna be the death of me," Dadan said after Magra had sat back down. He chuckled good naturedly.

"They might be the death of each other," Dogra said warily as he eyed the kids. Ace was flipped Kaiya off. Twice.

"Cut that out!" Dadan barked at him. Kaiya pantomimed laughter as she pointed at Ace. "You too!" The girl straightened up quickly. Ace had a satisfied look on his face.

"I still think they'd be cute together," Magra said with a little shrug.

"God, no," Dadan said with a disgusted look. "They're so young."

As if to prove her point, Ace pulled an eyelid down and stuck his tongue out at the girl. Kaiya harrumphed and turned away from him with her arms crossed.

Magra simply smiled knowingly. "Just give it time," he said. "Give it time."

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The day passed by rather uneventfully. Dadan made sure Kaiya had plenty of chores to keep her occupied until dinner. Ace was ordered to not cause trouble around the house, which he took as a great excuse to stay away until it got dark.

The adults took pre-emptive measures and assigned both children a seat on opposite sides of the fire when they ate. The third day of Kaiya's new life had started out very similar to the second, minus setting a small fire in the foyer.

Kaiya woke up early, bathed, and patiently waited for Dadan to assign her more work.

"You want more to do, kid?" Dadan asked in exasperation. She hadn't written so much on… well, hell, she couldn't remember the last time she'd written so much. The house was damn near spotless. The dishes shined. All their weapons and storage were clean and organized. There wasn't enough snow to shovel walkways again…

It hurt her head trying to figure out what to do with the girl.

"It's Sunday," Dadan said. "Why don't you just go play or something? Get out of my hair."

Kaiya blinked. "You don't have a list of chores you want me to do today?"

Dadan glowered. "Not yet but I will if you keep bugging me."

Kaiya gulped and stood up.

"We all need a day off," Magra said with a smile. He took a seat in front of the fire beside Dadan. The large man handed Kaiya a small bowl of rice for breakfast. Kaiya thanked him and looked down at the bowl. She didn't ask for silverware this time; she just scooped some up with her fingers and ignored the voice in her head. She could be proper another time.

She had just stood up to grab her winter gear when Dadan spoke.

"Hey, princess," the woman said.

"Yes m-" That habit was harder to kick than she thought. Dadan's eyes narrowed at the girl.

"If you're going out, grab your bow and arrows."

"Really?!" Kaiya asked excitedly.

"Stay close and keep an eye out," she warned.

"Okay!" Kaiya said with a grin. "I will!"

Magra waited until Kaiya left before he spoke to Dadan. "Don't look so nervous," he said with a nudge. "She'll be alright."

Dadan hummed to herself. Should she have told the girl to stick with Ace? He knew how to hold his own but…

"Gah," Dadan said, waving a hand. "I don't care what happens to her. If she doesn't like the mountains she can leave."

Magra and Dogra shared a smile. Their leader tried acting heartless but she didn't have anyone fooled, certainly not them.

"We'll keep an eye out for her," Magra reassured. He had firewood duty today but he was sure he could find someone to delegate the task to. "I'll see you in a bit," he said to Dadan. A wink to the woman and then he was gone, too.

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

"I'm glad I found you," Magra said.

Ace jumped at the man's voice but he didn't let that distract him. He had already finished placing his sticks upright in a circle. The snow was holding them up beautifully. He couldn't work with his gloves on, though, and his fingers shook as he attempted to wrap the twine around the sticks.

"That's looking good," Magra complimented. Ace was silent. He didn't thank the bandit. Magra was the one who'd taught him how to make it, after all. The man squatted down in the snow and watched the young boy work on his fish trap.

"What do you want?" Ace asked.

"What makes you think I want something?" Magra asked.

"You guys don't talk to me unless you have to," Ace said blankly. Magra frowned. He supposed it wasn't untrue. Even for a child, though, Ace had a very… intimidating presence. Magra knew he could handle the boy but Ace made some of the other bandits very nervous.

Magra sighed. "I had a favor to ask you," he said.

"No," Ace said quickly. He made sure his twine was tied off tightly before he moved on to the next section. "I'm busy."

"Well," Magra said, getting up, "that's fine." He turned his back on the boy and waved. "I'm sure Kaiya can handle herself."

Ace accidentally pulled the twine so hard it snapped. "What?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Magra said. "I think Kaiya's around here somewhere… but I'm sure she can find her way back if she needs to."

Ace watched the large man walk off without another word. His fish trap was half done but… Ugh! Who let that stupid girl wander the woods by herself, anyway?! Did they want her to get mauled by something?!

His trap would have to wait. Ace scowled and placed his work against the tree. He'd just have to come back later. First things first, he had to find that idiot and make sure she was okay.

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

Kaiya walked northeast. Or at least she hoped she was walking northeast. According to her map, that's where the tip of the mountain was.

If there was one thing she really wanted to do, it was sight see.

The first time she'd taken a trip up the mountains, her uncle had stopped halfway. There was a clearing on the mountain that allowed them to look out at the East Blue without any trees in the way. That was her destination today.

It was a beautiful day outside. Yes, it was cold, but the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the mountain looked like it was covered in white glitter. The forest paths were slippery but she found traveling in fresh new snow was actually easier than following the paths.

Kaiya sang to herself as she walked at a leisurely pace. The bow and quiver felt tight over her winter clothing, but she knew it was necessary for protection. She quietly prayed she didn't encounter anything. She didn't know if she could handle it… but she didn't let that fear stop her.

She had no idea how long she had walked. Half an hour? An hour? Maybe even more. The sun was shining high in the sky. It had to be close to noon. Her stomach grumbled. She was getting hungry and she hadn't seen any sign of another living creature on her walk. If she did, she didn't notice it, any way.

Her journey had begun with such high hopes for her simple task: find a good spot to see the ocean. After wandering around, though, her calves were aching and she didn't think she was going to find it at all…

Until she did.

It was beautiful, the clearing. Undisturbed snow glistened in the sun. There was a steep drop and trees resumed below, but there it was: her unobstructed view of that beautiful blue sea.

Kaiya approached the edge. She made sure not to get too close, but she sighed and stared out at the view. Sunlight glistened off the gentle waves that rolled to2rds the land. There wasn't a single ship in sight, just blue and gold as far as the eye could see. She could feel her heart thudding in rapid excitement. It was so beautiful! Oh, how she longed to venture out beyond that ocean one day… it was far away but it seemed so close she could almost touch it.

The snow beneath her feet shifted and Kaiya let out a scream. She could feel the earth loosen and crumble beneath her. Her feet tried to pedal backwards but she slipped and lost her balance. Her voice pierced the air, a shrill cry before she plummeted.

Then a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed ahold of her sleeve. Kaiya looked up incredulously as she dangled. Ace had a fistful of her coat.

"Don't just sit there, get up!" he said frantically.

Kaiya grabbed for his hand and tried her best to pull herself up. She kicked off the side of the mountain and eventually plopped onto the ledge with a relieved sigh.

"Geez, good thing I was here," Ace said, "You'd be dead by now."

Kaiya was lying on her back, breathing hard and trying to calm herself down before she spoke.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Ace turned a slight shade of pink. "None of your damn business," he said as he turned. "Next time I won't bother trying to help you."

"What is your problem?" Kaiya asked angrily. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?"

Ace stiffened up. Kaiya was standing now. He marched up to Kaiya and got so close, she could have counted the freckles on his nose.

"My life was just fine before you came along, y'know that?" Kaiya's eyebrows were furrowed as he leaned forward, his mouth spewing venomous words in her direction. "Then all of a sudden you're fucking everywhere I turn-"

"Am not," she interjected.

"-and every time I get involved with you a bunch of bad stuff happens. Sea Kings, psychos, and a whole bunch of crazy other shit! You're like a magnet for trouble and you can't even get yourself out of it without my help!"

Kaiya took a step back and grabbed her elbow with her right hand. Her eyes were trained on Ace's boots as he continued, oblivious to how his words affected her. She had the thought it would have been nice if she could just grow small - tinier and tinier - until she was merely a speck in the snow, because that's what she felt like at the moment.

"Then," Ace continued, "all of a sudden you're always in the city when I go-"

"I go to school there!"

"-and you're hanging out with Sabo and holding hands with him and inviting him to your stupid plays."

Kaiya's eyes narrowed. "First of all, I've never invited him to a play, it was just a talent show. And Sabo's my friend," she said defensively. "Unlike you, apparently."

"He was my friend, first," Ace countered.

"You're not his one and only friend," Kaiya said. "You don't have a monopoly on his friendship!"

"I'm his best friend," Ace said firmly. "But the second he sees you I don't matter anymore and you treat me like shit when other people are around."

Other than the burn mark on her back, the thing Kaiya hated most about herself was the fact her tear ducts were wired to her anger. She was blinking furiously, willing herself to keep the tears to herself for just once in her life. She didn't want to cry in front of him. Not again. She took a deep breath and her posture straightened. She took a step towards Ace and her gloved finger poked him in the chest.

"You don't get to play that card. You've always treated me like garbage," Kaiya said, her words coming out quicker and quicker. "When you offered to help me go to the Grey Terminal to try and find that stupid knife I thought it meant we were finally becoming friends. Then it all ended and I know you helped me get home but you weren't even there when I woke up. You risked your life to help me then you didn't even bother to say goodbye."

Her voice was louder now, her face was right in front of his. Her eyes were narrow and angry. He could see tiny flecks of copper in them.

"You're the one who pushed me away first," Kaiya said. "After Trash Mountain you were the one who said you were sick of seeing me."

Ace clenched his jaw. He had said that, after all, but it wasn't like he wanted to...

"After my ankle healed I hiked all the way up this stupid mountain to make sure you were okay and you not only blow me off, you had the audacity to tell me to get lost."

The boy crossed his arms and did his best to look stern and serious. He could feel her anger bubbling up, threatening to spill over and morph into absolute rage as she yelled at him.

"You're the most infuriating person I have ever met!" Kaiya said. "You are absolutely insufferable! You help me out and then turn around and act like I conned you into doing it! You treat me like I'm nothing like a burden because I can't fight the way you can! All you do is call me names and treat me like I'm stupid-"

"-because you are," Ace said plainly.

And that was the icing on the cake. Kaiya let out a scream of frustration. Her fist whipped around but not fast enough. Ace managed to grab it with his left hand, no less, before she swung again. He caught the second punch in his right hand and that ticked her off even more.

In a moment of adrenaline fueled anger, Kaiya raised a knee and aimed it straight for his groin. But Ace knew this trick. Girls were stupid and predictable. His leg shot up and their knees forcefully collided. His expression turned into a glower as he swallowed the pain; Kaiya seemed to be fighting tears.

"You can't beat me in a fight," Ace said. "And you never will." He squeezed her fists and twisted. Kaiya let out a yelp of pain. Ace watched the shock, the pain, the surprise in her eyes. He squeezed tighter; Kaiya sank lower and lower until he finally pushed her away from the ledge. She backpedaled, tripped, and plopped face first into the snow.

Kaiya pushed herself to her hands and knees. Snow melted and mixed with her tears as she angrily wiped away the moisture.

"I told you," Ace said coldly, "you aren't welcome. You don't belong in the mountains. You aren't strong enough to survive here."

Kaiya could feel moisture seeping into her pants. She was breathing hard and trying her hardest not to let the tears fall. All she could do was focus on the snow beneath her.

"You're nothing but a spoiled little city brat," Ace continued. He saw her fists clench. She was shaking and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the temperature. "The only reason you came here was because you had nowhere else to run."

Kaiya slowly pushed herself up to standing. She brushed the snow off the knees of her pants, straightened her clothing.

"That's not true," she said quietly.

Ace scowled. "You wouldn't have come here unless it was a last resort."

Kaiya turned and stared at him blankly. "There are plenty of other places I could have gone," she told him matter-of-factly. Then, her expression became genuine. "This was my first choice."

"You're a liar."

"I don't lie," Kaiya said seriously. He clenched and unclenched his jaw. Either she really was lying or there was something seriously wrong with her.
"Why the hell would you come here first?" Ace asked angrily. "You have to be stupid. This is literally the worst place you could have picked."

Kaiya cocked her head up slightly. Her mouth was turned downward at the corners.

"You've got it fucking made," Ace said. "Everything you want or need. Yeah, sucks your aunt died, but you act like you've got it so bad. Boo hoo, look at me, I'm Kaiya. My uncle hurt my feelings so I'm gonna run away from home." He blew a raspberry. "You don't even know how good you've got it because you never had to suffer."

Ace felt his hair suddenly stand up on the back of his neck. Kaiya was livid, he could see it in her face. He could see wind rustling trees in the distance but the air around them had stilled. For a moment, he didn't realize what was happening. It just felt like there was a weight slowly being added onto his shoulders. Gravity was trying to pull him down and Ace found himself struggling to stay standing.

She was staring at him with an intensity, he had the thought that she might actually do something crazy.

It was like there was an invisible bubble around them. The snow was slowly becoming compact, crunching into itself. A thin branch cracked nearby. Ace even caught sight of a rabbit - that little motherfucker that got away from him! - that had passed out.

He recalled that there had previously been birdsong in the background but at the moment there was nothing but stillness. When Ace looked at Kaiya, he could feel energy rolling off of her. When the anger finally hit, it was like a wave. Ace felt the force push him back. He took a single step and angled his body against the wind.

Ace could tell a difference between the air in the mountains and the air down by the coast; it was always thinner in the mountains but at the moment, it felt like all of the oxygen was slowly being sucked from the surrounding area. He could see something dark in Kaiya's eyes as she glared at him.

"You hate me because you think my life's better than yours but you have no idea," she snarled, "no idea what it's like to lose people you love." Kaiya slowly walked towards him and Ace could feel his heart beating faster. He felt like he was backed into a corner. "You can't even begin to comprehend what it feels like to have people you care about ripped away in a single night."

His heart was thudding now and he could feel electricity shooting through his veins. He felt like he'd been captured. He was an animal and there were two things he could do: fight or flee.

He wasn't going to flee.

He never ran from a fight. He wasn't going to run from this one.

Ace's will collided with hers and, for a moment, it seemed like everything stilled. Their eyes met, black versus that liquid gold. Just like before, a portal seemed to open in her eyes; he was sucked in, but he was ready for it this time. Instead of flailing as he fell, he went feet first and braced for an impact. He landed on his feet.

When Ace stood, there was only darkness… and her. Except she wasn't eight-years-old anymore.

No. The person in front of him wasn't a little girl, she was a woman, complete with curves in all the right places. Her face had elongated somewhat but she still had the same round nose and cheeks, those upturned, almond shaped eyes. Her arms were crossed and she had all her weight on one foot so her hip jutted out.

She had prominent muscles, very well defined, but not overly bulky. Her shoulders and arms were well toned, her strong quads visible even through her pants. Her hair was pulled back into a long, sleek ponytail that cascaded down her back. The look on her face wasn't that of a scared kid, it was the look of a woman, a fierce, bull headed woman who wasn't afraid of anything.

Her clothing was all black. He'd never even seen Kaiya wear black but this woman was covered in it from head to toe. A nice, tight tank top and jeans with little rips here and there. Her boots went up to her knees and they were adorned with gold buckles. There was a belt around her waist and she had a pistol holstered on each side.

Ace was mesmerized by her. She was sexier than anything he'd ever seen in a magazine (and the bandits had a nice, big stash of naughty ones). His feet carried him closer to her until they were merely feet apart. She gave a little smirk as he approached, cocked her eyebrow ever so slightly. When she spoke, her voice was smokey and low, more a purr than a woman speaking.

"Well, well, well. Not bad. Not bad at all."

She eyed him and Ace felt a wave of self-consciousness rise up. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Usually, he didn't give a shit what anyone thought of him but this smoking hot woman in front of him, well, he definitely wanted her approval. Her eyes scanned him and her smirk grew into a smile.

He looked down and realized with some surprise that he was… shirtless. And ripped. A chunky beaded necklace, red, adorned his neck. His ever present arm band was still on his left elbow and he had a tattoo on his shoulder. ASCE. There was a weird watch and a striped bracelet on his wrist.

He wore a pair of black shorts with not one but two belts (why, he had no idea), a giant knife at his side, a left thigh holster, and black ankle boots.

"You turned out to be quite the stud," she said with a smirk.

"Kaiya?" Ace asked incredulously.

The woman placed a hand on her hip and checked her nails. Blood red, just like her lipstick. "Kay, actually."

Ace watched "Kay" stroll up to him, hips swaying as she did so, and he idly realized he had grown taller, too. He liked it. He had a damn good view down her shirt as she stood in front of him. Her hand raised up and grabbed onto a skull adornment he didn't even realize had been dangling in front of him.

She slowly pulled down on the accessory (which was attached to an orange hat, of all things) until his face was inches away from hers. Ace gulped. There was black around her eyes and dark red on her smiling lips. She pulled him close, like she was going to kiss him, but that was where she stopped.

"So what's your fucking problem?" Kay asked.

"W-what?" Ace asked.

Kay used one hand to push him in the chest. Ace was surprised when he flew back. An invisible wall stopped him abruptly. He didn't feel the pain of his head or back hitting anything. This world, whatever it was, didn't seem to have physical pain. Thankfully.

"You've got bad manners and a bad attitude," Kay said. "And that pisses me off." She had a mean frown on her face. "You might think you're hot shit but you're just an angry, little boy."

Ace grit his teeth together. "I'll show you," he warned.

"Kid, there are a thousand different ways I could kill you in my sleep," Kay said. She walked towards him her boots were loud, like they were going over a wooden floor. He scowled and crossed his arms as he looked up at her. Wait. Up?!

Yes, she was taller than him now. Much, much taller. In fact, he craned his neck up to see her. When he looked down, he realized his body was back to normal, but that wasn't going to stop him. "I'll kick your ass for saying that!" Ace said angrily.

Kay laughed. It was a cold, mocking sound. "You can't beat me," she said with a smirk. "No matter how much you wish you could." This woman was as infuriating as she was good looking. Ace wasn't going to let her - or anyone - talk to him that way. He roared and quickly rushed at her, his arm whipping back, but when he launched the attack, she disappeared.

"What the-"

"Come on, Ace." This voice was different. It was lighter, much more gentle. He whipped around to see… Kaiya, he guessed. Her skin tight black outfit had been replaced with a flowing white dress. It showed off her shoulders, hugged her breasts, her waist, then fell in large ruffles until it ended at the knees.

Her hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back. Her body was slimmer, her arms and legs less muscular, but still toned. She laughed as she walked towards him. It was tinkling, musical. Wind seemed to ripple her dress. She bent down at the waist, put her hands on her knees as she looked at him.

"What the hell do you want?" Ace asked her.

She gave a small, sad smile and cupped his cheek. Her hands were so smooth, so soft. Ace could feel the heat from her palm.

"Baby, look at you," she said softly, "you still have so much animosity pent up. So much anger. Resentment. Hatred."

"Get away from me," Ace said, pulling away. "I hate you."

He could see the hurt in her eyes. "No," Kaiya said. She shook her head ever so slightly. "You don't. You never have."

"You don't know nothin' about me," Ace snapped.

She stood up straight, tilted her head slightly and gave him an odd little smirk,. "Quite the contrary," she said. She spoke carefully, like she would wake someone if her voice rose too loud. "I know everything about you."

"Oh yeah?" Ace challenged. "Like what?"

She smiled and it was like sunshine streaming through the clouds on a dark day. "I know your favorite color is red," she said, "and your favorite season is summer because you enjoy the heat. I know you don't like spicy food. And that you love the water but you're secretly afraid of the Sea Kings," she said. Ace's eyebrows pulled together. He'd never told her that. He never told anyone that.

"I also know you dream about becoming the King of Pirates, you and both your brothers."

Ace rolled his eyes. She had to be talking out of her ass. "I don't have any brothers."

"Not yet," she smiled. "But you will." He glared at her while she simply gave him a knowing smile. Kaiya nodded at the band around his left arm. "I know you broke your arm when you were seven and I can tell you the story behind every one of your scars," Kaiya said, "even the ones you don't have yet."

"That's a lie," he said. "I'd never tell you any of that shit."

Kaiya laughed again. It sounded like the most beautiful bells he'd ever heard. It was so musical. It shook her shoulders as her head tilted back.

"Ace," she said, her voice gentle. She knelt down so they were face to face. There was a broad grin on her face. "You and I are going to be stuck together for a long time."

"How do you know?" Ace asked skeptically.

Kaiya simply grinned at him. He could see dimples at the corner of her mouth. "I just know," she said. Her eyes were sparkling, gold irises shining like the sunset bouncing off choppy waves. She placed a hand behind his neck and pressed her forehead against his. He stiffened but he refused to close his eyes. He simply stared back into hers, an abyss of black and gold.

"Hang in there," Kaiya said earnestly. "You have a lot of overdue love and a lot of laughter coming your way."

Ace scowled and stepped out of her grasp. He'd heard something similar before from her aunt. He didn't believe it then and he didn't believe it now. Kaiya must have seen it in his face.

"Give me time to prove it to you," Kaiya said. "Then you'll realize everything I've said is true." The boy scoffed in disbelief. A smile graced her features. "We're going to have a lot fun together, you and I." Her expression soured and he could feel his stomach turn over. "But first, you have to get out of here," she said quickly, grabbing his shoulders.

"Why?" Ace asked.

Kaiya gave a tight smile. "It's not safe. You don't belong here. That's why you can't stay." Ace frowned. That was the exact same thing he was trying to tell her before he'd been yanked into this darkness. Again. Something rocked the invisible ground beneath him and Ace nearly lost his balance. Kaiya was still standing up straight and she was unphased.

"I don't mind you being here," Kaiya said, "but she does." She pointed over her shoulder.

Ace gulped when he saw her, Kay, the woman in black. She raised her head up and stared down her nose at him. Kay impatiently clapped her hands twice.

"Chop chop! We're gonna pay for this, you know," Kay said sourly.

Kaiya gave a small smile. "It's okay," she said, looking over at Ace. "We owe it to him." Kaiya stroked his cheek with her fingers. "Besides, he's worth the pain. Every ounce of it."

"Yeah," Kay said sarcastically. "I don't think so."

Kay rotated her neck, her shoulders, cracked her knuckles. Kaiya stood beside her muscular, black-clad counter part. They looked so similar, same height, same face. Future Kaiya was good looking but it leaned more towards cute than it did hot. She had an air about her, an air of elegance, nobility, almost. She was like a beautiful, bronze-skinned angel, the way she carried herself.

Ace remembered something he'd heard a bandit say once. "Too hot to handle, too cold to hold." That was Kay. Her black-rimmed eyes were right on him. It made him feel uneasy. Ace could feel his temperature slowly rising as she glowered at him. Her heavy footfalls echoed as she walked closer. She was like… like a dark skinned devil. There was a malicious energy around her. Ace began to back track.

"Alright, kid," Kay said darkly, "you've overstayed your welcome."

He looked to Kaiya - the nice one - for help but she hung back with a sheepish looking expression on her face. "Sorry, love," she said apologetically. "I'll see you soon enough. I promise." Kaiya turned, her white dress twirling around her.

"Wait-" Ace said. He ran towards her but Kay intercepted him. She picked him up by his throat and held him up to her face. The boy struggled but her grip was like iron. Ace made gagging sounds as he tried to pry her fingers off.

"Get the fuck out of here," Kay told him. "And don't come back."

"F-fuck you," Ace croaked. He even managed to hock a loogie right in her face. Kay used the back of her hand to wipe her cheek then she smiled. It was a wicked look, her red lips curled upwards like that.

"You wish, kid," she said.

Kay grunted as she spun around and tossed him back. Ace screamed as he flew through the air. His back collided painfully with the ground. The wind escaped his lungs. Ace gasped for breath and curled into himself. Kay's voice was low when she spoke. It wasn't the growl she had before, but a purr, so low he wondered if she'd really said it or if he'd imagined it. The last thing he remembered seeing before he passed out was a pair of black leather boots.
"But maybe one day."

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

Kaiya woke up first.

The sky was cloudy and it was slowly starting to get dark. She groaned and sat up. Apparently she'd passed out in the snow. The entire back side of her pants were absolutely soaked. Her face, fingers, and toes were numb. Her head was steadily throbbing.

She shivered, stood, and let out a gasp.

The clearing they had wandered into had been… destroyed.

Kaiya looked at the surrounding area. It was as if a crater had smashed right into the earth. A gaping hole exposed brown and green ground. Snow had been completely cleared from the center radius. Nearby trees that had previously been covered in tufts of snow were bare. A few were bowed, as if a powerful gale had toppled them right over. The ledge she had previously stood on had crumbled further.

The last thing she remembered was Ace being mean to her and then…

"Ace! Ace?!" Kaiya whipped around. He was lying on his side in the snow on the other side of the crater. She rushed over to his side and fell onto her knees. "Ace, Ace wake up!" Kaiya moved him to his back and shook his shoulders. "Come on!"

Ace shot up with a gasp and their heads collided. Both of the children groaned and clutched their foreheads.

"What the hell?" Ace asked. He had his eyes squeezed shut as he clutched his sore skull. When his eyes opened, he gave Kaiya a weird look, like there was something out of place on her face.

"W-what?" Kaiya dared ask.

Ace's mouth was open, like he wanted to say something. His eyes kept looking at her, like he was searching for something. After a moment, his mouth clamped shut and he pushed himself to standing. Kaiya followed suit.

The boy quietly looked around and took in the ruined landscape.

"What the fuck," he whispered to himself. He looked at the hole in the earth where they'd previously been standing. Ace turned his face to the sky and realized it was nearly dusk. If they didn't get back soon, they'd have to find their way back in the dark.

Ace shook his head. He looked at the devastated earth, then at Kaiya. At the moment, he had a perfect view of her profile. Her eyes were trained downward, staring at the spot they previously occupied before the shockwave hit. It was kind of crazy to think about… but it was like he'd met with the future Kaiya, even if she called herself something different.

Kay, as she said her name was, was strong, physically and mentally. At one point, Ace had the thought she could have chewed him up and spit him out. It was hard to believe that the brat in front of him could possibly become a fearsome woman like that.

"We did this," Kaiya said quietly. She turned her face towards Ace. "We're the same."

"What are you talking about?" Ace asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Uncle Ryo has it," Kaiya said with a nod, more to herself than to him. "I have it," she said, then she turned her eyes back to him, "and so do you."

"Have what?" Ace asked in exasperation.

Kaiya's eyes were hard. "I think… I think this is a type of haki," she said. She looked at the broken scenery and nodded. "I don't know what else it could be," Kaiya murmured to herself. "It would explain the drop in air pressure and the damage to the environment but…"

She gave Ace a once over and looked away sheepishly.

"But what?" Ace asked.

Kaiya shook her head. "Something just… doesn't make sense." A hand went to her temple and she squeezed her eyes shut. He watched her jaw clench, watched a tear sparkle in the corner of her eye. "Ow," Kaiya whispered. She slowly sank to her knees.

"Oi," Ace said, kneeling beside her. Kaiya let out a groan and squeezed her head with both hands. She bit her lip and crouched face first into the snow. He could hear her crying. "Hey, hey, what's going on?!"

"It hurts," came her muffled response. Kaiya's feet were tucked beneath her, her forehead touched the cold ground. He could see her pulling on her hair as she sucked in shaky breaths.

"What hurts?!" Ace asked. He unconsciously placed a hand on her back. He could hear muffled sobs.

"My head," she said.

Ace watched stoically as she broke down. He couldn't help but think back to the two versions of Kaiya that he saw.

Kay's words rang in his head. We're gonna pay for this, you know. Ace's jaw was clenched. He couldn't do anything but watch as the girl in front of him clutched her head and cried in pain.

He's worth the pain. That's what future Kaiya had said. Every ounce of it.

The girl in front of him sobbed and clutched her hair so tight, he could see the seams of her hat being pulled apart. Ace shook his head. She was in agony and… he couldn't help but feel like it was his fault.

"Come on," Ace said. He grabbed onto her shoulders and helped her sit up. Kaiya covered her eyes but he could see the tears and snot trailing down her face. "What do you feel?" Ace asked her.

"It's- it's like-" Kaiya sputtered took a deep breath. "It feels like my head's splitting open."

Ace frowned. He watched her chin dimple up as she frowned. From far off, Ace heard a faint but frantic bell. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

"Shit," he said under his breath. "C'mon, we gotta go." He pulled Kaiya to standing. Her entire body was shaking. He could still hear the bell ringing, calling him back home.

"What's that noise?" Kaiya asked weakly.

"A warning," Ace said, "we gotta get back home. Let's go."

Kaiya wanted to move but when she opened her eyes, all she could do was squint. It wasn't sunny or bright like it had been earlier that day, but the light was just too intense, too painful. She could hear birds somewhere close by but the song didn't lift her spirits like it usually did; no, it just seemed to add more pressure, more pain.

"Give me a minute," Kaiya whispered. "Please."

"We don't have a minute!" Ace said frantically. The warning bell never went off. That meant something serious had happened. "We gotta go now."

Kaiya moaned miserably and squeezed her head. "I can't," she said. "Just go without me."

Ace gave a frustrated groan. "Fucking baby," he spat. "Get on." He stood in front of Kaiya and bent his knees. She hesitated. "Come on!" Ace felt her arms wrap around his shoulders. He grabbed onto her legs. Kaiya rested her head on his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut.

"What's happening?"

"I dunno," Ace said. "But we're gonna find out real soon." He hurried towards the direction of Dadan's hut. Kaiya's groans had quieted down. She was still squeezing his shoulders. "How's your head?" he asked after a little while.

"It hurts," Kaiya answered quietly. Ace was silent. Then she spoke again. "It always ends like this."

"Huh?" Ace asked. "Ends like what?"

Kaiya gave a weak laugh. "With you carrying me home." He didn't answer. This was becoming a reoccurring thing. His head was still swimming. He still didn't know what to make of the- the vision or whatever it had been of future Kaiya and her sexy counterpart, Kay.

"I saw you," Kaiya mumbled after a while. Her voice took him by surprise. Ace had thought she'd fallen asleep, she'd been so still.

"Yeah?" Ace asked.

"Yeah."

His footsteps crunched the snow as they made their way back to the hut. "What'd I look like?" She took a while to answer. In fact, Ace grew impatient and repeated the question. "Hey, what'd I look like?"

"You looked…" Kaiya's eyes were closed. She was doing her best to tune out the bird song and the motion that threatened to make her sick. "Older. Stronger," she said.

Ace's grip tightened. She had looked older and stronger, too, but that wasn't really the best description. Kaiya hissed in pain and jumped slightly. He muttered a barely audible apology.

"Did I look different?" Ace asked after a few minutes. If he saw her, it just made sense that it would be reversed. After all, the mind thing seemed to work both ways.

"Yeah," Kaiya said. "You were really different." She adjusted her head and took a deep breath. Ace felt her exhale on the back of his neck. She closed her eyes. Sleep was calling her. The offer to sleep the pain away was just too good to pass up. She gave a yawn and nestled on Ace's shoulder. Before she fell asleep, she quietly murmured, "You were happy."

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

It was dark. It wasn't the sort of darkness that came at night. No, it felt like Kaiya had found her way into a deep cave where sunlight couldn't possibly ever hope to reach.

"Uh, hello?" Kaiya asked tentatively. There was a figure in the distance. A man. Her feet quietly carried her towards him. He had his back facing her. He was muscular, with a large jolly roger tattooed on his skin. Kaiya gulped. "E-excuse me," she began unsurely.

He whipped around and Kaiya gasped.

"Hey!" The man grinned and kneeled down. He motioned for her to come closer. Kaiya gulped and nervously shuffled his way. The man had an orange hat with a band of red beads and two faces around the base. There was a long string with a mean looking skull adornment hanging in front of him. He scanned her face, waiting to gauge her reaction.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. His voice sounded sincerely worried.

"Who- who are you?" Kaiya asked him.

Ace placed a hand on his hat and laughed. It was a good laugh. "You don't recognize me? I haven't changed that much."

Her eyes widened. She thought so! The dark eyes, the freckles on his face, thick brows, wavy hair. He was so similar but… so, so different.

The boy she knew… well, this man had similar traits, sure, but… The mean, scrawny kid who lived in the mountains was gone.

"How- how is this happening?" Kaiya asked him.

Ace kept a smile on his face. She… really liked seeing him like this. He just looked so happy. "It's you, Kaiya," he said with a nod. "This is all you."

"Am I imagining this?" she asked.

Ace laughed. "It's not just your imagination," he said. "I'm real. Well, I will be."

Kaiya raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Nope," he said with a gummy grin. Ace placed a hot, heavy hand on top of her head and messed up her hair. Kaiya pouted but she didn't pull away. "But it will."

He stood up and Kaiya realized he was tall. Kaiya stared up at him with wonder; he simply looked down with that big smile plastered to his face.

"You're so different," she said in amazement. "You're… nice." He hadn't frowned once. He hadn't called her a single mean name. Could this really be him? In the future?

Ace laughed. "Yeah," he said. A crestfallen look crossed his face. He was silent for a moment as he regarded her. Ace crouched down again. When he spoke, his voice was low and soft. It was gentle, the same way her father used to speak to her. "I know I've been pretty mean to you."

"Yeah," Kaiya said sourly, crossing her arms. "You have."

Ace shot her an apologetic look. "I'll get better," he said earnestly. "I just need you to be patient with me." Kaiya looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Let me make it up to you, okay?"

"How?" Kaiya asked.

"I'm gonna be a better friend," he promised. "In fact, I'll be your best friend." Kaiya stared into his eyes. She wanted so badly to believe him. "I'm not great with words," Ace said with a little laugh. "That was always your thing. But anytime you need me, you just gotta let me know, okay?"

Kaiya was a little skeptical but she gave a single nod.

Ace gave her a smile. She saw a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "I know it's hard to believe," he said, "and I can't promise that I won't ever hurt your feelings again. But I'll always have your back. Remember that, okay?"

She nodded her head again. Kaiya had to bite down on her bottom lip; she could feel emotion threatening to rise up out of her chest and spill out of her eyes. He seemed so… kind. So genuine. She desperately wanted to believe what he was saying.

"Woah!" The world rocked around her and Kaiya almost toppled over. Ace's strong hands grabbed onto her shoulders and steadied her.

"Thank you," she said automatically. Ace shot her a wink in response.

"Time to get going," he said softly. Kaiya felt her face flush as he looked at her. His eyes were just so… intense. It was like he was taking in every single detail of her. His big hands were nice and warm on her shoulders.

"Where are you going?" Kaiya asked him.

"I'm not goin' anywhere," Ace said. He gently poked her in the sternum. "You've gotta get going, Kaiya."

"But I have so many questions!"

He laughed good naturedly. "You'll get answers soon enough. Promise."

"But-"

"No buts," Ace said firmly. Kaiya's mouth snapped shut. He placed a hand beneath her chin and studied her face one last time. "You can't be here too long," he said. "The longer you stay, the harder it's going to be on you." There was a sad look on his face.

"Oh, okay," Kaiya said unsurely. Ace gave her one last smile.

"Oh, and Kaiya?" he asked.

"Yes?"

The man wrapped his long arms around her. It took a moment, but Kaiya slowly wrapped her arms around him, too. He was so warm. His hug was strong but not too tight. When she closed her eyes, she could feel the heat radiating off his body. His gentle curls tickled her face and he smelled like the summer sun. It was the perfect hug. It made her think of her father. She felt so safe. So warm. So loved. His eyes were sparkling when he pulled away.

His voice was gentle when he spoke again. "I'll see you later, okay?"

She bobbed her head up and down. Her throat felt sore. She felt like… like she was really going to miss him for some reason. "Okay," she whispered. Ace messed up her hair and gave her a gummy grin. "No, wait!" Kaiya gasped as he pulled away. His body dissolved into flames that quickly rose up from nothing… then it all went black.

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

"What happened?!" Dogra asked. Ace was breathing hard while Kaiya was passed out on his back. The bandits were all huddled around the fire.

"Nothing," Ace said dismissively. "Why'd the bell go off?"

Magra was quickly bandaging a bandit lying on the floor. There was another injured man sleeping beside him. Ace could see crimson slowly seeping through his clothes.

"Someone keep pressure on that!" Magra yelled.

"They were attacked," Dogra said darkly. "They said there were people at the base of the mountain. An entire group camping together. We're thinking it might be bounty hunters."

Kaiya groaned and sleepily raised her head up. It still hurt but the throbbing had dulled down. She blinked a few times as the fire came into focus.

"Oh, good," Ace said, "you're up." And with that, he dropped Kaiya in a heap. She shrieked and plopped on her bottom.

"We gonna go get 'em?" Ace asked Dogra excitedly. Dadan was nowhere to be found, so it was the small man's turn to be in charge. Ace didn't care for all the plans and suggestions Dogra insisted on giving him. He was more of a straightforward fighter and the idea of a good row always thrilled him.

"Yeah," Dogra said, eyeing his injured comrades. "We're gonna go get 'em back."

Kaiya had just stood up when Dadan kicked open the door. She had two cigarettes in her mouth when she stood in front of her family of bandits.

"Someone," Dadan said loudly, "decided they're gonna camp in our territory."

Kaiya watched with amazement as the woman suddenly commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Aside from Magra, who was busy wrapping up the second man, every pair of eyes was on the large woman.

She observed the way Dadan stood, her head high, her legs spread slightly as she clutched her weapon: a large battle axe.

"Are we gonna let some low life hunters get away with hurting our family?"

"NO!" came the rowdy cry.

"Are we gonna roll over while they make their way up our mountain?"

"NO!"

Kaiya was amazed. Aside from the Collector (who was a psycho and really didn't count), she had never seen a woman exude so much power. Dadan had the bandits feeding on her every word. She was pumping them up for a fight and she was doing a good job.

Even Ace was beside her, yelling when the other bandits yelled.

"Let's make this shit quick," Dadan said. "We'll go in, teach 'em a lesson, and be back in time for one hell of a dinner!"

"Yeaaah!" The bandits went wild. They all began scurrying in different directions. Kaiya watched some of the women tie their hair back. Weapons were distributed. Curious looking supplies were shoved into pockets.

"Alright!" Ace said. He had already retrieved his metal pipe. "Let's go!"

"No," Dadan said darkly. "You and Princess are gonna keep your asses here while the adults go out."

"What?!" Ace asked angrily. Dadan looked down at him with a look that sent a shiver down both of the children's spines.

"Sneak out tonight and when I get back, I will personally kick your ass myself," Dadan said in a low voice. Kaiya nervously looked between him and the woman. Ace scowled and looked away with his arms crossed.

"Hey, Princess," Dadan said.

"Yes ma-" The word died on Kaiya's lips before it was finished.

"Your bow's in there," Dadan said with a nod towards the weapon storage. "Both of you, keep your weapons close just in case someone comes here."

"But-" Kaiya and Ace both began.

"No complaining!"

Dadan ordered Dogra to do a head count. Magra was prepping a bag of medical supplies for the trip. The large woman said something to the two bandits that caused them to look at the kids, nod, and then go about their business.

Dadan caught Ace's eye. The boy was busy fuming as he watched everyone preparing to leave. The woman pointed to him, then to the ground. She then made a throat slicing motion at him. He got the message loud and clear. Stay or else.

It didn't take long for the hut to empty. There were only a handful of bandits around the area, preparing for dinner and guarding the fort.

"This sucks," Ace huffed. He angrily tapped his metal pipe. "I should be out there, too."

Kaiya frowned. Her fingers clenched the large bow's handle. "It's dangerous."

"Exactly!" Ace said, throwing his hands up. "We're sitting here missing all the fun."

She raised a brow. "Why do you enjoy fighting so much?"

Ace scowled. "You're a girl. You wouldn't understand."

The girl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Try me." She stared at Ace so long he was beginning to get the jitters from her intense gaze.

"Tch. I don't just like fighting, I like winning," Ace said as he crossed his own arms. He looked away from Kaiya and gazed into the fire. "It sucks being at the bottom. No one knows you or cares about you. No one notices you and if they do, they look at you with pity. Or disgust. Sometimes I feel like a cockroach. I could die any day and no one would know. No one would give a shit."

"I would," Kaiya said softly.

Ace froze. He risked a glance upward. There was a forlorn look in her eyes. She leaned forward. "You can't really believe no one cares about you."

The boy frowned and averted his gaze again. "It's true." He turned away from her so she couldn't see the look on his face, his embarrassment as he muttered, "I knew you wouldn't get it."

"I understand," she said softly. "There's something… kind of exhilarating about a fight." Ace kept his face turned downwards as she spoke. "It just fills you with adrenaline and coming out on top is just… victorious."

Ace turned his head to see a sad smile on Kaiya's face. She seemed to know how to put his feelings into words.

"Danger just sets off all the warning signals in your body and if you don't move, it feels like everything ends, right then and there… but there's this feeling of relief when it doesn't." Ace watched her idly draw imaginary lines on the wood with her finger. "You know, I've always felt like there's something out there… bigger… better than anything this island can offer."

Kaiya gave a small laugh. "Daddy used to say people always think the sea is bluer on the other side… but you'll never know unless you go and see it for yourself. So one day I will."

Ace slowly turned to face her head on. He couldn't decrypt the expression on her face. "You want to go to sea one day?"

"I do," Kaiya said earnestly. "I don't just want to be some girl from the East Blue that never accomplished anything. We're a joke to the rest of the world, you know. I want to be somebody, someday. I want to see everything out there."

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke and Ace could tell… she meant every word she said.

"I want the whole world to know my name," Kaiya said with a smile. She raised a hand and envisioned a giant banner strung across a huge stage. "Jaeger D. Kaiya," she announced proudly. "Dancer. Violinist. Artist. My face will be in the papers and on posters and people in every sea will know who I am. I'll have sheet music of songs I've written and paintings hanging in homes all across the world. I'm gonna be a household name; I'll even be bigger than Victoria Cindry."

Ace was quiet. He had never even heard of Victoria Cindry but Kaiya made it seem like it was common knowledge. He didn't want her to know about his ignorance. The day dream dissolved and Kaiya's eyes dropped to the wooden floor as she was brought back to reality.

"I have to get a lot stronger, though," she said quietly. Ace noticed she started tracing shapes in the wood grain again. "If I can't survive on my own in these mountains, I'll never be able to make it to the Grand Line."

Ace found that one corner of his mouth had pulled upwards into a smirk. He fought the urge to grin. All he could think about was Kay, her skintight clothing and the crazy strength contained in those rippling muscles of hers.

"How about this?" he said. "We'll both do it."

Kaiya looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"I'm gonna set out to sea one day, too," Ace said. Part of him was silently screaming to shut his mouth. "We're both gonna have to get stronger so we can make it to the Grand Line."

"Easy for you to say." There was a look in Kaiya's eyes he didn't like. Hurt, almost. She looked simply crestfallen as she stared into the glowing embers. He could see the fire dancing in her eyes.

"You don't think you can make it," Ace figured out eventually.

"I probably won't," Kaiya said sadly.

After a moment of internal debate, he quietly said, "You will." She regarded him with an expression that made him feel uneasy. "If you get stronger," he added hastily. "A lot stronger."

Kaiya gave a smile. "You think so?"

Ace opened his mouth to say something cynical but the happiness on her face was just so genuine. She'd never opened up to him like this before. She seemed to take the compliment to heart and he just didn't have the nerve to take it back.

"Yeah. I know so," Ace said earnestly. He could feel it in his bones, his soul. Kay didn't get that wh from hanging out in the posh parts of the city all her life. He was no fortune teller but there was something that told him he wasn't going to be stuck on this island forever and neither was she. Kaiya grinned and he found it was rather contagious. The joy somehow found its way onto his face, as well. His heart was thudding in his chest as he prepared to say something he never thought he'd admit to Kaiya.

"I want every sea to know my name, too," he told her excitedly. "So let's kick this island's ass before we leave it behind. There's a whole 'nother world to see out there!"

Sure, he'd left out key details about his dream but he didn't have to let her know everything. Ace had gotten so excited, he flung both arms open with such force he tilted backwards. His eyes opened wide moments before his back hit the floor.

Kaiya covered her teeth with her right hand and giggled at the spectacle. Ace hastily pushed himself back up to sitting. He felt a rush of anger as she laughed at him. Her frame shook and when she sucked in a breath, he could see her two missing baby teeth.

"You- you should have- you should have seen your face!" she said between giggles. Kaiya's laugh grew louder and louder as Ace's irritation increased. However, a sound he'd never heard from her before escaped.

Kaiya snorted. Loud.

Her eyes opened wide and she covered her face in embarrassment but the laughter didn't stop. Her shoulders shook and she snorted again - twice. Ace threw his head back as her contagious laughter suddenly infected him, as well. His wavy hair shook as he grabbed his stomach and laughed at her ridiculous laughter. The princess snorted when she laughed too hard?! That was rich! The revelation alone was well worth the moment of poor coordination.

Kaiya tried to calm herself down but her exhale resulted in an odd, high pitched noise that made Ace laugh even harder. Both children were on the floor in a fit of hysterics when the two bandits who had been assigned babysitting duty walked in. They stood in the foyer entrance for a moment and stared with concern. They heard a commotion but they didn't think it was going to be… this.

The children had been known to do nothing but bicker constantly and yet… here they were, lost in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Kaiya pinched her nose to stop the horrid snorting. Ace was wiping tears away from his face.

"I've never seen him do that before," one of the bandits remarked as he looked at Ace.

"Neither have I," said another. They shot each other a look and shrugged before they both went outside to continue dressing the deer they would have for dinner.

Both of the children managed to calm down eventually and they gave a simultaneous sigh. Ace and Kaiya shared a moment of silence and a smile. Their faces were both flushed pink. After a few seconds, Kaiya cleared her throat and suddenly looked away.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Ace asked, raising a brow.

"I can't remember the last time I laughed like that," Kaiya said quietly.

Ace shook his head. "Yeah. Neither can I."

They both stared into the fire. Ace jiggled his leg at the awkward silence. Kaiya played with her thumb nails. It was Kaiya who eventually broke the silence.

"Don't you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Talk about what?"

"The… the thing at the clearing," Kaiya said with a small frown.

"You said it was called 'haki', right?" Ace asked her.

"I think so. Conqueror's haki, if it is what I think it is. I mean, I've read about it but it's crazy to think that I - that we -" she corrected, "actually have it."

"Why's that?" Ace asked, genuinely curious now.

"Only a very small number of people are supposed to have it," Kaiya said. "There are two types of haki that anyone can do but this one is different."

She chewed on her thumb and stared into the fire as she thought. "I wonder why," she said to herself. "We have to have something in common." She was quiet for a few moments before Ace spoke.

"D," he said plainly.

Kaiya gave him a confused look. "D?"

"Yeah," Ace said. "Portgas D. Ace. Jaeger D. Kaiya." He could see the realization dawn on her face as he continued. "We don't have shit in common," the boy said bluntly. "Nothing but a letter in our names."

"The D means you're destined for greatness," Kaiya said in a hushed tone.

"What?" Ace asked, giving her a look like she was crazy.

"It's something my dad used to say. I thought it was just something he made up but…" Her words trailed off and she shook the thoughts out of her head. "Okay, so maybe that haki is tied to our lineage somehow. That still doesn't explain the second part."

Ace's back straightened. "You said you saw me," he said. "Older me."

Kaiya suppressed a smile. "Uh, yeah," she said sheepishly, scratching at her neck. She broke eye contact and opted to stare at the fire instead. "I saw future you," Kaiya said, "and you seemed to know things I didn't know yet."

Ace crossed his arms and debated on how much to share with her about his own experience.

"I saw you, too," he told her. "And you definitely acted like you knew more than me."

"You acted…" She looked up and met his hard stare for a moment before looking away again. Kaiya gave a small smile. "You acted really nice," Kaiya said quietly.

Ace idly tapped on his arm and thought about his experience. White dress Kaiya had been… like an angel, almost. She was soft spoken and sweet. That Kay, though… Ace shivered when he thought about her. She was scary. He could still see the hostility in her eyes when she had him by the throat.

Kaiya surprised him by unintentionally letting out a giggle.

"What?" Ace snapped at her. When she made eye contact with him again, he could have sworn her cheeks flushed a slight shade of pink. It was hard to tell with her dark skin.

Kaiya bit her lip and looked away at the fire again. "Nothing," she said meekly. Ace watched her fight a grin as she tried to turn her face away. He so desperately wanted to know what was going through her head. Seeing her future self made him feel… a little weird. He wondered what she thought about him.

"Well, it's decided then," Kaiya said eventually. "From here on out," Kaiya said firmly, "we'll be allies in helping each other achieve our goals." Ace could see the seriousness in her eyes. Warm hues from the fire danced across her skin.

Ace smirked. "Allies, huh? As long as you don't get in my way… that's fine with me."

Kaiya grinned wildly and Ace got a clear view of the symmetrical gaps in her teeth. She held out her pinky finger.

"What are you doing?" Ace asked her. Kaiya raised a brow but she kept the smile on her face.

"It's a promise," Kaiya said. "From here on out, we'll be allies," she repeated with a broad smile, "always."

Ever so slowly, Ace reached over and extended his own pinky finger. The two children touched hands. Ace could see genuine excitement on Kaiya's face. He knew it was real because her eyes were crinkled and he could see both of her dimples at the corners of her mouth.

"Alright," he said with a smirk. "Allies it is."

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

The bandits came home with minimal injuries. That meant a victory for them, Kaiya guessed. Dinner was pretty much the same as ever. She didn't like the fighting but she did get a little rough with a man who thought he would steal her plate. At one point, someone else tried slithering a hand towards her helping of venison but it had been Ace who grabbed the man's wrist. The boy gave a glare and a slight head shake. It had been enough to make him back off.

Kaiya smiled and dropped her eyes as she ate. Things were looking up. In fact, much to her surprise, Ace even spoke to her when the other bandits were around.

"Oi," he said, "you should ditch the chores tomorrow."

Kaiya raised an eyebrow. "But Dadan's going to get mad."

"Ah, she'll be fine," Ace said, waving a hand. "Let's go hunting."

Kaiya's eyes widened slightly. "You… you want me to go hunting with you?"

Ace flushed and looked away. "I don't care if you go or not," he said. "But it'd be more fun than busting your ass all day around here."

Kaiya didn't answer. When he risked a glance up, she had a wide smile on her face. "Okay," she nodded. "Let's do it."

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

"Hey, look," Ace whispered. Kaiya froze and Ace backtracked before he stopped right beside her. She felt his hand in the crook of her elbow. His head touched hers ever so slightly as he leaned in close and pointed. The wind whispered gently and Kaiya felt his soft hair tickling her cheek. "Right there, in the tree. See it?"

"...it's a squirrel."

"Yeah," he said, his excited voice still hushed. "You should shoot it."

"What?! No way!" The squirrel chittered and disappeared at the sound of Kaiya's voice. "I can't kill a squirrel!"

Ace groaned. "Good job, you scared away our lunch."

"Lunch? You want to eat a squirrel?!"

"You wanna starve instead?" Ace asked. He could see a bitter expression cross Kaiya's face.

"I'm not going to eat it," she said firmly.

"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug. A hand reached out. "Give me the bow. I will."

"No!" Kaiya moved away. "It's my weapon, not yours."

"I thought you wanted to get tougher!"

"I do! And I will!" Kaiya said defensively.

"Then next time an animal appears you should make yourself useful," he snapped. "What the hell do you think we eat, huh? This ain't the city. If you can't kill something you're gonna have a hell of a time trying to survive out here."

Kaiya dropped her eyes. "Sorry," she said in a small voice. Ace saw her bottom lip quiver and found he had to turn away. Gah. Why'd she have to be such a baby?

Ace sighed. "C'mon," he said. "We'll find something else." Kaiya quietly trailed behind him. When Ace glanced back, he could see a forlorn look on her face. Her eyebrows were pulled together tightly and her golden gaze trained downwards as she walked. He seemed to have a bad habit of hurting her feelings… but then again, she let them get hurt way too easily.

It took a good mile of walking before fortune finally smiled down on them. Ace stopped. Kaiya bumped into his back and he shot her a quick glare. She looked back apologetically. Ace placed a finger over his lips and pointed. There was a clearing ahead. In front of them, an entire line of turkeys crossed the snowy path, their heads bobbing up and down in an odd fashion as they trekked along, one after another. Ace pantomimed drawing a bow; Kaiya pursed her lips and nodded.

Ever so quietly, he watched her slide the weapon off her body. It was about as tall as she was. Kaiya reached back, retrieved an arrow, notched it. She held the bow up. Pulled the string back… and an arrow went flying off well above where the turkeys were walking. The birds didn't even seem to notice.

"What the hell was that?" Ace whispered furiously. Kaiya had an embarrassed look on her face.

"I-It's the first time I've ever shot," she confessed.

"You- you've never used a bow and arrow before?"

"No," she said with a frown. She already had another arrow in her hand. Ace watched closely as she tried to pull the string back. Her arms were shaking… and another arrow was let loose. Nowhere close to where the turkeys were.

"Wow," Ace said in a deadpan tone. "You suck."

"Shut up," Kaiya snapped. She had a determined look on her face. The bow was… actually a lot harder to pull back than she thought it would be. She grabbed another arrow. Ace snorted and crossed his arms as she readied the weapon for the third time. Another miss.

Kaiya stomped her foot and let out a muffled scream.

"Gimme that." Ace snatched the bow out of her hands. Kaiya huffed and allowed him to pull an arrow from her quiver. The boy had a deep frown on his freckled face. He pulled the string back with much less effort than she had exerted. Ace closed one eye, stuck out his tongue ever so slightly, and aimed at a turkey alone at the back of the pack. His arrow flew sturdier and straighter than any of Kaiya's but it ended up in a tree at the far edge of the clearing.

"Shit," Ace muttered. He grabbed another arrow and Kaiya watched with a raised eyebrow as he tried again. She noticed his tongue poke out of the side of his mouth as he focused. It was… actually kind of endearing. The thought didn't last, however, as the second arrow hit the ground long before it reached the turkeys.

"Wow," Kaiya said sarcastically. "Nice aim."

"At least I can draw the damn thing," Ace said bitingly. "You can't even do that." A strange, excited expression crossed Kaiya's features and he cautiously asked, "What's with that face?"

"I have an idea," Kaiya said with a grin. Ace cocked his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "Come on, do you want to eat something for lunch or not?"

"Fine," Ace said. "What is it?"

Kaiya took off the quiver and placed it on the ground. Ace watched curiously as she grabbed an arrow and held out her other hand, palm up. "Bow," she demanded. Ace held the weapon away from her and raised an eyebrow. "Please?" Kaiya asked impatiently. A smirk crossed Ace's face and he held it out to her. Kaiya notched the arrow. "Now stand behind me."

"What?"

"Just do it!" Kaiya said in exasperation.

Ace awkwardly stood behind Kaiya. Apparently he wasn't close enough because she slid her feet back until his body was pressed against hers. She raised the bow and arrow, tilted her head slightly as she eyed the disappearing turkeys. "You pull the string back. I'll aim. When I say so, let go, okay?"

Ace nodded. He felt his face and neck heat up as he wrapped his arms around her. He placed one hand on the bow's handle, just beneath hers. Two fingers at the string. Kaiya placed her right hand over his. Ace felt rather self conscious as he thought about how close they were. She faintly smelled of something sweet. He could feel her stray hairs brushing his face. Kaiya was silent as she gently guided the bow, completely unaware of his discomfort. He felt her take a deep breath and hold it. "Now," she murmured.

Ace released his two fingers. The arrow flew, leaving a fine line on Kaiya's cheek as it whizzed past her face. The string slapped against her left arm, which had thankfully been saved by the thick coat she wore. The projectile flew clean through a turkey's neck. The unfortunate bird was quickly decapitated. Its body spasmed, wings flapping for just a moment, before it collapsed into the snow and its family hurriedly scuttled away.

"Yeah!" Ace pumped a fist in the air. "One hit kill! One hit kill!" He laughed triumphantly and quickly grabbed Kaiya, rubbed his knuckles on top of her head. "Way to go Sa-"

The name died on his lips as he realized it wasn't Sabo on the other end of the victory noogie. Ace quickly let go and stepped away. His cheeks flushed pink. Kaiya straightened up, adjusted her hat and regarded him with a raised eyebrow as she waited for an apology, an explanation, something.

"My bad," Ace muttered. Kaiya allowed a small smile to grace her round face. He saw a drop of blood run down her cheek. Ace frowned and took off his gloves. He stepped closer and wiped her face with his index finger. A thin red line remained on her dark skin. "You're bleeding."

Kaiya looked at her bright blood staining his finger before Ace quickly wiped it away. "It's fine," Kaiya said, dropping her eyes.

"You made sure to pack bandages, right?" Ace asked.

"Yeah but-" Ace was already bent down, hand quickly digging through the quiver's bottom storage compartment. He found a small bag of medical supplies. Ace slipped the quiver on his back and as he stood. There was a small, single use alcohol wipe in his hands.

Kaiya opened her mouth to protest as he ripped the tiny package open and discarded the film. She eyed the packet in the snow with disapproval. Before she could mention his careless littering, Ace brought the wipe to her cheek. Kaiya hissed in pain, her eyes automatically watering. She instinctively moved away but he grabbed her chin to keep her still. His bare hand was warm. She could feel the cut stinging every time the cold wipe touched her. It burned like a thin line of fire on her delicate skin.

Ace's dark eyes were focused on the small wound and now it was he who didn't notice her discomfort. Kaiya could see a vein sticking out of his forehead as he frowned.

"It's really no big deal," Kaiya said. His gaze met hers and she felt her heart sputter for a moment as he looked at her with… concern?

"You don't want shit getting infected out here," Ace said. "Or it would be a big deal." He looked at the cut again. It had stopped bleeding.

She recalled the grown Portgas D. Ace she'd met in her dream (because she honestly didn't know what else to call it). Aside from being extremely handsome, he had seemed so genuine.

"I'm going to be a better friend," he'd said. Kaiya could still feel his warm hand rustling her hair, just like her dad used to. Just like Uncle Ryo used to. "I'll always have your back. Remember that, okay?"

Kaiya smiled at the boy in front of her. "Thank you," she said softly.

The sun caught her eyes and Ace froze. It looked like there were a million crushed diamonds shining in her irises, countless shades of gold and yellow together in a mix he'd never seen before. It was breathtaking… and way too close.

Ace cleared his throat. "No problem," he muttered.

A moment of silence later, Kaiya smiled and said, "Nice shot, by the way."

His face, previously pink, reddened at the praise. "All I did was pull the string back."

She regarded him with those striking eyes and Ace suddenly felt uneasy beneath her gaze. "Well, it's like you said, I couldn't even do that. And considering you can't aim, I would say that was some pretty good teamwork."

Ace smirked. "Yeah. Great teamwork. You couldn't have done it without me."

Kaiya rolled her eyes but Ace saw her cheeks turn upwards in a smile she tried to hide from him. Ace felt a smile stretch his face, too. Messing with her was just too much fun, provided he didn't push the wrong buttons. He'd have to find some way to get her to snort again… Now that was just too funny.

Kaiya began to walk towards the clearing. She gave a sigh when she saw the fallen bird.

"Better go claim our prize," Kaiya said unenthusiastically.

"Oh, lighten up," Ace said, nudging her as he passed. "Now we get to eat!"

That poor animal. Kaiya felt her heart drop as she walked closer. Red splattered the white snow. Before the turkeys, it seemed like the clearing had gone otherwise undisturbed. She could see the animal's head lying still beside its body. I did that. I killed it, she thought guiltily.

"Alright!" Ace rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Let's roast this sucker!"

Kaiya frowned as Ace produced a small knife from his pocket and approached the bird. Even though it was already dead, it still seemed cruel to watch him pierce the animal's flesh. He didn't bat an eye as the bird was torn apart.

"Poor thing," Kaiya murmured.

Ace snorted. "It's a bird. Out here, you either kill or you get killed." He paused and pointed the bloody knife in her direction. There was a serious expression on his face as he said, "You need to remember that."

Kaiya sighed. "I still feel bad."

"Yeah," Ace said with a shrug. "You'll get over it."

"Are we going to bring this back to the others?" she asked.

"Hell no!"

"Why not? You're not going to share?"

"No way. We went through the trouble of getting it. Besides, this can't feed everybody. I'm gonna cook it up and eat it all by myself." Ace looked up from his work and saw the troubled expression on Kaiya's face. "I guess you can have some… since you helped kill it."

Kaiya smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Ace looked down at the turkey, at the bird's blood staining his hands and the white snow, innards shining in the sun. It had to look pretty gruesome to someone who wasn't used to it. Ace paused to look at Kaiya.

"Go get firewood," he said. Kaiya looked down at the animal and back up at his face. "You'll feel better after we eat," Ace told her.

She shuddered and looked away from the pinks and reds between the bird's brown body. "Sure," Kaiya murmured. "If you say so."

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

"Mmm." Ace moaned in delight and took another hearty bite of turkey. "Sh'beats eating errat," he said with a mouthful.

Kaiya warily eyed the piece of meat in her hands. "Did you just say it beats eating a rat?"

"That'sh b'sicly what squirrel's," Ace said with a different bite in his mouth.

Kaiya's mouth pulled down in disgust. It was bad enough she had to deal with this when Luffy came over. "Can't you finish your mouthful before you talk?"

Ace swallowed. "I said, 'that's basically what a squirrel is.'" That certainly didn't make her meal look any more appealing. "If you're not gonna eat that, I will."

Kaiya brought the meat to her mouth and took a cautious bite. It was… dry. And not very flavorful. A little tough to chew.

"Well?" Ace asked with a raised brow. Kaiya held up one finger. It took her minutes to finish chewing the bite. Even then, it felt like she hadn't even swallowed it completely, like a lump was still present in her throat.

"It's good," she croaked. Ace's shoulders shook as he laughed. It was a good laugh. Genuine. She didn't know what he found so humorous. Her expression? What she'd said? How her voice sounded? Even though he was laughing at her, she didn't feel the usual irritation rise up. She liked the sound of his laughter.

"Liar," Ace said. Kaiya looked down in shame. She took another bite to prove she wasn't lying. Ace watched her chew for just a moment before he looked at the bird still cooking over the fire.

"I know it's not the best," Ace admitted quietly. "But hey, it's better than nothing."

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

Ace was leading the way back to the hut when something caught his eye.

"Look," he said. Kaiya stopped beside him and followed his line of sight to footprints. She placed her foot beside one. They seem to have been made by men.

"Do these belong to the bandits?" Kaiya asked him. Ace was crouched down. He had a dark look on his face as he observed the tread.

"Maybe," he muttered. Ace stood back up and watched the tracks weave in and out off trees, headed in the vague direction of the cabin. He didn't tell Kaiya his suspicions. He looked around but he couldn't see anybody. It just… felt like he was being watched.

"Stay close," Ace commanded. Kaiya's mouth was a hard line when she gave a single nod. He slipped the metal pipe off his back. He watched her slip the bow off her back, pluck an arrow from the quiver. He hoped they wouldn't need it. She couldn't shoot for shit.

There was a tense silence between them as they made their way home. Both of the children felt a sense of unease as they traveled. Their only communication came in the form of looks. A tentative smile. A nod in the right direction.

The Dadan home wasn't far… but it was far enough so that no one could hear them scream during the attack.

"Look out!" Kaiya shouted. She tackled Ace just in time. An arrow barely nicked the boy's clothing as they both fell into the snow. They each scrambled for their respective weapons before standing.

Another arrow came flying. Kaiya shrieked and ducked.

"Move!" Ace yelled frantically. He grabbed onto her hand and began running. He hated this feeling, hated fleeing, but they were useless against something like that, a fast moving projectile coming from an enemy they couldn't see.

Arrows whizzed by the children as they ran through the trees. Thankfully, the attacker seemed to have a shitty aim. They ran until Kaiya begged Ace to stop. She was breathing heavily as she bent over and tried to catch her breath. Her sides felt like they would split. Ace tapped his arm impatiently but said nothing.

"That was definitely not the bandits!" Kaiya said when she recovered.

Ace scowled. "You think?" He pushed himself off the tree he'd leaned against while he was waiting for her. "We gotta keep moving. I've got a weird feeling."

"Okay," Kaiya said with a nod. "Lead the way."

No sooner than she'd said those words, a man dropped out from a tree. She didn't even get the chance to scream before he landed a blow to the back of her head.

"No!" Ace grit his teeth and watched her fall. The man appeared to be unarmed… then he saw the brass knuckles. The man was silent as he walked closer to Ace. "Who the hell are you?!" the boy asked angrily.

"I'm a bounty hunter," he said, "and I'm looking for a certain man."

Ace clutched his metal pipe. "We've been out here all day. We didn't see nobody."

The bounty hunter was stoic as he regarded the boy, trying to determine whether it was a truth or a lie. He eventually reached into his pocket. Ace pointed the staff at him.

"It's just a poster," the man said calmly, holding up one hand. "See?"

Ace kept the pipe trained on the bounty hunter just for good measure. He eyed the poster quickly. Some guy who wore a conical bamboo hat. Kimimaru the Killer, it read below. Ace didn't bother properly counting out the numbers but it was high; way higher than the bounties of most criminals from the East Blue.

"Never seen 'im," Ace said.

The bounty hunter nodded and tucked the poster back into his jacket. "Right," he said, "can't fault you for that." The bounty hunter had just turned away when Ace spoke.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he asked the man.

"You don't have any information. I'm done here," the bounty hunter said plainly.

Ace spun his pipe once and narrowed his eyes. "We're not done yet," he said darkly.

The man laughed and scratched at his bald face. "What are you going to do, kid?"

"I'm gonna make you pay for hurting her," Ace spat. The man's eyes went to the girl.

"Oh, yes, the girl. I almost forgot about her. She should wake up shortly," the man said. Then with a smile he added, "if she's still alive, that is. You never know what a blow to the head will bring sometimes."

The man laughed wickedly at his own little joke. Ace watched him crack his knuckles and motion him come closer.

"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get."

Ace roared and attacked first. He tried to move quickly but his winter gear was heavy; it made him slower and more sluggish than usual. Every time his pipe came down, the man either dodged or used his brass knuckles to stop the blow.

"You're not too bad, kid," the bounty hunter said, "for a squirt in the East Blue."

The boy tried to sweep the man's feet out from under him but the bounty hunter was quick. He jumped up in the air. Ace saw everything slow down. The hunter grinned at him for a moment when he jumped. Then he launched two quick jabs at Ace.

The boy dropped his weapon and staggered back. He clutched his nose. Warm liquid was dripping steadily out of his nostrils. When Ace looked down at his hand, he could see blood pooled in his palm.

"Oops," the man said with a shrug. Kaiya groaned and stirred. "Oh, goody, your girlfriend's awake! Let's have some fun!"

"Don't touch her!" Ace screamed.

The man kicked Ace to the side and dashed for the girl. Kaiya screamed as he pulled her up and dangled her from her hair.

"Well, aren't you a cutie?" the man said. Kaiya struggled and kicked. The man dangled her farther away and gave her a good metal punch to the gut. He dropped her to the ground and allowed her to cough and curl in on herself.

"You son of a bitch!" Ace roared.

Kaiya wanted her body to move but her head was throbbing again. Her stomach was sore. It felt like all she could do was clutch her belly and wait for the pain to subside. She was aware of Ace rushing the man, yelling threats and profanities as he did so.

Her vision faded in and out. Her thoughts wandered to Ace, the grown man version of him, and his gummy grin. "I'll always have your back." Kaiya lifted her head in time to see Ace get tossed aside like a rag doll.

"No!" Kaiya screamed.

The man kicked at Ace again… and again. She struggled to push herself up. Her bow wasn't that far away! Kaiya began hurriedly crawling to the weapon. Unfortunately, the bounty hunter saw it, too. He began running. His large boot stepped down on Kaiya's hand as she reached for it.

Kaiya screamed in pain. Ace screamed in rage.

"When someone puts you down," the man hissed, "you stay down!"

He gave the girl one firm blow to the head and she collapsed instantly. Ace was standing now. He was bleeding and his breathing was ragged, but he still held the metal pipe out. The man wasn't an overly skilled fighter; no, he was fairly quick and decently strong. It was those damn brass knuckles.

"You know," the man said, "if someone woulda told me I was gonna beat up two kid today, I wouldn't have believed 'em. But when someone stands in my way, I take 'em down. No matter who it is."

Ace glowered as the man walked closer and closer to him. Ace could feel bruises already forming on his body where the man had punched him. He wasn't going to give up, though, even though he knew it was useless. He had to try.

"Give it up, kid."

"You gonna make me?" Ace asked.

The man grinned. "We'll see."

Ace shoved off the ground with as much force as he could manage. He rushed towards the man but the bounty hunter was prepared. The man's fist cocked back and simply waited for the boy to enter his striking distance. Ace had to make attempt to stop moving. He jumped up but instead of stopping, the partially frozen ground caused him to slip and fall, right on his backside.

The boy's eyes widened in fear. He saw the man grin and pull his fist back. His brass knuckles shined in the sun. Ace closed his eyes, turned his head, and prepared for the impact that would no doubt break his jaw.

It never came.

A rush of wind came suddenly. Ace's hair and clothes fluttered in the strong breeze. The bounty hunter grunted as the force struck him in the chest and he collided with a large tree. The old tree creaked and buckled at the base.

Ace recovered and stood, making sure to keep his pipe in front of him, ready to go. The bounty hunter punched at the bark until he managed to loosen himself. Ace could see blood shining on the man's actual knuckles.

"Hey! Hey!" The hunter was whipping around, his eyes darting this way and that. "I was trying to find you but you found me first, eh?!"

A wrinkle appeared in the middle of Ace's face. He thought the bounty hunter might have gone mad. That is, until a deep voice spoke.

"You've followed me for a long time," a man said. Ace tried to locate the source of the sound. It just seemed to come from around him somehow.

"Kimimaru!" the bounty hunter cried. He laughed maniacally. "I knew you were here! Come show yourself!"

Ace watched incredulously as a man materialized in front of him. It started off as just feet, then tiny pieces joined together until they formed legs, a body, then at last, a head. It had taken seconds.

The newcomer was tall. He had his back to Ace. The boy's eyes widened. He had a long, dark coat and a cone hat on his head. Kimimaru the Killer stood in front of him, right between the boy and the bounty hunter.

"You're hurting kids to try and gain information?" Kimimaru asked in a low voice. He looked at the young girl passed out in the snow. The sight made him sick.

The bounty hunter laughed. "I'd heard you had a soft spot for kiddies. Don't like to see 'em hurt, right? Just thought I'd find one and have a little fun."

Kimimaru observed the man with dark, steely eyes. There was no emotion on his face.

"We can have fun," Kimimaru said. Ace gulped. He could feel power oozing from this man. The man's head tilted toward Ace and the boy could see one deep, dark eye look at him when the man said, "Stay there."

Ace didn't even get to argue before the man disappeared. His head left first and then the rest of his body went with it. He became a swarming mass of white, like teeny, tiny bits of paper rustling in the breeze.

"Ahaha! This is it!" the bounty hunter cried. "Either you kill me of I'll kill capture you and kill these little runts!"

"Deal," Kimimaru said quickly. The bounty hunter tried to follow the movement, the quickly moving mass of white, but he couldn't.

Ace gasped as the cloud of white began to surround the bounty hunter. It swirled around the confused man, moving faster and faster, the spiral becoming tinier until the man let out a cry of sheer agony.

Ace gasped in horror and stumbled onto his back as he watched a thousand cuts appear in the bounty hunter's skin. The swirling white mass circled and circled. Then it stopped as abruptly as it had come.

The bounty hunter gave a strangled noise and took one step towards Ace. Then his wounds opened. It was as if he'd been sliced a hundred different ways. Blood sprayed out of the man and left a good radius of red, stained snow around him. The boy's heart was frantically beating in his chest.

He had to get out of here before he was next. First he just had to grab-

"Kaiya!" Ace dropped his weapon and rushed towards the man. Kimimaru appeared right beside the girl, looking down at her. Her breathing was shallow but present. That was good. "Don't you touch her!" Ace screamed. "I'll kill you!"

He jumped and tried to punch at the man but Kimimaru simply disappeared. Ace leapt clean over Kaiya and landed a few feet away. Ace slowly turned. The man was behind him.

"I have no desire to hurt a child," Kimimaru said. "But I will if you provoke me."

Ace gulped. He heard Kaiya groan and he ran to her side. Kimimaru witnessed the boy fall to his knees and raise up the girl. Ace took off a glove and placed a hand on her cheek, slapping her lightly.

"Kaiya," Ace said firmly, "wake up! You gotta get up!"

. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .

"Kaiya," said a voice. It was distorted. It sounded so far away. "Get up."

The girl groaned and clutched her head. Everything was ringing. The world was spinning. The sun was too bright. The talking was too loud.

"I can't," she whispered.

"You can," Ace insisted. "I'll help you!"

"Make sure she gets medical attention," Kimimaru said. "She might have a concussion."

Kaiya stirred in Ace's arms and struggled to sit up. When she caught sight of the man, she froze.

Those eyes… they were hidden in the shadow of a bamboo hat but she knew those dark brown eyes well… they were just colder, much, much colder than she remembered. Kaiya's vision kept going in and out of focus but she couldn't take her eyes off the man. His hair was dark and curly... and much longer than she was used to. There was a scar on one unshaven cheek.

He looked so similar yet… so different than she remembered. It had been over two years since the fire. Had he changed because of that? Did he know she was still alive? That Kira was alive? Did he come to this island just for her?

"Hey!" Ace watched as Kaiya shakily stood. She took one step… then another before collapsing. Ace managed to catch her just before she hit the ground. Her thin frame shook violently. Whether it was from the pain or cold, he didn't know. She was hugging herself and shivering. "Kaiya, we gotta get you back home," Ace told her sternly.

"Home…" Kaiya mumbled. Her head slowly raised and she looked intently at the man who had saved them. Her eyes were narrowed. The light made it so hard to focus but… she could have sworn he looked like…

Kaiya tried to walk once more but it ended with Ace buckling under her weight. He wasn't holding her properly. "Stop moving, dummy," he snapped. He moved in front of her so she could place her hands around his neck since, once again, she seemed incapable of holding her own weight. Ace grunted lightly as he pulled her onto his back.

Ace's eyes met the stranger's and a shiver of fear went down his spine. He had felt this before with Ryoku… the man had an aura… an air about him that said he had killed plenty of times before… and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It felt like he could have killed Ace right then and there if he wanted to.

Kaiya mumbled something and began to raise an unsteady hand.

"I said stay still!" Ace told her angrily.

She didn't listen. As usual. Her hand, shaky as it was, stretched out toward the man. It was like… she was trying to reach out and touch him.

"Boy…" The man's voice was a deep growl. Dangerous. "You better get her to safety."

Ace swallowed as he looked into the man's steel gaze. It sounded more like a threat than a suggestion. One word escaped Kaiya's lips before she passed out. When she spoke, her voice sounded smaller and more scared than Ace had ever heard.

"Daddy?"