Author's Note: After quite a while, here's Chapter 28! We get to focus on Ace and Jimbei bonding this time ;) ENJOY!

To too addicted to fiction: Luffy is soooo cute! Totally agree XD So glad you're enjoying the story!

To Greer123: You're very welcome and I am doing well, thank you!

To Madeline Leicht: I definitely enjoy tugging on heart strings lol *coughs* Look forward to this chapter...XD

To ryyaikki: Haha I'm glad you're enjoying my story! But hey, re-reading a story isn't such a bad problem to have ;) *shrugs*, but in all seriousness, I'll do my very best to update as often as I can!

To Samster7241: Aren't they though? I love them. Thank you for the review!

To Son of Whitebeard: Gotta love Katakuri as a mentor/papa, definitely my favorite creation. Thanks for the review!

To Hebihime: I'm glad you were able to catch up on those chapters with Whitebeard and the crew! I posted them all at once so it may have confused ya ;) Thank you so much for your compliments and long live Jimbei, indeed!

To fluffypuppies: Aw I'm so happy you liked it! My heart definitely melted writing it lol. The Master of Fluff huh...I like it XD Special moments like that make me so happy and are awesome to write. As always, thank you for the review and I'll see you next time!

To Kira494: Aw shucks, you're making me blush XD It always makes me happy to hear a reader loves my stories! Thank you so much for the review!

To yukino76: You're very welcome!

To clipboardfox22: Jimbei really is so underappreciated and needs more love :) Thank you for reviewing!

WARNINGS:

- Fluff/angst

- Naked pirates

- Another bath scene (because I can)

- Lu being cute

So many reviews! Ya'll are awesome :)


Ace woke up with a headache, likely a repercussion of too much partying the night before. Groaning, he rolled over and pulled Luffy into his arms, burying his face in the younger's fragrant smelling hair.

Fragrant?

Blinking in confusion, Ace pushed himself up onto one arm to stare down at his baby brother. Luffy was wearing pajamas and seemed fine, if a bit…fresher. Had someone taken him to bathe after the party ended? And, now that he thought about it, how had they ended up back in their guest room?

"Oi…Sabo, wake up." He whispered, reaching across Luffy to shake the blonde. Much like himself, Sabo still wore the clothes he'd fallen asleep in. Both of them could use a bath.

"…five more minutes."

Ace huffed when Sabo brushed him off and rolled over. Honestly, sometimes he could be just as bad as Lu-

He froze when something caught his attention. Luffy, in an attempt to be closer to his warmth, had snuggled up and the sleeve on his right arm slid down a bit, exposing what appeared to be a bandage. A new one. Had his little brother been injured while they were asleep!?

"Sabo, wake up right now!" This time, Ace used a bit of his fire to make sure Sabo woke up. The other yelped and patted his shoulder where the flame had appeared, glaring at him before he saw the concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" He pointed at Luffy's arm and gently pulled the fabric back so they could get a better look at it. Sabo frowned and quickly maneuvered the still sleeping cat-boy into his lap. While Luffy absently chewed on the blonde's shirt, the brothers examined the bandage closely.

"Should we take it off?"

"No, we don't know what it's for." Sabo replied quietly, "This looks like Marco's work…hopefully he can shed some light on what happened."

Their fretting was interrupted by a quiet knock on the door.

"Come in." The blonde called, doing his best to stay quiet and still so they wouldn't wake Luffy up. Izo slipped inside, a fond smile blooming on his face as he approached them.

"Good morning, dears. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you-"

"What the hell happened to Lu!?" Ace hissed, interrupting Sabo and pointing at the bandage. Izo huffed and brushed a stray strand of hair from his face.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Luffy accidently injured himself while bathing with Jimbei." While Sabo questioned Izo about the Warlord and what happened after they'd fallen asleep, Ace focused on Lu. Injured himself? The kid was made of rubber! He was notoriously difficult to hurt…but he knew better than to assume he was immune to damage.

Luffy bore too many scars, most that would be with him for the rest of his life.

"Healing water?" Sabo questioned, bringing a hand up to run fingers through their baby brother's hair, "I can see why that would be appealing to Lu, but to trust Jimbei so much after just meeting him…"

Before Ace could give his two-cents about the situation, Luffy stirred in Sabo's arms. Izo chuckled warmly when the boy yawned and rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning, Luffy."

"'Morning…Izzy…" The cat-boy slurred, ears twitching slightly. He smiled up at Sabo before reaching out, wanting a hug from Ace. The freckled teen took him into his arms immediately and ruffled his hair, making the bed-head worse.

"Hey Lu, how are you feeling? Izo said you took a bath with Jimbei?"

Luffy blinked up at him for a moment before breaking out into a wide grin, sleepiness obvious with his delayed reactions.

"Yeah! Jimbei helped me feel better! He's my friend now." Ace couldn't argue with that…when the kid decided someone was his friend, that was that. Still, he didn't like the idea of his little brother becoming close with a Warlord of all people.

They worked for the Government…for them.

"Well, now that you're all awake," Izo said, drawing their attention, "The palace's chefs and Thatch have whipped up breakfast for us, something a little…lighter, considering how much we ate last night. If you're up for it, would you three care to join us?"

"Food!" Luffy cheered, scrambling off the bed to stand excitedly in front of Izo, "Let's go!"

"Hold on, Lu." Sabo put in, moving to stand behind the jittery kid, "We should change into more appropriate clothing first…and maybe wash up a little, Ace and I don't smell terribly pleasant."


After gathering up clean clothes, the brothers followed Izo to the baths set aside for the visiting Whitebeards. According to Luffy, it was a different place from where he'd been with Jimbei the night before. It was much larger, and already occupied by some familiar pirates, if the boisterous laughter was anything to go by.

"Some of the others are also utilizing these facilities." Izo told them at the entrance, addressing Lu specifically with his second statement, "I believe Jimbei is in there talking with Pops." Luffy immediately lit up and rushed inside, shoving his change of clothes into Sabo's arms before they could stop him.

"…he really likes Jimbei." Sabo murmured, slight concern in his eyes. Ace, for his part, scowled at the thought. He still didn't trust the fishman.

"He is a man of honor." Izo stated firmly, "Though he is a Warlord now, Jimbei has long been a friend of Pops, and his crew by default. Perhaps you should take some time to get to know him?"

Ace snorted but considered it. Luffy was a notoriously good judge of character…hopefully, he wasn't being tricked or something. If he found out Jimbei had less than honorable intentions with his baby brother, he'd kill him.

With that, Izo left them to get cleaned up, saying he needed to go make sure Thatch was staying out of trouble. When Sabo and Ace entered the bathing area, they were met with an abundance of naked pirate bodies. None of them seemed to mind the public display, but they were no doubt used to it by now.

The trio of brothers almost always got to bathe just the three of them since Luffy was generally nervous around water and the more obscure crew members they weren't terribly close to.

Which makes the fact that he just barged in without a second thought all the stranger.

"Ah, come join us, my sons!" Whitebeard bellowed from the deepest end of the pool, "After the banquet, we could all use a good soak!" Ace's eyes immediately went to the massive captain's right, to Jimbei, who was sitting just next to the pool. The fishman was still clothed and didn't appear to have any intention of bathing with them.

Luffy was currently making himself comfortable against the Warlord's chest while talking animatedly to Haruta about something, the commander propping himself up against the smooth edge of the bath and smiling at the boy's rambling.

"If it's all right…I suppose we will." Sabo replied, nudging Ace back to reality. His gaze asked the unspoken question: 'Are you okay with this?' To which he answered, yes. There was no way he was leaving Luffy alone next to a fairly deep pool of water. But he was a devil fruit eater as well…and he didn't want to show weakness in front of so many people.

"You two okay, yoi?" Marco asked, coming over to them when they didn't move. The commander looked to have already bathed and was thankfully dressed. He took in Ace's awkward shuffling in an instant. "Follow me, you can change over here."

As they walked around the pool, Ace caught Marco shooting firm glances to some of the crewmembers. Before he could question him, many of the lower ranking pirates got up and vacated the bath. He imagined that by the time they were ready to get in the water, only commanders and Whitebeard would be left.

"Oh, Ace, Sabo!" Luffy chirped, waving at them, "Are you gonna get in?"

"Yeah, just give us a second, Lu." Sabo replied, smile dimming slightly when Jimbei steadied the squirming boy with a hand around his waist. It seems Ace wasn't the only one fully uncomfortable with the whole situation.

They both slipped behind a sheet and removed their clothes, taking towels from Marco who stood guard on the other side. Now naked except for the towel, Ace took a deep breath. He was slowly becoming used to the fact that he didn't have to hide his back anymore. The tattoo completely covered his brand, granting him a sense of freedom that became more and more real each day.

Sabo, for his part, always undressed at a seemingly casual pace, never rushing. To most, it would seem that he was simply careful, but Ace knew there was a different reason. The burns that ran down the left side of his body, though healed, left unnatural tightness in their wake that required diligent stretching, especially in the morning.

Frankly, it was amazing he was as agile as he was, given the restraint of his own injuries.

"Ready?" Ace whispered, watching Sabo's face closely. He was frowning in concentration as he straightened up, taking a moment to stretch his left arm across his body.

"Yeah…I'm good."

When they emerged from behind the screen, as expected, there were far fewer people there. It made Ace relax and release the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He didn't want to get in the deepest end of the pool with Whitebeard, but he also wanted to be close to Lu…

"Ne, ne, Jimbei, let's go over here!" Luffy exclaimed, jumping up and dragging the fishman down to the shallow end. Leave it to his baby brother to read the situation instantly. Though he could be really dense, the kid has his moments.

Sabo stepped into the pool first, seating himself in a place where the water barely came up to his lower abdomen. Ace followed him, making sure he was within arm's reach just in case. The commanders still in the pool smiled and called 'good morning' to them while they settled.

Jimbei, now seated on their end of the bath, chided Luffy softly when he reached out to try and touch the water. Ace couldn't stop himself from scowling at the sight, rubbing soap over his chest harshly. Seeing someone that wasn't family or a Whitebeard (who'd worked very hard to gain their trust) hold Lu and act like…like that, made his stomach turn.

"Did you boys enjoy the party last night?" Whitebeard asked before taking a drink from his cup (which was probably filled with alcohol).

"Yes, thank you." Sabo replied, flashing a smile, "It was wonderful to learn so much about this unique culture."

"Gurarara, indeed!" The pirate laughed, turning to Ace, "…and you, my son?"

"It was fine." He responded curtly, eyes never leaving Luffy. What was it about the fishman that made the kid trust him so much? Ace's gaze left the Warlord when Marco appeared and settled himself next to the larger creature, reaching over to ruffle Luffy's hair. "Hey Lu, how's your arm?"

"It's good! Just tingles a little now." Ace watched Jimbei's response to his question closely. The fishman frowned and appeared almost sorrowful before returning to a more neutral expression.

"Ace, yoi." Marco put in, drawing his attention. The commander had a slight frown on his face and motioned to the fishman. "Jimbei had nothing to do with Luffy's injury."

"It's all right, Marco." Jimbei said calmly, closing his eyes briefly before meeting Ace's gaze, "They have every right to be suspicious of me. Please know this, if nothing else…I could never hurt Luffy, or any child for that matter."

The Warlord bowed his head.

"However, it was still under my watch that Luffy was injured and I sincerely ask for your forgiveness."

Ace wasn't sure how to respond. He turned to Sabo who appeared just as surprised. In the male's lap, Luffy twisted around, a concerned and distressed look on his face.

"J-Jimbei you don't have to apologize, it was my-"

When the fishman didn't move from his bowed position, the cat-boy turned his attention to Ace and Sabo, eyes big and wet with the start of tears. The freckled teen spluttered, trying to soothe the boy. He'd never wanted to upset his little brother-

"You are forgiven." Sabo put in, silencing everyone except for Luffy's quiet sniffles. The blonde closed one eye and smirked. "If Luffy likes you, then there is no reason for us not to trust you. Honestly, it's us who should be apologizing for our behavior."

Luffy's eyes lit up and his tail swayed behind him happily when Jimbei finally lifted his head.

"Thank you. I shall do my very best to live up to your expectations as Luffy's…friend." It seemed like the fishman felt a little awkward saying that out loud, but it made the boy leaning against him absolutely beam.


Ace slipped out of the room quietly after getting rid of the unpleasant stench that clung to his body after the party. Sabo assured him that he would look after Luffy, and frankly, he needed some space.

Pulling his hat low, Ace walked out onto a balcony and leaned on the railing to look out over the Fishman Island. There weren't very many places available to them as they couldn't breathe under water, but thankfully they'd opened up a good portion of the palace in anticipation of their arrival.

The freckled teen bit the inside of his cheek. Despite everyone's assurances, he just couldn't feel comfortable around Jimbei…a fact that made him feel incredibly guilty. He hadn't seen or learned anything about the Warlord that was suspect in any way, and yet…

'I'm better than this!' Ace thought, knocking his hat onto his back and tousling his still damp locks, 'Marco, Lu, the others…they all trust him, so why can't I!?'

Someone clearing their throat behind him drew him out of hi tumultuous thoughts. Surprisingly, it was Jimbei. The fishman looked determined and was alone, Luffy nowhere in sight.

"May I join you?"

"Y-Yeah…sure." Ace replied, turning to look over the balcony again. The fishman quietly sat on his haunches next to him, towering over his body even seated. "Where's Lu?"

"With your brother." Jimbei answered calmly, flicking his gaze over to him, "Ace-san…I understand your reluctance to trust me."

"Oh yeah?" He sneered, "What could you possibly understand about me? About Lu?"

Jimbei took a deep breath before replying.

"…as slaves, you bore witness to the darkness of this world. It consumes your thoughts daily, tortures you at night, and holds you back from the incredible joy of freedom right before your eyes." Ace froze, eyes narrowing.

"You don't know anything, so shut up-"

"I've witnessed it firsthand, Ace-san." Jimbei interrupted, turning his body towards him and never losing his calm (if sorrowful) expression, "I used to travel on a ship with a crew of many ex-slaves, including our captain. He worked so hard to overcome his hatred, but wasn't able to let it go, even in the end. It consumed him."

Ace bit his lip and turned away.

"…I don't blame him."

Jimbei huffed and looked out over the beauty of the island under the sea.

"I have no right to say these things when I did not experience it myself, but sometimes joy can be found in the little things. Though it may feel impossible to let go of that hatred, don't let it smother you…or your family." He then smiled thinly, "Forgive me for bringing up bad memories. Why don't we change the subject? Perhaps you could tell me about Sabo and Luffy? The boy has told me quite a few stories, many I simply cannot believe."

Ace hummed, relaxing a bit.

"Where to begin…"

They talked for a while about their home island, Luffy's antics, and their time aboard Whitebeard's ship. The fishman's deep baritone laugh made Ace crack a smile and the more he talked to him, the less guarded he felt. He could see now why Lu liked the Warlord so much. Jimbei was honest, sincere, and wise.

He barely recalled their conversation at the party as alcohol and food muddled his memory, so it was like meeting him for the first time. Throughout their talk, Jimbei glanced to his back, where the tattoo was, similar to how he had looked at Lu's scar.

"Jimbei?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your old captain…did he cover it as well?" The fishman furrowed his brow and looked down.

"Yes…with the mark of the Sun." Ace's eyes immediately moved to the Sun on Jimbei's chest, "Everyone on the crew received the mark to make it impossible to distinguish between ex-slave and pirate."

Ace examined the fishman, now understanding why his and Lu's marks sparked such emotion in him. Every time he saw them, he was reminded of his late captain…the fishman who'd died holding onto his hatred.

"Were you close?"

"We were brothers in all but blood." Jimbei explained, making Ace's stomach drop, "It pained me to see him suffer so…alone and trapped within his own mind. And to see you two, suffering the same pain Tiger did…"

The fishman worked to hold back his tears, twisting something in Ace's gut. He wiped at his eyes before speaking again.

"Forgive me, you have no need for sympathy-"

"N-No…it's okay." Ace found himself saying, "I can see where you're coming from." Besides, in his mind, it was empathy more than it was sympathy.

They waited in silence for a few minutes, comfortable with each other's presence. Ace glanced over to the fishman, who was smiling fondly at the view.

"…sorry." He whispered, drawing the male's surprised gaze, "I shouldn't have pried…or been rude to you." Ace then moved away from the railing and bowed at the waist. Jimbei motioned for him to raise his head, a bright smile adorning his face.

"It's no problem, Ace-san. For what it's worth, I'm simply pleased to have met you three…and am beyond grateful you're alive. To survive such an experience takes strength."

That statement hit him hard. Before he could stop himself, tears streamed down his face and he fell onto his knees. Ace could hear Jimbei saying something to him, but all he wanted to do was cry. Yet again, someone other than his precious brothers wanted him to live.

The list was growing longer than he'd ever imagined.

As he sobbed, Jimbei rested a large hand on his head, letting him know that he was there, which meant more than he knew.


Jimbei stayed still as the young human in front of him released his pent-up emotions. Ace came across as someone who was very head strong and fiery, the type to fight anyone who looked at him (or his family) wrong.

And now here he was, on the ground, letting the tears flow. It was healthy, though he wasn't sure what he said that set him off. The fishman huffed and mused on the question that immediately popped into his mind.

'…why do I keep making kids cry?'