Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful day and are ready for some fluff, resolution, and lots of ACE ;) Thanks to everyone who sent me their ideas, I used pretty much all of them, and I hope ya'll enjoy the chapter!
To Mister LaGuardia: I'm glad you liked it and you're welcome!
To AllHailGodSogeKing: Thank you so much! I ended up doing some research on narcolepsy and picked something that I think Ace would like from Marco :) Thanks for the idea!
To Son of Whitebeard: I know, poor boy :(
To Caitlin Sessom: This was a good idea! Definitely used it ;)
To yukino76: Lol gotta read to find out! I'm glad you enjoyed the update!
To MelodiofHope: Thanks so much! Lol look for your trick candles in this chapter XD
To Watching the rain fall: Good idea though Izo has actually already made Ace a replica of his orange hat ;) But, had that not already been a thing, brilliant present idea! Thanks so much for the review!
To GoddessOfFanfictionn: I used both of your ideas in this chapter! (I also now really want to try the cake myself...LOL) Thank you so much for your praise, it made me smile :)
To Guest 1: Look for your idea in this chapter :)
To Kyokumi Sama: You're welcome!
To Guest 2: :)
To Guest 3: Here's an update for ya! Don't worry, Law shall appear in not too long ;)
WARNINGS:
- FLUFF
- Introspection
- Self-worth turmoil
- Fancy outfits ;)
Ace yawned as he woke, stretching out his back and subconsciously reaching for Luffy (who he knew was still curled up against him). The small cat-boy mumbled a quiet 'good morning' before pushing his cheek against Ace's shoulder, further messing up his mop of raven hair.
"'morning…" He responded, reaching over to run a hand over Lu's tail to smooth out the 'bed fur', as Sabo called it.
When he finally managed to dislodge the sleepy kitten, Ace stumbled out of bed and walked over to their shared dresser in search of a shirt. Most of their things had already been carefully packed by Sabo but there were still a few items left for him to choose from.
It'd been almost a week since they'd received word about Shanks and Sabo's friend, Karasu. They were supposed to leave tomorrow morning, which was weird to think about after being on the Moby Dick for so long. But he was ready…ready to go home.
'Where is he?' Ace mused as he pulled on a simple yellow t-shirt and plopped his orange hat down on his head (ever grateful to Izo for making it for him). Sabo had always been an early riser, so he was probably already on deck.
"AAAaaaccceee…" Luffy whined, stretching his arms out across the bed, which made him look like was in child's pose, "Is it time for breakfast?"
"Yeah," He responded, walking over and plucking the kid off the mattress, "let's go bother Thatch."
While Ace walked through the ship, Luffy secure on his hip, he couldn't help but feel like something was…different. The two of them received strange looks and were even avoided by a few crewmembers. He frowned but decided to ignore it, figuring there had been some sort of drinking challenge the night before or something.
When they arrived at the galley, they were immediately met by a very chipper Thatch.
"Ah, good morning! How are my favorite kiddos?"
"Uh…fine." Ace responded, raising an eyebrow at the pancake breakfast already prepared for them, "Where's Sabo?"
"He's with Marco I think…should be back soon."
Ace eyed the commander while he settled Luffy on the bench, flicking him on the forehead lightly to help wake him up. When Lu was sluggish, he tended to fall off chairs or face plant in his food.
A few minutes into their meal, Sabo arrived with Marco right behind him. His brother looked tired but had a pleased grin on his face.
"Morning, yoi." The phoenix greeted, receiving a grunt from Ace and a tail swish from Luffy, "How'd you sleep?"
"Good." Ace replied, gaze flicking from Thatch to Marco to Sabo, "…did something happen? You guys seem…off."
"Nope, everything's fine and dandy!" The chef chirped before waving at them, "Anyway, I gotta get back to the kitchen…but let me know if you want seconds or thirds!" Ace caught Sabo sending a look to Thatch as he retreated.
'They're definitely up to something…'
"Ace, what would you think about having a joint training session with me, yoi?" Marco asked, moving to sit next to him, "By that I mean one with all three of you."
"Sure, I guess." He said once he'd swallowed the pancake in his mouth, "What for?"
"Seeing as you're leaving tomorrow, I thought it might be beneficial to have some last minute Haki training. You can also see how far Luffy's progressed with Blue." Ace hummed and glanced down at Lu who was almost done with his meal.
Because of the last incident with his 'inner cat', Luffy usually insisted on doing that part of his training alone, saying he didn't want anyone else to get hurt. Needless to say, he was curious to see how the boy had progressed.
"You good with that, Luffy?"
"Mhm!" The boy affirmed, mouth full of yogurt from his second parfait, "I've gotten a lot better and Blue says he's up for it." Ace smiled thinly at his baby brother's response, trying to hide his concern.
The fact that 'Blue' could talk to Luffy and essentially had his own personality…disturbed him. Though the cat hadn't caused anymore problems, Ace didn't like the idea that a possibly dangerous creature was hiding out in his precious brother's body.
"Well, I certainly hope you're going to clean up beforehand." Izo put in as he approached their table, "Honestly, I made you all new clothes and you hardly ever wear them!"
Marco chuckled and stood to his feet.
"I'll leave them to you, Izo. Once they're 'dressed appropriately', send them my way, yoi."
Ace watched the man go, once again feeling like invisible conversations were happening all around them. He was drawn out of his thoughts when Izo pulled him off the bench.
"Let's get you three ready." Behind them, Sabo was handling Lu who'd started licking his hands and cleaning his ears cat-style (which was incredibly cute, but not terribly…hygienic). The blonde wiped the boy's hands with a towel and gently led him to Izo, who nodded in approval. "This way!"
Surprisingly, Izo didn't take them to his room, but back to theirs. The commander immediately began to rummage through their drawers and wasted no time asking Sabo for help locating particular pieces of clothing.
"Why don't you three go bathe? I'll bring you clothes."
"Uh…but we're going to train after this, right?" Ace questioned, "Won't we just get all sweaty and stuff?"
"Oh, nonsense." Izo dismissed, "Marco's already told me what his plans are for today and it doesn't involve sweat. Now run along, dears!"
Very confused, Ace was pushed out of the room and towards the bathroom along with his brothers. Luffy, for his part, giggled and rushed forward, stripping the second he passed the threshold. The sweet kid enjoyed their baths very much.
They sat in silence for a while, the only noise that of running water and Luffy's whines of contentment as Sabo took a comb to his tail.
"So…" Ace said, eyes flicking to Sabo, "something's up with you and the commanders."
"I don't know what you mean." Ace almost rolled his eyes at that. He knew his brother, and as good of a liar as Sabo was, he knew when the other wasn't telling the truth.
"Yeah, right. Come on, what's-"
"Oh, Lu, I do believe you've gained some weight!" The blonde exclaimed, changing the subject and fawning over the wide-eyed kid, "All that nutrition is being put to good use."
"Really?" Lu replied, eyes sparkling, "I've been trying really hard!"
Ace couldn't help but smile, responding to his adorable brother's excitement. Marco and Thatch had been working to get the kid's weight up and it looked like it was finally paying off. They couldn't see Luffy's ribs anymore and his cheeks had returned to their natural round state. It made his heart swell with happiness to see Luffy healthy again.
"Boys? I'll leave your clothes out here." It was Izo and he'd apparently chosen what they were going to wear.
"Thank you." Sabo stated in a loud voice before standing and moving to retrieve the folded piles of fabric.
When Ace got a good look at exactly what Izo had picked for him, he raised an eyebrow. The outfit included long, black pants, a button-down blue shirt, and a matching dark jacket. It looked very much like a…formal outfit.
"This is…fancy."
Sabo flashed him a smirk as he started to pull on an outfit similar to Ace's but with a red shirt and a brown vest, no jacket.
"Uncomfortable? It's certainly different from wearing nothing but shorts all day."
"I can be fancy…" He mumbled indignantly as he fastened his pants. True to Izo's skill, they fit him perfectly. Ace vaguely remembered the commander giving him a few 'nice' outfits, but he'd never worn them.
"Sabo…Ace…" Luffy whined, getting their attention. The small boy had somehow managed to get himself tangled in a pair of suspenders. "I think I'm suck."
They shared a chuckle at their brother's antics before moving to help him with his own outfit. Luffy had been given a pair of brown shorts, long-sleeved black shirt, and a cute little scarlet bow tie. The boy watched with big eyes as Sabo fastened the suspenders to his shorts and held up the last item: a simple black ribbon with white trim.
"Ne, ne, Papa gave me some of these!" Luffy exclaimed, pulling at the suspenders while Sabo tied the bow to the end of his tail.
"That's nice, Lu."
"They helped hold my pants up!"
Ace snorted and turned away for a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He looked…good. Though the shirt was meant to be closed, he opted to leave both it and the jacket open, exposing his chest. To be honest, he was proud of how far he'd come and wanted to show it off.
"But Sabo~" Luffy whined, trying to get away from the comb in his brother's hand, "You already did my tail…why do you gotta do my hair too?"
"Because. Now come here!"
Ace sat back and watched Sabo wrangle a comb into Luffy's unruly hair, enjoying every second of his brother's struggle. In his mind, he saw it as punishment for whatever Sabo was hiding from him.
"Dears, are you ready?"
"Yeah…" Sabo relented, having managed to tame Luffy's hair (for the moment). It was bound to go back to its natural, fluffy state eventually, especially with how the boy's twitching ears disturbed the raven strands. "Let's go find Marco."
The First Commander was waiting for them in his room with glasses perched on his nose as he read a book likely on medicine or something. Just like Sabo, Marco was always reading the hard stuff.
"You three clean up nice, yoi." The pirate stated, looking them over with an amused expression, "We only ever get to see Sabo in a suit-"
"We're fancy!" Luffy chirped before throwing himself at Marco (who expertly caught him), "Look, I've got suspensions!"
"Suspenders, Lu." Sabo corrected, closing the door behind them.
"Yeah, that."
Marco laughed and put Luffy down, motioning for Ace and Sabo to move further into the room. The pirate had set four cushions on the floor and he obviously wanted them to sit on them.
"So what kind of training are we going to do?" Ace asked, kicking off his shoes. Sabo picked the spot to Marco's left while Lu took the one to his right.
"First, we're going to do some meditation, yoi." Marco explained while crossing his legs, "I want Luffy to demonstrate what he's learned before we do anything else." Ace hummed and looked over at his little brother who had a slight frown of determination on his face.
"And then?"
"Then we shall check your control, Ace. Though you've improved, I want to make sure you won't set any more ships on fire during allergy season, yoi."
He blushed, remembering that particular incident. Beside him, Sabo snickered, prompting Ace to elbow him in the ribs.
"Finally, I want to try something with Haki…just a little exercise, yoi."
Ace nodded, appreciating the way Marco would always lay out everything he wanted them to do before starting. The pirate was knowledgeable and honestly a really good teacher.
'…but why'd we have to dress up?' He thought, glancing down to his own outfit. It could be that Izo wanted them to wear his "best work" at least once before they left the ship. Yeah…that was probably it. Ace was drawn back into the conversation when Marco said,
"Let's begin."
They spent a few hours with Marco, working on various things he'd taught them during their stay on the Moby Dick. Luffy was first and, after spending some time meditating, was able to show off his golden eyes. He wasn't able to fully channel Blue and his innate abilities just yet, but simply being able to control when his inner cat emerged (or remained dormant) was a step in the right direction.
Marco theorized that Luffy would likely still instinctively give up control to Blue when under duress, but that would hopefully stop with more diligent training.
When it was Ace's turn, he demonstrated his control to Marco by lighting one finger on fire at a time. Luffy made sounds of awe and praised him throughout, making him straighten up unconsciously. It was nice to have his hard work recognized.
"Very good." Marco said, nodding in approval, "I'm impressed with both of you, yoi." Luffy grinned, tail perking up in happiness.
"What about that Haki exercise?" Sabo asked, sending a teasing glance Ace's direction, "I would like a chance to show my brothers how it's done." Ace could sense the challenge and immediately smirked, letting Sabo know it was on. No way would he lose! Marco chuckled.
"I figured. All of you, focus your Haki in your forearms, yoi. Take your time."
Ace immediately turned his attention to his upper extremities, clenching his fist together in concentration. Sabo covered his arms in Armament Haki almost instantly, much to his annoyance, but he got full coverage about fifteen seconds later. Lu was last and appeared to be struggling. His ears drooped when all he could get was some scattered spots along the inside of him palms.
"Aww…" The boy pouted, quickly glancing to Marco for help.
"It's all right if that's all you can get right now, yoi." The commander soothed, "What I want you to do is maintain it."
Marco then had them hold glass spheres (apparently made by Vista) in their hands, maintaining Haki and a tight grip. Ace concentrated hard, trying to hold it without breaking it by accident.
"What now?"
"I want you to try and break it," Marco explained, "without crushing it, yoi. Let your Haki flow into your hands and expel it."
Ace frowned, not really understanding how that worked, but willing to try, nonetheless. He took a deep breath and willed his Haki to 'flow' down his arms towards his hands. His concentration fluttered a bit when Luffy's sphere shattered. The boy had squeezed a little too hard.
Subtlety wasn't really his strong point.
Tuning out Marco's quiet reassurances to Lu, Ace focuses back on his Haki. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he just…couldn't get it to go where he wanted it to and, in his annoyance, lit his hands on fire.
"Ah!" Ace exclaimed, his sphere melting in his hands. Damn it.
Sabo was the only one left, and the glass of his sphere shuddered quietly. They all watched with anticipation, curious if it would break. Minutes later, the blonde's Haki faded.
"I-I couldn't quite g-get it…" Sabo huffed before biting the inside of his cheek.
"You all did fine, yoi." Marco stated, taking the ball back, "That technique is very high level."
"Then why try to teach it to us?"
"I wanted to expose you to the idea that there are more advanced forms of Haki to be learned." He continued, "So, when you're sailing the seas in the future, you won't be caught by surprise, yoi. That particular technique is called 'Emission' and allows you to cause damage without making direct contact."
"Wow, really!?" Luffy seemed pretty exited about the idea (despite his complete failure). Marco nodded.
"Yes, 'really'. In fact, Dogtooth happens to be a master at a different type of advanced Haki. You should ask him about it when you get a chance."
"Mhm!"
They spent the next few minutes cleaning up broken glass and enjoying each other's company. For Ace, Marco had quickly stepped into the role of mentor and he found that he greatly respected him. The mere fact that he'd bothered to explain a high level technique (even knowing they would probably fail at it) proved that he cared about them and wanted them to be as prepared as possible for future battles.
"Well then…" Marco said, standing up, "Why don't we head up to the deck? I'm sure Izo wants to show you three off, seeing as you're wearing some of his designs, yoi."
As they walked through the inner hallways of the Moby Dick, Ace was struck by how empty it was. Once again, something was different.
"Say, Marco-" Ace didn't get to finish. When Marco opened the door leading to the main deck, they were hit in the face with the smell of food, bright colors, and a loud,
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ACE!"
So shocked at the sudden change in scenery, Ace didn't move or speak for a few seconds. Eyes moving everywhere, he tried to take it all in at once. There were ribbons hanging from the yardarm, decorating the mast, twirled around the railings…pretty much everywhere there could be one.
Huge tables full of food were spread out across the deck and there, right in front of Whitebeard's chair, was a massive cake. It was white with delicate swirls of orange icing (that unconsciously made Ace lick his lips). He also made note of the present pile to Whitebeard's left, larger than any he'd ever seen.
Which wasn't saying much.
'A…A party? For me?' Ace thought, stomach churning slightly, 'Why? I-I don't-'
He didn't deserve it. Not him.
He'd always made sure Luffy and Sabo were celebrated, but he'd specifically told them not to bother with his birthday. It was too painful. Usually, all it did was bring forth memories of being told he didn't deserve to be born.
Of that day he learned his Mother had died to bring him into the world.
Ace knew he should be angry, he should be furious. How dare the Whitebeards do this behind his back!
And yet…a different emotion swirled in his chest.
Happiness.
"A-Are you mad?" Sabo whispered, eyeing him warily. It was now obvious his brother had played a part in planning the party. Surprising himself, Ace shook his head, bottom lip trembling.
"N-No…I'm not mad…" He sniffled, bringing a hand up to his eyes to wipe the tears away, "I-I'm…I-I…I…"
In seconds, Luffy was at his side, purring and leaning into him, offering comfort. Ace pulled him close, doing his best to blink away his blurry vision. How embarrassing was it to cry in front of an entire pirate crew…
"Ace, yoi. Are you okay?" Marco asked, concern clear in his voice. He also noted that the people around them had gone silent, waiting to hear his reply.
'What makes them so different? Why do I feel this way?' So many thoughts and emotions swirled around in his body, until it clicked.
It was because of who they were: The Whitebeard Pirates…a group of determined idiots who'd slowly earned his trust, helped him save Luffy, and treated him like he mattered.
Ace wasn't mad because he knew they were sincere and would never mock him.
"Y-Yeah, I'm good. Just surprised me, is all." He finally managed, unable to keep a grin from appearing on his face, "It's…wow. I don't know what to say." Marco returned his smile and raised a fist to the crew.
"He likes it, yoi!
With that, everyone cheered and let loose party poppers all over them, covering the brothers in confetti. They were immediately mobbed and led over to the main food table, where the other commanders were waiting.
"Happy Birthday, kiddo!" Thatch chirped, catching him in a teasing headlock, "Hehe hope we didn't scare ya too much!"
"Is this all for us!?" Lu exclaimed, bouncing in place.
"Sure is! Dig in!" The chef continued, "This is both a celebration of Ace's birth and a farewell party for our favorite boys! LET'S EAT!"
Ace didn't fight back when Marco and Vista placed him at the head of the table and started shoving food his way. All he could think about was what Mr. Happy said: 'a celebration of Ace's birth'. He was quickly reminded of what Shanks told him all those months ago.
"They're good people ya know."
Sabo watched Ace closely, looking for any signs of an impending explosion. Honestly, though he'd gone along with the Commanders' plan, he'd been convinced that the party would go over very poorly.
Ace's track record was one of violence and anger, especially when it came to his birthday.
And yet, there his brother was, stuffing his face at the head of the table, eyes red from crying…a blinding smile stuck on his face.
'Unexpected…' Sabo mused, 'yet welcome.'
His brother deserved to be celebrated.
"Sabo, Sabo!" Luffy chirped, pulling on his sleeve as he pointed across the deck, "Look, the cake is so big! Is Ace gonna blow out the candles?"
"I imagine so." He replied, the corners of his lips curling up just slightly. From what Thatch had been telling him, the Whitebeards had quite the party planned…
Once they'd finished their meal (the first of many, according to Thatch), Ace was swiftly ushered up to the cake. It towered over him and had seventeen normal-sized candles clumped in a section that was around his height. There were lots of other candles of varying sizes, but Ace wouldn't be able to reach them without help.
…he hoped that hadn't been Whitebeard's idea…
"Gurarara, happy birthday, my son!" Speak of the devil, and he shall appear, "I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself!"
"Y-Yeah…" Ace muttered, honestly unsure what to say to the giant man. Normally, he'd immediately protest being called the 's' word, but he couldn't bring himself to. Not today.
When the crew was properly assembled around the cake, Thatch jumped up on a table and whistled, quieting the crowd.
"In honor of Ace's birthday, I am proud to present my finest achievement…THE CAKE!" The pirates cheered and clapped as the chef paraded himself around the large dessert, obviously pleased with how it came out.
He had to keep himself from chuckling when Luffy lunged for it (just barely caught by Namur before he could burry himself in the icing).
"I made this beauty with Ace in mind." Thatch continued, making him blush, "This, lads and ladies, is a peaches-and-cream layered cake. Delicious peaches and sweet cream cheese frosting…is there anything better!?"
Ace swallowed, honestly really excited to try it. He'd never had a peach flavored cake before…
The chef jumped down and winked at Ace before lifting his hands, prompting the group to take a collective breath.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Ace bit his lip, fists clenching and unclenching.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
He started when Sabo put a hand on his shoulder, sending him an encouraging smile.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR ACE!
Everyone was watching him, grinning ear to ear.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
When the song ended, the crew cheered, throwing their hats up in the air. Ace yelped when he got an armful of Luffy, the boy throwing himself at him in excitement and yowling loudly in his ear. The noise only seemed to encourage the pirates, and the volume of their cheers increased.
"You gotta blow out the candles!" Luffy whispered to him, pointing at the cake with his tail. Ace chuckled softly.
"Yeah…I guess I do."
Gently passing the kid to Sabo, Ace stepped forward and eyed the candles with anticipation. Honestly, he was kind of nervous…having never done it before.
'It can't be that hard…right?'
Taking a deep breath, Ace blew as hard as he could, extinguishing the candles. However, unlike those he'd seen before, these popped right back up, sparking slightly. He frowned, listening to the quiet laughs around him.
"W-Why don't you try a-again?" Thatch managed, barely able to maintain a straight face. It was obvious they'd done something to the candles, but Ace wasn't one to back away from a challenge. Taking a moment to examine the flames themselves, he exhaled again, with the same result.
Thatch burst out laughing.
Eyebrow twitching, Ace reached forward and grabbed the still flaming candles off the cake, putting them into his hand. Everyone leaned forward to watch as he utilized his own flame to extinguish them, melting the wax into a puddle in the process.
He rolled the remaining wax up into a ball and, with a deceptively friendly smile, walked up to Thatch.
"I believe this is yours?"
The Commander yelped when Ace stuck the still warm ball to Thatch's shirt, making him shriek. The crew members around them, snorted and then burst out laughing, yelling how the chef had deserved that and that 'Ace got him good'.
"Gurarara, atta boy!" Whitebeard exclaimed, slapping his knee and joining in the collective laughter. Ace straightened and walked back to the cake, ready to try it. In his absence, Luffy and Sabo had taken care of the other candles, the latter saying that the kid wanted to hold 'the magic candles' and he had obliged him with help from Jozu.
Using a very large knife, Blenheim started to cut pieces for everyone, making sure to give Ace the first slice. Sitting himself down on a cushion, he took a tentative first bite.
'This…is delicious!' He thought, immediately cramming more into his mouth. For a cake this good, he was willing to forgive Thatch for the candle trick. It didn't take long for Sabo, Luffy, and the others to join him, all talking and generally having a good time. Though they'd had parties before, this one was special.
Because it was for him.
Ace grinned and called for seconds.
After finishing four slices of cake, Luffy bounded across the deck, getting pets as he went. The boy loved parties and couldn't wait to have some on his own ship someday! One of the first crew members he wanted to get was a musician. No party was complete without music and singing!
The music had begun shortly after they'd arrived on deck, and it was awesome! Upbeat and perfect for a pirate party.
Luffy beamed when he finally found who he was looking for: Thatch. The chef was currently rubbing a towel over an orange stain on his white shirt while he talked with Izo.
"Thatchy!" He exclaimed, padding up to him, "That cake was SO GOOD!"
"Glad you liked it, munchkin." Thatch replied, winking down at him, "I see that Ace likes it as well."
"Yeah, we all do! Ne…it really did remind me of everything I love about my big brother." Luffy said softly, earning a wide-eyed look from the two commanders, "It was orange, his favorite color, and sweet like him! Everything about it was 'Ace'…and I think it made him happy to…so thanks, Thatchy! You did a good thing."
At that, the chef burst into tears and blew his nose in the sleeve of Izo's kimono.
"THATCH, NO!"
Luffy giggled when Izo smacked the chef over the head and skipped back to where his brothers were. It was almost time for presents!
Ace shuffled nervously in his seat as the pirates prepared to bring him his gifts. He'd never been the center of attention for so long before and wasn't entirely sure how to react. Thankfully, Luffy and Sabo were at his side, their mere presence calming his nerves.
Most of what he received was food or something simple, which Ace appreciated. There was only so much he could take with him when they left, after all. There were a few gifts, however, that stood out in his mind.
The first was a knife from Thatch. It was beautifully crafted and came with a green sheath, one Ace made sure to hook to his belt right away. He'd been considering purchasing a weapon for himself, just in case, but now he didn't have to! With how much Marco focused on being a 'well-rounded' fighter in their lessons and not just relaying on his logia-type abilities…having another method of fighting was very important.
(Ace made a mental note to try hiding it inside his fire body when he got a chance…and was alone. He was embarrassed to admit that ever since he saw how Dogtooth stored his trident, he'd been wanting to try something similar.)
The second gift was from Izo and was a bit less…concrete. The commander slipped a piece of paper in his hand and waited patiently while he read it.
"'Tattoo Voucher'? What's that mean?" Ace questioned, looking up at Izo in confusion. The other smiled softly at his response.
"It means, dear, that should you ever want another tattoo…I will give you one."
"But…I'm leaving."
"Yes, I'm aware." The commander said, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear, "Obviously this is for use in the future. Though you're leaving us tomorrow, you will always be welcome back on the Moby Dick, anytime."
Ace smiled and inclined his head in thanks, making sure to tuck the slip of paper away in his pocket. He loved how Izo's design on his back had turned out, and he did have a few more ideas…
Last but not least was Marco, who dropped something surprisingly heavy into his lap with a knowing look. Ace blinked and ran his hands over it, noting not only the softness of the fabric but also the weight.
"What…is it?"
"A weighted blanket, yoi." Marco explained, "It should help you sleep more soundly at night, so you have fewer…incidents during the day. We've been working on it for a while now, ever since we found out you had narcolepsy."
"We?" Ace questioned, looking up. He followed Marco's gaze to those of the commanders and quite a few crew members, many of whom blushed and smiled sheepishly at him.
"Pops helped too, yoi." The first commander continued, "Honestly, I was worried we wouldn't finish it in time…but we had no shortage of willing assistants."
"Wow…I…thank you."
"Don't mention it, yoi." Marco replied before leaning over him, voice dropping to a whisper, "Make sure you keep taking your medication…the blanket isn't a cure-all, understand? If I hear about you falling overboard…"
"I will." Ace put in while hugging the blanket close, meeting Marco's threatening gaze. At his assurance, the commander's expression moved back to one of happiness and he ruffled Ace's hair playfully.
"Good, yoi."
The pirate crew partied well into the evening, drinking themselves stupid and dancing on the tables. When the sun finally went down, Ace and his brothers were amazed at the fireworks show they put on for them, lighting the sky with bright colors. Eventually, so overwhelmed with everything, Ace slipped away. Lu had wanted to tag along, but Sabo held him back with an understanding wink.
'It's good to see them happy.' He thought while leaning on the railing of the large ship and staring up at the stars. 'They deserve it.'
So do you.
Ace flinched at the unfamiliar thought that had somehow slunk its way into his mind. Was it really okay…for him to think such things? His brothers, Shanks…even the Whitebeards…they all kept saying stuff that made him question his previous notions of self-worth in ways he'd never considered.
"Gurarara…tired already?"
He yelped at the sudden voice, unsure how he'd missed the giant man's approach.
"N-No…just needed some time away…I guess."
Whitebeard hummed and settled himself next to Ace, a mug of alcohol in his hand. They didn't speak for a few minutes and just watched the water churn behind the Moby Dick.
"This whole thing was Thatch's idea." The old captain said with a fond look in his eyes, "Imagine our surprise when young Sabo tells us you've never celebrated your birthday before…" Ace could tell Whitebeard was probing, wanting to know why.
Though he didn't hate the man anymore (and had honestly learned to respect the pirate) Ace wasn't quite ready for him to know the whole story…but maybe, just maybe, he deserved at least the partial truth.
"My mother died giving birth to me." Ace whispered, voice breaking a little, "I-I don't know…I guess I've always blamed myself for her death."
"Son…" Whitebeard soothed, putting his mug down to give him his full attention, "Don't blame yourself for something that was not your fault. Though you never knew her, I imagine she loved you very much and would want you to celebrate the fact that you're alive. A mother's love is a powerful thing and should not be replaced with guilt."
Ace bit the inside of his lip, choosing to say nothing. In his heart, he knew the old man was right, but it was so hard to let go of those feelings.
"Y-Yeah…" He managed with tears in his eyes, frustrated he couldn't seem to control his emotions today. Whitebeard just smiled fondly at him and looked back out to sea.
"Happy Birthday, Ace. I'm going to miss you three when you've gone."
The freckled teen nodded in thanks, unable to speak.
This crew…was so kind.
'No, not crew…family.' Ace thought, cracking a grin, 'A massive, strange, and loving family.'
Sabo stayed up waiting for Ace, not wanting to go to bed without him. Luffy, bless his heart, conked out quickly after crashing from a particularly impressive sugar high. The party had gone well and Ace, amazingly, hadn't set anyone on fire (unless you count the candle incident…).
A little after midnight, his brother entered their room, closing the door quietly to not wake Lu.
"Yo."
"Hey…" Ace whispered, looking over Luffy with tired eyes, "he's out already, huh? Guess it was a pretty long party."
"Yeah, it was. D-Did you enjoy yourself?" Sabo asked, wanting an honest answer. Ace huffed and smiled.
"You know…I did. I really did."
"I'm glad." He replied, pulling the other in for a hug, "It's about time, if you ask me." Ace wrapped his arms around him and squeezed tightly, letting Sabo know that his happiness was genuine. His brother was completely relaxed, like a burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
When they crawled into bed with Luffy comfortably sprawled between them, Sabo asked the question that had been lingering in the back of his mind all day.
"Have you made your decision?"
Ace rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, frowning slightly.
"Yeah, I have."
The following morning, Marco woke up early to make sure he had enough time to pack a few things for their trip to the East Blue. He wasn't taking much, just a small bag, so he wasn't weighed down while flying.
He'd instructed the boys to do the same and he imagined Sabo's revolutionary friend would appreciate it.
Stepping out onto the deck, Marco was forced to step over the prone bodies of his crew mates, passed out from the party. Everyone had had a great time, including Ace, which was encouraging.
A few of his brothers hoped the party would convince the fiery brat to stay, but Marco wasn't so sure. Ace was pretty dead-set on returning home and they'd decided to support whatever decision he made.
"Good morning, Marco." Pops greeted from his chair, surprisingly awake at such an early hour.
"Morning, yoi. Has Sabo's friend arrived yet?"
"Yeah, he's over there with the brat right now."
Marco turned to where Pops had indicated and raised an eyebrow. Sabo was currently conversing with a very tall man wearing a plague doctor's mask. He was bald and had a black cloak of feathers thrown over his shoulders.
'I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…' He mused as he made his way over to them, 'the revolutionaries have always been a rather eccentric group.'
"Marco!" Sabo exclaimed, waving him over, "I'd like to introduce you to Karasu, the Commander of our Northern armies."
"It's a pleasure, yoi."
"…likewise." The man mumbled quietly, his voice amplified by his mask. Not much of a talker, huh? Marco could respect that.
"Ace and Lu should be ready to leave soon." Sabo continued, crossing his arms, "I left some plates of food in our room as as…alarm."
Marco nodded and moved away from the duo to start his rounds. He knew the others would want to see the boys off. Thankfully, it didn't take much to rouse his mates, especially once Pops joined him. About thirty minutes later, the entire crew was on deck and (mostly) awake.
Some looked to be suffering from major hangovers but were determined to push through it for the chance to see the brothers off.
When Ace and Luffy did emerge from the inner hallways of the Moby Dick, they were accompanied by Namur and Thatch, the latter of whom was crying his eyes out.
"Honestly…do try and control yourself." Izo chided while passing the chef a handkerchief.
"I-I'm just so SSSsssaaaddd…" Thatch wailed, blowing his nose obnoxiously. On his right, Luffy reached up and squeezed his hand, a grin on his face.
"Don't be sad, Thatchy! We'll come back and visit!"
Prompted by the adorable cat-boy's cute response, the brothers were swarmed by crying pirates, all hugging them and wishing them well. Luffy was passed around like a sack of flour, giggling as he went, while Ace did his best to break Jozu's tight grip.
Sabo wasn't left out either due to being pushed forward by his comrade into the thick of the giant hug pile, right into Blenheim's waiting arms.
"Gurarara, I think that's enough of that. They have a journey to get to!" Pops bellowed, prompting the brothers' release. At his words, Luffy rushed the giant man and scrambled up onto his lap to give him a rubbery hug.
"Bye, Mr. White Bread…thanks for everything!"
"Goodbye, little one. Be safe and give my regards to your Papa."
Sabo bowed to the pirate Captain while Ace remained silent, ignoring everyone as he moved to the railing, not far from Marco. The First Commander raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Was he going to leave without saying goodbye?
"Sabo, Lu, let's go." Ace called, causing the other two to hustle to his side. Marco was pleased to note they didn't have much luggage and were dressed comfortably. It would make their journey easier.
Karasu joined them as the pirates crowded around them, creating a semi-circle of depression. Marco huffed, taking in their sad faces. It was to be expected though, considering how close they'd gotten to the boys over the past few months. Some of the pirates called out to Ace, asking if he enjoyed the party or if he'd remembered to pack all of his non-perishable gifts.
The teen straightened and gave Marco a determined look as he shoved his bag at him. The commander took it without hesitation (noting the weight happily as it meant the brat had packed his new blanket) and watched closely as Ace leapt up onto the railing to face the group.
"Whitebeard pirates!" He exclaimed, quieting everyone immediately, "I have a lot to say, but not a lot of time, so I'll make this brief. You all…are not as bad as I thought you were."
Ace got some laughs at that, making his cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"That being said, I'm going to set sail and work towards my dream. I will be free! My name will be known across the seas and I will surpass even you, Whitebeard!" Ace pointed right at Pops, making the old man smirk, "So…if you want me, COME AND GET ME!"
There was silence for a moment before the deck erupted with noise. Pops was laughing his ass off while the crew members were cheering, yelling encouragement to Ace.
"Better get a strong crew then, brat!"
"We'll be waiting for ya!"
Ace smirked and jumped down, taking his stuff back from Marco.
"Challenging Pops already, yoi? You haven't even gotten yourself a crew yet." He teased, prompting a shrug from Ace.
"I was gonna do it eventually…"
"You know this means we won't leave you alone, right? Pops will be even more determined to make you his son, yoi."
"I'm looking forward to it." Ace replied, a soft smile appearing on his face. Marco huffed and transformed into his phoenix form, recognizing they were ready to leave. If this was how Ace wanted to do it, then they would follow his lead.
To their right, Karasu flickered and became a murder of crows, each one big enough to ride. Sabo expertly leapt onto one's back, reaching down to pull Ace up onto one next to him. Marco, meanwhile, knelt down so little Luffy could crawl onto his back. Once the kid was secure, he straightened up and spread his wings, taking off gently.
As they slowly ascended, Luffy waved down to the crew, returning their enthusiastic goodbyes. Sabo simply tilted his top hat to them while Ace turned away. Marco eyed him, recognizing the raw emotion on his face.
Cawing loudly to startle Ace out of his musing, he began to flap his wings in earnest. It was time to start their long journey to East Blue.
Whitebeard chuckled to himself when Marco and the brats finally disappeared from view. After so long together, their ship would feel empty without the energetic presences of those three brats.
His youngest sons (no matter what they said).
"Well…that was something." Izo huffed before bringing out a fan to cool himself, "What are we going to do with that boy, Pops? He's trouble."
"Gurarara, we shall do what he wishes." Whitebeard said before standing to his feet, "Boys, let's get the deck clean and prepare for departure!"
"Where are we going, Pops?" Namur asked, finally looking away from where Marco had vanished.
"We're going to keep ourselves and the Marines busy while we wait for Marco to return." He stated with a smirk, "And then…well, we aren't leaving Paradise anytime soon."
The crew grinned.
"At least, not without your newest brother!"
Everyone shouted in agreement and immediately got to work, Thatch loudly recruiting workers to re-decorate Ace's room for when they got him back.
'I can't wait to see you again, my son.' Whitebeard thought as he took a long drink of alcohol, 'Experience the sea and its freedom for yourself…and then come home. We will welcome you with open arms.'
I actually have a weighted blanket myself, and it's AWESOME! My wonderful fiance gave it to me for Christmas and I highly recommend it :) Also, we shall be seeing the Whitebeard pirates again, so don't worry!
(Low key almost wrote White Bread...Luffy has ruined me XD)