Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Hello to my new joiners who caught the update, i'm glad you decided to tag along. I promise this story is worth the wait and I hope you enjoy it. Much love

"Sorry!?" Ace arose looking around disoriented from the conflicting dream he woken up from. He calmed himself as he swayed where he was sitting. Swayed? Oh, he was on the boat. The flamingo probably. Ace dragged himself to his feet, the ground stabbing him from the sudden change in temperature. I wonder if Baby 5 is here? He yawned and wiped the crust that formed on is eyes. He walked out of the door, slowly pushing it open and was face to face with the man from his dreams. Ace dropped limply to the ground promptly landing on his bum before dragging his body away from the man.

"W-Who are y-you?" Ace was stopped by the door as he attempted to put more distance between them.

The man tilted is head, "You don't remember last night." His glare looked from Ace then to the sea, "You passed out."

"W-what? H-How?" Ace caught a grip on his voice and bit his lips, "Nevermind t-that! What happened to Doffy . . .san?" Ace breathed the last part carefully eyeing the flame protruding from the man's back, a thousand questions birthing themselves in his head yet not one reached daylight.

"San?" The man crouched down to Ace's level, Ace was sure that at this point the man wasn't glaring at him but instead it was an automatic facial feature for the man, so Ace naturally hard eyed him back, "Aren't you family?" The man's voice slithered into his ear, the contents oily and disguised as a low blow

Ace stared at him before nodding slowly, the low blow had worked and caused the gears in Ace's heart of trust to slowly began to shift, " . . . Yes." He didn't address the bandits, Luffy, Sabo or even the old man with honorifics, did Ace truly see the pink feathered man as family.

"Well you should be happy I saved you from that dysfunctional family." The man eyes seemed to sink within itself, before turning away from Ace and walking towards the helm of the ship

Ace held his breath from the man's remark, "What? Excuse me?" He felt the blood leave his fist as he balled the up.

The man's eyes seemed to sigh with his mouth before looking tiredly at Ace. "Exactly as I said, tell me boy." He paused making sure to catch any facial feature that Ace was harboring, "What family member kills his own brother?"

Ace stared at the ceiling, dissecting and mutating the piece of information he just received. He wanted to tell himself that it was some other member of the family that Doflamingo called brother, but even that didn't feel alright to him.

"Cora- san is dead." He quickly put his hand to the mouth in a way to push those taboo words back, he wanted to tell himself it's not real. However, from the youngest of age Ace was no optimist, not ever since he understood words and can feel human's motives basically leak off of them. His eyes glazed over as he felt him seal his emotions up, reprimanding himself for becoming so close to . . . to those fools. He shouldn't have gotten pulled in to his 'happy-go-lucky' aura, but he couldn't help memory flashed back to Luffy as tears begin to sting his eyes, "Luffy, i'm so sorry." It was a curse, it felt like a curse.

"Why?" He gritted his teeth. "Why god?!" His vocal chords screeched. Is it because i'm the son of some demon? Ace began to pant, heavily.

"Hey?" There was a knock on the door, but Ace couldn't hear it over his breathing. He couldn't focus over his breathing. He couldn't think over his breathing everything just looked the clouded and speckled, it was uncomfortable and his body felt tense and constricting as if it was trying to strangle itself. "Hey?! I'm coming in." The man opened the door and stopped halfway to what he was witnessing on the bed.

Ace felt hands rush to his sides, lifting him up, at least that's what he thought was happening. He wanted to swing and hit back, to resist but his body didn't listen to him. Ignoring him in trade for the comforting touch of something or someone else. The man kept talking and Ace felt as though he was speaking a slightly foreign language, as if he could understand but he wasn't able to concentrate hard enough to. He picked up a few words, "from," "11", "17", "count." So hesitantly his mouth began to toss out numbers beginning from 11, at least he hoped thats what his mouth was doing, he didn't know anymore. Slowly his gray clouded vision, edged off to blackness and everything started to slow down until Ace drifted off.

"You know you have to eat right? It won't just disappear." The man pushed the bowl of soup closer to him, Ace watched the contents slop outside the side of the bowl with disinterest. "Boys like you have to grow," He turned his head away from the smell. "How old are you anyway? You seem to be around 10." The man mused at him a bit more seeming perfectly content with having a conversation with himself.

"Why do you want me?" Ace spat out, venom lacing and decorating his lips. "You don't know me, I don't know you." His glare hardened at the man. "So Why?"

The man couldn't refrain a whistle, "You're so badass." Before shifting his eyes around, towards the ocean before deciding to settle on Ace's own hard set glare, causing the boy to slightly falter. "I have such a hard time with people and children in particular, but something about you doesn't quite scream child. No, you feel much older than you are." He shrugged. "Because Kaido wants you."

Ace's face twisted up into disappointment and slowly brewing rage, "Kaido? Who the hell is Kaido?" He was taken from Doffy because some stranger wanted him? What did they see him as some adoption center? Maybe an item? Those thoughts feeded the slow brewing fire in Ace's chest.

The man raised his eyebrows or atleast that's what Ace could tell because the more he looked at the man, the more he questioned if he had eyebrows or certain other features like a mouth and nose, "I get you're a kid and everything, but you've been sailing with Joker and don't even know of one of the emperor's?"

Ace tilted his head to the side, "Emperor?"

The man slapped his face before groaning a bit at his cluelessness, did he expect Ace to be some sort of mentally revolutionized hermit? Just a few months ago Ace only realized there was a place called the underground in the world, "Alright kid. Listen up this is your first pirate lesson." Ace unconciously set up straight, his body's habit of moving to focus more on Doffy's lessons, he fought back a pang in his heart. The burning man cleared his throat, "So there are warlords, Emperors, Navy, and Revolutionaries." His eyes gmet Ace's, "There are around 7 warlords I think and 4 emperors. Kaido is one of those emperors and your precious Doffy is a warlord."

Ace frowned at the repetition of the word warlord as if it was something bad.

The man caught the expression. "A warlord is a pirate who's protected from the Navy's laws. We call them dogs of the navy." He continued. "The emperor's are the most powerful and sometimes historic figures on the sea." So it was bad. The man thought to himself before shrugging his shoulders, "I guess I could tell you their name. Not like it matters much for a child. There's Kaido, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Shanks."

Ace's eyes widened as his body slowly reacted to the last name to be mentioned. The man didn't let the positive reaction go unnoticed, "So you know Shanks?"

"If I did, it wouldn't be your business." Ace crossed his arms before narrowing his eyes, he wouldn't give them a reason to threaten or even worse torture him for some information on Luffy's friend that he barely knew about.

The man chuckled to himself, mostly. "Well, onwards. Whitebeard is the strongest out of all of them. They used to say if you see him, then run for your life."

"Now about Bi-" The boat shook violently, cutting the man's sentence short. "Ah, right on cue." He hopped off the boat onto the welcoming platform. "Come on."

Ace blinked, he hadn't realize the sudden change in environment. Instead of the ocean for miles and miles, sitting in front of his gaze was a big, giant . . . castle.

"What the h-"

"This is Kaido's headquarters." He cut off the boy's sentence before he said something vulgar. "Follow me."

He followed behind the man into the castle, Who is this emperor? Maybe I should run away? His eyes glanced up and down the tall, lean dark figure of the man guiding him, Could I even run away? What will happe- The man stopped walking in Lewd of being in front of a gigantic door, Ace was thinking so much he hadn't realized all the turns and paths they took to lead them there. He glanced wearily beside him, nerves beginning to grow slightly in his chest.

The man in front of him slowly pushed against the door with both of his hands, the wood creaking and wailing as testament to its old age as it slowly opened. Ace followed the man's lead realizing if he wanted to dash, it was surely far too late now and that whoever it was that wanted him, was residing in there. People were gathered in the room, but now all the attention was focused on the flashy entrance.

"Well, well, well," A gruff, drunken voice resounded from the furthest part of the room making itself known to Ace and the man, "Look who's finally here." Ace tried to control a tingle in the spine as two piercing eyes, settled on his small figure of a body, analyzing him he guessed.

Ace stared back at the man, slight anger clouding his eyes but mostly indifference across his face, he didn't want to anger him too soon. "Why am I here? Who are you? And What do you want from me?" Each question held the necessity of being answered, if the tone Ace tried to portray was anything to go by.

The larger man looked down at the boy for a bit longer with a sense of interest, "I am Kaido. I took you from the evil dealings of the underground joker and i'm not sure of what yet." At least to Kaido that last part hadn't been a full lie, he had an idea of why he wanted the boy but at best the notion was watery and unstable, Ace still felt his gut churned at the mention of Doffy by his underground Alias, so he knows.

"Well thanks but i'm leaving." The boy turned to head towards the two opened doors, turning his back without hesitation.

A laugh erupted, engulfing the whole room, "Ah, that is not an option." The words came out slurred so Ace didn't feel fear from them but he understood a threat when he heard one. He had expected as much though, because they wouldn't sail half away across the sea simply for him to leave out when he felt.

A wave of pressure flooded the room, that sent chills through the majority of the people in there. Leaving the majority of everyone in the room knocked out, with the exception of the 4 larger man and one measly red head child who was struggling to keep his conscious.

"I said, I'm leaving." Ace stated, his eyes narrowing into that of aggression. He put up his guard facing towards the larger man named Kaido, he was tired of running away and he wanted to leave and go find his brothers because that was the only real family he'd ever have. But he was constantly being dragged around by others into their stupid games and he didn't want anymore parts of it.

"Cheeky brat, I guess i'll have to knock some manners into you." The man got up slowly, shaking a bit of the room as he staggered towards the boy, he had to have been absolutely drunk if the smell in the air was anything to tell by it. "Come at me." Ace unconsciously cringed as the words suffocated whatever clean air was left in the room.

The boy let out a battle cry before charging.

Kaido stared at the young boy in disbelief and almost mesmerized before his eye trailed towards the young boy's knife that was laying on the floor. He had managed to hurt Kaido, his commanders were looking on in shock as well. He had managed to hurt Kaido.

The large man slowly marched closer towards the kid's figure that was laying limp on the ground, "Tell me kid, what's your name?"

"My name?" He said to no one in particular. He had lost the fight. He had lost his newfound freedom. And once again he lost time to look for his brothers. He felt something sting his eyes and a lump in his throat but he quickly pushed those feelings away.

"Your name hic," The man's body jumped a bit before breaking out into a laugh.

"I'm- I'm," his voice felt dry and led to a crack in his voice, "Ace" He felt a breath of air and a part of his mind felt clearer, "My name is Ace." His body trembled as his mind accepted the fact that he had lost.

Kaido stared down at the boy, indifference coating his features. The boy's inner battle was noticeable to those who were still conscious. As if reading the kid's mind, Kaido spoke up, "Tell me once more brat! What is your name!" His voice reflects an empowering cry.

"ACE!" Ace's eyes flashed with thorough anger and exhilaration.

Kaido smiled down at the brat's newly found energy, too many damned kings. He observed the boy's figure once more, he was in the kindest terms Kaido could put, repulsive. The bags under his eyes made them look sunken in and darker than the average. The skin was beyond a sickly pale with the freckles looking as though they'll pop out. That was only the face. The boy's body looked even worse, Kaido was surprised he was even able to stand let alone fight the beast. His collarbone and chest bones pushed prominently out of his skin. He could tell he was a naturally lean boy but he was skinny, near anorexic. It unsettled Kaido the longer he looked at the boy.

"Jack," Kaido grimaced.

The blonde commander stood up, "Y-yessir."

"Take that boy to the infirmary, whilst he's still passed out." Jack looked startled towards the boy on the ground and sure enough he had lost consciousness. "I think the brat won't let anyone near him when he wakes up. Tenacious one." Jack nodded before picking up the kid and slinging him over his shoulder, not being too careful, and headed out of the room.

Once the door closed, Kaido let out a bark of laughter. "This kid, that kid," His eyes flashed towards the red head kid who was still trembling against the wall, attempting to stand up, "These brats! It's too many of them."

"But there aren't any more kids than those two," Queen spoke up, his cigar ashes falling to the ground, "Not that many!"

Kaido frowned, "Idiot! I'm not talking about children." He tapped his finger almost impatiently onto the table, "Kings, it's too many damned supreme kings." He sighed in exasperation.

He had watched the whole farce go down and amazed was an understatement. The boy who had to be no more than 2 years older than him, had left him awe stricken after his battle with Kaido.

When the boy stepped in there was a release of some sort of wave that had left him almost breathless and fighting for consciousness, and had ended up knocking out most of the other pirates. After struggling to keep standing, his focus shifted to that of the new boy and Kaido's interaction. It's been a while since someone stepped up to Kaido.

Besides the kid looking sickly and skinny, he had been able to put up a good fight even going so far as to break Kaido's wrist. He had never seen that happen before, very rarely had Kaido come back with extreme injuries besides the one he gotten from Oden and whilst this wouldn't leave noticeable permanent damage, it was still shocking nonetheless.

The boy lost in the end though, he wasn't surprised. It was Kaido afterall. He had never seen Kaido lost and built in his head as if it was a religion that he couldn't be defeated. Unless of course he had defeated Kaido himself, but he had tried and been knocked away with a simple flick.

As he continued to watch the boy's limp figure and Kaido approaching him, he was sure that Kaido would end the boy's life right then and there, maybe with a stomp? Or stabbing him? He wasn't sure. But he was shocked when he noticed Kaido only plopped down next to the boy, somewhat shaking the room and making him lose balance.

Kaido and the black haired boy lying on the floor had an interaction that seemed to trigger some sort of memory and emotion in the boy as it showed painfully on his face, but no tears threatened the boy's eyes. "ACE!" The black haired boy shouted in response to Kaido's prompting. So the boy's name was Ace. Nice name.

The red haired kid found himself looking after the boy longing, wanting, yearning to learn more. Who was he? How old is he? Where did he come from? Why is he here? The commander Jack had walked towards the boy, picked him up and headed out of the room. The red head kid was still filled with curiosity.

"Kidd!"

His eyes flashed towards Kaido in response to being addressed. "Hn?" He let out barely an audible hum, as his thoughts were elsewhere.

"You brat! Don't, 'hn' me! Come here now." Kaido growled loud enough to wake up some of the pirates that had been knocked out earlier.

Kidd quickly scuffled over the bodies to get in front of the massive man, "What is it?" His expression still reflecting a smug look.

"Go fetch me some more sake." Kaido gestured towards his sake cup, "I think i've ran out, hic" pink raised to Kaido's cheeks as a bit of a smile surfaced on his lips. "Eheheh, say hi to Ace while you get my sake eheh."

King and Queen looked on with exasperation at their captain, the man was vividly tipsy, practically drunk. They let out a sigh at their Captain, whilst Kid sped off through the doors.

Ace woke up confused again, quite frankly he was getting tired of waking up in these states of confusion. He looked down at his body and stilled frighteningly as he noticed there was a kairoseki clamp on his arm and he was tied down to the bed. His heart began to race, it didn't help when his eyes traced his arms to the insertion of a needle, tube, and an IV bag with fluids he had no idea about.

Jack inwardly cursed, as he watched the young boy began to roughly oppose the materials around him. He rushed towards Ace to hold his body down. To the boy's credit, he was still immensely strong no matter how malnourished he looked, each jerk the boy gave had the commander pushing down with more force. One of the nurses who had rushed over to help was knocked out from a quick wave blast of haishoken haki. It wasn't until the door opened to reveal the other brat named Kidd and King, that Jack felt himself relax a little.

"Kidd! Pass me those sheets there," Jack pointed towards some cloth in a basket as Kidd moved frantically for the object before tossing it to the commander. He tied Ace's free arm down and coached Kid into holding down the other side of Ace's body. King quickly threw himself into action as he reached for the medication the nurse was going to administer by a syringe, he had some prior knowledge in the medicine field, at least enough to keep his crew alive with the help until they were able to stock nurses and doctors who had been willing to sail with the intimidating crew.

He administered the medication and slowly but surely the younger boy had slowly stopped pushing and pulling, and pulled himself back to a calmer state of unconsciousness. King could only stare at the boy as the effects slowly did it's job, "What happened?" He asked gruffly, his fire growing a bit in curiosity.

"He just started fumbling and pushing against everything, after looking at the IV tubes in his arms." Jack confessed indifferently and King simply sighed, muttering, "make sure to lock him down so the nurses have an easier time looking over him."

Jack nodded before looking down at the new red head guest and then towards the door. He had decided to wait outside of the room as it felt too confining and he slightly didn't want to crowd the boy if he had woken up again. "Are you going to stay here Kid?"

The red head boy responded with a nod.

"Hn." With that the big commander headed out of the door.

A/N: And we're getting closer towards the introduction of the whitebeardssssss, who is excited?

Question of the day: Do you read One Piece manga or watch the anime? How caught up are you?