3A07: Thank you! I love making more unique stories.

Wishfull-star: Now he can be badass and not worry about hiding his identity. Lol no more reddish hair.

sairakanzaki: ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

The next couple of days of waiting would be boring, so Ace helped out around the shipyard. Mostly carrying things to various people. Sabo helped him out, as did Deuce. The others went shopping for furniture. Ace, Deuce and Sabo got along well with everyone else, and nobody was afraid of Ace because of his bounty poster. Then again, they'd known what he really was like before it came out, but still.

The Adam's Wood was a more orangey color than brown. It was pretty, and he couldn't wait to have a ship made of it. He had no desire to be a yonko, and never would, but having a sturdy ship isn't just for the big wigs. "The last Adam's Wood ship we built was a year ago for Strawhat. Franky, one of his crew members, had stolen all their money, but ended up spending it all on Adam's Wood in payment to them. Built a ship for them. Weirdest ship I've ever seen."

Ace asked if it came with a submarine. A shark one. "Yeah. Franky's eccentric, but the whole crew seemed that way." Ace said he passed them on his way out of the New World. They were going to Kaido while Ace was fleeing.

"Such a weird coincidence."

Ace shook his head. "They were going as I left. But their allied crew already got caught by me on their way to the country. I destroyed their ship, but they were able to get away on another ship. If I had stuck around, they would all be dead. That was before I knew that they were planning on offing me soon," Ace explained in detail. They grew angry at him. "There's no use in getting angry. They were an enemy crew. Besides, they beat Kaido and it was possible because I left.

"I'm in no way saying the yonko's defeat was because I wasn't there. They must have planned everything out and had luck I didn't think was possible. It was just helped that I wasn't there guarding Onigashima," Ace added, quelling the misplaced anger.

They were all thankful that he'd defected before he could have hurt them. Ace nodded, saying he had no reason to harm them now. "I kind of want to meet them and thank them for taking him down. I was thinking of going back and helping them recover after the Beast Pirates' reign is over. The land was heavily polluted, the people oppressed and starved.

"Wano was not a nice place to be in unless you were rich or powerful," Ace explained, taking a big gulp of his lemonade. Paulie glared at him. Ace worried he'd made a bad impression. "I can't blame it all on ignorance or brainwashing. I thought about myself too much. But I've clearly changed since then. I have people I'm responsible for and want to protect. And I felt happy to help out here."

Sabo said that Ace had changed a lot from what he had been before. He had started over with a new slate. Died his hair and everything. "The All-Star Ace is no more," Deuce said, clapping Ace on the back. He grinned and nodded. "The Terror of the Sea might stick around." Ace laughed and said it sounded bad ass regardless.

"I had been trying for 'Ace of Spades' since that's so catchy, but I guess I've lost that chance now," he joked. The others laughed. "I do wonder if any new members will be too afraid to join. I want at least two more people, one of them a shipwright." He left that hanging for a bit. Then he looked at the room full of them.

There were plenty, but Sabo was dead set on Saber. "Anyone interested in becoming a pirate?" he asked. The room was silent before he raised his hand. Sabo grinned, and Saber said that it sounded fun, and that they were good guys. Ace beamed. Some of the Galley La foreman were bummed. But nobody seemed too surprised. He'd been getting along well with Sabo, after all.

The Spades were ecstatic. They may have lost the Upstart, saw horrible things and done so much work, but it all paid off in the end with a free ship and a new shipwright. Ace hoped he wouldn't feel too excluded with being the only one to not use haki. And Saber used two swords, two short ones, and Ace could tell he wasn't weak.

Not as strong as the top three on the ship, but he wasn't useless. Which was good. Ace really didn't want somebody dangerously weak. But even if they were, he'd make sure they improved. And it'd been proven he could.

The rest of the time went by quickly, and they had the ship furnished quickly and easily. It was just lucky that place was still around. The ship was hidden under a huge sheet to add suspense for the Spades. Saber's things and tools were already packed away inside. He was with them, looking excited to go with them. Ace was glad he felt that way.

Their new ship, still nameless, was slid into the water down a huge ramp and into the ocean, the anchor immediately dropped. The sheet was ripped off by an impatient Ace, and his smile widened. Their flag was back up, along with it painted on the sails. Ace loved the figurehead. It didn't look cheap, it was beautifully carved.

The wood looked warm, a light reddish brown. He had the sudden urge to punch it and see how strong the Adam's Wood was, but of course he didn't. They climbed up the gangway and explored the interior. It really was so big and nice. Ace's captain's quarters were fantastic. The bed was huge, and a dresser and built-in closet held new clothes they'd all bought.

The rest of the ship was explored by them all, and they were all in love. They would miss the Upstart due to her memories, but this ship was an improvement in size and quality. By far. They still needed to name her. Ace was glad he knew he was more than big enough to still pull this behind him when necessary.

They went out on deck, all seven of them, and started to brainstorm any names for her. He was no longer an upstart anymore, as his identity was out there for all to see, in Paradise and the New World. "Maybe we should name it something like the crew's name? Something to do with Spade?" Mihar suggested.

Ace wondered what would work like that. "Something nice. She's a beautiful piece of work."

Bree said, "Piece of Spade?" Ace thought that sounded good, but not quite right. He also wanted something unique.

"How about Piece of Spadille? And we can nickname her as PoS, like an inside joke," Ace offered. It seemed to sound good for everybody, and it was time to set sail to the next island for them, which was not Sabaody. Not yet. They still needed one more person. A full time doctor. Deuce knew that too and was not offended.

The seven of them thanked the shipwrights below while they returned the thanks to them for their service as well. Saber said he'd make sure to visit them again some day, and that he might send letters if it was possible. "Don't make us look like weaklings!" Tilestone shouted. What a loud guy. Once the island was out of sight, Saber asked where they were going next.

Sabo pulled a map out in the navigation room that he was already in love with, and showed that the Calm Belt was to the north of the island. The next closest one was southeast. "Then that's where we're going. The log pose doesn't restrain us," Ace explained with a grin. Saber smiled, looking forward to a pirate journey like no other one. Ace asked if Sabo knew anything about the nearest island.

"It says it's full of crystals, but nothing else," the navigator and first mate said. Ace nodded, and said he'd get them there soon enough. He jumped over the side and transformed, glad that the new chain was much better than the previous. It also didn't go into his mouth, but around his face so he could speak to the others.

It was easy to put on and get off, so he liked it. The straps were thick, sturdy leather. He was sure they wouldn't break, but they had a back up harness identical to the previous one just in case. Ace followed where he smelled the next closest island. They smelled of earth and people, easy to find in the endless and open ocean. He could hear his crew talking to Saber about haki, and was glad they were explaining and giving examples of it. Saber instantly wanted to catch up. Ban was showing him how he could coat his swords. She was not good enough yet to hold it more than a second or cover the whole sword. Only the hilt for five or so seconds. A great improvement in the short amount of time, nevertheless.

He got them to the next island three days later. The PoS was no hindrance to his speed and strength. He was still many times larger than it. Like the Upstart, he'd be able to just carry it on his back if necessary. When they saw the island in sight, Ace kept swimming. He wasn't hiding his devil fruit power anymore.

When they got to the shore, everyone was amazed with the island. Ace and Deuce both reeled up the harness and chains. Ace smelled the wood of other ships. They directed the ship to that area, finding docks made of crystal, but docks nonetheless. There were a handful of other ships there, but not many. Mihar offered to stay on the ship for now. They wanted Saber to be able to go off on the island for the first time.

The crystal wasn't hard to walk on, thankfully. They weren't slipping and sliding like clumsy idiots. Ace was amazed that everything seemed to be made of crystal, of all colors. The houses, supplies, everything. The six of them wandered around, taking in the sights. They found a stand selling crystal souvenirs. They were of all sorts of models.

Ace looked for dragons and was not disappointed. Dragons didn't actually exist besides Ace, but they were still fantasy creatures, alive or otherwise. He bought it, and then shocked the happy vendor when he ate it, which he did for the other ones bought. They continued on, and wondered where they got food from.

But they saw when they saw cows made of the same material as everything else. At this point, Ace was surprised the people weren't made of crystal either. The cows were eating crystal grass. "What is up with this place? How is this possible?" Saber asked in awe. Sabo laughed and said he'd be thinking that way for the rest of the journey.

The new member seemed so happy that Ace was very relieved. Once they arrived at a forest of crystal trees, Ace ventured inside without a second thought, his crew following after him. Ace would never want to live on this island. Too bright, not cozy or warm at all. Nothing was clear, but everything was too bright for his liking. He didn't really want to stay here anyways. But then he caught the scent of somebody familiar. He turned to Sabo and Deuce. "Isuka is here," he said simply. Sabo raised his brows and Deuce wondered if she'd improved at all.

Bree asked who Isuka was. "Some marine ensign that was trapped on a pirate ship was taken. That was at the very beginning of Paradise. We stole that marine book, but ended up giving it back and taking one from another marine base. She was pretty pitiful, I'm not gonna lie," Ace explained. "Let's go meet her. I want to see how much she's changed."

The others were a bit wary while Sabo and Deuce strode forward, following Ace closely until they came to the other shore. Well, they weren't really shores, just the edges of the islands. No sand, not even crumbled crystal, which would be like walking on glass. So, their shoes didn't crunch, they made noises as if they were walking on a hard tile floor.

"Yo. Long time no see," Ace said, Isuka not noticing them from behind. She turned and looked at them with narrowed eyes. Her hair was longer than before. She still had her old sword, though. "So, you're a pirate now, huh?"

She asked why he hid his identity. "Didn't want to cause trouble," Ace said simply. Then he added that it was too late to do anything about it now. She asked if he thought he was so big and bad for just having a high bounty. She was so much angrier now. Probably because she ended up as a pirate and not a marine like she wanted so much.

He shrugged. "I won't say I'm weak, but my crew is strong in ways others aren't. So I don't take all the credit." She scowled, and asked what he meant. "You'll find out if you ever go to the New World," he said with a cocky grin. Isuka's crew came over, all women but one man. Ace had expected something like that. She wasn't nearly as strong as the Pirate Empress, well formerly, and her crew were pretty average, too.

But she'd amassed quite a lot in a small amount of time. Well, she didn't seem to have any strength standards, as some were much stronger than others. Ace was picky with his crew. "So, what happened to being a marine? You hated pirates," Ace pointed out. He sat down, looking completely relaxed while the rest of his crew were on guard and standing. Well, Deuce and Sabo didn't look too nervous, but they were still standing.

"The marines wouldn't take me back after being captured," Isuka said. Ace said the marines did suck like that. But why become a pirate? "How else would I sail the sea without dying? If I just used a regular ship and crew, I'd be dead. So I'm a damn pirate now."

Ace commented, "Well, you sure don't seem enthusiastic." She scowled at him again. "You're welcome for me returning your book." She didn't thank him and he added, "Not that it mattered. We stole the same book from another base. So, thanks for letting us know that kind of thing exists."

She was not happy with Ace, and asked what he wanted. "Nothing. Just wanted to catch up with an old friend. But you're definitely not crybaby Isuka from last time. It's a nice change." One of the women threw a dagger at him, but he just covered his arm in armament haki. "That won't work." He picked up the dagger and threw it back, whizzing right past the woman's face and nicking her ear.

They were all on guard now. Ace stood and said, "Well, it was nice catching up. Don't die out there or you'll be an embarrassment to female pirates," Ace teased and left with his crew. Saber asked if he was always like that. "With enemies, yeah." Sabo recounted the time Ace had teased a marine about his dick size. The others started laughing, Ace, too.

Then he felt someone coming up from behind them. It looked like Ace pissed them off too much with the teasing. Isuka thrust her sword at Ace from behind, but it shattered against the armament haki he made on his back suddenly. She made a gasp/whimper noise. "You should be more careful with who you attack," he said coldly and swiftly pinned her to the hard ground.

He had his hand around her neck. "Next time you attack any of us, I will kill you," he said quietly. But more than loud enough for her to hear. She was shaking, as Ace had lost all sense of jolly or playfulness.

He got up off of her and walked back to where his crew was, slipping back into normal conversation. Saber was a bit shocked, never having seen this side of Ace before. But with the others seeming fine and not surprised, his uneasiness melted away fairly quickly. They went back into town to see if they could buy anything that wasn't made a crystal. Like edible food. How did they get anything from crystal cattle? And how the hell did that work? Maybe the whole island was vegetarian or something.

When they found a market shop, the six went in and looked for any edible food. They found no produce and no meat. Only fish and what looked like some sort of pineapple thing made of crystal that they had to ship away. Sabo curiously went to the clerk and asked how they functioned with so little variation of food.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion. Sabo frowned and said that all they had was crystal, so how did they eat it. She was still confused, and said that they all ate it. It was then that Ace noticed her behavior. She acted loopy, almost drugged out. He took the crystal pineapple and put his nose right against it to smell it.

He almost laughed. They were surrounded by some sort of drug. This wasn't rock at all. He took his crew outside, and they observed the other citizens. They were all looking a bit distracted. A bit oblivious. "I think they aren't crystals, but some sort of drug and the people are all high on it." The others snorted and Ace said they would find no food there. They should move on.

So, they left the city of high citizens, feeling thoroughly entertained, though still confused. Maybe the drug could be a substitute for food, as well. That was the only explanation. What a weird island that was. And a short one, too. There was nothing to do. Nothing. So they left to head to the next island. Their journey continued.

They passed a swarm of sea kings to the next island, switching to the log pose. Ace was able to disperse them by roaring and sending out powerful vibrations that made the ship shake over the ripples of water on the surface. They all dispersed. Ace was no longer pulling it, he just sensed them and acted preemptively.

Saber was afraid of the sea kings, which was understandable. They practiced learning haki with him, not everyone else able to help while they trained it themselves. It was during a break that Ace asked if Saber ever wanted a devil fruit. "I've thought about it. But I'm worried about drowning," he admitted. Ace said he had Ban, Ace and Deuce to save him. "Why do you ask?"

Ace grinned and recounted his discovery on the devil fruit island. "I snagged some and are keeping them. Wanna try? Deuce got a saltwater crocodile, the only other aquatic zoan, Mihar is able to turn himself into any solid substance, and Bree can turn into a griffin, which he doesn't like for some reason."

"It doesn't help me fight!" Bree argued from the crowsnest. Ace asked again if Saber wanted to try. The shipwright contemplated for a moment before giving and saying he'd try. Ace extracted all of the remaining devil fruits, which were sixteen. Saber was shocked with how many.

"There were tens of thousands on the island. But it was impossible to get through the obstacles unless it were me. Though Deuce could probably get in, too, now. Pick anyone you want. All of them will taste terrible," Ace explained. The crew gathered around, excited to see another random devil fruit.

The newest member chose one that looked like an apple, yellow with a purple stem. He looked at it for a good minute before he took a large bite and swallowed it. They all waited excitedly. Ace coached him in how to awaken it. They had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't for a sudden wind to slam into all of them, throwing them across the deck.

It stopped, but then it went up, making Saber's hat fly away until Deuce caught it. It made his hair blow upwards. Was this a logia? "Deuce, check if it's a logia without haki," Ace said, since Deuce was closest. He did as he was told and thrust his hand into Saber's gut, only for it to go right through.

"A wind or air logia? That's awesome!" Sabo exclaimed. "Two logias on one ship, to aquatics on this ship, and a mythical zoan?! We're a really strong crew, added with haki, too. Once we're trained more, we'll be unbeatable," the blonde said confidently. Saber was very happy with his fruit.

But Ace said, "There's always somebody that can beat you. After all, Kaido was beaten by a super rookie. Well, under another name and he's no longer a rookie, but still. Don't think you're invincible because you're a logia. Haki, remember?" Sabo deflated and was embarrassed. He got caught up in the moment too much. "It's not bad to think you're stronger than many others, but there's always somebody out there who can beat you." Ace then smiled and told them they should be cautious but not terrified.

Saber practiced with his fruit at the back of the ship, at the railing, so he didn't damage the ship or others. After being slammed into the cabin wall a few times he was tied around the waist to keep him safe and in place. Ace was proud, and glad he found that island. It was possible that there were many, many very strong devil fruits in there, cut off from the rest of the world completely.

And he was the first to discover it! And take some amazing fruits with him! He had such an assortment of things in his pouch. Devil fruits, massive amounts of money, important books, and other various things. The marine outfits were in a hall closet, so they weren't in the pouch anymore. But he kept the important books from the marines safe inside of him.

Saber was happy with his fruit, which Ace was glad of. He may be the only one on the crew now that couldn't use haki yet, but he did now have a powerful devil fruit. Ace wondered if he could fly with it. They should try that later, Ace of course swimming beneath him for his safety and reassurance.

The log pose led them to a normal looking island. It took a week to get there, where they just played games and trained. He was glad the crew enjoyed training a lot. They were addicted to progress. And with haki, they could see the progress and feel it as it went along. Ace went on more swims, sometimes coming across marine or pirate ships to destroy and take the treasure. He wasn't afraid of being spotted, and he felt so free.