Remnant's new ACE hunter
Chapter 7: Fighting, friendship, and a touch of underhanded dealings
"Talking."
Thinking.
ATTACK!
DISCLAIMER: I have no rights, nor will I ever, to either One Piece or RWBY.
"Pyrrha huh? You seem a little young to be here." Ace remarked.
"I could say the same thing about you." Pyrrha said as she looked over Ace. "By my guess you couldn't be older than fourteen."
"I'm actually thirteen." Ace clarified.
"Why so am I. Isn't that a coincidence?" Pyrrha said as she smiled. Having someone her age to talk to was a welcome change, especially when you consider the less than friendly treatment the other contestants had given her.
"Hope they're having fun over at the kiddy table." Both thirteen year olds heard someone remark. Pyrrha looked down self consciously while Ace stared at her in confusion.
"Why are they being such big jerks to us?" Ace asked the redhead in front of him.
"I suspect it has something to do with our young age." Pyrrha answered.
"Why does that matter?" Ace asked. The red eyed boy knew that age had nothing to do with combat prowess.
"I suppose that our fellow combatants believe we don't deserve to be here." Pyrrha said as she gave the other tables a quick glance.
"That's stupid. We earned our positions just like them." Ace remarked as he turned around and looked at the other tables.
"They don't see it that way." Pyrrha said.
"Don't worry, they will. So, where ya from?" Ace asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Here in Mistral. You?" Pyrrha asked.
"An island called Patch over in Vale." Ace answered. "I go to Signal academy there."
"I go to Sanctum." Pyrrha conversationally said. "I'm currently at the top of my class."
"Neat, I'm the best student in the whole academy." Ace nonchalantly said.
"You must be fairly strong then." Pyrrha said. It wasn't very hard for her to believe that Ace was the best student at his academy. He had to be pretty good to have been considered for the Mistral tournament.
"I do my best." Ace said with a shrug of his shoulders. "When did you have your aura unlocked?" Ace asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.
"Sanctum doesn't unlock your aura until you're twelve years old, but mine was unlocked when I was eight." Pyrrha said. Ace briefly thought back to Signal and how you had to be thirteen to have your aura unlocked.
"Mine was unlocked when I was seven. I guess we're more similar than I thought. Listen, I get the feeling that neither one of us is going to able to make friends with the other competitors. Do you wanna be friends and hang out with me?" Ace asked. It would have been rather boring to have to sit alone waiting for a match.
"Well that sounds grand." Pyrrha responded as she smiled at the red eyed boy. "So, when do you have your match?" The combat prodigy asked. Ace looked up at the brackets that wwere posted on a big screen.
"Looks like it'll be my turn next. Shouldn't be too hard." Ace said, unaware of the negative reaction he got from the older combatants.
"Freckle face over there is pretty confidant isn't he?" A random voice asked. Ace sat there smiling, oblivious to all the enemies he had just made.
"That's a rather unique hat you have there." Pyrrha said as she tried to change the subject. "I like the smiley and frowny faces." The redhead complimented.
"Yeah, it's my pride and joy." Ace said as he touched the rim of his precious hat.
"I noticed that you have two firearms strapped to your back. Are you primarily a ranged fighter?" Pyrrha asked. Sure she could just watch Ace's next match and find out that way, but she wanted to see just how much information Ace was willing to give away.
"I'm more of a close to mid-range kind of guy. These guns are actually sheathes for a couple of swords." Ace replied. "That's about all I'm willing to tell you. Can't give away too many secrets can I?" Ace said.
"No, of course not. I wouldn't expect you to explain all your strengths and weaknesses to a potential opponent." Pyrrha replied. "I guess it's only fair that I tell you that I use a shield and spear."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there's more to your weapon than that." Before they could continue talking, cheering was heard as the current match ended. The victorious combatant walked into the waiting room as the loser left through some other exit. He didn't have any reason to be there anymore.
"Looks like it's your turn." Pyrrha observed.
"Yep, see you after I win my match." Ace said as he got up and made his way down the hall that led to the arena. He exited to find a massive stadium filled with thousands of people. Though Ace couldn't see them, Taiyang, Yang, Ruby, and even Qrow were all sitting in the one of the first rows. Because they were related to a contestant, they got better seats. In the middle of the stadium was the arena Ace would fight on. Ace wasn't intimidated by the noise or the sheer number of people. There had been much more of both at Marineford. The red eyed boy calmly walked onto the arena where his opponent was already waiting for him.
Ace's opponent was a male around seventeen years of age and an absolute giant. Ace guessed that he was just a couple inches shy of seven feet even. The giant had light brown hair in a crew cut along with brown eyes. He was light skinned. He was currently wearing a metal chestplate over a light red shirt. One arm was covered in armor while the other was bare. He was wearing black cargo pants along with black combat boots.
"And your name is?" Ace asked.
"Arturo, not that it'll do you much good." The now named Arturo said. "Better back out now before you get hurt." The giant said.
"And miss all the fun?" Ace replied with a cocky smile. Arturo frowned in annoyance but said nothing more. A holographic screen appeared out of nowhere and started cycling through various terrains.
"That's new." Ace said to himself as he stared at the screen. The screen finally landed on a snow storm. The arena around them sunk down into the floor, only to be replaced by a terrain of ice and rock. Storm clouds formed overhead, and, within seconds, a blizzard had started raging. Because of the blizzard, the audience couldn't see what was going on in the arena. This wasn't a problem though, as the tournament had special cameras that fed video to a giant screen above the arena. Through this, they were able to see Ace and Arturo each standing in the raging snowstorm. Ace gave the snowstorm a bored look.
"it's gonna be pretty hard to see through this." Ace told himself. The cold didn't bother him at all. Even without his logia body, Ace would stay warm no matter what. He was practically immune to cold. The same couldn't be said for Arturo. The young man had grown up in Vacuo, which is a lot of desert. He had only seen snow once in his life.
"I'll just have to be quick about beating the kid." Arturo told himself. He heard the announcers counting down. Once the match had officially begun, the teenager pulled out a battle axe nearly as big as he was. He clicked a button and the axe promptly turned into a generic assault rifle, the axe head serving as the bayonet. Arturo rushed headlong into the snow storm, rifle at the ready. He didn't have to search long for Ace. The arena wasn't that big. The giant teenager crouched behind a rocky outcropping as he observed the younger male aimlessly walk around the area. Arturo had to hold down a laugh as he saw Ace walk right past his position. His hiding position, coupled with the raging blizzard, made it very hard to see readied his rifle and aimed right at Ace's head. Arturo pressed the trigger and multiple cracks were heard as a barrage of rifle ammo went speeding at Ace.
"Where the Hell is this gu-" Ace froze as he heard the gunshots. Something strange happened then. It was hard to describe, but Ace could sense Arturo behind his hiding place.. He saw where the bullets would hit him before they got anywhere near him. It was like he could see the future.
In less than a second Ace tilted his head as a bullet went flying by him. He shifted to the right a centimeter before ducking a few spaces. Bullets went flying past Ace as he dodged each one of them, all while facing away from Arturo. He turned his body a little, he slid to the left, he crouched low to the ground, and he jumped high into the air. Bullets went sailing past Ace as he dodged in mid air. Arturo ended up emptying out his entire clip trying to shoot down Ace. He growled in frustration as the younger male landed completely unscathed. Ace couldn't see it, but the entire stadium was speechless at what had just occurred. Even the announcers didn't know what to say.
"Damn." Qrow said, pretty much summing up the feelings of the audience. In the combatants room, everyone was dumbfounded. Because it was Ace fighting, most of the other fighters were watching his match to see if the kid was actually any good. Pyrrha looked at the screen with wide, astounded eyes. If there was any doubt about his right to participate, it was all gone now. The redhead watched the screen as Ace seemed to be talking to Arturo.
"You missed." Ace taunted. Arturo growled as he stepped out of his hiding spot and changed his rifle into an axe again. Though the red eyed boy was caught off guard by what he had done, he quickly realized what had happened. Ace had just activated his KENBUNSHOKU HAKI.
"Smug punk." Arturo said through clenched teeth. He charged and swung his axe at Ace. The thirteen year old responded by ducking and shooting a bullet at Arturo's stomach. The older teenager was sent flying into a nearby boulder. Arturo got back up and jumped high into the air, intent of using his downwards momentum to strike a deadly blow against Ace.
Now, the former pirate could have done a few things at that point. He could have shot Arturo right out of the air. He could have jumped and kicked Arturo out of bounds. He could have dodged the clumsy attack. Instead, Ace decided to flaunt his power a little. He strapped his guns and unsheathed his swords. He raised them in an X shape as he prepared to catch Arturo's attack. He didn't have to wait long as Arturo came speeding down on him. A massive shockwave was sent flying outwards as swords met axe. The shockwave actually dispersed the storm and blizzard, leaving everything clear as day. A crater was formed under Ace from the sheer force of the blow.
"That all you got?" Ace asked, a wide grin visible on his face. Arturo was absolutely shocked to see that, not only had Ace endured his attack, but that he hadn't faltered in the slightest. While Arturo's arms were trembling from trying to overpower the thirteen year old, Ace's arms weren't shaking even a little. It was clear who was the stronger of the two. The scene was actually kind of funny. Ace was much smaller than Arturo, yet it was the giant struggling to overpower Ace.
"I'm gonna win now." Ace informed Arturo. The former pirate thrust upwards with his swords, causing Arturo to stumble backwards. Ace jumped as he kicked Arturo in the chin, sending the older boy skywards. He hit the force field moments later, causing his defeat.
"And the winner by knockout, Portgas D. Ace!" One of the announcers… announced. The crowd cheered again for the thirteen year old with amazing abilities. Ace adopted a silly grin and waved at the crowd. He continued waving as he got off the arena and made his way towards the combatants waiting area. Every eye was focused on him as he entered. Ace either didn't notice or didn't care as he made his way to where Pyrrha was sitting. The redhead stared at Ace in admiration and awe. The red eyed boy stared at Pyrrha in confusion.
"Why're you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?" Ace asked as he wiped his face with his arm.
"Ace that was incredible!" Pyrrha said. "The way you dodged those bullets and withstood that attack was amazing." Pyrrha said, her face adopting an excited look.
"He was kind of a lousy shot." Ace replied with false modesty. In reality, Ace wasn't sure if he could activate his KENBUNSHOKU HAKI again if he tried. That wasn't a problem though. Unlike his HAOUSHOKU HAKI, Ace could train his KENBUNSHOKU HAKI without worrying about knocking out anyone around him.
Hang on, I've got HAOSHOKU and observation HAKI. Does this mean i also have BUSOSHOKU HAKI? Ace thought to himself. He had a lot of work to do once he got home.
"Ace, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Pyrrha suddenly asked.
"Sure, go ahead."
"Why are you still at Signal? With your kind of skills, you could get into places like Beacon or Haven easily." Pyrrha asked. This question caught Ace a little off guard. Why wasn't he at places like Beacon? If he really wanted to, he could probably get into Beacon early. So, why was he still at Signal?
"You're right, I could get into Beacon if I wanted to." Ace admitted.
"Then why are you still at Signal, if you don't mind me asking?" Pyrrha said, being her usual polite self.
"Yang." Ace said.
"Pardon?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yang is one of my oldest friends. She and I are pretty close. We're the same age, which means we're in the same year. If I were to go to Beacon now, I would be going without Yang. That's something I don't really want." Ace explained. "When I go to Beacon, I want to make sure Yang is right there with me." Ace finished. Pyrrha found herself smiling at Ace's explanation.
"That's very sweet of you Ace." Pyrrha honestly said. "I would really like to meet Yang in the future."
"She's here watching the tournament if you want to see her later." Ace offered. Before Pyrrha could give a reply, the current match ended. Both kids glanced up and saw that Pyrrha was next to fight.
"I'm sorry Ace, but I have to go now." Pyrrha said as she gathered her gear.
"Make sure to win." Ace said as he watched Pyrrha walk down the hallway that led to the arena. Outside, the crowd was excited to see another young contestant, having been hyped up by Ace's match.
"That girl looks like she's my age." Yang observed while she watched Pyrrha wave to the crowd, a shy smile visible on the redhead's face.
"She probably is." Ruby said as she stood on the lower bar of the handrail. "Wonder if she and Ace know each other." Ruby said out loud, not really expecting an answer.
"They do now." Qrow said. "They're the only thirteen year olds in the tournament, I checked. The next youngest contestant is sixteen, so they're on their own in there. If I know teenagers, which I do, the other people probably didn't like that Ace and Pyrrha were admitted into the tournament." Qrow paused as a mischievous thought entered his mind.
"They were practically destined to meet one another. Ace and Pyrrha, two of a kind, trusting only each other in a combat tournament. Makes for a pretty good love story." Qrow said as he gave a smug smirk. He looked over at Yang, who was now looking at Pyrrha with narrowed eyes.
I am never going to let this up. Qrow thought to himself as he watched Yang regard a potential rival for Ace's affection, though Yang didn't know yet that she wanted Ace's affection.
Pyrrha's match came and went, the redhead winning with ease. Both she and Ace had one more match before the day was over. Obviously, they won their second matches. For the rest of the day all anyone could talk about was the girl who was untouchable and the boy who never tired. Both thirteen year olds were currently standing in the combatants room, getting ready to leave.
"So, you wanna come and meet my family?" Ace asked as he checked Straw and Spade for any damages.
"I'm sorry but I can't. I need to go see my own mother." Pyrrha replied as she strapped her shield and spear to her back. "If you want, we could get together tomorrow." Pyrrha offered. She really did enjoy spending time with Ace.
"Sounds good. Got a Scroll?" Ace asked as he pulled out his. Pyrrha nodded and they exchanged contact information.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye Ace." Pyrrha said as she turned and walked out of the room.
"Bye Pyrrha." Ace said before walking down another corridor. Upon exiting he found Ruby and company waiting for him. He smiled and waved at them.
"Did you guys like my matches?" Ace asked.
"You're a huge show off you know that?" Qrow said, referencing Ace's match with Arturo.
"The people wanted a show and I gave them one." Ace said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Did you get to know the Pyrrha girl?" Ruby asked.
"Yep. I got her number and we're going to get together tomorrow." Ace said while bringing out his scroll. Yang darkly gazed at the communications device in Ace's hand while Qrow gazed at Yang's angry face in amusement. They make this way too easy, Qrow thought to himself.
"When do we get to meet her?" Taiyang asked.
"Maybe tomorrow. Right now I want to go to the hotel and get something to eat." Ace said as he made his way to the exit.
… The Next Day…
Ace walked through the stadium entrance and saw that Pyrrha was already waiting for him. The redhead waved toward him when she saw that he had arrived.
"Is your family not going to join us?" Pyrrha asked.
"No, they were dragged off by Ruby to a weapons museum." Ace said. "It kind of sucks. Yang really wanted to come. I mean really wanted to come. Ruby eventually had to use the 'Sisters stick together,' and 'Puppy dog face,' cards to get Yang to go." The freckled boy said. Pyrrha nodded in understanding.
"Where's your mom?" Ace asked. He could have sworn he heard Pyrrha say her mom was also here.
"Unfortunately my mother is at a meeting with the Mistral Council." Pyrrha said.
"Sounds important." Ace said, deliberately not trying to get more information. "So it's just us for today?" Ace asked.
"It would seem so." Pyrrha observed. She briefly thought back to what her mother had told her about not "dating." This isn't a date though, s no problem there, Pyrrha thought to herself.
"Alright." Ace simply replied. He didn't see any problem with spending time alone with Pyrrha.
"So, what would you like to do?" Pyrrha asked her new friend.
"You're from Mistral right?" Ace asked. Pyrrha nodded in confirmation. "Why don't you show me around? See the sights?"
"Alright, that sounds like fun. Have you been to the Mistral Gardens?" Pyrrha asked.
"Nope." Ace said, popping the "p."
"Would you like to go? It's very beautiful this time of year." Pyrrha offered.
"Lead away." Ace said. Pyrrha beckoned for him to follow her. They walked through downtown Mistral, enjoying each other's company.
"You killed a Beowolf at age six?" Pyrrha asked, clearly impressed.
"It was a small one. Plus it cracked a few of my ribs while I was killing it." Ace said as his hand subconsciously rubbed his side.
"I must say Ace, you seem to have led a very interesting life." Pyrrha complimented.
"You'd be surprised by what I consider 'interesting.'" Ace said. What he had been through could be considered incredible by Remnant's standards, but back in his old world it would have just been another day in the life of a pirate.
"it's more interesting than mine." Pyrrha said as he expression saddened a little. "All my life has been training to be the best. Moments like these, where I can relax and have fun, are few and far in between. I guess all that training has been worth it though. I mean, look at me." Pyrrha said. "I'm in a tournament full of much older students and I haven't even been challenged yet." The red haired prodigy said, forced enthusiasm evident in her voice. Ace looked down, unsure of how to respond. The truth was, whenever conversations took a serious note like now, Ace struggled to find the appropriate words. He wasn't good with serious conversations. Luckily, he wouldn't have to say anything.
"We're here." Pyrrha said as she gestured to an enormous greenhouse. "Shall we?" The green eyed girl asked.
"Let's go." Ace said as he led the way into the gardens. Ace entered and looked in awe at the sheer diversity that greeted him. There was plant life of all manner coexisting here.
"Wow." Ace said, summing up his first impression in one word. Pyrrha giggled at Ace's amazed face.
"You like it? The Mistral Gardens is famous for having plant life from all four kingdoms under one roof. Plant life from the snow flowers of Atlas to the giant trees of the Mistral swamps and everything in between all coexist here." Pyrrha said as she walked to a field of lotus flowers and admired them. Ace felt wave after wave of nostalgia hit him. When he had been a pirate, he had visited a multitude of islands that had the strangest assortment of botanical wonders. Seeing the Mistral Gardens reminded so much of those islands.
"You have no idea how much I like it, Pyrrha." Ace said as he let out a small laugh. Ace and Pyrrha walked through the gardens, admiring the various fauna they came upon.
"What's that?" Ace asked as he pointed to a strange looking plant.
"That is a rare tree from Vacuo. See the way it looks like two horns? That's why we call it a devil tree. The fruit that comes from the tree is called devil fruit." Pyrrha said. For a fleeting moment, Ace thought he could give Yang and Ruby devil fruit powers. He saw a vision of his own pirate crew. That vision came crashing down when Ace saw that the fruit was just regular looking apples.
"It was too good to be true." Ace muttered.
"Pardon?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's nothing. Anything else Mistral has to offer?" Ace asked.
"Well, there is the Mistral Tower. You can see the whole city from up there." Pyrrha offered.
… 15 Minutes Later, The Mistral Tower…
"I can see the stadium from here!" Ace exclaimed as he looked through a pair of binoculars the Mistral Tower provides for anyone who wants one. The stadium was filled to the brim with people. If Ace strained hard enough, he see the faint outline of the two people currently fighting.
"Speaking of staduim, your match begins soon. Ace. Maybe we should start heading back to the arena?" Pyrrha suggested.
"Wow, I lost track of time." Ace said as he glanced at his wrist watch. He and Pyrrha quickly made their way back to the arena. When they entered the combatants area, they saw that there were a lot less people than yesterday.
"People are getting eliminated at a fast rate." Ace observed. He gazed at the leader boards and saw that they were getting very close to the finals. He just had two more matches to go before he would qualify for the finals. He looked at the other side of the board and saw that Pyrrha was in the same position as well.
"By this time tomorrow the tournament will have started its final match." Pyrrha said as they found an empty table and sat down.
"You mean we'll be fighting each other?" Ace joked. Pyrrha didn't answer as she gazed at the screen on the wall, which had the current match going on on it.
"I wouldn't jump to conclusions so soon Ace. These finalists look very skilled." Pyrrha observed. Ace laughed in response.
"If we aren't fighting each other in the finals, then I'll wear a dress." Ace said, humor very evident in his voice. Ace looked at the screen and saw that one contestant had won the match.
"Guess it's my turn. See you after I win." Ace said as he got up and made his way towards the arena. He exited and was greeted by the usual cacophony of cheering that assaulted every contestant. The red eyed boy walked to the middle of the arena where his opponent was already waiting.
"I know you." Ace said as he looked over his opponent. "Serena!?" Ace asked in disbelief. The leopard faunus smiled and waved at Ace.
"Long time no see Ace." Serena said as she gave her old friend a lopsided grin.
"I haven't seen you since you left Patch. Where'd you go anyways?" Ace asked. Serena had left at the end of Ace's second year. She didn't give any warning. One day she was here, the next she was gone.
"I moved to Vacuo. The people there are nice enough, though they can be a little annoying." Serena said.
"Annoying?" Ace asked in amusement.
"Yeah, this one monkey faunus about your age won't leave me alone no matter how many times I ask him to." Serena said. Seeing that they were done with their pre-fight conversation, the announcers signaled for the start of the match.
3…
2…
1…
"Fight!" The announcer yelled into the microphone. Ace and Serena jumped back to gain some distance. Serena let her clawed gauntlets slip out of her sleeves while Ace pulled out Straw and Spade.
"You finally have weapons. Hope you know how to use them." Serena said as she crouched and prepared to attack. Ace grinned in response. Without warning the red eyed boy started firing a barrage of ammo at the leopard faunus. Serena dodged each bullet while steadily making her way closer to Ace. The freckled boy put Straw back in its holster and pulled out the sword sheathed in the gun. He ran at Serena and fired Spade a few more times. Serena raised her gauntlets to block the bullets and found herself skidding back slightly from the power each bullet had. Ace slashed with his sword, intent on striking Sarina on her shoulder. The leopard faunus caught the blade with one of her gauntlets and tried to rake her claws through Ace's face.
The former pirate quickly raised Spade and shot at the underside of Serena's gauntlet, causing the trajectory of the attack to move upwards. Serena struck air as her gauntlet had risen too high to hit Ace. The red eyed boy brought Spade level with Serena's face and prepared to fire a round. Serena thought quickly. She let go of Ace's sword and covered the barrel with her gauntlet. Ace fired and the bullet was caught by Serena. The leopard faunus frowned when she felt her hand go numb. Ace quickly stabbed Serena's midsection with his newly freed sword. Serena jumped over Ace to avoid the blow, kneeing Ace's face in the process. The red eyed boy quickly recovered and launched a spinning kick at Serena. The leopard faunus raised her gauntlet to block, but was not ready for the amount of strength behind the blow.
Serena went skidding across the ground, eventually coming to a stop. Ace sheathed his sword back in Straw and jumped high into the air. He then used Straw and Spade to fire round after round at Serena's downed form. When he was right above Serena, Ace turned and shot his guns straight into the air. The recoil sent him rocketing down towards the arena floor. Ace raised his foot, intent on ending the fight right then and there. To his surprise, Serena had recovered faster than he thought. She moved out of the way just as Ace's foot connected with the arena floor. The entire arena floor shook and cracked under the force of the blow. Before Ace could react, Serena was already in front of him. She landed a plethora of slashes at Ace's mid-section before kicking him a few meters away.
"You've improved." Ace complimented as wiped some dust off of his shirt. The red eyed boy was not tired at all while Serena was starting to breathe a little heavier than usual. The leopard faunus didn't respond. Instead she brandished her gauntlets and charged at Ace. The former pirate took out both his swords and went to meet Serena's charge. Sword strikes and claw slashes met in an intense flurry of sparks and motion. Ace parried every claw strike Serena sent at him with relative easy. He saw a brief opening and kneed Serena in her stomach. The leopard faunus grit her teeth and gouged Ace's face with her claws. The former pirate stumbled back while gripping his face in pain. When he loosened his grip he saw multiple Serenas staring back at him.
"Deja vu." Ace muttered, amusement clear in his voice. Now would be a good time for KENBUNSHOKU HAKI, Ace thought to himself. He tried to activate it, but failed.
"Guess it's time for plan B." Ace said as he reached into one of his pockets and took out two dust cartridges. He inserted one into each sword hilt, and grinned when he saw the blades start to shimmer with heat. Without any warning Ace charged the group of Serenas. Both swords were engulfed in flames as Ace raised them over his left shoulder. He swung his swords downwards, sending two blades of flame at the mirages. The flame blades cut through the mirages with ease, quickly finding their target of the real Serena. The leopard faunus jumped over the blades, but was not prepared when Ace suddenly appeared in front of her.
"I win," Ace said with a smirk. He pointed the gun forms of Straw and Spade at Serena and fired. The leopard faunus went soaring out of bounds, quickly hitting the floor with a small thud. The recoil from firing his guns in midair caused Ace to crash into the center of the arena. The red eyed boy quickly got up, not at all harmed by the fall. As the announcer announced the winner, Ace rushed to Serena's side, intent on helping her up. He extended his hand, which the leopard faunus gladly took.
"I think I liked you better when you didn't have a weapon." Serena said as she retracted her clawed gauntlets.
"Makes things a lot easier for me, doesn't it?" Ace said.
"You know, I was actually hoping to win a tournament for once. I would've too if you hadn't participated." Serena ruefully said.
"You would have still lost against Pyrrha." Ace stated with certainty. Serena was slightly surprised by how confident Ace sounded when he mentioned Pyrrha.
"Is she that good?" Serena asked in curiosity. Sure, she had seen Pyrrha's matches, but Serena didn't think Pyrrha was that remarkable.
"Yep. I can't wait to fight her." Ace said as he and Serena made their way back to the combatants waiting area. "What're you gonna do now that you lost?" Ace asked.
"I don't have a reason for sticking around anymore, so I'll probably head back to Vacuo. Gimme your scroll Ace." Serena said. Ace complied and handed her his scroll. She fiddled with it for a few seconds before giving it back. Ace looked down and saw that he now had Serena's number.
"Gimme a call if you're ever in Vacuo. It was great seeing you again Ace." Serena said while affectionately patting Ace's head. To Serena's surprise, she had to reach up slightly to pat. Guess he isn't as much a kid anymore, Serena thought to herself as she walked away, leaving Ace to sit with Pyrrha. The green eyed prodigy had seen the entire encounter between Serena and Ace.
"Ace, do you know her?" Pyrrha asked as she looked at Serena's retreating form.
"She's an old friend of mine who used to go to Signal." Ace said. Pyrrha nodded in understanding. The thirteen year olds sat in comfortable silence, watching the ongoing match. While he acknowledged that the combatants were good, Ace was confident he could defeat either of them. He was confident he could defeat everyone here, Pyrrha included. He smiled when he saw the current match end.
"I have to go fight now, Ace. Wish me luck." Pyrrha said as she picked up her sword and shield and made her way to the arena. Ace relaxed while he watched Pyrrha fight. It was almost magical the way her opponent couldn't hit her. The way she seamlessly transitioned through her weapon forms was spectacular, to say the least. Her shield work was as close to perfect as you could get. If there was anyone in this tournament who stood the best chance against Ace, it was Pyrrha. The girl prodigy won her match without receiving a scratch. In his final match of the day, Ace faced a fairly unremarkable dog faunus. Although he was good enough to make it to the semifinals, he still lost rather easily to Ace. Pyrrha faced her opponent and won, though this was not much of a surprise to anyone.
"Admit it." Ace told Pyrrha. They were the only ones left in the combatants area.
"Admit what?" Pyrrha asked in confusion.
"That I was right. We're going to be fighting each other in the finals." Ace said as he pointed at the leaderboards.
"You were right Ace." Pyrrha said, a small smile on her face. "I'm sorry for questioning your views."
"It's okay Pyrrha, just don't ever doubt me again." Ace jokingly said. Both his and Pyrrha's scrolls vibrated simultaneously at that moment. The thirteen year olds checked their scrolls.
"I have to go." Pyrrha said upon reading the message sent to her by her mother.
"Same." Ace said. He had been sent a message by Yang telling him to hurry up.
"I suppose I'll see you tomorrow in the arena?" Pyrrha asked.
"Count on it." Ace said as he smiled at his fellow finalist. They bid each other goodbye before leaving through separate exits. Pyrrha found her mother waiting for her.
"Hello mother. Did you like my matches?" Pyrrha asked, a smile visible on her face. Her mother smiled while bringing Pyrrha in for a motherly hug.
"Of course. You've made me very proud, Pyrrha. Don't let these victories go to your head, though. You still have to fight that Ace boy, and I can already tell you it won't be easy." Pyrrha's mother said as she led Pyrrha away from the stadium. "As long as you use your semblance discreetly, I believe you can best Ace. Speaking of, is that the same Ace you spent the morning with?" The mother asked.
"Yes, that is the same boy." Pyrrha answered, not sure where her mother was going with this,
"I thought I told you no dating." Mother said, causing Pyrrha to blush slightly.
"It wasn't a date mother. I was just showing him some of Mistral's famous landmarks." Pyrrha defended.
"DId you take him to the Mistral Gardens?" Mother asked, a small smile on her face.
"Yes, why?"
"That is where your father took me on our first date." Mother said. Pyrrha's blush grew deeper.
"Ace and I are just friends, mother. Nothing more." Pyrrha adamantly said, her blush still not receding.
"Very well Pyrrha. I believe you." Her mother said. Pyrrha sighed in relief, glad that her mother was going to drop the subject. She didn't see the slightly mischievous smile on her face. "Although, having such a talented individual as a son-in-law wouldn't be such a crime." Mother jokingly said. Pyrrha stumbled when her mother said that. Her face grew to be the same color of her hair as she regained her balance.
"I barely know him! It's far too early to think of marriage! That doesn't even matter because we are just friends!" Pyrrha sputtered as she lightly glared at her mother. The older woman chuckled, amused by her daughter's reaction. Little did they know, Ace was going through a very similar conversation.
"Qrow, stop it." Taiyang said as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"I'm just saying, having Pyrrha together with Ace wouldn't be such a bad thing." Qrow said.
"But we're just friends." Ace said, though he was largely ignored. Yang didn't bother talking. She had no desire to see this conversation go on for any longer.
"Qrow…" Taiyang threateningly said. Qrow raised his hands up in mock surrender.
"Hey man, it was just an idea." Qrow said.
"A really bad one." Yang muttered. She didn't see Qrow smirking at her response. Ruby, being the innocent eleven year old she is, didn't understand what Qrow meant by "Pyrrha together with Ace."
"What's the big deal? They'll just be near each other." Ruby asked. She suddenly grew excited. "You should get together with Pyrrha Ace, and let me come! That way I can get a closer look at her weapon!" Ruby said while tugging on Ace's arm. Yang sighed in annoyance and irritation. This conversation was really starting to tick her off.
"Ruby, Qrow doesn't mean together like standing next to each other. He means 'together, together.'" Yang said. Ruby paused to process what her sister said before realizing what Qrow had meant.
"Ooh." Ruby said in realization. "Gross." Ruby muttered as she let Ace's arm go.
"With that, we are officially dropping this topic." Taiyang announced. Yang silently thanked her father. The only thing that irked her more than the conversation was that she didn't know why it irked her so much. No matter how many times she asked herself this, Yang always came up empty in terms of answers.
"You're no fun," Qrow grumbled, "So what d'ya think Ace? You gonna be able to beat Pyrrha?" Qrow asked.
"Probably. She's better than anyone I've ever fought, but it's nothing I can't handle." Ace confidently said. "It would've been harder if I didn't have any weapons, but now I have Straw and Spade." Ace said as he patted his firearms.
"We'll be rooting for you Ace." Taiyang said as he patted Ace on the shoulder. The red eyed boy chuckled as he placed his hands behind his head.
… Beacon Academy…
"Young Ace has surpassed my expectations yet again." Ozpin said as he watched footage of the Mistral Tournament. "Unfortunately, this means we will most likely not be seeing his otherworldly abilities." Ozpin said before taking a sip of coffee.
"Does this mean?" Glynda asked in slight apprehension.
"It appears so, Glynda. I am going to have to personally test his abilities." Ozpin said as he gravely drank the rest of his coffee.
"That is complete bullshit." A new voice suddenly said. Ozpin was so surprised that he choked on his coffee. Laughter could be heard as Ozpin coughed up the caffeinated liquid.
"Did you forget I'm here too?" Qrow asked as his face appeared in the top right corner of Ozpin's screen. "What's this about you wanting to fight Ace?" Qrow asked, his amused tone turning serious.
"We have been wanting to witness Ace's pyrokinetic abilities for a long time, but every plan put in place has yielded negative results. As such, the only option left is for me to test his abilities personally." Ozpin said.
"That sounds like a bad idea." Qrow said.
"It is the only option left, Qrow. I have put Ace in advanced classes and even got him a spot in the Mistral Tournament, yet he still has yet to resort to his otherworldly abilities. Believe me Qrow, if there were another option, I would have thought of it." Ozpin said as he stared into his empty coffee mug.
"Why don't I fight him?" Qrow said, boredom clear in his tone.
"... what?" Ozpin asked in surprise.
"Why don't I fight him? Wouldn't be much easier if I just asked him for a spar, then asked him to use his fire? He'd be much more comfortable fighting me than you, anyway." Qrow said. Ozpin was silent for a few seconds.
"I hadn't thought of that." Ozpin admitted. His cheeks were the slightest tint of red because of the embarrassment he felt. Here was a thirty something year old alcoholic who had managed to solve his problem in less than a few seconds. Now that Ozpin thought about it, what he was ready to do was madness. He was going to attack a child for godsakes!
"Yeah, I know." Qrow said as he took out his ever present flask and drank its contents. "So we good on me sparring with Ace?" Qrow asked after he had drained the alcohol from his flask.
"Yes, and make sure to record it." Ozpin said, quickly recovering from his embarrassment.
"Will do, I'm out." Qrow said as he got ready to cut the connection.
"Wait." Ozpin commanded.
"What?" Qrow asked.
"... good job Qrow. Without you I may have committed a huge mistake. Thank you." Ozpin said, not looking directly at Qrow. The alcoholic hunter grew uncomfortable, not used to being praised by Ozpin.
"Yeah… well… it's part of my job. I'll get you that footage when I get home to Patch." Qrow said before cutting the connection. Ozpin sat back in his chair and smiled.
"Are you not going to attack Ace?" Glynda asked, hope very clear in her voice.
"No Glynda, I'll be leaving Ace alone for the time being." Ozpin said.
… Elsewhere…
The Mistral Regional Tournament is an event surpassed in acclaim only by the Vytal Festival itself. It is a chance for the new generations of huntsmen and huntresses to show off their skill in intense one on one battles. It is a time of camaraderie, of joy, of pride, and of celebration. However, it is still a sporting event. As such, it is subject to the same less noble practices used in other sports. A prime example is betting. Now, betting itself is not a grave sin or anything like that. People good naturedly bet all the time, and no one gets hurt.
However, there are bets with stakes so high that no one wants to lose. These are the kind of bets that get people hurt. One such example was soon to begin.
"Raymond!" A man called out from his office. He had the look of a typical gangster, the classy kind, not the kind who wear bandanas and sag their pants. He was intently watching a screen. On the top right corner was the latest leaderboards from the tournament, but most of the screen was filled by a recording of Ace's latest fight. A man walked in, followed by several other underlings.
"Yeah boss?" Raymond asked.
"How have you enjoyed the Mistral Tournament so far?" Boss man asked.
"It's been pretty entertaining. That Ace kid is someone I've never heard of before." Raymond answered.
"I've never heard of him either, which is the problem. You may not know this about me Raymond, but I carefully research the students who will be fighting. That's how I've made so much money from betting on the tournament. When I saw Pyrrha, well let's just say I also saw Lien by the truckload. No one would bet on a thirteen year old to win." Boss man paused to drink from the glass on his desk.
"After seeing her fight, I knew our little champion Pyrrha would win the tournament. What I didn't know is that some nobody from an island called Patch would show up and obliterate each of his opponents. Suddenly, it seems like Pyrrha doesn't have as good a chance at winning anymore." Boss man paused to collect his thoughts.
"I have a lot of money riding on this match. I need you boys to make sure this Ace kid loses against our little champion." Boss man said before finishing the rest of the liquid in his glass.
"What do you want us to do to the kid?" One of the goons in front of him asked.
"Don't attack him. We don't want any visible injuries. Just slip this into his food." Boss man said as he got out a vial of mystery substance from his desk. "Trust me, when the kid gets some of this, he'll be lucky to even see straight."
"How do we get it into his food?" Another goon asked.
"That's for you to find out." Boss man said as he handed Raymond the vial. "I am not exaggerating when I say that the amount of Lien riding on this match could set you for life, Raymond. If you fail, you won't live to see the next sunrise." Boss man threateningly said. Raymond got the point, and quickly left. He was followed by his cronies.
They had a job to do, and failing would mean death for all of them.
A/N: Hello everybody and welcome to the latest update! This was meant more to build up to the next one, where things get a little more intense. I did manage to throw a couple fights in there, and even brought back Serena the leopard faunus. Yay for me.
On a separate note, there was some Haki involved this update. I always found it strange that Ace never used Haki in the manga. I mean, he had to have had some to get him so high up in the whitebeard pirates. Armament Haki I kinda get. With his devil fruit, why would Ace ever need it? Observers Haki, on the other hand, seems like something he should have been using. Either way, he's gonna get Haki in this story.
On a related note, I would like to point out that Ace hasn't used his HAOSHOKU HAKI since the day he got his memories back. Why, you may ask? It's kind of hard to train an ability meant to knock out people when you're surrounded by people you care about. Ace doesn't want to risk hurting Ruby and Yang. Sure he could just go far out into the woods, but that's kind of impractical as he would have to return every night. The bright side is that this won't be a problem with observers and armament Haki as they pose no risk to those around Ace. While his conquerors control is gonna be complete shit for awhile, he will get fairly acquainted with his other Haki.
For those of you who thought Ozpin was going to duke it out with Ace, it's not going to happen. At least not yet. Ozpin would have gone a little overboard if he had gone to attack Ace. It would not have ended well, I can tell you that much. Qrow, being the beautiful bastard he is, came up with a far better solution. Ozpin gets to see Ace's fire, Ace gets to fight someone with his logia powers, and Qrow made Ozpin look like an idiot.
Everyone wins!
There really isn't much more for me to say about this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
I'll see you all next update.
Until then.
Next chapter sneak peak:
"Remember, just a few drops. Anymore and the kid might not live to fight." Raymond told his lackey. Both were currently dressed like chefs in the hotel kitchen. In front of them was a giant bowl of pork ramen. Outside the kitchen, Ace and company were sitting at a table, waiting to be fed.
"Don't worry man, I got it. I got it." The lackey said as he took out the small vial of liquid. The lackey uncorked it and positioned it over the giant bowl of ramen. He carefully poured three drops into the ramen.
"Okay, that should be enough. Re cork the vial and let's get out of here." Raymond said as he wiped his forehead in relief. That relief turned to dread when an unsuspecting chef jostled the lacky. The underling let go of the vial, and it fell into the ramen. Both goons stared at the ramen in shock, unable to do anything for a full ten seconds.
"Take it out!" Raymond furiously whispered. Because the ramen was extremely hot, the lackey got a ladle and fished the vial out of the dish. The lackey was on the verge of crying when he saw that the vial was completely empty.
"We are so royally screwed." The lackey said as he took the vial out of the ladle. Raymond was about to respond, but a waiter came in at that moment.
"This dish ready?" He asked. Raymond dumbly nodded. Without another word, the waiter took the big bowl of ramen and gave it to Ace. Both goons cringed when they saw the red eyed boy consume the bowl at a furious pace.
"Yep, we are completely and utterly screwed." Raymond said as he and the lackey walked away.
