Hello, so this will be the start of Ace's never ending stress because of Lucy.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece
Chapter 3 - Fireworks and Freckles
Lucy - 5, Ace - 9
Ace should expect this. Really he should have. The moment his mom announced that she wants Lucy as a daughter in law, he should have seen this happening.
"Ace!" Lucy yelled the moment she saw him. She ran to him and enveloped him in a very tight hug.
"Lucy, stop hugging me!" Ace yelled
"Why? But I miss you!" Lucy exclaimed not letting go
"We saw each other last week." He tried to pry her hands off his neck
"But that was last week!" Lucy argued
"Lucy dear, Ace is hurt so don't hug him tightly." Rogue said making the girl pout but let go
"Why are you hurt, Ace?"
"Old geezer pulled me into one of his training sessions again." He deadpanned
"Training? Why?" She stares at him with those wide innocent eyes "If it's training then why do you look like you got ambushed?"
"Old man's training is not normal training." Ace frowned "Yesterday he threw me in a sinking boat and left me there."
"WHAT!" Lucy yelled "But you know how to swim right?"
"No."
"Why did Grampa throw you then?" Lucy asked "Did you do something bad? Like stole his meat?"
Ace laughed softly at her innocence "Nope. It's just his normal training."
"That is not right!" Lucy yelled and frowned "Grampa is also training me but he never does that! If he doesn't do that to me then he shouldn't do that to you either."
Ace smiled softly, guilty and slightly touched that this small girl cared for him. He knows she can't do a thing about Garp's training but it was a nice feeling that she cares enough to be angry. "It's fine. I'm a boy so I can take it."
"No! You're a child so Grampa needs to train you properly! I even know that is not how he trains marine recruits."
Ace frowned quite offended by her implication that he's weak. "I am not weak! I don't need your pity."
"I never said you're weak! But even if you're the strongest person you can still get hurt without proper training! Survival training for an 8 year old is not training!" Lucy yelled "And he even did it days before your birthday!"
"It doesn't matter." Ace said "I don't like celebrating my birthday."
"Shut up Ace!" Lucy yelled, shutting him up "Just because you act like a grown up doesn't mean you are." She smiled softly as she caressed his cheek "Don't worry I'll protect you from Grampa!"
"Fine." Ace whispered speechless. You don't see or hear a 5 year old make any sense
"Lucy, my sweet little granddaughter!" Garp yelled as soon as he entered the room. (Broke the wall and entered). He stopped when he saw Lucy glaring at him holding Ace's hand. "What's the matter princess?"
"I'm mad at you." Lucy said
Garp panicked "What! Why?" Lucy is never mad. The only time she gets mad is when you steal her meat. And he sure hell know that he haven't stolen any meat
"You're unfair in training Ace." Lucy said
"But Ace needs it to be a strong marine!" Garp reason out
"I know how you train newly recruited marine. And throwing them in a sinking boat is not one of them."
"Ace is strong, he could handle it." Garp argued (pleaded)
"I don't care! You don't throw people in the ocean when they don't know how to swim."
"It was even shark infested." Ace added, clearly amused at the small girl scolding a big man like Garp
"WHAT!" Lucy yelled again looking at Ace with wide eyes and back at Garp. She glared "Grampa that is just too much!"
"Yeah, I almost even died!" Ace whined at Lucy even pouting and had his best wide frightened eyes.
"Grampa!" Lucy scolded again glaring at Garp
"But it's to be a strong marine!" Garp pleaded
"Did Ace even tell you he wanted to be a marine?" Lucy asked
"Yes!" Garp said
"Nope." Ace said popping the 'p'
"Grampa!" Lucy glared "Stop forcing people to be a marine!" she frowned. "I won't talk to you until you promise me to stop forcing Ace to be a marine or stop your deadly training."
"But princess, Ace needs to be strong."
"Fine then. I'll train with Ace starting now." Lucy announced "If you throw him into a shark infested water on a sinking boat, then you should throw me too."
"You know I can't do that princess."
"It's your choice Grampa." Lucy said "It's either you train him differently or you train me with him. Until then I'll not talk to you." She pulled Ace towards the table full of food leaving Garp pouting like a child
"What the hell happened?" Roger asked as soon as the pair of kids left Garp depressed
"I'm not sure, but I think this will stop Garp from kidnapping Ace for that deadly training." Rogue said
"What did I miss?" Dragon asked as he entered the house and saw the kids happily devouring everything on the table, Rogue watching and feeding them, Roger laughing his ass off, and Garp sitting on the corner all depressed
Rogue looked at him "Garp just got scolded by Lucy."
And this time is the first time any of them ever saw Dragon roared in laughter
"Ace! Let's go to the garden and watch the fireworks!" Lucy yelled, pulling Ace to the back garden with all the adults following behind.
"Princess, please talk to me." Garp pleaded, "It's almost new year."
Lucy ignored him and faced Ace "Are you excited about the fireworks?"
"Lucy, princess." Garp tried again
"Not really." Ace said more amused at the situation Garp in
"Come on Lucy, this is not fair." Garp whined
"Why? Fireworks are pretty! Like, likeā¦" Lucy stopped to think when she glanced at Ace's face "Pretty like your freckles!"
"Oh dear, Lucy will be breaking hearts when she grows up." Rogue said amused "She's unknowingly making Ace fall even without trying."
Roger laughed while Dragon frown
"Stop saying stupid things Lucy!" Ace yelped
"Fine!" Garp roared, tired of being ignored "I promise to train Ace more normally than just throwing him in survival situations." he pouted
Lucy looked back at Garp and stared at him. Garp continues to pout. "Okay. But say sorry to Ace." Garp tried to protest but a glare from Lucy stopped him
"I'm sorry Ace for kidnapping you and forcing you to train. I promise to train you more properly." Garp said
Ace couldn't do anything but to stare at Garp and back at the grinning Lucy. He just nodded to confirm that he either forgave him or he heard the apology.
"Great!" Lucy smiled cutely "Thank you Grampa! You're really the best Grampa ever!" she giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheeks
"Awwwww my princess is really so sweet!" Garp tried to hug her but she sidestepped and run away pulling Ace away and up the tree
.
.
"What do I tell you, Lucy could be the worst criminal and Garp couldn't do anything because it's Lucy."
"At first I doubted you and your story." Roger said amused at the now good mood Garp "But now I believe you 100 percent."
"Lucy-chan can get the whole world under her control." Rogue joked making Roger and Dragon laugh
"If that's the case, we better make sure Lucy stays this innocent all the time. Imagine if some bad guy manipulates Lucy to the bad side?" Roger laughed
Somewhere far away in the headquarters of the Red Hair mafia the whole crew sneezed at the same time.
"Dahahahaha, someone must bad mouth us!" Red Hair captain Shanks laugh as he continue to drink his sake
"Captain, it's not yet dark, stop drinking early." Ben scolded the Red Hair captain
"Don't worry about it Benny! Let's party until tomorrow! Dahahahaha!"
Ben just sighs in defeat. Why did I choose to follow this idiot?
.
.
.
Somewhere much farther in the meeting of underworld leaders, a short blond lady sneezed
"Are you getting sick Stussy?" A the man beside the blond lady asked
"No. I guess somebody is talking about me." She replied not looking at the man. She looked back at the sea and smiled. I wonder what chaos my sweet princess is causing her father and grandpa. I'm excited for the news.
In that implication both Rogue and Dragon stopped laughing. Dragon looked at Rogue seriously "Rogue." He called out earning the attention of the lady "If you really want your son to marry my daughter you better make sure he grows up as a nice young man."
"Even without your threat I will make sure my son grows up as a nice handsome young man." Rogue glared at Dragon
"Why did you pull me here?" Ace asked as they sat at the top of the tree
"This is the best spot!" Lucy exclaimed
"How did you know? You've been to our house one time." Ace asked
"Well, this is the highest in the garden! So it will be the best spot to see the fireworks!"
"Why would I want to watch the fireworks? That's boring and lame." Ace snorted
"But it's colorful and pretty, like your freckles!" Lucy yelled
"Fireworks are not pretty." Ace glared at the grinning idiot. He could feel his face blushing so he looked away
"They are! Fireworks are pretty, so they make me happy!" Lucy said
"Do all pretty things make you happy?" Ace snorted
"Yeah!" Lucy nodded "That's why I'm happy to be with Ace!"
"I am not pretty! I am a boy so I can't be pretty!" Ace roared
"You are! Mommy said boys can also be pretty!" Lucy argued
"You're mom is lying then." Ace snorted
"Mommy don't lie!" Lucy said "You are mean." Lucy pouted
Ace looked back at the pouting girl and laughed hard. She was just too cute.
Lucy smiled softly watching Ace smile. It was the first time she saw him smile freely. It's a pretty sight. "You know you're like a firework!"
Ace lifts his eyebrow in confusion at the remark "Why firework?"
"Because like a firework you're easy to combust or get angry. But when you smile, you light up the dark sky. And you have a very really pretty smile. Like a colorful firework!"
Ace gaped at her description and blushed madly. "S-stop it!" pushing Lucy's face away, more like covering Lucy's sight of his blushing face
He looked back to Lucy, when she squealed. Lucy was then watching the fireworks play.
When Lucy felt Ace staring at her, she looked back at him and smiled. "Happy Birthday Ace!"
"Stupid, you should say Happy New Year!" Ace yelled again
"But I want to celebrate your birthday first before New Year!" she smiled softly. She leaned and kissed his cheeks. "Happy 9th birthday Ace! I'm glad I met you!" she giggled and continued to watch the fireworks again
Ace could feel his face burn again as he stared at Lucy.
"Ace, why are you staring at me? Watch the fireworks, they're pretty." Lucy said glancing at him
"Yeah, pretty." He whispered even before he could stop himself or even before he could know what was he was saying
He looked away when Lucy glanced back again at him. He watches the fireworks, those colorful and pretty fireworks. He glanced at Lucy and smiled softly to himself. Just like his freckles. He might like fireworks from now on. Maybe if Lucy really loves fireworks, he'll be a firework to continue to see her smile.
He paused.
"Shit." he whispered to himself as the fireworks stopped and Lucy looked back again at him grinning widely.
He likes Lucy.
He has a huge crush on Lucy.
"Shishishishi. Ace is really like a firework! So pretty!"
Yep. He was so in trouble.
Word count - 1,981
