Title: Of Dreams and Desires
Pairings: Smoker x Ace, Sanji x Zoro, and other side pairings
Ratings: T - NC-17
Chapter: 5 of ?
Summary: The Mysterious Nocturne…
Disclaimer: I do not make any profit from this story; all props go to Eiichiro Oda.
Author Note: Heyo! So I got a PM asking me if I would still update even if I don't get reviews. I told the anonymous person that even if no one reviews, I'll still post the story. As I told my beta reader, who's becoming a good friend of mines, I just want to get the story out of my head. Lol, as long as you guys are reading it then it is what it is.
Beta Reader: descriptionsalive21, thank you so much!
Portgas D. Ace
It had not been long since Ace had left his family behind. Every day was an up-hill battle for Ace as he coped with the absence of his crew. The ache beneath his ribs intensified the moment he steered his boat away from the Moby, but he needed to get revenge and deliver justice for Thatch's sake. Ace knocked back his drink, accepting the burn of the rum down his throat. He had gotten a tip a few islands back that there was a sighting of Blackbeard on this tropical island. Although, it was becoming clear that the information was misleading, for he had yet to find anything that pointed in the direction of the ugly bastard. He threw up his hand to signal the barmaid for a refill. The dirty blond swayed as she walked to Ace, jutting her hip out when she poured him his drink. He took a sip and she leaned over the counter, her cleavage pouring out of her skimpy dress. "You waitin' for someone, sugar?"
Ace eyed her before sipping from his cup. "Was," he replied, "but I don't think they'll be showing."
She hummed, straightening herself. "There's not much to do in this town, doll. However, the brothel up the road is most welcoming to new comers and sailors."
The barmaid smiled at Ace flashing her dingy, chipped and cracked teeth at him. He smirked, raising an eyebrow as his gaze zeroed in on the two decaying in the front. "I seem like the type interested in brothels?"
She barked an ugly laugh as she eyed him up and down, noting every muscle showing through tan skin. "Sweetum, you seem the type to be interested in whateva you so please." She signaled for him to lean forward a little, when he did he was instantly bombarded with the smell of her tart breath. "I get off soon, so how 'bout you stick 'round. I'm sure we can find you some entertainment."
Ace leaned back to distance himself from the smell, forcing a smile on his face as he breathe some fresher air. "Sorry, hun, but I'm a man on a mission. Got work to do, places to go, things to see…person to kill." He mumbled the last part under his breath as he gulped down the rest of his drink. He tipped his hat to the barmaid, setting down a few beli before exiting the bar.
Once outside in the humid air of Nocturne Island, Ace walked the street of the town, planning his next move. He had yet to find any leads on Blackbeard and everything he had tried so far was a dead end. As strong as the urge was to return to his family, he refused to face the Old Man – even if it were only for a moment to see everyone again – without having Blackbeard's head in his hands. Ace sighed and looked at his surroundings, having been so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not recognize where he was. He noticed an intersection in the road, down one way was the lights of his inn he was staying in, while the other, lead to a jungle behind the city. The night was still young and Ace had no desire to sleep, so he decided on the route heading in the opposite direction of his bed. He entered the jungle and walked some ways through the trees, taking note of how the limbs held no berries nor did they house any animals.
Mera tugged at his conscious, whispering, it is quiet for a jungle.
His devil was right and unfortunately, that could mean one of two things: either all the creatures were scared off or something was keeping them away. Ace bet all the beli in his left pocket on the latter as he wandered deeper into the jungle, stopping once or twice to relieve himself. He traveled a great distance from the city, deep into the jungle where the canopies thickened and the air sat rather dense. A fruity smell when he came upon an opening in the trees. He held the hat on his head as he looked up towards the side of a mountain he encountered. The hairs on his arms stood and he shifted his weight as an odd sensation bore down on him. The jungle, while it still held its natural greenish hue, looked as though if it was slowly dying, but this certain mountain had life all around it. There were beautiful flowers surrounding the bottom, and the trees healthy limbs produced an abundance of fruit that looked ripe enough for the picking surrounded him.
Curiosity kills the cat, or so they say. It was a warning that Ace probably should have taken into consideration as he picked one of the dangling fruit from the tree, only to blackout as soon as his hand touched it.
P.D.A
A groan escaped Ace's lips as he sat up on a soft mattress.
Wait.
A bed?
Ace rushed to his feet, swaying slightly from the sudden blood rush, looking around the room he occupied. He released Mera to form a small flame at the tip of his pointer finger as he walked around the area. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; a simple bed, dresser, and desk were all that adorned the space. His hat hung off the chair at the desk, which he pulled on his head at the same time as the door opened. A middle age woman walked into the room carrying a tray of food. She turned on the light, jumping at the sight of Ace by the desk. "Oh my, you gave me a startle. I didn't expect you to be awake yet."
Her deep Russian accent intrigued Ace, and he ponder on it as his bowed in apology. "Pardon me, ma'am. I didn't mean to scare you. My name is Ace."
She set the tray of food on the desk and gave him a once over. "Ace, you seem pretty well. You gave us all a scare. We went outside to go into town only to find a young man lying on the ground. We shook you once to make sure you were alive." She chuckled as she took a seat on the bed that Ace had previously been occupying. "I have never heard a snore so loud in my life."
Ace blushed and pulled his hat down further to hide his eyes. "Sorry about that, ma'am, I tend to fall asleep randomly."
She let out a pleasant laugh then said, "That's no problem. Now, go on and eat, dear, you must be starving."
Ace pulled the desk chair out and eyed the food carefully, looking for any signs of tampering. Satisfied with not finding anything suspicious, he started shoveling spoonful's of stew into his mouth, watching the woman make up the bed. The silence stretched on as Ace ate; he swallowed his mouthful of food. "I'm sorry ma'am, but earlier you said we."
She gasped and turned to face him. "How rude of me. My name is Natalya and my husband is Dr. Nocturne."
"Dr. Nocturne, as in the name of this island?" Ace questioned as he polished off his plate.
"One and the same," Natalya smiled. "We moved to this island long before it was inhabited by others and made a nice home here in the jungle away from everything. It is good we did too, once people started coming to the island we were far enough away not to be bothered by their presence. It's nice and quiet out here, it allows Noc to do his studies and work in peace."
Ace nodded his head in understanding. "What kind of studies does he do?"
Natalya's beautiful features darkened, she smiled again. "Oh, honey, that isn't important at the moment. What's good is that you're up and feeling better."
The expression she gave was quick and Ace would have missed it had he not been staring at her. His question had an answer that she was not willing to share and he decided not to pry. What they did in the jungle was their concern. Besides, he should be leaving anyways. "Ma'am-"
"Please dear, call me Natalya."
"Of course. Natalya, are there any facilities I can use before I leave?"
The medium height curvaceous woman moved from the bed over to the desk where the empty tray sat. She picked it up then opened the door leading the way out of the room, pointing to the left. "It's down the hall, the third door on the right. Please be quick, I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen when you're done."
She turned right out of the room and down the hall where Ace could only assume the kitchen was located.
He quickly left the room, heading in the direction she pointed out. He walked a good distance, turning back in time to see the Russian woman rounding the corner. The hallway he occupied was spacious and he could smell the strong odor of cleaning products as he counted the doors. Third on the right was where the bathroom was, but across the hall, two doors down, was a thick wooden door with silver handles. Ace filled with curiosity as he inched closer to the doors, wondering about the treasures locked away.
Ace looked both ways, double-checking that he was still alone before trying one of the handles. The door held true and he cursed under his breath, going for the second handle, which remained locked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lock pick, crouching in front of the door as he lined the pick with the keyhole, leaning in closely to hear. A familiar click sounded as the door unlocked and he grunted in satisfaction. The doors opened with a low groan, silently thanking Thatch for teaching him to lock pick when they were on a scouting mission for Whitebeard.
A study, Ace inwardly noted as he produced a small ball of fire to light up the room as he walked forward.
In the middle of the room was a large oak desk and a bookshelf behind it filled with thick books that had strange writing on them. Ace felt something glide across his shoulder blades causing Mera to flare at the unsuspecting threat. His muscles tensed as he surveyed the area, checking for another presence. Seeing that there was no one in the room with him, Ace let out a shaky breath and continued his examination. He slowly approached the wall that was teeming with papers, covered with diagrams, formulas, and names. Some of the documents, he noticed, had the names crossed off, some with check marks, and others with a star on them.
"What the hell?" Ace muttered as he backed away from the wall, the language of the information was one that he had never encountered. Everything about the study was giving off strange vibes that made even Mera coil in apprehension. Knowing he'd been gone too long, Ace quickly walked over to the desk trying to find something to help him understand the situation better. He looked at the papers strewn across the desk and a chill slid down Ace spine as he read one of the documents.
Occupation: Marine Commander, World Noble, Pirate Elite Officer
Date of Birth: July 15
Age: 26
Cause of Death: Multiple gunshot wounds and/or punctured his lung - undetermined
Name: Don Quixote Rosinante
Code Name: Corazon
Devil Ability: Nagi Nagi no Mi
Devil Type: Paramecia
Attempts: 3 Successes: 0 Failures: 3.
Notes – Must make adjustments to formula B and its reaction to formula A. First two trials the body was unresponsive. There was forty percent too much of formula A and not enough of formula B pumping through the body. The third trial, however, his fingers twitched and his eyes fluttered beneath his eyelids. Third trial half of formula A and a fourth of formula B. Progress noted, will work further for answer.
Side Note – Need another test subject if the fourth trial renders successful. Fresh human organs make a substantial difference in the way the new blood pumps through the body, making a better reaction to the formula.
Whoosh
The unsuspected noise from the hall pulled Ace from his reading. He jerked in alertness, quickly put the paper back on the desk and rushed to stand behind the door, peering out to see who it was in the hall. No one was there, but he could have sworn he heard something. Ace took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart then he slowly exited the room, hurrying down the hall where Natalya was waiting for him; the entire situation had given him an unsettling feeling in his gut and he was ready to leave.
Now.
He reached the end of the hall and noticed a light on in a room. As he got closer, he picked up the smell of food and the sound of humming. Once he stepped inside, he spotted Natalya standing over a stove, stirring something in a pot. Ace cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the purple haired woman. "Ah, there you are, honey. Come follow me, I'll escort you out of the house." The Russian picked up a heavy looking pouch that was next to the stove and said, "I made you some food for the trip ahead." She handed the bag to Ace then led him to a door and opened it; the door led out to a tunnel that, from what he could see, went on forever. "It's a straight path to the exit. Once you hit the jungle take a right and keep straight, you'll be back in town before you know it."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. Ace cleared his throat to brush off the uneasy feeling. "Thank you, Natalya, for your hospitality. I will forever remember it." He tilted his hat to her and tightened his hold on the pouch of food given to him as he started his walk down the tunnel.
P.D.A
Dr. Nocturne watched his wife and the stranger as the boy left his house. Once the door closed, he spoke. "Hmm, my dear, you let him go?"
Natalya smiled upon seeing her husband, walking over to him and brushed her lips across his cheek. "I have a good feeling about that one. I do think he will be perfect, we'll be seeing him again. He has the devil in him, that one; just like the other one."
Dr. Nocturne smiled at his wife and kissed her head. "Of course, whatever you say, dear. Speaking of the other subject, things have taken an interesting turn this attempt."
She pulled him away from the kitchen and towards his study. "Come, love, tell me about your experiments and the results. We will plan our next move from there."
The dark green haired man wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "It's good to have an attentive wife and fellow doctor."
Natalya's beautiful laugh echoed off the walls as the couple walked into the study.
P.D.A
As soon as Ace's feet hit the jungle floor, he hauled ass.
Running as fast as his feet could take him, Ace made his way through the dense jungle and back into town. He pushed through everyone that got in his way until he made it to the inn he checked into just days before. He threw open the front door and ran up the stairs, gaining questioning looks from other guests.
Not giving two flying fucks, Ace slid to a stop in front of his door, breathing hard. He fumbled around for the keys in his pocket before he finally grasped them and unlocked the door. He looked around the room once inside, putting a hand on his chest for a moment before he gathered up all his belongings and headed out the door again. He paused briefly at the front desk to return the key, or rather; he threw the key on the counter as he ran past and out of the front door.
He faintly heard the innkeeper telling him he forgotten his change, but Ace could not care less. He ran until he was back at the harbor, pausing to suck in some well-needed air into his lungs. After distinguishing his one-man boat amongst the many docked at the port, Ace hurried to it, untied it, and casted off into the sea. Then and only then did he finally relax.
Ace was scared of little to nothing, not much could get under his skin – many feared him and for good reasons – but the feeling he got in that home, left him aflutter. He knew not what was going on, but he sure as hell wasn't going to stay around to find out. Ace watched the island fade into the distance, finally going to sleep only after he had put at least fifty nautical miles between him and the island, his hand rubbing his chest idly.
I love Corazon. Hopefully we'll be seeing more of him. Let me know what you guys think, review if you feel you want. Stay tune for next chapter: Whitey Bay - Huredhiel