Ch. 43- The Brothers' Reunion
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
"...That was...exemplary," Brook whispered in awe at the previous memory.
"Man...you guys sure were a tight-knit group, huh?" Franky asked with a bit of a sniffle.
"Luffy truly did know how to bring a group together," said Robin.
"Yeah," said Blizzard, proudly. "What a guy, am I right?"
"...A mark of friendship, huh?" Aika asked as she glanced down at her own wrist while Kumi looked at her paw.
"What are you thinking about, honey?" Nami asked.
"...I wish I had something like that," said Aika. "Something to tell us that we're all joined together as one."
"We do have that," said Zoro. "Our Jolly Roger is the symbol of the bonds we made on our ship. Sure, it's not something like a mark of friendship, but it still what signifies us as the Straw Hat Pirates. I'm sure your brother knows that."
"...Big Brother..." Aika whispered, worriedly as she held the rim of Luffy's hat.
"We'll find him, Aika," said Sanji. "I'm sure of it."
"Until then," Chopper began, "we'll just have to keep watching these memories until we find the real Luffy."
Sure enough, the memories began to return. This time, however, it was Luffy eating in a restaurant while the others were nowhere to be found. For some reason, there was a gaping hole in the wall behind the restaurant's owner...in fact, there were several holes behind that one in different houses.
"...What the hell happened here?" asked Franky.
"Something tells me Luffy had something to do with it," said Nami, exasperated.
"Wait, where were you guys?" asked Aika.
"Your brother ran off without us to get some food," Usopp answered. "Seriously, I swear he thinks more with his stomach than whatever brain he has in that rubber skull of his."
"STRAW HAT!"
The Straw Hats looked up and saw that the one who was shouting was none other than Smoker...and it looked like he had just pushed someone in front of him against the floor.
"Wait...who's that?" asked Chopper.
"...Hold up," said Nami as she spotted a familiar orange hat with a familiar pair of badges, one with a smiley-face and the other with a frown, on the floor. "...Wait a minute...it can't be!"
"Holy crap, it is!" Zoro exclaimed. "It's Ace!"
"Is it?" Franky asked. "I mean, yeah, it's the same hat, but it's kinda hard to tell with his face in the ground."
Before he could speculate further, Smoker approached Luffy, who was still stuffing his face.
"I knew I'd found you here in Alabasta," said the smoke-man, but Luffy just kept eating while staring at him, owlishly.
"...How come Big Brother's just staring at him?" asked Aika.
"I think it's taking him a moment to remember who he is," said Sanji, and sure enough, after a good ten seconds, Luffy spat food on Smoker's face in shock.
"YOU'RE THAT SMOKY GUY!" he cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN ALABASTA?!"
"...Really?" Usopp asked in disbelief. "It took him that long to figure it out?"
Nami only sighed and shook her head while Zoro face-palmed. As for Smoker, he growled at Luffy as he prepared to make a move, but then the Straw Hat Captain held up his hand.
"Hold on a sec!" he said before he shoved all the food in his mouth, then bowed his head. "Thanks very much for the meal." On that, he turned and ran away with his cheeks still stuffed with food, and Smoker gave chase not long after.
"Jeez, Luffy," Blizzard muttered.
"Here's something I'm curious about," said Brook. "How did Smoker know you'd be there? And for that matter, why was he there in the first place?"
"I think it's because he thought we were in league with Crocodile or something," said Nami.
"Why would he think that?" asked Aika. "You're there to stop Crocodile."
"Yes, but he didn't know it at the time," said Robin. "That wasn't until after the fact."
"...Oh, I see," said Aika.
As Luffy kept running, he eventually ran into Tashigi, who tried to stop him, but he easily evaded her by jumping up onto the rooftops, but Smoker still pursued him. It wasn't very long before Luffy was running from his whole troop...and what's worse, in his haste to escape, he accidentally led them right to the Past Straw Hats.
"Are you kidding me?!" Franky questioned. "He actually led them to you guys?!"
"Yes, yes, he did," said Usopp in a deadpanned tone.
"I'm almost not surprised," said Blizzard. "It is Luffy, after all."
"Yeah, you can say that again," said Zoro.
"Huh?" Luffy muttered as he noticed his crew hiding behind some rubble. "Oh! Hey, Zoro! Guys! What are you doing over there?!" He then began to run over to them.
"You idiot!" Past Zoro yelled. "Lose those guys before you come to us!"
As Luffy got closer, he saw that Past Nami and Vivi were both wearing what looked like belly dancer outfits with assorted jewelry and other things. Despite the fact that he was already running, seeing Nami in the outfit made the memory go pink and his heart beat even faster.
"Figures he'd notice the outfit I was wearing," said Nami.
"How could he not?" Brook asked. "Yohohoho!"
"Like it?" Sanji asked. "I'm the one who picked them out."
"Perv," Zoro grumbled, causing Sanji to side-eye him.
Back in the memory, Smoker shot his fist at Luffy, who was running as fast as he could, but it didn't seem like he was going to escape the Marine Captain's grasp...until...
"HEAT HAZE!"
Out of nowhere, a jet of fire appeared and clashed against Smoker's fist, causing it to stop in its tracks while the Past Straw Hats gasped.
"That...that fire...!" Aika whispered.
"You don't think it was...?" Kumi asked.
As Luffy turned around...he gasped as well as he saw a familiar figure: the black hair, the face full of freckles, that purple tattoo on his back, the orange with the two badges...there was no mistaking it.
"You again, huh?" Smoker asked, irritably, while the familiar figure just grinned right back at him.
"Just give up," he said. "You may be smoke, but I'm fire. A fight between the two of us is just pointless. It'll probably go on forever!"
"A-Ace?" Luffy asked in disbelief. "Is that you?!"
"Hey, Luffy," Ace greeted, casually. "I see you haven't changed a bit."
"Whoa! It is you!" Luffy exclaimed, still surprised to see his brother after 3 years. "Where'd you get those fire powers?! You eat a Devil Fruit or something?!"
"Yeah, I ate the Flame-Flame Fruit," said Ace, not taking even one eye off of Smoker. "But anyways, you better not waste time talking to me. You better take your friends and get outta here. Don't worry about me, though, I'll catch up. Now get moving!"
A pause...but then Luffy smiled at him before nodding his head and turning around to run.
"Come on, guys!" he called out as he ran. "To the ship! Hurry up!"
"W-wait a minute!" Past Nami exclaimed as she and the others ran after him. "Luffy!"
"Who is that guy?!" Past Sanji asked. "You know him or something?!"
"Of course, I know him!" Luffy replied. "He's my big brother!"
3...2...1...
"YOUR BROTHER?!"
"You guys sure seemed surprised," said Brook.
"Of course, we were!" Nami exclaimed. "That was the first time we met Ace!"
"We didn't see him again until after we got the Sunny," said Zoro. "That was before you came along, Brook."
"Ah, I see," said Brook.
"Before we met Ace, we didn't think that Luffy had any other family," said Usopp. "It sure knocked us for a loop!"
"I actually thought he was a bounty hunter, for a while," said Zoro. "Glad that wasn't the case. Once I figured out he was Luffy's brother, I pretty much knew we could trust him to help us out."
"You have good instincts, Zoro!" Aika said.
"Heh," Zoro smirked. "Well...I have my moments."
Just then, as the Past Straw Hats were running, it suddenly appeared in a flash: a gigantic whirlwind of smoke and flame, swirling around in the sky. The very sight caused Aika to gape in absolute awe as the two elements clash.
"...Whoa...!" she whispered. "That's so cool...!"
"You okay there, Aika?" asked Kumi.
"I think she's a little overwhelmed," Blizzard mused.
"Whoa, you guys see that?!" Luffy asked while running backwards with a barrel under his arm. "Man, I never thought I'd get to see my big brother in a place like this!"
"Everybody, turn left!" Past Nami yelled, causing the Past Straw Hats to run to the left...but since Luffy was running backwards due to wanting to see Ace and Smoker fight, he was following his left, not their left, and ended up going down a different street.
"...Really?" asked Zoro. "And people say that I get lost."
"Wait, that's what happened to him?!" Nami questioned.
"That idiot! Why can't he pay more attention?!" Usopp shouted.
Aika only laughed.
"Silly Big Brother!" she said.
Before too long, Luffy found himself in an empty alley, sitting on top of the barrel he was carrying.
"Huh, that's weird," he muttered in confusion. "I could've sworn everybody was right here...but now they're all gone, where'd they go?"
Robin could only give an amused chuckle.
"Yeah, that's Luffy for you," said Sanji.
At that moment, the Straw Hats saw a familiar shadow on the ground.
"Well, I see that giving you a chance to escape was pointless," said a voice.
"Huh?" Luffy asked before he looked up and smiled upon seeing the older brother he hadn't seen in 3 years. "Hey! Hi ya, Ace!"
Ace soon jumped down from the roof to greet his younger brother.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked.
"You could say that," Luffy replied.
"Damn, he's ripped!" Franky exclaimed.
"I'll say," said Usopp as he felt his own bicep. "3 years out at sea has really done him a lot of good!"
"Hey, what's on his arm?" asked Aika as she pointed to Ace's left bicep.
"Oh, yeah, that tattoo!" said Nami.
"Hey, that's weird," said Kumi. "How come it's spelled A-S-C-E, and the S is crossed out?"
"Dunno," said Blizzard. "Maybe the tattoo artist made a mistake?"
Soon, Luffy and Ace grabbed each other's hands and put their elbows on the barrel, both of them grinning impishly at each other.
"How many years has it been?" asked Luffy.
"Eh...3 years, I guess," Ace replied as he began to push against Luffy's arm with his own. "I see you haven't changed much, though. You've gotten a little taller, but you pretty much look the same."
"They both kinda look the same to me," said Aika.
"Yeah...although Ace's eyes look a bit more narrow," said Kumi. "Then again, that's probably just me."
"So do you," Luffy answered as he tried to push Ace's arm over. "Aside from those fire powers you got from eating that Devil Fruit, you haven't changed a bit!" He grunted as he kept trying to push Ace's arm down. "Remember when you used to sneak into the fields, eat a hundred watermelons, and then spit out the seeds like a Gatling gun and run away?"
"That wasn't me...!" Ace grunted as he pushed on Luffy's arm. "That was you!"
"And then the farmers would chase you and you'd scream like a little girl!" Luffy added.
"That was you, too!" Ace replied. "I just watched and laughed!"
"How did Luffy get that mixed up?" asked Sanji.
"I think he's trying to make himself sound cool," Franky answered.
As the D. Brothers continued their arm wrestling match, their faces began to grow bright red as they strained to push each other's arms, when finally the barrel cracked and fell apart, causing the water inside to spill.
"Are you kidding me?!" Nami questioned. "They broke it?! Don't they know how much that water cost?!"
"Ah, let 'em be," said Zoro. "They hadn't seen each other in a while."
"And look how happy Big Brother looks to see Big Brother Ace!" Aika exclaimed.
"...I guess," said Nami.
"I guess we're still the same," said Luffy as he and Ace gave each other a high five. "Just like old times, huh, Ace?"
"You said it," Ace said...before he pulled Luffy into a hug, which he happily returned. "It's good to see ya again, Lu."
"You, too," Luffy smiled, causing the Straw Hats to smile, too.
"Now isn't that just touching?" Brook asked.
"It's so sweet to see them catching up like this," Robin said.
"...Luffy does look happy to see him," Nami smiled.
"Guh...a reunion between brothers...!" Franky sniffled as he wiped his eyes. "It just gets you choked up, you know?"
"I gotta admit," Usopp began, "I was kinda mad at Luffy for getting lost again, but now that I see this, I can't help feeling happy for him."
"Me, too!" Chopper exclaimed.
"Yeah, me, too," said Blizzard before he sighed. "I just wish the reunion with one of my brothers went as nicely..."
"What was that, Blizzard?" asked Kumi.
"Uh...nothing," said Blizzard. "Don't worry about it."
"So," Ace started as he reached into his knapsack and pulled out a canteen, "isn't your crew lookin' for ya, just a few minutes ago?"
"Yeah," Luffy replied as Ace took a sip of water.
"Huh," Ace muttered. "I guess you never got my message, did you?"
"What message?" Luffy asked as he tilted his head.
"You know, the message I left for you on Drum Island," said Ace.
"Ace was on Drum Island?!" Chopper asked.
"He was?" Nami asked.
"I guess we got there after he did," said Zoro.
"Well...no, I guess not," said Luffy. "I didn't even know you were there."
"Huh," Ace scoffed. "That figures. Ah, don't worry about it. It was a message, saying to tell you that I was gonna be here in Alabasta for a few days. You see, I'm here on business."
"Business, huh?" Luffy asked as Ace tossed the canteen to him, which he nearly dropped, but thankfully, he managed to catch it without spilling the water.
"That's right," said Ace. "I'm with the Whitebeard Pirates, now."
"The Whitebeard Pirates?" asked Luffy while Ace turned around and showed him the tattoo on his back: a purple tattoo of a man's face with a long, white, crescent-shaped mustache and the crossbones were arranged in a cross instead of an X.
"See this tattoo?" asked Ace. "It's our mark...and it's my pride."
"Wow," Aika whispered. "It's covered his whole back."
"So cool...!" Kumi added.
"So, why don't you and your crew join us, Luffy?" Ace asked. "It'll be a lot of fun!"
"No thanks," Luffy said, bluntly.
"That's no surprise," Zoro grinned.
"Hahahahaha!" laughed Ace. "Yeah, I knew you'd say that...which is too bad because Whitebeard's the greatest pirate I've ever met. That's why I'm gonna help HIM become King of the Pirates...and not you, Luffy. Sorry."
Luffy didn't seem at all fazed by what his brother said, but just continued to smile at him, brimming with confidence.
"That's fine," said Luffy. "I guess I'll just have to fight him for it, then...because I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."
Despite his claim, Ace couldn't help but smile at his little brother, as did the Straw Hats. However, Ace couldn't really stop himself from getting angry once Luffy began to guzzle down almost all the water in his canteen.
"STOP IT!" he shouted. "DON'T DRINK IT ALL, YA MOOCH! HEY!"
"Weird how things change, don't they?" Usopp asked. "Back when Ace, Luffy, and Sabo were kids, they wanted to be pirates on the same crew...but things are different, now that they've grown."
"Yeah, you're right," agreed Blizzard.
"It's kinda sad, though," said Aika. "In a way, Big Brother and Big Brother Ace became enemies. They weren't on the same crew."
"Not so, Aika," said Zoro. "Just because Luffy and Ace were on different pirate crews didn't mean that they were bitter rivals. They were still brothers, bound by a vow to become pirates and live their lives freely."
"Really?" asked Aika.
"Well, Aika," Robin began, "think of it this way: if you decide to leave us and start your own crew, you won't see Luffy as your enemy, will you?"
"Of course I won't!" Aika answered. "Big Brother is still my Big Brother! I would never fight him!"
"And Luffy wouldn't fight you, either," said Nami. "He loves you, just like he loved Ace."
"Bonds as deep as that don't change, Aika," said Sanji. "Remember that."
"...Mm!" Aika nodded with a soft smile. "I will!"
Soon, Ace and Luffy were walking down the alleyway, together. As they walked, Luffy glanced to Ace's left bicep where his other tattoo was, blinking in slight confusion.
"Hey, Ace?" Luffy asked. "What about that tattoo on your arm?"
"Huh?" Ace muttered before he glanced down at it. "Oh, this!"
"Yeah, how come the S is crossed out?" asked Luffy. "What, you spell it wrong?"
"Not really," said Ace. "It's...a tribute."
"A tribute?" Luffy repeated.
"...To Sabo," Ace spoke, his mood becoming somewhat somber, causing Luffy's eyes to go wide before he looked away, biting his lip.
"Oh...I see," he muttered.
"...So that's what that was," Nami whispered. "I always thought that was just a slip-up."
"A tribute to their fallen brother," said Sanji.
"I see, now," said Blizzard. "Ace, Sabo, and Luffy's old Jolly Roger had their first initials, and Sabo's was in front of the crossbones...in a way, Ace is carrying Sabo's mark on his skin."
"Wow...what a way to honor him," said Kumi.
"You can say that, again," Chopper said. "It's really sad, though...when you consider..."
"Yeah..." Zoro muttered.
Ace glanced over at Luffy before he grinned at him, then reached over, pulled him into a headlock and gave him a noogie, causing him to cry out in surprise.
"But enough of that sad stuff," Ace said. "I heard about all the trouble you've been getting yourself into in the East Blue!"
"Oh! You know about that?" Luffy asked.
"You kiddin'?" Ace asked as he pulled out Luffy's wanted poster from his knapsack. "30 million's pretty impressive, Lu! Not bad for a start!"
"Shishishsihishi!" Luffy laughed. "Yeah, I did pretty good, didn't I?"
"Of course, you still have a long way to go," Ace replied. "So, those people I saw you with...are they your crew?"
"Oh, that's right!" Luffy said. "I should tell you about them! First, there's Zoro. He's a swordsman who uses the Three Sword Style and wants to be the greatest one in the world!"
"Oh, really?" asked Ace. "The King of the Pirates and the World's Greatest Swordsman...sounds like a pretty good combination, if you ask me."
"I know, right?" Luffy asked. "And then there's our navigator, Nami. She likes money and tangerines."
"She was that orange-haired girl, right?" Ace asked. "So, who is she, Luffy? Your girlfriend?"
Hearing that caused Luffy to blush heavily.
"N-no!" he stammered. "I just like her as a friend!"
"Oh, yeah?" Ace asked. "Then how come you're blushing?"
"I am not!" Luffy yelled, blushing even more.
"Oh, boy..." Nami muttered, remembering now how Ace wouldn't stop teasing Luffy about his crush on her.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," said Ace. "So, who else is there?"
"Well, there's Usopp, and he's a liar," Luffy said.
"Seriously?!" Usopp asked. "Why does he keep calling me that?! I'm a sniper!"
"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled.
"And then there's Sanji, our cook who makes really tasty food!" Luffy added.
"Sometimes, I wonder if that's the only reason he has me around," Sanji grumbled.
"Then there's a princess and her giant duck," Luffy said.
"Vivi wasn't part of the crew," said Nami. "Well...not officially, at least."
"Yeah, she was an honorary member at best," said Sanji.
"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed. "And recently, we just recruited a doctor that happens to be a reindeer! How cool is that?!"
"Sounds like you got yourself a motley little crew, there," Ace grinned.
"Yeah, I know!" Luffy replied. "Everybody on my crew is so interesting!"
"I bet," Ace said. "But, if you ask me, you're probably the most interesting of out all of them."
"No kidding," Zoro grinned while Aika giggled.
"Yeah, Big Brother really is the most interesting!" she said.
"Still," Ace began, "just a handful of people on your crew...that sounds just like ya, too."
"Shishishi! Yeah!" Luffy laughed. "I'm still looking for a musician, though."
"Ah, yes," Ace agreed. "Can't have a pirate crew without a musician."
"He agrees with that, too?!" Nami asked.
"It figures," Usopp said. "They are brothers, after all!"
"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed. "I must say, great minds do think alike!"
"It's funny how you were the last to join us," said Franky. "Well...until the squirts came along, anyway."
"You're not sad about that, are you, Brook?" Chopper asked.
"Not at all!" Brook replied. "I couldn't have been happier when Luffy asked me to join him! I felt like it was such an honor!"
"I think Luffy thinks so, too," Robin smiled.
Just then, as the brothers were walking, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by men with an assortment of weapons, like guns, swords, and other things.
"Stop right there, Fire Fist!" said one of the men who, for some reason, was wearing a melon on his head.
"You've got nowhere to run, Ace!"
The brothers turned to see a particularly large man with dark skin, a reddish-pink nose, curly hair, and two sabers strapped to his back.
"This is the end of the line for you!" he said. "Your head is mine! It's my ticket to a promotion...so prepare to die!"
"...Is he kidding?" Nami asked, incredulously.
"Feh," Zoro scoffed. "These guys are nothin' but losers."
"Ah," Robin realized. "The Billions Agents."
"The who-now?" Aika asked.
"Remember when Vivi was talking about the ranks of the Baroque Works agents?" Robin asked. "Main agents, like Crocodile, Bon Clay, and myself, are given single-digit codenames or holidays. Below us are 2000 low-ranking agents that we call Millions or Billions. Millions agents are subordinates for the frontier agents and are 1800 agents strong. Billions are the remaining 200 that serve the officer agents and are also next in line to be promoted to a single-digit agent, should the position be opened. Understand?"
"Uh..." Aika said as she scratched her head. "I think so. Uh...so the Millions are subordinates to the Billions...or was it the frontier agents?" She then groaned as she held her head. "My head's spinning!"
The older Straw Hats chuckled a little.
"It's okay, Aika," Robin said. "I'll try and explain it to you, later."
"I'm just wondering if we should be worried here," said Kumi. "I mean, look at them! Ace and Luffy are surrounded!"
"Nah," Blizzard replied. "Let's just sit back and watch the show."
"Yeah, it's not like we can do much about it, anyway," said Sanji as he lit a cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke.
"It's our lucky day, boys!" said the ringleader. "This'll be just like shootin' fish in a barrel!"
"You've gotta be kidding," said Zoro. "They do know that Ace is a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, don't they?"
"If they did, they would have brought seastone bullets," said Nami.
"Huh?" muttered one of the Billions Agents. "H-hey, boss! Look! That kid in the straw hat! He's Straw Hat Luffy!"
The ringleader hunched up an eyebrow upon hearing that before one of the other agents showed him Luffy's wanted poster.
"30 million, eh?" the ringleader asked before he gave a delighted grin. "That promotion is a hop, skip, and a jump away!"
However, Luffy and Ace didn't seem at all worried. In fact, they just casually walked right passed them!
"So, let's go find your ship," said Ace. "It's at the shore, right?"
"I think so," Luffy replied.
"You think so?" Ace replied before he sighed. "Leave it to you to not know where your own ship is..."
The Straw Hats couldn't help laughing at the two brothers' banter, feeling almost a bit sorry for the Billions. However, the ringleader was less than amused, and he soon gave out the order to attack. However, the fight didn't last very long.
The Straw Hats couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic as they watched the D Brothers brawling. It was like back when they were on Dawn Island, duking it out with the local thugs in Edge Town. It was almost like the Straw Hats were treating to a show and it was definitely funny to see Luffy scare the agents with his rubber powers after they shot him with bullets, only for him to send them back.
"Have these back, 'cause I don't need 'em!" he shouted.
Eventually, the ringleader had grown tired of this and attempted to cut Luffy down with his sabers. However, Ace wasn't having any of that, so he grabbed the blade between his index finger and thumb while smirking casually, then used his powers to heat up the metal, thus making him let go as he held his burned hands. At that moment, Luffy's arm stretched back before he sent the ringleader flying away with a Gum-Gum Bazooka, and he soon disappeared in a twinkling.
"Hahahahaha!" Franky laughed. "That was great!"
"My Big Brothers are so cool!" Aika exclaimed.
In the shadows of the alleys, Shade growled as he narrowed his six eyes before he backed away, vanishing in the darkness.
Soon, the memory shifted, and this time, it showed the Past Straw Hats on the Going Merry with Luffy, who, for some reason was sitting on top of Past Sanji and Past Chopper.
"What happened to you two?" Franky asked.
"Luffy used his Gum-Gum Rocket and crashed into us," said Sanji in irritation.
"Not fun," Chopper added.
"Sanji! Tony! Are you two all right?!" asked Vivi.
"Why you little...!" Past Sanji growled before he grabbed Luffy and began to throttle him. "I ought to toss you overboard, you idiot! Don't you know your own strength?!"
"He's right, Luffy!" Past Nami exclaimed. "Don't you know the trouble you caused us?! Can't you try and act a little more like a captain?!"
"Sorry about that," said Luffy before he gasped. "Oh, yeah! What about Ace?!" He soon ran over to the starboard-side to look for him.
"Ace?" Past Zoro repeated. "You mean your brother was with you?"
"You sure we should just leave him behind?" asked Past Usopp.
"Well, I'm sure he'll be okay," said Luffy as he turned to face his crew. "He's a pretty strong guy, y'know!"
"So how strong is he?" asked Past Chopper.
"Well, lemme put it to you like this," said Luffy. "Back when we were younger, I could never beat Ace in a fight, and this was before he ate his Devil Fruit!"
"That's for sure," said Franky.
"Wait a minute, back up!" Past Nami exclaimed. "You're saying that you have someone of your own flesh and blood that even YOU couldn't beat?!"
"The big brother of a monster is an even bigger monster if you ask me," muttered Past Usopp.
"I guess so," Luffy began, "because Ace used to beat me all the time back when I was a kid! But I bet now I could kick his big butt!" He then broke into boisterous laughter.
"I'd like to see you back that claim up," said Past Zoro.
"So, exactly whose butt's..."
"YIPE!" Luffy yelped as he jumped away from the railing, just as Ace appeared behind him.
"...getting kicked?!" he asked.
"Oh! Hey, Ace!" Luffy said with a sheepish grin. "Uhh...not sure how much of that you heard."
"Oh, I heard all of it," said Ace.
"...Right," Luffy muttered. "Of course, you did." He then looked to the Past Straw Hats. "Oh, right! Ace, this is my crew that I was telling you about! Guys, this is Ace!"
"Nice to meet you," Ace said while he bowed his head. "And thanks for taking care of my kid brother. I know he's a handful."
"Oh, no, not at all!" the Past Straw Hats replied as they bowed their heads back.
"Ah, come on, there's no need to be modest!" Ace replied. "I mean, this is Luffy we're talking about! Isn't he a little much for you to handle?"
"...No, not at all," said the Past Straw Hats.
"...You're good people," Ace said as he bowed his head, again.
"Why do I get the feeling you guys were lying?" asked Aika.
"Well, we didn't wanna make Ace upset," said Nami. "And besides, Luffy's not THAT big of a handful...at least not all the time."
"Yes, he is!" Usopp coughed.
"Usopp!" Nami chided.
"What?!" Usopp questioned.
"Well, sit down and relax," said Past Sanji. "I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. I'll make some tea."
"No thank you," said Ace. "That's thoughtful of you, but I don't wanna impose." He then raised his finger, causing Past Sanji's cigarette to light up, to his surprise.
"Well, he's certainly not what I expected," said Past Sanji.
"Yeah, I'll say," said Past Zoro.
"He's polite, helpful, and gracious!" Past Usopp exclaimed. "The polar opposite of Luffy!"
"One of them only cares about stuffing his face!" Past Nami said. "There's no way these two are brothers!"
"While the other only cares about his brother," Past Zoro added.
"I wish I had a wonderful brother like that...!" Past Chopper whimpered, tearfully.
"Brother?" Past Sanji asked. "I wish I had a wonderful captain like that!"
"Sanji!" Vivi chided. "He's just kidding."
"See, Ace?" Luffy asked. "I told you they were interesting! Hahahaha!"
"You guys really didn't mean all that, did you?" Brook asked.
"Of course we didn't mean it," said Zoro. "I mean, yeah, sometimes Luffy can be a headache, but we wouldn't replace him, even with his own brother!"
"Yeah!" Usopp said. "We might have our spats, once in a while, but by the end of the day, Luffy's still our captain!"
"What kind of crew would we be if we just shut him out, like that?" asked Sanji.
"A pretty lousy one if you ask me," said Franky.
"Exactly," Nami said. "We may say things, but we don't entirely mean them...and besides, we apologized to Luffy about the things we said when we met Ace."
"That's right!" Chopper piped up. "We didn't wanna hurt his feelings!"
"That's good," said Blizzard. "Although I'm sure Luffy knew you didn't really mean it, anyway. He's a good person."
At that moment, a fleet of at least seven ships appeared around the corner of the cape, all of them bearing the Baroque Works insignia. Vivi gasped, realizing that the ships belonged to the Billions. However, Ace didn't seem at all worried. In fact, he had this grin on his face, as if relishing the idea of going after them. He soon jumped off the Merry and aboard this yellow kayak-like boat with a sail, and using his Devil Fruit powers, he sped toward them with his hands casually in his pockets.
"What's he gonna do?" Aika asked.
"Watch this, Aika," Zoro smirked. "You're about to see, first-hand, the reason why he was called 'Fire Fist' Ace."
Soon, Ace leaped off his boat and over the Billions' battleships before he landed on the other side with his right fist ablaze.
"HIKEN~!" he yelled before he threw his fist forward, unleashing a humongous jet of flame that completely obliterated the ships!
"WHOA!" Aika and Kumi exclaimed.
"Holy crap!" Franky shouted as he raised his sunglasses. "That was crazy!"
"Extraordinary!" Brook added. "He destroyed them all in just one shot?!"
"What would we expect from the Second Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?" Robin asked with her usual amused smile.
"Yeah, that's Ace," Nami agreed.
"...Huh?" Sanji muttered as he glanced down at Aika, who was staring with her grinning mouth agape and her eyes sparkling. "Hey, Aika...you okay?"
A pause...before Aika suddenly fell backward while muttering "So cool...!", over and over.
"Yeah, she's okay," said Zoro, causing the other Straw Hats to laugh.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Luffy: So, wait, why are you here in Alabasta, Ace?
Ace: I'm looking for a man that I need to kill. His name is Blackbeard.
Aika: Blackbeard...? *gulps*
*Later on...*
Luffy: Ugh...soooo hot...!
Past Usopp: Hot, nothing! I'm melting!
Past Chopper: Ugh...I hate wearing a fur coat...
*That night in the desert*
Ace: *staring up at the stars with Luffy* Something on your mind, Luffy? You know you can tell me.
Luffy: ...Well...it's about Zoro...I don't think he wants to stay with us.
Zoro: *his eye goes wide*
Next time: Luffy's Doubts
I finally updated this, after so long! Sorry for the wait!
Next up is more Whole Cake Island!
Review, please!