A/N: *sweats*
I am human trash. I'm sorry. Work has been incredibly stressful lately and I didn't get the promotion I was hoping for to alleviate the stress. I've been stuck halfway done with this chapter for months because I haven't even had time to breathe with all the overtime I'm working these days. Luckily the busy season is supposedly slowing down. I love writing, and I love this story - I promise none of my stories are going to be abandoned. Thank you so much everyone for sticking with me!
That being said, HOLY IUSFHSDOPUIF 1k+ reviews! I had planned on doing a giveaway on my tumblr with a signup sheet for everyone, but I'm going to hold off for a bit longer until I can get my prizes together for a quality giveaway. Thank you SO MUCH, you guys! I'll update everyone on that in an upcoming chapter.
Thank you to Akatsuki-Celeste for the last minute beta'ing, thank you so much to Shishiswordsman for keeping my spirits up during my hellish job crisis, and of course, thank you to Beyond Kailani for being an awesome little sister. (I think I stopped putting the dedication on every chapter but if you've been with me from the start, y'all know who this is dedicated to.)
Bonds of Sea and Fire
Chapter 26: Skeletons In Our Closets Pt. 3
"-looking for a boy-"
"-been a few hours-"
"-his name is Ace-"
The voices overlapped. It was impossible not to notice the people pouring into the town, all of them searching, even with the buzz of travelers from multiple ships already crowding. These pirates didn't seem to care who they stopped, if they'd already asked, or if the person they were asking was downright terrified of them. From what Koala understood, they were all members of the Whitebeard Pirates - the strongest crew on the sea - and the island was swarming with them.
She glanced up as one of them approached. She'd hoped not to draw any attention to herself once arriving on the island, but then, she hadn't anticipated something like this happening. Even if they were supposed to be fearsome and dangerous, she couldn't help but find it admirable. They weren't searching for someone who had wronged or run away from them - she heard them refer to the boy they were looking for as their little brother multiple times, and it didn't seem like they were going to give up until they brought him home. She wanted to share the information she had, but she didn't know if she had the courage to approach them. She could only hope one of them would ask her.
Her eyes flickered to the side of the road, where another group seemed to be converging. They all wore the same mark in some way - the symbol of the Whitebeard Pirates - but something was different about this particular group. Koala realized it a moment later as one of them shifted away from the group. Even with men taller than some of the buildings and multiple devil fruit users, he stuck out as different when the casual onlooker took stock of the group.
He was a Fishman. She couldn't pinpoint the exact type, but if she'd had to guess, she would have guessed some kind of shark. Still, he was the first Fishman she'd seen since her departure from the Sun Pirates, and even if there was no guarantee he was one of their friends - no actual proof he'd ever met them - the sight of him still made her feel homesick. If there was anyone she felt comfortable enough with to try to engage in conversation, it was him.
Squaring her shoulders, Koala weaved her way through the crowd to approach him, reading the worry in his expression before she was close enough for him to notice her. When he did notice her, he didn't scowl or shoo her away - he simply regarded her with curiosity.
She doubted he'd ever had a child approach him like this. Even now, the adults were edging away from him more than they were with any other pirates.
"Hi," Koala greeted him. "My name is Koala. Are all of you looking for someone?"
He regarded her warily for several moments, then nodded. "I'm Namur. One of our little brothers ran off. We're trying to find him."
"Ace, right? That's the name I heard someone say," Koala continued.
Namur nodded again, his wariness giving way to curiosity as she held her conversation with him. He could tell she wasn't fully comfortable, but that she was making an honest effort to speak with him as if it were normal. As if children weren't prone to cowering behind adults at the mere sight of his kind.
"I didn't see any other kids by themselves," Koala said, glancing up to see others looking their way. She fidgeted, then squared her shoulders again, trying to keep her confidence as high as possible. "But I did hear that someone saw a boy go into the forest on the east edge of the town."
Namur's expression told her no one had shared that particular bit of information with them yet, and he knelt so he was no longer towering over her. "The east edge of town?"
Koala smiled shyly. "Yes. I didn't hear if he looked like the boy you've all been describing, but they said he was wearing a brace on his left arm."
"That sounds like Ace, alright," Namur sighed in relief. "Thank you, Koala. We're going to go look in the forest."
"I hope you find him," Koala said. Then, before he could stand, she added, "and that he wants to be found."
Namur's smile was sad. "He wants to be found. He just doesn't know how badly we want to find him yet." He nodded to her in thanks again, then stood and beckoned his companions over. Koala hastily backed away, then turned and made her way back into the crowd before any of them could get a good look at her or try to engage her in conversation. It wasn't that she didn't think they would be just as nice or gracious if she spoke with them. They may have even wanted to thank her for providing useful information.
But after what had happened on her home island, she just wasn't ready to trust anyone so easily without a good reason. Lockport was a giant network of towns interlocking together with ports on every side - disappearing into the crowd was child's play.
...
Marco wasn't even sure if Ace noticed his approach. The forest was deceptively large, and each tree reached varying heights that were impossible to discern without actually being in them. The branches were all perfectly parallel to the ground, sprouting from each base with no uniform pattern or structural advantage, but the real camouflage came from the leaves. They draped from the branches like sheets of green silk, shimmering brilliantly with even the slightest of movement. From a lower vantage point, they were emerald green and completely obscured vision - from a higher one, however, they were completely transparent. It was like looking through frosted glass.
The only reason Marco had even seen Ace to begin with had been due to luck. Flying above the trees had given him the best view of the forest, but the branches had still provided ample cover. It had been one simple flicker of Ace's fire that had caught Marco's attention, enough to give him a place to start looking. Navigating his way down through the trees after that had been simple. As he made his way closer, impeccable balance keeping him from even shaking the branch, Ace spoke.
"Are they coming?"
Marco paused, regarding the question and the hoarse tone of Ace's voice. He didn't even need to see his face to know he'd been crying. It took him all of two seconds to figure out what Ace was asking, and his expression softened. "No."
Ace went completely tense.
"They're not coming to meet up with you because they're coming to find you, yoi," Marco corrected, stopping next to Ace and sitting down. He had no trouble balancing there, despite the branch being a little small for someone his size. It didn't even bend at their combined weight.
Ace lifted his head, eyes red-rimmed and uncertain. "Find me?"
"With everyone else. All of your brothers and sisters are looking for you, Ace," Marco answered quietly. "If I saw correctly, Sabo and Luffy are with Haruta, Lami, and Thatch. Everyone split up into groups. We've swarmed the island, yoi." He chuckled. "The marines are starting to panic a little, but it's not like they can confront us. The most they can do is call for reinforcements and wait a few days for them to get here."
"I don't… what?" Ace lifted his head fully this time, staring up at Marco in confusion.
"They're looking for you, yoi," Marco repeated. "To bring you back to the Moby Dick. To bring you home."
Ace recoiled at those words, shaking his head as small flames began to creep from his wrist to his shoulder on one side. "It's not- I can't-" he clenched his jaw, the fire continuing along his other arm. "You heard what happened!"
"Just about everyone on the deck heard what happened, yoi. Word probably spread after that, so the entire ship likely heard about it by now," Marco acknowledged. "Which means more people are coming out to look for you by the minute."
"Why?" Ace demanded. He clenched both fists. "Why won't they just let me leave in peace? I didn't do anything to them!"
"Ace," Marco reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, expression softening when the fire flickered harmlessly over his skin. "We won't let you leave in peace because we don't want you to leave. I know you said you hadn't planned on telling the entire crew all at once, but now they all know. And they all want you to come home, yoi."
Ace opened his mouth to answer, only to abruptly snap it shut, tensing when they heard voices from below. He looked down, holding his breath as Vista came into view with four others from his division trailing behind.
"Ace!" Vista shouted, cupping both hands at his mouth to amplify the sound.
"Ace! C'mon Ace, don't be mad!" the man behind him shouted. "We're sorry!"
"It's not even a big deal! I mean, we're pretty sure Marco's dad was a cockatrice! You don't see us getting worked up over that!" another shouted.
Marco scowled. "A cockatrice? Really? I'd expect that kind of behavior from Thatch, not Wedge."
Ace flinched at the sound of his voice, curling up as if afraid they'd all notice now that Marco had spoken, but no one looked their way. Marco didn't say anything else, watching as Vista's group passed by. He didn't speak the next time a group made their way through, this one consisting of the rowdier members in Fossa's division - carpenters who liked to destroy so they could rebuild - and Ace didn't relax for even a moment. Ace kept his head down as he gripped his hair on both sides and trembled, a deep ache in his chest. His certainty that everyone would hate him warred with the concern and warmth he was hearing in their voices, but it was his own self-hatred that won out, convincing him it had to be some kind of trick, or that Marco had put them up to it somehow. Even though the forest itself seemed to echo with a chorus of worried shouts, all of them calling for Ace to come back.
It wasn't until he heard Luffy's voice that he finally looked up, breath catching. A second later, Sabo's voice rang out, both cutting through all of the others. For a moment, his heart soared, thinking his brothers had broken off from the group Marco had seen them with to come find him, but his heart seized almost instantly as he actually lifted his head and saw them.
Luffy had Sabo's sleeve clutched tightly in one hand. His other hand was holding the brim of his straw hat and pulling it down over his eyes, and even from a distance Ace could see how badly he was trembling. Haruta came to a stop next to Luffy, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting Ace's name. Lami walked a few steps past them to look around, eyes darting to the trees, but despite the brief moment of paranoia that she'd somehow see through the optical illusion the trees created, her eyes swept right over his hiding spot without pause.
"We should keep moving," Thatch told them after Haruta's shout went unanswered. He placed a hand on Haruta's shoulder and cast his own glance around. "That girl told Namur he came into the forest but we have no idea how far he might have gotten."
"Why can't we f-find him?" Luffy's voice wavered, making Ace's heart lurch with the automatic instinct to go to him and try to soothe him. "I thought we'd find him by now!"
Thatch gave a heavy sigh. "I'm sure we'll find him soon, Luffy. He just… doesn't really want to be found right now."
"Why?" Luffy lifted his head to stare up at Thatch. "Ace wants us to find him! He wouldn't want to be all alone! Being alone is the worst!"
"You know Ace," Sabo cut in, looking down at Luffy. "He won't be found until he wants us to find him, and right now, he doesn't."
"Yes he does!" Luffy argued, cheeks red and eyes filling with tears. He angrily yanked his hand away from Sabo and started rubbing at his eyes. "I'm not crying!"
"Luffy…" Sabo trailed off. The five of them stood there in relative quiet while echoes of the others' shouts filled in the background noises, and Ace could only stare down at the group with his heart in his throat.
"This isn't fair!" Haruta abruptly stomped his foot, unable to contain his frustration any longer. "Luffy, why did you have to blurt it out like that?!"
"Don't get on Luffy's case about this!" Sabo immediately jumped to Luffy's defense. "He didn't mean to!"
"Haruta, don't blame Luffy," Thatch added, seeing the way Luffy's shoulders scrunched and he pulled his hat back down over his eyes.
"I'm not trying to!" Haruta argued. Tears burned his eyes, then spilled over as he clenched his jaw. "But Ace was slowly telling everyone, right? I probably would have been next after you! But now Ace thinks…" He tried to rub his eyes to hide his tears, but his shoulders shook as his frustration bubbled over. "He has to come back!"
"Is it really possible he's not coming back?" Lami asked, looking up at Thatch with wide eyes.
Thatch knelt down, placing both hands on Haruta's shoulders. "I know you're all upset," he said, looking to Sabo and Luffy, Lami, and then Haruta. "But you have to understand, Ace is the one hurting right now. Whatever you're feeling, he probably feels it a hundred times stronger - otherwise he'd be back on the ship with us already."
"But Thatch-" Haruta started.
"I know, but all we can do right now is keep looking and show him we're not going to give up - no matter how stubborn or scared he is. Even if we're out here all night or all week, or if Oyaji has to go claim this island just so we can set up camp for the next year. Ace must want to believe we'll come through, so we have to do our best to help convince him," Thatch finished.
Haruta bit his lip, looking at Sabo and Luffy. Luffy was still holding his hat over his eyes, shoulders shaking as Sabo half-hugged him while looking back at Haruta with obvious apprehension. Even Lami seemed uncertain of how Haruta might act, twisting her hands together and chewing on her lower lip.
He straightened, standing as tall as he could. He was the big brother. He had to be the one they could all look up to.
"ACE!" He shouted, pulling away from Thatch and looking into the endless canopy of shimmering green leaves. "ROGER IS THE COOLEST!"
From his hiding spot, Ace went tense, eyes growing wide at the sudden exclamation. He looked to Marco to confirm he'd just heard what he thought he'd just heard, and Marco simply shrugged in response.
"I THINK ROGER IS THE COOLEST PERSON EVER!" Haruta shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth so the shout carried.
"What are you doing?" Sabo blurted out, staring at Haruta. "That's not going to make Ace come back - he hates Roger!"
"Why didn't you tell me that?!" Haruta spun on Sabo in alarm, then turned back to the trees. "I HATE ROGER TOO! ROGER IS THE WORST!"
"Haruta, wait!" Lami reached out to touch his arm, expression worried. "If you say that, Ace might think you hate him, too!"
"Damn it!" Haruta looked to Thatch in desperation, then back at Lami. "I don't know what to say to make him come back! I don't care about Roger, I don't care about any of that! But I don't know what Ace needs to hear!" He shoved his hands into his hair and clenched his fists, looking stressed. "No one cares about Roger!"
"I'm sorry," Lami murmured, lowering her hand. "But maybe that's the part Ace needs to hear. If he's been keeping it hidden this long, he had to be really scared someone would find out, right? So it's going to take more than this to convince him it's okay."
"We have to convince him," Haruta swore, nodding at Lami's words and then looking to the others. "We have to make him understand we want him back and no one gives a damn about Roger or anything else!"
"How do we do that?" Sabo asked, looking up at Haruta with a pained expression. "I've never known how to help when Ace gets like this…"
"What caused it in the past?" Haruta asked, squaring his shoulders and standing up straighter when he saw Luffy and Lami looking to him for guidance. I'm the big brother, he reminded himself. He needed to prove he deserved that title.
"Ace… Ace used to hear people talking about Roger," Sabo admitted, tugging Luffy back into a hug. Luffy reached up to clutch Sabo's arms, staring up at Haruta with large eyes. "About how they all hated him and the world was better with him dead. He used to ask them what they thought about the idea of Roger having a kid."
"And?" Haruta prompted, swallowing.
"They always told him that Roger's kid should be killed," Sabo answered, clenching his jaw. "That everyone with a grudge against Roger should get to take revenge on him, and that before he died, he should apologize for being born. For being worthless trash."
"Ace shouldn't do any of those things!" Luffy shouted, getting riled up. He tried to break free to fight something - anything - but all he really managed to do was kick and flail his legs while Sabo held him.
"Luffy's right," Haruta stated, needing to placate him before continuing. It seemed to help, although Luffy's eyes were still burning with anger at the people who had been so cruel to Ace in the past. "So we need to tell Ace we don't care at all about Roger, then. We need to tell him we don't want 'Roger's kid', we want him." He puffed up and turned to another group nearby. "Hey! You guys!"
They hurried over, looking to Thatch first, then Haruta. "Did you find him?"
"No," Haruta answered. "Spread the word - instead of just shouting for Ace to come back, shout to Ace that we don't care about Roger's kid. Ace is Ace, and we want him back!"
Thatch stood, crossing his arms over his chest and looking impressed. "You guys heard him. Go on."
"Got it!" As they rushed off, Haruta turned back to Lami, Sabo, and Luffy.
"Don't worry," Haruta told them. "Ace will definitely hear us - and he'll definitely come back!" He looked to the trees. "ACE!" He shouted. "IT'S OKAY IF YOU NEED MORE TIME! WE'LL KEEP WAITING! WE'RE NOT GIVING UP ON YOU!"
Ace jolted again, somehow feeling like Haruta could see right through the camouflage, right through his own insecurities. It was sheer coincidence that Haruta happened to be looking towards his hiding spot, and yet he still somehow felt like Haruta knew he was there.
"YOU'RE NOT 'ROGER'S KID' TO US!" Haruta shouted, and all of the other shouts stopped to let his be heard. "YOU'RE ACE! YOU'RE ACE, AND YOU'RE OUR LITTLE BROTHER! SO COME HOME SOON, ACE!"
Sabo's face lit into a broad grin, tears burning his eyes. He hugged Luffy tighter. "COME HOME SOON, ACE!" He echoed at the top of his lungs.
Luffy tilted his head back to look up at Sabo, then beamed, smile stretching his entire face. "COME HOME SOON, ACE!" His shout joined the others.
Lami took a deep breath. She was normally quiet and reserved, rarely raising her voice unless laughing or caught off guard - but she still turned to look at the trees and cupped her hands near her mouth. "COME HOME SOON, ACE!"
"That's the spirit!" Thatch pumped one fist into the air in delight. "COME HOME SOON, ACE!"
It wasn't long before the entire forest began to echo the shouts - so many voices all at once, the words becoming too jumbled to understand, too loud to really hear. A chorus of voices filled with love and concern, crashing straight through every feeling of doubt and self-hatred Ace had in that moment.
How could he possibly hear the tormenting whispers in his heart when the shouts of his brothers and sisters drowned out literally everything else? Ace jolted at the sudden touch to his shoulder, looking up with wide eyes. Marco was standing now, a soft look on his face, and he pulled back a moment later with both arms shifting into wings.
"W-wait," Ace stammered, scrambling to his feet and staring up at Marco. "Where are you going?!"
"Home," Marco answered.
"A-aren't you going to drag me back?" Ace demanded, reaching out to grasp the sash at his waist. "Aren't you taking me with you?"
"Do you want me to?" Marco asked, glancing down at him.
Ace yanked his hand back. "I didn't say that!"
"I already told you I wasn't going to force you to come back if you ever wanted to leave. I've told you how much I want you to stay - now everyone is telling you, yoi," Marco stated, pausing a moment to let the flood of shouts prove his point. He cocked his head to the side, then turned away. "Come home soon, Ace."
Marco took off before Ace could answer, transforming mid-jump and flying through the trees into the sky. Ace could only stand there, hand outstretched as if he could somehow grab onto him again.
The voices jolted him back out of it a moment later, and he turned to look at the last spot he'd seen Luffy. They were moving, of course - they had no way of knowing he was right there, watching them shout his name - and soon enough they'd be out of sight. His legs moved before he was fully aware of it, the branch sturdy and not even budging an inch as he broke into a run.
The first few minutes were easy. He was able to keep pace and jump to the next tree so he didn't lose sight of them. After that, the trees were spaced farther apart and he had to take running leaps to make it to the next. He didn't want to let them out of his sight - not Sabo, not Luffy… not Haruta, Thatch, or Lami. Every so often he'd pass another person shouting for him to come home, or some variant of how Roger meant nothing to them, and his heart would constrict.
They all sounded sincere.
It was like every wish he'd ever made about his new family, except it was real, and he knew it was real because there was no way Sabo and Luffy would have gone along with it if it wasn't. Even in his darkest moments, despite having let the doubt creep into his heart before, he knew that he could trust them. Added to that was the fact that Marco, the only other person he'd decided to put his complete trust in, had simply left him there to witness the search. It wasn't a cruel joke. It was real, and the ache of homesickness was so severe it caused tears to burn his eyes, overflowing and obscuring his vision as he continued to follow.
All his life, ever since he'd gotten old enough to understand what it meant to be Roger's son, Ace had always kept a part of himself guarded, waiting for someone he cared about to find out his secret and ultimately reject him. He'd solved the problem by forcing himself not to care - or at least he had until Luffy had come along - and then the list of people he'd kept close to his heart had still been small. Of course there were people who already knew, people like Garp and Dadan who had only recently begun to make him feel like they loved him despite such a large flaw, but they didn't count. They'd known long before he had. The fear of them finding out his secret was nonexistent - unlike every relationship he'd forged since.
No matter how Ace tried to justify or think back on it now, telling Sabo had been a test. Deep down, he knew the only reason he'd ever brought it up was to protect himself from getting hurt. Before their bonds had taken root, he'd challenged Sabo to cast him aside, to prove his point, and Sabo hadn't seemed bothered. It hadn't been until later that Ace had realized Sabo himself had suffered a similar problem, hiding his noble birth and the fact that he wasn't an orphan like Ace or Luffy.
Telling Luffy? That hadn't even been a concern. Ace had been more annoyed than anything, knowing Luffy would pester him about a man he hated and possibly spill his secret to people who had no business knowing. It had never once crossed Ace's mind that he might lose Luffy to something as stupid as being the Pirate King's son.
He'd told himself it was fine like that. He had Sabo and Luffy, and back home he had Dadan and the old man, and maybe someday Makino. He didn't need anyone else. And then they'd met Marco and the others, and he'd slowly started to lower his guard, letting them claim small pieces of himself that he hadn't even realized he was offering. When he'd told Marco, the relief at having an outsider accept him had been indescribable. And yet, the fear that he'd been lowering his guard too much, that Marco had to have been some kind of exception that would never happen again - it had halted him from considering telling anyone else.
"COME HOME SOON, ACE!"
Ace choked back a sound that was somewhere close to a sob and a gasp, nearly tripping as he made the next jump to keep following his brothers. That shout had been Vista's, and another dozen echoed after it making it impossible to single out any other voices.
He'd finally worked up the nerve to tell Thatch, to let one more person in on his dark secret, only to have the entire crew find out at once. His worst nightmare - worst case scenario - and somehow it seemed stupid looking back on that fear. Sure, there were probably a few people who weren't thrilled to learn about his biological father, and he had no idea what would happen with Squard, but he didn't hear any hatred now. He didn't hear any malice, any blame. He only heard his family, and they wanted him back.
With a burst of strength, Ace jumped off the branch and landed on the forest floor, stumbling a little from the uneven ground. He didn't let that halt his momentum as he surged forward and grabbed Luffy from behind, clasping him in a tight hug and cutting him off mid-shout.
Luffy's eyes widened. He turned in Ace's grip, neck twisting so he could face him, and his shout was louder than any other as tears began to well up and drip down his face. "ACE!"
Ace didn't answer, pressing his face into one of Luffy's thin shoulders and hugging him so tightly it would have hurt if not for Luffy's rubbery body. A moment later Sabo was there as well, shouting his name and hugging them both - and then Haruta was wrapping his arms as much as he could around the three of them. Lami's gentle embrace could barely be felt before Thatch had scooped them all into some kind of bear hug.
"Ace!" Thatch was crying and laughing at the same time, and the relief in his voice made Ace's heart hurt even more. "We finally found you!"
"Ace is coming home!" Luffy wailed, burying his face in Ace's hair and immediately soaking it with his tears. "I'm sorry I told everyone! But you're coming home now!"
When Ace could only respond by hugging him tighter, a sob threatening to break free, Sabo tightened his arms around Ace and steadied his shaking shoulders. Sabo didn't say anything, simply offering silent support as various others rushed over from all sides and surrounded Ace with their love and relief. It started to get a little ridiculous as crewmembers poured in from every side, until Thatch seemed to be supporting all of the weight from the biggest Whitebeard Pirate dogpile in history.
His complaints about the weight fell on deaf ears, as everyone continued to shout Ace's name with pure joy, but he never once faltered or let that weight come down on the five children at the center of it all. Ace had yet to say anything, but his tight grip on his siblings and the tears streaming down his cheeks said enough.
Shortly after Blenheim and Atmos joined the hug - which Thatch was convinced was purely for the sake of torturing him at this point - everyone started to back off. Thatch had only just started catching his breath to yell at them all when he realized how quiet it had gotten, and he finally looked up to see the reason why.
Whitebeard himself was approaching, his gaze filled with unabashed warmth and emotion for his family - for his youngest children. Thatch nodded to him and let go, standing up and wiping his eyes as he backed off. It was Haruta who looked up first, and the grin that lit his face was radiant.
"Oyaji!"
Ace went still, grip tightening on Luffy. He lifted his head to look up at Whitebeard, hoping he didn't look as pitiful as he felt. A small sound escaped his throat, and in the silence, everyone heard it - but no one interrupted as Whitebeard came closer and knelt down.
Whitebeard smiled down at them all - at Ace specifically - and it had Ace biting down on his inner cheek to keep from speaking up and saying something stupid. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that Whitebeard had been looking for him too. He'd heard Whitebeard's voice loud and clear with the others, crying out for him to come home, and now that they were face to face, he didn't know how to respond.
So when Whitebeard opened his arms and swept them into a strong, secure hug, and whispered only the words 'welcome home, my son', the last of Ace's reservations fell away and he found himself struggling to reach more than just Luffy and Sabo, more than Haruta or Lami - he reached for Whitebeard and tangled one hand into his massive captain's coat.
"I'm coming home," Ace choked out, his voice hoarse and raw with emotion. "I'm coming home, Oyaji."
The cheers rang out again, damn near deafening in their intensity as Whitebeard hugged the children tighter. The emotion on his face was enough to bring tears to everyone's eyes. For the first time, Ace was finally reaching out to him, finally calling him Oyaji, and finally accepting the place he'd come to know as his home. The place he'd warred with himself over, desperate to belong but unwilling to let himself be vulnerable enough to really do so.
Whitebeard had gained many sons and daughters since setting out on his own, and while he loved each and every one of them, there was no denying that this time, it was different. The children in his arms were by far his youngest, his most vulnerable. The last time he'd felt such a strong urge, such an intense need to protect… it had probably been when Thatch had joined him, and that in itself had been an emotional ordeal.
Added to that was the fact that this didn't just mark Ace's acceptance - it marked Sabo and Luffy's as well. It was the last barrier, the last of their guard keeping them from truly accepting everything Whitebeard had offered. It marked Haruta's first real challenge as a big brother, one he'd gotten through with soaring approval.
It marked the first real sign that Lami was choosing to become one of his daughters alongside the other four children in his arms, her grip just as tight and her face just as wet with tears.
As the cheering finally died down, Whitebeard loosened his grip, not quite letting go, but letting them pull back to look at him. Aware that he, the strongest man in the world and one of the Yonkou, had tears in his eyes and a sappy look on his face, Whitebeard smiled down at them and gave a soft, warm chuckle. "It doesn't matter where you came from, who brought you into this world, or the enemies you have made before you came to me. What matters is that we are family now, and anyone who hates you hates us all. Any burdens that may catch up to you will find that you're not alone to face them. Any battles you try to fight become our battles too."
He smiled, a surge of warmth and protectiveness rushing through him when he saw Lami and Ace in particular trying to hide how much those words meant to them. Luffy didn't even appear to be paying attention to him, still tightly wound around Ace and crying quietly on his shoulder.
"Do you really mean it?" Lami blurted out. She tried to hold his gaze, then quickly ducked her head, clutching Sabo and Haruta a little tighter. They both looked at her, prepared to hug her tighter if she needed it, but she pulled away so she could look up at Whitebeard on her own, hands clasped together at her chest. "I-I know you're talking mostly to Ace, and I'm not trying to take away from that - and I heard what you said before back on the ship - but if anyone from the World Government found out I was still alive, they might want to kill me! They might even offer a reward!"
Whitebeard looked at her, then laughed softly. It wasn't mocking or condescending - it was purely affectionate, even a little mirthful. "Then you'd be my youngest child with a bounty on your head - quite an accomplishment." He reached out and put his hand on her head - which in turn, had him covering most of them in a gentle reassurance. "This isn't just about Ace. This goes for all of my children - you and Ace just seemed to be the ones who needed to hear the most right now."
"If anyone tries to hurt Ace, or Lamby, I'll kick their asses!" Luffy added, twisting his neck again so he could look up at Whitebeard. "But I'll let you help, Oyaji."
Whitebeard normally prided himself on keeping his expression neutral when something surprised him - but he felt the widening of his eyes before he realized the shock had shown on his face. Logically, he'd considered the idea that Luffy would start to call him Oyaji once Ace did, but actually hearing it was enough to leave him stunned. Just long enough for Thatch to chuckle and snap him out of it, making him aware that everyone had seen the look.
"I appreciate your assistance, Luffy," Whitebeard chuckled, smiling once more. "Now, we've already caused quite the stir on this island. Why don't we go enjoy ourselves before we head back to the ship?"
"Yeah…" Ace's voice was barely audible, choked up and hoarse. Then he cleared his throat and flashed a shy grin. "Yeah!"
Luffy finally let go of Ace, arms and legs retracting and snapping back into place with enough speed to give an audible sound as he fell back and landed on his feet. Sabo released him next, scrubbing at his eyes with a sappy smile. It was Haruta who pulled back last, keeping his hands on Ace's shoulders.
Ace looked up at him, smile wavering. Then he abruptly lunged forward and hugged him one more time. "I heard everything, Haruta," he whispered, trying to keep his voice low so no one else would overhear it. "Thank you."
Haruta hugged him back. He'd managed to stop crying at some point during the Whitebeard Pirate dogpile - and he was trying to keep his composure - but Ace's gratitude had his eyes burning with tears again. "Anytime, Ace," he whispered, voice shaking. "You're my little brother. You're really gonna stay, right?"
"Yeah," Ace promised, closing his eyes. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
"Then let's go have a party!" Thatch cheered, sweeping them up into his arms and making them both yelp. "I have time before I have to go make the feast for Squard."
Ace's eyes flew wide open at the mention of Squard, making him tense. With everything going on, he'd actually forgotten the entire reason he'd been in such a situation in the first place.
"Don't worry," Thatch told him, giving them both a squeeze. "You don't have to show up if you don't want to - and if Squard does anything stupid, we'll set him straight."
"Yeah," Haruta encouraged, quick to add his reassurance so Ace could relax. "Look, some of our brothers and sisters might be stupid, or say something stupid - but it won't change anything. They'll come around!"
Bay walked over and placed her hands on Lami's shoulders. "If anyone says something stupid to you, Ace - tell me. I will personally kick them in the balls."
"What if the stupid one is a girl?" Sabo questioned.
"Well, I'll punch them in the boob," Bay decided, winking at him. "I tend to use violence as a motivator - if it hurts enough, they won't do it again."
"This is why Bay is our scariest sister." Namur shuddered, picking Luffy up and tucking him against his chest with one arm.
"It won't be perfect, Ace," Whitebeard spoke, silencing everyone else. "But nothing can take your home away from you - you are the only one who can change whether or not you belong with us."
Ace's shoulders relaxed. "I trust you - it's just…"
"We'll remind you whenever you need that reassurance, Ace," Whitebeard answered his unspoken fears.
"Aye," Rakuyo added, nudging Thatch and causing him to stumble a little. "You belong with us, Ace! You always have."
Luffy tilted his head back to look up at Namur. "Can we go have food now?"
Ace burst out laughing, the last of his tension draining away. He truly believed that if his self-doubt or anxieties started to win out again, his new family would be there to reassure him. "Yeah, let's go have food."
"We don't have to worry about laying low," Blamenco added with a large grin. "The whole island is crawling with our crew."
"May as well enjoy it," Bay added. "The marines are probably scared shitless. A bunch of the smaller pirate crews already ditched."
"It's 'crapless' - Kingdew's here," Vista corrected her.
"That is not any better," Kingdew sighed in irritation.
"Children." Whitebeard's booming voice made them jump. And then everyone was laughing again, shoving each other and joking about being called 'children'. Vista was the one to scoop Sabo up and place him on his shoulder while they left the forest, keeping the five youngest close to each other as a veritable swarm of pirates poured out of the trees and back into the town.
While the townsfolk had seem anxious and avoided them earlier, they were a little more relaxed to see everyone cheering and so many little children being treated like pirate royalty. With the exception of the marines littered about, the mood turned relaxed and friendly while the pirates hit up every food vendor and street performer in the vicinity to turn the current area into an impromptu party.
No one brought up Ace's parentage in public - but that didn't stop countless members of the crew trying to approach him and encourage him, or smack him on the back with a hearty cheer of 'welcome to the family'. There were a few awkward encounters of crewmates who weren't quite sure how to talk to Ace, but for the most part everyone was able to express their feelings. They bought out almost every store and spent the entire day enjoying themselves. It was reminiscent of the party they'd had on Children's Day, except the entire crew was there to experience it with them this time.
Even though the spotlight had started on Ace, Thatch hadn't been able to resist regaling the others with tales of how Haruta had been the one to rally them all and ultimately bring Ace home, causing Haruta to get tossed around on the shoulders of hundreds of his big brothers and sisters. While that was happening, Ace snuck away to find Whitebeard again, climbing up onto the chair he was using and sitting on the armrest. He wasn't sure if they'd brought his chair all the way from the Moby Dick or if Fossa and his division had built it on the spot, but it felt almost like being back on the deck.
Ace couldn't help scowling a little when he saw Marco sitting on the other side, lounging with a broad grin on his face. "Nice of you to join the party, Marco."
"Nice of you to join the family, Ace," Marco teased right back, before standing up. "I'm gonna go stop Blamenco and Blenheim from actually trying to arm wrestle by that bakery. They'll smash the damn thing." He leapt from his perch, arms transforming mid-jump as he prepared to swoop in on his mildly intoxicated, much larger brothers.
"He's always doing that," Ace complained, shaking his head.
Whitebeard chuckled. "He always flies where he wants to, Ace. Now, I trust you had something you wanted to speak to me about without your brothers and sisters overhearing?"
Ace blushed, realizing he'd been so caught up in complaining about Marco that he'd briefly forgotten his reason for approaching. He sat down and pulled his knees up, leaning forward a little. "Sabo said you've known about everything for a long time now. That Luffy must have let it slip at some point and you pretended to forget."
"Luffy asked me to forget it - he wasn't supposed to say anything, you know," Whitebeard chuckled.
Ace scowled, but it softened almost instantly. "Yeah… he's like that. He's been doing better about it, though. I mean this is the most time we've spent around people who didn't know, and it took him awhile to really slip up. Back home he didn't have to worry about it much - mostly because it was just the three of us and Dadan. And she already knew. Same with most of the bandits."
Whitebeard nodded to him, waiting for him to continue.
"I guess… anyway, I just wanted to ask you why you didn't say anything to me back then. You probably knew how much it was bothering me, didn't you?" Ace asked, tilting his head to look up at Whitebeard. "You and Roger were enemies, weren't you? Or is it that you already dealt with it before so it doesn't bother you now that everyone knows?"
"Ace," Whitebeard murmured. "I'll tell you what I told the others, before we came looking for you."
Ace leaned forward a bit more, his full attention on Whitebeard.
"The sins of the parent should never become the burden of the child. You made the choice, perhaps earlier than you originally planned, to set sail. That makes you a child of the sea," Whitebeard explained. "And even if I had hated Roger - which I don't - something as silly as that would never be a reason to hate you. The reason I never brought it up to you was because it never mattered to me."
Ace ducked his head, throat tightening. He fidgeted a little, playing with a couple flickers of fire to regain his composure before extinguishing it. "Do you think Squard would want me to talk to him?"
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow. "You want to?"
"It's not that I want to," Ace mumbled. "It's just that… after everything that happened today, I don't think I want to try to hide from it anymore. I always prided myself on never running away from a fight - I ran away today and if it wasn't for the others, I would have regretted it. I'd rather face my worst nightmare than live with regrets."
"Hn," Whitebeard acknowledged. He reached out to place his arm around Ace, abruptly sweeping him into a hug. He ignored Ace's yelp - the protesting 'I could have set you on fire!' - and smiled. "I'm proud to call you my son, Ace."
Ace stopped squirming and protesting, then slowly relaxed and let himself enjoy the hug. It was nothing like the hugs he was used to from Luffy - or the sneak attack hugs from Thatch - it was even different from the multitude of hugs he'd received upon rejoining the crew. He settled in and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'll make sure you stay proud of me," he decided.
"Oh, Ace," Whitebeard murmured, grinning from ear to ear now. "That was never a concern."
"Stop hogging him, Oyaji!" someone called from the middle of the crowd, making everyone laugh.
A rubbery hand shot out and grabbed onto Whitebeard's coat, and the straw-hat missile hit him with enough force to knock the wind out of a lesser man. Whitebeard merely grinned when he saw Luffy struggling to right himself and locate Ace.
"Oyaji," Luffy chirped once he'd straightened his hat. "Jiru said you're hogging Ace!"
"My apologies," Whitebeard grinned even brighter at Luffy and released Ace from the hug. "Go on, have fun."
Ace smacked Luffy upside the head, telling him to apologize for using his rocket and hitting Whitebeard - which earned a 'sorry, Oyaji!' and a quick bow - before both boys jumped down to find Sabo and Haruta. Whitebeard watched them go with a sappy smile, then shook his head and took a nice, long sip of his sake. He couldn't help but feel, as he watched Jozu tossing Haruta into the air with Sabo and Lami waving Ace and Luffy over to stand with Namur, that life was good.
...
The brig really wasn't all that uncomfortable. The cells were relatively large, and most of them were spotless from disuse - the few that were used on a regular basis were only used for drunken partygoers sleeping it off, or the occasional timeout boxes for rowdy crewmates whose fights had escalated past leaving a few bruises and scrapes.
Ace knew exactly where to go, but only because he'd been on cleanup duty with Sabo three times in one week, and fairly recently too. He didn't know if Squard would be awake when he got there, but he didn't mind waiting, either. He'd left Sabo and Luffy at the door - both Lami and Haruta had volunteered to help out with the crewmembers setting up for the memorial feast - and Bay was on standby just in case Squard was in no mood to listen.
He wasn't expecting Squard to be conscious. There were no sounds coming from the cell. But when he came to a stop in front of it, he found himself staring right into Squard's eyes as the older captain sat in silence on his cot.
"So," Squard spoke up, unfolding his arms and standing. "You're Roger's brat."
Ace squared his shoulders. "I never met him, you know."
"Tch," Squard scowled. "Of course not. You're just a sprout."
"I'm not a sprout," Ace argued. He put his hand on his hips. "But Roger was my father. I had no control over that. What I do have control over is who my father is now - and that's Whitebeard."
"He'll take anyone, won't he?" Squard snorted. "Well, he took me in too." He glanced down at Ace again. "You're nothing like your old man."
"Stop calling him that," Ace demanded. "I just told you - Whitebeard is my father now. He's the one I want to be like."
"Good choice, brat," Squard pushed a hand into his hair, grunting. "Did you see who knocked me out?"
"No," Ace shifted. "I ran away."
"Damn. Whoever did it could have killed me - I want to pay him back for that. It wasn't Bay, was it? She hits harder than she needs to," Squard complained, sitting back down.
"Yeah, we try not to piss her off," Ace agreed, fidgeting. He studied Squard for several moments, the tension draining out of his shoulders. He'd expected hostility, maybe some accusations. Maybe a demand for an apology in Roger's name. He hadn't expected Squard to be shrugging it off. "Do you want me to apologize?" he blurted out.
Squard raised an eyebrow at him, standing again and making his way directly to the bars. He leaned down so their faces were inches apart. "Brat," he said, his tone rough. "Do you think you're strong enough to beat me?"
"Not yet," Ace muttered, holding his gaze.
"Do you think you're strong enough to beat my whole crew?" Squard demanded.
"Not yet," Ace repeated, steeling himself for the next question.
"Then why the hell would you need to apologize to me?" Squard straightened back up. "Don't apologize until you did something shitty, you little brat."
Ace stared up at him, then smirked. "I'll keep that in mind. Hey - Thatch and the others are still cooking, but you don't have to stay in here. Want me to bust you out?"
"And how do you plan to do that?" Squared challenged. "Do you have a key?"
"Nah, but this cell isn't a kairouseki one," Ace responded in a cocky tone, reaching up to grab the padlock. The bars themselves were reinforced, but the padlock was kept out of reach of the prisoners and it wasn't nearly as strong. Or at least, Ace didn't think it was, as he grabbed onto it. Fire engulfed his hand, the metal turning bright red in a matter of seconds.
"A logia type, huh?" Squard huffed. "That's a lot of power for a little brat."
"Yeah, well, it'll only get stronger," Ace boasted. As soon as he saw the padlock weaken, he snapped it right off and extinguished his fire. "Anyway, they only put you down here for my sake. I don't think they'll have a problem with me letting you out early."
"Thanks," Squard rubbed his head again, opening the cell. "You sure they're not going to knock me out again? They get overprotective of the little brat types. And you look like one of the youngest he's ever taken in."
"Luffy's younger," Ace argued. "But he still doesn't want to join the crew, so I guess that makes Sabo the youngest."
"You barely come up to my knee," Squard snorted right back, putting a hand on his head and ruffling his hair in an almost aggressive manner. "You may as well be a the youngest."
"I'm gonna get taller!" Ace protested, swatting his hand away. "Knock it off!"
"Everything okay?" Sabo's voice came from the entrance. He was holding tightly to Luffy - whose face indicated extreme displeasure and willingness to fight someone.
"Yeah," Ace called out, snorting at the look on Luffy's face. "We're fine. I let him out."
"More brats, eh?" Squard headed over with Ace. "Oyaji really is starting his own nursery, isn't he?"
"We're not babies," Luffy growled at him. "Don't be mean to Ace or I'll kick your ass!"
"See, that one reminds me of Roger," Squard muttered, which had Ace and Sabo both tensing. "Oh, don't get all worked up. I'm not in the market to bully a bunch of kids."
"Oh. Okay!" Luffy grinned up at him. "You're not a jerk after all! See? I told you there was nothing to worry about, Sabo!"
"What would I do without you?" Sabo chuckled, shaking his head and setting Luffy down.
"You okay, Squid?" Luffy asked.
"It's Squard," Squard corrected with a scowl. "And why are you asking me that?"
"They were gonna put you in the infirmary but the nurses said you should sleep it off here," Luffy explained. "And Namur hit you really hard. You went down like a weakling."
"Gee, thanks," Squard muttered. "I'll make sure to pay Namur back for that."
"Hey Squid," Luffy said again.
"What is it this time?" Squard sighed, pushing the door open and squinting at the bright light. It had to be mid-evening, but the sun was still shining.
"Thanks for not hating Ace," Luffy said, adjusting his hat and offering a bright smile. "I thought you were gonna be a jerk, but you're just grumpy."
"I hate little brats," Squard warned him, not wanting him to get attached.
"I eat squids," Luffy challenged right back.
"That doesn't even make sense," Sabo snickered, looking pleased by this turn of events. He'd expected Ace's talk with Squard to be much worse given their first impression. He smiled at Bay when she raised an eyebrow at them.
"I'm unarmed," Squard swore at the look on Bay's face. "And the fire brat let me out."
"Well, if Ace let you out, I guess I'll accept it," Bay decided. She smiled at Squard. "Everything worked out for the best today. Let's get to honoring your crew, Squard."
"Thank you," Squard nodded to her, expression sobering. He glanced down at the trio around his legs and sighed. "C'mon. Let's go. I still hate Roger, you know."
"Yeah, me too," Ace shrugged.
"Not me," Luffy chirped.
"I don't really have an opinion," Sabo added, actively trying to annoy Squard now.
"Thanks for the update," Squard shot at him. "You should be nicer to me, damn it."
"Yeah, good luck with that," Bay rolled her eyes. "Just be glad you're not gonna be here long enough for them to start pranking you. Or worse - hugging you."
Sabo glanced at Bay with a mischievous grin, but before he could manipulate Luffy into launching at her with one of his giant, rubbery hugs, she made a run for it.
...
Her eyes narrowed at the horizon as the ship set sail, tiny glowing lights dotting the sails and mast, as if they were taking their party to the sea with them. The town was in a state of disarray - though thankfully all of the connecting towns had suffered far less contact with the pirates. Calling for reinforcements would be useless. They'd never arrive in time to apprehend anyone, and after the last half dozen ships had been lost to Whitebeard's wrath, the thought of pursuing them was laughable at best.
"I have visual confirmation," she spoke into the den den mushi. "Do you want me to send my report?"
"Send me the images directly," the voice ordered. "Don't file a report just yet."
"Yes sir," she answered, scanning the images in. "I'm sorry I couldn't get more. The entire crew was on the island. It wasn't easy to get close."
The silence on the other end had her tapping her fingers on the scanner. With four pictures in, she'd expected him to say something already.
"Sir?" she prompted.
"Have you shown these images to anyone else?"
"No," she answered, shaking her head even though he couldn't see it.
"Don't show anyone for now. Destroy your copies - I'll hold onto these."
"Yes sir," she answered, hanging up once she heard the click. Her brow furrowed as she looked to the images. The first was of the blond boy and the little girl with the brown hair. The second was the same girl with one of Whitebeard's commanders, Thatch. The third was of three boys together from behind with no faces visible, but the fourth was the clearest. All three boys were grinning, the one with the straw hat hanging onto the shirts of the other two as he walked between them. The same little girl was walking slightly behind them, looking up at a slightly taller boy who had already been identified as one of the Whitebeard Pirates in a prior clash.
She had no idea if those were the boys she had been asked to look for, but it was still an oddity to see such young children with a fearsome pirate crew.
...
Sengoku rubbed the bridge of his nose, the pictures spread out in front of him on his desk. The feeling of dread had started with the very first picture. He hadn't been able to pinpoint why until he'd realized exactly who he was looking at.
Experiment #106 - the one he had only learned about after her supposed disposal. It made more sense now, why Dr. Aldo had left his job with the research team and retired to a quiet life in North Blue, but tracking the man down to question him wouldn't do any good. Even if he had freed the girl, it wasn't like Sengoku would ever condemn him for that choice. His superiors likely would - her existence was a threat to the sanctity of the World Government - and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The feeling had only gotten worse from there. The moment he'd seen the straw hat, he'd known without a doubt that three of the boys he'd be seeing in the image transfer would be Garp's grandsons. There was no doubting the blatant advertisement of Whitebeard's mark all over them - which meant if Garp went after them, it would likely lead to conflict. A conflict they could not afford.
He closed his eyes, gathering the pictures and sliding them into a file and placing it in his desk. For one brief moment, he felt his conscience nag at him, but it dissipated as he pulled another picture from the same drawer. He never left the picture out in the open where others might pry into his personal life, but it was always on hand.
Rocinante's smile had always been bright despite the hardships and suffering he'd experienced, but the day he'd earned his uniform had been one of the days where that smile had shone brightest. Ever since his death, seeing that picture always made Sengoku's heart ache - but in this instance, it was the perfect reminder that no matter how much he wanted to act on emotion, some things had to be sacrificed for the greater good.
He was already facing pressure to extend the offer to Donquixote Doflamingo to become a Shichibukai. With Jinbe and his Sun Pirates joining, they were well on their way to strengthening their forces - and if he had to appoint the man he was positive had murdered his son, his Rocinante, as a Shichibukai… then Garp was just going to have to accept that his grandsons had willingly run away and joined the pirates. There was too much at stake.
Added to that was the appearance of #106. If any of his superiors found out she was still alive and might talk of the experiments performed for the Amber Lead Weapon project - that such a project had even existed in the first place - they would demand her recapture or termination. Something that would spark a war if Whitebeard had claimed her as one of his own.
And perhaps he had his own selfish reasons hidden in that logic. Had he known about the Amber Lead Weapon project to start with, he would have pulled the plug immediately. If turning a blind eye could even slightly make up for what she must have endured during the research, he would do it. At least, as long as he could without risking the peace.
...
A/N: Man, figuring out the timelines in this makes my mind spin sometimes! I gotta keep better track of my notes. (This is a rough estimate of the timeline because Luffy was 9 the year Doflamingo and Jinbe became shichibukai, but we're still in September in the year Luffy turned 8 in this story. Close enough, I hope!)
Thanks so much for reading, here's hoping I get a chance to actually write this week!