Trich: Thank you!
Ruritania: Lots more to come!
Ace sat on the top yardarm, holding his newest map. It was of Dawn Island, only it wasn't perfect. He could tell. This one was different from the others. This one was based on experience, deep ingrained experience of his original home island. He'd even marked Sabo's grave and Luffy's old home that he stayed at in Foosha before he was dumped on Dadan.
He looked at the map that meant the most to him, and held it to his chest. "What's going on?" he asked quietly, remembering that disembodied voice, telling him about map making. He didn't say a word about it to anybody, and he had asked his new friends and old crew to not talk about Ace being a crappy cartographer. Or at least a crappy map maker.
He looked up at the moon before yawning and deciding he was ready to go to bed. He dropped from one yard arm to the one below until he landed lightly on the deck, rolling up his map and taking this one to his room. He should have taken Marco up on sleeping pills. He put the map in his trunk and changed into pajamas before going to bed, locking the door. A lock was put on it for him by Fossa, the head shipwright.
He had offered it to keep Ace from sleepwalking. After all, it was dangerous to sleep walk around a pirate ship in the first place. What if he fell overboard? He would drown for sure, especially since he was a devil fruit user.
The locked door kept him inside during the night, as he found himself lying against the bedroom door when he woke up. He scoffed and rolled his stiff neck. It hadn't been a comfortable position. He stood up and stretched, taking a clean pair of underwear to the bathhouse with him.
The Whitebeards had three bathhouses in the ship, two of them huge and one that was only for commanders. In the bathhouses were large bath tubs and shower stalls. Ace preferred the shower stalls, uncomfortable being naked in front of others he wasn't totally comfortable with. Bathing in the same tub as his closer friends would be awkward but not overly uncomfortable, but there were always tons of people in the bathhouses. So he stuck to the shower units that gave at least some privacy.
Ace did not enjoy seeing the junk of a thousand other men. Honestly who would? He put his clothes back on under the towel while others just walked around the room naked. Ace had to admire them in a sense. He didn't like seeing it, but they were either so confident or just didn't give a shit. Ace could respect both.
He went back to his room, and put the underwear in the sack everyone got for dirty clothes they'd turn in on a specific day of the week. With so many people, there was a lot of laundry to do. Ace looked back down at his trunk, and opened it to pull his special map out, holding it close and sitting on the bed.
His face crumpled slightly, and he fought off tears. He wanted to know what was wrong with him. Why he knew things he shouldn't, didn't remember things he should. Why he had a talent for a craft he'd never been taught. He was uncertain and felt lost.
There was a knock on his door, and he opened it to find Deuce. "Hey, Deuce," he said quietly. He opened the door wider for his first friend since Sabo to come in.
"How are you doing?" he asked, sitting on Ace's bed. He and the other former Spades were in a room that didn't fit them. The Whitebeards had gone into town and bought triple bunk beds so they were stuffed in another storage room like Ace, only it was more crowded. Ace wondered if the Whitebeards were unable to invite new people when they had no more room.
Saber was going to join the navigators since he was the official one on the former crew. The others were scattered about, wanting to branch off even if they'd be together at night. Ace wished he could reminisce with them, but he couldn't. He had to accept that. He had little hope that he'd ever remember.
"Okay. Not in a very good mood so far," Ace said honestly. Deuce asked if he wanted him to bring breakfast. "No, I'll come to breakfast. Thatch would worry," he said, and put his map back in, rolling it up and setting it back before closing and latching his trunk. He turned the lights off behind him and the two headed to the galley.
"This place is huge," Deuce commented. "I don't know how you don't get lost."
Ace looked away, but felt that, based on his past relations with this man, he could trust him. After all, he'd told him about his father. His biological father, which was reckless, but paid off as he hadn't told a soul. He was loyal, and Ace hoped he stuck around to be his friend even though things were different now. At least none of the former Spades had said anything about him acting differently.
"I knew the places on this ship when I woke up. I knew names and faces of some people, as well as details that only people knowing this ship personally would know. Thatch is the only other one who knows. Don't tell anyone else, okay?" Ace asked quietly. Deuce looked confused, but swore he'd say not a word.
He had a pondering expression on, though, clearly trying to think of an answer to why this had happened. "Ace? I'm sure things will work out in some way."
"Hope so," Ace replied with a strained smile. It seemed clear to those that were closer to Ace that he was stressed. Thatch approached him after lunch when the former Spades went to meet the commanders and learn how to be in their own new divisions, and asked Ace to come into the storage room with him.
"What's wrong, Ace?" Thatch asked the moment the door closed. Ace looked down and wrapped his arms around himself. Thatch was very concerned. "You can tell me anything, you know that." Ace nodded, knowing he could tell Thatch anything from the beginning. Well, anything about his life on the Moby. He would say nothing of his biological father. It didn't matter and he didn't want to speak of it.
He said, "My crew told me I wasn't the navigator. I wasn't even good at making maps or charts. I don't know how I have a talent for something I've never been taught. I didn't remember a thing, even after talking with them for hours. There was so much I've forgotten and missed out on. It's just made me a bit depressed, that's all," Ace explained honestly.
Thatch frowned and hugged him. Ace didn't hug him back at first before he wrapped his arms around his older brother. "I… I just want to remember. I don't want to know things that are stupid and useless. I want to remember my old life, even if I have a new one now," he lamented, fighting off tears.
Thatch said nothing as there was nothing to say. He just rubbed Ace's back until he composed himself. He pulled away and gave Ace a fond and understanding look. "Do you want to tell someone else about this? I'm sure Pops would be open to speaking about it," Thatch said kindly.
Ace didn't want to tell anyone else. He didn't want anyone else knowing there was something seriously wrong with him. "No, I don't want anyone else to know. Well, I told Deuce. Not everything, not yet," he replied.
Thatch didn't press him, which Ace was thankful for. "Alright. If you ever want anyone else to know, I know Pops would listen. Even Marco would listen and not tell anyone else. Thank you for trusting me first. I know it was an accident, telling me the things in the start, but thank you for continuing to still be honest with me. It means a lot," Thatch said, teary eyed. "You're the best little brother ever!" and he hugged Ace again.
Ace smiled and patted his back with a small chuckle. "I trust you with everything, big bro," Ace said with a grin.
"Aww, so sweet you're gonna break my heart!" Ace asked why him being nice would break his heart. "Okay, then it's so sweet you'll give me cavities. That makes more sense, doesn't it?" Ace nodded, grinning. "Well, I should go start to clean up."
Ace nodded, and they walked out, Ace feeling better now than he had before.
That day, Teach and his group were coming back to the ship after their long mission, and everyone was excited to see them after the long break. Ace wondered what Teach looked like instead of his silhouette that was all that was in his head. He didn't know anything else about Teach, but that was how it was for everyone that popped into his head.
He had their name and a vague knowing of what they looked like. Some more than others. And only some he met had an affiliation, friend or family. He already knew the Spades were his friends, so those thoughts didn't go through his mind.
He was so happy Thatch had been the first to approach him. If it hadn't been him who found out about Ace knowing things he shouldn't, he didn't know what would have happened. If it was Haruta, he was sure it would have been fine. Marco would have been suspicious, and anyone else would not have welcomed him. He knew the commanders enough to be able to tell.
Second division commander.
Ace rolled his eyes as he mopped the deck. That thought was going through his head less than it had, but it still occasionally popped up, with him still not knowing what the point of it was. Perhaps a second division commander would be named soon. But he said nothing of it.
It was hot outside, and everyone else out on deck was sweating. It was a summer island, even though the year was approaching Christmas time. He'd never celebrated it on Dawn Island, and had only heard of it some time during his pirate journey. He didn't remember celebrating it with the Spades, and there wasn't exactly any log about that kind of thing. He missed out on all of the small things that made him bond with his former crew. It made him sad.
His birthday would be coming in a few months as well. He'd be turning 20. He wondered what he did for his last two birthdays. The Whitebeards didn't know about his oddly placed birthday, on exactly New Years day. He would probably tell them or they'd get mad once it came out and they knew they'd skipped it altogether.
After finishing mopping the deck, Ace dumped the water over the side and squeezed the water out of the mop before taking them back to the supply closet that had most of the cleaning equipment used for the deck or cleaning the sails.
Ace headed into the navigation room, asking if there was anything he could do to help. "Yes, we need to get Marco. Will you bring him? He's in charge now," Dex said. Ace stuck to a few of the members in his division who he'd known since the start. They made him more comfortable to talk to even though everyone was polite to him and engaged with him. He wished he could have another moment where he predicted some freak weather occurrence, but he hadn't and they were also docked at an island while they waited for the long lost crew.
Everyone was a bit distracted from that, looking forward to reuniting. He found Marco, and brought him to the navigation room before leaving to look for his old crew and see how they were doing.
But, he was on his way inside when shouting was made. "They're back, I see them!" someone called, who Ace didn't know personally, and people rushed past him, making him bump around in a crowd of excited pirates. Ace followed them, though at a slower pace, and looked over the railing, seeing a smaller boat that wasn't too small come to the docks.
There was the large man, Teach. He saw his features for the first time. He was… interesting looking. Ace wondered how he lost all of those teeth and if it interfered with eating, though he'd never ask something rude like that. Ace backed up when a plank was lowered before the ship was incredibly taken apart on land quickly, the pieces taken inside.
Ace looked shocked, and Ichimi, someone who had repaired Ace's bed when the crappy base had broken. "There's no way to get that ship on board in any other way. When it's needed, we just rebuild it," he explained with a laugh at Ace's expression.
"Wow. That's incredible," Ace said simply, and the shipwright rubbed under his nose, making Ace the one to laugh. Ace offered to help carry supplies back to the area near the brig, which he was told was pretty much never used. But they couldn't store anything there since it was damp inside and would ruin any wood stored inside.
Ace carried a lot, being strong, and was pleased when he was told he was helpful. Then, everyone was out to greet Teach and the others who went with him. Ace and the other newbys watched from a distance, feeling out of place in the happy reunion.
After the greetings, Thatch excitedly led Teach to the group of newcomers, and introduced them. "Nice to meet'cha! I'm Teach," he said, and held out his hand. Ace shook it and said he'd heard that name a lot. The others shook his hand as well. When Thatch mentioned Ace had amnesia, Teach looked interested.
"Did you hit your head?" he wondered. Ace shook his head.
"We don't know what happened. I just don't remember the last two years," he replied honestly. Everyone knew that fact, it wasn't something hidden or worth hiding. Teach looked intrigued, and said that was strange. "Yeah, it is," Ace agreed.
Then Teach made the connection that these newcomers were once a crew, and Ace didn't remember. The man made a sad face. "This is your old crew? And you don't remember them?"
Ace shook his head. "I don't remember any of the time with them," he said quietly. Teach apologized, sounding sincere. He seemed like a nice guy, even if he didn't look so nice. But, looks could clearly be deceiving. Some of the commanders that looked mean or scary weren't. Namur had a sense of humor, even if it was dry. Fossa was actually a softly with his division. Looks could definitely be deceiving.
When the crowd of happy pirates went inside or greeted one another, there was a party planned that night. Ace hadn't had a Whitebeard party yet. This party was meant to celebrate Ace and his old crew joining and the return of their family that had been gone for months.
Ace didn't remember ever drinking alcohol, but Mihar said he liked whisky the most, even when they couldn't stand it. Ace looked forward to trying it. "But beware, you turn into a giggling mess when you get smashed," Finamore said in a teasing voice, and Ace blushed. They laughed and Ace grumbled that they were jerks.
It was a nice moment. It felt… normal. It made him smile, and he looked forward to the party. It wouldn't be long now, since it was afternoon and the party would be at night. There would be barbecues on deck with a ridiculous amount of booze placed strategically around the deck.
Ace finally noticed the dog was here, as it had been quiet. Stefan was not what he expected. Ace had expected some huge, monstrous dog that looked like a total badass. That was wrong, Stefan was a small, white terrier, who went running about the deck and to Pops, who picked him up like a baby, the dog barking happily. Ace laughed behind his hand and Marco was there. "Not what you expected?"
"Not at all. I expected some huge hound or something," Ace replied. Marco chuckled.
"Stefan was an accident. He just showed up on the ship one day and we decided to keep him. He likes going on missions, so sometimes he goes with the groups that leave," Marco explained. "So, can you hold your sake? Do you know?" he questioned.
"According to my old crew, I liked whisky most, and turn into a giggling mess if I get too drunk," Ace answered. "I don't know how much I can handle, but I guess we'll see." Marco nodded, saying he wasn't the only one who was like that. Thatch giggled a lot when he was drunk, too.
He laughed and said, "You two were made to be best friends. I'm kinda jealous." Ace looked at him confused and asked why. "Well you guys clearly are in one something no one else is. I just wish I could be in on it, too. I bet it's from the beginning, which is why you guys clicked so quickly," the phoenix zoan observed.
Ace looked back to Pops and the dog. "You're right about some things. It's from the beginning, and no one else knows. Well, Deuce knows a bit, but not much. He knew a big secret I told him over our journey, so I feel I can trust him with this."
Marco frowned. "You can't trust me with it?" he asked a bit sadly, and Ace felt bad. He knew he trusted Marco, but he didn't want anyone thinking he was a freak. He wasn't ready to tell another Whitebeard pirate. It had been an accident in the beginning that he couldn't control.
"I didn't mean to tell Thatch in the first place. It just happened, and I can't change it now. I don't want anyone else to know. At least, not now. It's nothing personal, I promise," Ace said sincerely. Marco looked curious that Ace hadn't meant to say anything. But he nodded, even if he still looked slightly sad.
Ace felt guilty, but he wasn't telling Marco. At least, not yet. He was sure the truth would get out some time, hopefully once he was more integrated in the crew. Closer to everyone, besides Thatch. So he was completely trusted by everyone.
The party that night was set up before dinner was being made. Thatch and his fellow chefs rolled out massive grills that Ace had seen in one of the storage rooms once he decided to explore more, some things he had been fuzzy with in the beginning. Kabobs were made, long and full of juicy meat and seasoned vegetables.
Kegs were placed around the deck, and people sat in groups. Ace sat with Thatch, Marco, Haruta and the former Spades. They were talking, with them slurring more of their words as the night went on. Ace, after his fifth cup of whisky, was giggling with Thatch, whispering in each other's ears, nothing important.
Thatch suddenly started laughing again. "I heard a fart," he whispered, and Ace erupted into giggles, both of them finding it the funniest thing in the whole world at the moment. Marco looked at both of them in amusement.
Deuce was perfectly composed even though he'd had more to drink than Ace. multiple of the other former Spades and Haruta were knocked out. Marco was speaking to Deuce about what had happened with Ace since he joined. The freckled teen didn't notice they were talking about him, and commented that Ace sounded adorable.
"He sounds so… cuuute. Lil' freckles, aww," he slurred, taking another gulp of whisky. The others laughed at him, and he started laughing, too, before he blacked out, finally succumbing to the alcohol. Thatch drew pictures on his face with a marker.
Ace's former first mate carried him to his room and tucked him in. Ace did not sleepwalk that night, and slept deeply through the whole thing and deep into the morning, before he got up and joined his brothers in the bathroom, suffering from mass hangovers.
"We-clome to the family," someone from Namur's division said, patting Ace's back as he vomited. But, he lit himself on fire and burned the sickness out, soon just fine. He grinned and laughed. He wouldn't suffer from hangovers!
When he went into the galley, he found no one there, but food was put out already. It all looked like leftovers, and Thatch wasn't there, most likely sick as well. Bellamy came back, what a loser. Ace jerked upright, and sighed at the voice in his head. It had been a few days, and he hadn't seen Bellamy or the guy dressed for a winter island.
If they came back, they were stupid. Or maybe they didn't believe Ace was a Whiteberd. There was no point in telling anyone about some small time pirates attacking, so he decided to take care of it himself. He took his tray of food outside, passing pirates green in the face, and sat on the railing, keeping look out as he ate and hummed a tune he remembered the pirates singing the night before.
After he finished eating, he still waited. Marco came up. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, leaning against the railing with his forearms.
Ace looked up and said, "I burned the sickness out and feel fine." Then he looked back out and at the town. Marco asked what he was doing. "Just chilling," Ace lied simply. "Everyone is throwing up right now. Why aren't you hungover?"
"My fruit keeps me from being sick like that. Or sick in general," the commander replied. Ace asked what he liked most about his fruit. "Definitely flying. It's so freeing, like the rest of the world disappears. It's amazing," he said with a smile.
The freckled teen looked up, thinking about what it must be like to fly. It would be amazing. "That would be awesome," Ace agreed. "I wish I could fly. Might be scary, I don't know." Marco grinned, and asked if he wanted to go on a flight with Marco. "How?" He said he'd carry him on his back. Ace looked back at the sky and then down at the docks.
He didn't see anyone suspicious, so he grinned and took Marco up on his offering. He climbed onto Marco's back, wrapping his legs and arms around Marco's torso like he was told. Then Marco took off, and went into the air.
Ace was immediately terrified. He had never been afraid of being up high at Dawn Island, but that was on tree branches! "Putmedownputmedownputmedown!" Ace screeched, and Marco lowered back them back to the deck. Ace got off and leaned over, hands on his thighs, breathing heavily.
Marco started laughing behind him. "I don't remember being afraid of heights!" Ace shot at him, and Marco put his hands up in a calming gesture.
"Sorry, sorry. I just wasn't expecting that reaction," he said, and Ace pouted at him, turning away to see a group of people lead by the snow-glasses-guy. The youngest said he'd be right back, had something to take care of. Marco questioned what it was, but Ace had already dropped onto the deck and ran to the people he'd been waiting for.
This was different. He didn't know this already. It wasn't a small thing he shouldn't know but did. This was knowing something that would happen in the future. Or maybe he knew that Bellamy was the kind of guy to come back, not that he definitely would. It was weird either way, but Ace did his best not to think about it. Not to think about how he knew this.
Ace didn't doubt the voice in his head much anymore, except when it said stupid things that had no real context that he couldn't figure out. Like "second division commander". He wished there was something more to explain that.
"I thought you would have learned not to mess with us by last time," Ace said simply, not getting why anyone would go after the Whitebeards. But when they looked at the ship behind Ace, they backed up. Oh, apparently they didn't actually think he was a Whitebeard. After all, if they checked up on him afterwards, it didn't show that he was under Whitebeard, but was part of the Spade pirates.
They'd need to fix that. "Did you not think I was a Whitebeard?" Ace wondered. They glared at him, and he lit his fist on fire. They promptly ran screaming. "Hey!" he shouted angrily, looking forward to a fight. And Marco was right there to see he was at least okay at fighting! He moped and stomped back to the ship. Marco asked what that was all about. "I beat up their captain a couple days ago. They didn't believe that I was a Whitebeard," he grumbled, kicking his booted toe into the deck.
Marco grinned. "We can fix that. It's about time you got the mark, don't you think?" he asked and pointed to the tattoo on his chest. Ace's face brightened and he nodded. "Since the tattooist is probably hung over, how about we do it tomorrow, or the next day? Maybe it could be on your other arm, like your tribute tattoo?"
They'd learned long ago what the "ASCE" tattoo on his shoulder was for. "I'd rather have it somewhere more noticeable," Ace said, putting a finger to his chin. Marco suggested he could do it on his chest and continue to wear open shirts. Ace thought for a moment. "That'd already been done here. How about on my back?" he offered.
That sounded good. More people would notice it, it would be more obvious. "A shirt would cover it, though," the first mate pointed out.
Ace grinned and said, "Then I guess I'll just have to stop wearing shirts. I can't get cold or sunburnt, after all." Marco smiled back. Then he asked, curiously, how Ace knew that those pirates would be coming. Ace froze up from that, and Marco immediately said Ace didn't need to tell him. He was glad Marco did that and didn't press.
"Thanks," he said sincerely, getting a smile from Ace.
So yeah. Ace doesn't remember what Teach did (will do). And you thought this would be like my other ones. Mwahaha. We'll be dealing with a traitor for awhile.