Welcome, ladies and gents!
For some reason, this story has been on fire! I actually wrote most of this chapter on my phone (silly Iphone notes app) in between two meetings xD
I would like to thank my new followers! icegoddess52 and Kate Bing, welcome and enjoy!
Give me your thoughts guys? Do you like this? Hate it? Do you hate Ran? I miss Leo… Maybe I'll put him in the next chapter... He's a fun character… I had a blast writing Ace in this chapter, btw, he's so badass!
Anyways, enough from me, I give you
Chapter 7: Strong – Miyavi vs Kreva (This track is sick, if you don't know it, check it out :3)
The Shakky's Rip Off Bar was a shabby place. It was rather empty with only four people inside, not including Ace and Ran. Two shady looking men drinking in the corner, a tall woman that was smoking behind the bar and an old man, sitting hunched on a bar stool. The two entered, and exchanged a questioning glance. Ace nodded encouragingly and lead the pilot to the bar. He sat on a stool, dropping his bag to the floor, his back completely open to the world. Ran followed her companion's lead bravely, noting the two men in the corner eyeing the pirate. She thanked the Storm Thief that Ace had been reasonable and had worn his shirt over his wrapped tattoo. Ran didn't like the pale yellow shirt, but at least it was a shirt. Flashing Whitebeard's tattoo around here wasn't a good idea. It was like saying 'come and get me' to all the bounty hunters on the Archipelago. Not that his status as Fire Fist Ace wasn't a big sign already.
"Welcome. What can I do for you two?" The woman asked them. Ace grinned and ordered two beers. Ran complained and said that she would prefer lemonade. This apparently amused the bartender. She prepared their drinks and then leaned onto the counter in front of the two teens.
"What can I do for you, Fire Fist Ace?" Ran tensed. This could end badly. Ace, on the other hand, laughed.
"I guess I'm pretty famous!" The pirate laughed again. The bartender smiled. "Gator sent me here for information." Ace clarified. The woman pulled in a long breath through her cigarette. She released the smoke slowly into the air.
"Gator, eh?" She smirked. "What would you like to know?" Ran suddenly felt chills go through her body.
"Portgas D. Ace! We'll be taking your bounty!" The two men in the corner had stood up and they were advancing, their weapons glinting. Ran felt her body move unconsciously away from the danger and towards the wooden bar. Ace ignored them.
"Anything about Torentes would be really helpful, really." The bartender looked even more amused at the lack of exchange between the pirate and the bounty hunters.
"Prepare to die!" The two men jumped forward, weapons drawn. The bartender moved back to avoid the mess. Ran jumped from her stool and to the side. The old man sitting quietly reached out to steady her with an unusually strong arm. The pilot thanked him politely. He gave her a small nod.
Ace didn't move. The sword and bullets passed through his body, leaving a fire trail where the cut and holes should've appeared. He turned in his seat calmly, smirking. The two bounty hunters moved back in fear. They found their courage once again and ran at the Logia in another attempt. Ace pushed his hat up slightly with his finger, to see better. His smile was huge by now.
"Hiken!" The burst of flame sent his attackers flying through the bar door and down the long stairs. The bartender came from behind the bar. She walked towards the charred doorway and inspected it.
"That was really unnecessary, you know?" She told the pirate. Then she fixed him with her eyes. Ran could swear she saw Ace gulp. "You are going to pay for the damages, Fire Fist-chan?" It wasn't a question. Even though it sounded like one, it really wasn't.
"Of course." Ace replied quickly, jumping up and quickly bowing in apology. He sat back on his stool as the bartender walked back behind the counter. She extinguished her cigarette, her eyes not leaving Ace's.
"I'm Shakky, the owner of this bar. What I tell you next, you didn't hear from me." The woman lit another cigarette. "The Torentes Islands have been a mess, even though they are Whitebeard territory. You are with the Yonko, right? Second division, was it?" She smiled smugly at the young pirate.
"Yes." Ace confirmed. The woman was well informed. Ran slurped some of her lemonade. It was good. Ace noted that she was sitting again.
"The pirates that have isolated the island and are now controlling the trade there are the Hollow Skull Pirate crew. Their Captain has a bounty of 80 million beli. Mostly for murder of and destruction of property. He likes bombs a tad too much." Shakky stopped to gage the pirate's reaction to the information. Ace didn't look too surprised.
"I knew most of that before I even came here. Looks like you have nothing that can help me." Ace started digging through his bag for money. He placed the proper amount for both his and Ran's drinks on the counter and stood, ready to leave. "Let's go, Ranmao." Shakky laughed.
"I can see why Whitebeard recruited you. All of his sons have that cheekiness." She paused slightly. " Sit." She ordered. Ace complied, smirking. Shakky lit another cigarette. "The Captain of the Hollow Skull has connections in the Marines. A corrupt Captain has been dealing with the pirate group. They have quite a structure there. You name it, they do it. Slavery, money, assassination etc. Are you sure that you want to go after them?" Ran could feel the tension in the air. She didn't want to hear anything else. She couldn't even think about it. The pilot had stumbled on a human auction on the Archipelago once. Those pirates were helping send innocent people there. They were monsters.
On the Archipelago, knowing was like putting a target on your back. And talking about that knowing, that was like making said target glow. Slavery was normal. Anyone could become a slave. There were no laws that protected you. Debt could get you sold. But, so could just walking in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was one of the reasons why Ran never stayed on the Archipelago for too long. As beautiful as it was, the makeshift island was rotten on the inside. The pilot was glad that she wasn't well known and that she hadn't seen a Tenryuubito in person. They scared the crap out of her. There weren't any Tenryuubito in the sky. The royalty of the Sky Islands weren't nearly as cruel as the royalty of the Blue Seas.
"Do you know that Captain's name?" Ace wasn't backing down. He was serious. Ran could feel the heat that he was letting off unconsciously. Shakky sighed softly.
"Nathaniel Fish." She finally said. "That man is one nasty piece of work." Shakky exhaled the smoke from her lungs. "Even if you take down the Skull Pirates, I'm not sure that you can take Fish down. He is very well connected." Ace suddenly stood again.
"I am very thankful for the information, Shakky-san. I won't forget this." He gave her a bow. This kind of information was dangerous. She was sticking her neck out for him. The only thing left for Ace to do was to make sure no one traced the details back to Shakky.
"As far as I'm concerned, I never told you anything. I will deny ever seeing you." By the way the woman was smiling, Ace knew. She had been a pirate. Only pirates had that kind of a smile. The right, dreamer kind of pirates.
"I'll go fry his ass." Ace told her cockily and walked towards the burnt exit, bag on his shoulder. Ran followed him, giving the old man and Shakky a small wave and a smile.
"And don't think your silver tongue will make me forget about the money for the damages."
~~~~pb~~~~
Ran laughed as Ace walked beside her, sulking. Shakky had ripped him off alright. She took money for the damage and for the information. That, of course, made Ace slightly depressed. He was considering living in a corner of the world and growing mushrooms. Little depressed mushrooms. At least they wouldn't take this money. Ace wasn't used to paying for things. Usually he just dashed away. Especially for the food expenses. He loved the dine and dash routine.
By now, Ace was starting to be glad that he hadn't stopped for longer than the few days that it took to coat a ship last time. Besides, he hadn't been on the Archipelago back then. He had been doing some last minute shopping, using with his favorite way of travel – Marine ships. They were convenient. Besides, Ace thought that he made a great Marine. The people on the Sabaody all wanted an outrageous amount of money for everything. First Gator, now Shakky. He was going to be broke in a few days if this continued.
"-ce? Ace? Hey, are you listening to me?" Ran was standing in front of the pirate now, successfully getting his attention.
"Mushrooms." He told the girl. She looked very confused. "Money." He said. "I can't believe you don't get that!" Ace laughed at her, teasing. He walked around the petrified Ran and continued on, laughing at her steaming brain.
"Wait, Ace! Wait! What mushrooms?" She ran after him.
~~~~pb~~~~
"So, what do you think, Ray-san?" Shakky asked, sitting next to the old man. He took a sip of his drink and then gave her a smile.
"He certainly looks like Roger. But he got those freckles from Rouge." The former pirate laughed, remembering his former Captain and the beautiful woman. She had been quite a woman, Portgas D. Rouge.
"I like him." Shakky said, pouring herself a drink, too.
"I noticed." The Rayleigh told her. "He turned out fine. His father would be proud."
~~~~pb~~~~
Ace and Ran spent the rest of the day having fun. The young pirate had reported to Marco over the pilot's Den Den Mushi. He hadn't gotten his own yet. Then he left the Commander to discuss with the Captain and Vista what they were going to do about Fish and the Hollow Skull Pirates. Ace still had no say in it.
This resulted in the two friends celebrating their last day together. First they drank a lot. As in, they went from bar to bar. Next they figured that the Amusement Park would be a great idea. Ran was still teasing Ace about falling asleep on the roller coaster. The check-in guy on the bottom had been shocked when the pilot dragged the out cold pirate out of the ride. They ate different foods, which delighted Ace, and tried some more drinks, most of them alcoholic. Ran had forgotten all about her medicine at that point. She had given up. When she left the partying pirate behind, then she would drink her medicine properly. This declaration caused Ace to spin her around and order more drinks.
The two stumbled, leaning onto each other. They were heading for a random hotel. The problem was the long walk. The hotels were on the opposite side from the Amusement Park. Somewhere in the middle of their journey Ace had a narcolepsy moment and Ran sat down to wait it out. This, of course, resulted in neither of them getting up.
The girl was sitting on the sticky grass, not even noticing the soapy layer soaking her shorts. Ace's head was on her lap, his annoyingly orange hat comfortably on her head. The pilot sat, her drunken mind fascinated with the rising bubbles. They formed and then went up. They were pretty. Each bubble was full of soap, making it shine in different lights, colors and hues. It was beautiful. The constantly moving colors were enchanting. She didn't know how long she sat there, drinking rum and watching the bubbles go up and pop, the sleeping pirate comfortable on her lap.
At some point Ace awoke. His soft groan cut through the muffled sounds from the distant amusement park and the noise each bubble made when it formed. Ran looked down at her friend. He smiled back at her and reached for the rum wordlessly.
"This is familiar." He finally said, the crooked smile still on his face. True, it was very familiar. Ace and Ran had gotten to know each other so much better since that night. The two had shared many moments together. They had discussed a lot. A wide array of topics, from different fetishes to family problems. It was strange to both of them, since neither was accustomed to trusting easily. Maybe that's way why they got each other so well? Neither thought about that. Ace liked to enjoy the moment. Ran liked to fill the silence when she wasn't feeling the pull of the ocean.
Ace placed the empty bottle of rum away and caught Ran's eyes again with his. His hand came up to the back of her head. She didn't wait for him to pull her down this time. The pilot bent, catching his lips with hers. The taste of rum was familiar, just like the fire. She liked kissing Ace. He knew what to do with his tongue, unlike most guys. She could tell that he wasn't too experienced, but she didn't mind. Ran broke the long kiss into a few little ones, enjoying the heat that he gave off. The hand on the back of her head tightened its hold. She could feel Ace's fingers tangling in her hair, messing up her bun and leaving hot trails where they brushed against her scalp. Ran gasped lightly at the sensation. The pirate swallowed her sigh and took the opportunity to deepen the kiss from his end. Ran moved her hands to his hair, gently combing through the messy locks. Ace's hand got tangled in his hat and her hair and she pulled back from the kiss, snickering. The blushing pirate pouted, face going even redder. Ran untangled his hand and let her hair hang down, hat on her head and chopsticks in their pouch. Ace continued to play with her chocolate locks.
"This was a goodbye kiss, Ace." She told him softy. There was so much in his eyes. Longing, lingering passion, sadness... Ran gave him a soft smile. "The next time you kiss me will be when you don't blush like that after it, alright?" She told the young man, fingers still going through his hair. Ace chuckled and nodded.
"Why are you like this?" He asked. Ran frowned in confusion. "The way you take kissing and other intimate stuff. Why?"
Ran raised an eyebrow. "You mean sexual stuff?" Ace's face couldn't go any redder. "I'm not sure. It's never been an embarrassing topic in my family. With my cousins being older than me nothing was PG rated." Ran smiled, head tilting back to look to the skies. She didn't talk about her family often. She wasn't used to it. "Kisses are like greetings. You can tell more about a person after kissing them."
"I'm honored then." Ace slurred. "Wait, does that mean that you've kissed girls, too?" His eyes were curious, almost ecstatic. Ran shook her head. Men and their fascination with women being with other women.
"Gender doesn't really matter. If I want to kiss them, I will." Ace started laughing then, his hand had gone down to Ran's back. "When I find an attractive person I feel a certain pull to them. It doesn't have to be physical, but it can be. Gods, this doesn't make sense. Too much rum to talk about serious stuff like this."
"Mmmmm." Was Ace's response. They sat in comfortable silence for a while. "Shouldn't we get a room somewhere or something?" The pirate asked suddenly.
"Sure. Let's go." Ace jumped up, his motions a bit sluggish. He smiled and offered Ran his hand.
"My lady?" The pirate joked. Ran laughed and caught his hand, allowing him to pull her up and hug her close. She welcomed the heat that he radiated. She could feel the wet patches on both of their clothes drying because of the Devil Fruit ability.
"Good sir." Ran whispered to Ace gently.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ran woke up to the sound of Ace's voice. The pirate was using her Den Den Mushi again, talking to Marco it seemed. They had made it to the closest hotel last night and rented a random room. It wasn't as good as the Sky Suite, but neither had cared. The bed was big enough for both of them to get some sleep, and that was enough.
"I understand. I'll check in before I go in, then."
Kacha.
Ran sat up slightly, locating the pirate's back. He was sitting at the edge of the bed, facing away from the pilot. He had unwrapped his tattoo. The purple mark that stretched along the tan, slightly irritated skin was truly magnificent. Ran sat up fully and crawled over to the pirate. He knew that she was awake, but he was ignoring her, letting her do what she wanted. Ran placed one calloused fingertip on his back and lightly dragged it over the skin. From top to the bottom of the tattoo. She felt him shiver.
"I'm going to get you a Den Den Mushi, you know? So that you can stop stealing mine." Ran told him, making him chuckle. "It looks great, by the way." She said, referring to the tattoo. Ace turned to her.
"I need to go." He said. Ran noted that his face looked grim. "You can't come with me, Ranmao." He was still looking at her with a serious expression.
"I wasn't planning to, Ace." She replied, smiling. "I'm leaving for Grand Line in a few hours." Ace nodded to her. He had grown fond of the girl. He would miss the charismatic pilot. "Let's get going then." The pilot jumped up and started getting ready. She took one of the pain pills, hoping that it would calm her hangover. Ace seemed fine. She envied him.
The two left the hotel and headed towards Gator's parlor. Ace was aiming for grove 1 and Ran needed to pick up the Sparrow. She had a little skip in her step. She couldn't wait to get up in the air. Alone. She couldn't wait to go as far up as she wanted. She couldn't wait to hear the wind rushing. She couldn't wait to feel her heart speed up and her stomach clench in anticipation. She couldn't wait to feel that beautiful weightlessness before going faster. She couldn't wait. Even though Ran couldn't see or hear the open seas from the inside of the Archipelago, she could feel the pull of it. The Seas were calling. Who was she to turn a deaf ear?
Ace watched Ran. He pushed his next 'mission' to the back of his mind and focused on the girl. He could see the way her smile widened, her walk got a bit faster and her eyes glinted. She looked like a child before opening presents. She seemed ecstatic. So purely happy. And for such a small thing. Ran truly was fascinating.
The pirate wondered briefly whether he had something like that. Something he loved so much. The Whitebeard Pirates came to mind, unconsciously. He grinned. True, even though he was a new member, he had become attached to the group of insane and quirky pirates very fast. Maybe, in the future, he could love them the way Ran loved the wind and the sky. He belonged there, just like she belonged up in the air. He was proud of the mark on his back. The masterpiece had quickly become his precious treasure. It signified that he belonged to an important family.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ran pulled the black sheet off the Sparrow. She was folding it when Ace and Gator joined her. The tattoo artist had checked on the pirate's mark one last time. The irritated skin was healing nicely. Gator said that the itching would stop in the next few days, but that Ace should keep it covered for a while.
"Your bird was safe here." Gator remarked.
"Just like you said it would be." The girl smiled at him. "Who knows, maybe I'll leave it here next time, too."
"Only if you come get a tattoo." The artist joked. Ran went up to the bald man and shook his hand. She walked over to Ace then and hugged the young pirate tightly. He rubbed her back in comfort.
"I'll miss you, you crazy pirate." She murmured into his neck. Ace squeezed her a bit harder.
"You aren't the only one." He let her go. "I mean, who else will I discuss S&M with?" The two laughed. Gator gave them a weird look.
"Don't get yourself killed, please. I'll be waiting for that no-blushing kiss." She smirked and pulled her goggles down. Ran jumped onto the Sparrow and with a burst of air, she was flying away. Gator and Ace stood still, watching the glider vanish into distance. The artist turned to the raven, smiling.
"You caught a good one, kid. Don't let her fly away, now." He tapped Ace on the shoulder, laughing at his red face.
"Ran and I, err- we- We're just friends, you know." Gator nodded, smile still on his face and headed back to his parlor.
"No, really! Hey, Gator! Wait!" Ace ran after the, now laughing, artist.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ace walked towards the Auction House. He had gotten all the information he needed on the way. The young pirate had stopped at a Den Den Mushi store and bought a snail. Ran had insisted on giving him money for it, since she couldn't be there to choose it for him. He had humored her. The raven called the First Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Kacha.
"Ace, is that you, yoi?" The phoenix spoke.
"Checking in. I'm off." He didn't wait for the answer. He stored the snail in his bag and headed towards the nearby structure.
The building was round and tall. It was decorated gaudily. Ace knew it was all for show. The Tenryuubito loved shiny things, after all. He entered the structure, on high alert. This was enemy territory. The men that were present were dressed strangely, but Ace could tell. Each and every one of them was armed. Tough crowd, he thought. He located his target fast. Disco stood out from his lackeys. He seemed wary of Ace. He should be, Ace thought.
"Fire Fist Ace." Disco greeted. His voice clearly said that he was afraid of the young pirate. Ace smirked.
"Disco." The raven retorted. He held no respect for the man. He was rather disgusted by him actually. Human trafficking. Those words were enough for Ace to see red. He pushed the rage back. He had to do this right.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" The Auction owner continued, legs trembling. He knew this pirate's reputation well. Even though he wasn't a Captain anymore, Fire Fist was trouble. He was a dangerous man. As strong as a Shichibukai.
"Can we talk somewhere more private?" Ace asked. Disco whimpered and led the pirate to his office behind the stage.
Unlike the huge room Ace had first been in, the office was less gaudy. While the stage and the seats were made to accommodate the rich and powerful bidders, the office wasn't. It had a couple of bookcases and a desk, all buried in papers. Disco, apparently, wasn't a good bookkeeper. The Auction owner cleared a chair for Ace and moved out of the way in small bows.
"Please, take a seat." Ace was impressed. He sat down, enjoying the comfortable chair. His reputation preceded him. Sometimes, it was a good thing.
"I'm in a bit of a predicament, Disco." Ace began.
"How so, Fire Fist?" The Auction owner was sitting behind his desk now, but he wasn't still. His fingers were nervously tapping the chair arm.
"I find myself without a crew. I've heard that you have connections with a very interesting one." Disco was sweating under Ace's gaze. The Auction owner was hoping that the pirate didn't mean the Joker and his crew. He had recently started dealing with Joker. A crazy pirate like Ace getting involved would be a problem.
"I don't know who you mean, Fire Fist. I know a lot of people." Disco pretended to be oblivious. That was the best way out of this situation. Ace laughed. It was a loud, full belly laugh. It made Disco go pale.
"Don't fuck with me, Disco." The man in question flinched at the cuss word. "You know exactly who I mean."
The Auction owner stayed silent. Ace continued.
"I want to join the Hollow Skull Pirates."
Damdamdamdaaaaaam~
Man! This was such a fun chapter to write! This is how I imagine Ace doing his work heheheheheee~ Dangerous :D
I look forward to hearing from you guys!