Thank you for the reviews! i get a stupid smile on my face when someone adds me to there favs thank you for that ;-) now to let you know there are some spoilers in here so if you have not read the manga and or watched the show (which I highly recommend you do because there great) just be aware. I do not own One piece but I love it so much (especially Sanji hehe) thanks for reading enjoy!
Chapter 3
I snap awake with the movement of choppy waves. I sit up and look around me my throat was dry and my skin was burnt and sore. I look at the sky and I knew it as late morning or early afternoon but it I didn't know on what day. Panic started to settle in my chest making my heart race. I didn't know what I was going to do about water or food. I was already dying of thrust. I scan the waters before me slowly hoping to see a ship or someone from the 'New Day' in a similar situation as me… nothing. I braved shifting myself around to look in the other direction. Once settled I looked around again all around for bobbing in the water or a ship in the distance and I saw nothing.
My stomach dropped and I started to cry well I tried to cry but no tears came out and I knew that was not a good sign. My heart started to race and my breathing became erratic. I gasped for breath and I knew I was hyperventilating and I needed to stop, breath in and breath out, breath in and breath out I told myself, but it wasn't working; I thought of my Grandpa and thought well maybe I should have listened to him. Then the image of big brown eyes and huge smile flashed in my head. I thought of the last time I went to see my brother almost 10 years ago he and I were still tiny and he jumped on me and wrapped his rubber arms around me like a snake. We toppled to the ground both giggling and I held on like he was a lost piece of me. he is the lost piece of me and I needed him, I needed him now I wanted him now , my little brother of only 3 minutes but still if I was going to die here all alone in the vast ocean I was going to do it thinking of my life, half of my soul. I closed my eyes and thought of him my life line until darkness took me again.
"Oh shit" I said out loud I never been lucky but it has touched me today. The ship was huge and I squint my eyes to look for anything to tell me what and who these sailors where. I just woke up again and I didn't know how much time has passed since the last time I woke. The sun was out but I didn't know if it was the same day or the next. It didn't take long for me to make out the front of the ship. "Of shit" I said swallowing "it a whale. A white whale, fuck its "Moby Dick"" I close my eyes and reopen them to see if it was a hallucination and when I set my eyes on the ship again now closer and better to see I realize I'm not hallucinating the Whitebeard Pirates are coming my way. The legend and the oldest living pirate captain is coming my way. Whitebeard the strongest man in the world. different feeling about this went trough me, I was happy that i would be found but I was also sacred. even though I heard the Whitebeard pirates where more kind it still scared the shit out of me to be on the ship with a bunch of men I didn't know. I shook my head and mentally slapped myself It's him or nobody I was dying and I was being picky on who saved me. so I move my board to the side using my hands as paddles so I wouldn't get run over by 'Moby Dick' but the effort made me dizzy and weak from dehydration. My muscles hurt and I was sore and hurting. My head felt like it was splitting in two. My whole body shook for the effort of moving, something that would have been simple had become the hardest thing.
"Don't pass out" I whispered if I passed out I would never be able to get the deck hands attention. Too late I thought when my face hit the board and blackness took me.
I was on something soft and worm. My skin felt cool and not burning and my throat wasn't dry any more. Great I'm dead made it all that way to end up dying with help ten feet away.
"I think she's coming to" I hear a man's voice say above me then I heard retreating steps. That had me flinging open my eyes and sitting up fast. The movement had me dizzy but I still slid off the bed to the floor and scooted to the corner of the room and huddled knees to my chin. I tried to make myself as small as I could. I was scared, I didn't know what these men would do they are pirates after all "its ok we won't hurt you." The man had a kind face and voice but I still didn't move or speak the shock from the pass horrible days slamming in to me.
"My name is Marco. I'm not going to hurt you no one here will. Pop would never allow that" he said taking a step towards me. I drew myself closer he saw the movement and stopped. I moved my eyes around the room and I knew I must look crazed.
"Hay Marco pop said we got a mermaid what..." A young man walked in to the room and stopped abruptly when he took in the situation. My eyes settled on the new entry. My eyebrows furrowed he look familiar. Black hair Sharp feachers but what got me was dusting of freckles over his nose. The tattoo on his arm confirmed that I did know him, not well, not as well as my brother but it's comforting to see someone familiar.
"Ace?" I croaked out. It was his turn to furrow his eyebrows. He stepped closer and squatted down to look closer at me. He thought for a minute.
"I haven't seen her for 10 years but I swore you look like Luffy's twin Phoenix." He said. My eyes widened with shock.
"You remember me?" I said.
"Well you remember me" he said smiling.
"Well the freckles and your name tattooed on your arm gave it all away" I said smiling for the first time in a while. I watch the smile bloom across Ace face as he put out his hand
"Come I won't hurt you and I won't let anyone come near you" he said. I reach out and place my hand in his. He stood pulling me with him. My legs wobble and I stumble it to the wall with an uff. I get my balance and stand there looking down at my legs. Tingles and pain move through them.
"It's probably because you haven't used them for four days." Marco said
"Four days? That's how long I have been out?" I said shocked.
"Here yes no telling how long you were out on the water. It looked about 3 days." My jaw dropped open my legs started to wobble for a different reason now. 5 days I have been out about 3 on the water and I survived that?
"Well Pop would like to see you" Ace said "if your up to it? He would like to hear why you where floating in the middle of the ocean" I nodded
"I would love to meet Whitebeard" I said my throat hurt from lack of water and use. I started to take a step but stopped when I started to tip again.
"she might need help her legs will start to feel better the more she's on them but there still waking up also." Ace nodded and slid an arm around my waist. His arm laid right under my long hair and I suddenly got self conscious of my knotted hair and dairy stiff clothes.
"Ah ace" I said and turned to look in to his face he was close enough where I could smell him. He smelled of fire like someone who stood near a campfire for a long time. Soot and ash I could almost feel the heat coming off him. "Would you mind taking me to go get washed up please. Maybe I can borrow someone's clothes or something. I kind of don't want to meet the great Whitebeard like this." Aces eyes travel down my body and he cleared his throat
"I suppose your right" he said moving me slowly to a door near the one he came through earlier. He opened the door and walked me in to a small bathroom.
"You think you can handle it in here?" Ace asked with a strange look on his face. I watch as his eyes travel my body again but much slower. Shit if it didn't make butterfly's bloom in my stomach.
"Yes I'll be fine"
"I'll go find you something to put on." He said turning around
"Ah Ace can you stay close by?" I said panic setting in my voice again. He turns to look at me and must have seen panic in my face because he stepped close and put a hand on my face.
"You can trust no one will hurt you. I won't let it but for your comfort I'll stay outside the door. I'll send Marco to look."
"I know I'm acting stupid" I said in a shaky voice. He shook his head
"I understand where pirates" he said smiling
"It's not that, actually at the moment I trust pirates more than the marines." The look of confusion crossed his face.
"I'll tell you and Whitebeard at the sometime." I said and he nods his head and backs out of the room.
"Take your time I'll be right here." Ace said not taking his eyes off me until door shut.
I strip off quickly and jump in the little stall for the shower. Compared to 'The New Day it's huge. I had to lean on the wall as the tingles in my legs became less, the water felt great I could almost feel the grime roll off me. I heard the door creak open and I plaster myself against the wall. I couldn't see through the dark curtain but I keep quiet.
"It me I'm just putting the clothes and towel on the counter." The calming voice of Ace relaxed me. "Do you need anything?" He asked.
"No, thank you Ace" I said meaning it the gratitude filled my voice.
"Anything for my little brother's twin, you're very welcome" he said shutting the door behind him. I finished quickly and stepped out of the shower I wrapped in the towel and picked up the clothes. I pulled on the shorts that were too big but I pulled the sting around my waist. The bottoms dropped past me knee. I tossed the shirt on and button about four at my breast leaving the top two open and tied the bottom ends together exposing my flat stomach. I open the door and step out with my old clothes, shoes, and under garments. I walk by Ace and his assessing eyes and drop everything in the trash.
"We could wash all of that for you" Ace said. I shook my head.
"I don't want anything to remind me of that awful time." I said turning to look at him. My eyes drop to his hand with a brush in it.
"You're going to need this" he said smiling.
"Let's go I can talk and brush." I said moving to the door. My legs felt a whole lot better and I could move under my own power. I waited till Ace move in front of me and I followed him down the skinny hall way. I focused on Aces naked back. It was smooth and tan I let my eyes trace the Whitebeard Jolly Rodger that was tattooed on his back. Two purple bones crossed with a purple skull in the middle. The skull sported a white mustache that matched Whitebeards. My eyes slide down his back to his rear. I shake my head and look away. What the hell was I doing checking out my brother's foster brother?
Ace and Luffy grew up with each other. While I was with Shelly learning about my craft Luffy went to live with a mounted bandit named Dadan. She was a huge brute of a women and kind of scary to. Grandpa Garp dropped off Ace when he took him from his mother as a baby. Ace's mother died right after she gave birth because she forced herself to keep him inside her for much longer the 9 months. She did all of this to throw off the Marines from finding out who Aces dad is. No one is to know, my brother, Garp, Dadan know. And now since Ace touched me I learned it, That, how close he got with Luffy, and all about his life. I also found out the reason why he smelled like fire, because he ate a devils fruit, a very powerful one.
"Ace, when did you eat your fruit?" I didn't know he stopped until I bumped in to the smooth back I was just admiring. I bounced off and almost fell back if he didn't catch me by my arms. His grip was tight and his face held anger.
"How do you know? Who told you?" His eyes flashed like the flames where behind them.
"I'm sorry I didn't know it was a secret I didn't read that it was" not like the identity of his father even now I could read secrete all over that I knew not to say anything. His eyebrows furrowed.
"Read?"
"Yeah I'm a witch and one of my powers is learning about a person's life upon touching them" I said. He dropped my arms and stepped away. I couldn't help the hurt that bloomed in my chest and probably showed on my face because regret showed on his.
"It's too late I learned it all anyway" I snapped at him my hurt tuning in to anger. I didn't like being treated like I have a disease.
"I'm sorry it's just, there is things that can't be said" Ace said taking a step closer.
"And I know that! Evan through reading you, things screamed not to tell I would know better not to say anything I'm not stupid" I yelled "now let's go" I move past him. I took one step before I was yanked to a stop by Ace.
"I know you're not stupid. You're a lot, but stupid is not one of them. So you know?" he said looking in to my eyes.
"Yes" I said
"And it doesn't bother you?" Ace asked taking a step closer.
"Why would it?" I asked and tilted my head to look in to his eyes when he took another step closer.
"Well" I already had my head shaking
"No I respect him. He was a very powerful man and could have done a lot with his power but chose not to. Much like the man we are going to see now."
"Respect is a word I would not have used for him" Ace said in a hush tone.
"Then you need to look more in to the Pirate king" I said moving down the hall way. I didn't say anything when Ace moved passed me and moved to the steps to the upper deck. I followed quietly to the top trying not to let my eyes travel over Ace. I followed him to the front of the ship and I let my eyes widen at the sight of Whitebeard. My jaw dropped and so did I to my knees in front of him. He was huge! And power dripped off him. My powers flared around him and my empathy tingled. He was old and wise he was also failing but with his strength he was going to be around for a while. I didn't let the tubes that were leading from his arms to some kind of medical things fool me. I watched as he held out his hand to me and growled out in his deep voice.
"Nice to meet you mermaid"