Chapter Nineteen
Yuki watched Dragon as he walked around the platform and directly to her. He was his usual, intimidating self again, and had an air of urgency about him. She wondered what the matter was until she remembered who they had encountered in Alabasta. Had her existence been revealed?
He gently tapped her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. "Arika, are you alright?"
Yuki was startled. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked sincerely.
This was weird to her, who should be considered a grunt compared to Dragon, the very important leader of the Revolutionary Army. She had no clue what made him take interest in her, much less ask if she was alright. He had seemed nice enough when she first met him, but he had better things to do than chit-chat with her.
Dragon sighed. "You looked like you had been crying."
Again, Yuki was startled. "What? I mean, yeah, but what?"
He could see the utter confusion she was in on her face, and realized how he must seem to her at that moment. Very... protective. He was acting like a father to this girl whom he had only recently met again. He had met her as a baby shortly before Luffy was born, but that was the end of his association with the girl.
"I tend to watch out for you because of your relation to Sabo and Luffy. You're not a kid anymore, though, and neither is my son. I should stop, I apologize," Dragon said, laughing. She only looked more confused after that statement.
"If you need something from me or the Army, please ask," he added, waving a farewell.
Yuki sat down on the nearest bench, Mizuki walking up to her with two glasses of punch and a plate of sweets. There was an unspoken understanding between the two of them, and they ate in silence until Yuki collected her thoughts.
"Dragon is a weird person."
Mizuki looked at her, nodding slowly. "He must be, if he's Luffy's father. He certainly doesn't seem like Vice-Admiral Garp, though. I wonder if his serious demeanor is just an act. That would be kind of cool."
Yuki looked over to her friend, smiling a little. "He noticed that I had been crying. He's a lot like a father, I guess. At least, he acts like a father around me," she explained, feeling comforted. She knew he really wasn't, but it was nice to be able to think of someone that way.
Mizuki looked her over, undoing her braid and bun. Despite Yuki's protests, she carefully examined the singed ends of the hairs. It had been partially burned during Akainu's attack on Luffy, and Yuki was incredibly reluctant to get it cut.
"You need to cut your hair," Mizuki stated, glaring at her friend.
Yuki looked like a kicked puppy. "Wh-why? It's long, and I like it long..." she muttered, protectively hugging her hair. She hadn't had her hair cut since she was five, and it was long enough to be sat on when it was up in a high ponytail.
Mizuki sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. "This would be an interesting argument," she thought sarcastically. Her friend valued her hair, regardless of how damaged it was. Without a miracle, she knew she wouldn't get anywhere.
A miracle, or a threat.
Standing up and using her fire to make a globe in between her hands, she said, "If you don't cut it off, I'll burn it all off. It's already a lot shorter, and the ends are damaged and tangled. I will burn it off if you don't cut it, you know I will."
Yuki fell off the bench scrambling backwards. "Fine," she snapped. "I'll cut it! Not too short, though! If it's too short, I'll hate it."
Mizuki nodded, recognizing an impasse. She wouldn't be able to get her to cut it above shoulder level, but it was enough to remove the singed hair. She was moderately okay with her captain's choice.
"Shoulder level," Mizuki commanded.
Yuki, stone-faced, argued, "Slightly past shoulders."
Mizuki held up the globe of fire, and that was all it took. Yuki hastily agreed to the shoulder length hair and tied her hair back up into a loose bun. It looked a lot less formal, but it wasn't her signature hairstyle, so it should have been alright.
Ace, wandering around the food bar again, was met by Sabo standing in front of the meat table, arms crossed. He looked amused, probably because he knew that this was the place to find him if he wanted to.
"Hey, Ace! Come with me for a minute," Sabo said, pulling the fiery pirate along by his shirt collar. "Dragon wants to see you. He mentioned something about the Whitebeard pirates and their intentions now that Whitebeard has, regretfully, passed on."
Ace sobered up at that sentence, regaining his serious mood. "Okay, Sabo, I can come on my own. Let me go," he replied quietly. Sabo was surprised by his brother's behavior, and quickly let go of Ace's collar.
Sabo studied Ace's face, looking for the cheerful demeanor that had disappeared. "You've changed. A lot. I remember when we were kids, you were either happy or angry, and there wasn't really an in between. A lot like Luffy, in that way."
Ace gave him a pained look. "You would change, too, if you saw Yuki die in front of you. You would change if your adoptive father was killed rescuing you."
Sabo looked downcast, and Ace felt guilty. He hadn't meant it to sound like he was blaming the blonde. It was just something he couldn't joke about. He didn't feel that he would ever be able to joke about it.
Ace apologized. "Sorry, Sabo. I just can't stand that I was there and couldn't prevent it."
The brothers kept walking, silent. Sabo didn't seem angry or sad anymore, just thoughtful and pensive. Ace wondered at that time what he was thinking. He had met up with his brother whom he had last seen over ten years ago. His sister had recently died saving his brothers in the war at Marineford. If he were there, there was a possibility of saving all three of them.
Now, Sabo was taking his brother to see his commander in order to let the two of them discuss their plans for the future. It must have been odd for him to have to do this. He and his commander were part of a different world, a world of politics and wars. Ace, as a pirate, would normally have nothing to do with that.
When they entered a small building Ace hadn't noticed before, one of the guards asked for weapons before noticing Sabo. The blonde, Ace noticed, seemed to have a lot of influence over the people in the Revolutionary Army. He was curious what position he held.
"Oh, sir! I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Please, go right in with your friend," the guard said nervously. He returned to straight-faced soldier mode a moment later, but not before some curiosity showed on his face.
"Thank you, Mr. Wiles. You're just doing your job," Sabo replied, smiling. He led Ace into the building and motioned for him to sit down at the circular table they had set out for up to six people. It was a simple scene, but the atmosphere was tense.
Ace sat down and waited. "Hey Sabo?"
"Yeah?" Sabo replied.
"Can you tell me what your job is in the Revolutionary Army?"
Sabo thought for a moment. "I can't tell you specifics. I usually do a lot of negotiating and similar things. I've been with them for ten years, after all. The people here have practically raised me after I left you guys."
Ace nodded, and then the door opened and Dragon strode in. He had a confident aura, and his greenish-black cloak swirled around him when he sat down across from Ace. Sabo, Ace hadn't expected, sat down next to his commander rather than the pirate.
"So Commander Marco sent you as his representative. Welcome," Dragon stated.
Ace nodded, grinning. "Thank you, sir. You have something to discuss with me?"
"Indeed," Dragon said, "I do. Firstly, I am glad you came. My companion, Sabo, seems to enjoy your company a lot. He's talked about you, Yuki, and Luffy a lot. It was good to hear him so cheerful even though he had to leave you behind."
"Well, thanks. I mean, we're sworn brothers, and all, so..." Ace trailed off, a little bit embarrassed.
Dragon laughed. "I appreciate you taking care of Luffy. Now, second, we have business to discuss. The Whitebeard pirates have lost their captain, much to my surprise. Whitebeard was a very strong and good man. With him gone, your crew doesn't have much direction, does it?"
Ace sighed. "Yeah, that seems to be the problem. We mostly protected islands, towns, and countries from other pirates, as a family. We still have that bond, but it's been weaker, as of late. The commanders are still good friends, we consider each other family, but our subordinates are getting restless. They're worried about a lot of things."
Dragon looked away, his mind going off to another place. "If the 1st Division Commander wanted, I could give your crew a job. We have many countries supporting us that need protecting or assistance."
Ace sat up straighter. "That might actually be helpful. It would give our crew something to spend time and effort on, and we could make powerful allies. Thank you, sir, I will ask Marco about it. Hopefully, everything will go well!"
He was excited. Ace had a goal in mind now, not just aimlessly wandering around the ocean. If his hunt for the sword went well, he would be able to move on. Protecting innocent people, uncorrupted by the World Government. It reminded him of Goa Kingdom and how they burned Grey Terminal.
Suddenly, a thought occured. "Sir?"
Dragon, standing up, asked, "What is it?"
"Were you there when Grey Terminal was burning?" he replied.
Dragon grinned. "Yes. Sabo, here, was concerned about the people I was going to go and rescue. A lot of them have joined up with the Revolutionary Army. One of the guards outside, Mr. Wiles, was living in Grey Terminal."
Ace was surprised. That meant that some of the people, other than Sabo, had known of him when he was a child. No wonder the guard looked curious when he saw him. There might have been a faint recognition there, from a long time ago.
"Thank you for saving them." Ace left, Sabo staying behind.
When Ace was gone, Sabo let out a sigh of relief. "He was surprised when I sat down next to you, sir, rather than him. I guess it's to be expected, but I seriously thought he was going to hit me or something."
Dragon laughed again, grinning confidently. "Really? I think it proves that you aren't a child anymore. You are a very loyal companion, and Fire Fist recognized that. Isn't that what made you two brothers in the first place?"
"Yeah," Sabo replied happily. "May I go now, sir? I want to find my friends. I haven't seen anyone except for Ace since I met up with him at the beginning of the party."
"You may go," Dragon responded. "See if you can find Yuki. Something happened to her, she seemed odd. Other than that, enjoy yourself. It is a party after all, and I shouldn't work you to the bone running around and giving our people orders."
Sabo smiled, giving his commander a small bow and racing off. Dragon watched him go with interest. He hadn't expected to ever act like a father, even when Luffy was born, but he had been more like a parent since he picked up Sabo.