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Summary:
After the final battle, Sasuke decided to leave everything behind (this time for good, hopefully...) and live a new life of solitude, perseverance and humility. But then another irritating person came into his life and invaded his personal space. Someone far more troublesome than his 'estranged brother'. She is a known pirate of this strange new world he stumbles upon in search of a new beginning. Her name is Portgas D. Ace.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto or One Piece. If I could own them, well… I will not kill the good guys who died in canon-verse (if there is even such a word, anyways…). Injured severely, yes. But they will live. Oh yes, they will live… *evil laughter*
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto
One Piece © Eiichiro Oda
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Of Fire and Lightning
By: Zelga Lim Li
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Of Buns and Skin
For the nth time, Portgas D. Ace sighed and glared at the establishment standing right in front of her.
For whatever reason, the bastard took his sweet time buying the necessary items he needed for this journey. And for whatever fucking reason, he decided to tag along since she is the first person he made contact with after so many years of isolation on that deserted island stating with that emotionless face of his that he prefers to associate himself with someone like her. It's as if he was mocking her.
The nerve of that bastard!
Giving him an indignant look, Ace complained all along their journey. The said man did not even look at her during their short voyage towards the next island despite the complaints she threw at him constantly which he diligently ignored. If looks can kill, he should be dead by now. And with her devil fruit ability, burn him into a crisp and fed him to the kings of the sea.
To make matters worse, the bastard took her cute hat and went inside the store to shop after they ate. Thus she can't leave him as much as she wanted to.
That hat is a very important property as it was given by her little brother as a parting gift before she left their hometown to become a pirate together with the red beads she now use as a necklace. The beads originally belong to Sabo and he was supposed to give it to her before he leave for his own voyage. But because of his untimely death, he never had the chance. Luffy later found it on one of Sabo's leftover boxes in their tree house and gave it to her together with the letters he made for the two of them.
Forcing her tears at bay in remembrance of her dead brother before the bastard sees her moping around, Ace angrily wipes them away.
She knew that the bastard know how valuable that hat is. Perhaps, she needed to kick him later. For now, she decided to leave him for the time being and proceeded with her task.
Locating the traitor and finish him off is her foremost priority.
Never did Ace imagine that what she was about to do will lead to her downfall, set a course that will ultimately change history and will be remembered for years to come.
It will also become another traumatizing experience for her newfound friend that will either destroy him completely…
Or give him hope, a relatively new beginning.
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Walking around the village, the female pirate spotted some food stalls in the main plaza and followed that appealing smell that caught her attention.
She salivated seeing these barbecued filled buns steamed to perfection. There are also some that are baked as Ace gazed dreamily at those browned and glazed dim sums. After taking a bite, Ace literally cried a river.
It was really delicious.
After eating a handful, Ace bowed politely with her mouth still full to give her thanks to the vendor and ran hurriedly away, not before she took the last piece.
By her third stall, the villagers started to come after her forcing her to pay. Why would they even ask that to her? Did they not know that she is a pirate? Seriously, how naïve these people can be?
Leaving a trail of her fiery blaze behind as some of these people threw something at her, which her devil fruit ability automatically lets through informing them of her awesomeness. Of course, she lets them see oyaji's mark proudly visible at her back.
However, she did not notice the obstacle in front of her. Her boot slipping, she fell over the bridge and was about to take a not so desirable swim.
Fantastic. Just her luck.
"I really got to stop repeating this kind of scenario…" Ace muttered to herself as the water started to drag her down. 'It is starting to get annoying…'
Before she closed her eyes, she saw a pair of red glowing eyes with coma like designs surrounding the pupil. The pirate could almost see the worry in them.
Or was it irritation?
Who knows?
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Minutes earlier…
After causing much of a ruckus at the town plaza with Ace running around followed by an angry mob of villagers, Sasuke sighed and left a bag full of bellies to vendor of the first food cart that blasted woman took her first meal and ordered her to give the rest to the other stores the said pirate did her eat and ran scam as payment.
Following the commotion till they reach the end of the village, Sasuke saw Ace fall. He face palmed knowing that her action was unintentional. He knows how clumsy the said pirate can be from time to time.
Her pursuers finally stop and muttered frustratingly to themselves.
"Why isn't anyone helping her?" Sasuke asks a random villager standing beside him.
Snickering in amusement, the said person pats him by the shoulder in understanding. "Is this the first time you saw a devil fruit user?"
"Devil fruit?" Are they referring to Ace's fire ability? Was she born with it?
"Those who ate those fruits lost their ability to swim… So that damn pirate is good as dead… Hey!" Some of the bystanders took a surprise gasp when the cloaked man jumps over the bridge after throwing his knapsack by the river to save the pirate from drowning.
Bewildered, they looked at one another. "Is he a bounty hunter or something?" Shrugged shoulders were all the response they get from the older ones. They dispersed after a few minutes except for a young lady with a bandana on her head wearing a sleeveless white blouse and a printed skirt that reached her ankle.
Nodding to herself from the information she heard from the villagers, she went towards the direction of the current were the river took the said pirate taking note of the bag that was discarded at one side of the riverbank.
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A few hours after the runaway fiasco...
Startled, Ace woke up feeling disoriented and feeling funny. Looking down, she saw herself wearing a very comfortable dress. It was white and lacey.
"W-what the?"
"Oh! You're awake!" Ace heard a cheerful voice coming from the dresser. A young girl greeted the pirate with a warm smile on her face. Placing some clothes on top of the side table, which looks awfully familiar to the older woman.
"Most of your clothes are already dry except for the black shorts. Your companion is waiting outside as he fish out the rest of your things from the river…"
"My companion? Fishing?" Ace asks dumbly. Did she hit or head or something? Giggling at her bewildered expression, the girl approaches and gave her a glass of warm milk.
"My name is Moda and you are Ace, correct?"
Mumbling her thanks in an audible manner, the Fire Fist expressed her gratitude to the younger woman for her hospitality. Waving her gratitude dismissively, Moda redirected her at the back of her house where her 'companion' is waiting.
After stepping outside, the she-pirated is greeted by a scene similar to Foosha Village, Luffy's hometown. Hearing the sound of the river, she stepped around and was greeted by another unexpected scene.
Literally, her jaws went slack. Ace could feel her face turn as red as her beaded necklace. For crying out loud, is she blushing?
Seriously?!
Marco and the rest of the Commanders will laugh their lungs out if they knew how she, the very notorious and fearsome Fire Fist Ace, pirate extraordinaire and sometimes called the Ice Queen despite her fiery epithet. Well, it's what their peers often called her because she doesn't seem to be affected with the flesh bearing men of the Whitebeard Pirates. Moby Dick has her fair share of half-naked men who do not know the concept of covering the upper part of their body mindless of the very few females, and a cross dresser mind you, onboard the said ship.
For whatever fucking reason, she is blushing like a schoolgirl for staring at a half-naked man. Well, this particular man.
Despite the scars, he is…
Gulping slightly, Ace wipes an imaginary sweat off her face.
Uchiha Sasuke is one fine piece of meat. Deliciously delectable…
Huh?
Hearing her thoughts, Ace shook her head with a disgusted expression on her face.
No way.
There is no fucking way she's attracted to this bastard. He may be handsome, looks smart and had this sinfully luscious body that seems to ripple with so much strength… Painstakingly, grudgingly and possibly powerful than her, she admitted hopelessly.
Ace's face morphs into obvious horror when she sensed that she, for another fucking reason, seems to agree with her mind and body… and possibly her heart.
Oh no.
That can't be… Was she…?
Did she like him?
When the shinobi turned, Ace saw him smile. Albeit a little. Well, it was more of a smirk. And then he raised one brow and the she-pirate knew that her mouth is hanging wide open. Closing it abruptly, her reddish shade from her earlier 'predicament' turned a little darker. She no longer wonders if he saw her fuming literally.
Wonderful.
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Drying their clothes did not take the whole day much to Sasuke's relief. Having to go around the place half naked is not really preferable with all the marks on his skin. Other men don't seem to mind and the scars can be used to bring fear and intimidate his opponents. And with that knowledge, he knew how disgusting his body looks like to an outsider especially if this person is from the opposite sex. Even his own replicas, the Shadow Clone or Kage Bunshin flinch inwardly once they saw how scarred his body is especially his dominant arm.
Sighing tiredly, he removed his bandana and put it beside the others. In an hour or so, his top and that woman's shorts will be dried completely.
Speaking of the devil and the devil will come as he sensed her bright colored chakra coming from the cottage's direction, although not the way Sasuke expected her to. She is gawking at him.
And was that a blush?
Sasuke remembers the flustered form of Hyūga Hinata whenever Naruto is around especially when they are younger. Only the dobe did not notice it.
The former Avenger smiled. As the woman remained motionless like a dead fish, he raised one brow. How very curious.
Is Ace's action the same as Hinata's?
Shaking his head for the said thought and dismissed it immediately, Sasuke approached the female pirate to get a better look.
Was she emitting some kind of a smoke?
Up close, he knew she could see the scars. He wanted to know how she would react. For whatever reason, Sasuke wanted to know her opinion. How she looked at them.
Will he saw disgust in her eyes? Or something far worse. Mentally, Sasuke prepared himself.
"Hey."
Slowly, she looked at him and then directly at them. Sasuke even saw her hands raised as if she wanted to touch these things. With a blank expression, he took her hand and placed it on top of the ugliest one decorating his left abdomen.
Sasuke grunted wordlessly when Ace remained motionless after a few minutes and decided to turn his back and walked away. However, her other hand touched his arm, stopping him. It was Hashirama Senju's artificial arm, his new one.
And then… she smiled.
Her hand felt so warm.
"You look beautiful…" Ace said in wonder.
For once, Uchiha Sasuke was literally speechless.
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When he approached her, Ace had the urge to run away and hide. But then her feet don't want to move. Stupid.
And now he was standing right in front of her. His body, so close… She can even see them clearly. Briefly, she saw the insecurities and fear in those charcoal grey eyes.
Why is he afraid?
As he took her hand and placed it on top his abdomen, the one that decorates his pale skin. It was rugged and discolored more lightly than his natural shade.
She was…
Sasuke grunted wordlessly when she remained still as a rock after a few minutes and was about to turn his back away from her. Hastily, her other hand automatically stopped him. The one she remembered was covered with bandages.
Now she knew why.
Ace smiled. "You look beautiful…"
She was… amazed.
And yes, she could not help herself but fall.
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Reviews:
Darth Lelouch, NeitherSaneNorInsane, Yumi-nachan, Alex, Guest and Myth - Me, Ziggy and Ace-chan would like to thank you for being sooooo nice. Well, you did leave my very first reviews… *sniff* I'm so happy… *sniff*
Author's note:
Chapter is kind of mushy. Somewhat. I am being hopelessly and romantically hoping for something like this… *lol*
Anyways, thanks for reading. And liking. And following. Till next chapter…
Ja ne!
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