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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:
Copyright belongs to their respective creators -
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto | One Piece © Eiichiro Oda
This story is inspired from the said anime\ manga and was brought to fruition because of the inner workings of my chaotic and over imaginative brain cells. Ziggy said it was her idea. Or was it Ace-chan?
Oh well. No money was earned in posting this story online. Reviews are enough, nuff said.
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Of Fire and Lightning
By: Zelga Lim Li
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Of Disguises and Acquaintances
For the nth time that day, Portgas D. Ace glared once more. And if the saying is true, the object of her stare should have dropped dead by now, burned to a crispy looking charcoal where all she need to do is blown him to smithereens and get rid of him completely.
The man himself doesn't seem too concerned as he continues to meditate from his spot on Striker.
Grumbling incoherently to herself, the female pirate mentally constructed possible threats she can throw at him once he decided to speak to her like a normal sane person. Not that she is any different as she prefers a brawl and then beat him senseless.
They have this unfinished duel and she wanted to know how strong he really is.
"You will not accomplish anything if you don't tell what your plans are for my supposed to be murder…"
Like a child who was caught with her hand in a cookie jar, Ace blushed when she saw him looking at her with those blood red eyes. She finally knew that it is a bloodline that allows him to change his eye color at will. Like a Devil Fruit ability.
Huffing in response to hide her embarrassment, she crossed her arms and pouted.
She noticed that her reaction is reverting back to the stage where she used to crush on someone. God, how she hated those days. The awkwardness and the teasing of those who knew. Inwardly, Ace shivered.
"Well?" Sasuke prompted once more.
With a growl, Ace tried to speak in an audible manner, "I do not know if you really are trying to kill me, but taking that letter is like a… like a suicide!"
Frowning slightly, Sasuke just stared at her.
"Delivering a piece of paper to a marine… And a Vice-Admiral at that, are you fucking insane?"
After showing her a befuddled reaction, the said man sighed and crossed his own arms. "Enlighten me…"
"Haven't I explained everything to you?" The pirate asks as she continues to play with her beads. A mannerism she suddenly develops upon encountering the said man.
"No."
Ace paused and looked at him dumbly. "Eh?" Sasuke inwardly rolled his eyes and tried to remember what he learned and knew from that world.
"You said that you are a pirate. Your leader…"
"Captain." Ace interjected helpfully.
"Your captain is a man named Whitebeard who is considered the strongest man alive…"
"Correct."
"You also mentioned that you are the human personification of fire which I learned through the help of those people you stole your food from the other day…" Ace blushed once more and Sasuke couldn't help himself but smirk. "…That it is an ability bestowed by a cursed fruit most commonly called as Devil Fruit. And by eating the said fruit, you lose your ability to swim, which is kind of lame by the way…"
"No it is not… Ugh! Why am I arguing with you about that?" Sasuke gave her a pointed look and shrugged his shoulders dismissively. Raising both hands in surrender and made a rude gesture. Ace squint her eyes and scrunched her face in frustration.
"Fine…" The woman grunted annoyingly. "Listen carefully you bastard. I am not repeating these things again, you understand?"
"Hn."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Can we please proceed to the matter at hand?" Sasuke suggested calmly. Talking with Ace is like talking to a five year old Naruto high on sugar. He left his world only to find another one that is far worse than the said blonde. How troublesome it really is.
"Bastard!"
Another sigh came from his lips. Indeed, he needed more patience in dealing with her eccentricities.
"…"
Giving the man another stink eye, Ace grumbled and took her backpack to retrieve the things she needed for this impromptu tutorial. Ace carefully laid a piece of map and shown it to the man before her.
"This ocean is the Grand Line, also known as the Pirates' Graveyard…" Sasuke frowned but the she-pirate held her hand in warning. "Questions later got it!"
"Whatever…"
Ace smiled cheekily. "Moving forward," with a pause, she cleared her throat, "You can find various people on these seas. Pirates, Marines, bounty hunters: the worst kind of people. And then we have the World Government. It is an organization that maintains balance, or so they say…"
Coughing slightly, Ace shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "The Marines serve as their primary military organization. These people, well…"
"So what you mean to say is that they do not like pirates like you…" Sasuke commented drily.
Nodding slightly, Ace shows her wanted poster. "Here is my wanted poster, I look cute right?" Sasuke grunted and looked at her smiling photo disinterestedly. Grinning widely, the fire user cooed in delight as she pulled out her brother's own poster. "And this is my little brother Luffy…"
"…"
"Isn't he great?" Sasuke groaned inwardly and stared at Monkey D. Luffy's own wanted poster. They almost look the same and yet…
"Monkey D…? Are you two really related?"
"Well, Luffy and I are not related by blood, but we are…" With a fond look on her face, Ace smiled in nostalgia in remembrance of her younger brother. "…Luffy and I share a bond as strong as real siblings…"
Sasuke stilled when he saw Ace's expression. It was the softest look he saw on her face. The first time was when she spoke those words after she saw his body, never mind the embarrassment the woman felt at first.
"I see…" The last Uchiha muttered in response and let the silence of that moment lingered for a little while. He lets the fire user continue her impromptu lesson. Everything she have missed on their first voyage together and the things he still needed to know about these seas.
Letting her voice sooth his troubled thoughts, Sasuke sighed and looked passed the pirate and stared absently at the ocean.
Bonds, huh?
Sasuke always heard the said word from Naruto's obnoxious mouth. Even in this world, he was reminded of those things and the dobe's crazy ideals.
Things that reminded him of his past.
He always thought it was useless. Something that he can finally discard after he left his own world to start a new life away from all the things that reminded him of his time as an Avenger.
Smiling ruefully, Sasuke gaze went blank as his left eye evolves from his regular Sharingan to a Rinnegan with six tomoes decorating the first and second rings.
"Hey? Teme! Are you all right?"
Sasuke's musings were cut off short when he heard Ace's voice. He leaned back a little when he saw her at close proximity. Not that it bothers him the least. It's just that her eyes held something in them that scared him a little. She's not even scared to look right through his eyes. Not that she knew how dangerous his eyes can be.
The woman herself notices the slight change in his demeanor as she tilted her head slightly to observe the man before her.
He looked so guarded, like the first time they met. And his eyes changes to a different one again. How very peculiar.
"Sasuke?"
"Looks like we're nearing an island. Its the marine base Moda-san mentioned." Sasuke answered stoically and pointed towards the horizon. There Ace saw the markings of the navy and a large flag on top of the highest tower from the said island.
"Hmm… G-2 huh?" With a disgruntled sigh, Ace gave the man a grimace and secured her orange hat. "Well then, let us look for that damn Vice-Admiral and deliver this damn letter and get on with our damn lives, shall we?" Sasuke rolled his eyes in response to her cursing.
"Of course, we shall…" Sasuke noted and poked Ace's forehead much to the woman's irritation.
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Minutes later…
Ace growled involuntarily when someone tried to grab her food tray. Giving her attacker a kick in the gut while she took a bite from her meat. The fire user squinted her eyes in warning to the others. If these people won't stop bothering her meal, she'll make sure to give them pain in the worst ways possible. That bastard left without a word using one of his ninja techniques. Before that, he told her to stay onboard Striker as if she is a freaking child.
That egoistic, crazy son of a b…!?
Suddenly, someone grabs her arm and took her away. Despite her futile attempts to free herself, Ace cursed out loud and was about to let her fire consume her arm. Ignoring his warnings and the possible scenario if these people discovered her Mera Mera no Mi powers, Ace conjured a ball of fire and was about to punch her captor in the face. The man looks at her frustratingly and Ace held her breath as her flames disperses upon looking at a familiar set of blood red eyes.
"Teme? Is that you? How did you…?"
Sasuke grunted and pushed her inside a room as gently as possible. He does remember the teachings his mother have instilled upon him and Itachi towards the opposite sex. It was a little too late when the female pirate noticed two unconscious people tied at one corner. The same exact face of the man standing right in front of her. Removing the Henge, Sasuke sighed and rubs his temple for an incoming headache and observes the woman in scrutiny. Ace happens to wear a white cap and unbuttoned shirt, allowing her to blend in perfectly. Underneath is that yellow bikini top she always wore with her black shorts. Her red beaded necklace did not stand out that much. Looks like trainees can wear anything as long as there is the standard issue white shirt with the word MARINE proudly emblazoned at the back. However, her temper gets the best of the female pirate making her disguise ineffective.
"For once in your life, can you please follow a single command?" Silently, Sasuke hoped that she would listen. But instead, she returned his gaze with a glare. Grumbling incoherently to herself, Ace crossed her arms and sat callously at one of the couches.
Too unladylike.
"What am I supposed to do? Let you have all the fun? Hell no!"
Too reckless with no regards to her own safety. And yet…
Sighing in surrender, Sasuke tapped Ace's head and with a single hand sign changed her appearance to a female marine he captured minutes earlier. With that, he reverted his form to the disguise he used prior to their meeting.
"Try NOT to cause too much trouble, understand?" Sasuke ordered firmly.
And yet, he could not stop himself from worrying. To care for this particular woman. An emotion he thought he already buried and forgotten when he left Konohagakure and everything else.
A weakness.
"Who says I'm the reason for all those trouble?" Ace grumbled as she tried to unbutton her blouse. Seriously? The said pirate is an exhibitionist. Truly unacceptable. "I am just defending myself…"
Having the urge to do a facepalm and erase all frustrations towards the hardheaded pirate, Sasuke was about to give her a piece of his mind when they heard a hesitant knock.
"Captain Masamune? Uhm…" Sasuke saw a marine officer standing hesitantly outside as he opened the door making sure that his captives are out of view.
"What is it?" Gruffly, Sasuke asked with a frown on his face. He is clearly pissed off and wanted to redirect it to someone else. Hearing the irritation in his voice, the poor marine paled but then his training started kicked in and saluted his 'superior'.
"T-the meeting is about to start, Sir. Vice Admiral Comil is requiring your presence to discuss today's agenda…" Nodding, Sasuke was about to close the door but the marine held it firmly. For whatever reason, the last Uchiha knew that the said man is scared to hell despite the bravado he is showing him. He does have this intimidating aura that scares most of these people. Looks like Ace herself is the only one immune to his glare.
"Anything else?"
"I couldn't find Lieutenant Lessa…" The marine nervously removed his cap and crumpled it between his fingers after clearing out his throat. He started to sweat profusely especially when the Captain's eyes flashed angrily. Was that a reddish tint on the Captain's eyes? "She's not in her office and I…"
"What the hell, you bastard! If you're just going to lock me up, the least you can do is leave some food… Huh?"
"Lieutenant! For crying out loud!"
Ace sputtered when the marine grabs her arm and dragged her away. Sasuke never had the chance to voice out anything so decided to follow them to keep the pirate out of trouble. Using her flames will dispel the illusion he placed on her.
In case of a slip up, all he needs is to gaze at them with a…
"Help me!" Ace cried out with that alarming look in her eyes. Sasuke swear that the female pirate is a trouble magnet for all these misfortunes following her everywhere she goes.
The marine pushed her farther and led her inside a conference room where another batch of high-ranking marines are waiting.
"I thought the two of you ran off, seriously you guys…" One of them spoke and tugged Sasuke in the shoulders with a friendly clap. Sasuke growled inwardly and the man brave enough to invade his personal space laughed out loud in return. "Easy now, the Vice-Admiral may have been tolerant with your relationship towards with his granddaughter but…"
Huh?
"…Make sure not to annoy him too much or you'll be transferred to another outpost were you might not see her for a long time…"
Sasuke's sweat drop when he heard the rest of the conversation and teasing from these men. He thought that his two captives were just random acquaintances. Looks like another complicated situation he found himself in. The female pirate herself is busy devouring the snacks in one corner ignoring the rest of the commotion happening around her. He was about to reprimand her when a looming shadow cast upon him.
"Good! Everyone's here. Let us start…"
It is going to be a long day. Sasuke thought idly as he ignored Ace's teasing eye smile when he sat beside her.
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Reviews:
Darth Lelouch, Yumi-nachan, NeitherSaneNorInsane, D. Neverbeast, Myth and chimeara. Wow! Thanks for taking the time to leave your reviews, really! I love you guys! *mwuah!*
Author's note:
I think I made a conflicting statement on my first and second chapter about chakra as to how Sasuke did not use his Sharingan during his fight with Ace knowing that the people on that world did not use chakra. Let me fix that… *thinks hard*
And Ace's blasted hat. Was it orange or red? Oh well…
Till next chapter… Ja ne!
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