AU: Kyonko criticize canon!Ace's hat to distract herself from his abs.

XOXOXO

I must have been gapping when I fell because I sure got a nasty mouthful of seawater again. I then found myself being hauled up onto the raft, sputtering violently as a hand gave a couple gentle thwacks on my back. When I had calmed down, I looked up, meeting with Ace's slightly troubled gaze.

Ace…

Well, it wasn't really Ace…

But it was, wasn't it…?

Ugh, this was so confusing! And—and—and mega weird! Those freckles, those eyes, that face! It really was Ace, except, well, an older version of him. But never mind that—this was a substantial issue: the oh-so "original" Portgas was here. Within my presence. The major lead of Basil and Law's organization's studies or whatever!

Holy crud, this was insanity.

Inferring from what Basil had told me, I came to my own conclusions that the Ace from…this world would be less stable, considering how he apparently lost a fragment of his soul. However, Law mentioned that such ideas were simply theories coming from different divisions of the organization, therefore they were simply edified deductions, not the truth.

You know what? Forget Basil and Law and the organization—this was seriously freaking me out. For one thing, I was facing difficulty registering this, even though he's right in my face. And, anyway, what the heck was I supposed to expect? Clearly not this doppelganger—and I know that if the Ace I knew was here, he'd undergo cardiac arrest. Kind of ironic seeing how this Ace managed to randomly find me (I think). This must be a one-in-a-life chance, I guess.

Ace rubbed soothing circles on my back, asking me, "Are you alright?"

Holy crap. Holy crap. It's Ace, but it's not really Ace.

I gave myself a mental slap.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," was what I intended on saying, but instead my mouth gurgled, "Ayablurgh…"

"…Um."

I cleared my throat and wiped my mouth by the back of my hand. "S-sorry," I croaked, and then cringed when my voice came out high-pitched, as if I was in pain. Oh gosh, maybe I was. Major affliction of brain-wreckage, definitely. "I, uh, w-was trying to breathe."

"Oh, alright." He gave me another pat. "Why'd you fall? Did you lose your balance?"

Lose my balance? "Yeah. I tried to see what you looked like, but I tipped over," I said.

He shot me a skeptical look, but didn't press the issue, which I was thankful of. He took a firm grip of my shoulders and steadied me, making sure that my rear wouldn't slip from the raft this time. "Looks like we've gotta stop by a village. Damn, and the sun just finished drying your clothes a minute ago."

I felt my face go hot. "Sorry," I murmured, trying to wring my clothes dry or at least as dry as it could get. It was kind of hard to, with my hands shaking like crazy.

"Doesn't matter," he sighed, smiling at me. "You'd get odd looks if you go around wearing bags, anyway."

Bags? A pair of sweats and a loose shirt would be considered as bags?

I don't get this place.

Speaking of clothes, what a tacky hat he was wearing! An orange cowboy hat with blue smilely and frowny faces? Doesn't he know that blue and orange clash? And were those red beads stringed around it? And what's with the medallion of a bull skull hanging from the lapels?

Yeah, yeah, I know. Not what I should be thinking about my savior, but I gotta look elsewhere other than his shirtless chest! How the heck did I not notice that he was shirtless the first time?

You'd think that the guy would show some decency by putting on a shirt or something.

After fishing the canteen, Ace (oh gosh, it's starting to sound weird calling him that in my head) started the raft again, going with a slower pace. I shivered when the winds brushed against my wet skin, and I tried to keep my hair in place. I wasn't that cold, though, because being pressed up against Ace's body (not gonna think too much on that), I shared his body warmth, and he was abnormally warm.

It must be because of his fire powers or something. Okay, now this was starting to get weirder and weirder. Every time I see this guy doing something, I visualize the Ace I know doing the same thing. Ace, the loudmouth who sat behind me in class, going pyro? I can see what fun (disaster) he'll have. And how about going his way of helping a stranger? He wouldn't do such a thing unless said stranger was a cross-eyed loony with a polka-dotted afro! And no, that level of bizarre wouldn't be too much.

Though I did try to picture this Ace being in the other's Ace's spot, but couldn't manage. So far, he's been rather…polite. Not too loud, not too demanding, and not too weird. Hey, he didn't even once spat out nonsense about aliens, which was something pretty hard for my head to wrap around.

"Sorry for not having any blankets or extra clothes. I had to pack light for my mission, ya know?" Ace said.

"Don't worry about it," I said. Yeah, because I might die from hypothermia anyway. No big deal. "A-anyway, what's your mission about?"

He did answer right away, as if he was reluctant to say. In the end, he spoke. "Gotta catch this man who's done something terrible," he sighed, sounding a bit grim. Then, in a lighter tone, he added, "In a way, I guess this makes me a marine, but not really." After saying that, he gave a dry snort. "If only the old man were to see me now."

Okay then. Wow, way to sound cryptic. "You're not a marine? What are you, then? A vagabond?" I asked curiously.

Ace turned his head so he could give me this raised-brow look. "You couldn't tell? Well, I suppose it would be hard to know since I'm without my crew, but I'm a pirate."

Great, another surprise of the day.

I was worn out. Physically and mentally. I find myself crash-landing in some ship and see Smoky turn into a billow of smoke, I also experienced the thrill of almost getting my throat slit and drown in a gargantuan tidal wave that probably killed off everyone on board. I encounter this version of Ace who's possibly an exhibitionist, and...I also find out that he's a pirate.

Ace. The pirate.

This whole thing was starting to sound like a big joke.

"Is that so?" I muttered.

"You don't seem very surprised."

"I'm probably undergoing shock right now. I don't really know."

He snorted again, but he sounded amused this time. "I imagine."

I bit my lip. "…You're not going to kill me, are you?"

"Now that's the question I've been waiting to hear," he snorted dryly. At that tone, I don't know whether I should be wary or relieved. "Why would I kill you when I just rescued you?"

"…Hostage?"

"And who would I use you as a hostage to?"

"Uh…"

"Haven't you heard of peace-main pirates, Kyonko? You know, pirates who're just out there for the adventure and not looting for treasure chests?" When I replied a no, I felt the rim of his hat brush against my head, so I assumed that he was shaking his head. "Morganeers are those you have to be aware of, trust me."

Was he always going to play as the enigmatic pirate who made vague sentences? Well, fine then. Two can play this game. I, after all, have amnesia.

The rest of the ride was filled with silence. Whether it was awkwardly suffocating for him or not, I didn't really care. I was used to it, in my case. Whenever my Ace arrive late to the clubroom (which would happen often), I was stuck with the rest of the members, but usually with Basil.

Spending time with Basil made me accustomed to his reticent atmosphere; he could hardly hold an actual conversation. Law wasn't the talkative type either; we'd just relapse into silence and focus playing a card or board game, but I got a feeling that he would only run his mouth about philosophies and the organization and whatnot just to irk me. And Chopper? Well, frankly, I don't recall engaging a tête-à-tête with him that didn't relate to his time-traveling matters.

Initially, the adaptation didn't sit well with me, but I guess I can find some appreciation for it; the Ace I know could never stop flapping his lips, except when he's being moody.

When he's moody, it's not a nice thing to deal with either.

Actually, now that I think about it, he's usually moody when he doesn't get his way or when I'm ignoring him. An unpleasant churn of apprehension built up in my stomach when I thought if this Ace was the same way. I took a quick peek at him from the corner of my eye, and found a small smile on his lips. Listening past the soft roar of the engine, he was humming too.

Wow. My Ace never looked like that… Maybe it's because he's older, therefore more mature. Would that mean that Ace would straighten up when he gets older?

"Here it is," he announced when land could be seen. We eventually pulled up to a dock that had other boats parked by. Ace hopped off the raft and to the dock, helping me off as well, and then produced rope to tie the mast to a silver ring that was nailed to the side of the bridge of the dock.

As Ace busied himself, I took the moment to observe the surroundings. It looked like a regular port town; the smell of caught fishes was strong. Nearby, there were aged men who carried fishing poles passing by us, giving us inquisitive glances. Just to appear friendly (and hope that we wouldn't be carted off to tribal savages, because God knows what could happen), I gave them a smile and a wave, which they responded to in kind.

"I didn't take you to be the friendly type," I heard Ace say behind me. I turned around, meeting his grinning face. "No offense."

This Ace was as blunt as the other Ace. "None taken," I said, shrugging. Then I sneeze loudly. "Gah, it's so cold!" I grumbled, vigorously rubbing my arms to make friction. When a heavy yet very warm arm wrapped around my shoulders, I jumped.

"Whoa, easy there. I'm just trying to warm you up," Ace said. "C'mon, let's find a shop."

"Sorry. You caught me unaware," I murmured, trying to match with his steps. It didn't help that his legs were so long.

"Funny. I don't really find myself to be the sneaky type either."

Yeah, and you probably didn't find yourself to be so freakin' tall too.

I looked at the arm that hung on me. His skin was the same shade as his counterpart, and was swelled from the expanse of muscle on him. But, no matter how much I observed his arm, I just saw a regular arm. No special lightshow or radiance to reveal how he was able to exude so much heat. "How come you're so warm?" I wondered.

He looked down at me, an eyebrow raised in question. "How come I'm so what?"

"Warm," I repeated. "Before, you emitted lots of heat even for one person. Is it genetic?"

He fixated me an odd look before throwing back his head and barked a short laugh. I couldn't stop myself from blushing, thinking that he was laughing at me. Man, he's a jerk even in this world! "Is it genetic?" he snickered. "No, Kyonko. In fact, it's not. I just ate the Mera Mera Fruit."

"That was how you were able to conjure those flames?" I continued, relieved that he wasn't laughing at me (I think).

"Yeah." He brought his other hand and opened his palm. A tiny flame suddenly danced above his skin, his fingers erect like bars to a cage. It reminded me the way Law summoned a blue ring back in the Closed Space he took me in. "I have the power to create, control, and become fire. Pretty neat, huh?"

I felt my brows shot up behind my matted bangs. "What? You can become a living torch?"

"Yup."

Ace launched a brief description of his powers. I learned that he could create fire-based attacks and couldn't get burnt. He also possessed the ability to allow normal attacks, like a hammer or bullets, to pass by him by turning to flames. With this in mind, I asked him if thrown into a volcano would he still be alive, and he responded with an "I don't know".

"Sounds like eating a Devil Fruit has some major advantages," I said, a bit in awe. It seemed that most Devil Fruits were used for battling as I thought about Law and Paula.

"Yeah, but it also has a disadvantage too. You can't swim, for that matter."

"You can't?"

He shook his head. "Once a Devil Fruit user is in stagnant water at least knee-deep, he's immobilized."

That'd make taking a bubble bath hard then, right? I frowned in thought. "If that's so, wouldn't it be dangerous for you to be out in sea? What if you fell in the waters like how I did?"

He smirked. "Kyonko, I've lived my life as a pirate for three years. I don't think that I'll ever find myself drowning anytime soon," he assured proudly.

That's because you'll be dead before you get the chance to realize it.

I had a feeling that the knowledge of the Devil Fruit in general was common, so I decided to keep my ignorance discreet. I mean, for common knowledge, even an amnesiac should know what a Devil Fruit was, right? I think I handled it well when he answered to another question. "I never seen a Devil Fruit, and I don't think I've heard about it so much. What does it look like? Does it taste, well, devilish?"

"I've entered some places where people believed the Devil Fruit to be just sailor stories, but they're real. The Devil Fruit come in different shape and form," he replied. His face then scrunched up, as if recalling a bad memory. "As for the taste, I have to say that it was the nastiest thing I ever put in my mouth."

We delved deeper into the village. The bricked path that we were following had a long wall that ran along the way, foliage growing over it. Above, there were buildings—houses, shops, and the like. It really did fit the village image. I never saw something quite like it. I thought to myself, this was a cute place. The approaching night made the area seem to be at ultimate tranquility, the village and its residents falling into restfulness.

I just hoped that they didn't completely turn to their beds. I was still sopping wet and cold. I took an involuntary step closer to Ace, later finding myself flushed up against his bare chest.

Whoa there.

I didn't pull back because he was sooo warm and I was sooo cold, but I did try not to ogle at him. Despite the ugly hat and his…Aceness, he had a nicely defined chest. Oh my, were those six-packed abs?

Wait, wait. Stop thinking, Kyonko. Just stop it.

This was Ace, for crying out loud!

I mean, a nicer, older, and shirtless version of him, but it's still Ace!

He looked down at me. "Hey, your face is all red. Did you catch a cold?" He brushed a hand to cup my forehead. "You're rather warm."

"I, uh…" I swallowed. "Maybe we should just hurry and get find a shop."

"Mm. Good idea."

XOXOXO

The first time I noticed his tattoos was in the shop. His back was turned to me and I stood there, dumbfounded by not only how the tattoo took a great stretch across his broad back, but also by the fact that Ace had a tattoo. Well, two tattoos.

On his back, the tattoo was a skull that had an upside crescent above its grin. There were four bones protruding from the skull, one above its head, one below its chin, and both on either side. The more I looked at it I later realized that the crescent was actually a mustache for the skull. Weird.

The second tattoo was on his arm. In big black letters, it read ASCE, except with the S crossed out. I wondered if it was an insignia for something or that the tattooist had misspelled his name. I voted for the latter. Or maybe the Ace in this world never honed his academic skills like how his younger counterpart did and therefore got his name screwed up, which I find it odd since I've known my Ace to be one of the smartest people I know.

But, come on—Asce. Asce. Asce. It's kind of funny once you think about it.

Ace turned around, shooting me a grin that I would have imagined it to be suspicious on the Ace I know. I mean, if I ever caught my Ace looking down at me with a face that expressed "genuine benevolence", it would be translated to "I'm going to do more than paint Chopper green to attract an alien."

As I willed myself not to shudder (because this Ace was a completely different person), Ace handed me a basket full of clothes while saying, "I got you a new change of clothes. There should be a room-key in there for you to go change in. While you do that, I'll go get us dinner."

I watched Ace wave me goodbye and walk away. Ace being cheery and nice still failed to register in my brain.

There was someone clearing her voice. I looked over my shoulder, my eyes landing on the lady behind the counter. She grinned, her red lips stretching across her wrinkly face. "He's a cutie, that man. Is he yours?" she asked with a leer. "If not, you better claim first dibs; handsome fellas like him will be snatched away in a heartbeat."

Oh no. Not this again! Another old lady showing creepy interest in Ace—ugh.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," I murmured before making a dash for it.

The room that Ace got for us in the hostel was cramped. By the large window curtained with beige raggedy drapes was a bunk-bed. Adjoining the room was a bathroom via a door. I locked the door and peeled away my pajamas before hopping into the tub. I should have at least turned on the shower and waited for the water to get warm because I was suddenly pelted with icy rain.

I had groaned mournfully.

Since there were no shampoos, I made use with a stale bar of soap that was sitting on one corner of the tub. I seriously contemplated cutting my hair; it was starting to get a mind of its own with its unruly tangles—I really wanted a brush. When I was done, I grabbed a towel and dried myself, and then proceeding changing into the clothes that Ace had gotten me.

I was happy to note that there was a pair of underwear for me, but I was a little confused about the long strip of bandage I found in the basket. When I couldn't find a bra, I realized that I had to wrap the bandage around my chest. Other than that, there was a T-shirt, trousers, socks, and ankle-high boots. I slipped on the shirt and pants on, and then left the socks and boots next to the bed.

Ace eventually returned with a paper bag full of baguettes and apples. I was surprised that he could find food so late at this time. We sat on the carpet and began to eat our fill. We would be eating in silence if Ace hadn't been one for being a garrulous kind of guy, even around strangers. I guess he saved us from having one awkward moment.

"So, I asked around about amnesia, just in case if something comes up while we travel together," he said after taking a bite of his apple.

I blinked. "Really?"

"Well, alright, I just asked the old grocer while I was buying the food. He said his daughter once suffered from it. Apparently, it just takes time for an amnesiac to regain his or her memories and would gain them faster if resting in a familiar environment." Ace frowned. "Which was pretty disappointing to hear, since the only place I know that you had come from was the sea."

"Ahh," I said knowingly.

"Unless I take you back to the sea again, but I can't do that yet after I do some investigating on this island. Notwithstanding the responsibility I have over you now, I appreciate the company," he remarked with a grin.

"I think you mentioned that before." I tore a piece of bread before plopping it into my mouth. "And what do you mean by responsibility? You make me sound like I'm some little kid."

"I saved you from the waters and heatstroke, I made sure you got fed and warmth, and need I mention that you're now have shelter? You're putting a dent on my budget."

"Oh." I looked down at my lap, feeling a little remorseful. Here I was, starting to get all comfy and cozy too quickly for my liking, letting the fact that I was burdening Ace slip from my mind. Just what was I doing? "Oh. Uh, sorry."

He shook his head. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. Kyonko, I don't mind having you around, really. I just…" He wrinkled his nose in thought. "Well, it's kind of weird…"

"What's weird?" I asked, curious.

"Well, I never considered myself as the Good Samaritan, you know, stopping by to help someone dying on the road," he admitted. "I know this might sound odd, but I think I met you somewhere before."

At those words, I felt my heart thud against my ribcage. He met me somewhere? Somewhere where? Law said that there wasn't a parallel me in this world, so Ace couldn't have ever met me. Unless… Unless he of this world and he of my world are somehow linked. I mean, it would make sense. In theory, my Ace is just a soul fragment of this Ace, so a connection could be possible.

But what kind of link would it be? A telepathic one? No, otherwise there would be no need for the SOS Brigade or Ace ever telling me that story of his childhood. Then what? What was it?

Maybe I was over-thinking this. There could be a chance that there was someone else in similarity to me, a coincidence. A strangely accurate coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless. That could be it, or something else.

"Is…that so?" I said slowly.

"Now look what I done. You think I'm a weirdo."

"What? No I don't." I think you're other self's the weirdo.

He waved dismissively. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I don't think I was quite normal from the start regardless of the Devil Fruit. The people from my hometown used to comment about my charming perks."

"And the pirate thing?"

"Hmm?"

"You being a pirate. Did that come along with your un-normalness?" I clarified my question.

"I guess so," Ace said with a short laugh. "Ever since I was little, I had always dreamt of sailing on the seas, going out and seeing the world. It was the kind of adventure that I longed for, that and I wanted to make my own crew of pirates who wanted to share that adventure with me."

"Oh, so you're, like, a captain?" I said, surprised. Well, it did make sense since the other Ace was the chief of the SOS Brigade.

"I once was," he said, a rueful smile on his face. "But I was a young captain full of hot air, thinking that I alone could accomplish finding One Piece and become the Pirate King."

One Piece? Pirate King?

"Then I met the old man Whitebeard who accepted me into his crew, his family. I was a different man ever since," he ended. He finished his apple and chucked the core into the wastebasket that was set across the room. "Can't say if I had even matured at all after all this, but when you're travelling on a ship full of overgrown babies, their unique personalities shape you," he added with fondness.

Did his adventures really make him the man I see today? "How does it feel being peripatetic?" I wondered. "Haven't you ever wished just…settling down? Having a family of your own? You know, watching your kids grow and eventually giving you gray hairs?"

"Settling down?" Ace reiterated with mortification. "What a boring life!"

That sounded like the Ace I knew.

"Is it really?" I asked.

"Sure, it sounds like a nice life," he relented, "but it's not a life suitable for a man like me. Besides, I already have a family of my own: the Whitebeard Pirates and my little brother and grandpa."

Little brother? Did he mean Luffy?

I reclined against the wall and took the moment to assess his words while polishing off my dinner. If I got this right, then what Ace had told me about his life as a pirate was nothing but an idle life of sailing to new places. No responsibilities to tie him down when all he could do was run around and have fun. But it didn't seem like he was completely negligent of doing a duty; he was away from his crew in order to find "this man who's done something terrible," or so Ace had told me.

It was the kind of life that my Ace would die to have, I think. It was definitely something out of the norm. And then I began to wonder how he would turn out to be if he was around this Ace's age. Would he have matured? Would he still be the eccentric yet talented chief of the SOS Brigade?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that anything could happen. For the better or for the worse. In my past experience with Ace, it usually ended for the worst because he expected everyone to succumb to his own selfishness, but somehow, by a weird natural phenomenon, things turn out alright. Like the baseball game we were forced to participate; no one really wanted to play in the tournament, but we all enjoyed ourselves when the day was over.

How Ace turns out would be unexpected. I just wonder how long does he plan on dragging me along for the ride.

"—sometimes, I like to snap his limbs and throw him in a pot and boil him alive," Ace said.

My head turned around so fast that I nearly gave myself a whiplash. "What?"

Ace smiled. "You were drifting off," he said.

"I wasn't drifting off," I said, running my hand through my bangs. "Just thinking."

"Right." He stood up and gave a stretch. "Well, time for bed. Do you want the top or bottom bunk?"