Being dragged through the town as an unruly pup is really degrading. Ann thinks this to herself as she fruitlessly tries to struggle out of the pirates hold. As they walk to the docks she notices that Shanks is resolutely ignoring her cursing and threats. It just makes her deflate because she was not even being listened to, and she wasn't going to waste perfectly good insults on someone who couldn't care less. Huffing she crosses her arms and pouts.
As they approach the giant ship docked in the port she temporarily forgets her anger at the red-haired pirate. She can only look on in breathless wonder at how beautiful and big the boat is as they come closer and closer. Ann turns her gaze every which way hoping to take in all the details of the ship. From the cannons lining the front of the ship, to the rich reds of the flags, and the high-quality of the wood used for the floorboards. She had never seen something so gorgeous. Her perusal is cut short when they enter inside the ship and is carried all the way to a small room.
Ann is carelessly dropped on to a hammock as Shanks starts rummaging through the room on the ship. The room was small but held a bunch of pictures which Ann takes a second to glance over while she waits for the red-haired pirate. There was one of him and a guy with a red nose, and others with him and an older dude with a flower surrounding his head. Man, what weird people this guy knows! She's still peeved that he thinks he can boss her around, but she lets it be for the moment. Ann is more interested in what the captain is hunting for underneath one of the floorboards of his ship.
"Aha!" I knew I put this somewhere in here." Shanks starts talking again and Ann looks over to what he has in his hand. It looked like he was holding a badass whip. It was thick, corded, and looked like it would be extremely dangerous. Like it could kill if you got too rough with someone.
"What the hell is this," Ann asks as he hands over the whip to her. Shanks eyes gleam with mischief that has her excited and wary; because she always did like a challenge. But she's also nervous because she's never met anyone that would willingly give her anything, let alone a very expensive looking whip.
"This is the whip of Portgas D. Rogue, she retired it after she fell pregnant with you and your twin. Though I only knew about the boy, not the girl. You must have been quite the surprise. Though captain must have known something because he left this with me after he disbanded the crew." The wide genuine smile has something in her stomach clenching. It felt like when she had too much to eat, and then got hit in the stomach by Ace for stealing all his food off his plate. Shanks crouches in front of her and holds eye contact with her. She can see how his scars stretch across his eye and move with every gesture. She truly starts to wonder where he got such massive scars. She doesn't expect the two large hands on her upper arms to grab her attention.
"Listen up, Ann! It isn't impossible for you to succeed in living till your 30 or older. You have to get strong though, because that's the only way to fight back at the people who want to keep you down. While it seems that the world is against you, remember that the Roger Pirates will always look out for their captain's blood. But you got to get to the Grand Line for us to reach you. So, you're going to have to grow stronger, and even stronger after that! You're still alive and are still breathing. No one can take that away from you, Ann!" The man with the Red-Hair, she notices, has kind reassuring eyes, and a warm smile. Something that has never been directed toward her. Not even by her twin. Ann can feel tears build up behind her eyes. She throws herself out of the man's hold and tackles Shanks to the ground in a hug to prevent any embarrassing crying. The last thing she needed was Ace finding out and calling her a cry baby girl. The warm arms that wrap around her shoulders is also new, no adult ever willingly hugged her. Her twin was always the one that grabbed her hand or snuggled in close when they slept. The strong hand that comfortingly rubs her back has to be the best sort of kindness she's ever experienced.
"Easy, easy. It'll be alright. You got this. I know you do, you just need the confidence and drive to do it. You're already on the right path with Luffy, find a goal and stick to it with everything you have in you. Find a goal that you will die for, something that you keep reaching for, that way when you finally achieve it, it will be that much better! You'll be surprised at what you're able to achieve, Ann, if you just believe in yourself. Your parents were a force to be reckoned with, I have no doubt you'll inherit that ability to turn the world on its head!" Shanks still rubs her back reassuringly and Ann noses his cloak. Getting snot and tears all over it, though he didn't seem to mind all that much.
"You understand. You are a child of the Pirate King, Ann. Have no shame in that, despite what papers and people would have you believe, he was a man that had a dream and followed it until he found the truth of this world and died refusing to let the Government have the last laugh. The Government would never have you know the truth. But, it's in your blood to seek the truth and understand it in its entirety. Remember a D. always brings a storm with them." Shanks keeps talking and something in her is telling her the information is important. She should listen closely. Fortifying her emotions, she pulls her face back from the man's cloak and wipes her face with her arm.
"Why're you telling me all this?" Ann asks through a stuffy nose and blurry eyes. He gives her that mischievous grin once again and she thinks that she likes that smile the most on his face. It reminds her of the time she and Ace joined forces to make Dadan's life hell when she thought that she could punish them by separating them. She's sure that Dadan is still a bit scarred from that experience.
"Well, what's the fun in telling you that! That's for you to find out!" Shanks crosses his eyes and sticks his tongue out and Ann has to giggle at his silly behavior, because no yonko should be so carefree.
"See, that smile is all your mother. But that wild hair is 100% Captains. Though those freckles are Rogue's," Ann smiles as Shanks starts to poke at each one of her freckles with a finger. She feels something in her chest release at the gentle teasing. That there were people who didn't curse the day she was born was something new and novel. She liked it a lot. But she also didn't know how to handle such a discovery.
"Never let the world dictate how you live your life. The only people that matter are the ones that are at your back when you need them. That's the only way to be free in a world like ours." Shanks rubs her back once more and Ann nods in agreement. He's right, when the hell did she start to allow the opinions of shitty people of the world to influence her self-worth.
Ann breaks free of Shanks hold and stands up straight right in front of the man.
"Yosh, you want the dream that I would willingly die for, old man?" Ann asks as she puts her hands on her hips and a wide smile plastered across her face. Shanks smiles up at her from where he's sitting on the floor and moves his hat back, so he can look her in the eyes.
"I'll live, even when the world wants me to die! I was put here for a reason, I just have to find the reason. I'm going to grow strong enough to scream my father's name from the top of the Red Line and tell the entire world that I'm his kid. I am Gol D. Ann and I'll never have to lie about myself again! I'm going to find strong nakama with Luffy and we're going to go on amazing adventures! We'll sail the Grand Line! When I get strong enough I want a fight with you too, you got it old man? Winner pays for the booze!" Shanks eyes crinkle at the edges before he laughs hysterically, tears forming at the sides.
"Dahahahaha! That's some dream, Ann. Absolutely fitting of the daughter of the Pirate King, I think. Now, come on. I'm sure Luffy's still whining about me trying to steal his crew mate." Shanks rises from his place on the floor and starts to move toward the door but stops for a moment when he stares at a picture hung on the wall. Ann follows what he's looking at and notices a picture of her father and a really pretty strawberry blonde woman. They were both grinning at the camera. Her father's arms surrounded the woman and a pink flower was pinned in both their hair. It's the most normal picture she's ever seen of her father. So far, she had only seen his bounty poster, or him charging the marine forces with a sword raised and grinning maniacally.
Shanks takes the picture from the wall and opens the back of the frame. Taking out the photo he stares at it for a moment longer before smiling down at a confused Ann.
"You know, I have a lot of memories of Roger and Rogue, but I realize you never got the same experience. So, here take it as a memory." Ann carefully takes the photo of the two people she wondered about so often, always questioning why she was living with bandits. She would sometimes sit on the bench in the park and watch the children in Edge Town holding their parent's hands. Happily chattering about their day and the friends they made. They always seemed to have a smile on their face and shared a powerful bond with their parents.
Ann bites her lip and nods and carefully puts the photo in the waistband of her shorts along with wrapping the whip through one of her belt loops.
"Thank you, Shanks." It must be the sincerest sentence that's ever passed her lips. No one had given her hope like this. A large hand ruffles her hair and Ann can't find it in herself to scowl. But she does gain a mischievous smile and pounces on Shanks back.
"Hey, woah, woah, woah! What's the big idea Shrimp!?" Shanks asks as he balances himself with the new addition to his body. She was literally sticking to his back like a barnacle.
"I've decided it's too far a walk all the way back to town. Sheecheecheechee," Ann wraps her arms around his neck. The exasperated sigh tells her he is less than pleased at the current situation but would humor her for the time being.
"Think of it this way, Old Man. At least Makino-san will see you're good with kids." Ann teases him as he starts walking to the bar. The clearing of his throat tells her she's hit the nail on the head and she laughs even harder.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. See if I do anything nice for you again!" Shanks lamely threatens, there is no heat in his tone, and he seems almost fond. They spend the rest of the time poking fun at each other and feels like something an older brother would do to his little sister.
As soon as they are back in the bar she notices that most of the crew is passed out around the room. His first mate was looking on, just shaking his head at the entire scene, no doubt wondering how they were going to get all their crewmates back to the ship for the night. Now that she thinks about it, she's been in Foosha for most of the day now and the sun was already starting to set. She'd rather not traverse Mt. Colubo when it was dark. It was an entirely different environment at night. Biting her lip in consideration, she's unsure what to do. She'd only come here by whim. Ace would be worried about her if she stayed the night but she'd rather him worry than getting herself killed on the mountain.
"Ann, why don't you spend the night. I don't feel comfortable letting you wander the forest alone in the dark." Makino tells her as she cleans a glass behind the bar while Shanks drops her back down to the floor.
"I don't want to put you out though, Makino-san." Ann tells her as she walks over to the bar and takes a seat. Rubbing the back of her neck. She barely knew the woman, but she did seem nice enough and nothing was ringing any bells in her head.
"Nonsense, you can share a room with Luffy for a night. You are nakama, are you not?" The twinkling in her eyes tells her that she's teasing her. Ann huffs and rolls her eyes before dropping her chin on her folded hands.
"Fine, but the dork better not drool." Ann grumbles as she takes the glass of milk from Makino that she offers her. She doesn't notice the humorous gleam in the barmaid's eyes. Shanks takes a seat next to her and starts flirting with the green haired woman. Ann makes a grossed-out face before looking around for Luffy. Pouting when she can't find the kid she starts wandering around the bar. Noticing a staircase leading upstairs in the back of the room she starts up the steps. The hallway was narrow but not impossible to navigate. She sees a light on in one of the bedrooms and goes over to knock on the door.
"Oi, Luffy! You up here?" She calls out before opening the door. The room was small, with a child's bed and a desk and an empty bookcase. She enters the room when she sees Luffy practically strangling himself with one of his rubber limbs. Widening her eyes, she immediately goes to help unwind him from the knots he seems to have tied himself in at the moment.
"Man, you're gonna be really troublesome, aren't you?" Ann huffs as she finally untangles the kid from his own limbs. Sitting on her knees she looks at the kid who is leaning back on his forearms, grinning widely and laughing.
"You're the one that signed up, Shishishishi!" Narrowing her eyes, she makes a grab for the boy and gives him a good noogie.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm the captain! You can't treat me like this!" Luffy shouts as he tries to slip her grip, but Ann is used to wiggly brothers.
"If I can still beat you in a fight, you can't be my true captain. I promised I join your crew, but now you gotta get stronger. As soon as you can beat me, I'll call you Captain. With the capital 'C' and everything. I refuse to be subordinate to a weak captain. I got big dreams. You understand that, kid. You need to be strong to help me follow those dreams. In turn I help you follow yours." Luffy quits his wiggling and looks at her seriously. It feels like the kid can read her soul.
"Un, I'll get stronger, and I'll get you to call me captain with a capital 'C' and everything! But you gotta tell me your name first!" His smile is brighter than the sun and her heart beats a bit easier.
"That's what I like to hear, little cap'. The name is Portgas D. Ann. Now let's get some sleep, I gotta get back to Ace tomorrow morning. He's probably really worried about me right now." Luffy looks confused and turns his head to the side.
"Ehh? Who's Ace?" Ann removes the whip from her belt along with the picture Shanks gave her, leaving them on the empty desk. She crawls onto the bed and lays out. Luffy follows her lead and removes his flip flops. He crawls up next to her and it feels sort of like when she and Ace cuddled after rough days in Gray Terminal or with the bandits.
"I haven't told you about Ace?" Ann raises an eyebrow and looks down at the boy next to her. Luffy shakes his head. Closing her eyes, she pulls up an image of her brother in her head.
"Ace is strong, but he's really mad at the world right now." Ann answers hesitantly. Her heart breaks a little at the thought of her twin having so much anger without her being able to do anything about it. She wouldn't dare tell him her dream or show him the picture of their parents. He would no doubt tear it to pieces, well maybe not their mother but definitely their father. But she knows that she will eventually have to face him.
"Is Ace stronger than Ann?" Snapping her eyes open she glares down at the kid.
"Never, no matter what he says we will always be equal. We push each other to the limit to get stronger so when we do leave this island people can't hurt us." Ann tells Luffy in a serious tone. Black eyes narrow and focus in on her again, and once again it feels like the kid can read everything about her. She wonders if he has the same power as she does.
"People want to hurt Ann?" Luffy asks in a light voice though there is an undetectable edge to it, she can tell that he is not pleased in the least with the thought.
"Yeah, not everyone likes my dad. But, I'm going to show them all. I deserve to live, no matter what they say. Even if Ace disagrees with me." Ann grits her teeth at Ace's words, she never knew they impacted her so hard until Shanks gave her hope. It would be a disgrace to the Gol D. and Portgas D. name if she allowed them to have her questioning her existence. It was her duty to be a troublemaker and she would live up to the name. The Government wanted to shut people up, but she's never been one to be stifled. But before she could do anything she needed to be stronger.
"Why would they want to hurt Ann because of her father?" Luffy asks innocently. Staring up at the ceiling and letting out a large breath.
"Because they think the kid will be the same as the parent," Ann places an arm behind her head as she thinks about how many times she's heard her father's name spit as a curse word. It caused her blood to boil every time it happened, but she had to push it down and keep it packed in a little box in the back of her mind.
"That's stupid, Ann is Ann. No one else." Luffy crosses his arms in disagreement. The older girl has to smile at his resolve.
"Damn straight, lil' cap." She ruffles his hair before shutting her eyes waiting for sleep.
Ann, of course, was right. When she found her way back to Mt. Colubo the next day, Ace was already standing outside the bandits' hut with a worried scowl on his face. Rolling her eyes, she prepares herself for a lecture that would end all lectures.
"Ann! Where the hell have you been? Do you know how irritating it is to sleep when I have no effing idea where you went off too?" Ace hisses as soon as she approaches the entrance of the hut. Ann gives Ace a sly smile while walking past him to change her clothes.
"Why, Ace! It sounds like you've been worried! Did you miss your big sister!" Ann stops on her way into the hut to pinch his cheeks and coo at him mockingly. Ace slaps her hands away and thumps her on the head in retaliation. Ann hisses at the bump already forming. Yeah, she did kind of deserve it for worrying him like that. He had never pulled a stunt like that with her and her reaction would have been ten times worse.
"Shut it, you stupid idiot! Now tell me where you went, and where you stayed the night. Do I need to beat up one of the bandits, or someone in Gray Terminal?" Ace asks grumpily crossing his arms and avoiding all eye contact because he knew that his sister could read his eyes like an open book.
"Pft, as if. I can take care of myself idiot. I wandered down to Foosha and met some real pirates, they were cool. Ate a Devil Fruit and joined a seven-year old's forming pirate crew." Ann announces this as if she hasn't just turned Ace's world upside down and inside out. Thinking about it, so she didn't leave anything vital out, other than meeting Shanks, she thinks that she's adequately covered her adventures of yesterday. Looking over her shoulder she notices that her brother's jaw is on the floor and his eyes are practically popping out of his head. That's what the little jerk gets for excluding her for the past five years with Sabo.
"WHAT THE HELL, ANN?!" Ace's shout wakes up Dadan. She hears the whole house shake as the large woman gets out of her bed, and stomps down the stairs.
"WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP YOU DAMNED BRATS! TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!" Dadan shouts from the open door. Ann rolls her eyes and shoves her pinky finger in her ear, the woman was so loud!
"Chill your tits, you old hag! I still need to change my clothes then I'll be out of your ratty, nasty hair." Dadan's face grows an unhealthy red color and strikes at her as fast as a cobra. She manages to get a hit on top of where the lump Ace gave her was. Ann holds the bump and winces in pain as another lump grows on top of the first.
"RESPECT YOUR ELDERS YOU SHITTY KID!" Ann's face turns an equally unhealthy red color when she starts to yell back at her.
"I WILL WHEN YOU DESERVE RESPECT YOU SHITTY BANDIT!" Dadan grits her teeth and gets in Ann's face.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHITTY BANDIT, TRASH! Ann narrows her eyes and remembers Shanks fond smile and laughter. Her promise to the man to live when no one else wants her to. The heavy weight of the whip in her belt loops has her feet sticking in place as a reminder of who she was and who she would be, even if it killed her. It was the only thing that kept her from running away from the taunt. Every single time, in the past, she would take the insult as the truth and walk away in a morose temper. She wasn't going to put up with it anymore.
"YOU! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN OTHER MOUNTAIN BANDITS INVADE DAWN ISLAND. WHAT KIND OF SHITTY BANDIT LEADER ARE YOU?!" Dadan pauses and pulls back from the fight to look at Ann. A considering look passes over her face. Perhaps questioning what made today different, and why she wasn't walking away in a temper. The silence is tense as they stare each other down. Waiting for the other to break. Ann feels something rise in her, it felt like determination, ambition, and being relentless. Dadan looks on a little longer, but she eventually breaks eye contact. Ann feels like she's done something life altering, but she can't put a name to it.
"Did you at least get a name, you horrible brat?" Dadan grunts as she leans her massive weight against the doorway. Blocking any entrance to the hut, and thus her clothes. Agitated, but not to the point of screaming anymore, Ann crosses her arms and huffs.
"I think it was Higuma or something. He invaded Makino-san's bar and wrecked her stuff. He was flaunting around a poster for 8 Million berry and was bragging about killing 59 people. I asked if he checked in with you and he said he didn't need to...That he could take you." Ann lets a small challenging smile curl at her lips. Dadan's eyes narrow as a flame of irritation burns brightly in her brown eyes. She knew the bastard would be hunted down. The question was; How good was he at using the mountains to his advantage? It was all a matter of time at this point.
"Like hell I'd let some shitty man take my territory," Dadan grunts and pushes away from the door. Probably to call together all the bandits to search for the idiot and his crew. Now that the path was unblocked Ann dashes inside to change her clothes. She pays no attention to Ace who follows behind her quietly. Once she has on a new shirt and shorts she sees that her brother has his back turned to her. Frowning she comes up behind him to poke him in the shoulder.
"Aren't you leaving now, don't you have a cry baby captain to take care of now? Just abandon me like the rest of the world does, I don't care!" Ace whips around and sends a punch straight at her face. Ann barely catches it in her hand and can see tears forming in his eyes that he doesn't even realize are there. Ann hardens her eyes and brings her other hand up to his face to flick him in the forehead, hard.
"You're an actual idiot sometimes, aren't you, twin?" Ann asks quietly as she tilts her head to the side. Despite her thoughts the previous evening, she can see how much he needs the information she gained. He needed it even more than she did at the time. Ace scrubs his eyes roughly, probably just realizing that he was crying.
"I would never leave you, you clueless fluff head." With Ann already grasping his hand, she pulls him through the house and outside, so they have privacy from any snooping bandits. They eventually stop at a secluded cliff edge with massive rocks they could sit on and watch the ocean. Ann tugs Ace down so they are lying next to each other and watching the nearly clear blue sky. They're quiet for a bit, just registering each other's presence. Ace is the first to break the quiet that surrounds them.
"Why?" Is the single question he asks, and it was the one she was hoping to avoid most.
"For all that we're alike, Ace, we are different too. Besides just gender, I have the gut feelings that Gramps told us to forget about, but it's just not something I can turn off, you know. When it wants me to know something it's like a rush of feelings are pushing me on to do something. Yesterday, when I walked into that bar something told me that I would find what I needed there." Ann turns her head to meet her brother's sad eyes. Her gut turns at the thought of her brother being truly upset with her. They fought like cats and dogs but there was never the true intention to hurt behind the actions. Ann moves her head back to the sky and squints as a breeze crashes through the outcropping of rocks, sending the cotton fluff on the weeds that covered the area to disperse into the air. Letting out a breath of air she tries to find it in herself to find the words she spoke to Shanks so easily. Shouldn't it be just as easy if not easier with her twin. The one person who's known her since birth, who has been at her side every time their father's name had been spit as a curse, or their existence damned. But she's seen the true self-hatred he bottles within himself.
"Let me ask you somethin', Ace? Do I deserve to live?" Ann asks, her voice tight and strained. The words feel like pure poison on her lips, because even asking Ace this question went so far against her dream that it almost physically pained her. She can feel her brother's intense focus on her face. Waiting for her to turn and meet his eyes. Well, he will be disappointed. The fact she had to ask this to her brother was torture. He was so sure that he shouldn't live that he forgot that she was there with him.
"Ann, quit being stupid, of course you should be alive!" Ace sits up and yells. Ann grits her teeth and sits up as well staring her brother straight in his eyes.
"Why can you tell me I'm being stupid, but I can't say the same to you! We were both born from the same mother and father! It's idiotic that I should be alive and not you! Make some sense once in a while, BAKA!" Ann screams at the top her lungs and lunges at her brother to start wrestling with him. This time it isn't the same playful fighting that they usually engaged in, it was an all-out brawl.
"ANSWER ME, ACE! TELL ME WHY YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" Ann yells as both hands are locked in a struggle with Ace's, trying to wrestle her into submission. That was the thing that he always, always forgot. They would always be at the same strength, they were twins! They shared everything, but perhaps the same destiny.
"BECAUSE OUR SHITTY FATHER IS A TERRIBLE PERSON!" Ann is feeling actual genuine frustration and grits her teeth as she pushes him up against a rock. She's panting, and it feels like moving the earth itself as she forces him back. Shanks words echo in her head, "You're still alive, and are still breathing. No one can take that away from you, Ann!" When she finally, finally gets him against the rocks she closes in on his face to make her look at him.
"Try again, Ace!" Ann demands as she struggles to keep her hold on him. Ace sneers and she hates that look so much more than his fake scowling face.
"BECAUSE THE WHOLE WORLD WANTS ME TO DIE!" Ace bares his teeth at her for making him talk about his feelings for once in his life, and Ann nods because that was the explanation she was expecting.
"Since when have we let the world dictate how we live, Ace?! What kind of bullshit is this? You're going to allow people who don't even know you tell you if you deserve to live?! Gramps is barely here, Dadan is an idiot, and doesn't even want to raise us! The only opinions that matter include YOURSELF, MINE, AND SABO'S. We are the only ones that really know you! Get it through your thick skull that no one else in this world matters other than the people who have your back!" Ann gives her brother one last shove against the rocks, before letting go and going back to where she was sitting previously.
Gritting her teeth, she pulls out her mother's whip and the picture of her parents from the waist of her shorts. The picture of them both smiling has her biting her lip. She can feel Ace coming up behind her and she tenses, she doesn't want the picture ruined if he attacks her back. Instead he stares over her shoulder at the picture.
"Where the hell did you get that picture!" Ace shouts as he makes a grab for it, Ann panics. Her gut is telling her to dodge left, so she does and barely misses Ace's grasping hands. He continues to make a grab for the photo, but she dodges each attempt with her gut.
"Would you stay still, you idiot! I just want to see the picture!" Ann can feel his intentions though. There is nothing calm about them, and if he got his hands on this picture he would ruin it without second thought.
"Not until you chill! This is the only real picture I have of them, if you ruin this I will never forgive you for it! I didn't even want to show you this for this exact reason!" Ann yells as she jumps up to prevent a leg sweep from knocking her over. Ace pauses as if judging the truth in her words and he can tell she's serious. Pursing his lips, he stops attacking her. Crossing his arms, he tries to stare her down, so she will answer all his questions. Keeping a good distance away from him she tells him.
"I met one of Roger's cabin boys in Foosha yesterday. He's the Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks." Ace's eyes grow the size of dinner plates, before frowning a frown to end all frowns...Wait, that's a lot of frowns in one sentence...Ann is briefly distracted by her train of thought and is tackled by Ace. Ann curls her body around the photo. She doesn't notice that the air is getting progressively hotter, and that the nails on her hands were getting darker, sharper. She instinctively growls, swiping a hand at Ace. It catches him across the chest.
Hissing Ace pulls back to see that she got him pretty good and he was bleeding, but the edges had already been cauterized. The sight of the physical injury seems to ground his temper. Ann stays curled around the picture. Ace looks, actually looks, at his sister and it's then he notices the black, furry ears popping out of her head and the fluffy tail curled protectively around her waist. Her feet had turned into clawed feet. Her legs were covered in course fur just to the edge of her shorts. Ace was officially freaking the fuck out at the sight of his twin.
"Ann..." Ace asks carefully as he goes back to touch his sister. The growl she lets out instinctively has him back tracking. Something animal inside him has him whimpering in fear. Ann unfolds from her ball and turns her eyes on him and he can see motherfucking flames coming from them, and small pointed teeth were bared at him.
"You won't touch the picture. You understand that, Portgas D. Ace?" Ann growls as she slowly stalks toward him. He's reminded of the time he and Sabo saw the tiger king from a distance. He remembers the giant animal hunting one of the large snakes on the island. The snake tried to fight back but it was too late to strike back at the predator.
Ace is positive that he is the snake in this situation and she was the tiger king. Ace slowly puts his hands up in a non-threatening gesture.
"Ann, come on now, do you remember me? Ace, your twin?" Ann pauses, and tilts her head to the side. She's confused at her brother's sudden shift in attitude. Why was he speaking so softly and trying to back away from her.
She can hear her brother dryly gulp from across the field where he's standing.
"Of course, I do, you idiot. I've only spent the past 11 years with you." Ann answers like he's stupid. Well, if she was being honest, he was always kind of stupid.
"Ann, can you explain why you have fur and flames coming from your flipping eyes?!" Ace stares wide-eyed and cautious. Ann is confused and looks down to see most of her body covered in fur. Her heart feels like it briefly stops at the shock of seeing her body in such a state.
"NANI?!" Ann screams to the world. Moving her gaze to Ace to see him looking just as shocked and as scared as herself.
...Well this turned out WAY more dramatic than I intended it to be originally, but at the same time it feels right for Ann and Ace's character? Does that make sense? Not that I feel that Ace is really all dramatic or anything, I honestly don't know where I'm going with this. Tell me what you think in the comments, if I should change anything. Or if the characterization feels odd/off base. Anyway I finished this a week early and this was supposed to be split into two chapters. But I thought if I have it all done, why not just post it now?
Thank you to all that of you that follow, favorite, and review this story. It lets me know if you like what I write or if I need to change something. Like I said I update my progress of my stories on my profile, along with expected update times on Saturdays.
