Ace was completely drained after his sobs died down into small sniffles that were more reminiscent of Luffy as a kid than himself. The embarrassment from having a breakdown in front of his captain was somehow overshadowed by the hollow, empty exhaustion that took residence within him after his emotions had spilled out through his tears.
Whitebeard said nothing as the Second Division Commander reluctantly removed himself from the man's reassuring arms and simply slid down to sit instead. They sat there in silence, Ace selfishly basking in the reassurance of his captain and finding comfort in the gentle breeze that carded through his hair and kissed his cheeks. Even after that disaster that his pre-determined fate had brought upon him, he still found solace in the freedom of the open sea, despite how often saw fit to try to kill him.
But that was just it, wasn't it?
His birth had condemned him to death; his destiny had become an anchor in his life. Whether it acted as something to resent or something to avoid, the freedom in potential death was alluring. His own feelings took him by surprise in that moment as Luffy finally reached his side and released him from his chains. He no longer wanted to rush towards death with an impatience that had characterized his personality for his entire life.
None of his feelings made sense, but that was okay. Ace had so many people with whom he could spend the rest of his life sorting through it all.
With a heavy sigh, Ace tried to remember why he had left his brother's side in favor of coming out onto the deck. There had to have been a good reason other than his (embarrassingly loud) emotional breakdown, but he couldn't seem to put his finger on it. A deep frown made his face ache, which was a nice change from the dull pressure that had been building behind his eyes since he had first awoken.
He would never leave his brother's side, especially after that clusterfuck at Marineford so why…?
Like the flip of a switch, he remembered the other person in the room, his heart all but burst from his chest at the thought of a stranger hurting his vulnerable brother. And then he remembered his previous thought process and Ace felt like kicking himself for overreacting a second time.
Well, he might as well see if he could get any answers out of his Pops while he was here.
"Who was that kid in the bed next to me?" Ace wheezed a bit, leaning over to rest his head against his Pop's leg, pointedly keeping his gaze directed towards the wooden deck.
Whitebeard looked at his son fondly, "That is the one who fell out of the sky and saved us both."
Ace looked like he'd been slapped, "That kid is the monstrous guy in green? And what do you mean, us both, Pops? I get that he helped save me, but you?"
"Ah well," Whitebeard closed his eyes and sighed, shifting his weight and immediately regretting the small adjustment, "Blackbeard showed up, determined to kill me. He was shouting nonsense about his devil fruit's ability, but he was able to hold him back. The boy had the guts to order me to retreat! He's on par with your brother in terms of audacity."
"Ugh, I'm really sorry about my brother, Pops," Ace deflated, seemingly at the reminder of his brother's idiocy.
"Guahahahahaha, it's no problem at all. Don't forget how much of a handful you were at first."
His son grimaced, making Newgate laugh once more.
"Actually," Ace interrupted, his grimace shifting into more of a wince, "We need to talk about Blackbeard's devil fruit."
"Hm?"
"You said he was spouting nonsense, what was he saying?"
Whitebeard tilted his head thoughtfully, "He was claiming that he had come to steal my devil fruit, as if such a thing was possible."
Ace's brows furrowed, "I don't know, something about this is strange."
"Strange? How so?"
"When we fought, the only reason he managed to overpower me was because of his devil fruit. It's a logia, supposedly, but it doesn't completely act like one. It's still possible to hurt him without haki. But somehow, he can temporarily stop devil fruit powers just by touching you. That's how he managed to capture me," Ace admitted, scowling at the mere mention of it.
"So you're saying it could be possible that he does, in fact, have the power to steal another devil fruit?" Whitebeard stared at his son gravely, wishing that it wasn't so.
But his son nodded thoughtfully.
"The darkness also gave him power over gravity. He was able to pull me in from a distance, so maybe it's an aspect of that. Pulling in a devil fruit power? But that sounds ridiculous…"
"Hmm, that is dangerous news indeed," Newgate hummed thoughtfully, "If it is as you said, then how were our new friend's powers not nullified by Blackbeard's touch?"
Ace's head whipped up in shock, "What?! His powers weren't stopped?"
"Hm, I'm not entirely certain that they made physical contact, but as far as I'm aware, the boy did not lose his abilities even once," Whitebeard recalled.
"So then, whatever devil fruit he ate might be able to cancel out Blackbeard's abilities? That's great!" Ace exclaimed.
"Yes, assuming he would be inclined to fight on our behalf once more," the man reminded.
Ace deflated for the third time in this conversation alone, "Oh. Right."
"Besides," Newgate smiled sadly, "I would not ask a child to fight an adult's battle. Especially not for strangers such as ourselves."
"But he-" his son tried to interject.
"Just because he did it once before, when he found himself suddenly thrown into a battlefield with his own life at stake, does not mean he would or should do it again."
"You're right…"
"Permission to come aboard?" A familiar voice rang out, interrupting the nervous silence that had settled between the Captain and his 2nd Division Commander.
Ace couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, ignoring the slight ache that pulsed at his sides of his face in favor of waving joyfully at Jinbei who was accompanied by an exasperated Marco.
Whitebeard couldn't help but chuckle, "You know you don't have to ask permission for such a trivial thing, Jinbei. We are allies, you are more than welcome here."
"Forgive me, then, for my assumptions. But I owe you a great debt, and I feel it has yet to be repaid in full. Until then, allow me this."
"You're the only one that sees it that way, Jinbei," Ace laughed.
"Ace," Whitebeard chastised gently, earning a playful eye roll from his unruly son, "But he is correct, there is no grand debt to be repaid. Although I do appreciate the manners. Brats these days have no respect for their elders."
"As you say," Jinbei relented, chuckling a bit as the giant man's indignant complaint, though the three Whitebeard Pirates could tell that he wasn't ready to completely give in on the matter of his supposed debt, "All that aside, is there a reason you requested my presence?"
"I wish to personally escort you home," the captain admitted, much to their surprise.
"There is no need for such-"
"Nonsense. The Marines placed you in Impel Down for simply refusing to fight for them. Now that you've actively fought against them, I wouldn't put it past them to target you in retreat as a way to get back at us."
"That… makes a lot of sense," Ace sneered, "Those damn Marines are always going on about Justice. What a load of shit."
"Well, you aren't wrong there, yoi. But I don't know why an allied ship couldn't have done the same."
Whitebeard frowned, "Perhaps, but after this battle, I hesitate to make another taxing request to any of our allies. Besides, we have another passenger of our own that we may need to return home or hide, depending on the situation when he wakes up."
"Another passenger?" Jinbei repeated, "Do you mean that strange man that fell from the sky?"
"Indeed."
"He passed out not long after I brought him aboard, yoi," Marco rubbed his neck, glancing towards the other commander as he finally stood up from where he had been leaning against their Captain's leg, "He has yet to wake up, so we know nothing about him or his circumstances."
"Except that he's a kid, probably a year younger than my brother if I had to guess," Ace blurted out.
"A child?" Jinbei's jaw dropped. Despite the serious situation they had just escaped from, Ace couldn't help but find his wide-eyed expression to be the funniest thing he'd seen in a long time.
Marco frowned, uncrossing his arms as he shot a disbelieving (and very much annoyed) look to his fellow commander, "How old is your brother?"
"He's seventeen. Why?"
"We pegged this kid around fourteen, but you think he's sixteen?"
"W-well I don't know," Ace flushed, looking away as soon as he felt the light heat wash over his cheeks, "It's not like I looked at him for that long!"
Marco just raised an unimpressed eyebrow, earning a short laugh from their Pops. Ace grumbled under his breath that he wasn't a creep.
"So this stranger has yet to awaken? Is he in decent health or is he in serious condition? What about Luffy?" Jinbei inquired, looking oddly worried at the prospect of Ace's brother being injured.
"The stranger passed out not long after we returned to the shipt, but he will most likely make a full recovery. He is simply exhausted. Ace's brother, on the other hand, is covered in small injuries and equally exhausted as the stranger, if not moreso," the First Division Commander sighed, "But they're both fine. They probably just need some rest and food and they'll be in good health before you know it."
Whitebeard couldn't help the relieved smile that creeped onto his face against his will, raising his gaze to stare out at the open sea that had been his home for many decades. Ace relaxed a bit at the good news, head dipping down tiredly while Jinbei simply nodded to himself. The four pirates shared a moment of peaceful silence, letting the good news settle in and push out the negativity that had settled deep into their core in the midst of the chaotic battle.
The Second Division Commander couldn't help but wonder when the scolding and chastisement and punishment for his transgressions would come. But based on the serene looks on their faces, he figured that would all happen later on when things were more settled and they were no longer under direct fire from the Marines.
"By the way Jinbei," Ace grinned, "Thanks."
The fishman blinked, clearly baffled. It took a moment, but he quickly realized Ace had been referring to their conversation in Impel Down.
He let a small grin pull at his features and let out a small laugh, "Your brother is quite the personality."
"See! I knew you'd get it!" the Second Division Commander cheered.
"But even so, Luffy is woefully unprepared for the New World," Jinbei grimaced at the dark look that quickly overtook Ace's open, cheerful expression.
Ace dipped into a bow, much to the surprise of the others on the deck, "That's true. So I can't express the extent of my gratitude for keeping him safe for me, Jinbei. You have no idea how much that means to me."
"There is no need for such formal gratitude. I did so of my own volition."
"Still, thank you so much!" he refused to rise from his bow, struggling to keep the tears from escaping the confines of his eyelids. He traced the outline of one of the deck's wooden planks with his eyes, hoping he was properly conveying his thanks but struggling to convince himself to look up to check.
"Hey, I dragged your sorry asses back from the battlefield. Where's my thanks?" Marco drawled with a smirk, clearly conveying amusement rather than any kind of offense, which Ace unfortunately missed, given how intently he was studying the wood beneath their feet.
The Second Division Commander felt his lips wobble as he forced himself to turn towards his fellow Commander without raising his head up even a centimeter from his bow. He tried not to read into the way the other man's sandals took a step back, retreating from his genuine feelings.
"I wasn't being serious, yoi. We're family. I wouldn't have just left you or your brother there. Please raise your head," Marco tried to reassure, vaguely wondering how upset Ace must have been at the moment to take a playful jab like that seriously.
His brother had always been the whimsical type, but the recent disaster must have affected him much more than Marco had initially assumed.
"S-sorry," Ace choked out instead of obey's his crewmate's suggestion.
"You are not to blame, Ace," Jinbei said matter-of-factly, as if there was no room to argue.
But that wasn't the case. Ace had directly disobeyed his Captain and gone after that bastard traitor. Then he had lost against the bastard. And, to top it all off, his heritage completely overrode Whitebeard's protection and the Marine's healthy fear of the powerful crew. Ace was certain that if it had been another member of the crew, the Marines might have very well released them to avoid a fight with their crew.
Maybe there would have been a deal involved, who knew. But it wouldn't have become the major clusterfuck it had turned into.
Not to mention, if he hadn't been captured and his execution publicly announced in the first place, his brother wouldn't have broken into Impel Down or stormed Marineford and had his own dangerous parentage exposed to the world. After all of this, Ace hadn't even managed to capture or kill the traitor. There wasn't a single good thing that had come out of this.
Hell, he had accidentally dragged the stranger into this mess as well, which was just the cherry on the cake. Now the stranger—a child—would likely have a bounty placed on his head, assuming he didn't have one already.
"Ace."
Ace looked up instinctively at the sound of his Captain's voice.
A weight settled in his gut at the sight of the deep frown settled onto Jinbei's and his Pop's face. A glance over at Marco revealed a similar expression, but he had no idea what it meant.
Were they disappointed in him? Were they annoyed by his apology?
That would make sense, especially since words couldn't fix what he had already ruined.
"It's not your fault, son," Whitebeard insisted, "But I understand that you're having trouble believing us. We can discuss this later, when your brother wakes up. Until then, please don't worry about it."
Ace nodded reluctantly, still not entirely believing the man's words.
Whitebeard returned the gesture and shifted his gaze back to their guest, "Was there anything else we should discuss before we let Ace rest?"
"I don't need to rest!" Ace yelped. He wilted under Marco's unimpressed stare, "Okay, maybe a nap would be nice, but you don't need to put off important conversations just so I'm around for them."
"You're the Second Division Commander," Marco rolled his eyes, "Of course we do."
Ace just blinked up at him, clearly confused.
"Did you think I would strip you from your position, Ace?" Whitebeard inquired gently, his heart clenching at his son's downtrodden nod.
"I would never," he affirmed, hoping that they could one day rid Ace of his deep-rooted self-hatred.
They simply had to chip away at it, one day at a time. He could only lament the fact that none of them had noticed his feelings sooner. Perhaps then, they wouldn't have gotten into this whole mess. But alas, they would never know. They could only move forward.
"Although I would like to ask," Marco interjected after a brief silence, "Why are you already awake? You were majorly injured and underfed for weeks. You should be in bed, resting."
Ace flushed and looked away, clearly embarrassed at the call-out.
Jinbei simply let out a hearty laugh, "You're just as stubborn as the day I met you."
Said stubborn man only blushed more as the other two pirates joined in the laughter.
"Oh, I almost forgot, my apologies. I have a message from Red Haired Shanks," Jinbei changed the subject with an embarrassed glance to the side, continuing to speak when Whitebeard nodded (and gracefully ignoring the fishman's embarrassment), "He wishes to tell you that there is no debt to be owed."
Whitebeard had… opinions about that, but he wasn't going to push it when he had many other issues to contend with.
"Secondly, he has taken it upon himself to ensure all of our allies escape without Marines in pursuit. He was also able to recover many bodies for a proper burial and promised to inform you of their grave sites when the chaos recedes. Lastly, he wishes to give his thanks to the stranger at a later date."
"That brat," Whitebeard scoffed half-heartedly, grumbling to himself more than the men around him, "So presumptuous. What happened to respecting your elders?"
"Wait, Shanks showed up? And I missed it?!" Ace complained.
Jinbei held back a sigh at his antics.
Marco rolled his eyes, "Don't be dramatic, yoi. The idiot has made it clear he has plans to visit again soon. Just make sure you don't leave the ship again and I'm sure you'll finally get to meet him, yoi."
Ace flopped down on the deck dejectedly—his stomach slamming loud enough on the wood that it sounded painful—whining as he squished his cheek into the wood, "It's not that I haven't met him, it's just been a while. His crew throws great parties."
"Since when have you met Shanks, Ace?" Jinbei stared at him incredulously.
"Oh, not too long after I entered the New World!"
"Why am I not surprised that you sought out another emperor to fight. That makes, what, three of four? I guess we're just lucky you didn't attack Big Mom," Marco sighed dramatically.
Ace tilted his head, looking far more innocent than he had any right to be, "I didn't seek him out to fight. I just wanted to thank him. That's all."
"Thank him for what?" Jinbei couldn't help but ask, though by the odd looks on Whitebeard and Marco's faces, he wasn't the only one burning with curiosity.
Ace simply grinned up at them as if he hadn't almost been executed the day prior, "For saving my brother's life."
The captain couldn't help but laugh at the dumbfounded expressions of Marco and Jinbei. Personally, he thought it was very in-character for their Second Division Commander, although he couldn't claim to have known that interesting fact himself.
"So Strawhat is the mysterious Anchor," Whitebeard guffawed, "And I suppose it makes sense now why he called you by your first name, if you indeed have partied with the brat."
Ace just turned his head so he was facing away from the group, grumbling as he childishly tried to hide his furious blush, "You say that like it's a bad thing."
The fire-logia could practically feel the incredulous stare Marco was giving him despite facing the opposite direction.
"Is there any news as to when Luffy will wake up?" Jinbei inquired, causing Ace to abandon his childish pout in favor of hearing an explanation on his brother's condition.
"It's hard to tell," Marco admitted.
"With him, you never know," Ace huffed in amusement, "He usually sleeps off his injuries for a day or two at most, but then again, I haven't seen him this injured and exhausted since… well not since he was a little brat. I wonder if he still sleep-eats…"
"Sleep-eats?" Jinbei repeated, in disbelief.
Marco grumbled at how unsafe that was while Whitebeard simply laughed.
"What, exactly, do you mean by 'sleep-eats?'" Marco huffed.
Of course, there was no answer as Ace was fast asleep on the deck, beginning to snore away as the other pirates shared a knowing, fond look.
"Ah, he's asleep," Jinbei commented, scratching at his head.
"Of course he is," Marco replied, thoroughly amused and (though he wouldn't admit it) relieved.
"Perhaps this is for the best," the fishman admitted, "I wish to inquire what you plan to do about Blackbeard, sir."
Whitebeard rubbed his chest, grimacing, "You're right, perhaps it is best that he remains asleep for this conversation."
The large Captain sighed, for once looking as weary and tired as his age would suggest. Marco couldn't help but feel concerned for the man; there wasn't much they could do against the traitor as they were now. Even so, it was inevitable that they would clash against him.
Before this whole mess, the First Division Commander would have never suspected Teach to be so strong, but apparently he had been deceiving them for years. The betrayal had essentially been planned since the day that bastard joined, which roused a deep-seated hatred that Marco hadn't known himself to be capable of feeling.
"For now," Whitebeard hummed, "there is nothing we can do. With the Marines on our tail, it is far more important that we regroup and build up our strength. We will need to commission several new ships after the loss of the Moby Dick and several of our allies' vessels. I am certain that the Marines will watch over famous shipwrights, so we will need to work around that. Additionally, that brat, Shanks, informed me that Kaido boldly made an attempt to claim some of our territory while we directed our full attention at Marineford. We must re-secure all of our territories and remind Kaido of his place."
"Then there is much work to be done," Jinbei surmised.
Marco glanced back down at Ace's prone form, "Yeah, but first we need to make sure this idiot is fully recovered. We're going to need his leadership, as well as all the other commanders to pull this off, yoi."
"Indeed. Do we know which of our allied ships the commanders are currently on?"
The First Division Commander shook his head, "No, but after I drag this idiot back to bed, I can begin calling our allies and bringing them up to speed, yoi."
"Please let me know if I can be of any assistance," Jinbei requested, his gaze filled with conviction.
Whitebeard, however, wasn't all that happy about it. The old man hummed as he considered their options.
"For now, Marco, you may do as you suggested. Please let me know as soon as either of our young guests awaken. Jinbei, you are here as a guest. But if you insist, I'm sure any of my sons would appreciate your assistance," the old man sighed.
"Sure thing. Why don't you follow me to the med bay for now, Jinbei," Marco suggested, kneeling beside Ace and gently draping him over his back, "You can see Luffy and the stranger's condition for yourself and see if our doctors need any help."
Jinbei nodded, following the commander below deck. The fishman gave a quick glance back at Whitebeard, the pirate captain (and great man) to whom his people owed a great debt. The man caught his eye and smiled back.
A gesture that simultaneously warmed Jinbei's heart and left him wary of the uncertainty the near-future held.
A misty fog filled the man's mind, leaving him with an odd numbness that felt neither warm nor cold. He shifted his gaze, only to be met with the rough, stony ground that extended as far as he could see in every direction. Above him was an endless dark sky, littered with streaking stars that, oddly enough, didn't glitter or glow like one would expect. It almost seemed as if there was fog blocking their light; the streaks were simply what little light managed to break through the opaque barrier.
The man was confused, yet he could not speak nor move a single limb. He was frozen in place, yet he had never felt more open and free in his life.
A glance down quickly revealed that the man's body was made up of light itself. But much like the other oddities in this place, it wisped around as though the light, and by extension himself, was made of the same fog that clouded the sky above.
A familiar voice rang in his ear as the world around him shifted. No longer was he trapped in a vast emptiness that spanned in every direction, but instead in a broken room that hovered in the void. It seemed that the slabs of concrete that made up half of a room were simply floating in the fog. He found himself sitting, staring at the emptiness as dread began to trickle into his very bones.
"Thank goodness. I didn't think we would be able to reach you."
The man's immaterial eyes widened in horror as he finally realized where he was. But as he tried to demand answers, he found he could not speak. He stared at the figures that had appeared in front of him, unable to focus on anything but the fear festering in his joints, his neck, as his mind began to race.
"Something is horribly, horribly wrong."
The man couldn't agree more.
