Hello everyone, here is the next chapter
I know this is way way late, but here it is at least
How would you like a pairing in this? A few have suggested either Marco/Ace or Deuce/Ace, and I would love to hear your thoughts on this
Hope you enjoy
Read and relax
Shanks saw Ace give a breath from where she sat on the other side of the table. "Things are okay." Shanks nodded. "What is it that feels off with the binds? How did that happen?" Ace sighed. "This woman showed up and shot me with a hollow point seastone bullet." Shanks hissed. "Ouch." Ace nodded. "Yeah, I was at first like smiling and thinking 'stupid woman', as I thought it was a normal bullet, but then it hurt, and I coughed up blood, then I fell unconscious." Shanks nodded. "Where did she hit?" Ace moved a hand to her chest. "Straight in my chest. I stopped breathing like 3 times, barely making it." Shanks nodded. "Okay. So, she hit you in the chest, so I assume you weren't allowed to use your binds, right?" Ace nodded. "Yes, I wasn't allowed for a bit, and then I was allowed as I had healed, and when I took them on… it felt like they were choking me." Shanks nodded. "Not surprised. You really do them tight. You almost died when you went overboard that time, since they were on too tight. Deuce told me that." Ace nodded. "I know. So, I am not wearing them for a small bit." Made sense. And he was glad about that, her body could use the break from the binds.
He looked at Ace. "Can I say an honest thing?" Ace rolled her eyes. "Can I stop you?" Shanks shook his head. "Nope. I think you shouldn't put them on again. You are such a beautiful woman, Ace." Ace sighed. "I don't feel like that." Shanks nodded. "I know you've met some really bad people, but you are, Ace. I wished you could see that as well." Ace just gave a shrug, but he really did wish that she could see how beautiful she really was. Shanks gave a breath. "What happened to the woman?" Ace shrugged. "No idea actually, probably got thrown off the boat." Shanks hummed. "I think a bit more than that since she almost killed you. The Whitebeards are protective of their own." They really were. Ace nodded. "Well, yeah. But still." Shanks shook his head. "No, she's probably dead. I at least hope so." Ace rolled her eyes a bit, and Shanks chuckled. Shanks was a bit protective himself.
Shanks then clapped his hands. "Now! Drink up your drink, as we have some business to do!" Ace sighed. "I am going to hate it, right?" Shanks waved his hand. "Neh! You'll love it!" No, she would not. Ace gave a breath, but nodded, and they then finished their drinks, before they went to start what they needed to do. It would take some time, Ace was picky.
-x-
Marco stood out on deck, enjoying the nice day, the sun slowly setting in the distance. The clock was also moving by fast, the day passing quickly. After an hour, the sun still barely visible, Marco blinked when Ace came onto the ship. Her hair was in an amazing braid. It started by her left ear, and cascaded down to the other side of her head, taking the rest of her hair, and it ended behind her right ear before the rest of the hair hung loosely in a sort of ponytail. It was really pretty. He wished Ace was more comfortable in her body than what she was. She was a stunning woman. As they were closed, he saw her face and she had very light makeup on her face, her freckles still visible, but not as striking as they were, looking more faded. Her eyes had a bit of a darker shade of eyeshadow on, and her lips looked a bit more pinkish as it probably had light lip gloss on. She had some mascara on, which made her eyes look so much more striking. She was a pretty woman without makeup too, don't get him wrong, but her eyes were more striking now as they looked more bold.
Ace didn't look to be the happiest, but she looked somewhat content, which was good. She wasn't fuming, as she had before when she had been with Shanks. She was content, which was really great. Shanks was doing his best, and it was clear he cared for the woman, which he was glad about. Shanks had always, in his mind that is, seemed a bit… selfish. But here he was, caring for someone who wasn't even on his crew. But again, he had lost his arm saving a child, Ace's brother. Shanks was a special man, but he was kind, at least to Ace, which was good. As they were on the boat, Deuce came and asked to check her out, as she rarely looked like this, and Ann nodded as she did a turn.
When she turned around, he could see the black turtleneck had an open back, the fabric opened from the neck and down, being held together by thin criss-cross strands, making the mark be fully visible. Below that, she just had some dark pants that sat tight on her body. She really had a beautiful body and was a stunning woman. The mark also looked really good on her; she had fair skin, so the mark stood out on her back, but it looked good on her as well. He was so glad she had taken the mark to Pops.
Deuce nodded. "That is a nice sweater, looks good on you. But then again, you look good in everything." Ace rolled her eyes as she turned around. "I do not." Deuce hummed. "I disagree." Ace shook her head. "I look best covered." Deuce shook his head. "No, you look so pretty now, not only since your binds are off, but that you look natural, But the makeup is a bit too much, even though it isn't that much." Ace gave a glare to Shanks. "I said it was too much!" Shanks held a hand up. "I know, but I wanted it. It fits with the clothes! Dark eyes and thick eyelashes!" Shanks wasn't wrong, it did fit well. Deuce nodded. "That is true. It does fit. But I like you as you, but you are still pretty now." That was true, Ace was a striking woman.
Ace then looked at Shanks. "Now, bye." Shanks frowned. "I am not leaving ye-" "Bye!" Said Ace, cutting him off. Shanks chuckled. "Fine, fine, I am leaving. See you later, Ace." Ace nodded and the two hugged, before Shanks left. As Shanks was off, Ann moved a hand to her face, to her eye to be specific, rubbing the edge of it. "My eyes feel heavy." Deuce chuckled and looked closer at her eyes. "A lot of mascara. Your eyes are legit popping." Ace blinked. "They are?" Deuce nodded. "Yes. They are so striking." Ace blinked, looking around. "I need a mirror." Izou hummed and brought one out and handed it over, and Ann looked at it and moved a hand to carefully trace her eyes. "Wow, it didn't look like this in the shop." Izou hummed. "Natural light can cause a huge change, you can see much better with the sun. That's why many wear much more makeup when the sun is low or it is the evening." Ace blinked. "Oh, cool." Izou nodded. "If you also look close, you can see you have some lighter makeup by your inner eye, making them look bigger and more striking." Ace nodded as she looked. "You're right." Of course Izou was right, he knew this well.
Ace then shook her head a bit, before she looked back in the mirror. "My hair also stays like this. I hate it when it gets into my eyes. And it feels loose and not tight." He knew Ace didn't like it when her hair was done too tight, which he could get from what he had heard about people pulling it. Ann had a lot of trauma from bad people, and he hoped they could help her through it and make her feel better in her own body.
The rest of the day went by fine, Ace was out a bit, before she went and changed and took the makeup off, but kept the braid in, and he hoped it would stay a bit. He liked to see her hair out of that hat and up in a fake bob. It was really long and nice.
-x-
Whitebeard moved out on deck, not being able to sleep and it was a bit past midnight now. Most were asleep, as they were when it was the first night after being docked, a buffer day for everyone. So it was silent. When he got out on deck, on his way to move to his chair, he saw Ace standing by the railing, recognizing the braid she still had in her hair. It also didn't look loose or had some hair loose. meaning she hadn't been sleeping yet. As he moved over, he gave a hum. "You're up late, Ace." Ace shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." Whitebeard nodded. "Same here. How was it out with Shanks?" Ace sighed. "It was okay. He is just a bit pushy at times." Whitebeard knew that. "You don't need to go with him, we can stop him." He wanted Ace to know that, that if she really didn't want to, they would stand by her. Ace nodded. "I know. I feel like he would listen more to you than me at times, a bigger voice. If I say no, he just literally kidnaps me." He had heard something about that. "He can't do that anymore, you're with us now, and no means no." Ace nodded. "I know, and he has gotten better. He was really bad at the start. Either that, or that I have gotten used to it. Maybe a bit of both." That sounded right.
He moved his hand and nudged Ace. "I do hope you know he, and us, only want your best." Ace snorted. "You sound like Deuce. But yes, I know." Whitebeard chuckled "How long have you known Deuce?" Ace gave a laugh. "Long. I tried to kill him, he did try to kill me too though. And then we just slowly became friends. I really like him, he's been with me through thick and thin." That he could see. "Why did you try to kill him? Why him?" Ace hummed. "He tried first. I had this small, cute bounty, and he wanted it, so he tried, as he was previously a bounty hunter actually. And I was like 'hell no!', and then we slowly got to talking, and he decided to join me." Whitebeard nodded. He couldn't actually see that, Deuce being a bounty hunter. He was about to ask something else when Ace chcukled. "Also, when he found out I was a… not a male, he almost passed out. He hyperventilated for a bit, before he gathered himself and was like 'I knew it! You're too pretty to be a man!' Although I think he only made that up."
Whitebeard nodded. "I hope you know that you are by no means weak. Just because you are a female, doesn't mean you are weaker than other people." Ace snorted. "Says the man who legit just beat me around with a finger." Whitebeard shook his head. "I am known as the strongest man in the world, Ace. Meaning I am stronger than almost everyone, there is probably a soul out there who is stronger, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was a woman either. And coming from me, you are by no means weak, you are a strong person." Ace snorted again. "I didn't get one hit in." The captain shook his head. "No, you didn't. But you can be really determined, which is a good trait. You are a strong person, just not stronger than me. Don't think of yourself as anything less than what we see; a strong woman who knows how to fight and keep herself alive. You haven't had an easy life, but the fact you are still fighting, says a lot about your will." Ace did look disbelieving, but it was the truth. She was an amazingly strong person. He stood out with Ace for a while, speaking about this and that, before Ace headed inside, most likely and hopefully to sleep. He would do the same in a bit.
When the next day came, Ace came out without her binds, but regular clothes on and her hair no longer in a braid, going down her back, which was something. It was a long road, but they were on it.
And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed
Be sure to leave a review if you want a pairing in this!
If you have any scenes you would like to see, don't be afraid to leave a comment, or send a PM
And I love feedback too; it is what keeps me going!
If you want to, come follow me on Twitter, where updates will be posted, and if I'm late. My twitter is Azuruko You can leave comments, requests, ideas, or just say hi (a link is also on my profile).
And if you just want to add me as a friend on discord, my tag/username is Azuruko#5250, just send a friend request if you want to. Or, you can join my Discord server, Azuruko's fiction, for the same reasons as my twitter. Instant invite: discord . gg / 6hzMhbR