Hello everyone! Here is finally the next chapter! I am so so sorry for this being late, almost a year somehow, but yeah, here it finally is! Had a writers block on this
This is short, I know, but it is something at least, the next one I will try to have out in about a month's time
Hope you enjoy
Read and relax
Ace stood in her room, slowly trying to get her binds on, but not doing them as she usually did, as in tight. She did make them so she felt she had them on, she just needed to get used to this again, she liked how she looked with the binds on, not without them. She still wished she could trade away her shape with someone else. She knew many wanted a body like hers, but she hated it. It had caused so much trouble for her. She then moved her hair into a fake bob and took her hat on, before she looked in the mirror. Well, she did look like she had a bit smaller chest, but still, it was blatantly obvious she was a woman. It had her sigh, but it was something. She at least didn't feel like she was being choked this time.
She then went out on deck, and when she got out, Deuce was already there and he gave a look to her. "Why are you wearing your binds again? Don't they feel bad?" Ace shook her head. "No, I didn't do them as tight. I just need to get used to them again." Deuce sighed, but nodded. "Okay, but please, not as tight as you used to do them. You can barely breathe." Ace just shrugged. She did remember how it had been when she first started using them, it took about 2-3 weeks before she managed to get them tight enough she didn't look female. It would probably take the same time now.
Deuce then shook his head. "You're so hard to deal with at times, you do know that, right?" Ace nodded. "Oh yeah." She liked that, it made people back a bit away from her. She didn't want to seem too friendly, she didn't need more friends. How she even had gotten so used to the other pirates was still something she didn't really get. She had been happy with her crew, especially Deuce. Deuce was so amazing and she really liked him. But she had to say, she had started to like the others as well, from the Whitebeards. Especially a few of them. Don't get her wrong, there wasn't anyone she disliked, just, she felt more connected to a few of them. They had really been nice to her, and she appreciated that. She hoped this wouldn't change, she felt… happy here, at least up until now.
-x-
Marco walked outside, early morning, going on a small round, something he liked to do in the morning. And as he got to the back of the ship, he saw Ace standing at the railing and looking at the distance, so he headed over. "Morning, Ace." Ace hummed. "Good morning." Marco then leaned against the railing next to Ace. "You enjoying the morning, yoi?" Ace nodded. "Yeah. It is something about… just watching the horizon, and it is so beautiful in the morning. Dawn of a new day." Marco nodded. "I get that, yoi. A new day, is sort of a new beginning, yoi." Ace nodded. "Yeah. Maybe this day will be good, and if not, there is always tomorrow. There is always a new day." Marco nodded. "Yeah, there is always tomorrow, yoi." Ace was so lovely, he was really glad she had stayed with them. She had some issues, but he hoped they could help her with those and make her feel better.
He stood and chatted with Ace for a bit, before he went on with his round, leaving her to look at the horizon. Ace was such a lovely person.
-x-
Whitebeard sat out on deck, the sun almost peeking over the horizon, when he noticed Deuce out and wanted to have a small conversation with him, and motioned him over, and when he was close, Whitebeard looked at him. "I heard you once were a bounty hunter." Deuce nodded. "Yes, I was. How I met Ace. Was supposed to turn her in." Whitebeard had heard that. "How did you then wind up as a pirate with her?" Deuce hummed. "Have you met Ace? She is just so damn lovable. I couldn't not join her." That was a bit true. Ace was a person with a fiery personality and she was likable. The captain was so glad she had decided to stay here, that she liked it here. He really enjoyed being around her. And the fact she was the daughter of Roger, was just amazing. Whitebeard had always hoped that those rumors were true, and he had a child, and not only did the child exist, she was a part of his family. And, he really hoped she would grow more sure in herself and then open up more, at least with them.
He looked at Deuce. "How did you get to be so… close to her?" Deuce hummed. "I don't really know what I did. But I did. I think the fact I just didn't really care about what she was, as in male or female. Even with us, she has had some issues with people who are so awful, and has just been mean to her." Whitebeard nodded, he wished it was different. Deuce sighed. "She already had a lot of issues before I knew her, the damage was already done. You should have seen her the first months with me, she was even worse than what she is now." Whitebeard blinked. "How so?" Deuce shook his head a bit as he sighed again. "She even tried to mask her voice, spoke with a deeper one. And her binds were so tight, that accident before when she went overboard and then didn't breathe, that wasn't the first incident, the reason I knew how to react to it." That wasn't good.
Whitebeard looked at Deuce. "How many times has it happened?" Deuce thought for a second. "From going overboard and then stopping, about 4 times. And twice where she did them so tight, that when we fought and her breathing got harder, she didn't have enough space to breathe so she just passed out after a bit, not able to get enough air into her lungs. Don't get me wrong, she still did them way too tight after it, but it was actually worse before." Okay, so there had been a start of the road already, now, they just needed to continue on it.
Deuce then looked at him. "What do you see in Ace? What stopped you from, I don't know, actually killing her or not making her join. We weren't friendly when we met." Whitebeard gave a chuckle. "She has spirit, she is strong willed and so amazing. She reminds me a lot about her mother. I didn't meet her a lot, but she was strong willed and stern, she could order Roger around." Deuce gave a 'huh'. "Cool. Shanks didn't know her too well, but he has mentioned she was strong." Whitebeard nodded. "And she was. Do you think Ace will ever fully recover from what has happened to her?" Deuce sighed. "I really hope so. She is so amazing and awesome. But I have seen a real change since from when I first met her. She is so much better, and I hope that it will improve even more. Maybe being here will help. Shanks has also been a huge help." That was something.
Whitebeard nodded. "I see. Shanks never hit me as a person who would act like that." Deuce nodded. "I think the fact he knows who her father is, helped that. He really tries. And, he manages to get her hair down and then get a braid in it, she has such amazing long hair." Whitebeard nodded. "I was shocked when I first saw it." Deuce chuckled. "Should have seen me when I first noticed she wasn't a male. But it made sense as well. I really like her, she is an amazing person and has been an amazing captain as well." Whitebeard could see that actually. She struck him as a person who wanted to protect those close to her. And she and Deuce were really close. Whitebeard wanted to get closer to her, but could only hope for it. Ace was an amazing person.
And that's the chapter!
I know it wasn't too long, but it was something, and the next will hopefully be longer
If you have any ideas, don't be afraid to share them!
I hope you enjoyed, and if you want to, I do love feedback, so don't be afraid to leave a review, or send a PM!
If you also want to, I have a Twitter, my name is Azuruko, and I have a discord, my tag/username is Azuruko#5250, as well as a server (Instant invite: discord . gg / 6hzMhbR) where everyone is welcomed! Updates is also posted there, both on discord and on twitter