Hi everyone!

Thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and favourited the 1st chapter. It's been so long since I wrote any fics and I just remembered how heartwarming it is to hear from the readers. I felt so motivated I almost went on a writing binge but, alas, work got in the way.

I'm actually surprised I churned another chapter so quickly, but ta-daa! I had actually written this chapter on Sunday but had re-written it since I felt the original lacked a bit of depth and was written in the same writing style as the 1st chapter.

I think I strayed off the intended writing style still, but heh, here you go!

There are still more appearances from the Spade Pirates before an Emperor is introduced.

Enjoy!

Part III: Paradise

When Ace set off from Dawn Island, he had imagined living the rest of his days in grim determination until he met Luffy on the seas.

He had planned to return to the Grand Line in two years, ready to welcome his brother to the real start of his life of piracy. Maybe he'd be a big pirate himself by then. Or perhaps he'd be a lone wanderer, roaming the waters for the day he gets to come home.

Not once did Ace expect to find himself sailing through Paradise with his crew like a storm, but that somehow became his living reality.

It was almost ridiculous, how at home Ace felt as he sat amongst his crew, as he laughed and fought alongside them – as if the churning in his gut was something he was allowed to ignore.

Ace was still waiting for the day for this temporary truce with the fates to fall.

"Hey, Cap! You all right?"

Ace dragged his gaze from the gaping darkness before him as he sat perched on his ship's figurehead. He turned to see one of his newer recruits – Mihar – looking up at him with concern. The pirate looked unassuming in his weird get-up (seriously, who paired a yellow coat and a red hat together?), but Ace knew not to underestimate him. He was a skilled sniper, having caught the fire-user's attention when the crew had encroached too closely to his school of students.

That is, he had tried to shoot Ace in the head, only for the bullet to ghost through the pirate like the breeze. Instead of screaming, Mihar had only persevered and continued shooting rounds into the fire-user until the teen had gently pushed his rifle away.

Ace tilted his head. "I'm alright, Mihar," he answered honestly. "Did you need something?"

The former teacher extended a hand. "That's great, Cap. I was wondering what had you up at 3am. Guess we all need a time or two from the crew, eh?"

Ace eyed the proffered hand as he bit his lip. He wasn't quite ready to retire for the night. Never mind that he hadn't been able to sleep well the past few days. He'd probably end up tossing and turning till the sunrise again.

Mihar gestured at him again. "Captain?"

Sudden suspicion roused in the teen. He narrowed his eyes. "Did Deuce send you to get me?" he demanded.

"Hardly, but we are well aware of your narcolepsy, Cap." There was a gleam of disapproval in the pirate's eyes. "Maybe next time sit somewhere where you won't be in danger of falling off and drowning?"

Ace sighed. Right. He hadn't wanted to disclose the damning condition to anyone outside of Deuce, but his first mate had been adamant about it. What better way to initiate new members into the crew than to announce the failings of their new captain? Go figure.

"Maybe I'd fall, but I have a dedicated crew who'd come save me, right?" Despite his words, the teen stood up and jumped easily onto the deck.

Mihar's raised hand shifted to pat him on the shoulder instead. "Aye, Captain. But let's not invite more trips than necessary. Between Deuce and I, we aren't the best swimmers; we're even worse at this time of night."

Part of Ace understood where Mihar was coming from. The seas were run rampant by pirates and marines alike, but no sailor worth their salt would ever claim the waters as something within their control. All it took was an unexpected undercurrent and a simple dip into the sea could easily prove fatal.

It was understandable that Ace wasn't worth the risk.

It still hurt though.

Ace plastered a smile on his face – the one that he knew made him look bright and happy (like Luffy) – and playfully shoved at his crew mate. "In that case, we'll just have to find a fishman next!"

Mihar let out an indignant yelp as he stumbled along the fire-user. "Not before I teach you some manners, Cap!"

Ace laughed as he ducked into the main cabin. "I'd like to see you try! Not one of your kids anyway!"

It wasn't so bad, he thought as the older man threw a ladle at his face. It hurts sometimes, but Ace could handle it.

Sailing with his crew was something he never thought he'd truly have. Maybe it was selfish, but Ace wanted to hold onto it until the very end.

Lo and behold. Ace really did get a fishman to join the Spade Pirates. Not that he was particularly looking for one.

(There was never a good reason to actively look for those he'd condemn to death with him.)

He had first bumped into the fishman in a tavern on an unassuming island in Paradise. It was rare to see fishmen around these areas and, from the uneasy looks of the other patrons, Ace knew he wasn't the only one surprised to see a fishman so far from home.

It was too bad some idiots felt the need to give voice to that.

"Look at that freak!" someone shouted from the back of the tavern.

"Come to volunteer to be our food?" someone else joined in.

Raucous laughter joined the jeers. There was a heavy pause when the tavern seemed to wait for the fishman's response. When there were none, the idiot patrons took his silence as further encouragement to continue.

"Get back to where you came from, you freakshow!"

"Bet you wish you were never born!"

Ace was never one to interfere in another's fights and he was even less impressed with those who refused to stand up for themselves. He felt his hackles rise anyway.

His crew of two must have noticed the change for he felt them reach for their weapons.

"Don't bother," he heard himself saying. "I won't be able to rest if I don't do this on my own."

By the time Ace was done, there wasn't much left of the tavern to salvage. He would have felt guilty for destroying someone's source of livelihood, but he remembered the owner refusing to serve the fishman when the other patrons acted up. He didn't feel bad at all.

Of course, given his luck, that wasn't the end of it. A pirate setting the local pub on fire was enough to raise the alarm and soon the Spades were running for the harbour to set sail, their arms full of pitiful supplies clutched tightly to their chests.

Ace would have stayed to utterly decimate their pursuers (because few things infuriated him more than a useless government presence and cowards hiding behind their blue and white coats). Hell, he wanted to, but he had also seen bright smiles and young children holding each other's hands as they ran towards the local schoolhouse. The Marines must be doing something right.

Ace may be full of wickedness and ruin, but Sabo had taught him enough sense to restrain himself. So, he gathered his crew and ran.

They would have made it too, until a Marine got a clear shot at Deuce and would have put a bullet in his brain had Ace not pushed the man out of the way.

Now he really wanted to dig in his feet and fight back. Not that any of it mattered, because he was sent stumbling head over feet down the harbour slope and then, plunged straight into the water.

Shit.

Ace had never fallen into the sea after he had his devil fruit. He had also never imagined it would feel like this.

It was awful, he thought, as he felt himself sink into the sea's unforgiving embrace. It felt as if the very fire inside his stuttering core was blanketed in a mountain of snow. His limbs were heavy and useless.

Like he was made of stone, except he could feel his throat choke on salt and water and the very desperate need to breathe.

(Was this how Luffy had felt? Agony ripped through his heart at the thought as he remembered the times he had left his little brother in the river a moment longer to teach him a lesson.)

(What a terrible brother he was.)

(What a terrible person.)

He should die, Ace thought. He would die.

Alone and forsaken in this part of Paradise. No one would miss him. No one would come for him.

Between Deuce and I, we aren't the best swimmers; we're even worse at this time of night.

There was no one he had that-

His thoughts broke when an arm wrapped around his waist and started to drag him to the surface. Ace gasped in his surprise, realising a moment too late to hold his breath as seawater rushed into his open mouth.

That first breath of air had felt like both a punishment and a relief.

Ace ended up being saved by the earlier stingfish fishman he had met at the tavern.

The fishman was a stocky guy with two short swords and a plucky attitude to boot. Ace wasn't sure where that attitude was the first time they met, but he wasn't disappointed to see it now.

"Why did you save me?"

The fishman gave him a long look. "I always pay my debts," he muttered.

"Huh? I'm the one who owes you for saving my life!" Ace asked in confusion. His crew – Deuce and Mihar – stood by him as they eyed the fishman contemplatively.

The subject in question seemed to shuffle in discomfort at their scrutiny but raised his chin to look Ace in the eye, scowling. Oh, Ace thought he might like this one too.

"You stood up for me when no one else would," the fishman seemed to growl (or maybe, Ace reasoned, his voice was built that way). "It is good to know that I am not as alone as I had thought."

The fishman gave Ace a curt nod and the rest of his crew a look before he turned away.

Ace watched the other man's back for a moment. He remembered the jeers in the tavern, the way the fishman had hunched in on himself as if resigned to his fate for being nothing but himself. The look of desperate loneliness in his eyes.

Being lonely is more painful than getting hurt!

Suddenly, the idea of the fishman leaving left a sour taste in the fire-user's mouth.

"Hey!" he called out. "What's your name!"

The fishman paused and turned to look at him in curiosity. "Why do you want to know?"

Good. The guy knows not to roll over just for anyone.

Ace grinned at him. "I'm going to need to know what to call you when you join my crew, won't I?"

The fire-user bore through the initial shock and spluttered responses, his attention focused on the way the fishman's jaw went slack. Deuce and Mihar stood by him in silence and in his decision.

He really didn't deserve any of them.

By the time night fell, the Spade Pirates returned to their ship with a crew of four. The fishman's name was Wallace.

For the first time since he set out, Ace felt good.

Despite his predictions, the months on the sea flew past as the Spade Pirates picked up more and more misfits to join their motley crew.

They now had a swordsman, Skull, who was also a pirate enthusiast – which also meant he was now an Ace enthusiast, the moron.

They had a mermaid, Banshee, who doubled as their cook because none of them could keep up with Ace's crazy appetite. She wasn't the best at cooking, but she always fed them well, and Ace most of all.

They then initiated a lynx, Kotatsu, into their crew after Ace rescued the feline from a freak show. While Ace never intended for the cat to join them, Kotatsu had trotted after them onto their ship and never left.

Each time Ace thought his crew couldn't get any bigger, he was proven wrong. Soon enough, he was the captain of 19 other pirates, with him standing proudly at the helm.

This time, though, Ace hadn't let slip his heritage as easily as he had with Deuce. He had thought he was at death's door back then. Now, that same death sentence would haunt his crew the moment the world knew about the dirty blood that pumped through his veins.

(Between his oath to his brothers and his promise to protect the Spades, Ace wasn't sure if he had it in him to fight his crew as enemies.)

Ace knew it was selfish of him to hold onto them anyway despite what he was. To assuage part of his guilt, he went out of his way to be a good Captain – hell, a good friend. It didn't matter that his decisions to prioritise their wellbeing over his own came at his expense sometimes. There was nothing he wouldn't do for the people who had chosen to follow him in spite of his many shortcomings.

It helped that Ace was a natural-born leader. The years he spent hyper-focused on Luffy's wellbeing helped him pinpoint potential threats and eliminate them effectively while also maximising his crew's ability to keep themselves safe. He didn't falter when the Spades turned to him for instruction. Instead, he led them with great finesse, barely stumbling as he rushed at every obstacle in their path.

Sometimes, though, Ace would sit on his ship's figurehead as he reflected on his life. He would always feel small, sandwiched between the dark waters and the expansive night sky.

Ace didn't think he was the great captain his crew insisted he was.

He wasn't lucky in life, but see, there's this thing about genetics that- Oh, there was that lurch in his heart again. Ace sucked in a deep breath.

Nope, he wasn't going to go there.

Not tonight.

"That's great footwork, Skull!" Ace called out, beaming as Skull knocked down another of his opponents. The pirate had never been good at taking down bigger opponents. Ace had made sure to fix that. He'd never knowingly leave his crew more defenseless than they had to be.

"Thanks, Cap!" Skull shouted back as he charged at another Marine.

"You'll do you next Captain proud for sure!" Ace grinned at him. He caught a stray Marine about to tackle Wallace and sent a column of fire blasting in that direction.

A shout regained his attention. He turned to see Skull on his back, a Marine standing over him, ready to shoot. It took another thought and Ace quickly rectified the situation.

"Maybe we need to work a bit more on that footwork, eh?" Ace said as he glared at the now-unconscious Marine. Seriously. He turned his back and the Marines thought they could go all wild on his crew.

Ace completely missed the look of incredulity on Skull's face as he sent another column of fire at the Marines.

As he expected, Ace was soon found lacking.

"What the hell was that, Captain?" Mihar shouted at him across the deck. He was holding onto his injured shoulder as a deep red seeped through his yellow coat and onto his shaking fingers.

"What was what?" Ace asked in genuine confusion. He ran a quick scan over the rest of the Spades pirates and he paused at the unhappy looks on their faces. What had he done now?

"Look, whatever it was, I'm sure we can talk it out, Mihar," he tried. He pointed at the latter's injury. "Let's get you looked at first and then you can yell at me all you want, okay?"

Somehow, Mihar only looked more upset. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

Ace thought about lying but decided against it. His crew deserved better than that. "No," he admitted as he shrugged grudgingly. A thought then occurred to him. Oh right. He really was stupid. "No, wait, I do! I'm sorry, okay? I should have seen your attacker and dealt with him before he could shoot you. As your captain, I was too slow, and you got hurt. I'm sorry. I should have been better."

The fire-user stepped forward slowly, unsure if the sniper would welcome his approach. If anything, the man seemed to grow more incensed. "Come on, Mihar, I'm sorry! I'll do better. Just, yell at me later after Deuce looks at you, okay?"

When no response was forthcoming, Ace went on another track: "You can shoot me instead if that helps you feel better?"

Ace didn't think Mihar would, but he would gladly take the hit if that soothed the pirate's pride. He remembered his days back in East Blue. It always felt better when he could lash out at the people who hurt him.

(Well, except Luffy. His brother hurt him a lot, but Ace would absorb all the scars into his skin before they could make a mark.)

The teen wasn't sure what he was hoping for, but he knew he had made a mistake when the sniper growled. The weight in his chest grew heavier as he felt the first stirrings of despair. "Mihar…" He looked at the rest of his crew helplessly. "I don't- I don't know what you want me to say."

"Alright, that's enough!" Deuce suddenly shouted. The man came stamping over and clamped a hand over Mihar's uninjured shoulder. "Go wait in the infirmary. I'll talk to this moron instead."

Mihar looked at him incredulously. "Talk to him?" he repeated. "Did you hear what this idiot captain just said? He asked me to shoot him."

"Hey! I'm not an idiot!"

The rest of the Spades decided to interject purely to disagree with him.

"You are an idiot, Ace!" Skull yelled out.

"Yeah! Didn't you just hear yourself, idiot captain!"

"Use that brain we know you have and think again, damn it!"

Ace scowled at his crew. He hadn't done anything! He said as much.

Mihar shoved Deuce's arm from his shoulder. "You know what? I think I do want to shoot him. Maybe that would knock some sense into his head!"

Before Ace could respond, Deuce suddenly pulled his arm back and punched Mihar hard. "Our captain may be a moron, but you'll show him some respect, Mihar," his first mate snapped. "Now I'll be talking to both of you."

Ace let out a gasp. "Hey, don't hit him!"

The fire-user expected a glower when both pirates turned to him, only to be taken aback when Deuce's features were carefully blank while Mihar sported a look of contrition. From the sudden tension in the air, the teen felt it best to remain still and quiet as Deuce waved everyone off. He already hated it when the people he cared for were mad at him. There was no reason to escalate it further when he was the cause of upset.

After the crew had dispersed, Deuce grabbed Ace's wrist and gently guided the teen into the main cabin. He made it a point to glare Ace into the seat before he turned away, promising to return after he looked Mihar over.

Ace didn't miss how his first mate had looked over his shoulder, his eyebrows furrowing, before he closed the door behind him.

Ace's shoulders slumped. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation at all.

Surprisingly, it was Mihar who entered the cabin instead.

Ace watched as the tall pirate took a seat next to him. He wasn't wearing his coat this time and his right arm was in a sling. The fire-user tried to look for any hidden injuries, his own muscles loosening in relief when he couldn't find any.

Ace shifted his attention back to Mihar when he realised the man was already watching him.

"I have a half a mind to give you a lecture spanning an entire week to tell you how upset I am with you," Mihar said. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I want to shout at you. Scream at you, even, but Deuce tells me nothing short of explaining myself will work with you."

Ace sighed. There was no other way to this. Yay him. "Look, I know what I did-"

"No, you don't," Mihar interrupted, voice hard. "I'm mad at you because you foolishly pursued the other pirate crew despite their retreat, Ace. You were cuffed with sea stone. You had no way of protecting yourself except your wit and your crazy brute strength. But you left us behind to chase after another crew who had already withdrawn. Tell me how that makes sense to you."

Oh. Was that what this was about? Ace felt only more confused. "They hurt you," he argued. "I couldn't let them get away with that."

"They were running away, Ace. Why did you go after them?"

"I told you! They-"

Mihar didn't let up. "I hear what you're saying, Captain. You left us behind, supposedly defenseless without you, to fight against non-active threats. Is that right?"

Ace reared up in offense. "You're not defenseless with me!" he shot back. "And I wouldn't have even thought of leaving if I believed any of you would be in danger without me!"

"Are our lives important to you, Ace?"

"Of course, it is! What the hell are you suggesting!"

There was a dangerous gleam in the older pirate's eyes. Ace suddenly felt like he walked into a trap.

"What about yours?" Mihar said quietly.

Yeap, completely walked into that one. Ace gaped at his crew mate, for once completely speechless.

The ensuing silence must have answered the sniper's question. Mihar's face steadily darkened as Ace struggled to find the right words.

"I see what Deuce meant now," he said, with an emotion Ace couldn't quite identify. His eyes closed briefly as he breathed, as if trying to gather some semblance of strength. He then nodded to himself and stood up. "I won't waste my time telling you how important you are, not only to us, but to yourself."

Of course not. Comparatively, Ace wasn't that valuable. Yet, it still stung to hear.

The next words surprised him.

"I'll spend the rest of my life teaching you how important you are instead, Captain. If you ever doubt yourself, remember that you have a responsibility to stay alive for your crew. I don't know about the rest, but I won't forgive you if you give up on yourself so easily."

Then, without another word, Mihar turned and left, leaving the dumbstruck teen alone to his chaotic thoughts.

Part IV: The First Emperor

Soon enough, even Paradise becomes too small for the Spade Pirates.

Their rivals were too easily defeated or too cowed by their growing reputation to challenge them. The islands and the ever-mercurial weather also became tiresome over time.

Ace could tell his crew was becoming restless. They were growing bored of the simplicity found in Paradise and wanted something more.

The teen himself had been contemplating moving on to the New World to test their strength against the bigger crews. The papers had described him as a "super rookie" who was overconfident and impulsive. While he couldn't find fault in their words, Ace wasn't a complete idiot either.

The Spade Pirates were a powerful crew, but he knew they were still rookies all the same. He knew there were much bigger powers on the seas and most of them were in the New World.

(After all, if it were this easy, then Roger wouldn't have terrified the world so much.)

At the same time, Ace was still content to sail Paradise a little more. He had never been too ambitious anyway.

(And the thought of being even further from Luffy made his heart clench in longing for home.)

But then Ace heard a rumour that Red-haired Shanks was close to the edge of the New World on an island not far from Paradise. If they sailed fast enough and made little pit stops, Ace was sure they'd catch up.

Looking at his crew, Ace decided it was time to start paying his debts.

Meeting the infamous Red-haired Shanks was like meeting a fabled hero one had only heard of in fairytales. The Emperor had distinctly crimson hair, though the most prominent trademark he bore were the three parallel, linear scars that lined the skin around his left eye.

Ace tried his best not to focus on the space where his left arm should be.

"What's this?" Shanks mused. His remaining arm rested on his sword. Around him, his crew were relaxed even as they eyed the new arrivals with quiet disinterest. "A new rookie come to challenge me?"

Ace wasn't in the least surprised at the cold reception. He often didn't strike any good impressions, especially at first glance, and he already knew the risk of meeting the Emperor. While Shanks had apparently adored his little brother, it didn't mean Ace would be given that same warmth and kindness.

He hadn't even wanted his crew with him, but the idiots had insisted on trekking after him into the snowy mountains.

The fire-user tried to plaster on a friendly smile as he raised his hands in surrender. "That's not why I'm here!" he began earnestly. "I'm here to thank you!"

It was clear Red Hair hadn't expected to hear that as he turned to face Ace fully, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. His dark eyes seemed to pin the younger pirate to where he was standing. "Now that's something new," he said after a long pause. "I'm a pirate. I'm hardly worthy of any thanks."

Ace scowled despite himself. Saving Luffy was worth everything in this world. "That's not true!" he said forcefully. "You saved my brother's life and I'll thank you for it, whether you like it or not!"

The teen heard sighs from behind him, but he ignored them, focusing instead on Red hair, who somehow appeared amused at his outburst. The rest of his crew were snickering openly at their captain.

"Alright then, kid," Shanks said, apparently deciding to humour him. "Who did I save? I'll decide then if I'll accept your gratitude."

Ace felt the initial indignance morph into immediate excitement. This is it. The moment he had been training for over the years.

Just as Makino had taught him, Ace straightened his spine, put his hands together and placed them on his thighs as he bowed low enough for his hat to fall to his feet. "Thank you, Red Hair Shanks, for saving Luffy! He's an idiot and he must have caused you a lot of trouble, but he's my little brother. Please accept my gratitude on his behalf!" Then, worried that he hadn't said enough, he repeated, "Thank you!"

There was a moment of silence.

Then, as if a dam just split, the cave they were in broke into a cacophony of noise.

"You're Luffy's brother?"

"Hey, that's Anchor's brother!"

"Someone hand him a beer!"

Ace wasn't sure if it would be polite to straighten up when Shanks had yet to acknowledge his words, so he stayed still even as the Red Hair pirates enthusiastically asked about Luffy.

He stiffened when a warm palm pressed into his shoulder and pushed at him to stand up. Ace almost resisted until he realised who the hand belonged to.

There was a soft smile on Shank's face when Ace looked up. "You're Luffy's older brother? I didn't know he had any brothers."

"I was living in the forest at that time," Ace explained, for some reason feeling the need to explain why he hadn't been there to protect the little rubber boy. "We only met about 6 months after you left Dawn Island."

Shanks raised an eyebrow at his words but nodded anyway as he gestured towards the campfire. Inwardly, Ace winced. He should have known an Emperor would find his excuses flimsy at best. Luffy had almost been killed and his brother hadn't even known or cared about it until months later.

"So you lived in the forest," Red Hair repeated curiously. "I take it you and Luffy aren't biological brothers?"

Ace shook his head. "Foster brothers, but brothers all the same."

This time, there was a glimmer of what appeared to be approval in the Emperor's eyes. "Of course," he agreed. "In all the ways that matter. Does Garp know about you?"

Oh right. Garp. The very name was enough for Ace to shudder. He was lucky enough to have avoided the old man this far into his journey, but the marine had this terrible habit of appearing whenever his name was called.

"He has to, seeing as he's my grandfather. Adoptive grandfather, I mean," Ace clarified.

Ace wasn't sure if he imagined it, but Shanks' eyes seemed to sharpen. The moment then passed as the older pirate continued to guide him to sit next to him amongst his crew.

"Looks like you've quite an interesting story to share! Come on and join us for a round of drinks!"

Ace's shoulders loosened, unaware of how tense he had been until then. He was about to wave at the Spades to stick together when a thought occurred to him.

Alarmed, he pulled away from the older man. "Wait! You haven't accepted my thanks yet!"

Shanks grinned at him. "Come on now, Ace! It wasn't a big deal."

The teen sucked in a deep breath as his heart seemed to tighten in…something. Ace cast his feelings to the side for a moment. He had to think.

Ace knew nothing he said could refute the Emperor's words. What worth did a mere word of thanks have to the man who had sacrificed his right arm to save his brother's life? He had nothing of value to offer the man to make up for the loss.

The teen had nothing, he realised with growing despair. To think he had thought he was being a good brother to seek out Red Hair like this. As the man said, it wasn't a big deal.

Then, if he truly had nothing, perhaps he could compensate the man in other ways. Ace bowed again but this time with his left arm held out as an offering. "I know my words mean nothing to the arm you lost saving my little brother," he said with grim determination. "If it pleases you, you can take my arm too! Let me also bear the weight you had to carry all these years for my brother's sake!"

Ace heard someone choke and a few other persons swearing from the vicinity of the Red Hair pirates, but he had only a moment to dwell on it until someone grabbed the back of his neck and threw him into his waiting crew's arms. He looked up to see Deuce, Mihar, and Skull standing protectively in front of him, their arms spread wide.

"I am so sorry," Deuce was saying to a wide-eyed Shanks, whose arm was half lifted towards Ace. "Captain was raised in a jungle and has no concept about how to express his gratitude. He can be really dumb sometimes. Please don't take his last words seriously."

"Hey, that was uncalled for!" Ace shook his crew's hands off and swore when they refused to let up.

"Ace," Mihar hissed. "If you want to lose your arm so badly, I'll cut it off myself when we're back on the ship. Till then, maybe, I don't know, please shut up!"

Okay, that was so unfair. It wasn't as if Ace was desperate to part with his limbs, but he had to do what needed to be done, right?

Before Ace could launch into a heated argument with his crew, Shanks suddenly let out a loud laugh, effectively drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Alright, calm down, everyone," he said easily. "No one here is losing an arm tonight, least of all the brother of my dear friend." He motioned for the three Spade pirates to let him through the protective wall they had created, only moving past once they had reluctantly moved aside.

Shanks stopped before Ace, his grin gentling into a small smile. "I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously, Ace," he said. "I didn't know how much it meant to you. I never needed any gratitude for saving Luffy's life, but I accept your thanks."

Ace stared at the older pirate suspiciously, wondering if the man meant his words. Then again, why would it matter to the Emperor?

"Alright then," he said, somewhat reluctant still. This wasn't how he had envisioned this talk going at all. "Thank you for…accepting my thanks."

Shanks let out another laugh and patted him on the back.

"Come now, let's party! You can share with us all about your adventures with Anchor too!" A pause. "And tell your crew to hold off the glares, would you? I have no interest in your arm, promise."

Ace wrinkled his nose. "It's a good arm," he defended.

"Oh, for the love of- Ace, shut up, sit down, drink, and we're going to have words when we're back!"

Another loud guffaw. "You picked a good crew, kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

Shanks was exactly as Luffy had described him. He was laidback, carefree, and had an easy smile that made Ace want to follow the man and his every whim.

It was too bad Ace had no right to such an easy-going life. Perhaps, in another world where Ace was a good person, he could have considered serving under such a man. In that world, he liked to think Shanks would have asked him to join his crew.

"So, adopted by Garp, huh?" Shanks shook his head in sympathy. "Must have been quite rough for you as a kid."

Ace snorted. The guy had no idea. "It was a miracle we both survived. Shitty Gramps kept beating the crap out of us in the name of training." Ace let out a huff despite himself as he found himself smiling at the memories. "He went easy on us though. Doubt we'd be alive if he hadn't."

"Bet he did," Shanks agreed easily. "I'm surprised Garp adopted a kid though. He doesn't look the type."

The thought of Garp going around adopting kids made Ace snicker. The old man did his best by them in the best way he knew how. Which, to say, was in the worst way possible. Ace had no doubt the old man cared for them in his own crazy, Garp way. But Ace sometimes wished Garp had simply let sleeping dogs lie.

"He was a terrible guardian," Ace admitted. "I wouldn't be alive without him."

"Doesn't sound so terrible to me."

Ace tried to keep the smile on his face as he mentally visualised the hundreds of families torn apart because of him. "He saved me," he said softly. "When he could have saved countless others."

There was a short pause. When Shanks responded, his voice was just as quiet: "What do you mean?"

The fire-user started. What was he doing? This wasn't the time and place to speak about his non-existent right to live. He looked up to laugh it off when he realised Shanks was watching him, his eyes sharp and thoughtful.

The air suddenly seemed tight inside Ace's lungs.

"N-nothing, really," Ace forced out. His lips twisted into something resembling a grimace more than it did a smile. "Garp's just...Shitty Gramps, you know. Who knows why he does what he does?"

The Emperor nodded, showing no other reaction to Ace's momentary panic. "Still doesn't sound so awful to me. All life is precious, no matter how they came to be. Despite everyone else who didn't survive, at least you did. I'm sure your parents feel the same way."

"That's hardly true," Ace snorted, his voice full of disdain. He didn't like the turn in this conversation. "My life isn't worth more than anyone else's."

Shanks didn't miss a beat. "That doesn't matter. You're here now. What you do now matters more than anything that could have been."

"Right," Ace said flatly. For some reason, the pirate's words gave rise to something ugly inside him. It made him want to hurl himself off a cliff. Or take an extended vacation in the deep, blue sea.

But Ace was still Luffy's older brother. So, he pretended that his insides were good and widened his smile. "I suppose so! At least I managed to thank you today. That's proof enough that I've lived."

The teen didn't think Shanks was fooled, but the older pirate played along anyway. "Going to be the next Pirate King, kid?"

Ace's face spasmed. As if he wasn't enough of his father.

"Nah. I'll just sail the seas until the day I stop."

Later, when Ace was on back on his ship with his crew, he would look back on this moment and wonder.

Maybe it was disappointing for the super rookie to be unambitious. Or maybe Shanks had expected more from Luffy's older brother.

The fire-user wasn't sure of the reason but, at that moment, Ace thought Shanks had looked sad.

That's all for now! I can't tell you how excited I am to write about the Whitebeards. I was a little impatient myself as I wrote this chapter. In fact, I considered writing in the Whitebeards immediately but then I would have lost the chance to show Ace's growth and development in his life.

Regardless, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Do leave a review :) Thank you!