It was almost as if the pro heroes were trying their best to piss him the fuck off.

It had been a fight and half to get his ass in the door to talk with the heroes that knew what the fuck was going on, but then the meeting had all but fizzled out. Or rather, he had been told to speak his part and then was summarily kicked the fuck out of their planning session. And that had been after making him wait for several hours just so they could all arrive at UA.

Well, even after waiting for Hawks to call, they'd still decided to start the meeting without him.

While he knew it wasn't the smartest idea to keep some of his suspicions to himself, he was overwhelmingly glad that he had. Sure, he had reported verbatim what he'd seen when Izuku had vanished, but he didn't mention the nauseatingly familiar goop he'd discovered after chasing that man.

He simply speculated that the man was responsible and had run because he hadn't wanted to get in trouble with the authorities for quirk use. Which was a bit ridiculous, considering how most of law enforcement was focused on recapturing prison escapees, not arresting and rounding up civilians for public quirk use. The principal had speculated that the man had realized that Izuku was important to the heroes, hence why he had been afraid. But then that begged the question of how he had figured that out.

There were rumors circulating about Izuku, but nothing that implied that he was vital for the heroes' countermeasures against All for One. Rather, the common assumption was the exact opposite: that Izuku was working for All for One.

Though the heroes hadn't brought it up, Bakugou figured that the man could have simply run because he had been afraid of All for One. Instead, they were too busy worrying about leaks and moles, tossing out speculation about civilian spies or the potential for a UA Traitor.

It was only then, when that last theory was mentioned that all the heroes turned to stare at him warily. A wave of indignant rage had welled up in his chest at their insinuating looks but Endeavor's quick defense dispelled the absurd thought. The fact that these bastards had been willing to entertain the notion that he was actually a villain, despite being kidnapped and nearly killed, was infuriating.

Bakugou was starting to understand why the civilians were so unwilling to trust them, even as he deliberately brushed aside his growing resentment.

But right after that, the principal had spouted some nonsense about Bakugou potentially leaking to his classmates their fears of a spy. Apparently, these assholes thought that he was incapable of being subtle, as if he hadn't helped to hide One for All from Endeavor and Todoroki during their internships. Nezu's placating, yet knowing, look did nothing to soothe his outrage. The lack of defense from both of his mentors alleviated the small amount of guilt he had about keeping things to himself.

And just like that, he'd been kicked out of the meeting.

His classmates crowded him as soon as he had stepped foot into the dorms, but he had nothing else to offer them. He could practically feel the tense discontent in the air. He wasn't the only one that was harboring negative feelings about how they were being treated. Even so, Bakugou couldn't bring himself to share any details.

Logically, he should, but he owed it to Izuku to keep them safe. Even if the bullheaded idiot was stupid for trying to do everything on his own, until he came back (he had to come back, there was no way he wouldn't, Bakugou didn't know what he would do if Izuku never came back), Bakugou had decided to protect them in his place. Izuku would never forgive him if they were hurt or killed in his absence, not when he'd left everything to protect them. And Izuku had to keep it together if they were to have any hope of winning.

And if he told his classmates anything that he knew, there was no way he would be able to hold them back from acting on it. (No way he would be able to keep them safe.)

The next morning, when the sun had yet to rise and the air was brisk and chilly, Bakugou had gone on a walk to try to extricate himself from his bitterness and resentment. Much of the forests had been removed to make room for the civilian housing, so he'd had no choice but to walk the main walkways to and from the main campus, if only to avoid those bastards.

He'd run into All Might not five minutes after he'd left the dorms, a simmering enmity reared its ugly head, the exact opposite of what he'd wanted from his walk. He went out for fresh air, not a chance to guilt the former hero into keeping him in the loop. Even so, he wasn't one to let such an opportunity go to waste.

But even All Might refused to tell him anything.

He spent the entire day avoiding his classmates, attempting to eavesdrop on the heroes, and having his attempts thwarted by the conniving principal. He knew that with the help of Round Face and Earlobes, they could probably succeed, but that burning determination to keep them out of it prevented him from acting on it.

He was such a hypocrite, but honestly it was the only thing that he could do to keep the world feeling right. Society had all but collapsed, the heroes were isolating them, and Izuku was gone. This was the piece of him on which Bakugou could act. In fact, it was essentially the only thing he was allowed to act on, after their rescue attempt had failed.

By the end of the day, Bakugou had reached his limit. He couldn't bring himself to go back to the dorms after being missing the whole day, not when he'd be hounded for details he couldn't give. The knowing looks, the crushed and distraught expressions they all wore hit too close to home and he couldn't stand they way it felt as though he was looking in a mirror any longer.

If the heroes refused to let him do anything, including something as harmless and basic as strategy and planning, then he would do it himself.

That night, he avoided entering the dorms through the front door, instead blasting up to his balcony and entering through the window. He left his student ID and dorm keys on his desk, instead grabbing his bag and packing the basic necessities. Reluctantly, he placed his phone face-up next to his ID and keys, taking a moment to stare at it before forcing himself to turn away. He changed out of his uniform and into athletic wear and stashed an extra change of clothes in his bag. He allowed himself one last glance around the dark room for anything he might have missed.

Satisfied with his packed items, Bakugou left through the window and made his way to the edge of campus. He knew there were cameras and that Nezu would be alerted of someone crossing the UA Barrier, but he could care less.

He was a man on a mission and he wouldn't let anyone stop him. Not until he found Izuku.

Izou hadn't been sure what to expect upon returning to Pops' side. Part of him had dreaded it, if only because of the inevitability of his captain's physical decline. His health had been on a steady decline for a while, and the battle must have really taken it out of him. Although, getting stabbed by Squardo in the middle of it hadn't done him any favors.

The commander couldn't begin to put into words the fear that had gripped him when Teach had arrived and Pops stood proud to defend their retreat. He had already been grateful to that stranger that fell from the sky and saved Ace and his brother, but witnessing the stranger convince their stubborn Pops to turn around and retreat alongside his children felt like nothing short of a miracle.

Izou had wished nothing more than to affirm the health of his family and drown the stranger in whatever level of gratitude Pops decided was acceptable. As grateful as he was, it wouldn't do for one of the strongest crews to grovel to a veritable stranger, no matter the circumstances. But even so, he was near certain that the stranger had already been swamped with appreciation by those already present. Perhaps more gratitude wouldn't be as welcome.

Coordinating all their allied ships had been a pain, but with Marco running the show, everything had gone smoothly. So far none of them had been ambushed by Marines or other Pirates looking to capitalize on their weakness, which was certainly lucky. But Izou had still expecting to have to do some heavy lifting, since they still had to protect their scattered allies and crewmates until a new large ship was commissioned.

So when Marco had requested he and Jozu reconvene and meet them, Izou had been overjoyed and—as previously mentioned—filled with trepidation and dread.

Upon arrival, they had been surprised by Pops' good health. Izou would be the last to admit that he had cried tears of pure relief at the sight of their captain up and about, no longer strained by his declining health and with rapidly healing wounds. Apparently some audacious rookie also deserved some thanks.

As expected, there was little time for leisure. But even so, Izou hadn't felt so happy in a long time. Seeing Ace back by their sides and happy finally began to heal the wound left by Teach's betrayal and Thatch's murder. Izou still felt it necessary to yell at Ace for his willingness to die.

Did it need to be a two-hour lecture? Probably not.

Did that stop Izou? Definitely not.

And if Ace avoided him for the entirety of the next day, that just meant that the lesson had sunk in properly. Ace should have been grateful that Izou hadn't punched him in the face repeatedly with Haki like Jozu had. How Ace managed to leave that physical scolding with minimal bruising was one of life's greatest mysteries. He certainly had one hell of a constitution, though clearly that ran in the family.

Sibling shenanigans aside, Izou had been disappointed to learn that both the stranger and Ace's little brother had left long before the two commanders had arrived.

As of now, it had been nearly two weeks—thirteen days, to be precise—since they had left with Rayleigh of all people to train. Izou couldn't help being irked by that. Rayleigh was about as good of a person one could get to learn the basics of Haki from, but the suspicion and annoyance at any of the former members of Roger's crew was deep-seated.

Plus, with Ace's heritage and hatred for anything to do with his father, Izou was certain that Ace was the least happy about this development.

But then there was the stranger—Deku, he'd been told was the boy's name. For some reason, he had also asked to go along with Rayleigh and Ace's brother. It was clear that Ace was incredibly upset by it, even as he tried his damnedest to act like nothing was wrong. Even after all they'd done to get him back, his idiot younger brother was still trying to not be a burden or a problem for them.

It was almost impressive how determined he was to keep his hurts to himself, if it wasn't so upsetting. They were family, they were supposed to help each other through hard times.

But Izou left it alone anyway, hoping that Ace would eventually get out of his slump. The commander should have known better, however, because his younger brother only seemed to grow more downtrodden and despondent as time went on.

None of them, not even Pops, had seen Ace at all yesterday, which was why Izou was currently walking to Ace's temporary quarters, determination apparent in each of his long strides. He was a man on a mission: he wouldn't let Ace continue on like this.

Admittedly, Ace wasn't the only one looking a bit upset. It had only taken a little probing, asking around and eventually asking Marco directly, to discover that things with Deku were a bit more complicated than what they'd told him.

Deku had been a young boy, no older than Ace's younger brother, who was arguably still too young to have been on the battlefield at Marineford that day. He'd been quiet and reserved, but still polite and uplifting to those around him. Luffy, on the other hand, had been a chaotic whirlwind, yet was no less joyful, his positivity all but contagious as it spread around the ship.

Their presence, brief and temporary though it was, had been uplifting; their absence, in turn, was noticeable and disheartening.

Izou would have asked for a bit more detail, but Marco had directed him to talk to Ace instead. Hopefully it would cheer him up to talk about his brother and the other boy he'd grown somewhat attached to in the short time he'd been on their ship. Maybe then he would get through to his bull-headed, self-sacrificing idiot of a brother.

There was always a chance it would backfire, hence why he was standing still in front of the door to Ace's quarters, debating whether it would be worth it to risk upsetting him further just to get him to open up.

With a deep breath, Izou gathered his courage and raised an arm to knock. There was always a chance that Ace would be asleep, given how prone he was to falling asleep even while eating, but he supposed he could just wait it out. Marco had waived Izou's responsibilities for the day for this very reason, so there was no backing out now.

But just as he went to knock, the door swung wide open, revealing a comically startled Ace.

"I-Izou, what are you doing here? Was there a meeting today that I slept through or something?" he spluttered, swiveling his head around to glance back into his room as if that would tell him what plans he had missed.

Not that he had missed any, but it was amusing to watch, if nothing else.

"No, there was no meeting today. Can't a man check up on his younger brother?" Izou teased.

He resolutely ignored the way his chest tightened, painfully reminding him of the sibling he hadn't checked on years. Unfortunately, Wano was Kaido's territory now. Pops had forbidden them from setting foot there, despite the fact that it was Izou's homeland. Even though he wasn't planning on starting a fight with Kaido, his presence there would be taken as a declaration of war. And if Kaido had been brutalizing his homeland in his absence…

Well, Izou supposed he had more than a few things in common with Ace.

Ace blushed a bit and averted his gaze, whether it was out of embarrassment, Izou wasn't sure, "Well, nothing has changed. It's not like I'm going to suddenly drop dead if you don't check every hour."

Izou raised an eyebrow, "You say that like you haven't spent a fair share of these past two weeks trying to avoid me. And with your track record, I wouldn't be all that surprised."

He pointedly ignored the offended gasp and continued on, "But no, I just wanted to chat with you. Walk with me?"

"Okay…?"

Ace squinted at him as though trying to figure out Izou's alternative motive. Which Izou felt was highly offensive; not everyone was constantly trying to prank everyone else like he was. (And if he had been roped into his fair share of pranks over the years… well that was Haruta's fault for being so convincing.)

"Breakfast first?" Ace begged.

Izou simply rolled his eyes and huffed. It was as if Ace thought he didn't know him at all, "That was the plan, you bottomless pit of a brother."

The walk to the cafeteria was a pleasant one, though that was because Izou was purposefully dodging the upsetting topics. They dined—although it would be generous to call what Ace was doing dining when it was more like devouring without remorse—and afterwards, about an hour later, they stood, leaning on the railing by the bow.

The conversation died down, settling into comfortable lapses of silence which felt as comfortable as the breeze gently brushing past their skin. Even so, the unease in Izou's gut and the anxious prickling that danced across his fingers felt out of place in the soft atmosphere they had created. It didn't feel like it was the right time to switch the topic even though it was now or never.

"Will you…" Izou paused, struggling to find the words as Ace glanced up to look at him, "Tell me about your little brother? And Deku?"

Ace immediately brightened up at the mere mention of his younger brother and a prompt to talk about it. Which is exactly what Izou knew would happen, given how energetic he had been when Luffy's first bounty poster was distributed.

Ace rambled on, gesticulating wilding as he told stories from their childhood (which honestly was some of the weirdest shit Izou had heard in a long time, and they grew up in the East Blue!) and until eventually cursing his idiot brother out for the bullshit he went through to save him. To which Izou responded by knocking the idiot upside the head alongside threats of another lecture, which shut him up quickly.

They were family and this idiot was still taken aback by shows of love. What a lovable idiot.

But the mood had already been spoiled a bit and Izou wanted to hear more about the biggest mystery.

"And Deku? Could you tell me more about him? I'd like to know about the person that saved my family's life."

Ace looked baffled, but clearly discarded his surprise in favor of fulfilling his crewmate's request, "Uh, sure? To be honest, he reminded me a little bit of my little brother: a bit reckless, but strong. Although he wasn't anywhere near as chaotic or loud, ha!"

The freckled idiot paused to laugh before continuing on as Izou smiled at the description. While he wished he had been able to meet them outside of the battlefield, he had a feeling that being on this ship at the same time as Ace's little brother would have been a headache and a half.

"He seemed kind, even if he didn't talk much. Maybe I'm full of shit, but it was almost as if not talking to us was his way of trying to be kind. Which doesn't make sense when I say it outloud but well…" he trailed off, clearly uncertain.

Did he expect him to laugh at his feelings? Besides, it wasn't as if Izou had a frame of reference to dispute what Ace was saying.

"I understand what you mean," Izou tried to reassure, though he wasn't sure how successful it was.

Although it was only partially true that he understood. Clearly there were things about Deku that a person had to witness first hand to truly understand, but wasn't that the same with anybody? Izou wished he could stop second guessing this conversation. But if things were that easy, then Ace would have become perfectly happy and healthy the moment he joined their crew.

"I guess… Hmmm.. putting aside how little he spoke in general, he didn't seem to like it when we thanked him. We threw a party for him and he looked so uncomfortable. I don't think it was the appreciation or the gratitude, but rather being the center of attention in general. Maybe that was why he hid out so much? Crap, did we make him uncomfortable?" Ace winced as he considered the idea.

As soon as Izou noticed a familiar guilty expression slipping back into place as though it was second nature—although, to Ace, it probably was—he immediately tried to dispel the notion.

"I'm sure that wasn't it. He was probably just tired," Izou desperately wished he could just wash away all of his crewmate's guilt, but placating words were the best he could offer. Perhaps this conversation wasn't a good idea. Maybe Marco should have spoken with Ace instead, or Pops. Though Pops would likely have told Izou to do it anyway; he always liked to encourage them to get close.

Ace seemed to consider that for a moment, leaning down to rest his head against the railing, "You might be right, but I still don't like it. It feels like he left on a bad note."

"But he never said anything bad, did he?"

"Maybe…"

"You never know. Besides, the next time you see him, you'll just have to try twice as hard to draw him out of his shell. Just like we had to do for you!" Izou teased.

"Hey," Ace complained, "I thought we agreed to never bring that up."

"As if I'd ever pass up on such a perfect opportunity to make fun of you."

He murmured something under his breath before raising his chin off the railing, "I don't know if we'll ever get to meet again though. And what if he hates me because he's hunted for his bounty which he only got because he saved us?"

Izou felt his eyebrows furrow, "He didn't have a bounty prior? Never mind, that's not important. I'm sure you'll meet again at some point. This is the Grand Line: expect the unexpected. Besides, he's with your brother and you plan to meet up with him again, correct?"

Ace frowned, looking as though he was seriously considering the possibility. Had he not thought of that before?

"I guess you're right. Yeah. Deku might have turned Pops' offer to join our crew, but if there's one thing I know about Luffy, it's that he's stubborn and won't quit. He also liked Deku a lot, so I don't doubt that he'll manage to convince Deku to join his crew instead. Although it might be kicking and screaming, now that I think about it."

They both shared a laugh at the thought.

"Then I'm certain you two would be fast friends. After all, you'd be so alike."

"Come on, twice in the same conversation?!"

Izou simply grinned at him deviously, "The first was to get you to let your guard down so that the second would catch you by surprise."

The groan he received in lieu of a response was like music to his ears. Ace was just so easy to tease. But as they settled into another comfortable silence, he felt as though he should add something else. But there was nothing else he felt he could say to probe without causing hurt, so he opted for the truth instead.

"I wish I could have met him properly," Izou admitted.

Which was the truth, but something about him was still off-putting, even if his actions weren't what one would exactly describe as suspicious.

Ace frowned, "I wish you could have met him too. I think you would have liked him a lot. I wish he hadn't left like that."

Izou sighed fondly, "But that's just not how life goes sometimes."

Ace hummed in agreement, his eyes staring out at the horizon, not locked onto anything in particular, his mind clearly miles away. Izou vaguely heard Ace whisper something under his breath, something that sounded like a name, but he refrained from commenting on it. He couldn't help but wonder if Ace would ever say what was going through his head or if they would always have to drag it out of him.

Even so, he was their family and no one on their crew would trade him for the world.

After another stretch of quiet, Izou found himself gathering a resolve.

"We'll meet him again," he declared, hoping that the unspoken promise was clear.

Ace looked at Izou in gratitude, his posture shifting to match Izou's own determined gaze.

Yes, they would meet Deku again. Izou would make sure of it. And if Deku got a piece of Izou's mind for making Ace upset like this… well, he had it coming.

The crewmates settled into another comfortable silence, basking in the sunlight and enjoying the gentle sea breeze (a rarity in much of the Grand Line). But then Ace suddenly perked up.

"Oh shit! I haven't done any of my chores today!"

Izou blinked at his panicked expression, struggling to hold back laughter as Ace pushed himself away from the railing and tripped over his own feet.

He rolled onto his back to glance up at Izou, whining even as he refused to get off the floor, "Don't laugh at me! You know how Marco gets sometimes!"

"I do, which is why I talked to him yesterday evening and he cleared our schedules today. We have the whole day off," Izou reassured, finally giving up on stifling his chuckles as Ace's jaw dropped..

"And you didn't think to tell me? How long have you been planning this?" he accused playfully.

"You're too easy," Izou snorted, kneeling down and offering a hand to help him up.

But instead of taking it, Ace crossed his arms and pouted at him, looking to be the epitome of a five year old throwing a tantrum. Izou couldn't help but roll his eyes even as he huffed in amusement. It seemed that some things would never change.

But before they could playfully make up a New Coo squawked in the distance, catching their attention.

"We should probably get one," Ace smirked, remaining where he laid on the deck, clearly implying that Izou should be the one to do it.

"You're one cheeky brother," Izou couldn't help but tease back as he beckoned the bird over and paid for a copy.

"And yet you love me anyway-" he shot back, devolving into spluttering as Izou dropped the paper directly onto his face.

"Well, since I love you so much, tell me what it says."

Ace grumbled but dutifully fumbled with the papers until it displayed the front page right in front of his face, taking a moment to skim it.

"We need to show this to Pops," Ace yelled, scrambling up from his place on the deck, nearly tripping over himself a second time in his rush to get back onto his feet.

"What do you mean?" Izou asked, completely baffled by his reaction, "What's on the front page?"

Was it something bad? Had something happened to some of their crewmates or allies without their knowledge?

But Ace didn't respond, instead rushing to the hatch to get below deck, clearly making a bee-line for Pops' quarters.

Why would Ace not show him if it was something important involving their crew?

But Izou didn't waste time trying to ask again. It was clear that whatever he'd seen had properly freaked him out, if his pale face and terrified expression was anything to go by.

Had something happened… to his brother? Was that why he wasn't bothering to tell Izou?

Didn't he know that Izou cared about Ace's little brother too? His family was their family. Hadn't he shown that just this morning, asking about the people Ace could easily talk about for hours?

By the time they arrived at Pop's quarters, though admittedly it wasn't a very long distance, Izou had decided that no matter what, he'd do his best to help. If his brother really was in danger, then no matter what Pops said, Ace deserved to know that they cared about his feelings. After being told not to go back to Wano and not to go after Teach, Izou just couldn't let Ace think that they cared about his safety over his happiness.

"Pops!" Ace all but wailed, not bothering to knock as he barged in on what looked to be their captain and Marco having a conversation, "We need to help him!"

Something in Izou's gut rolled at the confirmation that something must have happened to his brother. Izou squared his jaw and prepared to hear whatever painful words came next. At the very least, if Ace was demanding they help, that meant that he wasn't dead… yet.

Pops stared at them in concern, his voice soothing as he tried to get Ace to calm down and speak clearly, "What do you mean, son?"

Instead of answering, however, Ace simply shoved the paper in his direction, holding it out for the large man to take.

Izou bit his lip as he watched Pops' eyebrows furrow as he stared at the front page.

"What?" their captain breathed, the shock and dread palpable in that single word.

"What does it say?" Marco asked, looking more than a bit uneasy.

Just as Ace had done, Pops simply handed him the paper. For the third time, Izou watched as his jaw went slack and his eyes widened in horror.

"The Green Devil… Captured?"

Izou's jaw dropped.

"Wasn't he supposed to be safe with Rayleigh? And wasn't he with Luffy?" Izou couldn't help but ask.

Marco clenched his jaw as he stared intently at the page, likely skimming the article, "It doesn't mention anything about Luffy here, nor Rayleigh, but there's no way that Rayleigh would have let anything happen to them. The Marines should have been regrouping now, there was no way they could have put together a full assault strong enough to overwhelm Rayleigh. Or at least, not without someone catching wind of it."

Ace's expression turned downright furious, his fists clenched and shaking violently, "They probably wouldn't announce it if they captured Luffy. They probably want to do the same thing to him as they tried to do with me."

Izou couldn't help but clench his own fists as he felt the rage bubble up. He may not have met the boy, but attacking someone they deemed an ally was an attack on their entire crew. The Marines were truly fools if they thought the Whitebeard Pirates would let this slide.

"I think we best give Rayleigh a call," Pops all but growled as he glowered at the offending paper still in Marco's hands, "Let's see what he has to say for himself."

It had been a long time since one of his plans had been interfered with outside the realm of his expectations. Certainly his first fight against All Might had been an unfortunate loss, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. The second loss was far more expected and he'd had the foresight to make plans and contingency plans to account for his temporary incarceration, but he hadn't been worried. It was always possible that they would have executed him, but he had spent many decades funding politicians to push legislation against the execution of criminals, so he hadn't been too worried.

Everything had been falling into place up until Midoriya Izuku had completely disappeared from the face of the earth. Of all the things to disrupt his plan, this was the most unacceptable.

However, it was as though the universe was on his side: as it should be. The stars aligned and he had managed a wonderful find, snatching the man right before he stumbled into the heroes' grasp. The man should have been grateful, but instead he was a sniveling, terrified fool.

But that only served All for One, in the end. He had little to complain about except for the man's interference in the first place. He would not only catch the heroes by surprise, but he would also have the perfect ammunition to finally shatter All Might for good, assuming that bastard dared to show up to a fight he had no hope of winning.

All for One grinned as he summoned Tomura to his side, admiring what would soon become his new body as it continued to slumber.

"It seems we've finally won. Midoriya Izuku got one final reprieve but ultimately doomed himself," he grinned, the motion tugging almost painfully at the skin on his face.

"It's time to get One for All at last, Tomura."

Tomura's body didn't even twitch, but all was as it was meant to be.