Ace of Spades

by himmelblu

Ace of Spades, the most feared name across the ocean, he was the most feared and notorious assassin and informant there ever was. No one knew who or what he was, some say he is the spawn of the devil. And now, the Whitebeards needed his help. And maybe they even get a new son in the process. (Up to chap 52 'The Plight' is main story, the rest are just loose ends and ideas)

13. Ace of Spades Chapter 12 The Pirates

Hello everyone, here's chapter 12

And I just wanted to say Ace do not have Narcolepsy, if anything, he has insomnia.

And both Sabo and Luffy will be a bit in this chapter at the start, then they will be gone for a bit, since they are training and all. But they will visit the pirates later, and they will show off what they can do.

Also, if you do see any mistakes, please tell me so I can fix it. I am not the best at grammar and spelling, and I sometimes forgets or add letters to words by accident. I do try my best, but my native language is not English so there could be some mistakes

This chapter is about Aces first days with the pirates. Him doing assignment and such, I will do more action later, this is more of a family and hurt/comfort chapter

But without further do, enjoy

Please read and relax

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Ace hugged Luffy, he could not believe he was not going to see his brothers for a while, it was going to be weird. He was used to being around them almost all of the time, unless he was at a long assignment. ¨Be good, okay? And listen to Rayleigh.¨ Said Ace as he let go of Luffy. Luffy nodded and looked at Ace, ¨Of course we will!¨ He said, and smiled a big smile. ¨Me and Sabo will get really strong and be great pirates!¨ Ace laughed a bit, and ruffled Luffy's hair, ¨I know you will.¨ Said Ace, and watched as Luffy walked inside a house where they would stay for now. Ace went over to Sabo, who shook his head as Ace hugged him,

¨We're not going away forever you know.¨ He said to Ace, as he hugged back.

Ace laughed a bit, ¨I know, it's just going to be weird with you gone.¨ Ace said, and let go off his brother, looking at him, ¨I'm going to miss you, you know.¨ Sabo laughed a bit, ¨We'll miss you too.¨ He said, giving a reassuring smile to Ace, ¨And we will be fine.¨ Ace nodded, he knew they would be fine, they were strong, and Rayleigh was with them. ¨I know, but be careful and take care of yourself.¨ Sabo laughed, ¨Don't worry, I will.¨ Sabo looked at Ace with a calm and brotherly look, ¨And you take care of yourself,¨ He started, ¨The Whitebeards are good people, and you can rely and confide in them.¨ Ace sighed and looked at Sabo,

¨I know, and I'll try, okay?¨ Said Ace, looking at Sabo, who nodded.

Ace knew Sabo was worried about him, and knew he didn't go to people for help if he could avoid it. Ace had never been good at relying on others, telling them of his troubles. The only one he had really relied on, was Azuruko. Sabo knew Ace often missed the man, especially after a hard mission or when something went wrong.

Sabo only hoped Ace would open up to the pirates. He knew it would take some time, but that Ace one day would trust them enough to rely and confide in them, especially the captain. He was a good man, and could be good for Ace, as well as the first commander.

Ace gave a last pat on Sabos shoulder, before he also went inside the house. Ace turned around, and looked at Rayleigh, ¨You know he is right?¨ Said the man, looking at Ace. Ace sighed as he nodded. He knew Sabo was right, and from the past experiences, he knew the pirates would not judge him and would be there for him. But Ace was not used to that, and was not good at relying on others. He was used to be by himself.

Ace looked at Rayleigh, ¨I will still send money to you and them, I have no use for all off it.¨ Rayleigh nodded, ¨That is fine, we will use what we need, and save the rest for when they set out.¨ Ace nodded. He did not have use for all the money he made, and would send half of it to them. The rest of what he made, he would split in two, and give one fourth of it to Lindsey on Boreumdo, and keep the rest. Now that he had joined the pirate crew, he would just give the money to them.

Ace shook Rayleigh's hand, ¨I'll see you later then, Rayleigh.¨ Said Ace, and the man nodded, ¨We will, and I will take good care of them.¨ Ace nodded, sending a thankful smile at the man. He knew Rayleigh would take care of them and teach them what they needed. He watched as Rayleigh went inside the house. And when the door closed behind the man, Ace disappeared.

-x-

Ace appeared on Amegakure. When he landed, he took on his hood from his cape, and started walking in the rain. Ace was dressed casual, with a black singlet and black pants. He did have a cape on to signalize he was a part of the assassins, and the cape was black and red with a hood. He did also have his usual assassin shoes on, they were comfortable and could be used in all kinds of terrain. He would use Dust, seeing as that would save him from walking in the rain to much, but he knew dust didn't like the rain, and he himself was okay with walking in the rain. He had sent Dust to the Moby Dick, seeing as the bird did enjoy it there.

He rarely ran into some of the new ones when he visited the Red Cloud, so he wasn't concerned that someone would see and recognize him without his mask, and he wasn't here for a normal work related matter. He wanted to inform the leader on what he would do now, and that he had joined the pirates. Daisuke was kind of like a friend to Ace, and they did work a lot together. Ace wouldn't call them friends exactly, but they were somewhere in between acquaintances and friends.

When he got to the wall, the door was instantly opened, and he was let inside. When he got inside, he took off his hood, and shook his head a bit, to get rid of some of the water. ¨Here.¨ Said a voice to his left, and when Ace looked, he could see Moira holding out a towel to him. ¨Thank you.¨ Said Ace, as he used it to dry his hair a bit. Ace walked with Moira to Daisukes office. When they got to the door, Moira knocked and opened the door, letting Ace go inside, before she closed it. ¨Ace, what brings you here?¨ Asked Daisuke, seeing the young assassin there, also asking in a friendly and calm matter, seeing him out of his usual assassin outfit. Ace went up to his desk and sat down in a chair, looking at the man.

¨I just wanted to update you on some stuff.¨ Said Ace, looking at the man.

Daisuke nodded, and moved to pull something up from a drawer. ¨I have a feeling it have something to do with this.¨ He handed a piece of paper to Ace. Ace took the paper and looked at it. And it was his wanted poster, not the Ace of Spades, but Portgas D Ace. Ace could not help but laugh a bit, ¨You are right.¨ Said Ace, smiling when he looked at the poster. It seemed like Garp had used photo he had lying about; it was maybe a year old. Ace was also a bit surprised by his bounty. He knew he would get one that was a bit impressive to be someone unknown, but the amount shocked him.

Portgas D Ace, Wanted Dead or Alive, Bounty 350, 000, 000.

That bounty was even a bit extreme for a nobody, but had a feeling Garp had blamed him for some other stuff too, making the bounty bigger. Even though the bounty was a bit big, it was nowhere near his assassin bounty. He was one of the most wanted persons in the world, having a bounty on 10, 000, 000, 000.

Ace shook his head a bit, handing it back to Daisuke. ¨I have decided to bring some reputation to my name, I need it if I can be with my brothers and roam around.¨ Daisuke nodded, ¨I understand that, and I must say the bounty you got was impressive for a nobody.¨ Ace laughed as he agreed, it was, and he would thank Garp for it later. Daisuke looked at Ace, ¨I have a feeling your brothers have either set out or started training.¨ Ace nodded and sighed. ¨They have started training, and will set out in a year.¨ Daisuke nodded, ¨What about you? Will you be staying at Boreumdo?¨ Ace shook his head, ¨No, I have actually joined a pirate crew, one of the reasons for the bounty.¨ Daisuke looked at him questionably, and Ace continued,

¨I have joined Edward Newgates crew..¨ He started, ¨I will be the new second commander.¨

Ace could see small shock on Daisukes face, before he smiled. ¨I would never have guessed you would join a pirate crew.¨ Daisuke shook his head, looking at Ace in a calm manner. ¨I know Newgate is a good man, I'm glad you joined them.¨ Ace nodded at him. ¨I will still continue as Ace of Spades,¨ He started, ¨And I will be staying on the Moby Dick when I'm not working.¨ Daisuke nodded, ¨Being a pirate, even a second commander on Newgates crew, is going to be relaxing compared to your other work.¨ Ace laughed at that, it was true, it will be nice and relaxing, especially now that he didn't need to worry for his brothers all the time.

Ace talked to the man for a bit, before he headed out again, deciding to visit Azurukos grave before he headed back to the boat. Wanting to tell his old mentor of what had happened, and how his life was at the moment.

-x-

Whitebeard sat in his chair and enjoyed the sunny day. It was a beautiful day again, and everyone was lazing about, just enjoying it. Ace had left yesterday to see off his brothers, and he hoped the young assassin would return soon. It made the captain happy to see all his sons and daughters being happy about Ace joining their family, and the kid himself looked to be glad that he was as well received as he was. He had a feeling Ace was not used to that, based on the fact he was one of the most wanted people in the world, and most people feared him. He was thankful they decided to check up on why Shanks had stayed at Oseum all those months ago, if they hadn't,

Everything would have been different.

It was Ace that had warned them about Teach, ultimately resolved in they keeping the man under tight watch, and making it so Thatch survived. Without Ace, they would neither have managed to take the man out, at least not without any of them getting injured, or even killed.

Whitebeard closed his eyes, he owed Ace a lot. And he would repay it by giving him a place where he could belong, where no one would judge him, a home. He knew Ace had a home with his brothers, but they would set out one day, and Ace didn't want to set out with them, keeping them away from his work. And they would be there for the young assassin, he spoke the truth when he spoke to Shanks; They never let anyone in their family face the world alone.

It was maybe an hour later, when signs of the assassin arriving finally came.

Dust appeared and sat on the railing, giving a caw as he looked at the pirates. ¨Dust, yoi.¨ Said Marco, looking at the bird. ¨Is Ace coming back today, yoi?¨ Dust nodded and cawed, making everyone on the deck smile. ¨Do you know when he comes, yoi?¨ Asked the first commander, wanting to know if it was long. Dust cawed, and used one of his armored legs to make a thump against the railing. Marcos brow furrowed a bit, before he understood. ¨He will come in one hour, yoi?¨ He asked, just to be sure. Dust nodded, and cawed. Marco nodded, smiling. The bird was really smart. Dust flew up to his small spot on the mast, the linen he had found, still there, and Dust settled down in his small nest. The pirates went back to continue their day, waiting for their new family member to return.

It was almost an hour later, when something happened. They were all still relaxing, when the chef appeared in the door that led to the galley, and looked to be scared by something. ¨Marco!¨ He almost yelled, making the commander look at him. ¨What, yoi?¨ Asked the first commander, looking bored at the chef. The fourth commander made some sort of motion with his hands, almost flailing them around. ¨There is this gigantic spider on the wall!¨ Said the chef, ¨Can you remove it? Please?¨ Marco sighed, and started to move towards the galley. He could hear some of the others on the deck snickering and a few shuddering. Everyone knew about the chefs fear of spiders, and he wasn't alone, there was quite a few that was scared of the small creatures. When Marco walked in to the galley, and looked to where the chef was pointing, he stopped for a bit, a bit shocked at what he saw. Thatch had not overreacted when he called the spider gigantic.

On the wall, there was a spider. And its body alone, was the same size of Marcos palm. It was gigantic.

Marco was not afraid of spiders, don't get him wrong. But that creature on the wall, was just so gigantic, and the fact even he was vulnerable for poison, made him a bit unsure. And based on the size of the spider, it would have a lot of it. Marco could even see its fangs from where he stood, and that was some feet from the wall where the spider was located. The spider was high up on the wall, and Marco would not reach up there when standing on the floor. Marco looked out on the deck. ¨Jozu,¨ Said Marco, getting the mans attention. ¨It's a bit high up, you think you can reach it?¨ Jozu nodded, and headed for the galley himself.

Even though none of them was any fan of the spiders, they didn't want to kill the creatures. They had done nothing wrong, and didn't deserve to get killed just because someone didn't like them.

When Jozu was standing in the door, and saw the spider, he stared at it. ¨I am not touching that.¨ Said the commander, ¨That's not a spider, that's a monster.¨ Continued Jozu, getting the attention of almost everyone on deck. When the rest of the people on deck saw the spider, even the captain himself, they had to agree; the spider was big. ¨I have an idea.¨ Said Vista, getting the attention. They looked at him, they knew Vista wanted to save the spider if he could, he had grown up a place where spiders where a bit sacred, and everyone respected that he didn't want to kill the creatures, even Thatch. ¨Marco, if you take that box and put it under the spider, I will use a broom to make the spider fall in the box, and we'll release it on the next island.¨ They nodded, and Marco got the box, placing it underneath the spider. But when Vista was nearing the broom, he stopped.

On the broom, sat Dust. When Vista reached for the broom, the bird cawed at him, making him retract his arm.

Vista, not really sure what to do, looked at his father for help. ¨Dust,¨ Said the captain, frowning a bit, not understanding why the bird was stopping Vista. ¨Why are you standing on the broom? We won't kill the spider.¨ Whitebeard hoped Dust would move, knowing they would not kill the creature, thinking either or both Dust and Ace not waiting that. But instead of moving, Dust only ruffled his feathers. Everyone frowned, ¨Why are you against it, yoi?¨ Asked the commander, looking at the bird.

¨Because,¨ Started a voice behind them. ¨The spider won't survive the fall.¨ Said Ace, moving to walk past the pirates, going inside the galley.

¨What?¨ Asked Thatch, perplexed. ¨The spider is huge!¨ Ace laughed a bit, ¨It is a bit big,¨ Started Ace, moving a table to the wall. ¨But a fall from that height will kill it.¨ Ace took a chair, and jumped on top of the table. ¨It is a fragile creature in reality.¨ Ace placed the chair on the table, and stepped on top of it. At this height, he could reach the spider if he stretched. ¨Hey! Hey!¨ Almost yelled Thatch, ¨You're not going to touch it, are you?! What if it bites?!¨ Thatch sounded really worried and scared, knowing poison could kill and make real damage, even on devil fruit users. Ace stretched, and held one hand in front of the spider, and one behind it. ¨It won't bite,¨ Started Ace, slowly moving his hand so the spider walked into his other. ¨It only bites when it feel threatened.¨

The spider walked onto Aces hand, and he stepped down from the chair and table, holding the eight legged creature.

Thatch actually let out a small whimper, ¨Oh god, he's touching it!¨ Thatch moved to stand behind his father, not wanting to look at the spider that tried to move in Aces hand, its legs moving and trying to walk away. Many of the people in the galley and out on the deck, snickered, some even laughing. Thatch, the man known to be an amazing and fearful swordsman, the fourth commander on Whitebeards crew, the strongest crew in the world, was hiding behind his father because of a spider.

¨Ace, yoi.¨ Said the first commander, making Ace look at him. ¨You're not scared of spiders? And what if it did bite, yoi?¨ Ace smiled at the man, holding his hand in front of the other, making the spider walk from hand to hand. ¨I'm not scared of them, they are fascinating creatures.¨ He made the spider stand on his right hand, and stroked the spider a bit with his left, ¨And as I said, they only bite when threatened.¨ Marco nodded, Ace seemed to not be even a little bit uncomfortable holding the gigantic spider. Ace moved the spider a bit up to his face, looking at it. ¨You're from a summer island.¨ Said the assassin, looking at the creature. Ace looked at the captain, ¨I'll be right back, I'm going to drop this little hunter here off at an island where he can live.¨ Whitebeard nodded, and Ace disappeared.

¨He touched it!¨ Said Thatch again, sounding horrified. ¨He actually touched it.¨ Thatch sounded like he could not believe what just transpired. Whitebeard laughed a bit, ¨He did son, he also got rid of it.¨ Said the captain, making Thatch nod a bit. Then Ace reappeared, making Thatch jump a bit. ¨Is it gone?¨ Asked Thatch, looking at Ace. Ace nodded, and showed Thatch his hands; No spider. Thatch the let out a relived sigh, ¨Thank you!¨ He said, sounding like Ace had just saved his life. ¨You are a beautiful human being.¨ Ace laughed at that, as did many others, including the captain.

After everyone had walked back out on deck, Whitebeard got everyone's attention. ¨Please continue what you were doing, the day is still young.¨ He started, he looked at his commanders and new son. ¨I will have a small meeting with my commanders and Ace, we will be back soon.¨ Everyone nodded, and went back to what they were doing, which was mostly lazing about. The commanders plus Ace, walked after captain, moving to the meeting room.

-x-

The pirates made their way into the meeting room, and sat down. They didn't really have any fast spots where they sat, but Whitebeard always sat at the end of the room, at the top of the table. They usually did sit the same places, but it was not fixed, and they could move if they wanted to, and they usually did that every now and then. The only few who never moved, was Marco, who always was by his captains side, Curiel who always sat with the window, and Jozu who liked to sit more at the end, where there was a bit more space, letting him have some arm room. The last days, Izou and Thatch always sat together, usually holding hands, or Izou sitting on Thatch lap if they didn't talk about anything serious. If they did, they would sit separately and act like professional commanders.

All of them sat down, Ace choosing a seat at the other end from the captain, sitting down and putting his hands on the table in front of him.

As the others also sat down, Ace got a good look at the room. He had not been inside the room himself, and was a bit interested. It had a good layout, the big table in the middle was an oval one, and had a world map on it. Ace could see markings and pins in the map, probably signalizing different island under different pirates and marines. It was a thorough job, and Ace was glad to see the pirates having gone the extra mile and added small figures to where different people where. They had the same kind of map at The Red Cloud, and Ace could see some figures was placed wrong. He knew a lot about many people, and still hadn't decided how much of his knowledge he would share.

On the walls, he could see different wanted posters. He recognized almost everyone on the wall, seeing as there were only the ones with bounties over 200, 000, 000. He could also see that some poster that was irrelevant, seeing as the person was no longer alive, being taken out by either Ace himself, or by The Red Cloud. But he was still a bit impressed by all the work the pirates had put in the room, it must have taken a long time, and Ace did enjoy when he could there was a room like this, he himself liked to keep track of different people and groups. Ace could also see, that on the other wall, all the wanted posters of the crew was hanging.

When everyone had sat down, Ace put his attention at the captain. When the rest of the commanders also did that, Whitebeard started talking. ¨As you all know, Ace have joined our family.¨ Started the captain, and everyone smiled and looked at their new member. ¨Seeing as Ace is quite talented, and we do not have a second commander, and I would like to offer the position to Ace.¨ Ace could see small shock on the commanders faces, before they all nodded, looking at either Whitebeard or him. ¨I agree, Ace would fit perfect. yoi.¨ Started the first commander. ¨But won't it be a bit strange for us to promote someone no one have heard about to a commander, yoi?¨ Ace could see many nodding, and Ace decided to clear that matter up himself, seeing as he had already seen his wanted poster.

¨That won't be an issue.¨ He started, getting all the attention. ¨I have spoken to someone I trust in the marine, and he made it so I got the blame for different attacks they had no perpetrator for, getting a reputation and bounty.¨ Ace leaned a bit backwards. ¨My wanted poster is on its way, and will be released to the world either today or tomorrow.¨ Ace could see them nodding, a bit shocked that he had managed to settle it so fast. ¨Do you know what your bounty is, yoi?¨ Asked the first commander, wanting to know since all of the commanders had an impressive bounty, and they knew Ace needed an impressive one to be sure no one thought to much about it. Ace nodded,

¨My bounty is 350, 000, 000.¨ He said, and could see the shock on every one of the pirates.

¨That is shocking for a nobody.¨ Said Thatch, looking at the kid. ¨No offense.¨ He added, making sure Ace understood what he meant. Ace laughed a bit, ¨I actually agree, I was even a bit shocked myself.¨ Ace shook his head a bit, ¨I am not exactly sure of everything I got the blame of, but I have a feeling no one would bat an eye if I was made a commander.¨ Ace could see everyone nodding. A starting bounty of over 100, 000, 000 was rare, and Ace would start off with a bounty that would shock the world. And the moment the marines found out he had joined them, even given a commander position, they would not be surprised if the bounty went up a bit.

Marco shook his head, ¨You never cease to amaze, yoi.¨ Said the first commander, making many of the others nod and laugh a bit, agreeing.

Ace even laughed a bit himself, he was happy that none of them seemed to be regretting letting him join their cre-, family. Ace could feel himself enjoying it with the pirates, and hoped no one would have any resentment for him being an assassin. He knew the captain and commanders was okay with it, also many of the others on the crew. But there was still a few that didn't know, and that made it so Ace had a bit of fear they would one day stop being as comfortable around him. He did a lot of gruesome stuff, and he had never really met anyone as welcoming as them, and Ace wasn't completely sure what to do; He had never had a family aside from Luffy and Sabo.

Ace shook his head a bit, he would figure it out as he was more around them. Ace decided to bring up some other stuff he was wondering about. ¨I also wondered about something.¨ Started Ace, getting everyone's attention. ¨As you know, I will still continue my work as an assassin, and I will therefor leave for assignments.¨ Ace could see everyone nodding, ¨I do sometimes have a bit of time before I need to leave, but sometimes I will leave right away. And I suspect you would like to know I will leave, and when I return.¨ The pirates nodded, ¨I might not always be able to tell you personally I will leave, especially if I have to leave right away, and was wondering how I would notify you if that happened.¨ Ace could see them nodding, and the captain thinking. ¨If you can't tell anyone of us you are leaving, tell one of the others on the crew.¨ Started the captain. ¨You don't need to tell them you are leaving for an assignment, but that you are leaving to do some stuff, and when you will return.¨ Ace nodded, that sounded like a good plan.

¨Also,¨ Continued Ace, ¨I do make money from my work. I send most of it to my brothers and some of it to others,¨ The pirates nodded. ¨Seeing as I have no use for it seeing as I am joining you, I was wondering where I would put the money I make.¨ Whitebeard nodded, ¨Curiel can show you where to put it, he is in charge of our savings.¨ Ace nodded, and looked Curiel, ¨Do you know how much you make?¨ Asked the tenth commander. Ace shook his head, ¨How much is different from every assignment, and depends on how many assignments I do.¨ Curiel nodded, ¨I can show you where you can put it.¨ Curiel said. The pirates knew the commander was a man that liked to know how much they had, and did count their funds once every 2 weeks. He was good at managing their money, the reason he was in charge of it.

¨Ace, yoi.¨ Said the first commander, getting the assassins attention. ¨How much do you usually take for an assignment, yoi?¨ Ace looked at the commander, he could see the looks from the other pirates too, wanting to know. Ace shook his head. ¨It all depends on what they need me to do, and how tough the assignment will be.¨ Started Ace, ¨For example, an assignment where I need to get information, it all depends on where the information is located. When I take someone out, it all comes down on who the person is, and how many I take out.¨ The other pirates nodded, understanding there was not set a fast price.

Ace sighed, ¨There is also one last thing.¨ Said Ace, ¨I am an assassin, and have been one for years.¨ He looked at the pirates seeing them nodding. ¨I do know a lot of information about different people and groups.¨ Ace looked at the captain. ¨I won't share the information I know just because I have now joined you crew. I might share some of it, but don't expect me to tell you all of the information I know and acquire. You are allowed to ask, but don't expect me to answer.¨ Whitebeard nodded, ¨That is okay, we don't expect you to share your information.¨ Said the captain in a sincere manner, and the other commanders nodded. Ace nodded, feeling content the pirates didn't expect him to share his information with them. He had a small worry they wanted him to tell them, and share what he knew. Ace couldn't help but close his eyes and smile, feeling happy that the pirates was as okay with him being an assassin as they were, not even wanting the information he knew.

Whitebeard looked smilingly at Ace, he understood what Ace meant, and why he seemed so content with his answer. He knew Ace was worried they wanted to use him for his information. He was the best assassin there was, and had basically information on everybody. The captain knew people tried to buy the assassin, he had told him that himself. But they were not that kind of people. The wanted a family member, not an assassin. The fact he would work as an assassin, was different. They would let him do that, they would worry and support him, but they would never use him. Whitebeard looked at his commanders, seeing that most of them had made the same conclusion as him, and smiling reassuringly at the assassin.

They then talked a bit about what kind of routine's they had, and what they expected of a commander. Everyone had a feeling Ace would have no trouble being an amazing commander, he was really talented and was used to look out and take care of others seeing as he was a brother and helped others during his assassins work. After that, he was showed quickly around the boats commanders rooms, and showed what room he would get. Ace would get Teach old room, and the room had been cleaned out, and was empty, besides a bed, desk and chair, giving Ace the room to decorate and do what he wanted with the room.

After this, Curiel showed Ace where he could put the money he made from his work. It wasn't anywhere special; he was just supposed to put the money in the treasure room. After this, they rounded up everyone during dinner and told them Ace was promoted to a second commander. The other commanders could see some of their brothers and sisters wonder why someone so young was chosen so fast, but they seemed to go with it. They had a small celebration for Ace, happy to have a new commander.

The ones that would now be in Aces division, especially those who didn't know who he was, was a bit unsure, seeing that he was as young as he was. When dinner was over, Ace asked his division to meet him in their quarter, seeing as every division had a small quarter where their commander could talk to them. His division was not too big, having maybe around 50-60 people. When they met up after dinner, he held a small speech to them, telling them some basic stuff, where they could find him, and that he would be there for them and do his best. When he was finished, and let them go, everyone seemed more content with their new division commander.

-x-

Whitebeard sat in the meeting room with Marco, Thatch, Izou, Curiel and Rakuyo, talking about some stuff they would do the next weeks. Usually all the commanders were included in this, but they already knew where they were going, and the only spoke about some small stuff, seeing as they needed to stock up on some items, and the commanders present was discussing what they needed, and how much they could spend. They were allowed to ask what they needed at any time, and the 5 commanders had already figured out what they needed, and decided to get it over with. They were finished, and was now just talking about random things, and how they thought Ace would be a good commander, when someone knocked on the door. ¨Come in.¨ Said the captain, and the door opened, and a young man walked inside.

¨Joshua, yoi.¨ Said Marco, recognizing the man. He was a part of the second division, and they knew Ace had just talked with them. He hoped he was not here to complain about Ace being as young as he was, or anything else about the new commander. Marco knew Joshua was a person who never really took orders from people that was younger than him, and Ace was quite younger than the man, Joshua being 35. ¨Son,¨ Said whitebeard, looking at Joshua, ¨Is everything alright?¨ Joshua looked to be thinking about something, and looked at the captain. ¨Ace just gave this small speech to us, as you may know¨ The occupants nodded, ¨And, yoi?¨ Asked Marco, looking at the man. Joshua looked at them, a small smile on his face,

¨I was wondering if he could give the speech to everyone, he had some really good points, and he seems like a vise kid.¨ Said the man.

They were a bit shocked for a second, before they smiled. They weren't really surprised, Ace did have some good points and was a smart kid. Whitebeard nodded at his son, ¨Of course,¨ He started. ¨I'll ask Ace to do it during supper.¨ Joshua nodded, smiling. ¨I was a bit worried,¨ Continued Joshua, ¨When you mentioned he was a commander, he is so young.¨ He looked at the captain and commander in an content manner. ¨I think he will be a perfect commander.¨ Joshua said his goodbyes, and left. Leaving the 5 commanders and captain alone.

Marco shook his head, ¨He has not even been a commander for a day, and he has already impressed his division, yoi.¨ The other laughed a bit. ¨He is impressive, and I'm not really surprised.¨ Said Thatch, making the others nod. ¨I can't wait to hear his speech.¨ Said Izou, looking at them. ¨I have a feeling it is going to be good.¨ Whitebeard nodded, ¨You are probably right, son.¨ Whitebeard felt delighted people already liked him. He did fit perfectly with them.

-x-

Ace made his way towards the galley, knowing supper was soon. He had just gotten a request, and was going to leave to do it tomorrow. He would inform the captain of this when they ate, and knew it would take a bit of time, but not too long, maybe 7 hours or so. As he was closing in on the galley, he saw Marco and Izou also walking towards the galley. ¨Ace!¨ Said Izou, waving at the man. Ace smiled and walked up to them. When he was close to them, Marco looked at the kid, he looked to be relaxed. ¨Ace, yoi.¨ Started the commander, getting Aces attention. ¨Joshua told us you gave your division some sort of speech, yoi.¨ Ace nodded, and looked questionably at the man, making him continue. ¨He wondered if you would give the speech too everyone during supper, yoi.¨ Ace nodded, ¨I can do that.¨ The two commander smiled at that, and they made their way towards the galley.

When they got in the galley, Ace sat down near the end of the galley, close to where the captain sat. When Ace sat down, the captain looked at him. ¨I suppose Marco have told you that Joshua want you to hold the speech again.¨ Said the man, looking at Ace, who nodded. ¨He have, and I have agreed to do it.¨ Ace could see the man smiling when he said this, ¨I am happy to hear that.¨ Said the captain. ¨We will wait until the rest show up, then you can start.¨ Ace nodded, ¨And Whitebeard,¨ Started Ace, ¨I will be leaving a bit tomorrow, I'll leave in the morning and be gone for 6-8 hours.¨ Whitebeard looked at Ace, and nodded. They stared eating a bit, waiting for the rest of the crew to come to the galley. When the rest of the people made their way into the galley, Whitebeard stood up, getting the attention.

¨Everyone,¨ He started, ¨Our new family member and commander, Ace, have some words he would like to say.¨ He motioned for Ace, who stood up.

¨Hello everyone,¨ Started Ace, speaking a bit loud making sure everyone heard him. And the other commanders and captain had a feeling Ace was not new to holding speeches. ¨As you may know, my name is Portgas D Ace, and I am glad to be able to be a part of your family.¨ The captain could see many of the occupants in the room smiling, and Ace looked to be relaxed as he talked. ¨I know many of you have mixed feelings of me being a commander, seeing that I am no older than 19.¨ Started Ace, and everyone looked at the young assassin. ¨But even though I may be young, you should never be afraid of coming to me with your troubles, I will try my best to be here for you, and do my best as a commander. I am going to going away for some business every now and then, and when I am here, I can usually be found on the deck, the meeting room or in my room.¨

¨I also want to tell you one thing.¨ Ace seemed to stand a bit straighter, and hold himself in a bit more in a professional manner, and Whitebeard had a feeling he was not just Ace, but someone in between the kid and the assassin. Ace looked calm and serious at the occupants of the room. ¨If you have any kind of troubles, no matter how insignificant you think they may be, you should never be afraid to come to either me, or any of the other commanders or Whitebeard. We are not here to judge or blame you for your past mistakes. We are here to help and support you. If you feel like you have done anything, and I do mean anything, you are feeling unsure off, we are here, even if you only need to talk about your day. It is better to tell us about it early, than to wait you are in to deep.¨

Ace smiled at everyone in the galley, ¨We are not here to control or tell you how to live your life, and you might not realize it, but you are irreplaceable.¨ Ace seemed to relax a bit, ¨I do hope we will get along, and I don't expect everyone to like me, but I will never hold anything against you. I am always here if you need to talk.¨ Ace gave a last smile, before he sat down, and everyone gave a small applause. The ones who looked a bit unsure before, now looked more reassured and okay with Ace. He sounded like a vise kid, and that did probably put them at ease, showing them that he was a serious and genuine person, not joking around.

And while Ace had spoken, he had had all the attention from the pirates in the galley, and everyone agreed on his words, especially the captain. He knew Ace had a lot of experience with people hiding their troubles and needing his help when they got in over their heads. And seeing he spoke the words in a serious manner, proved that he cared a lot about others, he didn't want to see one of the crew falling in some kind of trouble and going in over their heads.

They continued the to eat their supper, the commanders feeling content at the kid's words, and the first commander understood what Joshua had meant, the speech was spoken from experience, and he hoped Ace would listen to his own words too.

-x-

Ace stood at the front of the ship. He had used a few hours after supper to fix the layout of his room, just to make it more after his taste. He had a lot of small memorabilia from Boreumdo he wanted to place, things like pictures, weapons and other small things he had acquired during his years. He had gotten a dresser and closet from his house in Boreumdo, and had his assassin outfit in the closet, seeing as it had a secret room behind a false back. He also had different documentation and weapons in his dresser, that also had a few hidden compartments. He felt better when his assassins equipment was hidden, he trusted the crew to not search his room, but it never hurt to be a bit cautious, and Ace wasn't exactly a trusting person and liked to keep certain things a secret.

Ace could feel his eyes closing as a gust of wind came. It was a beautiful night, the stars were shining, the water was calm and there were no sounds to be heard, aside from the water hitting the ship. It was a real peaceful night. He was looking at the stars, when he noticed something blue shining a bit to the left in the sky. He looked over, and saw the first commander landing on the ship, his hands transformed into his wings, and returned to normal when he landed.

¨You got the night shift tonight?¨ Said Ace, looking at the other commander. Marco nodded, and went and stood beside the young assassin. ¨Why are you up, yoi?¨ Asked the commander, looking at the kid. Ace smiled at the other commander, before turning to the sea again when a small breeze came. ¨I like to enjoy the calm of the night.¨ Marco nodded, ¨You usually stay up during the night, yoi?¨ He asked Ace, knowing others had told him they often saw Ace out on the deck during the night when he was on the ship. Ace nodded, ¨If I can, I usually stay up and look at the sea or the sky.¨ Started the assassin, ¨I like how quiet the world is.¨ The first commander nodded, and leaned a bit on the railing, looking out at the sea like Ace.

¨I heard you are leaving for an assignment in the morning, yoi.¨ Said the first commander after a bit. Ace nodded, and looked at the man next to him, ¨I am, it won't take too long, and will be back before dinner.¨ Marco nodded, ¨When are you leaving, yoi?¨ He asked, looking at Ace. Ace sent a smile at the man, ¨I am leaving around 8, and will be back around 3 in the afternoon.¨ Marco nodded, that wasn't too long. ¨You should get a bit of sleep before you leave, yoi.¨ Said Marco, looking at Ace. The clock was nearing 4 at night, and he had a feeling Ace hadn't slept yet. Ace laughed at that, and shook his head, looking out at the sea again.

¨You sound like Sabo.¨ He started, before he looked up at the sky, ¨I'll head in soon, and get a bit of sleep.¨

Marco nodded, and they stood in silence for a bit, looking out at the sea. ¨Ace, yoi.¨ Said Marco after a bit, getting the attention. ¨The words you said at supper,¨ He started, looking at the young commander, ¨They were really good, you. You spoke like you knew what you were talking about.¨ Ace nodded, and gave a small smile to the other commander, ¨I have seen way to many get in situations where the outcome could have been better if they asked for help a bit earlier.¨ Ace shook his head a bit, a mournful look at his face, ¨A lot of people could have still been alive.¨ Marco nodded. He understood the young assassin had seen a lot of situations that could have turned out different, and the first commander had a feeling his work had a bigger impression on the kid than what he let on. ¨You know,¨ Started the first commander, making Ace look at him. And Marco gave him a reassuring and comforting smile,

¨We are here for you too, yoi. You can always come to us with your troubles.¨ Ace smiled content at the commander, and nodded, ¨I know.¨ He said, before he turned back to the ocean.

Marco smiled, and also turned to the ocean. He knew the kid had a lot of responsibility, and saw a lot of the horrible and unfair world. And that could not be easy. He would continue to tell the young assassin he himself and the others was there for him, that he should never feel afraid of coming to them with his troubles. It was never good to hold all of your emotions inside, and Marco had an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach that the kid did that. Not only had Shanks told them he wasn't as invincible as he might seem, but Sabo had also told him that Ace never really had relied on anyone since his mentor had died. After Shanks had called, they had all made a promise to be there for the young assassin, and they were going to do everything they could to keep that promise.

It was maybe half an hour later, when Ace said goodnight and goodbye for the night, and headed inside. Leaving Marco to finish his night shift.

-x-

The next morning, around 10, the newspaper arrived. It was dropped off as usual, and Haruta was the one to pick it up. When she picked the it up, and read the first page, her eyes got big, and shock was present on her face. She opened it and read a page, as she read, she started to smile, before she ran towards her father's chair, knowing most of the other commanders was going to be there. When she reached them, and they saw the running commander and seeing the look on her face. ¨Haruta,¨ Started Thatch, being the first to see her, ¨Why are you running?¨ The others on the deck looked at the commander, hearing Thatchs words. When Haruta was not far from her father's chair, and had the attention of everybody, she opened her mouth,

¨You need to hear this!¨ Said Haruta, and she sounded thrilled about something.

She opened the paper, and started reading, ¨The marines have finally managed to find the perpetrator for different attacks and ambushes. His name is Portgas D Ace, and do not be fooled by his age , he have managed to take out large groups of marines, captains and even vice admirals by himself. He is a dangerous man, he is to be apprehended and arrested on sight.¨ Haruta held up Aces wanted poster.

¨Let me see!¨ Yelled Thatch, and took the newspaper and read it himself. Haruta handed the wanted poster to Marco, who wanted to look at it himself, and could not help but smile. Ace looked a bit younger in the picture, and had his cowboy hat on. He handed to poster to his father, who smiled when he saw it. Whitebeard looked at his sons and daughters, everyone seemed to want to read the article.

¨Everyone!¨ Said the captain. getting the attention. ¨I believe this calls for a celebration!¨

Everyone agreed, and when Ace returned, they showed him the article, and they celebrated. It was Aces first bounty, at least as a pirate. And as usual, the party got a bit out of hand. Even though almost everyone was drunk beyond logic, Ace did seem to enjoy himself. He didn't drink a lot, and sat by Marco when almost everyone aside from them was drunkenly dancing and singing, Marco could see Thatch and Izou making out somewhere to his let, and them heading for their room. ¨I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of parties.¨ Said Ace, looking at Marco, amusement in his eyes. Marco laughed, ¨You are right, yoi. We aren't known for our wild parties for nothing.¨ Ace laughed at that, and held his cup up. Marco got what he wanted, and toasted him. They sat together and watched their brothers and sisters fool around.

-x-

The next day, everyone was nursing different kind of hangovers. Those who had duties, did them slowly and groaning every now and then. They did probably have a headache, and the blazing sun probably didn't help. It was still early, and they had just eaten breakfast, and the galley was not as full as it used to be, seeing as many still was in their beds. The commanders that was up and the captain was heading towards their meeting room, wanting to show off Aces wanted poster as they now had hang it on the wall. Every one of them had their poster hanging in the room, the captain at the top, and the commanders under him, and under the commanders where their division members. It was something the people liked, and they felt like they were remembered. They knew it was nothing big, but Thatch, being the energetic man he was, wanted to show it off right away.

When they got to the room, Thatch managed to trip over a chair, wanting to give a small reveal of the poster, even putting a small cloth over it. Thatch got up, trying not to look fool after tripping, and went to the wall. When the rest of them, who was Ace, Whitebeard, Izou, Marco, Curiel and Namur got inside, and looked at the chef, he gave a small bow. ¨Ladies and gentlemen,¨ He started, ¨May I present our new second commander, now getting a spot on the wall of fame.¨ Thatch took the cloth off, ¨Portgas D Ace!¨ The others clapped at the small reveal, enjoying Thatch antics. And Ace had to say, Thatch reminded him a bit of Luffy, and that only made Ace smile a bit more, trying to put away the small feelings of worry for his brothers, knowing they were safe.

When they stopped clapping, and Thatch had given one last small bow, Ace walked a bit into the room. ¨While we're here,¨ He started, getting the attention as he walked where all the other wanted posters where. ¨There are some of these people that no longer poses a threat, or is no longer alive.¨ Ace then proceeded to take down 4 of the posters, and putting them on the table. ¨I though you would not share your information, yoi.¨ Said Marco, while Ace proceeded to take down 2 more. ¨I never said I would not share anything.¨ He said, and looked at the pirates not too far away,

¨There are some stuff I can share, and I see no harm in telling you about a few dead or now neutral people.¨

Ace could see the pirates nodding, and the captain giving him a nod. Ace felt really accepted by these people, and he had a feeling he was going to really enjoy it here.

They then went back out, and continued their day, which mostly consisted of being on the deck and relaxing.

-x-

The next day, Whitebeard decided they would hold their annual weekly meeting a bit before dinner, and told everyone this at breakfast, just so everyone had a chance to tell them any concerns. It was about 4 hours before they would have the meeting, when Joshua came up to his adoptive father. ¨Pops,¨ He said, getting his attention. ¨Commander Ace said he had to do some business and would be back in 3 to 4 hours.¨ The captain nodded, ¨Thank you for telling me, son.¨ He said, smiling at the man.

Joshua seemed to struggle with something, and before the captain could ask, he had started talking again. ¨Is commander Ace in trouble?¨ He asked, looking at his father, worry in his eyes. Whitebeard smiled at the man, he was glad to see the man being worried and caring for his new commander. ¨He is in no kind of trouble, son.¨ Started Whitebeard, ¨He just have some things he needs to do every now and then.¨ Joshua looked at him, and when he saw the calm smile on his father face, he smiled himself. ¨I'm glad to hear that, I was a bit worried, since he left so fast.¨ Whitebeard nodded, ¨That is understandable.¨ Said the captain, and Joshua nodded, before he went off to continue his day, feeling reassured his commander was okay.

4 hours later, Whitebeard and all his commanders, aside from Ace, was in the meeting room. They all sat and talked about some usual stuff, waiting for Ace to start the actual meeting. They knew he would return soon, and they decided to wait in the meeting room, so they could start right away. It was maybe 10 minutes later, that the door opened, and Ace walked inside. And when he walked in, and the occupants of the room looked at him, they all stared at him in shock;

He held an ice pack at his left shoulder.

Ace walked in like normal, and sat down on the nearest chair at the end of the table, laying his left arm at the table. ¨Ace!¨ Said Thatch, looking shocked at the young assassin, ¨Your arm!¨ Ace looked at him and shook his head, ¨Its nothing,¨ He started, ¨I dislocated it. It is okay now, only a bit sore.¨ The others nodded slowly, clearly wondering how Ace had managed to dislocate it, and worried about the kid. But Ace seemed to be okay, he let his arm rest on the table as he held the ice pack on his shoulder, and they decided to ask him about it after the meeting. They started the meeting, and maybe half an hour in, Marco noticed Ace turning the ice pack. It's probably starting to go warm. Marco shot a look at his father, and based on his look, he had also noticed it. Half an hour later, the meeting was over.

¨Ace, yoi.¨ Started Marco, getting his attention. ¨Do you want me to get a new ice pack?¨ He asked. Ace had taken the pack of his shoulder 10 minutes ago, and he seemed to have no pain in his shoulder. Ace looked at him, and smiled. ¨No, I don't need a new one.¨ He said, ¨It feels a lot better, but thanks for offering.¨ Marco nodded, Ace seemed to be okay aside from the shoulder. He had a feeling Ace still had some pain, but didn't tell them. ¨Son,¨ Started Whitebeard, ¨How did you dislocate your arm?¨ Ace sighed, he knew they would ask, and he didn't like to tell people when he was injured, especially how he got injured.

But he had promised Sabo he would try. Ace looked at the other commanders and the captain, they seemed to be worried and didn't seem to think any less of him seeing that he had gotten hurt. ¨I was climbing a building,¨ Started Ace, ¨And I lost my footing and fell down. I used my arm to catch myself on a ledge.¨ He motioned to his shoulder, not wanting to tell anything more, not used to tell people when he was injured, and felt stupid for managing to lose his footing, a rookie mistake.

Ace was expecting different things to happen, but what he didn't expect, was for them to look at him in shock, before looking at him in relief, ¨I'm glad you are okay, son.¨ Said Whitebeard, sending a fatherly look at Ace. Ace looked at him in a bit of shock, before he smiled, feeling some emotions bubble in his chest.

He was not used to this, and therefor wasn't really sure how to react or act. Ace decided to put the emotions in the back of his head, and try to figure it out as time went by. They wrapped the meeting up, and headed for the galley. Ace had some of the commanders ask him if he really was okay, and Ace just smiled and nodded at them. After dinner, Ace was mostly in his room, doing some paperwork, and trying to figure out some stuff.

-x-

The next day, Ace got an another assignment. It seemed like it would be an easy and normal one, but the assignment was anything but. The assignment was only supposed to be an information run, and it was in a small base in a secluded area where almost no one lived or visited.

And what Ace had found, had made him want to kill everyone in the small base.

He had found years of slavery and torture. There was not many who was still alive when he got there, but based on the files he found; it had been going on for years, and over hundreds had been killed. And it had been people in all ages, from small children, some only being a year old, and some being over 70. He had found 8 people still alive, and had freed them, putting them on an island where he knew they would be taken cared off. He had gotten the information he was after, finished the assignment and sent Dust to Daisuke, telling him what he had found.

When he returned to the Moby Dick, he was happy to see basically no one out on deck, and made his way into his room without anyone noticing him. And that was where he was now; sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. He never understood how some people could be as evil as they were. Kidnapping and imprisoning people, innocent people, was just wrong. And knowing children had been imprisoned, even killed by the horrendous torture they had to endure, was just something Ace hated to find out. And it was at days like these, that Ace really did miss Azuruko.

Dust appeared and landed on Aces desk, using his head to rub against his master's arm, trying to comfort him as a tear fell down Aces face and landed on the desk.

-x-

Whitebeard made his way out on the deck. It was night, and he couldn't sleep; He had a bad feeling in his stomach, feeling something was wrong. When he got out on deck, and made his way to the front of the ship, he could see Ace standing there. The captain felt himself smile, seeing that the young assassin was okay. He knew Ace had to leave for an assignment, and had not seen him after that. He knew Ace was back, but he had stayed in his room for the most part, and he was a bit worried.

But the captains smile faded as he walked towards the kid.

Whitebeard could see a bottle in Aces hands as he stood by the railing. And he could see it was a bottle filled with whiskey, and he knew the young assassin rarely drank alcohol, and could only guess the assignment had not been a good one. When he was a few feet away from the kid, and was just about to open his mouth, to ask if he was okay, to comment on the clear sky, just to say anything really.

Ace shook his head, not wanting to talk.

Whitebeard felt his inside twist a bit as Ace took a swig of the bottle, before putting his hadn't by his side again. He wanted to comfort him, but he could clearly see Ace didn't want that. Whitebeard did the only thing he felt he could do; he went up to the railing, and just stood there, not talking, not looking at the kid. Not doing anything else than just being there. He knew from own experiences, that sometimes you only needed someone to just be there. No talking or hugging, just the comfort of knowing you wasn't alone.

He hoped Ace would one day come to him for comfort, he knew Aces job was hard, and he had seen the looks Ace sometimes had when he or anyone else was genuinely concerned for him, or acted like they did to the others; like a family. And he could tell Ace wasn't completely sure what to do all the time, he looked a bit lost and shocked. It made his heart ache, knowing Ace was not used to be accepted as who and what he was. No one should feel that way, and he was glad he was able to give him a home. And he would do his best, he would try all he could to make the young assassin feel at home with them.

And he knew all of his sons and daughters, especially the commanders, wanted to the same.

Ace took an another swig of the bottle, and felt a bit comforted by the captain's presence. He was feeling content that the captain understood he didn't want to talk, and that he just was there. He had thought about going and sit on the sill like ledge at the whale's teeth, but decided against it, seeing as there was a bit windy, and he was a bit tipsy and didn't want to accidently fall asleep while sitting on the small sill like ledge. And he was content with his decision, especially seeing as Whitebeard understood what he needed right now; just someone to be there, not talking or doing anything.

Ace was contemplating on telling the man of his troubles, to share his feelings and lean a bit on the captain. Everyone who knew Ace was thinking about joining the man's crew, had told him Whitebeard was a good man, and that he wouldn't judge him. And Ace did believe their words, but he was used to be on his own, he was used to deal with his own issues alone. Ace closed his eyes, he was scared to rely on others, knowing they could use it against him.

Ace took an another swig of his bottle; He wasn't ready to rely on others.

They just stood there, Whitebeard just being there for the assassin, and Ace taking the comfort he could get from the man. It was a few hours later, when Ace decided to head back inside to see if he could get any sleep, that he looked at the captain. ¨Thank you.¨ He said, and got a fatherly smile back, before he headed back to his room. Leaving Whitebeard to feel a bit happy, knowing he at least could be there for his new son, knowing he managed to comfort him a bit.

-x-

The next day, Ace made his way out of his room, to go and eat breakfast. But even before he had made it halfway, he was almost run down by Thatch, ¨Ace!¨ He yelled, as he took a hold of Aces arm, dragging him a bit after him. ¨You are late!¨ Ace looked at the man in confusion, ¨Late for what?¨ He asked, not knowing what the chef was talking about. ¨Its James birthday! We are all having a feast!¨ Said Thatch, dragging Ace to the galley. And Ace remembered being told about James birthday yesterday, but had forgotten they would start early.

When they got to the galley, almost everyone was up and dancing or having fun. And Ace, seeing everyone looking as happy as they did, could not help but smile a bit himself. The tables had been put together, and was filled with food. He could see James being gratulated and looking happy and embarrassed by all the attention. ¨Oi Marco,¨ Yelled Thatch, ¨I found him.¨ Thatch walked with Ace to the table were some of the commanders sat, looking at everyone having fun, and sat down himself when he was next to the table they sat on. ¨You finally made it, yoi.¨ Said Marco, looking at Ace. ¨You slept in, yoi?¨ He asked, as Thatch grabbed Izou from beside him, dragging him to the dancefloor. ¨Something like that.¨ Answered Ace, taking a drink the first commander offered him.

Ace and Marco made some small talk, enjoying seeing everyone happy around them. And Ace could not help but laugh when Thatch managed to trip on his own feet, sending him and Izou to the ground. Ace could also feel the stared of both the first commander and the captain, and see the smiles they had at seeing him having fun, and looking relaxed.

¨To James!¨ Yelled Thatch, when he had gotten up, and gotten a hold off a cup. Everyone lifted their own cups, those who didn't have one, just lifted theirs hands. ¨To James!¨ Yelled everyone, and the birthday feast continued for a few hours.

As everyone started to dance again, everyone having fun and laughing. Ace couldn't help but close his eyes, this is what a family is like.

---

And that's chapter 12, hope you enjoyed.

I know it may have been a bit boring and not really too much happening and such, but I wanted to make Aces first days a bit of a mixture of hurt/comfort and happiness.

And give a bit of insight on how Ace felt and how the crew was around Ace. Showing how he feels about suddenly having people around him, something he haven't had since Azuruko. As well as the pirates thoughts on all this

And I will write about Ace doing a full assignment soon it will either be in the next chapter, or the one after that.

If you have any requests, questions or is wondering about something in the story, feel free to ask.