Hello everyone, here's chapter 16

And we are now looking more into how Ace feels about joining the pirates, and more bonding.

Big thanks to OhMy56 for beating

So without further do, enjoy

Read and relax

Ace sat in his rooms, doing some paperwork as usual. He had been up all night since he didn't feel like sleeping. Ace knew he probably should have slept, at least a bit. But he just didn't think he could. He had a lot on his mind, and he was restless from not working. He knew they were not too far away from an uninhabited island, and would ask Whitebeard if he could go there for a bit. Just to clear his head a bit, maybe get in some training. He knew he could train with the other pirates, but that would be normal combat. Ace liked that, but he needed to train in assassination and that kind of combat, just to keep his skills up. He would also join Daisuke in training every now and then, but for now, he wanted to maybe do some alone training.

It was closing in on morning, the clock was around 6. Ace would soon head out for breakfast, hoping to eat before everyone was in the galley. If the captain was up, he would ask to go to the island for a few hours. If not, he would wait until after lunch. Whitebeard was usually up early, and they had not been too long up in the night. Half an hour later, Ace made his way to the galley.

When he got there, there were only a few people present, and Whitebeard was not one of those. Ace went and sat down next to where Whitebeard usually sat, and started to fill his plate with a bit of food. He was soon joined by Fossa, and started a small conversation with him. It was maybe 15 minutes later that the door opened, and the captain walked in. Whitebeard said good morning to everyone as he walked inside, before sitting down. When Fossa left to talk so someone that wanted his attention. Ace turned his attention to the captain.

¨Whitebeard.¨ Started Ace, getting his attention. ¨I noticed we are close to an uninhabited island, and wanted to take a trip there. Hopefully alone if it's okay.¨ Whitebeard frowned a bit, looking worriedly and questionably at Ace. ¨Is everything okay, son?¨ Asked the captain. Ace gave a smile to the captain. He was not used to people being concerned about him. It was weird, but also nice. Ace shook his head. ¨Nothing's wrong.¨ Started Ace, before giving a small sigh. ¨I'm just feeling a bit restless, and I would like to get some trainingdone.¨ Said Ace, hoping the captain understood.

Whitebeard gave an understanding smile. He had a feeling it was more than just training, but he saw no harm in it. He wouldn't keep Ace on the boat if he wanted to roam a bit. He was used to moving around a lot, not staying the same place for too long. ¨I see no harm in it, son. How long do you think you'll be away?¨ He asked Ace, who smiled, glad the captain understood. ¨A couple of hours, three at most.¨ Answered Ace. Whitebeard nodded. That wasn't too long. ¨When do you think you'll leave?¨ He asked. Ace shook his head a bit. ¨I was thinking about leaving soon.¨ He answered the captain. Whitebeard nodded, and looked at the clock. It was almost 7, if he left now, he would be back around 9, at latest 10. ¨That should be fine.¨ He then gave a fatherly look to Ace, speaking in a calming voice. ¨You sure you're okay? You don't have to go alone, we are here for you, son.¨

Ace nodded. He knew they were there for him. It was all just so new to him. Ace gave a truthful smile to the man, a bit guilty for leaving. ¨I'm okay. I just,¨ Ace gave a sigh, he had a feeling the captain already knew. ¨I need to think a bit too.¨ He said, looking at the captain. Whitebeard nodded. ¨It's okay, son.¨ He said, giving an understanding and comforting smile to Ace. The captain knew everything was a bit new to him, and Ace probably needed to figure a lot out. And that was something they could not rush. Ace was already opening more to them. The captain then watched as Ace left, hoping he would be able to figure and sort his thoughts out.

-x-

Ace leaned on his knees, a bit out of breath. There were throwing knifes and daggers lodged in different trees and some branches lying on the ground. Ace took a deep breath as he stood up straight again, and moved his hands to his head, taking off the blindfold he had on. When the blindfold was off, he went and looked over the daggers and knifes, too see if he had hit the marks. Ace usually did this kind of training when he trained alone. He always liked to test his senses and make sure his reaction was up to par. He even had Dust making some marks while he was blindfolded, just to make it a bit more challenging. He was a bit irked to see his aim was a bit off on a few of the marks that was a bit of a distance away on the top of some trees. It was still a hit, but not in the middle. He was one of the best with his aim when it came to throwing, even when he was blindfolded.

Ace gave a sigh before he went and gathered all the knifes and daggers, packing them down. He had been training with them for about two hours, and did feel better, less restless. He didn't train with blindfolds too often, at least not when he was around others. The only few times was when it was without weapons, or when he was training with the Red Cloud. He was confident in himself, but there could still happen accidents. After Ace had packed everything away, he looked around himself. It was a nice island, it had a lot of forest. He wasn't too far away from the beach, and could see the ship a bit away. Ace decided to check the island a bit more out. Dust had mentioned something about a river not too far away. Ace had a bit of scrapes and dirt on himself. It wouldn't hurt to clean himself a bit up.

When he got to the river, he gave a sigh of relief. He had always liked these places; they were always calm. When he was next to the water, Ace took his small backpack off him, and crouched by the water, splashing himself in the face a bit. Ace then used a small towel to dry himself off, as he sat down next to the water, watching the calm stream and cliff behind it. Dust then landed beside him, and gave a caw, tilting his head a bit. Ace gave a small laugh, before opening the small backpack again, taking out a piece of toast. Ace split it in two, giving one piece to Dust, and eating the other one himself.

As Ace sat and ate the piece of toast, he couldn't really believe that he actually had a place to return to. To someone that accepted him for who he was, assassin and everything. He had never met anyone so accepting that wasn't an assassin or informant. The only ones close was Shanks and Rayleigh. None of them liked his job, one of the reasons he had never joined Shanks crew. He had come to peace that he would never get a crew, a family, where he belonged, aside from with Luffy, Sabo, and somewhat The Red Cloud. And now, he had everything he could dream off and more. Ace knew they cared for him, wanting him to stay safe and help him. But his job was dangerous, and he still found himself having doubts, that joining them might had been mistake after all.

It wasn't just the fact that Ace was an assassin, but that he was one of the most wanted people in the world. Not only by the marines, but by pirates, nobles, other groups and even rogue assassins. If one of them managed to figure out who he was, and that he had joined the Whitebeards, that would be terrible. Ace would not be surprised if they came for not only him, but the entire pirate crew. It would be an outright war, and he would be the reason for it.

Ace heard a small caw from Dust, the bird feeling Ace was conflicted. Ace looked over, and petted him a bit. ¨Do you think I am making a mistake?¨ He asked, wanting to know what Dust thought. The bird looked at him before shaking his head a bit. Ace gave a small laugh. He knew Dust liked it there. The bird liked to have a place to return to, and everyone seemed to like him. Ace knew Dust was telling the truth, and that did give some comfort. But he needed to talk to someone, just to get an another perspective on everything. But Ace had no idea who he should talk to.

There were a limited group of people Ace trusted with his troubles and feelings. And even though he did trust them to some limit, he never had given away much, only telling small and insignificant things. There had only been one person he had trusted completely, and he was no longer there to give him advice. Ace could possibly go to either Daisuke or Shanks, even Rayleigh in theory. But this didn't have anything to do with them, and he didn't want to drag them into his personal business. This had to do with him and the Whitebeards. He knew they often told him he could talk to them about everything. But Ace had doubts about the fact he had joined them, and he didn't know how they would react to that. He had already almost killed one of them, and for him to say he was doubting both his and their decision on him joining them, could stir up some issues.

Ace shook his head. He did have a lot to figure out, and he wasn't completely sure where to start. Dust suddenly cawed, and when Ace looked over, the bird had dragged out the scarf he had borrowed from Izou. Ace had decided to keep it, just in case. Dust looked at him, before looking back at the scarf. Ace sighed. Maybe he should talk to Whitebeard about this. From what Ace had both gathered and heard, the captain was a man to confide in, someone that would give the right advice, even if he himself didn't like the advice. A lot like Azuruko. Ace closed his eyes, he wasn't sure if he should bring this up. But it would not do anything good to dwell on it either. Ace opened his eyes again, he would think about it. He still had a bit of time to roam on the island.

When Ace had opened his eyes, he looked up at the cliff in front of him. It was not a too tall cliff, about 6-700 feet. It was pretty steep and had a lot of ridges, it even had an overhang about 2/3 of the way up. Ace smiled; it had been awhile since he climbed a cliff. Ace stood up, and took his cape off, just so it didn't get torn, laying it beside his backpack. Ace crouched down and took some bandages out from his backpack, and put them on his hands, covering his hands and halfway up to his elbow. The cliff had ridges, and getting a few cuts and scrapes was unavoidable, but he could lessen it. And he was wearing a singlet, so his hands and arms were exposed. He would have put some on his feet, but he had some regular pants on, as well as his boots. They would do for now.

Ace then used his powers to teleport to the other side of the river, and started to climb the cliff.

-x-

Whitebeard sat in his chair on deck. It was about half an hour ago that Ace had left to go to the island, and he was a bit worried. Ace had looked a bit troubled, and the captain hoped Ace would figure everything out. If he didn't, he hoped Ace would trust him enough to tell him about it. It did often help to have others tell what they thought. He would not force him to speak about it, but he would hint at it maybe. Whitebeard decided to see how Ace looked when he returned, and he would take everything from there.

Whitebeard had thought about maybe offering to train with him, but he had a feeling the kid was not going to do regular combat training, and therefore also wanted to go alone. But the captain would still have enjoyed an another duel with him, Ace was one of the strongest people he had met. It was rare for him to be able to fight someone on his own level, and Ace, without his devil fruit or weapons had managed to win. Ace was an expert in combat, and the captain expected no less from the kid.

¨Marco,¨ Said a voice to his right, and the captain looked over to see Rakuyo, who was approaching the first commander who was standing next to his chair. ¨Have you seen Ace? I can't find him.¨ Whitebeard could see Marco somewhat frowning, the captain being able to see past his bored look. ¨No, yoi. Is he not in his room?¨ Said the first commander. Rakuyo shook his head. ¨Don't worry my sons.¨ Started Whitebeard, getting their attention. ¨Ace is okay.¨ Marco looked at him, ¨Do you know where he is, yoi?¨ He asked his father. Whitebeard nodded. ¨He wanted to train a bit by himself,¨ He started. ¨He is at the uninhabited island we're close too. He'll be back in an hour or so.¨

The two commanders nodded, both of them looking a bit concerned by the information. They knew Ace had a few days off so he could be with them, so they didn't like that he had left. Rakuyo looked back at his father, ¨Why didn't he ask to train with us? And why did he leave, we have training rooms.¨ Whitebeard gave a small sigh. There weren't many people out around them, still a bit early and most in the galley. ¨He needed to think a bit too, son.¨ He said, looking calmly at his sons. They nodded, understanding shining in their eyes. Haruta, having heard the conversation, walked up to them. ¨Why don't we also go to the island?¨ She started. ¨It's been some time since we were at an uninhabited one, and Stefan loves those places.¨

Whitebeard looked at his daughter. She was right; It had been awhile since they had been at an uninhabited one. And Stefan did like to run around. Whitebeard looked out at the sea, he could see the island in the distance, and it would maybe take an hour to get there. ¨That sounds like a good idea, daughter.¨ He said, looking smilingly at the twelfth commander. ¨We will wait an hour before heading there. I promised Ace a couple of hours alone.¨ He said. The commanders nodded. Rakuyo started his day, while Haruta went over to some others on deck.

When no one was close by, Marco looked at his father, ¨Is he really okay, yoi?¨ He asked. Whitebeard sighed, looking comfortingly at his son. ¨He need to figure some things out, son.¨ Marco nodded, going back to looking at the others on deck, relaxing beside his father.

-x-

The boat had docked at the island, and the pirates were about to go into the island. The ones to go on the island for now was only the captain and some of his commander, seeing as Ace still had half an hour left before he was supposed to be back at the boat. If what Whitebeard thought was right, Ace was doing some assassin training, and he didn't want any of his children that didn't know about him being an assassin stumble across him in mid training. They were allowed to be at the beach, but not to go into the forest.

He had thought about waiting until he came back, but they had seen Dust sitting in the trees watching them. And since the bird didn't stop them from leaving the boat, they thought it was okay. When they had gotten off the boat, Dust had flown into the forest, and the pirates decided to see where the bird went, thinking the bird was leading them to Ace. The ones to go with the captain were Marco, Haruta, Izou, Thatch, Rakuyo and Blenheim. Stefan was also going with them, running around and enjoying to finally be on land and able to run.

The pirates walked into the forest, following where Dust had flown. It was a regular island with a lot of forest, it even had some small mountain further in on the island. They walked in a calm manner, talking about some usual stuff, hoping to come across Ace. They had been walking close to 10 minute, when they came to a small clearing and saw a river and the start of the mountain cliff. It was Haruta that noticed something lying next to the river, so they made their way over. They were a bit surprised to find Aces stuff, even the cape lying on the ground. But there was no Ace in sight, and that did make them a bit concerned. ¨Why would Ace leave his stuff?¨ Asked Haruta, looking at the others concerned.

None of them did have an answer. It was a bit concerning to see the stuff lying alone, especially the cape. ¨I don't know, yoi.¨ Said Marco, ¨He is probably close by, he wouldn't go far I think.¨ Everyone nodded at that. It did make sense. The reason Ace had left the cape was probably too keep it from getting torn if he could manage it. The pirates were about to continue to look around, when a noise had them look towards the cliff, where a rock had fallen down. This made the captain frown a bit, if the cliff was unstable they should move. Before he had managed to think more about it, he heard Haruta's shocked voice. ¨Pops.¨ When everyone looked at her, she was looking up at something, when they followed her line of sight, they could only stare in shock and amazement.

Ace was climbing the cliff, and was a bit over halfway up.

¨That is just amazing.¨ Said Thatch, making the others nod. The cliff was really steep, so it could not be an easy feat to climb it. What amazed them even more, was that Ace was only using his hands and feet to climb. Whitebeard was a bit concerned by the presence of bandages on the kids arms, but he didn't look to be in pain. Ace was climbing fast, he looked like he knew what he was doing. ¨What's he going to do when he gets to the overhang?¨ Asked the chef, frowning a bit. The fourth commander was right, climbing all the way up would be basically impossible. The overhang was a bit far out, and continuing the path would mean Ace would almost climb upside down, which they thought would be near impossible. ¨I don't know, son.¨ Said the captain. ¨But I do have a feeling Ace knows what he's doing.¨ The others nodded, and everyone sat down, watching Ace climb.

It was a few minutes later that Ace was almost at the overhang, and they could see Ace stopping a bit. They watched in fascination and small uncertainty as the kid seemed to move his feet in better positions, before looking up at the overhang. ¨He's not going to do what I think he's going to do?¨ Said the chef, sounding concerned and panicked. Before anyone could respond, Ace had made the move. Ace kicked off from the wall, and was airborne for a few short seconds. The pirates were about to jump up, not really sure what they should do. When Ace somehow managed to get a grip, they could see him holding onto a rock that protruded from the roof-like structure. They watched as Ace swung his body to make his feet touch the overhang, continuing to climb almost upside down, a bit slower than before, seeing as he was basically upside down.

The pirates relaxed again, seeing Ace was fine. Marco gave a small laugh, ¨He never cease to amaze, yoi.¨ The others laughed a bit at that. It was true, Ace did always seem to amaze them with his skills and ability. The fact he was able to climb where he was as close to upside down as one could get without actually being it, was amazing. Ace had an amazing skill to assess where the best place to put his hands and feet was. They continued to watch in amazement as Ace climbed, his feet did sometimes lose its footing, but he always managed to get it back. After a few more minutes, Ace was finally at the end of the overhang. Ace used his hands to get a hold of a small ledge, and dragged himself up until he also had footing.

They saw Ace taking a deep breath, then starting the rest of the climb. It was only about one third left and they had no doubts he would make it; Ace was a great climber. When he was halfway between the overhang and the top, Ace had one foot and one hand in the air, going for the next place to put them, when the rock his other foot was standing on gave away, making him hang by one arm. The pirates were a bit worried, and was tense. But the extra weight on the rock he was holding was too much.

And the moment it gave away and Ace fell, Marco was already upright, on his way to transform into his phoenix.

But Ace, with greater speed they had ever seen, had in one swift movement gotten out a dagger, plunging it into the wall, making his descent stop. Marco, seeing Ace was no longer falling, just stood on the ground, watching at the ready. Ace then managed to get his footing back, took the dagger and put it back into his belt before starting to climb again.

All the pirates let out a relieved sigh, Marco sitting back down again. Ace's reactions were amazingly fast. They then sat and watched Ace climb the rest, this time no accidents happening. When Ace was at one move away from the top, he used his hands to lift himself onto the flat surface. When he was up, they saw Ace leaning on his knees a bit, looking to be a bit out of breath, which surprised none of them. It wasn't too tall, but it was still a bit of a climb, and it was steep with an overhang. Whitebeard was certain none of them could manage that without any equipment like Ace had done. It was Haruta that started to clap, but all of them soon followed, giving an applause to Ace for the amazing feature of climbing the cliff.

They saw Ace hearing the clapping and looking towards them. They also saw the smile on his face when he noticed them. Ace then took one more deep breath, before disappearing. Not even a second later, Ace reappeared not far away from them. The moment he had reappeared, he had started to undo the bandages around his arms. ¨Ace!¨ Yelled Thatch in excitement. ¨That was amazing!¨ The others nodded, looking amazedly at him. Ace gave a small laugh and a smile. ¨Thanks, it was fun too.¨ Said Ace, making them smile. Whitebeard looked a bit worriedly at the bandages, ¨Son,¨ He started, making Ace look at him. ¨You aren't injured, are you?¨ Ace shook his head, ¨I am not.¨ Started Ace, taking the last bit of bandage off his left arm. ¨I do have the usual small scrapes. But the bandages did prevent a lot of them, the reason I put them on.¨

The pirates nodded, now understanding the reason behind the bandages. It was also smart, and easy way of preventing scrapes or cuts from the rocks on the cliff. They could see some scrapes on his hands where the bandages had not covered, but it wasn't deep or even bleeding a lot. Ace then made his way over to his backpack and cape, taking the last bandage off and putting it away. When he had done this, he took his cape on, and turned back to the pirates. ¨Are there a reason for you to be here, or did you just want to visit the island?¨ He asked in a calm voice with a smile. Whitebeard smiled at him. ¨We wanted to visit the island. It's been awhile since we've been to an uninhabited one.¨ He said. Ace nodded, smiling. ¨Uninhabited islands are nice and comforting from time to time.¨ The pirates nodded, starting to head back to the others at the beach.

-x-

Ace stretched as they walked through the forest. He felt a lot better. He had had a lot of fun climbing the cliff. He had not noticed the pirates arriving while he was climbing since he was concentrating on where to put his hands and feet. He was glad the overhang had enough ridges so he could climb, he was a bit worried he couldn't continue when he got there. He could have used some of his knifes or dagger to help him, but he thought it was much more fun and giving if he only used his hands and feet. He was a bit startled when the rocks he was holding on standing on gave out, but he was prepared and managed to get his dagger out before he was past the overhang. If his descent didn't stop, he would just have used his powers to land on the ground.

He was glad the captain had let him go to the island. He had managed to do a bit of training and thinking. The climb was just an extra thing he had time to do. When he was on top, and managed to get his breath back, he was first a bit surprised to hear clapping. But he smiled when he saw them, and realized they had arrived sometime while he was mid climb. He also wondered why they were there, Ace knew he had a bit time left before 3 hours had gone by. But he was happy to know they wanted to visit the island, that meant he could spend more time there. He always enjoyed uninhabited islands.

The pirates then walked out of the forest and back onto the beach where the rest of crew where. Everyone on the beach cheered when they saw them coming back from the forest. They had even started to build a bonfire, and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Thatch had instantly gone ahead, yelling something about having a party, making most of them laugh. Ace shook his head, ¨I'm just going to put my stuff away.¨ He said, getting a nod from the captain. Ace started to head for the ship, deciding to walk instead of using his powers. Sometimes it was nice to walk, and he had no rush.

Ace had walked a few steps when someone got his attention. ¨Ace,¨ Ace turned around, and saw Rakuyo approaching him. ¨Do you have a second?¨ He asked. Ace smiled, ¨I do. I'm just going to put some of my stuff in my room, why don't we walk together?¨ Rakuyo smiled and nodded, starting to walk beside him. When the commander didn't say anything, Ace decided to wait until they were a bit farther away from the others, thinking the commander didn't want the others hear. When they were about halfway to the boat, Ace turned his head to the other commander. ¨Did you want to talk about anything?¨ He asked, knowing there weren't anyone in close proximity. ¨We're closing in on Budo, and that's where Sumiko is.¨ Started the commander. ¨She talks a lot about you from when you rescued her, and I hoped you would maybe visit her?¨ Ace nodded, and gave a small smile to the commander.

¨I can do that, but I won't do it if she knows I'm the assassin.¨ He said.

The seventh commander frowned a bit at that. ¨I understand you don't want to mix your pirate with the assassin, but may I ask why? Sumiko won't tell anyone.¨ Ace sighed, he knew Sumiko looked up to him after the rescue. ¨It's not that I don't trust her.¨ He started. ¨But for her to be around the assassin isn't something good.¨ Ace could see them man was about to say something, but he raised his arm a bit, silencing him. ¨For her to look up to an assassin is not good. I don't wish for her to want to be like an assassin, it's not a good choice.¨ Ace gave a smile to Rakuyo who seemed to understand what he meant. ¨She should be a pirate, like her brother.¨ Rakuyo nodded, ¨I understand what you mean.¨ Said the man.

Ace smiled back, glad he did. Ace didn't want to make anyone want to be an assassin, it wasn't a kind line of work. He knew he had started early, and he had come a long way. But he saw way too many wanting to be assassins and dying an early and gruesome death, he didn't want others to wish to become a part of that. ¨I know it might seem harsh,¨ Continued Ace. ¨But she should forget about the assassin. It will do her no good thinking about him.¨ Rakuyo nodded. ¨I will tell her that when we are there.¨ He said, looking understandingly at Ace.

¨Do you like it here, on the ship?¨ Asked the seventh commander, looking at him. Ace gave a small laugh, ¨Its nice here.¨ He started, looking at the commander, smiling. ¨It's a bit weird too. I am not used to be around others this much, but it's nice and calm.¨ Rakuyo looked a bit shocked at him, before giving a laugh. ¨If you call this calm,¨ Started the commander. ¨I don't want to know what you are used to. If it's one thing we can call us, calm is not one of them. Everyone is always running around and making a ruckus, especially Thatch.¨ Ace laughed, Thatch did do a lot of things. ¨I think none of them can compare to Luffy. He's always running around and getting into trouble.¨ He said. Rakuyo gave a snort. ¨Luffy is a wild one, I have to agree with that.¨ Said the commander, looking at Ace. ¨You look used to his antics though.¨ Ace laughed. ¨You get used to it with time.¨ Answered Ace.

The two commander then started to talk about their siblings as they walked on the ship, both of them smiling as they shared stories.

-x-

The fire from the bonfire was blazing. Everyone was ready to have a party, and many had already started. The pirates seemed happy that they were able to visit the uninhabited island, especially Stefan, who were still running around. Ace was sitting on a rock not too far away from the forest, looking at everyone who were roaming around. It was structural and calm, Ace enjoyed that. He could also see what Rakuyo meant, they did sometimes look like headless chickens, but they always managed to what they were supposed to do. It was a complete different pace than what Ace was used to when he was around this many people.

The times he was, it was when he was with The Red Cloud. When Ace was with them, everyone was acting like assassin. He was used to that, but he could tell that no one was being themselves. Every one of them were acting, trying to look as professional as they could. He knew they had a reputation to uphold, but the thing he disliked the most, was when the newer ones were there. Everyone was looking at him in fear and apprehension. He enjoyed the times when it was just himself and the more experienced ones, the ones that had been there for a long time and knew who everyone were. He could compare them to how the commanders were. They were the one in charge, therefore acting a bit different time to time when they were around the division members. They still needed to show that they were strong and relaying, so he did understand it.

Ace liked the routines the pirates had, it showed who they were and Ace enjoyed seeing the pirates being themselves. He was sitting and watching Thatch annoying his division, when someone sat down beside him. Ace looked over to see Namur, ¨Good morning.¨ Said the merman when Ace looked at him. Ace smiled, it was still morning, the clock wasn't 11 yet. ¨Good morning, Namur.¨ He said back. Namur was sitting beside him, but still a bit away. Ace knew the merman always was a bit on edge around others that he hadn't been around too much. Mermen were looked down upon and Ace had always thought that was wrong. They were amazing people, many of the ones he had met had been more welcoming than most.

Ace also knew Namur mostly was on the ship when they docked, and he hoped the merman would come with them to town when they got on Budo. ¨Namur,¨ Said Ace, getting his attention. ¨When we get to Budo, you should join us to come in town.¨ Ace could see Namur looking a bit shocked at him, before giving a somewhat smile. ¨I don't know, I like it on the ship.¨ He said, and Ace could tell he didn't completely mean it. Ace had been on the island once before, when he and Azuruko needed to do something, and they were kind people. ¨They won't care.¨ He said, looking at Namur. ¨And if they do, they just need to get over it.¨ He ended, sending a smile.

Namur looked at Ace, sending a sheepish smile. ¨I'll think about it.¨ He said. ¨I'm used to the stares and murmurs I get.¨ Ace shook his head a bit. ¨I know what you mean. But just because you are used to it, doesn't make it any easier.¨ Started Ace. ¨People will always judge. They will often listen to what others say and think, before they even think about seeing if it's true.¨ Namur looked at him in small shock, before he understood. Ace was used to people thinking of him as a devil, someone that would kill and destroy, not having morals and honor. Thinking if they paid enough, he would do whatever they wanted.

Ace leaned back on his hands, looking at the sky. ¨But you'll always meet someone who will accept you for who you are. And when you do, it's important to remember they are there for you.¨ Ace could hear Namur sigh. ¨I remember when I first met Pops, I couldn't believe when he told me he didn't care that I was a merman. Saying that everyone was a child of the sea.¨ Said the merman. Ace smiled, looking back at Namur, who was looking at everyone on the beach. ¨Whitebeard is a good man.¨ Said Ace, and could see Namur nod. ¨He is.¨

-x-

Ace sat on a rock near the ocean, Stefan was lying beside him relaxing as Ace petted him. Most of the pirates were asleep, having gone a bit wild at the party. It was in the middle of the night and the sky had clouded up, making it a bit chilly, making Ace glad he had the cape. When the people had fallen in a drunken sleep, Ace had helped the others that were sober or less drunk to either bring them closer to the fire or giving them a blanket. He was a bit surprised at seeing how often and how much some of them drank, but let them have their fun. It seemed the rumors weren't lying when they mentioned the Whitebeards were the best and worst at holding parties.

¨Couldn't sleep?¨ Said a voice behind him making Ace turn a bit around. Ace shook his head as he looked at the captain. ¨I'm not tired.¨ He answered, telling a half truth. He was a bit tired, but knew it would be pointless to try to sleep, at least for now. The captain gave a nod as he went to sit beside Stefan on the ground, also petting the wolf. ¨Did you manage to get some training done on the island, son?¨ Asked the captain when he was seated. Ace nodded, making the captain smile. ¨What kind of training did you do? If you don't mind me asking.¨ Continued the captain. Ace gave a smile to the man, ¨I mostly did some target training.¨ Started Ace. ¨I like to do that alone, one wrong move can result in an injury.¨ The captain nodded in understanding. Whitebeard then looked at Ace, wanting to see his reaction to his next question.

¨Did you figure some things out too, son?¨ He asked.

Ace gave a sigh. He had been able to think about some things, but he hadn't managed to figure it out, at least not yet. ¨I managed to get to think a bit.¨ Said Ace, looking out at the sea. Whitebeard frowned, understanding Ace hadn't been able to figure what he wanted out. ¨You know you can talk to me, or any of the others.¨ Said the captain, looking comfortingly at Ace. Ace nodded, but didn't say anything, neither did he look at the captain. Both of them continued to sit in silence, petting the wolf that lied between them. Both of them enjoying the others presence.

It was a bit later that Ace gave a sigh, looking up at the cloudy sky. ¨I sometimes wonder if I am making the right choice.¨ Started Ace. ¨I know you are okay with me being an assassin and everything. But my work comes with great risks and consequences. Not just that I am a wanted assailant, but that I am one of the most wanted ones by so many different people and groups.¨ Ace gave a smile when Stefan moved his head to lie across Ace's lap. ¨The consequences if someone figures out who I am would be awful and a gigantic mess.¨ Ace ended, looking down at Stefan, who closed his eyes as Ace petted behind his ears.

Whitebeard had sat quietly while Ace had talked, not wanting to interrupt. The captain did understand what Ace meant, and he was right. If someone found out about it, it would be bad. Whitebeard sent a fatherly look at Ace. ¨If,¨ He started. ¨Someone finds out about who you are, you won't be alone. We will stand beside you no matter what, that's what a family do.¨ The captain could see Ace smiling, but he could also see some emotions in the kid's eyes. He hoped Ace didn't regret accepting his offer, and he would stand by his words. No matter what happened, they would stand by his side. They were a family, and they never left anyone behind. They would stand together until the end of the road.

Both of them then just sat in silence, enjoying the night and the calm wind that blew every now and then.

-x-

The next morning everyone made their way back to the boat. The weather had only gotten worse, it had even started to rain a bit. Everyone had helped to gather the stuff and trash that was on the island, not wanting to make a mess on the beautiful island. It did take some time, but with everyone helping, it got done in a good pace. They were glad when they finally were done, seeing as the sky just opened up and rain came pouring down. All of the pirates had gone for shelter from the rain, and many was watching the weather from the windows. Most of the crew that wasn't to hangover was in the galley, this included most of the commanders and the captain.

¨It's really pouring down.¨ Said Haruta, staring out a window. Many of the others nodded. It was really pouring down, and they were a bit moody because of it. They had had perfect weather for days, and no one liked this turn of events. Haruta suddenly frowned a bit, trying to lean closer to the window, to focus on something she saw. ¨Why is Ace outside?¨ She asked, brows furrowed, still looking out. This caught every commanders and captain's attention as they also made their way over to the window, trying to look out.

Haruta was right, they could see someone standing in the rain at the front of the ship. Based on the outline of the cape they saw, it was most likely Ace. ¨Why doesn't he come inside? He is going to get soaking wet.¨ Continued the twelfth commander. No one did have an answer to that. Izou tilted his head a bit, ¨He seems to be enjoying it for some reason.¨ Said the crossdresser. Everyone tried to look closer, and could see Ace had his head tilted a bit upwards. ¨Why would he enjoy standing in the rain?¨ Asked Haruta, looking at her father. But instead of him answering, it was Marco. ¨Because¨ Started the first commander, getting the attention.

¨No one can see you crying in the rain, yoi.¨

Everyone looked at him shocked, before looking back at the figure in the rain. After Marco's comment, they swore they could see tears mixing with the rain. Marco then silently walked towards the door and went outside. All of them watched from the window as the first commander went up and stood beside Ace in the rain. They could see that none of them was talking, they just stood in silence.

Whitebeard did have a smile on his face, seeing them standing there. He knew Marco had done that himself at the beginning after joining them, but had stopped after a while, realizing no one would look down on him for having feelings. Marco did only show them to him, trying to look strong for his brothers and sisters. The captain only hoped Ace would also realize this. He was not surprised Ace didn't like to show his feelings, knowing it could be fatal in his line of work. It was true, if you didn't know what to look after, no one could tell that you were crying. ¨Thatch,¨ Started the captain, looking at his son. ¨Why don't you go and get some towels. They are going to need it when they come in.¨ Thatch nodded, and went to fetch some towels from the kitchen.

The ones that stood at the window left after a bit, not wanting to stare at the duo on deck. They started a game of cards, having fun plying different kinds of games while waiting for Marco and Ace to come inside. It was an hour later when the door opened, and both Marco and Ace came inside soaking wet. When they closed the door behind them, Izou was in front of them, offering the towels Thatch had fetched before. Both of them gave a thank you, and started to dry themselves off as they moved more into the galley, eventually sitting down. ¨What are you playing?¨ Asked Ace, seeing the cards. ¨Poker.¨ Answered Thatch, smiling at Ace. ¨Want to join? But I have to warn you, I'm exceptionally skilled at it.¨ Ace gave a grin, ¨Give me a hand.¨ He said, making everyone smile and Thatch feeling unsure about what he just said.

Two hours later, Thatch laid with his head on the table, having lost everything he had to Ace, who was smiling. ¨Anyone up for an another round?¨ Asked the assassin, and could see everyone shaking their heads. ¨How about we play war instead?¨ Contributes the captain, making everyone nod, and Ace laugh.

-x-

The pirates had spent most of the day inside, seeing the bad weather. But a bit after dinner, the sky had cleared up, and many had gone out on deck continuing the day. It was now getting late, and Ace was standing at the front of the ship. He had enjoyed playing cards with the others, it was a lot of fun. Even though it had been bad weather for most of the day, it was almost no clouds in the sky now. Ace enjoyed the biting and freshness of the air after rain. It smelt and felt clearer than before, making Ace enjoy the night a bit more than usual.

¨Can't sleep, yoi?¨ Asked the first commander, coming to stand beside him. Ace shook his head, ¨I'm not really tired.¨ Said Ace, turning towards the other man. ¨What about you?¨ He asked knowing Marco didn't have the night shift tonight. Marco gave a sigh. ¨The same, yoi.¨ He said, looking at Ace. Ace gave a laugh, ¨Good to know I'm not alone.¨ He said, smiling at the first commander. ¨It's nice to have company on sleepless nights.¨ Marco looked out at sea, ¨Is it often you can't sleep, yoi? You aren't in your room a lot.¨ He said, sounding a bit concerned. Ace laughed a bit, knowing Marco had cached that he rarely slept. ¨I'm doing okay. I think I get enough sleep.¨ He said, and could hear the first commander laugh at the statement. ¨I have a feeling what you think is enough is way too little, yoi.¨ Ace shook his head, giving a small laugh again. ¨I think everyone thinks different on what enough sleep is.¨ Said Ace smiling.

Marco shook his head. He knew the feeling of not sleeping enough, and thinking you did. It was sometimes a struggle, and he didn't like it when people outright told him to sleep more, thinking it was that easy. It was easy to forget how hard sleeping was for someone, it was no surprise to the first commander that Ace had trouble sleeping. Ace's job wasn't exactly easy and required him to be awake most nights, insomnia was probably something he was used to. ¨Did you have fun on the island, yoi?¨ Asked Marco. Ace nodded, ¨I did, it was nice to be able to train a bit and the party was nice.¨ Said Ace. Marco nodded, and looked out at the sea. ¨Was climbing the cliff a part of your training?¨ He asked, thinking it might have been.

Ace shook his head. ¨No.¨ Started Ace. ¨Its been awhile since I've climbed a cliff, I enjoy doing it. It was a bit of a challenge.¨ Marco gave a snort at that. ¨It was an amazing feat, yoi. Especially how you managed to climb on the overhang.¨ Said Marco. ¨I didn't know it was possible to do that without equipment, yoi.¨ Ace laughed. ¨I have had my fair share of training in climbing. You just need to know where to put your hands and feet.¨ Said Ace, closing his eyes at a breeze that came. Marco nodded. ¨You looked like you knew what you were doing, yoi.¨ Started Marco. ¨You were climbing at a fast pace. You even gave most of us an heart attack when you fell.¨

Ace laughed at that. ¨Accidents and flukes happen. I thought the rock would manage to hold.¨ Marco nodded, ¨Your reaction was fast, it almost looked as you were prepared to fall, yoi.¨ Said the first commander. Ace nodded, ¨When you climb, you need to be prepared to fall. I wasn't waiting for it, but I was prepared for it.¨ Said Ace, making Marco nod. ¨Like a fight, yoi.¨ Started Marco. ¨You are prepared for an attack, and therefore are ready to act.¨ Ace nodded. ¨Yes. You don't wait for it, but you are ready for it to happen. Things go wrong, and you need to be ready to act.¨ Marco nodded. He understood what Ace meant. He was usually prepared for things to happen, and therefore was on guard most of the time. It never hurt to be ready, and he felt glad Ace thought the same.

Both of them then just stood in the silence of the night, listening to the waves hit the ship. It was an hour later, when Dust appeared and landed on the railing. Marco could see the bird having an envelope, and remembered Ace had his last day off today, it had been 4 days since he took the days off. The commander was glad he got all four days, he had been thinking he only would get 3. The first commander watched as Ace took and opened the envelope. ¨Back to work again, yoi?¨ He asked, looking at Ace, who nodded. ¨It seems so.¨ Ace stood up and stretched a bit, making Marco frown a bit. ¨Are you leaving right away, yoi?¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨I am. It won't take long, it's only a meeting. It will take a couple of hours at most.¨ Said Ace, putting the envelope away, and petting Dust.

Marco nodded, glad it wasn't something big. ¨Who are you meeting with, yoi? If you can tell.¨ Ace gave a smile, ¨It's an acquaintance.¨ Was all he said. Marco had a feeling it wasn't Shanks, seeing as he didn't say his name. He had figured Ace had a lot of acquaintances, a lot of people wanted to work with him and have him on their side. Ace looked at the first commander with a smile. ¨Earlier today,¨ Started Ace. ¨When it was raining. Thanks for joining me, it was nice.¨ Marco shook his head. ¨It was nothing, yoi.¨ He answered. He remember doing the same years ago, and he always enjoyed it when Pops stood beside him. It made him feel like he wasn't alone.

Then something happened that made Marcos brain stop for a second. Ace leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ¨Goodnight Marco.¨ He said, and left to change for his meeting.

Marco stood still, not sure if what had happened had really happened. Before he smiled, before he could make a move, he heard a soft laughter and turned around to see his father, and felt his cheek heat up.

That's chapter 16, hope you enjoyed.

I am also going to include Sabo and Luffy a bit, but only in small outtakes at the end so you can see how they are doing. I won't do it in every chapter, but when i think it would fit

Also, I am going to bring Law more in the story. He will meet Ace's brothers, and I was wondering if you wanted Luffy/Law or Sabo/Law. Already have some who want Luffy/Law

If you have any requests, questions or if you're wondering about something in the story, feel free to ask. And if you liked the chapter, feel free to leave a review/comment.