Hello everyone, here is the next chapter
This will have some gruesome stuff, like speaking of abuse, rape, torture, and other stuff
And I know this is a bit late out, but I managed to hurt my hand while cooking and burned it half-bad. And, because it is summer and stuff is happening, I might change my update to every other week. But, I'll do this based on how much time I have to write
Hope you enjoy
Read and relax
Ace gave a sigh, just having finished reading the note he held. It was a note from Robin, telling that she had spoken to Dragon, and he had agreed to take Sabo in and train him, even knowing who Sabo was and Sabo was his brother, and even agreeing to a meeting. Robin even said they had been nice to her. Or, so far a revolutionary army that trains you can be nice. They were strict and harsh, but not overbearing. Ace handed the note to Trevor, when said man gave a curious hum at what he held, knowing it was not from Daisuke or a request.
Trevor soon gave a chuckle, handing the note back. ¨You should go and speak to him, even though you don't want to. This can be a good thing.¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨I know. I just don't want Sabo there.¨ Trevor gave a hum. ¨If they even have a thought of injuring him, they have you to answer to. Believe me, they won't hurt him. At least, not outside of training.¨ Ace pinched his nose at that. ¨Not helping.¨ Trevor gave a chuckle. ¨Not really trying to either.¨ Trevor lifted an eyebrow at him. ¨Can you have the meeting and not kill him?¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨It is a good idea, I just don't like it.¨ Trevor gave a snort. ¨More like don't like him.
Trevor looked at him. ¨Sabo will have good use of it. They are the best for him. They can hide, run, and fight well, as well as gather information.¨ Ace nodded. ¨I know. I will speak to him and see how it goes.¨ Trevor gave a nod. ¨Tell me if he's dead or not when you return.¨ Ace gave a sigh. ¨Why do I even speak to you anymore?¨ Trevor gave a laugh at that. ¨Because I am awesome.¨ Ace gave a sigh. ¨Again, why do I talk to you?¨ Mika came from a corner, giving a chuckle. ¨He is like a flea that won't go away. Annoying.¨ She then went and stood next to Trevor with the railing, relaxing.
Trevor gave a fake hurt sound. ¨Aw. I thought you liked me.¨ Mika shook her head, looking at Ace. ¨Will you leave now?¨ Ace gave a sigh, nodding. ¨Dragon said he would like to do it during the night, so I should go now. I will be back around lunch, and I might need to speak to Sabo, Luffy, and Rayleigh too.¨ It was around midnight now, and Dragon had said he would like to have the meeting around 2 tonight, even setting up a meeting place.
Mika gave a nod. ¨Go see what he says. Sabo won't be the first one he trains.¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨I know. And the fact a few have died does not help.¨ Mika shook her head. ¨Both you and I know there was more to those who died, not just dying accidentally.¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨I know. I'll go change and speak to him now. Tell the pirates where I am if they ask.¨ Both Mika and Trevor nodded. ¨We will,¨ said Trevor. Ace gave a nod and turned to leave.
Ace really wasn't looking forward to this meeting. But, he couldn't deny it was a perfect opportunity for Sabo. He would listen to what Dragon said and be sure to know what Ace expected of him. And what would happen if he, or any of the others there, hurt Sabo in anger.
-x-
Ace gave a breath as he knew Dust was closing in on the meeting point where he would speak to Dragon, on a small island a bit hidden. He would speak to Dragon first, then Robin, before maybe going and speaking to Sabo and Luffy. Ace had put on his spare assassin clothes, needing to get new clothes as he didn't like to stick with his spare ones. He would need to take that later as he liked to get it done himself. He didn't put his mask on, knowing Dragon knew who he was.
After a minute, Dust said he was at the spot, Dragon already there. Ace gave a small sigh as he disappeared, as ready as he could be for this.
When he appeared, he gave a stern look to the man in front of him. ¨Dragon,¨ he said with a nod. Dragon gave a nod back. ¨Portgas D Ace.¨ Ace looked at the man. ¨Why have you decided to train Sabo? What would you gain by doing it?¨ Dragon held his gaze as he started speaking. ¨I would not gain anything from it, and that is not why I agreed to do it. I want to do it to help. The world is a harsh place, and even harsher for someone who is your brother, son of a noble, and brother to my son. He will need it. I know I have not been there for Luffy, or any of you, but I would like to do something for them. I can help them survive if I do this.¨
Ace gave a nod. That did give sense, but Ace still didn't like this. He was still annoyed by the fact Dragon had tried to approach Luffy at Alabasta. ¨While yes, I do understand that reasoning, this will not make you get closer to Luffy.¨ Ace wanted to make sure this was not something to get to Luffy. Dragon had had his chance, and he walked out on it when he left Luffy with Garp and never did anything. Dragon gave a nod. ¨I don't expect that. I want to do this simply to make my son's chances of surviving longer.¨ Ace gave a nod and gave a serious look, closing in on a glare.
¨If I hear, or even believe, you are doing anything endangering outside of training, or in other ways anything to my disliking; you will pay with your life.¨
Dragon still kept his gaze, giving a nod. ¨I know, and I will not do anything that might endanger Sabo, or Robin's life for that matter, outside of training. Try to keep it as minimal as I can in training too.¨ Ace gave a nod. He knew there would be situations in training that would be dangerous, and Ace didn't like that much, but he knew that was needed, to learn how to act and react. Dragon was a good talker, knowing what to say. And, Ace had not felt anything that was deceiving. He knew this was a perfect opportunity, and he was prepared to give the man a chance, but he would keep a close eye on everything Dragon did.
¨The offer is a good one, and I do believe Sabo will have use for it. I have made a decision to agree. But, know that I will be watching you to make sure everything is fine.¨
Dragon gave a nod. ¨I know you will and I am glad you agree to let me train Sabo. I will do my best to not do anything wrong.¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨When would you like for Sabo to be here?¨ Dragon gave a nod. ¨Seeing the circumstances, it would be best to start as soon as possible, so I was hoping for today.¨
Ace gave a nod, that was good, meaning he could explain this to his brothers and take Sabo here straight after. He could stop by Robin then too. ¨That is something I agree on. How about around 10?¨ Dragon nodded. ¨That sounds fine.¨ Ace gave a nod and looked at the man. ¨And I would like a world with Nico Robin when I arrive.¨ Dragon nodded. ¨I will make sure she is here when I arrive.¨ Ace nodded, and gave a bow. ¨I'll see you later then, Dragon.¨ Dragon gave a nod. ¨We will. Goodbye for now.¨ With that, Ace disappeared.
When he reappeared, he was at the island his brothers and Rayleigh were at.
They were staying at Rayleigh's house for now, seeing as there was a chance this would happen. They still trained, but not setting out in the ocean. Seeing as Sabo would be training somewhere else, he knew Rayleigh would mostly be staying at one island to train, concentrating on Luffy's powers, both Haki, devil fruit, and general strength. Ace had asked Rayleigh to try and train with seastone too, but be careful with it.
When he appeared, he looked towards the house and saw the lights on, Rayleigh most likely being awake. Ace made his way to the house and walked in, Dust flying in as the door was open. When Ace closed the door and made his way to the living room, he found Rayleigh reading a book. The man gave a smile to him and Ace sat down in a chair, explaining that Sabo would go and train with the Revolutionaries and Ace would take him there in the morning. Rayleigh was glad it turned out the way it did and thought the same that it would be good for Sabo.
When the morning approached and the sun appeared in the horizon, Ace heard a door open and close, and couldn't help a smile as he turned to the stairs, seeing Luffy coming running down, halting as he saw him there.
¨Ace!¨ Yelled Luffy, and not even a second later, he had Luffy hugging him. Ace gave a chuckle. ¨Hi Lu,¨ he said as he patted Luffy on the head. Luffy gave a smile up at him. ¨What are you doing here? Are you staying?!¨ Ace shook his head. ¨I'm not, I'm here to talk to you and Sabo about something.¨ Ace noticed Sabo coming from the stairs too, and Ace gave a nod when Sabo had a questionable look, making Sabo smile.
Ace looked down when Luffy tilted his head. ¨Talk about what?¨ Ace gave a hum and sat down in a couch close by, Luffy sitting down next to him, Sabo in a chair close to Ace. Ace looked at Luffy. ¨I've spoken to someone and they have agreed to train Sabo for two years, focusing on some things Rayleigh can't teach as well.¨ Luffy tilted his head. ¨So, we're going to train somewhere else?¨ Ace shook his head.
¨No. You will still train with Rayleigh. Sabo will train somewhere else.¨
Luffy blinked, getting a frown. ¨We're not… going to train together?¨ Ace gave a sigh, looking at Luffy. ¨You need a different kind of training than Sabo, and this makes it easier for Rayleigh to train you and focus on that.¨ Luffy looked troubled at that. ¨But… I don't want to train alone...¨ Ace shook his head. ¨Rayleigh will be with you. And it is only for two years; it will go fast. And, it will be good for you.¨ Luffy gave a nod. ¨I… don't like it. But… It will be good for me?¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨It will. I know you don't like it, but it will go fine, I promise. And, I am never far away.¨ Luffy gave a nod. ¨...Okay...¨ Ace gave a smile. ¨I promise it will go fine. And I will visit once in awhile.¨ Luffy gave a nod, still looking troubled.
Ace moved his head to Luffy's, looking at him. ¨And, you will meet everyone again in 2 years and you'll set out to the New World. You need this.¨ Luffy nodded. ¨… I understand.¨ Ace gave a nod and small chuckle. ¨It will go fine.¨ Luffy nodded. ¨When will Sabo leave?¨ Ace gave a sigh, ¨In 2 hours.¨ Luffy puffed his cheeks up, but nodded nonetheless. Ace patted Luffy on the head again with a small chuckle.
After making sure Luffy understood it and was sort of okay with it, they just relaxed and had fun, speaking about that they had done until he and Sabo needed to leave. Luffy did hug Sabo and didn't seem to want to let go, but needed too. After that, they said goodbye to Rayleigh, and Sabo and Ace left.
When they got to the meeting place with Dragon, the man and Robin were already there. Ace gave a nod to the man, which was returned, before Ace looked at Sabo, telling a few rules, like how Sabo was to immediately tell him if anything was wrong, if he was injured bad, needed anything, and things like that. Ace also said he was going to watch him to make sure Sabo was fine, giving him a couple of feathers from Dust in case. Sabo listened and nodded to it, telling he would, knowing Ace didn't like this still, but was agreeing. Sabo soon went over to Dragon, and Ace tried not to regret doing this, he would keep in mind this was for the best.
As Sabo spoke a bit with Dragon, Ace went over to Robin, her handing the folders she had decoded over, also including how she did it. Ace took it and gave a thanks, asking how she had learned it. Robin gave a chuckle at that and said it was her mother who had taught her, and Ace nodded at that, giving a mention that if they got something they couldn't decode it, they would appreciate if they could ask her, which she agreed to happily. Ace also told Robin to keep him updated on how it was going with her and Sabo and to tell if anything was wrong, which she did with a chuckle.
When everything was in order, they said goodbye, Ace giving a hug to Sabo before leaving.
When he got back to the boat, Trevor asked if Dragon was still alive, which Ace gave an annoyed sigh to, before telling yes. He didn't like that Sabo was so close to Dragon, but Ace needed to remind himself that it most likely would go fine; he was just being overprotective.
It was calm after that on the boat, not much happening for the next few days. After sailing for another day, they got news of a man being annoying on an island close to one of Whitebeard's controlled islands, and they decided to go there. The person had been causing small havoc and being a nuisance, trying to terrorize the inhabitants, but still kept it down somewhat. But, Whitebeard didn't seem to have much tolerance for that, so they headed there. As the island and mansion on it came into sight, Ace suppressed a sigh.
He really hated Blue Blooded Patricians.
-x-
Whitebeard walked through a door, crouching as he did, him being a bit too tall. They had just killed a lot of people that looked like guards and were now going to search for supplements or other things.
As he was about to tell where who should go, Ace came through a door, a half-eaten apple in hand. Thatch gave a frown at the assassin. ¨Where did you get that?¨ Ace took another bite and looked at the chef. ¨Kitchen.¨ That made more of the pirates frown. Whitebeard looked at the assassin. ¨Were there supplies there?¨ Ace gave a nod, taking another bite. ¨Yes, the ones there are dead too, so it's just to go and loot.¨ Thatch spoke again. ¨Why didn't you do that? And, why did you even go to the kitchen?¨ Ace took the last bite of the apple and threw it away. ¨Chefs usually have information. Now, I'm heading to the basement.¨
Whitebeard frowned. ¨Why?¨ Ace didn't look at them as he headed towards a door. ¨There are people down there.¨ ¨More people to kill?¨ Asked Thatch. Ace shook his head. ¨No, not anyone to kill down in the basement.¨ The captain did frown for a second, before he got what that meant.
There were prisoners in the basement.
The others seemed to get this too, Thatch giving a nod and walked after Ace. ¨Then we will help get them out.¨ That had Ace halting for a second. ¨You don't need to join.¨ Whitebeard gave a frown, before he shook his head. ¨We want to help, just to get them out safe, in case anyone is there.¨ Ace gave a sigh. ¨If you want to join, no one other than commanders are going to join. Haruta, Speed Jiru, Namur, and Rakuyo are not coming.¨ Before the captain could ask, Ace was already through a door. Thatch looked confused. ¨Why not?¨ The chef asked, looking at him. Whitebeard didn't have an answer.
Before they could move, Mika and Trevor came through a door too, Trevor eating a pear. ¨Those he mentioned are not going to join since it won't be a pretty scene. I think none of you should join. But, Ace said fine.¨ The captain nodded. He wanted to go and help, even though it wouldn't be the best of scenes to see, though he had seen prisoners before. But, he decided to heed what Ace said, and told the ones Ace said to not join and start gathering supplies. If some of of the others wanted to join gathering supplies, they could. It was soon decided those who would go and help Ace were the captain, Marco, Jozu, Izou, Thatch, Curiel, and Blenheim. They followed after Mika and Trevor, who were heading to the basement to help Ace.
When they got to the basement, they soon found Ace opening doors in a hallway. As they saw him, Trevor spoke up. ¨Anything?¨ Ace shook his head as he opened more doors before moving to the next. The other two assassins soon joining Ace in checking the rooms. The pirates walked a bit behind, not sure if they should do anything yet, seeing as the assassins seemed to have a routine here. As they walked past doors, they could see chains and blood, but nothing else, not even a body. That was something good, at least he thought so. That might mean they had escaped already.
After a minute, Ace opened a door before giving a loud sigh, looking at Trevor and Mika. ¨Here.¨ He said before walking in the door. The two assassins went to the door before they also gave a sigh. Mika went in, while Trevor sent a look at them. ¨You can leave. In my opinion, you should. But if you want to, you can stay.¨ Then, Trevor went inside too, leaving the pirates frowning. The captain didn't like the fact Trevor said they should leave, both that and the reaction they had.
Whitebeard still wanted to be there for his son and help him deal with things here. He did send a look at the others and said they could leave, but no one did, all of them staying and seeming to want to help too. Ace was down here for a reason and there was someone or something in that room. They then made their way to the door the assassin had gone through. And, when they got to see the insides, Whitebeard felt himself freeze and knew why Trevor said they could leave.
The room was filled with piles of bodies, just thrown away like trash.
Some of the others did react to it, but they didn't make much noise, only some small shocked ones, not expecting this. What shocked the captain more was the fact Ace was standing in front of a pile, moving the dead bodies. Whitebeard saw the others looking more shocked by that, some even looking a bit sick. They weren't used to seeing this, seeing dead bodies thrown away like this and someone moving them.
Thatch was the first one to speak. ¨W-what are you doing?¨ Trevor looked at the chef. ¨Checking. Be quiet.¨ Whitebeard wasn't sure what that meant, and it didn't seem like the others did too. Thatch looked confused as he spoke. ¨Checking? Checking for wh-.¨ ¨Thatch.¨ That was Ace, and made the chef close his mouth, everyone looking over at Ace. Ace had crouched down and held his hand out to the pile, which was even more confusing.
Before they could think of a reason for that, a small shaky hand moved towards Ace's taking it. Ace then moved to stand a bit up, helping a young girl, who could be no older than 3, out of the pile of dead bodies. The captain now understood what Trevor had meant by checking.
They were checking for people that were alive. Hiding in the piles of dead bodies.
When the girl, who had dark long hair and was shaking, looking terrified, was on the ground, Ace handed her hand over to Trevor, who had moved to them. When Trevor held the hand, Ace crouched a bit and looked at the girl. ¨Are there more?¨ The girl didn't answer, but her eyes went to another pile, and Ace gave a nod. Trevor moved towards them, while Ace moved to the pile the girl had sent a look at. When Trevor was closer to them, meeting them halfway, he handed the child's hand over to Mika, who took it and crouched down, looking at the girl. ¨We are here to help.¨ The child didn't react to that, looking terrified at Mika and them. The young girl was covered in dirt, blood, grime, and other things the captain didn't want to think of.
Whitebeard looked back at Ace, and saw him still moving bodies away, Trevor helping. After a second, they stopped and Ace crouched down again, holding his hand out. A few seconds later, a small hand grabbed it, and Ace helped a small boy up and out on the ground. The boy couldn't be more than 2, really young. He had dark and red-ish hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, making the blood and grime stand out. Ace handed the young boy over to Trevor, but instead of asking him a question, Ace moved his hand out again and helped a small girl out. The girl was maybe around 3 too, having long hair that looked to be light blond, but was covered in grime and blood. The children must be desperate to hide underneath dead bodies. How Ace even thought of it was amazing.
It was with that thought his heart gave an ache. For Ace, this was normal. This was something he did day after day and has been doing it for years. That was why he didn't look fazed by this. This was normal for him.
Trevor and Ace moved to Mika and the other girl, handing the two children over, the small boy falling down and was now sitting on the ground. Mika had gotten a cloth out and did her best in wiping the blood away from the first girl. When Mika had done a good job and moved to do the same to the small boy, the girl looked at Ace, before pointing to another pile, not speaking. Ace seemed to get it and moved to it, moving bodies away, before helping another small boy, who looked to be around 3 out. The boy had dark hair and green eyes, entire form dirtied by grime, dirt, and blood. They all needed a good bath.
Ace helped the boy back to the others, and handed him to Mika. When he was standing and looking scared with the others, Ace looked at the first girl. ¨Are there more?¨ The girl shook her head. ¨Are you sure?¨ The girl nodded, still looking scared. Ace gave a nod. ¨The woman, Mika, and those behind me, will help you and the others to a ship, where you will meet a doctor and she will help you. You are safe now.¨ The girl sent a look at Mika, before looking at the pirates, still looking scared, but gave a small nod nonetheless.
As Whitebeard was on his way to say they could stay and help, Ace looked at him. ¨You are not going to stay here longer. There is no need. Take the children back to the boat and to Bay. The others upstairs should be finished soon; there weren't much supplies left.¨ Whitebeard gave a nod, he got that, Ace didn't want to press this on them. Ace knew it would be bad down here, but most likely not this bad. They soon moved to leave, Mika helping the children. When Izou had tried to help the first girl, she had flinched and moved closer to Mika, and Mika had just shook her head at the crossdresser, telling a silent no and to let it be. The crossdresser did nod, and let Mika handle it, which she did good. The two who looked to be 3 held the other two, and them held onto Mika.
When they left, Whitebeard turned to ask if Ace was sure they should leave, but closed his mouth when he saw Ace and Trevor having moved back to move bodies from piles, continuing to check in case, face emotionless. Whitebeard left at that, understanding Ace was working right now, and he didn't want to mix them in his work. The captain did want to stay and support Ace, but knew it wouldn't work. But, he would be sure to ask Ace later if he was fine, even though he knew Ace would say yes or nothing at all.
How Ace managed this as often as he did, was a mystery to him.
-x-
When the pirates got to the ship, they watched as Mika helped the children to the infirmary. The small children looked unsure, but seemed to somewhat trust Mika and followed her. The captain did tell the ones on the ship to let the children be, to not be noisy or too close to them if they saw them. It was just to be sure the crew wouldn't scare them; they looked so scared and timid. The commanders and captain had moved to the meeting room and decided to wait here for an update from Bay or Mika. After they had waited for an over an hour, the captain wondered where Ace was. He had been gone for a long time now. It couldn't take this long to check the rest of the piles. At least, he thought and hoped so. But, then again, Ace and Trevor might check other places too. Just to be sure everything was empty; there was a lot of rooms in the basement.
After another hour, Ace and Trevor came in the door, both looking to have taken a shower, most likely to wash what grime, blood, and other things they had gotten on them.
Ace was also holding some files, and when the two assassins sat down, he looked at the files as he started speaking. ¨So, we have Alyssa, who is 3, almost 4; Aiden who is 3; Annie who is almost 3; and Liam, who is 2. All of them taken from Sokcho.¨ Whitebeard nodded at that. Ace had probably searched for that file, so he knew this. And, Sokcho was a bit away, but not too far, maybe a thirteen-day travel, faster if they had good wind. They should probably take the children back; there would be someone on the island to care for them.
Trevor looked at them. ¨What do you want to do with them?¨ The captain frowned. ¨What do you mean?¨ Trevor gave a sigh. ¨You can take them home with the ship, helping them be used to be around people again, which will be hard, but they need it. Or, Ace can just take them home in a minute.¨ The captain thought on that, not sure what he should choose. Before he could speak, Thatch did. ¨I think we should bring them home with the ship, just to make them used to people. They need that.¨ Whitebeard nodded, as well as the others; that did sound like an idea.
Ace gave a hum. ¨We should wait for Bay, to hear how bad the damage is. If it is too bad, they won't be staying here.¨ That was something they should do. Bay would know how bad the damage was; not only the physical damage, but the mental one too. Not only because she was an amazing doctor, but because of her past. Her vote would count the most in this. The captain gave a nod. ¨We should do that, wait and see what Bay says. If she thinks they will handle it, we will take them home. If not, Ace will take them home.¨ Everyone nodded at that, agreeing on it. They stayed in the meeting room, waiting for Bay and or Mika, to hear how the children were.
After almost two hours later, there was a knock at the door and Bay walked in.
When the doctor was inside and closed the door, she gave a sigh. ¨The children have been cleaned, which they desperately needed, and I've gone over them to see how extensive the damage is.¨ Bay was silent for a second, before continuing. ¨The damage is bad, not much else to say. It could have been worse, but it could have been a lot better.¨ Bay looked at the ones in the room. ¨I will go through the damages, and if you don't think you can handle it, leave.¨ Some of them, like Haruta, Rakuyo, Speed Jiru, and Blenheim looked a bit unsure, but everyone stayed. When Bay saw no one moving, she looked down in the folder again and started to speak.
¨Liam is the youngest and seem to have been taken as a baby. His body is way too small for his age, which is 2, and his legs have issues supporting him, making him not able to walk well, but this will get better if he practice. I first thought he had dark hair, but it is a pale blond. He was just covered in so much blood and grime. Thankfully, he had no broken bones, but he has a lot of bruises and slashes on his body, most likely from a whip of some kind. There were a few burn marks, but nothing too bad, thankfully. He did have some internal bleeding, looking to have been kicked, punched, and thrown around. He is also showing signs of malnourishment, as well as having eaten acidic or poisonous food, most likely forced.¨ Bay turned a page.
¨Then there's Annie. She's small, much more than she should be for almost being three, looking to have been locked in a small space, most likely a cage. She has a sprained rib, but this will heal fine. It seems to have come from being kicked, a bruise on her side in the form of a boot. Her left ear has been punctured by something, so she can barely hear on it. She's missing three teeth, them looking to have been pulled, painfully so. But, it looks healed now, thankfully. She shows signs of malnourishment and wounds from poison or acid in her stomach and mouth. She has bruises on her entire body; and slashes and a few burn marks on her back. She also has signs of being sexually abused.¨
Bay stopped for a second as Haruta left, looking pale. When the door closed behind the commander, Bay looked at them. ¨This will only get worse.¨ That sentence had Speed Jiru and Blenheim leaving. When they were gone, Bay waited a second more, before moving to the next page.
¨Then there's Aiden. Like the other two, he is small for his age, looking to be two instead of three. He s a lot of burn marks on his body, looking to be from cigarettes being stumped on him. He's missing a finger, his left pinkie, and this shows signs of being torn off, two other fingers being dislocated. He has a broken collarbone, which is half healed. There is some minor internal damage in his chest and stomach, looking to have been fed acidic or poisoned food, most likely both, not long ago. He is also malnourished. His back and legs have suffered strain from sexual abuse and he has issues walking and keeping his balance. He is also missing one testicle, this having been cut off.¨
Bay was silent for a few seconds again, to see if more would leave. Some did look pale and half-green, but no one moved. Bay was silent for a few more seconds, before continuing, moving to the next page.
¨Then there's Alyssa. She is a bit small for her age, but not much, looking like a young three year old instead of almost 4. She is also a human-fishman hybrid.¨ That had many of them blink; they had seen no signs of being that. Bay gave a sigh. ¨She had a big fin on her back and one on each leg and arm. These have been cut off. She does have a fin on her head, covered by her hair as it is not fully grown and she hides it. I was not allowed close to her head while she was awake. Some fishmen have the ability to regrow these, but since she is a hybrid, we need to see. She has a lot of burn marks, some words even carved into her body. Words like 'monster', useless', and 'whore'. She is not malnourished, looking to have fed on dead bodies, but her stomach is damaged from the strain of that, also having signs of acidic damage. She has been sexually abused, and because of the severity of it, there is a big chance she will never be able to have children.¨
That had many of them looking sick, especially Namur. To hear they had carved names into her and cut off her fins were horrible. The captain hoped they would grow back. The last part had many of them looking really sick, knowing it had to be really bad to make so much lasting damage to keep her from bearing children. The captain still felt like Bay didn't say everything; he could see much more text in the folder. But, he guessed it was for the sake of those in the room.
After a few seconds, the captain spoke. ¨What do you think we should do with them?¨ Bay gave a sigh. ¨The physical damage is bad, but they are tough. They still dare to stand up for themselves, care for each other, especially Alyssa, most likely from her being the oldest. They are damaged, don't take me wrong, they don't dare to speak, move, or anything. But, they will try and protect each other from a potential danger, Alyssa trying to protect the others. They are unsure what is happening now, not at all used to being with other adults and not being hurt, which makes them more unsure and scared, waiting for it.¨ Whitebeard gave a nod, as that was much better than what it could have been; they really must have strong spirits, especially Alyssa. ¨Do you think it will be good for them to sail with us to their home island? Or should Ace take them home with his powers?¨
Bay thought for a second, before giving a nod and speaking. ¨I think it will be good for them to be around us, to see not everyone is evil. And, if we see it is not working, Commander Ace can take them home.¨ The captain nodded, since that sounded like a good idea. Before he could speak again, Bay did. ¨However, if they are to stay, a few rules will need to be kept.¨ The captain nodded. ¨What kinds of rules?¨
Bay gave a nod. ¨No one other than me or the nurses will change, or in other ways undress, the children. If they have an accident, take them to the first nurse, and she will handle it. If they don't want to be close to you, don't go close to them. For now, only Tifa, Mika, Trevor, Commander Ace, and I are allowed close, and no one else is to be around the children without one of us present, at least for now until they trust more and are hopefully more comfortable with us. They are to be clothed at all times, no matter what. They will get a private room to sleep at, and no one aside from the ones I say can, will be allowed close to that room. I will make more rules if necessary. If anyone has questions, don't be afraid to ask.¨
Whitebeard nodded, as well as the others. None of them did seem to want to ask any questions, but they were still shocked and sickened from what Bay had said earlier. They needed to gather themselves. Bay gave a nod to them. ¨I will head back to the infirmary now. I will try to have the children out on the deck, to get air and used to people. They will need time to get used to everything, so no rushing getting to know them.¨ Everyone nodded to that, and the doctor left.
When the door closed behind the doctor, Trevor gave a hum. ¨Should we tell the ones on the island we have them and are coming?¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨We should. I can send Dust with a note to the mayor there and also ask him to say if their parents are there.¨ Trevor gave a nod. ¨That's right, none of the bodies fit them and there were no files on them.¨ Ace gave a nod. ¨They were most likely taken from the parents and taken to the place; most were young.¨ Trevor gave a nod. ¨True. You should also tell Daisuke that those Blue Blooded Patricians are dead.¨ Ace nodded. ¨I will.¨
The captain could only stare at them. It sounded like they spoke about the weather, not abused children, dead children and young people, or evil people like that. They spoke so calmly, it was almost unnerving. Before the captain could think more of it or speak, Thatch sputtered at Ace, seeing as he looked so normal, even after everything they had heard and seen and after everything Ace had done. ¨How can you be so calm?!¨
Ace gave him a normal look, lifting an eyebrow. ¨What do you want me to do? Cry?¨ Thatch sputtered again. ¨It's at least better than not reacting at all!¨ Ace shook his head a bit. ¨I'm not saying what happened, what we saw or heard wasn't horrible; it might be the most horrible thing you will see in your life. But for us, this is just a normal day. So we just smile and go on with our day.¨ With that, Ace stood up and left the meeting room, walking calmly. Thatch stood there shocked, jaw clenched, now having realized that this was normal for Ace. Trevor shook his head, walking towards the door.
¨Smile, because it confuses people. Because it's easier than explaining what is killing you inside.¨ With those words, Trevor also left.
As the man was gone, the captain couldn't help but think over those words, thinking that they were true. One often smiled when it got tough, and Ace seemed to do that a lot. He had a feeling Ace would be drinking tonight. Whitebeard would make sure he was out tonight, in case Ace was.
-x-
Whitebeard walked out on deck, both hoping and not hoping to find Ace out. It was late, the clock a bit past midnight. He was sure that if Ace was out, Ace was drinking. But, at the same time, he wanted to have Ace out instead of in his room alone. It was a bit windy and it was cloudy, but not raining.
As the captain walked around a corner, he saw Ace at the front of the ship, a bottle with clear liquid in his hand, which was resting on the railing, close to empty.
Whitebeard walked up to the railing calmly, standing next to the assassin. He sent a look at Ace, and saw him leaning on the railing with his hands, eyes closed as he seemed to be relaxed. The captain looked at the view, and even though it was cloudy and a bit windy, it was still a good night and good view in the ocean, a bit of light from the moon shining through the clouds to the ocean. ¨It's a nice night tonight.¨ Ace gave a small hum. ¨It is.¨ Ace did sound like himself, same calm voice, even sounding a bit content. The captain still didn't like the fact Ace could hide that he was drinking so well.
After standing in silence for a small while, he heard some noise and turned to see a few of his children coming out on deck to relax too.
Whitebeard sent a look at Ace, knowing he wouldn't like a lot of people here and he didn't want Ace to head to his room and be alone. ¨What do you say about heading to the second deck?¨ There was a nice ledge to sit at there, overlooking the first deck while also having a good view. Ace gave a hum, before nodding, opening his eyes. ¨That sounds nice.¨ The captain nodded and suppressed a sigh when he looked at Ace's eyes, which were glassy. Marco had told him that was the biggest sign of Ace being drunk, at least past tipsy. That, and the fact he didn't mind closeness.
They soon moved to walk to the second deck, the captain keeping an eye on Ace as he walked, to be sure he was doing fine. Ace never stumbled, not even close. He even took a swig of his bottle as they walked, managing to keep going straight as he did. Although, he did notice Ace having a hand on the railing when they walked up some stairs, something Ace never did. But, the captain wasn't sure if that was because of the alcohol or not.
They soon reached the second deck and the part that overlooked the first deck and had a good view, both of them sitting down at the edge, Whitebeard had his legs crossed, while Ace had his over the ledge. When they were seated, Ace gave a breath as he closed his eyes. ¨It's nice up here.¨ The captain nodded, giving a chuckle. ¨It is, son.¨ Ace gave a nod to it and seemed to relax, eyes still closed.
The captain turned to the view, seeing more of the moon coming out and being reflected in the ocean. It was nice. ¨How have you been the last weeks?¨ Asked the captain, not having the chance to speak to Ace in a small while like this. Ace gave a small hum. ¨Good. It's been calm.¨ The captain nodded.
He had noticed that himself. Ace wasn't gone for assignments a lot anymore, barely leaving at all at times. He had maybe had 5 the two weeks, and none of them were long. Trevor and Mika had never left for anything, so it seemed to not be just Ace, but everything was calm. ¨Is it a calm period, son?¨ Ace gave a half hum. ¨We're taking a small step back for now, because of everything.¨ Whitebeard nodded. He understood that. A lot had happened, and this might show that they went into hiding for now, but for Ace as a pirate to act normal might make people not believe he was the assassin.
They sat in silence for a small bit, just enjoying the night and calmness for now. The captain did see Ace drinking the last bit of his alcohol, before giving a sigh and using his powers to make the bottle disappear. Whitebeard did want to ask about it but was sure he wouldn't get an answer to what it was, why he was drinking, or if he was drunk. He had noticed the bottles never had any label, either because they never had one or because Ace took it off. The captain did hope for the first, since the latter meant Ace was hiding it, knowing they would react to it.
As he decided to ask, to see if he might get an answer, Ace shook his head before he could speak. The captain gave a nod. Ace seemed to always know when someone would ask certain things, especially things he didn't want to answer. But, Ace was good at reading people, even with his eyes closed apparently, making him believe it was Ace's Haki. He was amazed to see how well Ace could use it, even though he had been drinking. After a few more minutes, the captain looked to his right when he heard something, seeing one of the ones on night shift having accidentally dropped a cup as he had most likely fallen asleep for a second. But, it was late and the ones on night shift would soon be released off as the next one was up.
As Whitebeard moved to look at Ace again, going to start up some conversation again, he blinked when he saw Ace had laid down on his side, an arm stretched out and head resting on it, the other lying in front of him and keeping him on his side.
He guessed Ace was tired himself, and moved a hand to lightly nudge Ace with a finger, to wake him and tell that he should head to bed. But, after a nudge and Ace didn't seem to wake, the captain frowned, before he did it again. ¨Ace? Son?¨ Still no reaction, not even a twitch. He gave a sigh as he realized what had happened. He knew Ace was a light sleeper.
Ace was passed out asleep from the alcohol.
He knew Ace was buzzed, but not this drunk; enough to just fall asleep like that. Or more like pass out. With another sigh, he moved his hand and carefully lifted Ace up, before standing up himself. He was thinking of taking Ace to his room, so he could sleep it off, but at the same time, he didn't want to leave Ace alone. Whitebeard made the decision to take Ace to his own room, just to be sure he would be fine.
They, thankfully, didn't pass anyone out on deck, which was good as they didn't need to see him carrying Ace like this. When he got to his room, he used his empty hand to make some space in the bed, before placing Ace there, grabbing a blanket from a chair and draping it over Ace. Ace had made no movement during the walk here or when he was placed in the bed. The captain couldn't help but give a sad smile, seeing Ace hiding his emotions like this, keeping them behind a smile and drinking it away until he passed out. Whitebeard really didn't like this, but wasn't too sure how to approach the issue in a good way with Ace.
The captain gave a sigh as he placed himself in his chair, grabbing a book and starting to read. He wasn't too tired yet and didn't mind reading for a bit. He did send a look at Ace now and then, hoping for him to have moved, only to see him not having moved an inch, completely out. He would need to think on a way to approach this. Maybe he should ask Bay, as she did know a lot and might know how to approach this in a good manner. As time moved by, the captain did feel himself growing a bit tired and had decided to rest his eyes for a minute, not really wanting to sleep.
When he opened his eyes, he noticed it was starting to be light outside, and looked at the bed to see it empty.
The captain gave a sigh as he had fallen asleep, looking over at the watch to see it closing in on 6. He knew he hadn't been back in his room before 3, meaning Ace had barely slept for 3 hours; that couldn't be good. Although, Ace might have gone back to his own room to relax there. As he was awake, he headed out on deck, going to his chair and sitting down, seeing his children waking up as time moved by. When the clock was closing in on 8, he noticed Ace and Marco coming out together, making him believe, and hope, Ace had gone to Marco's room.
The captain still felt his heart ache as he saw Ace was completely fine, no reaction to what he had done during the night. Ace was really used to drinking, and he shouldn't be that at a young age.
He would do his best to help Ace open up and not be afraid to show his emotions. At least, to some of them. If it was only to him and Marco, he would feel that was a big step. He knew it would take time, but they didn't need to rush it.
-x-
It was lunch time and most was in the galley. A few were missing, and Ace was one of those, telling he needed to do some work but would soon be back. The children were in the galley for the first time since they got on the boat yesterday, Tifa sitting with them, Trevor and Mika a bit away on a table to the side. The small children were trying to look small, not liking to be around so many. But, it did seem to help having Tifa close, as well as the two assassins as the children sent looks at them. Thatch was currently getting their food, them getting specially made since they needed it.
The captain was shocked to see that Liam, who he had thought had dark hair, had really blond hair, even being a bit curly. All the children did look better as they were clean, a few bandages here and there, but they would be fine. Liam did also have green eyes, which fit his blond hair and pale skin. Annie had long blond hair, reaching down a quarter of her back, eyes being a mix of blue and green. Aiden had a bit more tanned skin that the other two, dark brown hair, and amazingly blue eyes. Alyssa had long and curly hair, her skin being a bit tanned too. Her eyes were green with a small tint of red. All of them looked really small, clearly the effect of where they had been and what they had gone through.
The chef soon came out with 4 plates with some kind of pasta, which was filled with meat and other nutrients the children needed. The pasta looked like shells and stars, perfect for children. The chef soon placed the food down. ¨Here, all for you.¨ He said with a smile, before sitting down a bit away, no one allowed too close aside from a very few. As the food was in front of the children, they all stared at the food, but no one moved to eat, or even touch it, making many frown, including the captain. The children should be hungry; they hadn't eaten in awhile. Tifa did try and encourage them, but they never touched the food, only looking at it scared.
Before they could ask Tifa about it, or for the nurse to do anything more, a hand came from the side and grabbed a shell from Alyssa's plate. The captain watched as Ace sat down next to the young child, tearing the shell in two, making sure to tear in evenly, and the captain thought the food might be too big for them. But he was shocked when Ace ate one half, before giving the other half to Alyssa. But, instead of looking at it and not touching it, she carefully and timidly took the half shell, before very slowly eating it. As Alyssa was half-finished with the shell, Ace grabbed another and tore it, giving half to Alyssa, and eating the other half himself. Alyssa never took the shell before Ace was finished eating half, which the captain found weird.
As Alyssa held the one half she just got, she handed it to Liam, who sat close to her, and the small boy ate it slowly, before looking at Ace again, who tore another one, handing it to Alyssa, who handed it to Liam.
When Ace went to do it again, he sent a look at them, seeing their confused looks, and spoke as he tore another shell. ¨Would you eat if you thought the food was poisoned?¨ he said, before eating half and handing it to Alyssa, who this time, handed it to Annie, who ate it. The captain was confused by that. Why would they poison the food? Thatch was the first one to speak. ¨Why would we do that?¨ Ace shook his head as he tore another one, handing this one to Aiden, who took it timidly, before looking at them. ¨What did Bay say about their stomachs?¨ Ace then ate half, Aiden also doing it after him. Thatch opened his mouth, ¨She said the-,¨ Thatch cut off as he clenched his teeth, looking appalled and wretched as he nodded. Whitebeard gave a frown at that, before he connected it.
Bay had said the children's' stomachs showed signs of being fed poisonous and acidic food. The children didn't know the crew wouldn't poison it; they didn't know anything else.
That was why Ace tore it and ate half; to show it wasn't poisonous. That was why none of the children ate before Ace did, to see if he would react to it. No one would eat poisonous food willingly. The crew would be sure to remember this, and the captain was sure Thatch would make it easy to share the food like this in the future, to show it isn't poisonous.
As Ace did it again, giving this half to Liam, Whitebeard saw Marco slowly taking a piece from Aiden's plate, who sat closest to him, and tore it in half too, before eating one and offering the other to Aiden. But Aiden didn't take, only stared at it. As Marco looked to be on his way to take his hand back, seeing Aiden wouldn't take it, Ace had moved and took it instead, eating the half. As Marco gave a confused look, Ace gave a motion and tore another half, and Marco did it again, offering half to Aiden after eating half. And this time, Aiden took it and slowly ate it. And that's when Whitebeard understood it.
The children didn't trust Marco, and Ace just showed it was safe, which was enough for the children to trust the first commander like that. It would take a long while before the children would be anything close to trusting them, but they seemed to really trust Ace. But then again, Ace had been the one to save them, being the first face they saw.
That was how it continued. Ace, Marco, and Tifa taking a shell, tearing it in half, eating one, and giving the other away. It did seem to work, which was good, and it did show they were kind. The pirates did try to not look too much at the children, but the captain did keep them in his peripheral vision. When he saw Ace trying to hand a whole shell to Alyssa, she never took it. They would not eat unless they knew it was safe. It was sad to see they didn't trust that the crew wouldn't poison them, but this would take time. But, they would try their best.
It did take time, but the children soon looked to have eaten enough. It was much less than what they should eat for a healthy child, but they had been starved before, and they were still scared. Liam had almost fallen asleep in his chair, doing his best to keep awake as he was having issues staying awake. But, Ace had taken the child up and placed him on his lap, and then it didn't take long before the child fell asleep, leaning against Ace as he slept. Alyssa kept an eye on Liam, clearly worried, yet looked to half-trust Ace, but still worried. She really did care for the others, trying her best.
They stayed for bit more, before leaving, Ace carrying the sleeping child, Tifa following the others out of the galley.
It would go slow, but the Whitebeards would try their best in the next days to help the children.
-x-
Whitebeard sat in his chair, relaxing as it was calm. A few of the commanders were out and relaxing too, like Marco, Jozu, Thatch, Izou, Haruta, Namur, Vista, and Curiel. The children were sleeping in their room, Bay saying they needed all the rest they could need, not only because they were young and slept more, but because they needed it to relax and get better. They were still meek and looked terrified a lot, not daring to move when they were out on the deck to get air and get used to people. Everyone had understood it and tried to give them space.
After half an hour, Bay came from a corner and looked at them. ¨Pops, Commanders, please come with me. Commander Haruta, do you have a cameko Den Den on you?¨ Haruta gave a nod to that, looking a bit confused as to why she asked. Pops gave a frown as he stood up, wondering what this was. ¨What is it, daughter?¨ Bay shook her head. ¨You will see. Please follow me.¨ Everyone nodded before they followed the doctor. Whitebeard was worried something had happened. After a couple of minutes, they came to a door and the captain frowned; that was the room to the children. Before he could ask about it, Bay made a motion to silence them, before she opened the door. And when they saw the inside, saw what was on the bed, all of them could only stare.
Ace was lying in the middle of the bed, Liam on his far side, lying on Ace's arm that was under his head as he slept on his stomach. Annie was lying close to Ace's middle section on the far side, not on top of him, but touching. Alyssa was lying on Ace's other arm, a thumb in her mouth, Aiden also lying next to Ace's side, and arm holding onto Ace's shirt. All seemed to be asleep.
None of them could speak. It was one of the cutest scenes they had seen.
Without speaking, Haruta lifted the cameko Den Den and snapped a picture. They needed to have a picture of this. As the small sound of the snap happened, Liam stirred and sat up and looked at them, looking sleepy and confused, them obviously waking him as he had a hand massaging an eye.
Just as Bay was about to speak or move, most likely to tell the child to lay back down, the small sleepy child lost its balance and started to fall backwards, going to fall off the bed. But, before they could react, already knowing they wouldn't be fast enough to keep the young child from hitting the floor, Ace had moved a hand and grabbed onto the child's leg, keeping him from falling. As Liam was safe, the child also lying down again, Ace moved back to his original position, seeming to either still be asleep, or pretending. Maybe the latter for the children's sake.
As they were on their way to leave, not wanting to wake more of the children up as they slept, Aiden moved to sit up and looked at them. The motion of Ace moving most likely woke him. As he sat there and looked at them, Bay on her way to tell him to lay down, Ace moved his hand in a 'lay down' motion, and Aiden did, laying down and grasping Ace's shirt again. Ace moved his hand back down again, not seeming to have bothered Alyssa, who slept on his upper arm. As they seemed to be asleep again, Bay closed the door.
When the door was closed, she looked at them. ¨I was checking on them to see if they slept, as they haven't done that since they are scared, only to see that scene. This is the first time all of them have been sleeping at the same time, and it was something I felt I needed to show.¨ Thatch gave a nod. ¨Wow, yeah, that was not what I expected.¨ The chef looked at Haruta, ¨When the picture is developed, I want one.¨ Haruta nodded, still looking shocked. ¨I will make sure everyone gets one.¨ Whitebeard nodded at that. He also wanted one of that. That scene was cute. Unbelievable to think Ace was the dangerous assassin people told he was.
They went back to the deck and relaxed after that, Haruta immediately went to develop the picture. It would take some time. Thatch went with telling the others what they saw, and when they didn't believe him, told them to wait until Haruta came with the picture.
Whitebeard sat with a smile on his face, glad to know the children were doing good. Ace was really good with them.
-x-
Marco walked to the door Ace and the children were behind, carefully opening it. It was dinner time soon, and the children should probably come and eat.
As he saw the bed, he gave a smile since everyone still laid like they had before. The only difference was that Alyssa had moved a hand to Ace's shirt like Aiden had. Marco carefully closed the door behind him, to keep others from looking in. He was one of the few allowed to check on the kids, seeing as they did trust him a small bit now, and he knew Ace was in the room with the children. When he got closer to the bed, Ace moved his head to him and gave a calm look. ¨Hi, what are you doing here?¨ It was in a soft voice, to not wake the kids. Marco gave a small smile. ¨It's dinner time, yoi.¨ Ace gave a small hum at that. ¨While food is important, sleep is more prioritized now.¨ Marco gave a nod; he understood that and was just about to head out again, when Ace spoke up.
¨Want to join us?¨
Marco blinked, to be sure he heard right. ¨Join you, yoi?¨ Ace gave a nod and moved a hand to the spot on the bed beside him, giving a small pat at the bed. Marco realized that this was to make the children get used to other people. Marco carefully took his shoes and dagger off, before slipping in the bed next to Ace, a bit away to not be too close to the children. As he was lying down, Ace gave a smile to him, and Marco couldn't help but give one back. He started some small conversation with Ace, speaking in hushed and soft tones, to not wake up the sleeping children.
After half an hour, Aiden stirred and sat up, looking at Ace and then him, before moving to lay between him and Ace.
Marco was a bit unsure what to do now, but Ace only gave a chuckle and and made a motion with his hand. Marco got it and carefully moved a hand to lay next to Aiden, Aiden moving a bit half-awake and seeming to be comfortable. Marco guessed Aiden did it since he trusted Ace, and if Ace trusted Marco, Aiden would trust that judgment. Marco had to say he liked it; the kids were cute. They continued to have small conversation after that, the children still sleeping.
After about an hour, Liam woke up and looked at them, not falling back asleep. When Alyssa also started to move and wake up, Ace moved, waking all of them up.
When they were all awake, they moved to the galley, eating some food as they hadn't been there for dinner, Thatch having saved the food the children ate for them, keeping it warm.
Marco hoped the children would open more up to them during the next few days.
And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed
The next chapter will be more of the children and how they are doing. It will be other stuff between the pirates and a bit of Ace's work
And, this will be a bit long, but I want to say this. This story has exceeded anything and everything I thought. I thought I would make 5-6 chapters and maybe have 10 or so readers. But look at where we are now. I know I have swayed away from what my original idea was, and I kind of like it. But I wonder what do you think about this?
This was supposed to be mostly on Ace and his assassins work, but I clearly see I am focusing on Ace and the Whitebeards. How they bond, Marco and Ace and Ace's issues. I try and bring in Ace's work but this will be a bit on the side as stuff is calm and settling, but will be in focus again later. But how do you think this story has progressed? I would really like, and kind of need, to hear if people are still liking where this has headed
And kudos to Breanie for knowing where Trevor and Evie is from
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and don't be afraid to ask questions, either with a Pm or as a review.
And, if you like this story, go check out Ace of Spades One Shots, which contain one shots and other events form this story
And, over at Archive of our own (Ao3), this is being made into a podfic by a person called ScandinavianTrash. Go check that out as it is awesome