Hello everyone, here is the next chapter
This is a compilation of different things, we'll even see Law for a bit
Hope you enjoy
Read and relax
Marco blinked when Izou looked bothered, before the crossdresser looked at Trevor. "That's bad, isn't it?" He said as he pointed to the island, and when Marco looked that way, he had to blink. On the island's dock, stood Ace, which wasn't weird, but he was clearly speaking with Virus and Trip, the two drug dealers. Trevor frowned. "Maybe it's not terrible, he isn't getting something." That was true, maybe he was just speaking with them. As Trevor finished the sentence, Virus took something out of a small bag and handed it to Ace. "And that's bad. Bunny!" Trevor yelled the last part, and Ace made a waving motion with his hand, still speaking with Virus and Trip. "Let's wait and see what happens, but keep an eye on him." Marco nodded, he would do that. He kept an eye on Ace, seeming to have gotten a can of sorts from the two drug dealers. As he was looking at the dock, someone got his attention and he looked away, speaking with Jens for a minute, and when he looked back at the dock, Ace and the two drug dealers were gone. He hoped nothing bad would happen. He was out on deck after that, close to Trevor, just in case something happened, as Trevor would know. And as he was beside Trevor, a can was suddenly held in front of Trevor's face, Marco seeing Ace next to Trevor, the one who held the can. Trevor took the can and looked at it. It looked to be a soda can and Trevor opened it and took a swig, and as he had, he got a frown, looking at Ace who was speaking with Jensen. "What is this?" Ace wrapped up the conversation and walked over to Trevor. "Read it, it has a label for a reason." Trevor nodded and read the label, getting a frown. "Monster Rehab? It's from the Monster series? That's not drugs." Ace nodded. "The reason I got it. New flavor, It's close to pixie dust, just without the drugs. I got a case of it. I'm picking it up later." Trevor nodded. "It tastes good. And you promise it's not drugs?" Ace nodded. "No drugs. You know this line has none." Trevor nodded. "Good. I also want to join you when you pick up the case. I don't want you alone with the two dealers." Ace lifted an eyebrow. "Only if you act nice." Trevor sighed. "Fine, I will act nice." Ace nodded, seeming glad about that.
The rest of the day went by fine, Ace dropping by and grabbing the case of the drinks, before the day went on, nothing special happening. When evening came, Marco moved to sit on his bed as Ace took a swig of the can. "What is it again?" Ace swallowed. "Called Rehab. An energy drink with a flavor close to drugs, just without the drugs. You can drink this instead of doing drugs." Marco nodded. "Can I taste, yoi?" Ace nodded and handed the can over, Marco taking a swig, humming as he had. "It tastes… sweet and bitter. A hint of lemonade." Ace nodded. "It has lemonade in it, that's the main ingredient. It has a lot in it, but no drugs." Marco nodded. "Are you sure?" Ace nodded. "I am. While they are drug dealers, not everything is drugs." Marco nodded, it made sense. He was glad it wasn't any drugs in it. He did trust Ace said the truth, so he wasn't worried. "But it's an energy drink? Don't you plan on sleeping tonight, yoi?" Ace chuckled. "It doesn't work that way on me. I don't get an energy boost, I just like the taste." That was good. They then prepared for bed, before they went to sleep.
When he woke up, he was alone in bed. Which wasn't the most unusual, so he headed out. But as Marco walked out, he still didn't see Ace, which was weird. He had been with him in bed last night, and now he was gone. When he saw Trevor, he headed over. "Have you seen Ace, yoi?" Trevor blinked. "Don't you know which day it is?" Marco frowned, before he tried to think, and after some seconds, he remembered it. Today was the day Azuruko died. "I forgot. I guess he won't be here for today, yoi." Trevor nodded. "Most likely not tomorrow either. He's usually away for two days." Marco nodded. "Shanks said so, but last year, he came to me on this day, the evening." Trevor blinked. "He did?" Marco nodded. "Just for a bit, he left again for a while, but he came, yoi." Trevor nodded slowly. "Wow, wouldn't have guessed that. He really must trust you." Marco nodded, he was glad to hear that. "Do you know where he goes?" Trevor nodded. "Yeah, he goes to Azruruko's grave and cries. I've been with him a few times, when I can avoid Daisuke. He doesn't like it when I join." Marco blinked. That he hadn't guessed. "Why not?" Trevor sighed. "He wants Ace to mourn in peace, I am against it. The one day Ace actually takes comfort, and I'm not allowed to be with him. Moira is with me, and that's something, but not Daisuke." Marco nodded. Ace had taken his comfort last year, and he felt that was big then, and it was clear it was. He wanted to be there for Ace. Trevor looked at him. "How was he last year?" Marco sighed. "Melancholy, worn, downcast, yoi." Trevor nodded. "I guessed. Hopefully he will come to you again this year, I can't visit him as I'm here and not there." That Marco got. He hoped for it himself, that Ace came to him, or just came to someone, not being alone. "I'll go update Pops that Ace will be gone for today and tomorrow, yoi." Trevor nodded, and Marco headed to Pops' room, the man still there as it was early, and he was usually awake now, as it was past 6.
When he knocked, he got a come in, and Pops was alone, which was good. "Marco, what brings you by?" Asked Pops, and Marco sighed. "Ace won't be here today or tomorrow, so he can't do his duties." Not that he had much duties, but now Pops would know he would be gone. Pops frowned at him. "Why? Has something happened? This doesn't sound like work." Marco shook his head. "No, but it's the anniversary to Azuruko's death today." Pops blinked, before he gave a breath. "That's true, that was coming up soon." Marco nodded, it was, and today was that day. "Hopefully he'll come back today, but I am sure he won't be able to do his duties for today or tomorrow, as he will leave again, he couldn't last year." Pops nodded. "I know, and I hope he returns soon. I wonder where he goes." Marco sighed. "I asked Trevor, he said he goes to Azuruko's grave and just sits there, yoi." He didn't want to say Ace went there to cry, but had a feeling Pops knew that by the look he had as he nodded. "I see. Hopefully he won't be alone for too long." Marco nodded, he really hoped Ace would come back as quick as he could.
As day progressed, he didn't see any sign of Ace, not even Dust. And as evening was nearing, the clock now 7pm, he got the whiff of an issue with his division, and he headed to help, hoping it would be a quick solution. But as he got the whole story, it didn't sound like this would be resolved quickly, but he needed to help, and did his best, hoping he would get back to his room as fast as possible, in case Ace showed. But he still had duties as a commander, and he was needed here.
-x-
Whitebeard moved to his room, as it was growing late, but as he opened the door to his room and walked inside, he had to blink. On his bed, laid Ace, legs down from it and lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Hello, Ace. What brings you by?" He needed to ask, he was sure Ace would be with Marco. Ace sighed, hands moving to his face. "Because everyone is busy. Marco's busy, Trevor's busy, Mika's busy, Moira's busy, Daisuke's busy. Everyone is busy today. Even Shanks and Benn." Whitebeard frowned. "Marco's busy?" Ace nodded, hands moving away from his face. "Yeah, some small emergency with his division. Nothing big, but he's busy with it for a while I believe." Whitebeard nodded, moving to sit down on the bed next to Ace. "I see. How are you feeling?" Ace shrugged, not saying anything. And it had the captain nod. He guessed Ace was feeling low, but he was glad Ace had come here, instead of being alone. "Why don't I tell you a story about your father." Ace nodded. "Yeah, I would like that." Whitebeard nodded, he guessed it would be better to have some noise instead of sitting in silence. He then started a story about when he had fought with Ace's father, how it had gone and how fun he had had. As he was telling the story and came to a small pause, Ace spoke. "I hate today." Whitebeard nodded, he understood that. "It is never easy to lose someone. But remember, although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow." Ace didn't look sad, he maybe looked a bit worn, but that was it. Ace never looked anything but fine, so this was something he had never seen. But if Ace wanted to open up a bit, he would listen and be there.
Ace nodded. "Maybe. I just wish I could go to sleep and wake up tomorrow." Whitebeard looked at a clock, it wasn't that late yet, just past 10pm, but he had already met Bay once, and he wasn't in the mood for her lectures tonight, so he headed in early. But, even though there were just 2 hours left for today, he had a feeling that it was too long for Ace to sleep. He knew Ace slept little. "Sleep is overrated anyway." Ace nodded. "It is, it really is." Whitebeard nodded. "But even though it is, longing for it would be normal as well, for a good night of sleep, without the fear of what it may bring." He knew Ace had nightmares, so sleep could be hard because of that. Ace moved his hands to his face again, shielding it. "Please don't speak like that." Whitebeard sighed. Ace was probably on edge already, and didn't need to hear something that might bring him over that edge. But at the same time, he wanted to support Ace, and might need Ace to get over that edge. "A person may look strong on the outside, but may need another's emotional support. Sometimes we need someone to simply be there. Not to fix anything to do anything in particular, but just to let us feel we are supported and cared about. I am not here to fix your problems, or try and fix them, but I'm here to help you through them. You don't need to face this alone."
Ace shook his head a bit, hands still over his face, before a small sob was sounded. He expected that response and kind of hoped for it. Ace was vulnerable today, and needed the support, and he needed Ace to accept today was a hard day, show emotions to it, fall off the edge, but see it was safe to do so, at least around him. When another sob came forth, Whitebeard moved his hand to Ace's shoulder, holding it there for support, letting Ace get this out of his system. Today was a hard day for Ace, and he understood that. And he was glad Ace had come here, instead of being alone. Ace sobbed for a while, before he calmed down, and Whitebeard took a breath. "There is no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore the witness of a man who had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer." Ace nodded, hands still over his face, and Whitebeard moved his hand in a comforting manner. "I know you have many reasons to not rely on others, and I know it can be hard. But know, no matter what, I will always be here." Ace nodded, giving a sniffle, still shielding himself behind his hands. And Whitebeard sighed. "Don't be ashamed to feel feelings. Don't be ashamed to show that you're not inhuman, because you're not. Everyone has hard days, and the important thing is to know when you need someone elses support." Ace nodded again, and moved his hands to dry his cheeks and eyes, and when he moved his hands away, Ace looked worn and tired, which was expected. Ace was strong in every way there was, but still, he was just human, and they had hard days. And he got that today was a hard day for him. He had lost a person that was close, and he had lost him fast, probably not been prepared for it, and those losses were the hardest. Azuruko had been the person closest to Ace, been there for him in hard days, so losing him meant he lost the person who made it all okay, the one who was there in hard days. Ace was still opening up with them, and they were getting there, this proved that. Ace came for support, and instead of leaving when he pushed, he stayed, giving away that control of always being strong.
As Ace had dried his face, he folded his hands on his chest, staring at the ceiling, which had the captain hum. "Are you trying to stare a hole in my ceiling?" Ace shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know where to look." That the captain got, Ace wasn't used to being like this and probably didn't want to have eye contact, which he got. That might be a bit too much for Ace right now. But Ace did seem in a better mood, which was good. "So, you want to talk about anything specific?" Asked the captain, hoping to strike up a conversation. Ace sighed. "I don't know." Whitebeard nodded. "How have you been up until now?" Ace sighed. "Sort of okay. I mean, I could have been better." Whitebeard nodded. "I get that today is a hard day, but I'm glad you came here." Ace nodded a bit. "Felt it was better than sitting all alone in the rain for too long." Whitebeard nodded, that was something he didn't know. "You don't look wet. Sitting in the rain is never good." Ace chuckled a bit. "I changed clothes, and wherever Moira is, there is rain. It follows her, she controls it." Whitebeard nodded, that made sense. Moira did control the rain, and when she had been here with them, it had rained. "I hope you realise this doesn't make you weak. You have many reasons to not trust people, but know you can trust me. I would never look down at you." Ace nodded, eyes becoming a bit blank, but he didn't say anything. Whitebeard took a breath. "How about I continue the story about your father." Ace nodded. "Yeah, that sounds nice." Whitebeard nodded and continued from where he had been, Ace lying and listening to him, closing his eyes after some minutes, seeming to relax. The story lasted for about half an hour, and when he was done, Ace opened his eyes again, looking at the ceiling. After a bit of comfortable silence, Ace sighed, moving to sit up. "I should leave." Whitebeard took a breath. "You don't need to leave. I don't have plans to sleep yet." Ace nodded, before he sighed. "I know. But I think I want to go back to his grave for a bit." Whitebeard nodded, he got Ace wanted that. "You can. Try not to sit in the rain for too long." Ace nodded. "I'll try." Ace then stood up, before he disappeared in black smoke.
As Ace was gone, the captain took a deep breath. He was glad Ace had come by, even if he didn't stay. But he had been able to comfort him for a bit, and that was all that mattered. Ace had come for comfort. Or maybe he hadn't come for comfort, but he had come to not be alone, which was good. He got why Ace left again, wanting to be a bit more alone, but he hoped Ace would come back soon, even if it was to Marco, he just hoped Ace wouldn't sit all alone in the rain for too long. He knew Ace most likely wouldn't get sick, but it sounded sad and lonely. Ace was getting more comfortable with them, which was good. He wanted to be there for Ace, to show he was trustworthy. As Ace was gone, he moved to his chair and sat down, picking up his book and continuing where he left off. He would be in his room for tonight, in case Ace came back.
-x-
Marco gave a sigh as he walked out of the quarters to some of his division, having been there the last 5 hours, being needed to help resolve a fight and discrepancy, which had taken a long time, but it should all be resolved now. As he was out, he saw Dust in his nest, and walked a bit over to it, looking at the bird. "Is Ace here, yoi?" Dust nodded with a caw, before he looked towards the left, and when he followed the gaze, he saw Dust was looking at Pops' door, which had him blink as he looked back at the bird. "Is Ace with Pops?" Dust nodded again, and Marco did as well. That was good. Ace wasn't alone, he had come back to the boat, and had probably headed to Pops since he was busy. He had hoped he wouldn't be, so he could be there for Ace, but Pops was there, which was good. Ace wasn't alone, and that's what mattered. He wanted to head there, so he could be with Ace, but at the same time, Pops needed to bond with Ace, so he would let them be. Ace needed to be with Pops for a bit, and was glad Ace had headed there. It was better than being alone. As Ace was accounted for, he headed for his room, wanting to be there in case Ace came, but he also knew Ace was safe with Pops. The clock was a bit past 12pm now.
He then went to his room and relaxed for the evening, falling asleep around 3am, and when he woke up some hours later, he had to blink as Ace was asleep next to him. He hadn't noticed Ace coming in and lying down. Marco moved himself to be leaned on an arm, the other moving to Ace's back, stroking it comfortingly. It had Ace give a breath as he woke, a hand moving to his face. "How are you, yoi?" Asked Marco, and Ace gave a nod. "I'm okay." Marco gave a small nod, not sure if he believed that. "Are you sure?" Ace nodded. "I am." Marco nodded. "When did you come, yoi?" Ace hummed. "Around 6am." Marco nodded, moving to look at a clock, seeing it was 8am now. Ace had been back for 2 hours then. "Are you staying for long?" Ace sighed. "I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe a few more hours." Marco nodded. "You don't need to leave, you can stay. But I get it if you want to leave for a bit more, yoi." Ace nodded. "I'll think about what I'll do. But I think I will leave again." Marco nodded. "That's fine. But never be afraid to come here, yoi." Ace nodded. "I won't. But I need to be a bit alone as well." Marco nodded. "I get that. Sometimes one needs to be a bit alone as well, yoi." Ace nodded. "Thank you, for being so understanding about this." Marco shook his head a bit. "It's nothing. If you need to be alone for a while, you need to be alone for a while, yoi." Ace nodded. "I will come back later today, maybe before supper." Marco nodded. "That's fine. But you will stay a bit, yoi?" Ace nodded. "I will. I don't want to head out though." Marco shook his head. "No, it's fine. I get that. Everyone will survive without us for a bit, yoi." Ace gave a chuckle. "Are you sure?" Marco nodded. "I am. They need to manage without us now and then. If not, they have Pops as well, yoi."
Ace nodded, before he gave a sigh, moving to rest against the wall. "I hope today will pass quickly." Marco moved a hand to Ace's. "I hope it will too, yoi. And I am sure it will and it will go by fine. And, know you aren't alone, yoi." Ace nodded, giving him a smile. "I know." They then sat and spoke about small things, each having taken their own book and reading as they spoke. He was just glad Ace was here. Ace stayed for a few hours, before he left, and as he was gone, Marco headed out to deck. He did his duties as normal, and when Pops asked if Ace was here, Marco said he had been here, but had left again, but he mentioned Ace would most likely be back before supper, which was something. The day went by fine, and after dinner, Pops was forced to his room by Bay as it was growing cold outside, and he could come out again later. But as Pops was in his room, Marco headed there, wanting to speak with Pops. When he walked in, Pops gave a smile. "Marco, what may bring you by?" Marco took a breath as he sat down. "I know Ace was here last night, and I just wonder how he was, yoi." Pops nodded. "He was fine. We chatted a bit, he was a bit down, seeing which day it was, but we had a good time." Marco nodded, that was good. Ace needed to bond with Pops. He sat and spoke with Pops a bit more, before he headed out and continued his day. When supper was, Ace was back and acted like himself, which was good.
-x-
Whitebeard sat out on deck, the rest of the day went by fine, and when the next day came, Ace got work to do as an assassin, which would take a day or three. Which was fine. They moved to dock at an island the next day, an island they had never been on. They hadn't planned to stop here, but they had decided in the moment to just see what the island was like. While they hadn't been there, it seemed like Mika and Trevor had, and when he asked about it, Trevor chuckled. "A big fighting ring is here, we use it now and then when we can. A good outlet." That made sense, and he was curious about this, and it seemed the others were too, Thatch speaking. "Can we fight?" Trevor hummed. "Are you prepared to fight until your opponent is down? I don't mean that you hold back the winning move, but you actually need to win the fight and beat down your opponent. Are you prepared for that?" Thatch blinked. "I don't know." Trevor shook his head. "Then you're not ready. If you're unsure, you can't fight." Thatch nodded, seeming to get it, and Whitebeard had to agree, it sounded to be a real battle ring, beating down your opponent, they needed to go see this. Ace was gone for most of today, working, which was a bit good. He knew Ace shouldn't fight, as it made him violent. So as they were docked and they got the ones who watched the boat to be on the ready as Whitebeard would also leave the boat, wanting to see this fighting ring.
They then walked to a large building, before they paid a small fee to get inside, and moved to the basement, it being large enough for him, and when they met people, he met others his size, a few even a bit larger, Trevor saying many wanted to watch the fight and fight themselves. As they moved further, they soon got to the main room, which was huge, a large cage in the middle, him seeing the outline of two people inside. They then moved more into the room, everyone cheering for those who were in the cage, many placing bets. This would be interesting to watch.
But as they got closer to the cage, Whitebeard saw Trevor's mouth open in shock, before he gave a swear, seeming annoyed and mad. When he followed the man's gaze, he looked into the cage in the middle of the room where two were fighting. But one of the ones who was fighting was Ace, who was doing a good job of beating the other up. He watched as Ace was beating the man with his hands, and when the opponent moved to be on his knees, being beaten down, Ace moved to kick his skull, making him fall down, bleeding badly from his head, mouth, and nose. Everyone did cheer at that, Ace doing a circle with his hands up, having a grin. Everyone did cheer, and the man Ace had fought was removed from the cage, before another took a step inside, seeming full of himself and smug, before a fight started. It was a fight with many hits, Ace even taking a few, but mostly managed to evade them and land his own hits, before Ace ended it with a running kick, sending the man flying into the cage before he fell down unconscious. Everyone cheered, Ace doing another round with his hands up, this time seeing them, which had Ace lower his hands and sigh, Trevor glaring at Ace. Ace then made a motion to a guy, before he said he was done, which had many booing, and Ace moved his hand up. "I'll come back!" Which had people cheer again, before Ace was let out of the cage.
Trevor then headed straight for Ace, the captain following. And when Trevor was close, he raised his hand at Ace. "You can't fight! Ace, you can't!" Ace sighed. "I can. I am better at handling it now. I really am." Trevor shook his head. "No! I don't buy it!" Ace sighed again. "What can I do to prove I can handle this? I am really enjoying this." Trevor let out a breath, before he gave a serious look to Ace. "No! This is not okay! You can't do this! I still remember what happened last time!" Ace sighed. "I am older, Trevor. I can handle it." Trevor shook his head. "No! I don't care, I don't. You're not fighting! You're not! Find something else!" Ace sighed again. "No, what will I do? I don't like anything else." Trevor huffed. "Then I will find something! Just promise you will try it, try something else." Ace hummed. "If i do, and I hate it all, I can fight." Trevor made a grimace, before he sighed. "Fine! Fine. But you need to honestly try." Ace nodded. "I will." Trevor nodded. "You're also banned from training with anyone the next week." Ace sighed, hand moving to his face. "Trevor, come on now. I am older now. I can handle this." Trevor shook his head. "I don't care, you're not allowed to fight anyone in training." Ace sighed. "It has gone fine up until now. No one has died. Hell, I fought Jozu yesterday, and he's not dead or injured." Trevor gave a disapproving look. "I don't care! How long have you been doing this?!" Ace shrugged. "A bit over a month, month and half." Trevor blinked. "So long?" Ace nodded. "And it is going fine." Trevor shook his head. "No! You're not doing this still! You're not allowed to fight anyone! Okay?!" Ace sighed. "Fine, fine. I won't fight anyone." Trevor nodded. "Good. Now I will try and find things you can do, and you will give them an honest try." Ace nodded. "I will. I promise."
Ace then motioned towards the cage. "Can I do one more?" Trevor shook his head. "No!" Ace sighed. "Fine. I won't." Trevor nodded. "I will also tell Daisuke about this." Ace shrugged, arms crossing. "Go ahead. He knows." Trevor blinked. "He knows?!" Ace nodded. "He and Moira know, and they accept it." Trevor blinked. "Wow, why did they accept?" Ace shrugged. "Because I can handle it now. They see that." Trevor shook his head. "I don't. I don't want you fighting." Ace sighed. "Fine, fine. You win. But I have a feeling I will get to fight nonetheless. I like it and nothing else." Trevor hummed. "Oh, we'll see about that. Just give me a bit of time to think." Ace nodded. "Fine. Good luck with this." Trevor then moved a hand to Ace's shoulder and pushed him towards the exit. "Now, get out of here!" Ace hummed. "By the way, if I can't fight, you can't fight." Trevor blinked. "I can handle it." Ace shook his head. "If I can't, you can't. Deal with it." Trevor sighed. "Fine, but Mika can't fight either." Mika held a hand up. "Hey! I'm not a part of this!" Ace hummed. "Deal with it. If I can't fight, no one can fight." Mika gave a huff. "This is unfair." Ace hummed. "Too bad. That's life." Mika huffed again, and they then left, Mika seeming to be the most annoyed, or showing she was most annoyed. He had a feeling Ace was too, but he was good at hiding it.
When they got back to the boat, Ace left for his room it seemed like, and as Ace was gone, Izou looked at Trevor. "How do you know Ace didn't lie when he said he wouldn't fight anymore?" Trevor snorted. "Ace is a bad liar. He can lie well at times, if he can prepare, but usually he sucks at it." Whitebeard frowned. "He's a bad liar?" Trevor nodded. "He usually says the truth, no matter what. He basically never lies, because he doesn't need to lie. Even if it's bad news, he can handle it well. If he needs to be silent or lie, he keeps silent." Whitebeard had seen that, often getting a shake of the head if Ace didn't want to answer something and he didn't want to lie about it. It was good to know. They then stayed at the island for a day, before they left, heading on. Trevor did mention he would use a few days to think of things for Ace to try. Which sounded to be a good idea. He was curious about what the man would come up with.
They docked a day later, and as they did, they saw it was a sizable island, It seemed to be a island filled with clay pits, and when they asked a person about it, they said it was how the island got their money, using the clay to sell and buy things with, which was understandable. They decided to check the island out, Whitebeard joining his children, even Ace joined them. As they were walking around, Ace suddenly frowned, which had him wonder why. "Ace?" Ace moved a hand out to him, to silence him as Ace made his way down into a clay pit, moving over to a little girl. "Hey, what's a little girl like you doing in a clay pit?" The girl stood up from being crouched. "I'm making friends! I just need a bit more clay! Who're you?" Ace gave a smile. "I'm a mercenary." This was the first time he had heard Ace call himself a mercenary. The little girl gasped. "You are! Could you help me?!" Ace gave a nod. "What do you need?" The girl gave a laugh. "I want to give a present to my friends! There is an aband- abandomnd?" Ace nodded. "Abandoned." The girl nodded. "Yes! Abandoned mine! And it's full of pearls! I want some pearls! So I can make a necklace! But I'm not allowed there..." Ace nodded. "I see. I can go get them. Where are your friends?" The girl pointed towards a small hut a bit away. "There! By my house!" Ace nodded. "Let's meet there, okay? I will bring the pearls." The girl giggled. "Yes! See you soon, Mercenary!" Then the little girl moved to lift a bag of clay, before she headed off to the house.
As she was gone, Ace turned to him. "I'll be back in a few, maybe half an hour if unlucky." Whitebeard nodded. "Of course, see you soon." Ace nodded and headed off. Ace was a kind soul, and it seemed everyone had the same thought, especially Marco as he had a heart warming smile. Ace could be terrifying, but he was kind to those who deserved it. They then headed back to the boat, going about their usual days, and about half an hour later, Ace returned. "How'd it go?" Asked Trevor, and Ace moved a hand to his face, looking poignant. "She had made friends." Trevor nodded, not seeming to get why that had Ace looking down. "And? She said she had." Ace shook his head. "No, you don't get it. She made friends out of clay, her friends were made of clay." Whitebeard frowned, before he sighed as he got it. The child didn't have real friends. "What did you do?" Asked Trevor, and Ace sighed. "Was shocked, before I said that's not how you make friends, before I helped her make real friends. Found a few children a bit away. She seemed happy when I left." Trevor nodded, looking shocked. "Wow, she took 'making friends' too literally." Ace nodded. "Yup. She looked so heartbroken when I said it wasn't real friends, she thought she had done right by her dead mother in making friends." Whitebeard felt with the young girl, she didn't know any better. But Ace had fixed it. "But she has friends now." He said, and Ace nodded with a breath. "Thankfully, yes. I've never met one who has done that before. Poor girl." Whitebeard nodded. It was good Ace had checked on the little girl and made her make some real friends. Ace was kind to children.
They then enjoyed their stay, Whitebeard was mostly on the boat, same with most of his commanders. And when the next day came, they decided to leave as evening came, and they had the meeting they usually had each week after dinner. And as the meeting was ending, Ace looked at Trevor. "It's been 3 days. Got any ideas for me to try, or can I go fight again?" Trevor hummed. "I have, I have a couple things. First is; talk about it." Ace blinked, before he gave a stupid look to Trevor. "Really?" Trevor shrugged. "Didn't believe it would work, but needed to try. How about yoga?" Ace snorted. "Yoga? Never." Izou hummed. "I did it for a while, it did help. You should try." Trevor nodded. "Yeah! And you promised to try!" Ace sighed. "Fine, I will give it a try." Trevor nodded. "Good." He then looked at Izou. "I've never tried it. Could you help?" Izou nodded. "I can. Why don't we try tomorrow? It's best in the morning." Trevor nodded. "Sounds good. We'll try. As long as Ace is here, I have a feeling some work will come in the way somehow." Ace hummed. "It has been calm lately. Soul is working a lot for me, he enjoys it, as most is information and small infiltrations." That was good to hear, he was glad Ace was on the boat a lot, it was good to have him here.
The rest of the day went by fine, and when evening came, Ace got a request he needed to leave for, and said he would be back tomorrow morning, around 9, or was just a meeting, which fit as Izou wanted to show how yoga worked around 10. When the morning came, the clock closing in on 9. Haruta came up to him. "There's a marine ship coming towards us, it looks to be Garp we think." Whitebeard nodded, that was good, he wasn't in the mood for a fight, and Garp rarely brought a fight. He probably wanted to check on Ace. He hadn't been here on Ace's birthday. Garp did seem to care for Ace, even though he didn't seem to show it. It was two hours later Garp boarded their ship, and when he did, he looked around. "Ace not here?" Whitebeard shook his head. "No, he's not. He's at a meeting. He's due any minute." Garp nodded. "I see." Garp then looked at him with a look he had never seen, a kind one. Thankfully, most were inside the galley as breakfast had come around, so there were few outside. Garp then took a breath. "I'm only going to say this once. Thank you, Newgate, for taking Ace in. It means a lot to me. I don't approve of him being an assassin, maybe being here makes him not work as much, and he has a place to belong." Whitebeard nodded. "It is nothing, Garp." What Garp most likely hadn't seen, was that Ace was leaning against the wall a bit away, behind him, probably having just returned. He had a smile as he stood there, looking at Garp, who took another breath. "And don't you dare tell Ace I said this." Whitebeard chuckled. No, he hadn't seen Ace. "I won't, Garp." Said the captain.
Ace stood still for another minute as he spoke with Garp, before he moved. Probably so Garp wouldn't know he heard it. "Hello, Garp." Garp turned around. "Finally, you're here. I don't have all the time in the world, you know." Ace hummed. "Then send a note or call ahead, so I can be here when you arrive." Garp gave a huff. "I will try." Ace chuckled. "That's enough for me. Are you here for a special reason?" Garp crossed his arms. "Can't I just come and say hi?" Ace hummed. "You can, just not like you." Garp rolled his eyes, before he reached into a bag and took a jar out, throwing it over to Ace. "Happy late birthday, shitty grandson." Ace catched the jar, and it was filled with black chocolate beads, as last year. "Thank you, Garp." Said Ace, and Garp nodded. "Can't break traditions. Try and stay a pirate for a bit, better than doing other work." Ace hummed. "We'll see, Garp." Garp nodded, before he sighed. "I should head on. By the way, did you get my note?" Ace nodded. "I did. Thanks for doing it. I am sure it was fun to watch." Whitebeard frowned, as most others out, and Ace chuckled. "The drink I made, and sent to Garp, he gave it to some admirals. They freaked." That sounded fun. Garp nodded. "Yeah, jumped from bookshelves and burned paperwork. It was fun." That did sound fun to watch, and he wished he would have seen it himself. Garp then sighed again. "But I really should leave, I can't stay long. Glad I could catch you, Ace." Ace nodded. "Same." Garp then left, and when he had, Ace chuckled. "I knew he cared. But nice to hear it." Whitebeard nodded. "I can understand that. But I wonder, since you joined, have you worked less?" Ace nodded. "I have. I had rarely spare time before, now I have a lot, both since things have calmed down, and since I have a team. Soul is a great help." That was good to hear. He was glad Ace had more free time now. He deserved it.
As Garp was gone, Trevor moved over to Ace. "Are you ready to try yoga?" Ace sighed. "I guess I am." Trevor nodded and Izou was close by and got it was his time to go now, and started to show some yoga positions, and Izou said a few would be hard to do, but it didn't seem like Ace had any issues. "You're good." Said Izou when they had been doing yoga for about 10 minutes. Ace shrugged. "I'm double jointed." Izou frowned. "What is that?" Ace hummed. "A saying for those who have no issues to bend limbs. I can do this." Ace then moved his left leg out, before he moved it up with the help of his hands, so it almost stood up straight, and it had Izou shocked. "Oh my God! That's amazing!" Ace nodded and let his leg down, before he moved his hands behind his back and entwined his fingers. "I can also do this." Ace then moved his hands over his head and to his front, fingers still entwined. Izou blinked, before he tried himself, but wasn't able to, not even close. "I can't do that." Ace hummed. "Many can't. You need to be loose jointed, or double jointed as it's called." Izou nodded. "That looks so cool." Ace nodded. "It is, and it's useful if you're in chains." Haruta blinked. "That I can see." Trevor then moved over. "But back to yoga. How was it?" Ace hummed. "Not my thing. It's just… boring." Izou nodded. "You are so loose you can do it all, so it's no effort for you. It can be calming." Ace hummed. "Nah, I was just bored, nothing against yoga." Izou shook his head. "No, I get it." Trevor sighed. "Fine, I will find something else." Ace nodded. "Good. Get back to me when you have something." Trevor nodded, and he was sure things would go well, and that Trevor would find something.
The rest of the day went by fine.
-x-
Ace sat out on deck, resting on the railing. The last days had gone by fine. But as he was relaxing, he blinked when he got a note from Garp through Dust, he never sent notes. Ace frowned as he read the note. This needed to be dealt with at once, and Ace stood up, telling Whitebeard he would be gone for an hour, before he disappeared, appearing on a submarine he would rather not be on.
-x-
Law sat in a chair in his room, trying to figure out what to do. He needed to do something about the note he just got from the marines. He didn't know what to do yet, and he needed to figure out something fast. It had already been a day, and it was a question about time before the marines would be agitated that he hadn't done anything, he needed to do something. As he was trying to figure out what to do, trying to write down plausible resolutions, he sat up straight when a voice spoke behind him. "Hello, Trafalgar." Law swallowed, before he turned around, to see Ace there. He was in his normal clothing, so that might be good. He was about to speak, when Ace continued. "If you want, you can yell out for your crew, but they won't hear you, I made sure of that." Said the man calmly. Which had him swallow, thinking of what he had done. "Don't worry," Continued Ace. "They're not dead, just unable to hear you. If you want, you can test it out." Law shook his head, he was sure Ace spoke the truth.
"So," Started Ace. "I heard from a source I trust that you have gotten the orders to incapacitate Luffy. And I wonder, what will you do." The assassin was completely calm, it seemed like, speaking calmly at where he stood, leaned against the wall. Law took a deep breath. "I will not hurt Luffy." The assassin nodded calmly. "I see. So what will you do? From what I see, you have three choices. Choice one, is to incapacitate Luffy as they said, which would result in you dying. Choice two, is telling the marines no, which might cost you your warlord status. Or, the third choice, pretend you are searching for Luffy, which also might cost you your warlord status, and you need to always be on the move, you can never relax. Which option do you want to go for?" The assassin was still calm, in Law's mind, that was worse. He didn't like the other so calm. Last time he had been this calm, someone got shot with a shotgun.
Law took a breath, closing his eyes for a second. He maybe had an idea. "I was thinking," Started Law, trying to keep his calm, but his voice was shaking. "What if I try and convince the marines Luffy isn't a danger?" Ace nodded calmly. "How will you do that?" Law swallowed. "What if- what if I tell them he won't be an issue, that he's no danger for them. He's been awol for a while now." Ace nodded. "What will you do when he's done training? He will be an issue for the marines then. And, why would they believe you?" That was true, Law didn't think of that. "Then I'll take the punishment the marines give. They have no reason to distrust me, but they have no reason to trust me either." Ace nodded. "So, my question still stands. What will you do?" Law swallowed. "I will try and say he's not a danger at the moment and it would be a waste of my time to search for him." Law hoped the assassin got what he meant in a good way, not that Luffy was a waste of time, but doing this for the marines was. Ace nodded. "I see. How certain are you that this plan will work?" How certain was he? Not 100%, but maybe… "I think about 50/50. Either they will listen to me, or take away my status. I am willing to sacrifice that for Luffy-ya." He was, even though he wasn't sure on why. Ace nodded. "You have a week to fix this. I will know if they change their plan as I have someone I trust close to the marines. You have one chance." Law nodded. "I know." Ace nodded again, before he stood up. "You have one week, do your best. If not, I will handle you myself." Law nodded, and then Ace then left, heading out the door.
Law sat in silence for a bit, before the door opened again and this time, Corazon came through. "Hey, you done soon?" Law nodded as he swallowed. "Y-yeah." Corazon frowned. "What's with you?" Law took a breath. "Nothing, nothing at all." He didn't want to tell the assassin he had been here, he hadn't told Corazon about what the marines had said, so he would keep this to himself. Right now, Law needed to send a message to the marines he wouldn't do this, and hope for the best. He told Corazon to leave, and he went to write the letter, using a bit of time to sound the best he could sound, telling that he didn't view Luffy as a danger as he hadn't been seen. He couldn't foresee the future, but he didn't want to waste his time. He had things to do. As he was done, he sent it, hoping for the best. He had one week to get a response, and he hoped he would still be a warlord and that they would listen to him.
It took 2 days before he got the response, which was 'Fine, but if he becomes an issue in the next few months, it's on you.' Which he accepted as a good response. Luffy would train for another year and half, so this would turn out fine. The day after that, he had to swallow as Ace of Spades' bird appeared on his ship, standing on the railing. He sent everyone inside, just in case, before he approached it, hoping for the best. As he was some feet away, making space for the assassin to appear, the bird cawed, before he lifted a wing, and took an envelope out, holding it out to him. And he made his way carefully over, taking it and opening it, reading what it said. 'Good work.' And it was signed with Ace of Spades mark, and Law took a breath. It had turned out fine. He wouldn't be killed or tortured, which was good. He was still close to Luffy's island, and was thinking of heading over, to inform about this, but decided against it. He needed to leave for a bit, so no one would be suspicious as to why he was the same place for too long. He would return in a month or so. He could speak with Luffy then.
-x-
Ace let out a breath as he sent Dust away with a note to Trafalgar, telling he had done a good job of getting the deed to incapacitate Luffy to go away, and he had done it without losing his status, which was good. He would keep an ear out if the marines might put someone else on the deed, but he had a feeling they wouldn't. Luffy really had been awol for a while now. He was glad Trafalgar had fixed the issue, and he was content with the fact he was willing to sacrifice his status for Luffy, it meant this wasn't just a one night thing, he was in it for the long run. He still didn't like Trafalgar, but had a feeling he would need to deal a lot with him in the future, when it came to Luffy. Why did Luffy have to like this man? A man he wanted as far away from Luffy as possible, but that wouldn't work as Luffy would be sad and mad. He didn't want that. He would just need to deal with it. He could do that, at least he felt he could. But he would keep a close eye on the warlord, just in case.
-x-
Marco moved to Ace's room, where Ace was checking something, giving a smile when he saw him. "Hi, Marco." Marco smiled back. "Hello. How did it go, yoi?" Ace hummed. "Went fine, just some guy I needed to kill." That was good. As he was about to speak, to see if Ace wanted to head out, Ace spoke. "Marco, I want to talk about something." Marco nodded, moving to sit down on the bed, Ace sitting down beside him. "About the wedding, we need someone to do the honors, and I've decided to have Benn handing me off, and I wondered, how about we use Shanks to do the honors of holding the ceremony?" Marco blinked. "You want Shanks?" Ace nodded. "Well, yeah. He's been there for me through the years. He might annoy me, but I am thankful for his help. I am not sure where I would be without him." Marco nodded, he got it. "I see. We can probably use him, yoi. We need someone to do it." Ace nodded. "And Shanks can act nice and be a good person when he needs to. He wouldn't ruin our day by being… himself." Marco nodded, that was what he was scared of, that Shanks would be himself. But if Ace trusted Shanks wouldn't do anything to their dislike, he would trust that as well. "Okay, we can use Shanks, yoi." Ace smiled. "Thank you." Marco shook his head. "It's nothing. If you want Shanks, we'll use Shanks." Ace nodded. "That, and he will be mad when he finds out he was kept out of the loop. This will calm him down from that." Marco chuckled. "That I can see. I don't mind us using Shanks to do the honors of the ceremony." Ace moved his hand to his. "Makes me glad to hear. I know you're not fond of him." Marco sighed. "I'm not, but I know he is an honorable man." Ace nodded. "He is. Thank you, for letting me choose." Marco shook his head. "It's nothing." Ace moved over to kiss him, before he leaned back. "It means a lot you let me choose this." Marco nodded. "I know, but if you trust he won't mess it up, I trust it as well." Ace smiled. "I know he can be tough to handle, but he would want to see us happy. Now I just need to tell him we're engaged. He will be mad he was kept out."
Marco blinked. "He still doesn't know, yoi?" Ace shook his head. "No, he doesn't. He is a bit stupid at times, he has even noticed the ring, and I said I got it from you, and he still didn't connect it." Marco blinked. "Wow, he is slow, yoi." Ace nodded. "He can be. I'm thinking of heading there tonight, and staying until morning. So I can speak with Shanks, as well as Benn." Marco nodded. "Sure, you can go do that. We don't need you for the night I think. And I'm on watch anyhow, yoi." Ace nodded. "I know, the reason I'm thinking of heading tonight." Marco nodded. "Do that, I can inform Pops." Ace smiled at him. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow." Marco nodded and moved in to kiss Ace, before Ace moved to head to Shanks' ship, and Marco headed out to do his watch, and Pops was out, so he informed him Ace would be gone until morning, being with Shanks and Benn, and Pops said it was fine, Ace could use a day off to be with them, they had been a large part in Ace's life. He also told Pops Ace had decided to have Benn handing him off, and that Shanks would hold the ceremony, which had the captain a bit shocked. "I didn't know you would use Shanks." Marco shrugged. "We needed someone who can do it, and he has been there for Ace, yoi." Pops nodded. "True, I hope he will act… not himself." Marco chuckled. "Ace said Shanks would. And I believe Shanks is scared of Ace, as most are, and if he messes up this day, he will need to deal with Ace." Whitebeard chuckled. "That would keep anyone in place." It would, as Ace could be terrifying. He stood and spoke with Pops a bit more, before he continued his watch.
-x-
Benn moved to grab some coffee, sitting down on the table in the galley, Ace with him, and offered a cup Ace took. "What brings you by, Ace?" Ace hummed. "Just the general, and I have something to ask you." Benn nodded. "Sure, what is it?" He didn't know what Ace might want, and it was rare he asked something of him. Ace took a breath. "We, Marco and I, have decided to go with the Eastern religion mostly when we marry, and I need someone to be there as my special one, to hand me off, and to crown Marco. Would you be this person? You've been with me through thick and thin." Benn smiled. "I would love to. Why not use Daisuke? He's been there for you too." Ace nodded. "I know, but he fits more as an… uncle." Benn blinked. "But I fit more as a dad?" Ace shrugged. "You've been there for me in a different way. I can choose someone else if you don't want to." Benn shook his head. "No, I would be honored to do it. Have you told Shanks you're engaged?" Ace shook his head. "No, I haven't. But, knowing he will be mad he was kept out of it for so long, I've been thinking. We need someone to do the ceremony, and maybe Shanks can do that?" Benn blinked. "You want Shanks?" Ace shrugged. "Why not? He's been there for me too. And I want to include him somehow. We need someone who can do the vows." Benn nodded. "True. He will be glad to hear you want him." Ace nodded. "I know, I'll tell him tomorrow." Benn nodded. "Sounds good. Anything else you want to talk about? You rarely drop by without a reason." Ace shrugged a bit. "I don't know. Just wanted to speak with you. Am I not allowed to just want to say hi." Benn hummed. "You don't do 'just hi'." Ace gave a sigh. "No, you're right. I have something on my mind." Benn nodded. "What is it?" Ace sighed. "You know how I told you about those amputees I saved?" Benn nodded and Ace continued. "I visited them three weeks ago, just to… I don't know, see how they are after everything." Benn nodded. "And? Were they still in pain?" Ace shook his head. "No, the opposite. They were happy, they both said so and looked so." Benn nodded, not sure where this was headed. "And?" Ace sighed. "And it just got me thinking about myself. They will have a changed life from now on, they have no limbs, but they are so happy now that they are safe… Why can't I be the same? Why can't I just relax and be happy and calm?"
Benn sighed, now he got it. He moved a hand to Ace's. "Listen, I know you've been through a lot, and that takes a toll. But you're still in it, you're not able to think 'my next years will be calm', because they won't, not as long as you're working. It took me years to calm down, really calm down, after I left the business." Ace nodded. "Should I stop working? Settle down and be a pirate?" Benn gave a sigh. "I can't decide that. You are the only one who can decide that." Ace nodded. "What made you sure you should leave? Not stay just a year more?" Benn hummed. "Because I had told myself, 'just one more month', for two years, before I finally said stop. I was done. I had no pleasure from it anymore. I felt no happiness, not when I saved others, not when I could have my fun with others, not when I heard thank you. I felt nothing anymore, I just felt resentment, towards myself and others." Ace frowned a bit. "Why towards yourself?" Benn sighed. "Because I should have left earlier, I lashed out on people that didn't deserve it." Ace nodded. "I haven't done that. And… I do enjoy working most times, when I can have fun, when I can help others I feel glad, when I hear thank you, I feel warm inside."
Benn nodded. "I think you just answered your own question." Ace nodded, taking a breath. "Yeah, I think I did. This is why I chose you to be my special one." Benn chuckled. "I can see it." Ace nodded, and Benn chuckled. "And know, some work 'till they die. Look at Mike, he's been in this since he was 17, and he's still in it at 78 and has no thoughts of quitting yet." Ace nodded. "How do you know he isn't thinking of quitting?" Benn hummed. "We speak every now and then, and while he works less, because of his granddaughter, he doesn't want to quit just yet." Ace nodded. "That makes me feel more sure." Benn nodded. "That's good. And it is perfectly normal to have doubts, everyone does. Speaking about them can help, and I'm glad you came here. But know you can speak with Marco and Whitebeard too." Ace nodded, before he sighed. "I'm getting there, it's just a long road. And this is something I wanted to speak with an assassin about." Benn nodded. "What about Mika and Trevor? They're on the boat." Ace sighed. "Yeah, I'm not there yet either. But getting there." Benn nodded. "Good. Good. You need more than just me."
Ace nodded. "I know. And getting there. Just give me a bit of time. I've already confided a few things to Marco about my past." Benn nodded. "And that's good. You need to open up. I know that will take a lot of time, but you're getting there." Ace nodded. "I am." Benn hummed. "Anything else you want to talk about?" Ace let out a hum himself. "Nothing specific. How about just the normal, how things are. I am staying until tomorrow, so I can speak with Shanks." Benn nodded. "Sounds good. It's good to see you're fine." Ace nodded. "Feels good to feel kind of fine." Benn nodded. "How are things going with everyone on the boat?" Ace chuckled, before he answered things were fine, telling about things that had happened. They spoke until the sun rose, and the others woke up. And as Shanks was up, Ace moved over.
"Shanks," Shanks moved to look at Ace, and Ace continued, holding his hand out. "I am getting married." Shanks blinked, before he looked at the ring. "What?! You've had that ring for so long! When would you have told me?!" Ace sighed. "I'm telling you now." Shanks gave a pout. "You should have told me earlier! I am sure Benn knows!" Ace chuckled. "True. He knows, but he saw it himself when it had happened. But, I also need to ask you something." Shanks blinked, before he looked excited. "I am going to be handing you off?!" Ace shook his head. "No, Benn will. But," Continued Ace before Shanks could. "Would you do the honors of holding the ceremony?" Shanks blinked before he moved a hand to his chest. "Oh my God! Yes! I would love to! Yes!" Well, Shanks was in a good mood now, which was good, probably already forgotten about the fact he had been kept out of the loop until now which was good. Ace didn't need Shanks to be in a pouty mood, he was extremely annoying when he was. Ace then stayed around for a few more hours, before he left back to the boat. He was glad Ace had chosen him, it meant a lot to him. He now looked even more forward to the day Ace would get married.
And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed
This was a mix of everything and I hope it came together well
This story is also not finished. I know it is marked finished, but that is since the main part I had planned is over and now it is just the rest as well as ideas that I have. We still have some loose ends, like the wedding and other things
Also, come check out the one shot series to this story! It contains one shots of missing scenes, past events, and alternative scenarios, etc.
If you have any scenes you would like to see, don't be afraid to leave a comment, or send a PM
And I love feedback too; it is what keeps me going!
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