Author's Notes: Greetings, friends. Big shoutout to bunny-girl sama for being this short story's supporter. Glad you liked everything so far. ;-D As a thank you, I'll provide one more bonus chapter. After this, that's it. I will be on hiatus. In this chapter, I'm going backwards. Ace isn't with the Whitebeards and Nesi is with the Spades.
~ ... Difference in Approach ... ~
There were a lot of dishes in the sink. So many dishes. It was an absolute massacre of food out there. Why Ace had to get the greediest group of men to be his allies was beyond her, but this was an accomplishment to her captain's growing fleet. The Tongueless Siren fleet had joined them in the celebration of the alliances, and it sounded like they were trying to come up with a group name. Nesi couldn't join them in thinking of a good name since she was cooking up a feast for so many people. It was a good thing she had help from the other ships' cooks, and it turned out to be a nice collaboration. Spices and methods for certain dishes were introduced to Nesi, so she mixed them up to create a wonderful smelling collection of foods. The other cooks were also impressed by the joint method and ingredients to season the foods and give them a heavenly aroma. Once all of the food was officially done, the chefs ate together and traded spices with each other. Nesi was able to get more plants to add to her garden. Poor Ace must've fallen asleep six times during the party, earning laughter from the new allies and concern from the Tongueless Sirens.
The new allies were called the Serpent's Grail and were led by a man named Vangra Fly. He was a devil fruit user himself, but he resorted to its powers when all other options were exhausted. Fly clung to Ace when the young captain saved Fly's men and the Spades from capture by a devil fruit user among the coast guards in town. Fly and Ace spoke at length about their starts as pirates, and Ace was excited to hear about Fly's advocacy for his crewmates. He wanted the best for them and demanded that they receive proper treatment and wages for their hard work. Ace proudly brought up the skills and talents that his boys had learned once he became serious as a captain, and he wanted Fly to convince Nesi to remain a pirate. They both seemed to share the mindset of treating people kindly and helping them survive harsh working conditions or otherwise, and Fly was actually pretty powerful. While he didn't use his powers to their full potential, Ace and Fly's short scuffle did end with the two impressed with each other's might and respect for each other's path as a pirate captain.
To commemorate the alliance, Fly suggested a feast and introduced himself to Nesi. They got along quite well and did, in fact, share much in common when it came to fairness and morals. Unfortunately, Fly supported Nesi's choice in not being a pirate and warned her of the dangers that would befall her once she became a privateer. Though against Ace's original plan, Fly explained why he supported her and how he became a captain. Like Nesi's father, he was a sailor trying to make ends meet, and, when his captain embezzled wages, he and the crew threw him overboard and became pirates as revenge for the mistreatment. He found it unfair to exhaust the men the way the former captain did, so Fly made sure his men were well-fed, properly cared for, and the like as the leader of the new crew.
As angry as Ace was for Nesi being further pushed away from him, he really couldn't be angry at Fly. He respected him, and he was starting to understand what Nesi was trying to do in the long run. She wasn't trying to make everyone get along like he originally thought. She was trying to get everyone to see the suffering of separation. That a marine was no closer to a luxurious lifestyle than a pirate was in the caste system. They might be better off than a poor laborer, but the nobles and higher-ups don't want anything to do with anyone who comes into contact with the lower-class citizens. It made no sense for the marines to be so against pirates when the government failed them, too. Ace found that he agreed with this sentiment. He wasn't aware that the marines that Nesi stomped out had told her that even the marines are beneath the nobles.
"Serving them is not serving the country!" Nesi claimed. "It's serving an agenda of superiority that they don't deserve! There are men putting their lives at risk with the threat of not being able to see their families again day in and day out, and these selfish ingrates think it's fair and have made it legal to steal money from them? Money that's hard enough to earn? Jobs that are hard enough to even keep? Taxes don't even go to things we need! Every civilization that has a tax should have a healthy living wage no matter the industry you work for, proper schooling no matter the status, clean roads, at least one advanced doctor, and not a single homeless person or abandoned child on the street. Yet, that's what I'm seeing. My captain may not be the best example, but supposing he wanted to be a horror story writer or even a taxidermist. Why does he have to train to be something he's not just to stay alive? Why is it so hard for him to just love to travel the seas? Why should that bother authority? It shouldn't! They don't want efficiency or fairness. They want power, to feel like they're above everybody and the law, to not care about price or consequences, to be anything else but you or me. I don't know much about the devil fruits or haki like Ace, but I'm glad that the fruits exist for the sole reason that it was able to put a sliver of fear into their hearts. Those at the bottom can rattle the scaffolds of the people on top. If being a pirate king or a pirate god is what it'll take for them to straighten up, I'll be behind the pirates every step of the way. But... that's only if they're like you and my father. I'm not tolerating anyone who hurts just to hurt or who wants others to hurt like them. My goal is to end this cycle, not rejuvenate it."
"Such a passionate woman!" Vangra complimented, smiling warmly. "No wonder your captain is so fond of you."
"Fond?" Nesi questioned, squinting an eye. "Have you heard about his wrath on laundry day? The worst!"
"You didn't follow orders, lizard woman!" Ace argued, lightly blushing at Vangra's remark.
The other captain merely laughed at their argument before he interrupted them with plans for the alliance. Watching the two talk, Ace drank in the words and thoughts being exchanged between Vangra and Nesi to understand Nesi's dream. When Nesi excused herself to continue her chores, Vangra asked to see the Bloody Doubloon and took note of its shortcomings as a proper vessel. It may have been rickety, but it was functional, and he could see where renovation had been done. Vangra just didn't expect for Nesi to be responsible for over half of those renovations. As a show of peace and respect, he told Ace to dock the ship and had his men take out all of the rotting parts of the ship and essentially remodel Ace's vessel. Vangra also gifted Ace with another cannon, further stealing the space for Nesi's bedroom, and gave him materials and blueprints for a conning tower to protect the ship's steering area.
"It won't take much to sink an old ship" was Vangra's exact words.
Schooner was actually quite proud of Ace for gaining a new ally and happily restocked him on ale and ammo for the cannon. Vangra and Schooner spoke at length about stretching the cannon room over so that the new cannon could be positioned on the opposite side of the ship, so they demolished the wall blocking that extra space and noticed that the room was irregular. Nesi was crying that she lost space for a potential working station, but she did mention that the irregularity could be used to their advantage to properly balance the ship's weight and center of gravity. Too much ammo on one side will have the ship at a constant lean. Once the cannon room was redesigned, Nesi went to work on documenting how often the cannons were used and when they had to be restocked on ammo. This included the attacks on prize ships and the dates, times, successes and failures of each strike. Schooner and Vangra were actually impressed by Nesi's bookkeeping skills and spoke to Ace about having her make copies of the joint attacks on prize ships for their fleet.
When the party was over and everyone was loading up to simply cruise in separate directions, Schooner caught Ace sleeping under a tree with food still in his mouth. He smirked mischievously and tossed a luggage bag onto the young captain's stomach to wake him up. Ace practically choked on the food in his mouth and leftover saliva before he sat up with a displeased look on his face.
"What was that for, ya sweaty swinger?" Ace questioned, pouting.
"Pfft! We're packing up to leave, captain," Schooner replied, putting a hand on his hip. "Your boxer girl made you all comfy out here. You didn't even notice she put a pillow under your head and a little blanky over your legs. She's so cute! What were you writing over here anyway? You could've just gone in your cabin."
Ace looked down at himself and saw Nesi's pillow and blanket on his person. She really came over there to make him comfortable? Anyone else would've yelled at him for sleeping while eating. Why didn't she? He remembered that Schooner asked him a question and replied, "Just letters to some people. I think it's time we look into meeting one of the warlords of the sea. I'm not interested in being a government dog, but Nesi and the boys may as well meet one of them and see how they feel about 'em. I guess I can look into it myself."
"They're not worth seeing, in my opinion," Schooner said, kneeling to sit next to Ace. "That's if you just want to be a pirate. Was being a Pirate King always your dream?"
"To be honest... not really," Ace answered honestly. "My old man wanted me to be a marine. He was a tough son of a bitch, but he never really thought about stuff for himself. Seemed like such a waste for someone to be so rough on us, especially my kid brother, when he might've been living a life he didn't even want. He just did as told without question. I just couldn't get behind that. When he forced me to go to boot camp on my sixteenth birthday, that was the last straw. I remember fighting my commanding officer after training one day, and he asked me what my dream was just before we threw hands. 'That's my business!' was my response. He gave me a choice. If I could beat him hand-to-hand, he'd let me leave to figure out what I wanted to do in life and put in a good word with my old man. If I lost, I go back to training and become enlisted in the navy under his watch. He made the fight hell! I'll give him that! But, I have him to thank for making me see that this is my life to fight for. Whatever reputation my parents had had nothing to do with me or my future. I loved sailing and doing things on my own when I was kid, so I can stand to be alone and be with others in the same breath. Doesn't really bother me. I guess I could've gotten a small job instead, but I didn't want to work anywhere. Half of the bosses were like my old man, and I got along better with the pirates at Makino's anyway. I didn't do much stealing, but I got into a lot of fights. I guess that's what made me want to be a pirate more. It felt like I belonged with them. I mean... I heard about One Piece from the other pirates, but they didn't seem to care about it, so I didn't either. Even Shanks, my little brother's idol, didn't seem to want any of that crap either. He was happy just being able to enjoy his life and his friends. I wanted that so I left home."
"Now that's an impressive start to your story, cap," Schooner said, whistling with a tone of admiration. "The marines missed out on one of the most lethal fighters to date had you stuck with it, but you wouldn't have met boxer girl or your boys if you lost that fight. Funny how the world works. I wonder if the girls would've fallen at your feet faster if you were in uniform! All those fine women you could've been with, and you chose to be around a bunch of smelly, old ass men!"
"Those girls wouldn't even try to get to know me! They'd just see a bunch of medals and think money!" Ace argued, blushing profusely at the visual that invaded his mind aggressively and making Schooner laugh. "Can't you be normal for a change?"
"Oh? There was a girl who rejected you back home then?" Schooner questioned, face turning to that of a cat.
"No, there wasn't! I was just - ! Be normal for two seconds, will ya?" Ace demanded, teeth growing sharp.
"Women flock to attractive men, Ace. That's as normal as breathing. I think you'd've been the nicest marine by far and probably the most attractive. They're an ugly lot," Schooner said jokingly but not inaccurately. "I don't know if Nesi would've seen you differently had you been sent to her island to answer that question that's in the back of your mind. Same with your boys. If you were still as polite and honest as a marine, you might have gained their respect, but I don't know about their loyalty. It's hard to say for pirates, unfortunately. If her backstory is true, you would've had no choice but to arrest Nesi for assaulting an officer of the law. Would you have visited her at The Domestics Institute? Or felt bad for her when she tried to peacefully protest?"
Ace was quiet at the questions, unsure of how to answer them. In his heart, he would never put Nesi behind bars, but that's because he knows her now and has spent time with her through his mentorship. She had become a great friend to him. As much as he despised that little worm and his nipping, Baragon had become a bit of a mascot and has been acting as a good storm tracker recently. Finally, the little pink worm was being useful! Even then, he wouldn't have met Baragon either if Nesi had to be behind bars or if she hadn't survived her fight against the marines. Would he have been cold to her? Would he have ordered her finger to be cut like them? Would he have gone to that restaurant where she worked? Would she see his uniform and - ?
"I dunno. Someone else could've been stationed there. I might not have been. That's not how the military works. You go where you're needed, not where you want to go," Ace clarified, scratching his scalp.
In truth, Schooner was right. The world did work in a funny way. If he had been a marine, he and Nesi never would've met. She would've probably been dead before he learned about her or her island. The boys were a bit different. He met them in different situations that would've made them respect him, yes, but at least of them would've followed him as an informant. The other half might've been on good terms with him and stayed friends with him. Unless her haki would've still activated, maybe Nesi would've tried to join the marines, but she would've been rejected immediately. As a pirate, she had even less luck. No one was going to take her in with the dream she had. She was such a fragile girl. Would he have seen that? Remembering the night he watched her sleep in the laundry room, Ace frowned at the memory of her sweet face. She was cute. She played with those little boys and worked her shift at the same time all while smiling and laughing with them. They looked like a regular family.
Schooner observed Ace's body language while he was wrapped up in his thoughts and merely smirked. Ace didn't have to answer any of his questions. Schooner knew that Ace would've spared Nesi, or at the very least would've had some sympathy for her. He might've tried his luck with minor flirting, but he definitely would feel some hurt once she rejected him. Schooner may not have been Ace's closest friend, but he was arguably able to read Ace the best from an ally's perspective. Vangra could do it, too. He'd be a good rival in their humble fleet one day. Anyone could see that Nesi walked the straight and narrow. She practically wore blinders when her goals were involved. Her bookkeeping and renovation skills were immaculate and professional. That's how she was. Ace wouldn't have stood a chance. Not so much that Nesi would've never been interested in him, but Ace went out of his way to help her reach her goals when they didn't really like each other. That was what they both often emphasized or repeated whenever they told others their story. By the time Schooner met them, Ace was more serious about his role as captain, wanted to make sure his boys were taken care of, and had trained Nesi how to fight and be resourceful. If he had acted in the same way as a marine, Schooner would fear him more than any of the admirals or high-ranking officers. He would've been too efficient and too deadly of a pirate hunter.
"Oh, actually, I'm wrong!" Schooner said, remembering something. "You mentioned meeting a girl from the marines last time. You would've never been stationed at Nesi's island. My mistake. She would've been the one. I totally forgot about that."
"How would you know!?" Ace demanded. "I thought I told you to be normal!"
"Ah, such a hard decision to make!" Schooner joked, swooning over the thought of a potential love triangle. "Ye olden courting days are passed me now!"
"NORMAL!" Ace demanded, shouting in Schooner's ears.
Author's Footnotes: Vangra Fly is loosely based on the historical figure and real-life pirate captain, William Fly, of the Fames' Revenge. William Fly is ironically most famous for his death much like Moga and Schooner. His career, though short, was successful since he was able to capture five prize ships within two months, but he ultimately fought for the rights of the crewmen. His advocacy led to him becoming a pirate captain through mutiny, and, on the day of his execution, he actually warned other captains to treat their crewmates with respect and pay them their earnings on time, disregarding the weight of his execution. He is most famous for retying his noose and putting it on his own neck correctly since the executioner did it sloppily. His death marked the end of the Golden Age of Piracy and was put on display to warn others of turning to piracy.
Although the Domestics Institute is fictional, it is modeled after old or historical women's prisons from the 1800s. Women were typically subjected to poorer conditions than male prisoners and had to undergo punishments related to domestic tasks like sewing or cooking. It was meant to re-establish a woman's duties in the home and was often regarded as her being sick in the mind if she resorted to crime. Women were more likely to be put into mental institutions for their crimes versus an actual prison cell.