Chapter 3

The Truth

The old bartender smiled as the boy's head collided soundly with the wooden surface of her bar. Normally, someone would freak out if the person they were talking to suddenly collapsed, but not her. She had heard a lot about the boy's narcolepsy attacks and so she continued calmly cleaning the glass in her hand as if nothing had happened. Soon there were soft snoring sounds coming from the sleeping youth in front of her.

"You would think he had enough sleep already."

She placed the first glass on the shelf behind her and took another before turning to look at the clock.

"Only 6:00 pm. I suppose I can give them some more time to rest."

She then turned to go finish the last preparations before opening for the night. She was not even half way done when she heard the groan of the now waking raven-haired.

"Shakky, do you happen to have any food around here? I'm starving."

She smiled. He was too much like his brother.

"I can bring you something now or we can wake up Calypso to do so. She is a better cook than I am."

The boy's head shot up.

"Really?"

She smiled again, although this time more to herself.

"Yes, if you wish so."

For a moment he looked tempted by the idea, but then his usual grin returned and he slightly shook his head.

"Nah...Let her sleep. I believe she needs the rest."

Shakky's smile grew visibly. If this wasn't an interesting development...She noted to herself to dig deeper later and went to bring some leftover food from the fridge.

"I hope it's enough to last you for a while."

"It's alright, thanks."

As long as he was eating she was sitting there, smoking and thinking. She talked only when he was done with his dinner.

"Ace, what did she tell you about the war?"

The boy moved the now empty plates aside.

"Not much. Only that Shanks helped save me and that everyone is alive but they think I' m dead."

"Are you sure she said 'everyone'?"

Ace frowned.

"She did say that all my friends are safe. Why? Did she lie?"

The older woman shook her head.

"No. She doesn't have it in herself to lie. What she said is true, your friends are safe but..."

She took a drag from her cigarette and sighed.

"I guess there's no easy way to say this to you."

Ace looked at her with a serious expression.

"What happened in the war, Shakky?"

She put off the cigarette.

"Whitebeard died."

Ace gulped loudly.

"How?"

"Blackbeard killed him so he could steal his powers."

Even though she couldn't sense the full depth of his wrath, she could definitely see part of it in his clenched fists with the white knuckles and the dark expression on his face.

"Blackbeard..."

His voice was shaky, possibly from the tears he tried to suppress. It wasn't long before his whole body started trembling. It wasn't a surprise to him when his tears escaped; he could only keep them hidden for so long. The only thing he could do now was bite his lip trying to, at least, hold back the pained cry that was trying to escape. If only that was an easy thing to do… The harder he was trying to push back the pain, the more his memories of the time he spent with the Old Man resurfaced. He remembered the day he met the man and all the times he tried to kill him. He remembered the way he was laughing at his crew's antics and how he called them all his sons. But what Ace remembered the most about Whitebeard was that, for him, he was the father he never had and that he always wished he did. All those memories allowed a desperate whine to escape his now-bleeding lips, yet he never cried. No, he shouldn't cry for him. The Old Man chose to die at that place. He decided to give his life for the sake of his sons, so they would at least have a chance to live, the way any father would. He decided that this was the right time to end his journey on the seas, to end an era, and weeping for him suddenly seemed disrespectful to Ace. Yet his voice was desperately trying to break free. It took him some time to realize it was not so much the pain he wanted to express as the anger. Anger towards Blackbeard. Towards the man who killed both a friend and a father Ace loved so much. Who was planning to also kill his little brother, all because it was convenient for his plans. Ace could feel his rage grow inside him like a menacing inferno at the mere thought of that man. He knew his clenched fists were already bleeding, but he kept clenching them more tightly, breaking the skin further. Soon the red liquid started dripping in the wood underneath, filling the air around him with its metallic scent. A picture of Blackbeard killing Whitebeard flashed through his mind and he gulped loudly. If only he was there...

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft hand slightly squeezing his shoulder. Ace was expecting it to be Shakky and so he was surprised when the owner of the hand talked with a voice that was nothing like the barkeeper's. This voice was soft and comforting with a slight trace of sleep in it.

"Ace?"

He didn't look back at the girl he only met a while ago. Maybe he was trying to hide the few tears that he couldn't hold back or maybe he wasn't sure he could control himself and his raging emotions once facing her. He was aware that she knew everything he was just told herself, but he still had to ask. Deep down, he was probably hoping that everything was a lie. That the Old Man was still alive and all this was a prank; a very sick one. But this was just a slight hope buried underneath all the pain and anger.

"You knew about it, didn't you?"

She didn't answer immediately.

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

Another pause.

"I couldn't..."

He turned to look at her. All the raging emotions from before were still present in his eyes and his posture, but not as much as a while ago.

"Why?"

She looked down and bit her lip.

"Because of this..."

She frowned.

"You asked why I couldn't. This is why. I didn't know how to answer this question and others that may follow without revealing things I shouldn't."

They stared at each other in silence for a while until Ace turned away from her to rest his head in his palms, effectively hiding his face.

"I won't force you to say anything you don't feel like saying. I don't think you are the kind of person who would keep something like this secret if there was no reason to. I just wish I knew earlier. I just...I just wish I was there to help..."

Calypso looked at the boy, studying him intensely. His trembling form and the strong grip he had on his unruly black hair were enough to help her come to a decision. She lowered her hand that had been on his shoulder all this time and carefully moved to sit on the stool next to him. Once comfortable, she kept her gaze lowered and started playing with her fingers in a way that was giving away part of the battle taking place in her head. Then, suddenly, she stopped.

"You wouldn't be able to help either way."

This statement got his attention.

"You were supposed to die in this war to save your brother."

"Does this mean...?"

"No. Luffy is still alive thanks to you who died at his place as you should."

"But...I am here now, alive. How did I save Luffy if I am now alive?"

Calypso involuntarily smiled at the confusion in his voice.

"Remember when I told you that everyone thinks you're dead?"

He nodded.

"This is because of the Double Fruit power that gives to his user the ability to create a copy of the target in the target's location and moves the target next to them. The user is also able to control the copy for a few moments when close to him or her."

"So, when you said that Shanks had a way to contact that person, you meant..."

"Yes, the user of the Double Fruit. I guess I was lucky. Or you were the one that was lucky since they managed to get the boat close enough for the Fruit to work..."

"Shanks said that you looked pretty worried while waiting. I wonder why..."

The barwoman casually walked back in from the kitchen, obviously thinking the two had enough time alone. Ace looked at her and then back at Calypso with his left eyebrow raised in interest and amusement. She instantly turned her back on him in an attempt to hide her blush, a failed attempt since she was not quick enough. Ace's already big grin grew even more at the implications he was presented with. His eyes never left the form of the girl in front of him and a finger casually moved to play with a stray pink curl.

"Really now? Worried about me, huh?"

"This is what Red Hair said when we were sharing a drink just before his return to the New World."

Before Ace had a chance to comment, Calypso jumped down from her stool and, with as much calmness as she could master, marched to her room saying something about being time to get ready. Ace was ready to go after her but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked at Shakky who was shaking her head, a knowing but still mischievous grin playing in the corners of her lips.

"Let her be for now."

She used her other hand to point at the clock that was saying it was only 6:40 pm.

"It's almost an hour too early for her to 'get ready'."

She gave Ace a strange, expectant look which he answered with one of his confused ones. As if on cue, muffled, frustrated screams could be heard from Calypso's room accompanied by the stomping of feet pacing on the floor and the occasional caw of a clearly disapproving raven. A combination of sounds that brought an expression of amusement and anticipation on the young pirate's face.