Chapter 3: Deal with the Devil?
It only took a few minutes for Ace to finish explaining the situation to Makino after she arrived. At first, she was distraught at the thought of him being recruited by Whitebeard, but upon learning that Marco warmed him about possibly be targeted, she seemed just as torn about the situation as he was.
"Ace," she said finally, her expression grave as she attempted to keep her voice down so as not to wake Luffy in the next room, "I understand that this isn't an easy decision for you. But you can't tell me that you believe that life in a gang would be better? It would be putting you in a world of constant danger? You could get hurt…? Or worse! You could get yourself killed if you aren't careful. What would happen to Luffy without you?"
"I know, and that's why I'm having such a hard time deciding," he answered back, "But if Marco's right, then we could already be in serious danger. Short of leaving this city, I don't know what else to do."
Makino was shaking her head, clearly not sure what to do anymore. She knew he was right, but to get mixed up with Whitebeard of all people? Sure, it was well known that he was protective over his men, even seeing them as family, but this was an incredibly dangerous world and she was terrified at what could be waiting for them.
"What are you going to do if he orders you to do horrible things?" she asked, unable to think of a better way to word her concerns.
"I don't know, but I have a choice to join them," Ace said as he paced back and forth in the living room, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. "I know it seems hard to believe, but… I do think that Thatch and Marco were telling me the truth. So… I'll meet with the man himself and see what he's all about. Worst case scenario, I'll say no and take Luffy to another city. I really don't want to do that, but there might not be another choice. I'll get a job somewhere else and just try to make a living out there. But if what they said is true, this could be what I need to help make a more stable life for him."
Makino still looked upset, as he stood up and finished, "Like I said… I'll meet with Whitebeard and see what he has to say. After that… I'll make up my mind. I promise that I'll think about my options carefully. Just… stay here with Luffy for now. I'll be back as soon as I can."
She could only nod, watching anxiously as Ace texted Marco, telling him he was ready.
It seemed that the two of them were just waiting for that text for a few minutes later, through the window, Ace spotted a black car pulling up just outside and Ace was bracing himself for the worse. He looked back to Makino, who seemed to be fighting tears, and said in a forced winning voice, "Don't wait up for me! I'll be home before you know it!"
Makino made sure to watch from the window as Ace got into the black car and was driven off. All she could think of was the little boy who would help her wash dishes in her bar with his mother when they were busy. She could only pray that he wasn't getting in over his head again.
*In the Car*
Ace was silent for most of the ride, despite Thatch's best attempts to lighten the mood by telling inappropriate jokes from the back seat, while they headed further to the outskirts of the city proper. The city they lived in was known as Grand Line City… which was divided into three main parts:
Marijoa, which was where the rich and powerful lived… Edge Town, the rougher part of the city where the Grey Terminal was… and the residential district where ordinary people lived, but it was a relatively safe area to live in. He and Luffy lived on the very edge of the residential district, and until now hadn't had any problems in terms of gang activity.
Ace rarely went to Edge Town aside from visiting the Grey Terminal a couple times a month, having promised Makino to avoid this area as much as possible to avoid trouble following him home. But he was well aware of how dangerous the local thugs could be. Dealing with all manner of illegal activities… and apparently, it was under Whitebeard's control these days.
His name alone was enough to make a normal person want to crawl into a hole and hide for the rest of their life and pray that they never ever meet the legend in person. The man's amazing physical prowess and his influence were well known all over so that despite how brave many gangs tended to be, the instinct to live outweighed the stupidity of attacking Whitebeard's turf. It also didn't help that Whitebeard's crew was full of strong fighters and if you messed with one, you risk all hell being rained down upon you.
It was said that it was like beckoning death by targeting one of Whitebeard's 'sons'.
But who knew how much of that was true? He knew only the rumors about the man. Most seemed more likely to be horror stories than actual facts, such as how he could create earthquakes with his fists and one time even split the very sky itself.
"So… Whitebeard… what can you tell me about him?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation steady, his mind already thinking up back-up plans should he need them. "Anything I should know to avoid making him mad? I mean… I've only heard stories but…?"
"Ah, yeah, Pops gets a lot of that," Marco laughed at the thought. "I've heard countless rumors such as he once caused a seaquake when he got mad… or once I heard someone claim that he fought with another strong enemy for three days straight before they called a ceasefire and threw a banquet afterwards. Though, knowing him, it wouldn't surprise me if that one was true."
"He's still a gang leader though?" Ace pointed out. "So doesn't he rule with an iron fist or something?"
"Only when he's pissed off," Thatch laughed from behind.
"While Pops may be technically the head of a gang, that's not entirely correct," Marco spoke up, giving Thatch an annoyed look through the mirror.
"Why do you guys call him 'Pops' anyway?" Ace asked curiously. "He's not really your old man, is he?"
"No, but he calls us that and we like it," Marco shrugged, "See, a lot of us have no other family or places to go. But he took us in and gave us a kind of dysfunctional family that drives each other up the walls from time to time. So… he calls us his sons and daughters… and we call him Pops. Sounds stupid when I say it out loud but it makes us happy."
Ace looked at him from the corner of his eye before asking, "Still, he's a dangerous man."
"He is," Thatch agreed as he popped out a bag of chips and began to munch happily behind them, "But then again, so are wild animals if you provoke them."
"Oi! Don't leave crumbs in my car!" Marco snapped back without any real heat.
"So what do you guys do then?" Ace asked as he stretched out and leaned back in the seat, trying to appear unconcerned and relaxed, "I mean, gangs are dangerous but most aren't known for being criminal masterminds."
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Marco reasoned, while still giving Thatch a dark look. "We're criminals in the eyes of the authorities because we don't like to play by their rules but I feel that we do a lot of good. There is a hierarchy in this part of the world when it comes to criminal organizations and the gangs. Luckily for us, Pops is at the top of that hierarchy. Still, if you don't know who you're dealing with, then you might accidently draw the unwanted gaze of one of the other powers."
"You sure you should be telling me all this?" Ace asked worriedly, a bit surprised that Marco was so open, as Marco shrugged.
"It's not like it's a secret," Marco answered back unconcerned as they paused at a red light. "But pay attention, cause I'm only gonna explain it once. See, most refer to Whitebeard's people as part of a 'gang' but that is a term only for the smallest groups. Just small fry who's only been around for a short time and their only current talent is causing random bouts of trouble."
"They're usually made up of only a few people," Thatch added, "There are exceptions to every rule though. A few years back there was Don Krieg… that guy had a veritable army behind him but they were weak—wiped out pretty much overnight. They only got to where they were by outnumbering the other gangs in their sector… at least until they started causing trouble in Pop's territory and almost burnt down a local diner. That's where we stepped in to stop them before any innocents got hurt. To this day, we still get free to-go orders from the boss there as a thank you for the help."
"How many gangs are there in the city then? And what are you guys if you're not technically one of them?" Ace asked, generally curious now.
"Imagine the criminal organizations as like a totem pole. The top of the food chain are those ranked as Yakuza. They're groups of organized crime syndicates that have been active for decades," Marco explained with a shrug as the light turned green and they were going again, "But these days they're more commonly known as the 'Emperors' because of how strong they are, how many members they have, and how far their influence reaches. Pops is one of them and has control over this entire city, and even several others. He's even been starting to branch out to other locations. In this section of the world though, there are four Emperors all together, including Pops, each specializes in certain—shall we say—talents."
Ace wasn't so sure he liked what he meant by how he said 'talents' but didn't say anything about that as he thought of four powerful shadows inside his own head.
"And what's Whitebeard's 'talent'?" he asked slowly as Marco only grinned back mysteriously but didn't answer. Ace had a feeling that the man wasn't going to be as open about that part as the rest so he let it go for now, even though he was burning with curiosity.
"Sounds like they must all fight each other a lot," he decided to redirect.
"Not really," Thatch answered back, "Aside from some blows being traded here and there at our borders, the Emperors tend to leave each other alone."
"Why's that?" Ace asked, finding that hard to believe. If they were that strong, surely they would be picking more fights with each other to gain more resources and territory?
"Well, imagine if two of the four Emperors ever fought each other to exhaustion? One of the other two could step in and finish them off," Thatch reasoned as if it was obvious. "There's a kind of uneasy peace between all sides, but you don't need to worry about the others for now."
"Now, underneath the Emperors, in terms of ranking, would be the Warlords," Marco went on, "They're far more dangerous than the common gangs and are practically criminal syndicates all of their own. They're just not as large or as strong as the Emperors. At least not yet."
"I'd like to meet some of them, what are they like?" Ace grinned.
"You may regret that," Marco smirked at the thought, "The Warlords are dangerous in their own right. Some are definitely more reasonable than others, but they didn't get to where they are now by being nice. Luckily for us, we really only have to deal with one of them with regular business dealings. Almost all of the others are off in their own little sections of the world, so we rarely have to contend with the Warlords."
"Like what and with which ones?" Ace asked.
"Well, there's Crocodile, who owns a chain of casinos and they say he makes more money in an hour than a regular person makes in a year," Thatch explained, "Which wouldn't surprise me. He's a dangerous one though, often dealing with all manner of illegal substances and practically owns the black market. Then there's Doflamingo, another dangerous one you gotta watch out for. Only met the man once and… let me tell you… he's a bit on the unstable side. Goes by the codename: Joker and specializes in all manner of weapons. Still, no one can run numbers like him and he's trusted in the criminal underworld of always making good on his business dealings so because of that, he's got a lot of allies."
"And then there's the lone wolf. Dracule Mihawk, also known as Hawkeye," Marco warned and his grin faded a little at the mention of the man's name. "He may as well be considered an Emperor himself by now with how strong he is. His influence isn't as great as Pops though, but he's perhaps the most dangerous of the Warlords."
"What does he deal with?" Ace asked, filing all this information away for later.
"Assassination, I suppose, the guy's a real killer and has got a lot of others working under him with the 'killing instinct'," Thatch mentioned casually as Ace twitched at the thought. "He's got a whole team of lawyers that are able to get them out of any kind of trouble. So if you ever meet him, try to stay on his good side. I once heard he killed a whole group of rising gang members just because they woke him from a nap."
"He didn't…?" Ace said doubtfully.
"I don't know, he's been known to kill for less than that," Thatch interrupted mysteriously.
"Thatch, behave yourself and stop spreading such rumors," Marco snapped with a roll of his eyes, "He and Pops do have a kind of live and let live pact going on. Pretty much, they stay out of each other's way unless their men start to cause trouble in each other's territory. But Mihawk is the head of his own group in the western regions—so you would do well to avoid causing trouble with him at all times."
"Okay, this is starting to sound dangerous," Ace said as he got the order in his mind. "So I'm guessing that the regular gangs either answer to them or are in separate groups?"
"In some cases, if they catch one of the Warlord's eyes," Marco confirmed before turning down another street, one that seemed to be heading closer to the more run-down part of town. "But if they do, then usually they become just underlings. But yes, under the Warlords are the common gangs that come to mind when you think of the term 'gang'. They're pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole and are many in number so it's like dealing with cockroaches. It's basic to understand but the relationships can be pretty complicated, even messy, so it's best that you understand the three rankings for now."
"Why not? Sounds like I can take them," Ace offered before Thatch leaned in from the back and had him in a headlock.
"Are you just stupid or suicidal?" he demanded, "You're here now because you beat up a few thugs from a regular gang. You really think you're in any position to be fighting anyone stronger than that at the moment."
Ace had to hit his arm to get him to let go so he could breathe properly. Thatch only let go once he was sure that Ace knew how serious he was here—not that he could blame him because he knew he was right.
"Fine, I promise to behave myself," Ace snarled, hating how he was being treated like a stupid kid who didn't know better, "But even if I choose to join, I refuse to call him 'Pops'."
"That's fine, he doesn't force that," Marco answered reasonably.
"And if I do join, I'll be pulling my own weight," Ace added firmly, "I hate being in someone's debt."
"No problem," Marco answered again and Ace was growing frustrated by how causal they were. That was when he remembered the needle in a bubble they gave him and he pulled it out of his pocket.
"So what is this thing, anyway?" Ace asked as he held up the bracelet with the little needle still inside.
"Ah, good. I was gonna ask if you brought it since Thatch forgot his," Marco said as he held up his own wrist where Ace saw he was wearing an identical one. "It's a kind of symbol of trust that we give out to all potential new recruits. You wear it when you approach our headquarters and the guards will let you pass. Since they know me and Thatch, it's not such a big deal, but you will have to wear it if you wanna get in. We'll be there soon."
Since when was this like an arcade where you get a sticker or stamp on your hand to be allowed in? Ace was finding all of this stranger and stranger by the minute. But he kept his mouth shut as they made a turn down another street, this one empty with only a few flickering street lights on as they pulled down to the far edge of the road where they were approaching a large building. The lights were all off and there were only a few cars parked in the parking lot, but it looked like this place had been abandoned for years. Just why were they pulling up to a place that looked like it was condemned twenty years ago? If anything, it looked like a place where he was about to get mugged and murdered.
He secretly hoped Marco wasn't going to stop here but…?
"Now then… let us pull up and…?"
Ace stared up at the massive building, realizing that it looked like it had once been a massive factory or something. The front of the building was shaped like the front of a whale with a flickering neon sign over one side that spelt out weakly: The Moby Dick.
"What a dump," Ace commented, unable to help himself as Marco, who only smirked mischievously, before he pulled into the parking lot near the front door. Ace made sure to wrap the log pose around his wrist before he followed after them. He had no idea what was waiting for him inside but he was bracing himself for the worst-case scenario, already planning an escape should he need it. They passed through the front door, which led to a small room where a guard was positioned in front of another set of doors.
"Yo! Little Oars Jr!" Thatch called cheerfully at the sight of the towering man.
Little? He hated to see how big Oars Sr. was but he kept his mouth shut since the man was built like a giant ogre or something as he glowered back. Ace held up his arm when the guard narrowed his eyes at him, but upon seeing the log pose, as well as him in the company of Marco and Thatch… he grunted before standing aside.
"Brace yourself," Thatch grinned as they stepped through the doors behind him.
…
Ace wasn't sure what he was expecting—like some kind of mafia-looking thugs all sitting around a fancy dining hall or bar as they traded money, drugs, weapons…? A kind of rich, sophisticated kind of atmosphere that would've had him on edge…?
Instead, the moment that he walked in, the air was filled with loud music as well as voices; some were telling jokes, others discussing nonsense, or just laughing at the top of their lungs like there was no tomorrow. There was a large TV set up as they watched a game as wagers were being placed on different teams, whereas on the other side of the room were flashing lights overhead a kind of makeshift dance floor. While dividing the room was a large table that was spread out with all manner of food, built like a buffet for everyone as the legs strained against the many plates and drinks.
Ace blinked, completely taken aback by this, before asking, "Is there a celebration going on?"
"No," Marco confirmed as he gave Ace a little push into the crowd, "It's like this every night. You get used to it."
Everyone seemed to know Marco and Thatch, welcoming them in like they were long, lost friends, and they had to move their way through the wave of people as what looked like the beginnings of a good party. Ace couldn't even remember the last time he had been able to go to a party, or even remember when he had time to be able to unwind and not have to worry about playing the role of a dad. Perhaps Marco sensed this for he said that since they were a little early, they should get some food.
"What do you mean early?" Ace asked suspeciously, "Where's your boss?"
"Yeah, sorry about that," Marco answered as he checked his phone, "It seems that his meeting with Mihawk is running longer than expected."
"I thought you said they avoid each other's territories?" Ace demanded, instinctually moving towards the buffet. "Why's he here?"
"I also said that they do business from time to time," Marco answered back. "It was a bit sudden, but Mihawk seemed keen on speaking with the old man so he agreed to meet. They're probably in the back. No worries, just enjoy yourself and I'll let you know when you can get in."
Marco offered him a bottle of booze, and judging from the smell meant it was a strong one, but Ace simply shook his head. The blond man shrugged again and took a sip of the drink as Ace helped himself to some of the food.
"Really?" Thatch groaned as Ace already had a mouthful of meat in his mouth, "After all that food at lunch?"
Ace gave a great big swallow and grinned, "Hey, you offered, and it would've been rude to not take you up on it. Luffy's a growing boy."
"You ate as much as he did! If I knew I would be paying for an army, I wouldn't have offered!" Thatch snapped back, "That was like a week's worth of money!"
"Thatch, you're too much on edge," Marco laughed, "Now let's introduce Ace to the others."
After the laughter had died down, along with the various swearing on Thatch's part, Ace was pulled around the room and spoke with various different individuals. Soon enough, Thatch started to introduce him before Marco got the chance—just that… well… his unique way of introducing them wasn't all that well received. In fact, after awhile, Marco told Thatch to stop or else he doubted even Pops could save him from death.
Such examples included:
"Ace, this is Jozu, our 3rd division commander and our resident mother hen," he said, "I wouldn't worry, the guy may look like he's built like a brick shithouse, but he's just a big softy on the inside."
He had to duck when Jozu aimed a punch for his head.
"This is Izo, I think you met him before since he was following after you the other day. Though I don't know what he was thinking since he stands out like a sore thumb…?"
Ace felt a muscle going in his head as he gave Izo a sharp glance before the man aimed a kick at Thatch's knees, threatening to use him as target practice if he didn't shut up.
"So this our fifth division commander Vista—just remember him as the guy with the mustache. Sure, it's not as impressive as Pop's is, it's not bad," he said as Vista pulled out a switchblade and Thatch had to dodge him as Ace laughed.
Ace couldn't help but laugh, not sure what to think anymore. As far as he could tell, these guys all seemed alright to him—aside from random bouts of violence… but then again, Thatch seemed to bring out the worst in everyone. But if anything, that only made Ace more anxious as they wandered through the crowd, getting to hear more and more of their stories.
After about an hour, he found himself at the bar with Vista and Jozu, who were telling him all about one of their favorite pastimes.
"So, we used to have this thing where we would go to certain places around the city, knowing some well-reputed thug would be, just so we can bet on if our potential enemy would be dumb enough to fight or run away," Vista informed him with a big grin.
"Pops used to place bets but he's not allowed to anymore," Jozu laughed.
"Do I want to know why?" Ace grinned.
"Funny thing what happened," Vista explained, "See, he once bet that the approaching gang would turn tail and run when he stepped out. But these guys were a lot more ballsy than we gave them credit for. So, not only did they not run, they tried to attack us head on."
"But Pops was so pissed off at that, that he glared at the approaching enemy while declaring that they were all dead meat… which caused them to run away without a second thought," Jozu boomed out as he toasted with Vista.
"That was cheating if ever there was one," Vista muttered, "It was even worse when he turned to us and told us to pay up. Marco then declared that Pops wasn't allowed to bet again."
"And he agreed?"
"No, but Marco threatened to toss out all the best booze if he did it again," Jozu explained. "What can I say? The man loves to drink."
Ace burst out laughing, toasting with the others as he relished just how good it felt to be around other people for a change. He got to eat his fill, though he made sure to stay away from any alcohol so as to stay sharp, and he enjoyed listening to the songs that were being played, made a few harmless bets on the game, and listened to the many tales that everyone wanted to share.
To be honest, everyone here seemed to think that he was already part of the gang itself and when he pointed this out to Marco, the pineapple-head just grinned.
"Of course," he said, "They're all betting that you'll join. Trust me, once you meet him, you'll understand why."
Ace pouted at that, not liking the idea that they were placing bets on him, but he didn't argue back as they continued well past midnight. In fact, by the time that Ace thought to check his phone, he realized that they were quickly approaching 2am and he frowned a little deeper, knowing that he promised Makino that he wouldn't be out this late. He quickly texted her, letting her know he was still alive, before Marco seemed to have tracked him down at the bar.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Marco said after he told him he needed to leave soon, "I was just coming over to tell you that Pops just finished his meeting with Mihawk."
"That sure took a long time," Ace grumbled.
"I agree. I'm curious about what they talked about since they don't normally go for that long. Must've been about something important," Marco shrugged, "Anyway, now that he's gone, Pops is busy getting drunk, but he's still a long way off from getting wasted… so… good time to speak with him."
"Sounds like he's got some years left in him if he's able to drink like that at his age," Ace taunted.
"More like he's too stubborn to die," Marco laughed as he clapped Ace on the shoulder. "Come on, I set it up so you guys will have some privacy. And don't worry, he's not gonna kill you. Well, unless you do something stupid like attacking him, but come on, you strike me as more intelligent than that."
Ace shoved his elbow into Marco's gut at that as the man showed him to the back of the room to a large door. Ace barely had time to register what was going on before it opened and he was shoved through without any kind of warning. Ace was startled as he stumbled through, but as soon as he found his balance, the door shut behind him so that the music and clamor from everyone else died down instantly. He looked around the large room, which was rather plain and simple, not what you would expect from a boss of this level. The way Marco and Thatch spoke of him in the car, one would expect some kind of mafia boss surrounded with glamourous finery. But apart from Whitebeard's symbol up on the wall, there was precious little else here.
And there he was.
He didn't need to ask to know who he was as he towered over him, feeling like he took up the entire room with his statue alone. He was a powerful-looking man with a crescent-shaped mustache upon a long face and wrinkles around his eyes. He had many scars running along a muscular chest as he was adorn with a white captain's coat around his broad shoulders while dressed very causally, like a modern-day pirate.
Ace had a feeling Luffy would've loved meeting this guy because of his obsession with pirates.
The man was in a large chair as he had his head tilted back and drinking from an enormous bottle of sake as Ace stared.
The man seemed to have noticed he was there right away, but he chose to ignore him as he enjoyed his drink before lowering his bottle. He glanced down at Ace for a moment before laughing in a deep voice, "Just when I thought I get a chance to relax for a moment before rejoining everyone. Seems I get another guest just as I got rid of the first. So you're the new snot-nosed brat who caused all that trouble the other day?"
"Hey, you invited me here, didn't you?" Ace shot back as Whitebeard grinned.
"Already looking to pick a fight, are you?" he asked, his eyes going to Ace's fists as they curled up tightly, "I'd be careful if I were you, kid."
"Yeah, and while I appreciate the night off for a change, I still want to know why you wanted me to visit," Ace countered. "I never once said I was interested in joining a gang. They look more like a group of misfits out there if you ask me."
"Who said we were all deadly gang members?" Whitebeard taunted, "What can I say? I like those who don't know what they're getting themselves into. But you seem interested, at least more interested now than from what I heard earlier."
"I got my reasons for being here," Ace countered as he told himself mentally: Do it for Luffy. Do it for him. This is for his sake.
Sadly for him, it seemed that Whitebeard knew exactly what he was thinking of as his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes, Izo explained how he followed after you and he saw you with the kid," Whitebeard said and Ace's teeth grinded together at the mention of Luffy.
"Watch it, if you have something to do with me then fine, but leave my family outta it. Luffy's not even five yet and I don't want you to do anything just because I did something stupid," Ace said, his own eyes narrowed as he watched Whitebeard take another long chug of his drink.
"Relax. It's because of the boy that I thought to extend the invitation in the first place," Whitebeard answered back. "I'd hate for children to suffer because of their parents decisions. Though, how old are you? You seem to be a tad young to be a father."
"He's not my son but he might as well be," Ace answered back before biting his tongue, hating that he already gave that information away, "I was told you looked into me and found out about my little brother."
"Ah yes, Marco did inform me of that," Whitebeard laughed, "He said that he and Thatch couldn't believe it when they saw you at the park with him. Said that you were the very picture of a proud father. Something I can appreciate in a place like this one."
Ace bit his lower lip, glaring back but held his head up a little higher in pride at that.
"He's my brother. My parents are dead and I'm the only family he has," he began before clamping his mouth shut. Damn, what was the matter with him?
Whitebeard raised his eyebrows when he saw that and reassured him, "You're free to speak here. Rest assure that we have no intention of using anything you have to say against you. I wish to hear the situation you're in before allowing a punk like you in my elite band of ne'er-do-wells. Not that we don't have a good idea, but you may as well be honest so as that we can come to some kind of agreement."
Ace felt like he was back in school and was told by some teacher to stand up and make introductions to the rest of the class and to share something personal with. It was so stupid that they did something like that, in his opinion. Still, he felt that he would tell Whitebeard a bit of the truth, just to give an answer about his situation; enough to feel like he was sharing but vague enough to try and keep some things private.
So he explained how he had been a teenager when his parents died in a car accident and he had to work hard to gain custody of his brother. They were on their own and were no threat to anyone, only just leaving his toddler days behind him. The only thing that he went into real details about was the incident at the Grey Terminal; about how he found the treasure and the reason why he stole it.
Whitebeard listened without interrupting him once as Ace spoke. But upon speaking more of how Ace gained custody—which he made sure was the vaguest part—he paused in his drinking as he seemed to be thinking back on something.
"Ahhh, so you're the one Law told me about," Whitebeard said and Ace's head jerked up in shock at that name. That caused Whitebeard to smirk again as he answered, "Yes, I know about you. Law did speak to me a few years back about a favor though he never mentioned you or your brother by name. He just explained that there was a boy, barely fifteen, who was desperately trying to find a way to keep his baby brother after being orphaned. That boy was you, I see."
"How did you…?" Ace gasped, his eyes wide before Whitebeard laughed again.
"You don't think that someone could have changed such files and documents that perfectly in such a short amount of time by themselves, do you?" Whitebeard asked with a grin. "I've got several members working under me who know a thing or two about computers and hacking into places where they aren't supposed to be. Law is gifted in faking records temporarily, to get the police thrown off in a pinch, but to go into deeper, more secure records we both prefer to leave to some real talent. I also have a few of my boys in on the police force, and we were able to contact them, who helped speed the process along and made it so that no one questioned it until you were old enough to officially 'adopt' your brother. To think that we'd meet like this?"
Ace didn't expected that. He remembered how impressed he had been when Law got all the emergency documents that he needed after his parents funeral. And then later on when he was able to get the official documents that let him become his legal guardian…? To think that Whitebeard played a role in that?
"Now that I think of it, Law did say he was connected to several 'questionable' groups," Ace mumbled.
"Now, now… don't be mad at him," Whitebeard grinned. "He is a talented doctor, and he knows what he's doing, but there's only so much that one person can do on their own. He generally did want to help you two back then. You can trust him."
"I guess… I owe you my thanks… for helping me," Ace whispered, lowering his head while feeling embarrassed as Whitebeard laughed.
"I did nothing. I remember how worried I felt for the pipsqueak who was taking on so much responsibility," he confessed. "You weren't even an adult yet but you still took in a baby? That couldn't have been an easy road to take. Law kept me updated from time to time so if you want to thank someone it should go to him and my boys who changed the records for you. But you were the one who did all the real work. All credit should go to you."
"He's my little brother. He was all I had left," Ace answered back as if the answer was obvious, "And no, it sure wasn't easy. Still isn't. But I've been making things work so far. Luffy… he's a good kid. He's worth all the struggles I'm going through. I… I don't want anything to happen to him. The reason I'm here is because I'm afraid that I may have accidently did something that could have put him in harm's way."
"Is that why you were at the Grey Terminal that day?" Whitebeard asked, understanding on his face and Ace nodded.
"The nobles are so wasteful that I often find useful things in the junk," he explained. "So I go a few times a month and look through it for something that I could use or sell. That day, I made the mistake of finding the treasure and stealing it without thinking it through."
Whitebeard smirked at him before saying, "So you stole it because you wanted to use it to continue raising your brother. Family is important. It often clouds our sense of judgement if we believe that it will help them."
"Luffy means everything to me," Ace confessed softly, lowering his head. "But I'm barely a legal adult that had to drop outta school. I've been able to get by with the money my parents left me, but all of that was used up a long time ago. So I've been taking on small jobs around the city… and finding stuff I can sell from the Grey Terminal helps a lot."
"Especially since you are still a child yourself there's only so much you can do on your own," Whitebeard frowned slightly. "It's not right to force children to raise children. But I can't say I don't understand your reasons for doing so."
Ace glared back up at Whitebeard as his mind registered all of this.
"I never was able to find out who the bastard was who hit my parents' car that night, but it's not like it'll bring them back," he admitted. "I'm lucky that I was introduced to Law when I was. Otherwise, I'm sure me and Luffy would've been separated. Luffy may tend to act without thinking that gets him into trouble but he's honest to a fault and can't stay angry at someone for long…? It's hard not to fall in love with him."
He remembered how the surge of protectiveness that rose up inside him the moment that sweet, smiling face looked back at him at the hospital. A gentle and small smile grew on his lips as Ace remembered some of those simpler times as they stayed locked up in that house, just the two of them. He slowly raised his head and he could see a new appreciative look in Whitebeard's eyes, once again it was as if he knew exactly what Ace had been thinking about just a moment ago.
"Right," Ace went on, feeling oddly comfortable all of a sudden but wanting to cut straight to the heart of the matter. "So, down to business. You want me to join you? Let's say for the sake of it, that I agree. What kind of jobs are we talking about and the payment? Apparently, by joining you, not only would I be gaining some good money but also some kind of perks? But just so we're clear, I'm not gonna be involved in things like smuggling or dealing, you got that? You need me to fight someone, not a problem. I'm built for that. But I'm not gonna kill anyone for you either."
Whitebeard burst out laughing before saying, "You're a cocky one. But you know what you want. I guess that's something. We do a lot of good here for the city though, so I think we'll find some work that would suit you. It will be dangerous work from time to time. But we can offer steady employment in other fields. We got connections just about everywhere. There are two sets of positions that my children are free to take. Those who collect information while keeping an eye out for trouble… and those who fight on the front lines."
Ace arched an eyebrow at the thought and he felt his interest rising.
"So… what do these positions do exactly? What're the strings attached?" he asked.
"We can get you a job just about anywhere," Whitebeard grinned, "It's generally safer of the two positions since it's mostly a vast spy network where you report back to us should you see any suspicious activity. Such as if someone goes missing or there were strings of vandalism happening in certain parts of the city. Imagine a bartender who happens to overhear a private conversation about someone causing several incidents of muggings? One phone call to us and we'll be there in less than an hour to put a stop to it."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Ace said before privately thinking to himself, 'A bit boring though.'
"It may be better for you to start off there since you need to take care of your brother," Whitebeard informed him, "Since they need to keep their day jobs though, they must work as their employers command and your hours are up to them. But it is the safer of the positions since they aren't expected to fight."
"And the front lines?" Ace asked, feeling a strange excitement at the thought.
"What it sounds like," Whitebeard laughed as he drank some more, "Think of them as part of the first responders. They're required to drop whatever they're doing, unless injured or dealing with other emergencies, and rush out to help put a stop to violent situations. In terms of hours, you would get to spend much more time with your boy, but it is far more dangerous since you will be putting yourself in the line of fire. Still, they get paid well because it's dangerous. Enough, I suspect, for you and your brother to live off of without having to return to the Grey Terminal."
"I see…" Ace muttered as he thought it over. These seemed to be good options for him… a chance to put his strength to good use. If what Whitebeard said was true then he could help make the city safer for ordinary people while also protecting and providing for Luffy. The question now was which would he choose? He would have to get an average job, which would cut in his time with Luffy…? But it's less dangerous…?
"Hey, what about the commanders? What're their roles?" he asked, suddenly curious.
"Oh, you interested? They serve directly under me and tend to do both jobs," he explained with another wicked grin, "They keep an eye out for trouble and are expected to solve such problems before they get out of hand. Such as in the case of sending Marco and Thatch to you before you were targeted by anyone else. If you got your eye on that position, you need to prove that you can be rational as well as powerful. It's expected for you to be able to handle yourself and only call in for back-up if the situation is already blown out of portion or if a fight has already broken out."
"How often do fights break out?" Ace asked suspiciously, thinking back to occasionally hearing about fights between gangs only happening rarely.
"That depends on who you're dealing with," Whitebeard answered back, "Some groups are more violent than others. Some like Mihawk's men are silent but deadly, but they leave most people alone. Others, like Doflamingo's groups get so caught up in their work that they tend to get others wrapped up in their destructive wake. And don't get me started on the snot-nosed rookies who are just starting off. They're the ones that cause the most damage these days, constantly picking fights with others to increase their own reputations. They're practically children themselves. So it's up to my boys to put them in their place when they start to become unruly."
"But why'd you pick me? Aren't I just like that?" Ace pointed out as Whitebeard smirked.
"That remains to be seen," he confessed. "You're young but strong. Reckless and clumsy… I like fools like you. Rather I put your energy to good use than risk you getting yourself killed over something stupid. Especially since there's someone who depends on you. Senseless in allowing such potential to go to waste, if you know what I mean."
Ace smirked back as he thought it all over.
"Just one more question," he said slowly, his mind coming to terms with what he was liking here, "If I decide to leave, for any reason, would I be allowed to do so?"
Whitebeard leaned back in his seat as he observed him before answering, "If it was for the sake of the kid… then yes. I will allow it. Family is important, like I said. He may be your brother, but you raised him as a father and if one of my boys needed help, there's nothing I wouldn't do. But understand, there have been those who betrayed the Emperors before. Some run to other Emperors for protection, or are sent as spies in other groups. Should you betray us in any way and especially harm one of my precious sons or daughters… then you will not be forgiven."
Ace shut his eyes as he let that all echo in his mind.
The more he heard, the more tempted he was to give in and follow… and his instincts were telling him that Whitebeard seemed to be a good person. So he decided he would take a chance. It wasn't going to be easy to get used to this, but he was willing to see this through for now.
He opened his eyes as he made his decision and agreed, "Alright."
"Oh? You'll join? After all that fuss?" Whitebeard laughed as Ace looked back without a shred of fear.
"Yes, I will. But… I do have two conditions," he answered back firmly. "Both involve my brother. First, I want you to promise me that he will be protected at all costs. If anything happened to him because I'm associated with you lot, I'll take your head myself!"
"Sounds reasonable," he agreed back with a laugh. "I would be a sad excuse for a father if I couldn't protect one of my boys. And your second condition?"
"I don't want him to be involved in any of these gang activities," Ace decided without any room for arguing. "It's too late for me, but he's got a bright future ahead of him and I won't have anything I do ruin that for him. I don't want him anywhere near the fighting, violence, or whatever crap you guys do here. Promise me that, and I'll be all yours."
Whitebeard observed him for a long moment.
"I see that this little brother of yours is something you treasure," he said at last. "I'm curious to meet him. But yes. You have my word. He's far too young for joining us anyway, and I refuse to put a child in harm's way. But rest assure that I see all under me as my family. Your brother will be no different. Should any threaten him, we will be there to protect him. What say you?"
He held out his hand for Ace to shake before Ace stared at it. He wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do yet, but he knew he was too far in it now to back down. So he reached out and shook Whitebeard's hand, officially becoming a member of his 'family'.
(So Ace has decided to take the deal. Hopefully, he won't regret it. Also, this is important, but I've come to an important decision on the future of my stories. I will be finishing up with writing fanfiction. Rest assure that I will finish this story as well as any other unfinished stories before I quit, but with things in my life starting to pile on, not to mention the constant messages of people begging me to commission them for their artwork? Yes, more than half of my PM's and reviews I get these days are people asking if I want to commission them to make my stories into artwork or a comic series. I've tried being polite about it before but I am sick to death of being asked by so many people that question. For the final time: NO I AM NOT INTERESTED! I HAVE ENOUGH ON MY PLATE AS IT IS AND DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO SPARE FOR THAT. AND FOR THOSE TELLING ME ABOUT PAYMENT PLANS, NO MEANS NO! DO NOT ASK ME AGAIN BECAUSE I WILL IGNORE ALL REQUESTS LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE. Sorry, but after getting so many of those these days that it's just adding extra stress for me. As for those of you who read my stories because you love them, thank you. Thank you so much and I promise I will finish them all up before retiring from fanfiction, including this one so please don't worry about me not doing that. The only times I will add more is if they're special requests from my family or close friends so I may not give it up completely, but I will not be doing anymore long stories or sequels to any other current ones. Remakes may also be in the future of any of my current stories if I have time for them, but otherwise, I think I will be putting an end to fanfic writing and focus more on my original works. I started writing fanfiction as a way to improve my writing abilities so I think that I will soon be ready to venture off and work on my own works and become a professional author. So I hope that you wish me all luck in that. The next chapter will be coming out as soon as possible and to that one person who messaged me about asking if Law will be returning, yes, you will see him again very soon. Also, will be focusing on life with Luffy and Ace for a couple more chapters before Sabo will make his appearance. But you'll be seeing him soon enough.)