Chapter 3: Found

Upon leaving Wano, Ace originally was going to go back to the Moby Dick and ask Pops for help but now with the information that future Luffy had given him, Ace decided to prepare for his death or would have been death year. After his brother's future self had vanished, Ace hadn't been able to sleep. He had taken the rest of the night to do some calculations. If Luffy left when he believed he would, a year from now, it for take another six months to a year for Luffy to reach Pops' territory or the relative area around Sabaody Archipelago. This gave him some time to prepare for his younger brother to arrive in the new world. So he was going to go and begin rounding up some allies for his brother, but first thing was first. He had an asshole to wake up and help get him to remember who he was and the damn promise he had made. Sabo wasn't going to miss out on Ace's ass whooping. The fire fist grinned. He was actually excited to go find his other brother.

Pulling out his denden transponder as he sped the Striker up, Ace spoke into it. "Duce, gather our people up; I've got a mission for you guys that's a bit delicate and needs you finesse to do."

The image of the masked man gave an exasperated groan. "Boss? Is this a mission from Marco? Or Pops?"

"No." Ace said. "Don't tell them anything. Also, keep an eye on Teach. I just found out something about him. Don't underestimate that man. He's not who or what he says he is."

"Great." Duce groan tiredly. "Pops will notice when everyone vanishes, won't he?"

He will. Ace thought but he needed his people whom he trusted more than anyone including his new brothers and sisters from the Whitebeards. The only people he actually could trust were Pops, Marco, Izou and possibly Thatch. "I'll explain to him later. Just get our people and head out as I direct. I'll see everyone soon."

"Yes sir." The image grinned at him before the snails face returned to normal.

Pushing back his hair with one hand, Ace put his hat back on his head, as it had been lying on his back the whole time he had been riding Striker. By afternoon he should meet up with the former Spades. Once he had, his plan was simple, they would go out to the East Blue and wait for his brother to begin his journey. It would take them four to six months to reach the area of Sixis and that it'd take another couple of months for them to reach Goa. However, he wanted them to keep to themselves and perhaps anchor around or near Karai Bari Island. If he remembered right there was a little village on the island.

Wasn't that where I met that jester's crew? He wondered absently. He was a nice guy. Great food on his ship too. He could only imagine Luffy meeting that guy. Ace chuckled, a smile spreading across his face. Luffy will probably try to recruit that guy. Pushing his flames outward Ace felt the speed of his tiny ship increase. He hated the wait but knew that his people would be at the meeting point when he got there.

Stretching freckled tanned arms over his head, Ace spotted the ship on the horizon. He knew he could count on his people to arrive at their island without having to specify it over the denden mushi. The tiny island was at the edge of Pops' territory. A tiny unassuming island, that had pink sands and a beautiful uninhabited jungle that also had delicious fruit trees and fish. A corral reef surrounded the entire island with only one entry or exit. It was the only island that Ace had ever claimed as his. He called it Corral Island. Other than Dawn Island, Corral was the only other place Ace had ever felt at home on.

An hour after first spotting the unnamed ship that Duce obviously had stolen, he watched his old crew drop anchor at the floating dock before disembarking the ship. The blue haired former first mate, Masked Duce waved at Ace as the group approached their former captain. "This better be good Ace." Duce said as he sat down across from his friend and former captain.

"First I want to say thank-you for everyone coming." He bowed his head towards the group. This alone told them that something important had happened. "Second, before I ask anything out of all of you, I have a story to tell you that happened last night. It's a doozy of a story."

The former spade pirates all looked at each other before the only woman of the group spoke. "Whatever you have to say Ace, we'll listen."

Ace watched the breeze make her long, wavy light colored hair flutter around her portly face. He smiled softly. "Thanks Banshee." He explained to them that he'd gone back to Wano without them to talk to Yamato and while there his brother had shown up. This surprised them as he'd only mentioned Luffy like every other day to them when they had first begun their journey. Only from what they could recall, the boy hadn't even begun his own journey because he was too young yet to be out on the sea. That's when the story took a turn for the weird when he explained that this Luffy was from the future with a fully awakened devil fruit, who had thought Ace was a dream because he apparently had died. Incredulously Ace not only believed this but because of this belief he wanted to make sure that what his brother had told him of his fate wouldn't happen.

A tall man with thin limbs and slight shoulders with a mustache, and a tattoo on his left cheek spoke. "So, this future Luffy spooked you with a tale of your death captain?" He asked as he leaned on his sniper rifle.

Ace shook his head. "It's not just my death Mihar. He had a scar, a bad one across his chest that I'm assuming came from whatever battle that happened when he tried to save me." He clasped his hands together before rubbing them on his face. "You know how much he means to me. The fact that he gets hurt because of my stupid actions, it hurt." He looked at them all. "My actions also, might get Pops and the others hurt. Possibly killed. He said not to trust Marshal D Teach." He felt angry at this part. "That Teach ain't what he claims to be. That he'll be the downfall of the Whitebeard Pirates. He was adamant that Teach is the reason I die and that the Whitebeard Pirates are destroyed."

Everyone gave each other another look. "What do you need us to do?" The man with a skull helmet on asked.

"Skull, I think it's obvious." Banshee stated. "We need to protect Ace and his little brother."

"Huh?" Ace questioned her. That was not apart of the plan. "No. No. No." Ace waved his hands at her.

"Oh!" Duce yelled out. "That's a great idea! We can keep him away from Teach by-"

"HEY!" Aced yelled at them, standing from the sandy beach. "That's not the plan!" His eyes were wide as he waved for them to return their attention back to him. Once they all looked at them he sighed. "I just want you all to go out to the east blue and keep an eye on Luffy when he leaves in a bit."

"How long before the kid comes out?" Mihar inquired as he sat up fully, no longer leaning on his riffle.

"A year." Ace stated. "It'll take half that long to get out there. I want you to anchor around Karai Bari Island."

"Doesn't that island have a permanent crew on it?" A purple haired man asked.

"What's wrong Cornelia, scared?" Banshee quipped.

"No!" The taller man yelled at the mer -woman who laughed lightly.

Ace missed this. The teasing, the yelling from his old crew. "Settle down." Duce quieted them. Even if they had no respect of his writing, the former crewmates did respect Duce's orders as the former first mate. Duce grinned at his former captain and friend. "What are your orders Boss?" Ace grinned back at him. He knew he could always count on these guys.

Lindbergh felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. For the last few days it had felt as if he was being watched, which was impossible as nobody even knew he was on the small pirate island of Kyte. The only town on the island was full of pandemonium as people bought and sold items left and right. Everything and anything was being sold. From food and supplies to the more seedier of items that were usually withheld for the black market. These were the items he was here for. One of his contacts had called him because they had a shipment of weapons that had just come out of the South Blue. A revolver that could, for devil fruit users, use the power from the devil fruit a user had eaten. He had to see this weapon and possibly acquire it. However, as soon as he had stepped onto the island every instinct in the mink told him to either run or be on super high alert. So the alleyways and underground tunnels had been his home for the last couple of days.

Lindbergh's ears twitched to a sound coming from the tunnel he was in. He turned his head, half expecting someone there but to his surprise the space was empty. "Get a grip man." He told himself. He looked at the hand drawn map. His contact's newly acquired place of business was just up ahead. After he got the guns, he was out of here. I should have brought Sabo or Koala to watch my back. As it was, both were back on the ship he had come in on. Sabo was suffering from one of his headaches and Koala was fussing over the young chief of staff. He grinned at the thought of the young girl fussing over the blond. Silently wondering if Sabo even noticed that Koala definitely liked him more than a subordinate should.

Coming to the trap door that was above his head, the mink climbed the rickety ladder and pushed the door up and away. Coming up to the place of business, Lindbergh replaced the trap door. There were two people in the room. One was his contact, the second was a young dark haired man wearing a yellow open t-shirt. What is it with humans constantly showing off their chests. Was it a primate thing? He had noticed that a lot of men, especially, did this sort of thing. It had to be something left over from their early evolution days.

Walking up to his contact he could see the elderly man was nervous. That should have been a red flag to him, but then he saw the revolvers and the revolutionary couldn't believe his eyes. A huge crate full of them that could supply his brother's and sister's in the revolutionary army was sitting right there. "Well, let's see-" His voice was cut off when the youth turned.

Now when it came to pirates and their wanted posters, Lindbergh rarely paid attention to them. However; when a rookie makes headlines for not only being offered a position as a warlord and shoots it down, you tend to remember the guy just in case Dragon, especially if Dragon wants to keep an eye on him.

Standing before him was the newly appointed second commander of the Whitebeard Pirates; Portgas D. Ace a.k.a. Fire Fist. Only one thing went through his mind. Aw shit.

M-Angel: Okay. So today is my day off from work and I wanted to give everyone another chapter. I hope this was to everybody's liking.

As always, comments are most welcomed. ^_^