If he had to describe in one word how he was feeling, he would probably say incredibly frustrated.

Which was two words, but the extra emphasis felt necessary.

At first, he'd been tentatively genial with Sanji. But after the incredibly awkward meal he'd been guilted into sharing with the very people he had been trying to avoid, the teen decided he now had the right to be more than a bit pithy. Though he could never truly bring himself to be angry with kind people. He was just… dealing with too much at the moment.

And with the way Sanji had appeared to be the most upset at the revelation of his wanted status, Midoriya could hardly hold a grudge. In other circumstances, he would likely do the same. On the other hand, the lack of reactions from the others was off-putting. Perhaps it was because Sabo'd had an inkling because of their shared jail-break, the Whitebeard Pirates had certainly already been in the know, and Ivankov was…

Well, Midoriya still hadn't the fainted clue as to what when on in Ivankov's head.

Regardless, that only meant it was a good thing that Midoriya had no intentions of telling Sanji—or any of them for that matter—the full truth. He had the feeling that this guy, with the help of all-too-willing pirates, wouldn't let him leave if he knew that one of two incredibly dangerous villains were also after him at the moment, much less that he was stranded and alone in an entirely different world. Even when around people who were on his side, it seemed the boy could never quite catch a break.

However, by that point, he had been done with the conversation. None of them would have been able to see things from his point of view no matter what he said. He'd needed to leave without anyone tracking him. Which meant he'd had to delay his departure to cook up some plan to steal back the Vivre Card that he'd so foolishly refused to take from them. His own haste and ignorance of this world had become his undoing.

Perhaps it would have been worthwhile to stay with Rayleigh on that isolated island after all. Midoriya had become keenly aware of the man's strength in their spars. While he couldn't even begin to guess how the old man would fare against Shigaraki, much less All for One, training with such a tough opponent would have done him wonders.

If he had to guess, however, he'd say the odds were stacked against the people of this world. Perhaps this Haki could stand up to power like One for All, but with the many quirk combinations of All for One, it was a different matter altogether. Even with Devil Fruits in the mix, as far as he was aware, people could only have one power at a time. No one would be prepared for the devastating effects created by using different quirks simultaneously.

Not to mention the regeneration.

He shook his head to discard the thoughts as he headed back to the property. Midoriya was sincerely regretting his choice to leave early in the morning rather than late at night. Sleeping in had once again thwarted his plans. He truly should have known given the last time he let his body wake up naturally, the same thing had happened.

Unfortunately, there were no easy solutions now that his criminal status was revealed to all the people he was trying to avoid getting wrapped up in his mess. There was no way they'd leave him alone now. Whether that meant because of turning him in, shunning him, or seeing him as some vulnerable child to protect, he wasn't sure. None of those options were appealing.

He shook his head as he stumbled over a tree root.

Ideally, it would be one of the former two, given how he could escape the Marines once more or simply sneak away without their attention on him. The thought of that made his stomach churn.

Not that it mattered, because the way Sabo and Ace had both followed him when he left the most uncomfortable lunch he'd had in his entire life told him all he needed to know. There was no way they would leave him alone now. Any trust of self-sufficiency he'd begun to build up with Sabo, Iva, and Sanji had been all but torn to pieces in front of his very eyes. The Whitebeards, proven by their foolish decision to try to rescue him, also believed him to be someone to protect.

He had proven his competency several times over, yet none of them seemed to care.

It was grating.

(It made his eyes and chest sting something fierce.)

With any luck, however, he'd at least be left alone for the rest of the day. He would gather more supplies and figure out what to do from there. If those weeks on the streets had taught him anything, it was that sometimes plans were useless unless he learned to adapt on the fly. He had to believe that he could overcome whatever foolish thing these people did to try to stop him.

After all, it would only end badly for all of them.

Of course, he'd had no such luck.

It was almost as if they knew he was planning to leave at the first opportunity. Even the day after, he'd been followed no matter where he chose to wander. The bathroom and his bedroom were the only places he could find solace and privacy, but one of the pirates always stationed themselves just outside the door, waiting for him to inevitably try to leave.

Even his morning hadn't been pleasant. He'd woken up to poorly sedated argument just outside his door. If only the walls had been more sound-proof, he wouldn't have had to hear what sounded like two men having a dispute that had probably started somewhere genuine yet simply turned into petty insults part-way through. It reminded him a bit of how Kacchan would pick fights just for show, only to banter with his friends whenever he was lonely without having to admit that to be the reason he sought them out.

But they were not Kacchan and he was running on too little energy to even attempt to mediate as he normally would.

So he simply brushed off his clothes, once again regretting the fact that his only alternative outfit was his hero costume, and stepped out. It was almost funny to see Ace and Sabo freeze, taken aback by his insouciant demeanor.

Midoriya knew that his classmates would have absolutely cracked up laughing at the sight of such a comical juxtaposition, but he was more than a little peeved at their presence to let that thought linger longer than it already had.

"Sorry!" Ace blurted out, peeking over at Sabo, as though seeking approval.

He didn't want to know what that was all about, but he offered a reassuring nod before making a swift exit down the hall. The man hadn't done anything wrong, but if it put his mind at ease, accepting the apology was easy. Luckily the two men seemed surprised by the lackluster response and refrained from following.

Not that it mattered in the end, as he realized that one of the other Whitebeard pirates had begun to follow him not three minutes later.

So he forwent his plans and sought out Sanji, if only to sneak a meal without having to sit next to the very people he was trying to avoid. Again. His tail joined him for breakfast, but didn't try to speak with him, much to his surprise. It was an obvious ploy to get him to let his guard down and it almost worked. Because he offered no protest, Midoriya had a feeling that there would be more of them showing up for lunch.

Hence why he was currently skipping out on lunch and wandering around the forest on the island.

From what little exploration he'd done over the past few days, he knew there were some dirt trails weaving their way througout the island. Some led towards the open beaches, while others simply lead in the circles of various diameters. Another few led to open clearings, such as the one where he had found Sanji sparring. Other than those handful of purposeful paths, the forest was untamed and a maze.

Despite his plan to leave, he allowed himself the time to wander amongst the vegetation, admiring the color of the leaves which reminded him of cherry blossoms. The very trees he would have seen had he graduated from his first year and become an upperclassmen with the rest of 1-A.

With that in mind, a surge a determination rushed through his veins. If he was kept here against his will for the time being, that was no reason not to train and maintain his skills. Preparing for the worst was imperative. So he left the unrestrained undergrowth and sought out one of the winding paths he'd seen before.

As luck would have it, just minutes later, his efforts bore fruit. The teen returned to a path he was almost certain lead to one of the glades on the island.

Unfortunately, by the time he reached said glade, he realized he once again had a tail.

With a sigh, he turned around to face… the pirate that appeared to be a woman, "What do you want?"

He winced at the bitterness apparent in his words. Though the lady appeared far from upset at his harsh tone. Instead, her gentle features softened.

"I don't want anything from you, I assure you. We just want to make sure you're safe."

Midoriya glanced away, shame welling up in his chest. How was he meant to respond to that? Though given the deep voice, he had a feeling that this was a man, not a woman. He felt it would be rude to ask, however.

"We understand that you are capable, but that doesn't make us care any less," they smiled, "Besides, Ace wouldn't stop talking about you the entire journey here. He really wanted the two of us to meet."

The deep voice was incredibly soothing, though his heart sank at how genuine they were. Ace did seem heartfelt and honest, but such a thing only meant that Deku would feel a stab in his heart by trying to protect them. It was nothing new.

But instead of trying to continue persuading him, the pirate in front of him merely smiled and shook his head.

"I won't ask you to stay with us, if that's not what you want. I have a feeling that nothing could hold you back, no matter how hard we tried. So instead, I'd like to ask you a question."

Midoriya pursed his lips. He was more than willing to hear them out, but the idea of opening himself up to potentially having to turn another kind person down left him hesitant. They didn't seem to mind his hesitation, however, so once he built up the courage, he acquiesced with a small nod.

"Would you like to spar?"

"What?" he blurted out.

"I asked if you would like to spar with me."

"U-um, sure…?"

A small smirk graced their lips, amused, but not unkind, "You don't sound so sure. Are you afraid I'll be stronger than you?"

Midoriya frowned, "No, I was just… surprised. I didn't think…"

"You thought I would try to guilt you into leaving with us, is that it?"

He shifted in place. It was incredibly uncomfortable to be read so easily. It reminded him of how All for One, speaking through Shigaraki at Jakku—had needled his own weaknesses with only words and got under his skin effortlessly. He had thought he'd become stronger, but if all it took were mere words to catch him off-guard…

His confidence was all but in tatters. He had no idea what to do next in this situation. Should he go with people who knew this world and use their advice, much like how he'd been relying on the suggestions of the Vestiges. Or should he continue on his own until he couldn't any more. He already vowed not to worry about what happened to himself in this mess; he didn't understand why he was hesitating now.

(No, he knew why. His own weakness infuriated him He simply didn't want to admit to himself that his own resolve was so flimsy.)

"Let's spar," he said instead.

Perhaps sparring instead of solo-training would help him blow off some steam.

The reassuring smile told him he'd made the right decision.

After their impromptu cat and mouse game, if basically stalking the kid could be called that, Ace had been at a loss for what to do. He had hardly wanted to chase after him, if only because he'd obviously over-stayed the kid's basic decency.

So the next morning—after eating, courtesy of Sanji's delectable cooking—Ace had made it his mission to track down Deku once more.

As he strode purposefully through the halls, hoping that the kid had yet to make it outside, he couldn't help but reminisce.

The wonderful food reminded him so much of the former Fourth Division Commander's cooking. It made Ace miss Thatch, an aching hole missing in his life that could never be replaced. But just like Sabo, he would carry their memory in his heart forever and live for them. That was the best he could do for them now, after failing them so miserably. It was pathetic, but he had to live for his little brother, so he had no choice but to carry on as he was, no matter how much it hurt.

He was determined to wear Deku down until he could no longer resist.

It was something he'd learned through experience all throughout his life. Even someone as stubborn and cursed as him couldn't help but give in to persistent love and care. Luffy had stuck with it so stubbornly back when they were kids, hell Sabo had too, though they were hardly close enough to be more than friends until Luffy came around and dragged them closer against their will. Hell, even the Whitebeards had worn him down for a hundred days, bit by bit, despite his insistence on making attempts on Pops' life. Not that he would have ever succeeded.

So Ace whole-heartedly believed that so long as he kept trying, Deku would eventually give in and accept their help. Whatever it was, he knew they could do something, even if it wasn't much.

Perhaps camping out at the kid's door, waiting for him to wake up, wasn't his best idea. It was a bit creepy in hindsight, but that hadn't been his first thought. Since chasing him down was always a disaster, Ace figured that talking to him before he got a start to his day would be the best course of action. Then again, he had no idea whether or not Deku had already left him room by the time Ace arrived there. He debated knocking, but if the kid really was still asleep, he didn't want to wake up. Without any other options, he steeled himself and gently cracked the door open.

Much to his delight—and surprise—the kid was still sound asleep in bed, face gentle and relaxed in his slumber. It was relieving to see the kid so calm. If only Deku could have the expression while awake too.

Unfortunately, that was when that blonde asshole arrived.

"What the hell are you doing?" the guy whisper-shouted, causing Ace whip his head around to stare at him in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he retorted.

And okay, yeah, that wasn't his best response.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm not the one sneaking into Deku's room like some freak!"

"I'm not sneaking in! I was just… waiting for him to wake up?"

The asshole seemed unimpressed, which yeah, he'd made it sound more like a question than a statement.

"I just wanted to know if he had already gotten up and left so I wouldn't wait here for nothing," Ace squirmed a bit in place.

He didn't know why he cared so much about what this guy thought, but it was more than a little embarrassing to be caught red-handed committing a social faux pas. He mentally apologized to Makino for his failing to do her manner lessons justice before scowling at the jerk in front of him.

"So privacy means nothing to you then?" the guy scoffed, "If you wanted to know so bad, you could have just knocked."

"Well I didn't want to wake him up," Ace retorted defensively.

"Then you should have waited until later. There's no need to be such a creep about it."

"I'm not a creep! He's been avoiding us, so of course I wanted to talk to him as soon as possible!"

The blonde grimaced. Obviously he was also aware of the kid's evasive tendencies, but sympathy for Ace's plight apparently wasn't in the cards for him.

"If you want him to not avoid you, you should start by earning some respect," the blonde suggested haughtily.

As if the reason they were in this whole mess wasn't because of that very course of action. This guy had no idea what he was talking about and it pissed Ace off more than he'd like to admit.

"Butt out of our business," he scoffed.

The blonde guy looked more than a bit offended, which he had no right to be, "Your business? Given that Deku and I have traveled together, and I helped him flee from the Marines, I think I'm more than involved."

"Whatever you say," Ace scoffed and jutted his chin away from the man.

If this guy was going to be an ass, he would be an ass right back. Hopefully, he'd get the hint and leave him alone. Unfortunately, this guy was just as stubborn as himself. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear Haruta joking that it was karma for his own behavior, but he kindly ignored his traitorous mind.

"Perhaps if you weren't such a jerk, Deku wouldn't be ignoring you like this."

When Ace jerked his head back to offer a retort, the lack of a satisfied smirk on the guy's face made him see red. Figuratively, of course. He really needed to ask for the asshole's name. He was ninety percent sure that it had been mentioned in his presence at least once, but he didn't remember since he had been more than a bit preoccupied with Deku's withdrawn behavior. But all that was far from his top priority after such a biting remark for the guy in front of him.

He had to remind himself that it only hurt because it wasn't true.

They'd done everything they could to try to help the kid, and Deku had taken advantage of that. He couldn't—no, wouldn't—blame the kid for that. At one point, Ace himself had done the same, though it had been far more unwillingly. It reminded him of his own youth; he had hardly been a glowing example of kindness. And they were pirates, who cared if they were spit on by a kid that didn't know what they were like. What they could be like with him.

But the asshole in front of him needed to be put in his place.

"I'm pretty sure he's been avoiding you too, especially after you followed him in the forest yesterday," he sneered, "Either you're a jerk too, or that's not the reason."

Of course, both of them knew that it wasn't, in fact, the reason. But this guy seemed to hold a grudge against him and he pissed Ace off in return. What kind of Commander would he be if he didn't protect his honor? Hell, what kind of pirate?

"Don't change the subject, you arse."

Personally, Ace thought that this guy needed to work on his insults. Then again, the way he dressed, he almost looked like a snobby nobleman. The 'proper' speech certainly made more sense with that context. But that only irritated him further. All noblemen could go to hell for all he cared. If it hadn't been for them…

He shoved that thought aside and tossed his own insult back.

Before he knew it, what had started as a legitimate argument devolved into petty squabbling in the form of grade-school slander.

Despite his original rage, the banter slowly became… fun. As much as he hated to admit it, he fell into a familiar dynamic which he hadn't stumbled into in a long time. It hadn't come up since…

But before his mind could fill in the blank that would no doubt send him into a downtrodden mood, the door swung open.

At the sight of Deku, who was clearly exhausted, Ace reluctantly backed off from his verbal fight.

He offered a quick apology to the kid, which was accepted with a gentle nod. It felt too easy, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. A quick glance at the blonde reassured him that he'd done the right thing, though he still wanted to get the bastard off his back.

At least he wasn't the only one more than a bit bewildered by the kid's odd behavior. The blonde guy seemed just as surprised.

The little pissing contest he'd had going with this blonde prick had gone on long enough and, much to his regret, had woken up the kid. Which had been the exact opposite of what he'd meant to do, but there was no going back and changing things now. At the very least, Deku didn't seem too upset, though given the kid's blank face, it was a bit hard to tell.

If it had been Izou that he'd woken up with his shenanigans, he knew there would be hell to pay (though often in the form of pranks or undesirable chores if Marco was feeling vindictive enough). At the very least, Ace figured he should try to make it up to the kid the next time he managed to talk with him.

Unfortunately for that goal, he didn't manage to catch another glimpse of him for the remainder of the day. It was only once he'd retired for the night that something happened.

Ace jumped out of bed at the sound of a furious knock at his door. He swung it open, half expecting to be under attack. However Jozu, with quite the grim expression, explained that he'd managed to catch a glimpse of the kid just as he was walking out of the building.

Just as he had the day prior, though with much less grace, the pair went after Deku, only stopping to grab Marco and Izou on their way. This time, however, they had to sprint all the way to the far shore before they even caught sight of the kid.

And unlike last time as well, Deku turned around and all but glared at Ace as soon as they stepped foot on the sandy beach. The gaze was boring holes into his own, but he refused to look away. He wanted to cringe away at the sight of the kid's grip tightening on the worn-down strap of his backpack.

"What do you want?"

"We just want to help you," Ace pleaded.

Deku closed his eyes, looking utterly conflicted. His hair was ruffled by the breeze, as though gently caressing it—a small comfort in exchange for the true care from others he continued to deny himself. It made Ace think of the freedom of the seas, the ocean breeze a frequent companion no matter what happens or what losses occur. It felt like a reminder that he had to be firm and constant in his support, no matter how much Deku tried to push him away.

"I know."

Those two words felt like a stab through the heart. Back then… before Deku'd left their side the first time, he'd been right; he was looking in a mirror that showed a reflection of the past. His past.

In that moment, he knew that there was something else going on. It wasn't just that this kid was wary of true care, there was a reason behind his closed-off attitude. He himself hadn't wanted anyone to come save him because of his heritage. The threat of the blood of the Pirate King had hung over his head for the longest time. He had left Luffy on his own, trusting that he would find a crew to protect him in absence of Ace's dangerous protection. He had be certain his crew would leave him to die to protect their captain. The cost of caring about him was too much for Ace to simply stand by and allow others to take on such a burden.

What was the cost of caring about Deku?

Ace didn't care, but the question rang true nonetheless. There clearly was one; Ace swore to figure out what it was.

"Just leave me be. There's nothing you can do," Deku insisted.

He shook his head, "You're wrong. You just have to let us try."

The tight fist slackened, falling from near his shoulder to his side. He looked utterly resigned.

"We're the strongest crew on the seas, of course there is something we can do to help, kid," Jozu replied gruffly.

"Indeed," Izou agreed, fidgeting nervously with his hidden pistol holsters, "We were able to rescue Ace from all the might the government could muster to stop us. What makes you think we cannot help?"

Ace almost expected the kid to deny such a claim, if only because he had been the one to cover their asses in retreat. Yet Deku said nothing of the sort.

"I can't tell you."

The way the kid's lips wobbled and his eyebrows woefully drew up and together painted a picture that Ace was beginning to dread.

"Does it have to do with why the Marines gave you such a large bounty?" the blonde bastard cut in, wandering in from the shadowed trees to their right.

For once, Ace was grateful for his presence. While three of his fellow commanders had his back, there was something uniquely reassuring about him specifically. It just felt… right.

However he hardly had the time to ponder why everything seemed to fall into place around this guy. Deku was mere moments from leaving them all behind. Seconds away from isolating himself once more.

Deku startled at the guy's entrance—or perhaps even his words—but regained his composure quickly, "No. You're jumping to conclusions. As… corrupt as the government is, my b-bounty is another matter altogether."

Ace didn't miss the fact that he stumbled over his words when referring to his bounty. The others didn't seem to miss it either.

"But it's still an issue, right? It's a big change, but we can at least help with that," Marco offered.

Ace supposed it made sense, for a kid to suddenly become a criminal and be offered a home by other criminals… though it pained him to consider it, that was an understandably big change to work through. Ace couldn't relate, considering his delinquent past and parentage ensuring that living outside the law would always be a part of his life, but for some kid to go through it…

Yet it hadn't been the fighting that made Deku hesitate, nor being captured.

"You wouldn't understand. Besides, I'm okay. I don't need help."

It didn't make any sense.

"What do you plan to do, then?" the blonde countered.

Of course, such a direct question only made the kid more closed off, "That's not your problem."

What were they missing?

"Like it or not, we just want you to be safe. So it is our problem now," Izou admitted.

Such a bold thing for a pirate to proclaim, yet it merely phased the kid for a few brief moments.

"It is because you don't remember anything? If anything, that makes you more vulnerable," the semi-stranger pondered aloud, taking Ace by surprise.

Didn't remember anything? That was the first he'd heard of this. It would make sense why the kid wouldn't be so trusting, yet at the same time constantly being surrounded by unfamiliarity was terrifying.

But why hadn't he told them while opening up to this guy? Ace didn't like it one bit.

"You don't know anything…" the kid trailed off with a wince.

His eyes widened, a look of horror overtaking his conflicted expression until it seemed like their conversation hadn't happened at all.

Without warning, the kid's head snapped around behind him, his neck craning upwards to stare into the darkening sky.

Before he could even question the sudden motion or lack of words, Deku shoved him backwards. Ace had no time to even attempt to catch himself; he was utterly gobsmacked by the aggressive motion. He could have sworn their little discussion was actually going well, that they might have been able to break through the kid's shell given just a little more time, but clearly he had been reading the conversation wrong.

As he tumbled to the ground, the familiar looking blonde from earlier finally vacated his hiding place and dashed to his side, looking far more concerned than expected. However, he had no time to unpack that before Deku crouched low and launched himself up into the sky, leaving behind a gust of wind that nearly shoved him back to the ground.

Hell, neither of them had the time to even glance up to see where Deku was running away to—or rather, what he was doing if fleeing wasn't the intention. Instead, they were shaken by an even more powerful shock-wave rippling through the air and knocking the blonde to the ground right next to Ace.

He had known the kid was strong, yet the sheer power radiating from the kid was truly a sight to behold.

His only question was who the fuck that other figure, high in the sky and only held back by Deku, was?

Ace had a sinking feeling that things were about to get incredibly messy.