By sunset, the results of the day's events were clear: Takuya had successfully led Smoker through every back alley in town, Mira and Nami had earned enough berries to potentially buy a small island.
Luffy had consumed approximately 147 cookies and was now in a blissful coma, Smoker was last seen stuck upside-down in a bakery chimney, and Ace had watched the entire spectacle while polishing off his third meat skewer, thoroughly amused by the show.
As the Straw Hats regrouped at their ship, Nami hugged her overflowing money chest with pure joy. "Best. Port stop. Ever," she declared, stars practically shining in her eyes. Takuya brushed cookie flour from his coat with a satisfied smirk.
Nami's eyes had transformed into spinning berry symbols as she clutched the overflowing money chest. In a sudden burst of uncharacteristic affection, she threw her arms around Takuya's neck, pressing close. "Can I keep it? All of it?" she purred, fully aware of her actions but too money-drunk to care.
Takuya chuckled, easily supporting her weight. "Sure, keep as much as you want." He reached behind him and produced another, smaller chest. "Here, this is for you too."
Nami immediately detached herself to snatch the new chest, popping it open eagerly. Her fingers froze when she saw:
A mountain of berries
A neatly folded note resting on top
Her brow furrowed as she unfolded it. The crew continued celebrating around her, oblivious as her eyes scanned the words:
"I don't want to see the gold-digger Nami who'd do anything for money. I want to meet the real Nami - the one who loves drawing maps, the girl Bellemere took in. If you're willing to show me, meet me on deck at 3. No jokes. Just want to know the real you."
The paper trembled slightly in her hands. For a long moment, she just stared at it, lips pressed into a thin line. Then, with uncharacteristic quietness, she closed the chest and tucked both it and the note under her arm before walking away without a word.
Before anyone could ask what happened to Nami, a loud whoop shattered the evening's calm as a figure vaulted over the Going Merry's railing, landing with practiced ease.
Flames flickered and died around his boots. "Now THAT was a show!" Portgas D. Ace laughed, slapping his knee, his wide grin a mirror of his brother's but seasoned with a pirate's confidence. "Didn't think I'd find such a wild crew out here!"
Usopp shrieked, tumbling backward into an empty rain barrel with a resonant clang. "GYAAAAH! WHO ARE YOU?! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!" He scrambled, peering over the rim with wide, terrified eyes.
Ace adjusted his iconic orange hat, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement as they swept over the stunned crew. "Name's Ace. Portgas D. Ace." His gaze settled on the semi-conscious lump that was his brother. "That rubber idiot's big brother."
"B-Big brother?!" Usopp stammered, still half-hidden. Sanji, momentarily forgetting his simmering pots, raised an intrigued eyebrow.
Zoro's hand drifted subtly closer to his sword hilts, just to be sure, his eyes narrowed in assessment. Chopper gasped, stars practically appearing in his eyes at the sight of another powerful-looking pirate.
Luffy, sprawled on the deck in a blissful cookie coma, managed to peel one eye open. A slow, goofy grin spread across his flour-dusted face. "Ace?" he mumbled, voice thick with sleep and sugar. Recognition dawned, cutting through the haze.
"ACEEEEEE!" With a surge of rubbery energy, he shot upright, wobbling precariously. "Shishishi! You found me! Guys! Guys! This is Ace! My big brother! He's super strong! And cool!"
Luffy beamed, swaying like a palm tree in a gale, pure, unadulterated joy radiating from him. It was the look of a little brother who hadn't seen his hero in far too long.
Ace chuckled, warmth softening his features at Luffy's reaction. "Took me long enough, Anchor. Heard some crazy stories 'bout a Straw Hat causing chaos in the East Blue and Loguetown. Figured it had to be you."
He turned his attention back to the crew, his expression shifting to genuine curiosity. "So, you're the ones keeping this knucklehead alive, huh? Color me impressed." His eyes landed on Takuya, who was leaning casually against the mast.
"Especially you. Saw you tango with Smoker back there." Ace whistled appreciatively. "Using cookie sheets? That's a new one. Brilliant distraction."
Takuya offered a half-bow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Takuya. Pleasure. Though according to those Marines, I'm apparently the local drug dealer now."
"Best kind of reputation to have with the Navy," Ace shot back with a grin, earning a chuckle.
Sanji snapped back into action, the mention of Smoker and a new guest triggering his hospitality instincts. "Ace-san! Welcome aboard! Luffy's brother is always welcome! Forgive the state of our captain – he found the cookie stash."
He shot a glare at the still-grinning, swaying Luffy before turning back to the stove with renewed vigor. "Let me whip up a proper meal! You must be hungry after your trip!" Flames roared under pans as Sanji began chopping vegetables at lightning speed.
"FOOD!" Luffy roared, momentarily revitalized, before his eyes crossed again and he slumped back down with a contented sigh. "Ace is here... shishishi..."
Chopper couldn't contain himself any longer. He bounced forward, his little hooves tapping excitedly on the deck. "Waaaah! Luffy's big brother! You have fire powers?! That's amazing! Are you really a pirate? Are you as strong as Luffy? What's your bounty?!" The questions tumbled out in an eager rush.
Ace knelt down, his smile gentle. "Hey there, little guy. Yeah, I've got the Flame-Flame Fruit. And yeah, I'm a pirate – I used to be Captain of the Spade Pirates. But now I'm second in command under Whitebeard pirates."
The name 'Whitebeard' hit the deck like a cannonball. The festive atmosphere froze solid for a heartbeat.
Zoro's eyes snapped wide open, his previously relaxed posture vanishing instantly. His hand, which had drifted lazily from his sword hilts, slammed back onto them with a white-knuckled grip.
The sheer weight of that affiliation – the crew of the world's strongest man – transformed Ace from Luffy's impressive brother into a figure radiating near-mythical power in Zoro's reassessing gaze.
Sanji, mid-chop with his characteristic lightning speed, froze completely. His knife hovered forgotten over a half-sliced onion. His cigarette almost tumbled from his lips.
"W-Whitebeard...?" he breathed out, the color visibly draining from his face as the scale of Ace's position truly sank in after witnessing his fiery arrival.
Usopp, who had been cautiously emerging from his barrel refuge, let out a strangled squeak that sounded like a stepped-on seagull. He promptly dove back inside, only his wide, terrified eyes and the tip of his nose visible over the wooden rim.
"W-W-WHITEBEARD?!" he shrieked, his voice muffled by the barrel but laced with pure panic. "AS IN THE WHITEBEARD?! PIRATE KING'S RIVAL?! WE'RE ALL GONNA GET SUNK JUST FOR HAVING HIM HERE! WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
Chopper gasped so loudly he choked on his own breath for a second, his tiny hooves flying up to cover his mouth. "Eh?! EHHHH?! WHITEBEARD?!" he squealed, vibrating on the spot, caught in a whirlwind of awe and terror.
"The legendary pirate?! Luffy's brother works for him?! Waaaaaah! That's... that's amazing! And completely terrifying! Incredibly terrifying!"
Takuya, leaning casually against the mast, let out a low, appreciative whistle. His usual smirk widened into a grin. "Well now," he said, his voice cutting through the stunned silence, "that's a hell of a promotion."
Ace chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the seismic reaction his affiliation caused. He ruffled Luffy's hair affectionately as his brother let out another happy, oblivious burp.
"This guy'll probably surpass me one day, the way he's going." He deftly avoided mentioning his bounty, not wanting to overshadow his brother's fledgling crew. His focus returned to the awestruck reindeer. "What's your name?"
The question seemed to break the spell of shock for Chopper. He puffed out his little chest, momentarily pushing aside his terror with pride. "I'm Tony Tony Chopper! The doctor!" he declared, though his eyes still darted nervously towards Ace.
Usopp, emboldened by Chopper's response and Ace's easy demeanor, slowly, very very slowly, began to re-emerge from the barrel.
He cleared his throat dramatically, trying to regain some semblance of the brave warrior. "Ahem! I... I am the Great Captain Usopp!" he proclaimed, striking a pose that would have been heroic if his knees weren't knocking together quite so visibly.
"B-Brave warrior of the sea and protector of this ship! Luffy speaks of you often, Ace!(Nope he doesn't, before now strawhats didn't know luffy had a brother)" He shot a nervous glance towards Zoro, as if seeking backup.
Ace laughed, a rich, warm sound that helped further dissolve the tension. "He does, huh? Hope he didn't bore you too much with his tall tales about me." His gaze then shifted deliberately towards the two more reserved crew members who had yet to formally introduce themselves. "And you two?"
"Roronoa Zoro," the swordsman stated simply, his hand relaxing slightly from his swords but his intense, watchful gaze never leaving Ace. The name 'Whitebeard' still hung in the air around him. "First Mate."
The deck buzzed with lively introductions and excited chatter. Sanji slid a plate heaping with steaming rice and grilled fish towards Ace. "Eat up, Ace-san! Plenty more where that came from!" Usopp launched into a slightly embellished retelling of their escape from Loguetown, Chopper interjecting with wide-eyed corrections.
Zoro listened, occasionally grunting. Ace listened intently, asking questions, genuinely interested in the crew who had captured his little brother's loyalty. He shared a few vague, funny stories of their chaotic childhood in the Goa Kingdom mountains, making Luffy laugh until he choked on a cookie crumb.
The celebration felt warmer, fuller with Ace's presence – a reunion years in the making. Yet, amidst the laughter and the clatter of plates, the absence of one crew member was a quiet pocket of stillness.
While Ace charmed the crew and Luffy basked in his brother's presence, Nami had slipped away unnoticed, the weight of the note tucked under her arm pulling her below deck into contemplative silence. The party above was bright and loud; her thoughts below were a whirlpool of uncertainty.
If my story made you smile even once, that's a win for me. That's what I want to live for—brightening dull days and reminding people that joy still exists. My dream is to keep getting better, to someday reach legendary level of storytelling.
If you can support me financially please join my patreon from the fic's bio, cause I don't know why Webnovel doesn't show my patreon link and honestly speaking I really need money. And if you can't it's alright, just adding few words of appreciation and power stones will be enough motivation I need.
Thankyou for choosing my fics to read.