The party rolled on as the sun dipped low, painting the sky in oranges and purples. Plates were scraped clean, stories grew taller (mostly thanks to Usopp), and laughter echoed across the darkening sea.
They had decided to dock the ship there, and head out on foot tomorrow after everyone had had proper rest. Luffy clung to Ace like a happy barnacle, chattering non-stop between bites of the extra meat Sanji kept providing.
Ace listened, laughed, and shared more snippets of their wild mountain days( mind you they haven't mentioned Sabo in their stories assuming he's already dead) – the time Luffy tried wrestling a bear cub, the disastrous attempt at building a treehouse. The crew roared, especially at Luffy's indignant protests of "It wasn't that bad, Ace!"
But as the first stars began to pierce the twilight, Ace stretched, a satisfied sigh escaping him. He gently pried Luffy off his arm. "Alright, Anchor. Settle down." He stood up, the warm glow from the galley windows lighting his face.
The chatter died down. Everyone looked at him, sensing the shift.
"Heading out already, Ace?" Sanji asked, wiping his hands on his apron, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Yeah," Ace said, adjusting his hat. His smile was warm but firm. "Got my own crew waiting, things to do. Can't stay anchored here forever, fun as it's been."
He looked around at the Straw Hats, his gaze lingering on each face – Zoro's steady watchfulness, Usopp's nervous curiosity, Chopper's wide, worried eyes, Sanji's attentive posture, Takuya's easy grin.
"Listen," Ace continued, his voice turning serious, losing its playful edge. He looked directly at them. "I'm glad I finally got to meet you all. Really glad."
He ruffled Luffy's hair one last time. Luffy just grinned up at him, trusting and utterly unbothered by the goodbye. "Seeing him like this... surrounded by you guys..." Ace paused, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "It means a lot. I'm glad he's found a good crew."
He took a breath, his expression turning earnest, almost pleading. "So... look after him for me, okay? This knucklehead." He gave Luffy a light, affectionate shove that barely moved him. "He's tougher than he looks, but he's still my little brother. Keep him out of too much trouble." His eyes met Zoro's, then Sanji's, then swept over the rest. "Please."
"Of course, Ace-san!" Sanji declared immediately, snapping to attention. "Protecting our captain is our duty! And our pleasure! You can count on us!"
"Y-Yeah!" Usopp puffed out his chest, though his voice wavered slightly. "T-The Great Captain Usopp will shield him from a thousand dangers! Or... most of them! Definitely some!"
"We will," Zoro stated simply, his single eye holding Ace's gaze steadily. It was a promise, solid as steel.
"W-we promise, Ace!" Chopper sniffled, tears welling up. "We'll take good care of Luffy!"
The festive mood still hung in the air as Ace finished his heartfelt goodbye to the crew. Takuya stepped forward, his easy grin momentarily absent. He held out a small, cloth pouch tied with string. "Here," he said, his voice casual but lacking its usual playful edge. "A small gift from my end. For the road."
Ace, touched by the gesture, accepted the pouch with a warm smile. "Cookies? Thanks, Takuya. Appreciate it." He gave the pouch a small shake, the muffled clatter confirming its contents.
But as Ace started to turn away, Takuya leaned in close, his movement swift and deliberate. His voice dropped to a low, urgent whisper that only Ace could hear, cutting through the farewells: "Make sure to keep your distance when you encounter Blackbeard. And don't rely too much on your Devil Fruit. It will help a lot."
Ace froze. Every muscle in his body tensed. The warm gratitude vanished from his face, replaced by utter shock that flickered into deep suspicion. His eyes, wide and suddenly sharp, snapped to Takuya's.
The name 'Blackbeard' – Teach – was a secret, a looming threat known only to a few within the Whitebeard Pirates. And this warning about his fruit... How could this stranger possibly know?
Before Ace could fully process it, Takuya started to pull back. Ace's hand shot out, fingers closing firmly around Takuya's wrist, stopping him.
The grip was strong, insistent. Ace leaned in, his voice a low, dangerous growl meant only for Takuya's ears, his eyes burning with intensity: "How? How do you know that name? How do you know about Teach?" The suspicion was thick in his voice, mixed with a rising alarm.
Takuya met Ace's intense gaze calmly. He didn't struggle against the grip. A faint, knowing smile touched his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes, which held a seriousness Ace hadn't seen before.
"Let's just say," Takuya murmured, his voice still low, "I'm someone who knows a lot of stuff, above a lot of things. Stuff most people shouldn't." He gave a slight, almost imperceptible shrug. "How I know isn't important right now."
He paused, his gaze unwavering, the weight of his next words settling heavily between them. "All I'm saying, Ace," Takuya continued, his voice dropping even further, laced with grave sincerity, "is if you care for your brother… if you truly don't want him to suffer unimaginable pain because of your choices… then heed my warning.
Keep your distance from Teach. Don't let your pride or your power blind you. If not..." Takuya's eyes held Ace's for a long, charged second. "...well, you know better. Or you think you do."
He held Ace's searching, suspicious stare for another heartbeat, letting the stark warning hang in the air. Then, Takuya gently but firmly pulled his wrist free from Ace's grasp. The intense seriousness vanished from his face as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by his familiar, easygoing smirk.
He took a deliberate step back, rejoining the circle of the crew near Sanji's cooking station, as if the intense, whispered exchange had never happened. He ruffled Chopper's fur. "More cookies later, Doc?"
Ace stood rooted to the spot, the pouch of cookies suddenly heavy in his hand. The shock hadn't faded; it had morphed into a cold knot of unease in his stomach. Takuya's words echoed in his mind: '...don't want him to suffer unimaginable pain because of your choices…'
The casual mention of Teach, the specific warning about his fruit... and the chilling implication that his actions could directly harm Luffy. Who was this guy? His eyes followed Takuya, suspicion warring with the disturbing weight of the warning. The warm farewell felt abruptly tainted.
He glanced at Luffy, who was obliviously trying to snag another piece of meat from Sanji's new batch, his face lit with simple joy. The image of Luffy suffering because of him... It was a thought Ace couldn't bear.
Forcing himself to move, Ace shoved the confusing thoughts and the disturbing warning aside for the moment. He had to leave. With a final, slightly strained smile that didn't quite reach his troubled eyes, he raised a hand in farewell to the crew.
Ace's shoulders relaxed. A wide, relieved smile spread across his face. "Thanks. Really." He pulled Luffy into a quick, tight hug. "See you out there, Anchor. Don't get yourself killed before I see you again."
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, hugging back just as hard. "Don't worry, Ace! We'll meet again! And next time, I'll be even stronger!"
"I know you will," Ace said, releasing him. He stepped back towards the railing. "Alright, Straw Hats! Thanks for the grub and the stories! Take care of my little brother!" With a final wave and a flash of his familiar grin, flames erupted around his feet. "Catch you on the flip side!"
The fiery departure was as brilliant as before, but Ace carried a new, unsettling burden into the night sky – the taste of Sanji's good food, the warmth of his brother's crew, and the chilling, cryptic words of a man who knew far too much.
As he soared away, his gaze lingered on the shrinking Merry, his mind fixated not on the celebration, but on the figure of Takuya standing on the deck, and the dark, unspoken threat tied to the name Blackbeard.
Silence fell for a moment on the ship, broken only by the gentle lap of waves against the hull. Luffy waved energetically at the empty sky, still grinning. "Bye, Ace!"
Below deck, in the quiet dimness of her cabin, Nami sat on her bed, the sudden note held loosely in her hand. The muffled sounds of Ace's fiery departure reached her faintly.
She glanced towards the ceiling, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes – curiosity, maybe, or a touch of regret at missing the commotion – before her gaze dropped back to the folded paper. The loud world of pirates and fire above felt very far away from the quiet storm of questions swirling within her.
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.
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