Chapter 12: Bounty Given and Mysterious Boy

Written across the front of the newspaper read "Marine Base Laid to Ruin". On the front cover had a photo of Ace standing with the lightning crackling all around him. The article detailing all of what transpired at the base was written on the front cover under the picture as well. As Ace came to the end of the article it showed the showed Ace his bounty and new nicknamed given to him. It read

"White Hair Raijuu"

Wanted Dead or Alive

Bounty: 125,000,000 Belis

When Ace saw his newest bounty he was ecstatic, he guessed flattening a whole marine base and defeating an ex Vice-Admiral level opponent would put a big target on his back especially since he didn't even enter the New World yet. Now that he built his crew and had made a name for himself the plans he made since coming to this world had finally been accomplished.

As he thought of what to do next he heard a commotion coming from the deck of his ship. As he made it to the top he saw his men surrounding something and had their weapons aimed and pointed at the what was on the deck, when he ordered for his men to disperse they all in a dignified fashion stood with their guns at their side waiting for their captain to make his way through to the commotion. When Ace made his way into the center of the encirclement he saw a young, malnourished boy lying flat on the deck gasping for air as if he had been trying to fight for his life. Seeing this he ordered his men to bring the doctors for the boy and to also get the cooks to make food that would help the boy recover faster. As Ace was ordering his men he heard a faint whisper of a voice come from the boy saying "he...help..my-..help my...people...we need...help". Hearing the boy Ace knelt down and asked him where he was from unfortunately for Ace the kid passed out from exhaustion before he could answer.

Seeing the boy unconscious the doctors took him into the infirmary room so he could receive medical treatment. Ace stayed on the main deck and asked his men what happened and how the kid got onto the ship, he was told that the men were fishing to pass the time and during it, one of the lines got wrapped around a barrel that was floating in the sea. As they hoisted the barrel up they looked inside and saw a boy inside clutching an empty bottle of water with crumbs of food all around him. When they let the boy fall out he was barely alive and couldn't understand what he was trying to tell them. Since they had a random individual now aboard their ship they went by protocol by surrounding the boy so he wouldn't try anything funny and the crew was then waiting on a higher ranking member of the ship to make a decision on what to do with the boy when the captain showed up.

Ace then dismissed the men and told them to resume what they were doing and have fun. Ace then told Capone who had just made it to the scene to inform him of whenever the boy awoke and was able to speak so he could ask him some questions and to also make sure no one besides the doctors goes anywhere near the boy. Capone nodded to his captain and told him that his ordered will be followed to the letter. Ace also informed Capone that he would be in his quarters' training and until the boy woke up that he wasn't to be disturbed and that he was in charge until further notice.

A few days passed while Ace was inside of his quarters, he was training in his martial arts and sword techniques trying to get a better understanding of them both since he knew that in only a short amount of time a war was going to happen and that if he wasn't ready he could very well die. At the start of the fourth day, Ace was interrupted from his training and informed by Scott that the boy was awake and was very much confused and scared. Ace nodded to Scott and told him to go get Colton and follow him to the boy. As the three of them made their way into the infirmary they saw the boy laying in one of the medical beds on the ship trying to fight his way out of the cuffs that locked him to the bed so he couldn't escape. When the boy saw Ace he became enraged and yelled to him that he wasn't gonna get away with killing him and that his father would destroy him and his men. Ace with a blanked expression walked to the boy and slapped him on the head creating a welp on the top of his head like what Shanks would do to Luffy when he was growing up. As the boy screamed "owwww" Ace started to laugh at the funny little kid and asked him "Now why do you think your one to make threats kid, if you were smart you would think before you act or say something, or else you could make the situation worse for yourself".

The boy seeing Ace smile at him started to think about what was this mans purpose since he obviously hadn't killed him yet. Ace seeing the boy grow quiet started to chuckle and think to himself looks like this boy actually listens, that's good. Ace then proceeded to ask the kid why did he think that he was going to kill him. The boy answered that they had handcuffed him to the bed and wouldn't let him leave no matter what he said or asked of them. Ace nodded to the kid and used his devil fruit ability to remove the cuffs and let the boy sit up and talk to him without being restrained. Before the could bombard him with questions he told the kid to remain quiet and not to speak unless he asked him a question or else he would be punished for misbehaving.

The boy through his dazed eyes nodded and then waited for Ace to speak to him before he said anything. Ace then said to the boy " I will now ask you some questions answer them quickly and directly so as to not waste my time understand?". "Yes, sir". "Okay now tell me a few things first why were you in the middle of the sea? Second, where are you from? Third, what is your name?". "My name is Zizi Cobra and the reason I was in the middle of the sea was that my ship was being hunted down, attacked, and what I assume was sunk". the boy fighting threw teary eyes then started to tell the rest of the story to ace. "The men hunting me and my ship were able to board us and almost captured me but before they could capture me, my men had grabbed me and placed me inside the barrel and threw it overboard so they wouldn't be able to get me. I don't know how long I was in the barrel before you all found me. As far as where I am from, I come from a kingdom that is past the Grand Line known as Alabasta."