30 Working together.

"Fire Fist Ace? Never heard of somebody with a name like that before." Najenda contemplated plenty on the alias I have given her, through this she can be let to think all day long simply because Ace doesn't exist in this world.

"So… What business do you have with me, Ace?" As she says these words Ace can tell that she wants an immediate answer and so Ace decided to play along. Not really, but he will play.

Taking my hat off of his head Ace place it onto his back and took a seat at their fire. With this done he spoke out "Najenda, I have no reason to fight you. I just wanted to know why you're here, you see as far as I know, this place is off limits to the entire Empire. Meaning a military official such as yourself shouldn't be snooping around as you please." While saying all of this Ace looked her in the eyes.

These words struck at her and seemed to piss her off a bit, so as she was thinking to what she wanted to say. While sitting Ace picked up the meat they were roasting over the flame and dung right on in.

"Hey, that's our meat ! get your own!" a random began to shout out at Ace.

"Hah~ Yes, I agree with you Ace. But I must ask you to stop eat- What the?" As Najenda said the last part, everyone took up arms and pointed them at the newcomer who sat in front of the fire. They found him-

"""HE'S ASLEEP?!?!""" With a bubble to his nose and let out a mighty snore.

"OY, WAKE UP DAMNIT!" Najenda had no reason to put up with it and so she knocked onto his head.

*CRASH* with enough force to leave a small crater where his head landed.

"*GULP* Najenda, I think you killed him. Ain't no way somebody served that."

"Yeah, he's a goner."

"Maybe it was a bit much on your part."

Every single one of the lackeys, felt bad.

Though it didn't matter for very long, as they were talking to Najenda the heard from behind a rustling in the dirt.

Looking back they saw the newcomer get up all nonchalantly and pat the dirt off his hair as he looked around to his sides constantly with a tired look.

Picking up his meat that was on a stick he bit into it and said "Sorry, fell asleep."

"""WE ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU JACKASS!!"""

As he gazed at the several men around him who had seemed to be upset he asked Najenda "Hey, you guys do comedy acts here or something?" to which she can only reply with "No, that is not really or thing." receiving only an "Oh" before Ace bit back into the meat and then…

Began to snore again *ZZZ*

"""WAKE UP DAMNIT!!!""" Everybody shouted before a loud crash was heard again.

--------------------------------

Several minutes later, Ace was done with eating the meat. But for some inexplicable reason there sat a bunch of bumps on his head and blood running down his face. But even with all of this he pulled out a canteen and began to drink the tea inside.

*Sluuurrp~* "Hagh~ this is some good tea." as Ace sipped his tea, a shadow appeared overhead.

*CRASH!* "This isn't time for tea, take this a bit more seriously." Najenda seemed a bit more than just upset as her face can be seen twitching along the lips.

"Alright, I'll stop… After you tell me if this outfit makes my butt look big." *CRASH!*

"If this is all that you have to say, then I suggest you leave. Seems you couldn't be used as anything more than a meat shield out there. Besides, you yourself said that nobody is allowed here; so why are you in this area?" Najenda seemed to be quite cautious even when Ace did plenty of things to make her see himself as nothing much.

She's smart, Ace had to admit that. Or maybe just observant?

"No no, I do have more to say, that was just me wanting to lighten the atmosphere. Anyway, I have no reason to listen to the words of the Empire. I'am Fire Fist Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates, Second Division Commander, this mark on my back shows my allegiance." As Ace said this Najenda he stood and pointed his thumb to his back as a show of his pride.

Looking upon his back and listening to the words that come from his mount, Najenda concluded that even if Ace barred the title of a Pirate he was of no harm to either her of her team. "Alright Ace, so you really must tell me why they call you Fire Fist Ace then. Don't tell me you can light your fist on fire or something."

Looking at the curious Najenda who also had her Roman Artillery: Pumpkin resting upon her back, Ace smiled widely as he spoke a falsity that is nothing but the truth. "Some within the Whitebeard Pirate Group have abilities or even weapons that no other have gotten their hands on. Mine just so happens to allow the control over fire. These abilities or weapons have gained the title of Imperial Arms."

Shock, that is all which appears on the faces of those in the surroundings as well on the face of Najenda. The ability to control fire, the exact opposite of Esdeath back in the capital who recently gained the ability to control ice.

"That is quite the ability you have there Ace, what is the name of this Imperial Arm? If I might ask." Najenda though cautious, was also curious.

Ace looked her in the eyes and spoke out "Demon God Incarnation: Ignis. The Demon who ruled over the flames of hell." As Ace said this his eyes lingered upon the weapon on Najenda's backside and spoke once more "Roman Artillery: Pumpkin. That is quite the fire arm you have there as well." Now not a sound could be heard.

As Najenda reached back for Pumpkin, she stopped suddenly as the sight before her stopped her dead in the tracks. Ace's hands began to light on fire, in preparation for Najenda.

"Go ahead, make my day." Ace let only these words out, yet in the entire area around, nothing else could be heard.

"Sigh~ So what is it you want Ace?" Najenda lowered her body and sat down as well, fully knowing that if Ace had gotten his hands on the Ignis before Esdeath then his skills should be well above hers in controlling it. Meaning she could die before she knew how.

And since Pumpkin is no good when it is overheated, just focusing on her weapon would spell her demise. So she thought it would be best to negotiate.

Ace looked at her and her surrounding team speaking only this "There is nothing that I wold like more than your co-operation in the Wasteland Battlefield. In exchange I can hand over half of what we find to you and I could also give you a bit of information on some other Imperial Arms out and about in the world. So who 'bout it?"

This proposal seemed a bit to good to be true, he wanted to scour the Wasteland Battlefield and was even willing to give information on Imperial Arms, people in the higher ups of the Empire fully know well that most information of Imperial Arms was lost long ago. Even a nit of information is greatly appreciated.

But it was still to good "And what will you get in exchange for all of this?" Ace looked a a bit more surprised than he probably should. But he merely straightened his face and looked at Najenda once again. "All I want, is first dibs on the Imperial Arms we manage to find. I mean that I cannot go back to Whitebeard himself and tell him I only got the crappy and broken Imperial Arms from this business trip of mine. Now can I?"

As Ace said this the air around everyone began to increase in heat, this was due to Ace secretly making the hand sign for 'Fire Style: Heat Dispersion' several times to make the air grow hotter in the surrounding area.

But to everyone else, it gave them the thought that he would burn them to cinders.

Najenda was particularly quick to act and said in the stead of everyone "Of course, it would only be fair considering how much you plan to offer to us. But of course I would appreciate the information you have on some Imperial Arms first as that would just be fair."

Ace had taken no offense to this as he silly smiled like a goof and said "Well, that's fine and all. But first I want you to explain to me the full appearance of the Emperor's Advisor, as I want to also get some information from this trade."

Najenda had a thought run through her head 'He does't know the appearance of the Emperor's Advisor? How can this be?' but still she relented and spoke out "He is a very large man whom wears the face of a kind man and has a long and grey beard and mustache that is befitting of his age, his clothes include a grey coat and dark green underclothes. The jewelry he wears include two sliver rings and golden third ring that has many engravings, he says that the third one is a ring known as Infinite Storage: National Treasury an Imperial Arm where he can store anything within. He keeps the information that cannot be let out ingot he world within." looking back at Ace she ask "Is this enough?"

Looking back into the eyes of Najenda Ace smiles a wry grin "Yes, that is enough. And in exchange I will tell you of the true nature of that Imperial Arm the Advisor wears."

Shocked with what she hears, Najenda begins to question Ace "What do you mean? Is that not what the ring does?"

Ace can only shake his head at her misunderstanding "That is it yet not 100% correct. That is not the Imperial Arm known as Infinite Storage: National Treasury at all, it is an Imperial Arms known as Absolute Limitation: Erastone this Imperial Arm was created solely as to destroy other Imperial Arms and itself in the process."

Hearing what Ace had to say, Najenda was shocked inside. What he said is not what she has always known, it is true that she and heard it was a Storage Ring rather than an Imperial Arm destroyer. But how could he know? "Ace, how did you obtain this information?"

Ace had no idea what to say but make up a lie "Whitebeard is the decedent of the creator of all Imperial Arms, therefore in his hands he has the blueprint to each and every single one. I'am the Commander of the second division and it is my job to find as many Imperial Arms as I can. So it make sense that I have studied all of them."

The world around Najenda seemed to fall apart, as it seems the blueprints that can shift the world around were in the possession of a pirate known as Whitebeard.

But lowering her head she came to one conclusion and that was it would probably be best to work with the person in front of her, as he already held the reigns.

"So, Ace, would you like to work- He fell asleep again… Sigh~" Najenda felt like she had her work cut out for her.