Chapter 51

The Royal Aces along with the residents of the Birka Library were seated around a long dining table. Soma and Zeff were cooking in the kitchen after Soma showed his prowess as a cook.

Needless to say, Zeff was impressed. So, he let Soma help him out in the kitchen.

Right now, the Royal Aces were getting acquainted with the last resident of Birka Library.

"So, they lied to you about us being here?" Haredan asked Ace.

"That, they did. They said nothing about you guys being here," Ace answered. "To think you're friends with the locals. Those guys are great! They didn't sell you out!"

"I'm just glad they didn't try to fight you," Haredan said.

"Well, if they did, we can easily deal with them without hurting them. HAHAHAHA!"

"To think decent pirates exist! You opened my eyes tonight, Captain Ace!" Bora said to Ace, raising a glass of wine in cheers.

"You give me too much credit, Master Bora!" Ace clinked their glasses together. "Still, thank you for treating us to dinner!"

"I still can't believe what I saw earlier. Another Zeff!" Terzo couldn't move on from what they saw earlier.

"You know of another one?" Augur asked.

"We do," Ace said, getting the attention of everyone on the table. "The Zeff we know is back in East Blue. He taught Soma how to cook and raised him like a son."

"They look the same?" Mihar asked. "The world is much bigger than I thought…"

"I know! They look exactly the same!" Ace said. "The only difference is the wings and the way they dress."

"Fascinating!" Haredan put his hand on his chin.

"I guess there is indeed a possibility that someone out there has the same face we do," Bora said.

"Still, they won't be exactly the same," Tanya said. "I bet the Zeff you know is a much better cook."

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, Zeff-sensei only started cooking when his wife passed away ten years ago," Tanya said. Ace noticed how she was eerily unaffected…

"I'm sorry. My condolences," Ace said.

"Thank you. But, I believe Zeff already came to terms with his grief," Haredan said. "He found life again after he started cooking, after all."

"As a way for her to somehow still be with us," Zeff said after opening the double doors leading to the neatly polished dining room. Soma was behind him. They were pushing serving carts. "Dinner is ready! Your cook is an exceptional one."

"He is!" Ace grinned.

They watched Zeff and Soma enter and serve the dishes they cooked. Instead of serving plate by plate, they served the food in big portions and gave everyone plates and utensils to take their own portions.

"It smells so good!" Eri sniffed the scent of the food and started drooling in anticipation.

"Wanna eat with us, Kotatsu?" Ace asked their big pet as he stroked Kotatsu's fluffy fur.

The big cat was developing a liking to cuddle with Ace since he was so warm. Made of fire, after all.

"Prrr!" Kotatsu purred in comfort at cuddling Ace's legs.

"Don't worry, I cooked deer meat for Kotatsu," Soma said before giving Kotatsu a big bowl of chopped deer meat, much to the big cat's delight.

Everyone waited for Zeff and Soma to finish serving before eating. Their dinner only started once Zeff and Soma were done and seated among them.

After dinner, Haredan invited the Royal Aces to stay the night in the library. Apparently, they had extra beds.

…

Ace woke up with the intention of having a midnight snack.

With a yawn, Ace got up from his bed. Out of habit, he spread out his Observation Haki on the whole floor.

Ace felt the presence of every living thing. From the ants to his crew.

After his Observation Haki failed at detecting Tanya earlier today, Ace felt irked.

'How could my Observation just brush past her? I only felt her presence when she was standing in front of me. That's ridiculous!'

Ace spent most of the dinner practicing his Observation. For some reason, he had to really try and focus to sense Tanya's presence. Ace suspected it was because of her Devil Fruit.

'The Wind-Wind Fruit… did she awaken her fruit already? No, that's impossible.'

Ace went outside the room and walked to the kitchen where he suspected there would be snacks.

To his surprise, he came across Tanya.

"Uhhh… hi?"

"It's late. Why are you awake?"

"...midnight snack."

"I see." Tanya chuckled. "You do know where the kitchen is, don't you?"

"Yeah. I was about to go there."

"There's still some leftover tarts. Don't eat them all."

Tanya walked away, but Ace stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"...my bedroom?"

"Sure." Ace chuckled. He knew where her bedroom was since he focused his Observation Haki on her as practice. "Your bedroom isn't that way."

"What the hell? How would you know? Creepy." Tanya looked at Ace with disgust.

"Oi, it's not like that at all!" Ace fumbled with his words.

"HAHAHAHA! I know, I'm just messing with you," Tanya said. "But seriously, it's none of your business."

"Oooh, what kinda mischief are you up to?"

Tanya stared at Ace unblinkingly. Her stare felt cold and… dead? Ace met her gaze and didn't back down. A silent battle passed between them.

"You must be strong, right?" Tanya asked.

"I am."

"Hmmm. Good," Tanya said before turning around to walk away. "Follow me."

"Where?" Ace was intrigued.

Tanya didn't answer.

…

Ace followed Tanya out of the building that was the Birka Library. They stood on the cloud beach of the island.

Then, wind surged around Tanya. She floated up and went forward. She was flying.

"Want me to carry you?" Tanya snickered at Ace, which Ace returned.

"No need," Ace said before turning his legs into fire. He flew up beside Tanya at a greater speed than she showed.

"Show off."

Tanya then flew away seemingly as fast as she could. Ace easily followed.

They flew above a cloudy white sea. Then, Ace saw where they were headed. It looked like a cloud river trailing off into the distance.

"That's a Milky Road," Tanya said after noticing Ace's eyes glued on the cloud river.

"A Milky Road? Where does it lead?"

"Birka."

Ace recognized the name. Ever since Haredan told them the name of the library, Ace knew he hit the jackpot.

'We're near Skypiea!'

"I thought Birka was no more?" Ace asked.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Haredan told us that Birka Library was the last trace of Birkan culture."

"Hmm. In a way, he's right," Tanya said. "But there are still many Birkans running around."

"Like who?"

"Me."

The rest of their flight was silent. Around twenty minutes later, they arrived at what could only be described as a ruined city.

Buildings made of clouds lay in broken heaps. It looked like they were sinking, fusing back into the clouds they once were from.

"Welcome to Birka," Tanya said. "What's left of it, anyway."

"What happened to this place?" Ace asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Ever seen an idiot be given more power than he deserves?" Tanya asked, her voice cold. "Well, this is what happens."

"I see," Ace said. "So, the idiot destroyed your home."

"That he did."

"And you wanted me to follow because…?"

"I want to kill him, of course," Tanya said with a grin that would send chills down anyone's spine. Ace felt the madness behind Tanya's eyes. "And you're gonna help me."

"Interesting." Ace chuckled. "Why would I help you?"

"You're a pirate. As far as I know, pirates love gold."

"We do."

"If you help me out, I will give you all the gold you want," Tanya said. She had pure confidence that Ace would agree.

"Hmmm. Unfortunately for you, my crew isn't poor. We're not short of gold or treasure," Ace said. "You'll have to offer more than that if you want me to help you."

Tanya looked surprised that Ace rejected her offer. Still, she didn't panic. She stood there, silently pondering what to do next.

"Another thing that pirates need is a strong crew, right?" Tanya asked.

Ace felt like he knew where the conversation was going.

"We do."

"Then, if you help me, I promise to become a valuable member of your crew," Tanya said, before quickly adding, "for three years."

Tanya grinned maniacally as if thinking her offer was irresistible. Her eyes betrayed the darkness and insanity she was hiding within.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Ace bursted out laughing at Tanya. True, Tanya had great potential. But the fact that she thinks so highly of herself amused Ace.

"If your loyalty is so easily gained, I don't want it," Ace said. "I don't need another potential liability to look out for."

Ace still felt that Teach would betray them and jump ships the moment he could. The man was still fiercely loyal to his father.

Now, Ace was just hoping to befriend Teach. Ace was sure that Whitebeard would value his son's word. If the Royal Aces at least befriend Teach, the man could make negotiations with the strongest Emperor possible…

Ace was interrupted from his silent musings by Tanya's angered words.

"Easily gained?" Tanya looked mad. "You have no idea how much it means to me to see that bastard Enel die!"

"I don't care. I don't even know who that guy is! And you want me to help you kill him?"

"He's the bastard that took everything from me!" Tanya screamed. It was shrill and desperate.

"Is he now? Tell me about him."

"He's just an idiot. The only thing that makes him dangerous is his over-inflated ego and the power he gained from eating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit."

"A Devil Fruit?" Ace pretended not to know. "What power did it give him?"

"The power to control lightning and turn into it," Tanya answered. "He's a lightning human. I was supposed to eat that fruit! Now, I'm stuck with this… alternate!"

The winds blew and got stronger with Tanya's anger, attempting to blow away everything in its path. It seems Tanya didn't choose to eat her Devil Fruit.

Ace put a hand on his hat. The winds were strong, but it didn't even faze him. His black coat fluttered in the wind as he watched and observed Tanya's power.

"No matter. I made my fruit strong! I'll kill him!"

Ace stared at Tanya. The little girl didn't back down from his own cold stare that seemed to peer into her soul.

"To think you're actually this bloodthirsty," Ace commented. "Were you fooling those three old men?"

"My teachers? No," Tanya said. "They've been kind to me. I don't turn down wholehearted kindness. I still owe them a lot."

"And yet, you're about to embark on a path of your own."

"I can repay them tenfold more if I accomplish my ambition."

Ace was impressed by how resolute Tanya was. Despite just being ten years old, she felt much older.

Still, it was obvious she was a child. The madness she showed and impatience to get what she wanted felt like a dark version of childish selfishness for Ace.

"What will you do after Enel dies?" Ace asked.

"I become the rightful God of Skypiea!" Tanya answered, mouth twisted in a maniacal grin.

Ace felt that Tanya's answer were words she's been holding in her heart for a long time. Tanya, for the first time, revealed who she was.

A second later, Tanya's will took shape.

Ace's eyes widened as a burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from the ten year old girl. It was nothing to scoff at. Although it was weaker than Hepha's, Tanya was still a child.

How strong would she be if given the time to grow?

'Seriously? I thought Conqueror's Haki should be incredibly rare?'

Ace was flabbergasted that he met another person blessed with Conqueror's Haki. So far, his crew had three users of Conqueror's Haki: him, Hepha, and Teach.

Teach, being the son of Whitebeard, having Conqueror's Haki isn't that surprising. Although, he could only use its basic application.

It was one of the things Ace discovered just recently. The reveal of him being Roger's son helped a lot with Teach warming up to him and the crew.