Chapter 114 - Marine and Pirate

"Bwahaha! Ain't nothin' like a solid beating to get the ol' blood pumpin'!" Garp roared out, his laughter booming like a cannon across the wreckage of the bar. Ace's battered form was sprawled out on the ground, looking more like a bruised peach than a human being.

"Damn, Garp, you sure know how to have a good time!" Ryu strolled in, his eyes dancing over the destruction with an amused grin. "Who's gonna foot the bill for this little bashing, though?"

Garp shot a look at the unconscious Ace. "Seein' as the brat's rollin' in more dough than yours truly, I reckon it's his treat. Life of a pirate, ain't it grand?" he scoffed.

Ryu just shook his head, chuckling, "Can't argue with that logic. Anyway, how about you wake Sleeping Beauty there? We got some talking to do."

"Gladly," Garp's grin widened, a glint of mischief sparkling in his eyes as he cracked his knuckles.

---

As Ace gently rubbed his throbbing cheek, the trio found themselves gathered around a less-destroyed bar table.

"Alright, kiddo, spill," Garp shot Ace a stern look, his arms folded across his chest.

"Wait, are you for real?" Ace stuttered, still struggling to comprehend the situation, "I thought you were just gonna haul me off to Impel Down or somethin'."

Garp shrugged nonchalantly, "If Ryu's insisting I give you a listen, must be something worth my time."

"You two are buds?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, one of my crewmates knocked the stuffing outta him not too long ago," Ryu smirked, earning a hearty laugh from Garp.

Ace's face, however, turned an interesting shade of white. "What?! Are you pullin' my leg?"

"Ha, you wish. Truth be told, I reckon any of Ryu's crew could give Whitebeard a run for his money. You should hear Sengoku when he's on the phone with me; got the whole damn Navy on red alert," Garp chuckled at his past conversation with Sengoku, while Ace's face drained of whatever color it had left.

"Maybe I overdid it a bit? I still have so much planned though..." Ryu sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"But hey, let's not get sidetracked. You got somethin' to say, don't you, Ace?" Ryu redirected the conversation.

"...I'm on the trail of a traitor from the Whitebeard Pirates," Ace grudgingly admitted.

"And why should I lend a hand, eh? Letting you waltz outta here is a favor in itself," Garp leaned back, crossing his arms.

"He's a problem for you too. Goes by Marshall D. Teach, an original member of Whitebeard's crew. He's Got the skills to match that title and some new devil fruit that's a mystery. The only thing I know about it is that in Teach's eyes, it was worth throwing everything he had away. And he had a lot. Could be trouble for your Marines," Ace clarified.

"Hm... Sounds like someone Sengoku wouldn't mind gettin' his hands on..." Garp stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Why not give it a go? Frame it as a show of strength, y'know? Marines capturing a key member of the Whitebeard Pirates makes for a nice headline. Plus, since he's a turncoat, Whitebeard's crew ain't likely to kick up a fuss," Ryu suggested.

"Suppose I could give Sengoku a ring..." Garp muttered, rising from his chair to leave the room.

As Garp lumbered out of the room, Ryu turned to Ace with a smirk, "See? It wasn't so hard, was it?"

"But did it have to be the old bastard?" Ace scowled, annoyed by Ryu's words.

"Well, he was already here, right?" Ryu chuckled, patting Ace's shoulder in a brotherly fashion, "And now there's no way you'd lose, right?"

"I guess..." Ace grumbled, prompting a laugh from Ryu.

The door swung open again, and Garp reentered, Den Den Mushi in hand. "Alright, Sengoku's on board. Let's go catch the bastard,"

Ace's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Garp nodded, "Yep, and I even managed to convince him to let you off the hook this time. I won't go after this pirate, but Sengoku will send a couple of capable Vice Admirals after him. Though make sure to stay out of their way. Even if you're both going after the same guy, don't mistake them for allies. If they see an opportunity, they will probably capture you too."

Ace gave an accepting nod, "Fair enough."

"Well, that's settled then," Ryu stood up, stretching leisurely, "Now, are you going to pay up for the fix, Ace? Or we could just torch the place and call it a day."

Garp gave him a sideways glance, "Not one for justice, are ya?"

"It was your idea, remember?" Ryu raised an eyebrow.

"Pft," Ace tried to suppress a burst of laughter, though some of it escaped his mouth.

"Ah, you're excited for round two, right?" Garp said with a fist raised high as Ace's face filled with Panic.

---

A few minutes later, Ryu was leaning against the bar counter, a serene smile playing on his lips as he basked in the cozy warmth of the tavern. Ace and Garp left the place, leaving a sack filled with money for the repair costs. Enjoying what was left of a spilled rum bottle, Ryu felt a pair of arms slide around his neck from behind, causing a jolt of pleasant surprise.

"Having fun without me?" Yoruichi's voice was a soft whisper in his ear, the playful rhyme dancing around the edges of her words. Her fingers traced idle patterns on the skin of Ryu's neck, while her head rested gently on his shoulder.

Ryu could feel the warmth of Yoruichi's body pressing against his, the subtle fragrance of her hair filling his nostrils.

Ryu smiled, turning his head slightly to catch her golden eyes with his. "You could say that. I watched a grandpa toss his grandson around like a ragdoll. I didn't know the human body could bend that way."

"Don't rub it in," Yoruichi scoffed, gently kicking his leg.

"Hahaha. Anyway, what were you up to?" Ryu laughed, trying to wriggle out of her reach.

"Let's see, what have I been doing? Oh, you'll love this," Yoruichi said, her voice spilling out in a mischievous lilt. "I was having a bit of fun with those two undercover shipwrights. Kept sending them waves of killing intent and spiritual energy. You should have seen their faces, Ryu. Pure terror. They couldn't even figure out where it was coming from." A wicked grin spread across her face as she held him tighter.

Ryu leaned his head back against Yoruichi's chest, feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat against the back of his head. "Welp, guess I'm trapped. What'd take for you to release me?" Ryu asked with a sly smirk.

"Some private time would do," Yoruichi purred, a devilish glint in her eyes. "We haven't had sex in quite a while," she complained.

"What are you talking about? We do it practically every day," Ryu raised a questioning eyebrow.

Yoruichi gave a teasing roll of her eyes. "A day is practically a lifetime, Ryu. You should know better." Her voice was playful, punctuated by a low chuckle. She twirled a stray lock of his hair around her finger, her touch light as a feather.

"Could have just asked, you know," Ryu quipped as he teleported the two of them into their bedroom on Iron Whiskers. He turned around in her hold and pulled her into a passionate kiss. His hands wandered, fingers tracing the soft outline of her body, drawing a delicate moan from her lips.

"I like it more this way," Yoruichi retorted between breaths, her hands dancing over Ryu's firm body. Her eyes, gleaming like molten gold, bore into his with a wild intensity that nearly stole his breath away.

Just as Ryu was about to succumb to the magnetic pull of her body, Yoruichi danced away, placing a teasing distance between them. She threw herself on their bed, the bright blue sheets a stark contrast against her skin. Her eyes twinkled with a provocative invitation, her lips curving into a seductive smile that made his heart pound in his chest.

Unable to wait anymore, Ryu jumped onto the bed and pinned Yoruichi down. Needless to say, it was a good idea to soundproof the room with magic.