Chapter 26: Family...

= The Next Day =

Luffy left grumpily to train under old man Naguri. Ace and Sabo are still angry with each other but went to fight the tiger together.

Ace attacked the tiger but failed and ended up got chased by the tiger. Sabo tried to attack and also got chased by the tiger.

"So... I guess no one win this time." Rin said.

"Tch!" Ace went back to the hideout.

"He doesn't have to be that upset." Sabo said.

Rin look at Ace. "Sorry Sabo but I'm going back too!"

Rin arrives at the hideout in saw Ace sitting at a corner.

"Hey... you can always fight the tiger again." Rin said.

"...That's not what I'm upset about." Ace said.

"Then what... about your father?" Rin asked.

"Don't talk about him in front of me!!" Ace yelled.

"..." Rin was silent for a second. She went to sit beside Ace. "...You know I kinda admired your father... he obtained everything the world could offer but didn't forget about his son who isn't even born yet..."

Ace look at Rin and asked "What do you mean?"

"He went out of his way to asked his enemy, Garp to take care of his son because he's going to die." Rin said.

Ace snickered "Well if he didn't becomes a worldwide criminal maybe he doesn't have to asked his enemy a favor."

"... Don't you know?" Rin asked.

"Know what?" Ace asked out of confusion.

"There's something the government hide..." Rin said.

"The government is hiding something... What are you saying?" Ace asked.

"Roger was going to die anyway... even if they didn't executed him, he only got months to live. He surrendered himself to the Navy to talk to Garp and to send people to the sea." Rin said.

"..." Hearing what Rin said Ace was speechless. "...How did you know all of this?" Ace asked.

"... I know we aren't suppose to keeps secrets from each other... but this secret in my heart can't be explained with only words..." Rin explained.

"..." Ace was quiet. "What about your family..." Ace asked.

"...I hate them..." Rin said. "But I also love them..." She continued.

"What??" Ace asked.

"... My father is a selfish and reckless person, don't get me wrong he do fulfill his role as a father... but he always recklessly spends the money he got from working and because of that my mother had to work harder to fulfill our needs which causes her to rarely look at her own child... " Rin said. There's a hint of sadness in her voice. "My mother is too focused on making sure her child have a easy life instead of making sure her child got a HAPPY life..." Rin mumbles.

"..." Ace quietly listened to Rin's story.

"If I have to compare your life with mine, I think I have it harsher than you because... even though I never got abused physically, I kinda got abused mentally... and the worsts part is my family didn't even realized they're the cause of it. At least the father that you hate died before you were born and you don't have to look at his face every single DAMN DAYS for YEARS!!" Rin yelled at the end. She continues "Everyone had their own suffering... and those who haven't suffered WILL suffer in the future. So don't think you're the only person in the world who is suffering."

Ace kept quiet till the end of Rin's story. Rin stands up and walked to the exit.

"I'm gonna stay at the village today... see you tomorrow... and please do think about what I just said." Rin said before getting out of the hideout.