Cursed Heritage #165

As the conversation delved into the topic of Ace's biological family, his expression turned sour with resentment. The mention of his father, the infamous Gol D. Roger, stirred up a passionate hatred within him. Despite the pain it brought him, Ace decided to share the truth with Deuce, or at least a part of it.

He sighed heavily, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "My mother died while giving birth to me, and my father died long before that," Ace revealed with a touch of sadness in his voice. His upbringing had been far from conventional, and he knew his parents were figures he could never truly understand.

"That's when the troublesome geezer picked me up," he continued, referring to Vice Admiral Garp. Though the old monster was violent and unreasonable, he still cared for Ace as his own Grandson, and the latter knew it.

Deuce nodded in understanding, sensing the complexity of Ace's emotions. "That's unfortunate... but did you know anything about them, your parents?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Ace's smile was bittersweet as he spoke about his mother, "I don't know much about my mother, except that she was an incredibly strong-willed and stubborn woman and that she gave away her life so I could live..." The sacrifice his mother made for him had left a profound impact on his heart, and he cherished the memory of her strength and love.

"As for my father..." Ace's expression turned resentful. "I know he was a pirate, a famous one at that," he said with a hint of bitterness. "It's a good thing he died before I was born..." The weight of his father's legacy and the resentment it brought were burdens he never asked for.

Ace's fists clenched, and his voice tightened with emotion. "I would have killed him myself otherwise..." he confessed, unable to hold back his anger and frustration towards the man he never knew but whose shadow loomed large over his life.

Deuce's shock and confusion were evident as he tried to process Ace's strong resentment towards his father. Up until now, Ace had always appeared cheerful and optimistic, his constant smile and joyful attitude creating an image of someone who had experienced nothing but happiness. The revelation of his deep bitterness and resentment was a stark contrast to the persona Deuce had come to know.

In an attempt to lighten the mood and make a jest, Deuce awkwardly chuckled and tried to downplay the situation, saying, "He can't be that bad, right? It's not like your father was Gold Roger or something..." He expected at least a bitter smile or a sarcastic remark from Ace, but what he received was entirely unexpected.

Ace's expression didn't waver with amusement or sarcasm. Instead, it was filled with absolute guilt, as if he had been caught red-handed in a secret he had long tried to bury. His eyes held a profound weight, revealing a side of Ace that Deuce had never seen before.

"Oi... you gotta be kidding..." Deuce stammered with wide eyes, struggling to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Ace shook his head and gathered his resolve. Now that it's come to this, there's no use in denying his heritage. With a nod, Ace confirmed, "I wish it was a joke, but it's true..." He cleared his fists and looked at Deuce. "My father was none other than Gold Roger. I'm his one and only son,"

As Ace revealed the truth about his heritage, he could feel the weight of the confession settling on his shoulders. There was no turning back now; the truth was out, and he had to face the consequences. Deuce's reaction was not what Ace had hoped for. The young man's expression blanked, and he seemed frozen in disbelief for a moment.

Letting out a sigh, Deuce slowly got off the hammock, his movements calm but his emotions undoubtedly in turmoil. He spoke calmly, but there was an underlying rejection in his voice, "I'm sorry... I'll leave the camp to you, but I don't want to be involved with you anymore..." With those words, Deuce turned and walked into the dense forest without waiting for a reply.

Ace felt a pang of hurt in his chest as he watched Deuce walk away. He knew revealing his identity would be difficult for others to accept, especially given his father's notorious reputation. It was a reality he had faced time and again, and it never became any easier.

"It's always like this..." Ace muttered to himself, bitterness evident in his voice. It seemed that his father's legacy of being the Pirate King would always be a curse looming over his life. People's prejudice and hatred toward Gold Roger had extended to his son, and even Ace himself couldn't tell if they were right.

The young man understood that not everyone could look past his heritage and see him for the person he was, except for his two hair-brained little brothers. It was a painful truth he had learned to accept, but it still stung every time he was met with rejection.

...

Back in the scorching desert of Alabasta, Cedric's feet touched the hot sand as he landed in front of the Baroque Works agents, Khalifa, and the others. The memories of their recent battle were still fresh in his mind, Cedric couldn't help but grin at the sight of the familiar faces he had clashed with not too long ago.

His eyes lingered on Nico Robin for a moment before turning his attention to Khalifa, the confident smile on her face catching his attention.

"So? What's this about?" Cedric asked, his tone casual but curious. He folded his arms, his trident still in hand, ready for whatever might come next.

Khalifa adjusted her glasses with a composed demeanor, responding to Cedric's question, "I did as promised..." Her voice held a hint of satisfaction.

Cedric chuckled and raised an amused eyebrow, "And how did you do that exactly?"

With a slight turn of her head, Khalifa faced the Baroque Works agents, who were standing behind her, and spoke with an air of authority, "I simply informed them of the truth and the choices they had..." Her eyes returned to Cedric, her expression unwavering, "As it turns out, they would rather follow an Emperor of the Sea than a mere Warlord."

Cedric's amusement turned into skepticism as he scoffed at the notion, "An Emperor of the Sea? You've got someone like that in your back pocket or something?" His words were laced with incredulity.

But Khalifa's response caught him off guard. She looked directly into his eyes, her gaze unyielding, and replied, "No. He's standing right in front of me..."

For a moment, Cedric was taken aback. He was amused and confounded by Khalifa's words. A mere drifter and former marine soldier, an Emperor of the Sea? She definitely had a high opinion of him, that's for sure.

"I'm no Emperor of the Sea," Cedric retorted, shaking his head with a chuckle. "I'm just a guy trying to stick it to the world government..."

"Please don't insult my intelligence," Khalifa retorted, her tone firm as she glared at Cedric. "Others might take your carefree attitude at face value... you might believe it yourself, but I don't buy it."

Cedric's face displayed a mix of slight annoyance and intrigue at Khalifa's words. He knew she was clever and observant, but he didn't think she'd go for a direct approach. Still, he maintained his composure, crossing his arms and listening intently to what she had to say.

"You always seem to have a plan, and you always know more than you let on," she continued, her expression unwavering. "I refuse to believe that someone like you would do nothing and let himself be dragged with the flow."

Khalifa's words struck a chord with Cedric. Indeed, he was not the type to be passive and let things happen without purpose. Carefree as he might be, Cedric still planned his path with care. He knew things would not always go as he pleased and was ready to make new plans, hence his lack of worry.

Crossing her arms, Khalifa concluded, "You have plans, and I want to be part of them."

Cedric was taken aback by her direct request. He studied Khalifa for a moment, trying to gauge her intentions. "Let's I say I do have plans.... let's say I do plan on being an emperor of the sea..." Cedric said, trailing at the end of his sentence.

"What makes you think I can do any of that?" He asked, his tone genuinely curious.

...

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