Still Ace

Chapter 12

My week on the Moby Dick was hectic in the least. Sure, they were family but I doubt if another party-crazed family such as this exists in the world. Almost every night they would gather together and get drunk on the stupidest reasons to celebrate. One time, I'm pretty sure the reason was because Marco managed to unclog a toilet on his own or something like that. Who knew the Pineapple could make a good plumber?

During my time there...I felt welcome. The biggest difference would be that feeling everyone had for one another, as nakama and family. We didn't have that in Big Mom crew. We were family because we were connected by blood and not much more. We were crew because we knew Mama would kill us if we left...and becoming a marked enemy of an emperor of the Sea was not something that anyone wanted.

Whitebeard was having the time of his life again. Of course, it wasn't like he suddenly grew his blonde hair again but he looked so much better already. His vital signs brought him back into his prime (since he's super fit) and decided to use that as an excuse to chug down unrealistic amounts of sake.

Me: What's wrong with all the emperors! Is being a glutton or an alcoholic a requirement for becoming a yonko?! Shanks' is always drunk, Kaido's drunk, you're drunk, and Mama's either chugging food or drunk! Seriously Whitebeard! I just healed you a couple days ago, give your liver some rest!

When I said that in front of everyone, the entire crew burst into laughter as they laugh/ scolded Whitebeard in some teasing way that he shouldn't drink so much. The only people on my side were the nurses, who thanked me in private for curing Whitebeard.

Me: It's alright, I guess I do owe him for returning me back home alive and unharmed... relatively.

I was still sore from the fight. Even if I can regenerate fast (and much faster with Marco's help) whenever I tried to stand up, the muscles in my legs complained. When I tried to use observation to find what was going on in the middle of the night, my eyes itched and I started to get a headache.

Me: Lesson one to myself...don't fight all of Whitebeard's commanders at once. Follow up, try not to fight Whitebeard either. Consequences: May result in multiple severe internal injuries including bleeding, a concussion, and a very long time to recover.

Ace: You realized that after 5 days? Took you long enough.

Me: *eep!*

As I didn't have my observation on, I didn't knew he was behind me. Not to mention I was in 'my' room right now, or at least the room they gave me to stay for a couple of days. What was he doing here?

Me: From what I heard from your crew mates, you tried to kill Whitebeard on a daily basis...like more than a hundred times. May I ask how you are not dead yet?

Ace: Pops didn't punch me hard enough so I could try multiple times in the same day. When I fell into the ocean, Thatch usually fished me back out. When I was actually seriously injured, Pineapple would miraculously appear and act like a saint.

Me: I'm amazed you even kept trying. I mean, don't you know the difference between yourself and that man?

Ace: Do you?

Me: Yes. I'm nowhere close to a yonko's level.

Ace: You seemed to fight on pretty even grounds for someone that says you're nowhere close.

Me: The conditions were in my favor, and you guys have honor and love for each other. That's why meat shield proved exceptionally effective. Well, against Whitebeard he couldn't use his ability on the Moby Dick, right?

Ace: Good point, though I've never seen pops so injured like that before. What was that ability?

Me: Fillet and cuts. In a way, I processed him like how I would process ingredients for a dish. I could've also cooked him or marinated him in poison but I could tell he had a high tolerance for heat and poison so I decided against it. Why? You have an illness as well? Wait, scratch that. I know you sleep randomly.

Ace: You can fix that?!

Me: I can try but I'm not confident. Cutting out cancer cells is very different from messing with your brain cells. Sure, I'm confident that I won't kill you during the operation but I might accidentally turn you into a retard that can't sleep. I'll need more practice and experience to do something on the level of brain surgery. I think only Vegapunk would be able to do something of that level…and even then with the help of his ridiculous Operating machines.

Ace: oh...by the way how do you know so much about all of this? You're not a doctor right?

Me: Within the Big Mom pirates, I'm qualified to serve as a Navigator, helmsman, engineer and mechanic. I'm overqualified for being a doctor, cook and sharpshooter. I've also read up on the recorded history of this world though I must say the ones printed by the World Government are very biased and don't provide much insight. Other than that, I'm allowed to serve as a Commander of the fleet should the Sweet Commander be out of reach or unable to do his or her role.

Ace: ...you really are talented huh?

Me: Heard that more times than I can count, but thank you. But what about you? From what I know about Fire Fist, you're quite the prodigy yourself.

Ace: Well, what do you know about me?

Me: Let's see. Former captain of the Spade Captain. Fought on equal grounds with a Shichibukai Jimbei before. Logia Devil fruit should count for something...though I doubt it matters for the veterans in the New World. Logics are quite weak here unless you have a mastery of Haki which you do not apparently.

Ace: You got me. The Mera Mera No-Mi has made me feel quite invincible in Paradise and before. I just never saw the need nor did I know Haki existed. Of course, that was why I got beat around the Moby Dick by Pops.

Me: Idiot

Ace: Hey!

Me: Idiot indeed. Of two of the four emperors, they possess a Paramecia type Devil Fruit while Red Haired Shanks possess none at all. How do you think they kept their position of Emperor of the Sea if they had no way of fighting a Logia at all? Always analyze your surroundings and opponents...first lesson that big brother Katakuri taught me.

Ace: I see...

He swayed slightly as he stood walked up to me and sat down next to me on my bed.

Me: Now that you're closer...god, how much did you drink? You smell like Sake! And it's worse since you're probably heating the alcohol content within you know.

Ace: I'm so sleepy...

Me: Don't you dare sleep here! Don't you sleep in a maiden's room! I don't care if you have that sleeping disorder or whatever, I'm kicking you out if you do!

*thud*

Me: ... *sigh*

It was already bad enough that none of them had clothes that fit me, much less female clothes at all (other than Izo's who was 3 sizes larges) so I had to resort to a massive shirt that would cover everything...and now Ace was sleeping next to me.

I was tempted to drag him out and dump him in the middle of the hallway but...I guess he did save me back then. That would be too mean. Hopefully he doesn't have a bad sleeping habit.

I pushed him into the farthest corner of my bed, grabbed two blankets and a pillow to make a blankie wall and laid down as well. Was it the alcohol that Thatch smuggled for me? I was unnaturally drowsy...

POV Ace

The first thing I realized once I opened my eyes was that Pops was going to kill me and the rest of the crew was never going to let this go. I half expected a sudden invasion from Ciper Pol, put Sea Stone shackles on me and bring me down into the deepest layer of Impel Down.

It was probably dawn since I didn't see the bright sun out there yet...not that the New World has a consistent weather pattern or sunlight anyway but I can generally tell. Taking dozens of short naps a day really cut into my main sleep so I didn't really need that much and now that was kind of a solution.

I looked at Syrup who was fast sleep, her soft and small breaths as if she completely forgot that she was currently (and technically) on an enemy ship right now. The way she didn't worry about that at all, sleep or not asleep, reminded me of gramps or Luffy in a way.

I noticed she had tried to build some sort of blanket barrier between us when I fell asleep here but obviously that didn't work. Somehow she had managed to climb over the half foot tall wall in her sleep and snuggle herself to my side. She was currently nuzzling herself against me.

On one side, I knew I had to get out of here quick before someone came in, took a picture, and used it to blackmail me for the rest of my life onboard...but on the other hand, I grabbed a strand of her light pink hair and tucked it back in place so it wouldn't tickle her nose, she was downright adorable.

I didn't see how such a monstrosity like Big Mom could give birth to such a cute thing like the one who was trying to turn my chest into a pillow. She suddenly frowned a bit as she realized something was wrong.

Syrup: Big bro...why are you so small?

Inwardly, I twitched. Was that what she realized? Not that she was sleeping and (one- sidely) cuddling with a man she barely knew?

Syrup: never mind...strength mochi…yum

Strength what?! *sigh* Never mind, understanding this little girl's going to be a headache and I'd rather not.

I stole a sheet from the failed fortress of her's and put them over her in which she greedily wrapped herself around them. Using that chance, I got out of her embrace and escaped the ever too tempting bed.

Newgate's beard! What was wrong with me...she's just a little girl dammit! I walked out the door to come face to face with Marco...

When our eyes met, and then he recognized that I was coming out of the wrong room...

Me: Shit...

(AN: I'm expecting a lot of FBI jokes...*sigh* oh well)