Chapter 4: What are you

One week had passed by since Nami, pretending to be Sara, was kidnapped by Ace. She mostly kept to herself and Ace simply trained and ate like a pig.

She was at first horrified at the fact that he stripped and then jumped into the sea, 20 minutes later he came up with a big shark as big as the ship.

Nami didn't know that humans could become that strong. That wasn't the last time he blew her mind away.

On the third day since she came aboard, she found him sitting in the middle of the deck, with grilled meat in one hand, and grilled fish on the other. But he wasn't eating he was sleeping.

'How does he fall asleep all the time?' she wondered.

Ace didn't have the same sleep disease that the original Ace had, but he still fell asleep whenever he felt at peace and calm

Nami was about to kick him awake when suddenly she heard a big splash and an explosion.

She turned towards the sound in fright and found that a marine ship was nearing them with an aggressive speed. It had shot a cannonball at them and missed, which was the splash that she heard.

"Pirate, wake up! the marines are about to attack!" She warned. Until now she hadn't even learnt his name as they barely spoke except for directions towards her home village.

Suddenly a bang was heard and what she saw, scared the Witt's out of her. Ace that was sit-sleeping had a bullet piercing his head.

She only saw a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. At first she thought he died, but what she saw next almost made her pass out.

Flames burst out of the hole and his forehead was restored.

"Aaaaah, what a good nap, huh what's going on?!" Ace suddenly said as he woke up.

On the marine ship, the captain and vice-captain stood beside the sniper that had just shot Ace.

"Captain, we must have missed him as he just stood up!" The vice-captain with binoculars said to the marine captain that had ordered them to snipe the pirate.

"Hmm, let's take their ship without harming it, it looks like it's worth a lot of money." The Marine captain said. He had a mustache and looked quite noble and rich.

As for Ace, he saw the situation and understood it even before Nami, aka. Sara could say her piece.

Nami just saw Ace stand up after getting headshot, and walk toward the side where the marine ship was.

Then she saw him get multiple gun shots through his chest but flames burst through all the holes on his back and the bullets didn't do any harm.

"What... is he.... A demon!" Nami asked in a whisper, her face became pale.

The Marine also noticed this weird phenomena and started turning their ships around on the command of their captain.

"Please send reinforcements, we found a pirate with flame logia abilities?" The Marine captain shouted into his communication dial in worry. He knew that they couldn't fight this pirate as he had the rarest and strongest abilities of the sea, logia devil fruit.

So he instantly made the wise choice to escape, while reporting to his superiors.

But he couldn't escape as he suddenly felt a strong heat nearing him.

Looking up he saw a big fist of flame flying towards the marine ship.

"Oh fu.... BOOOOOOOOOOOM" the whole ship exploded and everyone died.

Nami became even more aghast as she saw him punch forward and a huge flames fist flew from his fist towards the ship and swallowing it

The marine ship exploded and the debris floated on the sea while burning.

"Never mess with my nap." Ace said with a frown as he took a bite of the grilled meat in one of his hands.

Then he sat down and continued to nap.

Nami just stood there petrified at what she had seen.

'Maybe he can bring down Arlong...?' Yet she discarded this notion.

Her trauma had created a phobia for Arlong. A phobia is an irrational fear or aversion to something.

So reason and logic can't make her see the picture, after all, her trauma makes her phobia so strong that no matter how strong Ace is, Arlong seems stronger.

On the fourth day, Ace was eating and noticed that Nami was keeping to herself so he threw a big piece of meat to her so that she'd at least eat something.

She was in a daze and didn't notice that he threw food towards her, and the meat hit her straight in the face.

On the fifth day, she finally understood that she didn't understand anything.

How can a human be fire? Those questions made her question herself.

On the sixth day, Ace started to worry that he had accidentally broken her brain.

On the seventh day, Sara saw that Ace was sleeping in the middle of the deck again so she walked towards him and crouched in front of him.

Looking at his face as he snorted made her chuckle at how harmless he looked.

Ace felt Nami close by so he groggily opened his eyes.

"Eh, what're ya doing here" He asked confused as he found her right in front of him.

"What are you?" she answered with a question.

"Have you never heard of a devil fruit?" Ace sounded confused. But his words made her light up slightly as she realised what was going on.

"Those are real?! No wonder you can punch out fire! Can you control the sun as well?" She asked in wonder.

"Control the sun? Pftt dummy, how bout you tell me your real name instead." He chuckled.

"My real name?! It is Sara of course." She said obviously lying.

"We'll soon arrive at the island, don't you think I'll find out your real name then?" Ace asked and her face changed as she realised this.

Truthfully, she planned to trick him to a another island close to hers, before escaping but seeing his strength she realised that this plan would not succeed.

"I'm... Nami..." She finally confessed.

"Nami? Sounds fake, what's your real name?" Ace asked again.

Suddenly a vein popped on her forehead, she looked angry.

"BASTARD what's so fake about my name, how about you, what's your name then!" She said angrily.

"You're finally back to being you, I'm Gol.... Portgas D. Ace, Captain of the flaming pirates, the Flame emperor!" He said proudly.

Nami just looked deadpan at him, before turning her sight towards the deck, trying to find who he is the "Captain" of.

Seeing her actions he understood her implications. "What pirate crew are you Captain of?" She said without speaking.

"Whell, I just recently started so I haven't been able to find Nakama, until now that is." He said slightly embarrassed.

"Nakama? Hmph, don't be stupid, pirates aren't Nakama, they are only tools to be used for the captain's ambition." She said while looking away, her hand unconsciously found its way to her shoulder as if to hide the stain of a tattoo, which was the symbol of Arlong pirates.

"Wait, what did you mean with 'until now'?" She suddenly asked as she looked around, trying to find anyone that might have joined his crew.

"Shaddup!" Ace answered very seriously making Nami look at him surprised and confused, why did he get so angry?

"Those who use others as tools are scum, but those who assume that every one is scum, is worse than scum." Ace said with his hat hiding his eyes.

"Worse than scum...?" Nami whispered in confusion.

"Not everyone who sails the seas has the same ambition... everyone has their own reasons for sailing..." Ace said as he turned around.

Nami felt like what he was saying might take her out of the mist that she was trapped in.