Chapter 12

It was morning of the next day when Ace and Vash returned to Ace's small sailboat carrying freshly bought supplies. They spent the last night feasting and drinking to celebrate Vash joining the crew. It was still somehow fun despite there being two of them. They can't wait to celebrate with a larger crew.

"So. This is the ship of the Ace Pirates?" Vash blankly stared at Ace's small sailboat.

"Not too shabby, eh?" Ace said proudly. "Come on, let's put the supplies in the cabin."

Ace stepped inside the sailboat, followed by Vash.

"You sure this boat can hold the two of us?" Vash shared his concern. It was slightly cramped.

"We'll be fine." Ace waved off Vash's concern. "I have some knowledge about fixing and building ships. If this breaks down, I can fix it. Easy!"

"And what if it breaks down in the middle of the sea?"

"That won't happen!"

"..."

"Put those over there. Once you're done, come join me with unfurling the sails. Sailing is easy!" Ace said before exiting the small cabin where their supplies and other necessities were in.

Vash stepped out to see Ace stretching at the bow of the sailboat, facing the horizon.

"What a beautiful day! This is a good sign!" Ace turned to Vash and pointed at a set of ropes that were tied together. "I already hoisted the anchor. Untie those ropes so we can set sail."

Ace pointed at another set of tied ropes. "Don't untie those, though. Unless you want to lose the sails and tire yourself out with paddling."

Vash quickly did what Ace taught him. He untied the ropes that furled the sails. Once it was undone, the sails unfurled and started catching wind.

"See? Easy, right?" Ace asked Vash.

"Yes, easy enough. But I doubt that's all there is to know?"

"Yeah, of course not. But don't worry. That won't be your job. For now, it's mine," Ace said. He stood at the bow of the ship and raised his arms as they set sail to their next destination. "Alright! Let's go! To Sixis!"

It seemed Vash recognized the name of the island Ace wanted to go to, considering how he paled and instantly complained.

"Oi, Ace! I don't think this boat can take us there! I heard the waves there are very rough!"

"Ohh? You heard about that?" Ace was surprised that someone who never even considered going out to sea knows about that island. "Don't worry, I have my ways."

"Why do you even wanna go there? I heard it's a dangerous island, too!" Vash asked after sighing, choosing to trust his captain.

"I found a log about a pirate crew who stole a Devil Fruit. Since then, that Devil Fruit was never heard of again." Ace made up a story. "I followed the details and found out that the ship crashed in Sixis. Or on the other islands near it."

"A Devil Fruit? They're real?" Vash was surprised. "I thought they were a myth!"

"Oh, yeah they totally exist," Ace confirmed. "I have a little brother who ate one. Made his body capable of stretching like rubber."

"How's that even possible?"

"Asked the guy with a metal arm! Still, I have no idea. Just kinda accepted it. It is what it is." Ace shrugged before asking Vash a question he's been holding in since yesterday. "By the way, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Ace pointed at Vash's metallic arm. "Is that the Living Metal thing Zein was talking about yesterday?"

"Oh. This?" Vash touched his metallic arm. "Yeah. Living Metal."

"What is it?"

Vash shared the story with Ace. Living Metal is a strange malleable metal that had unique properties that made Gunsmoke Kingdom dream of creating an army of metallic men.

But, they realized too late that Living Metal was exceedingly rare. They tried looking for it in other islands and other seas, but the only samples they could procure were the ones they already dug up.

In an attempt to make efficient use of the present samples of Living Metal, the scientists of Gunsmoke along with a kingdom named Germa thought of creating life with it as a primary component. Creating semi-metallic men that can breed with human females who will in turn give birth to metallic humans.

It was a successful experiment, but they soon figured out that the metallic babies are just normal babies with a metallic limb. If they ever breed with a human female, the result would just be a normal baby.

But Vash also shared a secret with Ace. It was something the scientists failed to find out. Puberty gave Vash and his brother the ability to produce Life Metal using nutrients in their body. It was what Vash used to create bullets.

"So, the result of that experiment…"

"Was me and my brother," Vash finished Ace's thought. "Me and my metal arm, him and his metal heart."

"So what happened to you two afterwards?"

Vash had a disgusted look on his face.

"You know how it is, I bet. In the eyes of the ones in power, me and Knives were just failed experiments. We were just children. A soldier betrayed the kingdom and took us in, hiding us far away from the capital. That was my mother."

Vash had a smile on his face as he remembered his mother.

"She taught us how to protect ourselves, but made us promise to kill only those who deserve it. She had this sense of justice that I try to follow."

"That's why you don't kill easily," Ace connected.

"Yeah. She worked as a bounty hunter to feed us and send us to school. She had us wear these long coats and gloves to hide our metallic properties. We loved her so much that we did our best to study," Vash said before going solemn. "But, bounty hunting is dangerous work. She died the day I got my license."

Ace didn't know what to say. He just stayed silent and accompanied Vash in offering a few silent moments in remembrance of his mother.

"What about yours?" Vash asked. "I talked a lot about mine. It's only fair!"

"Oh, me?" Ace pointed at himself before casually saying, "I'm the son of the Pirate King."

"..."

"..."

"HUH???"

-----

(A FEW DAYS LATER)

"There it is! That's definitely Sixis! HAHAHA! WE'RE HERE!" Ace celebrated as he stood on the bow of the sailboat, not at all afraid of the big surging waves in front of him.

"You sure you can handle these waves, Ace?" Vash asked, his voice slightly shaking.

"Of course!" Ace said reassuringly. He watched the waves surge and rise. He took out his cutlass and sent a large flying slash strong enough to cut down the waves trying to capsize them.

Ace used his cutlass to send a flying slash to every wave that came after. They eventually beached on Sixis Island safely. Ace got out of their boat while Vash was just staring blankly.

"What? You wanna stay and guard the boat?"

Vash quickly shook himself off his stunned state. He walked behind Ace. He followed Ace as they walked deeper into the forest of Sixis.

"As expected of the son of the Pirate King. You're clearly something else," Vash commented which riled up Ace.

"Oi, don't compare me to that old man. He's strong, but I'll surpass him soon! Give me… two years?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, captain!"

Ace sighed. "I'm starting to regret telling you that little detail now… whatever. Everyone will know soon, anyway."

"You plan to do something incredibly reckless and stupid like announce to the world that you're his son and you'll surpass him soon, aren't you?" Vash asked. It hasn't been long since they met, but it looked like he already had a good grasp on his captain's personality.

"HAHAHAHA! THAT'S RIGHT!" Ace laughed proudly, still shaking in excitement at how much his first bounty could be.

"Why bother? You're just painting a huge target on our back, you know?"

"I wanna rub my first bounty on my brothers' faces when we meet in the Grand Line someday."

"What a petty brother you are."

"You got that right," Ace agreed shamelessly.

Ace detected something on his Observation Haki and relayed it to Vash.

"Well, what do you know? Looks like we aren't the only ones here!"

"Are they hostile?" Vash reached for the revolvers he had in his holster.

"Probably not. He's alone." Ace pointed in a direction. "Head straight there and you'll see him."

"Want me to help him?"

"If he's a good guy, sure. Either way, he feels weakened. Won't be able to fight much."

"I'll go see him for myself," Vash walked in the direction Ace pointed while the latter continued to the inlet he's seeing.

There was a huge shipwrecked ship there. Ace focused more and saw a locked wooden chest hidden amongst the rubble. He could also feel gigantic birds nested in the giant tree of Sixis.

'Perfect for training.'

Ace walked in the right direction until the trees opened up to a rather open area. It was the inlet he saw with his Observation Haki. Seeing it for himself made it a grander sight.

"Alright, let's get that chest out of there," Ace muttered to himself, eyeing the specific pile of rubble the chest was hiding in. His attention was caught by that particular chest because it felt… off.

That's the best he could describe the feeling.

Ace was physically strong enough to easily pick up the strange assortment of iron, stone, and wood that made up the rubble. A few moments of digging around later, there it was. The strange chest he saw with his Haki. He was reaching out to it when his Observation Haki flared out of instinct, making him see the future.

A bird would silently swoop in despite its size and try to swallow him whole.

Ace turned his gaze upwards to his right and saw the humongous bird. He quickly unsheathed his cutlass.

'Let's try not using Haki. Just pure strength.'

Ace swung his cutlass and sent a flying slash without any Haki imbued in it to the humongous bird. His whole strength was behind that swing. The speed of the slash was enough to not give the bird any time to react.

The bird was hit by the flying slash, cutting it in half but not all the way through.

'Damn it. Still not good enough.'

The bird crashed on the ground with a loud thud that Ace suspected could be heard all over the island. Suddenly, screeches rang out one after another.

Ace used his Observation Haki and peered a few seconds into the future. A whole nest of those gigantic birds will soon fly out and avenge their fallen brethren.

However, Ace just grinned. He gripped his cutlass tighter and patiently waited for the birds to fly out. In the meantime, he grabbed the chest and clutched it in his other arm.

The giant tree at the center of Sixis shook. A moment later, the birds flew out. Their sheer size and strength was enough to shake the giant sturdy tree.

As if they could smell their brethren's blood, the birds flew straight at Ace.

"Come!" Ace taunted. Without using any Haki, he sent out numerous flying slashes.

Some birds were hit, but most were agile and aware. They knew their prey, Ace, was dangerous and strong.

'Need to work on my accuracy.' Ace realized that some of his flying slashes didn't hit where he intended to without using Observation Haki.

'I need to be better.'

Ace relentlessly sent flying slashes using pure muscle strength at the birds. Ace started feeling sore. At that moment, the birds got close enough to try and peck him or scratch him with their talons.

The birds' talons were big and sharp enough to cut Ace whole, so he did his best to avoid them. Ace rolled and countered with a flying slash on the bird that showed its back to him.

Ace jumped up when one of the birds tried swallowing him whole. He landed on its back. Ace took that moment to use a point blank flying slash on the bird he jumped on. It was split in half. Ace grinned like a maniac. He felt his flying slashes become stronger the more he used it.

The other birds tried swarming him in midair. Ace used Air Jump to outmaneuver them. With the combination of Air Jump and flying slashes, Ace proved to be a formidable fighter in midair. Birds were cut down one after another.

But the birds were becoming stronger and faster, no doubt slowly going into berserk as they saw so many of their brethren fall. Ace's Observation Haki flared. A bird was about to attack him from behind.

Not having time for any other choice, Ace imbued Armament Haki on his back. Instead of cutting him open, Ace was sent falling to the ground with the sheer force behind the bird's talon.

Ace crashed on the ground, a dust cloud covering him from sight. He coughed before getting up, only having scratches and light bruises. Ace held strong. He gripped his cutlass and the chest in his other arm tighter.

'Damn it. Not good enough.'

As if punishing himself for slightly letting his guard down, Ace sheathed the cutlass on his hip before transferring the chest to his other arm. He used Air Jump to meet the birds in the air. He decided to fight them with his fist.

"I'll beat your asses, damn birds!" Ace shouted as he used his fist to punch a bird right in the head. Again, he didn't use Haki.

With just one fist, it got more difficult to take down the birds. But Ace pushed himself. He needed to be stronger. His current capabilities probably aren't even close to the peak of the world yet.

At least, Ace didn't want to assume that he can compete with the top already. He could barely even repel Garp when he was just playing around, after all.

Overconfidence destroys the best of men.

'I can't even take down these birds with just my fist. I shouldn't be confident at all.'