Chapter 17. Deal or no deal

"Where is the food?" Ace interrupted Crocodile.

"..."

They were sitting in Crocodile's office, and Crocodile was trying to invite him to join his endeavour.

In the end, Ace stopped listening since he wasn't planning on joining. Ace patiently waited many seconds, maybe even two minutes before finally asking what was on his mind.

"If you invite someone, you should at least serve them food no?" Ace asked as he saw the twitch in Crocodile's eye.

"..."

"Do you only know how to speak about business? Don't you know that you should at least try to get to know a person before inviting them to take over a country, or was it the new world?" Ace asked.

"..." Although crocodile didn't answer, his facial expression showed his annoyance and his patience was running low.

Nico Robin, or Miss all Sunday as she called herself, had used her devil fruit to sprout a hidden ear inside their office, and was in another room giggling while listening in to them.

Both Crocodile and Ace had noticed the little ear hidden behind a furniture, yet no one paid it any mind.

"... What do you want?" in the end, Crocodile felt like Ace wasn't interested in joining him. He felt like Ace didn't come here randomly and might even have an agenda.

At first, he only invited Ace because he had read the news and was aware that Ace is somewhat capable, so he hoped to rope him in as his underling.

But seeing Ace's unassuming attitude, he knew this person was a wild card, and it's better to not get involved with someone like him.

Crocodile would rather just kill Ace, but that might take some effort and he'd rather not get to much attention right now.

"Me? I just want some food right now." Ace said with a finger scratching the inside of his ear.

"... I meant, why did you come to Arabasta?" Crocodile, held himself from attacking Ace right there and then.

"Oh... Well I heard there's a strong warlord of the sea here, have you seen him? I want to see how strong he really is... And my Nakama has a few questions for him as well." Ace said as if he hadn't really noticed what's going on.

"..."

"..."

"... I see, then I hope you succeed in you endeavours" Crocodile said, as he stood up, trying to end the meeting with Ace.

"I won't leave until you get me my promised Arabastan meat and food!" Ace said as he lift his feet to Crocodile's desk.

Seing this, Crocodile got mad for real. Just as he was about to slash Ace up, the door opened up.

"Sorry for being late, we had a minor problem in the kitchen." Nico Robin walked in with a tray of food.

"Ah finally, I'm starving!" Ace said happily as he stood up.

"I'll leave our guest to you.." Crocodile said as he exited the room.

"Come sit with me miss superday"

"It's miss all Sunday" Robin corrected as she sat down with a smile.

"Ehh, I like your real name better." Ace said as he picked up Arebab, a meat speciality of Arabasta.

"My real name?" Nico Robin suddenly stood up looking frightened, ready to escape.

"Here!" Ace handed her a piece of food.

But she didn't take it, she was still looking at him suspiciously, waiting for him to clarify. Maybe he wasn't aware of her real name.

"Aren't we the same? Why do you look like that? My real name is Gol D. Ace." Ace said without a care in the world as he stuffed his face with food.

Honestly, he didn't care if someone overheard him. He wasn't afraid if people knew his lineage. But it might be better to keep it in wraps until he has enough nakama to fight the world.

Nico robin stepped back in fright when she heard that name, after all, she was old enough to rember the time when the world government and Marines turned every stone upside down to find the son of Gol D. Roger, the son of the devil.

Ace saw that she was very uncomfortable and ready to escape.

"Dontcha wrry NomNom, we hve the GULP same enemies!" Ace said with his mouth full.

"Then what do you want..." She asked, not relaxing one bit.

"I wanted to ask you, a fellow devil child, if you want to join my crew?" Ace asked with an innocent smile as he continued eating.

"And if I decline?"

"You'll loose out on the adventure of your life. My crew is hilarious, I laugh everyday. We eat good, and we have exciting fights. You'll regret not joining." Ace said.

Seing that he had no intention to be violent or to kidnap her, she reluctantly sat down again.

"I'm already collaborating with Crocodile, our goals align." She explained, looking for any sign of what she fears.

"So will you leak my location to the marines?" She asked.

"Nah, I might know your secret but you also know mine. You're the first to know my full name, isn't this basically marriage?" Ace asked.

Nico Robin smiled as she understood why he gave her his real name. It was so that she would have an edge on him and would feel safer that he wouldn't reveal her to the government, because then she would reveal his secret.

It was an effective way to gain her trust.

'He is sneakier than he looks..'

"But what would hinder me from secretly revealing you secret to the government after you leave?" She asked, trying to figure him out.

"You won't." Ace said without a doubt.

"Maybe I will." She said in a chuckle.

"I'm a good judge of character, I know you're a good girl." Ace said, getting bored with this discussion.

"I'm not as good as you think..." She said looking away.

"Let's make a deal, your collaboration with Crocodile won't last long anyways."

"What deal, and why wouldn't it last long?" She entertained him.

"Weren't you secretly listening? I'm here to beat up a warlord." Ace said.

"Oh.. you noticed, but even then, you're underestimating him way too much."

"How about this, you'll join me after I beat him up. You got nothing to lose, if I fail then nothing happens to you. If I succeed, You'll be my nakama and I'll even declare war on the world government for you!" Ace said with a grin.

Ace saw her eyes open up in shock, declare war on the world government? What kind of madness is this.

-~-~-~-~-~-~

She won't actually be joining. She's not fated to be in his crew sadly. Nami is the only one from the original straw hats to join Demon Ace Pirates.