Chapter 77. Fame is the game

Ace felt distressed. Something major had happened. He went outside and started walking around the flower capital... But there was no one around. The streets were empty.

'how weird?' Ace thought.

As he walked the streets he could sometimes hear people hurriedly hiding inside their homes as they closed their doors and windows whenever he came close to them.

Ace scratched his head in wonder as he couldn't understand why they were behaving like this with their saviour.

Ace went back to the mansion, where his crew were living.

"Captain, you're back earlier today?" Yennow said as he was lying on his back, while levitating grapes into his mouth, living like a king.

"Eh captain's back already? Doesn't he usually stay out for atleast 2 hours? Weird." Spikewards said as he polished his new golden gun.

"It was weird, today, the people of Wano his themselves as soon as they knew that I was coming." Ace explained the weird occurrences.

"Maybe your title as Emperor is finally catching up to you?" Gaga pointed out as she arrived with Nami.

"Don't you guys know for real, or are you pretending?" Nami asked.

"Know what?" Ronaldino Ronaldo said with his new golden chain and golden glasses.

"You been walking around the streets of Wano two hours everyday since you defeated Kaidou... At first people celebrated seeing you, but after a few days, they realised that you enjoyed the attention too much, now they are sick and tired of you..." Nami said.

Ace liked being treated like a prince so he had been going out two hours everyday to get celebrated by the people he met on the street.

Ace looked at Nami in shock, he started frowning while thinking about wether her words could be possible.

"Now that I've thought about it, it doesn't seem probable. I think it's what Gaga said, People are suddenly realising that I'm an Emperor and they are becoming afraid of me." Ace said seriously.

"..." Nami didn't know how to answer.

Ace saw her look and shook his head.

"They love me too much to escape from my presence. What you said can't be possible. I'm too handsome, likeable, smart, respected, upright, heroic, handsome, interugent... Intelugint? Intereigent? Intalagant?" Ace Couldn't get the last word right.

"Intelligent" Gaga helped him.

"What she said." Ace said with confidence.

Ace noticed Nami's look of disbelief.

"I can't help it, they love me." Ace said while putting his backhand on his forehead, Cavendish suddenly appeared, and did the same. Both of them were radiating stardom.

Nami started looking around the room, and she realised that fame had changed them.

Ronaldino had chains of gold, Yennow was eating fruits everyday while laying down in poses. Bepo had a new, expensive suit. Gaga had... Braids... Why did she have braids?

Spikewards has put small shining stars at the top of each spike on his head.

Cavendish was still looking at his image in the mirror. 'oh right, he was already famous before this.' Nami realised.

Urouge had gold teeth now.

Baby 5, was still around Ronaldino arm, looking at him lovingly.

Nobujuro was holding onto his new Katanas, he had even gotten a really good one from Ace, it's supposedly belonged to some legendary pirate called golden lion Shiki or something. Nobujuro didn't know of those outside of Wano.

Bonney laid on the ground, half-dead with a bulging stomach.... She had eaten too many pizza's.

Even Law! He was usually moody... But now, he's still moody but sometimes he smirks while he thinks no one is looking, and worst of all? He bought a bag full of commemorative coins!

"It seems like I'm the only one, who didn't let fame and money get to my head." Nami said with disappointment, as she walked away with her new diamond heels, gold dress and gold staff that had diamonds and rubys on it.

As for Jojo and Yamato, they were sparring somewhere far away.

" Ah right, I forgot to tell you, tomorrow we set sail again, towards adventure!" Ace suddenly said as he remembered this important piece of information.

"Eh, Captain, hold on! I think we should stay here a bit more!" Ronaldino said while hugging his bag of gold tighter.

"Yes! think about all the people you haven't met yet! They will still come up to you and shout your name in celebration. You are a celebrity here!!!"

"No I'm bored, I want adventure." Ace said while crossing his arms and looking away.

The next day they were about to set sail. Wano was perfectly fine, it had been taken over by him and he had taken over Kaidou's fleet. They were operating under his name.

As Ace was about to step onto the ship, he heard the hurried footsteps behind him. Looking back, he saw a little Tama running towards him with teary eyes.

"YOU TRAITOR BIG BRO!" She cried as she went up to him and hit his legs.

"Tama, I need to get out there." Ace said he crouched down and patted her head.

"But whyyy? you got rid of the monster and this is your home now." She asked, not wanting the big brother figure in her life to leave.

"This is my base of operation, but it isn't my home." Ace smiled with a hand on her head.

"Then where is your home, I'll go there instead." She said with resolve. She had been an orphan for as long as she could remember. And Wano had been a place where it's inhabitants didn't get to eat their fill. Ace came and changed all that, as a young child, she felt the bonds of family for the first time, so letting Ace go was a hard thing for her.

"That's my home!" Ace said as he pointed towards the sea and the horizon.

"Huh, the sea? Are you a fish?" She asked while tilting her head.

"Everything the sun's light touches, is my home. I'm a pirate." Ace chuckled as he stood up. Tama saw his tall stature as the sun was above his head and felt that he was somehow cooler than normal.

"Spikewards, get me One of Shiki's swords." Ace said. Not long after, Spikewards arrived with the remaining of Shiki's swords.

"This sword used to belong to someone great, it's a good sword. Take care of it for me, and grow to be a strong kunoichi." Ace said as he handed her the sword.

"... I will..." She said as she hugged the hilt of the sword.

"See ya!" Ace laughed a he walked up the ship.

"Bye big bro!" Tama cried.

Ever since Ace had saved Wano, Tama had been taken under the care of the shogun, as the shogun saw how close Ace had been to the little girl.

Tama watched the Black Pearl sail away.