#deuce joins the revolutionaries

[xamaxenta]

I know we've seen people talk about how it would be if Sabo and Marco met and love how that could possibly be with the darker angst themes. Imagine how it would be though if Sabo and Masked Deuce ever met for angst themes. A lot of us have read the episode A for Ace and got feels from it but it must be even worse for Deuce. Deuce was the first one Ace met on his journey once he left Dawn island. Saying that he would be there for Ace and live a life of no regrets and whichever version of episode A you've seen there's definitely some feelings from Deuce's side of it. Yet when marineford happens Deuce couldn't get to Ace when he needed him most and most likely realized he would be useless too. He couldn't do anything to help save the one that had brought so much into his world and was ready to give up back on sixis. Now the only thing Deuce feels like he can do is find the Mera Mera no mi and keep it safe to ensure that nobody can tarnish those flames that Ace once wielded and made shine so brightly like the sun. Sabo and Deuce meeting in Dressrosa and Deuce not wanting to accept Sabo as the one who has Ace's fruit now. To Deuce that fruit should've belonged to him, he was the one that was there since the beginning of Ace's journey. He was the one that got to see Ace take that fruit and make it into his own and this guy, this man that claims to be the same Sabo that Ace lost years ago just swoops in and takes it? Taking those flames that belonged to his captain and it be alright? The potential for this type of ship in a darker manner is just as good as it would be for Sabo and Marco.

The potential is limitless but also like the incredible concept of Sabo being so out of Deuce’s league its not like he can pick a fight and come out winning

But

Deuce doesnt care he has nothing left to lose as opposed to Sabo who has alot

My interpretation would be placated by the flames, the knowledge that Ace is safe with him Sabo is actually calmer, more at peace in a quiet grieving sort of way

Sorry the violence the anger the lovehate toxic chokeleash me thing is reserved for Marco and Sabo post canon marineford only imo, two animals tearing each other apart because of their love and loss for the sun himself

Anyway leads me to say a deuce sabo version would be an odd kind of arrangement, Sabo lets Deuce kick his ass until he feels guilty, until all he sees is Ace lying beneath him with a black eye and a split lip and then Sabo surges up to comfort this hollow empty space within Deuce who , has nothing to lose clings onto the offered comfort he doesnt apologise only to the vision of Ace hes concocted

Maybe Deuce ends up loving Sabo, Sabo however wont feel the same

[one-idea]

Hello… I just found your blog, and after reading some of your work, I decided to send you this idea, to know what you think…

It takes place on the Mobi Dick, before Blackbeard's takeover…

FemAce is sick, to the point that she has vomited on more than one occasion, they end up putting her on light duty and with restrictions on certain foods until further notice…

Well, it turns out that between gossip and misunderstandings, the rumor that FemAce is pregnant is spread… and then someone comments that they saw her arguing with a blond revolutionary with a top hat…

So a group of crazy Whitebeard pirates end up starting a war against the Rev because one of them got pregnant and left his little sister…

…… Or how due to lack of communication the pirates declare war on the revolutionaries, when their 2nd commander got sick to his stomach a couple of weeks after discovering that his older brother Sabo is alive and He is an amnesiac revolutionary.

Okay I am a sucker for a good gender bender. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I’ve always had a soft spot for it when done right.

I love this idea.

Because Ace went on a mission and ran into Sabo. Her brother who she’s though was dead for nine years (let’s they are 19 in this and it’s a year before the canon begins)

Obviously she is distraught. Even more so when she tries to talk to him and he doesn’t remember her. They get into a small fight because she’s desperate for him to remember and he’s there like “who is this crazy pirate??”

He slips away from her (he is a super secret spy) and Ace is heart broken. She’s lost her brother again. She has no idea where he is. She looked but she has to return to the Moby.

When she gets there she’s super upset. She won’t talk to anyone, and locks herself in her room. She’s barely eating and what she does eat she can’t keep down. She’s making herself sick over her thoughts on Sabo. Did he truly forget them? Was it just her? Was she not good enough to remember? Was he happier without her around? She’s making herself miserable with all her spiraling what ifs.

The crew is worried. Ace is normally a ball of energy, till she passes out. It’s not like their little sister to mope in her room. She hasn’t done that since she officially joined the crew. The Ex-Spade members are super worried as are Thatch, Marcos, and Haruta.

Ace isn’t letting any of them in. She’s not letting Marcos, Deuce, or any of the medic staff look her over. They know she’s sick so they put her on light duty.

But with a ship as big as that rumors are bound to start. You’ve got a young, beautiful woman, who has left home completely alone, and comes back heart broken. She’s also getting sick all the time. She can’t keep any food down and she’s avoiding the medical team like the plague. Could it be? Is she?

Rumors start.

And with rumors comes speculation. Marco wants to crush this so he sends some people he trusts to go talk to the people on the island where Ace’s last mission was. He’s expecting the report to come back with “there’s a virus sweeping through the island with the same symptoms.” Or something like that. Something that would allow them to take action to help Ace and also squash the rumors about her.

Imagine his surprise when the scouts come back with reports about how Ace was seen with a Blond haired Revolutionary. That she kept chasing after him and the two got into many verbal disagreements. That Ace, their darling little sister, was alone for mutiple days with this boy. And now she’s sick and heartbroken.

Best case scenario, she had a crush and he broke her heart. The Whitebeard pirates will break his bones if that’s the case.

Worst case scenario… Marco needs to talk to Ace.

The investigation does the opposite of quelling the rumors. They are more rampant than ever. And know they have a face to go with them. And an organization.

Marco is trying to figure out how to best approach Ace to ask these invasive questions.

The crew (mainly lead by Thatch, Haruta, Izou, and made of former spade pirates and division 2 members) are planning how they are going to find this revolutionary.

Deuce is the only sensible one here as he tries his best to get his friend to talk to him. He can tell she’s hurting and Ace has never been good with trusting people with her pain. But he’s known her the longest. He was her first mate. If anyone can get her to talk it’s him.

This is mostly him bringing her light meals and sitting outside her door waiting for her to open up in her own time. He’s heard the rumors and they upset him on many levels. One he hates them talking trash about Ace. Two he might still have the biggest crush on his ex-captain. He’s not expecting it to go anywhere or to ‘win her love by being the nice guy’ he’s got a crush but her friendship is more than enough. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to be furious and protective of his friend if someone knocked her up and then abandoned her (I will make everything AceDeuce if you let me. My boy just needs to tell her his feelings)

Meanwhile…

Sabo is having his own mental breakdown because the girl he met won’t leave his mind. He starts doing research and finally his memories snap back into place. And holy crap!!! He has a sister! He has siblings!!

This realization comes just in time for him to start looking for Ace and to run into some very upset Whitebeard pirates.

“I’m looking for Portgas D. Ace!” These are Ace’s crew mates! He’s about to see her again. He can apologize for not remembering her and they can have the reunion they should have. and then he can ask her about Luffy.

The Whitebeard pirates look at this blond haired boy. “You’re a revolutionary aren’t you?”

Sabo normally wouldn’t admit to that but maybe Ace told them about him. If it gets him to his sister faster than… “Yes I-”

That’s all he gets out before getting punched in the face. The fight is on. Sabo is so confused. The revolutionary army has no arguments with the Whitebeard’s. But they are yelling at him for “getting their little sister pregnant.” Which what???? He’s so confused right now. He’d remember that. Wouldn’t he?

So know you have Sabo running from the Whitebeard Pirates while also trying to sneak on to their ship. And Ace who’s just living in her own world completely unaware about the rumors and Sabo’s many near death experiences. Until he finally gets on the ship. He sees her walking and calls out. Ace turns and see him. She’s so happy to see him, and he recognizes her this time! “Sabo!” She starts to run towards him when he gets tackled by about 5 crew members. “What are you doing?” Because what is going on?

The crew are yelling about this being the guy who broke her heart. Which like yes but not the way you think. And then some fool yells something about Sabo being the father. And now both Ace and Sabo are dumbfounded because “that’s my sister/brother”

All in all a weird month or two for the Whitebeard pirates. Their hearts are in the right place but they need to fact check thing before they jump people

[thebrickinbrick]

Many Interrogation Points With Regard to a Certain Le Cabuc Whose Name May Not Have Been Le Cabuc, Part 1

THE tragic picture which we have undertaken would not be complete, the reader would not see these grand moments of social birth-pangs in a revolutionary birth, which contain convulsion mingled with effort, in their exact and real relief, were we to omit, in the sketch here outlined, an incident full of epic and savage horror which occurred almost immediately after Gavroche's departure.

Mobs, as the reader knows, are like a snowball, and collect as they roll along, a throng of tumultuous men. These men do not ask each other whence they come. Among the passers-by who had joined the rabble led by Enjolras, Combeterre, and Courfeyrac, there had been a person wearing the jacket of a street porter, which was very threadbare on the shoulders, who gesticulated and vociferated, and who had the look of a drunken savage. This man, whose name or nickname was Le Cabuc, and who was, moreover, an utter stranger to those who pretended to know him, was very drunk, or assumed the appearance of being so, and had seated himself with several others at a table which they had dragged outside of the wine-shop.

This Cabuc, while making those who vied with him drunk, seemed to be examining with a thoughtful air the large house at the extremity of the barricade, whose five stories commanded the whole street and faced the Rue Saint-Denis. All at once he exclaimed: "Do you know, comrades, it is from that house yonder that we must fire. When we are at the windows, the deuce is in it if any one can advance into the street!"

"Yes, but the house is closed," said one of the drinkers.

"Let us knock!"

"They will not open."

"Let us break in the door!”

Le Cabuc runs to the door, which had a very massive knocker, and knocks. The door opens not. He strikes a second blow. No one answers. A third stroke. The same silence.

“Is there any one here?" shouts Cabuc.

Nothing stirs.

Then he seizes a gun and begins to batter the door with the butt end.

It was an ancient alley door, low, vauited, narrow, solid, entirely of oak, lined on the inside with a sheet of iron and iron stays, a genuine prison postern. The blows from the butt end of the gun made the house tremble, but did not shake the door.

Nevertheless, it is probable that the inhabitants were disturbed, for a tiny, square window was finally seen to open on the third story, and at this aperture appeared the reverend and terrified face of a gray-haired old man, who was the porter, and who held a candle.”

The man who was knocking paused.

"Gentlemen," said the porter, "what do you want?'

"Open!" said Cabuc.

“That cannot be, gentlemen."

"Open, nevertheless."

"Impossible, gentlemen."

Le Cabuc took his gun and aimed at the porter; but as he was below, and as it was very dark, the porter did not see him. "Will you open, yes or no?"

"No, gentlemen."

"Do you say no?"

"I say no, my good--”

The porter did not finish. The shot was fired: the ball entered under his chin and came out at the nape of his neck, after traversing the jugular vein.

The old man fell back without a sigh. The candle fell and was extinguished, and nothing more was to be seen except a motionless head lying on the sill of the small window, and a little whitish smoke which floated off towards the roof.

"There!" said Le Cabuc, dropping the butt end of his gun to the pavement.

He had hardly uttered this word, when he felt a hand laid on nis shoulder with the weight of an eagle's talon, and he heard a voice saying to him:

"On your knees.”

[votaeto]

How did they met?

the unexpected meeting or a fateful meeting?

content: canon ( one piece ) x oc, ace x ayara

aceaya master-list.

Timeline: before ace meet deuce.

Aya was already sailing months before ace after a tragedy happened at her hometown, she didn’t became a pirate, only wandering around the sea with her big brother.

Ace left when he was seventeen, therefore Aya is Sixteen.

Some weeks later she met him for the first time at an island, where she stop by.

As she wandered around the island and her brother doing his own thing ( searching for supplies for both of them ) she saw the boy making ruckus around the place, in her eyes that boy is having fun and laughing even with people yelling on the background.

She wanted to do that too! her soul aches to have that kind of fun again, but after the tragedy that makes her lose her mother and gotta sail with her brother, she restrained herself from having those feelings again.

Not wanting to feel even more jealous she walks away continuing her trip around the island. Hours passing by and she’s still on that island with her brother, since they decided to stay a bit. Feeling curious about the boy’s existence she then walks around the place again, hoping just a bit to see the boy again.

Well fate says yes and she found him sleeping under a tree with his hat covering his face. She knows that, that is the boy because of the hat. In curiosity she came closer since the place is not crowded like the first time she saw him, he’s alone and the air is peaceful.

She hesitantly walks close and trying to have a better look at him, making sure he is sleeping. Minutes passes and he still doesn’t move a single muscle, she decided to sit next to him as she glance at him in curiosity. Why is he sleeping here? Why is he alone?

Since the boy felt her presence he woke up and questioning her appearance. She then just casually ask things about him, it’s her curiosity nature. He didn’t think much and answered without hesitation.

After that they became acquaintances and then friends. the boy was easy to befriend, she listens to his stories about his journey and it amuses her. He was staying on that island for a bit and days by days she got to know him better. Before eventually he set sail again and bid goodbye to her.

——

She was hoping to see him again somewhere somehow. Not long after that, aya and her brother set sail, they have something they need to achieve, in order to do that they have to wander around the sea.

One day she has to part ways with her brother, and one of that day she joined the revolutionary army.

Some months later in her journey she will bump with ace again more often, and making their relationship closer. She has fallen for him, and did follow him around for sometimes. He was oblivious but did warm up to her feelings time to time, to the point they started to date.

They have different paths but doesn’t stop them to care for each other. They will part ways and often meet again at some place, catching up to each other and spending times.

—-

After ace met deuce, and has the devil fruit power, he did surprised her but it makes her like to be around him even more! Why? Since his body is warm thanks to his devil fruit and her cat instincts just want to be close, she’ll often clings to him.

even when ace made spade pirates or after joining the white beard pirates, their relationship remains the same and tight. They will meet occasionally and spend times with each other, their organization and pirate lives are important but they always make time for each other.

—

A.N:

tbh the future timeline of how their relationship goes is not really following the canon event, I’ll make this somewhat alternate universe for ace where he didn’t die lol. But maybe some content when he did dies, or even alternative universe in modern day.

Whichever it is, the story will goes how I like it to be akwjsjwj since it’s just a headcanon I made for this ship and is not canon! once again reminding that this content is a fanmade hc for personal satisfaction.

[whisplion]

Some more one piece headcanons that live rent free in my mind.

Rayleigh and Shakky are pirate married but there relationship is open (mostly for Ray is Poly) (also I know it is canon they are together this more just a joke because they aren’t pirates anymore but they say they got “pirate married” even though it happened after they weren’t pirates anymore)

Shanks and Benn are also pirate married just because (plus the one time thing with Mihawk that never ended)

Roger met Rouge in a bar on her home island and she knew who he was and ignored his advances she wasn’t impressed.

Roger is a very open bisexual man but only really had things with Rouge/Rayleigh

Shanks totally has a thing with Makino and it works out for the most part.

Sabo is indeed mostly blind in his left eye and has burn marks up and down his left side of body.

All of the crew actually do know about Luffy’s night terrors and they do their best to be subtle about. They do little gestures to comfort him without him really realizing it is the reason they maybe up late in the night when he is.

Robin dog ears her books and has tons of marks in them highlighting things she likes in them.

Roger totally flirted with Garp even if nothing came of it. Because come on giving your child to your enemy is still kind of gay.

Ace strips naked when he is drunk and when he is sleeping. (Deuce had a heart attack the first time he witnessed this)

Much like Ace Marco didn’t want to be apart of Whitebeard’s crew it took time for him to adjust.

Roger took in Shanks and Buggy as babies and the crew raised them.

Sabo and Koala grew really close after Koala awoke to Sabo’s screams in the night. To sooth him she shared her own troubles and they became closer because of it.

Dragon didn’t know how to be a parent before Sabo, Koala and the other revolutionary kids. Though he took special interest in Sabo.

Luffy never needed his parents and very rarely wondered who they were. Even now he wonders on a rare occasion what his dad and mother are like. (He considers his mother Dadan)

While Ace was eager to leave home he spent a lot of time mostly at night thinking of Dawn island and the people who raised him.

Marco likes taking flights at night to come his nerves.

Izou thinks of Wano often and how much he misses everyone.

Jinbei didn’t rethink joining Luffy even for a second.

Once a month Ace would gather the former Spade Pirates and have a game night with just them.

Even though Usopp admires his father greatly he often wonders what it would have been like if he had stayed instead of going out to sea.

Yamato is extremely comfortable in his body and will tell you so. Even if he doesn’t look like a man, he is one at heart.

[feriowind]

About your Feral AU, does Sabo and Ace wait until Luffy grows a little to sail again? Or do they gave up on becoming pirates to look over their brother? :0

Also, is it difficult for them to let Luffy go when he wants to become a pirate and sail?

(Sorry if my English is bad!!)

Your English is great!

the timeline of events that I had in mind for them after Luffy is rescued is kinda sketchy in my head and subject to change, but its basically this: - Ace and Sabo spend about a year on Dawn Island with Luffy to help him re-adjust to society.

- Ace and Sabo finally set sail again after Luffy insists that he’ll be fine and he refuses to be the reason they’re putting off their dreams of becoming pirates.

- Ace and Sabo agree to stay together until they reach the Grandline, after which they’d split up to do their own thing.

- Ace and Sabo manage to end up Sixis island and meet the Masked Deuce. This time they have more experience with being stranded on a deserted island (and Ace gets the mera mera no mi), and they all escape together

- The 3 of them reach the Grandline and on the first island they reach with a town, Sabo gets his own ship. Masked Deuce stays with Ace, and Sabo sets off on his own adventure.

- Sabo runs into the revolutionaries pretty early on in his travels and ends up joining them after seeing their work on an island he stopped on.

-Though neither Sabo nor Ace talked about this, both of them actually start making plans to head back to East Blue because of sudden reoccurring nightmares of Luffy getting into a shipwreck and disappearing/dying as it gets closer and closer to Luffy’s 17th birthday.

     - though their friends/crewmates try to talk them out of it, it actually gets bad enough they agree to let them go, so long as they come back in ~2-3 months.

- Sabo makes it back to East Blue first, but Luffy’s already set sail so he quickly tries to track him down. He finds him after Zoro’s already joined. Luffy’s kinda pissed Sabo didn’t trust him to set sail, but his joy at seeing his brother again wins out, and Sabo asks to join him until at least he reaches the Grandline, to which Luffy reluctantly agrees, so long as Sabo doesn’t try to interfere in his fights and decision making as captain.

- Ace arrives in East Blue and finds Luffy after Usopp joins along with the Going Merry. Again Luffy is kinda annoyed neither of his brothers trusted him to set sail, but also REUNION makes him very happy. Ace also asks to stick along until they reach the Grandline after hearing Sabo’s plans, and agrees to the same terms Luffy demanded of Sabo.

- events after remain largely the same since Ace and Sabo keep to their promise and stay out of Luffy’s fights.

- After they reach the Grandline, they part ways again.

NOTE

- Sabo doesn’t get to meet Dragon until after Loguetown. After 2 years with the Revolutionaries, he was still considered on the newer side and thus too risky to meet the man in charge, but after Dragon realizes his relationship with Luffy, he takes a more personal interest.

- Ace joins the Whitebeards a year later than in the original timeline and doesn’t get the chance to become 2nd Division Commander by the time Blackbeard kills Thatch, so never personally pursues him. He also left for the East Blue before Thatch’s death, so is unaware of Blackbeard’s crimes until he returns.

So uhh yeah, it was very difficult for Ace and Sabo to let Luffy travel on his own, and sorry this turned out pretty long LOL

[yukipri]

On the Baratie, Part 5 Epilogue - a One Piece Mermaid AU Text Story

Here’s the final part of the Baratie series!

Includes my personal headcanons for Thatch’s backstory in this AU (and possibly canon, as I doubt we’ll learn much more about him sigh).

WARNINGS (actual warnings this time):

＊Trigger warnings for non-graphic violence, gore, unwilling self-harm, mention of thoughts of suicide, and body horror. Canon-typical dark backstory.

Slight ship warnings for: minor Sanji x Luffy, Thatch x Luffy, hint of bg Sabo x Luffy, but not ship-focused.

Continues off of past parts!

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 1

👒🐟On the Baratie, Prologue

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 2

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 3

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 4

~~

They've been traveling together for a while now. With more additions to the crew, Sanji's no longer the newest member. They leave East Blue, crossing over to the Grand Line. Their voyage continues onward.

Fitting into his role as the second cook of the ASL Pirates was easier than Sanji could have ever hoped, and he knows it's largely due to Thatch. Thatch, who, for all his incredible skill and titles and history, turns out to be...a remarkably normal person. It takes less than an hour for Sanji's awe over Thatch being his childhood idol to turn into pure indignation when the other cook professes his love for Luffy, and now their daily proposals to Luffy with food are just part of routine on the Merry.

(Sanji still knows his cooking is amateur in comparison to Thatch's, but none of their crew seems to realize, and Luffy eats all their food with equal gusto. Even Thatch himself only ever compliments Sanji, often with ridiculous faux outrage that Sanji's cooking looks better, which is absolutely false, Sanji would know. But even so, the man sounds so genuinely offended that Sanji can't help but appreciate the lengths the older man will go to in order to keep Sanji from feeling inferior.)

It's during a rare moment of calm, when the skies are clear and Deuce and Nami seem relaxed about their progress, when Sanji decides there's never going to be a better time to ask. He finishes washing the last of the pastry plates from the desserts the crew had just finished devouring (his hands momentarily pause on a plate that Ace had to pull out of Luffy's throat when she swallowed it whole along with the pastry, and Sanji allows himself a moment of imagining that the plate with her slobber is somewhat like an indirect kiss...), before he exits the kitchen to go to his locker.

From the locker, buried beneath gravure magazines of buxom ladies whose beauty will never compare to Luffy's, he pulls out a magazine far more valuable to him, the only one of its kind that he'd brought with him from the Baratie.

Back up on the main deck, Sanji finds Thatch sitting by the mast while watching Luffy and Usopp play with some new contraption the latter made. He looks up when he senses Sanji's approach, grimacing when the movement makes the wind blow his now loose hair into his mouth.

"I need a hair tie if Marco's not going to send me my damn hair wax," Thatch complains, even as he pats the ground next to him for Sanji to sit.

"You could always ask our lovely navigator," Sanji grunts as he drops down, careful not to fold the magazine, which Thatch has yet to notice.

"Ah, beautiful Miss Nami might have one, but her hair's pretty short...honestly more likely Deuce'll have one." Thatch sulks, because he'd really rather get a hair tie from a pretty lady, but as it is, Thatch probably has the longest hair on the crew at the moment, followed by their first mate. "If only our ladies had longer hair...ah, my darling Seastar with long hair..."

Sanji lets himself get drawn into imagining their most dazzling Lady Captain leaning against the rail of the Merry, sunlight sparkling off the waves in the background paling in comparison to her radiance. Her face is shadowed by her trademark straw hat, before she raises her head, causing long, silky strands to ripple around her like dark angel wings, glittering threads of black diamond dancing across her cheeks before she tucks them behind her ear with a small smile--

Both cooks sigh dreamily in perfect unison.

"Hey Luffy, they're thinking somethin' pervy about you again!" Usopp shouts in the background.

Both cooks ignore him, likewise in perfect synch.

Thatch regretfully pulls out of his Luffy Vision first. "So, you got something to talk to me about?" He knows it can't be about dinner, because they'd already started prepping for that.

Sanji blinks, and oh, there's Luffy, with her short hair, still just as lovely, probably doing something incredibly stupid and dangerous, but that's okay because Sabo's stepping in, and the Revolutionary may be batshit crazy but he won't let Luffy hurt herself--and right, he wanted to talk to Thatch.

He carefully brings the magazine out in front of him, and Thatch leans over curiously. The pages easily fall open to the column, remembering the page Sanji poured over countless times. Sanji hears Thatch's breath hitch.

"This you?" Sanji asks, looking at the faded photo of the smiling boy, before his eyes flick to Thatch.

The older man's eyes are wide, glued to the page. Sanji wordlessly offers him the magazine, and Thatch slowly takes it, his hands handling the paper carefully as though worried it'll crack.

"Yeah, that's me alright," Thatch murmurs, eyes scanning the column before his lips twist into a wry smile. "How the hell did you get your hands on this fossil?"

"Found it while we were looking for stuff for the Baratie's collection, some old second hand shop," Sanji says, and it's not a lie, but it's not like he can admit he was obsessed with them and actually hunted for them after obtaining the first ones.

Thatch makes a low sound of understanding, before he starts flipping through the rest of the magazine, pages that Sanji honestly doesn't even remember. "I wonder if this magazine's still even going..."

"It is," Sanji informs him. "It's changed a lot, but we still get it delivered."

Thatch laughs then, shaking his head as he closes the magazine and hands it back to Sanji with the same care. "I'm sure it has changed, after what happened, oh man..."

Sanji frowns. So something did happen.

"So how did the kid in this end up a Whitebeard pirate?" he asks, but he means, How did the boy's adventure end?

"Mm, you sure you wanna know? It's not a particularly nice story, though I suppose it has a happy end." Thatch leans back heavily against the mast, his hand subconsciously reaching up to brush hair away from his face, lingering on the deep, if old scar around his left eye. Sanji wonders if it's related.

"If it's something you don't mind sharing. I'm sure I can handle it."

They're interrupted by a crash, and look up to see Sabo heaving Luffy up back over the rail by the end of her tail. She'd clearly almost fallen overboard, again, but is laughing as carefree as ever, even as Usopp wrings his hands apologetically behind them. Sabo doesn't look mad though, and is stroking Luffy's hair now that she's safely back on deck and in his arms, his face disgustingly besotted.

Deuce and Nami come out of the cabin at the noise, and Ace and Zoro startle awake from their respective naps as well. Deuce takes one look at what's going on, and launches into a full blown scolding session for all three of the members involved, clearly dissatisfied with the way Sabo handled it. It had only taken the first mate a few days in his company before Deuce had determined that no matter how sensible Sabo may seem at times, he's still Another Stupid Brother, and therefore gets the same treatment.

The rest of the crew listening in winces when Deuce hurls a, "Luffy being stupid is one thing, but you're WAY too lenient with her, you foolish Revolutionary!" Nami and Koala cheer him on in the background.

("Told you," Ace mouths, before hastily looking away when Deuce's gaze snaps to him.)

Usopp looks thoroughly chastised and sincerely sorry, Sabo looks weirdly pleased as though being told he's lenient is a compliment, and Luffy looks bored and is searching for an escape when her gaze lands on the two cooks.

"Thatch! Story time?!" is all the warning they get, before Luffy's arms grab onto the mast behind them and the mermaid torpedoes head-first into Thatch's chest. It's a testament to the Whitebeard Commander's sturdiness that all he does is grunt at the considerable impact, even as Sanji winces in sympathy. That'll definitely bruise.

"Alright, yeah story time, if anyone wants to hear my boring old past," Thatch agrees, and Luffy cheers, turning herself sideways and flopping down on Thatch's crossed legs to look up at him with eyes sparkling with expectation. Sanji isn't even jealous, because in her new position, Luffy's thrown her tail across Sanji's lap, and he begins reverently rubbing circles into her soft scales, heat creeping up his cheeks when her flukes flick with pleasure.

Deuce sighs, giving up on his scolding as everyone gathers around the cooks. But he doesn't seem too disappointed, and pulls out his notebook as he joins them, as though he intends on recording whatever Thatch's going to say. Ace plops himself down on Thatch's other side, ruffling Luffy's hair distractedly and hiding his curiosity poorly. Sanji gets the feeling that despite knowing him for much longer, Ace hasn't heard much about Thatch's past either.

"Well, so..."

~~

Thatch was born to a middle class family in a relatively active port town on the Grand Line. His parents ran a modest diner, certainly nothing high class, but popular enough among the locals to almost always have full seats.

Thatch was what they called a "child prodigy." He'd started helping in the kitchen simply because he wanted to do the same things as his parents, but by the time he was seven, he'd already surpassed both of them in skill. His parents decided to leave the kitchen to him, while they focussed on management.

With Thatch behind the menu, the restaurant's popularity grew, drawing more traffic. Among their visitors were occasional food critics, who spread their business's reputation and made it something of a cult tourist spot.

When Thatch was nine, his father came up with the idea that it might be good publicity, for people to know that a literal child was behind their now famous restaurant's food. And in the name of said publicity, he also decided to have the restaurant officially under Thatch's name, although is parents still managed it.

"Child prodigy chef owns his own restaurant," was definitely a headline that journalists latched onto. The berries were rolling in.

Thatch himself, he didn't really care about that. He rarely ever left the kitchen now, constantly cooking, constantly coming up with new menu items, constantly training new chefs as their once small family diner expanded into a chain. He didn't really mind it, he loved cooking after all, but he often wished he still had time to talk to patrons, or explore town. While there weren't any child labor laws in their country, he couldn't go to school or make friends or do anything a normal child might otherwise enjoy.

So when the largest, most prominent cooking magazine sent a representative to talk about a potential column centered around him, Thatch was hopeful. He'd always dreamed of leaving the island, and it'd never seemed like an achievable dream. He wanted to exposure to new things to expand his cooking repertoire, and he wanted to be able to challenge himself as a cook--but more than anything, he also just wanted go and see what might be out there, outside of his diner's kitchen.

His parents reluctantly agreed. At this point, Thatch had trained enough experienced cooks, and their reputation was established enough that Thatch's temporary absence wouldn't damage them. And Thatch knew his parents were drawn by the potential for greater publicity from the column, and Thatch (and their restaurant) possibly becoming a household name not just on the Grand Line, but across the world.

(Thatch never thought his parents were bad people, or even bad parents. He hadn't wanted for anything, and they let him pursue and nurture his passion. That they were business-minded, and had also come to see Thatch as an asset and publicity tool was something he understood. They still loved him, in their own way.)

His parents' only condition was that Thatch return in a few years, before he was fifteen. A "child prodigy" becomes less interesting with age, and eventually becomes "a normal adult." They wanted Thatch back before that, to reestablish his connection to their diner, before he inevitably faded out of public interest, or had to re-establish his identity as an adult cook.

And so at eleven years old, what seemed like the entire town saw off Thatch, who set sail on a small ship manned by experienced sailors, and chaperoned by the journalist who would be documenting his voyage.

For the first two years, the journey was everything Thatch had ever wanted. They would go to new islands, information provided to him by the journalist, and then he would be given free reign to do whatever he wanted, so long as it included food and cooking, which is what Thatch would have been drawn to do anyway. That there were always a handful of adults a few paces behind him, documenting everything he did and forcing him to voice his thoughts out loud, all eventually faded into the background. Thatch got used to voicing his inner thoughts for their benefit. It was hardly a chore, and Thatch was having the time of his life.

But all things eventually change. Due to the success of the column, Thatch's journalist was given a promotion, and the last stretch of his journey before Thatch was to return to his home island was assigned to a new journalist. Thatch had always known that their relationship was strictly professional, and was used to changing traveling companions at this point. It felt a bit lonely that the first journalist, the only person who had remained a constant, was leaving...but he understood.

It's just business, after all.

The new journalist replaced the old one, and their journey continued--or at least, it was supposed to.

Child!Thatch, adult Thatch would later think, was remarkably naive and sheltered for all that he was a veteran cook. He was used to having things being laid out in front of him on a neat platter, for the adults in his life to control all aspects of his life, conveniently convincing himself that it's what he wanted anyway. He was used to the adults taking care of all the details, because all Thatch had to do to make everyone happy was cook. He not once doubted those responsible for his life, and blindly trusted that they would keep everything smooth and safe for him.

Because when one day, thirteen-year old Thatch woke up to see red staining the walls of the cabin, and then looked around to find the corpses of everyone else on the ship strewn around him, it took a remarkably long time for him to process that this definitely wasn't what was supposed to happen.

He was disoriented, too numb to even feel panic or put up a fight when the new journalist came in and tied him up to pass him to the pirates who had decimated the crew.

Pirates. It wasn't the Golden Age of Piracy yet, and although the Roger Pirates and other famous names were often whispered about, most sailors didn't expect to personally run into pirates. Thatch had been warned of their existence, but hadn't really thought much on them, as they had seemed irrelevant to his own peaceful civilian adventures.

The pirates and the journalist had a deal, he gathered. The pirates had wanted to get their hands on the famous child prodigy cook, and were willing to pay good money. The journalist had agreed, and had summoned the pirates to their location. Everyone but Thatch and the journalist had been killed to erase witnesses.

Before handing Thatch off to them, the journalist demanded payment first. Thatch remembers wondering why the journalist hadn't demanded anything before agreeing to the deal--it seemed a bad business tactic.

Thatch was standing right next to the journalist when the pirate captain drew his sword. Thatch wasn't scared, because he knew he wouldn't be hurt. He was an asset. And he probably knew what would happen before the journalist did.

He still remembers feeling the whoosh of air as the sword came, the sound of it hitting flesh, the dull thunk, the loosening of the arms gripping the rope that held Thatch bound.

Thatch thought ah, so human heads can be severed just as easily as fish heads.

Thatch didn't put up a fuss, going with the pirates. It was clear he couldn't have stayed on the ransacked ship, because even if he did, he had no way of manning the ship alone, even if he even knew how. And so he wordlessly followed, and continued to do what he'd done his whole life: obey adults.

And at first it wasn't bad. A kitchen was a kitchen, no matter how dirty, and Thatch knew how to please people with food. The pirates seemed overjoyed with Thatch's skill.

But some part of Thatch really wondered if that's all they wanted from him, and that bad feeling manifested itself as reality soon.

Hey brat, the captain said one day, and dumped a sack of ingredients Thatch had never used before into the kitchen. Turn this into something good. We need to get rid of an entire rival crew, and they're gluttons.

Thatch may never have used them before, but he recognized the things in the bag. They were all things he knew to avoid.

The pirate captain was asking him to make poison.

Thatch was a cook. No matter the reasons why people wanted him to cook, no matter who benefited and what money was passed around, and no matter how terrible the conditions--Thatch was alright so long as he could cook. Thatch cooked so that he could make delicious things that would in the end, contribute to nourishing people. He polished his skills to make that experience better, to make his patrons happier, to make himself feel more accomplished as a result.

Poison...that wasn't something that a cook could make.

Thatch, for the first time, spoke back to an adult. He felt that numb feeling again, over any fear.

I'm a cook, I can't make anything that can harm people. Please let me start preparing dinner. Thatch stated it as fact, and to him, it was.

The pirate struck Thatch. It was the first time he'd ever been hit, because as a child prodigy, as an asset, he'd always been too valuable to damage. But now...

You'll make it, or we have no need for you.

Bars were added to the kitchen, making it Thatch's cell. All edible ingredients were confiscated. And every day, the pirates came in with more ingredients, more demands.

Make an aphrodisiac. Make a date rape drug. Make something that'll make someone lose feeling in their limbs. Make something that'll cause loss of senses. Make something that'll cause crazy hallucinations. Make something deadly, but undetectable in water. Make something that can dissolve guts from the inside out. Make something that won't kill, but cause excruciating pain. Make something that WILL kill, but only after several days.

The pirates didn't want a cook. They wanted a master poisons brewer. Which, Thatch was not.

Every time Thatch refused, they beat him. They threatened to cut off his legs, because why would he need them, when all he needed were his hands? They threatened to carve out his eyes, and the captain stabbed a knife close to his left eye to show how serious he was. They left Thatch with running water, but didn't give him anything to eat, other than the deadly, horrible ingredients they'd left inside the kitchen for him to turn into even worse poisons.

Thatch sorted the ingredients by those least harmful, and kept himself alive by reluctantly eating those first, but knew that the longer this continued, the more permanent and fatal the damage those ingredients would cause.

(He tried to come up with ways to use what he had to nullify effects, but he was just a kid, and it was his first time trying to make actual medicine. His experiments were risky, and often failed.)

Thatch didn't know how long he was in there, his sense of time and self muddled as he survived off of numbing agents and aphrodisiacs and hallucinogens. They barely kept him alive, and made him feel horrible. He tried to remember why it was so important he kept eating them, and rationing them like they were valuable.

In the corner of the kitchen was an ever growing pile of bright, beautiful fruits that he knew would cause immediate agonizing death...but they looked so lusciously juicy and ripe, and it was getting harder to remember why he couldn't eat them.

Perhaps it was the hallucinogens, perhaps it was everything wrong with his body that Thatch had unwillingly caused himself by eating, but one day, Thatch realized he was going through the movements of peeling those fruits, chopping them, squeezing the juices and watching with fascination as they sizzled into the bubbling pot he was brewing. He was too entranced by the concoction to even notice that his hands were burning and blistering, or perhaps they were just too numb.

He added spices, adjusted heat, and hummed. It had been too long, since he had cooked.

Except he wasn't cooking, because this wasn't food.

It smelled quite delicious, Thatch thought, mildly impressed with himself. Something tropical and fruity, mellowed by mushrooms and a great many other herbs. And it looked aesthetically pleasing, with its dancing, hypnotic colors. If he hadn't known what had gone into it, he'd consider it presentable to critics as his next seasonal special.

But now that it was done, and ready to be served, Thatch had no clue what to do with it.

He hadn't thought that far (he wasn't thinking at all), and didn't know how to think about the thing he made, when it wasn't edible.

He supposed he could possibly see if it could melt through the bars of his cell, though he wasn't sure where he'd even go if he could escape. The cell didn't have any windows, and Thatch wasn't even sure they were at an island, they could still be on open water. Thatch might be able to throw it on a pirate, as a weapon. But there were dozens of pirates on board, and not nearly enough for all of them.

He could drink it himself. It would be an escape of sorts, he supposed.

It never crossed Thatch's mind to offer the concoction to the pirates, as a creation to be used.

He stood in the kitchen for hours, aimlessly stirring the pot, watching the brew get darker and darker, its magical colors turning into murky brown. Eventually, it became a thick, black tar-like substance that reflected no light, that looked like a void as Thatch stared into it.

A thin gray haze gradually began filling the room, and Thatch was well aware of it. He was already starting to feel noticeably worse than before. He supposed that was one way of giving himself a time limit: he'd either decide what to do with the brew, or succumb to the fumes first.

He distantly heard muted sounds overhead, and he realized the pirates may be fighting someone. It happened once in a while. But it was usually with other pirates, and he doubted it was the marines, and no civilian vessel would dare get close to such an obvious pirate ship. And well, if it was pirates...that's just more of the same, wasn't it?

Thatch eventually heard footsteps approaching the room, and someone coughing as they inhaled the fumes, now dense enough to be a dark smog that made it hard to see his own hands (or maybe that was the effect of the poison in him).

A creak--the cell doors were opening.

Thatch could barely think anymore, but made a split second decision. He didn't know what the consequences would be, but had a hunch he wouldn't survive long enough to find out anyway, so what did it matter.

He picked up the pot, and hurled all of its contents at the approaching figure.

There was a FUCK! and then--

Thatch won't ever forget what happened when that brew hit a human body.

But as he fell, the last of his strength gone, wondering if he should feel horrible or proud that he killed someone on his way out, Thatch saw the room light up, the black haze vanishing into searing, brilliant turquoise flames.

~~

"And so that's how I met Marco!" Thatch says, voice surprisingly chipper, even though Sanji feels like retching.

"You melted him," Ace says flatly, voice a mix of horror and awe.

"Sure did, if he had been anyone else they probably woulda been a puddle of human goo, and even he got halfway there," Thatch agrees, his hands stroking Luffy's hair harder, as they'd been doing all throughout his story telling. "Though lucky me, to have thrown poison at possibly one of the only people in the world with instant self-regeneration and possibly immortality."

"Was he mad? Pineapple bird-man. Melting doesn't sound very fun," Luffy frowns. She'd admittedly fallen asleep for most of the story, but woke up again when Thatch's hands in her hair got more tense, more urgent. She contentedly nuzzles into his thigh, more interested in making sure that Thatch's alright than in his answer, and she purrs when he crooks his fingers to scritch her reassuringly.

"Oh sure, he was mad for a little bit, but he's a nice guy and was a worry-wort even back then, so he brought me to Pops. And well, it took a while, but we're best buddies now and have been for years! Fancy that."

Deuce was shaking his head. "I still can't believe that stupid crew wanted to take down Pops with poison of all things, and were stupid enough to enter his territory without it even being ready."

"Well, it's not like they could have won in direct combat, and to be fair, back then the Four Emperors weren't that established, and territories in the New World were a lot looser than they are now." Thatch shrugged. "If nothing else, it was a creative angle, if a poorly thought out one, unlike some people's way of challenging Pops." Ace fidgets uncomfortably here, and Deuce snorts.

"You..." Sanji's finally recovering from his queasiness, because fuck Thatch's tale really wasn't pretty, especially from a cook's perspective. "You don't mind fighting, and killing people now?" He glances at the swords strapped to Thatch's belt, and thinks about his own insistence to never use his hands in combat.

"Well, I'd prefer not to do it, same as anyone else. But I don't mind fighting in general, and once Pops adopted me, I wanted to be able to defend myself." Thatch laughs here, and it sounds bitter, making Luffy look up. "Haruta actually suggested I use poison, if I knew how to make one that could almost take down the Phoenix, and, well...that's a no. May have thrown him overboard for that, but he deserved it. I told them I was good with knives, and Vista helped me develop my own style."

The conversation moves on then, the other crew members chipping in with questions, but Sanji sort of tunes it all out. He thought he was over his queasiness, but it's back again. Being forced to brew poison, and being offered nothing but harmful things to eat...fuck. Even Judge hadn't done that...

He feels something wrap around him then, and Sanji looks down, and realizes that Luffy's looped her tail so that her flukes curl behind his back, securely holding him, even as she continues to nuzzle Thatch's leg for attention.

How weak he must be, Sanji thinks, to need his captain's comfort now. But it helps, and he gradually relaxes.

Eventually the others realize that the story's over, and disperse back to their usual tasks, leaving Thatch and Sanji and a snoozing Luffy curled around both of their laps.

"Well, I guess that explains how the boy prodigy's journey ended," Sanji says, reaching over to Thatch's side to run his hand through Luffy's hair, smiling when she hums happily.

Thatch makes a soft sound, that sounds like possibly disagreement. "Well, sure, I ended up joining the Whitebeard pirates, and never ended up going back to my hometown. Everyone thought I was dead anyway, and being on the Moby was better than any restaurant for me, because I got to feed my brothers and travel, at least wherever the Moby goes, and that's still a fine adventure in its own way. But I guess you're right in that with a territory and a literal army backing me up...it's not quite the same kind of adventure, without the trill of the unknown."

Thatch looks up then, and when his eyes sweep across their little ship, and the small crew strewn about it, he looks fond. "But I guess in a way, that's what I'm doing now, isn't it? I may no longer be a 'boy prodigy,' but me traveling with you guys, going back up the Grand Line...it's sorta like that journey again."

Sanji blinks.

"The end of that journey...maybe you're on it with me, right now." Thatch winks.

Sanji snorts. "That's so cheesy," he says, but he doesn't meant it, not really, because he can't deny the giddiness that begins welling up in him at the thought.

Because what adult doesn't still have a child inside them, buried underneath layers of years, still craving those wishful dreams from long ago?

There's a moment of silence, before both cooks break out into laughter, carefree and boyish.

And so their journey continues onward.

~~

~~

Aaand that's a wrap! For this lil story series within this ever growing AU at least!

It may be a cheesy ending, but it still feels like an ending of sorts? which, is something I usually never actually manage to write to, everything I write is usually either short or abandoned....so I Feel Accomplished ^ ^;;

If you managed to get through it all, thanks so much for reading and sticking with this!!!! ;A; I’m definitely extremely curious to know if you have any thoughts regarding my take on Thatch's past, or anything else, because as always any comments are HUGELY appreciated!

Thanks again!

❀ ❀ Send YukiPri an Ask! ❀ ❀

~This ask has been added to the Mermaid AU Text Headcanons Compilation post~

[opbackgrounds]

So I read the Ace Novel (Part 2)

I’m going to be level with you, if I hadn’t said I was going to do a write up for the novel, I don’t think I would have finished this one. The first fifty or so pages are terribly boring, and while it picks up considerably toward the end, I don’t think I can recommend it, for one reason and one reason only:

It reads like a freaking wikipedia article. And I hate it. 

I described Part 1 of the Ace novel like three separate one shots with the barest hint of continuity between them. That’s not the case this time around, as most of what it covers are events mentioned in the manga: The fight with Jinbe, Ace’s 100 battles with Whitebeard, Ace formally joining the Whitebeard Pirates. Comparatively speaking, that’s a lot of canon material to get through. Consequently, it’s also quite a bit longer than Part 1, about 200 pages. 

(some of those pages happen to be longer than others)

(yes this made me literally laugh out loud)

The problem is there is a metic ton of manga recap that has nothing to do with this novel, especially in chapters 1 and 2. This was baffling to me, as it seems unlikely that someone would pick up a One Piece magazine (where the novel was originally published) or a One Piece side story without bing familiar with the manga. Yet concepts like the Four Emperors, Celestial Dragons, and even the Grand Line were laid out in meticulous detail.

I am going to be unfair for a moment and compare the Ace novels to my favorite spin-off series of all time, the Kyoshi duology that takes place in the Avatar universe. 

Unlike the Ace novels, they take place several centuries before the main series, so there aren’t a lot of plot details that overlap with the animated series in the way the Ace novels do to the main manga. What is in common, however, isn’t repeated. Nowhere in the two Kyoshi books does she learn the story about Avatar Wan or any of the same lore details that are important to Aang and Korra’s stories. Instead it expands on the world building details laid out in the main series and deepens them. 

For example, do you want to know how the Fire Nation royalty got so good at lightning bending, or how the greater Earth Kingdom political landscape works? Read book 1. Do you want to know how the Fire Nation went from a fractured clan system to a strong centralized government or how advanced water bending healing techniques work? Read book 2. It’s exposition that fleshes out the system already in place, rather than retreading what’s already been established. 

Part 2 of the Ace novel does this a little bit when it develops the Pirate Code, something that has never mentioned in the manga, and even if it was Luffy’s not the sort of character that’s going to care to adhere to it. The strongest portion of the novel shows Ace going out on a mission on Whitebeard’s behalf, showing some of what it’s like to maintain the vast territories that he keeps under his flag.

But mostly...mostly it’s just recap. Literally the entire Fishman Island backstory is written out in some of the blandest narration I’ve ever read, paragraphs upon paragraphs talking about Queen Otohime and Fisher Tiger and the civil unrest of the Ryugu Kingdom, including but not limited to Vander Decken stalking Shirahoshi and her subsequent imprisonment in the royal tower. 

There’s also the wholesale recycling of gags straight from the manga that 1) don’t necessarily work as well in written format, and 2) show no originality or creativity on the part of the author. In my opinion, recurring gags are funniest when a writer can contrive different variations and circumstances around the base joke. Instead we get scenes like this beat-for-beat copy of Ace’s narcolepsy gag in Alabasta, down to using the waitress’s skirt as a napkin

I noticed in Part 1 that the author had snuck some canon elements in, such as Deuce and Ace building Striker—the one man, fire-powered boat he showed off in Alabasta—when I personally didn’t think either of them were smart enough to think up, let alone construct, anything that sophisticated. I didn’t mention it in my previous write up because there are a lot of fans that enjoy those kind of Easter eggs, and it’s a novel that runs on manga logic so it’s not exactly breaking my suspension of disbelief either. It was a minor quibble that didn’t really detract from my overall enjoyment. 

But the story of Fishman Island is at best tangentially related to the events of the novel. The only reason Fishman Island is important at all is because Ace decides to burn down Whitebeard’s flag on his way into the New World. 

Which brings me to perhaps the most interesting aspect of the novel: Ace himself. 

Even in the manga, you can make the case that there are two Aces, the happy-go-lucky, cool, and mysterious older brother of Luffy seen at Alabasta/post-Enies Lobby, and the angsty, existentially depressed young man with daddy issues that shows up during Impel Down/Marineford. 

The novel leans much closer to the latter. More than I expected it to. The Ace of Part 2 is hotheaded and a bit of a jackass. Whereas Luffy tends to go after people he has a personal beef with, Ace specifically targets Whitebeard because he was the closest to Roger, and he thinks that defeating Whitebeard will somehow bring him fame greater than his father. He ignores the concerns of his crew and the repeated warnings about how Emperors control vast armies...because of daddy issues. The novel goes out of his way that Ace’s dreams made him better suited to be a Revolutionary than a pirate, and it’s only because of his childhood promise that he became a pirate at all. It wasn’t something born out of true conviction or desire.

Laying it out like that, it might seem like this is a negative, but to me it’s one of the most interesting things the novel has to offer. I thought Part 1 worked best when it acted as a character study for Deuce, Ace, and the marine girl whose name I have already forgotten, focusing on how Ace brought together degenerates unwanted by even other degenerates. The same is true here: Once the exposition dumps are over and the focus returns to the titular character, the author is able to dig a little bit deeper into into Ace’s psyche, and he takes it in a direction I didn’t expect, but was consistent with his manga portrayal. 

I just wish I could have seen a little bit more of it. 

And speaking of characters I wish I had seen more of, after focusing so much on Deuce and Marine Girl in Part 1, they have a much reduced role in Part 2. In fact, Marine Girl isn’t seen or mentioned even once, which I thought was kind of strange. I guess I don’t see the point in putting so much effort was put into her only for her to be thrown away without even a cameo. Likewise, after spending Part 1 as the principal POV character, Deuce is set aside for Thatch and Teach. Whether that’s a good or bad thing will depend largely on how much you enjoy those individual characters. 

I don’t say this often, but these are books that can be judged by their covers. Part 1, Ace is more jovial—the burning flame that attracts others to his greatness—while introducing two major new characters to his journey. Part 2, Ace is grim and angry—the dark, smoldering flame burning with the desire to destroy the system that would have killed him for being the wrong man’s son—while focusing much more on the Whitebeard Pirates and what makes them great. 

It’s an interesting contrast, the two sides of Ace’s character as seen in the manga given a little bit of limelight. But damn if it wasn’t tedious to get through. 

[theprodigypenguin]

So, I don't have Novel A (but boy do I want to get it) and I saw a recent post of yours about your favourite parts, and Deuce and Whitebeard interact?! That's so cool! I really want to read that part now, cause it sounds super interesting to read. If you don't mind me asking, what are their interactions like?

We only see them really interact once, later on in the second volume, but it's one of my favorite scenes in both books because it's just... so sweet. It displays Whitebeard as so caring and understanding, and it shows just how much Deuce cares about Ace, and it's intense and emotional, and it's only just a few pages. It's a REALLY good scene, and I don't mind sneaking it in for you to read anon dear :3

It's actually implied twice that Ace would have done well as a Revolutionary. It's more between the lines in this scene, but the comment about Ace only becoming a pirate because of his oath to Luffy and Sabo. Piracy, to Ace, was only a means to an end, a way to get back at Roger or be better than Roger.

But if you look at it through the novels, it makes me think that if Ace never had that weighted hatred for his father, then he probably would've ended up becoming a Revolutionary.

And can you fucking imagine that scenario?

It makes a lot of sense to be completely honest, for Ace to have joined the RA, but maybe that's just me.

Anyway yeah this was the scene with Deuce and Whitebeard and it 🥺 still gets to me.

Also if you want, I found a PDF version of the first novel. I'll reblog the post again for you, anon, so you can find it easier! It's really worth the read if you can find the time.

[alice1290]

Read All About It Chapter 15 Snippet

Yes, I totally skipped a snippet of 14, but I just love this scene. It makes me giggle every time I read it. It’s also one of the last funny moments before some pretty big drama. ... 

~

Thatch clapped Ace on his shoulder as he came to stand beside him. The crew was beginning to worry about him standing at the bow of the ship all day. “Your girl’s gonna be fine.”

“I know.” Ace didn’t take his eyes away from the distant ocean.

Thatch chuckled. “Watching the horizon isn’t gonna make her come back sooner.”

Ace sighed heavily. “It’s been a two and half weeks already. She thought she’d be back sooner.”

“You’ve got her vivre card. If she was hurt the card would show. Besides Deuce is with her, he won’t let anything happen. Not to mention she’s a total badass.”

That brought a smile to his face and Thatch grinned wider.

“She tough, but she’s not invincible,” Ace replied. “And neither is Deuce.”

Thatch sighed. “They’ll be fine. You’re just put out because it’s been over a week since you got laid.”

Ace sputtered and stammered, making Thatch laugh.

“No I... it’s not that... I don’t just... she’s more than just a fuck.”

Thatch, stilling laughing, clapped Ace on his shoulder again. “I know. We all know. We also all know that y’all do it all the damn time. You’re gonna get picked on, brother. You’re the only man on the ship with a steady partner who is also on the ship. You’re a lucky bastard, and we’re all a little happy that at the current moment you’re suffering from lack of sex just like the rest of us.”

Ace frowned. What exactly did they know? “You know?”

“Yoi,” Marco said, coming to join the two and having caught Thatch’s statement. “It’s easy to see you care about her and her you. All you have to do is see you two together for a few minutes. You’re not just fuck buddies.”

“Fuck buddies?”

Thatch rolled his eyes. “Two friends, buddies, who fuck. Fuck buddies.”

“Wow,” Ace said slowly, shaking his head.

“God man, you’re so innocent sometimes. So, was she your first?” Thatch asked.

Ace stammered again, his cheek blushing red. “No.”

“Were you hers?” Marco asked.

“No... I, I don’t think so. She seemed to know what she was doing.”

Marco raised a brow. “Jealous?”

Ace shrugged. “Don’t like the idea, but I didn’t know her then. Can’t be mad at her for something she did before she met me.”

Marco nodded. “True. Wonder who it was? Think it was a Pirate? One of the Revolutionaries?”

“Maybe a Marine?” Thatch added.

Ace glared. “No, she hates Marines.”

Marco hummed. “Maybe just a regular dude.”

Ace scowled, swinging his head to look at Marco. “Okay, this conversation is over. No more discussing Ashina’s history.”

“Do the curtains match the drapes?” Thatch mused.

“Do the what?” His head swiveled back to stare open mouthed at Thatch.

“Is Ashina a natural redhead?” Marco asked.

“Yeah. What the fuck does that have to do with curtains and drapes?”

Thatch hooted with laughter. “Man, you are innocent. Is all her hair red? Everywhere?” he asked with a suggestive raise of his brow.

Flames erupted from Ace’s shoulders and Thatch barely dodged Ace’s fist. “Quit thinking about Ashina!”

Marco chuckled. “I think that’s a yes, yoi.”

[swampgh0stt]

repost

“What do you think the rest of the Spades did after Ace died?”

I think a lot of them would have died during the Paramount War, since they would be fighting twice as hard as the rest to get their captain back. They have been with them since the beginning, after all.

I think they would have split up after the Payback War too, whatever remained. A lot of them would have died there too.

As for Deuce, I have two different scenarios I like to write him in:

Deuce gets killed going right for Teach during the Payback War. He manages to get one good hit in before Teach kills him.

He stays alive, but he’s alone. Some of the Spades come back to him for leadership, but he’s turned into an alcoholic mess in his grief. Trapped in Blackbeard territories (previously Whitebeard territories), he finds sanctuary among brothels and drinks his sorrow away at not being able to save his captain.

“If Ace had lived through the War of the Best, what do you think the Spades would have done? Although I suppose that answer depends on what you think Ace himself would have done if he lived through it.”

My answer definitely stays the same for the Spades. There isn’t a snowball’s chance in Hell that Ace would return to the Whitebeard fleet after what happened. That was too much to endure, too much for one person as self-loathing as Ace to really survive.

I have two scenarios I like to write for an Ace Lived AU, both of them are ship compliant too. They all start out the same:

Ace gets smuggled out with Luffy to have his wounds tended to, but leaves as soon as he is able. He doesn’t leave a note, and he certainly doesn’t want Luffy chasing after him. Ace believes he’s risked his life enough as is.

He spends the next two years like that: alone, hopping from island to island & staying under the radar. At this point, he would be one of the most wanted people in the world, since the whole world knows his identity. Wanted posters have been changed to reflect the name: Gol D. Ace, which is very ill-received. Now, he has to worry about angry pirates with a vendetta against Roger, bounty hunters, marines, & even civilians.

It’s a lonely existence.

He finds sanctuary in a brothel on the outskirts of what was one Whitebeard’s old territory, now being taken over by the Blackbeard pirates.

SaboAce route: Sabo still gets his memories back after the war, & seeks out his brothers. Luffy is not the biggest concern after he is reunited with his crew, but he knows how Ace is & he knows that his childhood friend will just run himself to the ground over what he survived. He searches tirelessly for any sign of Ace. Luckily, the owner of the brothel is an officer in the Revolutionary Army. After much deliberation between them, she finally admits to harboring Ace in her brothel, where he acts more like a guard and helps take care of the place. The girls all protect and help take care of him as well, until Sabo comes to visit. It is an emotional reunion, and there is a lot to work through before Sabo convinces him to come back to the base. What started as a temporary stay before Ace would leave on his not-so-merry way again, turned into somewhat of a permanent stay in the Army.

AceLu route: Ace stays at the brothel, only ever leaving for short periods at a time. One of those times of travel put him in Luffy’s path, where there is another emotional reunion & lots of yelling since Luffy doesn’t understand why Ace just won’t let him anywhere near him! There are tears, there is shouting, bearing their hearts out until Luffy finally shouts: “What’s the point of your freedom if you can’t even enjoy it!?” It hits deep, but Luffy always does in times of hardship. Eventually, Ace concedes to joining Luffy’s crew- but not after a lot of work through his own trauma.

Either way, for as tragic as Ace is, I love a happy ending, especially since I see a lot of myself in Ace too. I like the message that, no matter how bad things are, you can still overcome and endure.

There is a better tomorrow, no matter how bad things seem.

Besides, I’m tired of the tragic narrative surrounding most indigenous characters as it stands now.

“I must say I politely disagree with your HC that Ace wouldn't go back to the Whitebeards if he had survived the war. Yes, there would be a horrendous amount of pain there and yes Ace would absolutely blame himself, but he also loved them as family and they loved him so much. This seems to get overlooked a lot, their deep, unbreakable family bond that was nurtured over the years Ace was there. He would eventually return to them, I'm certain.”

You’re forgetting that many of them turned on him very quickly after it was revealed that he was Roger’s son. You’re also forgetting how easily many of them & their allies were manipulated into turning on Newgate himself.

For Ace, that doesn’t go away. He’s been told his whole life that he’s a monster because of who he is related to. Even if he can somehow overcome the guilt he felt for getting them all involved in a war, you’re still forgetting the core of Ace’s character that was his own struggle for acceptance. This desperately feeds into how he views himself, even if it does not invalidate the love he has for the immediate family he found within Whitebeard’s crew.

& there certainly wouldn’t be anything to return to, with Teach killing Whitebeard (who had to reign in the ones like Squard & co, as well as reassure their allies) & many others in the crew getting killed in the Payback War as well. Those closest to him are spread so far out that there is almost nothing to reclaim.

You’re allowed to disagree, but I also respectfully* disagree with you.

He would not return.

[wordsdrippinginink]

"We're married, right?" Ace asks, sounding more than slightly confused as he balances on the back of the couch, frowning at the letter he has in his hands. "I didn't dream up that horrible day with us both in uncomfortable suits and my brothers at the court house?"

"I would hope you didn't considering the trouble we had making sure that both of our separate organizations would buy the covers that the other was using," Marco agrees, his pistol spread out over the coffee table as he cleans it. "Why?"

"Because I just got a letter for you, with a picture of an attractive young woman and comments about setting the two of you up."

Marco raises his eyebrow, holding his hand out for the letter and skimming it over, "That's strange indeed. I'll call my father."

"It's from your dad?"

"It has his signature," Marco agrees folding the letter back up and setting it to the side. "Which is a bit odd, he knows that I'm not entirely interested in women and I don't remember if he was told that I got married, but it's not like I've been hiding it from him."

"So you're not going to leave me for a hot blonde?"

Marco laughs, "I have told you before, Ace. I've been telling you since we started dating seriously, if I'm going to leave you, I'll kill you. You know far too much about me and my family to be left alive."

"I'm obviously going to do the same," Ace says collapsing upside down on the couch and smiling softly as his head hovers just over the ground. "I mean, I did actually bring my real brothers to our wedding."

"Wait," Marco raises an eyebrow. "Luffy and Sabo are actually related to you?"

"We were all raised by Luffy's gramps, but we are brothers," Ace frowns. "We have dust bunnies under the coffee table. Who do we have cleaning the house when we're away?"

Marco hums, trying to remember, "I think it's my team, but this is going to be a difficult question to ask, since we both have to word this perfectly."

"It's you," Ace says wiggling his phone at Marco. "Deuce knows about this."

"You told Deuce?" Marco doesn't remember which one of Ace's people is Deuce, there's a number of Spades and he's never been able to fully remember who is supposed to be who within his own group. "Is that a safe idea?"

"Deuce is the one you tried to kill in Bolivia three years back. He saw your picture on my desk and thought it best, as a concerned friend, to let me know that my husband was going to kill me in my sleep."

"So you told him that you seduced me instead?"

Ace nods, "I told him that we have an accord about the whole working against each other technically and that I promised that you weren't seducing me into leaving the Spades. Because you won't be able to, no matter how attractive you are."

"My brothers would be very upset if I left the Whitebeard's, so it's not as if you can convince me to join the Spades. Did you tell him how we met?"

"Why would I do that?" Ace asks finally spinning to lay his head against the armrest. "I could tell Deuce that I caught you in the middle of a mission and you didn't notice me, so I spent the next two days seducing you or I could leave him in the dark."

Marco laughs, "Has Deuce done something to upset you?"

"He ruined our anniversary dinner!"

"Is that why you ran out in the middle of dinner?" Marco asks putting his pistol back together and setting it to the side after making sure that the safety was on. "I seem to remember that you were very excited and then you were gone."

"Deuce upset a spy and got himself into trouble, so I had to bail him out. I had the whole night planned out."

"I know you did," Marco assures, nudging Ace's legs off the couch long enough to take their place and rolling his eyes when Ace throws them over his lap. "It was a lovely night, even if you weren't able to stick around. Why were you so worried about it being perfect, by the way?"

Ace shrugs, "My dad apparently went all out for their anniversaries, so I thought that I would try my hand at making them nice. Did you not like our anniversary?"

"I think that I might have preferred something a bit quieter," Marco admits, sliding his hand up and down Ace's calf. It's hard to avoid the smile at the look of outrage on Ace's face. "I did like it, there was nothing wrong with it. But I like quiet nights more."

"Well, I'll remember that for this year."

"Are you already planning our anniversary?" Marco demands.

"Already planning?" Ace says raising an eyebrow. "More like planning since the end of our last anniversary. I will make sure that they're good and we have a nice time."

"Our anniversary is not a competition."

"You're only saying that because you're losing."

Marco laughs, patting Ace's ankle, "If you say so, my dear. Which reminds me, why do we have a small bag of bath bombs in our bathroom that say 'do not touch'?"

"Because they turn bathwater into acid," Ace answers digging his heels into Marco's thighs, revenge Marco was sure for laughing at him. "Luffy was very upset about the fact bath bombs weren't bombs so he talked to one of his friends."

"Does Luffy kill people?"

"No. Hilariously, Luffy is a spy."

"A spy," Marco chokes, feeling off balanced by the thought of Luffy as a spy. "I would believe Sabo, but Luffy?"

"Luffy is very good at it. And Sabo is technically a spy too. What do you know about Dragon?"

"The senator or the shadowy leader of that revolutionary group?"

"There's really not a difference and you should fire all of your people if they don't have that information already," Ace states. "Sabo is Dragon's direct apprentice and Luffy is his son. They're both spies and very good at it. Though, Luffy has a bad habit of being less for information and more for sabotage."

Marco frowns, "Do they know who I am too?"

"Of course. Do you think we would be married if they didn't? They've threatened more than one of my partners with death because they thought that they weren't good enough for me. I don't get to do the same."

"Because?"

"Luffy's not dating anyone and Sabo's girlfriend is hard to catch for a chance to threaten," Ace hums. "Can I test my massage skills?"

"Massage skills, you have some?"

Ace nods, "Yeah. I spent almost six months undercover as a masseuse in France, but it's not a skill that I need often enough to keep it in form. Need it for my mission next week and I thought you might enjoy one, since you look like your back still hurts from that throw last week."

"I have a bruise across my back, but if you want to test your skills, then you can. A massage would be nice."

"Perfect, because I found these very nice oils on my way home and I'm very excited to try them. They're not very strong smelling either."

"After dinner then?"

Ace hums, stretching slightly, "I don't want to cook. Could order something in? Have a quiet night and relax? I know you're going out for fact finding tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Hm," Marco agrees. "I think that sounds like a good plan. You're just lazy because it's raining, aren't you?"

"It makes me sleepy," Ace whines, pulling open the drawer on the side table and rifling through the menus. "Preference for dinner?"

[one-idea]

HIII, how are u doing?? hope everything's fine! I've just read the reverse strawhats au and I LOVE IT SO MUCH OMG YOUR BRAAAAAIIIN

if you'd like to share it, do you have plans about sabo and deuce's role in the au? I'm. totally normal and not insane at all about sabo haha (lies) so I'm very curious about what would have changed about his backstory (if anything) and how he would react to luffy's death and seeing ace again (which is gonna leave me an emocional wreck because omg their little brother DIED- that was their baby brother that they swore they'd protect and now he's dead and won't be able to realize his dream and sabo wasn't even there and ace had to see his baby brother die in his arms and was all alone and the GUILT that'd be eating sabo up would be just... GOD... and ace wondering why sabo left and didn't contact him at all during all these years... if that's even his brother at all or someone pretending to be him and ace would be livid!!)

as you can see I'm perfectly sane about the asl brothers. anyways! I'm also curious about what would have become of deuce if he didn't meet ace, would he even be a pirate at all? do they have any conection?

I loooveee your ideas for this au, thank you so much for sharing it with the world, we all appreciate it !!

🐝

Hello my friend, I’m doing well.

Ohhhh thank you so much!!!!

Oh Sabo and deuce my beloveds.

I have to be honest with you. I haven’t got to Sabo yet. I know his story beats but I’m just not there yet. So everything I say is still very fluid as it might change once I met him and get a firmer grasp on his character.

That being said I love everything you have here!!!

Right now I have Sabo mostly the same. He still grows up with Ace and Luffy. Still gets blown up by the celestial dragons. And still ends up with the revolutionary army.

Things will change a little. Luffy is executed for being Dragon’s son (and for a familiar straw hat on his head) I need to get through Marineford before I can speak on this to much. I don’t know if I want the revolutionary army showing up to Marineford.

Because it plays out two ways right now.

One Shanks comes to save Luffy, with support from Whitebeard

Shanks still has his connection to Luffy. He loves this kid. And the Marines are trying to kill Luffy before he even gets started. Not happening.

Whitebeard joins in because Ace is his boy. Ace might bot be part of the crew but for two-three years Ace’s crew has been hanging around the Whitebeards. They have an alliance. Whitebeard knows of Luffy. Knows that’s Ace’s baby brother. And he was captured by Blackbeard. Blackbeard is a Whitebeard problem. He wants to handle it ‘in house’

So those two show up. Shanks to save Luffy and Whitebeard to protect Ace’s baby brother while also ‘fixing’ what Blackbeard did. (Luffy shouldn’t die because Whitebeard trusted the wrong people)

Obviously Ace shows but the rest of the crew is separated.

What else happens is up in the air at this moment.

The second option is that the revolutionary army shows ups as well

Shanks and Whitebeard still roll in for the reasons stated above

But Dragon doesn’t want his son to die. (He loves his son. He just can’t be with him) so he sends some of his men.

Originally they were going to break Luffy out of Impel Down but Ace messed up their plans.

A small branch of the Revolutionary army fights at Marineford. They can’t come at full force. Dragon can’t sacrifice that much for ‘selfish’ reason. But he would put someone he trust in charge of it. Sabo

I can see him going with a mask on so no one knows his face. After all he still wants to keep his identity a secret for now.

Maybe he runs into Ace in Impel Down. And it’s horrible déjà vu. He’s been having an awful headache since he first saw Luffy’s picture and being around Ace makes it so much worse.

He doesn’t get his memory back until he’s at Marineford and hears Luffy and Ace calling for each other. Sees them fighting Side by side. And his brain kicks back in. And it’s to much. His visions going out but he can’t stop. These people are important to him. He doesn’t fully grasp why but he has to save them.

Just in time for 🍩 to happen.

He passes out and has to be saved by Koala (probably still making decisions)

When he comes to he finally has all of his memories. And Ace and Luffy were right there when he passed out. He needs to find them!

Only for him to be handed a news paper with THAT picture in it.

And he knows he’s failed. And he thinks both of his brothers are dead.

How could he fail? He had been with Ace. They were going to save Luffy. How could he fail? How could he not remember them earlier? If he had would he have succeeded? Taken risks where he didn’t? Fought harder? He and Ace would have coordinated better that’s for sure.

But none of that matters because his brothers are dead.

Or so he thinks until he a few days later when the news shows Ace’s return to Marineford.

Ace is alive! But where is he? And how can Sabo ever face him again? He can’t even say he wasn’t there, he was and he failed both of them.

Again this is a loose idea. I still need to get through this part of the show. Ace and Sabo won’t officially meet till dressarosa where they have a LOT to work through either way.

(As you can tell I’m very normal about the ASL brothers as well)

As for Masked Deuce!!!!

I have a few ideas I’m chewing on for him. But my current favorite is to Kobyfy him.

Ace still meets Deuce on Sixis and they get off the island together. And make their way to Shell town. On the way there they have a bunch of conversations about their family’s and their dreams. Deuce wants to be a writer.

When they get to Shell town and meet Kuina, Deuce knows that Kuina is Ace’s first mate. An emperor of the sea should have the world’s greatest swordswoman at his side.

Deuce decides to go his own way. But he keeps up with the story of the reverse Strawhats (who I really need to give a name to) writing their adventures. He pops up in different places interviewing the people who witnessed Ace and the crews escapades and writes them down and publishes them. It’s running like an anti newspaper. Something the marines can’t control or twist.

He bumps into the crew every now and then (he and Ace have the biggest crushes on each other, Ace’s crew teases him relentlessly over it)

I think he’d get so good at gathering information, or so popular that the revolutionary army picks him up at some point. Using his paper as an information gathering tool and a way to spread revolution.

But this is just an idea. I think it’s really fun with him ending up with Sabo at some point. He talks about Ace and the crew constantly (way to instagram stalk your crush Deuce) and Sabo hears about Ace for years before he sees his picture/face and realizes that his friend/co-worker has been openly pinning to him about his big brother.

It’s embarsing for both of them when Sabo reveals that Ace is his brother. Deuce wants to die. Has openly waxed poetics about Ace to Sabo for at least two years. Sabo and Koala already teased Deuce before. Now he’s stuck with

Sabo who as his friend finds it hilarious but as a little brother doesn’t know how to feel.

Koala who is bringing up his crush as often as possible because it makes Deuce blush and now has the added benefit of making Sabo SWIRM

And worst of all Nico Olivia who is basically Ace’s new mom and is talking about wedding details and her FUTURE son-in-law. Deuce craves death.

This is one idea but again it’s all fluid right now.

Koby’s roll will be played by both Deuce (was saved by Ace and is now a fan/admire) and Isuka (the marine who chases after Ace, I’m going to put her on Garp’s crew of the fun of it.)

It can’t be Koby in the beginning because he would be a literal baby going into the marines and no one deserves that.

But this is where we stand so far. Like I said all ideas here are fluid.

I’m so glad you like my AU I’m hoping to start officially writing it this spring. But feel free to keep asking questions!!!

[petrichal]

Concept: Ace joining the Revolutionary Army

Another concept: He meets Sabo there and goes absolutely ballistic

Here he is, all passionate about changing the world for the better because fuck world nobles, honestly and he didn't expect his dead brother acting as his job's second-in-command.

Ace thought he was tripping. Maybe it was Deuce's medicine screwing him up. Maybe it was his mind playing the same tricks on him just as it did all those years ago.

But then his ears catch wind on the kind, generous, magnificently benevolent Chief of Staff having amnesia when he was a child because a Celestial blew up his boat in little ol' East Blue and Ace PANICS because holy shit?? Is it really-?

He confronts Sabo and his colleagues are all "no, Ace, he's busy you shouldn't bother the Chief like that" but he does anyway and knocks on Sabo's door with as much authority as he can muster because this was Sabo, the Rev's second-in-command, but he's also Ace's little brother.

Few seconds in, Ace doesn't know what's taking Sabo so long to open the door. He moves to turn the door knob only for it to WHOOSH in his face and he backs away only to find Sabo staring at him quizzically.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

It's so damn polite, Ace had to fact check he's indeed in Baltigo and not in some posh mansion somewhere in High Town. At this point he's too busy deciding whether to strangle Sabo or to hug him, and he missed how Sabo's eyes lit up in recognition and-

"Oh, you're the assistant, right? Come in! We've a lot of work to do."

Ace doesn't know what the fuck's going on as he's pulled into Sabo's office and oh my god how does this boy live with papers everywhere?? And suddenly Ace realizes what he's supposed to do the same time as Sabo tells him to organize what into where

Ace doesn't like that. He tells Sabo so. Might've told him that he's his long lost brother too, maybe. Try to jerk that memory a bit.

Sabo though, Sabo doesn't buy it. He's a busy man- or so he tells himself- and immediately he ushers Ace out- "Since you're not my assistant, you might as well get out? I'm stressed and I don't need to be reminded I have amnesia now of all times thanks"- and shuts the door right in his face.

One thing led to another and Ace got to be Sabo's assistant (by force) and Sabo now has to deal with an insufferable fire logia who's claiming he's known him since he was six or some bullshit.

Sabo knows Ace is lying. He can't feel his memories rushing back after all.

[ohshanksno]

You're welcome. I like the idea that Ace and Luffy would train together with Rayleigh. However, what would Ace do afterwards? I don't think he can or will accept Luffy as his captain. He'll definitely be his ally though. Maybe he'll search for the WBP on his own? I dunno, but in the final battle, I want the ASL fighting together. They are the first and true Monster Trio. Watch out world, you'll never be the same again. ASL will turn you upside down.

!!!!!

me, holding up a camera to ace and luffy training with tears in my eyes: you're doin great sweetie

What would Ace do afterwards? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

There's a lotta roads he could take, but I highly doubt he'd go back to WBs (looking at you, Squard....yeah, you, specifically) right away. A lot of ppl, bros, and sis' laid down their lives just for him (OARS JR!!!! O A R S!!!!!), but he still has a huge mark on his back of being Roger's son, so not everyone is going to accept that so quickly. Marco would be more than glad to welcome him back with open arms, of course, but that's not to say if someone would backstab him because of what his dad did a generation ago. Ace prolly wouldn't go for that idea very much (looking at you, Teach).

He could round up his original followers from the Spade Pirates (if they still accept him) and go his own way, maybe?

He could take the road of Strawhats, as you said, and have his own position (idk what it'd be, like, idk, hunter or something, or maybe he'd be part of the Fixer Upper crew! Fixes shit when they get broken, kinda thing, since he (and Deuce) built Striker) but prolly goes off in his own direction from time to time. Everyone would love Big Bro Ace joining them, and Luffy and Chopper would be so excited to have someone join their mischief! Ace says no, but somehow, someway, he gets roped into it. He, Brook, and Robin has some deep conversations. He and Franky and Usopp make wild creations. Only Nami and Robin (and somehow, Ace) is allowed in the kitchen. He and Jinbei are best bros now, and they remember the good times they had with WB. He never misses tea time. Tea time is peace time. But it'll suck when Luffy falls overboard and Ace jumps right behind him ("LUFFY!!! HE CAN'T FUCKING SWIM OH SHIT!!!!") and both of them can't swim ("ACE WAIT YOU'RE A DEVIL FRUIT USER TOO!!! YOU CAN'T SWIM EITHER!!!"), so send Chopper, Brook, Sanji, and Zoro after them.

My headcanon is that he'd be a full time farmer back home at Mt. Colubo, selling fruits and veggies to the townspeople, and be a part-time worker for Makino and be a babysitter for the kid. His melons are an all time fave during the summer and fall, and his berries are amazing during the spring. He also has a secret ingridient in his drink, The Spitting Fire, that has people flocking in from all over the island and East Blue to get a taste of it. Makino loves the extra set of hands on deck, and the baby loves Uncle Ace to bits! And, of course, the townspeople love him because he keeps the crime on the downlow (not on purpose, because no one wants to mess with a 500 million beli bounty that easily when he can plummet their 10 million asses in a heartbeat) and helps fixes thing here and there (also my headcanon but I like to think that Ace would be a welder, also! If he knows his way around metals, he could make a whole bunch of stuff for the town, like a water tower or fences or light poles and stuff)

Or, Ace would just disappear off the grid in general. No one's seen him, no one's heard from him, most people would assume he's dead. But there are rumors on the grand line about a mysterious guy saving people from danger and the Marines....wonder who could that be????

I've heard people saying he could join the Revolutionary Army, and help Sabo out. I don't know much about this theory, tbh. Overthrowing the government seems pretty cool and all, but I don't think that's the game he wants to play. He might use the anonymous part of the RA to save others instead of overthrowing the govn't. I think I'll look into this one some more!!

But the ASL Trio is the original moster trio, you right!!! Like, they were unstoppable as kids, imagine what they'd be like as adults!!!!!!! Akainu and Teach better watch out!!!!

HE BETTER WATCH OUT

[krischuu782]

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Retired officers often work in the pachinko parlor industry; critics have pointed out that while this has had a deterrent effect against organized crime involvement, it also means that these operators are in a strong position to influence police officers in their favor. Therefore, it is important to carefully examine the impacts and influences of casino gambling.A new warden from California shut it down that year, saying gambling was a "degradation" to the inmates. Singapore is an up-and-coming destination for visitors wanting to gamble, although there are currently only two casinos (both foreign owned), in Singapore. The Marina Bay Sands is the most expensive standalone casino in the world, at a price of US$8 billion, and is among the world's ten most expensive buildings. The Resorts World Sentosa has the world's largest oceanarium.

There are many variations of video poker. They include Deuces Wild, where a two serves as a wild card; Joker's Wild, where a joker serves as a wild card; Anything's Wild, where the player selects any card (by rank) to act as the wild card before the hand is dealt; pay schedule modification, where four aces with a four or smaller kicker pays an enhanced amount (these games usually have some adjective in the title such as "bonus", "double", or "triple"); and multi-play poker, where the player starts with a base hand, and each additional played hand draws from a different set of cards with the base hand. (Multi-play games are offered in "Triple Play", "Five Play", "Ten Play", "Fifty Play" and "One Hundred Play" versions.) A come-out roll of 2, 3 or 12 is called "craps" or "crapping out", and anyone betting the Pass line loses. 메이저놀이터 Tourism, as a significant form of human activity, can have major impacts. As with all other betting systems, the average value of this system is negative.

Some casinos have slot machines with progressive jackpots—in other words, the jackpot grows with continued play. These bets are considered working bets, and will continue to be paid out each time a shooter rolls the number bet.Therefore, to provide enticing jackpots, many players must lose all of their Tuesday night bankroll. The place bets on the outside numbers (4,5,9,10) should be made in units of $5, (on a $5 minimum table), in order to receive the correct exact payout of $5 paying $7 or $5 paying $9.

Many players will use a come bet as "insurance" against sevening out: if the shooter rolls a seven, the come bet pays 1:1, offsetting the loss of the pass line bet. The risk in this strategy is the situation where the shooter does not hit a seven for several rolls, leading to multiple come bets that will be lost if the shooter eventually sevens out. In the United States casinos were for many years legal only in Nevada and New Jersey and, by special license, in Puerto Rico, but most other states now allow casino gambling, and betting facilities operate clandestinely throughout the country, often through corruption of political authorities.To remedy the problem, in approximately 1907 a dice maker named John H. Winn in Philadelphia introduced a layout which featured bets on Don't Pass as well as Pass. Just like the buy bet lay bets pay true odds, but because the lay bet is the opposite of the buy bet, the payout is reversed.