PC: ACE 💀

[resumed]

Comments

[selfimmolation]

... You think?

[ it's not so much dubious as curious and a little unsure ]

[resumed]

Sure. You're not exactly a difficult person to read most of the time, Ace. And the stories you did tell us kind of say enough.

[selfimmolation]

Pretty sure you said I understated how bad I was as a kid earlier this week.

[resumed]

Because you did, but I do remember someone telling me a story about how he got a barmaid to teach him manners solely so he could thank a pirate for saving his brother's life.

[selfimmolation]

... Yeah, so?

[ :T ]

[resumed]

It just feels like a lot of effort for someone who was only trying to be good enough is all.

[selfimmolation]

... Yeah, well... I was trying to be good enough for two, remember?

[ this isn't the time comic strip also technically he says i'm no good not i'm worthless but let's not get into me vs the subs i can find on youtube

he's just making this face because this isn't the TIME he's DYING TOMORROW ]

[resumed]

[ this isn't the time, and yet he reads through the comic strip almost passively before his gaze slides back to ace. ]

...obviously Luffy turned out okay. Was he mad when he woke up?

[selfimmolation]

[ he sort of sighs ]

... Nah. He's stupid like that. But that's about when I realized I couldn't... stay the way I was.

[resumed]

[ he thinks he knows what ace means, but he prompts him anyway. ]

...which way was that?

[selfimmolation]

Well, the manners thing was part of it. [ ... ] I was always a mean kid, but I realized I couldn't rely on Sabo to be nice to Luffy anymore. I had to actually care properly. It didn't come easy.

[ he didn't actually have role models there. ]

[resumed]

Yeah, I've heard that most things that're worth it don't. Come easy, that is. [ bemused. ] Do I need to bring up the whole idea of choices again...?

[selfimmolation]

Not if it means we're gonna go around in circles. [ he says it wryly. it's not like he's trying to convince nico he's bad anyway. ]

[resumed]

[ and then, stupidly: ]

I'd be willing to go in circles if it meant getting to be here a little longer.

[ oh. okay. not really what he meant to spit out but. whatever. ]

[selfimmolation]

[ he doesn't know what to say to that and it's clear on his face for a bit, just squeezing nico's hand ]

... You can stay here as long as you want.

[resumed]

I mean...the others are still out there. Pretty sure we're planning to stay the night until we all have to go tomorrow.

[ he says that even while he's keeping ace's hand pretty firmly in his own like...who knows, maybe like if he holds on tight enough this one won't slip from between his fingers, too. ]

[selfimmolation]

I'm not gonna say no.

[ he says it soft. it's like a less terrible version of garp sitting with him on the execution stand, he thinks, maybe. hmmm. time for more stories ]

... You know that guy I said I fought for five days straight? He actually ended up in the same cell as me.

[resumed]

[ they are all much better than garp, yes. but he tilts his head. ]

What'd he end up there for? Did you end up beating him up again?

[selfimmolation]

[ he laughs a little ]

Nah. Boss Jimbei fought me in the first place because I was disrespecting Whitebeard, and he owes Pops. He's a Warlord. Did I tell you what those are? [ he is. pretty sure he did but. also. his liquidated brain. ] He was asked to participate in the upcoming fight with Pops over my execution, and he protested against the whole. So they threw him in jail with me. I hated seeing him like that because of me, but... it was kinda nice to have a friendly face in there.

[ he grins ]

And then somehow Luffy managed to drag him to the fight anyway. Pretty sure that was his official resignation.

[resumed]

[ he thinks through everything ace has ever told him. ]

Warlords are the pirates who're working for the government in exchange for protection from their bounty, right? So this guy was employed by the world government to...fight with Whitebeard. And when he disagreed, they arrested him. Something like that?

[ sure, this makes sense. ]

Guess that wouldn't be so bad, no. Even if the situation wasn't the best. [ but he kind of grins back, a little sad and uneven. ] Why does it sound like Luffy's just good at getting people to do what he wants?

[selfimmolation]

Basically. Jimbei did it to protect his crew from the government after their original captain died. The sun pirates were fishmen who were pretty infamous for freeing slaves. Whitebeard's put Fishman Island under his protection, so Jimbei feels like he owes our old man something. He'd never go to war against him.

[ "the government is pro-slavery" is hilarious to just drop randomly. anyway moving on to a better subject: luffy!! ace grins ]

He's got something about him that makes people want to listen and believe in his crazy ideas. He's so stupid it's charming, maybe. [ fond!!!! ]

[resumed]

[ okay yeah the first part really makes him frown because what the fuck he is not into slavery. but it's fine, he guesses, since it sounds like things pirates work out for themselves and he's listening to ace talk about luffy again. as usual. ]

Come on. Not all of his ideas can be that crazy, can they? [ he does not say that luffy and ace have that something in common where people want to listen and believe everything. ]

[selfimmolation]

The scar he's got under his eye is because he stabbed himself as a kid to prove he was tough.

[ Yes, They Can Be That Crazy ]

[resumed]

[ it startles a laugh from him. ]

Seriously? Couldn't he have found a better way to do that?

[selfimmolation]

Apparently he was aiming for his eye and missed! When I said I had to thank Shanks for saving Luffy's life, it's not just that one incident, you know! He's completely reckless.

[ :D ]