PC: ACE 💀

[resumed]

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[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 ]

[resumed]

[ okay now he actually is laughing because what the fuck. ]

How do you miss? [ luffy please. ] Maybe I severely underestimated what kind of a person Luffy is.

[selfimmolation]

He was really uncoordinated as a kid. [ hehes ] He never thinks before he does anything.

[resumed]

...yeah, I know a guy like that. [ both exasperated and fond. ] All the more reason it was important to surround himself with good friends, I guess. People to look after him in those reckless moments. Am I supposed to take that as he's not still uncoordinated?

[selfimmolation]

He can mostly control the rubber thing now, so it's a lot less embarrassing to watch.

[ MOSTLY? ]

[resumed]

Mostly? Why does hearing that actually fill me with mild regret and fear, Ace? Isn't it sort of all or nothing?

[selfimmolation]

[ JUST LAUGHS? ]

[resumed]

[ he stops holding hands long enough to just kind of slap his arm. ]

Laughing isn't an explanation!

[selfimmolation]

[ that makes him wheeze laugh harder. the man is dying tomorrow he should stop ]

I mean... it's still rubber, you know? [ hehe ]

[resumed]

[ he hates this thanks. ]

The bounceback?

[selfimmolation]

Yep. These days he's definitely more of a danger to others than himself, though. I think he forgets people around him aren't rubber too.

[resumed]

I can't decide if I would love or want to fight your brother if I ever actually met him. That's what I'm taking away from this.

[selfimmolation]

It's usually both. [ don't just say that!! ]

[resumed]

[ that gets a laugh, even if it's small and uncertain. ]

That's the worst possible endorsement.

[selfimmolation]

[ grins a little because he likes the laugh. despite. everything else. ]

He grows on you. Like mold. [ saying it fondly. horrible. ] That's probably worse, but it's true.

[resumed]

Pick something less gross to use as a simile, please. [ no he still thinks it's funny. ] But I get it. I know a few of those people myself. No matter how much you ignore them, they just...spread until everywhere you look, there they are.

[selfimmolation]

Yeah. Yeah, that's a great way to describe him. [ saying it with a soft laugh ]