Pale Fire: Strange Habits

Pairng: Ace x Reader

Series: Modern au of the life of Ace and the reader.

Scenario: Over the last several weeks Ace has been huddling up in your room. It doesn’t help that your feelings for him have been solidified for a while now.

wc: 2.6k

warning: non just fluff and unsure feelings

a/n: It is here! The first part of this series I talked about a few weeks ago. Here a little bit about it if you missed x . This is not in order of events the story all comes together in different peeks into their lives

After another exhausting day at work and checking up on some assignments, you were ready for bed. Your usual bed stealer was already tucked into the cozy corner near the wall. His soft snores were your only indications that he was asleep. How you had ended up in this arrangement, you weren't sure anymore. Though it didn't bother you as the man was a walking heater. So in the dead of winter, you could care less as he kept you extremely warm.

Yawning, you close your laptop and move from your desk, and head towards the bed. Running a hand through your hair, you sit down on the edge of the bed. Leaning forward, you click off the desk lamp until the room is dark.

Crawling under the covers, you sighed happily at the warm feeling surrounding you; it was comforting. Shifting onto your side, you faced the wall where Ace was soundly still asleep.

You could easily make out his figure due to the street lights coming in from outside, making the room visible. He was laying on his stomach, hugging the pillow to his chest as his bareback was exposed to you.

You had known for a while that you had feelings for him, but you were too afraid to say anything to him. Perona had been on you lately about it, especially since Ace had been spending more time sleeping in your bed than his own in the last few weeks.

Why exactly, you weren't sure, but it didn't bother you much. He did love to be around you a lot, and you learned early on that he stripped in his sleep. It was a bit embarrassing at first, but you came to expect it throughout your friendship. Tonight was one of those rare times where he had kept his boxers on.

You smiled fondly at the memories as you continue to stare at the rise and fall of his back. Your eyes shifted downwards to the ink that littered his backside. What once was a skull and crossbones was now half a tattoo and a large amount of scarring. While you knew the story behind it as it happened before you even met the man. The sight of it made you emotional for some reason; Ace didn't like talking about it very much. Not that you blamed him, it was a horrific accident that left him very badly hurt with side effects even today.

The loud snore broke through the silence, making you freeze at the noise. You snorted as Ace's breathing went back to normal as he shifted slightly towards you.

Feeling content, you finally snuggled down into the covers and closed your eyes. Sleep finally overtook you as the day's events caught up with you finally.

Hot.

It was overwhelming and itchy, as if your whole body was on fire and unable to get away from it. Your mind raced as the intensity continued until something hard punctured it making it burst open. Your eyes fly open in a rush as you sit up with a start. Heart racing, you placed a hand on your heated skin to only cringe at the slick wetness that came off of you. Looking down, you noticed your body and T-shirt are soaked with your sweat. Still trying to catch your breath, you stare off into the still dark room.

You couldn't have been asleep for long, but what was that strange feeling you had never felt before. Your eyes finally adjusted again as you turn your head towards Ace. Who had somehow rolled over in his sleep and was now wrapped tightly around your body.

Well, that explains that issue. You supposed the man was still sound asleep as his arms tightened on your waist. The heat that radiated off of him was a lot. His leg was hooked over your thigh as he snored softly into your pillow.

"You are such a pain, Portgas, you know that?" You mumbled as you tried your best to settle back into the sheets ignoring the damp clothing you wore with the older man clinging to you like a monkey.

He didn't reply, but you took his snoring as a sign that he could care less. Closing your eyes again, you drift back off, not to be disturbed too.

...

The following morning was a noisy one but having lived in the house for almost over a year now, you grow used to it. Rolling over in your still half-asleep state, your eyes blur, not fully awake as you stare at the wall. The fuck how did you end up on the opposite side of the bed this time. Rolling back over, you noticed that your usual bed companion was nowhere to be seen.

Weird.

He must have gotten up already, which was odd for him. Ace usually slept in late on Sunday, but it seems today was a rare occasion when he didn't. Grabbing for your phone, the screen lights up to show it is a little past noon.

A little later than your own wake-up time but the little extra sleep was nice. Pushing the covers off yourself and getting out of the bed heading to the bathroom. After relieving yourself, you head down the stairs and into the chaos. The excited chatter of Luffy and Perona could be heard as you enter the kitchen. They don't pay you any mind as Luffy excitedly leans over the kitchen island and watches your best friend cook away.

The sight was very comical as Perona tried to push Luffy away, who was happily drooling at the presence of the sizzling meat. Giggling, you open up the fridge and grab for the jug of orange juice; shaking the container, you close the fridge behind you.

"Oh, (name) finally up, I see," Perona said, looking over at you.

Smiling at her, you open up the cabinet next to you and grab for a cup. "Yeah, guess I needed the extra sleep." You replied, turning back to them and pouring your drink.

"Well, I'm glad you came down when you did because I could use your help with cooking. No one else is around yet, so I decided to make a big brunch for everyone." She said as she cracked a few more eggs into another pan.

"You are so awesome, Perona!" Luffy said as he sat on the counter with a smile on his face.

You smiled at the sight even though this situation was a relatively regular one in your home. It always warms your heart because growing up, your luck with long-lasting friendships wasn't the greatest. So living here with some fantastic people made you emotional at times.

"So I see Ace slept in your room again last night." You froze at your friend's words as she peeked over at you from behind Luffy.

A guiltily blush crept its way up to your face. You looked away from her and stared into the living room. "Ugh yeah, he did; it's no big deal, just used to it." You mumbled.

"I see," she said slyly, making your face burn hotter with embarrassment.

"That's pretty normal for Ace. I think he's always clung to people that make him comfortable. He did a lot of that when we were kids and later with Deuce and Marco. Though for a while, he didn't think after his last relationship, which ended pretty badly, especially after the accident." He trailed off for a moment. "With you, for some reason, he started doing it again, but I'm glad we were all worried about him." Luffy grinned at you.

You were stunned. Ace had never mentioned anything before, not that you should be surprised. Despite his easy-going and friendly persona, Ace was relatively private on some matters of his life. Which never bothered you because you knew with time if it was necessary, he would tell you eventually.

"I wasn't aware, but I'm glad he feels so comfortable with me. I feel the same about him. He makes me feel secure, I suppose, is the right word."

Luffy looked at you thoughtfully and looked away, but you caught a hint of a smile anyway.

"Speaking of Ace, where is he? He wasn't in bed when I got up."

"Oh, he went for a morning run with Sabo. Well, I guess more of a late morning run. They should be back soon, though. Better start this before I have to listen to them whine about food again." Perona rolled her eyes, making you laugh at the image.

It was a ubiquitous experience in the shared home of the three brothers with bottomless pits. It was a good thing that Ace and Sabo had such good-paying jobs that they could have tons of extra food. Grabbing an apron from the hanger, you tied it around your waist and held for a mixing bowl, and started cracking eggs.

Both You and Perona moved in sync around the kitchen while dodging Luffy's grabby hands. The time passed quickly as you both finished making the feast just as the front door opened. The loud chatter of both older men caught your attention as you platted another stack of pancakes.

Looking over at your pink-haired friend you both shared the same thought as you both stepped away from the food. Just as both Sabo and Ace came stumbling in at the sight of the food. Just like wild beasts, all three brothers are divided in for their shares. You shook your head at their antics as a tap at your shoulder had you turning around.

Holding up a plate of food, Perona smiled at you as she headed it over. A smile spread across your face at her offering; grabbing it, you happily started to eat it.

"Thank, Rona yove the beth." You yell even though she barely heard you with your face stuffed and all.

She rolled her eyes at your display but smiled anyway. A sudden presence had you looking up at an arm circled your shoulders, pulling you into someone's chest. You gasped at the action but quickly recoiled at the smell and tried to tear away, but the grip was tight.

"(Name)!!" Ace mumbled as he swallowed his food.

"Acccce!" You whined as he held you closer to his sweat-soaked chest.

"(Name)!!!" He responded back teasingly.

You pouted as he snickered and kissed your cheek affectionately, making your cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Ok, lovebirds, take it somewhere else; we're trying to eat here," Sabo said as he gestured to the other three in the room, a grin playing at his lips.

You groaned and pushed Ace off of you as you grabbed your plate and joined the others at the table. Ace just laughed and followed you as he sat across from you. As you started eating again, Sabo spoke between mouthfuls of food and told a story.

You didn't hear half of it, but it was something about running into Zoro on their run from what you gathered. From the way Luffy was in hysterics, you knew the man had probably gotten lost again. It made you laugh at the image of him getting frustrated as he ran back and forth through the local town. Most people knew who he was as this was a constant habit, so that alone was funny enough.

After you were done eating, you helped to shove the boys out of the kitchen so you could clean.

"Go shower. You all smell!" You finally said, making them groan and protest.

You glared at them all, making the three boys shut up and stare at you before quickly saying sorry and scrambling up the stairs. The sight of them trampling over one another was entertaining and made you smile as you headed back into the kitchen.

…

You heaved a heavy sigh as you flopped down onto your bed; after finishing the kitchen, you had returned to your room. Knowing you would be waiting for the shower for a while, you decided to lay down. Rolling over, the three large windows greet you. They were currently blocking out the light making the room darker than it would usually be.

Lately, you weren't sure of anything between school, your job, and being an adult, in general, was enough to make you restless. Though the constant unsolved resolve in your mind was this deal with Ace. You cared for him so much, but the thought of destroying your close friendship is what stopped you from pushing further.

Turning on your stomach, you hugged the nearest pillow to your chest, which you realized had been the pillow Ace slept on. Closing your eyes, you bury your face into the soft fabric. The smell of smoke and cologne came off of it. It was all Ace, and it was soothing to have the familiar scent lulling you into euphoria. Between the warmth coming from the heater and the pillow you hugged, you dozed off pretty quickly.

The dipping of the bed alerted you from your half-asleep state as someone sat down beside you. You blinked your eye open more, making your whine softly. Rolling over, you are given the sight of Ace sitting hunched over on your bed as he pulled his blue sweatshirt off his head. Leaving him in a yellow shirt. He tossed it onto the floor, which made you roll your eyes at his carelessness.

Ace ran a hand through his still-damp hair and casually scooted himself back on the bed as he laid down next to you. He laid on the opposite side to you, so he was facing you upside down, his back to the wall this time.

"Hi," he said, smiling at you softly.

"Hello, intruder," you mumble, your face still buried in the pillow you were now hugging to your chest.

He laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you," he says with not a hint of remorse in his words.

You snorted.

"Right, because you are sorry every other time."

He shrugged his shoulders, continuing to smile at you, but this time his eyes had this gentle look in them you hadn't seen before. The look alone made you avert your gaze as your cheeks heated. You tried to not think of what that could mean exactly. The last few weeks had really been weird with him in general. The clinging, bed-sharing, soft looks, and just no boundaries at all at this point, which you were used to anyway, especially with Luffy, but this was different.

"Hey…..Ace, can I ask you something?"

You looked at him again; his brown eyes bore into yours.

"Sure, what is it?"

Closing your eyes, your grip on the pillow tightened, taking a deep breath, and you looked at him again. His lips pulled into a frown.

"It's nothing. Just wanted to know if you would take a nap with me?"

A huge grin split across his face at the gesture, and he happily sat up and grabbed you around the waist.

"Always (Name)!" He wrapped the blankets around you both and swaddled you into his chest. A giggle left you as you situated yourself in his grasp until you were comfortable. A sweet silence befalls you both as you settle into each other's warmth. After a while, you knew he was asleep from his soft snores near your ear.

You weren't sure when you would finally confine him about your feelings. For now, you were content with this strange arrangement you both had and were happy to continue it for a little while longer.

I heard you wanted more Sabo fanfics, @akemichan007, so here you are (I’m sorry in advance). This short story was inspired by the “whump” prompt in my card for the One Piece Bingo hosted by @op-pirate-fleet.

Dying Flame Sabo woke up to the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.   He slowly opened his eyes but couldn’t see anything in the complete darkness. He tried to stand up despite his aching body, but he was chained to a wall and could only twitch his fingers or turn his head. As soon as he did the latter, though, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and coughed more blood. An internal injury, probably.   I feel weak…ad cold.   Cold? Since when could he feel cold, now that he was fire itself? He had eaten his late brother’s Devil Fruit, the Mera Mera no Mi. He could turn into fire now; he had even mastered the fruit! His flames were so hot they turned blue-white, so why was he trembling?   Am I dying?   If he had an internal haemorrhage, probably he was. Sabo pulled on his chains with all his remaining strength, but he couldn’t get free of them.      Seastone?   That substance made Devil Fruit users like him lose their strength and feel a horrible sensation similar to drowning. Sabo felt nauseous, but he still tried to focus on his surroundings: he couldn’t see anything, but he still had his other senses.   And Observation Haki.   He could smell blood and some other unpleasant things. Probably, he was locked into some prison. Where, though? His best guess was Mary Geoise’s underground, but he couldn’t be sure of that yet. He felt dampness on his kin. Naked skin. Someone had removed his clothes and boots—his hat, even! He only wore his pants now, but their fabric was tattered and dirty. Next, he focused on sounds. The silence was almost absolute, only rarely broken by distant sobs and cries. Just once, he heard a high-pitched scream. He didn’t want to think what it was about, even if he probably knew the answer already. Finally, Sabo used his Haki. He could feel his “ambition” slipping away, but he was still able to detect the presences of a few other people in the dungeon—or whatever that place was. Some of them were just feeble presences—probably coming from injured or tortured prisoners—but others belonged to guards. He didn’t feel maleficence radiating from them, but just cold indifference—which was even worse. Anyway, he recognised those auras.   I’m still in Mary Geoise, and I’ve messed up.   The original plan was to declare war on the Celestial Dragons, but then he and his comrades had decided to save Kuma as well: a revolutionary like them whom the World Nobles had enslaved. It had been risky, but the rescue had been successful. However, another unexpected event had made things go downhill for them.   But I couldn’t let those bastards kill Luffy’s friend!   So, he had rushed to save Nefertari Vivi after leaving Kuma to Karasu and the others.   I hope you made it out of this damned place safely…   Mary Geoise reeked of arrogance, prejudices, and injustice. There, slaves died day after day both under the sunlight and in the depth of darkness, unseen by anyone.   And they have the nerve to call this place the “Holy Land”!   Sabo spat blood mixed with disgust. He needed to be out of there, but how? At least, he had managed to save Vivi. The princess of Alabasta should have left the Red Line at this point and should be searching for his brother using the vivre card he gave her. Her father hadn’t been that lucky, though: when Sabo had arrived on the scene, he was already dead. The late king had shielded his daughter, saving her from the CP0 members that had attacked them.   Sabo wasn’t fond of monarchy, to put it mildly. There were better forms of government, and monarchs were horrible people for the most part. However, the Alabasta rulers were different. Their ancestors had refused to leave their people behind, and instead of becoming Celestial Dragons like the other families that had created the current World Government, they had remained just regular nobles. Sabo grimaced, remembering some very different nobles—his family.   No, they have never been my family. The Revolutionary Army is.   The Nefertari, however, were admirable people. Now, Vivi was the last living member of their dynasty, and she would search Luffy for help.   What are you doing now, little brother?   Sabo tried not to think about him but to no avail. To make matters worse, his predicament was probably similar to what his other brother had gone through before dying.   Did it hurt so much for you too, Ace?   Luffy would be devastated to learn that his only remaining brother had been sentenced to death too, accused of a crime he had not committed. Sabo gritted his teeth, remorse and pain clutching at his chest. The weight of his failure and its consequences was suffocating, and his rapid breathing and heart rate made him feel dizzy. He couldn’t accept the idea, but he wouldn’t survive long enough even to step on the scaffold—one last chance to get his freedom back somehow. No, he would die in that dark cell, alone.   I’m sorry, Luffy. I’m sorry, Dragon, Koala…my friends!   Sabo had often asked himself what Ace had felt in his last moments, and now he probably knew. He wanted to scream all his frustration and pain but felt too weak even for that. He pulled at his chains again, desperately, only gaining more wounds around his wrists. He panted in that damp, lonely darkness until his breathing returned normal, trying to calm down. However, all he could think of was his failure, his comrades in the Revolutionary Army, his younger brother.   Forgive me, Luffy…everyone!   Since joining the revolutionaries and even before getting his memories back, Sabo had known that his life would have been probably short. As a pirate, Ace must have thought the same, too. They all chose their own path, and there was no point regretting it now. Sabo knew it, but it still hurt. It hurt that he hadn’t been able to taste full freedom in his life yet. It hurt that he hadn’t been able to party together with Luffy. It hurt that he had never completely opened his heart to his closest comrade.   Will you cry, Koala?   Heck! Probably Dragon, their stoic commander, would cry too upon learning about his death. Sabo owned him everything: a new life, a place to belong, a goal. He closed his hands in tight fists as he realised that, without him, the whole army was at risk. Dragon’s lifetime goal itself was at stake: Sabo knew he was the strongest among them, but he was getting old.   And I won’t be next to you in your final fight.   The awareness of that hit him hard, especially now that he knew the time of reckoning was near. The Celestial Dragons had gone too far by killing the king of Alabasta and attempting on his daughter’s life. They had grown too arrogant—even for their standards. They wanted to suppress any flame, any spark of rebellion, but that would make the freedom-seeking spirit always latent in people only grow stronger. Sabo’s only consolation was that, even if Dragon’s plan would fail, there was no way his younger brother at least wouldn’t change the world.   A world so rotten that any change would be for the better at this point.   Sabo coughed more blood as numbness was slowly replacing pain. That wasn’t a good sign.   How much do I have left? Days? Hours?   Sabo smiled bitterly. All of his life, he had searched for freedom and its meaning; yet, he would die in an underground prison.   Away from the sun, away from the people I love, away from the wind and the waves...   Even if it didn’t make any difference, he closed his eyes. No, it did make a difference. Now, instead of darkness, Sabo saw his memories. His precious childhood memories with his beloved brothers, when they were still young and untainted by the cruel world.   No, we were tainted even back then.   Sabo had met Ace not long after running away from his home, and Ace had been distant and cold at him at first—aggressive even. His first brother had suffered for the “sin” of being the late Pirate King's child, despised by most people even before they learned of his existence. Sabo, instead, had lived in a cage, unloved by his own parents and with his whole life already planned for him. And Luffy, despite his smiles and eyes always brimming with life, had had something dark buried in the depth of his heart, too.   Loneliness.   Sabo didn’t blame Dragon for cutting ties with his son, but Luffy had suffered because of it. Without a mother, without a father, and only a rude grandfather taking “care” of him sometimes. But then, the three of them had become brothers, and Luffy hadn't been alone anymore. Unrestrained, tears fell from Sabo’s eyes and flowed down his face, slightly warmer than his skin.   At least I’ll see you again soon, Ace.   Sabo reclined his head on his chest, feeling his life draining away.   Farewell…little brother.   After that last thought, the young revolutionary stopped fighting the torpor pervading him. Later that day, the brightest of flames died in the underground of Mary Geoise: far from the forests full of adventures, far from the ocean overflowing with dreams, far from the freedom-whispering wind. That same day, historians agreed, marked the start of the Revolution.

Basically a review of OP episode 503 ig

Currently rewatching post-war arc (in the dub so I don't have any screenshots for u guys sry) and theres a few things id like to point out.

During a conversation Dadan once had with Garp, they were talking about Roger. Garp said that even if they were facing powerful enemies, he would never run away because he wouldnt dare leaving his comrads behind; it wasnt an option for him. Obviously we see this in Ace. But ALSO, isnt this what he did with Katakuri? It was a little different cuz of the setting mostly, but he separated himself from his crew to fight off katakuri, and lied to them about being okay so they didn't worry (he was already getting his ass kicked by then, so he just made that stupid smile and told them not to worry (or smth like that, I can remember the exact line) (that smile was so gross and fake cuz he fucking sucks at lying). Also he said roger destroyed a buncha soldiers cuz they mouthed off his men. That's what Ace tried to do but instead he died. :(

"The pain he went through just made him hold on tighter to the ones he loved" -Garp, about Roger. "Despite his flaws and his bad reputation, his crew still trusted him completely." -also Garp, about Roger. These both sound a lot like Luffy AND Ace.

When Dogra got home and told everyone about Sabo's ship being shit down and him dying (which we all know didnt happen, thank fuck), (by the way the absolutely lost looks on Ace's and Luffy's faces with the sudden silence hurt like a bitch), Luffy started crying and said "WE SHOULDNT'A LET HIM GO, IT'S ALL OUR FAULT". Which fucking says something about him (thinking of episodes 913-915 when he goes fucking berserk, but before that he learns that Kaido probably killed Tama and he says "I should've escorted them..!" (*ugly cries*)). Ace also reacted pretty similarly-- "Sabo...why didn't we go back into town and bring him back here?! We're so stupid!" And he gets mad and asks where he could find the bastard that killed him (obviously not getting a good answer since it was a fucking celestial dragon ugh). That is what Luffy does, in present time. He results to anger first, not sadness. Not sure when he learned to do that but I'm 99 percent sure it was from Ace. Also the blaming himself thing? High chance thats ALSO from Ace. Who else would teach him that self hating behaviour?!

Dadan pins Ace down to stop him from going after the Celestial Dragon to calm him down, telling him he cant do anything, he's not big or strong enough to do anything and he'll be killed as soon as he tries anything, especially since it was the whole country -the whole WORLD- that killed Sabo. He can't do anything. And then they tied him to a tree outside to let him cool off. Oh yeah then he also told luffy to stop crying like a little girl or else he'll- (and he didn't finish the sentence). ...Ok maybe thats why luffy started being more angry than sad.

This is where things get a little more :( . Ace reads the letter Sabo sent them before he died. As he reads, he walks to the end of the forest, to a cliff overlooking the ocean. And starts fucking bawling (btw the voice actor who had Ace's childhood part did not do a very good job, no where near as in character and real as Coleen Clickenberg did with all of Luffy's crying scenes. She was spot on.) ...do you see where im going with that? He isolated himself before letting himself feel sad. It was all rage and then calm beforehand. Y-you see where im going with that. Dont make me say it.

"How's Luffy doing, is he any better?" "Well...he hasnt been eating much, but he still eats twice as much as we do". Oh look, That's what happened after Ace died too. There's a behavioral pattern that hasnt gone away. Not sure why it wouldve tho.

Luffy is mopeing, lying on the ground in a similar setting ace was at when he cried. Hes thinking about some of the things Sabo said, like how theyre gonna sail the seas together, and he clenches his hands into tight, shaking fists. After Ace shows up and hits him, and talking abt some other stuff I don't feel like relaying, Luffy tightens his grip on the straw hat and tells ace, whimpering, he wants to get stronger (and stronger, and stronger, and stronger and stronger and....) And he wants to be the strongest in the world. "And then, I'll protect everyone. I won't lose anyone I care about". He gets stronger mainly to protect the people he loves. And then he asks ace to promise he won't die. To which he hits Luffy again and tells him he should be more worried about himself dying first. And then the famous line that hurts like a bitch- "I'm NEVER going to DIE!" And then this hopeful music comes on (fucking damnit funimation, u gotta do this? Really??) Also he says he wont die as long as he has a wussy little brother to protect. ...FUCK. Ok, the fist clenching is a thing he does all the fucking time, usually when he gets mad. This was different because he wasnt mad, he was sad. He clenched his fist because thinking about it hurt. Which, huh, sounds a lot like his whole episode after waking up from his 2 week coma on the polar tang. To try and stop the mental pain of those horrendous memories, he resulted to physically pain. He hurt himself. So, He clenches his fists in times like these to fight off the mental pain and the urge to cause himself physical pain. Guys, our boy is bad at emotions, help him. ....ok this paragraph is longer than I anticipated so ill dumb down the rest of it ig. Next part, him asking ace to promise he wont die. The music, the body language, the over change in mood- this comforts him. He stopped hiding his face and silently sobbing after ace said this. OH YEAH! didn't he tell jinbe not to die when they parted ways in Totto Land? And then, hes missing still in Wano and we see Luffy is worried....but convinced Jinbe will show up. Again, this comforts him. Hes nervous cuz someone KOFF KOFF ACE broke that promise once. But jinbe is his crew mate so he trusts him, thank god.

"-But whoever did it, they must be opposed to freedom." The whole freedom thing? That runs through Luffy's blood and spirit.His brothers fought for it, his dad is the man who strives to give everyone freedom basically, and Luffy himself has seen enough of the OPPOSITE of freedom to be so, so much more than just against it. Hence why he of course was so eager to free the slaves in Sabaody, the kids in punk hazard, the toys in dressrosa, the country of Wano from Kaido's tyrany. The apple doesnt fall far from the tree huh.

I dont think Luffy would remember his promise with Shanks if it werent for his brothers putting feul to his dream. It was a stupid bet at first; he just wanted to beat Shanks, right then. But after meeting Sabo and Ace, he found the opposite of freedom and human rights. And then he wanted, REALLY wanted, to become the free-est man in the world; the pirate king.

Last one i promise ok? This one is less connected to whats going on in the episode at this point, but something I noticed (its so obvious everyone has seen this ok) was when luffy cries, his posture is always open. He doesn't curl in on himself like many people would do (I know I would, lol). He doesnt hug himself, protect himself. He's just, opened up to whoever is watching, literally. This has a little more to do with something I haven't talked about much in this post yet; his self-destruction issues. I said he tried to hurt himself when he felt mental pain, which is definitely similar. But he cries and doesnt try to protect or comfort himself, like he doesn't have that programmed into his mind. Reminder that he only wants to live because of his dream, and if he doesnt have his dream, he wants to die. (Whoa.). Ok, so no self preservation mechanism at all rlly. Hes basically ride or die. So, when things hurt so much that he cries, he has no hope left. He just kinda...dies inside. So this was mildly different after sabo died. Yes we saw him just standing there, sobbing. But the next day he's still crying, and instead he's laying on the ground. I saw that and the voice in the back of my head told me he wanted to be a part of that lifeless dirt beneath him. Then, Ace walked over. And his words made him feel the hope that I told you about earlier, and he sat up into a sitting position. And HUGGED HIS LEGS TO HIS CHEST. There's some self preservation! Some hope! Some will to exist, to live! Something we saw none of as he sat in front of his brothers corpse, shutting down. He sat there, open to his enemies, incapable of protecting himself. Practically anyone couldve killed him right then and there. I think he mightve liked that, at that moment. Like thank god he has that stupidly good luck cuz if he didn't I swear someone couldve thrown and axe or FUCKING ANYTHING AT THAT MOMENT and hed be dead becuase he never physically or mentally prepared himself. On purpose.

Our poor boy needs some fucking attention and therapists. (Insert my rant post about how jinbe is on the crew primarily for anger management and therapy, not just being a helmsman.) Ugh, smh ugly cries

Aaaaand thats about the end of the episode. Theres so many little tics and peesonality traits that you notive thru this episode, and I only noticed them cuz im rewatching this part of the show for like the third time. I don't react as much as the first time of course but some things are definitely sadder after knowing what's going on and what will happen later on.

Moral of the story (post)? I think luffy is almost equally as alike -if not, more similar to roger as ace is. Also, high key genuinely think Luffy met like NO ONE but Garp before he met Shanks and his crew. What the fuck was his first like 5 years of being alive like? (He wantd to be a pirate cuz Garp didnt want that. Rebellious baby asshole. And then shanks made things worse, in a good way for luffy. And then ace and sabo made that worse thing worse for a good reason. Luffy lives...for those influences. And that is fucking it. Why.

Oh thanks tumblr for moving my picture to the bottom of the post u fucking idiot

(purupurupuru) (purupurupuru) (gocha!) (coo!) (coo!)

 Happy 2019! We are deeply, deeply sorry for the long hiatus. Flu season is getting around, and the crew are still sick, plus I’ve been majorly busy with loads of work now that spring is coming and job hunting season/ visa renewal season for me. But to make up for the long absence, the crew gathered everything everyone missed even while being sick so I will lay out everything. First off, the chapter will resume this week I think as last time, it was left where Zoro gets acquainted with his new friend, Yasu as he brought him to a town of smiles and suffrage, Ebisu town. Everyone was all smile despite the hunger, pain, and illness going around, they still keep a big happy face. Zoro thought it was strange, but understood the hardship they are w/standing. One of the villagers mentioned to Yasu that a Robin-hood hero pass by the village again. Supposedly, this hero brings them food and water to ease the hunger of the villagers. Who could this stranger be? They call him ox-free. Back at Onigashima, MAJOR trouble stirred up! Big Mom showed up to get Zeus back, and brought her whole crew with them. It was chaos! They steer the mother ship towards the water fall almost reaching to the top, but King, one of the big honchos, used his devil fruit, the dragon-dragon fruit, pteranodon style. He turned into a dinosaur, pterodactyl. Anyway, King knock the ship down as Big Mom sinks into the ocean. At the end, Sanji, Franky, Ussop, and Law are heading for the hills to avoid getting caught. Law tells the guys that if they caught, they must not reveal their plans, and to not pick a fight as it would ruined their chance to fight for real. Sanji then hears screaming from the village, and it was none other than Page. Demanding for Sanji to show up, he destroys the soba stand, and hurting the villagers. Suddenly, Sanji kicks Page to the curb. He tells the guys to go on ahead as he pulls out the weapon that Niji left for him back at WCI. Sanji then pulls out his weapon and BAM! The dark knight, Soba Mask, appears! Black suit, family hair do, shades, rocket shoes, I mean the whole enchilada. Apparently, this new suit really is useful and beating Page. At the end, a surprise got washed up ashore. Chopper takes a stroll with Tama, Kiku, and Momo and they spot Big Mom. However, when she woke up, she doesn’t know her where she is nor who she is. EH?! AMNESIA? Will it last? What’s gonna happen if regains her memory? Big time yonkou will clash! What fate will hold for the kingdome of Wano?! GAH! So many mysteries and questions! Guess we’ll have to leave it up to the big man. Let’s be surprised. Also, if you want to read official manga, please use official websites. Do not go around revealing spoilers on any media such as FB, TW, or any other to everyone who are patiently waiting for the official released. It’s rude and messed up. Be considerate. Next, totally behind on the anime, but we’ll wrap it up in one. We finally see Luffy catching up to Katakuri’s level and getting the respect after finding out that Flampe pulled a dirty trick and put that brat in her place. This past weekend’s episode was a major throw down! We finally see Luffy’ new awesome gear 4th move, SNAKE MAN, which it increased his speed of his attacks. Katakuri however was still one step ahead thanks to his awesome observation haki. Both warriors are going all out majorly. The guys pulled their final move into a huge impact of haki!! Meanwhile, Sanji and Pudding wait in an alley. Pudding hesitates to say goodbye to Sanji, but approached him for a final request. At the end, the fight is over. The victor is…none other than our fellow rubber champ, Luffy-kun! Katakuri stands up and asked him if he will beat Big Mom. He vowed to come back and do so. Katakuri finally passed out defeated for the first time. At the end, Luffy leaves his hat on his face as show of his respect and Pekoms shows up. It’s 5 until 1 am. Next time, Pekoms helps Luffy by awakening his sulong form, but will it save our hero? DON’T MISS IT! Thank you, Katakuri for putting up a major fight. We hope to see you down the road. Now on with the goods! First, we received a telegram from Tongari-san as he caught the flu, but will get better in no time. He says that in March, the tower will be celebrating its 4th anniversary, and loads of fun events will be happening. The anniversary week will start from March 13th to the 16th. There will be a special live performance from Kitadani Hiroshi and Ostuki Maki. Details of events and special live will be announced soon. Moreover, check out the new theme for the 4th anniversary. It’s an Alice in Wonderland theme. They’ll be selling new buttons of the Straw Hats including, Ace, Sabo, and Law. The tower will also be having a stamp rally event so more details will be announced soon. The spring event and buttons will be available on March 1st. Next, the tower is celebrating the beautiful Nico Robin’s birthday. Her bday is on Feb.6th. To celebrate, the stores will be selling Robin’s birthday button and key chain, another bday button, art board, tote bag, & postcard set. Also, they’ll be giving out a bromide card if you visit the park, & a free poster if you purchase over 3000 yen. The café will be serving her Flower-Flower Soybean milk pudding. It will come w/ an edible flower w/ a bit of drizzled berry sauce. Delish! The café will also celebrate Vivi’s birthday. They’ll serve her royal white curry udon noodle with some blue jelly and an edible flower. If you order either, you’ll receive a free birthday card. Also, if there are those in the mood to celebrate Valentine, the café will be serving this limited time Mr. Prince’s aka Sanji’s Love choco banana waffle served a glasses sweet crisp shape. Available until Feb.14th. Anyone have a sweet tooth? Well, now you can buy your own character chocolate piece. Deco chocolate are selling cubes of any of your favorite characters. You can make your own box of chocos. You pick a box, pick the characters, and done! You’re ready to check out. You can buy 3, 5, 10 pieces for one box. It’s a perfect gift for friends, family, or if you are the lovey dovey type, it would be a great Valentine or White day gift or some other special occasion. If you want to buy a whole box of one character, that is possible too. I bought one box.  Next, the store is also selling these limited ed. café goods of Sanji such as a button set, a can of candy, a box of waffle cookies w/ a free random sticker, and an acrylic key holder. It’s still in stock.  Last, but not least, the store is still selling the New Year gift pack that comes with an acrylic stand, long towel, and button set. Next, FIGURINES! Majorly awesome new ones! First, if you are in the arcade, be sure to win yourself these World Figure Colosseum Treasure Cruise figurines of Luffy, Nami, and Zoro in their cowboy look. They’ll also be stocking this awesome Grandista figurine of Sanji as well so get those coins ready to beat the crane. Next, stores will be selling this awesome new Figure Arts Zero figurine of Luffy in Snake Man mode. It will be released in May. POP will also release figurine of Luffy in Snake Man mode as well. It will be released in August. They’ll also be accepting reservations for this new POP figurine of Hina. It will be released in July. Last, but not least, this adorable POP figurine of Chopper ver. OT. It will be released in May. Next, new stuff! First, the popular brand, Graff Art are selling these cute goods of East Blue such as acrylic key holders (6 random), pass cases, a pouch, 3 memo pads, and a pencil case. Next, the stores will also be celebrating Robin’s b-day. To celebrate, they’ll sell her bday button and acrylic stand. If you purchase over 1000 yen, you’ll get a free mini poster of her. Next, a new flower pot of Chopper will be sold soon. It will come an engraved box with Chopper in it. It’s a perfect for friend or someone. Next, this year, Mugi Mugi will be having new plushies from East Blue. This month, they’ll be selling mugi mugi of Shanks, Luffy, and Coby. Very adorbs! Next, in March, they’ll be selling memo pad stands of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, & Keita-san. Next, new phone covers with all the Straw Hats individually or in group. Next, this week, stores will be these cute tote bags in gold and silver color. Possible to make an ita bag. Stores are also selling these new smartphone pocket of the gang, and these awesome plastic gold & silver tote purses with the OP logo on it. Next, anyone likes Valentine? More luck. The stores will be selling imprinted Valentine and White day cookies. Girls are now in stock. Great gifts. Looks so colorful to eat. They’re also selling these JUMP stickers available at JUMP Shops and Mugi stores according to its location: Tokyo, Osaka, & Fukuoka w/ differ designs. Stores are still selling these New Year goodie bags. Both bags have hand towels & Luffy mugi mugi mini pillow. Red bag will have button set of Luffy, Sanji, & Katakuri. Blue bag will have button set of Luffy, Zoro, & Law. Get them while they last. They’re also selling these adorable New Year mugi mugi of Luffy & Chopper in their kimono, these neat socks of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, & Chopper, this adorable mugi mugi purse perfect to store them, and hat with the anniversary design on the inside. Next, the Hello! OP exhibition will be holding it in Fukuoka region from April 20th to May 12th. They’re selling new goods such as a ticket mini folder, mini art stands, new mug of Nami, Sabo, & Shanks, folder, poster, tote bag, motto long towels of Luffy & Zoro, t-shirt, and a goodie bag. Next, big events happening: Hong Kong will host a marathon; registration is full, and a big shiop event going in Yokohama bay to celebrate 20th anniversary of the anime. They’ll have an OP café. More details will be announced later. More new stuff at the stores. They’ll be selling these adorable winter designs of Chopper’s hometown mascots including hiking bear. They’ll have masking tapes, pen, and a small notebook I think. It will be in pink or blue color. Next, stores will be selling these mini RUN! RUN! acrylic mini stands of the Straw Hats, Law, Ace, & Sabo in kid and adult versions. Adult versions will be available on Feb.16th. They’re also selling these mini stickers, new vivre cards of Robin, Shirahoshi, Blackbeard, and Hordy Jones. Coming very soon, these new acrylic straps and big & small pixel stickers of many various characters and t-shirts of Katakuri & Zoro. Next, stores are selling these new adorable Chopper goods such as this t-shirt, small pillows, shiny folder, and acrylic stands wearing differ hats from various characters. They’ll also be selling this Zoro sleeping mask and various new hand towels and long towels. Next, YO HO HO HO! Music! Coming soon, new stores will be selling this golden album of OP Music Material of BGM. It will be available on Feb.22nd. Next, month, they’ll be selling the OP 20th anniversary Best Album of all the songs throughout the 20 years including the hit song, WE ARE! It will be available on March 27th. If you haven’t purchased, be sure to purchase of the new single of V6 for OP’s theme, SUPER POWERS! This CD will have the songs with its animation cover of the boys w/ the Straw Hats. Other CD will have songs and DVD with the MV making. Next, if you haven’t purchased it, be sure to get your copy of the new OP magazine vol.5. It will have Zoro’s wanted poster. Also, the Kumamoto x Tokyo Girls Collection will be accepting votes for a postcard to be included in the next issue which will be available on May 24th. It will have Nami’s wanted poster. Also, Tsuruya dept. store will be having the collaboration of OP with TGC. They’ll have a café selling delish dishes of the girls, desserts, and drinks. They’ll be giving out free random coaster of the Straw Hats if you purchase a drink. For goods, they’ll be selling a folder, acrylic straps & buttons of Nami, Robin, Chopper, Hancock, Perona, Tashigi, and Big Mom, postcards, a tote bag, and acrylic stands of Nami, Robin, and Hancock. Next, new info for the upcoming OP movie, STAMPEDE! On March 1st, all movie theaters in Japan will be selling advanced tickets to the movie, and if you purchase it, you’ll be given a free 10 button set of the gang’s new look including a new jolly roger. Its limited time so be sure to check out your local theater at a town near you. YOWZA! Finally, here’s the new DVD cover of vol.18 of WCI that has the awesome Katakuri. You can find on the JP site of amazon. Phew! That is whole thing we cover for the January and this month’s news. We are truly sorry for falling behind. We won’t make a bad habit of it. We promise. That’s all we got. Be sure to tune in for more news next time. Boys! Job damn well done! Let’s call it a night.

 TGC: http://www.tsuruya-dept.co.jp/tgc/cafe/index.html

OP movie: http://www.onepiece-movie.jp/

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It was not even that late but everyone had already retired to bed save for Ace, Sanji and Zoro. Since the swordman was on watching duties, though, Luffy’s brother and cook were alone in the kitchen.

Seeing the insane pile of dishes waiting to be washed, dried and put away, and being polite, Ace offered the cook his help. Sanji dismissed it, not finding it fair that the guest should clean for the residents while they had a nice rest or post-dinner leisure in the rooms of their choice. With an exhausted and brave face, he tied his apron around the waist once again and lit a motvational cigarette.

“C’mon, we’ll be done faster if I help”

There was no way to argue against that fact. Sanji let down his guard and with a tired but grateful smile muttered ‘thank you’ between his teeth. The pair of them divided chores, Sanji doing the washing, Ace the drying and both storing the wares away according to the instructions of the master of the kitchen.

Like Ace had very wisely said, they got the work done in half the time it would take Sanji to do everything all by himself. They were free now and the night was still young.

Sanji wanted to thank Ace with more than two barely audible words, though, and considered getting a skillet out to make sweet crêpes with ice cream before a better idea occurred to him.

“Not even the Marimo knows of this” he said while opening a cupboard and rummaging inside for something that must be rather well hidden and alcoholic in nature, if a reference to Zoro was needed.

“You don’t have to keep the act around me, you know?”

“Hmm?” Sanji didn’t really get it at first but it didn’t take him long to understand what Ace was suggesting. “It’s my autopilot.”

Finally he found what he wanted and grabbed a bottle of wine out of the cupboard. There was a fancy label glued to it and its name was also fancy-sounding when Sanji said it out loud, not without a dreamy quality to his voice: this one bottle must be properly savoured by those whose taste buds could manage, which was why it was crucial for Zoro not to know of its existence - the bastard would rather drink it right out of the glass mouth than have it served on a  glass in celebration of a special moment like it deserved.

“From the South Blue” The bottle was given to Ace for him to analyse the label while Sanji fetched them a couple of red wine glasses.

From the South Blue… Not from Baterilla but from some other island where vineyards were of economic importance. It still made Ace wonder… how close or how far could this island be from Baterilla? And that, of course, made him think of his birthplace and feel bad about not having yet paid it a visit.

“You don’t like wine?” The glasses clinked when Sanji placed them down on the table in front of them but it was the polite worry of someone who knows something’s wrong and doesn’t wish to put a toe out of line in Sanji’s voice that got Ace’s attention. The cook was smart and sensitive - two traits that made it very hard for lies to go unnoticed.

“Yeah, I do” It was not Ace’s favourite thing but if that meant having a good time with the cook, why not?

The two of them consumed the wine as it mainly should be, slowly and accompanied by a nice talk, though it probably deserved a cheese board for the tête-à-tête as well. It didn’t make much sense now and, the chef figured, it wasn’t that important. Unlike Ace, he already had to divide his mouth between the two pleasures, drinking and smoking.

Ace had always understood the cook to be a good listener and overall a pleasant person to chat with but he was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Sanji, the wine that loosened the tongue as it slipped inside the mouth and down the throat having nothing to do with it.

After a good while punctuated by more than a glass and more than a cigarette, Ace confessed to Sanji the thoughts seeing that bottle of wine had stirred in him, though there was much about the childhood he’d had and the one that life had taken from him he did not want to reveal to anyone, not even to the attractive and pleasant cook.

Sanji probably felt something similar about Ace, for he returned the other’s memories with some of his own while keeping himself protected in the same fashion, not blurting everything out. Though nothing too revealing, too spoiling was spoken out loud, the two men silently agreed they understood each other.

Fortunately, there were happier topics to talk about. Sanji wanted to know if Luffy had always been ‘like this’, as he knew him, and that caused Ace to tell him of some ridiculous stories of their pre-teenage years, as going even further back in time might prove a painful matter if Ace had to explain the present company all about Sabo.

He did not know whether Luffy had ever talked to his crew about Sabo but, judging from the fact no one knew of his fiery brother before meeting him in Alabasta, he figured not. Even if Luffy had dropped Sabo’s name here or there, he wouldn’t have told the story properly and quickly moved to whatever thing was currently stimulating his brain.

Sanji laughed so hard he had to hold his belly in place and Ace smiled at how lovely the cook was. Sanji really was a special guy and Ace already admired him a lot for surviving a troubled past - even without the cook being too transparent about it, Whitebeard’s Commander just knew better than what the other didn’t say. It was that kind of understanding two children of misfortune have, even if they can’t say how or why.

“Shit” The cook complained at his lighter refusing to perform its sole task. 

“Allow me”, said the only man on board who could easily fix this.

Rubbing his thumb against his index finger as though in possession of a lighter, the skin acting as the spark wheel, a flame flickered above Ace’s index’s knuckle.

Sanji leaned in, his face closer to Ace’s than it had ever been even if the angle was far from ideal, and in that moment Ace saw how handsome the cook truly was as though he hadn’t realized it before, which indeed he had.

His coal eyes quickly searched for those lips, made prominent thanks to the cigarette between them and his cheeks found themselves a bit more saturated as he wondered how they would feel on his own.

More words and more wine. Now they really were misusing the drink, as the bottle was pretty much empty when it shouldn’t have served more than two glasses each. This was not how civilized people should consume such an exquisite beverage, yet Sanji didn’t seem to mind - his cheeks were pink like Ace’s but, though his speech was coherent and not slurry, his reason must be of a different nature. Ace figured the cook was not too used to alcohol or guessed he was but not in this quantity.

When Sanji needed help from his human lighter again, Ace provided him with fire all the same but, this time, the cook didn’t return to his initial position, seated with crossed legs and an arm over the back of the sofa, wining and lounging. This time, he kept himself close.

“Damn, those are some nice lips you’ve got there”

To Ace’s surprise, the comment came not from the voice in his head but from a voice that was not his own, though those were more or less the precise words going on in his head.

It had been Sanji. It was Sanji, looking a mix of inebriated with hot and bothered. So much it was hard to tell to what point he was in control of his tongue - or of his mind. Did he really mean what he said?

It was with great titillation that Ace saw Sanji scoot closer, support both hands on either side of him, lean himself over Ace and straddling him at last, his weight too close to Ace’s groin, not enough to hurt him but enough for him to feel a bit more aroused even if no external sign showed it.

Answering Ace’s silence, the cook added another nerve-wrecking remark. “I’d sure like to try them”

Then do. Ace half-expected Sanji to kiss him and fully wanted him to do so. Hell, any minute now and he might be taking the chance himself, and should things escalate even more, then let them. No regrets.

There were two strong smells about Sanji’s breath, none of them particularly pleasant. But while Ace would have ignored the everyday one, he could not do the same with that heavy alcoholic scent.

Sanji’s conscience was clouded and Ace, who in the lonely nights would have the word ‘monster’ whispered at himself, was still above taking advantage of anyone not in possession of themselves.

“I think you should go to bed now”

The clouded Sanji must have thought his words meant something else, a ‘we’ rather than a ‘you’ because he smiled and got closer, decided to kiss Ace as he’d threatened. Thankfully for both, that was when Sanji blacked out, head hitting against Ace’s chest and the butt of his cigarette uncapable of hurting a man made of fire.

With a sigh that was as loaded with relief as with the frustration of Sanji’s actions not being sincere as he would have liked, Ace embraced Sanji so as to get up and hoist the poor cook over his shoulder, a bit like he were a bag of flour.

The plan was to put Sanji in his cot and pretend nothing had happened, Sanji’s gentlemanly honour not needing to be soiled by an episode of being drunk and horny that had ended very harmlessly.

As such, he had not expected to find Zoro out and about, maybe on his way to the bathroom or the bedroom if his watch was done. The swordsman didn’t say a word but eyed both men - the standing one and the idle one - with suspicion. 

To his horror, Ace joked about how tired the cook was and transferred him to Zoro’s arms. The swordsman panicked and told Ace to go do a nasty thing with himself but still didn’t let Sanji fall to the floor.

Ace just ignored the string of profanity from Zoro’s mouth. “You take good care of him”

Watching Ace walk away, Zoro had the feeling Luffy’s brother’s words were not limited to this night and not too friendly, either.

send me the sitting/straddling meme // quick answers or drabbles // accepting