With different eyes

When wounds starts to heal

Ace and Roger are eyeing each other, waiting for the other to make a mistake. Or rather Ace waits, Roger just grins. Ace bares his teeth like a wild dog. His eyes burn with rage, directed at the whole world. Ace shifts his weight to his back foot and then pushes off. With incredible speed and burning arms, he charges at Roger. But the latter doesn't seem to notice or rather doesn't care. He stays in place and waits for the onrushing Ace. I bite my closed fist to keep from yelling or intervening in any way. At the last moment, Roger dodges Ace and slaps him on the back with the flat of his hand. Ace stumbles forward from the momentum and just manages to keep his balance. "Don't attack so mindlessly!" says Roger sternly, turning to face Ace. Ace's eyes reflect madness and he charges at Roger again. He jumps into the air just before Roger and wants to kick Roger in the head with his burning leg. But Roger just casually raises his right haki reinforced arm and blocks the kick. Ace lands back on his feet and throws himself forward with the momentum, but again Roger dodges. Again and again Ace punches and kicks at Roger, but he just keeps dodging and never loses his grin. What strikes me is that Roger doesn't even punch at Ace. He just dodges and lets Ace attack. Meanwhile, Ace is snorting pretty hard. He stops, shaking, and looks at Roger. "FINALLY STOP AND FIGHT, YOU DAMN PIG!" yells Ace angrily. Roger grins and says, "Why should I?" Ace yells out in exasperation and launches another attack. Again Roger effortlessly dodges all the attacks. I can't watch any longer and want to intervene, but Rayleigh grabs me by the arm and pulls me in front of his chest. Then he wraps an arm around my upper body and prevents me from getting away. I tug on his arm and kick around, but Rayleigh doesn't care. I want to shout at Ace to stop, but Rayleigh must be a mind reader, because he keeps my mouth shut. I can't do anything but watch. Ace looks at Roger angrily before snarling, "You're good at running away like a coward! Leaving those behind who really needed you!" Roger's face darkens before he says, "Watch your mouth, boy. Don't talk about things you know nothing about!" I see Roger's arms tighten. What is this, family therapy of the D's style? Ace now wraps his body completely in flames before rushing at Roger. As I see Roger pull his arm back to strike, I want to break away from Rayleigh, but he still holds me bitterly. I can do nothing but watch Roger punch Ace through the wall. I hear him fly into the ocean. I tear myself away from Rayleigh and run toward the hole to jump after him. But before I can do anything, a red shadow rushes past me and lands with a splash in the water. Rayleigh takes advantage of my confusion and throws me over his shoulder before leaving the room. I wriggle back and forth on Rayleigh's shoulder. "Put me down! I have to get to Ace!" I grumble. But Rayleigh continues unperturbed. He walks through the aisles of the Jackson until we are on deck. I see that we have already cast off and are on the open sea. Everyone looks at me and Rayleigh, but he just shouts, "Roger's gone swimming! Lower a ladder!" A man goes to the railing and throws down a rope ladder. I fidget more, hoping Rayleigh will let me go, but he only tightens his grip. "Please let me go I have to help Ace!" I beg, but Rayleigh just looks at the railing. I can't see the railing because Rayleigh's body is in my way.

I hear something thud on the floor. Rayleigh puts me down and I whirl around. Ace is on the floor and next to him is a soaking wet Roger wringing out his coat. I rush at Ace, who at that moment starts coughing. I throw myself on my knees in front of him and lift his upper body. Slightly, I turn him sideways to help him cough up the water in his lungs. "You're a jerk, Ace!" I mumble into his hair as I stroke his head soothingly. Ace coughs in response. As his coughing slowly calms, he leans against my torso, exhausted. I scowl at Roger as I continue to stroke Ace's head soothingly. That was an absolutely stupid action just now! "I'm sorry, Lucia," I hear Ace say. I look at his mop of hair and whisper, "What?" I ask in a whisper. "That I lost control. I was so angry. He's the reason everyone condemns my life. Yet you told me to listen," he says, nuzzling his face against me. I think of something, Roger can hear us. Maybe Ace can tell him everything without it turning into a fight. I blink as I see that the only ones on the deck are Roger, Ace and me. "Ace why are you so angry with Roger," I ask him. Roger looks curiously at us, but Ace doesn't see it because he's hiding his face under my hair. "He abandoned my mother! She died to save me. Everyone says it would be better if I had never been born and that's only because I have HIS blood in my veins!" Ace says desperately, clawing my arm. I'm sorry to reopen such a wound but sometimes you have to open a wound so it can heal properly. Roger looks sadly at Ace. I rest my head on Ace's head and ask: "If you could tell him something, what would it be?" I take the opportunity that Ace has forgotten that Roger can hear us. Ace's grip tightens and I feel him swallow. "Why did he leave? Was fame more important to him than his family? Did he even love my mother and me? Were we worth the me to fight?" I see the pain in Roger's eyes before Ace continues, "She would have needed him! I would have needed a father! All those years when I was a kid. I was always defending him! Defended this damn blood in my veins!" Ace's grip becomes painful and I hold on to him like I'm afraid he'll break apart if I let go just a little. "I've always heard that I wasn't worthy of being born, only my brothers and father gave me a family, a home. Me who is good for nothing, and they love me anyway! But the demon that condemned my life was never there!" I cry silent tears as I realize how deep Ace mental wounds really go. I look at Roger. His face is pale and the usual grin is gone from his face. He stands up and walks toward me and Ace. Ace is so caught up in his own pain that he doesn't notice. Roger looks at me. I hug Ace to me again before breaking away from him and slipping away a little. I still hold his hand tightly. Ace looks at me confused, but then sees Roger.