An Eternal Bond

Kaido

"Hey Y/N!"

I groaned and turned over in bed, burying my face in my pillow. I heard the door open followed by and irritated sigh, and felt someone pat my back.

"Y/N, get up."

I gently kicked at Marco, turning into Chopper and hiding in the blankets. "I'm tired!" I tapped my face and turned back to myself, a pout forming at my lips.

"Come on, I want you to meet somebody."

With a furrowed brow, I pushed off the blankets and swung my legs out of bed, my feet landing in my sandals as I stood up.

I used Doflamingo's Devil Fruit to bring a white long sleeve shirt and shorts with long boots towards me.

"That's a rather cute outfit compared to the things you normally wear." Marco noticed.

"You just said that you wanted me to meet someone, so I'm trying to look decent, at least."  I followed him outside and saw a rather rage figure seated on the log that Marco enjoys drinking his coffee on.

My eyes adjusted and I couldn't believe my eyes. "Pardon me if this is rude, but is that a cat?"

"Y/N, this is a Mink. Nekomamushi, this is Y/N."

"Ah, so this is the so-called 'Copy Cat.'" He said to me. I tapped my chin. "Mink... Oh! Like Bepo!"

"Like... who?"

"Oh, he's a Mink on Tra-chan's crew." I lifted me hand and a small ball of electro appeared in my palm. "See? I've already met one."

"So you really can copy..." 

I looked to Marco in confusion. "Well? Is there anything else you needed me for or did you just want to introduce us?"

"It's about Luffy."

"...I'm listening." I leaned back and sat down in the grass, my eyes fixated on the two.

"Mugiwara's planning on fighting Kaido."

I furrowed my brow. "Kaido...?" I thought back to all the newspapers I've read. "He's... a Yonkou, right?"

"That's right."

"But he lives in Wano, doesn't he? What does Luffy want to do in Wano?"

Wano, Izo's home region, as well as the great Oden's. I wasn't alive when Oden died, and I never met him, but I've heard so many stories about him from Marco, Oyaji, Izo, Jozu, everyone. He was an amazing warrior, kind, playful, and determined from what I could tell.

"We're planning on opening Wano again, but to do that, we need to take down Kaido. Luffy-dono decided that he would help."

...Of course he did.

"Are you asking us to help?" I stood up. "If so, I'd be glad." I gave him a smile. "Sure, I may be doing a lot of it for Luffy, but let me tell you something: freedom is something that must be taken, not waited for. And freedom's a pretty difficult thing to take, so you may need a bit of help."

I began walking back inside. "Of course, if you need me not, I shall not come."

Nekomamushi smiled to himself. "I always wondered what made that kid so special. So special that she joined Whitebeard's crew, stood side by side with Red Haired Shanks, calls multiple powerful pirates her older brothers."

"She's really something, eh?" Marco chuckled. "Sometimes, she makes herself look incomplete without her other half. Without Ace. But honestly... I don't think Ace ever left her."

I stood by the door, my hand over my necklace. Ace, are you still here?

And I hopelessly wanted there to be someone to say, "Yes. I am."