A Strange New Little Brother

Getting To Know Ace and Bad News

We learn more about Ace in this one, and then the thing that drives much of the plot appears, as well. Enjoy~

Pops carried Ace to the little room he'd been given, and tucked him in under the covers. They left, but agreed to not bring it up until everyone was more comfortable around Ace. They didn't want everyone to like him because he helped the captain out. They wanted people to like him for him. And it would take a bit to get used to, probably the most for Ace. Someplace completely new with nearly unfamiliar humans.

After a couple hours, Thatch walked out onto deck carrying a tray of sweets, and set them up on the roof of the cabin. Marco wondered what he was doing until Ace came out, and Thatch gestured up. Ace climbed up the wall and onto the cabin, where he started to eat the sweets, laying on his stomach with his legs gathered under him.

Pops got up to walk over with a smile. Marco followed. Some on deck were watching out of the corner of their eyes. It had looked like Ace went out of control and somehow attacked Pops, even though they had explained that nothing bad had happened, that the captain had been checked out by the nurses and everything was fine.

They were still suspicious, which Marco admitted was justifiable. Nobody knew a thing about him other than he dug his claws into the captain's leg and started glowing. It was a bit suspicious, and having him pass out looked a bit strange as well. "Hello, Ace," Pops said, standing next to the little one.

"Witberd. Are you feel better?"

Pops smiled and said he felt much better. "How did you know to do that? Have you ever done that to humans before?" Ace said he just knew how to do it, though he'd never done it on a human, never knew how. Marco thought that was reckless, to test it out, but it hadn't been in bad nature.

"You not betray Ace, so Ace repay," Ace said around the chocolate in his mouth. Pops smiled and said there had been no need for him to repay for something like that. He didn't be kind because he expected something in return. "Oh. Ace not know."

The captain said, "Either way, I'm thankful for what you did. It was very noble and kind, and I appreciate it. Is it permanent?" Ace said he didn't know, but felt it would be for a long time. Marco didn't know what a long time meant for Ace, but he didn't ask. But he did asked how old Ace was.

"Ace not know how to tell time," he said. So, he didn't know how old he was in human years. He still looked young. So Marco asked if he was a young one. He nodded, but said he didn't live with his parents, he lived on his own.

"Well, not anymore," Whitebeard said with a smile. Ace nodded and stuffed a lemon meringue in his mouth, letting out a little adorable hum sound. Apparently he liked that one. Marco hopped onto the roof to sit next to him. The faupta subtly pulled his tray of sweets closer, and the first mate said he wouldn't take any of his treats.

Marco asked him if he wanted to see something cool. Ace looked up curiously, and Marco took that as a yes. He changed into his phoenix form, and Ace reacted a bit negatively, his fur puffing up on his spine. "Don't worry, I'm still Marco," he said, shifting to his half form, where his arms and feet were the only changed things.

Ace relaxed a bit, and looked puzzled. "It's called a devil fruit. They're fruits that grant powers. Pops, Jozu and I have them."

"Swirly pattern?" Marco nodded. "Ace eat one of those! Taste bad?" The first mate was surprised, and asked what one he ate. "Ace was baby, not remember." Marco told him to wait and went to get the devil fruit encyclopedia. Maybe this would give the answer to why Ace could speak and think like he did, and why he was shunned by his own kind. When he came back out, Ace was drinking a milkshake made for him. He sure did like sweet things. Marco was sure he'd have gotten sick by then.