Newbie's Skill

Twenty-Eight

"Easy. Ashlo isn't here to fight," Ace jumped in. "As long as you're not against him, you're fine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Usopp panicked. I turned to look out at the sea. I hoped Pops was okay. Ace had his eyes on me before looking at the crew.

"It's hard on Ashlo right now. He's not in the right mindset to fight."

"If I may ask...what happened?" Nami asked sadly. Was it all right to get it off my chest? It's been weighing me down so much lately. Between my family, the Marines, and Blackbeard, I didn't even want to be around anymore. I just wanted someone to just watch my back while I was vulnerable.

"Ashlo," Ace murmured. "It's okay to open up, you know."

"When I was a kid, I had it rough." Ace was tense when I turned around. I hopped up to sit on the railing. "My family was abusive. From my parents to my big brothers to my little brothers. Then, my grandpa won custody over me, and I lived with him in the West Blue. My family lived in the Grand Line, so a few years later, they got help from a Marine ship and entered the West Blue to kidnap me in the middle of the night, bringing me back to the Grand Line. After a while, my grandpa grew ill and passed away. I continued to be abused until almost a month after I turned 16. I ran out to sea with my dog, Champ, who is now living with a friend of mine."

"That's awful," Usopp said. I shrugged a little. I knew how it sounded. I knew how it felt. It felt nice to get it off my chest, though.

"It did take the Marines 27 attempts to successfully capture me. Then, they picked a fight with Whitebeard, and I escaped, almost stealing Ace's flame boat. I ran away from them, but then they ended up saving my life from being eaten by a Sea King. Now, here I am. Talking to Ace's brother." I couldn't help but laugh. The crew almost gave me a look of pity.

"You sound like you've had quite the adventure already," Sanji told me. "How long have you been at sea?"

"A bit over three months, I think," I answered. They jumped back in shock, and I just gave them a funny look in return. Luffy burst into a fit of laughter.

"Let's have a toast to our new crew mates!" Luffy shouted.

"Who said I was joining your crew?" Ace demanded. Sanji gave me a cup of alcohol, and I sniffed it.

"Isn't this Grand Marnier?" I wondered. Sanji looked shocked to say the least, and the rest of his crew cocked their heads in wonder. "I don't cook, so do correct me if I'm wrong. But I'm pretty sure this is the alcohol Gramps used to season some of his food."

"You've got a sharp smell," Sanji grinned. "You're right. It is Grand Marnier."

"He used to love this drink," I smiled sadly as fond memories resurfaced. "He'd always say that salt and Grand Marnier were his best friends in the kitchen." A small tear rolled down my cheek.

"You can have one of our bottles if you'd like," he offered. I looked up at him. Our eyes met.

"R-really?" I looked back down. "I haven't been able to find a bottle in years. It was like it vanished along with Grandpa. I just didn't think it was in the Grand Line."

"I'll give you a bottle when we dock."