Fire in our hearts | Portgas D. Ace x OC

5. History

Little Grace Penelope had just finished a beautiful little sandcastle. After hours and hours of building, rebuilding, and making sure it was perfect, she looked at the monument with pride. With her little hands, dress, and strands of blonde hair full of sand, she felt satisfied with her work.

Luffy and Ace, meanwhile, were fighting (or at least trying to fight) each other. In these situations, Penny used to be the judge of these "battles," but she was too busy.

- Gomu gomu no...

- Luffy, wait!

A single movement made them both fall into the sand. But not just any sand, Grace's little sandcastle. It took Grace a few seconds to think and understand what had happened.

- My sand castle... - the girl had an expression of disappointment and pure sadness. When she felt this way she would spontaneously raise her lower lip and pout.

- Sorry, Grace, we didn't mean to...

- Yeah, sorry, Penny...

The little girl started to cry, and it was then that Ace realized that he would never want to make her cry again.

Day was dawning on Hand Island. In fact, it had been dawn for a few hours when Penelope heard persistent knocking on her door.

The woman had always been a heavy sleeper and had trouble waking up, so it was no surprise that she would wake up in a terrible mood, wanting to kill whoever was knocking so insistently on her door.

As she got out of bed in a fit of hatred and opened the door, she was met with none other than Ace.

Ace, in turn, felt more guilty than ever. Grace's eyes were puffy, and he could tell that she had been crying. She was still in her pajamas and looking very unfriendly.

- Penny, I...

- How did you get past the reception?

Ace smiled.

- I blackmailed them.

For a second he thought the girl smiled too.

- Okay... I'll go change and brush my teeth. I'll meet you out front.

Putting on some shorts and a t-shirt, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. The woman didn't bother to make the bed and left the room, finding Portgas sitting on a bench in front of the inn.

His eyes seemed to light up every time he saw Penelope in front of him.

- Are you hungry?

- Very.

- I know a place where we can have breakfast.

The walk to the cafeteria was silent - a silence that was even uncomfortable. Walking side by side, Grace realized how tall and strong Ace had grown in comparison to the 15-year-old boy she had seen last time.

Without saying a word, they both entered the cafeteria and sat down at one of the tables, facing each other. While the man ordered meat as usual, the girl ordered waffles, bacon and pancakes. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

While they were waiting for their orders, Portgas decided to break the silence and start talking.

- The day is really beautiful today, isn't it?

- Ace. - the boy shuddered at the seriousness of her words - yesterday I was thinking and decided to tell you everything that has happened in the last five years.

- You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable, Grace.

- I want to tell you. It's something I have to do.

And Penelope told me everything, all of it. She told of when she ate that akuma no mi by accident, and that she told her parents. She told about the threat that was made to her safety and that of her family, and when Garp got her out of there. Then she told about her time in Amazon Lily and the things she learned there (mainly haki and combat).

- Wait, so you are telling me that the pirate empress Boa Hancock adopted you as a sister?

- Yes, she protected me from everything and everyone, lied several times to the navy, risked her position as shichibukai, all so that I could be safe. She said I wasn't as beautiful as she was, but that I was beautiful enough to be her sister - the girl laughed. - I miss her very much.

Realizing the girl's pain, Portgas decided to change the subject.

- And what happened next?

- After a few years, the world government eventually found out that I was on Amazon Lily. The navy threatened to invade the island and arrest the empress, together with the other women who had "conspired" to keep me there. When I realized that they were in danger, I decided to leave. They insisted that they would fight for me and that I didn't have to go, but I couldn't bear for them to suffer because of me. So I went on my way alone.

Ace reached out and placed his hand on Grace's hand, trying to comfort her in some way. She shivered at the warm touch for a moment, but then surrendered and intertwined her fingers in his.

- Since then I've been wandering the Grand Line. I usually stay on an island for a while, until I am discovered by bounty hunters or the navy. Then I escape to the next place.

The boy felt anger. More than anger, he felt hate. Hatred of the damned world government and the navy, who were chasing a woman who in her whole life had not killed a single fly. That had taken her from her family, her home, her safe harbor. And that had taken away from him his best friend, one of the people he trusted most in this world.

All this for the simple fact that she had eaten a fruit of the devil that made the powerful afraid. The government was simply pathetic.

At that moment, Ace made a decision. He would protect her. He would give her a family, a sense of comfort. He would talk to his father and she would officially be part of Whitebeard's pirates.

She would never have to run away again. Portgas would make sure of that.

Feeling the man's hand getting hotter and hotter, Penelope unclenched her own hand, afraid of getting burned.

- I have to go somewhere now. Can we meet later? - Ace seemed rushed.

Penny wondered for a moment, but nodded.

And Portgas D. Ace left the diner, heading for Moby Dick, where he would finally talk to his father about accepting his best friend as a daughter.