It takes Ace a long while to drag himself out of bed the next morning and even longer to wake Luffy up.
"I'm sleepy Ace," his little brother protests, rubbing his eyes. Ace is merciless and takes away his blanket violently enough that Luffy ends up splattered on the floor. He pouts at him. "Why aren't you reading with Sabo?
Ace shrugs. "He was already gone when I woke up."
"You could have gone looking for him." Luffy is eyeing the bed so Ace pushes him gently towards the stairs.
"I could have. I chose to wake you up, though"
Luffy looks ready to protest but they are both hit by the heavenly smell of breakfast. It takes them less than five seconds to get down from the treehouse.
"Are those fried eggs?" Ace asks, amazed. The bandits don't usually have them and they definitely don't eat them for breakfast.
"There's also sausages," Sabo points out already with his mouth full. "And bacon."
And a pan, Ace notices, which is not something they own. Did Buggy bring it with him? He would ask but his mouth is too busy golfing down the plate Buggy had handled him.
While he and Luffy are busy finishing their breakfast, Buggy and Sabo go over to the sack with the jacket.
"Show me how you do it!" demands Sabo crossing his arms. "I almost got it but it always goes wrong when I take it out."
Buggy smiles. "Why don't you show me how you do it, instead? This way I can see what you are doing wrong."
Sabo's eyebrow twitches at that but surprisingly he doesn't argue. Ace watches with envy as Sabo slips his hand into the front pocket without making a single bell ring. Ace still can only get that far half the time! Still, when Sabo's fingers wrap about the wallet and he starts getting it out the bells go off.
"Dammit!" Sabo curses. "So close. Why can't I get it right?"
"Because you are making a fist." Buggy slips his hand in and when he takes it out, the wallet is held between two fingers. "You need to grab it like this."
"But it will slip!"
"Not if you practice enough." Buggy drops the wallet back into the jacket's pocket. "But that was great, you've made a lot of progress in very little time."
"Me too, me too!" Luffy seems to have finished his breakfast because he gets up and runs towards Buggy. "Look!"
Luffy demonstrates and Buggy's face takes on a pained grimace. "Well, you are not jumping over the mark anymore, that's... better. Try not to just shove your hand in."
"But then it won't ring as much," Luffy pouts.
"That's the idea, moron." Ace punches Luffy in the head. "Look at how I do it."
He is trying to show Luffy, that's why he is being so careful. It's not that he cares what Buggy will think, really. Still, he is pretty pleased with himself when he manages to touch the wallet before triggering any sound.
"Nice," Buggy nods and Ace pointedly doesn't preen at that. "You guys must have practiced a lot."
"Not that much," Ace grumbles because Buggy doesn't need to know they practised daily. "And we won't get Luffy to do this the normal way. Sabo, where's his book?"
Sabo crosses his arms. "Why are you asking me? It's not mine to look after."
"So you don't know?" Ace asks, arching an eyebrow.
"Of course I know, it's under Luffy's pillow."
Ace nods and gestures to Luffy who goes running up to get it.
He turns towards Buggy to explain, "Meat would work too but it'd be kind of gross. Especially long term."
The pirate doesn't have the courtesy to look confused. "I see."
"I got it, Ace." Luffy runs towards him with the book in his hand. "Are you going to finish the story? Sabo was mean and only read me half!"
Ace grabs the book from Luffy's trusting hand. "So you must really want to hear the rest, right?" Luffy nods and Ace smirks while sliding the book into the other front pocket of the jacket. Luckily it's a man's jacket so there's plenty of space. "Get it."
Luffy goes to grab it but as soon as the bells ring, Ace slaps his hand away.
"Ouch."
"If the bells ring I'll stop you," he warns Luffy. "And we won't be able to read it until you get it out."
"That's mean!" Luffy grumbles. "Just let me get it."
"Nope." Ace takes great satisfaction at popping the 'pe' as much as he can.
Luffy must realise he won't convince him because he turns towards the others. "Sabo, Ace is being mean to me again."
"No, I agree with him, this could work." Sabo nods looking pensive. "You're rubber so it should be easier for you. And we practiced, remember? Even if you refused to use those techniques because 'your way was faster'."
"Blue?" Luffy tries as a last resource turning his puppy eyes towards the man. Sabo and Ace glower at him to try to counter them.
Buggy ruffles his hair. "Come one, Luffy, I'll help you do it, okay?"
"But I wanted to read more stories," he whines and Ace almost feels bad.
Buggy has a solution, though. "I'll tell you about my adventures, instead. How does that sound? I'm staying for longer this time so you have time to get it out before I leave."
"Promise?" Luffy asks with his eyes shining.
"Promise." Buggy reaches under his cloak and takes out a rolled poster. "By the way, I wanted to give you this yesterday but you decided that sleep was more important so I couldn't."
"What is it?" Luffy looks at it with mild curiosity since he isn't very interested in anything that comes as a paper. Sabo prompts him to unroll it so Luffy does. His eyes go wide. "It's Shanks! Look, Ace, Sabo, it's Shanks!"
He waves the bounty poster around so fast that Ace can't make up anything in it. "Slow down, let me see."
Sabo is smarter and just grabs Luffy's arm to keep it still. "So this is Shanks, uh? He looks like an idiot."
Buggy cackles. "He really is, you've got a good eye for people."
"He is not!" Luffy frowns, snatching his arm back. "Shanks is great!"
"We know, we know, he saved you," Ace tells him soothingly. "How did he get that scar? It's cool."
"No, it's not. Do try not to get scarring, okay? Especially not in the face." Buggy is looking at him with worry like he thinks he'll take a knife to himself.
"Who would get a scar on purpose?" Ace snorts, the mere idea is ridiculous.
"I did!" Luffy volunteers. "I stabbed my face to show Shanks how tough I was, look!" he points at the small scar beneath his left eye.
"You what?!" Ace, Sabo and Buggy are, for once, completely united in their disbelief.
