[OP] Of the Good and Bad / AceLu One shots and Drabbles

Meet

Pairing: AceLu mentioned
Category: Positive Angst/HC
Type: Oneshot

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It had been 7 years since that very moment.

That very day where everything changed.

That very hour where everything was torn.

That very minute where everyone experienced the unthinkable.

To think that it had already been 7 years.

"Hey.. what's with all that noise out there?" A blue haired man with glasses and half tied spiky hair asked the bartender as he poured him his third glass.

The bartender glanced up at the wooden door, and waited for sounds. After a bit, he responded to his customer, "Looks like they're looking for someone."

"Certainly a good ear, sir." The man took a sip of his beer and flipped through his book again as the older chuckled.

Voices were coming closer and closer to the bar. Soon enough, the door swung open and hit the stone wall beside it, leaving the customers startled. The blue haired man positioned his hand at his sword.

"I'm looking for Masked Deuce!" A slightly raspy sounding man's voice shouted. The smoke cleared slowly, and the figure started to approach the interior of the bar.

Blue haired shut his book slowly and squinted at the figure, slowly emerging from the clouds of ash. His grip on the sword tightened.

There were loud gasps coming from the customers as the dust finally cleared. The figure was now fully visible as he stepped inside the door. As he came in, he glanced at the wall and mumbled what seemed to be an apology. Blue haired noticed that he was wearing a straw hat.

And he could almost immediately tell who it was.

"I-it's the P-Pirate King..!" Someone blurted out shakily, his whole table toppling over.

"Shishishishi!! Hello there! Sorry for uh.. interrupting your drink.." The straw hat wearing man scratched the back of his neck and pushed the table back to its place, "I'm looking for Masked Deuce, which one of you is Masked Deuce?"

"That would be me." The blue haired gentleman stood up.

The straw hat wearing man's eyes widened slightly, before he smiled impossibly wide, "Ah! I was looking for you!! Great!" He ran over to the seat next to the blue haired man and sat himself down.

"Hey old man," He began, "2 drinks please! And the best food with the best meat you've got!!"

Deuce smiled. The Pirate King was exactly how he knew he would be like, even though this was the first time he had the chance to meet him in person. Deuce knew way more about this young adult than most people, thanks to special information from a special person.

"So, Pirate King," Deuce began, "What do you need from me?"

Said Pirate King made sure he stuffed his face to the very maximum capacity until he began to talk after a swallow, "I just wanted to meet you and talk to you! And just call me Luffy, we're friends." He replied simply, before starting to eat again.

Deuce chuckled lightly, "I see."

/ "We used to fight for meat so we eat and tear like wild animals. Luffy's always hungry." /

Luffy continued to eat in an aggressive manner, and watching him brought Deuce so many memories. Only to have his thought train interrupted by a random question the young adult asked out of the blue. "Hey, aren't you 'Masked Deuce'? How come you don't have a mask?"

The man blinked for a few seconds, trying to get out of his thoughts and into reality, "Ah. Well I don't really go by that anymore. But 'Deuce' will do."

Luffy nodded as he piled gigantic stacks of plates and let out a huge belch, "Ahhh thanks for the food old man, it was great!" The old bartender smiled.

/ "Treasure tab. It was something Luffy'd write on the receipts as a promise to pay them back when he becomes the King of the Pirates. No one believed him, but I know Luffy will." /

"How much?" He asked.

Deuce grinned to himself. Luffy kept his promises.

"That would cost you 3000 beri in total." The bartender responded.

Then Luffy took out a bag of beri and started to count.

"Woah, who taught you how to count beri?" Deuce asked in surprise as he watched Luffy skillfully flip through the paper bills.

Luffy beamed, "My navigator, Nami did! She loves beri and she's the best at counting and managing them!" He said, quite proudly.

"Ah, seems you have quite good relations with your crew." Deuce smiled and nodded slowly. Luffy grinned and placed 3000 on the table. With some tips.

/ "He got along with almost anyone he met. Even me. Luffy is truly special." /

Deuce was finally aware that he was having a bit too many flashbacks. He was hearing his voice again, "Oh.. I need to get some fresh air, I'll be back." He excused himself from the bar and went outside.

Deuce sighed as he slowly walked up to a shade below a tree. He sat down and looked up to the sky. Sunny, and clear.

"He's everything like you've told me." He said, "And he's just like you. You must've really loved him, didn't you?"

"I did." A voice answered, Deuce turned around to see Luffy standing beside him, "Ace was everything to me."

Deuce looked up at Luffy, "And so were you. He won't stop talking about you."

Luffy smiled and blushed a little, "He did huh?" He looked to his feet.

"I just wish.. he hadn't..." Deuce looked to the side, "hadn't...."

"Died because of me?" A heartbreakingly dead voice finished the sentence for him, "I wish too." Luffy blinked back his tears.

It had been too long since he felt completely safe, with Ace guiding the path for him as he himself worked the miracles. Tears still refuse to leave his eyes every time he thought of him. His beloved older brother, his best friend, and someone he loved the most in the world.

Deuce said nothing to Luffys solemn expression. The man could tell, indeed. Something in the cheeky teen matured, even though he was still the same overall.

It can't be pinpointed exactly, because it was a feeling.

It existed, and it left a mark on his innocent heart. Tearing it into scraps and absolutely killing him from the inside.

/ "But no matter what, he'd always get back up again. And that's why I love him." /