"A World to Store"

The Fire in His Eyes

Yuki stood on the deck of the Moby Dick, the wind tugging at her hair as she watched the vast ocean stretch endlessly before her. It had been years since Whitebeard had taken her under his wing, but she never stopped being amazed by the size of his ship and the power his crew exuded. Even the air seemed to hum with the force of their presence.

She glanced around, her eyes lingering on the crew members as they worked, each one as fierce and loyal as the next. But then her attention was drawn to a newcomer—a young man, fiery-eyed and brimming with energy. He was standing on the edge of the ship, looking like he was trying to prove something to the entire world.

Yuki couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What an idiot," she muttered under her breath.

The guy was Ace, a pirate who had recently joined Whitebeard's crew, and from the looks of him, he clearly had something to prove. He was standing a little too tall, a little too proud, like he was ready to challenge the world. He didn't even seem to care that Whitebeard, the very man who ruled the seas, was standing just behind him.

Yuki leaned against the railing, her arms crossed as she watched the scene unfold. Whitebeard's heavy steps echoed behind her as he approached Ace.

"Kid," Whitebeard's voice rumbled, the same deep, commanding tone that always made the air feel like it was vibrating with power. "You've got guts, but you need more than that if you want to survive in this world."

Yuki smirked as she watched Ace puff up his chest, clearly not realizing the weight of Whitebeard's words. He turned to face the legendary captain with that same fire in his eyes. It was clear Ace wasn't backing down from anything.

"I'm not afraid of anyone, not even you!" Ace said, his voice full of stubbornness, like he was trying to push every limit just to make a point.

Yuki snorted, muttering, "Yeah, you're an idiot."

She could barely hold back her laughter at the sight of Ace looking so sure of himself, as though his bravado would somehow make up for his lack of experience. Yuki had seen many pirates come and go in her time with Whitebeard. Most were like Ace—too cocky for their own good. But she knew better. No amount of fire in your eyes could protect you from the dangers of the sea.

Whitebeard didn't seem annoyed, though. He simply smiled—well, as much as a man like him could. His deep, booming laugh shook the ship as he patted Ace on the shoulder.

"You remind me of a younger me," Whitebeard said, his voice rich with affection. "But don't think that's a good thing. I've lost more than you can ever imagine in this world."

Yuki leaned in, intrigued despite herself. She'd never heard Whitebeard speak like that before, with such sadness. He was always so strong, always the pillar of their crew, but in that moment, she saw the weight he carried. Ace was still clueless, though, as if he couldn't fathom what Whitebeard was saying.

But what made Yuki even more annoyed was the way Ace looked at Whitebeard, as though he was the one in control of the situation. She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Idiot. You don't even know what you're getting into."

Ace wasn't listening to her, of course. He was too busy puffing out his chest even further and grinning like he'd just won a battle. She had to admit, though, his fire was... impressive. For an idiot.

Whitebeard's expression shifted slightly, and his voice grew more serious. "If you're going to sail under my banner, you'd better be prepared for the storms ahead, boy. No one is invincible."

Yuki could feel the gravity of Whitebeard's words. She had seen firsthand how quickly things could turn deadly on the seas. There were no guarantees. The winds could change in an instant.

Ace, however, didn't seem to get it. "I don't need your pity, old man!" he snapped, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm my own man!"

Yuki watched with a mix of disbelief and amusement. This was Ace, huh? So full of fire but lacking the wisdom to understand the danger he was in. But that's what made him so easy to read.

Whitebeard's smile faded slightly, but his voice remained calm. "You'll find that fire will burn you out faster than you think."

There was a brief silence. Yuki didn't know what was going through Ace's mind, but she could see that he didn't back down. He wasn't afraid of Whitebeard, and he certainly wasn't going to change for anyone.

"Well, looks like I'll just have to prove myself," Ace said, turning his back on Whitebeard, but his voice held more determination than before.

Yuki shook her head, muttering to herself, "What an idiot. But I guess... he's got guts."

Whitebeard chuckled, his deep laugh booming across the deck. "Guts aren't enough to survive this world, kid. But you'll learn soon enough."

Yuki smirked as she watched Ace walk off, looking like he was ready to take on the world. She could already tell that the idiot had no idea what he was up against, but she couldn't deny that his fire was... infectious, in its own way.

Maybe Ace wasn't so bad. Just a little... misguided.

"Looks like we have another fool on board," she said with a smirk, but there was a strange, unspoken respect in her tone. Even if Ace was an idiot, he was an idiot with a lot of potential.