𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽| 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 23

The Whitebeard's Pirates ' second-in-command liked to think of himself as a friendly guy. Despite appearances, he was approachable, polite, and nice when he wasn't acting like an explosive, violent maniac. Ok, maybe he was pushing it, but overall, he wasn't that bad at all.

"Oi, hot stuff!" A man yelled while his crewmates laughed at their leader's foolish attempt at flirting with Rue, completely ignoring him. "Let's go out, just you and me."

Ace watched Rue's lips curve into a polite smile. "No, thank you."

Though they continued to walk away, the male clamped his hands on her wrist, pulling her towards him. He grinned, "I wasn't asking-HHMPH!"

He never finished, as he received a well-deserved knuckle sandwich courtesy from Ace and Hanabi.

Ace gritted his teeth; this was the fifth one today. When they got off the boat and arrived in town, these men didn't hesitate to attempt to sway or have their way with Rue, no matter how nicely she declined their request. Seriously, when were these idiots going to get the message?

Of course, no one recognized the disguised Fire Fist Ace because if they did, they would be eating his flames by now. He didn't want to waste Rue's efforts in keeping his identity on the down low, but that didn't seem to matter. These men still tried, ignoring that he -another man- was beside her.

They never knew when to quit while they were ahead.

With their fiery glares, the pirates' subordinates scurried off like rats. Ace turned to Rue with a fixed expression. He crossed his arms,"You're seriously fine with this?"

Rue responded with a closed-eyed smile, unfazed, "I'm used to it."

Ace didn't know why this annoyed him more than the guy they had just decked.

This whole disguise allowed him to roam more freely around the island. Since he arrived, rival pirate crews have been attacking him─HIM, out of all people. He considered himself well-established in the pirate world, feared even. For them to have the nerve to attack him, Fire Fist Ace, the second-in-command of the Whitebeard Pirates, was asking for a death wish. This wasn't the first time this had happened on other islands.

It confused him initially, but after getting some answers (more like beating it out of a poor pirate), he discovered the motive behind it all. A rumour spread like wildfire that Whitebeard only obtained his reputation by using a special drug and metal said to be found on this island. Of course, it was a lie. What fool would think that someone as great as Pops would gain his rep over some piece of metal and magic elixir? It was just insulting to his name.

Seriously, it was utter bullshit.

"We're here." Rue's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. His gaze lifted toward a restaurant, and right on cue, his stomach growled like a famished lion.

Food first and think later.

...

Hanabi gawked as she witnessed the male shovel food down his throat, vacuuming it straight into his mouth without regard for his surroundings. His side of the table was filled with various dishes; his cheeks puffed like round dumplings. He kept going at it without a care in the world.

Rue was stunned for a moment. She blinked, watching the scene unfold. It wasn't that Ace had no regard for his surroundings nor that he acted like a hungry pig; she would have never imagined there existed someone who had a bigger appetite than her daughter.

Both woman jumped as his head slammed in his plate. Soon, low snores emitted from him. Hanabi and Rue stood dumbfounded.

"H-He fell asleep..." Hanabi uttered, her jaw dropped.