LET ME PROTECT YOU [Ace X fem! reader]

Chapter 12 // Buggin' around

You fly past the whining branches twisting in the wind. They threaten to whip your face any second if you dare lose your focus for only a moment, and it is quite difficult not to. The current situation made your mind desperately want to drift elsewhere, somewhere so far away where you don't have to face the fact that your little sister is missing. The only thing keeping you grounded is the uneasy feeling settling in your stomach.

Where the hell could she be? You know there's no way she could've run that far. You only took your eyes off her for a second... but you're talking about Mila here, so you never really know what she can be up to. You're aware that she is strong and can handle a lot on her own, so she's most likely fine, but still... she is just a child...

Ace is matching your pace beside you and scouting the area when his eyes land on you. They soften at the sight of the concern painting your face. "Don't worry. We'll find her," he reassures you with a confident grin.

His voice startles you. The two you haven't spoken in a while, so hearing something else other than the chirping birds and the leaves crunching under your feet took you by surprise. You swallow the anxious feeling bubbling in your chest before faintly nodding as an answer. The pitying smile he returns kills you. You can't afford to be vulnerable right now... or let him think that you are. Both you and Ace need to be at your sharpest to even have a slight chance to stumble upon her in this massive forest. Even a single distraction can make you miss a crucial trace. You can't let Mila down now that she's in trouble. She's counting on you...

No. You know that's a lie.

Whatever mess she gets tangled into, Mila fully believes she can handle it herself. She's not counting on anybody to come and save her. At best, her stomach starts rumbling and she hopes for some support to bring her snacks, and that's only if her own stock is empty."This way!" Ace cuts off your thoughts by taking a sharp right turn, straying off the path and deeper into the tangling, lush woods.

You follow him closely, struggling to keep up with him. His swift movements take you by surprise. He keeps a steady pace, timing his leaps so he doesn't overexert himself and perfectly avoids whatever is in his way without losing a single second. What's more impressive is that he's doing it all while calmly scanning the area, trying to locate your lost sister. He's not sparing a single thought to these extraordinary movements, exposing how he's clearly spent a lot of time wandering through this type of terrain before. You can't help but ask yourself; how does a pirate - who spends most of his time at sea - know so much about traversing a forest?

Another thing puzzling you is how confident he is in his route. You never worry about losing your trace on this island anymore as you've been roaming through these woods since you were a child, however Ace should not feel the same. He has only been in this forest once. So why does he behave like he knows this place like the palm of his hand? Maybe he is using some kind of advanced technique to track down Mila? Or maybe he has sharpened his senses beyond a normal human, so navigating every new territory becomes like a walk in the park? Your suggestions might not be that far-fetched since humans - especially those here on the Grand Line - have the tendency to gain some interesting abilities throughout their journeys.

Only a few moments later, your doubts about his sense of direction are erased. You hold your breath as some faint shouts start conversing with each other behind the bright sun reflecting on the ocean waves through a cluster of trees in the distance.

"...HEY KID! ...WHAT DID YOU DO TO CABAJI!?" a familiar voice barks.

"...KICKED HIS ASS!" an angry shriek sounds. "AND I'LL DO THE SAME TO YOU!"

"-REALLY? YOU? KICK OUR ASS?" the same familiar voice mocks.

A crowd bursts out laughing before he continues, "HEY BOYS! LET'S TEACH THIS KID A LESSON!"