Strong(One Piece x Reader)[EDITING IN PROGRESS]

Smoke, Fire, and Sand

It didn't take long for Ace to handle the ships, so they kept sailing to their next destination which was Yuba. This time with Ace.

The two of you caught up with the months that you haven't seen each other. Man, you loved the guy. You first met him when he wasn't a part of Whitebeard's crew yet, and he came to search for Shanks. You so happened to be there with the Red-Haired crew(you're always there). And he made an impression and it stuck, the two of you befriended one another when he made a joke with you laughing loudly at it. And replying with your own. He gave a 'D' grin, and continued to spew out jokes. At the end of it, the both of you were both red and gave fistbumps to each other. The Red-Haired and Ace's crew were a little weirded out at the odd exchange, with Shanks being the only one with a soft smile as he looked at the two of you.

"Sooooo," Your mouth was wide, teasing as the both of you sat on the right side of the ship by the railings. You elbowing Ace's arm with a glint in your eye as Ace looked down at you with a confused nervous smile as he drank from his mug Sanji provided him and you. The rest of the crew doing their own duties to help with the ship to make sure they will dock once more alright when they reach their destination. "Hope everything is alright with all those ladies in those bars. Broken any more hearts, Ace? That poor girl in Pompano must still be cursing your name to this day."

"Ugh. You and that story..." Ace's frown lifted into his own teasing as he poked your head with his two pointer fingers as you slightly scowled. "Not like I'm the one attacking everyone and is a lightweight. What was it again? Oh I remember," Ace's eyes glinted dangerously as your cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment. "Five of those Happy Melon Balls. How can someone get like that with five of those tiny little things? They're not even that strong!"

You slapped his hand away as Ace laughed in your face, tears in his eyes as you looked away. Taking a sip from your mug of water to maybe hide your scowl of embarrassment as Ace dried his tears from his face with the back of his hand.

"S-Shut up! Those things were deceptively sweet! Ah man...it was like the chocolates again." Ace rose a brow at those words, him jabbing his hand to your shoulder as he wanted you to tell that story. You jabbing him back but to his stomach, him almost dropping his mug at the ticklish hit. "I-I'm not telling that! That was embarrassing! Maybe I should just stop eating stuff in bars too... anyways, you been back to Wano? How's that kid you told me about?"

"Hiding from the conversation again?" Ace teased as you mock glared, before looking up at the sky in thought. "Tama? I imagine she's waiting for us to come back with Pops, probably doing her best to become a kunoichi. Or maybe trying to figure out a way to just grow up faster."

"She sounded like she really took a liking to you."

Ace released a soft smile, eyes distant.

"Yeah. Hope she's alright...maybe whenever you go to Wano you can say hi to her from me?"

You released a smile of your own, bumping both of your shoulders together.

"Don't gotta ask that. Of course I will. Maybe I can even hitch a ride with you guys again whenever you go back there." Ace chuckled, but you noticed it sounded slightly off as he gazed into the horizon in front of them as you gazed at him in a frown.

You've noticed that Ace has been acting a little odd for awhile. Him furrowing his brows at random times as you or when Luffy was in the conversation and was talking to his brother as well about the crazy adventures the straw hat has seen so far. You noticed it wasn't just from Ace hearing there was a man stuck in a chest either, it was something different. Or seeing Sanji suddenly bringing special drinks to all the women in the ship with his love tornado. Or how Usopp was telling stories(? You can't tell if he's a prophet or an amazing liar that is actually a good storyteller) again to Chopper about his adventures of an island that is built in pieces one can make as Chopper loudly gasped and cheered as you and Ace shared a knowing glance. Or when Zoro got confused the storage was the kitchen somehow, you were with the Straw Hats on how exactly that can happen when he lives here. You would say Nami was alright, but you have a debt for reasons that doesn't make any sense. You think Vivi and the duck are the only normal ones in the crew, but that's not here or there. Your friend is smiling weirdly.