Ikari ][ One Piece ][

Chapter Nine

~Ace's POV~

Ikari was assimilating into the crew slowly day by day. She'd warmed up to Marco a little bit, enough to be in the same room with him for longer than ten minutes before snapping at him. Thatch still had to keep his distance. Though he always said something that made her blow a fuse, I wondered if he just liked toying with her. She was pretty cute when she was flustered.

Oyaji was the only one she didn't lash out at. He'd been the first person to help shoulder her great burden. Every day I regretted not being strong enough to help her carry the immense weight of it all, but I'd get stronger, for her. After training for days on end with the other commanders, they offered me the spot of second division commander. I was anxious about accepting the offer. Ikari hadn't completely decided whether she was leaving or staying. I didn't want to make a commitment to the crew if she was going to flee.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind nearly causing me to jump right out of my skin, I hadn't sensed their approach. I turned and tensed awaiting an attack but blinked in awe as I spotted the doll like girl standing before me. Her burning eyes looked like molten lava in the setting sunlight.

"Hey, Doll Face." I offered her a lazy smile and took a step back thinking our closeness would bother her.

"I heard they offered you the second division commander position." She noted tonelessly.

"Well...uh-."

"Marco said you haven't answered." Her hands found their way to her hips unconsciously and I couldn't help but crack a smile at how adorable she looked.

"What about you then?" I challenged her, "Have you decided whether or not you're going to stay?"

She folded her arms across her chest and threw me a disapproving look not liking that I was trying to take charge of the conversation, "Well, there currently aren't any commander's I'd like serving under."

My heart fluttered in my chest, "Say, Doll Face, if I accept would you want to join my division?"

"As if I'd let a rookie like you boss me around." She scoffed, "Fat chance."

"Eh?!"

"I'll have to sleep on it." She sighed and as she turned to walk away I saw the faintest of smiles on her rose petal lips.

"Let's settle it now." I smirked.

                She turned to me with an inquisitive look. "What do you mean?"

                "If I can get you to let your guard down in the next hour, I win. I'll accept the position and you have to join my division." I grinned.

                Her perfectly trimmed eyebrows arched up skeptically, "And if I win?"

                "You can be the second division commander." I shrugged "And I'll join your division."

                "This hardly sounds fair; I'm stuck with you either way." She scoffed, but I detected the smile in her voice.

                "But if you win, you can boss me around however you choose." I chuckled.

                "So if I lose you can boss me around?" She glared.

                I snickered, "I suppose so."

                A playful rage sparked in her smoldering eyes, "You're going down, rookie."

                "Eh? All I have to do is get you to let your guard down."

                "That'll be hard to do if you're incapacitated." She smirked before lunging at me. Her speed and agility were absolutely remarkable.

                I braced myself for the impact and allowed her to tackle me to the deck. We rolled to a halt near one of the main masts and I chuckled as I landed on top of her easily pinning her frail wrists above her head with one hand. Her eyes widened as I used my free hand to tenderly caress her cheek.

                "What the hell are you doing?!" She snarled as she found me immovable. My training had paid off.

                "Winning." I chuckled as I bent forward and captured her rose petal soft lips in a kiss.

                Her body went rigid beneath me freezing at the sudden contact and after a moment, like magic, she melted into the sweet kiss.

                A chorus of whoops and cat calls rang from all around us. Ikari shoved me away effortlessly and in that moment I realized she had let me win. "You're all dead!" She snarled as she scurried to her feet.

                "Aw! She's blushing!" Thatch teased her.

                Her face was a brilliant shade of scarlet, though at this point I couldn't tell if from embarrassment or pure murderous rage.

                "You may want to run." Marco chuckled as Ikari dug her nails into her wrist.

                "Eh?!" Thatch turned to see why all the other Whitebeard Pirates were slowly inching away. "Oh come on now, Doll Baby-."

                Everyone cringed. She barely let me get away with calling her Doll Face.

                "Idiot." Marco sighed and took a step away from the fourth division commander as Ikari lashed out at him with scarlet ribbons.

                I smiled to myself as I watched her and Thatch. She'd conceded to me. Deep down I wanted to believe she was growing to trust me if she was willing to let me be her commander. She could have easily defeated me in battle yet she surrendered to me. Maybe, just maybe she'd let me in and allow me to help her shoulder the burden of her haunting past.

Video- "King For A Day" By Pierce The Veil ft Kellin Quinn