Captivity

07 - A life for a life

Ace spluttered some blood on the wooden deck. These bastard marines were trying to seriously kill him, not using him as an exchange. Who the hell had the idea? And how on earth did his pops manage to have a marine onboard?! Strange and unusual. Even Marco would have had his sayings against that.

But, now, the idiot marine who was able to be held captive was the only thread to freedom he had. The thread that had brought the marine ship to this unknown island of Paradise. And his torture to its end, finally. He'd had to suffer beatings while wearing the sea stone cuffs. Double the pain and the numbness.

"Portgas D Ace."

Ah. How could he have forgotten his favourite torturer. Akainu Sakazuki, Admiral. Fucking hateful marines. These bastards had the guts to think the world was theirs and that justice was only what they thought it was.

"We arrived."

You don't say?! That's the only reason why he would have stopped punching him into a bloody mess!! But he held back his retort, Ace didn't want his family's efforts to go to waste because of his temper. Or sharp tongue.

"I have the duty to exchange you for a Rear Admiral."

Oh. That should be quite high in the ladder... Well, according to what Sabo muttered when studying about marines... Why the hell would he do that in the middle of the night, when he thought Ace was sleeping, was far from his understanding... No, not exactly, he knew why, but he would not admit it for anything. Because it was the same that made him feel sad and... useless.

"I should really kill you, instead."

Ace lifted his gaze, feeling his shoulders creak for being hung over his head for so long. He looked at the marine's eyes, finding them bottomless and unforgiving. So unfitting for someone who should protect the weak. So far, few were fitting his idea of a justice fighter. Smoker included. He felt warmth creep on his cheeks. He was not going there...

"I'm giving away one spawn for another, it isn't even funny."

Why was the jackass so talkative? He had not said a word even when he'd beaten Ace up. What was he... so furious he couldn't tell how out of character he was? Maybe. He didn't care. ... Wait. A spawn for another? What the hell did that mean?! Spawn... of the devil, was that the saying? Well, Ace could understand he was one, after all. But, that sentence meant that the marine of the exchange was... like himself? Well, he knew for sure he had no blood brothers. And, whoever that one was, he had no care. Though... He had one that was like him, but Luffy was not so idiot as to be captured by Whitebeard. As much as he... hated him, he had to give it to the marine, Luffy seemed a clumsy idiot, but was not.

"Unchain him, we're moving."

Ace ignored the two lackeys that unlocked the chains and brought him on the island. No, he was not. Luffy was a nightmare for his enemies, when he wanted to. He remembered well the episode with the bullies at the Grey Terminal. He shivered, a sight he could never forget. And now... wasted with the marines...

*-._.-*

Marco stirred awake, careful of not waking up the marine at his side. How the hell did he manage to draw near the two beds in the middle of the night without waking him up was still a mystery to him. He had just woken up the night before to find him cuddled at his side. Cute.

It was, however, the day of the exchange and Marco was feeling restless. More than because of lack of sleep. The sense of foreboding that had accompanied him throughout the entire previous day had just intensified during the night. He tightened his embrace on the man and sighed, noting it was ten in the morning. He had overslept, too. Thank God paperwork was not piling up.