With different eyes

Of lead ducks and devil forces

I just want to go to the counter to pay the bill for the room, and Ace says "Oh yes, that's right, there's something else I should tell you: I don't have any cash with me." I'm frozen solid. You're not serious, I think, and hit my hand on the forehead. The man behind the bar is already looking suspiciously in my direction."I'll give you a good advice: RUN!" laughs the crazy fist of fire in my mind. "Dine-n-Dasher" I yell in my mind as I take my legs in my hand and run, the angry owner on my heels. "So actually you're bouncing the bill, I can't help it" Ace answers with half a laugh. When I get my hands on him I only think, "Can you only beat yourself, we're sharing one body", and the answer comes to my thoughts. "Why do I get the feeling that you're having an inappropriate amount of fun with this situation?" I ask in my mind. "Turn right" hums the fire fist amused. I turn and come to the end of the village to a forest. The striker is moored at a bay at the other end of the forest.

Meanwhile I was a little deeper in the forest and the angry owner had let us go. A bit out of breath I asked loudly into the forest "Why do you go to a hostel, if you don't have money to pay the bill?!"  "Pirate" comes the answer. "Excuse" is my response to that. "I bet Shanks always pays his bills, he doesn't risk a drinking ban." "It's interesting that you know the people here," Ace said. "Are you trying to distract me?" I ask pantingly. "A little. Working?" said Ace. "A little," I said, a little irritated. What were we talking about again? Ace laughed himself to death again in my mind. What the hell does he swallow for breakfast? That kind of good vibes in the morning should be punished, not less than three months in jail. Ace must've thought my thoughts were hilarious, because he never stopped laughing.

Another question: Why can I move almost painlessly, yesterday I almost died of pain? I ask the fire fist in my mind. "And what is so special about it? I had a good meal and enough time to sleep," he said irritated. What kind of circulation does he have, I asked myself and noticed that this irritated the fire fist even more. Speaking of food, I can feel my stomach starting to growl. Again I don't have anything to eat and drink and this time I clearly blame Ace with his dine-and-dash cheating! "In the striker are stocks" came his reply. "Since when and especially WHERE?" came my irritated question "All the time already, in the front is there a flap and a cavity for provisions" sounded his natural answer. I sighed up and walked on towards Striker, hoping it was the right way and that Ace would point out to me if I was going the wrong way.

I was so lost in thought that I got careless. It came as it should have come:"Careful" is what Ace used to yell before I went down a hill. I had stepped too close to the edge and it broke off under my foot. I rolled faster and faster around myself down the slope and couldn't get a grip anymore. Suddenly I felt no earth under me and I stopped spinning around myself. Disadvantage: I am falling!

I can still see myself falling towards the sea and trying desperately to grab something. Ace keeps on yelling in my mind as it has already happened I am in the sea. I dive into the water and think: that's it! Devil fruit users can't swim. As I sank deeper into the water I instinctively tried to move to the surface and guess what? It worked! I swam to the surface as fast as I could while it became frighteningly quiet in my head. At the surface I take a deep breath. With calm swims I swim towards the shore even though my heart is racing.

"How come you can swim," Ace asks, distraught. "Don't know" I say exhausted. Does your life want to fuck with you? Another mystery. I lie down flat on the sand and take a deep breath. If this goes on, I'll be dead before we get to Wihtebeard, you'll think yourself tired. "Take the dagger," said Ace. "Which dagger," you ask. "The one by your side and prick your finger," Ace gave the order. Since I already know what he wants, I take the dagger and prick my finger. It does not dissolve into fire and I have a small wound on my finger. We both keep silent.

It may be... but I interrupt the thought. "What can it be? You obviously don't have my devil powers although I had them yesterday when you were sleeping" Ace stated. "I would have a hunch," I muttered. "That one would be" urged Ace. "When I watched the anime, I had a hunch that the devil powers are not tied to the body, but to the soul or even spirit." You reply. "And you come up with this because..." pushes the fist of fire further. "'Because of a certain devil fruit eaten by a member of your brother's crew. The Yomi Yomi no Mi. It enables the owner to return to the body after death. This would not be possible if the devil fruit left the body after death. That is why I think that the devil power only becomes fruit again when the spirit of the owner leaves this world." I reply thoughtfully.

"And that is important for us now" question Ace again. "You just remind me of a four-year-old," I reply amused. "Lucia" growls Ace. "It's okay. To get back to our situation. I didn't eat any devil fruit so I'm not cursed by the sea nor do I have any powers, which means as long as I'm in control I'm not a devil fruit user because the power is bound to your soul. But if you are in control, the body becomes a devil fruit user again." I explain my theory to Ace. "In fact, sounds logical so far" Ace's voice sounds calm. We should keep going, I think, and get up. Ace hums approvingly. "How are we supposed to get to your crew, anyway? With your striker, I can only use the sail?" I asked Ace "We'll think of something. Lie down in the striker and take a nap, then I'll take control and we'll get ahead."  That might even work if I was tired. "Then we'll just wait for a narcoleptic attack." was the return of the  firefist. Oh, there's still such a thing, I think. An amused gasp in your thoughts.

Finally you arrive at the stiker and I release the rope before I hoist myself in and release the sail. The wind grabs the sail and drives you off the island. Now I notice the little flap on the front part. When I open it I find two drinking water bottles and a bag of provisions. I grab some food and a drinking bottle and lean back. While I have breakfast the island in my back gets smaller and smaller until it disappears completely. All around me there is only water, the quiet customs of the waves and the warm tingling of the sun on my face. For the first time in a very long time I don't know how the next day will be or where my path will lead me. I do not know where my journey will end. And incredibly, this loss of control fills me with a strange calm. I start dozing off while in my head a soft laugh rings out.