Ace has become one of my favourite supporting characters in One Piece, and with the backstory and everything, I felt that even though he dies, he deserved a secret story himself.  I’d like to imagine that in his short fictional life he found love, even if he didn’t believe it before.  So here is my Ace fanfic.

First of all my dear readers, followers, I never write fanfics.  Generally because the stories out there are already so perfect.  Plus most of the time there isn’t a story that I can insert or feel that should exist, but when I was reading One Piece, I suddenly felt this inspiration to write a fanfic.  I really felt that urge, one that I hadn’t felt for years to write a story for some manga that I was reading.  So I wrote it.  

Second, I think even though it is a fanfic, just being able to write something is like the beginning of a writer’s career – what I mean, more practise writing is always good for a writer, whether or not it’s a fanfic borrowing another artist’s character.

Third, and this is the most important number of the three, I do not own Ace or any of the characters from the manga One Piece by Eiichiro Oda – who, by the way has the most amazing manga and anime out there!  SO if you do end up enjoying my little fanfic, please go and the read the manga (if you haven’t read it yet), you’ll not regret it!  Also most of my fanfic, obviously is fan fiction, is most of my work except towards the end, when it’s the battle scene, most of what is being said has been taken from the original manga, and therefore belongs to Eiichiro Oda.  As for my lovely main character, Kisa, she’s mine.

SO please enjoy, I know for some of my constant readers this is a little different to what I usually write, but what can I say, I was inspired for a moment and wrote as quickly as possible so I could get it out there!

N.b:  Years later (it’s 2021 now) I realise that it’s ridiculous to have a water fruit!  Albeit, I picked that initially because I’ve always been the kind to lean towards a  water-like power.  But logically, it contradicts the world.  Nonetheless, I was really inspired to write this fanfic years ago!  One of these days I’ll rewrite it more logically in line with the actually world of One Piece. 

It’s a Sweet Life, my Ace.

I met Ace some time ago, he was eighteen then, and I was sixteen.  I was heading for the cliff that day, ready to throw myself off because I hated the life I lived.  It’s not hard to hate oneself, even if the people around you know you and care about you.  But it’s still difficult knowing you are cursed with a gift of water and yet cannot swim in it.  It is like a fish who cannot truly be a fish because for some reason it cannot swim.  If he had not been there that day, I would have really done it.  But as it was, he was, and I hated him.  But because of my nature I could not walk away from an injured man.

Freshly washed up on the shore and a little roughed up from some battle, I disliked him immediately.  What was there to like about a pirate especially one who had ruined my plans?  But yet, in the hot sun, he was beautiful; golden skin with a slight smattering of freckles on his cheeks.  His hat, an orange-brown, was soaked yet still squashed on his head.  His shorts were also soaked, completely saturated, they left little space for the imagination.  I’d blushed at first sight.  At that moment, he didn’t have a tattoo on his back.  Then, he was just Ace to me.

On the Grand Line where you face a thousand obstacles, you don’t wish to be washed up on some island with no knowledge of where you are.  But for Ace, that’s just how it was and he didn’t seem at all the least bit fazed.  Instead, when he woke, at the slightest touch of my hand, it was to say, “I’m hungry”.

Was I naïve?  Maybe.  Since that had been the only place I’d lived all my life and so I had no idea what people were like beyond my island.  But even so, he didn’t seem dangerous to me.  Then, I didn’t know he was that pirate.  What I knew was that he needed help.  Marring that beautiful skin, were deep bloody gashes.  So I helped him and fed him.  He ate and fell asleep randomly, until there was hardly any food left in stock.  Of course he didn’t notice it at that time, and I wouldn’t let him know because somehow it went against my pride to admit he had consumed all my food.

He didn’t really say much or do much though he stayed in my house.  He mainly went out searching for his boat.  And when he found it, he fixed it up.  But always he came back to the house and shared my food.

I healed his wounds with my power from the water-water fruit and when he wasn’t home, I walked to the cliff.  But every day I found I could not go very far because I was so worried about his well-being  even though he didn’t stay for long because he healed so quickly.  In the time he was there while I looked after him, I no longer walked to the cliff.  I told myself it was because I had a patient to care for and not because I was finding myself happy in his presence.

But when he recovered and his boat was fixed, he left without a word to me.  I hadn’t known he’d left until I returned home and found that his boat was gone.  I was sad and at the same time felt resentful since I had to restock my pantry.  In annoyance I returned to the village where the villagers asked about the man I had been looking after.  They’d been whispering about me all week.  At first I’d deflected their attacks continuing with my healing, but then, having found him gone, I’d felt angry.  Angry enough that I’d told the villagers what I thought.

‘He’s gone, thank Poseidon,’ I’d snapped at them as I purchased food for my empty pantries.  I had a hard time hauling it back to my little house, but I refused the help of the villagers.  I never accepted their help and I never wanted it.  When at last I got home and I opened my pantry, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Here I’d thought badly of the man I’d looked after thinking that he’d been using me just like the villagers.  But looking at my completely full pantry, I realised, I had been wrong.

Since then, I began to change.  The villagers became aware of the change.  I began to distance myself from them, not from fear that they would control me but because I wanted to make it clear of the divide between them and I.  And I changed, finding myself wishing and wondering everyday if I would see that man again.  I couldn’t face that cliff at all.  I couldn’t because I wanted to know if I could see him again, this pirate, who cared not for the injuries on his body and had refilled my pantry even though I never said anything. That’s why I’d changed.

And then, a year later, we met again, this time on an island several islands away.  I’d journeyed for the sake of journeying, finding myself so alone with only the small village and its mundane villagers.  I guess I hadn’t expected the sight of such a man to disturb me so much within the space of a week.  And yet, we met on a sunny island, and this time he thanked me.  I learnt later on island that he was one of the Whitebeard pirates, and my initial glee at seeing him again vanished.  I became frightened at my idiocy, for I knew the world and seen for myself the devastation left by the pirates.

I guess I hadn’t counted on being in debt with them eventually.  My power is the only one of its kind, and on occasion I did healings, for it is only I who can work such miracles.  But it drains my energy, and for that reason I chose rarely to heal.

One day, I’m accosted on the street.  On this day I had already spent too much energy healing and one more would take away all my energy.  And yet these men couldn’t understand.  And in my weak state they’d easily overpowered me.

Most days, such an occurrence would never happen for I am not a weakling, and I most certainly have the power to fight a hundred men.  Water can be very deadly when used appropriately.  But I was too tired, and had I not been saved, I would have fallen.

It was Ace, flying from nowhere.  He saved me, with his beautiful fire, and his bright smile that I saw arcing over me as I teetered on the edges of consciousness.  And I was glad that it was him who had saved me even though I knew he was a pirate.

When I woke, he was snoring on my couch, and I noticed the empty plates on the table.  He must have made use of my pantry again, and I wondered if there was anything left for me.  Careful not to disturb him I went to find food.  But to my surprise, I found a plate sitting in the pantry with my name on it.  My heart didn’t stop jumping with happiness and surprised joy.  I ate it gratefully and contented,  my mind desperately trying not to dwell on whatever it was Ace could have been thinking.

He was still sleeping when I cleaned the dishes, and I couldn’t help but gaze upon his sleeping face.  He looked much younger in his sleep.  There was something so innocent there that I couldn’t make out what it meant.  Blushing I looked at his muscular chest, the mark of a pirate.  I noted the blade on his waist in a heavy sheath.  And his hat that was lightly tipped over his face, orange, and round like a fedora, but not quite, with two smiley faces, one smiling, the other frowning, on top.  The string that was attached to the hat held a skull on his chest, and on his arm there was a tattoo.  A tattoo of his name, and a crossed out ‘S’ between the A and the C, that I wanted to trace so badly with my fingers.  Again I was drawn to touching him.  I wanted to feel the skin of my saviour, no matter how insignificant the rescue was.

Once again, he woke at my touch.

‘I see you’re awake,’ he said with grin.

I blushed and pulled my hand away, but he caught it and held it tight.  ‘You, did you eat?’

I nodded.  But though I turned my eyes away from his bare skin, I was drawn back.  ‘Thank you,’ I said, ‘for saving me.’

I don’t believe in true love but I do believe in love.  I don’t believe in love at first sight, such a fantasy belongs to a faraway land, but here with Ace, who I know now as Portgaz D. Ace, or ‘Fire Fist’ Ace, I think for one moment I would be happy to entertain such a fantasy.

‘I never expected to see you here Kisa, it’s so far away from that safe little island of yours.’

What did he want me to say?

So I said nothing really, and I thanked him again when he left.  He left, leaving my heart pounding, with that trademark grin and that casualness as he put on the hat that had fallen off earlier and said ‘Let’s meet again’.  I was…what was I?

But I missed him, even though I hardly knew him.  He was with those pirates, and still I always listened and read whatever I could so I could learn more about him.  There was so little but for the most notorious details.  And though I never had an interest in piracy before, I was beginning to wonder whether if I joined, I could be closer to him.  Maybe, that was the kind of woman he liked?

I didn’t join, and soon enough I was on my way to Alabasta.  My reputation as a healer and my abilities had grown in the year since I’d last seen Ace.  I suppose I was almost as famous as the infamous pirate.  I made it a rule to not discriminate with my healings and thus healed pirates and citizens and marines alike.  They were all the same.  But even so, my neutral position was bound to be a problem for all sides, so I played safe and moved on whenever I could.  But still I had not seen Ace for a year, and I wondered if he ever thought of me?

As I crossed the sea on my innocent boat and its crew, which I had temporarily joined, we came across another boat.  Who would have guessed it would be a small, personal, sailing boat?

My boat slowed, the crew fearful at the sight of the single captain but I refused because who but my Ace commanded that little boat?

When he saw me I felt that beating in my heart undeniably rush forward in anticipation.  I wanted to see him so badly it seems, so badly I was willing to wait for his acknowledgement.  Would he acknowledge me?

But somehow, I couldn’t wait.

I ran to the railing and leaned over, ‘ACE!’

‘What the hell are you doing Lady?’  My crew screamed, there were already commands to turn the ship away, but by then, Ace had already seen me.

‘Kisa!  What the hell are you doing here?’

‘I’m going to Alabasta!  Why are you alone?’  I was so desperate to talk to him, but the ship was steadily turning.  I chased the edge of the boat, refusing to lose sight of him.  And looking at him, I could tell, he was as equally desperate too.  My heart beat just a little faster.  And before I knew it, he was perched on the railing of my ship looking down at me.

My crew screamed, ‘It’s Fire Fist!  Run?’

‘Run where exactly?  Relax,’ he said casually to them all the while keeping his eyes pinned on my face.  ‘Now, you, where were you going?’

‘Alabasta.’

‘Really?’

The seriousness in his tone made me hesitate.  ‘Uh, yes.’

Then the mischievous grin that I loved took over, and I had a feeling that I would both hate and love what came next.

His arm snaked around my waist aware that the whole crew was watching me and lifted me.  ‘Well, fellas, I’m going to take Kisa here, take her stuff to a hotel in Alabasta, she’ll get them from there.  And do it, don’t you know who she is?’

‘What—’ But my words of protest were ignored as he leapt off the ship taking me with him.  When we were in his, I only barely managed to scream back at the ship that the crew would do as Ace said.  And Ace yelled that they would have to deal with him if they didn’t comply.  And I screamed over that saying that we were not ‘together’ though I doubt they would believe it.  Even so, Ace laughed, to reinforce my statement, it seemed he knew better than I the implications for me if it was known I was involved with him.  For me saying that, it had been because I was embarrassed.  For him, it had been to preserve my reputation.

We sailed, just the two of us, and he teased me, for my statement.  He teased me endlessly, but I loved him so I let him even if I blushed.  The idea that I could be sailing alone with this notorious pirate was unimaginable and yet the wildest of my dreams.  But it was real.

‘Where are you taking me Ace?’  I asked him one day as we bobbed along the grand line.

‘I don’t know.’  He looked stressed and a little regretful.  I had grown more at ease around him, but still, I hardly knew him.  I suppose I was glad that I felt capable in my abilities to be able travel with this man knowing that I could fight back without fear.  ‘I’m sorry Kisa for acting irrationally.’

‘I’m looking for a man, and I should not have taken you with me.’

‘What are you saying Ace?’  I said quietly, sitting next to him.  Even though the wind was a bit chilly, and he was half naked as usual, bearing his whitebeard mark proudly, he was very warm.  Naïvely I said, ‘I know I’m not like the kinds of girls you’ve met on the seas and,’ I blushed. ‘Maybe have done things with—’

‘Kisa stop!’ He said interrupting me.  ‘I like you Kisa, since the moment we first met, and since we have met twice more.  Fate drove me to kidnap you.  But though I lived an adventurous life, I shouldn’t have been selfish.  You, you are the most innocent person I’ve met and though you’re not like those I’ve met, I see a strength in you of a different kind.’  He looked so pained, I couldn’t refrain from touching his shoulder any longer.

‘Do you know when I first met you I wanted to jump of the cliff?’  I said.  And without fear, I told him the history of a girl that for a very long time I had kept under a disguise of mystery.

I told him about the little girl the village wanted as their saviour.  How they forced her, an orphan of considerably no consequence, and therefore no loss if she died, to eat the fruit that in the end would prevent her from doing what she loved best, despite the power of her fruit.  I told him how she was trained to heal and do nothing else.  She was trained until she fainted, and when she woke, trained some more, until she hated what she did.  She hated the miracle she had become.  And on the day she decided to take her life someone with the same kind of gift like hers washed up on the beach, barely alive.  He didn’t know that he had saved her, me.  And for that I was grateful.  Before he had come, no one cared about me, but after seeing that he’d noticed all the missing food and replaced it, I realised that people could care about me.

‘Maybe you don’t think so, but to me, you were my saviour Ace.  I don’t care if you thought this was selfish, or that you’re going into danger, I’m so glad, however suddenly, that you took me with you.  I’m so glad.’

After a length of silence where only the gentle lapping of the sea could be heard, he sighed, and wrapped his arms around my waist, nuzzling his head into my neck.  ‘Me too.’

We sailed for days, and though I worried about my possessions, I trusted Ace’s threat and hoped that they would be safely waiting for me in Alabasta.

He took me island hopping.  Sometimes we spent a day.  Sometimes we spent three.  But mostly, while we were there, Ace went information gathering.

He was looking for a pirate named Blackbeard.  He had once been under Ace’s command, and Ace believed it was his duty to punish him.  This, I had come to discover, was his greatest weakness – this inability to stand back when it came to protecting those he loved.  I’d seen it with my own eyes as Ace threw me behind him whenever some pirate thought he could take me and capture Ace for themselves.  They laughed at Ace because it was clear that not only was I an ordinary ‘citizen’ but I was the famous healer, and my services were useful.  But Ace was my protector, always trying hard to protect me.  He fought with fire, blazing and hot.  He was so beautiful, and so was his fire.

But I refused to be a damsel in distress and I joined in on the fight, bringing water into the fight.  My abilities matched Ace’s and we were a matching pair, curving left and right, I washed them away and he burned them to a crisp.

‘You idiot,’ he said after I left my guard down and one of the fallen pirates took a shot at me.  He flung me around with his arm around my waist and his body hot with fire.  I would have burned if my body was not the opposite of his.  Like his body could take on fire form, mine could be completely composed with water, and so I was able be next to him without burning up completely.  The blade flew through both of us before a furious Ace sent a flare of fire in that direction.

When it was safe his hands caressed my cheeks and his arms clutched me close, his lips so close to mine.  ‘You idiot.’

‘Haha, you cannot possibly think I will stand back and let you protect me when I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself,’ I laughed a little shakily, truth be told, this was the first time I’d ever joined in such a fight.  ‘Ace…’

But he said nothing.  Instead he held me close, pressing me to his bare skin.  Since we had started travelling together, both his serious and teasing nature came out around me.  For how long, I couldn’t remember.  But standing there in his arms, it was nice and comforting, they way his strong arms held me.  I felt safe.  I was safe.  There was nothing for me but him.

‘I have a brother named Luffy, he means the world to me.  I’ve told you that before.  Let me tell you everything else.’

And he told me about his past back on his little boat.  He told me about his parentage, his parental name, Luffy, and Whitebeard.  He opened himself up to me, so vulnerable, as he remembered the death of Sabo, his best friend and brother, and of the feeling of loneliness he had.  And when I felt that loneliness that a name could bring, one I knew could destroy a person, I felt so much closer to this man I was already so very in love with.

‘And you are the sensible one of the three of you.  Sabo the kind one, and Luffy the idiotic one.’

‘Yeah, but I love them both, you know.’

‘I know,’ I said.  We were lying next to each other, his arm around my waist, as we stayed anchored just off the island.  With his hand that was not encircled around my waist he pulled out a slip of paper and ripped it in two.  ‘One of those…’ I said in awe looking at the little paper, it belonged to Ace, and would always point to him.  A vivre card, one piece, ripped, given to me, would mean I would always find him.  He was giving it to me, and I took it.

His finger drew a line down my chin, tipping my face upwards.

‘And you too.  This paper is for you.  Keep it with you always so we can always meet.  I love you the way I don’t love them, you know.’

‘Ace…’ I breathed, but my heart was already beyond palpitating rapidly in my chest.  His hand slid down my neck, under my hair to caress my cheek with his thumb.  I reached up to grasp his rough calloused hand.  But to me it was so soft.

‘That first moment I saw you with my eyes when I woke on that beach, I saw only despair.  I knew you walked every towards that cliff so I made sure to always be there so that there was an excuse for you to stay.  I never understood why you walked to that cliff, I guess I do now, but, I’m glad I’m your saviour.’

‘Don’t ever leave me Kisa, my water to my fire.   Don’t ever disappear,’ he said, his eyes brushing mine lightly.  Then he leaned forward, ‘You’re my greatest weakness, you know, you know everything about me.’

‘And you are mine,’ I said.  Then he kissed me, sweetly.  And I was happy.

But happiness doesn’t last forever and I guess as user of the water-water devil fruit I should have known what was coming in the future.  But, I was too busy sailing beside my Ace.  Fighting with him, lying with him, loving him.  I never even thought about using that one aspect of my ability.  I never even thought of it because I never used it.  It was the only thing I prohibited myself from doing.  I refused to look because I knew, if I looked too much into the future, I would want to change it.  And so I never looked.  But maybe I should have, because the tides were changing, they became rough seas that Ace’s little boat could barely handle.  All the same, Ace and I battled our way through.

It was when we at last neared the calm belt were we separated.  I was thrown into the water, and saved by my sheer dumb luck, but Ace, Ace was taken away on the boat by a freak wave.  If it hadn’t been for the rock that I’d splashed on, I doubt I would have survived.  As for Ace, all I knew was that he was alive.  If he wasn’t, that little square of paper he’d given me would have disintegrated.

I was only there a short while before I tamed a sea dragon into becoming my pet.  I suppose it was thanks to my water skill that I could.  And though I had no idea where I was going, my heart was worried for Ace.  But still I clung to the monster with my energy, even as I faded to sleep.

When I woke, it was washed up on the shore of some strange land, and Ace was there.  Looking down at me as I looked up at him.  I thought at first it was a dream, but when the vision of relief did not fade I jumped up and hugged him tightly.  We kissed and touched, those touches replaces words of relief.  But the fear was still there, for both of us.

He brushed the hair away from my face, and looked at me with those serious eyes.  I think I knew that this incident was the final point of his selfishness that he could suffer.  I could see it when he took my hands, and so very gently said, ‘I can’t let you come with me any further.  At least not until I deal with Blackbeard.  It’s too dangerous.’

I protested, but he shushed me the only way he could.  His lips demanding, needy, wanted more from me than he knew he should take.  And yet he pulled away, heading for his boat, leaving me behind.

‘I’ll come back for you.  I promise, so please wait here.’  He kissed me again in the shallows of the water.  I wanted to go with him, he knew that.  I wanted it so badly, but, we both knew he was right.  If I went, though I could fight, I would only burden him with worry.  I fought with fresh water, not saltwater, saltwater was more difficult to manoeuvre, so against a strong pirate like Blackbeard, I would be useless, most likely for one of the first times in my life.

‘Ace…’

‘Love you.’  And he was gone, but not before crushing me in a bear hug.

‘I LOVE YOU TOO!’  I screamed after him, my heart both fulfilled and breaking all at once.  I could not, should not have stayed there on the calm belt while he sailed away, using his power to propel him out of the belt.  The last I saw was his smile, and his hand waving at me.

But he was gone.

Sometime later after I finally realised he was really gone, I found the city and discovered where I was.  I was on an island populated only by women, the Amazon Lily.  Though I was a stranger there, because I was a woman and a healer, they welcomed me without much suspicion.  My first course of action was to find a den den mushi to Alabasta to make sure my stuff had arrived and was still safe there.  After that it was a matter of meeting the Pirate Empress and Shichibukai, Boa Hancock , so that I could leave.

As it was, it was a long time before I ever met her.  From her people I learnt that she was very beautiful and very loving.  They assured me that I would be welcome to her because of my gift, but I had my doubts.  I knew who she was, and I think Ace had known too when he’d left.  He must have thought I’d be safe here, I hoped so.

But as it was I didn’t meet the Empress until she returned the day I met Ace’s brother.  He’d come flying, and making a ruckus, a ridiculous idiot, just as Ace had described.  But though I didn’t approach him yet, I watched him as he fight in the arena.

It was my gift for healing and my reputation that exceeded me that this island of people accepted me.  And as expected, it was not long before I was able to meet with Ace’s brother myself.  The Empress requested my presence when she learned of it, and I told her my story, not because she cared but because the old lady made her.  And Luffy heard it too when he ran in to make a second request of the Empress.

His joy at knowing his brother had fallen in love fell second to knowing that he had been captured.  My heart stilled when I saw the paper.  It failed to move when I listened to the Empress.  If it hadn’t been for Luffy’s reassurance, I don’t know what I would have done.  But Luffy was mad about saving his brother, and the Empress in a short time went from a friendly character to smitten in love.  Watching her, I wondered if that was how I had been with Ace.

But though Luffy was determined to go, it became clear only one us could go.  And I knew I should back down, but I wanted to be with Ace.  I missed him, and he was trapped.  I needed to help him, but if I couldn’t go, how could I save him as he saved me?

So it was decided that I would take the ship with them until they met with the marine boat, but that would be as far as I could go.

Luffy was too sweet, completely oblivious to my fear for Ace and completely trusting his brother to survive this, he told me that he would bring Ace back to me.  And I hoped so.

When the marine ship departed at last, my fear had exceeded its bonds of restraint.  I was so worried and afraid, and yet my heart knew well to stay positive.  If only it could.  But rational and irrationality had warred, and irrationality had succeeded.  In the face of irrationality, I knew I could not stay still.

The minutes ticked by.  Ace was sentenced to death at Marineford at three the next day.  I couldn’t go to save him, but perhaps, I could go ahead to Marineford?  The sisters and the rest of the Empress’s pirates listened to my shaky plan.  I was afraid and clearly not thinking straight, but in my heart I knew I had to be there.  I had to go to Marineford.

They took me across the ocean after twenty hours of waiting that even I could not believe I waited for.  I suppose I had so much faith in the brother that Ace loved, and in Ace himself, I was willing to wait.  But in twenty hours if Luffy had not brought him back yet, then I had to believe that it was more difficult than he’d anticipated.  I had to go too.

As the wind blew my hair in crazy circles, I didn’t care.   Looking at the great island that was Marineford, I knew I had to go the last feet on my own.  I thanked the Empress’s crew and in the boat they gave me, I called on the water power within, drawing wide pools of water around my boat to push me along.  I surged towards great Marineford and with all my power I caused a great wave.

What I hadn’t anticipated was my wave to hit another, coming from the gates of justice.  I didn’t anticipate the ice that froze the wave either. And I whacked my head, passing out for an unexpected moment.

The battle raged below me as I stirred to consciousness, but it was not the noise of screams or the violence enacted that woke me.  It was the voice of Ace’s brother that rang out across the battle field that woke me up.  And I remembered.  Standing on my boat I looked down at the magma and iced battlefield within the wall and cried out, ‘ACE!’

He looked so small, my Ace, kneeling on the podium with the Vice-Admiral Garp and the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku.

Even from far away I saw Ace’s eyes turn to me.  His neck turned though his body didn’t move from the bowed position.  I felt rather than saw the way his lips first mimed my name.  Then I heard his voice.  That beautiful, beautiful voice.

‘Kisa!?!  What the hell are you doing here?!?’  And my heart tore in two.  He was so relieved to see me that the anguish in his voice overrode his anger.  He was mad that I’d come to such a dangerous battlefield, but happy to see me.  He was anguished to be away from me, but he didn’t want me here.  He didn’t want me to see this.  I knew all of this, even though I was far away because, and I had no doubt, we were one and we thought alike.

‘To see you.  I’m Here to See You!’  Not to save you, that I thought, was for Luffy.  Because unlike him, I could not save Ace.  Not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t have the ability to, no matter how much I could try, I knew, I would fall short of ‘saviour’.

‘KISA YOU IDIOT!’

‘Kisa?!?’  Luffy’s startled shout broke between our conversation.  I saw him waving below me.  And I waved back.

‘Hi Luffy!’

‘KISA GET AWAY FROM HERE!’  Screamed Ace.  I turned back to him.

‘No!  I will not go!  I promised didn’t I?  I’d never leave you, NEVER!’  I screamed at him, my resolve made.

I didn’t recognise that look in his eyes.  Was it longing?  And that dullness he had just moments before, why was that?

Then there were shouts, and I could not say anything anymore.  There was chaos once more, and Whitebeard fought.  His pirates helped Luffy, whose giant attacks were my only guide.  I was shaking, shaking all over, but I had to get to the podium.

I had known for a long time how Ace thought when it came to me.  To him, he had said to himself, ‘It’s a sweet life, a pirate life.’  But in regards to me, he’d said, ‘my little miracle, I never want the marines to see you with me.’

To that I said, ‘why?’  I had been slightly hurt, my emotions getting the better of my rational thinking.

‘Because, you’re pure, not a pirate with a bounty.  I don’t want you to ever be chased by them.’

And I remember laughing.  Because I loved him more than ever, knowing he cared about me so much.  ‘I don’t care as long as they’re chasing me with you, I don’t care.’

Now, they knew, they all knew that Ace loved miracle healer Kisa.  And like I had known before, they couldn’t hurt me.  Because I cared for them all.

My boat slipped off its icy wave and plunged downward.  Ace’s scream and my scream mingled, as I braced myself, transforming into my water form moments before the boat splintered into pieces.

I rolled out as the shouts of the marines reached my ears about Luffy being some Dragon’s son.  But my favourite of all that was being said on the battlefield was Whitebeard’s roar, ‘MEN, USE ALL YOU’VE GOT TO BACK UP STRAWHAT!!!’

I turned, rolling, some of the Whitebeard pirates helped me up, saying all the while, so you’re Ace’s girl?’

I just nodded suddenly feeling embarrassed, but still I turned to watch as Luffy knocked his way to Ace with the Okama.  I watched as so many pirates, both former enemies and allies leap before him taking the brunt of the most dangerous attacks.  I saw a guy made of blades take Hawkeyes attack, the Empress Hancock take on the big guy with the ax.  And then I saw the black and white Inazuma cut the land creating just what Luffy needed.  A ramp up to the execution platform.

I thought he was running for the home run.  But then it came, the one obstruction I didn’t think Luffy could beat, and yet, as I watched, my heart with Ace as it waited in anticipation.

Garp was in front of Luffy, his grandfather who he cared about, but an imposing obstruction all the same.   And for one moment I thought he would stop, but Luffy did not hesitate.  There was no doubt in his face, just goddamn awful determination.  I looked away when Garp fell.  It was cruel, but family ties will never be broken.  And Luffy was there, on the execution platform.

‘He did it!  Luffy he…’ I never finished my sentence because something was happening on the platform.  One moment, Luffy was beneath the towering Sengoku doing something to Ace’s cuffs, the next he blowing up in his balloon form, and Ace was still cuffed.

I ran forward unwittingly, using my ability when necessary to push any unwanted obstruction in front of me away from me.  The platform was falling, bursting into flames in the air.  ‘Ace…No!’

‘Ace.’ I pushed and shoved, and blew water in their faces.  Until the ball of fire landed before me saying, ‘You’ve always been this way, Luffy! Never listening to a word of what I say and Always Overdoing it!’

I stared disbelieving what I saw, my Ace, with his brother and strangely, Mr. 3 in tow.  He was clearly harassed, what big brother wouldn’t be when pulling his idiotic little brother out of his latest mess?  But underneath it all was relief.  ‘And you!’  He turned to me, his eyes blazing bright.

‘Ace!’  I cried, grabbing his flaming body, and kissing him.  ‘You! You! You…!’  Where were my words?

‘You idiot!’  He said, his hand pulling my head to his again.

‘FIRE FIST ACE HAS BEEN FREEEEED!’  There were many cries around us praising Luffy and screaming for Ace, all in joy and also in some way a ruse to distract them from our reunion.

‘Ace…’ I said as we broke apart. ‘Don’t do that again.  Don’t leave me like that again!’

‘I won’t, I promise.  I’m sorry for giving up so soon.’  He kissed me once more before turning his little brother.  ‘Don’t get careless, Luffy!’

‘Gotcha,’ he said.

Then Ace spun dropping into a fighting stance, one arm already shoving me behind him.  ‘Can you fight Luffy?’

‘Of course.’

And then they shared brotherly banter that I knew was not meant for me however it sounded.  I stayed behind Ace as the marines advanced and both Ace and Luffy fought.  I kept my water form, and deflected attacks where I could.  But I felt the tide of negativity growing.  The marines with their eyes wide open saw my affiliation with Ace and soon began attacking me.  I began fighting, but not in the way that Ace and Luffy fought.  I defended, not once attacking.  It was Ace who protected Luffy and I, and it was Luffy who fought for Ace and protected me.  And I stuck close, knowing I was safe in my water form, and for one moment, stood mesmerised by Ace’s ultimate Fire Fist attack.

But then a ship crashed onto the stage and Whitebeard starting talking, ‘what I’m about to tell you now…is my final ‘captain’s order’… listen carefully…Whitebeard Pirates!!!’

And the Whitebeards panicked unable to understand what they were hearing.  But the marines beat them crying out to attack Whitebeard.

‘Ace…’ I said, as he stared, then he turned.

‘Come on,’ he said grabbing my arm and Luffy’s.  ‘You two are getting on a ship and I’m going to help Whitebeard.’

‘What the hell!’  I screamed.

‘No way Ace!’  said Luffy.

Then the revolutionary, Okama came passed screaming at Luffy, ‘Strawhat!! What are you standing around there for!’

‘Ace!’ screamed Luffy.  ‘Let’s go! Or else the Old man’s resolution will be …!!’

‘…!! I know!! I wont let it go to waste!’  I could see Ace’s determination, and his pain at making such a decision.

‘Oh Ace,’ I said knowing how much it was killing Ace to leave the one person he considered a father behind as sacrifice.  But it was not Ace’s decision, it was Whitebeard’s and he’d chosen to stay behind.  Lightly I touched his arm and said, ‘come on.’

He nodded but before coming with us, he turned and shouted, ‘Get lost all of you’ while shooting a path of fire between him and Whitebeard.  Then he dropped to the ground, coughing twice.

And Whitebeard said, ‘No need to speak just answer me one question, Ace, am I a good father?’

‘Of course!’  Cried Ace bowing low to honour the great pirate who, to all those who call themselves a Whitebeard Pirate, was a father to them all.

Then the moment was over and the fishman – the former Shichibukai, Jimbei, was hustling us to the ships, telling us that we were being targeted.  Looking at me, I could see he’d heard of me before, but hadn’t thought I was significant until this moment.

‘If you want to protect those you love Ace hurry and respect the old man’s wishes.’

Ace nodded and grabbing my wrist tightly, we ran but not before the cries of the marines reached us.

‘Look out! It’s ‘Red Dog’!’  And a giant magma paw came towards us.  I ran a little faster to keep up with the boys, but that marine had already started speaking.  And what he said sent shivers of a very bad premonition down my back.  No! I wanted to scream, but no voice came out.

NO! But it was already too late.  Ace, my sweet love whose heart was bigger than anything, had already stopped.  His stupid damn pride!  ‘Ace, no, don’t listen, ACE!’  I screamed at him, but I doubt that he was listening, standing there, panting, looking deadly, ‘failure?’ He said.

‘Take back what you just said!’  He said.

‘Ace!’ I screamed desperately.

But it didn’t stop not matter how Luffy or I protested, Ace wouldn’t back down, and that admiral, that bastard admiral would not stop letting that filth pour out of his mouth.

‘Ace!’  I cried.  I twisted the arm that he was gripping so tightly, my hand was already bereft of blood.  ‘Ace, please, Ace, please!’

But he was already angry, his blood was already boiling and he would not allow any bastard marine to badmouth the one person he ever looked up to.  Ace would fight to his death.

He kept talking that damned admiral, and he was not stopping.  I wanted him to shut up, for Ace’s sake, I wanted also wanted to cut his throat.  But it was too late, they were already cutting up each other’s words with more words, slicing each other until words would suffice no more.

‘The name of this era is called Whitebeard!’

‘Ace, stop it!’  I screamed, but it was buried under an explosion of magma, where were it not for my water form, I would have been burned.

I thought Ace was safe, the way he forced himself in front of me in his fire form.  But from someone’s screams and my own sensitive intuition I knew before I saw, the burns on his body.

‘Ace…’ I said my voice quivering unstably.  But even as I said it, and the way he looked at me, he was already pushing me away.

‘Luffy take Kisa.’

‘Ace, Ace, no, no,’ I said, but I was already falling down into Luffy’s protection, looking up at my Ace.  My Ace with a fist of magma through his stomach.  ‘NO!’  I screamed jumping back up to grab his face.  That face that I loved that refused to show any pain.  I refused to believe it.  ‘You’re fire Ace, you can’t, you can’t.’

I kissed him and gave him my water but something wasn’t right.  My water was not healing.  ‘No, this can’t be, no, Ace please, no.  Okama, Okama!’  I screamed.  I had been in my water form too long and used too much of my energy coming here and using my power that my healing ability was for once failing me.

‘Please Ace,’ I cried.

‘I love you Kisa, I’m sorry about my promise, and I’m sorry I’m leaving you behind,’ he rasped in my ear, one hand barely brushing mine.

‘No, no, no, no, Ace, no…’

But everyone said what I couldn’t acknowledge.  ‘He got Ace!’  And then, ‘Everyone stop Akainu!’

And then that bastard said the worst thing ever, ‘It would appear that you have life in you yet…’ and by some invisible force I threw myself at him with the remaining amounts of my energy and with Jimbei coming up beside me, I covered him in water, and held it there.  Then the pirates attacked, and I think it was Jimbei who caught me as I fell.  Holding me, I watched my Ace fall on his brother, and I knew they shared some words that only brothers such as they could share.

I cried, as Luffy screamed, ‘You promised you wouldn’t die, you promised!’  I cried for Luffy, I cried for myself, I cried for all those who loved Ace.  Because for just me, my tears were not enough.  My tears were buried in the great fishman.

‘Ace…’

My sweet Ace who said a pirate life was a sweet life and that he loved me.  My Ace who I promised never to leave.  My Ace, my saviour, my love.  Ace, I love you.

Many days later as the world dealt with the aftermath of the war I’d returned with the unconscious Luffy to Amazon Lily.  Where Luffy remained unconscious and under the administration of Trafalgar Law, one of the other rookie pirate captains.  As for me, I found myself roaming the island alone, returning every so often to heal Luffy where Law could not.  But Luffy’s injuries were so extensive I wore out easily.

I love Ace.  I always will.  I knew that standing on the highest point of the island, my hair, the hair that he had loved, billowing about around me as silent tears dripped down my cheek.  It was there I heard the anguished scream.  And my heart shattered even more, this time for Luffy.

Picking my way back down I found Luffy beaten down by Jimbei.

‘Luffy,’ I said approaching him.

He looked up from underneath the fishman’s hold.  ‘He’s right Luffy, you have your friends.  Don’t forget that.’

But then unwittingly I let what I promised not to do in front of Luffy but in the end did it anyway, I cried.

Warm arms wrapped themselves around me and held me.  Luffy and I were bound now by this invisible tie named Ace. Together and separately we would grow stronger for those we loved, and while I’d lost my Ace, I had gain a brother, in some way, and through him and Ace, I had now a wide network of people who would look out for me, out of respect for Ace.  But most importantly, Ace had changed me, the way no one else could.  And though I was terrified as I had been so long ago when I left my little island, I would push forward as I had then and I would grow stronger, and live life just as Ace had said.  Ace who was the best pirate in the world.  Ace, Fire Fist.  Ace, whom I love.  Always.

‘It’s a sweet life.’

 

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