Ace stood In front of a row of kneeling pirates, the Kid Pirates. All of them had a bumps on their head.
Ace had his crewmembers beside him, looking cool, all except Urouge that was kneeling with the Kid Pirates with a bump on his head.
"Talking bad about your captain in his presence, that's bad behaviour ya know, we're pirates, not bandits!" Ace said as gave them free lessons on manners.
"Captain, isn't pirates the same as bandits, but sea bandits?" Spikewards whispered in askance.
*Boink*
"Bandits steal your meat! Pirates take your meat." Ace explaiend the difference.
"I see." Urouge understood, sadly, no one else did.
"Stop playing around!" Kid growled, he felt like the Flame Emperor wasn't taking him seriously.
"Eh, what'cha want?" Ace asked, looking bored.
Kid looked up towards Ace's gaze with bloodthirst.
"I'll come for your head, all of you, and then I'll become the Pirate King." He proclaimed with zero hesitation.
Ace's aura changed as he stared back into Kid's eyes.
All the Demon Ace Pirates also changed their mood as soon as they saw their captain become serious, it was as if they all turned into beasts ready to pounce their prey.
"I'll give you one more chance to come after my head. One more chance to try to kill me without any repercussions..." Ace said.
"And what if I come after you... after that?" Kid asked as his glare turned into a bloodthirsty grin instead.
"Then you'll lose your life." Ace said as he was about to turn around and leave.
But he halted his steps right after he turned his back on Kid, as if he remembered something.
"My dream isn't some unknown treasure my father left behind, if it was so great, he would've taken it with him." Ace said with no interest in his tone.
Kid and his crewmates all got surprised. The Yonko were the most powerful Pirates, and those closest to the One Piece, yet here stood the Flame Emperor, claiming that he had no interest in such treasure?
It surprised them to say the least.
"My wish is only to be the strongest and sail freely." Ace continued.
Just as Kid thought he was done, he heard something absurd.
"And to become an unbreachable wall for those with the ambition of becoming Pirate King! My brother Luffy will set sail soon, he is the most likely to become Pirate King. He'll be your rival, so you'll have to work hard, not that it matters, I'll never let any of you see the shadow of that treasure." Ace said in nostalgia as he smiled back to his youth.
Kid was shocked.
"I'll become strong enough to defeat you!" Kid shouted as the demon Ace Pirates walked away.
Ace smiled. He wasn't sure why he said all that, maybe it was because of that ambition kid held, the familiar glint in his eyes as he spoke about the One Piece... Or maybe it was because of how certain Kid seemed of his ambitions... Similar to his brother.
Although, Luffy was a happy, good guy type, while Kid was the bloodthrosty type, they seemed to have some striking parallels in their wills.
Maybe that's why Ace spoke so much.
"Captain, although he's a bit bloody, he seems to be a perfect candidate for our crew, won't you take him in?" Jojo asked as they had walked far enough.
The other Nakama also listened in as they were also curious about the answer. They saw that Ace treated Kid a bit differently from other pirates for some reason.
"Nah, his ambitions isn't merely to defeat someone. He would rather die than submit." Ace said as he gazed at Law and Jojo.
Law's ambition was to defeat someone, and Jojo had already lived his life as a pirate and done what he sailed out to do, so it was possible to recruit those two with Conqueror's Haki.
But Kid, Luffy, even big mom and Kaidou, were different. They were all people of great ambition. Ambition to stand at the top of the world, or die trying. They would never submit.
Ace and this Nakama returned to the ship and soon after they set sail, a newspaper arrived.
"Captain, big news." Nami shouted.
"Tomorrow, the marines will hold the execution of the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco!" She read out.
"So it's already here, huh."
"Captain, will we join the Marineford war?" Jojo asked.
Ace thought about it, he wanted to, but the chaos that would ensure.... If three gigantic forces had a three way battle, it would cause too much destruction in the world. In fact it might lead to Shanks joining in as well... An unprecedented battle might take place, which will leave everything destroyed.
If they start a battle, this will also leave Wano open for enemy attack since Ace won't have the time to return as soon as something happens...
Ace didn't answer.
"ORA ORA CAPTIAN LET'S JOIN IN, LET'S FIGHT BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME." Urouge shouted with veins allover his neck, and a gigantic grin was plastered on his face while his arm was still bleeding.
"It's not that simple." Nami sighed.
"My beautiful self agrees with Urouge, Whitebeard pirates are trying to steal my limelight!" Cavendish said with a tear in his eye, as he held a rose.
"Captain, whatever your order is, I'll follow it." Law said in his moody tone as he held his sword over his shoulder.
"Captain, I think acting cool in this moment isn't a wise idea." Apoo disagreed.
"Captian, we can always fly away if it's to dangerous." Yennow said with a smile.
"Sshhh, be silent for a sec." Ace said annoyed, he wanted to fight as well, but the consequences of three forces going at it...
Ace started understanding that as an Emperor and leader, he had more things on his shoulders than before, and had to think about the risks and consequences more closely.
"WAHAHHAHA!" Ace burst out laughing.
"Eh, did his mind finally break?" Gaga asked Nami.
Ace suddenly realised that he doesn't care about such things as consequences, he'll do what he feels like, and if anyone stands in his way, he'll fight right through it, you don't need schemes when you have the strongest fist!
"Yennow raise the ship and fly towards Marineford." Ace said with a big grin.
"ORAAAAAA LESSSGOOOOOO" Urouge shouted.
"Calm your horses, we won't join it no matter what... I made a promise to Whitebeard, this is his mess to deal with. But, I'll make sure that things doesn't go overboard and step in if they go to far." Ace said, but no one believed him, except for one.
"Ah, you should've have started with that captain!" Apoo said awkardly as he had half his body over the rails, ready to jump into the sea. He knew that with his devil fruit abilities, he'd sink like a stone, but he was willing to take those risks.
Nami's eye twitched.
"Ara ara, how boring." Urouge said with his big grin.
"Aye aye captian!" Yennow said as he was ready to fly the ship, but then he halted and tilted his head in confusion.
"Erm... Captain, which way is Marineford?" Yennow asked.
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I had prepared this chapter to release yesterday but I forgot. 😅😅