Chapter 38

The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the endless stretch of ocean. Its reflection rippled in the dark waters as my ship rocked gently with the waves, the creak of wood and the occasional call of a distant seabird the only sounds breaking the night's stillness. I stood at the rail, arms crossed, watching Ace struggle against the seastone cuffs I'd slapped on him earlier.

He flailed and cursed, his usual cocky grin twisted in frustration, but even through the fire in his eyes, there was a flicker of confusion. Not fear — no, Portgas D. Ace wasn't the type to scare easy — but the kind of bafflement you get when the world you thought you knew decides to turn itself on its head.

I let him stew in it for a while. Honestly, it was kind of funny. The so-called hotshot pirate, caught so easily by a man he used to call an enemy. But this wasn't about showing off. Not anymore.

"Oi, Ace," I called out, my voice calm, edged with amusement.

He stopped thrashing, blinking at me like he was trying to solve a puzzle he didn't have all the pieces to. I couldn't help the crooked grin that pulled at my lips as I pushed off the rail and sauntered closer.

"It's just a joke, idiot."

His brow furrowed. "What?"

I knelt beside him, fishing the key from my pocket. The cuffs clinked as I unlocked them, the seastone restraints falling away with a metallic click. Ace rubbed his wrists, staring at me like I'd grown a second head.

"I'm not a Marine anymore," I said, quieter now. "I'm the one who's wanted."

For a second, he didn't move. His expression flickered through disbelief, suspicion, and something close to concern before settling on pure confusion. I didn't blame him. The last time we crossed paths, I was a Vice Admiral — a man who wore justice like a badge and hunted pirates like him for sport. Now here I was, standing barefoot on the deck of my own ship, no uniform, no insignia, no orders to follow.

"…You left the Marines?" Ace asked at last, his voice cautious, wary.

I nodded, smirking a little. "For good."

It felt good to say it. Better than I expected. Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders after carrying it for far too long. The Marine life — the endless politics, the blood-soaked missions, the hypocrisy dressed up as duty — I'd had enough.

Ace's disbelief melted into something else: a wild, irrepressible excitement. The idiot grinned ear to ear, throwing his head back in a bark of laughter like the world had just handed him the best damn joke of his life.

"Well, hell yeah! That's awesome!" he crowed. "The Vice Admiral, a pirate now? That's something I never saw coming!"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, well. Turns out too much bureaucracy and too little freedom'll do that to a man. I'd rather live life my way."

Ace leaned back against a barrel, his grin still wide. "You're really with me now?"

"I'm not here to lead," I told him, locking eyes with the reckless bastard. "I'm here to help. However I can. If you'll have me."

He didn't hesitate. "Of course! Hell yes!"

That felt good. Better than any medal I'd ever pinned to my chest. But there was still one thing I needed to make clear.

"I'm not looking to fight all the time, Ace. I'm done with that. I'll cook for you, help out with strategy if you need it… but I'm not a warrior anymore."

He blinked, like he hadn't expected that. "Wait… you wanna be the cook?"

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "Food's a hell of a lot more rewarding than killing people. I'm good at it, and let's be real — no one sails on an empty stomach."

Ace gave me a long, considering look, then laughed again, shaking his head like I'd just told him the sky was green. "You're serious? Alright then — best damn chef on the Grand Line it is!"

I laughed too, the tension breaking like a wave on the shore. But then his grin faded, his eyes narrowing.

"Wait… one thing. Why the hell did you sink my boat?"

Ah. There it was.

I smirked. "That little thing? Come on, Ace — you'd only been using it for an hour. It wasn't a ship, it was barely a raft with a sail."

His jaw dropped. "Yeah, and it was my raft with a sail!"

I shrugged, leaning back against the rail. "That thing wasn't fit for the future Pirate King. You serious about this dream? Then you need a real ship. I'm not letting you set out for the Grand Line in something a seagull could tip over."

He crossed his arms, trying to act pissed, but the grin was already tugging at the corner of his mouth again. "Tch… you could've just told me."

"I figured actions speak louder," I said with a shrug. "Besides — now you've got no choice but to sail on my ship."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "You offering your ship?"

I gave a short nod. "We'll sail it together."

Now here's the part I wish I could forget. See, what I didn't realize was that Loguetown's docks were crawling with scammers. The kind of slick-tongued ship sellers who'd size up a naive buyer and see nothing but a walking wallet. And in my rush to ditch my Marine colors and buy a ship, I'd fallen for it.

Some fast-talking bastard in a crooked hat had sold me a "top-class brigantine" for what I thought was a bargain. In reality? A patched-up hunk of driftwood with more holes than a fishing net and barely enough sturdy timber to survive a sea breeze, let alone open waters.

I only found out five hours later.

The sound of cannonfire split the night, followed by the whistle of a cannonball crashing through the mast. My "ship" lurched violently.

"MARINES!" Ace shouted, his eyes wide.

A Marine warship loomed out of the darkness, its flag unmistakable. I cursed under my breath. They'd found me already.

"They must've been tailing me since Loguetown!" I snarled, grabbing Ace by the collar. "Hold on!"

The next barrage hit — and the ship practically came apart. Wood splintered, the mast snapped in half, and the deck erupted in flames. The whole thing collapsed like a house of cards in a storm.

"WHAT KIND OF PIECE OF JUNK DID YOU BUY?!" Ace shouted as the deck caved in beneath us.

"HOW THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?! GUY SAID IT WAS A BRIGANTINE!" I yelled back.

"YOU GOT SCAMMED, OLD MAN!"

"I NOTICE THAT NOW!"

With the ship falling apart around us and the Marines circling in for the kill, I did the only thing I could — formed a shimmering bubble around Ace and myself. The bubble swallowed us whole as the ship exploded behind us in a bloom of fire and smoke.

We shot through the sky, carried by the bubble over the wreckage and waves.

The bubble finally touched down on a desolate-looking island at dawn — Sixis.

Ace coughed, pushing himself up from the sand, dazed. "What the hell…?"

I sighed, slumping down next to him. "Well… new plan. Welcome to Sixis. And when I get back to Loguetown one day… I'm finding that bastard ship seller."

Ace laughed, shaking his head. "You sure know how to keep life interesting, Lazarus."

I smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."

And under that rising sun, stranded and shipless, our insane, unpredictable journey continued.