Whitebeard Pirates X Reader - Blog Posts

2024 Christmas Event

Event Masterlist

Day 10: Tinsel, Portgas D Ace

Warnings: Ace gets shy

Every year the Whitebeard Pirates decorate their ships with all the Christmas decorations they can get their hands on. (_____) was decorating the ship’s hallways. The walls were so damn tall hardly anyone could reach the top. (_____) struggled while trying to put the tinsel up.

After a while of struggling they slumped against the wall defeated. They were frustrated beyond belief. A tap on their head snapped them out of their thoughts. Looking up they see Ace, a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright (_____)?” They sighed and shook their head. “I’m just frustrated that I can’t reach the top of the halls to decorate.”

Ace looked up to the ceiling for a moment before smiling down at them. “I got an idea! Just grab that tinsel.” (_____) nodded and they grabbed the tinsel. Ace then ducked down, went through (_____)’s legs to put them on his shoulders. He jumped and used his devil fruit to blast them up into the air. His fire kept them at the perfect height so (_____) could put the tinsel up on the wall. Once they finished Ace carefully lowered the two and put (_____) on the ground.

(_____) thanked Ace and he smiled bashfully, “Of course, anything to help oUTTT-“ As Ace was walking away the second commander tripped and fell into the box of tinsel. “Ace!” (_____) said with some shock and a laugh. He was covered in it, it wrapped around his hair, torso, arms, legs, his whole body. (_____) came over and started to help untangle him from this mess.

He looked away, embarrassed beyond belief. He couldn’t believe he had done that right in front of his crush. In Ace’s eyes they were the most gorgeous person in the world. He was trying his hardest not to combust into flames. He was so into his thoughts that he didn’t realize that (_____) had gotten all the tinsel off of him.

Days passed and Ace still couldn’t get that moment out of his head. It was all he could think about. He was so lost in thought that he ran right into another tinsel box. A huge one. Dumping all of it onto him, covering him like a Christmas tree. He was annoyed but heard a familiar laugh behind him. He turned and saw (_____). They walked over to him and started to remove the tinsel again.

”Jeez Ace, it's like you're trying to get my attention huh?” They teased as they kept working to get it off of him. Ace on the other hand grabbed their wrist and looked at them shyly. “I wouldn’t mind getting it more often.”

Appraise Love (Wb Pirates x Reader fanfic) Chapter 1

Ohhh, look at me posting another chapter for this! Somehow, this is something I took better to in comparison to my cat story (go figure, lol.) Anyways, a couple of things to know going into this chapter: 1. The customer name 'Badeaux' actually translates to the Occitan meaning of 'stupid' and 'gullible'. This was on purpose, lol. 2. I head canon Rakuyo to have heavy Arabic/Egyptian and German influence, and Juzo to have more Hispanic/ Mexican influence. (Rakuyo's uses a flail. They were used frequently in Germany and Egypt, and his attire for some reason reminds me of a lot of the colors used during Egypt. Not to mention some of their clothes were more loose fitting/flowy. In Juzo's canon information (or the wiki on him), it's actually mentioned that his armor is inspired by Aztec warriors or at least closely resembles them, hence the Hispanic head canon.) 3. In One Piece, Buccaneers have been confirmed as a race.(at least from what I've found, This might change with more of the research I do into this project, lol.) HOWEVER, while they have been confirmed, I do believe that there are/ were two people confirmed to be buccaneers, and Whitebeard had been one of them. Ok, I think that about covers it for the head canons/ information I did research on for this chapter. I think all of the gemstone information is also correct. (If it's not and you're a huge nerd that's a lot more savvy in this than I am, please tell me so I can correct it-)

For Chapter 0: please go here! ____________ Word Count: 3575 ____________ ‘Snap. Snap. Snap.’ The crude hand that had waved in front of your vacant gaze had been going for a while now. It was only when the snapping started that your mind had even returned to reality in the first place. A little disappointed that you were ripped from the wandering adventure your thoughts were leading you on to get away from the suffocating gloominess within the shop, your gaze finally focused on the person in front of you. Well, you tried to, anyway. Still trying to tie your imagination back to where you were anchored in the world, you remained silently transfixed on the man before you. He was alone, that much was for sure, yet the shop wasn’t occupied by just him. Just outside your field of vision, there were three others there. By their stature, you figure the three were also me. Odd, given that this ‘was’ a jewelry place. More men had seemed to come through on days in comparison to women.

Ah, but you couldn’t afford the luxury to note all of your customers at the moment, for the man standing at the counter seemed to grow more and more restless.

“Hellloooo? Anyone home?” His words came out as sharp, though they were hollow. Most of the customer’s anger usually was. Staring blankly at the man for a moment longer only seemed to irritate him much further than he already had been.

“Are you going to help me, or do I need to report this to your boss?” The idea of the man waiting outside of the boss’s door for days had seemed amusing, and you were almost tempted to test that. But alas, that wasn’t going to do your own bills any favors.

“Apologies, sir.” You started in. “I was just distracted.” Despite the upfront bitterness the man had shown you, your tone remained friendly and inviting. Even if you felt like snapping back at the man, you always reminded yourself of the ‘one’ helpful piece of advice that your boss had told you: you catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar. Even with the kindness you displayed, the guy had only crossed his arms, his scowl deepening.

“Mhmm, I’m sure.” Sarcasm was what he had retorted with. Greeaatttt, he seemed like he was going to make this a pleasant transaction. You took the moment to look the man over. He did seem like trouble. Well, he certainly dressed like it. A lilac colored dress shirt tucked neatly into a pair of white slacks was held together by a gaudy black belt. The golden buckle itself seemed bigger than anything he could offer, but there again most men that waltzed in dressed to the nines never could offer much fulfillment outside of being a sugar daddy for most women. You couldn’t see exactly what kind of shoes he wore from behind the counter, but did it really matter? The rest of the outfit was enough to tell you he came from the ritzy part of town. Unfortunately for you, that also meant that he was going to be a difficult customer. Usually people from the nicer end of town always came in trying to swindle the shop- as if they needed more money than they already had.

Truth be known, if it weren’t for the other people in the shop, you’d have turned the man away right then and there, all it would’ve taken was a simple excuse of ‘we’re closing for break’ or ‘come back later, I have a meeting with the boss to attend to’. But no. The shop just HAD to be busy at that very moment. Taking what little energy you had mentally stored away for tougher customers, you finally decided to move the transaction along.

“How may I be of assistance today?” Your tone remained chipper, a smile starting to form. It didn’t seem to be enough to waver the man’s bitterness, for he simply scoffed. Reaching into the pocket of his pants, the man was quick to slam the item down on the counter. You had internally winced at the noise, praying he hadn’t cracked the glass counter since it’d most likely come out of your check- especially since the boss was famous for that trick, taking from your supposed ‘pay balance’ when ‘things happened on your shift’. Thankfully when he drew his hand back, the counter had been saved. Atop it sat a ring. A gorgeous one at that.

“This.” His tone was blunt, the sharp edge still prominent in his voice.

“Ok…” You started yet again, your smile still remaining as you carefully moved your hand to gently pick up the ring.

“What is it you’re looking to do with this today?” Briefly looking up to him, you focused back on the piece of jewelry itself. 

“I want you to take it back and give me a refund.” He snapped, his arms crossing. His patience had begun to run thin. As it had been said before, the ring was gorgeous. And as much as you’d have loved to give the man money back on the ring…you couldn’t. Unlike the rest of the jewelry in the shop, this ring was unique. The ring itself had a slimmer bezel. It wasn’t anything fancy. But with the color of gold the bezel was, you were certain that it was top of the line. Yet, what was the most breathtaking part was the stone that was in the center of it all. An apatite. Against the teal of the stone, the gold had stood out but not taken the attention from the gem itself. And that was exactly the problem.

“I see…” Your voice seemed uncertain. There was a small voice in the back of your head saying that this was an opportunity to get a piece of jewelry such as this, that buying it and selling it for more could’ve very well have saved the place from going under for another month or so, but the facts stood before you. After gently placing the ring back on the counter, you returned your attention back to the bitter man.

“I’m afraid sir, we can’t accept this back as is. Unless we have a record of your receipt on file, we can’t take this back.” The man had seemed as if you were threatening to take his first born.

“And why, pray tell, is that?” His snippy tone seemed to only reflect the anger he was trying to keep under wraps.

“Well, for starters, we don’t sell jewelry with Apatite.”

“And why the hell not?! It’s a ring, is it not?” Snapping at you, all you could do was allow a soft sigh to escape you. Oh, how you wished you could’ve chewed this man up and spit him back out, but keeping your cool, you only carried on.

“I understand your frustration, sir. But we cannot accept jewelry back that we did not sell. This bezel is clearly made up of a higher gold concentration than we offer here, as well as the gem itself. Due to how fragile Apatite is, and due to how costly it can get trying to remake certain pieces that shatter and crack during the sculpting process, we do not sell nor buy jewelry including it.”

“That isn’t fair! I bought this ring from you people fair and square!” The man’s persistence might've been admirable, even for a scam, but even so, the only thing it was doing was grating your last nerve.

“If you insist you have, I can at least check our receipt logs…What’s the last name?” Briefly turning your back to the counter, you moved to dive beneath the counters for the crates of alphabetized files.

“It’s Badeaux.” As sharp as ever, he kept glowering at your actions while his own patience began to run thinner than before. After a moment of looking through the B fields, you had resurfaced once more.

“I’m sorry, sir. But we don’t have a file for you on hand. If you’d like, I do have some of the local island’s jewelers on file, so I can ring some of-”

“This is utter bullshit!” He spat at you, slamming his fist down on the counter.

“I understand your frustrations sir, but please-”

“Screw this, it ain’t even worth the money anymore. Just take it and choke on it for all I care!” The loud ‘clank’ that broke the ‘mostly’ serene silence of the shop had been from the ring making contact with the safety glasses you wore. As tacky and bulky as they were, you were grateful for them just then. The man had turned on his heel, letting the door slam on his way out. Once more, you couldn’t help the sigh that had escaped you.

“I swear, this job isn’t worth what I get paid on days.” The thought had escaped you with no filter, though did it really matter? No one else was around.

“Oh, I bet.” The voice of reason mused back. Allowing the comfortable smile to return, you simply decided to take a moment from-

Wait a minute…you didn’t have a voice of reason. Well, you did, just not one that talked back so…well…vividly. Just as the smile dropped, your gaze casually turned to the side. Upon first glance, you found yourself staring back at a pair of partially lidded eyes. It was only then that you realized.

“Ah, sorry sir! How, uhm, may I help you?” After quickly standing up straight and feeling a bit embarrassed over the remark shared aloud, it was only then you had remembered the other three men that had been perusing the different counters in the shop. In response, the man let out a light hearted chuckle. He held his hands up in a mock defense, the gesture seeming to do wonders to pacify the sudden embarrassment and anxious atmosphere.

“Whoa, whoa, cool it, Sparky. We’re not here to cause any problems.” His voice was gentle, soothing almost. The way he spoke seemed to hide no ulterior motive. That was good at least. To be quite frank, it was hard to believe that the group was there for anything other than genuine interest in the shop. Perhaps they were adventurers?

“We just had some questions, that’s all.” As the man spoke, you took note of his attire. Much like the last man, this one also had a purple shirt. Though unlike the first, he had been worn in a more casual manner. The way he kept it unbuttoned exposed the tattoo that embellished his chest and the muscles he had. Around his waist was a blue sash, along with a decorative belt that- somehow- topped the last man’s. From what you could tell, it seemed like he was wearing blue jeans of some kind, though again, from where you stood, you couldn’t quite tell if that was the case or not. Atop his head was a tuft of messy blond hair. To you, it did look a bit comical since no one really had come through with such a hairstyle before, but you must’ve figured the poor guy probably got enough trash talk for it. All in all, he had a much more laid back nature about him, something you couldn’t quite place, but something that seemed to be trustworthy for the time being.

Taking a moment to glance at the other two over his shoulder, You made note of the other two. One was a far burlier looking man, his frame towered the other two easily. A much more tan complexion had adorned him, the shade of red that the armor plates he wore seemed to pop more against him. From where he was, his back had been to you, so very little was able to be made out on his face. However, you could tell from just his stature alone that he was definitely not someone to be messed with. The other seemed a lot more enthused about the different pieces of jewelry within the cases. His back had also been to you, but what little you could make out from him was the messy blond locks he wore in dreads, as well as the cream colored jacket. Though, it did look more yellow than white.

In a way, you felt a little bad for the more excited man out of the two. All there were beneath the glass casings were boxes of different rings bunched together. Maybe before they left, you could at least pull them out of the casing and let him rummage through them? It wasn’t like your boss would care so long as none of them had gone missing. For now, though, they were here for genuine business, so suggesting the idea was off the table for now. Returning your attention to the first shaggier man of the trio, you recomposed yourself from the startle he gave you.

“Very well. What is it you’re looking for help with today?” Asking the question, the man had seemed a little stumped. ‘Please don’t be trying to rob the place…please don’t be trying to rob the place.’ The thought crossed your mind as the man stalled in giving his response.

“Well, it’s a bit…complicated.” He started in. He took note of the way you watched him before taking a step back.

“My bad, didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” He reassured, his tone remaining insouciant. Oddly enough, you couldn’t help but take his word. Clearing his throat, he briefly turned to look over his shoulder at the other two.

“I myself am not very savvy with these kinds of things. But Rakuyo over there…” Speaking the last of his words loud enough for the other two to hear, the more eccentric man had quickly turned his head towards the two of you. Motioning the other over, the blond allowed a casual smile to form.

“I’ll let you talk to him, you’ll get a lot further since he’s more adverse in what we’re looking for.” With the blond taking a step back, the man- who you presumed was Rakuyo- stepped forward in his place. A bright smile adorned his features. Despite his energy, the laid back atmosphere of the interaction had remained.

“Hey, Shug.” The man replied. Though the nickname had already had you turning your nose up, something told you that was just something he called most women. At least it didn’t seem like he was trying to hit on you. With a simple ‘hello’ in return, you refocused your attention back to the conversation at hand.

“So, your friend here tells me that you’re more equipped with what it is you three are in for today?” You started in, your tone remaining as friendly as before. Earning a chuckle in response, the man nodded.

“I suppose that’s true to an extent.” Remaining light-hearted in the exchanged banter, the man continued.

“We were actually in to see if there would be any way you could resize or replicate a ring to request.” He started in. It took a moment for you to actually regroup yourself. It was a bit shocking, actually. For the first time in months, someone was GENUINELY INTERESTED in requesting service. Quickly gathering your wits, you had finally nodded.

“O-of course we do! Though we cannot offer a free resizing service with rings not sold here, we still can, depending on the condition of the ring itself. Pricing would mostly rely on the gemstones preferred for the ring.” The man had listened to your explanation, his features seeming to light up.

“Really? Well then, that answered quite a bit.” He mused, his words sounding as though they were mostly directed towards himself. When he refocused on you once more, his smile seemed to grow.

“I suppose that leaves us with a couple other questions, Hun.” For once, you could feel the corner of your lips tug upwards in a more genuine smile the more the conversation progressed. The three men had, for once, not been thugs- which was surprising given the same symbol they all adorned on different parts of themselves. You could’ve sworn you had seen it somewhere before, but remembering  where had eluded you. The conversation had gone from asking about the gemstones local to the island to the rarity and cost of others that were hard to get. At the end of the day, their request hadn’t seemed that complex. It was nothing more than a simple thicker bezel for a man with a single holder for garnet embedded into the ring itself. At the end of the day, it wasn’t something that would cost any of the three of them a fortune, outside of the third man who had remained in the back, neither of the two you spoke to seemed like they would’ve had a larger ring size. If you dared say, you didn’t think making it would’ve broken the bank for the third man either.

“Right then, I’ll be sure to put the order down and get the supplies ordered for you then.” You chimed. Rummaging through the boxes behind the counter, you pulled out a small notepad. On each page seemed to be an order ticket of sorts. As you began to work away at writing down all of the order information, you carried on with the conversation.

“I think I have just about everything here I need. I’m only missing the ring size.” The question had only earned an awkward silence from the three. Rakuyo was the first to pipe up after being unable to take the silence.

“Well, if you don’t mind me asking. What…sizes do you go up to?” Briefly stopping your scribbling, your gaze had turned up to look at him. When he had seemed a bit nervous in the manner, you turned to the other two. The first had seemed just as nervous, even the bigger gut out of the three seemed to have some pause in his stoic demeanor. Oh, they were serious. Standing up right once more, you started with another explanation.

“Well, at the moment we can only make up to a size 15. However, we can make additional sizes to accommodate different groups, such as giants and other larger groups. Most requests like this are done upon request, but the problem with them is that they may take a bit more time outside of the usual week. Would you happen to know the ring size off the top of your head?” Looking between the three men, each of them had seemed baffled for an answer. Taking that as a ‘no’, you ducked back under the desk to rummage around for a simple stack of papers.

“That’s alright if you’re unsure. We do have different sizing for each kind of person.” You started in. Pointing to the first set of sizes, you kept your focus on the page.

“These ones are mostly for humans. Don’t mind any of these numbers, it’s just for us back here to know what the bezel width would be. Over in this column,” Your finger circles the furthest set of numbers to the right, “is what you’d need to know. Down here are for Fishmen. Again, You don’t have to worry about any of these, this just tells us where we’d need to cut the bezel in order to assure it causes its owner any discomfort against the webbing in their hands./ Most mermaids and mermen do fall within human measurements, but there are a few that do have occasional sizing outs-”

“I don’t mean to be rude and cut you short, but why do the numbers have such a significant jump between these two groups?” The first man had piped up, pointing to a spot in which the whole section had been scribbled out.

“Ah, that.” You simply stated.

“Well, that was the sizing for buccaneers, but unfortunately, they haven’t been around in years. Most of the tools that we have for them aren’t kept on location. We still have them, of course, for the few odd folk that do have sizes that fall in that range, but that…would…” When your gaze had turned to look up at the three, each of them had seemed as though they had just witnessed a miracle. Raising a brow a bit, you kept your gaze flickering between the three of them.

“Is something the matter?” After you spoke, the peppier man had placed his hands on the counter, leaning over a bit.

“Do you realize what you’ve just done?!” He spoke. Taking a few steps back, you watched the man’s shock quickly contort into a wide grin.

“M…my job?” You spoke, uncertainty prominent in your tone.

“Well, yes, but no.” He finished, allowing him to place his feet back on the ground.

“Ma’am, you don’t realize just how long we’ve been looking for someone that has the equipment to make a ring for a buccaneer.” For the first time, the third man finally spoke. Your mouth had opened to speak, but you found the words stalling in your throat.

“...I beg your pardon?” The words had left unfiltered. Baffled by their wording, you figured that maybe they were simply just stating that whoever the ring was for was just unlucky enough to have sizing that fell within the buccaneer range. Yet, something told you that wasn’t the case.

Surely, it was just a misfortune, right? I mean…buccaneers had been extinct at this point…hadn’t they?

Appraise Love

Ahhh, look at me! I finally decided to pull the trigger and actually post a fanfic for once!! Just a bit of background for this story: This is a Whitebeard pirates x reader story. UNLESS ASKED OTHERWISE, most things in here will remain platonic/friendly (and a bit fluffy). I also do plan to write chapters giving each Commander their own time to shine with the reader. (I know everyone's here for Marco, Izo, Thatch, and Ace, but come one! Rakuyo, Atmos, Namur, Speed Jill, Vista, and literally the rest of the sixteen commanders exist as well. Why only write for a fourth of them when they all deserve a chance?! (Yes, I'm THAT big of a dork to be able to name all of them. I know I didn't include a lot of the others on here, but trust me. I can XD) Anyways, this is considered chapter 0. Since this is only the prologue and the introduction to what exactly the reader's life is like, this isn't the official first chapter of interaction. (That's actually Chapter 1!) I'll also be sure to add a few additional triggers with the chapters as the story progresses, but something to keep in mind with the story as a whole: THERE ARE UNDERLYING THEMES OF DEPRESSION. It's subtle in some spots, but laid on thick in others depending on the story progression. Ok, I'll leave now. Enjoy! _______________________ Word count: 1375 _______________________

Life is a fickle thing, is it not? All at the same time, the day could fly by for one person while it dragged on for another. A couple could be experiencing the happiest moments of their lives, another their last. I guess in that regard, it was better to say that time was a fickle manner, but life itself had a funny way of ruling over those decisions. And unfortunately for you, time nor life has ever worked out in your favor. Not in a long while.

Every morning, it was the same rinse-and-repeat cycle that had once been something you believed would lead to happiness. It had been that way for ten years now. Get up, make the long trip to the island’s high end part of town- which was on the opposite side of where you lived- open the jewelry shop for the day, work your shift and cover for the boss, close up at the end of the night, go home, find whatever was the easiest and low maintenance in the way of cooking, go to bed, and wake up the next day to do it all over again. Of course, the last few years hadn’t always been so…lacking. No no no, the ‘oh-so’ happy residents of the town had made sure of that. On days where you had travelers visit the shop, there was always small talk sharing in their adventures or their life that had led them to that very moment, and in even rarer occasions, there was always a bone thrown your way and they’d be generous enough to give you a tip for your work.

Of course, that was one nice customer to every 50 or so? And that was taking what kindness you were given far and few in between and paying it up to flatter the residents of the island. And that was saying a lot since all they gave you was their usual snappy remarks or some new form of taking their anger out on you. A lot of the customers had gotten angry so often that your boss- in the one or two times he even bothered to roll out of bed- had told you that safety glasses were now a must while working ALL the time rather than when you did the work the old lapidarist had slacked on before leaving. And to think that this is what fate initially had you set out to sea for. Life outside of the mundane island was, well, avoiding the island itself. No pirates ever stopped there, and Marines were the same way. Everyone avoided the island like the black plague.

The only reason you had ever dared to come to the island yourself was both for the lack of its history and people, and the fact that a job opportunity had fallen into your lap. At the time, it seemed like a dream come true, yet now it felt more like it was a personalized nightmare to make you hate even the smallest joys of life. Yet here you were, still playing the sucker who kept on dreaming that it would get better. And to an extent…you still hoped that it would, that one day everything would work out.

See, life was a fickle thing. The whole reason you had ever been brought to the island in the first place was your line of research. A gemologist, that, of all things, was what you had settled on in life. Not that it was a bad thing! Because it really wasn’t. It was just…odd. In comparison to a world that piracy had existed in, it was just odd that you’d settled on studying jewels, stones, and gems rather than hoarding them. But, it kept your nose out of everyone’s business and the eyes of the government, so you were happy enough with it. And to you, upon your initial arrival to the island, believed that the smiles everyone wore had been a show of the happiness that threatened to overwhelm its visitors. Yet it took all of but a few hours to find just how wrong that was. Threatening to rip someone’s throat out and shove it up where the son doesn’t shine just for bumping into them wasn’t exactly the most friendly thing in the world. And saying it with a smile as well, it was enough to get to anyone.

If the bitter nature of the people was bad enough, they were all lazy as well. Going to the grocery store just for a night’s worth of groceries took longer than the walk home, even when you were the only person in the store. Trying to see a doctor meant that you’d be waiting a few months out to even get any sort of chance to SCHEDULE the appointment. It was a miracle how no one had ever died on the island. And your boss was no better. The man had only ever been at the shop two days out of the ten years you had worked there: the day you were hired, and another day where you had to go home early after getting a ring thrown at you and the bezel had sliced a little too close to your eye. It hadn’t hit the inside of your eye, nor had it scarred- from what you could tell, anyways. You were lucky to even still have it functioning at this point.

It was only a couple of years after you had started that the old lapidarist had suddenly just stopped showing up to work. Truthfully, you didn’t blame them, despite the dread that filled you anytime you dared to question their disappearance. The only reason you stayed was because of the free rent and the time you got to do what you loved…ok, it wasn’t free rent, but no one had come to collect the payments from you, so it was free housing. At least the laziness of the life there had been good for something. But…was it worth it? That was the question you had always come back to every chance you had been alone during the day. What good was your work if the people were never happy? What good was it when the jeweler felt as though it were going to financially collapse?

The old displays had been sold by the boss for a quick buck to find a way to meet ends in order to make the shop’s monthly bills, so none of the work you made ever got proper recognition. Your paychecks had gotten farther and fewer in between until you almost had nothing left. You weren’t sure if it was just a case that the boss was taking what he owed you to pay for the shop or if he was simply not bothering to even pay you anymore. The people were never happy, your house was always in shambles, but you never had the money to ever fix it. To say the least, you hated it. You hated everything about the island, about your home, about your job. Yes, job. It had gotten bad enough to a point that you’d have rather numbed your mind for hours on end sitting behind a desk to write- much like the person that took heavens only knows how long to write this- rather than continue your personal studies for the career you once wanted.

Sometimes, the idea crossed your mind that maybe settling down wasn’t for you? I mean, you had been happier when you were travelling from place to place to understand the type of jewelry that was popular on each island, why, and how valuable it was. Truth be known, when you looked at the point your life was at, a deeper part of you ached. It felt like something had curled up on itself every time you noted that you did what most people had spent a lifetime doing. You managed to settle down earlier on in life before you got too old and it got to be too late. But what did it matter what you thought? For as long as you stayed on the island, you were at the mercy of the people and whatever they decided to throw at-

‘Snap. Snap. Snap.’

You Don't Need to Try to Belong

Sorry if the tone near the end doesn't quite match the rest of the fic something happened in the middle of me writing it and like all good writers do I used this as an emotional outlet. But hey, who doesn't want Marco to hold them amirite? This was meant to be shorter, but the rest of the crew hijacked it like the pirates they were.

Phoenix Marco x Reader (fluff, near-death experiences, dash of sickfic & hurt/comfort)

As the unofficial ‘Fixer-Upper’, the jack-of-all-trades of the Whiteboard Pirates with a helpful Devil Fruit to boot, you tend to overwork yourself helping any issues that arises. Sometimes at the detriment of your own health.

You don’t think you’d ever get used to seeing the sun rise over the horizon from your vantage point up in the Moby’s crow’s nest. 

The gentle blush of pink peeking over the horizon, watercolor-soft as the veil of the night pulled back. Blackness faded away to reveal the glittering waves of the ocean stretched seemingly infinitely all around you. It was a freedom given to you by the Whitebeard Pirates, one you could never repay.

Sunrise also had the added bonus of signifying the end of your lookout ship, the promise of your bed waiting for you.

Below you, on the deck, the morning bell rang out, signifying the official end of the night shift’s work. The hubbub of the ship coming to life stirred up as you climbed down the mast, seeing the specks of the other lookouts doing the same at the other crow’s nests. A few members glanced your way as your feet hit the deck, and you returned the greetings thrown at you, albeit with slightly less energy.

Your stomach growled as the aroma of food from the galley drifted over when you entered the halls. However, you didn’t join the others for breakfast like normal and instead went deeper into the Moby’s bowels to where the crew’s quarters were. You’d been bothered by a persistent headache all night, and you knew that going into the noisy mess hall would no doubt make it worse.

The shared cabin was thankfully empty for the most part, and you made it over to your hammock before collapsing into it and tugging the blanket up to your chin before blacking out, looking forward to the long, uninterrupted rest you’d get.

“WAKE UP!”

You grunted in pain as you were upended from your hammock, bedding and all falling down with you. Blearily, you sat up and squinted at the pair of legs in front of you, smacking your dry lips. You didn’t know how long it was since you’d fallen asleep, but you knew it was not long enough.

A freckled face and messy black hair invaded your vision, the inquisitive expression of one Portgas D. Ace showing who exactly it was that woke you up.

“Hey! Got a moment?”

Even though it was phrased as a question, you still found yourself forcibly dragged to your feet, his grip on your wrist the sole thing that kept you moving as you stumbled through the halls and out into the deck. Sunlight pierced your half-closed eyes, and you winced, squeezing them shut as you trusted Ace not to run you both into something. You two finally paused and you cracked your eyes open to show that you’d stopped in front of Striker, in all her dripping glory as she hung hoisted up over the deck.

Ace finally released your wrist, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry to drag ya all the to fix up the Striker for me? I’d ask Blenheim, but he’s with the other fleet right now.”

At the request of a fixing, you forcefully shook off your sleepiness. Tiredness still lingered, and that damn headache still nipped at your temple, but you pushed it all back. Alert eyes assessed the damage in front of you as you tuned into Ace’s chattering.

“I got cornered by a few small Marine scout boats and had to take the Striker through some sorta reef. Thought I got through it fine, but I guess the coral—”

A sudden thud.

You paused in your observation to haul Ace out of the way of the crew and lay him out straight before returning to the Striker. True to his word, the bottom of Striker’s hull was deeply scratched when you bent down to take a look at it. The wood was gouged in a few points, areas where leaks would’ve no doubt let in water. It was a miracle Ace made it back. You hummed at the thought, making a note to get Pops to talk with the young man about his recklessness.

The Striker swayed gently from the lines holding her up as you pushed gently, tilting your head to catch the sound of sloshing water in her bowels. It wouldn’t do to mend everything only to have her rot from the inside out by trapped moisture. When nothing came back, you nodded approvingly and crouched down, hand reaching up to touch the largest of the holes. There was a dim glow before the wood seemed to seal up wherever you dragged your fingers over it, returning to its previous pristine state. You did the same for the others, each spark and glow only tugging at the tiredness in your bones. It was light work, but you were still exhausted by the time you finished, opting to take a seat by Ace where he lay. You were only beginning to blink off into sleep when the young man sat back up.

“—scratched ‘er up real bad and—Oh.”

Ace blinked at the newly repaired full before turning to you, sending a thousand-kilowatt smile your way.

“F’xed it,” you mumbled, shooting him a thumbs up. Your head tilted to the side and you dozed off. While your Devil Fruit, the Mend Mend Fruit was extremely useful, it did take a toll on you.

Strong arms once again wretched you to your feet, and you squawked as Ace bodily hauled you off, cheerful as ever.

“Thanks so much! Let’s go get some food. I’m starvin’’”

You went limp in the newly minted commander’s hold, resigning yourself to your fate as he dragged you along to the mess. There were a few others there who were the stragglers from lunchtime.

Ace shifted you to drape over his shoulder like a sack as he assembled a plate for the two of you. The world flipped around as he set you down at a table, and you murmured your thanks, dragging heavy limbs to your utensils to force a few bites down.

A call of your name and a harried-looking Thatch halted right by your table, relief on his face. “There you are. Glad I could catch you. Think you can get that pipe done for us now?”

Your eyes widened as you straightened. Right. You were supposed to have stopped by this morning after breakfast to help fix up the leak in the piping that the division didn’t have the supplies to replace. “Oh shit. I’m so sorry, Thatch.”

Shooting to your feet, you pushed your plate to Ace and quickly set towards the galley, Thatch on your tail. The Fourth Division greeted you, wrapping up post-meal duties as they avoided one particular section in specific. Someone already peeled away the wooden boards to expose the problematic pipe, and rags were stuffed along the spaces in the wall and sprawled on the floor. As you approached, you noticed that there was something on the pipe. You squinted at the stain and sniffed.

“Is this–Is this dried molasses?!?” 

Thatch whistled and adverted his eyes under your scrutinizing stare. “We had to make do.”

You exhaled despairingly, pressing your fingers into the sticky mess. It was concerning how often you all ran short on miscellaneous supplies, despite being an Emperor’s crew. A glow sparked up, and you sealed the gap.

The sticky, dark substance stuck to your fingers as you withdrew them, and your stomach suddenly churned. Rushing to an empty sink, you quickly washed it off as you called back, “I’m not cleaning that.”

“Fair,” Thatch said. He withdrew a rag from his chef apron. “Thanks for this.”

You hummed as you exited the galley.

Somehow, those two actions seemed to unleash a catalyst upon your peace. The promise of rest seemed further and further away as you were directed all over the ship, fixing this odd thing or that odd part. Your headache never went away, only getting worse as nausea was added to the list.

Skull called out his thanks as you bolted away from him, clapping a hand over your mouth as you beelined for the railing. You made it just in time to empty your stomach over the side. The only food in your stomach—the meager bits you managed to shovel down before Thatch interrupted—splashed sadly into the water.

Shivering, you closed your eyes to block out the sight of the swaying waters below you. The railing dug into your stomach as you slumped down into it. Everything felt hot and cold at once, and you admitted to yourself that maybe it was time to lie down. No more using your Devil Fruit for today.

As you were straightening up, a scuffle broke out from behind you. It was two recruits, roughhousing or fighting, you couldn’t care either way. But before you could move, one of them stumbled and slammed into you. Your eyes widened as your grip slipped, and because of the way you were leaning over the railing, you felt gravity tugging you to the wrong side as you pitched overboard.

Your wide eyes were fixed on the spot where you just were, too stunned to make a peep. There was a shout of alarm on board.

It was never fun falling from the Moby Dick. Its massive size meant nothing less than a painful impact, and even a few broken bones if you were unlucky.

But you wouldn’t call yourself lucky either way if you fell over the Moby in the first place.

You slammed into the waves.

The first thing that hit you was the pain. Like crashing into solid brick, your back ached from bearing the brunt of the impact. Then the insidious cold seeped in, past your clothes, past your skin, until everything went numb. Bubbles swirled past you in a dizzying spectacle, and it would’ve been pretty if not for the death grip of the weight pulling down on your limbs.

Motes of bubbles passed your lips, but you had the foresight to not open your mouth, to not breathe. But that was all you could do as you sunk deeper, black edging into your vision.

They always said that drowning was a horrible way to go, the choking of water in your lungs. But to you, it felt soft. Like the welcoming of the tiredness you’d carried around all day.

It’s so easy,

Your eyes fluttered, lips cracking open, allowing the saltwater to rush in.

You could get the rest you wanted.

You didn’t feel the arms clamping around your waist to drag you upward.

But you did notice as the two of you breached the surface, water spewing out of your mouth as you coughed. It burned going up, and you clung limply to the form you now identified to be Rakuyo as he stretched up his other arm. “Bring us up!”

He crushed you to his chest as the two of you shot up from the water, hauled up by his living flail. You both landed on the deck again, him on his feet while you were still in his hold. However, that quickly changed as your body spasmed.

“Woah there!” The man exclaimed, quickly crouching down so you wouldn’t meet a second painful impact if you spilled out of his arms.

“Someone grab Marco!”

Quickly, you were set on your side. Just in time as you retched. More seawater (seriously you don’t know how you swallowed so much) came up, through your nose, through your mouth. Warm hands rubbed your back as you gathered the strength to prop yourself up, as the spasms continued. It would’ve been mortifying to have the crew see you like this if you hadn’t seen these same full-grown men projectile vomit their dinner after a few too many drinks. As of right now, you were busy trying not to feel like death warmed over. Someone’s oversized sash fell around your shoulders as they used it to dry you off of the cold water.

“What’s going on, yoi?”

Marco’s voice was like a balm to your raw nerves as indistinct voices murmured over your head. Someone draped something soft over you (a towel?) and you sneezed.

Like the world’s most pathetic, bedraggled, wet cat, you were picked up from underneath your arms and passed over to warmer ones.

“H-Hol’ on,” you slurred, getting wrapped up in the fabric around your shoulders. Your head lolled against a warm chest. “Might throw—throw up.”

Marco shushed you. “Don’t worry about it, yoi.”

Blue and gold flames fluttered to life around you, your aches and coldness fading away. However, you still felt that bone-deep tiredness, and your lungs still rattled wetly. 

“I’m taking you to the infirmary. We have to monitor your lungs, just in case.”

Aw, man. You hated to be a bother.

Weakly wriggling in his grip, you voiced your protests, “‘M fine. L-Lemme jus’ go sleep it off.”

“You can rest in the infirmary. I healed your superficial injuries, but I can’t fix the drain your Devil Fruit already pulled from you or expel any potential water. Don’t fight me on this, yoi.”

You let out an unintelligible noise, sagging deeper into his hold. The hubbub of the ship fell away into muffled peace as he entered the infirmary, greeting the nurses there.

“Goodness! What happened?” Lisa asked as she pulled out more towels and a pair of spare clothes.

“We had a tumble off the deck,” Marco said, setting you down on a bed in the corner and stepping back for the nurse to let her set the clothes down by your side. He grabbed the privacy curtain, readying to pull it close as he asked you, “Think you can get changed, yoi? Lisa or another nurse can assist if you think you’ll need help.”

You looked down at your shaking hands, then to the set of folded clothes beside you. It was a simple enough shirt and pants, nondescript for their versatility. “I’ll be f-f-f-fine.”

The shiver that broke your words into a stutter wasn’t convincing, but Marco didn’t push it as he pulled the curtains closed around you to give you a bit of privacy. His voice came from the other side, “Let me know when you’re done, yoi.”

It took you much longer than you’d like to admit, wrangling yourself into the change of clothes, but just when Marco began shuffling on the other side of the curtain, you managed to pull the collar of the shirt over your head with your stiff limb and wrapped your hair in a towel.

“I’m d-do-done.”

The curtains were pulled open again and Marco stepped through. In the span of time it took for you to change, the man had collected equipment of his own. His stethoscope hung around his neck, and he carried a blanket rolled up under an arm and a thermometer.

“Just a precaution, yoi,” he said when he saw you eyeing his getup. You took the blanket when he handed it to you. The back of his hand came up to rest on your forehead and he hummed as he began putting on his stethoscope. “I want to listen to your lungs and keep you here to rest up.”

Letting out a put-upon sigh, you tilted your head back, staying still as Marco pressed the cold metal of the chest piece into your skin, expression calm as he focused on your breathing. After a few moments, he pulled away and tugged off the instrument.

“Your breathing sounds alright from what I could tell, yoi. But your temperature’s a little out of its normal range. How are you feeling, yoi?”

With the assessment done, you pulled away and curled up on the bed, tugging the blanket up. “Blegh, fine. I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a bit.”

“You do that, yoi,” Marco said, patting your shoulder. “I’ll watch over you.”

Letting out a huff, you allowed the lull of sleep to finally pull you under.

***

Warm hands on your forehead and cheek stirred you from the fretful slumber you were in, and you murmured, trying to pull away from the disturbance. Your breath whistled when you sighed, nose closed by a painful pressure and the rattle when you breathed seemed more prominent than ever.

There was a quiet tut before they came back with greater insistence, pulling you into a sitting position. You resisted, but your limbs felt leaden when you tried to lift them up. A slow, pounding pain pulsed in your temples on top of that, intensifying when you cracked your eyes open. You squeezed them shut again, but that peek was enough to see the slight chastisement on Marco’s expression as you identified him to be the one taking care of you.

His voice was low, kept to a manageable level that wouldn’t upset your head as he said, “Looks like you’re getting a fever, yoi. That’s strange.”

Blue flickered through your closed eyes as a gentle wash of his flames coursed through you. The pounding in your head lessened

“Tried my best to alleviate some of your symptoms, but since most of them aren’t physical injuries, I don’t think helped much.”

“It’s fine,” you rasped, blinking the crustiness from your eyes as you sat up. “Thanks for tryin’”

He hummed, pulling away. “What I’m surprised about is that you’re getting so sick from a dip in the waters. As far as I’m aware, the waters in this part of the Grand Line should be temperate enough to avoid that issue, yoi. Unless…” He narrowed his eyes at you, suspicion flashing in his gaze as he picked up on your guilty air. “You were on deck at a time where you would usually be asleep, yoi. Why weren’t you resting?” 

“Listen,” you began. “You’re not allowed to scold anybody involved in it…”

Marco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why do I feel like I already know who it is, yoi?”

“Ace took me out to help fix Striker,” you agreed, ignoring Marco’s muttered ‘I knew it’. “Then we swung by the galley where there was something I forgot to fix for Thatch. Some of the crew caught me about, and it kind of escalated from there.”

The way the man tilted his head was distinctively avian. “Now, why would you do that, yoi? We’ve discussed using your Devil Fruit when you’re tired.”

You pursed your lips and adverted your eyes, shrugging. “I dunno. I couldn’t just say no.”

His eyes softened. “You know… You’re deserving of rest when you’re tired. You don’t need to bend over backward to please us. You don’t have to prove anything.”

Unbidden, you felt tears spring up in your eyes, and you blamed it on the mess running through your system, pulling away so you could wipe them.

However, Marco’s hands came up to hold your face, thumb wiping away the bit of saltiness that spilled over your lashes.

“Silly love,” Marco murmured as he tugged you into his chest and enveloped you.

Pliantly allowing it to happen, your face ended up buried in his chest. His hand rubbed your back comfortingly as he shifted to take a seat and pulled you into his lap. You sank deeper into him, instinctively relaxing at the soothing warmth he emitted.

“Nobody would think less of you for resting. There’s no payment to be on the crew beyond what you can safely provide. And you’ve done plenty, are doing plenty. Pops is not going to kick you out if you don’t repair Skull’s necklace or somebody’s sandals for the fiftieth time. You belong with us. We want you.”

You closed your eyes in embarrassment, hands coming up to cover your face. Marco’s chuckle jostled you a little bit, and the arm around your waist squeezed you, dragging you even closer to him. His flames flickered over you again, and you went boneless against him, hands dropping from your face. The ache in your chest that you didn’t even know you were carrying lightened with his presence.

“You just rest now, yoi. I’ll take care of you.”

You sighed, a trembling shaky thing. “Thank you, Marco.”

And Tonight, We’ll Be Warm

It is technically still the 25th where I am so have a holiday-related fic! This is just an excuse to write that obligatory Christmas fic that nobody asked for

Whitebeard Pirates x Reader (no particular pairing but very Ace-centric)

The Whitebeard Pirates never needed an excuse to party, but surprisingly, they always celebrated one specific holiday.

The sight of white flecks on the deck heralded the arrival of the Moby Dick to its destination, the cheery winter island in front of you a familiar sight. You couldn’t see it at this distance, but you had no doubt that if you asked Marco, he’d say that it was decked out in its annual holiday decoration already.

Around you, the hustle and bustle of docking preparations were in full swing, excitement filling the chilly air more than usual. Every year, on the same day and if time was willing, Pops liked to return to this specific island, deep in the heart of his territory, known for its celebration this time of year. It was done often enough that the locals left a special place for the Whitebeards and the crew always brought in supplies when they came. What would commence would be a two-day, island-wide celebration where the Whitebeards and even other friendly crews would toss aside their worries to rejoice. Though Pops’s family may have been a wide assortment of characters from all over the Blues, it was a unanimous agreement that all of you would indulge in this holiday because of how much joy it brought the old man. Though as pirates, there was never a reason needed to party.

You’d been with the crew long enough to have attended a few, the first few times never something you’d never forget. Overwhelming in the best of days, there would be lots of work done once you docked to unload the supplies and crates, but then the locals would whisk it all away and the crew would be able to release themselves upon the festivities. There would be stalls upon stalls of vendors selling indulgent foods, gifts, and knickknacks for the holidays. And—of course—the booze. It was a pirate island, after all.

A relieved cheer broke out as the Moby coasted gently to a stop, a few of those who could handle the jump vaulting over the side onto the dock, while those who remained up top tossed down the mooring line for them. You double-checked the ropes on the winches responsible for lowering the cargo and leaned over to ensure that nobody was in the way.

“Lowering the crates!” You yelled down to the people milling down below. The worn wooden crank was familiar in your work-calloused hands as you cranked it, lowering the creaking platforms of foods and ingredients down. A ‘thump’ and the lines slackening signaled the contact with the dock below you, and you left the unpacking to the ground crew.

Beelining for the rope ladder, you scaled down it to join the others, an eager grin pulling at your cheeks. Wagons waited for their loads, but you left that to those like Fossa and Blenheim, the likes of them able to move much more efficiently when they had no smaller crewmates running underfoot. Your eyes darted across the space, seeking one specific person. For once, a majority of the crew had a shirt and jacket on, only the hardiest of them forgoing it, so it was easy for you to find that tattoo stretched across a tanned back.

“Ace!”

The young man spun around, seeking the call of his name. You started toward him, waving to attract his attention. He returned your grin easily as the two of you met up. Close to him, you couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Despite your layers, it was still bitingly cold with the snow fluttering down. But with Ace nearby, his heater tendencies, courtesy of his Fruit, were a warm balm against the low temperatures.

“You were right, this does look fun!” Ace said, hands on his hips as he regarded the festivities beyond the dock. I’m glad I’ll have someone to lead me around.”

“Hm.” You rubbed your hands, fingertips red. “I’ll show you all the good places to hit up. Ignore what Commander Marco says. He’s a geezer who’s got outdated tastes.”

“Does he now, yoi?”

You stiffened, spine prickling with unease as footsteps came close. The warmth of the other flame-related Devil Fruit user on your back betrayed his approach. You shot Ace a nervous smile, grabbing his shoulders and swinging behind him to escape the fingers that skimmed the collar of your jacket. Grabbing the black-haired man’s hand, you readied to bolt but flailed when he didn’t move.

“C’mon! We gotta run!”

Ace glanced back at you, shrugging helplessly, still gripping your hand.

“You should know better,” Marco tsked as he stopped in front of Ace (and you, who ensured you were soundly on the opposite side of Ace from him). He crossed his arms, a lazy smile twitching into something mischievous. “We have to wait for Pops, yoi.”

As if that mention summoned him, the ground trembled with the impact of your captain landing down from his leap off the ship. He did a sweeping glance over his nakama, still milling about the dock as they waited for his arrival, and unleashed his booming laughter. “What are you all waiting for? Go have fun, my children!”

Noise erupted over the dock, and you suddenly found Ace very agreeable as you ran away from Marco. The two of you darted into the crowd, away from the blonde.

“Go! Go! GO!” You yelled as Ace swept you onto his back, laughing as he bolted. You wrapped an arm around his neck to keep balance, while the other one pointed in front of him to where you wanted him to go. Rakuyo jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being plowed over, and Atmos bellowed in laughter when Ace ducked under his arm, revealing you clinging to his back.

Despite you acting as a backpack for him, Ace was barely winded when you finally told him to stop. He regarded the street around you with wide eyes as you slid off him, dusting your clothes. “Where to know?”

You pointed to a little stall that had a small metal stove by its side. “First order of business: Drinks!”

The little old lady there waved as you approached, a smile of familiarity greeting you. “Welcome back, dearie. I see you’ve brought a friend!”

Nodding, you stepped aside to showcase the now-shy ravenette to her. “Hi again Miss Rose. This is Ace! He joined us a little while ago.”

“Showing him around, I see…” Miss Rose said

“Yep,” you said. “I gotta do it since I don’t want to put him through the history lesson that Commander Marco might’ve exposed him to. And I thought it’d be good to start everything off with drinks from your stall!”

Miss Rose tilted her head, an apologetic expression falling onto her face. “I’m sorry, dearie, but my stove just went out, you see. I sent my son off to fetch flint, but it’s going to be a while before I can get anything warm for you.”

“I can help!” Ace said, straightening up as he lifted a hand, small flames flickering to life. He, however, quickly extinguished it, and added on nervously, “I-If you want.”

The woman didn’t flinch at the small display of Ace’s powers, long-familiar with Devil Fruit displays on an island such as this, and toddled over to the stove, pulling open the door, and stepped aside for Ace. “Oh, if you could, that would be delightful.”

Caught off guard by the open friendliness, Ace glanced at you in a silent question. You bumped him forward with your shoulder. “Yeah. Miss Rose has the best cider all around, and you can’t start the festivities without getting a cup.”

Ace exhaled with a smile, sticking his hand into the open maw of the stove. With a flash of orange, the lumber within it lit up. The door was closed, and Miss Rose quickly put a pot over the top. Within moments, the warm smell of spices suffused the air and the pot’s content bubbled merrily away. Miss Rose moved with a speed that belied her age as she quickly set up two steaming cups of liquid. You barely just finished fishing out the appropriate payment before they were shoved into your grasp. Passing one to Ace, you slid the coins over to her quicker than she could react. Grabbing Ace, you led him away despite the woman’s protests refusing your payment and called back, “Thanks, Miss Rose!”

Your action prompted a curious look from him as the two of you hurried from her stand. “What was that about?”

“She’s too kind for her own good, and if I didn’t do that, she would’ve tossed my coin back at my face,” you explained. Taking a long sip, you let out a satisfied sigh at the warmth spreading through your guts and prompted Ace, “Try it.”

He took a tentative sip. Your catlike grin widened as his eyes lit up, and he went in for seconds. “Woah, this is good…”

“Mhm,” you hummed, turning to look at the busy street in front of you. You pulled the cup closer to your face to allow the steam to warm up your cold nose. “It’s good that we got here before the crew. Otherwise, we’d be fighting Kingdew for a spot in line.”

Ace didn’t reply, and you glanced over to see him staring at the colorfully lit lanterns above you that cast festive colors onto the street. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It was nice seeing the awe on his face, and you realized this must’ve been why Marco was chuckling at you when it was your first time on the island. 

The growl emitting from him broke you out of your reverie, and you chuckled, hefting a bag of Berry in your hands.

“Alright Ace, since it’s your first time here, you can get any food you want, my treat. But—” You held up a finger when he brightened, “Only as much as this pouch can pay, and don’t spoil your appetite for later.”

“What’s for later?” Ace asked as he began walking to the nearest food stall, something to do with skewers.

“Five, please,” you said pleasantly to the vendor. Glancing back at Ace, you said. “There’s always a big feast and bonfire set up. It’s great. You’ll love it.”

The food was given to you, and you exchanged it with the correct amount of bills, passing four of the roasted chestnut and meat sticks to Ace while you kept one to yourself. Silence stretched between you two for a few minutes as the food was savored. As you were crunching through a chunk of chestnut, you heard Ace murmur, “Lu’ would’ve liked this.”

You swallowed your bite. Aside from his explosive (literally) introduction to the crew, there were a few other things about him that he never kept quiet about, one of them being his very cherished brother. “Oh yeah? I mean, this island is known for good chestnuts year-round, so food like this is common anytime. You can bring him here when you meet him again.”

Ace polished off his second skewer, expression wistful as he murmured, “Yeah…”

“Oi, you two!”

Like twin dogs, the two of you turned to the call. Thatch waved at you, Izou by his side. The former looked a little silly, with a sprinkling of snow piling up atop his pompadour, while the latter looked immaculate in his dark-blue kimono, its woven threats gleaming when it caught the lights. Amusement lit up the two Commanders’ faces when they saw the food in Ace’s hold.

“Putting another person’s wallet to work already, I see,” Izou said with a small smirk on his painted lips.

“Well, better than the alternative,” Thatch quipped, hands on his hips. “The locals may like us, but that can change if someone decides to dine and dash.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you pipped up. “I’m treating Ace today since it’s his first time.”

“How thoughtful,” Izou said. “You would have had the same result tossing your wallet in the sea.”

“I know better! I only brought a set amount.”

“Hey!” Ace protested. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

You, Thatch, and Izou exchanged glances. A beat of silence passed.

Thatch was the first to crack, folding in half as mirth shook his body, and you had to make efforts not to spill your drink in your laughter. Even Izou cracked, one fist coming up to cover his mouth as he snorted. Ace leveled a betrayed look at you all.

“By the way,” Thatch began, once he finally reigned his laughter back in control. “Where are the two of ya headed?”

Shrugging, you motioned down the street you two were on. “Just roaming for the most part, but the goal is to the town center to show Ace the stage before going to the bonfire.

“Hm. Mind if we join y’all?”

You shrugged. “I don’t mind. Ace?”

Silence greeted you, and you whirled around to find him face down in the snow, breathing deeply. Somehow, he still held his drink and food aloft. Sighing, you sent the other men a helpless look.

“We can wait until he wakes up to see what he wants,” Izou amended. “Let’s move him to the bench over there.”

Thatch smiled, lifting a hand. “If ya can grab the food and cup, I’ll carry our resident flamethrower out of the street.”

Chugging the rest of your cider, you crouched down and carefully wormed the sticks and cup out of Ace’s hands. There was no food left, so you tossed those, but Ace’s cup was still three-quarters full and steaming, so you decided to keep that for yourself. At your go-ahead, Thatch effortlessly lifted Ace’s snoozing form, while Izou cut ahead to dust off the coating of snow from the seat. Thatch set Ace down first before sitting down, and you immediately claimed the other empty spot of the sleeping Logia-user, sighing in happiness at the warmth that bled off him.

“I’m surprised that you’re not with Commander Marco, sirs,” you admitted, moving to sip from the cider cup.

You squawked as Thatch took it from you, using his long reach to lean over Ace. He took a sip from it and hummed. “Ah, that’s good. From Miss Rose?”

Sulkily side-eyeing him, you nodded.

“And stop with the ‘Commander’ stuff. We’re off-duty, and we’re all friends anyway.”

“Well, as my friend, you should give me back my drink.”

“Is it really yours in the first place, if you took it from Ace?” Izou asked. He waved the cup away when Thatch offered it to him.

As the brown-haired man was leaning back, Ace suddenly shot forward, knocking into him. The cup flew out of Thatch’s grasp, spilling its contents onto the snow in front of you all. Izou hissed, jerked the hem of his kimono away, and shot the others a poisonous look.

“Haahhhhh? Since when did we sit down?”

“Since you decided the snow would be a good cushion for your face,” Izou replied.

“Ah dang, was I out for long?”

“No,” you said. “Thatch and Izou were wondering if they could tag along with us.”

Ace stood up, stretching his arms above his head. “I don’t see why not! As long as your offer still holds up.”

Sighing in exasperation, you stood up with a shake of your head and a smile on your face. “Fine. But if you want to explore, we gotta get going.”

Your words were a reminder of the changing sky, the days shorter in the thick of winter. The others all agreed, and once everyone gathered themselves, you all set off again. Your motley crew would’ve struck an unusual sight, with Thatch’s stature and hair, Izou’s elegant dress, and Ace completely bare-chested in the snow, but the locals of this island were long-used to it, a few folks even greeting the Commanders by name.

The festival was still as eye-catching as ever, with the soft haze of snowfall spreading a dreamy air over everything. True to his nature, Ace ended up dragging you to a few more food stalls. You four wandered with no hurry, simply basking in the peaceful, jovial air that was seldomly seen on the seas.

“I wonder how long these chestnuts can keep,” Thatch mused as he rotated a candied chestnut in his fingers. Popping it into his mouth, he passed you one from his cup. “I have plenty of recipes that’ll be nice for the colder weeks when we’re sailing.”

“I think if you can store them in the ice closet, they can last up to six months!” you chirped.

You could see his mind beginning to form ideas. “That’s plenty of time. I doubt they’ll last that long. Since it’s so cheap here, I think I’ll arrange for an order to the Moby tomorrow.”

A folded hand fan whapped Thatch on the side of the head, Izou tucking it back from wherever he summoned it from when the brown-haired man turned to him. 

“What gives, you bastard?!?”

“Stop talking about work,” Izou sniffed. “We’re here to relax and enjoy the festivities, damn you.”

Thatch leaned down into Izou’s space. “Well, you didn’t need to hit me!”

While the two senior members squabbled like little kids, you turned your attention to Ace, seeing him contemplating the roasted squid in his hands like it contained the secrets of the world.

“What’s wrong?” You said, popping your head over his shoulder. “It raw?”

Ace blinked, shaking his head and taking a big bite out of it. “Nah. Just thinkin’.”

“Don’t hurt your head over it,” you said. “Now’s a time to turn it off.”

He hummed, and you linked your arm with his and marched forward.

“Well, we’re almost at the town center. You’d like it, I think. And if you don’t, it’ll be something to distract you, yeah? No worries.”

Izou and Thatch fell in line when they saw the two of you heading off. One was fixing the collar of his kimono, while the other had a red mark on his forehead. Neither said anything when you raised a teasing eyebrow in question.

You led them down the streets until it opened up into a wide space, the large, towering pine tree in the middle marking your arrival to the town center.

Ace froze as he gawked at the monster of a tree in front of you all. “Holy shit.”

Tall enough to make even Pops look small standing next to its trunk, the ancient growth was decked out in flickering candles and carved, wooden ornaments of all colors. Bands of embroidered cloth swayed gently, depicting the winter flowers that bloomed this time of year.

“This is one of the island’s pride and joy,” You told Ace, banking on the information Marco told you during your first time. Damn, if he knew, he would never let you live this down. “It was said that this tree was already massive by the time people settled onto this island, and it was decided that they would keep it and treasure it. The festivals came later, but this tree was integrated into every celebration as well. Looks like we came just in time.”

Chattering quieted as a door hidden in the tree trunk opened. A pair of men walked forward to the platform mounted there, rolling some sort of canon in between them.

“It’s safe,” you reassured Ace as you saw him shift in nervousness. “Just watch!”

With a muffled pop, a flurry of flat, petaled shapes shot up into the air. The crowd roiled, eager hands reaching up as the large charms fluttered down. This was what you came here for. This town’s yearly charms, hand-carved from a specific type of lightweight crystal only found here. When refined down into the flowers and the snowflakes fluttering down upon you now, they caught the light in a kaleidoscope of rainbows. They were beautiful.

And very desired.

“Quickly,” you hissed, pushing Ace forward. “Try and grab one! They say that whoever got one will have good luck for the upcoming year.”

Unsure, the man reached out, only to have it snatched in front of his fingertips. The old lady who took it from him gave him a sharp glare and toddled off.

A spark of competitiveness lit up in Ace’s eyes. “Oh, that does it.”

The two of you shared a look of determination, exchanging a nod before delving into the crowd.

“Over here, Ace!”

“Too far!”

“Watch out for that lady!”

Your teamwork fell in line seamlessly, the months together on the seas and all the training and fighting giving you and Ace a leg up. Though it always seemed like there were five people trying for every one charm. Eventually, there was nothing left in reach, but you spotted one still fluttering above the crowd. You were not the only one, as you locked eyes with a burly man who was bullying his way through the crowd toward it. The two of you scowled at each other, and you stuck out your tongue at him.

Looking back at it again, you saw that it was out of reach for even the tallest folks.

But not too tall for what you had in mind.

Spinning around, you pointed at the crystal and yelled out, “Ace!”

The man turned around to spot it, and you quickly took a knee, putting your cupped hands low to the ground. A move that you’d done once or twice before.

“Go for it!” You yelled, hiding a wince when an elbow dug into your back.

Ace stepped back, lining himself up before running towards you. His boot landed in your palms, and you pushed yourself upward, propelling him up with you as he jumped. You turned around to see his trajectory, a wild grin on your face. Ace had a similar expression, one hand on his hat while the other was outstretched as he approached the snowflake. With bated breath, you watched as his fingers grazed the edges of the charm, seemingly missing it before, with a burst of flames from his legs, he propelled himself up a bit and the charm landed in his grasp. With the prize secured, he brought it to his chest and pivoted in the air, landing at an empty spot with a perfectly tucked roll.

You let out a whoop, throwing your arms up in victory, before moving your way through the crowd to where Ace landed. Your cheeks ached not just from the cold, but also from the size of the grin overtaking you sported. Spotting Ace, you hauled him up and pulled him into a hug, your laughter ringing out in the air.

“You got it!”

His cheeks were flushed as well when you pulled back, a pearly smile on his face. “Yeah.”

The crowd’s excitement was dying down and a part of you dropped in dismay over the fact that you’d missed your chance to grab something, too busy making sure Ace had his moment to focus on your own. But you were at least glad that Ace managed to get one of the charms of his own, so you shoved down that bit of sadness.

“What shape did you get?” You asked. “Can I see?” 

He pulled the hand holding his charm away from his chest, and your eyes widened in excitement at the sight of a flat carving of a flame lily. As he lifted it into the air, the clear crystal caught the light, throwing out fiery red and orange iridescence from within its lattice.

“A flame lily, lucky you!” You shot him a thumbs-up. “That’s the most prized one. A symbol of undying warmth in the cold. Good luck is definitely coming your way.”

“There you two are,” Thatch said, panting a bit as he got through the crowd. “You crazy little cretins, I can’t believe you two did that! And don’t deny it, I saw Ace in the air.”

You whistled, adverting your eyes. “Welllll, it was worth it. Ace got this year’s Flame Lily. How ‘bout you?”

“Right here,” Thatch sighed, reaching into the top of his pompadour and pulling out a glittering, clear hexagonal plate that had flashes of smoky black when he tilted it. “Some lady tried stealing it from my hands after I got it.”

“Looks like all that hair really is useful for something,” you chuckled.

He harrumphed, tucking it in the inner breast pocket of his coat. “Whatever. Did you get one this year?”

You shook your head, a rueful smile on your face. “Nah. Looks like my collection is not growing this year.”

You only caught a flash of guilt on Ace’s face before something was thrust into your face.

“Here,” Izou drawled, a bored look on his face.

Going cross-eyed, you took a step back to see what it was. Your eyes widened when you saw the intricate poinsettia carving in his hand, the details of the flower it was mimicking catching the light prettily.

“I found this stuck to mine,” he said, motioning to the bird-shaped crystal peeking out of the collar of his kimono before you could ask. He shook it. “Take it. I don’t need two of them.”

“Aww, you do care,” you teased as you reached for it.

Izou jerked it out of your grip, raising it out of your reach. “I am not above breaking it over your head.”

“No don’t! I’ll be good, I promise!”

He finally gave it to you, huffing out of his nose as he swept past the tree of you. “Fine. Let’s go. We need to head to the beach if we want to catch the bonfire in time.”

At this point, the sky was blue-hued with the end of sunset, the chill settling deeper into your bones. But still, the lights and candles kept the island festivities in full swing.

“So, what do we do with these things?” Ace asked, inspecting his lily carving.

“You just keep it.” You shrugged. “Put ‘em in a box or something. It’s your choice. Hell, you can even toss them into the ocean, but make sure to point out where you did it so I can go diving for it.”

Ace hummed in thought, glancing over to see your expectant gaze on him. With a smile and shrug, he shoved it into his pant pocket. “I guess I’ll keep it. So what are we doing now?”

“Bonfire should start soon,” you affirmed. “There’ll be food and drinks, the full Whitebeard Pirates shebang, yaknow?”

The growling of a stomach was the response you received from him, and you chuckled.

“We’re almost there,” Thatch reassured. 

True enough, you four took the stone steps down from the edge of the town, where your shoes immediately sunk into sand. Already, you could hear the hubbub of conversation, men on their way to getting sloshed. There was a chorus of greetings that rose when those present saw you four.

“Finally,” Atmos roared, his beer sloshing over his tankard. “Was thinkin’ you guys died fighting in the town center.”

Izou scoffed, sweeping past him as he headed for where Vista and Haruta were. “Please. As if I’d be taken out by something so simple.”

“I’m going to check out to see if the Fourth Division needs any help,” Thatch called, splitting away too.

That left you and Ace again, and you steered him toward a table set up with food. You unleashed him upon the meal, picking up a few things that pulled at your interests too, and allowing yourself to mingle with everyone.

Like most other Whitebeard parties, it was easy to be swept up in the merriment. At one point, you managed to wrangle a spot beside Haruta as he lit up the main bonfire, toasts being called out into the air. Smaller bonfires went up around the beach too, like twinkling, golden stars in the dark.

And when the moon was high in the sky, just about the time when you knew the spectacle of the night would begin, you sought out Ace again.

He was warm as you slung an arm over his shoulder, warmer than even the slight bit of alcohol coursing through your veins. “Aceyyyyyyyyy. Come on closer to the bonfire.”

“Hm? Why’s that.”

You pointed to the towering back of Blenheim in front of you. “Too many tall ones over ‘ere. And you’re warm, but I wanna be warmer.”

“I didn’t realize you were such a heat hog,” he said, rising from his seat at your insistent tugging. 

Fossa smirked at him when he saw the two of you pass by. “Looks like you’re the victim this time, brat. Good.”

You stuck your tongue out at the older man, aiming towards a log laid on as a seat, angled to look into the island instead of out over the sea. Plopping into it with none of the grace you normally held when somber, you sighed at the heat that suffused your back from the bonfire.

At Ace’s questioning look at you, you raised your arm and pointed over the top of the island, where the top of the pine tree could be seen peeking out. “You’ll wanna watch o’er there. It’s good. I promise.”

Following your words were the lights from the town being extinguished, plunging the inland into darkness. Soon, the only lights came from the bonfires dotting the beaches like fireflies as everyone settled. An air of excitement took over the party, those sober and not tilting their heads up to the sky.

A whistle announced the first of the launches before the sky exploded with color. Fireworks bloomed in their brilliant glory, popping and crackling hues of sparkling rainbows before fading out. It was stunning as ever, but since you’d seen it a few times before, you chanced a glance at the man next to you.

Ace’s eyes were wide, the glow of the firelight making them glitter. You smiled softly at the way it transformed his features into something softer.

Even though you haven’t known him for long, the look on his face earlier was too somber for your liking. The two of you may not be close-knit, but you were at least friendly with him on the account of you two being newer to the crews. So to see that troubled look that bellied something deeper made you worried. You may not be close enough to pry, but at the least, you hoped that this was enough to lift his spirits lightly.

You tore your gaze from the black-haired male just in time to see the second round of fireworks going up. More impressive than the last, this time the fireworks were set up into shapes. All around you, cheers rose from the crew as the doggy face of Stephan bloomed into view, followed by an impressive arrangement forming the Moby Dick. 

As this round began to die down, Marco appeared at your side, handing you a steaming drink. “Here, yoi. Keep warm.”

Reaching for it, you asked, “Is it warmed rum?”

“No. I’m not letting you have that again, yoi.” He turned to Ace and jabbed a thumb at you. “No matter how much this one asks, no more of Raykuyo’s rum, alright? I promise you don’t want to deal with the aftermath.”

You sulkily sipped from the cup, finding that it was hot chocolate. Sweet, yet not too heavy to upset your stomach. “Whatever, I drink it ‘cause it chases the chill away.”

“You have Ace with you, yoi.”

“I’m still cold!” you barked. Your eyes gained a calculating gleam as you shuffled closer to Ace, your free hand whipping out to latch onto Marco’s wrist. “But if you’re insisting, why don’t you come have a seat, Marco? I’m sure you’re awfully tired, and it’s an awfully good view to see the fireworks.

His half-lidded eyes were knowing as he moved to sit beside you, bracketing you on all three sides with heat. You sighed in happiness, and relaxed, returning your focus to the sky.

With the bonfire at your back, Ace and Marco by your side, and the crew all around you, your heart was warm.