Paths ||One Piece x Reader oneshots||

Rapunzul ||Child!Ace x Child!FemReader||

"Get back here!!"

"He went there!"

"Catch that rascal!!"

Ace furrowed his eyebrows as he hid behind some trash cans near the wall of a measly looking house in Edge town, Goa Kingdom. His back against the cold tin metal as he clutched the pipe he carries around. Staying silent as he can be to not get caught by the angry gang members.

"Damn it...I don't have a good way to escape here.."

Ace thought to himself as he chewed on his lip while peeking from the corners of the trash can. Clenching the pipe in his hand tightly as he was about to stand up and make a run for it, until he felt a grab on his ankle.

Immediately looking down with wide eyes as a young girl who seemed about his age stared up at him from a barred little window at the bottom of the wall of the house he was hiding at against the trash cans.

Staring up at the ten year old with wide blank eyes as you gripped the cold metal bar. You looked like a ghost with the scary look on your face.

"WHO'S SHE?"

Ace mentally screamed as he sweatdropped with a pale face until he got dragged down towards the closed window with a powerful yank. Being pulled into a room through the bars which he had his head, arms, and legs slammed against as he finally fell onto the cold dirty floor of the room he got dragged into face first.

"OW!"

He hissed in pain, rubbing his now bruised nose while sitting up on the ground. Looking around as he noticed the cold small almost empty room he was in, until his eyes landed on the girl who pulled him in. You.

Staring down at the boy with eyes that had a look of unamusement, almost bored as you placed a finger to your lips. Hinting to him to stay quiet.

A group of angry voices with the sound of footsteps along with sounds of what would be trash cans being knocked over onto the ground outside as the footsteps dispersed away into the distance, came outside from the small bared window that also was the only source of light in the room.

"They're gone now."

You quietly said as you adverted your vision to the pile of old books that were scattered on the small wooden table that was in your room. Walking over to them as you opened one and flipped through the pages.

"Thanks.. I owe you one."

Ace mumbled in response as turned his eyes to the side, then starting to fully look around the room he was in.

"Whats with this room? There's webs, dust, and just a bed here with that measly looking table.."

Ace thought to himself with a raised eyebrow as he got up and dusted himself from dirt. He was about to go back and climb out of the window until he felt a grab on his arm. Turning his head around to look at the girl who stared back at him with dull eyes.

"Not yet."

You said as you pointed a finger at his elbow which had a cut on it with a thin trail of blood seeping out.

Pulling him down onto your small bed with such force that immediately knocked his feet off the floor as he flopped onto the sheets with a shout from the young boy.

Taking out a small first-aid medkit as you climbed next to him on the bed. Taking his arm as you started to wipe off the blood and place a bandage over the cut.

Ace scowled a bit from the sting of the cut from contact of the alcohol wipe that she used to clean up his elbow, though a light blush was evident on his face as he glared down to the side of his peripheral. This was the closest he had ever been to a girl that was his age before.

"Done."

You said after finishing bandaging his arm. Closing the small box as you set it to the side while standing up to get something from a shelf.

"Here."

Handing to him, a mango flavored piece of candy sitting on your small palm.

Ace raised an eyebrow as he stared at the small sugar treat, taking it and shoved it into the pockets on his shorts for later, right now he just has to get out of here.

"Thanks.."

Weeks and months later, Ace had been visiting daily the small barred window at the basement room where you were kept in from the outside world. Getting to know eachothers's names at first, creating small talk with eachother. Then becoming friends as you enjoyed hearing the stories he told and how he would bring objects that you never got to have from the outside. He even brought Luffy and Sabo with him to visit a couple of times.

——————

"Hey Y/n..."

"Hm? Are you hurt again?"

"No, not that. I was wondering if you wanted to join me when I set out to sail on the seas as a pirate in the future."

"A pirate?"

You asked with a soft giggle as you stared up at him from your bed to the window where he was sitting at from the outside. Holding a book that you were reading before until his question popped up.

"Hey don't laugh at that! Look, once I get you out of this dump we'll go to explore at seas alright!"

Ace responded as he sat up and crossed his arms. A determined look on his face as he glanced down at you, seeing you smile made him smile back too.

——————

"Yo Y/n! I brought (stole) some of those books that you like!"

...

"Y/n?"

...

Ace furrowed his eyebrows as he placed down the books he got on the ground. Crouching down to look through the barred window where you would always be at, no longer being able to fit through them like he did when you two first met so he had to strain his head against the bars to see why weren't you responding. Until his eyes widened in shock.

The room that you had always been waiting in for him daily for new stories about himself and the outside world.

Was empty.