The Elementalist Lucia [One Piece x OC fanfiction]

VI - It was worth being born

Lucia was serene, her knees drawn up to her chest, her head resting on it. Her long blue hair was loose, flying lightly in the wind, her eyes lost in the horizon that could be seen beyond the archipelago, beyond the wall that was Red Line.

"There are times when I stand up, look at that red wall and think that the only man who went to the ends of the seas beyond it, who have conquered the whole ocean, who have achieved absolute freedom on the water... is my father. I cannot be attached to a man I have only heard stories or testimonies about, I cannot have affection for words. But I am proud, proud to see that he was a free man and free of the rules of this world."

She turned her dark blue eyes to Ace and smiled:

"And whatever you say, I am also very proud to see that you are following an equivalent path, that you are living for yourself and leading your life as you wish. Even if it means taking away our father's name."

Uncomfortable, Ace sighed before putting an arm around the shoulders of his half-sister and pulling her closer to him in an awkward attempt at a hug. She laughed and laid her head against his shoulder before closing her eyes:

"I made a promise to myself," she muttered. "I was waiting to see you and Luffy come by. I've been waiting to see you commit to the New World. Once you're both there, then maybe I'll go too... and who knows what I'll do... I think I want to see those seas too. I want to see the world."

"Is it useless for me to ask you to come with me?" he asked her with a smile on his face.

She laughed again before looking up at the sky:

"Yep, I want to see Luffy pass by here before taking off... but I'm sure we'll meet again."

"Considering you'll end up in his crew, yes, certainly," he said in a bitter tone.

She moved away from him, surprised, before bursting into laughter:

"That's an amazing statement, nothing tells you that I'll end up in Luffy's crew!"

Ace didn't answer, just watched her laugh. He felt a small twinge of sadness. It had always been like that with them. It was Luffy who made her laugh when they were children, who reassured her and encouraged her. Ace had been a proud, arrogant brat to her, calling her a "whiny princess" at every turn... as a result, she'd always been closer to her little brother than to him. He shook his head to clear the thoughts away, what reason did he have to be jealous today. She was his blood sister after all, and he knew she had a lot of affection for him in that sense. Even so, he wasn't the one who was really making her laugh.

"Tell me..."

Lucia's soft voice ended his torment and he turned to her, intrigued. She was lying on the roof of the bar, her eyes lost in the immensity of the star-studded sky:

"Do you think everything is written up there?"

He followed her gaze, watching the stars as well. She continued:

"Do you think that everything that happens in this world is already written above our heads?"

"No," said Ace. "No, I don't believe that, that would be too cruel."

"Cruel, huh?"

He let a moment pass before asking another question:

"Do you think it was worth it to be born? That we have the right to exist? That we, that I, have the right to exist?"

Lucia didn't know how to answer, for lack of words, she just put her hand on Ace's and squeezed it gently. They stayed for a while watching the stars above their heads before Ace's crew decided to take a rest, taking their captain with them.