The Return Of Joyboy!

Chapter 17

It was time when Dragon needed to let go of Ace. Ace wanted to make a name for himself in the whole World and he wanted to show everyone that he was his own person and that he will surpass his father. So, he wanted to set sail. Dragon was more than happy to support his sons to fulfill their dreams.

They were in the Foosha Village. Dadan and the bandits and Makino were in the bar, with the ASL brothers and him celebrating his birthday of Ace. He was looking happy. Luffy presented Ace with an orange cowboy hat, with a frowning and a happy face on it, and also a red bead necklace which he got for free with the hat. Sabo presented Ace with a dagger that had a green sheath. Ace placed it on his left hip.

Ace was wearing an open shirt, black shorts, and an orange belt with the letter 'A'. Dragon provided him with two additional boxes, one had a log pose for grand line and another for the New World. He also gave him a white snail, to keep in contact with them. Ace was more than prepared for taking the world by storm.

He waved his goodbye to the brothers and everyone, who wishes him luck in return. He opens his locket and fondly grazes the picture of his parents, who seem to wish him luck on his journey, and then his gaze goes to the three small kids, running behind each other. The picture of the three of them together, which the brothers decided to put in their lockets. Ace smile widened as the ocean greets him with open arms.

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It was only Sabo and Luffy left in Baltigo and Luffy was getting bored. He would pass his time playing with the little kids who were in Baltigo and sometimes sparring with Kuma and Ivankov. Dragon would help to train him in his fighting skills, teaching him all kinds of weapons. But Luffy loved to use his fists, but learning new things excited him, so why not?

He would still go on missions with Sabo and they would always be excited when they would leave their targets in utter chaos, leaving them wondering where the third one was. This made the marines and the pirates alike antsy, believing that the third one will appear from thin air and attack them. This made the brothers roll on the floor with laughter every time.

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It was when the Spade Pirates were in Grandline that they realized the truth that Devil Fruit Users can't swim and their energy is sapped once in sea, which made them question why could Ace still stay in the water without losing his energy. Though he really wasn't able to swim but he didn't sink even! Deuce was trying to comprehend Ace, when he remembered how in storms, harsh waves would deliberately avoid their ship.

There were barely any strong currents on their way to Saboady. Whenever they would question it to Ace himself, he would just grin, and would not say a thing. The Spade Pirates felt that their captain was getting special treatment from nature. But Ace knew why he was favored and even if he was never favored, he would continue to look after Luffy and never make him feel lonely. He would protect him even with his own life. 

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Luffy and Sabo were getting antsy when they didn't get a single call from Ace after he had left Shanks. They tried to contact Shanks, Sabo doing the speaking and asked Shanks if he knows something. That was when they got to know that Ace had gone to fight Whitebeard.

Sabo facepalmed himself. Ace was strong but reckless. There was no way he could fight off Whitebeard right now. He can for sure, defeat the commanders but not freaking Whitebeard, The Strongest Man in The World!!

"Do you think Ace is safe?" Sabo heard Luffy questioning. He could hear the worry lying in those words and bit his inner cheeks. He wanted to say that Ace would be fine, he is strong but couldn't help but feel that something might happen if they don't rescue that idiot.

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Ace opened his eyes and tried to get up when he found himself wrapped in sea stone chains. He felt a headache coming his way already. He sighed and broke the cuffs easily with advanced Armament haki. Why was he in sea stone cuffs in the first place? Ace thought. Then his mind reminded him that he was fighting Jimbei in the New World, then he was face to face with Whitebeard, all exhausted but standing.

He created a firewall for his crew to escape, whose presence he could find below him. Then he was unconscious. So, that means he is taken as a prisoner in the Whitebeard's ship. Ace frowned at his luck. His hands reached for his pockets to find his snail, but he froze in an instant. His pockets were empty and his snail was taken. How long did he pass out?

"You are awake, yoi!" Ace saw the first division commander of the Whitebeard pirates appear in front of him. Ace tried to remain calm, but how can he when he was cuffed with sea stone? Though it didn't work most of the time on him but still!

"I didn't think you'd be awake already, yoi." Marco the Phoenix was looking at Ace with eyes full of hostility.

"How long was I out?" Ace asked as he saw Marco approach him. He kept his eyes on the man and saw him checking his vitals and the wounds. His head was paining and when he lifted his hands to his head, he could feel the bandages. He frowned at that. Sabo and Luffy would probably be worried if they had called and he wouldn't have picked up.

The blond looked at him, but still didn't answer, "Oyaji would like to talk to you, I suggest you leave the questions to us, yoi."

The voice was filled with hostility and Ace argued with himself about why was he still here. But his crew was here, if he have to leave then he had to rescue them. But why was he here in the first place? He only wanted to spar with the man who went toe to toe with his dad. That was the only reason he had wanted to face Whitebeard and not to be held with such hostility.

He sat up and saw Whitebeard entering the room and he freaking saw and heard the white snail ringing. It could be none other than Sabo and Luffy, they must be completely worried.

"Part of me doesn't want to let you answer this call, but the other part of me wants to see just what you'll say to the people on the other side of the line. So go ahead, answer the call."

Ace saw Whitebeard pick up the snail and place it in Ace's hands. The snail quickly took the shape of Shanks's facial expression. He clicked his tongue and licked his lips, preparing himself for the lecture.

"Ace, Ace, you there?" Ace hummed and looked at the snail, keeping an eye on Whitebeard.

Shanks sighed, "Then why didn't you pick up?!"

"I am in a situation," Ace eyed at Whitebeard noting his every movement. He couldn't even focus on the background noises coz of him.

"The little brat was about to tell your Dad when you didn't pick up the calls for three days and you know what will happen if he comes searching for you." Ace hummed. "Tell me where are you?"

"Kidnapped by the Whitebeards?" Ace told or more like questioned himself. But that was true. "Tell me if Dad is on the way?"

The snail shook his head, "Nah, we managed to stop him out of it. Well, I tried. But I wouldn't be sure if your brothers would sit tight."

Ace winced at it, "Shanks, can you tell them I'm fine and I'll call as soon as I get the opportunity." He could see the snail nod.

"Is the old man there with you?" Shanks asked.

"Hello, brat!" Whitebeard spoke for the first time.

Shanks hummed, "Why did you capture Ace? I mean I know you would want to kidnap Ace and make him your son, but from what I can think is that you outright captured him."

"Cause of his white snail," Whitebeard spoke, "Which are only found with the Navy spies." Shanks winced at that.

"You gotta improve your knowledge old man," Shanks looked serious, "There are other people too who can get those snails and as far as I know Ace would love to destroy a Marine Base rather than be one of their dogs."

Shanks continued, "Be glad you didn't do something you couldn't reverse, old man. I'm not getting to be spilling his secrets as I'm sure you better know by now. If something were to happen to Ace, you wouldn't know when Moby Dick would be destroyed." Shanks said casually making a tick mark on Whitebeard. Whitebeard eyed Ace curiously, what connections would this boy have to make the other Yonko spill those words?

"And Ace, make sure to call them otherwise I don't know if Moby Dick would exist by tomorrow." Ace hummed at it and the call was disconnected. Ace rested the small snail on his leg and looked at Whitebeard still standing next to his bed.

He had also seen the way both Marco and Whitebeard had relaxed as soon as Shanks's voice filtered through the snail. Their worries were laid to rest as Shanks would never work together with marines, not after everything that it had cost him before.

Looking at Whitebeard, he could see he was trying to connect some dots.

"Your bounty poster says you are 'Portgas' but I don't think that it is the name you were born with," Ace glared at the old man in front of him.

"Why the heck should I tell you?" Ace growled and made his way out of the infirmary and straight to the room where his crew was.