A Pirate's Value || Sanji Vinsmoke

6.03

"Ace!" Anamaria called out.

"Why do you say that name?"

"I need ta fulfil my end o' the bargain don't i?" she looked up at the man as she stood on her feet.

"But you didn't loose" Yasopp asked in confusion. Shanks simply looked at the young woman and smiled.

"You certainly are interesting. Alright, let us see your partner's face" they all turned to the masked figure who remained still with his eyes still fixed on Anamaria.

"Ace" Ana's tone took a warning edge that made him flinch a bit as water enveloped her and healed the wounds the Yonko had been able to make.

"Ace?" Shanks waited, holding his breath back when he shook his head, trying to convince himself that it was simply a coincidence in name.

But it wasn't. The man slid his skull mask off after making sure that the Foosha villagers were still hiding away and couldn't see him. The Red Haired pirates stared, their mouth wide and agape at the sight of Portgas D. Ace still alive and kicking in front of them.

"How...how is this possible?" Shanks asked Anamaria.

"Me answering yer questions wasn't part o' the deal" she shook her head with a small smirk.

"Oh come one" the Yonko went to grab her arm 'playfully' when a wall of iron hard scales separated them from each other.

Ace couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the astonishment on Shanks' face. He had a devilish grin as he shook his head, enjoying the shock he had caused despite having been worried about the outcome of it.

"Surprised, Shanks?" Ace said with a sly grin "I was a bit surprised myself when I saw Akainu's hit didn't kill me"

"Does Luffy know?" Shanks asked him.

"No" Ana answered for Ace as the man put his mask back on, motioning her hand for Sable to let her see the man "And I'd be thankful if ya waited until 'e was done training for when we tell 'im" Shanks maintained eye contact with the woman, watching the glow under her eyes before he burst out laughing.

"HEAHAHAHAHAHAH! How about you join us kid?" he asked them "So we can celebrate Ace's life!"

"Sure" Anamaria responded after sharing a nod with Ace and the Red Haired crew started introducing themselves. A connection with a Yonko would definitely come in handy in the future.

Ф

Shanks had insisted to ask them about what had happened in Marineford since he had gotten late there and had seen little of what had occurred. His and his crew mates' faces fell more and more and more into shock as Ana told them all that she remembered, Ace interrupting a few times to add commentary.

"So, you actually died? But that coin she gave you saved your life by...cursing you?" Ben asked them after they sat around the clearing in the forest far from the village. Both him and Anamaria had bonded over the fact that they smoked and the woman had even offered him some of her own when he had finished the ones he had.

"Yup, see?" Ace pulled his cloak apart and showed them the healed wound on his chest where the tattoo was.

"And you'll see as soon as night falls what happens if yer cursed by those coins" Anamaria added.

"And where did you get the cursed coins from?" Shanks asked.

"Ya wanna know?" she waited until Shanks and other Red Haired pirates were nodding in curiosity "Well I can't tell ya" they all groaned, falling back.

"Whyyyy?" Shanks attached himself to her making her stumble before Ben hit his captain's head forcing him to stumble back.

"Some secrets are best left alone Captain Shanks" Ana said with a small chuckle.