With different eyes

Storm front

I always thought the weather in spring was crazy but the New World beats that by far. After a ride through the darkness, this time I thought about a light, I came to the surface of the new world. And no, no storm welcomes me: it was bright sunshine. At least in the beginning. Then came the deluge.

But back to the beginning. I went back to the surface, but I had thought of a light and a book. The book was old and yellowed and had immediately caught my attention. The owner of the store was glad to get rid of the old piece. I couldn't read the title too much the cover was worn out, but according to the content of the first pages it is a collection of old legends and myths. Just my taste. Ace still wasn't usable for a conversation, even after days. He prefers to sulk to himself. I just remember the café, there comes the tortured moaning of the firefist. In my opinion, you can overdo it, but okay, it's not my reputation. I grin wider and turn back to the book. In my thoughts I hear Ace complaining and howling. Oh I really hope I won't be in Ace's body when Marco finds out about my prank. I shiver and suddenly it was quiet in my head. "Don't even think about telling Marco, don't forget it's YOUR body," I think and hear an offended gasp in response.

After hours, or so it seemed to me, we reached the surface. As soon as the striker broke the surface, the bubble around the striker burst. The sea glistens under the bright sun and I look around. Somehow I thought the new world would be ... more dangerous. I do not know yet that I could hit myself later for this thought. I set the sails and the striker glides over the sea. Further and further towards Whitebeard, at least according to the Vivre Card. Ace had informed me a few days ago that he has one. Rather late in my opinion, but well the only thing a D doesn't forget is the food. I stretch out and put the book into the storage room. They were old legends, in my opinion legends that date back to before the time of the world government. "Are you looking forward to your home?", I ask the firefist. "Yes" says this one also already exhilarated, you could hear and feel the joy in his voice. He must have really missed them, I hope that we will quickly find a solution to our problem, so that he can be completely with his family again and have adventures with them. Even though I haven't thought about it for days, too much has happened, I suddenly think about my home, if someone misses me? I have spent too much time with the university and not enough contacts to let someone notice that I am missing, I know that. The thought fills me with sadness and the firefist seems to have noticed it, not surprising with the mind reading, and tries to distract me. "Wait and see once we are on Moby Dick, there is a big party and you get to know the others." Ace says happily and I am grateful for the distraction. "You think so? I mean I'm not you and I don't even know if it's a good idea to drink alcohol, who knows what effect it has on our situation, after all alcohol affects consciousness" I give away my concerns. "Oh, well," the fire fist knocks this aside. "'If you think so" I mumble, but I am happy to meet the others. Well, except for Whitebeard, who somehow makes me feel slightly uneasy, I mean he was an emperor. Hopefully he doesn't think I did anything to his son, he'll grill me. My thoughts are just amusing to the firefist, I could feel it.

The next hours passed quietly, except for the meanwhile usual tiffs between Ace and me, but what else should we do, count drops of water? But suddenly the whole sea around us starts moving and a school of whales appears around us. But these are not normal sized whales of my world, but huge monster whales. I hear the animals snorting and feel the water splashing around me. The animals are not disturbed by me, on the contrary they swim peacefully around me. I look into the calm and wise eyes of one of the animals. Suddenly the whales start to sing: A deeper sounding tone that echoes in my body. It felt to me like an echo from a time long past, a memory from far away days full of happiness and sorrow. I am totally thrilled and lean far out of the striker to touch one of these gentle giants. Almost as if they had noticed my efforts, one of the animals comes closer. I put my hand on the skin of the whale. It was cool and moist, but not slippery. I could feel the strong heart literally pulsating. The song fades away again and little by little the whales start to dive under again. I laugh from the bottom of my heart and wave goodbye to the animals. That alone was worth the change of worlds, I think happily and I can already hear Ace laughing. He had been silent throughout the whole encounter. "That was your moment" Ace explains his behavior to me. I sit down again properly in the Striker and smile happily before me. What else will I see? This world has so much to offer.

Something worries me. It was a thought that I can't get a grip on. I look around me, but it is more quiet and the sun is shining from the sky. Hopefully I won't get a sunburn, with Ace light skin. "Hey" sounds already Ace thought "I have never had a sunburn! I'm made of fire!" Yes you, not me, I think. 

Suddenly the sky turns black and lightning breaks through the clouds. The sea becomes restless and throws huge waves. What the hell? I think before Ace's briefing that I should hoist the sail. With effort and misery I accomplish this order. After that I grab the mast to avoid flying off the striker. Didn't I tell you that I thought the new world was more dangerous? I take the sentence back, only the weather is mean dangerous'! Cursing I am shaken on the Striker, while the waves throw him here and there as if he was nothing more than a toy. Suddenly a wave swallows the striker and I am flushed from the board. With difficulty I make it back to the surface and try to look around. The salt water burns my eyes and my wet clothes try to pull me underwater with the help of the waves. No matter how good I am at swimming, if I can't reach the striker I will drown!

I'm trying to spot the striker and apparently the sky doesn't want me yet that I see him: the mast is broken and he's upside down but he's swimming! With my last strength I swim to the striker and grab hold of it. I know that there is no point in trying to turn the striker and get in. The waves are too strong and would throw me off again. Ace curses all the time and tries to motivate me. Although it seemed like hours, the storm stopped as suddenly as it started. Finally I can turn the striker around and get back in. Such a crap how are we supposed to move forward without a mast, I think to myself. But before Ace can answer me, I have already slipped into the realm of dreams.

Ace had already thought his last hour had come when the storm came up. He himself would have blown out of the storm at full speed, but Lucia doesn't have his devil fruit powers. Nevertheless they survived, even if the striker did not survive this unscathed. Luckily Lucia seems to be a good swimmer, otherwise she would have simply sunk in the waves. Well, now we have to get to the next island or ship as fast as possible so the striker can be repaired. Best before Lucia wakes up and they are both stuck on the sea. Ace activates his fire and rushes away on the waves. His memories slide back to the past days: To the fish-man island, he will never upset Lucia again, that's for sure. But he has to grin when he thinks that Marco will do that one hundred percent, hopefully he can take the echo. Then his thoughts slipped slowly towards today. How she enthusiastically watched the school of whales. She reminded him a little bit of Luffy, so she let herself be inspired by such a simple thing. But he also noticed her sadness and loneliness as she thought about her home. He wouldn't know how he would react if he woke up in a world that was foreign to him, far away from his family and home, and in a different body. Nevertheless, she seemed to be lonely in her homeland as well. Ace almost made a decision: At least in this world she should not feel lonely anymore.

Simultaneously with his decision a ship appeared on the horizon.