"So she's your sister?" The masked man asked Ace while pointing at Konan who was trying to fish.
"Yep!" Ace nodded, trying to his best to start a fire. They would need it if they wanted to eat.
"You're pirates, aren't you?" There wasn't much doubt in his voice as he observed the nonchalant Ace. Despite being stranded on an isolated island, he didn't seem too panicked.
"Yeah, I've just set sails recently so I haven't chosen a name yet," Ace pondered, still unable to come up with a proper nickname.
"And her?" He asked, pointing at Konan.
"She's been one for as long as I can remember! She doesn't have a crew though, and I don't think she wants one." That had always been the subject of much discussion amongst the brothers, they all wanted her in their crew, both because she was their sister and also because she was a lot stronger than all of them reunited. Not once had they managed to beat her throughout the years.
"What's her epithet?" He was a bit wary of that woman, he innately felt danger coming from her, his instincts telling him not to provoke her.
Ace tilted his head, searching through his memory but failing to remember, "Hmm, something with Paper I believe..." She had always been very secretive about her life on the sea, only sharing tiny bits when Luffy begged her.
"There are no fishes around, they seem to be avoiding this area," Konan concluded, walking back to sit beside Ace. "We'll have to dive into this jungle." She was used to not eating much and could survive a few days without but she knew Ace wasn't, similarly to Luffy and Sabo, their stomachs were empty pits.
"I didn't dare venture too deep in the jungle," he confessed, "I'm not very strong and there are plenty of wild beasts lurking in the shadows..."
"Don't worry, we can protect you! We're strong-" he fell forward, almost eating the sand before Konan put a hand on his shoulder to stop his fall.
"Is he okay?" he leaned forward in half-worry.
"Don't worry he's fine, he'll eventually wake up," she said calmly as she laid him down on the sand.
Beside being slightly disturbed, he didn't seem to worried for the unconscious man, instead he took out a notebook and a pan, and started writing.
Konan was utterly uninterested in what he was doing, instead she took out a lollipop from her pocket and popped it into her mouth. Since she had discovered the wonders of sweets, she always had some on herself.
His mouth dropped open, as his stomach started growling, he hadn't eaten since the previous day. "Do-" he hesitated when he saw her cold eyes, but his hunger provided him with the necessary courage, "do you have more perchance?"
Konan stared at him, gauging her options, before she sighed and grabbed another lollipop from a hidden pocket, "consider yourself lucky." She didn't like taking care of burdens, but Ace was with her, she couldn't be too heartless.
The next day, they finally adventured into the jungle. The temperature was hot and the air humid.
"Aren't you hot in your cape?" Masked Deuce—as Ace took to call him—asked Konan who remained emotionless.
"Don't bother, she's used to it," Ace replied when he saw Konan wasn't going to.
Konan was trained to be used to all sorts of extreme climates so she wasn't bothered in the slightest while Ace was raised in a similar forest. So, the only one really uncomfortable was Deuce.
Seeing the both of them thread through the forest with ease made Deuce go quieter, he concentrated on carefully following their steps. He didn't want to lose his only hope of survival.
"Ugh, I'm hungry," Ace complained, his stomach starting to make itself known.
Momentarily distracted, Deuce lost his footing and rolled down the hill. He screamed as the cliff approached dangerously and he failed to stop his fall. He closed his eyes, preparing for an unsightly fall when he felt a tug at his foot. Ace caught his ankle in a timely manner. He found himself hanging upside down, looking down to see the glinting rocks beneath.
Soon he could see Konan's head pop beyond the cliff. She was smiling, kindly, like an innocent angel. Was he not on the edge of certain death, he would have perhaps better appreciated the view.
"What the hell did you put in your bag?" Ace shouted, eyeing the bulging bag hanging on Deuce's shoulder, as he tried to find a proper grip to not fall along with Deuce. "Any thoughts on helping me?" Ace asked rhetorically to a very amused Konan.
"You know, I think this is the perfect time to practice your Haki," she replied smilingly, eyes slanted in delight. Threatening situations were always the best to improve.
Deuce immediately regretted wishing to see her smile, if it was to suffer like that, he would have rather wished she remained emotionless and cold.
"Of course, you would say that," Ace growled as he dug his feet in the ground to better stick.
Neither had noticed the black weights added mysteriously to Deuce's bag in his fall.
"Careful, your grip is loosening," Konan added nonchalantly, pointing with her foot the slowly slipping Deuce.
"Really? I didn't notice," Ace retorted sarcastically, concentrating to use Haki.
Papers detached themselves from Konan to form a chair on which she sat. "I hope you're not in a hurry, Deuce!"
From beneath, Deuce couldn't see what was happening but he more or less guessed the situation and gritted his teeth to answer, "How could I be..."
Without anyone noticing, the weight in his bag increased the more Ace strained.
"How is he getting heavier?" Ace snapped, before taking a deep breath, his arms totally black, and throwing Deuce over his head and away from the cliff.
Konan slowly clapped; the chair having disappeared—she didn't want Deuce to know about her powers just yet.
Ace turned in her direction, arms slowly fading back to normal. "..."
"Yes, sweetie?" She teased in a sickeningly sweet voice.
Ace shivered visibly, "Don't use that voice with me-"
"Is that afruit?" Deuce interrupted while pointing at a swirly fruit laying peacefully on the ground.
Ace stood up and swiftly grabbed it, "Perfect, I was hungry!" He took one big bite, ignoring Konan's late warning.
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Btw, Konan is 24 (more or less one year) and Ace is 17