That evening, to celebrate, Shakky agreed to leave the bar for the pirates of Ace's crew. The alcohol flowed freely and the place had never seen so much laughter and smiles. Lucia had agreed to come out into the open after Ace had made his men swear never to say anything about her. Her 500 million bounty was well known and she wanted to keep her presence here under wraps. The whole crew had agreed without protest and now they were making naughty remarks about her and Ace. The pirate captain, less drunk than his companions, tried in vain to silence them under the amused gaze of the young woman. After a while, they decided to isolate themselves a little, so that they could talk calmly, far from the tumult. Lucia took him to the top of the bar, on the roof, to take advantage of the overhang to admire the lights emanating from Sabaody park, the famous amusement park.
"I'm sorry for them," he muttered, "they're heavy..."
"No problem," she laughed. They're men AND pirates after all, so I'm not that surprised..."
She raised the flask to her lips, taking a few sips, before handing it back to Ace who drank in turn. They spent a little while drinking together, enjoying the view and the cool night wind, lulled by the sound of the bubbles around them.
"The old man..." began Ace. "He was his second one, wasn't it? Silvers Rayleigh."
"Yes," she nodded.
"Is he looking after you?"
"Yes," she repeated, "he's the one who came to claim me from Garp. He brought me here and I've been living with him and Shakky ever since, with a job and a quiet life."
"You dreamed of so much freedom when we were children, and now you're tied to the ground..."
"Don't be so judgmental," she replied. "I'm freer here than I've ever been before. And between my power and my bounty, I'd be foolish to want to leave."
Ace didn't answer right away, pondering what she was saying. She had always been wiser than him when they were children, but now he felt that this wisdom had turned into abandonment. She had given up, preferring to cling to her current little comfort zone.
"How did he know you existed?"
"Rayleigh?"
"Yes," he continued.
She let a moment pass, knowing that what she was about to say would not please him.
"It was Roger who told him that I might exist. And that if I did, he'd want Rayleigh to find me and take care of me."
Ace clenched his jaw.
"Don't get me wrong," Lucia continued, "I don't think he tried to favour me or denigrate you. He made sure that certain people he valued were aware of our existence. Garp for you, Ray for me."
"How do you do it? How do you not hate him, how do you not hate the blood that runs through your veins?"
Ace's voice was full of pain and incomprehension, Lucia knew how much he suffered being the Pirate's King's son.
"Rayleigh gave me another picture of him. I got the snarky view of those who saw him as a barbaric, ruthless pirate, and then I got the account of the one who described him as a captain of integrity and loyalty, willing to do anything to save the lives of his friends."
"You bet..."
"I don't know who he was, but I know without a doubt that hating him would get me nowhere. On the contrary, I admire him. He got what he wanted, he was the freest man in the world."
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.
**
The next day, Lucia was surprised to see Ace come to her studio with a surprising request:
"I want to face you."
He stood upright in the doorway, arms folded across his chest, his eyes sharp. Lucia put down the tool in her hand and looked at him.
"Why?"
"To see."
He accentuated his evasive answer with a smirk. Lucia didn't know what to do, the proposal was tempting, facing someone other than Rayleigh would be a change. But on the other hand, if she really gave it her all, there was a risk that the fight would degenerate and her identity would be revealed. She hesitated for a moment before giving her answer:
"Alright, but not now. Let's do it in the evening, at dusk, and I'll show you the place, I'll choose a place quiet enough for both of us. Trust the life card Shakky gave you when you arrived, it's mine."
"My crew will want to watch this and-"
She raised an eyebrow, her smile disappearing immediately:
"So that's it... you want to show your men what you can do..."
Her tone didn't even mask her disgust, she was disappointed by this behaviour. However, Ace reassured her at once:
"Oh calm down princess, I don't want to prove anything to anyone but myself and what might happen is even the opposite, they will be surprised to discover how strong you are."
"Mmmh..."
She was far from convinced, but she had already agreed so she didn't want to back down. She got back to work, worried, but ready. As the sun began to rise, she packed up her equipment and left the workshop to head for a corner of the grove she knew well. It was a small, sunken quarry, hidden enough in the mangrove to be hidden from the eyes of those who would venture near. Tourists rarely strayed far from bright, civilised places anyway, and the locals had other things to worry about. She sat on top of a stone embankment and waited with the steady sound of bubbles rising and bursting. Eventually Ace appeared and behind him the men of his crew as well as Rayleigh and Shakky. Ace's crew were bravely cheering their captain. Blushing, Lucia straightened up on her perch and called out to them:
"EH! This is a fight, not a show, I didn't sign up to do a little demonstration in front of so many people!"
"I'm sorry," Ace replied with a broad smile, "I couldn't stop them."
"Of course..." Lucia grumbled.
She came down from her promontory with a sigh and Ace came to face her. The spectators stood on either side of them, Shakky and Rayleigh taking care to be close to Lucia.
"Don't you two have work to do?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Rayleigh laughed, taking a sip of sake.
"I've closed tonight, that's exceptional," Shakky continued, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"Tsk," Lucia hissed. "You guys are hopeless."
She positioned herself opposite Ace, tied her hair into a thick bun before rolling her shoulders.
"Free rules?"
"Yep," Ace confirmed as he got into fighting position.
"All right, ready?"
"You're the one who's not ready!"
Without warning he lunged at her and set one of his fists on fire. Stunned, Lucia was so focused on the flame emanating from his right hand that she forgot to defend herself and he hit her in the abdomen. His fist sank into the young woman's body, which automatically turned to water, and he passed through her skin and flesh, which were now nothing but fresh water. On contact with the body modified by her devil fruit, Ace's flaming fist immediately extinguished, emitting a few more puffs of incandescent smoke. Raising his head towards her with a smirk, he ignited his second hand and brought it down hard on Lucia's face, using the offensive Haki this time, to hit her and send her flying a few feet. He was loudly applauded and cheered by his men. He straightened up, not a little proud of himself, his fists still on fire, and looked at her, his eternal smile on his face. Lucia straightened up and rubbed her jaw, he was hitting hard.
"So you ate a devil fruit too?"
"Yep," he confirmed, "Mera Mera No Mi. Since then I can generate flames at will."
"Logia?"
"Obviously".
"Bastard."
"I know. How's your jaw?"
She grinned wickedly:
"It'll still be better than you when I beat the shit out of you."
"Try it and see", he provoked her.
In the same momentum, the two siblings threw themselves on each other, multiplying the attacks. The fight raged for more than an hour. The two devil fruit users did not stop for a single second. Not surprisingly, Lucia's Mizu Mizu no Mi, her water fruit, managed to extinguish all the flames of Ace without exception, holder of the Mera Mera no Mi. However, Ace still had the advantage. All of Lucia's attacks, no matter how powerful they were, also passed through him without a hitch. He was using Haki even though Lucia couldn't really touch him. The two Logia fruit holders were equal in terms of sheer power, one having an advantage over the other, but Ace was a level above. Finally, Ace managed to grab the young woman by the arm and throw her to the ground before firmly holding her down. Gasping for breath, she dematerialised her second arm and, in a desperate move, wrapped the aquatic coil around Ace's mouth as he quickly suffocated, nearly drowning. He stepped back and, using Haki, managed to pull the water from around his face. Then he tensed up, ready to return to the attack. He was interrupted, however, by a clap of hands. Rayleigh clapped slowly as she stepped between the two fighters:
"All right, that was very spectacular but I think it would be wise for you to stop there don't you think? Draw!"
Lucia and Ace stared at each other before smiling and exchanging a handshake to end the fight.
"That was quite a surprise," Lucia commented. "A devil fruit that can create flames, interesting!"
"I thought you'd like it, and don't get any ideas, I didn't take it because of you, even if the coincidence is quite funny. Even in our powers, we oppose each other while being perfectly complementary."
Ace lowered his voice so that only Lucia could hear his words:
"Nice siblings, right?"
"It looks like us," Lucia answered in the same tone, a smile on her face.
"But you'll have to explain something to me," said Ace, raising his voice, "how come the oldman didn't teach you Haki. I thought you already knew how to use it, didn't you?"
Lucia laughed before giving him the answer he was waiting for:
"It's in his plans but he doesn't want to rush things, for now we're working on mastering my devil fruit. All the power of a fruit user relies on the inventiveness and creativity of the bearer, so we're working on that."
"I want you to know that if you manage to do the drowning trick again but on a larger scale it would be crazy, you could really become formidable."
"What are you saying? That I'm not already?" Lucia took offense, her hands on her hips.
"Oh, let's just say you're cute princess!" replied Ace, winking at her.
They continued to bicker on the way back to the grove 13 where Lucia was staying. From a distance, Rayleigh watched them, a small smile on his face. Between them they were able to put it all together, to show the man who had been his best friend. Roger. While Ace undoubtedly had his face and his character, Lucia had retained his impulsiveness and his smile, as well as the thirst for freedom that characterised them both. He rolled his eyes and sighed.
"You'd be proud of them, my friend..." the former pirate murmured before setting off too.
**
The next day it was time for Ace and his crew to leave. When he didn't see Lucia near his ship, he came to find her in his workshop. When he entered, she sighed:
"I know you're lost without me, but you know very well that I hate goodbyes..."
"Come on princess, it's certainly not goodbye!"
He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Vivre card?" she asked.
"Yep, I asked the oldman if I could keep yours and he said yes. In exchange, here's mine."
"Yes, and no one cares about my opinion," she grinned, unable to suppress her smile.
"I gave my card to Luffy too, with you it's okay, the two people who matter most to me know where to find me in case of trouble," he continued without caring about what she had said.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but if something goes wrong you're the last person I'll call. Or the second one, at least, since Luffy is still behind you."
Ace laughed, then pushed his hat down over his hair in a determined gesture. His grey irises locked onto Lucia's. Face to face, the two adults stared at each other in a desperate attempt to make this moment last, to capture it forever. Ace sighed before spreading his arms:
"Come on, I know you're dying for it!"
"Speak for yourself," Lucia sneered.
Nevertheless, she didn't hesitate to take refuge in her brother's arms, hugging him with all her strength. He responded to her embrace with equal strength, feeling a cloud of sadness wash over him at the thought of leaving her again.
"Okay," Lucia said, pulling away abruptly, nervously running her hands over her face to wipe away a few tears, "enough with the whining. Nothing's going to happen to you anyway!"
"That's for sure, the New World will tremble before me!"
He paused and looked at her more seriously:
"Princess?"
"Mmh?"
"Please make me a promise..."
"It depends on which one," she answered, looking questioning.
"Once Luffy has passed through here... leave this place and go see the world for yourself too."
Lucia opened her mouth, surprised by his request, but quickly pulled herself together and looked more than determined:
"All right."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
They took each other's hands, as if to materialise these few words that symbolised the construction of a new future for Lucia, a new perspective of adventure and freedom. Ace then turned on his heels, gave her a final wave, then pulled his hat down over his face and walked straight ahead, trying to contain the few tears that threatened to fall and his lips that trembled dangerously. He took one last look and was surprised to see her still leaning against the doorframe of his studio, the same tears in her eyes, the same trembling smile on her lips. She laughed nervously and motioned for him to come forward. He nodded and went back to his ship. Left alone, Lucia looked at the vivre card Ace had just given her, then wiped her wet eyes before raising them to the sun, which was playing with the bubbles, creating a myriad of coloured dots on the trunks of the grove trees.
"Yes Ace... it was worth being born," she murmured to herself.
That day was one of the mildest the archipelago has ever known, the sky was clear, the sea calm, the sun not too strong. And the night that followed, the stars over Sabaody had never shone so brightly.