Ace's POV
I had fallen asleep in the sweet and warm embrace with the bestest friend I currently had in the world. (Outch I know)
However my awaking was not as idyllic as expected.
"Guys it's a bear! Let's have bear meat tonight!"
"Sounds good I was just about to get hungry."
"Me too!"
"Pft, you guys are always hungry."
"Shishishishishi exactly so let's go!"
"Hold up Luffy, Ace you know exactly what happened the last time we tried to hunt a bear."
What the h*ll these voices sound to familiar.
Furrowing my brows I concentrated on the conversation that was held somewhere near by.
"Pah, that was only because of that weak dumb*ss. If Luffy hadn't gomu gomu no rocketed his ass into the wrong direction we would have beat it."
"Hey who are you calling weak?!?"
"You of course. Or do you see another person around who can't even throw their punches in the right direction?"
"Aaaaaceeeee!"
"Guys calm down. You'll alert the bear."
"Nooo my food."
"Let's go it can't be far! And Luffy you better not test out any new moves today."
It can't be... I've got to be dreaming.
Surprised I opened my eyes. Those where the child voices of Sabo, Luffy and me???
However as soon as I had opened my eyes I immediately closed them again.
Bad dream, nope. Please I want to dream something else. Or wake up. Anything is fine just please get me out of here.
I shuddered trying to forget the fearsome picture that had been burned into my sight.
It was something that would even make the greatest, strongest monsters turn tail and run.
Carefully I opened one my eyes to check if my prayers had been heard yet. But to my dismay they hadn't. In fact the sight was even scarier.
"PORTGAS D ACE."
The normally so beautiful voice growled, sending shivers down my spine.
I gulped as I processed the picture before me. Y/N was huge, her enormous hands having me in a deadly grasp whilst a dark aura seemed to be radiating from her.
(*Screeeeech!*)
Panicking I flapped my wings trying to escape what would surely be my last moments on earth.
Noooo, I haven't seen Luffy yet. I'm not ready to die!!!
Wait what is this? Where are my arms? Why do I have wings???
"Idiot be quiet."
Immediately I shut my mouth, well actually it was my beak and tried to calm down my wildly beating heart.
When did I become such a scaredy-cat? Thankfully Marco and the boys can't see me right now. They would never let me forget this. Some women are just scary...
Huh?
My thoughts trailed off as Y/N held shut my beak and hid behind a tree pressing me tightly to her chest.
I blushed.
She may be scary but... No no no Ace stop right there. She is you're friend and saviour and not some random chick to drool over. One does not fall for nakama. Although she is...
"Guys I can't find any tracks. I think we lost it."
"Nooooooo my food!!! Bear come back! Bear, Bear where are you???"
"Well if it was anywhere near by, you idiot will have definitely scared it off now."
It's those voices again. I was so preoccupied with Y/N that I had totally forgotten about them. Is it really Luffy, Sabo and me? No that can't be possible, right? Sabo- I have to try and take a peek. Just in case."
I tried to struggle out of Y/N right grasp however my attempts proved to be in vain as she send a death glare my way, mouthing 'don't you dare'.
Instead Y/N sneaked off into the opposite direction of the three voices, finally stepping back out onto the beach.
"Where is it...!"
Confused I looked up at Y/N, who was seemingly searching the beach for something.
"What are you looking for? Isn't it stupid to stand out in the open on the beach? I thought you didn't want those kids to find us."
"I don't. But you see a quite obnoxious visitor brought us a present this morning and I just realized that it is not as useless as I thought it to be."
"What in the world are you talking about? Seriously sometimes you have a really weird way of talking."
"Would you prefer for me to speak in the language of Poneglyph instead?"
"You can read them???"
"Elves grow very old mystery boy. The knowledge of the past is what makes the government hunt us. Why do you think the elves are so scared of leaving their hideouts?"
"Hey Y/N..."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you just call me Ace?"
"Aw you don't like my nicknames?"
"N-no that's not it... I just like it when you say my name."
Why do I feel embarrassed when saying that?
Seriously Ace what happened to your cool?
I was fully prepared to receive another sassy answer by Y/N, who was a master at taking my words and turning them around to tease me. However to my surprise she just swiftly turned away from me immersing herself further into her search of whatever she was looking for. And was that a hue of red that I saw on her cheeks?
Nah I must be hallucinating. Although...
A cheeky grin dread on my face as a plan formed in my head.
Let's test this out.
"Y/N?"
I was about to smoothly walk over to the gorgeous woman, when I realized that I had forgotten one key aspect. Y/N had transformed me into a parrot.
I failed to coordinate my new unfamiliar body and faceplanted into the hot sand.
Please tell me noone saw that.
"Pft hahahaha."
My cheeks burned up as I heard Y/N melodious laughter ring through the air.
"Are you okay? Here hop on."
Swiftly Y/N picked me up and sat me on her shoulder.
"Whoa, now I look like the most stereotypical picture book pirate."
Laughing Y/N took out a camera taking a Selfie of us and petting my brilliant red feathers.
I love her laughter...
"Hey look! There it is!"
Y/N had finally spotted what I recognized as the place where we had slept this morning.
A warm feeling crept inside my chest as I recalled our closeness.
However I snapped out of my memories as Y/N waved a stack of word-cramped papers before my eyes.
"A newspaper? That's what you have been looking for this entire time?"
"Yup, so now let's find out what date it is."
"What date it is???"
"Yeah, you should have already realized Lou send us into the past."
"Then the voices back there were really-"
"Sabo, Luffy and you as children, yes."
"Why didn't you let me see them???"
"Ace any connection we make with people in the past might change the future. Meeting your younger self and brothers might have a detrimental affect on the future, we have to avoid people at all cost."
"I could save my brothers life...
Y/N please we can't just leave. Sabo is still alive. Maybe I could warn him. I could save his life!"
"And then you would set out to sea with your three brothers, never join the Whitebeard pirates, Luffy would never create the Strawhats, most of his crew would not be saved by him and die and noone would feed that little girl in the land of Wano. And- we would never meet."
"I-"
Frustrated I gritted my teeth. Sabo, Sabo I'm sorry. Y/N is right. I want to save you but..."
"Also you would prevent Sabo's future career with the revolutionaries."
"Huh?"
"Wait you don't know? (grins teasingly) Ah I guess that's what you get for never reading the newspaper. To think you only cared about the information of Luffy. Sabo must be hurt."
"Wait what? Sabo is dead. What are you talking about Y/N?!?"
"He's dead? Well if you say so."
"ARG stop, just tell me what I don't know."
"Sure sure mystery boy. Oh wait you didn't like that name. How about Birdy?"
"Y/N!!!"
"Fine, fine you're precious brother is not dead. Not now and not in the future that we know of."
"But how?"
"From what my information can provide, he lost his memory and was saved by the revolutionary army. He is now second in command. You should ask him about the details though. It seems that his memory has returned a few years back."
"Sabo- You could have really told me earlier Y/N."
"He is constantly in the papers, how should I know that you didn't know about it?"
"Hey, I thought elves were so wise."
"Don't get cocky Birdie!"
I'm so glad Sabo. You're alive.
"Let's go then we have to find Lou."
Y/N said, walking into the ocean.
"Wait Y/N I'm not a fishman. How's this supposed to work?"
"The same way it did when I dragged you here. Don't worry we won't be traveling long. I'd just rather stay on an island where there isn't a tiny version of you and your brother's lurking around. Or do you want to remain a parrot for the entire time that we wait for Lou?"
"No... But can't you at least change me back now. I mean we're leaving anyways."
"Fine."
(*Crack*)
The sound of someone stepping one a tree branch made Y/N twirl to look at the forest.
"Dammit we were too loud."
The person that emerged made my eyes grow wide.
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Y/N's POV
"Dammit we were to loud." I spat out as I saw a little boy with a large blue tophat emerge from the forest.
He called out something to his brothers before letting his gaze scan the beach.
There was no where to escape so I just stood there, feeling Ace claw painfully onto my shoulder in excitement.
The boy had spotted us his eyes growing wide as he observed my fishmen heritage take over from the water that flowed around my legs.
Welp we better get out of here now.
I smiled at the awestruck blond, letting the next bigger wave carry Ace and me away.
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Somewhere in the new world.
A tall man took off his tophat, looking into the sky, as the wind gently played with his blond curls.
"I wonder what that was all about."
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Author's note:
Only one week till Christmas!
Are you guys in the Christmas mood?
I have been listening to loads of Christmas music recently and it's really got me into the holiday spirit.
I hope you liked this chapter and that you will have a wonderful day.
See you in the next bye!