What Ace desired the most in his life: to be loved and desired and a family

What he got : his family Whitebeard pirates that loved him not showing up

Cue: *angst*

As they're closing to their destination, Sanji thanked Ace for giving him a ride.

Neither of them said anything about their plan for after, but they did look like they wanted to keep travelling together. So, Sanji asked him to meet up once Ace finished what he had so he could cook him a huge meal for his effort, which was agreed easily.

They parted ways on that, each one going ashore on their side while letting their boat next to the other.

Sanji stopped at the first town to propose his cooking skills, but the place was kind of empty, with the townspeople whispering scaredly about pirate taking the island as base. He then asked for the newspapers to see the shock and excitation of his life.

Dear Nami had her own wanted poster. 16 000 000 for pretty and brave lady like her.

And Luffy got a raise to 300 000 000 bellies. The stupid mosshead reached and even higher than 100 for 160 000 000 bellies. Usopp was for some reason known as Sogeking for the bounty of 30 000 000, like Luffy's first. There were new faces, the gorgeous and mysterious Nico Robin, known as demon of Ohara by the marines, with a bounty of 80 000 000 bellies, and this weird looking chin Franky with 44 000 000 bellies. Oh, and the weird looking pet by the name of Chopper was worth 50 bellies. All because they declared war against the World Government, no less. 

Sanji had to tell that to Ace. Once the man's finished with this Blackbeard dude.

For now, he could still taste some cooking of the place.

 

He couldn't wait more.

The island was shaken from a huge shock coming from a confrontation of two devil fruit powers. All the inhabitants had to leave at this moment if they wanted to live.

But Sanji couldn't just leave Ace behind. He could be injured, he could also have the upper hand but how would he know?

Maybe Blackbeard assembled a bunch of nasty peeps like him and they were joining forces against Ace. Who may be strong but not against a group of guiltless pirates. And Ace was hunting Blackbeard exactly because the bastard backstabbed someone who was supposed to be his crewmate.

So no, he couldn't expect a fair battle.

Sanji had to think fast. If he wanted to interverne in a battle between devil fruit powers, the only solution would be to be armed of water as it weaken the users. But how could he transport a huge amount with him enough to shock a group of people?

He could use a bucket and fill it of sea water but he would waste too much time to find one and go from the shore to the center of the island. 

He didn't even know where the battle is taking place. But that was easily answered when another shock is heard.

It was in another part of the town. And every towns possessed water tower, right? He just had to kick into one and make the content flow out and hoping it would be enough to render the users weak. 

Seeing how the place was free of people, Sanji allowed himself to serve into the houses to find what he needed.

He came into the fight to see Ace having lost and be surrounded by five ugly and tall men. One with black curly hair was laughing loudly and saying how he will be warlord once he handed Ace to the marines. Angered by the words, he jumped into action.

He never actually cared to be discreet, but to be discovered when he didn't even make a step was humiliating and frustrating. How could he hope saving Ace if he was shot right from the beginning. He dodged the bullet by an inch and throw his own projectile. The sack of floor exploded when punched by a fearsome helmet man, but Sanji didn't wait to throw water bottle and kicked the rest to overwhelm them though nothing seemed to have connected as black matters appeared. He was never one to waste food, but since the place would be destroyed after being abandonned, eveything would go stale, so those better be used by Sanji while he can.

He fleed the scene to find the closest water tower and kicked it with so much force he didn't think to have that his foot actually lit up. The water ran in waves when the recipient broke up in pieces. The amount wasn't enough to stop any fruit user, but just surprising enough to annoy the villains. He then approched in a kamikaze attack to get close enough to grab Ace and get the hell of here.

When he got punched, he expected it and recovered quickly, counting on the durability of his body, and pulled out the fire estinguisher he bought with him to pulverize the substance everywhere without care if he aimed or not. He then took out a spray to keep attacking aimlessly before lighting a lighter. The atmostphere blown up.

He dodged another bullet that cut his hair and jumped to the lifeless form laying on the ground and threw another sack of powder behind his shoulder. Except this one was full of pepper and some must have entered in someone's eyes because a shout was heard. As he grabbed Ace's arm and throw his body on his shoulder, he throw a sack of salt and made a run for it.

His arm got grabbed and darkness surrounded him in a cold horror.

Suddenly, he felt Ace's warn body and he spit the water in his mouth on the curly hair man's face. Angered and frustrated, his foot lit up again and his only kick landed on the jaw. A shout and he was released. He wasted no time to dash knowing fully well that the opponant was only surprised that he still got water in his mouth despite all the hit he took.

Sabot steps followed him and he cast out a sack of cacao powder without looking back. Then lit up another lighter that worked like a flamthrower and was content to hear a pained scream. Counting on his speed, he tried to hide behind the three and running between the trunks so to not be shot by his chasers. He juggled between Ace's weight and the strap of the bag to access at the contents and grabed two three conserves to cast behind him, letting it be enough obstacle so the sharpshooter's bullet won't meet him until he finally get to the shore where they left their boat.

A furious figure appeared in front of him.

He threw the bag he was carrying to his face before kicking it strong enough to break the spray inside, stored next to several lighters, making it explode. He had to unfortunately take a step back to not be taken in the blow and jumped into the water hoping he could reach Ace's boat in the way.

He didn't, because Ace's boat wasn't there anymore, neither was his.

And next he knew a gunshot tore his ears apart, but feeling the bullet lodging between his shoulder blade was worse. Still, he gritted his tooth, secured his grip on an unconscious Ace and submerged under the water, hoping the thick substance would be enough to stop another row of bullet on his person.

He swam for so long he wondered how he's still alive.

Memories of his fight against the fishman Kuroobi came in a rush and he forced himself to calm down and keep swimming deeper in the sea and farther to Banaro island. 

When the sea didn't follow anymore of the island's magnetism to attack restlessly Sanji and his unmoving comrad, he allowed himself to surface and panic.

That was reckless, he should have planned a better way to get out.

He was now lost in the middle of the sea, with a heavily injured man, no food and no help on sight. He's going to die after escaping a bunch of lawless criminals, because he was shot and losing blood and energy while trying to keep them above water. It was almost useless to keep paddling in his state as the cold was numbing his leg, but the determination to save his friend surpassed anything and he felt his foot heat up by whatever reason and he kept swimming. 

And then he saw his first light of hope when he recognized Ace's raft just before him.

He called for help, seeing the person sailing on it didn't really know how to row efficiently with a huge paddle. The man was struggling to progress but wasn't much in hurry now he left Banaro island, something Sanji could relate but he really needed a boat to let Ace rest, because the cold water was taking the last of his forces. 

So he put Ace against the mast, asking the man to tie him to it if he had to and took place on the only place available. Instead of taking the paddle, he thought with passion again and his feet lit up again, strong enough that it powered the Striker. Overjoyed but still wanting to land at the closest island the fastest possible, he asked the man to lead him as he looked like to know where he was going. And he focused on his passion to keep his foot alight to boost the speed of their boat.

They had to stop from time to time because Sanji was weakening and he kicked the damn thing a couple of time out of frustration. No surprise that upon arriving Pucci, the boat wasn't useful at all.

With the man's help, they found a medical center to treat Ace in emergency and Sanji let out all the tension and fell asleep in the clinic.

 

He couldn't let himself slacking even though Ace into medical care.

First, he had to think to pay the medical bills.

Second, he had also to take care of himself too. 

The doctor was shocked to discover he was shot too and had several bruises that would had kill anyone. But Sanji only waved him out, asking to only extract the bullet inside him and ignore the rest, as he wasn't aware of them in the first place. Then, as caution, he let the doctor his wallet that didn't contain much (he had kept it in his breast pocket along the straw hats pics) and promised to pay the amount due, but to let him sometime.

He got employed in a cozy restaurant that even lodged him in the back room, which was an easy feat when they discover how his cooking skills improved the place's reputation. They gave him his share of tips so he could leave the money for the doctor, until he could amass the sum need to pay the fees.

Obviously, he knew it will took a long time, but he couldn't do anything else even though the owner of the restaurant was very good and recommended him to a better restaurant so his skills would be better recognized in the reknown gourmet town and to have a better paycheck. He considered accepting, as he doubted the doctor would let him off just because of his miserable look, but finally fought against it when he learned about the restaurant's bad client.

The man was the town's bandit, leaving meals unpaid and harrassing the staffs and the like. But what made Sanji decided was that he was known to force onto female and stole from elderly saying they were too old to use their money and was suspected of kidnapping orphans kids to give them a gruesome fate.

It was only justice if he get rid of such vermin from society. Sanji cornered him to his place, thankful that he lived alone, and gave him the beating of his life by changing his facial features with parage shoot so the man looked like Ace. Also thanks to the man's muscular body that intimidated the shopkeeper to not ask him to pay his notes, he could pass for a really battered Ace if Sanji did something about the tattoos. For the jolly roger of Whitebeard, he had copied directly from Ace's back by pasting on a paper before carving it on the bandit's back and pretended their battle spoil it. For the ace with the crossed out s on the left arm, he had no other choice but to tattoo it himself by breaking into a tattoo artist's shop in the middle of the night. He also added the freckles with the gun tattoo as he was sure it was the one design that made Ace so unique. Once his job done, he went to the marine base located in the city to retrieve the rewards, smartly hiding his curly eyebrow under a headband.

He had to wait for a long time for the confirmation because the marines were in much disbelief that someone managed to capture the infamous Firefist Ace of the Whitebeard pirates. Then, the officers had to pass a lot of calls to the higher up to pull out the amount of the bounty because it was certainly a lot of cash.

Sanji knew that he had to came up with a credible excuse so to not appear suspicious. 

"Please, keep it lowkey, I only managed to take him down because he fell asleep in the middle of a meal that he obviously didn't have the money to pay. I only need the prize so to pay medical bills for someone really important to me."

Nervermind that the persone was Ace himself.

The first thing he did with that amount of cash was to pay the medical fee and was relieved to hear Ace wasn't in any life-threatening situation. Now, they just had to wait for him to wake up. He used the rest of the money to buy some change of clothes and skincare products that he lost while escaping the Blackbeard pirates. And made it twice because they will need to be discret for awhile and Ace's tattoos were really not. Before keeping the money under his rack in the back room, he let some money for the tattoo artist for having used his ink without his knowledge because he was not a thief, thank you very much.

Only afterward did he return to the bandit hideout to look for some worthy things to find enough money to pay the debts he owned to the restaurant and even other shops. There were only a little cash but Sanji got really mad once finding a file about all the kidnapped kids who the bandit involved them in procuring of all things. He was not even remotely remorseful to send the trash to jail to take Ace's place. He send the amounts anonymously to the shopkeepers, before keep emptying the place to make it look like the bandit left the place definitely. Because he was, in someway. Not like the marine would ever let a pirate like Ace go. 

Having taking care of the problem of money and assured his friend's safety, he had to think of the next course of action while keeping track of what's happening in the world all the while allowing himself to finally admire sweet Marumieta, the mayor's daughter. His act changed into 180 that the owner of the restaurant wondered if he didn't yield and was so desperate he started flirting with every women he encounter. Sanji didn't take offense and improved even more the cooking and reputation of the establishment. 

Concerning the pirates roaming in the sea, it seemed that sweet Bonney and her crew of Jewelry pirates had finally reached Sabaody archipelago. She and seven other captains pirates which bounty exceed 100 000 000 bellies were all waiting their ship to be coated before heading for Fishmen Island. There wasn't any news about the Strawhats  yet and Sanji wondered where were they by that time. No sign of a pirate named Blackbear which he didn't know if it was a good thing or not. 

Himself wouldn't wish to go to the New World this way as he's not wanted by the world government and that he did have the money to pay the fee of Red Port. From what he remembered by asking around in G2, the fees of the amount of 300 000 000 bellies were per ship and fortunately not head. A sum that he had with him. Except to cross Red Line, he will need a ship and he had none after Banaro incident. Not like he could have used Ace's raft. Even without the damages, it had Whitebeard's jolly roger and he doubted he could pull out the excuse he stole it from one of the man's commanders. Especially after the marine could recognize him to be the one that took 'Ace' to the marines. That was, if it was possible to repair it since it could only be powered by the mera mera devil fruit. And Sanji's aflamed foot.

Anyway, since Ace was still out cold, he took the raft to St. Poplar to look for an engineer that could repair it. After making sure of getting rid of the flags that link to Whitebeard.

The town was known to be the town of spring queen and stepping out of the sea train, which in itself was a wonderful creation, Sanji didn't actually felt to be in the season of spring. But whatever, he had more important thing to do and brought out the broken raft from the back of the train to look for a repairman.

Unfortunately, the town that did ship repairs was Water 7, the next station of the Puffing Tom, and St. Poplar only sold woods. He paused to debate if he should buy the woods to built his own ship, like Shimashima where he could pass for a seafaring restaurant till he reach Red Port.

His musings came to a stop when a really attractive lady asked him for a light, which he complied with loving eye, curly eyebrow still hidden under the headband. He managed to get a name from the lovely mouth, Kali, and even a sultry smile before he got questioned of his aim while walking around with a damaged raft.

He told her his problem evasively, saying it belonged to a dear friend but he broke it by accident and that he really wished to fix-it before said friend learn about it. And wonderful, sweet Kali did have a solution for him! 

One of her friend was a shipwright and could take a look for him, if they could fix-it for him, maybe they could make a deal, pleasing both parties. Despite his logic telling him that could be a scam, he still followed the beautiful lady that adjusted her glasses like some secretary.

He was on some devil luck, it seemed. Her friend happened to seriously knew a thing or two about shipwright and told him he could repair it in a few hours for the modest sum of 500 000. Sanji took only a moment to muse and chose to observe him before paying.

"I may have a question, it looks like the raft had some engine that worked with fire?"

"Yeah, I can lit my foot on fire."

The man, Kaku he introduced himself, stared at him. Sanji stared back. Kaku nodded eventually before resuming to the reparation. And frankly, he was in no position to judge his unusual ability when one of his friend could zip his mouth shut and which zipper was actually his yellow tooth and the other could rule his pinkish hair like an additional limb. Lighting his foot on fire looked normal next to them. 

Once satisfied with the repair, Sanji did the transaction without regret, glad he could welcome Ace back with some familiarity. Outside of the Whitebeards flagship, that he may or may not light on fire to test it he could still light his foot on fire. He could.

"Since your skills as carpenter worthed its praised, if I bought some woods, would you built me a ship, with a fair price, of course."

"Oh no, I couldn't built one all by myself and I didn't have much tools for that either. The best solution would to ask assistance to Water 7, it said they had the best shipwrights."

"So I heard." Sanji ignored how the man looked sad when talking about the shipwright of Water 7 to ask more useful informations. "How much would one ship worth?"

"You could spend 100 000 000 bellies for a decent second-hand ship, maybe the same amount if you request one with not too much requirements."

"So I don't need to buy the woods here beforehand?"

"No need, they're shipped regularly by sea train."

"Alright, last question. Where may I found Kali-chan? I shall greet her properly before leaving and thank her for helping me out!"

He found her using her devil fruit power washing whatever her contractors asked from her and she looked utterly ravishing so focus in her task.

"Kali-chan, I'd like to thank you for helping me out! Without your input, I would have wander aimlessly for a long time! If you would accept, I could cook something for you!"

He was thinking of acing a candlelit dinner and impressing her with his cooking skills and maybe more if she accepted to let him inside her place, but he was only allowed by the owner of the inn they're staying to use the kitchen and cooked for her whole crew. With two new heads, one had weird stache and the other weird haircut. To be fair, excluding sweet Kali, the whole bunch was a ragtag of atypical peeps. Though hearing them enjoying his cooking was worth it. 

Life kept giving good news. He returned to Pucci to find Ace having recovered and shocked to be out of Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, hand. And that Sanji did a lot of thing for him, a stranger he tag along for only a week or so.

Sanji had to think about it but ultimately justify that knowing Luffy, he had a feeling the kid would have hunted Sanji  if he had left Ace to die like Teach killed Thatch. Also, he can finally tell him about the crew's new bounty after their feats and his projects for the upscoming day.

Ace didn't comment when he discovered the change of his raft but was overjoyed to learn he too could set his foot in fire and use the Striker now. With that, they could change guard and not lose any time sailing on the sea.

Sanji had to stop him there though, as he really wanted to have his own ship, but especially a functional kitchen to keep his hand busy instead of chain-smoking. So they head to Water 7, with the Striker on the back of the sea train once again. Not that Ace would know that, even though he must suspect it was damaged and then repaired. Also, Sanji insisted Ace put some suncream before heading out and even lend him his headband so he could hide his true identity. Because, for what the world knew, Portgas D. Ace was actually captured and most certainly locked in Impel Down. 

Once they set foot on the blue station, they asked the two employees where to find the best shipwright and were suggested the Dock one of Galley-La Company and to use the bull to move around.

If the two got why it was best to rent bull to orientate between the canals, Sanji suggested to use the Striker so he could actually prove Ace he can use it too.

Dock one employed the best craftsmen of the city and even two giants. The one they contracted, a blond smoking cigar, listened to every Sanji's demands before asking his co-worker's assistance, a tall bearded man.

"I want a functional kitchen, with fridge, oven and double bowl kitchen sink. And a pantry as large. And a bathroom right under the kitchen so the piping and ventilation would get out by the chimney that doubled as mast."

"And a quarter to rest maybe?"

Sanji paused because he was only describing his beloved Shimashima that was only a supply boat with his own kitchen, not really somewhere he passed his nights.

"Sure, you could plant two or three hammocks."

The blueprint calculated the ship being quite small so it could be worth only 100 000 000 bellies. There would be only two levels with shut up railing and a handle like for bow. For outsider, it was just a little bigger than human-size saucepan, but the interior was built to be like a restaurant with the secret lower compartment only for V.I.P.

 

Seeing Sanji pay before the ship's done so they could take care of other purchases, Ace asked where the money came from.

"Let's say I became bounty hunter during your recovery."

Ace believed him as if he will spend his time taking down criminals.

Well, if it could earn him some money and rid the world of undeserving fuck like the bandit, Sanji could allow himself to beat up thugs from time to time and turn them in to the authorities and receive the rewards.

As the ship would take a week to be done, they rented a room in a hotel and spend the days with groceries. Kitchen products, cutleries, a new set of knifes, spices, linnens, laundry tools and change of clothes that he didn't already buy. The foods will wait till the ship's done.

Also because Water 7 was the city of water and known to have endured years of Aqua Laguna, the citizens had to naturally find ways to keep some goods waterproof. So Sanji bought a portfolio so it could keep the pics he got from Bon Clay unspoiled (well, no more than already were). He's not even sure why he kept those (with the exception for the princesse Vivi that Ace confirmed having saw her onboard that one time he came across the Strawhats crew), all the members had weird expression thanks to Bon Clay, but he supposed it was more easy to carry than wanted poster that could be updated and not actually having their picture (looking at you, Usopp).

And seduced by the idea of ways to repel bugs, Sanji got some geranium which natural lemongrass smell rejected flies. Ace only laughed at the explanation, remembering clearly those three days on the Jewelry Margharita where he had to get rid of any insects onboard because someone left the leftover foods behind, attracting bugs and scaring the shit of Sanji and Bonney, who literally fainted.

The last day, they spent sometime in the famous bar of the town, Blueno's bar, which the sign was being changed.

The bartenders, two sisters to Sanji's delight, had put up the wanted poster of Franky from the Strawhats and after discussing, they learned that the girls helped the Strawhats raid Ennies Lobby on the first version of the sea train, the Rocketman. That Monkey D. Luffy was related to the Marine's hero, Monkey D. Garp, which made sense considering their last name. And that the Dock one was the one that built their new ship, Thousand Sunny, after the last one sank. Sanji had a thought for the sheep figurehead before laughing when the sisters told them how the new figurehead was a lion and not a sun or sunflower and that their big bro Franky was just bad at drawing.

In the meantime of hearing stories about the Strawhats, seen as hero of the town for avenging their beloved mayor Iceburg, a pirate crew stuck into the conversation too, saying they met said heroes. The Rolling pirates, whose captain would ask any men she met if they liked to marry her, had finally left the Florian Triangle and got their life and shadows saved by the Strawhats who recruited the skeleton trapped there. Whatever that meant. Sanji and Ace didn't stay too long after hearing all there was to hear about the Strawhats because they didn't wanted to miss their new boat, but even as they're bidding them farewell, Ace wouldn't stop laughing everytime his eyes met those of captain Lola.

Sanji didn't know why. If it was because he had to reject the lady more harshly than necessary, Ace also did the same while laughing his ass off.

By the time they reached Dock one, everyone was running everywhere and talking about something really huge, which already started when they were in the bar, but out of the open, people looked really shocked for sure. Then, as he listened to the last instruction of the shipwright, they understood the ruckus.

The world was changing after the reveal and the death of the pirate king's son, Portgas D. Ace. Or, more accurately, Gol D. Ace.

 

What they didn't know was that Sanji's intiative to save Ace's life back at Banaro Island made Blackbeard really mad as he lost his offering to become a warlord. So the man set to chase Strawhat like he planned before Ace interverned. Except, after tracking him for days, they only reached Thriller Bark while it was empty, save for the corpse of the legendary giant Oars. They then took it to the world governemnt and Marshall D. Teach got proposed the place of the seventh warlord, deposed from Crocodile, like he wanted. His plan got even more successful when Sanji decided to condemn a local thug from Pucci by making him Ace's scapegoat so he could take the reward, hence leading the world government to announce the public execution of Portgas D. Ace, 2nd commander of the Whitebeard pirates.

They didn't know that Luffy's crew got attacked a second time by the warlord Kuma at Sabaody archipelago because he hit a celestial dragon and got separated from his crew before appearing four days later, today, at Impel Down to break his brother out of the highly protected prison. Upon arriving at Marineford, all the convicts that escaped while Luffy was breaking his way out were shocked to see that not a Whitebeard fleet or his allies were there to fight the marine like expected and they had to see a really pitiable looking Portgas D. Ace that was asking for help and saying how he didn't deserve to die like that, while everything was recorded and diffused to the world. Well, at least, lands related to the World Government.

Finally, they didn't know why neither members of the Whitebeard pirates didn't interverne was because someone had Ace's vivre card and knew that he wasn't in any danger. Whitebeard thrusted this info and told all his allies to ignore the event and roll with it whenever people would taunt Portgas D. Ace's fate. They also didn't know that with the exception of the fleet admiral Sengoku, the vice admiral Garp and probably Luffy and Teach, everyone fell to the trap and believed Ace dead. Even the original seven warlords who all thought how pathetic the man on the scaffold was being, crying and begging his life to be spared.

They didn't know anything, but Ace was starting to connect the dots as to why Sanji was so adamant to hide his true identity by changing his apperarance first, and even monitoring his speech by saying he was Luffy's fan rather than brother.

Probably because starting today, Luffy no longer had a brother.