They left Water 7 at the same time than the two giants.

Oimo and Kashi were heading back to their homeland, Elbaf, after helping the shipwright of Water 7 rebuilt all the houses that got wrecked following the ravaging Aqua Laguna. They also wanted to fulfill their part of promise with one of the Strawhats, Sogeking a.k.a Ussop, and will wait for their captains Broggy and Dorry to be done with their contest from Little Garden. 

Sanji and Ace humored the two long age warriors by nodding when it was needed while actually trying to cope from the shock of the news.

They had chosen to not delay their departure if someone would suddenly recognize Ace by any chance and tell the rest of the world that he wasn't quite dead but still living at Water 7. They didn't know where they were heading, though Ace insisted that he had to report the fail of his mission to clean his name as he got defeated by Teach and would have lost his life if not for Sanji. Or did he actually lost it according to the world's belief? Maybe his old man didn't even need his report seeing how they didn't seem to care about him.

"Hey, food's ready."

Ace didn't even acknowledge his presence and took the plate to eat it on the other table instead of in front of him. Sanji refrained from saying anything because Ace was at least eating and not straight forwardly ignoring him like he did the first few hours. As quietly than his travel mate, he ate the food he made. 

The meal finished, Ace went to the deck without a word again, leaving Sanji alone with the dishes. And Sanji swallowed down a mouthful of frustrated insults. The first time, Ace tried to wash his own plate to show how he didn't want to talk but Sanji told him off, saying that was his kitchen, his rules. It didn't help their situation to improve and Ace just stopped trying to be in the same room as him. 

Since the start of their journey on their new ship, not once did Ace went to the lower deck for a restful sleep, instead, he insisted on staying on the Striker. So Sanji didn't get the chance to stay either, only going for shower and put the cash in the secret compartment only to be used once the time come. 

Sighing, he went out of kitchen and dinning room to smoke on the open space of the deck. 

The Shimashima 2.0 was much like its predecessor, designed to be a saucepan, only slightly larger to have two levels of deck.

The first level would consist of a welcoming deck with fake grass that one could access with the retractable ladder fold on the handle bow and the nameless single deckhouse.

The door was built large enough to have double panels  with each having a porthole that gave view to the galley where kitchen and dinning room are separated by a bar. The dinning area looked like a canteen with two long tables and twice the benches stuck on the floor in case of bad weather with the walls having hangers to hook people's belongings. Sanji also put some ottoman in the corner and this was where he slept for the last few days. There's another door that gained access to the stern where Sanji put the geraniums on the windows sill, on the outside to reply bugs but close enough to be reminded of taking care of it and protected by a awning. The watering can was put on the doorstep, along with a toolbox and a first-aid kit. The kitchen area started by the opening of the counter and giving the entry of the second level with a ladder. The counter had tons of cupboards with a second row suspended above and the fridge was at the other end. The stove is placed opposed to the counter, above the oven that's placed next to the double bowl sink, all the devices joined with a multitude of pipes to eject the waste by the chimney. The pantry infortunately consisted only of the huge number of cupboards. The ceiling could be removed by a mechanism that some newbies of dock one installed, saying they learned it form their big bro Franky. Sanji had yet to try it. 

The second and last level was restricted to the staff and his guests only. Once down the ladder, it get directly to the bathroom that acted as shower room with a bath. The toilets had its own room in the back. Next to the bathroom could be found two rows of front and back locker, that Sanji had to pay supplement for, with other first-aid kit and laundry baskets hooked on each side. And the rest of the space was given to rest and sleep, three bunks hammocks, each hooked to the post, making it look like a strange corner. The other side could be found a settee, above the secret compartment, next to a desktop where Sanji had already put his own recipes ideas.

The vessel had no armament, no sail nor helm because it was attached to the Striker that would guide it. And Ace diligently did so despite being silent for the whole ride. 

Sanji eventually noticed that they were not progressing and they had lost sight of the giants. 

"Are we parting from the giants for another destination?" He asked while joining the bow to see Ace's reaction.

As it was the only way to communicate nowadays.

But Ace was asleep on his raft. And Sanji had to admit he missed that sight even though it was just the narcolepsy acting up because Ace ddint want to sleep in front of him from some reason.

Unfortunately, he couldn't let him off because there was something looming out of the water. He jumped onto the smaller boat to shake his friend awake and barely managed to bring them on the bow while a huge jaw of a sea rabbit came out of the water, missing them by a foot. Thankfully, it didn't damage the raft.

"Come on, Ace, always sleeping at the worse time." 

He tried to drag him on the deck so he could take care of the sea beast but Ace suddenly woke up and went to attack it instead. Sanji would almost felt bad thinking that his touch was so unbearable if Ace didn't miss his launch because the sea rabbit predict it and dodged nimbly. Ace went to shot him with another fire attack when the sea beast used the fact the human still in the air to swat its tail all the while ignoring the fire. Ace got sent into the sea, immediately followed by the sea rabbit so it could eat him more easily.

"Shit, Ace!" 

Sanji jumped after them and found the devil user not too far but already to the rabbit's reach. He retrieved him by kicking hotly the beast away and swam back to the surface to see their boats sailing far away. Gripping the dead weight that happened to be wounded too due to the inability to use his power under water, Sanji paddled as fast as he could to catch the stripped ship only to be attacked by a swarm of sand.

Coughing, he tried to escape the sudden attack by swimming underwater. He caught on their boat and tried to get on it but was stopped once again by flying sand surrounding him menacingly. He hesitated to secure his grip on Ace and get him out of water to see the seriousness of his wound or keep him under to avoid the sandstorm targeting them restlessly.

Through the element, he could make up a huge vessel looming above them. So, it was a devil fruit after all. 

"Who are you? What did I ever done to you to attack me sneakily like that?!"

The sand eventually set down for him to see a marine battleship. Which made even less sense, he never did any wrong to them. Please, he literally gave them Portgas D. Ace, the pirate king's son. Albeit a fake one. Maybe they discovered the fraud?

He stopped musing anxiously when a tall figure smoking a cigar stared him down. That was former warlord Crocodile, and he's sure of the fact for having seen his face while working in the marine base G2, on the railing of a marine battleship. 

Sanji wondered if he's having a fever dream after being attacked by the sand. Sand made by Crocodile himself. So it was probably actually happening.

"I still don't remember having wronged you!" He yelled with all his might so to distract the fact he was putting Ace on the Striker. 

Just when he tore up Ace's shirt to use the clothe as makeshift bandage to stop the blood from flowing too much and checking an incoming attack, a figure appeared beside Crocodile and Sanji only took a second to recognize him to be Mr1. Right, Baroque Works.

"Alright. Maybe I have wronged you somehow. But this guy didn't anything wrong! Let me just treat him before you go all berserk on me!" 

Before Crocodile could answer a third person appeared by the railing too. But right after the voice.

"Are you done playing Croco-boy? We had to get on and land quickly before being caught back by those government dogs, yeehaw! Hm, who's that sweetcheeks?"

Sanji didn't know how to describe this new arrival so he decided not to and focused on what Mr1 was saying. 

"A blond twink." 

"Who you're calling a twink, bastard?!" 

"Not really in position for insult, don't you think, you wannabe hero?"

Sanji tsked but only positioned himself in front of Ace's unconscious form. He knew that Crocodile was only toying with him and let him get on the Striker because the man could literarily end him just by sending a sandstorm now that he was out of the water. He was just enjoying his miserable look and him begging for mercy.

"Why don't you just let it go? It's not like it was my intervention alone that got you demoted of your warlord title."

"You may be right, that alone was Strawhat's feat. But your presence back at Nanohana and existance right now sore my eyes."

"Well, whatever you're doing make it quick. We're almost there and it displeases me greatly that we're wasting time in the middle of the ocean!"

Sensing that he had no other choise to jump into water to avoid the sand attack, he made a quick exit and brought Ace with him once again. Before diving under, he was stopped by a new voice. A feminine one to his delight, though the lady was hiding in the afro of that weird-looking crown person.

"The boy with him. Doesn't he look like someone to you all?"

Sanji paled and tried to hide the tattoo on the back by changing the position, but whatever he did was useless, the Whitebeard tattoo was too huge to hide. Still, he tried and let the tattoo on the arm be shown.

"Ace?"

"He's a huge fan of Firefist Ace," Sanji tried with a blank face.

"I can see that. So much he also let his back be drawn of the this old senile. or could he be the real thing?"

"How could it be? Gol D. Ace was executed some days ago."

"Was he?"

Well, Ace certainly won't survived if they kept holding him. He needed treatments right now because he's sure the bandage wasn't enough to stop the hemorrhage.

"So that explains why Whitebeard didn't show up and the pitiful sight of one of the most famous pirate of the era. It was a fake."

"Funny, didn't know you were a conspiracy-theorist. Now, if you'll excuse me- hey!"

Sand flew around him but focused mostly on Ace before getting a clutch and lifting him in the air by the waist. Sanji jumped and hung to his friend desesperatly, lifted in the air too. They landed heavily on the deck but Sanji recovered quickly and placed himself between the threat and Ace.

"I might say, it's funny how you have a story with fake death, maybe you'd want to taste the real thing?"

Gritting his tooth, Sanji refused to answer. Yeah, he did have some story involving fake death, unfortunately.

"Hang on, Croco-boy, if he's the real thing, I want to know what happened for him to be still alive and how Straw-boy eventually knew the truth even though he insisted so much to go save him."

"Obviously he's a dumbass. Pest refused to back down till he got to see what he wanted."

"It's the ship I stole, Croco-boy, if you don't like my choise you can go. Yeah, that's what I though. Now, sweetcheek, you're going to come with us for a moment."

It's not like Sanji had a choise, so he just checked on Ace's breathing and state, regretting he didn't have anything to treat the wound. And to say he will lose Shimashima a week after sailing with.

 

Ace got up with a pounding headache.

After looking around the room and making sure his injury wasn't that deep, he caught on the fact that the headache was just loud voices yelling at each other. He got up and followed to where it came, because why not, and he recognized Sanji's anxious shout among them.

"So you just thought of giving him to the marines?!"

"I was in need of money! And he was a trash that deserved to be incarcerated! By doing so, the marines and Blackbeard wouldn't chase us since 'Firefist' was captured!"

"You turned them in the fake 2nd commander of Whitebeard pirates for money without knowing the mess it'd cause? Heehaw, candy-boy, you're a phenomenon!"

"I didn't know he was such a big shot that needed a public execution! I thought they were going to keep him at Impel Down!"

"They did keep him there for awhile. I got to interact with that fake pansy who insisted that he wasn't Portgas. Guess that's how Iron fist Garp got the gist and told Sengoku, because both were unsurprised to not see Whitebeard showing up for one of his son."

"And Straw-boy understood once in front of the fraud. Make sense, only him could have know if it was really his brother, though it was the perfect chance for the marine to get rid of Straw-boy since they didn't let us the time to proceed to jump on us."

"How did you get out, anyway?"

"Boa helped us out after that jerk Akainu beat Luffy to death. She insisted to get home and diverted the marines with her mero mero no mi. There was this rookie pirate, Trafalgar Law, who said he could treat Straw-boy because he's a doctor and even son of the sea, Jinbei, helped us to get out of Marineford by asking the whale to destroy all the batleship except for two, one for Boa and one we used to flee."

"Pirate empress Boa Hancock helped you?! Such a kind heart lady!"

"Don't be mistaken, she only did it because she's a prissy woman. And it looked like she had a history with Strawhat. Anyway, you've done a fine job making the fraud look like the real one. a special technique?"

"Maybe, so what?"

"So what? Candy-boy, you could literaly revolutionize the world by handing frauds to the marine, so all the wanted people could live without fearing to be hunted ever again. And take the rewards, I guess."

"Well, it can't work everytime! The fake one needed to be in the same size! Not talking about the accessories of the actual person, like tattoos and piercings! And people that knew them couldn't be fooled like you said about the admirals!"

"You actually thought thoroughly about it. How about you work for me?"

"Like hell! I heard from Bon Clay, you know -dude was the real one till the end huh?-, you had a twist mind for planning a civil war on Arabasta country! If not for Luffy and the gang, you would have succeeded and you would have ruled on a ruined territory!"

"And like you said, Strawhat thwarted the plan with you putting a wrench from the start. Besides, I could still subdue you to work for me. You're not strong enough to fight me and you have nowhere to flee without a boat."

"Watch me!"

A beat. Ace finally arrived to the door where all the voices came from and just as he put his hand on the door handle, the third voice interrupted whatever was happening.

"Enough you two. Croco-boy don't you dare think about messing my mansion and Candy-boy, he's right, you're not in the level to take on him. Not without haki."

Ace pushed the door to see four people in what look like a reception room. There was Sanji who was lowering his aflame feet with the fire faltering, revolutionary member Okama King Emporio Ivankov in a royal attire, making him de facto owner of the place, former warlord Crocodile where Ace had spent some times on his territory before meeting with Luffy and a bold man, Ace's pretty sure that was the famous bounty hunter Daz Bonez, standing in the back with his arms crossed. Once they all noticed him, everyone took a more neutral attitude and if the others barely gave him attention, Sanji walked to him, evidently pleased to see awake.

Ace couldn't understand why.

"Ace, you're alright?"

"So you admit he's the real one and not some fan like you insisted."

"What if I say it's short for Sebastian?"

"You're cheeky brat, Candy-boy. How are you feeling, Straw-boy's brother?"

"For a dead person, that is."

Ivankov ignored Crocodile's input and kept on. "I had asked for the best healer of the island and you just had a skin-deep bite from a sea beast, but you were having difficulty to breath."

"Fine, thank you for the hard work, I guess."

Sanji sighed, tired of his apathetic behavior. "Come on, you could be more earnest to the people who saved you. Especially if we're going to be staying there for a while."

Ace shrugged, feeling really tired too.

"It's not like we have anywhere to go."

"Really now? Didn't you say you had to go back to your old man and report what you learned from fighting Blackbeard?"

"I don't think they'll need my intel. They probably already know it. What Teach told me would barely be useful to them."

Besides, the Whitebeard pirates told him to not go after Teach, guess they be like 'told him so' after last news.

"Then, you could at least warn them that you'e still alive, they would like to know that after the misunderstanding."

Someone behind them snorted, and Ace almost copied it. Thinking it funny that anyone could care about him.

"I don't think that anyone wanted to know that."

A sudden tension raised before him and he just had the time to glance at a very furious Sanji before being kicked by a really hot feet into the corridor he came from.

"Listen here, you shitty bastard! You stop your mopping right now! I didn't go all the way to save your ass back at Banaro to be thanked halfheatrtedly like that! Of course, they wanted to know you're alive! They're your family and they care about you wahtever you say! Hell, Luffy went to Impel Down to broke you out!"

"Well, he shouldn't have! I'm not worth all this effort! I wasn't even supposed to be born! My whole existance is taboo!"

"But you're alive and you have people that love you and want you to live a full life! You can't just say you want to be got rid and ignore that!"

"Well, they're not the fucking pirate king's son! They're not wanted dead by everyone!"

"Not everyone! Fuck, Ace, how can you be so blind!"

"Blind? You and me heard the same thing! The news said it, even them who got to be present said it! No one showed up!"

"So, that was it? Look, I don't know why your crew wasn't there, but there must be a reason."

Ace finally snorted derisively. He didn't get up from where he fell on the floor and only belatedly thought about his new wound on the face, bringing a hand to wipe out the blood running from his nose.

Sanji kneeled down, close enough to reach for his hand. He didn't look furious anymore but his traits still held tension. He looked more worry than anything else.

"Ace, do you remember when we were on Bonney-chan's ship for some day before Banaro?" As he waited for his answer, Ace begrudgingly nodded. "There were times where we would found bugs everywhere because some shithead would left leftovers like some underserving bastards and everytime you were tasked to get rid of them because you were not scared as you grew up with them. And instead of killing them, you get them safely outside of the ship so they could find somewhere else to feed. I asked you why the first time, do you remember what you said?"

Ace didn't answer this time, not seeing the connection. Sanji's hand squeezed his.

"Don't you remember? You said: 'all life deserved to be lived'. So why don't you follow your words and let yourself live for once?"

Ace wanted to take his hand back, but he refrained because he knew he's going to hurt Sanji and the man was just so nice from the start.

And Ace may think he didn't deserve to live, he wasn't a monster to hurt someone who became so dear to him in the short amount of time they knew each other. Yet, he couldn't find himself to believe the words.

Because for years, he was told be undesirable to the world, that he shouldn't have been born and that his existance was a crime. 

Yet, here, this pretty boy he just met went all the way to fight someone as dangerous as Teach that had his life in his hands, get shot, work day and night and even think of a crazy idea for the sole purpose to save him. Just so he could live, so he could enjoy life.

Ivankov's head slided from behind the tall door to peek on them.

"Sorry to bother your love quarrel, but Inazuma just told me there's a bunch of pirates looking for Firefist Ace, and they said they knew he was in there and will fight their way inside if they had to. I think they're so sure  they had your vivre card that points there."

Ace's breath got caught, before he's ushered by Sanji to get up and look who that was. Ace had feeling he knew but humored Sanji and followed him, nevermind that his steps were as fast as his. His throat clogged-up upon seeing Deuce with some of his original crew who were overjoyed to see him.

"Ace! You're really alive!"

He's promptly jumped on by twenty or so pairs of arms that were trying to choke him for scaring them like that. Having just recovered, he could barely hold the weight down and fell on his bottom again. In this angle, he could see the happy smile on Sanji and he hugged back his former crew now subordinates.

For the first time in awhile, he felt so glad to be alive.

They eventually settled in front of the mansion to talk more calmly. Sanji had left them to their privacy and was talking to Ivankov about Luffy, which Ace had to question too. Later. For now, he learned everything that happened on the Whitebeard pirates' side while he was struggling to stay alive.

The crew heard about the execution about the same time as the rest of the world, all the warlords were called on to fight on the world government's side as per their contract. Except, Jinbei who had his beloved island protected by Whitebeard asked about the captain first. Deuce who had Ace's vivre card, confirmed that Ace may have been in some trouble some days ago, but by the time the execution was announced, he was back in health, so the Whitebeard decided to stay on standby and watch the diffusion instead of answering the declaration of war and told Jinbei to do as the government said as per his condition of being a warlord. Despite that, Kaidou of the four emperor thought it would a good idea to strike on Whitebeard while he must be distressed, so a clash between the two crews happened, wiping easily the 23 Marine ships that were guarding the Moby Dick. After fending off the hundred beast pirates, with the intervention of the Red hair pirates who were surprised by Whitebeard's inactivity, Edward Newgate's declining health started to show more, so it was definitely not the best time to go back to Paradise to find Ace and inviting other people to try attacking them. But the crew wanted to make sure that Ace was really alive and his former crewmembers asked to be the ones allowed in the search sailing with a neutral ship to not attract attention. They crossed the Red Line passing by Fishmen Island that was still under Whitebeard's protection and would be to the very end, and kept following wherever the vivrecard was leading them.

Some hours ago, they came across Ace's striker attached to a man-size saucepan and decided to take these with them while sailing to Momoiro Island where the paper was pointing. They fended off against the sea kings and made sure that no ships were harmed before docking finally and running to their destination. And good words, they found back their precious captain, although they all swore allegiance to Whitebeard.

Ace was glad to know he was loved by so many people that he didn't hold back anymore and cried. Just like that, he thanked their effort and promise to come back but not right now.

He had to tell them he couldn't return to their captain yet.

Teach was on the loose, with a really worrisome power and ready for anything to fulfill his dream, and if Ace couldn't stop the man, he had to at least find the one piece before him and make Whitebeard the pirate king like he promised.

For that, he needed to train and became even stronger. He needed to improve his armament haki that he already relied too much on it, develop the observation like Thatch taught him though he never made use because of his overconfidence and particularly make the focus on the conqueror that he heard Luffy be possessing as he showed to take down the small fries at Marineford (and that even his fraud fell into, helping the marine to decapitated quickly).

As for his identity, he had to hide he was the real Ace for sometime, for at least till they reach the New World. Because, of course, he will set sail with Sanji once again, he owned that to him. So he couldn't really use his devil fruit, except for just lighting object on fire in small scale. He had to start wearing shirt to hide his proudest tattoo and think of modifying the one on his arm, though he still didn't know to what and which letter to keep. Also, his beaded necklace (the only belonging Sanji left him thinking it had emotional meaning) would probably became a bracelet.

He decided to tell all his plans to Sanji and see what were the man's projects too if he also aimed on reaching New World. Not undermining his strength, especially when he was saved twice by said strength, but till now, Sanji didn't go into fight, using strategy to get out of dire situation.

Sanji replied him after making a feast for his crewmember before their departure, despite their protest as they wanted to go back to their captain quickly to give him the good news.

"I insist! You guys brought me back my ship! That's the least I could do. Besides, it's literally a restaurant ship, you'll be the first customers!"

Sold by the promise of foods from a first-rate sea cook, they stayed for one or two (or more) servings, enjoying the cooking of an actual chef. What they missed in their old crew before joining the Whitebeard pirates. Seeing that, Ace thought how fit Sanji was among the crew. While he obviously favoured Banshee, being the simp he was, he also acted quite gentlemanly to the rest and even gave them pointers for those curious of some dishes.

"Alright, I'm listening," he said once everyone was sated and settled in easy conversation between group.

"First, I'd like to apologize how I treated you the last few days. I want you to know that wasn't against you."

"Could have fooled me."

Ace winced, Sanji sounded mad. "Well, I'm sorry my behavior made you think that. I was just really upset, because I have some attachemnt issue and it took time to treat."

"But you know that you're loved and a lot of people appreciate your presence, right?"

"I do, now." He answered with so much confidence he even felt a weight being lifted from his shoulder. Then, before he could stop himself, he teased the man: "Do I take you're part of them?"

"Ace, are you kidding? You're so charming the first we met I literally paid for the meal you dined and dashed. I didn't think you'd ever come back to wash the dishes after, but it did comfort my first impression about you. You're not half-bad, as I learn to know you. I'm glad I did, you're not someone one could ever regret meeting."

Ace couldn't tell him that he came back because he was moved that such a beautiful person existed, whether physically or morally, and chose the same inn as him to thank him but his hunger acted up and the man pitied him once more and went to cook for him again. He was glad of this decision at the moment and that fate put them on the same path again.

Anyway, after telling him of his plans, Sanji told him in return that he never intended to fight when starting his journey. After all, the reason he refused to join Luffy's crew was that he didn't want to be a pirate. He set sail with the goal of finding the All Blue, not to reach some top place, the fact he was a hell of great chef was only a bonus and he enjoyed cooking and pleasing with his service (Banshee would agree). But if they will have to meet strong people that were too obnoxious to let them pass, of course, he will have to fight his way through and already agreed with Ivankov to learn about Attack Cuisine by fighting against the masters of newkama kenpo. He was also proposed to learn some leg techniques of the martial arts rokushiki the marines used as he was very already efficient with his black-leg style.

And since Ace will have to keep his true identity and devil fruit a secret, he could also learn about the speed and flexibility techniques.

They started the training immediately after the Whitebeard pirates left Momoiro Island and somehow, Crocodile and his right-hand man had left the Kamabakka kingdom too during this time, which was good because the man was kind of creeping him out. Especially knowing that he didn't have his father's best interest, so having him in the same room wouldn't end up with good outcome.

Anyway, about the training, Ace got the easy way, training directly under Inazuma, who happened to be actually a fighting coach, to learn to refrain from using his devil fruit. Sanji suffered a great deal having to deal with an horde of okama that'd like to convert him into their religion. At least, him running away increased his leg strength, making it sturdier and with a lot of stamina, though one had to wonder if he will learn the Attack Cuisine that he had to win the recipe by fighting the masters of newkama kenpo by running away.

Some days during the arduous training, a ship docked on the land and Ace got lay off by Inazuma earlier because they had to welcome the new arrival. Ace followed because he had nothing better to do and will never regret this decision.

The new comer was a member of the Revolutionary Army, the chief of staff of the organization, said to be the second-in-command despite his young age and came there to welcome back their members out of Impel Down and to talk more deeply about what they said through transponder snail from weeks ago. And despite his size and his hairstyle change, Ace would have recognized those big eyes and the gentle outfit.

It was Sabo, his other sworn brother beside Luffy, and the one everyone thought dead ten years ago. And that thought hurt Ace more than he wanted to admit because it's been awhile and he still didn't have any news of Luffy, who could have succombed Akainu's attack depsite the witness' words.

They both fell into each other's arm as soon as their eye met. Before immediately getting into some sort of wrestling so each one could get answers from the other.

"I thought you died, you stupid jerk!"

"I thought you died too, you stupid freak! Your public execution was so traumatising! At least it gave me back my memories!"

"You lost your memories?"

"Yeah, a celestial bastard bombarded my ship and I only got saved by Luffy's dad, he recruited me because of our mutual hate for them but I fell into unconsciousness immediately after and I woke up without memory safe for that feeling."

"True to yourself, declaring war to the world nobles. Guess that give you and Luffy a common trait."

"You're one to talk, you both are famous pirates! You did end up sailing first after all!"

"And also the first one to go, according to the world."

"Who cares about the world, I'm glad that was a fraud and to know you're alive!"

"Fuck, I missed you! Don't do that to me ever again!"

"Wouldn't dream of it but can't really promise anything, you know the vocation."

They started catching up while ignoring their shocked audience. It seemed the ASL brothers would never stop surprising the world, but Ivankov first. Just then, they received the newspapers about Luffy's reappearance at Marineford to ring the ox bell to declare the end of an era and the start of another, provocating the government once again. The picture taken showed a message too, and it didn't take long for the older brothers to get it. After all, Ace also had a tacky tattoo on his arm.

"How is that tacky? I made them to pay you guys respect!"

"A crossed out s? Could you be more obvious?"

"I thought you were dead! But it comes in handy, I guess to keep my identity secret I will have to remove the letter for my name and just let the S to add pade after, to remind me of the spades. My former crew."

"The S could also be your new identity. How about you call yourself Sabo whenever people wonder what Ace stands for?"

Ace's excitation to introduce his brother to Sanji got tamed upon seeing him in a frilly dress, knowing that he lost to a newkama once again. But then he thought about the suggestion only to see Sabo amused by it, so it was settled for the time being.

 

What they didn't know was that Luffy knew the fraud wasn't his brother Ace.

He knew from the moment he put his eyes on the scaffold and how the fake one bawl his eyes out with the intervention of the escaped convicts. But he also unconscioulsy used his conqueror haki that checked up if his feeling was real before deciding to leave the place with the escapees because it was obviously a trap. Unfortunately, if he took care of the small fries, the big shot didn't wait to jump on him while the former prisonners had to fend against the warlords.

But after Akainu marked him, Luffy knew that he wasn't ready to head for the New World and neither was his crew, so he asked Silvers 'dark king' Raleigh to train him to be strong enough to take on the opponants he will meet on the other side of Red Line. Hopefully, he gets to meet Ace once again.

Ace didn't know why Luffy didn't understand sooner that the fraud couldn't be Ace because the boy had his brother's vivre card, the one Ace made all the effort to run into him just to deliver it. The reason was that Luffy was worried at the end of Thriller Bark events to see the corner charred, but he also assured his crew that Ace had to live his own adventure, before turning 180 degree once the execution was announced, despite elder Nyon telling him that he should be fine according to his vivre card. Luffy was just a candid boy, you know, and he just thought the marine needed Ace in good condition before recording him to diffuse his public execution to the rest of the world, and only considered it was some big joke when the fraud was beaten black and blue and the vivre card being back in its glory.

They couldn't know any of that because then Luffy just vanished from the news, unreachable to the rest of the world and so was his crew, so they could only assume that Luffy was just training for the sake of compensating his lose by being a better protector of his nakama.

 

In the meantime, Ace and Sabo were going to made up all the lost time. After all, Luffy did promise 2 years time frame before reuniting with his crew.