Wow...I knew he was past his prime, but this is...

Whitebeard had summoned me to his quarters, and when I had arrived I had been utterly shocked by what I saw. The legendary man looked like he was on death's doorstep with so many tubes and medical apparatuses hooked up to his body. It was almost sad.

"Please, take a seat, girl." He motioned for me to sit down, but I shook my head firmly, hands clasped tightly in front of my body.
"I'll stand, thanks..." I rejected his offer, knowing I wasn't going to be able to get comfortable, even if I tried. At least by standing I could hide my nervous fidgeting a bit better.

Whitebeard studied me with his stern eyes for what felt like the longest time, sizing me up in a way that made me silently plead with any and all higher entities that it wasn't with I'll intent.
"You made quite the scene the other day, didn't you?" He pointed out, and my nerves began to climb.
"I..I'd say it was justified...Your men kidnapped me, after all..." I murmured, attempting not to sound too catty, just in case he wouldn't take kindly to such an attitude.

There was no way he wasn't picking up on my discomfort, that was for sure, but he didn't seem to be angry. That alone was relieving.
"A sound argument. Now, you mentioned that you wanted to return to where you were taken from, right? May I ask why? I've heard many things about the Donquixote Family, and none of it has been good."

Here we go. Nobody is going to listen to me, are they?

"With all due respect, Sir, none of you know Doffy like I do. He may have a vicious reputation, but I lo-" Why was my throat growing tight all of a sudden? That one word really didn't want to come out, but I pushed it through with all my might, despite how it seemed to drag and cut against my tongue. "I love him, and he loves me. I wouldn't be asking you to let me go home if that wasn't the case. Ace made a mistake."

Much to my surprise, Whitebeard truly appeared to be taking my words into account, nodding along and humming to himself.
"I don't doubt your feelings, girl. Not at all. Though, from my perspective, I have two issues to deal with." He began to explain, shifting slowly so he was sitting up more. "In your case, you want to return to Dressrosa, which is a long and risky trip, well off of our course. In my son's case, letting you return will cause him great distress, and he makes poor decisions when he's in such a state of mind."

Why is he calling Ace his son? There's no way he's his father...

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I thought about how I could plead my case. Ace was a valued member of the Whitebeard Pirates, which meant I was starting off with a major handicap.
"Yes, I'm aware of that, b..but don't I have the right to make my own decision? No offence, Sir, but you're not my captain. Ace may be your crew member, or s..son, but all he is to me is an old friend, from childhood. Neither you, nor him, have anything to gain by keeping me detained."

As I waited for Whitebeard's response, I fidgeted around with whatever loose sections of my clothing I could without it seeming too obvious. The faint, sandpapery rasp of his breath predicted his impending fate, likely in the same bed where he currently sat, pinned in place by tubes and tanks, cruelly prolonging his inevitable demise. It was almost sad to think such a simple death awaited somebody so powerful.

"Listen, (Y/N), was it? Though you may be right in regards to me having no principled objective for keeping you on my ship, or personal benefit, I can't simply disregard Ace's feelings on the matter. He's spoken of you often, almost as much as he has about his younger brother. I request that you take some time to really think about the situation, and if you truly wish to return to Dressrosa, then I shall personally escort you there myself. Can we agree on that?"

I'm not comfortable with this, but...

I knew that I didn't have any possible chance of changing the elder pirate's mind, that was for certain. Ace was loyal to him, and in return, it seemed as though he was equally as loyal to him.
"You're really not giving me any choice here, old man..." I muttered, a bold choice of words, but it didn't look like it offended him in any way. "But under no circumstances am I taking orders from any of you. Especially not someone like Ace, who has a forehead the size of the entire Grand Line."

Snickering at my attitude, Whitebeard nodded his head, reaching to pinch at the solid curve of his moustache.
"As long as you don't actively cause trouble, or harm the people I care about, we won't have any problems. You're free to go, but I'd like to talk with you more at some point. Something tells me you're a real spitfire."

Gritting my teeth, I simply gave him a nod and left the room as quickly as possible, eyes forced into an unbecoming squint when they were assaulted by the light of day once more. What was there to do as a free range prisoner? I couldn't barricade myself in the infirmary any longer, nor did I feel comfortable trying to converse with the crew.

Eventually, after an age of loitering, I was roped into mopping the deck, along with a few men who seemed to appreciate the assistance. It wasn't exactly something I wanted to do, by any stretch, but it was a way to pass the time. How long did Whitebeard expect me to think about things for? A few days? Weeks? The fact that he hadn't specified frustrated me to no end.

Instead of completing the task myself, I selfishly called upon my powers to get somebody else to do it for me. Three young men, who I couldn't have named even if I had tried. I had hoisted myself up on the edge of the ship, legs dangling above the wooden boards as I watched, bored and annoyed, which was no different than it had been back home.

"Have you calmed down yet, or are you still moments away from trying to bite my head off?" I bristled upon hearing Ace's cocky voice, and the way I threw my glare towards him could have slashed him in two.
"If I had, then your presence just set me off again." I muttered through clenched teeth, wishing I had maintained my ability to swim so I could have just let myself topple overboard to escape his existence.

"Your attitude really rotted with age, huh?" He commented without a care for my mood, hands on his hips. He stood there with such confidence, I wondered how on earth he couldn't see anything wrong with what had happened. What he was putting me through.

"Keep it up, Pepper. Really, go ahead and try to piss me off. See what happens." Was it a threat? Damn straight it was. Hopping down from the edge, I took a single step forward, as a warning, even though I was well aware I was in no sense of the word intimidating to him.

Ace's smirk didn't falter when he rolled his eyes, puffing up a little more to try and consolidate his dominance, just like he had done when we were kids.
"What are you gonna do, flatso? Prance around with your little dodge techniques like the good ol' days and try to trip me up? Don't make me laugh?"

When he did in fact laugh, obnoxiously loud, he gained the attention of the nearby men, and that just made me angrier. Strangely, though, it was more of a competitive anger than legitimate fury. Nostalgic, almost.

Sorry, Whitebeard, old man, but Ace started it..!

Not a single word needed to be spoken for me to call for my ghostly subordinates, but I wasn't intending on using them to do the dirty work for me, as usual. Sticking my hand up and out, I watched Ace startle as one of them tossed me one of the mops, and the moment it was in my hand I sprung towards him.

His first few jumps back were stumbled and clumsy, due to being taken off guard, and he really had to curve his body so the mop handle didn't jab him square in the stomach.
"O..oi! That was not an invitation to attack me!" He barked, voice pitched as he once again dodged a swing of the mop.

"Who's dodging now, dumbass?!" I snapped right back, trying to balance my attention on everything that required it. My footwork, my swings, and above all, Ace's movements. My Haki was pathetically weak, barely enough to give a sparrow a dizzy spell, so I had to rely on what I could see in front of me.

On the sidelines, we seemed to have attracted a small crowd, including both Marco and Thatch, one looking more concerned than the other.
"Do you think we should, I don't know, stop them?" The latter questioned aloud, but Marco shook his head, leaning back against the wall with a smug, albeit lopsided grin.
"Nah. Let them flirt a little longer, yoi. Besides, I wanna see how this goes..."

Part of me knew that little joke was intended to rile me up even more, but it still worked like a charm. I took an aggressive swing at Ace's shins, but he managed to jump over the mop stick, continuing to avoid each and every one of my attacks, but only barely.
"Come on! Fight back, you jerk!" I hissed, already working up a sweat with how earnestly I was attacking him.

"I don't like fighting girls, and even though I really don't buy it, legend says that you're a girl, so sorry, sweetheart. You're just gonna have to lose by tuckering yourself out." Ace laughed, though I could hear that he was starting to get a little out of breath.

Yes, I was letting him get under my skin, but it wasn't anything I wasn't used to. Diamante used to taunt me unremittingly during the days he felt like training me, and he was unequivocally merciless. Personal attacks, everything about me he had so easily picked apart and spat upon with his sharp, callous tongue. Things that even Doflamingo would have likely slain him for if he had ever known. Ace had nothing on him.

As proud as I was, I wasn't above fighting a little dirty, and having already become sick of our little game, I decided enough was enough. All it took was one meagre request in my head, unspoken, and I had backup. A limpid foot belonging to one of my spectres behind his own, and down he went, onto his back with a deliciously delightful yelp.

Down came the end of the mop handle, onto the weakest spot of male kind, but instead of pulverising sensitive flesh, I heard the sharp crack of wood against wood. Flames began to bite and fizzle at the point of contact, and I paused, panting heavily as I finally recalled why he was dubbed 'Fire Fist'.

Ace looked shocked, appalled even, as he stared up at me with wide eyes, but there was something else behind them. A vibrant spark of excitement, almost childlike, and I felt a tug deep within me. There was a diminutive part of me that felt the same way.

"Okay, you rapscallions! Let's just get this flaming stick of death out of the equation..." Marco appeared by my side to shake me from my own head, plucking the burning mop from my hands and swinging it out and over the edge of the ship, waiting for the vicious sizzle it made when it hit the water until he continued. "There we go! Now, as entertaining as that little performance was, you're both idiots. I love it. Keeps me young, but no more of that, okay, yoi? Can't have the Moby Dick burning to a crisp."

Immediately, I threw aside the faint thrill of excitement and returned to my broody self, setting off for no particular location.
"Yeah yeah, he started it." As I left, Marco reached a hand out and helped Ace to his feet, dusting him off with a few hearty slaps to his chest.

"Your flirting game needs work, but aside from that, she's got potential, yoi." He pointed out, but Ace kept quiet, seemingly deep in thought. Thatch, after shooing away the remaining spectators, sidled up, nodding his agreement.
"She does. Can't say I'm surprised. That one really does seem like a match for you."

Still not entirely back to earth, Ace just nodded, pulling his hat up to sit atop his head, mouth thin and flat-lined in thought.

"Nah...I'll never be a match for her..."

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

***ELSEWHERE***

Gladius ducked almost a little too late, the last of the meeting room chairs grazing the tips of his hair before fulminating against the wall on impact. The furniture was scattered in splinters and shards from corner to corner, the wallpaper was shredded beyond repair, and each and every window was now decorated with webbed cracks, threatening to shatter and rain down upon anyone ill-fated enough to be lingering below.

"Y..Young Master, pl-"
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE! YOU TRACK THEM DOWN AND YOU BRING HER BACK TO ME!" Doflamingo's voice was alarmingly cracked and hoarse as he screamed into the poor, quivering transponder snail, its shell barely coping within the pressure of his balled fist. "IF THERE IS SO MUCH AS A GRAZE ON HER KNEE, I WILL PERSONALLY SLIT THE THROATS OF EVERYONE RESPONSIBLE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

Despite having hung in there for so long, the transponder snail met a cruel, bloody fate at the end of the call, the remains both crumbling and oozing from the Warlord's tightly clenched hand.
"Young Master, we're all worried about her safety, b..but please, you need to try and calm down..." Giolla held her hands up with the utmost caution, trying to keep her voice smooth and unwavering, yet smart enough to not get too close.

"THE NEXT PERSON TO TELL ME TO KEEP CALM IS GETTING SLICED LIKE PROSCIUTTO!" The inconsolable blond broadly threatened, pacing back and forth over broken glass and wood, the veins in his forehead almost audibly throbbing.

He had been in such a state since the very evening (Y/N) had been abducted, from the moment Sugar had awoken him with the news. Remaining collected, keeping up appearances, he was so talented when it came to putting on an act, but it had all fallen apart in that very moment.

The Family had never seen him react to anything so strongly, not even in the instances when she had been taken as a young child. Yes, he had been a wreck back then, but this time was a whole new meaning of the word.

Donquixote Doflamingo was rabid with violent, anomalous emotions, and he wasn't able to keep them in check. It had taken every last person's strength to keep him from setting out on his own in pursuit of her, knowing he needed to stay put and run the kingdom. It was like trying to difuse a thousand bloodthirsty, cornered dogs.

"Doffy, Doffy, we're doing everything in our power to get her back, don't worry! She's probably giving them hell right now, too! She's a tough one, oh yes she is!" Trebol maintained his bouncing tone, but it was obvious he was at his wits end with the situation. "If you keep destroying the palace, she won't have anything to come back to!"

"ENOUGH! GET OUT! EVERYONE GET THE HELL OUT!" It wasn't often that he spoke in such a way to his family, but when he did, they knew to listen without question. One by one, they all left the room, the door clicking closed behind them and leaving the despairing man to his meltdown.

No matter how hard he tried, Doflamingo just couldn't get enough oxygen. His throat was raw and scorched with how loud he had been screaming, and the heels of his hands were scabbed and bloody where his nails had dug pits. Several days without sleep wasn't helping either, but what could be done?

With a piercing shriek, in an octave that had never once left the man's body, he thumped back against the wall and allowed his legs to finally give out, sinking to the sharp floor below. His head was surging with what ifs and maniacal ideas of how he could torture whoever had dared lift her from his life.

Close to hyperventilation, he ran his hands, nails and all, down his face, glasses falling and the gored remains of his freshly deceased transponder snail smearing against his skin, which had paled due to lack of self care.

"G..God fucking dammit..." In a stark change to before, his voice was weak, fragile and cracking, as he whispered to himself, no longer a man to be feared or respected in that moment.

"...You promised..."

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

***I'm really gonna be playing around with Doffy's mental health in this, whilst hopefully keeping him relatively in character.

Marco is a wing man. Get it? Because he's a phoenix and has wings..?

I'm also going to be reading the 'Ace's Story' light novels, to hopefully get a better grasp of his character.

I'll see myself out.

Next Time: Knows No Bounds***