While the crew noticed Luffy was missing again.........Yukiko noticed something else............

"Hold it............Where's Pachi?!" She asked shocking the crew.

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Luffy has found himself separated from his crew again.

Only this time, Pachi was with him. Apparently, the squirrel noticed Luffy straying away while watching Ace's fight, but they got lost following him too.

"That's weird. Where did everybody go?" He plops himself on a barrel, crossing his legs and arms. "That's weird…" he said, tilting his head. "I could've sworn they were right here with us...now they're all gone."

"Pach, pach....." Pachi said a hand to her face.

"I guess giving you a chance to escape was pointless." A voice said from above on the building.

Luffy smiled as he spotted his brother. "Ace!"

"It's been a while, Luffy."

"How many years has it been?" Luffy asks.

Ace shrugs. "I don't know but you haven't changed much; you do look a bit taller though."

"Yeah, so do you." Luffy says as he pushes against his brother's arm with his hand.

"Pach?"

"Other than your Devil Fruit Powers, you haven't changed a bit!" Luffy starts to win over his brother. "Remember when you would sneak into the field, eat a hundred watermelons, spit the seeds out like a gattling gun, and then run away?"

Pachi cocked her head to one side ears droop. 'Pachi…?'

"That wasn't me, that was you!" Ace grounds out.

"The farmers would chase you and you would scream like a girl!" Luffy continues.

"That was you too!" Ace responds. "I watched and laughed!" They're both starting to get red in the face now.  They struggle with one another for a few more seconds until the barrel is crushed under their weight. Pachi let herself get sprayed with fresh water; as she needed it for this heat!

"Guess we're still the same." Luffy says giving Ace a high five. "Just like old times."

Then Pachi leapt on one of Luffy's shoulders.

Ace finally notices the squirrel. "Who's this?" he asks, pointing at Pachi.

"Oh, this is Pachi, one of my crewmates. She is partner to another crewmate." he says. "Shes a Pachirisu!"

"Pachirisu!" Pachi greeted, raising a paw.

"Cute." Ace says, scratching Pachi under the chin who squeaked in approval. "Speaking of your crew, weren't they looking for you?" Ace asks, pulling a water canteen out of his pack.

"Yeah, though I was hanging around Yukiko and Pachi." Luffy says, "What are you doing in this country anyway?"

Ace paused at the mention of another name but then snorts, "I take it you never got the message I left for you on Drum Island. It doesn't matter, it was just to let you know that I would be in Alabasta for a few days; I'm here on some business." He sips some water. "I'm with the Whitebeard Pirates." he says before tossing the canteen to Luffy.

Pachi tapped Luffy's face to want a drink, and Luffy let her have some sips. "Whitebeard Pirates?"

Ace shows the tattoo on his back, the mark of the Whitebeard pirates. He then offers for Luffy and his crew to join the Whitebeard pirates but.....

"No thanks." Luffy says bluntly, and Ace laughs.

"Figures. That's too bad, cause Whitebeard is the greatest pirate I ever met. So I'm gonna help him be King of the Pirates; sorry Luffy."

Luffy shrugs, "That's fine; guess we'll just have to fight in the future, cause I'm gonna be King of the Pirates." With that he starts gulping down the water.

"Hey! Don't drink all of it, you mooch!" Ace yells.

Pachi giggled.
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After a little more talking, the two boys and the electric squirrel head off, looking for the others. They most likely went back to the ship so we decide to make our way there. But unfortunately, Luffy forgot where they docked. Pachi stayed on Luffy's shoulder as they walked down the empty streets.

"So, what's your crew like?" Ace asks as we walk.

Luffy starts counting them off, "Well, there's a tough guy who carries three swords who wants to be the greatest swordsman, a navigator who likes maps, tangerines, and money, we have a cook who makes really tasty food, We also have a liar, oh, and we just got a doctor who happens to be a reindeer!"

"Sounds like you've got a motley crew there." Ace says.

"We also have a princess and her giant duck. Oh, and Pachi can shoot lightning bolts! " Luffy continues. "Everyone in my crew is so interesting!" I can't help but feel sheepish; I don't think I'm that interesting…

"Sure sounds like it. But id wager you're the most interesting one of all." Ace agrees.

"No way, that has to be Yukiko." Luffy said.

"Yukiko?" Ace asked.

"Yeah! She's our beast master, she trains all kinds of amazing creatures and Pachi's one of them! Her others include a large fire lizard, a seal that can control water, a bird made entirely of ice, a couple of dragons, even some big bugs and dinosaurs! And so many more!" Luffy smiled.

As Luffy chatted on about Yukiko, Ace noticed there was a pink tint to his brother's cheeks. He's never gotten this excited about anyone before.

"Well still, only a handful of people for a pirate crew, that's just like you!" Ace said

"I'm still looking for a musician though…" Luffy says thoughtfully.

"Stop right there, Fire Fist." They stopped as multiple people with guns and weapons step out around them.

Next thing they knew, they charged at them as Pachi stayed put on Luffy as he and Ace dodge their swords left and right. "Hold him down!"

Hundreds of thugs rush towards Luffy. "Pachi!" He said and she grinned as the thugs pile on top of them. Charging up, Pachi let loose a strong Thunderbolt attack, frying everyone, and Luffy stretches up, pulling out of the burned men by hanging onto a clothesline, laughing.

The enemy made the mistake of shooting at him as his body just bounced the bullets off.

Luffy drops from the clothesline and a big fat guy with a sword charges at him. But Ace comes and stops it with his bare hand. Luffy takes a few steps back as Ace melts the sword.

"Gum Gum...Bazooka!" Luffy stretches his arms back and launches the man high into the sky as he became a star.

The rest of the guys just stand there, stunned in awe and the boys and Pachi continue walking. Eventually reaching a port, Luffy stops,

"Oh, here we are!" Luffy runs down with Pachi on his head and leapt onto the wall.

"You see your ship?" Ace asks. Luffy scanned the water until.....

"Oh, there it is!" Luffy said. "Hey guys! We're here!" he calls. Luffy leaps over the wall and Pachi followed.

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Yukiko was Pacing around the ship nervous for Luffy and Pachi until......

"I found them!" Nami said from the Crow's Nest.

Yukiko perked. "Really?"

"Yup, that stupid mug is his, and it looks like Pachi is alright." Sanji said.

But then..........

"Gum Gum…"

Uh-oh

"Rocket!" Luffy and Pachi fly over the water and the former slamed into Sanji and Chopper and somehow, Pachi ended up flipping over Sanji's head and landing in the back of his robe.

"Oh, Luffy and Pachi came back." Usopp said.

"Yeah, the hard way..." Zoro said his face in his hand.

Pachi got up and leapt into Yukiko's arms. "Thank Arceus you're alright. Thanks for helping Luffy." "Pachi!"

"Oops! Sorry, my bad!" Luffy laughs.

Sanji gets up and shakes him by the front of the vest, "Yeah you better be, you sorry excuse for a captain that's ever sailed the sea!" he snaps.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've put us through?" Nami adds sharply.

"Sorry…" Luffy mutters. "Oh yeah, where's Ace?" He gets up and looks back towards land.

"You didn't just leave him, did you?" Usopp asks.

"Uhh, sorta…" Luffy admits sheepishly. "But don't worry, Ace is really strong."

"How strong is he?" Chopper asks.

"Well, I've never been able to beat Ace in a fight ever since we were kids, and that was way back before he ate the Flame Flame Fruit." Luffy answers with a grin.

"You mean there's a flesh and blood person that you can't beat?" Nami asks incredulously.

"The big brother of a monster turns out to be an even bigger monster…" Usopp mutters.

Luffy shrugs, "Yeah, he used to beat me up all the time," he admits. "But I bet now I could kick his big butt!" He laughs.

"I'd like to see you back that statement up." Zoro comments.

"You're going to kick who's butt?" Ace's voice pops up.

Luffy yelps and falls to the ground as Ace lands on the railing right behind him. "Oh hey, Ace!" Luffy greets. "This is my crew I was telling you about!"

Ace nods, "Nice to meet you, and thanks for taking care of my kid brother; I know he can be a handful."

"Oh no, not at all." Everyone responds with a bow.

Ace grins, "C'mon, this is Luffy we're talking about!" he says. "Isn't he a bit much to handle sometimes?"

"Not at all." Everyone responds again.

"You're good people." Ace says.

The crew is pretty much floored by how polar opposite Ace is compared to Luffy. Ace is caring and polite while Luffy is caring and blunt, in a much more painful way.

Suddenly......"Guys, we have company." Yukiko said pointing ahead.

"Baroque Works!" Vivi exclaims. "Those are the Billions ships!"

"Those guys again?" Luffy asks, leaning towards them.

"Luffy, I'll take care of these guys." Ace says. Luffy nods and Ace hops off the railing into a little boat. His feet light up in flames and the boat begins to move, Ace riding it like a surfboard. When he approaches the ships, Ace jumps, his boat submerging beneath the waves.

We watch as he uses his fire to easily propel himself over all the ships like a fireball before landing in his boat once again. "Fire Fist!" Ace's fist lights up and a gigantic wave of fire envelops all the ships, reducing all of them to piles of burnt wood.

"Sweet mother of Arceus!" Yukiko shouted as Pachi gaped too.

"He roasted them!" Usopp exclaims as we all stare in awe, except Luffy who's laughing and cheering all the way.

-------
After Ace explained he was looking for Blackbeard and that he was spotted in Yuba. Which is the crew's destination. So he would travel with them for a while.

Yukiko was busy getting crops growing and prepping 6 months worth of food for a large army for the journey across the desert.

"That's a lot of meals and bottles of water you're making. Can we really take them?" Chopper asked.

"I could." Yukiko said as she somehow got all the food in her bag without looking like it was overstuffed.

"What is your bag made of and where could I get one?" Usopp asked.

Luffy was still watching Yukiko at work. And not once did he say that he was hungry!

Ace looked over at Nami. "Has this been happening before?"

"Ever since Yukiko joined the crew. He had been at her side asking all kinds of questions from her." Nami said.

Ace stared at this and couldn't help but tear up a bit.

Three years apart, and now his brother is showing an interest in someone that's not involved with being the Pirate King!

Maybe he should send a letter to Dadan and Makino. They would be shocked/happy Luffy met someone. And if things went smoothly, maybe he could get a sister-in-law.

"Nami, could you have the others leave us be for a while? I need to chat with Luffy a bit." Ace said.

Nami nodded as she could tell it would be serious.

"Hey, I need to chat with ya Luffy. Its.....important." Ace said as he led Luffy somewhere.

"Ok!"
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Plz comment!

And Pachi gets some action!