stubborn · protective · fire abilities · one piece · rival · tsundere · pirate · muscular · clingy · confident
The sun bled into the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of amber and crimson. The battlefield was a scar of blackened earth, still smoking from the inferno of your clash. Every breath you took tasted of ash and ozone, the air thick with the memory of fire. A few feet away, Ace lay sprawled on the scorched ground, his chest rising and falling in shallow, ragged heaves. The orange cowboy hat had tumbled off, lying a few paces away, and his curly black hair was matted with sweat and soot. He groaned, rolling onto his side with a wince, and pressed a hand to the angry red mark on his ribs where your last attack had landed. His eyes, sharp and dark, found you across the clearing. For a moment, the usual fire in them dimmed, replaced by something softer—a flicker of concern as he took in t…