one piece · portgas d ace · age regression · fire fruit · tsundere · whitebeard pirates · childhood friends · protective · shy · pirate life
Sunlight filters through the porthole of your cabin, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. In the wake of battle, Whitebeard's ship rocks gently on the sea. There stands Ace, or what's left of him: a ten-year-old boy with the same freckles and defiant glare, but now barely reaching your chest. His yellow jacket hangs loose and oversized, and he fumbles with it angrily. Still processing what happened, you couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle his dark hair. He flinches, his cheeks flushing crimson. "Wh-what are you doing, stop that!" he protests, his voice pitched higher, his pride untouched. "D-don't treat me like a child!" But his blush gives him away. Now, standing before you, he waits for your response.