Smooth like a Bubble 2 (Patreon)

Smooth like a Bubble 2 - Or ‘The Most Dangerous Cleaner of the Ocean is now a Pirate’ (One Piece, SI)

Being the Cicero to the two starting pirates proved to be fairly simple.

I would say that the two were quite muted in their own future quirks. For Deuce, it was more of a nervous-driven reason, but Ace was more intrigued by the notion of exploration. He had yet to pick a serious fight, especially since he got his Devil Fruit just recently and he had yet to establish the name of the Crew. And the Jolly Roger.

Despite a few childish remarks along the way, Ace was restrained by Deuce whenever he tried to say the wrong things at the wrong times. It was lucky for them that no one in town seemed interested to press on any suspicious remarks.

Most locals were actually delighted to have newcomers, people looking for supplies at that, so we were met with warm and calm exchanges throughout the entire day due to the reliability I offered to the table. Ace and Deuce had the money, so the transactions were as peaceful as those could get in Loguetown.

I would also say that the lack of marines this early in the day allowed for these smooth transactions to go on undisturbed. But as many nice things go, this good luck wasn’t bound to last.

Ultimately the three of us got to the Gold Roger’s bar and- Smoker was there with a few marines. It was a relatively small group, but the Captain’s presence was instantaneous in dampening the good mood.

It didn’t help that Smoker’s attention was aimed right at us as he noticed Ace and Deuce, both new faces to the town. He didn’t speak, but his attention to us was evident to all patrons of this place.

“Boss,” I hummed as I greeted the owner while he was cleaning some glasses. “We got two merchants.”

“Oh, merchants. It’s been a while since some last visited. I suppose that you’re not here to sell your merchandise.”

“We were passing by with some heavy construction material. Nothing worked just yet, but it will be once we get home,” Deuce answered, adding to my efforts to make them appear credible. “I hope this is not trouble, from my understanding there are specific towns that have strict limitations in that sort of product.”

Smoker fixed his smoke, and then looked away. “Heh, Loguetown is not that sort of place. Just… don’t try to do anything funny with the locals.”

“Sure thing, cap!” Ace was trying to sink the whole ordeal, but Smoker merely shook his head, regarding the guy as just a rambunctious moron. Which was quite close to the truth, just not the fullest version of it.

After they had taken the chance to refresh, we got back to their boat- and I realized they had yet to acquire the Piece of Spadille and were stuck with the Striker. It wasn’t like I could blame them- they made that raft out of material they found after both had individually shipwrecked on Sixis, so it wasn’t like they could be faulted for it.

As they put things on the Striker, it became clear the thing was not going to hold all those boxes there without some issues. They were too heavy and they had spent a fair lot for the boxes that would be ditched.. And I quietly listened to each other bickering on who was at fault for the matter.

“We could drop some-”

“We paid for those!” Deuce interjected Ace, but his captain was not exactly bowing his head at this.

“And how do you think we should have those carried about? The Striker can’t hold them.”

“We need to think this through,” Deuce argued weakly, the man not having a solution on the spot as the two kept on butting heads for a while.

I didn’t utter a single word through the first bit of the argument. Mostly because I was trying to gauge how to enter it without appearing too subtle and suspicious about it. I looked at the boxes, I looked at Loguetown and then I contemplated how to broach a potential self-invitation into the future Spade Pirates’ Crew.

After a solid twenty minutes of silence which led to a pause in the conversation as the two stubborn morons butted heads for a while, I found the solution and… it was stupidly bizarre.

“Do you believe in Gravity?”

Such a flimsy way to butt myself in the topic, but it slowly drew their gazes to me. As they digested what I just said.

“Gravity? Like the fact we are all bound to the ground?” Ace surprised me with awareness of what Gravity was in terms of the gravitational force.

“I am referring to the capacity of individuals to meet and form connections. When fate and destiny, allowing strong wills to prevail, permit changes to disrupt reality as a whole.”

“That’s a lot,” The captain remarked, but Deuce… hummed.

“So, like Ace and I?” The rational man asked. “I was trying to kill him, but the way things worked out set us both to start our journey.”

“Oh, so… it’s like how many big pirates build their crew? That’s what you mean with Gravity?” Ace added with a hint of understanding, then smiling. “Then yeah, I believe in that.”

“And what will you do with it?” I rebuked flatly, surprising both with that interjection. “Let me put in simpler terms, it’s clear you have been given leeway into becoming great, however you gained this ‘luxury’ compared to many lesser men's mediocre life- what do you seek to do with it?”

Deuce didn’t reply and turned towards Ace and-

“I don’t get it.”

I cracked a smile as I saw his companion facepalm.

“What I mean is, you are in a good spot to do great things, what do you want to become through this opportunity, Gol D. Ace?”

He opened his mouth and… paused. His eyes went wide as he realized what I just said. Deuce reacted first, the guy was also stunned.

“H-How?”

“Many clues that I picked up. First, you were eager to learn the tales of Roger, but it was different to how many rookie pirates would react. Many would boast to become greater, others would just be awed. You merely listened with the same rapt attention only a child listening to their late parent would,” I started to explain my thoughts. “Then there is also the distracted look you gave to the execution stand. And finally, you confirmed it through your words and your current reaction.”

Instead of being horrified, annoyed or unnerved, Ace appeared intrigued. “So?”

I blinked. “So what?”

“What do you want to make out of this piece of info?”

“...I am glad you don’t have a mustache? I guessed, causing him to gag.

“Please no. Gramps was such a pain about ‘Mustaches being the sight of a good marine officer’,” Ace looked away. “Still-”

“I would like to know your intentions first.”

“What about yours?” Deuce jumped. “Like, you want to know Ace’s ideals, yet you are being covered by yours.”

“You are quiet too,” I pushed back, and he grinned.

“Ace’s dream is my dream. What about you?”

Ah… he is good. I forgot that Deuce is the mind of Ace's Brawns.

“I want to cleanse the World Government of all those monsters that allowed Pirates to be a necessity in this world,” I answered calmly. “It’s not that I hate what you are, I even understand why piracy is what it is now. The government made a huge mess with how broken it is, and this form of rebellion happened. To solve this, to give hope to the people, the government has to be purged to some extent. The dangerous mongrels such as the Celestial Dragons removed and, if proved guilty of slavery and other horrendous deeds, executed without any mercy.”

…

“That’s a lot,” Deuce quietly pointed out and Ace adopted a thoughtful look.

“I mean, it kind of makes sense though. Gramps always said that some of the stuff he had to do was not up to him and his superiors,” Ace commented shortly after. “So, I guess it would be fine to do something about it.”

Then he smiled.

“Wanna join my crew?”

And I huffed.

“You have yet to tell me your goals, dumbass.”

He appeared sheepish. “Oh right, well… I want to die a nobody! But not before kicking some asses!”

…I fucking hate and love this guy.

I shrugged, holding back a smile. “I guess you are just a moron that has yet to find himself.”

He frowned at this, but grinned nonetheless as I reached for a handshake. A deal was a deal, and while this didn’t solve the boxes-related issue, I presented a solution after I was done giving my ‘goodbyes’.

I told them to wait a moment to drop off half the cash I made from Loguetown back to the local shops, announcing my plans to take on Piracy. Away from marines, but enough to stun many.

There were some sad looks, but no one cried for my departure. And I left a good faith sign through the Beris I gave them. And soon I was boarding the raft with Ace and Deuce.

“How long will they last?” Deuce reasonably asked as I was down setting some bubbles right below the boxes. Multiple of those that I had personally reinforced and were still getting reinforced.

“As long as we reach the next destination,” I assured smoothly, well aware that I could handle the stress until we got to our next destination that was-

Cocoyasi Village.

—------d-d-d-d—--------

AN

Time to fuck with Canon the right way. To make it clear on why Ace is going there and not elsewhere is that, in my version of the Canon Timeline (so, it is an instory explanation) Ace and Deuce would have relocated out of the area at the news of how anti-pirate Loguetown was due to the Marines’ propaganda, thus dodged Arlong Park.

In this case, however, they got supplies and wanted to find shipwrights to help them build a proper ship. In this case, Cocoyasi Village was deemed a ‘safe enough area’ for that.

And no, Nami is not lewdable at this time as she is quite young and within headpat age-range. Her sister… is old enough.