One Piece (CH31) (Patreon)

That morning, just before afternoon, Jack stood in front of Baroque Works' ship. His expression was one of slowly dawning realization. Spotting Daz Bonez idling nearby, his back against the ship's bark, Jack hurried over to him.

"Where's Ace? I don't see him anywhere, and his little boat is gone too. Don't tell me..."

The big, dark-skinned man grunted, pushing a note toward Jack. He'd been holding it in his hand the entire time, with Jack being too preoccupied to notice. The latter took it, quickly scanning the contents. The letters were burned into the paper with unnatural precision, still smoldering, but without the paper being consumed.

When Jack was done, reading the short message in the span of two seconds, the whole thing suddenly combusted, going up in a puff of flame. A human figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat was briefly visible, performing a two-fingered salute. Dismayed, Jack watched the ashes drift to the ground.

"...what the actual fuck? Is this the fabled 'seeking death'? What a moronically stubborn bastard!" He ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a long sigh. "Damn it, what am I supposed to do now?"

Ace had taken off without him, preferring to pursue Blackbeard on his own. The note said something about not wanting to get his little brother's crew into trouble—and that it was his problem to deal with on his own—but Jack really wasn't impressed by such notions. There was no use in Ace moralizing and talking big if he was just going to end up in seastone shackles at the bottom of Impel Down!

"Screw this. I tried to help. He didn't want it. I'm not going to keep chasing after him like a lost puppy." Mumbling absentmindedly to himself, Jack missed the slightly weird look Bonez was sending him. Not that he would've cared either way. "So what, do I go back to those guys? No. They don't need me. With Robin helping them out, it should be fine."

He fidgeted with his pack's strap, feeling momentarily lost. It wasn't that he had no goals of his own, but after making the decision to stick with the Straw Hats a year or so ago, it was hard not to feel like the rug had been pulled out from under him. But maybe this was for the best. His growth had definitely slowed down. And he wasn't the story's protagonist, nor was he part of the main cast—he couldn't expect power-up handouts, or a powerful sensei to suddenly show up at his doorstep. He had to put in the work.

Sighing quietly, he scanned the surroundings, not really paying attention to what he saw. His thoughts were already being directed toward the future. Consequently, he didn't notice a certain blonde bombshell coming up behind him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Heya, handsome. What's with the long face?"

Jack turned his head, spotting Ms. Valentine. She was smiling at him, her head tilted cutely to one side. A wave of embarrassment surged in his chest, remembering his conversation with Paula. He really hoped she hadn't overheard. He hadn't said much, but getting emotional with a random stranger was pretty cringe regardless.

He cleared his throat. "It's nothing, just deciding what I'm going to do next. It's not like I can stick with you guys forever."

"You're leaving already?" She asked, crossing her arms. Her expression of faint disappointment was surprising to him.

Jack blinked. "I'm sorry. I wasn't planning on it, but now that Ace is gone..."

"What, are you two attached at the hip or something? I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Uh, we're not, but-..."

Ms. Valentine smirked. "You keep watching over him like a momma bird. It's a little funny."

"Funny...? Maybe that's true. It is kind of funny—shoving yourself into other people's lives. Especially when they didn't ask for it-..." Jack was halfway into his sentence before he clammed up, stopping himself from going to a weird place again. He didn't know what was wrong with his mouth lately, running off by itself.

She watched him deliberate, a strange look on her face. When he remained silent, Ms. Valentine sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "You're looking pitifully lost right now. In a way, it's almost like looking in a mirror from back then..." She was quiet for a moment before snorting, patting his shoulder. "...you know what, I need a change of scenery anyway. Where are we going?"

Jack looked at her with incomprehension. He pointed at his face "You want to come with me?"

"I just said so."

His mouth opened and closed, unable to form words. In the end, he settled on one. "...why?"

Ms. Valentine sighed. "Maybe instead of looking after other people, you need someone looking after you." She said, brushing her short bangs our of her eyes. "Or are you planning to refuse?"

"No-...! I mean, I'd welcome the company. I just don't understand why you'd go that far for me."

The blonde tapped a finger against her cheek. "Hmm... you know, as a member of Baroque Works, I'm privy to certain types of information. You and that Firefist Ace shouldn't have anything to do with each other. Why'd you go that far for him?"

"...he's my captain's older brother." Jack said, his words sounding somewhat weak to his own ears. There really wasn't a good reason for throwing himself into danger, chasing a notorious pirate like Blackbeard.

"You're not making any sense, but... that's fine. It means I don't have to make any sense either." Ms. Valentine said, stretching her arms above her head, showing off her toned figure.

Jack just stared at her. Did she catch feelings for him? He didn't know. Those green eyes were too clear. There were no signs of infatuation or obsession.

He found himself smiling involuntarily. This was... actually a pretty nice feeling. He recalled his self-deprecating joke when he'd just encountered the Straw Hats—that he didn't have any friends. That was the truth. He'd always been chasing after other people ever since arriving in this world. When it came to his own affairs, he'd always done things solo. Nobody took much interest in his business.

In a different situation, he might've been glib about it, saying something about how it was only natural she couldn't get enough of his handsome face. However, with her being genuinely kind and thoughtful, such words didn't make it past his lips. "...are you sure? Your friends are here, and I'm sure Crocodile is paying you. I can't guarantee you'll have that great of a time if you come with me."

Ms. Valentine looked at him with a frown. "So you're saying you're broke?"

"Pretty much."

"...well, that's fine." She said, sighing. "I already know from what I heard last night that you'd be a charity case."

Jack felt himself flushing. Fortunately, he was quite tan, so he doubted it was obvious. "Damn, I thought you were asleep. Sorry for waking you up."

She rolled her eyes. "How could I when you two were chatting away right outside the door? I'm not deaf you know."

"Right..." He said, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "But you should seriously consider what I said. I don't have a plan. I don't even have a boat."

Jerking a thumb over her shoulder, Ms. Valentine pointed in a certain direction. A marine ship was moored there—the one Crocodile stole from Smoker's crew. "What do you mean? Isn't one right over there?"

Jack looked at her incredulously. "Should you really be saying that so loudly?" He asked, lowering his voice. "And burning bridges with your boss... doesn't sound like a good idea. He isn't the type to forget grudges."

Ms. Valentine grinned, a manic glint in her eye. "If I go, I'm not planning to come back. Besides, it's more fun this way. Quick, let's get going before they board."

He was still trying to process her suggestion when the blonde turned around, starting for the slowly bobbing ship. Looking around and finding everyone otherwise occupied, he groaned silently, following after her. This seemed like a really bad idea. He was decently strong, but if they started a fight with Baroque Works, escaping would be an uncertainty.

They came up onto the deck, finding it empty. After giving it another once-over, Ms. Valentine headed down the stairs while Jack decided to check the cabin.

Opening the door and quickly checking the interior, he was shocked to find a familiar blue, curly-haired woman in the captain's seat, her feet kicked up onto the dashboard.

Tapping her cigarette against an ashtray, Paula glanced at Jack, a smirk on her face. "Fancy meeting you here, stranger."

The gears whirred in Jack's head. Today had been chaotic from the start, with him constantly being caught off-guard. "You... knew we'd steal the ship?" He asked, his tone doubtful.

Paula laughed. "Do you think I can read minds? Obviously Miki and I planned this from the beginning."

"Why...?"

"Because neither of us are the type to stay in one place for too long." She said, getting up and standing in front of him. She reached for his face, stroking his cheek. "Disappointed to see me here? If it were just you and Miki, I'm afraid you guys wouldn't be able to make it out. Just bear with me for the time being-..."

Jack cut her off, taking her hand and holding it. She was quite tall, only an inch or two shorter, so their fingers were almost the same length. "Stop kidding. Not many people are willing to listen to my nonsense. I'm glad to have you around. I'm sure Miki feels the same."

Paula turned her head away, withdrawing her hand. However, Jack could see her lips curving into a slight smile. "Don't regret it later. You've only seen my good side."

"Hmm... but I think all your sides are good." Jack said, openly checking her out. He didn't think she would mind.

She raised an eyebrow. "Save the sweet-talking for later and go fetch that girl. She's not technically minded. She might hurt herself, what with all those pipes, valves and gears down there."

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A while later, the two of them were standing on deck—Jack and Paula. Ms. Valentine was in the cabin, having been put in charge of the anchor-raising mechanism.

Jack looked at his companion with skepticism. "I thought you said she wasn't technically minded?"

"She can manage that much." Paula said, standing there with her arms crossed. "Besides, I have to be out here."

"I could've done it-..."

She shook her head, interrupting him before he could finish. "If things go south, you'll need to stop them from boarding. We should be able to get away, since these ships are quite fast."

Before he could ask why that was, the crowd—that'd been gathering after the engines suddenly started—parted, revealing a familiar scarred figure. It was none other than the leader of Baroque Works, Crocodile himself. His face a stony mask, he stared at Paula, ignoring Jack completely.

"What are you doing?"

Paula straightened her back, meeting his gaze over the water. Her face was likewise expressionless, but Jack noticed the tension in her posture.

"Using that favor, boss. You won't mind, right? I earned it, after all."

Crocodile's jaw clenched, snapping the toothpick between his teeth. His eyes grew shadowed under his heavy brows.

"Is this the time for that?"

Smiling, Paula pinched the bottom corners of her shirt, mimicking a curtsey. "It's been a pleasure. I hope we get an opportunity to work together again-..."

"No." The big man's voice was low, filled with barely restrained anger. "It's not enough. That favor isn't worth a ship like that."

Paula didn't miss a beat, maintaining her calm smile. "Oh? I thought it was, but you're the boss. I must've been mistaken. In that case, I'll owe you a favor in return."

For a moment, Crocodile seemed about ready to give the order for his goons to storm their ship. However, he growled out a different sentence instead. "Give it to me."

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"Your vivre card." He said, holding out his hand. Particles of sand detached from his limb, blowing toward them, solidifying under Paula's eyes.

She nodded once, reaching inside her jeans' pocket and taking it out. Evidently, she came prepared. "I have no plans to renege on my promise, but if it sets your mind at ease, Zero-sama."

Crocodile snapped it up, his arm retracting to stuff the scrap of paper in his coat. "Go." He said, turning his back to them. "Before I change my mind."

Paula didn't waste time, signaling to Miki through the cabin's glass. She glanced at the crowd, who's attention remained on them. "Farewell, everyone. It's been a pleasure. I'm sure we'll meet again!"

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