Chapter Text
It had taken some… persuasion, but ace had managed…somehow. He still doesn’t quite know much himself. The nameless kid was still suspicious and weary of him but once he got the chain detached from the ground and they got out of the cage, letting the kid keep as much distance as possible with the chain still acting like leash - he had really calmed down. Ace is confused don’t get him wrong but he ain’t complaining- he will take this over the raging desperation from earlier. Kids a fighsty one he will give him that. He would fit right in… if he isn’t always so aggressive and distrusting. Can you tame a child? Will they keep him? Probably, it’s not like there’s anyway he could find his family.
Meh.
He… kinda has to drag the kid outside. Ace cringes and is glad no one is around to see this because he knows how this looks and no doubt people would be very upset at him. But slow has never been his forte.
The kid knew ace wasn’t scared of his fire at this point and seemed surprisingly more withdrawn over that fact then he had expected. The child also seemed exhausted- after he spazed with his own flames at being grabbed, they had quickly died out as whatever energy or stamina the child had withered away. It’s normal for devil fruit users to have limited powers when there was something wrong. No doubt the child is weak from hunger and can’t maintain a solid flame for long and his transformation so far as he has seen has been partial. Just flaming hands and talon’d feet. Now that he thinks about it, just what kinda fruit does this twerp have? Thoughts for later- first order of business is get the child back to the ship and feed him something- they can go from there. Ace suspects that offering food might gain him a little trust. Because so far he’s been pretty s**t at that.
Initially the child Resisted to going outside, who knows the last time the tiny thing had seen sunlight or the sky.
Once they did manage to get outside, more like half dragged out, in a burst of slightly weak bright electric blue flames, the kid is suddenly not a person anymore but a flaming bird figure that flew up into a tree that was sitting right outside the entrance. He scrambled up the wood ungracefully and painfully as high as his chain will allow and growls down at him.
He doesn’t want to just pull the kid down…
Come on really? Why does he have to get the complicated one?
The kid hisses at the sky, covering his eyes from the harsh light after existing in such a dark environment. “The sky isn’t going to do anything to you”the kid hisses again, grabbing a handful of leaves and chucks them at ace. you can imagine just how ineffective that was. Ace just sighs and sits against the trunk of the tree. Let the child adjust to the new… everything. Not like he’s in a big hurry anyway.
Ace opens his eyes at hearing a sniff from above him, when did he close them? He must have drifted at some point. He glanced above at the kid and can’t hold back the low deep throaty chuckle. The kid has his eyes closed, head raised up and sitting against the center trunk, back strait as it could possibly be as the child breathes the fresh air. He’s got a small expression of awe. It’s f**king adorable.
Ace stands and stretches “come on kid there’s more to see-“ he jumps back a bit as the kid scrambles in surprise, his bony back scraping against the rough bark causing ace to cringe. At least he didn’t fall as he would no doubt brake something. He honestly doesn’t mean to keep Spooking the ragged kid.
“Sorry sorry. But I want to take you that way, away from here. It’s better than your dark cave.” Ace points out in the direction of the coast and the kid continues to eye him suspiciously “I’ll uhhh. I’ll give you food?” The kid perks up and a full change of personality happens. The child scrambled down the tree so fast that ace is unnerved as his bare feet touched the ground as he settles in front of him. They both stare at each other waiting for who knows what- ace sure doesn’t know. “Sorry I don’t have any on me, but there is plenty back at the ship” the kid just tilts his head clearly not understanding “all we have to do is go that way. I’m pretty hungry to”
There’s something in the expression, something in those unnatural reflective eyes that shine brighter in the daylight that sends a chill up his spine even in the humid sun. Staring into the eyes of someone who hasn’t seen true food in ages and will eat whatever he can… he looks expectant and ace doesn’t want to think about the several meanings- of either waiting for something to eat… or more darker, waiting to be told what to do to earn it.
They should get moving.
It’s probably Best not to walk through town like this so ace takes a short cut through the woods. It was rocky and harsh with some patches of soft grass. Regardless ace was concerned for the bare footed child walking in such rough terrain. But kid was content and adamant to walk on his own and didn’t put up a huge hassle about anything, seemingly more interested in seeing.
Eventually the trees brake and you can view the shore from the hills they are still on. He hears the kid practically squeak and is alarmed but the kid seemed more excited than aggressive. A relief of sort. Until he feels a sharp tug at the chain still clasped in his hands (to paranoid of the kid running off like this and getting lost- sue him if he’s already invested and attached in the child)
The kid had tried to run ahead but tripped as the chain snapped taught and practically taken the child’s foot out from under him because of his momentum, crashing his face into the thankfully soft dirt. F**k f**k f**k. That definitely couldn’t have felt good against the muzzle rash, and kids cry when they get hurt right? How does he deal with that?! And the kid is already worse for wear condition wise. S**t
He has only shortened about half the distance when the kid is already back on his feet pouting, not crying or upset, but he does look back at ace petulant and stomps His tiny foot. It’s adorable and hes relieved if not confused. How strange
“What? you want to go faster or something?”
The kid nods. He must want to see the water as soon as possible. Ace looks at him doubtfully “I guess so” at least now he knows the kid does understand basic common language so there’s that at least.
What is even happening.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, maybe he should get the child to the town’s authorities, but with not knowing the situation of the child’s basically imprisonment or how jay had came to get the kid- he doesn’t know if the towns people would be any useful. And ace is a pirate, pirates have a reputation, people would likely automatically assume the worst of him and not listen leading him to gain an entirely avoidable target on his back.
He dealt with luffy in his kid years, this shouldn’t be to bad (ignoring the fact that this is entirely different then anything he had to learn with his brother) still he has no idea how to handle the kid.
Just get back to the ship. That all he needs to do and then someone else can take over. Yes. That’s exactly what he needs to do.