The Return Of Joyboy!

Chapter 18

Ace felt the people on his way stare at him and take precautions. But Ace didn't mind. His mind only told him to check on his crew. As he was getting nearer and nearer, he felt another presence lurking in the room, where his crew was. He didn't wait and barged in. He saw how a man was there enquiring his crew and his crew looked bandaged up. They were not this bad, the last time he saw them. Ace saw red.

Ace gritted his teeth and threw the man who was there across the room and growled. He stood protectively in front of the half-beaten Deuce and saw from the corner of his eyes his crew shifting and trying to stand beside him.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Ace hissed and his conqueror's haki slammed on the Moby Dick, while his crew felt a warm, cozy blanket wrap them.

Ace felt Marco rush to him and stood in front of the brown-haired man.

"We were just enquiring about the snails, yoi!" Marco said defending his brother.

Ace growled at that and spoke the next words vehemently, "And this is how you do?"

He saw food laying on a table and bandages sprawled on the other table. There also laid disinfectants.

"I was just helping," He saw the man speak for the first time.

"Leave us alone!" Ace glared at them and saw them leave the room. He can't be sure if the food is poisoned or not. He turned to his crew, who looked confused and a bit scared.

"Report!" Ace spoke to Deuce, who nodded his head.

"After the fight, when you lost consciousness, Whitebeard took you to this ship," Deuce spoke, meeting his eye with Ace's, "We followed the ship but we were crushed and brought here." He sighed, "Then the next day when your den den mushi started ringing, their suspicion grew. So, they held us here and enquired us, if we are government spies." Deuce spat the last word.

"The bandages?" Ace asked checking the conditions of each and every crewmate.

"Battle wounds and nothing," Skull spoke. Ace nodded and plopped on the floor. His arms holding his knees and his face was buried in it.

"I'll surpass the pirate king!"

"Someone stronger than me? I won't acknowledge that!!"

"Our target is Whitebeard, Edward Newgate! I'll race up the stairs of this great ocean until I'm at the top."

"...I'm sorry," Ace spoke, his voice nowhere near his own. His crew looked at him in worry. "I feel awful... you guys are all being held captive coz of me..."

"Huh?"

"Hey, we're the ones who lost!"

"Even though you gave us an escape, we still got caught..."

"I'm the one who lost!" Ace hissed, not meeting his eyes with his crew. He had disappointed them. He was nowhere near Whitebeard's power and still challenged him. He hadn't heard his Dad's and Shanks's warning.

"Are the rumors true? About you wishing to fight Whitebeard?"

"Ace! You are not ready for him!"

"I'm your captain that's why," Ace lifted his head and with his steel gaze looked at his crew, "I need to take out Whitebeard!"

"Ace..."

"If he's really gonna keep me on this ship, then I'll make full use of the opportunity! I'll make him regret keeping us on this ship!" Ace's eyes burned with fury.

.

Ace was out on the deck, taking in everything that might help him fight off the crew. He was thankful for Dad, that he learned stealth and was able to hide in plain vision and gather information. He sneaked into the galley and took a piece of bread and stuffed it in his mouth. He needed energy if he wants to fight Whitebeard.