Chapter Text
[Third Person's POV]
The two different groups finally decided to talk on the deck of the Cale’s ship, with the ship's spirit as an intermediary.
On Rosalyn's side, she saw the ship's spirit with their starry sea mist trying to speak, even though their vocabulary was still limited. They did not see the admiring gaze of the Fishman staring at the spirit. Was the spirit that protected their Young Master so special that it received such admiring glances? Meanwhile, the yellow-haired man crouched down, smiled kindly, and nodded to calm the spirit.
On Marco's side, he saw how the tension in the shoulders of the visual group in front of him began to ease. Their eyes were still wary, calmly observing the interaction between Klabautermann and himself. Like the surface of the sea, whose depth was unknown.
They are Cale's family! Ace had asked Mi Casa to protect Cale, but why hadn't Ace returned even though Cale's family and Ace's family already arrived?
Marco's heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. He stared at the pair of glowing white eyes that now looked teary, as if holding back tears. The ship's child's spirit was beautiful, bathed in the mist of the calm sea with the twinkling of stars. He had never seen Klabautermann this clear and solid before, to the point where he could touch their two hands in his grasp.
"We'll pick up Ace soon, Mi Casa. Sometimes, my little brother is so stupid. This time, we'll go to him. How about it, yoi?" Marco tightened their grip, his heart pounding as cheerful laughter like the ringing of bells sounded.
Okay! Mi Casa will come pick up Ace!
Then, the ship's spirit stepped forward to hug Marco tightly.
Oh, this child had a sweet natural scent, but their warmth felt like Ace's embrace. The manifestation of this small ship was truly formed from their beautiful love. He looked at Cale's family, giving them a sincere and grateful smile.
Then the embrace was released and the ship's spirit ran around them, still laughing cheerfully before disappearing at the edge of the ship in the starry mist.
The two groups fell silent again, the atmosphere becoming awkward due to the language barrier. So Rosalyn, always the one to take the initiative to learn to move forward, introduced herself.
"Hello, Sir Marco. My name is Rosalyn," the woman pointed to herself. She then introduced Choi Han, who gave a hesitant smile. Ron, who remained calm. And Mary, who was still hiding part of her face behind her cloak.
Marco nodded, before glancing around the ship, which was in disarray. But the worst part was their broken main mast, causing their aft sail and top sail to fall helplessly. Some were even torn to shreds. The man sighed and glanced at Namur beside him.
"Namur, do we have a crew that can repair the ship?" The fishman nodded.
"But, aside from sailcloth, we're short on wood." Marco walked to the edge of the ship, touched the wooden surface, and sighed sadly.
"That silly Ace, this ship is made of Adam wood." Because this wood should be strong enough to withstand a lot of pressure... that means the attack that occurred was truly terrible.
"What happened, Sir?" asked Rosalyn, carrying a book and pen, then walking over to Marco, who was still observing their Young Master's ship. Her gaze was serious, but there was a sad expression there.
"The ship," Marco pointed to the wooden surface.
"The mast," he continued, pointing to the main mast that was broken.
"Destroyed, broken." His manner changed as if he were hammering a nail in the air.
"It must be repaired." The red-haired woman nodded and wrote down the vocabulary quickly. Since their Young Master had not yet awakened, it was now their turn to learn and adapt.
She then briefly explained to her group Marco's intention to repair the ship. Ron nodded in understanding, picking up the communication ball that was directly connected to Eruhaben. Marco and Namur, who had been invited to join the discussion, moved closer and observed the magical device with curious and admiring looks.
"What's going on?"
"I think we have to repair the Young Master's ship, Eruhaben-nim."
"... what?"
"Young Master's ship is badly damaged. The crew of Young Master's companions want to repair the ship. It seems they already have the right workers and materials for sailing. The only thing missing is wood, because it turns out this ship is made of wood that is special to this world," Ron continued with frightening detail, and Rosalyn nodded happily.
"... send a sample," Eruhaben sighed resignedly, which Rosalyn immediately followed up on. She gave Marco an inviting smile to come and see.
The red-haired woman picked up a piece of wood near the main mast, then knelt in the middle of the ship. From the side pocket of her waist, she took out a bottle of ink, dipped two fingers in it, and began to write strange carvings there. For a moment, Marco thought he saw the Ancient Symbols from the Poneglyph and the same natural flow there. However, what made it different was the way the symbols began to glow and erase the wood chips that were originally in the middle of the patterned circle.
"This is sturdy wood, the foundation of the Elves' homes," said the figure behind the strange ball, lifting the wood that had been here, suddenly there! What kind of devil fruit was he witnessing now?!
"You, dark elf, call Pendrick. Or Stan the human. Just pull out some of their trees."
"Eruhaben-nim?!"
"This is for my child."
A commotion ensued, a cold and unnecessary order that didn't need to be waited an hour for. Marco and Namur could only gape in awe at the pile of wood that the red-haired woman had moved so easily. This pile of wood could build two medium-sized ships!
"Namur, please call the crew who can repair the ship here and prepare tents for camping," Marco asked the Fishman, who immediately obeyed and hurriedly swam back to the ship.
Rosalyn and the yellow-haired man then discussed in minimal language, concluding that the Young Master's ship must be repaired, their Young Master must be moved to a better place of rest, the rest of their crew—Shirohige—would follow, and they would get news about the world through a newspaper.
Rosalyn, along with Mary and Lock, who had already been introduced, looked at the details of the newspaper carefully. Still with Marco watching over them, they were now accompanied by one of the crew members from the literacy and history division. He helped teach them the language and began writing a manual dictionary.
At Marco's suggestion, which finally received fierce approval from a butler named Ron—honestly, this man was very terrifying—and the golden-haired man on the other side of the communication sphere, Cale was moved from the cabin of the Mi Casa ship to be treated under a tent that had been set up. It was a very strange tent that was also sent through a teleportation circle. Although it looked like it could fit a family on the outside, it was so spacious on the inside that a soft mattress could be placed there.
Then, this was the first time Marco saw firsthand what Red Riding Hood's true form looked like. Because Namur said that Ace's lover was not a woman, but a man who—oh.
In the arms of his bodyguard, the man had red hair and was very beautiful with perfectly curved eyebrows. His eyelashes matched his hair, sweeping across his smooth, reddish cheeks. His thin lips matched his aquiline nose and aristocratic cheekbones. He was still asleep, breathing a little heavily as if in pain. This was evident from the cold gel compress on his forehead and the thick blanket covering his body. Marco's heart hurted at the sight of Ace's lover's frail form, enduring pain until tears welled up in his eyes.
For a moment, Marco sensed a strange energy above the black-haired knight's head. It was like turbulent energy, ready to explode at any moment. This contrasted with the calmness of the two cats, one red and one gray, sitting on Choi Han's shoulders. The two furry creatures calmly observed Shirohige's crew before disappearing behind the tent.
...
The two fathers of the children were indeed clever in choosing beautiful persons. Blood cannot be lied to, Marco shook his head with an amused smile.
******
[The next day]
[Marco's POV]
"How about it? Can you understand my words now, Sir Marco?"
That was all the tall man could do, his eyes stared blankly at the red-haired woman in front of him who was now smiling sweetly. Then at the golden-haired man, who had just arrived that morning through the teleportation circle and was named Eruhaben, standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
So, all he could do was nod.
"Eruhaben-nim! You are very amazing! This is the first time I've created a high-level spell in a single day! A translation spell! The structure and formula are brilliant, combining phrases and symbols of knowledge in Universal language runes-" The woman named Rosalyn spoke again to her mentor (?) in an enthusiastic voice. Meanwhile, the man with golden eyes and black slits for pupils, or Marco's misperception, blinked listlessly but continued to listen and nod.
"Ah, thank goodness. The language barrier between us can be overcome," the butler, Ron, said as he stood beside him with a friendly—scary—smile.
"Hn. Father is right. There will be no more difficulty in explaining the situation that has occurred to our Young Master," continued the butler's son, Beacrox, wiping a kitchen knife that had appeared from nowhere with a white handkerchief. His eyes stared lazily but calculatingly at Marco.
Honestly, he would never get used to the aura emitted by this father-son duo ...
"All right, I think it will be easier to explain if everyone gathers." Ron nodded and quickly entered the tent. He dragged out the black-haired guard named Choi Han. Then the young adult with bright gray hair, Lock. Followed by the woman in a black robe with a hood that always covered her face, Mary. Two kittens that in a few seconds transformed into children aged 13 and 10.
They gathered in the main tent, standing around a round table. On it were several newspapers containing previous and latest news, a map of Impel Down prison, a map of Marineford, the latest bounties for Ace and Cale, a Den Den Mushi from the Shirohige crew with Namur acting as translator for her family on the other side, and a communication ball from the other group.
Marco then began the conversation.
"First, allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Marco, commander of the first division of the Shirohige Pirates. Standing beside me is Namur, a Fishman and commander of the eighth division."
The blond-haired man sighed and tapped their world map twice.
Oleh karena itu,
"-our entire world is dominated by vast oceans and divided by the Red Line continent and the Grand Line route. Each route is named after one of the four oceans (North, South, East, West Blue). Therefore, our main activities are sailing and trading. However, inevitably, there are those who become pirates or marines—" Marco briefly explained the background of their world, the Gold Roger incident, the pirate era that overwhelmed the World Government and the marines, and the creation of the bounty system.
"Our Young Master has 4 billion berries?" Marco nodded at Lock's question as they looked at Cale's photo with admiration and awe. That was the latest price that had just appeared this morning, because Red Riding Hood had not reappeared as the marines had hoped.
"And the other bounty is our younger brother, Portgas D. Ace." Marco's smile widened with affection.
"For the past three months, they have been traveling together. News of their adventures has been recorded by many media outlets, such as newspapers and bounties-" Marco pointed to photos of the two of them caught in the news with a proud hum. He could feel the atmosphere around the group slowly changing and, um, should he start to feel nervous?
"Continue, Sir Marco," said the figure behind... a screen floating in the air. A King with bright blond hair, handsome and blue-eyed, who was now smiling. His name was Alberu Crossman, if Marco remembered correctly.
"We don't know exactly how Ace and Cale met. All we know is that, thanks to Cale, our younger brother's attention and vengeance was diverted from our family traitor." Marco's gaze softened as he looked at the photo of the two men. The photo was found when their crew was cleaning the ship. The ship's little spirit gave it to them with laughter and heart-fluttering giggles.
Captured on camera was a red-haired man with a small smile, but his eyes sparkled beautifully. His hand held some gold, as if he wanted to proudly show off their loot. Next to him was Ace, holding the transcendent snail device. His cheek rested on his red hair and the other hand held a bar of gold in front of the cheek. They both looked very happy.
"Therefore, since the moment they met, we have considered Cale to be one of our family members." Marco's gaze became firm. He emphasized the word 'family' repeatedly, because that was how they felt. It was an undeniable fact.
"Cale has become one of my children, Shirohige protects all their family," their Oyaji reiterated, across the Den Den Mushi.
"What exactly happened? That my child and... this lover were separated?" The man who was asked swallowed hard, at the cold tone of Eruhaben. For some reason, he did not refuse or protest anything the other man said. Something about his rhetoric, his noble demeanor, and his gaze that transcended wisdom. Eruhaben was definitely not an ordinary man, and Marco did not want to give a bad impression or make this man his enemy—ugh.
To be honest, he didn't want to make the entire Cale family feel like enemies...
"What I understand, Eruhaben-san, is the impact of the actions they have taken. Such as escaping from the admirals while looting four major marine bases in Sabaody and then slapping a world noble. However, the biggest reason is Cale's power," Marco explained gloomily. He handed over a newspaper containing the news and the reasons why Red Riding Hood was arrested in broad daylight.
"More precisely, Cale's power to control the sea. This causes an aberration from our knowledge and principles of devil fruit powers—" He went on to briefly explain what devil fruits are, their classifications, and the types of powers they generally possess.
"I met them on Fishman Island, where they were cornered by the World Government, which had surrounded them from both sides of the ocean," continued Namur, his voice sad and full of regret.
"Cale didn't want to burden the neutral position of Fishman Island, so he chose to leave. However, I think—" The Fishman paused, unable to continue the conversation, and bowed his head.
"These bastards surrounded Cale-nim and Ace-nim, forcing Cale-nim to defend himself to the limit and Ace-nim to sacrifice himself to buy time... so that Cale-nim could escape," finished Choi Han, his eyes darkening like the bottom of the deepest ocean.
"They forced Young Master to hold out, until he was injured like this," Mary muttered, her fists clenched.
"Cale was so badly injured—"
"—that he cried in his sleep," continued the red-haired younger brother, Hong, leaning against his older sister, On.
"What do you think of the current situation, Sir Marco?" Ron asked again, still wearing his frighteningly friendly smile. Marco cleared his throat softly and handed him a piece of paper containing the latest information from their intelligence division.
"Ace is currently being held in the highest security prison, Impel Down. He—" His throat tightened.
"... he'll be fine, for now." His gaze fell on the news of the execution, which would take place in five days at the Marine headquarters and be watched globally, all over the world.
Finding himself wavering, Marco forced himself to stay focused and believe.
"They're using Portgas D. Ace as bait to lure Red Riding Hood out." A strange atmosphere enveloped the group, but the seriousness on their faces brought a strange hope to Marco's heart. That maybe Ace could be saved—
"GOLDIE GRAMP!" A small voice interrupted from behind the tent, diverting everyone's attention.
"HELP MY HUMAN! HUMAN!" The heartbreaking sobs made the golden-haired man and his group rush into the tent.
Marco followed slowly, behind the Cale family, watching his younger brother's lover cry in his pain. Those lips repeatedly uttered Ace's name and several unfamiliar names as he begged for all the pain to stop, and in that moment, anger washed over Marco's heart. His hope turned into a raging fire, in tune with the growing power of the Phoenix demon.
The hands clenched, his inner Haki crackling violently beneath a calm facade. His mind became clearer and sharper, focused on the World Government and the guilty Marines.
Because anyone who hurt his two younger brothers could not be forgiven.
.
.
.
[Cale Henituse's POV]
At that time, they stopped at a small island after leaving Thriller Bark.
The island was really small, with a forest that wasn't too dense with foliage. But it still had a good ecosystem, so animals lived safely on the island.
Cale got off the ship with a frown on his face, his hand holding Ace's hat on his head so it wouldn't fly away in the wind. His outfit this time was simple, consisting only of an oversized white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, light blue jeans, brown boots, and several bracelets he had bought in Water Seven. The red hair was tied up carelessly, made even more messy by the cool sea breeze.
Meanwhile, the other black-haired man was already smiling broadly with a picnic basket and two large umbrellas in his hands. He was also wearing a short-sleeved white shirt, light blue cargo pants, and brown Eiger sandals. His gray eyes sparkled with joy as he placed the picnic items on the sand and took off his sandals. Before starting to run across the shore of the small island and laughing when the waves wet his feet.
"Land ho!" he shouted excitedly, spreading his arms above his head. The man then inhaled and exhaled with a cheerful grin.
"Cale! Come here!" The man who was called reluctantly approached. Ace looked down at his boots and shook his head in disagreement.
"But the sand is hot," Cale protested.
"The sand isn't hot, trust me." Ace playfully jumped over a small wave, splashing water and laughing as Cale backed away like a hissing cat. Seeing that the other wouldn't budge until he complied, Cale reluctantly began to take off his shoes and walk toward the black-haired man.
"Are you okay with getting wet?" he asked, instinctively reaching out his hand toward Ace, who was waiting for him.
"In small doses like this? Why not?"
And sure enough, the sand wasn't hot. The gentle waves carried a strange warmth, shyly and gently washing over his feet. His reddish-brown eyes scanned the horizon, which merged with the harmonious blue colors. Allowing himself to relax for a moment, Cale inhaled and exhaled. The sea breeze whispered sweet words into his mind, giving him an imaginary hug filled with longing.
When he turned to glance at Ace, the man was already looking at him with a gentle smile on his face. His arm swung their linked hands as he laughed. His black hair shone healthily in the sunlight, his freckled cheeks a charming color. The head tilted slightly, his bangs framing his handsome young face, partially covering his gaze as he carefully examined every expression on Cale's face.
"It's just us on this island. Let's go for a walk first, shall we?"
With weather this nice?
"Hn." Cale nodded, letting himself be dragged by Ace along the shore.
Allowing his feet to be wet by the sea water, he would occasionally stop to look at the shells on the sand. Cale then squatted down, picking out a few shells with Ace by his side. He then gave the shells he had collected to the black-haired man, appreciating how the man's fire power began to transform the structure of the shells into something beautiful. This suddenly became a mission for Cale to pick other beautiful shells and give them to Ace, who had gathered all the loot with a small laugh.
They then sat on the rocks, observing small animals such as crabs, barnacles, teritips, sea snails, and starfish. There were so many other strange creatures with bright colors, and he was sure they couldn't be compared to his old world. So Cale listened to Ace's explanation of each living creature with reverence. He playfully tried to touch them and giggled when the black-haired man started cursing and panicking.
They walked back around the island's beach, surprised when they saw their boat at the end of their sight.
"Whoever gets there first will take care of the picnic mat. One... three!" Without warning, Cale started running away from Ace, who was still stunned.
"Hey! You cheated! You didn't count them correctly!"
The black-haired man chased after him with light steps, letting joy wash over his heart as he saw the figure he loved laughing freely as he ran away. His red hair fluttered, playing with the wind, blending like a painting with his handsome face as he turned to smile playfully at Ace.
Cale, who was starting to pant from getting carried away, stopped not far from where their picnic basket was placed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then put his hands on his hips and smiled proudly at Ace, who had just arrived.
"Now, you have to take care of everything," Cale commanded, closing his eyes and lifting his face slightly. His cheeks warmed at the taller man's laughter, then he was startled when his cheek was suddenly pinched lightly.
"All right, all right, wait a minute." Ace handed several shells that he had modified using Mera Mera's power to Cale. That way, the red-haired man would be entertained rather than bored waiting for Ace to finish arranging their picnic blanket.
His reddish-brown eyes lifted a shell towards the sunlight, carefully observing how the surface of the shell became transparent, revealing the molecules and everything inside. What amazed him even more was how the particles merged and formed beautiful floral patterns and color gradations. Ace, surprisingly, had a serious talent for jewelry crafting like this. His artistic instincts were so strong that he could realize his ideas through the power of his fire.
Perhaps, if he agreed to visit Roan and start a jewelry business—
"Cale?" His reverie was interrupted when another man called out to him. His reddish-brown eyes glanced to the side and smiled slightly at Ace's hard work.
The picnic blanket could accommodate a dozen people, spread out and shaded by two large umbrellas covering it. There were several light cushions placed around the edges of the blanket, food already arranged, and a small basin filled with water.
"Come on, wash your feet first before sitting down." Cale nodded, letting the black-haired man pour water over his feet, while he himself washed them until the sand texture disappeared. Not stopping there, Ace also immediately dried them with a warm towel (using Mera Mera's power), so that he could sit comfortably on the carpet without being bothered by the sand.
The shells were placed near Speedometer, who was already devouring his own food on a plate of fruit. Ace quickly arranged Cale's food before his own. They then had lunch with light banter while reminiscing about their time at Thriller Bark. The conversation flowed, blending with the cool breeze, immediately making them feel sleepy. Playing all day on the beach, running towards the ship, then continuing with activities like eating. Who wouldn't be sleepy?
"Let's take a nap," said Ace, always the most aware one. The man with warm gray eyes put the dirty plates back in the picnic basket and swept all the sand off the carpet.
Cale immediately lay down on a small cushion, as did Ace beside him. He allowed his senses to relax. He enjoyed the cool breeze, the umbrella that shaded them from the sun, and the soothing sound of the waves in his ears. It lulled him into a warm slumber. Sleepiness began to take over his consciousness, and the last thing he remembered was a light laugh.
Huh... they laughed a lot today.
Even though he moved around a lot today, it felt enjoyable. It had been a long time since he had truly enjoyed walking along the beach. The last peaceful moment was when he enjoyed the villa gift from Queen Litana, not when war broke out. Then Ace came and brought that peaceful moment back today. Cale really didn't mind this peaceful life.
"-Sleep well, Cale."
He felt a soft touch on the top of his head and-
-those reddish-brown eyes slowly opened.
Gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling with a vague feeling. His senses felt scattered, as if tossed about in uncertainty. However, almost instinctively, the red-haired man turned to his right. Where someone should have been lying there, someone who had accompanied him through the ups and downs of this strange world for four long months. His eyes blinked again, trying to focus as the image of the black-haired man began to fade. Panic began to creep into his heart, raging in an instant and causing him to wake up from his sleep.
In an instant, vertigo hit Cale mercilessly. His senses were shattered, forced to grope, and his brain instantly stimulated with rapid work. A wave of nausea washed over him and he helplessly bent over to the side. He vomited the acid and emptiness that his stomach had suffered for days without food. However, in a sea of discomfort and pain, there was only one name that echoed like a lighthouse in the darkness.
"Ace."
Ace.
His lover. The man he loved. The one who had sacrificed himself. The man captured by the Government to take his place. No. Ace. Where was he? Where had he gone? Why had he left Cale alone? Just like his two brothers had done before. His lover. Ace had become his lover. Why had he left? Sacrificing himself like that? Ace was his. His to protect. To cherish. To love. Ace—
"Human!"
His blurry vision was filled with tears. The body froze at the familiar presence in his lap. He tried to ground him increasingly shattered consciousness in a sea of madness, in those blue eyes with their cracks. Now glistening with his own tears, the small mouth tried to call Cale's name over and over.
Weakly, the hand moved and cupped the tiny face. The physical momentum felt real, oh so real, hitting Cale's consciousness mercilessly. A wave of emotion crashes like a tsunami, overwhelming him. Ace's thoughts, lost in sacrifice, left behind so he could survive—again—then the familiar presence that comes to restore his consciousness—
"Raon?"
Cale asks in a small voice, almost a whisper but full of hope.
"I-it's me, Human. Raon Miru. Raon, your child. Your little dragon," replied the small figure in his lap, now it was the little dragon's turn to cup the human's face. With a careful motion, it wiped away the traces of tears there.
"Raon?" Cale asked again, but his two hands moved and began to tightly embrace the small body.
His child. His family. Finally, they had come. They had come to pick him up. They had really come. His throat tightened.
"Hu um. It's me, Raon. Of course we would come to pick you up, human! You are my family, my dear family," replied the little dragon again, hugging him back just as tightly.
Cale then cried.
His heart was broken, completely broken.
The realization that Ace was gone, sacrificing himself for Cale so that he could leave, broke him again. Memories of Choi Jungsoo and Lee Soohyuk cruelly shattered reality once more, that Cale was left alone again in order to survive. For the sake of the Sky and the Sea, how could he survive when the anchor of his life was with them?
Their departure took Cale's heartbeat, Kim Roksoo, with them.
[ "Kim Roksoo, stay alive. Life is the best thing."
Cale looked into Lee Soohyuk's eyes and nodded.
"Oh, by the way, the original owner of your body is also doing well. He said he's happy."
The entire area was destroyed, and all that remained were Lee Soohyuk's eyes. However, he could still hear his Team Leader's voice clearly.
"Jungsoo and I are happy too." ]
Part of his memory tried to recall the grip that had eased his guilt. That he had been forgiven. That it wasn't even his fault they left. That they were happy now, nothing was wrong. He should have been happy, not sad again. However, Ace's departure shook his entire soul once more. Waves of emotion rushed through his heart. The pent-up emotions rose to the surface again.
No more. Please, no more. Cale didn't want anyone to leave him alone. No more. No more, please, no more-
Ace. Cale wanted to be hugged by Ace—
Then, his body was enveloped by another warmth. Long golden hair covered his vision. A hand stroked his red hair with a soothing motion as they guided him to lay his head down and rest it on that broad shoulder. Several kisses were given to the top of his head, soft whispers were whispered. The sobs subsided, leaving behind light hiccups and a seductive exhaustion.
"Fa-father ?" Cale called softly, before unconsciousness took over. The two hands then moved, cupping his face, wiping away the stream of tears with longing tenderness.
"Yes, my child?"
Eruhaben gave a small, reassuring smile.
"C-can you help me?" he asked, grabbing the hand on his shoulder to stay sane. His reddish-brown eyes were teary, looking at the golden dragon-human in front of him with hope.
"Whatever it is. Just say it, hm? Father will fulfill it." Cale tried to smile but failed. There were only more tears and one hand clutching his heart tightly.
"I-it hurts so much. He-here," the grip on his shirt tightened. His mind was too chaotic to cooperate, everything was mixed up and directionless, so Cale could only express whatever was raging inside him in a few words.
"T-to be left behind, to survive like this, wh-when he sacrificed himself for me. Jo-jongsoo? So-Soohyuk-hyungnim? D-don't anymore-" his head shook slowly. In the last remnants of his consciousness, his lips uttered one request.
"-ple-please help me, to save my lover-" then Cale fell back asleep in Eruhaben's arms, who tried to maintain a smile, but it quickly disappeared when his child finally fell back asleep.
For a moment, Eruhaben let the silence wash over the atmosphere. The golden eyes stared at every inch of Cale Henituse's face, at his cheeks reddened by fever, the dark circles under his eyes, the red edges of his eyes from crying, and his pale lips. Sweat drenched him, making his red hair sticky. His little human. His child had suffered here, alone. When his lover was captured by the scoundrels and Cale was left behind in pain and blood. His child. His son.
Raon, who had been watching from Cale's lap, also wiped away tears fiercely, anger enveloping his magic like a storm ready to destroy anything. The two dragons laid their beloved human back on the bed. They wiped away his sweat with careful movements and covered him again when Cale's sobs calmed down.
This emotional attack made Eruhaben's old heart ache. That his little human, his little child, who had always been the calmest and most gentle, had collapsed like this. His hand gently stroked the top of the red head, giving a short kiss on the forehead. He did not forget to do the same to the little black dragon, who was now lying at the head of the bed with the two kittens.
His burning golden eyes, like sharp, cold knives, stared at all of Cale's companions who had witnessed this. He watched as his son was hurt so badly by the World Government, who openly wanted to capture him and experiment on him. These insolent humans dared to even touch his son, hurting him both physically and emotionally like this. It was truly unforgivable.
A thick, frightening black aura emanated from the black-robed knight's body. Choi Han's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened so much that it felt like all his bones were breaking in his rage. His black eyes lost their light, promising death for the mere reason of living and breathing.
The fire magic surrounding the female Mage rippled and her red eyes glowed with intense power. Rosalyn's red hair began to float in the force field, ready to destroy the island with a snap of her fingers.
Death lurked and the purple eyes behind the cloak became darker. Mary the Necromancer, on the other hand, began to smile dreamily. A hum began to emanate from the quiet woman, becoming a funeral song for any enemy who heard it.
All the fur that embodied the beastly side of the Blue Wolf tribe leader rose up. Lock's fangs and claws lengthened menacingly, a bluish electric glow emanating from his body as it began to grow and expand.
There was no response from the father-son duo. Instead, their eyes revealed something that ordinary humans should not possess. An unchecked desire to kill, directed at anyone who would rather die than endure the relentless torture of Ron Molan and his son, Beacrox Molan.
"Rosalyn."
"Yes, Eruhaben-nim."
"Tell the human king to prepare more teleportation circles. Call that muscle-bound fool's assistant, the wine man, the vampire, or even that bastard Paerun." Golden dust began to shine, circling his body and forming dragon wings on his back.
"Ron Molan, call the Henituse family to reassemble the Henituse Naval Fleet."
"The rest of you, contact the Human Lords and other tribes to fulfill this call."
Everything moved at Eruhaben's command, leaving only the ancient ancestor and the communication orb in his hand. In the blink of an eye and with great power, he penetrated all the power networks of this world and projected all the calls into the air in front of him.
Even to the dragon relatives who could still be contacted.
Lord Sheritt, Dodori, Mila, and Rasheel.
All were silent, judging from the silence caused by the shining golden eyes of wrath.
"I need an army," echoed the voice of the ancient golden dragon, on all calls connected through the communication ball. Eruhaben then grinned, looking down on all invisible enemies with a strong killing intent.
"An army to destroy this fucking world."
.
.
.
[Five hours later]
[Third Person's POV]
When the sun set, Cale woke up again.
Unlike before, where he was conscious in a state of panic, pain, and injury, now he just embraced all those feelings calmly. His reddish-brown eyes stared blankly at the ceiling of the tent, then glanced to the right side of the pillow. Raon Miru, who was fully conscious, stared blankly but said nothing. So did On and Hong on the left side of the pillow.
Meanwhile, on the right side of the bed, Choi Han was sitting with teary eyes, his hands clenched tightly on his lap. Mary sat next to him, no longer wearing her dark hood. Across from the knights sat Rosalyn, smiling with relief, and Lock, who was already crying.
When Cale opened his arms, ready to embrace them, the children moved in unison to accept his arms and began to cry.
"Human! Are you sure you're okay?!"
"Hic... you have to rest, Cale!"
"It must hurt so much! We're sorry, nya!"
Cale shook his head and smiled slightly. He weakly stroked the tops of their heads before forcing himself to sit down, immediately assisted by Choi Han. His reddish-brown eyes gave a grateful look to the Korean man, then to Mary, Rosalyn, and Lock. His gaze finally shifted to the children sitting on his lap, but their weight did not feel heavy.
"It's been a long time, hm?" They all nodded.
"Cale-nim..." Choi Han called hesitantly, tears already flowing and his lips weakly uttering an apology that was immediately cut off by Cale as he held his hand.
"How are you all?" Hearing the hoarse voice, Lock immediately poured water into a glass and handed it to Cale. With Rosalyn's help, he gulped down the warm water and thanked the gray-haired teenager softly.
"We are fine, Young Master Cale." A small, weak smile appeared on his pale face.
"... are you eating, drinking, and sleeping properly?" Laughter mixed with tears broke out, and even Mary had a big smile on her face. Typical of their beloved Young Master.
"Of course, Human! We have been eating, drinking, and sleeping properly!" Raon replied cheerfully, starting to fly around them with a small laugh even though his blue eyes were still teary.
"That's right, nyan." On purred softly.
"I took good care of the Maknae, nya!" Hong continued, giggling as the black dragon touching his head in the red cat's stomach.
"What about you, Young Master?" Now it was Mary's turn to speak up, and for a moment, Cale's body froze. Various memories from the four months he had been in this world flashed through his mind like a cassette tape. His grip on the glass tightened and his gaze became sad, even though he still had a smile on his beautiful face.
"I’m ..."
Ace. The partner who had accompanied him in this strange world.
His smile. His laughter. His certainty. His presence. His companionship. His singing. His behavior. His protectiveness. His hugs. His gifts. His protection. His comfort-
All the senses he had experienced with Ace came flooding back into his memory, and his vision blurred again. Cale chuckled, inhaling and exhaling slowly, summing up all the waves of emotion in one simple sentence.
"I'm doing very well in this world." Ace has been watching over me here.
"But—" when he hesitated, the other gave him an assuring smile.
"—I don't think so anymore." He bowed his head, closed his eyes tightly, his throat tight with sadness.
"Ace. He has protected me in this world and now he is being captured by those bastards. He willingly allowed himself to be captured so that I could leave. That stupid man. Stupid Ace. Ace pabo." His lips pouted and turned down, his brow furrowed and he tilted his head back while massaging the center of his forehead.
"How many days have I been unconscious?"
"It's been 3 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes, and 10 seconds!" Raon replied completely.
"Latest news? NewsCoo? Bounty-?"
"I think it's better for Young Master to fill his stomach first-" Ron came in carrying a basin of water in his hands and a change of clothes on his arm. He was followed by Beacrox, who was carrying a tray of simple food that his stomach could tolerate.
"A clear mind comes from a healthy body," said the chef when he saw Cale about to protest. Reluctantly, the red-haired man finally nodded, somewhat overwhelmed by his family's concern.
They're right, Cale! Glutton's voice echoed in his mind.
You've been working hard all this time, Cale. There's still time to rest. The Thief continued, her voice persuasive.
You've held back well, Maknae.
Let your family take over!
Leave it to our XXXX!
But—
Ace didn't leave just to see you like this, Cale. He wants you to be healthy, unharmed, safe and sound. Please? Super Rock cut in firmly, representing the other ancient powers who were now giving a virtual hug to his inner self and stormy mind. Finally, the sick man slowly ate his food.
They're right. Everything is right.
As Beacrox said. A clear mind comes from a healthy body.
How could Cale save Ace later if he couldn't even take care of himself? Forcing himself when he was injured and sick would only be a burden to his family and Ace. So, he embraced all those overflowing feelings, mingled with them, and calmed them with beautiful memories. There was still time to act, and the man would make sure of it.
His family was here now, and Ace's family must be here too. Cale was not alone. Bada-nim was always humming, sending soothing waves to his heart.
We are here, little red one.
Cale Henituse, Kim Roksoo, was no longer alone in fighting them.
******
[Two hours later]
After changing clothes, with the help of Ron and Choi Han, because his body was still too weak to move, Cale now walked out of the tent.
His reddish-brown eyes instinctively searched for their ship, knowing it was far from the coast where they were temporarily staying. He gasped again when he saw that the once-disheveled appearance had been repaired, varnished, and even improved upon. Near the ship stood a very tall man with blond hair. Next to him was a familiar figure he recognized as Namur, along with several other strangers who were cheering joyfully.
"Namur-ssi?" Everyone's attention shifted and they all looked at him at once. Overwhelmed by the excessive attention, he took a step back, held back by Choi Han. Always there to help him.
"Cale-san!" Namur, the Fishman, smiled emotionally and walked closer. When Cale showed no sign of refusal, he grabbed the red-haired man's hands and held them tightly.
"Thank goodness you're okay, Cale-san. I was so worried, we were all worried about you. Why did you force yourself to move? Get some rest, okay?" The reddish-brown-eyed man nodded slowly, giving Namur a weak but relieved smile. Then, he saw the tall man walk to Namur's right side. He was really tall, Cale guessed he must be over two meters.
Then, unexpectedly, the man knelt on one knee, one hand resting in front of his chest, silently expressing his gratitude. Cale's blood ran cold, his breathing became labored when he saw the smile on the man's calm face.
"Hello, Cale," he greeted softly.
"My name is Marco, commander of the first division of the Shirohige pirates and one of Ace's older brothers, yoi."
His reddish-brown eyes looked at all the strangers who were now smiling kindly at him, realizing that they were all Ace's family and were still willing to be here. Despite the fact that Cale was the reason their younger brother had been captured—
"Permission to hug, Cale?"
For a moment, the poor man's brain stopped working. He stared blankly at Marco, who chuckled even though his dark eyes were wet with tears. His two arms were outstretched, as if ready to accept a hug from the cause of his brother's capture.
"You're thinking something silly, I can see that, yoi." The blond-haired figure quickly stood up and gently pulled Cale into his embrace. Warm, large hands stroked his red hair, the soothing heartbeat grounding all the anxiety and guilt he felt.
"Stop feeling guilty, Cale. If you don't want Ace to get mad at us, you silly little brother." Small laughs broke out among the crew, as did when Cale slowly hugged Marco's waist. No wonder Ace was such a warm and cheerful man; he had a family that was just as warm and kind.
"You're not angry?" asked little Cale, somewhat embarrassed, like a child seeking reassurance.
"Why should I be angry? This is Ace's choice, we have no right to judge him. He wants to protect you, so we will protect you too." The embrace was released and brown eyes stared at Marco with determination.
"Now I want to save him." A broad smile was etched on his friendly face and Marco ruffled his red hair with the same cheerfulness and determination.
"Then we will save him too, yoi." The crew behind cheered. Their infectious joy made the Cale family laugh and nod in agreement. An unlikely alliance, spanning two worlds, had now been formed. United by one goal and bound by one relationship.
Once again, Cale glanced at their ship. At the spirit of the beautiful little child who was now waving cheerfully at him. Their ship, which Ace had named Mi Casa.
"Thank you for fixing Mi Casa, Marco-hyungnim."
"Anytime, yoi."
******
[One hour later]
"How are you feeling right now?"
The red-haired man turned his head and saw the ancient golden dragon standing beside him. Together, they gazed out at the dark sea at night, reflecting the bright moon and the stars in the sky. The ship's lights made Eruhaben's golden form glow dimly, but it still gave a feeling of safety.
Behind them, children could be heard laughing. Raon, On, and Hong seemed very interested in getting to know the ship spirit Mi Casa, listening to Namur's story about Klabautermann with admiring faces. For a moment, he remembered the moment when Shirohige's crew was shocked to see Raon's true form, which had been hidden all this time. They were even more shocked by the realization that Eruhaben was also an ancient golden dragon.
A true dragon.
Not from devil fruit’s power like Kaido (one of the Yonko), or those Celestial Dragon bastard.
This thought brought a light laugh from Cale's mouth.
"I'm feeling better now. Thank you for helping me, Eruhaben-nim." The long-haired golden-haired man frowned unhappily at the unfamiliar name.
"My child," protested the old dragon, a hint of sulkiness in his voice, and Cale sighed and looked away. However, if you looked closely, the tips of his ears had turned redder.
"Che," grumbled Eruhaben, now sitting on Ace's chair to his right. He observed the box that his human child had been hugging tightly, then the smile etched on his beautiful face.
"How did your first meeting go?" The unexpected question from the dragon caught Cale off guard for a moment. His cheeks turned a cute red and his lips were too dry to speak. Eruhaben, on the other hand, hid a grin behind his palm, not wanting to miss the opportunity to see a new side of Cale Henituse, who was falling in love.
"To be honest, our first meeting was unexpected. He saved me from being robbed while I was asleep in a pirate bar—"
Cale began to briefly recount their meeting. From Ace trying to leave him, but always failing haha. Then they began traveling together, getting to know each other better, until a ship was formed by their stories. Cale's voice grew hoarse, but his lips did not stop telling the story. His grip on the box tightened, his heart pounding, aware that he was currently being listened to by many people as well as the calm gaze of Eruhaben.
"I think he really is a good man," concluded the ancient dragon, deciding to smile slightly and nod. That simple acceptance brought a warm and sweet euphoria to his heart.
Cale's gaze then glanced at the box on his lap, which he had found when opening their wardrobe in the cabin. The box was on Ace's clothes rack, plain white, with the Shirohige crew emblem scribbled on it, an animated ocean wave pattern, and red hibiscus flowers. In the middle was written the word 'One Piece' and decorated with cute yellow blinkers, while on the back of the box was the words 'Ace's to Cale'.
One Piece was a taboo word, almost sacred to pirates. A word that had started the pirate era, from the lips of the Pirate King himself, Gold Roger. The legendary treasure he left behind for this world.
Then Ace wrote this box as his 'One Piece' and gave it to Cale ...
The red-haired man slowly opened the box.
"Oh," whispered the red-haired man, his eyes fixed on every neatly arranged item inside.
There was Luffy's bounty poster, a cigarette ashtray, Shirohige's Jolly Roger along with several photos of the crew, photos they had obtained from Shakky and Rayleigh, a pair of strange black and blue glasses, a folded Jolly Roger with the letters ASL written on it, and then—his eyes grew blurry with unshed tears.
With trembling hands, he lifted the first item, a glass flower shaped like a hibiscus, created by the hands that had arranged it with great care. The minerals were mixed with the power of Mera Mera, making each petal look as if it were lit by the evening sun. He could even see the layers shimmering, as if coated with glitter. His heart ached, ached deeply. They were so beautiful that he could imagine Ace's smile as he made them.
Besides the flower, there were many similar items. Accessories such as coral-shaped earrings, but coated with unique floral motifs, star-shaped earrings, and gem-shaped earrings with intricate designs. There were several bracelets, carved by attentive hands. Headbands, tiaras, hair clips, and many rings. All the accessories had Mera Mera's signature reddish color gradation as well. It was as if they were dedicated to someone, making Cale's heart ache even more.
Not only that, there were other random items, such as small shells that Cale picked up when they stopped at a small island and picnicked on the beach. Or the colorful stones he chose, the leaves he caught in the water, the bracelets that had once warmed him, and many more. All these small, simple moments were captured by Ace and immortalized so beautifully.
Then, there were many other items that took his breath away. Filled with memories from their travels, there were photos. Some were taken openly, others secretly. Most of the faces captured in the photos were Cale's, in various expressions, from scenery to annoyance and laughter that he never expected. Carefully recorded on the back of each photo, engraved with love. Such as,
March 13, XXXX, Cale is sulking!
March 17, XXXX, look, this little cat can laugh sweetly! Ice cream must be his favorite.
March 23, XXXX, he picked up a shell. When he squatted down, he was so adorable.
March 26, XXXX, his cheeks were beautifully red, Cale was so cute.
April 3, XXXX, ah, he peeked at that annoying couple with a funny look, lolll
April 10, XXXX, which cute human is lost here?
April 14, XXXX, Cale must secretly be a cat! Meow~ hahaha
April 18, XXXX, he's sleeping in a pool of gold, I'm amazed—
And so on, everything is talking about him. This bastard, how dare he make Cale's heart fall so deeply like this?
"Human?"
Raon approached him, flying and lying down at his feet, while On and Hong, in their cat forms, jumped up to peek over Cale's shoulder. Mi Casa on Cale's left side, their head resting on the red-haired man's thigh. They watched in silence as the beloved human tried to calm himself. His teary eyes were filled with a firm and increasingly confident gaze.
Then, Eruhaben's hand reached out and brought the front of Cale's hair behind his ear. There was a chuckle in his voice as his son picked up a photo and pointed at it.
"Father Eruhaben, this man is Portgas D. Ace. We like each other, I'm sure of it. We’re not official yet, but he's my lover." His reddish-brown eyes narrowed.
"And now, Ace is an idiot," Cale hissed, clutching the photo of Ace and himself after they had just saved the gold from the Shichibukai Zombie.
"I'll hit you when I save you later." His hand moved to stroke his children's heads.
"You guys must remind me, okay?"
It was nice to see their beloved human getting better, even though they were still covered in sadness. The four of them nodded enthusiastically and hugged Cale again. Meanwhile, the dragon father now took turns stroking the top of his head.
Wait for me to come, Ace.
.
.
.
[Mugiwara D. Luffy's POV]
"I'm sorry, Luffy."
The teenager's gaze became vacant as he read all the news from the newspaper given to him by the Kuja tribe leader in front of him.
Honestly, there were too many letters to recognize. Even though he could read—Sabo-niichan always made sure he studied—Luffy still preferred to sleep instead. Robin had also helped a lot to increase his interest in reading, ever since Ace-niichan and Cale-niichan became more famous. Thanks to their exciting actions, Luffy really wanted to join them.
However, this time the news was very different from usual.
That the marines intended to execute his Ace-niichan.
Cale-niichan had also disappeared after their massive attack, further shaking the young boy's heart. The thought that his crew's whereabouts were still unknown was now compounded by Cale-niichan's disappearance.
"Nyon-baachan... how far is it from this island to Sabaody?"
"Sabaody? It takes a week to get to that island, kiddo." Meanwhile, it was stated that Ace-niichan's execution was only 5 days away. There was no time left to reunite with the rest of the crew, and in his heart, the black-haired teenager apologized. Luffy believed in his friends and their ability to survive. He also believed in Cale-niichan, because something in his mind whispered that Cale-niichan would be fine.
Luffy didn't want to lose another brother.
"Is there a faster way to save Ace-niichan, Nyon-baachan?"
"Boya, are you serious?" Luffy just nodded and gripped the newspaper in his hand tighter. His black eyes were glistening with held-back tears, but he steadfastly held them back so they wouldn't spill over.
"Do you know what Impel Down prison is, kid? That hellish prison was specially designed by the World Government for the most dangerous criminals and pirates. That means security will be extremely tight—"
"I don't care, Nyon-baachan. Just tell me how I can get into this mysterious prison," Luffy cut in sharply, then bowed 90 degrees. To the entire Kuja tribe who were watching, to Boa Hancock who was silent.
"In that case, there's only one way, Luffy boya." The old woman's gaze turned to the black-haired woman, who was watching their conversation seriously, her eyes sparkling with understanding at the silent instruction.
"That is for Boa Hancock to answer the Marines' call to fight against Shirohige's crew and Red Riding Hood."
.
.
.
[Sabo's POV]
"I think you've read that newspaper too many times, Sabo," remarked his colleague, observing how the other man had become increasingly pensive after reading the news of Portgas D. Ace's execution over and over again. Like his eyes were glued to the photo on the bounty.
How surprised Koala was when she saw Sabo's dark eyes become teary and his grip on the newspaper tighten.
"I-I don't know how to explain it, Koala. B-but—" One hand rose to clutch the front of his shirt, his lips curled downward in sadness and his breath came in gasps.
"The-there's something strange. I-I don't know what it is, b-but my heart hurts? Why do I feel hurt for someone I don't even know-UGH!"
The blond-haired man collapsed from where he was standing, falling to his knees on the floor of the headquarters, but his eyes still stared intently at the photo of Portgas D. Ace with frightening intensity. Then, his thoughts stopped and were replaced by excruciating pain. A ringing sound deafened his ears, his head throbbed violently, as if repeatedly struck by a rock, his old wounds itched, and waves of vertigo attacked him mercilessly.
The onslaught of unfamiliar emotions overwhelmed him until his consciousness decided to let the darkness take over.
"SABO!"
Who are you, Portgas D. Ace?
... why does my heart ache when I see the news about you?
( “-my brother. Please! LET ME GO! HE'S MY BROTHER-!" )
.
.
.
[Somewhere in the Kingdom of Paerun]
The mission call was turned off, leaving silence in the building with white marble walls and gemstone inlays.
The man with long white hair was still in his position, kneeling in front of a statue he had carved himself. The statue was made with solemn and serene craftsmanship, so that every inch of its features was captured perfectly. It wore simple satin clothes with a gold belt around its waist, while its head was covered by a specially designed veil that emitted light.
This made the statue of Cale Henituse shine even brighter with his legendary divinity.
His eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened, gazing at the face of his living legend with green eyes that shone with worship mixed with obsession.
"Oh, my Cale-nim, hero of my heart, the legend of my life," the man whispered repeatedly, as if chanting a prayer to strengthen his heart. Burying it until it became a strong conviction that would not be destroyed even if he died.
Then a crazy grin appeared on that handsome face.
"A new world, hmm."
The man stood up with the necromancer's permission, drew his sword, and stood with his palm placed on the hilt.
"Surely they must be ready to witness my legend Cale-nim in action, right?"
Clopeh Sekka was ready to make the world bow down at Cale Henituse's feet.
