Chapter 33: Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Title: Unpredictable or Gentlemanly...
….
-Ace POV-
I release my Conqueror's Haki, which knocks out the marines coming here easily. But I also concentrate on Bartolomeo and Desire. They are strong-willed people, so normally they wouldn't be knocked out by my Haki, but I can make them feel weaker by doing this. They are still too green to be able to take my Conqueror's Haki without flinching.
I can see it in their eyes now, Bartolomeo has a strange look of amazement and fear mixed in. If I play my cards right, he will be one of the most loyal members of my crew. Plus his Devil Fruit is something amazing. An unbreakable barrier. Even if I went all out I wouldn't be able to put a crack in it, I doubt anyone can really. But that is what makes this fruit amazing. While not that good in attack power, its defensive capabilities are crazy. Most likely the best fruit with such defense capabilities and unless it is the Dark Dark Fruit, then no other fruit should be its weakness.
I walk towards Bartolomeo and smile as I can see a nervous look become apparent on his face. When I am close enough, I stop using Conqueror's Haki and smile extending my hand to help him up. "Welcome to the crew."
That is what I call the parent method of manipulation. Beat him down and then extend a hand to him. If there is one thing I know about Bartolomeo is that he believes in destiny and such things, just like when Dragon saved Luffy, it was seen as a sign of grandeur and divine fate.
The unknown is what makes it amazing and unbelievable. It's a magician's trick, a shadow on the wall, it makes things believable. Just like my Conqueror's Haki, Bartolomeo and Desire have no idea what it is, to them, it will seem like a force of pure will.
Bartolomeo grabs my hand and smiles back. "Heh! This will be quite the journey won't it?"
"Of course, it will be the greatest adventure this world has ever seen," I answer him with a voice full of confidence.
As he gets up, he looks at Desire. "We will need a couple of hours to have everything in place before we set sail."
I nod at him, knowing that he is actually a gang boss who manages some cities by now. "Okay, just go to Uluru mountain after you are done. In there you will see a big pirate ship. That will be me and the rest of my crew waiting for you."
"See ya later captain~" Waves Bartolomeo as he and Desire walk away. The woman has a calm look on her face now. She doesn't seem to have any negative intentions towards me now.
As expected, a show of force wasn't enough against them. They must see something worth following. That is what is called a man's romance, following someone you know is your better and I know that I will be the best leader for them. Because I have the one quality that a leader must have, acting like everything is good even when it isn't.
….
….
-General POV-
It doesn't take long for Ace to get his crew back to the ship as they wait for Bartolomeo and Desire to show up in a remote part of the island where they have hidden their ship.
Ace is playing cards with Sabo, and Deuce while Nojiko is taking care of a small orange tree in the back of the ship. Gin on the other hand seems to be wrestling with Cat, the elephant-sized tiger just lies atop the man and relaxes.
"Oy! Cat! Get up, you are killing me!!" Grunts Gin, but Cat on the other hand is just laying on top of him.*snore* and starts snoring, already having fallen asleep.
Ace on the other hand has a nervous look on his face as he is playing cards. 'Fu*k me, I have lost six times in a row. My luck is sh*t today.'
Due to his continuous losses today he is a little annoyed. Sabo and Deuce have smug looks on their faces. Ace gets annoyed at this and takes a deep breath and 'accidentally' sneezes.
*hachi*
"Oh no, that was an accident~" Whines Ace lamely, everyone already seeing through his bad act.
"Oy Ace! Stop being a sore loser!!" Yells Sabo in annoyance.
"I dunno what you are talking about." Avoided Ace as he just shrugs. "You guys have obviously been cheating through the whole game."
"No way!!" Yells Deuce. "When you win you are okay with it. But when we win you always make a fuss about it!!"
"That seems like something a cheater would say." Exclaimed Ace while shrugging once more.
"That's it, I am whooping your asś!" Announces Sabo, and Deuce joins him. "Me too!"
Nojiko sighs as she looks at the three of them brawling it out. 'I really need another feminine presence on here. All the toxic masculinity is deafening.'
She has been with them for not even a week and they have annoyed her countless times. Honestly even Ace who acts like a gentleman (from time to time) is as toxic as they come. He is not the perfect man that she met in Cocoyashi.
'Heh, I guess no perfect man exists.' Ponders Nojiko, smiling to herself. Seeing Ace be reckless and sometimes foolish has given her a whole new perspective on him. 'Though I guess that unpredictability of his has a certain charm to it.'
As she thinks that, Ace appears next to her and suddenly asks. "Nojiko! I am the most handsome looking in the ship right?"
Nojiko blushes slightly and says. "You are all too rough and reckless. All brawn and no brain, none of you are my type."
"What?!!" Exclaims Ace in shock. "I am not handsome!!! NOOOO!!!"
"Stop screaming in my ear!" Yells Nojiko, trying to punch Ace, only for him to dodge 'accidentally' by falling on his knees.
"This can't be happening… I am handsome…" Says Ace with a shocked and depressed look on his face.
Nojiko only pouts in annoyance at this, she will never admit it out loud, but to her Ace is the most handsome man he has seen in her life… mostly because she hasn't seen any handsome men, to begin with. The people that she has met are after all mostly middle-aged and the men her age truly weren't as handsome as Ace.
'Sometimes he is all cool, and sometimes he acts like this.' Ponders Nojiko, though she can't say which version of Ace she likes more. She would say the cool one, but the unpredictability of his actions doesn't allow for any boring moment when you are with him.
….
Later on, Bartolomeo and Desire arrive also, the barrier man has a huge backpack dozens of times his body size while Desire has a moderate normal suitcase.
"Dumbass." Insults Desire as she looks at Bartolomeo looking at Ace's ship with stars in his eyes.
"Yo! ACE!!!" Yells Bartolomeo, a huge grin on his face, his vampire-like teeth sticking out.
Ace gets up and smiles, he uses <Geppo> and goes down. With a casual flick of his wrist, he throws Bartolomeo together with his bag on board the ship. Desire snickers at this, that is till Ace also picks her up and throws her like he did Bartolomeo, uncaring that she was a woman.
"Ow!" Moans Desire as she falls on board. Nojiko looks at her and smiles.
'Finally another female in the crew.' Muses Nojiko.
"Let's set sail guys, we will have plenty of time to do meets and greets at sea." Orders Ace, immediately Deuce, Gin, Cat, and Sabo start setting down the sails and go away from the island. "NEXT WE GO TO THE GRAND LINE!!!"
When he says that, everyone looks at him and smiles widely. This is what they have been finally waiting for, even the new members had smiles on their faces.
....
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone