Chapter 2: Suite of Spades
"So, how'd you get the marines to work for you, Miss Nesi?" Nami asked, interested in the coexistence of the land.
"It definitely wasn't easy, redhead," Nesi replied, leaning back in her chair to get comfortable.
She gave a handshake to a pirate as he was walking to a seat while snacking on some bacon. The Straw Hat boys were largely exploring the town while the girls and Chopper got to know Nesi more. They were able to take in the details of the woman as she relaxed in her personal restaurant. The place itself was just a step under high-class but quite cozy. Chandeliers did decorate the establishment, but the hanging gardens on the walls were the main focus of intrigue. The dining booths had warm or bright colors for the rugs but more neutral or contrasting shades for the leather benches. Outside had swings and hammocks with a lazy Suzan bar connecting to the kitchen. Robin thought Sanji would be most interested in the chefs, but he wanted to be at Luffy's side for a while. The captain wasn't happy about meeting Nesi. Not that he didn't like her. She was actually a chill woman. It had more to do with the woman not knowing about what happened to Ace at all. There was an entire war at the Marineford behind his brother's demise! How didn't she know about any of that? The girls felt it best to see how close Nesi and Ace really were before going to Luffy to see if he'd be ready or willing to tell her the truth.
Up close, Nesi was a pretty woman. Her hair was interesting to say the least. She had scales on the back of her neck that went up to the nape, but they seemed to disappear into her thick, dark purple hair that was styled into an updo with a loose, wavy lock dangling elegantly over her frilled frock and collar. The ends of her hair were brown like wood, and, aside from the hairstyle combing straight on the sides, the loose lock was a bit wavy to curly in texture. A pin and chain seemed to be holding her indigo blue linen shirt closed at the front. It was hard to tell if she had a pronounced bosom with the shirt being floaty and spacious. Her sleeves were just as elegant with the frills at the cuffs and another pin and chain acting as cuff links at the ends of her bell sleeves. It looked like the pin was more of a personal design to showcase her status as a privateer. She possessed a gun with the marine emblem on it, a knife with the Spades emblem on it, and a sword that might've been crafted as a gift or by personal request with her emblem on it. Her heeled boots were equally as fashionable with the frills wrapped around the length of the boot like shoelaces... or a growing flame.
"It took two wars and a deadly heist to convince them that life as a privateer was achievable. The pirates gave me just as many problems as the marines did, though!" Nesi admitted, holding up a gloved hand. She removed the glove to reveal two fingers that were no longer human but reptilian. She then said, "Don't be fooled into thinking anyone was innocent in my struggle. A finger lost to the marines, and another lost to the pirates. This was the price I had to pay. The second war was my turning point. Instead of a public execution, I was to be punished in a different way. One that satisfied the nobles had I been captured, but... Quistador Ingagoh, leader of the Red Marquessa Fleet, fought in the second war against me, personally. He chose a handful of marines to apprehend us. The nobles vouched for a particular group of men that served under the marines to completely overwhelm us. Ace was with me in both wars. Part of me thinks that's the only reason why we won. Dude was the epitome of a loose, friggin cannon! But... I couldn't name you a better ally even if I wanted to. I was lucky that both men gave me a chance. Building this place was just as hard. You have no idea how hard it is to get any of those nobles to come down from their thrones to look at you as some semblance of a person versus a filthy, street rat. Those people were so ready to humiliate me! To go from that to being curious about me? Well... I'd say my work is a fraction of the way done."
"How'd you meet Ace exactly?" Robin asked with some reserve. "The Ace that we know didn't like the marines."
"Pfft! Bastard didn't like me at first either!" Nesi said with a chuckle, regality slipping away in that moment in favor of crude language. She sunk comfortably in her chair, eyes glimmering with warmth at the memories flooding her mind. "He was building up the Spades when I met him. He had a decent foothold as an upcoming captain. The marines had come to run my hometown and were beating people for no reason. I hated that! I tried to stop them peacefully, but you may as well be a fly on the wall with no powers or martial skills. I got roughed up pretty badly. Ace beat the living hell out of a good chunk of those ingrates! I guess he was just sailing by and disembarked on us. Must've heard the shouting like anybody else. I don't know. Something about the way he fought... called out to me. I practically begged him to train me, but he said I didn't have the moxie. Called me a friggin pansy princess! Tried to push me away and everything, but I was persistent in learning how to fight like him. I tried serving him food, offered to clean his ship, and even tried to wash everybody's clothes. Wouldn't have any of it. One of the crew members took pity on me. I think it was Corale, actually. He let me watch Ace train a couple of minutes at a time. I practiced his moves relentlessly. Now, I will say I shouldn't have gone in street fighting matches with what I learned, but I did... and lost every damn fight. I'm glad I did, though. It built up my moxie. Once I got tired of losing and being unheard, I started getting analytical. I watched different people fight and trained differently each time. Ace came to the one street fight I just so happened to win and started talking to me. He asked me why I wanted to learn how to fight so much, and, as they say, our heroes' stories began on that day."
The girls said nothing as Nesi smiled fondly at the memory, but the privateer patted her thighs calmly and said, "Welp! I need to show you all to the suites. You'll be taking Ace's lodging."
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Ace's Lodge was designed like a storage barn to Nami. It was a two-story place that easily housed the Straw Hats, and it was even easier to tell where the master bedrooms were for Ace and his first mate. Robin assumed that Nesi had her own home and quarters elsewhere with her running and owning the harbor. Chopper started running around to inspect different things. This place was... actually pretty luxurious compared to the run-of-the-mill guest inn. The stairs to Ace's bedroom were the most like a ship, and it was just above the mess hall. Said dining room had a wall mural with an interesting chandelier hanging just above the table. It looked like a deck of cards being shuffled. The furniture was very masculine with its dark woods, but a woman's touch could be seen in certain spots where Nesi might have been involved in the interior design process. Some chairs had horns on them while others had teeth or paws as the legs. Reminiscent of what Luffy said about his brother being an adept fighter even at a young age. Though the candelabras held candles of varying dark colored waxes, there was a bit of a romantic flair in the way the candles were sculpted. Reds, forest greens, and deep browns added character to the designs of each candle as they stood proudly, but the more traditional whites, caramels, and deeper yellows were placed in a box to be lit later or for a different occasion. They seemed fancier than the others. A fairly cool-colored rug was underneath the dining table and chairs. It gave the room a more mature feel, probably to signify Ace becoming a man. The dining room was probably the most traditional space in the lodge because the rest of it was more to Ace's taste most likely.
Interested in the captain's quarters and the other wonders that might be upstairs, Chopper scuttled up the stairs to see that a library and stationery room was actually in the direct center of the second story. Statues of beasts were glaring at all trespassers from their podium at the library doors. Nesi quietly blew a bit of fire from her mouth before spitting it in the keyhole above for the library doors to open. Inside, Chopper saw the many books and documents belonging to the late Captain Ace of the Spades crew. It didn't take him long to discover that Ace's bedroom was connected to the library by a lounge room with a small bar. A reasonable collection of alcohols and pictures were lined along the wall. The bedroom looked cozy and almost reminiscent of the jungle with palm tree leaves in large vases and fur rugs on the floor. A beast head or two was hung up on a trophy wall where more personal treasures were shelved. The more expensive collection of jewels or pocket watches were in a jewelry box. The wardrobe was on the smaller side from the looks of it, but, in Chopper's memories, Ace only ever wore shorts, boots, and his trademark hat. Curious, he opened the wardrobe and saw a formal suit, winter attire, and a couple of pairs of pants on a rack. Below were more shorts and shoes to match the outfits. It wasn't much, but it was more surprising that the half-naked man had other articles of clothing for an appropriate occasion. Nesi looked like a regal woman, so she probably had more to do with that than anything.
As Nesi spoke to Nami and Robin while giving them the tour, a roughly 30-year-old laborer rang the doorbell of Ace's Lodge and cleared his throat. He then called, "Captain. Lady Sedzig wishes to meet with you."
Nesi bowed politely to excuse herself and walked out to the front door. She then asked, "Primrose or Sera Lynn?"
"... Yes," the man replied.
"Hells ablaze!" Nesi responded, pinching the bridge of her nose. As much as she loved the ladies of BreezeBlitz, she didn't have time for the social adieus of the noblewomen. But, she trained herself to play things their way in order to build the harbor. For now, she will have to prioritize their visit over the Straw Hats. It could have been a business or political meeting for all she knew. She heard the laborer chuckle at the captain's response before she joined in his mild laughter. She then said, "I'm coming. I beg your pardon, Straw Hats. Feel free to look around. Remember to stay away from the old men! Eggs!"
"Kay!" Nami replied, waving her farewell. She turned to Robin and asked, "What do you think, Robin? Did she seem genuine?"
"Honestly, I think she is, but I'm waiting for her to say something about her time with the Spades - something about Ace becoming a Whitebeard pirate - to confirm my suspicions," Robin said.
"What suspicions?" Nami asked.
"That she either saw him become one of Whitebeard's sons or she left the Spades just before he did. I need to hear her mention the Whitebeards before I'm fully convinced. Reason being she said it took her five years to build this harbor and this lodge. Ace was a pirate for three years before we met Luffy and joined his crew. Where does she fit in those three years? Does this year that passed after his death include that fifth year she's talking about? Her timeline is strange to me," Robin explained, folding her arms and looking around the lodge herself.
As much as she wanted to say that Nesi was fibbing about knowing Ace, this lodge was too personal to be done up as a trap. Maybe it was the way Nesi described Ace as being unlikeable and argumentative when she joined the Spades that the privateer captain's story unbelievable. Maybe it was the look of fondness in Nesi's eyes when she spoke of her former captain. Maybe that's why Luffy was so quiet before. If she was so close to the Spades, at least enough to make a permanent lodge for them, why didn't anyone tell her what happened at Marineford? She didn't get a single notice? Not even when Ace joined the Whitebeards? What was missing from her story?
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The Sedzig family only consisted of the head matron, Primrose, whose powdered wigs seem to grow taller every time Nesi visited her, and the youngest beauty, Sera Lynn, who wanted to spend time with Nesi often as simply girls. The two usually matched in colors and styles for their dresses. Jewelry was optional. Nesi never did figure out what Ace did to get on this noble family's good side, but part of her didn't want to know either. Whatever he did, it made the head matron trust her with details of her love life that no one wanted or needed to hear about. Apparently, Primrose actually had a thing for rebellious men and pirates tickled her... fancies. Once she learned of Nesi's harsh training to become a privateer, Primrose sort of clung to her and was really the first noble who was comfortable with visiting the harbor. Before, only Quistador Ingagoh would actually confront Nesi since he was in charge of the trade route for silver and spices, but, once he spoke with the Admirals about Nesi and gave her the letter of marque, he managed to get certain nobles curious. Not all of them, just two or three. Of course, Primrose Sedzig was only allowed to visit Seven Silver Mills if she could stay at a place equivalent in grandeur to a lounging house. Nesi couldn't afford to build such a place with her limited funds at the time, so Ingagoh gave her a cut of silver to invest in developing the harbor. It took seven silver mills to do it, hence the harbor's name.
The Lounging House was really a glorified guest inn with a colorful garden and painted cobblestone walkways. A trusted gardener from the noble families lived on the harbor to care for every flowerbed in the natural gardens. He definitely earned his keep because the place looked gorgeous on the outside. Nesi marched elegantly to the tearoom with a package in her left hand, bowed politely to the gardener, and smiled when he returned the greeting. He voiced his greeting and handed the captain a lovely pink rose. As gratitude, Nesi placed the rose in her hair and twirled about for the gardener to see how she looked. He playfully arched his brows and nodded with approval. She then nodded and continued her walk, placing her other hand behind her back and keeping it level just above her hips. She opened the door softly and was greeted with the head matron and granddaughter looking at a picture of some kind. When they spotted their visitor, they smiled with glee as Nesi bowed elegantly before them.
"Ah, there she is! Is that your delectable nutty pud souffle?" Primrose asked, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Soft center, crisp edges, and a touch of cream for her ladyship," Nesi said, keeping her smile professional but warm.
For whatever reason, this particular gentleman's approach to the nobles was popular. They deemed her the "rugged beauty" or "handsome piratess" of privateer harbor. She largely studied and practiced how to speak like a gentleman to command respect in her presence the way that they do, but she didn't think it would be considered attractive both politically and socially. The Sedzig family and Ingagoh loved her professionalism and advocacy as gentleman the most, but her softer and more feminine side was equally celebrated when she showed for social events. That's if Quistador allowed for it given the busy seasons for transporting goods.
"Oh, goodie, goodie!" Primrose said, picking up her skirts to float over to Nesi and open her prized box. She gasped at the presentation of the pastry and sniffed its sweetness. Another perfect creation from the purple-haired privateer! Her souffles were the mark of fine dining! It paired well with wine, tea, and milk. The head matron then took Nesi's hand and tugged her over to the chaise lounge and seating chairs. "Come, come, darling!"
"A pleasure, Lady Primrose," Nesi said, releasing a short chuckle at the exuberance of the older woman. She took the matron's hand into her own and placed her forehead just an inch above the hand. It couldn't be any lower. The captain then did the same to the younger beauty, but the girl wanted a hug instead. Nesi couldn't put her arms fully around the girl as that would be rude and insulting, but she could place a singular hand behind her elbow. Again, just an inch away from the skin. Nesi smiled elegantly and said softly, "Sera Lynn."
"Will you be setting sail again, captain?" Sera Lynn asked, backing away from Nesi with a bright smile.
"In a few days," Nesi replied with a nod and small turn of her body. She spread her legs open a bit to avoid stepping on the girl's skirts. "Depending on the next word from the lighthouse."
"Won't you come to the ladies' boating trip, captain? We won't be out for long! Just three days," Sera Lynn pleaded, tilting her head cutely and pouting her lip.
Nesi almost crumbled at the girl's innocent face, but she simply had to decline and said, "I would, Sera, but I'm out on business those days. I would have loved to stitch some boat sails with you again. I'll show for the tea party to make up for it, assuming all goes well on my end. No excuses."
"I know it will be fine, captain," Sera Lynn responded, undeterred from the initial decline in favor of seeing Nesi for the tea party after. Maybe she could get her to make those delicious meringue sandwiches again. Speaking of bringing things, the girl thought of something and said, "Oh, we've some new fashion trends this year, too. Ruffles and triangular panels are in. You're already halfway there! Look your best for the girls!"
"For you, nothing short of tasteful," Nesi promised, placing a hand on her chest and earning a double nod.
"Ugh! The giggles and sighs of young girls are too boring for you, captain," Primrose said, slapping a hand down and taking her souffle out of the box. She went to work on nibbling at it quite gingerly. She blushed at the taste, placed a hand on her cheek, and said, "Heavens above! This is your finest one yet, my darling! You should've been a pâtissier."
"But then she wouldn't be able to make those tea party treats, grandma," Sera Lynn said, floating over to a loveseat. "Her sandwiches are yummy, too!"
"Cooks like a lady, entertains like a gentleman. You are truly a handsome piratess, my darling," Primrose complimented, earning a nod from Nesi. "You love the adventure of the salty seas, the heat of battle, soldiers in form-fitting trousers, rebels with sweat dripping down those rugged bodies, the sight of a man with thighs so strong and healthy they could break walnuts!"
Nesi had to stifle her guffaws at the dreamy expression on Primrose's blushing face. She was picturing young, handsome, primal men running about to display their peak athleticism again. Nesi couldn't wait to be old like that. Seemed like such a fun time in life. The captain merely chuckled, however, and said, "I'm afraid there's more to being a privateer than the, uh, beauties of the male form. But, I'll keep an eye out for an exceptional warrior who'd love to visit. Don't you worry, Lady Rose."
"Huh?" Primrose replied, only hearing her name as she snapped out of her fantasy. She then remembered that new pirates had come to visit the harbor and said, "Oh! Tell me about this ship you've let on the island. I hear some new pirates decided to visit you. Is that charming boy of yours with them?"
Nesi raised a brow before tilting her head down and asking, "How on Earth did you hear about a ship that just docked moments ago, Lady Rose?"
"I was already here when your secretary started running about. My son has decided to contract your men for future trade business. You should be receiving word from the other privateers shortly."
"You never told me that your son was in the trade business," Nesi said with a light gasp. She was excited to hear another patron wanting her group's services. The growth was slow but it was happening. She then reprimanded, "Such sneakiness!"
"Meh, it's not important," Primrose said, dismissing the news with a wave of her hand. She then waved it excitedly and reminded Nesi, "About your boy."
"He's not here this time, Lady Rose," Nesi replied, shaking her head lightly with a toothy smile. The matron was referring to her "favorite pirate," Ace. She was going to have to do some digging to figure out what her captain did to the grandmother of the Sedzig family because this was ridiculous! Nesi then informed, "The new men are a little too... young for your needs. You want a man built like the cask of a fine wine, yes?"
Primrose placed a hand over her bosom, sighed dreamily, and blushed brightly at the fantasy playing in her head. Again. She then asked with a seriousness that would scare a young, impressionable lad, "You've seen men like that?"
"Of course!" Nesi said, nodding lowly. Primrose said no more as the fantasy ran rampant in her mind. The privateer took this time to sneak over to Sera Lynn and whisper, "Her ladyship will be occupied with that for a while. What did Captain Ace do with your grandmother to make her behave so... freely?"
"Supposed to be a secret, captain," Sera Lynn answered, not wanting to expose her friend's discoveries. She only laughed nervously, hoping to forget herself.
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It took Nesi a while to leave the Lounging House, but she was thoroughly entertained by the Sedzig ladies and their antics. She walked to her home first to change into lounging wear before settling in for the night. By morning, she would be full force on duty and unable to entertain another soul for a while. It was certainly odd timing for the ladies to be visiting at the same time the Straw Hats docked. While she was happy to be able to meet Luffy for the first time, his prior silence made her extremely suspicious. Something happened to Ace. They just weren't telling her, and she couldn't probe them for information. They seemed uneasy about bringing it up. Checking to make sure her story was straight was an unusual thing to do if Ace had spoken about her to them, but... he hadn't been the same boy she knew since the harbor was developed. She just hoped he wasn't backing out of their friendship for this new life she made, but now she was anticipating the worst. That he was in prison or missing or... no, not that far into the realm of possibilities. Keep it surface level until she gets some proof.
Dressing in her nighttime linens, Nesi walked back to Ace's Lodge before deciding to close things up at the communications building for the night. Pity she couldn't really get to know them with her mission taking precedence, but she was sure they were enjoying the look around in her captain's quarters. Luffy was definitely a trip! As if she spawned him, Luffy was looking up at the stars before he heard her approaching and smiled wide for her. Yep, definitely favors his big brother. She sat next to him and just admired the stars with him. They stayed like that for a while before the boy spoke up.
"You and Ace really were friends, huh? Did he come here a lot, Nesi?"
"'If he felt like it' was his excuse verbatim," Nesi answered, returning to more crude talk. That seemed to make Luffy more comfortable, but he was definitely shaken at something. It wasn't fear, but it felt like worry or something akin to it. His smile was masking it excellently if you weren't being observant. Even if you were, you couldn't tell for what reason. Nesi decided to simply remain honest and said with fondness, "He just didn't want to admit that this island was nice! Still a jerk even in my memories!"
"What made him want to build a lodge here?" Luffy asked curiously. He folded his legs and slapped his knees to give her his full attention.
"Actually, he didn't want anything to do with it," Nesi answered, looking at Luffy to read his body language and expressions carefully. She returned her attention to the sky to just feel his aura as she spoke. "He changed his mind about this place after the first war when I decided to seize this island. It was a treasure trove that the Red Marquessa fleet had been eyeing for a while. We had more than enough money to share among us just from the gemstones underground! I couldn't let them take it!"
"Why? What were they going to do with it?"
"Acquire the land and its resources to up the wealth of the country. That would put more people into poverty. I couldn't watch them do that! But..." Nesi paused, thinking of the start of her journey. She let herself be too honest and let the emotions and worries take over. She hoped nothing bad happened to Ace. That she was worried over nothing. That he wouldn't leave her alone now. She then said, "I also think that pirates do need to be controlled; otherwise, the rise of tyrants and butchers will cover the land and force more people into spots you really don't want to see en masse. There needed to be an example of equal shares and peaceful living, so I worked and studied tirelessly to make this place into some semblance of the world I dreamed of seeing. To prove that the best defense against pirates were pirates, and that pirates could be just as politically and economically aware as any other noble, I protested on this very island. I didn't find any natives here, but there were neighboring islands not far from here with people struggling to survive. I built a crappy, makeshift raft and sent out what looked like edible plants to gain the natives' trust. Together, we mined for the stones, and I traded those gemstones for food, clothing, whatever it could be used for. Until everyone had enough to live off for a few days, I stayed here. A small bounty was put on my head for taking the land. Tch! That was the first time I went against Ace's orders and captured marines myself to make things worse. All intentionally. I forced them to work with the natives to rebuild their homes and make them sturdier. That bounty got bigger! Fast! I could tell Ace was uncomfortable, but I didn't torture anyone. I just put them to real work and answered any questions they had for me. When I explained my piece, that's what made the marines see me differently. They became willing to aid us, and I let them leave when I felt that was enough... But they didn't. They stayed! Ace really hated me then. We had to use his ship!"
"Why would he hate you for that?" Luffy questioned, not understanding what would make Ace hate Nesi.
"'Cause that meant he had to work with the marines and accept the fact that there were some who were good at heart and who would help a pirate. I remember him stomping away from me after we argued about it. He left and made us fend for ourselves without his ship for a little while. Imagine my surprise when he sent me a letter saying he met a marine who tried to enlist him and her refusal when he tried to enlist her as a pirate. Karma!"
"He didn't tell that marine about you?" Luffy asked, leaning forward a bit. He was actually pretty invested in the story now.
"Didn't have a reason to, but I'm glad he had her as a friend. He needs to see that the World Government isn't 100% corrupt. Some good people are in there for the right reasons but are learning under the wrong leadership. That's not their fault. The leaders need to learn how to serve the people in an efficient manner, and that's hard to do if you're not around the people who struggle and the ruling authority you serve refuse to even be around you for an extended period of time. That's what I couldn't stand! Treating others like they're not humans at all. They don't even want you to be human. It makes it easier to get rid of you. The war between an untouchable and a noble won't go away until they see us! I had to keep this island out of their hands to make them see! Those marines only changed their minds when they physically had to struggle along with the rest of us and see how it felt to be discarded like bile on a napkin. Once they did... everything changed. Ace, too."
"He didn't take you to meet the marine girl?" Luffy asked, trying to see things from his brother's perspective.
"Didn't have time to. The second war was on its way. I needed weapons and supplies. I scrounged around like you wouldn't believe for that, but he helped after another girl he met couldn't join his crew. He outwardly told me about her and seemed a bit disappointed that she couldn't go with him, but he did want to go back to help her out of prison someday. I didn't get a chance to meet her either, but I'm happy that he's been keeping good people around him. I guess the same way I needed his training to be the person others needed me to be, he needed to see more of the world to be the captain he was meant to be," Nesi said, now smiling at the starry sky as though she were looking directly at her captain. "I'm proud to have been given the chance to be his floor scrubber! Lady Rose is right. I do love new adventures, and I did love traveling with the Spades. Rowdy bastards helped me build up my moxie! I'm ashamed that I couldn't do more for him in life. Bit hard to send him meals overseas. He liked smothered steak, eggs, and potatoes... along with every other animal."
"Do you miss being with him out at sea?"
"We crossed paths from time to time. I usually gave him spending money or a crate of food if me and my crew were on our way home to the harbor with unused or extra rations. Sometimes, I'd join them for old time's sake. After the second war was when I saw him less, and he had triple to quadruple the number of men with him the next time I saw him. I thought he built up his fleet way too fast for those men to be his crewmates, but..."
"But?" Luffy probed, waiting for the next choice of words. This was what he was looking for. The ultimate test to see if Nesi was a genuine friend to Ace, to see if this lodge wasn't an elaborate trap, to make sure this island was a real hub for marines and pirates alike.
"We got into a huge fight about it that night," Nesi admitted quietly, remembering the absolute screaming matches she and Ace had about his new fleet of 100 men. It wasn't pretty and it came to blows for a moment, but they stopped once they realized the danger of them unleashing their fury immaturely. There was too much to lose. Nesi continued, "The biggest one between us ever. Those men gave me the wrong vibes. They couldn't have been his men by choice. I may not have known Ace long, but I knew how picky he was about his men. He didn't even introduce them like he did with the Spades. He was proud to show off! Half the time, he came here alone and covered his body. That's how I knew something was different, but... he ended the conversation so quickly. I couldn't get anything out of him. All I could do was stand there. I wound up just being the bigger person and apologizing. It wasn't enough to make him feel better, but it was enough to bring him back to Earth. I got to show him all the changes we made to liven up his mood. He did sound better and asked questions from time to time, but he forbade me from giving him rations or money like before. If he wasn't on his own or with less than 10 men or with at least one Spade, he didn't want a thing. I obeyed him, but that didn't mean I didn't worry. He was my captain. He never turned away from me like that. He never covered himself up. If anything, he took pride in walking around me naked!"
"He was naked on the ship?" Luffy questioned, flying backwards at this revelation. His brother was a lot of things. Perverted was not one of them!
"I was the 'maintenance guy'! I scrubbed floors, cleaned windows, washed clothes, and cooked. If his clothes weren't ready before he bathed, booty," Nesi said, pointing a finger out to emphasize the trauma of seeing Ace naked as punishment for not having things in order. "If they were a smidgeon damp, booty. If I screwed up a task on the ship, all I would see is that booty. I am now desensitized from the delicate nature of the male body."
"THAT'S SO GROSS!" Luffy shouted, mouth completely open at Ace's flashiness.
"Y-y-you have no idea," Nesi replied, eyes wide as she relived the trauma. Being a Spade... wasn't always about traveling the vast sea.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone