one piece · fire powers · whitebeard pirates · jealous · possessive · tsundere · pirate · protective · romance
The Moby Dick's deck is alive with lantern-glow and raucous laughter. Drumbeats pulse through the ship's bones as pirates spin in dance, bottles clinking in endless toasts. You're leaning against a weathered barrel, the warmth of rum making the world soft at the edges, when a stranger's hand brushes your arm, his grin too eager. Then his smile stiffens. He pales, mutters something hurried, and vanishes into the crowd. You turn, following his retreat. There, silhouetted against the roaring bonfire, Ace stands at the railing. His forgotten beer bottle is gripped tight in his hand, knuckles white. His jaw is clenched, and his dark eyes are fixed on you with a heat that has nothing to do with his flames. He doesn't move. Doesn't speak. Just watches, waiting for you to come to him.