Protectors [One Piece Fanfiction]

Old Adventures: The Alcohol Talking

Old Adventures: The Alcohol Talking

Irin sipped her beer as she continued listening to Izou talk, the two were getting along very well and half the time Irin wasn't even aware that she was completely being herself. Izou just somehow had a very comforting energy, he was kind but he wasn't like Marco or Thatch.

 She didn't know how to describe it but she enjoyed talking to him and hearing about his stories about her mother.

Ace only served as a bartender for Irin when she was immersed in her conversation with Izou. His face held a common deadpan as he poured the alcoholic liquid into her mug over and over again. He must've lost concentration and lost count the amount of times he refilled her mug because if he was conscious he would have never poured that many refills for her but no, his mind was somewhere else as he got bored from listening to their conversation.

The cacophony of laughter rang throughout the ship as the banquet raged on, everyone was either having an eating competition, having a drinking competition, dancing, singing or engaged in a very interesting conversation.

Izou and Irin had both spent hours conversing, the two had lost track of time while Ace, who had moved to sit next to Irin, pouted from being bored. He looked at the two as he sighed, he liked that Irin was finally being herself and having fun but he really wanted to spend time with her, after all, the two have not met in a long time.

The two who were talking came to a brief silence, Ace took this as an opportunity, "Izou! Look there! An alien!" he pointed towards where Izou's back was facing. When the man in the kimono turned to see what Ace was talking about, he had already dashed off with Irin. 

Izou looked back to tell Ace that he did not see any aliens but the freckled man had already carried the pinkette away.

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Ace held Irin on his back when he dashed away, carrying her with her back facing the front as she dangled behind him. He hid behind a wall, on the quiet side of the ship, as he gently put her down on the wooden floor of Moby Dick. Irin inhaled deeply to scold Ace but was stopped when he slapped his hand over his mouth and shushed her, "Shhh!!"

Irin pushed his hand away, "You just kidnapped me! I was in the middle of talking to Izou-san!" she whisper-yelled.

Ace stayed silent as he tried to formulate his sentence for rebuttal, he would've just said that he wanted to spend time with her but his pride prohibited him from doing so. 

She looked at him expectantly, awaiting his reply but he just sat down on the wooden floor.

"You know when you left without saying anything, Luffy cried for days," he said, "He thought you died or something and he kept going out to look for you... I didn't know whether to tell him the truth or not because you never said anything to him so I just thought you didn't want him to know."

Irin smiled sadly, taking a seat next to Ace, "I wonder if he'd hate me if I showed up in front of him as a Marine..."

"He would never, you know that"

"Do I? I didn't even tell him a single thing about me becoming a Marine... We promised to go out to the sea, didn't we? We promised to live freer than anyone... And here I am..."

"And that was your choice, Irin. I respect it and I'm sure Luffy would too. We both know how he is, he's reckless, stupid, careless and a crybaby but he's also kind. He would never hate you for something as minor as this." Ace reassured Irin, pouring more beer into both their cups.