Ice Cold Flame

Chapter 8 Mother's Anger

Ace had been gone a year, along with Sabo, and neither of them had ever missed calling me whenever they needed to. Even if they didn't need anything and Law followed their example by always calling weekly at least, they always made sure to contact us not to worry the rest of their siblings or me, but recently Ace hasn't called. Even when he went to Wano, where he would get arrested for even owning a transponder snail, he always called to tell me he was alright.

He hasn't called in two months since he told us he would be battling Jimbe from the warlords. Since then, Katakuri and Perospero have been around me, ensuring that I didn't strain myself over contact with their brother. Of course, they were worried, but they knew he could handle himself. I knew that too, but he is my son, who is by far the second most responsible one of the youngest ones. And when the youngest, most unresponsible, calls more than him, a mother worries.

Two months of me worrying for him, trying to contact him with no answer, not even from his crew, had me pulling my hair, but when Brûlée couldn't go threw Ace's hand mirror that she gave him, that's when I truly started to panic. What had happened to him. was he alright? Was he hurt? Did he need our help? Did something happen to his crew? was he sick or worse? Those thoughts threw my head constantly as I paced in front of the phone and cried in worry.

Katakuri, Oven, and Daifuku would try to distract me, but nothing would work as Amande checked the newspaper every day, trying to see if ace was in the paper, but nothing. Sabo and Law also kept an eye out as they were at sea trying to find him, but they were busy battling their battles to be focused on just looking for ace. Luffy, of course, worried and tried his best to comfort me over the phone, but I told him not to worry and that his brother would turn up safe and sound even though I had no idea if he would. Luffy called daily for updates, and I told him he didn't have to, but he always fought me.

One day, I was taking a nap on the couch next to the snail with the rest of my family around me. When we got a call on the transponder snail, I instantly woke up along with everyone else and answered the phone.

-Hello- I picked up as everyone rubbed their eyes -who is this-

-Mama- I heard aces voice threw the snail. Everyone instantly woke up at his voice and came around me, staying silent.

-Ace, where have you been? Are you alright- I asked him; worried as I did, I started to see the transponder snail's eyes start to water showing that ace was tearing up -baby, where are you- I asked

-Mama... I'm sorry- he said as he started to sniffle threw the phone.-I'm sorry, mama-

-What happened, Ace? Are you OK- Katakuri asked before his eyes widened -don't say it. I heard you- he said before Ace could say anything else. We all looked over at him, wanting to know what Ace would say before Katakuri stopped him.

-What happened, baby? At least tell me you are OK- I asked as I watched Katakuri write something down,

-I've been hurt, mama- Ace said -not bad, but I'm hurt, but that's not what I'm sorry about-

-You don't have to be sorry about anything, love, tell me what happened-

-I failed you, mama... I said I--

-You will never fail me. Just tell me what happened after your battle with Jimbe...- I asked as I started to read what Katakuri wrote, and my eyes widened before I turned to my son, that was on the snail.

-Whitebeard showed up and took my crew hostage on his ship and me, and he wouldn't let me call you, and his crew are threatening me----- ace started, only to be cut off by yelling and things being thrown around