I don't want to survive, I want to live!

“Oh, I can’t remember who it was. But they asked me if I was your sugar mama. Pomona told me that it probably means that I give you a lot of sweets!”

“Oh that could be it! That would make the most sense!” Aiyanna exclaimed, hugging the taller chef back. “You’re so smart Mona! I would be so lost without you.”

“It’s alright. There are more things to be upset about than burnt plants.” At his confession, Aiyanna looked the other way while her cheeks reddened. Surely that wasn’t the case, or he would of been thinking about her the whole time? “You just want to make me blush, don’t you,” she stated. 

Several things had reminded her of the other. An open flame, the colors red and orange, playing cards, meat, even the sound of laughter made her think about the other. What could they be doing if he was there? Would he had found that joke to be funny as well? Would he had started drooling at the smell of the smoked meat? Such questions would fill her head during those times, and her mind would begin to wander as she thought about the scenes and how they would play out. 

Aiyanna laughed, nudging him back. “None of these actually. It’s not on the main dock. Let me show you.” She replied as she tugged him onto the dock, walking towards a different section nearby. Instead of it being filled with merchant ships, this dock was filled with empty fishing boats. Eventually they arrived in front of one of the boats that had the word ‘Snapdragon’ written on the back. 

Although she was worried about the possibilities that meeting Gabriela might bring, the woman knew that Ace would be there to help and support her. The thought of him being there made her feel a lot better than she did before. Aiyanna knew that she was stronger than she was years prior and would be able to stand up to Gabi if she went out of line. However, it was nice having Ace by her side to look out for her. Which, she hoped to do for him as well. 

After Marineford, several of her plants had been lost. It took a while for her to get caught up to speed again, but now her whole kitchen was filled with various medical and cooking herbs. The same went for the other items on her boat. “Yes, I’ve been slowly building my collection back up. There’s not that much room in the kitchen anymore because of it. It’s actually very similar to the vessel that I had before.” Placing Doodle onto the ground, Aiyanna got up as the three prepared to leave.

“I think that’s a good idea. It’ll make much more sense for us to travel with one boat instead of two. We will have to abandon one eventually.” Linking hands with him once more, Aiyanna began to walk with Ace down the streets again. Snickerdoodle ran a couple of feet away from them, bouncing on his feet as he waited for the couple to catch up. It was amazing, being with him again, not a care in the world. It almost made her want to throw the job out the window to spend a couple more days like this with Ace. 

“Together,” she repeated, reaching her hand over to squeeze his. Once she finished her food, Aiyanna let out a yawn and stretched her arms. “I have not eaten that much in a while. Now I just want to curl up somewhere and take a cat nap.” 

At his next question, the excitement that she felt slowly started to fade away as it was replaced with uncertainty. She took a few bites of her food before continuing.  

“Yes, I do. Do you remember me talking about an ex that I had named Gabriela? She’s not apart of the World Government anymore; actually she did a complete 180 and joined the Revolutionaries in a funny twist. There’s something urgent that she needs to speak to me about.” Aiyanna didn’t want to lie to Ace about the other reason for the trip. Right now, she wanted to be open and honest with him, which she hoped he would be as well. All her cards were out on the table, for just his eyes to see.

In the past, Aiyanna had told Ace about her previous lover. Aiyanna and Gabriela dated before she joined the Whitebeard Pirates, and had separated a month or two prior to her joining the crew. The reason? The woman had found out that Gabriela was lying to her about her job as a judge for the World Government. At the revelation, Aiyanna immediately broke all ties with her, yelling at her about her betrayal. Gabi’s lies filled her with rage and was the final straw. Aiyanna told all of this to Ace, even talking about how she didn’t ever want to be in a relationship with someone as controlling as Gabi. Even the tone of her voice when she told Ace about the meeting was unsure and concerned.

Knowing that he might get suspicious, Aiyanna pulled out the letter from her bag and opened it. She presented it to Ace, that way he wouldn’t have to hold onto it and get it dirty with food. The letter was neat and printed, with no signs of her asking the nymph to take her back or still having feelings for her. Instead, it talked about a pirate captain that Gabi was concerned about. It wasn’t a familiar name, but one would know of the name if they ever dealt with the black market, or grew up in the West Blue. The name? Captain Epidemic Nostra. 

“Well, there is no guarantee that Doodle isn’t going to do that. But I get to have you as a body guard? Now I feel like a queen.” It took Aiyanna a bit to die down from her laughter, and when she did she then addressed his previous question about their destination. 

Ahyoka had protected her for most of her life, being the compassionate motherly figure that she needed in her darkest times. If it wasn’t for her lessons, she wouldn’t have been able to figure out how to temporarily subdue the Grand Dent. Or how to stop her late mother’s killer from causing anymore harm. Guarding her flowers and her tree was the least that she could do for the woman who saved her life so many years prior. Even if it meant joining her if the giant decided to ignore her words. Aiyanna would not let this man trample deeper into the forest without putting up a fight. 

His voice was loud and firm. It had an air of authority to it that demanded others to listen to him. However, instead of an order or a demand leaving his lips, it was an apology. Words that were sincere and considerate as he gave his sympathies about the passing of a woman who he had never met before. 

She could only nodded her head to confirm his statement. Aiyanna watched in shock as he placed his hand on his chest in a sign of respect. When his eyes closed, the tears that she had struggled to withhold at his words had now started to flow. The woman silently wept during his honorable display. Although few in number, his words spoke volumes. The other priests and priestesses had not given her any sympathy towards the passing of her adopted mother. None of them had addressed it when the flowers had appeared, or given her any comfort when the young nymph cried for the following days. All were silent and did not address it. 

Except for him. A complete stranger, had offered Ahyoka and her much more sympathy than the people who she knew for over sixty years. With all the heaviness of the previous days, the positive but solemn act was a refreshing sight. 

Wiping her tears once the man had opened his eyes, Aiyanna put her arms down and relaxed. She allowed the stranger to see her grateful but sorrowful expression, lowering her guard as her eyes turned back to dark brown. The woman nodded her head at his apology, bowing her head immediately following his as a sign of gratitude. “You did not know, I forgive you and thank you for your actions. They mean the world to me.” Listening to the remainder of his words, a chuckle escaped her lips.