Stelly

He knew what that meant.  In his time here, Ace… found comfort in their time together. What else could he do? He might be on the island he grew up on, but this was in no way a Home. Nothing about this castle or the High Town of Goa was welcoming. He felt… trapped, like Sabo before.

This was one of the only reprieves he found.

“Alright…” He slipped away and helped Stelly to his feet. 

Stelly stands with the pirates help, grinning as he lazily wipes his coat off. The palace was pristine of course, no dirt to be found anywhere, so it was just for show for the king.

The redhead walks with his hands clasped behind his back until they reach his room. Guards or any other servants are sent off as the king closes the door behind them, leaving just them in his massive room.

His coat is removed then and placed on a wall rack. Stelly found more comfort in Ace than he realized in moments like this. He could never call the pirate a friend, like he perhaps could have when they were children-- both working towards the common goal of getting Sabo away. They had vastly different reasons, but it all worked out didn’t it?

He was kinder too-- behind closed doors, where no one else could see any weakness from their king.

They would have to catch him first.  And if Ace chose to turn himself into fire and bring this entire throne room to a blazing inferno, then he would make it so while he took his escape. 

But Stelly was right. For the moment, he would not. 

“I don’t know what we are anymore.” His hand still retracted from around the king’s neck though, but he made no move from where he still sat. “But we’re not friends.” That much was sincere.

In the barest of terms, they were master and servant. However-- Stelly isn’t sure he would call them that either. He did for status and whatnot, but when they were alone--.

They were something else.

“That’s not comforting. And what if I–”

How easily he pushed Stelly down and straddled the redhead, wrapping a hand around the king’s neck. “–Decided to burn you? I could always roast you alive, steal a ship, and be out to sea before anyone noticed.”

There’s a dark look in the pirates eyes, his threat clear but--. Stelly could always scream for help. If he did, his guards would come from everywhere. Ace would be back out to sea alright, on a ship back to the execution scaffold. 

He doesn’t scream though, because-- perhaps foolishly, he trusts Ace.

“Treating another person like property is kindness to you?”

“I think I just had a nightmare.”

He lied to you. 

How much time had he wasted, hoping and dreaming about the day he had healed up enough to leave? He never truly waited for Stelly’s supposed scouts to find their location. Ace knew the Whitebeard fleet’s territory like the back of his hand, and knew where he could go to find his family.  –except, they weren’t there. 

He would never find them again. It was his fault they were gone, and Stelly lied to him. 

“I– I trusted- you-!” 

He swatted the doctors away. Popped stitches be damned! What was the point anymore? Had he seen the way Stelly treated those poor servants, there would have been much more protest on their part. Ace couldn’t stand senseless cruelty. But that– was exactly what Stelly was all about: Senseless cruelty, and cowardice hiding behind power. Fake power, undeserved; he might wear a crown on his head, but the real power in the room lie with the pirate. 

If only he could find it in himself to use it. He could fight his way out of here– and go back to where? 

When the doctors attempt to pick him up, he struggled to get away. “Stop-!” But they wouldn’t listen to him. With the threat of their king so near, Ace’s protests meant very little to the doctors, especially with Stelly ordering to sedate him if they must. 

And they would have to. 

Ace struggled too much, fighting for his freedom- for… anything. Maybe an understanding? Why would Stelly betray his trust like that. The way he responded to the sudden outburst meant… “You knew..!” He exclaimed, his voice still raw. “You knew, and you still-!! That’s why you–” 

Eventually, the doctors wrestled him away and managed to sedate him. They would have their work cut out for them thanks to this sudden outburst too. 

The king stayed hidden behind his staff. He had always been cowardly, especially when he was being called out for his actions. One of the reasons, why he loved being king so much then-- was that no one would dare argue with him. He was respected and feared-- except, by Ace.

The doctors would have a hard time restraining and calming the pirate, even with his seastone on. And it wasn’t long indeed before they did have to sedate him, just to move him. 

Stelly remained stoic and silent the entire time. Maybe he just didn’t know what to say or he just wanted to ignore Ace’s cries and blame for him. He wasn’t at fault here--! He couldn’t be! He was a king! So what if he kept a little secret, it was his right to! Especially when he knew the truth would just make his newest servant run off.

The redhead couldn’t even explain to his wife though.. why he wanted Ace here so badly. Why he would lie and trap him so the pirate couldn’t escape. They’d grown apart over the years, obviously, but Ace was the first boy to treat him like an equal. A little peasant boy too! How silly--.

One of the maids would be with Ace when he woke up again, sporting some bruises around her eye from the king’s harsh punishments. She didn’t get the worst of it at least--. She’d been innocent of the crimes Stelly accused his maids of, just used to draw out everyone who had told the truth to Ace. They cared about each other, and Stelly would use that against them.

No, he did not miss her snide comment as Sally took her leave of the room. He did not miss the flippant way in which Stelly responded to him either, upon further inquiry. If not so exhausted and injured, Ace would have pushed it more. However, adrenaline and stress weighed down on him heavily, finally pushing him to a seamless sense of exhaustion.He could investigate later. He needed to rest, now. 

When the news was finally given to him, days later, Ace… fell into shock. 

They were gone? All of them? 

There was no Whitebeard fleet left. No family looking or waiting for him. What’s there for you to go back to? It was all his fault… Every bit of it. He was the one hunting down the usurper. He was the one hot on the trail of the monster who brought about the demise of his beloved family. He was charged with negligence in his own mind now, for failing to kill Teach when he had the chance. 

None of this would’ve happened, if only he had been stronger.

But like everything else in his life: He wasn’t good enough, wasn’t strong enough. The reality hit hard. Too hard for him to really cope with. “No–” He gasped out, taking a step away from the girls. They didn’t deserve his torment; they were so much better than he- who ruined everything he touched. 

“No..!” His voice raised, hands coming up to grab at messy black hair.

His body quacked from emotional agony, and the pain of his injuries still plaguing his body. After everything he survived already, now to learn that… there was no bright tomorrow awaiting him? No hope for a future. 

His knees buckled, and Ace slumped to the floor. His head bowed, shoulders shaking with the effort to hold back his tears. It was a fruitless endeavor though, they fell with abandon, and he sobbed out choked breaths of anguish. 

The girls tried in vain to comfort Ace. The looks shared between them though said they knew nothing would calm him. Ever since being here, he’d been focused, driven towards going back to his family, his father. Stories of pirates still frightened these poor girls and a man so terribly strong as Whitebeard had been? Some had figured it was better that he was dead.

They weren’t aware of all the good that pirate crew had done though, being sheltered here. 

If this kind pirate cared so deeply for the late emperor though-- he couldn’t have been all that bad.

A few ran off to call the doctors while others stayed to help steady Ace. He’d tear his stitches out like that! 

With the doctors though, came Stelly. Such troubling news of Ace’s condition had him concerned for his newest servant. The whispering of his maids didn’t go unnoticed either. They’d told Ace what the redhead had been so adamant for the pirate to never find out.

While the doctors at least tried to check over their patient, Stelly took one of the maids by her arm and slapped the poor girl across her face. He was angry, obviously--. His lie to keep Ace here and docile was ruined now! “You daft girls! I should have you all thrown in the dungeon for this!” The one he had slapped was tossed aside without a care as he turned his attention back on Ace.

He cared more for the pirate it seemed, than his own staff who had been with him for years.

“I’ll have you all punished later-- get out of my sight.” Disgust was in brown eyes until they turned to Ace. Maybe realizing he had no other place to go.. would convince the pirate to stay here and actually work for him. Even if it did work in his favor though, the redhead would still punish everyone involved.

On the surface, it seemed like a wonderful offer. However, Ace was far too perceptive to fall for it, despite his poor state. Gray eyes narrow again, and his lips pulled back in a frown. They spoke of him like he was property, and he heard terrible stories of the slaves in Marijois. Ace spent most of his time freeing them from auction houses and slaver’s bays, taking down trading ships that ventured into Whitebeard’s territory. 

The islands under his charge were blessed with the protection of his fleet, never fearing for lost loved ones to the slave trade. 

Now, fate had dealt Ace a rather unkind card. Still in the company of an old friend, he believed himself safe from harm. Stelly had done a great kindness in helping him get Sabo free all those years ago. Ace wants to believe that the same courtesy was given now, even if he had no such reason to do it. 

“I don’t need your ships– to find Pops.. or his fleet. I know where they are.” And he began to feel the cold dread of desperation coiling around him. 

Especially with that wife of his now suggesting he swear some sort of loyalty. Ace wasn’t stupid; he knew what bending the knee meant. 

Stelly should know better. “I won’t do that.” The finality in his tone would make the difference to others, if they actually cared for what he thought or felt. “I appreciate what you did..” Maybe. Did he not deserve it, getting his terrible existence wiped off the face of the Earth? “–But I’m loyal to Pops… And I need to go back.”

The longer Stelly dragged this out, the worse the inevitable reaction would be. 

Sally huffs at what she sees as disrespect and opens her decorative fan to cover her face then. Once curious eyes are now cruel and Stelly doesn’t look too thrilled at that response either but... he’d rather Ace stay calm than find out what happened to his old man.

“The nerve of this servant--. You’ll have your hands full with that one, dear.” Sally takes a few steps away to inspect Ace again. “I’d would suggest some weeks in the dungeons would help clear his head but he’s just come from a prison hasn’t he? He’s probably used to it.” A few of her handmaidens trailed after their queen but didn’t share her cruel looks for the pirate at all. They liked Ace!

He wasn’t at all what their king and queen had told them-- warned them about pirates.

Sally laughs as she takes her leave though, making one more passing comment that has the redhead tensing. “What’s there for you to go back to?”

The queens maids kept their heads down as they passed but-- Ace had their sympathy.

Stelly clears his throat loudly to draw attention back to himself. “Yes well--. You’ve only just got here, I wouldn’t expect such fealty.” Ace gave his thanks for the rescue at least and yes-- Stelly would be ignoring what his wife had said. Ace wouldn’t get any answers from him either, just brushing off and attempts to placate the pirate. Telling him he could sail out later, always later. There were still marines around here! He was technically the property of a Celestial Dragon-- they just needed to wait for that to cool off of the World Noble to forget he’d even bought him!

It wasn’t until a few days later when he would be around some of the maids again, seastone still on him, that they would finally tell him what Stelly and his queen refused to.

He might have been more wary in his right mind. Ace would have questioned Stelly further, but he chose to believe someone he once considered a friend. The redhead had pulled him out of Hell, got him a doctor- was trying to help him along. In his own exhaustion, Ace wanted to hold on to hope instead of staying on edge. 

He would come to regret that later.

Exposing himself to a doctor and maids though… was uncomfortable in and of itself. But what more did he have to lose? Teach had already shattered his efforts, along with some of the guards and higher officials of the World Government. This was sure to spread, he knows that much. He just prayed… something would happen to prevented it. 

The warm bath was welcome after everything he endured. Getting cleaned up by maids– was new, different, a little unwelcome. They were gentle and understanding, without a word of judgment among them. He appreciated that, but quickly hid himself again when they were pulling him out of the bath, making him presentable enough for the King and Queen of Goa. 

The way they stared at him, eyeing him up like prized stock, made his skin crawl. Red eyes shifted away, unwilling to look at them. He was quiet during the queen’s inspection, seeing this rather irrelevant with what Stelly said earlier. 

Then the King openly contradicted himself.

That caught his attention. “No.” His tone wasn’t as forceful as he wanted it to be, the strain too much on his throat. 

But the shock was clearly painted across his face. “You said-!” He felt his heart pounding in his chest with genuine fear. He was no longer paying attention to the queen now. “You said you would bring me back to Pops..!” 

Did he contradict himself though? Stelly had said first that he would find a job for Ace while he was here. There was no crew for the pirate to go back to. The Whitebeard pirates had all but vanished after that new emperor killed Newgate. Stelly knew that, but Ace didn’t need to know that yet. And if this was any indication as to how the pirate would react when he actually learned the truth-- Stelly would rather he never find out.

“Honestly Ace-- one would think you’d rather be a tribute to the Celestial Dragons.” Even though the redhead wanted to be one himself-- he knew how they would treat such a.. commodity as Ace.

“That is the only reason I was permitted to buy you, but instead of handing you over-- they’re allowing you to work here, to toughen you up again. And during that time... I’ll have my ships search for yours. Understand? We’re such old friends-- I’m only trying to help you, Ace.” There are so many lies and truths sprinkled in what the king says, but it just comes natural to him. 

No World Noble was going to come for Ace, the one Stelly had gotten in contact with agreed because of some sort of debt he owed.He was going to help Ace get back to full strength but none of his ships were going to be looking for Whitebeard. Stelly stands so sure of himself though and the queen had certainly picked up her own bits of interesting information.

“Dear, you never told me you knew a pirate!” She sounds more amazed than appalled at least. Arms wrap around one of her husbands as Sally presses herself against him. 

“Didn’t I?” Stelly grins. “He wasn’t a pirate when we were children, but Ace used to hang out with my older brother.” A brother-- they had both helped escape from Outlook’s grasp so Stelly could take over and inherit everything. Now, that had played a part in the redhead being able to take Ace for himself-- away from Impel Down and execution. Only time would tell if that was the better course though.

Sally giggles to herself and looks over Ace, really sizing him up this time. An eyebrow is raised as she seems to realize something. Something the other women in the mansion had seemed to catch on to right away. Her smile turns a bit more knowing but still amused. “Well then-- If your pirate servant is going to be working for us, shouldn’t he bend the knee to you? You did save him after all. It would be rude not to.”

Somehow, he didn’t expect his actual freedom. They were friends so long ago, but a lot had changed since then. Ace had turned into a full fledged pirate, one of Whitebeard’s commanders– oh, Pops. Would he come to rescue a lost, beloved son? Would he know where to look? Or– maybe, there was some hope to be found yet. 

Stelly had still rescued him from the depths of hell, was getting a doctor even. There was hope. Maybe he was just… finding a fake position, until Ace was well enough to take off on his own and return to the family he found in the Whitebeard fleet. 

Arms wrap around his chest protectively. It didn’t hurt to ask.

–Except that it did, physically. His throat still ached, which reflected in the hushed and pained tone of his voice. “You helped me…” That wasn’t obvious or established already. He struggled to find the right words with the mess that was currently his thoughts. 

“So.. you’re gonna get me back to Pops, right?” 

With how the government was after him and everything that had happened, would Ace ever be free again? Stelly had no clue as to why Ace had actually been brought to Impel Down and why he’d been kept on such a low level of the prison, but he certainly felt no need to actually do more than he’d already done.

He’d still payed his own money for the pirate in the end, even if it was the word of one of his trading partners who actually got the order through. 

Ace was his property, by the governments law now.

The doctor joins them a few moments later and begins looking over his new patient. Stelly just thinks Ace is rambling-- a little out of it, until... bring him back? To who? “Pops..?” One of his advisers leans close to explain and the redhead only stares at Ace. His old captain was dead, there was no one left for Ace to go back to. Did he not know that?

“....Ah, sure. Just let the doctor work and.. behave for him and my maids.” He still might take that seastone off eventually, but not while Ace was like this. The pirate was calm right now but Stelly feared he would turn around if he learned the truth. Stelly wouldn’t stay with him after that though. He wasn’t interested in watching an examination and had his own work to get back to. His wife was due back any time as well and the maids still had to bathe Ace so he was presentable to her as well.

Stelly’s doctor would get Ace everything he needed and then some. The pirate was dropped off in the bathroom next, in a large and warm tub with the maids. Stelly was mostly absent for everything but he’d be back shortly enough. They’d work silently for the most part, cleaning and scrubbing Ace-- making sure to keep his bandages dry so they wouldn’t have to be changed again.

By the time Ace got back around to Stelly, the king had his queen with him now. He stood, regal as ever, while Sally stepped closer to inspect her husbands new purchase. “A pirate, darling? How daring.” A dainty hand reached out to touch a bit of the seastone on Ace with her own handkerchief. She was curious as well as wealthy. A princess by birth which-- was why Stelly married her.

In the wake of his defeat on Banaro, Ace– was in no good way. Too much had happened in the company of the Blackbeard crew, too much that would stick with him, that he would not quickly heal from. The most obvious were the physical injuries which painted his body. Impel Down was cruel enough on its own, especially down in the depths of Hell where he found himself chained. But what happened in the hands of Teach and his crew was far worse.

Ace had fought hard to present as male his entire life. It was easier in his childhood, but as he grew older? The task grew more difficult. Binding, keeping his hair short, scurrying around all the time and lowering his voice when he could– Deuce had always helped as well, so he was ever outed. 

It was another secret shared with old man Whitebeard, but he was the only one of the fleet who knew… besides Deuce of course. 

Teach– found out in the most unkind way. “Aah, Ace! Ye’ve been a GIRL this whole time!?” He’d laughed. The words still echoed in the back of the pirate’s mind. “I’ve got other uses fer ye, then.” Ace wished for death from then on. But that was too kind of a punishment, wasn’t it? 

Even now, execution had been stolen away from him. 

He didn’t want to speak, even in the face of his would-be savior. He heard the orders from the guards, telling what his fate would be: Celestial Dragon tribute. This was no Celestial Dragon though, and Ace was a little more thankful. He hated them the most, but the nobility were hardly any better.

Even still, red eyes flickered up. They scanned over the redhead, locking on his face as the gears started to turn and finally recognition flickered across those glazed eyes. “Stelly–” his voice was hoarse still, recovering from a ruptured throat on Teach’s ship. 

At least Ace recognized him, but the pirate even sounded as bad as he looked. He needed a doctor first and foremost and Stelly only happened to have access to the best around. The few of his staff and servants who were around seemed concerned too, if not more than the redhead seemed to be.

He had no idea of Ace’s secret still, assuming any bindings or wrappings on him were just from his injuries. Some of his maids however, seemed to pick up on the pirate’s secret and whisper amongst themselves. They weren’t unkind at least, merely confirming with one another because that meant-- they would have to get some extra things for their masters new houseguest.

Servant-- is what Stelly would call him though. He had bought Ace still, in a rather roundabout way, but he would still consider the pirate as his.

The redhead stood tall and proud and waved off the women on his staff. A bath would be the next thing in order and the maids could draw that up while he waited for the doctor with a few more of his servants. He still made no move to try and remove that seastone either. Both guards and marines had informed the king that Ace was dangerous without them on, even looking as near dead as he did. “The doctor will be here soon-- come. My servants will assist you with undressing for him and taking off those soiled wrappings so he can treats your wounds and reapply fresh ones. Then I will--- find a position for you here while the maids bathe you.”

It wasn’t very often the King Of Goa found himself concerned with the plight of others. Especially someone as lowly as a pirate. Portgas D. Ace was a different kind of pirate though, one the redhead actually knew from his childhood. Reading of his capture and imprisonment only seemed to bring back memories of that time years ago.

For once, both Stelly and his adopted older brother had the same goal, getting Sabo out of Outlook’s manor. Sabo didn’t want to be there and Stelly wanted to inherit everything for himself, so-- it made more sense to work with him instead of being petty and trying to ruin a reputation the blonde didn’t even want.

Besides, anything he could have down would only have driven their father into stricter rules for Sabo. He’d never leave then!

And while the blonde couldn’t leave the manor, Stelly could. Which is how he met Ace and Luffy trying to sneak in. What formed from that was an unlikely acquaintanceship and almost sometimes even- friendship. Ace and Luffy were just gutter rats to him but yet the redhead almost preferred their company to all the other children he knew. They weren’t looking for a way to backstab him, they just wanted their brother back.

So-- Stelly helped them. It was for his own gain, he’d claim, but it benefited everyone to get Sabo out of there.

“Father! You already said you adopted me in case Sabo didn’t work out! He’s going to ruin your company when he gets it, give it to me, I want it!” With the combination of Stelly hounding Outlook and Didit for being their only son and Sabo’s detachment from everything, how could they not agree that the redhead was the better son?

That led Stelly to his current goal. Somehow getting Ace out of Impel Down. He tried the obvious of just buying him, as Stelly knew he had the power to do so. There was something else keeping Ace there however, that the warden and anyone else there refused to budge on. Stelly couldn’t name a high enough price but he could bring in someone they couldn’t refuse.

Ace was to be part of the redhead’s tribute to a Celestial Dragon then! No one had the authority to turn that away. First though, he would be brought to Stelly’s own kingdom. For cleanup and presentation he said. Can’t go giving the World Nobles damaged goods now can he? What the marines didn’t know, and they couldn’t change now, is that Stelly was just going to keep Ace there in the kingdom now.

Even standing in front of the pirate now, still bound in his seastone, Stelly could hardly recognize him. Whether that was just from how Ace had grown or how beaten he looked though--.

No, that wasn’t a question. Ace notices it as well, but when it came to Stelly? It was a matter of picking which battles were worth it. This one was not. 

Besides, there is the prospect of food. “Something tells me that you’re not really interested in a feast.” However, Ace would never pass up free food. “I still want something to eat though.” 

“I’ve told you before, Portgas. You could have whatever you wanted with me.” The redheads voice is solemn for a moment, like that has some weight to it. What pirate in their right mind though-- would accept essentially being a king’s mistress?

And Stelly’s, no less.

He orders his servants quickly, to have food prepared, enough for ten men, and brought to his quarters within the hour. He, of course, has Ace join him in his room before that.

“No.”

“No, it didn’t work because you’re threatening me. It would’ve worked if you just asked instead.” 

“I can ask--!”

Stelly is is quick to backpedal. Spineless still-- but perhaps a bit more understanding with Ace’s help.