Ace wasn’t exactly known for being gentle.

Being a pirate and all, he was certainly rough and rugged around the edges. Given most of their reputations, pirates, especially as infamous as him, weren’t renowned for their softness and hospitality.

Instead, they were known for their brashness and cruelty. Respected in some places, feared in most places. Most villages you’ve been to have detested and despised pirates coming close to their land, in fear of being raided and killed by their strong men.

Growing up with mountain bandits and now being on a pirate crew full of men, it didn’t really soften him up that much.

Those boys sparred all the time, it was kind of concerning you. How they could beat eachother up silly and still have goofy smiles on their faces was absolutely beyond your comprehension. It troubled you — disturbed, even.

Loud, boisterous laughter and yells came from all over Whitebeard's ship, the sound of impact and things falling over were quite common.

You were used to it by now, though. It’s not like it bothered you anymore. It wasn’t your concern — not your problem. At least you weren’t the one getting hurt.

Until Ace started to mess with you as well.

To put it shortly, you and him were somewhat friends. You welcomed him onto Whitebeard's ship. And being on his ship required a lot of fighting knowledge, skill, and of course, the ability to hold your own in a scuffle.

Obviously, you could do all of those things.

It wasn’t until you aided the pirates in a battle with an adversarial group that Ace really started to pay attention to you. He realized that he’d never really seen you fight up until then.

"Damn, they’re strong.." he muttered to himself as he burned yet another enemy.

You did it all with a calm expression on your face. A few scratches hither and thither, but nothing serious.

He didn’t even realize how hot his face was getting from watching you fight.

The other division commanders teased and taunted him mercilessly as they made their way back to the ship, making comments about how he looked like a lovestruck highschool boy.

"Man, you weren’t even paying attention to the guy you were fighting!" Marco chuckled.

"I think he’s in love.." Izou added with a snide smirk.

And maybe he was.

That’s when he started to get lot more physical with you.

He'd sling his heavy arm around your neck, pull you into tight hugs, even nudge you roughly into walls when you walked together.

Ace barely used to put his hands on you before now — and damn, he was so stupid to not realize that you were stronger than you seemed.

The sun was shining over the crystal blue water of the Grand Line, the usual energy of the Whitebeard pirates bouncing happily off each surface. Thatch was on the grill, Marco was restocking his medical equipment, and everyone else was just having a good time.

Drinks, Chatter, Laughter — it all interlinked on their crew.

Ace stumbled out of his room, hat tipped to the side as he approached the bar for more rum.

He saw you also by the bar, looking bored out of your mind and you swirled your own drink in your hands.

If he wanted a chance to impress you, it was now.

Gathering the courage, he approached you, asking you if you wanted to spar with him in the training room.

"You look bored," he excused.

You initially wanted to say no, but you couldn’t resist that goofy smile of his.

And before you knew it, you were at a standoff with him, face to face.

He immediately started in, refusing to hold back anything on you. Fire attacks, punches, hard blows — he did everything in his power to try and make you fall.

"You’re strong.." he commented as you dodged his blows easily, his eyes widening.

He didn’t hesitate to swing again and again, doing his very best to try and make you forfeit while dodging your own attacks.

He didn’t hold back on you because he thought you were frail or weak.

He didn’t hold back on you because he knew you could handle it.

"Getting tired, sweetheart?" He called out as you tried catching your breath.

"C'mon. I know you can handle way more than that."