Chapter Text
“Let him come after me, I’ll end this once and for all.”
Ace snarled his words, fire licking at his forearms as he let his anger get the better of him. Sakazuki could only think that they needed to work on his emotional control.
“Teach is, for all intents and purposes, an employee of the world government. You just got promoted out of being executed for a minor infraction.” Sakazuki began professionally. “As a Petty Officer, even Petty Officer First Class, you do not have the clearance to revoke Shichibukai status, and if you were to attack an active shichibukai it would lead to disciplinary actions. Maybe even discharge from the marines. And that leads you right back into Impel Down.” He sighed. “This is to protect you, Portgas-”
“I don’t need protection. Especially not from someone like you.” Ace hissed. Sakazuki could feel a groan bubble up from deep in his chest.
“Obviously you do. Since the last time you tried to fight Blackbeard you underestimated him and ended up captured.” Sakazuki snapped, irritated. “You’ve gotten stronger since then, yes. But so has Blackbeard. I am not going to let you get yourself killed-”
“I don’t care about what stupid threat Jiji made against you! This is my choice! So if he thinks that he can punish you for my actions-”
“This isn’t about Garp or anything he’s said.” Sakazuki stated, cutting Ace off abruptly. “This is about you and you alone.” Sakazuki watched as Ace gaped, looking for words. “You’ve become someone far more important to us than some recruit, and it has to do with who you are and not because of your pain in the ass grandfather.”
For once, Ace really didn’t have a response. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to react? Barely a year ago he was on the execution stand, accepting of his fate and now he had an Admiral telling him that he was important… that Sakazuki didn’t want him to go on a suicide mission. The little boy in him desperate for validation sobbed, it was the closest he’d gotten to ‘you deserve to live’, even if it wasn’t those exact words. Ace cast his gaze down to his feet, still struggling to find words.
A new Haki signature teased the edges of Sakazuki’s awareness while he watched Ace flounder with the new information. A shiver traveled down Sakazuki’s spine as his shoulders stiffened, as did Borsalino. It seemed he sensed it too. Ace’s observation haki, though not as refined as the two Admiral's, seemed to pick up on the presence a few heartbeats after as a familiar scowl took over his face.
“Zehahahaha….” The malicious laughter came from another corridor. “There you are, Commander Ace .” Marshall D. Teach drawled, coming into the light. Sakazuki saw fire lick at Portgas’ arms as he struggled to hold himself back. It was clear the ‘Shichibukai’ was trying to get a rise out of his protege and succeeding. “I heard you abandoned Oyaji to become a marine.” That comment earned a snarled growl and a sudden jerk forward as if moving to attack the pirate. It was common knowledge why Ace joined the marines, there wasn’t a single newspaper that didn’t have the story about ‘Gol D. Ace joining the Navy to prevent war’.
Two heavy hands placed themselves on Ace’s shoulders, pulling him back from doing something foolish. Borsalino and Sakazuki stood on either side of the young man, Ace didn’t hear them move. “You don’t have to justify your actions, especially not to scum like that.” Came Sakazuki’s muttered reassurance before he addressed Teach directly. “You’re not permitted to walk about unsupervised.” Akainu spoke clearly and sternly, commanding his attention as if he wasn’t currently blocking the Shichibukai’s view. “Where’s your chaperone, Blackbeard.” When Teach didn’t take his gaze off Ace, Sakazuki’s eyes narrowed. “Need I remind you that Kizaru and I have the authority to revoke your title as Shichibukai at any time. Where is your handler.” He asked again as he and Borsalino pulled Ace behind them, closing rank in front of the young man. Finally, Teach’s gaze turned to him.
“Ahh, He should be around here somewhere. I must’ve lost him while taking a walk.” The Shichibukai drawled, half-heartedly looking around. Sakazuki could feel Ace lean against him, the brat’s shoulders shaking. Whether with rage or fear he didn’t know.
“Teach’s power allows him to suck stuff into his body. I don’t know if that includes people or not, but I know after I was knocked out I woke up to... nothingness... more than once before I was brought into custody.” Ace’s voice shook with barely contained violence. What Sakazuki didn’t see was how tightly Ace held his and Borsalino’s coats, as if that was the only thing keeping him from outright attacking. He commended the brat for having the self-restraint at least.
The information given was… concerning, however. A power that allowed for the nullification of powers was troubling to begin with but with the knowledge that he could absorb matter… Sakazuki would have to bring up the information he learned with Sengoku. Another powerful, thankfully familiar, haki signature ticked on his radar, approaching fast.
Kuzan. Thank the seas.
With him was another, weaker signature, Sakazuki could only guess who it was. As they burst into sight it was discovered that it was indeed Teach’s missing chaperone. It was a breath of relief to know that they didn’t have a missing marine because of the pirate. Kuzan’s gaze shot from Blackbeard to Sakazuki and Borsalino, then finally to Ace, piecing together the scene with the information he was given.
Obviously outnumbered and outgunned, it was clear Teach wasn’t looking for a fight. Instead, he looked to the newcomers and then back to Sakazuki and Borsalino, his gaze boring into the two admirals.
“I never would have thought my dear old Commander would have such men protecting him!” Ace flinched. “Even knowing who his father is.” Sakazuki could feel Ace heat up, barely containing himself from bursting forth and trying to pick a fight. It was a tactic the magma user was very familiar with, as he had used it many times before. Taunting to provoke an attack, with how direct he knew Garp, Roger, and Ace to be, Sakazuki never thought a D would be cunning enough to use such a strategy. “What did Commander Ace do to earn such loyalty? I bet it had to do with that cute, little ass of his. The Commander always was a little loose if you know what I mean, zehahahaha!”
The snarl that ripped its way out of Ace’s chest sounded more like it belonged to an animal than it did a young man. Teach’s taunting worked as Ace burst from behind the two Admirals, both being just a hair too slow to grab the charging brat. The young marine was pinned before he got too far though, haki clad hands held him down fast to prevent him from doing anything too stupid.
“Zehahahaha! Did I strike a nerve?” Teach asked, taking a few steps forward. He was quickly intercepted by Kuzan freezing his feet to the floor. “Ack! Cold!”
Ace struggled and squirmed, fire bursting from his body in sporadic flares. If it was anyone but Sakazuki, he was sure they would be burned. “I’LL KILL YOU. I’LL BURN YOU TO ASH!” Ace screamed, “Get OFF!”
Sakazuki leaned in close to the brat’s ear, talking low. “This is exactly what the scum wants. You’re not an officer, you have no power. If you act on this then you’ll be punished harsher than usual.” He warned, waiting until Ace was still before pulling the ex-pirate back to his feet. “Aokiji.” He barked, addressing his fellow Admiral by his codename, a sign that this was a serious request. “ Escort our guest back to his temporary quarters.” The look in the magma user’s eyes said ‘Make sure he stays there’. With a haki-clad hand clamped firmly on Ace’s nape, Sakazuki made sure the brat didn’t do anything stupid.
“Wait-“ Ace called, his voice surprisingly even. It gave his temporary handler pause, if only for a moment. “Teach, I asked you why you didn’t want the Second Division Commander spot, even though you’d been on the crew way longer than I had been. Do you remember what you told me?” The grin he got answered his question even without Teach speaking. “‘I’ve got no such ambition.’ That’s what you said. So, is this your ‘ambition’? Stabbing your crew in the back and leeching off the Marines like the parasite you are?”
The shichibukai only grinned that snaggletoothed grin of his, one that Ace used to find comforting and friendly only now it sent shivers down his spine now that he knew the true nature of his former crew member.
“Why Commander , I already told you my ambition, before you so rudely rejected my offer to join my crew.” The faux hurt on Teach’s face made Ace heat up, Sakazuki made sure to squeeze hard enough to be noticed, but not hard enough to hurt. “Though it seems my competition is a force to be reckoned with, ain’t that right.”
His words made Ace give pause for a few heartbeats before rage took over his features once again. “ Luffy will become the Pirate King.” He growled, taking a step forward before being yanked back. “If I can’t help make Oyaji King you can make damn sure I’ll be there to support my little brother, I’ll embrace being a marine if it means I can make your life hell.” He hissed, teeth bared in a feral snarl.
The grin on Teach’s face made even Sakazuki’s skin crawl. “I look forward to our partnership, Gol D. Ace.” He chimed, throwing in that little tidbit because he knew it would piss Ace off even more.
This had gone on long enough for the Admirals present, as Sakazuki met Kuzan’s eye and gave a nod. Teach was driven back to his temporary quarters without much protest but Ace was still simmering.
“What’ll take for his ‘privileges’ to be revoked.” Ace asked without it being much of a question.
Sakazuki started to steer the younger away before speaking up. “Crocodile was dismissed because of his attempts to overthrow an acting member of the World Government. His crimes against the World Government were only discovered after he was taken down by you know who. Gecko Moria, another warlord brought down by your pain in the ass brother, was dismissed because he was too weak to properly maintain the balance we need. Even with all our power and pull, my threat to Teach to revoke his status was an empty one. He needs to be proven either a threat or useless to the Government. Teach needs to either have his title revoked, or he needs to resign before you’re able to do anything.” He answered. “Him being here puts you in danger, especially since he still seems fixated on you. Because of this, you’ll be bunking with Garp until further notice”
Ace grimaced, not liking what he was hearing in the slightest. “So you’ve said… If there’s anyone who could deck a warlord and get away with it, it would be Jiji…” He grumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets. The amount that man could get away with was astonishing. Frankly, it was a shock that he wasn’t on the execution stand with Ace last year. Sleeping in his Gramp’s room wasnt… ideal, no. But Blackbeard was getting better with his fruit, and Teach could beat him when he had his fruit for about two months. Ace didn’t want to say it, he even hated thinking it. But he was at least a little scared of what Blackbeard could do. He already heard what he wanted to do, it sent a shudder down his spine thinking about how he now had the strength and means to do so. But what Sakazuki said at least gave him hope. All he needed to do is have proof that he was either incompetent or too dangerous to be trusted. He just had to bide his time, get stronger.
Ace had a new goal, take down Blackbeard even if it means becoming a ‘good’ marine.