Chapter 5: Talking helps

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter's really short, but that's the build up of Case Closed. But, in the next chapter, a lot of action's going to come! So be here for it next time! Also, during the Marineford arc, I wasn't sure how long Ace had been in Impel Down vs. Marineford, so I just went with it the best I could. So if Ace's supposed stay at Marineford is too long before execution, I apologize. Anyways, I haven't fully decided on how the next chapter's going to go, but there will be action! Advice is always loved and appreciated, thanks! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or Case Closed

The young detective felt his legs shake. Portgas D. Ace? Gol. D. Roger's son? He was alive? From what Conan had read, after Roger's execution, a mass paranoia siege of expectant mothers had been slaughtered along with their unborn children. It was disgusting to read about, but even more disturbing to think about. Jumping to conclusions, he assumed Ace and his mother were dead. Thinking about how he should approach this, Conan decided it was best to play the 'cute and naïve kid' routine. "Cool! Are you the famous Fire-Fist-Ace?" The man nodded. "So cool! The Navy complains about you and your crew all the time! You guys must be strong!" Conan decide to stop himself before he gagged on his own words.

"Eh…we do alright." Ace sweat-dropped from the kid's enthusiasm. "Whitebeard's the strongest man alive, only the strongest men are allowed on his crew."

"Whitebeard? The Whitebeard?" Conan was so glad he took theatre back in high school.

"Yep. So you've heard of us, huh?" He smiled at the kid. Relieved to have good company after his nightmarish experience.

"Who hasn't heard of you or Whitebeard-san?" Conan smiled widely.

"That's true. " Ace chuckled. "So…you said you were in here for conspiracy…no offense…but that's a little hard to believe." The young pirate frowned slightly at Conan's nervous expression.

Thinking of the cover up story, the detective quickly responded. "When I was two…my parents were slaughtered by the Bare-Knuckle pirates, and I was taken in as their coordinator. They forced me into figuring out puzzles and mysteries to find lost treasure and all that stuff. It was pretty scary."

"…Ah. I bet it was." Ace now felt bad for making the child tell him. "So if you were kidnapped, why do they suspect you of conspiracy?"

"Because I associated with them…some scary old guy named Akainu, said I couldn't be trusted. So they're keeping me locked up until the Bare-Knuckle pirates are completely wiped out…then the Fleet Admiral said they'd let me go." Conan lied easily. "They're lying, right Ace-san?"

"Yeah. Without a doubt." The shackled man looked down, feeling anger rush in him. How the hell could the Navy do this to a child? "That's too bad kid, looks like we're both goners."

That made the detective curious. "What do you mean? Aren't Whitebeard-san and his crew coming to save you?"

"Yeah. I don't want them too, though." Ace said sadly.

"Why?" Conan inquired.

"Because a war's going to erupt." Ace's words shot through Conan like a lightning bolt. "You grew up with some pretty rotten pirate-scum, so let me explain something about real pirates: nakama is everything."

'Nakama?' Conan thought.

"One of the golden rules of pirates is to never abandon your nakama under any circumstances. These men and women are your brothers, sisters, family…and Oyaji treats us exactly like that." Ace actually smiled as he talked about how his captain related to him and the rest of the crew. "We call him Oyaji, because he calls us his sons. He's a great father, a great man, the man that should be King of the Pirates."

"You and your crew sound close." Conan observed.

"Hell yeah, we are." Ace snapped slightly. "Because of that, Oyaji's going to come full force with all of the division commanders and the allies we've made over the years. The Navy's going to lure all of the pirates into Marineford and slaughter them all. Millions will die on both sides, it's gonna be ugly. Sorry you have to be here for this, kid."

'Division commanders? Whitebeard's crew must be huge!' Conan thought. 'I can understand for the sake of public declaration in using a public execution, but what's the point in starting all-out war with the pirates?'

"Are you a division commander, Ace-san?" The detective ventured a guess based on what he read.

Ace looked at him strangely, but answered anyways. "Yeah. Second-division commander, why do you ask?"

"Sorry sir, It's just that…how did you get captured?" Conan knew by now if you had a title in this world, it wasn't for show. If Whitebeard really was the strongest alive, then that meant the division commanders were naturally assumed to be strong, so what would bring a division commander of Whitebeard's down?

From the silence, the detective almost thought Ace wasn't going to answer. "I was stupid. Got into a fight with a man named Blackbeard, I went after him because he broke the most important rule of piracy: murder of his own nakama."

"So you went after a traitor." Conan nodded, having down that a few times himself.

"Yeah." Ace sighed. "He at the Yami Yami fruit, and I was stupid and didn't do any research on what it's power was, I also underestimated Blackbeard and overestimated myself. Now here I am, trapped in a prison cell at Marineford, shackled in sea stone cuffs, and awaiting my execution."

"Execution?" Conan piped.

"Yeah." The pirate nodded. "It's how they're going to lure Oyaji and the others in, they're going to broadcast my execution world-wide, and have the world witness the Navy triumph over the pirates. They've already announced the execution date, and Oyaji will know where it is."

"Where?" Conan knew already, but the role of the kid required some stupidity.

"Here; Marineford." Ace sighed. "I really let everyone down, huh? Oyaji and my nakama are worried sick, my little brother broke in and out of Impel Down to try and save me, and I'm forcing Gramps to choose between 'Absolute Justice' and family."

"Gramps?" Conan thought for a moment, and realized who he meant. "Garp-san's your grandfather?"

"Ah…he is. Why?" Ace inquired.

"Just wondering. He and his men have been the most nice to me since I got here." The detective smiled.

"That's good to hear. Gramps is pretty good with kids; he had to raise me and my little brother, after all." The fire pirate chuckled, he then looked at Conan. "So, how long have you been here, kid?"

"A week and a half. How long have you been imprisoned?" Conan replied in turn.

"Same time as you, actually." Conan's eyes widened.

"Seriously?" Conan asked a bit frantic, taking the pirate by surprise. "Was it exactly a week and three days, ago?"

"Yeah…actually. Why? What's going on? Kid?" Ace was starting to worry as he saw the younger boy's eyes get wider.

Ignoring the questions, Conan looked Ace directly in the eye. "Listen to me, how long before your execution?"

"…Three days from now." Ace answered, a little uncertain.

"How do you destroy the sea stone shackles?" Conan demanded.

"You normally just smash them." Ace frowned. "Kid…where are you going with this?"

Ignoring Ace's question once again, the boy spoke. "If I busted you out of here, would you be willing to take me to see Whitebeard-san…there's something I need to ask him."

"Kid…are you nuts?" Ace asked dryly. "First of all…there's no way you can get off the island without a boat, someone's going to catch you. Two, even if you did bust me out of here, what makes you think I'll take you to Oyaji,"

"Because you're not a stupid man, and I know you'll want me to meet Whitebeard-san, anyways." Conan reasoned logically.

Ace thought for a moment and then nodded. "Okay kid…if you bust me out of here…I'll take you to see Oyaji." The pirate was scoffing inwardly, as if the kid was even capable of doing it.

"So I have three days, right?" Conan snapped Ace out of his thoughts.

"That's right." Ace nodded.

Smirking, Conan put his hands in his pajama pockets and stood in his usual cocky and relaxed pose. "Good. Cause all I need is one."