Chapter 13: Syrup Village

"Hoo! Hoo!"

"Hey! Captain! Can you really let a weak woman row a boat alone?!" Nami shouted angrily at Ace, who was sleeping soundly.

The banquet on the merchant ship had lasted long into the night, until a Marine ship noticed something was amiss. The captain and sailors of the merchant ship helped Ace and Nami leave, providing them with a lifeboat, food, fresh water, and beer. This act of kindness from people Nami usually feared as pirates left her feeling conflicted.

Ace woke up, scratching his nose. "Don't say that, Nami. You're a navigator and didn't want to use the sailboard with me," he said with a laugh.

"Yes, I'm a navigator, not a helmsman!" Nami retorted, her frustration growing.

Ace's windsurfing board was just big enough for one person to sleep on. Unfortunately, Nami's ship had sunk into the sea along with the pirate ship, destroyed by Ace's fire fist.

"Captain, I have a question," Nami said suddenly.

"What's the problem?" Ace replied, munching on a piece of bread.

"Where did your money come from?" Nami asked hesitantly, worried that her question might make Ace suspicious. What happened on the merchant ship weighed heavily on her mind. If he didn't steal it, where did he get all that money?

"These are all ill-gotten gains," Ace explained, opening his backpack. "Some were stolen from pirates, some obtained from bandits, and some taken from nobles who abused slaves."

Nami bit her lip as she listened. Nothing from commoners? Although she still held stereotypes about pirates, Ace's actions on the merchant ship made her believe him. Besides, someone as powerful as Ace had no need to lie to her. But should she still steal the money?

Taking a deep breath, Nami looked at Ace. "So, Captain, where are we going next?" she asked.

"We need to look for more companions. I still need a doctor for the ship," Ace said, smiling slightly.

"Doctor?" Nami was puzzled.

...

They arrived at Syrup Village after several days of sailing. With Nami as the navigator, the journey was smooth, putting Ace in a good mood. "Nami, it's great to have you as my navigator," he said, laughing.

"I-I'm not as good as you say," Nami replied, feeling happy. Her dream was to sail around the world and draw a map, and being recognized for her sailing skills delighted her.

"How do you know there will be a doctor in this village?" Nami asked as Ace secured the boat and jumped onto the shore.

"Intuition, just like I knew you were my destined navigator," Ace said, smiling gently.

"Don't say such misleading things," Nami stammered, a little stunned.

"Okay, come with me. My doctor seems to be in trouble," Ace said, unfolding his Observation Haki.

...

In a villa in Syrup Village, a beautiful girl with long blond hair lay half-conscious on her bed, her face pale and full of pain.

"Crunch."

The door opened, and a man in a suit and glasses walked in. Kaya looked up and saw it was her butler, Klahadore, not knowing he was actually Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.

"Miss Kaya, the funeral has concluded," Kuro said, pushing up his glasses.

"Thank you, Klahadore. Leave me alone for a while," Kaya replied weakly.

"Please eat something," Kuro insisted, wheeling in a food cart.

"I told you I want to be alone!" Kaya shouted, closing her eyes.

Kuro, unfazed, saluted and left. From an angle Kaya couldn't see, his glasses glinted with cruelty. He had killed Kaya's parents and planned to gain the villagers' and Kaya's trust before killing her to claim her wealth.

"Boom!"

After the door closed, Kaya looked out the window, her eyes filled with sadness and confusion about her future.

"Crack!"

The window suddenly opened silently.

"Whoosh!"

Two figures appeared at the window.

"Miss, it looks like you're in trouble. Do you need help?" Ace asked, smiling gently.

Nami stood beside him, her expression puzzled by the strange turn of events.

Syrup Village, in a villa...

"Who are you?" Kaya asked, coughing slightly as the window suddenly opened, revealing Ace and Nami. Kaya, who had grown up in the village, knew they weren't from around there.

Nami curiously observed the frail, pale girl. No matter how she looked at it, Kaya didn't seem like someone who could become a doctor.

"My name is Ace, I am a pirate, and this is Nami, my navigator," Ace introduced confidently, causing Nami to gasp. Introducing themselves as pirates to a weak girl seemed strange.

To Nami's surprise, Kaya didn't scream but smiled warmly. "Mr. Pirate, do you need some help? I still have some money here."

"Hey! Did you hear him? He's a pirate, a pirate! Aren't you afraid?" Nami asked in disbelief.

"There are good and bad pirates, right? Mr. Pirate doesn't look like a bad guy," Kaya chuckled. Despite her frailness and frequent temper, she felt a strange kindness from Ace, not knowing he used a subtle touch of Conqueror's Haki.

Nami fell silent, remembering her past experiences with pirates like Arlong's crew. But this guy... Ace was different. She looked at him with a complicated expression.

"We don't need money," Ace said, smiling at Kaya.

"Then, Mr. Pirate..."

"Just call me Ace," he interrupted gently.

"Okay, you can call me Kaya. So, Ace, why are you here?" Kaya asked, coughing.

"I have a superpower that lets me predict parts of the future. In the future, you are my destined ship doctor, Kaya," Ace said, looking at her with pity.

Kaya, still mourning her parents' deaths and feeling her loneliness, was stunned. Nami was also confused, wondering if Ace was telling the truth. How else could he have known Kaya's exact location?

"Ace, you're joking. I can barely go for a walk, let alone be a ship's doctor. I've just read some medical books," Kaya said, giving a self-deprecating smile.

"Let me show you my other superpower," Ace said, taking out a small wooden stick. "Watch this, Kaya."

With a snap of his fingers, Ace's index finger and thumb turned into flames, igniting the stick. Kaya watched in amazement, covering her mouth.

"Ace, aren't your hands hot?" Kaya asked, worried.

"I have superpowers. Now, Kaya, blow on it," Ace said, jumping down from the windowsill and approaching her.

"Okay," Kaya agreed, and when she blew, the flames turned into a bright rose with a never-dying flame in the center.

"The dark days will pass. This fire rose is for you, Kaya. Be happy," Ace said warmly, handing her the rose.

Kaya took the rose, tears streaming down her face. She poured out her thoughts about her parents and her longing for the outside world, while Ace listened quietly with a gentle smile. Nami, feeling pity for Kaya, rolled her eyes at Ace's skill in coaxing the girl.

In the following days, Ace visited Kaya daily, performing magic tricks and sharing sea stories. Kaya's smile grew happier. However, Ace's deliberate actions eventually led to their discovery by Kuro...

Inside the room, Kaya was humming her favorite tune. Although she still looked a bit pale, her expression was much brighter than before. She no longer lost her temper, and her gentle nature had returned. Each day, she eagerly awaited the arrival of Ace and Nami.

"Miss Kaya, it's time to eat," Kuro said, pushing a dining cart into the room and adjusting his glasses with his palm.

"Khaladore, are you preparing more food lately? My appetite has been pretty good," Kaya said, trying to hide her true intention of saving her favorite food for Ace and Nami.

"You don't have to wait for those two people today," Crowe said, pushing his glasses again.

"Why?! What did you do to them?" Kaya asked, her voice rising in concern.

"They are not unknown people; they are my friends. What did you do to them, Khaladore?!" Kaya demanded.

"I didn't do anything to them. I just told them not to bother you anymore, Miss," Kuro replied expressionlessly. He hadn't yet gained Kaya's absolute trust and dependence as he would in the future.

In the past few days, Kuro had discovered Ace and Nami's presence. During his surveillance, he overheard a conversation that nearly terrified him.

"Doesn't Kaya's butler look like the captain of the Black Cat Pirates Kuro, who the Marines claimed to have eliminated?"

If it hadn't been for the disbelief in that last sentence, Kuro might have been exposed. Fortunately, Ace's comment was dismissed as a coincidence. But to secure his plans, Kuro decided to eliminate Ace and Nami. He secretly informed his crew to deal with them.

"Why, why? Ace and Nami are my friends! Why did you drive them away?" Kaya shouted, her excitement causing her to cough.

"Miss, your health is the most important. Besides, don't you still have me? Let me handle these suspicious individuals," Kuro said, reaching for the rose by Kaya's bedside. He was puzzled by the flame at its center.

"Stop, Khaladore!" Kaya snapped, gripping the rose tightly. "This is precious to me; it has nothing to do with you. Please step back."

Seeing Kaya's fierce determination, Kuro backed off. He knew that time was on his side. Eventually, Kaya would forget her anger and remember him as the most trustworthy butler.

"Please eat, Miss. Your health is not good," Crowe said, giving a butler's salute before leaving to confirm the status of Ace and Nami with his crew.

After Crowe left, Kaya stared at the flame rose. In its eternal flame, she saw a blurred image of Ace's face. "Ace... and Nami, if you're leaving, at least say goodbye," Kaya murmured, biting her lip.

Later, Kaya picked up a medical book and began reading carefully.

Meanwhile, the Black Cat Pirates, sent by Crowe, were lying on the ground, defeated. "Are you kidding me? Why would someone of this level appear here?" Jango, one of the pirates, muttered, looking at Ace with fear. Beside him, Buti and Sam, both with bounties of 7 million Beli, lay motionless, like dead dogs.

The so-called battle had been a swift defeat. Ace had dispatched them effortlessly. Zangao realized that if Ace had intended to kill them, they would be dead already. Someone of Ace's caliber belonged on the Grand Line, not in a small village. Even Kuro their captain, didn't possess such terrifying strength.

"Nami, tie them up. This is a gift for my ship's doctor," Ace said, a slight smile on his face.

Nami nodded, still in awe of Ace's strength. As she tied up Jango and the others, she couldn't help but wonder if Ace was stronger than Arlong, the ferocious monster who had terrorized her for so long.

Late at night in Kaya's mansion, the door opened gently with a creak. Kaya, soundly asleep, was unaware of the dark figure slipping into her room. Moonlight and the flickering flame rose cast a cold reflection on his glasses. It was 'Hundred Strategies' Kuro, disguised as the kind butler .

"The flame still burns... There's definitely something unusual about this flower," Kuro thought, glancing at the sleeping Kaya before focusing on the mysterious flame rose. Ever since he discovered Ace and Nami, and overheard Ace's suspicions, Kuro had been on high alert. The inexplicable, unextinguishable flame in the rose only heightened his caution.

"Is it the work of a Devil Fruit user?" Kuro mused. Regardless, he needed to examine it closely. Known for his caution and cunning, Kuro slowly extended his hand toward the rose.

Just as Kuro was about to touch the rose, the flame flared up suddenly. "Not good!" Kuro tried to retreat, but the flame morphed into a musket and shot through his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. The excruciating pain made him scream.

"Who's there?!" Kaya woke up in panic, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of Crowe impaled against the wall. "Khaladore?!"

"Sacred Fire—Shiranui," a voice said from the window. Ace appeared on the windowsill, his finger ablaze, pointing at the helpless Crowe. "I've been waiting for you, Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, 'Baiji' Crowe."

Ace's understanding of the Mera-mera Fruit had allowed him to modify 'Shiranui,' creating a flame that could be activated remotely. This trick had been specifically prepared for Crowe.

"Ace?!" Kaya exclaimed, her relief quickly turning to confusion. "Ace, did you say Khaladore is the captain of a pirate group?"

"No, miss, don't believe him! He's the one who attacked me!" Kuro yelled desperately.

Ace remained calm. "This fire rose reacts only when you're in danger, Kaya. If Kuro had no ill intentions, why would he sneak into your room while you were sleeping?"

Kaya, now wary and fearful, stood behind Ace, watching Kuro with distrust. Kuro's face twisted in anger and frustration. He couldn't understand how everything had gone wrong. His meticulous plan was unraveling.

Ace pulled a rope, and three unconscious figures—Jango, Buchi, and Sam—hit the ground. "Jango, Buchi, Sam?!" Kuro muttered, recognizing his defeated crew. It was unsurprising given Ace's strength.

"Kaya, this man is 'Hundred Strategies' Kuro, a notorious pirate with a bounty of 16 million Beli!" Nami said, jumping through the window and pointing at Crowe.

"Damn it!" Crowe growled, trying to resist. But Ace's flame spear surged, intensifying Crowe's agony and silencing his defiance.

"Don't move. I am the Flame Man of the Mera-mera Fruit. You understand what a Logia Devil Fruit means, right?" Ace said with a light smile. Crowe's face filled with despair. As a strategist, he knew the invincibility of a Logia user in the weak East Blue.

Ace turned to Jango. "Use your hypnosis to make him confess his plans and actions."

"I can't escape death even if I use my hypnosis," Jango said, gritting his teeth.

"For the sake of my ship's doctor, I promise you'll live after the hypnosis," Ace assured, glancing at the still-stunned Kaya.

"I trust the word of a strong man," Jango said, approaching Kuro with his props.

Kuro, weakened by pain, couldn't resist. Under hypnosis, he revealed his plan to murder Kaya's parents and take over her estate. Kaya, horrified by the confession, burst into tears, leaning into Ace for comfort.