61 Chapter 61

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"

Ace, Vash, Terzo, Second, Teach, and Mihar were singing shoulder to shoulder as the Doubles played instruments to pass the time.

Currently, they were sailing towards their next island. The Royal Aces were doing their own thing.

Eri was resting on the deck. She just finished working out to someday meet Ace's requirements.

Soma was inside the kitchen cooking their lunch. He was trying out some exotic ingredients he only came to know about in Skypiea.

Enel and Vash were in the crow's nest. Doppol made the crow's nest big enough to feel like a lounge room. The two of them were the most effective scouts in the crew.

Kotatsu was curled up beside Hepha who was sitting against the railing of the ship tinkering with something in her hand.

"Is it always this rowdy?" Tanya asked Hepha. She was standing up, leaning on the railing beside Hepha.

"When they're in the mood," Hepha answered.

"And when is that, usually?"

"Almost all the time." Hepha chuckled. Then, she steered the conversation. "You know, you don't feel like a ten year old."

"Thanks. I don't like being treated as a kid."

"Not what I heard from Ace." Hepha smirked. Ace told the crew stories of how Tanya was deeply indebted and thankful for the three Weather Masters at Birka Library.

"I swear, Ace runs his mouth off too much." Tanya sighed.

"He's definitely not the textbook definition of a pirate captain," Hepha said with a giggle before focusing more on what she was tinkering with.

Tanya was a naturally curious and inquisitive girl. She didn't know what Hepha was tinkering with, so her attention was naturally drawn to it.

"What is that?" Tanya asked as she stuck her face closer to what Hepha had in her hands.

"Thank goodness. You have a childish streak, after all," Hepha said to Tanya after seeing her eye gleam in wonder. "But, to answer your question, this little thing here is an important treasure to all sea-farers."

"Stop with the rhetoric already."

"Ohh, fine. This thing here is called an Eternal Pose," Hepha said as she raised the Eternal Pose in her hand so Tanya could see it more clearly.

"Eternal Pose?"

"I forgot. You were born and raised on a sky island."

"I was," Tanya said as she nodded. "Is that thing all Blue Sea people know about?"

"No, I don't think so," Hepha said. "Although, navigators on the Grand Line should know about this."

"So, it's a navigation tool," Tanya said, to which Hepha nodded. "Is it different from the Log Pose I read about?"

"Ohh? You know about Log Poses? That makes explaining this easier. An Eternal Pose acts exactly like a Log Pose does, but it only ever points to one island."

"Really?" 

Tanya looked closer at the Eternal Pose. Hepha gave it to her so she could inspect it more closely.

"Doesn't look that special," Tanya said, to which Hepha laughed.

"You're right. It's not really that complicated, creating Eternal Poses. People who make a living by selling those as 'incredibly valuable' are geniuses," Hepha said.

"Why not join them, then?"

"Ehh. Money isn't really a problem for me."

Tanya returned the Eternal Pose to Hepha. Then, she sat beside her.

"So, how do you make one?" Tanya asked.

But, Hepha just stuck out her tongue at Tanya.

"That's a forgemaster's secret. Why would I tell you?"

"Who's the kid, again?" Tanya asked after seeing Hepha show her childish streak.

Without both of them noticing, the song was already over. Ace went over to them.

"You look happy," Ace said with a grin to Hepha. He was really happy to see Hepha slowly opening up.

"Maybe," Hepha said with a similar grin before standing up to stretch. "I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when Soma finishes cooking lunch."

"He'll be done soon, I think," Ace said.

"I meant my lunch. He probably cooked just enough so that everyone but me gets to eat."

"Ehh? Soma would never do that."

"HAHAHAHA! Wouldn't put it past him if he did," Hepha said before closing the door behind her.

At what seemed like the same moment, the door to the dining room opened. Soma stepped out. A delicious scent of freshly cooked food came out with him.

"Everyone! Lunch is ready!" Soma announced loudly. 

Everyone, except Hepha, started going inside the dining room. Ace was the first one inside. When Terzo came in next, Ace was already wolfing down his plate of spaghetti.

Everyone sat around a rectangular table. They almost always share a meal together.

"Whoah, Ace! Slow down!" Soma said after seeing Ace heartily eat his food. He was happy to see his food be so loved. "No one's going to take your plate."

"Can't help it!" Ace said after eating all the spaghetti on his plate. "You're a really great cook, Soma!"

"You know, you should try other dishes for variety," Vash said as he ate his steak.

"No need. I love Soma's spaghetti!" Ace then raised his plate to Soma. "Seconds, please!"

"No problem!" Soma took Ace's plate and refilled it with the spicy spaghetti Ace loved so much. "It's great that you love my food, Ace. Unlike someone…"

"Ahh, you mean Hepha?" Ace asked. "She's sleeping."

"Huh? Without eating lunch?" Soma looked flabbergasted.

"Yeah. She said maybe you didn't cook for her."

"And why would I do that?" Soma looked pissed. "That damn woman! There's nothing I love more than cooking!"

Soma marched out of the dining room to drag Hepha to the table and eat lunch.

"You know, for someone who says he hates women, it doesn't seem like it," Vash commented as he ate donuts.

"Again? Donuts for lunch?" Terzo asked after seeing what Vash was eating.

"I ate lunch just now. This is my dessert. Mind your own food, Thirdy." Vash sneered at Terzo.

"C'mon, I was just concerned! Wouldn't want you to die early from your shit diet, Oldie!" Terzo shot back.

"ZEHAHAHA! You guys seem rowdier than usual. What's up?" Teach asked as he ate cherry pies for dessert.

"Vash-san and Teach-san are already eating dessert? Pirates eat fast!" Eri was impressed. She then tried eating faster.

"I told Vash what Terzo did when we first met Enel," Augur said as he cut into the fish he was eating.

"Ahh, thinking about that is still embarrassing," Enel said.

"Must suck being stupid," Tanya said as she ate her stir-fried vegetables that were drizzled in chocolate syrup.

"YAHAHAHA! You're still so harsh, Tanya-chan!"

"Sensei, can I have chocolate syrup too?" Eri asked Mihar.

"No, Eri. Chocolate syrup on anything but dessert is disgusting," Mihar curtly answered.

"Meow?" Kotatsu looked up from his bowl.

"No, you also can't have chocolate syrup." Mihar looked like he did his best to refuse Kotatsu's adorable eyes.

"I was so happy after I heard what Terzo did for me!" Vash said. "I had no idea that I had such a strong lackey!"

"Like I said, I did it as a friend!" Terzo pointed his spoon at Vash.

"Sure you did, Thirdy."

"W-W-Water!"

"I told you to slow down, Eri!" Mihar said as he handed a glass of water to a choking Eri after she tried to eat fast.

At that moment, the door to the dining room opened again. Soma was dragging Hepha along by the ear.

"Ow ow ow! Alright, alright! I'll eat!" Hepha said as she sat down on a free seat while rubbing her sore ear.

Soma went back behind the kitchen counter before answering.

"Skip lunch again and I will definitely stop cooking for you, damn woman!" Soma pointed a spatula at Hepha.

"Alright, I get it! Don't get your panties so twisted, kid!" Hepha smirked.

Soma just clicked his tongue in response. He was filling a plate. He then gave that plate to Hepha. It had as much food as the others' plate.

Hepha looked at her full plate and smiled. She started eating with the crew.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Man, I love rowdy lunches! Reminds me so much of-"

Ace was about to tell a story of his childhood when Hepha interrupted him.

"I swear Ace, if you tell a story about your brothers one more time…!"

"Fine, fine! Tch!"

"You have brothers?" Tanya asked, which made Ace perk up.

"Just tell a different story," Hepha said to Ace with a sigh.

"I'm so glad you asked, Tanya!" Ace said. "You see, I have two brothers! We messed around a lot. Since Hepha wants me to tell a story I haven't told yet, let me tell you about the time when we robbed nobles…"

"Children robbing nobles?" Terzo laughed. "Oh, I so wanna hear this!"

The Royal Aces then continued their lunch merrily…

…

After lunch, the Royal Aces went back to do their own thing. 

Tanya was standing near the front part of the ship. It was her job as Weather Master to help Terzo, the navigator, when it comes to weather related problems.

Right now, the winds are telling her something. Her knowledge combined with her Devil Fruit powers make her more efficient and precise when it comes to predicting the weather.

Tanya flew up to the crow's nest. Augur was the one inside.

"Something wrong, Master Tanya?" Augur asked, addressing Tanya respectfully. He knew she had the title of Weather Master.

"No. Just here to announce my findings to the crew," Tanya said as she walked to a Transponder Snail. She picked up its receiver and spoke to it. "Everyone! In ten minutes, we'll be entering a winter climate! We're near our destination! Keep a change of winter clothes near you!"

Tanya's announcement was heard everywhere in the ship. Transponder Snails acting like speakers were placed strategically on the ship so that every room except the brig can hear the announcements.

Ace heard the announcement as well, but he did nothing. He wasn't really bothered by the heat or cold ever since he ate his Devil Fruit.

Ace could still feel hot and cold things. He just stopped feeling pain and discomfort with any temperature.

Currently, Ace had a tray of food on his hand. He was heading towards the brig where they were holding a prisoner.

It was one of the Vice Admirals of the Navy Fleet that Vash, Hepha, and Augur defeated. The Vice Admiral had the power to turn into, create, and control clouds.

Ace found it funny that the Vice Admiral's name was apparently Nimbus. Right now, he was still restrained with seastone inside the Ashen Dragon's brig.

Vice Admiral Nimbus was frequently tortured for information. Vash and Soma were the ones in charge of interrogating him.

There were two things that they were interrogating him for. One was any valuable information about the Navy that he could give them. Two was everything he knew about the scientific organization named DELTA.

Vash and Soma were acting on Ace's orders. Vash was there because he was a doctor and knew the limits of the human body. Soma was there as the torturer and nutritionist.

Currently, both of them have finished interrogating Nimbus. As usual, he said nothing and just took the beating.

Soma cooked a dish for Nimbus to eat and Ace wanted to be the one to give it to Nimbus. Vash accompanied him.

"He still told you nothing?" Ace asked.

"Yeah. He's rather stubborn."

"Don't worry. He'll break soon. Then, we'll have information about DELTA." Ace reassured Vash.

Ace didn't forget the reason why Vash set out to sea in the first place. He didn't forget the reason for everyone in the crew.

Vash was searching for the brother that he thought was dead who apparently ordered the death of his best friend Verna.

"Hopefully, he does," Vash said.

Ace and Vash opened the door leading to the lowest level of the ship where the brig was. There were many empty cells. So far, Nimbus was their only prisoner…