c h a p t e r n i n e
e m p e r o r

Every member from Fairy Tail was already heading back to Magnolia. Except for the team that fought in the Grand Magic Games— we'll Team Natsu, actually.

They'd be leaving the day after, seeing as they still needed to fully recover. At least Ace did. He was so emotionally exhausted he'd be passing out every second of the day. And she wasn't denying it, but Erza was recovered... for the most part. But she just thought the small reindeer tending to her wounds was just the most adorable thing in the world so she'd fake being sick if she had to.

As for the Straw Hats, they were loud. Very loud. But that was something they were all used to. Only now it was much worse considering Natsu and Happy always joined them in their ruckus— but other than that, they were nice people. And the Fairy Tail wizards could tell how fond Ace was of them. They could easily tell by the way he'd looked at them every time they were being their crazy selves.

"Hey, Sanji." The blond cook turned towards his captain's brother. "Yeah, what's up?"

"We haven't finished our conversation from a few days ago."

In an instant, everyone had shut up. Even Natsu.

"You mean about Luffy?"

Ace nodded, "I know there's more. What's the crybaby been up to?"

"Crybaby?" The Straw Hats raised a brow and tilted their heads in utter confusion. Their moron of a captain a crybaby? He hates crybabies.

Ace snickered and waved it off, "Yeah, you wouldn't get it."

Sanji shrugged it off, "is there something you wanna know in specific?"

"Not really." Ace leaned back on his chair. "Anything will do."

"Well," Sanji huffed annoyingly, a pout present on his face. "For the two years we weren't together, Luffy was in Rusukaina. That's where he was trained with the help of Rayleigh."

"He can use Conquerers Haki!" Chopper added excitedly. "He took down like fifty thousand fishmen in one go!"

Ace and Team Natsu widened their eyes. Gray and Erza eyed each other, almost as if they were speaking through their minds. That wasn't possible, right?

"No way!" Ace let out a laugh. "Are you serious?"

Usopp nodded rapidly, "Yep! And you won't believe all the strong opponents he's defeated so far!"

"Ooh! Like who?" Ace was now seated in front of Usopp and Chopper, waiting excitedly for the details.

"Well, first is some Vander Decken guy." Usopp said. "He was this pirate obsessed with marrying the mermaid princess."

"Mermaid princess?" Lucy and Happy visualized an image, both of them shuddering at their similar thought.

"After that," The pirate crew eyed one another, before a proud smirk appeared on their face. "Doflamingo."

The drink Ace was drinking was now all over Usopp and Chopper. He had spat out every single drop. "Luffy, my kid brother, defeated DOFLAMINGO?"

Robin chuckled, "That he did."

"If you're surprised by that, you might pass out once you find out who he recently defeated. Before we got here." said Nami, a grin on her face.

"Who?!" Ace basically bounced on his bum. "Who, Nami? Who?" He looked like a little child waiting for his mother to finish a bedtime story.

"Ace," Sanji lit up another cigarette. "Your annoying little brother–" he inhaled a long puff of smoke.

Ace grew closer, Natsu doing so too. He didn't know who any of those guys were but if Ace was acting that way then that means they had to be powerful people. "Hurry it up, Sanji!" Ace pouted.

"We're not a regular crew with a regular captain." Usopp grinned, the rest of the crew gleaming with pride.

"We're a crew with an emperor as a captain." Chopper puffed out his little chest.

Ace let out a loud audible gasp, mouth agape.

"After all," Sanji smirked. "He did defeat Kaido."

"Kaido?!" Ace was on his feet within a second, with a proud smile that could blind anyone with how much he basically shone. "Wait a minute, if he defeated Kaido then does that mean—"

If it were possible, the Straw Hats held a prouder look, "That's right." Robin smiled. "Wano has been set free by Luffy."

"I don't mean to turn this gloomy but," Nami faced Ace. "Tama misses you so much."

"Tama?" His eyes widened before he wavered and slouched down, his face covered by a shadow. "Is she okay?"

Nami smiled, "She's a strong girl. Striving to become a bewitching kunoichi." The ginger-head giggled as she recalled the little girl's declaration.

"Did she now?" Ace huffed lightly with a small smile before looking back up. "Did you ever meet a gi— man by the name of Yamato?"

"He's doing fine too." said Robin. "Almost joined our crew but he decided to stay behind to protect the Land of Wano."

"We like to call him an honorary Straw Hat." Usopp said, to which Chopper nodded. "Momo too."

"Oh, yeah!"

"The point is," Sanji threw out his burnt out cigarette. "Wano is now basically claimed territory of the Straw Hats. If they're ever in trouble again, well our Capitan wouldn't be too happy about it."

Ace sat back down, processing everything before he let out a laugh and plopped down on his back. "So that crybaby's an emperor." He looked up at the ceiling. "Hear that, Sabo? Our kid brother is getting closer to his dream."

Their moment was cut short by the inn's owner busting in with a knight, "Emergency news! Magnolia was partly destroyed by three powerful men! All of our knights were taken out in an instant!"

And with nothing else being said or paid, the group ran out. The Straw Hats praying it wasn't who they thought it was.