(Ace's POV)

Ace walks down below deck, to come across Lucy helping the crew fix the glaring holes in the ship. She looks up when she hears someone come down the stairs. She sees Ace and looks back down at the wood in her hands and keeps helping patch the ship up. Ace notices how she doesn't greet him and winces. The ship starts taking on too much water and starts to tilt. Lucy calls out to Aquarius "Help keep the water out!" The large mermaid nods and she creates a swell holding the ship up above the sea. Ace grabs a bucket and starts dumping the water out. Lucy and the crew quickly patch up the holes. "Bye Lucy!" Aquarius says before disappearing in a flash of light.

Lucy sits down, exhausted. She wipes the sweat from her brow and some of the crew crowd around her. "Whoa! That was amazing!" "Was that THE celestial spirit Aquarius? I've only read about her in books!" "So much magic for a- wait, how old are you?" "What's your name, sweetheart?" Lucy puts on a small smile, blushing. "I'm Lucy. I'm 14." She says shyly. Some of them frown. "Welcome to the crew Lucy." "We should party tonight!" "YEAH! Let's go ask the captain!" "But didn't we party last night?" "Screw it! We can party every night!" And then they drag her up to the captain's quarters. "Um..it's OK you guys really.." she says as they pass the crew from the defeated ship surrounded and bound to the mast. What was left of them at least..

Lucy bites her lip. The tall lady who looks like she might be the captain stares at Lucy. She has deep blue colored eyes and long black hair. "You! Girl! Come here." She orders. Lucy slips from the group's fingers and timidly walks over. The woman looks at her and Lucy can see the cogs turning in her head. "Join my crew!" She commands. "No." Lucy says flat-out. "Why not?" the woman demands. "Because My grandpa is the captain, besides that, everyone here has been so amazing to me." she says softly. Everyone stares at Lucy like shes grown another head, eyes wide in shock. "I'll find a way to recruit you darling. Just wait." Muriel says with a smirk and a wink.

Lucy looks at her crew and with their eyes, they're all telling her the same thing: Run while you still can.

Lucy bites her lip and backs away slowly. She takes two steps and bumps into Whitebeard. "C-captain!" She exclaims. "You will try nothing on my sweet granddaughter." He warns Muriel. "Hmph. She doesn't have a choice. And neither do you." Muriel says with a laugh. Ace wraps his arms around Lucy protectively. The deck of the ship shutters, "You will never recruit me to your ship" Lucy says her voice low and dangerous. The waves start crashing against the side of the ship roughly as if a storm was coming in. "I am content to stay right where I am." her voice has gotten lower and far more menacing. White-beard is standing behind Lucy giving her support for her to face her problems head on.

Muriel chuckles. "Ooh, fiesty." She says and her crew duck their heads as is they were trying to hide. "You'll see things my way eventually." She says. She leans back against the mast, closing her eyes. Lucy pushes off Ace and goes down to the galley for lunch. She sits down at a table in a dark corner and hugs herself.

(Ace's POV)

"Captain..she shoved me away again.." Ace says softly. "Well, go talk to her. If that doesn't work, give her space." White-beard says, crossing his arms. "Son, women are like the ocean. They can't be tamed by any man. Nor can they be reasoned with once their mind is made. However, they can be appeased." Ace looks up at White-beard. "So what should I give to her?" He asks the captain. White-beard shrugs. "I barely know her. You're on your own." The captain says and goes into his quarters, yawning.

Ace sighs and looks up at the sky. "This is gonna be a tough one." He says and goes down to the galley where Lucy is sitting alone as she eats a sandwich. He slides into the bench next to her but keeps his distance. They sit there quietly for a while, Ace staring at the ceiling and Lucy staring at her plate. "Did I do something to make you angry..?" He asks, watching the cook wash pans. She doesn't say a thing. "Is it about last night?' He asks and looks at her. She blushes and looks away in shame. "I didn't touch you... If that's what you think.." Ace says softly. "I don't believe you." She says softly. "Why?" He asks. "Because I've heard rumors..it's something you'd do.." she says, still not looking at him. He clenches his fist. "You'd believe rumors over me? First off, rumors are rarely ever true. Second off, you're way too young to be even thing about that. And third," he says getting up "I'm not into little girls who think I'd fuck anything with legs. I prefer mature young ladies who can hold their liquor." And with that he leaves the galley.

(Lucy's pov)

Lucy starts the cry as the guilt bubbles up. She sobs into her hands. A dish is set in front of her. She looks up. The cook has given her a bowl of ice-cream. He winks, putting a finger over his lips. "Shh, don't tell the captain." he says. Lucy bites her lip and looks down as she tries to stop the tears. She takes a bite of the ice-cream. "Mmm.." she says softly, sniffling. "It'll be OK kid." the cook says before going back to work. Aquarius appears and flicks her tail, "I think the both of you overreacted to this whole situation.." she says absently swiping some of Lucy's ice-cream. "And I don't think he handled that well." She adds and pats Lucy's head. Lucy hugs Aquarius tightly and sobs.

Aquarius sighs. "why don't we go for a swim Brat?" she suggests.

Lucy nods and Aquarius picks her up and takes her to the deck and they kinda just jump off the side of the ship. A magic circle appears under Aquarius and she begins to float and Lucy begins swimming with her. She almost screams when her arm turns into water. "What the bloody hell is that?!" she yells and shakes her arm out of the water and it reforms. She glares at the limb as though its caused her great personal harm.

"Brat! why are you in the water?" Comes White-beard's voice from the porthole in the captain's Quarters.

"Swimming!" Lucy calls back. Aquarius crosses her arms. "Che." She mutters, flicking her tail. "No, we're drowning." She says sarcastically. White-beard raises an eyebrow. "Well, Mermaid, I thank you for earlier." He says. She shrugs. "Don't mention it." She says. "Come back aboard before you get left behind, brat!" Whitebeard calls to Lucy as a gust of wind pushes the ship forward. Lucy dives down for a little bit and swims in the cold water, trying to clear her head.

"Well you better get back on board. I can't swim with you forever." Aquarius says.