One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 174 He's still superfluous

“You haven’t seen any trouble. Let me tell you, my brother Luffy, who is Yu’s brother, is a real troublemaker. He even cries.” Thinking of Luffy, Ace’s lips unconsciously curled up. “Speaking of which, he’s also your brother.”

"... "

"Don't be so reluctant. If you think it's troublesome, it proves you care. Besides, I'll trouble you, which proves I need you." Ace chuckled. Law no longer complained that he had his hand on Ace's shoulder. "You should be secretly happy."

"Nai-san told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, she even told me to smile more. Speaking of which, you always have such a long face, didn't You say anything?" He didn't like to smile before either, always feeling like he was born a mistake, a burden.

Back then, Luffy didn't exist yet, and apart from Dadan, people would occasionally see Garp.

One evening on my way home, I heard Dadan's laughter from quite a distance. That guy, all I ever say is that he runs around like a monkey, never giving me a moment's peace. But here he was, unusually laughing so happily, and there was even some chatter—the atmosphere was wonderful.

For some reason, Ace wasn't very confident about going in, feeling that his presence would ruin the atmosphere. Looking at his somewhat dirty clothes and grimy hands, he could already imagine what Dadan would say.

So annoying.

When he belatedly opened the door, it was too late for regrets. The creaking of the wooden door drew the attention of everyone inside. They all saw him, filthy in the doorway, and fell silent for a moment. As usual, the quiet Ace pretended not to care, keeping a straight face and acting as if nothing was wrong, not even daring to step inside.

Sure enough, he was still superfluous.

"Ace! You're back! It's been so long since I've seen you, you've grown so much!"

A voice he had never heard before came from afar, growing louder as it approached. A pretty girl with pink hair came up to him, pinched his cheek, and showed no disgust at the dirt on his face.

This woman's hands are so white, and she's so beautiful.

This was Ace's first impression of Yu, but he didn't say it aloud. Nor did he act differently because of his own thoughts. Like he would with Dadan, Ace rudely slapped away her hand that was pinching his cheek, saying, "Don't pinch me."

"Ok."

The warmth on his face vanished instantly, and Ace's eyes darkened. But the sudden feeling of being lifted into the air, along with the pleasant scent that wafted towards him, startled Ace.

He was picked up by this beautiful older sister!

Seeing Ace's bewildered and slightly angry expression, Yu patiently explained, "I won't pinch you, but you didn't say I couldn't hug you." The title of "Naval Little Witch" wasn't given for nothing; ultimately, she can do whatever she wants, and no one can stop her.

I came back this time to see my baby brother from back then, so how could I resist getting close to him?

"Don't you think I'm dirty?" Ace clenched his small fists and secretly observed Yu's reaction.

Yu said calmly, even with a tone that showed a great lack of understanding of Ace's question, "No, it's normal for kids to get dirty when they go out to play. Besides, I'm so old, and I always make a mess when I cook in the kitchen, but my brother doesn't mind and he always helps me clean it up."

"You have an older brother?"

"Yes, I also have a grandpa, but not just one, Grandpa Garp counts too." Yu led Ace to the sink, picked him up with one arm, and wet a towel to wipe his face. "And little freckles, so cute!"

Ace was a little embarrassed, turned his head away, and stammered, "I can clean it myself."

“I know Dadan said you’re an independent and opinionated child, but I just want to help you.” After wiping his face, You also washed his hands and arms. They were fair and tender with a little red, which meant Ace was shy.

"Why are you helping me? What did Dadan give you? Or did Garp send you?" Ace's tone was not good. He regretted saying it as soon as he finished speaking and cursed himself in his heart, but he was still hoping for Yu's answer.

Yu suddenly became serious and said to him, "None of that, Ace. All you need to know is that my name is Yu, and I'm your older sister."

This wasn't the first time Ace had heard the word "sister." There was a brother and sister in Windmill Village too; the younger brother would chase after his older sister, calling out "Sister!" in a silly manner. The older sister wouldn't stop immediately; she would run a bit, then stop and turn around to watch her younger brother slowly flapping his short legs.

Ace scoffed; that older sister was no good at all. But now he had an older sister too, named Yu, and she looked different from that one. His sister was taller and prettier.

That night, Ace sat next to Yu at dinner and ate more than usual, simply because Yu kept putting food on his plate. If Dadan hadn't stopped him in time, Ace would have almost gotten indigestion.

That night, Yu helped Ace take a bath, changed his clothes, and then cuddled him to sleep.

Ace blushed and dared not move while taking a shower, wondering if he would be able to sleep. However, feeling a warmth and fragrance he had never experienced before, Ace slept soundly.

So much so that he unusually slept in the next day, and when he got up, Yu was already gone. Ace was disappointed for a moment, but quickly recovered.

It was all a dream…

But this dream doesn't seem to be over yet.

You didn't leave; she was sorting through his clothes and then throwing away a lot of them. She was muttering to herself that she was going to take him to town to buy new clothes, saying that these were all old and that.

Ace didn't know what was going on, but he was caught peeping at her while she was tidying her clothes. He was then picked up and given breakfast, and then they arrived in town. He was carried by Yu into one shop after another, and when they came out, he had several bags in his hands.

Later, Ace loosened up and started picking out his own clothes. However, he mostly chose vests with simple patterns. Yu disliked some of the patterns, but since Ace liked them, Yu bought them anyway.

Ace remembered that Yu had cheerfully said that she was now spending her brother's money on everything she bought. It was clear that Yu and her brother had a very good relationship.

Yu said her brother was very gentle, but also very careless, and could be even more troublesome than Ace when things got complicated. Ace was curious because he didn't think there were many people more troublesome than him. Yu just smiled and said she would introduce him to her brother sometime, but that never happened.

During the few days Ace spent with Yu, his aloof personality gradually softened, and he became more talkative. He even made sure not to get his clothes too dirty when playing outside during the day, since they were new clothes bought by his sister. If they got dirty, his sister would have to wash them, which was a bit of a hassle.

There is happiness, but there is also unhappiness.

Ace used to go to town, but the town's children, seeing his dirty appearance and cold eyes, never wanted to play with him. Because Ace always appeared and left alone, they knew he didn't have parents. They not only talked about it amongst themselves but also said it to Ace's face. Ace, unable to bear it, went up and fought with them.

In fights, the kids can't beat him. But after losing, they go home to find their mothers and fathers, but Ace doesn't dare tell Dadan.

After that, Ace stopped going to town. One day, when Yu took him to town, she needed to use the restroom. She told Ace to wait for her at the fountain in the center of town while she went to the restroom.

Ace wanted to chase after him, but he was too small, and in the blink of an eye, Yu was gone. There were some on the way from the toilet; Ace didn't remember the exact location, but he knew they were there. Yu, on the other hand, remembered the details perfectly, even knowing what was on either side of the toilet, but she didn't know the way to the toilet.

Ace couldn't wait any longer. Besides, he already knew that Yu had no sense of direction, and even if she found the restroom, she probably wouldn't be able to find him again. Ace decided to walk there slowly by himself, but then he encountered those kids again on the way.

When the kids saw him, they became aggressive and menacing. Seeing that he was well-dressed, they started making strange remarks. Ace ignored them and tried to walk around them. But they weren't going to let him go so easily.