C22:-OnePiece_FanFic_Ace

22. Kuroka’s backstory. Meeting Shakky.

│3rd Person POV│

[Grand Line, New World, Polar Tang…]

“As you can see, I am a cat mink from the Mokomo Dukedom of Zou. Unlike most of my kin, I was born with a rare mutation—two tails instead of the usual one.”

As Kuroka spoke, her single tail unfurled, revealing its true nature as two distinct, graceful tails swaying in unison.

Noticing this, Law remarked with a calm yet intrigued tone, "So that explains it. I did sense something unusual about your tail, but it didn’t seem to be an injury, so I refrained myself from investigating further without your permission.”

“Thanks for that. I’m glad you didn’t go poking around without asking,” Kuroka grinned, a hint of relief in her eyes.

Law acknowledged her thanks with a brief nod, and Kuroka continued her explanation without hesitation.

She described how doctors from her homeland conducted extensive examinations on her when she was younger to find the cause of her mutation. In the end, they determined her condition was simply a harmless mutation.

Apart from her two tails, she was no different from the other cat minks—or so they believed. When Kuroka turned five, something unusual came to light.

She recounted how one evening, her mother saw her staring at the Full Moon and immediately panicked. Her mother called for help, and a Guardian of the tribe responded.

By the light of the Full Moon, members of the Mink Tribe are able to undergo a unique transformation called Sulong Form. Yet, no matter how long Kuroka gazed at the moon, she remained unchanged.

Despite extensive testing, no one could pinpoint the issue. All results came back normal, but Kuroka felt anything but. The Sulong Form was often regarded as the "true form" of the Mink Tribe, and its absence made her question her identity. Was she truly a mink if she couldn’t transform? Unwilling to accept her condition as an unsolvable mystery, Kuroka decided to take matters into her own hands.

She sought alternative explanations and eventually turned to Observation Haki—a skill that allowed one to sense the presence and aura of others. Though she didn’t fully understand how it might help, it was her last hope after medical arts failed to provide answers.

Over the years, she honed her Haki, dedicating herself to uncovering the truth. Eventually, she discovered something extraordinary: there was another presence inside her.

Kuroka described how, whenever she used Observation Haki on herself, she could sense a second presence. Though young and dormant, it was undeniably there, hidden deep within her. Fearful of being seen as even more of an anomaly, she chose not to tell anyone—not even her mother. Instead, she resolved to deal with it herself, spending countless hours trying to figure out what the presence was.

For a long time, her efforts were futile. The presence only stirred up slightly under two specific conditions: either when she stared at the Full Moon or when she ate certain foods.

Then, one day, the presence finally communicated with her—though “communicated” was a stretch. It just conveyed two words to her: “Food” and “Hungry”.

Determined to unravel the mystery, Kuroka began researching foods that elicited a reaction. She noticed a pattern—all the foods that it reacted to were somehow connected to the Full Moon, such as flowers that only bloomed under its light or herbs that relied on its glow to grow.

She started consuming more of these moon-related foods in hopes of strengthening the presence and finally figuring out the mystery behind it.

Her efforts paid off. When she turned thirteen, the dormant presence fully awakened. It had a rudimentary awareness at first, but it grew smarter and more self-aware as time passed. Kuroka eventually named it Shirone, deciding it was like having a little sister who shared her body.

Wanting Shirone to experience life firsthand, Kuroka wished to give the driver’s seat to her. After trying this out a few times, they succeeded.

However, when Shirone took control, Kuroka’s body underwent a startling transformation—it entered Sulong Form for the first time, even without a Full Moon. This discovery potentially explained why Shirone was drawn to moon-related foods.

Kuroka wrapped up her story with a proud smile, but the room had grown uncomfortably quiet. Tilting her head in confusion, she asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you all so quiet?”

Ace was the first to respond, cutting through the silence, “It’s quite an interesting story, no doubt, but I have to ask. Why bother to go into so much detail? We’re practically strangers. If you’d just said there’s another soul in your body named Shirone who can control it and trigger the Sulong Form, we’d have accepted it without further question.”

Everyone except Bepo nodded in agreement, wearing polite but exasperated expressions. The fellow mink, however, was entirely engrossed in her tale, hanging onto every word.

Kuroka blinked in stunned silence before an outraged expression took over. Her tails lashed back and forth, and her ears flattened against her head in frustration.

Her golden eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed by their reactions. Her tails flicked sharply, emphasizing her irritation. “Well, excuse me for giving context,” she huffed. “Not everyone can appreciate a well-told story. Besides, it’s not like I share this with just anyone and everyone, you know? Consider yourselves lucky.”

“Hey, no offense. It’s just... a bit much for a first-time meeting,” Ace raised his hands defensively, leaning back slightly.

And so, the Polar Tang pressed forward, cutting smoothly through the waters as it made its way toward the first half of the Grand Line. Onboard, its passengers carried on with their lives in their own unique ways.

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[A few days later, Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 13…]

Draped in a simple cloak and with his signature hat tucked away to obscure his identity, Ace stepped off the Polar Tang, which had quietly docked at Grove 42. Leaving the rest of his companions behind, he set out for Grove 13 with only Law by his side.

The archipelago was alive with activity, its maze-like groves still filled with the murmur of conversations about the Summit War.

Ace, along with Law, ignored the commotion around them, moving with purpose and seamlessly blending into the crowd to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at Grove 13. The air here was heavy with tension, the streets eerily quieter, and the sparse crowd comprised a mix of hardened pirates, shady dealers, and those either too brave—or too reckless—to exercise caution.

Shakky’s Rip-off Bar stood at the heart of this grove, a modest yet unmistakable establishment with a well-worn charm that seemed out of place amid the lawless chaos.

Ace pushed open the creaking door, stepping into the dimly lit bar. The scent of aged wine and the faint haze of smoke greeted him as he scanned the room. Behind the counter, Shakky glanced up, her sharp perception immediately recognizing him despite his attempt at subtlety.

"Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Fire Fist Ace," she said with a lazy drawl, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "Shouldn’t you be keeping a low profile? It hasn’t been that long since you made your escape from the Marines, has it?"

Ace let out a chuckle, lowering his hood as he made his way to the counter, “Just passing through, Shakky-san. I figured I'd grab a drink—and perhaps a little piece of paper that belongs to Rayleigh.”

“Is that so?” Shakky leaned back, studying him for a moment before nodding, “Take a seat. Let’s hear the story.”

Ace settled onto a stool, casually leaning as he began speaking, “Well, you see, Luffy and I had another brother named Sabo.

“Years ago, Sabo set out to sea for various reasons but crossed paths with a World Noble, who destroyed his ship with a bazooka. We thought he died, but he was rescued by Dragon, the Revolutionary Army’s leader. I recently learned from Ivankov that Sabo is alive but lost his memory due to a head injury.

He paused briefly before continuing, “I’m now heading to Momoiro Island to meet Sabo, thanks to Ivankov’s arrangement.

“A few days ago, I also spoke with Luffy, and during the call, Rayleigh offered to train him for two years. He also suggested to Luffy that it would be best for his crewmates to spend the next two years training as they are in safe locations now. Well, relatively speaking.

“Since Luffy can't contact them, I’ve taken on the task. To track down the Straw Hats, I need the piece of Rayleigh’s Vivre Card you have.

“As Luffy didn’t have any method to contact his crewmates, I have taken on the task. Since all the Straw Hats have a piece of Rayleigh’s Vivre Card on them, I need the piece that you have to track them down.”

Shakky flashed a playful smile and teased, “Well, aren’t you the picture of a responsible big brother, taking on the tedious job of tracking down Monkey-chan’s crew?”

Ace just let out a chuckle without responding to the teasing.

Shakky’s gaze shifted to the young man standing quietly near the entrance of the bar. With a sly smile, she commented, “So, the Heart Pirates are part of the Whitebeard Pirates now, huh? Tell me, Trafalgar Law, did you disband your crew entirely, or are the Heart Pirates just a subordinate crew under Whitebeard’s banner?”

Law remained silent, offering no response to her question. Noticing this, Shakky feigned a look of mock disappointment and quipped, “Wow, tough crowd, huh?”

“Don’t mind him. He’s just in a bit of a bad mood right now,” Ace said with a casual wave of his hand, brushing off Law’s silence. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he continued, “As for your question, Law’s joined us as a Subordinate Captain.”

Shakky raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “A Subordinate Captain, huh? That’s quite the alliance. Guess Whitebeard’s fleet just got even more interesting.

“With the Surgeon of Death on your side, I’d say the Whitebeard Pirates’ power is about to catch a second wind—if you catch my drift.”

Ace gave a slight nod, choosing not to feign ignorance in front of Shakky. He understood her subtle implication—that with Law's expertise, there might be hope for treating Whitebeard's terminal illness.

Shifting the conversation, he said, “Anyway, we’re not planning to stay on Sabaody for long. So, if you wouldn’t mind, could you please give me Rayleigh’s Vivre Card?”

“Sigh~! Youngsters these days,” Shakky lamented with an exaggerated sigh, a playful glint in her eyes. “Always in such a hurry, never sparing a moment to chat with an old lady like me.”

With an air of mock disappointment, she reached into her bosom, retrieving a small piece of paper. Carefully, she tore off a smaller portion, tucking it back where it came from before extending the larger piece toward Ace.

“Here you go,” she said, her teasing smile returning, “This should be more than enough to help you track down those Straw Hat kids. Just don’t lose it, or you won’t be getting another one from me.”

Ace accepted the Vivre Card with a chuckle, shaking his head at her antics, “Thanks, Shakky-san. I’ll make sure to put it to good use.”

Shakky watched him with amusement, her cigarette smoldering faintly between her fingers. “Anyway, tell the kids that I said hello when you see them—and make sure you don’t stir up too much trouble on your journey."

Ace smirked, tucking the Vivre Card securely in his hat, “No promises on that last part,” he said lightly, turning to leave with Law silently following behind him. Shakky watched them go, her gaze thoughtful as the door swung shut behind them.

…To Be Continued!

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A/N: It's been a while since I uploaded a Chapter for this Fic, huh? Did you think that this may have been dropped?

Because let me tell you, none of my Fanfics are dropped. Yet! I will try to complete them, no matter how much time passes.

From now on, I will try to post at least a few chapters per month, to keep the fic alive, and then, maybe a miracle will happen and I will be able to churn out quite a few chapters within a short period.

Anyway, Good Day. See ya guys later.