"Because I like you."

After I said those words,

Ace froze.

An unusual heat rose from our intertwined hands,

Like a wildfire, spreading all the way to the top of his head, burning his face red.

Even the freckles on his face looked like they were lit on fire.

Panicking, he covered his face with his other hand, and even his words became stuttering.

If I hadn't been holding his hand, he would have jumped back.

The black-haired teenager subconsciously struggled to free his arm,

He revealed an expression of strength despite his cowardice.

"You … What are you talking about!"

I looked at Ace's red face peeking out from between my fingers,

And suddenly felt my heart soften as if it was about to melt.

The waves in my heart reverberated back and forth, gently bumping against my chest,

Bringing about an incredible itch.

That inexplicable softness spread all the way to my fingertips,

Making me subconsciously hook onto the teenager's fingers, chasing them,

Entangling them, unwilling to back down,

Unwilling to let him escape.

Savoring his body heat even more deeply.

As our fingers intertwined, I melted like snow on a spring day in this temperature.

The spring tide rippled in my heart, getting more and more full, almost overflowing.

I couldn't help but look up at him. The teenager's eyes were bright,

As if there were flames dancing in his pupils.

However, his eyes were also filled with helplessness as he shook his head.

Wavering.

Ace looked as if he didn't know what to do.

If I wasn't so badly hurt right now,

To the point where he didn't dare to shake off my hand,

I guessed that he would want to escape.

So, I pulled him even tighter, and pulled him in my direction. Ace had no choice but to bend down, so that the distance between us was very close, so close that I could clearly see his red cheeks.

I let my gaze rest on his cute little freckles, and mustered up the courage to say those words to him again.

"I like you."

I looked at him, focused, but also timid.

It was as if I was forcefully pulling his hand away. Trembling, I held out my heart and placed it in the young man's palm.

Should he accept it?

Or should I refuse?

"What about you, Ace?"

I looked at him and heard my own voice trembling. It was like the waves in my heart.

"Do you like me?"

So close, so close that I saw myself reflected in his pupils.

Pale, small, still trembling, my own self.

After noticing my trembling … or rather, after discovering my fear, Ace calmed down.

He was no longer afraid.

Although the young man's ears still had a trace of redness, he was no longer at a loss.

"Idiot."

Ace laughed and grabbed my hand with enough force to make my fingers crack. He grabbed my hand with a ferocious grip.

He played with my hair with his other hand, then crouched down and gently pressed his forehead against mine.

"You are such an idiot, Leah." He lowered his voice. "Of course, I … like you too."

I pressed my forehead against his. We leaned against each other so intimately.

In the small and quiet ward, it was as if we were the only two people left in the world.

I heard the sound of the tide in my heart overflowing.

It was too full. The whole thing drowned me.

It was too blissful.

So I laughed.

It was too painful.

So I cried.

As I laughed, I wanted to wipe away the tears that welled up in my eyes.

Ace held my hand and wiped away my tears with his rough hand.

With a faint smile, he tweaked my cheek with his wet fingers.

"Why are you crying, Leah?" He sounded indulgent and helpless. "Didn't I already promise you?"

"Because I'm too happy."

Because I'm too sad.

My young man, I was willing to hold out my entire heart for him. I handed it over carefully, and he took it.

Was there anything that could make him happier and sadder than this?

So my tears welled up again.

He sighed helplessly and wiped them away for me again.

"Ace," I called him softly and held his hand tightly. "I really like you.

Really, really. "

I liked him so much that my heart felt like it was going to split open.

"I know."

Ace held my hand back and touched my forehead gently. "Sleep well. I will always be here with you."

I closed my eyes obediently, but I could still feel the tears seeping through my eyelashes and gathering at the corners of my eyes.

Before the teardrop could fall, a hand wiped it away.

So I stopped crying.

I hugged the young man's gentleness tightly in my cracked heart and fell asleep.

Before I fell asleep, I heard the AI's voice.

It was a cold and inorganic notification.

[Portcas D. Ace's favorability: 60. Received Inheritance Crystal x5]

[Portcas D. Ace's favorability: 70. Received Inheritance Crystal x10]

… … …

Just like that, Ace and I officially started dating.

Strictly speaking, the days after we started dating were no different from before.

We still patrolled the island together, fought off pirates, and defeated the Navy that was chasing us.

However, there was still something different about it.

My eyes would often chase after him, and he would often look at me. Every time, I would suddenly blush, and he would blush too. The two of us would look down like idiots. After a while, we would sneak a glance at each other and smile foolishly.

I wanted to hold his hand, to hug his arm, to wrap my arms around his neck and lean against his back.

But every time I wanted to touch him, I would become shy. In the end, I was even more shy than before we started dating. I only dared to touch his hand with my pinky when we sat together.

Ace was even more clumsy than me in this regard. He would often suddenly freeze when his arm brushed against mine.

It made me feel embarrassed.

The awkward atmosphere between us also spread to the entire group.

The crew members who were laughing and teasing us, for some reason, recently showed an expression as if they had eaten something bad or choked when they saw the two of us at the same time.

Vista stopped pinching his beard, Izo stopped cleaning his gun, and even Marco stopped looking at us.

When they saw the two of us, they all showed an expression of disgust.

"I say … you guys are really disgusting."

Vista's mouth twitched.

"Yeah, just looking at him makes me want to shoot him."

Izo looked at the sky and silently rolled his eyes.

"… Okay, you two get off the ship. Go play on any island for three months before coming back."

Marco made the final decision and began to yell at his subordinates.

"Guys, pack Ace and Leah's luggage and throw these two guys out now!"

"Yay!!!"

"I've wanted to do this for a long time!"

"Hurry, hurry, bring that bag over!

Yes, that one!

Bring it over, bring it over! "

"Done!

Let's go — —! "

Ace was almost kicked off the ship by the bastards of The Whitebeard Pirates. Since the last time I was attacked, Marco and the others made a small boat for Ace. It used the flame of the Flame-Flame Fruit as the power source. Plus, Ace himself could be considered an all-rounder in navigation, so he could move alone.

Now they kicked Ace onto the single-person boat and threw down a few large bags. I even saw my backpack with books in it … Then they grabbed me, raised my arms, raised my legs, shouted at Ace, "Catch!" and threw me down.

"Hey?!"

Ace caught me in a flurry. It was an unusual princess carry that made both of us blush.

He quickly put me down and pressed down on his cowboy hat with one hand. He raised his head and cursed at the boat in a flustered and exasperated manner.

Marco took him for a complete fart.

He supported himself with one hand on the side of the boat and waved at us lazily with a smile on his face like he was teasing a child.

"Alright, alright. You two little bastards, get the hell out of here."

There was a hint of a smile in his tone, "Come back when you two stop being so lovey-dovey.

Seriously, we've had enough of it these past few days. "

The other crew members all agreed bitterly.

"Yeah!

It's so annoying to see these two young couples squabbling all day! "

"Damn it, I want a girl too — —"

"Who wants to see you two set off flashbangs!

Can't these stupid couples have some self-awareness?! "

"I'm so jealous!

My eyes are red from jealousy!!! "

"I miss my wife back home — —"

Ace froze on the spot. With a bang, a small mushroom cloud exploded above his head.

As for me … I was already holding my head and squatting on the boat, burying my face in my knees. I was as red as a big prawn.

"That's it."

Marco waved again and smiled a little mischievously, "You youngsters can go to any island and come back. If you're still so bashful when you come back, no one will let you on the boat. Do you hear me?"

"Guys, let's set sail!"

Vista twirled his beard and turned back to shout at the helmsman.

"Yo!!!"

The response from the entire boat was indescribably … relieved?!

And so, Ace and I, who had been unconsciously stuffing the onlookers with dog food, were chased off the boat by the angry single dogs.

We followed the Log Pointer's guidance and prepared to head to the nearest island — Flower Island.

But before that … there was a serious problem.

"That … Ace."

I hugged the mast and looked at the flames rising from the cabin under his feet.

I'll say it again, this boat was powered by Ace's fire as a Flame-Flame Fruit user.

In other words … there was basically no place for me to sit on this thing.

"… Where am I supposed to stand?"

Ace looked at me and suddenly froze.

The two idiots looked at each other and fell into an awkward silence.