ACE

[ballies]

(pirate noises)

Comments

[selfimmolation]

Nah, when the government acknowledges you as a threat.

[ IT'S WORSE ]

[ballies]

I mean— fuck politicians.

[ tama don’t swear ]

But doesn’t that make your life more difficult?

[selfimmolation]

[ shrugs ]

Being a pirate means you'll be wanted by the government no matter what. Getting a wanted poster just adds bounty hunters to the mix. If you're a good one, you should be able to handle that much.

[ballies]

So it's like a ticket to a thrill ride. But the thrill ride is your life.

[selfimmolation]

No one becomes a pirate to lead a quiet life, Tama.

[ballies]

See the world, but chaotically?

[selfimmolation]

Something like that, sure.

[ballies]

[ she laughs. ]

If it works, it works.

[selfimmolation]

Yeah. I wasn't ever going to lead a peaceful life anyway, might as well make waves while I'm at it.

[ballies]

Might as well lean into it, if you know the white picket fence life isn't going to be for you. [ she wanders through people's memories for a living, like. who's she to judge? ]

[selfimmolation]

White picket fence?

[ something about that metaphor makes him laugh a bit ]

[ballies]

[ give her a moment, she has to explain a very earth based concept to mister pirate man over here. ]

Like... you settle down, you work a set hours job and live in a house that looks like every other house on the straight, doing the same things day to day.

That's genuinely happiness to some people. But it's not for everyone.

[selfimmolation]

Wow. That sounds like a nightmare.

[ballies]

And that-- [ taps his nose ]-- is why you're a pirate and not a white-collar guy working a 9 to 5.

[selfimmolation]

[ leans back at the nose tap and blinks ]

Sure, that's probably part of it. [ working 9 to 5 is not common in one piece but surely it happens sometimes maybe ]

[ballies]

[ the reaction makes her laugh. ]

It'd bore you, I think. You don't seem like an office work guy.

[selfimmolation]

Nope. I think I'd go nuts in an office space. Besides, if I didn't become a pirate, I might've been made to join the marines, so it wasn't really an option.

[ballies]

Made to?

[selfimmolation]

[ oh, he hadn't meant that wording to be revealing but he just laughs it off ]

Yeah. Gramps is a marine, and he really wanted Luffy and I to join.

[ballies]

Oh-- wait, so you have family in the Marines and the Marines oppose pirates?

[ damn. ]

That must make family meet ups awkward.

[selfimmolation]

Yeah, he hasn't been too thrilled with us.

[ dismissive ]

[ballies]

I can imagine. Still, you're the ones sailing not him. Better you do it for something you're passionate about.

[selfimmolation]

Exactly. For us, the marines were never a real option.

[ballies]

… Do the marines have a uniform?

[selfimmolation]

... Yeah? Why?