The Lost Fruits

"Theif!!!" A tall man shouted as he grabbed a girl's hand and pressed it against the table "Don't you know the punishment for stealing?"

"What?!" the girl felt horrid as the man raised up his sword to cut her hand "I only gave children what to eat, I didn't steal!" she said.

The common people surround the two but didn't do anything to stop the man.

"Take this as a lesson!" he swung his sword down at Jasmine's arm, but as it was about to cut her hands, the blad stopped a few inches from her arm. The crow was shocked as a man appeared out of nowhere and caught the blade with his tip fingers and stopped it from taking the girl's arm away.

"What are you doing?" the merchant looked with shock at Ace.

"You have no right to cut her arm off." Ace said, he faced the merchant giving him a clear look at his face. Finally seeing who the man is, the merchant realized it was Ace.

"So, it is sir Portgas..." The merchant spoke. He felt a little nervous, Ace made quite the reputation for himself as a strong man who trashed thugs and scammers around this area "...Please do not interfere, the girl stole some of my bread so she must be punished."

Jasmine who held her wrest in pain from how rough the merchant handled her delicate hands took Ace's back as a cover. She sneaked out of the palace and if she was to be harmed or found out, she will never step foot outside the palace again.

"I guess you didn't hear me so let me repeat..." Ace chuckled when Jasmine took cover behind him "...By what right are you allowed to cut a girl's hand because she stole from you?" he asked. This time he used an intimidating tone.

"W-well, it is the law..." The merchant said. The common people around them nodded in agreement.

Ace shook his head in disappointment "If it is the law, then are you a law enforcer? a guard or judge maybe?!" Ace wondered. The merchant shook his head sideways...

"Then you have no right to execute the law, what you should've done is take her to the nearest guard station where they can handle her or you would've committed a crime yourself which is harming another citizen." Ace spoke, his words didn't address the merchant alone, but it was directed to everyone around him, they all mistook their law, they believe that they have the right to execute the law themselves as seen with jasmine. If so, there is no need for a Sultan and all of the guards.

The merchant felt annoyed when he was getting lectured "But she still has to be punished." He pointed at Jasmine.

"Don't worry, I will take her to the guards myself." Ace said as he took Jasmine by her hand and dragged her with him. But Ace also didn't forget to throw him 3 copper coins for the price of his bread.

"Wh-what?" the merchant didn't get the chance to speak as he caught the coins up in the sky, by that time, Ace and Jasmine were out of sight.

On the way, Jasmine started to struggle to free her hand "Wait!! please, listen to me! I didn't know that i was stealing!" She didn't want to be discovered. If her father knows she left the Palace unprotected he will never let her step a foot outside of her room.

"Don't worry I am not taking you to the guards." Ace said without looking at her and continued walking.

"What?!" Jasmine was shocked "Then where are you taking me?" she asked. Ace stopped and raised Jasmine's wrist that he was holding.

"To hide this..." He showed the red mark on her pale wrist that was so clear. Jasmine was surprised. She was never treated roughly in her life. She can't hide something like this from her father... if he finds out...

"You can hide it." Jasmine looked at him with pleading eyes.

Ace chuckled and pushed the nearby house door "Get in." He said. Jasmine looked at the house and she saw a three-story house, the tallest building in this area. She looked around and entered, she then saw the most luxurious furniture that can be found in Agrabah. Ace has spent bought a house to busy himself with until the supermarket was complete.

Ace closed the door "Please...make yourself comfortable." He said. Jasmine looked around, she saw a wall aquarium full of fish.

"Wow!" Jasmine ran to the wall and looked at the fishes swim around. She on the couch in front of the wall and kept on the staring.

Ace came and sat near her "Ehm!" he tried to get her attention.

"Hm? Ah! I am sorry, I didn't mean to--" Ace extended his hand to Jasmine who looked at it confusedly.

"Let me see your wrist." Ace said.

"AH!! Yes." Jasmine gave him her wrist. Ace took her hand and c.a.r.e.s.sed it. Jasmine felt kind of embarrassed, this is the first time she was in close contact with a man, and a stranger man on top of that.

Ace looked at her white pale skin and wondered. Jasmine wasn't supposed to be this pale, she was supposed to have a tan skin, so he couldn't help but ask "How come your skin is so pale?"

Jasmine flinched and her eyes were shifting around trying to come up with a believable lie. She can't possibly tell him that she is the princess who isn't allowed to see the sunlight. "Ah-- I work in the palace. I am not allowed to be outside in the open...I have to stay with the princess," she said hurriedly.

Ace knows she was lying "The princess doesn't allow you to be out?"

"No! she too isn't allowed to!" Jasmine said nervously.

"hmm~I see..." Ace used his firepower secretly and scanned her body quickly ' she has Low levels of vitamin D, poor bone health, and her skin is becoming more s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e.' Ace thought.

Ace reached for his pocket and took out a jar full of red liquid "I will use this to heal your skin..." He said. Jasmine nodded.

Ace greased the red liquid on he wrist, but that was just a faint. Ace used his fire again 'Dai Enaki...Entei!' He said in his mind. He used his heat power to do the work of the sun. After his Mera-Mera no Mi awakening, his power evolved into the flames of the sun, so it was easy for him to replicate the sun and send some of it benefits to the poor jasmine body.

Jasmine felt so good as if she was being charged with the energy. But what caught her attention was Ace's look, his face, and serious demeanor. She focused on him and took in every detail of his.

"What is your name?" she asked without realizing it, she wanted to know more about him.

"...Ace...Portgas D. Ace..." He said.

"Yes! you are the new rich man in the city, I have heard about you!" Jasmine said.

"You did?"

"Yes! I have heard about you...from the princess, she talked about you." Jasmine autocorrected herself midway in her speech.

Ace smiled at her like the sun that he is and spoke: "And what did she say about me?"

Jasmine felt happy to engage in conversation that is not about her marriage, she felt overjoyed "She said that you are a man who improved the city's economic situation by hiring and employing people and guilds to work for you and help you establish your market in the northern side of the city market." Jasmine recalled what she has heard from her father and Jafar while they were talking about him "She said that you are a man full of ideas!"

"Well, I am honored." Ace chuckled. Finally, Ace let go of Jasmine's hand. She was shocked for a moment and then she remembered he was applying that liquid thing. She looked at her wrist and the red spot was gone and her skin was flawless again.

"Amazing! what is that?!!" she asked as she looked at he red liquid in Ace's hand.

"This is called the blood tears! They say it can heal any kind of skin disease on the earth." Ace lied. They say if you lie once, you will have to lie a thousand times to cover up for that one lie.

"Blood Tears?! I have never heard of it before." Jasmine said as she looked at her wrist.

"I brought it with me from my home country." Ace replied as he stood up.

Jasmine looked at him and she couldn't find anything to further their conversation, she wanted to speak further...

"By the way, did your princess send you in a task or what? are you allowed to be here this long?" Ace said to Jasmine who was looking around the room.

And as if she realized something, she stood up "Yes! I am a servant of her highness! I must go back to her side! Thank you for helping me!" Jasmine thanked Ace and headed with him to the door.

Ace leaned on his door and watched Jasmine leave. After a few steps, Ace remembered and called "Hey!!"

Jasmine turned around and looked at him "What is it?" she asked.

"You did not tell me your name." Ace chuckled. Jasmine was stunned for a moment then she smiled back at him.

"...Dalia..." Jasmine used her personal maid's name. Her name was known but her face not. So she was free to use it. And Dalia was known to be her one and only personal maid, if she had told Ace another name, he would know she was lying.

Ace nodded in acknowledgment and Jasmine turned to leave. But again, after a few steps, she turned to Ace and spoke: "C-can I...come and visit again?"

Ace raised his eyebrow but he smiled and nodded "Sure, you can either find me here or in my new market working. You're always welcome here...Dalia." Ace said.

Jasmine smiled and felt happy, she turned and ran away with a smile on her face. She can't wait to come back here! she can't wait to tell Dalia about what happened!

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