Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

                 Ace sat on the cold, hard floor of the prison cell, his wounds only a dull ache in the back of his mind. A constant reminder of how he got there. He knew he screwed up the minute he felt the first physical hit from his former crew mate, Marshall D. Teach. He now went by the name Blackbeard. The round man had stolen Thatch's devil fruit, murdering the man the same night he vanished. Ace had felt both fury and grief. He had lost a close friend so horribly, yet it was one of his own division members that had done it. Despite Marco telling him that it wasn't his fault, he still felt like he had his old friend's blood on his hands. He had made it his task to find and subdue Blackbeard as a form of revenge, ignoring anyone's advice to leave it be. He couldn't just let a man he would have trusted his life to run free as a murderer; a traitor to the Whitebeard pirates. Ace hadn't known what the devil fruit was really capable of until he had managed to find and confront Blackbeard on a desolate island that was inhabited by a small town. Ace had evacuated the citizens after he had confirmed Blackbeard was on the same island as him. He may have been furious enough to run straight into a fight, but he didn't want to cause any harm to innocent civilians. Ace felt a twinge in his temple as he recalled the moment Blackbeard noticed he was there. A tall man with a sniper rifle had sensed Ace's presence and alerted the larger man. After that, they both fought. 

Ace felt his jaw beginning to ache as he remembered the fist that slammed into it. It had felt heavy and warm, yet there didn't seem to be much malice behind it. Blackbeard had even offered Ace a spot in his crew! After everything he's done?! That had pushed Ace over the edge and now look where he was. Defeated in the darkest part of Impel Down. Ace couldn't help but let a shiver trickle down his spine. The man's devil fruit was something else. Just a mass of darkness that was so black and daunting. Ace had been so surprised when it had sucked him in like a vacuum and when Blackbeard had touched him, it was like Ace never had fire powers. His devil fruit didn't seem to want to active. Ace could remember the gleam in Blackbeard's eyes as Ace began to put the pieces together. But before Ace could speak, he had been tossed aside like a discarded napkin. His body had felt so sore, as if Blackbeard's power had not only negated his devil fruit powers, but sucked him dry of energy. Ace had tried to continue the attack, but each time he had hit Blackbeard, it was like the round man was some sort of rubber ball. Each attack would bounce back at Ace but stronger. Getting hit by your own devil fruit with two times the power wasn't funny. 

Ace had finally threw all logic to the wind and created a giant ball of fire: Flame Commandment. Of course, Blackbeard had created one of his own; a giant ball of complete and utter darkness. The clash was like a nuclear explosion. Ace didn't remember anything after the initial burst of light that came from the collision of both attacks. He vaguely remembered hazy moments when he was tied up on Blackbeard's makeshift ship, then tossed to the Marines. Now, he was sitting cross legged against the cold, grimy wall. His arms held above his head as if the Marines didn't want to put his arms behind his back, too afraid of him figuring out how to free himself. Not like he would be able to with how far down he was. Level six, right? The sea stone chains weakened him enough to keep him from struggling against the binds. His arms felt fuzzy and he really wished he could move them just a little to keep the blood flowing and joints from locking up. He didn't know how long he'd been down there. Days? Weeks? It could have been a whole month and he wouldn't have known. There was no sense of time down in Impel Down. It was always dark, seeing as most of the levels were below the surface. 

Ace stretched his legs out, listening to them pop and click. There would be no point trying to stand. The way his arms were positioned would allow him to stand fully upright. His arms would twist painfully. He gritted his teeth, newfound rage boiling in his gut. This wasn't fair! If only Thatch had eaten the damned fruit when he first found it- Ace stopped mid thought. Was he really putting the blame for his downfall onto his dead friend? He felt disgusted with himself. How could he think like that when it was his own fault for disregarding everyone's warnings to not pursue Blackbeard. Even Red Haired Shanks himself had tried to stop him, yet Ace was stubborn to a fault. A fault that's going to cost him his life. No point in trying to avenge Thatch if he was just going to show up in purgatory beside him. He sighed. This really wasn't fair. 

"What are you thinking about that causes you to sigh so much, Portgas D. Ace?" 

Ace jumped. It's been so dark in the cells, he never knew how many people were there. Though, there was one cell that housed a bunch of ruffians that always caused a scene around meal times or when the female guards would come down. Ace was glad these bastards were behind bars. He couldn't imagine how'd they act with a woman if they weren't restrained. He blinked towards the direction the voice came from, his eyes struggling to adjust when he caught sight of a pair of dark eyes looking back at him. His eyes adjusted a little more as one of the lights in a far corner dimmed to life. The figure that had spoken was a large fishman, a shark perhaps. Large tusks protruded from his lower jaw. Blue skin was covered by a red samurai-ish kimono. A red cape adorned his shoulders. His hands were placed in his lap as if he had been meditating. Ace could see they were webbed, much like his feet. His eye brows were angled downward as if he were angry, but his tone said otherwise. 

Ace must have been staring too long, for the fishman seemed to frown even more. "Did I scare you?"

Ace blinked rapidly, then shook his head. "Ah, no. No."

The fishman grunted, adjusting his position with a simple recrossing of his legs. "Good, I was beginning to worry..." He trailed off before suddenly perking up as if remembering what he was going to say. "I am Jinbe. A friend of Whitebeard and his crew." Ace tilted his head, but Jinbe continued. "I had heard you had been turned in to the Marines, so to repay my debt to Whitebeard, I'd hoped to rescue you. But as you can see.." He trailed off again and Ace could have laughed if not for the gloominess of being locked up. 

"Didn't go to well for ya, huh?" Ace quipped, though his voice sounded scratchy. 

Jinbe hummed. "Do not worry. I will get you out of here. I had been hoping I could use my Warlord status to get you out, but it seems like they have a tight lipped reason for having you here."

"Wait," Ace narrowed his eyes. "You're a Warlord?"

The dark eyes shifted away from him before looking back. "Yes, but as I've said before, Whitebeard is a dear friend of mine. It would be my pleasure to help out one of his sons."

Ace just shrugged. If a Warlord couldn't get him out, no one could. And Ace was starting to assume what that "tight lipped reason" was for keeping him locked up. "Guess we're both gonna be down here for a while. Hell, maybe Pops might bail us out, wherever he is."

Jinbe seemed to suddenly avoid eye contact and Ace raised a brow. "What?" Ace began to worry. "Did something happen to him and the crew?"

"No! No." Jinbe kept his eyes firmly on a space off to the distance. "They should be fine. They were when I set off to rescue you. But.." 

Ace was getting irritated. "But what? What are you not telling me, Jinbe?!"

Jinbe seemed a little startled to hear his name from a voice that seemed to be on the edge of breaking. He sighed and met the younger man's eyes. "When I confronted the Fleet Admiral asking you to be released, I was told no. I was very adamant on rescuing you, so I tried to plead again, and I was asked if I knew who you really were." Jinbe seemed to pause, gauging Ace's reaction. Ace seemed to be avoiding his eyes now. "It seems you are to be executed in a week."

Ace seemed to scoff, hanging his head. Well, he knew this would happen one day. The Marines would find out who he really was, they'd hunt him down to the ends of the Earth until they caught him, then they'd kill him just like they did to that man. 

"But do not worry," Jinbe spoke up, his voice sounding rushed and a little too hopeful. "You will be rescued before then. Whitebeard is coming with a whole fleet to take you back."

Ace lifted his head up sharply. What?! Whitebeard was on his way to challenge the entirety of Marineford for him? Ace had literally ignored Pops and went off on a fool's errand to exact some kind of failed revenge on Blackbeard only to have his ass dumped into a cold cell at the bottom of the ocean. Yet the old man would still risk his fading health for his adopted, idiot son. Before he could speak, the large doors to the cell block opened up and a tall, familiar figure entered, a fire lantern in his hand. Ace shared a look with Jinbe, who then closed his eyes to appear asleep. Ace was going to do the same, lowering his head to let his hair mask his face. He could hear the footsteps getting louder as they drew closer. The sounds stopped completely and Ace had to will his curiosity down as he continued to feign sleep. He heard the shuffling of clothes and a sigh as the figure seemed to take a seat. 

"It's been a long time hasn't it, Ace." The voice made Ace lift his head, eyes dark. 

Of course! It just had to be his old man, Garp. The senior was sitting cross legged in front of his cell, watching Ace with overshadowed eyes. Ace refused to speak, sticking to just glaring at him instead.

"You know," Garp shifted a little. "I wanted you and Luffy to become good marines, but instead, both of you decided to become notorious hoodlums." He shook his head. "I'm sure you heard the news about Luffy before you got stuck in here. He picked a fight with the World Government at Water Seven and destroyed the judgement island - Enies Lobby!" Ace nearly snorted. Good job, little brother. 

"Of course, I rushed over to give him some of my fists of tough love." Garp held up a fist in a comical gesture before lowering it. "Typical of him to not take my words to heart. So he went and made a big mess at Sabaody Archipelago. I'm actually proud of him!" Garp let out a loud laugh, smiling widely. A smile that looked just like Luffy's.

Ace felt a tug on his heart, but he couldn't held bowing his head again to hide a proud smile for his rowdy, baby brother. Trust Luffy to get into all sorts of trouble, but he had his crew to help him along the way. They did promise to watch over him like Ace had asked. 

"Oh yeah, before I forget," Garp continued. "I told Luffy about his father. Luffy was quite surprised to know he had one."

Ace snorted. "That doesn't matter to us at all because Luffy and I unfortunately have the blood of the world's most infamous criminals in our veins. There was no way for us to become marines. I took over the name 'Portgas' from my mother to whom I owe so much but I never wanted to have my good-for-nothing father's blood. Not like I have any memory of him so I don't owe anything to him." Ace bit out, a growl scratching his throat. 

Garp seemed a little taken aback. "Ah yeah, I understand, but he tried.."

"What I want to say is," Ace interrupted, looking back up at Garp. "Old man, my only father is.." He smiled. "Whitebeard!"

Garp watched him silently, arms folded across his chest. After a moment, he let out a breath and stood up. "I will be back later. There is something else we must discuss."

Something else? "Why not tell me now, geezer? I've got enough free time as it is," Ace attempted to joke, but Garp's gaze held a seriousness that pulled a frown on Ace's lips. Was it that important to wait for later?

"Listen, Ace, the next time I come back, someone else will be with me. You probably won't like what we have to say, but..." Garp didn't finish. He just sighed, grabbed the lantern and walked away. 

Ace watched his Grandpa's retreating form disappear behind the closing doors. He was a little nervous now. Who was Garp going to bring? Well, it obviously had to be another Marine, right? But who would want to talk to him besides Garp? Ace felt a headache coming on so he bowed his head, ready to just fall asleep. Luffy was doing OK even though he was causing a ruckus. As long as he was fine, Ace didn't have to worry so much about him. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another brother. As Ace began to fall asleep, he could see himself beside his two sworn brothers, Luffy and Sabo, who had died in a run in with a Celestial Dragon more than a decade ago. The three of them running off to partake in whatever adventure they deemed was fit for them. Ace felt his lips turn upwards in a smile as he let sleep wrap around him like a warm blanket. 

                     The next couple of days felt like only a couple hours in this gloomy darkness. He was either always asleep or speaking with Jinbe. Ace couldn't even remember if he had eaten. It seemed like meal times were becoming far and few in between. Maybe he slept so much that he missed them each time. That sucked. He could feel his shorts beginning to loosen on his hips. Great. He was losing weight. Maybe their form of execution would be by starvation. Jinbe was a good way to keep his mind off of his gnawing hunger and growing despair. The fishman would tell him stories of when he was a child or when he first met Whitebeard. They had recently learned that Crocodile had been placed in the small cell area. The sand man had tried to anger Ace by spouting off that he would end Whitebeard's life once he got out. But Ace simply ignored him. The man got his ass kicked by his little brother. His words meant nothing in here behind bars and wearing a prisoner's outfit. At least Ace and Jinbe got to keep their clothes.

After a few moments of talking, the doors opened and the Prison Warden stepped through. The Vice Warden, a jailer women and a beautiful woman in sea stone cuffs walked in. As they passed by the other cells, the ruffians inside cheered and shouted vulgar words at her, but she ignored them as if they didn't exist. The main Warden sent his poison into the cells, sending the prisoners into screeches of pain. As he did so, the woman stepped closer to the cell and Ace leaned back as if she were too close. What was she doing?

"Luffy is here to save you," She whispered quickly. "I snuck him inside this prison so he could have a better chance at getting you out. He is somewhere on the upper levels but he should be here soon."

Ace sat up as straight as his body would allow. Luffy?! Here?! To save me?! He didn't know whether to feel ashamed that he had to be rescued by his little brother or proud that he was trying and had known Ace was in danger. After she had spoken, she turned around and headed back up to the main entrance, the Warden and his entourage following. The cell block smelled of sickness as the poison took the lives of the men in the cell nearest the doors. But Ace couldn't care about that. Luffy was here! And to save him no less. 

"Ace," Jinbe broke through Ace's thought process. "That was Boa Hancock. A member of the Warlords like I was. If you don't mind, can you tell me what she said to you?"

Ace looked up, a goofy grin on his face. "She said... Luffy was coming to rescue me." He laughed. "That idiot never knew when to quit or leave things alone."

Jinbe hummed thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "I see. Why would she tell you this? I'm sorry, Ace, but I just can't seem to believe that.."

"No, it's true," Ace looked at him seriously. "This is my brother we're talking about. I know he'd do something like this." 

Jinbe blinked, his gaze still filled with doubt but he nodded.

"Did you say Luffy?" Crocodile's gruff voice spoke from a cell to their left. A golden hook and an eye gleamed in the dim lamp light.

Ace smirked. "Yeah, the kid who kicked your ass."

Crocodile snarled, scowling darkly before turning his back to them.

A few more hours seemed to pass before the doors opened up again and Garp walked through. Entering beside him was a man with a large black afro, a hat with a seagull on it attempting to squash it down. He seemed to carry an air of authority as he approached Ace's cell, hands in his pockets. He had a beard that was twisted into a long braid. Ace raised an eyebrow at them, keeping his guard up. So this was who Garp said he was bringing with him next time they spoke. Ace knew who this man was and felt like keeping his mouth shut entirely. No way would he discuss anything with the damned Fleet Admiral of the Marines.

"Portgas D. Ace," Sengoku spoke slowly, wise eyes peering at him through wide framed glasses.

Ace had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "I was thinking maybe I'd take Whitebeard's name someday. Newgate D. Ace. Has a new ring to it." 

Garp lifted a hand to press two fingers to his temple as the other man lifted a brow. "A bit surprising how you can still joke around even in your current predicament."

Ace smirked and glanced at Garp, ready to joke some more, but the old man spoke up with a stern look at Ace. "Ace, this is the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku."

"I know who he is." Ace frowned. "If you want to do that discussing thing you told me about earlier, get on with it."

Sengoku side eyed Garp, slowly crossing his arms. "So this is where you disappeared to the other day.."

Garp coughed into a fist. "So what I wanted to discuss with you was.."

"We have a proposal for you. And you, too, Jinbe." Sengoku glanced pointedly at the big fishman. "I know you're listening."

There was a sound like a growl in the far corner. Sengoku ignored it and held up two fingers. "You have two options. You either join the Marines or stay here and rot." He blinked down at Ace. "Your execution is scheduled to happen in just a few short hours, so I expect an answer here and now." 

Ace could have laughed. "Are you out of your fucking minds? Why would I ever-"

Garp interrupted, scratching the back of his head. "He's willing to overlook your bloodline this one time if it means your survival. Ace, make the right decision."

Jinbe's growl grew louder. "Ace, you must live, for the sake of your brother and family. I, on the other hand, will refuse to join your fight against Whitebeard."

Ace gritted his teeth. He didn't want to side with them, either! He wasn't going to just wimp out and join the Marines just because it would keep him alive. He wasn't a coward! But as he thought of this, Garp pleaded with a knowing frown. No, he wasn't just going to keep himself alive, it would stop Whitebeard from causing mayhem on Marineford, which, in turn, will start a war and many will die. All because of him. Luffy was here, too. If they found out about that, not only would he lose crew mates, his own brother could die as well. Pops wasn't young anymore, either. He'd be marching to his own grave with this act. And truth to be told, as hard as it was to accept it, Ace didn't want to die. Not yet. He wanted to live to see Pops become to new Pirate King. He still wanted to go see the different islands across the world. If he died now, he'd be breaking promises. Especially a promise to one little girl on an island of samurai.. 

But it wasn't like he'd get to see them again or do anything about helping Pops if he became a Marine. He'd be stuck on this base doing paperwork or trailing after some Admiral as they detained criminals and other pirates. Maybe he could trick the Marines somehow and escape back to the sea. If only it was as easy as it sounded. He was sure there would be eyes on him constantly to make sure he was staying within his boundaries. But honestly, he didn't care. He'd figure something out. He had to get back out on the sea. He still had a grudge against Blackbeard and he wasn't going to die before dishing out a proper ass whooping to the fat man. Ace began to understand the gravity of this choice. He actually didn't even have a choice. He didn't want to die, but the only way to live was to be a dog to the Marines.

Ace studied the floor for a minute. His mind running over and over again, yet he still came to the same conclusion. "Fine," The room seemed to grow quiet as if holding its breath. "I'll join the Marines."

The chair Ace had been placed in felt like a pedestal of despair. Thankfully, he was able to move his arms, rotating them to ease the soreness from them. His wrists were still chained together, but he'd been able to give his body a nice stretch now that he was out of that dank prison cell. He had been moved from his cell just hours after his announcement that he would join the Marines; Jinbe giving him a stare of encouragement as he left. Sengoku hadn't been there, only Garp, who was currently standing by a window on the marine vessel. He had his arms crossed but he seemed a little less tense now that both of them were leaving the horrible place of Impel Down behind them. Ace had cast a look back down the eerie hallways before he boarded the ship. Luffy was still down there, looking for him. If only they had waited a bit longer, maybe Luffy would have made it to him. 

Ace sighed and leaned back in his seat. He looked over at a man who glared back. Apparently, the guy was a Vice Admiral, tasked with transporting Ace to the main building of Marineford. Ace was tempted to make a quip about how the guy would get stuck frowning like that forever, but he wouldn't push his luck just yet. He didn't need any more reason to get sent back to executed right then and there. So, he opted to ignore the man and watching the waves flick up and around the sides of the ship through a squared window near him. 

They arrived at Marineford after what felt like an hour. When Ace was ushered from the ship, Sengoku was standing there, hands in his pockets. They stood facing each other for several heartbeats, their eyes locked in a mock battle to see who would look away first. But Ace was already feeling the effects of adrenaline wearing off, his body still trying to recover from lack of nutrition and sunlight. His eyes trailed to the floor and he could have sworn he heard a quiet huff from the Fleet Admiral. Soon enough, Ace was taking the dreaded walk to the execution block and for a moment, he began to think that they had just been toying with him when they gave him the two options. Were they still going to kill him? Now that really wasn't fair. But when Ace got to the top, he wasn't pushed down into a kneeling position. He simply stood next to Sengoku, who pulled a mic from somewhere in his pocket. Before Sengoku could speak, the waters ahead of them bubbled and frothed, splitting to reveal a horizon full of ships that had been coated to protect them from the water pressure. The biggest ship stood in the front, its hull large and looming silently as it faced off the marines below it.

The Moby Dick. Whitebeard's main ship. 

They were already here? Had they been here the whole time, simply waiting for the chance to pop up like prairie dogs? Ace didn't have time to think about it all as a tall figure stepped onto the top of the ship. His giant spear in hand, cape billowing in the wind. Ace could even see the familiar crescent shaped beard that he had gotten tattooed on his back. The marines surrounding the platform Ace and Sengoku were on erupted into surprised chatter.

"He's here already?"

"They were under the water the whole time!?"

"It looks like he brought his entire fleet..."

"Can we really win this?"

Ace's palms began to sweat. The Marines didn't need to worry about losing. They've practically already won. Sengoku was probably going to announce all that they had discussed in the prison out loud to everyone here. Ace is joining the Marines. There will be no war. Ace couldn't remove his eyes from his father figure. A flash of blue flame materialized beside the man and Ace had to press his lips together to keep himself from whimpering like a lowly animal. Marco was there. Izo, Haruta, Jozu, Vista, all of his crew mates were there. He may not have been able to see them from this distance, but he knew they were there. Shame felt hot in his chest, like he had been punched through by a fiery force. The clearing became silent as Sengoku took a few steps forward to address his forces. 

"As you all already know, today was supposed to be the day of Portgas D. Ace's execution," He side eyed Ace, sending anxiety rippling through the younger man's frame. "But, we have decided to postpone it."

Confusion swarmed through the ranks and Ace had a feeling that even his crew mates were sharing looks of bewilderment. Not like they were going to be too happy about what else was going to be said. He still couldn't pry his eyes away from Whitebeard. He couldn't see the man's expressions, but he was sure Pops was suspicious. The man wasn't stupid. 

Sengoku turned to Ace. "Please tell us all who your father is."

Ace's mouth felt dry and he had a difficult time trying to speak. But when he finally got words out, all that came out was a shaky "Whitebeard". 

"Wrong!" Ace cringed at the level of anger in the Fleet Admiral's voice. "This man," Sengoku turned back to face the front. "Is the true son of Gol D. Roger!"

A flood of gasps came from the crowds below. Ace could tell what they would be whispering about. Calling him a devil child, just as those men did when he was younger. He hated it. He hated that name. He hated the man behind the name. Why couldn't people just ignore the fact that he was the Pirate King's son? He didn't even want to be that bastard's kid! He was Whitebeard's brat and his alone. The murmuring seemed to stretch on forever and Ace shut his eyes as if to block out the images of surprise and judgement that would surely be on everyone's faces. 

"That alone should warrant his execution," Sengoku continued, shushing the whispers. "But I have spoken to him and we've come to a mutual agreement. Ace will be allowed to live if he becomes a Marine."

The whispering became outbursts. Even the Vice Admirals and Admirals looked shocked. Akainu standing up from his seat to face Sengoku. "Fleet Admiral, that is pure nonsense! You can't be serious about recruiting this man into our ranks! He's a no good pirate! The son of that trash!"

More voices added onto his. Heads nodded and murmured agreement spread through the crowds, but Sengoku held firm. His eyes stared Akainu down. "I knew you'd disagree with me. That's why I didn't bother to bring it up with any of you beforehand."

The Red Admiral looked quite offended, but he spoke no more, sitting heavily into his chair beside Kizaru and Kuzan. Ace made eye contact with him and the look of uncontrolled hatred made Ace want to take a step back. He made a mental note to stay away from this one in particular. 

"Ace," A far away, but clear voice carried on the breeze. "Look at me, Ace!"

Ace turned to look across the clearing and towards Whitebeard. His heart hammered a mile a minute, expecting to see hurt and betrayal upon the old man's face. But there was nothing but warmth in those yellow eyes. It felt like his resolve was breaking; his knees felt weak and a heat at the back of his head threatened to cause him to faint. Was he really about to give up his entire life of love and family because he didn't want to see them die saving him? Of course, people die everyday. What was different about this? It's different because.. Ace gritted his teeth. Because it's my family. They loved me and cared for me when no one else would.. Ace bowed his head, unable to keep eye contact as he felt tears blurring his vision. 

"Gurararara.." Whitebeard's laugh sounded small, Ace's heartbeat seemed to drown every other sound out. "Don't give me that! You just wait right there, son, I'll be there to get you."

Ace could hear the distant voices of his comrades but he couldn't make out what they were saying. No! Just.. Go away. Turn around and go back to the sea.. "You've got it all wrong.." Ace felt small. He wished a hole would open up and swallow him. Maybe he should just die, if only to escape this burning shame and grief. "Just go away.."

Ace heard a rumbling sound and glanced up. Whitebeard had his arms angled as if he were grabbing the very air itself. He then brought his hands down and the water churned beneath him. Ace knew what was going to happen next and gaped at the scene that unfolded. The area shifted, turning on its side like the Earth's plates had disconnected. Ace braced himself on the block, gritting his teeth so hard he could taste the metallic tang of blood. The ocean seemed to split, rising into two tsunamis bearing down on Marineford. Cries of panic could be heard until a blue blur shot up into the sky. 

It was Kuzan. The ice man lifting his arms up to freeze both giant waves and create a platform above the sea. The Marines on the bottom level regained their composure and pulled their swords from their sheaths. No.. The Marine giants got into their battle stances and the Vice Admirals leaped to the bottom level. No! Ace took a few steps forward, ready to shout for everyone to stop, but another voice shouted before him. 

"Aaaaaaceeeee!"

Ace paled. That voice was one he didn't wish to hear right now. Not like this. He glanced upward slowly. Shapes were falling from the sky. One of them looked like a ship, while tinier dots began to take form as they got closer. 

"Garp," Sengoku began slowly in a harsh voice. "You're family is always messing shit up!"

Garp placed both hands on his face. "Luffy? No!"

"L-luffy?!" Ace gasped, peering at the sky to make out his little brother falling to the ground below. Other people were falling with him, but Ace's attention was only on his brother. 

Luffy called out to Ace once again before hitting the ground in a giant cloud of dust. The navy ship smacking into the water behind him. Ace figured that must have hurt but his brother was rubber so it shouldn't have left too big of a mark. The dust cleared and standing beside his brother was Jinbe. Ace felt glad the fishman was able to get out. Crocodile was there, too, along with Buggy and a giant headed man wearing makeup. 

"Ace! I'm here to save you!" Luffy screamed, using his entire chest to project his voice. 

Could today get any more worse? It was bad enough he was struggling to get Whitebeard to leave, but now that Luffy was here, would the war just go on anyway?

"Luffy, you idiot! Get out of here! Now!" Ace did his best to sound like the commanding older brother that he was, but Luffy just tipped his head to the side with a deep frown. 

"You're the idiot! I'm here to rescue you before they kill you!"

"Ugh!" Ace groaned. "Listen, Luffy! I don't need to be saved anymore!"

"What're you talking about?" Luffy crossed his arms, head still tilted like a confused puppy. "They're gonna execute you, right? That's what the papers said."

Ace felt like his jaw would split if he clenched it any harder. "The execution is off because I.." He faltered. He really didn't want to have to repeat his predicament to his own little brother but what other choice did he have? "I.. I'm going to join the Marines."

Luffy scratched his head. "Why would you do that? I thought we promised each other that we'd become great pirates together."

It was like a slap to the face to hear that he was now breaking promises. Today really did get worse. "Yeah, sorry. I guess being a pirate just wasn't for me." He had hoped Jinbe would have said something about this to Luffy but when he looked at the fishman, he was staring at Luffy as if avoiding eye contact. 

"That's a lie!" Luffy growled. He had his fists clenched at his side like a child throwing a tantrum. "Did they say something to you? I'll just beat them up and come save you!"

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" Ace snapped back. "Just do as I say for once! Please!"

Luffy opened his mouth to speak, but Jinbe finally intervened, holding him back with a large hand on his shoulder. He whispered something Ace couldn't hear and Luffy's expression went from shock, to confusion, to anger and back to shock again. It was almost comical watching him try to work his brain cells, but Ace didn't have time to keep chiding his brother. 

"Now you understand? Please, Luffy-"

"I don't care! I'm coming to save you!" And the boy then took off down the icy path, knocking back anyone that got too close. Suddenly, Luffy went to the ground, his knees giving out underneath him. He went to all fours, panting heavily. What was wrong with him? Was he tired from running around Impel Down? 

Now that Ace could see him a little more clearly, Luffy seemed to be injured. Bruises marking his tiny body. What happened down there? Ace wondered how Luffy managed to escape that demon-looking Warden with his poison powers. "Luffy," Ace said in a softer tone, hoping it would calm him down. "Listen to me. You need to leave this place. It's not safe. I.." He shook his head. "I'm joining the Marines for a reason. You've got to understand that. Ok?"

Luffy panted for a moment longer before sitting back on his heels. "No, I don't understand." Ace frowned. "But, if they're not going to kill you..." He trailed off, frowning.

"No, they're not." Ace felt like he was slowly getting to the boy. "But they might if you don't leave." Ace shared a pointed look to Jinbe and the fishman blinked, his body visibly deflating from a sigh. He then picked up Luffy, glared up at the Fleet Admiral, baring his teeth a little before moving to stand closer to the Whitebeard pirates. 

Ace hoped Whitebeard would agree to leave as well. The old man had been staring at him during his talk with Luffy. Ace had felt the burn of eyes on him, but he refused to glance at them again, fearing he'd break to pieces if he did. 

"What an idiot son I have," Whitebeard remarked and Ace flinched, yet a smirk crossed his face. 

"Yeah.. What an idiot I am.."

"Ace! Just stay right there.." Luffy's voice faded off as exhaustion sapped him of his energy and he slumped in Jinbe's hold. 

Ace swallowed hard and turned his back on them all. He couldn't bear to look them in the face again. It would be too much. He'd probably end up changing his mind and letting the war rage on, but he couldn't do that. He wouldn't let people lose their lives over him, the Devil Child. He turned his head to speak over his shoulder. "I think we're done here."

"Ace!" Marco's voice sounded from above, but Ace ignored it. "I really hope you know what you're doing." 

Ace felt one leg give and he stumbled, catching himself before he could fall. He was embarrassed enough. No need to add to it by falling flat on his face. He was just tired. Yeah, tired. That's all it was. His eyes burned and a warm liquid rolled down his cheeks. He shook his head, his hair whipping past his face as he tried to shake the tears away. 

This really wasn't fair. 

"Because of your strength and abilities, I'd normally appoint someone of your caliber to a decently high rank," Sengoku said from behind his desk, writing down on a sheet of paper. It had been a day since Ace had "stopped" the war. "But seeing as your an infamous pirate, one we nearly executed," -Oh, just get to the point already- "And I'm most definitely not going to offer the Warlord option, I'll stick you as a lieutenant." Sengoku set a few papers to the side and crossed his arms. "As lieutenant, you must always report to your superior officer, which will most likely be the Vice Admirals and Admirals. Even me sometimes. Even if all you report is the weather, you must update where you've been and who you were with. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Ace shifted in his seat, adjusting the tie for what felt like the 100th time in the span of only a couple minutes. It felt weird having to wear a long sleeved, collared shirt after going shirtless for quite some time. At least it was a decent shade of white with a blue tie. The black pants were a bit tight, though. Hugging his thighs a bit too much. The shoes felt odd, too. Black dress shoes that clacked against the ground with every move. He even got his own marine coat that hung off his shoulders and flowed lightly in the breeze when he walked. It reminded him of Whitebeard's and he tried his best to bury those thoughts in the back of his mind. Upon his wrists were sea prism cuffs that were of a golden color. They kept him from using his devil fruit abilities. Now he really had to learn to fight again without his powers. Not like these Marines would be carrying around random metal pipes for him to wield. Ace picked at them until Sengoku let out a annoyed breath through his nose. 

"Stop messing with them or you'll end up hand-less." He then reached for a small den den mushi. "Perhaps they might come off once you prove you can be trusted among us." He pressed a button on the den den mushi and held it close to his lips. "You can come in now."

Ace turned to watch the sliding doors open to reveal the last person Ace ever wanted to see. Their eyes made contact and Ace had to hold back from mimicking the scowl laid across Akainu's face. 

"You'll be under Admiral Akainu's wing for now." Sengoku leaned back in his seat. "I don't really care how much you hate each other, you need to get along starting today. I won't tolerate any complaints from either end. At least not until you're used to each other." 

Ace sighed. He wouldn't have minded being under Garp's tutelage as long as he didn't have to deal with any of the admirals or other vice admirals. He glanced at Akainu from the side of his eyes and wished he hadn't. Akainu wasn't looking at him, but the aura of haki that radiated off of him was as hot as if he were releasing magma into the room. The Red Dog didn't even bat an eye as Sengoku gave him his orders and turned on his heel to exit the room. 

"You better catch up with him," Sengoku dismissed Ace with a light tone, his attention going towards a stack of folders to his right.

Ace jolted and hopped from his seat, following after Akainu's form as the tall man stomped away. The man was taking big, long strides causing Ace to have to half walk, half jog to keep up. Can I really keep up with this guy? Ace gritted his teeth, refusing to feel daunted by this giant jerk. They exited from the main offices and headed towards the lower barracks. 

"Huh? Is that really the son of Gol D. Roger?"

""Yeah.. Did he really join the Marines? Is he hiding something?"

"Well, he did spend some time in Impel Down's lowest level. Maybe that took a big enough toll on him and he'd do anything to get out."

"Hah, how pathetic."

Ace fought the urge to glare at the marines standing around the path. If only Akainu wasn't around then maybe he could give them a taste of their own medicine. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets and refused to meet the eyes of anyone around him. Choosing to glare at the ground. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him pissed off. He may be here for a long while, but he hoped Whitebeard or Luffy would show up again sometime. He would be more than happy to get the hell out of here by then. He may have joined them to stop the war, but if given another chance to leave, he'd take it. Wasn't there a rumor about a Rear Admiral that had ditched the marines a couple years ago? Maybe Ace could pull off something like that, too. 

Too lost in his thoughts, Ace nearly ran into Akainu's back as the man suddenly halted. Ace was ready to grumble when he noticed they had stopped in front of a building. It looked run down and spider webs lined the edges of the door. The door seemed to creak open on its own and a gust of dust flowed out, causing Ace to sneeze and cough. Akainu opened the door the rest of the way and the lights flickered on. Ace peered into the room and coughed again. Everything was layered with a fine coating of dust. There were old papers scattered across the old wooden desk and some on the floor. Of course, Ace assumed he'd have to be the one to clean the place up. There was a couple doors on each side of the room. One was probably a bathroom, the other a storage room. 

Ace took a few steps into the room, taking a good look around. He opened one door -Yep, a bathroom- then opened the other door. Oh? It was a bedroom. The bedding needed a good wash, and the room needed a good dusting, but it was a decent looking room nonetheless. There was a loud sound and Ace whipped around to see Akainu rubbing his nose, head turned away to ignore Ace's confused look. Ace was going to joke about the dusty situation, but a tickle in his nose sent him reeling backwards with a hard sneeze. He bumped into the desk, which caused a large puff of dust to rise up and the two of them erupted into sneezes and coughs. The two of them exited the office and stood a few feet from the door, gathering their wits after that burst of sneezing. 

"Clean this mess up." Was all the magma jerk said before turning on his heel and leaving Ace behind to glare at his back.

"What an ass," Ace grumbled before turning back to the dusty room. He sighed. He should find a cloth to cover his face. It'd be his luck to die from choking on the abundance of dust. 

. . .

A burning throat and a set of red, itchy eyes later, the room looked more presentable. Papers tossed into the trash bin, the windows opened to let the sunlight in and the bedding had been changed. Thankfully, there had been a clean, non dusty set of sheets kept in a drawer by the wall. Surprisingly, there weren't any bugs. Well, any alive that is. The dead bodies of insects had been swept from the office in one good sweeping. Ace wiped the sweat from his brow, a satisfied smile on his face. A job well done to him. He mentally gave himself a pat on the back, his sleeves rolled up to keep them from getting dusty. 

"Ooooooh? Looks nice in here!" A slow drawl of a voice startled Ace. He turned around and the lazy eyes of Admiral Kizaru. The slim and tall man had that laid back smile upon his face. Head tilted and body bent to peer through the doorway. 

Ace blinked. "Uh, yeah, thanks."

"Well, if you're done in here," He stood up straight, his chest and downward being the only thing Ace could see of the really tall man. "You can come with me." 

Ace blinked again and set the broom down. Where was Kizaru going to take him? He dusted his hands on his pants and headed out, shutting the door behind him. Ace observed the tall Admiral, noting the relaxed way the man moved. Ace was positive this man could be smoking something strong. He seemed too relaxed and calm. No emotion whatsoever emanating from him, even though his face held an easy going smile. All i know is that he possesses a light ability. He can move faster than sound. I should be more careful around him. 

"Ooh.." Kizaru stopped, his attention pointed towards a group of training marines. A pink haired marine back flipped away from a blonde, moving in a blur only to reappear a second later to counter a hit. The blonde swung his dual blades in a wide arc, nearly hitting the other marine but missing by a hair. They exchanged blows, then continued countering. It almost looked like a dance.

"You wanna join them?" Ace looked up at Kizaru, the man looking down at him with that easy smile. 

Ace just shrugged. "Weren't you going to take me somewhere?"

Kizaru suddenly froze before rubbing his chin. "Oh, was I taking you somewhere? I must have forgotten."

Ace deadpanned. Was this guy serious? How old was he? He didn't have dementia, did he? "I.. Guess I'll join them." Ace mumbled as he headed into the training block. It would be nice to let loose some steam after all the shit that has happened in the past few days. 

He stopped on the sidelines, scratching the tip of his nose. So, would he just jump in and attack them both? He could try. They didn't look too tough. He took his coat off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. He cracked his knuckles, a smirk playing on the edges of his lips. The wrist cuffs weren't going to make it easier for him to win this, but once he spotted a decent looking pipe leaned against the back wall, he figured he could land a couple hits on them. The pink haired boy kicked out at the blonde, the latter angling his body to swipe back at him. Ace gripped the pipe tightly and leaped forward, bringing it down between them. 

Their eyes widened and they split apart. They stood there, panting as they watched Ace. Ace smiled and propped the pipe on his shoulders. "You guys done already? I was hoping we could go another round."

The blonde leaned on one leg, a frown on his face. "Hey, you didn't have to just jump in like that. If you wanted to spar, you could have said so..." His voice trailed off and his mouth hung open as he stared. Ace snorted as he figured the kid must have recognized him. "G-gol D. Ace!?"

Ace immediately growled. "Don't ever call me that! It's Portgas D. Ace. Don't forget that."

The blonde jerked back as if he had been hit. "Ah, s-sorry.."

The pink haired boy stepped between Ace and the blonde. "So.. you're joining the Marines now.. Ah!" He jolted as if he were remembering something. "I'm Koby. This here is Helmeppo."

Ace calmed down a little. "Eh, nice to meet you."

Koby seemed a little shy as he spoke again. "So, you're Luffy's brother."

"Mhm." 

"Your brother saved me some time ago. When I was captured by pirates. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't be here." Koby smiled fondly.

Helmeppo seemed to think, his foot tapping. "Yeah, I guess I've got him to thank as well. And Zoro."

Ace couldn't help but grin widely. "I'm glad my brother's helped you. He tends to make friends easily. A bit too trusting if you ask me, but he means well." Ace then relaxed his hold on the pipe, arms coming down to his sides. "So, when do we get to eat around here? I'm starved!"

"Hungry already?" Helmeppo mumbled, but Koby just laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be eating soon enough. Usually around this time."

Ace nodded and suddenly remembered. Looking back, Kizaru was nowhere to be seen. In his place was Garp. The old man was watching them with a stern look on his face, arms crossed. 

"Gossiping are we?" Koby and Helmeppo jumped and began to shake. 

Ace paled. Garp was clenching his fists. Memories of getting a good ol' fist of love to the face made him touch his cheek as if he had already been hit. "I think it's time to go now." He said, backing away. 

"Y-yeah, I second that." Helmeppo said shakily. Koby shivered beside him. 

"You're not going anywhere!" Garp leaped at them and the three took off as the crashing sounds of a large fist hitting the ground sounded behind them.