Archive of Our Own ^beta

"No."

"But I wanna go too!"

"I told you before, I'm just going into Foosha village to get some supplies." Ace slung his bag over his shoulder. He turned to look up at Luffy, who was now peaking over the entrance of their treehouse, cheeks puffed up, and lips turned into a pout. 

"But I wanna visit Makino too." The younger brother whined. He slid out of the treehouse and landed right next to Ace, crossing his arms. 

"I probably won't even have time to pass by the Party Bar." He leaned forward, flicking the boy's straw hat off to ruffle his hair. "Besides, you're gonna have to get used to me being gone. I am gonna be seventeen in only a few weeks." 

Luffy's pout became a clear frown, fussily pushing Ace's hand away. "I know that! No need to rub it in."

The older brother only laughed, "Great, so that means you can protect the treehouse for the afternoon without causing any trouble, right?" 

"But it gets boring without you here." 

Ace huffed, "I promise I'll be home by evening at the latest. If you get too lonely, you can always go bother Dadan."

Luffy continued to sulk but finally seemed to relent, "Fine. Still not happy with it though."

Ace sighed, again flicking his straw hat off to pet his hair, "There's dried meats and fruits in the barrels up there. Feel free to help yourself, but only if I'm not in time for dinner, okay?"

Luffy only nodded, not pushing the hand away as Ace - with one final ruffle turned and began to trot away from their home. 

"Protect the treehouse!" Ace yelled over his shoulder. 

"With my life!" Luffy shouted back. Despite his jovial, Ace knew he wasn't joking. But he was so sure of his brother's strength that even if there were a threat, he'd have no trouble dealing with it. So, instead of letting the deep worry that was stewing in his chest fester, he only laughed in response.

Ace double-checked his list, rubbing his forehead with his knuckles as he muttered. "Canned food. Rope. Tarp -" He nodded, tying his bag shut and heaving it across his shoulder. He turned to bow at Minatomo, who had his usual frown as he fiddled with his hammer. "Thank you for all of this by the way."

The small carpenter only waved his hand dismissively with a sour scoff. "No problem, wife's been up my ass saying I had a hoarding problem, so it's nothin' outta my pocket. That stuff needed to go anyway."

Ace smiled at the man's antics, standing back up. "Still, Thank you."

Minatomo moved to smack the boy's leg, but Ace swiftly evaded it. "Whatever! Just get outta here! Wood Slaps been muttering about a storm all day."

As though on cue, Ace felt a drop of rain splatter against his shoulder, then another. He hummed and nodded. With one final salute in farewell to the carpenter, he sauntered off. The bag rattled against his back, his knife thumped against his hip with every step. As he passed the Party's Bar, swiftly picking up speed in hopes that maybe he'd be able to avoid-

"Ace!" Nevermind. He winced at Makino's worried tone. He turned to see the woman leaning out of the door. "What are you doing?" Maybe his face gave it away as Makino walked up to him. "The storms only going to get worse. Don't tell me you're going to walk back up the mountain in this weather."

"It won't be so bad if I run I won't even catch the brunt of it." 

Makino set her hand on her hips, her tone tettered onto chastising, " "Don't be ridiculous, you don't wanna spend your seventeenth with the flu. You can spend the night at the bar." 

Ace was already shaking his head before she offered, trying to wave her off. "But I promised Luffy I'd be home by evening." 

"I'm sure he'll understand it's due to the rain." Makino hummed, tapping her finger against her chin before pointing at the boy. "Tell you what, you stay the night, and I'll pack a breakfast for the both of you. That way Luffy won't be too upset. Sound good?"

Ace rubbed the nape of his neck, the cold rain now causing him to shiver. Food as an apology sounded good - he'd probably forget all about his transgression. "Fine, but as soon as the rain clears up, I'm gone."

Makino perks up immediately, wrapping her hands around Ace's arm, gently leading him towards the bar. "Good. Have you eaten yet? I'm sure I can heat up some leftover soup. I'm sure you're already freezing - I know I'm getting a chill."

Ace laughed at the woman's fretting, letting himself be led back to the Party's bar and ushered onto a stool. "Did you hear?" Makino piped up as she walked towards the kitchen, looking over the pot above the oven. Ace leaned forward to listen. "A boat docked onto the harbour this afternoon, but nobody got off. Wood slap tried to welcome them, but there wasn't a single peep."

Ace cocked his head to the side, resting his chin on the palm. "Strange," he muttered. 

The barmaid flicked the stove's fire on and returned to the counter. "Oh, it was a rather peculiar thing. Not as big as a pirate ship." Makino tried to emphasise the shape with her hands. "Slim, but really long. It was so strange. The design was something I've never seen before."

"Why did no one tell me?" Ace's brow pinched as he hunched over the counter. 

"Probably because you or Luffy would've tried bothering them." He flushed at the amused tone. 

"They could be dangerous." He retorted, moving to fiddle with a nearby coaster. 

"Wood Slap told me they didn't move in the slightest. He thought it was abandoned at first and just drifted to the harbour. But it was already tied to the dock, and the anchor was drawn." Makino turned to stare at the boy, smiling lightly at his pinched brow and curled lips. "Don't worry, he insisted on watching it from the fishmonger's house. He'll sound the alarm if anything happens."

Makino set a bowl of chicken soup in front of him, setting a spoon next to it. As though silently announcing the end of the conversation as she moved to get a bowl for herself.

Ace pouted ever so slightly but moved to dig into the dish, letting the broth's warmth spread. 

When he finished his dinner, Makino ushered him upstairs. He practically collapsed into the soft mattress, sighing in relief as he felt every muscle in his body relax and melt into the bedding. It was a heavenly luxury compared to the thin blankets and futons of the treehouse. He kicked his shoes off and buried himself into the quilt, staring at the heavy rain pelting against the window. 

As he stared at the rain, his thoughts drifted.  I wonder how Luffy's doing, probably pouting even more when he realises I'm not coming home. Moodily stewing as he empties out those dried meats.  He smiled wistfully, a familiar bittersweet ache blooming in his chest. If  Sabo was there, he'd tried to reassure him, 'You really think he'd be able to walk home in this rain?  It was a common thought that always invaded his mind. What would Sabo do? What would Sabo think? At first, it was always sour. He'd hide his face in a pillow and mull over the possibilities with tears blurring his vision, but now. 

It still hurt; that deep ache in his chest will never truly go away, but it still subsided.  I'll fulfil every promise.   I'll set sail at seventeen, become a pirate. I'll live.  He smiled into his pillow, letting sleep slowly take him.  I'll always take care of Luffy. 

Ace was up early, though unable to determine precisely how early. The sun was hidden in the remains of the storm. Not a single ray of sunlight escaped the thick sludge of clouds. He waved goodbye to Makino, a wrapped picnic basket now in hand and his other bag over his shoulder as he trudged up the mountain. 

Hopefully, I'll be back even before Luffy wakes up.  He grinned to himself, testing the heft of the basket.  Wake him up with his favourite breakfast. That'll get him in a good mood. Hopefully, the Bandits are still asleep when I pass them. 

He smelt it before he saw it. The smell of blood was something he was all too familiar with, from hunting and fights. But the foul intensity of this smell made him recoil and cover his nose. 

Maybe they got a good hunt and got messy.  Ace tried to rationalise but still quickened his pace. Once he broke through the treeline, Ace dropped his basket, and the contents spilled onto the grass. 

Dead bandits were scattered over the clearing. The earth was blood-soaked. Chucks of flesh ripped from torsos and meat strewn across the dirt. Some were missing heads, others their torsos were torn clean in half. It was a bloodbath. He stumbled back into a tree, sliding down onto the ground. He covered his mouth, a feeble attempt to silence his cries and keep the vomit down. He gulped and shakily stood back up. 

That was when he picked up a sound. A grotesque chewing noise, all wet and noisy. Slowly, Ace crept towards the entrance to the Bandits' home. Slowly, he peaked around the door, hand still on his mouth as he took in the sight before him. 

A monster was human in shape, but its skin was a sicky grey. Greasy black hair clung to its forehead and shoulders, short horns growing out from its cheekbones. It smacked its lips as it knawed on the flesh with sharp teeth. 

Dadan lay before the monster's feet, her axe now in her limp grasp. Her body was littered with scratch and bite marks, and her arm ripped clean off her shoulder. 

I can't hit it with my knife,  Ace's knuckles turned white, his hand trembling around the blade's hilt.  It'll use those teeth if I do.  He cringed as he caught a glimpse of the monster's gaping maw.  But what else can it do? It can't just be its teeth. Maybe it's a devil fruit user that'll explain its looks, or-

"Are you gonna come out or what?" 

The sudden voice struck him like a bucket of scathing ice. It was baritone and coarse, grating against his pounding heart as he clamoured to muffle a gasp.

"Aww, you think you were being sneaky.  I can smell you. " Its voice was teasing as it stretched, bones crackling with every movement, "I can hear your heartbeat." it sang, throwing the dismembered arm over it's shoulder. Slowly, it turned its head towards Ace's hiding spot. He finally saw the monster's eyes, and there was no life behind them, they were beyond bloodshot and almost bulging out of the sockets.  This isn't a devil fruit user. Ace  choked the air that clogged his throat,  this thing is beyond inhuman. 

"Scared little lamb," it cooed. "You're shivering in your skin."

Ace finally snapped up, scrambling out from behind the wall and unsheathing his blade, holding it up high. His other hand balled into a fist against his cheek. 

"Delicious skin," a lithe serpentine tongue slipped out from his mouth and sluggishly moved it to lick it's crackling lips. "I wonder how it tastes."

The monster lunged, fangs and claws bared as it sprinted towards the teen. Ace ducked, slashing the creature's hip as it rushed towards him and crashed into the wall. He quickly moved to swipe at the monster again, but it leaned out of the way. 

Through the momentum, he swung his free fist into it's jaw, hearing a satisfying crack as it stumbled back to lean on the wall again. Ace quickly stepped back, dropping into a crouch as he felt his heel bump into a familiar wooden handle. 

The monster spat out a sharp tooth, mouth now twisted in annoyance as it regained it's stature. It turned to face Ace and swiftly caught the flying blade he threw. "Pest," it spat, examining the hunting knife with a bit of amusement, "You really think-"

Ace swung Dadan's axe with all his might. He knew the axe's calibre; she'd treated the weapon like it was her own kin, spending hours sharpening and oiling it to perfection, and now it seems to have finally paid off. He watched as the axe cut through the monster's neck, cutting into the wall as it's head flew over his shoulder. He paused as he heard a dull thump behind him. Ace stepped back from the body, waiting with bated breath for it to fall. But it didn't. 

Dread pooled in his stomach as he heard laughter behind him. 

"Foolish little pest," Ace turned around in horror as the decapitated head of the monster began to cackle, "You think you could kill me so easily? A snivelling little-"

He didn't wait for it to talk further, rushing to grab his hunting knife from the ground and seizing the disembodied head by it's greasy hair. He lifted it up and lunged the blade between the monster's eyes and into the wall behind it.

It screamed out in agony, "MOTHERFUCKER! I'M GONNA SKIN YOU ALIVE FOR THIS, YOU -"

"WHY DID YOU DO THIS!?" Ace screamed back, pure desperation and rage lacing his every word. His hand is still on the blade's hilt, shaking with raw emotion. 

The fury in the monster's face dropped, and then a smile curled up on it's lips. "Why? There are many reasons as to  why, " it laughed condescendingly, "I was hungry, I wanted a fight, I needed to follow through with the boss's orders." Ace's confusion must've been evident on his face, because the creature only grinned wider. "You're the brother, aren't you? I'll give you a hint. 'I wish to deal with the boy myself. Get rid of any distractions.' That was my boss's order." It's face twisted into false sympathy, "Shame. I wanted to kill him instead."

I wish to deal with the boy myself.

the boy.

the  boy.

"LUFFY!" 

Ace quickly let go of the hilt, rushing out of the bandit house and in the direction of the treehouse. He could still hear the monsters cackling, as he ran into the woods. Dadan's axe felt heavy in his grip as he felt shrubbery whip at his ankles and calves.  No, no no It can't be him , Ace hissed as a flying branch lashed his shoulder.  I promised I promised I'd protect him - this can't happen.  He jumped over a large tree root.  I'm sure it's fine , he sharply turned left. Luffy can handle himself in a fight. He turned right. Luffy  will be fine.  Left again.  He'll be in the treehouse, safe and sound.  He pushed his legs further; it was a straight path now.  He'll be fine . Just a little further.  Please be fine. 

"LUFFY!" He pushed past the trees and stumbled to a stop as the treehouse came into view. He called out, pure silence, and it only made his worry grow. Luffy was never quiet. He hooked the axe into his belt loop and scrambled to scale the rickety rope ladder.  Maybe he's still asleep . One more hopeful thought passed through his mind, but it was quickly diminished as he pulled himself into the treehouse. 

Luffy laid face down against the floor, blood pooling around his head and waist and seeping into the wood. His beloved straw hat lay limply around his neck. Ace scrambled over on his knees, as he turned the boy around. His distress only grew as he saw a thick, ugly bruise circling the boy's neck. "No, no no,  please ." Ace croaked, desperately pressing his ear against his brother's chest. He almost cried out in relief as he heard the faintest thumping of a heartbeat. He desperately tried to find the source of the bleeding but to no avail. 

"Doctor," he said hoarsely to himself, limply gathering his younger brother into his arm. "I need to go back to town for a doctor." He heaved the boy up, scooting to the edge of the treehouse and grabbing the straw hat on the way. He dropped onto the grass below, swaying abruptly as he tried to balance the new weight in his arms. He didn't hesitate, quickly running back the way he came with Luffy pressed up close against him. He could faintly feel the boy's shallow breath wheeze against his neck. "C'mon Luf, just hang in there." Anguish laced his every word, his voice cracking as he continued, "We'll get you to the doctor - I know you hate the doctors, but you're really hurt this time. So bare with me, okay?" His pathetic attempt at jeering was met with further silence. 

Then, every so faintly, he heard a low groan from the boy in his arms. He dug his heels into the ground, immediately stopping his running. "Luffy?" Ace's voice was overwhelmingly hopeful as he slowly began to run again, "Luffy? Luffy, wake up." His brother began to stir, squirming in Ace's iron grip. "Hey calm down!" Luffy only groaned again, his mouth curling into a grimace -  were his teeth always that sharp?

His stirring quickly became thrashing, and Ace struggled to keep him in his arms. Luffy roared into his ear; he almost didn't recognise it, it sounded so inhuman. In the midst of his thrashing, Luffy managed to punch Ace square across the face, and Ace finally let go of his brother, flying back at the sheer force. He skidded across the grass, hissing with pain as the dirt aggravated his injuries. He quickly got up, watching as Luffy slowly stood up with his body hunched over, flexing his hands open and shut. 

"Luffy! Don't get up, please. I can carry you." Ace quickly approached him, gripping his shoulders and gently shaking. He needed to hold him, to be grounded. He needed some semblance that this wasn't just some horrible bad dream. "C'mon, don't be a stubborn mule. Let your big brother take care of you. Kay?" He weakly teased. Then, slowly, his younger brother began to lift his head up. Ace began to smile, but it quickly dropped when his eyes finally met his gaze.

Instead of Luffy's warm black eyes, eyes that forever held a lively sparkle in a sea of dark, Ace stared into cold, deep amber, pupils thin and predatory. A low growl rumbled out from the boy's throat that mounted into a snarl.

"Luffy?" His voice was barely above a whisper, disbelieving as he staggered back. Like a command, Luffy snapped those foreign eyes towards him. He lunged, mouth agape and sharp fangs glinting - aiming for Ace's jugular. Out of pure instinct he dodged, watching the boy's jaws snap close. Despite his confusion, Ace quickly untucked the axe from his waist and desperately held it before the boy. 

Luffy didn't hesitate after the first bite, lunging for him again for another attempt. He bit down on the handle of the axe, grabbing Ace's forearms and digging his sharp nails into the skin.

"Luffy! What's wrong with you!" He cried out in pain, trying to pull away, but his brother's grip was unnervingly firm. "Snap out of it!" He managed to push him off and stumbled back - dodging again as Luffy tried to take another bite. "C'mon Luf! It's me! It's your big brother! What happened?!"

He didn't listen, spinning around and sending a kick right into Ace's stomach. It sent him into a tree, wheezing at the impact. He collapsed, curling around his stomach. He slowly looked back up at Luffy, who was hunched over, new found claws curled and ready to attack again. Ace stared back helplessly at his brother, until he unfurled himself and bared his torso towards him.

I promised Luffy I wouldn't die. He  leaned back onto the tree trunk.  But maybe if I die by his hands, it won't count. 

Ace groaned to himself and began to slowly stagger back up. Sabo would say that's the dumbest, shittiest excuse he's ever heard. Luffy paused, and Ace froze along with him - waiting for what he'd do. Luffy jerked his head up and loudly sniffed the air, quickly swivelling around with a growl. 

"Well well, it seems like the boss's little trick worked." Ace went cold with dread as he heard a familiar nasally voice. He watched as the same monster from the bandit home emerged from the woods, head fully attached to it's body. Ace coiled up, ready to spring up as it approached Luffy, circling around the growling boy as if it was sizing him up. The monster tapped it's chin thoughtfully, "Not too bad looking for a newly turned demon, of course."

"Demon?" The curiosity slipped out from Ace's mouth before he had a chance to fully think about it. He flinched as the monster snapped it's head towards him. It's face immediately soured at the sight of him but quickly changed into smugness. 

"Oh? Haven't you figured it out yet?" The monster snickered, it leaned forward towards his brother. Both boys bristled, "He's become precisely like me, a demon - a flesh-eating monster, almost unkillable to you puny mortals." It twirled around Luffy with a flourish, "Feast your eyes! Your brother is no more!"

Ace couldn't speak, his thoughts were in a chaotic jumble as his eyes darted between his brother and the mons- no  demon.   This can't be happening. Luffy is - Luffy, he can't become a monster - he's nothing like the demon in front of him! he can't just be 'no more'. He's standing right in front of me. He can't be gone-

Whilst Ace spiralled, the demon continued, "Mmh, you have potential, Boss certainly isn't gonna train you," a cruel grin spread across the demon's face. "Say, why don't you become my brother instead? Teach you the ropes in being a fully-fledged demon."

Ace snapped his head up; the red hot rage that stirred in his gut bubbled and boiled under the declaration. He snapped, grabbing the axe again and charging towards the demon. It quickly ducked, a sneer evident on it's face as it drove it's knee into Ace's gut, quickly forcing him to fall back into the tree. 

"Snivelling pest, do you know how annoying it was to get my head off that wall!" The demon snarled, storming forward and driving it's foot into Ace's shoulder, pinning him in place. "I'll take pleasure in killing you."

But Ace wasn't looking at the demon. Instead, he looked past it and at Luffy, who hadn't moved or changed face since they started brawling. He remained still, staring at the floor, eyes unfocused and pupils dilating in and out. 

Ace took a deep breath, chest shuddering with pain from all the battering, but he managed to croak out, " Luffy."  The boy snapped his head up, face devoid of any familiar emotions as he stared.  

Ace continued, wheezing out his words as the demon drove it's heel in further. "I'm sorry," his voice cracked under a thick tone of sorrow, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from this." He weakly laughed, "Some big brother I am."

Maybe it was a trick of the light of Ace's wishful thinking, but he could've sworn a flash of recognition flashed in Luffy's eyes. But he didn't dare hope, quickly lowering his head as the demon sharply kicked his shoulder. 

"You're ignoring me? Disgraceful!" The demon barked haughtily, digging it's heel into the scratch on his arm, causing an involuntary yelp of pain. "Embrace your demise." it raised it's hand, claws on full display, ready to strike downwards. Ace stared back at the demon defiantly; he wouldn't take a deathly blow cowering. Waiting for the painful blow to rain down on him. 

But it never came.

Instead, Ace watched with shock as Luffy lurched forward, face unchanged as he grabbed the demon's wrist. It whipped it's head around, it's face contorting into pure bewilderment. 

"Just what do you think you're doing?" The demon's voice was low, clawed hand curling in and out warningly. Luffy appeared confused at his own actions, staring at the claw with intrigue before slowly turning to look at the demon, eyes darting down to Ace for a fleeting moment. With lightning speed, Luffy let go, rearing back and socking the demon straight in the gut. The demon flew back through a tree before it could react, the wood splintering apart as it continued to fly back into the forest.  

Ace stared in shock, frozen as Luffy ambled towards him, and squatted down to his eye level. Tentatively, Ace slowly brought his hands up to gently cup his brother's cheeks, slightly squeezing the familiar rubbery flesh with his thumbs. 

"Luffy?" Ace's voice was weak yet hopeful. He watched as Luffy's eyes brightened, his entire face perked up. Ace couldn't help but flinch as the boy reached forward and pinched his cheeks back; it was so nostalgically rough that he teared up at the touch. Ace quickly moved to wrap his arms tightly around Luffy's shoulders, causing the boy to let go of his cheek. 

Questions still raced through Ace's mind. But it was clear now, despite the apparent changes, this was still Luffy.

"YOU BRATS! I DON'T CARE WHAT THE BOSS SAID. I'M KILLING THE LOT OF YA!!" An enraged roar echoed through the trees.

Ace snapped into action, grabbing Luffy's hand and heaving them both up. He ignored the pulsing pain that rippled throughout his body as he stumbled in the opposite direction, his brother allowing himself to be led with only a garbled whine. Ace's eyes whipped about the woods. He knew this forest like the back of his hand; there was a cave nearby. Well hidden too, they only found it because Luffy fell back into the bushes by accident. He took a hard turn around a warped tree and then dived through those very bushes, Luffy following with a startled yelp. 

Now, in the safety of the cave, Ace hurriedly huddled Luffy closer. He gently pushed the boy into a sitting position, pressing a finger against his lips and silently shushing him. In the tense silence that followed, Ace quickly checked over his brother once more. He ignored Luffy's indignant whine as he pried his mouth open. His stomach sunk as he saw a pair of large fangs leading to a row of sharp molars, unnervingly similar to the angry demon outside. He fell onto his butt, too shocked and weak to try and sit gracefully, "You really are one of them now, huh." 

Luffy only cocked his head, kneeling down so Ace could lightly trace the dark bruise around the boy's neck. "Why can't you talk? C'mon, I know you wanna yell at me for being a dumbass back there." 

Nothing, Luffy just looked at him with those amber eyes. Ace bit his bottom lip to suppress it from wobbling. Sucking in a sharp breath in an attempt to compose himself, Ace shakily ran his hands through his hair. He stared at his brother, still desperately trying to digest the information. Luffy only stared back, head still cocked as he rocked back and forth.

"No! No no no no! Not like this!" The brothers snapped their heads to the cave entrance as the demon's voice shattered the miserable silence.

Ace hissed, soft but stern, "Don't leave until I say so, okay?"

He was met with a nod and took it as a sign of agreement. He got up and peeked out of the bushes, surprised as a splash of warmth brushed his cheeks. He looked up to see the sun peeking through the dense, dreary clouds. 

There stood the demon, writhing in pain as it desperately tried to block out the sun with it's arms. Smoke billowed off it's frame, skin and flesh burning into ash. It didn't even acknowledge Ace as it continued to howl in agony. Under his breath, Ace whispered incredulously to himself, "What the hell?"

He instantly flinched as the demon snapped towards him. It roared, trying to take a step forward, only for its leg to crumble into dust at the pressure, falling face first into the ground. 

Ace still stepped back, keeping his distance as the demon now tried to crawl towards him. But as its fingers dug into the dirt they too, deteriorated into cinders.

"You think you're safe!" The demon yelled, voice heavy with pain, "You'll never be safe with a monster like him around."

"Shut up." Ace grounded out. Clearly, the demon wished to throw in some final poisonous jabs before it completely disintegrated.

"I bet he begged to the boss, wondering where his  precious big brother was  as he was torn apart from the inside out.-" 

"Shut. Up." Ace curled his fists so tightly he felt his nails dig into his palms.

"-He'll be a monster - humans will fear him. He'll never eat the same, never be able to feel the sun again, never be able to walk amongst humans ever again. All because  you  were too late-"

"SHUT UP!" the demon only cackled as Ace finally drove his foot into it's skull a plume of smoke erupted under his heel. The laughter was abruptly silenced as the ash settled onto the ground.

The only thing that could be heard was Ace's laboured breath. Lifting his foot, he saw no remains of the demon, only scattered ash and cinders.  Never be able to feel the sun again , He shielded his eyes as his gaze wandered up the imposing light; they  burn in the sun?

He spat into the pile of ash, but it didn't alleviate the heavy feeling in his chest in the slightest. He stumbled back into the cave, collapsing on his butt and leaned back with a heavy sigh. 

He needed to sort things out. He needed to tell the village - god, what was he going to tell  Makino . The bandits are  dead,  Dadan, Magra, Dogra -  everyone.  He slowly curled himself into a ball, resting his forehead. 

He jumped at a feather-light touch brushed against his forearm. He snapped his gaze towards Luffy, who sat way too close into his personal space, his nose inches away from Ace's cheek. A garbled hum forced its way out of the boy's throat. 

"Luffy..." Ace didn't hesitate as he wrapped his arms around his brother's neck. The adrenaline was wearing off, and his body began to throb with pain. The bruises that were blossoming over his torso announced themselves with an aching viciousness. His body screamed for rest, his mind was finally catching to him -  Dadan is dead, his brother is a  monster - he buried his face into Luffy's neck. He would always beat down any semblance of sadness, instead letting it simmer into the rage and anger he was more comfortable with. But now, he couldn't stop his chin from quivering, he couldn't stop the tears threatening to escape his eyes. 

Ace buried his face deeper into Luffy's neck, trying to stifle a sniffle. "I'm sorry Luf," his voice wavered, tears on the verge of spilling over. "I'm so  so sorry, " he choked, "I'm sorry I spent the night at the village - I should've been there to protect you. I'm sorry, I'm so  so -" He paused, feeling Luffy's hands roughly grasp his cheeks. Ace was quickly manhandled to face his brother, Luffy's cheeks puffed up, and eyes scrunched with a familiar indignance. He huffed, raising his fist and, as lightly as he could, knocked Ace on the head. 

Ace stared back, bewildered at the sudden scolding. But even without words, the message the boy was trying to send was clear, ' Stupid Ace. Stop worrying about it .' Luffy's sour look quickly melted into concern. With his usual lack of grace, he tried to run a hand through Ace's hair, fingers awkwardly getting his claws tangled in knots - fumbling to untangle himself before trying again. It was a feeble attempt to comfort, but it was enough to teeter the poor man over the edge. 

The dam broke. He glomped the boy in a hug as he heaved out a gutwrenching sob. Luffy continued trying to pet his hair as Ace cried into his shoulder. He didn't know how long they sat there. But Ace's cries slowly subsided, and he shakily pulled himself back together and pulled back from the embrace. He quickly wiped his eyes. He tried to muster up a teasing smile, voice still wobbling; he joked, "M'sorry Luf, guess I'm the crybaby this time."

He was quickly met with a weak  'shishishi'  that made Ace's heart ache tenfold. That laugh felt like a reminder - further evidence that this was still his brother. He didn't completely fail Sabo. His youngest brother was still here, in rubbery flesh. He wasn't alone in this. 

As exhaustion seeped into his bones, Ace maneuvered himself and Luffy so that they'd both be lying on the ground. He pressed his ear against Luffy's chest, breathing out a sigh of relief as he felt the steady thrum of a heartbeat. Slower than average, but a heartbeat nonetheless. He didn't care about how rough the ground was, he's slept on worse. Luffy let himself be moved with a curious look, smiling as they settled. He curled around Ace's head with a content hum, lazily nuzzling his cheek into his hair.  

Ace didn't even notice he fell asleep until he woke abruptly after being kicked in the chest. Quickly opening his eyes, he watched as Luffy stretched, unaware of his foot still pressed against Ace's chest. He huffed out a tired laugh and pushed Luffy's foot away -  Even his feet have claws,  he noted with befuddlement. Ace heaved himself up, wincing as his back screamed at him to lie back down. 

"I need to tell the village," Ace muttered to himself, eyes trained on the cave's entrance. Obviously, they didn't sleep long, and he knew that in some days, Makino would come up to visit the bandits - give them sake and share the village gossip. He didn't want her to see the same gruesome scene he had witnessed this morning. 

Amid his thoughts, his eyes trailed back to Luffy, who was now examining his new set of claws. ' He'll be a monster - humans will fear him',  The demon's bemused voice grated at his mind. As much as he despised admitting it, the monster was right. The townsfolk already had an air of caution when it came to his brother, with his devil fruit and relation to Garp, but now?

I almost lost him once, I can't risk that again.  

It took a lot of talking and exaggerated hand gestures for Ace to be confident that Luffy would stay in the cave. He was still distracted with examining his new features, including staring at himself in a nearby puddle. With one last sigh and after ruffling the boy's hair Ace left the cave once more and trudged towards the town. 

He took a different route, one that kept a wide berth around the Bandits' hideout. He couldn't deal with it a second time. As he walked into the village, he broiled over his plan, what he was going to say and psyching himself up for the eventual scene he would create. 

Everybody he passed paused what they were doing to stare. Ace assumed he was quite a sight. Open shirt splattered with blood, body bruised and battered. He preemptively winced as he saw Makino sweeping the Party's Bar patio. She waved excitedly at him, but quickly dropped her broom and rushed over to him once she saw his appearance. 

"Oh my goodness," She was quick to worry over him. Fluttering her hands over every scrape and bruise, eyes flickering with concern. "Ace, what happened!? You were just - I thought you went-"

"Where's Woodslap?" Ace successfully kept his voice firm, gently grabbing her hands and pulling them back in front of her. 

"Oh - um - he's having breakfast in the bar. But we should get you to a doctor first, you look-" Ace let go of her hands and quickly walked around her and towards the bar. He slammed the saloon doors open, Makino quick on his tail, still fretting. 

The mayor snapped his head up from his eggs and toast, glasses nearly teetering off his nose in surprise as he saw the tattered boy in front of him. 

"Ace?! What in heavens?"

Ace took a deep breath, ignoring the heavy lump in his throat and spoke, "The Dadan Bandits were attacked last night." He gulped, "They were all killed by a monster that called itself a demon." He bowed his head but still caught a glimpse of Makino covering her mouth in shock; guilt pooled in his stomach as her eyes watered. He tried to compose himself as shocked gasps and whispers rippled across the bar. 

Woodslap sat there, mouth agape. Shakily fixing his glasses, he rushed to question the teenager, " I - I see, we must call the Marines! That monster could still be-" 

"It's dead."

An uneasy silence settled over the bar, until Makino tentatively broke it. "Ace," he looked up to see her hands clasped to her chest, eyes already watering. "What about Luffy. Why isn't he with you right now? Ace, where is he?"

The heavy feeling in Ace's throat dropped into his stomach, steeling himself for what was to come. He shakily replied. "Makino, I'm sorry-"

"No  please ," the barmaid bowed over, shoulders shaking with sobs. " No no no he can't be ."

Ace was quick to put his hands on her shoulders, "Makino, please I need to speak to you privately," and tried to gently usher the woman upstairs, but she was already inconsolable.

Woodslap looked down to his feet, expression unclear. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Ace tried again, firmly grabbing her upper arms; he led her upstairs and into one of the many inn rooms. Ace let go to close the door behind them, making sure it locked before turning to try and console the weeping woman. Who was still shaking her head and whispering denials as she cried. 

Makino would never be scared of Luffy. She'd love him no matter what,  he reassured himself before piping up, "Luffy's not dead."

She immediately snapped her head back up, "What?"

Ace anxiously curled in on himself, crossing his arms and digging his hands into his armpits. "Luffy's not dead, but something did happen to him." 

Makino sniffled, almost out of indignation and squared her shoulders. "Explain."

And he did. His story was very rushed and all over the place, but Makino was able to follow. During the story, they moved to sit at the end of the bed, Ace gesturing throughout frantically as Makino rested her hand limply on his shoulder. 

"I ... see," Makino murmured, but Ace wasn't too sure she was entirely truthful as she stared at the floorboard in shock. "So, why didn't you say in the bar?"

"If the Marines catch wind of this, I don't know what they'll do." Ace warily ran his hand through his hair, "I don't know if Garp will protect him. I just can't risk him becoming a target I-"

"Alright, Alright." Makino tried to soothe the boy, kneading his shoulders in hopes of winding him down. "I understand, I don't agree, but I understand. I won't tell Woodslap."

Ace nearly slumped over in relief, "Thank you."

"But what now? There's no doubt Garp will race over here once he hears about the Bandits," Her voice wavered around the word bandits, but she trudged on. "He'll hound you for an explanation once he gets here." 

"That's why I don't plan on being here," Ace replied, the tiniest hint of a coy smile inching onto his face. "Doesn't hurt to leave one week early, right?"

Makino gave a melancholic smile in return. She sighed but tried to perk up as she spoke, " If you're going to leave early, then it won't hurt if you receive your gift early." She stood up, dusting off her pleated skirt. "Come on, chin up. You and Luffy will need some new clothes and food - After that, you can have your present." 

"Gift? Wait - Luffy? Makino you -" Ace stammered.

"You're not stopping me from seeing him after everything you told me," Makino scolded back, "Now, I'm gonna call the doctor up here and bandage you up. Then we'll head back to that cave you mentioned." With that, she briskly hurried out of the room.

Ace slumped in defeat, letting himself fall back onto the bed with a tired sigh. 

Ace grumbled as he stomped along the path towards the cave. Makino hummed a tense little tune next to him, carrying a cardboard box in her arms as Ace had her basket. 

" Are you gonna tell me what it is?" Ace asked, eyeing the box with a raised brow. 

"Nuh-uh," She readily responded, "It's a gift from Luffy. All he would talk about was, 'Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Ace's face when he sees this.' So I'm going to ensure he's there when you open it." 

He couldn't help the involuntary huff of laughter at the barmaid's impression, holding his hands up as surrender. "Fine, we're just around the corner anyway. I just hope he stayed inside."

Makino snickered, "I know Luffy tends to ignore your instructions - but he knows when it's serious enough to listen, alright?"  

"I guess," he grumbled with stubborn disbelief. He itched at his bandages but stopped under the woman's warning gaze. 

But lo and behold, when they squeezed past the bushes and into the cave. There, Luffy sat, cross-legged and rocking back and forth with impatience. The younger boy immediately lit up at the sight of the two, springing up and crowding the two. 

Makino almost nudged Ace out of the way once she saw Luffy, uttering worries under her breath as she hurried to set the box down. She quickly cupped the boy's face, peering at his new eyes, prying his mouth to see his new fangs, and then grabbing his hands to examine his sharpened nails. She lowered her head with a sigh, " So it is true," she quickly became flustered, hurriedly adding, "Not that I thought you were lying! It's just-"

"No no, it's fine. I get it." Ace waved her embarrassment away as he dropped the basket, "It's all too nonsensical to believe." 

Makino nodded, still giving an apologetic smile. She let go of Luffy and moved to open the basket. She handed the boy an armful of his usual fluffy pants and a spare loose vest. She ushered the boy to go change behind a rock and moved back to rummage through the basket. Makino laid out a picnic blanket, slew dried meats, a water canister and a handful of medical supplies. 

"I know you said you couldn't find any wounds on him other than the bruise, but double-checking doesn't hurt." 

"It might not be his blood," Ace noted, unashamed at the hint of pride in his voice. 

"We won't know what happened until he speaks about it, if he speaks at all," Makino replied, downtrodden at the potential that Luffy may never talk again. But quickly regained her composure as Luffy popped his head over the rock and ambled towards the two. 

She pulled the boy down to sit on the blanket, Ace scooting over to join them. The barmaid resumed humming her tune as she soaked a cloth with the canister. Luffy whined and squirmed as she began to scrub the dried blood off his skin, but didn't fight against it. 

When Makino finished, she offered a slab of meat as an apology. But to her and Ace's shock, Luffy stood up and trotted past the food. Instead, he peered inside the empty basket, rocking it around before throwing himself headfirst inside it. Both Makino and Ace watched, frozen, as the boy wiggled his feet in the air trying to fit himself in the basket. 

"Now I'm really worried," Makino whispered to the other boy. 

"You weren't before?"

"Of course, I was worried before, but now I'm extremely worried," She eyed the meat in her hand with concern, "Luffy's never refused food, let alone meat! Even before becoming rubber, he had a stomach bug and still tried to eat everything. Is it an erm-" She winced, "Is it a  demon thing? "

Ace quickly shook his head. No, the demon he met was undoubtedly able to eat - was their diet restricted to  that  kind of meat, or maybe... 

A thought dawned on him. He grabbed the meat from Makino's hand and walked over to Luffy. The boy shuffled the right way round, head and legs awkwardly sticking out of the basket. 

"Luffy," the boy perked up at his name but quickly turned his head away in guilt at the sight of the meat. "Luffy," Ace gently admonished, "Can you eat this?" 

Luffy slowly nodded. 

"Will you eat this?" 

He aggressively shook his head.

"Why?"

Luffy paused for a moment. He pointed to the meat and lifted his arm, pretending to chew on it. 

Ah, this confirmed his suspicion. Ace threw the meat back on the blanket and crouched down to his brother's eye level. "Are you scared that if you eat meat, you'll want to eat human flesh?" 

Luffy looked down and nodded, trying to sink further into the basket. He guiltily pointed to Ace's bandages. 

"Luf, that's not your fault -" 

The boy only whined louder, trying to drown out his brother's chiding. Ace kept trying to reassure him otherwise, but he only curled into himself further. 

Then, before Ace could even blink, Luffy's cowering form changed. Ace stopped in shock as Luffy's form shifted and sunk deeper into the basket. Makino quickly huddled next to Ace and stared down into the basket where a child-sized Luffy now sat, curled into a tight ball with his hands firmly over his ears.

Makino gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "What just happened?"

Ace stammered, struggling to find words. "I... I don't know. One minute, he was a teenager and the next... holy shit"

"Language," Makino chastised weakly. "Is this another ... demon thing?"

"Probably," He leaned down and plucked the boy out of the basket. Luffy fumbled to keep his looser pants around his waist, his shirt falling off his shoulders. "There isn't exactly a manual for this." 

"It's not so bad," Makino wearily cooed as she gently pinched Luffy's chubby cheek, stifling a laugh as he whined and wiggled about. "It's certainly making me feel nostalgic."

Ace hummed in agreement, snickering as he put him back down into the basket. Makino silently signalled him to take a seat on the picnic blanket. 

"Luffy, are you able to grow back to normal size? I'm going to give Ace his surprise present." Makino giggled as Luffy scrambled out of his hiding spot, quickly growing back to size, and nearly crashed into them as he sat down beside them. She passed the box over to Luffy, who immediately thrusted it into Ace's face.

He chuckled at the boy's antics, muttering under his breath, " At least there's one highlight of today. " He grabbed the box, placed it on his lap, and threw the lid over his shoulder, peering inside. 

Oh.

With careful hands, Ace slowly took out an orange cowboy hat adorned with red beads and smiling charms. His hands trailed down to the string, lifting up the small skull motif that tied it together. His chest felt like a confused knot of guilt and joy as his fingers traced the sewn brim. 

"When he was making it. He said he wanted all three of you to match." Makino spoke softly, and it only tightened the knot tenfold. He couldn't cry; he'd already cried enough today. He gulped the feeling down and shoved the hat on his head, turning to Luffy, who was still beaming and bouncing in place. 

"Guess we match now, huh?" Ace shakily smiled at his brother and clapped with giddy excitement. All feelings from the previous incident seemingly vanished as Luffy shoved his own straw hat on his head. Ace is sure that somewhere, Sabo is laughing about how he finally had a hat of his own after he used to jab about how 'goofy and impractical' Sabo and Luffy's were.

"Ace," Makino started in a familiar tone, amused yet teetering on the edge of chastising. "Have you told Luffy what your plans are?" 

He laughed bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. He scooted to face his brother and clasped his hands on his lap. "Luffy?"

Luffy looked at him, head tilted inquisitively. Ace leaned over to meet his eye level, a determined smile plastered on his face. 

"What do you think about leaving on your pirate journey a little earlier than planned?" 

Ace gently placed Makino's basket by the base of the mast, wrapped in blankets to ensure the special cargo inside was protected from the sun. 

A small crowd of townsfolk huddled around the docks. Most averted their eyes as they sniffled, still reeling from their 'loss'. Only Makino looked him in the eye, handkerchief at the ready to either wave him away or dap her eyes dry. He wasn't sure which.

"I'm sorry Luffy's not here to see you off." Woodslap removed his bucket hat and placed it mournfully on his chest. Over his shoulder, Ace and Makino shared a tense look, but he bowed his head with appreciation nonetheless. "Are you sure you don't want to wait for Garp?"

"It's alright, just tell Gramps I'm okay," Ace awkwardly replied. He untied the rope from the port, "I'll try to write," he reassured Makino, who simply waved him off. 

"Just be safe," her eyes glistened as she secretly mouthed, " both of you,"

He smiled, finally pushing his foot off the port and letting it drift away from the shore. He unfurled the mast as he heard everyone yelling their ' goodbyes ' and ' be safe . He turned to wave them all goodbye, the wind taking him further and further away until they were nothing but specks on the horizon.

"It's just us now, right Luf?" Ace dusted off his hands, hearing a thud from the woven basket as a reply. "Just gotta wait until sundown, and then you'll be able to walk around the boat, okay?" Another more reluctant growl emitted from the basket. Ace patted the lid and settled into the boat, waiting for sunset. 

As soon as the sun sunk into the horizon, he opened the basket excitedly. He chuckled as a pint-sized Luffy popped his head up, chubby hands high in the air. 

He couldn't help but look down at the makeshift muzzle that covered Luffy's face. They had been packing up the treehouse when Luffy snatched Sabo's old pipe and unscrewed a part of it. He practically shoved it in his mouth and tied it together with some twine. He and Makino tried to remove it to convince him that he didn't need it. But it seemed to make Luffy feel more content, so it stayed. 

At least it's a part of Sabo, like all three of us are starting our adventure . Ace tried to convince himself as he watched Luffy bounce around the boat. He leaned back, looking at the rising moon and let himself relax. 

Ace turned seventeen on a small fisherman's boat out in the East Blue. An orange cowboy hat settled on his head as his brother danced under the stars. As a calmness finally settled in his chest, he smiled with one singular thought in his mind to calm his anxiety.

Everything's going to be okay.