One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda. I am not profiting in any way from. Just having fun.
AU. Something about ghosts and stuff. T for language. Regarding how some of the characters speak, I just felt like it. Sorry.
Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoy.
"How long are you going to follow me around?" Ace asked the man walking a few steps behind him. The man blinked slowly before replying.
"'Til you leave. Are you leaving soon?" he asked. Ace turned sharply to face the taller man.
"I will if somebody stops and actually answers my question!" he yelled. There were a couple other people in the hall with them. No one paid attention to his outburst.
"No one will," the man told him. Ace frowned at that.
"And why is that?" he questioned.
"Why should I tell you?" the man answered with a question of his own. Fed up, Ace threw his hands in the air out of frustration and continued to walk down the hall.
"You should take the stairs down," the man spoke up after a moment of silence.
"Why?" asked Ace.
"Because the stairs lead to the exit, and the exit means you can leave," was the response he received. At this point, Ace had resigned himself to hearing nothing useful from this stranger.
He sighed, "Don't you have anything better to do? Who are you, anyway?"
"Take a wild fucking guess," was the stranger's rude answer. Ace scowled and shifted his gaze to the man now beside him. He wore a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck and a lollipop in one hand.
"YOU'RE A DOCTOR!?" Ace shouted. The man only shrugged, not at all bothered by Ace's indignant yelling.
"Why didn't you say anything?! I've been looking for a doctor or a nurse all this time, and no one even looks at me except you, and why didn't you say anything?!" Ace continued to scream in the man's face.
"Thought it was obvious what my profession was," said the man.
"Wha- Nevermind that. I'm looking for my brother. We were in an accident, and I don't know where he is, or if he's okay, or-" the man cut him off abruptly.
"If by 'accident' you mean the one from last week, then the survivor should currently be on the first floor. If you hurry, he might still be there," he said. Ace didn't even properly process the words spoken to him as he flew down the flights of stairs to see his brother.
Slumped against the wall on the ground was Ace. He was the epitome of lost and broken, his eyes empty and hollow. Before him stood the strange doctor that trailed him.
"You're a dumb one, ain't ya?" said the doctor. Ace's temper flared a moment before dying back down. He leveled the stranger with a weak glare. The stranger was unimpressed.
"What was that?" he tried to sound angry, but it only came out tired and lifeless.
"A dumb one," the stranger repeated. "Take a closer look at yourself, why don't ya."
Ace sluggishly adjusted himself to really look at himself, as per the stranger's advice. Now that he actually saw himself, he couldn't help but shudder. His clothes were shredded and dyed red. His hands and arms were scraped. His chest… Well, he had one once.
Ace turned his eyes up to say something to the stranger, only for his words to die on his tongue. The stranger was a doctor, that was for sure. But no doctor would prance around the hospital halls with a bloody coat. It was unsanitary. His coat was riddled in what appeared to be bullet holes. The right sleeve desperately hung onto a few feeble threads, showing off the raw flesh beneath.
"Got something to say?" the stranger cocked an eyebrow. It almost sounded like a challenge. He was very unamused with the whole situation.
"... My name is Ace," he managed.
"Law," the doctor offered.
"Thought you were gonna leave after you saw your brother," Law started. He trailed off and never finished, his thoughts trapped within his own mind, never willing to share much of anything. Ace hated that about him. Law did it often enough to be annoying, but he supposed that was part of what made Law who he was. Which was annoying.
"I was going to, but what's the point now? I don't have anywhere else to go, do I?" Ace carried the conversation. "You have an answer to that?"
"I do, actually. Surprised?" Law answered like a dickhead. Ace scoffed. He stayed in a sort of limbo-like state in the hospital for four days now. Law made himself scarce, probably doing whatever he did prior to Ace's appearance.
"And what would that be?"
"Go out."
"And do what?"
"Whatever you want."
"Why can't I do whatever I want here?"
"There's not much to do here."
"Well, I haven't even done anything yet, so there's going to be something to do here." Ace was slowly starting to regain his living temper. Sometimes, he thought he felt warm, but that was only his imagination.
"Besides, if there's not much to do here, what are you doing here?" Ace questioned. Law only unwrapped another lollipop (where was he even getting those?). It was cherry flavored this time.
"I used to work here. I'm still working here, in a way," he said. It didn't explain much, but it did provide some insight for Ace. Not much. Just a bit.
"Hey, how'd you… You know…" This time, it was Ace who did not finish his thought. Or rather, he couldn't. He didn't know the right words, though, Law seemed not to care.
"Die?"
"Yeah, that." Ace looked away awkwardly. He didn't know if this was an insensitive question. Perhaps, if they were still alive it would've been. But then again, if they were alive, he wouldn't ask such questions.
"Some years back, there was a shooting. Here. By the Donquixote Family. I died on that day," Law reported so clinically, Ace wondered how many times he repeated it to himself to get over it. If he ever got over it.
"I heard about that, but I was pretty young when it happened. Maybe like, ten years old or something," Ace mused.
"It was a while ago," Law confirmed somewhat.
"So you've been haunting this place for like, a decade?" The idea of staying in one place for so long was ridiculous to Ace.
"I do leave occasionally, but yes, I do stay here most of the time," Law trailed off. He probably didn't want to talk anymore. Ace let him keep his silence. There was no reason to keep bothering him. There was no reason at all.
"If you're so bored, go talk to some of the patients," Law suggested out of the blue one day. Ace was slowly acknowledging his reality. At least, he wasn't alone.
"What's the point of that? It's not like they can hear me or something," he said.
"You'll be surprised with how chatty they can get," Law told him before he left. That was… cryptic.
He had nothing better to do, so that's what he did. He picked a room at random and started talking to whoever was inside. The first eight patients he visited behaved as expected. They did not respond in any way to his voice or touch.
Then, the ninth patient he decided on really shook him. The old woman laid in bed, staring off into nothing with unseeing eyes.
"Hello there. How are you? It's really boring in here," Ace recited mechanically. He didn't expect anything. He really did not.
"Yes, it sure is," said the woman, scaring Ace into falling off his perch on the side table. Had his body still been corporeal, he would've had a bloody nose.
"Huh? What? You can hear me? Can you see me?"
"I can."
"But, why? How?" Ace spluttered. He was lost for words.
"The other ghost said I'm about to pass. Maybe that's why," the woman said.
"You mean Law?"
"What kind of law dictates that I must pass?"
"No, the ghost. Was his name Law?"
"He didn't say his name, but he seemed fond of sweets."
"Lollipops?"
"Yeah."
"That's Law."
"I see."
"..."
"No one visits me anymore."
"Would you like to talk with me?"
"That'd be nice."
"Where you going?" Ace asked as he caught up with Law. He saw the doctor stepping out the doors of the hospital for the first time since Ace's unfortunate demise. Naturally, he was curious.
"Visiting some friends," was Law's short response. He didn't say much after that. Any attempt at conversation by Ace was casually brushed off with one word answers or careless gestures.
They walked for some time. Ace didn't know how long. Time passed differently now that he was no longer living. They walked, passing by shops and parks, people out and about. Ace wondered how many were like himself.
When Law stopped, Ace took a look at their surrounding. They were at a cemetary.
"Are… Are your friends…" It felt like anything Ace said to Law turned awkward.
"They were with me. That day." Law never took his eyes off the three plaques.
"Oh." Ace saw a fourth one with Law's own name.
"Isn't it weird?"
"What is?"
"Seeing your own grave."
"No."
"How come?"
"I'm dead."
"What's that explain?"
"What's it not explain?"
Most of the time, Law and Ace sat in companionable silence. It was an oddly peaceful experience, watching the world rush by, never expecting anything from them.
"Wanna meet someone?" Law spoke up.
"Who? Are they another one like us?" Ace inquired.
"Not quite. She's a patient here. So, wanna?"
"Sure. Not doing much, anyway." The two beings brushed dust off themselves and walked up some stairs. There was no dust on them, but some habits never quite disappear completely.
"This is Nojiko. She's been here for two months. In fact, she came here a week before your accident," Law started, gesturing at the sleeping woman.
"Is she about to pass like that grandma?" Ace asked.
"No, she's in a coma," Law explained. The woman was not quite asleep, Ace realized.
"Oh. Can she hear us?"
"Somewhat. Look under the bed."
Ace crouched down and took a look. He saw a child who looked like the young woman on the bed. The child was curled lightly around an orange pillow. She looked like she was about to doze off.
"What's she doing under the bed? Actually, what is she?"
"Dunno. Some coma patients manifest in some way," Law told Ace, then turned his attention to the little girl. "Nojiko, how's the orchard?"
The girl mumbled, "Great. Me and Nami and Mom work so hard everyday. They're really good."
"I'm sure they are. I wish I could have a taste," Law responded.
"When you're free, come visit us," the girl murmured and seemed to fall asleep. Right at that moment, the door opened to reveal a nurse and another young woman.
"Nojiko, Nami's here. We'll be going now," Law quietly told the girl and gestured for Ace to follow.
"Bye, Doctor and Doctor's friend," said the girl. She was smiling, perhaps because of the newcomer.
The nurse closed the door and left Ace and Law standing in the hall.
"Was that her sister?" Ace asked.
"Yeah. She visits often," Law answered.
"Huh. You know? I think they're my little brother's friends," Ace thought back. It felt like a lifetime ago. Was it just him, or did he seem a little desensitized about the whole I'm-dead-and-I'm-a-ghost-and-wow-what-a-feeling thing?
"Hm. Small world," was Law's only response.
Ace liked to sleep, though "sleep" was a relative term. His consciousness simply drifted to somewhere far that it felt like being asleep. It was felt like what rest would feel like if one was conscious enough to really experience that feeling. It was hard to explain.
Ace would drift into that realm of nothing-much. (Law would, too, occasionally, but not as much as Ace. Even in death, Law was always busy.) In that state, there would be nothing worth noting. It was different, however, just one time.
That one time, he saw a person. A woman. Everything was dark, and the woman was shrouded in mystery. She held up something round and said something to him. He tried to listen closely, but in the end, even her voice was buried beneath shadows. He woke up to only tidbits of words in his mind and an uneasiness in his empty chest.
Since then, Ace did not like to sleep as much.
Law disappeared sometimes. Ace didn't mind. He certainly didn't mind his only friend disappearing for however long. Not at all.
That's obviously why Ace was searching high and low, every nook and cranny. Not to find anyone in particular. He was just bored. That's all.
Ace would eventually wander up to the roof. He'd never been there. Incidentally, that was where he found Law.
"Being up here is fine and all, but don't you want to come inside now? It's raining," Ace asked. He'd never really loved the rain.
"You know the rain can't significantly affect us," was the simple response from the doctor. He didn't turn around from where he was seated. Ace walked over the the edge of the building. It was quite a drop. Even as a dead man, he didn't like the feeling of being so close to certain death, though Law seemed not to mind. He was chilling, even swinging his legs a bit, head tilted toward the clouds, eyes closed.
"Yeah, I know, but it feels kinda weird. Like, a weird… tingling thing." Ace was not one for explaining with words.
"I was sick as a child. Being outside like this is very refreshing. Even as a dead man, I feel free," Law said after a long silence.
Ace said nothing in response. He only sat beside his friend and felt the rain.
"This one time, I think I had a dream while I was sleeping," Ace started one day. He brought up that strange dream (vision?) and the strange woman.
"I never had a dream. What did she say?" Law inquired.
"Something like, 'Return the smile, break the glass, and fill the bamboo.' Weird, right?"
"Sounds like a buncha random words put together."
"Maybe it's her to-do list."
"That's a weird list."
"Yep. A really weird list."
They left it at that.
Ace had that weird dream again. The same strange woman and her weird to-do list. Though this time, Ace could make out a bit clearly some other words.
She said, "Do these things, and I'll give it back. I'll let them see."
He woke up feeling even more confused by her mysterious appearance.
He told Law. Law recommended some sort of drug. That asshole.
Eventually, Ace rarely slept for the strange woman appeared more and more, each time becoming more and more insistent. Ace wanted to shout at her. Tell her to be more precise, that he can't hear her, doesn't understand her. He wanted her to leave him alone.
Her words were becoming harder to ignore with each passing day.
"Okay," Law interrupted a companionable silence one day, startling Ace out of his reverie.
"Okay, what?" he asked.
"You're clearly bothered by whatever these dreams, visions, whatever. We're going out," Law answered succinctly.
"Going out where?"
"Hmph. Where else? We're going to finish that to-do list for her."
"Where do we even start? It's really obscure to begin with."
"We have all the time in the world."
That was pretty true.
Perhaps, wandering around the town at random wasn't the brightest of ideas, but what else were they to do? They were ghosts. Dead.
Dead… Ah, right. They were dead.
"Ya know, if this lady actually expects you to be able to do anything, then maybe we're dealing with the dead," Law suggested. That made sense, and Ace had nothing better to offer, so he shrugged and went off to look for other ghosts.
It was after four days of no progress. The pair of ghosts returned back to the hospital to take a break. Why would they need to take breaks if they're dead? Simple. They felt like it.
"Hey, that day. When we first met and stuff. I saw both my brothers," Ace said.
"I thought you were looking for them," Law replied.
"Kinda? I was only looking for Luffy. Sabo was… a surprise. I- We thought he was dead."
"I suppose, then, he was not?"
"Yeah. Wonder what happened." Ace wasn't as bothered and upset as he should have been. He guessed being a ghost messed with his mind a bit. Just a bit. Maybe.
"Hey, do you think if we start screaming from the rooftop about a cool ghost gathering, all the ghosts will come over?"
"I think that'll deter them from ever coming near."
"That dog's stealin' flowers." Ace turned to look at whatever Law was talking about. It was a large brown dog. With flowers in its mouth.
"How do you know it stole them?"
"Dogs don't normally pay for things."
"True. Let's follow it," Ace suggested, and Law only shrugged. They had nothing better to do, really.
They followed the dog through narrow streets and alleyways, under bridges and over rivers. The dog sure traveled quite a way.
"Ya know where we're going?" Law asked.
"I think there's a house up ahead. I heard it was haunted," Ace replied.
"Hope it is," Law sighed and casually strolled after the dog.
Eventually, the dog came to a stop, letting out a heavy whuff and settling down beside a headstone.
"This is Perona's grave," said Law.
"Did you know her?" asked Ace.
"No, I'm just reading the grave."
"Ah."
"Whuff," said the dog. Seemed like animals could hear or at least sense the dead.
"Well, ain't you a loyal thing?" Law went to pat the dog. He felt nothing, though the dog did, as it slowly wagged its tail.
"Hey, dog, is your owner here? Like, as a ghost?" Ace tried asking the dog. The dog did not answer for it was a dog.
"Stop being dumb, Ace."
"What, you got a better idea?"
"Yeah."
"Like what?"
"Like going into the house right behind us." Law pointed at the dilapidated mansion.
"Oh yeah." Well, duh.
"Knock knock, we're coming in!"
After searching randomly, the two men found themselves in a bedroom. A young girl's bedroom. It was Perona's. How did they know this? Well, she was right there, sitting on her bed, looking miserable as all hell.
The two men found themselves without words to say. They weren't actually expecting to find someone.
"... Knock knock... We're coming in?" Ace repeated. Law was tempted to cuff his friend.
Sniff sniff, "You're already inside," cried the girl. Her mood was plummeting even more, and that was saying something.
Law took charge for a moment, "Are you Perona?"
"Yeah. Who are you?" she questioned, frowning in suspicion. Law's moment was over. Ace was forced to take charge.
"Uh, I'm Ace, and this is Law. We're ghosts or something," he stated lamely. It was lame. Perona lost the suspicious look because it was so lame.
Sniff, "Hi. Me, too…"
Silence.
"Can you leave? I'm not in the mood to talk."
And that was that.
"I keep having dreams of that lady, and she keeps screaming at me."
"What's she sayin'?"
"Something about a bamboo. Maybe she wants me to water her bamboo."
"Tell her to do it herself."
Wandering the city was interesting as a ghost. They saw things they normally wouldn't. Like the mad dog who always chased nothing was actually barking after a dead child. Or how the woman down the street who used to talk to air was actually chatting with her dead brother. (The lady couldn't see any other ghosts. They checked.)
And then there was Zeff. That old bastard in the restaurant.
"Hmph! More of ya shits," was the greeting Ace and Law received when they stepped inside. Law was ready to flip a bird (or two) and leave, before Ace stopped him.
"You see lots of ghosts around here, old man?" he asked, trying to keep Law from struggling out of his hold.
"What's it to ya? And my name's not ol' man. 'S Zeff."
"We're Ace and Law, and we're looking for ghosts to-"
"Ya shits better get outta here, ya hear me? Go on, get outta here! Yer crowdin' up the place. This ain't no place for ghosts!" Zeff's voice boomed throughout the entire building. No one really noticed.
"Pots and kettles!" Law managed to hiss out before Ace nearly strangled him while hauling him outside.
"Why are you so antagonistic toward the old guy?"
"Dunno. Just rubs me the wrong way, I guess."
"Whatever you say so. Next time we go out, I'll go see him. Alone."
"Yee, do whatever ya want."
Ace and Law were people watching outside just outside the hospital, on the other side of the street. They sat in silence on the curb, pointing out interesting things from time to time.
"Look at that kid. He's got green hair," Law pointed at some teen who walked with a swagger.
"I think that's another one of Luffy's friends. Zoro, I think," Ace mentioned.
"Where's he going?"
"Probably to the dojo. His dad runs the place or something."
"Let's follow him."
"Sure."
At the dojo, they found another ghost. Another young girl, younger than Perona. Geez, was there some sicko going around killing little girls or what?
"Ah! You two are ghosts!" she exclaimed. She sounded more excited than anything else, so the two men took it as a good sign.
"Yep! We're ghosts, and guess you are, too?" Ace asked. He didn't want Law talking much. If Law could spoil milk just by being near it, he could spoil moods, too. Couldn't risk it. Nope.
"Heh, yeah. They're going to start practicing now. Wanna watch?" she invited them.
"Sure." They shrugged and took a place on the floor to watch.
"That Zoro kid's really absurd," Law stated it like an absolute fact. Kuina shot him a little glare. In his defense, Zoro was kinda weird.
"Why do you say that?" Kuina questioned, a little defensively.
"I wonder why. It's probably not because he's got a sword in his mouth," Law said dryly.
"How do you know Zoro, anyway?" Kuina switched the topic. Law didn't say anything. He wasn't feeling like talking anymore, so Ace had to step in.
"He doesn't, actually. Zoro's my brother's friend."
"Oh. Zoro's my friend, too. We were really close back before… Yeah. We were like, best friends. He's my brother in all but blood," Kuina's lips twitched downward. Poor kid.
"You know, since we're spirits or something like that and all, do you think we could possess people?" Ace asked Law. Law just looked at him. How the fuck would he know? He never tried.
"Why don't you try it?" he suggested.
"I mean I would but doesn't it feel like an invasion of privacy?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"We're dead. Why should we be held down by the laws of the living?" Ace thought that was a good point. He also thought it was a horrible point.
"Perona, do you feel like talking today?" Law asked, staring down at the girl on the ground. That day, Perona was in the dining room. Just, laying on the ground. Staring up at the chandelier. Counting dust particles or something. She didn't go out much.
"I guess so. What do you want to talk about?" she tilted her head back to look at the two odd ghosts in her home.
"How did you die?"
"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Ace slapped the back of his friend's head. Said friend was not amused.
"I'm curious." Perona wasn't fazed, thankfully.
"I was sick for a really long time. Doctors said there wasn't much they could do about it. And then, one day, I just, didn't wake up. When I opened my eyes, everyone was outside and dressed in black," she answered.
"Oh, was it yer funeral?" Law asked.
"Yes, I guess it was supposed to be," Perona heaved a heavy sigh.
"Supposed to be?" Ace questioned.
"They acted like it was a party."
Oh.
Ace and Law weren't always together. Usually, they were. But not all the time. Sometimes, Law just wanted to stay in the hospital while Ace wanted to go out. Other times, it was the opposite. Today, Ace left to join Kuina at the dojo.
"It's like there's a wall between us," Kuina told Ace, never taking her eyes off her brother.
"Why's that?" Ace asked.
"It's just that, I can only watch him. I can't touch him. I can't talk to him. I can't spar with him. Only watch. There's a barrier between us. He doesn't even know I'm here," she said. "If only there was a way…"
If only…
"Guess what." Ace suddenly came face to face, nose to nose, with Law. Really close. Kinda unnerving. What a weirdo.
"...What?" Ace was wary. Law was… Well, he was Law.
"Turns out we can possess people."
"Dude! What the fuck!?"
"Hey, where are you always getting your lollipops from?" Ace asked the one question that continued to pop up in his mind everyday. He never asked, since he didn't feel the need to, but he was bored. So why not?
Law shrugged, "Dunno. Just always in my pockets. Why, you want one?"
"Sure?"
Law handed him a lollipop. Ace never received it for it slipped past his fingers and disappeared into the floor. The two men just looked at the floor for a short moment.
"Guess you can't have any." Law smirked that infuriating smirk. Actually, no matter what expression he wore, it was always infuriating. It was just his face.
"Not fair."
"Sucks to suck."
"Why do you even have them, anyway?" Ace expected another dumb response, but Law looked surprisingly thoughtful at that.
"It feels important. Can't remember why though."
"Doncha get bored of staying in this decrepit place all the time?" Law questioned the ghostly girl. She swung her legs back and forth as she sat at her unnecessarily long dinner table. The girl merely shrugged.
"I've always been in this house. Never really went out much and there was never anyone to talk to, so I'm used to it," she responded.
"Don't you wanna see your dog?" Law pressed on.
"Dog? I'm afraid of dogs," the girl frowned. The man also frowned.
"Then what's the dog outside your place everyday? Doesn't seem like a stray."
"There's a dog outside?" Perona stood and walked over to the window. Outside, indeed, was the dog. She stared blankly at it for a long time, seemingly lost in her own mind.
"That dog looks familiar."
"Why don't you go get a closer look?" Law insisted.
"But I'm kinda scared."
"You're a ghost. What does it matter?"
"Well… I guess…"
When the dog saw Perona coming out the door, it stood up with newfound vigor and ran toward her. Perona, out of fear, stood stock still, but as soon as the dog nosed her hand, something clicked in her mind.
"Kumae!" she squealed in delight, her despairing demeanor washed away like it was never there.
"Kumae! Kumae! I can't believe I forgot about you!" She cried tears of happiness. Law almost expected the dog to, as well.
"You forgot about your dog?" he asked.
"Yeah, can you believe that? Kumae was my best friend. He's always been with me. The only dog I wasn't scared of. And I completely forgot about him!"
Law stayed quiet as he watched the girl and her dog. They looked so happy. Her laughter filled the air, and the mansion looked a bit brighter, the air a bit lighter. It was such a happy scene, Law couldn't help but watch a little longer before leaving them in peace.
"I visited Perona the other day, but she wasn't there. The dog was gone, too," Ace reported to Law some time later.
"I think they passed on," Law spoke his mind.
"Huh? The dog was dead, too?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"What happened?"
"Nothing much. Perona remembered about her dog. Guess they passed on shortly after." That second part was speculation on Law's part, but it seemed likely enough.
"She forgot about her dog?"
"Yeah. Seemed really important to her."
"And she forgot?"
"I just told you."
"I'm just confirming it."
"It has been confirmed by a doctor, so you better believe it."
"Asshole."
"Dumbass."
Ace wandered the streets, idly visiting his usual hangout spots when he was still breathing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brothers. They looked better than the last time he saw them. He felt a pang in his heart. There was something he was missing, but he decided not to dwell on that.
"Hey, Kuina," Ace called to the little girl. She was wandering the streets that day, too. Ace assumed the dojo was closed.
"Oh, hi, Ace," she called back.
"Say, do you have anything you forgot?" That was a silly question. How would she know if she forgot?
"Forgot?"
"Yeah, like something important you feel like is missing?" Ace was optimistic.
"Oh, actually yeah." His optimism was rewarded.
"Really?"
"Mm, yeah. It was maybe a year or two after I died. I was hanging out near my dad when Zoro came in. They started talking about a bunch of random things, and I was spacing out when Zoro started talking about a promise."
"Promise?" She nodded.
"It was a promise we made long time ago. It was super important, and I forgot all about it!"
"What was it?"
"That one of us would be the best swordmaster!"
"I talked to Kuina, and turns out she forgot something important like Perona. Do you think we forgot something important, too?" Ace asked Law, almost uncharacteristically serious.
"It's a possibility. Perhaps, when we remember and fulfill it, we'll be able to pass on."
It was a possibility.
Their theory was somewhat confirmed on the day they passed by a newstand. Having nothing better to do, they crouched down and scanned the front pages of whatever newspapers and magazines they could see. One of the magazines proudly featured the Baratie as the best restaurant in town and its owner as the best chef in East Blue.
"Ain't that ol' shit's place?" Law asked. Ace gave him a dead look (which was mirrored back at him) but responded anyway.
"Yeah, I think so. Let's go congratulate him or something." Law was about to protest, but Ace wasn't having any of that.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Zeff was nowhere in sight. The neighboring ghosts in the area all said he was gone.
Ace wondered if what happened to Perona and Zeff shook Law. Ever since they had found out Zeff had gone, Law began to leave the hospital more and more. Ace tried looking for him the first few days but gave up. It's not like Law didn't come back sooner or later. But he did wonder what his friend was thinking.
"Sometimes I hear the lady's voice yelling at me even when I'm not sleeping," said Ace.
"How persistent," drawled Law.
"But, she doesn't mention the bamboo anymore."
"Guess she watered it, finally."
"Guess so."
"Kuina," Law called out. He had joined Ace that day in visiting the little ghost.
"Hey, Law. What is it?" she asked, curious as to what the other man was doing. He rarely came by the dojo.
"Do you think you'll ever be able to pass on?" he asked.
"I don't know. Why do you ask?"
"I'm bored." Ace narrowed his eyes at his companion but did not say anything.
"Maybe? I'm not so sure." Ace spoke up before Law could.
"What's the greatest dream from when you were alive?" he asked.
"I guess," the Kuina began, "it was to have a serious match with Zoro for the last time. The last time would be when we're older and stronger and better. It would be the match to determine who's better. Or at least, it would've been."
"Good," Law chimed in. "You and Zoro can have a match."
Ace and Kuina looked at him, Ace with precaution and Kuina with confusion.
"But I'm a ghost," she said.
"And guess what," Law asked in the most serious voice ever, unnerving the young girl. Ace ony rolled his eyes.
"... What?"
"You can possess people."
"I can't believe you're actually suggesting this," Ace half-heartedly complained as the two ghosts strolled through the streets.
"Like I said, I'm a doctor, so you better believe me," his friend responded.
"Being a doctor doesn't mean shit," Ace grumbled.
"Whatever, we're here."
Law stood back and made no attempt to take part in the following conversation, forcing Ace to take charge once more. What an asshole.
"Hello," he started, since how else would he began?
"Huh, what do ya want?" the ghost with sunglasses jeered at him. "Can't ya see I'm in the middle of something?"
"Erm, yeah, sorry, but it's important…" Ace trailed off a shot a glance at the woman next to them. She was alive, yet she could see and talk to the sunglasses dude. But only him.
Sunglasses dude bristled almost unnoticeably before regaining that snobbish attitude, "You tryna start something'?" The woman looked eerily cheerful, silently observing her dead brother.
"No, no, no. Just um, we wanted to know- uh, there's this girl, a ghost, and- a dojo-" Ace stammered out and was rudely interrupted by Law. Or perhaps, thankfully.
"We wanna borrow yer sister's body." Okay, not thankfully.
"HUH?! WHATCHA SAY?!"
Yeah, no. Fuck you, Law.
"How about next time, I do the talking?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You take too long."
In his increasingly frequent moments of solitude, free from asshole doctors, Ace sat in peace outside. From his seat on the bench, he could see the shadow of the hospital looming behind him and the birds chittering around the lawn.
The lady's voice always seemed louder when he was alone. Her voice had become a constant at this point. Never ceasing to scream at him.
Though, the more he thought about her words, the less she screamed. What did she want from him? Why him?
No one heard him groan.
Ace looked up from his seat in the hospital hall. Law had just stumbled back into the building, sliding down next to Ace. He looked tired. More so than usual.
"What's up?" Ace asked out of concern.
"Nothing much," Law replied
"Uh, okay? Soooo, where have you been off to recently?" Ace tried to make some sort of conversation. Tried to dig up some information.
"...go…"
"Sorry, didn't catch that."
"Doflamingo."
"... Why?"
"Just wanted to know."
Ace didn't push any further. Perhaps, another time.
Ace later found out that Law had been visiting not only his murderer but also sunglasses dude and his sister. And he knew exactly why Law never bothered telling him.
"So, let me get this straight," Ace began.
"This is a fairly straightforward situation. There is no need-" Law's jaw snapped shut, because Ace punched him. Doctor was definitely not amused.
"You," Ace pointed at Law, who was glaring daggers at him, "possessed Reiju," here, pointing at the woman who could not hear him, "so, you," here, at Niji the sunglasses dude, "possessed her back to kick Law out."
"Yeah," Niji responded.
"And Law continued to take her body, which you responded by doing the same."
"Yeah."
"And this cycle went on for how long?"
"Two months."
"What the fuck, Law?" Ace turned his attention back to the petulant doctor.
"I was being proactive," he said.
"Dude, what the fuck?"
What the fuck, indeed.
Fortunately, after two long months of playing that dumb game, Niji finally confessed to Reiju what was going on. And of course, being a curious person, Reiju had agreed to be possessed by Kuina.
"Aaaahhhh, why, sis!?" Niji complained.
"It's an interestin' experience, being possessed," she reasoned.
"Kuina's a cute kid," said Reiju.
"What makes ya say that?" asked Niji.
"I'm not unconscious when I'm possessed. She talks to me sometimes. She's real sorry, but I don't mind."
For the next five months, Kuina trained in Reiju's body. She was already a very fit woman, so all Kuina had to do was accustom the body to the way of swords. After that, she trained and trained and trained. Trained to win against that boy called Zoro. All in all, five months was better than years.
"Oh." Ace turned to look at his companion. Law had been staring at his lollipop for hours. Unmoving. Only staring. It was boring, but Ace joined him for a lack of better things to do. Yeah, ghosts didn't really have responsibilities.
"What is it?" Ace asked.
"My sister liked sweets," Law answered, surprisingly.
"Oh yeah? Did you?"
"Not particularly. But I always carried sweets for her."
"Hm, that's nice of you."
"But… there's something more to it. I can't quite remember, though."
"At least, this is a start. And, you have all the time in the world," Ace offered.
"Mm, yeah." And with that, Law was back to his regular asshattery.
Since Law had gone out of his way to convince Niji and Reiju (mostly Niji) to help them out, Ace was assigned with helping Reiju convince Zoro to spar with her.
"This would be much easier if he could hear me," Ace grumbled.
"Well, deal wit' it," Niji was equally frustrated. The moment Reiju talked to Zoro, he bolted from them. To be fair, she had cheerfully declared, "Kuina wants a match!"
They had managed to get Zoro sitting down in place with Reiju for a civil conversation, i.e. Reiju wrestled the poor guy into submission. She was strong. Frightfully so.
"What do you want?" Zoro growled. He was rightfully unhappy.
"Like I said. Kuina wants a match. It's rude to keep a girl waiting," Reiju responded.
"Is she always this blunt?" Ace asked Niji, who only shrugged.
"Stop saying that name!" Zoro shouted at the older woman. Her smile only seemed to grow larger with his frustration.
"How can I convince you Kuina is here?" she asked.
"Stop! You can't! She's dead!" The boy was stubborn.
"Can't you at least humor me?"
"Why should I?"
"Because I'm sure a stranger talking about Kuina is strange enough. Maybe I know more than you want me to," the woman grinned, all sharp and grim.
Zoro sat still for the longest time. That was okay, because Reiju was patient, and ghosts had no concept of living time.
"Fine. What's her favorite season?" he interrogated.
"Spring, because that's when you first came to the dojo," Kuina answered.
"Spring, 'cause that's when ya first came to the dojo," Niji repeated.
"Spring, because that's when ya first came to the dojo," Reiju said.
"Wouldn't it be easier for Kuina to just possess her?" Ace wondered out loud. No one responded.
"What's her favorite food?" Zoro continued with the questioning.
"Daikon curry with wasabi," Kuina answered once more.
"Daikon curry with wasabi. The hell's wrong wit' yer tastes?" Niji repeated with additional comment.
"Daikon curry with wasabi. An interestin' combination," Reiju parroted with her own comment.
The interrogation, or whatever it was, lasted half an hour. Only because Zoro was in denial. He finally agreed to have a match against Reiju.
Since the match was scheduled for later in the week, Ace and Law had nothing much to do. They had done it. It was a long and debatably arduous journey, but they had done it.
"Ah, I remember why I carried candy 'round with me all the time," Law began.
"Why's that?" questioned Ace.
"It's because kids would be upset or be cryin' at hospital visits. But when I give 'em a sweet reward after, they're usually happier."
"That's… oddly compassionate of you. Out of character. Weird."
"Shut up."
"Kuina, ain't ya excited" Reiju asked the girl in her body. Their minds were connected, and Reiju had front row seat to a wonderful event.
"Yeah. I'm really nervous, too," the child admitted.
"Well, I'm rooting for you."
"Haha, thanks, Reiju. Thank you for everything."
Ace, Law, and Niji were all there. Ace was rooting for Kuina, while Niji cheered (silently) for Reiju. Law was dispassionate.
Sorry, Zoro, but only your dad wants you to win. If he had known about Kuina's spirit in Reiju, then… Well, yeah. Sorry, Zoro.
Zoro was immediately bombarded with past memories he tried to suppress. They hit him like a brick to the face. Or more like a katana. Yeah, they were fighting with real katana.
It was his memories that led to his loss, honestly. The steps and swings were all so familiar. Déjà vu.
With a final swing from Kuina, Zoro fell flat on his back, a blade impaled next to his cheek.
It was all over.
"Niji."
"What is it, sis?"
"Kuina told me some stuff. About ghosts forgetting important things."
"..."
"Why are you tied to this place?"
"Whatchu mean?"
"Why are you a ghost?"
"All things considered, helping Kuina did wonders to my peace of mind," Ace declared one day.
"Oh, yeah?" Law answered back, as per usual.
"Yep. Lady's only screeching about smiles and whatnot."
"At least, this confirms she wants ghosts to pass on. The bamboo n' glass things were Perona n' Kuina."
"So now, who's she want smiling again?"
They were at a loss.
Briefly, they entertained the thought of Niji being the last one. When they went to check up on Niji and Reiju, they found they were gone. No one knew where they had gone. Just that one day, Reiju packed up and left, Niji trailing after her.
The days seemed to pass peacefully. As usual. Ace wondered how it had been since his accident, but couldn't muster the capacity to care. He then wondered if all ghosts felt this way.
It was a normal day. Ace and Law, chilling on the hospital roof. They weren't on the edge, much to Ace's relief. Law was cloud watching as Ace traced the cracks on the ground. He glanced to his side and stared at Law. His companion didn't notice, or if he did, didn't say anything about it.
"Law, I just realized something," Ace started, breaking Law out his daze.
"What?"
"You never smile."
Law's automatic reaction was to protest, but his words died before they could come out. It was true. As a ghost, Law could not recall a time he smiled.
"So, assuming you're the final ghost to put to rest-"
"Please don't word it like that."
"-we got to figure out a way to make you smile."
"How?"
"Uhm… Are you ticklish?"
"Are you serious?"
"Kinda? Wait, come back!"
"Stop. This isn't working," Law held up a hand to Ace's face. For the past two hours, Ace tried to make Law smile or laugh by making strange faces at him. Law did not see the point in that.
"What you propose then?" Ace asked.
"I'm still missing an important memory. We should get that first."
"Good idea. Where do we start?"
"Doflamingo's office."
"Fuck."
"Don't really know him, but for such a creepy looking guy like him, he sure loves his family," Ace chattered on as he examined the various photos lining the shelves. There were a lot. There was even one of little children from long ago.
"I suppose he does…" Law carelessly answered. Being ghosts, unable to really touch anything, they could only see what was shown. Documents and the like were safely kept away from prying eyes.
"Law, was the hospital shooting… because…" Ace trailed off.
"Spit it out, Ace." Despite Law's harsh tone, he did not sound impatient. More resigned than anything.
"Because… of you?"
"Yeah."
"Oh…"
They continued to snoop in awkward silence until the door opened to reveal the man himself in all his fluffy glorious pink self. Doflamingo.
They were ghosts, yeah. But that moment was pretty scary. Especially for the doctor.
"Ugh, I dun feel great bein' in the same place as 'im," Law said. He did look a bit sickly. Must be past trauma.
"Yeah, let's just hurry up and leave," Ace was also uneasy around that guy. He was just too weird. Weirder than Law, and that's saying something.
In a far corner, way in the back of the shelf, something caught Ace's eyes. Another photograph. A very old photograph. Featuring Law.
"Hey, Law. Get a look at this."
The photograph, hidden behind many others, stood silently. Well, not like pictures could make much noise. You get the point.
Law tried his best to get the right perspective to actually see what it hid. It was, indeed, himself. With Doflamingo. And another man.
"Ah, right," a memory dawned on Law.
"What?" Ace nearly demanded.
"We called him Corazón."
"Who?"
"Doflamingo's brother. His name was Rocinante."
"I didn't remember him. His grave was… It wasn't near mine so I never saw it."
"Where is it?"
"Dunno. The government took his body. He was a police or something' like that."
"Ah…"
"And he had the biggest, kindest, most generous smiles."
It was the first and last time Ace had seen him smile.
Ace wandered the hospital halls alone. He strolled down streets alone. He watched Zoro practice alone. He sat at parks alone.
After Law, Ace didn't feel like making a new friend.
The lady's voice stopped altogether. Which was anticlimactic. He expected something more. You know, his reward or something.
Out on the streets at night, wandering and wandering and wandering with no destination. Was he doomed to wander forever? What did he forget?
Oh, right then, at that moment, someone bumped into him. That's… strange. There was hardly anyone out, and he was dead. A ghost. How…?
"Oh, sorry, I wasn't-" the stranger apologized but abruptly halted his tongue.
It was Sabo. And behind him, Luffy. They stared at him with wide eyes, looking like they'd seen a ghost. Which, they did, actually.
"Sabo? Luffy?" Was this another dream thing? Ace didn't remember going to sleep or whatever.
"...A-Ace?" The two remaining brothers could hardly speak. Well, they were looking at a ghost. Can't blame them.
The brothers went dead silent. They couldn't say anything. Didn't know what to say. Then, Ace remembered. He remembered that most important thing from his living days.
"Hey, guys," he began. They listened, zoning in on his every words.
"I love you." Funny, was it raining? "Thank you for loving me!"
.
.
Then all was at peace.
note: Return the smile. Self explanatory. Bamboo is hollow on the inside. Perona felt hollow, growing up generally unloved with her dog as her only companion. Glass for Kuina. A one-way glass kinda thing, I guess.
If anything is unclear, or you have other questions, feel free to message me. Also if you find any mistakes, please tell me. Thanks for making it to the end of this.