And the crowds go wild!
This is actually one of my older stories.
The narrative is simple, if it's there at all. That's mainly because of the age of Ace- I try to have it directly related to the narrative in ay sort of story. And yes, I consider staying up so late that I can hardly think straight and yet writing fanfiction for hours until it hardly resembles a plot to be an art form.

All Fist and No Fire

Luffy never really could swim, even before he ate the Gomu Gomu fruit. Back in the village he grew up in, there were plenty of places to go swimming. He always tried. He didn't really care that he sank like a rock, he tried again and again. Shanks never really helped him, but Luffy didn't mind; this was something he wanted to do by himself.

Ace always tried to get him to stop jumping in the water. Ace always helped him out, and Ace never let him go alone. It bugged him. It bugged Ace, too, when Luffy refused to listen.

"You're gonna drown, Luffy." Ace said with his arms crossed. "If I wasn't here to help you out of the water every time you sink, you'd be long gone. You know that?"

"Yeah, I know! You told me before!"

"So why do you keep trying to swim?"

"'Cause. I can't be a pirate if I can't swim. What kind of pirate sinks like rock? Besides, I want Shanks to stop calling me 'Anchor'."

"Shanks, huh?" Ace sighed. "Well, can't argue with that, can I? I bet he's the one who told you you couldn't be a pirate!"

"Yeah, so?"

"LUFFY, YOU'RE SO DUMB"

---

Ace went to see Shanks the next day. He was lounging on his ship, or something. Ace didn't bother figuring it out. He was met with midly suprised and laughing faces when he charged up the gangway to the deck.

"Hold it there, lad. Do you need something? You're Luffy's brother, right?" Shank's first mate, Ben Beckman.

"Yeah. Can I see Captain Shanks, please?" Villagers usually weren't allowed on the ship, but the Red Haired Pirates weren't really doing anything important today. Come to think of it, were they ever doing anything of extreme importance? Ace never bothered to ask.

"Go ahead, he's in the cabins. Right that way."

"Thank you."

Shanks was pouring over a map on a small table, his wide-brimmed hat casting a checkered shadow over his face, the small candle's flickering light casting a warm glow on the wood. He glanced up as Ace enterd the room, then looked back at the paper.

"Hi, Ace. What's up?"

"YOU. You've been telling my brother stupid things and now he wants to drown himself."

Shanks' head snapped up at the mention of Luffy.

"He WHAT! Is that true?"

"Well... no, but it's just as serious! You told him that he would never become a pirate since he couldn't swim, and now he's always trying to! I can't get him to stop!"

Shanks relaxed considerably and let out a hearty chuckle.

"He'll stop eventually. He's just like you with your surfing."

"IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, SHANKS! Luffy's not getting any closer to knowing how to swim! And I always have to save him!"

Ace was getting irritated. Shanks just didn't get it sometimes.

"So what do you want me to do about it? I can't make him cut it out any more than you can. He wants to learn how to swim, so he won't stop until he does."

'Yeah', thought Ace, 'But why? How come he wants to swim so badly? It can't be just because Shanks teased him?'

"I'l think of something." the ten-year-old said firmly.

---

"Hey Luffy! They're back!"

"YEAH!" Luffy hurdled over a fence and bolted full speed towards the docks.

The ship on the horizon glided closer and closer, the Jolly Roger fluttering in the breeze.

"What are you so excited about, kid?" The fish monger grinned at Luffy.

"Shanks said he'd bring me back a present!"

"He said that, did he? Hope it's something useful."

The ship's anchor dropped into the ocean once it was at the port. Shanks hopped off the side onto the dock, something like a package tucked under his arm. He strode across the wooden planks to Luffy, a big grin on his face.

"Hey, Anchor! Did you miss me?"

"Not really. You're kinda mean and noisy. But I'm glad you're back!

The man laughed as if it was the best joke he had heard in years. Luffy frowned a bit waiting for him to stop.

"So you just want your gift, right? Here you go."

The seven-year-old gratefully took the package and unwrapped it where he stood. When he held up the contents, however, his face fell.

"A flat tire?"

"It's an innertube. It's like a tire, but it's bigger and when you fill it with air, it floats way better than wood!"

"It floats? YES!" Luffy pumped his fists into the air in triumph.

"But only when it's filled with air, that's the important part."

"Thanks Shanks! I'll see you later!" He turned to leave, then looked at Shanks again.

"Wait a minute. Why didn't you just get me a raft?" he asked, puzzled.

"I thought you would have more fun with this instead!" he replied with a big grin.

"Yeah, you're right!" Luffy ran off with his present to go play.

The redheaded pirate captain smiled at the boy's retreating back. Kids do things in a way that most adults forget. It was great being at this village.

---

"ACE! ACE! ACE! LOOKATWHATSHANKSGOTME! ACE!"

"Ugh, what is it, Luffy, I'm trying to take a nap."

"Then WAKE UP! Look!" Luffy stuck the deflated rubber tube up to his brother's face and shook it for emphasis.

"Well hey. Shanks did listen after all."

"Blow it up for me! I wanna go out to the ocean!"

Ace sat up and gazed at his little brother's face seriously. "You know this doesn't mean you can swim, right? You'll still sink if you fall into the water."

Luffy gazed back, expression matching Ace's. "Yeah. I know." Then he brightened. "But now I don't have to!"

"Will you blow it up for me PLEASE? Pleasepleaseplease!"

"Yeah, okay. Stop whining"

---

"Ace. Ace. Ace. Ace. Ace. ACE. ACE! ACE! WAKE UP!"

"-so be careful. I'll be right here on the shore."

"You fell asleep in the middle of a sentance again!"

"Oh. Sorry. You interupted my nap, remember? Anyway, go ahead. I'll be right here."

Luffy hopped on top of the innertube and paddled it farther out to the ocean. It wasn't so far that Ace couldn't see him, just enough to have the Ocean Feeling; where land and villages and distance and people and plants and wood and eggshells didn't matter half as much as they used to; only the sea and the sky and the horizon and the waves. Luffy sat crossed-legged on the edge of the black rubber ring, threatening to tip over as it bobbed up and down on the waves. On opposite ends of a small span of ocean, both brothers sat in silence, facing the sunset...

...Ace didn't remember when he had fallen asleep, or how long it had been, except that night had fallen. It was well into midnight. Where was Luffy? Was he still out there? He couldn't see anything through the darkness. Why'd he have to fall asleep? He was supposed to be watching Luffy!

"L-Lu.." he cleared his throat and tried again.

"LUFFY! Are you still out there? Luffy!" No answer.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cresent moon, Ace thought he could make out a small, black shape near the spot where he had last remembered seeing his brother. Without hesitating, he dove into the water and started swimming towards it. It was unpleasantly cold, and the waves kept pushing him back.

Finaly he made it to the shape on the water. It was the innertube, but, Luffy wasn't on it...

"Luffy! Where are you?" He turned one way, then the other, the sound of soft splashing the only thing he recived. He wasn't sure why he was looking around on the surface; even if Luffy had stayed afloat, he wouldn't be able to see him.

Ace dunked his head under the water, eyes wide open, searching... Too dark. Can't see anything. He wished for a light- any sort of light at all- to find his brother, anything...

He dove under. Down, down, down. That's where Luffy would be. Deep down dark. It felt so cold. Not just his body, but his spirit... wherever Luffy was, he would have it worse. Gotta find him. At the bottom, feeling around, sand, kelp, rocks, crabs, skin,

Skin! Luffy was there! Ace wrapped his arms around the small body, and kicked off from the bottom. Up, up, higher, lighter, easier. Air.

Their heads broke the surface, and freezing air rushed into his lungs, making him cough, sputter. Hang one of his little brother's arms over the floating black tube, pull them to the shore. Exsausted, cold, blind. Out of warmth, of light and of energy. Worried. Luffy?

"Luffy... Luffy, answer me. Luffy! Get up, open your eyes, don't... C'mon... Luffy, breathe... just breathe, at least!"

Ace laid Luffy down face-up so it would be easier for his lungs. He put his hand above Luffy's mouth. No air movement. Not sure what to do, he picked him up by the ankles and held him there for a moment.

"C'mon, spit it out..." Ace laid him back down and pressed down hard on his brother's stomache.

Luffy coughed out a huge amount of sea water, and culred up in pain as he took in sharp, shallow breaths. Ace practically jumped for joy.

"Luffy... can you hear me? Are you okay?"

He shivered harshly. "Ac-c-c-ce... C-cold-d-d..."

"Right, ah... here." Ace took off his shirt and wrapped it around his brother. "C'mon, I'll carry you."

Without any resistance, Luffy outstreatched his arms for Ace to pick him up, and then wrapped them tight around Ace's shoulders as he carried him back to their town and a warm fire.

---

"That was a one time deal, you know. I'm never saving your sorry butt again."

"YOU were the one who fell asleep-p-p in the f-first place! What happened t-to my innertube anyway?"

"Don't worry, I went back and got it. It would serve you right if you fell off of it again."

"W-WHY YOU-! Why don't you just go s-surfing and get eaten, you TATOO-FACE!"

"You wanna fight, Bro? Huh? Bring it on!"

They fought, punching and kicking and slamming and jabbing. Ace got up and Luffy didn't.

"Pay up, Ben, the kid lost"

---

"So. You gonna stop trying to swim now?"

"Yeah, sure. But I can still be a pirate without being able to swim, right Shanks?"

"Of course. There are hundreds of pirates out there who can't swim."

"So can I come with you?"

"NO. You're still too little, Anchor. Maybe in ten years I'll give you a chance."

Owari

Nobody hates constructive criticizm. It's a fact of life. I have a big story that I plan on putting up, if anyone seems interested.