"Damn." Ace mumbled to himself as he stared down at his dead body in front of the sobbing Luffy. He wasn't able to register the fact that he was indeed dead. Maybe he was in just some bad dream where he could walk around...Maybe that wasn't his own dead body in front of him...Maybe that wasn't his own brother crying from his sudden death. The black haired man groaned softly as he looked down at his ghostly body. He clinched his fist tightly as he felt a small smile creepy onto his face...He was indeed dead, but his spirit hadn't passed on yet. Was God giving him a few minutes to say his goodbye's before he passed on? 'Yeah...That has to be it.' Ace told himself as he stared up at the smoke filled sky. He was slowly preparing himself for his long venture to the other world, but he wasn't going to leave just yet. He still had to say his goodbyes.
The ghostly male walked around the battlefield of Marineford. What was once the largest Navy base for the Marines was now a capsized utter field of destruction and marine corruption, and everyone's attention was on the dead body of the fallen man. He couldn't help but to stare back at his old crew. Oh, how he was going to miss them. He'd miss having to wake up early enough to get most of the food in the morning. He'd miss being the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard pirates. He'd miss just seeing everyone's smile. Of course, he didn't want them to be sad because of his death, though it was a tragic moment. He'd be leaving his family behind, but he'd always be waiting for them when the time comes. The phantom reached up to adjust his hate and chuckled to himself once he noticed the blonde shedding a tear for his fallen friend.
"Marco." Ace said softly as he walked over to the crying man. Of course, Marco couldn't exactly see him, nor was he aware of his presence, which gave Ace enough time to say his farewells, "Don't make such an ugly face for me." He chuckled to himself before tapping his shoulder, though he wasn't able to feel his touch. "Damn, I really am dead." Ace said to himself roaming around the continuously rumbling battlefield as pirates and Marines fought against one another. He couldn't believe that all of this had started because of him, but maybe it'd end soon because the Marines had finally accomplished they strove to do. His complete and total annihilation .
He passed by all of his comrades while placing a hand on them as a way to say goodbye. He didn't have time to leave a message to all of them, for he still had two more people to see, and he didn't know how much time the angels were giving him.
The fallen boy was soon staring at his soon-to-be late 'father,' but he didn't know that at the moment. All he was worried about now was saying goodbye. Goodbye was such a hard thing for him. After being taken in by Whitebeard, he actually felt that he belonged somewhere. He was made to feel like he wasn't the monster he was for being born with the blood of Roger. He...He had to say goodbye to his true father. Ace walked up to the man in battle, and tried his best to give him a hug, though his ghostly-body had went right through him, but he didn't care. It was good enough for him, "I never got to say this enough, but thank you for taking me...Thank you for helping me feel as if I matter in the world." He muttered to the man before feeling a tear running down his clear cheeks.
After pulling back from Whitebeard, he heard the familiar sound of his brother shrieking, "Luffy!" was his first response before rushing over to him. He was use to it. After all, he was his older brother. He silently cursed himself for having lied to him about saying that he'd always be there for him, but in the end he was. He knelt down in front of the crying boy, and placed a hand onto his brother's head and sighed to himself, "You're not suppose to cry over my death." The man said as he stared up at the sky again. He felt as if he were about to be taken away at this very moment, so he tried to make it as quick as possible. "I don't know if you can hear...In fact, I know that you can't hear me, but I just want to thank you, Luffy. Thank you for loving a monster like me. Thank you for loving me." He repeated to him. He couldn't help but to recall the past. He couldn't help but to recall all the adventures he, Sabo, and Luffy would go on. He'd surely miss being able to do all of that, but for now he had to say goodbye. The specter slowly stood up, and fixed his hat on top of his head, "For now, your big brother must go, but it's only a goodbye. Make sure to have many more adventures." He wanted to cry, but something was stopping him.
"Are you ready to go yet?" A voice said, which caught Ace off by surprise. He knew that man's voice, and when he turned around, it was the ethereal being of Thatch. Ace began to shake a bit before nodding his head and following after him.
"It's hard to believe that you'd die on the battlefield like this." Thatch said as he made his way through the rumble, and towards the water.
"Well, it was for a good purpose." He said, then placed a hand over the spot where the hole in his chest would have been, "My life ended, and so did my journey, but another journey has just begun."
Thatch couldn't help but to chuckle to himself before slowly disappearing, and Ace could feel himself starting to fade away. He turned around as he noticed the battlefield seeming to fade away, and he just held his hat tightly and gave a smile...A smile that he'd rarely give, "Until next time!" Portgas D. Ace said as he waved, and soon he was nothing more.