A/N: Listened to "Brother" by Mighty Oaks.
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"I'd follow you to the end of the world if only you would ask me to…"
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Ace had never liked thinking of how Sabo was gone, letting his mind picture getting Luffy and Sabo's wanted posters to make himself feel better. It wasn't the greatest coping, but it is all he could do without driving himself mad. Denial. Ace was in full denial and there was no sight for him to recover.
Then after the mess with Teach, he was held back from chasing after the traitor to avenge Thatch. It felt like he was failing every brother he gains. Failing to keep them alive and making more memories with them. Sure, they had lost crew men, but he felt a deeper connection with the other commanders and the men in his division. Losing them takes a piece away slowly from his fragile heart. It was no surprise that Marco and Whitebeard saw through his fake happiness more thoroughly after Thatch. They knew he was harboring denial, suppressing his emotions, but it had finally set off when he read the paper one day after Teach had made it to the Grand Line once more.
"Ace!"
"Wait!"
People were hollering as no one could hold him back that time, clasping Marco with a seastone handcuff to keep him grounded and ran off the ship with Stryker flared to life. Marco couldn't drag him back this time around, knowing the cuffs were part of lockpicking exercises and a challenge even for Haruta, being the newest set. The key is tossed off over the deck and Stryker races as Ace's flames had came to life.
"Don't!"
"Ace! We can help you!"
The shouts did not deter him as he left with nothing but the triple logpost on his wrist and clenching to the top of his hat as he stormed on, so Namur couldn't keep up. A crack through the air did not have him turn either, knowing he was most likely disappointing Pops, but he couldn't sit back.
Not when they had his baby brother.
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"On and on we go, my brother, I've got you."
-o-o-o-o-
Facing Teach by himself hadn't been the best plan, but he was able to get Luffy away as his crew had been patiently waiting for a time. They were told to go as soon as gathering Luffy, not strong enough for the Blackbeard Pirates, and did this one thing for him. Even though Ace knew Luffy would be wailing later for doing such a thing, leaving him behind, but Ace wasn't losing anyone that close to him again.
If Ace couldn't save Luffy then he really was useless of a brother.
Stuck on the odd ship, Ace had been seastoned and restrained in the cage provided in Teach's room. The man would taunt, but also try to persuade him to turn a 'new leaf'. Ace vehemently denied, saying he would rather die than betray Whitebeard. It would ruffle Teach up, sometimes threatening with his darkness, but always said he wouldn't do the killing.
"I still got a soft spot for you, Commander."
The words had disgusted Ace as he lingered in the cage and even realized that they weren't handing him over to the marines. They found a different pirate, some woman named Bonney, and part of the Worst Generation. They took her instead and Teach boasted about becoming a Shichibukai with laughter and pie. He never skipped a meal for Ace, shoving him with pie or whatever they had on the menu. Of course, not as much as what Ace would normally eat, but he had been fed enough.
"I like having you around."
Cackles kept Ace weary and merely let himself linger as he tried to figure out the grand plan of the other. If he could, Ace would break out, but ankles chained to one spot and wrists tight together behind him and to the cage made it impossible. After what felt like a couple months, Teach had come in laughing while holding up a newspaper to show the front page of his face and seemed like after his battle with Teach.
"The marines are persuasive to rile Whitebeard up."
The bolded letter of 'Portgas D Ace being dead' flared and made his mind race at what the others thought. Somehow Teach convinced the marines to either say he was dead or act like it. This had caused a rile in Ace the most, snapping and spatting each way at Teach for doing that and how Whitebeard would just go after him instead.
"Don't think me stupid, Commander. I knew about his declining health and let's just say… He won't last the battle I have planned."
The words drove Ace in a rage, but was left to himself as decisions were made for him. They relocated Ace to a different ship, Teach promising that he would 'enjoy the show' as he would set up a camera for him to watch. It was clear that Teach was thinking possibly of getting Ace to his side by killing the ones he called family—hearing rumor of Luffy to make a scene if able.
Ace had been only angry with himself and filled in pain for about to lose everything. If it wasn't enough suffering for him, this adds more salt to his wounds and grinding it in deep. The only thing Ace could do was try to get out of his predicament and self-loathe on what would happen.
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"Nothing to stop us now because we found in life what's true."
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"They said you were dead."
"How are you alive?!"
Confusion flared on each face when the Revolutionary found the Blackbeard ship on standby and too close to the rebels. Ace could have screamed at seeing Sabo alive and in the flesh, but it was strange to see the pale look on his brother. Sabo had thought he had died before he could remember everything, and he was happy to have the chance. Though, the happy reunion went sour as Ace was released to push on the other on how he needed to go to his brothers and how Luffy could probably be there.
Going to the battle had been chaos as soon as they arrived in the middle of everything in such a state as marines had no doubt showed up. Whitebeard was heavily injured and Luffy had been intervened by an ally of Whitebeard to stop him from joining in—knowing how much of a bet was placed on the young pirate from Shanks. So when a raven came in, no one expected fire flaring like a beacon in the sky and the Chief of Staff from the Revolutionaries to dragon claw someone down.
Screams of surprise for Ace had lingered along with that darkness following to recapture him. There was so much going on, the Whitebeard family happy to see their youngest commander not deceased and here to help fight back. Sabo and Ace fought side by side and the exhilarating feeling swarmed through them as if they were dancing. The two had been close from the time they met and Ace knew that whatever happened he would be there for Sabo.
No one expected for Akainu to show up and bring out his lava on the small island, nearly covering it. Ace stayed by Sabo as they got others to back off, Teach already retreating to not get caught in the cross fire, but a Black Moby had already been filled to go after them, not wanting them to gain anymore power with a few allies sailing after as well. Marco was aerial in viewing over and helped gather one more crewmate before landing to the Moby as Whitebeard lingers to the ground before her.
"Pops!"
The holler felt like an echo now as the man easily pushes the ship to start slipping into the water. The first commander screeching in disbelief before he had taken off towards Sabo and Ace. It was evident by the distress shown on Marco's face that he didn't like what he was told.
A scream left Sabo, Ace skittering to a stop as lava surge up along a shoulder of the Revolutionary. It has Ace going back, knowing that he would be circled as lava poured in with a trap, but he would never leave behind his brother—not when he had him now.
"Ace!"
Marco's holler fell on deaf ears as Ace grips a hold of Sabo and helping to steady him. Green find dark eyes and a breathless laugh leaves Sabo, bringing Ace's mind to focus on the now of it all. Not wanting to admit they were cornered and no salvage remaining for them.
"We suck at second chances…" The words slip as Sabo brings hands up to grab to the sides of his brother's neck.
"Yeah we are," Ace says while ignoring the vortex incasing them in blazing heat and choking them. Keeping eyes forward, they let foreheads connect with Ace returning the hands to the other's neck and gives a smile. "I will follow you to the ends of the world this time, brother."
The pain only lasts a few seconds before everything turned white.
-o-o-o-o-
"Oh my brother, I'd follow you…"
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