A/N with some warnings (May, 2016; updated January, 2019)

*It's a rather slow-paced story. I don't want to rush through things, because I enjoy writing this story a lot. Also, updates are inhumanly slow, but this story is definitely not abandoned.
*Luffy is more mature, stronger and sometimes darker. He can be very ruthless and brutal to those he deems his enemies. He also doesn't shy from killing, but his core personality is still there. Actually, he became a pretty complex character due to his different past. And because of that, the other characters experience some changes too.
*There will be many family/nakamaship moments.
*There is no romance in this story. If you can live through 15th chapter, you'll be fine for the rest of the story. I'm pretty sure all relationship among Straw Hats will be deeper and more emotional. Just sayin'.
*The story is following canon storyline, but this is definitely not canon rehash. While some things stay the same, I try my best to put my own spin on the arcs.

And with that, I hope you'll decide to give this story a shot and enjoy it! :)

A/N (January, 2019)

This story was my very first attempt at fanfiction writing and at the same time my first foray into English fiction writing. That's why the first few chapters need some polishing and I'm gonna do it eventually. But it's not a priority, because they aren't bad, just... too stiff for my liking and also some scenes can be expanded to make a bigger impact on the reader. Just wanted to give a heads-up for the new readers that my writing style changes and gets more fluid as the story progresses.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

English is not my first language. Betaread by Checkmate-13!

Chapter 1. Homecoming

Ace kicked a small stone, spitting bitterly. He should probably go do some training, but he was too angry at that moment. It had been four years since Sabo died, Luffy disappeared, and the injustice of this world came crashing down on his head.

Ace gritted his teeth. It was his fault. All of it! He should have stopped Sabo from leaving, he should have never agreed to work for that bastard, and he should have ran from Bluejam or at least tried to return home faster after the fight.

He still didn't understand what had killed Sabo. He knew he was murdered by someone extremely powerful, but it confused Ace how somebody could kill a kid in front of thousands and go unpunished. It was strange, wrong, and unfair. But Sabo was gone and he could do nothing to change that now, despite his grief over his dear brother.

Luffy's disappearance was different. Ace refused to believe his younger brother had also died, but the hope that he still held on to stubbornly slowly diminished with every passing day. After he returned to the bandit hideout with Dadan and got the news that Luffy was missing, he searched every inch of Dawn Island. The only clue was a straw hat that Ace had found in Grey Terminal, after the people of Goa started to fill it with trash once again. He was sure that it was Luffy's hat, that brat never went anywhere without it. He was probably taken by someone, but nobody knew by whom. Ace was reckless and not very smart, but even he understood that you couldn't find the person you're looking for if you don't even know where to start. So he still tried to find anything or anyone who had information about what happened to Luffy. Frustration grew every day, because every time he came up empty. He felt so helpless.

Ace came out of the forest to the sea coast cliff where the three brothers had loved to spend their time. The stump where they exchanged sake cups of brotherhood was nearby, so this place held a special place in their hearts. Ace stopped surprised when he saw a lone person standing on the slope facing sea. A kid?

"What are you doing here?!" exclaimed Ace. He was furious. How could this kid dare to disturb this place?! "Who the hell are you?!"

He stomped towards the boy, clenching his fists, ready to punch the intruder if he didn't like the answer. The kid turned around and Ace just froze. All thoughts and rage blew from his head. With wide eyes, the future pirate stared at the child in front of him.

"Lu-Luffy?" he asked with a shaky voice. There was no doubt, it was his little brother. Same unruly black hair, round face, and scar under his left eye.

The boy didn't answer. He was looking straight back at Ace with a confused expression, but his gaze seemed unfocused. His neck was tightly bandaged, with more protruding from under his shirt too. Was he hurt?

Ace smiled as widely as possible and joyfully shouted "Luffy!" He reached for the boy's hand to pull him into a brotherly hug, but Luffy sharply jerked away from his hand and slapped it in the same moment.

"Don't touch me!" he suddenly screamed. Luffy staggered back a bit and added with an angry growl, "I'm not your toy, go away."

Ace was taken aback. This was not how he imagined seeing his kid brother again. Ace was surprised and confused, he had been extremely happy to see Luffy, but all the frustration which had built up through those four years suddenly started to bubble within him. So as Luffy started walking away from him, Ace's hot temper got the better of him.

"What the hell, Luffy?!" he yelled desperately. "You disappeared all those years ago… Where have you been?! What have you been doing?!" Luffy just kept walking away, visibly struggling to stay upright on shaky legs. Ace tried to grab his hand again, but Luffy pulled it away before he could even touch him.

"D-don't…" he whispered. His voice was strained like he was using all his strength just to keep himself conscious.

"Why are you acting like you don't recognize me?" Ace asked with quiet voice. He was at a loss for what to do. Did Luffy forget him? Maybe he really doesn't recognize him? Can it be that he lost his memory or something like that? He was certainly hurt badly and Ace wanted to help him so much. He gritted his teeth. "Do you really not remember me, Luffy? It's me, Ace! Your older brother!"

Luffy stopped, Ace held his breath. Luffy turned around, his gaze wandered slowly, before finally fixating on Ace. After several moments of staring, his mouth opened and he gasped weakly, "A-Ace..?"

Ace almost jumped for joy, a wide grin grew on his face and he absently brushed tears he hadn't even notice appear. Luffy swayed and suddenly fell, but his older brother reacted instantly and was able to catch him in mid-air. It was only then that the older teen felt how hot his brother was. Luffy had a serious fever, probably causing him to act the way he did. Ace scooped him into his arms and started running. He needed to hurry; he refused to let Luffy die the moment he finally came back. He was so light and fragile, if Ace didn't know any better he'd never have guessed Luffy was 12 years old. He pressed the boy tighter. 'What happened to him?' was the only question circling in the future pirate's head.

One of the bandits brought some food on a tray and put it down where Ace was sitting, arms around legs and chin resting on knees. The teen only grunted in acknowledgement, not letting his eyes wander from little brother's sleeping face.

Soon after Ace had burst in with Luffy on his back, Magra helped him change bandages and examine the boy's body. Most of his wounds were already healed, with the exception of his neck. When they had taken off those bandages, both had just stared at the damage, hypnotized.

There was a huge gash going down the left side of Luffy's neck. The cut had been carefully stitched and had already started to heal, but it didn't distract from the devastation.

Ace wasn't afraid of blood or wounds, but the thought that such a big gash on a neck would have normally been fatal made him recoil from the sight. He squeezed his hand over his mouth to not throw up the contents of his stomach. At this moment he was thanking all the gods, goddesses, Luffy's unknown parents, and even the old geezer, that Luffy was anything but normal. Luffy had always healed extremely quickly, but the older teen was sure that a wound like that would leave a scar.

Luffy already had several small round scars all over his body, but mostly on his shoulders and thighs. There was also a large mark burnt onto his back, Ace wondered if it was made by some sicko just to torture his little brother, or if it actually meant something.

Under normal circumstances, Luffy rarely scarred, if at all.

Ace knew that he got the scar under his eye before he ate the devil fruit. After that, his rubber body made it almost impossible to scar unless it was a very serious wound, or made with something which hurt despite his power. Ace shuddered at the thought.

Even though it was the third day and Luffy was still unconscious, his fever had gone down considerably giving hope to them all. Ace finally tore his eyes away from the sleeping boy and rested his forehead on his knees. He was worried sick about all the wounds and scars, but that was not what scared him most.

He was scared that Luffy would not remember him. That his little brother – his always cheerful, idiotic, simple-minded little brother – will not be who he was and will not think of him as his brother. Ace clenched his fists, something twisted in his stomach from just thinking about it. Luffy had said his name on the cliff but that could have just been a coincidence, he could have just been repeating the name stranger gave him. That stranger being Ace.

"Ace."

Ace jerked up at the voice. He didn't even notice than Dadan had made her way into the room.

"Ace, you should go rest a bit. You haven't slept for three days now." The bandit boss was worried, it was written all over her face.

"I took a nap," answered Ace, irritated.

Dadan sighted. "It'll be no help to Luffy if you pass out before he even wakes up, you know?" The woman looked at the untouched food and frowned. "Ace!"

"Fine!" Ace was feeling too tired to argue, so he stood up. He didn't want to admit it, but Dadan was right. "Just please wake me up if anything changes." he said, before walking out of the room, stopped briefly at the doorway to glance back at Luffy one more time.

Ace woke up moments before the room's door opened with a bang. He was not sure how long he'd been out, and he didn't care. Ace jumped up and ran, not listening to Dogra's babbling. His heart pounded against his chest in fear as he closed in on Luffy's room. He was out of breath when he slid to a stop before the group of bandits trying to peek into the room.

"Move!" he yelled. The adults parted to let him through.

Once in the room, the first thing Ace noticed was an empty bed. In that moment he thought his heart stopped. Was this a nightmare?

"Ace." Dadan called him softly. Ace just kept staring at the empty space where his little brother had been lying before he left him. Why? Why did he leave him to go rest?! Luffy was here! And he left him alone again! Why!? Why!? Why!?

"WHY?!" he roared. He didn't hear the bandit boss called him again. With wild eyes, the teen kept staring at the empty bed. He growled furiously.

Slap!

Ace touched his red cheek and looked at Dadan, confused. He narrowed his eyes, but before the curses left his mouth, the woman shushed him.

"Huh?"

"You're scaring Luffy with your yelling, stupid brat," she said quietly, and pointed at the corner.

Ace smiled in relief once he laid eyes on the small silhouette curled into a ball. His little brother was still here, it wasn't a dream after all. Nobody had come and taken him again. But the way boy cringed in the corner sent off alarm bells in Ace's head. He squatted down before him.

"Luffy," he called softly. There was no answer. Ace reached out to touch the boy's hand to get his attention, but his own hand was slapped away.

"Go away." The voice was weak and pained.

"Luffy, it's Ace, remember?"

"Go away. Go away. Go away..." Luffy repeated the two words until he finally shouted, "You're not real, just go away!"

Ace flinched. Why did Luffy think he wasn't real? And how could he show him he was wrong? Ace frowned in thought, then it clicked. That thing was always with Luffy; his little brother clung to it as if it was a lifeline. It should help. 'It will help,' he persuaded himself.

With an idea of what to do, Ace spun around.

"Dadan, get these morons out of the room. I'll be back in a moment."

The curly haired bandit opened her mouth, but Ace was already gone. She instead glanced at the kid in the corner and sighed. Dadan never would have believed that she would see one of those monster children cower like that. It was a heartbreaking sight, she cared for these kids much more than she'd ever admit.

"Alright, morons," the boss waved to all the bandits squeezing against one another at doorway. "Shoo from here, let the brat get some rest. Go prepare dinner, those two monsters will want something to eat soon."

The crowd dispersed after some whispering between themselves. Ace came back into the room, nodding to Dadan who glanced at the item in his hands and left the room too, leaving the two brothers alone.

"Luffy, I have something for you."

Ace squatted down again. When he didn't get any reaction from the boy, he lifted his hand and gently placed the straw hat on his brother's head. Luffy flinched from the touch, but after a moment he slowly reached for the hat and faintly gripped the rim. He lifted his head slightly, and Ace noticed how he bit his lip.

"Shanks…" Luffy whispered and tightened his fists around the hat's rim.

This was progress, and Ace smiled with relief. This was good. At least he knew that Luffy remembered his idol, and now Ace couldn't be more grateful to that man for giving his worn-out straw hat to Luffy.

"Luffy," he called out softly, "Do you remember me now?"

The boy bit his lip even harder. "Ace?"

"Yeah, that's me." Ace grinned.

Luffy pressed his hat down, a sob escaping his mouth. "You're real, right?"

"Of course I am!" Ace confirmed without hesitation.

Tears rolled down his cheeks before Luffy suddenly launched himself on Ace with a cry. "AAAAAAACE!"

Ace lost his balance and fell down in surprise. Luffy hugged him around the waist as tightly as possible.

"Ace, I'm sorry! I will never do that again! I'm sorry! Don't make me return to that place. Please, Ace! I don't want to go back. Don't… don't send me back, please, Ace!" The sudden pleas of his little brother dazed him. "I don't like that place! They said bad things about me and… and they said nobody will come for me! Not you, not Sabo, not Gramps… and you never came! But… but I'm not angry! Just please don't make me go back!" Luffy squeezed Ace even harder. "They made me do things, Ace. Things I didn't like to do… Please, Ace, let me stay here. I… I'll be good, I'll listen to you, I won't eat a lot, just… Ace…" Luffy's voice died, drowned in an open wail, but he still managed to stutter 'please' between sobs.

Ace was frozen. His head was empty, his heart skipped a beat with every 'please' from Luffy. He couldn't wrap his mind around what was happening. What kind of sick joke was this? Ace was furious. Luffy was always smiles and sunshine. Who in this sick world made a boy like Luffy beg his brother to let him stay in his own home?

Ace wrapped his hands around the trembling boy, pulling him into a tight hug. "Luffy, I will never ever make you go where you don't want to." His voice was a bit shaky, but relatively calm. "You will stay here with me and you can do whatever you want and eat however much you want. You hear me, Luffy?"

The boy nodded slightly. "I missed you and Sabo so much…" he whispered. "Thanks, Ace…"

Ace bit his lip. Luffy didn't know that Sabo died. There was no way that he could tell him now. Not while Luffy was so broken.

The teen reached down and picked up the straw hat that had fallen on the floor when Luffy threw himself onto his older brother. He placed the hat on the boy's head again and smiled. "We missed you too, Luffy."

The two brothers sat in content silence for a while. Ace stroking Luffy's back, who still squeezed him without any thought of letting him go. Ace had no intention of removing him, he was still deeply disturbed thinking about what had happened to Luffy. Suddenly, his stomach growled, demanding food. Moments after, he heard another growl coming from Luffy.

Ace smiled. Luffy giggled. And for Ace it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

Next Chapter: Free as the Pirate King