Title: Restart

By: Metamorcy

Pairing: None

Summary: Ace knew he had died, he could still vividly remember his last moments before collapsing into Luffy's arms just as everything went black and yet, when he opened his eyes, he found himself on an island in East Blue. Not wanting to throw away his second chance, he searches out for his beloved younger brother for their delayed reunion.

Disclaimer: Don't own, just the idea

Beta'ed by WhiteAngel128 and Ankou13

Chapter 2

Two years… Two years had passed since his death. It wasn't possible… right? Ace stared at the newspaper, hoping that his eyes were simply playing tricks on him and yet the words remained the same. Nothing had changed. It really had been two years.

He flopped down onto the floor in the alleyway he was hiding in, his legs shaking uncontrollably. His mind was having a hard time processing how this had happened. 'I had been dead for two years. Just how much have changed during that time?' He bit down on his bottom lip and slowly leaned back against the wall, feeling the sharp spark of pain going down his spine when he hit the bricks a little too hard. He couldn't comprehend how two years could have passed when it had only felt like a few days on the other side, it was all just a little too much to take in.

The idea of him coming back to life was still questionable and it was only due to the pain he felt that he knew he was truly alive once again. His eyes drifted over the paper curiously, wondering if he should continue reading. He no doubt wanted to know what had happened, how much had transpired over the two years – and especially how Luffy was doing – but he didn't know where to begin. There were so many things he wanted to do, to question, to see. He wanted to find his old crew and learn about what had happened to them after the fighting, where they had vanished to.

However, he didn't know where exactly to start. They could be anywhere in the world and the ocean was just too large to search aimlessly. He sighed heavily and tilted his head back, looking up towards the sky that was peeking through the alleyway above. It was as blue as ever with a single cloud making its way across the space, the wind strong. It was peaceful, Ace would give it that, and was perfect weather for sailing, but it was too much for him to handle at the time being. He sighed once more and lifted the newspaper to glance at the other articles to see if there was anything that would catch his attention. Sadly, there wasn't much as most of it was just about various military things that weren't worth a second glance. There was nothing about his old crew or Luffy's. Slowly standing up, Ace leaned back to stretch against the building before observing his surroundings once more.

'Where to go...' He closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead before finally wandering down a random direction. It was better to drift somewhere than nowhere at all. In the meantime, it would give him the chance to figure out his surroundings and come up with a plan to get off this island. If he relocated to a main island, there was a better chance of getting more information about the whereabouts of everyone else. Ace rubbed his chin as he strode into the public eye, wandering down the streets without any fear of being recognized. He was supposedly dead after all and there shouldn't be any reward posters up. He had died in public.

A few eyes glanced his way, but didn't linger long before focusing on something else. It wasn't something he was comfortable with considering he was used to being recognized wherever he went, but for the time being he was okay with that. As he wandered towards the ocean, he peered into the distance where the horizon was located. It was a massive distance and it went even further. He would need to cross the ocean to find any real clues on Luffy and his buddies. Smiling to himself, he set off towards the docks in hopes of finding a ship that he could sneak onto. He didn't care much for the destination as long as it got him somewhere. Ace flicked his hat as his eyes gazed over the various marines from the distance and chuckled. He still had his powers from the devil fruit. He would be fine as always, he knew it.

On another island, a devil fruit suddenly burst into flames, vanishing from sight and leaving behind some black ashes in a neat little pile. A certain figure walked by, staring at the leftover of the fruit curiously as rage began to overwhelm the person's expression. A hand outstretched towards it, running a finger through the pile to see if what he was seeing was really there. The ashes shifted around at the force, leaving a line down the center where the finger had been. Suddenly, a curse vividly spilled from the person's lips and he slammed his fists down onto the table, which shattered under his power. More curses flew out and the ashes of where the devil fruit had once been scattered across the floor. The devil fruit was no more.

Ace huffed. It had been too easy, sneaking aboard a ship and slipping into its lower decks to hide. These people weren't the smartest, but that worked out just fine for him. He wouldn't have to worry about getting caught so soon and with the pathetic weapons these sailors had, he had more than enough capabilities to handle them all on his own. He was certain of that. Nothing was going to stop him from making his way to Luffy.

He ducked down to hide further in the shadows when he heard some men coming by, holding his breath. The boat was just beginning to set sail and he was able to feel the water moving below his feet, rocking against the wood of the ship. It was such a familiar setting, one he was nostalgic about. No doubt he missed his crew and friends; his family, however, he had no plans on rejoining them at this moment, not after everything that had happened when he'd died. As much as he wanted to, he needed to find Luffy, his little brother, and speak to him first. That was his top priority. Among everyone that had seen him die, he knew that Luffy was the one most shaken up by it and Ace wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything had happened to his little brother because of him. And if he was lucky, perhaps join his crew. That was the end result of his search, a desire to rejoin his brother and make him the Pirate King. He owed Luffy that much for coming to save him. He owed Luffy almost everything.

Grinning, Ace leaned back against the wall, hearing the sailors wander away, and relaxed at the silence. As much as he hated peace in general, especially considering his old crew members, he welcomed it now as it gave him the chance to think out his future options. He already had a few plans bubbling within his mind, forming them carefully to ensure his safety and victory. He couldn't afford to get caught, not when he had just left the town and come back to life so soon. Standing up, Ace wandered over to a small window to look outside, able to see the wide blue of the ocean. With a massive grin, he folded his arms across his chest and stared, already envisioning just how his future was going to turn out. And he liked the look of it.

'Wait for me, Luffy, I'm coming for you.'

Short, I know but I'm going to end it here and leave it up to you, readers, to believe what happened. It's pretty obvious at some points (like who pulled Ace up) and the next part is Ace searching out Luffy. Anyone is welcome to continue to the story off from here. I just wanted to end this happily and openly so that I can place it into my complete section since I've lost interest in One Piece (kinda). But I hope you've enjoyed this little short story.

Thanks for reading!