Regards to The Beginning from The End

Chapter 2 - Through All Odds

Ace could feel his conscious returning to him. The bright light shining on his face and touching his skin proved that- and yet he did not try to move, attempting to fall back into slumber once more. In hopes of not having to wake up just yet.

But as he tried ignoring it more and more, came not what he wished for, as his senses began to awaken, instead, was there noise.

.

.

Noise?

.

.

Beginning to feel that, although very sluggishly, started he pay attention to the sound that was now being acknowledged by his ears. It was loud. Very loud at that. What was it? He couldn't tell. What he could tell was that it came from a distance.

When attempting to open his eyes was he met with the sudden flare of light emitting all around, causing him to squint as he cringed from the sudden strain.

'—Crap.. I almost forgot how bright it was in here..' He thought to himself. Laying down the arm that had with his hand been covering most of his face onto the floor. As well as upon further observation to his sudden wake up call however, did he notice something else that made itself recognized. It was extreme fatigue. He could feel it throughout his entire body almost immediately. Every part of his being felt like it was screaming.

Although ignoring that to the best of his ability, did he rise onto his feet, sharpening his focus onto his senses.

'…I guess resting really made my body notice how beaten up it really is, it's almost like my strength is draining as when I'm in the sea. For how long was I out for this time? Oh well..' Ace thought annoyed as he yawned. Leaving him restless. 'I can deal with it for now though.' He reassured himself.

He took a quick glance at Luffy, who was still laying unconscious on the floor. Odd enough, the sound didn't come from him snoring like it usually would do.

That alerted Ace immediately.

Somewhat drowsily shifted he his attention to the sound, forcing his senses to sharpen and focus, could he notice that it was getting louder by each second. It was almost like the sound of footsteps, and not one, but hundreds. Running towards something. '..Voices?.. There are people shouting but from where?!' He observed closer, looking around, could he suddenly see from far away a black speck in the distance, that was getting larger and larger as he looked at it.

Although the black speck was actually not an entity, but a huge group of people running towards Ace's direction at full speed.

Now who would ever run towards a pirate shouting at full speed?

That's when it all came together.

It was hundreds of marines running towards them.

.

.

"THERE HE IS! PORTGAS D. ACE!"

"STRAW HAT LUFFY SPOTTED AS WELL!"

"DON'T LET THEM GET OUT OF SIGHT! LET'S NOT BRING SHAME TO THE NAVY BY LOSING THIS WAR!" One of the vice-admirals ordered.

"EVERYONE CONTINUE FORWARD WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT! DON'T FORGET OUR OBJECTIVE!" The vice-admiral continued.

"UNDERSTOOD!" The Marines shouted in unison. Sprinting faster towards the pirates carrying with them their swords and guns.


All Ace did was stare. Just for a moment.

'O-Oh shit.' He cursed mentally as he felt sweat drops go down his face. Really starting to process the situation they now were facing.

Now confirming that reality all it came down to was..

To. Run. Away!

As if his body moved on his own, ran he without a second thought towards his brother. Picking him up carrying him on his back. Immediately starting to sprint towards the opposite direction. Away from the horde of marines that were now chasing them.

'Holy shit you've got to be freaking kidding me!' Ace thought frantically. Fastening his pace as the adrenaline began to truly kick in. The reality of the outcome hitting him as if with a ton of bricks.

"PORTGAS IS RUNNING AWAY!"

"DON'T LET THEM BOTH GET AWAY!"

Ace could hear the marines loud and clear now. His senses were no longer sluggish and instead were clear. They were absolutely not letting them go. It would no doubt not take long until they catched up with him. '—Shit, shit, shit think of something god dammit!' He thought as he cursed his luck. This was beyond everything he had wished for in the absolute worst circumstance possible.

There are no walls or exits, nowhere to hide nor go. Everywhere is infinite.

The only thing he could do was to run away, as far as he could. If not that then there was..

'To fight.' He considered. 'I need to fight, that's what I would normally do, though…' He trailed off, briefly glancing down at his brother. 'It's impossible with Luffy like this.' He thought, slightly worried. The options he had were scarce. Give up or run until there was no energy left? Ace wasn't okay with either. The first problem were the hundreds of marines. He couldn't take all of them on his own. How frustrating that may be to acknowledge was something he had to hold onto, just this once.

'This isn't the time to be petty, Ace!' He lectured to himself. No way that he was going to let him and his little brother die. Not when there may be a sliver of a chance where they might make out of this alive.

'If only anyone from the crew was here…! Damn it all, screw this place!' Yet, all he could do was tug his lip in frustration. His body's exhaustion was long overdue, and yet he forced it to move.

*Click*

..

*Click*

*Click!*

.

.

.

'Don't tell me-!? —' Ace thought as his face paled. 'They're so close within our range already!?'

Whilst he had been brainstorming had the marines caught up with him drastically. 'If only my body would stop aching so much…!' He thought frustrated, if his body at been in a better condition, could he had ran much faster. And to think about his options, a maneuver— something that he could do to that was plausible to get away.

The odds of this ordeal were certainly not in his favor, although he could guess it hasn't been since the beginning. His luck was sure to be damned, huh?

Oh, he couldn't help but be more resentful towards that fact than he's ever been in his entire life.

"Everyone get in position! Aim your guns and fire with my signal!" He heard one marine shout behind him.

"3,

2,

1,

.

.

Fire!"

The guns had gone off, the ammo that was in them was heading straight for them. As though his life was briefly flashing before his eyes, did he close them. Preparing himself for the impact.

It was if time had gone in slow motion. And yet, what happened occurred in that of only a second.

.

.

.

He instead felt something else.

.

Something unexpectedly grabbed him by the waist, drastically throwing him forward. Furthermore causing him to fall down hard onto the floor, the mysterious entity that had grabbed him, gone. Not even giving him a chance to process what it even was.

'…What?' Was all Ace could ask. With haste he got himself back up, shifting his focus back to the the marines were running towards them. Bracing himself for the pain soon to be inflicted upon him, begrudgingly giving into the exhaustion of his body as he could no longer continue to run away.

.

.

.

And yet nothing happened.

..

He waited a little longer… and still.. nothing happened.

By paying more attention, did he no longer hear anything, anyone, anymore. Except for his own exhausted breaths. It was quiet around him again. It was as if the horde of marines all had, disappeared, into thin air.

"What in the actual hell just happened…?" He couldn't help but question out loud.

Ace was more confused than he had ever been in his entire life. Had he just hallucinated? Had he imagined all of that? All he did was look into the void of where the marines where supposed to be, dumbfounded.

And then as if a spark had lit up a match, was he more frustrated than ever.

Ace has had enough of this.

"SHOW YOURSELF DAMN IT! WHO'S DOING THIS?! WHERE ARE YOU!?" He shouted as loud as he could. Anger noticeable in his tone. He was damn tired of being confused. All he wanted was answers.

…And yet, nobody answered his call.

"Damn it.. damn it! —Stupid weird place with no exits…!" Ace exclaimed in sudden, despair. Everything seemed far too hopeless, even more hopeless than before. Nobody was there— he was sure of it. No one was going to answer him-

.

.

"Hello."

.

.

Ace's eyes shot open, a sharp, but quiet gasp leaving his mouth. His head looking towards every direction, in search for the sudden voice. "Who was that— who are you?" He asked demandingly, but also surprised. It certainly caught him off guard. Reminding him yet again to stay alert.

"Who I am does not matter." The voice spoke back, in a slow but patient manner. It's voice sounding distorted and echoed in every direction, but gave weight for the words which it spoke, leaving an impression of someone knowledgable, and wise.

"Of course it matters! I want answers! What is this place?! Why are we here?!" Ace exclaimed, not really knowing where to look for this 'person', he now was talking to. Ace was left only with quiet. In the meantime of that, had Ace put Luffy back down onto the floor. Until suddenly, after being ignored.

"You two are far more injured than I had expected." It said flatly, not showing any ill intent in their tone. However was not relevant to his point.

"Don't ignore my question! What are you, a god!? You can't just drag us here out of random!" Ace finished falling onto the floor, his mind not sure what to think at this point. The atmosphere had suddenly gone eerie, leaving with a thoughtful quiet. The 'person' in question seemed, to be in deep thought.

"I am not a god," It began suddenly. "I am merely another mystery of the Grand Line.""And I am here due to request." They finished.

The entity- person? was nowhere to be seen, and yet was heard so clearly inside this gigantic space. Hauntingly so.

It almost felt like it was staring down at him, from somewhere. Up or Below, he did not know. And he for some reason did not feel… threatened? or afraid? This perplexed him even more.

"Well.. are you a person then?" Ace asked, paranoid. Everything was too weird. He had seen and experienced a lot of weird things that made no sense when sailing through the Grand Line, but none of that had come close to this.

"Perhaps," They began. "Maybe not. Or, I am? What does the term person mean to you?" They asked back.

This surprised him, never really have thought about it before. "Somebody human.. I guess?" He replied as if on a whim. But at the same time, felt somewhat right. Leaving a small gap of silence between them.

"…I see." They spoke eventually. Feeling as though in the meantime had remisced about something. "How peculiar.." They began, a white spark, substance but made to that of light, began to take form in the sky not far from him. Shifting into a form to that of an orb. Then stretching out to that, of a person. A human, but not precise. A form of their own, but still remindful of something else.

"This, seems more fitting." They said, closing their trail of thought, gazing down at him from above. Their shape from their head to their toes, like a blaze of fire sprouted up. Making them shine, to that of a small star.

"That, made less sense." Ace deadpanned. Having no intention of considering his manners. But to be honest, was that not what he was concerned with. At this point, was he just staying guard. Contemplating on what he should do. If there was anything he could do. Yes the person, or whatever they were, was actually being able to see and speak to now. But that didn't make him any less suspicious, and confused for that matter.

"But easier for the long run." They said calm, seamlessly ignoring his comment. Floating down to a more close view of where he sat. Staring intently at his face from where they floated above. "I will acknowledge your confusion." They spoke aloud. Gaining Ace's attention. "But for now, are there more important matters to attend to." They said, rotating their head in the direction of Luffy. As he took note of that, changed he his perspective as well, in case of them suddenly doing something. Which he would not allow to happen. "As for your question if what just happened was real." "Does your answer lie over there."

Even though from what they said was, unsettling. Did that subtle notion certainly gain his attention. 'Something about— Luffy?!' He thought, alert. Standing up once more walking towards his brother, not caring about the potential threat behind him. Unbeknownst to him, stayed the figure in their place, closing their eyes. It didn't take long after he had approached his brother to know what they had meant.

The red liquid seeping onto the floor that came down his brother's leg was a dead giveaway.

Luffy had gotten shot.


[ End of Chapter 2. ]


Author's Note: Here's Chapter 2! This took me some time to write since I had some difficulty in writing the sequences that were to unfold in this chapter. But here it is! I kind of have this story figured out in my head already, but it's gonna take some time to flesh out. Also, I wanted to say thank you to all the favourites, follows, and reviews I got when I published this on it's first chapter! I did not imagine it to be so well received! Thank you so much!

Edit: I had to update this chapter and change the structure of the text a bit since the default format made it look very scattered. I really recommend that you read this on big text (or whatever size you prefer to have it at) and not on the Full setting and instead have it be on 1/2 since it makes it a bit easier to keep up with the text and dialogue. (If you don't know what I mean, there are buttons above at the beginning of each chapter, for example of where you can switch to light to dark mode when reading.)

- Copyright Disclaimer | I do not own One Piece and neither characters from said series. All rights go to Eiichiro Oda. All I claim rights to is the non-canon characters (if) featured- and story. All rights reserved.