A/N: I am so sorry this took so long to get up. I feel terrible. Although I was out of the country for a few weeks, It's been nearly a years since I updated and there's really no excuse. I'm going to try and update more frequently, so please bare with me. There's a little more cursing in this chapter, and the ending is a little rushed, but I honestly don't have anything else to put there. I've done my best to make it an interesting chapter, but it's really here because it's necessary not because it's fun. The first part is kind of depressing, but I tried to end it on a funny not. Hopefully I didn't fall too short.

Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who had reviewed, favorited, and followed this story or me. I normally list everyone who has reviewed by name, but it's been so long, I've decided to give a blanket thanks. Your support means a lot to me and I do plan to finish this story, since a great deal of it is already outlined. It's just finding the time to write it that's the problem.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. It's characters and plot are the sole property of Eiichiro Oda and the holders of it licenses. This story is not meant to receive a profit or claim any kind of ownership of the work.

Chapter 3: Aboard the Oro Jackson! The First Night

Luffy was running. The landscape around him was completely devoid of life and color. The world was made of gray emptiness that stretched as far as his eyes could see. His heart beat painfully in his chest, his lungs burned, and his legs ached. Despite these physical ails, the sharp fear niggling at the back of his mind kept him from stopping.

The echoing of his footsteps haunted him as he ran. The sound only served to confirm how alone he truly was. He was the sole presence in an empty space. Only the thought of finding what was beyond that space kept him going. He yearned for the presence just beyond his reach – the presence he knew was there, but could not be seen, the presence that was slowly fading away, leaving him behind.

A flame flickered in the distance, and his hope rose. He forced himself to go faster, to move beyond his limits. If only he could reach that place – If only he could reach him – everything would be okay.

Luffy seemed to finally gain some ground and the flame grew larger, more defined, as he drew closer. Soon it was not a flame at all, but a figure, standing tall and proud before him. His face was set into a serene expression, a smile curling his lips, fondness brightening his eyes. His arms were outstretched towards Luffy, as if beckoning him into an embrace. Warm, gentle, safe…

…Ace.

Relief flooded his chest and Luffy grinned widely. A rush of energy filled him and he spurred his legs to move faster. He reached out his own hands for Ace. He was so close, almost there, but then he stopped and horror flooded him as the serene scene changed.

The smile dropped from Ace's face and his eyes widened. His body shuddered and he coughed. Blood sprayed from his mouth, splattering the ground. The skin of his chest and stomach began to burn away, allowing blood to stream from the gaping hole that was being created. A crimson pool formed at his feet and Ace careened forward.

Luffy's body acted on its own. He lurched forward, catching his brother before he could hit the ground. Ace's body fell limply against him. His skin was quickly cooling, a feeling that Luffy had never associated with his older brother, even before he had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi. More than the dropping temperature, the feeling of warm blood spilling over his hands and onto his chest from the hole in the others torso caused Luffy's heart to shudder.

"Lu…ffy…" Ace's voice was soft and weak and filled with pain.

"Ace…"

"I'm…sorry…"

"ACE!"

"Luffy!"

Luffy startled awake. He sat up quickly, throwing the blanket off of him and taking deep shuttering breaths. He nearly jumped when he felt strong, warm arms wrap around him from behind. He took another deep breath. The smell of cinnamon scented incense washed over him and he breathed out, relaxing into his older brother's hold.

For the next hour they sat in silence. Luffy wasn't really in the mood to talk about his dream. In fact, all he wanted to do was forget it. Ace already knew what the dream was about, anyway. There were only so many options, and considering it was his name Luffy had screamed, it became undeniably obvious. There was no way Luffy could have gone the first night after Ace's execution without a nightmare. In fact, Ace had been having his own nightmare about it before Luffy disturbed his sleep. Ace was grateful that he hadn't gotten too far into it, but he wished it hadn't been because of his brother's distress.

"Well," Ace said once both of them had calmed down more. "I guess we won't be getting any more sleep tonight."

"Sorry, Ace…" Luffy said. Luffy rarely apologized for anything and it made Ace's heart clench to hear his baby brother speak those words with such a soft tone of voice.

"Hey, I was getting hungry anyway," Ace said, which wasn't a lie, since they hadn't had much for dinner (by their standards, at least).

At the mention of food Luffy's stomach let out a monstrous growl and he pouted. "I don't want to wait for breakfast…" he whined, letting his hunger slowly sweep the depressing dream from his mind.

Ace's stomach growled as well and he gave a mischievous grin. "Well, why don't we go see if we can find the kitchens then? We'll need to find out where everything is eventually anyway…"

A wide grin stretched across Luffy's face and his eyes began to shine at the thought of exploring the Oro Jackson, and more importantly, finding its kitchen. He jumped up and bounded to the door where he waited, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Come on Ace! Hurry up! I want to find some meat!"

Ace laughed softly at his brother's one track mind before he got up more sedately, though no less eager to find food. "Alright Luffy, but we have to be quiet and sneaky, okay?" Ace really didn't want to catch the attention of the crew. They likely wouldn't do anything, but caution was still the best recourse.

Luffy, calmed down a little at his brother's words. He nodded seriously, understanding what was being said. He was no stranger to sneaking around in places he shouldn't be, whether that was the kitchens of his own pirate ship in the dead of night or the streets of the pristine Goa Kingdom city that was on his home island. "Right."

The two brothers made their way quietly down the corridors. Despite having agreed to be careful, Ace was still forced to keep Luffy from opening random doors and disturbing anyone inside. It was dangerous to sneak around a pirate ship with pirates that outclassed you by so much. Ace was familiar with how to do it, having spent a hundred days on Whitebeard's ship before he became a crewmember.

"Luffy," Ace sighed as he dragged his brother away from another door where multiple snores came through loud and clear. "The Galley won't be behind closed doors and the kitchen will be just beyond that. It's better to let sleeping pirates lie."

Luffy just grinned. "Sorry, Ace, but it sounds like there's monsters behind the doors," he said, before his face contorted into a curious expression. "Are you sure they're not monsters?"

"Luffy, they're not monster," Ace said before grabbing his brother's arm and pulling him forward. "Now come on. Unless you don't want to find the kitchen anymore?"

A small breeze passed Ace and he felt a strong tug on his arm, causing him to stumble forward for a second. He blinked in surprise as he regained his footing before he shook his head in fond amusement when he saw his brother in the lead, a rather determined look on his face.

Once Luffy had finished trying to open random doors, the boys were able to get out of the hallway they had been in. Throughout their search they came across many places that both boys thought were good to remember. The Deck was the first place they came across. They were quick to duck beneath the port holes when they saw one of the nightshift pirates walking by, before they headed further into the ship.

They came across the Captain's office again, and again were quick to pass it. There was no noise from within, but Ace didn't want to linger around too long just because of the oppressiveness he felt when he thought of their current situation. Luffy just wanted to fill his grumbling stomach. He figured he could come back later and explore all the places he and Ace were passing up in favor of their mission objective.

They also happened across an artillery room. The smell of gunpowder was strong and the door was slightly ajar. Luffy, despite his hunger, just couldn't help himself. He pushed the door open further and darted inside. Ace didn't even bother sighing. It wasn't worth wasting the breath.

Ace followed Luffy inside and looked around with a spark of interest. Back on the Moby Dick, he rarely spent time below decks in their artillery rooms. However, he remembered them being a favorite place to hide those one-hundred days when he tried to kill Whitebeard. He had felt relatively safe there. No one wanted a fight to break out where gunpowder was stored, especially not when their opponent could burst into flames.

Luffy was roaming all over one of the canons, arms and legs wrapped around it at impossible angles. He peered into the mouth of the canon and pouted.

"They're not as cool as Sunny's cannon," he said, letting his limbs snap back to their original places so he could sit atop the canon.

"Oh? They look about standard to me," Ace said, leaning closer to inspect it. "Maybe a little old, but still good quality. They probably spent a lot of money on these."

"Our cannon's really big and it uses cola to power it. And it can make huge explosions!" Luffy exclaimed animatedly waving his arms about.

Ace laughed at his brother's enthusiasm. "That sounds just like you! But you know, we should get going, unless you've given up finding the kitchens?"

Luffy shook his head adamantly and was by the door in seconds, waiting for Ace impatiently. Ace quickly caught up and the two brothers continued on their way. Ace managed to keep Luffy from getting distracted again and soon they were able to find the open dinner hall. They grinned at each other and Ace motioned for Luffy to stay quiet. Luffy slapped his hands over his mouth and nodded vigorously.

Ace led the way through the dark, easily avoiding the tables and chairs scattered about haphazardly. It wasn't until Ace nearly stepped on someone that they realized the dining hall wasn't completely empty. Back on the Moby Dick, it wasn't surprising to find drunk pirates passed out in the galley. But they were usually obnoxiously loud with their snoring. These pirates were eerily silent. So silent, in fact, Ace wondered if they were sleeping at all. Whatever the case may be, none of the dozen or so pirates stopped Ace's or Luffy's advancement towards the back of the room, where the kitchens were located.

Arriving at the windowless double doors, Ace looked for a lock that might impede them. He found nothing and gave the door an experimental nudge. There was a loud whine as rusted hinges scrapped against each other. Ace froze and glanced behind him. There was no movement from the sleeping bodies and no other sound was made. Ace took in a deep breath and then slid the door open wide enough for him and Luffy to squeeze in. Once inside, they made their way towards the fridges on the back wall.

Luffy giggled in anticipation. Ace could feel his own eagerness swell in the pit of his stomach. Before he had his Devil fruit abilities, Ace could go a long time without eating. Growing up with Dadan in Goa Kingdom taught him how to be hungry and how to survive. Although by the time Luffy had found him he could catch his own food, it hadn't always been that way. This skill had served him well when he had first set sail as a pirate. Now, however, with a constant fire burning inside of him, his body was less adept at surviving without food.

Before Ace and Luffy could reach the back wall, one of the fridges opened. Bright yellow light filtered through the crack, illuminating a large figure. They couldn't see his face, but muscles rippled under the skin of his broad shoulders. Brown hair was pulled back in a short pony tail, blending in with his deeply tanned skin. As he moved, black tattoos that looked like writing became visible on his forearms.

Ace silently cursed their luck. They had managed to avoid meeting up with any of the pirate crew until now. It was impossible to tell how powerful the other was, and even if he was weak enough for Ace and Luffy to take out, attacking and stealing food from their hosts was a terrible way to endear themselves. Ace didn't generally care what people thought of him and he knew Luffy didn't either, but they were in another time with diminished power and they didn't know how laid back this crew was. If they chose to throw them over board, they were done for.

Luffy's concerns were simpler and he wasn't afraid to draw attention to themselves. "Hey! That's our meat!" he yelled, standing straight and pointing an accusatory finger at the late-night-snacker.

"You idiot…" Ace said, rubbing his temples in exasperation.

The pirate jerked out of the fridge, narrowly missing the top of it with his head. When he turned to face them, Ace could just make out the rather menacing look on his face. His eyes were an icy blue, and narrowed. His brows slanted forward as if he were glaring, and yet the slight widening at the corner of his eyes showed he was surprised to see them. He had a strong jaw line, a straight nose, and his mouth was pulled down, as if in a perpetual scowl.

"Your meat, huh?" he said, eyes narrowed, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "And what claim do you have to it?"

"I was gonna steal it fair and square!"

The man's brows rose to his hairline and Ace stepped up to his brother's side. He might think Luffy was an idiot and shouldn't be antagonizing someone on their own ship when their power was likely much greater than theirs, but remembering his time on Whitebeard's ship before he became a member, he didn't have room to talk.

"Well, it's not really yours until you actually steal it," the pirate said, his eyes flickering briefly to Ace with a calculating look, before sliding back to Luffy.

Luffy frowned before puffing out his chest, perhaps just a bit more than should have been possible on someone not made of rubber. "Then I'll fight you!"

The man looked startled by the declaration. Ace wanted to slap his little brother upside the head for picking a fight. They'd already discussed keeping their true strength and Devil Fruit abilities a secret, but if Luffy started fighting he definitely wouldn't have the self-control to keep that promise. And with this man serving on the Oro Jackson, Ace would definitely have to step in to help.

The man's face contorted and Ace stepped closer, sure the pirate was about to attack. The man's shoulders began to shake, and the two time travelers prepared for an attack. The attack never came, though. Instead, the large intimidating pirate let out a loud, bellowing laugh.

"Hey! Stop laughing!" Luffy yelled, offended.

"Sorry, but it's funny, you thinking you could take me on," the man said between chuckles.

"I could too!" Luffy yelled again, anger burning in his chest. Clenching his fists, he was about to attack, when Ace grabbed his shoulder.

"Luffy, settle down," he hissed, eyes darting from the mountain of a man in front of them, to the kitchen door behind them where a dozen of said man's comrades slept.

"But A~ace, He's laughing at me!" Luffy whined. "I could take him!"

Ace sighed and leaned closer to his brother for some privacy. "I'm sure you could," he said indulgently. "But we agreed not to show our devil fruit powers yet."

Luffy pouted. "You're so boring Ace. You used to be fun!"

Ace quirked an eyebrow. "With you as a little brother, someone's got to be the adult."

"You didn't used to," Luffy pointed out, still pouting.

Ace smiled at him sadly. "That's because Sabo was always the adult and it took me a while to learn," he said softly.

Luffy's pout fell off his face as he remembered the brother he had lost. His eyes roamed over Ace's face, his dream suddenly brought back to the forefront of his mind. He decided, for just a bit longer, he'd let Ace have his way.

Ace was relieved when Luffy didn't argue, but now thoughts of his long dead brother ran through his mind. He just couldn't win for losing. Looking back to the pirate, he realized the man had stopped laughing and was looking at him and Luffy curiously. Ace had no intention of explaining what they had been talking about and fortunately the man didn't ask.

"Well, you two sure are spunky, sneaking around a pirate ship, threatening to steal their food, and challenging one of the crew to a fight," the man said. Ace decided not to correct him on the latter two points even though Luffy was the only one to do those. He'd have been dragged in anyway. "Well, I'm not really one to talk," the pirate continued with a shrug before he moved away from the fridge. "I was down here for some food too."

Luffy's eyes practically sparkled when his way to the fridge was cleared. Ace didn't bother hiding his own enthusiasm as he and his brother began rifling through the fridge's contents.

The kitchen door banged open just as Ace and Luffy took a bite of food. Everyone's heads whipped in that direction. A young man, shorter and more lithely built than the first stalked inside. His face was contorted with irritation, brown eyes immediately narrowing as he caught sight of the large man.

"Tobi," the smaller man said, voice deceptively calm.

The man, Tobi, smiled innocently. "Trick, what a surprise to see you up so late."

Trick's eye twitched. "Sneaking food again? You're not supposed to use your position to sneak extras."

Tobi shrugged then waved a hand in the direction of Ace and Luffy, who were stuffing their faces as they watched the interaction. "What can I say? The kids were hungry."

Trick's eyes narrowed at the two. Two loud growls echoed around the kitchen and he sighed in defeat, running a burn-scarred hand through his short black hair. "Fine. Just this once," he said, walking forward and snatching the food from the two brothers. "But I'm not going to let you keep eating it raw."

Luffy, who had looked rather stricken at having his food taken away, smiled widely. "Make lots of meat!" he yelled happily.

Trick raised a brow at the demand while Ace sighed at his brother's behavior. He turned towards the two pirates, bowing slightly. "Sorry for my brother, he's a bit of an idiot," he said, ignoring his brother's whining at the insult. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Trick looked away, a red tinge creeping into his cheeks. "Ah...it's not a problem," he said before shoving his chuckling crewmate towards the stoves.

Soon the savory smell of cooking meat and vegetables filled the kitchen. Ace and Luffy were sat at a small kitchen table, several plates of food already before them and quickly vanishing. Trick and Tobi were still at the stove, working fast too keep up with the bottomless pits the two boys called stomachs.

"Damn, if I'd known they were going to eat so much I'd have told them to wait," Tobi grumbled.

There wasn't any real heat to his tone and Trick smiled. He looked at the two brothers and his smile dissipated. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," he said.

Tobi looked up from where he was marinating a steak. "It was your idea in the first place," he said with a frown.

Trick looked at him confused for a moment before he shook his head firmly. "Not feeding them, you dumbass. I'm talking about having them onboard."

Tobi ignored his friends insult and hummed. "Well, it wouldn't be my first choice either, but what choice did we have? They'd be as good as dead if we left them."

"I know that," Trick said, scooping the finished stir-fry onto a large platter. "But a pirate ship is no place for children."

Tobi shrugged, scooping up his own finished dish. They set the dishes before their two guests and Luffy crowed in delight, having just finished his meat. Ace was glad the two cooks were so fast. He'd only had to defend his food from Luffy's wandering hands twice.

Ace quickly swallowed the last of his pork chops before turning to look at the two cooks. He opened his mouth to say something, but before any sound could escape, he slumped forward. His head cracked the empty plate before him and he was still.

"HOLY SHIT!" Tobi and Trick yelled before dashing forward. Tobi shook Ace by the shoulders while Trick tried to feel a pulse.

"He's got a pulse, but he's burning up!" Trick exclaimed. "Tobi, get the doctor!"

"Right!" Tobi said, heading for the door. Before he reached it, there was a snort and Trick cursed. Turning, Tobi saw Ace sitting up, blinking blurrily while Trick held a hand to his heart.

"What the...?" Tobi asked in confusion.

Ace wiped at his face, knocking away a few crumbs that had gathered on his cheeks and in his bangs. He looked at the two cooks. "Sorry, fell asleep," he said nonchalantly. He hadn't wanted to reveal such a weakness to their hosts yet, but now that it was out in the open, there was no use worrying about it.

Trick and Tobi stared at Ace in disbelief. "You fell asleep!?" Trick exclaimed.

Ace shrugged, dismissing their reactions while Luffy laughed. "Man, your faces look so stupid!" he said, before stuffing more food in his mouth.

"Somehow, Trick," Tobi said, as he came to stand beside his friend, "I get the feeling they're going to fit in here just fine."

Trick let out a sigh, but couldn't keep an amused smile from curving his lips.

A/N: So, I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I really will try and get another chapter or two out before school starts again in August, but no promises. Until next time,

Yua-Hime