IMPORTANT: This is a BONUS chapter, meaning that it does not tie into the actual storyline (so no coming to beat me up!) and it's going to take the place of today's update. I wrote it in celebration of New Years (i.e. the end and a beginning) but it's rather depressing. Remember, this doesn't happen in the storyline itself, this is just a side thing.

WARNINGS: Character death, angst, depressing things, Luffy being a jerk, bad attempt at writing something sad.

Disclaimer: I had fun with this. I'm sorry, I got really into it. It was a nice change from writing in the actual plot. Very enjoyable. But it might depress you. I'm not good at writing sad things, but I thought I should warn you anyways. People tend to get really into fanfiction. I should stop talking now. But yeah, don't own One Piece.


Contrary to the occasion, it was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, high in a clear blue sky. The breeze, though faint, cooled each body that stood in the square. That made the day only more sickening. High above the crowd stood a rebuilt execution platform. Its steel reflected the blinding white sunlight into the eyes of the crowd, but they dared not look away. That was their chance to witness something so rare it had only happened once before. The Pirate King would soon be on that stand.

Scattered among the crowd were a few dozen cloaked figures. Each of them looked behind the masses rather than ahead. That was the path that he would walk. This was the end of something big – so precious that none of them would be the same. It would shatter them. And there was nothing that they could do.

Far away along the main road walked a dark figure. He was shackled and bound and surrounded by an entourage of pirates. Even nearer to him were Marines, each standing in perfect file and watching his every move with the utmost concern. They weren't regular soldiers, either. These were big names – Smoker and the last remaining Admiral Kizaru among them. The World Government wasn't taking any chances, it would seem.

Even chained, the Pirate King stood firm, tall and more dignified than any among him. That was what earned him the respect of the onlookers. Everyone who could had corralled within the city square. Sure, they all wanted to witness such a dynamic moment, but there was more to it than that: they wanted the chance to catch a glimpse of the man who changed the world before he was culled by the government's perverse justice.

The crowd whispered rumors and secrets about the man as he walked by. He was completely unscathed and the picture of health as if to mock the impending tragedy. Despite falling from his life's climax, his steps did not waver and his strides were even and proud. The whispers grew to shouts. The most wanted man smiled as he walked towards death.

His Captain's jacket hugged lightly to his shoulders. The Marines had allowed him at least that much. It was to their liking for him to look the part. If he still had his straw hat, the situation would have been even better, but it seemed to have disappeared years ago. They wanted him to look good for this because the impact on other pirates would be greater if they watched the man at his peak fall in an instant.

The Pirate King passed by one of the cloaked figures. This one was on the smaller side. The pirate tried to meet his eyes, but the boy refused to look at him. His fist was clenched tightly to his side in an attempt not to go berserk. This whole thing was insane. It was disgusting that one of the greatest people to ever exist would be systematically eliminated for the world to see. He was an example – just like the first Pirate King, just like his older brother. The government's thirst for blood had not ended.

The man stopped momentarily to get one last look at the cloaked boy. Even without seeing his face, he knew who it was. He'd grown a lot in two years. He was finally the proper height for his age. That was something to smile at. With one large grin, he opened his mouth for the first time.

"Thank you."

The guards nudged the Pirate King and motioned him away. The boy just watched and his face contorted in a mix of emotions. All he could do was stand there while his important person walked away. That was his first nakama. That was his most precious nakama – he was both a father and brother to him. He taught him what it meant to be alive. But he could only watch him walk away. He promised.

All of the cloaked figured shuffled as close to the platform as they could. They watched their comrade ascend it. He didn't seem worried in the slightest. It wasn't fair that they were the only ones burdened with this. That man was selfish. He didn't care that he was leaving them behind because he wouldn't be around to deal with the consequences. It's not fair. It's not fair, Luffy!

He reached the stand's peak and turned to face the crowd. It was strange because, for the first time, he understood how Ace must have felt standing up there. It was exhilarating: even though this was supposed to be the end, he wasn't scared. It didn't bother him. Knowing that there were so many pairs of eyes reminded him just how vast the world was. Pirate King or not, he was just one person. Among the onlookers he could easily spot the hooded figures of his comrades. His whole crew was around there somewhere. Some were easier to identify than others, like Franky's boxy body at Brook's height.

He knew that more than just his crew had gathered, though. There were a lot down there. Shanks was probably around. He was the first to know about it outside of his crew, no doubt. Vivi might have come despite her obligations. Even though they hadn't met in so long, she was still a precious nakama. It wouldn't be surprising to see some of Marco's crew around, either. They'd grown close over the years. Allies. Heck, Dragon might have shown up too!

Even aside from the hooded people there were familiar faces. Gramps was there, still siding with Marines. He was getting too old for this. Why hadn't he retired? Well, whatever. It was nice to see him once more. They hadn't seen much of one another since Marineford, but he still cared about the crazy old guy. He'd seen Coby earlier, too – he was the newest Admiral and had been one of his escorts. He noticed during the walk that he wasn't happy about this. The sentiment itself was enough.

This was supposed to be his darkest hour but he couldn't help but smile. Everyone was there for him. Circumstances or not, he felt warm. All of his adventures had brought them together. Marine, pirate or Princess – these titles meant nothing to him. They were his important people. They were the reason he had gotten so far. He loved them more than anything. Seeing them was better than any last meal.

"Ready."

"No!" A loud, youthful voice came screeching from the crowd. The young boy from before burst through the wall of guards and fought his way to the tower's base. All of the Marine officers ran to help push him back into the group. It was to no avail. He tossed them aside left and right until four of them pinned him down. "Luffy! Luffy!"

The Pirate King smiled softly at him.

"Ace, it's ok." The boy froze. He knew what he was going to say and he didn't like it. He didn't want to hear it. "I'm ready."

"Luffy, you can't!"

"Listen," boomed the Pirate King's voice. The crowds hushed to a deafening silence. This is what they were waiting for. Would this Pirate King usher in a new era as well? What would be the last words of the man who had obtained all the world had to offer? "This execution is stupid." They didn't expect that. A few people in the audience chuckled. "It doesn't matter if I die. So long as there are people there will always be pirates. Being a pirate is true freedom. One day someone will take my place. It won't end. If you think the Pirate Age is over with me then you're stupid too."

It was quiet. Then the crowd broke out into a mix of laughter and cheering. This caused Luffy's grin to stretch all of the way across his face. Even some of the Marines had been affected. This was how it was supposed to be. No Pirate King would ever bring about an end. They were the catalysts for greatness. Luffy wanted to say a little more before it happened. He openly accepted this opportunity.

"Even if we're hated," he had the crowd hanging on his every word, "even if we're called devils and shunned, we will never go away. The sea is both my home and my grave, but pirates will never vanish. We're free!"

Everyone cheered. It didn't matter that the man was the most wanted criminal in the world. It didn't matter that they were supposed to hate him. His words would remain in their hearts and minds for generations to come because he spoke of an unending truth. The sea was freedom. No one disagreed. Many of the bystanders thought this to be true, even if they had never sailed. Something so vast contained no restrictions.

With the crowed riled up, he turned back to that boy. If he had any regret, it was that he couldn't stay with him for a little longer. He wanted to see him grow. What would he accomplish? What was his dream? How far would he take it? It was a shame not to be there to see it all. He would be fine, though. Luffy knew that. "Ace," he whispered to the boy. When their eyes met, he smiled larger than he ever had before. It was a true smile – unwavering. It was one that only he could give. His last. "Bye."

"LUFFY!"

Thump.

Something rolled of the platform and fell to the ground in front of the boy. He reached out to brush against raven strands. His hands were quivering as he realized what it was. Eyes wide, he watched blood stain the dirt ground.

"Lu…" His eyes scanned its features. It couldn't be. He couldn't. He was the strongest. "Lu…Lu…"

He dragged himself closer to his Captain. Tears dropped onto his sun-worn skin. He traced his scar with a shaking finger. He was unbeatable. He was the man who achieved the greatest dream. He was…

"Luffy…Luffy…" He held his Captain close to him, ignoring the blood that caked onto his shirt and skin. This was Luffy. His first nakama. His important person. "Why…Luffy…"

The cloaked figures dropped to their knees one by one. Their sadness was too heavy; they could no longer keep themselves up. Weeping erupted from the onlookers at the sight. The weight of what just happened finally hit them. This was their fault. They hadn't stopped it. They didn't think they should. But that boy showed them otherwise. No monster could make someone cry so much for him.

He noticed the smile fade from his Captain's lips. This was it, wasn't it?

"LUFFY!"


Ace took heavy steps towards the wooden stone before him. He had never seen a grave. In his hands he held a bottle too large for him. He sat before it and watched. His famous Captain's jacket hung above it. Atop that was a straw hat. He'd only seen that hat in pictures. Luffy said that he left it with his brother. By now, Ace knew that his brother was dead too. Luffy had told him a bit about it.

He pulled out a sakazuki cup and poured a bit of the drink into it.

"You said you did this for the other Ace, so I want to do it for you. It's sake."

He took a sip and placed his cup on the stone around his grave. He stood up and began pouring the bottled sake onto the graves, imagining the way that Luffy would have done it. His hands started trembling as he fought back tears. He almost dropped it more than once before the bottle was empty.

"I've never done this before. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

He tightened his fists and the glass broke in his hands. Tiny streams of blood dripped onto the grave. He didn't notice. He was trying to stop the tears falling from his face. He could taste the salt as it entered his clenched mouth and felt his eyes burn and vision blur. In an attempt to calm himself, he stroked the engravings on the stone.

"What am I supposed to do, Luffy? I'm…" He coughed back his tears but that only made him cry harder. "I'm scared. I don't want to be alone."

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and spun around. His tearful gaze was met with Nami's own crying eyes. Her grip firmed, but didn't hurt. Alongside her were each of the crewmembers he'd come to know. Some were crying, others watched with worn eyes. "You won't be. We won't let you." She reassured him and rubbed his shoulder. They wouldn't let anything happen to him. Luffy wouldn't want that. Even without that reason, they would protect him. He was family.

After saying their words, each turned to leave. They'd already broken up enough when it first happened. Some no longer had any tears to cry. Ace stayed, though. He did his best to calm himself so that he could say one last thing. Luffy got to say all he wanted, but never gave Ace the chance to respond. He was too selfish. He picked up the sakazuki cup and finished drinking the sake in it. Then he took a deep breath and stopped his tears.

"Luffy," he began, "thank you. Thank you for saving me and teaching me. And for all of the times we had on Sunny. Thank you…for loving me…"

He spun around quickly, eyes closed to deny the falling tears, and walked away. After wiping his eyes he looked up. There was a crowd of people approaching. There were thousands, all walking huddled closely together. Each held something in their hands, be it a bouquet, alcohol or some sort of memorial. He recognised a lot of them from his adventures with Luffy, but there were thousands he didn't even know. He had to stop and stand in awe at the sight. They were there for Luffy, for closure.

Shanks stood at the front of the group. He stopped briefly at the boy's side and ruffled his hair. It reminded him of Luffy. As thousands marched passed, they stood there for a moment. Shanks took a deep breath.

"Pirate Kings die young." Ace looked up questioningly at the man who continued watching ahead. "Their titles are larger than they are. It weighs them down. But each one is prepared for that."

"What?"

"Luffy knew. He accepted it. Because of that he's become a legend."

"Then…" Ace realized what he was trying to say and managed to smile. He knew what the Yonko meant. Still, he felt reassured when he heard him speak the words himself.

"He's become immortal."


A/N: Don't kill me, ok? It's New Years! A time of happiness and celebration! But I basically wanted to write this because I was talking to some people yesterday about character death and just wanted to see how sad I could make it. I already stated I hate the whole "self-sacrifice" thing and I really, REALLY do but I had this playing in my head all day and thought I should write it out. Kinda hypocritical but all forms of artists are at some point.

Also, I think some of you will probably be disturbed by Ace holding onto Luffy's head at the end of the first part. Some of you will probably think it's demented and I'm sorry if you don't like it. I felt that way about people hugging dead bodies and all of that when I saw it on TV or in anime but your perspective changes when you go through it yourself. I hugged my mother's corpse when I found her and told her I loved her because I wouldn't get another chance. But yeah, I feel it's more sad than disturbing. Think of it this way: it's Luffy, it's him and Ace cares a lot for Luffy. Whether his head is severed or not that doesn't change.

I'll reply to your reviews in the next chapter since this isn't an actual chapter it's just sort of a special. Have a fun night and tell me what you think! :D

But yeah, enough of my rant. Happy New Years!

...I'm going to go hide...