Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

Chapter 1-

Word Count- 1400

War of the Best

Luffy knew he wasn't strong enough. He had been separated from his nakama by Kuma, one of the Shichibukai. All because of his mistakes and failure as a captain. He cursed himself for being so overconfident with his skills. Even without the use of his devil fruit, which a rare few knew about, he was strong. He had beaten most of his opponents without it. But here, in a warzone and race to save Ace… he needed his fruit.

Luffy shook. His enhanced sense, courtesy of his devil fruit, made every sound and smell so much louder. The blood, metallic and overpowering in his nose. The ringing and clanging of bullets and swords loud in his ears. He pushed it aside and listened to his close companions, Ivankov and Jinbē. They ran beside him in the middle of the warring plaza. Marines and pirates dropped dead and battered all around him. Images of gore and undiluted hatred flashed in his mind and stayed there, scarring him.

Straw Hat Luffy lead the way. As powerful enemies tried to strike him down, his allies would intercept, giving him a clear path forward. His earlier display of Haoshoku no Haki (Conquering King's) had alighted something in everyone that still stood. No doubt, Luffy's true power is his ability to turn foe into friend, and make people see themselves, truly see who they are. Just as Mihawk noticed.

The crew's belief in him drove Luffy forward. He raced to the platform, eyeing the two admirals that stood there. Kizaru was nowhere in his view. He shot through the air, propelled by Jinbē. His flight caught the attention of many. A suicide flight to two of the strongest marines.

Luffy had finally reached the platform, on which stood Akainu and Aokiji. He landed in front of them with no sound or patter of feet. The two admirals stood firmly, prepared for any move the Straw Hat boy may make.

Akainu glowered down at him. "You're not ready for this yet, son of Dragon," he stated in scrutiny. Aokiji nodded his agreement, adding his own opinion to the mix.

"You have no chance against us at your level."

Luffy growled in response. The others raised a brow at the animalistic sound but watched in silence. The pirate readied himself in a fighting stance, claws beginning to grow. His ears morphed, sprouting upwards, growing fur as black as his hair. His fangs elongated, whiskers shot out, pupils turned to slits. His body evolved, limbs rapidly changing and enlarging, his entire being becoming that of a cheetah-sized fox. He was a white fox with black spiral markings donning his sleek pelt. He almost looked like a white tiger, if not for his lithe, canine shape. His paws were black too, as for the entirety of his right legs. And then, came his tails. Five of them. They were snow white with midnight tips. From the tails came a slight, glittering crystal aura, almost invisible to the naked eye. But not to the admirals. Others too, had once again halted in their fight to watch the transformation. A creature of legend, right before them.

"The Kyuubi!" "Kitsune!" came shouts from the left. The owners of the loud screams were silenced by a shadowy force. Luffy showed no signs that he had moved, but it was from a tail that the whip came. A lightning whip. His tails flickered around, ready to shoot out at anyone that dare come near. The admirals quickly recovered from their shock.

"So, you possess a legendary Mythical Zoan. One that no one has eaten before," Aokiji commented indifferently. Luffy grinned widely, baring his fangs and shuffling his paws, crouching into a pouncing stance. He heard Ace tense and gasp. It had been over ten years since he had seen it, yet only two tails were present then. Five tails, as Luffy had now, was really pushing the boundaries of supernatural strength.

"You think I don't know that?" he growled. "But you're in my way, and I'll do anything to save my brother." Lightning crackled over his fur and whispered in his tails. He summoned the electricity to consume him and suck him to another dimension. With a pop, a world of darkness surrounded him. He leapt through it, rising higher and higher. As the lightning flashed again, Luffy appeared above the admirals, whipping two tails at them. Black sparks struck their torsos, catching them off guard and sending them flying back. Raging white fire beneath his feet, Luffy pounced upwards, landing on air and careening forward. He scrabbled for the platform, paws scraping over the metal edge and pulling him towards his brother.

Finally. He ran behind Ace, paw curling around a key. He quickly shoved it in the handcuffs, turning the lock, and watched them drop to the ground. Satisfied, Luffy turned his attention to the fleet admiral and Garp beside him. He laughed in their faces, wrapping a tail around Ace's waist. Ace, realising what was going to happen, sucked in as much oxygen as possible and closed his eyes. Luffy sprinted as fast as he could in the shadow dimension. He could only stay in for two seconds after all, even if time was slowed in the darkness itself.

When they reappeared they were in the center of the plaza, right among a group of marines. Or rather, cannon fodder. The brothers made quick work of them, orange fire and black lightning combining and swirling into enemies, ploughing them down and rendering them unconscious. Luffy ran past them. With Ace just behind, the pirates fought their way to the bay. Whitebeard's order to retreat resounded through Marineford, shocking the wounded into action. The battle was taken further away from the platform, the pirates overwhelming the dwindling numbers of the marines with renewed strength and willpower.

Whitebeard fought his all to help his sons and allies escape. But it would be his last battle, and one to go down in the history of the war. Marines flocked to take him down. They were flicked aside by new arrivals. Blackbeard. From the other side of the chasm that split the battlefield in half, there was another fight. Akainu had arrived on the scene. He sneered at the sight of a now-human Luffy and Ace. The son of the Pirate King stopped at the first taunt.

Luffy turned back to his brother and watched as he took slow steps towards the magma admiral. He tried to stop Ace but dropped to his knees. All the constant fighting at Impel Down, the poisoning and then here had drained him completely. He could only stare as Akainu beat down his brother.

A flutter drew his eyes. A small sheet of paper floated away from him. Ace's vivre card. He crawled to it, grabbing out with his skinny hands. It kept on moving, just out of his reach. It slid closer to Ace. And closer. Unaware of the fighting occurring in front, he thrust out a hand again, hoping to catch it. Just a little further…

A pop came above him, followed by a strange crackling, like fire… Ace… Luffy looked up and gasped. His brother was in front of him, arms out wide, pained face shadowed.

"A-Ace," Luffy mumbled. He coughed up blood, and that's when Luffy looked down. A large hole was through his brother's chest, and in it… a fist of magma. Sizzling whispered as Akainu retracted his arm. Others faltered in their fight, too shocked to go on.

Ace fell forward. Luffy caught him in his arms. He covered the gaping wound, feeling the blood ooze out.

"A-Ace? Why?" he stammered. His heart was hammering. Ace would not live, the wound said that.

His brother shuddered, leaning his head over Luffy's shoulder. "L-Luffy, please… tell everyone what I'm about to say." Luffy didn't reply. He looked down at his hand, coated crimson with Ace's blood.

"Old man, everyone! And you… Luffy." All around, pirates and marines stopped to listen. The war was halted. Everyone was frozen except the brothers.

"Even though I've been good for nothing my whole life.." Tears flowed freely from Luffy. "even though I have the blood of a demon within me…

"You guys still loved me!" Ace cried. He struggled to get his words out. His last words.

"Thank you!"

His crew called out in grief. Ace smiled. He slipped past Luffy, eyes closing, light disappearing from them. A thud echoed through the quiet. Luffy looked down, despair rising in his body.

And Ace passed on.