Disclaimer:I do not own One Piece or anything related. Just the idea

Special thanks to my beta's Kerennie and ScarletteSorceress for helping me get the story to how it is now.

Chapter 2: Memories part 2

Briefly stunned at the interference, Luffy paused in awe of the blue feather like flames and the man producing them – protecting her in the process. For the moment, fatigue and pain were forgotten in the awe of the beautiful color. Purple long sleeved shirt billowed in the wind with the impact, but the man seemed perfectly fine and not even flinching as the flames licked at his flesh.

The blonde, bored looking, man looked at her for a moment, then he smiled at her briefly before his eyes traveled to the wide-eyed, mouth wide open, freckled man on the platform. "Go. I'll handle him." He told her confidently as he turned towards the person who attacked and caused Ace to fear for her safety. Akainu… the user of the Mag-Mag Fruit.

Nodding, Luffy thanked the man and then turned and proceeded to punch the marines that began to surround her. More and more pirates began to assist her with the stupid marines getting in her way. At last, Luffy could see a way to reach her goal.

"Second Gear!" Using her leg, mid-run, to activate the next stage to go faster than normal, Luffy sped past the weaker Marines while the Admirals were busy fighting the others. "Ace!" She called again, jumping up into the air.

Just a few more feet and she would be by his side and she could set him free…

Flashback:

It was freezing. Naturally so since it was a snow island. But Luffy couldn't stop, not now. Reaching a hand up to a higher part of the mountain, she slowly pulled herself and her two unconscious friends up a little higher. Once more… and again. Slowly, careful not to jar or drop Sanji who hung from her mouth.

Crack.

Pained, muffled screams escaped as her frozen fingers gave up and slipped. Sliding down the mountain, Luffy did the best she could to regain a perch on the steep rock. At last skidding to a stop, Luffy caught her breath for a moment before once more reaching to climb higher. Ignoring her bleeding digits on her hands and feet as she didn't care what happened to her as long as she could save her friends.

'Sanji. Nami. Just hang in there. We'll be there soon… just don't die on me. Just hang on!' Luffy thought desperately. She didn't let her desperation get to her numb and frozen limbs, thankfully. Climbing this rock was going to have to be a slow and steady trek as one wrong move, she could lose her friends.

Blinking away the icy sting at the edges of her eyes, Luffy continued to climb. She could cry later about how much it hurt right now. Now, she couldn't afford the distraction of tears. Her big brother always said she cried at the worst of times and it caused trouble for those around her… she wasn't going to let that happen anymore. She'd cry after she saved her friends… but she doubted it would be from pain like it is now. Now… she looked forward to tears of relief if… no, when the doctor healed her two friends.

After what seemed like hours, when all Luffy could feel was the wind whipping her hair every which way. Her limbs and the pain no longer something she could register as she was too cold to feel anything physical anymore. She'd already dropped Sanji once already, but thankfully she'd caught him before he fell too far. Holding on desperately to the rock and Sanji, Luffy looked up again only to notice that they were almost at the top. 'Almost there… we're almost there.' She assured her friends as though they could read her mind.

Reach higher. Lift. Reach up again. Lift up. Snow! Got to keep climbing. Got to get to the doctor. Can't stop.

Over the ledge at last. Crawl a bit further…

Luffy's vision began to darken as she stared at the castle looming ahead of her. Finally, her mouth drew slack and Sanji was free from her mouth, but still safe on the snow of the flat surface. They made it at last. "D…Doctor… I need… a… doc…" the scenery fogged and the power left her body as she crashed into the snow herself, unconscious and worn out.

Vaguely, she could hear voices, an older and a younger voice. Luffy managed to open her eyes to see someone holding Nami. Reaching over, she desperately clung to the old lady's arm. "Please… you got to help my friends." She begged, uncaring of her chattering teeth as she fiercely looked at the old woman. Whether or not she was the doctor, that didn't cross the captains mind. Only once she got the assurance she desperately wanted to hear, did her grip relax and darkness consumed her mind once more.

When Luffy woke up next, it was to the intense feeling of hunger. "Starving…" she mumbled out, sitting up, barely awake as she blurrily blinked her tired eyes. Through the haze of blur… she saw something brown… and big…

"Meat…" Luffy purred as she stared at the brown object that looked so much like her favorite food.

Sanji's voice sounded as he spoke about how long she had to wait for him to cook her request. After that, both she and Sanji woke up enough to see that it wasn't actually fresh cooked meat, but an animal. Hunting! Yay! Wait… it just spoke…

"Oooo! A talking reindeer! Let's be friends! You could join my crew!" Luffy exclaimed, overjoyed to meet someone so interesting. With that the chase began… well at least until Luffy finally noticed that Nami was awake. Smiling, Luffy happily wrapping her arms around her healthy looking friend, giving her a happy hug. "Nami! You're okay now! I'm so glad!"

Sanji ran into the room next, the reindeer once again getting away. Looking over to the girls, he smiled before he realized just what it was he was seeing. Hearts popped into his eyes and he couldn't help but be beautified by the scene. "WOW! I didn't think seeing two women hug could be so hot! I'm so glad you're feeling better Nami-swan!" he cooed happily, his limbs and body going all noodle like as he admired the two of them. That is, until he noticed all the bandages on his beautiful captain's body, practically covering her entire body at that. "Luffy-chan! What happened to your beautiful skin?! Why are you in so many bandages?! Was it those bunnies again?!" With each question, concern rose and then finally a dark, dangerous tone enveloped his voice as he thought of those giant monster bunnies hurting his Luffy so badly like that.

Looking down at her bandaged body, Luffy smiled her large beaming smile. "No, it wasn't because of them. Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you two are awake and getting better." She tried to assure them, not a care in the world that she had likely suffered from the cold she endured.

"You shouldn't take your condition so lightly!" came a small voice, drawing attention to the reindeer and the awkward way he was trying to hide. "You should be resting! You have severe frostbite and you need to keep still and rest quietly!" he admonished the straw-hat girl.

Luffy blinked at him before smiling again. "Frostbite huh… I feel fine though. Just…" frowning, she raised her hands to her belly again as a loud growl sounded. "I'm so hungry…" She looked to Sanji, about to ask for food. However, the look on his face had her stop and look at him in concern. "Sanji? What's wrong?"

Sanji was just standing there, fists tight and shaking at his side. "Luffy… did… did you carry both Nami and ME up the mountain?" he asked softly, as though not wanting to hear the truth but still needing to know.

Blinking, Luffy nodded. "Yeah, I had to get you guys to a doctor right?" she asked as if it was the most obvious knowledge in the world. However, the next thing Sanji did was to collapse on his hands and knees and start hitting the floor in despair.

"How… how could I let a woman carry my dead weight while I was unconscious? I'm a failure as a man… I should've been able to carry Nami up so you wouldn't have to. Instead I burdened you and made you suffer alone in the freezing cold. You got hurt because I didn't wake up sooner…" Sanji mumbled, truly appalled at the idea that he had caused a woman, Luffy, so much trouble and was part of the reason why she had such bad wounds now.

Once again stunned at Sanji's reaction, Luffy eventually smiled softly and put a hand on his head comfortingly. "Don't worry about it. After all, you guys are my friends and I would do anything to make sure you guys, and the others, are alive and healthy. Besides," Luffy's smile grew again as Sanji looked up at her, still upset. "A captain takes care of her crew and friends take care of each other. No matter what happens, I'll always do what I can to make sure everyone survives on every adventure."

This just made both Sanji and Nami tear up, Sanji wailing that he was a terrible person but that he adored Luffy all the same. He swooned over her smile and how cute she was. While Nami reached over and gave Luffy a hug this time. "Thank you Luffy. You're the best captain a crew could ever have." She praised softly – though that may have been a statement that was later retracted as Luffy continued to get into trouble in many different ways.

End Flashback:

Smiling, Luffy reached to Ace once more. His face, though dirty and looking as though he couldn't believe she was doing so much just for him, was a sight that she had sorely missed since she last saw him. Even if he was being stupid, giving up and giving in to the Marines. Even if he was in sea-prism cuffs keeping him in place. Even if he was weak and helpless right now… Luffy didn't care. Ace was right in front of her, nearly able to touch him as tears of relief at having finally reached him sprung to the corners of her eyes. "Ace…"

She could see the question in his eyes, the desire to know why she was there. Why she refused to leave him there to die, why she was going so far to save him. It was as plain as the freckles on his face. She'd heard him tell the others that they should just go home, to leave him to die. She'd heard him yell at her that she was insane, that she shouldn't be there. Bringing up that they were on two different crews, going on their own individual journey's. But Luffy didn't care, she didn't care if she got hurt or even died. Not if it meant that Ace didn't have to die. Not like this. He should live and die as he sees fit not as the government or the world's entertainment in watching him suffer for all the people to see and laugh at.

Thud. Bang. Bang. Bang. Click.

All of a sudden, huge walls sprang from the ground surrounding the area and cutting her off from Ace once more. Thankfully though, he didn't seem to be hurt by the rising wall as she heard him yell out her name – fear returning to his voice. Afraid that she was hurt probably.

"Damn it! Stop getting in my way, you stupid Marines!" Luffy yelled angrily as she punched the wall as hard as she could, but it didn't so much as dent it. She couldn't see Ace anymore… but that didn't mean she couldn't reach him. There was one spot still left open for her and the others to get to. The Oars giant was creating that opportunity and Luffy wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Hang on Ace! Wait for me a little longer, okay?" She yelled to him, hoping he could hear her. She wouldn't let him give up. As long as he knew she wasn't giving up on him, there was still hope that he would regain what he lost during his imprisonment.

Soo, I'm gonna just say this now. The battle at Marineford will MOSTLY be the same... but I'm working off of memory here so it's not going to be perfect. Plus, I think the way I'm gonna write out this battle is perfect to how I want everything to go. So yes, it'll be canon and a mix of my own ideas as well.

Getting a few views already. Got almost 200 for the first chapter, but not nearly that close in the second chapter. I think the reviews dropped as well.. instead of 4, I got 2 reviews. But oh well, I'm glad you guys are at least giving my story a chance.

If you like my story/chapters, I would really appreciate your reviews. It makes me happy and motivated to write some more. Believe it or not I already got chapter 4 finished too, so 5 in total if you count the prolog. I'm just posting as the room in my box requires it. So posting will be uneven and erratic until I can be done with school...

Crap... that reminds me... I got a 15pg paper due in two days... I only got 1 page done and that's without reading all my sources for everything I could need. Wish me luck! Finals are coming soon too

Grr... Why can't a semester last a month longer?!

Luffy: Cause then that'd be too easy and you'd be even more lazy...

Ace: Nah, not just lazy, she'd procrastinate like no tomorrow *Smirks*

SHUT UP! If you want to criticize me then you can write my essays for me!... wait... I can't let them do that... they know absolutely nothing about the topics I chose... GRR if only I can do essays on things I actually want to right! Like FANFICTION! Make it a story instead of a stupid report or whatever paper!

Anyways... please review... Thank you... The sooner I get 5 reviews the sooner you all can read the next chapter which will contain...! ACE'S POV!

Ace: WHAT?! WHY!? Just let Luffy be in charge of the story! Don't make me a guinea pig for your story!

Too late, Ace. You're just gonna hafta suck it up and let everyone know your inner, most secret weaknesses *evil laugh*

Ace: What weaknesses?! What are you writing over there, you prick?! HEY COME BACK!

See ya,

AceAyane