Warning!!! This story is not for the faint of heart. Rated M for violence, major character death, extreme gore, mental breakdowns, abuse, slavery, drug addition, drug use, and brainwashing. Vivid descriptions of torture will also be present. You have been warned.

Without furthur ado, onto the story!


Zoro never did anything he didn't regret.

That was true, he always did what he wanted, when he wanted. He never regretted challenging dojos, becoming a student, meeting Kuina, or making his promise. But, for the first time, he actually did regret something. That something was getting on that stupid hot head's boat.

It was the only boat they could take for free on the island. Of course, since Ace killed someone, and claimed he was a pirate, the raven wasn't exactly welcome on the island anymore. So, he took the boat, and left. Zoro, like the idiot he was, hopped on, claiming that he had a right to the boat as well since he helped Ace. But now, he was stuck on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, with a very violent ten year-old who couldn't control when he burst into flames.

Ace had pushed him into the water seventeen times in the past hour, with the freckled kid saying that Zoro was an annoying brat who pissed him off. Well, he most certainly would leave, if he were in any other circumstance. The little swordsman had enough sense to know he'd drown if he tried to swim back to an island now. Even if some part of him wanted to take that chance.

Right now, they were both sitting on opposite ends of the small raft, a thick line straight down the middle of it. They both had half of the boat, and agreed that they could do what they wanted on their side while drifting aimlessly on the open sea. The two hadn't spoken in hours, either. Opting for the sound of the ocean other than the sound of each other.

The sun was still climbing higher into the sky, with faint winds brushing past their faces. No islands were in sight, not even a speck of life for miles. "Oi," Zoro broke the silence, but the firecracker didn't move from his position draped across the bow. Despite this, the greenette continued. "Shouldn't you have some sort of navigational skill? You said you were a pirate, right?" This got the other's attention, and the boy's head snapped up, showing a venomous scowl on his face.

The scowl faltered when he actually thought about the question, but his voice was skill filled with aggression. "Well- no! But navigation is stupid, and maps are weird!" Ace crossed his arms, pink dusting his cheeks. "You're out here as well! You weren't from Fish Town either, so why can't you do it?"

Zoro crossed his arms as well, anger boiling at the memories which popped up. "I'm not out here of my own free will." He remembered when he left, he hadn't meant to. He had a weird feeling bloom in his chest every time he saw the vast ocean, the rolling waves, distant shores. The marimo couldn't quite peg the feeling down, but it never went away.

While he was training, he'd stare off into space, into the unknown, wanting to see the world with his own eyes. When Kuina passed, and he was given her sword, her dreams, her ambitions, and her doubts, that was when he left. He hadn't meant to, it was just meant to be one quick trip, one small adventure. To see what laid beyond. But for some reason, his island had moved, vanished, grew legs and walked away. So he had no choice but to start his journey earlier than he originally intended.

"My home island relocated after I went on a boat, and I could never find it again. So I decided to start my quest early, and get stronger, faster." Zoro answered, turning to lean on the mast. The fruit user gave him one of the most unimpressed looks imaginable, as though Zoro had something extremely stupid.

"So you're an idiot who's just lost." He deadpanned, flopping back to his earlier position.

"Hey, I am not!" Zoro shot back up, glowering at the boy.

Ace just smirked, sitting up as well. "Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are to-"

A loud squawk broke up the bickering between the two children, making them look to the skies. Above the duo, a bird was flying over their ship, cutting the air with it's vibrant red wings. Immediately, Ace's body let out a large gurgle, and he eyed the bird, drool hanging from his mouth.

The ten year-old reached his arm out to Zoro, making grabby motions with his hand. "Hey greenie, give me a sword." He asked, eyes locked onto the creature above them.

"What the hell?! No way! My swords aren't throwing darts!" Zoro held his three swords closer, weary of the flaming child next to him. Who threw swords into the sky to catch food?

Ace rolled his eyes, not moving his outstretched hand away. "But you have three, surely you use some for throwing at people, it'd give you the upper hand."

"I use Santoryu: The Three Sword Style." The moss head retorted, a vein pulsing on his forehead. Forget who throws swords into the sky, who throws swords at people?! Zoro had honour as a swordsman, and treated that honour with respect. Chucking swords at someone to get the upper hand was definitely the opposite of honourable.

A snort came from Ace's mouth as he looked at Zoro. "Wow, even your lies are lame. What next? You can't hunt?" What, hunt people? The nine year-old wasn't sure if he should be surprised or swimming away.

"Shitty-" He was about to voice his true opinion of the older, but he was shushed, much to his growing annoyance.

But he complied, more out of interest than anything else. Zoro watched the other boy dangle off the side of the boat, one hand clutching the rim, feet pushing off of the outside of the raft. His other hand formed a gun, and the freckled boy pointed at the bird, which was a bit closer than before. Ace's forehead turned pink from concentration, and his face lit up when his finger was set on fire. He then adjusted his position, and shot at the bird.

The small bullet of brillant flames flew higher and higher into the sky, creating a red streak cutting across the endless indigo. Everything froze when the bird was hit square in the chest. It didn't fall from the sky, but rather looked toward their small ship, and started to dive down to reach them. As it came closer, the bigger it became. From what seemed to be the size of a hawk, or maybe a falcon, was now along the lines of a monster than anything else. It's shadow was cast above them, looming over the pathetic dingy.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Zoro yelled, grabbing the oars and hastily began to row. The crude wood was pushed through the water at the speed of a snail, no matter how hard the kid tried to paddle away. Ace just stayed where he was, ready to fight the bird, screaming vulgar words at the creature.

The elder didn't even glance at Zoro, eyes locked on the prize. When he briefly paused hurling profanities at the creature, he only stopped to say, "I got it's attention!" Ace crouched on the rim of the boat, hands turning into vibrant, scarlet sparks. He looked prepared for a battle, and to roast the thing alive. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was for the bird to just pluck him out of the boat, and carry him away.

Zoro deeply considered leaving him in the clutches of the bird, he really did. Ace would probably die, and the asshole would be gone. The greenette should've been relieved that he was gone. Relieved that he had one less nuisance to deal with. Relieved that the hot headed bastard wasn't there. But for some reason, his body started to propel the boat in the direction of the bird, which was now nothing more than a silhouette. He thought about how Ace just went after him, even though he knew nothing of Zoro, and helped him. He listened to the silence, which he was so used to before, and how it felt deafening in his ears. Even if he'd known Ace for a day and a half, Zoro just felt like he had to go after him.

So he did.

This wasn't a good day for Nami. Being chased by angry pirate scum wasn't exactly her favourite pastime. She would have been on her merry way if said pirates hadn't already stolen the map from Morgan. But no, all pirates were the same, no matter who they were. Luckily, Alvida had docked on Orange Town, a place not very far from where she was before. It would've been perfect if Nami hadn't been spotted. Which led her to being chased down the street, with a map to the Grand Line clutched in her hands.

Nami stumbled, tripping over nothing, colliding with the harsh concrete below her. Tears pricked the corners of her vision as the goons came closer and closer to her trembling form. She couldn't afford to lose the map, not now, not when she was so close. Her body was frozen despite her protests, with the men only a few feet away now. The red head closed her eyes, keeping the prize close to her chest, ready for the hands to grab her.

But they never came.

Instead, a giant something crashed into the pavement, shooting dust into the air. It took a moment for Nami's vision to come back, and when it did, she couldn't believe her eyes.

A boy with a torn white shirt, tattered grey shorts and a ratty old straw hat got up from the rubble, leaving behind whatever else fell with him. Fire was licking his arms and chest, but it didn't seem to faze him at all. There was cold glare pressed onto his face, making him look like he was pissed off at everything around him. His feet were bare and bloody, with loose bandages wrapped around them. Freckles adorned his scornful features, with dirty dark hair was plastered to his forehead. The mysterious boy muttered something about a 'stupid overgrown chicken' and stepped out from the crater, eyeing his new surroundings.

If anything was to happen today, this was not what Nami was expecting. But she was never one who missed any opportunities.

"Hey there, boss!" The red head skipped up to the older boy, a fake smile adorning her round face. "Sorry that I got caught, but you can take care of these big bad guys, right?" She patted his shoulder and ran as fast as she could, away from her pursuers. Pretending to ignore the way the boy cringed away from her touch.

The girl wiped away the fake smile, and pushed away the pit in her stomach as she left the kid to die. Kill or be killed, that was the life she had now, but that didn't mean she liked it. Lies felt like cotton on her tongue, deceptions made daggers plunge into her throat, and killing… well, she'd be no better than a pirate then.

'I didn't kill him.'

'I didn't kill him.'

'I didn't KILL him!'

She repeated that phrase in her head over and over, until the words were jumbled up and stretched thin, resembling nothing of what they once were. Nami clambered up the railings of a random house, and pulled herself up onto the roof. Her feet slipped and the eight year-old fell onto a balcony, which had a clear view of the street she was just on.

Should she look? Was it wrong to look? Maybe they just took him away, and there wasn't any blood. Or maybe his guts were strewn about the street, hung up like party decorations. Or, or maybe… There was a bullet in his chest, blood seeping from the wound as he faded on the street, only seeing grey as he perished. Maybe… Just maybe… he was gone the second the lead penetrated his skin.

Curiosity got the best of her, not being able to stand the suspense. The little girl peeked up from the balcony wall, peering down at the street. To Nami's surprise, the mysterious boy wasn't only not dead, but was looming over the three thugs that were chasing her. They were burnt to a crisp, not even a piece of their skin was left unscathed.

Before Nami could pull her body back down so she wouldn't be seen, cold, grey eyes locked onto her form. She froze, fear engulfing her body. So, she did what any sensible burglar would do. Lie her ass off. "Wow, you're really strong!" Her voice sounded fake, too sweet, too innocent, but she didn't really care. This boy, whoever he was, was someone she didn't want to mess with. "You know, we should team up!" Nami yelled down to him, trying her best to look excited, exuberant, and ready for anything. It took everything to hide the fear, and she's sure it shows. Though, it seemed the raven didn't care, as he glowered at the red head.

When he spoke, it was more of an inhuman snarl than anything else. "Now why the hell would I want to team up with you." And he just started to walk away, no intention of keeping the conversation going.

"Hey, wait!" The mystery boy stopped walking, and looked back at the eight year-old. His eyes were filled with nothing but hate, resilience, and something else… The one thing Nami could relate to most.

Revenge.

Did something happen to him as well? Nami wasn't sure, but they were the same on some level. That, she was confident in. Maybe that's why she called after him, asking to team up. Or maybe… She was just sick of being alone.

The glare Nami received made her feel knives scraping against her back, and ice dripping down her throat, making it hard to speak. "At least let me get you some food?" Her voice wavered, cracking under the pressure, but the boy still heard it, if the growl from his stomach was any indication.

His eyes widened, and he looked torn between stomping off, killing her, and accepting her offer. The grey eyes he had stayed cold, though, no hint of mercy inside his frozen irises. "Will it be poisoned?" That was not the answer Nami was expecting, of all things. Poison?! Why the hell would anyone ever do that?

Her mind shut off before she could continue that train of thought. It wouldn't end in a very happy place. "Why would I do that? Just come with me, I have food back in the place I'm staying at."

The older one gave Nami a look, and answered. "If you're lying, I won't hesitate to kill you." That was a statement, not a threat, and it made Nami want to run away and live in a cold, dark cave, eating old rocks for the rest of her life. Hopefully, this might actually go well?

"So, are you a bounty hunter?"

"Shut up."

"A thief?"

"I said, shut up."

"Well, you must be a criminal of some sort, right?" This conversion wasn't faring too well for Nami. All this mystery guy did was tell her to either be quiet, or go away, in the rudest way possible. He hadn't even told her his name! The redhead had been trying to guess it while he tore apart all the bread she got for him. He seemed like… a Leland? Or Kyle. Goose? Hmm, this was harder than she thought. For the moment, she decided to call him Straw Hat. It was simple, and he'd know if Nami was talking about him. Straw Hat it was!

Straw Hat looked up at Nami, taking another hearty bite of half-stale bread, and swallowing. Nami couldn't help squeezing her eyes shut when she saw the lump of food travel down his throat. "It wasn't my choice to become a criminal. And it's none of your business knowing what I do to survive. As for your offer, I refuse. Like I'd ever team up with a brat like you."

"I'm not a brat!" The redhead retorted, crossing her arms and puffing out her cheeks. "Well, at least I'm not some meanie who won't let me team up with him." That seemed to get the ten year-old's attention, but not in a good way.

He slammed both of his hands onto the table they were sitting at, the basket of bread in front of them dropping to the floor. "This isn't some game. I'm not playing hide and seek, not gathering people for a game of tag, or wanting to have a sleepover. This is real life. So go back to your mother and cry about anything you want. Just leave me the fuck out of it!" Straw Hat was red in the face, hands shaking, nails biting into his palms. If only Nami noticed the tears in his eyes.

"I never said this was a game." She whispered, staying where she was. Nami clutched her shoulder, her cursed shoulder, squeezing the bone with her hand. If this was a game, she would have stopped playing a long time ago.

The boy made a 'tsk' sound, shifting in his seat to reach a roll which had fallen to the ground. "Well, whatever. I wouldn't want you on my crew even if you weren't a little kid."

Nami froze, her fingers growing numb, throat closing in on itself. Her lungs constricted the beating heart in her chest like a python wrapping around its prey. Her gut was twisting itself into a balloon animal, while her legs slowly turned into jelly. Her spine trembled under the pressure of all these changes, threatening to collapse.

Crew.

He just said crew.

What she said about this going well before was wrong. Very, very, very wrong. Nami was just appointed the Mayor of Wrongville in Wrong Land on the day that everything went wrong. That was what Nami concluded when that word. That indespicable word came out of that vile mouth. Pirate. He was a pirate! Of all things for him to be, a pirate was not what she expected, or accepted for that matter. He was around her age! He couldn't be a pirate, even if he wanted to be! Why the hell would he lie about something like that?!

"Stop that." The mystery boy snarled, sinking his teeth into yet another piece of bread. Nami was pulled out of her thoughts, shifting her eyes to glare at the person in front of her. "I never asked for your validation, or stamp of approval. There is no age limit on piracy, or petty thievery. Your pathetic excuse of a glare is getting old, so just try and kill me already, see if you can."

Nami stumbled back, shocked by his outburst. How did he know what she was thinking? Could he read minds? No, she couldn't be stupid at a time like this, mind reading wasn't possible. But the way he said it… Almost as though he had rehearsed those words thousands of times, it was unsettling to say the least.

The grey-eyed child abruptly stood up, knocking his chair to the floor, and made his way to the door. Nami's mind scrambled to find a solution to make him stay, to make him team up with her, but she was drawing a blank. Nothing would work if she wanted to stay alive, at least. Nothing, except...

"Hey, wait a minute!" The thief reached out to the boy almost out the door, snagging his left wrist. He flinched, burned by the touch, but turned to frown down at the girl. Nami promptly ignored his reaction to her actions, and decided to act out the plan instead. "You may not want to team up, but how about an alliance of sorts?"

He raised an eyebrow at her suggestion, a small action asking her to continue. So she did, hiding the desperation behind her words. She couldn't handle being alone any longer.

How did he end up here? He didn't know, and he was damn well pissed about it. Curse that stupid ginger theif, and her stupid ideas. Why did he even agree? Did he even agree? Because now, he was wrapped head to toe in rope. Sure, he could burst into flames, destroying the ropes, and hopefully the girl in the process. But his fire was finicky, and of course, of all times to not be able to use his power, it would be now.

The smirk on the small girl's face was familiar, it reminded Ace of Sabo, when he had an idea which usually ended in chaos. He looked away, memories flooding his mind as he looked at her face. A snarl formed on his lips as he shuffled along through the town.

All the buildings were dull, as though the life had been sucked out of them, colourless and fading away. The road was smooth, grey, and unassuming. It reminded him of that day… The miasmic smoke strangling him and his brother, his precious little brother. He remembered calling Luffy a baby, to stop crying about the fire, about the smoke, about Sabo.

Ace looked up to the sky, the blue sky. It was just as bright as when he lost everything, and it reminded him of Sabo, of his hat. Did his hat survive the accident? Was it still there, on Dawn Island, filled with holes, washed up on the shore, just like Luffy's hat? Was it covered in his blood too?

Tears pricked at the edges of the raven's vision, and he shut his eyes, shaking his head. He couldn't think about those things, he couldn't be weak in front of the enemy. He showed weakness before, in front of that mossy bastard, and had to compensate for his actions. Ace couldn't trust anyone except his brothers, everyone else was the enemy. Everyone else wanted him dead. Everyone else was out to get them. Everyone else-

He was cut off from his thoughts by the girl, Nami was her name? Shoving him into the ground, and a round of laughter in his ears. The fire user looked up, feeling all the eyes on him. Looking around, he could tell he was being laughed at by a gang of some sort, and that just annoyed him more. Pink, frills, and swans were decorated all over the place, making it look like a dollhouse of sorts. Dull houses were below them, on all sides, coated in a thick layer of grey.

"Hello, Alvida Pirates. I bring you, the thief, my boss!" Nami announced to the crowd of thugs, a sickeningly bright smile on her face. "Here is your precious map, my lady. Now, may I please, please join your crew!" There was a long, tense silence, one that made people suffocate. It lasted too long, and kept stretching out even as people started rambling off about how terrifying Alvida was.

It stopped once hearty laughter rang around the area, causing everyone to pause. A big woman who was previously hidden in the shadows came to light, a maniacal grin on her freckled face. She let out a sigh, wiping one of her eyes. "I like you girlie, betraying your boss to join an upstart like me. But why would I, the great and beautiful Alvida, let a runt like you into my crew?" Her voice went a bit darker as she finished, but Ace didn't care, he was too busy glaring at the red head.

"B-Because I… I can steal, and get into really small places! I just can't deal with my boss anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm weak!" Sweat dripped from Nami's forehead, and it made Ace want to laugh. She was so pathetic, she was better off dead than anything else.

Alvida smirked at the eight year-old's statement, gripping her mace with her right hand. "And who's the most beautiful lady of the seas?" Lady? Ace squinted at the woman before him, trying to see if it really was a woman. Maybe… if he looked from really far away, and 100 feet under the ocean, she might look like a woman?

"You, of course!" The bigger woman grinned, getting up from her seat with one big heave. Nami smiled, obviously pleased with Alvida's reaction. At least, until the ebony-haired woman spoke again.

"You'd be a good cabin boy, I suppose. But first, prove your loyalty, by killing your old boss!" She sneered, the sound of her feet sending tremors through the earth, making some of the weaker pirates fall over. Ace wasn't even paying attention, he was more invested in the straw hat that had fallen over his eyes.

The beaten yellow was so dull now, all the life drained away. Drenched in blood and washed away by ocean currents, yet it was still there, still had a promise woven into the straw, stitched into the ribbon. It shocked Ace so much when he found it, that it snapped him back into reality, to realize what was truly important.

They were headed back down to the docks, already informed that there was only one boat left. Ace was slick with sweat, supported by an equally injured Zoro, who was still feeling the effects of the crucifiction. The eternal blue was in their sights, shimmering in the evening glow. Soft oranges, mellow yellows, and calm reds meshed together, reflected across the surface of the water.

Silhouettes of faraway vessels were seen as mere dots, seagulls as stars, crossing the skies, creating their own constellations. The duo stood on the muddy slope to the harbor, resting on a nearby tree, looking into the unknown.

Ace looked at the horizon with fire in his eyes, clutching the bandages he tore off. Somewhere out there, Luffy was waiting for him, wondering when he'd be saved. While his older brother was spending days on the same island, not even an inch closer to finding him.

He hadn't even found his brother's hat.

With a new found motivation, the freckled devil's fruit user pushed away from Zoro, and ran down the hill, ignoring the stabbing pains in his body. Every muscle was at its limit, yearning for rest, for time to recover, something Ace wasn't going to give them just yet. The boy slipped on the muck below him, tumbling down the hill, crashing into his new boat. He got up, rubbing his head, all the while growling at the wooden vessel

It wasn't much bigger than his first one, but it did actually have a sail, which was a massive improvement already. When Ace actually got a good look at the thing, the actual boat paled in comparison to what was inside of it. Sitting on one of the planks of wood, was a battered straw hat, with faint bloodstains, and dull, greyish-yellow straw, along with a heavily torn red ribbon.

The raven got up, and gingerly grabbed the hat, making sure not to damage it in any way. He held it with his beaten fingers, not even aware of how much he was trembling. All of the bad memories struck him at once, attacking his small amount of sanity, shattering his thread of mediocre trust. Ace saw the red, the grey, the blue, and the blood. So much blood.

He couldn't trust anyone, could he?

How foolish he had been!

His grip on the straw tightened as the greenette caught up to him, so pale that he looked ready to pass out at any moment. "What's wrong? And what's with that hat?" The boy wheezed out, ending in a coughing fit. It wracked his wreaked frame, sending him to his knees, while Ace just stood there, not even looking his way.

"None of your damn business, little shit." Ace spat, tying the hat around his neck. The ten year-old clambered into the boat, sitting in the seat farthest away from the dock. "This is goodbye. It wasn't pleasant meeting you, I hope I don't see your face again."

With that said and done, Ace pushed off, leaving behind Shells Town for good. At least, until his boat abruptly stopped, because he forgot to untie it. This gave the younger time to recover from his fit, and reach the vessel. "Hey, flame face! You can't leave me here! I helped kill that Morgan guy too!" Zoro grabbed the knot, a smirk on his face. "Half of this boat is mine."

Luffy was the only thing that mattered now, and he was the only one Ace could trust. No one else would ever want to help Ace, not without any ulterior motives. No one else would ever care about Ace, not without knowing what they would get if they killed him. So now, the only reason why he kept fighting, kept trying, kept living. Was all for Luffy.

So when Alvida stood up, he didn't care. When she handed a pistol to Nami, he wasn't even looking. When he was lifted up, so that he was in a sitting position, all he did was sneer at them all.

The red head was trembling, gun in her hands. She was pointing it at his forehead, but it wasn't staying in the same place. Nami looked close to crying, her hazel eyes brimming with unshed tears. It was obvious she didn't want to kill him, and it made Ace snort. If she knew what he really was, he'd be filled with lead faster than he could blink. Maybe she would rather torture him for being related to that scum, or leave him to rot away.

Impatient crewmembers started to grow antsy, yelling at the eight year-old to shoot him already. She squeezed her eyes shut, shoving the pistol in front of her body, looking ready to shoot. At least, to most people, but the raven knew she was still hesitating. All she needed were a few words of encouragement.

"Just shoot." Nami's eyes snapped open, focusing on the ten year-old. He just smiled, eyes frozen solid. "You won't be a pirate if you shoot, you won't even be a criminal."

"W-What are you talking ab-about?" The red head stuttered out, earning an empty grin from the bound child in front of her.

"What else do I mean?" Ace stared into her eyes, daring her to shoot, to kill him. "You'll be a hero, someone to be praised until the end of time. Not a murderer, not a pirate, not even a criminal. You'll be the saviour of the world, loved by all." The boy's voice turned dark as he kept going, seeing the change in Nami's body language.

"Everyone will be better off if I'm gone, no one will miss me. I'm just a no good pirate, someone who shouldn't have been born. So do it, shoot me. I dare you, thief." That was all the eight year-old needed. One little push to fall off the fence.

Her face hardened, tears pouring from her eyes, trailing down her frail face. Nami muttered something under her breath, something Ace couldn't quite catch, then flicked off the safety, squaring her shoulders.

'I won't ever die.'

'I will get it all back!'

'He's all I have left…'

'I can't lose anyone else!'

Luffy. He'd always be there for him. And if he ever wanted to see Luffy again, he'd have to put aside his own feelings, his own worries, his own life, to save him. He didn't matter, the only thing that mattered was his little brother.

He promised.

And it would be a cold day in hell when he broke that promise.

All the pirates cheered when Nami pulled the trigger.


Hello again! Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't have time to fit all of Orange Town into one big piece. So I split it into two, so it would be easier to manage!Hope you enjoy!