Chapter Thirty-One : Beginning

"You're leaving tomorrow, huh?" Sabo said in a wistful tone.

"Yeah." Ace answered with a determined smile. He gazed at his brother, noticing the slight frown in his features. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time..."

"Sabo still has three months while mine's three years," Luffy butted in a complain, whining.

Ace chuckled lightly. Something never changes, he thought. "Sure does, Lu."

The soon-to-be seventeen years old Ace made himself comfortable in his makeshift bed. Normally, the three brothers had their own place when sleeping but for old time's sake, they decided to sleep next to each other, wanting to remember the warmth.

He was no longer a boy, but not yet a man either. His voice has gotten deeper, which Luffy had teased him for months. He was taller too, but just a few centimeters shorter than Sabo which made his brother smug. His muscles were hard as a result of their everyday training.

Time passes by so quickly and Ace was proud to say that he didn't regret any moment of it. Growing up was not easy but it's fun nonetheless. He can't help but to be thankful for the people who help them; Dadan and the bandits, Makino and even Garp. They grew up strong and ready to face the new world ahead of them.

Ace had his eyes outside. Too bad though, the moon and stars weren't seen because of the cloudy skies. He just hoped that tomorrow will have a better weather, good enough for him to set sail.

Once Sabo heard Luffy's slight snores, he decided to spoke up. "What's on your mind?"

"Everything." Ace murmured, eyes closed.

"That bad?"

"No, it's not." Ace sighed heavily. "I don't know. I'm excited yet cautious, happy yet nervous... Does that make sense?"

"You'll be fine." Sabo encouraged. His tone sounded confident.

"Just watch after Luffy, okay?" Ace groaned loudly. His hands reached for his temples and started rubbing it slightly. "In just two months, you'll also be gone. What're we gonna do with our baby brother?"

That earned a small laugh from Sabo. "He'll also be fine, Ace. Luffy's gonna be the Pirate King. We need to trust him if we want his dream to come true."

Ace sighed heavily again. Between Sabo and Ace, they both know that Ace was the overprotective one when it comes to Luffy. Their younger brother is like a magnet who attracts trouble wherever he goes. But it's not just that that Ace's worried about.

"Being alone is much more painful than getting hurt..."

"What did you say?" Sabo asked then understanding bloomed on his features. "Ah, Luffy's words after we got him away from Porchemy. Time sure flies."

Ace flinched after remembering that incident. He stared at Luffy's sleeping face. As if his younger brother can't get innocent enough. He admired it thoughtfully since it'll probably be the last time in a few years that he'll stare at it. Luffy never changes. He did grew up in height but his personality remained the same. And Ace preferred it that way. He pondered at the thought of meeting him again three years later. That's a sight to see.

"Ace, we may go in different ways and heck we'll probably feel lonely sometimes," Sabo muttered. He turned around and stare at his brother's gray eyes. "Everything else will change but not our brotherly bond."

Ace blinked before letting out a small chuckle, not wanting to wake up Luffy. "You're right... All this worrying is getting on my nerves."

"As I said, you'll be fine."

"I'm ready to experience my own adventures." Ace said with a new profound confidence in his voice. "Remember Dad's stories?"

Sabo had a childish grin on his face. "Yeah, they were the best. Islands that float in the sky, animals that are bigger than ships, giants that can live for hundreds of years... The list goes on."

"Also that time when they went to..."

And the two brothers spend their remaining time reminiscing and exchanging stories of their father's life.

The weather was perfect as if the gods had listened to his call. The sky was almost clear with just the occasional clouds passing by. The wind was kind, blowing west. The waves were gentle only causing small swaying in the ship. Closing his eyes, he heard the quacking of seagulls and the crashing of the waves.

With the money they had collected for the past seven years, Ace got himself a nice sailing boat. He just spent half of his money for it as the rest was to be put for food and other necessities. The boat was fashioned with an ancient oak with tall masts. It was adorned by sails of white to gray color.

"Oi, Sabo," Ace called. He stood on the ship's deck looking at the blond who's on the shore. "You sure 'bout not being a pirate? I'm kinda missing a first mate, you know."

"Aww, missing me already?" Sabo questioned with the same taunting voice.

"I can come with you, Ace!" Luffy raised his right hand and waved. "As long as I'm the captain and you're the first mate."

"No chance, Lu." Ace deadpanned, earning a laugh from the younger. Luffy just never know when to give up.

"Permission to come aboard, Cap'n? Your ship needs some readying." Sabo asked, continuing the playful teasing.

"Permission granted."

Sabo and Luffy were more than happy to help him. Well, the truth was Sabo was the only one helping as Luffy was too focused on admiring the ship. Sabo checked everything. From the hull, pumps, and sails, nothing was out of his sight. He also checked the food stash making sure that it can feed Ace enough for two weeks.

"Listen, Ace." Sabo set out a map of East Blue in front of him and started explaining. "The wind is with you right now. West here, you can stop at Shells Town after two days or so. You can gather supplies and ask for directions. If you continue with your pace, you can reach Loguetown at—"

"I get it, I get it, worry-wart." Ace interjected, rolling his eyes. He's been briefed by Sabo enough times for him to be annoyed. He may not be as navigation savvy as Sabo but he's sure that he'll manage.

"Loguetown is Dad's hometown, right?" Luffy piqued, pointing it in the map.

Ace nodded. "But I'm not going straight to Loguetown, Bo. I need some crewmates first before heading to the Grand Line."

They heard some commotion on the shore. They looked up and saw Makino together with the bandits coming their way. Ace looked over, quite disappointed that Dadan was not with them. Luffy and Sabo went back to the shore to greet them leaving Ace behind aboard the boat.

"Hello, Ace." Makino greeted with her usual genuine smile. "You got everything you need with you?"

"Yeah, you have to thank Sabo for that." He laughed lightly.

"Be careful out there, okay?"

"I will."

"Ace, take care of yourself!" Luffy reminded, beaming proudly.

"See ya, brother." Sabo bid, saluting with a grin.

"I'll be going ahead! See you at the top, Sabo, Luffy!" Ace gave them his widest grin. Raising his clenched hand in the air as he made his promise.

"Take care of yourself!" Dogra said, waving a handkerchief.

"Try not to catch a cold!" Makino added.

"Just so you wait, I'll make a name for myself!"

He soon lifted the anchor and untied the rope, drawing him away. The ocean's current gently pulled his boat away from the dock. They were meters apart but he can still hear Luffy's shout of encouragement and Sabo's good lucks. Everyone was waving their hands in which he also waved back.

Once they're out of his sight, he sat down on the wooden floor and looked up at the bright blue sky. The freckled man whispered something to the air.

"Watch over me, Mom, Dad. I'm gonna make you proud..."

He was determined to achieve his dreams; to be a formidable pirate on his own and find the answer to his question.

It was a promise he made long ago.

"I wonder where's Ace now..." Luffy murmured.

"He's been gone for less than a day." Sabo chuckled. "Ace's still in the ocean. He's not gonna land till tomorrow."

Luffy was slammed near the windows. Not having Ace around, gave him mixed feelings. As much as he's happy that Ace was officially a pirate now, he still can't help but notice the difference.

"And you'll also be gone later, too..." Luffy sulked, bowing his head.

Sabo's smile faltered hearing such a sad tone on his brother's mouth. He stopped writing in his journal and went over next to Luffy. He ruffled his black hair making it even messier.

"We'll see each other again, Lu."

"Three years is too long, Sabo..."

"Not really." The blond shrugged. "You barely noticed that the seven years we spend together passed by."

"Maybe," Luffy replied, still unsure. "I'll keep on training, then."

"That's the spirit!" Sabo encouraged with a smile. "Just be careful with Jiji. He's gonna be tougher on you. Ace and I aren't gonna be there to save you."

"I can handle it. I'll even be stronger than you and Ace!" Luffy grinned, his energy coming back. "And then I'll have ten crewmates and we'll set sail to the Grand Line!"

"Ten? You sure about that number?" Sabo questioned.

"Yeah, it sounds perfect."

"I don't know about that, Lu. There are a lot of roles to be filled in a pirate crew."

"Like what?"

"Well, there's the navigator who's in charge of the route or the helmsman who stirs the boat."

"Can you tell me more?"

"You can also have a doctor whose job is..."

And just like that, his fears are no more, replaced by hope for the future.

Ace was still unsure why he ended up in this situation.

He can just imagine Sabo's unending lecture and Luffy's berating laugh. Remembering his brothers didn't make Ace feel better though.

He was shipwrecked on an island. For six days now.

There was a huge storm that day. The winds blew harshly and he tried everything to hold the sails but in the end, the natural disaster won and his sail was blown away. He spent the whole night wet and clueless about where he was headed. And just when he thought it can't get any worse, a huge tsunami came his way and his boat sank and got donated to Davy Jones. He was only able to live as he clung to a plank of floating wood.

Ace woke up the next day on an unknown island. He immediately went to check it out. After all, it's the first island he has ever been to other than Dawn Island. There were no towns, structures nor people. Just his luck. There were not even animals or fruit to have as if the whole island was just lifeless.

"So much for starting my pirate life..." He said to himself, groaning as he smacked his face.

He was bored and hungry out of his mind. Someone was ought to be after days of being in isolation. It was only then that he realized how much Sabo and Luffy meant to him. He was with them for so long and now that they weren't, it left Ace disoriented.

Trying to take his mind off things, he decided to take a stroll on the beach. If he minus the part that he can't get food here, he can say that the island was a paradise. Green palm trees were everywhere. Gentle waves from the ocean were luminescent in color cyan.

Ace stopped and blinked rapidly. Was that a man he's seeing or his hunger has gotten the better of him?

The guy was sitting in the shade of the palm tree. He has a striking light blue hair. He wore a dark green coat with his chest exposed. The most defining feature Ace noticed was the mask that he wore over his eyes.

He was examining a skeleton next to him. A freaky sight to see since if Ace can't escape this island, he will probably end up the same.

"We can make a grave for him, y'know? C'mon, I'll help you." Ace said, out of nowhere.

"Good idea... Let's do that..."

He looked even worse than Ace. Every feature of his was screaming for help. His breathing was heavy, a sign that he's dehydrated. Even if Ace wanted to help, he can't since he's also in the same boat.

"Who are you!?" The man demanded, eyes bulging away as he finally noticed that he's not alone.

"Nice to meet you, too." Ace greeted as he approached him. "My name is Ace and I'm wandering around the beach."

Ace thought that Makino's lesson did come in handy. He gave his name with a wide grin, letting the stranger know that he meant no harm. Ace casually sat down next to him.

"My ship got wrecked in the last storm. What can I say other than please help me."

"Oh," Ace laughed. "I see, you share the same fate as me."

"You're in the same situation as me!?"

Ace nodded happily. He can see that it's the start of a beautiful friendship.

The man has no name so Ace got to nickname him Masked Deuce. Deuce was stranded here for three days now. He talked about how he left his hometown in search of adventures, something Ace relates to. Ace had asked Deuce about his family. Deuce got offended more than once because of Ace's hunches. Ace decided to change the topic to himself, not wanting to cause any more trouble.

"Speaking of family, I've got two little brothers at home, not related by blood though." Ace said, looking out at the sea. "I can't remember a time that I've been away from them for so long. Being here now feels so lonely..."

"Good for you, you have somewhere to return to..." Deuce said angrily. "Why did you come here!? Just go back to your brothers."

"O-Oi, what's wrong, man?" Ace asked, shocked by the sudden change.

"You've got something to return to, and brothers who care for you! You're a damn lucky guy, you know that!? You've surely had a mom and dad that are anxiously waiting for you! You're so damn blessed!"

Deuce spat out in rage. He stood up, wanting to leave until Ace whispered something.

"My mother, she's gone..."

Ace spoke in a different tone than before. It was a solemn, subdued voice.

"And your father?" Deuce halted, looking back.

Ace visibly flinched. He sighed, calming his nerves. "My father's gone, too."

"Whenever I see my father, all he ever say was 'don't embarrass me.' I'm sure your family was better than that. At least you still have happy memo—"

"I never saw my mother and I only met my father for a few months." Ace interjected, just wanting to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "My Dad's not exactly a good person in public's opinion. They view him as a criminal..."

"A criminal? So he's dead already. Why are you making such a face? It's a minor problem!"

Ace stared silently, biting down the inner of his mouth. He will not let his anger get the best of him.

"He's probably not even that bad of a guy!" Deuce continued his ranting. "No one probably remembers him! Not that committing crimes is acceptable— if your Dad was the Pirate King, I'd understand why you're worried! He was the worst criminal! But it's not like that for you, right?"

Ace bowed his head, staring at the sandy beach. No words left his mouth.

"Wait a second..." Deuce let out a burst of dry laughter. "That's n-not true, right!? R-Roger? The Roger? King of the Pirates?"

Finding no more reason, Ace nodded firmly. "My name is Gol D. Ace. Nice to meet you."

Deuce just stared at him, not knowing what to say. The silence was all left between the two men.

Ace realized something growing up. No matter how many times he explained or tell other people, he can't change what's their opinion about something. His father will always be seen as the bad guy. He was the legendary pirate who started the whole Pirate Era that left the world disoriented. Rumors and stories about him will forever be painted as bad. And it's up to the person if would believe them.

As much as Ace hated it, there were some things in the world that he can never change.

Even if that's the case, Ace no longer feels ashamed of his blood and name. He was born with it and he'll die with it. He can finally look at people and be proud of who he really was. And if Ace allowed himself to be bothered by people's opinions over him, he will never live freely. He was no better than a bird trapped in a cage.

"H-Hey, let's built a boat—" Ace tried convincing.

"Dammit, don't talk to me ever again."

Deuce left, leaving Ace alone once again.

His another attempt to get off this island failed miserably again.

Ace can't remember how many attempts it had been. He was too focused on the idea of leaving this island to count the days. He's not gonna lie. He remembered the old days of repairing Naguri's ship but Ace was no shipwright. As days passed by, his exhaustion became more evident.

But he can't give up now. His brothers believe in him and so was his father. He can't even look at them without shame that he died stranded on some island. His pride won't allow it and that was the thing that fuels him to continue.

He walked back to the beach. Ready to make himself fire as the wind blowing was cold. As he's walking, his feet stepped onto something.

It was a fruit. He grabbed it for closer observation. It was orange in color with a swirled pattern. Ace has never seen something like it before. Growing up in a forest made him cautious about what fruits to eat. Most of the time, they were poisoned. But Ace was too hungry to care right now. This fruit was the first thing he will eat in days.

Ace heard someone groan on his back. Turning, he saw Deuce holding a pointy branch.

"Oh, that's a good branch!" Ace exclaimed, grabbing it from Deuce.

Ace used it to cut the fruit. After doing that, he offered the half to a fallen Deuce. "Here, eat up."

"Y-You have more, right? Out there?"

"Nope, it's probably washed to shore like us." Ace replied. His frown deepened. "What's wrong? Why won't you eat it?"

"I-I can't..." Deuce sniffed, hiding his face with his arms.

"Why not? You're hungry too, right? I can't eat it mine if you won't." Ace said with a small smile. He sat down on the sandy beach with legs crossed.

Ace took a bite first. His face immediately turned sour as the burst of awful flavor was tasted by his tongue. The fruit was bad beyond Ace can comprehend into words. If he had a list of the disgusting food that he had ever tasted, this fruit would take the top spot. But the fact that they're fortunate to eat kept Ace from complaining more.

"It's good... It tastes terrible but it's good!" Deuce summed it up. For someone who haven't had a proper meal for a week, it's enough to keep them longer.

The sun was setting down and they settled down with comfortable silence next to each other. If only they weren't in a life-threatening situation, maybe, Ace would have appreciated the scenery better.

"The sunset is beautiful but if it's just me all alone then what's the point of admiring it?" Ace questioned, chuckling to himself.

"H-Hot!" Deuce exclaimed, flinching away from him. "What's going on!?"

"E-Eh!?" Ace yelled, panicking on the spot.

He was burning. Literally.

"Ah! It's hot!" Ace continued yelling but quickly realized something. "...It's not?"

Fire was spread all across his body. For how and why it happened, Ace had no idea in mind. It wasn't burning him at all. He barely noticed the difference saved from the fact that Deuce felt the heat. He calmed himself with breathing and just like that, the fire in his body slowly faded away.

"That fruit that we ate..." Deuce trailed, still in shock. "Could it be a Devil Fruit?"

"A Devil Fruit!? Doesn't that mean that I can't swim anymore!?" Ace shrieked as he stared at his fingers with small blazes on them. "This... This is interesting..."

All he could think about was Luffy. Never in Ace's whole life that he ever wanted a Devil Fruit for himself. He could think of countless times of Luffy almost drowning because of his stupidity. He and Sabo had trained hard when it comes to swimming to save Luffy when needed. Now that Ace was a user, his situation of being stuck on an island made it even harder.

Deuce was suddenly silent as if deep in thought. "Ace, you can control that, right?"

"I guess so..."

"Then, maybe we can get off this island." Deuce grinned for the first time since they met.

Together, they made their prize boat, the Striker.

It took Ace almost three months but he was finally here.

Lougetown. The place that was dubbed as the town of beginning and the end. The place of birth and death of the late Pirate King.

After their ship has landed, Ace was the first one to go much to his crew's chagrin. He spent the whole time looking, wandering, and being lost in town. The place was pack-full of people whether it be merchants, travelers, or pirates like him. After all, this was the last island on the Eat Blue before you enter the Grand Line. It was their final time to stockpile goods and Ace's crew have the same purpose.

Or so his crew thought. Ace has other things on his mind.

"There you are!"

Ace's halted and turned to look at a very annoyed Deuce approaching him. Ace smirked and waved his hand.

"Yo," the young pirate captain greeted. "You don't need to chase after me, Deuce. I'll be fine."

"Really?" Deuce, the first mate of the Spade Pirates, questioned dryly. "I remember you doing the so-called 'eat-and-run' last time. Everyone chased us out!"

"Yeah, sorry. It won't happen again." Ace apologized, scratching his head.

"Seriously, what am I gonna do with you, Ace?"

"You can come sightseeing with me for starters."

Side by side, the captain and his first mate walked. As time passed by, Ace realized that this was just a normal town. The only real difference was the most infamous man in history was born here. Another reason why people were attracted to this place and considered it a tourist hot-spot.

"So where're the others?" Ace asked after a while.

"Skull went to gather information. Kukai and Leonero are in charge of the food and supplies. While Mihal stayed in the ship, as always."

"Good."

Deuce leaned towards him and whispered something in his left ear. "This is where your father was from, right?"

"Yeah," Ace said with a smile. "He used to tell us that he got inspired by other pirates visiting this town, that's why he thrived to be one."

In the past months, Ace had developed a bond with Deuce, enough to tell him about his secret. Deuce didn't believe Ace's stories about meeting his father since the timeline didn't match but he slowly accepted it. Everyone who joined the Spades Pirates knows about his heritage. That's what Ace will always say, not wanting to appear a liar when the time comes that the world knows and not them. They have mixed opinions about it but they still chose to follow Ace.

They soon arrived at the execution site. It was exactly at the center of the town. It was spacious but crowded with people who wanted to sightsee. Shops, hotels, and restaurants surrounded the area making it busier than other parts of the town.

"Hmm..." Ace hummed as he adjusted the brim of his hat to see the view fully.

"So how do you feel about this?"

"Fine, I guess. It's not like I have an attachment to this place or anything." Ace answered simply.

Ace turned to face Deuce. He laughed and smirked devilishly.

"Please, Captain." Deuce groaned, not liking where this was going. "What is it this time?"

"Stay right there Deuce and be ready to run."

Before Deuce could protest, Ace ran and grabbed the platform's railings. He climbed it with ease and was already at the top within a minute. He closed his eyes and allowed the cool wind to hit his face. At that point, he can hear the shouts and whispers of the people below demanding him to get back now.

"It's almost two decades ago when the Pirate King was executed exactly on this spot. He bore the name of Gol D. Roger and he left a legendary treasure behind that started the Great Pirate Era. And today, I stand here before all of you to introduce myself."

Feeling the adrenaline, Ace opened his eyes and proudly smiled for everyone to see.

"I am Gol D. Ace! I'm going to make my name known in the whole world! Remember that!"

Raising his right hand, the fire appeared and he shot it up in the sky like fireworks. It was a beautiful sight to see but Ace had no more time to admire it.

And with that, Ace dropped down in the middle of a shocked and silenced crowd. Laughing, he ran towards an angry Deuce and they both made the run for it. Guards had appeared out of nowhere and chased them down.

"What the hell was that!?" Deuce yelled, angrily. "Are you crazy!?"

"Maybe I am. But who's crazier, the fool or the fool who follows!?" He rebutted with a grin.

Jiji's gonna kill me. Ace thought, dreading.

A/N: A/N: The last scene is heavily inspired by Stelra Etnae's Thank you for loving me . Go and check it out! It's one of my favorite Ace-centric fanfic.