IIRoxaII: I couldn't let him die! From the beginning I never intended for Ace to die lol.

Wishfull-star: Thank you! Yeah of course I had to give Luffy long lasting issues mwahaha. I didn't like in canon that Luffy had no lasting trauma. He was only seen maybe twice being upset about the past an that was in Dressrosa and Wano. Just feel like he should have been more impacted imo.

This chapter is a little shorter. Sorry! Next chapter is the time skip!

Two weeks later, Luffy woke up. He looked around blearily. It was dark in the room, and it smelled like Ace. He was alive! Luffy saved him. It didn't smell like a dead body in here, Ace was alive. He sat up, and noticed he could feel both legs, but his left arm… it was numb. He pinched the skin, but felt nothing.

Well, he was prepared to die. Losing the feeling in one arm was a problem, but he prepared for anything. He frowned lightly. The world, or at least the marines, knew Luffy was some real monster. Rabid, violent and out of control. He didn't think they all made the observation that it was only when he was carrying seastone.

Sengoku was the only one to really see it directly. And his grandpa hadn't killed him. It was a relief. He pulled the covers off, and stood up. So glad he could walk normally. He moved his left arm, and was able to move it and it functioned, but it was weird. It kind of threw him off, having this arm that moved but felt as if it wasn't even there.

He opened the door, finding it was a door you had to twist. He remembered little after unlocking Ace. He didn't know what happened on the battlefield after that. The teen left the room, and followed the scent of anybody. He came across a bear. A white polar bear walking on two legs. He remembered this guy, he was from Saboady!

"You're awake!" he said brightly. Luffy nodded, and asked where Ace was. "Come with me!" He didn't answer him, but Luffy followed him outside. It was so bright, and he smelled the ocean. The sky was blue and clear. The sea was calm. It smelled like Amazon Lily. But why would he be there?

"Luffy!" Ace shouted, running to him and hugging him tightly. Luffy started crying. "Are you okay?" Luffy grabbed his head, seeing the magma fists rain down all around him. Hearing the screams of agony as people boiled alive. "Lu, you're safe. I'm safe," Ace said in worry. The images faded, and things came back to normal.

"W-Where am I?"

"You're on Amazon Lily. Outside of it; they won't let us come anywhere inside." Luffy said he was just at Marineford. "No, you've been here for the last two weeks." Jinbei was there, and Luffy was so glad to see he was alive. He had a few burns, but he was alive!

He smiled at Luffy, so glad to see him awake. "You went through a very traumatic ordeal. It wouldn't be surprising for lasting effects. I'm sorry you've lost feeling in your arm." Luffy said it was still functioning. Then Law came over.

"You're awake, good. You need to be on bed rest for another week. I'll prescribe some antidepressants for any lingering mental trauma." Luffy asked why he saved him. "Because I want to see you in the New World. I'm sure you'll do big things. Well, that's all I can do. You're free to go, but you have to be careful with yourself.

"The feeling in your left arm will not come back, so it'll be hard to get used to that. I've given Ace-ya a list of exercises to do to try and get used to it. Well, see ya, Straw Hat-ya." Luffy stuttered out a thank you. "It was a fun surgery. Good luck."

The submarine left, and Luffy took his hat and held it close. His numb arm moved up to touch it, too, but it was off a bit, and touched his stomach instead. Ace said, "You'll get used to it. Law says people deal with this kind of chronic injury all the time." Luffy turned to him and hugged him again. Ace hugged him back, burying his nose in Luffy's shoulder.

"Thank you for saving me," Ace said.

Luffy asked what happened to the war. "Most of my crew that were alive at the time of the end, they made it. Marco came here to get me, but I wanted to stay. I… Pops died on the battlefield. You made a huge impact there. I'm so proud of you. And angry, but proud." He touched Luffy's cheek. "My little monster."

Luffy nodded, tears down his face. "Is there any news on my crew?" he asked.

"They haven't shown up back on Sabaody yet. Rayleigh is here. He's been here for a bit and wants to talk to you." Luffy was surprised. How did he know where he was? Luffy was embarrassed. About his last appearance in front of the man. Had he disgraced himself?

Was his crew okay? Luffy, looking down at his arm, knew it wouldn't be safe for him to go to the New World right now. He also had to have bed rest and physical therapy. He couldn't do that in the New World so soon. "C'mon, follow me," Ace said, taking Luffy's arm. He was so glad to see Ace looked perfectly healthy.

Luffy hadn't failed another person. He wasn't a failure. He was injured permanently, but that was better than him breaking apart with shame and guilt, insecurity. They came across Rayleigh, who was reading the paper. "Luffy-kun! It's so good to see you awake," he said in genuine happiness. The teen smiled faintly. "How do you feel?"

"I can't feel my arm. My ear feels kind of plugged. Other than that, I feel okay," Luffy replied. "What are you doing here? Has my crew come back?"

Rayleigh frowned. "I have a proposal for you." Luffy and Ace looked curious. "If you go to the New World now, you and your crew will die immediately. None of you are ready. You weren't ready before." Luffy winced, but knew it was true. But he desperately wanted to see them. He wanted Zoro! "My proposal is to train you." The boy captain was baffled by this offer. "I think that I would be the best person to train you. Your crew needs to get stronger as well."

"But… I want to see them. Can we all train together?"

"I will only train you. And I have an idea on how to do this. Instead of three days, which has been around three weeks instead, you will train with me for two years." Ace said Luffy needed to see his friends. He was traumatized! Luffy put his hand up.

"I failed them all. None of us were strong enough. I made it through Impel Down by a hair, and it was due to others. Marineford, I just forced myself to keep going even when I couldn't even feel my body anymore. I'm a failed captain… I don't want that to ever happen again. I - I want to see them all again, I miss Zoro, but I can't go through that again. I can't let them go through that."

Rayleigh smiled sadly. "I am sorry this all happened to you," he said sincerely. Luffy nodded, looking at his numb arm. He clenched the fingers. It was scary that he wouldn't know if it was chopped off. "During the training, I will help you deal with your new injury. As well as help you hone the non-human aspects of yourself."

"I already know about Roger. It's a crazy coincidence, huh? I'm not mad at you for it, never," he added when Luffy looked worried. "In fact, I'm glad Roger was like you. You're not all alone. I'm pretty sure that Law guy was like you, too. Knowing you needed to ingest blood and all." Luffy was surprised, but could see that being true. Or he saw Luffy drinking blood somewhere on the island. He was in the auction house when he drank that blood bag. He just wouldn't jump to conclusions.

"Ace… are you really disgusted that I saved you?" Luffy asked in a small voice. Ace hugged him, and said he was upset and embarrassed. He wasn't disgusted by the effort he put into it. Laying his life down to save him. He added that he was right, he would have done the same if Luffy had been in his shoes.

"Though I'm embarrassed you offed Teach when I couldn't."

"I cheated. I used seastone that makes me stronger. It wasn't actually my strength…" Ace smiled, and asked what the hell weapons were for. Seastone was a weapon for him, not a cheat. "I guess… It didn't help me in the end, though. It just made it worse."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that now," Ace said brightly. "I'm so happy to be alive. Even if I miss Pops. None of my closest brothers died. I'm so thankful for that." Luffy nodded, and expressed his condolences about Whitebeard. He was an amazing man. "He was. I don't know what the future holds for my crew. But I know we'll make it through it. Together."

Luffy nodded, and hoped they didn't disband. It would crush Ace. Rayleigh smiled, and they planned Luffy's way to get the message across to his crew. He didn't want to return to Marineford. Never again and definitely not so soon. But it was the only place it would work. Ace would stay on Amazon Lily and then leave once Luffy returned.

After their plan, Hancock came running to him, and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, so thankful for everything she'd done for him. His left hand was kind of floppy while the right was firm, but he moved it okay.

"I'm so happy you're okay! I was so worried."

"I want to thank you for helping him-"

"Silence, man," Hancock said. Ace was startled, but watched the interaction with complete shock, seeing Hancock blush like she did. He snorted loudly and was kicked by Hancock. Luffy just laughed. Hancock was a weird person. She was concerned with him, and already knew of his wounds.

He could still hear better than normal, but one side was a bit less strong. It was annoying right now, but he'd get used to it. He had to. The next day, they headed to Marineford, Luffy going with Jinbei and Rayleigh. He felt alone. He wanted Ace, at least.

When they entered the broken place, Luffy saw how bad it was. Whitebeard really did a number there. Luffy did as he was told. He dropped flowers where people died, he went to the bell and rang it 16 times as a declaration of a new era starting. It was all his future mentor's idea, but it was well thought out.

Finally, his arm read 3D/2Y. He hoped they'd get the paper and understand. And not hate him for it. They had to know they were too weak for the next sea based on their separation on Sabaody. It was just too obvious. Things had worked out for the most part. Luffy saved Ace. He lived. Even though he lost ten years of his lifespan, and all feeling in one of his arms, he was alive.

Jinbei floated the possibility that Luffy had PTSD. Based on his multiple freak outs about imagining magma raining down on him. That was humiliating. He thought he was strong, but Marineford proved he wasn't. He was only alive by a hair, barely saved Ace by a hair. It was luck.

But he needed to be stronger to face the New World. Even if it meant being away from his crew for two years, he had to do this.

After a week of being with Luffy, Ace was picked up by Marco. Luffy thanked him for helping him out before the phoenix put his hand up. "You shouldn't thank me. You're the one that saved Ace when we were unable. You were also the one to off Teach. We'll always be thankful."

Luffy nodded, and hugged Ace. He handed him a new vivre card. "I promise this one won't burn up." Luffy took and it held it to his chest. He nodded, and teared up at seeing Ace go. He got onto Marco's back, and then the mythical zoan flew away with his beloved brother. But his tears were of happiness.

Despite everything, Luffy saved Ace and returned him to his crew. Rayleigh was behind him and commented, "You made quite the feat. Your bounty will go up no doubt." He wasn't bothered by this and neither was Luffy. He looked down at his numb arm and clenched the fingers. He relaxed them and wiped his eyes.

"I'm ready to start training," he said firmly. Jinbei was leaving that day, and saw them off when they headed to the training island for Luffy.

The teen looked forward to seeing Jinbei at Fishman Island in two years. "I'll be there, Luffy-kun. I'm so happy you released me." Luffy beamed and said he was, too. Not just because he'd be dead without his help. "Be safe and take care of yourself."

"I'll do my best," Luffy replied firmly. Jinbei shook his hand, his much bigger than Luffy's, and left. Luffy smiled and turned to his mentor. He was going to be donating blood to Luffy out of necessity. He was so understanding about everything. He really was a good man.

Before their training started on the wild and dangerous island, Luffy put his hat aside. The pirate Straw Hat luffy was going to be taking a break from pirating for a while. He'd get the hat when it was time. Hancock was upset she couldn't see him, but he'd return in two years to her and she would be so happy.

Luffy would forever be in debt to everyone that helped him. He did wish he could have said goodbye to Iva-chan, though.

"I will make you as strong as I can. The next two years won't be easy," Rayleigh said with a smile. Luffy beamed, and said he wasn't going to survive in the New World by his training being easy. But he was wary of his mental health. He'd do his best to push through it. Law prescribed medication that Amazon Lily didn't have, sadly. Ace was bothered by this, as PTSD must be treated by medication and therapy, and Luffy would be getting neither for the next two years. He assured Ace that he would be fine enough, even if it was hard.

Ace was still upset, but there was nothing to do. So, Luffy started his training, plagued with a large injury, PTSD, and doubts about his strength in the beginning. But he would and did get over two of those, and dealt with the untreated problem. He just hoped his crew wasn't disappointed in him for those weaknesses. But he knew they'd just be happy he made it out alive. And he saved his brother.

I know some people are bummed about there being no chapter about his training, but I just didn't have any interest in writing that at the time, so I didn't. See you next week!