Luffy dies instead of Ace at Marineford. You've seen such stories before I'm guessing, there are quite a few out there. I thought I'd give it a try. (And seriously, what is it with me and drama anyway?) Obviously includes character death.

You'll Live

"Now watch…" The admiral demands and dread settles in his stomach. The dread turns into full blown fear when Ace is no longer his prey but instead he's heading towards…

No. No. No, no, no, no, NO!

"Wait!" Stop. Stop, you bastard. "Luffy!" This can't be happening. Why the hell didn't I run when everyone told me to?

Ace runs as fast as his wounds allow him and more, in a futile attempt to stop Akainu's attack.

But it's too late to run now. It's too late to run.

"LUFFY!"

Ace jumps up in his bed, abruptly waking from his sleep. It was just a dream, he tells himself. Just a dream, nothing else. Luffy, he's here somewhere… Isn't he? He has to be.

Suddenly Marco walks in and actually looks surprised to see him up. "Oh, Ace, you're finally awake, yoi?" he smiles slightly, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Too many things happened for him to be able to smile again so soon. "Good. We've all been worried about you. You gave us quite the scare."

Ace tries to return the smile and somehow manages it, still feeling a little shaken. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to. Damn, Luffy must be freaking out right now. I should go talk to- Marco? What's wrong?"

The raven-haired man didn't fail to notice how his friend flinched at his words. "What is it?" He begins to panic, his mind going straight back to his dream.

"Ace… you don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Ace… when you fought with Akainu…"

How much of it was a dream?

"No." His head falls to his hands, fingers pulling at his hair tightly, painfully. "No. Stop it."

"Akainu decided to… to go after the kid…"

"Shut up…" His voice cracks.

"Ace…"

"Shut up!" And just like that, Ace can't keep lying to himself…

Akainu pulls his fist out of Luffy's body and the boy falls to the ground with a thud, his face contorted in an expression of pure shock, the pain not yet settling in. The older brother freezes, refusing to believe what his eyes are showing him.

It's only when Luffy starts to choke on the blood gathered in his mouth that he starts to run again, dropping to his knees next to him and takes his little brother into his arms, sitting him more upright to spit out all the blood. The boy starts to cough, painful, wracking coughs that spray blood everywhere and Ace can only stare in shock at the sight before him. His brain doesn't fail to register however the huge crimson red stains Luffy's soaked shirt leaves on his body.

This can't be happening.

"Lu- Luffy?" Another cough. His brother's body slumps a little bit more against him. Ace turns to Akainu with a growl and a murderous glare. "You bastard! I'll…"

"Stop…" A weak hand grabs his shoulder and he looks down to find Luffy staring at him intently. "Don't…"

"Lu…"

"Don't fight him. Don't do it, Ace."

"But he… he hurt you, Lu."

"So that means he has to hurt you, too?" His face breaks into a smile, the happiness of it ruined by the sight of blood on his teeth. "I worked so hard… to save you, Ace… Don't… let that be… a waste. Run… Live. I want you to live," he repeats more intently, knowing this will get to him.

I want you to live. Something inside Ace breaks.

Tears flow freely from his eyes as he feels Luffy's grip become slacker, he practically sees his little brother fading away. "You idiot! Why did you come? You shouldn't… You can't die for me, Luffy!"

"All these people are here to save you. You can't die now… That'd be rude."

"And you? What about your nakama?" He argues, as if reasoning will stop the boy from dying.

"They'll understand," he says, but his face saddens a little. "I'm sure they'll understand." They know me, is what's left unsaid. Because it was so much like Luffy to just give his life for someone like that. To give everything and expect nothing in return. And what did Ace ever do to deserve such loyalty, such love?

And couldn't he ask for a just a little bit more?

"What about me?" He dares to say, clutching the boy tighter.

"You'll live!" Luffy laughs. "You've got so many nakama! You have people to live for!" His laugh is cut short by another fit of coughing."

"Luffy…?"

"Sorry, Ace…" he pants. It's clear that even breathing is hurting him now. "I've got to go… I should go find Sabo. You think he'll be happy to see me?"

Ace's eyes widen in fear. "Luffy, no! Don't you dare!"

"Thank you. I'm happy I could call myself your brother!"

"Luffy!"

The body goes completely limp in Ace's arms. Luffy's eyes are closed peacefully and… very much like the way he lived, there was a huge smile on his face.

"Luffy?" Ace has never sounds more scared in his life. And his fear only increases when his brother doesn't reply. "Luffy? LUFFY?! Wake up! Wake up, Lu!" He's shaking him. He's shaking the body so hard but he still doesn't move. "Luffy! Wake up!"

"Ace!" Marco yells from somewhere near. "We've got to go!"

Arms are abruptly around him, pulling him away from his brother. His sweet, innocent brother, who never stopped chasing him… And Ace wishes he let him catch up for once. Just so he wouldn't have to follow him here…

"LUFFY!"

Marco can only watch helplessly as his friend sobs loudly in his hands. He never had any brothers, but he knows the pain of losing a nakama. And yet, remembering just how far that kid was willing to go to save his brother, he realizes this could hurt a whole lot more than that.

So he mourns with him and both thanks and curses the kid for saving Ace but leaving him like this…

A/N: Umm… ok. OOC much? Anyway, I needed to take a shot at this. I love the Luffy-dies-at-Marineford AUs.

Btw, this will probably have a sequel which will be the Ace version of my other story If You Could See Him Now. If Luffy died instead of Ace, shouldn't we have an Ace-Sabo reunion? I think we should. So I'm going to write one… Probably.

As usual, please leave a review! Thanks :)