Word Count: 100

His Throne

...

Like his father before him, Ace sits atop the scaffold—a sardonic throne of failure—and for the first time in his life, he wishes to live.

'God I want to live,' he breathes.

'God I don't want Luffy to die,' he pleads.

He doesn't expect God to answer, doesn't even believe in him, but still, he prays. He's too weak to do anything else; watches as his comrades' fall. After a while, they stop getting back up. He memorizes their faces, knowing the next one might be his little brother.

He bites his cheek till it bleeds and waits.