This here is my late Christmas present to you guys, sorry I wanted to upload this right on Christmas but I'vev been at my Grandparents and they do not have the wonderful thing that is the Internet at their place!

Dislcaimer: I don't own One Piece, or the song that's used in this chapter which is by the way Mad World by Gary Nelson

AN: Mask is a Ace Luffy centered fic and Mad World is a Zoro Luffy thing. Oh! And I'm sorry if Mad World is confusing to anyone at the bottem of all this I'll explain, also if you don't like the endings to either of these then I don't blame you. I don't either but I couldn't think of any other way to finish them off.

Mask

Portgas D. Ace or as he was better known as 'Fire Fist Ace' a infamous pirate that was the commander of the second division in the even more infamous 'Whitebeard' pirate crew, a consumer of the mera-mera devil fruit, a bit of a pyromaniac because of said devil fruit, a narcoleptic who falls asleep in the strangest of places which is usually while eating for some unknown reason or in the middle of talking to someone, son of Gol D. Roger the man who last held the title of 'Pirate King' and who had with his words started the Great Age of Pirates and Portgas D. Rouge, adopted grandson of Monkey D. Garp or 'Garp the Fist', and brother of the 300,000,000 belli bounty Monkey D. Luffy or 'Straw-hat', 'Baka', 'Idiot', and 'Captain' to different people mainly the last three where reserved for his nakama though watched as dangerous weapons ranging from cannon balls to a shoe where shot at his little brother and his precious nakama in amusement. Luffy still causes trouble wherever he goes. Was the fleeting thought that passed through the fire users mind as he smirked before making a one eighty degrees turn to catch up to his chaos causing bundle of excitement of a brother.

Now we must all realize that yes, Ace loved Luffy from the bottom of his heart truly he did and would do anything to keep his little brother safe, but how could anyone not fall down and burst into loud laughter when they saw what Ace was seeing? His oh so strategic brother had just blasted him and his crew onto their ship the Thousand Sunny in a bounce and stretch of his rubbery limbs; the not laughing factor was made even more difficult when you beheld how they had all landed.

Nami was straddling Zoro who was sporting a rather large bump on his head rendering him unconscious, Chopper was upside down and balanced on his hat with swirls for eyes, Usopp had somehow gotten twisted in the main masts' ropes and was mumbling incoherently to himself stuff that sounded like death threats to his captain, Sanji had landed himself head first in a barrel which he was having a rather tough time getting out of, and the rest of the crew that Ace had yet to meet where all piled under there chuckling captain in a heap of tangled limbs, colorful curses, "Yoho's", and "Captain-san I think that was a bit to much."

When Ace was able to finally recover himself he made his way to the ship that was now filled with even louder curses and some shouts of, "You stupid Marimo! How dare you touch Nami-swan in such an uncouth manner!", "Why the hell would I want to even touch that witch you Ero Cook?!?!?!" , and then the clang and bangs of a fight under way, followed by the sound of a pair of knuckles striking something hollow and a screech of, "Both of you shut up! We're supposed to be escaping!"

Ace let out one last heavily suppressed snigger before tying his flame powered boat to the lion…… or is that a sunflower headed ship and jumping up to crouch on the railings and wait to be discovered. It didn't take that long either, before he knew it two rubbery limbs where wrapped around him and he was knocked onto his back with his little brother sitting on his stomach smiling with shouts of "Ace! What are you doing here Ace?"

The mera-mera consumer opened his mouth to answer but was cut off when two arms sprouted from his brother and removed him from his stomach, "Captain-san, you shouldn't tackle your brother like that. Remember he's hurt."

Ace had to blink at that, he was hurt? Since when did that ever stop Luffy from tackling him? Yes, Luffy knew when it wasn't a good time to tackle him but that was never when he was hurt. Oh no, that just gave more reason to tackle in Luffy's eyes. Ace suspected it had to do with how Garp had raised them. Ace was shaken from his thoughts when Zoro asked, "Shouldn't you be with Whitebeard, Ace?" Ah Whitebeard his captain and the man Luffy made promise to watch over him and make sure he doesn't get killed because he fell asleep in the midst of a battle. When did Luffy force this promise from Whitebeard you ask? Why right after giving his older brother over to him after saving said brother from being executed by busting him out of Impel Down of course!

The captain of the rapidly growing menace of the World Government the Straw-Hats threw his head back and laughed. "Ne, ne Zoro, its ok this is Ace after all." Ace couldn't help but smile a little at that, his brother who was quickly becoming someone to fear in this giant world of powerful and terror inspiring pirates sounded so confident in him. Loud screams or um……… Shouts of protest came from Chopper who had been the one to do the check up on him and give him a period of healing where he wasn't allowed to even get up to stretch his legs. Luffy just smiled in his own goofy childish way that could disarm most that he met into believing that he was a kid, an idiot, or just a complete and utter moron.

But Ace knew better, he had known Luffy since the day the little rubber powerhouse was born and he had caught glimpses of what really hid away in the younger man. A deity that watched calculated and planned for all things to come his way, many thought that his younger brother was dumb but Luffy was far from it. He had merely put up as a defense against the harshness of the world, a shield of naiveté and innocence and his mask of goofy wonderment had served him well for his seventeen years of life. The mask that he used to hide from many and only took off in extreme times that usually had to do with protecting his nakama.

Ace had to wonder if any of his brothers' nakama had realized that what they saw was not the true Luffy but a mask delicately shaped and perfected to fool all but those who had seen under it when it was lifted. Did those nakama that had seen the truth believe that what they had seen was not there captain but an extra source of power said captain used in dire situations only?

The narcoleptic was shaken from his musings when one of his brothers' nakama started talking while………. Er….. Posing. "Super! I finally get to meet Luffy's bro!" Ace stared and then blinked when he looked at Luffy's new nakama……….. He was wearing a Speedo…. Not that Ace could talk because well he didn't wear a shirt but really. How many people do you find that go around wearing Speedos? But Ace had seen many a weird thing since setting sail from Fuchsia and becoming a pirate and some of them where his little brothers own nakama. Chopper for one he was a talking and doctoring reindeer! Reindeer usually don't talk or become doctors now do they? No they don't. Another was Zoro, Ace had heard about his three head and six armed attack but really, who has three heads?!?! That and Zoro had the worst sense of direction Ace had ever seen you would think he would know where he was going by the way he acted. But really Ace had seen stranger things then Franky.

When Ace looked at the rest of Luffy's new crewmates he was even more surprised the so called 'Devil's Child' Nico Robin and a skeleton with an afro singing Bink's Sake had joined the small but powerful crew. Ace had to wonder how Nico Robin ended up with his brother, but then remembered that this was Luffy he was talking about and the bottomless pit he called a brother had a way of getting anyone he wanted on his crew when the need fit him.

"Yohoho! Hello, I am Dead Bones Brook but you may call me Brook and I am pleased to meet Luffy's older brother. Though I am slightly surprised that you are here……. When I saw the captain tackle you I thought my heart might stop………. Although I don't have a heart! Yohoho!" Luffy chuckled from where he sat at his nakamas feet not bothering to get up while Usopp and Chopper both fell down in fits of giggles and snorts. Ace lightly chuckled at his brothers' new nakamas' joke and swept his eyes over the rest of the people who had dedicated their lives to fulfill their dreams, his little brothers, and to keep little brother alive and well. And for that he was thankful to them, he knew how hard it was for some people to accept his brother completely and even harder for them to willingly stay with him for more then a day. Ace knew why some had a hard time as well. Mainly back at their village it was because of his devil fruit powers, Ace had long ago lost count of how many times his little brother would come home with cuts, scraps, and bruises abound from the bastards that where the kids there age. Even harder for some was the way Luffy acted, but yet again it was all an act. A test that his little brother had in his subconscious most likely made, if they couldn't accept the mask then how could they accept the real him? Ace had to admit that people really didn't give his brother enough credit, I mean when he was what four? He had begun making his mask and by six had perfected it so much that at times Ace even caught himself believing his brother truly was a naive idiot at times. Then he would catch a glimpse of the truth hidden away when he saw his little brother take the beatings the boys their age would dish out. Mind you Luffy could beat them all to a bloody pulp in an instant but that would ruin his carefully developed mask now wouldn't it? Ace had always secretly wondered what had possessed his younger brother to even create his mask in the first place but never got anywhere thinking about it, so he didn't.

"Ne, ne Ace this is Robin, Franky, and Brook already introduced himself!" The eldest grandson of the famous vice admiral 'Garp the Fist' looked at his brother's new nakama with interest. Nico Robin, if he remembered correctly and if he had read the paper right then she was prior to this part of Crocodiles' organization, his partner even. She was famed for getting such a high bounty at the mere age of eight. The Speedo guy was apparently Franky……… And by the way the blue haired man had acted in Luffy's ever so graceful landing he was the shipwright if his cursing Luffy for not being gentler with Thousand Sunny said anything. And the skeleton…… Or……. Um…….. Brook was really what Ace thought he was then it seemed that his brother's dream crew was finally made, a cook and a musician. Ah, yes little brother Luffy was so very easy to please.

An hour or so later Ace found himself shivering slightly when a chilly breeze wafted by caused from the sudden decrease of temperature that comes with the unexpected approach of a winter island. Ace had to smile slightly when he saw his little brother with Chopper, Usopp, Brook, and Franky start to dance and yell happily that an island or as Luffy and Brook where yelling a new 'adventure' was close. The yells differed a bit Luffy's centered around meat, Franky's on the chance to get more things he could tinker with to make Sunny even better, Chopper's on the possibility to gather some rare herbs that he knew only grew in arctic zones, while Usopp and Brook where just yelling in general or in Brook's case singing. The fire user turned slightly when he heard a sigh to the left of him to see Nami shaking her head while looking at her loud nakama and mumbling under her breath. Ace could have sworn he heard the words idiots, Zoro, lost, buddy system, and Chopper.

When Ace looked around for Zoro himself he spotted him after a couple minutes of searching. Admittedly the green hair helped in finding him. Zoro was up in the crows nest and was……. Lifting weights while sleeping, Ace shook his head with a chuckle and wondered if anyone else in his brother's crew had any habits that transferred to sleep like Zoro's working out and Luffy's eating habit. Ace poked his head out of the door when he heard a bang followed by a crash to find that his brother had gone to poke and prod Franky's newest creation and had poked it to the point of it exploding. "Luffy! That is sooooooooo not super!"

The rubber man tilted his head in confusion before shrugging his shoulders and looking out to see the so called 'unexplored and filled with adventure' island was close enough to stretch to. But before he could even lift his arms to bound away Nami's voice rang out in the almost silence. "Luffy, your staying here with Ace and Robin to guard the ship, Franky you and Sanji can go and get food to restock the supplies and cola for the ship, and Copper you stay with Zoro, Zoro you follow Chopper! Got it?" Ace laughed when Zoro started to yell at Nami that he didn't need a babysitter and that he would be fine on his own which Nami replied with a quick punch to the head and some threatening words, "You will stay with Chopper Zoro or so help me I will throw all the sake over board and double the amount of money you owe me!"

"Yeah, yeah I'll stay with Chopper so stop yelling at me you witch!" And then Zoro and Sanji were fighting again. Ace looked around himself, his little brother had done well, he had gathered a crew that would follow him to the ends of the world and beyond if needed, which was good because that's what Luffy might just ask of them.

All was silent, Chopper and the others had left about an hour ago and Robin had disappeared to somewhere on the ship. "Hey, Lu?" A slight tilt of straw hat covered head in acknowledgement; Luffy for once had let his mask drop and was sitting silently next to Ace in thought. "Does your nakama know? Do they realize?"

The mera-mera fruit user waited in patience for an answer, when Luffy was like this it was better to wait. Luffy would eventually answer the question and he'd answer it after putting serious thought into it unlike when his mask was up, and if you were impatient then the mask would come back and you'd never get a clear definite answer from the rubber teen. So Ace waited, he had the time and he wanted to know the truth anyway so he could be patient. "…..Ara… No they don't. At least they don't on a subconscious level, I think they do deeper in their psyche but not on the upper levels yet, it'll take a year or so if things stay this way."

Ace stared at his brother, Luffy was probably right. His nakama wouldn't realize that what they saw was a mask for a year or so if they only realized the truth on a subconscious level at the moment…. Huh.... To bad. "So, who do you think will be the first?"

"…… Robin or Nami. They both have lived in ways that they needed to be able to tell the true meanings behind a person, so they'll be the first….. Brook and Franky will probably figure it out next, Brook's lived so long that he'll recognize the signs after a while and Franky's honed his abilities well. After that….. Usopp, he's lied so much he'll notice after some time that I am to. The others I don't know."

"Hmm…… You don't think Zoro will figure it out before the others? He's been with you the longest and he's your first mate." Hm? Robin was here now, and it seems that Luffy had realized a while ago that his archeologist was listening in. If Luffy didn't mind then Ace didn't see why he should.

"No, Zoro's focused on his dream right now, it's a good thing but it cuts down his ability to analyze people a bit."

"Ah, makes sense." A quiet descended on the brothers again as the chilly winter air drifted around them through the corner of his eye Ace saw his brother give a small shiver. "Cold?"

"A little, nothing I can't handle though."

Ace stared ay Luffy for a minute before putting an arm around him and dragging the younger D. to his side before he wrapped both arms around the rubbery teen. "You'll catch a cold if you don't take care of yourself better you know."

"Hm… Thanks Ace, you're really warm."

The older D. watched as his little brother slowly began to completely relax and drop all his shields before falling asleep with a peaceful look on his face. "Love you Lu." The commander of Whitebeard's second division smiled before gently kissing his little brothers forehead.

Mad World

All around me are familiar faces

Worn out places, worn out faces

Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

What would you say to this Luffy? Everyone's together again, the Straw-Hats reunion in a way. But we're missing something important, it's the reason we're all gathered; the reason after so long all of us are seeing each other after so many years apart. The thing we're all missing, not seeing, not hearing is a big goofy child like grin on the face of a beat up straw hat wearer. No loud yelling for meat, no captain encouraging us to see our dreams through anymore, and no serious rubbery man ready to take on the world to protect us, your nakama.

Nami and Sanji came together. You'd be happy; they finally settled down in Sanji's restaurant in All Blue after Nami finished her map of the world and had a kid. He's like his parents in different ways; he has Sanji's chivalrous mannerisms and Nami's ever so manipulative means which he uses to get extra treats for his ever growing female followers. Chopper is the same on the outside but once you look in his eyes you see a different reindeer from the one we collected oh so long ago for a doctor. His eyes hold pain now, not the old pain I knew you saw when we met him in Drum but a new pain of losing more loved ones to this world. They also show the knowledge that came with that pain that the world isn't a fair place and it would rip apart anything at anytime. Robin has reverted back to her 'old self'. She's silent and no longer shares things with others. It would hurt you to see her like this most likely. She's shut herself off to the world and everything in it, including us. I can just imagine what you would do if you saw this. You'd cheer her up and make her tell you her problems and fears then assure her that the nightmares that haunted would never come true. Usopp's changed so much from that lying coward that we met in Syrup. He's different now more serious it's nerve racking a bit. To remember him from before then see him now. Brook with Laboon showed up. You would have thought it funny that Laboon still has the symbol of the Straw-Hats on him. Brook for once isn't cracking jokes about only having bones and he isn't singing either. He's as quiet as the dead no pun intended. Franky is balling his eyes out but that probably wouldn't have surprised you, Franky was always….. Rather emotional.

But the thing that's the same is the expression all of us wear, it's at best worn out. Just like all the places and adventures we reminisce about.

The day after we all are up early ready to hear you shout that it's time to set sail for the next island but then it all crashes down we remember what had happened and we realize that we have no where to go. No destination.

Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow

No tomorrow, no tomorrow

You'd be sad to see this Luffy; you'd instantly try to make us stop. You'd do something hilarious, but you can't now Luffy can you? Everyone acts different; I wonder if you'd recognize them?

As we all sit and talk with a few glasses of sake and juice ruined by salty tears we remember. And as we remember we all note the changes in each other. Usopp looks so somber now, nothing like the lying story teller of old. Robin's reverted back to being faceless, she doesn't show anything, no expression at all. Nami the usual brave, loud, violent Nami is crying. It's a sight that's almost completely unheard of if I remember correctly you'd only seen her cry once when she asked you for help. And in all our years of traveling I've only seen her shed tears once and it was at the time when you first disappeared. But Nami is indeed crying and she tries to hide it, tries to hold back the tears until Sanji grabs a hold of her and tucks her away burying his face in her hair. We all feel the same thing inside though, that tomorrow is meaningless. There is no wonder in it; it's just another day without our captain.


And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world mad world

I find it hilariously entertaining that I feel my happiest when I dream, I also feel so sad when I wake up. Do you know what I dream of Luffy? I dream of finally dying, finally leaving this plain of existence and when I finally close my eyes for the last time, take my last breath I see you. You're waiting for me with that same smile you always had. A laugh coming from your mouth and then you're asking me what our next great adventure should be. You ask me if I have any meat on hand because your, like always, hungry. I feel so happy then Luffy when I dream of seeing you again but then when I wake up the dreams shattered and it all comes back, that you're gone that you left us the Straw-Hats, that you left me your first mate, that you left me your husband.

And I find it so hard to live through every day because it's one more day to live without you. I go in circles you know, dreaming, being so happy feeling so fulfilled, and then waking up, having my perfect dream shattered, and then living through another day so I can dream. Sometimes I contemplate suicide but then I think of you, of how you would want me to live and get through this. How you would want me to survive. This world is so meaningless without you Luffy.


Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen

Children, shush. It's story time, and today's story is about the second Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy and his first mate Roronoa Zoro the greatest swordsman in the Grand Line and beyond. Now does anyone know why were telling this tale today? No? Well the reason is because it is Roronoa Zoro's birthday. Now on with the story, Monkey D. Luffy passed away suddenly and without warning some speculate it was his Gears finally taking their toll and others say that he was finally caught by the marines and put down like the 'mutt' he was. The Pirate King and his first mate traveled all over the world you know, visiting places that we can only imagine. Everything was blissful for the two but then one day the Pirate King perished and Zoro was left alone without his captain, many contemplate that Roronoa took his own life others say that he died in battle like a noble hero but whatever it is he passed away and joined his captain. There is a legend that goes with these two and their deaths; it says that when Luffy died he waited for his first mate in the life after this, waited for years for his best friend to finally join him. They say that when Zoro finally did pass away and joined his captain the gods were so moved by their display of loyalty, love, and feeling that they immortalized them. That they gave them new life they made it so that they would always be able to find each other once again; so they could be together forever.


Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

A gruff green haired teen made his way through the bustling halls of the college he had entered in New York City. The scowling teen had just moved from Boston after feeling a pull to pick up and leave. He wasn't a stranger to the feeling, since he was a mere child of five he had felt the familiar tug to keep moving, to keep searching for what he didn't know. All that he could say was that whatever he was searching for was important and that once he found it he'd finally feel complete, finally after so long fill that empty hole inside him that resounded all through his life. And for once in his life feel content and be able to rest, to relax, to not feel the oh so familiar urge to keep moving and find that one thing that would complete him. So with that urge to find whatever was calling him he had once again moved, and this time he didn't feel the tug to leave again after being in the city for a month. Which was to tell the truth the usual time it took to feel the pull to a new place, he'd already been to Brazil, Beijing, and a small town in North Korea, Sydney, England, a remote part of Iceland, and four other places in the United States in the last three years alone.

But this time was different, the tug was still there but it wasn't leading him to a new part of the world, whatever he was searching for was here in New York. The urge had instead led him to the school he was now attending and it was currently leading him to the cafeteria if the map the secretary had given him was correct.

Deep breaths in and out, nerves jumping around; his search was finally coming to an end. Finally after so long, a hesitant step forward after entering the loud room. What if the thing he had been searching for wasn't really here? What if he had come to a dead end? What if he never found the thing that would make him feel whole? These questions buzzed away in his mind making him go ever slower until he was barely moving anymore.

While the green haired teen was making his way slowly into the crowded lunch room a raven haired teen with a scar under his eye and a straw hat was feeling something that he hadn't in so very long. Something that he had felt only when his first mate Zoro was near, Monkey D. Luffy or at least the reincarnated Monkey D. Luffy was stumped. Was Zoro born again as well? And if so did Zoro have all his memories as well? If he didn't would he recognize him? With these questions dancing in his mind the once rubber man was soundly distracted so he didn't notice a teen with three earrings dangling from an ear approach him. "…..Luffy?"

A jolt went through the raven haired teen before his customary smile stretched across his face, "Zoro?"

Roronoa Zoro stared at the shorter teen in wonderment as the empty feeling in side him faded away as long lost memories came rushing back of all the things they had done together with the rest of the Straw-Hats. Zoro blinked down at his captain for a moment before he grabbed Luffy and kissed him, yes he had finally found the missing piece.


And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world ... mad world
Enlarging your world
Mad world

I fell asleep and dreamed of you Luffy and I was swept away with the beauty of it, I never want to wake up to meet a world without you in it. It's too hard and eventually I'll break, and then it will be such a mad world. So just wait a little longer for me Luffy because I'm finally coming.

AN: Alright so the first three parts and the last little thing is in Zoro's POV after Luffy died, the fourth one is in a classroom where the teachers telling the students about Luffy adn Zoro, and fifth is after the two were reborn and Zoro's trying to find Luffy again without knowing what he's searching for. Gomen if this comfused anyone, but I wanted to make this fic this way, it just seemed to fit.