Disclaimer: I had lots of feels while writing this chapter. I apologize if I did a bad job because of that. Also, if you haven't checked out Skip I suggest you do so because I'll (hopefully) have the 2nd chapter up tonight! *Shameless marketing FTW!*

"Pirate King?"

"That's right," Nami replied. She bent down so that she could whisper in the boy's ear. Luffy didn't want her to mention that – Ace was still trying to get over his hatred of pirates – but he had a right to know. He was level-headed enough and had settled down a bit since he made the choice to go with the Straw Hats. She thought enough time had passed for him to find out. The boy still didn't like most pirates and anyone not from their crew was downright disgusting to him. Luffy, however, was an exception to his hate. They'd grown attached to each other, to a point.

"What's that?" He felt rather awkward being in such close proximity to someone but his curiosity was stronger than his fear. After all, this was Luffy's secret – something he didn't want him to know. This was too interesting to pass up.

"Well, you see…" she began, voice muffled by her low tone, "I guess you could call him the strongest man in the sea."

"Him?"

She couldn't help but giggle at this. It was rather hard to believe. Even among his crewmates he looked scrawny and small. Though he was far taller than Ace, he was one of the shortest among the adults. The man lacked a menacing aura. His will was strong enough to keep animals at a distance but his will was usually kept suppressed enough for him to go unnoticed among humans.

Ace gave her a look of distrust. It was something too radical for him to believe. His world was still small but not so small as to think that what he knew was everything. There had to be someone stronger than Luffy out there. The woman had to be lying to him.

"It's true. You can ask any of the others and they'll say the same thing." The two turned to look at the man in question, still crouching down. He was fast asleep on the figurehead, arms outstretched and taking in the sunlight. That lax man was the strongest? "And it's because of him that we can sail like this."

Ace didn't know what the girl meant with the last part, but if he was the strongest man in the seas then he wanted proof. He wasn't satisfied with just being told it was so – she was a pirate, after all. Pirates couldn't be trusted. So, he would take matters into his own hands. He would get his proof. As the so-called "Pirate King" slept, Ace approached. He stood over the man and waited for his eyes to open. When they did, he threw his fists forward and landed them straight in the pirate's face.

Luffy stared blankly as the gears in his mind tried to assess the situation. His face was throbbing. Despite being rubber, the punch had hurt. After his mind fully awakened, he noticed the mischievous boy and his confident grin. Ace folded his arms, feeling much stronger than he had before. After noticing this, Luffy laughed.

That wasn't the reaction he'd expected.

"What was that about?" he asked between breaths. Though he was mocking the boy, his interest was piqued. Not just anyone could hurt him, even just a little. That brat wasn't ordinary. With time, he would be able to learn haki. There was no doubt. He'd picked up a remarkable kid.

"That woman said you're the strongest," stated Ace as he pointed to Nami, "but I don't believe it."

Nami watched her Captain glare at her. Clearly he was not amused. She wasn't, either. She had told the brat to not to tell. And she wasn't very fond of being referred to as "that woman" either. It was probably a mistake telling him, but she couldn't resist; his curious eyes were too much for her. Those eyes reminded her of her Captain back when they had first begun their journeys. He was always so excited and eager to explore and this boy had shown the same brightness in his eyes. She missed that. Achieving their dreams as fast as they did left them with less to see. This boy wasn't aware, though. He hadn't seen what they had.

"Nami…" Luffy began, voice fading. He rubbed his red cheek and flexed his shoulders. His smile returned. "Well, whatever." Ace wasn't acting any different than he usually would, aside from the cheap attack. He'd resigned himself to his caretakers' professions. Being the King wasn't very different from being a regular pirate in his eyes; it just meant that you had strength.

The navigator was relieved. It was rare for Luffy to get upset. She had only seen that a handful of times over the past decade. When he was truly angry, however, he was a totally different person. He was cruel and brutal and without mercy. That's why no one went after his nakama. Even the marines would ordinarily leave them alone. The only times he became furious was when one of the people close to him were seriously hurt. Or worse. She remembered his final battle with Akainu and how much of that man's blood had been spilled.

He could be a monster, but only with good reason. He had never hurt a nakama. She knew this wasn't bad enough to get him anything more than slightly irritated, but she didn't want him mad at her either way. They got along well and she didn't like seeing his goofy, laughing face vanish. She had to tell Ace, though, because she thought it was his right no know. He was also nakama and they never kept secrets from each other. Not anymore.

"You wanna fight?" Luffy asked with intrigue clear in his tone.

"Heh." Ace flashed one of his confident grins. They had been seeing a lot more of those lately. Before they set sail he just seemed broken. It was like the sea had brought back his life. "Alright."

With that the two jumped away from each other. Ace picked up a metal pole and readied his stance. After noticing the way he fought, Franky had given it to him. It was far more useful than his rusted knives, which the shipwright had mentioned fixing as well. It turned out that not all of the pirates onboard were as bad as he thought. This wasn't enough for them to gain his trust, though. The only one he had given that privilege to was Luffy. The King of Pirates had managed to breach his walls. Perhaps he wasn't fully open to the man, but he was content.

Ace acted first. He ran at his foe and leapt into the air. He raised the pole over his head and crashed it down on Luffy. The pirate stopped it with one hand and flung the poll – boy still attached – to the other end of the deck. He managed to land upright and slid across the floor before charging again. This time it was a kick. When the pirate managed to dodge the first one he spun around and managed to get him in the neck. It did no damage. He landed back on the wooden floor and watched from a moment. Why didn't it work?

Luffy stuck out his tongue.

"Not gonna work!" he taunted.

"Why?"

"I'm a rubber man," he announced. At this, he pulled at the side of his cheek and stretched it farther than what should have been possible. It was only then that he realized the boy hadn't been given an explanation for the ability. He would have to tell him later. For now, though…

"Now it's my turn!" He launched himself at the boy and sent a stretched fist flying at his face. Ace went crashing through the walls and would have gone overboard had it not been for the rail. Luffy had forgotten his own strength. He hadn't had to fight much lately. He laughed nervously as his eyes met with an irritated shipwright and doctor. "Sorry!"

"Devil Fruit?" Ace asked. He reluctantly allowed Chopper to take a look at his injuries. Jinbei was also in the infirmary. He had been gone for a few days to who-knows-where and the doctor wanted to give him a check-up. After all, it was rare for one of the Straw Hats to return without being in some sort of fight. It was his job to keep them healthy.

"It's a rare fruit found in the Grand Line," Chopper began as he moved Ace's chin to see the damaged at a different angle, "and when you eat it you get a special ability of some kind." He began applying a disinfectant. Ace winced at this.

"Luffy ate one?"

"The Gomu Gomu no Mi," Jinbei interjected. He'd left shortly after they disembarked and so he hadn't had the chance to talk to the boy yet. He wanted to. He had agreed with Luffy that his appearance shouldn't matter, but he couldn't help but wonder. After all, this child was identical to his old friend. He knew it couldn't be him, though. It couldn't and yet some part of him couldn't help but think that it was.

If it was just his looks, that would be one thing. However, he was beginning to act more like the fallen pirate. The night before they left, the boy had remained reserved and closed off. However, now he was beginning to talk to people besides Luffy. That was abnormally fast progress. It also had been just over a month since they had found the boy and yet already he was able to hold a conversation. His grammar was near-perfect. Captain had told him about the child's inability to communicate and there was no way he could learn that fast, no matter how intelligent he may have been. It was unnatural.

"And he became rubber?" Ace asked. Jinbei hadn't been expecting a reply. The kid's glare told that he didn't trust him. He'd been around him the least, after all. That was normal. He hadn't hesitated to reply, though. So, hiding his jolt of surprise, he simply nodded.

"Did Robin eat one?" His mind flashed to his teacher. She'd used a strange ability to hold him down a few times when he'd tried to fight them. Hers was a lot scarier than Luffy's, but he was slowly adjusting.

"She did. The Hana Hana no Mi." Jinbei had finally adjusted himself and was comfortable talking to him. He still had questions though. Those would have to wait. "However, Devil Fruit Users are rejected by the sea. They cannot swim nor can they use their abilities if they're submerged in water."

"Now lay down. I'm going to give you a local anesthetic." Chopper commanded. Ace had been cut badly by broken wood when he'd impacted the ship walls and needed stitches. He knew the boy didn't like being put to sleep, though. He would have to have a talk with the Captain about his rough treatment of the kid.

"You're going to stab me?" He flinched, remembering the last time he'd attempted it. This doctor was a scary man despite being so small. He was still wondering if he could be trusted.

"It won't hurt." Chopper wanted to correct him about the "stabbing" bit but decided to let it slide. There was no point in getting technical with someone who had just learned to speak.

"…Fine."

Night arrived. Luffy had allowed Ace to share his room since all of the others were taken. He assured the boy that they would get him a bed at the next island, but he didn't mind. He was used to sleeping in the dirt, so this was already more than enough for him. They had just arrived in the room and weren't quite ready to sleep, so they sat on the bed and talked. There was one particular subject that had remained in Ace's mind throughout the day. This was the perfect time to ask. While Luffy rambled on about dinner, he decided to interrupt by pointing to the posters on the wall.

"Luffy," he began, focusing on the one he wanted to ask about.

"What?"

"What was his Devil Fruit?"

Luffy's eyes widened as his head turn to face the portrait of Portgas D. Ace. He'd never told the boy that Ace had eaten a Devil Fruit. However, he hadn't been there when Chopper and Jinbei explained it to him and assumed that they had brought it up. It still was a surprise, though.

"Mera Mera no Mi."

"What's that?"

"It's a logia-type devil fruit that gives you control over fire."

"Hmm…" It seemed the boy was deep in thought. He lay back on the bed and stared up at all of the faces of the people Luffy had met. There were so many. How many had Devil Fruits? How many were strong? How many would he meet? "Wonder if I'll get a Devil Fruit."

Luffy leaned forward on the rail and watched the moon and stars above. Bottle of alcohol in hand, he smiled at the sky. The rest of the crew had long since gone to bed. He wasn't on watch, but he couldn't sleep. This had become an occasional habit of his. Rum always tasted best under the sky. He remembered his himself refusing alcohol when he was younger. He hadn't been of age while Ace was alive. He never had a drink with his brother after that first cup of sake they shared as kids. That's why he brought sake to his grave.

"It's strange, Ace," the Pirate King started, taking another swig from the bottle, "sometimes it feels like you never left, and yet here I am wondering where you are."

He watched the waves as if interpreting a reply. It felt like the sea could understand. That water had carried him throughout his whole journey. It was there when Sabo died. It was there when Ace died. It would be there when he died. It was his friend – his nakama – and had seen him through all of his endeavours. It was Merry's gave. One day it would be Sunny's as well. It was both the beginning and end of all adventure. It was the bond that tied him to everyone he knew across the world. It was there when he met such amazing nakama. It would be there for every goodbye.

"I don't think either of us really understood death back then." The moon reflected on the water's surface. It was bright and beautiful against the deep blues of the sea depths. He hadn't realized how incredible it was when he was younger. He was just a kid back then, just wanting to adventure and reach his dreams. It was only after having reached those dreams that he noticed all of the wonder around him. That was part of adulthood. "I'm going to show that kid someday. That way he won't make the same mistakes." Sacrificing himself only caused more pain. Death was the end. Dying wasn't righteous or brave or something to be proud of. You couldn't move on if you recklessly lost your life. Luffy had survived. He'd lived and could still change and grow because of that. That's what it meant to be alive. He only understood that after losing him. He wouldn't let the same thing happen to that boy, who so much resembled the brother he lost.

He smiled and laughed into the night, remembering that important person and all of their adventures together. They'd been through a lot. If those memories were all that remained, he would cherish them.

"You always said I was reckless, but I'm still here."

A/N: This chapter is both important to the plot and to me as well. I'm sorry if the last bit doesn't seem like something Luffy would think, it just got kind of personal for me. My mom died last March right before I graduated high school and I came to a certain realization then. I realized just what it meant to die. You leave everything behind. I don't think that it's admirable to sacrifice yourself and I don't believe in honorable death. You die and that's the end for you. It's the people who are left behind who suffer and it's them who mourn. When people, even anime characters, die like that it just gets me angry. It's selfish. That's why I rant about Oda having Ace do just that.

Anyways, this story is going to have a dark side to it whether it has a happy ending or not and this is probably the most imporant part for the start of that. There will be angst. There may even be death (but not for a while) because I want to show the more real sides to the characters. Little Ace is going to have to go through a lot. He's going to learn all of the hard lessons that the Straw Hats have before this story ends. Like I said, it's not going to end for a while and it's going to be pretty damn long. Hope you can endure until the end!

But there will always be fluff. No worries there.

Now to a more up-lifting topic: replying to my lovelies~

Natylol: Here's your update!

XxSaorixX: Really? I thought it was obvious that he was going to come along XD I actually originally planned for him to be left behind and found by the new Whitebeard crew but changed my mind since I would have to write about his hate for pirates all over again.

angelrider13: Yeah, I mean with how much he hates pirates I didn't think it would make sense for him to just go along with them without question. I didn't mention it but that was a crucial turning point for Ace because he's now moving forward. Lol yeah, no matter what form he's in Ace will alway make remarks like that to his brother :P Despite his manners (which this Ace still lacks).

AkaNeko-san: I didn't think anyone would fall for it XD I'm glad that you did though. Lol now that you mention it, it is pretty similar to that. Oops, that was unintentional. Oh well.

Nikki: You're so nice! Yeah, I've managed to update every day so far but that'll slow down once I start school. I'll still try for more than one a week, but I won't update much during midterms and finals. Hope you guys understand. I still have another week until then though! Muahaha!

Neko-VongolaPrimo: Yes, there will be lots of drama and love. More so than I think either of us realize XD Glad you do. I love Jinbei. He was Ace's friend and just an all-around awesome guy. Might visit Alabasta, it depends which route I end up taking to this story. I do want to have a reunion between them and Vivi though. Not sure about Kaya yet, but they'll at least be meeting her. I had a lot of trouble with deciding how Luffy would explain pirates =_=; He doesn't think the same way a normal person would so I had to think for a while about it. Glad you like it!

M.A. : Here's your update! Hope you like it! I write while I'm in bed when I'm sick :P I don't like sleeping.

Son Goshen: Thank you! I can say now that there WILL be tragedy of some form in the story. There's your warning. However, it's still undecided if the tragedy will be at the end or not and how much of it there will be, so feel free to tell me what you'd prefer.

bbhelen3162: I'm so glad that you like it and that I brightened your day ;A; And thank you for taking the time to read my other fic. There should be a third one coming out sometime this week, I've just got to pick from one of my many plots. 30 tabs is impressive! XD I'm normally limited to 7 when I read fanfics.

wanicrocodile: I'm glad you feel that way ;_; Honestly if it wasn't for all of the support I'm recieving I don't think I would update this often. Thank you!

Darkspider: Thank you glad you like! I hope you'll stick around once the plot gets darker too! And yes, they will see Dadan again. That's a definite yes, because I can just imagine the badits' reactions!

Stelra Entae: Thanks for the support! Here's the newest chapter!

Lily Noir: Maybe this time you'll have more to say? Lol, thank you though. Every review is really precious to me.

Thank you all for your current and future reviews!

QUESTION 1: Do you think that Ace should get a Devil Fruit? If so, should it be the Mera Mera no Mi or a different one? I'm still undecided :/

QUESTION 2: Luffy drunk? Opinions!

ALSO: Please suggest some good One Piece fanfics for me to read XD Just not OC stories...I don't normally like them hehe...but yeah, I need some stuff to read during my free time!

(The A/Ns just keep getting longer don't they...?)