Chapter 3

After the trio left the deck to get inside Ace's room, the deck was silent. The ones who had hurt Ace were glaring the deck and others who have done nothing to stop the horror, felt ashamed on themselves.

In the midst of this, Marco felt like a piece of shit. He was about to kill Ace. Ace's blood was in his hands. He couldn't help but bite his lips, to stop any sob from coming out. Ace hadn't cried in his torture, he had taken it all like a sponge. It was all his fault. Marco couldn't forgive himself. He could never. He didn't deserve to be the first mate or Ace's brother anymore after the horrible deeds he had done.

Everyone know knew what was the reality. They had lifted hands on their brother. But Marco could have killed Ace today, due to his blind rage. Due to his frustration that Thatch was not waking up. He hated how he so recklessly was about to give into in his mood. He is thankful for Haruta, who had come to get him. Who told him that Thatch was awake. Who luckily saved Ace from the brutal murder which he was about to commit. But he couldn't say anything now. He was about to commit the worst crime in the Moby Dick. He deserves the punishment which everyone will give him. But unknown to him, everyone was feeling guilty and disappointed with their actions.

Without lifting his head, Marco who had dared not to move from the ground, where he had been thrown to by Deuce, spoke.

"Kill me, yoi." But before anyone could react, there were running and yelling coming from Ace's room.

"YOU STUPID IDIOT!" It was Deuce's voice. But he seemed panicked, which alerted the crew and everyone wanted to barge in to check in what is wrong. But Pops, didn't allow anyone. He stood there, like a shield. The trio needed personal space right now, with Ace. But the yellings where only getting worse.

"HARUTA PRESS OVER THAT!"

Press over what? What the heck is going on? Did Thatch's wound open up? No way. Marco wanted to get inside and help but one look at the deck showed everyone was on the same boat as he was. Wanting to know what was happening and wanting to get in. But they were too ashamed to even move.

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT, WHY DID YOU SLIT YOUR WRIST?!"

Marco's world stopped spinning. Ace had cut his wrist. He could clearly hear Thatch's horrified cries and Haruta chanting Ace's name, begging him to stay awake. He wishes Deuce has control over the situation, because they fucking told everyone not to get inside. But why should they listen? He is their brother and everyone wants to apologize. But are they even considered as brothers? Will Ace ever forgive them? They don't really deserve his forgiveness. After all those horrible deeds, he doesn't think that anyone, except Haruta, Thatch and Deuce, deserve to be Ace's brother anymore.

"FUCK! FUCK!"

Deuce cried in worry and Marco felt himself paling with every passing second. The deck was silent, except for Whitey, who had arrived an hour ago, whose heels were clicking rapidly on the wooden deck, holding bandages and blood bags.

The Ice Queen had glassy eyes.

"HE IS LOSING BLOOD!" That cause most of them to collapse on their knees and cry out. Will they lose Ace? No one wants that. No one will be able to forgive themselves if Ace died.

Whitebeard broke the door in one punch and Whitey ran inside, assisting Deuce and clipping the blood bag and starting to stitch Ace up. Deuce didn't complain, after all he didn't have anymore blood bags and it wasn't that Whitey had hurt Ace. She was innocent.

It was for the first time, anyone near the door, saw Ace's ghostly pale face and the bandages which were thickest near the torso and the arms due the shimmering moon light which fell invaded the room.

Haruta and Thatch were crying over Ace and asking him to come back and why did he do so. Whitey was stitching up the wound and ordering Deuce to help her in bringing the instruments. The scene was horrifying. The floor was bloody and the people within were crying. If anyone else from outside were to see, they would say people were crying over a dead body.

After ten minutes of working on Ace, Whitey looked seriously at Deuce. "We need to have him in infirmary." Her tone said no bullshit and no argument. Deuce complied. He needs to make sure his captain is safe and healthy and away from this ship.

"You came alone?" Deuce asked in a low voice. Whitey shook her head. "Then bring him to your ship's infirmary. I don't want him to suffer anymore in this crew." Whitey nodded and gestured Deuce to pick Ace, who carried him gently in his arms.

"Thatch you need rest." Thatch nodded without arguing back. He wanted to look after Ace. He can't let that happen again. He can't let Ace out of his sight and let him die. That suicidal idiot.

"But in your ship," Thatch said looking at Ace and standing up with the help of Haruta. Whitey nodded.

"I will stay at infirmary with him." Haruta spoke.

Whitey again nodded, leading them outside the room. For the first time, everyone on the deck saw what they have done to Ace. Ace was lying limp in Deuce's arms. He was stable, but had not recovered. They couldn't help but hang their heads down in shame, when Deuce glared at them for gawking at Ace.

Haruta and Thatch were silently crying in each other's arms and refused to talk to anyone on the crew. How could they? The crew had pushed Ace to the brink. They had pushed him to suicide. Their little brother didn't deserve it.

Ace didn't wake up. He didn't even after a week passed. Whitey's ship had been sailing alongside Whitebeard's Moby Dick, but she only went to 'Pops' ship, when she needed to check on Whitebeard. She had refused to talk to anyone. How could they do that to Ace? The sweet, innocent, charming, energetic Ace, who loved everyone, placed others ahead of himself. But right now he was suffering, had been tortured. She couldn't believe her ship brothers have committed such a horrifying crime and their father had supported them.

Ace was one of her favorite in the crew, coz he let her care for him like a mother. He had let her feel like a mother. She remembers everything as clear as day when she had expressed that she would like to be a mother, but she can't. And the next she knew was Ace telling her, that if he had a mother, he imagined it would be someone like her. He told her that his mother died during giving him birth, and he loves her, but also likes Whitey Bay as a mother. She had felt tears trail on her cheeks with the sheer joy, when Ace had called him Mom, while being drunk. She had fucking felt proud when Ace had come by for a visit, only to tell her that he has learned one of her cool moves. The glee and the pure excitement in his face was priceless.

She fucking loves Ace as her own kid and that is the only reason, she couldn't forgive the crew. She bet Marco up and wanted to beat each and everyone in the crew, but no she couldn't. Ace needs her by his side. Ace needs medical attention and the others didn't need her attention.

Ace was connected with IV, oxygen mask and blood bags the first night, when she diagnosed him. He had several ribs of his broken, his lungs were on the verge of collapsing due to internal bleeding. His heart was slowing down, from all the lack of oxygen. His left leg and ankle were broken and fractured. His right arm had cracks and his fingers were mercilessly crushed and broken. His tattoo on the back, which he was so proud of, was slashed with blade. It was sheer luck that Ace had not bled to death due to it.

Weeks were passing like years and Ace showed no signs of waking up. It was haunting. Deuce and Haruta never moved from Ace's side. Thatch laid on the nearest bed to Ace, recovering and crying whenever he would see Ace being connected to IV and the wounds when the bandages were changed. They weren't eating properly and she didn't have any strength to tell them to eat. Because she herself was ditching food, in favor of spending time with Ace and ensuring that the trio doesn't wallow in guilt. They don't deserve it.

It wasn't their fault that Ace suffered but they took the blame. Thatch told that it was his fault. If only he would have been more careful and not get stabbed then Ace wouldn't be in this condition. If only he would have woke up early, Ace wouldn't have to hear those harsh, cruel words. Then, Ace wouldn't have tried to commit suicide.

Haruta and Deuce blamed on themselves that they weren't able to get Ace out of the cold cell. That they weren't able to provide Ace enough food and let him starve. They were all drowning in guilt but Whitey knew it wasn't their fault. It wasn't them who made Ace look weak and hurt. It wasn't them. They only helped Ace staying sane and made him happy in the suffocating loneliness of his cell, even if for a minute.

Ace was healing fast. His body had recovered from each and every wound but yet he wasn't awake. Ace's body wouldn't be even having any scars, except for the dismantled tattoo on his back. But the tattoo didn't deserve Ace anymore.

As the days passed, it seemed like Ace refused to wake up. It was like something was stopping him from waking up and she couldn't help but cry every time when she saw Ace's recovered body with no signs of Ace getting up. It was like a shell. She heard the trio talk to Ace daily but still Ace showed no signs of getting up.

It had been one and half month since Ace didn't wake up and Deuce felt like a shit. He talked to Ace regularly like Haruta and Thatch, who was completely okay. But Ace never responded. Ace laid on the bed, without waking up. Whitey had cried one night and told them, how unusual it was for someone to not wake up from coma after several weeks. And if Ace didn't wake up soon, he will get into vegetative state, where he will die slowly and his organs will start collapsing.

"A-Ace," Deuce choked out. "Did you remember your promise to Luffy? You told him that you won't die right?" Deuce was holding Ace's hand when it twitched. Everyone who saw this, stood their frozen. Deuce cursed himself for not talking about Luffy before. Seriously, he is the biggest fool in the World.

After regaining their senses, Haruta ran to call Whitey who was on Moby Dick. Ace was showing signs of waking up.

"Deuce continue speaking of this Luffy." Thatch told to Deuce with wide eyes. Ace was responding to this Luffy guy and hadn't responded to anything or anyone. They were so happy.

There was darkness. Only darkness and silence. It was suffocating but yet Ace felt comfortable in it. It felt as if, if he woke up then someone will shatter the false sense of comfort which he had created. It hurt as some faces flashed in his mind, all blurs.

"...ffy..."

He couldn't understand what was happening. But all he knew was the feeling of betrayal, hurt and loneliness flowing through him. He wanted to be tucked in safe arms, but when did he ever felt anywhere safe?

'...'

Nowhere. Where was he? Why was everything so blurry and hazy. How did he come here?

"...uffy!.."

Who is calling? Why does the name sound a bit... odd? Like it wasn't supposed to be said that way. What was even happening? He was trying to move his body but his body was disobeying him. But why?

"...Lu..."

Lu? Why does the name feel like it belongs to a trouble maker. A kid who eats a lot. A kid who has an impossibly big innocent smile.

'Ah..! I want.. t-to wa-wake up!' Why can't he even speak his thoughts without panting. Why was his chest hurting?

"...Luffy..."

Did he get hit by Luffy's rubbery hug. Wait- Luffy? Who was that again? Ace saw flashes of a straw hat wearing kid. Who was he again?

'Why do I feel like I have been hit by Gramp's fist of love several times?' Ace thought as he felt that he was unable to move his body at all. There was darkness all around him. Nothing at all. He tried hearing the voice which was telling the name 'Luffy'.

"...Luffy... Enies Lobby... destroyed..."

What was that? What is Enies Lobby? Wait, Gramps told him once. He tried focussing a bit more.

"Luffy declared war on the World Government."

What? His reckless little brother- wait, brother? Oh, hell yeah, he has two brothers. Sabo and Luffy. His reckless little brother has declared war on the world government? That's a sick joke and whoever is telling that will surely get a beating from his pipe.

He forced his body to move.

'..M-Move...' He could feel his body moving a bit. But that's not enough. Who are those unknown voices? Why are they lying about Luffy? Where are Sabo and Luffy? What if these bastards have captured him?

Ace needed to open his eyes.

ASAP!

He needed to get away from these strangers. All adults are bad, except Makino and may be Dadan. He needed to find Luffy and Sabo.

'Come on...'