Chapter 4

Whitey was on her way to check on Whitebeard when Haruta's yelling came.

"WHITEY!" Haruta yelled, while running and jumping from her ship to Moby Dick. The excitement in Haruta's voice was giving her hope. "ACE IS SHOWING SIGNS OF WAKING UP!"

Whitey's hand slipped from the tray which she was carrying and she ran to her ship ignoring the relieved and guilty glances of the others. She jumped from Moby Dick to her ship in one stride and ran in. What she saw made tears crawl out from her eyes. Ace's hands were twitching. It was the best sign which they had got since that day. She could hear Deuce blabbering about a new rookie named Straw hat Luffy and with each news of him Ace's mouth was showing expression. His lips were twitching upwards and with the story of the rookie declaring war on the government Ace gasped awake. But his eyes were shut close once more, due to the blinding light.

Ace blinked his eyes as he opened it slowly. He was looking at the room warily as if he didn't like it or something or someone has offended him.

"Ace!" Deuce hugged Ace without a warning. His happy tears were flowing from his eyes. But what Ace did shocked everyone in the room. Ace pushed away Deuce angrily and snapped at him.

"G-Get away from me, bastard!"

Silence fell in the room. Ace calling Deuce a 'bastard'? Deuce was frozen while Haruta and Thatch had wide eyes. Whitey couldn't comprehend whether Ace was angry on Deuce- which he sure looked. But why?

The silence was broken with Ace's coughing and him trying to get off from the bed only to hold himself with the help of the wall behind him. He harshly pulled off the IV connecting his arms.

"What did you inject me, witch?!" Ace was glaring daggers at Whitey while she was completely frozen. Ace was treating her as an enemy. What did she do to deserve it? Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. But she needed to snap herself to doctor mode, which she did.

She raised her hands, showing that she means no harm. "That was glucose. You have been down for one and half month-"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!" Ace was standing in a fighting position and glaring at the four person in the infirmary. "Where are my brothers? What did you do them? Where-"

"ACE!" Whitey Bay snapped. She needed to get Ace get in control. And from what she is feeling, her worst fear is showing off. Ace has lost his memories. But how much does he remember? One thing was crystal clear, Ace didn't have the memory of the past 2 years.

Ace was still when Whitey snapped at him, but soon he found his footing and glared daggers at her. "WHAT?!" He yelled with the same intensity as Whitey Bay.

"You need to calm down." Whitey said as she grabbed Ace's hands with Haki. The logia user was already seething with fire. Ace was giving her a death glare, which hurt a lot. But Whitey didn't show as the three other occupants of the room did. She is a doctor and she has work to do.

"WHY THE HELL-" Ace was yelling but Whitey was not called the Ice Queen simply.

"Please, we need your co-operation. Just answer couple of questions then you are free to do whatever you want!" It was the worst Whitey had ever said. She is snapping. She is treating Ace as a normal patient or rather stranger. Ace narrowed his eyes at her as if he didn't trust her, but nodded finally under her piercing gaze.

Ace didn't sit back. But Whitey asked Haruta to fetch some water and Thatch to cook some food. While asked Deuce to assist her. Ace was standing with his back to the wall and looked ready to leap with any thing wrong they would do. Whitey couldn't believe the charming, sweet and loving Ace was so angry. She had never seen him this angry.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Whitey asked calmly after Haruta gave Ace water, which he refused to drink.

"Why the hell should I tell you?" Ace glared at her.

"Ace, we need to know. I'm a doctor-"

"I don't fucking need a doctor. So, get lost." Ace scowled.

"Does anything hurt?" Whitey asked changing the question.

"I am not kid that anything will hurt." Ace gritted his teeth. "But I can make sure you hurt badly if Sabo and Luffy have even one hair disposed of their bodies"

Whitey shook off the warning and continued asking the questions, which she had. By Ace's body posture it was clear he was having difficulty in moving his arms and legs. If this continues she would be forced to give him sleeping medicine.

"Why don't you tell me about Sabo and Luffy?"

"Fuck off!" Ace hissed at her. From the corner she could see Thatch bring in a tray of food.

"Ace, why don't you eat something first?" Ace's eyes looked at the food and a low grumbling sound came from his stomach. But as soon as it came, Ace turned his head to the other side and refused to look at the food even

"For you to poison me, asshole?" Ace gave a taunting smirk. "Huh? Why don't you shove it in your ass?"

It was the first time the occupants in the room where hearing the slangs coming from Ace's mouth. It was really a disturbing change and it upset them. But they didn't say anything.

"What's your age?" Whitey asked, to stop the further questioning of the food. If she knew Ace, he would sneak into the kitchen later and grab some food.

Ace seemed to be thinking. May be thinking if he could answer that question. "...10." Ace said with glaring eyes, as if challenging someone to say anything against it. She could hear the gasps coming from Thatch, Haruta and Deuce.

Fuck! Ace lost a decade worth of his memory. And explaining what has happened would be the toughest thing ever. But she has to do it.

"Ace, I want you to listen me." Ace was still looking offended by being held in the room against his will. "You are not 10 but 20."

Ace's eyes widened momentarily before he snapped again and this time his hands were in fire, making him squeak a bit, before noticing it didn't hurt and may be noticing for the first time his hands were not as tiny as a 10 year olds were supposed to have.

"You ate the mera mera no mi, making you a fire man." Whitey said patiently. "And I'm sorry to inform but you have lost a decade worth of memory."

"SHUT UP!" Ace screamed looking as the still fire-y hands. "STOP THIS ALREADY!" With the war cry he jumped over her and tried to punch her. She caught Ace's hands and slammed him into the bed at once. Ace was unconscious.

She looked at the others. Everyone was crying.

"It's my fault that he forgot everything." Thatch said with tears running down his face. Deuce patted Thatch's shoulder trying to comfort the person.

"The least we can do is find his brothers." Haruta said rubbing off the tears which gathered on his eyes. "We know about Straw hat Luffy but Sabo? As in the Revolutionary Sabo?"

"It can be anything but it would be best to contact the revolutionary first. We don't know where Luffy would be next. He doesn't follow the log pose most of the times and is very unpredictable." Deuce said with his head hanging low. Haruta nodded and went into the Moby with Whitey, who needed to some check ups with Whitebeard.

On the way there were many people gathered on the deck, waiting for any news. Some dared to ask if Ace was awake, but got the Ice Queen's icy glare in response. Haruta didn't answer anyone on his way, ignoring everyone. He needed to get into the communication room and get the snail to the revolutionaries. Ace was acting hostile and if it continues he will not eat anything. He will bring himself into danger. The Whitebeards have done enough damage worth for a life time to Ace. He can't see him suffer anymore. Even if Ace hated him.

He picked up the snail and made his way to the Whitey's ship. She closed the door quietly as she entered Ace's room in Whitey's ship. Thatch and Deuce were already there looking at Ace. May be wishing him to get his memories back? But that would hurt him more. He can't forget how Ace tried commiting suicide. He will never forget those hollow eyes sitting in the dark cell, with a bloodied and battered body.

At least there was fight left in the Ace who had lost his memories. At least he has not given up on life and was ready to fight with tooth and nail.

He dailed the number of the revolutionaries. The Whitebeards had connections with the Revolutionaries but they didn't actively communicate with them. But right now, he needed to for the sake of Ace.

Puru Puru Puru

Click

"It's Commander Haruta of the Twelfth Division of the Whitebeard Pirates." Haruta introduced himself but couldn't help but feel bitter saying the name of the pirate group.

"What do I owe the pleasure of the Commander of an Emperor to have this conversation." It was Dragon's voice and he was certain of that.

"I.. I want to speak to your Chief Of Staff, Sabo." Haruta spoke. How the hell was he about to tell the crime they have committed.

The snail nodded and after a few minutes of silence, the door on the other side of the snail opened.

"Dragon-san, did you call me?" The Chief Of Staff of The Revolutionary Army asked. The snail nodded showing the actions of Dragon.

"The Whitebeard Pirates want to talk to you." He could feel the second in command raise an eyebrow at that.

"Hello?" Sabo asked.

"I- We want to talk about Ace." Haruta spoke, looking at Thatch and Deuce, who nodded.

"As in Portgas D. Ace?" There was a hint of worry in the voice, which was perfectly hidden. Did the revolutionary didn't want anyone to know that he is a brother of Ace?

"Yeah..." Haruta trailed off, pursing his lips.

Sabo didn't know why he was feeling worry for this 'Portgas D. Ace'. The way the commander was hesitating to say anything about Fire Fist Ace, was making a pool of worry in his stomach. He couldn't help but ask what had happened to Fire Fist.

"What happened?" He asked. Why was he feeling such worry against a pirate?

"We-" The commander was not able to speak. Sabo waited for something to be said, but nothing was being said. With each passing minute, he was feeling something was wrong. But he can't place it. But why is he caring about a pirate? Whom he had possibly never met?

'Sabo!' A voice resounded in his head. The voice seemed angry. It sounded distressed and sad at the same time. What was happening?

Sabo held his forehead. He needed to find whatever had happened to Portgas D. Ace. The voice in his head was asking him to remember.

'REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBERREMEMBERREMEMBERREMEMBERREMEMBERREMEMBER'

It was hurting. He needs to know.

"W-What happened to Ace?"

'Ace' The word perfectly rolled out of his mouth. Who was Ace? Is he someone from his past? Fuck, it hurts to think.

"A-Ace w-was tor-tortured." Someone spoke from behind and Sabo's world came crashing down. His brother was tortured?

'Wait! His brother?'

'Did you know?' A memory flashed of a freckled face boy opening a bottle of sake. Wait, wait, wait, it was going too fast.

'If we exchange drinks, then you can become brothers.'

'ACE!' 'LUFFY!'

Ah, it hurts it hurts it hurts IT HURTS ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS

Sabo didn't know when he hit the ground and Dragon hurried to catch and break his fall.

Haruta was frozen when screaming voices came from the other side. He was scared, if truth be said. They had told the thing which triggered the Revolutionary. What will they do now? There was a thud sound, followed by running.

Was the Second in Command coming to hunt them down? Well, they all deserved it.

"Excuse us, but why did you inform my Second in command about Portgas D. Ace?" After a good while, the speaker, Dragon spoke.

"Ace wanted to see him." Deuce spoke.

"Why?"

"He is his brother. Why else?" Deuce said in a low voice. The snail widened his eyes.

"Sorry, but my second in command had amnesia." They gasped. "I don't think he remembers Fire Fist. But may be there are chances. I'll tell Sabo to look into it."

And the call was disconnected before they could say anything. Sabo was having a similar situation as Ace. Fuck, what to do now?

"Now what...?" Thatch asked with wide eyes. "If Sabo doesn't remember and doesn't come then what will we do?"

"Ace will either flee on his own with his 10 year old mind and get himself captured in his weak state or die in the treacherous ocean of Grand Line." Haruta slid on the floor as he mumbled out the damn words.

"We need to find Straw hat 'Luffy', before Ace could try to escape." Deuce said to which everyone nodded. That was the only lead which they had for now.

A/n:

I wrote this quite a few months ago, but I never got the gut to publish it, since I don't know which direction I would take this story to. Anyways, I hope it was good. Also ideas are welcome!