Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter!

I am still so excited for this story and that I am finally able to do it and I hope you find this plot interesting

More about the plot is described in this and more things happen

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax

Ace looked at the man when they walked into a hidden house, and when the door closed, the man looked at him. "My name is Azuruko, also a victim of this mark, Ace." Ace blinked. "How… how do you know my name?" Azuruko gave a small breath. "Everyone knows, at least those who read the newspaper. You have been labeled as a traitor." Ace didn't know what to think or do. "I need to call Pops." Azuruko moved a hand to his shoulder. "You can't. They have, very loudly, proclaimed they will kill you on sight. And, if you tell anyone the truth, or try to tell the truth, whoever they have as collateral will die." Ace felt so lost and had no idea what to do.

Azuruko sighed. "You are just a kid, you're the youngest so far." Ace blinked. "What?" Azuruko moved his head a bit. "Come out." And the door opened and a group of people came out, all of them had the mark of the Grinning Rats somewhere on their body, and Azuruko spoke. "We are all victims of them. This is what they do. They take you, capture you, kill those with you, frame you, give you the mark to be hated by everyone, even those you love, and use them as collateral."

Ace swallowed. "But Pops-" Azuruko shook his head. "No, I am very sorry, but they are hunting for you, to kill you for the crimes they think you committed. And if you tell them the truth about this mark, the one they have as collateral will die." Ace swallowed. "How… do you know?" Azuruko sighed. "Another victim, he was a part of a crew, and he was framed for killing them, and he tried to fight to get his innocence out, even after we warned him. After he made the first statement, and even though nobody believed him, they killed his 3 year old daughter, sent her head to him, and the next one would be his 5 year old son if he tried it again." Ace blinked. "Oh my God." Azuruko nodded. "I am very sorry, I am. You are so young, you don't deserve this. But this is your life now. I am very sorry."

Ace blinked, and then a sob left him, before another as he cried and sobbed. Azuruko tried to comfort him, but it helped little. Ace needed to keep Luffy safe, he couldn't die because of him. Ace cried and cried, he cried for days and days, he screamed and tossed things, before he just felt empty over 2 weeks later. Ace was now abandoned by his family, and he could never prove his innocence, because if he did, Luffy would die. And that couldn't happen.

He then asked for everyone's story, and they all told how they had been happy, either on an island or in a crew, and then, they were captured, and framed for killing people close to them, getting the mark on their body, and been told if they tried to remove it, or say the real truth, the ones who were collateral would die. A few had tried, but the promise had been upheld, and more death of loved ones. Auzurko also said that they had been more, but many had committed suicide to be sure no one else would be harmed.

And now, Azuruko moved around the world and helped those targeted, as well a few others here and there, but Azuruko, who was one of the first ones targeted, now vowed to help those targeted, so they didn't need to fend for themselves and be hated, to have a place where they could be safe and be understood. Their lives would forever change. They were labeled as traitors. Azuruko then asked Ace to tell his story, and Ace did, many times needing to make a pause, as he got emotional knowing no one would believe him, and if he told anyone, Luffy would die.

Everyone felt with him, and said the first months were tough, before you got more used to being hated. Ace was now hated by everyone, and he could never redeem his life, and if he even tried to, Luffy would die. When he asked how they knew about his brother, Luffy, who was Ace's collateral, Azuruko said they weren't just a random one they stumbled across, they were chosen and researched. Azuruko wasn't quite sure everyone who was behind this, as it was many, and they had the entire world fooled by this mark and lies, creating the Grinning Rats, to ruin lives, and then to watch their lives burn down around them and would forever need to be labeled as a traitor to keep loved ones alive. Ace couldn't believe this.

They then moved around now and then, to not be detected, and they had many hidden places, even a few boats they had taken to get to and from different islands. And, a month later, they were on an island and Ace was roaming a bit, but very carefully, as if anyone saw him, they would see the mark.

As he was in the woods, hunting for food, as no one would sell anything to them because of the mark they had, he stopped when a voice spoke behind him. "Portgas!" Ace's jaw clenched, he knew that voice, and he knew it well. He had no idea they were close. When he didn't move, the voice spoke again. "You don't even have the guts to face me, yoi?"

Ace took a breath, and turned around, coming to face with Marco, who was alone. Marco gave a sneer mixed with a snort. "Parading around with that mark, you are disgusting, yoi." Ace was sure, if Marco wasn't alone, he would be attacked, but still, Marco was stronger than him. Ace swallowed. "I can explain-" Marco cut him off. "Explain what? How all you told were lies? How you are a traitor, yoi? You are a despicable monster." Ace swallowed again. "Please let me explain!" Maybe he could get a word to Pops this way, to give him a chance, he needed help.

Marco shook his head and looked disgusted. "So you can betray us again? You are the worst kind of a human being, barely a human being at all, yoi. You're a monster." Ace felt so hurt and lost, and before he could speak again, Marco looked at him with disgust in his eyes. "I will not turn you in right now, yoi. And this is not out of kindness at all. Because you deserve to live in shame and disgrace, you don't deserve anyone, because you are a traitor of the worst kind. Goodbye, Portgas, I wish you nothing well." Then he turned around and left.

And Ace could only stare as someone he had viewed as a family just… left. Left him to be alone with a promise to kill him if he was seen again. Ace closed his eyes. He was alone, the only ones he had were the others with the mark of the Grinning Rats, they were all abandoned, both by the world and those they loved. After a minute, Ace opened his eyes, a new determination in his eyes.

He would clear his name and save Luffy, as well as the others. This couldn't go on. He needed a plan. He had hoped to get a word to Whitebeard, but it was clear they would never listen to him, he needed to fend for himself, he had been abandoned by them. Ace was now an outcast, and he could never forgive any of them for this. The Whitebeards had turned their back on him, for good. Ace could no longer depend on them to help, because they wouldn't help.

The only one who could fix this, was Ace, as he knew the truth and he couldn't tell anyone as Luffy's life was in danger. Ace needed to save his brother, his only brother.

-x-

Far far away, a blond looked in the newspaper, as he really didn't like to read it much, but was trying to get better at it as Dragon said he should, to get a layout of the world, as well as be able to spot a lie or someone in distress, as many use the newspaper as a code to get help or tell about a tyrant. This was an old paper and had already been scoured, so it had some comments in it. And as he looked at the front page, he felt his breath stop as he saw the picture of a Portgas D Ace, who had betrayed his crew to join the Grinning Rats, and the memories from a past he had forgotten came back to the surface.

He opened the newspaper with shaking hands to the double page speaking of this, and took it all in, and he knew this was all lies at once, Ace would never do this. And he looked at the comments in it from the Revolution Army, and they had doubts about this entire crew called the Grinning Rats, but had no solid proof of what it might be, but it felt off.

He closed the newspaper and headed towards Dragon's office, and Sabo needed his help to find Ace, to find his long lost brother.

And that's this chapter!

And the plot deepens! I have much planned for this, but it won't be too long either, and I am excited for this story!

If you have any ideas, don't be afraid to share them!

I hope you enjoyed, and if you want to, I do love feedback, so don't be afraid to leave a review, or send a PM!

If you also want to, I have a Twitter, my name is Azuruko, and I have a discord, my tag/username is just azuruko, as well as a server (Instant invite: discord . gg / 6hzMhbR) where everyone is welcomed! Updates is also posted there, both on discord and on twitter