Chapter Eleven: Firefist

Chapter Summary: Ace is faced with the fact that he must choose between his desires and protecting his "friends". This choice leads him to making a fateful decision that will change the course of the rest of his life.

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence against minors, torture, mentions of human trafficking and slavery, minor character death

(italics = thoughts/emphasis, bold italics = Devil Fruit, {italics} = lyrics)

Fire.

That was the first thing that came to Ace's awareness as he regained consciousness. His thoughts were consumed with whispers and visions of fire burning. There was a mantra thrumming in the back of his head, urging him to burn bright.

Let it flow, let it out, let the flame inside of you burn bright and free. Burn with your passion, burn with your light, burn with your pride. Burn so bright the world will see you. We can help you. Let us burn together. Burn, burn, BURN.

Ace flinched at the insistent collection of voices, both fearing them and enticed by them. It would be nice to cut loose, to let his anger flow, to let the world feel his wrath, to make them see him. They would never be able to ignore him then, not if he was burning like a star right in their faces. However, he knew that he could not let the flame inside him loose. That flame was not passion, pride or light. It was anger, grief, darkness. It was fanned by his inadequacies, his wrongness, his crimes against his mother and her sons, her true sons, the ones she chose, the ones that hadn't killed her. He could not burn bright because if he chose to burn, he would burn the world down with him.

Maybe the world deserves it, part of him whispered, thinking of the kids in the Terminal who were lost, scorned and abandoned.

Of Akane, who was thrown out by her pack because she was not what they wanted her to be.

Of Uta, who was taken and hurt by a man who simply wanted to covet what was not his.

Of Rouge, who had to fight tooth and nail to be respected because she was a woman and an omega.

Of Shanks, who had to fight for the same respect over a decade later because the world still would not give omegas any value beyond the submissive.

Of Gramps, who worked for a system that claimed to protect people but would annihilate whole islands with a single order.

Of Sabo, who was born with everything a person could want except for love, who hated himself because he was a noble and saw his own blood as a curse due to their actions.

Of Roger, who may not be the devil but helped to shape this world with all its imperfections nonetheless.

The world was a place of injustice built off false beliefs perpetuated by false idols and hierarchies that didn't make sense. It was a pecking order that he would inevitably find himself at the bottom of whether he turned out to be an alpha, beta or omega. Why should he not want the world to burn?

Other thoughts flashed through his mind then: Dadan's brash dismissiveness softened by the little things she did that made Ace think she cared, the jokes and laughter of the bandits, Gramps' cantankerous whinging offset by large hands ruffling his hair affectionately and prideful smiles, Sabo's understanding nature and steady presence, Uta's snark as well as her thinly veiled concern whenever Ace came back bruised from a fight, Luffy's unrestrained smiles and declarations of friendship.

All that would burn too.

Fire is not for the undeserving. You can purify the world of those who sully it. They are the ones who should burn.

He shoved those thoughts in a box, blocking out the incessant whispers from the weird Fruit. He didn't have time for it. He needed to figure out what was going on.

Beyond fire, there was pain. He spared a moment to wonder if he was dead and in Hell, but after a moment a familiar stench wafted into his nose.

The Terminal.

He was still in Gray Terminal. Beneath the smell of garbage he could also smell Uta, Luffy and Sabo close to him. There were two beta scents from Mustache and Spiky and an unfamiliar alpha scent, likely from Porchemy.

Ace didn't let on that he was awake, instead he took stock of his situation. The pain was coming from his throat from being choked but there was also a tight feeling around his torso. He was wrapped in ropes that bound his arms to his body. His left arm in particular was locked in an uncomfortable position, twisted so it was facing outwards with his shoulder down to his elbow stuck to his side and his elbow down to his hand stuck behind his back. His feet weren't touching the ground and he was swinging a bit. Perhaps he was hanging from the roof. His pipe was gone but as he twitched the fingers of his left arm, he could feel the outline of one of his knives hidden in his shorts.

The idiots hadn't bothered to disarm him. He would have to reach for it and begin cutting the thick ropes without drawing attention to his actions.

He cracked open his eyes so he could gauge where the men were. There was a dented steel drum with a fire burning inside of it in the corner of the room. Porchemy, Spiky and Mustache were huddled near it, talking in low voices. Ace couldn't catch all they were saying but he heard them mentioning Bluejam, getting word to him, plans for a shipment. Ace flicked his gaze away from them and looked beside him. He was hanging from the ceiling as he suspected and so were the others. He couldn't help the sharp intake of breath as he looked at the younger kids.

Sabo was closest to him, his head bowed low and seemingly unconscious. He was still wearing his hat and Ace hoped that meant the Devil Fruit was still hidden beneath it. He was sporting a black eye and bruises on his neck. Uta was next to Sabo. Her hair looked disheveled, her braids were loose and hanging down with spots of red dotting the white half. Ace started as he realized it was blood. More importantly, there was some metal contraption taking up the bottom half of her face. Ace didn't need to study it long to realize it was trapping her jaw, keeping her mouth shut.

She must've tried to use her Devil Fruit on the men after he went unconscious. Somehow, they'd managed to get to her before it could work on them, which meant they now had a reason to trade her even without knowing she was a gamma. Uta was awake but her eyes were locked on Luffy at the end of the line. He looked the worst off. His body was littered in bleeding cuts and bruises. Ace couldn't tell if it was from the men or from being buried by that trash heap earlier. His head was hung low like Sabo's but Ace could tell he was awake because he was mumbling things to his sister.

"S'okay, Lulu," he mumbled.

Uta let out a pained whine in response, the kind that pups much smaller and weaker made.

"Do— don't worry about m—me. I'm jus— just sorry you're feeling hurt too. B— but don't feel sad. We're… strong," Luffy struggled to say.

His voice sounded weak and hoarse, like he'd been screaming.

Ace felt a stab in his gut that he didn't understand. Anger, perhaps? Uta was small but she wasn't weak and these douchebags had her acting like a pup half her age. As for Luffy, he barely knew the kid and most of what he knew about him he found annoying, but he still felt a sense of responsibility for both him and Uta. He didn't tell them to follow him here, they were being idiots for even trying to come after him, but he had been the one to make the choice to follow Bluejam's men and this is where it led them to.

He couldn't stop the growl that escaped him, drawing the men's attention to him.

"Ah, finally awake. Took you long enough," Spiky greeted, approaching them.

Ace noted that Mustache was walking with a limp and Spiky had a bruise on his right temple, likely from Uta. At least they'd gotten some licks in before being captured.

"I want you to look around yourself, realize where you are, realize that there's no escape for you," Porchemy declared, looming over him.

"Is that what you think," Ace sniped in return.

"You've still got some fight in you, but that won't last long."

The boy glared in reply, wishing for nothing more than to be able to get his hands on Porchemy.

"You're going to tell us where that Devil Fruit of yours is. Once we get it, this will all be over."

"I'm not telling you shit."

"Isn't that why you came here, kid? To trade your Fruit for a ship? Don't make this difficult," Mustache cautioned.

"We're past that. You overheard some sensitive information. The boss can't have loose ends like that floating around. There is no ship for you, there will be no deal, but if you cooperate with us then we'll ensure that whoever you're sold to won't be as cruel a master as others."

"Sold to?"

Ace's head snapped to the side as Sabo woke up, his movements sluggish as he took in their situation.

"It's the best you're going to get. It's either that or you die. I'd take the former. You kids seem strong enough, maybe one day you'll break out and gain your freedom, though that's not my business. My business is making sure that Bluejam gets his due. Dawn Island has turned a nice profit for us. The nobles here want to mine the berry this island can produce as much as the captain does. It means they're willing to turn a blind eye to some things, but if they knew some Termites like you were in their business, they'd be… dissatisfied. Trust me, they'd do a lot worse to you than Bluejam would. Save yourselves some trouble. Tell us where the Devil Fruit is and we can all move on with our lives."

"Screw you and Bluejam! The only thing you deserve is a painful death!" Sabo shouted angrily, his voice cracking on some of the words.

"Still haven't learned, huh," Mustache commented, turning his attention to Sabo.

"Just keep your mouth shut, kid," Spiky urged.

"You brats might be braver than most of the Termites I see but you're still the same as them. At the end of the day, you're nothing. You're worthless beyond the price we put on your head. You should be grateful for that much," Porchemy stated scathingly.

The blonde looked up at him with open defiance on his face.

"You're the ones that are nothing. The only reason you exist is to gather power just for the sake of it. You don't use it for anything good. You're pirates and instead of using your freedom for good or just enjoying your freedom, all you do is use it to hurt other people. Your existence causes other people nothing but pain. I think you're pathetic. Every single one of the Terminal's brats are worth 10 of you."

Porchemy's mouth pursed at that before he lifted a wooden mallet from his belt and swung it at Sabo's face.

"Asshole, don't!" Ace shouted but Porchemy ignored him.

The brunette couldn't help but gasp as the weapon met Sabo's face with a sickening crunch. His head snapped to the side and several teeth flew out of his mouth. Blood and saliva began to pour past his lips as he swung back and forth from the ropes, groaning pitifully and hanging limp.

Ace felt a flash of rage go through him as he started kicking the air ineffectually, trying to break free and make the guy pay. He wanted to see him beaten, bloodied, bruised.

Burn bright. Burn, burn, BURN.

"Maybe now you'll figure out how to keep your mouth shut."

"D—don't…"

"What? You gonna beg now? I'd like to hear that."

"Don't… bet… on it," Sabo returned, looking up weakly to flash the alpha a bloodied grin.

Porchemy's face turned up in anger at that, an expression that only deepened as Luffy let out a string of broken giggles.

"Shishishi, Sabo is… brave. I— I like y—you. L— let's be friends."

"Sure thing, dummie," Sabo replied faintly.

Uta let out a noise of protest at that.

"Uta doesn't w—want you to call me n—names. She says that friends don't do that, b—but she calls Ace names a—a—all the time. So I don't… I don't… m—mind," Luffy struggled to say before going into a coughing fit.

Uta let out a stronger noise of protest then.

"Uta says th— that Ace isn't her friend, but Uta's lying."

Uta shot her twin a glare as Sabo chuckled feebly.

Ace stared at the three of them in amazement. What a bunch of idiots. How the hell did he get stuck with them?

And why the hell did his chest feel warm listening to them?

Burn bright for them. Protect them, keep them warm, keep them safe.

"You kids have some serious screws loose," Spiky muttered, looking between them incredulously.

"Porchemy's going to beat you all to death unless you tell us where the Devil Fruit is, just save yourselves the trouble," Mustache advised.

"Save us the trouble too. I don't enjoy watching kids get beat like this, you know," Spiky added.

"But you're fine with trading them for profit," Sabo accused.

"That's business, blondie. This is different."

"There's no use bargaining with them. They need to be broken first, they need to feel pain. Get my gloves."

"Porchemy…"

The alpha gave the betas a sharp look, causing them to follow his orders. Mustache came back with black gloves covered in spikes.

"One of you will talk," Porchemy stated plainly, pulling the gloves onto his fingers.

"Do your w—worst, asshole. We won't t—talk," Sabo spat out venomously.

"Yeah, what he said," Luffy added just as angrily.

Uta settled for a harsh glare.

Porchemy smirked at the three of them before his eyes landed on Ace.

"You. You're going to be the one to talk."

"And just why the hell would I do that," he scoffed.

"Because I will beat these other brats black, blue and bloody until you do. Something tells me you're going to want to protect your friends more than you're going to want to keep that Devil Fruit hidden."

"They aren't my friends," he replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh really? Guess you won't care about this then."

Porchemy suddenly lifted his fist and sent it flying towards Luffy, hitting him in the gut. He clearly felt it despite the ropes wrapped around his torso, the blow knocking the wind out of him and pulling a hacking bloodied cough from his mouth. Uta let out a pained cry, cringing and doubling over as much as she could, as if she felt the blow too.

"You asshole! I'm going to kill you!" Ace shouted at him.

"Guess you care after all, good."

Porchemy lifted a leg and sent his booted foot flying into the back of Uta's head, causing a wound to open up on her scalp and drawing a pained whimper from both her and Luffy.

"Stop it!"

"No, I don't think I will. Not unless you have something to say to me."

"I don't know where the Devil Fruit is. I overheard someone mention a noble had one in Town Center and I figured that'd be a good enough excuse for Bluejam to meet with me and give me a ship, that's all."

As much as he wanted to stop this from happening, there was something within him that would not let him reveal where the Fruit was. He knew that these men shouldn't have it.

"Wrong answer."

Porchemy drew back and hit Sabo in the face again, creating a sickening crunch as the fist connected with his nose. Tears started leaking down Sabo's cheeks but he didn't make a sound.

"I'm telling the truth, you oversized bastard!"

"I don't think you are. You're not as bad of a liar as this one is," he said, pointing at Luffy before continuing,

"But you're a liar nonetheless. So, until you decide you want to tell the truth…"

Porchemy stepped back and sent a quick succession of punches, each one landing on one of the kids, sending them swinging back and forth from their perch with new wounds.

Ace gritted his teeth in frustration, the voices picking up in his ears again.

Burn, burn, BURN!

He didn't say anything, choosing only to glare hatefully at the alpha pirate. Porchemy smiled maliciously in response.

"You better strap in, men. Looks like we're in for a long night."

Ace had seen a lot of blood in his life. He grew up around bandits and between hunting and fights, blood had become common place. It wasn't something that scared or disgusted him, he'd be a weakling if it did, but he couldn't deny the nauseous feeling that had settled in his gut as he hung helplessly from the ceiling watching Porchemy beat Sabo, Uta and Luffy. There was a pool of blood beneath them by now from all their wounds, the stench of the red liquid so thick that it mingled with the smell of garbage and had the hut stinking of iron and refuse.

Ace wasn't sure how long it had been, perhaps an hour or two, maybe more. It felt like forever. Ace refused to tell the men anything and Porchemy was merciless in how he went after the kids.

In the beginning, the three of them were vocal and defiant, Sabo lobbing insults, Uta throwing glares, Luffy laughing in their faces. Now they were much quieter, giving only small whimpers of pain. Ace had pled for mercy, made threats, cursed the men, called them every name he could think of but he never told them where the Fruit was. He was just grateful that all of Porchemy's actions hadn't knocked Sabo's hat off and revealed the Fruit.

For his part, Ace had spent his time trying to maneuver the knife from his pants and start cutting the rope. It wasn't an easy task with how his hand was arranged behind him. It took him long minutes to even get the knife out of his clothes and then he had to begin cutting the thick ropes. Trying to get the knife in a good position with his hand twisted the wrong way and without being able to see while also trying to make sure he paid attention to Porchemy was not the quickest solution, but it was all he had. He had managed to cut through some of the rope by now but the higher sections on his back were giving him problems. He had almost dropped the knife several times, but he kept at it, refusing to give up. He couldn't let things end here. He had a goal he had to live to fulfill. And the others had goals and dreams too. Their lives weren't meant to be taken in a trash heap by some second-rate pirate. It was Ace's job to get them out of here.

What's a monster going to do? A monster doesn't save lives, they only take them, an insidious voice whispered in his head.

Ace wasn't good or kind. He was a murderer, a demon. So why didn't he just tell the men what they wanted to know and leave Sabo, Luffy and Uta to their fate?

He didn't ask the twins to follow him, they were the ones who snuck out and then Sabo was the one who wouldn't leave them alone in Edge Town. If that hadn't happened, they wouldn't be here. And if Sabo hadn't freaked out about his father being a slave trader, then they wouldn't have attracted the men's attention. Hell, if Sabo hadn't lied to him in the first place none of this would've happened. So why should Ace care? Why shouldn't he be the monster he was born to be and let the chips fall where they may? Sure, Porchemy intended to sell him as a slave but Ace was strong. Whoever he ended up with, he'd beat them up and escape. After that, he could make his way to the sea.

Everytime Ace's mouth opened with the intention of just ending all of this, the words wouldn't come out. Something shoved them back down his throat and he could do nothing but continue to watch the brutality playing out in front of him.

"I'll give you brats this, you're durable. A grown man would be dead by now, let alone some Termites like you," Porchemy noted, leaning against a wall and drinking a beer as he took a break from beating the kids. Ace couldn't even bring himself to look at them anymore, not wanting to see the damage.

"I don't know, kid. Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe you really don't care about them. Anyone would've broken by now to stop this torture. Maybe you enjoy it. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Demon of Gray Terminal."

Ace gritted his teeth at the moniker.

"Don't like that name, huh? Why? You've earned it."

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know that you're strong, strong enough to beat some grown men to a pulp. I know that you want to be a pirate and that you refuse to call these weaklings your friends. You're a rare kind of kid. If I were a betting man, I'd say you're destined to be an alpha when you present. That spirit in you screams the need to dominate, to overpower, to conquer. Your soul is yearning for a good fight. You're just the kind of kid Bluejam would love to meet. We were thinking about getting a cabin boy anyway."

"You think I'd ever join you?"

"Why not? You want freedom, you crave it, I can see it in your eyes. But more than that, there's an anger in you, a darkness. It's itching to come out, isn't it?"

Ace looked down, setting his jaw, and sawing at the ropes with renewed determination. He startled a bit as Porchemy pushed off the wall and approached him with a knowing smile.

"These people here are small fries. You really want to let that rage out? You join us and you can do it on the seas. You'll be a pirate like you want and we'll show you how to conquer the world."

Ace couldn't help but laugh then.

"Show me how to conquer the world? You haven't even conquered the East Blue. You think controlling this tiny corner means you've conquered the world? You have no idea what's out there."

"And you do?"

"No, but I will one day. I'll see it for myself and I won't need people like you to do it. Sabo was right, you are small."

Ace briefly wondered if these were the kinds of pirates that Roger would've hated, the kind he would've destroyed if he came across them. Ace understood the urge.

"Y—you're… admitting… I'm…right? Maybe… I… am… dying," Sabo struggled to say, a wet exhale leaving his lips.

The older boy reluctantly turned his head to look at him. His heart clenched as he saw him hanging limply, his face still turned to the ground. His blonde locks were stained crimson and the right side of his face was similarly painted, his nose was a bloody mess and his mouth was hanging open, his jaw unable to totally close and allowing bloody saliva to drool out.

"You're not dying, idiot. Shut up," Ace ordered.

"He will, eventually. All three of them will if you don't tell us about the Devil Fruit."

"D— don't… tell," Sabo told him, his voice barely audible.

"You're not gonna win, kid. All you're doing is prolonging the pain," Mustache advised from his perch, Spiky leaning next to him with a disgusted grimace on his face.

"Kid's not talking, Porchemy. Why don't you just put these brats out of their misery already," Spiky asked.

"I'm not done with them yet. How about we kick things up a notch?"

Ace felt a stab of worry in his gut as Porchemy smiled deviously before approaching the burning drum. He lifted a pair of pincers and pulled a glowing piece of coal from the drum.

Ace felt like a stone dropped into his stomach and he began sawing at the rope harder.

"It's a shame. Blondie won't be worth as much if he's scarred, but then again, given the recovery period for all these injuries, maybe we're pass turning a profit for these brats any time soon. Might as well go all the way."

"I already told you what I know," Ace hissed.

"I still say you're lying," Porchemy taunted before he approached Sabo and grabbed his chin, drawing a pained moan from the boy. He tilted his face up and held the coal threateningly over his eye.

"Where's the Fruit?"

"I don't know," Ace growled lowly as he continued cutting the ropes binding him.

"Where is it," Porchemy insisted, moving the coal closer to Sabo's skin.

"I said I don't know, damn it!"

"Where. Is. It," he repeated, the coal so close now that the orange glow shined against Sabo's skin and made the boy squirm uncomfortably. Regardless, Sabo looked at him from the corner of his eye, a silent demand in his gaze. Ace knew that Sabo still wanted him to keep his mouth shut.

Ace grit his teeth, conflict warring inside him. He needed to be free, he needed to fight, he needed to save the others.

You need to burn bright. You need us. We can help you, we can burn together.

The Fruit's voice had continued throughout the torture, enticing Ace, calling to him, making promises of vengeance and justice through fire. Ace had been trying to ignore it but the voices just got louder and louder until it rattled around his head like an echo chamber.

"You think I won't do this, kid," Porchemy threatened.

"It…doesn't…matter…what…you do…to…me," Sabo gasped out.

"Oh really?"

Sabo seemed to gather all of his strength then before he hawked bloody saliva straight into Porchemy's eye.

"You won't win! Men like you can never win!"

"What? Are you crazy," Spiky exclaimed in disbelief.

"Kid's got a fucking death wish," Mustache muttered.

Ace gasped at Sabo's strong will, his conviction, the fire blazing in his eyes despite the mess of his body. Ace knew Sabo was strong, even though he called him weak every chance he got. Sabo had to be strong to deal with a monster like Ace, to want to spend time with him, to wish to be his friend. Sabo had to be strong to willingly choose to leave the life of nobility and become an urchin living on his own in Gray Terminal. This was a different kind of strength. Not physical strength, not the strength to win a fight or beat up somebody twice their size, but the strength to remain true to yourself no matter what, the strength to refuse to allow someone who was immoral and foul to win, the strength to refuse a monster in the face of their violence.

Part of him wanted to smack Sabo for being so stupid but most of him was taken up by a breathless feeling that he couldn't name. It gave him the renewed strength he needed to keep working on the ropes even as he felt the resistance around him growing more and more slack.

"I think what he's saying is that you can shove it up your ass! I'm not telling you anything! You can kill us now, we still aren't telling you shit!" Ace spat in defiance.

Porchemy chuckled then.

"Kill you? Not yet. I'm having too much fun for that. But that doesn't mean I can't make you wish you were dead."

With that, Porchemy pressed the coal against Sabo's face, drawing a shout of pain from him louder than anything else Sabo had uttered so far.

The sound of his scream coupled with the sizzling of his skin spurred Ace on further and he put as much of his strength as he could into cutting the ropes.

Sabo began thrashing violently, trying to escape the coal which was burning his face, the motion drawing a laugh from Porchemy.

Several things happened then in quick succession.

Ace finally cut through the last bit of rope keeping him secure to the ceiling.

Sabo thrashed with particular violence, throwing his head back away from the coal.

The ropes around Ace fell away, leaving him to drop down to the ground.

Sabo's top hat fell away from his head, revealing the Flame-Flame Fruit, which went rolling to the ground.

Both Ace and the Flame-Flame Fruit hit the floor.

Ace and the adults stared at one another for a moment before their eyes went to the Devil Fruit innocently rolling on the ground, coming to a stop a few feet away from Ace. The occupants stared at one another once more and then Ace and the lackies all lunged for it. The Fruit went rolling away from the grappling hands as Ace felt a hand grab his ankle to drag him back. He lashed out with a foot with as much strength as he could, hearing a pained grunt followed by a crash.

He scrambled towards the Fruit, stopping short as someone jumped onto his back, pressing him to the floor. He threw his head, connecting with someone's face. The person went slack enough for him to crawl out from under them and scuttle towards the Fruit.

Just as he got there, another hand reached down to pick it up.

Not them. We are not for them.

Ace didn't even think as he bit the hand holding the Fruit, trying to get them to drop it. The person began swinging their arm, trying to dislodge his jaw.

You are worthy. You can bear this power. You can help us burn.

Another person began kicking and punching his back and his head. He ignored it and focused on letting his teeth sink into the flesh of the person who had the Fruit in their hand.

They couldn't have it, they just couldn't.

We are not for them. They do not deserve to harness the flames.

"Fuck, kid! Just let go," Spiky ordered, swinging his hand more vigorously.

You deserve it. You will live aflame. We will help you fan the fires of freedom that live in your heart, the fires you inherited from the Mother, and your mother, and your father.

Ace felt his teeth losing purchase as Mustache kept hitting him, trying to get him off of Spiky.

You will burn just as every holder of the flame before you. You will shine your light upon the world. You will burn bright!

Ace grabbed Spiky's arm and readjusted, clamping down harder. He heard a crunch that didn't sound like flesh, at least not human flesh, and then felt something in his mouth. He didn't think about what it was, even as it slid down his throat. He focused on getting this man's hand off the Devil Fruit.

"Kid, enough!" Mustache ordered, stomping on Ace's foot.

He grunted in pain but still would not let go of Spiky's hand. Large hands grabbed his hair and started pulling him back. He stayed locked on and heard Spiky shouting in pain as Ace's teeth were dragged across his hand, bringing skin, flesh and blood with it until the hand was finally free of Ace's jaw and both the boy and Mustache went flying back from the momentum.

The two fell in a heap on the ground. Ace recovered first and scrambled away from the men into a corner of the hut. His mouth was full of viscera and blood. He grimaced in disgust and tried to spit it out, wiping at his lips vigorously as he looked up and took in the room.

Spiky was nursing his injured hand, the Devil Fruit held in his grip. Mustache was standing up, blood dripping from his lip as he dusted himself off. Porchemy was still standing by Sabo and the twins, an amused look on his face. Ace looked down and saw his knife was within reach. He lunged towards it and held it out in front of him threateningly.

"Oh no, looks like the kid found a toothpick," Porchemy noted, still amused.

Ace looked back at the Devil Fruit, wondering if he could charge Spiky before Mustache got to him. He didn't think he could and Porchemy was still too close to the others. Sabo looked like he had passed out while Uta and Luffy were still hanging limply.

Ace was free now, he had to be able to do something. He was strong, he was a monster and monsters could fight other monsters. These men were undoubtedly monsterous. These were the men who spent years hurting the orphans of the Terminal, the men who took Akane, the men who beat Sabo, Uta and Luffy. Ace would do something. He had to.

He eyed Spiky and the Fruit, trying to gauge the distance between them. He couldn't hear the Fruit any more which was a surprise, given how talkative it was a moment ago.

He gritted his teeth as he realized he was cornered and had nothing to bargain with. Even still, he sent a glare Porchemy's way.

"Let us go," he demanded.

"And why would I do that? I've got the Fruit now and I've got you brats where I want you. Soon as I finish off these three, I'll take you to Bluejam and let him decide what to do with you. Now enough games, boy. Submit," Porchemy ordered.

Ace felt a shiver go down his spine at the command of the alpha, his strong musky aroma spreading throughout the room, invading Ace's nostrils, trying to overpower his will and force him into submission.

This was not the first time Ace had been faced with an alpha's scent used in this way, the kind of scent used for control, for force, to show assertiveness and domination over others, but he still always felt off-kilter whenever their influence spread over him.

Ace was only a pup and had no secondary gender yet, his natural instincts wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball, show himself to be as small and non-threatening as possible and hope for the best. However, Ace had practice resisting alphas thanks to Gramps and Dadan.

Gramps' alpha scent was much stronger than this. Garp's felt like one of his large hands were physically forcing you to your knees, bodily making you subservient to his nature. Porchemy's influence was child's play by comparison.

Spiky and Mustache were both obviously affected, the two betas bowing their heads low and hunching into themselves to look smaller. Ace scoffed at them before he straightened his back and looked the pirate dead in his face.

"Fuck you," he spat at him venomously.

Spiky and Mustache's heads snapped up at that, their mouths dropping open. Porchemy blinked in surprise as well.

"What did you say?"

"Are you deaf? I'd never submit to you. I'm going to be the strongest pirate in the world. What the hell do I look like submitting to a guy like you? My grandpa's scent is 5 times stronger than yours and that old geezer is ancient. I don't submit to him, why the hell would I submit to you?"

"You really have a death wish, don't you," Porchemy commented, his voice heavy with disbelief.

Ace grinned wildly at him.

"Oh, you have no idea. I'm going to die one day because I'm a monster and I don't deserve to live. But neither do you and neither do they," he replied, nodding at the betas who were still bowing their heads in submission.

"But you're not going to be the ones to take my life. I owe it to people much stronger than you."

Porchemy narrowed his eyes at Ace.

"The day I get defeated by a kid is the day I stop being a pirate."

"Guess that day is finally here, huh," Ace replied, switching to his fighting stance.

"You don't understand, do you? If I don't kick your asses, Captain Bluejam's going to kill all of us."

"You think I value my life so much that I'd turn my belly and submit to you or Bluejam? I'd rather die first."

"And what about them? Do you value your friends' lives enough to submit?"

Porchemy stepped away from Sabo and moved over to Uta and Luffy. He placed a hand on each of their bloodied heads, drawing a tiny whimper from the twins.

"I could crush their skulls right now. All it would take is a squeeze. They're shutting down. They're not calling for help anymore, not laughing or making those stupid comments. They're close to the end, all three of them. Drop the knife and submit. I'll make all of their deaths quick."

"Go to hell," Ace replied through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, that's probably where I'm headed. But I'll see you there, won't I? Like I said, there's something inside of you. I can see it, lurking, dark, hungry. Something festering, something eating the light."

"You sound stupid. That doesn't even make sense," Ace replied flippantly, but his stomach turned as he felt anger and rage bubbling up inside of him at Porchemy's words.

The powder keg that always existed within him, just waiting for a moment to blow, was dangerously close to exploding.

"Maybe not to anyone else, but to you it does. That's why you're drawn to these three, right? Because that darkness in you is attracted to the light."

"Shut up," Ace ordered as his skin started heating up in his anger.

"Now it's finally killed them. They're only here because of you, you know?"

"I said shut up," he warned again, sweat beading on his forehead.

"And now you don't want to hear me because you know it's true. This is all your fault. You're right kid, you are a monster."

"Shut up!" Ace shouted.

All at once he felt like the dam had finally broken. The powder keg went off, the lid keeping his anger at bay flew off and with it Ace felt an intense rush of heat and fire and flames. Out came all of the pain and hurt, ten years of being alone, being forgotten, being abandoned and unwanted. Memories of scorn and hatred, of being told he wasn't enough, that he was a monster, that he didn't deserve to live, that he should've never been born. Visions of a mother he would never meet, a mother he had killed, a father who condemned him to a life of misery. Thoughts of his failures and how he could not protect Sabo, Uta and Luffy, their screams and pleas and their blood dripping to the floor in rivulets giving red proof of their pain and Ace's weakness. All of it welled up and Ace couldn't help but squeeze his eyes shut and let out an almighty scream.

As he shouted to the heavens, cursing the world for its cruelty, Ace BURNED BRIGHT.

Fire came out of him in a rush of air and flame, spreading out around him and expanding in the room with an almighty whoosh.

He heard glass breaking and wood groaning, the men shouting and things crashing around him as he continued to release a rage-filled scream, not bothering to restrain himself, not trying to stop the rage, the anger, the darkness and everything that came with it from leaking out of him. There were panicked voices and he was certain that the building was falling down around him but he didn't care, he didn't stop, he continued to burn.

Burn for his mother, killed before her time.

Burn for Sabo, who was brave and righteous in the face of evil.

Burn for Uta, who faced the worst of the world and still kept standing tall.

Burn for Luffy, who took every moment of life like a grand adventure.

Burn for Gramps, who cared in his own gruff way, who saved the life of a boy who was his enemy.

Burn for Dadan, who raised a demon and complained loudly about it but also tucked that demon in on occasion and fed him his favorites on his birthday and knocked out stronger men for trying to hurt him.

Burn for Akane and all the Terminal kids who never stood a chance against men like Porchemy, Bluejam and their ilk.

They deserved to burn along with the world and Ace saw no reason why they shouldn't, why he should stop, why he shouldn't let everything around him burn.

The Terminal was little more than the king and the nobles' callous nature made manifest. It should burn and force them to face the reality they wanted to keep locked behind these walls. He hoped the stench was so pungent they smelled it all the way in High Town, maybe even beyond the island itself. Let the world know that Dawn Island was hardly the jewel of the East but just another place where those in power were able to subjugate the people with impunity.

This whole island, no, this whole world deserved to BURN.

"Ace! Ace… you… you have to stop," a familiar voice shouted at him, as much as it could shout.

Luffy.

"The Terminal… all the trash… the fire's spreading too fast. It's too much," another small voice said, filled with fear.

Sabo.

Ace didn't stop, he couldn't stop. It all had to go. It all deserved to burn.

Burn bright, that's what the voice said and that's what Ace was going to do.

"Ace, please," Luffy begged.

It sounded wrong coming from him and Ace was briefly swayed but he couldn't stop… he just couldn't.

{When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark}

Uta's voice sounded sweet and gentle, a stark contrast to everything Ace was. He could hear fire crackling, hear it consuming all that was in its path. He could hear wet exhalations from the others.

They were all injured, beaten and bloodied and ruined. He should be getting them out of here, getting them home. He should be taking them back to Eudora's house with his tail tucked between his legs, ready to take whatever punishment would be doled out for taking the Devil Fruit and then consuming it, for dragging Luffy and Uta into this mess, for getting them hurt.

Shanks really would hate him now, he would have no choice. The omega pirate could be as benevolent as he wanted about their dead parents, but Luffy and Uta were different for him. Ace could see it in his eyes, could hear it in his voice, had witnessed it in his care for them. He knew, deep down, what it meant. Shanks had claimed them as his and Ace had nearly gotten them killed, maybe still would, just like he had killed Rouge. Shanks might forgive him one death, might rationalize that Ace was just a baby, but this was different. This would make Ace's life forfeit.

{At the end of the storm
There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark}

He squeezed his eyes tighter. He didn't want to see the aftermath of what he had done, he didn't want to see the results of his darkness, of his anger. If he opened his eyes, he would see everything inside of him made manifest and he was afraid of seeing the damage it had done.

{Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown}

His dreams were dead because Ace was going to die. He had led Sabo, Uta and Luffy straight into the belly of a beast and had gotten them beaten half to death. He didn't deserve the Portgas D name, he didn't deserve to carry on his mother's legacy. He was a monster, he was a murderer, he was a demon, and now he had the Devil Fruit to prove it. He deserved whatever fate Shanks, Buggy and Eudora came up with for him. He was—

His thoughts were abruptly cut off as he felt a small hand snake into his own, their fingers intertwining.

{Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone}

He felt a larger hand touching his shoulder, a familiar comforting steady weight. Sabo squeezed his shoulder lightly while Uta tightened her grip on his hand before Ace let out a sharp breath when a heavy weight went barreling into him, skinny arms wrapping around his torso in a hug.

"Please… please come back, Ace. We n—need you," Luffy mumbled into his stomach.

Ace's eyes flew open involuntarily at that and he found himself staring into Uta's eye. Half of her face was totally covered in blood with red dripping down the sides from the jaw-trap she had been forced into before. Her hair was now completely red thanks to all the blood. Her left eye was swollen shut but her right eye was soft and full of understanding and hope.

"Luffy's right. We do need you, Ace."

He glanced over at Sabo, who held a similar look on his bloody and burned face. His face, God, the left side of it was a red and melted mess. There was no way he would be able to see through that eye ever again. A swell of pure unadulterated guilt hit Ace even as he felt arms tighten around him. He looked down at Luffy who was still pressed up against him, his arms showing no signs of letting go.

All around them was fire. Ace looked out into the Terminal. The hut had been totally destroyed, reduced to nothing but smoldering wood and shards of glass. There were towers of flaming trash all around them as far as he could see. If he strained his ears, he could hear panicked screaming and shouts of terror in the distance. Terror caused by him.

"What…? How…?"

"The Devil Fruit, there's a chunk missing," Uta explained.

"When I bit Spiky's hand, I must've…" Ace trailed off, looking around again and noticing with a start that both Mustache and Spiky were lying amongst the rubble, unmoving. Mustache was buried beneath a fallen pile of trash, only half of him visible but it was clear that he'd been crushed under the weight. Spiky was smoldering and had a long shard of glass sticking out of his face. Both of them were dead, because of Ace. He had killed them.

His breath caught in his lungs and Luffy squeezed him tighter, clearly feeling it.

"Don't. Don't feel… guilty. They did that… to themselves," Sabo struggled to say as Uta nodded in agreement.

Ace spared the men another glance before shaking his head, turning his attention back to the others.

"Stop talking, Sabo. Save your strength. I need to get you guys out of here. We have to get back to Eudora's place so Hongo can fix you guys."

"But your adventure, your boat…" Luffy started.

"Screw the boat! You think I care about that right now?! Look around, look at what I did. I don't deserve to fulfill my dream, I don't deserve to reach my goal."

"Ace—"

"Don't bother, Princess. Right now, what's important is getting you guys out of here. The rest can wait."

Uta and Sabo didn't look pleased but didn't protest.

"Where's Porchemy," he asked, looking around for him as he slung Sabo's arm around his shoulder, a hard feat since Luffy still wouldn't let him go.

"He disappeared after the blast took out the hut. We haven't seen him," Uta replied, peeling her twin off of him and tucking him into her side. Luffy quickly switched their position so Uta's arm was slung over his shoulder, and he was taking most of the weight on her right side.

Ace looked down and noticed that Uta's right leg had a nasty burn on it. He had done that. He had hurt her. He was surprised he hadn't done worse than that considering his outburst, but that seemed to be the extent of the injuries caused by him. Ace wanted to help the twins walk too, but he needed to focus on Sabo. The blonde was the worst off out of all of them.

He spared a thought to Porchemy. Spiky and Mustache were douchebags who deserved to pay but Porchemy was worse. If anyone had to die, Ace would've rather it was him. He pushed the idea away and turned his attention back to the kids.

He glanced around, wondering which way to go. There was fire in all directions, spreading in record time, all of the trash serving as little more than kindling.

"I don't… suppose that… you… could…stop…the flames," Sabo asked.

"I didn't even mean to start them in the first place," Ace muttered in reply. The others were sweating profusely and coughing while wiping their watery eyes. Ace didn't feel any effects from the flames but that didn't mean he'd be immune forever.

"Let's go," he said, picking a random direction and leading the foursome that way.

He had no idea where they were going, which way safety was. The flames were everywhere and Porchemy was out there somewhere. The fire would likely attract attention and soon the police would be here. Ace doubted they'd be coming to help. Nowhere was safe, but that didn't matter.

Sabo, Uta and Luffy needed him. That was what mattered most. As for everything else, he'd take the punishment when it was time to and he'd do it without complaint. He owed his life to Shanks and Buggy, now more than ever, so he would get the kids out of here, alive even if not in one piece, and then he'd face his death without protest.

AN: The song Uta sings here is "You'll Never Walk Alone". The version I had in mind is the Lana Del Rey version.

I hope the violence didn't feel out of place here, I wasn't too sure how far I wanted to go with it but given the original material was pretty brutal, I didn't want to pull my punches. Let me know what you guys think.