The iron walls of the Marine ship loomed cold and unyielding, a stark contrast to the burning heat of the turmoil inside Ace's chest. Shackled in seastone cuffs, he sat silently in the dim brig, the faint rocking of the waves beneath doing little to soothe him. Marines stood guard outside the cell, their expressions stern but wary.

Ace's eyes, usually bright with defiance or determination, were dull. He stared at the floor, his thoughts a tangled mess of guilt and regret.

Siren... Marco...

The image of Siren whispering "I'm sorry" as she surrendered to Smoothie's iron grip replayed endlessly in his mind. Her pain, her fear, her anguish—it cut deeper than any blade. And Marco... the sight of him bleeding out on the beach, his life slipping away. Ace clenched his fists, the seastone biting into his skin.

"I failed them," he murmured to himself, the words like ash on his tongue. His mind was on loop.

...

The heavy gates of Impel Down creaked open, the oppressive heat of the infamous prison washing over Ace as he was escorted inside. He didn't resist as the guards roughly pushed him forward, his body moving on autopilot. The haunting screams of prisoners echoed down the halls, but Ace barely registered them.

He was led to a dark, damp cell in Level 6, the worst of the worst. The moment the door slammed shut behind him, he sank to the floor, resting his head against the cold wall.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, tears stinging his eyes.

But Ace wasn't alone for long.

"Oi, Ace!"

The familiar voice broke through his haze, and Ace's head shot up. There, on the other side of the bars, stood Luffy, bruised but grinning like a madman.

"L-Luffy?" Ace croaked, disbelief coloring his tone.

"Yep, it's me!" Luffy said, his hands gripping the bars. "Told you I'd come get you, didn't I?"

Ace's heart clenched painfully. "Luffy... you idiot. You shouldn't be here."

"Of course I should!" Luffy's grin didn't falter. "You're my brother. I'm not letting them take you without a fight."

And for the next few hours, Luffy stayed close to Ace's cell, his chatter a constant stream of energy that clashed sharply with Ace's silence. Luffy spoke of his crew, of the adventures they'd had since they parted ways, and of how they'd come all this way to rescue him.

But Ace barely responded. His mind remained trapped in that nightmarish loop of failure.

Finally, Luffy fell silent, leaning his forehead against the bars as he stared at his brother.

"Ace," he said quietly, "you're not acting like you. What's wrong?"

Ace laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. "What's wrong? Luffy, everything is wrong. I failed. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't protect anyone."

Luffy frowned. "That's not true—"

"It is true!" Ace shouted, his voice cracking. He slammed his fist against the wall, his body trembling. "I dragged Siren into this. I made Marco fight for me. And now... now Siren's gone, and Marco's probably..." He couldn't finish the sentence, the lump in his throat choking him.

Luffy stared at him, his eyes wide and brimming with emotion. "Ace, you don't know that. Siren's tough, and Marco... he's the Phoenix, right? He'll be okay."

Ace shook his head. "You don't understand. I saw them. I saw them break because of me."

Luffy was quiet for a moment, then he gripped the bars tighter. "You're wrong about one thing," he said firmly. "It's not your fault. Siren and Marco—they care about you. They'd fight for you no matter what. Just like I would."

Ace's breath hitched, and he looked up at Luffy, his vision blurring.

"So don't give up," Luffy continued, his voice steady and filled with conviction. "Because if you do, then everything they've done for you will be for nothing."

The words struck something deep inside Ace, a small flicker of hope igniting in his chest.

...

As Luffy was eventually dragged away by the guards, his final words echoed in Ace's mind.

"I'll get you out of here, Ace. No matter what."

Ace sat alone in the dark cell, his thoughts quieter now, though the pain in his heart still lingered. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Luffy's right. I can't give up. Not yet.

Even as the cold walls of Impel Down seemed to close in around him, Ace clung to that tiny spark of hope. For Siren, for Marco, for Luffy—he would hold on.

...

The oppressive heat and stench of Impel Down became Ace's constant companion. Time blurred, marked only by the slow drip of water from cracks in the stone above. His muscles ached from the tight seastone shackles, and his mind was a battlefield of guilt and grief.

But he wasn't allowed to sit with his despair for long.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, slow and deliberate. Ace looked up from where he sat, his body tense. A shadow loomed at the cell door, and when the torchlight caught the figure, Ace's stomach turned.

It was Shiryu of the Rain, the former Head Jailer, now aligned with Blackbeard. His cold eyes glinted with malice as he leaned casually against the bars, his blade resting on his shoulder.

"Portgas D. Ace," Shiryu drawled, his voice a low rumble. "You look like hell."

Ace glared at him but didn't respond.

Shiryu smirked, twirling his blade lazily. "Not in the mood to talk? That's fine. I'm here to do the talking." He crouched down to meet Ace's gaze, his expression darkening. "Do you know what's happening out there? What's happening to the people you care about?"

Ace's fists clenched, the seastone cuffs biting into his skin.

"Your Phoenix," Shiryu continued, his tone mocking. "I heard he didn't put up much of a fight. Bled out like a wounded bird, all because he tried to saveyou."

Ace's breath hitched, the words cutting deeper than he expected.

"And Siren..." Shiryu leaned closer, his smile widening. "She's quite the catch, isn't she? Smoothie seems to think so. I hear she's enjoying every second of her time with her new 'guest.'"

Ace surged forward, his body trembling with rage. "Shut up!" he roared, but Shiryu only laughed.

"Oh, hit a nerve, did I?" Shiryu said, standing back up. "Face it, Ace. Everyone who gets close to you ends up dead or worse.You're a walking curse."

Ace slumped back, his head hanging low. The words echoed in his mind, feeding the guilt that already consumed him.

...

Later that night, Ace sat in silence, staring at the floor. Shiryu's words replayed over and over in his mind, each one a dagger to his soul.

"Marco... Siren... I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Ace?"

The familiar voice startled him, and he looked up to see Luffy once again at the bars of his cell, his face concerned.

"What are you doing here?" Ace asked, his voice hoarse.

"I told you," Luffy said with a determined grin, "I'm not leaving without you."

Ace shook his head. "You should go, Luffy. I'm not worth it."

Luffy frowned, stepping closer. "What are you talking about? You're my brother!"

"I'm a curse, Luffy!" Ace shouted, his voice cracking. "Everyone who cares about me gets hurt. Marco's dead. Siren's..." He couldn't finish the sentence, his chest heaving with emotion.

Luffy's expression softened, and he reached through the bars, grabbing Ace's shoulder. "That's not true," he said firmly. "Marco's not dead. Siren's not gone. You don't know what's happened to them yet."

Ace looked up, his eyes glistening. "But what if they are? What if Shiryu's right?"

Luffy shook his head. "Shiryu's an idiot. He doesn't know anything. And even if he's right, we'll still fight to fix it. That's what we do, Ace."

Ace stared at his brother, the unwavering determination in Luffy's eyes like a lifeline. Slowly, he nodded, the smallest spark of hope rekindling in his chest.

...