Chapter Text
Ace shivers as he wakes up, opening his eyes to see the dull colors of Impel Down surrounding him. He shifts in his chains, grunting slightly as spikes of pain shoot up his back. The injuries that Teach had caused flare up as Ace tries to relieve the pain in his back, and Ace gives up trying to find a more comfortable position, slumping back in his chains.
He closes his eyes, hoping to fall back asleep when memories flash before his eyes. He scrunches his eyes shut tighter, trying futilely to ward the memories away.
Thatch…
Fine trembles wrack Ace’s body as he is once again reminded of his brother - of his death (of Ace’s failure). He sees Marco’s face, mouth opened wide in shock, denials spluttering out of his lips. He sees Izo’s tears, makeup running wildly, caused both by the rain and the tears running down his cheeks. He remembers his Pops’ face, devastation marring every feature even as his haki roared in anger. He remembers his own anger, and how it had overruled everything – even his own common sense and the cries of his crewmates.
And now I’m here, he thinks bitterly, reminded of his “accommodations” as the chains around his wrists restrict his movements. Teach had done him in, and he curses the devil fruit that had started the entire thing (the devil fruit that caused Thatch’s death). Without that devil fruit, Thatch would still be alive. Without that devil fruit, Ace wouldn’t be stuck here, slated for execution. Without that devil fruit, Ace wouldn’t be about to leave his brother alone.
Though, Ace thinks wryly, at least I got to see him before all this happened.
Luffy will be so mad at him, Ace knows, but he also knows that Luffy will be fine. He’s resilient, and strong, and he has his crew. Pride fills Ace as he remembers the people Luffy had surrounded himself with. He has a good crew, and Ace knows they will be there to pick up the pieces after Ace dies.
(Ace desperately ignores the fact that he had promised Luffy not to die after Sabo’s death; how that had been the only thing able to bring Luffy out of his slump.)
He’s just about to drop back into a fitful sleep when the sound of the elevator arriving at Level 6 rings throughout the level, bringing him back to alertness. He keeps his head bowed, peering through the hair hanging over his eyes as footsteps ring throughout the level.
The footsteps continue on until they stop right in front of Ace, and a figure is unceremoniously shoved through the doors. They are forced into a sitting position, chains being wrapped around their chest. The guards finish chaining them down, and the resident Jailer Beast brings its club down on the prisoner’s head in the ceremonial hit. The prisoner lets out a grunt of pain as the guards vacate the cell and walk away.
Ace keeps his head bowed as the footsteps fade. Once the last echoes of the steps trail off, Ace chances a glance at the new prisoner, doing a double take as he notices who exactly it is.
“Jinbe?!”
The fishman raises his head and nods to Ace, who is staring at him in shock. “Hello, Ace-san.”
“What the hell are you doing here?!” Ace scans his friend for injuries, finding none that are prominent, other than the obvious ones that were just left on his head. Memories flash through his head of their first fight, five days and five nights of non-stop fighting, and the friendship that had bloomed after Ace had finally accepted his place on his crew. Jinbe swung by frequently, both as an official representative of his island, but more often than not, as a friend. Ace and he had grown close after their rough start, and dismay fills Ace at the thought of his friend being stuck here with him. What the hell is he doing in this hell?!
Anger flashes across Jinbe’s face, and he says tightly, “I refuse to fight a war against your crew. You all have done too much for my island and for me, and I will not betray that by agreeing to this foolishness.”
“War?” Ace breathes out, dread creeping its way up his throat. He had considered it, of course. The Whitebeards are famous for not letting anyone get away with taking one of their own, and Ace is no exception. But fighting the entire government? Fighting the world? Just for Ace?
…is he really worth that?
Unknowing of Ace’s internal turmoil, Jinbe continues, “Yes. The news has not been released yet, but I have no doubt that your crew will refuse to allow this to happen, and I refuse to stand in the way of that.”
Bile rises in Ace’s throat as he thinks about the danger his crew would be in if they came to save him. Countless scenarios race through his head, with the outcomes getting worse and worse as Ace gets further and further into his own head. If anyone gets hurt trying to rescue me, I will never forgive myself, Ace thinks to himself as he bows his head. Please, guys, I’m not worth it!
Ace can tell Jinbe is staring worriedly at him. Ace wants to reassure him, but the thoughts running through his head prevent him from coming up with any sort of reassurance. Thoughts of what could happen if his family goes to war for him haunt him, fear choking him as he thinks of how many could die.
Jinbe sighs and turns away, and Ace closes his eyes, trying desperately to fight the images of his family dying from his mind.
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“Did you hear about what happened at Enies Lobby?”
Ace startles as Jinbe speaks. They’ve been sitting in silence for a while, Ace continuing to worry about his crew, and Jinbe not interrupting his brooding (until now, that is). He looks up to find Jinbe staring at him, awaiting an answer to his question.
“…no, I must have been fighting Teach already at that point,” Ace says warily. “What happened?” The government stronghold is known for being one of the pillars of the World Government, and almost nothing of note had happened since Ace has been at sea. What could have happened that gained Jinbe’s attention?
Jinbe, surprisingly, chuckles as he opens his mouth to answer. “This crazy rookie upstart’s crew attacked Enies Lobby to get Nico Robin back.” Ace gapes in shock at him.
He splutters, “Seriously?!” Who the hell would be crazy enough to invade Enies Lobby for a single crewmate?! Especially a rookie crew? “Who was it?!”
“Straw Hat Luffy and his crew. I swear, those kids are so crazy…” Ace’s mind short-circuits has he processes what he just heard. Of course it would be him and his crew, Ace snorts internally. Of course.
He then shocks Jinbe by bursting out laughing, cutting off his explanation of what happened. Ace gasps for breath, trying to regain the composure to explain. He feels tears in his eyes from laughter, and his chest is aching from how much he’s laughing, the shaking doing his injuries no favors. Ace can’t bring himself to care at that moment.
“Luffy is-” Ace gasps, attempting to get his breathing back under control. “Luffy is my little brother!” Jinbe gapes at Ace, and his face just sends Ace off the deep end again. Ace doesn’t know why he was surprised at first. This kid was the one to hunt Ace down for three months, even with Ace trying to kill him. He let himself get tortured for him, for god’s sake. Of course he would attack Enies Lobby for a crewmate. He probably didn’t even care that it is a government stronghold, Ace thinks, the thought sending Ace into another fit.
“Your little brother?!” Jinbe still looks absolutely bamboozled, and Ace has to breathe deeply through his laughter a few times to regain his composure.
“Yeah, the reckless idiot is my little brother.” He never changes, Ace muses fondly. He then leans forward eagerly, catching Jinbe off guard as he says, grinning, “Tell me everything!”
Jinbe then spends the next few minutes catching Ace up on what he missed while he was in prison. Ace laughs throughout the whole story, thoroughly enjoying Jinbe’s interpretation of, in his words, “The recklessness of the younger generation.”
“Seriously, Ace, they’re even worse than you are,” Jinbe says exasperatedly as he leans his head back against the wall. And, really, Ace can’t argue with that.
“Luffy’s always been a crazy little shit,” Ace chuckles as his memories turn back to how they first met. Ace isn’t proud of it, but his decision to spit on Luffy was the start of something amazing. Though, Ace thinks fondly, there are definitely better ways to start a relationship.
“What was he like when you were younger?” Jinbe asks, looking strangely intent as he stares at Ace. Ace stares back at him for a moment, before leaning his head back against the cell wall and smiling. Memories of him, Luffy, and Sabo running through the forest flash before his eyes, and nostalgia fills him. The months that the three of them spent together are Ace’s most treasured memories.
He grins, shaking his head and chuckling as he says, “Well, I guess if I’m going to talk about him as a kid, I should talk about my twin first.”
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I’m really sick of this fucking prison, Marina groans internally as she and her partner patrol the passageways of Impel Down. She’s been stationed in Level 6 for just over five months, and been stuck at Impel Down for almost two years now, and the constant sounds of torture are really bringing her down.
Their duty is to patrol Level 6 five times a day, and since each patrol takes at least an hour, it’s not the most entertaining of jobs. She has to admit that there are worse places to be stationed, though. She shudders as she imagines what it must be like being stationed in Level 4, a sudden sense of gratefulness rushing through her.
No, I’ll stick with monotony over the suffocating heat and constant smell of burning skin, thank you very much, she decides.
Though, if the company was better, maybe she wouldn’t be as bored. Marina glances to her left, to see her partner scanning the hallways around them. Nathan is pretty much the definition of a typical guard, all no-nonsense personality and dull demeanor. He’s always the one reminding her to stay on task, not get distracted, always be paying attention, etc. Which is probably what she should be doing right now, but she can’t be bothered to care.
“…worse than you are!” Marina perks up as she hears the faint echoes of a conversation happening down the hallway to her left. She glances at Nathan, and sees that he is glancing that way too. They share a look and Nathan is already saying-
“No.”
Marina pouts, saying, “It’s Level 6! No one will escape from here! We can spare two minutes to listen to their conversation!”
“But-”
“No one will know! Plus, I bet they’ll say some compromising things that we can take back to Magellan,” Marina says mischievously. Nathan pauses in his ranting, a considering look appearing on his face. He then turns promptly on his heel and heads down the hallway he had been poised to abandon.
Marina stifles a snicker and follows after him. Nathan is a sucker for finding out compromising information, and Marina feels no guilt in taking advantage of it to alleviate her boredom.
They stop at the last turn before their specific cell block, and Marina crouches down and sticks her ear as close to the edge as possible to listen.
“…always been a crazy little shit.” Marina turns towards her partner and mouths, ‘Fire Fist?’ He nods in confirmation, and if Marina’s attention wasn’t already piqued, it sure was now. Fire Fist Ace is the most high-profile prisoner at the moment, so he’s sure to have interesting stories.
“What was he like when you were younger?”
“Do you know who they’re talking about?” Nathan mutters to her, leaning in close to her ear. Marina shakes her head and shushes her partner as Fire Fist starts talking again.
“Well, I guess if I’m going to talk about him as a kid, I should talk about my twin first.”
Marina and Nathan freeze and slowly turn to stare at each other. The implications of this news race through Marina’s brain, and she can already sense the headache that the Fleet Admiral will have when he finds out about this.
(Part of her laughs in vindictive glee at the thought.)
There is a pregnant pause in the air, and Marina faintly thinks, compromising information indeed. She and her partner break the silence in the only reasonable manner.
“WHAT?!”
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“Your twin?!”
Ace laughs at the look on Jinbe’s face. “Yeah, his name was Sabo.” Ace watches Jinbe’s face contort briefly, and he knows he noticed the past tense. “He was my opposite in pretty much every way,” he snickers. “I was very loud and brash-”
“Was?” Jinbe cuts in.
Ace chuckles, “Okay, yeah, I still am loud and brash, but I was even worse back then. Sabo was calm and collected most of the time, though he definitely still had his moments,” he mutters under his breath. “He was also always the one that came up with the plans. I didn’t have the patience for it.”
“I remember the very first time we met, he saved my ass from a bear,” Ace continues nostalgically, leaning his head back against the wall.
He remembers it like it was yesterday. Ace had been five years old and was just learning how to fight, and he was overwhelmed (though he was loathe to admit it) by a bear he was fighting. A paw was slashing down towards his face, and Ace had just about accepted that he was about to die when this body comes and shoves Ace out of the way.
“Wha-” Ace crashes into the ground, grunting as the other kid lands on top of him. The kid quickly jumps up, brushing himself off (and who the hell wears a cloak in a forest?) and turns to face Ace.
“Run, you idiot!” The kid yells, hands on his hips and scowling. Ace ignores him and stands, turning around to face the bear again.
“I never run!”
The kid stares at him dumbfoundedly before swearing and grabbing a stick that was nearby and joining Ace in charging at the bear. Weirdo, Ace thinks as the kid attacks the bear, why are you helping? The kid gets batted back easily, but his attack allows Ace to jump in and hit the bear in the temple with his pipe. The bear sways before crashing down onto the ground. Ace grins at the kid before remembering that he shouldn’t trust him. He scowls, putting back on his suspicious persona.
“Who are you?” Ace had never seen this kid before. Why would he even try to help him? “Why did you help me?”
The kid gives him a look. “Are you an idiot? You were about to get killed!”
“I was fine!”
“You were about to get claws to the face?! How is that ‘fine’?!”
“I would have figured something out!” Ace snapped before turning his back on the kid. “I’m taking this,” Ace throws over his shoulder as he drags the bear along with him. The kid glares balefully at Ace’s back before huffing and walking off in the other direction.
“We kept running into each other after that point. I later learned his name, and we got closer and closer over the course of five years.” Ace regales Jinbe on the tales of his and Sabo’s (and later, Luffy’s) escapades. He talks about how Sabo was the first person Ace was ever able to fully rely on, and how he taught Ace the meaning of trust. He talks about how he met Luffy; his bright personality and contagious laugh, and how Luffy taught him what it was like to be loved unconditionally. He talks about their adventures in High Town, and how the three swore brotherhood with each other.
“Wait,” Jinbe interjects, “does that mean you and Sabo aren’t actually blood-related?”
Ace paused before laughing. “Oh, yeah, I never clarified that, did I. No, I call him my twin because of this one lady who used to visit me where I lived.” Ace leans his head back against the wall, grinning as nostalgia fills him once again.
Makino has always been a presence in Ace’s life. He remembers her coming up the mountain every so often, bringing clothes for him and booze for the bandits. She was always kind to him, but he was jaded, even that far back, and refused to let himself get close to her. She tried, he knows she tried, but she simply wasn’t around enough for him to truly trust her and let himself be himself around her.
However, that all changed when Luffy came along. Luffy broke down the walls to Ace’s heart, and Makino was finally allowed to make her way in. She still brought clothes every time she came by (which was much more frequent than before as Luffy was no longer holding her down in Foosha). Ace and Sabo grew closer and closer to Makino as time went on, and he remembers the fateful conversation that had happened soon after he, Luffy, and Sabo had sworn brotherhood.
“Brothers, huh?” Makino says while smiling, measuring out Ace’s new clothes. Ace usually still blushes somewhat while getting fitted, but this time he’s smiling brightly as he remembers the pact they had sworn a few days ago.
“Yup!” Ace says, sharing a grin with Sabo, who is standing next to him, waiting his turn. Ace feels warmth fill him at the sight of his brothers. Unconditional love was something foreign to Ace, but these two had broken down his walls and made themselves at home in his heart. He snickers as Luffy, next to him, gets scolded by the mayor, him and Sabo sharing a fond look and laughing at Luffy’s fake-remorseful face.
“I’m happy for the three of you,” Makino smiles softly, nudging Ace off to the side and motioning Sabo forward. “Have you figured out who’s the oldest?”
Ace and Sabo freeze, slowly turning to stare at each other. “…Have we really never told each other our birthdays?” Sabo asks in disbelief.
Ace crosses his arms and says grumpily, “I don’t like my birthday, so it’s not like it matters. Why do we even need to know who’s oldest?” It was the day his mother died, Ace remembers. He wants nothing to do with it.
Sabo gave him a considering look, then said, grinning, “Well, if you refuse to tell me your birthday, I guess that makes me the oldest one!”
Ace turned around fully, snapping, “How does that make sense?! I’m definitely the oldest! I’m tallest!”
“Well I’m more mature!”
“I’m a better fighter!”
“Um, excuse me, we were even yesterday!”
“Yeah, ‘cause you distracted me by saying Luffy got hurt!”
“Oh, so you’re a softy, is that what you’re telling me?”
“Get over here!” Ace tackles Sabo, causing them both to go rolling across the dirt. Luffy, noticing his brothers having fun without him, laughs in glee and jumps on top of the both of them, causing Ace and Sabo to splutter and grunt.
“Luffy, don’t do that!” Sabo coughs out.
Luffy pouts, saying, “Ace and Sabo were having fun without me! I wanted to join in!”
Ace and Sabo shared a fond look before dragging Luffy over, Ace saying, “We were fighting, Luffy, not playing.”
“What were you fighting over?” Luffy’s innocent gaze stares both of them in their eyes, imploring them to tell him.
“I’m definitely the oldest brother.” Sabo stuck his tongue out at Ace, laughing as he dodges the rock Ace threw at him.
“No, I am!”
“No, me!
“No, me-”
“Why don’t both of you be the older brother?” All three heads turn over to Makino, who smiles as she sees the befuddlement on their faces. She comes over, and crouches down in front of them.
“We can do that?” Ace says uncertainly, looking over at Sabo, who has a look of contemplation on his face.
Makino smiles as she pats both of them on the head. “You’ve heard of twins, right?” She waits until the both of them nod before saying, “Who cares that you weren’t born to the same parents? You’re brothers already, so why not call yourselves twins?”
Ace looks over at Sabo, who stares right back. Ace says, “Twins, huh? I kinda like the sound of that.” I’ve never had a twin before, Ace marvels. It sounds like home.
Sabo laughs before saying, “Yeah! We have to use your birthday, though,” Sabo says mischievously. Ace gapes at him in shock.
“What, why?!”
“You can’t hate your birthday if it’s my birthday, too, right?” Sabo grins as Ace flushes. Ace admits it is a good plan, but damn Sabo for reading him as well has he did. Ace lets it go, though, and grins, clasping his hand with Sabo’s.
“January first it is, then.” Then, he and Sabo squawk as Luffy laughs in glee and tackles them both again, leading to yet another play-fight.
“So yeah, I call him my twin because of a stupid argument we had as children in front of Makino,” Ace snickers. No matter how stupid the beginnings, though, it had meant a lot to Ace to share that day with someone.
(Even if it didn’t last that long.)
“Eventually, though,” Ace frowns as memories flash in his mind, “…Sabo had to go back to his family.”
“His family?”
“Yeah, he was originally a noble.” Ace chuckles humorously and shakes his head. “His father saw him one day while we were in High Town and eventually tracked us down. He threatened me and Luffy, and Sabo went back with his father to protect us.”
Jinbe frowns, and said, “I’m so sorry, Ace-san. That must have been so hard.”
“That wasn’t even the worst part!” Ace bursts out before slumping. God, why am I even talking about this? Ace thinks sardonically. All this is doing is bringing back the hurt. Yet, he forces himself to finish the tale, saying, “…a lot happened, I’m not going to go into it right now. But we found out three days later that Sabo had tried to set out to sea, but ran into a Celestial Dragon.”
Jinbe’s eyes widen as he processes what that means. “You mean…” he trails off.
“He got fucking blown up,” Ace chokes out as he bows his head. He had gone out to sea the next day, stealing a rowboat from Makino, trying to find any trace of his brother. He couldn’t find anything, not even Sabo’s stupid hat.
After hours of searching, he went back to Dadan’s and locked himself in his room. Luffy was distraught, Ace remembers. I could’ve helped him so much more…His younger brother didn’t eat for days, and Ace remembers having to remind him for weeks after the fact. Luffy only started eating again after Ace promised not to die.
(Yet another promise Ace will fail to keep.)
“I’m so sorry, Ace.” Jinbe still looks distraught, and Ace feels a little guilty for putting that look on his friend’s face.
“It was a long time ago,” Ace says. “I’ve gotten over it, though I’ll always miss him.”
Ace then bows his head, thinking back to the times when he was with his brothers, wild and free. Jinbe takes the cue for what it is and quiets, their conversation ending.
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Marina stands in shock as the conversation closes, and slowly edges away from the cell block, walking back in the direction of the elevator. Well, I’m really glad I sent Nathan away, Marina thinks blankly as she processes what she had heard. It had taken a fight, but Marina had managed to convince him that they needed to spread the news that Fire Fist has a twin brother.
“This is big news, Nathan! You know how much stock the marines put in blood!” Marina hisses at her partner. “You need to go run up to Level 4 to tell Magellan! You know the marines will want to capture him!”
“Why do I have to do it?! Can’t we just call it in?” Her partner argues, clearly not wanting to miss the rest of this conversation.
“This information is too sensitive! Will you just listen to me for once and go?”
“Fine, I’ll go. This is way too important for you anyway,” he scoffs before turning on his heel and walking off.
“Good riddance, asshole,” she mutters after he turns the corner, shifting her attention back to the conversation at hand.
“I’m so glad I sent him away,” Marina repeats aloud, running now that she’s out of range of hearing of the cells.
She reaches a wall and slides a stone back into the wall, and then turns the revealed switch, causing a hidden door to open. She then dashes through, closing it behind her. Marina climbs the many sets of stairs before finally reaching another door. She knocks a pattern onto it, waiting for a person on the other side to open it.
“Come on, come on, come on,” she chants as she taps her foot impatiently, pacing from side to side. “Could it really be him? It fits…from what I know, it very well could be him…” she trails off.
“I don’t remember my childhood,” A gap-toothed grin flashes in her head, the echoes of the voice of one of her closest friends ringing in her ears. “But that doesn’t matter. I have all I need here now.” She had drawn him into a hug anyway, not even being able to imagine what it would be like to lose her memories in the way he had.
Now, she is really glad he had seen fit to tell her his story. “Seriously, how long does it take to open a freaking door?” she curses, running a hand through her hair agitatedly.
Finally, the door opens, drawing her from her memories. She dashes through, barely waiting until there was a gap large enough. She tosses a “Sorry!” over her shoulder at the poor soul that was knocked over by her, then rushes towards the front of the room. She heads towards the door where the sounds of a party are coming from, and slams it open. She breathes deeply for a second before calling out to her old mentor.
“Iva-san, I need to use your transponder snail!”