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What could he do? Should have been a rock star
(But he didn't have the money for a guitar)
Luffy couldn't believe his eyes. This couldn't be real. After everything he's been through, he couldn't save his friends, he almost died in Impel Down, and when he finally makes it to Ace, his brother is protecting him. The world freezes, and everything feels slow. His body shuts down, and all the pain and fatigue from the battle set in as he watches Ace fall forward. He tries to hold him together, maybe if he wraps his arms around Ace as tightly as he can. Maybe he can put him back together.
He feels something wet streaming down his face, and he's begging Iva, screaming at him to fix Ace just like he fixed him. “Even I can't fix that, dearie..” “WHY?! WHY CAN'T YOU? WHY ISN'T ANYONE MOVING? Ace..it’s okay. I'll fix you..” Luffy shakes his head as tears pour down his face even harder. Why isn't anyone helping Ace? His screams feel so loud, and yet everything is quiet. He can see Akainu stalking towards him when Jinbei starts fighting with the man who murdered his brother. He's never been the type to want to murder people, even if they're bad; he wants everyone to have a second chance, but for this man, he doesn't know if he deserves a second chance. How could anyone get a second chance when they are okay with killing someone just because of their blood???
He can see Garp being held down by that afro guy. If Ace was his grandson as much as he claimed, then why isn't he helping Luffy? His brother is dying, and no one is even trying to save him. Luffy's hands are covered in blood, and they're shaking as he desperately tries to scoop Ace's blood back into his body. If no one else will help him, then he'll do it himself. He can't fail here, not when they were so close to escaping, not when he hasn't even told Ace how much he loves him. He never got to tell Sabo how much he loved him, and now Ace will be joining him, and why does he have to live without the two people who mattered the most to him?
What could he do? Should have been a politician
(But he never had a proper education)
Everyone was gathered and handed newspapers, apparently, it was announcing some unfamiliar pirate’s death. When Sabo was handed the paper, he studied the face hard; the slight smirk felt familiar. Why was his heart pounding so loud in his ears? His breathing became ragged the more he stared at the picture. For ten long years, Sabo couldn't remember who he was or where he came from; he only really knew his name, but now, as he looks down at that face, ten years of memories come crashing back into the blonde.
His hands feel unsteady as they tighten around the paper, and fuck, he can't breathe. Sabo knows this isn't some dangerous pirate, no, it's his brother. It's his Ace. His tears are covering Ace's smiling face as he reads and rereads that he's dead. “It says right here…that Akainu tore right through Ace's body.” He screams so loud when he hears that bit of information that everyone is frozen in place as they watch their chief of staff, second in command to Dragon, toss all the newspapers off the table. Copies of Ace’s face flutter to the ground as Sabo grabs his head and collapses onto the floor. His brother is dead. He didn't even get a chance to try to rescue him; he remembered his brothers too late. All the love he has for both Luffy and Ace, and he didn't remember them both until it was too late. His whole world came crashing down again in his life. His throat feels raw as he passes out.
Sabo wakes up screaming, which startles Koala. Hack only tells him that he's been asleep for three days, and he had an impossibly high fever. He feels numb as he listens to Koala begging him not to leave the Revolutionaries, and how she thought he was gonna die. Instead, he lifts a hand to his throbbing head, “I'm not leaving…but is Dragon around? I need to speak with him. I have a favor to ask.” If he couldn't save Ace, then he knew that he had to work harder and faster. Ace's Devil Fruit would be back out there and he needed to be the one to carry on his legacy. He needed to ask Dragon if he could go with Koala and Hack on their mission. Maybe, if fate was kind to him, he could see Luffy and tell him how much he missed and loved him.
What could he do? Should have been a father
(But he never even made it to his twenties)
Ace never thought that his father's actions would catch up to him. He is Portgas D. Ace, the second in command of the Whitebeard Pirates! He should've listened to Pops and Marco when they begged him not to chase after Blackbeard alone. He never thought he would be defeated and chained up like some common criminal. Yes, he was a pirate, but the Whitebeard Pirates are good people! He also thought that by taking his mother's name and being raised by mountain bandits and Garp, no one would suspect he was Gol D. Rogers’ son. He was okay with dying if it meant he could protect his real family, but he never expected to see Luffy and his crew running to his side. They were all fighting so hard to get to him; he wasn't worth the trouble. His voice felt raw as he yelled at everyone to stop getting hurt just for his sake! Luffy never did learn how to listen. Once he had his mind set, nothing could stop his brother from achieving his goal.
Luffy and Ace were running away from the battle raging on behind them. He was going to get out of here, and then he could properly thank everyone for sacrificing their lives for him. At least that's what he wanted to do. Instead, he pushed Luffy out of the way, taking the full brunt of Akainu’s fist. Ever since Sabo’s death all those years ago, Ace couldn't help but be extremely overprotective of Luffy; he lost one brother, and he couldn't bear the pain of losing Luffy too. Sabo wouldn't forgive him if he let Luffy die here. Ace always knew he wouldn't live long enough to see his or Luffy's dreams come true, but it was nice to dream about. His stupid kid brother risked his life to get here; he couldn't just let him die in a place like this. Ace was in so much pain, and then the pain just stopped. Akainu pulled his fist away from the gaping hole in his chest, and Ace fell into Luffy’s waiting arms.
He can hear Luffy begging for help, he can hear the fighting still going on, and the cries of his brethren. He never expected death to feel so calm and full of love; all these people loved him, and they were all here for him. He can feel Luffy’s tears on his face, “Luffy…it's okay..thank you…Thank you for loving me.” Death was always around the corner for Ace; he just never expected to be surrounded by so many people who cared about him. People who thought, ‘Hey, that guy is worth the trouble,’ people who didn't look at him like he was trash or disgusting just because he had Rogers' blood inside his veins. What a wonderful feeling, to be loved and to have loved. For someone like Ace, he was glad that he was able to love so many people. Ace really tried to fight to keep his eyes open, but he couldn't keep Luffy here anymore. With a smile on his face, Ace finally closes his eyes.
What a waste, army dreamers
Oh, what a waste of army dreamers