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Ace knew he wouldn’t make it in time. Luffy had gone down and he hadn’t noticed it as he had been too busy with Akainu. Only for the Mad Dog to leave him be and swerve around him to attack Luffy. Eyes widening, fear running through him as he realized that regardless of what he did now he would never make it in time.
Despite it all, he would have to stand there and watch as Luffy gets taken out in a war he had no business in being. Despite Ace being there, as he knew he was living on borrowed time. But Luffy, sunshine personified who had always been there when Ace hadn’t even been able to see the light at the end of it all, he didn’t deserve this.
“No, Luffy”, haki exploded out of him, like that one time on the Grey Terminal when Bluejam and his ilk tried to kill them. Only right now this wasn’t some thug but an Admiral he was up against. Even that was too weak, Ace was too weak.
Shaking his head, his hand outstretched, as Akainu gained on Luffy and his baby brother was too tired to move. He needed to try, he couldn’t break the promise he made Sabo, couldn’t let Akainu kill his brother when Luffy’s journey had only just begun.
A lava fist began its descent, and Ace was sobbing.
Not Luffy, not the little kid who had followed him for months on end. Who had taken everything Ace had thrown at him because being alone was worse than being hurt. Not this literal sunshine child who believed that Ace hung the moon and the stars. Who made sure that in his darkest moments Ace didn’t live for himself but for Luffy.
He screams, he knows he screams as he falls short. As his own body betrays him and he goes down. Forced to watch as Akainu descends on his baby brother and unable to do anything about it. His crew tried to help, but he had been closer. No one else would jump in between the blow, he knew that, but he had hoped that there would have been more people there to help.
“Luffy”, he screams one last time, as if it would help, only to hear the sound of Akainu hitting something but it isn’t flesh. There is no stench of burning rubber, no Luffy calling out. In fact, the whole of the battlefield seems to come to a standstill. No one speaks, no one moves, but Ace finds his footing and hurries forward.
The expectation is there still, to find that Luffy is dead.
Instead, what he sees in a ghost from the past. A man about his height dressed in blue and black with a white cravat around his neck. Wearing a tophat and wielding a pipe. A pipe he coated in haki and used to hold off Akainu’s attack.
Eyes widening, he doesn’t want to believe. But Luffy is looking just as shocked as he is. Hurt, no doubt more tired than he looks, but alive and that’s all that matters right now.
Ace is at his side in an instant, hefting him up in his arms and slinging him onto his back. Feeling laboured breathing against his neck as they are at a stand still with Akainu, the blond man still in between them and the Admiral. It’s something they had happened before, Sabo stepping in between as Ace tended to Luffy. It didn’t happen too often, but enough that after he died they would come to expect it still.
Licking his lips, Ace whispers, “Sabo?”
A twitch of his lips, before the blond is looking back, “Yo, Ace.” A cocky grin on his face, haki still holding strong.
Nothing more gets said, but it’s enough that he knows this is Sabo, their Sabo, the answers will come after. Right now they need to get off of the battlefield and preferably before the Marines realize what is going on.
Weak hands grasp his shoulders, “Ace… That is…”, Luffy’s voice sounds and Ace can only nod at that, “Yeah, it seems that not even death can keep him away when we’re in deep shit.”
The three of them laugh, before Akainu does snap out of his stupor and pulls his arm back to hit them again. Except the Whitebeard Pirates have made progress as well and suddenly Marco and Jozu are in front of them to take the blow.
Marco glances back, “Go, Ace, get one a ship -yoi.”
He hesitates for a moment before he reaches out to grasp Sabo’s hand on his own, turning and dashing towards the Moby Dick and the allies' ships. The hand he’s holding feels warm and right now that’s all he needs to keep going. His Spades close ranks as they make their way into the Moby Dick. Several others are already on deck.
As soon as he settles down, lets Luffy slide off of his back and looks on as Deuce takes over to bring him to the infirmary. Looking somewhat lost as Luffy does look like he’s been through hell and back. Swallowing, his heart freezes as he hears Pops call out, “Ace is on the Moby, get the hell out of here, all of you. This is my last order as Captain; get away from here, retain your freedom and make sure the Marines are reminded that we are Whitebeard Pirates another day.”
The whole of the crew cries out, with Ace sobbing as Sabo pulls him close to him. Letting Ace hide his head in his chest as he knows what this means. The sound of everyone getting to the ships and them leaving hurts. He knows what they mean, what this will symbolize, but he can’t help but feel like they’re betraying the man who called them Children.
“Pops”, he calls out, trying to stand and happy that Sabo is there to help him, “Come out to sea with us. Don’t let them kill you here, please.”
Part of him expects it to be useless, but then the other Commanders chip in, telling their father the same thing. Marco is crying, he can hear it in the way he speaks, and that has to be enough. Ace can see his Pops making his way towards the Moby, the Marines follow but they are brought to halt as Shanks appears with his crew. The redhead proclaims that those that still want to fight can fight him, but that he’s there to end the war.
The day caught up with him, making him sway on his feet. Sabo’s grip on his waist is the only thing that keeps him somewhat standing. But it isn’t enough, the last thing he hears as he tips over is his name being called by several people before he loses consciousness.
—
As he wakes up, the scent of antiseptic and the rough feel of the infirmary’s cots greet him. Groaning softly as he opens his eyes and finds Deuce and Marco at his side in an instant. The look of relief on both their faces is something that makes him smile sheepishly.
They both hug him, one on each side before they pull back and Marco slaps him around the head, “You utter idiot, you could have died there -yoi. If Sabo didn’t show up, things went differently…” He didn’t need to finish, both Marco and Deuce knew that he would have thrown himself in between that blow given the chance. They might be the only ones on board that knew how dark Ace’s thoughts could get at times.
Sighing, he leans back, “How is Luffy, and where is Sabo?”
Before Marco or Deuce can answer, Sabo enters the room, “Sabo was calling his own people to arrange a pick-up for Iva and the others. On top of that, I might have gone AWOL and Dragon was having none of it.”
Blinking, Ace tilts his head and hums, “You’re a rev? I mean, that kind of makes sense, but still doesn’t explain how you aren’t dead.”
Holding up his hands, Sabo comes closer to take a seat again. Grinning at Marco and Deuce, before handing the snail back to the other blond, “Thanks for this.”
Marco shakes his head, “We should be thanking you, Sabo -yoi.” Before he turns to Ace, “As for Luffy, he’s still alive and that’s all I can really say at the moment. He’d been put through the wringer in Impel Down and it’s a wonder and a half he didn’t collapse sooner. Ivankov shared that it had something to do with their devil fruit, hormone therapy or something, but it’s been flushed out of his system as much as we are able to -yoi. He’s being held under by medication, just to give his body time to heal.” He points at the far right bed, the one where there are curtains around and the steady beep of a heart monitor.
Relief courses through Ace, as he nods, “Thanks, Marco.”
Their head doctor huffs, “Don’t thank me yet, you’re not going anywhere until you had some more rest and I’m satisfied with the progress -yoi.:”
Pouting at that, even though he knows it’s for his own good, Ace settles back onto the pillows on his cot. Looking at Sabo with one eyebrow raised as if expecting the man to answer his questions now. He does, but he also wants to know what happened and with Luffy incapacitated he’s not willing to wait.
Sabo runs a hand over his face, “I was blown up, the Celestial Dragon arriving at Goa shot and hit my ship twice. Dragon fished me out of the water and I passed out not much later. The head trauma I got from that gave me amnesia and I didn't remember until I saw the article of Luffy punching a Celestial Dragon and the announcement of your execution. I had to do something.”
Reaching out to take Sabo’s hand in his, Ace nods, “You did. You were there when we needed you. You saved Luffy, from Akainu of all people. I… I was too far away and I was certain that I would have to look on as Luffy was killed.”
A tear runs over his cheek, which is when Sabo stands and settles on the edge of Ace’s cot to pull him close, “He is right here, Ace, Luffy is right here and that’s all that matters.”
But it’s like a dam has broken, Ace can’t stop crying. Everything that went on. All the events that lead up to this moment are catching up to him and he just needs a release. Sabo is there through it all. Keeping a hold of him and hugging him close. It feels weird, as he and Sabo never really hugged before, but it’s nice nonetheless.
He must have passed out again, but when he wakes up it’s to another body cuddling up to him, “Lu, you’re supposed to stay in bed until Marco clears you.”
Luffy just huffs, “He isn’t the boss of me, and I needed to see that you were ok.”
Opening his eyes fully, Ace sees Sabo at his side too. Sitting on the edge of the cot still with Luffy cuddled up to his other side. It’s something so small, especially as he reaches out his hand and Sabo takes it once more. The three of them are here, and they’re here to stay. Regardless of what happens now, at least they have each other once more. Pulling on Sabo’s hand until he also settles down on the cot (which isn’t easy as it isn’t made for three grown men), all curled up into each other. Memories of a simpler time in their treehouse coming back and that’s enough for now. That lets Ace fall back asleep with a brother on each side and his crew on the ship with him.
Despite it all, despite what comes next, he knows he’ll manage just fine with Luffy and Sabo at his side.