Chapter Text
"Anikiii!" the black-haired young man shouted, his eyes darting around the bizarre cave he had just randomly spawned into out of nowhere. To make matters worse, he was now separated from his brother.
"Aniki, where are you?!" Ace shouted again, pacing through the cavern. It was dark, but the glowing ice crystals embedded in the walls provided just enough light for him to see.
Ace frowned. He was supposed to be buying groceries for their ship. A chore that Thatch had originally assigned to Touya, but Ace had insisted on tagging along. He had claimed that Touya needed him so they could be the coolest flame-user duo, but really, spending time with his aniki was just fun. Their ages were closer than anyone else's on the Moby Dick. Only he and Touya were in their twenties.
Of course, Ace loved hanging out with Touya, even if Touya always complained whenever Ace clung onto him like a stray puppy. But what could he do? His brother was the coolest guy that he knew. Moreover, being the youngest in the crew, Ace loved being the center of attention. It really built up his ego perfectly.
When Ace joined the crew, Aniki never really said much to him. Of course that made sense...Ace was trying to kill Pops, after all, so it only made sense that Touya would want to be careful around him. But when he finally did open up to Ace, he glued himself to Touya's side whenever he could.
Being the youngest sibling was actually pretty great. Back home, he had been the oldest of the trio with Sabo and Luffy. After Sabo died, Ace was the one who had to constantly look out for their baby brother. But now, he got to be the youngest? Hell yeah.
Ace shook his head and pushed the thoughts from his mind as he continued on his quest to find Touya. This was an enormous cave and Ace was certain that he had gone a lot further in than he wanted to go. He swore softly. Then, Ace snapped his fingers and produced a little flame in the palm of his hand to light his path. He was just about to walk on when he heard bickering.
Ace moves closer.
"It's your fault we ended up lost," a voice grumbled.
A sharp click of a tongue followed, and then a second voice snapped back, "Excuse me? My fault?! You're the one who insisted on buying that freaking lipstick! How on earth is this my fault?!"
Ace frowned, but then his eyes widened in instant recognition. A grin brsnke across his face, and he ran toward the voices.
"HEY! GUYS!" Ace shouted out. He heard a sudden, startled squeak cut through the cave. As Ace stepped into view, the two figures spun around, their expressions instantly melting from panic into sheer relief.
"It's you, you bastard!" Haruta yelled, clenching his fists and waving them wildly in the air. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO YELL LIKE THAT?! YOU SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!" Ace just laughed.
Izo, however, frowned as he looked past Ace, scanning the dark cave.
"Ace, you're alone? Where's Dabi?" Izo asked.
Ace's laughter died instantly. "Uh, I don't know. I got separated from aniki," he said, his expression completely falling. "What the hell were you doing? You know it's a bad idea to let him wander off alone," Haruta hissed, poking a finger sharply into Ace's bare chest.
"I don't know! It wasn't my fault!" Ace protested, defending himself from the shorter commander. "We were just walking together, and then boom suddenly I'm here!"
Haruta just pouted, crossing his arms. "Well, the exact same thing happened to us," Izo stepped in, explaining their own situation. "We were in the middle of buying supplies when we were suddenly transported here." Izo sighed, slipping his fan out from his kimono and fluttering it slowly.
Haruta scoffed. "Yeah, because someone just had to buy lipstick," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Izo threw him a sharp glare. "I don't need a lecture from someone like you."
Ace just stood there, watching his brothers bickering. Honestly, Haruta and Izo were always like this. Half the time, Ace couldn't even understand why they were constantly at each other's throats, yet they still chose to stick together.
"Anyway, we need to find aniki!" Ace broke in, cutting off their argument. "We can't just leave him alone, or he's going to get kidnapped again!" Without waiting for a response, Ace stormed off to resume his search for Touya.
"Wait, you idiot! You'll just get lost on your own!" Haruta yelled, though he and Izo quickly trailed right behind him. They marched through the caverns until they rounded a sharp right corner and crashed directly into Namur, Vista, and Jozu.
The two groups stumbled back, everyone staring at each other in utter disbelief.
"You're here too?!" they all blurted out in perfect unison.
"What the hell exactly is happening here?!" Haruta yelled, gripping his hair in absolute frustration.
Izo pursed his lips, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the three newly arrived commanders. "Namur, Vista, Jozu... Weren't you three supposed to be back on the Moby Dick?"
Namur nodded instantly. "Yes. I was right in the middle of my Fish-Man Karate training when boom suddenly I was standing here."
"ARE WE ALL GOING INSANE?!" Haruta shrieked in the background, matching Ace's rising panic.
"There's no way we aren't!" Ace yelled back in agreement.
Izo completely ignored the two of them, shifting his gaze over to settle on Vista. "The same goes for me," Vista said, casually twisting the end of his moustache. "I was working on my paperwork, and then... well, here I am."
"This has to be a mass hallucination created by a witch!" Haruta suddenly declared.
Ace gasped, horrified. "No way..." Izo whipped around to face the two of them, a vein throbbing in irritation on his forehead. "Shut the fuck up, both of you!"
"Anyway, wasn't Dabi supposed to be with Ace?" Jozu asked, crossing his massive arms and shifting his heavy gaze between Ace and Haruta.
"Well, this buffoon lost him," Haruta said, pointing an accusing finger at Ace.
Ace stared back at him, the picture of absolute betrayal. "I did not! I was teleported here just like everyone else! It's just that aniki wasn't with me when I landed!"
Izo sighed, rubbing his temples in stressful manner.
"Even so, we can't stay here forever. Let's move," Jozu said. The rest of them nodded, instantly agreeing.
They navigated the cave with the help of Ace's flames. Although the glowing crystals provided some light, Ace's fire was far more effective. At the very end of the path, the tunnel opened up into a much larger cavern. To their surprise, Touya was already there, standing alongside their Pops, and the rest of the commanders
"Aniki!" Ace shouted, his face lighting up with genuine delight. He immediately marched toward Touya, completely oblivious to the older man's immediate, heavy groan.
Touya hoisted a single, flat palm in the air, a clear silent command for Ace to halt. "Don't even think about it," he muttered.
"I'm just glad you're here!" Ace laughed, grinning broadly as he stopped a few feet away. "Honestly, that whole experience was really weird. For a second there, I seriously thought I'd been kidnapped by a witch."
Touya rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "Witches don't exist, dumbass." Before Ace could argue, Izo and Haruta stepped past him, their expressions a mix of relief and intense frustration.
"What the hell is going on here exactly?" Haruta complained, crossing his arms and looking around the massive cave for any sign of a threat.
Touya merely shrugged, his expression completely blank as he offered a blunt, two word answer. "No idea."
Marco scanned the area, a crease forming between his brows as he realized that every single one of the top-ranking Commanders including himself was present. It was so weird and suspicious. It was just them and Pops.
But why is Dabi here? Marco thought, turning his gaze toward the scarred youth. Touya was casually leaning back, chatting with Haruta, Ace, and Izo as if he didn't have a care in the world.
All of those individuals in that gathered in these room possessed great power. They were the true powerhouses of the Whitebeard Pirates who belonged to the strongest man in the world. Touya, even though he was a member of their family now, wasn't as powerful as the others. Nothing could explain this strange situation. Why had they suddenly been taken from the sea and brought here?
What was the motive behind it?
Marco let out a heavy sigh, shifting his gaze to the massive figure standing right beside him.
"Do you have any guesses, Pops?" the First Division Commander asked, keeping his voice low. Whitebeard glanced down at his eldest son, a thoughtful expression crossing his weathered face as he idly rubbed his chin.
"Truth be told, I have no idea, boy," confessed Whitebeard. His eyes were shut for just a second, catching the resounding quiet of the cave before he opened them again, his penetrating eyes taking in the whole scene.
"Haish, I'm getting tired of hearing nothing," muttered Marco, who had done so for the millionth time today.
The noise of coming footsteps was noticed by Marco, and he turned around to see Thatch approaching. "Well, it looks like another one for the 'weirdest things to ever happen to us' list," Thatch chuckled, shaking his head.
Rakuyo, who was trailing just a few steps behind him, chimed in curiously. "Wait, what's number one on that list?"
"The time Marco received a love letter from Shanks," Thatch said, a massive, mischievous grin plastering itself across his face.
Rakuyo immediately burst out laughing, nodding in agreement.
"It wasn't a love letter, yoi!" Marco yelled in pure frustration, his face flushing with redness. Damn it, he thought, they're still bringing up that incident?!
Thatch's laughter echoed loudly through the cavern, clearly delighted by how easy it still was to wind up the First Division Commander.
Even Whitebeard couldn't help but react, though he merely rolled his eyes at his sons' antics. "Don't bring that Red-Haired bastard's name into this," the old man grumbled, crossing his massive arms.
Marco sighed, his expression settling into a small, pleasant smile. "I'll let it slide this time, Thatch," he said, the smile completely reaching his eyes.
Thatch shivered just looking at it. "Uhhh, yeah. I won't do it again," Thatch stammered, nodding his head aggressively. Rakuyo just sneered, thoroughly enjoying Thatch's panicked reaction.
"Wait, are we talking about the love letter?!" Haruta yelled from across the room, instantly snapping everyone's attention right back to Marco.
Touya immediately covered his mouth to hide a chuckle. Everyone in the room was this close to losing their minds. Everyone except Ace.
"You guys, yoi..." Marco muttered, his smile straining to the absolute limit.
Ace looked back and forth between Marco and Haruta.
"Wait, what love letter?" Ace asked, genuine confusion written all over his face.
Before Haruta could open his mouth to answer, Thatch stepped forward, cutting him off. "Uhhh, never mind that! Let's just figure out a way to get out of here, okay?" he stammered, sweat already breaking out on his forehead.
"Oh, come on!" Ace groaned.
"You weren't there when the whole incident happened," Touya pointed out calmly.
Ace huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms. "I feel left out."
Touya just rolled his eyes at him. "Don't be such a baby."
Namur stepped forward, clearing his throat loudly to shift everyone's attention to him.
"Can I point out something peculiar?" Namur asked, looking up at Whitebeard.
Whitebeard nodded calmly. "Go on, Namur."
Namur gave a respectful nod before his eyes darted over to Touya. "Everyone here is a high-ranking commander with the exception of Pops, obviously, since he's the captain," Namur started.
Touya instantly knew what the Fish-Man was trying to imply. Honestly, he had been wondering the exact same thing... why was he the only regular crewmate trapped in this place?
"But Dabi isn't a commander," Namur finished.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a wave of murmurs broke out among the gathered crew.
"Oh, yeah. I just noticed that too," Speed Jiru, the 14th division commander, piped up from the crowd.
Ace groaned loudly.
"Who cares about that?! Aniki is here because he's awesome! No offense to our other crewmates, but it's just the truth!" Ace declared, pointing at Touya with absolute drama.
"Please stop," Touya muttered, his expression completely blank.
Izo, still fluttering his fan, interjected. "Even so, Ace, it is rather strange. Could it be that someone specifically wants something from Dabi?" Izo voiced his concern. Touya's reputation outside the crew had gotten so damn crazy lately that it felt like just about everyone was after his head.
"I'll beat them to a pulp," Ace said, his tone dropping into a dead-serious register.
Thatch sighed, a warm smile breaking across his face as he added, "Everyone here would do the exact same thing, Ace."
"Well, if that's the case, then we all need to be on high alert, yoi," Marco said, rolling his shoulders and stretching his limbs.
Touya was left alone with his thoughts. Someone trying to kidnap me again? He mentally scoffed. Have these bastards completely lost their minds? Do they enjoy getting burned so badly?
"Don't worry. It's nothing of the sort." An unfamiliar voice suddenly cut through the heavy silence, echoing off the icy walls of the cave. The unexpected sound made everyone freeze in their spot.
"What the hell?! Who said that?!" Haruta yelled, spinning around on his heel and looking around maniacally, his hand instinctively dropping to the hilt of his sabre.
"Is... is there a ghost in here?!" Thatch stammered, his jaw almost dropping to the floor as he took a step back, frantically looking up at the ceiling.
Rakuyo, who was standing right beside him, just sneered. "What are you, a coward?"
As panic engulfed the remaining members of the crew, however, Touya, Marco, and Pops remained completely unfazed. The keen eyes of Whitebeard quickly fell upon an odd sphere that was emitting a glow as it floated above them.
"What are you?" roared the captain whose voice echose within the caves.
In an instant, all eyes turned to the glowing sphere before them.
"Holy shit," Jozu cursed under his breath.
"It's... a floating snow globe," Haruta muttered, his mouth hanging wide open.
"It is obviously not a snow globe, you idiot," Izo snapped, though his eyes never wavered from the orb.
Touya felt his mind begin to spiral. Yes, he knew this universe was completely insane. He had already witnessed it firsthand. Fish-Man Island, actual mermaids, slave traders, a train that literally ran on the ocean... he thought he had seen it all.
But this? A floating orb? What the actual fuck.
"My name is Starroid. I am an overseer of the multiverse," the entity spoke, its voice echoing with a strange, melodic resonance that seemed to vibrate directly inside their heads.
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the cavern. Marco raised an eyebrow, his phoenix flames flickering faintly around his shoulders, while Vista stopped mid-mustache-twirl, completely baffled. The commanders looked at each other, their faces twisted into expressions of absolute, utter confusion.
Everyone, that is, except for Touya. His breath hitched, and his blue eyes widened in sudden, stark terror. The chaotic chatter of the Whitebeard pirates faded into background static as a cold dread settled deep in his gut.
Multiverse?
A memory sharp, burning, and buried deep flashed through his mind. Images of a superpowered society, a devastating quirk, a broken family, and a past he had left behind when he crossed into this world.
Don't tell me... please, don't tell me...
"A multi-what now?" Ace blinked, completely breaking the tension as he stepped closer to the orb, tilting his head. "Is that some kind of new Devil Fruit power? Hey, look, it doesn't even have a face!"
"Ace, get back!" Namur warned, pulling the young fire-user back by his arm.
"Quiet, my sons," Whitebeard's voice boomed, cutting through the escalating panic like a blade. The massive captain stood tall, his bisento gripping firmly in one hand as he stared down the cosmic anomaly. "Let the guest speak. What business does an 'overseer' have with the Whitebeard Pirates?"
The orb continued to float silently, pulsing with a pristine, beautiful white light that cast long shadows across the cavern walls.
"I am here to make an offer," the entity announced.
Whitebeard's eyebrows raised slightly, his massive grip tightening on his naginata, Murakumogiri. He didn't like things he couldn't assess, especially when they involved his sons.
"An offer meant specifically for the person whose existence was deemed unnecessary."
The words seemed to hang heavily in the damp cave air. Instantly, both Touya and Ace stiffened, their expressions freezing as the phrase struck a painfully raw chord in both of them.
"An existence that wasn't needed...?" Fossa repeated, his brow furrowing as he chewed on his unlit cigar. He looked around the cavern, thoroughly perplexed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Are you messing with us?!" Thatch snapped, stepping in front as a dangerous edge of anger bleeding into his voice. "We don't care about your riddles. Speak clearly, or we'll smash that little glass body of yours."
"I am not playing games," Starroid replied instantly, the white light flickering in tandem with its voice. "I am simply trying to present an ultimatum. An exchange."
Marco stepped forward, putting himself between the crew and the entity as he narrowed his eyes at the orb. "What kind of offer, yoi?"
"As I said, this is an offer specifically for the one whose existence was never needed," Starroid repeated calmly.
This time, something snapped inside Ace. A flash of pure rage washed over his face, his fists igniting with a dangerous, snapping heat. "Stop saying that shit!" he roared, stepping forward.
The words hit him like a physical blow. Deep down, the old, dark voice in his head was whispering that the orb was talking about him, the cursed son of Gold Roger, who should never have been born.
"ACE CALM DOWN! " Thatch yelled, and in instant, Ace snapped from his furry before he erased his flame.
Starroid didn't flinch. It remained perfectly still, hovering in the cold air for a long moment before its voice cut through the tension again.
"Wouldn't you like to know what finally happened to the League of Villains?" The words were soft, but to Touya, they sounded like a thunderclap.
In an instant, the cave seemed to vanish. Touya's world collapsed inward. The angry shouting of his crewmates, Ace's furious breathing, it all faded into a suffocating, distant hum. A sharp, deafening ringing filled his ears, and a profound, icy numbness spread from his chest down to his fingertips.
The League. Shigaraki. Toga.
He hadn't heard those names in what felt like a lifetime. Spinner, Mr. Compress and Twice. Twice
"Dabi, I'm sorry this is my fault."
"Your friend is dead, and you didn't even shed tears for him."
"League of Villains...?" Izo mumbled, the strange, heavy words sounding entirely foreign on his tongue. He glanced around, his sharp eyes instantly picking up on the sudden, terrifying shift in the room's atmosphere.
"Would you like to know what happened after you went missing from the war?" Starroid continued relentlessly, each word making Touya's breathing grow heavier and shallower.
"Do you want to know the end? The tragedy of Touya Todoroki?" the orb pressed on.
The name echoed through the cavern, leaving the crew utterly bewildered.
"The hell are you spouting about?!" Atmos yelled, a wave of intense frustration washing over him. But Starroid completely ignored him, hovering silently as it prepared its final blow.
"And what about Enji--" Before Starroid could even finish the name, Touya snapped.
"SHUT UP!"
The roar ripped from his throat, raw and deafening. The entire cave went deathly silent. Everyone froze, eyes wide with shock. In all the time he had been with the Whitebeard Pirates, no one had ever heard him shout like that.
"Aniki...?" Ace muttered, completely stunned. He stared at Touya, his previous anger instantly melting into profound concern.
Thatch immediately stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "What's wrong, Dabi?" he asked gently.
By now, every single eye in the cave was locked onto him. Even Pops was staring down at him with a heavy, watchful gaze. The sheer weight of their attention made Touya feel physically sick, his stomach churned violently, and a wave of nausea hit him.
Yet, deep down, beneath the panic and the bile...
He wanted to know.
God, he had always wanted to know.
Slowly, agonizingly, he forced his gaze upward to stare directly into the brilliant white light of the orb.
"What... what happened to them?" he whispered.
Starroid didn't reply, remaining agonizingly silent as it hovered in place. Touya's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, and he gritted his teeth.
"I asked you what happened to them?!" he roared, his voice cracking as his carefully constructed mask finally fractured into a thousand pieces. "What happened to the League?!"
The League.
Marco watched the breakdown in silence, biting his bottom lip. Who are those people, and why does Dabi care so much about them? The questions raced through the first mate's mind. He wanted answers, too. He wanted to know what had truly happened to Touya in the past and who, exactly, his brother really was.
"I will show you," Starroid said. Touya's breath hitched in his throat.
"I will show you everything, the reality of what would have happened had you never gone missing from that war," Starroid added, its light pulsing with cold certainty. "However, Todoroki-san... are you truly prepared to expose your deepest secrets in front of your so-called 'family'?"
Touya froze, the horrific realization slowly dawning on him.
The Whitebeard Pirates were standing right here. If he agreed to this, they would learn about his past. Everything. His sins, his madness, his fire.
But...
He looked around at the fierce, worried faces of the commanders, and the massive, protective silhouette of Whitebeard. His crewmates weren't the kind of people who would judge him or cast him aside. They weren't like his father. They weren't like the society that had abandoned him.
"You matter to us."
That was what they always told him whenever he tried to push them away. That was their golden rule.
"Deepest secrets...?" Izo muttered, his sharp gaze shifting from the floating orb back to Touya.
"So this is about where you came from," Atmos added, letting out a heavy, solemn sigh.
Ace took a step closer, his expression fiercely protective. "Aniki! Don't do it if it makes you uncomfortable! We don't care about your past, and you don't owe this damn floating thing anything!"
Touya swallowed hard. He knew exactly what they were thinking. Because of his horrific scars, the staples holding his skin together, and his flames and ice powers, the crew had long assumed he was the tragic victim of some twisted human experimentation.
Even so... Touya trusted them.
Slowly, he turned his head, locking his gaze onto Whitebeard. The massive captain stood tall, his towering silhouette radiating a calm, unshakeable strength. Pops didn't pressure him. He simply stared down at his son with soft, deeply understanding eyes, silently giving him the space to make his own choice.
Touya felt a lump form in his throat, but his voice didn't waver.
"I trust my family," he said firmly. Hearing those words, Thatch let out a warm, relieved smile, and the tight tension in Ace's shoulders finally eased. Even the hardened corners of Whitebeard's eyes softened with immense proud.
Touya turned back to the entity, his posture rigidbut his resolve absolute.
"So please," Touya demanded, his voice echoing through the silent cave. "Show me."