Chapter Text
"Idiots, you got the wrong person. I can never ask you for anything because you do everything wrong."
Ace has a terrible headache and hears a familiar voice. The last thing he remembers is being caught by Teach and handed over to the marine, but then everything goes black as he's being transferred to Impel Down.
The only thing Ace wants to know is why Sanji, his younger brother's cook and nakama, is here with him, sounding so pretentious and frustrated.
When he tries to open his eyes, there's nothing there, dark. Shaking his head, he realizes he's wearing a sack or something over his head.
His hands and feet are shackled, probably with sea rock.
At least he's sure he's safe. Sanji was a good person, even if he barely spoke to him. But if Luffy chose him as his nakama, then he accepts him, but something feels off. He doesn't understand anything Sanji said and doesn't even bother trying to speak to ask.
If Sanji is here, his little brother will be too. There are so many plot holes in his head that he just needs to ask to figure it all out, but he can't. His throat is dry and his body is tired. He barely has the strength to stay awake.
Oh, another bout of narcolepsy is just around the corner.
The second time Ace wakes up, he foolishly thinks he'll be in the bed of a small ship with his brother pacing around. He's in an old cell filled with children's books. Judging by the marks on the floor, there were cooking utensils here once, which were recently removed; only the bookcase remains. What kind of prisoner had such luxuries?
This didn't look like Impel Down, nor did it look like his brother's ship. He hadn't been further than the deck, but he was sure that wasn't how a small ship looked from the inside.
Ace sighs and hears his stomach growl. He doesn't know where he is, he's confused, and he's hungry. What's next for his good fortune? A beautiful god will come down and stand in front of his cell?
Ace snorts, and when he hears footsteps, he tries to crane his head to see who it is, but he can't get very far.
The dungeon is dark and damp; he could hear rats' paws circling and a dripping sound somewhere.
"The last thing I expected to have here is a pirate."
There it was again. Why does Sanji say that? He's a pirate too. Okay, he probably hit his head pretty hard, that explains everything.
"Can you give me a convincing reason why I should let you go without collecting your bounty, Portgas D. Ace?"
When the man (CLEARLY NOT SANJI) stands in front of him, Ace doesn't hide the fact that his mouth drops open in astonishment.
This man looks exactly like Sanji except for the hair. It doesn't take a genius to know he's his brother, but the shock doesn't go away. Ace clearly remembers Sanji saying he didn't have any brothers when Usopp asked him about it.
Unless he's Sanji's evil clone, Ace wouldn't be getting it.
"I..."
Ace presses his lips together, unsure of what to say. What's a valid reason for he to let him go? He couldn't tell this gorgeous Godness what he was thinking. Well, look, when he saw Sanji, all he could think about was that he was the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen (after Luffy, everyone else is after Luffy, his little brother is adorable and the most handsome boy), but now he realizes that beauty runs in the family. If gave him the choice between Sanji and Red Sanji, he wouldn't be able to choose. They're equally beautiful!
Okay, Ace was rambling, and he were going to kill him if Ace didn't hurry up.
"Does saying you should let me go because of my incredible beauty count?" Ace smiles, and not-Sanji rolls his one visible eye.
"If you went to prison for your beauty, you'd be free."
Well, that hurt, but a Godness was telling him this; he can handle it. Boa Hancock treats everyone the shit, and he hadn't understood why everyone fell for her, and everyone forgiven even the most inhumane things. Here was the answer: beautiful people have benefits that ugly people don't. In other words, he's a cockroach next to this beauty.
"Whatever, can you tell me why I'm here? And who are you?"
Not-Sanji examines him with his eyes, and Ace realizes he's a very quiet man.
"It wasn't you we wanted; it was a mistake, but I can't just let you go, do you understand?"
Well, that explains what he heard for a while.
"Sure, and your name?"
"You'll stay with us until I decide what to do with you."
And he also has a cruel knack for avoiding people's questions.
"Can you at least get me something to eat? I'm starving."
Not-Sanji turns around and walks away. Ace has never felt so ignored, not even when Sabo got offended and ignored him for ten whole minutes, ten minutes! Luffy only lasted five seconds...
Ace feels like it's hours, but a man in a very strange uniform brings him dinner, quite a little, but it was better than nothing.
Time starts to pass very slowly, and he gets bored. No one comes down, not Not-Sanji or the soldier. Not even a rat comes by to pass the time. Now he understands why lock people up; let them slowly descend into madness.
At least his bouts of narcolepsy help a lot with the boredom, but that also makes it difficult for him to have any sense of time.
The next time he wakes up, Not-Sanji is sitting in front of his cell.
"How long have I been here?"
Ace doesn't know if he's actually going to answer, but he won't lose anything by asking.
"Two days."
Oh... Well, it felt like a month. Or maybe he's just exaggerating, or maybe this place does that.
"You still won't tell me your name?"
"What do you need that for?"
Ace isn't sure he should tell him that he needs his name so he can stop calling him Sanji. If Sanji said he didn't have brothers, there's a reason. Maybe Sanji doesn't know the redhead, or maybe he does and denies for some reason. He doesn't want to get involved in this and could say that Sanji is his friend. Well, any friend of Luffy's is his friend, and he doesn't want to get them in trouble.
"So I can stop calling you by the nickname I gave you? Besides, I think everyone would like to know the name of their captor."
Not-Sanji rolls his eye and sighs.
"The marine is looking for you everywhere, and this guy who handed you over became a Shichibukai."
Seriously, what obsession does this guy have with ignoring his questions? At least that information helps.
"Why did he become a Shichibukai? I mean, the marine doesn't have me," Ace says, confused. They offered him the position of Shichibukai a long time ago after defeating one, but he turned it down. He has no idea how that position works.
"Because he handed you over to the marine, what happens to you once you're in the hands of the government is no longer him problem."
Oh, that makes sense. The two days he spent here were making him a little foolish, maybe.
"You said someone mistook me for someone. If I'm not who you wanted, why do you have me here?"
A silly question coming from a pirate, but he doesn't talk to anyone but himself. He needed to socialize so he wouldn't go crazy.
"I've always wanted a pet. I think you fit the bill."
Ace wasn't expecting that answer...
Ace frowns and snorts.
"I'm not anyone's pet. I'll get out of here, I can promise that."
"How can you get out if you don't even know where you are?"
"I'll make a way out."
Not-Sanji lets out a small, bitter laugh.
"I like your nerve. My name is Ichiji."
Ichiji... Sanji...
"Why is your name a number?" Ace asks, genuinely confused.
"I received a large sum of money for turning in a pirate, much more than his bounty. So, I sent my men after him, but they mistook you for someone and brought you," Ichiji explains, avoiding his question again. He was getting tired of this game.
"Fine, Ichiji. If I'm going to be your dog, don't you think you should let me out so you can play with me?"
Ichiji raises his curly eyebrow and smiles slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"I don't think you like playing with me. I tend to break my toys pretty quickly. You're worth the same to the government, dead or alive, but to me, you're worth more alive."
Ace blushes a little. What was he implying? Well, he wouldn't mind playing with the redhead.
"Can I at least have the newspaper?"
"You're in no position to ask for anything, you know that, right?"
Anyway, Ichiji pulls a rolled-up newspaper from his back pocket and throws it at him. Had he come prepared for it? Or was he planning to show him something?
Public execution of one of Shirohige's most important subordinates, Portgas D. Ace. In seven days at Marineford.
His heart stops for a second, but... Who were they going to execute? He wasn't in the government's hands, unless Ichiji was planning to hand him over after all.
"I don't understand... Why would the World Government announce this? They should know by now I'm not in Impel Down."
Ace holds the newspaper tightly and begins to read the article.
"Simple. Shirohige. They're planning to get to him through you. Whether you're present or not, Shirohige will come looking for you, and a war will break out."
Ace grits his teeth. Because of his obsession with catching Teach, now his father will pay the consequences.
Shirohige will go to Marineford to look for him, find nothing, and to make matters worse, he'll be in World Government territory, where they'll already be preparing to defeat the strongest man alive.
And it's his fault.
"Ichiji..." Ace mutters. "Let me out, please. My family will risk their lives for nothing. I need to stop them."
He knows that as a prisoner and a pirate, he can't ask for anything, but if Ichiji is as kind as Luffy said Sanji is, then he'll have a chance.
"Are you planning on risking your life to save them?" Ichiji questions, incredulous. "Sooner or later, this war was bound to happen. You can't do anything now. We're too far from Marineford for you to get there."
At least Ichiji has the decency not to ignore him for once.
"How long? Maybe if I leave now and don't take breaks, I'll make it in time," Ace insists, almost on the verge of despair.
"Two weeks. You won't get there even if you fly."
A bucket of cold water falls on him, and Ace grits his teeth.
"There must be something... Anything..."
Then something clicks. The Vivre Card he gave Luffy—even several of his friends have one—will realize he's not in Marineford, right? It was the only thing he had to make sure no one risked their lives for nothing.
"I don't care how much you cry or beg, I lost so much for you, and if I don't have something of equal value in return, then I'll let you rot here until I can find a use for you."
"Tell me!" Ace yells, desperate. "Tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you!"
"I don't think you have anything I'd be interested in."
This guy is really hard to deal with, but Ace needs to try; he has to stop this somehow.
"I..." Ace bites his lip, thinking, what can he give him? He has nothing. "I'll give you my whole life! I'll be your pet, your slave, whatever you want, but let me go, I'm begging you!"
Ichiji looks him over and opens the cell door. Ace feels the tension in his body ease.
"Your life is mine now, never forget that," Ichiji murmurs against his ear.
He releases him from the sea chains, and Ace feels his strength returning. He makes fire flow through his fingertips and quickly approaches Ichiji.
"Thank you, really, thank you."
Ichiji rolls his eye and orders him to follow him. Ace walks behind him, down a long, weary corridor of stairs.
After leaving the dungeon, Ichiji placing a collar around his neck and hits him on the head to knock him out. Maybe he trust him too much, but Ace will blindly believe Ichiji isn't lying to him.
Ace wakes up and finds himself in a bed, so comfortable he'd still be sleeping if he didn't abruptly remember the possible war.
"Calm down, freaking out isn't going to help."
Ace looks in the other direction, and Ichiji is sitting at a round table, playing chess with a woman.
Ichiji isn't even looking in his direction.
"You've been unconscious for four days," Ichiji informs him. "There's a bathroom in the next room, and the kitchen is at the end of the hall."
Ace grows more anxious. Four days unconscious? That's a lot of valuable time! What if the war had already started? And where the hell were they?
Slowly, he decides to get up and approach the two playing.
"Do you need anything?" the woman asks politely. "I'm the family cook. My name is Cosette."
Ace blinks, then slowly nods.
When Cosette returns her attention to the game, Ichiji Jake checkmated her.
Cosette leaves a few seconds after saving the game, and Ace sits where she had been.
"Do you think we'll make it?" Ace asks uncertainly.
"It's the fastest ship we have. Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. Don't you have a way to contact someone in your fleet?"
Ace shakes his head, clenching his fists.
"Do you have the newspapers from the last few days?"
Ichiji points to the nightstand next to the bed, where a stack of newspapers lies. Ace spends the next hour reading while eating Cosette's exquisite food.
Ichiji doesn't say much, barely looks in his direction, and doesn't seem very interested in anything he does or doesn't do.
When night falls, Ace decides to get some fresh air and goes out onto the deck of the ship. Ichiji is sitting in a corner, and Ace can't help but lean closer, interested in getting to know him better. Why had he agreed to help him? His life shouldn't be worth that much.
Ace sits down next to him, a little distance away; Ichiji was calmly looking at the stars, and Ace didn't want to disturb him.
"Can you share your thoughts? They bother me."
"I'm worried about everyone. Especially my father and my younger brother. He's... impulsive, and probablly to want to come find me at Marineford. I know we agreed not to get in each other's way, because we have different crews and all, but I would definitely go find him if he was in trouble, and I know he would too." Ace plays with his hands and sighs.
He hadn't stopped thinking about Shirohige and Luffy. His little brother was very stupid. Ace knew he'd mess around and go all the way to Marineford to save this idiot who shouldn't exist. And Shirohige wasn't at his full strength; he was sick, and if he went to war with the Marines, the outcome was obvious...
"Do you have brothers?"
Ichiji looks at him for the first time and nods. That's all Ace needed.
"Then you must know the anxiety and fear when your brother decides to do something dangerous. I know he can take care of himself, but when dangerous things involve me, they scare me even more," Ace explains, sitting a little closer to Ichiji.
"They can take care of themselves. I don't need to worry," Ichiji replies, returning his attention to the stars.
"Do you like stars?"
"Hmm..."
Ace will take that as a yes.
"Do you really love your little brother that much?" Ichiji asks, almost in a whisper.
That takes him by surprise. What was Ichiji implying?
"I'd give my life for him without hesitation."
"You can't," Ichiji says, and Ace looks at him in confusion. Before Ace can make a joke about Ichiji missing him, he continues, "You gave me your life, you're mine, and I decide where or for whom you can die."
Ace had forgotten about that. He scratches his neck and, for the first time, notices the thin collar around his neck. Of course, this must be what the Ternyubitos put on their slaves.
"Ah, yeah... Sure," Ace nods. He needed a distraction; worrying wouldn't make them arrive any faster. "Tell me about your brothers."
"No."
"Come on, we have nothing to do. I'll tell you about mine if you want."
"I'm not interested."
Ace snorts and remains silent for a while, staring at the stars next to the redhead.
Ichiji was a difficult man to interact with, but at least he was easy to come to terms with.
"You know, when I first met my brother, I wasn't nice to him. For two months I tried to get rid of him, but he always came back and told me he didn't want to be alone... I managed to connect with him from that moment on, and that's the most important thing to me."
Ichiji looks at him, a little more interested.
"Did you try to kill your brother?"
To Ace's surprise, Ichiji doesn't seem angry, just confused.
"Yeah. It doesn't make me very happy to remember that, but he forgave me," Ace says, hugging his legs to his chest and resting his arms on his knees, resting his head on them.
"Well, I don't know which of us has done worse things..." Ichiji stops and bites his tongue before continuing. "I physically and psychologically abused my little brother for years."
Ace feels a pang in his chest, but decides not to say anything. It pains him to hear that, and Sanji immediately comes to mind.
"Look, I don't want sympathy, nor am I going to justify myself, because I know what I did, and I'm taking responsibility for it. I regret it. It took me a long time to realize everything, but regretting it won't erase the past. I put my little brother through hell for being different from us. I made fun of him and hit him. I'm not a good brother, nor a good person."
It hurts him terribly, but he sees himself somewhat. At first, he hated Luffy and didn't hesitate to try to get rid of him, but he didn't know Luffy beyond the fact that he was Grandpa's real grandson. Garp would have gotten angry if he killed his grandson, but Ace didn't care; he just wanted the boy to leave him alone.
He doesn't understand what could have happened to make Ichiji hate his biological brother so much.
"Why did you do it?" Ace asks carefully.
"I didn't have feelings. Well, I would actually say that I don't have them yet, because I still struggle to understand empathy and sadness, but our father is a scientist, and he experimented on us. My little brother was the only normal one, and we started teasing him for being a failure. We grew up in a violent environment, surrounded by war, and my father enforced the rule of the strongest. My brother was weak, so we had to crush him."
Ace makes no effort to hide his astonishment. Human experimentation? Well, he certainly didn't expect that. So Ichiji had no emotions, and that's why it was so easy for him to abuse Sanji. It still wasn't a valid justification; nothing could justify abuse.
"You can't heal your brother, but you can still apologize wholeheartedly if you're truly sorry. I did, and he accepted me."
Ichiji shrugs.
"I don't know where he is. My father is looking for him, and if he comes back, I'll have to play the bad guy again. My apologies won't heal all the damage I caused, because it was a lot."
Ace sits closer to Ichiji and rest him head on his shoulder. Ichiji tense up, and Ace smiles.
"Relax. I'll tell you how I met my father."
Maybe it won't make Ichiji feel any better knowing he tried to kill Shirohige so many times, but maybe will. Ace is starting to realize he has a tendency to try to kill the most important people in his life.
Ichiji stays on his shoulder all night and listens intently. Ace has a few bouts of narcolepsy, but Ichiji never moves.
"You know... My mom and sister always said my brother was the kindest kid. That's probably still the case, but I'm still not sure he'll ever forgive me," Ichiji murmurs.
"You'll only find out when you tell him..." Ace shouldn't have to, but this heartbreak is killing him. "I knew your brother, Ichiji. I didn't talk to him much, but he was very kind to me."
Ichiji nods.
"People can change, and we should learn from our mistakes so we don't make them again. Whether Sanji forgives you or not should help you move on. Maybe Sanji will never forgive you, or maybe he will, maybe it will take a lifetime to mend the relationship, but if you don't try, you'll never know."
Ichiji smiles softly and falls asleep. Ace continues talking, until he falls asleep suddenly.
Sleeping curled up on the floor wasn't the most comfortable idea for sleeping, but it works.
"The execution is in two hours," Ichiji says, watching the Den Den Mushi broadcast.
Ace still can't believe they're so close to Marineford; he could really save his family.
"Let's just say you'll arrive once the war starts, so I suggest you be discreet. As long as no one from the enemy side sees you, you crew can devise a strategy to leave."
Ace nods. Ichiji said they still have at least four or five more hours before approaching Marineford.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Over the past few days, he'd managed to connect very well with Ichiji. He still seems to have a lot of trouble understanding certain feelings, but Ace is trying hard to help him. If he was going to spend his entire life by his side, the least Ace could do was help him understand his emotions.
And as he looks at Ichiji sitting on the couch, Ace thinks again how beautiful he is...
Maybe he should try to understand his own feelings a little too.
The hours pass, and Ace's nerves increase. The war has already begun, and his entire crew has already realized he's not there. Trying to escape didn't seem like a good idea when the Shichibukai and naval vessels had blocked the only exit. They were surrounded.
Ace can see several of his comrades falling, and guilt consumes him. It's his fault they're there, while he's here, doing nothing. They're sacrificing themselves for nothing!
It's worse when a ship falls from the sky, and with it, his little brother. His heart stops for a moment, and he bolts upright.
"Luffy!" Ace shouts, even though knows he can't hear him. "How much longer?!"
"At least two more hour. Sit down and calm down. I told you you won't achieve anything by panicking."
Ace complies against his will and tries to ignore his trembling hands.
That's the longest hours of his life.
Ace never thought to say he liked Buggy until, thanks to him, Luffy wasn't sliced by Mihawk.
Ichiji steps out onto the deck, and Ace quickly follows.
"It's as close as we can get; you'll have to go it alone."
Ace frowns. Damn.
Ace adjusts his hat on his head and hurries down the railing, but turns around and looks at Ichiji.
"Thanks, Ichiji, really. I'll come back with you as soon as I save my family," Ace promises, smiling.
Ichiji reaches over and takes his collar and brings him closer to his face. Ace blushes and tries to maintain eye contact without getting flustered.
"You can't die, Portgas. Remember, your life is mine. No matter what happens, you'll make it out of that stupid war alive. Do I make myself clear?"
Ace nods furiously. He just hoped he didn't have heart eyes; that would be pathetic when he's literally being this boy's slave.
"Maybe if you gave me a good-luck kiss...?"
Ichiji raises an eyebrow and laughs mockingly before, indeed, giving him a kiss that leaves Ace's head spinning.
Ace kisses back; Ichiji's lips aren't warm, and Ace loves it. Ichiji pulls away.
"Go now, unless you'd rather have a make-out session with me."
Ace laughs and nods.
"We can have a make-out session when I get back!"
And Ace jumps.
Sitting in the Amazon Lily Forest, with his little brother sleeping beside him, Ace spends two weeks in mourning and pain. His father died for nothing, and even though he told him it wasn't his fault, Ace still feels guilty. Many of his brothers died, and for absolutely nothing.
Jinbe had been helping him all this time, and he's very grateful.
He still doesn't understand how Luffy made Boa Hancock fall in love with him, but as long as she helps them, he doesn't care.
Jinbe asked about his necklace, and Ace explained the whole situation, avoiding names. Although, come to think of it, he didn't know much about Ichiji beyond everything he told him and the fact that he's Sanji's older brother. Ichiji has a lot of wealth and people working for him, and the ship they traveled on was very elegant.
It wouldn't surprise him if he were a prince; that would explain his beauty.
As he thinks about Ichiji, he realizes he has no idea how he's going to find him.
"I didn't even know where we'd go after we ran away, and now what am I supposed to do? I can't leave him. I traded my life for my crew's," Ace says, biting his lip.
Jinbe looks at him confused.
"There was a Den Den Mushi on your clothes."
Ace looks at Jinbe confused. Of course, Ichiji is smarter than he looks. Jinbe gives him the Den Den Mushi, and as he calls, he finds its design very endearing; it's red with curly parts and wearing the same glasses as Ichiji. Now also holding a cigarette, and it reminds him even more of Sanji.
"Are you still alive?" Ichiji asks. Such kindness and concern.
"Yes, almost. I'm on Amazon Lily. You can come get me, although I'd like to wait for my brother to wake up to explain the situation, is that okay?"
"I'll be there in five days."
Ichiji doesn't even say goodbye and ends the call.
"Ace, are you sure about this? You could have disappeared and he'd never know where you were."
Ace shrugs.
"He saved me indirectly. He accidentally kidnapped me when the Marines were transferring me to Impel Down. I was locked in his dungeon for a while. Then he agreed to take me to Marineford, but I gave my life in exchange for that. I owe him."
Jinbe doesn't seem to agree with his decision, but Ace never backs down, and he won't start now. Even though he already did, Akainu provoked him, and if it weren't for Luffy begging him to leave, and remembering Ichiji's threat, he ran with tears in his eyes. That was the first and last time he'll run away from a fight.
Shortly after, Luffy wakes up, and Ace feels calmer.
Rayleigh arrives later, and they devise a training plan for Luffy, as he felt very weak for not being able to help Ace. Ace had a wound on the side of his abdomen that left a huge scar because of Akainu. He still remembers Luffy's expression, and he promised to become stronger so that the people he cares about wouldn't get hurt.
Luffy gave a coded message to his nakama, and then they all hid in Amazon Lily.
"Are you leaving already?" Luffy asks sadly.
"I was thinking of staying and training with you for the next two years. I need it too, but I have to ask for permission," Ace explains, stroking Luffy's hair.
"You don't need permission to go wherever you want; you're free." Luffy looks confused, and Ace smiles.
Before Ace can answer, the Den Den Mushi dings, and Ace moves away to answer it. Ichiji has already arrived.
"Luffy, I'll be right back!" Ace shouts before running to where Ichiji indicated he was. Ace doesn't see any ships nearby. Does Ichiji have a submarine too?
He finds Ichiji sitting on a rock, smoking. Ace notices his strange red uniform with a double six on the chest and that white cape with the number one on it. Strange. He doesn't ask and stands in front of the man.
"You're going to ask me something, aren't you?"
Yes, very clever. Or maybe he's just being too obvious.
"Luffy will train for two years before rejoining his crew. I want to stay and train with him. I know I can't ask you for anything anymore, because I have nothing to pay you with, but it's the only thing I'll ask."
Ace is willing to kneel as long as Ichiji gives him permission.
Ichiji raises his eyebrow and stands up from the rock, the cigarette still between his teeth.
"You already paid me the price for your life."
Ace doesn't understand. Did he already pay him? With what? It couldn't be the kiss... Or maybe it was that conversation about Sanji. Maybe Ichiji didn't have anyone to talk to or give him advice. He doesn't ask.
Ichiji rips the necklace off him neck like it's nothing. It doesn't explode. It was fake...
"Well, we're done here. Make sure you don't mention anything we talked about to your brother or anyone else. That's the only thing I'll ask of you, and I'll leave you alone."
Ichiji prepares to leave (Ace still doesn't know how he'll do it) and takes his arm. Ichiji looks at him curiously.
"In two years, I'll wait for you at the Sabaody Archipelago."
"What?"
"Two years. Sabaody Archipelago. You and I aren't done yet. You can't leave me now that I'm falling in love with you."
Ichiji looks at him as if he's committed the worst crime, and it's nice to see more expressions from him.
"Remember that, goodbye, Ichiji. See you in two years."
Ace steals a long, deep kiss before running off, giggling like a lovesick schoolgirl.
Maybe he is.