Welcome to my baby :)

WWW was originally meant to be a bit of a Quarantine guilty pleasure trying to help get through 90 essays that I had to correct. It's somehow taken a life of its own.

Things you'd probably like to know:

1. This story is complete, and I upload daily, it's total will be 36 chapters and we're basically there!

2. WWW is an expanding universe. As of April 14th, 2020, it has an entension of chapter 12 (Worthy of Love); a Prequel (The Watchdog of Sabaondy Archipelago) and a prequel/spin-off (Gut Instinct), but I definitely recommend you read this first until those are mentioned again in A/N to avoid any spoilers.

3. I take reviews to heart and ponder on them for the story and my own improvement, even if this gets old, keep dropping a review if there's something you loved or hated. I want to know.

4. It's unbetaed and English is not my first language.

Anyway, enjoy :)

Ace had known his little brother was a marine, which hadn't exactly been the most pleasant discovery. More than disappointed, when Ace found out he was… confused. He tries to overlap the little 14-year-old he had left behind, screaming his head off about becoming the King of Pirates with the man he met in the Alabastian dessert. A boy who looked too much like a man and had looked down on Ace as if he was scum, with such unreserved hatred that Ace had to bite down to keep his demons at bay.

What would happen if Gol D. Roger had a son?

The straw hat was missing, which really should've been Ace's first clue that something wasn't right or maybe, the long white coat should've been it. Admittedly though, Ace was fighting that smoke-user who was trying to apprehend him and was a little distracted. His opponent, who kept in his mouth twice as many cigars as necessary, was good –not as good as him, but certainly not bad for a marine that Ace had never even heard of. His powers were annoying too and distinctive, not a lot of Logyas around. Then again, Ace hardly spent a lot of time in Paradis.

"Smoker, what are you doing." The voice fell so flat it barely seemed like a question. More of a reprimand really, yet the tone was not unkind. His opponent froze, jumping back, but keeping his body towards Ace. "We're supposed to be sneaky." There was a level of childishness in the voice that immediately resonated with Ace's heart.

"Commodore." The now identified Smoker looked annoyed, and his jute was still raised high over his head as if he was unwilling to stop fighting. Ace kept a wary eye on it, he'd felt the sea stone as it had come a little too close and there was no way in hell he wanted to be hit by that. On the other hand, another marine had just shown up, which was hardly good news for him. Unsurprisingly, most of his attention though, was drawn to the man emerging from the smoke. He almost couldn't believe his eyes.

"Luffy!"

This was the memory that sprung to mind as Ace sees his brother for the first time in over two years. He is both disappointed and glad it is something infuriating and not bittersweet. Reconciling his memories of Luffy since their last encounter had been... difficult. Now, bound and beaten, there is no mistaking whose side his little brother is on.

All the other cells around him are empty, his hands tied behind his back in sea stone, a longer chain pinned him to the wall. His shoulder is threatening to give out on him, but there's no point in complaining. Ace is banged up and scratched and absolutely exhausted. He has barely eaten and the sea stone is giving him the shakes. It had been some difficult weeks for Ace long before the marines offered their hospitality, what with Thatch's murder and his hunt (and subsequent defeat) at the hands of Teach. A part of him, that he tries to squash because Luffy is a traitor and Ace definitely does not care about him, twitches in absolute regret when he sees his brother or more like the stranger that now wears his face.

Luffy has changed so much.

He's wearing black shorts with a blue colored shirt, flared sleeves. He has sandals and a yellow sash. All generally ordinary Luffy wear, if more mature than his graphic t-shirts. The only truly distinctive thing about his outfit and perhaps the most puzzling, is the long white marine coat on his shoulder, it seems to swallow his brother whole. Drowning him in a responsability, Ace never thought Luffy possessed, the tattoo is weird too but Ace is more concerned about more relevant changes. Ace is still not use to seeing him without his straw hat.

"Come to gloat?" Ace would have never thought his little brother to be the type of person that gloats but he has been wrong about a lot of things regarding Luffy already. Ace wishes he could sound more hateful and spiteful, but there is just not enough energy for that right now. He does spit at his brother feet, and regrets it immediately when it reminds him of the first time they met. His brother's brows furrowed, unamused and undisturbed by the crass display but something in his eyes shines in recognition.

I don't have bonds with pirates. Leave.

"As per your rights, I'm informing you of the following." Luffy starts sounding bored, black eyes completely blank and looking over Ace's shoulder rather than at him -as if Luffy couldn't stand the sight of him. Ace can scarcely believe this marine is his –not his brother! He denies. Ace has brothers, people who didn't up and betray him. "You are currently held on a marine vessel, under the charge of Marine Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Luffy. We will travel for a day; our destination is the Marine Prison Impel Down. You have been set to be held at the 6th floor for 3 days, then you will once again be transported to your execution grounds at Marineford."

Maybe, if Ace had been less angry, he would've caught the flicker of hesitation in his brother's voice or the very real fear in his eyes. Alas, Ace is sleep-deprived, physically and emotionally spent and feeling completely overwhelmed that a man he once called little brother is going to be delivering him to his death.

"What happened to you?" Ace grinds out and he immediately regrets it, but there's no taking the question back. How can his little brother, how can Luffy be the person carrying Ace to his death? What is wrong with the world?

"Is your situation understood by you?" The marine bearing his brother's face continues, unflinching in the face of Ace's judgement and scrutiny. A part of Ace grieves.

Ace, I'm strong! My punch is as strong as a pistol!

When you drink sake with someone, you become brothers.

"Fuck you." In his brother's face Ace sees the ghost of a smile, but he turns around too quickly for him to be sure. Ace is left alone to his silence.