Thank you for the support for my last fiction! The reviews really made by day. I don't plan on continuing it since I am really bad at updating multi-chapter fictions so I try to avoid them as much as I could. But that won't stop be from publishing one-shots regarding the pairings as long as I am a devoted fan.

I DO NOT OWN ONE PIECE

He was floating.

Or at least it was how it felt like he was doing.

Last he remembered, he had bid someone important his last words before his consciousness completely faded away. He had managed to protect someone important and it felt as though it was his greatest accomplishment in his life. What had he been doing in his entire life before that very moment? If there was anything he would regret, it was not being able to stay with that important person.

There were unrecognizable wails far away in the distance.

"You shouldn't be here." A rough, deep voice echoed in the unusual plain, white sky.

'I never wanted to be here…'

It was strange considering he could vaguely remember himself questioning about his own existence during his lifespan. The lack of will to fight for his own life during the last day under the clear blue sky made him feel like delivering an aching blow to his head. If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have been able to bring the emotions that were missing from his life; they were the emotions for him to desire continue living.

"You don't have any reason to be here." It was a smooth, sweet voice this time.

'Do I need any?'

"But there is a reason for you to be somewhere else, isn't it?"

'I can't go anywhere. Not even if I wanted to.'

"Tsk. Don't give up so easily. Can't you hear anything?"

Other than the two voices?

The cries muffled by the long distance hadn't seemed to stop yet.

"He is still waiting for you, you know…"

He…

It couldn't be…

'L-Luffy…'

"If there is anything stopping you from reaching out to your desires other than your own will then break through them."

'H-How? How can I go back to him? After all that had happened…'

"It's simple, isn't it? He is just right in front of you."

Tears. Had it always been this easy? Luffy had just been right in front of him from the beginning. Even when he was alive, he couldn't feel as though he appreciated him enough. They didn't have a good start, he left him for three years and had nothing but a short reunion. And the next time they had met was their final one. Luffy contributed much more than he ever did.

"Run."

"Hurry up… Don't keep him waiting anymore. Don't hurt him anymore."

'Thank you… Father… Mother…'

With that, he sprinted off to the source of the voice; every steps he took made the crying seemed louder. How long had Luffy been crying? Had he hurt him again by leaving him all alone? Even though he didn't want to lose Luffy, he had made Luffy lose him. He was terrible. He didn't give Luffy enough attention, enough time together… enough love.

Just as he felt as though he was nearing the voice…

"ACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

A shrill filled with desperation and pain broke through the dimension.

"LUUUUUUFFY!"

Ace circled his strong arms around the frail looking boy and pulled him into a strong hug. He buried his face against Luffy's shoulder, muttering apologies through broken sobs. Even though Luffy had noticed the presence and felt the hug, he couldn't stop himself from crying. Of course, Luffy had always been a crybaby, hadn't he? But this time, Ace was joining him-in their tearful reunion.

"A-Ace… Ace…"

"I'm sorry, Luffy… I'm really sorry."

"D-Don't leave me behind…"

"I won't ever again, I promise. For real, this time."

Ace had a brother to protect and to look after. How could he deny such a request? He knew that he shouldn't had left him in the first place but he was glad that the both of them could end up hugging each other like this. Luffy had already rested his cheek onto Ace's own broader shoulder, finally having calmed down when no one else could do so other than with the presence of the brother he thought he had lost.

It was the same when no one else could get Luffy to do anything other than himself since young, Ace realized. Although sometimes it did involve some use of violence.

Luffy had always been dependent on Ace when the person in question had never thought he could live for anyone else other than himself. Whenever Luffy threw a tantrum, it was Ace who ended up shutting him up. When he cried, all Ace had to do was to tell him to stop crying then he forced himself to stop. When Luffy was hungry, it was Ace who reluctantly gave him his own share of food before he didn't regret so after looking at how happy Luffy looked.

And the chain will continue on from now.

"I-I thought that y-you were gone for sure," Luffy stammered through choked sobs.

"Silly brother. It takes a lot more for me to stop cleaning up after your ass," he retorted though it wasn't his usual cockiness attitude that had spoken. "How can I leave /you/ for the world to deal with, hm?"

"S-Stupid! I'm being serious here!"

"Then today must be a miracle when you finally starts thinking, Lu."

"I don't wanna fight with you now," he grumbled.

Couldn't Ace just try and let him enjoy this moment after he had scared Luffy off to death? It had certainly been traumatizing having to see his brother falling to his death right in front of his very eyes. The most important person in the world. It was as though Luffy's own world had been shaken in a magnitude rivaling of the greatest earthquake Whitebeard could create. His own heart shattered at the sight of blood draining out of Ace's body as though it was his very own life-force.

The two brothers continued to hold each other, appreciating each other's existence in each of their lives.

Ace was back and Luffy wouldn't let him go anywhere else anytime soon.

They have the greatest treasure in their life to protect.

In the distance where Ace had ran from, a world renowned pirate known as Gol D. Roger stood with his wife, Portgas D. Rouge, and watching the two sworn brothers pouring out their sincere love for each other. He let out his trademark chuckle and allowed the biggest grin to show on his face ever since his death while his wife let out a giggle and commented on how adorable the scene looked like.

Somewhere in the opposite, a small boy with a loose tooth grinned at his two sworn brothers.

"Heh. Everything worked out in the end, didn't it?"