One Piece- Memories After All

Chapter 1

It felt like we were under the sea, the sun was moving away and darkness was wrapping around us with an unfamiliar chill. Our legs were heavy and our breaths were short. Air became scarce while our lungs shrank as we thought the end was near.

No one was sure how long had they been struggling, they were on the land but why did everything feel like the ocean, not the serene ocean they enjoyed adventuring in but the eerie ocean that brought the message of death, an ugly silent death. The silent struggle against the stilled time seemed timeless, limbs were tired and mouths were dry, when on the verge of giving in, a force was pushed in that knocked everyone off and they felt that every muscle had been torn. Again, darkness prevailed but this time they did not look dead but peacefully asleep.

In a room, white curtains were flattering, and the freshness of pine was amalgamated into the air. The spacious hall was clean without a speck of dirt. Everything was unbelievably white. However, on one side hordes of humans were piled up. The serene atmosphere of the room shattered when a certain red-haired tanned-skin pirate called out for his long-haired first mate. Shanks looked around to see the unfamiliar space, the space so out of the world. He pressed his temples with his hand and tried to remember how he ended up here. He was sure that along the red force, he was on the way to Marine Ford to aid the whitebeards. Something happened, he felt like drowning and when he opened his eyes he was in some unworldly ecology.

People were waking up and thinking along the same lines as Shanks. It took more than forty minutes before everyone regained consciousness and regrouped with their allies and nakamas. The most freaked out were the Straw-hats. They were scattered around the world after an annihilated defeat and were in the process to find a way to their captain. They looked at their nakamas and felt alive again. Without the care of the surrounding, they hurdled up together, where Brook, Franky, Chopper, and Usopp openly cried in each other’s arms with snot and tears dropping. Chopper dangling with Zoro’s leg and calling his name, Sanji spiraling around Nami and Robin who had teary eyes. Finally, together they sigh a relief.

“Where’s Luffy though?” Zoro asked while looking around and the Straw-hats finally realized why they felt so incomplete and insecure. Their chirpy captain is not here to hug them at once in his rubbery arms and shout right at their faces with his biggest grin. When they looked around, they found them surrounded by marines and pirates. The big names they have heard were looking at them. Whitebeards were occupying the corner where they were tending each other, the red force was trying to analyze the situation, the revolutionary was standing completely isolated while keeping an eye on everyone, and the warlords were standing with the marine powerhouses.

“Ahh…… it’s like all the roads are leading Rome”, why do we end up in a situation worse than before, LUFFY...." Usopp screamed and hide behind Sanji so did Nami and Chopper. However, other Straw-hats were uncharacteristically serious. Zoro had his hand on his sword, his posture rigid showing his nervousness.

“Where is Ace?” asked Jozu when he couldn’t find the second commander. While everyone was guiding and looking for their second commander and captain, they heard a familiar shout. The whitebeards looked over to see Ace squatting down near the window, still bruised and battered. Seemed like he just woke up and called out his brother’s name who was in his arms unconscious and bleeding. Zoro was the first to make a dash to the brothers. He almost teleported in front of them to see his captain lying there as if he was dead. His natural sea-worn tanned skin looked so pale, and the blue veins that made a beautiful contrast to his usual happy face were standing out making him look so sick. Luffy was still, Luffy can never be still even in his sleep. His vibrant brown eyes always filled with curiosity, mischief, and determination were veiled under his eyelids. Zoro slummed heavily in front of them and looked at Luffy with his mouth agape. He shakingly brought his hand to his neck to check his pulse, because if Luffy was breathing it was so shallow that one cannot realize. Zoro gasped to feel his cold skin and shouts for Chopper who was still confused standing with the others. Why the others didn’t come forward to see they didn't know, but Zoro’s voice was like a cue that broke the trance, and Straw-hats and Whitebeards rushed towards them. Ace was still sitting there cradling his brother to his chest and rocking him softly. His whole person was screaming fear, he was afraid to lose his ‘sun’, yes, he has people he called family but the only person he confined himself, with whom he could be just Ace; was his kid brother Luffy. And now Luffy was here, unconscious, bruised, and almost dead. If something happened to Luffy, Ace would again be swallowed by the darkness. His “light” will be gone and he will be left all alone with or without his crew.

Chopper was crying and moving at an inhuman speed to bandage Luffy, he was doing the damage control treatment to hold the threads of Luffy’s life. Marco came forward and put his hand over Ace’s head but didn’t get a response from him. He was still holding on to Luffy. Even when everyone was telling him to leave him so they could treat his brother, he won’t let him go. He was looking at them as if they were the enemies who were trying to take away his kid from him, like how they took Sabo away. They said that they will take him away and he will be fine but what happened was that he was granted the gruesome news of his death where his body was blown into pieces. How could he trust anyone? Why do they want his baby brother, he is his kid, he had raised him himself, he lived for him, he had given all his love to his brother, why do they want to rob him of his brother? He never tried to take anyone’s family so why do they want to take his only family?

Izo came forward to pull Ace away from Luffy, as every second was precious but Ace growled animalistically, he looked at Izo and Marco with so much hatred they shuddered for a moment. Shanks finally had enough and walked towards Ace, Whitebeard called him in warning but he ignored it as usual. Straw-hats were getting anxious for their captain but couldn’t do anything. For some reason, people in the room could not think of violence or using force as if their thoughts were being controlled. Otherwise, why would the marines not attack the pirates when they are unguarded and vulnerable. Something was strange in the atmosphere but the fact that nobody was able to notice it was more strange.

Shanks sat crossed-legged beside Ace and hold the straw hat in his hand, the straw hats were shocked why would the emperor take their captain’s hat. Ace growled again. He finally met his gaze with Shanks. Shanks gently put Luffy’s hat on Ace's head and Ace gasped. This is Luffy’s treasure.
“Ace you know this hat holds a lot of promises for Anchor right”, Shanks said and Ace nodded while biting his lips, “then to fulfill those promises he needs to be alright and get the treatment. Ace you know promises are really important for Luffy, let them help him will ya?” Shanks asked and Ace looked at him with a teary gaze “But Shanks, he is my Luffy”, he sobbed out and even the hardcores felt the wetness in their eyes, and why not the man crying on his knees was stronger than many and has the potential to be the strongest. He was crying without caring about his pride because his brother showed no sign of waking up.
“I can’t bring myself to trust anyone, I have a feeling that if I let go, I won’t see him again, Luffy won’t come back”. Ace’s voice broke as he spoke and people around him felt his emotions. Ace can trust Shanks; he was the one who saved Luffy so, he was sure Shanks won’t hurt his brother. But for the others, he can trust no one. Absolutely no one.

  Amidst his dilemma, another figure emerged, a strange figure whose aura was so clean that one wants to soak in. The figure was enveloped in light blue robes and a sword on his right. With a flip of his figure, the room was covered with a pink mist and everyone felt lighter. When the mist cleared, all were grouped at the center of the room, their injuries were healed, their minds were now fully awake, and all the dirt and disease disappeared. Along with the blue figure and Monkey.D. Luffy.