One Piece- Memories After All

WHAT IF- III

A promise is a promise afterall.....
🫣🫡 Happy Reading. I kinda feel it is random after I'm done writing. However,  I hope you guys can enjoy it🌸

It felt as if the world had regained its color, the air was clearer, and it seemed forever since Ace could breathe again. Just hearing Luffy’s voice was enough to make him feel alive once more.

“I’m here, Lu,” Ace murmured, his voice heavy with emotion. “I’m here.”

The commanders stood quietly, captivated by the raw vulnerability of their normally fiery comrade. The tension in the room seemed to ease like a weight had been lifted, even if just a little. Whitebeard leaned back in his chair, a gentle, knowing smile on his lips. He had witnessed many bonds form in his long life, but this—this was something rare, something truly extraordinary.

Ace stayed by the Den Den Mushi, listening to Luffy’s faint breathing, waiting for the next words, his heart finally at ease. At least for now.

“Are you awake now? How are you feeling, any pain? Can you tell me what happened?” Ace’s voice trembled, still shaky but brimming with hope, as it echoed through the snail. On the other end, he could hear the rustling of fabric, relieved sighs, and then a burst of excited shouts. “The brat’s awake! Somebody gets the doctor!” someone yelled in the background, the energy buzzing with joy.

Makino’s soft voice returned, filled with warmth. “He’s up. I’m helping him sit up now.” Ace listened intently as Makino’s gentle embrace was met with a soft rustling sound, followed by Luffy’s familiar, sleepy voice.

“Where’s Ace?” Luffy asked, his voice groggy but unmistakably his.

Ace, who had been holding his breath, replied immediately, urgency lacing his words, “I’m here, Lu.”

The Den Den Mushi's snail transformed, mimicking Luffy’s wide, brown, owlish eyes and the signature scar beneath them. Ace felt his heart swell in his chest as he could finally breathe again after what felt like being submerged underwater for far too long.

“Ace?” Luffy’s voice, small but packed with emotion, echoed through the room, and the snail’s eyes filled with tears. It was such a pure sound that for a moment, Ace’s crewmates couldn’t believe their fearless second commander could know someone like that.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Ace replied, his voice so soft and tender that even the commanders had to blink twice, stunned to hear him sound like that. They exchanged glances, trying to piece together who this mysterious “Lu” could be.

And then, with Luffy’s usual bluntness, came the bombshell: “Ace, you died.”

Haruta, who had been casually sipping his coffee, promptly spat it out, eyes wide as saucers. The room fell into a stunned silence, the air crackling with tension. The commanders sat frozen, staring at the snail, trying to grasp what they had just heard.

Ace’s heart skipped a beat. His mind raced, but he knew better than to panic. He understood how Luffy’s brain worked—he had to stay calm. There was no room for shock, not when Luffy was involved. Taking a deep breath, Ace forced himself to speak gently.

“I’m alive, Lu,” he said, carefully, trying to soothe the rising confusion in his brother’s voice. “I’m talking to you right now, aren’t I?”

“But I saw you die!” Luffy insisted, his voice shaking slightly. His words were heavy with something far more serious than Ace expected. Ace’s brow furrowed, his instincts telling him there was more to this than a nightmare.