LWD – Chapter 1 Afterlife?

Ace ran forward, his entire mind being filled with thoughts of Luffy.

His headstrong, stubborn little brother who came to rescue him despite the whole world working against him. His brother who smacked some sense into him, when Ace himself had given up, when Ace was determined to be left to die, when Ace was being so incredibly stupid in the face of his family. Ace's brother who had his whole life ahead of him and he was in danger.

Ace threw his body forward and stood his ground. Before him, he could see Luffy in the midst of reaching forward for that stupid piece of paper on the ground that Ace had given to him.

The world blurred into fire and magma.

"ACE!"

His chest hurt. Actually, his whole body hurt as the adrenaline pumping through his body faded away. The pain was strong enough to make his vision waver as he fell to his knees.

Vaguely Ace could see Luffy's horrified face through his matted hair, and Ace could remember that promise made a lifetime ago. He didn't regret this though. Ace would always value his brother's life before his own and nothing would change that.

"...sorry, Luffy." He was starting to lose feeling in his limbs. He felt so tired.

Luffy was panicking, constantly shifting his body when all Ace wanted was for him to stay still because he hurt and all his moving was sure to be doing more damage to Luffy's wounds.

"Ace! We've gotta hurry and treat you-"

He felt numb. Ace could tell his time was coming, but he had a lot to say before he left this world. Ace struggled to gather his wits and took a painful breath.

He yelled as loud as he could. "I'm sorry I couldn't let you save me properly! ...Forgive me!"

He wanted all of his family to hear this. He could hear Luffy call for a doctor and various others telling him to shut up and wait for them to get him to safety.

He had to push through his pain and finish.

"It's no good! ...I can tell when my own end has come!"

"No...you promised! You told me didn't you, Ace?! You said you wouldn't die! "

Luffy's voice was wavering and Ace didn't need to see that he was beginning to cry. This was his family surrounding him, these people who accepted who he was and cared for him.

Ace couldn't feel any regret dying like this. He was proud of his brother who grew up so much from the tyke that used to annoy him when they were smaller.

"Old Man!All you guys!Even though I've been a good for nothing all my life...Even though I carry the blood of a demon within me..."

Ace drew one final breath.

"You guys still loved me...THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

He could feel his tears mixing in with his blood as he whispered to Luffy.

"The only thing I regret is not being able to see you become the pirate king."

Ace awoke, his body lay flat on the ground and the first thing he saw was the floor. This certainly wasn't what he was expecting to happen after he died, actually it didn't even feel like he died at all.

He peeled his face of the ground and took a look at his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of a plain black road that seemed like it was just floating in space. Everywhere Ace looked there was the grand appearance of the night sky with all its stars twinkling back at him.

Behind him, the road kept extending endlessly into the surrounding blackness. On the other side facing him, there was a white gateway with a large amount of light shining through.

'I guess that's what people mean when they say "I see the light" when their dying...'

Ace began to rub the back of his neck when his hand hit something and after taking a look, he realized it was his hat. The hat that he obviously did not have with him when he died.

Surprised, he looked down to his chest to see there was no evidence at all that he'd been pierced through. He guessed that when people die they return to the form they were most comfortable with.

Ace looked down the road at the gateway and sighed.

'Well...I guess there's no use in delaying the inevitable. Might was well head on.'

As Ace got closer he could see a small figure near the Gate sitting along the edge of the road. It was a young boy, around the age of ten, sitting there just ...watching him.

Unnerved at the blatantly staring, Ace continued to walk stiffly until he couldn't take it anymore.

He faced the boy and snapped with an annoyed tone. "What?!"

The boy's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Y-you can see me?"

Ace furrowed his eyebrows and gave the boy a questioning look.

"Of course I can see you, it's not like you're invisible."

The boy gave him a sheepish smile.

He hesitantly began, "It's just- it's just that you're the first adult to actually see me, ever since I came here."

Ace furrowed his brows. "What do you mean by that?"

"Uh...that would take a while to explain." The boy scratched at his cheek as he looked off to the side.

Ace looked down the road at the shining Gate and shrugged. It's not like he had anything else to do.

"Eh. I've got time."

He sat down next to the boy, the both of them dangling their feet off the edge of the bridge. For one moment Ace looked into the dark abyss down below before facing the boy again. He wondered what would happen if he fell in.

Having a clearer view of the boy's face Ace could see that he had a striking resemblance to him, if only a few less freckles and curlier hair. Ace leaned back planting his hands behind him to divert his weight before introducing himself.

"So what's your name kid? I'm Ace"

The boy grinned. "That's a cool name! My name's Harry. It's a bit dull."

He sounded petulant, Ace laughed.

"It's better than some of the names I've heard, like Buggy."

"What? No way! There's someone named like that?!"

Harry's rowdy attitude seemed to cheer up Ace a bit from the dreary mood their surroundings gave.

"Okay, okay. Enough joking around. Why don't you tell me your story?"

Harry scrunched up his face, hand on chin, and thought.

"I think you know what this place is, right?"

Ace gave an affirming grunt. "Hm." He figured, with the atmosphere and all.

"This place is where people go when they die. Most people usually go straight for the gate over there, but some people can get…lost."

"Wait, what do you mean lost?" Ace started, and jerked to look at Harry.

"They get sidetracked or they crash into someone that died at the same time and fall off the road."

"Then what about you?"

"I was one of the special cases. You see, eventually even those who fall off will come back here when they're ready to move on. When they fall off, they end up in the living world as ghosts unable to touch anything. There are people who are able to touch physical things that are different. I've talked to some of the other kids and they said that those kinds are usually in a situation where they're body is still alive? Like in a coma or something in the living world. So if they can find their bodies then they can wake up."

Ace hummed. "...And you're one of these children? Why don't you go?"

"My parents are already dead. When I got here I managed to see them pass through the gate, but before I could follow them I fell off. In the living world, there were so many others like me. After a while I found out that my body was still functioning, I don't really have anyone other than my family and they're all on the other side. I didn't want to just waste a chance at life, so when I came back here I decided to wait here until someone comes along. Then their soul could take my body and I would meet up with my family. You're the only one who stopped since forever."

It was a long while before Ace sighed and gave Harry a knowing look.

"You've really thought a lot about this haven't you, Harry? I'm assuming you want me to take this chance?"

Harry fidgeted and spoke quietly. "...You look like a guy who has a lot of regrets, Ace."

He thought about his only regret, a soft smile formed at the bittersweet thought. "Yeah. I guess you're right."

Ace stood up and stretched his arms. He put his hands on his hips.

"So! How are we doing this?"

Harry jumped at his change of attitude. "Eh?! You want to go now?"

He gave Harry a wide grin. "Sure! No time like the present!"

Harry looked shocked at his statement, then his face seemed to change to confusion. There was a man standing a little behind Ace, clearly waiting for them to finish. He wore a large red captain's coat and looked remarkably like an older Ace, except with a thick curly mustache.

"Uh...I think someone wants to talk to you first though."

Ace scrunched up his face. "Huh?"

Harry pointed behind Ace and he turned to see someone he really was not expecting.

"Hello, son."

"R-roger?!" Ace blanched.

"First time seeing your father and that's the reaction I get? Guahaha!" Roger's laugh was loud and deep.

"Y-you...you-" Ace couldn't seem to fit words into his mouth.

Roger sighed and gave Ace a small smile.

"I know that I've given you a hard life, I've watched it all. You've made good friends, Ace. You have a family, I don't mind you calling that Old Man, Pops. But, I just want tell you that even if you hate me, I'm your father...and I love you."

Ace really didn't know what to think. Sure, he had a hard time in his childhood, but he got over that when Pops accepted him. And if Ace ever relapsed into his old thinking, his family was always there to pull him back. They proved that in his last moments in the living world. Ace guessed that it was just time to finally resolve the issue.

He took a deep breath.

"...I stopped blaming you a few years ago, it was more habit than anything. I think, I just wanted to be recognized as myself, then Roger's son. There were a lot of bad memories that went with that name. My family helped me with most of my issues, but I don't think it really matters as much anymore and... I'd like to get to know you better when I come back."

It wasn't a total forgiveness, but it was a chance and that was all Roger needed. He gave a full blown laugh as he grabbed Ace in for a hug, with Ace awkwardly wrapping his arms around his father back.

"Guahaha! Let's hope that's not true for a long time!"

"Are you guys done being sappy?"

Ace immediately pulled back with a jump. Harry was standing off to the side giving them both a bored look.

"Harry! I almost forgot you were here!"

"I don't mind, but didn't you want to go now?"

Ace dusted his shirt off, nodding his head to Roger then turned to face Harry.

"Right. What do I do?"

"You fall off the bridge."

With that, Harry grabbed onto his arm and fell backwards, dragging Ace with him.

"Wait! Whaaaaaaaaaaaa-!"

As they were falling Harry switched their positions, so Ace was falling below him. The wind whistled loudly in their ears and the force of their fall was causing their clothes and hair to whip about. Ace's hat somehow managed to stay on throughout the entire ordeal.

"Are you crazy?!"

Harry laughed, giddy at Ace's reaction.

"Don't worry! Right now we're headed straight for the living world! Your soul might take a while to adjust to my body, but you should be fine!"

Ace turned his head to look behind his back. There was a spark of light shining below them, that got progressively brighter as they got closer.

"Hey Ace?!"

"Yeah?!"

"I just wanted to say thank you!"

Harry gave him a large smile before bursting into small particles of light that ascended upwards, while Ace continued to fall until his vision flashed white and he once again saw darkness.