Author's Note: This story is a response to a One Piece/Naruto Crossover suggested by The Infamous Man.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to One Piece or Naruto.

Legend:

"Someone is talking."

'Someone is thinking.'

"A technique is being used."

Chapter One:

-Marineford-

Even as the battle of Marineford raged around him, Monkey D. Luffy couldn't find it in himself to care anymore. His brother, Portgas D. Ace, had just had a hole blown threw his chest by that bastard Akainu.

"Ace!"

Luffy felt his brother move, slowly raising his head, and quickly helped him get up. He ignored the blood that continued to gush from his brother's wound.

"… I'm sorry… Luffy…" Ace said, looking him in the eyes.

"Ace! We've gotta hurry and treat your-" Luffy said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't let you save me properly… Forgive me…!" Ace said, interrupting him.

"What are you talking about? Don't say stupid things like that Ace!" Luffy replied before lifting his head. "Somebody deal with his wounds! Somebody save Ace!"

"Hurry over here, Doctor! He needs emergency treatment!"

"I'm coming!"

Ash coughed, a river of blood flowing from his mouth, before he slumped against Luffy's shoulders.

"It's no good! … I can tell when my own end has come…!" Ace said, panting. "He's burned up my insides…! … I'm not coming back from this… so Luffy… Listen up!"

"…What are you talking about…? Ace… are you going to die?" Luffy asked. "…NO! You can't die! You promised!"

"…Luffy…" Ace said.

"You told me, didn't you, Ace? You said you wouldn't die!" Luffy said, interrupting him.

"Yeah… you know… if it weren't for the Sabo thing… and having a little brother like you to look out for… I would never have… even… wanted to live." Ace said, reminiscing over his past. "Nobody else wanted me to, after all… so it's only natural…!"

"Ace..." Luffy murmured.

"… Oh, yeah… if you ever… happen to run across Dadan… Could you tell her goodbye from me…? It's weird… Now that I'm about to die… I even feel like I miss that idiot." Ace said.

To Luffy, at that moment, everything besides him and his brother slowed down. He could feel tears prickling at his eyes, demanding for release, even as his heart beat heavily against his chest.

Ace couldn't die! He couldn't just die! He had so much to live for!

"I have just… one regret… That I won't be able to see… your dream come to pass… But I know you Luffy… You'll pull it off for sure…! You're my brother after all!" Ace said.

"... Ace…" Luffy said, crying.

"… Just like… we promised back then… I have no regrets… about how I lived my life! It looks like what I really wanted in the end… wasn't fame or renown at all… It was an answer to the question… of whether I should have… been born…" Ace continued. "… My voice is getting to quiet… Luffy, I want you to listen to what I say now… and tell it to the guys afterwards…"

"Old man…! All you guys…! And … Luffy …. Even though I've been good for nothing my whole life… You guys still loved me… Thank you so much…!"

"Ace!"

The body of Portgas D. Ace fell from between Luffy's still grasp, falling to the ground, where it lay for all to see. It had a peaceful expression on its face, as if Ace was merely asleep.

Tears poured from Luffy's face he stared at that body, his emotions to chaotic to describe. He felt immense sadness, pain, and helplessness.

"This can't be real! C'mon!" A random pirate scream out, tears in his eyes.

"Ace…" Another pirate cried.

At that moment, the pain in Luffy's chest skyrocketed. He griped his chest, blinded by his tears, and tried to stop the pain.

He had to stop this pain! It felt like his chest was going to explode with the raw intensity of his emotions!

"ACE!" Luffy screamed out.

"…! Fire Fist Ace has died!"

At that moment, something long dormant in Luffy's blood awoke. It had been hiding throughout his family's bloodline for hundreds of years, never awakened until this moment in time.

The price of activating this bloodline required the user go through a trauma that could break the mind of any individual. In return, it granted the user multiple powers long thought lost.

When Luffy opened his eyes, all could see the change. His eyes could now be characterized by a ripple-like pattern around the pupil, with a light purple iris and sclera.

The Rinnegan had returned to the world.

One marine, seeing "Straw Hat" Luffy was down, motioned to his friends. They nodded before each of them began firing at him.

As the bullets screamed through the air, Luffy slowly, instinctively, raised his hand.

"STRAWBOY!" Emperor Ivankov shouted.

In an instant, the bullets seemed to hit an invisible force field before they were scattered in all directions.

"He… He deflected them!" A random marine shouted.

"But how?" Another marine shouted.

"It's Akainu!"

"You're next "Straw Hat"!" Akainu shouted, rushing towards Luffy.

Luffy turned to look at the man, the bastard, that had killed his brother. His eyes narrowed before he launched himself forward, rushing towards Akainu.

"Luffy!"

Right when he was 10 feet away from Akainu, somebody grabbed him while another intercepted Akainu.

"You will not take his life!"

"Captain Marco!"

"Get Ace's litter bro out of here Jinbei!" Captain Marco ordered.

"Got it!" Jinbei replied.

Luffy tried to break the hold that Jinbei had over him but the fishman was too strong. All he could do was watch, hatred burning in his eyes, as he was taken away from the battlefield.

Watch as he was taken away from the chance to murder the man that killed his brother.

'… Ace…' Luffy thought, eyes blurring with tears. 'I'm so sorry… Please… Forgive me…'

Author's Note:

Well, that is the end of this chapter. So what do you guys think about it? Love it? Hate it?

Flames, as always, will be ignored.