Author's note: Hello, everyone. This is going to be my own attempt at a Reincarnation!Fic. I know there are some stories posted here that touch this one topic but most of them have fallen into hiatus or are awaiting a rewrite. I know I may not be one of the best writers —especially in English—, but I'll try my very best.

Do not hesitate to point out if I've got any misspelling or grammar errors, all help is much appreciated.

Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda. I do not own anything except tit-bits of the plot.

Take my hand

Chapter 1

As he looked at those huge doors right in front of him, the raven-haired man scoffed. What kind of irony was that? They were white and there was the World Government's symbol on it. He could feel his nails digging into the skin of his palms as he clenched his hands in tight fists.

The sound of gritted teeth echoed in the empty space where he stood. If this was a joke, it wasn't even funny. He furrowed his brow as a noise began to rise right in front of him. The doors began to move, opening up. If he had any expectations, those were whipped out of his mind as a tall, black-haired woman crossed the doorframe and stopped a few steps from him. The young man felt his heart drop to his stomach. Something… something on that woman made him feel a pang of pain and as he looked down on himself his eyes met with the gaping hole in his chest, where his heart should've been. How did that happen?

The woman smiled tenderly towards him as she lifted her arms in a clear invitation for him to step forward and hug her.

"Mom?" his voice was a mere whisper, the insecurity dripping out. She said nothing, she just tilted her head to the side as her smile widened. "What…?" A flash passed through his head. Akainu running towards Luffy as his brother wobbled in his weakest moment. Marines everywhere, the Whitebeard Pirates fighting them off and yelling for him to run. And he stepping between his foster brother and the Admiral as the pain of having that lava-like hand pierce his chest and crushing his heart in the process. His hands flew to his head as his knees gave way. The thud he made as his knees touched the ethereal floor was loud, but he couldn't actually hear it.

The woman ran to him as she also let herself fall to her knees, her arms enveloping his shoulders and pulling him into her embrace.

"Ace, my poor, little son…" she murmured.

What happened afterwards? Was Luffy alright? He could just remember his last words to his brother: Thank you for loving me. Damn it! Was that all he could tell his little brother? Was that all his farewell? Shit, he had messed up and he had let him see his last moments. Why had he to sacrifice himself for him? It wasn't fair and it was only now when he realized that. How much of a trauma did it leave on Luffy?

He had to go back. It was his responsibility. Damn it, he needed to protect his little brother…

"You can go back." His head snapped up at those words. Behind them, right in front of the open doors, was Gol D. Roger. His father. "You can return if that's what you want." The man smiled, the same smile he had seen on the Wanted Posters that still remained of the former Pirate King. The look on his face was gloom. He hated that man. He had let this woman alone after she got pregnant and he had let himself be executed without ever going back to her, without even trying to know his own blood, his own son.

Be able to go back, he thought. Return to the living world, get out of this shitty place where the doors seemed the same as the Gates of Justice of the World Government… Back to Luffy, back to his brother.

"How…?" he asked. Roger's hand motioned behind him. His head spun around and saw another set of gates that were beginning to fall shut.

"If you hurry, you can go back. But in one condition…" The Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates frowned.

"Which?" he said dryly.

"You'll have to be reborn." That was her mother talking.

"Re…?"

"Reincarnate," she informed him. "Have a new life. Things may not go as you expect and maybe you won't have any memories of your previous life. Who knows? Not many have tried to do just that."

Was it worth it? Was seeing Luffy again worth the possible loss of his memories? Of his life? But, then again, he had to make sure his little brother was alright, that nothing happened to him after he'd thrown away his own life just to safe him.

"He's alive." The freckled man turned around again, this time he was met with the huge figure of Newgate.

"O-Oyaji!?" No, no, no! Why? What was he doing here? What would happen to his family?!

"Your brother… is alive. He's safe. Jimbe and some friends of his got him out of Marineford."

"But you…" He swallowed hard. Whitebeard just broke into a fit of laughter.

"It's not the end for the crew. They still have Marco, remember? If someone can keep them all together, that's him. He's my First Division Commander for a reason. Go back, live again. Make sure to meet up with all of them again."

His eyes glassed over with fresh tears. How… how many people had they lost in this stupid war? How much more did the Marines need to happen for them to be satisfied? Why wouldn't they leave them the heck alone? He turned around as Portgas D. Rouge let go of him as he stood up on his feet. He looked back once as he watched her get close to his father and how he hugged her close to him. Was it fair to hate someone who embraced someone like that? He decided it wasn't and he bowed his head slightly as he let himself fall back when he reached the other set of doors.

"Good luck, Ace…" he heard them say before the world around him began to swirl as if he had entered in the eye of an hurricane of colors.