Undying Flame: A One Piece What If Story

Part 7: Romance Dawn for A New Age

I slowly opened my eyes, my body unable to move. I glanced around, Luffy laying next to me on the ground, a large rock past him. Jinbe saw me and smiled. "Glad you're awake." I forced myself to sit up and glanced down at Luffy, my brother snoring, not the unconscious state the sea would render him. "He woke up a bit ago, then napped." I smiled, standing up slowly. "And Rayleigh brought this." He lifted Luffys Strawhat from behind him, causing me to react.

"That's not like him." I said, taking the hat and putting it next to Luffy. "He wouldn't lose this."

"He did it when he covered for you." Jinbe said, sitting against the rock. "Oh, there was something else." Jinbe said, tossing me a small, very familiar, metal tube. "Marco is on this island. He came to give you some stuff, and didn't wanna give it to anyone else."

"Pineapple Head?" I said, feeling my eyes light up. I opened the tube, a small piece of paper in it, the name 'Marco' written on it. "A Vivre Card." JInbe nodded as I started walking in the direction the card was pulling towards.

Reaching the spot, there was a familiar ship a bit off shore. A simple, but large ship with a blue bird on the front. "If it ain't Fire Fist Ace." a voice called. Then, Marco flew from the top of a tree down to me, grinning.

"What happened with Teach?" I asked, the question burning hotter than my own flames. Marco looked at the ground, then spoke.

"He beat us." he said, his voice lacking any emotion. "We thought, given it was just that bastard with a few crewmates, just a few of us could beat him. But after this, the full force of the Whitebeard Pirates are gonna rain hell down on him."

"Let me come, Marco." I said, walking up to him. "Pops died to save me, and Teach is the reason that happened. Let me fight!"

"No." he said plainly. "I'm not letting Pop's sacrifice be in vain, even a 1% chance."

"It won't be!" I screamed "I'm strong enough to burn Teach up by myself. He just fights dirty!"

"We're pirates, Ace!" he screamed back, uncharacteristic for him "There is no fighting dirty. It's all to win."

"Then I can fight dirty too!" I yelled back, the argument getting my body warmed up. "That bastard broke Pop's trust, and Pops saved me in his last moments! So he deserves to die by my hand!"

With that, Marco simply punched me, the blow landing on my Logia body. Blood dripped from my nose and lip. Nothing major, just enough to prove a point. "You need to get stronger." Then, he picked up a wooden box off the ground, then handed it to me. "And if it makes you feel any better, I'll be sure to burn that bastard to cinders just for you." He smirked, his arms becoming his signature phoenix wings. "I'll see you in the New World, Fire Fist. Let's fight then." He leapt off the ground, flapping his wings, soaring off towards the ship. I gritted my teeth, then opened the wooden crate. There sat a familiar orange hat with familiar blue faces on it. "That sentimental idiot."

As I reached Jinbe and Luffy's area, Rayleigh was there as well, all eating around a fire. "Ace!" Luffy yelled, smiling as his Strawhat bounced on his head. I sat next to Luffy and grabbed a slab of meat.

"So, Ace, you ready to train?" Rayleigh asked, chewing a chunk of his meat. "This Sabody meat will be the last meal you get without working for it."

"I'm ready." I said, looking at my hat, which was next to me on the ground. "I can't lose anyone else because of my weakness."

Rayleigh chuckled, pointing at me with the meat bone. "That's a good mentality."

"However strong Ace gets, I'll get stronger." Luffy said, dual wielding meat. "I gotta be the strongest."

"Bet, Strawhat!" I yelled, still chewing a bite of meat. "Wanna throw down!?" With that, my shoulders exploded in flames and Luffy stood up, a piece of meat in his mouth, his fist drawn back. Before we could attack, Rayleigh did the blast thing again, drawing our attention.

"You can fight while you train." Rayleigh said, the blast subsiding. Jinbe smiled and stood up. Then, he doused the fire and meat with sea water.

"The hell, Jinbe!?" me and Luffy yelled in tandem, clutching our meat.

"Starting now, I'm your teacher." Rayleigh said, standing up. I did as well, all of us up. JInbe simply jumped backwards, then shot away with a splash. "I'll teach you how to use all 3 colors of Haki, and do my best to awaken the Conquers Haki locked in both of you. This island, Rusakaina, is home of some of the largest and most untamable beasts. Once we pass through the edge of the island, the fauna and flora will have it out for you. Are you guys still ready to go?"

"Yes." we said in tandem. Then, Luffy walked over to the rock and sat his hat on it. "Strawhat Luffy is taking a break." I smiled, walked over to the rock, and placed mine on top of his.

"So is Fire Fist Ace." I smiled, then looked at Rayleigh.

"I gotta whip you too into shape, huh?" he sighed, ran his hand through his hair, then continued. "Then we better start now."

2 Years Later, Rusakaina

As a certain Monkey readied to attack me from above, in a tree, I readied an attack. Instead, an all too familiar blast of Conquers Haki went off, belonging to Silvers Rayleigh. Luffy dropped to the ground, snow falling off the branch. "It's already been 2 years?" Luffy asked as we walked towards the origin of the Haki, the same place we left our hats 2 years ago. They sat there, undamaged, but mine covered in snow.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Rayleigh asked, looking at us. I grabbed my hat off the rock, my hand on fire, melting the snow when it got even close and smirked.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life." I said, setting the hat back on my head, a familiar, almost nostalgic feeling flooded my body. Luffy did the same, cracking his own line, but the only thing on my mind was a simple thought. Fire Fist will be back in action soon enough, world.