ʙʀɪɴɢɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ // ᴏɴᴇ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ

Chapter 3

"B-But you died...." Luffy muttered in tears, causing Ace to frozed on his spot.

He didn't know what's that supposed to mean, or what is happening. But he have an idea, though he needs further proof and knowledge about the situation.

With a sigh, he placed the straw hat in Luffy's face. "Shut up. I'm alive, look closely." He muttered under his breath, but it sounded like he's unsure because of what he just heard from Luffy.

The ravennette heard what Ace just said, his sobbing soon died down and turned into soft sniffing as he lowered his straw hat to his mouth, showing his teary eyes.

"Y-You are?" He asked, voiced sounding scared causing Ace's heart to feel a pang of pain as he watched his said brother looked at him with those hopeful eyes. "You're real, right? This isn't a dream, right?"

Ace's lips twitched as he glared slightly at Luffy, feeling irritated at the questions and having no strength to further watched those broken eyes looked at him like he was just a mere imagination.

"Yes I am! I'm alive, I'm real, I'm not your imagination and lastly..." His fist hit Luffy in the head, causing the younger to whine. "...this isn't a damn dream!"

It took some minutes till Luffy finished crying, the boy immediately became cheerful afterwards as he picked up his Straw Hat.

Sitting on the ground, Ace watched how Luffy placed back the straw hat at the top of the rock before running back to him, grinning widely like crazy.

"Ace!!!"

With a sigh, Ace looked at this Luffy who was now one year younger than himself, and he didn't know why but Luffy kept calling him name again and again with that super happy smile on his face.

"So, where are we, exactly?" He asked, looking around again.

Luffy grinned at the question, "We're in an abandoned island called Rusukaina!"

Ace furrowed his brows, thinking for a little bit. "Rusukaina?..." He muttered quietly before he looked at Luffy in confusion. "Is this one of the Island in East Blue?"

Luffy chuckled at his question, "Shishishi, nope! We're in New World!"

"N-New World?!"

"Yep!"

Ace's eyes widen as he stared at his younger brother, examining him again.

Luffy weren't one to lie. In fact, the kid was a terrible liar that you could easily tell shall he say one lie, though it was one of his good and unique side.

However, the fact the they are currently in new world was a shocking news to Ace. He remembered yesterday that he was still in East Blue, an Island filled with nothing but dead bodies and bones.

"Ace, Ace! Let's go!" Luffy excitedly said, standing up on his feet as he snapped Ace out of his thinking.

Ace glanced up to his excited brother, who doesn't seem to mind this matter too much. "Where are we going?"

Luffy grinned, "We're going to find mystery girl!"

"Mystery girl?" Ace furrowed his eyebrow at the addressed, then the white-haired girl from three days ago appeared in his mind.

'Could it be....'

Ace stood up and looked at Luffy seriously. "Luffy, what does this 'Mystery girl look like?"

Luffy pause, then try to remember. He completely forgot about the 'Meat' that the mysterious girl have promised, his mind was too preoccupied with the fact that his brother was alive.

"Well, she have white hair!" Was what he answered to Ace's question, the freckled raven haired immediately frowned upon hearing that answer.

Luffy noticed it, "Is...there a problem?" He asked worriedly.

Ace sigh and shake his head as a no, grinning a little. "Not really. It seems like she weren't just messing with me when she said she'll bring me to the future."

Hearing those words, It felt like something in Luffy cracked. His body stiffened and his eyes became full, completely frozen still on his spot as he stared at Ace in shocked and pain.

"A-Ace...you...." Luffy can't find his words. What the hell did he just heard?! Does that mean that Ace wasn't the same one...as the one who died in Marineford a year ago?!

Ace noticed Luffy stiffened, his whole body seemed to frozed like his feet have taken roots on his spot.

He furrowed his eyebrow in confusion. "Hm? Luffy, what's wrong?"

Luffy didn't answer, and he pursed his lips into a thin line as he eyed Ace, this time not skipping anything.

His brother was still taller than him, still have that freckles However, as far as he could remember before, Ace doesn't wear a shirt and have those tattoos, especially the one on his shoulder which have his name with Sabo's flag right under the A of Ace's name.

Realizing the truth, Luffy mocked himself for being slow. "You mean to tell me that....you came from the past?"

Before everyone could answer, the sound of amused laughter filled the air.

"I missed the reunion~" sang the voiced.

The two brothers turned back to the tree, where they saw the girl responsible for everything sitted at the top of the rock, twirling the Straw Hat on her finger as she grin happily at the two.

"It's you!" Ace blurted out, the girl giving back a cheerful smiled.

Luffy, however, frowned. "What's the meaning of this? I thought—

"That's I'm talking about bringing you back to time?" She finished, causing Luffy to fell silent while Ace looked between the two in confusion.

The girl chuckled, "At first, that's what I thought. However, giving Ace-kun's situation, he'll surely die in that Island since his chance of getting out decreased after he ate the Mera-Mera no Mi, so I decided it'll be better to just bring him here instead!" She explained in a cheerful voice, a calm smile adorning her face.

Ace blink, "Mera-Mera no Mi?..." He muttered and looked at his hand, his fingertips immediately turning into fire. "Is that the name of that devil fruit?"

However, no one managed to answer his question when Luffy turned at the girl, a desperate scowl on his face.

"Does that mean....thag he would disappear? Are you just toying with me?!" Luffy yelled in pain, causing Ace to frown.

The girl then sigh, "You thought that I'll bring him here and bring him back once you get used to his presence again?" She asked, confirming her assumption as she gazed back at Luffy's cold glare, a cheerful lopsided smirk appeared on her face.

"I don't think I could do that!~" she sang, causing Luffy to pause.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked, while Ace stayed silent, listening to the conversation.

The girl spread her hands, "That old giant request me to look after his 'Son', and I can't do that if he's already dead." She said before cackling darkly, "So I decided, why not bring here the one who's yet to start?"

Those cyan eyes turned into a darker shade as they gazed at Ace, a dark grin appearing.

"Wouldn't you like to start in the New World? After all, you are meant to die in that Island." She stated and calmly smile, "It is your choice whether to live here or go back."

Ace frowned, and he glance at Luffy. He remembered those broken eyes staring at him hopefully, adding the fact that Luffy concluded that in this time, he's already dead.

It seems like Luffy was hurting, in pain and suffering, all because of him.

Thinking a little bit, Ace bit his lip and stared at the calm girl with determination, ready to faced the consequences of his answer.

"I'd rather stay here. I felt the need to."