-" ...Fire Fist Ace!"

The room was clustered, full of people who were discussing nothing but one issue. The name had been going around the building like wildfire, leaving no mouth free of it's curse. It was like a chain reaction, the catalysts of the infamous pirates sad end had spread everywhere. When the title finally reached Sabo's ears he stopped dead in his tracks. Something about that name just seemed..so familiar. So very important. But he didn't know why.

At that moment, after he had heard the name which had put him in this state, it was like all the people in the room no longer existed. Just Sabo and his brain trying to piece together this feeling he could only describe as doom. He walked towards the table where the discarded newspapers stood. He could feel a sense of dread occupying the entirety of his body. His hands shook noticeably but he didn't even recognize them.

How could one name, a person he didn't even know make him feel this suffocated, this worried? The crispy thin paper of the newspaper wrinkled under his hold as he slowly opened the cover page. In the middle of the paper stood a man. Smirking and glaring at the camera. Jet black hair and black eyes. A symbol of freedom.

A freedom that he was robbed of.

FIRE FIST ACE DIES

Sabo's eyes diluted in shock. Beads of sweat formed on his face and slid down in agony. Sabo took in short gasps of air as his whole body shook. In the back of his mind he could feel himself starting to remember something, someone. Ace..Ace-

He slammed the newspaper down on the table, relying on the 4 legged wood to keep him upright. His loud gasps could now be heard across the room. He was struggling to breath, his chest heaving up and down trying to stabilize him.

-"Sabo what's wrong?!" someone shouted. However, Sabo couldn't hear those words, he continued to whimper. Sweat trickled down only to be replaced by new beads. Tears dropped on the news paper, creating wet spots on the photo of a smiling man. Ace. The world was swirling around him.

Sabo's cries increased by the second. His whimpers turning into sobs, his sobs turning into screams. Tears suffocating his face.

Sabo let off a sudden cry, slamming his hands on the table, hugging the newspaper close to his body.

-"Are you alright?? Sabo! Sabo?" 

Tasting salty tears in his mouth Sabo's body convulsed as his knees gave way. The newspaper slipped from his hands, falling on the floor. He followed along, hitting his back with force and losing himself completely to pain and darkness as he screamed:

-"BROTHER!!!" ________________________________________________________________________

You jumped from your bed, holding the damp sheets clamped up in your hands as you gasped in and out.

Another nightmare...

You shouldn't have watched Sabo's reaction to Ace's death. It had affected you even before you had known the way Ace had died. Especially after coming to this world, you could spiritually relate to Sabo, you could feel his pain. You groaned as you fixed your hair, feeling panic and fear pool in your stomach.

You wiped the sweat that had formed on your body, looking down on your grey tank top and shorts now fully sticking to you.

You sighed and hugged yourself close, still affected by the way Sabo had screamed in your dream.

Don't worry.

Tomorrow is another day after all.

You covered your head, hoping you could fall asleep peacefully this time.

________________________________________________________________________

-"There is still a drop or so of essence in the earrings. So keep it with you at all times." The old man spoke, staring at you to make sure you understood.

-"It can be helpful but use it when you need it the most. The power to mess with time comes only with each drop and it only works on the body of the person who takes it. Be smart." he said as he continued to fix your cloak and earring as he spoke. Throughout the weeks he had been teaching you how to get used to your powers, giving you information on the timeline and training your body. You smiled happily that you two had time to spend with each other, knowing that he was trying to look out for you in his own way.

But your happiness didn't last much longer. The old man brought you back to reality with an important warning:

-"Never let anyone else other than yourself make use of the essence." he said. "If more than one person was to make use of the essences power, the universe itself would be completely messed up, disoriented. Like two different rays causing disruption in the flow of time simultaneously. So if someone were to use the essence, your existence could be erased. You could die, or get locked out of this universe, the era of the pirates. Don't let anyone use it." He warned you, hoping that you would engrave the knowledge in your head and take his words seriously.

-"Relax! I got it. You've been telling me this all throughout the road." you assured him, smiling at his antics. He sighed at your response, as if he didn't believe a single word you said. He looked a little worried, a sight you weren't used to. Ever since you had gotten back he seemed much kinder towards you. You knew that he was hiding things, like his identity, why he was doing all of this- Heck you didn't even know his name, simply opting to call him old man. But you knew he had a reason for hiding them. He was working with someone and you knew it. But who?

Thought one thing was clear. He cared about you and that was enough. You smiled at him waving goodbye as you walked away.

It was show time.

________________________________________________________________________

You sat in a bar you had found around the area where you and the old man had separated. Your back was turned to the door as you viewed the people who were bustling about and enjoying their day. You were so close to the ship of the Whitebeard pirates. The thought that you were merely meters away from Ace was so thrilling but scary at the same time.

You were dreading meeting him again.

Too scared to look at the face of the person who had held you as you died. The one that you had traveled with for weeks, who knew nothing about you in return. He had no memories of you, no connection to your past. No recollection of the time you had spent together and the time you had separated. And you were okay with that; You had accepted and gotten in terms with that reality. It was okay if he didn't remember. He didn't need to.

What really scared you was the thought of the way you would feel after seeing him again. How you would deviate from your plan at the sight of him and his cocky smirk. You were scared he would turn you into something you didn't want to be.

You had decided when you had gotten back here, where it all began, that you wouldn't fall for his antics and his rare genuine smiles that drew you in close. You knew the effect he had on people, the way he broke and filled hearts without even noticing it.

You had no luxury for that, you wouldn't allow yourself to hurt him just because you had been interested in him. You no longer liked him. Whether that was a lie or the truth you didn't know, but you planned to keep up with the facade. There no longer would be any sort of interest nor any glimmer of romance towards Ace, who could make you feel those emotions so so easily. You couldn't do that to him nor to those he cared about.

You would focus on your mission and help him survive the marineford.

Suddenly the bar door opened, filling the hot air with the chilling coldness of the outside and making you grumbel in annoyance. You sipped your hot chocolate which you had literally forced the barman to make and continued to watch the many changing faces of the pirates that moved about. You raised your eyebrows when you noticed the bar suddenly quiet down. 

This scene felt familiar.

Who could make these rowdy people quiet down by simply appearing in the door?

You sipped another sip of your hot chocolate and turned around, interested to know of the person who had scared everyone to silence.

At the sight, you nearly sputtered out the drink in your mouth. Barely holding in the drink and keeping yourself from a coughing fit that would surely get attention at the silence in the bar as you saw the person that you were dreading to see:

Ace. ________________________________________________________________________________

HELLO HELLO! 

I HAVE BEEN WRITING NON-STOP JUST TO REACH THESE CHAPTERS IM SO HAPPY TO BE HEER MAN. 

Are you excited!? Did you like it? Am I updating too fast? loll

How have you guys been since yesterday?

QUESTION TIME= WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER FROM ONE PIECE? ACE MAYBE?

ANYWAYZZZZ 

HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.