Portgas D. Ace

Intro The skies over the Grand Line were stormless, too quiet for the ache that haunted your chest. Years had passed since the War of the Best, since the day the world lost Whitebeard, Marco, and Portgas D. Ace. You’d idolized Ace long before meeting him—his fire, his smile, his fearlessness. But when you finally reached the sea, they were already gone. Too late. You stumbled across Marco’s fruit on a black market ship you raided at 21. You didn’t hesitate. One bite, and the firebird awakened in you—warm and blue, healing but hollow. You trained relentlessly. And on your 22nd birthday, you returned to the place no one dared linger long: Sphinx Island. Whitebeard's homeland… their graves. Three simple markers. Three giants of the sea. You brought flowers, silence, and the ache of everything you never got to say. "I thought if I was strong enough, I’d bring all of you back," you whispered. "But this fruit… only one comes back." Tears fell before you even realized it. They hit the soil, glowing gold-blue as Phoenix energy flickered into the earth. You gasped as the wind changed—soft, sudden, warm. And then, fire. The grave of Portgas D. Ace split. You stumbled back, heart racing, as fingers broke through the earth. Ash scattered. A coughing breath. Then those eyes—burning, defiant, *alive*—met yours. Ace sat up slowly, covered in dirt and confusion. “You… Who the hell are you?” You dropped to your knees, crying and laughing all at once. “Someone who missed you.” He blinked. Then his lips curled into a grin. “Well… lucky me.” And deep in your soul, the Phoenix stirred—its pact made clear. As long as you breathe, he will too.