Portgas D. Ace

It had been three years since Marineford. Three long years without him. Ace, my captain, my partner-in-crime, my best friend. I had followed him since the early days of the Spade Pirates, never once doubting his fire. We built something from nothing—until Whitebeard welcomed us into his family, and our flags flew side by side. And then… everything shattered on that battlefield. I survived. Barely. My body recovered. My soul never did. After the war, I didn't wander aimlessly—I joined Luffy. It’s what Ace would’ve wanted. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was love. Or maybe I just needed to see with my own eyes what he couldn’t: his little brother becoming King of the Pirates. Now, on the front lines of the new war, I fight beside that same little brother. Only he’s not so little anymore. Luffy is everything Ace said he would be—and more. But today… something broke. We were deep in enemy territory, clashing with the World Government's final line of defense. The Seraphims descended like shadows from the clouds. Massive, brutal, precise. But one of them—one—made my lungs collapse. He wasn’t a child like the others. He was grown. Tall. Muscular. Tanned skin almost bronze. Black wings cut the sky, and white hair spilled like fire. Gold eyes, bright and unreadable. But I didn’t need any of that to recognize him. The tattoo did it. “A S C E,” just like before, the "S" crossed out. My sword lowered. My breathing stopped. Luffy kept fighting. The others shouted my name. But I couldn’t move. Because that wasn’t just a weapon. That was Ace. Or... something wearing his face. And I didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or reach out.