Death is just a new beginning.

-x-X-x-

"...Something tells me that what I wanted wasn't fame..."

"I...do I deserve to live?"

"I wanted the answer for that question."

Foosh~Foosh~

With his last words, the wind was the only thing moving in the gloomy battlefield.

While embracing his little brother, he closed his eyes, remembering the only moments that made him feel so warm in his sad life.

...

{So, be my son.}

This was when he first met the old man.

{It better for you...that my son be well.}

And that's when the old man came to war for him, yes he felt warm, though he also felt remorse.

Tears started to fall from his eyes at this moment, hot tears that were impossible to stop.

{I'm your brother!}

{Say what you want.}

{I will save you even if I sacrifice my life.}

This was his foolish brother who rushed into the fire of war to save him despite his weakness, yes he is the same brother who will die in his arms it seems, pathetic, his life is pathetic, his weakness is pathetic, his intelligence is pathetic .

This is the result of being a pathetic person.

He knows this is going to break his little brother, but he can't help it, he feels his life force is already fading away, and he can't do anything about it, he hopes his little brother can get through this tragedy in the best possible way.

Foosh~Foosh~

The wind was still the only voice on the battlefield as if nature itself was crying at this moment.

This was the day when another member of the D clan was falled in this world, the same clan that sacrificed so much for the sake of this cursed world, and today such an individual is treated as a criminal and is executed and deprived of his dream , just because he wanted to be free, no...just because he is the son of that man who is also from the D clan...

{Guys, save Ace, and... destroy the Marines!}

In his mind the old man's words were still buzzing, just why would he sacrifice everything for him? The unrighteous son...why not he let him die alone, though this would grieve him into the core, but at least he would be happy for the sake of his father and his brothers.

{I will get Ace back!!}

He is so sorry for his little brother. apparently that he will get his corpse back only.

{Finally...I'd arrived, Ace.}

His brother's bright smile was something he used to smile to despite his sadness.

Yes, his idiot little brother has already reached this stage, he's proud of him, but unfortunately...

...

{Tell me one thing, Ace.}

{Are you happy that I am your father?}

Is that even a question you should ask, old man?

A pure smile appeared on his tear-stained face at this moment.

(Of course, I'm happy, no...I'm very happy, I was the real father I never had in my entire life.)

Absolute silence descended on the battlefield as if time had suddenly stopped, even the previous wind had completely stopped, but it was all in the mind of the dying guy.

Only his intermittent breathing could be heard at this moment.

"I can't... raise my voice so that...my comrades can hear it."

"Can you tell them..."

"...what am I going to tell you now?"

He could feel his little brother shivering after hearing that. He was unwilling, an immense sadness was erupting in the depths of his heart, it had just begun, but the dying guy didn't want to imagine how it would end, because that only made him suffer even more than he already was.

"Oyaji."

"you guys..."

"...and you, Luffy."

"Thank you..."

"...for loving someone who is useless..."

"...for someone with a evil blood in their veins…"

"...to this day."

More warm tears started to wet his face, and his eyes became misty, as the light it was carrying was already starting to dim.

"Thank you!"

His little brother started crying too, he was deeply shocked, but his older brother's last words still made him break out of shock, if only temporarily.

Finally, his lips formed a pure smile on his face, then his body started losing strength and falling from his younger brother's arms towards the ground.

...

{Gege.}

{...Do you think...I deserve to live?}

{This question...you will find its answer in your life.}

{Will I really find an answer if I keep living?}

{You stinking brat, stop philosophizing.}

{Bft Hahaha...gege you're the one philosophizing here}

These were the last memories he regained before everything became black to him before the last strand of his consciousness disappeared from this world. He had already found the answer to this question.

Whether he deserved to live or not, it didn't matter to him at all, all he cared about was that he was worth living for the important people in his life.

Foosh~Foosh~

His viver card was completely burnt out and its ashes flew with the wind.

"AAAAAAACCCCCEEEEE!!!"

———

Darkness, nothing but darkness in this place, for mortals, this place was only dark, if it was more correct to call it by the word 'the place' above all else, but in reality, there was nothing in this place just a floating flame.

This floating flame was the soul of Portgas D. Ace who died some time ago. Death has always been a vague concept before it was terrifying. No one knows what is there after death. This is of course because death is the most primitive form of Unconsciousness.

When the creature dies, it loses consciousness once and for all with its body, and flows with its soul into the unknown, and the same thing happens with the protagonist of our story who is Ace himself.

Ace hadn't regained consciousness because he didn't have a body to allow him to, still in his soul form which coincidentally resembled the shape of a Flame Devil Fruit.

[Hmmm! Interesting, a low-level being possessing such a high-level destiny]

Suddenly a mysterious voice came from nowhere and from everywhere, not as if the source of the voice was a living being, but it seemed as if this same dark space had spoken.

[Your life really pathetic! You shouldn't have died since you have such a grand destiny, this looks like the intervention of a high-ranking being without a doubt!]

If Ace was currently conscious he could feel the sadness in this mysterious voice for sure, it seemed as if the being behind this voice had really been affected by his life story.

[Since you entered my domain, I will give you a chance you deserve, your chance will be completely random and it all depends on your fate, I can't interfere anymore, young man]

Those words would reach Ace in time so the owner of the voice did not care about the current state of Ace who was out of his consciousness after all.

[Since this will be completely random so I will give you a gift to avoid the worst, oh and I will also make you fuse with a dead soul consciousness of a higher level being, if you are lucky to your next world had been accessed by this dead soul consciousness you will really win gold]

A strand of white light flew out of nowhere and fused with Ace's soul, the orange flame on Ace's soul started to turn slightly white, but that wasn't enough to make him evolve into a high-level being, that wisp of white light could only be considered as a high-level being's memories, And that's not enough to make him a high-ranking being himself.

[You can go now young man, I wish you good luck in your new life.]

[At least those memories will ensure that you won't be stupid anymore.]

Strange space started rippling around Ace's soul forming a ball of darkness and covering him completely, after Ace's soul was completely covered the strange space became still again as if no one was here before!

...

Feeling as if he was emerging from the mist of an extremely vague dream, Ace finally opened his eyes with confusion and even more confusion.

"Ah! My head hurts!"

"Where am I? Didn't I die? And what is this place!"

Its present surroundings were a spacious room with red walls, at first sight, it seemed to be smoldering and with very strange furnishings adorning it, obviously embodying Chinese culture to the highest standards, but for Ace who was accustomed to the world of pirates which contains a Japanese style, this was a strange surrounding to see.

His new body was lying like a paralyzed corpse on a king-sized bed.

"Ah! I feel so weak, was I saved somehow? But I'm sure I'm already dead!"

Suddenly and without warning, many mysterious and strange memories from two different entities began invading his mind, causing him to feel so much pain that he screamed vigorously.

"Argh!!!"

The pain of the beginning of his new life was as painful as the pain of the end of his old life, yes just as Akainu had impales him previously, the memories of a high-level being and a mid-level being piercing his mind with an extremely pain.

-x-X-x-