Chapter Text
The chaos of Dressrosa’s final moments surged like a storm on the edge of collapse. Flames crackled across fractured stone, the palace in ruins. Screams echoed from the city below, where freedom was being clawed back from the jaws of tyranny.
Near the center of the crumbling battlefield, Trafalgar Law lay sprawled across shattered tiles, his coat torn, body bloodied and unmoving. His last desperate attempt—Gamma Knife—had failed. The attack hadn’t brought Doflamingo down.
Above him, the Warlord of the Sea stood with a predator’s grin, his sunglasses reflecting the flickering fires. His foot hovered above Law’s skull, poised for the final crush.
“It’s over, Law,” Doflamingo sneered, voice cruel and cold. “All that talking… no bite.”
Then, without warning— WHAM! A foot collided with his own. The force was enough to halt his stomp mid-air. Doflamingo’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down and saw Monkey D. Luffy, glaring up at him, fury written in every line of his face. “I’m not letting you kill him!!”
The words rang like a bell across the battlefield. For a heartbeat, Doflamingo's smirk faltered. But before he could reply— A soft orange glow shimmered across the cracked stone. Both combatants paused. The air felt different.
Behind them, a streak of orange light shot across the ruins like a falling star. It whipped through the palace grounds with impossible speed, vanishing just as quickly as it came. When the glow faded, he was there. A lone figure stood a few meters away. His cloak—white with threads of burnt orange—fluttered softly in the wind. He held something in his arms.
Law. Alive. Gently, the stranger set the unconscious surgeon against the remains of a broken pillar, resting him with uncharacteristic care. For a moment, he stood still, back turned toward the others, the wind weaving through his hair like threads of fate.
Law stirred weakly, eyes struggling to open. He blinked at the figure above him. “...Who...?”
The stranger turned. His hair was white, his eyes glowing faint orange. His expression was unreadable—calm, almost innocent. He tilted his head slightly, as if unsure what to say. Then he smiled, softly. “Ace,” he said. “That’s my name”
Luffy’s heart stuttered in his chest. “A... Ace…?” The name struck like lightning. It wasn’t him. Not Portgas D. Ace. But the resemblance was uncanny. The name, the aura—it was enough to make Luffy freeze, thoughts spinning.
The guy—this Ace—blinked at Luffy, confused by his expression. “You okay?” he asked, pointing at him. “You looked like you saw a ghost or somethin’.”
Behind them, Doflamingo had gone silent. His shades slipped slightly down his nose, exposing eyes no longer filled with amusement, but alarm. He hissed through gritted teeth. “So... the Descendant of the Sun is here after all…”
Luffy turned, his brows drawing together. “What… did you say?”
Doflamingo took a step back. “That brat… every time he shows up—his side never loses.” His voice trembled with something rare—fear. “He doesn’t even understand why. And yet, the tides shift. He’s not human. He’s a natural disaster dressed like a lost child.”
Ace scratched the back of his head. “...Wait, I always win? That’s kinda cool. But what’s a ‘descendant of the sun’? Is that, like, a title or something?”
Luffy stared at him, baffled. “You don’t know?”
Ace gave a sheepish shrug. The orange light around him pulsed, faint and calm—but underneath it lay something ancient. The kind of presence that stirred even the strings of fate. He took one step forward. His eyes flicked to Law’s battered form. “So... you’re the one that hurt him, huh?” His voice was gentle—but behind it, power stirred.
Doflamingo flinched, ready to lash out.
“WAIT!” Luffy shouted, stepping in between.
Ace paused, blinking. “Huh?”
Luffy grinned. “Can I ask you something? Can you take Law to Robin? I’ll handle Doflamingo.”
There was a beat of silence.
“...WHAAAAAT?!” Ace yelped, voice cracking. He stomped the ground in protest like a sulky child. “I just got here! You get to punch that creepy guy and I have to babysit?!”
Luffy’s grin widened. “Please. He’s my fight.”
Ace stared at him. Then his eyes glowed. For a moment, he saw it—Luffy’s heart—a burning, golden flame of pure will. Fierce. Unbreakable. He smiled faintly. “…Alright.”
He didn’t say what he saw. He didn’t need to. Bending down, he lifted Law once more, cradling him carefully. “…Robin, huh? Who the heck is that?”
Then with a burst of orange light, he vanished from the battlefield, streaking away like a comet.
Doflamingo watched him disappear, every instinct screaming. “That guy…” he muttered under his breath. “He shouldn’t exist.”
Luffy took a deep breath, stepping forward again. “…Let’s finish this.”
And the battle resumed. Far across the broken city, Ace landed atop a rooftop, rubble crumbling beneath his feet. In his arms, Law remained unconscious, breathing faintly. Ace glanced around. “…Now where the heck is this Robin person?” he mumbled, scratching his head.
The light of the orange sun dipped below the clouds, casting shadows long and deep across Dressrosa and high above it all, the winds carried the whisper of something new. Something ancient. Something unstoppable.
To Be Continued...