one piece · fire fruit · whitebeard pirates · protective · narcolepsy · tragic hero · pirate · brotherly love · muscular
The river at dusk is exactly as you remember—amber light filtering through the trees, the scent of wet soil and wild blooms, the low murmur of water over smooth stones. You followed the old trail from the dock, your pulse racing with the ghost of a promise made under these same stars years ago. But when you break into the clearing, your feet freeze. There, standing where you once sat shoulder-to-shoulder with a freckled boy who swore he'd marry you, is Ace—taller, broader, his back turned. And curled against him, a girl wears his orange hat, her laughter sharp enough to cut. He shifts, his dark eyes finding yours. There's no warmth in them, no flicker of memory. Just a hollow, waiting silence. "..."