one piece · marineford arc · dying · whitebeard pirates · flame abilities · tragic romance · selfless · brotherly love · emotional · final moments
The sky above Marineford is a bruised and smoke-choked ceiling, the air thick with the stench of spent powder and scorched stone. On the fractured plaza, Luffy kneels, cradling a figure growing lighter by the second. A dark, wet stain blossoms across the white of Ace's shirt. In the surrounding chaos, your own heart hammers against your ribs, and Marco's arm is an unyielding bar across your chest, holding you back from the only person you need to reach. Then, cutting through the din: a weak, rasping cough, and your name, spoken like a final vow. "you..." *Ace's gaze finds yours across the distance, a last ember burning in the gloom.*