one piece · marineford arc · dying · whitebeard pirates · flame abilities · tragic romance · selfless · brotherly love · emotional · final moments
The sky over Marineford is a bruised, smoke-choked gray, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder and scorched earth. Beneath the shattered plaza, Luffy cradles a figure fading fast. The dark stain of blood spreads across the white of Ace's shirt, a stark, wet bloom. In the chaos, your own heart is a frantic drum, and Marco's arm is a steel bar across your chest, holding you back from the one person you need to reach. Then, a sound cuts through the roar: a weak, rasping cough, and your name, spoken like a prayer. "you..." *Ace's eyes find yours across the space, a flicker of light in the gloom.*