Days after the war, Ace woke up on an island. As he tried to remember what happened in the war, a man talks to him.
"Hey, you. You're finally awake." Sitting in front of him was a young man with a staff sitting on a rock and a monkey on his head. It was Alexander. He just throws an apple to Ace before standing up. He just watches as the man walks away while being punched by a monkey.
"That voice! That was the voice that told me to run." After then, he remembered what happened. The moment he heard the voice, he was grabbed by Jinbei along with his brother. Before he can fight though, Jinbei chokes him which made him collapse.
Having so many questions about what happened next, he follows the young man. There, he meets many other people he knows. Jinbei, Rayleigh, a sleeping Luffy being held by Boa Hancock, and the young man. They were all gathered waiting for him.
"What…" "What happened?" Alex interrupted him. Ace just nodded. Alex looks at Jinbei as if telling him 'I don't know what to say to him.'
"After I took you away, Whitebeard continued to fight. He also ordered all his other children to retreat immediately. It was then, Teach showed up. Along with a crew he broke out of the Impel Down."
Hearing Blackbeard's name soured Ace's mood. "Teach! I failed to kill him." He looks at everyone and before he can do anything, a monkey appears on his leg and hits it. This caused him to fall down the dirt.
"Do you really think that you can avenge his death when he has now even grown in strength? I may be a newcomer here, but after learning everything from these guys, I know that you're going to run for your death." Alex said as he points to Jinbei, Rayleigh, and Hancock.
'How did his monkey sneak on me? How did it even hit me?'
Before he can ask another question, Alex said something again. "Stay here. You can't defeat him with one devil fruit, what makes you think that you can defeat him with two? A Gura-Gura no mi would destroy you in 4 hits, 5 to 6 if you're lucky."
"2 Devil Fruits? Gura-Gura no mi?" Ace was confused by what he was saying. He looks at Jinbei and the others as they decided to explain what he is talking about. By this time, he was already back on his feet.
"HE GOT THE OLD MAN'S FRUIT? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" As soon as he said it, a burst of conqueror's haki exits his body.
The other's reactions were all different. Jinbei was concerned. Hancock got a bit of goosebump from the added killing intent on it. Rayleigh was nostalgic as Ace's haki reminds him of his old friend. However, Alex was smiling.
'What a fragile person.' Alex thought before sending out his own conqueror's haki.
"Calm. Down." *WOOINNGG* *BOOOM*
It was just a split second but it was enough to disperse Ace's haki. This time though, everyone has the same reactions. They were surprised. Even Rayleigh.
'I really am old. Where did a young man with such a will come from.' Rayleigh thought.
'Who is this lad? He appears mid-war and was able to survive the crossfire. Now he also has a strong conqueror's haki that can easily rival Ace?' Jinbei said to himself as he tries to think of who Alex might be.
'Tha- That level of conqueror won't be unnoticeable in this age of pirates.' Hancock says in her mind.
"Why don't you join your brother and train here?" Asks Alex.
"Train? With Luffy? What do you mean?" Ace asks.
This time, Rayleigh is the one who answered him.
"He already woke up earlier and we already talked to him. After that, he decided to train for two years and become stronger as he think that he and his crew are still weak. And I will train him." Rayleigh said before Boa interrupts.
"And I will marry him!" She said while blushing. Everyone ignores her as Alex said something again.
"You already know a bit of armament and observation. Now that I realize it… Are you an idiot? Relying on your fruit alone, even Amber can destroy you with no effort." He said as a monkey got up on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'll be the one to teach you." His last statement angers Ace even more than his previous one.
"What makes you think that you can and I will agree for you to teach me?" This time, Alex stood up. Just from standing up, everyone felt the mood change.
"First of all, I'm not asking. Second, I have yet to think of you as my student. For that, I will test you. Lastly, that will be now." Alex said as walk towards Ace.
"Now, I'll go easy on you. You just have to stay conscious for a minute." Every step Alex takes makes the three others sweat. Even Rayleigh, the Pirate King's right-hand man, can't help but feel the tension in those words.
"I'll reignite that weak, broken will of yours." Alex stops walking as soon as he reaches 5 feet away from him. He then stares at Ace before crossing his arms into his body and raising a finger.
*WOOINNGG*
An intense burst of conqueror's haki was exerted on Ace. By the time he felt it, Ace almost lost consciousness and fell to the floor again. However, he bits his lips and didn't let his will waver. He sends back his own haki but it was minuscule compared to Alex's.
Although Alex only directed it to two people, the three others felt its intensity. Jinbei, even after encountering many conquerors of the sea, fell on his knees. Hancock however, as she possesses a will of a conqueror, only sweats on her head but still felt the burden on her head.
'If this is how it feels undirected to us, then what is Fire Fist feeling? He held back earlier.'
Rayleigh, on the other hand, felt different. Even though it's not directed at him, he was able to gauge the young man's level of haki.
'This level of haki is that of…' He thought before dispersing it. 'What's more, he looks like he's still holding back. By a lot.'
By the time 45 seconds passed, although Ace grew accustomed to the pressure, his consciousness starts to fade away again.
'Just a little bit more!' By the 58 second-mark, Ace's consciousness and mental strength are at their limit. However, a big burst of conqueror's haki helped him stay for three more seconds.
It was Luffy's.
*BOOOOM*
His unconscious release of haki surprised everyone except Alex, who expected it. Ace felt it too and persevered through the last second.
His last words before falling unconscious were… "I… I did i-" as his head fell on the floor.
Before Alex went back to his seat, he said something to Rayleigh.
"Old man! Your student isn't as bad as mine. To be honest, he'll be even greater. However, I hope your teachings can keep him alive before that." Alex said while eating a fruit from out of nowhere. Rayleigh can only smile at the kid's remark as he deemed the kid as someone great.
'After all, he has that fruit.' Alex just thoughts.