Disclaimer: One Piece is not mine.
Beta'd by Anime Foxx & BlackFoxoftheMoon
Edited 6/20.
Gently caressing soft tresses under her fingers, she watched in silent contentment the rise and falls of their chests as they slept, snuggled soundly within the warm haven of their blankets.
Her lips curled ever so slightly in a soft smile as she rose, making her way to the other side of the room. Various items were scattered across the wooden surface of the floor, and she moved soundlessly to pick them up; a blue top hat, a long, metal pipe, and a few sheets of paper that had been crudely drawn on.
One by one, she returned them to their proper places; the hat by the bed, the pipe next to it, and the drawings in a file. As she arranged the sheets neatly and slipped them into the file, a small thump draws her attention back to the sleepers.
One has flipped over, little body sprawled out haphazardly. A small voice could be heard with utmost clarity in the night, calling out for her.
Don't go…
She crossed the small space between them, kneeling to press her lips against a dreaming child's forehead and whispered promises to stay by them.
Sweet dreams.
May you always be safe.
The skies were a dull grey, the vibrant blue hidden behind thick, heavy clouds with only the least amount of sunshine permeating it – as was the usual on a winter island.
At the southern edge of the island, where the evergreen forest that covered a good amount of the island ended, a cloaked figure dressed in black emerged from the tree line, leaving shallow imprints in the snow as they climbed a narrow path to the top of a cliff.
A large bird, almost twice their size, with downy feathers the colour of snow followed closely behind.
The frigid winter air blew harshly at the figure, a particularly strong gust of wind throwing off their hood to reveal a woman with long, dark hair. Ebony strands fluttered in the wind, plastered against pale skin while the rest were restrained in a woven braid that lay across the woman's shoulder.
The bird cried in worry for its mistress, only to be silenced by a simple wave of her hand. Pulling the hood back over her head, the woman withdrew several coins from the depths of a pocket hidden under the cloak and waited in silence for the distinct cry of a seagull.
She didn't have long to wait.
No sooner than a few minutes, a white bird wearing a postman's hat came, bearing a money box and a sling pouch stacked with rolls of the daily paper. The woman extended an arm, on which the bird lightly landed and looked at her expectantly.
The coins were inserted into the opening on the money box, and she retrieved a single roll before the seagull once again took off into the sky.
With the newly acquired paper, the woman made her way down the cliff and back into the forest, where the trees would shield her from the wind as she read the paper. The News Coo didn't like coming to winter islands much, and if she lost the papers to unfavourable weather, it would be too much trouble to procure another copy.
Deeper into the forest, the remnants of a campsite could be seen, the fire reduced to mere embers in the cold. The woman sat down in the snow, seemingly oblivious to the frigidity, and started to read.
The headlines caught her attention immediately.
WHITEBEARD PIRATES SECOND DIVISION COMMANDER – PORTGAS D. 'FIRE FIST' ACE CAPTURED
What?
The woman blinked, thinking she had read it wrong.
She was out of luck, because the words stared back at her in large, bold lettering.
Fire Fist Ace had been captured.
And a new power had risen from it.
Blackbeard… no, Marshall D. Teach… The paper scrunched up within the woman's clenched fists. That rat…
A recent memory came to mind: A vision of man fading into nothingness, an ominous, round silhouette and the shadow of a knife.
So that's what it was… She thought. A premonition of betrayal.
She scanned the remainder of the article carefully, hanging onto every word lest she missed anything. The article itself was curiously, not as long as she would expect from the capture of a pirate of Fire Fist's calibre, but she supposed that was typical of the government.
The government likely did not want the public to know that it hadn't been the marines who had detained the infamous pirate, but the newly appointed Shichibukai. True, there had been no mention of exactly whom had captured Fire Fist but seeing as news of his capture came out at the same time the appointment had, she would have to be blind if she did not understand the hidden message.
The woman flipped to the next page. Besides the headline news, the paper also had updates on the Enies Lobby Incident which made the headlines days ago. Her lips quirked lightly as she read about how Vice-Admiral Garp had 'valiantly' pursued his grandson, Monkey D. 'Straw Hat' Luffy only for the pirate and his crew to escape through 'unorthodox' means.
Interesting story. She thought and closed the paper. The remaining articles weren't as important, and she could get to them later. Now, she had more pressing concerns that demanded her attention.
The bird had settled down next to her when she started reading, and the woman now turned towards it. Knowing what its mistress wanted, the bird lifted its wings to reveal a pouch strapped to its side that was part of a harness. She put the rolled-up paper in and gently patted the bird on the head, eliciting a happy trill from it as she climbed onto its back, settling into the fur-lined saddle.
Feeling the familiar pat from its mistress that meant she was securely seated on its back, the bird spread its wings. One strong flap later, the bird shot out of the forest into the gloomy sky, looping several times before levelling itself and transitioning into a smooth flight.
The woman laughed from her seat, amused at the bird's little show.
Reaching under her cloak, she withdrew a sleeping snail from the confines of her pocket. A white snail was attached to it to prevent any interceptions.
Dialling a set of numbers, the woman waited patiently for the other end to be picked up.
"Are you going?" The question left her as soon as a familiar voice greeted her through the transponder. The person at the receiving end laughed, replying that she already knew the answer.
"I won't make it by ship though." They said.
The woman smirked.
"I'll pick you up."
A month later, the day of the execution.
The clinking of chains reverberated loudly through the dark passageway of the dungeons. Too loud, in fact. Despite the presence of the guards who lined both sides of the passage, the dungeons were eerily silent.
Hands shackled behind him, a man glanced up at the long stairway that loomed before him, eventually disappearing into darkness.
That's a long way up… He thought, dark locks falling in his face and effectively shielding the steely, silver orbs that blankly observed the path ahead.
"Climb." A chain rattled as his escorts urged him to keep walking. He complied without resistance. There was no point to it; as he was now, he was a dead man walking.
Slowly but surely, he ascended the stairs, putting one foot in front of the other. His gaze did not fall, instead, it looked straight at the darkness before him.
He wasn't afraid of the dark, never was, yet the shadows that encompassed the stairs stirred up a feeling of dread deep inside him. However, he wouldn't lower his head to it.
167… 168… 169…
For every step he took, the feeling inside him grew. Outwardly, he retained an impassive expression, but inside he was churning with turmoil. He had known since long ago that he would emphatically end this way; what better way to discourage any potential law-breaker than to execute the progeny of the evillest man who ever lived? He had never deserved to live anyway. If it weren't for him, his mother –a beautiful, strong, kind woman—would still be alive. He had stolen her life away from her, and now fate was taking it back.
Yet, in the short twenty years that he had lived, he had been told otherwise by so many others.
Luffy and Sabo were the first ever to do so. Ever since the first time they met, the younger raven had never held any ill will towards him. Despite his hostile attitude and many murder attempts, Luffy had said he wanted him to live. Sabo had been his first friend, his best friend and brother. The blonde had never cared that his father was Gol D. Roger and saw him for who he was. He would never tell anyone, but the actions of Luffy and Sabo, and the words that Luffy spoke that night was always kept close to his heart, keeping the darkness at bay. The warm feelings he always got when thinking of his brothers turned to worry as he remembered what Boa Hancock had told him. Luffy was in Impel Down. His chest tightened at the thought of his little brother in that hell hole. Stupid brother! He thought. Doesn't he know what kind of place that is!
…okay, screw that thought. If he knew Luffy, and he did, his little brother couldn't care less if it was a pit leading straight to the underworld. He'd jump right in without a second thought.
He sighed inaudibly. Hopefully, Luffy would find a way out of that place. He might not escape without injury, but he'd be intact and in one piece, at the very least. Hopefully.
His thoughts drifted to the people he'd spent the last three years with and felt an unfamiliar twinge in his chest. After today, he would be lost to them forever. He wondered, if things had happened differently, where would he be now?
Probably not walking to my execution.
He didn't regret his decisions, however. If he could go back in time, he would make the same decisions, all over again.
He was snapped out of his thoughts as the creaking of hinges alerted him to his surroundings. He had reached the top of the stairs, and the door that stood between him and his impending fate was being slowly opened.
Seconds later, he felt the familiar caress of the ocean wind as it swept through his unkempt hair and the warmth of the afternoon sun seeping through his skin.
From where he stood, he could see the sprawling village below the bridge that led to a raised platform; that was where his execution would take place, he realized. Beyond that, he could see the mass of white uniforms that were assembled tightly in what he supposed was the harbour, and further out, the sparkling blue water of the bay.
It was, with no doubt, a sight to see.
His lips quirked in slight amusement. At least, his last view of the world would be a nice one.
His escorts led him down the bridge and up a short flight of stairs to the platform, securing his chains to the boards as soon as his knees hit the wood at the front. Some of the marines glanced up at him, appearing to be curious about the man that had incurred this large-scale execution. He pretended not to notice the stares, grey eyes fixed on the ocean.
He was soon joined by none other than the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku who requested a transponder snail that was handed over immediately. He wondered where that shitty geezer was, if he wasn't up here on the scaffold.
"I have something to tell you all…" Sengoku started, his voice resonating through the transponder system. "Portgas D. Ace. It's about the great significance of his death today."
This is it.
"Ace, tell them the name of your father."
Grey eyes flicked to his side, eyeing the larger man with the slightest hint of contempt.
Did the fleet admiral really think he'd just admit the truth about his blood? He scoffed in his mind.
"My father is Whitebeard." He finally said, just loud enough to be heard over the deafening silence that had fallen at the mention of his father.
"NO!" Sengoku denied loudly, unamused by his show of defiance, and he responded in kind, stating firmly that his only father was the man that took him in.
Sengoku launched into a tirade, retelling the events of twenty years ago, laying his past bare for the world to see. And at last, he showed the last card and revealed the identity of his blood father.
Gol D. Roger. The Pirate King.
He gritted his teeth at the revelation, the truth was out now, and there was nothing he could do.
"So… how long are you going to leave him up there?"
Somewhere on Marineford, two cloaked figures chatted idly as they watched the Marine Fleet Admiral easily disclose a secret that had been kept safe from the world for twenty years.
From their vantage point, they had a clear view of the soon-to-be battlefield. An advantageous position which unfortunately, came at the price of not being able to see the expressions of the one that was sentenced to execution. They did, however, have a full view of his back and subsequently, his crew's prided tattoo. Rich, dark purple ink mapped out the entirety of the design, forming a mark that was marred by his time in prison.
"Until his crew comes to get him, obviously." The second figure replied, arms crossed beneath their cloak.
"And when will that be?"
"What makes you think I know?"
"Don't know…maybe because you always seem to know everything?"
"You and I both know that's not true."
"So…?"
"Probably sometime in the next half-hour."
"See? You do know."
"Shut up."
"Yes Ma'am."
They watched as silence fell at the revelation of Portgas D. Ace's bloodline. One of the figures moved to crouch down on the building's parapet, while the other turned and walked away.
"Where are you going?" The former asked, noticing their companion's receding presence.
A flash of metal was seen underneath the figure's cloak, and realization dawned immediately on the other.
"I'll be back soon. Feel free to join the party when they start."
"Roger. Have fun!"
Turning back to watch the execution, the figure on the parapet sighed, head resting in the crook of his palm.
"And~ she's gone. Now all that's left is for the Whitebeards to show up. Great. More waiting."
…
Tension on the island was high and rising as time ticked by without so much as a splash. Neither the Whitebeards nor their allies were anywhere to be seen, and the marines were getting antsy.
Sengoku had just gone through their goal to execute the late Pirate King's son despite the risks it involved when one of his subordinates reported the unexpected opening of The Gates of Justice.
Just what is going on now? Sengoku thought, sending a cursory glance towards the direction of the gates.
His question was promptly answered, when a lookout sounded the alarm. A fleet of ships could be seen on the horizon, fast-approaching the island. Forty-three ships, to be exact. Although none of them bore the mark of the Yonko, there was no doubt who those ships belonged to.
They were all allies of the Whitebeard Pirates. And if they were here, the Whitebeards themselves could not be too far away. The only question remaining was where exactly they were.
The marines scanned the horizon, hoping to find some indication as to where the strongest man in the world would appear from. They had no such luck. Everything remained stationary except the fleet that was quickly closing in on them.
The atmosphere shifted. Arms were raised, and weapons drawn.
Along with the sudden change in the air, Sengoku's alarms were sent into overdrive, the cogs in his mind turning to figure out what had cause that sense of foreboding to occur. Whitebeard had something planned, that much the Fleet Admiral was certain.
The Yonko did not disappoint.
Of course. Sengoku realized as he watched four identical ships pop up from the bay, water sliding off the bubble-like membrane before it burst, revealing the pirates that crowded the decks. They coated their ships and travelled underwater. That's how they got in. Why didn't I think of that?
He cursed himself for not considering every possibility, allowing Whitebeard to take advantage of it and invade Marine Headquarters. It had been an oversight on his part, forgetting the existence of the special resins that pirates utilized to cross under the Red Line and which the marines had never had a use for.
As the water in the bay settled after being abruptly disrupted, several prominent figures of the famed crew were identified before a distinct clanking sound was heard.
The marines waited as a large, elderly man came up to the bow of the ship directly facing them.
"It's been a long while, Sengoku." The Yonko greeted, a sharp edge to his grin.
"Whitebeard." The Fleet Admiral returned grudgingly.
"You better tell me my beloved son is all right."
…
"Now that I didn't see coming." The remaining cloaked figure whistled appreciatively at the Whitebeard Pirate's impressive entrance. "Ace sure followed one crazy old man."
He looked around, noting his surroundings, and scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm...where to go now? Maybe I'll go around? But the plaza is crawling with marines…Aha!" He spied an area near the edge of the village that was both elevated and hidden. A great hiding spot, except he had to pass by one of the watchtowers.
He contemplated it for a moment before deciding to throw caution to the wind.
Whatever. It's not like they'd see me anyway.
The corridors of Marine Headquarters were eerily quiet despite it only being the middle of the day, all the officers and recruits outside participating in the impending war, leaving only the non-military personnel in the building.
Opposite a window where sunlight streamed in from, a cloaked figure stood in front of the notice board, intently studying what appeared to be floor plans.
So right now, I'm over here. A finger ghosted over the paper. And over here are the offices…
Apparently satisfied with their findings, the figure left the notice board, which was noticeably missing a few papers.
They noiselessly sauntered down the hallways, humming a soft tune as they tossed a small, metal sphere up and down absentmindedly. They never spared a glance at it yet caught the sphere without fail every time.
The figure didn't even bother to conceal their presence in the building, openly walking without a care that someone might see them. Admittedly, there wasn't a need for that, since the only people in the building weren't part of the military, therefore reducing the chances of them being recognized. Even if someone did see them and managed to put a name to their face, they could be easily dealt with.
Alas, any one who would've recognized them were all on the battlefield outside.
On the way, the figure stopped in front of a closed door and peeked in, finding a storeroom that nobody seemed to use. At least, not on a regular basis, judging from all the dust.
Perfect.
The metal sphere in their hands was thrown into the room, its trajectory calculated so it rolled right into a corner, only stopping when it bumped into a shelf.
One down, eleven to go.
Continuing down the corridor, the figure pulled out an identical metal sphere and resumed their previous actions.
The figure soon came to the highest floor in the building, where the offices of the highest-ranking officers were located and headed straight for the door that had 'Fleet Admiral – Sengoku' written on its plaque.
The door itself was huge -but then again, so was most of the building—though the figure pushed it open with ease. It really should say something about how lax their security was if even the Fleet Admiral's office door was left unlocked. Apparently, the thought that someone would sneak in while the marines were occupied outside never crossed their minds.
Oh well, at least it made things a lot more convenient.
The office was large, sparsely furnished with a desk and chair along with a couch and coffee table. Several shelves lined the far wall, holding rows worth of folders. Opposite that was a large window that opened to a direct view of the plaza, and from there the figure watched as one of the Admirals, Aokiji froze a tsunami as it came down on the island along the surrounding ocean, effectively trapping the pirates.
Also, there was a goat –of all things—sleeping in the corner of the office, a half-chewed piece of paper sticking out of its mouth.
The figure was suddenly and immensely glad that they rarely travelled by ship. It would have been a huge hassle to free a ship from the frozen water.
From the window, the figure had a hawk-eye view of the war that was slowly descending into chaos. Kizaru had launched an attack at Whitebeard which had been blocked by his first commander, and now the two were fighting in mid-air in a bright tangle of yellow and blue. Below them, pirates and marines charged each other, and the air reverberated with the sound of metal clashing against metal.
Tearing their gaze from the carnage outside, they moved to the office table and started looking through the drawers, only pausing to pick the locks. When they didn't find what they wanted at the desk, they moved to the shelves and looked through the files, flipping through the recorded information as quickly as possible. It took some time, but they finally found the information they wanted.
Returning the office to its previous state sans a file or two, the figure left the office.
Outside, they could hear the loud voice of the giant captain Little Oars Jr. as he broke through the front lines.
It was time to go.
Luffy was convinced that Lady Luck hated him. And no, he wasn't exaggerating.
Because she definitely had it in for him when everything bad came together and happened at the goddamn same time.
First off, Ace got captured. Then his crew were separated by that bear-guy-with beams and he got sent to that island with lots of women. And then he found out that his brother was about to be executed.
Being the good little brother he is, Luffy had decided to postpone meeting up with his crew in favour of rescuing his older brother. With help from Hancock, he had snuck into Impel Down, which was apparently the most secure prison in the world. A fact that Luffy found questionable – he'd gotten in, hadn't he? Not to mention he had found Buggy running around Level 1 without cuffs.
Things went smoothly for a while; he'd ran into Mr. Three and Bon-chan on Level 3 and Level 4 and had almost gotten to the next level when things went south for them. Luffy didn't remember much of what happened after the fight with Magellan; he had been poisoned to near death, or so he was told. When he finally reached Level 6 together with Iva-chan and his friends, he just had to have missed Ace.
Luffy shrugged it off easily. It was a small setback, but he would catch up to his brother.
Escaping had taken longer than he would've liked, even with Jinbe and Crocodile's help, but Luffy supposed it couldn't be helped, especially when that chess-teethed bastard showed up. Despite the many obstacles in their way, Luffy and the horde of prisoners eventually made it out and immediately set sail on a stolen warship, riding the Tarai current towards Marineford.
The prisoners and Luffy reached Marineford some time after the war had begun. They had been nearing it when some genius decided to cause a freaking tsunami which promptly turned to ice -a feat Luffy was sure belonged to Aokiji— and placed their ship a couple hundred feet above the ground.
And the next thing he knew, everyone was free falling, courtesy of gravity (and a certain idiot, who for once, was not him) towards a large pool of seawater in a supposedly iced over bay. They went down screaming their heads off and drew the attention of every person in the vicinity.
Just before they hit the ground, Luffy instinctively squeezed his eyes shut.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was lying on the now destroyed ship (it had fallen with them) gulping for air.
Sitting up, he looked around, watching the battles as they raged on.
Where's Ace? He wondered, trying to find his brother.
Scrabbling to his feet, he made his way up the ship that was tilting dangerously on one side, breaking through the barrage of marines that came at him. A grandiose building that had MARINE engraved on its walls came into sight as he reached the tip of the ship and he stared at it for a moment, processing his current surroundings.
A cannon ball flew, exploding in the water in front of him and blocking him with a curtain of blue.
Luffy's gaze travelled down as the water subsided, dark eyes finally meeting with silver ones.
Suddenly, it was as if the haze of the war had lifted and everything came into focus once again.
He grinned. Found you.
"ACE!"
He barely had time to be rejoiced.
That stupid sand croc had gone and attacked that giant ossan with the really cool moustache.
Without hesitation, he activated Gear Second and went after the logia user, kicking him out of the way just as he was coming down on the giant man. His former enemy hadn't been very happy, accusingly asking him why he was getting in his way when he had fulfilled his promise of helping him escape Impel Down.
Luffy didn't really have a reason to do so. However, the giant ossan was Ace's captain, and that was reason enough for him to step in. Ace liked him, and he did not hesitate to make that fact known.
Of course, Ace's captain or not, Luffy didn't care as he angrily retorted when the Yonko had shouted that he would die if he tried to enter the war.
Fearless idiot that he was, the younger captain all but challenged Whitebeard for the title of king, receiving an amused comment on his attitude and a warning to stay out of the way from the older man. The Yonko was then alerted to the marines change of plans before the Straw Hat captain took off onto the battlefield, his sights focused on Ace and only Ace.
Everything happened so fast it was almost a blur in his mind. But somehow, it still managed to register.
He remembered everything; the admiral from Sabaody attacking him; the bear-guys-with-beams; two weird marines who looked vaguely familiar; the pink haired captain from Alabasta; the stupid shadow thief leek guy from that zombie island and Ace's captain getting stabbed by some guy. And Coby, the first friend Luffy had made on the sea who bravely stood up to him.
Despite his brother telling him to leave; telling him he did not need his "weak" little brother to save him, he pushed on. And then that seagull ossan told everyone who his dad was.
Big deal. He didn't care anyway. So what if he and Ace weren't related by blood? They were still brothers and that was all that mattered.
To Luffy, his top priority now was getting to his brother. He wouldn't stop, not even if it meant death.
It wasn't easy however.
Many powerful individuals stood in his way, all with different motives. Thankfully, reinforcement was present in the form of Ace's crew.
Breathing heavily, he pushed forward.
He needed to get to Ace.
After almost dying several times, Luffy finally advanced the final stretch of distance that separated the brothers.
He had come so far and wasn't going to let anyone else delay him any longer. No matter what stood in his way, not even if it happened to be their Grandpa.
Luffy glared at his grandfather who stood on the path Inazuma had created, preventing him from reaching Ace. He wanted to punch his way through, but at the same time, he didn't want to hurt his Grandpa.
His confliction showed, but Garp stood his ground, though it pained him greatly to do so.
"Luffy, I consider you...my enemy!" Their fists met, and Garp fell to the ground below.
I'm sorry I let you down... please, Luffy, save your brother.
Save Ace.
Crap.
Darting across the ice, a cloaked figure cursed as the marines' Encircling Wall went up, cutting off the frozen bay from the rest of the island.
Why did I think it was good idea to come down here again? Because how the fuck was he supposed to get back up there now?!
Changing course for the nearest section of the wall, the figure stopped short of it and slammed the base of his weapon –a long, metal pipe, in this case—into the smooth surface.
The resounding clang told him all he needed to know.
Great. It's completely solid. Damn marines just have to make our lives harder every day.
He sighed, wishing that his companion was here with him instead of loitering somewhere inside Marine Headquarters. If it were her, he had no doubt such a thing as an 'Encircling Wall' wouldn't even faze her. Knowing her, she would only view it as a mild hindrance. Or possibly not even a hindrance.
What was that she said earlier? He thought, an odd comment from his companion before she left coming to mind as he tried to figure out how to get past the wall. 'If anything comes up, just go ahead and break them.'?
He eyed the wall dubiously. Well… something certainly came up, in both sense of the phrase, but she couldn't have meant this?
He pondered it for a moment, ultimately deciding that it couldn't hurt to try.
"Well, desperate times call for desperate measure. Sorry wall." He muttered under his breath and slid his weapon back underneath his cloak.
Putting his hands to the wall, he started rapping on it. Several pirates nearby were drawn by the sound and were surprised to see a stranger knocking on the wall that was preventing them from reaching their target.
"That guy over there! What do you think you're doing!" One of them shouted at him.
Ignoring them, he continued until he found what he was looking for.
A black sheen covered his bare hands, and his hands, balled into fists, embedded themselves into the thick slab.
"Dragon Claw Fist…"
Cracks spiderwebbed from the point of impact.
Well, whaddya know.
"Dragon Breath."
Air rushed through the cracks, and the wall cracked completely, leaving only the area around the point of impact intact.
"I swear I'm never doubting her again… wait, have I said that before?"
Pulling his hands from the rubble, he gave them a light pat.
"Sorry. But you had to go." He grinned, not at all apologetic despite his words.
At that point, everyone's attention had been drawn to the cloaked figure that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The pirates openly gaped at him while the marines froze in horror; even Whitebeard with his Gura-gura no mi hadn't been able to break the wall, yet this person who seemingly appeared out of nowhere had broken it with ease. Noticing the amount of attention on him, he shot a glare at the nearest pirates.
"Well what are you people standing around for? A written invitation?" He snapped, mildly annoyed at their distraction from their primary objective.
As the outlaws registered the fact that someone had broken through the wall and created an opening other than the one which was blocked by Little Oars Jr., their faces lit up and they charged through the rubble with renewed vigour, some clapping him on the shoulder in a show of thanks as they rushed by.
Honestly, he didn't need that. He thought as he rubbed his shoulders, where some of the pirates had forgotten their strength and clapped a little too hard.
He had almost followed them, but the feeling of several pairs of eyes burning into his back spurred him to turn and meet them, only he avoided making any contact with the admirals and instead met yellow with blue across the battlefield.
The old captain stared blankly at the cloaked man who had aided them, his unwavering gaze almost unnerving.
He was about to break eye contact and continue his merry way when Whitebeard broke into a grin, accompanied with a nod of appreciation. Tipping his head in reminiscent of a bow in return, he decided to change course again, heading towards the Yonko instead of following the pirates like he had planned to.
He was highly aware of the horrified stares the marines sent his way as he expertly weaved his way through hordes of pirates, though he ignored them entirely.
He was nearing the Moby Dick when a huge stream of water cut him off.
What the…?
His question was answered in the form of a dripping wet Luffy who stood defiantly in front of the three admirals, a broken mast wrapped under one arm which was promptly frozen by Aokiji.
The Straw Hat captain didn't hesitate to attack them, his Gatling attack sending the mast flying at the admirals in frozen shards.
That idiot! Is he suicidal?! He freaked from his spot in the middle of the battlefield. He was so very tempted to just go in and maybe knock some sense into that non-existent brain of his, but a small voice at the back of his mind told him that was a bad idea.
Taking a deep breath, he continued his way. The Straw Hat captain could take care of himself; even if he couldn't, well there's Emporio Ivankov behind him and Sea Knight Jinbe. Between the two of them, the young pirate captain would be fine. Probably.
He arrived at the base of the large ship a moment later, just in time as a sudden pressure descended on the battlefield accompanied with a loud "STOP!".
Haoshoku haki.
Within his field of vision, marines and pirates fell to the ground in a large circle around the Straw Hat pirate, unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Though there seemed to be more marines than pirates.
He heard Whitebeard's signature laugh and pushed away the worry for such an ability being disclosed to the marines, deftly scaled the ship, landing lightly atop the whale figurehead.
The Whitebeard Pirates, under their captain's direct orders had reformed ranks behind the rookie pirate, providing him the backup he needed to keep moving forward without hindrance.
He looked up at Whitebeard as he came up beside him, his hood shadowing the mask he wore as he voiced a question to the elderly captain. Beside him, the captain of the Maelstrom Spider Pirates, Squard was staring at the newcomer in surprise, the remnants of tears still visible on his pale skin.
"You don't plan to leave this place alive, do you?" It wasn't really a question, though it sounded like one.
"Who are you, brat?" The older man retorted, his gaze fixed on the war. His torso was bloodied from the wound where Squard had previously stabbed him.
The cloaked man shrugged. "Just an ally."
Yellow eyes averted themselves, and he heard the captain snort.
"I'm a relic of the sea, brat. I've lived long enough."
"That may be so, but I have orders. Very explicit orders." He replied, allowing just a hint of trepidation to seep into his voice, knowing the giant man would easily sense it.
"Oh?"
"I'm not allowed to let you die here."
Whitebeard scoffed at his apparent insolence.
"And what makes you think you can prevent that?"
"I don't know. Perhaps the threat on my life if I actually let you die in such a worthless place?"
"…cheeky brat."
"I aim to please."
He was free.
Running with all his might, Ace couldn't help the one thought that kept flashing through his mind nor the elated whoop as he felt his fire coursing through his veins again after being subdued for too long.
He was free.
And it was all thanks to Luffy.
Glancing at his little brother running next to him out of the corner of his eye, Ace felt his heart swell with pride. It had only been a few months since they had run into each other in Alabasta, yet his little brother had grown so much.
The Luffy he had met then would have been K. O'ed the second he set foot in this place, but not only had his little brother brought utter chaos to the war, he'd also successfully set Ace free. Granted, his crewmates had helped a lot by keeping the stronger marines off Luffy's back, but still, his little brother had undeniably spearheaded the later half of the battle.
Ace couldn't keep the grin off his face as he fell back into old fighting styles that only worked with his brother, the both matching each other step for step as they ploughed through the enemy ranks without so much as a glance at the other.
He could almost smell his freedom.
Just a little more, and he'd be home free.
And then shit happened, because someone up there must really hate him. (It wouldn't be far-fetched; most of the world hated him anyway.)
Whitebeard –their captain, their Oyaji—had ordered the crew and their allies to retreat to the New World without him.
The Yonko would stay to finish what they had started while his sons escaped back to the open sea.
Ace almost cried out at the order, because how could their captain say that? How could he say that now, now that Ace was free and on his way back to them?
Did his father come to save him, intending to make Marineford his grave?
A sharp pain clenched his heart, and Ace felt his eyes grow wet with tears that were threatening to fall.
Akainu, that annoying, self-centred magma jerk had expectedly chased after them, all the while spewing his nonsense about Absolute Justice and later, insulting Whitebeard for telling his crew and allies to fall back.
Ace felt his blood boil at the slandering. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and give the Admiral a piece of his mind, but the more rational part of his mind repeatedly reminded him that that was a very, very, very bad idea.
The last straw was finally broken when Akainu decided to call Whitebeard a 'coward'. And bad idea or not, that was something Ace wasn't going to take lying down.
Whitebeard was many things, but a 'coward' was in no way, one of those things.
The fire-logia stopped running and turned around to confront the Admiral, wholly unaware that he'd taken the older man's bait.
"Don't make fun of the man who saved my life!" He yelled, readying himself for an attack. He ignored the frantic shouts of Luffy and his crewmates behind him, his temper getting the better of him and clouding his judgement.
"The name of this era… is WHITEBEARD!" Ace thrust his fist forward, unleashing the attack he'd gained his moniker from.
Magma and fire clashed.
He was overwhelmed.
Subconsciously, he registered Jinbe yelling at Luffy as he stumbled. Pushing himself to his knees, Ace glared at Akainu, though the man didn't seem to be looking at him.
Instead, the Admiral appeared to be looking at something else, something off to his right…
Ace's eyes widened in horror as he realised where that manic look was being directed towards.
Luffy!
Akainu charged before Ace could blink, his magma covered fist pulled back, ready to put a hole through Dragon's son.
The attack came down swift and hard unto the unknowing teenager.
Instinctively, Ace moved to shield his little brother even though he knew he wouldn't make it. Fatigue and hunger was catching up to him, overpowering the adrenaline rush that was already dying down with ease.
I won't make it! Ace felt his heart drop as he rushed forward. Everything seemed to have slowed down, and he watched in horror as the shadow of death descended on Luffy.
NONONONONONONONO!
A black blur shot past him towards his little brother, scooping up the bewildered teenager at the very last second.
Silver flashed as the figure nimbly jumped out of the way, and a cry of pain permeated the air.
Blood spilled, dyeing the ice a vivid crimson.