Alright time for another chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, it makes my day every time! I'll be calling in to schedule a doctor's appointment soon, so wish me luck and pray for me if you will. I might not have much time for writing, so don't expect these weekly updates to become a habit, but I'll try to peck out my daily 300 (300 words, per day, per project). But yes I was told by my doctor to be more active and exercise more, and try to avoid sitting more than two hours a day. So writing is difficult!

Please enjoy the chapter. Once more, I don't own One Piece (it belongs to the wonderful Odachi).

00000

A World of Difference

Chapter 20: Step Zero

Dragon stared, wide-eyed and deeply stunned, his eyes still moist from the tears shed for Flint. The dank, dark corridor stank of medicine and chemicals, and now he knew why.

Vegapunk stood before him, an old man with his arms crossed behind his back. His eyes were shaking, and there was a slight tremor in his shoulders. He was shorter than Dragon now. Dragon, who had looked up to him as a child, believing him to be the most intelligent and kind person he knew.

He could still remember their many sessions, both here and in Mariejois. More times than he could count, Dragon had been dropped on Vegapunk's doorstep, or Vegapunk summoned to the palace in the Holy Land. Dragon was their rising star, the Gorosei had said. The Celestial Dragon's value his gifts, they said. Fix him quickly, they said.

He had. Each and every wound, illness or ailment Dragon had ever suffered had been taken care of by Vegapunk, or Punk as he'd called him as a child. Broken arms, ruptured organs, extreme blood loss, and more. No matter what the problem was, Punk had always gotten him fixed in a matter of hours, or days at the most. If their sessions were in one of his labs, then Punk would call the Gorosei. He'd lie, saying Dragon needed more recuperation or the treatment would fail. Thanks to that, Dragon had been allowed a little reprieve from the endless torture.

His time spent with Vegapunk, during which he usually rested off seriously life-threatening injuries while being allowed to read or play games or even help Vegapunk with his research, often pointing out things the older man had missed. If he did that at Mariejois to anyone it would've resulted in a beating and being locked in a closet for days without food. But Punk had been glad for Dragon's help, calling him a brilliant boy and asking him for more information.

It had been a few years now since Dragon had suffered any major injuries, a result of Dragon's experience and improvement. The need for checkups had come to an end when Dragon turned fourteen. So this was their first meeting in… Thirteen years.

He had always wanted to reunite with Punk again. Just in case his time ran out. Outside of Sazu, this man had been the closest thing he'd had to a friend.

Now Vega was standing before him, his expression dark as if awaiting a death sentence. His eyes were cold, as if bracing themselves for a storm. His confidence and kindness and warm expression were gone. For the first time since Dragon had met him, he resembled an old man.

Dragon went through his broken-film-esque memories of the man. He owed this man his life. And yet...

This was Anomaly's benefactor. He was the one to design the radar that led CP0 to Dragon's mother, Hestia. Hestia who was sick and pregnant and unable to defend herself. CP0 murdered her, took Dragon, shoved Garp into a life of isolation and mourning.

It was his fault…

Dragon snapped, launching forward with bandaged hands that burned to strangle the old geezer. Anomaly moved to stop him, but Vegapunk shot him a halting look, and Dragon grabbed the old man by his collar, lifting him off the ground and slamming him into the wall.

"You!" He shouted, unable to believe the sight. "How could you?! You killed her!"

"I-I'm s-sorry, Drag—" He choked, something low gurgling in his throat.

"Dragon, please!" Anomaly pleaded, leaning forward, his knees bent and his fists clenched. "He meant you no harm! I told you before, he only wanted to protect! He didn't know who he was leading them to!"

"BE QUIET!" Dragon ordered, not taking his eyes off Vegapunk, whose hands were weakly clutching at Dragon's.

"Please!" Anomaly urged, shaking with the urge to move and stop him. "He treated your injuries! You were on the verge of death when he teleported you here, so was Ruka. She'd overused her haki and had lost too much blood. He saved you both. He kept Flint alive by using very rare medicines and extensive treatment, using resources that aren't easily replaceable. He wanted Flint to be able to give you his message!"

Dragon wasn't listening. Emotional and anxious and grieved with the weight of Ruka's whole crew now dead from rescuing him, he was not swayed. He was watching Vegapunk's eyes roll lifelessly back in his head, was listening to the sound of him choking in Dragon's strangling hands. Somewhere in Dragon's heart of hearts, he enjoyed it. Vengeance for his family. For Ruka's family. There were alarm bells going off in his head, but he barely heard them.

"Dragon, please." Anomaly begged, not moving. "He was a friend to your parents. He would never have betrayed them on purpose. He didn't know…"

Dragon jerked at that, the image of his father's tortured expression flashing before his mind's eye. That desperately, heart-wrenching, broken look that said everything he'd ever hoped for had come true in the worst ways. His hands fell away, his arms falling limply at his sides, all the fight drained from him. Vegapunk hit the ground, and Dragon fell to his knees, all the fight in him having vanished like smoke in the wind.

Vegapunk massaged his throat, choking as he did. Anomaly was at his side, bulking form curled and leaning over Vegapunk, who put one hand on his friend's arm as he coughed up a lung. He then gave Dragon a hard look.

"I am sorry, Dragon." He said, earnest and regretful. "I did wish to steal you from Mariejois. I plotted it out so many times, even when I knew it was no good. They would've known it was me, and then who would heal you when they beat you or sent you out to fight another death match? I would've tried to help you anyway, if it were just my own life on the line. But they would've massacred my home country, which they know is dear to me, if I ever betrayed them."

Dragon was staring at the ground with dead eyes. He heard the words, understood their weight, knew he couldn't blame this man. Vegapunk had tried and failed to protect everything, at great cost. Dragon couldn't blame him, and he wilted at this realization.

The only ones he could really blame were the Gorosei, CP0, and the Tenryuubito.

"Why didn't you save Flint?" He asked, feeling something of a dishonest pull in his heart.

"I tried, Dragon, I tried." Vegapunk promised, leaning forward where he sat. "But his wound was too severe. He was strong, and lucky, to hold out for as long as he did. I told him it would be less painful if he went quickly, but he was so desperate to speak to you that he begged me to extend his life as long as I could. I agreed."

Dragon let this news sink in, reflecting on Flint's last words to him.

It was them. All them.

He gave something of a broken nod, unable to rise.

"Thank you for treating our injuries." Dragon said half-heartedly.

Vegapunk nodded. "Of course. Please forgive me. I wanted to stop the Rackham Pirates, but I knew of no other way to save you. The pit is well constructed. It blocks any sort of interference or signal. I couldn't teleport you if you were thrown inside."

Dragon knit his brow, recalling some of their technical difficulties and came to a sudden realization.

"The Red Transponder Snails…" Dragon uttered, barely able to voice his thoughts, "The lights going out at convenient moments… Was that you?"

"Yes." Vegapunk answered, looking at Anomaly. "My friend here has a device on him that can cause technical malfunctions and create interference. He stayed close to you and Ruka, though never too close. You would've spotted him."

Dragon nodded, having no choice but to agree. It was the truth.

"I was trying to hide you from them." He explained. "There are cameras all over the world, through which they spy on unsuspecting people. And the transponder snail they gave you had a listening device inside. They've been using it to eavesdrop on you, to ensure you never spared your target or plotted with traitors."

Dragon accepted this easily. Of course they were spying on him. And had Vegapunk not interfered, they would've known of his plan to get Ruka to safety and sent operatives after her once they were separated. Gratitude forced his head up, and he blinked emotionlessly at him.

"Thank you." He said.

"You are welcome."

"Why did you go to so much trouble if they have collateral against you?" Dragon asked, out of curiosity.

Vegapunk looked pained, as if Dragon suspecting him of seeking to gain something was insulting.

"I wanted to help you, to make up for dragging you into such a mess." He expressed, sounding sincere. "I swear I never meant harm to come to anyone. I only…"

He trailed off, hesitating, then regaining his voice.

"You are not the only one who was forced into serving the World Government." He said, surprising Dragon if only slightly. "I too was captured. They wanted me to use their talents to support them, to give them strength. Each day I pour my effort into creating what they request of me. There is plenty of contempt in my heart from it. But I am also grateful, as it has allowed me to expand my knowledge and help me to reach a different goal. The goal of saving my people from freezing to death… But thanks to my negligence, Hestia was destroyed, and so was an entire different nation. I have never forgiven myself for it…

"But guilt alone didn't feel good enough to atone for anything," He continued, his eyes looking rather empty, "I knew only that I wanted to help you even if it cost me my life. I tried to be careful. My people were innocent in all this. So I did what I could to support you from the shadows, with help from my friend here. But I decided if ever you showed signs of being led astray from the World Government, then I would give my all to supporting you. I was hopeful when they sent you after Ruka because I thought she was a D, and they're always influential. I told my friend to approach you as soon as he had reason to believe that you were acknowledging your heart and leaving them behind. I hadn't meant for you to meet with Garp, but maybe it's for the best. Garp… He has wanted to see you for a very long time…"

"I doubt that." Dragon shut his eyes, unaccepting, and feeling just a tad petty. "You didn't see his face when he laid eyes on me. Like he was going to be sick."

"It is not every day one learns their only son, only child, who was supposed to have died as an infant, has in fact been alive for twenty-seven years and is stalking around in clothes that don't look respectable, eavesdropping and attacking marines." Vegapunk reasoned out.

Dragon whipped his head up. "They attacked me first."

"That isn't how he saw it."

"Then he's an idiot. But I already knew that."

"Please don't blame him." Vegapunk pleaded, sighing and dropping his head into one palm. "He is a good man. One of the best. Even Hestia, who was cold and unfeeling the majority of her life, turned bright and warm in his presence."

Dragon hesitated, then look him in the eye. "Tell me about her."

Vegapunk looked somewhat startled, then began: "She was not a good woman. Not at first. She threw whole families to the wolves without a second thought. She never cared for anything before Garp. He was able to get inside her head, and that made her think. It made her appreciate things around her."

"Why was she so incompatible with me?" Dragon asked. "Is it true? Did I weaken her?"

"… Yes." Vegapunk answered. "But only slightly. The energy flowing through you was toxic to her, but she would've been able to withstand it if not for the stress."

"Stress?" Dragon asked, confused.

"You opened her eyes, Dragon." Vegapunk explained. "When she felt you stirring inside her, helpless, she realized what she had taken from so many people. She knew, and it drove her mad with grief, and she knew she couldn't surrender you to anyone. Even if it meant death."

Dragon blinked, understanding. An appreciation for human life was a high risk, if you allowed it to be. His appreciation and admiration for Ruka had driven a crew of four-dozen men to their deaths. It would be a miracle if she ever forgave him.

"She was my friend, Dragon." He told him, mournful. "I do not think she returned the friendship, but I have never forgiven them for what they did to her. Or to you. I did my best to watch over you in her place. I am ashamed to say I failed miserably."

"That doesn't matter anymore." Dragon shook his head, uncaring. "When I was in Mariejois, awaiting a death sentence, First of the Gorosei told me I was different, with bizarre brain activity and bodily energy that connects me to Uranus, the ancient weapon. That I was its pilot and I alone control it. Is that true?"

Vegapunk hesitated, then lowered his in seriousness. "Yes… I don't know how. Hestia actually suspected you were different the moment she realized she'd conceived. She could feel something… And she started having these dreams, nightmares, of creatures in the sky that could control the weather. Dragons, actually. That's why she named you that."

"Is it an actual dragon?" Dragon asked, knitting his brow. "Where is it? How am I to control it?"

"I don't know, I told you they were dreams." Vegapunk answered. "I tried not to take them to seriously. But Hestia wouldn't let them go. She was certain you were special, and she was afraid. That they would want you, come after you, take you. She couldn't shield you properly in her weakened state. I told her to run, to leave your father and raise you alone in a safe place. But she couldn't do it. She didn't have it in her to betray his trust. He was the only one who had ever treated her as a person, not a tool or a danger or a monster. She adored him for it. She felt she didn't deserve it, but she wanted you to have everything that she didn't. She was so grateful when they told her she could be free if she had you. She was grateful to you, Dragon."

Dragon felt something warm his heart, the familiar old clear-water-washing-away-anguish feeling that he'd gotten from hearing of his mother before.

"She was so certain, so frightened." He said. "I ran tests, to check, and I realized it really was true. You were special. I told her to go, to hide herself and not return to the Gorosei. It was just a day and a half later when the peculiarities started. I was a fool not to put two and two together. I was idiotic and ended up betraying to her to them. Unintentional but that's no excuse."

"What's done is done." Dragon decided, tired of hearing the old man sound so self-deprecating. "Just tell me, if you were able to track me, they can too can't they?"

"Yes, but not while you're here." Vegapunk assured him. "My laboratory is made of seastone. Anything related to the sea cancels out the signal."

"Just like with devil fruits." Dragon said with a sigh. Just what was he, really?

"Speaking of devil fruits, it's very important you never eat one." Vegapunk warned him gravely. "I've no idea what would happen. You might gain new powers, but you might also burst apart. That energy running through your body is exactly the same as a devil fruits."

"But I can swim." Dragon argued.

"A fact which baffles me."

Dragon pinched his nose bridge, ran his hand up his face, combing fingers through hair.

"I know." Vegapunk told him. "It's all very confusing."

"They'll hunt me. They'll never stop hunting me." Dragon said with grim confidence. "I know they won't. I have no choice but to fight."

"We always have a choice." Vegapunk said, adamant. "If it is your wish to run form here and move on from this fight, I can help. I've been working on something since you got here. A means of concealing you from their tracking. You, Ruka, and Bonnie may run far from here and live peacefully in some quiet place, if that's what you want. If you're too tired. If you don't want to lose anyone else. I've been monitoring the Gorosei. They threatened her. They blame her for your escape. The World Nobles are serious. They have already put unreasonably high prices on your heads. If you are both caught, it could very well drive the World Government into debt. And they don't care. That's how bad they want you Dragon, and her as well. You are now the most wanted people in the world."

He smiled at that. The most wanted people in the world…? And yet the only ones who wanted Dragon and Ruka around could be counted off on Dragon's fingers.

"They will kill you both if they get the chance." Vegapunk warned. "Ruka's crew accomplished their goal. You are free at last. You could walk away now and it would not be in vain. No one would blame you. It would be a great relief to me as well, to see you living outside all this madness."

"But…?" Dragon prompted, knowing full well what the alternatives are.

Vegapunk waited, then breathed, shakily. "If you walk away now… You will not be posing any threat to them at all, which is what they fear. You were raised in Mariejois. A former member of CP0. You have knowledge of their secrets and covert operations. You know so much and they told you. If you cause trouble, it is their own fault. It will cause strife within Mariejois which will upset the power balance and throw them into conflict. You know how they think and operate. You are the world's best chance. If you give up now, whatever hope we have of a world where they do not do as they please is gone, possibly forever."

"What should I do, then?" Dragon asked, feeling obligated.

"What do you want to do?" Vegapunk asked.

Dagon knit his brow, focused his eyes on the ground.

"My whole life, there was only one thing I have ever wanted to do." He said, reflectively. "It was the only thought which kept me going for years. I wanted to see someone, anyone, oppose them. I wanted to see them fall, see them be shoved down as low as they had thrown me. I wanted to see them trampled and broken and regretful. I wanted it more than anything. But now…"

Could he vanish with Ruka? As he had wanted to before going to Mariejois to destroy the place?

He could picture it. Some place warm, with grass and sunshine and blue sky. The two of them and Bonnie living out the rest of their lives someplace where the insanity of the World Government couldn't touch them. Taking their lives and appreciating small things like freedom for the rest of their lives.

But… He knew he couldn't do that. Not with Flint and Hestia and the whole crew having died for him. He could never put it behind him if he didn't make their sacrifices worth it.

"Would you still help me?" He asked, curiously, longingly.

Vegapunk nodded firmly. "Whatever you decide, we will help you. Wherever you go or what you do, we will be on your side."

"That's a bold promise." Dragon said with a shake of his head. "What if I decide this world is no good? What if I want to see it destroyed?"

Vegapunk smiled, laughing through his nose, chuckling, his eyes sad.

"Oh Dragon," He said, fondly, sadly. "If you decide to destroy this world, there is nothing on this planet that can stop you. But I believe that is precisely why Uranus chose you. Because you won't."

00000

Dragon sat alone in the dark hall for hours, his knees bent, his arms draped over them, his eyes blank as he stayed locked within his mind, thinking.

Vegapunk and Anomaly had left him there. There were preparations to be made, they'd said. New dangers on the horizon. Again, Dragon could make it all irrelevant in an instant, but he wouldn't.

He hated how they knew him so well.

Dragon leaned against the wall, sighing, running his fingers through his hair. It was shorter now, and came up in spikes when he pulled his hands away. It was surprisingly clean and he didn't want to consider why.

He let his head drop. Flint's image as he lay dying was stuck in his head. As was his final action, and words. Dragon and Ruka were now married. They had nothing and nowhere to go. And yet they had choices before them. Choices he was both eager and wary to make.

His father was out there, somewhere. Confused, hurt, unable to understand where Dragon was or what he was doing or why. If he heard that Dragon was fighting the World Government, he would be in for a heart-stopping shock.

Had someone told him? Had they explained? Or was he still in the dark?

Dragon couldn't help him. He couldn't, he knew that. Not without exposing them all and risking their lives.

He heard a door open and looked up to see Ruka exiting Flint's room. She didn't look at him, didn't make a sound, just shut the door and walked off into the darkness of the opposite hall.

Dragon didn't like the sight of her blank face, her mouth pressed together emotionlessly, her hair hiding her eyes.

He braced his hand against the wall and pushed himself up, following her. She traversed the dark, dank halls without any sign or signal that she heard or cared he was there. He followed her trudging, heart-broken form through the halls until they reached a massive door, barred and bolted shut. She turned an iron wheel in the center, and all the secure locks came undone. It swung open, revealing a balcony overlooking gray sky, black sea, and a crescent-shaped beach of jagged, moss-covered rocks.

Ruka went to the balcony rail, crossing her arms over it, and laying her head down.

Dragon, overwhelmed and concerned, stepped outside and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it, afraid of getting too close to her, for fear that she would lash out or die or burst into tears. Or all three.

"Ruka…" He began, and wanted to apologize. To kneel and beg forgiveness. To leave her be and walk away. To hold and console her. So many things. "Ruka, I'm going to fight them."

He watched her shoulders jerk a fraction of an inch, then settle. She hardly cared what he did now, he supposed.

"I'm going to fight them, with Vega and Anomaly." He continued, curling his fingers into fists at his sides. "I'm going to cause them… As much grief and trouble and heartache as I possibly can. I'm going to tear down what they've built atop so many betrayals and genocides. I need to. I want to change this world, Ruka."

She gave no sign that he was there, or that she cared what he had to say. But still he continued.

"Ruka… What I said before… When we were in Sabaody." He said, recalling the Ferris wheel. "I… I was lying. When I said I wanted precautions and distance from you. I… Don't want you out of my sight, ever again. I am grateful for what Flint did, at the end."

She flinched, violently, and wrapped one arm over her head.

"Ruka I… I do not want to lose you." He admitted, though it was hard to admit it. "Maybe that's unreasonable. Maybe you don't want to fight anymore. Maybe it's too hard, with them gone. I cannot guarantee or reassure you that you won't lose anyone again. If you want, Vegapunk can hide you. He can hide you, and I won't come near you."

At last, Ruka raised her head, turning slightly so one dark eye, overshadowed from her hair, looked at him.

"But regardless of what you do, I am going to fight them." He promised, determined. "I cannot, will not, surrender to them. I must fight. My mother, Flint, your crew. Our childhoods. There is no getting any of that back. But if, by fighting them, I can give to another everything, or even a little, of what we didn't have the privilege to experience, then it'll be worth it."

Ruka raised her head, her thin, pale form turning to him. He couldn't see her eyes. He half-turned, putting one hand on the door.

"I am going Ruka." He said, feeling a strong pull that made moving away from her difficult. "I am grateful. Thank you for freeing me. Good—"

And she slammed into him. He gasped, feeling her crush herself to him, pressing her wet eyes into his shirt, wrapping her arms so tight around him that he could hardly breathe. He felt her shaking, her fingers claw at him, felt her knees weaken and he knelt so she wouldn't have to strain herself.

Then she opened her mouth and screamed horrible, gut-wrenching screams of grief and loathing and agony into his heart. She sobbed, her tears soaking his shirt before the rain came down, bombarding them as if to match her grief. He felt blood on his back and knew her clawing fingers had torn skin. He didn't care. He held her and let her cry and wouldn't look at her face, knowing how proud she was, how much she hated herself at the moment.

Lightning burst across the sky, and he looked up at it, openly wondering for the first time if it was his doing or the act of God.

When the rain had finished, Ruka let go of him. She stood up, went inside and disappeared down the dark hall. Dragon heard a door slam shut but didn't move.

"Goodbye." He finished, and dropped his head onto his knees.

00000

Several weeks passed. Bonnie and Ruka stayed locked in two separate rooms, side-by-side, as they grieved. Other than Anomaly, who came and went to bring them meals and deliver news back to Dragon of their respective states, no one saw them. Vegapunk had offered to turn on the surveillance footage from their rooms, but Dragon refused. He wanted to give them privacy.

Meanwhile, Dragon prepared to venture out into the world. He was given supplies from Vegapunk, which he dutifully maintained and kept packed and ready. He was waiting for Vegapunk to finish his device, or whatever it was that would conceal Dragon from the Gorosei's tracking.

As he waited, he read the news coo. Anomaly brought him a new one every day. Dragon scanned the paper for any news of what he had done in Mariejois. Beyond a notice of Saint Julian's "death at sea" there was no mention of any of the chaos. Dragon found his and Ruka's wanted posters though, along with Flint and Bonnie's. Apparently they were unaware that Flint had died just four days after the incident. His ashes sat in an urn the color of the sea, which remained in Bonnie's room.

Dragon searched the news for any mention of his father, but found nothing. He didn't know if this meant that Garp had already been dealt with in a way that resembled an "accident" or if he were being quiet. The thought of the man having learned the truth and remaining on their side infuriated him for reasons he didn't care to ponder.

Another activity which occupied Dragon's time was rehabilitation. Though his injuries had healed, it was a rush job which put stress on his body. Vegapunk had ordered him to rest the first week, but after that it was back to the training rooms.

He worried for Ruka. Not just because of her grief but because of her power. The haki she'd displayed at Mariejois—if she used it recklessly, it could kill her. But if she channeled it well and strengthened her mind, then it would protect her. He wrote notes in a journal on haki control and slipped it under her door. But when he went to check on her at the end of each day, he'd find it in the same spot, the pages undisturbed. Still he kept it up. He wanted to bring Ruka back to life.

At one point, some weeks into Dragon's rehab, Bonnie left her room and went into Ruka's. He saw her as she passed, and the look of contempt she gave him was bone chilling. He said nothing, and wouldn't allow himself to look guilty. He didn't know why, but he felt as if guilt would be an insult to the Rackham pirates.

Bonnie stayed with Ruka, and took over the role of bringing in food. At one point she roused the other girl awake. Dragon never saw her, but he could tell from the wet footsteps in the corridor that she was showering, and a clean smell had replaced the one of dirt and blood and rot that had previously leaked from the room.

At one point, he couldn't help it. He needed to see her. He snuck in at night, just to get a glimpse at her, and found her asleep with her head in Bonnie's lap. The younger girl glowered at him, her eyes saying Get Out.

He did. More importantly, he didn't attempt another visit.

"She hates me." He told Vegapunk one day.

"Give Ruka some time." Vegapunk said with a touch of comfort. "It's difficult to lose all that one knows in a matter of minutes."

"Not Ruka. Bonnie." He corrected.

Vegapunk didn't respond at first. His expression said it all though, even before he spoke:

"Yes. Yes she does."

The anniversary of Roger's execution came and passed. Around the world, peaceful countries celebrated. The ones torn apart by the pirate era, cursed Roger to the deepest pits of hell. Most didn't care. But Dragon wondered about Roger, and he questioned whether or not their meeting in Mariejois had been real or not.

At last, Vegapunk was done. He called Dragon into one of the chemical labs, and held out to him the solution to the problem of the Gorosei's tracking.

It was a bowl of crimson metallic paint.

Dragon frowned at it. "What is this?"

"It is how we will hide you." Vegapunk replied with confidence.

He explained that the tracking system available to the Gorosei utilized magnets, because the special particles emitted by Uranus, received by Dragon, were magnetic. The paint was special, because it was made from a special formula which would not only hide the signal but help Dragon control his powers.

It sounded ridiculous, but Vegapunk wouldn't joke about this.

"We'll tattoo it on your skin." Vegapunk said. "That way, it can't be easily removed or washed off."

"In that case, put it here." Dragon pointed to his left eye, startling Vegapunk.

"Why there?" He asked.

"To remind them I see things differently now." Dragon replied.

It was three days later when the mark was complete. It trailed down the left side of his face, an interlocking chain of hollow diamonds with smaller diamonds sitting inside. He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, running his fingers over it. It was true that the look in his eyes had changed.

He took a deep breath. There was no more time to be wasted. With that thought in mind, he returned to his room, retrieving the new cloak and backpack of supplies resting on his bed. Anomaly was there, sitting with his back against the wall.

"Are you going?" He asked Dragon, who was already tying the pull-strings of his cloak together at the base of his collarbone.

"Yes." Dragon slung his back pack on and pulled his hood over his face.

"May I come with you?" Anomaly asked.

"Yes." Dragon answered, stalking over and grabbing the man by the sleeve. He hauled him to his feet and looked at him, sizing him up. "I have decided to trust you. But if you give me any reason to think you are tricking, using, or betraying me, I will kill you."

"I understand." Anomaly said, but Dragon could hear the smile in his voice.

He heard the door of his room open and turned to see both Bonnie and Ruka standing there. He focused on Ruka, her hair softer and clean, having grown just past her shoulders. She wore a fur-lined vest and long blue plated skirt and boots. Flint's sword was strapped to her back. She was looking at him with a tranquil look in her eyes. He watched her raise one hand, waving her ring finger at him. A replica of his own tattoo, though much smaller, ringed the base of it.

"I thought you weren't coming?" He asked.

She shook her head and approached him. "I never said I wasn't coming."

She rested her head against his chest, eyes slipping shut. He watched, waiting.

"Besides, you're no good on your own." She said, then laughed through her nose, but it almost sounded like a whimper. "I'm sorry I was quiet for so long. I just… Needed some time."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." He said.

She whipped her head up. "Quit that! Flint already told you it wasn't your fault."

His eyes trailed to Bonnie at that, where he was met with burning eyes and vengeful hatred. That wasn't what she believed.

"I promised I'd help you fight back." She reminded him, smiling weakly. "And we're married now. I don't want to leave your side."

He put one hand on her head, buried his nose in her hair. "Thank you."

"I'm coming, too." Bonnie stated, though her expression made it clear whom she was supporting, and whom she was against.

Dragon made a note to watch out for her.

"Then we're in this together." Anomaly summed up, and Ruka turned her head to look at him.

"Say, what's your real name?" Ruka asked, and everyone's attention turned to Anomaly. "If we're going to be friends, then I can't call you Stranger anymore."

Anomaly chuckled at her directness, a thing which made Dragon smile in contentment.

"Alright." Anomaly said with warmth. "You may call me Kuma."

00000

The five Gorosei sat in a circle, the ever-present sunshine leaking through the windows. The sound of birdsong filling their ears as their faces were grim and irritated.

"There's been no sign of him anywhere." First spoke. "Vegapunk has given us several leads, but he says a clear signal is impossible. He must be hiding underwater somewhere."

"That's impossible." Second dismissed impatiently.

"Evidently not." Third countered, having been in a right foul mood since they'd lost Dragon. "He's gone off somewhere, hiding, scheming, betraying us and proud of it. And what have we done? Sat here, debating, as the Nobles scream bloody murder and breathe down our necks. Meanwhile a madman with all of our secrets in his hands is out there roaming the world, and God knows what he'll do next."

"What do you suggest?" Fourth asked, sarcastic. "We summon him out of thin air? Shall I fetch some miraculous ally with the ability to make our worst enemy appear before our eyes free of charge?"

"ENOUGH." First snapped. "Fighting amongst ourselves won't get us closer to him."

"Perhaps we shouldn't be focusing on him." Fifth suggested, and four pairs of eyes questioned his sanity. "I only meant… That perhaps we should be focusing on his allies. More specifically, that woman. This is all her fault anyway."

"That doesn't make her more than a threat than Dragon." First stated.

"No, it doesn't." Fifth said. "Dragon, on his own, is a threat. But Dragon with some woman, doing who knows what is a bigger threat."

"What are you trying to say?" First asked with a shake of his head. "That they're in a relationship? That they're going to have a child who will grow to be our greatest enemy? You're looking too far ahead! They're on their own, without protection, probably trapped in a solitary hideout somewhere with little more than the clothes on their backs! You know very well that Dragon is not heartless or stupid or distracted. Right now, his only goal is to oppose us and protect her. He will not jeopardize his mission by giving himself an extra weakness! For now, our goal is simple. Find Dragon and destroy him. Then we take the girl—"

"We trusted you before, and you were wrong." Fifth reminded, earning a severely harsh look from First. "You said Dragon wouldn't betray us. He did. If we had done the smart thing a long time ago and killed him while he couldn't defend himself, we wouldn't be facing these problems now. You insisted he could be raised as an ally. You were wrong twice. We need to get to the girl first. If we kill her, any chance we have of Dragon having a child and expanding his threatening, evil bloodline will end."

"You assume that Dragon will not come to care for anyone else." First pointed out, cold.

"He won't. I'm certain of it." Fifth insisted, desperately reaching, pleading. "She is devoted him. She burst in here to certain death and grief just to get to him. He will never forget that. He will not let her out of his sight. Even death won't do that."

First sighed. "You worry too much. They will not have a child. No matter what they feel or how safe they believe themselves to be, having a child in their position is a recipe for disaster. Starting a family would slow them down, expose them. Dragon knows this even if she doesn't. Besides, Dragon has no way of knowing if his pilot capabilities are genetic. He will not risk Ruka's life. And He hates himself too much to trust her so fully."

"Can you promise me that?" Fifth asked, concerned. "Can you promise that his bloodline ends with him? That the woman will not prove to be a greater threat? That Monkey D. Dragon will never have a child?"

First looked at Fifth long and hard. He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes dull and calm and confident and uttered a blunt one-liner that was so full of ease and patience that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"You have my word."

00000

Several Months Later

Garp stalked along the winding dirt path towards the small hospital where it rested on the crest of the hill. His eyes were weary, though it wasn't for the late hour or the unfair and unnatural heat. He brandished one old oil lamp in his hand, holding out in front of him as he walked so as to illuminate his path.

He came to a sudden stop and risked a passing glance over his shoulder. No one was there, of course. He had been careful. He'd taken unreasonable, out of the way routes. He laid false trails and had another man, disguised as him, shacked up in some out of the way West Blue Inn right now following a lead on Flint Rackham. Not that there were any real leads. The pirate had inexplicably vanished. No one knew where he was and those who had a clue refused to speak on the matter.

At the thought of Flint, the image of another man came to mind. Garp tried and failed yo shove the thoughts aside. He focused his attention forward and kept walking.

His son was alive. He'd seen him in West Blue some months ago, just days before the fiasco in Mariejois. He hadn't been given the details and had been expressly banned from assisting with the cleanup. Sengoku had only shared with him the barest of explanations, and only when they were alone, away from the prying eyes of HQ. He had only told him one thing, the most important detail.

They're saying it's him, Sengoku had said grimly, They're saying Dragon killed a celestial dragon, some escorts, and caused injuries to all the eldest members of the noble families.

Garp believed it. He had no choice but to believe after he'd pried the other details out of Sengoku. His longtime friend had been dead set against giving them, but Garp had threatened to hunt them down himself rather recklessly. Had said he'd be found and killed. Had pulled the parent card even, or rather been forced to play it.

He's a monster, Garp. He killed four people, at least. Even I haven't been told everything.

Not for no reason, now why'd he do that? I know you know. Tell me! Why was I told he was dead and why was he in Mariejois in the first place?

I can't say, they slapped me with a gag order. Besides, he isn't a kid, he's a criminal.

He's my kid, now out with it, Sengoku!

Reluctantly, anxiously, Sengoku laid it out for him in rough details. Rough because they were difficult to choke down. Garp learned about Hestia's past, her self-proclaimed retirement, the deal she had made, not knowing it put their child up as collateral. He learned about Uranus' existence and it's connection with Dragon which made him trackable. He also learned, worst of all, what really happened to his family. Hestia was murdered while trying to fend off the fiends who'd come for their son. Dragon saw, and although he was too young to understand, sensed that his mother was gone and began to wail. He cried and cried, and Uranus heard him, and turned Noah Kingdom into charcoal. The Gorosei decided he was too dangerous to be left alone and kept him. Kept him and tortured him and had him carry out their dirty work for twenty-seven-years.

He's a monster. Sengoku had told him when Garp had gotten up to go hunt Dragon down. He's too far gone. He isn't that baby boy anymore. He won't come back to you. You have to help us fight him.

It was just a short while later that Dragon's wanted poster was released. It circled the globe, while the details of what transpired in Mareijois, as well as Dragon's reasons for rebelling against the World Government, were omitted.

Garp was watched every moment he was in the prescence of the marines. He'd gone to great lengths to throw those unseen eyes off his trail, just for a little while. Just so he could come here.

He reached the hospital at last, raising and waving the lantern for a better view of the building. He approached the sign posted outside the small entrance and looked it over. He saw the name, the notice of remodeling that temporarily banned all patients and restricted all but a handful of staff. He'd come to the right place. It was just as he'd been told.

Garp turned and walked on, climbing into the dark building. The lights were out, the building as quiet as a cemetery. It truly was deserted, a hospital of all things.

Garp nodded to himself and went on, down the dark hallways in search of stairs. He'd been given the room number, even the names of the nurse and doctor who were close to the patient. He knew where to go, and had no time to lose. The longer he lingered, the worse the situation became.

He looked up and down the hall, still wary of followers even though he was alone. He couldn't lead anyone bad to where he was going. He just couldn't.

He didn't know where Dragon had gone, or if he'd ever see him again. All he knew was that he had been unable to help or protect or prevent any of it. He knew it was not really his fault, nor Hestia's. He knew, not so deep down, who was to blame for all of the horrible events that had occurred both before and after Dragon's birth. He knew and yet couldn't accept it, not fully. Even if, whenever Dragon remembered the World Government, all he could think was pain. Because whenever Garp thought of the World Government, all he could see or hear were his friends. The ones who had supported him through the years, who were family just as much as his dead wife and missing son.

He was a terrible parent. He didn't even deserve to call himself Dragons father after all that had happened.

But he'd been granted a second chance.

My unborn son bears no sin, he'd said, You will protect my child.

Protect his boy as he'd failed to protect theirs. This was all that he could think to do. Dragon was in the wind, and beyond his ability to help. But this one thing he could do—keep a second child out of their hands.

Garp climbed the last of the stairs and turned into a hallway. All of them were shut, seemingly unoccupied. Save for one, whose glass window revealed a low level of candlelight.

He advanced toward it, passing a vague figure of a man asleep in a chair, and went to throw it open. The noise startled the man awake and he yelped, hopping to his feet and rushing over to block Garp's way. He shouted something, but Garp threw him off and stepped inside the room, raising the lamp to his face.

The bed was occupied by a single woman, her belly round with child. Her strawberry-blonde hair descended down her slender form in waves. A red flower stuck in her hair and a trail of freckles over her nose, and a pair of wise, accepting brown eyes. She knew what was coming and had already accepted it. She knew her son would live in safety and she would die, without him ever knowing her or her late lover.

Was she luckier or more unfortunate than Hestia? Garp couldn't tell.

"You're name is Portgaz D. Rouge, correct?" He asked, already knowing he'd found the right woman. Who else would give birth in the dark at night with no family or friends beside her?

She nodded, "Mm-hm."

Garp stepped aside, and the doctor flew in, baring a pistol and pointing it at Garp.

"Rogue, please escape!" He ordered, his hands shaking.

"It is alright," She said airily, and he looked at her in confusion, "I was told he might come. I'm sorry I didn't inform you."

"Eh? You know him? But—" He broke off, inhaling sharply as Rogue curled in on herself, both hands on her stomach. The doctor flew to her side, uttering her name.

Garp leaned against the wall, setting the lamp on a table. He watched Rogue struggle through her labor, lacking strength and letting fear flicker in and out of her eyes as she tried and tried again to get her child to safety.

When he was born, dawn had just broken over the horizon. The lamp sat on the table, having burned out in the dark. The boy wailed as he was washed and wrapped and handed to Rogue, whose smile was one of joyous relief. She had done it. She'd sat through months of marines searching every pregnancy, even the married ones, and had hidden her child months past the due date. She'd kept him safe and hidden long enough that they had given up and left, and now they had no reason to return. There would be no record of this birth. No one would wonder why the quiet woman who lived by herself on the cliffs ledge had died.

No one would know.

"If it's a girl, Anne," She spoke and Garp peered down at the child who, if things had been different, would've received a much crueler fate than Dragon's, "If it's a boy, Ace. Those names… He picked them. So his name will Gol D. Ace."

She stroked his head and kissed his cheek, her little Gol D. Ace. She nuzzled his face with hers as he wailed, his cries growing louder and louder.

"Our son," She spoke softly, her voice weaker than before, "Our little boy… Oh, Ace…"

She looked at him fondly. Suddenly, the flower in her hair fell. Her eyelids drooped and blood trailed from her mouth. Soon, the doctor and nurse were on her, fussing over. But there was no saving her. She knew, and she looked at Garp. They saw her look at him.

Her eyes said one thing, and only one.

Treasure.

"I understand," He said, and he did, painfully so, "Don't worry."

She smiled at that. She braced one weak hand against her boy and waved with her fingers for Garp to come over. He did, and she used the last of her strength to hand the boy to him. He took Ace in his arms, hearing the child's wailing cries ring in his ears as Rogue went slack and half fell over the bed. The doctor caught her, calling out her name.

On the bed, in a little stain of blood, sat the flower. Sad and beautiful. Just like Hestia.

He turned, ignoring the doctor's attempts at resuscitation. There was no bringing that brave, strong, exhausted woman back from the grave.

Little Ace knew it too. He cried and fussed in his little blanket, calling and calling for mother who was already gone. Garp traveled down the hall and down the steps, out the door and down the road. He walked on, and Ace eventually grew tired. He fell asleep in Garp's arms, all warm and clean with steady, tiny heartbeats.

When they reached the cliff's ledge, Garp stopped. He looked at the empty house where Rogue had lived in hiding, where she had protected Ace and mourned Roger and prepared herself for her own demise. He stared for a moment in acknowledgment before turning and heading for the ship at port.

This wasn't for Dragon. Dragon wouldn't care for this—it undid nothing. It wasn't about Garp making himself feel better, or spiting the World Government. This was about an innocent baby who didn't deserve to die just because his dear old dead daddy was a pirate. Just like Dragon hadn't deserved what he got just because his parents worked for the marines. Then and there, Garp made a promise to Rogue and Roger. One he should've made twenty-seven-years ago to Hestia.

"Don't worry." He said, quietly as the first villagers began to stir awake in their little homes. "They won't take him. I won't let them."

They aren't getting this one.

He then looked at Ace, who seemed to have found some peace in sleep, and smiled at the boy.

"Hey, Ace, how'd you like to be a marine?"