The Tragedy of the Golden Wolf

Author Notes: I'm really sorry for the serious slowdown in updates. I'm just really bad at writing endings- and we're closing in on our ending (at least for my original ending) here! For me, ending a story is like killing it. It just wears on me. However, it's snowing today and I'm halfway done the next chapter, so it's a good a day as any to alienate my readers in 10 pages or less!

For this chapter, I've decided to annotate which scenes are associated with the suggested songs. Remember, you can find any of them on YouTube!

Disclaimer: I still own nothing but my own creations. You should know by now what's mine and what belongs to Oda-sensei. As always, I am so sorry.

18: The Last Act

Suggested Track: "Weak and Powerless," Vitamin String Quartet

"How long do you think she's going to stay?" From her sofa in the lounge, Banheart clutched her pillow to her chest as she heard Zoro speaking with some of the crew in the room above. "I'm not sure how much good she's going to be with us, and I don't think either of them are going to be safe."

"How can you even suggest kicking her out?" Sanji snapped. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Cool it, love-cook, and lower your damn voice. I didn't say a damn thing about kicking her out!"

"What, you don't like having her around? She's feisty! I like her! And Luffy… Luffy loves Remy like hell!"

"I know, damn it! I'm just saying that if the New World is as dangerous as they say, she and the kid will be in serious trouble. They'd be way in over their heads."

"She told me she thought she saw the New World on Whitebeard's ship," Usopp mumbled, joining the conversation from the other side of the room. "She can fire a cannon. She'll be a good marksman when I finish with her gun."

"Do you think a gun is really enough to protect her against the monsters we know are out there?" Robin replied. "None of us can protect her when it's hard enough to protect ourselves."

"So you're just going to send her away?" Usopp's voice sounded oddly stiff. "Because… because she's too weak, is that it? This is starting to sound awfully familiar…"

"Don't go there, Usopp! Jeez," Zoro scoffed. "She'll tell you herself she's not a pirate and that she's just visiting. And you know what? She's not. She's not a crewmate, she hasn't joined. Luffy never asked her to join the crew."

"You don't like her, is that it?" Usopp growled. Banheart squeezed her pillow even tighter, eyes wide. From his bassinet beside her, Remy squirmed, as though he could sense the discomfort in the atmosphere.

"I never said I didn't like her!" She heard a chair being pushed back- Zoro had clearly gotten to his feet to shout.

"Calm down, the baby only got to sleep fifteen minutes ago," Robin advised. Zoro growled heavily, and she heard him begin to pace.

"I think we can all agree that she's very nice, and we all get along with her. All I'm saying is that she's not on our level! Unless she improves herself at three times the rate we're trying to improve ourselves, she'll never catch up- and definitely not by the time we're ready to set sail!"

"When will that be?" Sanji asked, his voice icy.

"Who knows? Gonna be a while, though."

"Have you talked to Luffy about your feelings on the situation?" Robin asked.

"Do you think he'd listen? I think he knows. He's definitely not going to acknowledge it unless he absolutely has to. He knew when it was time to leave Vivi behind."

"Even if it broke his heart," Usopp added darkly.

"Yeah. And it did- it hurt all of us- and it will. We're all going to hate it. But the bottom line is, she's going to need to leave us someday." Zoro groaned as he sat back down.

"If I might make a suggestion," a new voice chimed in, causing Banheart to sit upright and pay closer attention.

"Oh, Mr. Ray," Robin acknowledged him. "Finished with Luffy for the night?"

"Yeah, he was just headed to the kitchen for something to munch on and then down to the lounge," Rayleigh chuckled. "But I caught an earful of what you were saying- these walls aren't exactly soundproof, you know!- and I recognize your little predicament. You're right. She really isn't strong enough. But she won't survive without protection, she's probably got quite a sizeable target on her back. The little prince goes without saying. Give me some time, and I'll make arrangements for her. After all, there is risk in my business. Just guard her a little longer."

"Guard? What, you were using us as guards for her?" Usopp accused angrily. Rayleigh clicked his tongue.

"I'm not using you; your crew took her in of your own accord. All I did was suggest that she needed you, and you took her. Unfortunately, she won't benefit from your protection in the New World. Give me time. Give yourselves time. I'll be back." She lay back down, shuddering with worry as Rayleigh left the room. There was silence from above for a moment, and she heard a thump, like the noise of a fist meeting a wall.

"That's not going to help things, Usopp," Robin sighed.

"We won't force her, okay?" Zoro grumbled. "Nobody wants to shove her out the door, and who knows when we're going to leave for the New World? It's hardly even worth discussing right now. Let's just enjoy it all for what it is."

The noise from above was suddenly blocked out when the door opened, and Luffy stomped in on heavy feet. "Remy!" He whispered loudly, and she quickly squinted her eyes shut. "Let's not wake your mama, she needs sleep- are you asleep too?" He halted by the crib, peering in. "Yes you are. Okay. I'll just sit here for a while with you. You don't need to be awake for me to love you." She heard his body drop to the ground as he squatted by Remy, and he began to hum to him. She could no longer hear the conversation over her as Luffy drowned it out. His consolation gave her no comfort, and her head didn't stop spinning.

It hadn't stopped spinning for such a long time.

"Hey, hey," was the whisper when she awoke. She opened one eye to see Luffy and Chopper leaning over Remy. "Come on, do it again!"

"Are you sure he's actually going to? You weren't imagining it?" Chopper said softly.

"I'm telling you, he did! I saw it!" Luffy replied. Banheart sat up, letting the blanket slide off of her, and she stumbled to join them.

"What's going on? What's he doing?" She whispered.

"He smiled," Luffy said softly, his joy apparent in his eyes. "He smiled at me!"

"Did he?" She gasped.

"He's only five weeks old, he shouldn't be able to just yet," Chopper replied warily. Curious, she took a closer look at him. She looked him up and down, then rubbed his cheek and smiled at him.

"Can you smile for mama?" She cooed sweetly. He squirmed, staring at her for a moment, until his lips spread into a big, gummy smile. "What a handsome boy you are!" She praised him, tickling his tummy with her fingertips, and he smiled even wider, and a small laugh puffed from his wet mouth. She giggled with glee, as Luffy did the same.

"He's so cute! He must like seeing you!"

"Of course he does, she's his mama!" Chopper reminded him. Banheart shivered a bit, and gently tickled his cheek.

"God, he really is a little miracle, isn't he?" She wondered aloud, her gaze traveling towards the ceiling.

"Oi, I'm going to go tell everyone! And then it's time for breakfast! Food! Food!" Luffy bounced on his heels and bounded from the room, but Chopper stayed.

"Is something wrong?" He asked timidly. She didn't look at him, only shaking her head.

"I'm just… so happy." She smiled, but the shift in her muscles were enough to open her tear ducts. Chopper frowned sadly as she tried to wipe her eyes. "He's so sweet… and full of love… and I just feel like I can't do anything for him!"

"What makes you say that? You do a lot for him!" Chopper insisted.

"He didn't smile for me, he smiled for Luffy. He must love everyone else more than me." She shook her head.

"No, Banny, no!" He whined. "Please, don't say that! That's not true! He probably doesn't even know why he's smiling!" Chopper took a deep, calming breath as she tried to smear her face dry. "Have you been having feelings like this for long?"

"Why does it matter?" She mumbled as she carefully picked Remy up. "I'm just a failure. My feelings don't matter. I must be a terrible mother. He'll realize it soon, he'll start to hate me." She sniffled. "And there's nothing I can do about it."

"All of those things are completely irrational!" Chopper declared with a hint of righteous anger. "I… I've heard about this! I'll be back!" He scampered out of the room, and she kept wiping her tears. With a few deep breaths, she sucked her pride back into her chest and got to her feet. She plucked Remy from his crib, sat back on the sofa, and nestled him at her breast. A few thin tears dripped from her eyes still, but she ignored them and let them dry on her cheeks. He seemed content there, but she had no way of knowing. Chopper soon skittered back in on shaking hooves. "Here!" He flipped open a baby book and set the open page down in front of her.

"What's this?"

"Something you need to look out for. The 'baby blues.'" Chopper pointed. "It's a form of depression that occurs after childbirth. They're not sure of the cause, but most doctors credit the hormonal shift associated with having a baby. I think you've been showing symptoms. I've noticed that you seem to let us take him a lot…"

"Because you all want to," she murmured.

"I hear you crying at night," he added quietly. "Please, I just want to help. I'm not a psychologist, but I could find a counselor on the island…"

"No, Chopper. There's nothing wrong with me." She rested Remy on her shoulder and rubbed his back. "I might have been feeling off lately, but my feelings are my own. If I am broken, I can fix myself."

"B-but… F-Franky…" Chopper hung his head.

"What does Franky have to do with this?"

"He got broken. He was run over by a train, a while ago, and he had to fix himself." Chopper whimpered softly. "He couldn't reach his back to fix it. He could have used someone else to help him, and he probably still has a soft spot that he just can't get to on his own. Who's going to fix things you can't see?"

"This is different, Chopper. Please. Just let it go. I'm fine." She looked away. "I just want what's best for my son. I just can't give it to him. I can't."

Chopper stared at her back, as she refused to turn around. He whimpered, and reluctantly trotted from the room. She sighed heavily and cuddled Remy a little tighter, his head cupped in her palm. His drowsy face still had a sweet smile as he looked up at her, his dark, bright eyes alight with a dancing flame. Her thumb brushed against a solid lock of soft hair, and she took a moment to admire every feature of him. It only reaffirmed to her that she could not possibly deserve a beautiful child like him.

"Ah, Banheart! Come! Why not eat with us?" She looked up, startled, to see Brook waiting for her.

"No, I wouldn't want to interfere, Maestro," she politely declined. Briefly, she felt reassured that Brook hadn't brought up Chopper's apprehensions, but Brook was not finished.

"The little one? Why not leave him for a few moments, and spend time with the adults? We're really much better conversation- I love a good wagging tongue, even though I have no tongue! Yohohoho!"

"Who sent you to get me?"

"Why, I came of my own accord. We all would like to see you, of course. It seems such a sad life, all alone in this one room." Brook glanced around. "You could do worse- but wouldn't it be much nicer outside?"

"What outside?" She mused.

"Hm?"

"Nothing. I suppose Remy will be alright by himself for a few minutes." She lay him down and tucked the blankets around him.

"And just in case, we'll put him by the dumbwaiter. That way, if he does cry, we'll hear him in the kitchen!" Brook pushed the little cradle over to the snack elevator and left the door open. "Now then, some adult conversation for all! After all, he's not much for talking, though I'm certain he's a good listener! Come along!" Brook all but dragged her away from him and to the upstairs dining room.

"Here's a rare sight," Robin remarked as they entered.

"Ah, Ban-swan! Come! Sit!" Sanji pulled a chair for her, smiling subserviently. "It's a joy to have your company!"

"Yay! Banny! Is Remy asleep again?" Luffy leaned forward, with an eager look on his face such that were he a dog, his tail would be wagging. "He must love to be in happy dream land!"

"Glad you joined us, I was starting to worry you'd never detach yourself from him," Usopp chuckled, gently elbowing her ribs. "Though I don't blame him for wanting to be attached to you!" She gave him a small, tired smile, and began to pick at the plate of food in front of her.

It was just another day, another day that she could only pray would get better.

The afternoon seemed to be passing like any other, with each crew member working at his or her pursuits. Nami and Robin worked in the library, Zoro and Sanji were sparring, Luffy was fishing, Usopp and Franky were in their workshops, and Brook was playing on his violin. No accompaniment joined him as Banheart sat at the window with Remy bundled in what she considered his favorite blanket- a blue one with a lion sewn onto it. She hummed him a lullaby dully, gazing without focus into the green-grey sky. She barely even noticed as Brook began to play in tune with her. His violin matched her voice and echoed it, almost leading her on in her absent-minded dirge. It seemed like such a simple afternoon.

No, they couldn't have known, they couldn't have possibly predicted what was going to happen. And yet, when Brook looked back, he would always remember the moment that he knew things had gone wrong. It was when a beat sounded in the distance, an even, quick beat that disrupted their song. She frowned as she looked down at the ground below, and saw not the mossy stretches of the mangroves but instead an ominous sea of blue and white.

"Marines!" She shrieked. Brook jolted from his spot and saw what she was seeing.

"And they're not alone… that man! Oh, oh, yohoho! It's that terrible man!" He pointed with a shaking finger at a massive man standing a story above all the others, his black shirt standing out among the white and blue Marines, his eyes shaded by sunglasses, his long wavy hair stiff even in the wind. "I must alert the others! Lay low!" Brook shrieked as he ran from the room, throwing his hands in the air. "Marines! Marines! It's an ambush!" She rushed to the door and, watched through a slim crack and listened anxiously as all of the Straw Hats came onto the deck.

"I'll move the ship, but it'll take a moment to get the coating ready!" Rayleigh alerted the others in a loud whisper. "Hold them off as best as you can!" He went to the side to yell down at the Marine platoon. "And what has brought you here?" She watched as all of the Straw Hats lined the deck. "We fly no flag! This is a place of mourning, how dare you disturb us!"

"We have information that you're harboring a wanted person who is required for questioning by the World Government!" The Marines' leader shouted back. "We will leave you to mourn in peace, but you must surrender one Miss Wolfe Banheart!"

No, she thought, no, how did they learn my name?

"She's a young woman, plain in feature, average height and weight, with fair hair and dark eyes. If she has a child, we demand you surrender that as well! If you do not cooperate, we will be forced to arrest your entire crew!"

There was a moment of silence. Her heart sank; the most obvious choice shone like an oil slick in the sun.

"No!" Luffy barked defiantly.

Her heart was suddenly in her throat. She gawked in horror as he folded his arms.

"She's our friend! I don't see what she has to do with anything!" Luffy continued, an impertinent but childish frown on his face.

"Then you leave us no choice. Open fire!"

"Everyone, avoid the Pacifista! There's no way we can take it right now!" Zoro barked. "Just hold them off until Rayleigh can move the Sunny!" She covered her mouth as seven of them poured over the side and bullets began to fly, leaving Ray to prepare the boat, Franky to use the cannons, and Brook vanished from view.

She watched in horror as the huge man, the Pacifista, lifted his hand to reveal a shining light. It seemed to follow Luffy's feet, before firing a bright beam of light. She shrieked into her palm- it had missed, but it left a bright green fire in its wake.

(Suggested Track: "Schism," Tool)

Oh god, oh god, oh god. Her mind raced in a mad panic. They can't survive this- how can they? They'll die before they get a chance to escape, she just knew it, there was no way! That huge man- he seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place it- all she knew was that he was dangerous, terribly dangerous. They would fall to pieces and it would all be over you. She looked at Remy- he was asleep, he looked so content, he was even smiling. They would take him, she knew they would take him and kill him- what could she do? What the hell could she do?

A plan hatched in her mind, emerging from the panic, and she knew exactly what she had to do. She rushed around the room, Remy tucked in one arm, as she picked up the things she needed. She finally knew what she could do for Remy, the only thing she had left to give for him. As she rushed for the door, Brook stopped her.

"My dear, come, we're going to try and escape ourselves-" She stopped him as she pushed something onto his chest.

"Maestro, I leave everything in your hands," she whispered, and without another word, rushed out onto the ship.

The bubble was rising slowly- it seemed that Ray's coating job was not quite finished- and she dodged around to the stern of the ship. She surveyed the scene with wide eyes, picking each of her friends out of the crowd. She knew, she knew it was time to destroy them. The Pacifista's eyes were aglow with sinister light, and there was only one way she could keep him from acting. She took a deep breath.

"OI!" She cried at the top of her lungs, and every single eye turned up to her. A lone woman with a bundle in a blue blanket in one arm and her battered suitcase in the other wouldn't have meant much to anyone else, but she had suddenly become the center of attention. Even the Pacifista's glowing eyes had turned from Luffy and focused on her. "I am Wolfe Banheart! You want me and my son, is that it?"

"Go back inside!" Zoro roared. She ignored him, not even looking at him.

"You want to take this life, don't you?" She barked, her eyes, full of fire, glowering fiercely down at them.

"Get her down from there, we have to stop her!" Chopper wailed, and all seven of them turned tail and ran to get her. The Marines, however, had trained all of their guns on her.

"Surrender yourself and we'll make this easy on you!" The leader demanded haughtily. She ignored him too.

"Franky, get to her!" Nami cried.

"I can't, we've got an emergency up here, the air tank's sprung a leak!" Franky shouted back as he rushed down the side of the ship.

"I'm not going to let you take us! I will never give you his life! His life is not for you to take, it has nothing to do with you!" She cried, panting, catching her breath. Her heart was racing, her chest tight. "I will never let you take him from me! If you will not let me have him, then he shall belong to the sea and the sea alone!" She pressed a kiss atop the bundle, and flipped her suitcase open.

"STOP!" Luffy screamed, and she shivered for a minute as the force of his will shook her to her core, but he was nowhere near her, he couldn't reach her, and she tucked the blanket and its precious contents into the suitcase and snapped it shut.

"Father, into your hands!" She shouted, and threw the suitcase overboard. There was a second where everything seemed silent, and the suitcase, weighted by its contents, sank.

Three sets of arms wrapped themselves around her arms and legs and pinned her against the back cabin. Robin glowered at her from within the soapy bubble as Zoro and Usopp seized her themselves. Luffy charged her, hitting her in the gut. She didn't even flinch as the wind was knocked out of her.

"How could you?" Luffy screamed, his eyes filled with a rage she'd never seen in anyone before. "Go after him!" Sanji was already at the railing, throwing Chopper back and away, and he dove in after the sinking suitcase.

"Luffy, turn her over to the Marines!" Nami shouted. Luffy scowled at her.

"No, I can take care of her myself!"

"Captain, if you turn her over, we can get away!" Robin reminded him sharply. He thought for a moment.

"Take her!" He waved a hand off the railing at the crowd below, and Zoro and Usopp glanced at one another as Robin released her before tossing her overboard. The Marines below caught her, and before she could breathe again they had clapped her wrists and ankles in heavy chains. "Murderer!" Luffy had turned to shout at her, as the Marines formed rank and began to escort her away. "You gave up everything, and for what? You killed everything! Murderer!" The other Straw Hats were silent as Nami pulled him back, and she couldn't bear to turn around and look at their faces. Sanji burst up from the water.

"I can't find it!"

"Come on, the ship is ready to go!" Rayleigh called.

"We have to save him!" Luffy cried.

"It's too late for that now! We have to get out of here!" Rayleigh declared forcefully, and Zoro grabbed Luffy to drag him into the air bubble. Robin pulled Sanji from the water, and the Straw Hats had just enough time to get into the safe bubble before the Thousand Sunny began to sink below the surface. Luffy kept screaming.

"He's dead! He's dead because of you! You gave him life and took it, you monster! You threw him away! Monster! Murderer!" She shivered as she was marched away, but she couldn't stop herself.

She lowered her head and laughed. She laughed. That was the last sound any of the Straw Hats ever heard her make.

She kept her head down as she was marched away, surrounded by what seemed like an army of Marines, with both no knowledge and full knowledge of what awaited her.

"She killed him. I can't believe she killed him," Chopper whimpered. It seemed that none of them had even bothered to notice the underwater view, none of them cared enough to speak of it. As Rayleigh steered the ship to another grove around roots and rocks, the rest of the crew stood around on the deck, a mix of shaken or enraged. Usopp and Luffy were the latter, but neither Usopp or Luffy could bring themselves to speak as the others hung their heads in shame.

"The suitcase sank so fast," Sanji muttered, a cold glower in his eyes. He sucked his cigarette to the butt and lit another one before the ashes had faded out.

"She would never have done that if she were in her right mind," Chopper added sadly. "I should have done something- but what could I have done?"

"I wish I could have gotten to her! Damn it, I was right there!" Franky sobbed. Robin patted his shoulder.

"It was save the ship and us or save him. Don't blame yourself, none of us can blame ourselves." She lowered her eyes. "I wonder how great her anguish was in having to do such a thing…"

"I don't care about her!" Luffy suddenly snapped. "She killed him… she killed him again…"

"Excuse me," Brook interrupted as he peered from the lounge. "I… I beg of you…" He stepped out into the light. "Someone… please… relieve this burden…" He sank to his knees and held out something none of them expected…

End Notes: This chapter wrenched my heart to write. It really did. I nearly made myself cry when I thought of it. I promise, though, the next chapter will leave you all vindicated. I'm working on it as fast as I can, but no promises about anything before Christmas.

If the fate of our heroes has come to grate on your soul, then remember this: After I have finished my originally planned ending, I will be writing a "happy ending" that branches off at the halfway point of chapter 12, so don't give up!

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