Blackbeard put his hands in his eyes that burned as never before.

Laffitte had just land where once was Trafalgar and frustrated he looked around, after seeing it was too late and that they had lost the Straw Hats, he sighed and smiled.

"Nice shot, Auger! Was it fatal? "

Auger walked quietly, sawing his eyes trying to see a little better and hoarsely said: "I don't know ... I can barely see, I shot him but I don't know where."

"Hmmm ... let's hope it was fatal then!"

Doc Q was with Blackbeard, holding his head and forcing him to open his eyes.

What would be something normal soon became a strange situation when Doc Q's actions - nothing delicate - eventually cause pain in Blackbeard, that instead of acting like always acted, grab the doctor's clothes and threw him away.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Doc Q coughed.

"If you don't want my help... just say ..."

Laffitte who was already kicking Burgess in an attempt to wake him stopped when he saw the situation.

"Stop right there!"

Doc and Blackbeard looked at him, one in doubt the other angry.

"How is it?" Blackbeard said, standing up, in one of his hands Gura Gura's power could already be seen.

Laffitte ignored the Yonkou and flew toward Munsell that was slowly fleeing, however when passing near Blackbeard, this took him by the foot and threw on the floor.

Doc realized what it was but the old man was already far and to worsen their ship could already be seen in the horizon. That angered even more Blackbeard, who still holding Laffitte by his foot and dragged him up, leaving him upside down.

"So that's it?! You will betray me? It's a plot against me !? "

Laffitte just closed his eyes, refusing to answer. Talk anything would just let the situation even worse.

Munsell was running but he noticed a shadow and looking back he saw Shiryu.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Away!"

"I think not. I don't know what you made to our captain, but you will bring him back to normal. "

Munsell was old, he knew how much time he still have, and just when he had realized his dream - He found the submarine that he help to conceived and to build, he saw that his very dream was being destroyed.

"And what will you do? Let me nervous is not a good idea. "

Just after Munsell say that the submarine began to shake and both saw Blackbeard furious while Laffitte tried to get away.

Munsell knelt on the floor petting it like a pet, Shiryu glanced at him like he was crazy and ran toward his allies - damn old gezzer!

The submarine was increasingly unstable, Munsell knew there nothing to be done, the damage was too much to the submarine.

The damaged part would sink and drag the rest with it. Knowing this made him feel a pain that he didn't felt for a long time.

After so many years not knowing what happened, he got there only to learn that his companions were dead, and worse, his beloved project had been forgotten and now could no longer navigate.

He had a dream, a desire; and more selfish that it was his dream wasn't to find his companions, that was a consequence, but to finding his submarine.

He would find him and bring him back.

But now it's too late.

If fate wanted him to find his submarine only to sink with him so be it.

Amid the chaos, even Blackbeard's fury seemed to have diminished. They had to do something or they would all go down with the submarine. Their ship was there, but it was still far away.

The submarine bent and bent, the water advancing through the holes in the hull causing one side to become increasingly heavy. Everyone ran to the opposite direction - the Straw Hats were already no longer their concern, everyone was trying to buy time.

Everyone but Munsell who sat waiting to the water to touch him.

But before it happened the water froze around the submarine which stopped sinking, and now stood stuck amidst thick ice.

Everyone was relieved, but Munsell let out a disappointed air.

Walking on the ice Aokiji arrived.

"You called me and I thinking it was for another reason other than save you."

Aokiji looked and saw that Blackbeard was not himself, not giving him time to do anything Aokiji froze Blackbeard's legs holding him to the ground. While Doc took advantage of the situation to sedate him.

The Ex-Admiral calmly walked to the old man that was with his head down and knees on the floor.

"Could you free my ally from your influence?"

Munsell didn't move, staring at the floor he said.

"Done"

No other word was spoken, everyone used the path created by the ice to walk to the ship, leaving only Aokiji and Munsell on the submarine.

"So that's the ghost project?"

"Ghost?" That seemed to have drawn Munsell's attention.

"I've heard not much about it, I just know that it existed and then nothing, not a single word about it. "

"So that's what I become to the Navy, a nothing? A ghost?"

"Everything that can cause embarrassment to the Navy or the government is conveniently forgotten."

The two looked at each other, their ages could be different, but their eyes were old.

"Hehehe" The old man laughed. "When did you woke up to the truth?"

Aokiji stopped and thought on his memoirs of the Ohara extermination.

"When I was a Vice-Admiral, an event not only woke me up but also opened my eyes. But between waking up and actually do something it, took me years. "

"Comfort and power?"

"No. I thought I had the power to change something ... "

"And now you have? Joining him? "

"You also did the same ..." Munsell opened his mouth, but before he said something Aokiji continued to speak.

"I don't want him to win, but I don't want things to continue the way they are. I need a lever, I need to be at the center of the storm, and he can get me to where I want to be. "

The silence hung between them. And after a while Aokiji spoke again.

"Come on, this ice will not last forever."

"I will not go."

"Are you sure? This place will sink "

"Yes I have. This is my project, my dream, if it will sink and I'll sink with it. "

Aokiji looked around, there was nothing there, no one else apart from them and thrown skeleton in the distance. Seeing the old and the remains of everything he did in life, he nodded.

If this was the old man's will, so be it.

He was already walking when he heard the old man speak for the last time.

"You may find this gesture pathetic, but how much time I have left? You don't know my name or even the name of this project or the people involved in it. We all die decades ago, what does it matter? "

Aokiji didn't answer, the old man was right.

No matter how important it was, how valuable the people who were there once were. When they became a stain to the Navy, and a nuisance to the government, they have become nothing.

Just as he had now found them, the Marine could well have done it years ago.

They were abandoned, left behind and forgotten. And that unfortunate soul that stayed behind was also buried with them.

It was not life, living wandering and brooding in doubt and guilt. If the old man wanted to spend his last moments there, he would let him.

There they followed separate paths, Munsell stayed with his precious project, Aokiji left with Blackbeard.

They all had much luck in today's day and so he would extend such luck for the Straw Hats - even having seen their ship, he would not attack.

The Straw Hat is a very lucky boy - or is he getting soft with age.

Notes:

You guys must be wondering: Where's Luffy and the others?

Well, they are not on this chapter.

I dedicated this chapter to put an end to Blackbeard and Munsell side of the story, so I could dedicate myself 100% to the Straw Hat Pirates, more specifically Luffy and Law.

I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

To the next chapter with Luffy, Law and everyone else ...

Happy New Year!