The Redemption of the Golden Wolf

Author's Notes: It didn't take four months this time! For great justice! I've covered quite a bit of material in this chapter, and believe it or not, we've just about come to the end of this plot thread. I'm kind of sad to see it end, but worry not, after this chapter, there will be an epilogue. And after that? Well, we'll see.

Disclaimer: We're nearing 150,000 words, 330 pages, and easily over a year's worth of writing here, and you still don't know that I don't own it? (Though when I put it like that, it sounds like I really ought to be profiting off of it somehow…)


18: The Great Advance

"Alright, men, allow me to brief you on the situation." Captain Wolfe faced the line of Marines on his ship with a stern look. "I thank you for your patience during these past three days of surveillance. Unfortunately, this is my mission and my mission alone. What we have here is a ship full of monsters. The Kuja pirates themselves are dangerous enough, and it's also suspected that the man known as Dark King Rayleigh is aboard as well. I do not intend to endanger all of you by asking you to face these pirates. In any other situation, a crowd like this would warrant the presence of a Vice Admiral. However, our target is a civilian woman." Captain Wolfe was silent for a moment, and cleared his throat before continuing. "This civilian happens to be my daughter." There were a few mutters between the midshipmen and the odd-jobs, but they silenced when Wolfe began to speak again. "Your orders are as follows. Until my return or should it appear I am not returning, this ship will belong to the commander. He has been instructed to return to base if I do not return, where you will be given further directions. I am going to approach alone. Should I return, we will move forward from there."

"Captain," the commander suddenly interrupted, "if I might say so, it sounds like you don't expect to return from this. What are your instructions, if I might be so bold?"

"My instructions are simply to apprehend my daughter. I am not supposed to engage any of the enemy aboard this ship." Wolfe's eyes narrowed as he buttoned his coat. "If I should encounter any of them, the likelihood of my survival is low. Gentlemen, should I not have another chance to say so, you have served me and the rest of the world well." Captain Wolfe pulled his gloves on. "Commander, keep the lights low. Keep close watch for any sign of activity. If all else fails, wait two hours. As a single man against a crew of monsters, the outcome of this encounter will be abundantly clear."

The men were silent as Captain Wolfe turned for the gangway, watching wordlessly as he disembarked. As the mark of "Justice" on his back faded into the darkness, they realized what it meant to be thrown away by the World Government.


The short walk across the edge of the islets into the Lawless Zone seemed eternal to Jeremy. He knew that this was the time of the night when the Kuja crew were on a lights-out curfew, and very rarely were any of them seen awake and topside after nine in the evening. As the time on his watch approached three in the morning, he felt secure that he would have the best chance of encountering Banheart without meeting any of the monsters. In his mind, he still couldn't pick which one was the biggest threat- Boa Hancock, known to turn men to stone? Jinbei, the knight of the sea? Dark King Rayleigh? Or just the brat who made him see red? He knew which one he least wanted to meet.

The Kuja ship was smaller than he'd thought it would have been- considering the havoc they wreak, he reasoned, they would have to have a large crew. No, no, he realized as he began to scale the hull, size doesn't matter when it comes to monsters, only potency. If their leader was as strong as she'd demonstrated at Marineford, he couldn't imagine what kind of women she would let work under her. He kept his footsteps as light as possible as he pulled himself up onto the main deck, but his boots were heavy and he heard a loud thump below him as he staggered to his feet. The floorboards creaked softly as he crossed them, and he flinched with each movement he made. He straightened himself up as he got to the cabin house, and glowered up at the two-story building. There were too many doors, he didn't want to risk checking them all. He couldn't even begin to fathom what was beneath the surface. He thought for a moment, and realized that the mansion above water had to belong to the captain. That princess, he reasoned, wanted the room for herself. He quickly let himself into the main room and ducked down into the nearest stairwell, headed for the lower floors.

The lower hallways were narrow, but eerily silent. He listened for a moment at each door for some indication of the room's contents. He could hear only breathing, occasional snoring behind many of them, and others were silent. He would gently crack each door and peek in. He found an armory, a workshop, and several bunk rooms that housed four women apiece. None of them roused, but he didn't see the woman he sought. However, towards the stern of the ship, he spotted a door with light streaming from the crack beneath it. He listened from three feet away, and heard a very quiet male voice muttering, but he was unanswered. Jeremy edged closer, slowly lowering himself to the ground to peer under the door. He could see bare feet hanging off the edge of a chair, swinging just slightly. The feet were too large to be hers, he thought, so he began to carefully back away, until he made out what the man inside was saying:

"I can hear you there, Luffy. Jinbei's gonna be pissed if he finds out you're awake, but if you want to come in, you better be quiet."

The entire world suddenly looked red.

"If you wake Ban up, I'll be mad too."

His heart was racing as he got back up to his feet, and he pushed the door open. Ace rose his brow at the open door, until Captain Wolfe Jeremy rushed in, just short of foaming at the mouth. He took in as much as he could- a small lantern lit the front half of the room, Ace in a chair near the lantern, the other half of the room dark, but he couldn't focus on anything but what enraged him most. Ace was silent, staring at the older man dispassionately, before looking back down at his lap.

"Like I said. You better be quiet. If you wake her up, I'll be mad."

Jeremy's eyes were drawn to Ace's lap as well, and he saw the baby laid across his knees. For the second time in his life, Jeremy went weak in the knees, and he caught his breath. They were silent for a moment, before Jeremy growled in a bitter whisper, "I swore to myself, the second I saw you, even if it meant my own life, I'd kill you."

"But you haven't," Ace replied coolly, quietly. "I kept thinking that, after that first time, I'd never see you again, so I didn't think about what'd I'd do to you if I saw you. But I guess I'd have to agree. I'd kill me too." They were silent for another long moment. Jeremy still stared at the baby.

"That's…"

"This is my son. His name is Remy. He was born seven hours ago. He's…" Ace swallowed hard, and cracked a smile. "He's cute. I mean, you always hear people talk about love at first sight, and I've finally realized what that means." Ace glanced behind him briefly, and Jeremy did the same. Banheart was laid flat in the infirmary bed in the darker half of the room, completely still. He swallowed hard.

"She's- is she-"

"She's alive, if that's what you're asking. She had a long day yesterday, and she was exhausted. I mean, it's like running a marathon. She just got back to sleep after feeding him half an hour ago, so if you wake her up, I'll be mad. That's it, too." Ace looked Jeremy in the eyes. "I don't like the thought of you, you know. But I don't hate you enough to kill you."

"You stole my only daughter. You ruined her," Jeremy growled.

"Look, I've stolen a lot of things in my time, but she's not a thing that can be stolen. She came willingly. She asked me to take her. She was so afraid of what you were going to do with her life, she begged me to take her away from home." Ace readjusted his position, scooping Remy into his arms, crossing his legs, and leaning back in the chair. "The fact that you see her as a thing, a piece of property, is more than a little worrisome. Maybe that's a good hint to what the problem is."

"She's a criminal now. I'm under orders to arrest her and my grand- … ugh." Jeremy rested his hand on his forehead, feeling a cold sweat break out as he tried to repeat his mission. "They… they're going to kill him."

"No they aren't. I won't let it happen." Ace frowned. "You know, I was going to let you hold him. You are not encouraging me."

"I won't kill the boy," Jeremy muttered. "I… I would never hurt the ch-child." His stomach began to twist. "He's… he is my grandson, isn't he?"

"Of course he is. No doubt about it," Ace said. "But you have no more control over him than you do her. Look, old man, if she wanted to go with you, I wouldn't stop her. But I'm almost certain she doesn't. And I'm sure that neither of us want you to take Remy. You may not like me- hell, I'm sure you don't like me. And a lot of what the two of us have done upsets you, I know that too. But you can't hold our crimes against him. He was just born- he's never done anything wrong." He shook his head, and looked back down at Remy. Remy was smacking his lips contently. "How can you even think of killing this little guy?"

"I… I don't… I don't want…" Jeremy coughed weakly. "I don't want to. Please. Let me look at him." He got down on his knees in front of Ace and held his arms out. "I just want to look at his face."

"No," Ace's voice suddenly dropped to a growl. "Get the hell out." Jeremy froze, with Ace giving him an oddly benign look considering his tone. Ace settled Remy in the crook of one arm and got to his feet. With his free hand, he began to force Jeremy, still on his knees, towards the door. Jeremy tried to hold his ground, his feet scuffing the ground, but Ace was much stronger. He pulled the door open, shoved Jeremy to the side of it, and slammed it shut. Ace then put his finger to his lips, giving Jeremy a pointed look, and thrust Remy towards him.

Jeremy was shocked, but accepted the baby. He studied Remy's eyes and nose- he couldn't help but compare them to his own- and slightly unfolded the swaddling blanket to count ten fingers and ten toes. He rewrapped him, and traced the contour of his cheeks, then tousled his curly hair. He chewed his lip, shivering like he was cold in the temperate night air, then held Remy back up to Ace. Ace nodded, and sat back in the chair, looking down at Jeremy like a king onto a peasant. He then looked directly behind him. "I think he's gone."

"Are you sure?" Banheart suddenly sat upright like his words had stung her. She gawked, as she laid eyes on her father, and Ace turned around again.

"Nope."

"Liar," she hissed.

"Pirate," he replied with a cool smile.

"Banheart, please," Jeremy whispered, his voice low. "I'm not here to hurt you. Not you, not him, nobody. I… I'm here to ask you for help."

"What would you need my help for?" She pushed herself out of the infirmary cot, the sheet still tangled around her shaking legs.

"Because I can't carry out my mission- I can't arrest you. I can't arrest him." Jeremy fell forward, his hands on the ground. "I… will not… let him die. He doesn't deserve it!"

"Then what exactly do you want me to do?" She demanded fiercely.

"I want you to end me," he whispered. "Listen, the crew I came here with surely will be given orders to attack you should I not return. You need to rid yourselves of me and leave this place tonight."

"Dad… what?" She frowned. "You… you would never give me confidential information like that."

"I'm done with hiding things like that. I'm quitting the Marines. I served for twenty-five years, girl, but no matter how strict things get, conditions never improve. For as strong as the World Government tries to hold on, the freedom fighters fight back tenfold. Not to mention the corruption I've seen from the Heavenly Dragons… Maybe… maybe that's just not what we need anymore. We need a change. You've opened my eyes to that, girl." Jeremy shook his head. "I can't stand the idea of what they were planning to do to my grandson. I mean, when they went to execute that boy, he was already a pirate working under Whitebeard. But now I see that doesn't even matter to them. He could have been a doctor or a priest, they would have tried to strike him down. I won't stand for criminalizing a child over his bloodline. Besides, some of that blood is mine, too."

"Dad…" Banheart shivered, wide-eyed.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Ace asked.

"I got a letter from a man a few days after the execution. It said he sees my predicament and wants to give me an out. Said his offer would never expire, and that the second I was ready to see the light I could talk to him." Jeremy pulled a folded sheet of paper out of the inside pocket in his jacket. "Someone from the Revolutionaries. The very top of the Revolutionaries."

"You don't mean-" Banheart interrupted.

"It came from one Monkey D. Dragon." Jeremy put it away. "He's given me a few places I can rendezvous with his people, and there's one around here. All I ask of you is to get rid of the man who stands before you."

"You keep saying that, but I don't know what you mean," Ace muttered. "You say you want us to kill you, then say you're going to join the Revolution…"

"I think I know what he means." Banheart pushed her nightgown down around her legs and set the sheet on the bed. "I think we need to wake the captain and the others."

"Too late for that." Ace glanced towards the door. "There's at least three people hanging in the hallway right now."

"Impressive ears, boy," Jeremy mused.

"Mr. Ray's been doing a little bit of haki training with me on our downtime. I can practically smell a person's presence at ten paces." Ace smirked, then pulled the door open. Three Kuja women fell forward, looking up at them with wide eyes. "Ladies, rouse Lady Hancock. We need to get out of here."


"And you're sure this will work?" Banheart asked Jeremy anxiously as they stood together near the ramp to the shore.

"I've been thinking it over for weeks. It's not going to make you lot criminals any more than you already are." Jeremy folded his arms. "Sengoku told me that he'd have you sent to an asylum, but I know that they've never sent a pirate to an asylum before. I doubt they'd make an exception for a failure of a captain such as myself."

"Do you really think you're a failure?" She asked empathetically.

"Someday, girl, you'll look back at your life and see all your mistakes." Jeremy folded his arms. "I looked back and saw nothing but mistakes. Only thing I ever did right was marry your mother and become your father, and even that, I ruined. Besides, I'm only human, and it seems the Marines these days need to be superhuman to get anywhere. Perhaps I can become one, or perhaps I'll find a purpose without needing to be one." Jeremy took a deep breath and sighed. "So these things go. Thank you for letting me see my grandson. I don't think I'll see him again for a very long time."

"No, I don't think so. But I'm sure our paths will cross again someday." She managed a small, reassuring smile. "He'll probably be a lot bigger then."

"Yes, probably." Jeremy lowered his head. "You don't need to worry about my affairs, I've written a will instructing the executors to sell my property and send the money on to your mother. Oh, speaking of which." He took a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "This is your mother's address. Write her sometime, won't you? I don't have the guts to do it anymore."

"Mom…" She took the paper into her hand, clutching it in her fist. "Yes, of course." There were a few moments of stiff silence.

"Okay, we're almost ready!" One of the nearby pirates whispered as she rushed past them.

"I'd better get on the move." Jeremy took off his hat and jacket. "There, take them. I'll find some new clothes, I'm sure I can bear the cold for a few hours."

"You'll be fine," she replied. "It gets pretty temperate when the sun comes up."

"Weather changes quickly in these seas. You know that." He took another deep breath, then studied her face. "Your hair's grown long. Looks shaggy." Anxious, she reached for her hair, realizing it was longer than he'd ever let it grow.

"I haven't gotten it cut recently, I'm sorry-"

"No, don't bother if you don't want to. I'm sure long hair would suit you well." Jeremy cracked a small smile. "As for that man you call your husband…"

"Do you really need to shit-talk Ace right now?"

"Yeah, I do." Jeremy's face was stern again, and she looked somberly at her feet. "Based on what little I've seen of him, that boy is irascible, irreprehensible, wanton, foolish, untamable, poorly-raised, ill-behaved, irreverent, and an overall mess of a man. Hold tight onto him. I wouldn't trust you in the care of any other." She looked back up, and realized he was smiling wider than before. "Aside from me, I don't think there's a man out there who loves you nearly as much."

"Aw… Pop…" She smiled weakly, and reached one hand out to him. He took it, and pulled her into a shaky, awkward embrace.

"Hey, old man, you better get going," Ace murmured as they separated. He interlaced his fingers with hers and passed a small satchel to Jeremy. "I've got everything covered from here."

"Right." Jeremy peered inside the satchel. "Thanks, boy."

"It'll cover you 'til you get to your new place." Ace stepped aside. "A pleasure seeing you again, sir."

"Take care of yourselves." Jeremy turned his back and quietly walked down the ramp into the pitch-black night. The pair watched him until he'd vanished completely. Ace took the Marine hat and jacket from Banheart and walked over to the starboard side of the ship, where Jeremy had docked his rowboat. The rest of the crew had taken their places, and Hancock and Rayleigh were waiting above the rowboat.

"Is the man gone?" Boa Hancock demanded in an icy voice.

"Yeah, he's just left. Let's do this." Ace gripped the hat and jacket and heated them until they singed, turning black and crumbling in places. He dropped the hat and jacket down into the boat below.

"Be ready to move at my signal." Rayleigh picked up a small bundle with a wick coming out of it and held it over the edge. Hancock nodded, Rayleigh raised his hand. All the pirates looked at him, as silent as the dead of night. Rayleigh looked to Ace, who quickly produced a small flame at his fingertip. Rayleigh gently touched the wick to the flame, and quickly dropped the charge into the smaller boat. Rayleigh threw both hands in the air, and like a horse whipped to action, all of the pirates moved at once to get the ship moving. The two Yuda jolted into motion, slithering away as fast as they could. The Marine ship around the corner barely had time to react, before the charge in the rowboat went off with a loud clamor. Ace dashed to the stern of the boat, to Banheart's side, as they watched the lights of Sabaody fade into the smoke, obscured by the darkness.

"So, what happens now?" She asked him quietly.

"They'll find the remnants of the boat, his hat and jacket, and assume he was injured and probably drowned. Or something else horrible happened to him. Who knows." Ace shrugged his shoulders. "Either way, the old man goes with his dignity, they all think he's dead, and he gets to start over."

"Hard to imagine becoming a new man at his age," she remarked with pursed lips. "But if he's willing to try, then there's nothing bad I can say about it."

"Same can be said for you. After all, it's not going to be easy, going from a musician to a pirate."

"Nah. I'm already halfway there." She smiled slyly, pushing her hair back from her eyes. "Besides, who said I'll stop being one in order to be the other? And who ever said I wasn't the latter to begin with?"

They were quiet for a moment, as Ace gave her a sideways glance. "Well, you did. Several times, Miss I'm-not-a-pirate." He grinned, and she chuckled.

"You've got me there. I'm going back down below. After all, I may not have been someone's mom yesterday, but I've got to be one in the morning." Ace laughed, and she turned back to him. "Will you come too?"

"I'll be there in a minute. I'm going to stand watch and be sure we get away from here safely." He leaned forward and kissed her between the eyes. She tilted her head up to meet his lips, the two becoming one for a few seconds, before separating. She turned around and walked back into the cabin house. Ace couldn't help but muse that though father and daughter were walking in opposite directions, they may finally have been on the same path after all.


"I'll start getting you some meals out of the kitchen, Luffy-dear!" Boa Hancock chimed pleasantly as they stepped off the ship onto the sandy beach. Banheart protectively cradled a sleeping Remy to her chest, in awe at the scenery already- the trees were varied, the mountain was incredibly tall, and she could hear at least a dozen different animal sounds, none of which sounded compatible.

"No, no, no, Lady Hancock," Rayleigh admonished as he led the group onto the beach. "There's food aplenty here, they're just going to have to work for it. It's for his own good."

"If it's for him, I can resist!" Hancock squealed girlishly, before calming down again. "Are you certain about this place? It seems so dangerous. What if something should happen?"

"If nothing happens, it'll be pointless," Rayleigh said, with thinly veiled exasperation. "If you're worried for his sake, then you can pray for him."

"And I can't visit? I want to visit all the time!"

"No, no, no. I want two years, just me and my students. Two years. Mark this date in your calendar two years from now, and plan to be here then." Rayleigh smirked. "Your love sickness should be satisfied by now, so you might as well get back to your business. I'm sure you've got a lot of clean-up to do."

"You're right," Hancock conceded, utterly deflated. Ace dropped Banheart's suitcase and Remy's cradle where the grass started and stretched his arms and legs, as Luffy climbed to the top of a tree to take a look around. Banheart looked back at Hancock and Rayleigh.

"Wait, you're sure we can't have any food? I mean, if I don't eat, he doesn't eat-"

"Now, now, I assure you, you won't have to worry about hunting and killing your own food just yet, my dear." Rayleigh turned to Hancock. "Go ahead and shove off." He looked back at her and Remy. "Ace may be picking up on the few exercises I've given him well, but he's still weak from his extended stay in Impel Down, so he's going to be working twice as hard." At this, Rayleigh spoke slightly louder. "If he wants his son to eat, he'll be taking care of business." Ace turned around, eyes wide, and Rayleigh grinned slyly. "Do I have your attention?"

"Yes, sir. What would you like me to do first?" Ace beamed nervously.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Luffy dropped down from the tree, promptly landing wrong-side-up. "Can I help?"

"Well, I suppose for this- and only this- little exercise, I'll let you two work together." He spoke over the rushing noise of the Kuja ship departing and Hancock cooing her final farewells to Luffy. "Ace, Luffy, this island is called Rusukaina. The seasons here change weekly, the animals are ferocious- I can number five-hundred here that you two will not be able to defeat at present. A country once existed here, but its people died out, and now all that remains is what you see. This may simply be because its children could no longer survive the conditions. That said, I have four of you here at present, I wish to depart with four surviving. You two are to lap the island, find materials, find our site- don't worry, you'll see a signal- and create a sturdy shelter. I don't expect your first shelters to last long, but as you gain strength, you'll be able to reinforce and improve them."

"Sounds good enough for me. Hey, come on, Luffy, it'll be like when we tried to start our own countries!" Ace yanked Luffy to his feet, and the two darted off into the forest.

"Yes, that'll be good enough to introduce them to the situation. You, however, are a different case." Rayleigh reached both hands out towards her. "May I?"

"Oh, certainly." She handed Remy to him, and Rayleigh surveyed his face.

"Yes, a handsome boy indeed. I wonder if you'll look anything like your grandpa did." Rayleigh chuckled, and set Remy down in his cradle. He moved the cradle under a tree slightly further up on the beach, and tucked the blanket around him. "You'll need your hands free. Let's chat, shall we?"

"You see, I didn't think you had it in you when first I saw you on that monitor," Rayleigh began to explain as they walked. "I knew your face well- you look just a little like a woman I knew twenty some-odd years ago, and I caught sight of you in the crowd and recognized that you've got a little more than guts to you. However, I didn't think you had the right disposition to hold the position you seek."

"Disposition, Mr. Ray?"

"Yes- the disposition of the King. My aim here is to provide the Whitebeard crew with two who can chase Whitebeard's heels and possibly even rival him. If you had any chance at remaining with Ace, it would lie in your spirit. Most who have it are born with it. Ace was. Luffy, too. Both of them exhibited it on the day of the execution, but neither of them surprised me. You did. You see, it's not just any woman who can stand against an Admiral and stop him in his tracks."

"What?" She frowned. "No, you're mistaken. I shot him, remember?"

"Dear, dear," Rayleigh clicked his tongue, and her face turned hot pink. "Now listen, your bullet didn't affect him. You subconsciously amplified your presence, which shocked him out of his Logia state. You temporarily- and I mean very temporarily- negated his abilities. Certainly, shooting at him may have partially delivered your presence, but it came from you. It's rare- one in a million have it- and yet two people woke it from deep within themselves on that same day. Yours is weak, and it's very hard to develop unless you truly have a gift for it. But let it never be said that it's worthless, as it was that alone that saved Ace."

"Wait- you mean-"

"It was you, my girl." Rayleigh smiled kindly. "If you hadn't found that strength at that moment, then he would be dead. He's fortunate."

"My… my god." Her knees wobbled, and she wiped her brow anxiously.

"All that aside, you are otherwise just short of worthless as a pirate." Rayleigh began to pace, and her jaw hung open. "You have little skill, you're not very strong, and the most you can do is use weaponry such as your little pistol, and while that is valuable in its own right, it's not going to put you anywhere near Whitebeard. Even if I trained you four times as hard as I intend on training them, you might stand near where Luffy is now, but that's not enough."

"You go on and on about how I'm worthless, but you said you intended on the two of us chasing Pops' heels. What do you expect of me?" She asked, dejected.

"I've been saving a little something for the right time. I wish I could save it for your boy- after all, I did originally get it from his grandpa!- but I'm certain he'll come into his own methods eventually. Here." Rayleigh reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a lumpy bunch of cherries. A strange swirl pattern covered them. "This is what I intend for you."

"Is that really a-"

"Yes. It is." Rayleigh grinned.

"And you expect me to-"

"It's your choice. How close do you want to stand to Whitebeard, my girl? You may never swim again, but this will give you the boost you need to walk only half-a-pace behind your man."

"You're a devil yourself, aren't you?" She murmured in disbelief. "Won't it affect Remy if I eat it? I mean, he still eats from me, and-"

"I honestly couldn't tell you that for certain. I didn't want to give it to you before he was born, just to be sure, but I sincerely doubt he can catch it off you. You don't have to decide now, but I do hope you'll consider it carefully."

"Do you know what it is?"

"I've got an inkling, but we'll find out for certain later. If you choose to consume it, that is." Rayleigh continued to grin.

"So, you're offering me something that you can't identify or explain, promising me nothing, and telling me only what I want to hear."

"The last part is debatable, but yes, basically." Rayleigh's grin never faltered, never flinching for an instant. Banheart sighed contemplatively, and held out her hand.

"Please. If you think it's the best option, then I'll take it."

"That's the spirit!" Rayleigh gingerly placed the berry in her hand, and she popped it into her mouth. "That was fast. Just get it over with, eh?" Her nose wrinkled, and she swallowed hard.

"Awful!" She spat part of it out. "You'd think it could at least taste good- not that I have room to complain, but-"

"Let's settle your stomach with an introductory lesson, shall we?" Rayleigh chortled happily to himself. Somewhere in the distance, two voices screamed in unison. She looked around in all directions.

"Should we go help them?"

"No, no, let them figure it out on their own. I doubt one of them would be able to take care of any problem they find, but I trust the two of them together will be able to handle it." Rayleigh glanced behind him. "We've got bigger things to worry about anyway." She followed his eyes, and screamed as she saw what could only be described as an enormous yellow bird loomed over Remy in his cradle.

"Mr. Ray, what do we do?"

"Calm down, I was hoping they'd try and pick on him!" Rayleigh laughed. "Now, watch me closely!" He rushed close and halted ten paces from the bird as it stared Remy down, clucking and hissing, its neck bobbing from side to side. "He's going to strike in three, two…" The bird lunged forward, and Rayleigh caught its neck in his hand. "Observation Haki! The ability to read another's presence, their movements. I've trained Ace for a few days, and he's already become adept at sensing close presences." The bird squawked and thrashed, before suddenly coming loose. Rayleigh jumped back as it thrust its head at him. He deftly dodged each jab, jumping back and from side to side. "And next, using one's aura to create an invisible suit of armor…" The bird pecked at him again, and he froze, holding out one finger. It hit its head against his finger, and it reared back in pain and anguish. "This is known as Armaments Haki. It solidifies oneself to protect against attacks- and create harder ones. You could even use it on your bullets, and you'd be able to pierce Luffy with them. You could even truly put a bullet through that Vice-Admiral's eyes." The bird shook off Rayleigh's attack, and came charging towards him again. "And finally, the Disposition of the King!" Rayleigh turned and looked at the bird, and Banheart felt her entire body shake. The bird dropped to the ground in a cold faint, coughing and foaming at the mouth. Rayleigh dusted his shoulders off, and turned back to her with a grin. "It never gets old. Now, how about some yakitori?"


Two hours later, Ace and Luffy had followed a smoke trail to the center of the island, in a rocky clearing near a big tree. Banheart and Rayleigh were picking bits of roasted fowl off of a stake, as Remy slept with his cradle balanced on a rock. The brothers were thoroughly beaten and bruised, but held split logs and long vines over their shoulders and dragged more behind them.

"And how did you boys make out?" Rayleigh asked blithely.

"Tiger… big tiger…" Luffy managed to say weakly, before collapsing. Drool came pouring out of his mouth as he stared at Rayleigh's chunk of thigh meat.

"I'm dyin'… can I have some chicken?" Ace stared hungrily at the meat still on the spit.

"Chicken dinner is for winners," Rayleigh replied with a chuckle. "As soon as you boys have built your shelters, you'll get your first lesson and your first meal."

"Oh come on, one little bite," Ace pleaded, dropping the logs and vines he held.

"I had to beg for mine too," Banheart pointed out. "He wouldn't let me eat until I built a fire and showed off."

"Showed off?" Ace repeated. She sighed, and looked at Rayleigh. He nodded.

"Show him."

"If I must. It's almost embarrassing…" Banheart set her chunk of chicken aside, and rested her foot flat on the ground. She seemed to focus for a moment, and suddenly, Ace and Luffy felt the ground shake.

"Whoa. What was that?"

"That would be what are called ambient vibrations, amplified by a certain Devil Fruit," Rayleigh replied with a smirk. "Your girl here picked a lucky one."

"If I can sense a wave, I can manipulate it." She shuffled her feet. "It's not like Pops, who could just break the air and cause an earthquake, but if I feel a seismic wave, I can amplify it."

"You gave her a Devil Fruit?" Ace asked in disbelief.

"Well, I've been holding onto one for a while, and they don't seem to go bad, but what better time than now?" Rayleigh smiled politely. "You'd better get to building, if you intend to sleep safely or eat tonight."

"Yeah." Ace nodded, and picked Luffy up from where he had been crawling towards the chicken. "Let's move, or my little boy is getting rained on." Rayleigh waited until the two got to the flat space right beside the tree, before looking back to Banheart.

"I'll give them their first lesson as soon as they're done, but they now know what they're up against. I'm not going to protect you anymore, you're going to have to learn to use the will you have. Most people have the ability to use Haki, but very few have the strength to try and harness it. You will not survive after this unless you do. I will work with you for two years, and we will weed out your weaknesses and strengths until you've developed your style. After that, you'll be on your own. I don't expect you'll stop learning there, but for now, you're mine. For the next two years, day in and day out, you, your man, and his brother will all be under my tutelage. And I won't be gentle on you."

"I wouldn't expect any less from the Dark King, sir," she replied with a smirk.

"Oi, Ban! I know you're eating, but you're going to be sleeping in this too!" Ace called from the tree. She quickly gulped down the last of the meat in her hands and got to her feet.

As she and Ace put the pieces together, she couldn't help but look back and wonder how she had gotten to where she was. It had taken less than a year for her to travel from a comfortable bar in a sleepy port town to the truest middle of nowhere, from the life of a civilian to the life of a criminal. She regretted none of it, and wouldn't have been satisfied with her life any other way. Now, she knew, was the time for her to make her advance. Now was the time she, herself, would conquer the New World.


End Notes: Okay, kids, we've made it this far, the penultimate chapter of this story. No more twists, no more alternative routes to take. So, since we're so close to the end, I'm sure some of you have questions- and I'm here to welcome them. If you have a question about the story, me, the universe, life, anything, feel free to submit it to me via review or message! I'll be answering them in the next chapter- all of them- to the best of my abilities. Hopefully, at least a few of you feel brave enough to ask me something!

Otherwise, you know the drill. Liked it? Review! Hated it? Review! Problem, issue, question? Review! Anything? Review! And I'll see you all in the epilogue!