Epilogue: Farewell to Nakama!
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece
Kilnorc: This is it ya'll...final chapter. Enjoy, folks, been a great run.
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The sun was barely rising when both crews reached their ships and prepared for departure. They had a safe ride through the desert and when they reached their ships, they all saw someone they thought they wouldn't have to deal with anymore.
Mr 2 Bon Clay.
However, the two groups didn't try to fight him. In fact, it was because of him that their boats were safe. Somehow, he had managed to move both ships downriver so the Marines wouldn't capture them.
Dusty leaned against the railing, looking at Luffy's crew sadly, "I can't believe it. We've been through all this, but we're splitting up here,"
Herman paused behind her, holding a large bag of supplies and looked at the crew, "I know what you mean, little one,"
"Hm...," the kitsune looked at him, "Watcha got there?"
The lobster merman dropped the bag and opened it up to reveal a large amount of large, oranges.
"Aren't those...?"
"Yes," Herman closed the bag, "As a token of forgiveness, Nami gave me a load of her oranges," he gave a V-sign, "I knew she forgave me, but damn she must've really wanted me to have 'em,"
Dusty clicked her tongue and jumped over to the Going Merry where Bon Clay was dancing with Azu and some of Luffy's crew.
While Herman went to stock the kitchen, Axe looked up at the moon and let out a loud sigh, "Man. I just wanted to get through the Grand Line, get some loot, and take care of business," he cracked a grin, "Who would've thought we'd have a hand in saving a Princess and her country, and watching the future Pirate King taking out a Shichibukai,"
"So, you think he has what it takes to be Pirate King?"
Axe looked to the side to see Devon and Niri looking at him curiously.
"Are you friggin' kiddin'?" Axe jerked a thumb to the Going Merry, "That boy's stubborn and strong. Here, that's a deadly combo for enemies!"
"If you say so, Captain,"
-----
Later that morning, they all found out that even with Bon Clay's help, it was no picnic trying to get out of the harbor.
"INCOMING!"
Azu dove to the side as a giant black spike soared through the air and pierced the Tomahawk, creating a huge hole in it.
The Drunken Boxer shook an angry fist at the Marine blockade that shot that spike, "STOP SHOOTING MY SHIP!!! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WORK I HAVE TO DO?! I'M GONNA...oh bugga," Azu dove to the side again as a couple more spikes hit the ship.
"I don't think they're listening!" Dusty screamed sticking her head below deck, "NIRI WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?"
Seconds later, a collection of loud explosions from below rocked the large ship and a couple of cannonballs soared through the air towards the Marine boats. Unfortunately, they all missed their targets.
"YOU MISSED! HOW COULD YOU MISS, YOU'RE THE ONE WITH BEST EYES!"
"FOX, I DON'T NEED THIS FROM YOU! IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER, GO TELL THE CAPTAIN!"
"I CAN'T!
"WHY THE FUCK NOT?!"
"CUZ HE'S NOT HERE!"
"WHERE IS HE?!"
A loud explosion made Dusty and Azu snap their heads to the front of the boat to see two ships split apart and sink into the sea. Moments later, Axe appeared in front of them, twirling his weapon.
"Man, I love this part of the business," the captain grinned and walked to where the Going Merry was sitting, "Oi, I just took out two of them, how're you guys holding up?"
Luffy gave a thumbs up, "YOSH! Usopp just blasted two of them to pieces!" he said proudly.
"Okay, so that's half of the attacking formation...," Axe looked around, looking for a way out, "We gotta hurry and move if we wanna get there," he checked his watch, "We don't have much time left...Azu!"
The orange haired fighter poked his head out, "Yo?"
"Start making repairs on the ship," Axe grabbed hold of one of the giant spikes and pulled it out with ease, "I'll see if we can hold them off a little longer,"
"Aye aye, boss man!"
"BON CLAY-SAMA! A PROBLEM!" a member of Mr 2's crew from the Swanda Express shouted.
The okama looked at his nakama, "What is it?!"
"IT'S THE BLACK CAGE!"
Both Bon Clay and Axe froze, faces going pale. Niri popped her head out from below deck, "Did he just say The Black Cage?!"
Devon and Kirsty looked at them, "Who's the Black Cage?!"
"Black Cage Hina," Axe gulped, "Captain Hina of Marine Headquarters. I heard that she patrolled waters of Alabasta...but I never thought we'd run into her," he jumped over to Bon Clay and forced the okama touch his face.
"What are you doing, Axe-chan?" Bon Clay asked, looking confused and startled.
"I know that we're parting ways very soon, Bon-chan, and this is my gift to you. First, never use this face if you see my bounty poster. Second, if you need help, seek a man out by the name of Rayo Verrani, alright? Tell him you're a friend of Axe, and if he doubts you, use my face. He's a good guy, hates the Government. He works as a transporter,"
"You're talking about the Beast!" Bon-chan stared at him, "You know the Beast?! First Shadowfist and now him...Axe-chan, what kind of people do you run with?!"
"Good people, Bon-chan, good people. Remember my words and you should be alright. You take care of yourself, alright?" Axe gave a wink, "Don't wanna lose a nakama to the Government,"
Bon Clay turned away and sniffed loudly, tears rolling down his cheeks, "Nakama...?".
Shortly after the gift and some sentimental words to both crews, Bon Clay and his men departed with a plan to save both crews. With his crew and his Mane Mane no Mi abilities, Bon Clay led the Marines away, making them think both pirate crews were aboard his ship. However, it didn't go well. At the sound of gunshots and explosions, everyone ran to the topdeck to see the Swanda Express was on fire and was speared by the giant black spikes that had plagued them.
Axe felt a pain in his heart, "Goodbye, Bon-chan...," he turned to his crew, "C'mon, we're gonna be late!"
-----
What they were going to be late for was Vivi's speech to her beloved country. The two ships made it safely to the designated waiting area and they listened to Vivi's speech. They listened as she wove a tale about how she, through the darkness of despair, she found two boats that pushed her towards the light of hope. She also spoke on how the events that covered this country in history will be recorded as illusion to the rest of the world, but to her, it was the truth.
Axe looked at Luffy as the speeched died down and he saw that Straw Hat had a look of sadness on his face. He couldn't blame him, he had the same feeling in his gut. Vivi, Princess or not, was a nakama to them all. They had been through so much with her, and on the way, their crews learned new things, saw new people and discovered something about themselves. They even offered Vivi to go with them, but the way things were sounding, it didn't sound like she was coming.
"That's it...guys, turn the boats around and head go into seperate directions," Axe ordered, turning away from the city, "Longer we stay here, the more time the Marines have to gang up on us,"
They all had to agree with Axe's words. They had the same feeling about the Princess. However, as they turned the ships, they heard a cry that made them turn back to the cliffs of Alubarna. There, standing on a small outcropping, looking straight at the two boats were Princess Vivi Nefertari and Carue.
"I've come to say goodbye!" she yelled over the noise of the ocean.
"Goodbye?" Dusty's ears dropped, "Aw man...I was hoping she'd come with us,"
"Yeah, and make her choose between nakama," Azu shook his head, "Baka fox,"
"Baka drunk!"
"I...cannot go with you!" Vivi's voice echoed around them as she spoke from a speaker-connected Den Den Mushi, "Thank you for everything, all of you! I want to have more adventures but...I can't because I love my country! That's why I cannot come with any of you! I-I...," Vivi's voice began to crack, "I will stay here, but if we ever meet up again, will you still call me your nakama?"
The two crews were silent as they exchanged glances. Luffy tried yelling, but after Nami slammed him into the deck, she explained to him that if they gave any reply, Vivi would become a criminal in the eyes of the World Government.
"What do we do?" Kirsty whispered, looking out to see Marine ships coming towards them, "We don't have a lot of time,"
"Let's just make this a silent farewell," Nami suggested, turning away from Vivi.
Axe nodded in agreement, "It's for the best...," he turned away and his nakama did the same, "For the sake of our nakama, let's spare her a life of crime,"
"How?"
On the cliffside, Vivi was in tears as she looked out at both ships. She could see the combined crews standing around, their backs to her. She let more and more tears roll down her face, fearing that they would not call her nakama any longer. However, her fears disappeared when she saw something that made her heart soar.
On both decks of the pirate ships, while their backs were to her, every member of both crews had their left arms held up high, the black X mark clearly shown to her. She knew what that meant. That was the sign they had made after meeting Mr 2 for the first time, that was the mark of nakama! Proudly, she and Carue raised their left limbs high in the air, their own X's still painted on them. Even as the Marines closed in on them and fired cannonballs at them, neither crew moved an inch as they said their goodbyes to a dear friend they had been with for so long.
Axe couldn't help but grin, Goodbye, Princess...may you have a long and happy life from now on. Restore your home, and be proud of what you have done to save it!
"SET SAIL!!" he and Luffy shouted together.
Glancing at one another, he and Luffy exchanged grins. Whether it was a gut instinct, or rather Fate gnawing at him, Axe knew one thing about this boy. This boy, this rookie, would become a great pirate...and that one day, they would meet up once more.
-----
"Sister! Kyra!"
Kyra Chambers cracked an eye open when she heard footsteps running towards her room. She had been meditating peacefully and was just interrupted. Her door opened up and a young man wearing a bright red vest and matching sunglasses burst into the room, clutching a paper in his hands.
"What is it, Stick?"
The man, Stick, walked up to her and held out the paper, "You gotta take a look at this!"
Kyra swiped the paper away and looked at it. Her eyes widened a bit, but a smile crossed her face when she read Kirsty's newest bounty poster.
"My my...Kirsty, what have you been up to?" she murmured, staring at her sister's large bounty.
-----
"HOLY SHIT!"
Rose glared at her servant when the greasy-haired man ran into the kitchen, interrupting her meal.
"You better have a good reason for interrupting my lovely dinner, baka," she hissed at him.
Sancuro cracked his neck and fingered his axes, "I got a headache now for some reason...,"
Rose's manservant bowed, "Forgive me, Miss, but there is something you should see!"
Dmitri and Katt exchanged looks, then looked at him, "What?"
"You know those people we've been after?"
"The thieving bitch, the so called Demon, and my lost pet?" Dmitri offered.
"YES! Look at these! New wanted posters!"
Rose took the papers away and spread them out for her partners to see. One by one, their eyes went wide at what they saw.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
-----
Five men in suits sat around a large, beautifully decorated room, their suits pressed and neat. On a table in front of them, were a mess of bounty posters of different individuals from around the world. Three of them in particular made them have this meeting.
"She's alive...,"
"Apparently. Rumors from soldiers in Alabasta reminded me of an investigation that happened in East Blue years back. After reopening it, we discovered that the death of the healing child was falsely given. She has been alive all this time, and she's joined a pirate crew. Our fears seem to come to fruition,"
"Her sister," one of them held up Kyra's poster, "While a nuisance, she's still a threat, but not as bad as the healing one. She cannot tip the balance of the The Powers, but if her sister joins the wrong side, there will be crisis in the world,"
"It's bad enough she's still alive and joined a crew, but she's joined his crew," another man held up Axe's poster, "We've dealt with this boy before, but he just won't give up his missions...,"
"What do you suggest we do?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Well?"
"I say that we search for this young woman who came back from the dead, so to speak, and persuade her to join the Government in an effort to keep the world safe,"
"You know that the boy won't let that happen,"
"Perhaps, but it's really her choice, not his,"
"If she doesn't see to reason?"
"...then we have no choice but to take lethal force with her, as we do with other dangerous criminals,"
The End.
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Kilnorc: Okay, first off, hope that was a good epilogue and it had a good ending. I wanted to explain why Kirsty's bounty went up, but I wasn't sure how, so i did the best I could.
Before I officially end this story, let me say that it's been a long road, and I've had a lot of fun writing this. As I've written this story, I've gotten new friends and fans, who have supported me nonstop. I dedicate this fic to my friends, whose OC's make up Axe's crew, some of the bad guys, and some of the annoying people you see here and there, LOL.
But, I'm not done with One Piece just yet! I got a new arc in mind, but before I make that, I'm doing a fanfic on the Dead End Race! WOOT! That's gonna be a blast, so watch for it, ya'll! PEACE OUT!
