AN: I am so sorry that this is late! My Beta was really busy and I don't like updating without having the chapter checked first. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/faved/followed and thank you to my three guest reviewers, I really appreciate hearing from you. Also...

WARNING: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED ONLY HAS TWO CHAPTERS REMAINING AFTER THIS ONE!


"Do you have any idea what you've done to my poor heart? I swear I was so close to having a heart attack that they wouldn't have needed to execute me!"

"Shishi. Sorry, Ace. I promise I won't do it again."

"Good. You had better not."

"...As long as you promise not to get caught again."

Ace shot Luffy an exasperated look.

"I think the current circumstances dictate that I best leave that promise until after we vacate Marineford."

Luffy's grin grew larger at Ace's choice of words. On the occasions that he did manage to use 'big' words, he sounded so much like Sabo. It usually only occurred when he was stressed and often he didn't even realise he was doing it.

"Shishi okay, but I get to leave my promise until we get out of here too."

"What?! No! That wasn't the deal!"

The conversation halted as Ace and Luffy pushed through another line of marines trying to prevent them from leaving.

So far, the defences had been all but flattened by the pair.

It was a feat that many of the Whitebeard Pirate's wouldn't have believed if they hadn't been keeping a keen eye on the pair themselves.

Their understanding of each other's strengths and weak spots revealed the years that the siblings had been fighting side by side.

Only a few perceptive Whitebeard Commanders and Whitebeard himself could see the miniscule holes that seemingly required the eldest sibling to fill.

The pair paused slightly, both catching their breath as the marines continued to swarm after them like a horde of angry wasps (although, if Ace was given the choice between being chased by giant wasps and marines, he'd probably choose the wasps, much less annoying).

Two marines recklessly charged towards the pair, their swords already pulled back ready to strike.

A split second before the blades connected, Luffy found herself pushed down into a squat as Ace balanced himself with one hand on her head.

The two blades sailed through him as he gave the marines a sinister smile.

"That's my baby sister you were about to hit."

Terrified looks overtook the marine's faces as a burst of flames rendered them unconscious.

Ace's face shadowed, making him appear more frightening to the remaining marines.

"No one touches my sister. Got it?"

Luffy watched her brother's antics with amusement as they continued forward.

Normally she would have scolded him for being too over protective, or stealing her fun, but the feelings of relief that he was still breathing and by her side left her reluctant to correct his behaviour.

Her musings were interrupted as Whitebeard's booming voice carried over the battlefield.

"Guarara, you didn't think I'd played all my cards did you Sengoku?"

With those words, a final ship surfaced in the bay bringing a fresh wave of pirate's ready to aid their brother's back onto the ships.

Sengoku's eyebrow twitched.

Garp was not helping his frustrations, as he stood by his side, almost unable to contain the laughter that threatened to leave his lips.

Whitebeard had certainly duped them.


Ace's eyes were trained on Whitebeard. His hand receiving a tug from Luffy's as she laced her fingers through his own.

"Ace, come on! We have to go!"

"I know Luffy, I'll be there soon. You go ahead, I'll catch up."

Ace started pulling his hand away from the smaller one that had been entwined with his own.

He wouldn't leave Pop's behind.

Luffy was having none of Ace's nonsense as she gripped his hand tighter.

She just got him back.

She wasn't going to let him go.

Not so soon.

"No. I leave when you leave. There's no way you could catch up to me."

Ivan almost screeched at the sight of the two staring each other down in the middle of the battlefield.

Being further behind the sibling duo, Ivan changed his course slightly to flank their left side.

"Strawhat-chan, why have you stopped? Keep running!"

Luffy nodded, agreeing that they had to go but otherwise didn't move.

If Ace went to assist the Old Man, Luffy would be going with him.

Ace licked his lips, caught between his need to protect his only sister and to return to Whitebeard's side.

As if sensing his Grandson's inner turmoil, Whitebeard, took a few steps back towards the Moby Dick.

Whitebeard would die for any one of his sons if he had to, but death wasn't what his sons needed.

No, for his sons, Whitebeard would live.

Moving closer towards the Moby Dick, that remained bobbing gently as it harboured its precious cargo, Whitebeard released a hearty chuckle.

"Enjoying the free air Ace?"

Ace smirked and nodded before he returned Luffy's strangle hold on his hand.

Pulling them forward, they continued towards the boats, Jinbei and Ivan running on opposite sides of the siblings in an effort to shelter them from more of the incoming attacks.

Luffy grinned as the distance to the boats finally started to look attainable.

"Pirates are all the same. Scum. They are nothing but cowards, fleeing as soon as the can."

Ace skidded to a stop, the blood and sweat coating their entangled hands caused Luffy to lose her grip.

Managing to bring herself to a halt a few meters away, Luffy was not at all pleased with the how far she had been separated from Ace.

Meanwhile, the Second Division Commander had a fire in his eyes that had nothing to do with his devil fruit power as he turned back to face Akainu.

"What did you say?"

Unable to stop, Ivan and Jinbei continued pushing forward, taking out as many marines as they could.

Ivan attention had also split away from the pair as he sought to recall his 'candies' from the far reaching ends of the battlefield.

The ex-War Lord and Okama King, having flanked Luffy for most of the battle, now left her hovering on her own.

Luffy bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to keep her legs moving, in an attempt to stem the build up of lactic acid in her muscles.

The subtle movements proved to be insufficient as Luffy's hands flew to her left calf, the muscles seizing in an excruciating cramp. A nasty side effect that came with pumping her blood around her body faster than it should.

The Marines, taking advantage of her grounded position began encroaching on her from behind and both sides.

Luffy felt a genuine fear grip at her as she watched Ace and Akainu shout at each other only metres in front of her.

'What is Ace doing?'


Sabo's eyes widened.

'What is the idiot doing?'

Crashing through lines of Marines, Sabo charged towards his younger siblings.

He was going to kill Ace himself if the idiot didn't turn around, grab Luffy and run NOW!


Still down on her knees, Luffy's gaze became transfixed on the ground beneath her, desperately grasping at her consciousness.

Splotches of colour danced in and out of her vision as she tried to ease the growing pressure on her leg.

The surrounding marines raised their rifles ready to condemn Luffy's fate to death.

"Ready!"

Despite the noise that roared around her and the constant throbbing in her head, Luffy became distracted by a small piece of paper sliding forward.

Shaky fingers extended themselves to sweep the paper off the ground.

"Take aim!"

'Ace's vivre card.'

The paper wriggled along her palm before the edges began to burn rapidly.

Despite her body's protest, Luffy's head snapped up to see a molten fist flying towards Ace.

"FIRE!"

"NO!"

With energy she didn't know she still possessed, Luffy lunged for her brother. The marines that she had left behind collapsed from taking 'friendly fire'.

Dust flying into the air, the pair tumbled out of the path of the irate Admiral.

Ace's head throbbed from connecting harshly with the ground as Luffy lay protectively over him, her eyes shut.

"Luffy?"

...

...

...

"Luffy?"

Ace sat up slowly, his sister's body limp against his own.

Blood crept down the sides of her mouth and dripped off her chin, the sound echoing in his ears like a tap that hadn't been properly turned off.

Ace's breaths became short and sharp, his chest heaving, desperately trying to take in the air his body needed whilst his mind became eerily blank.

Shaking Luffy's shoulders slightly, Ace didn't get the response he was craving, as her neck slumped further towards the ground.

"No."

His knuckles whitened as he gripped Luffy tighter.

He shook her a second time, stronger then he had before.

"No. Luffy? Wake up... Luffy?"

Bile rose up his throat as he felt like emptying the minimal contents of his stomach.

His mind completely shut down.

His body acted on instinct, pulling Luffy closer to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her warm body.

Ace's blood ran cold.