So exited about everything that's coming jeez! Great many, many thanks to Le055Li0n, Blue Thief, midnightscar17, SupImHere, Lulumo, SakuraS41 and Lily Noir for their heartwarming reviews.
I've added a complementary ONESHOT, named Worthy of Love, to this story in case anyone wants to read it. Tell me if there's anything you'd like me to expand on that I might write on the side for this universe! I leave you the brief summary in case you want to check it out:
"Ace." His voice is breathless. "Wait there a second, let me get Pops." For a moment the uncharacteristic enthusiasm in Marco's voice is confusing, and then it strikes Ace that his family thinks he's still locked up at Impel Down.
Hope you enjoy this chapter and that you're taking good care of yourselves!
Brook is one of the first people off the boat, speeding over the bay's water and scaring some marines to death -although not the permanent kind. He ghosts through the ranks, freezing dozens of marines at a time with the breath of the underworld.
He hears more than sees Whitebeard break the fabrics of reality as the ground shakes, and he catches from the corner of his vision the way the sea recedes. He's careful to jump back to a ship to clear himself from the wave's directions -all the pirates have been briefed on the Whitebeard's captain completely nerve-wracking ability.
When Brook had been young there had been no Pirate King, no Emperors and ever since he's rejoined society he thinks that the world has become an increasingly dangerous one, inhabited by many monsters. He's heard in whispers about Whitebeard's ability. A devil fruit capable of destroying the world.
From within his ribs Soul King prepares to party and in minutes hundreds of marines are asleep, joining the ones already downed by Luffy. A good crew member always follows his captain's cues.
"Yohohoho!"
In the end, the wave Whitebeard creates doesn't hit. Before the admiral can take back his previous post Brook is upon him, jumping over the now frozen bay. He wonders if the man's ice can compete with the chill of the underworld.. He strikes, sheathing his blade right before the admiral. From behind him Brook catches a piece of ice, a part of the Admiral's head slides off and cracks against the cobblestone. The man turns to look at Brook and it's scary how his left eye and ear are completely gone and then they're ice and then they're there.
"What a creepy power, yohohoho!" Brook ducks under the admiral's ice lance, and soon they're dancing along the bay, marines and pirates rushing away as they pass.
"I don't know how I feel that it's a skeleton's opinion." Brook is a little too slow to disengage and his sword arm goes unusually stiff but it's worth it for the way ice cuts open the Admiral's arm, leaving a darkened blue gash behind that the ice isn't closing. He switches his sword to his left hand, any self-respecting musician is ambidextrous.
"Interesting." They're off again.
Sengoku is frantically moving towards the platform. He's not entirely sure how he left the platform in the first place, but by the smooth switch, he's confident Trafalgar Law is involved. A pang hits him with the reminder of Rocinante. That kid would've driven them up the wall, surely. The Warlord's -if he can be called such- actions are concerning, not even an hour in and there's betrayal already? Sengoku knows that had to be planned, he remembers clearly Luffy being one of the officers vouching for Law to become a Warlord... Is that guard helping the prisoner escaped? As he moves around the form of Luffy, Sengoku catches a glimpse of pink hair.
I believe in justice, and I think you do too.
Naturally. That menace of child, ruining a good marine!
Sengoku's pushing his way across the battlefield, immense and golden, few dare stand in his way and none of the ones who do are successful and then something strikes him in the temple. It doesn't exactly hurt, per say, but the strenght of the blow is enough to make him sway for a moment. Suddenly, the shots multiply and Sengoku cannot dodge them all and beyond that he's having a hard time advancing to the platform, being pushed back by explosives and is that plant trying to eat him?
He tries to find the shooter but no one arounds him has any kind of weapon.
From the Sunny Go's crow's nest, Ussop smiles.
Smoket sees a goddamn robot step out Luffy's ship to blast away a couple of the Pacifista's that have drifted into the field. They're older models, kept around after the test trial for them failed a few years ago. Smoker's always been of the opinion that such a bland opponent did nothing but strenghten the pirates, but he's not payed for his opinions.
The robot -which sports a fucking pompadour- is obliterating the Kuma look-alikes, oddly nimble for a piece of machinery where the Pacifistas are slow. The marine has no doubts that a certain cyborg is to be blamed. Seeing the plaza empty of such a distinctive figure, Smoker thinks Franky himself might be at the wheel. As if the battlefield hadn't had enough of his toys after his ship spat out a laser beam.
They'd always been an odd squad, with an impossibility for a captain. Smoker had been made aware of their wanted posters this week, labelled as pirates. It's the only smart move his superiors have made since they arrested Luffy. His eyes drift to the platform for a moment. Son of the Revolutionary Dragon, huh? Smoker long ago figured out Fire Fist's release has nothing to do with today's shit show.
"Are we going to engage?" Tashigi asks him, eyes fixed on the robot. Smoker's confident that if she times it right she can cut it down like butter.
"When I consider that I have gauge the enemy's battle strategy and strength sufficiently to adequately command my squad."
"So... after they free, Luffy." Smoker looks at her, annoyed.
"I don't take cues from my pirates!" He barks, but Tashigi is much too used to him and doesn't bat an eye. "...there are a lot of enemies, it'll take a while, tell the rest to only engage those who engage us." Smoker refuses to ponder on it but something in her eyes is shining, and he doesn't want to consider all the levels of soft he needs to be engaging in for Tashigi to be proud. She goes as far as saluting him.
What troublesome people.
Admiral Kizaru can't let himself be upstaged by Kuzan and he makes for Whitebeard's ship. He won't hit the old man, he's sure, but there's plenty of people to hit there. He raises a leg and aborts quickly enough to duck under a punch, the drop kick though, does not miss and the strength of the blow sends him careening back to Earth.
He strikes the ground and for a moment his body dematerializes and he is only light and then, he's standing back up. Subordinates stand shocked all around him, wisely backing away. Kizaru lays his eyes on his newfound opponent.
"Dark King Rayleigh." He drawls. "How scary."
"We didn't seem to finish our business last time." The man smiles, and if Kizaru didn't know better he'd almost think it pleasant. He'd be getting serious a lot sooner than expected.
Sanji has mixed feelings about the suit, he doesn't think he'll ever be a 100% comfortable with it but everyone needs to be at their utmost best today and that includes him too. Besides, having to ask his stupid biological parent for help had been so ugly that donning a power suit didn't even really register on his radar. Luffy had made him a marine, and now a pirate, and Sanji would become anything for the man who is willing to go to war for his dream.
Sanji still wants to find it, the All Blue, for himself, for the old man and somewhere in the last few years... for Luffy too, a reward for the unfailing faith he had on Sanji -who had turned his back on him once before.
He carefully picks out the most male-populated area of the raging battle, committed or not, Sanji's not planning on hitting any ladies. He sees Brook in the front lines crossing blows with Aokiji. A good a place to start as any. His flaming leg catches the Admiral in the side, but it barely clips him as the man is already moving away.
"Mister Sanji." Brook acknowledges, tone light, but eyes trained on the kill.
"You two were good marines." The Admiral says, seemingly just thinking out loud.
"Maybe, but you're about to execute a man who has done nothing but bring honor to that coat." Sanji wants to spit at his feet but refrains, that's too crass a behavior. "What the fuck happened to justice, huh?"
