I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.
The Starvation Hell
/Impel Down – Level Three Starvation Hell/
Luffy, Buggy and Mister Three gaped at the sight before them. Having just landed in Level Three, the trio were stunned to see an area covered in naught but sand and ruined buildings that seemed like they had once been cell blocks.
"The hell …"
"Fou," the small fox-like creature panted as he motioned for Luffy to pick him back up. "Fofou!"
Holy shit, the ground is so hot it almost fried Fou's feet," Luffy muttered as he let the fox-like creature hop up onto his shoulder. "Its like we're standing inside of a giant frying pan!"
"That wouldn't exactly be an incorrect analogy, Straw Hat," Three replied as he tried to create a wax construct with his Devil Fruit powers only for it to instantly melt due to the searing heat. "The heat in this place is actually the by-product of Level Four."
"Wow, Level Four must be insane!"
"Level Three houses all the prisoners with bounties over fifty million Berries or those found to possess Devil Fruit abilities or other skills that make housing them up on the higher floors impossible. This floor is designed to drain them of strength leaving them just barely clinging onto life, much like being trapped in the middle of the desert with no hope of rescue."
"Then we should get the hell out of here while we still have sweat in our bodies," Buggy panted as the trio started walking toward some of the nearby buildings. "Any idea on which way we should go?"
"Fou!"
"Fou says we need to head to that massive spire over there," Luffy replied as both Three and Buggy looked at him sceptically.
"And how does that fox thing know the way?"
"Hey, this little guy is with my friend Natsu so if he thinks that's the way we should go then I'm a hundred percent behind that idea!"
"Who?"
"Oh yeah," Luffy laughed as he scratched his head. "You guys probably don't know him, do you?"
"Nope."
"Never heard of him."
"Well, its kind of hard to explain in a way you guys will believe but basically Natsu is kind of like Shanks-."
"SHANKS," Buggy shouted comically as his entire body seemed to fall apart on the spot before reforming. "The hell are you bringing HIM up for!?"
"Oh, well Natsu and Shanks are pretty similar so-."
"You mean you've got a friend who is on par with the Four Emperors," Three gasped in shock. "There's no way, not even with your luck!"
"Believe what you want but Fou is with him and its thanks to Natsu I was even able to break in here."
"Wait," Buggy said slowly as plans began to formulate within his mind. "Is he here in the prison too?"
"Yeah, he's pretending that he was defeated by Hancock and waiting until they take him down to whatever Level Ace is on before busting back out."
"Now you just mentioned that the Pirate Empress is in on this," Three exclaimed as he grabbed onto Luffy's vest and began to shake him violently. "How the hell are you so lucky!?"
"I dunno," Luffy grinned as Three continued to shake him. "I just do what I feel like and things just kinda work out!"
"Its not fair," Three sobbed, letting go of Luffy as he dropped to the ground. "Why can't I ever have luck like that!?"
"Because Pirates don't deserve it," a new voice called out, putting all three of them on guard. "Especially not ones villainous enough to try taking over a country!"
"Oi, whose there," Luffy snapped as all three entered defensive stances.
"You three should count yourselves lucky I caught you here on Level Three, the Jailer Beasts of Level Four are most unkind to troublemakers!"
The three had to squint to see a short looking imp-like man standing atop one of the crumbling towers. The man had a small pitchfork and wore a white uniform with skulls on it complete with a rather large hat that also bore the same skull. The man also had bat-like wings that flapped every few seconds in what appeared to be a natural reflex.
One Of The Commanding Officers Of The Prison
Chief Guard Of The Blugori
Saldeath
Behind Saldeath, the trio noticed that there were dozens of Blugori and guards, all armed to the teeth with swords and basic rifles. The Blugori gorillas were dual wielding battle axes and were notably twice as large as the ones Luffy and Buggy had fought on Level One.
"I don't know how you managed to sneak into this place Straw Hat Luffy but your little crusade ends here," Saldeath snapped as he twirled his little pitchfork around. "Once I have dealt with you, you'll be going straight down to Level Five!"
"As if I'm gonna lose," Luffy snapped back as he clenched his fists. "I'm not stopping till I've saved Ace!"
"No one ever said I had to bring you in unharmed," Saldeath smirked as he twirled his pitchfork again, bringing the top end of it to his lips as a melody began to escape the three prongs at the front.
"The hell is that, a musical pitchfork!?"
The Blugori seemed to respond to the music as they charged down toward the trio, Luffy quickly entering Gear Second and preparing an attack.
"Gum Gum: Jet Gatling!"
Laying into the Blugori, Luffy found them to be only marginally tougher than the ones on the First Floor. Grinning, he kept up his attack as he tore through their rank, not noticing the shared look between Buggy and Mister Three.
After dispatching the last Blugori, Luffy turned around to say something to Buggy and Three only to find them gone. Looking around, he noticed the pair standing up on top of one of the ruined buildings with amused grins on their faces.
"Oi, where are you two going?"
"Going? We're going where we always intended to Straw Hat," Buggy laughed as Luffy quickly looked back to see the guards had begun rushing toward his position. "We're getting the hell out of here!"
"Yeah, you were just the bait we needed," Three added with a sinister smirk.
"Oh … Well, thanks for helping me get this far," Luffy grinned before turning around and moving to lay into the Impel Down Guards rushing his position, leaving Buggy and Three stunned in disbelief.
"Seriously …"
"That kid, he's way too nice for a Pirate!"
/?/
It's so cold.
So hot!
I've been bitten again today …
I coughed up some blood today, but just a little.
I wonder if they'll feed me today?
I haven't seen any of the guards for a few days now …
I haven't eaten in over a week, my whole body feels weak.
…
…
…
The guards returned today; they beat me.
…
…
…
Please …
…
…
…
I killed them all.
/? – Natsu's POV/
"What the hell," Natsu murmured as he looked around at his surroundings. "Where the hell am I? You have any clue where this is, Ahnk?"
…
…
…
"Ahnk?"
…
…
…
"Ahnk," Natsu asked in a slightly concerned tone as he pressed deeper into his mindscape. "Ahnk, Aava!?"
…
…
…
"What is this-!?"
A loud crashing sound had Natsu rising from the bed he'd found himself in, quickly scanning his surrounding before promptly realizing that something had most certainly gone wrong. He knew for a fact that Impel Down was a Prison that descended into the ocean depths …
"What …"
Walking over to the window of his cell, he watched as a thunderstorm raged outside, the prison he was housed in situated on a small island. Impel Down was an artificial construct which meant that he most certainly wasn't there.
So where was he?
Natsu turned around and went to shatter the bars to his cell door, only to find that his powers didn't work at all. Now completely confused, he tried again only to fail a second time and producing so much as a flicker of power.
"What is going on here!?"
Another crashing sound could be heard, this time it was several metres beyond the small part of the hallway he could see from his cell. Just as he was about to try and force his head through the bars to see a little bit more, a guard appeared holding a wooden spiked club.
"Hey, what the hell is this," Natsu snapped as the guard looked over in his direction. "What's this place!?"
The guard didn't reply, instead simply unlocking the door, pushing Natsu back and lifted his club. Moving instinctively to fry the man who was clearly about to attack him, Natsu remembered too late that he couldn't use his powers as the spiked club struck him in the arm.
The guard promptly beat him, ripping his meagre clothing and bludgeoning his flesh until he was left lying on the ground, bleeding profusely as he curled up into a tight ball. Only then did he hear the guard utter the first sound he'd made since his arrival.
He laughed.
Natsu felt nothing but a deep burning rage as the guard exited his cell, locking the door once again. The man refused to speak with him, denying him any answers as to where he'd ended up and was instead brutally beaten.
What was this place? Why was he here? Why did the guard act like that toward him? These were all questions that ran through his mind as he dragged himself back to the small bed in his cell. Pulling himself up onto it, he quickly found himself passing out from his injuries, not even noticing that his healing factor also didn't seem to be working here.
/?/
They thought me cowed within these walls, they couldn't have been more wrong.
I was weak when I arrived, a foolish dreamer who knew little of true suffering.
…
…
…
The mad priest brought me hope where naught but despair once lay, though he did not survive long enough to see our plotted escape from this wretched place.
…
…
…
I will find it, find the fabled treasure 'He' spoke of with his dying breath, and use it to exact my revenge!
None shall be spared for those who dared to betray me are less than vermin, even lower!
But patience will be the key to success, escape is the first priority.
…
…
…
Just a few more days until the new beginning.
? – Natsu's POV/
"Another dream about that man," Natsu muttered as he slowly rose from the small bed in his cell. "Something about him is clearly off."
Rising from his bed, he walked over to the bars of his window and looked out at the dimly light night sky. The most important thing he'd come to realize over his short time in this place was that the dreams were somehow connected to his being here.
Whoever the man who desired vengeance was, he had once been housed in this very same cell.
"But there are noticeable differences," he mused as he turned and walked toward the wall opposite his bed, kneeling down and placing a gentle hand upon the aged stone. "The Priest who had also been digging for his freedom, I have not heard so much as a scratch. The 'Abbe' as the man called him, he was trying to free himself from this place as well, so why haven't I heard anything yet?"
He narrowed his eyes on a single spot of the wall and seemed to suddenly space out, the spot seeming to take him back into one of the memories he'd witnessed momentarily. Blinking, he was surprised to find himself now across the room looking at the man he'd been having dreams about as he chipped away at the wall.
"What …?"
"So, finally decided to sleep, have we?"
Looking around, Natsu tried to find the source of the voice but failed. This earned him what he assumed was mocking laughter as the shadows in the room seemed to grow larger.
"Its rather strange seeing one such as you struggle to deduce your current location," the voice laughed as the man chipping away at the wall finally broke through the wall which should have housed the 'Abbe' only for it to literally be a black void.
The man walked through, seemingly unaware of the void he'd just entered which had the gears in Natsu's mind turning at a rapid pace.
"This isn't real … None of this is real, is it?"
"Welcome to a tragic past, ***** Of Equilibrium. To be more precise, this is MY past, my infinite Hell!"
Natsu was shocked as a pale skinned version of the same man emerged from the black void now clothed in a dark green formal suit with a matching cloak and a green brimmed hat. The man's eyes glowed bright orange as a monstrous amount of power poured from his grinning form, displaying razor sharp teeth as black lightning struck the walls around the cell as if feeling out the place for the man.
"I assume you're going to explain why you've brought me here and had me beaten for weeks on end?"
"I plan to, but first we must discuss a few things," the man grinned as he suddenly seemed to revert from a monstrous looking Demon to the man he'd seen earlier, still retaining the same paleness and clothing, making him appear rather civilised. "To start, I require a promise from you before I shall go further."
"A promise," Natsu asked suspiciously which prompted the man to chuckle darkly as he held out a gloved hand and snapped his fingers. "What-!?"
Natsu suddenly found himself back in his regular clothes, his powers fully returned and the pair now standing on a cliffside overlooking what appeared to be a luxurious mansion.
"I don't think its something you'd disagree with," the man continued as if he hadn't done anything at all. "In fact, given the fact that I was one of the first Servants the future version of yourself called forth to Chaldea I daresay you would be most agreeable."
"How do you come to that conclusion?"
"I have known you for a long time, quite a long time. We both know I cannot say much, though I don't believe that will be an issue for much longer, given what the Chaldea you and the Servants have discussed at length."
"What's that supposed to mean, there's no way I can learn of the future," Natsu snapped as he rounded on the man. "If you know the future me, he would have undoubtedly stressed the importance of Time-!"
"You will soon come to realize the truth," the man replied with a toothy grin as his eyes flashed bright orange briefly. "Tim will show you the truth, all in good … Time."
"Tim …"
"What I want," the man cut in, forcing the subject back quickly before Natsu could even ask a question. "I want this prison to fall."
"To fall? That shouldn't be too hard-."
"You misunderstand my words," the man replied with a shake of his head as he motioned toward the small mansion down below as the sounds of screaming rang out into the night, followed by multiple gunshots as the place erupted into a panic. "I want it to fall to chaos, to remain operational but in shambles. I want its reputation ruined, but its ability to house inmates left intact!"
"Who are you," Natsu asked in disbelief as the man chuckled quietly, taking several steps away from the cliff.
"Me? I go by many titles, most of them holding far more meaning than they'll ever truly be worth."
A Man Shrouded In Myth And Fantasy
A Being Built Only To Rage
The Man Of Tragic Betrayal
Avenger Of Monte Cristo
Bounty – 1,445,275,000 Berries
"Not going to give me your real name, huh?"
"Heh, I forgot that although the you I know has spent much time in the reality I'm from, you haven't. Most people would hear Monte Cristo and know exactly who I am," Avenger grinned prompting Natsu to shake his head. "Though I'll let you figure out my identity for yourself I think."
"So, let me get this straight. In order for you to let me out of whatever this mind game is, I have to agree to ruin this place in the eyes of the world?"
"Not just that," Avenger replied as he spun around to face Natsu once again. "There are innocents housed here who deserve to be free. The Warlord Jimbei and the one who is an Officer in the Revolutionary Army and his forces who have hidden themselves away deserve their freedom."
"I figured there'd be innocents locked up here," Natsu sighed as he took a step forward to Avenger and held out his hand. "I came here to free an innocent to begin with, so I'll agree with your terms, Avenger."
"Good," the Servant grinned as he took Natsu's hand and shook it, the entire memory beginning to twist and distort.
"Just one question though Avenger," Natsu called out as the man began to fade along with everything else. "Why did you have me witness all that stuff in the prison!?"
Avenger simply grinned and faded away, leaving Natsu entirely confused as to the man's true motives. Though he was now determined to free all the innocents held captive here, he still wasn't sure he could trust the man.
But he had little choice for the moment, he had found himself stuck within whatever mental power the man had used and was at his mercy. He would do as the man asked, regardless of how much sense any of it all made.
He only hoped it wouldn't backfire on him in the end …
/Impel Down – Level Three Starvation Hell/
"Damn it, there's so many," Luffy growled as he smashed through another group of guards, starting to feel a slight strain from the intense heat generated on the floor below. "Just how many of these bastards are there!?"
Skidding to a stop near a half-ruined set of cells, Luffy took a moment to catch his breath but was interrupted by a familiar roaring sound. Looking out toward the desert-like area to his right, Luffy was shocked to see the Guardian Sphinx of Level Two stumbling toward his position.
"How the hell did that thing survive a fall like that!?"
Truthfully, the Sphinx had actually taken a rather considerable amount of damage from the drop between Levels Two and Three. The Sphinx wasn't running but rather hobbling toward Luffy, favouring its right side which meant it likely fell on its side upon landing.
In addition, the Sphinx was clearly losing blood and was undoubtedly also being fatigued heavily by the immense heat from below. All things considered; the beast was now FAR weaker than it had been in their last encounter.
"Fine, you still want a piece of me," Luffy snapped as he crouched down and entered Gear Second. "Bring it on!"
"Oi, Luffy!"
Luffy's head snapped toward the ruined buildings and was shocked to see Zoro standing on the rooftop flailing his arms about. He was wearing the standard prisoners clothing which meant he'd been captured sometime after they split up.
"Zoro! No way, how the hell are you here!?"
"Just kidding," Zoro said as he placed his right palm against his face, switching into someone else entirely in a move that had Luffy completely stunned.
"What the-!?"
"I must say Straw Hat I'm surprised to see you here," the man grinned as he leapt off of the roof in what could only be described in a manner fitting a ballet dancer's leap. "Then again, once I heard why you'd come down here, I just knew that I couldn't sit idly by!"
The man landed gracefully several metres away as Luffy struggled to recompose himself from his earlier shock. A few quick tail slaps from Fou however and he was good to go.
"Y-you're that Swan looking guy from Baroque Works, Mister Two!"
Former Agent Of Baroque Works
Prisoner Of Impel Down
Clone Clone Fruit User
Mister Two (Bentham/Bon Clay)
Bounty – 32,000,000 Berries
"Oh my, you remember me," Two replied, seemingly overjoyed as he skipped the rest of the distance between the pair and took Luffy's hands into his own, much to the Straw Hat Captain's surprise and confusion.
"Er …?"
"You came here to save someone close to you, didn't you!? There's no way I can just sit this out! My pride as an Okama demands that I help you!"
"But weren't you my enemy?"
"What? You mean that stuff back in Alabasta," Two asked, prompting Luffy to nod quickly. "Honestly, after fighting Black Leg Sanji, I couldn't help but be impressed by all of you, all of us were. I heard from the others on the way here how hard you all fought to save Alabasta for Princess Vivi and I thought to myself, those guys truly are the kind of Pirates I always aspired to be! The kind that would go out of their way to fight for their friends above anything else!"
Luffy didn't really seem too sure as to what he was meant to do with this newfound information however the roar of the Guardian Sphinx reminded both of them that they were still in a hostile situation.
"Ah shit-!"
"Don't worry Straw Hat, my Okama Kenpo will make quick work of this," Two cried and he spun around rapidly on the spot, his spinning eventually propelling him upward where he suddenly yet gracefully turned it into a diving kick.
"Feel the wrath of my OKAMA WAAAAAY!"
Luffy just gaped at the man as he kicked the Sphinx in the face with enough force to actually knock it over. He remembered Sanji describing his fight with Mister Two as interesting, since the man was skilled with kicks like he was, but this went far beyond a level of power the Baroque Works Officers held during the Alabasta incident.
The Sphinx howled in pain as it fell onto its injured side, prompting Luffy to once again snap out of his shock and charge the downed beast. Cocking back his right fist, he struck it in the forehead with a Jet Pistol which seemed to knock it out.
Or at least he hoped it did, it seemed to twitch occasionally.
"HOORAY! Another victory for friendship," Two cheered as Luffy exited Gear Second. "You've gotten quite fast since we last met, stronger too!"
"S-so have you," Luffy laughed, still trying to process Two's presence and strength as Fou started licking his face. "Wh-what!?"
"FOU," the little fox-like creature panted, deflating on Luffy's shoulder with his fur now looking more like a mop than actual hair.
"Shit, you're not looking too good! Listen, it was nice meeting up with you down here and all, but I've gotta get down lower and find Ace so-!"
"Listen Straw Hat, I want to go with you down to Level Five," Two replied, cutting Luffy off before he had a chance to finish. "If we go together, we stand a way better chance of reaching the place alive!"
"Hold on, why do YOU wanna go down there!? Three and Buggy wanted to get the hell out of here as fast as possible!?"
"It's a really long story, but basically there's someone who is down there that I HAVE to meet!"
"Who?"
"Who? Why, the Queen of ALL OKAMAS," Two replied reverently as he leapt up onto a nearby rock and performed a perfect arched twirl, spinning around on the spot like it was going out of style. "I've got to get down there and find them, it's my DESTINY!"
"W-well …"
"Please let me come with you Straw Hat, I owe you for Alabasta anyway!?"
"I guess that's true," Luffy nodded slowly. "Do you know much about this prison?"
"Of course I do, its how I found you so quickly! Though I can't navigate the floors aside from this one, I've heard plenty about this place from all the guards and other prisoners!"
"Well, guess that settles it," Luffy grinned as he held his hand out. "Glad to have you on board, Two!"
"OI!"
"Wh-what!?"
"No more of this TWO crap," the man growled, coming to a sudden stop. "If we're going to embark on an adventure like this then we've gotta be friends! Call me Bon Clay!"
"Uh … I guess I can do that, Bon."
Bon Clay seemed shocked as Luffy continued to hold his hand out, the same goofy smile on his face as his mind raced a thousand miles a second.
"B-B-Bon! The shortening of a name, the ultimate form of friendship and camaraderie!"
Taking Luffy's grasp faster than his eyes could track, he shook said hand vigorously. Luffy simply laughed as he was lifted up off of the ground by the shake however the two were interrupted by the arrival of another Blugori squad.
"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY FRIENDSHIP SHAKE," Bon Clay roared as he started spinning around on one foot whilst kicking the absolute crap out of all the Blugori. "THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT EXERCISE THAT MUST NEVER BE INTERRUPTED!"
"Uh, Bon," Luffy called out as he pointed behind the man. "We should probably get going."
Spinning around, the man saw the horde of guards charging in their direction and quickly nodded in agreement. The two started booking it toward the nearby spire with Fou simply draping himself on top of Luffy's head, making it appear like he had a mop of soggy white hair rather than his usual shaggy black.
"OI, I CAN'T SEE!"
"Fou …"
"We're almost to the exit, Level Four is just down the stairs," Bon Clay cried as the pair quickly reached it right as the guards started to catch up.
"Shit! What should we do!?"
"Radio back to Saldeath, we'll let the Jailer Beasts rip em apart!"
The guards seemed to grumble in agreement as they set up around the entrance to Level Four in case Luffy or anyone else tried to escape from that level.
/Impel Down – Boa's POV/
"We're here," Magellan said as he motioned toward a darkened cell. "I'll give you five minutes, but not a second more! Being down here is already risky enough as it is!"
"I understand," Boa nodded in understanding as she slowly walked toward the cell.
Pushing the now unlocked cell door open, she walked inside and was genuinely surprised to see one of her fellow Warlords in there as well. Said Warlord seemed to take a moment to recognize her but was rather quick to anger as he pulled against his chains to no avail.
"YOU! YOU'RE THE PIRATE EMPRESS! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU SIDE WITH THE WORLD GOVERNMENT," Jimbei roared as the prisoners in the surrounding cells suddenly started grunting and groaning rather audibly.
Boa sneered, not at Jimbei, but at the disgusting comments the other inmates were making regarding her. Many of them appeared to have been in here a long time and started smashing into their cell doors in an attempt to get at her however Magellan seemed rather angered by this as his form began to darken.
"I will not tolerate … such DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOUR IN MY PRISON!"
The prisoners cried out in fear as Magellan's form grew larger as three Dragon-like figures rose out of his body. Magellan sent the figures throughout the area, flooding the cells full of a purple substance which quickly had the prisoners screaming in either pain or fear at being next.
Boa for the most part ignored the goings on outside and moved toward Ace, who eyed her suspiciously. Kneeling downward, she spoke.
"Your Brother has come to rescue you alongside a powerful ally, Portgas D Ace."
And just like that, she rose back to her full height and stared down at the shocked man. Looking at him, she could see why Natsu wanted to save him. He clearly was similar to both himself and Luffy, not leering at her like most other men would.
But she wouldn't show weakness, not here.
"Wh-what!? Is that true, what you just said-!?"
"That is for you to decide, Ace," Boa replied before abruptly turning around and walking back to the now reverted form of Magellan. "I have done what I came here to do, I wish to leave immediately."
"Of course, probably a good idea," Magellan agreed as he motioned for the cell to be locked as the group made their way back toward the elevator they had used earlier.
Hopping back onto the elevator, the group was about to proceed when a Den Den Mushi started going off. Everyone looked toward Magellan who simply frowned and pulled one out of his pocket.
"This is Magellan, what is the situation?"
…
…
…
"I see. Tell Saldeath that I'll handle it personally," the Chief Warden replied before promptly hanging up and moving off of the elevator. "I must apologize for abandoning you here, Boa Hancock, however a situation has suddenly arisen that requires my attention. I'll leave you in the capable hands of Domino for the remainder of your time here. Hannyabal, with me!"
"O-of course," the Vice Warden stuttered as he quickly moved to join the rapidly retreating figure of Magellan.
Boa frowned as the elevator doors closed, leaving her alone with Penth and Domino as they made the slow ride back up to the surface. All the while, her thoughts lay with Natsu and Luffy, hoping that Magellan wasn't going to cause them any problems in their plans.
However, she knew that the emergency Magellan was leaving for was likely Luffy and that worried her. If Luffy got captured or killed by Magellan, Natsu would likely rampage and draw the full might of the military down upon him, being this close to the Headquarters of the Armed Forces.
But she would endure it, since they had essentially secured the safety of her own people. She would keep telling herself that until she knew they were safe, it was all she could do.
/Marineford – Same Time/
"You do realize how this affects things, don't you?"
"Of course I do, the movements of that man always coincide with trouble!"
"Come on, Garp, he's not one to move without reason," a blonde-haired man sighed as he leant back in his seat. "From everything I've been able to read up on him and from what you've told me, Red Hair doesn't do things for no reason."
"I know, but can't you see the real issue here, Caster? The issue I'm looking at is that Red Hair IS on the move! Why is he moving, that's the biggest issue and we can't do shit about it!"
"I know I haven't been here more than a few weeks at most, but I think you're overreacting just a little bit about this, Master. Think about it, Red Hair always has a purpose when he makes bold moves so that in of itself is enough for Sengoku, Rider and Archer to come up with an effective counter. Throw in Tiberius Squad and we've got a pretty hard counter to whatever Whitebeard or Red Hair can throw at us."
"Heh, you wouldn't be saying that if you came from this world Caster," Garp grinned as he spun around in his chair to look out the window. "Newgate will likely tear apart the majority of our forces, his strength is legendary for a reason. He might be old, but his power hasn't waned, despite his health being as bad as it is. If push comes to shove, we'll see the worst war on record since the end of the Void Century itself."
"Hmm. I must admit, the prospect of all this needless violence doesn't sit well with me when we could simply give Ace back to Whitebeard in exchange for something, but I'm also well aware of what the Celestial Dragons want …"
"Yeah, them," Garp grunted in acknowledgement. "They can say what they want but this war will be felt the world over, so much so that they'll literally FEEL it. You can quote me on that."
"Over a drink," Caster asked with a raised eyebrow which earned him a cheeky grin in reply.
"I know you get to see my memories when we're asleep and all, but you read my mind Caster," Garp grinned as he opened up one of his desk draws and quickly pulled out two mugs and a small barrel of mead.
"To not dying!"
"To not dying," Garp repeated as they both downed their mugs right as Sengoku walked in.
"GARP!"
"What!?"
"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT DRINKING RIGHT BEFORE A PIVOTAL BATTLE!?"
"Come on Sengoku, just one for the nerves-!?"
"DAMN IT GARP-!"
Does this mean I can't drink either," Caster asked innocently which prompted Sengoku to round on the man with a scowl.
"If you weren't vital to the war, I'd beat you personally for that!"
"Oho! I didn't hear a no in there-!"
"DON'T PUSH IT WITH ME CASTER, I DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR YOUR GAMES," Sengoku roared before quickly readjusting his hat in an attempt to look more professional. "Anyway, you both need to come with me for the final briefing. We don't have long since the ship to retrieve Ace was just dispatched."
"I see," Garp replied in a much more serious tone. "We'd better get a move on then, eh Caster?"
"Indeed. I'm most curious to finally see the full scope of what we're working with rather than simply hearing projections about it."
"Well, let's just hope what we've got is enough and leave it at that," Sengoku sighed tiredly as the three exited the room and made their way down the busy corridor. "Remember Caster, even you will need to enter the fray if things get too bad down on the ground, so take this next meeting seriously."
"Oh, don't worry Sengoku, I planned on it."
Servant Of The World Government
Son Of A Great Founder
Caster Of Light
"Good, because if you weren't then I'd have to deal with Sengoku yapping on about it the entire war and that'll probably drive me to suicide."
"Heh, sure it would. A cheerful fellow such as yourself couldn't even consider the notion," Caster scoffed prompting Garp to smirk in reply.
"True. I'd probably take my frustrations out on the damn Pirates instead," the old man chuckled darkly only for the sound of Sengoku clearing his throat to snap them back into reality.
"You know I'm right here, don't you?"
"And?"
"Garp …"
"Fine, I'll be good," Garp sighed as the trio continued on their way once more. "But don't expect me to play nice with anyone if they start asking stupid questions again!"
"Fine."
Hope you guys all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!