"Your Majesty, what are your orders? We can't last much longer against these numbers!" A guard cried, running up to his king. A circle of enemy bodies lay around him, as if proving his skill. Proof of why he was highly respected and loved by his people.
Jaguar D. Dragon looked around at the guard even as his sword cut another one down, before glancing at the once beautiful and shining city. He sighed unhappily. His armies had far superior fighters, however, the World Alliance had superior numbers. Even the strongest of fighters will eventually fall under a continuous onslaught.
The years of fighting had already been taking its toll even before this day.
"Spread the word, I'm initiating Plan D." The King said. He would save as many of his people as he could, it was just a good thing that the non-fighters (the children and mother's) had been evacuated from the city the week before with a small elite guard unit to help protect them. "Start the retreat slowly, I'll do what I can to buy time and make them think they've won." Determination glinted in his eyes.
The whole plan hinged on the Alliance thinking they had been scattered to the wind, with their spirits crushed. It was why they had slowly been sending out less and less troops over the past year, and why the weapons sent with those soldiers were more and more 'battered' looking. Not that sending less troops resulted in any kind of decline in the quality of success the army prided themselves in.
"But, Sir!" The guard protested, not wanting to leave the king behind.
"You have my orders, soldier! My son will lead well, tell my wife that I love her very much. Now go! Sound the retreat!" The King demanded, shoving him in one of his General's direction.
Monkey D. Sal had tears in his eyes, but he followed his kings final orders and alerted the army leaders that Plan D was in effect, and that the King would buy them time to retreat. Many soldiers had to be dragged away, fighting to go back and help their king, but the Generals had their orders and wanted to honor the Kings wishes. No matter how much they wanted to go back and keep fighting themselves.
Before their ships sank beneath the waves to travel underwater, they all watched tearfully as the fighting on their home island stopped, and cheers of victory started to sound.
Later, once the subdued kingdom's soldiers reached the new island they'd been scouting out and secretly supplying during the last years of the war, he fulfilled the King's final request when the Prince summoned him to his tent, and he told him what exactly his fathers final words were. His actions in following orders and honoring the King's memory earned his family a place in the King's Guard once the Kingdom was rebuilt.
Over the following years, they quietly rebuilt their homes and their towns on their new island, and celebrated when the fields yielded the first crop, and celebrated that they survived. That they were still as strong as ever.
During this time, the former Prince and now King, ordered massive stone tablets to be built, and the ancient writing of their people to be carved into their surface. They were to record the True History of what happened to them, while a select four would lead to where they had hidden their treasures. These tablets, Poneglyph's, would be scattered throughout the world in secret, as a last testament to their great civilization should anything happen to them or their extensive archives.
Only one who was truly worthy would be able to read them and follow them.
During this time, they watched as the Alliance claimed what was once theirs, and took over the world. They watched as the Alliance celebrated their victory and the utter destruction of the Kingdom.
They would learn. Perhaps not tomorrow, perhaps not even for several centuries. But they would learn.
The Will of D was not so easily crushed.