Author's note: Yep! Still updating, nothing stops me!

But, Nami is dead...

Let me explain...

Believe it or not, it was not my intention originally to kill Nami when I began this story. I was actually going to kill off Marco - which, in hindsight, that might have done well with what's going on in Wano - along with Whitebeard.

But, it felt too...easy.

I wanted to do more with my story and these characters. And I racked my brain for different ideas. Then, a few years ago, I thought of killing Nami. Mostly as a joke...

But, the more I thought about it, the more I saw the narrative potential it had.

Nami's death fits perfectly as Ace's replacement. It not only effects Luffy, the main character of One Piece, but it does also for Mika, the main character of my story. In every way that Ace's death would do and more so.

I wanted a death that meant as much as Ace's had to us all those years ago.

Not only that but to also show how unpredictable this war - all war, really - can be. Bad things happen, and you can't always prevent them. You can lose loved ones - paraphrased from a friend, Petrus C Visagie.

I'm still an avid LuNa shipper - always and forever - but I'm also a writer.

This was also my writer's pride. I wanted the challenge and to challenge everyone. To show more than just what's happy and good. To break the mold, shift the paradigm, go where no one would. To show what can be done!

And if I go down in flames, so be it!

There is still more to come for One Piece: Destiny. And since I gave you guys such a shock, I'll level with ya and reveal...

I have one opening and four more chapters (after tomorrow's) to release!

One Piece: Destiny Season 1 ends this year at the end of the week on July 31st.

I don't know if I've lost your trust as readers but I want to continue writing this story into Season 2 and the New World. I have so much planned and I want to show you all the changing new world.

But if this is the end...so be it. As always,

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

FINALE

"Ends, Well…"

"Ah…ah…ah…"

Luffy could not handle it. His wife, his love, his crewmate; gone. There was nothing he could do anymore. No words could convey his sadness. The amount of grief was insurmountable, and it was fracturing his mind. His whole body was giving out, no longer fighting back the fatigue. He could not stop the expression forming caused by a mixture of sorrow and hopelessness.

Everyone around Luffy was horrified and sad. Sabo was in a state of disbelief. Though much the same, Ace was also nearly in tears and angry. Koala covered her mouth as her tears began following, and Bon Clay was much the same with his mascara also running. All those around them, defending them in this time, were distraught but remained strong to keep the Marines away from them.

Garp found himself in tears and incapacitated on the Marines' side as he saw the scene himself. Never did he want something like this to happen to his family. And he was absolutely helpless to even console them in their time of need.

And Mika; she was confused and scared. Her Observation Haki was still activated and had sensed everything to that point in time. Mika walked up to her mother and placed her hand on her body. It was cold.

"Ma…ma…" No response came from her mother.

Mika tried shaking her mother, worry now etched into her voice. "Is Mama okay…"

Trying – and failing – to hold back her own tears, Koala attempted to console the young girl. "Mika…"

"Why is she cold?" Mika asked, baffled. "Why did her light and voice go away…?"

She then shook her mother again. "Why isn't she waking up?" she said before her voice began to crack.

"Daddy?"

Mika looked up to her father, and fear came over her. The expression he was making – of loss, grief, despair – was nothing she had seen from him before. He was not even responding to her.

"Ace!" a shout came from Squard from the ship. "You have to hurry! The Marines aren't letting up!"

"Get going, Ace!" shouted another pirate. More soon followed.

"Run, Ace!"

"You need to get out of here, Ace!"

Despite only trying to aid him, with no serious ill will towards his family, all Ace's crewmates' and friends' shouts only made him angry. "SHUT UP!" he roared furiously.

While many pirates were shocked, Ace continued shouting in blind rage and sorrow. "MY BROTHER JUST LOST HIS WIFE! SHE JUST DIED! I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HIM!"

And then, a small voice spoke, "Died?" Ace looked back to see Mika staring at him, horrified. His anger soon dissipated and replaced dread.

"Mika…" Ace said pleadingly.

"No, no, no, no, no, no—" Mika repeated before looking back at her mother. Despite her age, she knew what that word meant. She recalled the last time she had heard that word...

When Akio's mother, Yuuka, had died.

Mika began shaking her mother, urgently trying in vain to wake her up. Tears were now falling.

Luffy was entirely despondent, too far gone in his anguish. Even though his daughter was breaking down before him, he was helpless and inept.

As he and Biri scurried over, both heard Ace's shout clearly. They both could see the woman, and they began shedding tears once they saw it was true. Akio was especially grieving as he fell to his knees. Daisuke was shocked by the boy's behavior as he watched on.

Mika's repetitiveness then changed: "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Her new word brought more tears, more desperate shaking, and far more anguish than any person could witness.

Despite his own grieving, Sabo attempted to calm the girl. "Mika…" he said as he was about to place his hand upon his niece's shoulder.

Then, Mika suddenly sounded different. "MAMA!" she roared.

From the Mika, a blast of a royal purple aura erupted rapidly. Sabo stepped back in shock. A field of violet began to cover not only the group around the girl but to the others protecting them. And the pirates out further, the Marine soldiers desperately attempting to reach their target, and then the ships along the coast. It was even propelling high into the sky, breaking apart the clouds to make a massive hole. The entire island was engulfed in this energy, and it could be seen for miles.

"What the hell is that?!"

A shout came from Eustass "Captain" Kid as his and many other pirate ships sailed towards Marineford. Every vessel belonged to one of the captains who made up the super rookies group, the "Supernovas." However, Law and his ship were missing among them. Regardless, the rest were all coming to witness the war firsthand once the video feed had turned to "children's entertainment" before turning off altogether. But now, halfway to their destination, all of them were watching on in shock and awe at the spectacle. None of them knew what it meant, but they all were enticed to continue sailing forth.

Back on Marineford, everyone was taking notice of the strange aura surrounding them. A single event that entirely stopped the chaos around them. But much more was going on aside from a hue change in the environment. There were many, both pirates and Marine soldiers, now glowing, all of them Devil Fruit users. All of them felt an intense emotion that incapacitated many. Those that had succumbed saw their powers going out of control, transforming wildly or using their abilities sporadically. Allies and comrades tried to help them but found themselves unable to do much or became hurt in the process. They had also seemed to lose their sense of self.

Among those, Bon Clay found himself changed to appear like Nami. He did not move otherwise and appeared to be in a daze.

On the other hand, every other Devil Fruit eater resisted. Those with strong willpower were able to bear the emotion flooding into their senses but were now stopped. Some of them found their abilities acting in small ways but were contained. Even legends like Whitebeard, Shiki, and Sengoku found themselves at a standstill just to withstand the emotional override. One such as Doflamingo appeared annoyed as he remained standing, yet tears fell from behind his sunglasses. Sakazuki was in a similar situation. Boa Hancock was familiar with the display, but she was not immune to the despairing feeling she was receiving even with her added preparedness. Ace, Ivankov, and Inazuma were doing their best to keep their respective powers in check but were shedding tears doing so. Marco, now freed, was the same.

The only one not affected was Luffy. He remained as despondent as before, lost in his deep despair and grief.

Mika had been crying all throughout these several seconds, but eventually, her power reached its limit. As fast as it had spread over the area, the royal purple aura receded just as quickly. Mika's crying faded as the energy faded and returned to her. Once entirely gone, the girl was silent before collapsing. She fell to where her head landed on top of her father's lap, unconscious, to which Luffy still did not notice.

Now freed from Mika's influence, everyone regained their bearings, but the event had left its mark on many. Fear soon overcame them as they explained what they felt. Not many knew what happened, but those affected most by the strange aura could describe a single feeling. "Heartache" was the term every single person used in some way. All of them knew it was not their own feeling but something someone wanted them to feel. There was also another kind of pressure mixed in—an utterly unrelenting command.

"Save…Mama…" Ace mumbled incoherently.

Ace and most of – Akio and Biri were still crying and oblivious to the fact – his group looked back at Mika in confusion and shock. None of them understood what that little girl did, but all of them did realize that it was something powerful.

With his fight with Whitebeard paused, Sengoku was the one among everyone with a horrified expression. He looked in the direction where the group remained. He mumbled fearfully, "That…forbidden power exists?!"

Nearby, Garp was dumbfounded.

Despite hearing him, Whitebeard, too, stared at the odd phenomena. He was as shocked as Sengoku was but had far more calm to him. He let out quietly, "Was this the power you spoke of…Roger, Oden…?"

Rayleigh frowned with displeasure. "This won't be good…"

Finally, the calm broke.

"CAPTURE THAT GIRL!" loudly ordered Sengoku, now furious. "DO NOT LET HER ESCAPE!"

Whitebeard acted as well. "MY SONS! PROTECT ACE AND HIS FAMILY AT ALL COSTS!"

As Whitebeard and Sengoku returned to their battle, the rest of the battlefield became alive again. The suddenness of the Marine soldiers' renewed attack caught many defenders off guard. Crashing through them like a wave upon a rock, the law enforcers charged through with little resistance until the pirates finally began fighting back.

"We need to get them outta here!" shouted Koala about the now-completely despondent Monkey D. family.

Unfortunately, just as the group was about to take action, Marine soldiers flooded into their area in a roar. None of them could grab Luffy, Mika, or Nami's body as they defended themselves from the onslaught. They were all being separated from both each other and the Monkey D. family. Akio and Biri were also unfortunate as they were swept up in the stampede, disappearing from sight.

"Akio!" shouted Daisuke in seeing this. After punching a Marine soldier furiously, he dove into the chaos to find his son.

Both Ace and Sabo shouted as they tried desperately to reach their brother, "LUFFY!"

Amidst the chaos, the Monkey D. family remained in place. The disorder was miraculously avoiding them as everyone focused more on each other. Luffy was still beyond all mental capability, and Mika was out cold. Nami, despite her large wound, remained smiling and within her husband's arms. Nothing about this scene changed aside from the wind picked up from the scuffling around them. It was like they were frozen in time, a moment left pristine of agony, misery, and death.

But nothing lasts forever, and someone finally managed to seize the family.

It was Jinbe, the Whale Shark fish-man. He was able to scoop up all three members and carry them towards the ship. Using the chaos as his cover, he would protect this family and get them out of here. Jinbe owed Luffy for helping him escape, and he had his respect through witnessing his various actions. He did not need Whitebeard's command to do such a task.

Both Sabo and Ace noticed the fish-man's action and fought hard to join his side. Unfortunately, neither could push through, especially Ace whose death was still a priority for the Marines. Most of Whitebeard's forces moved to cover Ace. The second division commander was now being led away from where his family was, causing him to grow furious with his crewmates.

And then, a laugh echoed over the battlefield like a taunt: "Ze-hahaha!"

Ace stopped upon hearing the laugh. His rage returned as he shouted the name of the one laughing, "TEACH!"

Both Marine soldiers and pirates alike looked back towards the fortress, where the laugh came from. There, behind the building itself, a man larger than even Oars Junior stood sheepishly hiding. He was not alone as a band of ne'er-do-wells made their presence known. Now grown double in size was the Blackbeard Pirates, led by Marshall D. Teach. Outside his regular crew, there were now five new members, all big names. Most were pirates long forgotten, with one exception of a former jailer of Impel Down. Those new crewmates are "Great Battleship" San Juan Wolf, "Corrupt King" Avalo Pizarro, "Heavy Drinker" Vasco Shot, and the "Crescent Moon Hunter" Catarina Devon. The last was the former employee, Shiryo "of the Rain." All of them were siding with the man known as "Blackbeard," looking to make a name for their group.

"Ze-hahaha!" laughed Teach. "Thanks for the free-pass, Marines! I used it to good use to recruit my new crew!"

The Marines were furious but only a candle compared to the absolute rage of Whitebeard. "TEACH!" roared the man as he was about to unleash his fury. His hand ready to send a tremor of great force.

Teach only smirked, oddly calm. "While it's not the debut I was hoping for, it's time to show them what you can do…" said the man to someone behind him.

"Yeah, whatever…" replied a little girl's voice apathetically.

Suddenly, another field of royal purple aura erupted but from where Blackbeard stood. It covered only the area as far as Whitebeard himself, causing the old pirates to pause for a moment. Sengoku was caught within the vicinity as well. Both men were glowing as well, along with several members of Blackbeard's crew, Blackbeard included. However, none of them appeared worried about being covered by the glow. All the Marine soldiers and pirates watched on in shock and fear, not knowing what to expect.

Then, the same voice spoke again, now in a mature tone, "Stop…"

The radiant energy around Whitebeard's fist ceased to Whitebeard's surprise. At the same time, Sengoku reverted back to being a human. He was shocked by his change and glared back at the newcomers.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Sengoku shouted in outrage.

In response, Blackbeard gestured behind him to someone to come up. A tiny figure came out from behind all the large adults surrounding them. The person was a little girl with black hair styled in pig-tails dressed like a pirate. It was Angelica, the young girl from Sabaody Archipelago. Her eyes glowing as she stared down at everyone below indifferently. The girl's appearance on the battlefield shocked everyone.

But Ace was the only one glaring. "That girl…" he said with disdain.

"She did that same trick back during Merville…"

The young man recalled the fight in which he had Blackbeard and his smaller crew nearly on the ropes. When the girl arrived and used her power, he was helpless to stop the group from defeating him. It was a memory that was seared into his mind, and it was one that made him dislike that child. Her being Teach's kid only further that anger.

Meanwhile, Sengoku was especially alarmed. "To think there was another child that has that power…!"

Then, the purple aura began to retreat back; thus, Blackbeard then took out his gun and aimed it at his former captain.

"And with this…"

"MY TIME HAS COME!" Blackbeard fired his weapon.

Whitebeard was struck by the bullet in his chest but was barely fazed. Unconcerned with the receding aura, Newgate raised his naginata and slashed it forward, sending out a wave of energy at his former crewmate. It struck the unprepared Blackbeard and gave him a tremendous amount of pain. His original crew was just as unready as they tried to help their captain. The newcomers simply watched and so did Angelica. Simultaneously, the purple hue returned to the girl, and she dropped to her hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"That's…" she breathed in then out, "all I got…"

"DON'T HIDE BEHIND A CHILD LIKE A COWARD!" roared Newgate furiously.

As Blackbeard recovered, he retorted back loudly, "She's my kid! I'll do what I want!"

(Marshall D.) Angelica rolled her in annoyance. "Ugh…"

"Finish that old fool!" ordered Teach to his crew.

The Blackbeard crew obliged, and they jumped down onto the battlefield. Most of them, as Blackbeard asked Laffitte to take care of Angelica. Everyone else with Blackbeard joined in an all-out attack. Each one was using a gun and firing on Whitebeard before landing on the ground. Whitebeard attempted to attack but was stopped by both his wounds and illness. Blackbeard took this opportunity to show off his Devil Fruit power, the Dark-Dark Fruit. It did him well until Whitebeard used his physical prowess to hurt Teach once again. Another onslaught of bullets came next from nearly all the Blackbeard Pirates until they ran out.

"POPS!" roared all the Whitebeard Pirates in agony, even Ace. All of them were in tears, helpless to stop the scene with the Marines still fighting them.

But Newgate withstood it all and stood proudly tall but still. He would not fall so easily, but he knew he had little time left. He thought back to his old colleague, Roger, and recalled what he had said about the future. Roger had left his mark, and if this was his era, then Newgate would do the same. With his last breaths, Whitebeard gave his message.

"… You're not the one…" the old pirate told a shocked and confused Blackbeard, "The man Roger is waiting for…is definitely not you, Teach."

Thinking of Ace and his brother, Newgate felt confident in who could be such a man. "Those who have inherited Roger's will…they will pass it onto others. Through bloodlines, through camaraderie, or through legends, those flames will never be extinguished."

Whitebeard started speaking with more vigor: "It has been passed down like that since ancient times! Someday one will arise who will challenge the world…and shoulder centuries of history!"

"Sengoku," Whitebeard glanced at his old foe, "you and the World Government…fear the great war that will come to this world one day!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku wore a mighty frown upon hearing Whitebeard. He was shocked by the revelation. And more so, he was becoming worried by what else the dying man would say.

"I'm not interested in the treasure, but when it's found…the whole world will be turned upside down! Someone will find it. That day will come…"

Edward Newgate, better known as Whitebeard, then hollered with his last breath.

"THE ONE PIECE…DOES EXIST!"

Whitebeard died mere moments after, his last thoughts of his family and his apology for not finishing the task of getting rid of Blackbeard. The man, who died standing tall on his feet, had borne many scars, injuries, and wounds throughout this battle. Despite this fact, the legendary man's back had no such imperfections. It remained clean to show off the proud Whitebeard symbol that all Whitebeard Pirates wore with pride.

All of the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies began shedding tears of woe. Ace, too, could not hold back his own sadness now compounded. Rayleigh watched on solemnly, paying his respects to his old friend. Shiki did the same, earnestly.

It was a sight most impressive, especially for those watching on. Amidst the crowd, a lone video Transponder Snail was awake and had been recording the scene. Its position and eyes transfixed on Whitebeard's location. The snail had once been tagging along with Mika and then Koala. In this situation, it had now found itself to show the battle but, more importantly, this scene—a complete accident caused by the chaos earlier.

Thus, back on Sabaody Archipelago, every news reporter was speechless. There had not been much to see besides the scurrying feet of various people. Not much could be heard either. It was then surprising when everyone stopped and accidentally opened a clear view of Whitebeard and the Blackbeard Pirates' attack. They were able to witness Whitebeard's last stand and hear his message. Every single journalist immediately called their publisher to announce the news. In no time, the transmission of Whitebeard's death and last words would circulate the world over. But back at Marineford, more was still happening, and things were about to get worse. Those reporters returned to watching as a new horror arose.

Through some secret technique hidden under a black veil, Blackbeard stole from Whitebeard his Tremor-Tremor Fruit power. Somehow utilizing both of his Devil Fruit powers, Teach had become the most powerful man in a mere instant. He devastated the Marines' fortress further. Sengoku immediately took action and attempted to stop him. Garp joined him, ready to release a severe amount of rage.

With this event included, the whole battlefield was sheer chaos. Pirates fought back to defend themselves and escape, as their father figure had hoped for them. Marine soldiers desperately attacked to defeat them and accomplish new goals: capture Mika and kill Ace. But Jinbe had gained much ground and was close to escaping on a commandeered ship. Unfortunately, the Marines' Three Admirals were beginning to hinder everyone. The ocean was frozen, destructive light rained down, and magma devastated everything in its path. All hope for escape seemed lost.

Until someone unexpectedly arrived.

"RED-HAIR SHANKS!"

The arrival of the Red-Hair Pirates made everything stop. No one understood why another Emperor of the Sea had arrived. By the Marines' intel, the group was in conflict with another Emperor, Kaido, and his Beast Kingdom Pirates. It had only been a day since that news, and none of the newcomers looked to have received a single wound or injury. Unlike them, everyone here on Marineford had sustained a tremendous amount.

And yet, Shanks was here for one purpose: "I am here to end this fight."

"What?!" shouted Akainu enraged.

Shanks reasoned calmly, "You have achieved a great feat. You were able to vanquish an Emperor of the Sea. Do you think all this bloodshed is worth it for one man?"

Akainu retorted, "He is the son…!"

"Portgas D. Ace is his own man and only one," Shanks stated sternly.

"But," Shanks continued with his whole crew to his back, "if you wish to continue the fight, we'll be your opponents from now on."

For all his bolstering, even Blackbeard was more than willing to back down. "Heh, I'll pass on that fight. Let's go men, I got what I came for. It's not yet time for me to fight you…"

Shanks, despite some misgivings, allowed the man and his crew to leave. He would not be a hypocrite today. He instead turned to Sengoku, whose decision was not yet made. However, nearly every Marine soldier was hesitant to accept the challenge, keeping their current condition in mind. Sengoku was not going to force anyone to take on such a daunting task. He knew this call would obviously put in deep trouble with his superiors, but he agreed with the Emperor: this loss of life had to cease.

Shanks then stated assuredly, "We will take Whitebeard's body. He deserves a proper burial. You have his death broadcasted. That's all the spectacle I will allow…"

There were some Marine officers that contested the idea, but Sengoku spoke otherwise. "I don't mind. I'll take responsibility for this."

"Thank you," Shanks said gratefully.

Sengoku then gave orders to his men, "Hurry up and get the wounded treated!"

"THIS WAR IS OVER!"

As Sengoku's voice rang out, Jinbe had made it to the edge of the frozen ocean. He saw the arrival of the Red-Hair Pirates but kept going regardless. When he reached the end of the ice, the fish-man was about to decide on what to do next when something unexpected appeared. From beneath the water, it was a yellow submarine. It surprised the fish-man but waited as men exited the steady vessel. They were the Heart Pirates led by Trafalgar Law.

"Bring him aboard my ship," said Law quickly. "I can help Straw Hat. I'm a doctor."

While Jinbe was unsure at first, he sensed no ill will from the man. He would also join along just in case. The fish-man was lost on the irony as he hopped aboard the vessel and retreated inside quickly. It would not be long before the Marines would be coming after them. Once everyone was inside, the submersible dived below and went down deep. The ship soon disappeared into the darkness of the lower ocean, safe and far out of sight from anyone.

"Hey, captain," spoke Lucky Roux, chewing on some meat. "Didn't you wanna see Luffy after all these years?"

"I wish I could…" Shanks smiled as he thought fondly back to the kid he gave his straw hat to.

"But that would violate our agreement."

Ben Beckman then spoke with a smirk, "Shame. The chatter from the Marines said that he had a kid. A little girl…"

Breaking his solemn attitude, Shanks looked at his crewmate in shock. "WHA?!"

TO BE

CONTINUED…