A/N: I have become quite obsessed with One Piece as of late and wanted to write something for it. I only have a couple of chapters done so far and I'm not sure how this is going to go. I'll upload one or two up here and see how it is received if not many people like it I will take it down and just keep it for myself. Please leave a comment on what you think of the story and if I should continue with it on this site.
"I see a ship coming up on the starboard bow!" the watchman shouted from the crow's nest. It had been a calm morning on the Moby Dick. It had been just over three months since the crew had been betrayed by one of its members and Ace had chased after him. Everyone a part of the fleet now cursed the name Marshall D Teach and prayed that Ace deliver the justice that they craved upon him and returned to them unharmed. Marco and Whitebeard, however, worried that even more great change was on its way and could only hope it did not affect the youngest commander while he was away.
"What flag is it flying, yoi?" called up Marco from his spot standing next to his Pops' chair.
"It's got a black flag but under that, they have raised a white one!" the watchman called down, a man from Marco's own division named West. Marco looked to his father to see what his commands would be, although he had a pretty good guess already.
"Let them approach. I want you to fly over and see who they are and what they want." Whitebeard stated, just as Marco suspected. Marco nodded his head and called out orders to all those near. He also called for the Commanders to alert those on the paddle ships of the situation, just in case. As the ship pulled alongside the Moby Dick Marco walked to the railing of the upper deck and looked down upon it. He was surprised to note how small the craft was for a New World ship. It could be manned by one person with enough experience, although could realistically use a crew of four of five people. When it was close enough he hopped up on the rail and turned his arms into the fiery wings of his counterpart and drifted down to the vessel below.
As he landed he extended his Haki to cover the ship and found only three people to be on board. Looking ahead he spotted a woman leaning against the wall of the ship's wheelhouse watching him in relaxed boredom. Straitening his posture, he started to walk towards her as she spoke.
"Welcome aboard my ship, the Vengeful Valkyrie, Marco the Phoenix." She stated with a dip of her head. He nodded back in reply saying, "Hello. Might I ask who you are and why you approached the Moby Dick?" He analyzed her carefully as she smiled at him. He could admit that she was a beautiful woman. She had bright silver-blonde long hair with two braids tight to her scalp on each side of her head. A wide puffy braid took up the rest of the hair on top of her head and looked to be going down her back. Each braid was decorated with gold and silver trinkets, while the rest of her wavy locks hung free in the wind. She has forest green eyes with dark smoky-eye makeup, high cheekbones, and full red lips. She appeared to be about 5'8" to 5'9" but was wearing 3-inch heeled black ankle boots. She has on an olive-green cropped short-sleeved jacket, zipped up with a high grey and black-furred collar, black leather capris pants with a gold chain going around the left side of her hip and a long hunting knife strapped to her right hip and thigh.
The newcomer's ears are pierced, 3 in her right ear and 2 in her left, as well as a feather-shaped jewel hanging from her belly button piercing. On her left inner forearm, you can see a line of runic tattooing going from her elbow to her wrist and then wrapping around it like a bracelet. All his years traveling the seas taught Marco that some of the most beautiful of things could also be the deadliest. Especially when said beauty is caring a hunting knife on her side. He decided that while on this ship caution was the name of the game.
"I'm a friend of the family you could say," she stated with a smirk. "I'm here to make a special delivery." She continued as she stood from her lean. "A delivery?" Marco question suspiciously. Instead of answering him again she banged her heeled boot on the deck three times. Once done she shouted, "Oi, numbnuts! Get your ass up here and bring our gift with you. Make sure it's properly packaged while you do! Don't want any accidents to happen now do we?"
At this point, Marco didn't know how to feel. He was highly suspicious but more to the fact that this was a prank of some sort than anything that could be dangerous to his crew. Instead of giving an open reaction like the woman might be hoping for he just made sure is calm and semi-bored facade was up. What he did not expect to happen, nor did anyone who was watching from the Moby's rails above, was for their hated traitor, Blackbeard, to come flying out the nearby door wrapped in chains with a nice purple ribbon tied around his mouth acting as a gag.
No longer wearing his look of boredom, but instead one of shock and confusion, he looked over to the door again, hoping to see the third party on the ship. To his amazement, his own little brother, Portgus D Ace, came walking out looking a little worse for wear. Once he came out of the shadows of the sails and their siblings above could recognize him a great cheer rose up. Marco watched as both Ace and the newcomer smiled at the noise, Ace giving a wave to those calling his name. What caught Marco's attention though was the pride and, dare he say it, contentment in the woman's eyes when she looked at Ace's open smile. It defiantly seemed that there was a shared history behind that look. A lot needed to be discussed.
The captain of the small ship turned back to him and raised an eyebrow at his stare. "I know that quite a few questions need answering First Commander, however, I would appreciate it if that can wait until the trash is fully disposed of." She stated, nodding to the lump of shit laying on the deck a few feet away from them. He nodded his head in agreement, she was right, more important matters should be tended to first.
"I'll fly up with him and have someone throw down a rope for you to tie your ship to the Moby, yoi. Once that is done a ladder for you will be thrown down," Marco said as he walked over to Teach. "Ace, I'm glad that you have made it home safe, yoi." Ace nodded in reply and said, "Only touch the length of rope dragging away from his body, the chains are all seastone." He then smiled brightly, "I'm glad to be home." Marco nodded before transforming completely and grabbing the rope with his golden talons. He couldn't miss hearing a slight gasp that came from the young lady in their company. Looking back, he saw slight awe in her eyes, but what gave him pause was the sheer delight that was there as well.
Deciding to think on it later he spread his wings and gave a big flap to launch himself and his grumbling dead weight into the air. Once above the Moby, he flew over to let his cargo drop right in front of Pops' chair. Once he landed Teach sat up a glared at Whitebeard. Transforming back, he called for a rope and ladder to be thrown down as a few of his fellow commanders came forward to tie Teach to the deck. They had installed four metal rings to the deck a month ago just in case Ace brought the traitor back to face his justice instead of handing it out himself.
A few minutes later another cheer went up as Ace climbed over the railing and was quickly mobbed by siblings wishing to welcome him back home. Following him with a fond smile was the mysterious captain. Marco could hear the rumble of Pops' laugh as they watched Ace try to fight his way through the crowd to them. Finally, Pops called out, "Come on now boys, let him though, there will be plenty of time later to hug him to death." Slowly everyone stepped back creating a pathway from the rail to Pops' chair. Ace's smile never left his face as he approached them, hand in hand with the blond woman.
"Welcome home my son!" Whitebeard boomed out. "Pops!" Ace called. "I'm happy to be home. I'm also happy to say I've fulfilled my mission." His smile dimmed, "Although I needed to have a little help on that end." He finished. He looked sheepishly next to him to the foreign presence on the ship. She just raised her eyebrow and shook her head in what seemed like exasperation at him. He smiled brightly again and turned back to Pops.
"May I introduce you to our guest, the lovely Valencia D Erika Captain of The Vengeful Valkyrie. She also goes by Lady Golden Fire with a bounty of 655,000,000 beli." Ace proceeded to announce proudly to the shock of the whole ship, presenting her with both arms extended in her direction.
While everyone had heard of Lady Golden Fire and her exploits through all the Grand Line, her poster was one of the very few bounties that did not show a face. Her bounty instead showed the outline of a curvaceous woman wreathed in completely golden fire, hence the name. That she was supposedly standing in front of them smirking at their reactions was hard to believe.
"A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen." She said with a mocking bow and wink to the captain, to which he laughed at. Straightening up she smiled a genuine and beautiful D smile at Pops. "Ace has told me much of his time here. While I may jest it really is a pleasure to meet the man he looks up to and respects enough to call father." She said looking at a now blushing Ace. Shaking her head at him she took another few steps forward. "Before we commence with storytelling and further our discussion I wish to request something, if I may?" While puzzled at the turn of the conversation Whitebeard nodded for her to continue.
"As I told your First Commander before I explain why I am here and how I became involved I wish to see Marshall D Teach face his due for the wrongs he has done. I too have my reasons for wanting him dead. More specifically, unable to hurt and threaten another one of my family members. I almost killed him myself, but Ace had convinced me that returning him to those that he wronged first was more appropriate."
This small speech surprised the surrounding Whitebeard pirates. In their pain at being betrayed, they never thought that there might be others out there that would want to take revenge for themselves for what Teach did to them. As well, they felt saddened that they could not prevent what Teach did, as it was clear to them this happened after he left.
Whitebeard frowned at the similar thoughts running through his head. With a grim face, he bowed his head slightly to Erika and replied, "I am sorry for whatever it was that Teach did to your family and that we could not prevent the occurrence. I agree that you deserve to see justice done and thank you for allowing us to be the ones to carry it through." He looked up in time to see both Erika and Ace exchange a glance at the word family before glaring at a slightly trembling Teach.
Before he could figure out the meaning behind the look Erika took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, before looking up at Whitebeard. "You and your crew hold no responsibility for Teach's actions after he betrayed you. Therefore no apology is needed, although the sentiment is appreciated. Thankfully all my family is alive, something I was deeply saddened to hear cannot be said for you. Ace told me many things about your Fourth Commander and I'm so very sorry for your family's loss. He sounded like a wonderful, if slightly exasperating, brother and son."
Ace looked down at that time, clenching his fist. Erika, however, saw the smiles bestowing those around her. This confused her until she saw a man slowly walking forward with what looked to be a nurse. "The tails of my death, I'm glad to say, have been greatly exaggerated!" the man exclaimed. Upon hearing his voice Ace looked up in shock. A huge smile broke out on his face as he ran forward yelling, "Thatch!" they grasped each other in a gentle but firm hug as Ace cried out with joy and confusion. "How? How are you alive!? You lost so much blood and your heart was stopped." The young man stepped back looking all over Thatch as if to make sure it's really him.
"Teach stabbed me that night because he saw me taking a bite of the fruit. We can only speculate that it was that bite that saved me. An hour or so after you left my heart just suddenly started back up again. Scared the nurses half to death when I started breathing out of nowhere. Healing has been a little slow going because my body was dead for a good few hours but another week or so and I should be back in tip-top shape! They said I'll even be allowed back in the kitchen next week!"
Whitebeard smiled down at the reunion before giving a glare himself at the surprised traitor at his feet. "As you can see, Thatch is very much alive, and we are as strong as we have ever been. You failed that night just like you failed to escape the consequences of your betrayal. Ace and Thatch, as your former commander and the man you tried to murder respectively, are charged with deciding your fate. I as your former captain will be the one to carry out the punishment that they decide."
This announcement both surprised and confused the crew. While they can understand giving Ace and Thatch a say in the decision, giving the choice over to them completely was unexpected. Marco, however, understood. Teach had been a "son" of Pops' for 20 plus years. Killing him would be hard enough on Pops, but to decide how to do it as well?
After receiving a nod from their captain Ace and Thatch put their heads together to try to come up with a fitting punishment for the crimes Teach had committed. Erika, who had stayed by Ace's side, leaned over to whisper something in Ace's ear. Ace whipped his head towards her in shock, before turning to Teach with a considering gaze. Nodding his head, he turned back to Thatch and gave told him what seemed to be Erika's idea. After another minute of whispered discussion, they both nodded to each other before turning back to Whitebeard.
"We have decided." Thatch stated.
"Very well. What is to be the traitor's punishment?" asked Whitebeard.
"It was pointed out," started Ace, "that he wanted that Devil Fruit of his so much that he was willing to betray and try to kill a member of our family for it. Let that Devil Fruit now be his own downfall." Both men looked at each other one more time before stating together, "Toss him overboard."
Their decision brought a mild shock amongst the crew. They all knew that Teach was going to be put to death, but for a Devil Fruit user like Ace to say they should drown the man was a surprise. Indeed, all the fruit users gathered gave a small wince at the declaration. Whitebeard, however, gave no indication if he thought the punishment was fitting. He just nodded his head and turned to Teach.
"Your punishment has been decided. Do you have any last words before it is carried out?" he asked. When Teach growled out a muffled reply Whitebeard gave a signal for the gag to be undone. Teach wet his lips and gave a gruff cough before saying, "That Bitch may have killed my crew and I'm to die here by your hand, but your era will end Whitebeard." He barked a hard laugh. "I won't be the one to stop it now, but it will come to an end!" he finished, grinning viciously. All around him the crew was yelling and glaring hatefully at him, but he just laughed.
Whitebeard himself was scowling at the man. "All those who walk upon this earth must die at some point. My time has not yet come, and my family will see to it that it won't for many years yet. You, on the other hand, have just run out of time. Good-bye Marshall D Teach, may those you have hurt find peace in your death." With that final sentence, Whitebeard used his bisento to cut the ropes tethering Teach to the deck and then used his Gura Gura no Mi to launch him out to sea. A scream and a splash were the last that was heard of Marshall D Teach.