Chapter 5: The wave of change
A few minutes ago
Somewhere secluded from the battle-zone. A marine was in deep thought.
"Damn Rayleigh! I never thought scum like pirates valued their former captain's son's welfare so much. This was an unexpected variable. Doesn't matter, I will deal with him personally. Now, I hope my plan bears it's fruit. Due to this stupid Rayleigh I had to pre-pone the plan. Pirates are fools, and he took up my words without even thinking twice. At least he will be of good use to dispose HIM off. The sooner HE dies, the rest will fall like a pack of cards."
Current time
"He just.. Just beat a giant with one single hit!"
"He's the son of the worst criminal in the world, Dragon!"
The pirates were deeply motivated by the display from strawhat. Not to mention that he has the bloodline of one of the worst criminals of the world, made him an even more dangerous threat from the marines' point of view.
Meanwhile, Smoker was in deep thought.
" Sengoku-san's announcement solved all the puzzles. As to why in the world strawhat was even present here. And that does explains Dragon's actions in Logue town."
Whereas Pirate Huntress Boa Hancock was in deep thought regarding one man.
"My sweet Luffy made it safely here~~ I don't care if his father is a Devil, he will be my father after I marry him~~. Wait, is that Rayleigh?! Why is he here?"
At the Scaffold
Sengoku, who just now finished the announcement, spared a glance at Garp.
"Garp, no offense. But I had to do it. He might be your family. But a pirate is still a pirate."
Garp, who was relatively calmer than before, just nodded to Sengoku. But his thought's where elsewhere.
"These pirates have become organized. The arrival of Luffy and Rayleigh has made them one tight unit. Maybe, just maybe, Luffy will get out of this unscathed."
Looking at Ace, he nodded his head in resignation. "It will take a miracle for them to save Ace. And I definitely do not want to choose between my family and job. Though I am ashamed to think like this, but I hope such a situation does not arise."
Frozen Bay (Luffy's group)
"Luffy-kun's father is Dragon? That explains Ivankov's actions." Thought a slightly shocked Jimbei, who was looking around the battlefield.
Luffy's attack on the giant marine was enough to garner the entire attention of the marine frontlines. Luffy's group, consisting of Jimbei, some of new crew members of Buggy, and members of different divisions of whitebeard pirates, were completely surrounded by a large chunk of the marine's front tier.
Outer section of the frozen bay.
Whitebeard's allies from the new world were consistently attacking the marines, to create a path and join the whitebeard pirates at the frozen bay. They were up against the vice admirals of marines, including the likes of veterans Momonga.
"Damn these admirals are strong!"
"We cannot stop here! We need to join Whitebeard pirates and help rescuing Ace!"
No one noticed the absence of one of the rather important captains from the new world.
Moby Dick
"Pops."
"Squard, I am glad that you are alive."
"Yeah. Barely."
"I see. How is it at the bay head?"
"The allies are getting beaten up badly. They are no match for the vice admirals. I made it here because I found a lucky way out."
"Sengoku has no mercy. He is using up all his forces to decimate us."
"Pops, do you know what the marines are upto?"
"Sengoku is no fool. It is better for us if they attack us from the rear. I am going to go ahead. I can't keep staying here seeing my sons getting hurt."
"I see. There are 43 allied pirates from the new world. And we are all in your debt beyond words. But we are risking our life for this fight!"
Meanwhile, Marco, who was looking at deadlock between luffy's company and the marines, took a glance at his captain. Squard was taking out his blade. Marco was immediately suspicious.
"I know Squard. But we are fighting.."
"I know! We are fighting to save a member of our family! Whitebeard doesn't give up on his family! Everyone followed you to hell because you are that kind of a person."
Whitebeard started to move forward. Just when Squard's sheath was dropped and and he moved forward to attack, he was stopped by a wave which made his knees stumble and halt the attack.
Frozen Bay
"Damn we are surrounded!"
Luffy was in a dilemma. Rayleigh forbade him to fight unless necessary. But this was beyond his control. He was completely surrounded by thousands of marines, and that's just the front lines.
"Ace, I will save you!"
Just when Luffy and his company gave a way cry and marched to fight the group of pirates, a wave of pure will passed, and 3/4th of the attacking marines dropped consciousness.
Rayleigh was walking towards Luffy as if he was taking a stroll in the garden, sipping from his rum bottle. All the pirates and marines, who had strong enough will to sustain the wave, look gobsmacked.
"That's conqueror's haki!"
"I never knew the old man possessed it!"
"Everyone below commander level has been knocked out!"
Meanwhile Rayleigh was oblivious to all the attention he was getting. He turned towards Whitebeard to see a new world pirate captain who seemed to have been in stance to attack whitebeard just before his haki attack.
"That feels suspicious. The old geezer's observation haki might have dulled with old age"
"Marco, go and look at what's happening with Whitebeard" said Rayleigh. He noticed that he was already off to solve the situation.
"Hmm. That's suspicious. But I shouldn't waste my time here. I can't lag behind now."
"Ossan! What was that? That's something similar to what happened with me in Amazon Lily."
"So Luffy possesses conqueror's haki. He needs to learn to control it."
"Luffy, Ill explain later. Lets move forward. Jimbei, I take it that you will take care of Moria?"
Jimbei, who was observing Moria cutting off shadows of pirates and marines alike to feed himself, just nodded.
"Let's go, luffy."
Moby Dick
Just when Squard lost his balance while attacking whitebeard, Whitebeard opened his eyes to see one of his son raising a sword at him when he was distracted.
"Ah. I see. Someone must have played the "bloodline" card. And manipulated one of my sons. Sengoku and Garp, in spite of being arch enemies, do not stoop so low. Must be some of the newer brats."
He eyed the reactions of the three newer admirals. While Kizaru was amused at Rayleigh's haki display, Aokiji was sitting on his "throne", eyes barely open. But seeing Akainu's furious face, he concluded that he was the person behind Squard's brainwashing.
"Akainu. That brat needs to be thought some manners. I will personally take care of him!"
While Whitebeard was busy with his thoughts, Marco flew over to kick Squard's sword away and pushed him down the ground.
"Tell me one reason as to why I shouldn't kill you, oi" Marco said, in a dangerously cold voice.
"MARCO!"
The roar made the whole battlefield stop and look at what was happening. Most of them were so distracted with Rayleigh that they failed to notice a Whitebeard ally nearly giving a death blow to Whitebeard. Most of them were confused to even understand as to what was going on, considering Whitebeard's first commander attacking an ally captain.
Whitebeard's eyes looked dangerously dark. Most of the pirates gulped thinking about what the "World's strongest man" would do to the pirate who nearly betrayed him.
At the Scaffold
Ace was hyperventilating looking at the situation. He knew what Squard was about to do. Someone might have brainwashed him. But thanks to Rayleigh (he thought bitterly. He still couldn't accept the fact that his "Father's" crew member had come to save him), Pops was saved. He couldn't just stand this situation. A war because of him was a burden enough. He couldn't stand the fact that he was nearly the reason his pops was delivered a death blow.
Meanwhile, Sengoku was analyzing the situation closely.
"This must have been Akainu's work. Only he has the manipulative skills to press the right buttons and enrage people. But damn Rayleigh! Forgetting the ethics, if only Whitebeard had been stabbed, this war would have been half won!"
He spared a glance at Akainu, who was fuming. Literally sweating magma.
"RAYLEIGH! Looks like I have to handle both the former first mate of the pirate king and Whitebeard, after all."
To be continued
(A/N So the divergence is in full force now. Luffy is not tired at all with respect to cannon Luffy at the same stage. Whitebeard is not stabbed, and Rayleigh knocked out most of the fodders. Now the war will be even more interesting.)
