ONE PIECE
Two Worlds, One Family
A young woman struggling to find her place in the world wakes up to find a bunch of cats in her room...cats that turn out to be the characters from her favourite TV show, One Piece! Bound to each other, whether they like it or not, and trying to figure out a way to find a certain somebody's lost Nakama and get everyone back to their home, what follows is bound to be chaos, friendship, tears, romance - and, adventure! (Kind of a re-write of Straw Cat Pirates).
~Parental Warning~
The following chapter contains:
. Low-level violence
. Low-level adult themes
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Last Night On Earth
"Do you think I look okay?" Chopper wanted to know, tugging at his little bow tie.
Vivi looked down at him. "You look adorable, Tony-Kun!" She reassured him sincerely.
Chopper blushed. "Th-that...doesn't make me...happy or anything, jerk!" He informed her, doing his little squiggle dance which made a few people stop and stare at the sight of a dancing reindeer in a suit.
Then again, Vivi decided, hanging back slightly as she watched Chopper go into the ballroom and head straight for where Sanji was stopping Luffy from "checking out" the buffet, the sight of Luffy wearing a suit was probably the strangest of them all. He even had his straw hat on still, which was to be expected.
Sanji, of course, looked perfectly natural in a suit.
"I just wanted to make sure it was safe for people!" Luffy tried to justify his sampling of the pork crackling.
Sanji didn't believe him, and dragged him away by the ear.
Looking around, Vivi quickly identified her other Nakama amidst the sea of hired help.
Usopp was wearing a grey suit, and talking to Brook who had probably immediately zeroed in on the grand piano when he'd gotten there. Franky was nearby, in a tailor-made suit.
Nearby, Zoro was asleep sitting up on a sofa. He had gotten out of wearing a full suit, somehow, and just wore black dress pants and matching shoes with a plain white shirt. His swords were still at his side, naturally.
Shaking her head but smiling, Vivi then jumped as a voice cut through her reverie, carrying out across the large ballroom.
"No, no, no! I said the flowers are to be placed to the left of the fountain!" Nami, standing up on a platform with her hands on her hips, was directing the catering team like a drill sergeant.
"But, Miss.," one man dared to speak up. "That's where the drinks table is going to be set up..."
"No, I said that the drinks table should be left where it is!" Nami snapped. "I want perfection!" She added.
"You heard her," Garp, who appeared to have been watching all of this go on for the last couple of minutes, had also had enough, and stood next to Nami's little platform. "All of you, stay sharp, I want this place looking perfect at exactly nineteen hundred hours! Now, move out!"
"On the double!" Nami added.
"Yes, Sir! Yes, Ma'am!"
Nami and Garp exchanged a glance, and nodded.
Vivi had to admit that Nami had a strong presence, although the fact that she had quite possibly been planning something like his for awhile now might've helped. The orange-haired young woman was in complete control, it seemed. She also looked beautiful; she was wearing a long pale yellow sleeveless dress with an open-back bodice secured by a string-tie corset, and matching shoes that had heels that were even higher than Vivi's. Gold and ruby drop earrings swung from her ears as she directed traffic with one hand pointing, and the ballroom lights (which were apparently too blue, but Vivi didn't see how) reflected off of her gold bracelet. Vivi noticed that she still had on her Log-Pose, and wondered if it was just a force of habit for the navigator to wear it all the time now. It didn't matter; Ace was probably still wearing his - how had he gotten it back from the Marines?
As she moved aside for some caterers to wheel in a table with wine a large silver bowl full of soup on it, Vivi caught sight of her own reflection in the silver. The seventeen year old former Princess now a Pirate stared back at her. When she'd celebrated her seventeenth birthday this year, back home in Arabasta with her Father, she had never once imagined that this is where she'd end up - literal dimensions away from her beloved desert kingdom, standing in a hotel ballroom waiting for an engagement party to start...followed by the end of the world. She had visible scars on her arms, and a scar on her heart from Sumi's death that wasn't quite healed...because it probably never would be.
Her Father's words, the night that she had left home under the guidance of the two gods of Faith and Destiny, played out in her mind, as they often had when she'd found herself surrounded by people but also utterly alone with her thoughts.
'No matter what happens or what you decide to do, just know that you will always be my daughter, and that this is always your home.'
Home...
Vivi wondered how she'd feel if she knew that her home, the place where she'd been born and raised, was going to be destroyed, and that she couldn't do a thing to stop it. It was true that Emma had, effectively, been born in two worlds but as the gods had told her, once the merge had taken place, the world that Emma had been raised in was this world.
She had her home base here. Her friends, her family (despite all of their arguments). Her identity, her past experiences, her life...they all originated from this world.
And she was about to lose everything.
If she'd been anybody else, then, she wouldn't have had to lose anything. She'd be gone, just like the rest of this poor unknowing realm was doomed to be.
But, that wasn't what the future held for her. Instead, she was going to have to go through all of that pain, of knowing the people who were being erased, and probably blame herself for losing this world, and why?
Because she was Hikari No Hime.
There was a great amount of responsibility that clearly went along with that title, Vivi had discerned fairly early on. Most people saw the Princess Of Light as being an all-powerful wielder of some big ancient power. The World Government saw her as being a threat because of that. Their other Allies saw her as their leader - at least as far as this whole gods thing was concerned - and probably as being someone who was slowly but steadily getting more powerful.
And, while all of that was true, only Nefertari Vivi saw, beyond all of that, just how much of a toll that this was beginning to take on Edward Emma / Pax, and that didn't even begin to cover the woman's exponential identity crisis.
Vivi had known for quite some time now what was going to have to happen in order for them to go to that other world. It was part of her duty, as Emma's decoy, to know what being the Princess Of Light was all about. It had been the Goddess Grace who had told her all of this. Vivi had been shocked to learn that Grace was Emma's Grandmother from this world, granted Divinity eight years ago for having made an ultimate sacrifice in order to save her granddaughter. However, it had been easy for Vivi to see how this woman's Divine Order, Grace, had been chosen - like her granddaughter she was gentle and almost elegant, and had a way of finding at least one good thing about everyone. She had told Vivi to call her by her mortal name, which had been Hazel (Hazel-Sama? Hazel Grace...apparently, Grace had also been her middle name) - looking at her hazel-brown eyes with the blue speckles, it was a fitting name. Hazel Grace had expressed her own sadness at the future that all of the Allies has to face, but there was no other way. With the exception of Emma and Law, the only way for them to ascend to where Infinity was, in order to defeat her, was to take the hand of Infinity's own sister - Death.
In essence, they were going to have to die.
It had been a terrifying thought for Vivi, right up until she'd learned that Infinity was set on destroying all of existence. If they didn't do this, then they'd be erased from existence - along with everyone else. At least this way, they had a chance to save everybody. And, they'd be together. Hazel Grace had stressed that bit, probably knowing how important Vivi's Nakama were to her. And, when Vivi had wondered how they would feel about having to give up their dreams, Hazel Grace had reminded her that alone they would fail but together they were strong - that their friendship was above all the most important thing to each of them.
That's why they were the Chosen Ones.
'He will understand.' Hazel Grace had said, correctly interpreting what Vivi wasn'tsaying. She had smiled a crooked smile, one that was so much like her granddaughter's. 'That young man is much more than what he seems...'
Having seen Luffy that day on Dawn Island, and feeling that same happiness well up inside of her, Vivi knew that she didn't doubt Hazel Grace's words for a second.
The Goddess's words had given Vivi another thing to wonder about, though.
What's my dream...?
So deep in thought was Vivi now, as people bustled around her, that she barely noticed anything else...except for maybe when Carue began freaking out at the roasted duck and Nami immediately charged into the kitchens with Sanji right behind her.
They could hear Nami yelling at the hotel's head chef, who yelled back at her not knowing that he was probably digging his own grave.
Vivi sat down on the edge of the fountain with Carue to try and calm him down. She tugged at the skirt of her dusty pink off-shoulder long formal dress with the beaded lace bodice, and was glad that she'd worn the blue sapphire necklace with it - her ruby pendant, meanwhile, had been converted into a hair pin that clipped back her hair in a half-bun. White-gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears, and matched the buckles on her white shoes.
As she hummed absentmindedly to Carue, barely even realising that she was humming the song that Emma used to summon forth those two Ancient Sea Kings ('dragons', as Luffy called them), Vivi watched as a heavy flower garland came lose from one of the nearby pillars near to where the caterers that had gone past Vivi before were now gathered. A split-second later, a pair of slightly tanned hands burst forth from the pillar in a shower of cherry blossom petals, grabbing the garland and securing it back in place with the help of a third hand and what looked like a tube of industrial strength super glue.
A moment later, Nico Robin herself appeared beside Vivi, seeming totally at ease despite the fact that she'd probably just saved about seventeen lives/jobs (possibly more, if Nami had found out) and an entire pyramid of Two Oceans Cabernet-Sauvignon bottles (imported from South Africa!).
"How do things seem to you here, Vivi-San?" Robin asked, surveying the large room with her calm blue eyes.
"It's...a bit hectic, isn't it?" Vivi ventured, running a hand over Carue's beak the way he liked.
Robin laughed gently. "Yes, I have to agree with you, but I also believe that things are under control, compared to what they were this morning." She added, as Zoro and Usopp dragged Luffy away from the buffet (for the twentieth time). Robin's gaze drifted across the room, to where Lee (who had shown up just before Vivi and Chopper had) and Bruce were sitting at a table along with Sarah and Ben. Takodi was with them and was currently fascinated with Chopper's pink hat. "This night means a lot to them." She added softly.
"Yes, I know..." Vivi paused, noticing a thoughtful look in the archeologist's blue eyes. "R-Robin-San...?"
"You know, I was reading some of the things that Emma's parents were going through, in preparation for the actual wedding," the archeologist's gaze had turned unreadable; Vivi also didn't want to know if she'd read those things with permission or not - knowing Robin, it was probably the latter. "They do things in this world pretty much the same as in ours, right down to the vows." Vivi stared up at her, wondering what she was getting at. "I wonder...how Emma-San and Ace-San would feel about saying 'until death do us part'...?" She slid her gaze over to meet Vivi's.
'Understanding this will allow you...to do what only you can do...'
Vivi chose her words carefully. "I think that, for anyone who feels as strongly as those two do about each other, that death is no barrier...dare I say...a better vow would be 'death and to eternity'..."
"I see..." Robin nodded her agreement. "Perhaps the same can be said...of friendships, too...?"
"Hmm..." Vivi mused, biting her lip as she pondered this thought.
Robin waited. The tall woman was wearing a long purple v-neck formal gown, the colour of which was so dark that it changed to black in some areas when she shifted. She wore plain black heels (not as high as Nami's or Vivi's, but, they were definitely higher than the shoes that Emma would have on), and black elbow gloves. She seemed to not like to deviate from wearing dark colours, just like Emma...most of the time, that is.
Vivi wondered if that came from Robin's life as an assassin. She hadn't exactly asked the older woman much about thatpart of her life. True, she and Robin had gotten a lot closer as of late, especially after Vivi had chosen to reveal to Robin what she knew and ask for her help in deciphering it all. She still wasn't quite ready to ask Robin about her painful past, however.
"'To defeat the Chaos tearing all apart...and heal an endlessly broken heart'..." Vivi quoted, and Robin glanced down at her. "I'm starting to wonder...about that line. Aren't you?"
Robin was gazing down at Vivi, sitting there on the fountain's edge, soothingly petting her Spot-Billed Duck whom she had known since they were both very young. She had a feeling that she knew what the seventeen year old daughter as talking about. She may not have realised it herself, but, Vivi understood the second verse of that song. Robin could sense it.
Arabasta's former Princess is much more than what we gave her credit for... Robin realised, as she continued to gaze at the youngest member of their Nakama. She is truly wise beyond her years...we are lucky to have her... Her gaze drifted over to where Luffy was now in a tug-of-war session with Takodi over the treasured straw hat. Our captain is lucky to have such a strong woman...
"Where are you taking me, Ace-Chan?" Emma wanted to know, as he led her down the path that was lit with hundreds of tiny candles on either side. Normally, she would have wondered which poor person's job it was to go around lighting all of these things, except for the fact that she was with Ace.
"You'll see." Ace was grinning, as he continued to lead her on a path that, sure enough, was way too well lit for those candles to be a coincidence.
"At least I'm wearing the right shoes for this." Emma commented, mainly to herself, as they came to a spot sort of near to where she'd had her confrontation with Sara that afternoon. It was near to the river, and was a bridge that went across a small part of the Swan River that branched off. "Is this where Luffy and Vivi-Chama were this afternoon?"
Ace nodded, and pointed to a sign on the bridge, which Emma had to get closer to to see (she'd left her glasses back up in the room).
"Oh!" Emma understood. "It's a Love Lock Bridge!" Her gaze travelled over the various locks on the bridge's railing. Couples had inscribed or written their names on the locks. Emma knew that they had used a key to lock the padlock and then thrown the key into the river, to symbolise their eternal love.
There were all sorts of locks, and Emma and Ace spent a good ten minutes looking at all of the different locks on either end of the bridge - there were new padlocks and big old-fashioned ones, and even combination locks that looked like the one she'd had on her locker at school.
"Not too reassuring, is it?" Ace commented, pointing to a very large combination lock on one of the rails.
"Somewhat..." Emma agreed, and then turned around, to see that Ace was holding something in either hand - on closer inspection, she saw a slightly fancy-looking padlock and a small golden key. "Where did you...?" She trailed off, seeing the grin on his face. "And, how do you propose we go about marking this lock?" She wanted to know, taking the lock and examining it thoughtfully. This is...such an awesome idea! Even if it won't be here for much longer...
"Well, not with a black texta, that's for sure." Ace replied, grinning, but then his face turned serious. "Emiko...do you trust me?" He asked her.
She glanced up into his deep brown eyes. "...Yes?" She blinked, and then watched as he held out his hand over the lock in her hands...the lock seemed to grow very warm just then, but not at all in an uncomfortable way. It seemed that Ace, whose eyes were closed, was concentrating the majority of his powers onto the centre of the lock, which seemed to glow red as words began to appear. The red-hot metal was reflected in Emma's hazel eyes, which were wide open in wonder.
As the final part of the inscription was finished, Ace opened his eyes and smiled. The lock stopped glowing and returned to normal in Emma's hands, only now there was something written on there:
Ace and Emma,
Together forever, until death and to eternity...
Tears pricked the backs of Emma's eyes, but her voice was surprisingly steady as she asked Ace: "How did you know that's what I was thinking?"
"Do you really wanna know?" He asked her.
A flicker of recognition crossed her face. "Don't say that it's because you're a Pirate!" She warned him. "Because, I am too now, you know?"
He grinned. "Trust me, it's not something I'd forget. But, I've always known that you'd make the decision to join the rest of us for a life of piracy...whichever choice you've made..." He added, quietly but she heard him.
"Hey," she looked up at him. "You wrote this, remember?" She held up the lock. "'Together forever, until death and to eternity'...if Death herself isn't going to tear us apart, then I believe that a little matter of alliance won't, either..." She tilted her head to one side. "Besides, when it comes to the Whitebeard Pirates...well, it's been in my blood for all of my life...even if we are children of the sea..." Actually, considering Undine's identity...oh my Goddess...no wonder Daddy always says it...
"Right..." Ace agreed, noticing the unfocused look in her eyes and realising that he was going to have to drag her back to reality. "Come on, I found the perfect spot for our little Love Lock." He told her, taking her back across the bridge and to a specific spot.
"What's so great about this spot?" Emma wanted to know. "I mean, aside from the fact that no one else's is here..."
"It probably won't be that way for long," Ace replied deciding to ignore, once again, the fact that nothing in this world would be here for much longer. "Because of that." He pointed up to the tree, whose branches seemed to be making a move to curl around the rail.
"What kind of a tree is that?" Emma wondered.
"A hibiscus tree, according to Robin." Ace replied, placing an arm across Emma's bare shoulders.
"Does she know when it will bloom?" Emma wanted to know, also playing along with 'let's not mention that this world's getting Erased'.
"In late summer or early fall."
"Autumn."
"Same difference." Ace rolled his eyes and gave her a small, playful push. "It also happens to be when we..."
"First met." Emma finished for him, smiling. "The day that my life changed forever..."
"For the better?"
"Wellllll..."
They both laughed, knowing that neither of them would have had it any other way. Lapsing into silence after that, they listened to the sound of the river waves splashing against the sandy shore and Emma quietly humming something, until Su-Chan shifting slightly on Emma's wrist reminded them that they were actually supposed to be somewhere else at that moment.
Together, they unlocked the lock and then placed it over the railing, clicking it shut with an audible click.
They then walked out to the middle of the bridge, and both held the key.
"Together..." Emma murmured.
"Forever..." Ace reminded her.
"Until death and to eternity." They said in unison, and tossed the key into the black waters of the river, where it landed with the smallest of plinks, and joining the countless other keys that were already down there.
Emma and Ace stood in the middle of the bridge together, staring into the black waters of the river.
"I was half expecting a fish to come up and eat it." Emma said suddenly. "Or, maybe a Bull Shark..."
"Really?" Ace glanced at her. "Considering the number of locks that are already on here, I was thinking more that it was gonna land on top of this really huge pile of other keys..."
"What, so then ours would just be sitting perched there on the top?" Emma suggested.
"And then get eaten by a fish."
The two of them started laughing again, picturing the crazy but (knowing the Swan River) slightly plausible thought, until the phone in Emma's dress pocket buzzed, reminding them that they really did have to be somewhere, and the message from Emma's Mum suggested to them that they'd better hurry, or else she was going to send Zoro out to look for them.
And, that would be a very bad idea...
Cupid's bright blue eyes snapped open. "Yes!" He whispered. "Yes, Yes, YES!" He looked all around him, not that there was anybody for him to look at, but a feeling had just walked up deep inside of him, one that the God Of Love had not expected to be feeling right at this very moment in time. Not with the Chaos growing and a God Of Darkness and such danger surrounding even the gods themselves...
"You sssseem happy." A familiar voice said from behind Cupid, who turned to see Twister. The God Of Change looked like he'd seen better days, and there was a decrease in his energy that Cupid didn't like, but he was here and that was the main thing. Cupid would've rushed over to hug him in joy but, well, it was Twister. Twister didn't do hugs.
"It's the best thing that could have happened!" Cupid informed him.
"Which bit?" Twister's tone didn't change.
"Here, here, here!" In comparison, Cupid's voice rose in pitch with each syllable, as he gestured to the stone tablets that Destiny had left behind for him to look at. "This one! And, this one!"
"What about that one?"
"That one especially!" Cupid could barely contain his excitement. His white wings stretched out on either side of him. "Do you know what this means, Twister?!"
"Yessss." The other god replied, simply. Perhapssss...sssshe really can do it...
Cupid then glanced across at Twister. "You okay?" He wanted to know.
"I've been better."
"Do you want a hug?"
"No."
Cupid cringed slightly, but continued to smile, despite the fact that the rift above Infinity's castle was bigger than it had been before, and seemed to be growing at an alarming rate.
"Don't worry," the God Of Love said. "It's all going to turn out...okay..." I am filled with so much hope right now...which means that she is, too...
Luffy had succeeded in maintaining ownership of his precious straw hat, although he had to promise Takodi a ride on Carue later on. Luffy was sure that Vivi wouldn't mind him volunteering her pet riding duck. She was cool like that.
He walked out into the hotel lobby and over to where Usopp, Brook, Chopper, and Franky were in a deep discussion on the whereabouts of Emma and Ace.
Apparently, Ace had shown up as Emma and her Mum were getting out of the elevator, and asked if he could borrow Emma for a short while - Lee's reply had been 'as long as you give her back', much to Emma and Ace's surprise.
"I hope that they didn't get lost..." Chopper was saying nervously, holding onto his own hat in case Takodi tried to put a claim in on that one, as well.
"I hope that Emma didn't convince Ace to just ditch the whole night." Usopp remarked. "You know how she gets with these sorts of events..." He added.
"At least her cousin and his family aren't here..." Chopper mumbled, remembering the conversation in the limo on the way over here.
"And, at least the family that she likes came." Franky added.
"So," Usopp clarified. "Emma's got next to no reason to ditch us this evening, so..." He actually tapped his foot impatiently. "Where are they?"
"Relax, they'll show up." Luffy reassured him, just as the a crowd outside of the hotel lobby all moved as one to get the best view of something that was approaching and then began exclaiming excitedly. "See?"
"How do you know that it's Emma-Nee-Chan and Ace?" Franky wanted to know.
"Look, it's ACE!"
"And Emma!"
"Shishishishi, I just do." Luffy grinned. "I told you that she wouldn't desert us!" He added.
"Very good prediction, Luffy." Usopp nodded his approval. "Go and tell everyone that she's here." He added, although he was also thinking: Emma and Ace may not have ditched us, but, I haven't seen Law for a little while...I wonder what happened to him...?
Luffy, meanwhile, had hurried back to the ballroom, dodging the catering staff and leaning into the huge room. "She's here!" He shouted, and his voice echoed.
'She's here...she's here...she's here...'
Everybody turned to look at the teenager in the suit and straw hat.
He grinned. "They're both outside." He pointed in that general direction.
Nami, now atop her platform again, looked frantic. "Sanji took over the kitchen but I still haven't organised the slideshow yet!" She realised.
"I'll see to that," Garp said firmly, helping the orange-haired teenager down from her platform. "You just leave this lot to me." He added, and the catering crew froze.
Nami looked relieved. "Terrific! Okay, you guys," she called to Vivi, Robin, Zoro, and Luffy. "It's show time!"
The five of them, plus Carue and Emma's parents, hurried out of the ballroom, leaving the catering crew with Garp, who suddenly turned sharply to face everyone who was unfortunate enough to be left in there with him. Dressed in full Marine attire that he had brought from home, and with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face, Monkey D. Garp looked every bit the Marine Vice-Admiral that he was. It didn't help that he was 9'5".
Nearby, the lobby doors were opened, letting in the noise from outside, before they swung shut again.
"Alright! This is Vice-Admiral Garp of the Marines!" Garp's voice rang out over the entire ballroom. "You lot all know your jobs and what it is that you have to do to make this night run perfectly, and I mean perfectly!" There was a steely glint in his dark eyes. "The man who will be coming in through those doors is my adopted grandson, and the woman beside him is my granddaughter daughter for-all-intents-and-purposes, and this is their engagement party!" He gave them all a Look that visibly dared them to try and question this.
Nobody said anything in response to this, although one man dared to whisper to his friend: "I want that orange-haired girl back..."
Garp, with his unbelievable hearing, was over to that employee in a flash, and, it was any wonder that the poor employee in question didn't faint.
"You just earned yourself half an hour of Centipede Roundup, soldier!" Garp shouted, referring to the fact that they'd all been working hard to try and get rid of the problem that had been shipped over in the sea crates that day. Not only was it a bad look, and not only did the little critters bite, but, everyone who knew Emma knew about her chilopodophobia. She certainly wouldn't have appreciated a herd of Giant Centipedes rocking up to her engagement party.
Garp pointed to one of the doors leading out of the ballroom and into an area of the hotel that hadn't been checked yet, and the poor worker had no choice but to obey. He went through there and, a moment later, they heard his horrified scream of terror.
Garp ignored this, and ordered: "You have your orders, soldiers, now...move out!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"It's amazing how your Grandpa can turn even a group of hotel employees into an army." Usopp told Luffy, who grinned.
They were standing with their Nakama a ways back from the crowd, which suddenly parted and revealed to them the source of commotion.
"Oh..." Nami, who had been wearing a look of frustration before, suddenly smiled, a smile that mirrored those worn by her Nakama. She had been close to wondering before if they might be going a tad overboard for this whole engagement party thing. Close, but, after the conversation between Emma and Garp that Nami, Usopp, and Chopper had overheard, and which Franky and Brook now knew about and Robin and Vivi had known about anyway, how could they not go all out? Emma and Ace weren't going to get the big wedding that Nami had planned in her mind for them, so, this was the next best thing.
Besides, it was almost entirely thanks to Emma's parents that any of this was happening; they'd booked the penthouse for them as well as commandeering the whole entire ballroom plus the catering staff. Despite everything, the family deserved to share this kind of occasion with their youngest daughter, too.
Robin had discovered that Lee and Bruce had been planning an engagement party for their youngest daughter for some time now - even before she'd come back. They had seemed to know just how close Emma and Ace were, wether they approved of him completely or not. They just weren't sure when to do it. Robin had told Nami, and they'd periodically told the rest of their Nakama, saving Luffy for last because he was a terrible secret-keeper. They'd managed to convince Emma's parents to hold the party that night - Twister's warning that the world was to be Erased the following morning had only provided further incentive.
And, that was even without knowing what Nami had overheard about their futures...
Now, she was going to go all out, to ensure that her Nakama were happy today.
Except...
"Ne, Sanji..." Nami said, not taking her eyes off of the two people coming towards them.
"What is it, my dear Nami-Swan?" Sanji was at her side in an instant, having finally emerged from the kitchens where he'd been doing what he did best (at least in terms of being a sous-chef).
"Can you go and find Law?" Nami asked him. "I haven't seen him in awhile..."
"I saw him," Zoro was standing on the other side of Nami. "He's been standing on the rooftop, just staring at the fissure." He added, referring to the strange cloud formation over the building where they'd all been yesterday. Was it just them, or, was the fissure getting bigger?
Nami sighed. "Can you both go and get him, please?" She asked. "Em will want him here." She added.
"How do you know?" Zoro and Sanji asked in unison.
"Intuition." Nami replied flatly.
The security guards succeeded in pushing the crowd back so that Emma and Ace could get through to their Allies. Nami had to whole-heartedly agree with the assessment made by Emma's Mum, sister, and two best friends when they'd ordered the dress for Emma (it had needed to be taken in but, luckily for them, Krystal happened to be a seamstress - in fact, she had taken in Nami's dress, too, as well as Usopp's suit). They'd both said that the dress would suit her perfectly, and Nami couldn't have put it any better herself.
Emma wore a goldish-pink long chiffon prom dress, with ribbon embroidery and spaghetti straps. The compass was around her neck, and the dress's low neckline revealed her red heart necklace. The open back revealed her Whitebeard tattoo, which was a little bit more than could be said for Ace who was forced to wear a suit.
As soon as Emma's white gladiator sandal style shoes (with no heel) hit the carpet to the lobby, she began looking around. She saw Luffy first - she really had no choice, because he was suddenly right there by her side. He mentioned something about the Baby DenDen Mushi that she was still wearing around her wrist, and Ace responded for Emma who was still looking around.
She spotted the three who were hard to miss - Brook, Franky, and Carue. With Carue was Vivi, and Emma's gaze acknowledged this before she began scanning the crowd again. She quickly identified Usopp, standing near Robin, and she even located Chopper who was getting swamped by people until Robin used her powers to bring Chopper over to her.
Her face looked visibly relieved for a moment, before she looked over at Nami, her eyes flickering with recognition. She then observed as Zoro and Sanji resigned themselves to the task that Nami had assigned them, and turned and left.
Emma would have started picking at her nails, just then, but Ace's hand over her right one and Luffy holding onto her left wrist (prodding at the Baby DenDen Mushi, who looked about to bite him) prevented her from doing this. So, instead, she just smiled at her friends and family, but her eyes were still searching...
Sanji and Zoro found Law where Zoro had said he'd be. It was smart of Nami to get them both to go together - Zoro could tell Sanji exactly where Law was, and Sanji could get them there without getting lost.
Too bad they wanted to kill each other with nearly every step, but they just took out their frustrations at having to work together on the local bug population instead.
After climbing thirty flights of stairs, nearly destroying over eight priceless artefacts, actually knocking over a priceless Ming vase, stopping two guys who were trying to pull off some sort of heist on the casino, and killing one hundred and seven centipedes (fifty-two were killed by Zoro, and forty-seven were killed by Sanji but that was due to the fact that he was too busy flirting with the female housekeeping attendants at times to worry about the bugs; eleven of which had been in the vase before its one-way trip down the stairwell), they finally made it to the roof where Law was.
He stood with his back to the swordsman and the chef, dressed all in black and looking like he hadn't moved for the past four or so hours. His silvery-grey eyes were trained on the fissure in the sky and, when Zoro and Sanji looked too, they found that it was indeed getting bigger. It stood out almost red against the night sky.
The three of them were silent for a moment, until Law finally spoke.
"They made it in alright." It wasn't a question.
"Yeah," Sanji replied. "Despite The Herd. Everyone's down in the lobby right now." He added, meaningfully.
Law didn't say anything.
Sanji and Zoro would have exchanged a glance, if not for the fact that they weren't particularly fond of each other. They both knew that it would be a bad idea to go back down there Law-less. Between Nami who would be furious and Emma who was already emotional and would be even more so if Law didn't show up, Sanji and Zoro didn't much like the prospect of having to admit defeat.
Spotting a rogue centipede on the wall nearby, Sanji dispatched it with a well-aimed kick (bringing the total number killed by him and Zoro to one hundred and eight). "Reminds me of the orange centipede that Emma-Chan saw on Bepo's jumpsuit on the way to Shimotsuki Village." The chef remarked.
"Yeah, and wasn't that an interesting expedition?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"How would you know?" Sanji eyed him. "You got lost on the straight path to the village, and then got to stay asleep for most of the following chapter...of our lives." He added, when Zoro gave him a weird look, which he returned. "Did you happen to see any of Emma-Chan's past?" He suddenly wanted to know.
Zoro just looked at him but then, seeing out of the corner of his eyes that Law had just shifted slightly, the swordsman sighed. "As a matter of fact, yes, I did." He informed the cook, who had just lit a cigarette, and Zoro couldn't help adding: "I saw when her Granddad died of lung cancer."
Sanji pretended not to hear him. "Yeah...Emma-Chan's been through a lot..." He mused, taking a drag of his cigarette. He then spoke in a slightly different voice. "She's just so kind and caring, always wanting to do what's best for everybody else and keeping them safe!"
Zoro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, which means keeping them alive and well, if she can..."
Law finally turned around then, and neither Zoro nor Sanji missed the look on his face. "Do you two know," he said slowly, somehow managing to seem like he was looking at both of them at once. "What's going to happen at six o'clock tomorrow morning?"
Zoro and Sanji looked back at him.
"We go to that other world?" Sanji guessed.
"And, take out this 'Infinity' and those Chaos Creatures?" Zoro added.
Law sighed. "Yes, and yes," he agreed with them, still with that same dark look in his eyes. "But, do you know how we are going to get to get to the Celestial Realm?" The other two shook their heads. "Or, even what it is?" Again, they shook their heads.
Law stared at them, measuring them up. Okay, are they seriously not that worried about this? Are they only doing this because they're Emiko's Allies?
Zoro spoke. "Listen, Law, if you know something, then you should probably just tell us and get it over with."
The two swordsmen looked at each other for a moment.
"Ne," Sanji ventured. "Didn't Brook say something about that world that we went to - when we saw Emma-Chan's past - being the 'realm of the dead'?" He recalled the skeletal musician's words.
Law nodded. "Hai. We were able to go there without actually going there," he explained. "Mainly because the areas that we were in, we were in with our borrowed forms."
'Our cat forms...' Sanji realised, and saw that Zoro had just drawn that same conclusion and was nodding.
"When Emiko and I went with Twister-Ya," Law went on. "We saw more of the Celestial Realm, and we were able to do so as we are, simply because of who and what we are." Both Zoro and Sanji nodded. "But...the rest of you, despite being Emiko's Allies...cannot." Law finished, simply.
"...Meaning...?" Sanji was starting to get a strange feeling, like he was close to learning something horrible that he didn't want to know, but, he had to.
"There is no way for us to defeat Infinity unless we are all there, and not in our borrowed forms." Law said, speaking somewhat softly, but, they both heard him. "And, there is only one way to take the rest of you with us, safely."
Zoro and Sanji didn't say anything, their faces showing no signs that they'd understood what Law had meant, and so he was forced to tell them.
"You will have to meet the Goddess whom Emiko and I spoke with." Law's voice was low, and emotionless. "And, by taking her hand, you resign yourselves to that. When you meet with the Goddess Of Death."
There, he'd said it.
Law closed his eyes briefly, and waited.
Presently, Sanji spoke, and Law opened his eyes. He was surprised to see that the blonde chef looked thoughtful. "So...that's why Emma-Chan looked so upset when you guys came back that night." He took another drag of his cigarette. "My poor little Emma-Chwan, having to handle such a thing..." He murmured, shaking his head.
Okay, that was typical of Sanji, to be more worried about a female member of their Allies. But, what about Zoro? Law glanced at the green-haired man, recalling all the talk about the dream shared by Zoro and Kuina.
Zoro was looking back at Law. "Doesn't seem fair, does it?" Zoro stated, taking Law almost completely by surprise. "That, even now, none of us will get to see our dreams through to the end." He smiled ever so slightly, although there was a teeny hint of sadness in that smile, too. "Kuina said that you guys," he looked at Law, who realised that 'you guys' meant him and Ace. "Missed out on something, when you said all of that stuff about Emma's dream." The way that he was saying that made both Law and Sanji realise that Kuina must have told Zoro what that thing was, and, his next words confirmed it for them. "Doesn't seem like she'll get to do that now, does it?"
Law tried to keep the look of shock off of his face then. He suddenly realised, without a doubt, that Zoro was absolutely right. Whatever the last part of Emma's dream was, it clearly involved Ace - and, with him dead, it seemed like she wouldn't be able to achieve that dream. And...if Emma's dream - despite the fact that it involved Ace - didn't come true, then, that meant that Law's wasn't going to, either.
After all, his soul reason for existing was for her. For her to be everything that she wanted to be. Law clenched his fists slightly. They may complete their mission, but for what? In the end, none of them would get what they wanted. Emma was aware of all of this already, Law knew that. She was aware of it and she wasn't happy about it - she blamed herself for getting them mixed up in all this - but she had resigned herself to it. She was down there in the hotel ballroom right now, acting like nothing was wrong as she spent time with her family and friends from this world for the last time ever. And, the Allies that she felt like she had doomed were down there also, some of them aware of their impending future and...Law suddenly realised that there might only be one of their Allies who was still blissfully unaware. But, they were all down there now, doing whatever they could to enjoy their last few hours before a battle unlike anything that anybody had ever faced.
Law wondered if it would have been different, if Emma had chosen him and not Ace. Probably it would have been, because then they would still be able to be together and alive. They could have returned to that other world, and conquered the Grand Line together.
It was a thought that he had indulged in a couple of times, however...
Law realised that, as long as it involved Emma then it was his dream, whatever she chose.
Sanji spoke up, just then, as he stamped out the end of his cigarette. "She's been waiting for you." He said meaningfully, and Law nodded. "Best not to keep a lady waiting."
His deep blue eyes (or, at least the one that was visible) seemed to stare into Law's soul. Law understood. None of them were going to achieve their dreams and none of them actually wanted to go through with this, but at least those guys were going to face Infinity with their Nakama.
Together...
Hadn't Law been saying that? Despite the fact that he still wasn't quite ready to start calling any of the Straw Hat Pirates friends (he definitely wasn't going to call Straw Hat Luffy's brother a 'friend'), he had been saying that they'd do this together, and now he needed to prove it.
For Emma's sake.
He was her First Knight, after all.
The rest of the night went off without a hitch, and turned out to be memorable for so many different and wonderful reasons.
Robin, who was the queen of multitasking, had taken it upon herself to write down everything that was happening around them, managing to keep what she was writing both neutral and expressive.
Nami stopped briefly to take a look at what Robin had written about the party, as the orange-haired teenager bustled by on her way to probably yell at some poor caterer again.
7:10. Emma has not once asked where Law is, although she keeps looking around - she might think that it's not obvious, but I overhear Nami saying that she'll 'kill those bakaif they don't get back soon', which I assume means that she sent Zoro and Sanji out as a search party as they're missing, too.
7:25. Takodi tries to take Chopper's hat; Chopper falls into the fountain and has to be rescued.
7:30. The entree of mushroom arinchini balls and deep-fried Brie cheese has been served. I detect more than a hint of Sanji's handiwork in here.
7:33. There is a bright red centipede on one of the pillars. I take care of it before anyone can notice.
7:45. Zoro and Sanji have successfully returned with Law, and are standing on either side of him like bodyguards, as if he may try to sneak out without anybody noticing.
7:46. Emma has just realised this; her face lights up, and she toasts more exuberantly than what she did before.
7:57. Another centipede is making its way up a candlestick, but Ace is able to get rid of it and light the candle at the same time.
8:10. The first course of grilled pork belly with mashed potatoes in a red wine jushas just come out; our Captain is very excited.
8:20. Luffy gives Takodi a ride on Carue. Takodi says his first words: "My duck."
8:30. A hotel attendant brings out a telephone, which rings, and Emma answers it. She tries unsuccessfully to not scream; it is her favourite singer, David Draiman, wishing her a happy engagement.
Nami rolled her eyes as she continued on. Her eardrums were still hurting from the high-pitched frequency of Emma's shriek. She pitied Ace, who was next to Emma (not to mention David Draiman on the other end of the line) - in fact, Ace had been by Emma's side for almost the whole night.
As Nami hurried by Vivi, who was trying patiently to explain to Takodi why Carue needed a specialised diet, she smiled. So far, things were going just fine.
She watched as Usopp, armed with a camera that took high-quality instant photographs, snapped a picture of the ballroom from the point-of-view of the grand piano, and that made Nami wonder where their skeleton musician was. They'd been switching between Brook playing the piano and music courtesy of the DJ.
Brook seemed to be suggesting a song to the DJ, who switched songs at the end of something called 'Wannabe'.
Immediately Nami noticed that Sanji, Chopper, Franky, Vivi, Emma, and Ace all recognised the song; because they all looked at each other and grinned. The song, whatever it was, was a good one, and Nami found herself caught up in it; she decided against having a go at the catering staff and instead stood back to enjoy the song.
"They're handling this remarkably well." Georgia and her sister stood on the outskirts of the ballroom, as Emma's family and friends watched a slideshow montage on Emma's life. "I mean, Emma's not, but..."
Carmilla smiled slightly, watching as Emma began sliding down in her chair when some embarrassing baby photos of her were shown. "Yeah...I wonder if Mum would have organised all of this...if it had been you who was involved in this instead of Emma...?" The raven-haired beauty mused.
"Probably not, considering that she doesn't even know that we're here." Georgia shrugged, casually referring to the fact that Jacqueline had told them not to go to the party, even though they'd all been invited. "Still, it's good to see them again..." She admitted. Carmilla glanced down at her younger sister. "Like, it's weird, but...I can't help but get the feeling..."
"Like we're never gonna see them again?" Carmilla nodded. "I have that feeling too, Georgie...which is why I'm here..."
"Huh?" Georgia glanced back up at Carmilla, who appeared to now be scanning the crowd.
"I need to talk to someone..." Carmilla said quietly.
"Who?" Georgia asked, at the same time as another voice did, and the red-head jumped. She and Carmilla both turned around, to see none other than Nico Robin standing there, looking as serene as always.
"Robin!" Georgia whisper-exclaimed, not wanting to interrupt the slideshow.
"Oh, you'll do." Carmilla nodded. Robin waited. "There's something that I need to tell you...about Ino."
Emma was gripping Ace's hand so tightly that she nearly broke it, but, she couldn't help it. Her parents, who were the two people who didn't make speeches, were standing up in front of all of these people and making a speech about her. It was heartfelt, it was warm, and, most importantly, they had finally said that they were proud of her.
Ace glanced at Emma, and noticed how pale she looked.
"Emiko?" He whispered.
"They've never said that to me before." Her lips barely moved, and her eyes were trained on the two people who had just sat back down nearby to them. "I mean, like, never...nobody has said that to me...not in this world, at least, you know?"
Ace was about to put his arm across her shoulder, when he paused because he sensed that she was about to get up, and then she did.
"They also don't make speeches, but they did..." Emma's voice sounded firm. "If they can do something totally out of character like this, then I..." Ace watched her hurry over to the DJ, and then say something to him. The DJ nodded, and switched the song out.
Emma, meanwhile, headed over to the microphone and, though she was shaking, Ace noticed that the look on her face betrayed no sense of nervousness.
He also noticed that their Allies had picked up on this, too, and then Emma started singing, in a voice that didn't shake one little bit, despite the complexity of the song and the fact that she was singing in front of a lot of people. Even the last chorus, which Ace heard Vivi and Luffy speculate later must've been sung in the note of high Z or something, wasn't enough to destroy the melodic power that singing this song seemed to bring from Emma. Even with tears in her eyes, Emma sung the entire song flawlessly, managing to look at all of the important people who were in that room with her, and then rushed back to her seat looking both embarrassed and pleased.
"I see." Robin said, her voice calm but a slight flicker of worry in her blue eyes enough to tell Carmilla that she'd made the right decision in coming here.
"It didn't seem important at the time," Carmilla sighed. "But, knowing what I know now...I feel like it's something that you all should be made aware of."
Robin nodded. "Yes, I understand." She replied, glancing back into the ballroom as Emma's singing voice carried out from there.
"I do swear that I'll always be there, I'd give anything and everything...and I will always care..."
Carmilla followed Robin's gaze, and smiled slightly, recognising the song. "You know...when I was put on this case...to investigate and later on arrest this 'Straw Hat Wearing Cat Girl'...I never expected it to lead to anything like this..." The police officer shook her head, her black hair swinging. "When I first met Emma, when she was about to be sliced by that angry chef in Dunsborough...it was when she was protecting that small black cat, that I now know was Luffy..." Her blue eyes seemed to glitter at the memory, although her next words took Robin by surprise. "What she did that day...she reminded me of my boyfriend...the one I lost..." She added, quietly now but Robin of course still heard her. "My Cameron..."
"Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow..."
"The way that she wanted to protect those guys...it was the kind of thing that he would have done..." Carmilla smiled, sadly. "Cam and I, we...we went through our police training together...actually, we'd been together since we were kids, and I know...that he wanted to protect those that he loved, and who couldn't protect themselves...that's why Georgia is the way that she is. She acts so confident and sure of herself, because she has to, to prove that she's not someone who needs other people to die to protect her...I thought that she'd fall apart in that other world where she couldn't be so sure, but...it was good for her, in a way..."
"For better, for worse...I will love you.. with every beat of my heart..."
Robin waited, sensing that there was more to come from the policewoman.
"It was a good experience for me to go there, as well." Carmilla admitted. "Even though I have honestly never been as scared in my life as when Akainu appeared from that portal alongside Little Death." She chuckled, somewhat sardonically, and Robin smiled slightly - she understood that sentiment perfectly. "I don't even remembering feeling scared on that day when I lost Cam...of course, I had Georgia with me so I felt scared for her, but at that point I knew what I had to do and I did it." She didn't say what it was, and Robin didn't need to ask - she knew that it had involved Carmilla drawing her pistol and killing the one who had killed Cam before Georgia got hurt. "After that day, I just began to view the world around me in black and white - you were either good or you were bad, there was no in-between." Carmilla's eyes darkened slightly. "And, so, when I was trapped in that strange world, and had sided with Akainu and Ino, who seemed to share that same view...it was almost like I'd forgotten everything that I used to stand for, and why I took my oaths alongside Cam that day...it took somebody like him to remind me of that..." She shook her head, as if to clear it. "He always used to say...that the world isn't black and white. It's grey and messy and ugly, but...sometimes it's silver and pure and beautiful, too... I had forgotten that and you guys all reminded me of it, so...thank you." She glanced at at Robin, who was smiling serenely at her. "And...I hope that you guys succeed in your mission..." She added, and smiled back at Robin, although there was a sadness behind her eyes.
"Yes...I hope so, too..." Robin said softly.
Early the following morning, after the engagement party had ended (most spectacularly, but whether that was due to the fireworks or the fact that Luffy had gotten into a fight with a gang of Bad Roaches, nobody knew), the Straw Hat Pirates, Ace, Law, and Garp were sitting up in the penthouse, waiting for Emma to come back from saying goodnight - goodbye- to her parents.
Emma came into the room at the same time that Robin walked in from the photocopying room with an armful of books.
"What have you got there, Robin-San...?" Emma wanted to know, as everybody glanced up at her. Her eyes were very bright, but she hadn't been crying, which was very brave of her.
Of course, the tears fell anyway when she saw what Robin had been working on - a complete account of what had happened since Luffy had started on his journey and through to when Emma had bought that necklace up until now. It came complete with eye-witness accounts, pictures, and photographs, and the emblem designed by Usopp served as the cover of the book, which Robin seemed to have made a copy of for each of them.
How the archeologist had managed to get all of this done in such a short amount of time, Emma had absolutely no idea whatsoever.
One thing that she wanted to know was...
"How did you...?" Emma trailed off, when Law glanced up at her. "You went through my bag?" She guessed, and he nodded. Emma sighed, and sat down beside him. "Eiichiro Oda sent them to me." She explained, and her Allies and Garp all looked at her with some interest. "I still can't believe that he drew that kind of artwork for us all, it's so...incredible. Almost like I was in the manga, too..."
"Would you have wanted to be in his story?" Chopper asked her.
Emma shook her head. "No...I meant what I said during that press conference...that I want him to continue his story the way that he intended it to go..." She smiled sadly. "Even though..." She glanced around at the others, who either met her gaze or didn't. Only Luffy seemed normal. Emma blinked. "Umm...minna?" She looked concerned. "Is something...the matter?"
A few of her Allies exchanged glances then, and eventually they all looked at Vivi, who couldn't help but freeze.
It was Robin who spoke, however. "Emma-San," She said, quietly. "As you know, I overheard Little Death's words to you the other day on the rooftop. And...when you were talking with your Grandfather the following day," her eyes flickered over to the Marine Vice-Admiral. "That conversation was overheard..."
"By me." Nami spoke up from the couch, and Emma just stared at her.
"Umm, and me..." Chopper said meekly.
"I heard it, too." Usopp added. "And, I told Franky."
"And, I told Brook." Franky finished.
Emma closed her eyes. "I...see."
"Why didn't you just tell us?" Nami wanted to know all of a sudden. "Why did you keep it a secret?" She didn't sound accusing. She just wanted to know.
"Umm..." Vivi's voice said from Emma's right just then, and Emma opened her eyes to look at the younger woman. "I knew..." They all looked at her. "The gods told me...about it...it was part of my duties as the Decoy Princess." She added. "So...I knew before anybody else did and...didn't say anything..."
"It wasn't your role to do so, Vivi-Ya." Law shook his head. "It probably wasn't mine, either, however..." He glanced at Zoro, and then at Sanji, before turning back to Emma, who was looking at him. "I felt that they needed to know."
"I understand." Emma sighed. She had reached over, and taken Ace's hand. On her wrist, Su-Chan snoozed away. "Ace-Chan overheard me telling Daddy about it, so...he knows..."
"Yup..." Ace nodded.
"In short, it seems that everybody knows." Nami sighed as well. With the festivities over for that night, she was suddenly feeling verytired, but not in a sleep-deprived way. More in a lacking energy sort of way.
"Knows what?"
Everybody seemed to remember Luffy just then, and turned to face the straw hat wearing Captain, who gazed back at them with a completely blank expression.
Emma had put her head in her hands, as the others exchanged glances. The one person that Emma had been dreading telling didn't know, and they all realised this at the same time, just as Nami's gaze drifted to the clock on the desk nearby.
She stood up suddenly.
"Nami-San?" Sanji was suddenly on alert, too, seeing the look on their navigator's face.
"It's five-fifty." Nami said, in a tense voice all of a sudden, and everybody else exchanged a glance, except for Garp.
The Marine Vice-Admiral stood up suddenly as well, and said: "Luffy, come with me. The rest of you, do what you have to do."
They all just exchanged confused glances, as Garp left the room with his youngest grandson, and Vivi began discreetly putting certain things into Carue's saddle bags.
As Garp and Luffy came back into the room, the latter wearing an unreadable expression, Garp turned to face his granddaughter.
"Do you have everything that you need?" He asked her, in a surprisingly gentle voice.
She nodded - she couldn't speak.
Garp nodded. "Let's go, then."
They all wordlessly formed a circle, holding hands (Vivi and Garp each held onto one of Carue's wings).
Emma swallowed, and tried to concentrate. This is it...I don't know what will happen when we get there, but... She watched as the clock ticked over to 6:00am. There's no other option. Goodbye, this world...
"Ribon-Ribon No Transport!"
What happened was nothing short of horrendous.
It was as if the very forces of Chaos itself had been waiting for them to teleport to that fissure because, the second that the fifteen of them hit the top of that building, beams of what appeared to be dark energy shot out of seemingly nowhere, striking the Straw Hat Pirates and Ace directly in their chests.
Except that...it didn't happen.
Well, it did, but in the split-second between it happening and everybody becoming aware of it...somebody had intervened.
Emma, who was the only one who could move at that time, slowly put her hands down, looking around her at the scene that was frozen in time around her. There was the Straw Hat Pirates, each of them frozen there with dark energy piercing into their hearts, and Ace...
Tears filled Emma's eyes as she knew, she just knew that all of them had died...but, as time had stopped around them, it was going to take that split second for it to actually happen. The world had turned grey and still around them.
Next, she became aware that the beams of darkness had not yet reached her, Law, Garp, and Carue. How that could be soon became clear, as she saw two figures in black cloaks hovering above her.
"Twister..." Emma's voice cracked slightly. "And...Father Time?" She guessed, and the blue-skinned man nodded, but it was Twister who spoke.
"My Father hassss agreed to sssstay here for assss long assss he can, and keep thissss world from being Erassssed." Twister told Emma, who felt her heart thud painfully in her chest. "And...I will accompany the Marine Vicccce-Admiral and the Sssspot-Billed Duck back to their own world." Twister floated down to where Emma was, carefully avoiding the beams of killer energy.
"Without your scythe?" Emma was shaking.
Twister nodded. "I have sssstrength enough for thissss..."
Emma's eyes widened. "What do you...?"
Father Time now spoke. "My son has been severely weakened by the God Of Darkness and his First Knight."
"Oh my God..." Emma gritted her teeth. "Teech...I can't believe he..."
"Princcccessssssss..." Twister shook his head. "For now, you musssst focussss on the tassssk that issss in front of you. Do not worry about me," he added, as he walked over to Carue and Garp, and calmly detached Vivi's hand from Carue's wing. "Jusssst do what only you can do..."
"What only...I can do?" Emma repeated, watching as Twister disappeared into a portal alongside Garp and Carue. At least they are safe... She thought, turning around to find Death standing on the edge of the rooftop, waiting for her.
She didn't realise that Law had suddenly found that he could move as well, and he watched as his Princess walked across the rooftop to where the pale-skinned Goddess was waiting for her.
Death said, in her voice as soft as snow: "Yes...with your Allies, there is something that only you can do..." And, she began to sing, sounding like a cross between Amy Lee and Celine Dion.
"Allies united, under friendship's fire,
Bring light to evil's vain desire,
Alone you fail, but you will be aligned,
Under the rule of a Princess you have yet to find,
When you find her, you will know,
The light that guides you, she will show,
A power needed, for the thirteen,
To save the worlds, seen and unseen,
Then venture forth into the lair,
Of monster from an ancient nightmare,
Stand together in the darkness' face,
Stand united under Grace...
The seeds of the past have been sown,
The strength of those flowers has grown,
For darkness inside light's own power,
Brings forth light in the darkest hour,
Beware the foes not fully discovered,
And seek the truth that must be uncovered,
Understanding this will allow you,
To do what only you can do,
To defeat the Chaos tearing all apart,
And heal an endlessly broken heart,
To reach the source of all within,
Throw all away, and take all in..."
She then reached out her hands to Emma and to Law, who had suddenly appeared at Emma's side.
Without even hesitating, without even thinking, the Princess and her First Knight took the hands of the Goddess Of Death, in the place of their Allies, and at once all of them were whisked away to the Celestial Plains...
Author's Notes:
The hotel attendant's scream of terror: youtu . be / dtnDHN6-ASA
Between Zoro and Sanji they killed one hundred and eight centipedes...wonder if they'll get a Spiritomb, now?
The girls' dresses: dark-anmut/art/Dresses-826143772
SONG LIST:
. Wannabe, by The Spice Girls (mentioned)
. Millionaires, by The Script (mentioned)
. From This Moment On, by Shania Twain