This chapter has been rewritten.
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Author notes:
Hey Again, I don't own one piece (I wish), this is still my first fic, and I still don't know what the hell I am doing.
For you who noticed I am choosing what character and scene to include, and what to ignore for now. Things should become clearer as I go on, I hope.
I am not sure when I will be able gave background info and what will I give (thank you for asking, requests for history phases anyone? it may help me focus), but definitely not until writing the war and its aftermath.
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Warnings:
English is my fourth language, the story will include thoughts about suicide, self-harm, and Ace self-worth issues.
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Thank you:
KuramaShadowFoxYokai, Naoli, animequeen1001, sess18, Caigdimo, Dreamer Miyu, MysticWaterWolf, FlyingPotato63, WindCrestTrails, ichigo urahara Shihoin and Guest.
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To all of you that followed, favorite and especially reviewed, you are awesome! THANK you, this chapter is for you, so I really hope you like it.
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animequeen1001
I hope this chapter help, if not be little bit more specific, please? Thank you for loving it.
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MysticWaterWolf
I really appreciate your honest input, writing in another language is really hard, I keep known the words that I want to say but not finding them in English (even though I know them, frustrating), I hope you continue giving me honest feedback in the future.
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Dreamer Miyu
WOW, thank you for asking, background information, I will even try to take requests for history phases (anything specific you want to know ?it may help my focus, I am all over the place). Don't worry, not until writing the war and its aftermath.
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Guest (you know who you are! ^^)
Totally agree (you get it), that's why I don't usually enjoy OC story (ironically, I am writing one). So if Lina ever seem that way, please let me know, I am counting on you. Please keep enjoying it.
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Hope you enjoy,
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Luffy POV
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Come on, come on, move, faster, more .. that what was kept running in Luffy's head, he couldn't stop himself, he needed to ask, "Jinbe, are we there yet?"
Jinbe sighed, "Luffy-kun, as I told you a minute ago, it will take us at least 15 minutes to get to the gates of justice."
Jinbe paused looking at the sea and sky and murmured, "14 now."
"But Ace is waiting," Luffy grumbled.
Jinbe exhaled again, this time full of sorrow and sadness, "I am sorry Luffy-kun, the execution will be held in another three hours, we should hopefully have enough time to save him."
Luffy nodded and tried to make himself relax, (Lina told him several times to save his strength). He looked around him, the party-feeling vanished long ago and feeling of dread filled the air instead, no, more of anticipation. He was growing more and more impatient and worried the closer they get, he wanted to get there now and see Ace with his own eyes.
Lina was still going around in circles, speaking to this and that, and ordering people around, this was so unlike her it made him smile a little bit.
When he told Ace about this later, he wouldn't believe him, Ace would probably grumble about Luffy eating some bad meat again and having haulllicationsss, halu …halucions .. seeing mystery things, yeah.
Lina always took her time in everythinggggg, he usually needed to drag her along or they will be waiting forever.
When they were still home, she used to always grumble to him and Ace about needing a plan, and thinking things through. Soooo boring!
But in the end she will sigh and see things his way (she should had done that from the start ).
shishishishi … Usopp and Chopper didn't believe him, when he told them that Lina would had prefered to stay in their boring home island than going on an adventure. Insane, right? He nodded to himself, SUPER insane.
He and Ace convinced her, looking at it now, Luffy scratched his head. He more like dragged her along, not that it mattered. Lina was here and she had a plan..
Sorta ….
Hmmmm
A maybe plan.
She tried to explain it to him several times already, something about removing the biggest monocle…., no, no that wasn't right, removing the biggest Popsicle.
Hmmm, no, no,….that was not right either.
"Stupid Popsicle," Luffy muttered under his breath.
He was getting hungry again, drool was beginning to form in his mouth.
He wondered if Sanji could make him a meat Popsicle. He would have to remember to ask him…yummmm, Luffy envisioned it before his eyes, a really big one... HUGE, his drool was dripping now.
He wiped the drool with the back of his hand, he would just have to ask Lina to explain the plan to him again.
He moved closer to where she was standing, conferring with two other people that he didn't know, they all looked the same to him.
"Damn, so we can't do anything about those Den Den Mushi," Lina said, her face scrunched up.
"Sorry Lina-chan, they are marines Den Den Mushi. I am afraid I don't have the time or the equipment to make them secure for us to use."
"Damn .." repeated Lina, she looked quite dejected now.
"Hmmmmm…we have to find another way to communicate," she was looking at the sky deep in thought, looking kind of upset.
Luffy just reacted, looped his arms around her several times, she became startled for a second, but then looked up at him without turning around, she was a bit shorter from him so there was no headbutt involved, and her whole face lit up.
"Hey Luffy," she greeted.
His younger sister should never be upset.
He gave her in return his biggest smile and told her in absolute conviction, "We are going to save Ace," this was a fact for him, but she needed to hear it, so he said it.
She smiled right back, "of course we will."
After a moment, she asked "Do you need something in particular, Lu?"
"Yeah," he answered and tightened his arms around here, "explain the plan to me again."
He waited while looking at the sea, but only silence answered him.
He stretched his head around to see what happened, why wasn't she explaining like she did before when he asked.
" Lina…" he began and stopped.
"Lina, you're so funny. Shishishishi ... You look like those fish we saw last time with Usopp and Chopper. Shishishi... you only need to be pink and you will look exactly the same." Luffy continued laughing until his stretched head pumped with some ex prisoner passing by.
He felt more relaxed, talking to his sister always did that, made him happy and energetic.
"Luffy," she finally groaned.
She turned around in his embrace, and gave him the look, the kind of look that mothers gave to their naughty children when they caught them with their hand stuck in the meat jar (Makino sometimes gave them (well, him mainly) this look, after he did something really really stupid, according to her). She sighed again, her shoulders hunched.
"Sorry," he couldn't help but say.
"No, that's okay, you don't need to worry about it," she wasn't looking at him, but at the ground frowning, seemingly deep in thought.
"But .." he tried.
Lina interrupted, "No, seriously, Luffy. How can I say this nicely, you suck at following a plan."
That was true and he was quite proud of it, but for Lina he was prepared to try, it didn't mean that he won't do what must be done in his eyes, but he would try for his sister sake.
"No, don't look all determined like this. It's probably better if you don't know."
She murmured,"actually, the whole plan, even if it worked, it's a backup plan. It's there to make our job of saving Ace and getting him out easier. You are the main dish ... so do whatever you want for now, I will be there beside you, if there is something that I will need your help with, I will let you know on the fly."
Luffy eyed her for several seconds. She looked right back at him, not flinching away, showing no doubt or hesitation.
In that moment Luffy realized, Lina looked the most confident than he had ever remembered her being.
He just can't show her any less confidence in her and in himself.
He unknotted his arms from around here, and put his hands on his hips, looking her straight in the eyes.
"Yes, I understand! I will be counting on you then," he told her naturally with a big smile adorning his face.
She mirrored his stance and gave him another small smile and nodded, "Of course, you can count on me."
She was turning away, when he remembered a really important matter.
"Lina, remind me to ask Sanji to make us a huge meat popsicle."
Shishishi.. the pinky fish was back.
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Buggy POV
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The girl was crazy. No, no, stupid, idiotic and certificately insane signed by him, Captain Buggy from the Buggy pirates.
He thought that the Strawhat idiot was the crazy one (infiltrating Impel down, need he say more). Buggy knew he was nattering in his own mind, but he felt the occasion warranted (No, it didn't make him crazy).
He get back to muttering to himself. The girl, what was her name again, Lima. No, Lida, something that begin with L, he was sure.
He looked to his right to ask Mr.3 about her name. He wasn't there, where did he go? He was just there a minute ago.
Whatever her name was, she was absolutely insane.
He still looked around him trying to find to where Mr.3 disappeared to, when he spotted her, his tormentor.
What the hell was she and the strawhat talking about now, he wondered. Please not another crazy plan, this one was more than enough, he shuddered.
He blinked, no his eyes were not deceiving him, they were smiling.
"Creepy," he muttered.
They were going to war, A WAR (whose fault was that, HUH).
He thought those damn days were over, he shuddered even more in remembering. Damn you captain Roger, he swore heavily in his mind as always when remembering the nightmare that was his previous life.
"Damn you to the seven hells," he muttered.
They were going to a war with that damn Whitebeard and the Admirals, he couldn't help the trembling that run through his body. He cursed them, those two morons for having no care, while here he was freaking out, which was the normal sane reaction.
He changed his mind, they were both crazy. It runs in the family apparently, he snickered to himself. At least, their older brother, Ace, was polite. No, that was not right either, the girl acted like polite and lovely lady when they first met in Impel down, until she opened her mouth, her big fu**ing mouth.
OH shit, if he continued with this logic than their big brother would be…. No.
No, no, no ..… He didn't want to know or think.
Especially because of Ace (he almost forget, HOW COULD HE? curse this family), he was going to this WAR (his doom).
Those three were the crystallization of a lot of huge problems, deadly ones, and somehow they dragged poor him, kicking and screaming, into them.
This stupidity (that brought those insane ideas) looked like it was genetic and not contagious, that was the conclusion that he reached and it made him sigh in relief and relax his body, he was safe for now.
Thank the sea gods, he looked up to the sky praying for any deity to save his soul and body (whole!) from this continuous hell. Well, he intended to use those escapees that thought of him as some kind of saviour (him a hero? HUH?) to survive the the coming hell (he was beginning to regret running away from Impel down, Impel down was heaven compared to what was coming), nonetheless divine intervention was quite welcome, right about *ucking now.
But just in case, he added to himself, he should stay far away from all three (better safe than sorry was his motto!).
He doesn't want to get infected with stupidity. Yes, he was very happy with this decision, he turned around to find same sane people to associate with or his worshipper, but the sight that welcomed him wasn't pleasing AT ALL.
"Wait a minute, just wait a damn minute, shit, we are doomed," he mumbled out loud.
It was *ucking contagious, those morons were surrounding her, listening to her and following her orders.
He can't believe it and it was happening in front of his eyes.
Maybe because there was something in his eyes, yeah, that was the only explanation to what was he seeing (or thinking he was seeing).
He rubbed his eyes furiously several times and blinked.
No, there wasn't.
The I-am-better-than-you-gonna-control-the-world Ser Crocodile (He wasn't afraid of him, no, he was not. He was the great captain Buggy after all!) was listening to her. No, asking her things, having a conversation with her.
And he wasn't alone, so was Mr.3 and Bon Caly standing beside her, listening.
"Holy shit!" he screamed, which earned him several weird looks, even from his followers.
That little pixie was giving orders and they were like yes ma'am, thank you ma'am, anything you want ma'am.
"You look quite green Buggy, it actually suit your nose!"
Somehow in his retreat from this insanity (Please! He was captain Buggy, he never run away, he strategically retreated, yeah, he was smart!), he stumbled into where Jinbe was steering them into their doom.
He chose to ignore the insult to his beautiful and aristocratic nose and focus on more urgent matters.
"You definitely don't agree with this insanity!"
No, he probably shouldn't start from there, from the beginning slowly, step by step.
"You know that her plan, and I am being extremely generous calling it a plan, is insane, right?"
"Yes."
Thank the gods high above, the seas and its kings, finally someone sane in this madhouse. He raised his eyes and hands in thanks to the deities.
"Which is why it may work," Jinbe added, destroying any faith (in anything) Buggy had.
He takes it back, he takes everything back, they were all insane, they were doomed that was what they were. They were all gonna end up food for the fish if they were lucky, why did he run away from the safe haven Impel down again...
Jinbe ignored his gaping unbelieving attractive face and continued, "you yourself said it's insane, right?"
Not waiting for an answer, not that Buggy had the capability to gave one, he continued.
"Which mean they wouldn't expect something like that," he paused and added softly, "Don't look at me like that! Yes, I agree with you. It's insane and dangerous and suicidal and it have very small chances of succeeding."
Buggy was listening with rapt attention now, and so Jinbe continued, "but what if it worked."
Buggy opened his mouth to tell him in quite the detail what he thought about all of this.
"Stop for second and listen."
Buggy obeyed on reflex and closed his mouth.
"We already agreed it is insane. But we just broke out from the most secure prison in the world, which is insane."
He had a point there.
"We are going to a war. A war between the biggest powers alive, the marines are challenging the man, Oayji, that can destroy the world if he so wished. It's insane, right?"
He nodded, of course it was insane, need he ask.
"The whole situation is insane (no shit Sherlock), I don't like it. I wished to stop it, that's why I was put in prison in the first place. So, what is one more insane plan!"
Buggy didn't want to admit it, but this made some sense to him.
"Insane situation, insane plan," he murmured out loud.
Then Jinbe just had to added, "Imagine the marines' faces if it worked."
Oh yes, he could imagined it perfectly, it would be a sight to see, a magnificently insane sight, his face lit up with insane smile at the clear picture forming behind his eyes.
The perfect revenge.
He murmured his goodbyes to Jinbe, saying that he needed to think.
Hmmm … their faces, it make him giddy inside thinking about it.
Shit, it would be almost worth all the insanity to see the marines disgrace. He laughed wholeheartedly at the image dancing behind his eyes.
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And stopped himself abruptly.
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Shit, he knew it, stupidity was contagious.
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…
Lina POV
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She needed to find a way for them to be able to communicate secretly, or at least somehow more securely, and there should be a way, think Lina, think.
Shit, her mind was blank. She thought for while she will be able to use those damn marines Den Den Mushi, but nooooo, they can't, she grumbled to herself.
Not if they wanted the marines to know about all their moves. Duhhh, which was what they were trying to avoid.
Think Lina, use this big brain of yours to do some good (what the hell, brain? When I need you to work, you stop functioning!).
Well, it was hard to think about this problem, when they had a bigger one, she mused to herself.
They were finally here, in Marineford.
Well, not exactly in the battlefield, they were stuck above it.
Looking down at the battlefield was making her dizzy.
They were literally trapped atop frozen waves.
According to Jinbe, this wonderful situation (the sarcasm was dripping from her mouth like drool dripped from Luffy's when he smelled meat) was the doing of both Whitebeard and Aokiji (GAHHH, the mere mention of his name made her tremble in anger). The whole thing made perfect sense, she sarcastically said, "Yup, stuck on freaking frozen tsunami wave."
Imagine explaining the whole situation to their crew, "... and then while we were sailing a storm begin, more like tsunami. No, it begin out of nowhere, Nami. Huge wave! It was gonna swallow us; and I don't know how but we were able to ride it. Yeah like surfer, very good Chopper. Now, the ship was riding the wave. Yes, the huge tsunami wave. Usopp! Stop repeating everything I say, you want to hear what happened or not. Then it froze. No, the wave froze, Brook. Yeah, you understood right, we were stuck on the top of frozen tsunami wave looking at the battle happening under us. No, no, I kid you not. Stop laughing, do I look like I am joking to you."
Usopp grandiose lies sounded more believable.
This situation was big, A HUGE wakeup call, those kind of monsters will be in the battlefield, thank the gods, some would be in their corner.
Luffy and everyone (Jinbe, Iva-chan, Crocodile, Buggy, Bon-chan, Mr.3 , and others) were trying to decide how best to get down from this freaking Ice (GAHHH Aokij), they were going at the discussion for a while now. She tried suggesting several ideas, but was completely shut down.
She heard Buggy murmur something about insane plan and doom. She knew a losing battle when she saw it. Besides, Iva-chan and Jinbe were there, they would ignore the most outrageous ideas, cough Luffy cough, and would keep a handle in the situation, she hoped.
Anyway, she had other vital things to find solution for, like finding a way to communicate, for any kind of plan to work they needed this.
THINK, she demanded from herself.
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A voice suddenly announced, "Attention, all ships and soldiers! The target is TOTTZ. Change the line and make the shift to operation 3."[1]
"It's Navy operational massage," one of the ex-prisoners said.
"Advance the preparation," others were listening too and discussing what was being said by the marine Den Den Mushi.
Lina ignored them all, this must be really important, she thought.
"When you are all set, we move the schedule forward... and execute Ace immediately, I repeat….." [1]
"Those bastards," she cursed them venomously.
She expected nothing less from those underhanded tricky marines, this is far from her worst scenarios (she had several running in her head. The marines were still fighting and doing preparation which meant that Ace was still alive, thank the gods). And thank the gods that Luffy wasn't here now (small mercies!), she could imagine the panic he would be in if he heard...
"WHAT, they are gonna kill Ace now, we need to hurry, ….Ace, Ace…"
She cursed her big mouth, why, why.. lets try to control the situation, she tried grabbing him and shouting at him "Luffy, Luffy …. Hey Luffy, calm down, Ace isn't dead …hey listen to me damn it…"
Shit, here he goes, flailing like headless chicken, jumping back to the ice. Offff…Lost cause.
The voice continued repeating the message.
"Shit, I wish we are were able to record it," she said out loud.
To record it, echoed in her head…, to record it.
Record it.
Record.
"Hey, you," she shouted to the man, (what was his name again, R.. something, he was in the revolutionary intelligence) they were discussing the Den Den Mushi issue earlier.
"Find it, now," he nodded, he was also listening, thank god (she was getting good at this giving orders business, it was all about the voice tone).
Shit, shit, she was sooooo stupid, her sheer stupidity sometimes astonished her.
Tone dial.
She had the answer in her bag all along, literally.
She run looking for her bag, just to remember that she didn't need to. Her bag was by her side, literally.
Who was the headless chicken now, she laughed to herself.
"YES", she screamed, she had several of them.
She run right back. Great, he found the right channel (revolutionary intelligence YAY). She hugged him while placing the Tone dial besides the Den Den Mushi, everyone was eyeing her strangely (well, they were doing that for a while now, since she suggested her.. Ahem ..plan. Buggy's face was priceless, she didn't know someone face could become so green and hmmm …unpleasant).
Who cares, she knew she sounded crazy.
She looked again inside the bag (She imagine she looked exactly like Nami when she heard about golden treasure) there was a Reject Dial, a Flash Dial, a Thunder Dial, a Water Dial and several Tone dials. Shit, she berated herself for forgetting that she had those "borrowed" goods from their adventure in Skypiea.
She was gonna use them like Nami's weapon the Perfect Clima-Tact. Thank god (she was doing that a lot today too, thanking the gods, no she doesn't mean you, Enel bastard, let's hope their good luck lasts, please don't jinx it), Franky had the time to change her staff so she could put several dials on it.
They discussed this, she, Usopp and Franky. She wanted to added more variety to her offensive attacks, and that what they come with. They were supposed to check how well it was in combat and see if any changes were needed, but Sabaody happened. ohhhh, no, don't think about this now…no time for self-pity and doubts.
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Well, her new staff was going to get the best field test ever.
More importantly, she found a solution to her communication problem.
She was going to use the Tone dials for their communication. She still needed to explain to the others how to use them, and they will need to use messengers (no choice ..), maybe use some code words, like the marines, hmmm she hummed to herself. This was a good idea, if the marines were able to get a dial (she was not sure if they knew about them, it will be soooooo great if they didn't, but if they did), it may confuse them.
She felt like cackling insanely, and barely stopped herself.
One problem down, no, two problems down, one hundred thousand and sixty seven to go.
YAY.
The voice was repeating the instruction again. She will listen to them after the voice finished speaking and try to analyze them.
Yes, this actually may work.
That was her last thought before they were falling.
"What the hell is going on?" she screamed, flailing like headless chicken in the air (Gaeh, she knew she shouldn't have called Luffy that, not even in the privacy of her own head).
She left them for two minutes.
Two.
Shit, she had a feeling Luffy was involved, yes definitely involved. At least she grabbed the Tone dial.
Unbelievable they were still arguing, they were falling to their death, and they were still going at it.
"I said you were doing it too much," Buggy shouted.
"It's because of his wink," Crocodile accused.
"It is my fault, Corco?" answered Iva-chan with indignation.
Luffy had to added his two Beli, "Doesn't matter, we are all gonna die! It's frozen all over down there." [1]
Shit, he was right, they were all gonna die. She had to admit, that this wasn't in any of the scenarios that she was running in her head. But their situation may be the worst of the worst.
They will not be able to save themselves, let alone Ace, she wanted to cry and rage in those last seconds.
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Luffy was right, they were all gonna die.
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No.
No, no, he wasn't.
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"Luffy, you moron, you are made of rubber," she shouted hysterically back.
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[1] Dialogue from ep. 466.
Question: was I able to stay in character? What scene did you enjoy the most?
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Your reviews like Fire to my Ace, and meat to my Luffy (I am flirting with your reviews, did it work?)
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Rewritten
