Author notes:
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Chapter 1: rewritten and beta'd.
Chapter 2: rewritten.
Chapter 3: small mistakes corrected.
Chapter 4: posted again and beta`d by Gerbilfriend
Chapter 5: written and here, beta`d by gabrielsangel23 and Gerbilfriend
Chapter 6: written, need editing.
Chapter 7: ¾ written.
Chapter 8: planned.
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I don't own one piece!
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IMPORTANT: I have met an amazing people that are willing to give from their precious time to help me, write, edit, share their opinion and keep me in high spirit. They are great, and I am eternally grateful.
Especially thanks for gabrielsangel23 and Gerbilfriend for helping me with this chapter. They have been great in every way.
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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! To all of you that followed, favorite and especially reviewed, you are amazing, really!
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Guest-chan (anon-chan)
Thank you, really thank you. You really don't know how much I appreciate your words (like a loooooottttt). This, my first Fic, doesn't get much attention like my other one. So hearing that you love my OC is amazing. THANK YOU. If you ever want to talk to me, please feel free to PM me. It made me sad that I need to wait to an update to speak with you. (I am really a nice person ^^ you can trust me XD). I hope your fears disappeared after reading this. Let me know what you think!
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Gabrielsangsel23
SHISHISHI, you were the first to know what was gonna happen ;). Thank you for your review! THANK YOU For your encouragement and your awesome help. ;D and ohhh YOU made me blush!
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Loop2
Really, it was confusing? Sorry… :/
It was Luffy POV. He did interact with all the others you mentioned, or heard their conversation. I changed the chapter a bit. Could you tell me where it was confusing!
Thank you for review, and let me know what you thought about both the chapters :). Thank you for being honest ^^.
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Awe3
Thank you! You are amazing! Every review for this Fic (my first little baby), make my heart flutter. My other Fic get a lot of attention (check it out, if you like Moby Dick adventures), so hearing your words make me really happy. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know!
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Hope you enjoy, notes at the end :D.
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Ace POV
His sibling's words echoed in his head. He actually thought that there was a slim chance to convince them to leave, Ace mused to himself.
Lina was right he was a moron, an utter moron.
It didn't mean he liked or accepted the situation.
He wanted them safe.
He was the one that should be protecting them, not putting them in harm's way.
It was all his fault.
But.
But their words..
Their words were ringing in his head nonstop, like an infinite loop..
Their words echoed stronger than his doubts and fears, that merely minutes ago were on the verge of consuming his soul whole.
Their words, Pops' words, the cheers of his crew, his family.
Them all being here fighting for him, because he was important in their eyes.
Maybe, maybe his life wasn't as worthless as he thought it was. Maybe he should just accept what was in front of him.
Dare he think it, dare he say it, … they knew, they knew.
They KNEW.
They knew his dirty secret, they knew his curse.
They knew about the burdens that he was born with, and carried as it got heavier with every step he took in life.
They knew whose blood flowed in his veins, and they were still here.
They still cared, they still accepted him… they still thought of him as family, and they were still fighting to get him back.
They wanted him!
Him and his cursed blood, and his unimaginable burdens.
They loved him.
Somehow, he felt lighter than a feather, he felt like he could float… even though shackles were holding him down to his cursed destiny, this did not change the feeling of freedom that he was experiencing.
The freest he has even been.
His burdens and fears weren't only his anymore.
There were other people standing beside him, surrounding him, carrying it all with him.
Luffy, Lina, Pops, Marco, Jozu, Vista, Blamenco, Rakuyo, Namur, Blenheim, Curiel, Kingdew, Haruta, Atmos, Speed Jiru, Fossa, Izo, Oars, Whitey Bay, A.O, Decalvan Brothers, Doma….. and so many brothers and sisters..
And Sabo.
He was never alone to begin with.
He just needed to see.
To feel, to understand.
He finally knew the answer to the question, he asked himself a million times.
It seemed quite ironic and horrible, that war was needed for him to understand it. For him to be on the verge of death to see it and feel it.
He was loved, he should have been born. He mattered!
The realization broke something deep inside him, it made him want to laugh joyously. He needed to use all his self control to stop himself. He knew if he started to laugh he wasn't stopping.
He will wait..
He will wait and see what fate has hidden for him.
But there were still things he could do. He could do them for his own sake, selfishly.
He doesn't have the power to change his current situation, but he will accept it, whatever happened, from this moment on he will try to live life with no regrets.
If he were to survive, then he will carry this day with him for all eternity, and live his life free, without any secrets burdening his steps. But if those were to be his last moments on this journey, then he doesn't want to leave this world with any regrets. 'No regrets', echoed in his head.
The memory of that day when he made that promise was clear in his mind. When he promised himself and Sabo that he will live his life to the fullest, the sound of the sea and the crushing waves echoing in his head now as it did then.
He tried his best to keep that promise, but he still had too many regrets burdening his life.
No more.
"Luffy, Lina, I love you. You are the best thing in my life. Never change!" shouted Ace. No regrets, he repeated in his head.
"Oyaji, everyone, thank you for taking care of me, for giving a worthle..." he swallowed forcing the word back down, "for giving me a family. I am sorry that I wasn't a better son and brother," he shouted closing his eyes overcome with sadness. Sorry for not telling them everything, for not listening to oyaji, for being stubborn, for bringing this situation on them. SO SORRY…
Stop, he shouted at himself.
He had already decided.
He was gonna accept his fate, whatever it was. He owed them that much, he owed himself that much.
A last chance at living, if it comes he'll grab it wholeheartedly. The whole world knew his shameful secret now. There could be no more hiding, he was so tired of it.
Out loud he whispered, as to make it an oath to himself, to bind himself soul and body to these words.
"I will accept whatever the future holds for me. If someone holds out a hand, I will grab it..! But I am also willing to accept the White Blade of Judgement... I won't struggle anymore. That would be just disrespectful to them."
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Random Marine POV (that I hijacked)
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He still wasn't sure if he was lucky or not, for being stationed beside the execution platform, inside the plaza. He would probably know only at the end, depending if he was still alive and whole by then.
He knew this battle was gonna be dangerous, everyone knew that.
But somehow he thought, like a lot of his brothers in arms that justice will prevail, they would win without a speck of doubt.
They can't lose, it was unthinkable.
Something like that couldn't happen. Would not happen.
Stories like those when they were told always, always had a happy ending. The hero (them, the marines, of course, does he really need to explain it?) vanquishing the villains (those damn good for nothing pirates).
They had the three Admirals on their side, the good side, the side of justice: Admiral Kizaru, Admiral Akainu and Admiral Aokiji. Even then Shichibukai were here, in full formation. He get to see the pirate empress from afar, such beauty, he sighed, his heart skipping a beat at the memory of her grace.
The Hero Garp, the one to catch and defeat the pirate king was on their side, standing on the platform itself to make sure the devil spawn had the same fate as his devil father.
The Fleet Admiral himself was the one overseeing the preparation for the battle and the battle itself.
Whitebeard was getting on in his years, he was old and weak, and his prime years were all old stories gone past.
It will be a hard fight, a dangerous one, but they will be victorious, or so he thought.
How delusional he was, this fight was gonna be a f**king suicide mission. This was what legends were made of. He was watching a legend in the making, no doubt about it.
If he gets out of here alive to tell the tale, he will be one lucky son of *itch, he contemplated.
The fight has yet to reach to here, to the plaza, but it was only a matter of time, especially now that Whitebeard himself joined the fight.
Whitebeard getting old, hah, he wanted to laugh at his own optimistic, delusional, stupid self and those of his marine comrades. The strongest man in the world, he trembled thinking about him in his prime.
It was no surprise that the whole navy elites were here.
Now the question, will this be enough? Or would they found to be lacking, against this roaring legend and his fleet of allies.
One thing for sure, this war will become a legend that centuries and it would be spoken about, no matter who won.
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Of course they were gonna win, he berated himself.
Justice was on their side, so was the Admirals. He tried telling himself that several times, taking a deep breath in between, trying to stop the trembling in his hands.
Trying to stop the treacherous thoughts of fleeing this insane battlefield, from appearing in his mind.
He tried to occupy his thoughts with the battle going on in front of him and all around him.
You could never know what will happen next in this battlefield. The whole thing was surreal, full of surprises that kept on coming. Surprise after surprise after another surprise.
Especially, when you thought you couldn't be surprised anymore. He doesn't know what to expect anymore.
He doesn't think he could be surprised anymore even if the pirate king came strolling down to the battlefield asking for directions to the nearest toilet.
The whole thing began with the revealing of the identity of Fire Fist biological father, to think that demon sired a son. Without having time to digest this shocking information, Whitebeard's coated huge ships (not one, not two but three. THREE!) appeared in the center of the bay of the island, and of course his allies.
One cannot forget them, he thought sarcastically, 42 ships lead by infamous pirates from the New-world. He never sailed in or to the New-world, but the stories he heard about the place made him have nightmares.
No, the surprises didn't end there. All those escaping prisoners from IMPEL DOWN come falling from the sky, being led by (among others, Jinbe, Emporio Ivankov, Crocodile) strawhat Luffy, who then went and challenged Whitebeard (what kind of insane person was he? well, he did punch a celestial dragon! He shuddered at the thought), and then with his sister (what was her name again?) charged into the battlefield, making the other pirates even more determined to fight. But no, the surprises were not stopping there either.
Then they discovered that strawhat Luffy and his sister Liba (Yes, he was sure that was her name) were the adopted siblings of Fire Fist, the demon spawn, which explained why they were here. They also just happen to be, the children of Dragon, the revolutionary leader, the most dangerous man in the whole world, he shuddered in fear and disgust. They were the devil spawns themselves, even worse than their older brother.
Surprises were bad for his heart, he concluded. What next? Flying giant turtles.
Speaking of strawhat, he hasn't seen him for a while now, not since Whitebeard himself joined the fight, what was he planning now?
Definitely nothing good for them.
"What the *ucking hell?" He screamed.
A pillar of water came out of nowhere flying through the sky to land in front of the execution platform, where the three Admirals, the three admirals, were standing.
From the water emerged strawhat Luffy (speak of the devil, or the devil spawn, and he appears) holding in his hands a mast. No, wielding a mast as weapon in his hands. Surely, even strawhat wasn't crazy enough to think he can fight the three Admirals, and with a lousy mast, right?
Wrong, the little shit just threw the mast at the Admirals, what was he thinking? Does he have a brain?
Admiral Aokiji froze it easily, of course.
But the strawhat wasn't finished, he was using his fists to shatter the frozen mast, what in the world does ….
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"Ohhhhaaa."
"What, .. Ohha… shit!"
He almost fell, when someone bumped him from the side.
He was pretty sure it was someone.
He doesn't know who, because he can't….
"F**ck."
Darkness.
Everything became dark so suddenly.
It was as if the color black was dyed on everything, No, dyed on his eyes.
It was like darkness swallowed him.
What the heck happened? How? who? Ran in his mind.
He heard the screams of his comrades beside him, some were complaining that they can't see, some were stumbling crashing into each other, what the f**king hell?
His eyes.
Something flashed in front of his eyes from above, he tried to remember, some kind of light blinded him, blinded them.
Light.
Hmmm...
Could...
Could it be Admiral Kizaru?
Yes, definitely.
It can't be anyone else, he used his powers to blind strawhat Luffy and took him out in flash.
He sighed in relief reaching this conclusion, it meant doom wasn't on them, but on the pirates.
Pity he couldn't see how Admiral Kizaru took him down a peg or two, or maybe he just utterly destroyed him in one go.
His vision was returning slowly, he will be able to see soon, how the little brat was taken down.
He blinked his eyes several times, trying to clear his vision faster, to see this glorious outcome.
There was some kind of light crackling in the sky, Admiral Kizaru, he thought contentedly.
His eyes were still blurry, he tried blinking them again and again, there was a person flying in the sky, no, floating in the air, light all around him.
Admiral Kizaru … he looks smaller.. Weird..
His eyes were still bleary.
He blinked again and again..
And again.
Again.
It wasn't...
It wasn't Admiral Kizaru.
It was Liba, strawhat's sister, what the f**k was she doing there?
Flying?
What the *uck just happened? She was flying, sand all around her and light surrounding her too, she could do that?
She was weak.
She was supposed to be weak.
He thought she fought only with her staff, more of the supporting kind.
No it wasn't light surrounding her but electricity, his mind was finally able to comprehend some of what it was actually seeing.
What?
How?
She wasn't a devil fruit user, was she?
He can't remember anymore.
What now?
Another column of Water was fired out of nowhere in the Admirals direction, what the hell?
Who dared ...?
He doesn't understand what was going on for God sake? He looked around, he wasn't the only one, everyone was as confused as him.
Admiral Aokiji froze it, of co… .
Thunder striked where the three Admirals were standing.
It came from above, from the direction ..
That little shit Liba, dared to release a bolt of thunder at the Admirals, so that was what she was after.
That little ..
Of course, her plan didn't work, he sighed in relief.
Standing behind the little shit in the air was Admiral Kizaru, finally.
And the other Admirals were still standing on the ground in front of the platform, the Admirals seemed okay.
Of course, they were okay! They were the Admirals of the navy, the three pillars of justice!
Good, Good. He breathed slowly, in and out, trying to slow his heartbeat. His poor, poor heart, he needed a doctor checkup urgently.
That little shit was gonna get what she deserved, a small midget like her standing up to an Admiral, and three at that.
Admiral Kizaru was saying something while pointing his finger at her, light emerging from it. She was toast, and he will see it happen.
The little shit will get what she asked for.
She had no one to blame but herself.
Liba was answering, while smiling.
She was smiling and turning to face her death, to Admiral Kizaru. What the ...?
He heard people beside him remarking the same thing "she is smiling", "why is she smiling?", "She should know she is gonna die."
W..
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Ohh...
Crocodile.
He now understands how she was still floating in the air, and Emporio Ivankov the commander of the Revolutionary Army, they were both jumping behind Admiral Kizaru, they were trying to save the little shit, but they were too late.
There was nothing that they can do to save her from a point blank energy blast from Admiral Kizaru.
She was as good as dead.
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The hell?
What in the name?
How ? how ?
He couldn't see what happ..
Who…
Was it corc..
No.
Liba ..
What did she do? How ?
He blinked, thoughts racing, blinked again.
And again.
His heart stopped beating for a moment, and then raced blindly for his life.
She …
She somehow sent ….
She somehow sent Admiral Kizaru flying.
No, crashing into the ground.
Crashing.
How?
How the heck was this even possible?
She used a trick!
There was definitely a filthy trick involved. She was a pirate, that's all they do.
Still, how could it be?
He can't believe it, what the hell? How in the seven seas was that even possible?
He wasn't the only one not comprehending the scene in front of their eyes. Everyone around him was shocked, unable to understand, unable to move.
He heard the fleet admiral shouting something but he didn't really hear, listen or understand what he was saying.
Admiral Kizaru was on the ground.
He was not moving.
Some marines that stirred from their shock, vice admirals, were running to Kizaru, so were the pirates.
It was a race.
The vice admirals were closer, thank...
HUH, they stopped moving..
Why did they stop?
"You have to hurry and ..." he screamed, even though his voice was lost with the screams of others of his comrades.
He screamed harder trying to change the reality in front of him, but his screams lost their momentum when he realized, that the marines didn't stop.
They were stuck!
They were glued to their places!
How? Why now?
Dammit! They had the worst luck! They need to hurry!
The pirates weren't getting stuck, they were almost near the Admiral, they were all holding something in their hands, what was it?
What do they intend to do?
To kill the Admiral?
They dare think they can kill an Admiral with swords and gu..
No, oh no.
No.
NO, NO, shit! He understands, he understands.
Shit, shit, they have to stop them.
Shit, this can't happen…
Shit...
"It's sea-stone cuffs," he shouted urgently, mastering all his strength.
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His voice was lost in the sounds of the battle.
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It was already too late.
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Okay! I am curious. ...How much did you understand of what was going on? Did you understand what happened? The plan?
TELL ME! Please (cause I am cute and asked nicely!)
Well, this the first part of the plan. Things are gonna get more interesting XD.
Some dialog were taken from Ep 467-469.
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No promises, but maybe I will update "Moby Dick's new residents" soon. One can only hope.
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I know I promised new fic. Sorry it is really late, but I am working on it! So hopefully you will enjoy it when I posted, I am not gonna say when because I really don't know.
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A million Thanks to gabrielsangel23 and Gerbilfriend for going over this chapter!
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Please leave a review, let me know your thoughts. ^^
