Title: Of Dreams and Desires
Pairings: Smoker x Ace, Sanji x Zoro, and other side pairings
Ratings: T - NC-17
Chapter: 45 of ?
Summary: The road to One Piece is a dangerous one and each individual begins at different times and places. Some paths cross for a fleeting moment but the encounter could be so great that it can alter the initial direction. Every meeting is important and is planned by the souls long before the bodies see each other. Follow everyone's story and see what path they take.
Disclaimer: I do not make any profit from this story; all props go to Eiichiro Oda.
Author Note: 'Tis it! What we've all been waiting for! The Banaro Island incident; hope I gave it justice. Also, this will be the point where I'm going to go back and edit past chapters. I saw some typos that I just can't let be lol. So when I get done doing that, and writing a few more chapters, I'll be back. Enjoy!
Shout Outs: It has been a little over a year since we all started this journey and I wanted to thank everyone who was still on board with me! It warms my heart to know you guys enjoy it.
Beta Reader: descriptionsalive21, thank you so much!

Portgas D. Ace

Ace could see chaos at the harbor as he came up on Banaro Island. People filled the docks, pushing and shoving each other to ensure their ride to safety. Ship after ship was sailing out of port at full speed, desperate to get away from the danger behind them. The second division commander clicked his tongue as he changed direction and sailed to one of the shores before he docked.

As he made his way up the sandy hill, Mera shifted inside him. Careful.

The flame spirit had been in an irate mood and hadn't uttered a single word to him since they'd left the last island, so the movement put Ace at ease. Fire Fist pulled his hat down as he stepped off sandy terrain and onto the hard forest floor.

The pirate wondered what the commotion at the port was about. He shook his head as he thought more about it. If Blackbeard is on the island, then he more than likely started the ruckus. He came across an opening in the forest and started to make his way out, but was immediately shoved about as a group of people ran past him. Ace stumbled, holding his hat to his head, "What the hell?"

An older gentleman turned around, fear plastered on his face, "Run! Run now! The pirates are destroying everything!"

He spun around and continued his escape into the forest. Ace watched the group disappear behind the trees as he nodded his head.

Blackbeard was here.

The Whitebeard commander closed his eyes, expanding his senses. With the help of Mera, he located the scum to the east. A grin formed on Ace's lips as he opened his eyes and started towards the colossal rocks of the island. He walked for a moment before he came upon a damaged welcome sign. A family was rushing through as he was passing under.

Once he got a little ways further into the town, he heard Blackbeard's cackling laughter. Ace squared his shoulders as he walked into the town, avoiding a mob of citizens rushing towards the exit.

As he walked down the main road, his eyes darted left and right, checking the alleyways. His trained gaze caught sight of a sickly looking horse one alley over. Ace quickly climbed up the nearest building to the rooftop. Once there, he sat on a slope and observed the horse. It wasn't long before an equally sick looking man approached the animal, rubbing its back.

A man in a wrestling mask and another wielding a rifle gathered with the ill man. They began to talk but Ace couldn't make out what they were saying. He moved to a lower building and from his new position, he was able to see what he was looking for. There was Blackbeard, watching as another one of his crewmates beat a man. After the pale man with the cane had beaten the civilian until he was no longer moving, the pair walked towards the remainder of their crew.

The slimmer of the two attention was captured and he veered off from Blackbeard to the bar they were passing. He walked up the steps and when he reached the saloon style doors, he paused, looking down at his feet. With a flick of his cane, he thrusted the item into the air, then walked back to his captain. He handed the object to Teach and the round man barked a laugh, "They're crazy!" He threw the newspaper to Van Augur, "Oi, check it out! It's about the Straw Hats! They took down the Judicature Island! The bounties on them are gonna rise again!"

The sharpshooter pushed up his eye scope, "They're at Water Seven. That's not too far from here."

Yami nudged Blackbeard. He's here.

Teach shivered, anxiety rushing through him. The moment that he'd been waiting on was finally upon him. To finish this step in his plan would propel him to the position he needed to be in for his next move. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. Ace was lured by the bait; it was now time to put his plan to work.

"Change of plans!"

Jesus scratched his head, "What you talkin' about?"

Marshall grinned, "We go for Luffy! He'll be worth more to the government now!"

A look of confusion crossed Laffitte's face, "But what about–"

"We've been on this island way too long and there have been no signs of Ace. We ain't staying here forever. Time to move on."

Doc Q wiped the built-up sweat off his face before he attempted to climb onto Stronger, "Well, at least they're in our range."

"Let's go, Captain." Jesus blared.

Ace watched them walk some ways away before he spoke up, "Oi, wait up. We need to talk."

Teach looked around in faux confusion, "Huh?" He looked up at the building next to him and a grin slid on his face when he saw his hunter on top of the roof of a clothing store, "Ohh, Ace!" The captain turned towards his former superior with a smile on his face, "Commander!"

A growl escaped the teen, "Don't call me commander anymore." He glared at Teach, "Only people that can respect others use that word… you're mocking me."

Marshall chuckled under his breath; he loved fucking with this kid. Laffitte swung his cane around as he stepped forward to get a better look at the man who he'd heard so much about, "Oh… you're Fire Fist Ace."

Said man tipped his hat in greeting, "Yes, I am. Nice to meet you." His attention shifted back to Blackbeard, "So, you've become a fine captain on your own, huh?" Seeing the man's eyes brighten up made him scoff. "The Blackbeard Pirates," he said in a mocking tone, "Captained by Marshall D. Teach."

The pirate gave a hearty laugh, "Oh, come on, Ace; you know I haven't seen you in a long time! What's up? How'd you know I was here?"

Portgas watched a sly grin form on Blackbeard's fat face and Mera flared. Smoker was right; the little shit had lured him here. "Teach," He rested his arms on his knees, linking his fingers together in front of him, "Let's get right to the point. You've lived twice as long as I have, there's no way that you don't understand the situation. Ain't I right."

Blackbeard shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, I got it. But let me ask you one thing." Ace raised an eyebrow as he continued, "Why don't you become my nakama? Conquer the world with me! I've already planned how to do it! Whitebeard's era is over! I will become the Pirate King!"

Yami cackled, Hit him where it hurts.

Teach grinned at his devil, "First, I'll finish off Straw Hat Luffy in Water Seven and deliver him to the World Government myself!"

Ace's eyes narrowed, "Luffy? What's your beef with him?"

"Oh?" Blackbeard cocked his head to the side in confusion, "You know him?"

Fire Fist shook his head as he muttered to himself, "Looks like I really can't let you roam around." Ace spoke up so the other pirate could hear him, "He's my younger brother! Don't act like you don't know that!" Black eyes glanced at the pirate crew, "To answer your question, of course I won't be your nakama!"

Sensing hostility, Van Augur quickly lifted his pistol and fired off three shots, hitting his target true. Cold eyes regarded the man as Mera released himself to fill the openings in Ace's body with fire. Blackbeard's eyes widened, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Ace's chuckles cut short the sharpshooter's reply, "Seems like we've got some bad manners here." The teen pointed his index and middle fingers towards the man and muttered, "Higan." Bullets of flame rapidly fired from his fingertips. Van Augur hauled ass for cover behind a boulder, narrowly escaping the fire bullets. Jesus lifted one of the damaged buildings and jumped into the air with it. With a scream, he hurled the hut towards the Whitebeard pirate.

The raven haired teen snorted as the structure came flying his way. He called upon Mera and flames surrounded him before they shot into the air. The pillar of fire easily broke through the shack threatening to crush him.

Blackbeard called off his men with a growl, "Augur! Burgess! Don't get yourselves into this! Neither of you could stand a chance against this man! So stay the fuck back!"

As the burning debris of what was once a hotel fell from the sky, Teach turned his attention back to his opponent just in time to see a ball of fire zooming towards them. The wind faintly carried Ace's scream of, "Hiken!" to Blackbeard's ears. He spun on his heels and began to run in any direction that was away from the orb of flames.

Yami snapped at his partner's forgetfulness. The crew!

The captain's eyes darted over to his slack-jawed crew and he growled. They were too far away to hear him over the booming noise of Ace's devil soaring through the air. He huffed as he changed directions, running back to his men.

Mera was closing in on them.

He could feel the heat cooking his skin and the sweat running down his face left burning trails. When he got close enough to Stronger, he yelled at the horse, "Get them away from here!"

The ailing horse neighed as he kicked into gear, pumping his old legs to his owner. His hasty entrance snapped the others out of their stupor and they retreated away from the battlefield.

Having his prey in sight, Mera plowed into Blackbeard, knocking him off his feet. Fire ate at him as he slid into the stairs of a building. While the pirate captain lay on the ground writhing in pain, Ace walked through the wake of flames, absorbing and becoming one with them. The hunter approached his prey, snorting when he saw Blackbeard throwing dirt on his chest in an attempt to smother the fire.

"You done, Teach?"

Blackbeard laughed as he stood on shaky legs, "I got it, Ace. You want to kill me, right?"

Ace let Mera dance on his fingers and Marshall let out a pained groan as he watched the flames. He felt the phantom sensation of fire moving along his chest, "You're right, you know. Killing a nakama is a great crime." He puffed out his chest, "I killed the fourth division commander, Thatch!"

The younger of the two's eyes narrowed and Teach threw up his hands, "I had no other choice! He obtained the devil's fruit I wanted!"

Ace shook his head, "You sound like a child."

Blackbeard scoffed, "Our ship's rule was that anyone who found a devil's fruit could eat it. I memorized all the fruit shapes from the reference book, so I knew right away it was the one I'd been looking for. I was on Whitebeard's ship for several decades all because I thought his crew would be my best chance of obtaining it. If I never got lucky, I would have given up but then my friend found it!"

Portgas snorted loudly at the other pirate's use of the term "friend", "So… is that why you killed Thatch?"

It was silent as Teach contemplated the question. An evil smile slowly formed on his face, "Well… it was all just a twist of fate." He held his arms out, "This power chose me, Ace!" A crazed look clouded his eyes and he laughed madly, "With this power, I have become the strongest!"

Black smoke seeped from Marshall's hand and Ace felt his body heat up as Mera enforced their bond.

"Look, this is something completely different from the other logia devils!" A tornado of darkness flowed around Blackbeard as Yami made his presence known. "Ace! Your body is fire, right?" He chuckled when the teen tensed, "Well, I'm darkness!"

There was a long silence.

Ace forced himself to relax, propping his hand on his hip, yawning loudly, "You done?"

Teach growled; he hated not being taken seriously, "Commander Ace, I can't be killed by the likes of you! Of all the existing devil's, this one has the most power!" He held out his arms and wisp of blackness encircled him, "This is Yami Yami no Mi! And I've become a man of darkness!" He held up his hand, twirling the darkness around his fingers, "And now I'll show you what power is all about!"

Despite the uneasy feeling in his gut, Ace chuckled, "Be my guest."

Blackness crawled along the ground, encasing the whole town in a veil of shadow, "Darkness is gravity! The power to pull everything in! Not sparing even a single ray of light!"

Ace looked around at the cloaked buildings, shrugging his shoulders, "Sounds interesting… but I'm still here."

Blackbeard snorted, "Ah, but I ain't aiming for you yet. Just sit back and enjoy the show." The pirate admiral extended his palm upwards, "Black Hole!"

The once blue sky began to darken and a roar filled the commander's ears. The ground trembled all around him. The vibrations shook him to his core and his eyes darted left and right as Mera sent out warning signals. This so-called gravity Yami was producing pulled the buildings in on themselves. Ace made a noise in the back of his throat. The sight was amazing to see but it still didn't impress him.

Calculating eyes glared at his enemy. He watched Blackbeard struggle with his devil and the power it had. Ace shook his head; Teach was wrong. He wasn't chosen for this power. He took it by force…

Ace's thoughts were interrupted as the faint sound of Blackbeard's voice carried over the rumbling of the ground. The buildings disappeared into the shadows, and when nothing remained, Teach laughed, "The weight of darkness…its endless strength compresses all things and crushes them."

Marshall grunted as he reeled in Yami, the devil stubbornly refusing to be tamed. Slowly, the sun began to shine as the devil cooperated with his partner. When the black fog retreated, the town vanished with it. Soon, the only thing remaining was the two pirates. The burning star in the sky greeted Ace and he felt himself relax. When Teach noticed the lax stance, he huffed, "I bet you're wondering where it all went to."

Blackbeard stood tall and took a deep breath, "Liberation!"

A low gasp of pain escaped the captain as Yami ejected everything he'd consumed. Rubble fell all around them and once done, Tech belched a laugh, "Do you get it now, Ace? The power that I've gained can propel me to places I could never reach on my own!"

Said man shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Dude, you're putting me to sleep here." He came to fight, not talk. With his palms pointed towards the still-talking pirate, Ace allowed Mera to flow freely, and little orbs of yellow floated out of his lit hands. As Blackbeard continued to brag about his newly found powers, sparks of fire gravitated towards him, and when they were close enough, Ace whispered, "Hotarubi Hidaruma." The firefly-like orbs suddenly sprang into action, attaching themselves to Blackbeard. Once joined on his body, they erupted into flames, promptly setting the large man on fire.

Blackbeard's screams brought a smile to his face.

Ace watched his former subordinate fall to the ground, chuckling as Blackbeard rolled around franticly in an attempt to extinguish out the fire burning him. The commander enjoyed the sight before he spoke, "I understand that this 'darkness' is a great power, but I find it a bit strange—your devil's a logia type—yet my attacks don't pass through you."

Unable to snuff flames, Blackbeard called on Yami and the devil consumed them for him. He caught his breath before he explained, "I already told you, darkness consumes everything. Bullets, blades, punches, fire, and even lighting! Because of that, I can't let attacks just pass through like the rest of you. I take damage like a normal human." He stood to his feet, his hand rubbing over his blistering chest, "But in exchange for taking that risk, I get the power to consume everything!" Ace still wasn't taking him seriously, he could feel it.

Yami growled, show him!

He knew exactly the move his devil wanted him to make. He spread his feet and bent his knees, steadying himself on the ground, "Kurouzu!" It was the second time that the sky was voided of light. Tentacles of darkness burst from his body as he laughed at the intensity of the power Yami was feeding to him, "Dark Gravity leeches the ability of a fruit user out of their body!"

The darkness slowly surrounded Ace before shooting towards him faster than he could react. He gasped as the air was taken from his lungs. Yami seeped into his inner being, invading Mera's domain. The commander stumbled forward clutching his chest, desperate for air.

The dark spirit absorbed skyscrapers of inferno as he traveled deeper into the fiery realm. His voice echoed as he called out jestingly, "Mera!" He purred, "My old friend, come chat with me!"

A pillar of flames appeared behind Yami and the devil of fire angrily shot towards him, roaring, "Get the fuck out!" With all of his energy and with what he could gather from his weakened partner, Mera hurled a fireball at the intruder.

Yami opened his arms to embrace the orb of flames with a smile. But when it neared him, his smile faltered to a grimace as the heat burned him. The devil gasped at the unexpected pain; his bond with his partner was fragile and the distance from his puppet weakened him.

Ace tripped over a rock and he lost his balance, falling forward as the devil was pushed out of him. He greedily gulped oxygen to fill his abused lungs. When the black spots cleared from his eyes, he reached out to Mera. The pirate sighed in relief when he felt the devil reach back to him. He picked himself off the ground and when he heard Blackbeard chuckles he narrowed his eyes, "Dark gravity?"

P.D.A

Smoker butted out his spent cigars in the mound of ashes and heads before lighting a fresh pair. The vivre card shimmied on his desk as he inhaled from his eightieth smoke of the day. He'd been watching the fleshy paper since he and Ace parted ways. The Marine had the worst feeling in his gut and it didn't help that Moku kept fluttering about.

His hand shot out to the baby den on his desk; but just like the other fifty-eight times before, it stilled over the shell. And for the fifty-ninth time, he pulled his hand back. Tensa breathed in deeply as he ran his fingers through his hair. There was a knock on the commodore's door, but that didn't shift his focus. The sound of wood creaking filled his ears and Smoker exhaled out of his nose, "What do you want?"

Tashigi jumped at his hard tone before squaring her shoulders and approaching her superior. When she got close enough to his desk, she sat in the chair across from him. It was hard to see him through the built-up layers of smoke, so she glared as the best she could, "Sir, we've been anchored for the past three days. We've received orders from HQ to go Crestshire Island and bring in Dr. Blackbeard."

When the words had no effect on the other Marine, she continued, "We have orders, Smoker-san. We must leave."

Smoker puffed on in silence. His eyes having not once meeting the ensign's since she'd entered the room. Tashigi opened her mouth to speak but the paper he'd been glaring at let off a tiny spark before it started to slowly singe.

Tensa tensed at the now burning paper. The fight had started.

He took a deep breath, and for the first time, Smoker looked at Tashigi. His jaw clenched before he spoke, "Return to Headquarters."

The ensign almost argued, but the look in her commodore's eyes took away her breath. She was unfamiliar with what she saw…she'd never seen him look that way before. Tashigi stood and swiftly exited the room, uncomfortable with the aura that settled over the man.

She would bet her bottom beli that the pirate had everything to do with his behavior.

P.D.A

Blackbeard laughed at Ace's question, "Tell me, Ace, Can you feel what the darkness is doing to you?"

The commander tsked, his black eyes glaring at his former nakama. He glanced around the battlefield at the blackness that seemed to have a mind of its own. Ace steadied himself as it creeped towards him, brushing against his legs. He gasped as he felt his energy be drained from him. Feeling his partner's dwindling bond, Mera flared out, surrounding him in a blazing shield.

Yami observed the display of power Mera was putting on for him. He chuckled darkly; he would have that power for himself. The darkness was greedy. Nothing would stand in the way of the dark spirit from devouring the other devil; not even the unfit meat-bag he'd gotten as a partner. Excitement laced his voice as he whispered to Teach, Let me handle those flames.

Without waiting for a reply, Yami shot out to the only light in the area. He wrapped himself around the shield of fire, shrouding Ace in darkness. The commander crouched into a defensive stance as he reached out for Mera. The lack of response worried him, but he could faintly feel the devil's heat, so he knew he wasn't alone.

The flame spirit growled at the invasion of his domain again, "You don't fucking learn, do you?"

Yami chuckled as he walked towards the other devil. Darkness pooled in a cloud at his feet and the black smoke spread rapidly, extinguishing the flames attempting to engulf him as he passed. "Come now, Mera." The shadowy apparition extended his hand, "It's been centuries. Let's catch up."

Mera scoffed, "Like I'd want to talk to you." He kicked the flames around him, sending them soaring toward his opponent.

Yami closed his eyes as he enjoyed the raw energy being fed to him. He opened his eyes just in time to see Mera's face fall and he bellowed a laugh, "It humors me that you say I never learn, yet you and all the others seem to have forgotten about me. I'm surprised no one remembers anything about my powers considering as you all were so afraid of them."

Yami let out a maniacal laugh as darkness blasted from him and attached to the fire devil before the other could react. Mera gasped when the inky blackness began to swallow him and his connection to Ace was started to fade.

The shield of flames surrounding Ace fell and the pirate blundered backwards. He struggled to breathe as his knees shook to keep him standing. Seeing Yami had done his part, Blackbeard took the opening. He darted for the disarmed man, catching him before he fell to the ground. The captain looked down at his old superior smugly, "How is it, Ace?" Fat fingers tightened around the younger man's bicep, "I'm sure you must have figured it out by now."

Fire Fist tried to jerk his arm out of the hold as fear filled him, "It can't be." He wheezed.

Ace tried to reach for Mera but the devil was otherwise occupied. Yami faded into the dark abyss before he reappeared behind the glowing light "Fight me all you like, but I'll take your power."

Just as Yami was about to devour the delicious energy in his arms, he was ripped out of Mera's realm.

Teach reared back, punching Ace in the gut. Bile and blood spewed from the younger pirate's mouth, leaving him gasping as the oxygen was removed from his lungs. The force of the hit sent him soaring through the air and into one of the monumental canyons of Banana Rock. His body landed with a smack when the momentum wore off and he collided with the face of a cliff. The impact created an outline of his frame and the commander let out a pained groan. Blackbeard laughed at Ace's prone figure as it slid to the ground and landed with a thud. The admiral cocked his head to the side, "It's probably been a while since you've taken a real hit, huh?"

He watched the teen with raised eyebrows, feeling confident in himself. The battle wasn't done but he knew, deep inside, he would win. Ace shook his head as he slowly rose to his feet, Blackbeard's voice barely reaching his ringing ears, "You felt it, right? The moment I grabbed your arm I'm sure you knew exactly what my real powers were." Teach laughed, "As long as I have a hold of the ability user, then they lose all their powers! Logia… Zoan… Paramecia! My devil lets me steal their abilities! With all the powers I'll gain, I'll be unstoppable!"

Ace wiped the blood off his mouth as he stood to his feet. Mera brushed against him, letting him know he was there. A relived chuckle escaped the commander. Thought I'd lost you.

Mera bristled. We have to be careful. Too many touches from him and our bond will be severed.

Fire Fist rolled his shoulders, popping his neck, "We'll be fine as long as I don't get caught."

Blackbeard laughed at the tenacious words, "I'll show you that you can't escape the dark gravity!"

Energy pulsed through the air around Ace and the wind whipped against him. The now-familiar weight of Yami pressed on him, yanking him in the direction of the other man. Fire Fist dug his heels into the earth, pushing up the ground as he was forcefully dragged closer to Blackbeard. Seeing the gap between them start to close, Ace called upon Mera, "Shinka Shiranui!" Lances of flame formed in each of his hand and he hurled them at the admiral.

The spears pierced Teach's chest and the man howled in pain. Yami pulled Ace closer to Blackbeard and, with the fire still burning at his chest, he swiftly delivered a knife hand strike to the commander's neck. Marshall didn't hold back his strength behind the attack, grunting in satisfaction as Ace was once again thrown away from him and into a building.

While their enemy was knocked down, Yami coated Blackbeard's hands in darkness, greedily absorbing the blood and fire that was coming from his partner. While the black smoke slowly smothered the flames, the pirate tugged at the rods lodged in his chest, "Blasted fire lances!"

With the help of a turned-over table, Ace picked himself up from the rubble. He massaged his sore neck, rolling and popping his joints as he muttered under his breath, "Fat but strong. If I don't remember that, he'll break my fucking neck." Portgas jumped up and down, shaking the feeling back into his limbs, "He's too dangerous."

Ace walked over debris back towards the battlefield. He watched Blackbeard struggle to remove the lances from his ribs and his pointer fingers began to glow. The commander aimed at his target, crossing his fingers, "Jujika!"

Teach whirled around at the scream and his heart stopped at the colossal fiery cross racing at him.

P.D.A

Bogard held his hat as he tilted his head back to look up at the eagle's nest. The captain sighed before he walked away. Garp had kicked the scout on shift out and took the space for himself.

The vice admiral sat cross-legged on a pillow, sipping tea while he watched the burning vivre card. Half of the square had turned to ash long ago and when another section burned off, Garp sucked his teeth. Ace had been fighting for hours now. But hours were nothing for the boy; he'd heard of his grandson's fights lasting for days.

He'd seen Ace's card burn till only a small corner remained before; but the rapid pace of the burn this time was what concerned him. Finishing off his tea, Garp picked up the card and stood to exit the crow's nest. Bogard was waiting by the entrance to the rear quarters and he tipped his hat in greeting, "There's no point in waiting around. I've given the order for us to be taken back to HQ. We'll move out within the next hour."

The paper's heat in his hand was Garp's constant reminder that his grandson was fighting for his life and there was nothing he could do about it. The elder man let out a tired sigh, "Yeah. I'll have questions."

A Marine stepped through the door and saluted when he saw his superiors, "Sir!"

Garp rubbed his eyes when he recognized the voice, "What is it, Coby?"

"Vice Admiral Garp, I know I'm stepping out of line when I say this, but–"

The bang of the door bursting opening and slamming against the wall interrupted the master chief's speech. Helmeppo rushed to his lover, covering his mouth when he reached him, "Excuse us, sirs, we were just leaving."

Coby began to struggle in the blond's hold as he was dragged away from the men. Garp raised his hand, "Helmeppo, let him speak."

The petty officer sighed before he released the younger boy. Coby straightened his glasses, "We should go get him, sir."

Bogard watched Helmeppo slap his forehead and he questioned, "Get who?"

"He means Ace." Garp concluded.

Silence filled the deck of the ship as the vice admiral contemplated the meaning of the words. He wanted to get his boy. He'd been fighting the urge to since he found out the type of danger he was in.

Knowing his friend, Bogard stepped away from the wall, "Garp, don't."

Said man sighed, "Continue on to HQ." When he saw the defeated look on Coby's face, he gave a sad smile, "Your heart is big, Coby. Thank you for your concern for my family."

The vice admiral disappeared behind the other side of the door, leaving his men standing on deck.

P.D.A

They were exhausted.

Neither man could call upon their devils anymore. Their minds and bodies were too weak to reach out…it required too much concentration.

Blackbeard bit his tongue as hard knuckles connected with his jaw. He grunted as blood filled his mouth. He spat out the liquid and a knocked out tooth before delivering a knee to Ace's gut. The teen stumbled backwards, not expecting the attack. Once he regained his footing, he clenched his fist, punching the admiral upside his head. The blow dazed Teach and the large man rocked on the balls of his feet, trying not to fall. He knew the first one to hit the ground would lose the fight.

The pair traded blow for blow; both unwilling to give the other man room to recover. Spit, sweat, and blood sprayed the air, drenching the pirates. Ace got in close to Blackbeard as the other man shuffled backwards and snapped his head forward, head-butting the pirate admiral. Teach was once again stunned, and he swayed back and forth on his feet, desperate to remain upright. Seeing an opening in the other's defense, Ace rushed Blackbeard, toppling him to the ground.

Both let out an "oof" sound as they landed on unyielding ground. Taking advantage of Ace lying on top of him, Marshall wrapped the teen in a bear hug. Fire Fist yelped when his spine popped and Blackbeard laughed wheezily at the sound, "I got you now."

Ace's blunt nails clawed at any part of Teach he could touch. Blackbeard's hold tightened and desperation filled the commander. He bared his teeth at the smug man. The bastard thought he was going to win. Not caring what he grabbed, Ace bent his head downward and latched his teeth into his opponent.

Marshall howled out in pain as he struggled to throw Ace off of him. The teen clenched his jaw, holding on to the chunk of flesh in his mouth. Blackbeard punched Ace upside the head until he was free, but not without losing a piece of himself.

Portgas lay stupefied on the canyon floor, his back scraping against small rocks as he tried to will himself to stand. He turned his head and spat out the clump of tissue and blood, gasping in breaths of air. Blackbeard rolled around on the ground, nursing his bite wound.

Teach huffed as he examined the wound on his chest, "You fight dirty."

A tired laugh came from Ace, "I save my best moves for last."

Both took the opportunity to catch their breaths; they had been fighting all day. The only sound filling the air around them was their labored breaths and the occasional squawking from the seagulls. Teach held one of his nostril closed then blew hard through the other, removing the blood and mucus embedded in his nose. He sighed at the relief of pressure, "Oi, Ace."

The commander grunted.

Marshall swallowed before he continued, "I really didn't want to kill Thatch." As if he could feel Ace roll his eyes, he hurried and stated, "He was a friend of mine too."

Tired eyes looked up at the blue sky and the owner sighed, "Friends don't kill each other."

"But I had to! He had what I needed!"

Ace shook his head, wincing when a rock was ground into his skull, "No, he had what you wanted; and like the evil bastard you are, you killed him so you could satisfy your craving." Portgas tested Mera's strength, smiling when a small flame stirred in his palm. "I've been getting bad vibes from you since day one. If I'd known you were going to be this much trouble, I would've killed you a long time ago."

Blackbeard chuckled, "I admit you're a better fighter than me. My death would've been an easy kill for you, but then it would've been Thatch you'd be here fighting and not me."

Ace mulled over the words and with a pained groan, he sat up. "Nah, you can't try to get into my head with your silvery words. The only thing I can say I liked about you was that you were always one hell of a bullshitter, Blackbeard. If you live through this, you should stick to that." He stood and reached out to his partner. One last push, Mera.

The devil let out a tired sound of agreement. Yami absorbs everything we hit him with.

Ace tsked as he walked some ways away the other pirate who was still lying on the ground. We'll give him the Dai Enkai: Entei special.

Mera laughed at his friend. That'll be a good way to go out.

Teach tilted his head back to watch upside-down as Ace stood and walked away from him. Yami pumped a little bit of Mera's stolen flames into his partner. You want this power, don't you?

Marshall grunted in pleasure as he felt the fire heat his core. I do.

Then get up and fight! Mera will give it his all.

Blackbeard rolled over and stood to his feet. So will we.

The wind picked up, rolling rocks and dirt towards Teach. Awe filled him as he gaped at the size of the flaming sphere his opponent was summoning. His feet acted on their own accord, taking a step back. It was bigger than him and steadily growing. Blackbeard let out a shaky breath as fear filled him.

Sensing his partners dread the dark spirit reached out to comfort him. I'm with you, Yami cooed. There's nothing to be scared of.

He breathed in deeply as he held out his hand and darkness gathered in his palm, taking the shape of an orb. Thin legs shook as they worked overtime to keep his heavy body from falling over.

This was it.

This would determine everything.

Sooooo I couldn't bring myself to write the end but don't worry! I won't leave you guys hanging for too long. Hope everyone enjoyed! R&R. Stay tune for the next chapter: Sengoku - Huredhiel