Title: Of Dreams and Desires
Pairings: Smoker x Ace, Sanji x Zoro, and other side pairings
Ratings: T - NC-17
Chapter: 49 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: So, the Steelers lost to the Cowboys and its fucking over 80 degrees in the middle of fall! Just…nice
Shout Outs: Megenehason ZOSAN-LULAW LOVER thanks for the add to your story and author list! Thank you for liking the story. Thanks for the review yukino76! It pleases me to think that you like the chapter.
Beta Reader: descriptionsalive21, thank you so much!

Jinbe

Sengoku sat behind the mahogany desk facing the lounge set in the center of the room, an empty chair to either side of him. The Buddha's pointer finger bounced on the desktop and he sighed. The damn chairs were supposed to be occupied by his admirals. His admirals who had not yet arrived to the meeting. He ground his teeth when the ticking of the clock he'd tuned out filled his ears again. A vein appeared on his forehead, pulsing in sync with the keeper of time, further aggravating the fleet admiral. It was a constant reminder of the time that he didn't have to waste. Time which was being wasted on this meeting that no one was here for.

No Marines.

No Shichibukai.

Hito tsked. You're interrupting my meditation.

More ticking.

The corner of Sengoku's eye twitched. He had seven more meetings on his agenda today. The disrespect of his time was starting to grate on his nerves. The wide double doors opened and the movement pulled him to his feet. Kizaru sauntered through the door, followed by the newest Shichibukai member.

Pushing up his yellow shades, the admiral greeted his superior, "Sengoku, sorry for being late." He hiked his thumb behind him, "Guy here had troubles at the docks."

Blackbeard opened his mouth to speak but Sengoku held up his hand, silencing any words, "Pirate, when you are summoned you respond swiftly. I don't have time to waste on scum like you. Understood?" He didn't give the captain a chance to respond, "Just go take a seat." Sengoku waved his gloved hand in a dismissive motion, "Somewhere over there. Very far away from me… you stink."

Teach scoffed as he went to the chair in the furthest corner of the room. Borsalino threw his head back and laughed as he watched the large man get comfortable in his seat. He leaned in close to the older male, whispering to him, "Aokiji is on his way up. He's escorting Portgas to his holding cell."

Sengoku inhaled deeply through his nose, "Well, as you can see, the rest of the pirates aren't here yet."

Just as the words left his mouth, the grand doors opened and another pirate arrived at the meeting. The Marines watched as Mihawk removed his cross sword before he sat in the plush chair near the window, resting his weapon against the side of the chair. He crossed his legs and threaded his fingers before he spoke, "I worried that I would be late." His golden eyes scanned the room, "It seems my worries were for naught." He tipped the rim of his hat down in the direction of the fleet admiral, "Greetings, Sengoku."

Said man gave a small smile to Mihawk. Out of all the Shichibukai, there were only two whose presence he could tolerate. Dracule had been with them as a Shichibukai for the longest and over time, the little bit of the man he could see behind the pirate he respected. Hoping the room would fill up soon, he nodded his head to the man before he sat back down in his chair.

Unbuttoning his yellow suit jacket, Kizaru sat to the left of Sengoku, "Ah, Hawkeyes. I'm almost sad to see you showed. You've taken the pleasure of hunting you down and throwing your ass in Impel Down from me." He pouted a little before smiling, "But thanks for attending."

Yellow eyes glared at the admiral before the unfamiliar presence in the room persuaded the owner to glance over at the source. He'd picked up on it before he'd even walked into the room, but now he was unable to ignore the dark aura any longer. Dracule observed as the man he'd never seen beforepicked at the many scabs on his chest.

He stroked his beard in thought, taking in the man's bulky frame and thin legs. He looks exactly how Shanks described him. He assessed the man. Three flintlocks… how was he able to get a hit on Red Hair? Mihawk's lip curled in disgust when Blackbeard picked a blister to the point where it began to bleed. He can't be the new Shichibukai.

As if he could hear the man's thoughts, Blackbeard caught his gaze and smiled, "Oi! You're that famous sword guy! Hawkeyes, right?!"

Dracule blinked slowly at the man, then closed his eyes.

Seeing he wasn't going to get a response from the other man, Teach snorted, "Rude."

The sound of creaking followed by the patter of footsteps filled the space as a new occupant entered the room. The fishman bowed his head to the Marines as he took a seat near the swordsman.

Mihawk cracked open his eyes, addressing the whale shark, "Jinbe."

The Shichibukai smiled at his colleague, displaying sharp teeth, "Dracule, how have you been?"

"Faring well. Yourself?"

"Making it." He leaned close to the human, his voice barely above a whisper, "Do you know what we've been called here for?"

Mihawk shifted his gaze towards the Marines then shook his head, "I can only assume it's to introduce the pirate taking Crocodile's place."

For the first time since he'd arrived, Jinbe looked over to the other side of the room, observing the only unfamiliar face among them. He jerked his head in Blackbeard's direction, "Him?"

"Guess so."

Jinbe hummed as he sat back in his chair, "They wouldn't throw us in Impel Down just for him. It's something else."

Mihawk nodded, "I agree."

The doors slowly creaked opened again and it took a minute, but eventually the opener walked across the threshold. Long legs slowly moved Admiral Kuzan towards his colleagues. He scratched his head as he sat to Sengoku's right. Sighing, he looked the fleet admiral in his eyes before pulling out his little black notebook. He scribbled down a few words on a blank page and slid the booklet across the desk to the man.

Portgas is secured.

Sengoku rubbed his eyes, nodding his head, "Good. Good."

A shadow in his peripheral caused him to turn his head, eyebrows lifting when he saw Kuma sitting across from Mihawk, reading from his Bible.

Kizaru tapped Sengoku's arm, "Ooh, why is he here?"

The Buddha hummed, the other shichibukai he could tolerate had arrived but by no means did he think he would see him at the meeting, "No clue. I didn't expect him to show."

Kuzan eyed Bartholomew, searching for something… anything different about him. "I thought he was getting treatments from Vegapunk."

Sengoku pulled the tie off the end of his beard, snapping it against his wrist a few times before putting it back on, "To my knowledge, they are in the final phases. He still appears to be the Bear we all know, though."

The door being forced open and colliding with the wall bought about a hush in the room, pulling the occupants' attention to the men entering. Borsalino snorted when he saw who it was who'd arrived, "The vampire and the flamingo have decided to grace us with their presence."

Moria glared at the Marine as he sat next to Jinbe. Doflamingo swaggered towards Blackbeard, towering over the man. The frown on his face deepened before he called over his shoulder, "This is Crocodile's replacement?"

Before anyone could answer his question, the door opened and the smell of flowers drifted into everybody's senses. The tapping of heels was heard as the Pirate Empress made her way into the room, taking a seat on the window sill. The Amazon crossed her legs, the high split in her dress revealing her cream-colored thighs.

Moria made a noise of appreciation in the back of his throat, "Boa! I was hoping to see a beauty like yourself today." He licked his blue lips.

Hancock harrumphed and turned her nose up in the air, looking out the window.

Not giving a fuck about the woman who'd entered, Doflamingo growled in annoyance at being ignored, "Sengoku!"

Sensing the former World Noble's mood, the fleet admiral stood from his chair, "Since everyone is here, we can begin."

Doffy's frown turned into a smile as he walked his bow-legged strut to the remaining open chair. He waved his hand in the air once he was situated, "Hurry up. I don't have all day."

The glare sent to the warlord would have frightened the shit out of a lesser man, but Doflamingo returned it with a grin. Sengoku huffed, "As you all know, we've been looking for a replacement for Sir Crocodile. After much debate, we've selected the pirated known as Blackbeard."

Said man stood and gave a small wave, grinning, "Pleasure to meet you guys."

The silence in the room was deafening.

Aokiji chuckled at the cold shoulder the other pirates were giving the man. Blackbeard was out of place and he knew it.

Sengoku cleared his throat, "Down to the important business, we have Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, Portgas D. Ace, in captivity."

Jinbe's eyes widened and he scooted himself forward, sitting on the edge of his seat. Maybe he'd heard wrong.

Moria clicked his tongue, "Why do we care about who you have in captivity?"

The older man squared his shoulders, "Because the order has been given for his execution."

Blackbeard's jaw dropped before a smile slowly morphed onto his features. Doflamingo snorted, "Marine's got balls starting a war with Whitebeard."

Jinbe shook his head, "Why have you called us here, Sengoku?"

Said man looked up at the clock, he had another meeting to get to. "You all will participate in this war by fighting on behalf of the Marines."

The Snake Princess flicked her hair over her shoulder, "I can't believe you called us all the way here for this."

Dracule rubbed his goatee, "Is our cooperation necessary?"

Kizaru bounced his foot under the table, "If you fail to cooperate then you will be stripped of your title and thrown in Impel Down."

Sengoku nodded, "Now, as for the roles you all will play."

He opened the folder sitting on the desk in front of him. However, before he could continue, the fishman stood, glaring at the Marines, "I won't fight against Whitebeard."

The Buddha sighed and muttered under his breath before addressing the shichibukai, "Then you will go to prison."

"You think I'll go willing?"

Doflamingo elbowed Gekko, "Look, business and a show."

Moriah laughed aloud as Kizaru stood to his feet, making a noise in the back of his throat, "Come now, Jinbe. I don't want to put wrinkles in my suit."

The Knight of the Sea cracked his knuckles, ready for an attack, "I'm walking out of here like I walked in."

Aokiji pulled at the curly puffs in his hair, "You know we can't let you do that."

"Then come get me."

The feather on Mihawk's hat flittered as Kizaru flew past him, his leg positioned to deliver a kick.

Moria snagged a feather in Doflamingo's jacket with his claw, grabbing the man's attention, "Five hundred beli he lands the hit."

Doffy grunted, "The fish knows karate. Six hundred he blocks it."

Jinbe caught the foot in his webbed hand and threw the admiral in the direction of the open window. Gekko sucked his teeth as he dug into his pocket, producing a handful of coins and dropping them into the other's open palm.

Borsalino flipped midair, landing gracefully on his feet. Taking a moment to assess his opponent, he dashed forward to attack again, setting up for a left hook. Jinbe took guard, moving his body to deflect the punch coming his way. Seeing that the pirate took the bait and left an opening in his defense, Kizaru followed up with an elbow to the side of the fishman's head, using the momentum he'd built up to toss the shark out the building. Borsalino slowly walked over the rubble on the floor and to the opening in the wall that Jinbe made; his eyes following the other's body as it quickly descended toward the ground.

When the pirate landed on the rocks below, he raised his foot and perched it on the ledge, ready to jump out when Sengoku's voice sounded, "Take him to Impel Down when you're done."

The Yellow Monkey nodded before disappearing out of sight.

Aokiji stood and walked around to the front of the desk, eyeing the remaining pirates, "Anyone else have anything they want to voice about their parts in the upcoming war?"

Silence being the indicator that there were no more rebuttals, the fleet admiral pushed his glasses further up his nose, "Your positions in this war are vital." He said, handing out black transponder snails to each pirate, "Each of you will wear these mushi watches for communication when we have to contact you before or during the battle."

Kuma closed his Bible, "You called us here for one Yonko?"

His soft voice had Sengoku straining to understand him, but after he deciphered the words, he nodded his head, "The Yonko, his allies, and anyone else who may be connected to Portgas D. Ace."

Mihawk's piercing gaze bore into the Marine, "How much time left before the battle?"

Aokiji and Sengoku looked at each other then begin to whisper amongst themselves. After sharing a few words, the fleet admiral nodded his head and he answered the question, "We will make the announcement of Portgas's capture within three days."

"And you're sure Whitebeard is going to act?" Hancock asked as she turned to face the men in the room for the first time.

Kuzan eyed the woman, "We have his second division commander. We are very sure he will come."

Doflamingo snorted, "So why announce anything? Simply kill the boy then say so if you have to after."

Blackbeard grunted in disagreement, "It's more than likely the Old Man is already on his way."

Sengoku walked over to the pirate, "How do you know that?"

Teach shrugged, cringing at the movement, "He has the vivre card of every member of his crew. Plus, he's not just gonna let you guys kill Roger's kid."

All eyes turned to the newest member. Aokiji pushed away from the desk he'd been leaning on, "What did you say?"

A look of shock crossed Marshall's face, "What? Y'all didn't know?" The glare sent to him made him raise an eyebrow, "Ace's real last name is Gol. He's the son of Gol D. Roger."

Doflamingo's deep chuckle vibrated through the room, "This might be more entertaining than I originally thought."

Sengoku towered over the smelly man, "Are you positive? People's lives are at stake." The fleet admiral shook his head when an evil smile spread across the pirate's face, "I don't know why I even said that to you."

Gekko laughed, clapping his hands a couple of times. His screechy voice made Mihawk cringe, "What else are we here for?"

Still reeling at the new information he'd just received, Sengoku waved his hand in dismissal, "Leave. You are to report to Marineford in three days."

Not having to be told twice, the pirates filed out of the room. When the Marines were alone, the older turned to his subordinate, "You'll escort Portgas into Impel Down and make sure he gets to his cell without any incidents."

Aokiji stuffed his hands in his pockets, "They were going to kill him with or without that information, Sengoku."

The general slowly turned around to watch his admiral make his way towards the door. Hito voiced his thoughts. What does he know?

The Blue Pheasant reached out for the doorknob then paused, "Be careful about how you let Garp know."

Despite his wariness of Kuzan, Sengoku hung his head, "I'm angry he didn't tell me."

"Put yourself in his shoes, Sengoku. He's protecting his family."

The Buddha took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Update Akainu and Borsalino." When he heard the click of the door, he flopped in his chair, throwing his head back and looking up at the ceiling. He was given the order to kill his best friend's grandson. His grandson who is the child of Gol D. Roger. Sengoku let out a dry chuckle, he missed the old days. The headache he had at the start of the day had slowly been intensifying and he still had a lot of work that needed to be done.

J

Kizaru pursed his lips as he watched Jinbe shift on the ground, moaning in pain. Situating his falling jacket back onto his shoulders, the Marine walked over to the fishman. When he was standing over his body, he lifted his foot and placed it on the back of his enemy. He dug his heels into the man's spine, pulling another groan of pain from him, "Jinbe, you are hereby stripped of your Shichibukai title by order of the World Government."

Borsalino stomped Jinbe's head into the ground, rendering him unconscious. The admiral sighed as he leaned down to grip the collar of the other's yellow kimono, dragging his prone body to the docks. Arriving at his ship, he walked up the ramp and to the brig. Finding a cell to his liking, Kuzan threw the pirate in it, his body colliding with the hard wall. A smirk formed on the Marine's face at the smacking sound Jinbe made when he hit the floor.

Locking the cell door and pocketing the key, the yellow monkey shuffled his way back toward the deck. He began to feel the wound on his leg now that the adrenalin from the fight was wearing off.

Damn fish karate.

Kizaru breathed in the fresh salted air deeply, soothing his still-racing heart. When he was calm enough, he grabbed the attention of one of his subordinates, "Hey."

The sailor saluted, "Sir."

"Set course to Impel Down."

"Sir."

Borsalino watched the Marine run to fulfill his orders. It wasn't until he felt the ship move did he sigh and take a seat on the deck. He'd heard plenty of talk about this New Age that was underway. At first, it wasn't something he believed in. The words had come from a pirate and he would never trust the word of a pirate. It wasn't until he heard Sengoku talking about it did he begin to look deeper into it, this… New Age. It was a common thing to happen; the old get surpassed by the young. He was living through history and the more events played out before his eyes, the more he was understanding what the words meant.

One thing he knew for sure was that, ironically, change is the only constant in this world. It's inevitable. He rubbed his bruised calf, it was vital that he understood which side of the tipping scales of balance he stood on. Kizaru couldn't say much about others, but he knew he would play his part and make sure that however things may turn out, his side would be the winning side.

It's hella hard to write so many personalities in one chapter lol. I hope I did a good enough job. Stay tune for the next chapter: Portgas D. Ace - Huredhiel