Title: Of Dreams and Desires
Pairings: Smoker x Ace, Sanji x Zoro, and other side pairings
Ratings: T - NC-17
Chapter: 52 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: Guys… my tonsils have been swollen for the past week. I want some buffalo chicken soooooo bad… like… I don't care how or from where. D: Pleasseeeee gimme spicy food!
Shout Outs: Thank you Lilshady2123 for adding my story to your alerts list! Thanks to yukino76 for the review 3
Beta Reader: descriptionsalive21, thank you so much!
Monkey D. Garp
Tsuru walked the roads of the Fuku Teitoku district, the warm heat of the sun boring down on her back. She stared at the ground in thought as she brushed past the many Marines bustling about. Between assigning tasks and completing orders, the vice admiral had a legion of men under her, in which she had to make sure each man was fully prepped for war. In short, her hands were full and she had no time to spare.
You have time for him. Woshu's soft voice sounded.
She sighed, looking up at the building she was standing nearest to, making sure she was going the right way. Seeing the tacky dog décor hanging on the balcony of one of the apartments, Tsuru shoved her way through the crowd towards the complex. Yes, she still had time for Garp. He had been in the same company she was in during training days. There were very few of them left and she couldn't imagine not stopping by to check on him. After all, it was his grandson they were putting to death.
Arriving at the apartment, the elderly woman rapped her knuckles on the door twice before pulling back. She flexed her fingers in the gloves she wore; arthritis had begun to set into her bones—another reminder of how much time had passed for her. There was a shuffle behind the door before the clanking of chains and the twisting of locks was heard. Soon, the entrance opened and Garp's haggard face was revealed. He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes as he walked back into his apartment.
Tsuru followed his lead, closing the door behind herself, "I'm glad to see your journey was a safe one."
Garp walked to the kitchen, poured her some tea, and slid the drink down the bar into her awaiting palm. He took a sip of his own drink before responding, "It was a long ride home." He leaned his hip against the countertop, "I have a meeting with Kong today."
"About Ace?"
"Yeah, about Ace."
Tsuru set down the brown yunomi, sighing, "There's word that Whitebeard's armada is covering sea quickly."
Garp straightened his tie, "He'll be here soon." He shrugged on his coat, "It'll be a few more days at most." He poured the remainder of his left-over tea down the drain, "Was there something you needed?"
The gray-haired woman watched Garp bustle around the apartment, tidying things here and there as he went about, "You haven't been to any meetings in the last few weeks."
Garp snorted as he folded a blanket, "I'm not fighting in this war. There is no point in me being there to listen to them ramble about shit I don't care about."
"Do you even know who you are to report to?"
He walked over to the full body mirror, attempting to make himself look presentable. When Tsuru voiced the question again, he looked at her through the mirror, "I said I don't care." The vice admiral walked towards the door, "I have to go. Lock up when you leave."
Before the door could close, Tsuru called out to her long-time friend, "When they come for him, will you forsake your obligation to the Marines?"
The Marine faltered in step, turning slightly so he could see the other's face, "Absolute or moral justice… that's what they tell us to ask ourselves before we pass judgement. My justice will lead them to him."
Tsuru chuckled at the answer as the door clicked shut.
M.D.G
The young lady at the desk greeted the Marine that approached her desk, "What can I do for you?"
"Vice Admiral Cancer here for a meeting with the commander."
She typed his name into the computer, nodding her head, "I'll let him know you're here. For the time being, please take a seat." she pointed at the unoccupied couches with her pencil.
Nodding his head, Cancer sat in the nearest chair across from the receptionist's desk and made himself comfortable. A faint noise filled the Marine's ears and he sat up slightly when the sounds grew more identifiable. The stomping shook the floor as the door flew open, drawing the attention of the occupants in the room.
Upon recognizing the face, the receptionist smiled, "Ah, Vice Admiral Garp; what can I do for you today?"
Ignoring the woman and with a look of determination, Garp marched past the receptionist and into the commander in chief's office, not heeding the secretary's cries for him to stop. Having heard the commotion outside of his office, Kong was ready for the intrusion before it happened. He regarded the other Marine as he barreled in, taking in the heavy black bags under his eyes and his unkempt hair. He motioned to the chair in front of his desk, "Sit."
The vice admiral situated himself before he spoke, "Where is he?"
Thick fingers gripped the pen that rested against the desktop, "We have him in Impel Down."
"What will be done to him?"
Kong leaned back in his plush chair, "They want him executed."
Garp's voice caught in his throat as he tried to process the sentence. Shaking his head, he stood and slowly walked to the window, "On what grounds?"
"He's a pirate. What other reason do they need besides that?"
The vice admiral's fingers curled into a fist, "Execution is for men like Shiki and Rogers; but Ace…" he punched the stone the window sat in, "he's just a boy playing pirate."
Kong shook his head, "He's not a boy, Garp. He's the second division commander of a Yonko's pirate crew. There are rumors that Whitebeard forfeited his place as the next pirate king to your grandson. Not to mention he's an icon in the pirate world."
Garp whirled around, face hot with anger, "He's still MY boy!"
His labored breaths filled the room and the commander softly replied, "I know."
There was a knock at the door before the knob twisted and Sengoku entered the office. The tension was thick in the room as he closed the door behind himself, approaching the pair. He twirled the end of his beard around his finger, glaring at the vice admiral, "How long have we been friends?"
Gray eyebrows furrowed, as confusion overwrote the anger on Garp's face, "Since Academic days. Why?"
"Then why didn't you tell me Ace wasn't your biological grandson?"
Kong closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache creeping up on him, "Sengoku, what does that have to do with anything?"
When silence was his only answer, the commander opened his eyes, watching his subordinates glare at each other. Garp sat down in his chair, looking the fleet admiral up and down, "What do you know?"
"He's the son of Gol D. Roger."
Kong's eyes darted over to Garp, "Roger has no kid, they made sure of that years ago." When the other man didn't respond, he groaned, "Fuck me."
"How did you find out?"
Sengoku growled, "Why the fuck does it matter how I found out?! You should've told me!"
Garp shot to his feet, "Who. Told. You?!" He strained out through grinding teeth.
"Blackbeard!"
Kong pulled a few files from the desk drawer, muttering under his breath, "There's no telling who else knows if that fool does." The commander updated Ace's file while the men continued their argument. He knew they needed to vent out their anger and frustration, better they do it in his office than in front of the troops.
The ringing of the snail brought silence over the room. Kong put a finger to his lips as he answered the singing mushi, "This is Kong."
"Commander, under the order of the Gorosei, the prisoner, Portgas D. Ace, will have a broadcasted execution."
Before the man could respond, the snail went back to sleep. Kong's gaze tore from the mushi at the sound of his office door slamming shut. He leaned back in his chair, throwing the pen he'd been using at the wall, sighing heavily.
Sengoku rubbed his face, "They're sending a message."
"How long will it take for it to be set up."
The Buddha shrugged, "A few days at most."
Kong rubbed the soft skin of his scar in thought, "What about the Shichibukai?"
"They've already been told to report back in three days." Sengoku looked at the clock on the wall and when he saw the time, he let out a loud sigh, standing to his feet, "The strategist has changed the meeting to seven. Don't be late or I'll start without you."
The fleet admiral walked towards the door and, just as he was about to exit, the handle turned and Garp rushed back into the room. He stormed to Kong's desk, slammed his palms on top of it, and leaned forward, glaring at the older man, "I want to see him."
Sengoku shook his head, "He's in Impel Down, Garp."
The words spoken by the admiral were ignored as the Marine's black eyes sent signals of silent pleas to his superior, "Please."
Kong stared at the man as he picked up the den's receiver and pressed a few buttons on the hard shell. The snail rang a couple of times before the line was answered.
Magellan's irate voice greeted him, "This had better be good, Kong."
Said man pulled the paperwork he'd received from the underwater prison out in front of him, "I am sending Vice Admiral Garp over to check on inmate 681."
The warden scoffed, "Why are you playing check up with my prisoner? You don't think we can keep him contained?"
Kong's eyes narrowed, "Are you questioning me?"
"You can order around those Marines of yours but don't have any command over me."
The commander-in-chief raised his hand when Garp stepped forward, mouthing "Let me handle this." He cleared his throat before he spoke, "Magellan, to you, I am the World Government. One call and I can have you in a cell on one of those torturous levels you're always bragging about." When nothing was said from the other man, Kong expressed his demand again, "My vice admiral is leaving as we speak, he'll arrive shortly."
He hung up the snail just in time to see Garp nod in appreciation before taking his leave. He brushed past Sengoku and the man caught his wrist, "We aren't done."
Garp snatched his limb out of the grasp and stormed out of the room. The door slammed and Kong's deep voice filled his ears, "You need to tell the Gorosei. It'll be treason if you don't."
Rubbing the back of his neck, the fleet admiral nodded in agreement before exiting the room. Finally alone again, Kong made a noise of disgust as he got up to retrieve the pen he'd thrown earlier. He tucked it behind his ear and looked out the window, linking his fingers together. Any other day, the view of the beautiful Marine camps would've been breathtaking; however, today, it was raining, and the mud looked ugly from where he sat. There was no telling who all knew of Portgas's lineage, but he did know the Gorosei would get word of it soon. Their reaction to the news would be spoke about for centuries and written in all the history books.
It was another win, so it seemed, for the World Government.
It's always fun to write the older generation of One Piece. It's almost like what we see in the real world. As law and rules change it's hard for most older people to go along with the flow. Even in the anime, you can tell that strain of following old ways or progressing into new weighs heavy on those in the Marines. Stay tune for the next chapter: Brook - Huredhiel