SailorStar9: With Chapter 177 uploaded, I present Chapter 178 this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairings: Ace/Sasha, sibling Luffy/Sasha and Sabo/Sasha, Background Protector!Law/Sasha

Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Oda Eiichirō-sensei. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except my OC, the pairing and the fic idea.

Chapter 178: Arc 12: Back to Zero! Earnest Wishes for the 'D' Brothers


"Hody is..." Fukaboshi started. "A monster who was brought to life by our environment. The New Fish-Man Pirates are a group of monsters created from an ancient grudge. The grudge was born from their ancestors in the shadow of the Fish-Man Island and that fear that the grudge will be forgotten and their anger against the humans will be dispelled. That's why they are so impatient. And they want humans to be evil so they can justify themselves for their crusade. They just want to see bloodshed and they don't even want peace for the Fish-Men. Their hatred is not rooted in their experience or true beliefs: they have no substance! They are completely 'empty'."

"Seriously?" Ace muttered in disbelief. "That's it? It's just for the sake of hating humans? That's stupid!"

"Evil lowly creatures: humans." Hody chortled. "We're devoting our lives for this vengeance.

"This is seriously stupid." Ace shook his head. We have to buy Sasha and Shirahoshi some more time. "Luffy, scatter!" he shouted.

"Right." Luffy nodded and the two brothers split to try and get Hody to follow one of them.

"It was too late." Fukaboshi continued. "I don't know when but we lost contact with the Fish-Man District and they've become somethings like an isolated dark side of the Fish-Man Island. We pretended not to see the twisted hatred building up in that lawless ditch in the deep water. I filled my mother's shoes and collected signatures, but I was only dealing with superficial matters. But I thought I was making progress. It was too late! People like them are the ones my mother feared the most. We should have fought within ourselves first. We should have fought our own feelings towards humans. Mother was..." he held back his tears. "Mother was killed by the grudge growing on the Fish-Man Island. Maybe she knew it. But part of me held that resentment and hated human for killing my mother. Dead people take their regret to the grave. So a grudge is an illusion that the living create and they alone cultivate it. Because I hated humans, even a bit, I overlooked the resentment in the Fish-Man District and when I finally noticed, it had become too powerful and beyond control. If nothing is done, the Fish-Man Island will destroy itself through its own hatred towards humans. Fire-Fist, Straw Hat, please!" he begged. "We don't need the past. Reset our history to zero! Wipe out these phantoms who shut the island away from the sun. Bring the Fish-Man Island back to zero!"

"Shut up, Fukaboshi!" Hody snapped. "The Fish-Men's grudge will last forever."

"Fukaboshi," Ace sighed. "As long as you let us handle this our way, you do not have to worry. Our minds were already made up when we arrived to the plaza with Jinbe-sensei; we wouldn't let anyone harm this island. This is still Pops' territory, right? Then, leave it to us, Fukaboshi."

"Ace, there's air on the ship now." Luffy pointed out.

"Right." Ace nodded. "Let's finish this."

"You can't get away from me." Hody closed in on the brothers. "It's all over now."


SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.