Hi guys Azza here!
Ok so this should hit the big 500k milestone so YAY we aren't even half way through the story yet!
Seriously though I knew this was going to be long but we've still got four arcs before the time skip then an arc during the time skip then lots of arcs post time skip. Man this is gonna go for ages!
So thanks for sticking around this long I know my upload schedule is really not good at the moment but I'm working full time so I'm often half dead and only really do the bulk of my writing on my days off meaning it does take a bit longer. Plus some chapters clearly need more effort than others, the latter half of this one I had to work to not spoil too much but it's definitely juicy regardless.
I won't go on more but thanks guys for sticking by me for so long, you regulars know who you are!
Anyway onto the reviews!
Le Phoque Blanc – Marineford and Wano Country were the two arcs that inspired me to do One Piece in the first place. I've had a solid idea of what will go down during Marineford since forever and I'm so excited to get there because there will be some massive things happening there!
And yeah I know what you mean about Natsu cruising through everything. With his level of power its hard not to just one shot 90% of stuff so that's partially why he takes on the mostly reluctant mentorish roll because he's just at that level of power. Really he'll kind of be broken until we get into what Volume III.V teases.
Shadow465 - ;)
Ben Grem – Thanks for the support mate glad I've given you some great content to read!
Anyway enough with this on with the story!
I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.
The Flying Fish Riders
/Outskirts Of Sabaody – Thousand Sunny/
"So, this is Sabaody," Natsu muttered under his breath as he let his senses wash over the island. "Its …"
"Master?"
"You alright Natsu," Mordred asked as she waved a hand in front of his face.
"I'm fine you two," Natsu muttered, his gaze not focused on the pair before him but rather on the Archipelago beyond them. "It's just I can feel several strong signatures on this island, several familiar ones too."
"Are they hostile?"
"Hard to say," Natsu replied with his frown deepening. "The entire island is rife with negative emotion so I can't focus in on any one particular person."
"What about Grove Forty-Four," Seilah asked as Natsu's attention began to shift. "Can you isolate emotions when confined to one specific Grove?"
"Push out certain states of emotion Natsu," Ahnk chimed in as Natsu felt the added presence enter his senses. "Sift through the unneeded ones to isolate what we're looking for."
Doing as Ahnk instructed, Natsu pushed aside thoughts of specific emotions and sought out ones based on rage and malice. It took some work but after several minutes he isolated what was a surprising amount of anger and malice directed solely at one individual being projected outward across all of Grove Forty-Four.
"The hell …"
"We're almost there," Camie called out as Natsu snapped his attention to the main deck. "Oh, I do hope Hachi is alright!"
"Seems a bit quiet for this to be some sort of slaver base, doesn't it," Zoro asked as the rest of the crew nodded in agreement.
"It is likely they began preparations for an ambush the moment Camie declared she would save her friend," Robin pointed out as the ship edged closer toward the base. "However even for an ambush this does seem rather … open."
The group were on alert as the ship sailed closer toward the base until they finally pulled up alongside a makeshift dock. Just as everyone was about to disembark Camie suddenly cried out, pointing toward the centre of the base.
"HACHI!"
"N-nyuu … Camie."
"Th-that's Hatchan," Nami gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as several rather dark memories began flooding back to her.
"What's he doing here," Zoro growled only to pause as Camie tried to jump into the sea to swim out toward the Octopus Fishman being held within a cage at the centre of the floating base.
"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that Camie," Robin said gently as she used her superior strength to hold the Mermaid back. "It is quite obvious that your friend is being used to draw us into a trap."
"B-but I can't just leave him there!"
"And you won't," Natsu replied as he vanished and appeared right next to the cage. "Hey there."
"Wh-who are you!?"
"Name's Natsu and I'm one of the people who will be freeing you today," Natsu replied with a grin as dozens of figures began emerging from the sea riding strange flying fish creatures. Many more simply emerged from underwater and got onto the floating platforms as dozens of weapons were pointed his way.
"Nyuu! You shouldn't have come here, none of you should've come," Hachi cried as he wrapped his hands around the bars. "Especially not with Camie!"
"Relax," Natsu replied dismissively. "This trash isn't even worth our time."
"Huh?"
"Oi, are we even gonna get to do anything," Luffy shouted as he clenched his fists. "I wanted to fight someone!"
"I mean if you really want to fight them then sure," Natsu replied with a shrug. "Just so you know these guys are all weaker than regular Marines though so it won't be much of anything."
"You're being awfully dismissive of my men, Pirate!"
"N-nyuu," Hachi gasped as a rather tall and imposing man wearing an iron mask stepped out from the largest building. "I-it's their leader …"
Mysterious Man With A Grudge
Leader Of The Flying Fish Riders
Iron Mask Duval
"Don't you dare look down on us," Duval snapped as he pointed not toward Natsu, but toward the Sunny. "You'll pay for what you've done!"
"Huh?"
"MEN! EXECUTE THE SUPER COMPLICATEDLY OVER THE TOP TRAP!"
The gathered Flying Fish Riders roared and opened fire on Natsu's position as Duval began descending the steps toward the main platform. The bullets were easily redirected out of Natsu and Hatchan's direction without Natsu's own eyes ever leaving the man, his eyes widening slightly as he began to trace that same malice as earlier back to the man.
"It's the exact same malice! But why is he so man … and at who?"
Natsu prepared himself as Duval reached his position but nearly face vaulted as the man walked right past him and continued on to stand near the dock the ship was at.
"Now … after all this time I can finally have my justice against you!"
The entire group, Natsu included, looked at the man in confusion as he pointed up at the ship. Tracing the man's line of sight, they were all shocked to see that he was in fact actually pointing specifically at Sanji.
"Huh!? The hell did I do to you!?"
"So, you won't even admit to your crime," Duval growled as he drew two pistols. "You'll pay Black Leg Sanji!"
"Tch, fine," Sanji huffed as he lit a cigarette and jumped down onto the dock. "Let me handle this one guys since this bastard and his mess are somehow my fault."
"What about all the guys shooting at Natsu and Hachi?"
"I mean it's Luffy's call if he wants Natsu to stop them or not," Seilah replied as all eyes turned to Luffy who was looking down at Sanji and Duval.
"What do you think Luffy," Zoro asked as Luffy hummed to himself.
"Well … I really wanted to fight," Luffy began as he looked over toward the rest of the Flying Fish Riders who were now trying to attack with poisoned weapons. "But Sanji is right, if he did do something then it's his job to fix it. Oi, Natsu!"
"What!?"
"Take out those fish guys so Sanji can take on this Duval guy," Luffy called out prompting Natsu to grin.
"As you wish, Captain," Natsu chuckled before turning to Hachi. "Hold still."
With one flick of his wrist, the cage shattered as Hachi began to fall into the water only to be held aloft by Natsu's Gravity Magic.
"N-nyuu! What kind of power is this!?"
"Don't worry about it," Natsu replied dismissively. "I know you thrive in water but it won't bode well for you if you're in it after what I'm about to do."
"N-nyu …"
A weight smashed into the Flying Fish Riders as the entire group found themselves being slammed into the ground or, in the case of the ones on the Flying Fish, slammed right into the water. With another wave of his hand, dozens more were pushed lazily into the water as Natsu began to float upward with Hatchan in tow.
"Nyuu! What are you doing!?"
"Just watch," Natsu grinned sadistically as he held out his free hand.
Slowly, blue sparks began to flare up around his hand until suddenly he was holding onto a solid bolt of Lightning.
"Wh-what!?"
"I've been working a bit on being able to do stuff like this, mainly since I managed to upgrade my Lightning through Kaguya's own. It was a long process and one I was planning on resorting to back on Thriller Bark if I needed to. However, this is clearly a good opportunity to test it out."
"Master," Seilah sighed softly as her third eye opened up and began examining the bolt of Lightning in his hand. "That is not Dragon Slaying Magic!"
"Huh? I thought Natsu was capable of using the element without it being Slayer Magic," Mordred replied confusedly prompting Seilah to shake her head.
"His Magic is normally derived from his Slayer Magic, think of it being the catalyst for the elements," Seilah explained as Mordred began to understand.
"But he's never been taught Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic, only ever consuming it through outside means."
"But it appears Master has been doing some light training on the side," Seilah continued with slightly narrowed eyes. "To literally train himself to use Lightning despite not having any real material to go off of aside from previous experience using it in conjunction with his usual Magic …"
"He always proves himself to be a show-off," Mordred concluded with a grin as their attention turned back toward Natsu's attack.
"This one isn't really that powerful," Natsu explained as he twirled the bolt between his fingers. "That being said whilst you won't fry, you'll still hurt like hell."
Lazily tossing the bolt into the water, everyone was shocked as the entire area's water suddenly became electrified. The Flying Fish Riders stood no chance as they quickly passed out from the pain, leaving Duval by himself.
"My men," Duval growled as he turned back to face Sanji. "You … you and that damn crew of yours just can't stop ruining my life, can you!?"
"Huh? I don't even know who the hell you are," Sanji snapped back as he raised his right leg upward slightly. "That being said however, you're gonna pay for worrying a young lady like Camie!"
"You think being chivalrous will wash away your sins," Duval growled as he pointed his guns directly at Sanji. "Well THINK AGAIN!"
Opening fire, Sanji instantly dashed out of the direct path of the bullets and charged toward Duval. As he got closer, Sanji tried to land an upward strike on the larger man but was forced to dodge again as the man began shooting in what would be Sanji's future position had he moved any further forward.
"Tch, stubborn bastard!"
"My vengeance cannot be stopped Black Leg," Duval snapped as he tossed one of his guns into the air and went to punch Sanji.
The attack missed however many of the group were surprised to see the punch shatter a section of the ground upon impact, indicating that the man did indeed possess noteworthy strength.
"Stand still and accept your punishment!"
"Like hell I will," Sanji snapped back as he launched himself at Duval who ripped his hand free and tried to grab Sanji. "Black Leg Style: Reception – Full-Service Shot!"
Sanji's right leg wrapped around the back of Duval's neck as he applied considerable force, slamming the larger man face first into the ground. This was then followed up by a second blow to the back of the head from the opposite foot that left a large crack in the back of the iron mask.
Duval growled as he ripped his face free from the crater, clutching the front of his mask as the cracks centred around the back quickly began to spread all across its surface. As pieces of the mask fell, the entire group were completely shocked to see the appearance of the man come into full view.
"No way," Sanji gasped as the man ripped the last piece of the mask away to reveal a hideous looking man.
More specifically, despite a billion to one odds, a man who looked exactly like the mock-up of Sanji's Wanted Poster.
"YO-HOHOHAHAHAHA!"
Sanji blushed in embarrassment as Brook fell to his knees, roaring with laughter with Mordred quickly breaking out in her own laughter moments later.
"OI SHUT THE HELL UP BROOK!"
"To think that out of all the faces someone could have there'd be one that looks just like Sanji's Wanted Poster," Nami mused.
"He must have been born under an unlucky star or something," Robin added as Sanji's eyes turned toward the rather calm looking Zoro.
"I can't tell the difference between the two-?"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU DIRTY MOSS!"
"Do you see now," Duval sniffed as tears began to fall. "Because of you, the Marines and Bounty Hunters keep coming after me! I can't go outside without being attacked because of you!"
"HOW THE HELL IS THAT MY FAULT!?"
"IF YOU WEREN'T A FAMOUS PIRATE I WOULDN'T HAVE TO HIDE MY FACE IN SHAME! BECAUSE OF YOU I'M CURSED TO LIVE MY LIFE IN CONSTANT FEAR, NEVER ABLE TO SHOW MY FACE ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS!"
"You know what," Sanji sighed as he took a long drag from his cigarette before flicking it off to the side and exhaling a large amount of smoke. "I … DON'T CARE!"
Duval was stunned as Sanji vanished and appeared in the air above him already in mid-attack. He could do nothing as a barrage of kicks rained down on his face, knocking him further and further backward with each strike.
"Black Leg Style: Parage Shot!"
Ceasing his attack, Sanji landed before Duval as the man's hands instantly went to his face. The man began to shake and quickly fell to his knees, his hands slowly moving away from his face to reveal a rather shocking sight.
"Oh come on, there's no way that you just did something like that," Natsu shouted in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how many people I'd have done that to if that was a legit thing!?"
Somehow, Sanji had delivered so many precise kicks to Duval's face that he went from being a spitting image of the ugly mock up photo to a bona-fide lady killer.
"Like what the hell, even his hair completely changed," Mordred huffed as she grabbed a fistful of her own hair. "You can't just change this shit with kicks!"
"Perhaps this is what they call … plot convenience," Seilah mused as Duval stumbled backward in shock.
"Y-y-you-!"
"There," Sanji sighed as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Now you've got no reason to hold a grudge, right?"
"Y-you …!"
"Honestly," Natsu sighed as he appeared back on the ship. "I wonder if my sanity has fully left me when I see stuff like this?"
Duval sniffed as he ran his fingers across his remodelled face, tears quickly escaping him as he looked up into the sky with a large grin.
"I-I'm finally FREE!"
"Free?"
"He was ugly and now he's not," Robin supplied as Seilah cocked her head to the side. "It is highly likely that his previous appearance forced him to lead a secluded life, scorned by humans who probably mistook him for an ogre or troll subspecies."
"Wow, harsh much," Mordred snickered as Duval turned his gaze back toward Sanji.
"I-I can't believe that you did this, despite all the trouble I caused you."
"Don't worry about it," Sanji replied dismissively prompting Duval to shake his head.
"No! I can't allow this to go unrewarded!"
"Really," Sanji sighed whilst shaking his head. "You don't have to worry about it, I don't care."
"Maybe not, but what you have done will change my life for the better," Duval cried as he spun around to his men who were slowly crawling out of the sea and onto the makeshift docks. "MEN! TODAY IS THE DAY WHERE WE EMBARK ON A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR LIVES, NO LONGER AS SLAVERS … BUT MEN WITH ROSY FUTURES!"
All the men looked at each other before cheering and celebrating though not one person from the Straw Hat side had any idea why. As the group cheered Duval continued to speak.
"Therefore, it is only fitting that with a new chapter comes a new name for our crew. From this day forward we will be known as … the Rosy Life Riders!"
The group exploded once again as the Straw Hats all watched on in varying states of confusion save for Luffy who simply laughed at the whole spectacle. Duval, after seemingly congratulating himself on his own speech, turned back toward Sanji with a friendly smile and spoke in a slightly quieter voice.
"We're going to be throwing a big party in honour of our new future as the Rosy Life Riders and it'd be a crime not to invite the group who made it all possible," Duval said as his gaze moved over to the ship. "So, what do you all say, want to join us?"
Natsu already knew the answer before Duval had even finished the sentence as Luffy leapt off of the ship and landed next to Sanji. The constant chanting of 'meat' combined with Zoro asking anyone within earshot for something alcoholic basically sealed the deal right then and there.
As the crew disembarked, Natsu's attention turned toward the largest island of the Archipelago and the formidable power that lay dormant there. Idly he wondered if the power was hostile or not but shook his head of such thoughts, not willing to stress over one possibility.
He would deal with it when they reached the main island proper, but for now he could enjoy himself a little.
/Sabaody Archipelago – Grove 24/
"Whoa!"
"Senpai, look!"
Ritsuka and Mash were wide eyed as they walked through Grove Twenty-Four, marvelling at the abundance of bubbles and oddly designed buildings as well as the large variety of beings in the area.
"So, this is Sabaody …" Ritsuka said softly as a bubble landed atop his head. "Words really don't do this place justice."
"You kids like it here," Saber asked curiously with both Mash and Ritsuka nodding swiftly. "Well, suppose it does have its own sort of charm to it, for now."
"For now? Do you mean because of what you said earlier Saber," Mash asked as the intimidating Servant turned around and motioned for the pair to be quiet.
"Don't speak openly about any of that, or anything else you wanna keep a secret," Saber hissed as the pair both clamped their mouths shut. "Each and every last person around us is a criminal in some sort of way so you'd better watch what you say."
"We'll definitely keep that in mind, Saber," Mash replied only for the duo's attention to snap toward the sound of gunshots. "Wh-what was that!?"
"Oh great," Saber sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Like I said earlier, Sabaody isn't that great once you look under its glamorous surface."
Several more gunshots rang out as a veritable stampede of people came charging down the street in their direction. Saber simply vanished as Mash and Ritsuka ran toward the right side in order to avoid being trampled.
"What's going on," Ritsuka shouted as a medium sized group came out from a nearby building, weapons drawn. "Is it them!?"
"You bet your ass its them all right," Saber growled as he vanished and appeared on the roof of the building the group had just exited. "OI!"
"Huh," the lead figure responded as he turned around and looked up toward Saber. "You callin out to me old timer!?"
"Now that ain't right," Saber replied as his blade seemed to warp from its place at his side into his hand within the blink of an eye. "I'm not all that old, especially not old enough to be insulted by a fatty whose head looks like it got run over by a Marine Galleon!"
The man grit his teeth, knowing the insult was perfectly valid due to his rather uniquely shaped head having a massive crater in it. Drawing both a pistol and a sword, the man pointed his gun at Saber with the rest of his crew doing the same moments later.
"You got some kind of death wish old man," the man growled. "Do you have any idea who I am!?"
"Oh, I know exactly who you are," Saber replied with a sadistic smirk as he drew a Wanted Poster from his pocket and tossed it down toward them. "Captain of the Savage Tinkerer Pirate Crew, Donovan 'Crater' O'Malley. Current Bounty sits at Three Hundred and Ninety Million Berries thanks to some work for one of the top brass in the Beast Pirates in the New World."
"That's right," Donovan snapped as his pistol became covered in a blackish Aura. "No one messes with me, not even a shitty old man!"
"Haki huh," Saber chuckled as he opened his arms outward. "Go on then, take the shot and find out what happens …"
"Tch, you're fucking dead! KILL HIM!"
"Good …"
Ritsuka and Mash watched as all the Pirates opened fire on Saber, the man vanishing and appearing on the road right next to them with a sadistic smirk on his face. The Pirates were only momentarily stunned before Donovan raised his blade, coating it with the same black substance and charged toward Saber.
"You're gonna pay old man!"
"Is that right," Saber replied as he flicked his sword once before sheathing it. "From where I'm standing it ain't looking too good for you guys."
"Huh," Donovan responded as he turned around to find all of his men frozen in place, eyes wide in shock. "What the-!"
"Little bit of a heads up for ya," Saber said, his voice now above Donovan whose eyes couldn't even shift upward fast enough. "Just because you can use Haki, doesn't make you as strong as the trash you served."
And just like that, Saber's blade pierced through Donovan's head, skewering the man as the ground behind him suddenly was blasted away. All the men who had frozen in place suddenly fell apart; their bodies sliced into so many pieces that they were easily blown away by the force of Saber's unseen attack.
Ripping his blade free from Donovan, Saber wiped its edge clean using the dead Pirate's coat before sheathing it once again. Giving the hilt a gentle pat, he turned his gaze back toward the shocked Ritsuka and Mash who were now openly gaping at him.
"Sorry about that but I'm not exactly here for a social call, got an important job to do securing this shithole before some real important VIP's show up."
"Y-you defeated over thirty people without even moving from that spot," Mash blurted out as the man laughed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Ah, yeah … well I guess from your point of view that was pretty impressive," Saber replied as he placed a hand on the hilt of his blade. "Not to brag but I'm kind of strong thanks to her."
"Her?"
"My blade," Saber replied casually before turning around and picking up Donovan's corpse. "So long as I have her, I'll never lose."
"That blade of yours is special?"
"Special," Saber barked as he struggled not to burst out laughing. "Oh, you kids have no idea just how special this blade of mine is. That aside though I'm gonna leave you here, get back to work before my Master decides I've slacked for too long and he actually has to do some work."
"Uh …"
"Remember what I said," Saber added, cutting Ritsuka off before he could finish. "And stay out of trouble!"
And just like that, Saber vanished along with Donovan's corpse leaving the pair alone in the ruined and blood-soaked street.
"Senpai, we should analyse this area," Mash suggested as she motioned toward the area that had been torn apart. "Just look at how expertly this was cut …"
"He literally 'shaved' the earth, slicing and dicing everything within that space," Ritsuka muttered as he knelt down at touched the freshly exposed dirt. "And this energy … I've never felt something like this before."
"It feels vaguely familiar to me," Mash replied as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I remember feeling something like this when I was born …"
"Mash."
"Yes Senpai?"
"We should go."
"But why-?"
Mash didn't even get enough time to ask why they needed to move when the sounds of rapidly approaching footsteps reached her ears. Both she and Ritsuka ran and hid down a nearby alley just in time to see a group of heavily armed soldiers wearing what appeared to be grey uniforms charge past and stop at the spot they'd just been inspecting.
"This is it?"
"So, he says."
"Do we have confirmation on who did it?"
"Word came through, it's been cleared."
"Good. One less band of trash to monitor on this rock," a rugged looking man sighed as he stepped forward and lit a cigar. "Is the Major still at base?"
"Yes Sir, still waiting on the arrival of the Dragons," one of the soldiers replied as the man placed a hand onto the red patch that went around his left arm.
"We won't fail, we can't afford to fail this mission," the man growled as he moved his hand to reveal a familiar symbol.
"Senpai-!"
"I know," Fujimaru whispered sharply as his eyes zeroed in on the patch. "This guy works for the World Government!"
"Hauptmann," a soldier called out as the man moved his attention toward the voice. "Some of the filth say that there were two inspecting this site mere moments before we arrived!"
"Is that so," the man replied as he exhaled a rather long stream of smoke before gritting his teeth. "Verteilen! Finde sie! Ich mochte, dass sie lebend hereingebracht werden! Für diejenigen, die scheitern, werde ich persönlich Ihre spätere Gerichtsverhandlung und summarische Hinrichtung überwachen!
"Sir, Yes Sir," the soldiers shouted as they began to disperse leaving the man alone in the street.
The man removed the cigar from his mouth and looked back over at the spot Saber had cut earlier and grinned. Flicking some ash onto the ground, the duo were shocked when it suddenly began to expand over the ruined section and all the body parts left behind.
"So that's how he wants it, eh?"
The man was about to walk off but paused, looking over in the direction of the alley with his eyes narrowing slightly. Flicking his cigar once again, the ash went to fall to the ground only to suddenly be blown in the direction of the alley.
Mash and Ritsuka froze as the ash seemed to lazily float in the air around them, pausing in certain spots before moving on until it reached their position. The pair were ready to move when suddenly it pulled a forty-five degree turn and struck something behind a bin opposite their position.
The man snapped his fingers and, to the shock of the pair, the ash expanded and tossed a clump of ash back at the man before dissipating entirely. The pair didn't even notice that however, their eyes firmly on the clump of ash at the man's feet.
"Hmm."
The top of the ash pile opened up to reveal a terrified cat, its incessant shrieking meows making the man cringe as he placed the cigar back into his mouth.
"Nutzlos," the man growled as the ash wrapped tightly around the cat's neck, an audible snapping sound echoing across the abandoned area moments later. The ash then overtook the now lifeless head and seemed to force it into the ground as the man walked off, the ash coating the ground rising up to meld with his black coat leaving what was once a grisly and gory sight little more than a lifeless and barren expanse of hardened grey dirt.
"Senpai …"
"That man," Ritsuka growled as the duo watched the retreating man's back. "How could he be so cruel!"
"There's something else though Senpai," Mash said quietly as Ritsuka turned to face her, immediately feeling his anger drain away at her concerned gaze.
"What is it, Mash?"
"Just now, that man …"
"What?"
"That language … I know that language," Mash replied with a frown. "That was German, more specifically Modern German."
"So, he's a Servant then …"
"Well that's the thing Senpai, he didn't have a signature one would associate with a Servant."
"Huh?"
"Senpai, that man was a real flesh and blood being."
"B-but how!? You saw what he just did, he manipulated the ash!"
"Natsu did warn us that this world would throw what we perceive to be possible onto its head," Mash sighed as she shook her head. "That man clearly possesses some kind of native power therefore it would be wise for us to heed Saber's words and lay as low as possible for now until we can collect more data."
"But what about that guy, we can't just let him go unchecked!"
"Remember what Saber said earlier Senpai?"
"Stay away from Grove One and any Groves that house the World Government. Most of the Groves might seem like shit but they're paradise compared to those ones."
Ritsuka grit his teeth as he looked off in the direction the man had left before sighing and nodding sharply.
"We should find a better place to set up for the moment and get our bearings Senpai, maybe try and find some sort of map to figure out where we are specifically?"
"You're right Mash," Ritsuka sighed as the pair walked down the other end of the alley, keeping watch for any soldiers that were no doubt searching for them.
/Marineford – Centre Of Unifying Justice/
As events slowly began to unfold at Sabaody, events just as pivotal were unfolding at the headquarters of the Military of the World Government. A meeting that would no doubt go down in the history books was about to take place with all the top brass present from all arms of the World Government.
A meeting such as this rarely occurred, for each time one did … calamity would soon follow. The last meeting to take place was during the era of the legendary Pirate King, Gol D Roger regarding another man who was on the cusp of destroying all.
Those who were present today remembered the outcome of that meeting and knew what would no doubt succeed from this one would lead to similar chaos, chaos that could make or break the world as they knew it.
"The time is now Twelve PM and the doors shall be sealed shut," a voice boomed as two colossal Sea Stone Prism doors slammed shut, sealing all those who occupied the large chamber inside. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ninth Brass Summit is now in effect!"
There was no cheering, not even so much as a peep as those gathered eyed the rather sizeable and intimidating man who moved to sit at the head of the massive table. This man was known by all in the World Government and held the highest rank among all branches of the military, a position he reluctantly held.
Liason Between The Military And The Gorosei
World Government Commander In Chief Of The Armed Forces
Enforcer Of Unified Justice
Kong
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Kong's voice boomed across the room as a person at the other end of the room set up a projecto-snail. "As you are all no doubt aware, the last few years have been a time for revision and rearmament for our forces of Justice. With the inclusion of Servants amidst our rank and the formation of the Army of the World Government to handle ground-based combat, taking pressure away from our proud Marines, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that Justice is maintained across the seas throughout this uncertain period."
The projecto-snail flicked its eyes as an image appeared on the screen depicting two figures who were both present in the room.
"You all know the current Fleet Admiral, Sengoku. He was the one whom I personally chose to place in the position after I rose to the rank of Commander In Chief," Kong said as he pointed to the figure next to Sengoku. "However, there are many who do not know this man, the man who was not only appointed to lead our newly formed Army but also was the one who pitched the idea to the Gorosei."
Seated before Kong were three figures, one being Sengoku and another being a slightly smaller looking man wearing a blue uniform not too dissimilar to the third man. This man rose to his feet and moved toward the front so that everyone could see him and nodded.
Head Of The World Government's Army
Generalfeldmarschall Of The Army
Rider Of The Axis
"I want to first begin by thanking all of you who are under my arm of the Armed Forces for your service," Rider began as many of the Army personnel nodded. "I understand that some of my methods are … unusual, however all have clearly proven successful when implemented. From teaching all of you in the Officer Corp my native language to ensure a much more secure transfer of information to the implementation of updated equipment such as fully automatic weaponry and armoured equipment. Under the Generals you have all excelled and have brought pride to the World Government and aided in the continued upholding of Justice across the world. For this, you all have my gratitude and hope for continued support moving forward."
Nodding sharply, Rider moved and sat down once more as Kong continued to speak.
"As you all know, the implementation of the Army was once seen as controversial however with the overwhelming success we are now prepared to unveil the next step in our restructuring of the Armed Forces."
The shorter man from earlier rose from his seat and moved to stand at the front. Though his confidence was nowhere close to that of Rider, he nevertheless marched forward dutifully and nodded toward the assembled group.
"Today is the day we shall unveil the third main branch of our proud Armed Forces," Kong explained as the image shifted to that of snails outfitted with strange propeller shaped devices, wearing rather amusing goggles over their eyes as they flew about in the sky with over twenty troops situated atop them. The snail was making a fisticuffs motion with its stubby arms whilst another held a gatling gun in-between them, a toothy grin on its face as it rained down gunfire upon a town.
In a picture next to that was another snail however this one had a balloon attached to it and in its arms was a detonator device linked to a rather large cylindrical object mounted below its body. The snail seemed to be smirking as it floated over a small town in the image.
Below those two photos were the Servitors, floating balls of metal in various shapes and sizes however these ones had wings attached to them. The eye of the Servitor was the same blue as the World Government's insignia however it also had another symbol painted onto it none could recognize.
"I am proud to present to you the first prototypes out from Doctor Vegapunk and his team for what will become our Air Force," Kong's voice boomed as the entire group looked over at the man standing before them now understanding why he was seated next to the Fleet Admiral and the General.
Head Of The World Government's Air Force
Reichsmarschall Of The Air Force
Archer Of The Black Devil
The group present all clapped at an appropriate pitch since it still was a formal meeting amongst the top brass. To Archer's credit he simply smiled and returned to his feet as Kong once again rose to his feet and motioned for the slide to shift.
"Now then, as you are all no doubt aware of by now, we've called every last unit we can spare back to Marineford. You are also all no doubt privy to the information regarding why this is the case."
Pointing at the slide showed a bloodied figure locked up behind bars as many of the younger, lower ranking members of the brass shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"You are free to feel nervous," Kong replied in a slightly softer tone. "For we will be kicking the proverbial hornet's nest with what we're planning on doing. There is little doubt you all know who this man is, Portgas D Ace! This man is the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, a Commander of one of the Four Emperors of the Sea!"
The murmurs rose slightly as the slide shifted to that of the man being spoken of at that moment.
"Whitebeard, true name Edward Newgate, might be an old man of seventy-two years old however make no mistake," Kong snapped as the entire room fell silent. "If he truly wanted to, that man could channel his power and rip apart this planet using his Devil Fruit!"
"Whitebeard hasn't used his full power since the death of Gol D Roger," Sengoku added as the chatter began to increase once more. "However, those who are under his command are considered to be his family and he will not hesitate to unleash his full might upon us should we not comply with his demands!"
"Which is why you have all assembled here today," Kong sighed as the slide shifted to that of an overhead view of Marineford. "In one weeks' time we shall be executing Portgas D Ace right here at Marineford, defying Whitebeard's demands to release him!"
"Which means that there will be a war," Rider added smoothly, slowly rising from his seat. "This will be a war on a scale not seen in this world before as not only will the forces of Justice clash with the forces of a Yonkou, but there will no doubt be dozens of Servants on both sides using their full power against either side."
"And it will become a bloodbath," Kong said bluntly as the entire room paled. "We believe Whitebeard is going to call in favours in addition to the allied crews at his disposal which means that the Servants on the side of the enemy will easily be on par with the Admirals, the Generals or the Air Marshals."
"However, we have allies of our own, courtesy of the Gorosei," Sengoku added as a man seemingly emerged from the shadows, his hair and eyes a strange shade of dark green that seemed to glow slightly.
The man grinned as he took his place beside Kong, his grin only serving to unnerve even those who sat at the higher end of the brass.
"With the aid of this man we shall secure victory," Kong stated as if it were merely a fact. "I have been assured by the Gorosei that his team, Tiberius Squad, will be able to halt the advance of Whitebeard should the man prove to be too much of a problem which means his potential allies will not tip the balance of power in his favour. However, I shall let him do the rest of the introductions."
The man grinned as Kong motioned for him to speak, his eyes roving over the group as he held up his right hand almost inspecting it like it was brand new.
"Greetings," the man said with an amused tone as all eyes struggled to maintain their gaze upon him. "I look forward to working with you all …"
To those of you who figure out the identities of Rider and Archer and wonder why I picked both of them just know that they do fit with the theme of the World Government I'm trying to portray. I'm fully aware that there were plenty of other candidates who could be in their position however I wanted actual figures from real human history in these positions that definitely aren't ever going to be in Fate, Rider in particular probably does deserve to be in Fate because his legend is extremely well known and even exaggerated upon in many cases as we will explore with his character throughout this volume. But I'll say no more aside from do know that I have picked these two strategically.
Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!