A/N: Hey guys, welcome to another chapter! So, this ones late because, as I said last chapter, I went out of town for the weekend, and by the time I came back it was the Tuesday, the day before the next chapter should have went up, and I had done absolutely no writing and had no time to write a whole chapter before then, so I didn't update, and instead took the time to write this chapter that, honestly, I don't know how I feel about. The ending turned out a lot... angstier then I intended, but I guess its ok. Anyways, prepare yourselves for this chapter, and, holy cow, thank you for over 100 reviews! I never thought my story would be this popular, and not to mention I've gotten over 23,000 views on it as well! Thank you all so much, and please, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
"W-What?! How do you know?! Oh God, were gonna die!" Usopp freaked, wanting to run but not having the energy, though everyone's pace had picked up as they made their way through the desert.
"Its someone strong, that's for sure." Sabo said, almost surprised that his haki had just suddenly picked up the presence like that. Roronoa nodded.
"They're definitely from the future, no one just pops up like that, not with that aura." He said, Black Leg, Monkey, Sniper, Sabo and Ace nodding their agreement.
"W-What are you guys talking about?!" Nami asked in fear and confusion.
"Future things." Roronoa said bluntly, causing her to glare at him.
"We need to move." Monkey said again, knowing full well who this person was. Everyone looked at him, noticing his stern face, a slight hint of anger, and dare they say it, fear, in his eyes.
"Do you know who it is?" Ace asked cautiously, and Monkey nodded.
"That's why we have to move, fast. We can't fight them." He said, and everyone's hearts raced a little faster at their Captains/ Brothers/ friends reaction.
"Are they really that strong?" Tony asked, and Monkey nodded.
"Its an admiral." He said, and everyone's eyes popped open in shock.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god!" Nami and Cat Burglar were having similar reactions, not ready for that news.
"A-An Admiral?!" Vivi squeaked in shock.
"That would explain the group with them, they're probably marines." Black Leg said, Monkey nodding.
"B-But their from the New World, our past selves haven't fought anyone like them yet!" Sniper said, and they nodded again.
"That's why we need to move." Monkey said.
"We wont be able to get far, I can already see them from here, and from the looks of it they sensed us too, they're coming this way." Sabo said, glaring at the blob in the distance.
"Which Admiral is it?" Ace asks as they hurried over another dune, sweat pouring down most of their faces. Monkey hesitated.
"I-Its... Its... Its Akainu..." Monkey said, struggling to get the words out. The future members nearly tripped, eyes widening as they faced Monkey.
"Akainu?!" They asked almost simultaneously. They didn't know what happened at the war but they did know Akainu was there and, they believed, that was how Monkey had gotten his scar, especially when Tony said it was a burn and Robin informed them of Akainu's devil fruit ability.
"Judging by your reactions were more then screwed." Zoro said, and no one bothered to answer him.
"Have you fought him before?" Vivi asked, and again Monkey faltered, along with the future crew members.
"M-My crew... they didn't fight him, but I did, at the war, and... Ace... Ace, please don't fight him." The pleading in Monkey's voice startled everyone, and Ace could only nod mutely in shock, though he knew if it came down to it he would fight without hesitation.
"They're getting closer." Vivi said in a warning tone, and they looked, noticing that there were now silhouettes, though they still couldn't see their faces.
"Were in the middle of a desert, we don't have a lot of places to run to!" Chopper panted on the sled, Tony nodding his agreement.
"I could rocket us!" Luffy said, a little too cheerfully for the situation they were in.
"You have nothing to grab idiot." Sanji chided, causing Luffy to pout.
"Were going to have to fight them." Roronoa said to Monkey. Monkey looked at Roronoa, the two sharing a conversation without words, everyone watching them, waiting for the verdict. Monkey sighed, closing his eyes, and everyone could see how much pain, emotionally, that he was in, his eyes swimming with more emotions then they could read. Eventually he nodded, turning to face the others.
"Our past selves can't fight, these guys are really strong-"
"Awww, but I wanna fight tooo~!" Luffy whined, Nami hitting him on the head.
"You can't-!" She was cut off by Robin who gave him a gentle smile.
"If you fought now Luffy-san you wouldn't have any energy to fight Crocodile." Robin explained slowly. He looked to be thinking before he ginned widely.
"Ah! Your right, hey you are nice, thanks Robin!" He said happily, and Robin smiled wider, nodding.
"For once Monkey's right, you guys can't fight, not only because their strong but you also all need to be in good health for everything that happens here." Cat Burglar said, the future members nodding their agreement to the plan.
"Cat Burglar, Sniper, you'll stay close to the past guys, make sure they don't get attacked, the rest of us will fight the marines, I'll... I'll try to distract Akainu..." Monkey said, for the first time in his life unsure about whether he could win a fight against an enemy. Ace and Sabo frowned, glancing at each other, and the future members picked up on Monkey's wording, also glancing to each other, but not arguing against their Captain.
"Ace... You've fought guys like this so you can help, but like I said, don't fight Akainu..." Monkey repeated, and Ace nodded, still not fully agreeing with the plan. Turning back around the marines were closer yet and their facial features were noticeable. They had determined looks and the crews could hear the battle cries as they drew closer, the towering figure of Akainu more and more noticeable.
"Ah!" Monkey suddenly exclaimed, having remembered something Akainu had a habit of doing. There was slight panic in his eyes as he looked at Ace.
"What is it?" Ace asked, not liking the look directed at him.
"In, uh... the future, your... parents are announced to the world..." Monkey says, unsure of how his brother would react. Luffy and Ace's eyes widen and Ace feels anger at the mention of his father, while the crew watches in confusion.
"And Akainu refuses to call us by our names, he always calls us the son of-, well, you know..." Monkey says, and Ace frowns again, glancing at the past crew and Vivi.
"It doesn't matter Ace, if everyone finds out in the future anyways and they still don't care what would it change if they find out sooner?" Sabo asks, gesturing to Monkeys crew as they watched the interaction. Aces frown didn't leave his face, though, and it instead turned into a glare.
"That doesn't mean I have to like it." Ace growls out, glaring at Akainu harsher.
"W-wait, who are your parents?" Usopp asks. Ace didn't answer and Sabo sighs, Luffy watching Ace with a sad look.
"You may as well not even ask, he wont answer. Monkey, does Akainu happen to address you in the same way?" Sabo asks, and Monkey nods.
"Yeah he calls me the son of Dragon." He says, leaving the past crew in confusion.
"The son of Dragon?" Chopper asks sitting up on his sled. Monkey nods.
"Yeah, my dad, Dragon." Monkey says, almost forgetting the danger closing in behind him as he spoke casually with his past crew.
"I have a dad?" Luffy asks, and Ace and Sabo shake their heads.
"You wouldn't happen to mean Dragon the Revolutionary, would you?" Nami asks timidly, and Monkey nods, causing the past crew to drop their jaws.
"Your family is absolutely insane!" Sanji shouts, even Zoro's eyes slightly widen at the information. Monkey laughs and Luffy looks on in confusion.
"Who is it?" Luffy asks, and Nami begins explaining in detail about the most wanted man in the world, Luffy shrugging nonchalantly at the end.
"Oh." He says simply, and Ace and Sabo face palm.
"Only you wouldn't care that your father is one of the most dangerous men." Usopp mutters.
"Son of Dragon, I will take your head!" The shout makes Monkeys blood run cold and he spins, the past crew backing up slightly as the future crew, Sabo, and Ace get into fighting stances.
"You wont get away this time!" The shouting continues and everyone watches with baited breaths as they got closer and closer.
"S-Sir! I-Is that-?!" The marines stumbled upon seeing Ace, and Ace even grinned back at them. Since he understood why they were scared it made it all the better.
"I-Its Fire Fist Ace! B-But-! But He should be dead!" Another marine shouts.
"The spawn of the devil, hm?" Akainu asks, confusing the past members. Ace glares at the man and Luffy frowns, itching to fight the man himself.
"I thought I killed you." The bluntness of the sentence shocks everyone and Monkey feels his breath hitch, flashes of the war coming back, but he shakes them away. Suddenly, Ace understands why Monkey didn't want him fighting Akainu.
"W-Wait, he k-kills Ace?!" Vivi asks in shock, hands covering her mouth.
"Ack! It the Straw Hats! With the Straw Hats! What's going on?!" The marines shout in fear, and Akainus eyes narrow. To be fair the man was smart, and putting two and two together wasn't too hard as his glare hardened, turning back to Ace and Monkey.
"Son of Dragon, Son of Roger, I'm going to take your heads and purge the world of you devils!" Aakinu shouts, rushing forward, fist coated in magma as Monkey runs forward to meet it.
"Like hell you are!" Monkey shouts furiously, coating his own fist in haki and meeting Akainu's punch with his, a shockwave leaving the hits.
"You idiot! That's magma!" Nami shouts in fear, the past crew in shock and fear that Monkey just destroyed his hand.
"Its fine, he's using a... future technique." Cat Burglar says, calming the crew slightly as she knocks out a marine with her clima tact. Everyone else jumped into action, Roronoa and Black leg close behind Monkey, watching his back and keeping the marines from attacking him, Franky and Brooke behind those two, and Robin in front of the defenseless Tony, using her power to attack the marines from a distance. Cat Burglar and Sniper stood in front of the past members, Sniper shocking them with his new pellets, and Cat Burglar shocking them with her control over the weather.
Ace and Sabo fought together, Sabo having forgotten what it was like to fight with his brother, the two in complete sync despite this. When Sabo used Ace's devil fruit it left Ace in a momentary shock.
"You ate my devil fruit?" He asked, ducking as Sabo sent a fiery fist at a marine behind him. Sabo grinned, nodding.
"Its actually how Monkey and I met again. Some bastard found it and was using it as a prize in a coliseum fight. Monkey went to get it and I surprised him when I showed up and said I was gonna get it. It took him a minute to realize it was me and was adamant in keeping it from me until he recognized me." Sabo said fondly, using his dragon claw to take out a group of marines. Ace smiled, happy that his brother had gotten his fruit in the end as he used his finger pistols to shoot marines swinging at Sabo.
"Glad you got it and not some marine bastard." Ace said, Sabo laughing in response.
Meanwhile Monkey and Akainu were in a fight of punches and glares, no words being said as they fought to keep each other at bay, though Akainu was going for a kill.
"You will not stop me son of Dragon!" Akainu growls, swinging another magma fist at Monkey who growls, blocking the hit with a haki infused arm.
"Damn right I will you stupid magma bastard!" Monkey shouts in fury, swinging a punch of his own, though it was blocked effortlessly.
"That devils spawn was something that should never have been born, something that needs to be eradicated!" Akainu continued, only furthering Monkey's anger.
"His name is Ace, he's not an it and he's not a devil!" Monkey shouted, louder and angrier then before, catching everyone's attention as the future crew, Ace, and Sabo started finishing up with the marines. Monkey knew Akainu was just trying to blind him with rage, like he had done to Ace, and he tried his best to breath, to not let it get to his head, but it was hard, and he just wanted to beat Akainu to a bloody pulp.
"A devil like that has no name!" Akainu stated, Ace glowering at him, Sabo and everyone else glaring in hatred. Roronoa and Black Leg were itching to jump in and help their Captain but they felt they would be in the way more then they would be helping.
The past crew, who had previously been in awe of the future crews power, were glaring at Akainu as well, Luffy shifting, wanting to help but knowing he wouldn't be able to. They watched Monkey as he fought on par with Akainu, and felt the awe starting to return. They were going to be monsters in the future.
"The only devil here is you Magma Brains!" Monkey shouted, the crews sweatdropping at Monkey's lack of creative insults. Punches went back and forth, Monkey dodging for his life, literally, as one drop from that magma would be devastating to him, while Akainu fought in a relaxed manner, waiting to tire Monkey out so he would have the upper hand. Monkey didn't have any room for an advantage, and he knew this. He knew this was a one sided fight, that he was only stalling the inevitable. He wasn't strong enough to fight Akainu yet, he wasn't prepared, he still had a lot of training to do, and he hadn't expected to be fighting the marine this soon. He had to get his crew (Crews?) out of there, before Akainu really did get the upper hand, and kill not only him, but everyone else too. He could barely glance at the groups behind him, seeing them watching him intently with worry, and his lips thinned.
"Everyone, start running!" Monkey shouted, and they stood there in shock for a moment.
"W-what?! Run where, were in a desert!" Cat Burglar shouted.
"Just run as far as you can, you'll get there eventually!" Monkey shouted, knowing that they would eventually reach civilization, remembering the past.
"We can't leave you!" Tony shouted from his sled.
"Yeah, we'll stay!" Sniper shouted in determination, clutching his special slingshot tightly.
"Shitty Captain, were not leaving you behind." Black Leg said with a glare, lighting a cigarette. Monkey's eyes narrowed on Akainu, taking a deep breath and feeling despair fill him.
"Everyone... Run. Captains orders!" Monkey said in his no nonsense voice, once again stunning the crews to silence.
"M-Monkey-san..." Brooke said, knowing they wouldn't be able to refuse a Captains orders.
"Monkey." Robin said softly, coming to the same conclusion as Brook, a frown forming quickly.
"B-but Monkey- bro, we can't-" Franky was cut off by Roronoa who spun on his heels, a glare on his face, though not directed at any of them.
"Lets go!" Roronoa barked, hating that he had to say these words, hating that he had to leave his Captain here.
"W-what! Roronoa, we can't leave him!" Cat Burglar shouted, eyes wide. Roronoa glared at her and she gasped, seeing the turmoil in his eyes.
"Captains orders are absolute." Roronoa growled out, and Cat Burglar stood there a minute before nodding numbly, turning almost on autopilot as tears formed in her eyes.
"C-come on everybody, we gotta go, if we run that way we'll get to a town soon." She said softly and the past crew stared in shock, not fully processing everything.
"A-are we really leaving Monkey?" Usopp asked, not getting a real answer as Zoro pat his back, grief in his eyes that shocked him. He looked at Luffy and saw the frown on his Captains face as he watched his future self, but even he turned, starting to run.
"Come on guys, you heard me... Monkey..." He said, almost confusing himself as he ran, the past crew following along with Cat Burglar and Sniper close behind, both fighting tears. Franky was openly crying as he grabbed the reigns to Tony's sled and pulled him along, the reindeer sobbing as he was pulled along. Robin closed her eyes in pain, running after Franky and Robin, trying to calm the reindeer with disembodied hands to wipe his tears. Brook had no facial expression seeing as he was a skeleton, but tears, somehow, formed in his eye sockets as he ran past the downed marines, making sure they stayed down as he ran after his crewmates.
Black Leg and Roronoa were the last ones left besides Ace and Sabo and Roronoa turned to Black Leg, still glaring.
"Get going crap cook." Roronoa said, though there wasn't the normal bite to the insult. Black Leg glanced at Monkeys back, the Captain still fighting hard, and nodded, a frown on his face as he took off, running to catch up with Robin and Cat Burglar to comfort them.
"Oi, Monkey, were not your crew, you can't order us away!" Ace shouted in anger, and Monkey didn't respond, focused on his fight.
"He's right Lu, we can't leave you here, what kind of brothers would we be if we did something like that?" Sabo asked softly. Monkeys lips were almost nonexistent at this point and his glare was worse.
"Ace! You have to run! If you die here your future would be gone! My past self would lose his brother a lot earlier then I did, and he wont be finding Sabo for two years! You have to go!" Monkey shouted angrily, and Ace glared, anger building fast.
"I can't leave you Luffy!" Ace shouted in fury, dropping the Monkey.
"GO!" Monkeys shout stopped Aces arguing as a hint of his conquering kings haki came out, only weakening Ace slightly.
"L-Luffy." Sabo said, also dropping the Monkey.
"Please! Go help my crew get home, keep them safe!" Monkey shouted, taking his eyes off Akainu for a split second to send his brothers a pleading gaze. The two stood in silence, not wanting to leave at all, ready to argue with Monkey for another life time, but they saw that they were only putting their little brother in harms way as Akainu's fist got all too close to burning Monkeys shoulder to ash when Monkey focused on fighting with them. Sabo lowered his head in shame as he grabbed Ace's arm.
"C-Come on Ace..." He said in a soft, heart breaking voice. Ace didn't agree with any of this, and neither did Sabo himself, but Sabo tugged at Ace roughly, getting him to stumble forward.
"Sabo! What the hell! We can't leave him!" Ace shouted, enraged. What kind of big brothers were they, leaving their little brother like this?!
"Ace! Lets go!" Sabo shouted, looking up at Ace and causing the eldest to stumble from shock now. His brother had tears running down his face, his eyes filled with guilt and sadness, shame and fury, and Ace knew he was thinking the same things as him.
"Y-You better come back ok Luffy!" Ace shouted angrily, trying to fight his own tears. He hated cry babies, but right now, he was going to make exceptions. Monkey smiled to them briefly, sadness in his own eyes, before he was blocked by Aakinu, the giant man continuing his attacks with no regard to the devastating display going on around him. The two brothers started running, ignoring the tears falling down their faces and only focusing on running forward. Roronoa, who was still there, closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Zoro." Monkey said, his voice strained, his teeth grit in concentration. Roronoa turned, facing his Captain.
"Take care of them." Monkey said, tears in his eyes. Roronoa nodded, turning and running.
"Will do Captain."