Chapter 2, on a plate. My trial exams just passed, and the actual exam is about a month away. I might be able to write more, considering the exam lasts the whole of November, but i really only have ten days where I have to sit for papers. So…i'd try to study, but I'm pretty sure my mind will drift back to this story and refuse to leave when i eventually get bored with my textbooks. Pure joy.
Anyways, anaisonfire asked if the L in this story has any relation to L from Death Note. Well the truth is, i have no idea who that is. Because i have never watched Death Note. Heard of it? Yes. Watched it? No. As to who L really is, you already know one of her identities, the others are classified info until you read it.
Ps. Thanks for the advice.
And thank you for all the reviews, favourites, and follows, even though it's not much. I really appreciate it.
And also, to Angel0940: Do you mean the Ace part, the four lines I put in on a random thought, or just everything concerning the Moby Dick? I'm kinda curious.
…I'm talking too much.
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and never will.
From his vantage point, Sengoku had a decently clear view of the retreating pirates and the marine soldiers that were trying to pursue them despite the fact that a large ravine, courtesy of Whitebeard, was in their way, spanning across the solid stone foundation that made up the bay area of Marineford.
This war is lost. He thought grimly, and it dealt a heavy blow which his pride bore the brunt of.
After all, the marines were the ones who initiated this war, yet they were also the ones who lost it on home ground. Even with a armload of advantages, they still lost.
We would've won, a voice at the back of his mind insisted. We would've rid the world of Roger's and Dragon's blood if it weren't for that damned woman.
Sengoku prided himself for his tactical and strategic prowess, for his ability to make things go according to plans, but now, he wasn't so sure. Many hours had been spent plotting this war, simulating every way the war could turn out, and hence eliminating every element that could cause the war to go awry. Even with the Whitebeard Pirates as the opponent, he had been quite confident that they would still win, yet he had failed to foresee Queen's appearance, her intervention nor her apparent strength.
And overall , he failed to foresee her as the wild card that would throw a wrench in his plans and ultimately turn the tables on them.
For the first time (NOT), Sengoku felt weary.
Maybe I'll go into retirement after this, I'm getting too old for this shit…
"We've lost this war, haven't we?"
And Garp just had to be a pain in the neck and state that fact with the bluntness of a sharpened knife.
"Have you ever heard of 'tact'?"
"Nope!"
…of course not. He's Garp. Why did he even bother asking?
Returning his attention to the battlefield, Sengoku allowed his gaze to linger on the two forms fighting in the middle of the bay, marines and pirates alike were giving them a wide berth lest they got incinerated by a stray ball of magma or sliced to ribbons by a flying blade attack. The assassin herself seemed like she was hardly exerted, all the while effortlessly dancing around Akainu's attacks with impossible grace and speed. The same, however, could not be said for the Admiral. He had immense stamina, and his strength was formidable, but from what Sengoku could tell, he lacked the amount of emotional restraint displayed by his opponent, his frustration showing through his clenched teeth and heated glare. And of course, being much bulkier than the lean woman, he had more momentum, which resulted in quite a few occasional shifts in balance. Not to mention the taunting.
"You're getting slower, Admiral." He heard her say as she dodged under his outstretched arm."Don't tell me that's the best you can do."
…Sengoku was torn between whether to call her confident or suicidal.
Confident seemed more likely.
He continued observing the fight until Tsuru came over, reminding him that while they knew the war was lost, it wouldn't be over until he, the fleet admiral gave the order for the marine soldiers to cease pursuit of the pirates.
Sengoku sighed, and stood to his full height.
"Come on, Garp. Let's go drag that 'upstart' back and get this over with."
However someone had already done his job for him…well at least partially.
If he recalled, the pink haired marine that suddenly started to yell at everyone to stop fighting was one of Garp's newer recruits, though his name eluded him.
…whatever. He had orders to give.
-=v=-
L was trained to be light on her feet.
As she dodged and weaved around the enraged admiral, memories of lessons long ago surfaced.
Keep on your toes.
Keep moving.
Never falter.
A voice from days past echoed within her mind, repeating the same lines over and over like a mantra.
I know, she thought.
Underneath the mask, a small smile could be seen on her lips, a light curve that gave off a vibe of fondness.
"Do you only know how to dodge?! Is this all the so-called most dangerous assassin can do? Hide like a coward?!"
Killjoy.
Prying her attention back to the present, she dodged another magma fist, stepping backwards to avoid burning a hole through her cloak.
At that moment, something tickled her senses at the edge of her mind. Altering her position so that she faced the eastern side of the bay, she risked a glance at the water.
Finally, she sighed mentally as a large ship with a red dragon figurehead appeared in the previously empty dock.
They should be noticing anytime now, she noted, sneaking glances at the pirates and marines. Those guys aren't exactly inconspicuous. She slightly glared when she laid eyes on the Moby Dick, which had only just pushed out into the water but turned away immediately. What were they, sloths? She thought as she delivered a swift punch to the admiral's gut. And to think she'd gone out of her way to keep Akainu occupied to buy them time to escape.
Broken out of her internal reverie by the sound of sandals slapping on stone, she instinctively reacted, leaping backwards and putting some distance between herself and Akainu just as a saber intercepted the fist of liquid fire.
"Took you long enough, Red-Hair." L huffed indignantly.
"Apologies, your majesty. Did we keep you waiting?" The red haired Yonkou replied lazily, not at all sounding apologetic.
"Keep talking, I'm certain I'll find something to do with your lingua after I extirpate it." Assured that the magma-using admiral wouldn't be coming after her, not by a long shot, the assassin sheathed her sword, all the while responding to Shanks with an icy tone of voice.
"My part is done." For now. "The rest is yours." With that, she disappeared, her departure as sudden as her arrival.
Shanks turned slightly to look at the spot where she disappeared, brows furrowed. "I have no idea what she just said." Turning back to the admiral, who in his moment of distraction, had been surrounded by members of the Red-haired Pirates."Do you?" He asked, his tone mockingly innocent.
"I believe she threatened to cut off your tongue, Shanks." Benn Beckman, forever the loyal first mate, replied, sharp eyes trained on someone further away.
"Brutal as usual, eh? Captain."
"Heh, look who's talking."
"Focus you idiots! We're in Marineford for Roger's sake!"
"Red-Hair!"The admiral growled.
"Impressed much, Akainu?" Said redhead replied. Allowing a small sigh to escape him, Shanks withdrew his saber, sending a side-glance to the glowering admiral who had ceased his attacks, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to take on another Yonkou after his previous battle.
"What are you here for, Red-Hair?"
"I'm here to stop this war."
-=v=-
"Blackbeard." Check.
"Laffitte." Check.
"Jesus Burgess." Check.
"Van Augur." Check.
"Doc Q and Stronger." Double check.
"Sanjuan Wolf." Check.
"Avalo Pizarro." Check.
"Vasco Shot." Check.
"Catarina Devon." Check.
"Shiliew." Check.
That rat sure knows how to pick the worst, she mused as she checked names off of a rolodex as she observed the group of pirates (sans Wolf) who were in turn observing the battlefield from the half-destroyed scaffold. Recruiting a group of uglies to taint the ocean.
Hmm…group of uglies…a rather apt name, if she must say.
Heh.
Beside Blackbeard's name, she wrote: BBP-Group of uglies.
Storing away the rolodex in her own satchel, she returned her attention to the pirates below her as she sensed a sudden shift in their aura.
They were going to reveal themselves.
"voz silenciosa. forma estable."
She whispered, and the pirates suddenly stilled, unable to speak or move. From her perch on a hidden ledge, she could see the look of fear in Blackbeard's eyes as well as the similar expressions plastered all over his crew's faces.
"You are not going anywhere until I say so." Or for that matter of fact, speaking neither. Leaning back against the ledge, she flipped open a new page of her notebook and wrote down her observations, calmly awaiting the end of the war.
-=v=-
Aboard the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates' second division commander stared in stunned silence as they swiftly retreated from the waters of Marineford, images of a black cloaked woman going toe to toe with the strongest admiral flashing through his mind. He vaguely registered the sounds of their medical personnel rushing the wounded down to the sick bays for treatment.
Luffy…!
He suddenly remembered. Where the hell was he?!
Damn it, how could I have forgotten about Luffy! Scanning the crowd, silver eyes quickly located the seventeen year old captain slumped against the railings, struggling to lift himself in a feeble attempt to reach his brother.
"Luffy!"
Just as said little brother somehow managed to nearly pitch himself overboard, muscular arms wrapped around his torso and pulled him back to sit him down in none other than Ace's lap.
"A-Ace…" Luffy mumbled as he inhaled the familiar scent of his nii-chan. "M'sleepy…" The kid was barely conscious, his exhausted body demanding to be allowed the rest it deserved through heavy eyelids. Yet he fought to keep awake, wanting to be near his nii-chan, if only to assure himself physically that Ace wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. The clash with that crazy admiral earlier had been a very close call.
One too close for comfort.
"Don't leave…"
"I'm not going anywhere, Luffy."
"…promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay…"
Finally succumbing to his condition, Luffy leaned back against Ace, breathing evening out as he almost immediately fell unconscious, oblivious to his brother's half-exasperated chuckle.
"…you're such a troublesome little brother, you know that?." But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Gently shifting Luffy to a more comfortable position which made him easier to carry, Ace slowly stood up, not wanting to jostle him too much, and started making his way below deck.
Just as he stepped through the doorway to the lower levels, Ace suddenly felt as if he was missing something. The feeling disappeared as soon as he turned, and seeing nothing out of the ordinary except for his crew family rushing around in a mess that wasn't his to sort, gave the quickly receding edifice that was Marineford one last look, before heading down into the shadows of the stairway.
A random thought flashed across his mind as he turned a corner.
Where'd that oversized bird go?
-=v=-
"Red-Hair…the one who put Luffy on the path to become a pirate…" Beside Sengoku, Garp growled, the presence of the redhead Yonkou bringing up memories of rebellious and stubborn grandsons.
Both of whom had chosen to stand against him.
He felt Sengoku grip his shoulder as his fists repeatedly clenched and unclenched, the contact somehow anchoring him enough that he wouldn't rush out to beat the red-haired brat to a bloody pulp.
The way Garp saw it, he at least deserved that much for corrupting Luffy and by extension Ace. Luffy's worship of the man be damned!
Shanks was speaking now, his voice projected clearly as he rejoined his crew in front of the Red Force.
"If you keep on fighting, both sides will suffer more pointless casualties. If anybody still wants to fight," He drew his sword. "…then come! We will be your opponents."
The marines, prepared to board their ships to go after the Whitebeard Pirates, all paused simultaneously. If given a choice, they wouldn't go after them. Not when so many of their own had fallen and were in dire need of medical attention. But orders were orders, and they were soldiers. They could only respond to orders. Many eyes turned to look at the fleet admiral, uncertainty flashing in their eyes with a hint of hopefulness.
Akainu glared at him, while Aokiji and Kizaru looked on nonchalantly. Tsuru and Garp nodded in silent agreement.
"Abandon pursuit!"
Sengoku yelled out the order, reminded of his responsibility towards his subordinates.
"But fleet admiral…!" Some protested.
"I will take the blame for everything."
"Tend to the fallen! This war is over!"
-=v=-
Shanks smirked. Sengoku wasn't so bad after all, it seems.
"It's unlikely that he will be able to keep his position." Benn stated from his side.
More like impossible. He said to himself.
But instead of frowning like Benn thought he would, Shanks grinned.
"Ah, I'm afraid you might be wrong, old friend. While unlikely, there's still a rather small chance he will keep it."
Benn raised an eyebrow questioningly. "And why is that?"
"Because we have a present for him."
A loud crash sounded in the direction of the scaffold.
"Sengoku!"
The man looked back, his annoyed expression clearly saying what the hell do you want?
"That," Shanks started, gesturing at the location of the crash. "…is a little something from me and her majesty. Do whatever you want with it." Jumping aboard his ship, the captain turned to yell at his crew. "Well what are you lot waiting for? Let's get out of here!"
"I will never understand how their brains work…"
And~the end. Both for this chapter and the Paramount War. To tell the truth, I'm not very satisfied with this chapter, but I don't have a beta and my friends are…unproductive in this area of expertise, so I honestly did my best to make it work.
Though I did notice a little too late that I'd left some people out, for example: Ivankov and co. They are…somewhere…but they did leave with the Whitebeards'. So that's that. And Aokiji and Kizaru. Them because they weren't exactly the focus of attention so…it sort of slipped my mind.
And Akainu was a total pain in the neck to write, what with all his absolute justice crap. Him and Sengoku are kind of OOC.
Never mind all that, does anyone know what Shanks 'little present' is? I myself think it's kind of obvious.
Next chapter will be about L and the Whitebeards', so like, if there's something you think will happen/would like to happen, just say so. I'm kind of low on ideas for their interactions.
Anyways, read and review please. I will be very happy. Very.
Ps. Someone from canon who we all know and love will be debuting next chapter. Oh and before I forget(again), I would love to have someone help me beta, so if anyone can help/wants to help, I'll happily welcome you.