Muhahahahaha I am a horrible author. I am predicting horrible cliffhangers in the future. Something might happen to my medicine. I'm not sure yet.

Yes, I take a quiet moment to celebrate my accomplishment, before I shake my head. All right Rose, you may have won the battle, but not the war. You need to get Luffy out of here.

"Rose?"

I turn and smile gently at Luffy.

"Hey Luffy. Give me a few seconds and I will get you out of here."

I scan the battlefield below. Barely any people have noticed my success, and that's the way I like it, unless it is a certain archeologist. Ah, there she is, fighting strongly against several Marines. I don't want to call out to her, so I notice an okama near her who had noticed me. I point to Robin and he nods.

While I wait on that, I turn and kneel beside my captain with a warm smile. I had forgotten how Luffy felt, how his determination fueled everyone around him. I felt like I could conquer the world, even as beaten and exhausted as I was. His hands and knees were both chained to the platform so he can barely move, so I embrace him, feeling his presence increase. I chuckle.

"Gosh I missed you Luffy."

He nuzzled his head against mine.

"Rose, what are you doing back here?"

I let him go and looked into his eyes, smiling.

"The only reason I always come back here. You and the crew needed me for something. I assume to rescue you."

Luffy stared at the ground.

"Rose, what if I don't want to be rescued?"

I freeze. Luffy would never say that. Then I take in his appearance. He is beaten and bruised, but a calm smile alights his lips.

"I am the pirate king Rose. I followed my dreams and achieved them, along with everyone else on the crew. I have to fulfill my duty I suppose, what Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard did. I need to start a new pirate era. I can die completely happy."

Oh, that's what this is about. I take a deep breath and refuse to be angry with him. When Luffy gets something in his head, it is hard to get it out, but not impossible.

"Luffy, do you truly want to die? Do you not want to spend more adventures with the crew on the seas? Who cares if you fulfilled one dream? You can always choose another."

I pointed to the battlefield below us.

"All of these people are here, risking their lives to get you back safely. You have no idea how these past few days on the ship were. They were dull, lifeless. They were not the same without a captain. Your duty is to your crew first and utmost, before anyone else. Luffy I am not leaving you here. I refuse."

Luffy blinked at me. I hugged him once again.

"I fought hard to get here, and I am not leaving without you. If you want to die after we rescue you, then that is your business, but only after we rescue you are you allowed to do that. Ok?"

Luffy tensed as I repeated the same words he gave Robin at Enies Lobby, when he had first started his journey against the World Government. I felt him relax, and he nodded into my shoulder.

"All right Rose."

I grin, chuckling happily.

"There we go."

I wince as I accidently moved my burned arm. I look at it, poking it gently. Ah, I'm lucky. It was only a love tap, a second degree burn at best. Thanks instincts for probably saving my arm. Luffy looked concerned.

"You're hurt."

I shrug.

"Nah, nothing I can't handle. I'm just a little tired. Once we get back to the ship, I'm taking a nap."

Luffy grinned.

"That's a great idea. I will proclaim it shipwide nap time."

I laugh.

"Great Luffy."

I scoot back to the edge of the platform, looking for Robin. She was looking up at me and she crossed her arms. Suddenly, her torso popped up right beside me.

"Hey Rose."

I grin.

"You got that key?"

She handed me a small key.

"There you go."

She waved at her captain.

"Hello Luffy, glad you are still alive and kicking."

Luffy nodded, his Luffyness coming back slowly but surely.

"Yo Robin!"

He exclaimed excitedly. Gosh I missed him. Anyway, turning back to the archeologist.

"Any new developments I should be worried about?"

She shook her head.

"Not really. We are still pretty evenly matched. Everyone is just trying to keep the other marines from noticing you here and trying to stop you going back to the ship."

I was still looking at Robin, but I felt the scorching heat and saw the orange blur in my periperal. I reach forward, yelling.

"Robin go."

She looked extremely confused but did as I told her, dissolving into petals a millisecond before Akainu shoved a magma fist through her head. I scooted backwards as fast as possible away from the fleet admiral. He looked extremely ticked off.

"How dare you? I am trying to save this world."

I felt my hand touch Luffy's chain and I stop abruptly.

Key. Luffy. Survive.

Which roughly translates to unlock Luffy's chains if you want to live through this ordeal. So I throw myself willingly to the task. I shove the key into the lock on his right hand, twisting it roughly. Luffy yanked his arm loose. I saw Akainu draw back his arm to aim another magma fist. I had no more ice bullets. Ah crap.

I gabbed Luffy's hand.

"Luffy, haki."

Somehow my urgent message was recieved and understood. Luffy turned his entire arm black and I used that as a shield against the magma fist aimed right at Luffy's chest. I growl at Akainu.

"Will you give me two seconds to untie him?"

Akainu drew back his fist, and it also turned black with haki.

"No. I will not allow Dragon's son to live."

Then he punched me as hard as he could into the ground.

Stars erupted in my vision and I fell slack against the cracked wood. I didn't expect him to attack me. Idiot, that's why you don't underestimate the freaking fleet admiral. I heard Luffy yell my name, but it sounded so far away. Come on Rose, three more locks. Dazedly, it took me a little time to find the keyhole, but I jerked it sharply. Halfway done.

I see his haki fist again and this time I dodge to the left, to Luffy's other side. I need to unlock him before Akainu kills me, and I am not putting that burden on Luffy's shoulders, not after last time. Akainu gabbed my arm, my already injured one and before I could stop him, turned his hand into pure magma.

The pain went from dull throb to intense intolerability. I screamed behind bit teeth and writhed, trying to escape the person causing me harm. I just wanted to get away, and so desperate to do so that I forgot my true objective.

"Leave her alone!"

I was dropped, thankfully as Luffy threw a haki laden punch. I took a few breaths before trying to return to my task but Akainu bodily dragged me away from my captain. I kicked back at him.

"Let me go you creep."

He grabbed my arm again and I felt his arm start to become magma. Luffy tried to hit him, but with the seastone on his leg, he can't use his rubbery reach. He shouts angrily.

"Let her go you bastard."

I brace myself for more pain but I don't have to. The building pain suddenly stopped and I felt the fleet admiral tense. Confused, I look up at him. He is also looking confused and looking over his shoulder at something. Then I hear it, the slight snap of a rubber band and something speeding toward the fleet admiral. He jerks, once again becoming solid. I look down and grin.

Usopp saved me. He yelled up, loading another bullet.

"Go Rose!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. I have to free Luffy, otherwise he will kill me. I kick him off of me and quickly jam the key into the lock, unlocking it quickly. Only one more. I don't want to look at my arm. I don't want, nor need to see the damage. I will look into it later.

Akainu growled like the mad dog he is and actually placed a hand on my back. He has moved out of Usopp's line of sight now, and I can't be distracted from my task. The intense pain happened again, and I felt him trying to melt straight through my body. It didn't take much to realize if he went further he would melt my heart.

Gritting my teeth against a scream, and trying to put every ounce of concentration I had not on the screaming pain roaring throughout me but on the key in my hand, I unlocked the last chain on Luffy's leg.

It took the rubber captain an instant before he pushed Akainu back, away from me. I tried to relax my back muscles, but I felt blood drench my back and shirt. Oh man, am I going to get out of this alive?

Luffy and Akainu are standing apart, but I can tell by their stances they are ready to tear each other apart. I was suddenly painfully reminded of Ace. I don't doubt Luffy's ability; he is the pirate king after all. However, I also cannot afford to take the risk. Luffy is the object of this war, and I will not let it end like the past one. My one goal is to get Luffy away from here as fast as possible.

So I take a few seconds to catch my breath, because I am guessing it will be nonstop action until I get back to the ship, and stand. Luffy barely spares me a glance, until I rush forward and tackle him over the edge of the executioner's platform.

He let's out a shout of surprise, but I keep his arms pinned to his side so he couldn't reach back up. I close my eyes tight as not to see my impending doom coming right at me. I feel Luffy take a deep breath.

"Gomu gomu no, fusen."

I let go of my captain and bounced a few times as we hit the ground, with minimal jostling of limbs that were injured. I groan and roll off of Luffy. Ouch. Why did everything hurt? Instantly he was by my side.

"Rose? You all right?"

I cough, swallowing all pain with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Luffy stood, swinging his arm.

"I'm going to go fight him."

I stand. I don't have time for pain right now. I need to get him out of here. I grab his arm, pulling him away from the bloodthirsty fleet admiral.

"No Luffy, let's go."

"But-"

"Nope."

I continued to pull him at a faster rate. I kept eyes ahead of me. I let go of his elbow to draw my weapon. There was a group of marines ahead of us.

"Stop them!"

"Get Straw-hat."

Luffy stopped struggling against me and turned to fight the new enemy. We hit them like a whirlwind, spinning them out of our way. I felt...complete fighting next to Luffy. I had forgotten how much this small action had meant so much to me.

My injuries were sore, but nothing I couldn't handle. I would be feeling them tomorrow most definitely, but for now, I was fine. I just couldn't stop, otherwise I was finished, as was earlier.

However, it was proving difficult due to the amount of marines coming at us. Looks like they abandoned all other fighters, only trying to gain back thier stolen prize, and I had no intention of giving it back.

Luffy and I kept fighting harder and harder, back to back without a problem, but they wouldn't leave us alone. It felt like we were gaining no ground. It was like a wall of marines that no matter how hard we hit, it wouldn't fall.

Suddenly the wall exploded with a roar.

"Diable Jambe!"

"Thunderbolt Tempo."

"Cien Fleur, Clutch!"

"Green Star: Bamboo Javelin!"

"Kung Fu Point!"

"108 Pound Pheonix!"

"Pastoral Song!"

The rest of the Straw-hat crew burst through scattering the marines like leaves on the wind. I grinned as I relaxed, no longer fighting. Chopper was smiling until he saw me.

"Rose!"

He yelled in horror, already grabbing his medicine bag. Everyone else was tackling Luffy, so excited to see him, while he laughed, returning their well meaning hug with enthusiasm. I watched happily as Chopper coated my arm and back with an ointment that cooled the burns and he bandaged them. Chopper finished and jumped up to wrap his hooves around Luffy's neck. The crew once again was complete.