Ok.. First: I'm really sorry for the delay in uploading.

Some of you already know that I had some issues in Real Life that held my mind fully occupied and I just couldn't concentrate on writing.

The Interlude is something that popped up in my head really spontanously, as I was writing the last chapter. I wanted it to be longer... I wanted it to be better.

It ended up being neither of the above. And I am very sorry for it. If anyone wants to use the piece of writing below and write a propper fiction for it. Feel free... Just please link back to my work.

Disclaimer: Oda owns One Piece. This beaten up AU is mine.

Enjoy!

"I told you no!" "But Rayleight..! We cannot leave it like this. They challenged us!"

A teenager with blood-red hair stared at Rayleigh furiously. "Shanks. Trust me if I tell you that fighting them will not serve anyone." "They insulted Roger! How can you just stand idle when they spit on everything the captain has ever fought for?" The older man sighed. The petit Buggy and Shank's friend Ben stood behind the shouting redhead. The rest of their crew had gathered around the scene, watching curiously.

"Shanks… You need to learn when you have to just ignore things. They haven't hurt anyone." – yet; he added mentally. The older man knew all too well that he wouldn't be able to keep the youngsters in check much longer. Since Roger's death they were nervous and eager to jump into actions. Sakazuki's challenge was just the excuse they needed to take revenge; or so they thought.

Rayleigh sat on the roof and looked up into the cloudless sky. Sighing he took another swing from the bottle he held in his hand.

"You're just a coward! Since the captain died you're hiding in here, doing nothing!" Rayleigh felt his temper flare at the insult. The gathered crew held their breaths. Then the older man closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Then he dropped down on the wooden floor and looked up at Shanks. "And throwing away your life and that of your comrades is going to make what difference exactly?"

The redhead flinched. "But we cannot do nothing!" Rayleigh shook his head. "No. But at the moment we cannot do anything either. We have to wait and hope that things will calm down a little. Roger's death has left its trace. People will not easily forget it."

In the present, the silver haired man trembled. If from the cold or the memories that haunted him could not be tolds. He had believed the argument to be over for the moment. He had dared to hope that he had Shanks under control.

"I'll go." Shanks whispered to Ben and the rest of his team. "I don't care what the old man said. I'll take revenge for Roger." "Shanks…" Buggy tired but was cut off when the redhead's temper took the better of him once again. "No. I'll not listen to you. You don't have to suffer as much as I do. You'll never really know what it means to have the whole world against you."

"That's enough now, Shanks." Ben's voice was calm, but there was something cold behind it. The dark-haired teen was clever enough to know that he wouldn't be able to stop Shanks. But he had to at least try. "I won't come with you. This is suicide and if you want to throw away your life, feel free to do so. I plan to continue for a few more years. I'm out." Shanks stared at him in complete shock. The rest of the team murmured their agreement to Ben's statement. "But I need you there with me!" The redhead almost pleaded.

"Nope. Not this time…" And Ben left the room, without letting anyone see the pain in his eyes. Around the next corner he bumped into Rayleigh.

Rayleigh raked his fingers through gray strands and shook his head. He had even questioned Ben if he knew anything about Shanks' plan that night. The dark haired boy had said that he had calmed down and Rayleigh had desperately wanted to believe him. It had been a mistake to give in to the false hope.

The next day, Rayleigh caught Buggy trying to sneak away from the group. After minutes of questioning, the small boy broke down and told Rayleigh that he had wanted to follow Shanks. One look, and the older man realized that Shanks was gone, as well as was Ben.

Then he heard the thundering noise of a gunshot. His hand had flown to his own pistol, only to find it missing. "Ben…" The dark haired teen had always had a talent for shooting, his aim was terrifying. And apparently his stealing skills were not so bad either. Rayleigh ran.

Three streets away he found them. Shanks was unconscious, lying in his own blood, his left arm a mess. That would have to be amputated, Rayleigh knew with a quick glance. Ben stood at the window of an empty building, second floor, the pistol still in hand. Sakazuki was gone. "Give me that gun!" Rayleigh snarled. The dark haired teen had refused at first; clinging to the pistol as if it was what kept him alive. The older man was pretty sure that the weapon was what had just saved Shanks' life, though he couldn't be sure if the bullet had hit Sakazuki.

Rayleigh woke from his reverie, when a blanket was gently placed on his shoulders. "You're thinking about Shanks and Ben again." He nodded. Shaki took the bottle from him and took a long swing.

The police was fast in finding the gunman. Rayleigh had tried to protect Ben, but they found him nevertheless. He was still a minor and the time he had to spend in prison was relatively short. But it changed them all nevertheless.

When Ben was allowed into freedom again he had scars all over his body. What they had done to his soul, Rayleigh didn't dare to imagine. Nevertheless, the dark haired teen stayed with them. And with Shanks. The redhead had grown up the hard way. He had lost his arm and his best friend had lost his freedom. Sakazuki remained unharmed.

Rayleigh was not a violent man. But this time he had to act. Insults and stupid jokes on their cost were fine, even insulting Roger's dream was somehow bearable. Hurting one of their crew was not. And Sakazuki would pay. As much as Rayleigh didn't like it, he knew he would need help on that one.

And so his footsteps lead him to Edward Newgate's house.

"You paid him back, didn't you?" Rayleigh turned to look at Shaki. "Sakazuki… They never found out who did it." Oh yes… He had let the other man pay. Getting Roger killed was one thing. The captain had suffered from a terminal illness and would have died either way. But taking Shanks' arm… That was more than Rayleigh could ever forgive. And Whitebeard had agreed. He had always liked the cheery redheaded kid.

"I made him understand a few things, yes." Shaki leaned against him and sighed. "Things are better now. People still dislike everyone that is different but they don't openly hunt them." Rayleigh knew she was talking about Law and Kid now. The two were what had reminded him of the old days again. "I hope they'll be ok."

"With Whitebeard as a protector? You shouldn't worry." "He's not getting younger…" Rayleigh pointed out. "Neither are you. And nevertheless you picked the fight with Teach's gang." The silver haired man smiled. "I may have had help…" Shaki looked up, a small smile playing on her face. "I knew they'd come back eventually." He nodded and looked up at the stars again.

Not too far away, two men stood in front of the closed doors of the 'Moby Dick'. Ben's hair had gotten gray, something he fully blamed on his partner and never forgot to mention to everybody. Shanks smiled at the sign of the white whale on the door. "We should visit the old man in hospital." Ben laughed. "Don't think so… He'd beat the crap out of you, for one reason or the other." "True…"

Shanks took out a card from his pocket and pinned it to the door. Red Force. Ben chuckled lightly and looked down at his partner. The redhead looked up. "He'll understand, won't he?" The other man smiled and wrapped one arm around Shank's waist. "I don't think there is a single human being that could ever forget you, even if they tried."

Shanks grinned broadly.

Hope you liked it. Despite the fact that I'm not really happy about this one, it was fun to write.

I'll try to upload the next two to three chapters within this week. And then this fiction will finally be over. It's time. The plot can't be dragged out any longer and I find myself under the risk of becoming boring.

Tomorrow is Swiss National Day, so I'm not sure when I'll have time to write and upload.

Reviews are always much appreciated!