The sounds of pained cries and cannonballs that belonged to the war going on faded in his ears as he continued to watch the massacre happening right in front of him. He didn't know why he had ever wanted to return right at this moment in time, but he didn't doubt it had something to do with his brother's death.

Maybe, he thought derisively, he had wanted to stop it this time, to assure himself that it won't happen again, to see his smile one last time, but he knew that through that deception it was just something meant to make it seem like less of a nightmare. Something he could offer to his demons and tell them that it was in vain to make him relieve it again and again.

That island made him immortal through means that he couldn't have foreseen nor countered, but it had also offered him a way to come back and relieve the past in its integrity and he would have spewed a big, fat lie if he had told himself that he needn't have come here, that he didn't need to see his brother one last time, no matter how short it was.

Because even when the intensity of the battle in front of him reached new heights, he didn't make any move to disrupt it, didn't lift one hand that could easily obliterate the wall of marines blocking his vision, didn't even consider lifting himself up from the ground to watch their – now that he saw it in third person view – cool escape and neither did he trust himself to intervene when the very thing that's been haunting him for a decade happened right in front of his eyes. Twice.

His mouth was pressed into a firm line as he looked at the bloody scene, but the next events served to shock him. He hadn't been conscious when they happened in his time, so he didn't know how the old man had died and Marco always refused to tell him anything. Even drunk, that guy was too sober for his own good.

The old man had let everyone escape at the cost of his own life. Even as the scene continued to play out, he had felt the bastard before his furious gaze settled on those black holes that served as eyes. At the sight of Blackbeard he almost forgot his promise. All nerves afire, he fought to control himself before he stepped in and screwed it over. He didn't have any right and it was too late anyway – he should have done something to prevent his brother from dying, he was more important, not Blackbeard. He offered a weak grin when he saw the old man fight back despite being viciously wounded and he felt satisfaction crawl inside his chest when the bastard was slammed into the ground, though his brows furrowed when he recovered quite quickly. His mind checked that possibility off the list and added another one as Whitebeard made to attack again, only to be assaulted from all sides by Blackbeard's crewmates.

Something was telling him that this was it, that the old man's road stopped here and as painful as it was for him to understand that – and he hadn't even known him so well, yet he felt like he had and the respect he harbored for the man was still in overwhelming proportions – he simply bowed his head. His feet moved before without his consent, but he didn't stop, knowing that he could, at least, offer the old pirate his respects while being here.

The cloaked man dodged around the still ongoing fighting – why weren't they stopping already? It was over and done with – stepped over innumerable corpses, tried as hard to ignore Marco and the others' cries of anguish – you will be fine… not whole again, but fine, his numbed mind pinned to add – and finally stopped on the man's left side, slightly behind him so that he would be hard to be observed by Blackbeard. Without any preamble, he bowed as far as to the ground, offering silent thanks to the man that had been a father to Ace and someone that had given him such big help, no matter if personally or through his sons.

"Gurarara. So you really gave in to its overtures. Whatever made you do that, kid?" The old man didn't turn around, but the cloaked man knew that he didn't need to. The Yonko had seen right through Raftel's schemes.

"Nostalgia, I suppose." His answer was clipped and it made Whitebeard chuckle again, though it was through huffing breaths and wheezes that should normally not accompany the man's strong voice.

"I doubt that. If I were to tell that kid over there that conquering the seas is not enough in the end, what do you think will happen?"

"Nothing. He won't hear you in that state of shock."

"True." The old man mused, unmindful of his wounds and he wondered how much they must have hurt. Maybe not anymore, though.

"Dead men tell no tales, old man."

Whitebeard's booming laughter encompassed the battlefield and served as a good distraction for many fighters. The Yonko's chest heaved with the effort, but the cloaked man doubted that he was feeling anything in that moment, though that didn't ease the worry inside his own chest. How in the world could his words have caused such a reaction out of him?

"Indeed, but I'm still alive, kid. And I have one last tale to tell!"

It dawned on him too late to stop the man, but it would have been in vain anyway. Blackbeard was back at attacking him again, but the Yonko could clearly care less about whoever stabbed him or shot him now.

"It's not you, Teach."

The cloaked man's blood ran cold at that moment. He wasn't sure what Whitebeard wanted to say, but he certainly hoped that the man was not going to spill anything about the future. He did not want to have changed things by mistake, though many would say that such a thing happening is characteristic of him. Sure he trusted the old man, but what could he want-

"But when someone finds that treasure, the world will be shaken to the core!"

He turned his head, feeling a burning gaze boring into his back. Hancock was standing there in the middle of the destruction and gore, a grim frown marring her face and he almost moved to take her hand and get her away from the unfitting image and danger, but Whitebeard's next words froze him completely where he stood.

"Somebody will find it… that day will certainly come! One Piece is real!"

Shanks' arrival felt like a blur compared to everything else, but he could safely say that he had been positively surprised. He hadn't seen the Yonko in so much time when this war had happened, it was nice knowing he has been doing all right then. He supposed he was also in his debt, though the red haired man had never spoken of such a thing to him in their time.

Smiling sadly one last time at his brother's lifeless body, the cloaked man spoke the needed words and disappeared from Marineford as swiftly as he had come – like a whisper.

Gol D. Roger would usually have many things to say to the image currently playing in front of his eyes, but in that moment he supposed that his mouth remaining stubbornly shut must have been from the rum he had consumed last night. Or from that secret recipe Crocus has been intent on feeding him for a while now.

"Nice moustache you got there, though old man Whitebeard's definitely cooler!" Hearing the strange and continuous hissing sound of 'shishishi' did nothing to assure him that the… man sitting on the railing of his ship was not at all an abomination of nature, nor some ill-fated creature they picked on unwillingly at Raftel. Though they could probably turn around and take it back…

"Nay, mine's definitely better. My cabin boys even said so." Of course, instead of asking the real questions, the newly named 'Pirate King' went right down to business.

The cloaked man hummed thoughtfully as his head swayed side to side to add to the effect.

"Who are you?" Roger asked after a short silence. Then he felt compelled to glance around and was unsurprised to see that his crew was gathered around, though they were trying to be inconspicuous by hiding behind things that weren't actually befitting the hideout part of the deal.

"I'll tell you if you tell me the meaning of the words you've left behind on the island." An invisible thumb was jammed in the direction of said piece of land.

The pirate captain paused before turning abruptly around.

"It's an ill-fated creature from Raftel's underground!" The Pirate King yelled at his crew, waving his hands around desperately. Many looked alarmed, but people such as Rayleigh and Crocus knew better. Even Shanks had one eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"But do not worry! Your wonderful captain is going to bring it back to the place it belongs!"

"Should we turn the ship around, cap'?" One of the sailors asked from the back.

"Nay, I will personally deliver him. Lower the dinghy!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Roger?" Rayleigh's face was incredulous as he watched his friend descend to the ocean below.

"Just doin' my job, partner." The raven haired man grinned and saluted him as he and the cloaked man slowly drifted away from the Oro Jackson.

"That was stupid, even for you." The stranger commented blandly. He crossed his arms and made himself more comfortable in the small space the boat provided.

"How do you know me, kid?" Roger leaned his elbows on his knees, keeping half an eye on the island ahead.

"Everyone knows you." Cloakie – he didn't have any other ideas for names in that stressful moment, alright? – snorted. "In my time."

"I kind of got that. So you really accepted that bullshit offer from the island." The sentence was spoken with heavy laced suspicion. It was kind of sad to see a kid so young hold such regret to go so far as to accept to turn back time just for that. Or maybe there were more things he was missing here?

"How comes you didn't accept it?" The other retorted quickly.

"Why should I? I've got nothing to change."

"But to relieve?" The man insisted.

"I've lived with no regrets. What should I want to relieve if I don't have anything to regret?" Roger stopped and blinked at his companion. "You're not making any sense!"

Cloakie stifled a chuckle. "True enough."

"You said everyone knows me. That means you're the future Pirate King? Or the man who-"

"-unlocked Raftel's secrets. Yeah, people have been going on about that for a while. No one thinks that being Pirate King is supposed to be awesome anymore." Cloakie finished, his voice full of sarcasm and disdain.

"You don't sound so excited." Roger remarked.

"Things have more or less gone to shit." He admitted dryly.

"And I suppose you came here to get a few pointers from your predecessor?" The moustached pirate grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

"No." The stranger's simple answer dwindled his high spirits. "I came to see what kind of a guy you are. I didn't joke with what I said earlier." Cloakie straightened his back and looked Roger in the eyes… or something like that. The Pirate King wasn't sure how that worked when the guy didn't have eyes to begin with.

"What did you mean with 'Bracing that sea of chaos to glory is the only way to cut down your enemies'?"

Roger let a moment of silence pass as he digested the question before he burst out laughing.

"You really just came into the past to ask me something that I only said because it sounded poetical?!" The older pirate wheezed with amusement.

Cloakie's temple would have surely pulsed, but as it was, he couldn't display such physical reactions.

"Nah, I actually came to see what kind of guy you are."

Again those words. Roger stopped and regarded the man seriously since his tone was anything but irritated or exasperated – as it should have been – when he had repeated them.

"And I like you! Shishishi."

The Pirate King's eyebrow shot up. "You're a strange one, kid."

"I've been told that." Cloakie said. "I don't want to learn anything from you. I just came here to properly meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too." Roger nodded with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy. The future Pirate King!" The kid's voice was suddenly light and warm. It was obvious the guy was usually an easygoing man.

"D., huh? Seems like we're making waves again." Roger grinned and he could have sworn the cloaked man in front of him did the same.

"You make sure that you tell grand-Garp to take care of your son, yeah?"

The older captain's eyes widened. "How do you know I'll have a child?" His tone came out harsher than intended.

Wait, did he say son-

Cloakie simply cocked his head to the side. "I knew him. We were brothers. We swore on sake."

"Oh?" The man's eyes lit up at the information.

"Yep! Me, Ace and Sabo."

"So you were three!"

"Yep!"

Roger stopped short in the happy fest and his eyes narrowed. "'Were'?"

Cloakie shifted uncomfortably, but didn't say anything in explanation.

"I'm waiting." Roger tapped a finger on his other arm impatiently. He duly noted that they were approaching Raftel fast.

"Sabo died!" The kid burst out. "And then-"

"Alright, alright, I got it. I'm sorry to hear that."

Luffy watched the man sigh, partly in relief, partly because maybe he was tired. He had been turning Raftel upside down just some hours ago, after all. And he was an old man…

On his part, the raven head was thankful for the sudden line of thought about Sabo. Even if it wasn't true anymore, it had been for the good part of twelve years and he couldn't just up and tell the guy that his only son had died in his arms because he won't do it!

Shaking his head in hope to relieve any lingering thought about Ace, he looked up at the man's patient posture.

"What would you do if the world was suddenly turned upside down?" He asked the very thing that had been bugging him for such a long time.

"Protect my friends and family, obviously." Roger snorted the answer as if asking the kid if he was truly such an idiot to be inquiring about it.

"But how when the guy attacking you is practically invin-?" The cloaked man insisted.

"Stop." Roger cut him off swiftly, glaring at the faceless man. "Nothing is impossible and no one is invincible in this world. The moment you start to think that it's the moment you start to lose it all."

Luffy swallowed thickly. "I know…"

"You don't seem to me like a guy who'd think like that." The Pirate King's words brought forth a huff from the other.

"Never did until a while ago, old man. But then that man destroyed Impel Down and started attacking countries me and my friends helped in the past. Even though we haven't spoken with any of them for years!"

"Well, then the guy only did that to attack you indirectly, obviously. I doubt you don't care about your friends in those countries anymore." The older man commented, earning a nod back.

"Yeah, but that's the problem. I can't go putting everyone in danger!"

"Did they fight back?"

Luffy's head snapped up. "Nami said they did-"

"Then you should fight too! Don't let your friends fight your war alone, kid." Somehow, Roger's words made sense, but he still didn't feel properly fired up about this.

"Even if I don't know you well, I'll bet my ship that you are the type to not brood much over things and just go with whatever you feel like doing." The black haired man smiled at the affirmative answer. "Like me then! It's obvious what you gotta do."

Cloakie almost drew back when he found himself face to 'face' with Roger. The man's gaze held a thousand stories, but only one was meant for him now.

"Stop thinking about all of this and just do what you want to do! That's simple, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then that's that!" The Pirate King boomed a laugh and crossed his arms. "You are very welcome, kid. See? You did need my help, after all!"

Luffy shook his head warily and flashed an unseen grin. He really liked this old man. A small part of him was really sad because maybe Ace would have liked him too, were it not for his blinding hatred towards his dad. But that is a subject that wouldn't matter if he brooded over or not.

"I don't seem to have convinced you." The man in front of him said off-handedly.

"I've been like this for a while now, but I'm sure after some time it's gonna be fine."

"You should go see your friends, kid. I'm scared to ask how much time you've spent all alone." Roger felt the boat hit the beach's sand and he looked up to see Raftel's looming forest above their heads.

"Don't worry. I will see them after this!" Cloakie said, tumbling out of the boat and somehow managing to get on the ground without touching the water.

"Devil Fruit user, eh?" Roger laughed merrily at the stumbling mess on the beach.

Luffy huffed as he heaved himself up and dusted the heavy cloak.

"Don't let stupid things cloud your mind, kid. You gotta remember that out of everyone else, two guys that prefer to fight over thinking have conquered the seas!"

The waters around the shore seemed to push back the tiny boat, guiding it slowly back towards the bigger ship in the distance.

It seemed like, even though Roger had denied Raftel's offering, he had still accepted control over it.

"When you put it like this, it sounds pretty good! Thanks for the help, old man!" Luffy yelled, waving one of the cloak's sleeves at the departing man. "And next time you better have some better words to leave me on the island!"

"Stop calling me old, you idiot! Whitebeard is old, not me!" The pirate yelled back, obviously irritated, but decidedly ignoring his comment about the words. "Make sure you go back to your friends!"

"Shishishi. Of course!"

Luffy watched the small boat float away until it arrived at the Oro Jackson. He released one last invisible smile as the larger ship's sails were unfurled and stepped back to glance at Raftel's silent form.

"Get me out of here, will you?"

His stark, black form on the white, sandy beach disappeared along with the wind.

A/N: Hello~

Back with the decidedly small and bonus chapter that concludes the story o3o

(kinda' sad this is over... sniff) I will probably be back sometime next week with another one, though xD

I hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave a review on your way out! :D