Purupurupuru – purupurupuru – purupurupuru. The woman stopped her reminiscing. She pulled out a tiny den den mushi from her pocket.

"Gramps! Ace – I don't know what's happening, the line's been disconnected," The woman frantically related. "Can you get me back there yet?"

"Annagi D. Aruna! Calm down! You're not going to be of any use to him like this." The voice firmly stated.

The young woman was at Marineford but was thrown out when the Marines evacuated the civilian population. The man she worked for was somewhat of a scientist way ahead of his time. With the combination of his devil fruit powers of teleportation and genius, he created a prototypal method of transporting people other than himself. It was highly dangerous, but Annagi survived the first test transport, as she was taken to Marineford.

"I have to go to him!"

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? We have one vial left on both our sides. That was supposed to be for your return journey."

Before she left, Gramps had given her three vials of clear liquid that synchronized with his own devil's fruit power. There wasn't any time to create more. She had given him three test tubes with her blood so he would be able to hone in on moving her with more accuracy. They weren't even sure that it would work. She took the first one to get to Marineford and the second one on the navy ship as it sailed away. It turns out that the teleportation doesn't work on marine ships. Gramps hypothesized that it was probably due to the kairoseki lining on the ship's hull. Thankfully, he had enough samples to make a third vial.

"I have to go, Gramps," She gripped a small glass tube in her pocket. "I might not be of any help, but I can't stay here and do nothing. He'd do the same for me."

"You can't be selfish! Think about your child!"

"I couldn't face his child if I didn't go to him. How could I look into our baby's eyes and say with a clear conscience that I did everything I could to save him? I couldn't." She paused. "Gramps, if anything happens to me…"

"I'm monitoring your vitals as well as the baby's. I'll do my best to save it, but I can't guarantee its safety in such an early stage."

"I know, Gramps. I won't do anything reckless."

"That also means using Conqueror's Haki. You can use Observation Haki for multiple lower level marines, and Armament Haki for the higher leveled ones. Under NO circumstances must you use Conqueror's Haki at Marineford. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Annagi answered. "My voulge wielding isn't what it used to be compares to when I was with the Spade pirates, but I've been practicing since I saw the papers about Ace. I'm not going to be so rusty that I can't handle a few marines."

She placed the tiny snail on her shoulder, before wrapping her wrists and hands in some of the white satin ribbons that Ace had given her, fashioning them like fingerless gloves. It was just a little insurance, in case she truly overestimated her ability to wield a double ended voulge. I might not be as strong as you, but my fists can rival yours, Ace, when I use Haki.

Taking out the glass tube, the woman downed the liquid. She winced. Even though she did this the first two times, the pain was nothing to be accustomed to. It felt as if her blood was on fire, melting away her skin. Amidst the pain, she managed to utter, "I'm ready, Gramps."

"Stay safe, Anna."

Annagi felt herself being pulled. Her bones felt as if they were being crushed under some immense force of gravity as she traveled in darkness. What felt like an eternity was only the time between the blink of an eye.

The force pulling her abruptly stopped, causing her to fall forward. Her eyes burning, the first thing she was aware of was the smell of blood. Many people had been killed. Annagi would never forget the image her eyes focused on. It would be forever ingrained into her being.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Some marine had just punched through Ace. She froze, struggling to breathe. The pain that she had just experience was nothing compared to what she was feeling. The flames emitting from his body was not fooling her, that the attack hadn't fazed him. All of it was marked on his freckled face.

"Ace," she heard his brother's voice feebly spoke, with the same disbelief that she herself was feeling, struggling for other words. He was protecting Luffy.

The marine removed his hand. Ace was still standing, coughing up blood. His comrades screaming his name, he started firing at the marine that she heard being called Akainu. That monster took their attacks like it was nothing. Akainu moved towards him. Unimaginable fear overcame Annagi.

Move. Move. Move! Her body wouldn't budge. MOVE DAMN IT!

"Don't do it!" Luffy pleaded as the man got closer and closer.

Whitebeard made a move, but was stopped by some beam marine. She despaired. Where was all the bravado she had a few moments ago. What happened to saving Ace? Didn't she say she was going to give her life for him? Didn't she tell him that?

Akainu readied another punch. She wouldn't let him. Willing herself to move, she made a mad dash toward Ace, hoping to make it before the blow was landed. Bracing herself for death, it didn't come. She turned to see a fishman, assuming that it was Jinbe, the only one Ace had talked about, blocking the attack.

Ace fell into Luffy's arms. Annagi fell to her knees. There was a hole through his back. The Whitebeard insigna he proudly wore on his back, damaged. A hole. There's a hole. It's not real. It's not real. It's a nightmare. A nightmare.

"Ace? Are you alright?" Luffy looked at his hands. It was covered in his brother's blood. "We need to get you treated."

"I'm sorry Luffy," Ace struggled through his words. "You did all that in order to save me, but I couldn't make it."

Tears flowed freely from her face.

"Don't talk like that," she heard Luffy say as he pleaded for someone to save his brother. Whitebeard's surgeon came forward. "What's the matter? Hurry up and treat him!"

Annagi knew he couldn't. Luffy yelled at the doctor.

"It's no use. My organs have been burned." Ace explained. "I can tell my life is ending."

Luffy wouldn't hear of it. He begged a strange man to save him like how he saved him. The man couldn't. Luffy shouted how Ace promised that he wouldn't die; he screamed his name.

The young woman couldn't hold back. This wasn't a nightmare. She wouldn't wake up and call him to tell him about it. All strength left her. Crawling forward, she moved to help Luffy support him.

The weight of him on her shoulder as she held him felt like stone. His touch never felt like that before.

"What do you mean you can't make it?" Luffy repeated. "You promised you wouldn't die!"

"Ann?" Ace question, as she felt his arm tighten around her. "What are you doing here?"

"I-Ace-don't go, please!" She begged as if saying please would miraculously make him better. "I came to save you…"

"I'm so glad I got to see you again," his grip on her loosened as he struggled to breathe. "I'm sorry Ann, I'm leaving you behind again. Forgive me."

She shook her head. "Ace, please! Don't go! I love you!"

"Ann, take good care of my little brother, make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble. You know he's reckless, but I know you can handle whatever he gets into. Luffy, look after my precious Ann. She'll be all alone now. Make sure she doesn't ever feel like that."

Ace told them what she knew before. About how he questioned why he was born. About how people reacted when he asked what would happen to Gol D. Roger's son. About how having a brother like Luffy and Sabo helped him keep living. About Whitebeard, his friends, and Luffy's rescue made him happy, even Annagi's late entrance hoping to save him.

"I can't raise my voice to let them know, could you tell them what I'm about to say now?" Ace spoke his last request. "Pops, everyone, Ann, and you Luffy, thank you for loving someone like me, who is good for nothing, and who has such bad blood in his veins up until today. Thank you!"

Tears were streaming down his face, she could barely see through her own tears. He collapsed to the ground. Luffy and Annagi were trembling. Blood was seeping onto the stony ground. Ace looked peaceful; a smile lingered on his face.

Annagi looked at her hands. The ribbons he gave her were now dyed red in his blood. It was cruel irony that their red thread of fate was cut as her thread was stained red. She couldn't breathe; her sobs were choking her, echoing in her ears. Her heart was being crushed as she stared at the man she failed to save, at the man she loved, at the father of her unborn child.

Luffy was in such a state of shock, he didn't move, his eyes wide, his face stricken with grief. The girl moved toward Ace and put his head onto her lap, like she had done countless times before. However there would be no conversation, no catching up, and no teasing. She stroked his hair as she rocked back and forth, her tears falling on his face. The two bawled, not holding anything back.

They didn't notice that Akainu made his way towards them, only to be blocked by Marco. Jinbei picked them up and ran, leaving Marco to battle the marine admiral. Her hands reached back for Ace and grabbed at nothing. Luffy was catatonic, but Annagi noticed Whitebeard appear behind the man that killed Ace. Her hand closed into a fist, hatred spread into every fiber of her being. Kill him!

As Jinbe ran back to the ship, several familiar faces recognized Annagi.

"Isn't that our former vice-captain, Anna?" a Spade pirate asked another.

"What's she doing here?"

Her hearing was failing her, her body was shutting down. Since Annagi heard the news of Ace's capture, all she did was train to become stronger in order to save him. Depriving herself of sleep and rest was the only way to ensure that all her time was devoted to using her voulge, haki, and fists. In the end, it didn't matter… Though she tried her best to stay conscious, whatever strength she had, died with Ace.

"I'm not letting Straw Hat go!" Akainu's magma form reverted back to normal as he blocked the way.

She faintly heard those words and steeled herself for the worst. Annagi's eyes fluttered open. She forced her body to stiffen. Wriggling free from Jinbe, she stood between them. Reaching behind her back, she brought her double ended voulge. Clutching the grip for dear life, she looked into the marine admiral's determined eyes.

"I think you're mistaken. It is I who's not letting you go," Annagi spun the voulge like a baton, getting used to the shifting weight.