On the way to Marineford, the girl finally decided to make a move, inspired by Rayleigh's plan. Though she had no finite direction, her general aim was clear in her mind. Annagi watched the gates of justice open. Marineford was ahead. Rayleigh, Jinbe, and Luffy effortlessly had taken control of a marine ship and subdued those on board. Using a marine to give the code to the central control, getting in was easy. Living the past two years on land, she had forgotten the recklessness of pirates. I was once like this.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Jinbe asked him.

Luffy stretched his arms. "Yeah. Ann?"

She shot him a warning glance. "Annagi. And I'll be fine."

She needed a few weeks more of rest for her body to fully recover. That's what Trafalgar Law recommended, but she didn't have two weeks to give her body. In truth, her body didn't recover as quickly as a normal person, much less someone like Luffy, but she did start to feel better. Pirate captain or not, Law was one hell of a doctor.

Annagi bent down and took a dagger from one of the captive marines. Her voulge was lost in the hustle to escape. She looked around to find another one of the same type, and smiled when one of the marines a few places down had it in his possession. Her hands moved deftly, weighing both daggers as they cut the air around her.

"I'll be taking this," she told a blushing marine as she removed his belt and fastening it around her waist. She opened the jumpsuit, removing her arms from the sleeves and letting the top fall down, revealing a black tee. The young woman had the foresight to do this because didn't want the Heart Pirates symbol to cause Trafalgar Law any trouble being associated with her.

"Oh, wow, Marineford really took a beating!" Luffy exclaimed, as if he was really seeing it for the first time.

Annagi stood next to him on the ship's bow as they reached closer, stolen daggers tucked into the stolen belt. Pushing every bit of anger, sorrow, and regret to the darkest corner of her mind, she answered. "It does look that way."

The marine ship shot a blank from the cannon on the bow, which caused the cannons at Marineford to fire. Jinbe's fishman karate took care of the incoming cannons. Another round was taken care of by Rayleigh, with a handful of round bullets. They made their way once around the island, before coming back into the inlet.

Annagi held on to Luffy as he used his devil's fruit power to carry them onto the island as the cannons mounted on the surrounding walls fired on the ship. The four of them stood tall as they landed. Annagi took out the daggers, and clutched them in her hand.

"Go ahead and let loose on them," Rayleigh said, looking at Luffy.

"Yeah!" Luffy replied rushing forward, Annagi close behind, leaving Jinbe and Rayleigh to take care of the marines on that end.

Running behind Luffy, the young woman never got a chance to show her prowess, as Luffy used his rubber whip to sweep the marine troops away. Reaching the giant bell, Luffy rang it sixteen times. The entire area fell silent, save for the tolling bell. The rubberman walked back, Ace's beloved following closely beside him.

Walking by an oncoming marine, Luffy did nothing as the man froze in his tracks. Annagi, however, could not do the same; there was something so wrong about these people parading around like they had right on their side that her rage boiled over. They had no right to even use that word, much less wear it. Using one of the daggers, as she walked past him, she sliced through the back of his coat, where the word justice was emblazoned, leaving the man himself uninjured.

Luffy stopped at the small gorge that Whitebeard had created. He took out a bouquet of flowers from his pocket, and threw it into the chasm, with his hat in hand his message displayed. Annagi stood next to him at the edge. She couldn't remain at stone-faced as Luffy. Tears ran down her sun kissed cheeks, as she took out a bouquet of her own and threw it at the same time, her right hand holding her heart, revealing the symbol marked upon it.

I miss you, love…I won't fail you. She watched the flowers fall into the darkness. She didn't have any time to mourn, as she heard the marines behind them moving. She turned to face them, making sure that her right arm was displayed; it bore a message just like Luffy's. Luffy's message, 3D crossed out with 2Y marked underneath, was signaling to his crew that instead of three days, they would meet in two years. Annagi's message was a large spade marked on her arm. She hoped that the Spade Pirates would understand it as a summons from their vice captain.

She matched Luffy's running pace as they avoided the marines returning to Rayleigh and Jinbe. Annagi let out a sigh of relief as they escaped Marineford once again.

Annagi was woken up by weird noises. She looked over to see the women of Amazon Lily stretching Luffy as he lay beside her on another blanket.

"I hope they get it," Luffy said more to himself than anyone.

Annagi inwardly voiced the same sentiments.

Rayleigh and Jinbe were both being prodded by the women. Jinbe much more annoyed than Rayleigh.

"They'll get it. As long as they see the article. The key is your actions and how uncharacteristic they are of you. There's one guy who's a bit dull but he'll be able to get it. They'll understand, I have a feeling." The dark king looked towards the sky.

Purupurupuru – purupurupuru – purupurupuru.

"Oh crap!" Annagi was startled.

"Oh crap, is right you insolent whelp!" The voice answered her. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for two weeks now! Where are you? I'm coming to get you now."

"Sorry Gramps!" Annagi almost yelled in apology. She looked around. "Hmm…about twenty miles west north west of Marineford. Give or take a few miles."

Rayleigh looked surprised. "Twenty-five miles actually."

In an instant, an old man appeared on the Amazon Lily pirate ship. He stood shorter than Rayleigh, but his presence was just as dominant. His white hair, short and messy, didn't seem to know what a comb was. He rushed toward Annagi throwing his arms around her, like any concerned family member would. The two years they spent together had formed those same bonds.

In the arms of her grandfather figure, Annagi broke down yet again. She cried and cried, snot running down her nose, her voice giving away. The others looked on, not sure of what to do.

"There, there, Anna dearest. I' m here now. I'm so sorry."

"I-I-c-couldn't s-s-save him! I watched as he died right in front of me! I can't live without him, Gramps! I don't want to live anymore! I'm already dead, Gramps. I died when he did!" Her innermost thoughts were spoken out loud. It rang throughout the silent ship.

Luffy was taken aback. This woman was in so much pain over the same loss. Ace had told him that she would be all by herself now. She didn't have friends like he did. There was no one to call home. He didn't know how to comfort her. He just looked on as she cried herself into silent sobs as the old man held her.

"Aruna D. Annagi! Do not disgrace him when he needs you the most!" Gramps voice boomed like thunder.

She stopped crying. He wiped her eyes and blew her nose with a handkerchief he retrieved from his lab coat.

"I know you're stronger than this," he continued. "Ace knew you were stronger than this. You're the vice-captain of the Spade Pirates. Second only to the once renowned Fire Fist Ace himself. A man who relied on you, whose strength he depended on as captain. A man who depended on your strength to move forward. A man who now depends on your strength, yet again, but this time to move yourself forward. To live this life he saved in the best way possible. To give his child the best future that he himself would have given him. He depends on you to live for the both of you! Throwing that away is to forsake the man you love so much!"

His words echoed in Annagi's mind. Those were the words she needed to hear. She took them to heart.

"I would never forsake him, Gramps..." She stood on her tip toes and threw her arms around the man's neck. "Thank you. I'll live for the both of us."

In all that was going on Rayleigh stared at the man before him. He knew him from somewhere, but couldn't put his finger on it.

"You're –" It finally dawned on him.

"Gramps!" The man stopped him, a little panicked. It seemed that he didn't want to reveal his identity yet. "I'm her Gramps. That's all."

"Have it your way, Gramps," Rayleigh knowingly answered.

Breaking from her embrace, Annagi turned to Rayleigh. Her dark brown eyes showed a glimmer of life, as if awakening from the dead. "I need a week."

"A week?" he questioned.

"To get my things together, find a doctor for my baby, stuff like that."

"I see." Rayleigh took a piece of his vivre card from his jacket. "Take this, when you're ready, you'll be able to find us."

"You're going?" Luffy spoke up. He was still processing what just happened, making his own decision that he would not forsake her. He would honor his brother's last request.

"Sorry, Luffy," Annagi attempted a weak smile. "I'll be back. I can't have you getting into trouble without me. I'm supposed to get you out of it."

"Then I'll see you in a week." Luffy smiled for her. It was so familiar. Ace would smile the same way.

Annagi reached out her hand to Gramps. With a flash, they were gone.