Author's Note - Keep in mind, i have not watched the entire anime, read hardly any of the manga, and as much research as i have done, i doubt i will ever have read the entire wiki. There are some things i just don't know. I'm doing me best here though! Let me know any comments, questions, or suggestions you have.

Disclaimer : I do not own One Piece or any of the other fandoms from which names, places, abilities, or references are taken! Imaginary points to anyone who catches said references throughout the story and PM's them to me. Dunno if you'll get anything real, but i give sneak peaks and deleted scenes to my repeated reviewers, so it isn't unthinkable.

Chapter 10 - A Promise Across Generations

"How is she doing?" Soul asked Olivia. Ace had been moved to his cabin to rest, and the girl had been taken to the medical room until she recovered.

"She's fine. I would say it was a combination of exhaustion and anxiety. She's asleep now, and when she's awake we need to make sure she eats and drinks. Start with bread and water. She had several minor injuries that I treated as well." The doctor looked back at the room. "I'll be interested to hear her story."

"Me too..." Soul looked in the door briefly at the sleeping girl, then went back to the upper deck.

"Soul! Where are we heading next?" Kuina came out of the kitchen and stretched a map out in front of him. He looked at her in confusion.

"But... I'm not the captain. Ace makes that decision. Did he have a plan after Alabasta?"

"No, and until he wakes up, you're in charge. You're the first mate. So, you need to set our destination, even if Ace changes it later. We need to aim for something. It's not safe to just drift out here." The navigator insisted, shaking the map slightly.

"Alright... Okay. Well... It looks like this place is the next closest. Jaya. Let's set our course for there for now." Soul decided. Kuina smiled and nodded her approval.

"Okay. Roger's got food ready. I'll be back as soon as I get the course set."

Soul watched her go, then entered the kitchen. Roger had reshaped the table to accommodate the new girl, and was working on distributing food onto six different plates. He looked over his shoulder, then handed one to Soul.

"You did a pretty good job as acting captain today. Ace made a good choice." The red headed swordsman grinned and tossed an apple over his shoulder. Soul caught it and laughed.

"Thanks. I was nervous. Actually, I still am. This is the first time I've ever been in charge of anyone but myself." Soul bit into the apple, taking a seat at the table as the navigator came in, Ace leaning against her.

"Well done, Soul. Thanks for keeping things together for me." Ace took a seat and stretched. "Wrestling that monster really drained me. How are you holding up, seeing it again?"

"I haven't really thought about it... I hadn't realized how ineffective we would be against it until now. Roger's sword is the only reason we were able to make a dent. We're going to have to become stronger before we will ever be able to take it out." Soul thought for a moment. "The rest of us need to learn haki. It's no good if you are the only one that can't get shredded. You won't be able to handle every situation yourself."

"You're right. I'll do my best to teach you all, at least until we land somewhere that we can find a real master. Kuina, can you go tell your sister that food is ready?" Ace looked at the navigator and she nodded, vanishing in a small gust of wind. She reappeared a moment later.

"She's on her way. She's bringing the girl we found, and doesn't want to jump with her yet."

A few minutes later, the kitchen door opened and the doctor walked in, followed by a strange looking young woman. She had black hair, and dark rings around her eyes that looked like charcoal. She was very tall and thin, and she was wearing a mismatched outfit. Boots, faded shorts, a long sleeved, speckled shirt, and a black pirate hat. There were a few knives strapped to her leg.

"H-hello... My name is Trafalgar Cora... It's nice to meet you... Thank you for saving me." She looked around nervously, trying to shrink down before them. Olivia pulled out a seat and motioned for her to take it. Reluctantly, she moved away from the door way and sat at the table.

"Hello Cora. My name is Monkey D. Ace. I'm the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates." Ace addressed the girl quietly, trying not to cause her any more anxiety than necessary. He gestured to the other pirates at the table. "The twins there are our navigator and doctor, Roronoa Kuina and Olivia. The man with the red hair is our swordsman and cook, Roger. And this man is our shipwright and first mate, Soul. Where are you heading? If it is on our way, we'll take you there, and if not, we'll at least get you to shore."

"I'm not going anywhere, really... Just away. I've been stuck alone for weeks, maybe months. I was going crazy... So I tried to escape, but didn't plan it very well..." Cora pulled her legs up into her chair, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Why where you alone?" Soul asked quietly. He recognized the name Trafalgar. One of the Pirate King's greatest allies who had been no where to be found during the battle on Raftel. Trafalgar Law.

"My father left... I think he meant to find you. We were the only people living on the island." Cora fidgeted uncomfortably. What if her father was waiting for her here? What if he had given up and returned to their island to find she had broken into the basement, robbed the place, and ran?

"If so, he has been unsuccessful so far. He may have gotten held up at Alabasta with the conflict going on there. You're afraid of him, aren't you?" Ace asked. He knew the man had abandoned his father, and never came forward with a reason or excuse. He had simply left. Ace would be interested to hear what the man had to say.

"Yes... I am. Please don't let him find me...He can have the gold I took if he wants it, but I don't ever want to go back to that island..." Cora hugged her legs tighter, rocking slightly.

"It's alright. We have plenty of room on the ship. You can stay here for now, and we can decide on what to do in the future later. Now, you need to eat. Roger's a great cook. Have all you like." Ace smiled and gestured toward the plate. Her eyes went wide.

"This... This is all for me?" She looked over the array of food. It was more than she had ever assembled at one time. She usually had a fish, and rarely some of the plants she was able to find or grow on the island. Never a full meal like this.

"Yes. And more, if you need it. Olivia will show you a place to sleep after you're done."

"Why are you being so kind to me? I thought pirates were... Well, the only pirate I knew was my father..." Cora picked up a piece of fish and bit it, forcing herself not to immediately shove the entire plate in her mouth. "It's amazing!"

"The marines are the ones who decided how a person deserves to be treated before getting to know them. Pirates are... more complicated. We set sail with many different dreams. Some want gold. Some want fame. Some want to fight. I want to discover the mysteries of the world, and I want to live free, just like my father." Ace smiled at the girl. "You're stuff is in the room you'll be staying in. And if we run into your father, I assure you, we will not allow him to take you if you don't wish to go with him."

"Thank you... Thank you all, so much..." Cora looked around now, letting her legs slide back to the floor, and taking in the people she had been rescued by. A sudden thought struck her that made her turn red. "No one actually wears hats like this, do they?"

"Well, you are someone, and you wear one. Isn't that enough?" Roger laughed. "But yes, a few do. Even one of the seven warlords. Pirates don't really have a dress code. Whatever you are comfortable in."

"Alright... I am comfortable in this. I think I need to sleep..." Cora finished a few more bites of her food and turned to Olivia. "Thank you especially, for taking care of me."

"It's my pleasure. Now, let me show you your room." The doctor led the girl out, and returned soon after.

"Well, she's interesting. What are you thinking, Ace?" Kuina looked at the captain.

"I'm think that first of all, I want to speak to Law. Everyone knows he ran before the battle at Raftel, but no one knows why. No one even knew he had a family. He's been keeping her locked up on an island her entire life? There is no way we are sending her back to him. We'll protect her. But I want to hear from his own mouth why he abandoned my father. Soul, do you think you can get a Den Den Mushi connected to his?"

"Maybe. Depends how close he is. I can at least amplify the signal on one until we can communicate with any in a certain area. I'll get to work on it and see what I can come up with." Soul left the kitchen, heading for the workshop.

"Olivia, Roger. Keep taking care of Cora. She's far from well. I can see it in her eyes. Do what you can to help her mentally, as well as physically. Being alone for that long will have left damage we can't see."

The cook and doctor nodded and went to the medical room to discuss what they should do.

"Kuina... Start working on that book from Alabasta. Let me know anything you come up with. I'm going to the library to do some reading of my own." Ace stood and walked out of the kitchen as well, leaving his navigator looking after him, a concerned look on her face.

"Captain, welcome back. How was your little vacation?" Benn Beckman grinned at the red haired man teasingly. They had been friends for as long as either could remember. When Shanks was young, he set out as a pirate and joined the Roger Pirates, while Benn had been recruited into the marines. He had excelled, and had he chosen to stay, he could easily have been an Admiral, standing side by side with Kizaru. Instead, when Shanks had returned after Roger's execution, he had left the marines and gone out to see with the man in the straw hat.

"Well worth it. I had forgotten how much I love that island. And it's people." Shanks laughed and handed a stack of papers to the gray haired man. "My son has a bounty. The new Straw Hat Pirates are on their way. We only have to hold the New World for a little longer, old friend."

"You need to tell the rest of the crew soon. Give them some time to think about what they are going to do when the time comes. Not all of them will want to stay on the ship under a new captain." Benn took a seat on the railing of the ship and flicked his cigarette out into the waves.

"You're right. I'll tell them when we get to the fountain. As soon as Ace and his crew make it here, I'm stepping down, and you will be the captain. If they do not want to sail under your command, or if they want to live out the rest of their lives in peace as well, then they will be able to go their own way. You will be able to decide what to do with the Red Hair Crew then. Or Gray Hair, as it happens." Benn laughed and punched his captain's shoulder.

"No, you're the only one of us who could paint a flag worth a damn. Gotta keep it, or we'll be flying a scribble instead of a skull." Benn looked out at the approaching island at the edge of their territory. "It's unreal, isn't it? The fountain of youth. Well... The fountain of slow aging, at least. Are you going to tell Ace, or let this secret remain secret?"

"I think it is better lost and forgotten. I'm not drinking from it this time. I don't want to outlive Makino by more than I have to. What would Luffy have done?" Shanks sat on the railing next to his first mate and best friend.

"He'd have left it when he found it, never tasting a drop. His crew would have all thought he was crazy, but he would have listened to his heart and walked away without a second thought. Temptations like immortality never held any sway over him."

"You're probably right. I can see his grin now. 'Why do I need to live forever? I have everything I want right now.' And on he would have gone. I wish I had half his confidence. Maybe then I would have been able to keep the hat and claim One Piece."

"You never did tell me how that works. Roger gave you the hat. Isn't that how the succession worked?" Benn asked. He had never fully understood the complexity of One Piece. He knew his captain only knew a bit more than him.

"It's more than that. The hat is only part of the succession. There is also the Will. That gets passed down too. And just like the hat, it isn't limited by blood. When the two successions cross, it shakes the world. And there is a D with the hat on these waters again. The marines have been in an uproar."

"The rebels took Alabasta right out from under them. Their new leader isn't holding back like Dragon did. He's going for the crippling blows from the start. That, the Straw Hat's on the loose again, our alliance with Buggy, half the Warlords resigning in a week, and the thing that is eating ability users. They're in a panic, and with good reason. You can feel the tension in the air..."

"Yeah... It feels just like a storm is coming. One that makes this mess look calm. Who knows. We may be lucky to survive this one." Shanks looked up at the sky. It was cloudy and gray, with a heaviness in the air that spoke of imminent rain fall. "Arrange a meeting with Marco. It's time we discussed the duty left to us."

"Yes Captain." Benn hopped off the railing and walked away to send the message. Shanks continued looking out at the ocean.

"Roger and Luffy both got to pass on their destiny, but I don't think Ace will get that luxury. It's all going to fall square on that kid's shoulders, and my son is going to be right there in the middle of it. That's what he gets for going out to sea with a D. Apparently our family never learns." Shanks laughed to himself and looked up at the sky. "Well, Captain. I'm probably going to see you again soon, and you have a lot of explaining to do. Like why the hell you gave me your hat, and why you gave Garp your son. Can't wait to hear that story."

"Whitebeard... I have a request for you." Gol D. Roger took a long drink of sake as he waited on a response. The enormous man nodded.

"This world is waiting for someone. There are greater forces at work than you and I. I made it to Raftel. I had the hat, and I had the will. But I wasn't the one. I have a different duty to preform, but I need you to protect the One Piece until another comes along like me, and another will come. With any luck, he will be the one. But you must be sure no one can ever claim it."

"And how will I know the right person? Garp carries the D as well, doesn't he? Are you sure it is not him? What about your son?" Whitebeard looked over his cup at the Pirate King.

"Only time will tell. But you will know them. I would bet my life that when he stands before you, there won't be a shadow of a doubt in your heart. As for my son... Whether it is him or not, I know he will become a pirate. It's in his blood. And when he does, give him a home and a family. I would have left him in your care, but fate had other plans." Roger grinned at the man who he called friend.

"I will do these things for you, but will you tell me what you plan to do? What is this duty you have to carry out?"

"I must do what I set out to do. Overturn the world. I'm going to send an invitation that the one won't be able to resist. I'm going to die." Roger's grin never faltered. The thought of death did not scare him. He carried the Will of D. Death was an old friend, and he would walk into it's arms on his own terms, and he would do so with pride and a smile on his face.

"You've sent your crew off to the corners of the globe. You left the hat with one. You gave your own son to a marine who dedicated his life to fighting you. You are entrusting the protection of Raftel and One Piece to me. All your affairs are in order. So I have one last question."

"What is it?"

"How do you know these things? How do you know what destiny has in store for this world?"

"It is a gift that only comes to those who have the hat and the Will. The fourth Haki. The ancient kingdom left more in the poneglyphs than simple words. Those stones are not just carved with history, they have lived it. And I can hear them. It is something I might be able to explain in the next life. We'll sail together there. For now, remember the signs. Fate will bring all the strands together eventually, and I hope you are there to see it! A man who will bring us true freedom. A man who embodies the unity and strength of our world."

"I hope you are right. You have given up more than anyone else to set these events in motion. It would be a shame if you were wrong." Whitebeard said as he drained his cup.

"I'm sorry captain, but I can't reach Law. The Den Den Mushi can only communicate with others they have bonded with, and none of ours have come in contact with his." Soul looked frustrated and ashamed to admit his failure to Ace, but the captain waved it off.

"It was a long shot at best. If we can stay in one place at the next island for a while, maybe he will catch up to us." Ace snapped shut the book he had been flipping through and slotted it back onto the shelf. "I'm not having any better luck than you. None of the logs give any hint about why Law abandoned the Straw Hat's."

There was a small breeze as Kuina appeared in the room, clutching a book to her chest. She walked over to Ace and extended it, smiling. "I found Law."

"What? How?" Soul leaned in to inspect the book. Ace flipped it open and stared at the nearly blank pages. Soul raised an eyebrow as the captain continued flipping through. Each page had a name, and nothing else. Many pages were missing. There were small burn marks everywhere a page had been removed.

"Vivre Cards..." Ace smiled suddenly. "Kuina, this is amazing! Was it with the navigation logs and equipment?"

The navigator nodded. Ace held up the page labeled "Trafalgar Law" and watched the corner of the sheet bend.

"Set our course, Kuina. We'll find him before he finds us." Ace watched her go and then turned to Soul.

"If it comes to a fight, take his sword. He has to concentrate to use his ability, and he uses that sword as a conduit for his power. Keep everyone away from him until we know his intentions. I don't want him to have an opportunity to get any leverage on us. Hopefully my haki will be strong enough to protect me."

"Alright, Ace. But the twins will be standing by to jump you out of his range if they need to." Soul said. "We'd be no good without our captain."

"And I would be no good without my crew. Thank you."

They sailed for most of the day before they saw a flag on the horizon. It was Law's. Kuina came and reported in.

"I varied our course a bit to be sure, but he's been tracking us. There is no way he has a vivre card for any of us, and you can't set an eternal pose on a ship. We need to find out how he can follow us on the Grand Line." The navigator was very concerned. She had never heard of such a thing before.

"Alright. Get below deck with the others, and keep Cora there as well. I'll speak to Law alone." Ace turned toward the approaching ship. It was much smaller than their own, and it was not the submarine the man used to sail.

"Straw Hat Pirates! I request an audience with the captain! May I come aboard?" Law called up from his ship. Ace looked around to be sure his crew was under cover, then called back.

"Yes. Come up."

A few minutes later, the tall man reached the top of the ladder and stood up on the deck.

"I am honored that you agreed to meet with me." Law leaned against the railing. Ace noticed he had left his sword below in his own ship. That was a good sign. "I owe you an explanation. Almost twenty years ago, your father reached Raftel. I had an alliance with him. I was supposed to fight by his side that day, but I didn't."

"No. You didn't. Are you going to tell me why?" Ace crossed his arms and looked at the man steadily, wondering what had prompted him to seek him out now.

"Yes... But I have a request. Come to my island, and take my daughter with you. I'm a danger to her, and she could be helpful to you... If you will do this, I will tell you everything I can." Law looked pleadingly at the younger captain.

"I think that will be more than possible. Soul! You can all come out now, I think we're safe." Ace called to the doors leading below deck. They opened and Cora stepped out to face her father.

"Cora... You went in the basement didn't you?" Law scowled at her, but before she could shrink away in terror, he sighed. "You didn't go in the submarine, did you?"

"No." Cora tried not to look or sound as nervous as she felt.

"Good... Alright. I made a promise. I'll tell you what happened." Law sat down where he had been standing and took a deep breath. "I lost control of my power... We were on our way to meet up with your father at Raftel, and something happened. I don't know what caused it, but I lost all control of my ability. I... I Shambled my entire crew... And Bepo died. His heart fell overboard, and was eaten by a Sea King. I used my power to save his life when we were young, and then my power killed him."

"After I managed to wrestle my powers under control and put the rest of my crew right, I was afraid that if I went to Raftel, I would end up getting your father and his crew killed if I lost control. I took my crew to land and gave them all the treasure they could carry. Then I made my way back to Paradise and found a remote island to spend my life on. On the way, I met a woman. It wasn't supposed to be a lasting thing, but she got pregnant. I brought her with me."

"I could have saved her... But I was too afraid to use my ability. She died giving birth because I was a coward. I avoided my own daughter for most of her life. I did what was necessary to keep her alive and well, but no more. I used my ability to encase her mother in crystal and put her in the submarine alongside Bepo, then put it in the basement and locked it away like a bad memory..." Law leaned his face forward in his hands.

"I never went back to face your father. I didn't deserve to stand in the presence of the Pirate King when I was the first man in history to lose control of his ability... Unless you choose to kill me here, I am going back to my island where I will do no more harm." The tall pirate looked up at the son of his old ally.

"Let Cora decide. She's the one who has spent her life being neglected and abused. If she decides that you die here, then you will. If not, you will leave this place and never show your face again." Ace looked at Cora.

"I... You never wanted me... But if nothing else, you kept me alive, and I can repay that and consider any debt I owe you lifted... Go." Cora turned away from him.

"That's settled then. Your daughter has shown you mercy when no one would have blamed her for ending your life. If she so chooses, she can stay as one of us. A part of the crew." Ace smiled at the lanky girl who looked shocked by his words.

"But... I don't have any skills that would help you... I have never learned how to fight..."

"You can learn. And you had a guitar when we found you, so if nothing else you could take the position of musician." The captain watched her struggle with what she was hearing. The rest of the crew watched anxiously for her to respond.

"Alright. I'll do what I can to be useful to your crew!" Cora smiled shyly at the people around her. Her father gave her one small smile before climbing down the ladder to his ship.

"Queen Vivi, King Pell, I am honored, but this is not necessary." Sabo bowed to the man and woman who were offering him a small wooden box filled with gold.

"You and your men saved our people from the marines. Our army would have never been able to fight them back without you. Please, accept this. It is the very least we can offer for what you have done." Vivi smiled at the man with the strange marks on his face.

"Very well. Thank you. But, you could easily have sided with the marines and wiped us out. You chose to fight with us as much as we chose to fight with you. For that, will you accept this Den Den Mushi so that if you ever require our help again, we will be able to come to your aid at a moments notice?" Sabo extended a small Den Den Mushi to the pair, and Vivi took it willingly.

"We will not use this lightly. We wish you safe travel and good fortune on your journey." Pell bowed to the revolutionary leader.

Sabo and his men set sail that evening, the burnt wreckage of half a dozen marine ships still floating off shore. The rest had fled, not willing to sacrifice more men for the sake of an island they did not need. The revolutionaries were keeping a watch perimeter nonetheless, just in case a Buster Call were to be ordered.

"Sabo! We're are we heading next? The Straw Hats are on course to reach Jaya in under a week. Do you want us to meet them there?" One of the revolutionaries asked his leader.

"Yes. I think it is about time we met face to face. Leave half our forces nearby in case of an emergency here. Tell the rest to set sail for Jaya. Gather my commanders as well. I need to speak with them." Sabo issued his command and went to the upper deck of his ship to await them.

It took a little over an hour for his commanders to assemble before him. Three men freed from slavery by Dragon before he stepped down, as well as three ex-marines who had defected when they realized just how corrupt their organization had become. Tashigi, Coby, and Helmeppo. His three most experienced commanders were in the New World leading the larger part of the revolutionary forces and gathering new allies every day. Smoker, Aokiji, and Jinbe.

With his nine commanders, Sabo had quietly built up his forces during the calm years after the Pirate King's execution. Dragon had left him with his tattoo, his position, and the order to wait until the signal came to begin combating the government again. He had done as he was asked, and now they were back, fighting with everything they had against the government and the marines.

"Helmeppo, Coby. You will keep your ships nearby to reinforce the kingdom's defenses if they call for aid. Tashigi, I want you to take one ship and go ahead to the New World. Meet up with Smoker and the others and tell them to get in contact with the Emperors. The time is coming for us to fulfill our promise and lend our strength to the Straw Hats again. They will have enough on their hands once they reach Raftel without having to deal with the marines. The rest of you, we are going to Jaya to meet up with the Straw Hats." Sabo looked over his commanders, who all nodded their understanding and dispersed to carry out their orders.

Sabo began counting off in his head. One, his own forces, the revolutionaries. Two, Shanks and the Red Hair pirates. Three, Buggy and his crew, so long as they remained allies with Shanks. Four, Marco the Phoenix and the Whitebeard Pirates. Would they be enough to hold off the marines, the government, and the remaining Warlords and Emperors? They would have to be.

Sabo knew that Dragon, Marco, and Shanks had made an agreement with Whitebeard before he died, and that it somehow involved helping the Straw Hat pirates. He had been filled in on his part, but he got the feeling no single person knew the whole plan. He had been tasked with holding off the marines, while the two Emperors dealt with the pirates. Beyond that, they were not to interfere with Ace and his crew at all during their journey. They had to become stronger than the previous crew by the time they reached Raftel, and after that, they would be busy on another journey. What it was, Sabo didn't know.

Whatever it was, it was bigger than just treasure. It was bigger than the government, or becoming Pirate King. Sabo knew that Dragon had insisted, no matter the cost, they must not ever take away a chance for Ace to grow stronger, and they must never let him fail to reach Raftel, or the world would go the same way as the ancient kingdom.

Now, Dragon had sent word that Shanks, Sabo, Marco, and himself needed to meet. He and Robin had found the information they had been searching for. In only a few months, they might all know what was going on. What this plan had been, and how it had remained in effect since Gol D. Roger had reached Raftel for the first time.

"You think making her part of the crew is a good idea?" Kuina asked her captain. It was late, and she was sitting on the edge of his bed as he tugged off his boots.

"Yes. I think so. I think that is what my father would have done. She chose mercy instead of vengence. She needs a home. I see no reason to turn her away. Why?" Ace finally fell back on his bed, his feet free.

"Her father. What if whatever made him lose control of his power is in her as well? If she ever gained an ability, she could be a danger to us all." Kuina rolled on to her side to look at Ace.

"We are all dangerous. I will not condemn her for who her father was or what he did. She is her own person. I won't ask you to trust her, but please, trust me. I believe she belongs on our crew. I'm sure it will become clear eventually." Ace turned to face her and grinned. She leaned forward and kissed him before rolling onto her back again.

"Alright. I trust you. And you were right about Soul. We'll see what happens."

I think a lot of the marines who believed in Moral Justice instead of Absolute Justice would end up joining the revolutionaries eventually. Some of them i just could never write as bad guys.

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