Author's Note - I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out, but it is sufficient.

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 19 - Pirate King

As Lucci had expected, only a handful of their men were able to stand after Ace's conqueror's haki washed over them. It had been like a wave of pressure that made his hair raise on end. He had never been present when Luffy showed his ability, but he could understand now why no one had been able to touch the man. Beyond his fighting prowess that had bested even Lucci, Luffy had a will that could crush marines like flies.

Hono Aaron had first determined where Rachel had taken up a position on the battlefield, and immediately went as far from her as he could. He ended up facing a man with deep red hair and a sword. Another stupid swordsman. He swung his ax off his back and charged, pushing the fear from his mind as he attacked Akagami Roger. The swordsman dared to look bored as he swatted away the blows. The tall warlord felt every blow redirected, sending his momentum off into empty air, or occasionally into the ground. Roger never took a blow directly to his blade, instead dancing between the blows and guiding them away, tiring the enemy pirate with almost no effort.

Kokan Felix had made a run for Soul right off, but a bullet had shattered the bone in his shoulder before he could extend his arm. He screamed in pain as another tore through his leg, leaving him yards from the water, bleeding and in pain. Steel grinned and loaded another round, looking through the scope at the surroundings and trying to determine where his limited ammunition would do the most good.

Sosa Sean, seeing his captain in need, ran for him despite his injured arm. When he was only feet away, he tripped. He tumbled forward onto the sand, looking back to find what had caught his foot. He saw a young woman standing there with a dagger in her hand. Before he could think of a way to retaliate, she had vanished. In the same instant, her foot collided with the back of his head. He slumped next to his captain, clutching his head with his one good hand. The woman appeared before them both, just out of arms reach. She remembered them and the pain they had caused her nakama.

As she began to step forward, she was shocked to watch the warlord captain turn and slam his palm into the forehead of his first mate. Sean looked at him in disbelieving horror, then back to the doctor. His captain had just killed him, and there was nothing he could do...

"You trash!" Olivia jammed the knife into her belt, and vanished. Felix almost had time to sigh in relief when she appeared behind him, grabbing his wrist and twisting it behind his back until the shoulder dislocated. She winced as his first mate wailed in pain, but without releasing the hold, Felix's arm could not repair itself. She jumped with him, releasing him high in the air. Sean braced for the sudden death as the ground rushed toward his captain, then cracked his eyes when he heard the splash. Sea water. It had broken his hold on the pirate. "You should get out of the way and stay there." Olivia whispered in Sean's ear. He nodded frantically, scrambling for the rocky area bordering the coast.

Ressha Bar was getting dizzy. He had come face to face with a winged man but every blow went wide. He swung his giant fists with all the speed and considerable strength he could muster, but every time, the man had moved. It was infuriating, and now the man was flying in lazy circles around him. Bar picked up yet another gigantic boulder and hurled it into the sky, hoping that the man would hold his course. Nope. Another miss. It was only when he could not stand to look at the sky and turn for another moment that he looked down and noticed the damage he had caused. Every boulder had managed to hit one of the marine ships, or one of the marines near the shore. Had the bird man planned that? No, it wasn't possible. He'd have to be able to predict when and where every rock would be aimed.

Hina was baffled. She had captured that woman at least five times. Bound her from head to toe. And yet here she was, standing before her again, a mocking smirk on her face. The marine admiral ran forward, passing her arm through the pirate, leaving behind an iron band that completely trapped the pirate's arms. She went back to check this time, closely inspecting her work. The iron bar was tight and secure. One of Bar's rogue boulders landed near her, startling her into looking back at it. When she returned her gaze to her captive, she was gone again. The empty bars still laying at her feet.

"How the hell..." Hina looked up in time to inspect the bottom of Kuina's shoe as the navigator hit her at incredible speed. She'd just invented a new trick. She had jumped to the top of the marine's mast, and leaped off, feet first. Just before she hit the deck, she jumped, turning while she was between destinations. When she reappeared, she was going just as fast, but sideways instead of down. Hina did not get back up.

Sentomaru was in trouble. He knew it as soon as the fight started. The man before him was untouchable. The deadly blade at the end of the staff flashed past his face again, the blunt end of the poll following unnaturally fast to slam into his arm. He barely transformed it into steel before the blow had time to shatter his bones. He'd nearly lost his head in the first few heartbeats when the man had ran at him unarmed. He never saw where the scythe came from, but it wasn't there when the pirate had charged, and it was when he was five feet away, swinging a vicious blow at the marine's neck.

He tried firing an arm cannon at the spinning blade of the pirate, but the hunk of steel was slashed into ribbons, causing him to cry out in pain. His arm reformed, but his fist was gone. The pirate's haki coated scythe could destroy his weapons, in turn destroying his body. Sentomaru summoned his own haki, trying for brute force as he charged. Leaping like an acrobat, Soul held himself in the air with only the scythe beneath him before coming down on top of the marine's back, kicking his head and driving him into the sand.

As Sentomaru turned, he could only grit his teeth and hope death came painlessly as he watched the pirate flip again, balancing for a heartbeat on the upturned shaft before falling forward and bringing the scythe down with all his strength.

Shinku Maru was enjoying himself. The girl was feisty! When he had approached her, she had seemed terrified, but as soon as he was within a few yards, she had jumped to her feet, all acts of fear gone and three knives had come his way at alarming speed. He'd dodged two, but one had buried itself in his shoulder, and he didn't want to try dislodging it just so he could bleed out.

"Hold still so I can kill you, daughter of Law!" He could tell by looking at her that it was true. The dark hair and eyes. The tall, lanky frame. The tanned skin and sharp facial features. There was no mistake.

"Whatever problem you had with my father has nothing to do with me! If you want to kill me, then forget my father!" Cora dodged a feral punch and wrapped her long fingers around the hilt of the knife, slamming her foot into the warlord's shoulder as she pulled and twisted. Maru roared in agony and stumbled back, nearly falling.

"Your father is the reason my sister is dead! She loved him once, and he not only caused her death, but went and had a child with another woman! You will die, just like she did!" Maru snarled, his arms and legs bending at odd angled, white fur growing across his body. A moment later, an enormous white tiger was lunging at the musician.

"I never even met my mother! My father didn't love her any more than he did your sister, whoever she is! His crew was all he ever cared about and his heart went cold when he hurt them." She threw the next knife gently just as Maru pounced, causing him to jump well to her side.

"His feelings mean nothing! He made her into a monster!" Maru spun with agility of a cat and raked his claws across the woman's arm, causing her to gasp and drop her knife, leaping away. "Monet could have lived a happy life if she had never met him!"

"Monet? The harpy who was content to watch him die?! I read about her! If she loved him, then you're a pig, not a tiger." Cora took two knives in her left hand, throwing the first as he jumped to redirect him, and spinning as he passed, throwing the second before he landed, lodging it deep into his back leg.

"You have no right to speak her name!" Maru snapped his jaws at her leg, driving her back. With his leg hurt, he couldn't leap around anymore, but he could certainly shred her if she came within reach.

"What? Because she might have found my father attractive once, but not enough to fight by his side? Monet! Monet the Snow Witch!" Cora shouted, dodging another bite and raking her knife across the tiger's face, staining it's fur red. She tripped, falling back onto the beach and throwing a knife at the approaching zoan user to give herself a moment to rise to her feet.

Maru had enough, then. It would be well worth the pain and near certain death to tear her throat out. Ignoring the knife coming at him and the knife in his leg, he launched himself, jaws first, at her neck.

He never saw Soul's scythe coming, nor feel it's blade tear him open from eye to hip with a ferocious horizontal swing. There was enough force in the blow to send his limp body rolling across the sand, missing Cora by yards. She smiled up at her protector.

"Thank you, Soul." She pushed herself to her feet, picking up her scattered knives. "Apparently my father was quite the ladies man..."

"Whatever the case, he loved you." Soul swung his scythe up onto his shoulder and turned back to the battle. "So do I."

Rachel recognized the man coming toward her immediately. The marine who had turned Yubashiri to rust. She drew her blades and tried to summon her haki, hoping it might protect them. He lunged, swiping a hand at Shodai Kitetsu. The instant his finger brushed the blade, he let out a gurgling scream. For a moment, Rachel thought the curse on her blade had struck him down with terrifying speed and fury. Then she saw the blade protruding from his mouth. As he fell, she saw the man standing behind him, long hair tied back out of his eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked, both grateful for the safety of her swords, but wary of the fact that he was not turning away. His sword pointed at her, but he didn't say a word. "Alright... I guess our swords can do the talking." Rachel saw the corner of his mouth perk up slightly at that, then they were fighting and she had no more time to look at his face.

He was vicious, and more skilled than any other swordsman she had faced. Not a single one of the moves she had learned in her travels got past his blade, and he still had time to attack in return. After only a few minutes, she was forced to begin retreating, stepping back slowly with each blow she could not block in time.

For a moment, she thought it was all over. A rock caught her heel as she stepped back, at the same instant the man lunged. She knocked the blade aside, but fell to the ground, completely at his mercy now. He stepped back, not offering her a hand up, but not attacking either. He waited as she cautiously righted herself, then waited, at the ready for her to make the first move.

She was truly mystified now. The man hadn't killed her. He was... Sparring. Understanding finally registering, she changed tactics. Rather than striking for her opponent's death, she did her best to show every skill she had. Now that her moves were more playful than aggressive, the swordsman was openly smiling, remaining on the defensive, eager to see what she was capable of.

Any marine or pirate that dared try to interfere was immediately killed by the swordsman, not interested in distractions. He had come to the conclusion on the trip that the only way to survive would be to make it clear that he did not want them dead. What better way to do that and fulfill his own curiosity than a friendly sparring match with the woman he had sailed half way around the world to meet?

Lucci was facing Ace in the middle of the battlefield. The young pirate had coated his arms and legs in haki and was watching the zoan user with both his eyes and his mantra. When Lucci attacked, he met with empty air. He launched himself to the side in time to dodge a kick that would have broken his shin. This one was different from his father. He didn't fight with brute strength, hoping to hit his enemies until they submitted. He struck like a snake, every blow calculated to end the fight as quickly as possible. He had learned strategy and tactics to back up his father's monstrous strength. Now Lucci realized that no number of men would have been enough. He saw the dead and unconscious bodies scattered across the beach, few still standing and fighting. He knew the Straw Hat Crew had powerful allies waiting to come to their aid, but it had not become necessary. He was the last real threat, and despite his speed and strength, he knew he had lost.

"Captain! The Black Wing Pirates are coming! Finish the cat and regroup!" Steel shouted from his position, nestled in the rocks a few yards up the slopes of the island. Ace drove a well aimed blow into the fleet admiral's collar bone, snapping it like a twig, then twisting and ducking a defensive swing to jam haki coated fingers into the marine's shoulder blade, breaking it and leaving his dominant arm useless.

Lucci lashed out with his legs, only to have the pirate catch one and bring a heel down on his knee, sending the joint in the wrong direction. He collapsed to the ground. Ace, raised his hand and readjusted the straw hat his father had been known by on his head. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, Lucci was tempted to attack while he was unprepared. Then the eyes opened, and a fist collided with his temple, bringing darkness to his mind.

Kenoreru Musei has come to the end of his duel, leaving Rachel without a scratch. The woman sheathed her two blades and bowed to the warlord respectfully.

"Please, I would like to know the name of my opponent." She said. He nodded, and with a few light touches of his sword, he drew in the sand. "Musei... Oh! You're Musei! I've heard of you! You sword is Teikoelann! The Silent Blade. It was named after you."

Musei nodded, a small smile on his lips. He held the hilt of the blade out to her, raising an eyebrow as Roger approached. She waved him over, excitedly explaining the situation. Roger greeted the man kindly, looking over the sword himself. It was not a katana, and it was only of the second grade, but it was a thing of beauty. There was a slight blue tint to the metal, and the double edged weapon had not taken any serious damage from their contest.

"Rachel, we need to get ready. The Black Wing Pirates are approaching. Musei, this is not your fight, so we would never hold it against you should you choose to stay out of it, but we would be honored to have a great swordsman join us." Roger said to the silent man. He nodded, reclaiming his sword and turning to face the shore. Several yards away, Olivia was bandaging Sean's arm. He refused to look at her, but he was accepting her help.

They watched as a black shape took to the sky from the approaching ship. The great black dragon was coming toward them. Then, things became very confusing. From nowhere, another ship appeared, slamming into the surface of the ocean as if it had fallen out of the sky. The figure head was in the shape of a roaring lion with a mane like the sun. Before the dragon in the sky had time to change course, a cannon blast rocked the ship and a sudden explosion of snow came from the monster's torso.

"Ace... Ace! It's our parents!" Kuina was grinning from ear to ear as the Thousand Sunny fired another cannon at the emperor's ship. A twirl of a blue staff and a cloud was vomiting bolts of lighting down on the dragon, sending it swerving off course. Ace laughed with joy as his mother stood on the deck of the ship he had only seen in photos, her climatact causing a sudden change in the local weather. A series of rapid fire explosions nearly blinded the dragon as the King of Snipers shot round after round into his face.

A Sea King unfortunate enough to flick it's tail out of the water was dragged from the water and thrown by the powerful cyborg, followed by a blast of wind and heat that scattered the dragon into snowflakes, but melted them as well. He barely came together again in time to rise above the ocean. Nathaniel turned and flew to his ship at full speed, landing on the deck as he shrank to his human form. Once there, he sent one of his men below deck. The pirate returned with a devil's fruit clutched in his hand. With a triumphant grin, Nathaniel ate it in sight of the Straw Hat Pirates.

He pulled back, and sent a punch across the divide between their ships, striking Franky and slamming him into the mast. Before he could pull back though, a hundred hands has sprouted from the deck, grabbing his arm and holding him in place. Kuina smirked from the shore as her mother had not even risen from her deck chair to fight. Sanji, one leg sparking with fire and haki, ran up the arm to the pirate emperor and delivered a devastating kick to his head. His now rubber neck absorbed the blow well, but it still left his ear's ringing and his eye crossed. At that moment, Robin released the arm, Chopper hopping onto the fist in his smallest form. He was dragged over the water, and as he reached the deck, transformed into his monster point, sweeping half the enemy crew from the ship with one clawed arm.

Nathaniel was recovering now, leaping into the sky and flapping his wings to gain altitude. The constant barrage of explosions near his face from the sniper kept him distracted as a skeletal swordsman kicked off the Thousand Sunny and onto the enemy deck, before being thrown like a sentient dart by the reindeer man. He sank Soul Solid into the dragon's side, haki allowing him to pierce the scales without it dissolving into snow. From his position, he nimbly swung up onto the dragon's back, dropping a present from Franky before leaping back down to his own ship.

The compact explosive detonated, knocking the dragon several yards closer to the ocean surface. Sanji sky walked to the monster, slamming another fiery kick into his head. The emperor couldn't seem to make up his mind, as his neck dissolved into snow and his jaws stretched, leaving the crown of his head unchanged and vulnerable.

"The idiot thought he could get away with robbing our captain's grave, and didn't think about the fact that Luffy took most of his life mastering that ability! Usopp mocked the flying death machine, out of ammo and taking a seat on the upper railing of the ship. Franky had one of the ship's cannons over his shoulder and called to the sniper to aim him. As the pair fired balls of iron at the enraged dragon, Chopper turned his ship into a nightmare. He had been content to smash the place up and then scoop the injured back on deck until someone had slashed his leg from behind with a sword. With a black sword. With Yoru.

The reindeer had dropped to his almost human form and dislocated the man's arms before picking up the sword and going on a search of the ship. He found the other two blades and then unleashed his fury. They had touched Zoro's swords. Zoro, who had been like a brother to him. That was not something he would tolerate. After surviving his first encounter with Raftel without taking a life, he certainly wouldn't try to kill anyone in particular, but he would not hold back. He popped a small piece of candy into his mouth and smashed it between his teeth. "Rumble."

The form he took was like his monster point, only more compact, barely taller than his human form. The decrease in size seemed to only increase his strength, concentrating it into a smaller form. When he was done, there was not a conscious pirate on the ship, and less than a tenth were free of broken bones.

"You can not be stronger than me! I have three devil's fruit abilities! I have a mythical zoan and the paramecia of the Pirate King! I have a logia! I am invincible!" Nathaniel roared out as he dived for the Straw Hat's. With a moment of concentration, Robin grew an army of haki coated arms that fused to begin choking the dragon. Immediately it went off course, struggling to draw breath and unable to transform. Robin didn't look at all remorseful as she continued squeezing. With one last feeble beat of it's wings, the dragon fell into the sea.

"Well. That's the end of that." Robin glared into the water. He had touched Zoro's grave. She would not have mercy.

Chopper changed to jumping point and covered the distance to his ship in a single leap. The remainder of the crew gathered around him, huddled together for a moment, then turned their backs on the younger pirates. They all raised an arm, a black "X" drawn on each. Seven pirates stood on the deck of the ship that six of them never planned to sail on again, giving their silent support to the next generation.

Ace raised his fist as well, unable to draw an "X", but knowing the message would be understood none the less. His crew followed after him, even Rachel raising her arm. When the Coup De Burst was activated and the ship blasted into the sky and out of sight, Ace turned to his crew, a smile still on his face. His crew had survived, and his father's crew had come to Raftel one last time, showing a grave robbing monster that the Straw Hat Pirates were not to be taken lightly, even in retirement.

He walked away from the shore to the stone doors set in the side of the mountains that made up the island. He raised a hand and touched the stone, running his fingers over the worn material.

Welcome. Again, the wind whispered to him. The stone doors gave way easily under his touch, swinging open weightlessly. He felt his crew standing behind him, ready to face whatever lay within at his side.

He walked down the dark hall, his mantra telling him nothing. It was a terrifying feeling, being completely without observation haki for the first time in over a year. At last, they reached a chamber with three other halls leading away from it. Wanting to explore every inch of the cave, Ace led them to the left first.

Inside, he found another circular room, this one lined with small carvings and waist high pillars. Ace walked around the room, looking at each one until he reached the far side of the room. The pillar had a carving of a straw hat. He touched it, and immediately felt as though lighting had struck him.

"You've finally come! I knew you would! And named after my own son, too! It's time for you to turn this world upside down, Ace!" The young pirate leaped back from the pillar, eyes wide. That voice had been as clear as any of his nakama standing near him. It had reminded him of his deal to bring back Soul, only this voice had no hint of malice. Only excitement and pride.

"Ace! What's wrong?!" Kuina was checking his hand for any injury, but he shook his head. He looked around the room, taking in the carvings with more attention. He was many unfamiliar marks, but a few he recognized. A drawing of a clown, for instance.

"This was Gold Roger's crew... They left their mark here." Ace ran out of the room and straight across the central chamber. As he suspected, there was another room full of pillars and carvings. He approached the one across from the entrance slowly. Another straw hat was carved on it. Closing his eyes, he placed his hand on it, prepared this time.

"Ace! You magnificent man, I knew you'd make it! I'm so proud of you! You've matched me, now you need to surpass me. Do what we could not. And... I'm sorry. I wouldn't have left you, if it had not been necessary. I love you, son." The voice brought tears to his eyes, and he couldn't help but fall to his knees in front of the pillar. Kuina put a hand on his shoulder, unable to understand what was happening, but knowing he was upset.

"Ace... Please, tell us what's happening..." The navigator almost begged him. He wiped his eyes, and rose to his feet, shaking slightly. He took her hand and then Olivia's as well, walking to the next pillar. Three crossed swords. He placed their hands on it. They looked at him in confusion. He placed his own hand on it, and was surprised when he was not struck with another voice. Only the captain's had been able to leave an imprint on the stone...

"I heard my father... and Gold Roger." He walked back to the central chamber and took the last available path. This room had ten pillars and a single path leading onward. Ace turned to Rachel and Musei, smiling at the sword masters that were as much a part of his crew now as anyone else. They had fought by his side on the shores of Raftel, and so they had a place reserved for them. He found a pillar in the center of the room with the symbol carved into it and placed his hand on it, expecting to leave an imprint of his own. Instead, another voice came to him.

"Ace. The time is finally here, then. You have carried my hat to these shores for the final time. Now my brothers must be made to answer for their crimes. And I am more than an imprint, pirate. I am the will you carry. I am the fourth brother. I am Dorean."

Ace spoke allowed then, hoping his words would go to the Will that was speaking to him.

"How can I hear you? How could I hear my father, and Roger?" Ace asked.

"The fourth Haki. You can hear the voice of all things. This is how the ancient kingdom inscribed the poneglyphs. This is how your predecessors could speak to you across the decades."

"What is it that I must do that they could not? Why did they leave it to me?"

"Musei is a logia user. The Wind Fruit. Do you see now?" Ace turned and looked at the silent swordsman who looked back evenly. He had never once resorted to that. Was it true? "Yes, it's true. Stop doubting and start thinking! Why you and not them?"

"Because... We have all four. We have all four kinds of Devil's Fruit, and none of the other crews did... We have all four kinds of haki... Me, Kuina, Olivia, and Roger are all from East Blue. Steel is from the New World. Cora is from Paradise. Soul is from the West Blue. Callan is from the sky over the calm belt, and Rachel is from South Blue. Musei is from North Blue. Rachel and Musei were warlords. Soul was the son of a marine, and I am the grandson of a revolutionary. Roger was the son of an emperor. Our ship was made by a man who learned from a fishman... We represent this world. All of it."

"Very good. The fate of the world should only ever rest in the hands of those to whom it belongs. My brothers did not see that, and so they drove humanity on with their own wills, intent on ruling over you. I refused to join them. I gave my will to this world and let them find their own course. And it has led yet another of you here. Ace, will you give the world freedom?"

"I... I will. Tell me what I have to do." Ace nodded, eyes closed. He knew he must seem insane to everyone, except maybe Cora.

"Fishman Island. Mariejois. Takai Tokoro. These three city's exist together at the center of the world, in the domains of my three brothers. One at the bottom of the sea, one in the open air, and one high on the land mass of the Red Line. When my hat is at the highest point, my brothers will appear. With the unity of the world behind you, they will fall."

"That's it?"

"No... You carry the weight of a thousand years on your shoulders. Roger and Luffy did as well, and they passed it on to you. I am afraid, you will have to pass on to the next world as well. Your father will be waiting there for you. My will can not remain here and influence this world any longer. The other three did not carry my hat. They will be safe. But you can not remain. You and I must die with my brothers, Ace. Then the world will be completely free to live according to its own will."

"I... understand. My father knew this... That's why he gave himself up, isn't it?"

"Yes. Don't worry. When the time comes, you will feel no fear or sadness. That is my gift to those who carry my will. You will be able to smile when the end arrives."

Ace stepped away from the pillar, drawing a calm breath. Things were clearer now. He would fulfill his vow to the third brother and destroy the elder two, but he would also destroy the third. And the fourth... How was he supposed to tell his crew he had to die? And his mother... Did she suspect that his father had given up his life because of what he found at Raftel? No... She'd have never allowed him to set out if she did.

"Ace... Tell me you haven't gone as crazy as I used to be..." Cora was looking at him with wide eyes. She was wondering if that was what she had been like. If so, she could see why the sea kings wanted to eat her. Then again, thinking that probably counted as crazy...

"I'm sane. We are going to the Red Line. Kuina, flag down our allies, I need to have a meeting with them..." Ace said quietly. Kuina nodded, then reluctantly left his side. Soul was standing next to him, and deeply concerned look on his face.

"Ace... I heard all of that." He whispered. Ace looked at him. "I think I should join you in this meeting. We need to have words, Captain." Soul said firmly. Ace nodded.

"Alright, lets see what remains in here." Ace turned to the path that led onward. When they stepped through the archway, it was like stepping into another world. Even in the drawing of Shandia, they had never seen so much gold. And in the center, carved from gold as well, sat the Rio Poneglyph.

"Welcome to One Piece, Pirate King."

Originally, Maru was going to be a polar bear, but i decided white tiger fit him better. Questions or comments, PM me!

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