Chapter 15
Ace had been dragged into a forest clearing. Laffitte holding the end of his chains firmly, eyeing him as if daring him to try and escape. It pissed him off but he managed to keep himself calm and not struggle. He had no chance at escaping, not with being surrounded by the Demon Lord's and Vampire Lord's pawns so he allowed them to led him to a stone wall that held strange symbols around a doorway. He swore Robin would read those kind of symbols off a book or something?
She read a lot of weird stuff though so he wasn't entirely sure.
Ace stared up at the doorway that he had been led to and was relieved. He still couldn't feel anything from it. He could have cried out in relief but instead he forced himself to look shocked and overwhelmed. He needed to do it. He was going to make searching for One Piece a living nightmare for Teach so he was going to have to lie and make it a good one. At least he wasn't as bad as a liar as Luffy but he was nowhere near Sabo's level.
This was going to be difficult.
He tried to imagine how it would feel, to approach One Piece, his race was born from it, so maybe it felt like returning home? But large hands on his shoulders threw him off, startling him into tensing up.
"Well Ace, shall we go through together?" Teach beckoned him, gleefully.
He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "No. I-I won't open it."
"Don't be like that Commander. Help out an old friend." Teach chuckled, looking amused while Ace glowered at him, tensing up even further.
"I won't! I'll only open this door for two people!" Ace shook his head. "One of those was Whitebeard and the other is my little brother. You have no chance so just let me go!"
"Fine then, gimme his leg." Burgess snarled, looming over Ace now. "I'll rip it off and eat it-"
Teach hastily stopped him though, panicked. "No! We can't harm him remember?!"
"And why not exactly?" Shiliew growled. "He'll open it once we break him-"
Van Augur interrupted them though. "One Piece won't take that kindly. Do you not know what happened to the ones who tortured and murdered the other Vault Keepers before?"
Doc Q coughed. "Horrible deaths... Very unlucky but such as their fate..."
Ace wanted to laugh so badly, he was screwing them all over and none of them had realised it yet. Thatch would be so proud. That thought nearly made him frown but he managed to keep up his glare instead.
"I-I won't open it for you Teach so you might as well give up." Ace repeated grimly.
If Teach gave it up there would be no way the bastard would let him leave alive. That was the only problem with that. He wouldn't let Ace go and spill out where One Piece was, even if he actually had no idea where they even where. He had been locked in the brig of a ship for however long he had been kept prisoner for after all.
"You might think that now Ace." Teach grinned at him as the darkness began to creep out of him, nearly making Ace shudder. "But you'll give in."
He gritted his teeth when the darkness leapt and smothered him, leaving everything lonely and cold all over again.
.::.
"YOU ASSHOLES! LET ME OUT THIS FUCKING CELL!" Kid screamed through the bars, making Killer cringe at the yell and cover his ears to try quieten the noise.
Usopp, meanwhile, had long since curled up in the corner with Chopper, the pair crying and begging to be allowed to leave before Kid killed them. Killer wanted to snigger at that, considering Kid was more likely to try kill the cops hanging about on the other side of the bars, one arguing with Tashigi about the big mess Smoker made and where he was anyway.
"He's away doing something important right now. I'm not entirely sure where though." Tashigi admitted.
"Hina-chan comes all this way to see him and he's not even here." The pink haired cop muttered, looking annoyed. "Now Hina-chan has to sort out his mess."
"My apologises again Hina-san."
"Fufufufu, well, well, is that mutt still barking?" Killer tensed up at the sight of Doflamingo Donquixote approaching, by his side Lami Trafalgar and Rebecca.
Rebecca looked more uncomfortable and confused though, but Lami had a firm hand on her shoulder, the brunette looked peeved.
"You! You fucking cheat! You cleared everything didn't you?!" Kid snarled, clutching the bars even tighter than before, his metal hand even denting it.
Doflamingo only chuckled. "I have no idea what you're talking about mutt."
"You should be more grateful. I dropped the charges against you." Lami scowled, the anger in her eyes flashing.
Kid's eyes were on Doflamingo though. "Why have her drop them? What the fuck are you even up to?"
"Fufufufufu, it's all about the fun!" Doflamingo admitted gleefully. "I want you and your little friends to keep entertaining me!"
"You son of a bitch! This is just a game to you!"
"Of course! Fufufufu, that is what it is about isn't it? The everlasting game!" Doflamingo laughed loudly at that, drawing the police officers attention. "It's a shame Law wasn't with you, I would have taken him back but such as it is. That reminds me though, where is he anyway?"
Kid remained silent at that, still looking beyond pissed while Usopp stammered behind them, surprising Killer.
"L-Luffy dragged him off for an adventure..." Usopp lied, instantly cowering when the Dragon Lord looked at him.
Doflamingo only laughed though and turned away. "Right then officers. I'll be taking my men back. Where are Monet and Caesar?"
Killer listened to him leave before glancing back at Usopp who was curled up even more so, looking horrified.
"What you did say is kind of true." Killer admitted. "Straw Hat and Law are away on their own mission right now."
"That pink bastard..." Kid growled. "He's toying with us..."
"He always has." Killer acknowledged.
"He needs a punch in the face! So does that old bastard who knocked me out!"
"Monkey D. Garp? No offence Kid but he'll probably knock you back out again if you tried punching him." Killer stated, much to his Lord's frustration.
He left Kid to steam in his anger and relaxed against the bench again. Not looking forward to when the others came back and heard about this.
Law would seriously take Kid's head for this one, and then mock him.
.::.
Marco shifted along the rocky cover they all managed to hide themselves behind. He could see the traitorous bastard Teach with his pawns and an unfamiliar tall, blonde haired man who made Sanji, the Straw Hat's Vampire, tense up. He couldn't see Ace but then his eyes caught the darkness wrapped around something on the ground. He grimaced at that, knowing that it was most likely Ace trapped in there.
"Shit, why is that shitty bastard here of all places?" Sanji cursed softly.
"You know him?" Nami asked quietly.
The Vampire grimaced. "Unfortunately. He's the Lord of Vampires."
"So the Vampire Lord and Demon Lord are allies then." Smoker grunted. "I can't see Ace."
"See that pile of darkness in front of Teach? I think Ace is in there." Marco murmured but got caught off by Luffy.
"He is." Luffy hissed out darkly.
Sabo had managed to drag him behind cover before he could take off. His brother still gripping his arm tightly. Luffy looked beyond pissed off and agitated, more than ready to take off and try rescue Ace himself. Marco could completely understand the feeling but they had to analyse the situation first so that they could get Ace safely away.
"If the boy won't surrender how about drugging him? He won't be able to think straight then." The Vampire Lord suggested, looking completely bemused about the situation.
Teach scowled at that. "And I told you we can't risk harming Ace here. The brat takes medication for his narcoplepsy, if we drug him we might cause a reaction and make him ill. One Piece will always have it's revenge on those who torment it's precious Vault Keepers."
"You killed Dr. Kureha, didn't you tell me she was one of them?"
"I made it quick. I didn't torture her or torment her. Not like those fools did to the boy's mother."
Marco tensed at that, startled that Teach knew about Portgas D. Rouge.
"So what, you're relying on luck?"
"Zehahaha! Of course!"
"Then let me drain his blood. It will be quick and he'll just be exhausted-"
Marco froze as suddenly he felt the overwhelming pressure of Ace's little brother's will. It was full of rage as the boy went flying past, a snarl escaping him as he punched the blonde man clear across the clearing.
"I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH ACE!" Luffy howled, steam rising off him as he landed back on his feet, glaring daggers at Teach. "Pie bastard, you kidnapped him!"
"Zehahaha, oh it's you again. If I remember correctly you're my Commander's little brother aren't you?" Teach grinned. "The Boggart Lord."
"I can sense him." Luffy nodded at the Vampire Lord who was getting up, the younger boys that looked like him seemingly pissed off. "But I can't sense you."
"That's a secret, that is." Teach grinned while Marco flew over, landing beside Luffy. "Oh hey Commander Marco!"
"Don't mock me Teach." Marco gritted out.
"Sanji?" The Vampire Lord called out, looking surprised.
"Holy shit, the failure's back." The blue haired swirly browed one sniggered.
"Who did you bastards call a failure?" Zoro sneered as he approached, swords drawn out. "Oi Cook, who are they?"
"I'm his father. Judge Vinsmoke." Judge introduced himself, sounding smug. "The Vampire Lord."
Marco hated people like this, especially Lords.
Sanji was grinding his teeth meanwhile. "You're no father of mine."
"Zehahaha, so this one's apart of the Original Vampire bloodline Judge? Interesting."
"I've been looking for this wayward for a long time."
Sanji lifted one of his legs, eyes burning. "I refused to be what he wanted me to so I ran away. I refuse to ever go back to this shitty bastard."
"How rude Sanji!" The pink haired girl called out, looking amused.
"Hey Reiju, still hanging out with these pricks?"
"We're family." She huffed.
"Let's just cut them up and get rid of the pieces." The Werewolf grunted as he approached Sanji's side. "Luffy can deal with Ace."
"I'll beat them up too." Luffy declared firmly, cracking his knuckles.
"This is such a touching family reunion and all but-" Teach began, looking bemused.
Marco lunged, kicking Teach right in the face just as Sabo smacked his steel pipe into Teach's gut, apparently seeing the same opportunity he did. The distraction pulled the darkness away, revealing Ace who was pale and curled up weakly around himself, bound by seastone. Luffy was there in any instant, shaking Ace's shoulder who shivered as Smoker flew to his side, landing beside the pair and hovering protectively over Ace who looked stunned. Law suddenly appeared as well from one of his Rooms, blocking a blow from the Teach's Fallen Angel, Laffitte.
"I'm afraid you can't take him away." Laffitte tsked.
"You're not keeping him!" Luffy snapped, throwing a punch only to be intercepted by Burgess who threw him into a wall.
"Why would the Chief in Staff of the Revolutionaries be here I wonder?" Teach asked, drawing Marco's attention while Sabo smirked darkly.
"Questions huh? Well I have one too. Why would you even bother kidnapping one of the last Vault Keepers? Especially the youngest one who hates your guts?" The blonde mocked, Marco smirking at the dark look Sabo gained in return.
"Ace still has a chance to join me. He can be one of my pawns and rule beside us when we take over the world with One Piece's power." Teach said gleefully.
"Like hell we'll let that happen!" Marco snapped.
"I won't let you use my brother again!" Sabo snarled in agreement.
.::.
"You holding out alright Ace?" Smoker asked gently, brushing back Ace's hair who nodded weakly, offering a small grin even as he shivered.
"Hey Smokey, it's good to see a pretty face around here." Ace teased, slumping against him when Smoker tugged him closer. "You shouldn't have came here... You guys could have gotten hurt..."
"Be quiet you." Smoker hushed. "We'd always come get you. Don't undervalue yourself brat."
Ace was freezing against him, that was his biggest concern now. He also looked exhausted but he could get plenty of sleep later, it was trying to warm him back up was what he needed to focus on now. He glanced over, checking up on everyone who was fighting now.
"Sanji. Stand down now." The Vampire Lord ordered, making the younger blonde grit his teeth, struggling not to obey while the werewolf beside him cursed, cutting down the green haired kid with a snarl.
"Sanji kick his ass!" Straw Hat ordered back, looking pissed off.
"Why does that Shitty Cook always need saving huh? Oi Luffy! It looks like we've gotta take care of this ourselves! Love Cook needs a nap!"
"Fuck you mosshead!" Sanji snarled, instantly back on his feet, one leg covered in flames. "I'll kick your ass after I'm done kicking the shitty Lord's!"
"Shishishi, hurry up Sanji! I want meat!" Straw Hat beamed.
"Shut up you barbarians!"
"Yeah Cook, hurry up. You're too slow." The Werewolf grunted as Sanji took off charging, kicking Judge right in the face, sending him far back.
"Oi, Angel-ya. Stop trying to go after Ace-ya and Smoker-ya." Trafalgar called out from Smoker's side, looking bemused as he yet again teleported Laffitte away.
"Fine then I guess. We do have a bone to pick with you after all Spirit Healer." Laffitte noted but he halted as a lightning bolt struck him, tensing before shaking it off.
"The forecast today is predicting some very stormy weather for you lot." The witch called out, she was way further back from them, apparently trying to stay out of the way and play as back-up.
"Yohohoho! Oh my, a fellow Soul Keeper!" Brook chuckled, though he seemed to be tense. "Though you really are in a bad state. You've been reviving your Lord with his memories completely intact haven't you? And without his key too."
"What?!" Smoker barked, alarmed. "I thought Lord's didn't unlock everything until they had their key!"
"They don't. Marshall D. Teach however has his memories intact even when he is born into another life." Brook said darkly, his sword glowing. "You don't do that without extreme consequences."
Doc Q coughed. "It's fine... My Lord's fate is strong... As is my luck..."
"I cannot let this go on then. You're a danger to my Lord and a disgrace to Grim-san's legacy." Brook growled, he suddenly looked much darker, shadows seemingly slipping off him.
Then suddenly two large, shadowy figures towered over them all, their scythes clashing as Smoker covered Ace with his body, trying to protect him from the fierce wind blowing out of the locked blades.
"Oi Burgess!" Sabo, Ace's brother called out as he leapt, his fingers formed into what looked like a claw-
A dragon's claw.
He was a fucking Revolutionary, one trained directly under Dragon.
"Ace what is up with your family and all being wanted criminals?!" Smoker snapped.
"We're just better than you lawful folk. You're all boring." Ace stuck out his tongue, much to his bemusement.
"Murunfufufu, well don't you two look cosy." Catarina Devon, one of the worst female criminals there ever was, was approaching them, twirling her staff in hand. "I'm afraid you'll have to give the boy back to me. My Lord will be upset if we lose him when we're finally so close to One Piece."
"Ace stay put." Smoker muttered to him as he sat his boyfriend against the rocks surrounding the clearing and pulled his jitte free of it's holster. "Catarina Devon. You're going back to jail where you belong."
"Oh no. Whatever shall I do?" She drawled out, amused. "Perhaps I might kill you?"
"Try it and see how it goes!"
.::.
"I-Is that Brook's reaper form?!" Nami gaped, stunned at the sight of one of the most laid back people she knew turning into such a monster.
"Nami-ya look out!" She heard Law shout at her, but she gasped when she was shot just as she moved, her thigh taking the hit instead of her stomach before that disorientating feeling of being teleported by Law moved her away.
She heard him let loose a scream though and turned back, shocked to see him collapsing to the ground as the Fallen Angel sliced clean through his arm, taking it off. Nami screamed at the sight, horrified as she tried to run over, not thinking straight.
"Law hold on!" Sabo called out, below him Burgess was gone, his neck twisted-
She looked away immediately, not wanting to be sick as Sabo lunged at the Fallen Angel, only to stumble back, cursing when Laffitte's wings came out. They were disgusting, she felt like vomiting just looking at them as she collapsed to her knees, gritting her teeth. Law was shaking, growing paler and there was a lot of blood slipping out of him while he trembled.
"Oi! Shitty Angel get outta my way!" Sanji-kun was there though, kicking a wing and earning a loud cracking noise in response. "How dare you make Nami-swan feel that corruption!"
The wing became alit with fire, earning a pained snarl while Laffitte twisted round, his other wing hitting Sanji-kun who managed to curl his legs up, protecting his arms from being stabbed by the sharp feathers. The Vampire landed on his feet, his legs back on fire again as he charged, aiming another kick at the other wing but Laffitte dodged it, this time expecting the attack.
Nami shook her head though and clambered back to her feet, stumbling straight over to Law and collapsing down beside him. She could hear him panting, his eyes dull and hazy as she pressed against the wound, grimacing at the blood covering her hands.
"W-We have to seal it right? H-How do I do it?" Nami stammered, unsure if she could help or not but she couldn't just let Law bleed out.
"R-Room." Law choked out, raising his other hand now that she had her hands keeping the pressure on his wound.
She grimaced again at the sight of him simply reattaching his arm to his body. "You do realise how gross that is right? After it was just cut off an everything."
He chuckled weakly at that. "I'm starting to get curious why all our enemies seem to be cutting off people's arms these days."
"Why do you sound so calm about that?!" Nami snapped but she paused when very familiar orange flames smothered Laffitte.
"Good to get those cuffs off." Ace grinned, massaging his wrists as he approached. "Thanks Sabo!"
"Hurry up and set him on fire Ace!" Sabo yelled back. "I'm going to check on Luffy and Marco!"
Ace nodded, lunging forward and landing a good hit on Laffitte who blocked the next fist with his cane, the pair swinging attacks at one another.
"You know you cannot win Ace-san. Help us get One Piece-"
Green lights however flickered around the Fallen Angel, Ace pissed off now. "Don't try use that fucking hypnotic crap on me. You already got Luffy with it because you couldn't fight us both yourself!"
Then the green lights sparked, Nami covered her eyes as fire crackled from them, earning a snarl from the Fallen Angel who was now completely lit on fire. Ace was watching, looking weary just as Marco landed beside him.
"You're free then huh Ace?" Marco said, looking relieved.
"Yep!" Ace grinned back but it instantly disappeared, replaced by an exhausted look. "Marco I'm sorry I wasn't there-"
"Hush Ace. It wasn't your fault. Pops died a happy man." Marco told him and Nami swore she could see tears in Ace's eyes.
"Don't get distracted!" Sabo yelled, yanking the pair back as Laffitte suddenly threw off the flames, looking completely unharmed again. "Fucking Angels! Guess Fallen Angels can still heal themselves too!"
Luffy landed beside them, gritting his teeth. "Damn, he keeps dragging me in with that darkness! There has to be a way to avoid it!"
"We need to retreat!" Sabo shouted instead, surprising her. "We were only here to rescue Ace remember? And I don't think we can beat these guys just yet, not without the rest of your group Luffy."
"He deserves to get his ass kicked!" Luffy protested as Ace gritted his teeth.
"Teach has murdered way too many people and you want us to just let him go Sabo?"
Marco nodded. "For now. Your brother is right Ace, we were only here for you. Now we're taking you home before these guys get lucky or some bullshit like that."
Smoker landed beside them, looking peeved. "We should be arresting the whole bloody lot!"
"You're obsessed with arresting folk-yoi."
Everyone went quiet though as the two reapers above them began to disappear, leaving the Blackbeard's Soul Keeper and Brook to fall to the ground. Sanji was there suddenly though, grabbing Brook and climbing up to the sky, Brook limp in his arms much to Nami's alarm.
"They might be right Luffy! We've managed to take down a few of them but we can't last like this forever! Brook and Law are down and your brother is exhausted!" Zoro gritted out around his sword, his eyes dark as he stared at the tall man with the scariest look on his face.
"You brought Shiliew out too?!" Smoker spat, looking pissed.
Luffy frowned but nodded. "Let's retreat then."
"Oi! Don't take Ace away!" Teach barked, looking bemused as he raised his hand, darkness pooling out of it. "I have unfinished business with the kid."
"Room!" Nami groaned, that horrible teleportation method instantly threw them all off again, her landing on her knees. "Nami-ya you have to teleport us the rest of the way! I can't anymore!"
She nodded, letting loose a shaky breath and muttering under her breath, asking the wind to carry them away. Weather was hers. It was always hers to master and tame. She was the Weather Witch for a reason. It always listened to her after all.
And so it did again. It wrapped around each of her friends and companions and teleported them all away.
.:End of Chapter:.
I hope this chapter turned out alright, I seriously love writing and I'm even trying to create my own stories right now for books I want to one day publish but when none of your family members or you're pretty much only friend seem remotely interested and some actually seem disproving it really hurts. I hope it didn't affect this chapter at all, I feel like some days I'm over the moon because I'm in my zone and writing like crazy and then others I think why am I even doing this? I feel like none of my family care at all and my friend seems to barely recall I like writing at times but she's the only friend I have which really does suck :/ Sorry for the rant, needed to go vent somewhere since I have no one to talk to. I know exactly what my family will say if I come out with this like 'oh we didn't mean to make you feel that way'. I sometimes work in different shops because I work in a big retail market and a stranger from another shop takes more interest than they do and that's kinda where this sudden down turn randomly came from. A random strange who I've only met about three times has asked each time she's seen me 'how is my book doing' and that kinda actually makes me feel sad because nobody close to me has asked :( Again sorry for the rant, I just really needed to do that somewhere and here feels like the only place I can rant sometimes :/
SEllen23, Well he is everyone's favourite Buggy D. Clown ;) *instantly shot* But yeah I can't help but picture Shanks teasing him relentlessly for it so needed to add a little hint of it in :P And hope you enjoyed the chapter :D