"Ace-san! Luffy-san! Cuffs-san! Run forward!" Jinbe yells out., running alongside us, trying to escape the incoming marines.
"Jinbe!" We yelled out, turning and looking at him. I watched with wide eyes as he used the seawater to attack a few marines in our way.
"They're aiming towards you guys. The old man is hoping as many survive as possible!" Jinbe turns and looks towards Whitebeard's location.
"We've stolen a warship! Get aboard!" One of the pirates allied with Whitebeard yells. We run as fast as we could towards the warship.
"Did you really think I'd let you escape?" Akainu calls out back with the marines. "How optimistic…"
"Admiral Sakazuki!" A marine calls out. Akainu scowls, and walks past the marines until he could see most of the fighting pirates.
"Step aside, men." Lava pools out of his fist. He shoots a lava blob towards some pirates as they run and dodge. Ace grits his teeth as he hears the scream of others behind him. Straw Hat glances at him worriedly.
"You guys! Keep running, straight to the ship!" Jinbe calls out to us. I ran ahead a bit, to clear the path of the marines for Ace and Straw Hat.
"So you think you can free Fire Fist Ace and simply retreat in safety? What a bunch of imbeciles you Whitebeard Pirates are!" Akainu sneered towards us.
"WHAT?!" A group of pirates turned around angrily.
"He's just trying to provoke us! It's obvious he wants us to stop!" Another pirate called out, warning the others.
"Well, I guess it's no surprise, your captain being who he is." Akainu took of his cap, smoothed back his hair, and placed his cap back on. "After all, Whitebeard is nothing but…" He grinned as he said this. "A loser from a dead era!" I turned abruptly as he said these words. Was he nuts? He was gonna kill himself, Ace was going to kill him...Ace...I skid to a stop, and turned around just in time to see Ace stop and breath heavily.
"A loser?!" He repeated. Ace clenched his fist, and it caught on fire, then extinguished. He turned towards Akainu. "Take back what you just said!" Ace growled out.
"Don't do it Ace! Don't stop running!" A pirate captain yelled out.
"Just let him blabber on!" The man reached out and grabbed Ace's arm. Ace shook himself free.
"He bad-mouthed the Old Man!" Fire enveloped his body.
"Ace!" Straw Hat yelled. I ran towards them, trying to catch up. I was so ahead, I never should have separated from them in the first place!
"Take it back, you said?" Akainu replied neutrally. "I have absolutely no intention of doing so. Why would I? Your father, Gol D. Roger, conquered the entire Grand Line. He gave his life to open the door on a new era, the Great Age of Pirates. A navy man like me probably shouldn't say this, but that man truly deserved the title of "Pirate King". What is Whitebeard, when compared to that?" Ace's flames grew larger and hotter. 'Almost there!' I thought. 'Don't lose your temper yet, Ace!' I ran across the cobblestones, struggling to make it in time. "I mean, did he even have the guts to fight against Roger?" Akainu continued on. "All he's ever done is hide in some safe corner of the world and keep himself out of trouble, right? These days, some fools may claim Whitebeard's name alone upholds peace on various islands. But as far as I'm concerned, he just imitates the small-fry and calls himself hero for it. Ridiculous! Roger maintained his honor as long as he lived, and even dead, his fellow pirates hailed him as a king. In other words, Whitebeard is an eternal loser, who will never surpass Roger! That is all he is. Everything I've said is the truth." Ace was on fire everywhere now, and he walked forward to meet Akainu. "Now that I think of it, he sure is one pitiful man. Making all of his underlings call him "Old Man", or "Father" or whatever..and sailing the seas playing house."
"Stop it." Ace cut in sharply.
"He reigned the seas for decades, yet he never became a king or gained anything." I skid to a stop as I came to the outside of the group enclosing Ace and Akainu. I squeezed in the best I could, but I couldn't stop Ace. Ace was walking forward and meeting Akainu. "He got himself stabbed because one of his foolish "sons" of his believed every word I said. And now he'll die to protect that same fool. Truly an empty existence." The fire around Ace's body crackled, and he stopped in front of Akainu.
"Cut it out!" Ace yelled.
"Don't fall for it Ace! Turn back!" A commander of Whitebeard's pirates yelled.
"ACE!" The crowd yelled together. Ace ignored them.
"Old Man...gave us a place where we belonged! What do you know about the Old Man's greatness?!"
"If a man does not live righteously, then he does not deserve to live at all! You rogue pirates don't deserve a "place to belong"!" Akainu's arm bubbled with lava.
"CUT IT OUT!" Ace yelled out.
"WHITEBEARD WILL DIE A LOSER! A FITTING END FOR A SMALL FISH IN A BIG POND!" Akainu responded back.
"WHITEBEARD IS THE GREAT PIRATE, WHO CREATED THIS ERA!" Ace yelled back. "DON'T MAKE FUN OF THE MAN WHO SAVED MY LIFE!" Fire enveloped Ace, and I watched, my eyes wide. I couldn't do anything to them. Wind wouldn't blow lava away. I was virtually powerless, unable to stop my friend from fighting. "THE NAME OF THIS ERA IS WHITEBEARD!" Ace drew back for a punch, fire enveloping his arm. Akainu drew back for the same punch, this one oozing with lava. The two punches met in the middle, cracking the cobblestone around it.
"Whitebeard, and you fools who call him your father, share the same fate as losers!" Akainu growled out, using more force to try and overpower Ace. Fire and lava exploded against each other, and Ace flew backwards, clutching his wrist.
"Ace got burned!" Someone yelled out. Akainu stood menacingly.
"You were overconfident because you ate a Logia, the mightiest of all Devil Fruits, right?" Lava dripped down his head. "You are merely fire. I am magma, which will burn even flames! There is an enormous gap between your strength and mine!" Ace clutched his arm.
"Ace!" Straw Hat called out. I darted forward and tried to stop him, but failed. Straw Hat tripped, and Ace's Vivre Card fluttered out of his pocket.
"Luffy-kun! You've reached your limit!" Jinbe informed Straw Hat. Straw Hat stared at the ground, breathing heavily.
"Ace's Vivre Card…" Straw Hat reached out to grab it, but it fluttered away.
"The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Dragon the Revolutionary. These two sons being step-sons is quite a frightening thought. Your fate has been decided!" Akainu demanded, glaring at Straw Hat. "Regardless of who else gets away, I swear to never let the two of you escape! Now, take a good look…"
"Wait!" Ace yelled, as Akainu jumped over him and ran towards Straw Hat. My eyes widened, and I knew what I had to do. I ran towards Straw Hat also, fighting my way through the crowd.
"Luffy!" Ace yelled. I fought out of the crowd, and raced towards Straw Hat just as he picked up Ace's Vivre Card. I saw Akainu there, ready to punch Straw Hat. Straw Hat look up, and saw Akainu about to punch him. He saw the punch arriving, and closed his eyes, ready to die. But he didn't. Time slowed. I heard my heart beating in my chest, scared for what was going to happen. It seemed like a dream. I felt numb. I couldn't feel anything. I felt….empty. 'Did Straw Hat get punched?' I wondered. I felt numb again. I-I...It was hard to breathe. I closed my eyes, and reopened them. I heard drops of blood splatter onto the ground. 'Who's bleeding?' I wondered. My chest...It felt...empty. Wait..The blood….It was...my blood. I looked down, and saw Akainu's fist through my chest. My father's fist. Through...my chest.
DUN DUN DUN! Told you it was gonna be a scare! I feel like making you guys wait for the next chapter...*laughs evily