2 Days before the disappearance...
Kidd woke in the middle of the night sweating profusely after dreaming of Sab. His shake is not stopping even after drinking water. There's no stopping, his breath is ragged while looking outside. His eyes darted towards the direction of Central Raftel where she is.
Without second thoughts, he stepped in his balcony, wings sprouting at his back and he darted off in a blink of an eye. It did not take him long before arriving at the manor of the Royal Healer.
His instincts led him in the forest nearby, hiding his presence while looking at the balcony right in front.
What is he doing here? He shouldn't be here but he can't help it. The dream he had stirred emotions inside him, driving him mad. Even now, his hands are still shaking, the image of her death keeps on replaying in his mind and it scared Kidd more than it should.
The creaking of the balcony door took Kidd's attention and he was alarmed upon sensing a very familiar person walking out of the room, dressed in a white satin sleeping dress, her arms wrapped around herself while looking at the bright moon.
He gasped upon seeing her safe and sound. His instincts are kicking in, wanting to wrap his arms around her to keep her safe and by his side. All this time that he's been suppressing his feelings, telling her off, rejecting her, is making him feel as if he's the cruelest person in the world.
That dream felt like cold water to him, waking him from his stupidity. How could he have done that? To her - of all people? He can still remember the look in her eyes when he told her that it would have been better if she is gone.
He wants to beat himself several times. His stubbornness and petty pride got the better of him, finding excuses to avoid fate. His fated one is right in front of him and all he did is push her away. How shameful could that be?
"Sab, go back to bed." It was Ann's voice that Kidd heard.
"Yes, I will." She answered and stepped back into the bedroom.
Right there and then, Kidd wanted nothing more than to call out for her, but he didn't. All he could do is go back to his palace.
'Is there something bothering you?' It was Achilles asking when he noticed Kidd's mood.
"I don't know where to start."
'I assumed you've come to terms with your fate.' Achilles is always on point when it comes to what Kidd fails to say. He's right, Kidd realized it the night when he dreamed of her in danger. The moment he saw her die, he feels like dying as well and he hated that feeling. The feeling of being helpless. It stirred the protectiveness in him - making him realize that what he's been doing is nothing but stupidity.
"I rejected her. I've done something unforgivable. She must hate him now." He does not know how to look at her after what he did.
'No, she doesn't. She's aware of the truth.'
This made Kidd look at Achilles.
"You told her?"
'She has the right to know. She's not spiteful, Kidd. And I know she doesn't hate you.'
After talking with Achilles, he spent his time thinking about how to he should approach her and ask for her forgiveness until that morning when he received terrible news.
"The princesses are gone. They left Raftel." That's what greeted Kidd early in the morning. He felt numb upon hearing it. So many things going through in his mind right now and the last thing he wanted to think is the dream he had.
As soon as the news was delivered, the High Princes did not take too long to gather in Chopper's manor. All of the Warrior Commanders are also present. The High Princes' moods are solemn, angry at the news they had this early morning.
"What do you mean gone, yoi? How did they leave without being detected?!" Marco rarely raises his voice, but at this moment, he cannot hold the mixed feelings he is feeling.
"The moment I woke up, they are all gone. I found this letter in their room." Marco yanked the letter from Chopper's hands, almost ripping it to pieces.
"This does not explain why no one noticed." Zoro said. He felt anger stirring in his heart as soon as he realized that Luffia is gone as if something was missing in his life.
"They must have used the plant I used when I brought them here."
That explains their disappearance without detection.
"Marco, could you try to locate where Ann is? She is your mate, isn't she? You should be able to senses where she is regardless of how faint your connections are." Izou said. This is true. Once meeting a mate, even though they have not done the deed of mating, there should be a hint of connection to one another, a connection they can use to know where the other is.
Marco closed his eyes and concentrated. He tried to search the connection, it was there, yes, but for some reason, some sort of magic is preventing him from forming the connection.
"I can't get through, yoi. Did they use any means to stay invisible from our radars?"
Chopper tried to think and he was vaguely reminded of the stones he had the other day. Ann was relatively interested in those stones. without a word, Chopper runs to one of his stock rooms and found that the stones he had are gone. As he went back to the living room where everyone was, he immediately told them that the sisters must have used the stones to avoid detection.
"And what did they use as means of travel? It is too far from here to the next exit to the human realm." Izou voiced out.
"That is not important right now. The important action we have to take is to get them back here for safety. It is no longer safe for them especially now that their enemies are using dark magic." Whitebeard spoke in worry. The last attack from the creatures patrolling the area gave them a hint that the enemies occupying Cresta are not human usurpers. "It seems that our old enemies are going to strike."
This shocked all of them present in the living room.
"Are you saying that the usurpers of Cresta are related to Teach?" Thatch's voice turned murderous upon remembering his near-death experience while battling that traitor. He will never forgive him for what he did to Raftel and everyone.
"There's no doubt about this. Teach and Sakazuki will never stop until they overtake Raftel. If they took Cresta so they can invade Raftel, then the princesses are in grave danger." Whitebeard frowned upon remembering the terrible fate Raftel faced years ago. The traitors are merciless. No doubt they will not hesitate to strike when they want to.
"We have to find them..." Marco's voice is solemn, worried over his mate.
"Why would they leave?" Chopper asked. He does not understand why they want to leave. Is it because of the friends that appeared in Raftel? Did something happen in the human realm for them to leave in haste without telling them?
"They must be thinking that they do want to take this war to themselves and leave Raftel out of it. They knew the history of Raftel and the involvement of their kind. They are not the type to ask for help, not when they know the consequences." Robin spoke. She spoke some sense to everyone.
"We will start searching for them immediately, yoi. I will not sit here doing nothing while I know she is out there in the human realm open for risks." Marco started to walk out of the house followed by his Warrior Commanders.
As soon as Marco and his companions are gone, Zoro silently walked out of the house followed by Yosaku and Johnny.
"Zoro! Where are you going?" Chopper asked.
"To prepare. As much as I brand Luffia as a nuisance and annoyance, I will not do nothing."
Whitebeard looked over at Kidd who has been silent since the meeting started but his aura is flaring, his powers can be felt miles away. God knows what he's going through right now.
'Kidd...' Achilles called out. He can sympathize with the Beogian High Prince. Just when he came to terms of his fate, Sab decided to leave.
"She better be safe and sound or else I will bathe the lands with blood." He said before leaving.
The information that Raftel's traitors may be behind the recent attacks against their people spread like wildfire to the Raftelians. They fear for the worse. War will be inevitable if the old traitors are back to finish what they started.
"If they are the ones behind the recent attacks, it makes sense why they attacked Cresta who stands in their way." One creature said.
"Wouldn't that mean we caused the disaster to the human princesses?" Another creature asked.
These thoughts are what planted in the Raftelians. It appears that war will be upon them and it won't be because of humans but the traitors they failed to kill during the great war.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
So many things happened while they were gone. It turns out, their allies are also being targeted by Akainu. Shanks' kingdom is also on the verge of war with Akainu's allies. So many people died and are hoping for the war to end.
Akainu drew rumors of the Cresta Royal Family. He spread false accusations of how Roger and Rouge are housing monstrosities in their midst, ready to wipe out the human race so their family will stand at the peak and rule the whole world.
Some people started to believe in Akainu. Some were questioning how Roger was too strong for someone human. His battle prowess was known to the world and they questioned how he was so strong compared to other human beings. Kingdoms that harbored hatred to their family started to step forward against them. They feared Roger and his battle prowess.
How could a small kingdom such as Cresta have so much military power compared to other kingdoms? They started to form such questions and the conclusions were pointing to the Dark Forest and its mysteries.
It is such a disappointment about how human beings can easily be swayed by exaggeration and refused to look back to the facts.
"It will take about another three days of water travel before we arrive in Alabasta. Vivi is already expecting us." Nami said. Vivi and her family are the current rulers of Alabasta. Like the others, they are also being targeted, but they managed to fend them off due to their military power.
"Alright. We will have to gather in Baltigo. It is one of the hideouts our father uses in case of emergencies. We have to gather every leader of our allies in Baltigo to prepare for war." Ann is one of the battle generals of their kingdom and as such, she is one of the few people to know the secret places owned by their family.
"It will take us about a month a half to travel to Baltigo given that the weather will be kind, but if not, two months. We can meet some of them on Drum Island. Who is traveling to Baltigo at this moment?" Sab asked. When it comes to strategies, their father deeply relies on her. She is one of the generals whose strong point is to form strategies. Reckless one, might they add.
"Just a few of them. No one really knows their exact movements because we are all afraid of sending messages that might get interrupted. It would be best to meet with Vivi then start traveling to Drum Island." Nami answered.
"Ok. We need to be at full speed. I am afraid the people of Raftel discovered our departure. All of you must not mention where you found us. Not a word to anyone about Raftel." Sab said in a stern, commanding voice. They cannot risk Raftel's secrecy.
"Going back and asking for their help is not too late." Usopp said but he stopped whatever he is about to add the moment he saw Ann's glare at him.
While everyone keeps on sharing battle plans, Luffia remained silent as she stares at the stone necklace. Her mind is drifting to Raftel, to Chopper, to everyone else, and most of all, to Zoro.
The moment they stepped out of the Raftel, she felt like something was missing, something she cannot put words into. The voice that constantly whispered to her mind is gone, a matter she is not thankful for. She wonders why.
"We should gather more information about the enemies' army. We need to take note of their plans and fighting capacities. If they have witches and magicians on their side, we have to gather every countermeasure." Sab said. They have magicians on their side, but she knows it will not be enough to win this war. Nami is a witch, but her power is limited.
"I could ask my sister for some of their technologies to help us in the war." Sanji suggested. He is a member of another royal family, the Vinsmoke. He was the third son, but currently, the queen is Reiju, his older sister.
"Yes, that might help us." Ann agreed, but she cringed upon remembering Sanji's other brothers. They were different, rude, and bashful, specially Yonji who tried to flirt with her.
As soon as they concluded their meeting, everyone went with their designated tasks. Nami and Koala stayed with the sisters and the two of them noticed the changes in the sisters. They cannot help but worry about them. Even though they smile and participate in the conversations, it is as if their minds were somewhere else.
"What exactly happened in Raftel?" Koala cannot prevent herself from asking.
"What?" Sab asked, confused about the question.
"The three of you were different. Something happened there and whenever we try to open the topic of asking for their help, the three of you are avoiding the question. What happened there?" Koala does not like seeing them like this. Their eyes do not sparkle like they used to, as if their hearts were not with them.
Ann stayed silent. What could she possibly answer in that inquiry?
"It was complicated." Sab decided to answer. There will be no point in hiding it. "You know that they are not humans, that they have a different culture than we do. They kept their world away from the human realm for years because of the Great War that resulted in the disappearance of the Three Magical Kingdoms. So many lives are lost. This is the main reason why they will not hesitate to kill any humans who would dare to cross their borders. Chopper helped us hide from Akainu's men by bringing us to Raftel. We were almost executed."
"And what made them change their minds?" Nami asked.
"Their Peacekeeper, Whitebeard, knew our father. Apparently, they are friends. So, they let us stay and recover in Raftel." Ann answered, but she knew too well that it is not the main reason why they are alive. They are alive for a different reason.
"The three High Princes also let us live because of the two of them, Marco and Kidd." Luffia added. "Marco's mate is Ann and Kidd's mate is Sab." Koala and Nami were shocked at the revelation. The twins remained silent, not denying what the youngest said.
"So, did you mate with them?" Koala looked at Ann and Sab.
"No. This is also the reason why we are wearing these stones to avoid being discovered. There is already a present connection for mates and Marco will definitely try to find Ann." Sab explained.
"And Kidd? He is the rudest person I have ever met." Koala huffed upon remembering the day when he met the Red-haired High Prince.
Sab sighed and shook her head.
"He won't be looking for me. He hates me." Nami and Koala understood what Sab meant and instead of asking more about Kidd, they opted to direct a question to Luffia.
"And Luffia? Is she also a mate to someone else? She also wears the stone, doesn't she?" Nami asked.
The twins looked at each other, also unsure how to answer that.
"No. She is not. We just let her wear one in case they can trace her." Ann answered.
Nami and Koala kept their silence and nodded, understanding their situation. Whatever thoughts they want to voice out, they kept it to themselves for fear of making the situation worse.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Two days. Two days of not seeing her, not sensing her and Marco felt like it is forever. They are all organizing their plans to find them. He wanted to go out of Raftel to find her as soon as possible, but they have to have leads as to where they are, otherwise, they will be going out only to find nothing. He badly wanted to see her, to know that she is safe. He felt miserable.
They agreed to bring Robin along since she is the most knowledgeable when it comes to interacting with humans. Chopper would like to come along as well a she felt guilty for their sudden departure. They should not have left Raftel.
Sometimes, Marco feels like it is his fault why she left. She does not like him at all, she rejects him and avoids him like a plague. Is this her way of telling Marco she does not want to see him again?
No, he cannot give up on her. He will not give, not when the person he had been searching for is right there, a hand's reach away. He will persuade her, protect her, and love her even when she does not want him to.
"Marco..." Izou called out. She worried about Marco. He had been trying to locate Ann through their vague connection but there are no positive results. Every time he tried to do so and fails, it only frustrates him to the point of releasing too much aura that can be felt around Ipraecia.
"What is it?"
"There is another meeting in Central Palace. I think you might want to hear this out."
They immediately left to go to the Central Palace. Everyone is present.
"What is it, yoi?" Marco has been eager to get news from their magicians to locate the three princesses.
"We can locate them using one method we know of." Robin said.
The three High Princes' faces immediately lit up the moment she spoke of a way to locate them. They are all desperate in finding them that any chance, no matter how slim it is, they will take it.
"Killer's mate is human. Sab's friend, Koala. He can try to locate them by tracing their vague connection." Robin continued.
Everyone stared at Killer. Kidd is surprised. How did he not noticed any changes from Killer?
"It is vague, not stable. What I know is that they are too far and we have not interacted too much to form a stable connection and the fact that she is near the stones makes the tracking more difficult."
"But you can trace them, no matter how vague it is." Zoro spoke.
"Yes."
"Then what are we waiting for? We should set out immediately to find them, yoi."
"Caution, Marco." Whitebeard's voice resonated in the hall. "The enemy might be Sakazuki and Teach. If it's them, you know well that the situation will be dire sooner or later."
"I know it will be dangerous and this just gives me a reason to go and find her. If Sakazuki caught them, he will not be merciless as to let them live and I will never let that happen. I will not hesitate to bathe myself in enemies' blood." His blue eyes flared - frightening even the Peacekeeper himself. There is nothing more dangerous than a mad beast who wants to protect what it holds dear.
"I understand your sentiments. However, blindly going there without plans will be the doom of not only yourself but everyone. You cannot just show yourself to the Human Realm, blindly searching."
"And what do you want us to do?!" Kidd's patience is running thin. He feels as if every second that passes by without doing anything is a waste when he should be looking for her.
"The Human Realm has a complicated history. Even before the attack in Cresta, rumors are being circulated in the neighboring kingdoms that Cresta is protecting beasts in the Dark Forest. They are taking brunts and harrassment from the kingdoms who wanted nothing but explore the Dark Forest which serves as our wall against the humans. If you go out there right now, proving the existence of the beasts, the consequences will be dire to the princesses. Humans will think they are guilty of something they did not do and that can lead to a dangerous situation for them." Robin spoke. She is a Halfborn and lived in the Human Realm for quite a while before permanently residing in Raftel.
She had seen how humans can go as low as they can, abandoning moral values in favor of a neverending greed caused by their pride. Their minds can be swayed in ways beyond what can understand.
Beasts or Supernatural creatures are direct when it comes to confrontation, but not the humans. They have a lot of ways to fight and a lot of ways to defend, dragging whoever they can to stand on top, proving their might, achieving a feat through other means necessary.
"They are out there, who knows where. If you fly out there in plain sight, you will not be suffering the consequences. They will because they are Cresta's royalties."
The statement calmed Marco and Kidd as soon as they realized a fatal mistake that they could have done had it not been for Robin's intervention. They wanted nothing more than to fly out there to search for them, but instead of rescuing them, they might place them in danger.
"And what should we do? Wait here, do nothing but wait for news of them?!" Bang! He slammed his fist on the table, shattering it to pieces. His hand has long since been transformed into deadly claws. What is stopping him from going into a rampage is the fact that Robin's words make sense.
"They set out through a ship. If you sail, you might be able to find them. I will gather as much information as I can regarding the whereabouts of their allies. They left Raftel to take back their Kingdom. The first thing they will do is to gather their allies."
"Wouldn't sailing take longer? If we travel through land, we might be able to reach the destination faster." Thatch voiced out. The ocean is vast and add to that, the weather is unpredictable at times. At times like these when time is gold, they can't afford to waste a lot of time wander in the sea.
"Yes, that may be the case but we are risking the exposure of the High Princes in the Human Realm. If the usurpers of Cresta are who they think they are, don't you think he has a lot of means to recognize the High Princes? Aside from that, Humans are curious by nature. How will we explain the sudden appearance of strangers near Cresta?" Robin's experience in the Human realm proves to be useful for them. "The best way is to travel by the sea."
Robins eyes locked with Marco's then to Kidd's, convincing them to heed her advise. She does not have a mate, but she can sympathize how they feel right now. Their instincts are telling them to go out there and protect their mate but rash actions can cause disasters. There's nothing they can do but wait and plan.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Thousand Sunny continues to sail under Nami's impressive navigation, going to Alabasta. They are avoiding being seen, especially with the sisters on board. They do not want Akainu and his men to know that the three sisters are no longer in the Dark Forest. Ann stared at the stone hanging in front of her chest, such a painful reminder of their situation.
She realized the weight of knowing that Marco is her mate. Now that she is out of Raftel did she feel the dread of not seeing Marco, or the possibility of not seeing him again. Ann knows, she knows the possibilities of dying in this war. War is not something she wants, she does not wish for it to happen, but in this cruel world, it is inevitable. There is no other choice but to persevere and continue fighting for the cause they believed in.
Ann has been to several battles before, battles that resulted in a war. Their father informed them of the risks and consequences if they lose. It is not about the honor that you are trying to defend but the lives at stake in losing. She never feared being hurt in battles and even at one time, she was prepared to die if it means her loved ones will live, but right now? She feels scared. She is not scared of dying, but she feels scared knowing that if she dies, she will not see him again. This thought alone scares her.
When did she become such an emotional wreck?
"We will arrive in Alabasta soon." Sab said. This is the 4th day since they left Raftel while travelling on sea. The weather has been kind enough to them in the past few days. They sent some of their trusted messengers to deliver the word to Shanks informing him of their route.
"Yes. It might take weeks for us to gather all of our allies and begin the counterattack to Akainu's movements."
The blond princess sat near the window, looking at the vast sea, melancholy in her eyes as she replied to Ann. "Our main goal is to get back Cresta and reduce casualties as much as we can."
"And our parents?"
"We will find out about them. I still hope they are somewhere out there, being kept away from us. Akainu seems to want some information about Raftel. If our father knows its existence, he must have known more about it than he lets on. Akainu will want that information and might be keeping them alive somewhere. We will get them back." This is just an assumption on her part but if Akainu kept their parents alive, it means he wants something from them. What he wants - they do not know.
"Of course, we will get them back!" If was Luffia's voice, her eyes reflect determination and reluctance in accepting the possibility that their parents are dead. "Even if I have to fight them alone, I will."
"Do you realize that it is not practical to fight an army alone? You will be dead before you even get to their main combatants. Therefore we need our allies, at least those who are willing to fight for this battle. We need Uncle Rayleigh's assistance." Sab wants to know where Rayleigh is. He knows their allies better than them and his fighting prowess is also revered by everyone.
"What about the Kouzuki clan? They have been our ally for years."
"So far, we have them, Shanks, Alabasta, Germa, and if Dressrosa will join our cause, that will be about 5 kingdoms together. From the information we have, Akainu is amassing more allies than we can count. Our enemies from the previous conflicts are gathered on that side. This is why we have to avoid direct confrontation as much as we can." Sab knows how wars work, how kingdoms react. Information is crucial for them. They can't risk going to war without knowing what are waiting for them.
"I know I am not in a position to tell you three about this, as this is too personal, but I will still say it. You three are idiots for not asking them for help. They will be our biggest advantage in this war." Nami pointed out, talking about Raftel and its people. This is a very sensitive topic to the three princesses, yet Nami chose to bring it up.
"Nami, if we include them and let their existence be known for the Human Realm to see, we are blatantly admitting the false accusations Akainu made up. We are risking the aggravations of humans. We are risking the loss of their faith." Sab reasoned out and she thinks Nami will believe this statement and forget whatever she mentioned before. She's wrong. Instead, Nami looked at her as if she told her the biggest lie in the world and there is something in Nami's eyes that alarmed Sab.
"You are blatantly making excuses there, Sab. You know that is not the reason why. For all the years I've known you, the civilians' opinions are the least of your concerns. Not just you, I am talking about you three in general." They all fell silent with her statement.
The pregnant silence engulfed the room, and no one dared to speak at all. They managed to get out of their trance when they heard shouts from outside. One thought crossed their mind. They are under attack.
Koala opened the door, panting. "We have three ships attacking us. They have Akainu's flags on them."
The three sisters are quick on their feet to run and see the situation themselves, but Nami stood in front of the door, blocking them.
"Where do you think you are going? If you go out there, you will expose your existence to Akainu! He will definitely be on our tail if he discovers you three are out of the Dark Forest roaming Human Realm where he can very well send armies to get you!"
"Then we just make sure we sink those three ships. That way no word will reach Akainu." That was Luffia's words before running outside, bypassing Nami. The twins followed suit, giving Nami no choice but to adhere to their actions. Everything is a mess.
The moment they came on deck, they saw three ships, firing their canons.
"They are blocking our escape routes. We have to fire back!" It was Sanji's voice.
"Alright. Usopp, man the main canon. It's time for counterattack." Luffia ordered. Sab is quick on her feet, climbing up crow's nest. One ship is nearby, mostly to board their ship while the other two are quite a distance away, firing their canons. They must be thinking to use the other two ships to get their attention while the other one gets close for boarding. Sab will not let that happen.
As soon as she is in the crow's nest, she grabbed her arrow, lighting it with fire. For a second there, the bright red-orange fire reminded her of Kidd and his red hair, but she shook her head, willing the thoughts away. She does not need to be distracted. Not when they are all fighting for their lives.
"Ann! Throw a lamp of gas to that ship. Let's set it on fire!" She shouted.
"You got it, sister!" Ann took a lamp full of explosive gas then threw it with deadly accuracy to the nearby ship. The throw shouldn't be possible for a human, yet she was able to throw it faster than they expected.
Sab focused, her eyes concentrated on the trajectory of the explosive lamp and in one release of her arrow, the lamp exploded, setting parts of the ship on fire.
"I think they need more explosives." Luffia said as she threw random explosives at the ship, making the fire too large for the men to stop.
"Usopp, sink those ships!" Franky shouted. Usopp is their best sniper. He fired at the two ships, damaging it while the sisters are busy setting it on fire. Nami asked Sanji and Franky to watch the helm so they maneuver out of the ships' range while maintaining their attacking distance.
Their ship also obtained some damage. They intend to sink the ships but when they realized that another two ships in the horizon, Nami shouted for them to retreat before they get swarmed.
"We don't have enough time to sink these ships. We have to go now!" They have no choice but to follow her words. As they are escaping, one man shouted from the enemy's ship.
"Akainu is coming for you! We will make sure he is aware of your existence!" That warning is enough to send shivers down their spine. They knew that the man, whoever he is, is talking about the three sisters. The princesses were not subtle while they are firing back to their enemies.
With that thought, Thousand Sunny escaped at full speed.
As soon as they are out of range, all of them are silently trying to process what happened, and the consequences of the battle.
"Franky, can you please check the damages on the ship?" Nami's voice echoed.
"It is not damaged enough to prevent us from sailing to Alabasta, but we should avoid getting into battles if possible." Everyone nodded and helped repair the ship with dreaded silence.
The sisters can only solemnly look at each other, thinking of the consequences that will come to them now that Akainu will get a word that the three of them are alive. He will come after them.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Somewhere in Cresta, one man, covered in white dirty robe stood near the castle where guards are roaming around, securing perimeters in case of possible invasion. The man stood behind a huge tree, careful not to alert the guards of his presence.
His eyes looked at the castle, dreading the situation. This castle has been his home for years, yet here it is, occupied by a usurper and tyrant.
"Roger, I hope you know what you are doing..." he muttered to himself before disappearing in the shadows of the forest nearby. This man clenches his fist, not satisfied with what is happening with Cresta. He frowns at the situation, wondering how the princesses are doing and prays to all deities they are safe, away from Akainu's clutches.
The princesses are like daughters he never had. They are a family to him, yet here he is completely helpless to the situation. He wants to end this, yet he cannot. Not alone and as much as he hates to admit it, he alone cannot stop Akainu and his companions.
For now, Rayleigh has not choice but to step away and do what is expected of him. Sometimes, he hates how he has to follow the King and Queen's orders. He can only pray that the princesses will make it through alive before the right time comes...
