War Begins

Neo took a deep breath and released it. The tension was thick in the sub as everyone finished last minute preparations. The time had finally come. The war had started. Well, for them it had started. Everything was set. All they had to do was get to Kaido. Until then she was trying to keep her nerves in check.

With Cora snug in her arms, she snuggled in Law's. Kailen and a couple other earth elementals were working on getting the sub out of the cave. Jean Bart and a few others were down in the control room, ready to move the sub. The rest of the crew were close to the main door, ready to fight. Their allies were outside in the raging storm waiting for them.

Neo closed her eyes and concentrated on the storm that settled over the island before they had woken. It was quite the coincident. Like nature was adding some theatricality for the war. Her eyes lifted to Law. "The storm?"

"Best to leave it. It'll give us a little cover."

Neo nodded. She could also use that storm to her advantage.

"It's open," Shachi said.

Neo exhale and turned to Kailen. She pressed a kiss to Cora's forehead. "Don't worry, sweet baby. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"He'll be fine," Kailen said.

Neo tightened her arms around their child before forcing herself to hand him over to her brother. Biting her lip she watched Kailen take Cora downstairs. Law's arm slipped around her shoulders as tears gathered. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"We're rising to the surface," Law said.

Neo closed her eyes with an exhale. "Hm?"

"What is it?"

"I can sense a small boat on the water. Who would be stupid enough to take a small boat out in this storm?" Neo glanced at Law.

He was silent for a moment before realization settled in. "Don't tell me those samurai are out there."

"What?! That doesn't make any sense! They're suppose to be on ships! Jean Bart, angle twenty three degrees left!" Neo ordered. "Keep an eye out for a small boat!"

"Aye!"

"Something must have gone wrong." Law tightened his hold on his sword. "We better hurry."

Neo nodded. Summoning her crystals she helped the sub along.

...

"There!" Jean Bart's voice blared from the voice pipe. "I can see the boat!"

"Good. Now grab them as you surface," Neo said.

"On it!"

Neo glanced at her crew and the elementals. "This is it. Everyone be extremely careful out there. Keep an eye on each other."

"We will."

"Don't worry, Princess."

With a jerk the sub broke the surface. Law opened the door and they stepped out in pounding rain, booming thunder, flashing lightning, and multiple ships bearing down on them. Luffy and Kaido's ships were also there.

Law scoffed at the samurai and their small boat that now nested on the dock of the sub. "Taking to the sea on such a small boat in a violent storm. Are you idiots or what? You've vastly underestimated the sea, samurai."

"Apologies." Kin'emon closed his eyes.

"Are you all okay?" Neo gave them a quick scan, despite being soaked to the bone they looked to be okay, then turned her attention to the enemy ships. They were far enough away that if they had pollution stones they wouldn't affect her.

"Luffydono!" Kin'emon cupped his mouth as he shouted. "You are all safe and sound?!"

Neo shifted the winds so their voices would carry to each other despite the storm. "Luffy! How are you doing?! I've missed you!"

"Neo!" Luffy waved with a big grin. "I'm great! Good to see you too!"

"Luffy!" Momonosuke's small voice grabbed Neo's attention.

Her eyes scanned for him amongst the samurai but couldn't find the small boy. She then looked to the island. The boy was being held around the neck by Kanjuro. "What's going on? Why is Kanjuro holding Momo like that?" Tension coiled through her body at the sight of fear in the boy's face and his two elemental bodyguards unconscious on the ground. Something wasn't right. "Why is Momo so scared? Why is Kanjuro holding him like that?" She turned to the samurai. "Explain. What happened?"

Kin'emon hung his head. "My apologizes. Kanjuro... he is the traitor."

"What?!" Ice washed over Neo's body. It melted away with burning rage. Her eyes shot to Kanjuro. Thunder rolled. Several people shielded their eyes from the lightning responding to her. Winds wrapped around her body, lifting her a few feet off the floor.

"Hold, elemental!" Kanjuro flashed a pollution stone. "Unless you want to lose your abilities."

Neo growled, lowering herself back down. Guilt filtered through her. She had shared her secret with this man. Her nails bit into her palms. She had put Momo in this position because she trusted the wrong person.

"Easy, love. He fooled us all. It's not your fault." Law touched her arm. "He won't get away with this. We'll rescue the boy."

Neo relaxed her hands. The storm slowed but not by much.

"You jerks!" Luffy shouted. "Taking on samurai on a small boat! At sea we deal with pirates."

"Did something happen?" Nami called out.

"I am really sorry!" Kin'emon dropped to his knees. "All of our strategies have been found out!"

"What?!" The Straw Hats gasped.

"We don't know what happened to them all!" Kin'emon cried. "We arrived here to nothing! They're all missing!"

"They're all missing?" Neo scanned the shore. Other than themselves the rest of their allies were missing.

"It was all us! Thanks to Kanjuro's information, we were able to stop your little rebellion!" a man called out. "The only one we didn't manage to destroy this lion boat but..."

"They tried to destroy the Sunny." Neo growled. "I should have hidden it with the sub."

"Don't worry about it, Neo!" Franky called out. "There's no way their pathetic bomb could even scratch the Sunny! This ship is super!"

"That's good to hear!" Neo nodded.

"But we did destroy all the ships that anchored in the port of Itachi last night," another man continued. "We followed Lord Orochi's orders and destroyed all the major bridges connecting the provinces..."

Kin'emon gritted his teeth.

"...that's why no one is here! And even if they were here it's impossible to dock on Onigashima without a boat! If you miss your chance to make a surprise attack today, then it won't happen again! And all the rebels came forward. Tomorrow they will be killed, until the very last one! And sorry to add more bad news but today's banquet will be in honor of the alliance between the Hundred Beast Pirates and the Big Mom's pirate crew!"

"An emperor's alliance?" Law asked.

"Big Mom!" the crew screamed.

Neo shook her head. "Well, that can't be good. We were ready for one emperor, but two?"

"As if something changed because of three little pirate ships who came to help the samurai!" the man started again.

"Can I just sink them now? They're annoying me." Neo summoned her crystals.

"No yet." Law held up a hand to stop her.

The cannons from the enemy ships shifted towards them.

"What are they going on about?!" Luffy rolled his shoulder. "Step back, I'll show them what I'm made of!"

"Idiot, it's you who will have to step back!" Law readied his Room.

"You two are total idiots!" Kid shouted. "I'm the only one who will handle this!"

Neo pressed a hand to her face as the three captains charged at the enemy ships. "Those three."

"It's Sabaody all over again." Shachi stepped up beside Neo.

"You're right. They argued like this when they went out of the auction house to fight the navy. Though it is a bit cute when Law becomes childish like this." Neo smiled.

"Perhaps Neo should have sunk the ships before those three could get into it," Penguin said.

"Three. Two. One." Neo lifted her fingers as she counted out before the ship blew up. "Here comes another ship."

Another ship sailed through the rain. "Boss Kyoshiro's boat!"

"It's Boss Kyoshiro! We are saved!"

"Kyoshiro?" Neo looked at the man with long hair standing near the front of his ship. He was one of Orochi's best fighters. She expected Law and the other two captains to jump in and stop this guy. But before they could, Kyoshiro unsheathed his sword and swung it towards one of his own allies. Wood snapped and gave under the weight of the strike. It's cannons fell into the sea.

"Did he just..." Neo trailed off. Her voice was replaced with Kyoshiro's.

"It's not to sink them. I just let myself neutralize the cannons that were pointed at me."

"We are not your enemies, why did you do that?!"

"Red Scabbard Samurai! I am a yakuza from the Flower Capital! They call me Kyoshiro the Sleepy! Allow the Kyoshiro family and it's two hundred members to join you for the raid." He bowed. "My debt towards the Kozuki clan is huge. Only Kin can remember. Forty years ago the mountain god incident occurred. Everyone believed that Oden was the one who did it but no. In reality it was you, young and ambitious, who had caused this incident."

"What? There is only one person who knows this," Kin'emon said. "It's you! Denjiro!"

"So you know him?" Neo looked at Kin'emon.

"Indeed." Kin'emon nodded. "He is one of us. And looks to have come to help us on this day."

"One betrayal and one joining," Neo said. She then shook her head and rushed to the side of the sub.

"Neo, where are you going?" Penguin followed.

"I'm going to save Momo!" Neo jumped on the railing then dove over. She heard Penguin calling for her, but didn't reply back. His voice and Denjiro's were cut off as she plunged into the cold water. Her elements came rushing back with the pollution stone cut off from her sight. Pulling the water around her, she launched herself towards the island, then angled into the air, and surfaced. Her elements faded with her being back in the pollution stone's sight, but it didn't matter. She had enough push with the water. Kanjuro barely saw her as she slammed her fist into his face.

"Lady Neo!" Momonosuke cried.

"Let him go!" Neo snapped. From the corner of her eye she spotted Kanjuro's large paintbrush coming towards her. She jumped to her right, pulling out the crystal sword she had created for such situations. The clank of their colliding weapons vibrated up her arms.

"Ah, you are strong, Lady Neo," Kanjuro said with an evil grin. "But you do not have the years of training that I do." He pushed against her, making her feet slide back a foot.

"I don't have to have years of training to stand against you." Neo dug her heels in. "But I have something people like you will never have."

Just then Kawamatsu appeared at her side. He sliced his sword at Kanjuro's head, but the crafty betrayer leapt away from them.

"I have friends and allies that can be counted on!" Neo rushed forward with Kawamatsu by her side. They traded blows with Kanjuro as Kawamatsu exchanged words about their past. But nothing worked. Kanjuro's hidden skills were more than they were ready for. If only Neo had her elements. Then she would be able to take him down with no problems.

Kanjuro jumped away from them. With fast strokes, he drew a large, well drawn, bird and took to the sky.

Neo wished to follow but knew it wouldn't be a smart idea. Besides Sanji was already jumping through the air and Usopp was taking aim. She summoned her solar crystal to help heal whatever was wrong with Amara and Nina as Kawamatsu cut the female ninja free.

The two Straw Hats were blocked by Kanjuro. The red haired man then started swinging his head around. Black clouds came from his hair. Sharp black drops shot down on them.

Neo's elements came back With a wave of her hand, she blew the drops away from her allies. The enemy ships weren't so lucky. The drops destroyed them.

"Everyone, can you hear me?!" Momonosuke called out. "Everyone, don't worry about me! That's exactly what the enemy wants! I promise I will get out of this on my own so I want you to defeat Kaido and Orochi and protect Wano!"

"Listen to him. Talking as if he's grown up." Neo shook her head.

"Well said, Momo! Even if you're just a poor whiny kid!" Luffy shouted. "You just fine a way to survive! I promise I'll come save you!"

"So will I!" Neo called out. "Just hold on a little longer, Momo!"

"Is everyone all right?!" Kin'emon called to the other ships.

"We're fine!"

Neo turned to Amara and Nina as they woke up. "You two okay?"

"Yes." Amara nodded while rubbing her head.

"We're so sorry. Kanjuro... he attacked. Momo..." Nina looked around. "Where are they?"

"He took Momo. But it's okay. We know what happened. You two stay with Shinobu. Help her with anything she needs."

The two wind elementals nodded.

Neo then wrapped her winds around everyone and flew them back to the sub. She was greeted with strange looks from her crew. "What?"

"You went on the offensive for Momo," Penguin said.

"You went full on mama bear," Shachi added.

Law popped back to the sub. His eyes were mixed with confusion and pride.

Neo shrugged. "I'm angry. Kanjuro shouldn't have done that to Momo. I don't care about his reasons. No one should harm a child."

Law nodded. "It's understandable. You're a mother now. It's only natural you feel protective of that boy. He'll be fine."

"Yeah." Neo nodded. They would get Momonosuke back. She then looked over her crew, they were fine. Then glanced at the samurai. They were busy talking to the man called Denjuro.

"Hey," Law called to the samurai. "This is not a hotel for samurai. Remove your boat too."

The samurai bowed their heads. "Thank you for taking us in!"

"I'm not taking you in! Get off!" Law snapped.

A cannon ball crashed into the water. The ships rocked.

"Hm?" Neo looked at the ship that was sailing away. "Long range cannons?"

"Looks like it," Penguin said. "Guess that's Wano for you. They do have a lot of weapons."

Another cannon ball hit the water.

"Neo," Law said.

"Right." Neo summoned her crystals. She threw the wind and sea against the ship firing at them, throwing their aim off.

"Yeah! That my precious fairy!" Sanji cooed. "You're the best!"

"Get sailing! There's still a chance more ships will surround us! They might launch pollution stones at me!" Neo said.

"Right! Maximum speed!" Luffy said.

The ships sailed forward.

"Hm?" Neo glanced down at the ocean.

"What is it, Neo?" Penguin asked.

She smiled. "Hey, Luffy!"

"Yeah? What?"

"You have a visitor!" Neo said just as something shot through the enemy ship that had been firing at them.

"What was that?" Bepo asked.

"All me to introduce myself. I come from a country at the bottom of the sea called the Ryugu kingdom, the sector of the fishmen. All over the world, I have caused great harm to my comrades. Not long ago, I received a cup of sake from the Straw Hat captain. I am the new recruit. They call me Jinbe, First Son of the Sea. Now that you know who I am let me wish us a happy collaboration." Jinbe smiled. "Sorry for the little monologue. Luffy, as promised I came back alive! Seems like I arrived in time for the battle!"

"Jinbe!" the Straw Hats cried out.

"Hey, Jinbe!" Neo waved.

"Hello, Princess!" Jinbe waved back. "It's good to see you well!"

"You too!"

"Hey, Sir Luffy!" Kin'emon called out. "I'd like to check over with you that you know the plan before we enter the island!"

"Don't bother, Kin'emon. You can't strategize with them," Law said.

Neo nodded. "Mhmm. As soon as we get to the island he'll take off on his own. He's so cute."

"He is not," Law grumbled.

"Hey, Sir Luffy=!" Kin'emon called out. "Come over here! I want to talk to you about the plan!"

"Don't bother, Kin'emon. There's no point in telling them any kind of plan," Law said. "Besides, this is my ship. If you're having a strategy meeting, take it to someone else's ship."

The captain of the Inurashi musketeers landed on the sub with a thump. "I'd like to listen in on the full outline of the plan. During the war, we'll serve as a vassal for the Kozuki clan. I will command the minks."

"Shishilian, I'm counting on you," Inurashi said.

"The elementals are ready to help wherever they are needed," Neo said.

"I thank you, Princess." Shishilian nodded.

"It's very pretentious but I will lead the samurai. Focus on your fights," a short man with glasses said.

"Oh, Lady Neo, this is Hyogoro the Flower," Kin'emon said. "Hyogoro, this is Lady Neo. She is not accustom to having strangers on her home. You beware to keep your distance."

"I shall strive not to make you uncomfortable, my lady." Hyogoro nodded.

Neo smiled. He seemed like a nice guy. "Nice to meet you. My fellow elementals have been divided up among the groups. They will assist you in any way they can."

"Elementals?" The man looked around.

"They're staying hidden in the storm at the moment. Once we reach the island they'll land and join us," Neo explained.

After that the samurai gathered together to go over their plans with the ones who recently arrived while the pirates gathered together, Law sitting on a barrel.

"I told them they couldn't stay here," Law grumbled.

"Don't worry about it, Law. It's fine." Neo patted his arm.

They then listened in on the samurai as they spoke about how they were going to get onto Onigashima.

"First," Law said, "if the enemies notice our raid, they'll be most focused on the Akazaya samurai. In addition, I, Straw Hat, and Eustass. No matter what kind of plan you make, we know there are two idiots who'll charge in through the front door. They will be good decoys for us. Kaido will send his forces to the front gate to stop them."

"I see!" Raizo said. "Most of Kaido's underlings will go to the front, and the mountain paths on both sides will be lightly guarded. We'll proceed on the mountain sides."

"Right," Law said. "But those who proceed along the paths are decoys, too. "

"Of course, we're prepared to sacrifice ourselves for a fight," Hyogoro said. "To send Kin'emon and the others off to a decisive battle."

"Then how will the Akazaya members proceed?" Shishilian asked.

"On water is the only option," Law said.

"But the whirling waves will block our approach!" Kiku said.

"With her here?" Law jerked her thumb at Neo. "Nature won't be a problem. Even if she couldn't handle it, our sub can. Then with my ability I will send you all onto the island."

"Sounds great," Kin'emon said as he stood. "But, Sir Law, I still have to lead the others."

Denjiro stood. "The, I'll take the mountain path, too, so that we can lead the groups on each side."

"Hey, Law." Neo pointed out to the sea.

Law followed her point. He sighed. "The Straw Hats are no long here."

Neo laughed. "Just like them."

"Oh no! I haven't told them about the guards at the port!"

"Don't worry. They'll be fine," Neo said as an explosion went off in the mist. The sub turned in the direction of their destination. Battle sounds grew louder. Through the sheets of rain they could see the battle on the island had already begun. The Straw Hats slicing through the enemy like a hot knife through butter. "See? We better get on with our part."

"You heard the captain." Law headed for the door.

"The woman is the captain?" Denjiro's eyes landed on Neo.

"It's a long story," Kin'emon said. "But, yes, she is the captain along side Sir Law."

A few minutes later the samurai split into their groups. Some got on another ship while the rest entered into the sub and closed the door.

Neo's eyes landed on the stairs. Her feet started her in that direction, but she mentally nailed them to the floor. She couldn't go see Cora right now. He was safe. So she turned away and focused her mind on the storm, feeling out how long it was going to last.

"You doing okay?" Penguin slid up to her side.

"I'm working on it. Focusing on the storm for the moment. It's going to last a while."

Penguin crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, a frown on his lips.

"What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking about you facing the emperors."

Neo tilted her head.

"I don't want you to, but I know I can't stop you. But how are you going to face them?"

"Well, I figured it would be best if I focused on Big Mom."

"Oh?"

"A few days ago Sanji came to talk to me about her. He said she uses three, um, nature like creatures made up of her own soul."

"Her own soul?"

"I didn't understand the details, but it's because of her devil fruit. She has a sword, sun, and a cloud. Her attacks consists of nature elements."

"I see." Penguin nodded. "So you're going to target her because of that."

"Seems like the best option. I'm sure Luffy will want to face Kaido since he lost to him once already. And there's all the stuff Kaido has done to the people here."

"What about their haki? So far no one's haki has done much good against your control over nature. Normally."

Neo shrugged. "I don't really know how that's going to affect me. Godfather has used his haki against elementals. The results varied. At the very least I can make a pest of myself."

"That's true. It doesn't seem like the emperors have calm tempers."

Neo giggled. "And you know Luffy's going to test them to their limits."

"Truer words were never spoke." Penguin rolled his eyes to the Heavens. "Anyway, I wish you'd reconsider taking some elementals with you."

"I know. But they're needed to help our allies since they're not as strong as us. And I could use the nightthorn jessamine." Her eyes flittered to Law. "Though it would be an extreme last resort."