Newgate was, admittedly, beginning to lament the results of the battle at Marineford.

He would by no means regret it—after all, he would do anything to ensure his family's happiness—but the toll it took on him was a bit more taxing than he cared to admit.

It was true that his illness was worsening, not to mention the wound he had received from Squard certainly did him no favors. But the strenuous activity put stress on his already strained and weakened body. Even before Marineford, the large man was rarely up and about, preferring to settle in one place for long periods of time. In the aftermath, this tendency only seemed to worsen.

Even so, he had never been one for a sedentary lifestyle. These past few days, he had made sure to be up and about, moving around if only to keep himself from thinking too long about regretful topics. His daughters protested his movement, but they all had known that his days were numbered long before this moment. He hadn't let it stop him before the war and he certainly wouldn't let it slow him down now.

So when Marco knocked on the door and entered, most likely to report Rayleigh's arrival, the old Captain made it a point to sit himself upright and prepare to leave the room. It would be an embarrassment to meet a former rival pirate in the state he was now.

"What is it, son? You look as though Ace has gone on another prank rampage," Newgate chortled, hiding his wince as his chest burned.

Marco rolled his eyes, "Luckily, he hasn't done anything… yet. But seriously, Pops, Rayleigh's here. He's climbing up the side of the ship, by the stern. Would you like me to bring him down to meet you here? Or below deck in the meeting room?"

"No, I think I'll go myself. Bring Ace and his brother up as well. I believe we will have much to discuss," Newgate dismissed the phoenix's concerns.

The First Division Commander nodded—a bit reluctantly—and the two pirates parted ways. Newgate wondered if it was the right thing to do, letting Luffy go. It certainly would be beneficial for the rookie, but he wasn't so sure that it would be good or even neutral for Ace.

Much to his surprise, Deku was also on deck of his own accord. For a brief moment, Newgate allowed himself to watch the boy as he leaned with his arms crossed on the railing. The scene was as serene as it was odd. The Captain had no intention of interrupting the boy's thoughts, but the effort he made to not draw the boy's attention was for naught.

The boy dipped his head slightly as a greeting, "Captain Whitebeard, is the person you're meeting here already?"

"Indeed. There is no need to trouble yourself if you're worried about him outing your positions to the Marines. He is trustworthy," Newgate tried to assuage any potential fears the boy may have had before it became an issue.

Internally, he grimaced at the boy's return to addressing him formally. It seemed his invitation to join the crew had done more harm than good. Even so, Newgate forced himself to ignore it, if only for the boy's continued comfort.

"Oh, I wasn't…" Deku frowned, pausing for a moment before steering the conversation in a different direction, "Nevermind. Do I have permission to remain on deck? I promise not to get in the way of your discussions."

And once again, the Captain was reminded of the fact that this boy worried about all the wrong things. He wondered about the circumstances that shaped his priorities like so, but it was neither the time or place to pry.

"Of course, as we've said many times before, you are a guest. You may come and go as you please."

Deku simply offered a grateful smile and turned back towards the sea without a word. A soft, fond smile grew on the man's face despite his best efforts.

Perhaps it was time to stop fooling himself. He cared for this boy as he did for his crew, his children. Even though this boy had determinedly rejected his offer, he knew that he could never let himself abandon the concern, the worry, the care he felt towards Deku.

The smile was quickly replaced by a grimace as Rayleigh strode towards him, dripping wet and grinning as though it was the funniest thing in the world. The old man removed his cloak as he walked, twisting the fabric to squeeze out the excess water without a care for the wood it landed on.

"Rayleigh," Newgate greeted a bit reluctantly.

A glance to the side confirmed that Deku was still transfixed on the horizon rather than paying the new arrival any mind. That was good, these weren't matters that the boy should concern himself with.

"You have quite the mess coming your way, don't you think?" Rayleigh laughed as though it was a joke only he understood.

"If you're talking about how my crew is scattered across dozens of ships, then I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Whitebeard scowled, taking offense at the jibe.

The former pirate should know that his crew could handle a situation like this with ease. Even if they were often depicted as one of the weaker Emperor crews, they were still a force to be reckoned with. Each of the sixteen Commanders were capable on their own and had the leadership skills to manage until they met up again.

On the other hand, if his remark was supposed to be some kind of warning, Newgate would much rather prefer a direct explanation than whatever implication this was supposed to be. As far as the Captain was aware, there was very little that he had to worry about. Or at least for the moment. He was certain that Marco would inform him the moment an issue arose.

"Oh, it's nothing of the sort. I think you'll find it entertaining at the very least," Rayleigh huffed in amusement, "All that aside, I believe I asked to speak with a certain someone. Where is he?"

"What do you want with him?" Newgate demanded instead.

He had some idea of what the man wanted, but he had to be sure before he would risk anything. Rayleigh was a respectable man, but Newgate refused to take any chances. In the condition he and his family were in, there was little chance that they could protect anyone that wasn't on their ship. Until the crew reunited on one ship and their allies were sufficiently spread out among their territories, he would not put himself or his guests in a precarious position. Even if that meant refusing Rayleigh here and now.

"Nothing bad. I simply have a proposition that I think he won't be able to refuse."

Whitebeard grimaced at the man's nonchalant deflections.

"Oh, who is this boy here? A new recruit perhaps?" Rayleigh asked, his mirthful expression betraying his curiosity as his eyes wandered towards Deku.

Newgate frowned. It wasn't suspicious, per se, but the man's interest in Deku rubbed the Captain the wrong way. Reluctantly, he decided to offer up the bare minimum and hoped that both the man and the boy would find the introduction acceptable.

"His name is Deku. He's a guest on our ship for the time being."

The Dark King simply hummed, accepting this information and turning towards the deck's hatch expectantly. Just moments after the man shifted his attention, the hatch opened and the Commanders, Luffy, and Jinbei filled onto the deck.

Newgate found Jinbei's presence curious, but he let it slide. The fishman likely had his own reasons and Whitebeard doubted they were of ill intent.

"Rayleigh!" the teenager cheered, launching himself at the former First Mate who swiftly dodged the affectionate attack.

"Hey there, Luffy. It's amazing how long it took me to find you. You really are a wild card, aren't you?" Rayleigh goaded.

Of course, the clueless teen simply smiled up at the man, apparently unaware that he may have just been insulted.

Instead of being fazed by the lack of reaction, the Dark King simply continued on with an amused huff, "So, how do you feel about training with me?"

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed enthusiastically.

Rayleigh grinned and closed his eyes with a huff, as if the response was simultaneously shocking and expected. The man seemed to find humor in how easily the boy agreed, without explanation or elaboration of what said training would entail. But somehow, Newgate figured that even if the boy hadn't been taken aside and had the situation explained to him by Ace the prior evening, he would still have been as instantaneously acceding.

And while both old men on deck were cordial about the boy's easy acceptance, it was clear that Ace, Marco, and Jinbei were anything but. Newgate pointedly stared at them, raising an eyebrow to effectively shut up any protests they might have let slip. This matter was between Luffy and Rayleigh. It wouldn't do for them to interfere with another Captain's business, even if said Captain was just shy of adulthood and currently under their care.

"Well, you should hear me out before you agree so easily, don't you think?" Rayleigh smiled at Luffy as the teen rose to his feet from where he had landed on the deck.

The man continued when Luffy nodded his assent, "This may be tough to hear, but while you are training with me, you won't be able to contact anyone."

"What?!" Ace growled, taking an aggressive step forward before Jinbei gripped his shoulder to hold him back.

To his credit, Rayleigh merely spared Ace a glance before giving Luffy his full attention, "I can't say I'm caught up on the news, but seeing as Portgas is here, I assume you all went there to save him. If so, there's a good chance that you're on the government's radar. If you want to get stronger, we have to ensure that they won't be able to find you while you train."

Newgate frowned a bit at the insinuation. The man certainly had a point, but there were ways to work around such limitations without complete isolation. Not to mention how it would negatively affect Ace's wellbeing.

"I see," Luffy frowned, glancing at his brother without meeting his eyes, "I still accept."

The utterly betrayed expression that flashed across Ace's face felt like a stab to the heart, "Luffy! Why would you agree to this?"

"Ace," the teen looked his older brother in the eye with an uncharacteristically serious expression, "We promised. I have my own adventures, you have yours. I didn't want you to break your promise, so I came. But now we need to continue on our own adventures. No regrets, right?"

Clearly this speech, as juvenile as it sounded to an observer, held significance between the siblings. The Second Division Commander backed down almost immediately, although it was clear that he wasn't satisfied by his brother's rebuttal.

For a moment, the only sound was the rushing of the wind, the crashing of the waves, and the muted bustling of people below deck.

"Alright," Ace conceded, fully relenting even as he glared daggers at Rayleigh.

"Now then, since all that is settled, it's time we talk about your crew," Rayleigh's smile contrasted with his sudden, serious demeanor.

"What… happened to them?" Luffy asked, his voice wavering slightly as if he almost didn't want to hear the answer, "I remember them all disappearing when that bear-guy hit them. Then he hit me and I woke up on Hammock's island."

From the corner of his eye, Newgate noticed Deku glancing over in utter confusion. It seemed that the boy was paying a bit more attention to their conversation than he had given him credit for. Of course, it was also possible that their discussions were far too disruptive for the boy to tune out even if he wanted to.

And of course, hearing Luffy's near-incoherent explanation out of context would only raise more questions and incur Deku's natural curiosity. Although, to be fair, Whitebeard himself wasn't following the rookie's explanation either, despite having context from the prior conversation. Hammock Island? Certainly there was context missing, but even a glance to his Second Division Commander, who would arguably be the best candidate to decipher this mystery, was equally confused.

"Hammock…" Reighley paused for a moment, contemplating Luffy's words until some realization must have clicked into place, "You mean Hancock? I see, so you were sent to Amazon Lily. Good to know Kuma wasn't lying to me."

"So that's why Hancock came to warn me that you were in Impel Down? She was the one that helped you break in?!" Ace concluded, a bit incredulously.

Though the way he shook his head with a grin on his face spoke of fondness rather than any prolonged disbelief. It seemed that Luffy's odd, absurd behavior was a constant rather than a rare occurrence. The old Captain suppressed the sudden urge to arrange a meeting with the Rookie Captain's crew. Surely if they were willing to follow such a walking disaster, they would be interesting people in their own right. Luffy's magnetism had clearly drawn Ace in, so he could only assume that his crew were all lonely, hurting people who sought out a family. They were the type of people he so dearly would want to ask to join his crew and become his family.

But it would be a folly to try and steal the rookie's crew out from under him, especially on Ace's watch.

And well, as disastrous as such a meeting was likely to be, Whitebeard was far too entertained by his sons' reactions to the boy's antics to stop what was bound to be a metaphorical shipwreck he could watch in slow motion.

"Interesting. Then again, that's why I want to train you," the former pirate smirked, ignoring Ace's poorly concealed grimace, "But let's get back on track here. Your crew was also sent to different places all over the Grand Line by that Warlord, Kuma. After he sent you and your crew away, he explained that he was actually a member of the Revolutionary Army. He sent you all away to ensure your survival."

"So that means that my crew is safe!" Luffy smiled, clearly relieved. In mere seconds, his entire demeanor became uplifted.

It was admittedly astonishing to see stark contrast between the kid before and after the good news. In a way, it was heart-wrenching to understand that the unspoken burden the young rookie carried only became evident when it disappeared. Although Ace's soft smile made it clear that he had been in the know. Even Deku himself seemed relieved, as though he'd been aware of the other teen's plight somehow.

Or perhaps he was simply that empathetic. Either explanation was plausible, Newgate supposed.

"If you're going to train with me, it will take some time. That means that, in addition to not contacting anyone, you can't go find your friends until you're ready."

Luffy stood there for a moment, staring down at his own fist. He appeared deep in thought, once more in a manner that seemed antithetical to the boy's nature.

"If I'm going to become strong to protect them, then… I guess you're right. I can't…" he paused, "I was only able to reach Ace because of everyone else helping me. And then… I was too weak to leave with Ace. I…"

Luffy trailed off once more, looking far more conflicted than Newgate would have liked. Not to mention, the kid's lack of self-confidence seemed to make Ace far more upset than he deserved to be. But even so, the kid's thoughts were far from inaccurate. It was simply the harsh truth of the world. One had to be strong to be able to protect anything and anyone that they loved.

"If I need to train on my own to get strong enough, then I'll do it," Luffy finally declared, coming to the conclusion that Rayleigh clearly wanted to hear, "Except I… I need to let them know somehow."

"Great! We can discuss how we will do that later, just know that we will."

"Alright!" Luffy shouted, pumping a fist up in the air with a childish joy.

Much to everyone's surprise, Deku seemed to take this as a cue to join their conversation. Luffy openly stared at the other boy as he pushed himself off the railing and calmly strode up to the taller men as if he owned the place. Pride bubbled up in Newgate's chest at the sight of the boy's confidence. The meek, inobtrusive boy that had been hiding on their boat was easily replaced with the steadfast teen that had denied his offer the night before.

If Newgate hadn't already been sure of the boy's goodwill, he might have wondered if the unassuming behavior had been some kind of mask to get them to lower their defenses.

"Let me come with you," Deku interjected once he stood next to Ace, who stared at him with a wretched mix of horror and surprise.

Newgate's lips settled into a frown of their own accord at the prospect. Certainly, Deku was free to do whatever he liked. It was times like these that Whitebeard often considered acting as typical pirates. But he would be remiss if they held him back in accord with their own selfish desires.

After all, hadn't the boy made himself clear? He'd already given them more than they could ever ask from a stranger and he'd incurred the consequences without protest. Even after offering their hospitality and expressing their genuine intentions, Whitebeard's offer had been soundly rejected. Even his reasoning had been thrown back in his face in a show of defiance that resembled the boy's determination during his fight on Marineford than the meek, pleasing behavior that overtook the boy from the moment he had awoken onboard.

And here was that determination again. It was a sight to behold, in all honesty. The fire crackling in the boy's eyes was as strong as the sadness that permeated the boy's actions.

Once again, the old Captain felt oddly reminded of Ace and his steadfast, self-sacrificing resolve. Marco seemed to feel similar as he stepped forward and opened his mouth, likely to extend an offer of training on this ship, if only to get the boy to remain with them. Whitebeard shut that down with a pointed look at his First Division Commander. He had the feeling that, even if Rayleigh denied his request, Deku would likely leave their ship when the opportunity arose.

"Oh?" Rayleigh replied, turning his gaze to meet Deku's own, neither backing down at the minor slight, "And why would I do that? I'm afraid I don't even know who you are. Not to mention, I only extended this offer to Luffy, here. So who are you to demand anything of me?"

"What?! So you won't train him too?! But I want him to come with us!" Luffy whined, pouting at the former First Mate of the former Pirate King.

And somehow the scene was less absurd than it sounded when described.

"Is that so?" he prompted, clearly waiting for a better argument than the childish whining.

Although, having been acquainted with the man for some time, Whitebeard could tell that the cheeky bastard was already considering the proposition. Even so, a little push couldn't hurt.

"I already introduced you to Deku as a guest, but if you wish to know, he is the one who saw fit to intervene at Marineford. He saved not only Ace and Luffy's lives, but mine as well. If he wishes to train under you, you should know that he has incurred a bounty and is now known to the world as the Green Devil," Newgate introduced, a proud smirk tugging at his lips.

Rayleigh seemed a bit surprised at the elaboration, sparing another appraising glance toward the boy, "Is that so?"

But instead of standing proudly or shying away from the attention, Deku simply stood and held firm in his determination. It was rare to see someone with the gall to stare such a powerful (old) man down without fear. And now, Whitebeard had had the pleasure of seeing such a sight more than once from their two teenage guests of all things.

"Well, damn. It's hard to argue with a stare like that. I like that fire in your eyes, kid. Sure, why not?" he guffawed at the boy's dumbfounded expression.

Deku seemed surprised by Rayleigh's quick flip, though the reaction was temporary and quickly shifted back to a determined stare.

Luffy—the ignorant, excitable teen he was—cheered enthusiastically. Apparently, the boy had no sense of the minor feat that had just occurred. The Whitebeards and Jinbei, on the other hand, were unfortunately aware of what the children seemed content to remain ignorant of.

Ace's displeasure did not escape Newgate's notice. After all, the boy was about as subtle with his discontent as Luffy was with his satisfaction. Rayleigh also seemed to pick up on the First and Second Division Commanders' resentment despite the man's feigned ignorance of their expressions.

Meanwhile, Marco looked to be about as enthused with Deku's new course of action as Ace, which was to say not at all. The First Division Commander was shooting his captain a mighty fine glare, if Newgate said so himself. Clearly, Newgate's words of encouragement to sway Rayleigh in favor of Deku's request were far from approved by his sons. A part of the man wished to agree with them.

But the man couldn't, in good faith, interfere with the boy's decisions. Just as he had forgiven Ace for leaving against direct orders to pursue Blackbeard, Newgate would support Deku's course of action and simply prepare for the potential consequences of his choice. They wouldn't be able to shield Deku forever; training with Rayleigh would certainly assuage their worries.

Although that wasn't to say the boy couldn't already take care of himself. It was unfortunately easy to look at the short, young boy and forget that he went toe-to-toe with Akainu and Blackbeard, both of whom would have easily defeated their Second Division Commander. And that was without considering the fact that, at the time, Deku was far more fatigued and injured than even Ace had been.

Despite the odd atmosphere, Rayleigh seemed content. Of course, the only person here that was a real threat to him was Whitebeard himself, so that surely factored into the man's nonchalance. But even so, something about this whole situation rubbed Newgate the wrong way.

Even Jinbei frowned for a moment before catching himself and covering his displeasure with a genial smile. Despite the fishman's best efforts, Deku seemed to notice and glanced away from the group.

Additionally, the other teenager seemed to pick up on the subdued atmosphere and took it upon himself to cheer them up, launching himself onto his brother's shoulders. He hugged his older brother tightly before abandoning him in favor of running away from potential retaliating limbs.

"Why you little-" Ace growled playfully before launching himself at his younger brother.

Luffy took the sudden aggression in stride, merely giggling as he scrambled to evade his sibling's grasp.

"I'll go get my things," Deku muttered, offering the fishman an apologetic smile despite having done nothing wrong.

They all watched as the boy quietly slipped away from the rowdy scene.

"Well, he certainly is an interesting fellow," Rayleigh mused, the surprise only lingering for a moment before he returned to his jovial self.

Newgate glanced over at Marco who was still sporting a disgruntled expression that rivaled Ace's on a bad day. It was heartwarming to see how invested his First Division Commander was in this kid. Typically it would be considered odd, but given how the old Captain himself was equally as captivated, everyone seemed to jump on board.

Although he had indirectly encouraged the boy to leave or stay as he pleased, Whitebeard was still reluctant to let him go. The world was vast and, although he'd lived freely without destination or purpose for many years, he knew that fate wasn't always kind enough to bring people together again once they parted and went their separate ways. He didn't want the boy to leave without a way to ask them for help. But giving out a den-den number was risky, even for emergencies. Their encrypted den-dens had been an unfortunate casualty back at Marineford alongside the Moby Dick.

Rayleigh however, seemed to have no idea why they had reservations about this in the first place. Or at the very least, if he had an idea, he didn't seem to care.

Newgate sighed, "Rayleigh, you're welcome to eat while you wait for Deku and Luffy to gather their things."

"Well, if you don't mind, I appreciate the offer," the man sighed, "It was a long swim to get here."

"Oh! Can I eat some too?!" Luffy exclaimed, freezing in place just in time to be tackled to the deck by Ace.

Ace laughed, letting his reservations evaporate away like water, "You already had breakfast, Luffy!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"Well, he's going to want to eat his fill before we begin training."

Newgate shifted in his seat, grimacing as his wounds tugged painfully, drawing his attention away from the others as Ace led them to the temporary mess hall. When the pain subsided to a manageable level, the old man locked eyes with Marco and Jinbei who had yet to leave his side.

"I want to ask permission…" the phoenix drawled, pausing for a moment to carefully consider his phrasing, "I had the feeling that Deku wouldn't stay long, but I knew we wouldn't want to leave him on his own without backup, especially since the Marines will be after him now."

He nodded, wondering where his son was going with this.

Jinbei glanced over at Marco, interpreting his silence as an invitation to elaborate, "He asked me to make a vivre card for Deku several days ago."

Whitebeard stared at the two of them in surprise. Marco had apparently been thinking along the same lines as Newgate, though many days before the old pirate even considered the situation. Well, there was a reason Marco was the First Division Commander, after all.

"I see. Are you planning on giving it to him before he leaves?"

Marco looked a bit hesitant, "I don't think he would appreciate it coming from me. Although I've been trying to get him to open up, he hasn't been receptive at all. I think that your invitation last night was the closest any of us have gotten to him reciprocating our efforts."

Newgate hummed as he considered it. It would also be far more proper for him to offer it up, as the Captain.

"I suppose I can give it to him before they leave, although I'm sure he'd appreciate it if we kept it a private affair. Send him my way as soon as he gathers his things and then send him to eat before we part ways," he decided.

He hoped this would go well, after all, he was certain that his other children would like to meet the boy that saved their brother and Captain at some point down the line.


"You asked to see me?" Deku shifted awkwardly as he stood in front of Newgate, his yellow bag hanging off of his shoulders.

The boy was still wearing the slightly-too-large tank top and shorts they had offered him, but instead of the sandals they had provided, he had put his rusted, dented metal shoes he had arrived in. The scars along his arms and collarbone stood out against the soft colors of his clothes yet almost fit in with the sharp edges of the boy's footwear.

The bag hanging off his shoulders seemed to bulge a bit and Newgate hoped that meant someone had packed him with another change of clothes and some supplies. While Rayleigh would likely provide for the boys as they trained under him, he wouldn't hold his breath. Regardless of his personal feelings on the matter, they had no idea what would happen and it was better to be prepared than not.

"Indeed. I am saddened that you are leaving, but I don't intend to keep you here. Even so, I would like to offer you this vivre card. So that we may aid you if you need it."

The boy's face scrunched up in confusion. Had the boy never seen a vivre card before? It was possible, though definitely surprising.

"A vivre card is made from a person's fingernail and reflects their lifeforce. Essentially you can give it to others so they know how you're doing no matter how far apart you are. It cannot be burned nor does it disintegrate in water," Newgate explained, hiding a smile at Deku's innocently curious and awed expression, tearing a little corner off to demonstrate, "If you tear it like so, the pieces will always move towards the person no matter where they are. I would like to give this to you"

Deku glanced at the paper, his hair shielding his face from view. The Captain couldn't help the soft smile stretched across his cheeks as the boy stared transfixed at the vivre card's movement, seemingly absorbed by the oddity.

"Is this… made from your fingernail?" the boy frowned as Whitebeard raised an eyebrow, "Or Marco's? Or Ace's?"

"No, it's yours."

Deku's face immediately shut down. Whitebeard watched in shock, baffled by the response even as the boy's previous enthusiasm was replaced with an unreadable expression faster than the man could blink. He was utterly bewildered by the abnormal response. Certainly he had considered the possibility that Deku would be upset that they'd had one made without asking for his permission, but he wasn't entirely convinced that this response was because of that offense alone.

"Thank you for the offer, but I will decline. Please destroy it," Deku said, his inflection as flat as his expression.

Newgate was certain that the boy didn't have Haki, but his demeanor and posture combined was intimidating in its own right. It was disconcerting and concerning that the boy was able to induce such an effect just from his body language and expression alone. Newgate found himself unable to form a response before the boy continued as if he hadn't just startled the Yonko into a stunned silence.

"Please excuse me."

Newgate stared in shock as the boy turned and left without waiting for permission as he usually would.

Hours later, Whitebeard could only stew in his regret, silent conflicted as the two kids and Rayleigh prepared to leave on a small boat (one of theirs, since Rayleigh hadn't had the decency to arrive using a proper vessel).

Whitebeard watched, the mixed feelings churning in his gut, as Jinbei rested his hand on Deku's shoulder and told him to take care of himself. Marco offered well wishes and Ace gave his own farewells, but even that didn't bring a smile onto the boy's face. Even Luffy seemed a bit concerned at the other teenager's downtrodden demeanor.

"Deku," the old Captain finally gathered the courage to speak his thoughts, "If you ever need help, just know that the offer is always there. We will always help you, should you need it."

The boy refused to meet his gaze, simply nodding before turning to leave.

Despite his former misgivings, Whitebeard had the sudden, striking feeling that they would indeed cross paths again in the future. He could only hope that the circumstances that lead them back to each other would be auspicious rather than tragic.

Only time would tell which way the wind would blow.


The man stood still—waiting, watching—even as the members of the crew paced the room anxiously, whispering to each other as though their superior wasn't within earshot and couldn't hear every word.

"Captain… are you really going to go through with this?"

The man frowned thoughtfully, genuinely considering his crewmember's concerns. There were risks to his plan, of course. There were few occasions in which there were no risks to be had, especially when a course of action had the potential to deliver great rewards. Although, despite his many years on the unforgiving seas, he had yet to truly risk it all in the way he was about to.

Maybe his emotions were clouding his judgment, but he knew that no matter what happened, he had to try.

There wasn't a single person aboard his vessel that could understand exactly why he had to do this, why he had to put everything on the line for something so dangerous, so risky. His crew must all be so utterly confused and worried, but he couldn't tell them for their own safety. No matter what, even if he died because of this, he refused to put them in harm's way.

And after his first half-assed plan failed miserably, this became his best option. Certainly he could go through with the next step without this safety net, but if worse came to worst, his crew would be left without anyone there to protect them.

The man closed his eyes, hiding his expression underneath the brim of his hat, soothing his worries with a deep breath.

"I am."

"Captain…"

The man shook his head, turning to stare his crewmember into submission, "We're far enough from Marineford now, we have been for days. There is no way that the Marines have eyes on us now, so this is our only chance. Silvers Rayleigh's appearance threw a wrench in the plan, but now that he's gone, there's nothing standing in our way."

He turned away from the woman, unable to meet her eyes. He couldn't stand that worried look, such a foreign expression that reminded him of everyone he'd lost so long ago.

"This is my chance," he whispered, staring intensely at his tattooed fingers, "My only chance."

"I understand, Captain."

A part of the man loathed the gentleness in her voice, yet at the same time he found solace in its silent offer of comfort. If only he could bring himself to admit to the crew that he had been passively awaiting his death since the day he left home. But he wouldn't burden them with that knowledge nor acknowledge it himself even in the privacy of his own mind.

After all, he had an Emperor to meet.