Here is the twentieth chapter in this story released in accordance with my upload schedule for this story. Whitebeard has arrived in Marineford and he's made his arrival known with a show of power. However, that is just the start of things as the show was merely a prelude to his real plan and now it's up to the Navy to handle that as the War of the Best begins. That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions there are two guest reviews that needs a response and a notification to make so I will do that now. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate.
To GUEST (guest), thank you for clarifying which one you are and understanding that some things just can't work. Don't worry, reactions are abound during and after this arc and I've got a few plans for Night Raid and Luffy's actions during the war as Luffy tries to rescue Ace. As for the Rifle Pirates, and anything else, I am always looking for ideas and plenty of times suggestions are better than what I've come up with so I'll listen to any that you have. Don't worry, part of why I asked for help is that my imagination, especially with female fashion, is a bit lacking as well so I always seek advice for outfits and with One Piece outfits change every arc so I'm open to several for any of the crews. In terms of your suggestion for Dazu, that's a good one that I didn't think of when I came up with my design for her outfit (the only one I've really solidified) as I don't actually have her wearing a hat. The beret is a good touch for her and of course purple works though I'll probably add some pink accents and of course she'll want her jolly roger on it. Otherwise it's a fine idea and even gave me the idea of having a small scene during their arc where she sees the beret in a store or market stall while with Nagant and a few others and Nagant notices and asks about it and when Dazu says she likes it Nagant encourages her to get it because she's free from her old life, she can do as she sees fit which she does so part of her coming out of her shell. On the Daphne front, I've certainly thought of a purple and pink boss of the plains hat (I thought it was a cowboy hat as well but when I researched her that's what it's called apparently though it' an altered version of one) for her so good to see that there is a liking for that kind of style. As for the jacket, it is a lab coat so they're normally white but I might have her mix it up with white, pink, and purple depending on her mood/what she's doing to make it a bit of a running joke that they don't know what coat she'll go for any given day so certainly something to think about. A Long Tom cannon is certainly a good addition and fitting for them, I'd not thought about that in my redesigns of it but it works a lot better than I'd thought and can help show that Nagant's skills extent beyond handheld weapons and to cannons as well, it would be fitting for them. The comic relief is funny, I'll see how it meshes with the crew but I'm not opposed to a bit of light hearted rivalry and bickering between two of Nagant's senior officers who have very different personalities. It does fit and it's not like other crews won't have it what with Luck & Magna, Shoto & Katsuki, Natsu & Gray & Gajeel, or Mine & Chelsea so it adds a bit of flavor to it and could be useful to help the crew bond. Thank you for the ideas, plenty to think on for sure. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.
To KGBeastboy (guest), as always thank you for your review and suggestions which I will address now. I'll admit, outside of the Rose Pirates I'd not thought too much about crew consolidation for the other planned RWBY crews but this is certainly one that could happen. I've got an idea when the other RWBY crews will start to appear and I can certainly see Sun basically being told that while they enjoy being together and a crew, he sucks as Captain so they need a better one and merging with CFVY would help both while serving under a good Captain. Plus, Sun could see that as a good way to relieve his duties. I've listened to the books so I am aware of Nolan joining them and what happened to BRNZ. Right now I've not exactly planned what I want out of BRNZ though I'm leaning towards them not all being dead and joining a consolidated crew, maybe originally under Sun which is what gives his crew the idea that if they found someone better than him they should do the same. I'll think on it and see how it works when the time comes for the RWBY crews to appear. As for Intelli Saiko, I've got her in my notes already and she's going to be the Captain of her own crew either the Seiai or IQ Pirates (likely the later) so I won't add her to the Coffee Pirates though you've guessed her Devil Fruit correct, I've named it the IQ-IQ Fruit and as you pointed out it's an inferior fruit to Vegapunk's but does have different aspects which makes it useful to a strategist like Saiko. The Rifle Pirates are a bit of an exception in this series being a crew comprised of characters from multiple franchises as for the most part I'm going to keep franchises to their own crews though as seen by the Might and Rose Pirates it won't be limited to just the expected ones and this will be seen with two of the other 3 new main crews as well. I have more reasons for this that will be shown in time, I'm not sure when Saiko is set to appear, but it will be clear when she does what her path is the choice she makes though as a strategist she will be a bit of an issue and I'll keep in mind a potential alliance with the Coffee Pirates at some point. There will be other exceptions, I am heavily considering your earlier suggesting for Ain and Binz to join the Night Pirates after Z dies (it would also serve as the final time skip arcs chapter if the plan goes as it's going) I am flexible on crossing crews but it's a case by case basis and if a character can feasibly run his or her own crew for some reason like Saiko can I'll lean towards that and see if consolidation works depending on numbers. Lastly, Coco's ship, that is fitting for her and I always appreciate a good ship design to work off as there are so many that it's hard to work them all out alone. If I go with it I'll probably make some tweaks and given the size that will probably be a second ship for them to represent the consolidation of at least 1 maybe 2 crews under Coco. Thank you for clearing up the Scarlet stuff, I don't recall the books well as it's been a while since I listened to them but I can definitely see the issues with Sun and how they'd want to consolidate. There are some uses to this though and I will likely have Sun play a notable role when the time comes regarding the various other RWBY crews. Do keep the suggestions coming and enjoying my work.
Anyway, that is enough for this long pre-chapter note so sit back and enjoy the twentieth chapter in The Ultimate Worst Generation.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these great franchises.
Chapter 20: The War Begins
"Well that was anticlimactic." Tatsumi noted as the waters seemed to die down following Whitebeard's seaquake and a hush fell over the harbor though they were still too far to heard anything short of a shout without the aid of a transponder snail speaker. "I get the display of power but was that all? He made the island and sea shake and caused the water to rise but it's gone now."
"Hardly." Najenda said as she watched and they heard Ace yell about how Whitebeard was lying and that he went after someone, likely the now Warlord Marshall D. Teach who'd captured Ace and traded him to become a Warlord despite not having a bounty, but he was cut off by Whitebeard's reply which they couldn't hear. "This is Whitebeard we're talking about; the display of power hasn't ended."
"What are they talking about?" Lubbock asked. "Seems important."
"Not sure, likely the situation that got them here in the first place if I had to guess but our knowledge about Whitebeard's crew and what they get up to has always been lacking mainly because it's not of importance to us." Najenda noted. "He does a good job protecting those under his protection and acts like a true ruler should so there's no need to get involved. A shame that a pirate with a bounty of over 5 billion berries is a better ruler and protector than the so called rulers and protectors of the world but that just goes to show how messed up the world has become."
"That means that if anyone lays a finger on you Ace they'll have to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"Yeah, don't worry Ace, we're going to get you out of here bro!"
The two statements, and subsequent yelling that was coming from the Moby Dick, were loud enough to be heard by the Whitebeard Fleet. It continued with a few more statements but Najenda, and by extension her crew, remained silent where they were as they listened. There wasn't much to say, the moment of battle was coming and Najenda at least had a feeling that this was simply a stall for time on Whitebeard's part given how cunning the man could be.
"We asked for this, I can't deny that." Aokiji said as he watched the cheering from the chairs that the 5 Admirals were in. "This isn't going to be pretty."
"That had better not be regret." Akainu said from next to him. "That's got no place here."
"This is the duty of the Navy, to preserve order and punish criminals." James said from Kizaru's other side as he activated his powers thus strengthening his resolve for what was to come and elevating his focus. "Don't forget that Kuzan. We must execute this to our fullest and do our duty as marines to protect the world. We may never get another shot this good at taking down a criminal like Whitebeard."
"Whatever the case this is a real mess." Kizaru said. "We outnumber them but they're scary."
"This is just the battle that I've been yearning for." Esdeath said from Aokiji's left grinning as she leaned forward. "Come one, let's get this started! It's been too long since I had this much fun. Show me what you can do Whitebeard, I want to see if you and your men can challenge me. Plus I'm hoping that a certain crew shows up, can't have a party like this without them now can we?"
"Please no." James said unaware that said crew was present and waiting for the battle to begin. "We don't need that as well. The world is watching, don't forget that."
"Hold your seat Shirokami." Akainu snapped. "You've disgraced the Navy enough with your antics regarding that rookie pirate, don't show the whole world it. If they are here then you aren't to move."
"You're not the boss of me, dog." Esdeath spat back showing her willingness to disregard her fellow Admirals if they got in her way. "I'll do as I please in this battle, it's already been sanctioned by up top. They want me to go all out in this, it is Whitebeard after all. Only Sengoku can call me back."
"Great just what we need." Kizaru said. "More mess thanks to your love life. Hopefully, it won't come to that."
"Alas I doubt that." Aokiji said. "We know Whitebeard and we know that he'd not pass up help in this attack. She knows too much and has too much of a grudge against us to not offer."
"That's what I'm counting on." Esdeath said her grin broadening. "Come on, show your face my love. I want to see that pure and innocent smile again."
The other Admirals just left it at that. They all knew about the situation, it wasn't that secret within the Navy, though the world at large didn't know, and that there wouldn't be any stopping Esdeath regardless. The woman lived for battle and there was no doubting her skill in it. That, coupled with her ferocity and willingness to follow orders had been why she was elevated to their ranks because at such a young age. Right now, however, as they sat looking out at Whitebeard, his crew, and his fleet, they needed what Esdeath brought to the table more than ever.
"Kishishishi." Moria cackled from the line of 9 Warlords that stood facing the Moby Dick. "How about we tally up the odds in this battle? For the Navy we've got their most ferocious weapons in us Warlords, the 5 Admirals, and 100,000 soldiers complete with some of the strongest that the Navy has to offer. Facing us there's the Whitebeard Pirates with an entire fleet of more than 40 allied ships who will follow his orders to the end. This is good! It's your move Whitebeard! Bring me some strong shadows!"
"I'd prefer if he held his move a moment or too longer." Rikiya said with a deep breath as he again straightened his already straight tie while the splotches on his forehead grew. "The stress of this calm after your seaquake shook all of us is just what I need. A little more and I'll be ready to go."
"The malice is palpable right now." Dante said grinning his hand on the hilt of his cutlass. "Show me a new form or two of it, Whitebeard. Well come on, start this already so I can bathe in your malice."
"I like it." Doflamingo said licking his lips before he looked to the side and noted that Mihawk was just watching. "Looks like you're going to watch from the sideline as you're just here to kill time. That's fine, means there's more for me to enjoy today."
"That power was what I came to see." Ivan said a sinister grin breaking out on his face. "Not what I am searching for but if I can do so without the Navy hounding me, and exploiting their resources, then I'll help out here. Let's see what other powerful fighters you have, Whitebeard."
"And they call us beasts." Sienna said with a slight snarl in her voice from Hancock's other side at one end of the line of Warlords and her statement resonated slightly with the Pirate Empress as she was currently noting how all the men with her were nothing more than disgusting, bloodthirsty, beasts with Luffy being the sole exception. "When they act like this they show their true colors."
Hancock agreed but didn't say as much as she waited. She just hoped that Luffy was safe and would be here soon to rescue Ace because the war was about to begin unaware of how close Luffy now was or the entrance that he was about make thanks to what was about to happen.
"Hey boss, something's going on."
The voice came from the standard transponder snail that Najenda had on her and not the special prototype ear one she had in to keep in contact with, and give orders to, Chelsea. It had started to buzz and so she picked it up and put it on her left shoulder so that they could all hear the report. As soon as it was answered the snail's eyes opened to show them Mine's pink eyes while a pair of pink twin tails formed from it and Mine began talking, her voice coming through the snail.
"What is it Mine?" Najenda asked, in addition to Mine being ready to snipe she was their eyes until they could join the battle due to her watching the harbor through her scope. "Are the Navy about to act?"
"Not sure." Mine admitted. "I was watching them and the ones one the cannons by the water started to get all agitated and began looking down at the harbor so I followed their gazes and it's clear, the water is receding. It's a fair bit, almost tidal I'd say, so it should be clear to you as well soon."
"The water's receding?" Akame asked as Najenda pulled out a telescope from a pouch on her belt and raised it to her good eye. "Why?"
"So it is." Najenda said smiling. "So, that was the plan all along. Well played old man. I've always wondered just how strong that power of yours is and now we're seeing it."
"What do you mean?" Tatsumi asked confused as the waters in the harbor started to look a little choppy. "This was Whitebeard's doing?"
"You'll see, just wait." Najenda said. "But it's clear that coming into the harbor from underwater wasn't just so that he could surprise the Navy by appearing right before them. Not a surprise, Whitebeard would have planned an attack like this out."
Najenda's statement didn't really answer Tatsumi's question or the unasked ones from the rest of the crew but they all trusted the boss so they shut up and waited to see what she was talking about. It seemed that that was the general consensus all around as everyone be they with the Navy or Whitebeard continued to wait and see.
This was no doubt nerve wracking for the Navy but it seemed like Whitebeard and his allies were fine with it so Najenda and her crew stuck with that approach. They kinda had to anyway as they were allied with them for this so they had to trust the old man's plan if they wanted to be able to execute their own plan in this war.
"Hey, the tide's coming back and it's faster and choppier than it should be." Mine said still connected to the transponder snail so giving them an update. "That's odd. This definitely isn't natural."
"No, it was always coming back." Najenda said as she turned to look out to the horizon her smile broadening. "Get ready because here it comes."
The others were confused and looked around but as soon as Najenda spoke they began to feel it as the whole area began to shake for a second time though Whitebeard hadn't made a move since he'd cracked the air a few moments ago. That said, the focus of the shaking was on Marineford itself and the seas to the side from where Whitebeard had hit the air, the ships of his Fleet and theirs were unaffected by it.
"That seaquake wasn't for show." Tatsumi said as he watched though he still didn't understand exactly why this was happening. "Was it?"
"No, the show was only part of it, a reminder of the power that he wields." Najenda confirmed. "But out here with an island and the raw power of Whitebeard's Devil Fruit, what may look like a harmless seaquake done to show off is in actuality a prelude to a massive tsunami, one large enough to cover the island."
"Damn, what kind of power can do that?" Leone asked as Tatsumi blinked at the boss's words. "Turning the sea against you with a Devil Fruit, that sounds almost impossible. Water and Devil Fruits don't really mix."
"There are rumors of a water Paramecia and water Logia but I never saw confirmation of them, however this is the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit." Najenda said simply as they watched the waters froth while Marineford continued to. "Quake man, that's what Whitebeard's called, amongst other titles, and he has the power to destroy the world. His Devil Fruit can indirectly affect water if applied right as you will see soon. This is why the Navy needs so many people and their top fighters to counter him. Their superiority in numbers means nothing against the power Whitebeard and his crew have. We just add to it."
"Yeah but we add a whole lot to it." Leone said with a grin as the waves began to rise on either side of Marineford. "I mean we've got a shit load of talent and skill, two Supreme Grade swords, two protype weapons, and some nasty Devil Fruits that the Navy hates facing."
"While the abilities of Sheele's and Akame's Devil Fruits are exceptionally good in combat, don't underestimate our opponents." Najenda noted. "They know how to handle a carnivorous Zoan like yours thanks to Lucci and they have least 4 Logia users out there with two Mythical Zoan users that I know of. Even having a trump card in Tatsumi's power isn't enough at the moment, not without Haki and so far only myself and Bulat can reliably use it. In time we will be able to do more, once this is over I fully intend for us to go through some intensive training to get you all up to Vice Admiral standards and develop your Devil Fruits more but that's not now."
"We'll still wreak havoc on them and take out several targets who are complicit in the crimes of the World Government but we won't underestimate them." Akame said calmly as they watched the waves form indicating the start of the war was might. "We just need to get there. We can with Tatsumi's power."
"I'd rather you save that for when you need it." Najenda said as the waves rose. "As powerful as Tatsumi's Devil Fruit is, it is a big target and has to be applied correctly."
"I know and will use it only if I have to but we might not be needed at all." Tatsumi noted as the waves crested and broke forming two massive tsunami's that were now bearing down on Marineford from either side. "This power is unreal. I've never seen a Paramecia like it, well other than maybe Esdeath's."
"Esdeath's class has never truly been confirmed by the Navy so I fear that her power may be greater than we realize even if it comes off as a Paramecia type." Najenda said as she calmly watched the waves close in while the water around Marineford got even choppier. "But you're not wrong Tatsumi, it's arguably the second strongest Paramecia type known to exist and is considered, offensively speaking, on the same level as a Logia."
"Second strongest?" Tatsumi asked his eyes wide as the waves kept growing and closing. "What the hell is stronger? This is some serious power that we're witnessing here."
"The Copy-Copy Fruit is considered stronger because it can do this and more." Najenda said. "It's been a bane for the Navy for decades as they never managed to find it until it was learned that a Warlord's crewmember had eaten it. There are others out there that rise can challenge it like the Op-Op, Create-Create, and the legendary Sea-Sea Fruits but again the Copy-Copy Fruit's range surpasses them all."
"With a name like that I take it that it can copy other powers." Tatsumi said as the waves continued to close in. "How else would it be considered more powerful than this."
"It is a rather self-explanatory name." Najenda said. "As the name implies, it is Devil Fruit that allows the user to copy the powers of a Paramecia or a Logia, permanently. They merely need to touch a user's skin with their own and it's done. There are drawbacks such as only using one power at a time but that's a small price to pay for such a power. The Navy spent a lot of time and money trying to find it and would have paid more than 10 billion berries for it but they were a few centuries too late I think."
"Centuries?" Akame asked. "So it was a giant who ate it?"
"An elf actually." Najenda said as the waters were about to cause a serious issue. "So an even longer lived species which means we can't say for certain when it was found and eaten but enough of that as I doubt that we'll ever run into the current user. We need to focus on this as it looks like what the outcome Whitebeard no doubt at least partially expected is about to happen."
"What do you…" Tatsumi began before suddenly there was a figure in midair between the waves, arms extended, and ready to act. "Oh I see. Yeah that will stop things."
"I'm not sure if Whitebeard wanted this or not but he would have seen it as a possibility and it will work nonetheless." Najenda said lines of ice shot from the man and hit the waves freezing them in place thus rendering them harmless and ending the threat they posed. "Aokiji, he's the best to stop this with minimal destruction and now let's see what happens. Be ready to move, I've got a feeling things are about to kick off."
The seriousness in Najenda's tone caused all of them to instantly set themselves as they watched the ice finish forming on waves ensuring that they didn't reach the island though they still towered over it as a reminder of what Whitebeard did. It was clear the war had begun with Whitebeard's attack and Aokiji's defense of it so they focused on it as they watched. It was still a bit too far to make out clear details but thankfully Mine provided commentary on what was happening.
"Aokiji's going after Whitebeard." Mine reported. "He's sending some ice spears at him. He's got a clean, unobscured shot."
"Not nearly enough." Najenda noted. "Ice is nothing to him."
"Correct, Whitebeard used that power of his to crack the air in the path of the ice spears and sent the shockwave up to Aokiji." Mine confirmed though they all saw the crack in the air but knowing of the shockwave helped. "The spears stood no chance and the shockwave's continued up to Aokiji. It's hit him and now he's icing over. I take it that won't be enough either."
"Unless Whitebeard's used Haki with that blow, which I doubt given the situation and possibly the range as well, no." Najenda confirmed. "Hard to tell with solid Logias, not many out there but there are a few like ice, so it's a bit different when they're hit compared to standard Logias."
"Yeah he's just ice now falling down to the water." Mine said and they all saw the falling debris though couldn't make out that it was Aokiji. "Not a bad thing really, as a Devil Fruit user Aokiji can't…oh right."
"It's what I'd have planned for with Whitebeard's power should the opening present itself, which given that this was the best way to stop the tsunamis it likely would." Najenda said as they could all see the sudden expansion of ice over the water from the point where Aokiji would have hit it. "Try to wipe them out and then use their best defense to it against them. Aokiji's mistake was attacking Whitebeard while his body was still over the water rather than retreating back to his seat. Now we've got something to stand and fight on which gives us an advantage in pressing forward towards the plaza."
"The whole bay's been iced over." Mine reported though now they could all see it as the ice covered the entire bay, locking in the Moby Dick and Whitebeard's other ships and extending out of the bay to lock in the Navy battleships around it as well. "Damn that's…"
Before Mine could finish there was suddenly a blasting sound and the cannons around the harbor began to fire at the Moby Dick. It made sense, the Navy had the numbers and all 5 Admirals who each could potentially match an Emperor of the Sea so why not attack, especially now that there was a fixed target that couldn't go anywhere until the ice was destroyed. Of course this didn't faze Whitebeard and his crew who let out a cry and lead by their division commanders they leapt off their ships and onto the ice to charge at the Navy as the cannons blared all around them.
"Permission to engage." Mine said as the Navy launched a counter offensive to meet the Whitebeard Pirates on the ice so that they wouldn't reach the plaza where the scaffold holding Ace was while the cannons continued to fire. "I've got plenty of shots."
"Granted." Najenda said as the fleet began to shoot their own cannons at the Navy battleships. "Aim for the cannons and take them out, focus on them or defending the front line fighters. Lubbock, can Cross Tail reach?"
"Should be able to." Lubbock said as a beam of yellow light that was Mine's mental energy shot out from one of the hides on the masts and at one of the cannon emplacements blasting away at the Moby Dick. "The spool is several miles long, just a matter of making it stable but that's not a problem for me."
"Then aim for the edge of the ice at the entrance to the bay." Najenda said as the emplacement blew up thanks to Mine's shot not targeting the gunner but rather going into one of the two barrels and hitting the cannon ball before it was fired causing it to explode and the balls around it as well blowing the whole thing up and killing the two marines there and wounding a few others near it. "Use the cover that we're going to get and support it until our people are on then pull back and erect a barrier for the ship. With Su gone you're the main defense right now."
"Yes boss." Lubbock said more than happy to be his love's bodyguard as he rushed forward and leapt up onto the railing at the prow and brought his hands around to send out the wires that were connected to the metal talons he wore over his fingertips. "Let's take this to the Navy!"
Lubbock timed it such that the wires flew behind several of the fleet ships that had used Whitebeard's crew's charge to sail up to the ice and disgorged their crews to face the Vice Admirals who'd been stationed on the side of the bay at the battleships to defend them. This gave the Night Pirates some good cover as the wires flew from Lubbock's fingertips, the wire on his lower back unspooling as it did while the wheels on the backs of his gloves whirred, and tore across the sea to imbed into the ice right at the point it exited to the bay to the area around it.
As Lubbock did this he made sure to move his hands so that the wires formed a crisscross pattern as they flew through the air and which effectively made it a pathway that could easily hold his friends and crewmates both because of the pattern and the tensile strength of the wires. After all, this was effectively what the wires were made to do.
What Lubbock was using was one of a many experimental weapons that had been developed by Dr. Vegapunk and were technically so classified as to not exist but of course they did. In this case, Lubbock was utilizing a fine wire string weapon that was controlled using the metal talon caps over his fingers and running through two wheels in the backs of his gloves to the spool that was on the back of his belt under his long green coat.
Cross Tail. That was the name that Vegapunk had given it and it had been the man's first attempt to create a weapon based off a Paramecia type Devil Fruit that could work just like it without the tradeoff of eating the Devil Fruit. In this case the weapon was based off Don Quixote Doflamingo's String-String power that Vegapunk had studied after Doflamingo became a Warlord.
Ever the perfectionist, Vegapunk had decried it a failure as he couldn't replicate the precise nature of Doflamingo's strings and had to use a fine, durable, prototype, metal that just wasn't light enough to do all that the strings could do when used by Doflamingo. As such he'd hidden it away with some of his other failures and moved onto another project.
That had been a blessing for Lubbock as he'd found it by chance when he was defecting with Najenda and had gone to try and erase her records along with his to help cover their flight though he ultimately failed in that regard. However, he'd found Cross Tail and taken it because he felt connected to it.
Since then he had come to master the strange and unconventional weapon while on the crew, maximizing it's trap and surveillance abilities and proving that it wasn't a failed weapon at all. Unlike most of the crew, Lubbock hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit but this more than made up for it as he finished the bridge and leapt down using the edge of the ship to anchor it as he pulled it taut.
"Go!" Najenda shouted. "Tatsumi, Su, be ready to act if any fall. Akame, don't hold back, use all that those bastards forced you to learn against them!"
Those on the frontal attack nodded and rushed forward, Akame leading the way as she leapt up and over Lubbock to land on the wires and ran over them no fear of the water below or the structure of the wires knowing that it would hold without a problem. Tatsumi was a few paces behind her as he leapt past Lubbock and onto the wire path making sure that Akame had the space to draw her katana should she need to.
After him, Sheele, her mind clear and focused on the task of killing, was next the giant scissors she wielded in her hands her power already coating them. She was followed by Bulat and then Leone, both activating their Devil Fruits so that Bulat was now in his best armor for the situation at hand and holding his spear while Leone was in her hybrid form. Finally Su followed them, his expression blank and the spear like weapon he wielded low and to the side as he charged the blades on it spinning viciously.
While all this was going on, Chelsea flew out of the back of one of the hides her Glamor-Glamor Fruit powers transforming her into a seagull and looped around Marineford to approach from the back and execute her role in the attack. This was the distraction that she needed to get in unseen and it was time for her to do her part in the mission.
The others didn't know that Chelsea had headed out though they knew she would make her move when she could, they just focused on running fast and hard down the wires to the ice. As they did Mine switched her targets briefly and began taking out the crew of the final battleship that was nearest to add to their cover.
Most were engaging the Whitebeard Fleet with cannons but she had to make sure her crewmates were safe as she ensured they weren't bothered by the Navy. She even blew up the two cannon emplacements on the deck that she could hit and three of their under deck cannons the same way she'd done with some of the emplacements around the harbor to further cause chaos on that ship.
All of this was happening around the frontline fighters but they ignored it as they ran for the ice, the sounds of battle in their ears and their focus on what they had to do. This was shown when Akame drew Murasame in a fluid, well-practiced, motion and held it low and to her side in her right hand as she neared the end, Tatsumi drawing Incursio right behind her.
They were almost there and hadn't been noticed but alas that wouldn't last all the way to the ice as a group of 5 marines, all likely enlisted, who'd abandoned the ship that Mine was peppering noticed the approaching Night Pirates and came to a stop. All had rifles and raised them ready to gun down the latest batch of invaders who, in their minds, couldn't deviate from their paths so were sitting duck. Unfortunately for them, Akame was a Devil Fruit user and so as they did Akame flipped her left arm across her body, never breaking stride as several blades flew from her arm and at the marines.
They didn't get a shot off before they were struck by Akame's Blade-Blade power. Three took blades to their chests, their white tunics turning red as they staggered from the blows and looked down eyes wide in shock. The other two took the blades to their neck and forehead respectively and fell, the latter dead before he hit the ground and the former following suit a few seconds later as the ice turned red with their blood. The other three were badly wounded but Akame hadn't had time to aim so none were heart shots.
Still, they were out of the fight though one tried to draw a cutlass to attack Akame as she reached the ice. Akame sensed this and with swift slash as she leapt onto the ice she took the man's arm off just above the elbow and he fell back with a gasp of shock as blood erupted from the stump and death taking him a moment later. The last two had the sense to just back up and fall down, wounded but not yet dead as Tatsumi reached the ice and followed suit Akame as she ran into the bay leaving the wounded marines as they were no longer a threat to him or his crewmates.
A moment later the others were on the ice and rushing behind Tatsumi and into the bay, their lack of uniforms showing that they were not Navy but rather here to fight them. Not that they would be mistaken for marines as all were known and wanted pirates, and pressed forward as they entered the class between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates.
As soon as they were off, Lubbock called back Cross Tail and redeployed it to protect Najenda while Mine went back to taking out cannons though Najenda now had her telescope up and was watching the crew ready to redirect Mine if need be. The ship was defended and Mine had her role, it was time for the others to take the fight directly to the Navy.
That's just what they did as they reached the front lines and joined the bloody fray that the battle had become. Almost at once they were forced to split up but they were ready for that with Akame and Tatsumi sticking close by, swords flashing and taking down Navy soldiers with ease their teamwork and coordination second to none on the crew.
Meanwhile Su and Bulat broke off charged into the thick of things going after the long range marines that could be a problem as their protections were greater than the others so they could reach them faster. Leone just roared as she slashed and punched Navy soldiers as she engaged them focusing more on those with swords as it was easy to dodge and killing as many as she could to help out the Whitebeard Pirates in their mission. Finally Sheele was deadly quit as she spun her scissors in her hands and calmly walked through the chaos cutting down anything in her path, literally.
Another reason for the need to split up was that some of their powers weren't easy to fight alongside. They could but with so many Navy forces arrayed against them, and factoring in allied forces as well, they needed to let Sheele in particular go wild and stay far from her as unlike Tatsumi, Sheele's Devil Fruit was a Paramecia type so when it was active it was best to stay clear of her path.
That was because Sheele had eaten the Cut-Cut Fruit which allowed her to sharpen any inorganic item she held to such a fine edge that the only things it couldn't cut through were Armament Haki and sea prism stone. Of course she'd need Haki to actually cut almost any Logia type and the Chop-Chop Fruit user was immune to her power but otherwise there was little that could resist her when she got serious and used her power.
As for why she opted for the large scissors, well that was a mystery but they did provide two blades and she was a master with them, cutting through blade, rifle, and body alike as she carved a bloody swath through the battlefield. It was one that even the Whitebeard Pirates noted.
"Woah who's the girl in purple?" One Whitebeard Pirate asked. "She's not on our crew."
"One of the allied ships that can get its people here." Another pirate said as Sheele cut two marines in half at the waist. "Best not to question it, she's on our side and helping out."
"Yeah focus on getting to Ace." A third said as they turned away from Sheele and pressed on leaving her two it. "We've got allies from the fleet to help as we get our bro!"
As such things were going well for them. Navy soldiers were falling by the dozens to the Night Pirates and even more so to the Whitebeard Pirates as they did their part to press forward and reach the plaza where Ace was waiting for them watching with wide eyes as his crewmates and allies fought to reach him. That said, these marines were nothing more than grunts, meat shields for the Navy to use to slow them down so that a true challenge would come.
That challenge came sooner than anyone expected as there was suddenly a shift in the battle that Akame and Tatsumi noticed and they, along with many of the other notable warriors on the battlefield turned to see that Dracule Mihawk had stepped forward amongst the Warlords where Doflamingo noted that something had caught the man's attention. The shift was small but sent waves across the battlefield.
"Hawkeye Mihawk." Tatsumi said as he cut down a marine who was rushing at him as he looked to the infamous pirate and warlord. "The world's greatest swordsman."
"If it comes to it only I can face him in combat." Akame said turning to look as she decapitated a marine that tried to use her distraction to his advantage. "But I'm not arrogant enough to think I can beat him at my current level of skill, all I could do was occupy his attention. One day I will cross blades with him, I must for all who wield a sword either desire his spot or at least wish to cross blades with him to know their worth as swordsmen and women. If that day is today then so be it, I'll get an understanding for how much stronger I need to become at least. That said I won't seek him out unless I have to."
"Smart because he's about to act." Tatsumi noted as Mihawk drew his long, large, sword in two hands and kept raising it over his shoulder. "That blade, it's like ours."
"It's called Night, and yes it's one of the 17 Supreme Grade swords." Akame said as she watched. "A fitting blade for a man with his reputation and we're about to see what it can do."
Akame was right because as she finished speaking Hawkeye finished drawing his sword and moved it to the side and then over his head before bringing it down in a powerful, one handed swing as the light all around them seemed to dim. The swing was of course designed to send out a blast of compressed air in an offensive slash the way only the top swordsmen could do and a line of green power tore from the blade and out over the ice, carving a deep groove into it as it flew straight at Whitebeard who just grinned from atop the prow of the Moby Dick as he watched it approach.
I think I'll leave this off here. I know that this is a bit of a cliffhanger and another short chapter but with this arc I pretty much have to end chapters when it works best and for this and what I've got in store for the next chapter this was the best point to end it. Don't worry, the next chapter will be an action packed one with more fighting and hopefully a fair bit longer as Mihawk's actions really kick up the War of the Best a notch. One final thing to note is that I had originally planned on Lubbock have a Devil Fruit called the Wire-Wire Fruit but after a suggestion this worked better. I would have done the same for Sheele and had Extase as a failed prototype weapon as well but by the time it was suggested I'd already published that she was a Devil Fruit user so I stuck with my plan for her and ultimately I felt that it was easier to replicate what Extase could do with a Devil Fruit rather than what Vegapunk can make. That's all that I really have for y'all, however, so I will leave this chapter off here. If you liked this please favorite, follow, leave a review, or let me know in a PM and if there are any questions will posed in reviews and PMs I will try to answer them as best I can. Until next time.
Stringdog