The Marine's Roger

by Sully7072

All Ann knew was to survive that was his final order, an order she would follow to her grave to survive in this new world of piracy that her father left behind even if it meant working for the enemy...

55. Aftermath

"Let's go along the Grand Line! We're gonna take over the world! Let's start with that island!" The pirates on said ships snarls swords pointed towards Foosha village unaware of the marine ship following closely from behind.

"Give me cannonballs!" Garp orders the men holding a tray of canon balls. He is handed one as before the pirate knew it…

"Meteor Fist Shower!" Garp bellows swiftly smashing said ship to smithereens.

"Haven't you had enough?" Makino worriedly watches the woman down another glass mug of beer with the bandits outside anxiously peering in as Makino tries to handle the drunk with the club by her side. However Makino is answered by the woman pushing the glass forward tipping the other off the table making it hit the floor shattering on the floor below.

"It's Garp-san!" Garp-san is back with his ship!" Smiling, a villager points out perking the interest of the clubbed woman, standing, the heavy clink of pint bottles echoing as she stands armed and ready.

"On business?!" Another crios voice wonders while watching the ship land, marines striding out.

"EAST BLUE" GOA KINGDOM"WINDMILL VILLAGE

"Garp-san, I've read about the war in the newspaper! It said it was a great victory for the Navy!" The villages warmly welcomed the bandage man into the village, a fair few armed and ready marine following him as all but the bandits warmly welcome him back.

"Hey, how is everybody here doing? What happened to Luffy?" Worriedly, a village pries.

"What's gonna happen to the world after Whitebeard's death, Garp-san?" A woman worries.

"I've seen pirate ships offshore frequently over the past few days. We can't even sleep in peace at night because we fear their invasion." A man admits to Garp.

"Don't worry! I just sank three of them out at sea!" Smiling, Garp assures.

"Really?! That's great!" The villagers beam brightly.

"They were all amateurs who don't even know how to fight. But for a while, the seas will be uneasy all over the world because Whitebeard was a deterrent. This is a remote village in the East Blue but you have to be careful. Hey!" He calls out to his men.

"Yes, sir!" They set up the sign reading, "Security by Navy Vice Admiral Garp"

"Oh, I feel safe! We don't have to be afraid of anything!" The villagers beam brightly by said sign.

"Garp-san, we have another problem. Mountain bandits came down to the village and they're taking over Makino's bar." Worriedly, one of the villagers tell him.

"Mountain bandits?" Garp hums as just then…

"No! You can't do that!" Makino tries to stop the woman from coming out of the bar but…

"Hey, Garp!" Growling, the woman glares glowers at Garp.

"Oh, that's her!" The villagers recognise.

"How dare you come back and show your face here?!" Dadan snarls seethes whacking her club against the marine hero.

"Garp-san!" The villagers calls out to the fallen man, his hues darkening at the sight of her.

"B-Boss!" The bandits call out to him.

"Vice Admiral Garp!" His marines call out.

"Stay out of it! I know her." Garp cradles his bleeding head.

"You bastard...You were there at the battlefield...You were there with them! What did you do to help?! What did you do to help?! Why?! Why?! Why?! Why?! Why?! Why did you stand by and watch Ace die?! You chose your job over your family?! Hey, Garp! You're the hero of the Navy?! Go to hell, you old bastard!" Dadan snarls lunging at the fallen figure shaking him before bashing his head in with her fists time and time again as he simply takes it…

"Easy, easy, boss, stop it! Boss!" Her men call out to her but it falls to deaf ears.

"Garp, say something! Why didn't you help him?! Why didn't you do something?! Get on your feet! You cold-blooded scum!" Dadan snarls seethes.

"Stop it, Dadan-san!" Makino intervenes grabbing hold of Dadan's arm stopping her.

"Makino..." Garp glances over at her.

"Can't you see that he's taking it harder than anybody else because he couldn't help them even though he was there?!" Makino points out.

"Th-That's not true. That's not true. That's not true! Ann and Luffy's having a harder time than anyone!

"Okay let's start today's lesson of how to express gratitude." Merrily, Makino smiles softly at the trio before her, Ann standing by her side.

"Yeah let's get started already!" Ace declares determined.

"Oh you got it Ace!" Luffy cheers him on.

"No that's not right you have to say thank you in advance on that occasion." Makino smiles softly showcasing said no with forming an x with her fingertips.

"Oh that wasn't right? It sounded cool though…" Luffy argues.

"Ace wants to learn this because he wants to say thank you properly to Shanks, it doesn't matter if it sounds cool Luffy." Ann fills Luffy in.

"To Shanks?!" Surprised, Luffy gasps.

"Yeah I will be a pirate by the time I see Red-Haired as a pirate and as your older brother it's my job to thank him!" Ace beams brightly.

"Now let's do it pretend that he's right in front of you." Makino tells Ace.

"I'm Ace who the hell are you?" Ace blurts out taking Ann aback.

"The hell kinda hello is that?" Tense, Ann angrily demands from her baby brother.

"Was it wrong?" Innocently, Ace ponders perplexed.

"It's not nice to say the hell." Makino calmly intervenes.

"But you do it half the time." Ace points to Ann.

"Yeah well I'm a pirate." Pointedly, Ann deadpans.

"So I'm going to be one as well and Shanks is one too." Ace argues.

"Yeah but to people you respect you don't say that especially if you're first meeting them." Makino fills Ace in.

"Is it who the heck are you?" Ace tries again but…

"Booh." Together, the two adults boo.

"Eh?" Astonished, Ace blurts out.

"Give me your name." Ace tries again.

"Booh." Together, the two chorus again.

"You have to say you fool!" Luffy smiles.

"Who are you, you bastard?" Ace attempts to speak however…

"Booh!" Together, the two chorus again.

"Who is this?" Ace tries again.

"Booh!" Together, the two repeat.

"Whom is this?" Ace tries.

"How do you even know what whom is?" Intrigued, Ann arches a brow befuddled, impressed almost.

"I heard it from some guy at the terminal." Ace shrugs.

"Sabo said. It too!" Luffy adds.

"Course…still booh." Bluntly, Ann delivers.

"Still!?" Scowling, the annoyed Ace growls glaring.

"So much for raising you two right, ah I knew raising you with bandits was a bad idea." Ann places her hand to her head.

"I heard that!" Dadan roars from within.

"And you're going to be hearing it a lot more!" Mad, Ann barks back.

"EEPP!" The bandits squeal scared.

"You're bugging me by saying stupid things! Go away!" Ace roars at Luffy.

"Ace don't blame Luffy for you getting it wrong." Ann intervenes brow furrowed.

"Eh?" Ace blurts out.

"Listen Ace I found an anaconda's next filled with big eggs! Let's go get some!" Smiling, Luffy unfazed offers.

"What? Big eggs?! No I can't!" Eagerly, Ace goes for it but soon stops when eyeing the two women before him.

"Huh?" Luffy blurts out astonished.

"I wanna learn how to pay respect." Resolved, Ace reminds himself.

"I could get hurt if no one's there and the anaconda finds me! But I'll be safe if you come with me! So…" Luffy tries to argue before both boys head into the forest.

"You two…" Ann smirks shaking her head at the two taking off, Makino smiling softly by her side watching the two head off…

"He loved his brother so much! Just as much as Ann did!" Dadan snaps startling Makino standing between both of them as tears soon start to appear in Makino's eyes at the sad reality of it all as Garp closes his hues pained.

"Makino!" Makino calls out to the girl crying her heart out.

"Garp. What happened to Luffy? It said in the newspaper that he went missing." The mayor steps up.

"Mayor. He got away by submarine. The Navy went after him in full force and searched for him desperately but they didn't find any shipwreck. So he's probably alive!" Garp reports relieving the people.

"Oh, that's great! But how does Navy Vice Admiral Garp-san know the mountain bandit?" The villagers couldn't help but wonder.

"Don't know." Another answers as Dadan's furious fist stops seemingly stopping herself.

"Luffy is so stupid. Ann's no doubt dealing with the fallout of it all too, with her secret out now…she has so much responsibility on her. That girl…is no doubt suffering just like Luffy is but with how she is, she's no doubt thinking of hr duty first and foremost as a yonko…that moronic martyr's probably looking after Luffy right now instead of herself. I'll take their side no matter what because I trust Ann just as I trust in Luffy, in whatever kind of pirate he becomes because I know Ann will guide him well. It breaks my heart when I think about how he and Ann must feel now. Luffy! Ann! Don't be defeated!" Dadan declares to the whole of the village screaming sobbing her heart out towards the two…

"Damn it all I'm so weak I can't protect anything! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Wailing, Luffy cries to the high heavens as trees and boulders are shattered by his headbutts, him hurting himself as the two watch on…

"Luffy." Jinbe tries to call out to him.

"Go away! Just leave me alone!" Angrily, he screams punching a tree as it comes crashing down making Anns hues narrow at the boy before her.

"Luffy please…!" Pleadingly, she tries to reason with the boy but…

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Angrily, he wails at Ann.

"Luffy don't make me hurt you please I cannot let you hurt yourself any more than you already have!" Ann steps forward frowning.

"It's my own body! I can do what I want with it!" Stubbornly, said boy bellows.

"A body that thousands of pirate have sacrificed for you to be here! That Ace sacrificed for you to live!" She snaps sharply at him.

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" He roars reeling his fist at her however she easily avoids said hit simply raising a brow bored at the bloodied battered beaten bandaged boy.

"If so then Ace's body was his own too he was free to die regardless of what we wanted!" Jinbe joins in as Ann grabs the boy by rhe collar holding him up as he flails about attempting to hit her however she simply holds him up letting him have his tantrum.

"Be quiet! The next time you say something I'll beat the crap out of you too!" Luffy tries to threaten.

"Luffy!" Ann scowls at the boy.

"Where were you!? Ace was waiting for you! We were all waiting for you save him to save the day! He was waiting for you! He thought…he thought you'd save him!" Tearfully, Luffy blames Ann as she couldn't help but go silent by his words.

"Luffy!" Jinbe scowls at the boy but…

"…Luffy…" Ann begins but…no words could come as before hse knew it…

"Why? Why weren't you there when he needed you the most!? Where were you!?" Luffy roars raising his voice screaming at Ann as she grimaces briefly by his words before being punched in the face flabbergasting both Luffy and Jinbe as she is thrown back hitting the back of a tall towering tree.

"Ann!" Jinbe cries out to the woman stunned she had let him hit her as the two stare stunned at Ann shakily standing, using the top of her hand brushing the stray scarlet streak stemming down the corner of her mouth from the side staining her cheek.

"If that will make you feel better…. than go ahead and beat me as much as it takes!" Ann roars startling stunning both men when hearing her words as she shakily stands, ready to take the hits.

"Luffy!" Jinbe calls out shocked to see the roaring raring boy rush at Ann angrily screaming shouting as Ann braces for the hits to come but instead…to her shock, surprise even he falters, stopping, landing before her feet, his legs crumbling, the sharp sob stunning her snapping her out of her shell shocked state.

"Luffy!" Anxiously, Ann catches the wounded boy concern clear in her tone when all she hears is his sharp sobs into her shoulder, pain plastered all over her furrowed features, her hues shut holding him, helping him let the tears out for the broken boy.

"…I failed Luffy. I failed both you, Ace and Sabo." Sadly, Ann tells it how it is stunning Luffy.

"A-Ann…" Luffy whispers weakly shell shocked to even hear such words from her.

"I understand your pain the sense of helplessness of not being able to do anything despite your best efforts I understand this pain well. We both lost our brother today but he wouldn't want you to stop here, he would want you to move on. I know it isnt easy those looming dark clouds of regret they consume even the best of us…even Shanks." Seriously, she explains to Luffy holding him hugging him as he clings to her.

"S-Shanks?" Surprised, Luffy whimpers weakly clinging to Ann as she holds him.

"Yes Luffy but that's why you have to go on don't let those feelings get the best of you, let them fuel you, fuel you to never lose another person again fuel you to get stronger to protect the ones you love, rebuild on what you've lost, learn from this and get stronger so it never happened again, so it never happens to your crew, to your family, to anyone you love ever again!" Ann resolved tells him how it is, her grip tightening around him.

"A-Ann…" Luffy's grip tightens around her.

"What's gone is gone but ask yourself this, what remains?" Sternly, she asks Luffy, his hues widening biting his lip before letting out a sharp sob, the tears freely falling.

"My crew…I still have my crew, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook! I still have my crew! I have to go…I'm pretty late though…I'm sure they're all waiting for me I want to see them soon…I want to see them again!" Crying, Luffy sobs his heart out as he counts his crew with his fingertips.

"I see…" Jinbe exclaims.

So that is your answer." Ann smiles softly sadly down wrapping her arms around him, letting the tears freely flown from the broken beaten battered boy…

"I don't hear him shouting anymore." Shachi says as he waits for a fish to bite with the rest of the heart pirates.

"Hmm yeah now that you mention it…where did Straw Hat go? He'd die if his wounds reopenn right?" Penguin and a few others agree as Law stands b his crew's side, his hand firmly on Luffy's hat.

"Ah! I caught one!" Smiling, Shachi gasps as he pulls in a bite, a small fish but a fish no less as just then a brisk breeze brushes through alerting the men.

"What is it?" Shachi questions Penguin taking out his binoculars.

"I just saw the shadow of a fish…I-It's huge!" Panicked, Penguin gasps unaware of the shadow descending down as the fish pounces upon the figure but comes out spewing scarlet.

"Look it's a giant sea king!" Penguin identifies.

"What is it doing!? Fighting!?" Shachi says shocked.

"It's dead someone manged to kill it!" Penguin says shocked at the faltering crimson carcass.

"A thing that huge!" Shachi says shocked.

"I couldn't see it!" Penguin points out.

"These are terrifying seas!" Scared, Shachi exclaims just as Law's hues widen at the first furiously hitting the air as the figure begins climbing.

"A human!?" Horrified, a crew member stumbles back.

"Hey, who are you!?" Another demands.

"Phew I'm beat…" The soaked man exclaims.

"The hell…" One of them exclaims at the man before them.

"That's…" One of them points.

"There we go." Pleased, he flaps his shirt after squeezing it wringing out the seawater.

"The…the dark king Rayleigh!?" Bepo gawks.

"Oh it's you? We met back on the archipelago didn't we?" Silvers recognises.

"T-The first mate of the pirate king Roger!" Bepo blurts out.

"You see my ship sank in a storm I had no choice but to swim here." He reveals to them.

"A storm?! The calm belt never even has a light breeze! There are no storms!" Stunned, a heart pirate points out.

"That means you must have been shipwrecked on a distant sea and swam all the way from there!?" Amazed, another heart pirate points out.

"I'm good at the breaststroke after all." He has his back turned to them sat down as he tries to dry his clothes.

"That's not the issue here!" Angrily, a crew member roars.

"Does that mean the thig fighting the sea king…was you!?" Another queries.

"That's a legendary pirate for you! I'm sorry." Bepo apologises after.

"Why did you apologise?" Penguin and Shachi say shocked.

"Alright then I assume that Luffy is on this island." Rayleigh asks as he notes Law's grip tightening around the straw hat in his hand.

"It's too reckless to go to Sabaody in your condition!" Jinbe argues as he holds Luffy up piggy back style.

"But I want to see my crew as soon as possible. I can't break my promise to them." Luffy tells them.

"Hmm those guys from the submarine they aren't here." Jinbe remarks unaware of Ann's eyes widening when seeing the old man before her.

"Oh Luffy!" Silvers smiles at him.

"Old man Rayleigh!" Luffy rushes over to him.

"I'm glad I was able to find you so easily." Relieved, Silvers smiles.

"What are you doing here? I was just about to follow your Vivre Card back to the Sabaody Archipelago. How are the others?" Luffy questions.

"They aren't back yet. I left my card with Shakki if I hadn't done that I wouldn't be able to move around freely" Rayleigh reports.

"Are you really the dark king Rayleigh?" Jinbei says shocked.

"People still call you that?" Ann says surprised.

"Ann it's been sometime last I saw you were but a child now you have grown into quite the fine young lady." Rayleigh smiles softly at her.

"That so…?" Softly, she hums.

"Not to mention quite the mysterious figure, the worlds talking all about you, the survivor of Marineford, the last heir of the pirate king." Rayleigh smirks slightly.

"Enough with the trivialities the world can think what they want." Ann dismisses.

"Ann…" Rayleigh's brow furrows at her cold curt tone.

"He's Jinbei I'm indebted to him as I am Ann" Luffy tells Silvers.

"You're really not." Tiredly, Ann huffs.

"I never thought I'd meet a living legend in this place…" In awe, Jinbei exclaims.

"Here…isn't this your treasured hat?" Silver smiles tossing it over to Luffy.

"Right thanks. I just don't feel right unless I'm wearing this." Luffy happily place the hat back on.

"Wasn't there a pirate crew here earlier?" Jinbei ponders.

"If you mean Trafalgar Law he just left. He said you should take it easy for another two weeks." Silver answers.

"Seems to me he saved you Luffy." Ann adds.

"What a waste…we went all the way there…" Penguin complains out loud as the submarine roams through the dark depths of the sea.

"I really wanted to enter the land of women." The orca hat wearing guy sighs sadly.

"I wish there were female bears there…" Bepo bows his head.

"Oh shut up!" The two chorus at the bear.

"I'm so sorry…" Said polar bear bows his head.

"You're so weak minded." The two chorus oblivious to their smirking captain.

"I wonder what Hibiscus has planned, either way I suppose I should play my part, D is sure to cause another storm." Law whispers smirking slightly at the storm to come.

"Oh Rayleigh? You are Rayleigh are you not?" Surprised, Gloriosa gasps at the sight of Rayleigh as she and the amazons approach, a huge stack of food being held up by the monkeys.

"Oh if it isn't Gloriosa this sure takes me back!" Silvers smiles at the sight of the elderly woman.

"Rayleigh" Sonia smiles at him.

"Ray!" Mari joins in warmly welcoming him.

"Oh it's you two!" Rayleigh smiles at Mari and Sonia.

"Luffy!" Hancock gushes over Luffy devouring the food while Jinbei and Ann watch on from afar.

"Hey big sister that is no way to act in front of a man we're indebted to!" Mari and Sonia snap at her.

"Do you know old man Rayleigh?" Luffy asks Sonia.

"Yes." Sonia smiles down at him.

"It's a long story." Mari sighs softly.

"Luffy I see you are awake I haven't been able to sleep from worry…you must be hungry…I have brought you some food…so just dig in." Happily, Hancock says softly smiling down at the watermelon she circles.

"How can you talk of marriage you can't even look him in the eye!?" Gloriosa gawks at the blushing mess.

"Marriage?" Ann arches a baffled brow by the woman impaling the watermelon with her finger.

"You…yes you are the aunt of Luffy let us get along auntie…" Hancock happily takes the astonished Ann's hands having no clue what was going on.

"I'm so confused right now." Ann admits eyeing the woman going back to the food while Gloriosa gawks just as Hancock tosses the watermelon aside effectively breaking it.

"Get to work! Get to work preparing Luffy's meal!" Hancock composes herself pointing to the monkey.

"Jinbei! This food wasn't meant for you!" Boa glares at Jinbei.

"Come now give Jinbei some, Luffy may not be here if not for Jinbei." Ann speaks up.

"Hmph, be grateful for my auntie's kindness. You may have a little of it." Hancock allows.

"Still not your auntie…" Ann frowns at Boa.

"E-Eh right…Luffy let us eat the food they brought us, eating is living!" Jinbei recites as he begins digging in.

"There you go…" Ann smiles seeing said boy join in.

"That's right now you're acting like the Luffy I know!" Jinbei cheer at the by devouring the boned meat.

"Jinbei I only said you could have a little did I not!?" Cross, Hancock glares at Jinbe squeaking slightly, punching his chest.

"…I think he's chocking." Concerned, Ann points out.

"He'll be fine. Still you girls have changed so much over the last thirteen years…you've grown strong and beautiful." Rayleigh compliments them.

"Rayleigh, Shakki, Elder Nyon we owe all three of you so much for taking us in after we escaped from the celestial dragons." Sonia smiles down at the two.

"Still this is quite worrisome right now we are concealing Luffy from the navy even if you personally know Luffy the fact that you were able to guess Luffy's location so easily troubles me." Elder Nyon fusses.

"What? How nostalgic! By any chance are you Rayleigh?" Hancock gasps as she finally clocks in.

"You just realized?" Her sisters scowls at her.

"Just how distracted are you!?" Gloriosa gawks at her.

"No the Navy won't figure out that he's here." Ann steps forward taking everyone aback.

"How do you know that?" Jinbei frowns at Ann.

"Who do you think summoned him here?" Amused, Ann smirks smugly.

"Eh?" The group blurt out.

"Even if the navy knew after what has happened they'll know not to mess with me not unless they want certain secrets made into public knowledge that is." Simply, she shows said snail to them.

"You'd do that?" Jinbei says shocked.

"The boy is under my protection if they attack Luffy they attack me it's as simple as that. The navy wouldn't act not after I toyed with Akainu. He is safe here now let's get to the point. Luffy you said you plan to go back to Sabaody right?" Ann reasons before turning to Luffy stopping his eating briefly to turn to him.

"I want to see my crew." Luffy asserts.

"Are you sure that's what you should do? Do you remember what happened to you on Sabaody?" Silver asks as said boy flinches from the miserable memory of how it all began…

"The grand line isn't a place to be taken lightly Luffy it's live or die." Dutifully, Ann tries to warn him.

"Y-You serious?" Surprised, he raises a brow.

"I am." She asserts.

"Do you think you can withstand such overwhelming power in your current state?" Silvers asks Luffy.

"But I…." Luffy begins but…

"Are you going to reassemble just to repeat the same tragedy?" Ann asserts.

"Of course not!" Luffy scowls.

"Then I have a suggestion of course it's your choice whether or not to accept it…but train the next two years here with Rayleigh learn about haki, haki is how you will survive the next step." Ann smirks slightly.

"Haki?" Luffy furrows his brow by the familiar title.

"It's what you'll need to survive Luffy to keep your nakama alive you want them to keep them safe don't you? To avoid you failing Ace? I think it's what you…or rather what all of you need the most right now. I can't teach you for I don't have the time I have too much to do as it is but Rayleigh can." Ann admits to Luffy.

"But what Luffy truly needs now…is to heal his body and Saul don't you think?" Tentatively, Jinbei argues.

"He can do that through training, training requires self-reflection." Sighing, Ann reasons.

"But what about my crew?" Luffy presses.

"I'm sure they'll be heading towards Sabaody news about what you did has spread all over the world. So your crewmates have probably heard it as well." Rayleigh reasons.

"All the more reason why I have to go…I promised them…I have to go…I'm going to Sabaody too!" Luffy asserts as Rayleigh and Ann share a look from the look in Luffy's eye.

"I have a solution for that." Ann assures Luffy taking him aback as he listens to Ann's plan…

"-You saved me! "Revolutionaries army, thanks for coming!" The newly freed slaves of the bridge thank the army as the snow freely falls upon the bridge in East Blue. The men and women in blue garb joyfully celebrate their freedom in the snow alongside loved ones, friends and families reunite joyous to be free.

"Robin!" A young blonde girl rushes over to Robin.

"Soran!" Robin recognises the youth.

"It's great. Can everybody be free from now on?" She looks up at Robin.

"Yes. At least, you're not gonna be forced to build the bridge." Robin smiles softly down at her.

"Hey...will you accept this?" She hands her a piece of wood with a carved sketch of Robin.

"Thank you, Soran." Smiling, Robin takes the piece of wood patting the girl's head, thinking back to a certain pink haired woman once doing the same.

"You're leaving, aren't you, Robin?" The girl sighs sadly at Robin.

"Yes." Robin confirms.

"Robin! Can I see you again?" She asks him as she simply smiles down at the young child before leaving with the group of revolutionaries.

"So…what will you do Luffy?" Ann places one leg over the other after explaining her plan to Luffy, brown gazing into pitch black.

"W-What did you just say?!" Stunned, Hancock gawks gapes at the blonde before her.

"Weren't you listening?!" Ann glances over at Hancock.

"-That's not it I can't understand your intent! You know what's going on in Luffy's mind now. Depending on your answer, I won't be able to forgive you!" Hancock declares.

"She's right! How dare you say a such thing, knowing what happened to him? You're a harsh person. Cold!" Jinbei proclaims.

"He was your brother was he not? How can you act as if it doesn't effect you one bit!? You're inhuman! A demon!" Hancock accuses.

"…Was I talking to you Empress?" Emotionlessly, Ann questions her.

"Eh?" Boa's blues widen when asked.

"Jinbei?" Aloofly, Ann turns to the sea knight.

"I…" Jinbei falters.

"No I wasn't." Ann asserts aloofly.

"You…you really are as inhuman as they say…" Hancock seethes.

"And I was talking to Luffy. You must decide, Luffy, what you want to do." Ann stares straight at Luffy.

"I don't ever wanna let my friends...go through something like that again! If I do as you told me to, I can protect my friends?" Luffy looks towards Ann and Rayleigh hopeful, Rayleigh standing behind Ann unable to not see Rouge before him. Rayleigh could see Ann's pain as clear as day for he had sailed the seas with her when she was a youth but it was at this time where she was strongest, when she was hurting she would focus firmly on those that matter, he couldn't help but compare her cold curtness to the child he had once met at the start of his journey as cold as her mother melting away by her father's love now nothing more than an empty husk filled to the brim with bloodlust…

"I think it's worth trying. But you should realize you'll have a lot to do." Ann warns Luffy.

"Okay. I made up my mind. I'm gonna go back. To Marineford!" Luffy declares determined oblivious to the small smirk of Ann as they set off…to Marineford.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Ann asks as she leans over the railing of the boat, him handing her a cigarette which she happily takes, soon spewing smoke into the open air as a still silence falls between both blondes before he knew it…

"You're a celestial dragon?" Ann eyes the blonde brow furrowed shaking quivering quaking waiting for the glare of disgust sent his way, the shouting, the anger, the…

"Soo…you think Bell is on? Cause I swear she was acting all sorts of moody today…." Truthfully, Ann complains.

"…Eh?" The baffled blonde blurts out.

"I mean I don't want to assume but she just seemed all huffy…oh you think she got broken up with again?" Ann continues on regardless.

"…Aren't you going to react!?" The blonde barks baffled.

"….What's their react to?" The younger Ann quirks her head to the side.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" The blonde frowns at Ann.

"Well…yeah." Aloofly, Ann shrugs.

"And you don't…" The blonde begins but…

"Well I mean I don't think you like those guys morals do ya?" Ann asks him.

"Course not!" The blonde scowls.

"Then what's their to react to? Rosi is Rosi after all." Ann smiles.

"Huh?" He says shocked.

"Your past and heritage means jack the you is what matters now." Ann asserts.

"Hahaha…" He bows his head.

"What?" She furrows her brow by his laughter.

"You're way too honest for your own good." He smiles softly at her.

"Eh!?" Ann blurts out.

"We celestial dragons and you of the D family are natural enemies." He points out.

"Why?" Ann ponders.

"Eh?" He exclaims.

"Like I said Rosi is Rosi you seem fine to me anyway so why do we have to be enemies?" She asks him.

"Because…!" He begins brow furrowed.

"Because…?" She queries.

"…I…I don't know." He sighs.

"Sounds stupid to me. Don't you think so?" She shrugs.

"You'll be friends with me even though you know that?" He frowns.

"Urgh I said it once I'll say it again Rosi is Rosi end of." She states.

"Ann…" The tears freely fall.

"H-Hey why are you!? What's with the tears!?" Alarmed, Ann demands.

"…Thank you just thank you." The tears freely fall from the sobbing wreck of a blonde baffling the young Ann attempting to calm her friend down…

"Had a nice rest?" Rayleigh smirks slightly as Ann silently stirs staring up at the shining shimmering stars above on the marine boat.

"…I don't know if you'd call it that." Ann rubs the back of her neck furrowing her brow by the snoring sleeping Luffy and Jinbei, using the tied up marines as pillows. She eyes Rayleigh silently driving the ship to Marineford after stealing said ship.

"Oh?" Rayleigh raises a brow sipping his canister.

"I don't know I haven't been sleeping lately." Ann admits.

"I wouldn't put it past you especially with what has happened." Rayleigh eyes Ann.

"Urgh…" Ann groans.

"You ready to talk now?" Rayleigh queries.

"About what?" Ann furrows her brow.

"About you." Rayleigh notes the bags hanging heavily under her hues.

"What's their to talk about?" Amused, Ann chuckles coyly, kicking a nearby marine head.

"Ann…you lost Ace and you haven't mourned you haven't even shed a single tear." Rayleigh points out.

"…I can't." Ann admits as she takes the canister.

"Huh?" He watches her sip from the canister.

"I can't cry." Ann admits anguished ashamed almost.

"Ann…" Rayleigh's brow furrows.

"I mean it what kind of sister am I if I can't even shed a single tear for my little brother…?!" Anguished, Ann sips the canister.

"You…" Rayleigh begins brow furrowed.

"My mother died for Ace to be born…she gave her life for him to be born because of the navy and my father…the whole reason I joined the navy was to protect my brother and mother from afar and I failed them, I failed all three of them." Ann explains as she shakes the canister around anguished.

"It was out of your hands." Rayleigh argues.

"No it wasn't! If I had stopped Ace if I hadn't…!" Ann's grip tightens tenses around the canister.

"Ann we all know playing with hypotheticals achieve nothing, thinking about the past will do nothing what matters is the present." Rayleigh reminds her.

"I know…that's why…I will achieve his dream." Determined, Ann vows.

"Huh?" Rayleigh blurts out.

"My dream is one that can never come true because…I failed them all I don't deserve my dream to come true that is my punishment, my way to atone for failing them…although my dream is dead my father dream isn't." Ann reminds Rayleigh.

"…you don't mean…" Rayleigh's hues widen when hearing her words.

"If I can accomplish his dream…or at the least help what was left behind by my father be found then maybe…maybe I can atone, maybe I can be forgiven, maybe then I can finally die." Disturbed, Ann smiles.

"Ann…what are you saying?" Shocked, Rayleigh demands from the grinning girl.

"I'm saying there is no purpose for my existence anymore." Animatedly, she spins around amazed.

"Ann…how can you say that?" Rayleigh stares stunned shakily sadly at the grinning girl smiling.

"Because it's the truth I was ordered by the captain to protect Ace but I failed the only way I can atone for this, for this blood on my hands is through death but I can't die...not yet I don't deserve the release of death not until I can finish what he started…!" Smiling, she reasons to the disturbed Rayleigh.

"Ann your father wouldn't want this!" Rayleigh takes the canister from her.

"Maybe not but there's a lot of things my father wouldn't want that has come to pass…if a monster is what the navy wanted from my family I'll give it to them, I'll give them the child of the demon king of the king of the pirates." Proudly, she declares determined.

"Ann…" Anguished, Rayleigh watches the smiling mess of a woman declare it.

"As long as I live no matter what I do no matter what I say, the whole world will want me dead, I am the enemy of the people, the enemy of the world, the big bad of this world to the people of the world. So…that is what I will be nothing more nothing less. I will only be known as the child of Roger, the pirate king's daughter, the demon child there is nothing more I can ever be from that title so that is who I will become, I will become the monster the marines want me to be to atone for it all, that's all I'm good for now anyway." Ann holds herself still smiling, grip tightening tensing at the reality of the situation smiling despite it all, a still silence between both of them, Rayleigh staring stunned at the broken child before him.

"Robin-san. Are you gonna head for Sabaody?" The revolutionary asks Robin.

"Yes." Robin

"The light of revolution." We've called you that and searched for you for more than years. You're the only survivor from Ohara, the country that fought against the world. When we find you, we have to protect you from the Government at any cost. That's what the boss told us." The revolutionary explains to Robin.

"Boss?" Robin queries.

"The leader of the Revolutionaries army - Dragon." He tells Robin.

"Luffy's father...What a curious turn of fate! Robin's eyes expand at the name before smiling.

"I beg you again. Please meet our boss! I'll take you to him." He begs her.

"I can't. I have to return somewhere. Besides that, you don't need to protect me. Because I have friends." Firmly, she turns to leave.

"You mean the members of the Straw Hat Pirates." The Revolutionary assumes.

"Yes." She nods.

"Then, let us give you a lift part of the way at least. You can't see the end of this bridge even if you walk for several days. Let us take you wherever you're going." The leader insists.

"We'll be able to unlock the third and fourth prisons soon!" A Revolutionary rushes over to the group.

"Roger that. Tell the others to get ready for the release of the prisoners." The leader orders.

"Yes, sir!" They go to do just that.

"Can I ask you something?" Robin asks the leader.

"Anything." He assures Robin.

"Why does the Revolutionaries army need me?" Robin queries.

"Th-That's because..." The man explains himself to Robin…

"Th-This is a Navy ship "04… We demand permission to enter." Nervously, the marine speaks into the snail standing before the gates of justice.

"You're right on time. Okay, may I have your code number?" The guy on the other side requests.

"The code number is 5963." He answers.

"Code number, confirmed. Open the Gate of Justice." The guy on the other side orders.

"Yes, sir!" They do just that as the gates of justice opens up to the ship.

"Alright, good boy." Approvingly, Ann smiles sickly sweetly at the shaking boy with a gun to his temple.

"V-Vice Admiral Ann!" The young lad whimpers weakly.

"Hm?" Ann arches a bored brow flintlock in hand.

"How could…how cold you betray us? We of your battalion believed in you!" The marine whimpers weakly, tears freely falling.

"Not my problem you believed in a system that let people down." Ann aloofly scoffs smirking at the crying child crying out when he is swiftly knocked out by the butt of the gun.

"You did a good job rest for a while won't you?" She kicks the blonde boy to the side, her heels clicking crisply against the wooden floorboards as the ship enters through the gate.

"V-Vice admiral Ann…" Anguished, the young boy whimpers reaching out to her through his blurry bloodied vision before going limp, knocked out.

"So annoying…" Ann sneers scowling down at the bruised boy below.

"Luffy-kun, how are you feeling?" Jinbei asks as he and Luffy stand before the tied up knocked out marines.

"I feel fine now. Not bad at all." Luffy promises.

"Then let the show begin!" Ann smirks smugly at the thought, eager for the show to begin.

"Ann…" Rayleigh sips his canister eyeing the blonde behind him.

"Hm?" Ann hums swiftly snatching said canister from him, taking a sip for herself.

"You were a bit rough there don't you think?" Rayleigh eyes the bloodied bruised boy below.

"Hm? Oh that brat stained my flintlock I like this one too." Tutting, Ann whines when seeing said stain uncaring towards the firm frown of Rayleigh.

"Ann…you are allowed to mourn you know?" Rayleigh reminds the giddily grinning girl.

"Mourn now? No, no, no I can't mourn now, not yet…" Ann tuts tauntingly smirking sadistically.

"Ann…I agreed to help you because it was Roger's wish but tell me what do you hope to get out of this? What do you want?" Rayleigh eyes the blonde sipping his canister.

"What…do I want? Its simple really." Smiling, she swirls the canister in her hand.

"Then what is it?" Rayleigh frowns.

"…The admirals heads." Pleased, Ann beams brightly oblivious to the disturbed look crossing Rayleigh who grimaces and simply stares ahead steering as Ann leans back, enjoying the canister as they continue on their way to Marineford.

"The former Warlord, Knight of the Sea Jinbei, The demon child of the pirate king, Hibiscus Rouge, the Pirate King's former first mate, The Dark King Silvers Rayleigh and Straw Hat Luffy! What do they want?!" One of the marines barely conscious wonder before descending down into the dark depths of their subconscious…

"How terrible!" A woman whispers taking photos of the ruined remains of Marineford with a fair few other reporters as marines and others try to fix the ruined remans of Marineford.

"It was an all-out war between the Navy's elite and the world's greatest pirate. It's lucky that the island didn't sink. Where did you come from?" The blonde boy asks the girl.

"I'm from Alabasta, to do a story on Crocodile and Straw Hat." She answers.

"Straw Hat could be dead already though. I'm sure that the Navy wants to look for the pirates involved in the war but they don't have time for that now." The man tells the girl.

"Yeah." She smiles as they watch the construction effort.

"The One Piece is real!" Whitebeard calls out as magma engulfs the battlefield of both marine and pirate alike.

"Pirates inspired by Whitebeard's dying words are committing crimes all over the world. All the Navy soldiers who can fight are dealing with them everywhere. I feel sorry for them." She says as Kuzan stands amongst the frozen figures of pirates slumped, leant in his inner palm takes out a locket of some sort, silently opening it, his hues softening sadly at the smiling blonde beaming brightly in the photo, a lone flower in her hair, a hibiscus, his hues softening sadly at the locket, his grip tightening around it.

"Speak of the devil, here come the soldiers." The blonde reporter turns to the ship.

"What's wrong with that ship? It's not coming into the bay! Befuddled, the marines take note of.

"They're acting strange." The blonde boy adds only then to gasp when it fires.

"Firing a blank?!" The reporter boy gasps.

"What's going on?!" The girl queries as lost as the marines rushing over to stare stunned at the ship.

"Have they contacted us?!" The marines query.

"No, sir!" A solider reports as just then…

"No way! Why did he come back...?!" Scared, a soldier seeing through binoculars gawks at the bandaged boy before them on said ship.

"What's the matter?!" The higher up demands.

"It's Straw Hat Luffy!" The soldier spots.

"What?!" The marines gawk gape at the news.

"Did he steal a Navy ship?! "Why now?" The blonde queries with the reporter.

"He never learns... Sink the ship!" A vice admiral orders as a canon fires but…

"Fish-Man Jiu-Jitsu!" Jinbei from the depths of the strike strikes a geyser hitting the cannonballs.

"Ocean Current Shoulder Throw!" He roars protecting said ship.

"Is that the traitor - "First Son of the Sea" Jimbe?!" A soldier recognises as just then…

"There is someone else! That's…" One of the marines gasp.

"Vice Admiral Ann!" Another adds as a fair few of the marines gawk gape at the woman, a brisk breeze brushing through her hair as she holds the side of her hair brow furrowed from the wind.

"What the hell is the marine traitor doing here!?" Horrified, the vice admiral gawks gapes at the woman looking rather refined perched upon the railing of said ship, one leg over the other as sweat slides down the people on Marineford frightened from the sheer sight of the woman.

"And behind her is…" The solider spots the old man behind her perched upon a barrel tossing some ammo up in the air.

"Don't tell me that that's the legendary..." A soldier begins but….

"...first mate of the Roger Pirates - Dark King Rayleigh!" Another ends cutting the soldier off.

"So noisy…" The refined Ann whispers, brow furrowed at the men.

"Shall I silence them?" Rayleigh smirks suavely at the young lady.

"Not yet." Softly, she whispers as canon fires.

"Rude…" Swiftly, she watches Rayleigh flick some ammo as with ease the canons blast breaking up in the air.

"Why don't they come ashore?" The young lady with the camera wonders.

"They went around the island once...It's like a funeral at sea!" A Marine recognises.

"Funeral? Because our main forces aren't here now?! Damn pirates! Barrage them from all directions!" The vice admiral orders as the ship after circling enters the main bay before being blasted but a rubber hand stretches over, dragging the trio onto the island.

Luffy lands by his side stands Jinbei on one side and Ann the other, Rayleigh stands by Ann's side standing tall and regal contrasting to the hands shoved in Ryleigh's pockets.

"Go ahead and let loose on them!" Rayleigh tells Luffy grinning giddily as he rushes forward.

"Just make sure t be gentle okay we don't want your stitches reopening!" Ann calls out worriedly to Luffy watching him rush off.

"Yeah!" He grins giddily taking off.

"Catch Straw Hat!" The marines rush at straw hat however one is swiftly shot down, taking everyone aback at the lone body comes crashing down, a bullet hole in the temple, scarlet spewing out.

"Uh uh uh…it's rude to leave a lady unsatisfied." Smirking, she winks at the marines many of them blushing brightly lovestruck, hearts in their eyes, oblivious to the petals of hibiscus surrounding the air as she simply draws a part of her blade before all the men fall flat to the ground, crimson currents comes gushing out of the many marine soldiers.

"Look at this mess…" Tutting, she shakes her head at them, a sadistic smirk crossing her lips.

"I'll fight you guys!" Jinbei slams his fist into his palm.

"Give us some entertainment won't you?" Rayleigh draws his blade.

"Indeed. I want you guys to play with me as well!" Ann smirks suavely as the three deal with the soldiers, covering Luffy rushing to the bell.

"What is he up to?! He's heading west!" The girl wonders following Luffy.

"Does he want to bring the HQ down?!" The male reporter wonders.

"What is he gonna do with the Ox Bell?" The soldier thrown grunts glaring as Luffy gets on the ox bell platform ringing it taking everyone aback as they hear the ring of the bell. Ann stops her fighting, closing her hues in respect, bowing her head. He gets off the bell, everyone taking photos following him as a marine tries to get in his path, sword raised but nerves get the best of him as Luffy simply brushes past approaching the crater.

"Flowers?" The people blink befuddled to see him take the bouquet out of his vest dropping them into the crater, placing his straw hat to his chest a moment of silence filling the air.

"This is gonna be a great picture!" The girl gasps going over the bridge to take a photo of Luffy paying his respects, Marines around him armed and ready on the other side. Something printed upon his arm, a cross on the code of sorts as after a still silence of them taking photos does Luffy leave.

"Chase him! Don't let him get away!" The marines try to chase Luffy down. The group gasp by the wale suddenly surfacing before them.

"Now he's leaving...What was that all about?" The boy queries.

"Dark King Rayleigh, Hibiscus Ann and the warlord - Jinbei...are they taking his side?!" Stunned, a reporter wonders as Luffy leaps up to their side, smiling.

"Rayleigh was a crew member of the King of the Pirates. Does that mean Straw Hat is Roger's successor?!" Stunned, a reporter theorises.

"N-No way! The marine traitor is among them, she's the daughter of Roger she must be his successor unless she plans to pass that torch on…!" Another reporter argues as they turn their backs to the people taking photos of them.

"But he's Dragon's son! That can't be true..." The reporter argues as they leap upon the whale and leave.

"In any case, this is...big news!" The blonde bellows as the newspapers are swiftly printed spread all over…the message made clear to the rest of the straw hats…

"This article has spread all over the world already! It even covers the fact that we let Straw Hat get away! How humiliating! If you look at it simply, what Straw Hat did was pay a tribute…to his brother and Whitebeard and all other people who died in the war. No doubt about the moment of silence and going around the island but the bell should only have been rung twice not times! So the bells could be a challenge to us! No doubt Ann, the marine traitor knew of this, this is a challenge to us! This is her challenge to us using the boy to get a rise out of us…" The green haired man seethes scowls explaining the report o the rest of the marines.

"I tried to talk him out of it but Garp virtually resigned. But he has to keep his title and stay in the Navy. Educating young Navy soldiers. If you want to resign from your position as fleet admiral, could you at least do that? Sengoku." Kong tuts tiredly sat at his desk before Sengoku, the aquarium of fish going about its day to the side of them.

"Yes, sir. I accept that offer. It's not a bad way to spend my retired life." Sengoku smiles.

"The two of you who have led the Navy at the front since Roger's era are stepping down. That's going to make quite a splash. Including the escaped prisoners from level at Impel Down, there are a lot of infamous pirates still on the loose. And Newgate was at the top of the list." Kong sighs.

"Whitebeard was the greatest of them all." Sengoku says.

"Not to mention Ann's lineage being released…moral in the navy has never been so divisive hopefully you can bring some order back into troops." Kong throws in.

"…I hope to. The Pirate Era is changing now and old soldiers shouldn't cling to power in the Navy. Justice is based on values. And those change every generation." Sengoku says.

"That's not what I want to hear." Kong frowns.

"By the way, Kong-san, I want to recommend Aokiji for next fleet admiral." Sengoku smiles as elsewhere Aokiji stands at the front of the ship staring down at a familiar locket, grip tightening around it before the washing waves of the sea, staring up at Marineford, letting loose a small sneeze.

"Honestly! How controversial he is. Straw Hat Luffy…it's not so surprising considering he's Garp's grandson." Saint Saturn wonders out loud.

"I wonder how he knows Rayleigh." Mars ponders out loud.

"No doubt it's through his connection with Portgas or I suppose we should call her Roger now…still Jimbei finally turned against us. He being a warlord was a symbol of intertribal peace. What a shame!" Warcury adds.

"The Three Great Powers are off-balance now. How should we fill the vacancies among The Seven Warlords?" Nusjuro adds.

"We need to see what will unfold in the New World. There'll be some changes in power relationships among pirates. We have to pick the most powerful ones." Peters adds.

"Blackbeard made his move already in the New World and took out one of the rookies with a bounty of over million. He knows all there is to know about Whitebeard's territory." Saturn points out.

"He has a lead over the pirates who want to become one of The Four Emperors. No one has ever eaten Devil Fruits in history except for him." Mars reminds them.

"The people who might be able to stop him are The Four Emperors...or Marco the Phoenix and the remnants of the Whitebeards." Peters wonders.

"It's always the "D."s who make trouble including "Portgas." The last living one is proving to be quite the threat as well with us cutting down Ace who knows when she'll attack…" Warcury says an uneasy air around them at the thought.

"She will attack in what manner we do not know." Nusjuro states the fact firmly.

"Under the Figerland name she has protection however her knowledge of navy secrets is not to be taken lightly the best we can do is sit out and wait for when she will strike she will want vengeance for taking out Ace that is for sure." Mars furrows his brow by the thought.

"Perhaps if we were to offer Akainu's head she will step down." Saturn considers.

"I doubt it, a woman's wrath is not to be taken lightly especially a woman of the sea. Out of all the living D she is the most terrifying…those names are exposed to the public a little bit too much these days." Nusjuro points out raising his blade by the thought.

"You're kidding." Ann scoffs as if she could believe that…

"…Why would I kid about that?" Tiredly, Kuzan demands from Ann astonishing her to see such seriousness.

"Why would you do that?" Tense, Ann furrows her brow baffled befuddled by the thought.

"Because I wasn't serious about them." Truthfully, Kuzan admits.

"And you think you should be serious with me?" Mockingly, Ann scoffs shaking her head at the foolish thought, this would end with nothing but pain…for them both.

"I'd like to." Truthfully, he admits to the anguished Ann.

"…I'm a pirate." Pointedly, she reminds him.

"And I'm a marine." Aloofly, he shrugs.

"And a admiral!" Agitated, she snaps sharply turning on her heel to glare at the man sat down on the bed, staring straight ahead as Ann couldn't help but blink baffled by the sheer seriousness on his face and in his tone.

"And you're the left hand of a yonko." Evenly, he points out as Ann grits grinds her teeth together tense.

"Do you not hear yourself? This…is!" Incensed, Ann begins but stops herself trying to comprehend the fool before her.

"Is what?" Kuzan quirks his head to the side as Ann stares, was he just trying to mess with her or something? Scowling, her grip tightens around the window shaking almost anxious at the thought.

"I don't know!" Angrily, Ann snaps sharply seething suddenly opening the window and leaving, running off, fleeing once again as Kuzan sighs softly, not even the slightest bit surprised, a part of him just glad to have gotten that off his chest as Ann flees…

The silent steps of Aokiji echoes throughout the halls of Marineford as Aokiji alone takes out a familiar locket, brow furrowing from the women within the lensed locket in a world of his own, heading to his office until…

"I'm sorry! I couldn't hold the fort!" The solider suddenly bows before Aokiji astonishing the man having no clue what to do with the tearful beaten bruised man.

"Don't worry about it." He pats the sobbing solider heading to his office.

"He was alive, huh? Amazing! Did you hear about it? Straw Hat caused trouble again." Aokiji reads the paper, his hues widening when seeing a familiar blonde winking in a different photo of her, his grip tightening to see her there…

"I heard." Smoker spews smoke into the office the sound of construction echoes by the busted office wall.

"The great war just barely ended not so long ago and the sixteen bells now? Is this some kind of message?" Aokiji couldn't help but ponder.

"Knowing Ann is involved most likely." Smoker scowls.

"…" Silently, Akoji's hues soften silently down upon the photo below of the smirking Ann by Luffy's side, Rayleigh by her other, his brow furrowed from another photo of her winking in the wanted poster with her bounty.

"I still can't believe it Roger's kid under our noses all along…did you know about this?" Smoker couldn't help but ask Aokiji, still silently stoically staring down at the photo of the blonde below.

"So…you went to Roger's execution…" Aokiji furrows his brow at her.

"This again? Well yeah…it was a big thing at the time you know? A whole era was changing…it still is changing I suppose, I wonder what the future will bring?" Ann couldn't help but ponder to herself.

"More scummy pirates after that treasure he mentioned." Aokiji's grip tightens around the anxious Ann grimacing glancing to the side scowling.

"You really think all pirates are scum?" Shyly, Ann asks as she removes herself slightly from Aokiji, his brow furrowing from her words.

"All they do is cause trouble I wouldn't have this job if it weren't for them." Aokiji argues.

"Do you…do you think Gol. D Roger is scum?" Softly, Ann asks Aokiji.

"He's king of the scum." Aokiji asserts as Ann couldn't help but grimace.

"…No." Aokiji sets said newspaper down on the desk below.

"No?" Smoker says surprised raising a brow by Aokiji's answer.

"Well if you did research you'd know that the oharans are a peaceful people, scholars what would they do with a weapon?" Ann reminds Aokiji as her brow furrows from his words.

"Attack the marines. The World Government." Aokiji reminds Ann.

"You think it's as simple as that?" Tense, Ann arches a brow by Aokiji's words.

"They broke the law Ann why are you defending them?" Tiredly, Aokiji furrows his brow at Ann.

"Why is researching into the void century a law though?" Tentatively, Ann asks Aokiji crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why are you so bent over backwards about this?" Aokiji asks brow furrowed at Ann.

"Innocent lives are at stakes." Seriously, she snaps scowling at Aokiji anger freely flowing through her. Baffled that she even had to explain this.

"These are not innocent lives they knew what they were doing, the knowledge of those people spreading could leak out pirates could endanger more lives we must deliver absolute justice on this." Truthfully, Aokiji reminds Ann as her hues narrow at his words, true justice….that's what he would call man slaughter? That's what he would call genocide? That's what he would call murder!?

"…Is that what you think?" Tense, Ann whispers weakly, trying to keep her tone calm, collected composed but eve she could feel it wobble a bit as bit her lip trying to stop it, her back turned to him unaware of her watery hues of brown.

"It is." Aokiji answers stating the fact firmly to the anguished Ann.

"Well I see how things are now." Ann smiles strained she should have known, she really should have known, she really should have expected it, she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up, she shouldn't have thought anything different, she shouldn't have thought he'd be different, he was the same, he was just like the rest of them he was…so why? Why did it hurt so much more than the rest?! Ann holds her head anguished at the thought trying to fight back against the tears trying to freely fall from her.

"Ann!" Aokiji calls out to her as she swiftly brushes by him only to feel the stern ice-cold hand clamp down upon her, noting the icy shards stretching over to her, trying to coat her trap her almost as she could feel her blood turn ice cold.

"…Don't come near me!" Mad, she swiftly slaps his hand aside anguished as Aokiji's hues beneath said shades widen when seeing the raw amount of emotions with seeing said watery browns broken before him, disappointment drenching her trembling tone.

"If you go down this path you'll get hurt you'll be in danger they'll hunt you down!" Ann asserts annoyed almost as he tries to reach out to her however…

"You expect me to stand by as thousands are slaughtered?" Seething, she snarls at Aokiji.

"You expect me to stand by as you throw your life and career away!?" Angrily, Aokiji demands done.

"I thought you were different! You're the same just as them!" Anguished, Ann rushes to the door done.

"Ann!" Aokiji calls out but…

"People like you…people like you are why I can never find a place I belong in this world…!" Upset, Ann whispers weakly whimpering while Aokiji astonished, simply stares at Ann as she turns her back turning to leave.

"ANN!" Angry, Aokiji roars raising his voice startling a fair few to hear such raw emotion to hear the chill chill fruit user raise his voice at Ann simply staring ahead as she swiftly slams or well swiftly slides the door in his face fuming on the warpath.

"Are you…okay?" Smoker takes note of Aokiji's still silence, unable to read his expression.

"I don't know." Aokiji admits astonishing Smoker.

"…She betrayed us, she's a traitor." Truthfully, Smoker sternly reminds Aokiji ignoring the own pain in his chest.

"…We killed her brother." Aokiji argues astonishing Smoker to hear his words.

"Her brother was a pirate as is she. The daughter of the pirate king…" Sternly, Smoker reminds Aokiji however he is met by still silence.

"…that aside, what about my transfer?" Smoker snuffs said cigar out with the ashtray noting the icy air around them, unable to read the expression of the stone faced Aokiji as he decides to change topic.

"Well, I'll talk to Sengoku-san about it but are you serious?" Aokiji asks Smoker.

"No one would say such a thing as a joke." Smoke states.

"I know. G-5 is not a place that you go voluntarily. That place has a bunch of problems. Navy - Grand Line 5th branch. That means you wanna go to the New World." Aokiji assumes.

"It's better to be closer to your target." Smoker stares straight at Aokiji, dead set on heading to the New World.

"Rang the bells for a new era in Marineford." What's the Ox Bell?" Captain Kid glares glowers down at the newspaper in his article eyeing Straw hat paying his respects.

"The Ox Bell is...the holy bell from the Ox Lloyd's, a Navy ship that was quite influential a long time ago. At the year's end, they ring it times to appreciate the passing year and times at the beginning of the year as a prayer for the new year. So they ring it times in total - that's the Navy's custom. That's the meaning of the bells. But it's not the season yet. Hibiscus most likely knew that due to her ties to the marines meaning it could possible be an announcement to the end and the beginning of the era." Killer steps froward to explain to his captain.

"Heh Hibiscus practically had Straw Hat made a declaration of war to the Navy by going back there. So he wants to say, "Whitebeard's era is over. I'll shape the new era"?" Kid smirks at the thought.

"If it's not for those purposes, they wouldn't go back to the place...where they had to relive the pain of losing their brother." Wire asserts aloofly.

"What an annoying pair of bastards! In fact, after the war, he took the lead among the rookies with a bounty of over million. But that's only because he had Hibiscus by his side, I won't let him do whatever he wants and I'll have that Hibiscus see who she should have her bet on." Kid curses cross going out into the pouring rain.

"The New World...I thought I could have a lot of fun here but what's with these cowards?" Kid sneers scowling down at the roped men monsters loom over within the foliage of trees.

"Come on! I didn't cause any harm to you! We were about to get out of this sea! Let us go back to paradise alive!" The pirate pleads, the captain cries to Kid.

"Paradise? You mean, a loving home?" Kid sneers.

"You just got here so you have no idea how horrible this sea is!" The captain cries but before he knew it he hung upon the crosses with his crew, long gone from the world with Kid cackling…

"-Captain Buggy! "We've been looking for you! We've trusted and followed you and we thought, "Look at him, New World! That's our captain!" His crew giddily greet him welcoming him back.

"I-I didn't know that you guys had that much trust in me...I missed you all!" Teary eyed, snot slithers out of the ruby red nose of Buggy bawling his eyes out.

"Captain Buggy!" Cabaji and Mohji with Richie happily hug him.

"You guys..." Teary eyed, Buggy happily hugs his men back.

"Didn't you give up on Buggy?" Alvida sweatdrops by both boys swiftly shushing her.

"So this is how it will be, guys! I'm the first mate of the Buggy Pirates - Mohji!" Mohji introduces himself to the Impel down lot.

"Brother Mohji!" The crew cheer.

"I'm the chief of staff - Cabaji!" Cabaji introduces himself holding his sword.

"Brother Cabaji!" The crew cheer.

"And he's my buddy - Richie!" Mohji introduces the lion.

"Richie!" The crew cheer while elsewhere Alvida and Buggy are alone conversing.

"By the way, what they said in the newspaper was true. They're all infamous criminals with high bounties!" Alvida points out to Buggy's latest recruits.

"Of course! They're heinous prisoners from Impel Down! Oh yeah! Hey Alvida, do you wanna see something cool? Ta-dah!" Buggy shows a familiar strap to her.

"This is...! Don't tell me it's Captain John's treasure mark!" Alvida gasps.

"That's right!" Buggy cheerily confirms.

"This is amazing! How did you get it?" Alvida couldn't help but ask amazed.

"Straw Hat had it! The wind doesn't blow east or west! It looks like it's bl*wing right towards me!" Buggy boasts.

"Speaking of Straw Hat, he made trouble again." Alvida shows said newspaper to him.

"Eh?" Buggy turns to Alvida.

"You didn't know? He made a raid on the Navy HQ!" She hands him the paper.

"Are you kidding me? It's a miracle he's alive, let alone doing this sort of thing! Huh? Let's see... "'First Son of the Sea' Jimbei, Princess of the pirates, Hibiscus Ann, and Dark King Silvers Rayleigh…Rayleigh? What?! Wh-What does Rayleigh-san have to do with Straw Hat?! Ann…what are you planning?" Buggy begins to freak out but soon falters from the sight of Ann by Luffy's side his brow furrowed, a grim grave look of concern clear on his furrowed features for the photo below…

Quietly, the brisk breeze brushes through the long locks of pink, the Whitebeard and Red Haired Pirates conversing amongst themselves, grieving mourning the loss of Ace and Whitebeard while Ann simply stands before he grave, having remined rooted in place, her back turned to them all as both Shanks and Buggy couldn't help but approach Ann, concerned to hear nothing come out of the silent stoic statue not even a tear comes out of her.

"…Ann?" Buggy and Shanks share a look eyeing the back of the woman simply silently standing there, her features shadowed…

"No matter what I do…what no matter I say….I will always be the child of the demon pirate king, no matter what the one consistent in my life is the world wanting my head. Ace was kind, he was a good person and despite that…they killed him. He didn't…he didn't…he didn't mean any harm he didn't even want to be the pirate king he just wanted to live his life with his family…he just wanted to be free…a dream we all wanted but even that was too much to ask for from this cruel world." The brisk breeze brushes through her long locks of pink as she grits grinds her teeth together, her fingertips curling into a pair of furious fists shaking.

"…Ann?" Buggy's brow furrows from her fists.

"The reason my brother died was because of my so called demon of a father…they thought him to be a demon, a boy with the blood of a demon freely flowing through him, a monster… if that's what the navy wants…I'll play my part and be that monster." Ann swears it placing her hand down upon the grave, gently pressing her temple to Ace's own temple, whispering, wait for me Ace, alarming both boys but before they could even rebuke her words, she brushes past both of them, her back turned to them, simply staring ahead, not even batting an eye to the two, the two oblivious to the look of feral fury upon the wrathful woman's face, smiling still despite that as she finishes tending to the last of the funeral arrangements.

"Ann…what are you thinking?" Gently, Buggy couldn't help but ask almost concerned for her, a shy shudder coursing crawling down his spine recalling the face she adorned as he had glances over at it, his heart dropping to see such a expression but before he could think more about it…

"Hey Buggy! A Carrier Bat brought a message from the Government." Mr Three rushes in with a shadow bat fluttering above the envelope in his hand.

"Huh?! How do they know that I'm here?! D-Don't tell me that the Navy sent someone to get me here! And the message is "Be ready for it"? Buggy freaks out internally.

"Hey, give it to me!" Buggy orders but…

"This is...! I can't believe this!" Three reads the letter.

"Don't read it before me!" Buggy cries but the captain's order falls to deaf ears.

The news about Straw Hat Luffy is spreading all over the world.

"H-Hey, why is he here on this island?" Worriedly, one of the civilians on a nearby island eye Crocodile and Daz bones.

"Shh! He can hear you!" One of the boys swiftly shushes the other.

"It's only been weeks since the war. They just barely escaped death...he should still be recovering after his near death experience so what is that woman planning now? Bringing him back there… what are they doing now?" Crocodile couldn't help but ponder eyeing the boy paying his respects then the other photo of the blonde by the boy's side smirking.

"They've got to be up to something. If not, they're just crazy." Daz by Crocodile's side says.

"You think so, Daz?" Crocodile smirks up at Daz.

"Straw Hat is wounded and wounds won't heal that easily, don't you think so?" Daz points out.

"You smart ass! Are you being sarcastic to me? I'm healed. In fact, I'm gonna head back to the sweet old New World. You coming?" Crocodile stands smirking.

"Of course." Daz nods.

"Hibiscus…whatever you're planning…no doubt it's going to be big." Bemused, Crocodile crookedly smirks down at the photo of her before the two set sail for the new world…

The news about Luffy's recent exploits...has reached each crewmember's hometown...

"Look at this, Ace! You saved your brother's life - Luffy is alive! Rest in peace!" Teary eyed, Dadan and the bandits burst into tears before the tree telling Ace just that.

Meanwhile, in the Grand Line...

"Sorry girls, for the long trip." Luffy apologises as he lies resting.

"Don't worry, we're used to travel." The woman promises as she continuingly pulls at Luffy's rubbery skin tugging the bandaged boy.

"What are you doing?" Luffy couldn't help but eye the girls in line almost to have a feel for tugging the boy's elastic skin.

"We have to make sure that you're resting. It's Snake Princess-sama's order. Snake Princess-sama collapsed from too much heart-fluttering a while ago. That's why we have to keep an eye on you." The girls explain to Luffy

"…I should probably stop that…" Ann on the other side sweatdrops, looking over the paper in her hand leant against the railing watching the boys be tugged and pulled by the curious girls.

"I hope that they'll get it." Luffy admits.

"They'll get it if they see the article. The key is your actions and how uncharacteristic they are of you." Ann assures the boy.

"Hey, stop!" Jinbei frowns at the girls.

"There is one guy who looks a bit dull." Rayleigh argues.

"I'll handle him." Ann assures.

"Oh?" Rayleigh raises a brow.

"If he is with who I think he is, he's going to be just as thick-headed." Sighing, Ann admits.

"Oh yeah! I got it, Luffy! I got it now! Okay! Okay!" Teary eyed, Chopper says soaring through the air

"You'll see several ghost towns before we get to the end of the bridge. That's because the whole country moved as the construction progressed. For your information, the site you see is from years ago.

"I see so that's how it is." Robin smiles softly down at the newspaper in her lap.

"What is it Robin-san?" The Revolutionary across from her queries.

"Aye aye Luffy…Ann." Robin smiles staring out at the window of the snowing world knowing what she had to do…

The Sky Island - Weatheria...

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, young girl." Nami squeaks scared by a familiar old man calling out to the girl clearly trying to sneak off the island.

"Shh! That's too much!" Nami shushes him.

"But they closed the Balloon Terminal so we have nowhere to run since this Sky Island is so small." He reminds her.

"But I have to run! Think of something!" Sternly, she orders.

"It's not that easy... Can we go back to my place for now?" The old man queries.

"What?" Nami scowls spotting a newspaper in the letterbox.

"Hey, hey, can't we go in?" The old man whines while she reads it.

"I see. Honestly! He's not thinking about how we feel - how selfish!" Nami curses.

"Young girl! They're coming!" The old man cries as Nami sighs at the situation she found herself in.

"Hey, wake up! How long are you gonna stay asleep? Seriously! How many times do you wanna get beaten? I'm taking care of you - see it from my side!" Persona fumes glaring down at the battered beaten bloodied bandaged Zoro.

"Mind your own business!" Zoro barks back at Persona.

"Oh yeah? I brought you today's newspaper that I got from News Coo! There is an update on your captain." Persona takes out the newspaper.

"What did you say?!" Zoro looms over Persona scaring her.

"H-Hey, you! What did you just say?! R-R-Relax! You better relax! Hey, are you done yet? My hands hurt." Persona frets from next she knew she was holding the paper out for the swordsman to read.

"Give me a minute! There should be a catch...Luffy doesn't do these kinds of things. He's with Ann - it must be Ann's idea. I know there is a catch." Zoro insists.

"I don't care - just hurry up!" Persona frets from the situation she found herself in.

"There she is! "We found her finally!" The old men rush at Nami soon surrounding her.

"How could you fool us? "You didn't just steal our research notes...But you toyed with... "Our pure hearts! Surrender yourself now! You thieving girl!" The group of men roar at Nami.

"Okay." Nami falls to her knees.

"The research notes! "The Weather ball! And the hostage - Mr. Haredas! It's unforgivable even if you return them!" The old men roar at her.

"I'm sorry. I regret what I've done." Nami bows her head.

"No, we can't trust her! "Let's strip her and banish her!" They decide.

"That's so... naughty..." Nami gasps mockingly.

"Huh? Naughty?!" The old men blush brightly.

"Naughty..." She looks up tearfully at them.

"No, no, no, no! I didn't mean it that way! What I wanted to say is..." The men blush brightly.

"She changed the subject... She changed the subject!" One of the old men point out.

"Tut!" Nami turns to glare to the side.

"Did you just tut?" The old man points out.

"No! How terrible! That's an unjust charge!" The old men roar turning to glare at the one taking note of her tut.

"Yeah, that's too much!" Another old man adds.

"Huh, is it my fault?! Didn't you guys hear that?!" The old man frowns at his friends defending the tearful girl.

"I don't think so..." One of the old men argue but…

"Don't get fooled by her!" The same old man argues.

"It must be a mistake! I wouldn't do such a thing!" Nami turns away.

"M-Maybe I misheard..." The man considers.

"She's manipulating them completely." The same old man in the blue robes tuts at the fools of the old men.

"She's wicked! "Let's kick her out now!" The old men decides.

"No! I'm sorry! I regret what I've done!" Nami apologises.

"How could we trust you?!" The old men glare at Nami.

"Yeah, I understand. Alright, to show you how sorry I am, I'm gonna jump into the water. Please forgive me in the afterworld! Goodbye!" Tearfully, Nami turns away heading to the cliff to do just that.

"We made her cry! "Don't jump the gun! You're too young to put an end to your life! We're sorry!" The old men cry rushing after her.

"Okay, I forgive you!" Immediately, she stops turning to walk to the side as the old men cry out trying to stop themselves from falling off the island as Nami begins her list of demands unfazed by the flailing figures.

"Now, I'm gonna stay here a little longer and study about weather! Oh, my name is Nami. You can call me Nami-san. I need a house to live in. Everybody needs a little privacy. And a nice and comfortable bed, a jet tub, and a big closet as well! Thank you, grandpas in the sky! Okay, let's do it! Yeah! Mr. Haredas, come in! Over!" Nami smiles before she calls out the old man watching it all unfold...

"Good grief..." Haredeas huffs having no choice but to follow the thief.

"Here he comes…" Jinbei sits upon the railing of the Kuja pirates ship standing over the sea as next they knew a familiar giant whale of sorts rushed towards Jinbei jumping over to it.

"Jinbei thanks for everything!" Luffy thanks the fishmen perched upon his spotted whale.

"I am the one who ought to be thanking you. You listened to my plea ad helped me escape from Impel Down allowing me to live on though in a shameful manner. I cannot thank you enough!" Jinbei reminds Luffy.

"I thought I told you to stop that if you hadn't been there I might have never made it to Navy HQ. Raise your head." Happily, Luffy rebukes.

"I suppose so and I might have the chance to help you again someday. With that let us again in two years on Fishmen island I look forward to the day when you and your crew arrive!" Jinbei tells him.

"Sure! Take care!" Luffy waves at him along the other Kuja warriors as Jinbei takes off…

"Luffy, I'm glad that you got back on your feet. Your hands, your smile, and all of your casual gestures make...my heart flutter and twinge! If nothing is done, I could die from this fluttering! I feel dizzy...Lovingly from afar the blushing Boa watches Luffy converse with Rayleigh and Ann as she then falls to her knees.

"Are you okay, Hancock?" Rayleigh queries.

"Don't worry!" Boa blushes brightly.

"Right anyway. We'd like to go to the training spot. Can you take us to Ruskaina?" Ann requests.

"I-I see! Hey, set sail for Ruskaina!" Hancock orders.

"Yes, Snake Princess-sama!" Her crew comply.

"Ruskaina?" Luffy looks up at the smiling Ann.

"You'll see." She smiles.

"You're holding nothing back are you?" Rayleigh smirks slightly down at Ann.

"Oh trust me Rayleigh I saw how the boy trained when he was young, this place is perfect for him." Ann assures Rayleigh.

"This island is ideal." Rayleigh nods his head in approval as he gets off the ship.

"The island of 48 seasons should do it's ruthless what with the seasons changing once a week." Ann recalls.

"Luffy I will bring you food from the island of women each and every day!" Hancock promises him.

"What seriously Hancock!? In that case I'd like a special dish of yours the Gorgon whatever it was! That was delicious!" Smiling, Luffy requests.

"I will provide you with as much of your favourite things as you could ever want and that was the last time you called me by my name!" Boa vows to him beofre holding her heated crimson cheeks smiling hiding behind a rock.

"Is this what engagement is like?" Smiling, she ponders to herself smoke soon engulfed her overheated face.

"It is not and why do you keep moving backwards? You said you were married earlier did you not?" Elder Nyon remarks.

"Yeah that's not happening." Ann asserts swiftly shutting said idea down.

"H-Huh?" Hancock stutters shocked.

"Hancock you can't spoil him like that. I will not allow any of the women to set foot on this island while Luffy is training." Resolved, Rayleigh asserts.

"What gives you the right to decide such things Rayleigh!? Answer carefully. I might have to petrify you!" Boa snatches the dark knight by his nose berating him, glaring down at him.

"If he can't handle basic survival skills he'll never make it as a pirate!" Pointedly, Rayleigh states the fact firmly.

"Please let go of his nose snake princess!" Elder Nyon begs.

"Look Empress, this boy was raised in a forest, he fought crocodiles for meat for goodness sake. Luffy has all the food he needs in the forests, rivers or oceans and he has the means of getting them so trust me when I say the boy can take care of himself." Honestly, Ann assures Boa.

"Ann is right and this is all to help Luffy!" Rayleigh reminds her.

"Did you say…it's for Luffy's sake… For Luffy's sake…very well when the three weeks are up I'll have my sister be here even if it means dragging her here and I shall endure!" Softly, Hancock removes her fingers from his nose.

"You'll endure it!?" Ann arches a baffled brow.

"It's all for Luffy's sake! But Rayleigh this island is truly dangerous if anything happens to him." Boa warns.

"The training would be pointless if nothing ever happened if you're worried then pray for his safety let's go Luffy." Rayleigh turns his back to Boa heading into the dark depths of the forest.

"Sure!" Smiling, Luffy follows.

"Hang in there Luffy!" The Kuja pirates cheer.

"Sure!" Smiling, Luffy waves his arms at them saying goodbye to the cheering crowd.

"Luffy please be safe." Softly, Hancock thinks to herself as Luffy is taken into the dark depths of the forest for the training to begin.

"Now then." Ann swiftly snatches up Luffy's hat.

"Hey!" Luffy whines when Ann swiftly steals said hat.

"You are not to wear this for the next two years." Ann dictates placing it on a rock before the two.

"Eh?" Luffy blurts out.

"Do you think you are worthy to wear the hat Shanks gave you after everything?" Ann asks Luffy.

"…" Luffy goes quiet.

"Look think of it as if you need to earn this hat again after falling, when you put that hat on you're making a promise to your crew that you will protect them." Ann tells Luffy.

"…Yeah!" Luffy nods determined.

"Alright then I best be off, that Kuja ship isn't going to take me to my boat anytime soon. Take care of yourself Luffy and train hard alright?" Smirking, she waves both boys off.

"You got it!" Luffy promises.

"Good. And Rayleigh take care of yourself." Ann tells him.

"You too." Rayleigh smiles sadly at the beaming blonde heading off leaving the two to it.

"What made you change your mind? Now you agree to go to Baltigo with us." The revolutionary leaders eyes Robin now on the ship staring out at the washing waves of the sea.

"Well, we're really glad anyway. Dragon-san has always longed to meet you." The other Revolutionary adds.

"I didn't know there are people like you. I wish that you guys had come to see me earlier." Robin concedes.

"I-I'm sorry! We didn't know that you were allied with Crocodile." He apologises.

"Just kidding. I'm just teasing you. No offense but I'm glad that things turned out this way." Robin smiles.

"Let's go! Let's head for Baltigo!" A voice hollers.

"NO!" Ann screams shielding Robin from said strike but the girl could see it through the small gap of the block, she saw her giant friend be consumed in ice as before she knew it…

"Ann take the raft and get outta here! Run wif all yer might! If ya stay on dis island ya ain't gonna survive…! Just ruse mine and Ann's raft and sail out!" Saul screams calling out to her.

"What about you Saul!?" Robin cries out.

"Dis is as far as I'm gonna get I'm caught go!" Sadly, Saul admits.

"No not without you" Robin exclaims.

"Haa listen up, Robin even though ye'r alone now sumday surely ye'r gonna meet your nakama the sea is vast suday surely yer nakama will appear to protect you once yer' born into dis world yer never gonna be alone!" Saul screams at Robin or so Ann thought as she swore while Saul screamed his heart out it was towards the two of them as Ann's hues dilate.

"Saul…" Anguished, Ann bows her head at her friend's kindness.

"Ice time…" Calmly, Kuzan steps forward placing his hand upon the frozen foot of Saul slowly but surely the ice creeps up upon the giant as before the two knew it the giant smiled laughing to the end as the ice soon enough consumed him and before Robin knew it, Ann was running again, speckles of tears freely flowing in the wind while Robin was in her arms, running for her life leaving behind the ice sculpture that was once her friend.

"Ann I'm scared!" Robin whimpers weakly.

"It's okay Robin it's okay." Softly, she promises Robin, the child unaware of the tears freely flowing from the heartbroken ex marine.

"A bounty of 79 million berries?! For an 8 year old girl?!

She's a survivor of the demons of Ohara, who attempted to destroy the world.

That Ohara?!

I don't know how she did it, but they said she sank Navy ships.

That's why the price is so high...

She shouldn't be alive! She's the child of a demon!

"I'm well aware of Robin's enemies. Sogeking…shoot down that flag." Luffy crosses his arms over his chest.

"Roger that. This is my giant slingshot its name is Kabuto behold its might! Hissatsu Firebird Star!" Sogeking does just that burning the marine flag bringing a small smirk to the robed woman's lips at the sight.

"It can't be…!" Robin gasps at the fierce flames feasting on the flag.

"All done." Sogeking reports.

"H-He's done it!? Do they have any idea what destroying a flag means!? These pirates…just declared war on the world government!" The marines gawk gape at the sight only making the robed woman's smile widen.

"Are you kidding me!? Don't think you can oppose the entire world and make it out alive!" Spandam screams scared.

"BRING IT ON! ROBIN! I NEED TO HEAR IT FROM YOU! SAY YOU WANT TO LIVE!" Luffy roars as tears freely fall from her as the robed woman waits to hear her answer…

"Life…"

"There's no place for you in this world Robin!"

"Your very existence is a crime Robin!"

"I thought even wishing for it was wrong…no one ever accepted me!"

"I JUST WANT TO DIE!"

"Except…except…"

"If I can live who says you can't? The ocean is vast Robin one day without a doubt…you'll meet nakama who will protect you!"

"If…if even for a moment I can express my true desires…then I…"

"I WANT TO LIVE! TAKE ME OUT TO SEA WITH YOU!"

Robin begs beseeches the Straw Hats, the tears freely falling from her.

"Robin-san, come inside. It's cold out here." The revolutionary advises however…

"I'll stay here. I'm a pirate and you people are Revolutionaries. I can't trust you so easily. I can't just go into a cabin that has no exits." Robin refuses.

"Please! We don't bear any hostility toward you!" The Revolutionary pleads but…

"Let me stay here. This is how I got through when I was on my own." Robin tells them.

"I'm sorry. I understand. Hey, bring as many blankets as you can! And something hot to drink and eat, too!" The leader orders as Robin's mind couldn't help but wander off…

"Monster!"

"Demon child!"

"Motherless child!"

"It's all her fault!"

"Don't bring her on board she's the doctor of an archaeologist we'll be killed!"

"Yeah leave her!"

"She's a child…!"

Robin's hands clamp over her ears trying to ignore the sharp screams, the stench of iron coating the air with gunpowder, trying to block out the memory of her attempt at boarding the evacuation ship with her devil fruit only to be turned away due to being a demon. Robin crouches down, curling in on herself sniffling, the tears freely falling from the crying child, why…why did this have to happen? Why!?

What was she thinking coming here? Ann was already fast asleep and here she was bothering her again, she already was a burden for Ann as it was unable to go outside to do the chores, unable to go get the shopping as she normally did all she could do was read and wait around to make sure no one would notice her. Robin could see the bags hanging heavily from Ann's exhausted expression from her fatigued facial features, sure the screaming had stopped but that didn't mean the nightmares had though, that didn't mean for months on end. Ann would have to wait for said scream to settle Robin down, the guilt gnawed away at Robin for what she had to put Ann through, this woman was to be an admiral, this woman had lost her friend thanks to her, this woman had been through so much thanks to her, the sharp sob soon breaks through, the timid tired tears finally freely falling from Robin…

"Robin?" The hoarse voice of Ann whispers weakly, rubbing her hue staring softly down at the sniffling child.

"…" Robin holds her arm, what was she doing? Bothering her? Ann had done so much for her and here she was acting so….

"Another bad dream?" Ann asks snapping Robin out of her thoughts no words needing to be said by the timid nod as Ann moves to the side slightly opening the blanket for Robin to shyly slide in crawling up.

"Can you…?" Robin asks as Ann simply silently nods her head, knowing what she had to do as next Robin knew…

Gather up all of the crew!

Time to ship out Bink's Brew!

Sea wind blows to where, who knows?

The waves will be our guide!

O'er across the ocean's tide, the sunet is goin' wild

See the sky! Birds signing in circles passing by!

Bid farewell to weaver's town!

Say so long to port renowned!

Sing a song it won't be long before we're casting off!

Cross the gold and silver waves

Changin' into water sprays!

Sailing out on our journey

To the end of the sea!

Robin's eyelids soon began feeling heavy once more as before she knew it she curled into Ann's side softly fingertips brush through her hair as the two once again descended down into the dark depths of their respective dreams, no nightmares crawling up to either of them this time…

But it's all prepared inside..." The leader's lackey's voice brings Robin back to reality.

"Hurry up! And a wind guard and a sofa, too!" The leader orders.

"-Yes, sir!" They comply to just that.

"Luffy, do you think I can get stronger by swimming with the flow of the times...under your father? Robin smiles watching the washing waves before her, her smile soon softening sadly falling from the thought of Ann.

"I never thought that I'd want to get stronger...for somebody else…is this how you felt Ann? Robin couldn't help but ponder pained at the thought of what Ann was going through…

"Ann no matter what comes…please don't fall into despair. Robin clasps her hands together unable to not worry as the ship sets off…

"Please! Train me as a swordsman!" The swordsman's words echo throughout the gloomy castle shouting over the crisp click of heels calmly venturing through the hallways of gloom.

"I'm disappointed in you, Roronoa! Are you asking your enemy for instruction? Shame on you. Get out of here. I have no time for a boring man. I think I was overestimating you." Mihawk scolds said swordsman before him.

"Aw you don't have to be so cold Drac…" Gold glare into a pair of bemused brown.

"…Ann." His hues narrow at her.

"EHH!?" Perona gawks gapes at her.

"Been a while since my last visit still see this place is as gloomy as ever." Smirking, she looks around the place.

"Ann where's Luffy? How is he?" Zoro demands from her on his knees bowing begging beseeching her.

"He's fine I take you got the message." She smirks slightly down at the boy below.

"Message…? So there was…!" Zoro realises.

"The penny finally drops." Dubiously, she smirks.

"What are you doing here?" Dracule's hues harden at the woman.

"Can't a friend think to check on mr doom and gloom? " Smirking, she stretches her arms out to him.

"Most would but your eyes beg to differ." Hs hues harden at her.

"You're so cold Drac, what are you doing to that poor child he's practically bleeding out as he bows?" Sighing, she tuts gently patting the bloodied bandages of the boy's back.

"Bows? What are you doing? That's just embarrassing." Drac takes note of the boy's bow.

"I wanna get stronger!" Shouting, he declares determined bowing before the man trying to enjoy his wine.

"You were beaten by the baboons and you couldn't get to sea, so you came back here. I have nothing to teach someone like that." Disgusted, Drac sneers scowling down at Zoro.

"There you go assuming again Drac." Smirking, she takes a seat across from him.

"Hm?" Humming, he perks up at the woman across from him.

"How long have you been in here? I saw the bodies myself, those baboons were beaten by that boy I can confirm it for myself and you can do if you actually stepped out of your castle once in a while you know get some vitamin D in you." Teasingly, she smirks winking, one leg over the other.

"Tch…" Drac turns to glare to the side.

"I did beat them. You're the only one left to beat here! But I'm not so stupid as to think that I'm good enough to beat you!" Zoro promises, his hues widening when hearing the information.

"I don't understand. You still see me as an enemy. Then why are you bowing to me and asking for my guidance? What's the purpose?" Dracule demands, his hues narrowing eyeing the amused Ann across from him.

"I wanna beat you!" Zoro dictates.

"You're asking me to train a swordsman who wants to k*ll me? You're weird. And what you're asking is nonsense." Drac scowls.

"Oh come now Drac you told me yourself how bored you've been." Bemused, she points out.

"Only because someone still refused to duel me. Even so, what you're doing is still embarrassing." Drac gives Ann a dirty look before glaring at the boy bowing still.

"Zoro pigtail girl." Ann calls out to the floating girl.

"I have a name it's Perona!" She glares at Ann.

"Yes well seems to me like you found something more important than your ambition. Hey, ghost girl, treat him." Ann orders.

"Hey, don't tell me what to do!" Perona glares.

"The training will begin when you're recovered." Ann dictates taking them all aback at her declaration.

"Who says that's your decision to make?" Drac's brow furrows at the woman.

"Ghost girl." Ann calls out the pink haired girl.

"It's perona!" Persona snaps scowling at Ann who doesn't even bat an eye to the girl.

"Just treat the boy." Bluntly, Ann orders.

"Tch fine so not cute at all…Dammit! Everybody keeps demanding so much of me! Come on, move it now! What a clumsy fool." Perona grumbles as she takes Zoro away leaving the adults to it.

"You have some nerve coming into my castle making decisions for me." Drac furrows his brow by the sight of the blondish pink haired woman sat perched upon the windowsill, handing her a small glass he had drew for her.

"Oh come now Drac don't act so cold I'm simply looking out for your best interest." Smiling, she raises the glass.

"You mean your best interest." Drac deadpans.

"What would Zoro getting stronger do for me?" Smirking, she quirks her head to the side.

"…Whatever you're planning I want no part of it." Drac sits back down trying to enjoy his wine.

"You won't be a part of it you'll just be a factor is all." Amused, she assures him looking out at the baboon bodies outside.

"…And you call me cold?" His hues narrow at the bemused blonde.

"Ah Drac don't be like that we had fun once didn't we? Who's to say you can't feel the same again with another?" Amused, she saunters over to his side, perching upon the table, one leg over the other.

"Only to be disappointed again?" Annoyed, he turns his head to the side scowling.

"Not if he's under your tutelage you can watch him first hand and make sure he goes beyond you, don't you want a challenge like in the good old days? If not just do it for me for old times sake Drac…" Dubiously, she gently moves his face back over to her, her hand cradling his cheek leaning in.

"Your eyes…" His hues narrow.

"Hm?" Humming, she smiles sipping her drink.

"You look just like back then…has the fire returned?" He leans in intrigued.

"And if it has?" She leans in.

"Will you duel me?" He pries.

"Will you train the boy?" Bemused, she counters cooly, the two silently stare at each other, her hand descending down to his chest, his hues darting down to her lips as she sips her drink, he leans in as she does the same however…

"…What's with this wine?" She furrows her brow by the strange taste of the drink, an odd feeling surfacing from it, her chest constricting constraining at the strange sensation from said drink.

"…It's what you like." His brow furrows distancing himself handing her the bottle he had opened, her heart dropping, her grip tightening tensing around the bottle beofre her, her heart dropping to see said sherry wine on the label.

"…Just train the boy." Brow furrowed, she removes herself from Drac, slamming the bottle down brow furrowed from the strange sensation, from the strange sense of guilt.

"…Ann…" Dracule's brow furrows at her, arising from his seat.

"Hm?" She turns to him.

"You look thin…perhaps it would be wise of you to stay." Shyly, he considers stepping forward.

"…I'm fine Drac." Determined, she steps back.

"Are you really?" He couldn't help but eye her.

"Course why wouldn't I be?" Bemused, she smirks at him.

"…Ann." His brow furrows at her.

"What happened, happened now all we can do is focus on the future…it's all I can do now." Resolved, she states the fact firmly turning her back to him, she had to leave, she had too much to be doing.

"…What are you planning Ann?" Drac couldn't help but ask her, his hues widening when he is met by her hand softy sliding across his cheek.

"We were really young back then weren't we? We really did have fun didn't we?" Smiling, she smiles sadly at Drac.

"…I never regretted it." He leans into her inner palm as she simply smiles softly sadly at him. She was so young…so reckless, so rash, so ready to prove herself. He couldn't help but note the same look she had back in her eyes back then so determined, so ready to throw herself into danger, so ready to do what had to be done, so ready to throw those that trusted her to the fire and yet that fire within her, the power the flare it was entrancing it was intoxicating it was…poison.

Dracule couldn't help but furrow his brow by the memory of it, eyeing the swirling glass in his hand, all of the fierce flames within her hues of brown looking so warm so cozy co comforting to the touch and yet with the shift of the tide could burn you so harshly, could melt your skin off could leavr you with scars that would cling to you even on your death bed as she flung you into the fire. She looked so ready to watch the world burn…just like back then.

Ann looks towards the glass below brow furrowed from the scarlet substance within feeling the sharp sting of guilt almost push her away…

"…Train the boy well." Smiling, she slides her hand off his cheek, pushing him away. Smiling, she turns on her heel heading off having much to do…

"3D" is crossed out and "Y" is written? Oh yeah! There is a tattoo on his right arm!" Perona eyes the picture of Luffy as the newly bandaged Zoro rests.

"We made a promise to meet again at a certain place days later. But we couldn't make it.

"So "D" means " days"! But " D" is crossed out and "Y"...? Years! Two years! The meeting will be years later instead of days later. And everything else was done just to get all the publicity." Perona deciphers.

"This is a message exclusively to us. Luffy made a decision. Even if we rush now, we're not good enough to get far in the New World. We have to stop once and get stronger. And meet again no matter what!" Zoro stands up from his bed.

"Hey, I told you to rest! What are you...?!" Perona gasps when Zoro lunges out of the window, determined to start his training for the new world.

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*So...a lot has happened in this chapter...what did you think? What do you think of Kuzan and Ann now? Of Mihawk and Ann's past? Of Ann's resolve in Buggy's flashback? I'd love to know your thoughts down below!