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...

61. Dissolution

"Gomo gomo no culverin!" Luffy yells in a new form of sorts.

Almost…he's almost there…Ann couldn't help but think to herself, eying his smoke like coat of sorts while brushing her hand through Law's hair, his hat softly set down by her side before jumping away.

"Straw Hat where did he go? Oh there he is went to play somewhere else did he? I took the trouble to see them how annoying chase them or wait…either way I won't let them get away! I'll get what I want for sure!" Doflamingo curses cross as he leaps down while Luffy runs, having ran out of haki flees the scene the birdcage only drawing closer and closer thanks to Doflamingo's rage.

"The bird cage is closing in we'll get cut run!" The people of Dressrosa scream scared of the incoming threads tearing buildings apart as rubble freely falls from the buildings that once towered above them.

"Get to the downtown!" A marine hollers.

"Hurry up or we'll get cut!" A pirate screams scared just as an old woman falls.

"Oh grandma! Grandma get up the strings will cut you!" The young girl tries to help her grandmother but…

"I can't! I just can't run anymore…leave me here and go ahead." The grandmother pleads to her granddaughter.

"No I can't do such a thing!" The girl shakes scared.

"I won't survive this anyway." The grandmother tells the young girl.

"Please get up!" The young girl begs but…

"Even if I get up I definitely can't run to the downtown!" She tells her granddaughter trying to ger help as the adults run past the struggling pair…

"Somebody help us! There are still patients in the hospital we can't carry them all by ourselves please! P-Pl…Please…" A doctor pleads to those running but it falls to deaf ears…

"Law…" The sickening smile of Doflamingo descends down from the high heavens of his plateau towards the wounded man.

"You really want to do this?" Unamused, Ann eyes the man.

"…After all the crap you put me through some compensation is deserved don't you think?" Doffy smiles at Ann.

"That's rich coming from you…" Ann couldn't help her scoff.

"You know we're one in the same Hibiscus." Doffy insists.

"Oh for…this crap again?" Annoyed, Ann holds her head huffing.

"I'm just saying I hate it when tools think outside that means of which to think…they should stay obedient, grateful for such a opportunity we provide them don't you think?" Doflamingo looks over as Ann couldn't help but follow his gaze towards a certain polka dotted dressed woman, Ann's eye twitching tense as next Doffy knew…

Doffy's blood felt cold, ice cold from the blade teasingly touching his neck, smiling still despite the sweat slithering sliding down the side of his head.

"Don't you dare compare what he and I had to the likes of you and that poor girl." Glaring, Ann snarls seething.

"…My, my someone's defensive…don't tell me…you lost?" Dubiously, Doflamingo wonders as Ann seemingly freezes flinches from his words, a still silence erupting between the stare down between the two till the man flees, flying away with his strings. Silently, Ann watches the man leave, she had bought some time for Luffy at least as she returned to Law's side, feeling his piercing gaze and yet she doesn't bend, doesn't even say a word as a still silence settles between the two, watching it all play out…

"My son's missing! Has anybody see him!? He's wearing a kuma shirt he's five years old! Somebody did you see my son? My son!" Sobbing, a mother cries begs but…

"Outta my way!" The mother is shoved aside.

"Everybody's gonna die anyway…let's give up…no matter how far we run we'll still be caged we'll only get killed by Doflamingo it's easier to just give up…" Some of the civilians of Dressrosa stop sniffling sadly as just then the announcement snail goes off, the screens showing…

"Everybody, listen. I'm the former king of Dressrosa - Riku Doldo III." Riku appears on screen.

"Wh-What is it?" The people turn to the screens.

"The Donquioxite Family that we thought nobody could match has...almost been wiped out by the hands of the tough warriors who only happened to be here in this country! All of the Family's executives are already taken down!" Riku reports to his people.

"Really?!" The people of Dressrosa gasps.

"The only enemy there is left to beat...is the current king of Dressrosa - Doflamingo! And the one who is fighting him is the pirate - Straw Hat Luffy! I believe he is the man who will destroy the Birdcage for us! Whether he wins or loses, it'll only take several dozen minutes! I don't want any one of you to get crushed by the constriction of the country! Keep running! Even if you run out of breath! Or even if your leg breaks! Just for several dozen minutes, try to survive! There is hope! Please don't give up!" Riku pleads to his people.

"He's right!"

"Yeah!"

"Don't give up!"

"Run!"

"Hurry up! Run to the downtown!"

"I gotta live! For my baby's sake, too!"

"There's still hope!"

"Believe! That guy will save this country!"

"There's no time to lose! We got to carry the sick people!" One of the people of Dressrosa approach the hospital full of bedridden people as the people of Dressrosa begin helping one another…

"He's used up too much haki…" Ann's brow furrows when Luffy flees from the fight.

"I know…and with the birdcage still up….he has to finish this fast if he wants the people below to survive…" Law heaves as just then…an eruption occurs taking the group aback at the sight.

"W-What the?" Leo turns fearful until…

"Jesus Burgess…" Ann slowly stands scowling at the man.

"Hibiscus should have known you'd be here." Jesus grins giddily at the woman.

"Ann…" Law weakly wheezes out.

"You've caused quite the ripple in the world you know." Jesus remarks.

"So I keep hearing…" Ann huffs hand gravitating towards her blade.

"That guy behind you…he has quite the fruit I'm sure captain would be pleased to take it. That is if you don't tell me where Straw Hat is." He grins at her.

"Over my dead body are you taking either of their fruits." Firmly, Ann asserts.

"Ann…" Law weakly wheezes out but…

"Fine by me." Burgess cackles, grinning giddily eager to take on the Yonko right hand.

"Zoro dono what are you doing?" Kin'emon couldn't help but ask.

"What does it look like? I'm going to stop the cage." Zoro huffs.

"Huh?" They blink befuddled before gasping when he uses his haki infused blade to slash at the incoming cage but it does not break the threads only push it back briefly.

"Zoro dono!" Kin'emon quickly draws out his haki infused blade to help as well with Kanjuro…

"Are you okay?" A civilian of Dressrosa rush over to the heaving huffing mess of Luffy.

"Don't. Don't go near him blindly. He's a pirate, too. You don't know what he's thinking." A civilian argues.

"How could you say that?!He fought against Doflamingo for us!" The woman argues.

"She's right! At least, he isn't our enemy!" Another civilian speaks up.

"Still, I can't trust him! He's a pirate like Doflamingo is!" The man frowns.

"But...King Riku-sama said he is our hope!" He reminds them.

"S-Straw Hat Luffy... M-Maybe, he can't fight anymore…" The woman approaches considering to help however…

"If you go near, you'll get caught up in it and die! Don't get involved! Get away from the pirate!" The man barks back at her.

"Chase them or wait either way I won't let them get away! That bastard Straw Hat is barely alive! As is that boy of yours so now's my chance! Wait for me Tral afar my boss may be indebted to you cause of Rocky Port but that's over with now! I'll kill you and rob it from you now!" Jesus draws out his blade rushing at Law however…

"Didn't you hear me? Over my dead body you will!" Ann simply kicks the burly bulky guy back.

"Tch!" Jesus glares at Ann, rushing at her.

"Strawhat! Stay with me! Hey! Can you still fight?! Do you recognize me? It's Gatz! I'm the announcer at the Colosseum, Gatz! The unknown gladiator Lucy...it was you, wasn't it?" Luffy groans as he is shaken awake by the voice calling out to him.

"Uh-huh." Luffy weakly nods.

"I thought so! There aren't many small guys who are that strong! Doflamingo's on his way! What are you gonna do about your duel?! Is there something I can do?!" Gatz asks him.

"I need ten minutes." Luffy weakly wheezes out.

"Ten minutes?" Gatz exclaims.

"After I use the Bounce-Man, I can't use my Haki for ten minutes." He tells Gatz.

"I need to keep my distance but I don't know what he's gonna do during that time. If I regain my Haki, I'm sure I can finish him off with one blow!" Luffy answers weakly.

"Are you gonna bounce up and downlike a rubber ball again, Straw Hat? I'm…back." Doflamingo cackles crazed spewing scarlet spitting it to the side after mending what he could from within, slowly but surely approaching him.

"Ten minutes! Then, his horrible reign will be over?! Hey, if we give you ten minutes, will you get us out of the Birdcage?! Hey, Straw Hat!" Gatz firmly focuses on Luffy as Doflamingo approaches…

"I promise!" Luffy promises.

"All right! Ten minutes! We'll leave it up to you guys!" Gatz picks Luffy up leaving the Dressrosa civilians, pirates and marines to buy him time.

"Count on us! Ten minutes will pass by like a flash!"

"You gotta come back quickly and bring down that Dofla-guy, Lucy!"

"We'll do our best!"

"They're all the competitors from the fighting event! The ones who wouldn't help you earlier!" Gatz recognises.

"Sorry, Lucy! We were blinded by greed over the prizes on your heads! We didn't even dream of cornering Doflamingo!" A warrior admits.

"I'm sorry! As a token of our apology, we'll believe in you and risk our lives!" The crowd of warriors apologises.

"Sorry if we happen to beat him first!" Another jokes as Doflamingo lands frowning at the crowd before him armed and ready.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Heavenly Demon! Why don't you hang out with us for a while?" The crowd smirk at Doflamingo slowly but surely approaching.

"Here he comes! Kick his ass!"

"Okay, now is the chance! The remaining half of you, follow me! Listen, guys! Ten minutes! Ten minutes to go! Let's get through it at any cost!" Gatz leads the way the remaining challengers following Gatz holding Luffy up.

"Didn't that rock make the message clear Burgess?" Annoyed, Ann huffs her blade teasingly touching the fallen form of Burgess pinning him to the ground.

"So it was you who threw that rock I should have known!" Burgess glares up at Ann.

"Apologies but you have such a hittable face…or well a face just screaming hit me." Amused, Ann smirks slightly.

"I thought you were fighting that admiral…" Burgess curses.

"Oh we fought we both just decided we had more pressing matters to attend to then squabble amongst ourselves. Tell me something Burgess you know who I am and yet you have the gall to attack another one of my little brothers? Do you have no shame? Or do you have a death wish? I can't tell." Ann quirks her head to the side coyly at Burgess.

"L-Little brother…!?" Law couldn't help but gawk gape at the implication.

"Auntie!" Sabo shoots out from his flames making Ann tut at the boy behind her stumbling shooting out of the flames only to fall on his face.

"You should be biding time for Luffy Sabo. Don't you feel his haki fading?" Ann challenges.

"So that was what I felt…" Sabo says softly.

"Just go and if you bump into Doflamingo, try to buy Luffy some time." Ann commands.

"Right. I'm sorry I wish I could do more but my flames may get out of control…" Sabo apologises.

"Sabo…it's fine just focus on your mission and if things get rough get out of there understood?" Ann asserts.

"…Understood." Sabo shoots off forming into fierce flames beofre taking off.

"Ace huh…heh if it weren't for the freckles I wouldn't have remembered the hair doesn't help either." Burgess remarks looking up at Ann.

"You lowly filth took my brother from me…question is now…what should I take from you…" Ann slams her heel into Burgess face making him cry out from the heel digging into his scalp, scarlet staining her hardened heel.

"After all it has to be something of equal value to the chaos you caused that was the paramount war…" She smirks sadistically down at his cries, hearing the crisp crunch of bone as she digs his screaming screeching wailing face into the dirt below…

"Die in darkness!" Blackbeard bellows darkness shooting out of him.

"Fire Emperor!" Fierce flames soon surround Ace.

"ZEHAHA THE SUN OR THE DAKNRESS THERE'LL BE ONE WINNER!" Blackbeard bellows.

"I'm gonna make Whitebeard the pirate king!" The bloodied battered bruised Ace smiles as both light and darkness clash…

"My idiot of a brother made the choice himself. He chose a life without no regrets and I respect that. Still I doubt you have something of such equal value though…perhaps your head? Though there isn't much in there I'm sure I'll find something to send to that pig of a captain of yours…" Ann hums her blade descending down lower a small scared squeak of fear emitting from Burgess by Ann licking her lips, a sadistic gleam glinting in her sadistic sherry reds.

"I don't care who you are. Don't get in my way! I have no business with you Hibiscus!" Burgess whimpers weakly gritting grinding his teeth together tense trying to remain calm despite his shaking legs at the bloodlust oozing out of the wrathful woman.

"You have no business with me? Not even personally? That's the understatement of the century." Amused, Ann laughs looming over the fallen fool beneath her.

"….You really want my captain dead don't ya?" Burgess couldn't help but chuckle coughing crimson.

"Oh Burgess, please get over yourself it's not just your filthy crew I want eliminated from the face of the world." Bloodthirstily, Ann admits as she digs her heel deeper into the side of his skull smiling when hearing his sharp scream and crack of bone, digging his face further into the mud below.

"Sabo…" Luffy weakly calls out to the blonde appearing before him, pipe in hand as Doflamingo approaches after cutting down so many more soldiers to buy Luffy time.

"Hey Luffy you're been hurt badly, Doflamingo is on his way so I'll try to buy my time with him while Auntie has her hands full with Burgess." Sabo smirks.

"I'll be okay cats and the others are buying me time." Luffy assures.

"It's Gatz!" Gatz holding him yells.

"I'll take down Mingo no matter what!" Luffy swears it.

"You've become so dependable leave Doflamingo to me I'll promise not to burn him too badly for you." Sabo smiles.

"Sabo! You ate Ace's fruit right?" Luffy asks.

"You think Ann would let Ace's fruit fall in the hands of someone unworthy? Besides I wouldn't let anyone else have it, it's a memento of him!" Sabo smiles.

"Yeah! That's great!" Luffy beams brightly back watching Sabo buy time for Luffy…

"Armament!" Jesus rushes at Ann aiming to hit her however…

"Oh you missed…" Flawlessly, she dodges.

He roars going for another hit however…

"Missed again." She lands on top of his arm angering him.

"ARGHH!" He roars going for hit after hit as she seemingly smiles dancing around his hits until.

"ARGHH! STOP DODGING COWARD!" Cross, Jesus roars his eyes expanding as with his haki fist she catches it with ease her fingertips not even coated as she swiftly slams her heel, hearing the crisp crunch of bone as he screams from his dislocated wrist.

"That's all you got? Pathetic." Ann couldn't help but laugh as she grabs the battered beaten bloodied bruised Burgess by his hair making him wince weakly.

"ARGHHH!" Burgess screams as she bends his neck, almost cracking it from the force used to bend his head to her will.

"So strong as expected of the child of the pirate king…" Burgess coughs crimson.

"Teach has some gull in trying to take Ace's fruit…seems I'll need to punish him…" Ann smirks slightly sadistically hearing Burgess weak whimpers while hearing the crisp crunch of bone on the verge of cracking…

"How is it?" The gentle tap of a familiar walking stick echoes as the man behind them asks.

"It's slowing down…I think!" Kanjuro grunts grimacing clearly struggling.

"Now that you mention it seems like its slowing down no it hasn't changed at all!" Kin'emon cries out struggling.

"Stop grumbling and just push…! Eh? Why are you here?!" Zoro roars trying to push the strings back brow furrowed when spotting the admiral joining in, his haki infused blade trying to still the threads.

"Oh no I don't know who it is because I can't see…" Fujitora lies.

"That jerk he's the last person we want to see right now! Damn!" Zoro curses cross as they keep on pushing.

"It's hard to walk away from foolish people although my ability is limited let me help you even if a bit." Fuijitora requests.

"Position halt give support to those pushing the cage!" The marines are ordered to do as they join the pirates in pushing the strings back.

"The navy!? Oh we got so much help!" The pirates gasps.

"It's encouraging!" Bartolomeo smiles using his barrier to push the strings back with the giant. Robin summons her hands helping push the barrier back. With Kyros and the rest.

"Those who can't use haki head to the factory!" Fujitora orders.

"Yes sir!" The marines run off to help Franky and the little people…

"Gatz-san, Lucy still needs more time to recover! But I think many people will die before that!" One of the announcer girls point out to Gatz.

"I know! But I can't send an incapacitated fighter into the ring! I won't hand him over until he regains his Haki, no matter what!" Gatz swears it as just then…

"Who is it?!" The group gasp when a room forms before them as Law pops out of nowhere falling flat on his bleeding side.

"T... T-T-Trafalgar Law!" Gatz recognises the bloodied bleeding man.

"You guys, I think you're running too far." Law appears before them wounded wheezing weakly.

"Oh, that's because... Um." Gatz begins but…

"Will he regain his Haki?" Law asks him.

"O-Oh, the thing is…he told me that he needs ten minutes and now we've got three minutes and twenty seconds to go! There is no time to lose. I'll take him under my care from here." Law dictates as they do just that.

"Seems your little fruit user's vanished…" Burgess smirks slightly.

"…dammit Rosi why'd you have to raise such a suicidal kid?!" Ann curses grumpily. A part of her blaming herself if she hadn't been so distracted in taunting the guy perhaps, she would have noticed…

"Strawhat your shields are gone come out and face me unless you want another brother dead!" Doflamingo hollers holding up the bleeding Sabo, Doflamingo not looking as good either, both of them worse for wear while Sabo scowls down at Doflamingo unaware of Koala quietly watching on.

"Bastard…" Sabo growls.

"Don't be too disheartened. You're not bad for someone of the revolutionary army but that devil fruit of yours is still new while I've had mine for years making yours fresh for the taking!" Doflamingo cackles as he raises Sabo up in the end about to end him when…

"Fishmen…punch!" Koala goes in for a swift hit taking Doflamingo aback as he drops Sabo.

"K-Koala!" Sabo's eyes expand as Koala quickly grabs him.

"You idiot!" Kaola curses, the two taking off as Doflamingo watches on brow furrowed at the fleeting pair about to go after them when a hand grabs his ankle.

"Too bad for you this shield is still…kicking." The warrior smirks strained up at the disgusted Doflamingo.

"Get your dirty hands off me!" Doflamingo growls swiftly ending him however more still stand.

"Not yet we'll still keep fighting." The warriors slowly stand scowling.

"I don't mind just stab him if you have to." One of the warrior rush up grabbing Doflamingo but…

"You scum never learn!" Doflamingo sneers dealing with the warriors he quickly impales with his threads.

"Everybody! Don't stay here! Advance towards the plateau - location of the Royal Palace!" Rebbeca calls out to the people of Dressrosa.

"You're Rebecca!" A civilian recognises.

"We gotta run there?!Is it really safe?!" A mother worries.

"Yes! The centre of the Birdcage is moving towards there! Please hurry up! It's dangerous here!" She tells them.

"Okay! I take your word for it!" The crowd follow her running towards the plateau.

"I know I'm no match for him but... But everybody's fighting desperately! I've got to do something, too! Father-sama! When push comes to shove, I'll...kill Doflamingo!" Rebecca draws a bloodied blade from a fallen solider. She had to buy time for everyone, she had to.

"What? Viola-san!" Rebecca perks up at the sight of her aunt as she approaches Doflamingo.

"Rebecca! Why are you here?!" Violet turns to her.

"Viola-san, I." Rebecca goes to draw her blade but…

"Don't be silly! If I let you die, I can't face Brother Kyros my late sister! Walk away!" Violet orders.

"So, what did you come to see me for, Viola?" Doflamingo asks her.

"The Donquioxite Family is about to be obliterated. If I do nothing to take responsibility as a former executive, it's too selfish." Violet removes her cloak and rose from her hair drawing her blade.

"No!" Rebbeca cries out.

"Either I will die, or you will! Doffy!" Violet declares determined.

"You're very passionate, Violet!" Doflamingo smiles.

"Viola-san!" Rebecca cries out as she spins striking at Doflamingo with her blade but despite the dance done, she is nothing as with a simple kick…he beats her.

"No matter how many seconds you buy, it's useless. Nothing has changed." Doflamingo tells Violet.

"You think so? Hierro Lagrima! Tearwhales!" Violet summons said tearwhales to strike but it does nothing as he simply cuts them with his threads breaking the rubble. Violet goes to strike but Doflamingo grabs her bringing her close as threads connect to her.

"That's enough! Viola-san!" Rebecca begs as she is thrown to the blood bloodied.

"Viola-san!" Rebbeca cries out as Viola tries to fight but is beaten in the end.

"Did you think...I'll hesitate just because we spent a decade together as a Family, Violet? Hesitate to kill you? I don't criticize my associates for their mistakes. But I don't condone betrayals." Doflamingo brings Viola close taunting her almost as he looms over her.

"Now, next up is." Doflamingo turns to Rebecca, strings soon attaching to Violet forcing her to stand turning to face Rebecca.

"Look at her, Violet!" Doflamingo taunts turning to Rebbeca.

"Rebecca!" Violet gasps as the strings soon force Rebbeca to withdraw her blade aiming it at Violet.

"Viola-san... My body is moving on its own...!" Rebbeca cries helpless to the shaking sword in her hand.

"Poor girl. She's scared." Doflamingo sneers.

"No!" Viola gasps.

"Don't-" Rebecca tries to fight it but…

"Now, come this way!" Doflamingo taunts as she forces Rebecca to move.

"Stop it! Don't involve Rebecca!" Violet begs but…

"What am I... going to do?! Viola-san!" Rebecca sniffles sadly.

"Rebecca!" Viola calls out.

"No! I don't wanna do this!" Rebbeca sobs.

"Now, kill her." Doflamingo orders as Rebecca grows closer and closer.

"Viola-san! Why am I doing this?!" Rebecca sobs sniffles.

"Rebecca!" Violet calls out.

"I-I don't wanna do this! Viola-san!" Rebbeca screams scared raising her weapon to Viola.

"Now, kill her." Doflamingo orders.

"Viola-san! Why am I doing this?! No! I don't wanna cut Viola-san! No!" Rebecca cries as she raises her blade to Viola when…

"Alright, everyone! It won't be much longer!" Gatz calls out through the announcer speakers.

"Wh-Who's talking?!" One of the civilians wonder.

"Who is it?! Now isn't the time! Where is he speaking from?!" Another ponders.

"Our star will return!" Gatz bellows.

"Oh! Hey! There he is!" Someone spots Gatz the woman either side of him ready to defend him.

"You're the announcer from the Colosseum, Gatz!" Someone recognises.

"How long have you been there?! What are you up to?!" The people glare at him.

"Everyone, do you remember?!" Gatz asks them.

"Now isn't the time to fool around! The country is on the verge of destruction! You're not King Riku-sama!" They scold him.

"Yes, I know you remember! About that funny and bold star who burst onto the scene in the tournament at the Corrida Colosseum today!" Gatz reminds them.

"Star? Don't tell me he's talking about...me! Hey, I told you I'd stay here with you but do you mind if I go now?" Cavendish asks as he leans against the barrier.

"Of course we would!" Bartolomeo barks at Cavendish.

"I remember! He tamed the killer bull that everybody feared and mowed down the towering Giant! He even knocked down the living legend, Don Chin Jao! He's the little gladiator who made the Colosseum... I mean, the whole of Dressrosa bubble over with excitement! I've never before seen anyone fight so freely and make a competition as thrilling as he did!" Gatz reminds them.

"I was watching that!"

"He's talking about that guy, isn't he?!"

"I saw it at the Colosseum!"

"I watched it on a screen in the town!"

"His name is...Lucy!" Gatz reveals.

"So what?! He's just a gladiator!" The crowd dismisses.

"Lucy...Help me, Lucy." Rebbeca whimpers weakly drawing closer and closer to Doffy.

"Yes! He's Lucy! But that was just his temporary alias! His real name is...the pirate - Straw Hat...Luffy!" Gatz reveals perking the interest of Doflamingo.

"What?! That's who Lucy was under his mask?!"

"That's the guy King Riku-sama mentioned earlier!"

"Since we've been fooled by and been under the control of a pirate, maybe it's hard for us to trust another pirate! But...he's different from the Donquioxite Family who appeared in disguise as heroes on that night a decade ago! Straw Hat Luffy is someone that the real king, King Riku-sama, called "our hope"! He fought Doflamingo earlier to within an inch of defeat!" Gatz explains to the crowd making the crowd converse.

"That little boy did that?!"

"He sure was very strong at the Colosseum but..."

"I want to believe!"

"What?!"

"I want to trust him!"

"Me, too!"

"We ended up like this because we couldn't trust King Riku-sama a decade ago! This time, I'll trust!"

"That guy...Lucy will...save...our country! He's now knocked out after getting hurt in the battle but...it's not over yet! Dance with joy, Dressrosa! Lucy...promised me! That he'll knock out Doflamingo...with a single blow!" Gatz reveals to the crowd cheering for Luffy…

"Knock him out with a single blow, huh? What a big talker!" Sai smirks as the bird cage draws nearer.

"That's what I'd expect from Luffy-senpai!" Bartolomeo sobs smiling.

"That's so Luffy!" Usopp smiles weakly.

"You've got to do it. Otherwise, we can't hold out much longer, Luffy!" Zoro growls pushing back the cage as best he could with the buildings shattering either side of them.

"That's great! Lucy!"

"Are you listening, Doflamingo?! You...puppeteered our king, deceived the world, and stayed here in Dressrosa as a false king! This is the place where you'll receive...your punishment!" Gatz swears it as just like that…

"Gatz!" Doflamingo frowns at the terrified man.

I see everything you're up to, Doflamingo! Come get me if you want! Stay away from Viola-sama and Rebecca-sama! Gatz thinks to himself.

"With all your efforts, we successfully delayed the constriction of the Birdcage! It won't be long before Lucy, the star who was born in the Colosseum, comes back! Hold on until that moment!" Gatz hollers as the crowd cheers just as Rebbeca goes to lower her blade.

"Luffy-senpai! Here we go!" Bartolomeo bellows everyone pushing the cage back as best they can but…

"Hajrudin!" Someone calls out to the giant who falls to the ground.

"D-Damn... Not now!" One of the men curse as they fall too.

"What the…?" Robin frowns.

"The injured who recovered earlier are collapsing again!" Someone spots.

"Time's up." Leo grunts.

"What?!" Robin frowns.

"The effect of the Dandelixerson those who got it first, is wearing off. It's not gonna work twice!" Leo tells them.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Because my ability isn't good enough, it's like I gave them a glimpse of happiness for a moment, and then, disappointed them! It's terrible!" Princess Mansherry sobs saddened while above in the sky on the beetle.

"No, Princess Mansherry! We don't know how many people would've been killed by the Birdcage if it weren't for the Dandelixers!" The beetle tells her.

"But…!" She sniffles.

"Look!" He points to the cheering crowd.

"What?" She turns.

"You worked a miracle!" He tells her as they continue flying through the air.

"Oh, please! What weaklings! People in the back take the collapsed ones' places! Get more people!" Sai commands as they do just that.

"Finally! Lucy will come back in ten seconds! He should be listening somewhere! Call out the name of the star!" Gatz calls out.

"Lucy! Lucy!" The crowd cheer unaware of Luffy getting up.

"Three…Two...Urgh!" Gatz falls as he is swiftly stabbed by thread.

"Enough already." Doflamingo sneers but…

"One!" Gatz gets up bloodied battered beaten.

"Gatz-san!" The girls rush over to him however…

"Lucy!" The crowd cheer.

"Don't stop keep calling out!" Gatz tells him as he falls…

"LUCY!" The crowd cheer…

Go to hell Donflamingo…Gatz thinks to himself.

"What?! Where's Lucy?!" The crowd soon step when they hit zero but no Luffy arrives.

"Straw Hat isn't coming back! It quieted down finally. Viola, it's your turn to go quiet... Forever!" Doflamingo cackles as the crowd quieten and Rebecca is forced to rush forward raising her blade to her aunt.

"No!" Rebecca screams. Forced to run forward.

"Close your eyes, Rebecca! You don't have to see a thing! This is a bad dream! No matter what happens, forget everything! I won't hold a grudge against you so...just forget it!" Violet smiles sadly at Rebecca who strikes.

"No!" Rebecca screams sobbing.

"It's not your fault at all! I'm sorry, Rebecca! This will leave a deep scar in your mind!" Viola smiles strained tears freely falling as Rebbeca strikes but instead of Viola hits Luffy, his armament haki hitting the broken blade.

"There he is!" Gatz gets up holding his bloodied wound.

"LUCY!" Rebbeca cries relieved to see him.

"Shambles!" Law switches Viola and Luffy in time.

"Hmph there you are. Well watch closely as your hope gets crushed." Doflamingo smirks sneering down at the glaring Luffy.

"Mingo!" Luffy growls ready to end it…

Heaving, huffing, wheezing, Burgess lies in a pool of his blood, his feet contorted going ways unimaginable to the human eye, his fingertips crushed contorts in a unspeakable manner as he looks up at the bored Ann looming over him.

"Aren't you going to finish me off?" Burgess wheezes weakly, scarlet seeping out of his mouth and bloodied bruised broken nose.

"Eh? And get your blood on my clothes? No thanks." Ann scoffs smirking smugly.

"You lot are too lenient." Burgess sneers as just then…

"Ring, ring, ring, ring…" The ring of the snail perks the intrigue of Ann.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Amused, Ann asks the growling glaring Burgess.

"After losing to our captain at the Banaro Island…" Burgess begins…

"Guessing that's a no then." Ann tuts tiredly.

"Ace had something to say before he got handed over to the navy. Wanna hear it?" Burgess asks as Anns eyes expand at his words, a still silence between both Yonko crew members…

"You always try to strangle everything within your hands...and try to manipulate everybody! It makes me feel like I'm suffocating!" Luffy yells at Doflamingo in his gear 4 form.

"Blame your own birthright! You all, who were born as trash, are only fit to be manipulated! You humans and I are different!" Doflamingo declares.

"Shut up! I'll kick your ass and get out of here!" Luffy yells.

"Do your worst, brat! Spiderweb!" Doflamingo screams before being punched square in the face by the huge haki fist of Luffy being brought back down to the ground again, defeated as the bird cage final unravels and the people of Dressrosa are finally free.

"In some places, there are people who call the Family of D."Sworn enemy of the gods"!" Rosinante's words ring in Law's ears as he watches the false king fall.

"Luffy…let this moment be one of the many near breaking points for your haki to grow…" Ann looks up towards the sky smirking seeing the smoke like patterns on Luffy as he brings Doflamingo down….

"You'll alright when you hear it. He realised he was gonna get executed and said…don't tell my brother and sister." Burgess cuts in.

"…!" She flinches turning back to him.

"Wehahahaha! What an idiot! He didn't know how much he was worth but you did didn't ya?! If Fire Fist Ace got caught by the Navy the news would spread all over the world! The navy would make 130% use of his pathetic life…argh!" Burgess's boisterous bellow is swiftly shut down by the firm hand upon his head swiftly shutting him up and slamming him into the ground below, before the crouched down form of the bored Ann.

"…Are you done?" Ann asks calmly coldly as next he knew…

"ARGHHHH!" He was screaming, the shattered shards within his membrane almost digging deep into his brain, the frame of his skull dented almost as he screams shouts screeches for it to stop oblivious to the snail silently being picked up, being put to the Blackbeard snail's face, hearing Burgess bellowing scream of mercy, pleading for it to be over to be stopped but Ann doesn't she simply continues…

"How he felt when he passed…I've thought about it repeatedly every single night since that day!" Angrily, Ann snarls seethes getting in Burgess face.

"ARGHH STOP PLEASE!" Burgess begs beseeches pleads, voice cracking breaking before the unamused Ann.

"Don't you tell me because I know it all!" Ann slams Burgess face into the dirt below, digging his face further into the rocks, scraping at the side of his face as he screams.

"Let it sink in fool! Capturing you will make up for my failures of getting the mera mera no doubt!" Bitterly, Burgess seethes snarls internally shakily reaching for his blade despite his destroyed fingertips pleading for him to stop.

"You're regretting it aren't you!? Because you didn't go rescue your brother even though you had the title and the power! You weren't there were you when he was calling out to you praying for you to save him as everyone else thought you would! You weren't there when he needed you the most and you call yourself his sister?! How pathetic!" Burgess taunts Ann her eyes expanding pain clear on her furrowed features guilt gnawing away as she bows her head grinding her teeth together.

"That's why I don't wany any more regrets!" Ann roars raising her voice the crips crunch of bone echoing as Burgess screams, his skull caving in.

"I will never forgive…so long as I live and breathe I will NEVER forgive." Fiercely, Ann snarls seethes severely, her blood boiling, bubbling burning, a shadow casting over her feral features frightening Burgess by her wrathful words just as the birdcage around them finally falls freeing the people of Dressrosa…

Burgess goes limp in her hands.

"Oh…seems I broke him…may have to come collect your little toy Thatch!" Ann calls out before swiftly slamming her heel into the snail swiftly snuffing it out, oblivious to the face of the snail not being Blackbeard. She grins giddily, ignoring the blood and mechanical pieces falling to the floor. Burgess shakes scared looking up at the grinning giddily Ann as next he knew he felt the sharp splash of the ice cold water hit his body. He tries to move his jaw but is met by a world of pain, tears throb in his eyes as water practically dove into his mouth, suffocating, choking him as he peers through crashing waves trying to push him up and down towards the smirking Ann.

"Whether you live or die is up to fate to decide…ciao." Amused, Ann winks at the horrified Burgess being pushed down into the washing waves below bubbles bursting out of him screaming as he descends down into the dark depths of the unknown, unaware of a certain penguin coming by…

"Doflamingo got taken down! Now we're free!" The crowd cheer as tears freely fall from Viola, Rebecca and so many others at the fallen king.

"Mom! Dad! We made it!" The young crying child turns to her parents pleased to be free as they all hug.

"We really did!" The child's father sobs relieved glad his family was okay.

"Gatz-san!" The gladiator girls turn to the wounded man.

"Yeah, he did it!" He smiles.

"I can't believe Lucy really took down Doflamingo!" The crowd cheer thankful for their fallen king.

"Koala, have you found the list?" Wounded, Sabo asks holding his bloodied beaten bruised side squirming.

"Boy! Yes, I have!" Koala cheers cheerily showing said book.

"Then, just call the ship and." Sabo goes to order but…

"I did!" Koala cuts him off.

"Well, let's meet up with Hack underground." Sabo decides.

"Right! Let's wait for him here." Koala agrees as they wait for their fishmen friend.

"There he is! The Donquioxite Family! The eight executives! And...the three top-executives, confirmed!" The marines report the pirates they take in custody.

"Watch out! Most of the executives are Devil Fruit eaters! Bind them securely with Sea Prism Stone!" The vice admiral advises.

"Yes, sir!" The marines agree to do just that taking the family in.

"It's over even for a great pirate group when they end up like that." Sai states.

"Good work. My... dar... ling." Baby 5 smiles.

"Wh-What?!" Sai squirms as they watch on.

"You stay with me." Sai states to Baby Five frowning at the marines.

"Okay." Baby 5 swiftly scoots over to Sai's side.

"Whoa! Wh-What're you doing?! Get away from me!" Sai freaks out from the closeness.

"You said "Stay with me"! That means we'll be together forever!" Baby 5 squeals smiling at the flustered Sai.

"Did we call the Navy HQ?" The soldiers asks as they lock up Doflamingo.

"Well, actually...Issho-san said "Don't file a report yet." The other marine admits.

"What?" The marine says surprised.

"Vice Admiral Maynard! The Video Transponder Snail is ready!" The marine reports to the vice admiral.

"Okay, I'll do the talking. Take another Transponder Snail and follow Issho-san as we were ordered!" The Vice admiral orders smoking.

"Yes, sir!" They comply all snails on them.

"Hibiscus…" Fujitora approaches the woman silently smoking her pipe.

"Fuji good work with the cage. I hope my footage helps back your plan." Pleased, Ann smiles hands on hips however…

"…I smell blood." Fujitora frowns.

"Yeah had to deal with Burgess." Ann grimaces glaring to the side.

"…Did you kill him?" Fujitora frowns.

"Course not had to send a message somehow and I didn't want to waste my berri on transporting such scum you know?" Ann chuckles coyly.

"Are we okay now?" A child asks his mother making the smiling Ann and Fujitora turn to the child and mother.

"Yes, we are." The mother smiles down at his child just as two children run by giggling gleefully giddily making Ann's smile widen at the sight, her heart warming when thinking of a certain freckled faced boy of her own…was he alright? Was he safe? Ann takes another heavy inhale of smoke, blinking back the faint glassy tint to her sorrowful sherry shades of red at the thought.

"It would be best if you left…before people spot you." Fujitora advises.

"Probably." Ann smiles taking off as marines come in…

APPLENINE ISLAND - AN NEIGHBORING COUNTRY

"This is Applenine Island, a country near Dressrosa."

"What the…? What's wrong?" Residents of Applenine wonder when turning to stare at the screen.

"I heard there'll be a broadcast from Dressrosa!" One of the residents comments.

"Will it be a speech by King Doflamingo?" Someone ponders.

"I'm scared." One worries when the screen shows the wreckage of Dressrosa.

"This is Dressrosa." They reveal taking those watching aback.

"We're broadcasting to the three neighbouring island countries within the range of a Video Transponder Snail's psychic waves. I'm a vice admiral of the Navy HQ, Maynard!" Maynard admits.

"The Navy?!" A resident of an island gasps.

"This is Dressrosa. We're broadcasting to the three neighbouring island countries within the range of a Video Transponder Snail's psychic waves." Maynard admits.

"Why?!" Those watching wonder.

"I want you to take a look at these images! What are those piles of rubble? What you're seeing is the current state of Dressrosa!" Maynard admits.

"What?! What does he mean?!" The crowd gasps.

"I know you're surprised! But we must let many people know what happened here! I want you to keep calm as I tell you...all the details of what the warlord, Donquioxite Doflamingo did here in this country today!" Maynard hollers.

"Issho-san... Are you ready?" The vice admiral couldn't help but ask unaware of a certain snail being in the hand of the smiling Ann perched upon some rubble, recording the people below begging beseeching bowing before their king, eager to send this to Morgans…

"I'm begging you, King Riku-sama!"

"Many citizens who knew the truth got turned into toys and couldn't speak out!"

"And you only committed the act of violence because you were manipulated by Doflamingo!"

"Please!"

"No... Please... Stop saying that. Even if the misunderstanding about me gets cleared up, I can't go back to being a king again." King Riku politely declines the request to the cross crowd.

"No! You're the only king we have for this country!"

"That's right!"

"We're sick and tired of violence!"

"King Riku-sama! What if all the citizens of this country are on the same page with you?!"

"We wanna go back to the time when, despite our poverty, we enjoyed a peaceful life..."

"King Riku-sama! Please come back!"

"Wait. The Riku Family's philosophy falls apart when faced with turmoil. It's been proved to us now." King Ruki reminds them but…

"We don't care if we go to ruin!"

"We're happy to go to ruin if we can hope for peace together with you!"

"As a king who doesn't fight, please renounce war!"

"Yes! Even if it makes our country fall, that'd be fine with us!"

"We don't mind being poor! Make Dressrosa a peaceful country again!"

"King Riku-sama! King Riku-sama, I'm begging you!"

"I'm a king who fights so that makes my ears burn!" A certain boxer king steps up.

"Elizabello!" Riku recognises.

"King Riku-sama! Please go back to the palace now! Kings from our neighbouring countries keep calling us and the Transponder Snail won't stop ringing!" A soldier speaks up.

"What?!" Riku says surprised.

"I was quick to inform them! That King Riku will come back. They're all very happy to hear that!" Elizabello admits.

"The king of Prodence!"

"It was merely a decade. How could you get so much older? You showed a fierce face to the worldlike you'd kill them in order to avoid war. Where did that man go? They're all waiting for you...Come back. King of miracles, Riku Doldo!" Elizabello tells Riku.

"He's right, King Riku-dono!" Fujitora soon steps up, an army of marines behind him.

"That's the Navy admiral!" Someone on another island recognises.

"This whole trouble that Doflamingo caused...I don't want you to take the responsibility. That vicious pirate was approved as a king of a country under the Seven warlord system and allowed to reign over this island by none other than...the World Government! All citizens...all members of the royal family...on behalf of the Government, I most humbly apologize!" Fujitora bows before Riku making Ann grin from ear to ear.

"What?!" The people gawk gapes at the admiral and marines behind the admiral bowing before Riku.

"We deeply regret what we did!" Fujitora sets his blade down with so many others.

"What are you...The Navy admiral is kneeling down on the ground?!" Those around gawk gape at the sight.

"No kidding! The Navy is under the direct control of the Government! And one of the Navy admirals, their greatest military powers, is...kneeling down to apologize to King Riku and the nation!" Those watching on stare stunned at the sight while journalist eagerly rush for the story.

"What's going on in Dressrosa?!"

"Raise your head, Fujitora." Riku calls out but…

"…" He remains with his head down.

"Fujitora, don't you mind the world seeing this?!" Riku worries but…

"…" He is met by still silence.

"No way! But maybe...is this why you didn't touch Doflamingo?! Fujitora! The world needs to know the truth!" Riku tells him looking towards the giddily grinning Ann recording it all.

"I left all the fighting to them. I took chances. We were the ones who let the warlord do as he pleases. How could we point our swords towards him and preach justice unashamedly? This country won its victory by the hands of pirates, warriors, and citizens!" Fujitora confesses to Riku.

"That should do it." Ann smiles pleased turning the snail off patting the shell of said snail of hers.

"You have my thanks Hibiscus…" Fujitora turns to her.

"Oh no the thanks is all mine." Merrily, Ann smiles.

"To think the vice admiral would help us…"

"Is she truly a marine traitor?"

"She is the daughter of the pirate king…"

"And yet…"

The marines and crowd murmur amongst themselves eyeing the pleased woman.

"Tank, the Navy has their position to consider, too. Hide the pirates and the warriors who fought for us in the Palace. Take those without shelter there as well! I'm sorry but could you do that?" King Riku commands his right hand.

"Of course, my pleasure, Your Majesty!" He agrees to do just that as Ann couldn't help but still smile already imagining the furious face of Akainu…

"Five Elders! Fleet Admiral Sakazuki! I'm here to report! The warlord - Donquioxite Doflamingo and his Family got defeated by Straw Hat and Law's pirate alliance and Dressrosa has been destroyed - nothing's left!" The marine reports.

"What?!" Akainu angrily growls.

"...That brat again." Nusjuro curses.

"And there's another thing...the video and the story that've been sent to...Dressrosa's neighbours, spread from one island to another. It ran like wildfire through the whole world and had some dire repercussions. Big News Morgans was also given some of it." The marine reports.

"Morgans!? Send some money to silence him!" Nusjuro orders.

"We have but…" The marine begins but….

"But…" Peter's brow furrows.

"The video leaked somehow showing marines after marines, marines attacking civilians…" The marine admits anxious.

"How!? How has it spread this fast!?" Saturn scowls sharply.

"Well it came around earlier but we couldn't find the source of the leak Cipher Pol tried to but…" The marine meekly reports but trails off, a wave of dread hitting them at the thought of the tattered image of the marines.

"Damn…!" Nusjuro couldn't help but curse from the helplessness of the situation while Akainu's eyes narrow at the work screaming Hibiscus…his blood boiling already imagining her smug face taunting him.

"Cipher Pol huh so simply put you people have once again been walked over by Hibiscus. I warned you! I warned you of the danger of her being near. I warned you she no doubt masterminded it and still you did not let me go all because of harming a celestial dragon's kingdom!" Angrily, Akianu fumes furious, chomping down breaking the cigar in half in his mouth.

"Silence Sakazuki." Saturn commands making Akainu's blood boil bubble burn, magma threatening to surface once more as the newspapers fly down reporting the news.

"Joker got defeated! Your Majesty! We don't have any other way to get weapons!" The soldiers report to the king.

"Announce surrender." The king grumbles as the white flags are raised and…

"The war is over!" The people cheer.

"We've already paid! We have a deal!"

"Joker, that bastard! I know they still have weapons in Dressrosa!"

"No! The Navy admiral is there!"

"The deal involving the Devil Fruits! What'll happen to the deal with SMILEs?!"

"If only those fools weren't there!"

"What, Tsuru-chan! You didn't need to come with us!" Sengoku says to the old man on the marine boat heading to Dressrosa.

"That's what I'm supposed to say, Inspector General!" Tsuru huffs.

"Well, they're the pirate group that you've been chasing after all this time, aren't they?" Sengoku brings up.

"Yes, by your order." Tsuru reminds him.

"Want some rice crackers?" He offers.

"No thanks!" She declines as they approach Dressrosa…

The big news from Dressrosa sped around the world and the pirates from the Worst Generation learned of it, too. The Worst Generation includes rookies with bounties over 100 million who gathered at Sabaody Archipelago two years ago. They're the troublemakers who were born at the change of the era and hold the key to the future of this war-torn world. People call them "the Worst Generation."

"How's this? This is our special today - supreme pizza." The man offers to a customer as Bonnie watches on, licking her lips. She changes to an old woman and…

"Oh! A thief!" The man gasps as she swiftly steals said pizza.

"Hey, old lady, stop!" The guy tries to go after her but stops seeing a young child reading the paper while munching on some pizza.

"Crap! Where did she go?!" The man curses trying to find the old lady.

"Oh, they took down Doflamingo. Good job. I'm happy to be in the same generation with them." The young girl beams brightly by the news.

GLUTTON" JEWELRY BONNEY FROM THE SOUTH BLUETHE CAPTAIN OF THE BONNEY PIRATES

SOMEWHERE IN THE SKY

"Monk Urouge! Monk Urouge! S-Somebody's here! High Priest!" One of the crew call out to the man in the clouds being tended to.

"MAD MONK" UROUGE FROM A SKY ISLANDTHE CAPTAIN OF THE FALLEN MONK PIRATES

"Don't be silly. We're on a Sky Island. It's also an abandoned lonely cloud island. No one else is." The Man begins but stops from the heavy thud of clouds, sweat sliding down his tense temple towards the tall towering giant that is Kaido…

A SEA SOMEWHERE

"Whoa-whoa, they have some nerve, the pirate alliance. Looks like my friends are kicking butt." The man looking like a amfia man remarks while say on the perky pink pirate ship.

CAPONE "g*ng" BEGE FROM THE WEST BLUETHE CAPTAIN OF THE TANK PIRATES

"We'll capture Caesar at any cost, guys!" He tells his men.

"Yes, Father!" The men in suits nod.

THE KID PIRATES' SAFE HOUSE

They went ahead of us before we knew it." Killer stands over the three captains, Basil, Kid, Apoo as they eat food together, a whiteboard of people and islands printed with lines connected, one of the pictures is the wanted poster of Hisbicus torn to shreds with a red line connected to Shanks Wanted Poster.

It's a huge victory! Doflamingo is connected to Kaido behind the scenes for sure." Kid smirks down at the paper.

"Then, it'll make Kaido mad." Apoo chuckles.

EUSTASS "CAPTAIN" KID FROM THE SOUTH BLUETHE CAPTAIN OF THE KID PIRATES

"If they planned this, their target must be...The Four Emperors as we thought." Basil sips his wine.

"MAGICIAN" BASIL HAWKINS FROM THE NORTH BLUETHE CAPTAIN OF THE HAWKINS PIRATES

"King of the Beasts" Kaido." Apoo munches on his pizza.

"ROAR OF THE SEA" SCRATCHMEN APOOFROM THE GRAND LINE (THE LONGARM TRIBE)THE CAPTAIN OF THE ON-AIR PIRATE.

"Murder MACHINE" killer FROM THE SOUTH BLUEA COMBAT CREWMAN OF THE KID PIRATES

"I'm glad that our target is different from theirs. We don't have to fight each other and waste our military power. Our target is the other one of the Four Emperors, "Red-Haired" Shanks!" Killer reminds them as they turn to the board showing Shanks.

"Though I wouldn't be surprised if she had something to do with Dressrosa…" Kid's eyes narrow at the wanted poster of Ann with a line connecting Shanks and her, some scribbles showing friends? Lovers? Siblings? While it soon shows a variety of other lines connecting to Hibiscus with one showing Kaido's wanted poster along with a variety of other wanted posters labelled under the title of exes?

"Your father got killed?! By Doflamingo?!" His crew gawk gape at X Drake on a random island.

"It was a long time ago. I'm not holding a grudge." X-Drake dismisses.

"RED FLAG" FROM THE NORTH BLUETHE CAPTAIN OF THE DRAKE PIRATES

"What?! How could you be so cold?

"Then, why don't you help us? It's an emergency! If we don't let him know quickly, he'll snap! Especially with Hibiscus involved!" One of X Drake's men point out.

"Kaido-sama! Where are you?! That fool - Joker messed it up! We can't get SMILEs anymore!" They call out to the man searching for him through the blizzard.

"Stop playing dumb, Issho! You know how important it isfor a Navy admiral to admit an oversight! Why didn't you report to HQ first?!" The angry snail shouts scowls at Fujitora as Ann watches on, silently sipping her soba smiling sat across from Fujitora. The marines eye her not quite sure what to say with the marine traitor simply sitting across the admiral.

"If I'd reported it, you would've changed the details of the news again, wouldn't you?" Fujitora states.

"What did you say?!" Akainu seethes snarls.

"I think the Seven warlord system must end, too. Two years ago, I was there at the scene when Crocodile showed his true nature! We Navy couldn't do anything! If it weren't for the Straw Hats, Alabasta would've become a country governed by a pirate like Dressrosa now. But the Government reported that it was the Navy's achievement! If I had a higher status at that time...!" Smoker admits to Fujitora smoking away as Fujitora enjoys his soba, smashing his fist against the railing of the marine ship.

"I can't believe he really did it... Fujitora." Smoker bandaged up looks over the newspaper of Doflamingo's arrest.

"It reminds me of the frustration I felt at Alabasta Kingdom two years ago. The Straw Hats' achievement was covered up that time, too... It's like he paid them back for us." Tashigi admits to the bedridden Smoker.

"Even if I had the same status, I couldn't have done such a thing. I could feast on this feeling for days…" Smoker admits.

"Oh we have muffins, want some coffee?" Tashigi offers.

"That didn't mean I want to eat something." Smoker scowls.

"Eh?" Tashigi blinks befuddled.

"…Say Hibiscus was reportedly spotted there right?" Smoker scowls down at the paper.

"Yes…" Tashigi's brow furrows.

"I wonder if he got to her on time…" Smoker couldn't help but hum.

"Eh?" Tashigi blinks befuddled.

"Hibiscus…is no doubt connected to this I wonder if this is why he warned us about Dressrosa…" Smoker couldn't help but wonder while bedridden.

"Sis! I'm hungry! We're hungry!" The giant kids come in whining.

"We have muffins. Want some coffee?" Tashigi offers.

"You can't give kids coffee!" Smoker scolds Tashigi.

"I want a muffin! Where's Dekapants (big underwear)?" The kids rush over to Tashigi.

"Vegapunk," that is. It'll take a few more days to Dr. Vegapunk's lab." Tashigi tells the children.

"How lovely! Captain-chan's sweet to the kids! I wish I were a kid!" The Boys blush by the sight of Tashigi.

"Oh, you guys! There is tons of work to do!" She reminds them.

"Okay! Scold me more, Captain-chan!" The men blush as they are taken back to marine HQ.

"Cover-ups happen all the time!" Akainu angrily reminds Fujitora as the marines meekly watch on terrified for their lives. Ann on the other hand happily enjoys her noodles, relishing it all.

"I don't wanna be made into a hero with lies! It was our boss - the World Government who hired pirates to maintain the balance of the world. It's a matter of credibility and dignity for the Navy HQ!" Fujitora barks back bringing a smile to Ann's lips.

"I-Issho-san, y-you're talking to." One of the marines meekly begin but…

"Your selfish action dishonoured the face of justice!" Akainu yells at Fujitora.

"If you don't want it to be dishonoured, keep it close to you all the time! If we lose credibility just by admitting fault, we didn't have any in the first place!" Fujitora roars back.

"Well said Issho-chan…" Cheekily, Ann speaks up making Fujitora flinch from her smug smirk the snail on the other end's eye twitching tense.

"Hibiscus…" Akainu angrily snarls seethes.

"Ah Sakazuki…been a bit. Good to see we got people making up for your shit show of a performance…" Amused, Ann remarks as the marines scream scared.

"P-Please vice admiral don't antagonise him!" They pathetically plead to the giggling girl relishing it all.

"Aw Sakazuki I thought you'd be happy you can hunt down all those warlords now well after the Gorosei let you off that leash off yours of course…" Cheekily, Ann adds salt to the wound further frustrating the man on the other end, the speaker cracking.

"I will end you Hibiscus one of these days I will hunt you down and end you!" Akainu angrily yells scaring the meek marines watching on.

"After asking permission from the Gorosei of course." Unimpressed, Ann looks over her nails unfazed by the scared marines watching on.

"HIBISCUS! I KNOW YOU WERE BEHIND THIS! I MAY NOT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE BUT I KNOW YOU! I KNOW HOW YOU WORK AND I SWEAR I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH AND END ROGER'S LEGACY!" The snail screams shouts at the bored woman.

"Yeah yeah…" She continues looking over her nails.

"You have to clean up after yourself, Fujitora! Hibiscus, Straw Hat and Law...Until you bring their heads, you can't set foot in any Navy base in the world!" Akainu turns his fury on Fujitora.

"Jeez he's as cruel as ever. Still that went well for both of us it would seem." Ann smiles relieved.

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted." Fujitora nods.

"Now they can't ignore you about the warlords still I have to admit you sounded real cool!" Ann compliments Fujitora.

"…Thank you…" Fujitora bows his head.

"Is he blushing…?" One of the marines wonder.

"Who knew Vice Admiral could be such a seductress!?" Another marine gossips.

"You do remember who she seduced…" Someone speaks up making Ann's eye twitch tense.

"She's a real vixen!" Another accuses.

"I can hear you…" Snippily, she turns to the marines glaring making them squeak scared.

"Geez…it was just a compliment…can't a girl give a guy compliment now and again? Still don't thank me. You'd be surprised how many men I've met without an inch of a spine to them." Ann smiles slurping her noodles, ignoring the pain in her chest when thinking of him, of the small slither of gilt gnawing away as Ann swiftly brushes such a feeling aside.

"Still it seems you have a habit of making enemies." Fujitora points out.

"Seems so…still there's nothing quite like hearing Akainu squirm…" Sadistically, she smiles sickly sweetly at Fujitora.

"So you've been living on top of a hill." Law looks up towards Kyros.

"It was convenient for me and Scarlet. Sorry but my place is not as good as the Palace." Kyros apologises as the straw hats and co rest up.

"It'll do." Law assures.

"There's one for each. Help yourself." Kyros sets some blankets down.

"Law-dono. Who is this man that you brought here earlier?" Kin'emon couldn't help but eye the sleeping Bellamy.

"He's somebody Straw Hat-ya knows. I picked him up." Law answers.

"I'm sorry but I'm gonna turn in first. If you're hungry, you can eat anything in the house. I think there's only dried meat though." Kyros admits.

"When Luffy wakes up, it'd be gone in a second." Usopp remarks.

"Meat... Meat." Luffy snores.

"Hey, you fell asleep so quickly! You, too?!" Usopp gawks gapes at both Law and Kyros passed out.

"You fell asleep in an instant, too." Franky frowns at the snoring Usopp.

"I'm sure everybody was tired." Robin smiles.

"I guess they're not gonna wake up for a while." Franky assumes.

"We should let them have a good rest now." Robin reasons.

"So you're leaving…" Ann smiles softly at Sabo.

"Yeah…" Sabo nods.

"Just promise me you'll be safe on your way, there's a lot of guys I know who would be happy to use you to get to me." Ann warns.

"Hey now I have my own enemies too you know?" Sabo huffs.

"I know." Ann exhales exasperated.

"Relax with Ace's power I'll be fi-ine!" Sabo squeaks fierce flames shooting out of his singular forefinger.

"…That screams fine." Dryly, Ann remarks.

"I'll get the hang of it!" Sabo promises.

"I know you will." Ann smiles as the two head up the hill towards the hut.

"Boy, he has no booze here…who is it?" Zoro complains before tensing up at the door opens.

"Geez your manners are as crude as always." Ann tosses a bottle over to Zoro quickly catching it as he was about to lunge at the pair.

"Sabo! Ann!" Robin's eyes expand at the pair.

"Yo!" Sabo smiles.

"Good to see you're all still kicking…" Ann smiles.

"ANN SWAN!" Sanji swoons smiling lovestruck at the clearly uncomfortable Ann.

"You know him?" Franky says surprised.

"Wow if that face isn't a flash from the past…! Still with the speedos I see." Ann eyes Franky.

"Eh? Who are you?" Franky frowns.

"Ah you probably wouldn't remember me you were a brat when you were working with Tom…" Ann hums.

"Wait a minute you're…wait Robin how do you know them?" Franky turns to Robin as the two fill him in.

"So you know Sabo from the revolutionary army and Ann from Ohara." Franky concludes messing with his eye.

"Yeah thanks for looking after my idiot of a little brother and Robin, also Robin I hope Sabo treated you well during those two years I know he can be pretty reckless sometimes." Ann takes a seat on the bed as Luffy snores.

"I'm not that bad." Sabo whines by her side.

"Oi, oi who decided to rush at an admiral when they barely just got their devil fruit?" Ann stretches his cheek.

"W-Well…" Sabo looks away.

"Well?" Ann gets in his face frowning.

"Aaannnn you're embarrassing me!" Sabo whines.

"Deal with it." Ann releases his cheek swiftly slapping his face.

"Ow!" Sabo whines holding his cheek.

"Luffy…" Robin goes to wake him but…

"Robin you don't have to wake him up…" Ann assures.

"Indeed let him rest as much as he needs. I just came to see his face before I leave." Sabo smiles.

"Are you two leaving the country already?" Robin queries.

"Not yet I still have some things to tend to here." Ann admits.

"With the navy around?" Zoro frowns.

"It's fine trust me." Ann assures.

"And you Sabo?" Robin turns to Sabo.

"Yeah because some troublesome people are headed back here." Sabo smiles.

"Who are they?" Franky queries.

"CP-0 they played a part in Doflamingo's deception they're targeting us." Sabo answers as Robin flinches.

"Dressrosa will get crowded in a day or two you guys should leave as soon as possible too." Ann advises.

"Thanks for telling us." Robin smiles.

"Either way we're not gonna stay here for long." Zoro states.

"Good I can only buy you guys so much time after all." Ann admits.

"You're buying us time?" Robin says surprised.

"I have a debt to claim you see." Ann smirks smugly.

"Still I didn't know he had another brother besides Ace." Zoro admits.

"You're right I never heard of it." Franky agrees.

"I bet so. I think it surprised Luffy the most." Sabo smiles.

"…It's a long story." Ann sighs.

"How long?" Franky wonders.

"Well…" Ann rubs the back of her neck but…

"I was presumed dead for a long time." Sabo admits taking them aback.

"Sabo was always with Luffy and Ace as kids, he was the brains behind the two they ran around the town like wild animals because of a certain old ass of a grandpa." Ann explains to the group.

"…and we dreamed about becoming pirates…like our aunt." Sabo smiles at Ann.

"Sabo…" Smiling, Ann smiles at Sabo.

"We exchanged cups of sake to become brothers but I got involved in an accident no an incident…" Sabo sighs.

"Mmm…" Ann furrows her brow by the murky memory.

"Did you know he was alive?" Zoro asks Ann.

"No…I had heard rumors of dragon's right hand but still imagine my surprise to see it was a boy I had thought long dead a long time ago…" Ann admits as Sabo soon concludes his tale to the others, of being shot at of his shipwrecked self being saved by the revolutionary of his amnesia…

"Is that how you joined the Revolutionary Army?" Robin assumes.

"Sort of. One thing that I knew for sure was that I didn't wanna go back to my parents at any price. Other than that, I didn't remember a thing." Sabo admits.

"So you'd lost your memory until two years ago?" Zoro wonders.

"Yeah." Sabo nods.

"If it was that serious, how did you get your memory back?" Franky wonders.

"Ace helped me. That's what I think now. The timing couldn't be any worse than that…" Sabo bows his head pained.

"Sabo…" Ann softly sets her hand on his shoulder.

"But...that was why...he awakened my memory." Sabo recalls the very newspaper he had found, his hand finally its way on top of Ann's, the tears freely falling from his confused self.

"It's so hectic. Oh, Chief of Staff! You came at the right time! Come to the situation room now! The Paramount war between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates has ended!" The revolutionaries urges both Koala and Sabo doing just that.

"Whitebeard lost?!" One of the revs gasp.

"So, one of the Four Emperors has been taken down." Another adds.

"And the marine traitor who was to be the next fleet admiral was the daughter of Roger!?

"Unbelievable…"

"…Ann…" Sabo stares stunned shocked at the picture of her, a brief flash of another memory hitting him the boys cheering smiling, Sabo braiding her hair happily, flowers interwoven with her hair as she happily hugs the boy…

"Sabo?" Koala blinks befuddled.

"The Navy has a lot of casualties, too. Seems like it was a hard battle as expected." Another throws in.

"What about Ivan-san?! Is she alright?!" Another frets.

"It doesn't say she died or anything." Someone says.

"The ones who died in the war were...the Emperor - Whitebeard...and...fire Fist Ace!" Someone reads as Sabo stops in his tracks from the name alone…

"But more importantly, Dragon-san, look...Is it true?! Is Straw Hat Luffy your son?!" They couldn't help but ask.

"Hm? Yes, he is." Dragon confirms.

"What?!" The whole group blink baffled as Sabo shakily takes a paper shaking from the title of FIRE FIST ACE DIES…

"I'm gonna become a pirate and defeat others and become infamous! It'll be the only proof of my life! It doesn't matter if all the people in the world reject me or despise me! I'll become a great pirate and show them what I can do! Just like Ann!" Young Ace proclaims proudly to his brothers as the tears freely fall staining the paper below.

"Sabo-kun, what's wrong?! You're acting strange!" Koala spots the tears falling from him slamming the paper down on the table.

"I can't believe that Ace was Gold Roger's son...he was the biggest threat to the Navy so they wanted to get rid of him at any cost." One of the revs reason.

"Hibiscus too is the child of Roger that's something else! Not to mention wasn't she a vice admiral?" Another adds amazed.

"I heard she was to be an admiral…" Another throws in.

"You think she left due to them finding out?" Someone wonders.

"Why do you think she joint the people who killed her father though?" One of the revs couldn't help but wonder.

"Regardless the navy has made a grave error in going after Ace with Hibiscus around she won't be taking this lying…" Dragon speaks up.

"Did you guys know?! They say Akainu punched a hole right through his body!" Another adds as the sharp sob escapes Sabo's lips.

"Ann told me that we can become brothers if we exchange this cup of sake!" Young Ace's words ring in Sabo's ears as he pours glasses for the three of them.

"Brothers? Really?!" Luffy gasps.

"Yeah Ann told me she did it with her brothers too. When we become pirates, we might not be on the same ship but our brotherhood will always be with us! Wherever you are, whatever you do, we'll always be bonded together! So from now on, we're brothers!" Ace declares the three clinking their cups of sake smiling.

"Yeah!" The boys cheer sharing sake with one another as Sabo sobs.

"Are you alright, Sabo?!" Hatch calls out to the wreck that is Sabo.

"Sabo-kun!" The others call out to the boy breaking down before them all…

"Now I know! The one who died wasn't some unknown pirate...He wasn't just some threat in the Pirate Era that needed to be eliminated! Ace is my...brother!" Sabo sobs saddened by it all…

"I'm not gonna run from anybody! I'm not gonna lose to anyone!" Ace proudly proclaims as Sabo stirs in bed…

"I thought you were gonna die! Sabo-kun!" Koala cries to the blonde waking up in his bed.

"You had quite a high fever, Sabo." Hatch admits to Sabo.

"You've been sleeping for three straight days! And I've been worrying!" Koala cries making Sabo sigh filling them in.

"What?! You got your memory back?!" Koala gasps.

"Yeah, I remember everything now. Including who I am and why I left home and sailed out to sea." Sabo admits.

"I see. That's good. Are you gonna quit the Revolutionary Army, then?!" Kaola couldn't help but worry.

"No, I'm not. Is Dragon-san still here?" Sabo asks.

"He is." Koala nods.

"I need to talk to him." Sabo admits.

"At that moment, I felt Ace said to me, "You're Sabo. You're Luffy's and my brother." That's why I…" Sabo looks over at Ann simply smiling at him when…

"Wait a sec!" Zoro cuts in.

"What do you want?! Don't interrupt now!" Kin'emon glares at Zoro.

"You...why did you finish the bottle?! It's empty! How dare you eat all the meat as well! " Zoro snaps at Kin'emon.

"I can't listen to such a story without drinking!" Kin'emon argues.

"You…dumbass!" Zoro growls shaking Kin'emon.

"Whoa-whoa, both of you." Kanjuro tries to break things up.

"Well, we don't need alcohol but we'll be in trouble without food when Luffy wakes up." Robin admits.

"All of our crew eat so much!" Franky sniffles sadly tears in his eyes.

"I'll go and get groceries later with Kin'emon." Kanjuro volunteers.

"Thank you!" Robin smiles.

"Get some booze, too." Zoro hollers.

"Luffy's friends are funny." Sabo smiles.

"You'll never get bored." Ann agrees.

"Hey, I wanna hear the rest already!" Frankie encourages.

"Well that was when I had dragon get me a chance to see Ann, we agreed to meet at Ace's grave where Ann filled me in on the plan." Sabo turns to Ann.

"Plan?" Robin blinks befuddled.

"I may have given Law the idea to ally himself with Luffy." Ann admits.

"Really?" Robin says surprised.

"Yeah, it's nothing really I also told Sabo of the mera mera being with Donflamingo along with the weapon crates so it would benefit both him and the revolutionary." Ann assures.

"I would have either way if Luffy was in danger." Sabo argues.

"I know still I'm glad to see you all having gotten stronger through these two years apart." Ann smiles at the group.

"Luffy looks he's laughing." Franky sniffles the tears freely falling.

"Course he is…" Ann smiles.

"I wonder what kind of dream he's having." Zoro wonders.

"Probably something to do with meat…I'm leaving now." Sabo assumes.

"Already?" Robin exclaims.

"I got to see his face." Sabo smiles.

"Ah right Sabo before you go, here I made a Vivre card of Luffy's just in case." Ann offers a piece of paper to him.

"Oh when did you have the time for that?" Sabo asks astonished as she hands him a piece.

"I have time here for you too don't lose it alright?" Ann tells him offering the paper to Zoro.

"Yeah, yeah." Zoro goes to take it but…

"Maybe I should give it to Robin…" Playfully, Ann peels it back.

"I heard ya." Zoro lunges for the paper but…

"And I'm hearing no thanks from you booze boy" Bemused, Ann peels it back.

"Tch…" Zoro growls snatching the paper.

"All right Luffy might be a bit much for you to handle but take good care of him." Ann tells them.

"Yeah you can count on us." Frankly exclaims.

"You take care of yourself Sabo." Ann calls out.

"You too auntie." Sabo heads to the door.

"It's natural for a big brother to worry about his bungling kid brother he might be a bit too much to handle but take care of 'im." Sabo sets out.

"He said the same thing Ace did…heh I should go too." Ann stands.

"You should?" Robin says surprised.

"I have a matter to tend to, it was good to see you all again take care." Ann tells them heading out.

"She seems peppy…" Zoro remarks.

"…That smile…" Robin frowns from the memory of Ann's strained smile.

"Robin?" Zoro turns to her.

"…Nothing." Robin dismisses.

"Sorry did I keep you long?" Ann makes her way towards a certain admiral, the marines make way fearful of the woman taking a seat across from him.

"I was wondering if you were to show." Fujitora admits to her.

"Course I do I gave my word didn't I?" She smirks at him.

"You're a pirate." He reminds her.

"Hey I keep my word now then shall we begin?" She asks.

"Before we do determine if my man should attack straw hat now I want to know something." Fujitora admits to Ann.

"Oh?" Ann arches a bemused brow.

"…We had set that transmission to go out to the three closest islands…how is that transition hit paradise?" Fujitora frowns at Ann.

"…Who knows? Now then shall we?" Ann takes a seat as after a still silence of a stare down.

"…Very well. " Fujitora agrees as the die is cast and…

"Well what is it? Could you look at it?" Fujitora requests.

"One." Ann answers.

"Is that so?" Fujitora wonders.

"It…it is sir." A marine watching on confirms.

"I see the only side that would be in Straw Hat's favour…that's what we agreed upon correct?" Fujitora asks Ann.

"It is. Seems I win this round." Ann smiles pleased.

"Seems so…for now. We won't arrest him tonight." Fujitora decides.

"You can't determine that with a die roll Issho-san we ran across the entire country and finally found where he is! Both Law and Luffy are there if you wanna take them down now's the chance! Hibiscus is across from you now we could-" Maynard goes to argue but…

"You're pathetic. A man shouldn't grumble like that after a die has been cast." Ann asserts annoyed.

"H-Hibiscus!" Maynard flinches back from her ice cold words.

"If you have a death wish come at me I'll end you right here and now. But as for the matter of straw hat…Fujitora and I had a bet that he would give them two days, two rolls I would get right and those days I was right he would leave them to rest. That is the reason our fight stopped, it was on this bet so now he has to keep his word or are you not the man I thought you to be…Fujitora?" Ann challenges coolly calmly.

"…" Fujitora goes quiet going back to his tent for the night.

"Damn you Hibicus…" Mayford curses cross following after him as the marines rest for the night as do the straw hats.

"His brother was just here but he's sleeping peacefully, totally unaware." Zoro eyes the sleeping mess that is Luffy.

"He'll be disappointed when he wakes up." Robin sets his hat aside.

"What a nice brother... Damn! I can barely fix myself." Franky sniffles sadly.

"Do you want me to help you?" Robin offers.

"He really is a nice brother." Kyros stirs.

"Did we wake you?" Robin wonders.

"Oh, were you listening to Sabo's story?" Zoro asks.

"Yes, from about halfway through." Kyros exclaims.

"We must've been speaking...quieter than our captain's snoring." Franky takes note of.

"Should we wake him up?" Zoro queries.

"No, let him sleep as much as he likes. I brought him here for just that reason. Zoroland, maybe there is alcohol in the cellar under the kitchen floor." Kyros reasons.

"What?! You think so?!" Zoro exclaims.

"No matter how much I thank Luffyland, it could never be enough. There's no way of knowing how much he encouraged the people of Dressrosa. This country will change. Thanks to all of you, of course. The pain from the wounds that you're all suffering from...is the result of injuries you sustained on behalf of us, the citizens of Dressrosa. We have to repay you somehow." Kyros

"Do you wanna have a drink?" Zoro offers as they all share a bottle together…

"What was that? What happened?!" Kid scowls as he, Killer, Apoo and Basil rush over to the huge explosion gawking gaping at the massive hole before them.

"Captain! There's a massive hole!" One of their subordinates state the obvious.

"A hole?" Kid frowns.

"Something landed!" The pirate adds.

"Arm yourselves!" Kid advises.

"Yeah!" They happily do so.

"It sure is big. Where did it fall from?" Basil wonders.

"Who in the world did this?!" Apoo freaks out.

"Hey, doesn't it look like the shape of a human?" Someone spots.

"I once heard...a legend about a Sky Island where some monster lives...somewhere in the sky around here. Have you ever heard that?" Basil asks them looking up at the sky.

"Are you saying thatit was pushed off of a Sky Island?!" Apoo gawks gapes at the thought as just then…

"Captain Kid! One of our ships was capsized by the impact!" Soemone reports.

"What?! Damn it all! Who did this?!" Shanks scowls at the hole before them.

"The strong live and the weak die. That is just how this world is.

"A few minutes ago...

A SKY ISLAND - THE RUINED CITY OF BALLOON TERMINAL

"What are you doing?" Urouge couldn't help but ask.

"Let's leave him alone, Monk!" His crew calls out to the man but… Urouge watches on from the clouds as one peers over the edge.

"He must be insane! We're at a height of 10,000 meters... If he's serious, why bother to stop him?" Urouge reasons.

"He was looking for a place to die. To sum up his life, he had been defeated eight times as a pirate and was captured by the Navy or his enemies' times. He underwent torture repeatedly and had been living as a criminal. He wanted to kill himself...by jumping off a Sky Island which is rather out of the ordinary…That's what led up to this. It bears repeating. He challenged the Navy and the Four Emperors single-handedly and was captured times; sentenced to death 18 times. When he was hanged, the chain broke. When he was sent to a guillotine, the blade shattered. When sentenced to impalement, the spear crumbled.

Urouge prays as the man jumps…

"Consequently, he sank nine giant prison ships. That means no one could kill him. Even himself."

"What is it this time?! What is that monster?!" Kid wonders as Those of the worst generation alliance are thrown back as just then…

"Damn! My head hurts!" A hand shoots out from the hole slamming down upon the ground unfazed by those screaming around him, towering over them all…

"I guess it's hard to die. I survived again! He managed to pull off dying...That old man, Whitebeard." Kaido curses cross as Kid gawks gapes up at the man looking for a place to die -Kaido, King of the Beasts.

We finally arrived!" The grey afro man eating his navy brand rice crackers crunches down upon them.

"Is Straw Hat Luffy still here in this country?" Curtly, Tsuru questions a marine solider.

"Yes. It's confirmed. He's badly wounded." A marine confirms.

"I see." Tsuru scowls.

"We've placed lookout units in every port of Dressrosa. We won't let them escape under any circumstances. Our camp is that way." The marine assures.

"We better get going, girls." Tsuru turns to the girls behind her.

"Yes, ma'am!" They nod.

"You're all fired up, Tsuru-chan!" Tsuru perks up at the voice.

"Don't tell me…" Tsuru turns to scowl sharply at the source of said voice.

"V-Vice Admiral Ann!?" Astonished, the girls behind Tsuru gawk gape at the woman casually slurping some noodles.

"Yo." She exclaims.

"Give me one good reason as to why you're not in chains right now?" Tsuru glares at the woman before her, the girls behind her baffled having no clue what to do or really say, one girl has her hand darted down to her blade the other looks anxiously to the other marines looking just as anxious. The other simply doesn't bat an eye at the sight of her.

"Cause I could kick your asses." Aloofly, Ann yawns.

"Is that so?" Tsuru's eye twitches tense at Ann.

"…Jeez I see you're still a hardass." Ann huffs.

"And you're a disappointment to the marines." Tsuru rebukes.

"Wow and that is something I will never emotionally recover from." Mockingly, Ann places her hand to her chest.

"Honestly I should have known you'd be involved do you know the chaos you've caused from this stunt of yours." Sternly, she scolds Ann.

"Don't see why you're complaining finally got that guy you've been trying to capture for years now." Ann goes back to enjoying her soba noodles.

"I see you're still a little ball of arrogance…someone should knock you down a peg." Tsuru pinches the cheek of Ann tugging it.

"I'd like to see you try Tsuu-chan!" Chuckling, Ann laughs unfazed.

"Tch don't call me that Portgas." Tsuru releases her cheek making Ann wince weakly rubbing her sore cheek.

"Ow! So cold…Tsuru-chan…" Cheekily, Ann calls her grinning giddily at the glaring old woman.

"Shut up! Let's go!" Tsuru snaps at her.

"Issho! I heard what you did!" Sengoku calls out to the man slurping noodles.

"Wow you've certainly let yourself go." Ann sneers snippily at Sengoku.

"…Hibiscus…?" Sengoku soon stops surprised to see said woman.

"What are you doing here?" Tsuru frowns at Ann.

"Why do you think I am? Come to join us have you?" Ann asks them.

"BUDDHA" SENGOKUTHE NAVY HEADQUARTERS INSPECTOR GENERAL

"The prostration and the clash with Sakazuki and now dining with the marine traitor just what are you thinking?" Tsuru clicks her tongue tense towards the sight.

"To be fair it's good soba." Fairly, Ann argues.

"Is it?" Sengoku asks as he reaches for Ann's but…

"Oi get off this is mine!" She snaps swiftly stabbing her chopsticks into his hand.

"OW! Share will ya?" Sengoku reels his hand back brow furrowed at Ann.

"Die will ya?" Ann snippily spits back bitterly towards the old man.

"Tch…! Either way, I'm glad that I'm not a fleet admiral anymore!" Sengoku huffs.

"So am I. I mean look at the shitshow of a finale you had as fleet admiral. Then again having a radical psycho like Akainu is working out so well for you now isn't it?" Amused, Ann argues.

"Cut it out, rice-cracker man you too Hibiscus! Admiral Fujitora. Why aren't you catching that pirate and instead dining with the child of the pirate king? You know where Straw Hat is, don't you?" Tsuru demands from Fujitora.

"The deeply-wounded pirate who saved the country." Should I consider him an enemy? Or should I let him go since he's a hero to this country? I can't decide." Fujitora admits to them.

"So we had a bet." Ann admits to the two, showing said die to them.

"A die?! Hahah!" Sengoku laughs.

"You betted with your enemy!" Tsuru scolds scowling.

"Seemed fitting for the fire around us don't you think?" Ann argues.

"This is no laughing matter! Hibiscus obviously cheated." Tsuru assumes.

"Oh you want to talk about cheating right now?" Ann scoffs.

"Hibiscus…" Tsuru glares down at the woman.

"Look you're lucky I'm being polite for Shanks sake. For your information I haven't, the marines around have been watching me like a hawk can confirm that." Ann gestures to the meek marines.

"We can mam." The marines bow their heads to her.

"A die…!" Sengoku continues laughing.

"That's enough!" Tsuru snaps at Sengoku.

"Oh, how scary. That's the Tsu-chan I remember." Amused, Ann remarks.

"You lost the right to that name a long time ago!" Tsuru barks back at Ann.

"Aw so cold Tsu-chan so cold." Ann remarks.

"Just tell me is this bet how you've been deciding whether to go after him?!" Tsuru scowls.

"I decided to leave Straw Hat and the others' fate in the hands of providence as Hibiscus had betted. Tsuru-san. If he's just an ordinary person, would he have been saved by providence two days in a row?!" Fujitora explains.

"Today's the third day and I'm not cheating." Ann assures.

"Hey! I want soba noodles, too!" Sengoku hollers.

"Yes, sir! Coming right up!" The marine goes to get just that for him.

"Thank you for assisting with the transportation of Heavenly Demon. But I'm still in charge here. So let me handle it as I like." Fujitora reminds Tsuru.

"Alright. But we Navy can't leave a pirate with a bounty at large forever...no less dine with them." Firmly, Tsuru reminds Fujitora giving a dirty look to Ann.

"You're lucky I'm dining with you and beating the crap out of you after what you've done." A small sliver of bloodlust oozes out of Ann terrifying the girls behind Tsuru as the hardened woman's eyes narrow, returning the glare Ann happily gives.

"V-Vice admiral Tsuru…" The marines worriedly watch on fearful of a fight when…

"Please become Dande-donors! People of the Navy! Please become Dande-donors!" A voice calls out from below.

"Oh, you came again today." Fujitora turns to smile down at Mansherry.

"Yes, I did." The princess smiles.

"Oh, look how cute she is!" Tsuru coos with the other girls.

"I'm Mansherry from the Tontatta Tribe!" Mansherry introduces herself.

"She's cute!" The marines coo.

"Oh! How rare!" Sengoku admires Mansherry however…

"Ouch! Wh-What the...?!" He reels back by the sharp stab of chopsticks.

"Show your semblance of dignity old man." Murderously, Ann sneers snippily scaring Sengoku almost as he reels back.

"Super scary…" Sengoku inches away from Ann.

"Princess Mansherry is Chief Tonta-sama's daughter! She's a princess! Why don't you bow your head?!" The guard below scolds.

"That's okay, Mouji." Mansherry assures.

"Oh, how merciful she is!" The old man smiles.

"To tell you the truth, we mustn't show ourselves in Dressrosa to anyone but members of the royal family. So I wanted to heal everybody's wounds without being seen." She admits.

"Hmm. How?" Sengoku asks.

"Rebecca! Rebecca! She has to put on her dress. Where did she go?" Viola tries to search for the braided woman in the castle.

"What's going on? Why did he make up such a lie?" Rebecca queries holding the letter left to her.

"That's what Kyros wants." King Riku tells his granddaughter…

Quietly, Ann walks through the marketplace eyeing the line of people collecting their bright balls of healing magic, she smiles seeing some children play in the streets spotting others going about their day joyous of being alive. She holds the bags of shopping in her hand when…

"A prince from where?" A child's voice perks the interest of Ann watching the people of Dressrosa try to fix what they can…

"I heard he was from a lush country with beautiful lakes. But the country was in a war at that time. She fell for someone she shouldn't have and had a baby - that was Rebecca." Ann hears another voice tell their friend.

"Oh yeah?" The woman listening to her friend probes as Ann couldn't help but frown.

"But sadly, the prince died in the war and...Scarlet-sama and Rebecca...I mean, Rebecca-sama, were left behind so they were living in this country quietly…" One of the workers exclaims.

"I see. So she only has pure noble blood in her veins." The old man smiles as Ann frowns, grip tightening tensing on her bags before perking up at…

"Hibiscus…what are you planning?" Tsuru calls out to her.

"Hm?" She turns to the old woman.

"Out of all my students you were the most cunning so tell me why you came here, it must be more than the mera mera fruit." Tsuru reasons.

"…Who knows?" Aloofly, Ann shrugs.

"Don't give me such an aloof answer like that!" Tense, Tsuru commands.

"If that doesn't satisfy you then that's a you problem." Aloofly, Ann dismisses.

"You…I take you will be here for the dice roll." Tsuru assumes but…

"No." Ann answers.

"…No?" Tsuru scowls sternly severely.

"I betted two days they would rest not three." Ann answers.

"Tch...that right?" Tsuru arms crossed over her chest.

"It is if I were wrong about the die roll during those two days then yes I would be going away with you guys but I'm under no obligation to now." Ann explains to Tsuru.

"…You're a criminal." Tsuru accuses.

"Pot calling the kettle black much?" Ann scoffs.

"What we do is for justice." Tsuru promises.

"You call murdering a child is justice?" Ann's tone turns ice cold making Tsuru flinch.

"Your brother was a pirate…" Sternly, she reminds him.

"Maybe he was but he was certainly no Doflamingo no Crocodile who you approved of now look at the mess you helped create." Ann gestures to the mess that is Dressrosa.

"We did nothing." Tsuru begins but…

"Exactly, turning a blind eye is just as bad." Ann curtly cuts Tsuru off.

"…Hibiscus." Tense, Tsuru scowls at Ann.

"Look Tsuru I do have some semblance of respect for you what with you staying in the shit show that is marines but for what you bastards did to my brother, just count your blessings for the fact that I haven't ripped your head off." Ann snarls seethes spitting such venom that Tsuru is even taken aback at the fierce flames within her seething scowling sherry reds as Ann takes off…with Tsuru around she didn't like her odds of another day of rest for the straw hats…

"You look great, Rebecca-sama! Dresses are much more prettier than armour!" The maids gush over the woman in a yellow dress in the palace.

"Thank you." Strained, she smiles.

"When you wear that dress, you look exactly like Scarlet-sama!" A maid compares.

"Oh yeah, we heard about your father! They say that Scarlet-sama ran away with a prince of a far-off foreign country. And that left King Riku-sama no choice but to announce that she was dead. That's like a romance novel! I can only dream about it!" One of the maids gush giddily oblivious to the pained expression of Rebecca as Viola simply sighs watching on as they prepare Rebecca for the day.

"Soldier-san is a brave man. He will always be by your side…" Ann hears the soft singing voice of Kyros before the grave.

"…Lovely garden you have here." Ann calls out approaching the man by the grave.

"You…" Kyros turns to Ann.

"Thanks for housing my brother." Ann bows her head.

"No we've barely done anything to repay him for freeing our kingdom." He tells her.

"…Are you okay with this?" Ann couldn't help but ask.

"Hm?" Kyros blinks befuddled.

"Erasing your existence from your daughter's life?" Ann wonders.

"A criminal like me…my bad blood will only bring her down." He bows his head anguished.

"You really think that?" Ann hums.

"…I do. I…have a criminal record…" He tells Ann.

"Well…my father was the most wanted criminal all over the world…but I wouldn't be the person I am today without him…I'd regret never agreeing to the chance to get to know him in his last few years alive." Honestly, Ann admits as she looks out to sea.

"That…" Kyros' eyes expand at her words.

"I mean I get what you're doing it you want to protect her but hey that's just my perspective everyone's different after all. Then again considering Rebecca's age don't you think you're being selfish deciding this for her?" Ann argues.

"Huh?" Kyros frowns at Ann.

"She's an adult, she fought in that coliseum for who knows how long and here you are just deciding to cut yourself out of her life without even consulting her on what she thinks." Ann points out to Kyros.

"I'm protecting her." He tells her.

"By running away?" Ann frowns.

"I…this is a matter between a parent and child you couldn't understand." Kyros dismisses unaware of the pained expression of Ann.

"Yeah…I couldn't." Anguished, Ann whispers weakly before heading inside the hut.

"I see. We can donate our healing properties like a blood donation. What a wonderful ability that the Heal-Heal Fruit grants. Alright, you can take some from me, too. You'll get enough to cure 10 heavily-injured people!" Sengoku smiles.

"Oh, we can always count on you!" The princess smiles.

"I'll give enough for fifty people!" A marine says angering Sengoku.

"I'll donate enough for 100 people!" Sengoku swears.

"Thank you but I don't think that's possible." The princess smiles strained.

"Tsuru-san. Go ahead and roll it for today. If it's anything other than "one," we can go after Hibiscus, Straw Hat and Law right away." Fujitora promises as Tsuru takes the die and rolls it.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Ann sets the shopping bags down on the table.

"Food?!" Luffy perks up at the sight.

"I thought you were sleeping!" Ann lightly chops Luffy's head.

"Oww! Ann that hurts!" Luffy whines holding his head with the bump.

"Yeah well you need to shape up. The Navy might will probably come today so you guys need to eat and leave." Sternly, she warns them.

"You think so?" Robin exclaims.

"Can't keep relying on me to buy you any more time guys. Especially with Tsuru around." Ann admits.

"Alright! But boy oh boy...all they kept talking about was how Rebecca-dono's father is a prince of some country." Kin'emon gossips as he takes some food.

"That's right." Kanjuro nods.

"Vat's ghat?! Ghat's a ftranni wtory! Ond U'm wad fegause Abo'z mon!" Luffy devours the food before him before snoring.

"We're all sad but we got to focus on leaving Luff. And Law eat." Unfazed by the boy both snoring and stuffing his face Ann tells him before ordering Law to do just that.

"I'm not hungry." Law huffs.

"I don't care eat." Ann tosses some bread over to the boy but…

"I don't like bread." Law huffs.

"Then pick something else to eat I don't care just eat something. Don't make me go back there and shove bread down your throat!" Ann threatens terrifying Law into eating something.

"You understand him!?" Usopp says shocked.

"Ee molla ketchupom Wanji'z froup, woo, ina buwwy!" Luffy reasons only to whine from another hit to the head.

"Get mad or cry or rush or sleep or eat! Do one at a time! You're so restless!" Ann scolds the whining Luffy bump bouncing on his head when…

"Rebecca's father is that soldier man." Luffy whines.

"You're not fully recovered! Don't be greedy and get more sleep!" Ann scolds him however…

"Ay dunder! Oo wradap dacha eye?!" Luffy continues stuffing his face.

"But I understand how you can't buy that. Are you sure about it, Kin'emon?" Usopp asks him.

"Yes, I really heard it with my own ears!" Kin'emon confirms.

"Me, too, for certain!" Kanjuro nods.

"I started the rumors." Kyros admits as he comes back inside.

"What?!" The group says stunned.

"The only people who know about Rebecca's birth are...some people in the royal family and some people in the Donquioxite Family who did the research. The only thing that the whole nation knows is about her mother. I started the rumors before they found out I'm her father." Kyros explains to them.

"Why?" Robin wonders.

"I have a criminal record. I'm ill-bred as well. I wasn't supposed to marrya member of the royal family in the first place. So." Kyros explains to the two.

"You're running away." Ann curtly cuts him off.

"It's for her own good." Kyros frowns at Ann.

"No, it's not!" Luffy scowls.

"Does Rebecca know that?" Ann asks Kyros.

"She must've gotten the letter. I wrote everything about my life truthfully. I made her suffer for a long time. I want her to cut her connection to a person like me and live happily in the light hereafter. So that's the only way I can make it up to her as a father. I'm thinking about leaving this country when you guys do. She's still a child. I don't want her to ruin her chance to be happy by being caught up in the moment! I convinced King Riku-sama, too!" Kyros explains but…

"…Pathetic." Ann violently chomps down on some bread tearing the head off.

"Ann-san you're being so brutal!" Usopp frets.

"Just saying how it is. Honestly men with no backbone like you piss me off the most!" Mad, Ann huffs glaring to the side.

"They're not buying it at all…" Usopp and Zoro sweatdrops at the clearly annoyed Ann and Luffy just as the snail goes off and the door opened to Bartolomeo.

"Zoro-senpai! Oh, Luffy-senpai! You're up! Good morning! When there are five members of the Straw Hats gathered together, they're too bright to even look at! It's like a laser beam of greatness! If I see all the stars of the Straw Hats someday, I'll get dissolved!" Bartolomeo gushes in awe at the sight of the shining beacons of the straw hats.

"Just say what you're here for already!" Annoyed, Ann barks at the green haired man.

"Oh yeah! There's a lot of commotion at the Navy camp! They're gonna be here at any minute! Great Advisor" Vice Admiral Tsuru and the former fleet admiral - Sengoku arrived!" Bartolomeo reports to them after recovering from being in awe of the straw hats being together.

"Tsuru and Sengoku?!" Franky says shocked.

"What are such heavyweights doing here?! Go away!" Usopp cries.

"Sengoku..." Law frowns.

"I knew it wouldn't last forever…" Ann sighs shaking her head.

"Leo, what did you call me for?" Kyros turns to the ringing snail.

"Oh, the Navy is going into action now!" Leo reports.

"It's "six." It's a mandate from heaven! All Navy units! Catch the Straw Hats, Hibiscus, Trafalgar Law, and all the criminals who've been hidden at the Palace in one fell swoop!" Fujitora gives out his orders.

"Yes, sir!" They comply doing just that.

"Admiral-dono! Do we have permission to enter the Palace?!" The marines asks Fujitora.

"You don't need to worry about anything. I'll take full responsibility!" Fujitora assures.

"Roger!" The marines nod going off to do just that…

"Okay this way everybody! We don't want to bump into Fujitora so its best not to split up" Bartolomeo calls out forming a barrier blocking the marines from following them as just like that…

"I've got something to do ahead!" Ann announces taking the group aback.

"Ann?" Luffy turns to her.

"It'd be best if we split up from here Luffy you focus on the east port." Ann calls out. Luffy's eyes meet Ann's own as Luffy couldn't help but smile nodding his head.

"Alright be careful!" Luffy hollers watching Ann take off leaving the group to it.

"WHAT Lucy?!" Rebecca gasps at the news report given by Viola through her devil fruit.

Yes he and his friends are being chased by Navy soldiers I guess he'll leave soon." Viola assumes.

But I haven't really had a chance to say thank you to him!" Rebecca's brow furrows.

Is that all you can think about right now?" A cool cold voice cuts in.

Eh? You…" Rebecca's eyes expand at the woman at the window leant against the side of the caged window.

"You're…!" The guard gasps raising his spear to Ann outside the window.

"Don't! She saved my life!" Rebecca pleads.

"She's a pirate a yonko right hand my lady!" The guard stresses.

"B-But…!" Rebecca tries to argue but…

"She's the child of a devil!" The guard adds.

"D-Devil?" She turns to Ann.

"Rebecca your dumbass of a father is just going to walk away are you okay with that?" Ann annoyed demands from Rebecca.

"O-Of course not!" Rebecca cries tears freely falling from her.

"Then do something about it before he makes a mistake both of you are going to regret. Don't you want to live a life without regrets!? I mean you just got him back are you just going to let him go again?" Anns fingertips curl coil around the iron bars between both pink haired woman.

"O-Of course not!" Rebeca repeats anguished the tears freely falling from her.

"Then do something about it!" Ann roars at her.

"I got a letter from him Soldier is trying his best to distance himself from me he's trying to make me a stranger…" She sniffles sadly.

"And you're okay with that!?" Ann couldn't help but ask her.

"Of course not…I just…was it because I said terrible things to him? Why? What did I do that was so wrong?" The tears freely fall from Rebecca as Ann couldn't help but flinch from seeing a faint figure of her younger self…

"…Mom…what did I do…to make dad go away?" The young Ann asks anguished as her mother stops making dinner.

"Ann…" Rouge turns to her sniffling child.

"Was I a bad daughter? Was I annoying? Was I too loud? Is that why he left us?" Anxiously, Ann clings to her dress shirt sniffling sadly as Rouge holds her little girl.

"Do you think he doesn't wanna live with me!?" Rebeccas' voice brings Ann back to the present.

"Do you think you're just going to find out behind these caged walls!? Think for yourself for goodness sake are you honestly happy with that bastard deciding things for you!?" Ann asks Rebecca her eyes expanding when hearing her words.

"Of course not! Of course I'm not okay with it!" Rebecca admits anguished.

"Then do something about it! That's what you want right?" Ann urges.

"I do." Rebecca nods.

"Wait Rebecca-san!" Viola steps forward but…

"Viola-san please grant me this favour…" Rebecca turns to her aunt as before they knew it…

"Let's go! Hang on tight!" Ann warns.

"Okay!" Rebbeca wraps her arms around Ann's back before Ann leaps off into the flower field below, brimmed with marines.

"She's escaping!" The marines try to fire at her however falter from Rebecca on her back being a potential risk.

"King Riku-sama!" A scared soldier rushes over to the king.

"What's wrong?!" King Riku turns to the soldier.

"Rebecca-sama has been kidnapped by a pirate!" He admits.

"What?! A pirate from where?! What was he like?! Is he one of the competitors from the Colosseum?!" Riku gasps grabbing the soldier shaking him but…

"S-She…" The scared soldier sputters out.

"…She?" Riku stops confusion clear in his tone until…

"The right hand of red haired shanks…" The soldier answers as dread hits the king hard.

"Roger's child!?" King Riku gasps from the news.

"We're chasing the pirates now! It seems that they're heading to the east port! Okay. Put me through to the east port!" The vice admiral commands numerous snails on standby but…

"Yes, this is the Navy lookout unit at the east port! Over! All serene! Over!" The snail smiles strained at the vice admiral.

"All serene?! How can you take this so lightly?!The pirates are heading there!" The vice admiral angrily yells.

"Oh no, it's so peaceful out here. We don't need any more backup! Over! Over!" The snail dismisses, unaware of the pirates on the other side with marines knocked out around them.

"You idiot...Give me your name and Navy Code." The vice admiral growls.

"Huh? Oh, ummm." The snail struggles.

"Dammit-dara! The east port has been seized! Send reinforcements to the east!" The vice admiral orders those around him.

"Yes, sir!" They happily comply as the straw hats make their way to the port.

"Rebecca-sama has been abducted from the Palace!" Word soon spreads across the kingdom.

"The marine traitor did it!" A marine gossips.

"No kidding! It's probably for ransom!" A civilian assumes.

"We should have known the child of Roger is a devil child!" Another of the Dressrosa civilian dictates.

"She no doubt was waiting for her time to strike for ransom!" A nearby marine assumes.

"A monster like father like daughter!" A civilian curses cross.

"See?! This is what happens when you believe in pirates and let them stay! Catch Hibiscus as quickly as possible and rescue Princess Rebecca!" The vice admiral orders as Ann leaps from one roof to the next, Rebecca clinging to her back.

"The marines…they're stopping…" Stunned, Usopp takes note of.

"Don't tell me…" Robin's brow furrows recalling Ann's redirection.

"Ann will be fine." Luffy seemingly reads Robin's mind.

"Luffy…" Robin furrows her brow at Luffy.

"Ann is strong she can handle some marines now come on!" Luffy smiles as they go on ahead.

"They're so persistent!" Ann curses cross at the crowd chasing her from below.

"Ann…?" Rebecca's grip tightens tenses around Ann.

"We'll be fine!" Firmly, Ann assures.

"Return the princess Marine Traitor!" A civilian calls out to her.

"Should have known once a traitor always a traitor!" A marine aims his gun.

"She's no better than Doflamingo!" A civilian screams sword in hand as they collapse confusing Rebecca but not Ann smirking smugly when they fire nothing but flowers popping out.

"Rebecca I'll leave you behind the hill and lure them away! So go off on your own! The whole nation is trying to protect you if you get caught they'll take you back to the palace and you'll never get to say what you want to say to your old man so be careful." Ann reminds Rebecca.

"Okay where should I go?" Rebeca questions as they approach the hill.

"Where do you think? That old hut in the flower field." Ann deadpans.

"The flower field…okay I got it." Rebecca nods.

"You gotta hurry or hell be gone." Ann warns.

"Thank you…thank you so much Ann." Rebecca smiles.

"Just don't live life with regrets got it…? Say what you want to say." Ann sets Rebecca down.

"I will." Rebecca sets off to do just that…

"URGH FINALLY LOST THEM!" Ann exhales relieved when she plops down into a nearby alleyway of sorts frowning.

"I assume that was you." Ann jolts up a the voice turning to Sengoku sharing some rice crackers with a gorilla.

"The hell? Don't sneak up on someone like that…also is that a gorilla?" Ann does a double take towards the animal but…

"Setting up where the pirates would be to strike, having the fairies tamper with the weapons…kidnapping the princess to redirect the marine attention off the strawhats…" Sengoku lists looking into the bag of rice crackers.

"Of course what do you expect?" Ann dismisses.

"A honourable woman." Sengoku scowls.

"Honour? Do not speak to me of honour Sengoku…honour is for those who earn such a respect you lot however haven't exactly earnt much praise as of late…" Agitated, Ann sneers snippily scowling at Sengoku.

"…Hibiscus…" Sengoku furrows his brow at her however Ann simply takes out her pipe, blinking back the tears thinking back to Rbecca racing after her father to her and her father to her mother to… Ace.

"You people…all you ever do is take and take and take until there's nothing left. You took my father from me, my mother from me and now my brother. So forgive me for wanting to take something for once." Ann's voice breaks briefly but she carefully coldly composes herself exhaling a shaky smoky breath before Sengoku.

"…You were a good woman once." Sengoku says softly to her.

"…I had a brother once." Icily, Ann glares at Sengoku.

"You'll never let that go will you?" Sengoku scowls down at the floor.

"Let go? That which you refer to was a life, a young life of a boy who had done nothing to you!" Angrily, Ann roars raising her voice to Sengoku snarling seething.

"…That look in your eyes…I don't like it…" Sengoku scowls at the look in her eye.

"Yes well there's a lot of things I don't like and have now decided to deal with." Ann turns away, taking another inhale of smoke spewing smoke into the open air as she glares.

"Does that include Aokiji?" Sengoku asks as Ann seemingly flinches from the name.

"I swear to the god could I not hear the name of that traitor for a day just one day!?" Angrily, Ann exhales shakily smoke scowling down at the floor frowning.

"…So you know…" Sengoku frowns.

"If you mean I know he wants to kill me then yeah I know." Bitterly, Ann sneers snippily scowling.

"…What makes you think that?" Sengoku wonders.

"Think? It's obvious that disgusting toad of a man wants me dead. He's no different to everyone else heck what better way to give me the middle finger for lying to him about crap was to join the crew that brought my brother in? If that isn't a middle finger I don't know what is." Ann hollowly heckles.

"I don't believe you." Sengoku carefully watches her shakily spew smoke into the open air as her hollow heckle falters from his words.

"Excuse you?" Ann frowns at Sengoku.

"You were at Punk Hazard for a reason Ann." Sengoku states stunning Ann who faintly flinches as a still silence erupts between both of them staring each other down until…

"How did…?" Shakily, Ann breaks the still silence between them twitching twirling her pipe.

"Why did you go there Ann?" Sengoku demands from Ann.

"…" Ann goes quiet looking away from him.

"On that day the look Aokiji in his eyes I had never seen such passion such determination, such fire looking back on it I should have known it was about you." Sengoku sighs bowing his head as Ann's grip simply tightens tenses around the pipe, choking it almost.

"…That idiot…" Ann slumps her shoulders softly, her tone tense trembling even.

"Hm?" Sengoku raises a befuddled brow at her.

"He was a moron thinking he could fix what he had done what you all had done." Ann huffs looking away anguished.

"Ann…" Sengoku furrows his brow at her.

"You had taken my only reason for living don't you get that? The reason I joined the marines, the reason I kept my mouth shut, the reason I kept my head down, it was all for him, for him to live a happy cherished free life like he wanted like my mother wanted like my father wanted and you took that away from me, all of them, you took away from me, you took my only reason of living…" Honestly, Ann admits to Sengoku.

"…Ann…" Sengoku sighs softly at him.

"He's only doing this to make himself feel better to feel morally superior to Akainu!" Angrily, Ann accuses.

"You really think that?" Sengoku stares at Ann noting her covering her face furious.

"He…betrayed me! He will burn as will the rest of them and if you even think of saying like the rest of the idiots it's my fault he left, that idiot left on his own accord that's his foolish decision, it's not my problem! The bastard could drown, and I wouldn't give to shits hell I'd make sure he'd drown!" Angrily, Ann waves her pipe about agitated blinking back the tense tears glaring glowering at Sengoku snarling seething pain pouring out of her tense-tired tone.

"…I don't believe you…" Sengoku stares straight at her taking her aback before her gaze hardens.

"Believe what you want I really don't give a shit about him, about you, about anything anymore." Angrily, Ann sneers bitterly turns away, taking another shaky inhale of smoke.

"He cared about you." Sengoku states to her.

"Eh?" Astonished, Ann turns her head back to Sengoku startled confusion clear on her furrowed features flabbergasting Sengoku at the sheer surprise on her face.

"The reason he wanted the admiral position was to make things right." Sengoku states to her only making her scowl.

"To make things right? What in this world is right anymore? Was it right of my father to be executed before my very eyes? Was it right for my mother to lose her life over having to hide an innocent life that had done nothing to you people!? Was it right…for me to be the one to survive?" Seriously, she demands from Sengoku, snarling scowling at the man before her. A still silence soon settling between both of them.

"Ann…" Sengoku furrows his brow at her, gorilla by his side.

"It should have been me that day, no one…no one would have cared…" Ann's grip tightens tenses around her pipe.

"Aokiji would have." Sengoku says softly making her heckle hollowly.

"No he wouldn't, he wouldn't even bat an eye to it." Ann couldn't help but scoff at the thought.

"Ann…" Sengoku frowns at Ann's pained smile.

"The reason he became fleet admiral is so he can feel as if he can make himself feel better about himself. He's no better than Garp. He didn't even apologise when he had the nerve to show at his grave. Besides…I'm the demon child, a child of a monster, of a villain that's all I am that's all I'll ever be perceived as…no one…no one could understand except Ace…and I left him, I turned my back to him when he was alone…" Anguished, Ann bows her head pain pouring out of her tense trembling tone filled to the brim with fury and disgust at herself.

"Ann it wasn't…!" Sengoku tries to explain but…

"It was! I'm the eldest one I should have stopped it stopped you but I…I…now I'm all alone in this world, painted as the villainous survivor of the Roger bloodline, bad blood runs through my veins." Anguished, Ann yells at him pain pouring out of her trembling tone.

"…Rosinante didn't think so." Softly, Sengoku offers.

"…" Ann takes a shaky intake of smoke spewing it out into the open air.

"When he first told me of befriending you I told him not to but you know what he told me…" Sengoku couldn't help his sad smile.

"What?" Ann nibbles gnaws away at the tip of her pipe.

"You looked lonely." Sengoku states the fact firmly.

"…!" Ann's eyes expand at his words.

"He said he never seen someone so alone before in his entire life, I didn't think much of it at the time but he's right even now I can't help but see what he saw…" Sengoku softens sadly at Ann.

"Rosi…" Ann bows her head pained, tone trembling voice cracking at the thought of him, blinking back the glassy tears.

"You did this for him didn't you? Deep down…" Softly, Sengoku assumes.

"The person Rosi believed to be his friend, the person Bell believed to be her friend never existed, the person they sought in and believed they could trust was nothing but a mask…" Anguished, Ann recites the fact firmly guilt gnawing away at her at the thought of her friend's…long gone from the world.

"And the person standing before me isn't a mask…" Sengoku assumes but…Ann simply laughs.

"…I don't even know anymore who I am…all I know is that I have a job to complete and for that the world must burn." Bluntly, Ann admits as she couldn't help but grin, hiding her face with her hand heckling hollowly.

"…Is that so?" Sengoku frowns at her.

"It is. If I can do this I can finally finish what my father started, I can end this cursed cycle in my veins of persecution of hate…" Ann couldn't help but think back to a certain freckled face babe as she scowls down at the blade bitterly in her hand.

"Ann…" Sengoku frowns at her however her grip only tightens tenses on her blade.

"Only then when his dream is completed, when the dawn comes can this cursed cycle end, only when I do what I was created to do, I can finally atone for what I've done and be given the end I deserve…for failing my captain's final order." Ann proclaims proudly resolved.

"…Rosi would be saddened to see the path you're going through…" Sengoku admits to her.

"The path of his brother right?" Ann couldn't help but hollowly heckle.

"…Hibiscus…" Sengoku frowns.

"Perhaps he is right, perhaps I am no different I do use people, I lie, I steal, I do whatever I want when I want…I throw those who I deem useless away. I'm…I'm not going to lie what happened with Kuzan was a fling that's all I ever saw it to be but he…I didn't get it you know? I've spent so many years on the sea and flings were a norm it was fun that's all but he just kept pressing and pressing to a point I wanted to scream demanding what he was playing at! It was stress relief that's all I had seen the purpose for it as but he…" Trembling, Ann's voice cracks breaks before Sengoku spilling out so much as she trails off pained.

"He was different." Sengoku softly cuts in nodding Ann's silent nod.

"I didn't get it I still don't…but that doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters because I am the daughter of a devil, that's all I will ever be, I am someone who was never meant to exist, who was supposed to be a villain, a bad guy that's what you marines wanted right? The big bad you can all look towards to defeat to hang my head up proud for the people to rejoice…so why do you look so sad…? I don't get it." Intensely, Ann couldn't help but laugh, cackling crazed almost as she turns to grin at the pained expression of Sengoku rubbing at his eyes trying to blink back the tears threatening to fall from the broken child before him.

"…Perhaps it's because I know deep down you're a good person." Softly, Sengoku whispers.

"What bull is this?" Amused, Ann couldn't help but laugh.

"…Kuzan showed me that much alongside Rosinante." Sengoku says softly to her.

"Good person? I let my brother die, my brother died knowing I let him down, my brother died when he needed me the most. My mother begged for me to save him, to protect him, to be there for him but I didn't, my father the same… I've let them all down…so why…why did I have to survive? Why couldn't I have been the one to die…? The world would be better off without me, everyone else would be better off without me, no one would care if I were the one to die! These thoughts constantly roam in my head if I had died, if I had been the Blackbeard caught if I had just stopped Ace…" Anguished, Ann holds her face, grinning smiling despite the pain pouring out of her trembling tense tone filled with rage, anguish and sorrow.

"We've all been trapped in what ifs but what Rosinante said…he said you were kind and I believe him." Sengoku states sternly to Ann.

"Eh?" Astonished, Ann removes her hand from her face frowning at the serious Sengoku.

"You saved him numerous times whether it be on missions or a simple trip up, you helped him in terms of lessons. You were the friend he never thought he would have when he first joined the marines. He cared for you Ann whether you were Portgas or Roger he wouldn't have cared." Sengoku staters seriously to Ann.

"…Does that even matter anymore?" Ann leans back against the rubble wall behind her spewing smoke from her pipe.

"Huh?" Sengoku blinks befuddled by the melancholic look of Ann.

"He's dead as is every other person I've ever cared for in my life has, died believing me to be someone I'm not someone I can't be as did Bell, as did so many others…I'm nothing but a liar, a disappointment, a coward, I spent so long running that I never considered anyone missing me, noticing me, really caring about me…I didn't even know Bell and Rosi had died until their kids came along…while I was on the seas Rosi had been shot in cold blood and Bell…she was shot right before her kids eyes and where was I? On some damn boat doing nothing having no clue what was going on…" Anguished, Ann whispers weakly, her tone cracking, a lone tear finally falling for the two, grip tighten tensing on her pipe pained at the thought of her fallen friends.

"…Ann…" Sengoku furrows his brow at her however…

"That's why…I'll do what I must to atone." Ann resolved raises her head to Sengoku.

"Even if it costs you your life…?" Sengoku scowls knowing the look in her eyes.

"Even if it costs me my life I will make my father's dream a reality because no matter what happens I'm the child of Roger, the child of a villain, the child of a monster that should have been wiped from the world a long time ago…" Ann states the fact firmly.

"Ann you…hm?" Sengoku blinks befuddled by the sudden spike of senses when…

"…Law." Ann spews smoke into the open air as the man steps out of the shadows scowling.

"Rebecca!" Kyros gasps at the sight of his child before him.

"Don't lie!" Rebecca barks at her father tearful.

"Oh, about the letter?" Kyros assumes as he adjusts the strap of his bag, a child drawing of a toy solider in it.

"I wasn't lying! I really was a worthless guy who fought all the time in the past. And whatever the reason was, I really killed people." Kyros admits anguished ashamed almost.

"So...I'm not a daughter of some prince! I don't know anyone like that! It doesn't matter if he killed hundreds of peopleor how tainted his hands are! I only have one father! I'm Kyros' daughter! Don't lie! Until the day you are filled with happiness, I will always be by your side! Stay by my side like you promised, Soldier-san!" Rebecca pleads begs her father to stay stunning him.

"I-Is it okay with you that I'm your father?!" Kyros sniffles sadly the tears freely falling from him.

"Yeah! Let's live together! Dad!" Rebecca smiles.

"Yeah." Happily, both father and daughter hug happy to be in one another's arms again.

"Want some rice crackers?" Sengoku offers to Law.

"No thanks just start talking." Law orders.

"Do you want some?" Sengoku offers to Ann but…

"You heard him." Ann crosses her arms over her chest challenging Sengoku making him sigh at the two.

"A boy with White Lead Disease?! So there was a survivor from the White Town?!" The young Sengoku says surprised holding his snail in his office.

"He hates everything in this world. Feels like I'm watching my older brother when he was a kid." Corazon confirms in an alleyway, using his snail.

"I feel sorry for him but there's no way to cure White Lead Disease. Don't get involved too much or you'll give yourself away." Sengoku warns Corazon.

"Yes, I know. I'm here to stop my brother. Doflamingo is a violent man. I'm not gonna let him go to Dressrosa…" Corazon swears it as he ends his report…

"One day, a Navy soldier died. He was someone special to me. I met him when he was a kid and I thought of him as my son. He was honest and had a stronger sense of justice than anyone. So he was a subordinate that I could trust as well. But he lied to me just once in his lifetime." Sengoku present day tells both Law and Ann recalling the crying child in his arms…`

"Do you have a deal regarding the Op-Op Fruit? My brother knew it." Corazon asks yong Sengoku through the snail.

"What?! But it's top secret!" Sengoku says stunned.

"Cora-san must be talking to...The young Law watches on.

"That'll be it for Doflamingo! We'll ambush at Swallow Island and catch the Donquioxite Family in one fell swoop! You stay away from the island!" Sengoku sternly orders him as Corazon makes a mark on his map.

"I was planning on it." Corazon responds.

"This is the landing unit. There is an executive of the Donquioxite Family among the dead. His code name: Corazon. I've sent a picture of him. Could you confirm?" The snail sends a photo of the dead Corazon.

"Rosinante! Why were you there on the island?!" The tears freely fall from the younger Sengoku.

"He betrayed me. But he must've had a reason. Four things were lost during that incident. The Barrels Pirates. My subordinate. The Op-Op Fruit. And the boy who was with the Donquioxite Family at the time who was suffering from White Lead Disease!" Sengoku reports.

"Yeah, that's me!" Law frowns.

"I thought so. Rosinante took a half-year break from his mission because of you?" Sengoku assumes.

"Yes, he took me to so many hospitals." Law confirms.

"Then, he went for the Op-Op Fruit and he sacrificed himself to save your life? I wanna know what exactly he died for." Sengoku scowls.

"Yeah, you're right. We were gonna escape together actually. He gave me back my life and spirit. I'm forever in his debt! That's why I've single-mindedly lived to kill Doflamingo on his behalf! But...I don't know if this is how he wanted me, bearing the name "D." to live." Law admits as he turns towards Ann…

"What am I doing...? I've been repeatedly making the kid from the tragic town relive the tragedy... And he hasn't gotten any better... Am I doing it for "D."? Or cause he reminds me of her…?

"Hey Cora-san…" Law eyes Corazon chewing his food.

"Hm?" Humming, Corazon turns to him.

"This friend of yours who are they? They have a D. in them right?" Law assumes.

"How did you?" Confused, Corazon begins but…

"You murmured about them in your sleep." Law admits.

"Ah…" Corazon exclaims.

"They your lover or something?" Law assumes.

"Nah I could not handle the craziness of Ann." Corazon chuckles at the thought.

"Ann?" Law exclaims as next the young Law knew…

"…I made a little blunder...guess I really am useless without my observation bubby." Bemused, Corazon tries to make light of it despite the crying child by his side. Scarlet seeping out of him holed up form…

"Damn! What are you doing, Cora- san?! Oh yeah! Get better! Get better! Get better! Stop bleeding! Stop!" Law tries but…

"That's foolish of you...I told you the ability doesn't work like magic." Corazon chuckles coyly.

"What am I supposed to do, then?! You... got shot because of me, didn't you?!" Terrified, Law cries.

"I said it's not like that... I just messed up...Law... I'll be alright! These wounds won't kill me...Listen carefully, Law. If the worse were to happen to me…" Corazon begins but…

"Don't say that!" Law stops him.

"Law…listen there's someone in the navy you can trust I know you have your reasons not to trust the navy but this person…will definitely protect you. Tell Ann Rosi sent you okay?" Corazon tells him.

"O-Okay." Law nods knowing where to go next, Portgas D. Ann…he would remember that name.

"D."?!" Sengoku's eyes expand at the letter.

"Like Straw Hat and Hibiscus, I have that secret name, too. Since you used to be the fleet admiral, don't you know something about the meaning of that "D."?" Law is brought back to the present.

"No idea." Sengoku states.

"Hey! Don't play dumb!" Ann snaps scowling at Sengoku but…

"At least, I know Rosinante had no idea. So that wasn't the reason he saved you. Don't try to find a reason...for somebody's love!" Sengoku snaps startling both Law and Ann, their eyes expanding when hearing his words…

"I love you!" Corazon's words ring in Law's ears as Ann herself couldn't help but grimace when hearing his words, thinking back towards a bandaged bloodied bedridden man, burn marks seared into his flesh...

She sat, dutifully by his side, the ship moving to the beat of the waves back and forth. Silently, she held his hand holding his hand close to her temple, praying almost on the verge of tears before hearing the soft sound of footsteps. She turns to Garp, grimly nodding, reluctantly removing her hand free from his, pained from it all.

She turns to leave when feeling a hand suddenly grab onto her taking her aback as she turns to the bedridden man, mouthing something to her. Her eyes expand when hearing his words as next she knew she had fled from him, tears in her eyes as she took off ignoring the calls of her name, of the marines watching on as she fled…

"So he is one, too. The people with the name "D." always lead a checkered life. If I were still on active duty, I would've imprisoned you two to have more time to talk but...ironically, you're the only two people who I can share the memory of Rosinante with, even though you two are pirates. If you really wanna do something in his memory, the three of us...should always remember him. That's good enough. And you live your life as you two like. That's what...he would say." Sengoku explains to the stunned pair taken aback at his words having no real clue what to say.

"Rebecca will never come back here, Father-sama." Viola tells King Riku using her devil frit ability watching father and daughter reunite from within the castle.

"Viola... I thought so." Riku sighs sadly.

"Yes. That's what she wants." Viola recalls her nieces' words.

"I'm sorry, Viola-san! But could you take my place and become a princess?!" Rebecca requests from her aunt.

"This is the second time in my life that someone asked me such an odd favour…" Viola present day sighs softly.

"I see. Rebecca is really like her mother." Riku couldn't help but compare.

"My barrier! Break it if you can!" Bartolomeo taunts towards Fujitora slowly but surely coming over.

"Oh, is that a barrier? Looks like this'll be real tough." Fujitora slowly draws out his blade.

"What the!?" Law says shocked stunned seeing the rubble around them rise up.

"So he's finally acting now." Ann hums watching rubble rise to the high heavens.

"Eh?" Law turns to Ann confused.

"Oh, the rubble." Sengoku takes note of.

"You notice now!?" Ann snaps scowling at Sengoku.

"Get away from it!"

"What in the world is going on?!"

"The broken buildings are rising up into the air!"

"All the rubble in the country is...flying towards the east port!"

The people of Dressrosa gawk gape at the risen rubble heading to the port.

"Well...I guess nobody's using all of this. It's what's left after those hideous pirates fought!" Fujitora hums.

"Don't tell me he's gonna use it as a weapon?!" One of the pirates protecting the straw hats wonder.

"A barrier that only covers a limited area won't stand a chance against this!" Sai's father adds.

"Is he crazy?!" Franky frowns.

"That's not fair!" Usopp panics.

"What's going on?! We can't stay surprised forever! We gotta go help the Usolanders!" Leo reasons.

"Is he going to take down the pirates like that?!" Riku wonders.

"No one will survive that!" Violet panics.

"I can't believe this! Is their escape plan over now?!" Kyros scowls.

"Lucy!" Rebecca calls out.

"Hey, you old gambler man! Do you remember me?!" Luffy roars rushing at Fujitora.

"I was expecting you, Straw Hat!" Fujitora turns to him.

"I'm gonna punch you! Gum-Gum...Elephant gun!" Luffy strikes taking everyone aback but Fujitora braces for the hit.

"L-L-L-L-L-L-Luffy-senpai! He's one of the Navy HQ's greatest military powers -a Navy admiral! What are you doing" Bartolomeo panics perturbed.

"Take him down someday" isn't good enough anymore! Even if he's a Navy admiral, why should I run?! I would've done that until two years ago but not anymore!" Luffy decides.

Everyone focus on escaping! As we are now, we can't beat these guys!" His younger self screams at his crew fighting Kuma and Kizaru.

"Even a Navy admiral or an Emperor, I gotta beat them all! Otherwise... I can't become the King of the Pirates!" Luffy reminds them.

"Well, that's kind of true." Franky concedes.

"Okay, Luffy! Since it has come to this, just fight it out!" Usopp cheers him on.

"What?! Usopp-senpai, even you?! Are you sure?! He's a Navy admiral!" Bartolomeo worries.

"I'll go all out! Old man!" Luffy swears rushing at Fujitora.

"Fine, I'll do all I can to capture you, too! Prepare yourself!" Fujitora warns.

"I'm gonna punch you! Gum-Gum...Hawk bullet!" Luffy rushes at Fujitora.

"Why does he have to have a serious fight at times like this?!" Bartolomeo panics perturbed.

"Are you crazy, Straw Hat?!" Cavendish scowls at Luffy.

"Should we go help?!" Sai wonders watching on.

"I'm gonna tread on you! Gum-Gum...Hawk Axe!" Luffy goes for a kick.

"I'm totally on board with what Luffy said but why is he fighting in such a strange way?" Zoro wonders.

"What are you doing, Luffy?!" Usopp demands from him as Fujitora defends well against Luffy.

"I'm gonna punch you so many times! Gum-Gum...Hawk Gatling! I'm gonna kick you! I'm gonna kick and punch you! " Luffy strikes as promised but Fujitora defends from each one.

"What'd'ya do?!" Luffy groans as he is forced down.

"Luffy!" Usopp calls out worriedly.

"Oh yeah, old man, you're a Devil Fruit eater! A head-butt!" Luffy headbutts the ground freeing himself from the gravity bind by breaking the ground beneath him distracting Fujitora enough to leap back.

"I'm gonna kick you! Oh, my mistake! I meant "punch"! Sorry, old man!" Luffy apologises after mistaking a kick for a punch stopping himself.

"Don't worry. It didn't even graze my body." Fujitora assures unfazed.

"Here I go, old man! I'm gonna punch you! I'm gonna kick and punch you! A lot of...punching! Push you! Head! Tread on you! My body gets lighter and heavier...What's going on?!" Luffy gasps as he goes for a fair few hits however Fujitora dodges each and every one of them soon enough he's running from Fujitora's gravity binds aiming at him but is soon on the defensive before being thrown in the air and thrown back down.

"Straw Hat!" Concerned, Cavendish calls out.

"I told you! Luffy-senpai, run!" Bartolomeo cries out.

"I'm not gonna...run anymore!" Luffy breaks free from the gravity.

"Right. Seems like you're strong enough to say so. I like that spirit but." Fuijitora concedes however…

"I'm gonna punch you!" Luffy swears.

"What exactly have you been doing all this time?! Announcing "Kick you" or "Punch you" Are you taking pity on me?! I'm a Navy HQ admiral! Everyone says I'm like a monster! I don't want anybody to go easy on me after all these years! Does it bother you that a blind man is on the battlefield?! If you wanted to make me mad, you succeeded! I'll chop off your head before you know it!" Fujitora fumes furious.

"Shut up! I just can't attack a blind man like you without saying a word! Because I kind of like you!" Luffy admits as Fujitora couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?! You jerk! I'm gonna kick you!" Luffy goes for a kick but…

"That sympathy of yours! What is it good for?!" Fujitora deflects it with ease.

"I'm gonna punch you so many times!" Luffy does so but…

"I'm disappointed in you! This isn't sensible at all!" Fuijitora blocks each hit.

"I'm gonna punch yo...with all my might!" Luffy swears.

"When men fight, they should fight in a way that fits their position. You can't...show pity or say what you like so honestly!" Fujitora applies his gravity trying to bring Luffy down.

"Shut up! I don't care at all!" Luffy yells.

"You're such a fool! I'm fighting as befits my position even though I don't want to! Gravity Blade!" Fujitora goes to strike.

"Oh no! Get away!" Zoro warns.

"Raging Tiger!" Fuijitora tells striking with his devil fruit blasting Luffy away when a hand grabs him.

"Ann?" Luffy looks up shocked to see her.

"Good work Luffy but let me handle things from here." Ann smiles at Luffy.

"…Ann…" Luffy whispers weakly when…

"Oi Traf catch!" Ann throws Luffy over.

"Traf?" Luffy blinks befuddled by the man now holding him in his arms.

"Get him out of here!" Ann calls out to him.

"Right." Law nods.

"Hey! I'm still fighting!" Luffy squirms struggling to escape Law's hold…

"Vice Admiral Bastille. Bastille!" Tsuru calls out picking up the snail scowling.

"What? Oh, oh, Tsuru-san! I'm sorry! I couldn't believe my eyes so I." Bastille begins but…

"Do you still need reinforcements?" Tsuru cuts him off.

"No! All Navy units! We no longer need reinforcements in the east-dara! Everybody, retreat from the east port! Evacuate while leading the citizens to somewhere safe! Don't get in the way of Issho-san...I mean, the Navy admiral!" Bastille commands.

"What the hell is that?!" Usopp panics perturbed.

"Hey, guys! Wherever you are, we're all at risk! Go to the port and set sail!" Law commands dropping down with Luffy.

"Okay! Trafal...Gagh! Law! We've been waiting for you where were you?!" Cavendish glares at Law teleporting before them.

"Everybody, run to the ship! Prepare to sail out!" Ann cuts him off landing before them.

"Princess!?" Cavendish swoons smiling at the sight of her however…

"Yeah! Hurry up! Prepare to sail out! Run! Run!" Everyone begins running.

"I don't mind running to the ship but...I don't think he'll let us get away!" Zoro frowns at Fujitora.

"I'll handle him." Ann assures.

"Ann!" Law frown at her.

"It's fine. You guys should get going. We need to finish our little play match after all right Fujitora?" Amused, Ann smiles at the man.

"Let go of me! Stop it already! I beg you! Hey, let go of me! I wanna fight!" Luffy wails while trying to get out of Law's hold.

"Maybe, some other time! We have something to do now!" Law reminds Luffy as they all rush to their respective ship.

"I know you're trying to escape but I won't allow it. It's already too late, Straw Hat." Fujitora dictates.

"If you think I'm going to let you capture my brother you got another things coming." Ann places a hand to her hip.

"Hibiscus…" Fuijitora fumes furious.

"Oho…That admiral is serious!" Smirking, Ann eyes the meteor of rubble above.

"…Are you intending to go all our or will you simply play?" Fujitora huffs.

"Ah you caught on…and here I thought I was holding back so well." Ann smiles.

"Hibiscus I thought you were different you dare look down on me for being blind!" Fujitora fumes furious.

"Oh I assure you it's not for being blind." Ann assures.

"Then what is it?" Fuijitora demands from her lunging at her however…

"Your status." Smiling, Ann answers as her blade blocks his blow.

"My status?" Fujitora frowns.

"The title of admiral…is a joke!" Ann barks back bemused by throwing Fujitora back.

"…Such arrogance…" Fujitora fumes only making Ann's grin wider.

"A title does not mark a man's worth…that's how I see things anyway, prove to me your worth the title, wild tiger!" Ann hollers haughtily, grinning giddily as both blades clash once more.

"T-They're blades…they're not even touching…!" Usopp gawks gapes at the sight screaming as he is blown back.

"So this is what he meant…" Zoro couldn't help but recall Mihawk's words while being blasted back.

"That woman…is not someone to be trifled with…" Mihawk's words echo.

"You still hold back!?" Fujitora roars haki shooting out of his coated blade.

"I just need to buy time is all…" Ann smirks.

"Buy time?" Fujitora frowns until…hearing the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Don't hurt Lucy!" The crowd scream shout running over to the port.

"Huh?" Fujitora stops taken aback at the crowd rushing towards the landing area of the weapon.

"Told ya…" Ann smirks smugly sheathing her blade.

"Hold on Citizens past this point are only criminals! Stop right there I'll put an end to." Fujitora tries to warn them but…

"Outta the way navy!" Someone from the crowd snaps startling Fujitora.

"We don't need your help!" Another of the crowd call out.

"We'll shake off the pirates ourselves!" Someone says from the crowd.

"We'll save Rebecca sama!" A woman declares determined.

"But Hibiscus is the one who…!" Fujitora shyly points over to the smugly smirking Ann when…

"Wait, Lucy! Give us back Rebecca-sama!" The crowd cut him off racing past him.

"Hey, everybody! I saw Rebecca-sama at the house on the top of the hill...with Kyros-sama!" A child calls out but…

"Oh yeah? But everyone knows that." A woman stops him.

"What?!" The boy blinks befuddled.

"If Kyros-sama gives in, they'll stay together because they're actually father and daughter. All adults have known that ever since 16 years ago. We've known of the family of three, including Scarlet-sama, living happily on the top of the hill. We've known about the true identity of the fairies, too! We've all been watching them." The woman explains to the young boy.

"I see!" The boy gasps.

"Anyway, we gotta run faster! We must help the ones who saved this country escape! If we follow Lucy, Fujitora won't be able to drop the rubble from the sky!" The woman explains.

"Wait, Lucy! Give us back, Rebecca-sama!" The boy calls out as the crowd rush into danger.

"Wait, you bastard!" Someone from the crowd roars.

"…You hear them down you? Feel their intentions at the very least…" Ann asks as the people rush past the two.

"…You knew they'd come…" Fujitora frowns at Ann.

"What can I say? I'm a people person now tell me Fujitora are you the man I think you to be…or are you just like the rest…?" Ann challenges coyly coldly smirking smugly shrugging at Fujitora, a still silence between both elites.

"Father-sama! The people of the town are." Viola rushes over to king Riku.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Riku turns to Viola.

"They're running to the port! There are thousands of them!" Viola admits.

"What?!" King Riku gasps.

"You hear them don't you?" Ann asks.

"You can't get away, you jerk!" The crowd calls out.

"There is not a trace of resentment in their voice…" Fujitora observes.

"Exactly." Ann smiles.

"Alright, everybody! o to the east port! It's our turn to help the heroes who saved our country!"

"Go, go! Keep running!"

"Now, go! Run and run!"

"Wow! Can't believe it! There are a whole bunch of people!"

"You're foolishly honest Straw Hat Luffy. I guess everyone wants to help you. What kind of person are you, really? What colour is your hair? What is the shape of your eyes? What do you look like? I wish I hadn't blinded myself. I want to see your face. I bet you look kind. Fujitora thinks to himself watching the people of Dressrosa aid their hero.

"Now, what should I do with the weapon that I raised?" Fujitora ponders.

"EH?! DISSEMBLE IT FIRST DUMBASS!" Ann herself couldn't help but let out she too having no clue what to do with the so called weapon Fujitora had made as Luffy with his newly made grand fleet flee…

"Hibiscus!" She hears the call of her name but simply smirks sensing the hesitation with Fujitora for if he were to attack, civilians would be caught in the crossfire.

"It's been fun Wild Tiger till then." Ann calls out leaving the admiral to it.

"What are you planning Hibiscus?" Sternly, Fujitora demands from Ann but…

You're so close…just grow further from this experience Luffy…Ann couldn't help but think to herself smiling as she soon becomes one with the crowd.

"Hibiscus!" Fujitora calls out but it falls to the deaf ears of Ann, the crowd calling out their hero's name overpowering his call of her name as she leaves, finding her small ships of sorts and setting out, watching the straw hat grand fleet and straw hats leave…