Chapter 60
Thatch had ran after the others the moment he regained his feet, Luffy, Sabo, Law and Law's friends right next to them.
"I will hunt down that devil spawn of yours, Hibiscus!" Akainu snarled. "I will burn him alive at the stake for your actions here today!"
Ace. That bastard meant Ace. He was going to hurt Ace because Rouge hit him? Thatch skidded to a stop in his run, his blood boiling.
"Thatch, don't you dare!" Marco yelled.
"Fuck that bastard-" Thatch bristled, but paused when he saw Rouge.
Her face was blank.
That was not an expression that Thatch had ever seen on her before. There was no warmth in it. There was no anger. There was nothing.
Luffy paled right at his side. "H-Hey, Shadow Lady looks scary!"
Sabo scowled, his fist clenched tight around his pipe. "I don't blame her."
"What did you just say?" Rouge asked, tilting her head slowly.
"You should have killed him the day you found out you were pregnant, but instead you let that devil child grow inside you and kill you off like the parasite that he is. All you pirate scum! We shouldn't have to coddle any of you just because some of you are witches. You should all just be burned at the stake like the Vinsmoke witches were!"
"You bastard!" Thatch bristled.
"Rouge, Thatch, just ignore him!" Izo yelled. "He's trying to get you to go back to fight! C'mon, both of you!"
"Ace didn't kill me. You Marines did." Rouge walked slowly towards Akainu, her face still blank, but Thatch could feel the energy crackling from her. Her haki ploughing into Marines, the prisoners and Thatch's siblings, knocking plenty of them out. "You took my life from me. You took Roger's. You stole from me twice. And that's not even the worst crimes you committed. You tried to take my treasure from me," she continued, her voice darkening with murderous intent. "Nobody steals from me."
.:.
Whitebeard cursed. She was about to do something reckless. That damned woman was going to run out of magical energy sooner rather than later! She couldn't keep acting out like this. Rouge needed to retreat. Whatever energy she had must be almost spent by now.
"Y'know Gol D. Roger and I had different fighting styles," Rouge said conversationally, as if remarking on the weather. "So we never really bothered to trade techniques, after all he fought with one long ass sword, while I preferred two normal sized blades."
Rouge sheathed her second sword, much to Whitebeard's surprise. What was she up to?
"But he did teach me one thing," Rouge said coldly. "He taught me his best move."
She took a stance.
For a brief flicker of a second all Whitebeard could see was Roger.
That stance. Whitebeard hadn't seen it in years.
A spark of red flashed in her eyes. Her sword crackling with haki. The blue clown's haki fluttered, shocked. Garp stilled, and Sengoku opened his mouth to yell, but he was too late.
"Divine Departure!"
The world exploded. Whitebeard had to shield his face with his arm as what felt like a hurricane blasted into him. He just managed to keep his place on the ground, and he hadn't even been hit by the full blast of that sword swing. Akainu had taken the full brunt of that swing. Whitebeard risked a glance up once the gale force winds had quietened down and grimaced as the skies above them parted, and Marineford had a hole torn right through its walls. Akainu had been sent flying.
.:.
Thatch's jaw dropped. Holy shit. He had been about to go back and fight the bastard himself, but Rouge had just destroyed him. Rouge who smirked sharply, her eyes bright, as she raised her hand up towards the sky.
Rain came pouring down, soaking the battlefield in an instant. Rain that Rouge had summoned. Rouge looked towards where she had sent Akainu off to and scoffed.
"Such big talk coming from a weakling." Rouge tilted her head. "Next time you want to play with the big leagues and talk shit, then you better be ready to back it up."
Thatch had no idea what to say to that.
.:.
Ace closed his eyes and breathed out. The rain felt nice against his skin, it felt warm and comforting, like he was being welcomed home.
"That crazy woman!" Teach cursed. "I forgot how powerful she was."
"That was a close one. She almost hit us all with that attack," Laffitte breathed out uneasily.
"We would have been dead for sure," Burgess shivered.
"I guess fate is on our side."
Ace wouldn't have called it that. It was highly likely that his mum had felt his haki and refused to hurt him. Pops certainly had noticed them now. He could feels Pops gaze staring their way on the execution platform. It probably helped that Law had healed him so early on in the battlefield. He actually looked healthy. It was comforting to see.
"It's the Blackbeard Pirates!" a marine yelled.
Teach grinned. "It looks like they finally noticed us, eh boys?"
"How did you get here?" Sengoku snarled.
Pops growled. "Teach, you bastard."
"That motherfucker-" Thatch screamed, but Marco lunged at him, putting him in a headlock. "Let me go! I'll kill Teach! ACE!"
Luffy gasped. "Ace..."
.:.
Sengoku scowled. Two witches were now here who needed to be secured fast. This war was getting worse off at every turn. Sengoku brought out his den den mushi and called Kuzan. They would secure at least one win today if they couldn't kill Whitebeard off.
"Sengoku?"
"Capture Trafalgar Law the moment you get a chance. We're taking the head witches from this battlefield before they get themselves killed," Sengoku said.
"Alright, I'll grab him."
"Kizaru," Sengoku called.
"Yes, Sengoku?" Kizaru appeared instantly at his side.
"Capture Portgas D. Ace and take him straight to Mariejois," Sengoku ordered, ignoring Garp's stiffening back. "Blackbeard is no longer our ally, and it is very clear to us that Portgas D. Ace was never a willing member of his crew. He is to be captured, effective immediately."
"Alrighty then," Kizaru said. "I'll go grab him."
.:.
"Ace!" Luffy screamed, running back. "Hang on, I'm coming back to get you!"
"Luffy, wait!" Sabo yelled. "Ace isn't in his right mind at the moment!"
Ace was so relieved they were all still alive. Now it was just Pops who had to survive this place. Mum had pushed the marines and pirates pretty far apart with her gale force wind earlier, so thankfully Pops was further away from them, but that wouldn't stop Teach. He was stubborn, as was Pops.
Pops whose eyes were locked on Ace.
"Ace, are you alright, my son?" Pops asked.
Ace smiled. "You don't have to keep asking me that, Pops. I'm perfectly fine. You're the one who looks a bit worn out."
"I'm more worried about you still," Pops said, then looked at Teach, and the instant he did, all the softness left his face, his eyes burned with murderous fury. "You stabbed one of my sons in the back, and kidnapped another one while pretending to be one of mine. I will have your head for that, Teach."
"Zehahahaha, I was hoping you'd be a bit more bloodied up, but I suppose we could go for it, old man. Ace, go take a walk. I don't want you to watch as your father dies by my hand."
Ace bit his lip, but nodded. "Right..."
"Like fuck I'm going to let that happen." Mum stepped up next to Eddy, raising her swords. "You want him? You're going to have to get me too."
"I don't need you to fight my battles for me." Pops scowled.
"Shut it. You heard Law earlier. We need you alive to get Ace back home."
Except Ace's home was now with Teach.
That was when his haki felt it. Complete and utter rage. The need to kill. It was heading right for Luffy who was running back towards the marines. Towards Ace. He saw his mum gasp and turn around, Pops growing tense, but it was too late. Akainu broke through the ground, snarling with a raised fist. A fist he plunged right into Luffy.
"NO!" Sabo cried out, reaching for Luffy.
Ace screamed. "LUFFY!"
.:.
A wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded from Ace, ploughing into marines and pirates alike. Rouge cursed as a blue sphere leapt up from where Luffy lay. Marco, Thatch and Jinbei forcing Akainu back. Fuck, Rouge thought she had killed him! He was barely on his feet, but enough to just hit Luffy.
Garp was slammed into the ground nearby, Sengoku pinning him down with a look of horror. Garp who looked like he was about to grab Akainu and snap him in half. Rouge didn't blame him for that, but if this had been the other way around, if Eddy had tried to stop her, she would have broken Eddy's hands if he had tried that with her and apologised later.
Rouge was torn. Did she grab Ace or run to Luffy? Ace was healthy, yes, but he was under Teach's control, while Luffy was dying. She could feel his haki fading away.
She hesitated a second too long.
Ace had only taken two steps away from Teach, his eyes wide with terror, and about ready to break into a run for Luffy.
Kizaru appeared right behind Ace, his face solemn.
"Sorry, but I need to borrow you."
"Ace!" Teach yelled.
Shiryu swung his sword, but Kizaru had already grabbed Ace and in a burst of light they were gone.
"ACE!" Marco screamed.
"FUCK OFF, YOU BASTARDS!" Thatch yelled. "GIVE HIM BACK!"
"NO!" Sabo cried.
"SENGOKU!" Whitebeard roared. "GIVE ME BACK MY SON!"
"We will not let a witch heir go so easily," Sengoku said coldly.
Rouge stared blankly at the empty spot where Ace had stood just a second ago. He was gone again. Her son was gone again.
Rouge saw red.
.:.
Whitebeard saw the moment Rouge snapped. One moment she stood there, frozen in shock, then she was gone, a gust of air nearly throwing Whitebeard off balance. Everyone else nearby fell around him.
In that split second her swords plunged right into Akainu's head, halfway across the battlefield, the blades smothered in haki. He dropped to the ground. Haki gone in a snap. Dead and gone. Rouge didn't stop there. She swung round, red burning in her eyes, and a wave of haki exploded from her sword as she swung it again, right into a crowd of marines. They all went flying high into the sky, a wave of blood splattering the battlefield. The ground below her feet shattered into pieces, the pieces rising around her from the sheer pressure of the haki she was releasing, Whitebeard could see that the sky was beginning to split again.
Her haki was overwhelming Marineford.
"Shit!" Teach cursed.
This all happened because of this traitorous shit. Whitebeard gripped his bisento. He needed to end Teach here and now.
"Everyone get out of here!" Izo ordered, his face rapidly paling. "She's going to destroy Marineford!"
"Izo's right yoi!" Marco barked out. "GET ON THE SHIPS AND SET SAIL NOW!"
.:.
"Law-" Sabo began, he was shaking, eyes wide as he looked between Luffy and where Ace had last been.
Ace who was gone now. Taken by Kizaru.
"Sabo, you need to keep watch," Law insisted. "I'm healing Luffy, but if I get kidnapped now then he's done for."
Law was pale and shaking. He looked like he was about to pass out, but his eyes were hard and focused, even as his body kept shaking on him. A white glow began to slip free from his body, seeping deep into Luffy's body.
Sabo had never seen that happen before.
"Captain..." Shachi grimaced.
"You're over doing it, Law," Penguin said softly, concerned.
"Monkey D. Luffy will not die here." Law's voice had a weight behind it, as if hundreds of other voices were speaking with him. "He will live. His organs will heal. He will not die. I will use all my strength as the last healing witch of the Trafalgar Clan."
Sabo saw blood drip from Law's nose and splatter on the ground.
Sabo couldn't even say anything to stop him. He was the only one keeping Luffy alive. Marco dove down next to him and pressed his blue flames into Luffy's body, tears burning in the corner of Marco's eyes. Sabo bit his lip at the sight. There was so much blood. Luffy...
He couldn't lose Luffy. Ace was gone. Ace was gone again and Luffy was dying and he could feel his haki flickering dangerously.
Rouge was tearing through the marines like they were butter, but Sabo could see it, her strikes were getting slower. She and Sengoku were fighting now, her swords cutting deep into him, while his fists were beating her bloody. At least that stopped her from tearing Marineford apart. The ground was no longer breaking apart beneath her feet. Rouge was concentrating on the fight again.
"Shit, Aokiji is heading this way!" Thatch yelled.
Sabo cursed. "He's freezing the ground!"
.:.
Luffy would make it. Marco had this now. Law could feel his energy was long gone. It was only stubbornness that was pushing him through the exhaustion and fever burning at him. Law pushed his room out further, expanding it out as far as he could. He gasped and heaved. The ice was getting closer and closer, the air cooling fast. Kuzan was going to try deplete their strength by freezing them all as fast as possible.
He needed to get them out of here now. Luffy and Marco especially.
Marco had to keep healing Luffy.
"Law-" Penguin frowned.
"Shambles!"
Law teleported Luffy, Marco, Thatch, Penguin, Shachi, Jinbei and Sabo away to the edge of the battlefield, but Aokiji's arms wrapped around him before Law could go anywhere. In an instant everything became cold and frozen.
.:.
"Sorry, Law," Kuzan said softly. "But this time you're finished."
He lowered his arms from Law, careful not to knock the ice. He didn't want to risk breaking Law in this fragile, frozen state. He could feel the Heart's anguish, their haki's terrified and wrecked, but Kuzan could also feel Sengoku's relief and Rosinante's concern. Rosinante who approached with a heavy frown on his face. Kuzan stayed by Law's side. He wasn't going to risk any accidental attacks hitting him and shattered him. Not after Kuzan had finally managed to capture him.
.:.
"LAW!" Sabo yelled.
Law was completely frozen over. Kuzan hadn't given him a chance to get away. Law had been too busy protecting them. The marines were swarming that area, surrounding Kuzan and Law fast. Rosinante was also with them, his face heavy, as he approached Law and Kuzan.
"NO!" Shachi leapt forward, but Penguin grabbed him and yanked him back.
"We can't!" Penguin cursed. "There's nothing we can do! He's been frozen solid!"
Shachi screamed. "LAW!"
"Jinbei, help me get Ace's brother to a ship yoi," Marco ordered, his face pinched.
"Our ship," Penguin said sharply.
"What?"
"Our ship is here! It has medical equipment and can go under water for a quick get away," Penguin said, tears stinging his eyes. "Take Luffy there now! If he dies after everything Law has done to protect him, I'll never forgive any of you let alone myself!"
.:.
"Fufufufufu, what a shame." Doflamingo chuckled, watching Law's frozen body. "I was hoping to bring him back with me, but I guess I've lost my chance for now. How annoying."