Chapter 61
Rouge felt Shanks' haki before she even saw him. It brushed against her, careful, soothing, but full of worry. It made her pause in her fight, and she only dodged Sengoku's fist at the last minute. Shanks then stepped on to the battlefield, and everyone's eyes locked on to him. Except for Rouge's. Her eyes darted to where Teach stood, bloodied and wary, but still standing across from Whitebeard, who looked beyond murderous. Rouge made to go their way, but stopped when a familiar hand wrapped around her wrist, squeezing gently.
Buggy.
Blue and Red were both here.
Buggy who was scared, desperate, but trying his best to survive this war.
Shanks who was here to end it. To protect what was his. His family. His friends. Buggy, Rouge, Luffy, Ace-
She bit her lip. Ace who was gone again.
Shanks had arrived and was ending the war and Rouge wasn't sure if she was happy or not about that. She wanted to kill every single marine and Blackbeard Pirate here. It was only Buggy's hand, separated from his body, clutching her wrist, that kept her somewhat in control. But the urge to destroy them all, to murder them for stealing Ace away again, was making her blood pound. Eddy looked to be in the same mind, but Izo and the others were talking him down desperately, saying they'll get Ace back another way, and take on Teach together when they had all recovered. That Thatch was safe.
Rouge would trade Thatch a hundred times over if it meant getting Ace back.
She hated to admit it, but she was selfish.
She was completely and utterly selfish.
"I suggest you take whatever deal Shanks is offering you," Rouge said hollowly to Sengoku and Blackbeard. "Because I'm about ready to kill again without mercy."
"Zehahahahaha, I wouldn't call what you did to Akainu mercy!" Teach laughed.
"His death was quick," Rouge said coldly. "And that was out of anger. If I had remained calm, I would have taken him apart, piece by piece, until he begged me to kill him, and I wouldn't have just to make him suffer more for laying a hand on Luffy."
Buggy's grip tightened on her wrist.
Ace had been captured.
Law had been captured.
Luffy could be dead.
She gritted her teeth hard. Her kids.
They had saved Thatch, but this war had been anything but a win. It felt so much like a loss. Out of all her kids, only Sabo, Buggy and Shanks were safe.
But Buggy and Shanks were adults now, she trusted them to keep themselves safe. They were powerful enough to do so.
The others were still so young.
"A shame I didn't get to take everything I wanted, nor keep it." Teach eyed the place where Ace had once stood by his side. "But I'm not ready to take you on just yet, Red Hair, nor am I ready to die to your blades, Portgas." Teach smirked. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to get Ace back where he belongs. Right by my side."
"Rouge!" Shanks yelled.
She had moved, lightning fast, but stopped when Shanks had called her. She had been ready to behead the traitorous bastard right then and there. Her feet just needed a few more steps. A few more precious steps, then Teach's head would be hers.
Teach who had paled and stumbled back, eyes wide and locked on to the tip of her sword. Where a few precious seconds later it would have been in his head, just like they had been in Akainu's. They were soaked with his blood.
"Shanks-" Rouge hissed.
"I'm ending this war," Shanks whispered to her. "Please let me."
"I hate him so fucking much," Rouge growled lowly.
"Just bare with it for now. We'll do our best for Ace and Law, but right now we have to save everyone else here," Shanks insisted.
Rouge scoffed and turned on her heels, heading back to his side. "You don't want to know my reply to that."
"That Ace's life is more important to you than everyone here." Shanks smirked.
"Ace and my other kids. You, Buggy, Law, Sabo and Luffy," Rouge muttered, and was surprised to see Shanks almost looked awed by that. Hadn't she made it clear enough that Shanks and Buggy were hers too? Dammit. "Buggy is the only reason why I can stay somewhat composed right now." She subtly moved her wrist and Shanks nodded.
"He's good for that," Shanks said softly, then hardened his voice. "Well, how about you, Sengoku?"
Sengoku finally left his Buddha form, while Rouge reluctantly lowered her swords.
"Everybody! For now you will all do as I say," Shanks said coldly. "We will be taking our injured and our dead. You will attend to yours, as for prisoners-"
"We will not return Portgas D. Ace and Trafalgar Law," Sengoku said. "That is the only condition we cannot meet."
Shanks nodded. "I will sort that out another time then."
"Then this war is over. Attend to our injured now!" Sengoku ordered.
.:.
Ace managed to elbow Kizaru in the face as they landed in a large open room. Kizaru finally released him and Ace drew his seastone dagger from his belt and gritted his teeth.
"You ass," Ace hissed. "Where the hell did you bring me?"
"That was rude," Kizaru drawled, rubbing his jaw. "So sore."
"Bullshit," Ace scoffed.
He needed to get back to the battlefield. He didn't know if Luffy was alive or not. He didn't know if Pops and the others had gotten out of Marineford. He hoped Thatch was alright. That he was finally safe from Teach, but Ace had no way of knowing because Kizaru had bloody well kidnapped him!
Ace had so much to apologise to them for. He felt so ashamed. He had followed all of Teach's orders like an obedient puppet, and the thought made him want to vomit.
It was the first time Ace had felt awake in months, and here he was being kidnapped again. He hated this so much.
"Look around, you'll realise where you are, Portgas D. Ace," a man said from a fair distance away behind him.
Ace risked a glance back. There were five older men standing across the hall from him, just below some stairs.
The stairs led up to a throne.
No, not just any throne, the fever dream one.
"It's real...?" Ace breathed out, shocked.
"Thank you for bringing him to us, Kizaru. You may leave now," the long bearded one said. "We'll look after the Portgas heir."
Kizaru nodded his head. "It was no problem, Saint Mars. I'll return to the battlefield now."
Ace slowly lowered his dagger and in the end automatically slipped it back into its sheath. The throne was empty. The swords were stabbed into the floor all around the stairway.
"Where am I?" Ace frowned.
"You already know where," the old man with the scar said. "You've dreamt of it before."
"We may as well answer the boy. He's confused enough as it is. This is the throne room where the Empty Throne resides," Saint Mars answered.
"The twenty weapons in front of the throne symbolises the creators of the World Government, and the empty throne represents a declaration of peace that no single person will control the entire world," the blonde man explained.
Ace grimaced, recalling his visions. "But there is someone... isn't there?" he asked hesitantly.
"Hello, Ace."
That was a familiar voice, but Ace swore he had never heard it before in this lifetime, yet it soothed something deep within him. All his worries and fears melted away. He saw all the Saints fall to their knees, bowing their heads low, but Ace could only stare as a dark figure approached him.
Ace felt complete.
He hadn't even realised that something had been missing all this time, but this was the reason why Ace kept looking up at the skies towards Mariejois. He needed to be here. He was home.
"Imu." Ace couldn't help but smile warmly.
The fate of his family and friends was flung right into the back of his mind.
They didn't matter right now.
Imu did.
"Welcome home," Imu greeted. "It's been a long time since I've seen you, my Portgas child."
"I don't understand," Ace admitted, his brow furrowing. "Why do I feel so...?"
"Happy? Comforted? Safe?" Imu offered.
The red eyes should feel piercing, as they gazed into his soul, but they did not. They felt like a promise, of hope, of looking into the eyes of a loved one and feeling relief. It was as if he was reuniting with a loved one he hadn't seen in years.
It was so warm and soothing. Ace wanted to cry in joy.
"Our blood is intertwined, as all the clan witches are," Imu said, reaching over to brush back a strand of Ace's hair that framed his face. "That filthy Marshall D. Teach tried to interrupt our bond and force his own into your grimoire, but you are my child and mine alone. We will of course try to find a way to get rid of his disgusting blood poisoning you though. I promise."
A small voice in Ace's head protested against that. That he was the son of Portgas D. Rouge and Edward Newgate, but that little voice was lost in the complete bliss Ace felt right now.
"I thought we had lost you after Portgas D. Rouge's death, but I felt you when you turned twelve years old, your magic caught my attention. Rouge had sacrificed herself to protect you, her baby, hers and that scum who tried to pollute your bloodline. Thankfully you are far more of a Portgas than a Gol D." Imu had growled out that 'Gol D.' part lowly.
"Am I to be punished for that?" Ace asked, tilting his head curiously.
He didn't feel scared, even as he recalled all the hateful things people have said about him being the child of Roger, how he should die, apologising to the world for being born. To be burned out, to be suffocated beneath the waves, to be torn apart.
He'd let Imu do any of those things and the thought astonished him.
"No, you're a miracle. When I had felt the connection to the last known Portgas die I became desperate. You know there are only thirteen head clans, correct?"
"Thirteen?" Ace blinked. "Not twelve?"
But he had dreamt of thirteen before. Thirteen shadows surrounding a dark figure.
"Yes, thirteen, but one clan lost their connection to their magic and their name was slowly lost to time, however Trafalgar Law might have fixed that problem," Imui explained. "Each clan is precious, and a few bloodlines have run dry. Two are gone. It pains me to even speak of their names, so I will not hurt your soul with them. You need not share that burden," Imu said, but then their voice grew angry, their lips pulling into a snarl. "But there is one clan that needs to die out. They are the ones trying to pull you all from my side. They wish to ruin what we have."
"Who?" Ace tilted his head.
Why would anyone want to leave this? It felt so peaceful, so loving. He couldn't comprehend why anybody would try leave.
"The Nico clan," Imu growled.
Nico? He recognised that name, somewhere? It was hard to think, it was to do with someone important to him, but Imu was here and they required Ace's full devotion.
"I had hoped to be rid of them after Ohara was destroyed, but alas a weed survived."
"Why do you hate them so much?" Ace asked.
"They can read the Poneglyths, and one of them shows the way for all the Witch Clans whose bloodlines are intertwined with mine, how to be rid of the connection, which they did to themselves. They are no longer my children." Imu glanced at him. "You can understand my frustration."
"It feels nice. I don't know why anyone would want to leave it," Ace admitted.
Imu smiled. "I'm glad. It is good to finally see one of my children home. My elemental witch."
Ace grinned. "I'm home."
