Chapter 45: Angel
Haki and steal collided as Yoru and Ama no Mutakumo glowed with the power and strength of their users. Mihawk gritted his teeth as Rayleigh's strikes hit him hard. "You've been avoiding coming around lately boy." The older of the two spoke.
Golden eyes turned towards the man. "I know how you feel about my status." He said nonchalantly.
Rayleigh chuckled. "It has nothing to do with my feelings son." He stated. "Shakky misses you and her having those long talks."
"Mother understands." Mihawk explained not really wanting to talk to his step father.
"How long do you want this farce of a fight?" Rayleigh inquired getting bored.
Mihawk's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Who says it's a farce?"
"I know your strength. This isn't even half." Rayleigh told him.
"Your Red asked that I fight you until he arrived, then he and I will let loose on these fools." Mihawk stated as he noticed Red's annoying blue haired brother run at a group of soldiers before throwing explosives at them. "That one has gotten braver." He stated gaining another chuckle.
"Buggy has always been brave." Rayleigh stated. "He's just never realized it." Mihawk blinked in surprise at the compliment towards the jester before going back to fighting Rayleigh and making it look good.
Luffy suddenly turned tiny as he lost his second gear form. He quickly jumped out of the way as a spear of magma was thrown at him. "I'm your opponent now!" Sabo screamed as he slammed his staff into Akainu's shoulder. The admiral let out a cry of pain as the seastone imbued staff was run through him. Blood dripped from the wound but before he could pull the weapon from his body Sabo attacked him with a three-fingered claw hand strike that had armament haki covering his hand and arm. Aikainu was flung across their battle zone. Ace's blue flames catching his admiral jacket on fire, forcing the man to throw it to the side.
"Oh!" Tiny Luffy gasped. "So that's Sabo's Dragon Claw!"
"Luffy!" Ace yelled out causing the younger to look at him. "Stop playing around!"
"Yosh!" Luffy agreed as he quickly popped his body back to its original form. Taking a second, he quickly went back into gear second. Luffy used armament haki to harden his arm and then stretched it back like he was about to do a Bullet attack. Akainu saw this and prepared for the attack only for Luffy to give one of his mischievous gremlin smiles. Once cocked back, Luffy's arm suddenly ignited, releasing a stream of fire in the process as its pulled down from the sky and pulls Ace's fire with it down onto the admiral's head. "Gomu, Gomu; RED HAWK!" The resulting explosion sent all three brothers flying away from the impact crater that Luffy's attack had created.
Across the battlefield many fights were paused at the sight of the fiery inferno that had been created. The red and blue flames from Ace being extinguished by the hotter blaze. Marco the Phoenix found himself thrown to the icy ground by the shockwave in the air as many others were flattened by other stronger shockwaves. All eyes looked towards the billowing smokestack as it formed a mushroom cloud going upwards and outwards.
Upon the ice wall Lindbergh's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. Holy shit! He thought as he felt the wall shake. Turning he saw several dozen cannonballs flying through the air towards him. And that's my cue. He flipped the switch on his jet pack and flew into the air. Taking out his gun, he switched over to the lasers and took aim for Kizaru once again.
On the sea on the other side of the wall, Shanks saw the mushroom shaped cloud. He felt the pit in his stomach deepen with anxiety. He stretched out his haki and quickly found Rayleigh and Mihawk engaged in a fight. Even further he could feel Buggy engaged in his own fight with someone who felt like oil to him. Pushing his haki he could sense the ball of energy he associated with Luffy; their Anchor was stronger than ever! Next to him were two bright and powerful haki users; both felt hot like fire. Ace was obviously one of the two but the other he didn't recognize.
We're so close. He thought as touched Gryphon's hilt. Shanks pulls the sword pulls his sword from its scabbard and holds his sword in his right hand, infusing it with his supreme king haki and then swung his sword horizontally, creating a powerful slash attack from the figurehead of the Red Force. The attack hit the ice wall causing it to crumble and shatter into the sea.
Seconds before the ice sheet fell into the sea, Luffy stood quickly as he saw Akainu walking out of the billowing clouds of smoke. His brother's pipe still stuck in the man's shoulder though it seemed to be half melted into the admiral. He watched as the man grasped his own arm, yanked and tore it from his body causing the pipe to fall out of its place. Seconds later a new arm was in its place as Akainu regenerated with his magma powers. As the smoke dissipated Luffy found Ace and Sabo on the ground next to each other, both seeming to have exhausted themselves. Rushing towards them just as Akainu saw the two, Luffy knew something bad was about to happen.
Thump. Thump.
His heart jumped in his chest. I need to be stronger. He thought. If only I had more strength. I can't let their lives, their freedoms be taken from them.
Thump. Thump.
If only- Luffy felt a warmth spread across his body. A laugh in his ear. A sound that spread from his chest like a drum.
Shishishi. We can save them. A voice told him.
Who- Luffy began to ask.
Ask later. The voice stated. Save now.
As Luffy's body moved in front of his brothers, the ice shelf broke and crashed into the sea and a fist made of magma struck him in his chest. The scent of scorched flesh filled the air followed by twin screams as his brothers cried out for him. As Luffy's body fell, both Ace and Sabo grasped for him. A surge of supreme king haki flew past them as Shanks' fury was unleashed onto the admiral. The red haired pirate snarled as Gryphon sliced into Akainu's flesh. His haki tearing at the ground and air around them.
"Lu-" Ace gasped as he held his little brother. Nonononono! His mind screamed as he fletched Luffy's unresponsive body to his own, blood pouring from the chest wound on Luffy, spilling precious blood onto his own body. "LUFFY!"
"LUFFY!"
Every single one of Ace's brothers froze at the heartbreaking sound of their brother's cry. Whitebeard stopped his attack on Aokiji, the ice user took the moment to shoot a spear of ice through the older pirate but was shocked to see it had no effect as the older man's armament haki was engaged in that moment. Newgate's eyes widened as he saw Ace holding the young strawhat boy in his arms. The Red Haired Pirates surrounding him in a protective circle as Shanks and the young Revolutionary attacked Akainu. Snarling, he picked up his naginata, Murakumogiri. Whitebeard surrounded Murakumogiri with a quake bubble to greatly increase its striking power and range. Unleashing a direct attack that struck Akainu's left side. The distance of his position near the forward section of the Moby to land making the attack seem impossible, but as Akainu's missing side could attest wasn't as impossible as one would think.
Meanwhile, the doctor Hongo of the Red Haired Pirates struggled with Ace to release Luffy from his grip. The strawhat on Luffy's back was soaked in his blood. The lieutenants all looked solemnly at the young teen whose face was pale against Ace's chest.
"Ace!" Hongo tried to get second division lieutenant to look at him.
Ace was having a hard time believing what was happening. He was holding his baby brother's limp body in his arms. His baby brother who wanted nothing more than to be the Pirate King. His baby brother who was dead. When he felt someone touch his shoulder, Ace looked up with a snarl. Steam began to roll off his body as he began to glow. Ace released Luffy to the scar faced man before him and turned wordlessly towards the fight.
Beckman looked down at the silent boy in his arms and felt his chest tighten. "Hey, hey Beck! I'll grow up strong! I'll be the strongest! Stronger than Shanks!" The memory of an eight year old Luffy overlapped the boy in his arms. "I'll become the Pirate King!" Gently, Beckman placed the boy on the frozen ground. He took the strawhat and placed it on his head.
Hongo shook his head. "There's nothing to be done." He whispered mournfully. His own chest feeling tight with emotion as he grasped for his staff weapon.
A blindingly bright blue light flashed, causing the men to turn towards it as Ace came down on Akainu, at the same moment Shanks slashed Gryphon from the side and the Revolutionary slammed a hot metal rod into Akainu's back, the rod had a string attached to it that led to the mink who suddenly pressed a button. Spikes extended from the rod, piercing Akainu's spine and severing it as it was revealed to have several seastones made into the metal.
"Over one lousy boy?" He questioned. "He was nothing but a criminal the second he became a pirate."
Haki sparked from the three nearest to him. "To us, he was everything." Sabo told him.
"People like you wouldn't understand what it means to have the loyalty of family." Ace stated. "Luffy accepted us even if we had bad blood flowing in our veins."
"You squashed the dreams of a few here today." Shanks stated. "However, by killing the boy I called friend; you have just burned this world. I will hunt and kill every man and woman who ordered this attack today. I will kill every one of their families and I will not rest until this world burns for what you've done."
"By the seas; he's serious." Marco gasped as he landed near his Pops.
"And we'll help him." Whitebeard swore. "That boy was Ace's brother and by extension; my son and your youngest sibling." Marco's eyes widened at the claim his Pops had just put onto the Strawhat captain. Slamming the butt of his weapon onto the ground all fighting ceased. "The moment Akainu's fist went through Strawhat, was the moment the Whitebeard Pirates became the enemy to the Marines and the World Government. We will hunt everyone who was apart of this and bring the Strawhat captain justice."
"Oh, this just got out of hand." Kizaru muttered, mostly to himself.
"That time has already come and gone." Aokiji stated as he looked at the mess that was the battlefield. "I don't think anyone here will be leaving alive."
"Oh?" Kizaru inquired as he looked at his fellow admiral. "Why?"
"Too many witnesses to a failed campaign." Aokiji answered. "They'll either send a Buster Call or-"
"Or erase this island and everyone on it." Kizaru continued for him. "Hmm." He hummed. "How long do you think we have?"
Aokiji sighed. "Who knows." He shrugged.
Unknown to the two admirals a blue haired menace had just heard them with one of his disconnected ears. Somewhere nearby, Buggy held his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide. Shit! He quickly stood and snuck out and away from his hideaway. If the World Government has a weapon that can erase an island- His mind froze at the realization. "We're fucking dead!" He gasped. With Strawhat dead, now what?
"Buggy?" Mr. 3 questioned as he saw the panicked look on the jesters face. "What's wrong?"
"Captain?" Another questioned, followed by several others.
Buggy swallowed hard. Now how to change this? There weren't any tricks he knew of that could stop a weapon from destroying an island. Where would one hide an island destroying weapon? A Buster Call he could figure that out. Hell, Shanks' Supreme Haki could knock them out! But an island destroyer- His mind skidded to a halt. No. They couldn't be. He looked up at the sky and swallowed hard and went pale. Oh by the seas, don't tell me it's on a Sky Island!?
SHIT!
Luffy found himself sitting on a cloud looking around himself. Huh? He wondered as he continued to look around.
Thump. Thump. Budda-dum.
The sounds of drums were getting louder and louder. "Shishishi."
Upon hearing laughter Luffy look upwards and giggled at the being above him. He had white wispy hair, that was the same length and texture as his own. The beings clothes were the same as his too; but white. "Who are you?" Luffy asked.
"I've been waiting for you to be ready for me to awaken fully." The beings clothes were stated. "Ever since Ennies Lobby you've been getting stronger and awakening many forms of strengths that belong to me." The being twisted himself so that he was looking down from the cloud above Luffy instead of being upside down looking at him. "Shishishi." He laughed more. "You've been lied to." Luffy raised a brow at this in confusion. "Shanks either lied when you ate your fruit or he was lied to as to what it was." The beings clothes were being blown by a gentle wind as he spoke. "I'm sure JoyBoy explained some, though I don't know how much you understood." The beings swung his legs over the cloud and jumped onto Luffy's. He held his hand out. "I think this is how humans greet each other." He grinned brightly at Luffy.
"Yes." Luffy said as he stood and extended his hand.
As their fingers touched, sparks of electricity shot through the two as memories were swapped between the two. "I'm Nika. It's nice to finally meet you Luffy."
Luffy grinned before laughing loudly at the absurdity of the situation he was in. Nika? Wasn't he some god from ancient times? He wondered but then he did have memories that weren't his now bouncing around in his head.
A mischievous smile spread across Anika's face. "Want to scare those bastards and show them what happens when you mess with our people?"
Luffy gave him an equally large mischievous grin on his face. "Yes."
M-Angel: Hi! I'm back! Sorry it took so long to get this out today. Had some things happen with my clients at work today; but I finished it! The chapter, not the story. lol!