Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
"One Piece." – Speaking
'One Piece.' – Thinking
One Piece. – Flashbacks
One Piece. – Devil Fruits and Techniques
Deadly Drinking Pirate
Entering the Fray and Raising the Stakes
Previously on Deadly Drunken Pirate,
"You sure had made a mess, monster." A certain lazy voice was heard which made both Oars and Ace shiver something worse than the ice from Aokiji. "I don't appreciate that you made the giants I placed in charge of our prisoner look like chumps. Do you have any idea how much they eat compared to the rest of us?" What an odd thing to speak to a helpless giant in the middle of a battlefield, but is what most expect from Kizaru.
"Still, nice effort." That closed eye smile did nothing to calm his enemies. Ace could only wish he had the energy to scream for his largest friend when a bright light shined on top of Oars. A massive cry of pain was heard through the blinding light but everyone present knew who screamed. "Ama no Murakumo (Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven)." Kizaru had made swords made of light before, but to suit his target, this sword was more of a massive spear that cut clean through Oars nonetheless.
"OARS!" Ace finally found his voice, when it was too late to do any good. All he could do is watch his largest friend die in a soundless cry of fury and pain before his head hit the ground. Oars only made it as close as the plaza,
XXXXX
As the battlefield comes to a silent halt, the Whitebeard Pirates want to cry for their fellow pirate that was as much a brother to them as a son to their father and captain but they had to stay vigilant as the battle is just getting started. As for Whitebeard himself, he held back any tears to stay strong for his remaining sons and to show how he respected the green giant for taking so much pain for Ace; the latter knew what he was doing to bitter end. '...Oars…'
However, "You shouldn't have dropped your guard, Whitebeard!" For all their talk of justice and fairness, this Marine Giant was willing to go for a strike while Whitebeard was morning Oars. Not only was it foolhardy, it was for naught when the veteran pirate lord merely raised his hand to matched the massive axe heading his way. The air literally cracked between the giant-sized weapon and Whitebeard's fist. The Marine Giant struggled but his weapon lost to Whitebeard's own attack, shattering into pieces. And the World's Strongest Man wasn't done with this 'attacker'.
Before the Giant could back away, Whitebeard grabbed him by the head and easily slammed him on the deck of his ship. With a flex of his power and a strange white bubble around the giant's head, the latter suffered terrible pain and damage when the bubble burst. All Whitebeard did next was toss the giant away like a used piece of cloth. "Vice Admiral Roze!" A Marine cried out in shock at the very sight of a Vice Admiral defeated so easily. This just proves Edward Newgate earned his title as the World's Strongest; not even foes larger than him are a match for Whitebeard!
That was when a sparkle of light shunned in the eyes of both titans that drew their attention to the sky for only a second before a separate set of screaming can be heard. Pirates and Marines temporary stopped their fighting to witness something truly bizarre, even for the Grandline. A whole Marine battleship was falling from the sky with tiny shadows of people falling in scattered positions around the ship.
"ACE!" A familiar voice to a few down at the battlefield recognized that voice. Now the war is about to turn in a way nobody ever saw coming.
As one gets used to the Grandline, the World's Greatest Ocean, it takes a lot of effort to be so surprising that even veterans are caught off guard. The sight of an entire Marine Warship falling from the sky with people scattered around the massive vessel while screaming that they are going to die was just one example. It wasn't until everyone processed that familiar voice that cried out for the Marine's prisoner.
"GARP! ITS YOUR ACCURSED GRANDSON AGAIN!" Sengoku didn't bother use his Den-Den Mushi (Transponder Snail), only the volume of his rising temper at this sight. The Hero himself was gritting his teeth as this display, no words could describe his conflicting feelings. Down below, the Marines were either panicking or scowling while the Shichibuki (Seven Warlords of the Sea) were mostly amused.
'Luffy, you are so amazing~!' Hancock hid her growing awe at her crush.
"Never a dull moment with you, huh Luffy?" Mihawk also kept a smirk tucked away.
"…" Kuma was silent and stoic like always.
"FU-FU-FU! That Mugiwara (Straw Hat) boy is unbelievable!" Doflamingo was always looking for something interesting to happen to brighten up his consent boredom.
Meanwhile,
"Just what is that!?" Was the collected thought of almost every pirate fighting the marines on the ice. From islands where lightning falls like raindrops to storms that drop not hail but candy drops, even they never saw an actual ship fall from the sky. After a few moments in free fall, those with telescopes and binoculars were finally able to make out who it was falling with one of their own ships.
"It is Mugiwara Luffy, the Liber Glade, and former member of the Shichibuki! And with him are the escapees from Impel Down!" With that proclaimed, everyone down below felt like panicking. "I can even see people wearing strange clothes and…that's Emperio Ivankov! He was imprisoned for allying with the Revolutionary Army before vanishing from his cell!" The marines were getting more and more anxious with the scouts making more reports.
However, as the sight of the ship and passengers were getting closer and closer, the marines and pirates started to hear voices in the wind. At first it was just faint whispers until this got clear as day "…FALLING INTO THE OCEAN!"
XXXXX
A short while ago,
"Just what the hell happened!?" A voice cuts through the silence. "I thought we were going to die and then we stopped!"
"Shut up, vermin." Crocodile growled through his gritted teeth. This whole trip was not what he had hoped even remotely to be. It almost makes him want to return to his cell, almost. He did get used to moans and groans of those nameless prisoners at the very least. Those were soft to his ears, better than these infernal buzzing weaklings.
Once everyone saw the two massive tsunamis rose from the ocean waters, they almost though their ship was going to capsize until it rose with the wave instead. Just when they thought the tsunamis will collide with Marine Headquarters and crash their boat, their ship froze in place. Looking down, they saw that their ship wasn't just frozen in place, but the entire tsunami they were on was literally frozen in ice. The more 'experienced' sailors knew exactly who was responsible for saving their lives from crashing, in a bit of irony considering said figure was a certain Marine Admiral. In a way, they were saved by their enemy. While most were relived, Crocodile felt even more vexed than before; and he personally didn't think that was possible.
"Now what, Straw-Boy? How are we ever going to get down?" Ivankov asked the million-berry question. "No doubt that there will be nothing but ice down there."
"That is true. I have very little use of my powers to soften our landing." Luffy sighed. He was actually used to have all the answers and now he is almost fresh out. That was until something tickled the back of his head and not in a physical sense. Looking down, he saw what could be their way to survive the fall. It's risky to a T but it was the best they got.
As he was going to break it to everyone, the distinct sound of ice cracking got everyone on edge. Worst part, it was coming from below the bottom of their stolen ship. Luffy breathed in a good strong breath before facing everyone. "All of you, aim for the ocean. It is our best hope."
Most of the Level 2 prisoners hasten to Luffy's side of the ship to see this 'blue spot' and the collected weight and movement had successfully caused the ice to shatter. The ship that which was resting on the top of the frozen tsunami finally fell down to the battlefield below. Along with the screaming escapees.
XXXXX
Present,
A massive splash, almost as tall as the Marineford headquarters building, erupted at the very spot where a large chunk of ice was literally dug up by Jozu moments earlier. Against all odds, the ship and everyone on it landed right into the deep waters underneath all that ice. For most of the personnel that fell from the sky, it was salvation. For the others, they were Akuma no Mi (Devil Fruit) users and they had to make sure the water didn't so much as touch them.
"Akuma no Mi users really do have it bad." Jinbei emerged after helping Ivankov and Buggy out of the water. Luffy appeared next to him with his lovers still clinging onto him. Between the fall and the battlefield, their captain is the safest place to be. Being made of rubber did help a bit. They ignored how the clown pirate himself started to speak big about this is his big moment 'to make history', preferring to make sure nobody drowned in their big entrance.
From the distance, on the other side of the battlefield. "Jinbei! Is this your answer?!" Sengoku shouts from the platform. The smart man he is, he still wanted to hear it from the Shichibuki they had to imprison for refusing to answer the call and later protesting the war against Whitebeard.
"It is! I officially resign from the Shichibuki! I am now a pirate again! Be ready!" With complete confidence, Jinbe readied himself to face the marines once more a criminal in their eyes. Luffy let out a chuckle that got the large fishman's attention. "What?"
"Nothing." Luffy tried to wave it off. "You are just everything bit that I heard about from an old face we ran into a while back." Jinbei had nothing to say to that, only steeling himself for the war ahead.
As this was happening, the escapees were getting on the solid ice to ready themselves for the war they literally dropped in the center of. While most of them were cowering at the sight of nearly every single marine in the whole world gathered in one place, one of them had his eyes on another man entirely. "Where did Croco-boy go?" Ivankov asked when the faint breeze that felt more like fine sand brushed against his nose.
"I guess that sourpuss must have chickened out and left us all high and dry…WAIT! There he is!" Buggy looked before spotting the familiar sight of a man flying with a trail of sand where his legs are supposed to be. And heading for Whitebeard! "Dammit, I was supposed to go first, bastard!" That was ignored by everyone as the pirates hasten helplessly to protect their captain.
"Long time, no see. Old Man." Crocodile's grin as almost as wide as his scar and he aimed his golden hook for the strike.
"You never learn, boy." Whitebeard still didn't budge, not even bothering with his latest attacker. He has been attacked many times even on his own ship but every time, the attempts always fail. Crocodile noticed his target not budging as if to show that the former is not a threat to the latter. This killed the thrill of revenge long awaited and the former Shichibuki moved for the back of the neck. Instead, his hook hit a blade while the rest of Crocodile was slammed hard on the deck right behind Whitebeard.
Crocodile growled at this thwart of his kill and with his face pressed into the wood of the Moby Dick, he pondered who will dare stop him. He felt a hand hold his head down, a knee pressing against his right arm while a sandal held down his left arm with his hook scrapped against a thin blade. This clicked in his mind who it was. "Mugiwara…I was foolish to think you will indulge my end of the bargain."
"It was foolish to even make a deal with scum like you, Crocodile. I said I will let you 'help' us escape, not kill Shirohige-sama (Lord Whitebeard)." Luffy respond in that tone that made Crocodile growl just a tad louder. "Like it or not, the only way any of us are getting out of here alive is the one you just try to kill. If you want to die here anyways, I am more than happy to oblige."
Whitebeard let out a chuckle that got both of the pirate's attention. "I would have killed to have even a handful of respectable brats like you, Mugiwara. Where did you go to learn such manners?" All the while, Crocodile found himself kicked to the main mast of the ship he breached with a pair of swords at his throat and rifles aimed at his head. Luffy merely straightened himself up to face the massive man with his captain's coat flapping in the wind.
"Shirohige-sama, manners are for garden parties. I am just some sad sap trying not lose his shit in front of the World's Strongest Man, the only pirate to rival Roger himself." Luffy said in a neutral tone while the twitching of his eyebrow showed his struggle to keep his emotions in check. "After all, Moria was once my idol for matching Kaido at one time. Then he hid like the coward he was and let all his potential on a shelf to collect dust. You are different, you never stopped for anything, Newgate."
Whitebeard raised his own eyebrow. Just what is this kid jabbing about? Brats always let their mouths flap before they finally show their worth. "What are you getting at, brat? Are you going to get in my way to get Ace or not?"
"I am rescuing Ace." That simple respond flew to almost every ear on the battlefield. Both pirates and marines couldn't believe that someone had the nerve to correct the Whitebeard. "You may be here to do the same but I am doing it myself. You can just show off for all you want. Just stay out of my way. Got it!?"
Those last two words echoed throughout the entire battlefield. Pirate, marine, they all were frozen in shock. Helpless to only watch this 'super' rookie talk back to the World's Strongest Man. The air got heavy, filled with tension and fear; everyone was afraid to even breathe.
Whitebeard let a low growl, raised his signature weapon to the added terror of everyone witnessing and started to spin it. True to his title as the World's Strongest, the wind moved with his naginata. Soon he stopped spinning and slammed the bottom end on the deck where he was standing. The shockwave from the point of impact blew throughout the battlefield, causing clothes and flags to flutter in the wind. Everyone, even the Whitebeard Pirates, didn't know what was going to happen.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Whitebeard showed a smirk on his face. "You are the cheekiest snot-nosed brat I ever met!" After decades of his children fussing over him or his enemies making him like a demon, it was kind of refreshing and even amusing for Whitebeard to meet someone willing to butt heads with him again. "Just watch your back, kid! And don't die before you impress me, okay!?"
"Whatever!" By this time, Luffy had steeled his nerves and focused his attention straight to where his brother was; on the other side of a battlefield completely covered in marines of all ranks. "I am rescuing my brother, with or without you!"
At the same time with the Impel Down escapees,
"He is competing…" Ivankov started with his eyes white and nose dripping,
"…with Shirohige-sama!" Buggy finished with his own eyes and red nose doing the same. Other prisoners were too frozen in fear to even whimper while a few of the fainted from fright.
"Our captain is just the most handsome when he does this, right Nami~?" Perona felt her heart floating along with her hallow ghosts mimicking her lovely-dovely expression.
"He better watch himself or else he may never leave our bed for a week~!" In spite of her huff and crossed arms, the navigator also felt her face flush at Luffy's bravado. But it will take a lot more than bravado to win less survive this war.
XXXXX
At the execution platform, Ace gritted his teeth and wished that he can scream for his friends and for his little brother that literally dropped in this war. Why did that crybaby grow up now, right in the middle of a war!? Not to mention, where did Luffy get the guts to talk like that to his captain, his pops? Come to think of it, it looks like they were discussing something, right after his baby brother yelled in Whitebeard's face. What could it be?
At the Moby Dick,
"…if I didn't know better, you really do read minds, boy." Edward Newgate had been a pirate for over six decades and have seen plenty of characters with powers that seemed to be witchcraft even among Akuma no Mi. "You are saying they are trying to move up the schedule for Ace's Execution?"
"Yes, Shirohige. Those marines were ready for you but not me." Luffy answered. "Consider this info as a thank-you gift for taking in my older brother. Best of luck on your part, pops." The witnessing pirates still cannot believe the sight of Luffy being so causal with the Whitebeard and even using the name the latter's men use for him as a tease!
"Come on, let's go!" Nami called out the inmates while she and Perona followed their lover towards the marines. Both had already adjusted to Luffy's tendency to run towards danger. Nami's voice did get the inmates to spring into action. They vowed to help their savior save his brother and hopefully secure their freedom.
"Sorry to rain on your parade, boys…" A familiar lazy voice made the army of inmates stop in their tracks, followed by a large bright sparkle of yellow light shunned upon them. "But the Boss has enough problems. So, I am afraid-What?" Kizaru, the man made of light, nearly had his own eyes blinded before feeling the pain of something shooting through his shoulder. Right before feeling a sandal shoving him forward into yet another squad of marines; the Admiral was mentally kicked himself for lowering his guard in front of this super rookie.
"I will have to thank Hancock, for saving this bad boy." Luffy remarked, lowering his foot back on the ice, while holding up a pistol with a shellfish attached to where the barrel meets the handle. Perona had no idea what it was but Nami remembered it. After fighting the man with a god complex in the sky, the rebels shared some of their gear including weapons in exchange not for gold but Usopp's rubber band collection of all things; those people in the sky really loved rubber bands.
"That was Admiral Kizaru and Mugiwara just kicked him away! Like kicking a rock aside!" An inmate found his voice and soon the rest of them cheered for the pirate captain that helped them escape Impel Down. "Let's go boys and for real!" That got everyone's spirit charged and so did their advancement into enemy territory. That got the marines to take the cue to advance on the new batch of criminals to fight.
"Gum-Gum…" Luffy reeled in his fist and a black hue shun on his entire right arm. The marines readied their rifles and swords for the incoming attack. "…Kuro Supuringu Shotto! (Black Spring Shot)!" In a split second, half a hundred marines were shot straight through their ranks with more sent flying from the proximity of the stretched black arm.
"Kaminari Taba (Lightning Flux)!" From the left, Nami electrocuted several dozen marines, surging throughout entire squadrons with ease. Still, the navigator knows this gift from her lover has a lot more in store. She has a lot of time to practice once the war ends.
"Mini Horo (Mini Hollow) …" To the right, marines were puzzled by what appeared to be several little cartoonish ghosts giggling as they fly among their ranks. "…Gōsuto Rappu (Ghost Rap)!" The marines screamed in terror and pain when every single little ghost exploded with the force of a grenade, knocking out more navy soldiers by the dozen.
With hundreds of their enemies already down the for the count, the inmates cheered with excitement as they trampled over the defeated marines and spread out to attack the rest. Fists were flying and weapons drawn to clash. This war has officially entered its next phase; it was still anybody's game.
Luffy made sure that he had his eyes on the prize while also using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) to keep tabs on the inmates behind him, especially Nami and Perona. They followed him into war and Luffy was going to make sure they follow me out of it. Luffy only stopped when he sensed an attack and two circular blades struck the ice right in front of him.
"Mugiwara!" This time a whole body came in for the attack. Luffy struck back this time and sent his attacker flying forward. Only then he got a good look on who tried to attack him. "Don't tell me you forgot us…"
"You were that stuck up from the Baratie that complained about a fly in your soup." Luffy answered bluntly. "Wasn't impressed then and I'm still not. That guy with the weird glasses that tried to attack Syrup Village being a marine, on the hand..." Luffy smirked at the gritting teeth of his two attackers.
"Forget it, you two puny fools." Both of them flinched to the sound of a woman behind them. Luffy still had the smirk on his face when he saw who was the unfortunate one in charge of the latter. "And Hina does not want to hear anything from the likes of you, Mugiwara." She was the Hina that tried to keep a certain cigar-chomping grouch from quitting back in Alabasta.
Before Luffy could say anything, Hina suddenly sprouted a fence-like cage from both of her arms that immediately encompassed the former and his lovers along with a few escapees. A few marines were also surrounded by the 'cage fence'. "Awase Baori (Lined Kimono Feather Cage)!" Closing her arms, Hina hoped to ensnarl her targets like fish in a net.
Only, "Nice trick. Try aiming next time!" Luffy called out, suddenly far behind Hina. The marine captain looked back with shock before returning her sight to her net and sure enough, only the marines were caught in it. Somehow, she completely missed her prey. Hina will be sore about this for weeks!
XXXXX
The war rages on, bodies fall left and right. Pirate, marine, criminal escapees. The marines were vast and organized while the pirates and criminals were more savage. Luffy and his army found the near countless numbers to be slowing them down and their prize was as far away as when they started. It was far too late for them to stop so they didn't.
"Out of my way!" Luffy roared in frustration. Those pesky marines were swarming him at all angles. And every navy man he sent flying, two more took his place. As much as Luffy wanted to go all out, he had to make sure his allies were not caught in the free fire. Just when it looked like the 'super rookie' was drowning in marine bodies, several of them suddenly flew off in painful fashions. Not just around Luffy but also his lovers and the inmates watched the overwhelming numbers swept like flies in a strong wind. "Was wondering when you will show."
"You are as reckless and eager for a fight as Ace." Jinbei remarked as he landed near Luffy and his allies. "The more I look at you, the more convinced I am that you really do share blood." Luffy could only shrug it off. Not a lot of time for small talk in the middle of a war.
"Enough playing around!" A booming voice got their attention as the ice shook and an actual giant in simple trousers and a marine coat worn around the collar appeared with an iron club fitting his size. "I will turn all these measly, puny pirates into paste!" True to his word, the giant marine struck the ice with his weapon. "Hold still!" Now if only he can actually hit the tiny intruders at his feet.
"Attention Men!" In the middle of the conflict between rookie pirate and marine giant, the sound of Sengoku suddenly tore through the entire battlefield. "This development changes nothing! We will still face the Whitebeard Pirates and Shirohige himself to execute the Son of The Pirate King! If anything, the arrival of Mugiwara is proof that the rookie is also the spawn of true evil!"
Everyone waited with baited breath for Sengoku to continue. "Our intel included reports of Roger's son living on an island in the East Blue alongside another boy. They trained and played with each other and eventually proclaimed themselves to be brothers!" All the while, the giant tried to hit Luffy with his club until the rookie pirate jumped to where eyes met. Almost like the latter was finally to make a movie right when,
"Monkey D. Luffy, the Liber Glade, is the biological son of the Revolutionary Dragon!" Just like that, another bombshell dropped that shook the entire world. This war's stakes can't be any higher. Not when two pirates, sons of most hated men, are now fighting the navy.
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In Sabaody, people dropped their notebooks and their jaws at the latest reveal. For the longest time, they pondered if this super rookie that breached Enies Lobby was possibly related the Hero of the Marines. That it was too bad that a legendary marine has a child that turned out to be a pirate. But this blew their expectations out of the water.
On the battlefield,
Marines were terrified all over again. Most were too scared to even move their legs while the remaining senior and more experienced navy men expressed their disbelief. Smoker remembered what happened all the way back in Loguetown but kept it to himself. Just watched his fellow marines grow even more scared or motivated to stop Luffy.
The escapees were also scared in their own way. Buggy let the snot out of his rubber nose, hoping that Dragon doesn't find out the clown tried to cross his kid. Ivankov was not bothered, only concerned how this will affect the Revolutionaries that he did plan on returning to after the war. Jinbei had his breath took away. Mihawk felt his little grin grow, Doflamingo laughed in excitement all over again, Kuma stayed silent as always and Hancock grew her blush even deeper; she won't mind if Luffy was the son of the Devil himself.
While all of the world stayed silent, Luffy never gave it any bother. He still was in midair, looking eye-to-eye with the giant that tried to crush him. He didn't care that nearly everyone knows his father now.
"I made friends with giants before but I always figured I will have to come to blows with one." Luffy remarked, truly with a devil may care attitude. He played with the Toxin Man named Magellan in the latter's own prison; a giant in marine colors is hardly any scarier than that. He then jumped so high up, the Marine Giant had to look up to his target for a change. "Now you hold still…" Everyone stopped to see Luffy's right arm blacken and compressed to not just twice as big but up to four times as big; it was so big that it blocked the sun from the giant's eyes that soon grew with terror. Even when the giant raised his equally large club to try and take the incoming blow, he knew that it was foolhardy venture.
"…For this! Gum-Gum Koiru-jō no Supuringu Shotto (Gum-Gum Coiled Spring Shot)!" The compressed punch fired faster and louder than any cannon, broke right through the giant's weapon and landed a crushing blow on the massive marine. The navy men were terrified at such a sight by a rookie pirate while the escapees cheered at the top of the lungs for the pirate that freed them.
"Ace! Say what you want, I am going to be the one to save you!" Luffy screamed to the heavens, daring anyone or anything to tell him otherwise. Ace gritted his teeth, at that declaration and that his brother was the same troublemaker that was now mowing marines like weeds. And he, the other brother, failed to defeat a fat man with poor hygiene and a stolen power.
Upon landing on the frozen bay in an epic pose, Luffy pointed forward past the fallen giant. "Let's save Ace, everyone!" With a thunderous cheer, the escapees charged forward towards the waiting army of marines.
"Stop those pirates!" Sengoku screamed out for every uniform and white jacket to march out to do their duty. This war has reached its latest peak.
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"…Basu Bazūka (Black Bazooka)!"
"Heru Winku (Hell Wink)!"
"Gosenmaigawara Seiken (Five Thousand Tile True Punch)!"
Three powerful techniques made short work of hundreds of marines still standing in the way of their captive and the advancing pirates. All the while, lightning strikes were scattered throughout the whole frozen battlefield. Screams of pain and terror mingled with sounds of gunfire and clashing blades. Even explosions rang out and some of them had marines scream of 'ghosts' chasing them.
"Mugiwara!" A familiar voice cut through the madness and with a large cloud of smoke out of nowhere, the sound of weapons clashing got everyone's attention. Through the thick cloud, they saw a certain large jitte struggle against a katana. "I should have known that you would try something like this! First Enies Lobby, then Impel Down and now this!?"
"That first one was a given, Smoker." Luffy calmly spoke, almost like this was just having coffee with an old friend to the pirate captain. "But it is clear that your boss didn't tell you who quit the ranks. Now I am just a pirate that can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Not that you are any different."
"WHAT!" Nobody could tell what was making that literal smoker angrier; the fact he, the marine, was struggling against a pirate or that the said pirate had the nerve to pair the former with the latter.
"You wear the coat and the colors of the navy. You even parade around that you follow the rules to the letter." Luffy started. "But abandoning your post, leaving Loguetown to the mercy of future pirate attacks to stalk me? Getting yourself caged with your prey by another pirate in Alabasta? Who even ordered you to butt into a pirate brawl in Mock Town? I am sure that it wasn't Sengoku."
"SHUT UP!" Smoker, in a true fit of rage, broke the standoff and attacked Luffy in a blind rampage of strikes and thrusts of his jitte. Luffy still kept him on the ropes with his precise blocking and deflecting strikes from Reimei Itami (Dawn Pain). "Damn you, Mugiwara!" Smoker screamed in utter frustration until his latest thrust was dodged by Luffy this time. But before he could realize what his target was doing,
"Saidobāsurasshu (Sideburn Slash)!" Luffy took the advantage of Smoker's confusion and in a rather ironic twist, used a move that was previously used on Blackbeard: a pirate that Smoker actually fought against, by Luffy's side. That and the fact Smoker forgot was that Luffy was a user of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). The marine's smoky body was useless against Luffy's attack to his right abdomen.
Luffy let out a breath he was holding when he had to strike down one of the few marines he actually liked. More and more, he hated this stupid war. All he wanted was his brother, was that too much to ask? "Mugi…wara…" The pirate captain turned his head to see Smoker struggle to stand with his jitte holding him up. That slash was the same one that took out a veteran Grand Line pirate even if he was fat and filthy; the pain must be unbearable. "I…swear…I…will…"
"Do nothing of any sort!" A woman's voice was heard right before Smoker was kicked off in the distance, taking out dozens of marines. Luffy watched the cigar addict fly with a scowl still on his face. "Are you alright…Luffy?" Boa Hancock viewed this as 'rescuing her beloved'. But with that look on the latter's face, she wasn't sure.
"While I appreciate you risking your title and your own people for my sake." Luffy said to the Pirate Empress with a sharp tone. "I rather like that guy you kicked. He better not die in this farce of a war. Next time, rescue me when it's me on the ropes. Okay?" Hancock nodded. Luffy can be goofy but can be serious when he wants to be: at least her beloved is no pushover. "Great, now head it over before those bastards in coats get any ideas."
Luffy had his hand out, silently demanding what Hancock had for him. In a quick motion, she passed her hand into Luffy's, right before the latter's hand grasped it in an iron grip. Hancock was taken by the strong yet gentle action and before she could say a word, Luffy kissed it. Quite the odd sight for a pirate to do what is expected of a gentleman to show thanks to a woman. Whatever words she had, Hancock swallowed when she saw Luffy's face soften with concern and gratitude.
When Luffy grabbed what she was handing him, Hancock wasn't bothered. If anything, she was more fired up since ever. During that whole encounter, Nami and Perona smirked. Their captain was definitely raised well on how to treat woman and given how he gets them all 'relied up', it was kind of cute to watch Hancock act like a little girl getting her first kiss. If it wasn't for the war, they could have asked her for a little girl's night out. Too bad that she is already mowing down the Whitebeard Pirates as well as marines, not back to her cold man-hating persona.
In the meanwhile,
"Come on! I know you are supposed to work for the World Government but we are still comrades!" Ivankov was up against an obstacle that is more annoying than threatening. Kuma was staring down the Queen of Okamas himself (don't ask) and had once again fired his lasers at the latter. "Would you actually say something for yourself!?"
"It's pointless, you know~!" Ivankov gritted his teeth and looked to his right to see another annoyance on side of the government; Donquixote Doflamingo. "You know the rumors. That this guy obeys the clowns in tights like a dog because he is truly a robot! The World Government had caused his brain to be rid of any sense of his old tyrannical ways! He is completely braindead with a robot body!" Ever the gleeful one for chaos, Doflamingo really enjoyed this scene and talking smack about a fellow member of the Shichibuki.
"Oh, shut up! Listen Kuma, I don't care what your deal is…" Ivankov spoke before noticing that the massive man was not looking at him this time. Following his gaze, Ivankov realized that a few of his fellow escapees from Floor 5.5 were in Kuma's sight! "OH NO YOU DON'T!" The Queen of Okamas jumped to Kuma and let out a surprisingly strong kick that actually sent Kuma sliding backwards. Doflamingo could tell that this was getting serious and was content on this dispute between 'comrades.' With another gleeful grin, he jumped high into the air towards the rest of the carnage. There is more of the war to enjoy anyways.
"It's bad enough that you get turned into a robot behind our backs, and targeted my precious Candies!" Ivankov charged in towards Kuma who managed to anchor his large feet with the ice and centered his gaze on the former. "But nobody forgets this face! Ganmen Supekutoramu (Face Spectrum)!"
All of a sudden, Ivankov's face multiplied from one to two and soon enough into dozens of copies everywhere. This was confusing even Kuma's robotic eyesight. "Gyarakushī Winku (Galaxy Wink)!" All of these faces shouted out the technique before a wink from each of them hit Kuma at the same time. Needless to say, not even the tyrant-turned-robot is getting up from that. "I no longer care that you are a robot or not, you had that coming!"
While all this was happening, Luffy continued to lead the charge, unhindered by the marines from all sides. "Captain!" He smiled upon hearing a familiar voice. "Any call for reinforcements has been shut down!" Nami appeared in streaks of lightning whose dance left several dozen marines on the ice either fried or twitching something awful. "And I made good use of that neat trick you suggested~!" If a war wasn't raging around, Luffy would have silenced his lover with a soul-draining kiss; so, he settled for a quick but sweet peck.
"Don't forget me~! I made those idiots in the control rooms too negative to even speak right~!" Perona appeared with a few of her hollows following her while easily phasing through marines that fell to the ice, spouting random negative comments under their breath. "Don't I get a-!" Perona was answered with a light peck that made her swallow her words.
"You both are doing great for this idiot that dragged everyone here to the navy home turf." Luffy replied. "Once we get my brother, the night is all yours~!" The escapees can all agree that only the Son of Dragon will be flirting with his girlfriends in the middle of the war, right in front of them.
"Hello Luffy." Those two words made everyone, yes everyone, to halt. Right in front of them was one of the worst people to run into during this war. The Strongest Swordsman in the World: Dracule 'Hawkeye' Mihawk! "I was hoping more for a drink of red wine before we clashed blades again. How is your male first mate?" This flew over most heads present but Luffy was not amused.
"You will find out soon. Make sure to thank the 'bear with a bible' when you get bored of this war." Luffy answered cryptically. No one wanted to ask and risk getting Hawkeye in a sour mood. Very few people were alive to see the man himself with any expression aside from his usual scowl. "In the meanwhile, for old time's sake…" Luffy continued, taking out both of his blades, Reimei Itami and the rapier Yuudoku Toge (Toxic Thorn). With his weapons out, Luffy positioned his katana straight forward while his rapier drawn back, both blades aimed at Mihawk. "…let's dance."
All the while, Mihawk drew his own signature blade: Yoru, large and blacken from countless clashes. "Fine. When you are ready." With that said, Luffy took a mighty leap into the air. In no time, he was blocking the sun from Mihawk's eyes that were thankfully shielded by his trademark hat. That was not what got his attention though, it was what was emitting from his opponent's katana: an ooze-like shroud, covering the entire blade! Under his hat, Mihawk felt his smirk grow even sharper. "Have it your way, Luffy."
While everyone's eyes were at the scene of the super rookie's move against Mihawk happen in slow motion, their wide eyes only grew when they saw what is happening to the giant sword. That shroud on Luffy's blade that was a reddish black, Mihawk's blade had a more purple shade of black.
Time eventually started to move again and both blades went for the strike. Except, they did not meet. They instead shook the world the likes haven't seen since the age of Gold Roger himself.
XXXXX
Up on the execution platform, three souls were turning white for different yet relevant reasons. "Garp…" Sengoku got his mouth working right after his brain and turned to the oldest pain in his back who still hasn't recovered. "I know that you didn't teach your insolent, accursed grandson to do that." The gritting of his teeth could be mistaken for a steel grinder. "Especially against the likes of Hawkeye!"
"…Luffy, what have you truly become…?" Garp always had a booming voice that either intimidated his enemies or irritated his fellow Marines. When he spoke no louder than a mouse, Sengoku couldn't bring himself to speak anymore demands. All he could do is resume watching this play out with Garp more on the same page than the latter had in the decades stuck to each other.
Ace had nothing to say, he couldn't even make a peep. Ever since that fateful day when he found out that his little brother unlocked a second Akuma no Mi power, when both he and those wild animals passed out from a sudden drunken stupor, Ace knew that Luffy will not stay below him for long. He can still remember all those angry rants from when Luffy confessed to have left a decoy with them while he trained with Shanks! He was just too angry to be scared of what Luffy could have done if that pirate didn't help him control his new powers. But this? This is too much for words.
On the other side of the battlefield, Whitebeard was still not moving; but it was clear that even the World's Strongest Man is also at a loss for words. While his sons and his enemies were watching the two swordsmen clash without meeting blades, Whitebeard focused on what was at the point where the weapons would have touched in not for that glowing orb. Very few besides him lived after seeing such a sight.
In his mind, Whitebeard remembered back when he was better known as one of Roger's strongest rivals. To the Pirate King, you were either an ant for him and his crew to stump or a rival he always jumped at the chance to battle. Whitebeard himself was that bad too, loving the thrill and excitement of meeting someone that can match blades with him and get that blood pumping again. After Roger was executed and the New World was under the careful eyes of the Yonko (including himself), Whitebeard never thought he will see that amazing sight again. One where two individual's raw power will emerge and show the world how pirate lords did their fights back in the day.
'That kid…will go far. Maybe remind this world how we used to do it. Only time can tell.' Whitebeard thought to himself. That spectacle sent shockwaves all the way to his spot on his flagship and instead of feeling threatened or even annoyed, it was kind of liberating.
In his old age and sitting in his throne without getting any action since Roger was executed, Whitebeard's senses have dulled just a tad. But now they are working as good as well he was much younger. "Nice of you to join us, Squard." Said New World pirate was barely halfway up the stairs when his 'father' called out. The fact Whitebeard felt him coming made Squard hesitate before proceeding, something that the former actually picked up on. "Losing your nerve? You can still sit out, if you are tired of all the racket."
"…no. No, I am not leaving you to do this alone, Pops." Squard stilled himself as he stepped to Whitebeard's side. The Strongest Man in the World, the one that matched Roger more than any other pirate, did not know what was wrong with one of his sons. He simply kept his eyesight on the spectacle that brought him so much nostalgia. Right before a sudden immense gust of wind exploded in all directions and almost blew the Moby Dick out of the ice; how Whitebeard's cloak didn't fly off, not even he knew.
Back to the duel on the ice-covered bay,
That explosion from his 'matchup' with Luffy had created a thin layer fog that almost covered the entire bay. At where his boots were dug into the ice was an array of trenches from when Mihawk tried to anchor himself against the explosion and when he used Yoru to spread the impact. The only thing left to note is that Mihawk's vision showed nothing but fog and ice everywhere. However, before becoming a Shichibuki, Mihawk was an accomplished hunter and was not going to stop today.
The fog soon cleared, revealing bodies of both pirates and marines either on the ice or standing in defensive positions. Mihawk saw several of them already have resumed fighting. 'Typical. Even in a sea storm, they will fight to the end.' The Strongest Swordsman in the World hid his disgust for such nosy, violent creatures who only had fighting on the brain. All he cared was finding his prey; his famous eyes have never failed him before.
The crowds of marines and pirate grew in numbers fighting the death; probably thought that Mihawk had won like always. And even the younger among both sides knew better than to try him for themselves. They rather face their superiors than Mihawk. None of this mattered to Hawkeye, scoping the fields of fighting and madness until his eyes spotted the silhouette of a young man with a straw hat looking over what could be his lovers. 'There you are.'
Mihawk did not win his numerous battles and destroyed the foolish upstarts by being careless. Even a whisper could lead to your demise in his line of work. He simply used Yoru to make a devastating slash, traveling along a path through the battlefield and hit its mark. From his position, Mihawk saw a blast where he sent the flying slash towards. What his eyes didn't see were any body parts or even blood in the air. "Don't feel too bad, Hawkeye~!"
Right in front of Mihawk came the long thin blade of a rapier, coated in a black shroud like before that made the rapier look a bit like a comet. Mihawk moved Yoru in his left hand to block the attack before it stopped right in front of his throat, before the Strongest Swordsman in the World felt like a cannonball hit him in the stomach, sending him flying back once again. Never one to show weakness, Mihawk managed to hide his pain and swallow the blood that filled his mouth. That was when he heard a strap snapping and a small object hitting the ice. Looking down, Mihawk saw that it was his necklace with a cross that was actually his 'smallest blade'; the same one he used to test and taunt Zoro all the way back at the Baratie in the East Blue! "Luffy…"
"Pirate, remember Hawkeye~?" Luffy used his signature grin while still holding Yuudoku Toge forward in his right hand before relaxing it while his other hand took out Reimei Itami. "Now that we put on an unforgettable show for everyone, lets finish this up. "Chokkaku Senkō: Hone Guriddo (Right Angle Flash: Bone Grid)!" In a split second, both blades crossed and slashed at the ice under their feet to cut several large perfect squares; one of them was even under Mihawk's boots!
The man with the eyes of a hawk himself saw that Luffy used his rapier's superior speed and balance to make straight slashes while his katana somehow strengthened them with its own natural powerful strikes. The boy has gone a long way since those distant training days. Zoro couldn't have picked a better man to be his captain. "My turn." Mihawk spoke before raising Yoru for a downward attack.
Luffy gritted his teeth when he too raised his blade to block large black blade. The force also left dozens of large cracks on the ice below Luffy's sandals. That was when Mihawk felt himself being lifted slightly and turned to see that the ice on his side had been sliced into massive ice cubes. The force behind his own attack had caused the ice cubes including his own to lift up at least one foot. Too bad that Mihawk was distracted by the change of the battlefield to notice his opponent return his rapier to its sheath. It was when those ever-sharp eyes saw a familiar hand grasped the edge of the ice cube.
"This duel to the death is not in my rights. That belongs to someone else." Luffy said firmly, like he didn't just block an attack that probably decimated an entire fleet of pirates from the East Blue months ago. "You have your fun, over there!" Using his undeniable strength, Luffy sent the ice cube with Mihawk on it flying towards another section of the battlefield before the latter could even try to stop him.
Most of the marines and pirates stopped their fighting to escape the large ice cube heading their way. The latter were even more panicked when Mihawk landed gracefully after the ice cube crashed into the frozen battlefield. 'Have fun? Only you, Luffy.' Mihawk ignored the screams of the pirates and cries from the marines, demanding to know who sent the Strongest Swordsman in the World flying like that. Before he can even make one step, Mihawk raised Yoru once more, this time to block an attack.
"Hello Hawkeye, I hope you don't mind me cutting in." The attacker's voice proved it wasn't Luffy this time. It was another pirate entirely. He was a tall, muscular, broad-chested, tanned man with a curly, black mustache, a dark blue top hat, and an earring in each ear. He wears a semi-open dark blue shirt with a white diamond stripe-pattern near the top that reveals some of his hairy chest, as well as a cape that his shirt, and white gloves. He also wears light blue pants with a belt that holds two sword sheaths, one on each side. He wields two sabers, one in each hand.
"Vista of the Flower Blades. This should be interesting after all." Mihawk stated without any annoyance or animosity, simply stating a fact. Luffy was a wildcard that continued to surprise him but Mihawk has had enough surprises for one day.
"Ah, I am honored that you know me." Vista responded with his grin not budging, not even twitching.
"Of course. Only simple-minded fools will not know you." With those words of acknowledgement said, the duel between swordsmen proceeded. Thankfully, without any grand display of power this time. Just clean strikes and parries. All the while Mihawk was matching his Yoru with Vista, he can't help but drift in thought. 'Luffy. I always knew that you were worth that red head fool's left arm but this proves one thing. You have the gift; the gift to rally powerful people by your side, without ever trying. It is the scariest power of them all.'
XXXXX
Back with Luffy,
"Straw Boy!" Ivankov emerged after another twirl of kicks and flying marines. "Is there anything you can't do!?"
"Later." Luffy answered. "The plaza is in sights. And soon, Ace will be." In spite of all the chaos, his allies and fellow escapees heard Luffy clearly. The plaza was where the bulk of the Navy was stationed before swarming onto the ice-covered bay. It means that whoever in the uniform hadn't shown yet are awaiting the prison escapees breaching their front yard.
But then, "Look!" A voice tore through the chaos on the frozen bay. Fighters, marine and pirate, turned to see what could it be. It was yet another scene from a nightmare, adding to the horrors of this war. An entire army of large men with glowing eyes that shun through the smoke surrounding them. However, the real surprise was,
"Those things look exactly like Bartholamew Kuma! How is that possible!?" Many pirates and escapees started to scream in terror while the marines were also shocked, with a few smirking that the infantry has come for them instead of the pirates. Even Whitebeard was surprised to see such a sight; he had heard rumors but the real thing was something else.
"One Kuma is bad enough, now there are hundreds of them!?" Ivankov was still miffed, of sorts, with the original Kuma. "Just what is going on!?"
"They tried it on us and the other super rookies at Sabaody. Supposed to be the latest in pirate catching units." Luffy answered, not showing any fear. He was worried for his lovers, the escapees and even for the Whitebeard Pirates; never before has anything like this showed up even in the Grandline. Luffy scowled when he saw another familiar face from the archipelago,
"Men! Orders are in from the Fleet Admiral Focus only on the New World Pirates!" Sentomaru, with his signature axe and a face that resembled a woman, bellowed out orders to the Pacifista army behind him. Immediately, the Kuma look-alikes started firing their lasers from either their mouths or their palms at the pirates.
Panic aroused throughout. Pirates by the dozen were being eliminated left and right. They tried fighting back but their weapons were ineffective against several massive metal men who continue to shoot lasers in any direction. The Whitebeard Pirates were still on the frozen field, not sure how to counter this attack from the back. Their captain hasn't issued any further orders which troubled the pirates even further.
That was when,
"NO!" Luffy screamed something awful with a face that looked like the abyss itself stared him. Immediately, he drew out his pistol with the seashell attached and aimed it in the direction of the battlefield on the bay. The escapees almost cried for their leader to not shoot them, only to notice that it was aiming not at them but slightly above them. Nevertheless, they shielded their eyes from the bright light that emerged from the mouth of the pistol.
What followed was the sound of a bullet hitting metal, the sound of a blade meeting flesh and the screaming about a blinding light. Everyone turned to see where those haunting sounds were coming from and what they saw shook them to their core. On the front deck of the Moby Dick, where Whitebeard was still standing stoically, was another pirate reeling on the deck with his hands on his eyes. Only, there was a massive, bloody gash right on Whitebeard's right abdomen!
End of Chapter 71
*Hello everyone. Thanks again for sticking to my story. Really appreciate it and remember, flamers will be ignored. Good night!*