"It all started so innocently…"
-5 Days After the War-
The ongoing celebration on Amazon Lily was their most exuberant in living memory. Less than a month before, they had celebrated their Empress's recovery and safety from an assassination attempt, and that party had been rocking. Now they were celebrating something far grander: liberation from the World Government and the continued assurance of safety that came with their new allies. The previous celebration now looked like a child's birthday party.
The entire civilization was decked out for a festival, with good food and drink flowing from every cook with a kitchen or outdoor grill. Straw Hat-inspired party activities sprang up in every corner of the village, and the female pirates whose ships were anchored off Amazon Lily's shores brought bawdier games of their own.
Only female pirates, for even for this celebration, men (aside from Luffy and his brothers) were still not allowed into the village. There might have been jealousy among the many male pirates who had sallied forth to provide Luffy with his last reinforcements if not for the steady stream of curious, greedy, and/or grateful Amazons that made the trek out to the ships, bringing with them all of the festivities. They were simply too drunk and raucous to be jealous.
The village arena was host to its own specific festivities. Amazons, snakes, and several pirates had gathered for a round of glorious combat, letting off their pent-up energy and showing off their strength to each other. In a society where power equated to beauty, it naturally became a competition for the prideful corsairs. And a steady stream of party-goers cooled off from the festivities by watching their fellow pirates and Amazons beat the snot out of each other.
Many of the Amazons were also taking the opportunity to see how their skills stacked up against those of the warriors of the outside world. There would be training after the party. No longer was their island's obscurity a guarantee, not with the World Government's nominal cover gone. Even with the Revolutionaries' new alliance with their captain, peace now would only come by arrow, fist, and fang. So they came, they fought, and they took notes on how to improve.
Of course, nobody said they couldn't have fun with it, and the combat was very fun indeed.
And still, some of the best festivities were yet to come. The Revolutionaries were still waiting on the delivery of their 'exotic' cuisines; one or two of the Kujas providing the raw ingredients had mentioned 'raw ham melon,' among other things. And several of the Kujas were out doing some hunting of their own, seeking out another Sea King or two for the party. Fresh food was always the best.
Not to mention the fireworks being prepped. Those were for nightfall.
BOOM!
As such, the explosions from the palace were not the sort of fireworks most of the island was thinking of. Such concerning sounds would have drawn the Boa Sisters' attention if not for one tiny detail.
They were the cause of it.
-o-
"I'm going to kill him," Sabo swore vehemently, bent over and wheezing in exertion. "I'm going to crush him, grind him into dust, then feed the dust to the wolves. Then blow up the wolves."
"You don't like him at the moment, do you?" Ace asked, subtly flaring his fire to draw in more oxygen.
"Not especially, no."
His tone drier than the Starvation Hell, Ace mused, "Y'know, I feel like we might be acting a little harsh towards our little brother."
CRASH! "THERE THEY ARE!"
"Oh, wait. I forgot: I'm mad at him for the same reason."
With that, Ace flared fire from his feet, rocketing down the halls of the Kuja Palace, Sabo running flat-out beside him. The reason for their running? Two lovesick snake Zoans are coming after them with all the grace and control of sharks in a feeding frenzy.
"I know that I can't just burn this Palace down around them, so I'll just have to save my revenge for Luffy instead," Ace declared in an eerily calm voice. "I'm going to burn him to ashes, turn the ashes into ink, paint him burning alive, and then burn the painting."
"That sounds healthy," Sabo quipped.
"Quite."
It took another three minutes before they finally found a window leading outside, and they leaped through without breaking stride.
"Morbid fantasies aside…one way or the other, that idiot is going to suffer for this," Ace grumbled.
-o-
"OWOWOWOWOWOWOWWWWW!"
"You were the one who wanted to forego the anesthetic. Normally I'd tell you to bite into something, but seeing as you're you, your tongue should work."
If Luffy hadn't been doing this explicitly because he wanted the pain—and no, despite all evidence to the contrary, he was not a masochist—he would have called it off right there. He did decide on the spot that he would not be getting another tattoo.
"Do you have to make it hurt this much?!"
"Sorry, but I've got the steadiest hand in the crew. Daisy used to do it, but she kept remembering jokes halfway through and that… well, that didn't end well for anyone," Rindo answered.
Luffy winced again as she continued stitching across his bare chest. It felt like being stabbed by a burning needle a hundred times, probably because that was what was happening. Even after taking the advice to bite his tongue, the air was still filled with his exclamations of pain.
Still, he never asked her to stop or slow down. The design was simple. It would be done in a few minutes, and it would still hurt for a while afterward. Which was exactly what he needed.
Rindo didn't speak again until the pain stopped, and she held up a mirror to show him the results.
"So, not that I haven't seen or applied worse tattoos—Blue Fan's still paying me off for my silence on the dumbass face I plastered on her…er, you don't need to know—but I know you're normally not the type to sit still long enough for someone to use your hide like a canvas. So why'd you ask for ink?"
"Because I need to remember this," Luffy answered, grimly taking in his new feature. Two stitch-like lines, just like the one Zoro sported from his fight against Mihawk, stretched from his pectorals to his hips, forming a simple X across his torso.
"If it weren't for Cross, this would be a lot worse, and Ace wouldn't be here. It took everything my crew could give me to make it as far as I did, and it was so close to not being enough," Luffy reflected quietly. "And I don't think Cross will ever be able to rig things that hard again. I need to get stronger so that next time, I can protect the ones I care about without having to ask everything of them again."
Scooting a bit more upright, Luffy gingerly placed a hand on his chest. "This is a reminder of the time I needed that strength most, and I wasn't good enough. So that I push myself harder and farther, so that it never happens again."
The solemn moment was only slightly ruined by Rindo grabbing his wrist and moving it off the tattoo. "Well, if this is meant to be a scar, treat it like one," she said as she retrieved bandages and disinfectant. "It needs to heal to set properly, so keep those in place for the day. And let me remind you again: the Snake Princess is never to find out about this."
Luffy groaned. "Come on. I asked you to do this!"
"Nobody in the world is going to believe me if I say, 'I made Monkey D. Luffy bleed because he asked for it!'" she snapped back. "I don't care how reasonable you think she or her sisters are, I'm not taking that chance! Not when it could mean—!"
GRROOOOOOAAARRGH!
"AAAHHH!" Rindo screamed, hiding behind the chair. "PLEASE CALL OFF BACURA, HONORABLE SISTERS, I TOOK EXCEPTIONAL CARE—!"
It was an embarrassingly long time before she realized that the growling had been Luffy's stomach and that he had already run off in search of meat.
Luffy, for his part, almost ran into a passing woman in his haste to go find meat. Taking advantage of his good fortune, he shoved his face in hers.
"Hi! Where's all the best meat!?" he demanded, his eyes wide with pinprick pupils and his mouth pulled back in a deranged, drooling grin. The woman blinked once before pointing toward the coast.
"The Supernovas' ships," she answered curtly.
"THANKS!" he all but roared as he took off, a cloud of dust kicked up in his wake.
She let out a heartfelt sigh, removing her glasses and wiping the dust off them.
"Thank goodness I'm not assigned to keep watch over him. I'd lose my wits in seconds. That man is insufferable."
"Now, ya sure that there ain't sexual harassment, mate?"
"Why, yes, agent Longshot, I will recommend your team for remedial training with Jabra at the first possible convenience. How kind of you to volunteer them, I'll make certain you receive all due credit for your outstanding initiative," Kalifa simpered without missing a beat.
"SO! Cutting loose, are we?" said her snail, its tone thoroughly panicked.
"He sent me on a vacation. I am taking one," the platinum-haired bubble mistress answered, an easygoing smile on her face and a swimsuit-like outfit on her body as she moved through the streets.
"Hmph. We should all be so lucky."
Rolling her eyes, she stepped into the nearest alley and Shaved to a nearby rooftop,
"I am still doing my job while I'm here, of course," Kalifa scoffed, her well-trained eyes taking in every scar, misstep, or sway in those mingling beneath her. "We should have less to fear from the Kujas than most of the Zodiac crews after everything Ophiuchus has done, but knowing one's assets is always valuable."
"Well, you won't hear any arguments from me. I always say you should have a plan to kill everyone you meet."
Kalifa smirked. "A properly professional mindset."
"At least someone agrees, me bloody dad keeps dropping me all these hints for psychologists he 'just so happens' to know," the man retorted, though a corner of his mouth was tilted upward. "Well, I'll let the bosses know and see what they want you to do. KA-LICK!"
Kalifa stowed away the snail and hopped down back into the festivities, her eyes and ears open for anything that could be useful and her nose open for the scent of mutton.
"It's a good thing Straw Hat is occupied," she murmured. "I might be able to get some quality meat after all."
"Maybe we can help each other, then."
Kalifa turned just slowly enough that it seemed natural rather than sudden. She immediately recognized the Kuja known as Marguerite, and not only because of the patch hiding her missing eye. The question that she asked, however, sent Kalifa's stomach down into her sandals.
"Do you work with Rob Lucci?"
-o-
None of the present Supernovas save for Bonney herself knew for sure how old she actually was. But if she wasn't actually a juvenile, she was a very good actress.
"I can get on the island~ I can get on the island~" she sang, all but hopscotching between Jewelry Margherita's gangplank and the shoreline where numerous Amazon archers watched and laughed.
Plenty of the Supernovas and their crews ignored her. Plenty of others did not.
"You're really not going to let even a single one of us on the damn island?" Bege groused.
"Not unless you're known for wearing a straw hat or are related to him, no," one of the sterner ones said.
"We helped save your rulers' hides! Doesn't that earn us any goodwill!?"
"Notice how you are within eyesight of our capital and miraculously not dead," she retorted, before sighing. "Look, it's not up to us. The Snake Princess considered lifting the ban for one night, but Elder Nyon put her foot down. Men are not supposed to be on this island."
"That, and the Snake Princess changed her mind after some of the comments from Magnet-boy's crew. And his own vocabulary and manners," another said.
"And finally, there's him," another one indicated, pointing at the Hanjomaru. Specifically, its captain, who was tied to the bow with all the willingness of Odysseus meeting the sirens.
"…that's entirely fair," Bege admitted, eyeing the ample platter of spaghetti and meatballs in front of him. "Well, can't be too upset with so much high-quality free food and entertainment."
Nobody needed to ask what he meant by entertainment, as Urouge took that moment to howl again.
"Ohhhhh, why must I suffer like this? The temptation is too grave, my spirit too weak. To restrain myself for the sake of goodness…this is truly purgatory," he bemoaned, matching Hanjomaru's oni figurehead with his own expression.
"I, too, am quite regretful, Urouge. I would have enjoyed some time on this island."
Bartolomeo was not the only one to turn a surprised and/or incredulous look towards Hawkins, but he was the loudest.
"You, mister 'face hasn't twitched once no matter how much I've tried to piss you off?!' Seriously, what the hell happened to the tack I put on your seat!?"
"You forgot he can turn his body to straw and predict the future," a passing Gin deadpanned.
"Oh. Right."
"And to answer your question, I will have you know that the fairer sex is quite appreciative of my mystic atmosphere and deft fingers. In many a port have I managed to acquire, as it is said in the common parlance, 'some sweet tail, dog.'"
"…LEMME ON THE ISLAND! AIN'T NO WAY IN HELL I'M LOSING TO THIS BASTARD! NO WAY IN HELL!"
"It's not the island that's the problem, dipshit," Mr. 5 growled, seizing Bartolomeo's collar and tossing him backward, where Miss Valentine promptly sat upon him.
Mr. 5 raised an eyebrow at his partner. "I'm surprised you aren't out partying your ass off like Ever, Apis, and Lindwyrm." Right on cue, a cackling dragon soared over the island in a drunken loop before audibly crashing back to earth. Ignoring that with great difficulty, he added, "Even Goldenweek is cutting loose."
-o-
In a room tucked away from most of the festivities, Miss Goldenweek lay sprawled on a floor of cushions. Her eyes were glazed and half-lidded due to the smoke that filled the room. Her pigtails had come undone, leaving her black hair splayed across a square foot of cushion, and a boa constrictor lay wound across her torso and shoulders, staring into her eyes.
"He likes you," slurred the Amazon Davi, who'd provided the room, the snake, and the herbal substances. "That's rare. More absinthe?"
Minutely, Goldenweek nodded.
-o-
"Eh, I considered it, but there's one very simple fact that made me choose to stay here instead," Valentine answered.
"And what's that?"
Valentine wiggled her weighted body on her captain's back, smiling primly at his garbled sounds of protest. "This is just more fun."
From his smirk and the fact that he sat down on a convenient barrel, he agreed.
Meanwhile, one of the calmest of the Supernovas was speaking with one of his newest recruits, another among the minority of women who weren't partying in the city.
"So what are we now… er, captain?" Pascia tried tentatively.
"Captain. No matter our flag, I am still in command of my vessel. And as to what I am, what we are… a difficult question, yet one with a simple answer. I'm unwilling to let the law get in the way of enforcing my vision of justice, which makes us outlaws. But 'vigilante' seems more appropriate."
He turned his attention to the other ships, eyeing the generation's boldest rookies, whose ranks he was now indelibly part of. He saw Bonney cackling, still hopping between land and ship; Bartolomeo being wrangled by one of his crewmates while another was right beside Bonney; Apoo loudly collecting bets for the brawl; Urouge continuing his lament; and all the other surprisingly mundane interactions in between.
Almost unbidden, a corner of his mouth turned upward.
"But if the world calls us 'pirates'… I won't hate it as much as I used to."
Drake stood there, resolute and serene, for all of ten seconds.
"MEEEEAT!" CRASH!
"Then again," Drake growled, strangling the hilt of his mace as he worked himself out of the crater he'd been slammed into.
As Luffy attacked the buffets as if they'd hurt his brothers—the half that he hadn't already stuffed in his food hole, anyway—everyone else paused whatever they were doing.
"STRAW HAT, GET YOUR MOUTH OFF MY MEAT!" Kid roared. "I KILLED THAT SEA KING! IT'S MY CUT!"
While Law doubled over in a harsh fit of coughing, Luffy gave no indication that he had heard Kid, and another tenth of the buffet had disappeared before the enraged punk captain snagged him with his oversized gauntlet and gave him a hard yank - for all the good it did.
"Huh, looks like Cross was right. Straw Hat is stronger than you, Captain."
"CRAM IT, KILLER! AND ONE WORD OUT OF YOU AND I FEED YOU TO THE FURNACE, SHURAIYA!"
Law had now given up all pretense, leaning on Kikoku to keep his footing as he openly laughed at the sight of Kid trying, and failing, to tug Luffy off of his shank of Sea King.
Apoo, Bartolomeo, and Bonney were laughing as well, while Hawkins and Bege watched with smirks. Drake probably would have been smirking, too, if he didn't still have splinters to pluck out of the back of his head.
After thirty seconds of this struggling, Luffy had devoured seventy percent of the buffet, Kid was practically glowing with anger. The arm he grew shifted around until it formed a massive pair of scissors instead, and he moved to pull him away or kill him trying. Then Luffy suddenly stopped, straightening up and looking around at Kid.
"…oh, you're all here? That's good."
"I'M GONNA TEAR YOU INSIDE-OUT, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON!" Kid raged, slamming the shears shut on Luffy's torso. Or at least he tried to; he wasn't completely surprised to see Luffy standing atop the blades, but it did nothing to calm him down.
But then Luffy held out the sizable shank he had been about to bite into.
"Sorry. Go ahead and take it."
And that shocked him right out of his anger. Along with everyone else watching, though some hid it better than others.
A blue blur later, Law was standing on the deck, frowning at Luffy. His eyes fell quickly on the bandages on his chest, but he knew the aftermath of a fresh tattoo. No blood was visible there or anywhere else, and his sky blue vest would have shown such a stain at once.
"Are we sure that Bentham left with Ivankov?"
"IT'S REALLY ME, DANG IT!" Luffy yelled, stretching out his cheeks.
"Then what trauma have you suffered in the last few hours to make you consider sharing your meat? Let alone with Kid?" Law demanded.
"I know that the world as we know it is ending, but this is a little much," Bonney agreed.
Luffy rubbed the back of his head, seeming almost sheepish.
"Well, it's just that there's something I need to talk to you guys about," he said. And that casual sentence set off an explosion.
"OH, HELL NO!" Kid burst out, wheeling away and slashing his arm down. "No way, not a chance in hell! Three times that shitty third mate of yours has led me around by the nose, I'll tie myself to the anchor before going for number four! You can take this 'talk' of yours and shove it up your—!"
"Cross doesn't know about this."
Kid stopped dead in his tracks.
Luffy stared solemnly at his back as he continued. "Cross doesn't know; this is all me. It's something I've been thinking about ever since I lost to Kuma. Had to think a lot about it… but I've got a pretty good idea, and I just want you guys to hear me out."
"…why does that sound more terrifying when it's not coming from the actual tactician?" Apoo asked, having already made his way over.
"Because Straw Hat-ya isn't the tactician. He's an idiot. Meaning that even if it's the stupidest idea ever, he will still do it."
"And succeed," Bartolomeo tacked on loudly.
"…yeah, that sounds about right."
Kid didn't move from his position, despite being acutely aware over the next minute or two that the other Supernovas were making their way to his ship as well. When a particularly heavy thud showed that even Urouge had made his way over, he threw his hands up and stormed back over.
There was a tense moment of silence as the assembled pirates all regarded the boldest of them all (no matter what they might say in public). Finally, Luffy spoke.
"The other Emperors." Three words, and the Supernovas were all on edge, not helped by the sober look on Luffy's face. "Big Mom and Kaido. I don't know a lot about the world, but… they're monsters, aren't they? Like Blackbeard or Doflamingo."
"Worse than even those lunatics. By a mile," Drake declared, his eyes slitting dangerously. "Kaido is a despot who holds absolute authority over dozens of islands, ruling them all from Wano Country. He deposed the country's last shogun, a man who sailed with both Whitebeard and Roger, and nothing comes out of the place now except weapons and destruction."
"I heard about Oden from Izo, ya know," Apoo chimed in, nervously plinking his teeth. "The man was an absolute legend, practically unbeatable, fearless in every way. And Kaido had him boiled alive in oil. Before eating him."
"And where Kaido is an animal, Linlin is insane. Literally insane," Bonney droned, a haunted, thousand-yard stare on her face. "Her 'kingdom,' the Totland Archipelago… she likes to call it a 'paradise,' but really, it's just her personal playground. Whenever she finds someone or something she considers 'interesting'... she 'acquires' them. No matter what it takes. And her appetite… You and I are gluttons, Luffy, but countries have burned to fill her maw."
"And don't even get me started on her kids," Bege snarled. "She's worse than the World Nobles when it comes to spouses, collecting them for unique kids and then throwing them into the garbage. And unfortunately for the world, her blood tends to run true: they're all either as crazy as her, as strong as her, or both. Last count puts her at almost eighty children. That's a small army of pirates as strong as most New World captains, all working for a raving madwoman."
"And even though you didn't ask about them, I'll just point out that we saw Whitebeard and Red-Hair in action at Marineford, so that's the power scale those two operate on. There's a reason the World Government needs the Warlords to counter them," Law said.
"Why the hell are we talking about this!? We all know that the Emperors have kept their titles for a damn good reason! What's your point, Straw Hat!?" Kid spat.
Luffy remained silent, reaching up to lower the brim of his hat, only to fumble the action when he remembered that he didn't have his hat. Still, once he got his composure back, he looked up, and every pirate present stepped back at his expression.
"You said it back at Marineford, Kid: This is our era."
The small, sincere, dangerous smile on Luffy's face was enough that everyone waited on tenterhooks to hear more.
"I don't know much about what's waiting for us in the New World, and neither does Cross. But I know that the Emperors are gonna block our way to Laugh Tale. And even if they didn't, I still don't like the idea of them being out there, messing up the seas, while I know about them. And all of us together were able to do something that even they couldn't. So why stop there?"
Luffy's eyes passed over all of them.
"If I'm fighting anyone on the way to the One Piece, I want it to be one of you guys. I don't want to lose to anyone else on the way there. Not Blackbeard. Not Doflamingo. Not Kaido, not Big Mom, and not even Shanks. If this is our era, then let's take it with both hands. All of us together, working for the same thing we're all after: the path to the throne."
"And what, once you become king, we all bow down or some shit?" Kid asked dryly.
"Shishishishi! Nah, feel free to come at me for it! And if you manage to take it, good for you!"
Kid blinked in naked surprise, Luffy grinning his D-shaped grin.
"'Course, then I'll come right back for it too, but it'll be pretty fun!"
Kid's eye was one of many among the Supernovas that twitched, and Bartolomeo was the one to speak up.
"Luffy-senpai, what brought this on?"
Luffy's grin shrunk, and he raised a hand to his head, rubbing where his hat was still missing.
"The Tragedy of Marineford never should have happened."
Looks of confusion passed between the Supernovas, though thankfully, Luffy continued quickly.
"I know this isn't like me. Normally it's Cross who wants to change the world… but for once, I want to try and change it too. I want to make sure that something like what happened can never happen again, not while I'm still alive! And now, after all this, I know there's no way I could do that alone. So… what do you say? Are you in?"
Silence fell for all of two seconds.
On the third, Law opened his mouth—and was beaten to the punch.
"Luffy…"
Luffy's grin turned nervous, and he began sweating as he turned around to see his brothers. Both of them were tapping obsidian pipes in their palms.
"Shishishi…uh, hi, guys? What did I do?"
"Are you aware, or did Cross tell you, how Hancock feels about you?" Ace asked far too calmly.
"Uhhh…kinda? I think? I forgot what he wrote after we got out of there, aaaand I didn't really get what he was talking about?"
"Did it occur to either of you that she has two sisters the same way you have two brothers?" Sabo asked quietly.
"…uhhh, why does that matter?"
Ace's response was to grab Luffy's head and twist it 180 degrees on his neck. The other Supernovas abruptly glanced over their shoulders and scattered to the edges of the deck, all wondering exactly how the three most powerful women on Amazon Lily had somehow snuck up behind them. Two of them were literally salivating, and all three of them had red faces and wide smiles.
Not even Luffy was oblivious enough to not sense the danger.
"Uh, but, uh, wh-why are you mad at me?" Luffy whined, twisting his neck around. "I didn't do anything!"
"Blaming you for them falling for us? That would probably be too far," Sabo conceded, nodding his head.
"But we've agreed it is fair that if two of them are chasing two of us, then three of them can chase three of us," Ace added.
"Oh, yeah, that makes—uhhh, wait a minute."
"Run, Luffy."
All ten Supernovas watched in complete bemusement as the three brothers fled off the Tramp and down the beach from the three lovesick sisters.
"…they're overreacting," Bonney said, not quite managing to scoff.
"Not really," Drake said quietly. "A couple of Carnivorous Zoan reptiles in love for the first time? They're high on their own blood right now. Quetzalcoatl only knows what they'll do before they calm down. And if anyone asks if I'm speaking from experience, I'll eat your face. And no, that is not hyperbole."
"Nonsense aside, as hard as that may be," Law cut in. "I think we all agree that there's only one sane answer to Straw Hat-ya's question."
A general rumble of agreement made the round of the captains. They were of one mind on the matter, with no hesitation.
-o-
"Oh, thank goodness. You can talk some sense into him."
"Trying to get out of bed so he can try and help people on broken bones, is he?"
"So you're familiar with this particular brand of idiocy…"
"I'll remind you that I graduated with Sengoku and Garp."
"My condolences."
"Save them for when I'm dead, brat. Maybe then my headaches will show me some mercy."
"You know I can hear you, right?!" Koby snapped through his room's closed door.
"Along with enough others to give Soundbite a run for his money, yes," Tsuru said dryly as she entered. "Which is why you're in the isolation ward. Young man, the desire to be helpful despite the circumstances against you is an asset in the Navy. But as we're no longer in the middle of an active warzone, helpfulness is no longer compatible with self-destruction. We have lost and will lose many soldiers from this. The best thing you can do is ensuring you are not one of them."
Koby's fingers raked through his hair at Tsuru's gentle but firm directions. He knew it made sense, but—
Old, wrinkled fingers closed on his hand, and he looked into her eyes.
"I know it hurts. As I said, you're not the only one to have endured this, hearing so many people cry out and fall silent. You will have help to get your new powers under control. And what you feel now will only aid you in the future."
There was a hint of bitterness in her tone and face, but she didn't look away.
"You'll understand when you're older," she said, slowly releasing his hand. Koby still looked anxious and restless, but at least no longer deranged to the point she needed to strap him to his hospital bed.
"What happens next, then?" Koby asked quietly. "I mean…the Navy and the Government are falling apart. How are we supposed to enforce justice? What even is justice anymore?"
"What do you two think that it is?"
Tsuru's voice carried a distinct magnitude that cemented their full focus on her. Slowly, Koby's fists clenched.
"Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"
"Granted."
"Justice is doing the right thing for the right reasons and stopping people from hurting others. It's as simple as that."
"And not letting yourself be paralyzed by fear… or by the luxuries that injustice can buy," Helmeppo added.
"Mm. A bit too simple, to be brutally honest. But then, in days like these, perhaps that simplicity should be valued, not dismissed."
And from that point, the conversation turned to talk of treason.
"Should I worry that you may consider those turncoats the less unjust Marines on the battleground?"
Both of them jumped and opened their mouths. Then they paled when no sound came out. Slowly, their expressions turned guarded.
"What's the point of asking a question like that right now?" Koby demanded, his voice slowly rising. "Why are you challenging my faith to the Navy when I'm dealing with all this? I was scared to death on that battlefield that someone would kill me for speaking out! And not someone on Whitebeard's side—FINE! YES, I think that the turncoats had the right idea! I WISH I HAD BEEN ON THEIR SIDE!"
"KOBY!" Helmeppo roared, looking between the two others in the room and sweating bullets.
"And you?" Tsuru asked darkly, turning her gaze to him.
Helmeppo felt the same as he had back when his father had held him hostage. Powerless, on the cusp of death, and tempted to be obsequious just to survive the day. Yet, in the depths of his heart, there was too much he'd be giving up. And weighing it against his life…
Helmeppo's kukri knives were spinning in his hands almost before he knew what he was doing.
"Tell me one thing, Vice Admiral. Why did you do this? You're not one of Akainu's supporters. Why did you condemn two more loyal Marines to the ranks of the turncoats?"
Tsuru's dark expression melted into a soft smile, and her next words created an entirely new tension in the office.
"Because I'm one of the turncoats' commanders. And now… so are you."
-o-
"Until it started to truly pick up steam, and became a behemoth."
-6 Days After the War-
When the morning broke after the wild celebratory party, the ships off the shore weighed anchor and shipped off. After almost a month of insane but worthwhile alliances, the Supernovas were finally going their separate ways.
And as three brothers and three sisters watched the ships sail for the horizon from the water's edge, five of them were consoling Luffy.
"I'm sorry, Luffy," Ace sighed.
"Huh? What for?" Luffy blinked up at his brother.
For a strange definition of 'console,' anyway.
"Uhhh…" Sabo drew out hesitantly, already predicting an imminent headache. "That they didn't say yes?"
"Oh! That! Eh, it's fine," Luffy turned back around with a carefree grin. "They didn't say no, either."
There was a pause and several exchanged glances.
"Um… they did say no, actually," Marigold corrected. "In fact, I believe the rude—er, the rudest one with the flaming hair yelled it loud enough to be heard in the city. Along with many other words…"
"And that was just him," Sandersonia noted.
"Oh, yeah…" Luffy said, tilting his head. Then he grinned, carelessly scratching under his nose. "Good thing I don't listen, then! Shishishi!"
Four heads promptly bounced with substantive sweatdrops and exasperated sighs, while the fifth swooned with a much more… amorous sound.
"Luffy…" Ace dragged out in a thoroughly long-suffering tone.
"Hey, refusing refusals has always worked before, I'm sure it'll work this time, too! SHISHISHISHISHI!"
All of them stared at him. And this time, even Hancock brought a hand to her face. She was still smiling fondly, though.
"Ugh…what's worse here? The fact that he's that oblivious? Or the fact that somehow, he's probably right?" Sabo asked.
"Speaking as the one with the most firsthand experience with the Straw Hats?" Sandersonia sighed, 'subtly' leaning against Sabo and sending a shiver down his spine. "Yeah…he's probably right."
"Speaking as one who had it violently inflicted on me, I second that," Ace groused.
"Except that they're almost all captains this time, and peers of yours," Marigold frowned, sidling closer to Ace but focusing on the departing ships. "Even if three of them are already on our side, none of them are the kind of people you get to cooperate by force."
Hancock nodded slightly in agreement with her sister's words, but seeing the wide grin on Luffy's face, she couldn't believe it was impossible.
"We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds," she said calmly.
-o-
Even several hours and blue streaks later, Luffy's words were still lodged in the Supernovas' minds, and though few of them were willing to admit it, some of the points he'd made did sound appealing the more they thought about them. Kid was almost alone when he let out a sigh of deep resentment, and even that wasn't as deep as he wanted it to be.
"I am getting fucking sick of being manipulated into helping the Straw Hats like this…"
"Yeah? Same here."
Kid and Killer looked to the side to see X Drake staring back at them from the prow of his own ship, speaking to them through a Baby Transponder Snail.
"But the fact that you're doing it again isn't the worst part."
"The fuck are you talking about?" Kid snapped.
Drake looked over his shoulder at the retreating island, his expression cold, angry, and resigned.
"The worst part is that even knowing you're sick of it, we'll all still come running the next time a situation like this comes up. Won't we?"
The silence between them could have been cut with a butter knife.
"…damn it."
-o-
Jewelry Bonney wasted no time with pleasantries. The ships had just crossed the horizon from Amazon Lily when hers pulled up beside the yellow submarine, and she jumped down onto the deck before he could dive.
"You're out of your mind. You know that, right?"
"I've been well aware of that since the first time I let Jeremi-ya talk me into all this, tell me something I don't know," Law answered, almost smiling.
Bonney frowned for a moment, hesitating. Then the moment passed.
"Do you mean the Dead End Race or whatever alliance you set up with him?"
It said something that Law didn't immediately draw his sword or deploy his Room. Nevertheless, his veneer of good humor dropped into surgical frigidity.
"The latter. But I'm not sure how much that should matter to you."
"I heard your talk with him four days before the race. He was scouting—" She winced self-consciously as Law's expression turned even colder and his hand dropped onto his sword's hilt, and she immediately snapped her hands up. "Tone it down, saw-bones. I only heard him talking about wanting to recruit me. I left as soon as he started looking around before he spilled whatever the other thing was. Was already up to my neck in his shit, wasn't looking to dive any deeper."
She lowered her hands then, folding her arms. An annoyed scowl marred her face. "Though looking back, it probably couldn't have hurt. To think, I was going to blow off hearing that I was supposed to run into Blackbeard… I owe him one either way for steering me away from that death sentence."
Law stared at her for a few moments before allowing his grip to relax, though his hand didn't move from his side.
"Well then, I suppose there's no reason to keep up the façade. Interested in another crazy escapade?"
Bonney threw her head back and barked out a derisive laugh. "He says with a straight face like this would be anywhere near what we pulled before!" She then lurched forward, giving Law a hungry stare. "Depends what's on the menu, brat. Better be hella tasty!"
Law allowed a wry grin to slide back onto his face as he raised his arms in an oh-so-casual shrug. "Eh, you know, usual Straw Hat hijinks. Places to go, conspiracies to crumble, Warlords to topple—"
"And settling a grudge we share?"
Both Captains jumped in place at the familiar voice from out of nowhere. Or rather, from Bonney's waistline. The Glutton patted herself down before withdrawing a Baby Snail with X Drake's stern countenance.
"How the hell—? It didn't even ring!"
"You should really keep a better eye on your snails. They can be frightfully easy to bribe."
Bonney scowled at her now-sweating communicator, her eyes promising a fate far worse than mere death.
"Impending escargot dishes aside…" Law drew out. "You were saying?"
The snail turned in Bonney's palm to regard Law with an impassive stare. "Minion Island, eleven years ago."
Five words, and Law had practically forgotten Bonney's presence.
"Well," Law chuckled grimly through a rictus smile. "Cross got one thing right: We have got a lot to talk about."
"…It's way too late for me to back outta this shit, isn't it?" Bonney asked slowly.
"Yes," the other two captains declared in unison.
"Fuuuuuck…" Bonney drew out, scratching irritably at the back of her head. "Those fucking Straw Hats…"
And slowly, a smirk crawled across her face as she contemplated the insanity to come.
"They'd better have one hell of a victory feast waiting for us on the other side!"
-o-
"So what gives, Straw-Man? Bad odds in the cards or something?" Apoo quizzed, staring curiously at Grudge Dolph's aft.
"Our odds were actually favorable this time," Hawkins responded. "Better than even odds of great success in the near future, were we to go along with Straw Hat's scheme."
"Oh? Then why the refusal, hm? It seems quite out of character." Urouge inquired.
"Because if I have taken away one lesson from all that has transpired, it is thus: sometimes, numbers aren't everything. Fate, fickle or set as it might be, is something we forge by our own hands. Even so, I would not consider my current stance to be one of 'utter refusal.'"
"No? Then what would you call it?" Bege deadpanned.
"In poker terms, I believe it is called…" A smirk quirked the Magician's expression. "'Playing the long game.'"
A long pause fell as that sunk in. Then the other three started laughing.
"APAPAPA! Now there's a shocker! Last thing I ever thought I'd hear from tall, dark, and spooky!" Apoo whooped, clapping his hands in amusement.
"AHAHAAAAH! Taken to gambling with destiny, have we?! A most perilous pastime, the heavens are not kind to those who take them lightly!" Urouge chortled.
"Perhaps so, but well worth it nevertheless," Hawkins stated, his demeanor unchanged at his peers' amusement. "I've come to find it more invigorating than simply playing the hand one is dealt."
"Gehgehgeh! You're not wrong there, witch boy, not wrong at all! Gehgehgehgeeeeeh!" Bege cackled. As his laughter slowly died down, he heaved out a smoke-filled sigh. "Geeeeh… you know, never thought I'd say this, but I'm honestly going to dread running you lot into the ground. Things'll be a lot more boring without you meatheads stirring shit up."
The mood sobered slowly at that particular reminder.
"You knoooow…" Apoo mused, scratching contemplatively at his chin. "Just because we're likely gonna be fighting in the not-so-distant future doesn't mean we have to be enemies, does it?"
He waved his hands at the mixed stares his snail sent his way. "I ain't sayin' we go as far as what Luffy's suggesting, just that there's no reason we can't keep things civil, ya know? Even friendly! We can try to kill each other and still not be on bad terms. Ain't that the normal way for the Grand Line anyway?"
"Hmmm. Greetings over cannon fire, farewells over ale? I, for one, can find no issue with such an enlightened path!"
"Heh. No qualms from me either," Bege agreed. "You mooks are one and all crazy to a fault - but that just makes the messes you drag me into that much more fun!"
"One can never know with certainty what the future holds, not even I," Hawkins declared, before letting himself, if one was generous, smile just a little. "But whatever may come, I hope for more endeavors that allow for our cooperation."
"APAPAPA! Works for me! Now come on, enough lip-flappin', more sail-droppin'!"
And with that declaration, Scratch-Man Apoo whipped out his double-long limb and pointed towards the horizon.
"There's a whole New World out there waiting for us, and it doesn't have a damn clue what's about to hit it!" Apoo punched his fist into the sky. "Let's go and make these next few years some that nobody's gonna ever forget!"
-o-
"Don't you dare make us ask," Valentine demanded, glaring at Barto's back as he posed valiantly with his foot propped up on the Cannibal's figurehead. "You can stay there looking like a dumbass all you like; I will throw you overboard before any of us asks."
Bartolomeo just smiled an infuriating smile. And nobody had any illusions that they'd be able to force their way through his barriers.
"Hey, Lindy, haven't you been saying you've wanted an indoor roost?" Apis mused. "Looks like the Captain's cabin will be free for the foreseeable future."
[Ooh, fantastic! I'll go and char it to perfection right—GRK!] The dragon's joyful tirade was cut off by a psychokinetic appendage clamping his toothy maw shut.
Bartolomeo snarled out an aggravated sigh that was almost a scream of frustration as he released the grip.
"Serious question here: Is it really too much to ask to let me be dramatic for one minute? Come on, we kicked the Marines' teeth in! Doesn't that earn me any respect? Just, like, ten seconds of you shithorns playing along!?"
"We see you picking your nose every day. 'Respect'? Not a chance," Five declared bluntly.
Silence fell, because what could be said to that? Evidently, Desire thought of something, because she scoffed, walked over to where Bartolomeo was standing and turned around to face the rest of the crew.
"A few years back, he was just as annoying as he is now. He was so good at riling people up that he got on multiple gangs' most wanted lists. Everyone else in the gang told him that if any blowback came from it, they'd throw him to the wolves. But the thing is that he got so many people coming after our gang at the same time that they kept crossing paths when they tried to get to us. And the more they went at each other, the more that they wanted to be the ones to take Barty's head. Soon enough, all of their forces went up against each other in an all-out war. And with them all focused on each other, we waited until they were on their last legs, then finished the job like shooting fish in a barrel."
The crew stared at her in collective incomprehension. Desire ignored their confusion, folding her arms and glaring out of the corner of her eye at Bartolomeo.
"And considering that that's what got him appointed as the group's leader, a position that he held until he turned pirate, it's the last plot he'll ever forget. No matter how much evidence he shows against it, he knows how to handle charisma. His refusal right now? It's the start of a long con. Manipulating them so that they know he was on their side. And when Luffy finally comes back? We'll be the first in line to join him. And everyone else will follow."
The ex-gangster chuckled harshly. "You're stealing my thunder here, ginger," he said. "Buuut, you're not wrong, either. We're waiting for the once and future king to get back on the seas, yeah. Because when he does, oh boy…it'll be all of us at once again."
He grinned even wider.
"But you missed one important thing. When the time comes, the world isn't gonna know what hit it. And for once, neither is Cross. Let that sink in."
They did. And despite Five's claim, every last one of the ones that hadn't been part of his Loguetown mafia found themselves respecting Bartolomeo's foresight a bit more.
A few moments passed in silence.
"…hmm. Nobody ruined the moment, for once. I'll take that," Apis shrugged, heading for the galley. "Miss Valentine, do we have any brownies left? And not the 'special' ones!"
-o-
Once the other crews had crossed the horizon, the three brothers exchanged understanding smiles.
"It's been nice to see each other again. But we have our own journeys to follow," Sabo said.
"We'll meet again in the New World, Luffy. You had better be able to give us a challenge in two years," Ace said, his tone only half-teasing.
"I will," Luffy replied.
"You're not going to leave without a proper goodbye, are you?"
All three turned to the Boa Sisters, and the anxiety that had been stirring in their guts died at the sight before them.
"A new beginning should be commemorated," Marigold continued, offering three small cups while Sandersonia held out a bottle. Hancock, for her part, had somehow produced a table.
Without a word, the three of them circled around the table, Ace accepting the bottle as Sonia laid out the cups. He filled them with all due ceremony before returning the bottle. All three raised their cups, their eyes moist and their grins wide.
"Time doesn't matter. Distance doesn't matter. And injuries don't matter. The three of us against the world," Ace said.
"Along with anyone else who's brave and stupid enough to fight with us," Sabo agreed.
"No matter what happens, we're never alone. Brothers for life," Luffy finished.
They clinked their cups and drained them.
Luffy lasted a couple of seconds before sticking out his tongue with a laugh. "Shishishi, tastes just as bad as last time!"
"Oh, I dunno. I think I've gotten a taste for it over the last few years," Ace chuckled.
"Meh, I can take it or leave it. I prefer wine," Sabo shrugged ambivalently.
"Noble brat," his so-called brothers deadpanned at him.
"Oh, screw both of you!" he snapped, though he couldn't help but chuckle.
The laughter slowly died down, but their smiles remained.
"Two years. We'll meet again in the New World. It's a promise," Luffy said.
"Promise," Ace and Sabo agreed.
"Orchid should still be waiting for you, Sabo," Sandersonia said, a longing lilt barely hidden in her voice. "We'll get you to Water 7 by sundown."
Sabo smiled politely despite the cold sweat on the back of his head. "I appreciate it, Sonia."
She let out a far too pleased-sounding sigh as the two headed off.
"And I've got a crew to rebuild," Ace said, frowning. "Hopefully, Isuka and Deuce haven't killed each other yet."
"Your Striker is waiting at the Palace, loaded with food and supplies," Marigold said in the same voice as her sister. "It's honestly a relief to find someone who likes ghost peppers so much."
"Thank you for all your help, all three of you," Ace said, bowing politely. And while Marigold blushed, Hancock smiled back warmly.
"It was my pleasure, Brother Ace."
Ace's smile was much more fragile as he followed Mari towards the city. And then there were only two.
"Rayleigh is waiting on the other side of the island, Luffy," Hancock said quietly. "I'll escort you there. I'm sorry I can't help you train more."
"Shishishi…you've already helped a lot. I could never have saved Ace without you, Hancock."
She swooned, her mind spinning with delirious fantasies. Her grin and blush stayed in place all the way around the island.
What was waiting for them there was surprising enough to snap her out of her infatuation.
-o-
"But, as all tales must… it's time for this one to come to an end."
-o-
Buggy stalked below the decks of the Big Top, his eyes and ears straining to catch anything out of place. No unexpected brawls, no missing supplies, nothing appeared to be amiss. Slowly, he nodded in satisfaction and walked back up to the deck, leaving a few quiet sighs of relief behind him.
My flashy charisma got me this far, but dealing with anyone worth a trip to Impel Down demands caution, he reflected. The last thing he needed was another surprise when he was planning to talk with Luffy again, the last chance he'd get for the foreseeable future.
When he reached the door leading out to the deck, Buggy closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, bracing himself for the surprise that he would inevitably have to re-witness as soon as he walked out. And he believed himself prepared when he opened the door.
The sight that had greeted him less than an hour prior on the shores of Amazon Lily remained. Boa Hancock, Silvers Rayleigh, and Monkey D. Luffy sharing drinks and food on the deck of his ship as though he had (or ever would have) invited any of them there. At this point—and especially in the face of that smile from Rayleigh when he'd tried to give them a piece of his mind—he had no energy left to be angry.
"Everything and everyone is properly secure, and we're ready to ship out," Buggy sighed in the voice of one who badly needed a vacation. "That being said, to where will I be generously offering you a ride, sir? The pantry? The old vacation spot? The pet store we had to drag Captain away from?"
"Hmm…" Rayleigh hummed. He thoughtfully swirled his mug before smiling and raising it with a calm and definitive, "Yes."
The clown snorted to hide the grimace of over a dozen old scars flaring to life. "Rusukaina it is, then. You'll forgive me if I drop you off a few miles offshore; I don't fancy trying my luck with the volcanic schedule after the last three times."
He looked over to his nearby crew. What few he had allowed on deck were all cowering behind whatever odds and ends they could find, caught between the sheer terror of being on the same ship as the Dark King of the Roger Pirates and the irresistible allure of the immaculate, jaw-dropping, utterly wondrous—Buggy bit down hard on his tongue, choking down a curse. Back to his senses, he sent a sidelong stinkeye at the shameless siren sitting on his ship.
Point being, the mood of his crew was, for lack of a better word, thoroughly conflicted.
"Cabaji, get the purple book from the map room and set a course for Rusukaina Island. Mohji, keep the Sea Kings moving. Alvida, Galdino, keep the crew below deck. I don't need any screams about our 'guests' making my migraine worse. And!" Buggy snapped up a finger before the wax-man could turn away. "If you find any suspiciously positioned statues anywhere? Throw them overboard. Got it?"
That parting shot prompted them to salute again, harder and crisper, before they split up to their assigned tasks.
Buggy ran a hand down his face, sighing to himself. Nothing for it. Turning around, he walked straight toward the trio giving him all this trouble. This was about what he should have expected as the price for his plan; the most important thing now was to enact it as soon as possible.
"As… enjoyable as it is to host you all, and while I'm… happy to offer you all a ride—"
"To and from, m'boy, don't forget that the good Empress still needs to get back home and doesn't have a ride to do it," Rayleigh interjected in that oh-so-reasonable tone of voice he'd always use when giving him or Shanks (or both of them together, more often than not) the literal shit duties.
Buggy swallowed a curse at the thought of the two-week round trip he'd just been suckered into before continuing. "Right. Of course. Anyway…The fact is, I came to Amazon Lily for a reason. I'd like to borrow Straw Hat for a bit."
Buggy tried his hardest but couldn't suppress a wince at the quiet but deadly look on Hancock's face. A breeze away from letting her Conqueror's Haki loose—
"He won't try anything," Rayleigh said softly. "They won't be out of earshot either."
"He is trying to encroach on my time with Luffy," she rumbled.
"Woman, you will have a full week with him. Just drink your booze, will you? I mean, unless you can't actually hold it down, of course."
"What was that?!"
"You heard me."
While, technically speaking, having a Roger Veteran and an ex-Warlord glaring thunderheads at one another on his ship's deck wasn't much of an improvement, Buggy took the fact that the glares weren't aimed his way as a net gain.
Without a word, he moved to the ship's bow, almost fully isolated from eavesdroppers, Luffy dutifully following. He stood on the elephant-shaped cannon house while Luffy stretched out over the cannon that formed the trunk. He rolled back and forth for a few seconds before breaking the silence.
"…meh, my special spot is better."
"Oh, shut up," Buggy snarled. Sensing a glare turn back his way, he took a deep breath and forced himself to be calm again.
"Straw Hat. You've shown the propensity for basic logic now, so I want you to tell me something."
"… uh… OK?"
"You heard my rant at Marineford. You witnessed firsthand how dedicated I was to pretending I was a small-timer, even in my mind. And yet, I returned to the Grand Line. Can you tell me why?"
The obvious answer came to Luffy's mind immediately, and he dismissed it just as fast; Buggy may have been an idiot, but he was smart, too. But as Luffy actually put some thought towards it…
"…No? I mean, if you wanted to lay low, you should have stayed in the East Blue."
"Correct, for the most part. Has Cross ever told you about the gathering storm?"
Luffy blinked and scratched his head. "Yeah, he mentioned that when we recruited—ah, er, nothing."
"Hmph," Buggy snorted. "Ignoring that your lying hasn't improved, I was there when Roger breathed his last. And amidst all the tears I shed for my captain, it wasn't long before I realized the kind of storm he had conjured with his final words. And it meant that someday, someone would come along and pick up where he left off. Someone was going to be the spark that broke the storm. And that was a problem for me."
Buggy folded his arms. "My intention was never to defy my captain's will. Not permanently, at any rate. I wanted to live the rest of my life in peace and sanity. And that wasn't going to happen if the storm broke, so I planned to delay it until I was in the ground. That was the one threat that I prepared myself to risk everything against: anyone from Roger's sea who showed the same spark that he carried. When you beat me, I planned on revenge as a matter of suspicion. But when I failed to kill you in Loguetown, I started worrying that you were the one. And now, because of you, my secret is out in the open. I'm never going to be able to lay low again. Which means that there's only one thing that I can do."
His stance didn't change, and he didn't move. He made no move to attack. Several seconds ticked by, and Luffy's head slowly tilted in confusion. Then Buggy spoke, slowly and deliberately.
"I don't think I've made it clear yet, Straw Hat: even in Impel Down, even on our way out, I was looking for a way to kill you and dodge the blame. How much I tempted fate, how I destroyed all of their cold-resistant clothing, how I kept hiding behind you. I would do anything in my power to stop the gathering storm from happening in my lifetime because, and I freely admit it, I am scared to death of what it will bring. So, tell me, if you can: why am I explaining all of this, alone and unarmed, in front of two of your allies who are both stronger than me?"
Luffy stared at Buggy for a minute, looking into his eyes. There was no hint of deception, but something else was there. Slowly, the pieces fell into place with regard to what he had gone through, and Luffy realized the answer.
"Something else scares you more."
"You really have gotten smarter," Buggy grumbled, his expression darkening. "That's right, Straw Hat. There is one thing, one single thing, that scares me more than the gathering storm. Or rather, one person. The one man who is capable of causing more damage to this world than Roger if left to his own devices. His name… is Rocks D. Xebec."
Something in the back of Luffy's mind shook. He had never heard the name in his life, he was pretty sure, but there was a strange recognition. Strange and unpleasant.
"Remember that name, Straw Hat. Carve it into your memory. And the next time you talk to your third mate, tell him to reach out to whatever contacts he has to find out everything he can about it. Find all the information you can and use it to destroy Xebec. That is my price for leaving you alive."
"Who is he?"
"…He was one of the most infamous pirates in history. The likes of Whitebeard, Kaido, Linlin, and Shiki were all part of his crew. He was an out-of-control monster who aspired to be the King of the World before my captain and your grandfather brought him down together. He is no longer among the living."
Buggy's eyes filled with flame as he glared at Luffy.
"But as plain as you've inherited Roger's will, Marshall D. Teach has inherited Xebec's."
Luffy's eyes lit up in a glare as well, and Buggy turned his back on him.
"I've told you everything that you need to know. There are now two inherited wills vying for Roger's throne, and there's no contest which one I need to not succeed. As for me…the Government has already invited me to fill one of the vacant Warlord positions. When I finish this trip, I am going to accept it and spend every single day for the foreseeable future enjoying the fact that you're not on the sea right now. Because I know that when you come back, the storm will be on the horizon."
He looked back over his shoulder.
"There's no more chance of avoiding it. One of you will claim Roger's prize. The other will die. And then… well. I suppose you'll have to wait and see. I couldn't tell you what waits on the final island even if I wanted to."
For a good few minutes, silence reigned as the two pirates—two captains—two enemies, tied by fate—stared at one another in profound silence. Finally, Buggy started to turn away…
"Just one question."
When he was given pause.
The clown looked back at Luffy, who was staring at him as blankly as before.
"You say you respected Roger… but you stood against his dream. Do you really think he'd have let that go?"
Buggy scoffed immediately. "Where do you think Shanks learned how to laugh everything off, Straw Hat? And besides, I'm not an idiot. If I wanted to stop Roger's dreams forever, I could have done a hell of a lot worse. But I never did. And no matter what, I never would. I didn't want forever, just a few years. But of course, I had to relearn the first rule of the Roger Pirates the hard way."
"Eh?" Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "What's that?"
Buggy scoffed again as he turned and walked back onto his ship, hand waving dismissively as he went. "Be ye god or demon, no matter how you fight or flail, there is one law in all the world that is immutable: No matter what… Roger always gets the last laugh."
"Hear, hear," Rayleigh called.
-o-
Hancock frowned heavily as Buggy trudged past them back to his captain's quarters, and the reason wasn't only that Luffy seemed to be thinking about what he heard.
"Trouble was inevitable," Rayleigh said calmly, drawing her attention back to the first man she had ever trusted. "But for all that the world is spiraling toward it, there's a lot that's already pulling in his favor, and time is on our side."
"I'm well aware," Hancock said quietly. "Even still…"
"I understand," Rayleigh said, smiling gently at her. "You've done well to come this far, but now that you're willing to bare your heart again, the world's come looking to rip it out. Quite literally, this time. But, however much it helps, know this: the game hasn't changed."
"Oh?"
"People have been after your head your whole life. Now there's just more of them. Do what you always have: line them up, knock them down, and trust the people at your back to do the same."
"Hmph. Quite a different game, then. Now, I trust my back to more than two."
Her tone was wistful, and her hand absently strayed to her back. Rayleigh frowned as the action highlighted the bandages he'd noticed earlier.
"Speaking of your back, what happened there?"
Hancock stilled, and though her face was still wistful, a smile slowly grew on her face.
~2 Days After The War~
Marguerite knelt before the three of them in the throne room.
"I apologize for my boldness, Honored Sisters," Marguerite said for what must have been the hundredth time. She had also said a dozen times that she hadn't done anything to even hint at their secret around anyone unaware, but Hancock was running out of patience.
"So you have said, Marguerite," she said testily. "Now, would you kindly present what you have been so bold about?"
Marguerite swallowed, but shakily withdrew outside and brought in a cart covered by a white cloth, struggling visibly with its weight. She brought it to rest before the sisters. Impatience overpowering anything else, the Empress tore away the cloth—
And all three went stock-still. Trauma danced weakly before their eyes as they comprehended what they were looking at.
One normal-sized and two giant branding irons with the Kuja Pirates' Jolly Roger upon them.
"I-I-I know it's not as perfect a fit as the Sun Pirates, but I just thought—"
"Silence."
Marguerite all but swallowed her tongue at Hancock's quiet command. For several seconds, the room was still. Then Hancock got to her feet, shrugging off her coat as she took up the smallest iron.
"Mari, how well does it overlay?" she asked, handing off the iron and brushing her hair aside to reveal her brand. Scowling as she always did at the infernal mark, she received the iron and, glancing at the design, pressed it a bit forcefully against Hancock's back. She leaned in as she removed it to see the imprints, trying to ignore how Hancock was shivering and clutching Sonia's hand.
"Hmm," Marigold murmured. "It covers most of it, but the bottom toe is still exposed, and one of the top ones isn't perfect."
"I see. Do you have any suggestions?" Hancock asked, a bit hollowly.
Marigold stared at their emblem for a few moments.
"…we could give those snakes cobra hoods," she said. "That would overtake the toes. And if we gave it to another one on the left side, it would be uniform, every third snake with a hood."
Hancock allowed her hair to re-cover the brand and looked back at Marguerite as Marigold laid the iron back on the cart.
"Make the corrections at once. We will see you back here in no more than a day to destroy these cursed marks."
"Y-Yes, Empress!" Marguerite answered, speeding the cart out of the room.
A few seconds passed in silence.
"…she will have whatever she wants after this is done," Hancock whispered.
Her sisters nodded in fervent agreement.
And with that, all three of them allowed themselves to cry in absolute relief.
~3 Days After The War~
Kikyo and Rindo stood beside Marguerite, every ounce of willpower in their bodies dedicated to keeping themselves composed. Their rulers were trusting them to lift the curse that had plagued them for seventeen years, and they only got one chance. Despite having practiced for most of the day, they fully felt the weight of the glowing red irons in their hands.
"Do it."
The voice of the onlooking Elder Nyon was barely audible. Steeling themselves, the three Kuja stepped forward, approaching where Sonia, Hancock, and Mari knelt with their backs exposed.
The three of them drew near, and as they went, the situation truly sunk in: the depths of their rulers' anxiety and the mark that represented it all. Cold rage purged all doubts and worries from their minds. In one fluid motion, they raised the irons and smothered the Celestial Dragons' brand.
Steam hissed from the touch of the iron, but not so much as a grunt came from any of the Boas.
The Kujas withdrew and plunged the irons into the waiting ice buckets as the three sisters moved to the prepared mirrors. And the Kujas could only smile at how the tension melted off of them as they saw their backs.
"Stay for a moment," Hancock requested gently, all three sisters approaching them with a soft smile. "I've done this more this month than I have in the past seventeen years, but you deserve nothing less."
She led her sisters in placing her hands in front of her waist and bowing deeply.
"Thank you so much," they intoned together.
When they looked up again to find that Marguerite, Kikyo, and Rindo had fainted, they were surprised that they hadn't expected as much.
~o~
"…a physical reminder of the new beginning we have now. Perhaps you're right: no negative changes have come to the game."
Rayleigh smiled proudly. Neither looked away at the sound of a door slamming open, stone crumbling, and a certain clown grumbling shortly before the sound of chunks of stone striking the water echoed up to them.
"And aid can come from unexpected places."
-o-
Prince Fukaboshi had yet to leave Grove 77, and indeed, it was unclear when he would return home. The Minister of the Left had borrowed a ride on a departing ship to negotiate matters with his brothers, and odds were they'd trade off monthly going forward.
But they were well aware of the potential danger that could come to the lawful protection that they had secured, so leaving the Grove unprotected was out of the question. They were confident in their abilities but not fools enough to repeat the mistake of Enies Lobby and believe that nobody would dare to touch them.
Which was the primary reason that Fukaboshi had deigned to see a Government Agent who had arrived to speak with him privately. Or, rather, to act as a courier for whomever he served. The snail was already connected as they convened in the makeshift cottage that Fukaboshi was living in, and its expression was blank.
"I apologize for not being willing to face you," the snail conveyed in a male voice, its expression not changing. "But I am here to offer my aid to your cause. You may rest assured that the World Nobles will be unable to harm you."
"Who are you to make such a claim? You're a Noble yourself; why aid us!?"
"I am someone who witnessed Otohime's fervor during her visit to Mariejois eight years ago. And I am willing to put myself forward as a shield for the sake of a living being as amazing as she was."
Fukaboshi's eyes had widened at his mother's name, but he gave no other reaction for a minute. His fists clenched and unclenched.
"How do I know that I can trust you?"
"Time will tell you the truth. If it comes to it, I will intervene personally. But I will remain a silent partner for your sake and mine. The alternative is to have World Nobles descend on this place whenever they please, to pick out people to bring back to this white hell at their leisure."
Fukaboshi frowned and exhaled. "And will we hear from you again?"
"Ideally, not for the next two years. You have my word, however, that I will introduce myself to you and your family at Reverie."
Another minute passed before Fukaboshi finally nodded. "Alright. I'll take your word for this. If you're remaining anonymous, what name can I call you?"
A minute passed, and it became apparent that the other speaker hadn't considered that. Finally, he replied with a simple answer.
"Call me… Vanir."
-o-
"Heh. Speaking of endings, did you know that in another world, so very different from this one, an android spoke about her thoughts on life?"
-o-
"I'm so glad you survived!"
"Only with a scar. A crescent cut at the base of my neck. I distinctly heard him say 'to be continued' when he left our fight," the person on the other end of the snail answered.
"What a nightmare. Why did he go after you?"
"I can't say. Maybe I wronged him in the past. Maybe he knows something about my family. All I know is he hated me."
"Well, you're still alive. That's the important part."
"I suppose so. Though I may be paranoid for a while about other turncoats trying to finish the job."
"You're only paranoid if you're wrong. Keep yourself safe."
"Of course. You take care of yourself too. KA-LICK!"
"Hmm, how disappointing," Doflamingo said as soon as Pica hung up the call. "I wish I could support those turncoats; it would be a wonderful way to break the world. But if they're acting out of justice, it can't be helped."
"Beheheheh…Vergo should move even higher once he purges a few more," Trebol snickered.
"And we can't slow down either," Doflamingo said, grinning widely. "Trebol?"
"I've got my ears to the ground, Doffy. When Blackbeard comes back to this ocean, we'll know."
"Good. The old man wasn't much fun, but once this newcomer gets on his feet? I think we can come to an understanding. Diamante?"
"I'm keeping the colosseum's most wanted list updated constantly, Doffy, and the crew knows to look out for anyone without a wanted poster. Still up in the air if we can do a Trojan Horse gambit, though."
"Well, tell her to work on it. If it works, I'll double her salary. If it doesn't, I at least want to know as soon as possible so we can figure out something else.
Diamante nodded, and Doflamingo slowly turned his gaze back to the stone giant.
"…and Pica. You said you found it?"
By way of answer, Pica reached into the ground, pulling a treasure chest out and holding it out to his master. Doflamingo immediately opened the lid.
It contained a Devil Fruit.
"So… you're sure this is it, then? Because I'm telling you right now, if I catch wind of this thing being a Zoan, or even a Logia—"
"We're positive, Young Master!" Pica defended.
"While the Encyclopedia is a reliable guide, there are also numerous independent records scattered across the seas," Diamante agreed.
"And they all concur, this is the exact Devil Fruit you demanded half a year ago!" Trebol finished.
"Mmm… only half a year? Whaaaat a world. Alright, I trust you." Doflamingo closed the chest and waved Pica off. "Two miles deep. And not with the rest of the stashes: this gets its own vault."
"I… of course, Young Master, but…?"
"Speak."
"You've spent billions of Beris searching for this one Fruit, Doffy. Do you truly intend to keep something this… this significant as a contingency?"
"Hardly, Pica, hardly. That Fruit will have its time and its place. But not just yet. Don't want to show our hands too early, after all. When the time comes…"
A crescent grin of gleeful anticipation grew on Doflamingo's face.
"This Devil Fruit will be key to one of the biggest, brightest Smiles in my entire life."
-o-
"That android said these words: 'Everything that lives is designed to end. We are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death.' And you know what? That android was right."
-o-
The number of people that former World Economic Journalist Yukiko Ohya could trust had decreased drastically over the past two weeks, and it only kept going down. After days on the run from her ex-boss's hired thugs, a tip from a source she thought she could still trust had turned the day into a long game of cat and mouse.
The thugs may not have been anything special, but they were still strong enough that she'd nearly lost her head earlier and still would if they got the jump on her. But she was running out of options for asylum fast. The Marines weren't worth considering, but—
FWUMP! "GAH!"
Something slammed into her head and knocked her over. Rubbing her temples and backside and shaking her head free of stars, she looked around. She blinked at the figure lying nearby.
"I just got brained by an albatross?" she said incredulously. Then she paused. "Not something I ever thought I'd say."
"SquuaAaAaaawk…" the Albatross—or rather, the News Coo if its hat and bag were anything to go by—gurgled in agreement, his head lolling dizzily.
It took a second, but once the pounding in Ohya's head faded, she grabbed the Coo by its shoulders and stared at it intently. "You just tried to answer me! Which means you're used to speaking, w-which means you know the Straw Hats, don't you? Don't you?!"
He blinked blearily at her. Then, shaking off what remained of his concussion, he stood, smoothed out his feathers, and nodded.
Ohya's mind raced. "Are any of them near here?"
The Coo's gaze turned flat, and she sagged.
"Yeah, I know it was a long shot, but I'm desperate here! What about one of their friends or allies?"
The bird's head tilted, and it held out its wings in a so-so movement.
"Good enough, I'll take it if they can help me get away from the kill squad after my—ohshit!"
She huddled against the wall, one hand grabbing the Coo and the other clamping his beak shut as a couple of torch-wielding thugs stalked by the alley. She glared after them with as much fear as hatred.
"I swear, if I ever get the chance, I'll pluck every feather from Morgans's overstuffed a—!" It hit Ohya too late that she'd just badmouthed Morgans in front of a News Coo. A fear she thought borne out when the bird abruptly started thrashing and letting out muffled squawks of fury in her arms.
Then a pair of hands seized her shoulders and yanked her up before slamming her against the wall by her neck, and Ohya found she had much bigger concerns to worry about.
"Dumb rat," the thug sneered. "You burned up way too much of our time! Stop breathing already!"
"AAAAAWK!"
Ohya was confused but very relieved when the thug's grip slackened, and she dropped back to her feet. She turned to see the thug trying and failing to swat the News Coo out of the air, the bird lunging at his head and eyes. Looking frantically around, she found the alley depressingly bare of potential weapons she could use.
Grimacing, she grabbed the only blunt object she had in reach and, seeing the Coo was high enough, rammed it into the grunt's face with all her strength.
CRUNCH!
She almost shed a tear as her precious camera crumpled, but at least the would-be assailant fell unconscious. The bird landed atop his prone form, and she saw the vindictive gleam in its eye.
"No love lost between you and the big birdbrain, then?"
Due to a lack of lips, the Coo was incapable of spitting, but the way it jerked its head to the side certainly communicated the intention to do so.
"Good enough for me." Her eyes fell back on her ruined camera, and she sighed. "Well, any idea where I can get an upgrade?"
In response, the Coo shot her a cocky grin before spreading its wings and taking off. She watched with wavering hope as he flapped upwards but sighed in relief as he alighted on a nearby rooftop, looked around for a moment, then looked back to her and waved his wing.
"Alright. Lead the way, you crazy Coo."