Chapter Text
Chapter 33—Scars Run Deep
“AHHHHH!”
Sabo jerked awake to the sound of screams and even though his body felt like it had been chewed up, spat out, and stomped on by a Wintersaurus—his instincts had him instantly sit up and his body tensing for danger. His body cried out in protest and his vision spun even as he tried to get himself in some shape to defend the others if need be.
Wait…
Others? What others?!
Another yell reached his ears along with a deluge of curses. The intimate familiarity of that particular voice, resonated within his throbbing brain and suddenly his eyes widened, blue contrasting eyes dilating.
Ace…!
Luffy…!
The Revolutionary’s eyes narrowed as all of his most recent memories slotted into the place and he pushed down the innate alarm and instead reached for his inner calm, practicality, and logic.
A clarity came over him for the first time in a long time. The maelstrom of grief and self-hatred that he had been drowning in for the last few weeks was finally breaking up and settling down. A distant sense of liberating freedom came over him, and if his mind hadn’t completely turned towards the situation at hand, he might have let himself enjoy the hard-won respite. However, for right now, he had other priorities first.
Sabo’s keen aquamarine orbs scanned quietly over himself and the room he had somehow ended up in.
The first thing he noted was the presence of Luffy’s quiet form by his side on the sparse bed he had awakened on. Quickly checking over his little brother’s body for any harm or injury, he was relieved to find that the boy wasn’t drugged but rather just sleeping soundly. He had been changed into new clothes and wrapped in clean, dry bandages since their earlier reunion.
The blond took a second to smile warmly, and run his hand through his brother’s fluffy hair. It felt good to finally be able to do that again.
Making sure his brother was comfortable, but also easily accessible if they had to make a quick escape, he quietly got up and looked about the room. He had no idea where he was or how he and Luffy had gotten there.
It was sparse and unadorned, just the bed, chair, and table, almost clinical in nature. A hospital? No…a sickbay, he could feel the slight shifting under his feet, suggesting they were now on a ship.
The ship was moored though, so he and his brothers weren’t being transported anywhere currently.
His body also had been treated and bandaged similar to Luffy’s, from all the injuries he had accumulated during his fight with Ace. His clothes had also been changed into a hospital gown, which was inconvenient, but at least it was dry.
His actual clothes were laid out on a chair and had yet to dry fully. Less than a few hours then, since he had awoken last.
This fact, plus the facts that they were unguarded and unrestrained, suggested that wherever they had ended up, it wasn’t among enemies.
This made sense.
Ace had been with Silvers Rayleigh prior to their fight and the old pirate seemed to have been on good terms with his brother—he never thought he’d see the day that Ace was on speaking terms with a Roger pirate!—and the man probably had contacts in order to allow him free travel within Amazon Lily.
In his emotional turmoil, he had wrongly blamed the old legend, but it seems he was key to the situation surrounding his brother’s survival. How much so, he had yet to figure out but it was enough to take into consideration.
Luffy was here too and was being taken care of and treated after his horrible wounds during the battle at Marineford. This suggested the possible presence of the Heart Pirates since they were the ones to aid his brother at the end of the battle. This could be their ship but there were still a lot of unknowns.
All of these thoughts ran through Sabo’s head at lightning speed. He took note of them, acknowledged them, and then filed them away in the back of his mind for now.
Because he had another more immediate goal that required the vast amount of his attention.
His twin was screaming, and he needed to find out why.
Slowly he checked the doorknob, finding it unlocked, and then slowly, noiselessly cracking the door open, Sabo looked out into the hall. It was empty, though the halls did show the ship’s sigil, which confirmed his suspicions that he was indeed on the Heart Pirates ship. He slowly closed the door back and then glanced around the room for an air vent. Spotting one high on the wall behind the bed, he jumped up on the mattress, careful not to step on Luffy, he pried the cover off before pulling himself into it.
Slowly and silently, he slunk through the metal tunnel hiding his presence and using observation and senses to track Ace’s location. His screams continued to reverberate around him, so it wasn’t hard to trace. After traveling for a few moments and making a few turns, he came to a grate with light shining through it.
He carefully adjusted his balance and his breathing as he approached before looking down to quietly observe the goings on in the room.
Ace had thought nothing could hurt more than a fist made of lava, punching its way through your insides.
And he still thought that. But this was very much a close second.
He had woken up in blinding agony, reflexively screaming in torment!
There was no part of his body that didn’t feel like it was on fire. His eyes nearly whited-out from the pain, attempting to send him back into unconsciousness. He shook and trembled, his body convulsing in shock as it tried to do something, anything to fend off the damage. Though he had a feeling his body was as clueless as he was.
He could barely get a grasp of what was happening to him, much less where he was and with who.
“Hold him down, I need to stop this bleeding.”
Marco’s voice came through and he tried to focus on that. At least he knew he was safe wherever he currently was.
Suddenly something was restraining him and he felt like he was going to gag. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to try and withstand the reflex to resist.
“Is Missy still out after last night?”
Rayleigh. Ace picked up on the old man’s voice nearby. Okay, so he was here too. But what had happened? Why did he feel like he had gone 20 rounds with Kaido….with seastone cuffs on…and paralyzed…?
“She has her own issues that she’s dealing with right now.” Marco replied, his no-nonsense tone masking something or other.
He hoped Ange was okay. He didn’t want her to come rushing over on his account.
“Maybe we should knock him out? He’s been screaming for a while.”
Ace was surprised to hear Jinbe’s voice now as well. What was he doing here? He must be back on the ship with everyone else. But why was he in so much pain? He’d only had minor exertion aches yesterday after his fight with Jinbe and he’d been pretty okay in the morning, why did it seem like his insides had been put through a blender?
“You can’t do this! You can’t do this to me!”
A voice cried out in his mind that took what was left of his breath away.
"Ace...Ace! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! I wasn't there when you needed me, and I lost...I lost, everything!"
Grey eyes snapped open with a gasp and he automatically tried to sit upright, only for Rayleigh’s hands at his shoulders to not let up one bit, keeping him down.
“Keep still, Wildfire.” the older man murmured quietly, “You’re okay.”
“I wouldn’t classify him as ‘okay’.” Marco grumbled as he pulled another suture closed on his side.
Ace gritted his teeth and hissed into a grimace. “Where…w-where…is…?”
Rayleigh of course knew what he was talking about, “They’re both okay and resting next door.”
He closed his eyes in relief, glad to know he hadn’t dreamed any of it. Though, now that he remembered his reunion with his twin, he—and especially his body—also was reminded as to how that reunion had been achieved.
The blond pirate doctor began bandaging the stab wound on his side, “Jinbe, roll that tray over here, and then go to the galley and find me some ice. As much as you can find.”
He could feel the Fishman’s presence closer to the bottom of his bed carrying out the man’s instructions. “Ice?”
Marco grabbed a vial from off the tray as well as a syringe. “Yes, I need to get this swelling down and keep it down.”
The whale shark male wasn’t sure where this was going, but he was glad to have a task to do and so nodded and left to do as he was bid.
Ace barely felt the pinch of the needle piercing his skin, though the effects of whatever Marco had injected into him was potent. Almost instantly his pain became muffled, and he was finally able to take his first full breath. His body began to calm with relief, “Th-thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” The doctor glanced up at him nonplussed. “That morphintanyl is only a temporary measure. Your body is still a horribly, internally, mangled mess of torn muscle and shattered bone. My phoenix is drained so I can’t do anything about it at the moment and your doctor is currently indisposed. So other than those options, the only other solution will be a string of invasive surgeries to put your body back together. As if we didn’t already spend long days and nights piecing you back together.”
He winced as he could hear the anger and frustration in his elder brother’s voice, even as a wave of fatigue hit him. “S-sorry….”
“No, you’re not.” The blond went about setting splints to limbs, “And you!” His ire turned towards the veteran, “You were supposed to be watching him.”
Rayleigh glanced over dryly. “He’s not dead, is he?”
Marco scoffed even as Ace came to his caretaker’s defense, “I-It’s not Rayleigh’s fault…”
“And that’s another thing. It’s ‘Rayleigh’ now? Since when have you guys been so chummy? I know you’re an idiot, but even you have to know who he is. Have you suddenly lost your Roger Pirate prejudice?”
Both involved parties merely glanced at each other before shrugging.
Marco just shook his head, “You’d better hope she can heal you, or you really will be crippled for the rest of your life.”
The idea of it had once been beyond terrifying to consider, and Ace couldn’t dismiss the fact that the very idea that he would have to live without the full function of his body, even possibly retiring him from being a pirate, was something he was scared to death of. And yet…
He continued breathing heavily, trying his best to keep steady. “It…was worth it…”
The blond’s blue eyes narrowed, though Rayleigh ran a hand through the sweat-filled black locks. “We’ll handle each obstacle as it comes. Let the Missy take a crack at it once she’s better, we’ll take it from there.”
Marco was now beyond confused as to what was going on between those two, and why Rayleigh had somehow gotten beneath Ace’s steel tight defenses—in such record time!—but he was exhausted and so he just let it go.
“We shall see.” He then moved to the opposite leg.
“Now, can you explain to me why you decided to have a knock-down drag-out fight in your condition,” He pointedly tied a bandage particularly tight, “with the Revolutionaries’ Chief-of-Staff?”
Ace gasped sharply, “Ow!…gasp…gasp! I’m already injured enough…I don’t need you to—wait, you know about him too?”
Marco looked at him dryly, “Why wouldn’t I—”
Ace cut him off and if he could've moved, he would have pulled the other man closer, “How long…huff…have you known?!”
The blond raised an eyebrow, “Known about him? A few years I guess, since he rose to prominence. Why?”
“You knew about him but didn’t tell me?!!”
“Why would I? You could have read about him yourself if you bothered to read the newspaper once in a while.”
Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance. To think that everyone had known about his brother all this time except him!
He relaxed back against the bed as the doctor moved to the other side, placing a tourniquet against the twenty year-old’s thigh. “So now that you know who he is, can you explain to me why the beef between the two of you ended up being so ‘worth it’?”
Ace sucked in air through clenched teeth as the restraint was pulled tight. “He’s my brother.”
Marco stopped and raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”
He breathed heavily, trying to breath through the discomfort, “He’s…ha…my brother. My…ha…twin…”
The Whitebeard captain rolled back, piercing him with a look, “Your what? You have another one? A twin? You never said anything about a twin?!”
"Wasn't anything to mention...until now," Ace grunted, his breath hitching painfully as Marco resumed his work.
“You’ve talked our ears off about Luffy for practically a year and yet a twin isn’t ‘anything to mention’? Did you guys have it out or somethin’? Is that why you two are estranged?”
Ace shook his head, “Nah, Sabo’s my best friend. I just beat him up to prove to him that I’m not dead.”
“Hmm, and where has this supposed best friend been?” Marco walked over to the tray and grabbed another vial. Ace was aware enough to hear the harshness in his voice.
“Being a revolutionary isn’t an easy job of course, and being someone's number two has its own challenges. I should know. However I would always make time for someone who was supposedly my brother.”
Ace knew that tone. The more disinterested he sounded, the more caustic the man’s true thoughts actually were…and it wasn’t undeserved.
He immediately wanted to jump to Sabo’s defense, to explain to his older brother that his little brother was good, and whole, and strong and great and everything that he wasn’t. That there was a perfectly good explanation for his absence for a decade, and that even if there wasn’t, he trusted and loved Sabo enough that he could forgive him even then.
He wasn’t stupid and there was some hurt still there. He had had some of the same questions himself…and some of that same anger—that he knew Marco, as a protector—also felt.
And yet...
“I haven’t seen Sabo in ten years…” he whispered aloud quietly, “I haven’t heard his voice, or felt his presence, or shared a meal with him, or gotten pissed off at him since we were both ten years old.”
Marco paused before glancing over from what he was doing, his darkened sapphire eyes lightening even so slightly as he listened. Not since they were children?
Rayleigh, who already had a pretty good idea of what was going on, continued to listen thoughtfully without comment.
“For ten years, I thought he was dead...” He quietly revealed. The enormity of the situation once again settled on him, even as Marco injected something else into his arm that made him completely woozy.
“I’m sure everything will come to light in due time.” Jinbe spoke as he reentered the room and proceeded to dump bags of ice all over Ace’s body who yelped in response.
“Geez, that’s cold!”
The fishman pirate ignored him even as he and Marco organized the ice around the kid’s limbs to try and keep the swelling down. “From what I’ve heard about him from Luffy, I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Let them figure all this out on their own. I’m sure it will all work out in the end.”
Marco still felt hesitant, another sudden sibling of Ace’s coming in out of nowhere and reentering his little brother’s life after having been absent from it for so long had his protective feathers ruffled. But Ace’s response and his own Phoenix inwardly soothed his agitation. It’s his business, let things play out and wait and see. The kid’s past was complicated and while Ace’s judgment wasn’t the best, it was very hard to gain his trust and near impossible to regain it after it had been lost. If this Sabo kid had been able to do the impossible, then he’d have to trust Ace’s discernment.
"This family of yours..." Marco sighed, a bitter chuckle escaping him, "it keeps growing bigger and stranger by the day, doesn't it?"
Ace managed a small, lopsided smile. "Wouldn't have it...any other way."
"Clearly," the other retorted, though the edge had left his voice, replaced by concern. "You know this means you've got more people to live for though? People who need you to stay alive?"
"Yeah... I know." The raven’s voice was quieter now, exhaustion settling in. "I’m not planning on going anywhere."
"That's what I like to hear," Jinbe chimed in quietly from the corner of the room.
Marco introduced one last sedative into his system, hopeful enough to relax his muscles and keep his body calm and from reacting too quickly too soon.
The boy almost instantly began nodding off, his head wobbling back and forth, “I feel so…whoooo, all of a sudden…”
“Hmm, good. That means the medicine is working.” Marco moved the tray away before removing his gloves and washing his hands. “Go to sleep and hopefully we can find some better answers sooner than later.”
He didn’t know what Lily’s status would be when she woke up again as she was in her own precarious position right now, and he didn’t want to push her first thing out of bed.
Darn these kids! They really didn’t need so many issues just dog-piling on them one after another. He hadn’t even had time to check in with the rest of the crew yet and already he was surrounded by disasters.
“Be prepared to stay in that bed for a long time—again.” He remarked plainly, “And no shortcuts this time.”
He looked up pointedly at Silvers but the older man just shrugged, “I warned him of the consequences, don’t look at me.”
“I think I’m missing something about what happened this morning and we need to talk and fill in some holes on both sides.” The blond headed out the door. “I need to cool out and let my bird recharge. What of you two? Going to stay with him?”
Jinbe declined, citing that he’d had enough of Ds for one day and that he needed a long bath after today’s strenuous adventure. The silver-haired pirate also shook his head and left Ace’s side with an affectionate tap on the boy’s shoulder. “Nah, he’s not going anywhere, and I need to talk to both you and Hancock about our present situation.”
Marco nodded before lowering the lamp, “He’ll be out for at least 6 to 8 hours before I’ll have to sedate him again.”
“I can still hear you, ya know.” Ace called from the bed drowsily.
“Good,” the blond didn’t skip a beat. “Go to bed before you cause any more trouble.”
As the Whitebeard captain exited, Rayleigh chuckled with casual amusement, “Do as he says, brat. If you need something, I’m sure someone will be on hand to help.”
His eyes glanced up at the grate in the ceiling for a moment before he closed the door on the darkened room, the small smirk on his lips widening ever so much.
Marco and Rayleigh walked down the hall together for a bit as the blond stretched out his limbs and yawned.
“Man, I’m not cut out for this.” he rolled his neck tiredly.
“Young people these days, complaining so much over nothing.”
He glanced over at the man with annoyance. “Taking care of two emergency cases only a few hours apart from each other, isn’t nothing.”
Silvers spoke quietly, the concern evident in his voice. “How’s the little lady? What happened? You disappeared earlier, I’m guessing because of her?”
Marco sighed, “I’m not sure how it started but…”
The Phoenix explained the whole situation with Lily and Law and the scare she had given him only earlier that day. The old man was suitably concerned, though relieved that she was doing well.
"That poor girl... Things haven't been easy for her, have they?" Rayleigh sighed softly, rubbing his forehead with a weary hand. "When it rains it pours. It's been like walking into a storm. We’ve got another problem."
Marco stopped, his eyes narrowed as he put his hand to his hips. “I’m assuming you don’t mean the Revolutionary brat.”
“Hardly,” He grimaced. “We’ve got bigger problems than Blondie.”
Ace yawned as he was left in the peaceful gloom of his room. He couldn’t move at all. It was very much like when he had first woken up from his near-death experience.
It was indeed back to square one, but for now he didn’t mind. His brain felt all float-y and his body was sufficiently numb to the point that he couldn’t feel much of anything, either pain or pleasure.
Well, at least it was better than the excruciating agony he had been in earlier.
He sighed deeply, feeling his eyelids droop more and more before the sound of a strange clang got his attention.
Within the darkness of the room, the pyre pirate watched blankly as the grate from the ceiling unlatched and a shadowed figure dropped from the ceiling to the floor in a silent crouch.
Hmm, an intruder. What was he doing here?
He should probably feel afraid, what with being practically completely defenseless and all…buuuuuttttt whatever. He honestly felt too blasé to care.
The entrant stood silently for a while, his gaze aimed at some distant point past the closed door as if he was waiting for something.
What was he waiting for?
Maybe he should just ask him.
His voice loudly broke the silence as he asked in an almost sing-song voice, “Whatcha waiting for?”
The man jumped in shock before hurriedly shushing him, coming closer to his bedside. “Quiet, idiot! Everyone will hear you!”
Ace didn’t see how that was a problem, but if the stranger wanted to play the quiet game, he could do that.
If he could stay awake long enough that is…
As he kept nodding off, the man went over to look at the table of medical supplies, his voice in a hush. “What exactly have they drugged you with?”
The question was rhetorical but Ace answered anyway, “I dunno…I feel good though. It’s wayyyyy better than before.”
Finishing looking through the vials, the man returned back to him and stood next to the bed observing his body intensely before finally looking him in the face.
Huh, he knew those now mismatched azure blue eyes that held both guilt and concern in equal measure.
“Sabo?!” His tried to keep his voice down as much as possible. (If Sabo wanted to play the quiet game, he’d try his best!) “Whatcha doin’ here? Why are you acting all spy-like?”
In the midst of the gloom, Sabo’s shadowed figure gave a gentle smirk, “Well, I am a spy. And I came to check on you. Your screaming woke me up.”
He made it sound accusatory, but the worry in his eyes told the truth. “What happened? Why are you so…hurt? Why can’t you heal with your devil fruit? I only gave as good as I got, why can’t you move?”
Ace blinked slowly, trying to focus on Sabo's face in the dimly lit room. His mind felt like a foggy maze he couldn't quite navigate. "I got... hit a lot. My body got, uh…squashed?"
He was mumbling now, his words slurring as if they were wading through syrup. Sabo raised an eyebrow though he continued to look over his brother’s broken body with building disquiet. “‘Squashed’? What’s that supposed to mean? You sound like Luffy.”
Ace giggled, “But I-It’s true! I got…uh…squashed, yeah! And…now I can’t move. He, he, hee! Angel's going to be so mad at me!”
Sabo only shook his head as his brother devolved into a fit of drunken giggles, realizing he wasn't going to get any straight answers while the other was still drugged. It didn't do anything to quench his worry.
His hand twitched.
He never wanted to hear his brother scream like that again. Even now his mind was still trying to sew itself back together.
Listening to what the Phoenix and his other companions had said, Ace’s life wasn’t in danger, at least not for now, but he was basically drowning in drugs that were keeping him afloat. He didn’t know who the doctor was that they had been referring to—he had assumed the Whitebeards had been caring for him but it looked like that wasn’t entirely the case—but whoever it was, whatever they had to do, he would make sure it was done. By whatever means necessary.
It’s all your fault he’s hurt. It’s your fault. You stabbed him. You made him bleed. You—
Sabo held his hands to his ears as if to try and keep from hearing the voice that was very much inside his head.
“Shut. Up.” he murmured angrily to those dark, self-conflagrating whispers that had been taking over his life since he had gotten his memories back. He had had enough guilt to last several lifetimes—and Ace was alive! And Luffy didn’t blame him!—he just needed to get his head back in the game and take everything one step at a time.
Ace let out a cough and his eyes gained a slight gleam of lucidity. “Sabo?”
The blond smiled back over at the man. “Yeah Ace, I’m here.”
Ace gasped suddenly and attempted to reach up and grab his arm, though his limb could only jerk and spasm. “Where’s Luffy?”
He shushed him calmly, “He’s fine. He’s sleeping in the other room.”
That seemed to just make him all the more agitated, “You can’t be here. You need to stay with him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fi—”
“No! He can’t be left by himself!” He exclaimed with desperation. “Stay by his side. I can’t move right now, so you gotta do it.”
His intense words and clear distress startled Sabo. Ace had always been sort of begrudgingly protective of Luffy, and in his absence from their little family, that had burst into full-blown guardianship. But even in considering that, this was a different level of urgency. Luffy wasn’t some fragile flower. The kid was a strong force to be dealt with, full of fire and zeal. Sure he had been a bit of a crybaby when they were kids, but surely he was old enough to be left alon—
His thoughts halted at that, and his mind went back to the first time he’d seen Luffy face to face in over 10 years.
His brother’s eyes had looked crazed…haunted…murderous. It was a look he understood but had been shocked to see on Luffy’s face.
And then there was the careful, gentle way that Ace had handled Luffy after. Drawing him off like a wild, frenzied animal that needed to be calmed and cuddled back into its right mind once again.
“You…have to look after him Sabo…I…I broke him…”
Ace was breathing heavily, his eyes dilated heavily, but it was clear he was barely holding on to consciousness between the drugs and his body’s own condition. The frantic look softened into a pleading one.
“I…I need you to hold the pieces together for me, Bo. K-know what I mean?”
Thinking about his own fractured soul, Sabo took a deep shuddering breath before plastering a reassuring smile on his face. More than you know, big brother…
He squeezed his brother’s hand, using even, hushed reassuring tones. "Alright, alright. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. You concentrate on getting better. I’ll handle things from here. I’ll look after both you and Luffy…"
A glaze came over Ace’s eyes, and he relaxed, letting out another giggle before mumbling, “Good…You’d…better…”
His voice trailed off as his eyes rolled in their sockets, dissolving into the hazy depths of sleep.
He watched him for a bit, his eyes following the rise and fall of his chest—just to make sure—before pulling the covers up tighter around him. He didn’t want to let the idiot out of his sight—not again—but he had promised. And Ace was relatively safe, there was nothing more he could do for him at the current moment.
So with a begrudging look back, he jumped up to grab the edges of the air duct before hauling himself back into it. Using his foot to close the grate behind him, Sabo quickly and silently snaked his way back.
It was a quick and uneventful trip as he slipped out of the vent and dropped silently back into his and his younger brother’s designated room. Sabo paused, reflexively his quick eyes took stock of the room before landing on the sight of Luffy sprawled in a nest of pillows and blankets, sleeping as deeply as a child.
He sighed before crashing back down on the bed, careful to avoid any stretchy limbs. A hand came to his face as he felt the headache he’d been trying to ignore, making itself known. Feeling the fatigue pulling on him, Sabo laid back down on the mattress, his body naturally conforming to sharing the space. Luffy didn’t notice at all and he looked over the many bandages covering his brother. They covered injuries that would for sure heal, he wasn’t really worried about that.
The real damage ran much deeper. And that was something Sabo wasn’t quite used to dealing with. He had his own demons to fight, and he didn’t know if he’d be a help or a hindrance when it came to “holding pieces together”. It had been so long since he’d had to take care of someone like this.
His subordinates and comrades-in-arms were one thing, but these were his siblings…he couldn’t be objective here. Seeing Luffy and Ace broken and vulnerable stabbed at Sabo’s chest like a physical pain.
“Damn it…” he whispered angrily. How was he supposed to fix this?
Count your blessings, soldier.
Ughhh… He laid an arm across his face. Go away, Dragon.
But of course, like always, the man continued to speak within his head
How do you take apart a government?
Taking a deep breath, he let out another large sigh, murmuring in response. “One piece at a time…I know, I know…”
Get over yourself, soldier. The job’s gotta get done and failure is not an option.
Yes, sir.
Lily awoke with a gasp, her eyes snapping open to relative darkness surrounding her. Her eyes searched around her, trying to take stock of where exactly she was. What happened?
Feeling the strange sensation of tubing and such running through her, a breathing mask over her face, and seeing the soft glow of the machines around her, gave her some idea of her situation. She was in a hospital bed? But what had happened to her?
She brought a hand to her head, the details fuzzy in her memory. Images, sounds, emotions flaring at the edges of her consciousness but refusing to come into focus. There were flashes of fire—the echo of screams—calm, serene words spoken—and then nothing?
A soft snore interrupted her thoughts and turning over she looked to see a figure sleeping in a chair close by her side. It took her a moment to recognize Dr. Trafalgar’s slumbering form, his dark hair fluttering over his face, as he leaned into the side of the chair, his shadowed eyes closed in repose as his chest moved in steady breath. He looked surprisingly young and vulnerable for some reason to her.
As she glanced over him, she was a bit surprised to see him there. She would have expected Marco to maybe sit by her side, but she barely knew Trafalgar…
He was that worried? Or was he one of those really hands-on, involved doctors?
Glancing a bit lower, Lily was completely shocked to notice that in the man’s arms was Schaden! He was in his smaller cloud-like form, almost like a black poof of smoke. The Cimmerian lay nestled in a deep slumber, emitting a soft, contented purr from his rather comfortable resting spot.
Since when had Scha taken to cozying up the strangers?
What had happened while she was out?
She looked to the other side of her and pulled a clipboard that was laying on the tabletop by her bedside, over to her. Reading over the notes and chart written her eyes went wide once again in surprise.
She had gone into cardiac arrest?!
But…
How?!
It all came back to her in a whoosh.
Waking up with 24 hours of her life missing. Schaden telling her about the chips implanted in her body. The fact that Dr. Trafalgar had helped her and removed one but couldn’t yet remove the other. That the chip had been used to control her memories. The panic attack that had come over her in the aftermath of the news.
Her stomach wanted to heave at the remembrance of it all but she stalwartly pressed it back down. She couldn’t fall down into that rabbit hole again.
She knew that Scha must have been terrified by what happened, and while she was in no way “okay”…she couldn’t intentionally do that to him for a second time.
You can’t let him win. You still have all your memories of everything that happened since then. You haven’t had any other gaps in your memories until now. It must not be something that can be activated at simply any time.
She had to believe in that, at least until Trafalgar or someone could get the other chip out of her skull.
Lily wished she could dig it out herself.
Her fingers itched at the idea of just pulling at flesh and bone, cracking open her skull and doing whatever she had to do to take the damn thing out!
Taking a shuddering breath, she once more tried to calm down and settle her traumatized heart.
It’s okay…it’s going to be okay…they’ll be able to take it out. Schaden trusts this man and he said he could do it…
She just…had to not think about it for the time being.
Easier said than done.
Taking another steadying breath, Lily turned her vision inward and looked over the cells of her body. She couldn’t do anything to them, but she could at least see how much damage had been done.
Her body was surprisingly not too worse for wear. Nothing looked damaged. Her body seemed a bit more fatigued than usual and her powers felt a bit sluggish, but not the major damage she would have expected.
Her heart was a bit trepidatious after having obviously undergone some trauma, but she seemed mostly okay. And goodness knew that she couldn’t sit still. She needed to stand up, to think, to process all that had happened.
Gently, she removed the IVs, detaching monitoring wires and pulling off the face mask, she swung her feet carefully over the side of the bed, careful not to set off any alarms. Taking a deep breath, she slowly eased herself upright. A soft sigh passed through her lips at the slight dizziness that washed over her, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Her body protested with sharp twinges of pain but she bit down hard on her lip, determined.
"Easy there," a muzzled voice grumbled from her side.
Lily froze before turning to see Trafalgar looking at her blearily from under a mass of hair. He yawned and used his free hand to rub away the remnants of sleep.
"Scha," he murmured, "budge over." Schaden grumbled sleepily but moved around to cuddle around the doctor's neck instead.
Trafalgar yawned again before his gaze landed on Lily and he frowned. "What do you think you’re—”
“SLEEP!”
She called out her command, her eyes alight reflexively, her training kicking in in the face of being startled.
The man seemed to resist for a moment, before his cells followed her command.
Her heart pounded in her chest for a second before she realized fully what she had done. Oh no! I’m so sorry!
She hadn’t meant to do that! She had just been surprised and her knee-jerk reaction to anytime she was found out while trying to sneak away, was to send her discoverer into a deep slumber.
She shook her head embarrassingly. It had happened more than once in Baltigo, and she had been mortified then too. Sabo just laughed and said they just had better watch themselves around her. Either that or send Scha in to wake her up.
Oh well, he probably could have used some more sleep. She sighed as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, letting them hang for a moment before trying to stand on trembling and unsteady feet.
Taking slow shaky steps toward the door, Lily paused as something caught her gaze. It was an object resting by the sink.
A furry hat of white with black spots.
She walked over to it, somewhat drawn to the object for some odd reason.
Picking it up, she examined the well-worn garment. It was familiar, and not simply because it was something that Trafalgar was famous for always sporting.
She looked back over to the sleeping man, remembering him wearing it when she saw him last.
Lily was pretty sure she remembered a hat just like this in her dream though the details were a bit fuzzy. She turned the hat in her hands, the fabric soft against her fingertips, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. It smelled faintly of salt and pine, mingled with something else distinctly unique—an earthy musk that reminded her of long voyages across tumultuous seas.
As she held it closer, memories flickered like fireflies in the twilight of her mind; flashes of laughter, the sound of bubbling brooks and sunshine glittered lakes…and all just out of reach.
She shook herself out of her dream-like stupor. Get it together, soldier. It’s nothing, just a hat. Probably millions of them just like it across the North Blue…
She glanced back at the doctor again, his features softened in slumber from how he usually looked on his bounty posters. The way his dark hair fell across his forehead made him look almost boyish, stripping away layers of the stoic doctor that she remembered from Marineford.
A part of her almost involuntarily wanted to reach out and tuck the strands behind his ear—a gesture both intimate and foreign—but she stopped herself. What was she thinking? They didn’t even really know each other, he was just being nice. It was just her gratitude getting out of hand.
She didn’t know what had happened before she had lost her recent memories of yesterday, but she and he must have become friends at least in some capacity. Schaden sure seemed friendly with him, and the man had done her a priceless service by removing the chip in her neck. They must have become fast friends in some capacity?
If only she could remember…
With a determined shake of her head, Lily set the hat down gently on the bedside table beside him. She needed to focus on herself first—on regaining control over her mental and physical state before trying to mend whatever it was that had been lost between them. She needed some time to herself to think this through.
Quietly she went back to the door and was a bit surprised at how weary her body felt in simply doing such a simple task. Maybe it was just a side effect of her ordeal? That was more likely than not.
Slipping out the door, Lily had made it only a few feet before slamming headfirst into a wall of white and orange!
She quickly scurried back, “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”
Her eyes widened as she took in the sight In front of her. Wait…what?! But it couldn’t be? Was she still asleep and dreaming? She had desired to see one for as long as she could remember! And to simply bump into one out of nowhere—!
Both her heart and her eyes became full as she beheld the magnificent animal before her.
Trying to find her voice, she attempted to speak. “A-Are you a—”
However, before she could even get out the words to even speak to the large Polar Bear mink, he without reservation reached down with a gentle but firm grip, picked her up and held her close in a strong embrace!
He nuzzled his nose against her neck as he murmured softly, ”Garchu, you-gara little yearling.”
Lily found herself completely weightless as the mink picked her up in his literal bear hug. She couldn’t help but cuddle back. She was just basking in the chance of finally getting a chance to get close and pet her favorite animal! He was so soft and fluffy!
The polar bear looked down at her even as he continued to hold her in his arms. “What are you doing out of bed? Are you alright?”
She was surprised by the mink’s affection of the greeting and she could only smile at the emotional display of care. However…
“I take it, we’ve met before.”
The male tilted his head a bit with a small bit of surprise that was almost instantly shifted to realization. “Ah that’s right, you don’t remember me.”
He placed her back on her feet, though not out of reach. He bowed slightly with a flourish as good as any knight, “Forgive me, my name’s Bepo, I’m the first mate and navigator of the Heart Pirates.”
A sharp pang came over her at the reminder of how much she had been forced to forget, but she tried to not let the anguish cause her countenance to fall. With her joy a bit mitigated, she simply grinned. “I’m so happy to meet you…again, Bepo. I’m Lily.”
Bepo smiled understandingly, “Nice to meet you again, Lily…b-but are you sure you’re okay? Maybe I need to go and get the captain to check—”
“No,” She stopped him, really not wanting to make a fuss. “No, that’s okay. I’ve checked over everything, I’m tired and I won’t overdo it of course, but I’d hate to be a burden to Captain Trafalgar. Let him rest.”
Bepo seemed to pause for moment at her words, a bit puzzled. “Wait…he’s asleep? Well, that’s…a miracle. Oh, oh! Also, it would be no trouble. In fact, Law would probably be upset to wake up and find you gone. He…he would be worried about you…”
She shook her head with a smile while pushing herself back from out of the bear’s embrace, “It’s alright, Bepo. Tell him thank you for me, he doesn’t have to worry. I’ll be okay. I was just going to go for a walk…get some fresh air, clear my head a little bit. I’ll take it easy, I promise.”
Bepo watched as Lily’s smile flickered like a candle in the wind. He could see her resolve even as he could see there was pain there as well. She was a far cry from the excited female he had first met yesterday. There was pain there, though she hid it well.
The captain’s sister looked like a frail and vulnerable blossom trying her best to withstand the cold winter winds. Standing strong, proud, and oh so alone…
Those two were so alike…stubborn to the last.
Without a word, he grabbed up the girl in his arms once again and place her up on his back around his shoulders. Lily gave out a yelp of surprise but instinctively held on. “Wait, what are you—?”
“I can take you where you need to go. Don’t worry, I won’t get in your way or anything. You won’t even know I’m around! I’d just feel much more at ease if I could lend you a hand. Is that alright?"
At first, Lily wanted to protest. She didn't want to be a burden to Bepo, nor did she want him to feel obligated to keep an eye on her. It was her problem, not his. But the warmth radiating from the Mink's fur and the gentle slope of his back lulled away her arguments before they left her lips.
"Alright, Bepo," she finally relented with soft words, pressing her hands further into his fluffy thick coat for support. "If it's really no trouble..."
He gave a solid nod, “Of course it’s not. It would be my pleasure.”
It would also save him the headache as he didn’t even want to know what his captain would do upon waking up to find his baby sister gone from the ICU! At least this way, when he inevitably called him on the transmission snail, he’d be able to put the man’s mind somewhat at ease.
And anyway, it gave him some peace of mind as well. He wouldn’t forgive himself if Lami needed help and he had let her go off alone in such a post-compromised state.
As they traveled down the corridors together, she was elated by the intimacy of their shared quietude. The rooms passed by in a blur as Bepo walked with sure strides, carrying her weight with ease. She closed her eyes, leaning against his broad shoulder as the steady rhythm of his gait became a predictable comfort, lulling into peace. He didn’t speak or pry and Lily found his mere presence to be of great easement, she felt as comfortable with him as if she had known him her whole life. He was very much like Schaden in that way.
Feeling brave, Lily lifted a hand and threaded her fingers through Bepo's fur—it really was unbelievably soft and smooth under her fingertips and smelled vaguely of the sea and citrus. It was a soothing scent that calmed her racing heart, allowing her thoughts to drift rather than spiral out of control into more panic-induced memories.
Bepo felt the young she-yearling relax on his back and he let out a smile. He knew little of her past, but he knew it wasn’t pretty, and he could guess that having such a stark reminder thrown in her face would be particularly gut-wrenching. And her pain was of course, the captain’s pain…
Law had stayed in the ICU from mid-morning to afternoon and he was both surprised and not, that he had fallen asleep by her side. If all went well, he would stay asleep until their return.
If not, well, he knew exactly how to deal with a grumpy captain.
After all, being the navigator of the Heart Pirates meant knowing how to steer through treacherous waters.
But for now, he just needed to avoid everyone else as Lami didn’t seem to really want to interact with others right now. He padded along silently, maneuvering expertly down the seeming labyrinth of halls and stairwells that had been his home for so many years. He moved towards the elevator that would take them up to the deck. The 'ding' of arrival and flickering overhead lights had Lily curling up closer into him. However, the moment the doors opened, he realized he should have taken the stairs.
“There you are, Bepo! Tell us what the heck is going on here!”
“Yeah, I thought we were supposed to have left by now. Where’s the captain? We haven’t seen him all day!”
Shachi and Penguin came out of the elevator in quite a confrontational mood.
Penguin jabbed him with a finger, “You know everything, Bepo. What’s happening? I’ve heard we have even more guests?! What are we running here, a hotel?”
Bepo shrugged even as he was aware of Lami listening on his back. “Captain’s allowing it, so….”
He hunched his shoulders to indicate that it was out of his hands.
Though truth be told, Bepo was pretty sure that other than the one clinging to his back, the captain had probably completely forgotten he was hosting an entire group of guests on his ship.
Shachi threw his arms up in frustration, “Ugh, I don’t like it! Things on shore are getting testy with Miss Holier-than-thou, I’m-better-than-everyone Snake Queen getting pissed off at everyone.”
Bepo wilted at that. If Boa Hancock kicked them out, things were going to become even more messy.
“What’s wrong now?”
The redhead shrugged, “Who knows? Something about intruders and I think her sister’s missing? She was yelling so fast it was hard to really get a full picture.”
“I can’t see how Silvers can even stand her.” Penguin crossed his arms in irritation.
Bepo raised an eyebrow, “I thought you thought she was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen?”
Shachi patted his crewmate’s arm sympathetically, “Here’s a little thing you need to know about humans, my bear friend. Sometimes…beauty is only skin deep.”
Penguin nodded in agreement, “You couldn’t pay me to deal with a woman like that.”
“Honestly, the hassle just isn’t worth it.” Shachi shook his head, “I’m of a mind to just tell the captain not to bother with little miss—”
“Dr. Lily,” Bepo interrupted rather loudly, “You remember Shachi and Penguin? You met them yesterday.”
Lily for her part, had been amused listing to the Heart Pirates talk about their woes. She would have been okay with staying unnoticed in the background, but she might as well say hello, especially since Bepo was so thoughtful as to tactfully remind her that these were other people that she had already met before.
She straightened herself up and waved a hand, appearing over Bepo’s shoulder and acknowledging their presence. “Hello again, Shachi, Penguin.”
Both men froze – like synchronized swimmers, all movement coming to a halt as they stared blankly at Lily on Bepo’s back. Their eyes went wide like deer facing a sudden light, and strange enough, it almost seemed like they were a bit afraid of her.
The one she assumed was Penguin, recovered first and gave a bit of a cough. “Uh, Hello, Dr. Lily! We didn’t know you were back there the whole time.”
Shachi jumped behind his compatriot nervously, “Yeah, sorry about that D-Dr. Lily. We totally wouldn’t have…if only Bepo had let us know, you were back there the whole time. We didn’t mean anything by anything we said by the way!”
Penguin shook his head, “Yeah, of course not!" We were just being idiots, ya know how it is. Hahaha.”
The revolutionary wasn’t sure why they were so nervous around her, maybe something had happened between them upon first meeting?
Either way, she felt it was okay to put them at ease, especially as she and her companions were being treated kindly as guests on their ship.
She shook her head and gave a disarming, gentle smile, “You said nothing wrong. You’re quite right in that beauty can indeed be only skin deep. Though I hope you know this applies to both sexes across the board.”
An image of the Director popped into her head and she had to swallow down the nausea. She really needed some fresh air.
As the other two pirates laughed sheepishly, still seemingly feeling guilty for some reason or another, Lily rose herself up higher onto Bepo’s shoulder.
“I must apologize to you Heart Pirates. I heard your complaints about us guests aboard your ship and I am truly grateful for all you’ve done for me and my compatriots. I thank you for putting up with us.”
Bepo smiled at the female’s selflessness and understanding. "No need for an apology, Lily," he softly spoke, "you and your friends are our guests. You belong here as long as you need."
He was sure that would equate to forever if his captain had his way.
The mink turned back to his friends, “Isn’t that right, guys?”
However, Shachi and Penguin didn’t seem to be paying any attention to him. Their eyes were instead fixed on Lami…or rather, the Captain’s sweatshirt she was wearing.
Lily hadn’t seemed to notice as she patted his fur, “Thank you, Bepo. I’m just sorry that because of…all that, that I’ve completely exhausted your captain. He’s currently sleeping at the moment, but I’m sure if you guys really needed him then I guess it would be okay—”
“No!”
Both men shouted at the same time, startling Lily at their voracious response. Both had huge grins on their faces and seemed to be knowingly happy about something.
Penguin knocked his fist against Bepo’s side, “You don’t have to worry about a thing! Stay as long as you need. Forget we ever said anything!”
“Yeah,” Shachi’s smirk was almost wolfish, “You go on ahead and keep ‘exhausting’ our Captain. Goodness knows that stick-in-the-mud needs it. And he’s currently 'sleeping it off', you say?”
Lily nodded, a bit confused at their excited response, while Bepo felt another bout of anxious depression come over him.
The two pirates looked at each other, before chuckling smugly and running away in the opposite direction, down the hall.
Penguin calling out, “Thank you, Dr. Lily! Stay as long as you want!
Shachi joined in, “Stay forever!”
The two disappeared down the corridor and Lily was left bewildered, while a graying cloud seemed to have found its way over Bepo’s head. He mumbled chagrined, “Umm, just ignore them. They really are idiots.”
As the two made their way into the elevator, Lily had this distinct feeling as if something had gone completely over her head, though she wasn’t sure what.
West Blue, Marine Battle Convoy
“Purururu, Purururu,Pururu—gatcha”
A hand reached forward and picked up the receiver. “Report.”
A bit of static came through before a faraway voice responded, “Huh, straight to the point aren’t ya, admiral…no ‘hello’, no ‘how ya’ doin’, just straight to business.”
No response came, only the awaiting silence.
The voice gave a bit of a laugh, “Of course…that’s what I like about you, admiral. Okay, so here’s the deal. I’ve hit the motherload.”
The listener sat up a bit straighter. “Go on.”
"So here’s the situation. As I told you in my previous report, I tracked those wretched pirates all the way to Amazon Lily…"
Ensign Jakab yawned as he sloshed the mop back and forth over the deck. He hated having swab the deck duty. It was so boring and lonely and why did he always have to be the one to get stuck doing this! He didn’t sign up for this when he enlisted…
He sighed before grabbing his bucket to replenish his water when he noticed a splotch of bright orange oozing out from under a nearby door.
Oh you’ve gotta be kidding…seriously?! He was going to murder whoever had just messed up his clean floor!
Marching over, he angrily jabbed at the orange stain with the mop, in his frustration, not even registering the waves of heat, smoke and steam coming from off the “liquid” that was pulsating like a heartbeat.
So when the mop suddenly burst into flames he screamed in shock.
“Ah! Fire! Fire!”
However his screams were cut off by the door bursting open with an animalistic growl. A wave of heat washed over him, forcing him to fall back on his backside.
The sight that greeted him was surreal—an eruption of molten rock spilling forth like a grotesque fountain. It bubbled and churned with an angry hiss, sending up plumes of steam that curled into the air like serpents. And from among came a figure that could only be described as out of his worst nightmares.
Admiral Akainu charged through the magma-filled passage, rage alight in his eyes, the cigar in his mouth hanging on for dear life between clenched teeth.
Lava spilled and boiled from off of him falling onto the deck in waves. The floor beneath was already slick with fiery liquid, threatening to spread further into the corridor. Even as reinforced as it was against this sort of thing the deck was beginning to buckle and warp under the heat and weight. However, neither this nor the petrified ensign was noticed by the incensed marine.
He marched up the deck yelling up to the helm, “Weigh anchor!”
The response was immediate, “AYE SIR! WEIGHING ANCHOR!”
“Chart a course to the Grand Line, heading north by Southwest. Head for the island of Amazon Lily, I want to be there yesterday! Tell the rest of the fleet to follow!”
“AYE, AYE SIR!”
“Patch me through to the temporary Marine Command Center, I need to speak with Kong.”
This time there was a bit of a pause. “Commander Kong…sir? Not the Fleet Admiral?”
Akainu snarled nearly biting through his cigar. “Did I stutter, Commodore?”
“N-No sir! I-I-I mean AYE SIR!”
The Admiral kept walking to the communications center. His ire still billowing and raging from what he had just been told.
Several minutes earlier
“As I told you in my previous report, I tracked those wretched pirates all the way to Amazon Lily, and guess what I found?”
He of course for dramatic effect, though the admiral didn’t bother buying into it.
“Ms. High-and Mighty Snake ‘Empress’ just happens to be hiding Strawhat Luffy and the Heart Pirates on her island. I have a hunch that she was in league with them since the very beginning.”
Luffy snuggled closer into the warm pillow by his side, the steady thump of a heartbeat lulling him further into slumber. He yawned and clasped tighter onto the hem of a shirt gripped in his fist. His stomach was sleepily gnawing at him, screaming for sustenance, and normally he would have answered right away, but for what felt like the first time in his life!—he was was too comfy and too sleepy to get up and find food right now…
Well…he probably could get up in his sleep and find something. But that would mean letting go of his grip, and for some reason, he just couldn’t do that. Not even for meat.
Maybe when he was more awake later, he could somehow find a way to keep his hold AND find food?
Yeah…maybe that…ZzzzZzzzz…
Akainu let out a curse. It wouldn’t have been his first choice considering the Kuja had made their hatred of all things male quite clear. A clever move on StrawHat’s part to take shelter there. Dragon was a sly bastard and it has obviously rubbed off on his offspring. Also it made sense, the harpy had turned on them at the last moment on the battlefield and there was a report that she had visited FireFist just a bit before StrawHat had made his assault on the place.
“He’ll probably die of his injuries, though the boy’s luck has held fast for far too long. I’ll send someone over there to finish—”
“Ah-ah-ah” the mercenary tutted him, cutting him off, “I’m not done yet, that's just the beginning, I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.”
The man rolled his eyes, if Aramaki wasn’t the best in his field, he wouldn’t bother with the man and his flare for theatrics. “Then get to the point!”
“Don’t you remember what started this whole thing in the first place? I traced RedHair and Phoenix out here, and from there I traced Phoenix to this island. Don’t you see the connection?”
The admiral crossed his arms with a grim humph. “Phoenix, RedHair, and StrawHat must have been in contact with each other. It wouldn’t surprise me that that filth would collude together.”
“Ya need to think bigger, Admiral.” Aramaki appearance smirked through the snail, “What’s the one thing that connects all 3? Or should I say the one person?”
That was easy.
“FireFist, of course.”
The son of one’s former captain…a fellow commander and “brother” among Newgate’s lot…the adoptive older brother and fellow evil spawn…
It was Portgas D. Ace that connected them all.
But what did that matter? Why would they all go through so much effort and so much secrecy just to grieve over a dead ma—
Sakazuki froze in his chair. No. It couldn’t be.
“That’s impossible.”
He had killed the man himself! There was no way!
They had left with Whitebeard’s body but not with Firefist’s…
It had gotten washed out to sea or lost in the fight or they had grabbed it without anyone seeing, but it HAD to be there!
And yet it made perfect sense with the evidence given…
He stood up, his chair flying backward, lava beginning to ooze from his feet, “No, it’s impossible! You must be mistaken, Portgas is DEAD!”
The room was quiet, the porthole was shaded, allowing only soft light to filter in.
A fringe of black hair fluttered against freckled cheeks, caused by a whisper of a slumbering breath.
Ace continued to softly snore as the drugs and his own narcolepsy kept him in a deep dreamless sleep. His face appeared just the slightest bit younger as it was without sign of care or worry or fear.
While his body couldn’t quite move well, he slightly adjusted as he murmured sleepily.
“Eh…I didn’t hurt him that much…”
He took a deep sigh, “Don’t worry…I’ll watch over him, Mom…Lu too…”
The door cracked open and Marco peered into the room, checking in on his patient. He cast an eye over the entire setup, and judging it satisfactory, closed the door back again.
Ace stayed completely dead to the world, only turning slightly on his pillow.
“Hmm?…yeah, of course she’s pretty…what’s so funny?”
“Was, your admiralty, sir—was. I’ve seen him with my own eyes, and he’s very much alive. Breathing better than any “dead person” has any right to be.”
"Bullshit!" The Admiral's voice reverberated through the ship’s hull, nearly causing everyone in the command center two floors up, to jump in fear. His control slipped as his fiery fury was beginning to take over him.
He stomped across the floor of his office, before banging his fist into the wall, his hand morphed into a molten claw burning through the metal.
"I will not listen to fairy tales! Portgas D. Ace died at Marineford! It's a fact!" He growled, "This better not be your usual antics Aramaki."
"Believe what you will, Admiral," the mercenary's voice held a nonchalant shrug. "But I inform my contracts based on information I can verify."
Silence roared in Sakazuki's ears louder than any battlefield cry, a cacophony of denial raging against this unforeseen revelation.
He needed confirmation. Now.
Swallowing back bile tinged with fury, he demanded, “Tell me everything. How? How is it possible, when I watched the light leave that little bastard’s eyes myself!”
Aramaki once again shrugged, “Not quite sure on the how yet, though I have a couple of leads. I DO know it has something to do with the Revolutionaries on the island though.”
Another loop thrown.
“Revolutionaries?”
Of course, he had practically forgotten about the rebel plants that had come in contact with Kizaru and thought to be connected to this whole mess…
“I see her. Egret is making her way to the forest. She was with the Heart Pirate mink but they separated at the perimeter that the Kuja have created around the bay.”
Kircheis whispered into his earpiece even as he watched his target walk further into the Amazon Lily jungle from afar.
Reinhard responded over the transponder, his voice just as low, “Keep an eye on her, we’ll keep our distance until we can get the right chance to talk with everyone together. No sign of Black Heron?”
The Revolutionary silently moved through to the trees, following Lily, making sure to keep her in eye-line even while keeping his presence hidden. He couldn’t let himself be found out by the Kuja warriors, who were probably also keeping their eye on his female cohort.
“Hard to tell, he usually doesn’t leave her side, but there are none of the usual indicators.”
Schaden could be hiding in the shadows or somewhere on Lily’s person and it would be very hard to notice, especially at this distance.
“Understood, I’ll keep an eye out for him here just in case.”
Kircheis continued his tracking through the forest even as he asked, “Locate the commander yet?”
He could practically see his partner’s sharp nod in response. “Affirmative. Wasn’t hard to find after his hopefully ‘cathartic’ rough-and-tumble with Firefist earlier. He and his brothers are all recovering in the Heart Pirates’ sickbay.”
“I never thought that the commander’s first choice when reuniting with his long lost brother would be—to challenge him to mortal combat.”
The other man gave a slightly amused laugh, “I’m not surprised…considering what the Bluejay is capable of, how he’s been feeling and acting lately, and how his mind sporadically clicks together? I’m surprised this entire island is still in one piece.”
Kircheis could only chuckle in agreement.
Portgas might be the one called “Firefist”, but their chief-of-staff was quite the volatile firecracker himself.
“Indeed, and not just any revolutionaries, one special little bird in particular.”
The admiral’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, “You mean to tell me that Dragon himself—”
“Ah, Admiral, I really wish I could give you the rebel commander’s head on a silver platter, but alas, that cunning serpent is far too clever for that.”
Figures, they couldn’t possibly get that lucky.
“However—would you be interested in his second-in-command instead?”
That startled the man, “The Revolutionary Aristocrat?”
The rebel outlaw, whose only true name they had on record was “Sabo”, that served as the rebellion’s chief-of-staff after Bartholomew Kuma had been subsequently neutralized, was as shifty as his boss, but far more erratic as a troublemaker. Dragon rarely went out into the field unless necessary—a general in the center of command, guiding his many pieces and pawns across several theaters of war.
The Azure Assassin was instead a whetted sword, one of Dragon’s strongest weapons that created chaos and destruction everywhere he went.
As slippery as an eel and twice as deadly, having the boy in chains—or even better, marched up to the gallows—would be a major victory for them, and a severe blow to the rebels’ movement and morale.
But now, he was also on Amazon Lily? Had Dragon sent him to aid his pirate offspring?
Either way…
“A thorn that will get pruned, along with the others. But the priority is—”
“Did I forget to mention that he’s also the fire bastard’s twin brother?”
Once again silence reigned supreme, one could hear a pin drop.
Aramaki loved it when he could make the admiral speechless. It never lasted for long, but it was nice to savor it when he could.
True to form, it indeed did not last long as Sakazuki growled back, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Well, it seems that Roger and Dragon must have had a huge last laugh at the world’s expense. Turns out the Rebellious Snake’s 2nd, just so happens to also be Firefist Ace’s twin. Those two, along with Dragon’s own twerp, grew up together, hidden from the world government’s eye by one, Vice-Admiral Garp—the navy ‘hero’.”
That…was impossible. But then again, the fact that Portgas D. Ace was supposedly still alive, and the term "impossible" was beginning to be used too often. And yet Aramaki was usually pretty competent at his craft...
Garp’s treachery wasn’t surprising. The old man was practically untouchable and thus often did whatever the heck he wanted without impunity. But not this time.
The vice-admiral would answer for this betrayal. He’d see to it.
Either way, it wasn’t too out of the realm of belief that Roger could have had twins, the children separated, identities hidden.
Dragon would definitely hide a trump card like this, to use when it would be most devastating to public morale. It was a devilishly clever plan, and showed how little regard the man held in using whatever and whoever he could to achieve his goals.
In that, Dragon was a man after his own heart…he’d do exactly the same.
Regardless, this revelation only hardened Sakazuki's resolve. Now two sons of the Pirate King still drew breath—an intolerable affront to justice. The Navy had publicly vowed to extinguish Roger's bloodline, and Sakazuki intended to see it through, even if it meant burning Amazon Lily to ash.
“Any more surprises you want to inform me about, Aramaki?”
The mercenary had the gall to pretend as if he was thinking about it. “Hmmm…no.”
He had to stop himself from reflexively rolling his eyes, “Retain your position and report back with any updates in 36 hour intervals. I’ll get the approval to commence a full scale assault on the Island of Women. Boa Hancock and her treachery will be dealt with and we'll get all three hellspawn in one go.”
The warlords had their uses, but when they decided to bare their fangs and strike the hands that fed them, it was time to take them out.
Amazon Lily had been trouble for decades, centuries even. This was a good chance a nipping a serpents’ nest in the bud once and for all.
“10-4, boss man,” Aramaki replied, his tone laced with a hint of amusement He leaned back against the rough bark of a nearby tree, fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh as he contemplated his next move. “I’ll sit tight for now, but I’ll also scout around a bit. There might be some useful intel on the best ways to approach the Island of Women—routes that avoid detection, perhaps, or the timing of guard shifts. You know how it is; knowledge is power, and I intend to gather as much as I can.”
He had a few plans and ideas as to how to do it too.
His eyes narrowed, scanning the dense foliage for any signs of movement. The thrill of the hunt coursed through him, invigorating his senses as he plotted the downfall of those who dared defy the World Government.
Before Akainu slammed the receiver down, he had the presence of mind to make a request.
“Give me an hour before you report back to Cipher Pol.”
The smile on Aramaki’s face grew even wider.
The admiral knew how this game was played and was already planning on how to stay ahead of it. That’s what he always liked about the man.
“Hey, for you Admiral? I’ll give ya two.”