An Eternal Bond

Out to War

"You're going to what?" I stared at Marco in disbelief of what he just told me. "You saw what he did to Oyaji, why are you-?"

"That's exactly why we're doing this." He pushed down on my shoulders and made me sit. "And you're staying."

I let my mouth hang open as I furrowed my brow. "No... no, you are not leaving me here! What if I lose any of you guys too?! I'm not taking that chance!! It's either I'm going with you or you're staying!"

I breathed in shakily and stood up so I was closer to Marco's face. "I... don't want to see you guys hurt like that.. again." It sounded more firm in my head, but my voice was shaky and cracking.

Then, Marco put his hand on my back and pulled me in so my face was in his chest. "I know... but it hurt even more to see you like that."

I didn't even know what to say. I was always treated like this on the ship, but something about being treated like this now hurt me inside. I let out a whisper sort of sob and pulled away for a moment, facing the ground.

"If you're ever in trouble..." I stepped back and turned, my right side bursting into Ace's flames. "You know what to do." I slowly walked off the ship onto the sandy beach, the sand streaming into my shoes like water as I heard the ship slowly begin moving away.

I sighed and fell to my knees in the sand. Should I follow them? Should I actually listen and stay?

I stood up again and looked in my bag. I've had this on for two days straight now. I opened it and saw that there was Magellan's heart and my cloak that I used to use when I was on missions with Ace, since I didn't want people to know I was alive.

I pulled out the cloak and swung it around my shoulders. "The world knows now..." I hovered and lowered my eyelids slightly. "I wonder how they're doing."

I shut my eyes as my entire body turned into fire and I shot through the sky like a fire bolt.

Ace taught me how to do that, but he was never able to stay in the sky. As for me? I had some other things up my sleeve.

I turned back to normal and clawed my right hand. "Room!" And I took off my bag and threw it. "Shambles!" I switched with it and held out my hand so my bag would float back to me.

I didn't even know where I was going. Just the nearest island, I guess.

With a sudden halt, I floated above a village not far from the Sabaody Archipelago. I pulled my hood over my face and descended down.

The streets were busy. Women, men, and children were going about their day, with the occasional man reading the newspaper as he walked. 

"Did you hear about the war at Marineford?"

I stopped in my tracks, my ears perking up as I looked at the two men seated at a table outside of a small shop.

"Yeah, it was insane! But at least Whitebeard's finally gone so everything can gain at least a little bit of peace."

I gritted my teeth and glared, lifting my head enough to see their ugly faces as their eyes suddenly lost light and they slumped over.

"W-What?! What happened? Someone get a medic, quick!!"

"Conquerer's Haki?"

That's what Marco said at Marineford. Maybe that's what it was. I looked away from the slumped over men and began trotting to the edge of town, where I saw a newspaper stand.

"Sumimasen." I pointed to a rolled up newspaper. "May I have one, please?"

The newspaper vendor nodded and gave me a newspaper, and I bowed my head and turned to walk away before he began, "Actually..." I turned around and raised a brow. "Yes?"

"You look familiar..."

I was silent for a moment before turning around. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen you in my life." I wasn't lying. I've never seen him in my life, but I'm positive he's seen me.

I opened the newspaper, doing the strange shake that Thatch would do when he was reading it and scanned through the lines.

Naturally, the main headline was about Marineford, and how Shanks showed up to stop it. There was also a paragraph about how I overpowered Akainu for a while.

I wonder what I would've done if I didn't stop. Would I have killed him? Left him in pieces? Taken his heart? What would that one on one battle would've led up to?

I could tell he was trying to annoy us into fighting. It worked on Ace and almost worked on me. I tried to counter the words he spoke from his butt, but even I admit that Luffy is far more important than running. I just wish I was able to stop it before someone got killed.

I shut my eyes, thinking about Luffy as I looked through his eyes.

He was on a ship with Rayleigh and Jinbei, on his way to Marineford. I could tell that he was still in pain. He was crying. I could feel his dulled energy, similar to how people feel after a long and agonizing cry.

Then I opened my eyes, tears beginning to flow down my cheeks.

•••

"Whoa! Oars, what are you doing?" I laughed as Oars placed me on his shoulder. "Y/N-chan said she was going to check on Ace-kun, and she can't see while she's doing that, right? So I will protect you!"

•••

I sat down in the alleyway between a cafe and a clothing store, bringing one knee up as I buried my face in it, quiet whimpers escaping my mouth.

What if the others don't make it back? Are they really okay?

I sighed and leaned back, my cheeks still stained with tears. What do I do? "Oyaji, Thatch, Sabo... Ace..." I looked down at my folded hands and whispered, "Help me..."