The Empress Meets The Angel
'Calm down... Worry less... Be strong, for them... For Ace...'
Those were the words that Irin repeated to herself over and over again, she was eager to break him out all by herself, but she could not.
She had agreed to simply do nothing and that was because she had faith in her family, but that did not mean that she did not hate the fact that she was not strong enough to be part of their plans.
Not knowing the reasons behind her exclusion, Irin believed that she was incompetent, weak and overly emotional.
Her worries for Ace, however, overshadowed her insecurities. Irin found it hard to focus during work, there were many moments during the day where she'd zone out as she teared up, leaving her coworkers and subordinates rather confused.
Even though she tried to push her negative thoughts and worries to the very back of her head, they always found a way to distract her.
The one job that she was told to do was to worry less and she could not even do that.
She thought she could stop worrying but her worry and stress only intensified when she heard what happened to Luffy.
She was proud of him for punching those scumbags, The Celestial Dragons, but what happened next was what caused her more stress. Luffy had come in contact with Admiral Kizaru, at least it was not Akainu but she was still worried about him, that was until she found out that Bartholomew Kuma was there and had sent Luffy and his crewmates to different parts of the world.
And because Irin was a friend of Kuma and the daughter of the co-leader of the RA, he had told her where her dear friend was sent to.
Knowing that Luffy was sent to the Maiden Island, Amazon Lily, Irin hatched a plan whereby she would help take over Vice Admiral Momonga's job of making sure the Warlord, Boa Hancock would join them at Marineford.
Vice Admiral Momonga and Irin were not particularly close but her reasoning as to why she was to go instead of him was convincing and he trusted her judgement.
"Boa Hancock is considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world, according to reports and the research I have done, she can get things her way due to her appearance, but since I'm a female as well and I already have a boyfr— strong attraction to a certain male, her beauty would not be advantageous over me," the young Vice Admiral reasoned.
Hearing her explanation, Vice Admiral Momonga agreed to allow her to take over his job while he did her job in return, which was just paperwork and the occasional patrolling in nearby islands.
And so, Ryuu D. Irin took off towards Amazon Lily, in hopes of meeting with Luffy. She wasn't sure if he had heard the news about Ace but she wanted to at least make sure that he was okay.
The last minute swap with Vice Admiral Momonga meant that Irin arrived at Amazon Lily later than expected, however, she and her crew of Marines were lucky enough to run into Boa Hancock on her way back to the island.
"You guys have real guts to lay anchor in the middle of monster-infested waters," a woman from the Kuja Pirates shouted.
"Well, to be fair, we've just arrived, but it's alright, we can handle it, thanks for the concern," Irin smiled, putting her working face on.
While at work, Irin would tend to put a smile on her face even if she was feeling upset, she would handle things as fairly as she could and she would treat all Pirates and Marines alike. Her tone would always be friendly unless a threat was presented.
Right at that moment, a large Sea King emerged from the water. Its teeth, sharp like diamond knives and it's jaw, wide. However, even with those monstrous features, there was not a single fear behind Irin's hazelnut brown eyes. She only turned her head slightly to observe the Sea King before forming a pillar of water that sent a powerful uppercut towards it.
The Sea King flew midair before landing in the water with a giant splash.
"It's a good thing we got here later than we had planned or we'd have to deal with way more than just one Sea King," Irin said, smiling a gentle smile yet it had a hint of confidence and strength lingering behind it. "The agreement between the government and the Kuja Pirates forbids us from getting any closer than three kilometres from your island. So if we came any earlier we'd have to wait out in these monster-infested waters. Anyway, I came here to get my job over with and to meet a certain someone, in other words, we mean no harm," she continued, her voice authoritative and her tone professional.
The woman who was on board the Kuja Pirates' ship looked at the young Vice Admiral, observing her details, then scanned the sea where the Sea King fell back into, "It seems you are rather skilled, but we are not going to entertain any unwanted guests and the Snake Princess isn't coming out," she said.
Irin only let out a sigh as she muttered to herself, "I knew this wasn't going to be easy..."
"Well then, I apologise on the Government's behalf for intruding, but I'm afraid that both you and I do not have much choice. I'm only here to escort the Pirate Empress to Marineford and it is under strict orders that I bring her at all costs. Resistance would only cause her title as a Warlord to be revoked," the young vice admiral stated, calmly.
The women aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship only continued to refuse, "So sorry, but like I said, the Snake Princess isn't coming out," the same lady said.
"She's sent many replies now!" another woman added.
Irin only frowned as she clenched her fist before releasing them and sighing, "We have received her replies but she shows no intention of following our orders," she spoke, before pulling out a newspaper and tossing it towards the ladies aboard the opposite ship, "This was yesterday morning's newspaper, the date and location has been set for the public execution of..."
The pause only caused the surrounding Marines and Pirates to raise a brow. She took a deep breath and tried her very best to hold back her tears before speaking, "T-The public execution of Portgas D. Ace, 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates!" she announced, clenching her fists until they began to bleed.
"We've been left with little to no choice, the World Government has issued a strict order, forcing the Seven Warlords of the Sea to assemble. If you refuse, your title will be revoked and the Kuja Pirates will be treated like any other pirates by the Navy," Irin explained, as she forced her professional tone back.
There was a brief silence before footsteps aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship could be heard. Irin narrowed her eyes a little, feeling the presence of someone strong who she deciphered to be Boa Hancock. The door to the room where Boa Hancock was assumed to be opened slowly and in a suspenseful way.
A beautiful woman with long dark hair emerged from the darkness of the room. She was tall, with long and slender legs, and she had an overwhelming presence.
"Who placed a kitten in my path?" she asked, as she sent it flying with a kick to its stomach.
With her actions, Irin immediately frowned as she glared at the Pirate Empress.
The kitten belonged to a woman who was part of the Kuja Pirates and she apologised profusely to Boa Hancock.
The tall and beautiful woman only told the owner of the kitten to be careful of her cat the next time and walked off to face the pinkette.
"We finally had the chance to meet, Boa Hancock," Irin said, with the same professional tone she would often use at work but this time, there was a hint of impatience in her voice.
Boa Hancock stood on top of the snake which pulled her ship and pointed towards the Navy ship. The snake followed her orders and approached the huge ship, "Please be on guard," Irin ordered as she kept her eyes trained on the woman who was approaching.
"Yes-" the men behind you shouted but their enthusiasm faded as soon as they saw the beauty of the Pirate Empress. Irin remained unfazed, she was as blind as a bat when it came to judging the looks of people she did not know; the only person she found good looking was Ace, who would've guessed it?
Appearing and landing carefully next to Boa Hancock were two ladies who were the sisters of the World's Most Beautiful Woman.
The Pirate Empress stared down at the young Vice Admiral as the men behind her fawned over the dark haired beauty who stood above them, "So you've finally come for me...What meddlesome people," Boa Hancock said, placing her hand on her hip as she leaned on one leg.
"My recent replies were lies. I will not go to war! But... I want you to let me keep my title of Warlord of the Sea," she said, smiling delicately and seductively, "And... I also want all of the cargo on your ship."
Irin blinked twice and tilted her head to the side out of confusion, "Eh?"
The young Vice Admiral was confused as to why the Pirate Empress would just boldly ask for things that would require negotiation. She was also unable to tell what sort of person the Pirate Empress was. At first she thought she was cruel for kicking a cat but the way she spoke almost seemed kind, even though it sounded a little demanding too.
"Why would we–" Irin attempted to speak but was only interrupted by her crew of men behind her, "Hurry and haul it over! What a beautiful woman!" they exclaimed.
The pinkette's jaw dropped when she witnessed the men willingly pull out their food resources, "What in the world is going on?" she asked as she continued to grow more confused by the seconds.
"Hey hey! Why are you guys giving her our supplies?" Irin asked as she stood in front of her men, stopping them from handing their cargo over.
The fellow Marines snapped out of their little lovestruck trance and shook their heads, "Oh no we just blindly listened to what she said!" they exclaimed.
"Yeah! What are we doing? We already have our beloved Vice Admiral Irin on our side! One beautiful woman is enough for us!" the men on Irin's crew shouted.
The men in Irin's crew loved her dearly and respected her greatly, they were the founders of her fanclub after all.
Irin shook her head rapidly, "No no no, that's not what we're supposed to be talking about right now, guys!" she exclaimed, as she approached them and got them to put down their supplies.
The pink haired Vice Admiral walked back to face the Pirate Empress after her team of Marines had settled down, her face serious and stern as she spoke, "Portgas D. Ace's public execution is in exactly one week from today. In other words, Whitebeard will make a move within next week to rescue Ace," she explained, fighting back the urge to cry.
She hated this part of her job, she wanted to go home and she didn't want to bring up the topic of Ace's execution anymore, but this was her job, she had to do this to convince Boa Hancock to follow her back to Marineford.
More importantly, she needed to ask Boa Hancock for a favour.
"We are not allowed much time, Boa Hancock, you have to make your decision fast and that is to lose your title or join the war. I truly hoped that we could meet under better circumstances but, time is of essence and I need your help," Irin said as she stared directly into the dark haired woman's eyes.
The Pirate Empress only narrowed her eyes at the young Vice Admiral's statement before taking a seat on the snake and crossing her legs, "I like the title of Warlord and I don't want it taken away. But I hate the World Government. I don't want to obey its orders. How does this sound? 'The Marines who came to get me had a mysterious accident on the sea and were wiped out when they all turned to stone?'" she said, in a scheming tone.
"She's planning to do something!" a Marine shouted, "Don't let your guard down!'
Another Marine then began to explain strange incidents that involved the Kuja Pirates and stone statues. Irin listened as she looked at her team on the side, she had heard about these rumours and strange incidents too, she had done her research before going on this job.
"I don't know why you're so confident in making bold statements like these, Boa Hancock, but please reconsider our offer. I do not wish to engage in a fight with you and I do not wish for any casualties on either sides, so please, if you'd be so kind to, reconsider our offer and your choices," the pinkette said, hoping that Boa Hancock would agree to the terms and no violence is needed. She was in a rush, needing to find Luffy and confirm his safety as soon as she could.
If anything were to happen to the infamous Straw Hat, Ryuu D. Irin would go insane. She could not bear to have two of her closest friends at death's door.
"You Marines always act so high and mighty, but I hope you know, Big Sis has a terrible personality and yet she always gets what she wants," Boa Sandersonia said.
The youngest of the Gorgon sisters, Boa Marigold only continued after her sister, "Yes and there is a reason for that..."
Boa Hancock only leaped down from her giant snake and landed gracefully on Irin's ship. The pinkette narrowed her eyes a little and raised her arm protectively over her subordinates.
"Do you know why that is?" The Pirate Empress spoke confidently, "It's because no matter what I do... even if I kick a kitten... even if I pull your ears off... or even if I kill someone, everyone in the world would forgive me. The reason for that is, yes... because I am beautiful!"
The dark haired beauty stood proudly as she finished her sentence and the fellow members of the Kuja Pirates began to squeal excitedly at the woman's speech. Along with the women's squeals, the men behind the young Vice Admiral also began to fawn over the beautiful woman.
Irin only stared wordlessly at the woman in front of her with wide eyes as she searched for her brain cells.
'Is that really how the world works?!' she questioned herself as she watched the scene unfold.
The young Vice Admiral then shook her head and turned to look at her subordinates, "Guys what are y'all doing? I thought we agreed to 'not let our guards down'?" she asked, waving her arms around.
Immediately snapping out of their lovey-dovey trance for Boa Hancock, the men turned to their leader, "Damn it, we've betrayed our very own beauty again! We're a disgrace to the Navy! How could we allow ourselves to go crazy about another woman, a pirate at that, when we have the most angelic marine right in front of our eyes?!"
"Guys, this really isn't the time to be talking about stuff like this," Irin deadpanned as she folded her arms, "You can enjoy those kinds of talks when we've gotten our job done, okay?"
The pink haired Vice Admiral smiled while sighing as her crew of Marines brought their hands up towards their heads, holding a salut.
Her subordinates grinned whimsically at her leadership and respected her whole-heartedly.
On the other hand, Boa Hancock stood tall as she flipped her hair back, "For being charmed by me, your guilty consciences will turn your bodies solid!" she declared, holding her hands together to form a heart shape.
"Love-Love Mellow!" she exclaimed, sending beams of her Devil Fruit Ability towards Irin and her team of Marines.
However, for the first time ever, Boa Hancock was left in shock.
Her Devil Fruit Abilities had failed to work on the group of Marines that were right in front of her.
An initial shocked expression did grace her face but it was soon replaced with one that showed much distaste and annoyance. She glared at the bunch who she failed to turn to stone.
The women from the Kuja Pirates gasped at the sight.
This was completely unprecedented. Sure, there were certain people that could hold off against Boa Hancock's seduction but never a group of men who were just lusting over her a moment ago.
So what was the key difference in this situation that saved those men from their terrible fates?
The Pirate Empress then glanced at the doe-eyed Vice Admiral who stood before her, she had the look of innocence and confusion written on her face, yet there was also a hint of power behind her eyes.
Irin, who was being studied by the dark haired beauty, was confusing to a lot of people.
And now, to add another addition to the handful of people she has left perplexed, Boa Hancock was now part of the group of people she had left confused.
There was a beat of silence as the Kuja Pirates stared at the Marines in shock.
Irin and her subordinates only exchanged confused glances before turning their gaze towards the women who had shocked expressions sewn onto their faces. "Um, Vice Admiral Irin, what are we supposed to do now?" one of the Marines asked.
The young Vice Admiral only tilted her head to the side as she tried to figure out what had just happened before replying, "Stay on guard because I'm not quite sure what had just happened..."
"Are you guys okay? Do any of you feel strange or unwell?" she asked, eyes trained on the Pirate Empress.
Hearing shuffles behind her, there was a sudden scream from amongst her men, "Vice Admiral Irin! T-They turned to stone!!!" one of her subordinates yelled.
She immediately turned around and the sight of a few stone statues made her eyes widen in shock. It was at that moment she finally understood how Boa Hancock's Devil Fruit Abilities worked; she could turn people who found her attractive into stone.
What a terrifying ability.
Irin studied the stone statues as she bit onto her lower lip until they bled. The situation at hand sent shivers down her spine because she had no idea how to reverse the stone statues. She had no idea how to bring them back and that was what scared her.
Those men under her care, they were good workers and kind people who looked up to her. As their leader, she could not bear to see them in such conditions. They had families to return to but now there was a high chance that they would never be able to return.
Although there were not as many men who were turned into stone as Boa Hancock wished, she was still relieved to see that her abilities worked. She still felt uneasy when looking at how Irin and the majority of her men were still humans.
The sight of so many men unflattered by her presence ticked her off. How could they remain unfazed when she was literally just standing there?
How could they not turn to stone?
Irin turned around to face the Pirate Empress, a scowl drawn onto her face as she forced herself to calm down as much as she could, but alas, she was worried about the fates of her men and angry at the fact that she did not see this coming, "Why did you do that...? Please reverse their conditions," she commanded.
Her voice never faltered as she stood in front of the intimidating Boa Hancock.
The pink haired girl was much smaller compared to the woman opposite her, but her presence was overwhelming and daunting as well.
Boa Hancock had the look of disgust on her face as she looked at Irin, "How dare you order me around? Do you not see the difference between you and I?" she glared.
"My men did nothing wrong, so I don't understand why you would hurt them. We're under strict instructions to bring you back, and we mean no harm. But just because we mean no harm does not mean that we won't retaliate when you hold a threat to our faces," Irin spoke in a fierce tone. The pink haired Vice Admiral remained composed as she tried to negotiate with the Pirate Empress.
The dark haired beauty only leaned back completely and pointed at the pinkette, "I do not wish to speak to the likes of you," she announced, "You are all beneath me and your threats mean nothing to me!"
Irin moved her head back in confusion as she watched Boa Hancock's actions and strange way of looking down on people, "How about we make a deal?" she asked, regaining her composure.
Boa Hancock stood up and looked at the pink haired Vice Admiral with a slight frown; interested to hear what she had to say but remaining on guard if things were to go sideways.
"Speak," the woman declared.
The pinkette nodded, "I will give you half of our ship's cargo and you may leave, however, you must reconsider your choices. My team and I will remain here for the next two days if you choose to join us, if your choice remains, then your title as Warlord shall be revoked. The rest of our cargo will be given to you, Kuja Pirates, if you choose to join us. You can decide what you would like to do with the cargo when we give it to you; you can either leave it for your people or keep it aboard our ship for your travels," she explained, calmly.
It wasn't a bad deal at all.
Boa Hancock stared at the young lady, suspicion growing within her but something inside her also told her that the lady in front of her was trustworthy.
There was a beat of silence as the two beautiful women exchanged stares. The winds blew and the waves crashed gently onto their ships.
She narrowed her eyes slightly at the pink haired Vice Admiral before sighing and agreeing to her terms, "Very well, it seems you're all unwilling to listen, but don't get your hopes up, I won't be returning even if I take half your cargo."
Irin frowned a little at her unwillingness to return to Marineford with her but smiled nonetheless, "I shall hope and wait for your good news then," she said.
The dark haired woman scoffed, "Optimism can only get you so far," she said, as she turned to walk away, flinging her cloak behind her gracefully.
"You should really read the newspaper," Irin called out, "You might find something interesting in there."
Boa Hancock stopped in her steps, turning her head slightly to look at the young Vice Admiral, but the young lady only had a blank expression drawn onto her face, so she left without saying a word.
Returning to Amazon Lily, the Kuja Pirates left, and as Irin watch their ship pull away, she let out a deep sigh. Even though it had not been a long day, she was already exhausted but at the same time, the moment she stopped working, she started thinking about the fiery boy who was etched so deeply in her heart and mind.
She returned to her resting quarters and plopped onto her chair, leaning her head back as she closed her eyes. However she could only see the bright figure of Ace in her thoughts. The scenes that had happened when she visited him replayed in her head.
Irin would see his bruised body and his bloodied lips again, she would hear the words that he sent her, and she would remember exactly what she felt on that cold, painful night.
Opening her eyes to escape from her recent memories, she furrowed her brows a little.
She had to do something, even if the Whitebeard Pirates forbade her to do so. There had to be something she could do that would protect the interests of the Whitebeard Pirates and, at the same time, protect her will to save Ace.
There just had to be something she could do.
She's not useless.
'I'm not useless...'
'I'm not a failure...'
'I know because he told me so, Ace told me so...'
'But Irin, he was the same person who promised not to break your heart and turned around to tell you he hated you when you gave him all your love.'
"No! I trust him!" she cried, bringing her hands to her head, "He didn't mean any of those words... I know... I know because he loves me..."
'Does he? Does he love you? He has never said it to you, has he?' the voice, same as hers, called out in her head.
The pink haired girl shook her head as her hands remained on her head, "He showed me love, that should be enough. I felt loved through his actions and that should be enough," she said, reassuring herself.
'And telling you he hates you and calling you useless is his way of showing love, huh?'
"Shut up...!" she scolded as she pressed her hands onto her ears and screwed her eyes tight, "This doesn't matter right now. What matters now is making sure that Luffy's safe and alive, and coming up with a way to keep Ace safe."
She had to make sure that Ace was alright and, even though Ace told her not to return to Impel Down, she went to see him after her visit to Moby Dick. Irin watched him from afar, hoping that nothing was hurting him, wishing that he was not blaming himself, and longing to reach out to him. She wanted to hold his hands once more, to feel his arms around her, and to see his playful grin again.
The world was just cruel to them.
But despite all the hurt she felt, Irin directed them into motivation. Working harder than she usually would, she ordered her men to leave her alone until either the two days of waiting had passed or when Boa Hancock decided to join them.
She kept herself stuck in her room as she searched her brain for ideas to support the war that was to come.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The old lady with a full head of white hair sat on her chair, accompanied by the young boy and the blonde haired lady, as she read the newspaper.
Busy eating and drinking away, the dark haired boy listened to the old lady's words as he ate.
"The World Government has made a move. Whitebeard is a man who would never allow his mates to be killed," the old lady, Granny Nyon, said as she read the papers and voiced her opinions, "Even though they know this, they announced the public execution of Portgas D. Ace, a great commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Hearing the news, he stopped between his movements as he slowly moved the cup from away his lips. Luffy stared at Granny Nyon in shock, his eyes widened and his mouth agape.
"What's wrong?" the blonde haired girl, Marguerite, asked, noticing Luffy's reaction.
His lips trembled as he continued to stare at the older woman who read the newspaper, "Of who?" he asked, seeking confirmation.
"Ace. ''Fire Fist' Ace," she repeated.
Luffy trembled, refusing to believe the news, "Ace is going to be executed...?" he muttered softly and in disbelief.
Granny Nyon only continued to speak as she read off the newspaper, "I heard a pirate called Blackbeard became Warlord by defeating Fire Fist Ace."
His Straw Hat overshadowed his eyes as he gently placed his cup down, "Blackbeard..." he repeated to himself, as if to remember that name by heart.
"The World Government will take full advantage of this big fish that they caught, a pirate named Ace..." the older woman spoke, eyes still trained on the paper and unaware of the boy's shock.
"Granny," Luffy called out, softly, but Granny Nyon only continued to speak as she did not hear his voice.
"Granny!" he shouted, capturing her attention, as he grabbed onto her shoulder to make her face him.
He stared into Granny Nyon's eyes with fear in his own, "That's my brother! Ace is my older brother!" he exclaimed.
Her eyes widened at the revelation as the newspaper fell out of her hands, "What?!"
"Is that true?! He's your brother?!" she asked, seeking confirmation.
"I didn't know that he was captured! And he's gonna be executed?! Then there's no chance for him to get away!" Luffy exclaimed.
At that moment, Marguerite noticed a piece of paper that had fallen out of the newspaper, "Granny Nyon, Luffy! There's an extra note in the newspaper!" she informed, pointing towards the folded paper.
The older woman raised her brow a little, still shocked by Luffy's news, as she picked up the note and unfolded it.
In that piece of paper it wrote:
"To whomever that is reading this; if you're unaware of this, there is a man on your island who sports a straw hat with a red band around it. Due to many circumstances, I am unable to get closer than 3km to your island. I will not ask for much but only to confirm his safety and wellbeing. You will be heavily compensated for this, in return, I ask that you do not harm him in any way. I do not need him to meet me personally, as I will find a way to confirm his safety from afar, but if you are able to, please meet me at the far south of your island with the straw hat man. I will be on a jet ski-like boat 2 days after the issue of this newspaper awaiting your arrival at midnight. If you are unable to do so, it is quite alright, I have sent a crow to follow wherever this note goes. It will help deliver your message and confirmation of his safety to me.
And if it isn't too much, please tell him that his best friend in the world would like to see him soon."
Granny Nyon read the paper aloud, leaving Luffy slightly confused in the first part and in a brightened mood in the final sentence. "That's Irin!" he exclaimed, "I can ask Irin to help me get to Ace!"
The older woman stared at the young pirate in shock as she pieced the words in the note together, "You know this young lady?!" she asked, in disbelief.
"Of course!" Luffy exclaimed, nodding his head, "She's my best friend in the world, we grew up together!"
The look of shock still remained on Granny Nyon's face, "She's the Marine that's waiting 3km away from our island right now! The Marine Angel, an esteemed Marine, she's a formidable soldier, it is likely that we can trust her if the rumours about her are true... Who would've guessed that she was so close to a pirate like you!" she said, expressing her shock and amazement.
"Irin's here?! I have no idea who this Marine Angel is, but Irin's a Marine too, I'm sure she'll know who that is! We can ask her to take me to Ace, then you can talk to her about the Marine Angel!" Luffy suggested, dumbly.
Granny Nyon clicked her tongue at his stupidity, "You really are a foolish man! Do you not know who the Marine Angel is?" she scolded, "Let me ask you a question, does your friend happen to be called Ryuu D. Irin?"
Luffy's face lit up at the mention of Irin's name, "Ah! That's Irin! You know her too? But... Who's this Marine Angel that you keep talking about?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.
"What a foolish man! Ryuu D. Irin IS the Marine Angel!" Granny Nyon scolded.
"Oh– EHH???" Luffy exclaimed in shock, "Irin is– Irin is that cool person you keep talking about????"
a/n: i hope this chapter wasn't too boring for y'all !! i've been having trouble writing and spending way too long trying to write chapters, idk why but my brain is kinda going bonkers rn. there are just too many things to think about when writing i guess hahaha
also i finally had the time to update my jujutsu kaisen story and i feel so bad for literally ghosting that book for months, but i was just too caught up with life and trying to remain focused on this book bc this is my first book.
anywayyyy i hope you guys enjoy this chapter and i'll try my very best to finish next week's chapter soon so i have less to worry about hahah
as usual, thank you so much for all your endless support!! <3