I can't leave my little brother to do all the work now can I? Nanko smiled, stretching as he felt his chakra reserves were finally back to normal condition. Alright, now, it was time to make his move. Thanks to them, one of the two watch dogs—the old man—had left the house. Two he couldn't deal with while protecting Ace, but one, that was another story.
Sengoku was too focused on Luffy, mind running with a thousand possibilities, but all ended in one thought, he had to be eliminated. He failed to notice the marine officer who quietly made his way to Ace with a smile.
Ace did notice the strangely familiar face, before it finally clicked where he had seen the man before. "Konan??!"
Well there goes her cover, she thought as she saw Sengoku's head snap in their direction in a split second.
But well it didn't matter.
"Dear Ace, you better run, and fast," she smilingly said as papers dispersed from her face revealing her original appearance. Her hands swiftly went to his handcuffs, freeing him just as quickly. "Now go and fetch your brother, I'll cover you."
Ace nodded sharply, not missing the pissed off glint in her eyes. He had screwed up. It didn't take long for him to fly away, under the cheers of all the pirates, and the curses and gasps of the marines.
Konan bitterly smiled, her gaze crossing Hina's before going back to Sengoku's golden skin. She winced as she saw his fist mere inches away from her face before it fully landed, sending her crashing in a wall.
Her head rang as her vision was filled with blackspot. Still she forced herself to detach from the wall, peeling herself from the iron. A bitter taste of blood swam in her mouth.
As she propulsed herself in the air, spitting out the blood in her mouth, she smiled at Sengoku, "I probably deserved that one. Thanks for all these years, dear fleet admiral." She did a quick curtsey, avoiding another golden punch.
It didn't take long for some people to burst out into laughter, mainly Whitebeard whose laugh reverberated throughout the whole battlefield. "So it was you, little flower!"
Konan simply nodded, before a chill raised her hair. She barely managed to step away as a punch went inches away from her face. She recognized that clenched fist with slight wrinkles.
"Why?" The voice was full of fury, and anger but most of all a deep disappointment.
Konan looked at the old man who landed back down. "Garp..." That was one of the people whose face she didn't want to see right now. She didn't want to see the betrayal marring his face, nor see the sadness underlying. If she looked too long, she felt she might just give in to the remorse and beg to be forgiven.
So she looked away, body dispersing into papers, ignoring the pink-haired woman who had been staring at him intently in hopes of explanations.
She couldn't allow herself to feel regret, not now, not when so much was on the line.
Just as expected, Ace and Luffy met up and started wreaking havoc, destroying everything in their way.
Whitebeard stared at the pair of brothers and sister who had managed the unthinkable, "Show me how far you'll go!" He laughed, ignoring the sharp pain of his wounds. The times were changing, and if all this old body of his could do was help pave the way for them then so be it... he would bet on the future. "Everyone listen to me, we've done what we came here to do, what I'm about to tell you now is my final captain's order. Listen carefully, Whitebeard pirates."
All eyes were on him, the strongest in the world, who had single-handedly done more damage to the island than anyone else and who remained standing while being impaled numerous times.
"Final? wait a minute, old man! don't say such a thing!" Voices of protest erupted all over as everyone begged him to change his mind. "We're going to return to the new world together, right?"
Whitebeard's face was somber with determination as he shouted his next words. "This is where you and I split up ! Every single one of you... Stay alive at all costs! return to the new world in one piece."
Ace's face fell as he listened to his father's words.
"I'm a remnant of my era! There ain't no ship that's going to carry me out to the new one." He raised his hand toward the Marine headquarters and made it collapse. "GO ON! ALL YOU BASTARDS!"
While holding on to the last thread of life in him, Whitebeard went all out, intent on destroying the whole island. He knew better than anyone his current state, no doctor could fix his dying body, so the least he could do was help the younglings create a new era with his body as foundation.
Sengoku glared at him, standing side by side with Garp. "He really is planning on sinking Marineford, with his own life for sacrifice."
Ace gritted his teeth, staring at the one man that was protecting them all. "Get lost all of you," he mumbled as he swiped all the marines away from his captain.
The fire-user fell to his knees panting, knocking his forehead on the ground, his blood mixing with the dirt.
Whitebeard looked at his precious son, "... No need to speak, just answer one question for me," he paused. "Am I... a good father?"
"Of course!" Ace shouted, closing his eyes to force the tears away.
Whitebeard only laughed before telling him to scurry off.
Ace did, not without some reluctance, but he wouldn't allow his sacrifice to be wasted.
Konan was watching the situation, observing the waves of pirates form a path around Luffy and Ace, helping them run away. Former enemies and comrades alike joined to help Luffy. As long as they didn't turn back and recklessly engage with strong opponents, they could make it. She would deal with the rest of the mess.