Juli looked seriously over the ocean in front of her… They were almost there. And even when she could hear the battle sound in the distance already, that was not the thing that disturbed her….. She just felt sick to her stomach…the feeling and thoughts of being too late burned brightly in her head. She still doesn't know what Ace did wrong except for being a pirate to be executed like this, but she just felt like there was more to it…. And that she would never find out about it. She bit on her lip at that, feeling so hopeless all of the sudden…. Like as if their efforts weren't enough as the battle sounds got louder and louder.
"….Juli." Shanks laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder and looked at her seriously. "We are there… You will stay here like we agreed on alright? I will go stop the war, so you don't need to worry. We will go ahead now so please stay calm as you promised."
Juli nodded at that seriously and took a deep breath, already feeling the different intense emotions buzzing around her. "I will try my best dad."
Shanks nodded at that and looked at his main strongest members. When they nodded back to him, they all went off the ship. The rest of the crew grabbed their weapons and went to the front of the deck, while Juli stayed at the back.
Juli looked around at the marine battle ships and the loud battle sounds as well as the battlefield in a bit of a distance and felt shivers run down her spine. It was so intense… she had never felt so much anger, hatred and rage in one place… But there was also different emotions with who she could better associate. Sweat trickled down her face and she felt like gagging as tears gathered in her eyes. 'So much pain, grieve, desperation, sadness and unbelievable sorrow….' Tears started to roll down her face as it almost felt unbearable for her.
Juli took a deep breath to calm down as she clutched to the railing. She needs to stay calm, locate from who these feelings were coming and disconnect herself from this person. She bit on her lip hardly so she could be able to do this, and concentrated….but even then, she could not stop the tears from streaming down her face. Whatever happened at the battlefield… she just knew it was something bad…. Every dying person she felt… All their regret and sorrow as they breathed their last breath. All their unfinished dreams and accomplishments… Their wiped out future….. was something like she had never imagined to feel before. Juli bit harder onto her lip at that until she tasted blood… It was just no use. She can't disconnect herself from those poor souls… She didn't know why, but she felt like she had to make it up to them by feeling their emotion and sharing their pain. She wanted to let them know that there was someone understanding their sorrow, pain and sadness!
Meanwhile on the battlefield….
"THAAAT'S ENOOUUUGH!" Coby screamed as he stretched out his arms in front of Akainu.
Akainu narrowed his eyes and looked down to him angrily.
Coby cried heavily and gritted his teeth. "LET'S END THIS NOW! LET'S NOT FIGHT ANYMORE! WE'RE WASTING PEOPLE'S LIVES HERE! EVERY SINGLE SOLDIER HAS A FAMILY WAITING FOR HIM TO RETURN HOME! WE ACCOMPLISHED THE PURPOSE ALREADY BUT WE'RE STILL CHASING PIRATES WHO HAVE NO WILL OF FIGHTING! WE COULD STOP BUT WE'RE COVETING MORE! WE'RE GIVING UP ON OUR SOLDIERS THAT COULD SURVIVE IF WE TREATED THEM RIGHT AWAY!" He shouted at them while crying heavily and emotionally. "ON TOP OF THAT, WE KEEP MULTIPLYING THE NUMBER OF VICITMS! SOLDIERS WHO'RE GONNA GO DOWN AFTER THIS…."
"…Is that Coby…?!" Garp said in utter shock.
"….THERE ARE NO MORE THAN FOOLS!" He screamed as he looked up to Akainu.
"….Huh?! Who are you, you fool?!" Akainu asked him angrily as his magma arm steamed. "You've wasted my time! We have no use for a soldier who doesn't believe in justice!"
Coby's eyes widened at that in fear, but he didn't move one bit, his response being real. 'O-Oh no, I'm dead! But I said what I wanted to say!'
Akainu drew his magma arm back at that, ready to strike him and kill him.
'I HAVE NO REGRETS!' Coby thought determined as he covered his face with his arms as Akainu's magma was about to reach him.
But then before anything more could happen, a sword easily intercepted Akainu's attack.
"COBY!" Helmeppo shouted in panic and everyone froze in anticipation and shock as they stared at the man that had protected Coby.
"….Huh?!" Akainu looked up at that in surprise and started to sweat.
Coby fell unconscious, but unharmed back to the ground.
"Good job, young navy soldier." Shanks praised him seriously. "The courageous moments that you created by risking your life just now….have changed the future of the world tremendously- for better or worse."
"Huh?! T-That ship is…..!" Some marines and Whitebeard Pirates noticed as they stared at the Red Force in shock. "Why is one of the four Emperor from the New World here?! It's Akagami no Shanks!"
Shanks sheltered his sword and walked towards the strawhat that was laying on the ground as the tension rose in the air. "I'm here to….." He spoke up utterly serious, making everyone hold his breath as he picked up the strawhat. "….end this war!"
Mihawk narrowed his hawk eyes seriously as he spotted his old rival. He then turned around and started to walk away.
"Oi, Hawkeye, where are you going?!" Some marines shouted at him.
Mihawk just looked seriously and intensively back to them. "….I agreed to fight Whitebeard…. But Akagami no Shanks was not part of the agreement. You should quit." He told them before walking away, making it seem like he was leaving when he really was intending to get to Shanks' ship….knowing there is something the red-haired man should know.
Meanwhile with Juli…..
Juli breathed heavily she felt the very strong and intimidating, but for her soothing presence of her father appear on the battle field and she took a deep breath to calm down. She wiped her tears away, while her hands were still shaking heavily and looked to the ground sadly. '…The Whitebeard Pirates are the ones from who comes the most sadness and sorrow… I guess they weren't able to make it…' She bit on her lip troubled at that, just hoping her brother would be alright.
"…Oh, so that's certainly a surprise. Out of all things, I didn't expect you to be here, Juli-chan." A familiar voice suddenly spoke up behind her.
Juli spun around at that in surprise. "Uncle Hawkie! You are here?!" She looked at the greatest swordsman before her, who was looking back at her intrigued and maybe even a bit of relief was visible in his posture.
"I guess it was not necessary for me to come to this ship then." He told her sternly but studied her seriously as if to make out if she was injured. "Looks like Shanks already knows you're alive." He spoke that sentence as if he also knew that she was alive before seeing her.
Juli gave him a small, but warm smile at that. "Yes, dad knows it. But how did you get to know it?" She asked him in puzzlement, for a moment forgetting about the intense emotions of the war that were slowly ebbing down.
Mihawk was silent at that for a moment. "When fighting in duty of the marines….. I encountered someone quiet interesting…. A strawhat wearing brat, Shanks had told me so much about… And even when we were fighting on different sides, he informed me about the status of you being alive in hopes that I could pass that onto Shanks."
Juli's eyes widened at that in horror. "WHAT?! Lu is here?!" She held a hand before her mouth in utter shocked and rushed towards the railing while starting to sweat. "No….! He can't…. Lu can't….!" She shouted in distress as she widened her senses….and then her heart stopped a beat as she found her brother's presence…. A presence of someone who was barely alive….. "NO!" Juli shouted in utter horror at that and collapsed to her knees. "...Lu!" She sobbed out while breathing really heavily as her eyes were shadowed over, her distress could be felt almost visible in the air around them as it felt like the atmosphere thickened.
Mihawk looked at her with his emotionless facade, however there was a slight worried frown on his lips. "…Juli. I'm not in any obligation to tell you this…. But Mugiwara just lost his brother and was badly injured. Even I don't know if he's strong enough to pull through this."
"…..NO!" Juli shouted out at that, her head held down and her fist clenched as suddenly the air around her started to vibrate with unbelievable intensity.
Mihawk's eyes actually widened slightly at that in surprise. 'That is….. Haki?...! No…. It's something else…..!' He watched in alarm how Juli slowly stood up before glaring at him with bright golden blazing eyes. 'That is….!'
Tears glittered in Juli's glowing golden eyes as the intimidating aura around her intensified. "... I have to get to Lu….. I have to help Lu…." Was all she mumbled out in determination as she started to walk towards the front of the deck.
Mihawk narrowed his eyes utterly serious as he remembered that Shanks once told them that once the eyes of a Kurama family member turn gold, you have to stop them before using their power, or they will end up dying. He drew his sword and held it in Juli's way, as he also remembered who was on the battlefield at the moment. "Juli-chan. I'm afraid I can't let you leave. It is too dangerous for your safety. You need to stay here." He told her utterly serious.
While things went down there, things on the battlefield started to calm down….
Garp clenched his fist as he glared angrily at Shanks. "….Akagami…. The one who put Luffy in the path to become a pirate…."
Blackbeard laughed darkly at that. "Zehahahaha! So you have come…."
Shanks started to seriously walk forward at that, an intense, not visible aura of power surrounding him. "If you keep on fighting…. Both sides will suffer more pointless casualties." He said with an authoritative voice before he stopped dead in his tracks and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "But if anyone still wants to fight…" He drew his sword as the tension around him intensified and his strongest and most well known crew mates appeared behind him. "…then come! We will be your opponents!"
The marines gulped at that and stepped back, intimidated.
Shanks then started to glare darkly and dangerously at Blackbeard, his face being shadowed over making his eyes glow. "….What do you say, Teach…? No, Blackbeard!" He asked him calmly, but with a very threatening tone in his voice.
"Zehahahaha!" Blackbeard narrowed his eyes at him dangerously. "You're looking more handsome than ever, Akagami." He taunted him before smiling more widely. "That scars suits you nicely and reminds me of something that is mine!"
Shanks narrowed his eye more at that, the tension visible increased as he was fuming on the inside.
Yasopp drew his pistol at that and so did the sniper of the Blackbeard crew, both sides tensing and waiting for an attack from the other side.
Shanks just continued to glare at him, calmly on the outside but actually itching to kill this bastard. However, he promised his daughter long ago that he wouldn't attack Teach because of her again.
"Zehahahahahahaha! ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard just laughed loudly at that before narrowing his eyes at the red haired man utterly serious. "Let's quit now."
Both sides let their weapons sink and relaxed a bit.
"I got what I wanted! It's still too soon for me to fight you guys." He said easily. "Let's go, men! Zehahahahahaha!" He laughed evilly as he started to walk away.
Meanwhile, with Juli and Mihawk…
Juli's eyes were shadowed over for a moment before a tear could be seen running down her cheek and she fully looked up to him with angry golden eyes. "You can't stop me! Lu needs me! I have to be by his side! If you want to stop me… You need to kill me first!" She told him dangerously, her voice sounded more authoritative and outlandish but also more beautiful than before. She then took out her fan, really looking like she was ready to battle him.
A single sweat drop started to run down form Mihawk's face…not that he, the strongest swordsman in the world would ever admit it, but even he felt unbelievable threatened right now by Juli. "….You need to calm yourself!"
"I will not!" Juli told him darkly, a look of pure anger on her face. "Anyone who stands in my way will face the consequences. So please move, Uncle Hawkie…. I need to get to Lu NOW."
Mihawk grabbed more tightly onto his sword at that and stared into her scary golden glowing eyes. "…You can't go down there! He is also there! Blackbeard." He told her utterly serious.
Juli's eyes widened at that and the golden color in her eyes vanished as fear took over her whole body. Her head snapped to the side as she heard the oh so familiar laugh and her turquoise eyes widened in utter fear as she saw how he walked towards the ship. A low whimper escaped her throat as she sank to her knees and pressed herself against the wood of the ship as tears streamed down her face.
"Huh?" Blackbeard looked up to the Red Force as he could swear that he had heard something familiar from up there. "What was this?" He fully stopped walking and stared up to the ship with narrowed eyes.
Juli bit on her lip at that as she started to tremble in fear.
Mihawk put his sword back on his back and looked at her, for a split moment emotions were visible on his face before he glared down to Blackbeard at that, his hawk like eyes seeming even more intimidating than usual.
Blackbeard spotted the greatest swordsman and then tsked at that and continued to walk away.
Mihawk then looked down to the crying Juli after he had made sure Blackbeard was really gone…. And well… He felt kinda awkward just standing there and watching her cry, but he didn't know what to do in a situation like this. He never bothered to do or look into this comforting stuff. "Calm down, he's gone…" He knelt down beside her and petted her head awkwardly. "….There there?"
"Uncle Hawkie!" Juli sobbed out at that and crashed the man into a hug.
Mihawk stiffened and panicked on the inside, not knowing what to do. He sighed and carefully hugged her back. "Teach is gone… You don't need to be frightened anymore, Juli-chan."
Juli shook her head at that. "T-That's not it… I-I'm just so sorry for what happened! I lost control for a minute, because I was so worried about Lu!" She cried heavily. "Please forgive me."
"….." He just looked at her with a deadpan expression at that, his eye twitching slightly as he definitely saw her resemblance to Shanks now. "….That is what you are crying for….?"
Juli just sniffed and nodded, still hugging the swordsman tightly.
"…." Mihawk sighed. "It's alright. Nothing happened, I forgive you." He told her sternly, not even knowing for what he just forgave her… nothing even happened.
"Thank you~" Juli sobbed out as she buried her face in his coat.
Mihawk's eye just twitched. '…..Shanks I swear if you don't come back over here soon I will seriously consider fighting you again…..'
Back with Shanks….
The red haired man felt the odd threat to hurry. He looked at everybody around him seriously, especially at Sengoku, who had transformed back to his normal size and skin color. "Everybody…." He spoke up loudly and seriously before letting his gaze wander over Ace's and Whitebeard's dead bodies. "For now….. You have to respect what I say!" He said gravely as his not visible Haki around him intensified again. "…" He paused for a moment before looking at Sengoku, this time a bit more relaxed but still not less intimidating. "Whitebeard. Ace. Please leave their burial to us. This war was broadcasted all over the world. Don't exploit their deaths more than you already have!"
"As if! Do you want to take the feeling of victory away from us, Akagami?! Their bodies need to be public shown as sign for our victory!" Doberman shouted at him.
"Yes! Don't tell us what to do, pirate!" A random marine shouted.
"I'm fine with entrusting them to you, Akagami. But just because it is you." Sengoku accepted seriously.
"What?! But Fleet Admiral-dono….!" The marines shouted in shock.
"I will take the blame."
Shanks tilted his head to the side, gratefully. "Sorry about this."
"Tend to the wounds of the fallen!" Sengoku ordered loudly.
The marines gaped at that.
"This war…..IS OVER!" Sengoku declared loudly into the world.
All tension left the marines at that and they cheered loudly.
Shanks took a deep breath before looking at the bodies of Ace and Whitebeard with a sad look.
"Akagami…. I…" Marco wanted to thank him while crying.
"No need to thank me, Marco. You can carry their bodies on my ship. Make sure you all get out of here quickly and let's meet up in a bit of distance to this." He told him seriously.
Marco's eyes widened at that and he took a shaky breath before wiping his tears away. "Yes, I understand."
Shanks nodded at him before throwing a look at Ben, who understood what he meant. He then looked around and smiled as he spotted his old teammate… 'Oh, great that Buggy's here. He can make sure the strawhat stays with his owner…' He thought softly, but worried before he walked over to his old friend that was screaming at him.
Back to Juli and Mihawk….
Mihawk awkwardly petted Juli's head, who finally stopped crying as she slowly calmed down, but what she in fact not did, was to let go off him. 'Urgh… if someone sees me like this…' The hawk-eyed man thought in annoyance.
Just then, Ben walked on deck, followed by the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates who carried the dead bodies of their beloved father and brother on board…..…. Just to be greeted by a very tense and slightly embarrassed strongest swordsman in the world, that was getting chocked- I mean tightly hugged by Juli.
"….." Ben just smirked at that, amused. "Well, well… Never would I have guessed to see this in my life."
"You're back, Uncle Bennie!" Juli let finally go of the strongest swordsman in the world and gave Ben a small smile.
Mihawk sighed at that before looking with narrowed eyes at the people on board. "…You saw nothing." And with that, he hurried off, totally 'not' embarrassed.
Ben chuckled at that and shook his head, not even surprised about that.
The division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates just gaped at that in utter surprise, despite the grave and sorrowful situation they just went through and are still in. "….What in the world?!"
Marco just looked at Juli with wide eyes as he recognized her. "You're…. Princess Kurama Juli! How- ….You're still alive?!"
"EEEEHHHH?!"
Juli blinked at that as she spotted the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco and the two dead bodies and smiled sadly and softly. "Yes. Nice to see you again, Marco. I wish it would be under better circumstances."
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Hey guys! So, that was Chapter 86. How did you like it? Ooooff… sorry for the feels this chapter… I had to lighten it a bit at the end because it just didn't seem right to me to end it off too sad. *smiles nervously* Also, I know that probably a lot of you will be disappointed with how things turned out…. However, you don't need to sulk too much… There's going to be a lot more to it than it seems now. I wish I could tell you guys more, but that would just spoil too much…. So please don't be too disappointed, there will be a twist to things later on and it will make things a lot more interesting and mind blowing. There's also a reason why I decided to do it like that and not immediately with how I have planned it, but more to that once we reach that part of the story. XD Anyway, I certainly hope you at least liked the chapter a bit.
Also, there will be no chapter next week, because I will go on vacation for a week and I just don't have enough time to prewrite a chapter for it. (And I don't know how great my service will be there) So, see you guys in two weeks and I wish you all an amazing time until then! :3