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It had happened as a last resort.
Luffy had made it to Laughtale with his crew, and had been made the Pirate King. But others had been laying in wait for them to arrive there to take the glory, or to eradicate the Pirate Era with Ultimate Justice. He had kept up quite well, enough to make sure none of his crew were lost, that wasn’t to say that his allies were just as lucky.
In the wake of what happened Law had stayed on the Sunny with his crew, the ones that were left after Blackbeard was done with that at least. Sadly, in the end, that meant he only had his first mate and two left hands to keep up with. They had been mostly giving support, yet the other Captain was glad when Marco and Shanks arrived to make sure Luffy and his crew came out on top.
Support in the form of the Revolutionary Army was welcome too. Then again, Sakazuki was operating on the last orders he did receive. Marigeose had been forced to admit defeat given the starvation the Army forced them into. Fighting among themselves and finally only leaving Imu and the God’s Knights to deal with. None of them had any power over the Marines, making them act out. Still, it didn’t mean that they were totally safe, but it did mean that Sabo and Dragon could come to offer support. The fact that both of Ace’s brothers were there to take care of the people that had killed him seemed like it was meant to be.
They won, if it could be called that. Most of Shanks’ crew had been killed by a raging Teach. Marco had been injured but healed himself (although that came at the cost of a large part of the Revolutionaries). Sabo, Koala and Dragon were the only ones left standing from that group. Law with his core team did survive but their injuries were quite severe, they would live, but the toll would be great. Luffy and his crew were the only ones still around, also heavily injured and no doubt feeling that strain for years to come.
Newly crowned, Luffy looked lost as he looked out over the ocean, “This can’t be the end…”
Zoro and Sanji, both heavily bandaged, came to flank him, “There is nothing we can do, Captain, the fleet isn’t answering either.”
A shiver went over the Captain’s back, visible for all of them where they were standing.
Marco had his hand on Shanks’ shoulder, trying to console the man after he had lost so much. He knew they had all been prepared for this happening, but that didn’t take away that losing your whole crew hurt. Marco could only verify that it was like losing a limb (and even if Shanks had managed to survive that most people wouldn’t survive losing two).
“No”, Luffy shook his head, “There has to be something we can do. There is nothing left here even with Marigeose taken down. There is still the Man on the Empty Throne and we know he’ll take advantage of this moment to do just that.”
It hurt to think about, but the Pirate King was right. They were unable to contact other islands, nor any of the fleets they had once commanded. The notion that there was no one left hurt, but it was setting in as a reality.
Law wandered closer, “What do you want to do, Lu-ya? I know that look in your eyes, you have a plan.”
The way everyone shuddered made it clear that Luffy never had one. So for him to have one now meant he knew a solution. In any other case no one would go along with it, but Luffy always pulled miracles out of his ass so why would this one be any different?
His crew sighed, “I’m in, there is nothing left here and I want to be there when whatever thing that happens means we get a second chance.”
Marco was reminded that Luffy was the second coming of Nika, of Joy Boy. He wasn’t just a Pirate, he was an actual God even if he didn’t act like it. No doubt that the soul of his devil fruit was able to share some insights with him. The red tint on his eyes made that even more clear.
Looking at all of them before announcing, “We’re going back, before all of this began. Back with everything we know and have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The explanation that follows is almost too much to keep track of. They need Law’s power to make the switch, while they wish the One Piece offers to make sure they get brought back to one point in time. Almost unanimously Marineford gets chosen as their point in time, that’s when it all went to shit and if everyone currently here can contribute, they can win the war without any issues.
—
Marco knew the moment they came back, if for no other reason than the fear that gribbed tightly to his heart. The way people were screaming all around them, but the most important thing was feeling Pops right there at his side. The familiar haki flickering in his senses, almost enough to just make him break fully.
But he couldn’t, he was the first step in all of this.
Glancing at the sky, he knew that Luffy would come falling out of it any second now. Kizaru had been dealt with, for now, and they were trying to make the Marines give Ace back without an actual fight. He had a moment of time, and he needed to use it.
Flying up, he’s perched on Pops’ shoulder as he whispers in his ear. Going over everything of importance and promising to give him the full story as soon as they are safe. Mentioning there are Doctors even better then he is and they should be able to get him healed up enough that the Marines and the Elder Stars shit their pants at the prospect of Edward Newgate not being the slowly dying man he is right now.
“Ace dies here as well, jumping in front of a blow meant for Strawhat and I refuse to let that happen again -yoi”, he utters.
That, it seems, was the final straw as Pops nods his head and doesn’t give the order to engage.
He doesn’t have to either, as Luffy and the stolen Marine ship come crashing down in that instant. Giving those on the battlefield a glimpse at what a wild card he was going to be in a few moments. Law also popped up on his senses, still a way off, but at least he was getting close. The other haki signatures he could sense meant that the man had gone to pick up the Strawhats he could. Trusting Dragon and Sabo to do the others.
Talking about Sabo, lightning struck, as the blond in question frightened himself not far from where Luffy stood. Keeping out of the spotlight but still gaining attention from those that either knew him or that were on edge because of the unknown blond suddenly standing there.
Mismatched blue eyes caught Marco’s before a grin took over his face, Sengoku had announced Ace’s father for all the world to hear already. Most people were going to act on that, and to be fair, Marco had spent the last years too much in the presence of Luffy and Shanks to not become a little shit again. Jumping off of Pops’ shoulder, Marco made his way to the front of the Moby Dick, “If you're so set on killing someone for the sins of their father, shouldn’t you take Ace’s twin into account?”
Silence was the only thing that came as an answer.
Ace looked like he was choking, especially once he realized that Luffy and Sabo were here. Marco didn’t know how he could see it, but he did know from Luffy and Sabo that the brothers had a sixth sense when it came to each other. Maybe it was tied to that.
Sengoku looked to be having an aneurysm, “Garp, it’s your family again!”
Luffy just giggled, the way his eyes were moving from side to side making it clear his haki was spread out to see where his allies were. Marco and Sabo were a given, but the others needed to be around before he could act.
As if waiting for something to happen, lightning struck not far from where Sabo had touched down. At the same time, Law’s room took over a part of the bay before he and Zoro appeared. The others had been picked up by Dragon, with Chopper being the only exception but he’d be picked up by Shanks soon enough.
They needed to act, so Marco nodded at Pops who looked at the Rookie (who wasn’t really a rookie now but they weren’t going to tell the marines that); “Think you can get to Ace, Strawhat?”
More than one person protested, but Luffy just kept Pops’ gaze and nodded, his eyes flickering to Marco for a second. A wide grin appeared, especially as a nod from Marco made it more than clear he could cut loose.
What happens next would be forever put in the history books as Luffy just looked at the scaffold. Sabo, Sanji and Zoro covering his sides and back before haki the likes no one had ever felt seemed to burst out of the young man. His hair bled white, as did his clothes, before he was off. His brother and crewmates are more than able to keep up with him.
It was a loss for the Marines before anything had even started. Enough that Marco only glanced up when Shanks arrived, before both Law and Chopper asked for permission to board which he gave. Going over Pops’ medical issues as soon as the two other doctors were at his side and grinning the whole time. Knowing, feeling the stares at the back of his head, that he looked a lot younger now that he wasn’t alone in dealing with this. Deuce even came to join as well, giving his own input as everyone of the crew looked out at the battlefield and the four people decimating it without even breaking out in sweat.
The scaffold collapsing had him worried for a moment, before the tell-tale sign of one of Nami’s weather based attacks flared and she, as well as Koala, dragged a still stunned Ace with them onto the Moby Dick before someone called out to the four still toying with the marines that they had Ace and it was time to go.
Once on deck and covered by a bubble, they sank into the sea. Grinning brightly as Marco leads the medical team and Pops into the infirmary. Leaving Sabo and Luffy to explain everything to Ace. He was certain their second division commander didn’t care in the slightest, too overwhelmed with the hug he would receive from his brothers.
—
Once in Fishman Island, fresh out of surgery for some of them, those that had made the trip back assembled to give them the whole story. Sharing what had happened the first time and how they managed to deal with it (badly at that). As well as how they had ended up back here, no one on the Whitebeard Pirates mentioned the way Shanks was hugged within an inch of his life by his crew upon hearing what had happened to them.
Ace was still hugged on either side by Luffy and Sabo. Finding out that his twin hadn’t died, but had amnesia and the first time he had remembered when Ace died enough to make him forgive the blond for anything that might have stayed to make him doubt it all.
Luffy stubbornly mentions that he wanted Ace to keep his promise this time around, as he had every intention of getting to the end once more and he wanted his family and allies to be there when he did it.
Dragon even mentioned they didn’t need to do a whole lot anymore, just follow Luffy’s path and clean up his mess. His son was more than able enough to bring the Revolution to whoever needed it, he had done just fine before.
“How are you planning on overcoming that two year period you had last time -yoi”, Marco asked. Wanting to make sure if Wano would be freed sooner. Luffy’s grin was answered enough, before he pointed at Law, “We’ll find something to do.”
The Strawhats as well as those from the past snorted, before Shanks huffed that he hoped this didn’t mean that they should be expecting two other emperors to join.
To his surprise, Luffy shook his head, “Nah, well… Maybe, but not on purpose. I need to clean up first, if the Marines don't get to Blackbeard I will…”
Law flinched, before pulling Luffy in a hug. Marco could understand, everyone had lost so much to that and given their relationship with Ace it meant that their traitor was dealt with by an ally close to the core. Marco was also secretly happy he didn’t need to do it, he had fucked up majorly last time, Luffy would be a much better bet especially given the back-up he could count on.
Their bounty posters got out not long after, giving them all a raise in worth. With Luffy pouting that it wasn’t even close to the 3 billion it had been before. A grin appeared on his face which had several people shouting ‘no’ that he couldn’t go and find things to do to get it back up.
People had seen Marineford, had seen the devastation the Alliance had been willing to do to get one of their own back. Sengoku was set to retire, and even if Sakazuki took over, no one was going to let the man get back to what he had been before. They’d kill him before he’d get that far. They had broken through time and space to get here, the world might not know that, but they did, and they would do everything and anything in their power to make sure that the world remembered.
After all, what were mere mortals capable of doing in the face of a God?