11

The clouds are so pretty. I always wanted to fly. Who wouldn't want that ability? It's such a liberating idea. Flight. Oh, is that a bird. "Hello birdy. Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away." I smiled. As I passed by, its eyes bulged out and it squawked, flapping its wings to get away as fast as possible. Up, up, up and away! I've flown so high now, my eyes must be deceiving me, is that an island floating in the sky? Well, it's not that bad of a dream, I also have always wanted to visit a castle in the sky, an island is pretty cool too though. Huh, I seem to have stopped going up.

"Hey, what gives!" I shouted towards the sky as I waved my fist about. As gravity reasserted itself, I flipped around, and faced the ground. All around me was a massive and perfectly circular ring made out of clouds. Inside the ring, it appeared to be nothing but endless ocean. Wait, is that an island? How did I get here?

As I was thinking about it, a strong pain in my gut caused me to gasp. "Ah! What could've caused this kind of pain?" I took a deep breath trying to recall what happened. I think it's something to do with a fist! Yes, a fist, a white mustache, and a terrifying, all encompassing spine tingling off green afterglow.

Suddenly, giant fists of magma interrupted my reverie. Dozens of the things soon turned into hundreds. Curled fists, the size of two double decker buses surged into the heavens! Magma fists? H-hot! Just passing by me, I can feel the incredible heat coming from these fists.

I fell ever closer towards a crescent shaped island in my descent. Ships fought in the horizon, and the sound of artillery being fired began assaulting my ears. A couple of the magma fists landed on the bay, causing large amounts of steam to occlude my vision. A moment later, the horizon was covered by an eerily familiar light. It's that pale light from my memories! Within seconds, that light flashed a dozen times, and I was once again blown back into the clouds. Along with my tumultuous flight, the hundreds of fists in that were nearing impact crumbled to rocks, and dust, flung far away from the island.

"What the." a small boulder struck me and broke apart on my face. Causing a slight stinging sensation. Wait a minute, this isn't a dream! I've never felt pain before in a dream! I didn't think about that dull pain from earlier because I was so enraptured by the majesty that is the sky. Suddenly, the events of today assaulted my psyche all at once. This isn't a dream! This is a nightmare!

"Kuzan, you froze the bay to deep!" Akainu growled as yet more of his flaming fists of Justice were swept away by Whitebeard.

"Ara, ara. No need for such anger Sakazuki, you know as well as I that the bay was the best place to trap them. Besides, I was simply completing the orders I was given." Aokiji casually spoke to Akainu with his hands in pockets, adopting a relaxed posture.

Akainu grit his teeth, and was about to say more when Sengoku interrupted them. "Enough! Sakazuki, you're not going to melt the ice from here, Whitebeard will keep destroying your attack. Make your way to the bay, and melt the ice! If we delay for one second, the curtain wall won't go up in time. Your ploy has already been foiled, and we've lost a Shichibukai. Fortunately, I had the den den cut before Whitebeard landed his attack, saving us a little face. Cheh, don't fail me in this Sakazuki! Justice, world peace, and the future of the era are on the line."

Akainu jumped down towards the bay without a word to Sengoku. His shadowed face, and occasionally bursting bubbles of magma were the only indicator towards his mental state.

"Bwahahahaha, that boy never could stomach failure! It's just like when he was a recruit all over again!" Garp gripped his sides, laughing deeply at Akainu's moody display.

Sengoku's grim face was all that met Garp's attempt at levity. A glance, and Garp's laughter suddenly cut off. "You feel it to Garp…We're old, Garp. The world is about to enter a new era, and won't have a place for us. I know this pains you, but as the nakama I can trust most in this world. The one who's been with me through it all. Help me this one last time."

Flashback

Standing in line was a group of Navy recruits being addressed by a Marine Captain. "Alright men! Over the next six months, I'm going to turn you into Marines! Here you'll learn about honor, duty, and Justice!"

"Ura!" the new recruits cheered at the Captain's proclamation.

"Justice!" The Marine Captain shouted again, raising his fist in the air.

"Justice!" the recruits shouted back, trying to surpass the Captain in volume.

"Just-Young man!" the Captain shouted out.

"Young man!" the recruits copied the Captain again.

"You there!" when no response was forthcoming, the Captains face reddened like an overripe tomato.

The entire groups attention was brought to one recruit at the front. He stood tall with a snot bubble expanding and retracting. Soft snores could be heard by those who stood close to him. All the scrutiny caused a certain afro haired, and bespectacled recruit to shrink in on himself as to not attract attention.

"I said you there!" The Captain marched up to the snot bubble man, and slapped him as hard as he could with the back of his hand. In response, the sleeping man reached out, and punched the Captain, popping his snot bubble, causing him to wake up.

As the Captain lay in a heap of dust, it quickly became apparent to the new recruits that he'd fallen unconscious.

"Captain!"

"Who was the bastard who knocked out the symbol of Justice!"

"I saw it all! It's that tall guy with the afro!"

"Justice!"

"JUSTICE!"

"MARINES!"

Various recruits called out, and whipped themselves into a frenzy, hellbent on getting revenge for the Captain.

"N-no guys, it really wasn't me." Afro called out raising his arms defensively.

"Ah? You all looking for a fight?" Looking around, the formerly sleeping man noticed a group of angry recruits forming a circle around him and another guy.

"Hey, Afro you look pretty strong. Looks like these guys are gunning for us, I'll take the group on the left, you take the group on the right." The man made a crazed grin as battle was about to commence.

"W-wait! My names-" as Afro was about to tell the wild man his name, he subconsciously dodged a punch, and counter attacked. His opponent went flying into the crowd, taking down five other new recruits.

"I knew I saw something in you Afro, let's start this inauguration with a bang! Doryaa!" the wild man waded into the crowd.

"He's crazy." A small smile appeared on Afro's lips as he turned towards his side of the fight. Cracking his knuckles, a grim chuckle escaped his mouth. "Bring it on!"

As the battle had come to a close the two men ended back to back, sweat dripped into their eyes, and their clothes were coated in scuffs, tears, and dirt smears.

"Say, I never did get your name back there. My names Sengoku by the way."

"The names Garp, Monkey D. Garp! I see great things for us in the future, Afro! We're going places!" Garp grandstanded, lifting his arms into the air.

"It's Sengoku! Sen-Go-Ku! Ga!" Sengoku got into a tussel with Garp wrestling on the ground.

"Bwahahahaha!" Meanwhile, Garp laughed the entire time.

"Stop laughing damnit!"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Garp laughed even harder.

"GAAAAAAARP!"

"Look Zepher, I have a son! Fleet Admiral Kong, look! I have a son!" Garp waved his son about Marine Headquarters with glee.

"Sengoku! Sengoku, I have a son!" Garp barged into the room.

"Gah! Damnit Garp! I'm on the crapper!" Sengoku covered his unmentionables with a newspaper.

"Bwahahahaha! He'll be a proud, strong Marine!" Garp beamed, shoving his son towards Sengoku without a care in the world.

"G-Garp!" Sengoku dropped the newspaper, and quickly grabbed the child. In his arms was a curious babe with a shaggy black head of hair.

"That's my friend Sengoku, a great hero of the Marines! I wouldn't trust any other man with my back. Say hi Dragon!" Garp pointed a thick finger at the afro haired, glasses wearing man.

"Goku! Goku!" little Dragon clapped his hands in happiness.

"He's saved the world many times, treat your godfather with respect. Later Sengoku, I've got some things to do in East Blue!" Garp waved at Sengoku, and left in a hurry.

"Wait, Garp, Garp! Huh?" In his arms a little baby had a snot bubble, and snuggled into his arms. Sengoku smiled, and adjusted his grip to make sure little Dragon had a comfortable position.

"I walked over to see what the commotion was, but all I saw was a grown man with his pants down taking care of a child. Typical Sengoku."

"Wait Tsuru, it's not what it looks like! It's Ga-" Raising his voice had agitated Dragon, and he was about to wake up. 'Oh no, Garp's son is going to cry! If this gets out, Tsuru will ridicule me endlessly!' "Hush little Dragon, don't you cry, Uncle Goku's gonna hold you tight. When you wake, there will be food for you to take, as much meat as you can eat." Dragon snuggled further into his arms, and relaxed after Sengoku sang his lullaby.

"I'm sorry Garp." Sengoku clasped Garp's shoulder in solidarity.

Garp sobbed his soul out. He grasped onto one of Sengoku's legs as support, clenched in his other hand was a wanted poster. "Why Sengoku, why! On the anniversary that she left us no less! He was such a bright boy, the future of the Marine's! We wanted him to be happy. We were so happy. Where did I go wrong Sengoku?" Garp looked up, lost in sorrow. Searching. Searching for anything that could give him hope.

Gripping his shoulder even harder, Sengoku didn't have any answers for his long time friend of more than twenty years. "I'm sorry Garp." A small tear found its way into his budding beard.

After some time had passed, Sengoku had decided that enough was enough. "C'mon, let's go lock up some pirates Garp. That always makes you laugh. Hey, if you get more pirates than me this time, I'll shave my afro." Sengoku tried to cheer up his friend, wiping his eyes, and adopting a painfully happy face.

As they left Sengoku's office, they came across Vice-Admiral Tsuru. "Bwahahaha! That'd be a sight! Hey Tsuru-chan, Sengoku's going to shave his afro!"

"Sengoku, the hairless wonder, you'll have to find a new nickname for him after this. Perhaps, baldy?" Tsuru showed a reserved smile towards Garp.

"Bwahahaha, you hear that!? After this, you'll be Baldy!"

"Who you calling Baldy, you wild Monkey!"

Sengoku and Garp bickered until they boarded the ship on their pirate hunting expedition.

"Hey Afro." Garp called out.

Sengoku turned around at his old nickname.

"Thanks." Garp said, facing the sea.

Present

An explosion of power shocked the entire island as two great existences collided in the bay.

"It's begun." Sengoku's eyes hardened, and he glanced one more time at Garp, searching for something.

"I'm with you...Afro."

AN: Short chapter, taking a course over the summer, so slow updates. Will be doing some 3rd person pov ch's to depict some of the epic fights I have planned. Maybe a Whitebeard pov, or Akainu pov. At Marineford, which characters would you like to see go all out? As you can see, Whitebeard is going to be much more proactive. If you can't read between the lines, Squardo didn't go traitor, meaning Whitebeard wasn't shocked or injured.