14

"Heh heh heh heh heh-hah hah hah hah!" I let loose a laugh reminiscent of Mark Hamil's Joker. A hand covered my face in disbelief. The utter absurdity of it all! This event at Marineford was supposed to be a stroll in the park! I made sure the gate of Justice was closed, stopping Blackbeard's plot, and stopped Oars Jr. with a devastating attack, but then the situation went pear-shaped! I almost died to that melon cap Curiel, and now after seizing several ships, I'm being attacked by two New World Captains!

"Moria-kun?" A worried? voice entreated.

"He's lost his rocker Elmy, I've never heard him laugh like that before." Whitey Bay gave me an undiscernible look.

"It all began with that sword zombie guy. What was his name, Ryoma, Ryuji, Romain? I should've noticed something was different from the narrative as soon as his fight with Zoro had gotten Zoro seriously injured." I muttered to myself continuing to ignore my surroundings. It was all beginning to make sense now. People who I treated as nothing more than characters from an anime had their own free will, and weren't destined to any one predetermined role! Is this what they call epiphany?

"I feel kind of bad doing this Whitey Bay, maybe we should lock him up in a loony-bin?" Elmy lost her 'cheerful' persona, and turned to Whitey Bay.

"Not yet, I still haven't paid him back for abandoning me to Kaido." Whitey Bay clenched her teeth in anger.

"Ah, that's right, I'm still fighting this duo. That cutey Whitey Bay, and that horrid sea hag Elmy." I put my fist into my palm at the realization. I spaced out for a moment during the lull in our fight. That's something I really have to look into.

"Cutey?" A tint of red appeared on Whitey Bay's cheeks.

"!" Is Whitey Bay secretly a tsundere? Maybe I can use this to my advantage. The best victories are those you don't have to fight at all.

"Moria! You dare calling me! Calling me a h-hag?! A hag! Oh hoh hoh hoh~ forget all I said earlier Whitey Bay, let's beat him till he can't move for a year." Elmy's eyes constricted in anger, and she began frothing at the mouth.

"Ah, wait Elmy! Uhh, you're a stunning, beautiful woman. You're the bravest woman in the four Blue's!" I held my arms up to show I was innocent. Damnit, I thought I could talk my way out of this one!

"Whitey Bay, watch his Doppleman, I'm going in!" A vicious grin adorned her face as she swiped her blade at me in a myriad of forms.

"Tch, don't get too cocky!" I began to hurl javelins of shadow from the front, and spawned copious amounts of Moria's signature technique, 'Brick Bats' behind me, ready to swarm her and act as a defensive net.

She got ever closer, skillfully dodging my barrage of attacks, or cutting through the ones she couldn't dodge.

I don't think I can dodge this attack. My body is damaged to high hell, and I have to constantly maintain and direct the shadow wings for flight. I only learned this technique a week or two ago, and I'm fighting two heavily experienced fighters. Geppo is some bullshit!

"You hear that Elmy, he called me cute!" Whitey Bay was playfully suppressing my Doppleman, making sure I couldn't swap with him. Swiping her sword in a lackadaisical manner.

"Hiii hiii hiii hiii! Call me a sea hag why dontcha. You're going to regret that one Moria-kun. Whitey Bay may be enamored with your slick tongue, but you're just as mean towards your Big Sis as always! It's true what they say, the older generation always has to look out for the younger. Eat my fist of love!" Elmy cried out in joyous sadism.

She was just tens of meters away, and closing. Ready to deliver a devastating blow. I had spent this entire time flying backwards while shooting at her, but she just got closer and closer. I had very little experience in melee combat. All my skills related to melee were gained by absorbing a couple Marine grunt's shadows from earlier, and whatever shadows Moria had absorbed before I took over his body.

Wait a minute, 'fist of love' maybe, was I misconstruing the fight this entire time? Did Whitey Bay really want to kill me? Did Elmy stab me in the back, purposefully avoiding my major organs? She did take me by complete surprise after all, and could've easily gone for my heart, or jugular.

Maybe I should beg for forgiveness? In my past life, one of my 'skills' if you can call it such was the ability to cry on command. I'm a proud man, but I'm not as proud as a Saiyan, my life means more to me than any amount of pride.

But begging for forgiveness, that's a huge gamble! If she really wants to kill or cripple me…it's over. Even a strong hit from her could knock me into the ocean, at which point, I'd be dead anyway. It's truly a miracle Luffy and the other devil fruit users haven't died at drowning considering the whole planet is mostly water.

No, focus, what do I do if she catches up? Maybe assume the gigantic state, and absorb all the shadows from my zombie pirate crews fighting down below? Use my enlarged shadow to enact an ultimate attack? But…I spent all that time, and sacrificed a lot of blood in that life and death fight with Curiel. To give up on all those ships, and zombies at this point would be a complete waste. Damnit, this is all one big gamble!

Just as I was about to make my decision, a flying leg came out of nowhere, and kicked Elmy deep into the ocean below.

"Elmy!" Whitey Bay stopped harassing Doppleman, and turned in shock towards Elmy's attacker.

However, a moment later, a golden laser beam shot towards her. She blocked with her haki coated blade, but the resulting explosion knocked her out of the sky. Whitey Bay fell down to the ocean as well.

"What?" I was preparing for the worst, when a golden leg saved me? That could only mean…!

"Hello~ Hello~ Oh~ You're that Shichibukai, Mori, right!" The man wearing orange tinted glasses, and a yellow pinstriped suit sounded very proud of himself for determining who I am.

"I am the Shichibukai Gecko Moria, yes. And you're the Admiral Kizaru. There was no need for you to interfere in my fight, I had it completely under control." I lied towards my savior. If I didn't have an image to protect as a Shichibukai and 'badass' pirate, I would've thanked him profusely. Barsalino always was one of the cooler Admirals in my opinion.

When I get more practice controlling the powers of my devil fruit, I'm definitely going to model some of my attacks after his. I noticed that my shadows don't have the same explosive power as the pika-pika no mi. However, the shadows from my kage-kage no mi are wicked fast, and can be incredibly sharp. Unfortunately, all my opponents lately have all been on the upper tier of combatants in the One Piece World.

"Hmm?" Kizaru just kind of floated there, seemingly ignoring everything I've said thus far.

"Ah! You know my name! That's a state secret!" Kizaru pointed a finger right up in my face, the light glow charging up an attack! He had what passes for a shocked expression on his face. His mouth was slightly ajar and his eyebrows were raised in confusion.

"No wait, you've got it wrong!" I shouted out in desperation. Is this the end? All this planning, and suffering, just to go out due to an accident? I don't have armament haki, so I can't contest with him physically. Maybe I can take his shadow, and he'll disintegrate? Ah! I can swap with Doppleman right now, and run away!

"No, wait! I've got it! You only said my name was Kizaru, not Barsalino, carry on citizen. Hoh~ Are those whale sharks? And a clown? How interesting~" With that, his finger dimmed till he wasn't emitting a radiant light anymore, and he casually floated away. He didn't even take a backward glance.

"…" I never said your name, Barsalino out loud! And you just ousted yourself, if you weren't easily distracted, I'd still be dead. I'm the victim here! Aiya! These misunderstandings are going to be the end of me.

At this point in time, Vice-Admiral Doberman was in his element. The haze of smoke stinging his eyes, his ears ringing from the constant sound of cannons firing. He felt like a Saint, delivered upon the fields of war. Justice was his creed, and no one was going to stand in the face of his holy mission.

"You there, are you cowering in the face of the enemy?!" Doberman's gruff voice addressed some blonde goofball wearing a black visor, and wearing a green vest with purple pants combo.

"M-me? No, no sir! I wouldn't dare desert! Nope, no way!" Blondie tried to defend himself.

Doberman always hated dandy's like this one, always trying to weasel their way out of their responsibilities. Doberman had dealt with hundreds of men like this in the past. At first, he'd let them off with a minor punishment. Twenty lashes were a small mercy to get his sailors into the right mindset that they were all instruments of Justice. But his mercy had been rejected every time.

"It's time to administer Justice." With a solemn vow, Doberman held his sword aloft.

"S-sir, I r-really don't think this is necessary, see! I'm fighting the pirates, honest!" Blondie's panicky voice shouted as he tried to run head first into the line of pirates.

*Shink* A sword pierced straight through Blondie's heart. "An admirable attempt, but far to late on your part. Carry this lesson on to your next life. Justice is always right!"

With an empty gasp, Blondie fell off Doberman's sword, and joined the thousands of corpses lining the battlefield.

"Forward men! Forward! Avenge Admiral Akainu! Avenge your comrades! To glory, for Justice!" Doberman rushed forward to join the fray again. As long as there was human sin, there would always be a need for Justice.

"Huff, Huff I'm here Pops! Take my flames of healing." Marco rushed behind Whitebeard's battered from, and completely covered Whitebeard in flame.

"Ha! Has Marco gone off the deep end?"

"Just like a pirate to turn on his nakama!"

Several Marine's berated Marco the Phoenix. Trying to gather what morale they could during this bloody conflict.

"Gura ra ra ra, foolish Marine's. This is a son's love! You're too blinded by Justice to understand that. Your folly was taking my son, now witness a father's wrath!" With one mighty swing, the naginata named Murakumogiri, one of the legendary weapons known as the Meito, sent hundreds of Marine's into the sky. Dozens were wounded by this one swing. Many more hit the ground dead, or unconscious.

"You're at the end of your rope Whitebeard! Today marks the end of an era!" Sengoku emerged in his giant budha form. His clothes tore, and he gave off a majestic radiance, inspiring the Marine's gathered around him. Wounded sailors stood up, and those at death's door crawled towards their opponents, fearless in the face of death.

'Hmph, if it wasn't for you dying Sakazuki, I could've sprung the curtain wall, and bombarded the pirates from all sides. Fortunately, I have a back up plan. A glance at Garp, and his plan B sprang forward, fist first. It's regrettable that I couldn't execute Ace early, but Garp would've been useless in this fight if he witnessed his grandson's demise. Oh well, no plan survives contact with the enemy' Fleet Admiral Sengoku internalized his decision making until now.

Marco, Garp, Whitebeard, and Sengoku began to trade blows. Whenever Marco would attempt to heal Whitebeard, he'd be punched away by Garp. Whitebeard's attempts to cause trouble for the rest of the Marine's would be canceled out by Sengoku's palm. Slowly but surely, the wounded Whitebeard was being pushed back.

As the fight raged on, a mouthful of fresh blood spread from Whitebeard's wounds.

"Pop's!"

"Kuh. Stand back Marco, it's over for me. I'm going to unleash one final attack, and I want you to escape with everyone else." Whitebeard firmed himself with resolve.

"Pop's…You hear that everyone?! Get ready to fall back! It falls to the father to carry the burdens of his children." Marco grit his teeth in agony. So many of his friends, brothers, and sisters, lost. And for what?

"I swear I'll get every one of you Marine's one day." Marco sneered; vengeance hot in his heart.

"We'll never abandon you Whitebeard, we'll fight to the end with you!" Squardo and his crew gathered behind Whitebeard.

"Heh, you always were my most willful son Squardo. Since I can't convince you otherwise, I'll gladly accept your support! Hear me, men and women who would stand with me! Those who believe in the freedom and family of the Blue's!

The light draws to a close. Darkness arises around us. We are alone and outnumbered. The lives we've lived, people we've loved, they're gone. And now, it's our time to shine. For them. This is the end of the road for us. An end to a journey, to leave our legacy.

Out of the darkness, rise once more, become the light, and fight in the night. All the loss, and pain, shine through it all, and fight. Never giving in, giving up, and just know that what we lost will be remembered one day, in history. Our legacy will live on, forever eternal.

Weak, and injured we fall, no more can we endure, but we gave our last breaths to the fight, and that's the only thing that matters.

Pirate's never die. They're just lost at sea. The sad thing about a lone wolf is you don't die around your friends and family; you die around your enemies. Stick to your family, and you'll always know your way!" At the end of his speech, Whitebeard gathered his remaining strength, and unleashed it towards Garp and Sengoku.

"Garp, we must intercept his blast! That's enough power to destroy the island!" Sengoku rushed forward mustering his strongest defense. Haki covered his fists as he prepared a shockwave to cancel out some of Whitebeard's attack.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Garp retorted. Gritting his teeth, Garp likewise covered his body in armament haki, preparing to meet the attack head on to save the island.

The majority of the energy was dissipated by Garp and Sengoku's defense, causing superficial damage to the island.

"Grown suicidal in your old age, eh Whitebeard?" Garp replied while shaking a headful of dust off his head.

"Wait Garp, something is wrong." Sengoku cautioned.

"Gura ra ra ra. Noticed have you. *cough cough* Why don't you turn around, and behold the fruits of my labor." Despite the copious amount of blood leaking from his injuries, Whitebeard managed a smug smile, and assumed an aura of victory.

"Luffy, a quarter of the island is gone, are you sure you still want to do this?" Jinbei, a blue fishman and former Shichibukai, known throughout the world as the 'warrior of the sea' asked Luffy with a serious and gruff voice.

"Mm! I'm going to save Ace!" With a nod of his head, Luffy jumped onto the island of Marineford to free Ace.

"Let's go guys!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Be careful Luffy-Chan!" Ivankov followed after him.

"Ah, is that a den den mushi? I'm going to be famous!" Buggy rubbed his hands with an avaricious glint in his eyes.

"I'm going to kill that old man Whitebeard." Crocodile followed the rest onto the island.

Meanwhile, several inmates from Impel Down were discussing just how happy they were with their new Captain:

"Wow, I can't believe Captain Buggy got all these whale sharks to save us after the gate of Justice closed!"

"I know right? Captain Buggy is the greatest!"

"He even managed to get followers like Straw Hat Luffy, Emporio Ivankov, Crocodile, and Daz Bonez to follow him!"

High in the sky, the Whitebeard pirate's symbol was burning in all its fiery glory.

"Pop's! Everyone! Let's go home!" A jubilant Fire-Fist Ace accelerated towards his nakama.

"Impossible!" Sengoku was stunned.

"…" Garp didn't know what to think.

"Gura ra ra ra, my all out attack wasn't meant to destroy the island. I came here for one thing, and one thing only. I thought you'd understand that, Sengoku." Whitebeard mocked the Marine.

"Quickly recover Ace, and pull out!" Squardo charged forward with his crew towards Garp and Sengoku to buy Ace a chance at escape.

"Go my son's! As long as you all live, you'll have made your father proud! Ace, whatever happens to me, I want you to run to, to enjoy life as a free man! Got it?" Whitebeard mentally prepared himself for his final fight, and laid down his last will.

"Tch, Old Man…thank you! Thank you for everything!" Ace had tears dripping from his eyes as he met up with Squardo's crew.

"Don't let them escape! We sacrificed too much for this farce to go on any longer! Garp! Garp?! Damnit Garp!" Sengoku was enraged by the following events. If Fire-Fist escapes, this could tarnish the image of the Marine's in the world's view. More people will perceive the Marine's as incompetents, lose faith in them and turn towards self-government, banditry and piracy.

"Heh heh heh, you broadcasted live to the whole world how Ace was some giant evil boogyman, what are you going to do when he leaves Marineford alive?" Squardo licked his blade in happiness. Getting back at the Marine's for all the lies and dirty plots of theirs was going to feel good.

"We absolutely cannot let that boy go." Sengoku muttered to himself.

"Ice Time!" A bloodstained Aokiji appeared behind Whitebeard, and began to freeze him all the way through with one hand. With his other hand, he unleashed spear upon spear inside Whitebeard's chest cavity, ensuring no escape.

"How?! I made sure I gave you a heart attack! I left you in a pool of your own blood!" Marco prepared to fly in and put an end to Aokiji.

"Ara ara, how foolish. For a man claiming not to be a fool, you casually explained the inner workings of your technique to me. I simply froze my heart, and restarted it with chest compressions. I'm sorry, but it ends here." Aokiji had frozen Whitebeard nearly completely, only his head and neck area were free for but a moment.

Using his power over the gura-gura no mi, he sent tiny shockwaves over his body to prevent the freezing effect as much as he could. If he was a younger man, he would've broken Aokiji on his knee, but sadly, his illness and the damage his body had accrued were too much. With one mighty shout, he spread out his last words for all to listen: "One Piece, is real!"

A/N: What do you think Moria should've done, beg for forgiveness, or attempt to do an ultimate attack in his enlarged state?

Anyway, we'll be heading to the East Blue in about 2-4 chapters, I think. And Moria is recruiting. Have any ideas for who you'd like to see Moria recruit to his crew? He's going to be taking charge of his fate more and more, expanding his personal power, as well as his powerbase. This also won't be the last we'll see of Whitey Bay and Elmy.

And a thank you to Halo Reach/Bungie for Whitebeard's speech.

Thanks for reading.