Interlude - Voices from the seven seas!

A little girl ran across the white sands of Baltigo, chasing.

"Sabo! Wait for me!" She shouted.

"It's not my fault you're so slow Koala! I won't miss this because of you." Sabo replied, pushing faster, flying across the sand to the port.

Not far now, Sabo spotted the old man and his buddies standing by, watching the den den mushi intently as a video played on it.

"Oi! Old man!" Sabo called out, trying to catch his attention, missing the jumble of debris littered at his feet, snagging his leg into a knot of rope.

He crashed headfirst into a pole by the dock, right below the group, frightening the snail resting atop it, shutting the feed off.

"Sabo!" Dragon chastised.

"Yattatatat" Sabo rubbed his forehead,

".... you can start it over!" He added guiltily.

"Yes. And it's a good thing we can..." Dragon narrowed his eyes at Sabo, pressing on the snail but nothing happened.

Dragon sighed, rubbing his forehead.

He turned to Ivankov.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"Do you really need to ask?

The boy has experience freeing slaves, and he just took down the Crap Dragons on their hemorrhoids pile.

If we don't take this chance, I don't think we'll ever get a better one." Ivankov replied.

"Kuma?" Dragon looked at the hulking man beside him.

"He will make a crucial asset. A second light of the revolution. Maybe.

With that devil fruit extractor alone he can help us cripple the marines.

Not to mention.... Mariejoise.

He has already done more in ten minutes than we have ever achieved. Not at least trying would be a waste. I would even suggest sending Karasu to one of the blues.... North maybe. Start an uprising and distract the world government while we extract him. If he survives what's coming next that is."

"I see." Was all Dragon said, before nodding.

He got up, resolve shining in his eyes.

"Let's go."

"I wanna come with!" Sabo interjected.

"Where?" Dragon feigned ignorance.

"Sabaody!" He huffed, "I know you're going there to recruit the panda guy! I want in! I'm soooo bored here! There's nothing to do!"

"There's training. And Koala." Dragon said pointing behind him at Koala panting, gasping for breath.

Sabo rolled his eyes.

"But she's a girl! And so boring! She can't even keep up! I wanna go out with you! Please please please please!" Sabo begged.

"Mmfufufu! Sa-boy! You say that because you're still young! But once you grow up, the chase will turn around! Mfufufuf!" Ivankov teased.

"As if! She'll never be faster than me!" Sabo said, puffing up his chest.

This only caused Ivankov to laugh harder though.

"Sabo. We're not going anywhere. Now go back to your training. I can see you're being let off easy. Maybe we should increase your training a bit?"

Sabo gulped heavily, but stood his ground.

Ivankov smiled.

He liked the spirit.

"Why not bring him along? Let him experience it for himself. How the revolutionaries deal with the government."

Dragon pored over Sabo, thought for a moment, and nodded approvingly.

Sabo's eyes lit up.

"Yosha!" He jumped up in joy, landing on the pier.

Dragon put a hand on his shoulder and pushed down with authority.

"Stay behind. And don't get involved. Only watch and learn." Dragon warned.

Sabo nodded.

"I got it! Let's go already!"

Dragon nodded ever so slightly. And they boarded the ship. To Sabaody.

.

"Kaidou-sama!" Queen shouted.

"Wake up Kaidou-sama!"

"Ha?" Kaidou woke up with a start.

"Kaidou-sama look!" Queen showed him the recorded video.

Though it only held the latter part of it.

The explosion.

The purple glow reflected in Kaidou's eyes, causing them to shine with delight.

He let out a guttural bellow.

"Worororo!"

He looked at the video again and crushed the den den mushi in his fist.

"I must have this. Queen, bring him to me! Perhaps finally there is someone that can kill me!" He ordered.

"As you wish, Kaido-sama." Queen said, turning to King.

"Mobilize our forces. We are stealing him from the paws of the Marines, even if it means war."

" Even better if it means war!" Kaido shouted.

"I have been waiting for this a long time. Joy boy.....I wonder what he would have thought of this, Worororo!" Kaido laughed.

"The end of the world government.....and I get to be the executioner!"

.

"He's an idiot." Mihawk said, taking a swig of his sake, not even bothering to look at the screen.

"No doubt about that! Dahahahaha! Brough!" Shanks laughed so hard he choked on his sake, snorting it out his nose.

"Gross." Mihawk noted, shrinking away from him.

"Are you going to do anything?" He asked.

"No." Shanks replied.

"Kaido won't stop at anything to get him. And that's just him. The world government...." Mihawk said before Shanks interjected.

"You misunderstood." Shanks grinned, looking Mihawk in the eye, "I won't do anything, because I won't need to do anything."

"Very cryptic....." Mihawk mused.

"It's simple, idioooot!" Shanks mocked, "Does that guy look like he's afraid of anyone?" Shanks asked.

"Or stupid enough to do something like that without a thought?"

"He IS a mad scientist." Ben Beckmann pointed out.

"Excatly!" Shanks said.

"Exactly." Mihawk corrected.

"What'd I shay?" Shanks slurred.

"Nevermind...." Mihawk replied, shaking his head, as he stared silently at the screen.

Troubled times were coming. Shanks can be unnervingly perceptive at times, but Mihawk knew his type.

This wasn't going to end that easy.

A war was coming.

And he prayed for once that he was wrong.

Though, he smiled, on second thought, he wouldn't mind a bit of exercise every now and then.

.

Vegapunk looked at the hijacked screen of his computer, despondent.

From the moment the madman on Sabaody had taken control of it, he had been typing away furiously, trying to wrench back control of his computer.

To no avail. It wasn't even a matter of how good his control was or what method he used.

It was almost as if the man had the ability to rule over technology.

A devil fruit?

Was there a devil fruit like that?

Vegapunk wondered, pacing in his room.

He couldn't recall any such thing in the past. And he remembered everything.

Perhaps this was an effect of another devil fruit. Some esoteric property he didn't yet realize?

That could be interesting. As much as Vegapunk disliked being a pawn of the government, even with their obscene funding, he hoped they would capture the man.

Vegapunk would certainly love to have some words with him.

The jiki jiki no mi perhaps?

Another line of thought merged in his head.

No. Someone else had that fruit already. A king on some spring island in the south blue.

Then.....the rumble rumble fruit?

Theoretically...yes. It was possible. And the disappearance of the fruit was a curious case too. It disappeared in the middle of the sea with last user dying. The world government had looked for it far and wide, even under the sea, but they had found neither fruit nor a new wielder.

Perhaps this was him?

A new wielder of the rumble rumble fruit?

But then how did he-

Maybe an electromagnetic field, overlapping a thousand times over, stacking into an impenetrable barrier?

Wouldn't it be easier-

No...

Hmmmm....he would need to do some research on it....

And with that, Vegapunk looked at his old disbanded lab, clicked his tongue.

Time to build a new computer. From his old trash.

He couldn't wait till this mess was over and he certainly wasn't going to trust this computer.

He needed something newer, better.... impenetrable!

And with that, Vegapunk went to work.

.

Whitebeard looked at the screen with a grim expression.

Even his sake tasted off today.

"Pops?" Marco asked concerned.

"Hm?"

"What will we do? The government will go crazy over this!" Squard worried.

"We watch." He said, when he suddenly began coughing.

"Whitebeard-sama! How many times have I told you not to drink excessively?" The nurse ran out, scolding him.

"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard laughed.

"This is no laughing matter!" She cried, refilling his IV drip.

Whitebeard smiled as looked down on the woman.

He knew he was getting old.

He hand long come to terms with his own mortality.

So long as he lived a life he didn't regret, he would consider his life well lived.

And he was a happy man. A fulfilled man.

He had achieved all his dreams. A name for himself. A better future for Sphinx. All the indulgences one could afford and more.

And most importantly...

Whitebeard scanned the deck, the laughing faces, the crying faces, the sleepy faces. All of them his children.

Adopted they may be, but they were and would always be his children.

His most important dream.

A family.

And now.....

The man in the labcoat had pushed the world to the brink of war.

Whitebeard wasn't one to shrink away from a challenge.

No. He welcomed it. But this...

It would risk the lives of his family. All of them.

Whitebeard was strong. The strongest man in the world.

And he didn't get here being a dumb brute.

He was a smart man. He knew what this meant.

War. He never shied away from one before.

But now.....

He harbored no delusions of supremacy. Not over the world government.

Oh he could fight. And win even. But the losses to both sides would be more than either were willing to pay.

Thus, he was secure in the thought of living out the rest of his life in peace, atop the summit of the world.

That was in normal circumstances though.

This man...he had changed it all. Toppled the high table. Broke the game.

And for the first time in his life, Whitebeard was reluctant to fight.

He resolved.

He would wait. And he would watch.

He wouldn't run from the fight if it came to him. No proud warrior shows his back in battle.

But he would under no circumstances risk his family for the delusions of a fool.

Not anymore. He would die, without regrets.

.

That gun. That bomb. Whatever devil fruit he used to kill that monkey.

She wanted it.

And she wanted him too!

She wanted all of it!

She shoved a handful of cake down her gullet.

Mhmmm... strawberry shortcake was her favorite!

Now where was she?

Yes! The man with the balls of diamond.

If she'd been ten years younger oh.....

Not that she couldn't have him now if she wanted.

But it didn't make sense to waste him.

She needed him to bear children. To tie him down. To her family.

"Lola!" She called out.

"Yes mama?" Lola answered, hiding her annoyance.

She could already see where this was going.

"You will go to Sabaody. And you will seduce him. He must belong to our family. Take Katakuri and Amande and a naval detachment of you must. And don't return alive if you fail. It's high time you took responsibility for the family." Big Mom ordered.

Lola sighed, subduing her screams internally.

She couldn't stand against her mother.

Not like this. Not alone.

She looked back at the screen and at the man laughing at the explosion he had caused.

He didn't look bad. Definitely her type.

And he was strong. Strong enough to fight the world government. And if he survived by the time she arrived, maybe strong enough to save her from this life.

She would go to Sabaody, yes.

But not for her mom.

She would do it for herself.

Finally, Lola would be free.

.

Meanwhile, at Marineford, Sengoku paced his office impatiently.

His balled fists clutched behing his back, casting furtive glances at the den den mushi.

The moment the broadcast ended, he knew he would be getting a call from the Elders. And they would ream him.

But the situation could still be salvaged. Maybe.

He just needed to figure out how.

Suddenly the door blew open, flying off it's hinges, tearing pieces off the wall along with it.

"Sorry I'm late!" Garp said, holding Akainu under his arm like yoga mat.

"Can't you come through the door like a normal person fo once?! That comes out of the budget!" Sengoku screamed.

"Bwahahahaha! It's just a door!" Garp laughed, waving away Sengoku's worries.

"That's the 218th door you've broken this month! In a month, Garp! There aren't even that many doors in Marineford! You've broken the doors we repaired too! And the walls....." Sengoku shouted, "As if the falling continental shelf hadn't screwed us already."

"Sengoku! Sengoku. Shout later. Listen to this dumb kid first! He has an idea of how we can solve this problem! He can get to Sabaody!"

Sengoku levelled an annoyed gaze at the man in Garp's hands.

"And how do you plan to do that? Vice admiral Sakazuki, was it?

The falling debris broke our ships, the subsequent landslide dammed the harbor. There is no way in or out of Marineford right now!"

"There is one way out sir!" He replied.

"hn?" Sengoku intoned.

Akainu lifted a hand, pointing up.

"The sky?" Sengoku asked, when it clicked.

"Oh.....you don't mean?"

"Yes sir! Fleet Admiral ...sir!" Akainu said.

"And who would be mad enough to try such a thing?" Sengoku asked, mildly amused.

"If you would allow it, sir, I would like to volunteer myself!" He replied.

"Told you he was a dumb kid." Garp said from behind.

Sengoku looked at the vice admiral speechless for a moment before a smile bloomed on his weary face.

"If you survive this, your drinks are on me, for the whole year, kid." Sengoku patted Akainu's shoulder.

"I will not fail you sir!" Akainu saluted, as they walked out of the office onto the balcony.

It wasn't always a balcony. It was the officer mess hall actually. But now, with the roof collapsed over it, it made for an adequate pad.

"Are you ready?" Sengoku asked, his body glowing golden as he transformed into his giant form.

"I was born ready, sir!" Akainu grinned.

Sengoku nodded approvingly.

Slowly a pitch black creeped up his form turning the golden buddha into the likeness of a torched one.

Armament Haki!

Sengoku extended a hand down to Garp and Akainu, as they climbed on.

"Hope you don't regret this kid. Though I suppose of we fail, there won't be much of you left to regret." Garp laughed, hugging Akainu tight.

"Ready? In 3....2.....!"

Sengoku reared his palm and a golden halo burst out behind it.

"Impact Wave!"

A golden bubble of power shot out from his palm, launching Garp and Akainu into the air at supersonic speeds, tearing through the air.

It carried them almost halfway to Sabaody. Then it was Garp's turn.

"Geppo!"

Garp used moonwalk to climb up through the air, till he reached a suitable height and patted Akainu.

"Time to coat yourself with your own haki. I'll need to concentrate on your sendoff!" Garp warned.

Akainu nodded, and curled up as his body turned black from head to toe as of made of wrought iron.

"Do it!" He cried.

"Remember, you asked for this!" Garp smiled in full.

A red aura gathered around Garp's hands as he grabbed Akainu like a baseball, and lifted him up, taking a throwing stance.

"Fist of Love! 1000 percent!"

Garp threw Akainu, burning through the air, as he activated his devil fruit powers. The Magu Magu no Mi, the Magma fruit!

Flames licking at his feet, he barreled through the air.

Sabaody approached in the distance. He could see the giant mangroves now....and was that mangrove falling?

Akainu watched as mangrove toppled down into the sea, shattering into pieces, sending waves splashing into the Archipelago.

No doubt the foul villain's doing!

Silently he added another count to destruction of public property in the man's already large laundry list of crimes.

He wouldn't escape his Absolute Justice for long now!

Borsalino might have been an idiot, but he wasn't one.

He pushed his haki to it's maximum as he crashed into the archipelago, burning through entire trees in the process. A collateral damage of getting justice, he told himself.

He stood up, patting his coat clean of the caked dirt, as steam rose from his feet, and magma bubbled up from the ground.

A requim was coming. And it's name was Akainu!

.

I watched the flaming meteor crash land into the street before me, the soldiers fleeing helter skelter from the impact and saw a shape within it.

The shape of a man.

A realisation strikes.

Is that...?

I checked my surveillance footage and zoomed in on the Marineford base.

Was that Sengoku and ... Garp?

What are they...

Holy shit. That was awesome!

But also, a problem for me right now.

My contacts beeped and a notification popped up informing me that the explosion had allowed for the computer to detect the location and coordinates of Ryugu Kingdom under the sea.

Apparently a tree was growing up into Mariejoise, straight from the mermaid kingdom.

Hmmm.....Neat!

That's as good an out as any!

I looked back up at the street as Akainu got up to his feet, magma bubbling at his feet, instantly drying up the flood that the tree had wrought upon the street, as the steam obscured my view.

Not that I needed vision to know what was coming.

"You! Revolutionary!" Akainu shouted, growing to his full glory, magma dripping off of his body, his hands glowing amber hot.

"Today you face a reckoning for your crimes! Come, meet my Absolute Justice!"

"I think not!" I said, as I turned to the camera for the last time.

"Now as you might know, the world nobles kept a bunch of slaves up there in Mariejoise.

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what happened to the slaves up there? Did I kill them too with that explosion?

Well worry not, dear viewer!

I am not so cruel!

For I saved them. All of them! Right before the explosion!" I said, opening portals in the air between me and Akainu, causing all the saved slaves to drop down from the portals, blocking his path towards me.

"And here they come now!" I pointed out.

"I wonder now, will the just and righteous marines kill their way through the innocent slaves to get to me?

The answer might shock you!" I said, silently opening another portal below us,sending the rest of my group down into the mermaid kingdom.

"You!" Akainu cried out, boiling with anger as he began to tear through the falling slaves, burning them to death, making his way to me.

"Oh...you just went and proved my point before I even made it! That's not good tv, Akainu!

You gotta keep up the suspense a bit!" I wagged my finger at him, as I concentrated the forcefield before me, catching his blows as they came.

"Tch!" I clicked my tongue.

"No sense of showmanship in you, is there?" I asked.

Though he only kept pounding on the forcefield like a madman.

"Well if you're not going to play along, I suppose the show is over!"

"No!" Akainu cried and tried to move around the forcefield only to find himself trapped like Borsalino.

"Unfortunately, I am in a bit of a hurry, so I don't have time for post show pleasantries. Perhaps, another time?" I said, sending him a flying kiss, as I jumped in and disappeared.

___________________

Akainu comes up with and ingenious plan to capture MC.

And he fails.

Too bad.

Anyways, reaction chapter!

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