8. Law, Bonney, and Whitebeard. Two Legends Free of their Shackles.
│3rd Person POV│
[Marineford, War of the Best…]
[Sometime earlier…]
Bonney was weeping beside the real Kuma's unresponsive body.
"Daddy, please wake up! Daddy!" For the past few minutes, she had been trying to wake him up, however, her attempts were futile.
All of a sudden, a blue hue enveloped the two of them leading to Bonney quickly wiping the tears from her eyes and turning around to face the potential enemy.
Just a few meters behind her, stood Trafalgar Law, a fellow Supernova with a bounty of 200 Million Berries.
"What do you want?" Bonney asked with a battle-ready stance.
Law just glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before focusing on the human-turned-cyborg.
Right now, he was utilizing the power of his Op Op Fruit to fully scan Kuma's body when suddenly, Bonney attacked him after not getting an answer.
Her hands were glowing with pink light, indicating the use of her powers.
Law, knowing the way Bonney's power worked, uttered just one word, "Shambles!"
Suddenly, Bonney found herself far away from Law and in her previous position, was her father's body.
"You should calm down, you know. If I had been here with hostile intentions, I would have dismembered you the moment my Room covered you." Law stated calmly while still having most of his attention focused on Kuma.
At this moment, Bonney wanted to turn Law into an old man. However, knowing that she was outclassed, she chose to angrily spit out her question instead, "What are you doing to Daddy?
"And why are you even here? I thought you were fighting that weirdo Sentomaru."
While speaking, she walked slowly toward Kuma, and by the time she finished, she was standing guard between Kuma and Law.
Law ignored her actions as he didn't need a direct view to examine Kuma's body when it was within his Room.
In a nonchalant tone, Law responded to her, "Sumo-ya has already been defeated by me. At the end of our fight, I noticed you sneaking into the main battlefield. So, I followed you out of curiosity.
"I never expected that you were the daughter of Bartholomew Kuma, the Warlord most obedient to the World Government.
"Though I can now see the reason why he was so obedient to them."
At first, Bonney was angry at herself after knowing that someone was tailing her from the start and she didn't notice it in her haste to reach her Daddy.
That anger changed to confusion and desperation once she heard Law till the end.
She desperately wanted to know why her Daddy suddenly became one of the Warlords and started obeying the World Government. Why didn't he write a single letter to her in almost 2 years?
She looked at Law with a tearful face and asked pleadingly, "What did you find out? Please, tell me!!"
With any change in his expression, Law answered, "Bartholomew Kuma had been fully turned into a cyborg. There's no shred of Humanity left in this body.
"However, I am sensing something abnormal in him that I can't figure out. I think you will get your answers if you question the one who turned Kuma into a cyborg."
"Vegapunk!!" Bonney spit out through gritted teeth.
Hearing this, a small smirk appeared on Law's face. Controlling his expression he said, "Vegapunk did this, huh? Well then, you should forget about questioning him as you aren't strong enough to do so."
Bonney couldn't help but lash out hearing the harsh truth, "You have had your curiosity satisfied, right!? So get out of here!!!"
Law raised his hands in surrender while saying, "No need to get agitated. By the way, I have a proposal. You want to hear it? It might even help you get stronger than you have ever imagined."
Initially, Law didn't have the intention to agree to Jinbe's deal. He had his own plan on when to enter the New World, what to do to gain the position needed to enact his revenge, etc.
However, when he heard Eustass Kid agreeing and that even Straw Hat was going to participate in the war, he impulsively agreed.
Now that he had sided with the Whitebeard Pirates, he wanted them to win the war in an overwhelming manner so that he could get the maximum benefit he could from the situation.
Knowing that Bonney had the power to tip the scales of the war massively in favor of Whitebeard Pirates, Law's plan from the start had been to convince Bonney to act according to his instructions.
If he could get her to do his bidding through emotional manipulations, he would do so. However, it was not like what he was proposing to Bonney was false.
If she completed his plan perfectly, she would get the chance to become much stronger.
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[Back to present…]
Sengoku couldn't believe what he was seeing with his own eyes.
Sengoku wasn't the only one; Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, Vice Admiral Onigumo, and others– everyone keeping a close watch on Whitebeard, Marco, and Jozu– couldn't fathom what they were witnessing.
A small child who looked about 10 years old was clinging to Whitebeard's back.
Her hands were emitting pink lights that gradually covered Whitebeard from head to toe.
When his decades of instincts didn't register the pink-haired child as a threat, Whitebeard didn't use Haki to resist her Devil Fruit abilities.
He even stopped Marco from taking action and fully relaxed his body to let the child's power flow into his body without facing any resistance.
Slowly, he began to feel himself becoming stronger and the years of pain that he was constantly used to experiencing due to incurable illness began to disappear as if they were never there.
The whole of Marineford was silent at the moment as almost everyone present there watched Whitebeard de-age.
A few seconds later, the pink light covering him receded and a blonde-haired giant of a man came into view.
Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate was standing tall in front of the execution platform, looking just like he did in his prime.
Whitebeard with his eyes closed, took a moment to appreciate how his body felt during his prime.
Slowly opening his eyes, he first carefully picked up the small child that was on his right shoulder with his left hand and held her close to his chest.
Bonney didn't resist him one bit as she was already on the verge of unconscious from the amount of energy she had to expend to make Whitebeard young again.
Whitebeard took a careful look at the child in his hand and said in a gentle voice, like a father speaking bedtime stories to his daughter, "Child, I will never be able to repay what you have done just now.
"However, I promise you. After today, nothing on this sea will ever trouble you again. Marco, look after her. And that other brat too!"
Saying that Whitebeard handed Bonney to Marco, who took her in his arms with extreme care.
Step—
Step—
Step—
For a moment, only the sound of Whitebeard walking toward the execution platform could be heard throughout the Marineford.
Apart from a certain pirate with a Strawhat on his head, who was also running toward the execution platform after receiving a shot of tension hormone from Ivankov, everyone had their gaze transfixed to the younger-looking Whitebeard.
Finally, Sengoku was the first to come to his senses as he roared, "Stop him, Aokiji, Akainu, Kizaru. Marines, don't be discouraged by his looks.
"He won't stay young for long. And you two, execute Portgas D. Ace right this instant."
The Fleet Admiral said the last part while looking at another new pair of Executioners that arrived to take the place of the guys that were taken down by Crocodile.
As the three Admirals stepped forward together to face the Prime Whitebeard, the Executioners stood on Ace's sides with their blades held high.
Whitebeard was just about to let loose his Conqueror's Haki to Ace's execution when he saw what was going to happen with his Future Vision.
Seeing Whitebeard just smirking without doing anything to prevent Ace from being killed, Sengoku was pretty confused.
"Stop!!"
Strawhat Luffy's scream reached his ears and he involuntarily shifted his attention from Whitebeard.
Sengoku had a feeling that Whitebeard's inaction was somehow related to Garp's grandson.
The two Executioners didn't pay attention to Luffy's scream as they swung their blades to behead Ace.
"I said, STOOOOOOP!"
Whoosh—!!!
His feelings were proven right when the seventeen-year-old pirate unleashed a wave of uncontrolled Conqueror's Haki that rendered numerous pirates and marines unconscious.
However, an even more bizarre scene happened next.
Just before Luffy's Conqueror's Haki was about to reach the execution platform, Ace released his own Conqueror's Haki and protected the two Executioners.
As the Executioners' blades were about to touch Ace's neck, they disintegrated into a waxy substance.
The waxy substance quickly slithered down Ace's body before enveloping the handcuffs.
CLICK——!
WHOOSH——!!!
The next second, the handcuffs fell and Ace took a second to appreciate the feeling of finally being free from Sea Stone Shackles before massive fire erupted from all over his body.
The fire avoided the two Executioners and formed a massive dome surrounding the three of them.
In the protection of the dome, Ace expressed his thanks, "I remember you guys! You guys are Mr. 2 and Mr. 3 from the former Baroque Works, right?
"Thank you! For freeing me and also for helping Luffy escape Impel Down!"
Hearing Ace's words, Bon Clay and 3 were confused. How did Ace know that they helped Straw Hat?
After expressing his thanks, Ace did some stretches to get warmed up for the upcoming action.
Outside the dome, Sengoku came out of his shocked state and quickly assumed his Buddha Form, "I will execute you myself, Ace!!!"
He punched the dome of fire and just as his punch landed, the fire dome exploded outward.
The explosion was powerful enough to completely disintegrate the execution platform to pieces.
Sengoku had to revert back to his Human Form and land on the battlefield below so as to not damage his own Marines.
At the same time, Ace also jumped off the remains of the execution platform with Bon Clay and 3 held in either of his hands.
In mid-air, Ace sent Mr. 3 and Bon Clay flying toward Luffy. Meanwhile, he himself landed in the middle of some Vice-Admirals.
Surveying his surroundings for a moment, he grinned widely and declared, "You guys ready for some quick nap?"
The next instant, he let loose the full might of Conqueror's Haki, covering everyone within the vicinity of the execution platform.
...To Be Continued!
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A/N: Ace is once again free!
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