Before the sun fully cleared the horizon, a platoon of marines spilled into Marinford’s plaza. They swarmed around the wooden scaffold that jutted up like a mismatched peg against the rest of the rocky island. Some of them carried chairs while others climbed atop the structure and clasped and struck its joints to check its stability.
More marines spilled out from the “town” around the main building of Headquarters. They kept to regimented lines, forming intricate designs across Marineford. Some disappeared onto warships while others went to the bay’s outcroppings and manned the cannons. Still others took up various positions elsewhere, filling every tactical spot with at least one soldier.
It looked like a massive movement of white ants to Celestia. When the sun was a full orb, the warships spilled out of the bay like hornets whose nest had been disturbed. The display both held her interest and sent a chill through her. Nothing could stop this.
A glint caught her eye, but it came from her right rather than from the sun. A beam shot into her room, followed by another, and then a whole swarm of visible light. It coalesced into a stalky human form that quickly dimmed, giving it features.
The man the light had formed rubbed his chin. He bent over slightly and inspected the window Celestia had ruined. “Hopefully this will be the only damage up here.”
“You can blame Doflamingo for that, Admiral Kizaru,” said Celestia.
“I suppose.” Kizaru stood tall once more and straightened his sunglasses. “The Fleet-Admiral would like to see you in the briefing room.”
“Will Garp be there?”
“No clue.” Without a further word, Kizaru’s form burst into light and flitted away.
It’s foolish, but I must convince Garp to do something to stay the execution. Anything to get Straw Hat more time. Celestia concentrated and envisioned the briefing room in her mind. A golden aura covered her body and she vanished from her bedroom only to reappear in the briefing room.
Moria slammed on his neck to dislodge whatever he was munching on when Celestia appeared. Doflamingo cackled, Kuma remained silent, and Hawkeye sighed. Aokiji was propped up on one of his elbows near the head of the room, producing loud snores.
Kizaru’s light flew into the room and retook his form next to Aokiji. He noticed Celestia and blinked. “Oh, guess I’m not as fast as I used to be.”
A third man sat close to Aokiji and Kizaru. His body rippled with muscle that even his coat and red suit couldn’t hide. His angular cheekbones and cap helped obscure his eyes. The intense snarl on his face made Celestia think his association with dogs was quite fitting.
Celestia took a seat by Hawkeye again. “Why have we been summoned?”
“The fool has disappeared,” Hawkeye replied.
Before Celestia could make sense of Hawkeye’s statement, the room’s door was flung open. Sengoku stormed in with a dendenmushi clasped in his hand and the receiver to his mouth. It looked like its shell would crack at any moment. “Get some spare squads to the family housing then!”
Sengoku slammed down the receiver, sucked in his breath, and slowly expelled it. With a restored demeanor, he calmly made his way past the admirals to the head of the room. He pressed his hands into the table. “Sorry, an issue has come up: Blackbeard is unable to be located.”
Doflamingo cackled even more.
“He probably took your warning yesterday to heart,” Hawkeye mused. “I won’t fault a man for knowing when he’s outmatched, but only a fool enrages Whitebeard.”
“Regardless of Blackbeard’s integrity, he is still a Warlord,” Sengoku replied with a scowl. “You are all one of the main lines of defense in this operation. Jinbei’s refusal was already a blow to the plan, so I will have no more botches made today.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it,” said Doflamingo with his cocky grin. “If he ran, he probably wouldn’t have helped much anyway. I bet all of Whitebeard’s men know he’s a weakling and he didn’t want that to come out.”
Sengoku clenched his right hand in a fist, but didn’t reprimand Doflamingo. He spun around and made his way out but stopped at the door. “Get breakfast and be ready to report to your positions at eleven hundred hours. Portgas D. Ace will arrive soon after that and we shall prep the execution at noon.”
Celestia had no desire for food or being anywhere near Doflamingo, so as soon as Sengoku left, she teleported to the top of Headquarters. She’d held some hope that Garp might be up there again, but she found herself alone. “Darn.”
In a flash, she was at Marineford’s harbor with the waves crashing behind her. If things didn’t change in the next few hours, she’d be here again. A few marines jumped back or fell down at her sudden materialization. A small nub of pressure pressed against her forehead. I need to conserve my energy.
One figure stood out amongst the surprised marines on two counts. One was was his height that indicated giant ancestry. The other was his lack of surprise due to the horned mask with holes like a spider’s eyes covering his face. His white coat with the blue and gold epaulettes of a vice-admiral drew Celestia over to him.
“Vice-Admiral, I am looking for Garp, has he been around here?” she curtly asked.
“That’s Vice-Admiral Garp, Warlord,” the giant grunted. “And no, I haven’t seen him. Now, stop distracting us.”
The giant turned away from her and marched off to wherever his task was at. Celestia looked up at the winding staircase that led to Headquarters. Her eyes crossed over to the constantly rising sun. He has to be somewhere.
~~~
A loud chime echoed across the island, signalling half past ten. Celestia’s legs ached slightly, but it was a better alternative than flying around and making a spectacle of herself. Her rash teleportation spells had done enough damage already.
She swirled her hand through the air and coalesced some moisture into a sphere. She gulped it down and listened to the sound reverberate off the whitewashed walls around her. A few days ago, maybe even just a few hours before she’d arrived at Marineford, this section of the island had been filled with women and children simply going about their day. Celestia had come here enough times to see that, despite the location, family life still existed on Marineford. Now, the empty houses, restaurants, and shops spoke only of the danger that had caused the families to flee.
It was foolish to think he’d be here.
A tap of a boot against stone drew Celestia’s attention to her left. A gloved hand clasped the corner of a house and hauled out the rest of Akainu’s form. He swiveled his head around and growled, but stopped when he spotted Celestia. “Trying to aid in finding Blackbeard, Warlord Celestia?”
“Garp, actually,” Celestia replied in a neutral a tone as possible. “I have no interest in Blackbeard. If he’s fled, he’s fled.”
“Pirates,” Akainu spat. He clenched his right fist and the air around it distorted. “All cowards at their core.”
“I can see you’re busy… I’ll go search for Garp elsewhere.”
“Have you checked his room?” Akainu grumbled.
Celestia stood still for a moment. Her wings then shot out and she took to the sky. She unleashed some air she’d held in around Akainu. There was still a gaping hole in her temporary bedroom and she swooped in and speed out of it and down the halls of Headquarters. Stupid! Why wouldn’t he be in his room?
Her dash came to a halt at the sound of Garp’s distinct laugh and Sengoku yelling at the top of his lungs, “First Enies Lobby, then the attack on the Celestial Dragons, and now this!”
Celestia silently pressed herself to the walls that made up the room Garp and Sengoku were in. Sengoku’s voices had calmed down slightly, but there were still undertones of irritation to it. “Even ignoring Shiki’s escape twenty years ago, no one has dared break in to Impel Down!”
A booming slam made Celestia snap her head back in surprise. “Now your grandson has ruined that reputation and incited all hell there! Whitebeard is on his way here if the blackout is any indication! Do you realize the gravity of the situation we’d be in if Fire Fist was freed and Whitebeard attacked us? On top of that, Kuma clearly lied to us, not that is matters now, but between him, Jinbei, and Blackbeard, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Warlords all turned around and stabbed us in the back!”
There was a brief moment of silence that was rent apart by the sharp crack of ceramic against the floor. “Don’t just sit there and drink tea, Garp! If you weren’t the ‘Navy’s Hero,’ I’d make you answer for every single sin your family has committed!”
“Bahahaha! My life isn’t worth nearly that much!” Garp bellowed. Celestia stepped back a second before Garp crashed through the wall. She sent up an invisibility spell and stilled her breath. Garp shook off the dust accumulated from the attack, stood up, and brushed off the rest of the debris on his clothes.
Sengoku’s foot crunched over a part of the busted wall and he leaned over it. “Just get down to the scaffold.”
Sengoku stomped away and left Garp by himself— at least he thought he was— in the hallway. The latter sighed and heaved his shoulders. He gave his neck a good crack and then walked off, but not in the direction of the stairway down to the plaza. Celestia kept her spell in use and followed him until he came to a stop at a sliding door that only stood out from the rest due to the golden nameplate over it that read: Monkey D. Garp.
Garp disappeared inside, but out of privacy Celestia stood outside for a moment and canceled her spell. She knocked on the door’s wooden frame. “Vice-Admiral Garp, it’s Celestia, there is something I wish to discuss with you.”
Frantic clattering sounded from the other side of the door. Garp flung it open after a second. “Uh, now is not the best of time.”
“This is about Ace.”
“Everything about today is.” Garp pulled on the door to shut it, but Celestia countered him with both a hand and a fair amount of magic.
“I can save him.”
Garp’s hand went to Celestia’s shoulder and threw her into his room. It was darkened save for some sunlight coming off a single window. Garp slammed the door and stood with his back against it. “What you just said is tantamount to high treason. You talked about your age this morning, but saying things like that makes you sound like my grandson.”
“And you’re about to execute the other one,” Celestia shot back. “If Straw Hat’s rescue attempt at Impel Down fails, there will still be time to transport Fire Fist away before his execution.”
“Ignoring that you’ve been poking your head where it doesn’t belong, you think Ace’s sudden disappearance wouldn’t go unnoticed?” Garp huffed.
“Yes.” Celestia’s hands glowed and the light in room contorted and twisted around them. A transparent shape formed with a face that made Garp suck in his breath. Standing like a propped up manakin was Portgas D. Ace. “It’s a rough approximation, but a skillful illusion nonetheless.”
Celestia chopped one of her hands through the holograph’s neck and Ace’s head rolled to the ground at Garp’s feet. “Convincing enough?”
Grap kicked the macabre prop away and it dispersed back into light. “What of Whitebeard? Illusion or not, Ace’s death will set him into a rage against us. His ships could arrive at any moment and then the battle would start no matter what.”
“Then either you or I will get to him as fast as possible and tell him that Fire Fist is safe, but that he is dead to the world.”
Garp was about to reply when a siren wailed throughout all of Marineford. It was then replaced by Sengoku’s voice. “Portgas D. Ace has arrived at Marineford. All soldiers should be in position and be ready for an attack.”
Garp turned his attention back to Celestia. “Why do this? What do you gain from it?”
“Stability, for one,” Celestia replied. “You know as well as I do that a confrontation of this scale will pulsate throughout the world. Countless lives across the seas— civilian lives— will be in danger. Islands like Jinbei’s will be thrown into chaos should the marines win and, as much as I hate to say it, the same situation is true if Whitebeard triumphs. The entire balance that I’ve seen form in the last twenty years is going to be thrown away for a single man.”
“It’s more complex than that,” Garp interjected.
“I know that. This is personal for you.” Celestia stepped closer to Garp. Her lips trembled a little, but her eyes stayed sharp. “I can’t allow you to watch your own family be taken away from you.”
Garp blinked and grabbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. “You’re speaking from experience, aren’t you? Fine, lets say you get Ace out of here and get Whitebeard to call of his attack. What then? Will you keep Ace in your kingdom until he dies? His ties with Whitebeard are too strong for that.”
“I’ll chain him up if I have to. He’ll still live and Whitebeard will eventually die of old age in a few years. They’ll all be happy knowing everyone survived this ordeal.”
“It’s not that simple!” Garp pounded a fist into the ground and the area around it cratered. He kept a knee to the floor and ground his fist into the hole. “You think I haven’t thought of similar plans? If Ace were a normal pirate, I’d have busted him out of Impel Down myself, but Sengoku… damn him, he won’t stop until Ace is truly dead! Your treachery would eventually come out and then he’d set his sights on you and your kingdom! Look out the window! That’s what will annihilate everything you know! If Ace is to be executed, I’d rather it just be marines and pirates that die today. Now, get out.”
~~~
The bell tolled at noon no matter how much Celestia didn’t want it to. Her time travel spell had been wasted long ago on an inconsequential battle with Discord, Garp was trapped, and everyone else was either crazed to see Ace’s head roll or just get it done with and go back from whence they came.
“There’s the man of the hour,” Doflamingo cackled. His eyes, along with everyone else’s went up to the scaffold. The rattle of chains cut through the hush that fell upon Marineford and likely would have been heard even if the sounds weren’t amplified by numerous dendenmushis. Dozens of other snails were positioned around the island, taking in every angle of the event and broadcasting it to the world.
Ace may have returned to human form, but the wounds from Impel Down still covered him. His eyes had a solemn look to them that focused on nothing around him, but rather stared into the future. His chains were limply connected to the scaffold, but every inch of his body spoke of tension and strained muscles.
Sengoku stepped forward and said something to Garp that made the latter scowl and descend to where the admirals were seated at the front of the scaffold. Sengoku took up a receiver and his voice filled Marineford. “I have something to say to all that are gathered here and those watching this. The execution of this man, Portgas D. Ace, is a matter of great import!”
He’s giving a speech? thought Celestia. Please, just prattle on until Whitebeard shows up. Celestia’s heart speed up at the racing inescapability of Whitebeard’s appearance, but as long as Ace “died” in the turmoil of the battle and Whitebeard lived, some balance could be restored. She just had to wait for any opening and pray Ace’s head would stay on for the next three hours.
“Ace,” Sengoku directly addressed his captive, “who is your father?”
“What stunt is this?” Hawkeye sighed.
“Whitebeard,” Ace answered.
“Not true!” Sengoku yelled.
“It is true!” Ace shot back. With his voice amplified, it was easy to hear it crack with desperation and a twinge of rage. “Whitebeard’s my father, no one else!”
“Sheesh.” Doflamingo shrugged his shoulders while Sengoku went on about finding information about a certain island. “Talk about family problems.”
Celestia ignored him and listened intently to the speech. Garp’s words rang in her head. If Ace were a normal pirate…
By the time Sengoku had finished talking about Ace’s mother, Ace’s face had gone completely pale. Even from her location near the edge of the harbor, Celestia could clearly see his form shake. Skeptical murmurs flew all around her. Not a single marine was taking this information in silence. An ominous tingle grew in Celestia’s gut.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know!” Sengoku shouted at Ace and proclaimed to the world. “Your father was Gold Roger, the Pirate King!”
No maddening roars. No violent shouts. No shocked gasps. Just silence. It draped itself over Marineford and may have well covered the entire world. Ace clenched his teeth and shook his head to clear away the statement, but its impact was already felt.
In spite of his announcement, Sengoku still had more to say. Celestia clenched her hands and listened. “We’re not the only ones who knew though. Whitebeard, despite his rivalry with the Pirate King, took you, Roger’s own son, aboard his ship, so that he could raise you to be the next Pirate King!”
“No!” Ace screamed. “I want pops to be the king!”
“That’s just a delusion Whitebeard fed you,” Sengoku coldly replied. “We made sure to hunt down any tangent that remained of Roger. Do you really think you would have lived this long if Whitebeard wasn’t protecting you?”
“T-that’s…” Ace stuttered.
“But we had to stop you. Already, Whitebeard has shown you the ways of a leader. Had you not been captured, it’s undoubtable his eventual demise would bequeath you with his vast influence; the perfect springboard for a new generations of pirates for you to lead on a reign of terror! For those reasons, your execution today is necessary! Even if it means all out war with Whitebeard!”
Now the battle cry came. Swords and other weapons were raised to the air. Doflamingo laughed harder than ever and Moria scratched his chin at the news. Celestia bit her lip and drew blood. Her arms shook at her sides and parts of her hair rose up like tongues of flame.
“That… that’s the reason for all of this?” she muttered. The air around her grew hot and Hawkeye chose to wisely take a step back. Her wings blazed out to her sides with swirls of fire dancing around them. “For being born?! Enough of this madness! I should have done this from the st—”
“Look!” someone cried out. All the attention on Ace went out in the opposite direction toward the sea. Shadows blanketed the fog beyond Marineford. They surged through the water and gained definite forms. They were ships of all shapes and sizes with various and unique sails that signalled to their enemies who they were dealing with. But, atop all their masts and flapping in wind was a black flag that contained skull with a curved mustache like a sickle in front of two perpendicularly crossed bones.
“Whitebeard,” Celestia gasped. The flame around her died down and she turned her wings back into part of her dress. She scanned the fleet of pirate ships, but none of them were the size or coloration of Whitebeard’s flagship. At least, none of them matched the data Celestia had received.
“Confirm Whitebeard’s location!” Sengoku’s voice blared.
As if to answer Sengoku, four dark shapes manifested from the depths of Marineford’s bay. Everyone stared down into the ocean and watched as a swath of bubbles rose up from the shadows. Hands tightened around weapons and muscles tensed up as the shapes grew larger and larger.
Waves of water flew up as the four shapes broke the surface, revealing themselves as titanic ships. All of them were decorated with bows that had stripes running down to their keels, beedy eyes, and wide grins that lended to their surfacing resembling whales’.
One ship stood out with white coloring while the others were blue. Its size dwarfed even the other three monstrous ships. A silence, different from the one Sengoku’s revelation caused struck Marineford. It was like a pressure and the cause was a lone figure that stood atop the white ship’s masthead.
A glimmer of hope and a tremor of fear hit Celestia. He’s here.
“Gurarara…” The man’s size matched his ship’s: giant. Even Akainu’s toned physique was nothing to this man’s musculature. His lack of a shirt under his draped jacket aided in showing off his destructive power. His right hand clenched an immense bisento that was even taller than himself when he slammed it down and positioned it upright. A grin formed beneath his crescent mustache. “How long has it been, Sengoku? My beloved son had better be alright!”
“Pops!” Ace called out.
“I’m coming, Ace!” Whitebeard proclaimed. “Gurarara!”