Spring Time (A Bellamy SI)
- Thread starter Arthedain
- Start date
Chapter 95: Payback War Finale
– Ace –
A year was not a long time in the grand scheme of things. Yet, Ace's world had been turned upside down within that very same span of time. Thatch had died. Whitebeard had died. His adopted family was in the process of dying all around him. All because Teach had become a completely different beast from the one Ace had fought on Banaro Island.Marco's flames were flickering unsteadily, a dim shadow of their former glory, valiantly trying to close the gaping hole in the first division commander's chest. If he hadn't eaten the specific devil fruit he had, Marco would likely be dead by now instead of slowly crawling towards recovery. That Marco had only been wounded trying to save Ace's hide made things all the worse.
Admittedly, Ace's answer to Marco's wounding had been to try and reduce Teach to a pile of ash, but that had been a measured response in his opinion. Not that it mattered all that much because the bastard had escaped mostly unscathed. If Sabo's pipe hadn't crushed Teach's right shoulder while Ace and the bastard had been embroiled in a contest of wills, it wouldn't even have been that much. As it was, Ace had to satisfy himself with merely reducing Teach's right arm down to a sequence of charred bones, all the flesh having been turned to ash by an emotionally laden fireball. That Teach was still proving to be more than Ace and Sabo could handle in their current state was a blow to Ace's pride. Perhaps things would have been different if Doc Q hadn't interfered, but all the excuses in the world wouldn't change the fact that they were losing.
Slowly perhaps, but they were losing and nothing they did seemed capable of changing that.
Sabo's dizzying sequence of strikes, each and every single one powerful enough to turn rocks to rubble, wasn't enough. Ace's famed firefist, its heat honed until it could turn sand to glass and lakes into deserts, wasn't enough. To be fair, it wasn't as if Teach was shrugging off their attacks. He certainly felt them, screaming in pain with every bone they broke and every burn they inflicted. The issue was that the bastard powered his way through agony that should have sent any normal human into a coma.
Too focused on taking out Teach's remaining good arm, Ace barely got his own up in time when the emperor wannabe swung his skeletal arm like a flail. The follow up kick was blocked by Sabo before he was forced to swerve out of the way of Teach's grasp… right into the path of Van Augur's bullet. Blackbeard's sniper going down moments later to Izou's answering fire was only a cold comfort as Sabo's left leg collapsed out from under him.
"Sabo! Are you alright?"
"Ace, right! On your RIGHT!" Saba's warning, as heartfelt and urgent as it was, possessed the limitation of being carried via the medium of sound.
"Oh, crap."
When he was sent bouncing in a painful looking manner, all Ace could do was create a small barrier to slow Teach down. It wouldn't delay him for long, but it was enough for Ace to right himself and come skidding to a stop next to Sabo.
"Ace, didn't you say you nearly fought this monster to a standstill on your own?" Sabo asked while flexing his muscles to stem the bleeding.
"He wasn't anywhere near this strong a year ago." Ace answered, his eyes not leaving Blackbeard for even a split second. "I hate to admit it, but he may even be stronger than Pops used to be."
"…we're definitely going to need to get Marco patched up. Though, I don't think that guy is going to let us go."
"Sabo, can you walk?"
"I can limp. Don't try too hard, Ace."
"I know. Just get out of here."
"We'll be back before you know it." Sabo promised, slinging Marco over his shoulder, wincing slightly from the sudden weight. "Ok, I may need a little help."
Sabo made it all of three steps before Ace had to provide support, lest he and Marco become intimately familiar with the ground.
Then Ace's barrier faltered.
"There you are, Ace…"
"FOR LOVE!"
"Love?"
Hancock's heel slammed into Teach's shiny black nose, just as his face peeked through Ace's barrier, both kicker and the kicked disappearing behind the flames. Ace and Sabo spent a few seconds staring in incomprehension before they looked at each other and shrugged as one. They could question why the notoriously man-hating Warlord was here once they'd gotten patched up.
Thankfully, Law and the other medics were able to stabilize Marco and fix Sabo's leg. An added benefit was that without the need to divert all energy to keeping his body alive, Marco was able to return to the land of the living and start giving orders once more. Though, that came with its own issues.
"Why, Marco? We have Teach on the ropes! Why are we pulling back?"
"Because we've lost this one, Ace. We need to get out while we still can, yoi."
"What do you mean, we've lost? Teach might be holding up a bit better than expected but can't you see that it's just a matter of time now?"
"That's time we don't have. Look around us, yoi!" Marco snapped, gesturing towards the wider battlefield. Ace wasn't convinced. "Open your eyes and take a good look!"
"Sure, they caught us by surprise earlier, but the others are handling themselves just fine. Heck, Izou even won his fight and Hancock is here. Now, we just need to hammer in the final nails into the bastard's coffin!"
"Yes, we could do that, yoi. But have you thought about how many coffins we'll have of our own to bury alongside his?" Marco screamed back. "Our boys are spent, physically and more importantly, mentally. Maybe not the other commanders but the rest? They're done."
"The Kuja…" Ace tried but Marco cut him off.
"The Kuja will not fight your battles for you." The Pirate Empress interjected herself into the conversation, striding imperiously into their midst. "We promised to save Luffy's brothers. We have saved them. Now, we will leave before Blackbeard digs himself out of the hole I've buried him in."
"Hancock!"
"You heard her. The Kuja secured us an escape route but nothing more, yoi. One, which I can't afford to waste by arguing with you. Not if I want to send our friends home alive." Marco sighed. "Tell me honestly, exhausted as we all are, can we kill Teach and his officers before our friends are dead?"
"So, we're just going to run away with our tails tucked between our legs? Let Teach get away scot-free after all he's done? Don't you realize that we'll never get a better shot than this!"
"…I know. I know this better than anyone." Marco softly admitted. "I know I'll not be able to assemble a force like this ever again. Whatever influence I had, whatever sway I had…it's well and truly spent now."
"All the more reason to finish the job today! Hancock, we can take him! Sabo is fine now and Izou is free! I don't know who you made your promise to, but I'm sure they'll want this as well. It won't even take that long if you turn him into stone like you did with Sanjuan Wolf…"
"That beast is somehow immune to my powers, but I know you are not. If I have to petrify you to keep my word, I will. Do not test me, male."
"You heard her, Ace. Yes, we could keep fighting with or without her, but at what cost, yoi? A third of our division members? A full half? More? Would it be really worth risking everyone's lives on that uncertain gamble? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that that is what Pops would have wanted?" Marco's whispered words took Ace's breath away as he took in the pained look in his friend's eyes. "Because I can't."
"…neither can I." Ace said, closing his eyes in resignation. Marco was right. Demoralized as the Whitebeard pirates were, their ability to use haki was going to be gutted, if it wasn't drained already trying to resist Doc Q's ability. And fighting without haki was essentially suicide. No vengeance was worth the cost of burying everybody he loved in the course of attaining it, he'd learned that at Marineford. If Whitebeard had still been here, he'd have slapped Ace over the back of the head for being an idiot. Just like he'd done, when he decided to hunt down Teach after Thatch's murder. If only he had listened. "Go. I'll buy you some time."
"Don't die, yoi."
"Against these chumps? They won't be able to even touch me."
It looked like Marco wanted to say more but like the first division commander had said earlier, he didn't have the time to waste. Giving Ace one last worried look, Marco turned around and flew in the direction of their ships. A look which had been wholly unnecessary by the way. Ace wasn't planning on dying here today or anytime soon.
Come what may, they could deal with Blackbeard another time. Ace's mission was to ensure that the Whitebeard Alliance could successfully disengage and the best way he could think of how to do that was…fire. Lots and lots of fire. A wall of fire to separate the pursuers and the pursued, one hot enough to burn most of Blackbeard's chaff to cinders.
"Great Flame Commandment…"
If it had been a year ago, Teach would have easily absorbed the entire construct, though it would have taken him a few minutes. However, Ace's haki hadn't been the only thing to receive Rayleigh's attention. He'd lost track of how many lessons the Dark King had beaten into him, but a fair few had been focused on hammering out the kinks in the way he used his devil fruit. Disappointingly, it hadn't been enough to defeat Teach, not when he wielded two of the most powerful devil fruits in existence. However, it would suffice for this.
"…Flame Emperor's Palace!"
The air rippled as the general temperature of Hachinosu rose to sweltering heights. Blackbeard pirates everywhere stumbled back and away from the sudden wall of heat that erupted in the face of their advance, spanning the entire length of the island. Urouge and the few who had been holding the line likewise backed away from the pitch black wall of fire, shielding their faces as best as they could.
A brief bout of dizziness cost Ace his footing just as his vision clouded itself black. Thankfully a pair of arms propped him up before his face could introduce itself to the ground. He really shouldn't have used all that haki all at once. One might think that he'd have gotten used to this feeling by now after all those spars with Rayleigh, but it was just as disorientating as the first time.
"Don't worry, I've got you."
When his vision cleared again, his eyes confirmed what his ears had already known. Izou was there, looking slightly singed but otherwise fine, providing support that Ace desperately needed. His legs felt like jelly.
"Izou, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."
"Good job on the barrier, Ace. Even Teach should need a while to break through that one." Izou gave him a tired smile. "Let's go join the others."
However, once they reached the ships they found most of the Whitebeard pirates milling about and not boarding the ships like Ace had been expecting them to be. It wasn't as if Weevil were blocking their way either, because he'd hightailed it out of there. Perhaps Hancock trying to turn him into a local landmark just like Sanjuan Wolf had convinced him that caution was the better part of valor. Or maybe it had been his mother screeching into his ears, who knew?
Though when they approached the spot where the various captains were huddled around Marco, they all stopped to look in Ace's direction.
"What's going on guys? Weren't we leaving?"
"Well Ace. We'd love to but here's the thing." Islewan replied, his normally jovial face showing none of the usual cheer. "Weevil and the big guy were damn effective in what they set out to do."
"Wait… don't tell me…"
"We have far fewer ships left than we thought we did." Jiru spoke up, answering the unspoken question. "Someone is going to have to stay behind. That someone might as well be me."
– Speed Jiru –
Being a good leader meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For some, it meant being a visionary, able to inspire others to greater heights. To others, being a leader was to be a teacher, guiding and mentoring others to come into their own. To others yet again, a leader should set a framework – create an environment as it were – in which their followers could flourish. And if one were patient enough to consider one more example, a leader was someone who led by example.This was by no means an exhaustive or even extensive list. Like there had been thousands if not tens of thousands of noteworthy leaders over the course of human history, be it in roles large and small, their styles of leadership had greatly varied also. Naturally, due to the finite length of the human lifespan, most became proficient in only one or maybe two methods of leadership. Considering how much thought and effort went into each one, expertise in one style alone was already a feat worthy of recognition.
Pops had been a master of all four.
There had been a reason that fiercely independent and eminently prideful pirates flocked to Whitebeard's banner and it hadn't been his strength. Oh, for sure, Pops' had been powerful with or without his devil fruit and there was no denying that he'd been worthy of his title. Yet, to Jiru's mind, that wasn't who Pops had been at his core. Unlike the crews of Kaido or Big Mom, the Whitebeard pirates hadn't feared their captain. They had loved him.
Was it any wonder then, that when he'd been promoted to the position of commander all those years ago, Jiru had looked to Whitebeard as an ideal to aspire to? His fellow commanders had been no different, though the specific aspect they tried to emulate differed. Unlike his more charismatic or frankly speaking, more clever brothers, Jiru quickly decided that he wasn't going to revolutionize the way his division was run.
He wasn't going to be able to provide some grand vision to inspire those under his command, because he himself was merely following Whitebeard's vision. So instead, Jiru had focused on leading by example in his everyday life. Him volunteering for the rearguard was merely an extension of his usual modus operandi.
"Absolutely not! Having somebody stay behind is tantamount to ordering them to die!" Ace exclaimed, violently shaking his head. "I won't do it! I refuse!"
"You wouldn't be ordering. I'd be volunteering." Jiru calmly replied before wincing in pain. His belly stung something fierce, but that was only to be expected after getting stabbed by a sharp implement. "Plus, don't you think it's pretty arrogant of you to assume you'd be giving the orders? Marco is still the commander in chief, you know?"
"That's not the point!"
"You're right. The point is that unless enough of us stay behind, we're all going to die. If we don't delay their pursuit until we're done boarding the ships, we're all going to die. And if we don't get those under Pops' protection to safety, they're going to die."
"Pops would never choose to sacrifice someone to save his own life! We shouldn't either."
"Well, Pops isn't here."
If it had been anyone other than a Whitebeard pirate, they would have been torn to shreds immediately. Though, seeing as it was one of Whitebeard's sons who had uttered those damning words, the response was a deafening silence.
"…Jiru. You…you…" Stammered Ace. Jiru didn't let him finish.
"Pops isn't here anymore precisely because he recognized that not everyone could make it out alive at Marineford. But Ace, you're right on one thing." Jiru said, struggling to maintain an even voice. "Pops wouldn't sacrifice another for his own gain. He never did. Instead, whenever there was a sacrifice to be made, he would make it himself."
"Jiru, are you sure about this, yoi?"
"…yeah. I'm not sure what Devon hit but she hit something important. Not sure how I'm still not dead, to be honest. Barring a miracle…well, this is going to be my last chance to be the hero, you know? Or the gallant knight. I'm not picky."
"You always did like your knightly fairy tales, yoi."
"So, hurry up and get the damsel out of here, Marco." Jiru smiled. It was a brittle one. "This is my moment."
"Wait a minute! You're wounded, Jiru. If anyone is staying behind, it's me! I owe all of you my life! As if I'm going to watch you…"
"Jozu, if you please."
"…die-put me down! Jozu! I said PUT! ME! DOWN!"
Ace would probably never forgive him for this, but this really was for the best. While one wouldn't know it from how loud he was hollering, the hothead was truly and completely tapped after setting up the barrier. After all, he wouldn't be helplessly slung over Jozu's shoulder like a sack of potatoes otherwise. That said, Jiru wasn't in a much better state himself, but at least he could still put up a fight. At least a little one.
"Do you have a plan, yoi?"
"I spotted where they hid their ships and thought we could make a rush for them. It should distract them more than just a bunch of us standing around on the beach."
"Good luck, yoi. And I'm sorry."
"Just keep that bottle of Alabastan Red ready for me, Marco."
Gathering up his trusty lance, Jiru moved away from the main group and towards the fiery barrier separating them and the Blackbeard pirates. Flames so hot that even from a hundred meters away the heat washed over him in waves. Behind him, he could hear Marco explaining the situation to their comrades, feel their surprise and their fear. Jiru didn't blame them. Who in their right mind, wanted to die?
Especially when one of the ostensible leaders was – however involuntarily – being taken to safety. For Jiru though, there had been no other choice. He had loved Whitebeard, and he loved the Whitebeard pirates still. He simply could not bear to watch that legacy die. Whether he liked it or not, Ace had become a symbol after the Summit War. Despite their defeat today, or perhaps precisely because of their defeat, he remained the sole symbol that had any hope of preventing the Whitebeard pirates from scattering to the four winds.
Hence, his survival was non-negotiable. Jiru on the other hand had only ever been a middling commander. Strong and powerful in his own right but in hindsight, he'd been happy to rest on his laurels. As a result, he simply didn't have what it took to be Whitebeard's successor. Few did.
Did that change the general sense of unfairness about this whole situation? Where someone's survival seemingly depended upon their future usefulness? No, it did not. In a way, Jiru was a coward who was running from responsibility, having left the most difficult task to Marco. Whereas Jiru had only volunteered himself, he'd left the unenviable task of organizing the rest of the rearguard to his friend. Leadership meant leading by example, true, but it also meant making difficult decisions when it came down to it. And Jiru had found that he couldn't bear to make them.
Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes and turned his focus inwards. With his consciousness drifting in the gentle darkness of his mind, thoughts and questions passed him by like whispers in the wind. What was working? What was not? What reserves did he still have that he could call upon? How many would stand beside him he wondered. How many would cry? Who would their anger be directed towards? Blackbeard? Marco? Him? Would they be able to delay the Blackbeards long enough for their friends to escape these waters?
The sounds gradually vanished as the ships left port, the noise of bustling crowds gone without a trace. Ace's cries disappeared last of all, carried across the waves like a particularly persistent echo. Until at last, all that remained was the feeling of dwindling warmth on his face and the silence around him.
A hand landed on his shoulder. A familiar hand.
"You stayed, Fossa?"
"Well, not just me." The 15th division commander replied, taking a deep draft of his ever-present cigar. "We couldn't let you hog all the glory by yourself, eh?"
"I'm old. Too old to keep up with youngsters like Haruta and Ace. Thought I may as well go out with a bang while I still can." Blenheim said, stepping up to Jiru's left. Rakuyo soon joined them, followed by Squard, Karma, Brew and half a dozen others. And behind them, two hundred grim-eyed pirates, all of them staring down the flickering barrier with determined looks.
"Our ships are gone anyway." Karma shrugged when Jiru glanced in his direction. "What's a captain without a ship to do, other than aid the journey of those who still do?"
"Plus, I don't like running from a fight. Once was enough." Rakuyo said, adding his own two belli. "Not before giving them a bloody nose in any case. I won't be able to sleep at night otherwise."
"The bastards owe me a new ship. I mean to collect." Squard grumbled.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Ace's barrier came down, able to resist Blackbeard's power no longer. The howling horde began to move, thirsty for blood and vengeance. And Jiru? Jiru met them halfway.
With a smile.
Author's note:
And thus ends the Payback War. There'll be one chapter dealing with the aftermath of the war and giving a bit of insight into the fates of Jiru & the rearguard, but considering how long his arc was becoming (a total of 9 chapters when counting the next one), I decided to end things here.
Hope you enjoyed my take on the Payback War in its slightly AU form.
For feedback, what did you guys think of Speed Jiru?
P.S. here's my reasoning for how things turned out this way. In the canon timeline, Marco & the WB got beaten without being able to deal out any significant damage to BB. None of the titanic captains were hurt and it's unknown how many of the WB survived. We just know the survivors scattered to the four winds, where some of them were taken out by Weevil.
Here, BB had 1 Titanic Captain less (Garp crushed Shiryu's head like a grape at Marineford), the WB had Ace (who is arguably stronger than Namur even before Rayleigh's training) and the WB were supported by Law who could counter Doc Q to an extent. That and Hancock turned up for some reason. Bellamy's crew basically took out another Titanic Captain too, meaning BB was fighting with 2 TC less than in canon, though he did recruit Weevil for a bit.
However, I didn't think this was enough to turn a decisive defeat into a victory. BB alone is a monster and there seems to a large gap between commander level and the yonko. As a result, BB is dealt a costly victory (with more damage incoming) with more of the WB surviving, and more importantly, surviving as a coherent fighting force.
Last edited:
How many losses did we confirm Teach got this chapter?
Like its implied Izo killed Auger but the wording might be he just stopped him
If it worked, that means BB lost in total 3 of his Canon Captains(Shiryu, Auger and Sanjuan Wolf)
Which with Weevil currently would bring him too 7 Captains(As Aokiji is yet a member, if he will be at all)
Still feels a bit cheap that the Bellamy pirates didn't do any extra damage besides taking out Wolf, nor the Whitebeard Pirates killing off any of the captains like Burgess or Devon, but I guess that's war for you.
How many men did Teach at least lose from Hancock using her powers to stone them all?
Like its implied Izo killed Auger but the wording might be he just stopped him
If it worked, that means BB lost in total 3 of his Canon Captains(Shiryu, Auger and Sanjuan Wolf)
Which with Weevil currently would bring him too 7 Captains(As Aokiji is yet a member, if he will be at all)
Still feels a bit cheap that the Bellamy pirates didn't do any extra damage besides taking out Wolf, nor the Whitebeard Pirates killing off any of the captains like Burgess or Devon, but I guess that's war for you.
How many men did Teach at least lose from Hancock using her powers to stone them all?
Last edited:
Van Auger isn't dead but there's a foreshadowing in the rearguard dialogue.
But BB won't be resuming activities for a long while.
Not sure how that does much for us beyond not targetting Bellamy's crew
I would be more impressed if this leads to other groups taking 'bites' out of BB's crew for this sign of weakness.
Like Big Mom or Kaido, or even some arrogant new world crews.
Feels like this War didn't actually do much beyond Bellamy's help
Arrogant new world crews won't have the strength to take bites out of BB, though Big Mom & Kaido will be moving in on his newly claimed territory. So rather than it being a case of Four Emperors, it will be 3 + 3/4 + 1/4 in the eyes of the world. Meaning that BB is going to have to be a bit sneakier about his moves and won't be quite as arrogant when Bellamy comes calling.
I do need ideas for people to replace the captains he lost and for the unrevealed Warlord who killed Zephyr's students...
Still feels like they lost more than they got, like majorly the WB pirates didn't do anything actually important.(Taking an eye or something off a titanic captain isn't that bad a drawback when Observation haki exists)
Like Ace didn't even take an eye or something off Teach, nor did any of the captains they were fighting die.
I was assuming this War from how you described it would be that the WB pirates would still overall lose but manage too even the field at least somewhat.... but this just feels like the same loss as canon, except Bellamy's crew did all the important work and got a win.
Marco, Ace, every ally they still had and all the planning: did nothing, amounted too some eyes and ears taken off some somewhat important figures, but everyone important in Blackbeards crew still winning and alive.
Bellamy's crew: Killed one of the Titanic Captains(Hancock helped, but I feel they would have won even without her aid)
If Izou maybe killed Auger, or BB lost another Captain, or maybe one of his hands, or Ace did some permanent damage, it would actually feel like they had done an important strike against him.
But really, nothing actually has happened that wasn't a result of Bellamy and his crew directly helping rather than Bellamy's influence of saving the WB pirates at Marineford playing a part.
Hell even Law, Sabo and all were of ultimately little use in the fight, Sabo fought an opponent they still list too in a 3 v 1
The Whitebeards were more equipped, had more members alive than canon, had several allies in canon they wouldn't have, Teach had lost one of his Captains already, and they had prepared a plan to deal with him: But the result is barely noticeable, if noticeable at all.
Maybe its overwhelmingly negative, but unless that final stand by the members who couldn't leave takes some important figures down, I don't really feel this was important, just felt like 5 chapters of Teach gradually winning the fight with nothing accomplished.
You call it a 3/4 for Teach, but I see it more as a 3.6/4 considering he lost one captain as far as we know.
Last edited:
This is spoilers really, but the rearguard are a bunch of madmen.
But you have to remember that the WB pirates lost against BB in the OTL without doing any damage at all but received so much damage that they were disbanded. So the consequences of the changes you mentioned were mostly less losses on the WB side.
Although, I suppose you do have a point about that 3v1. Ace doing some permanent damage would make sense...
True, but that is vague as hell in canon since they don't really matter in One Piece canon besides Izou and Marco, we have no details of who lived and who died because Oda never showed the aftermath.
Chapter 96: Journalistic Integrity
– Sarquiss –
Welcome to Marineford Daily, your only source of accurate and unbiased truth.It's been three weeks since Marco the Phoenix led his remnants in a desperate and thus naturally, ill-fated assault on Blackbeard's stronghold. That the entire clash was driven by greed and foolish ambition, and more importantly that the whole world knows it, is readily obvious in how the public has begun referring to the conflict as the PAYBACK WAR.
That the battle resulted in a more peaceful New World without need of Marine Intervention is surely of no importance at all. Especially when one considers that it finally decided who would occupy Whitebeard's empty throne…for now. Though…was it worth the cost? While it is undoubtedly true that the Whitebeard Remnants were decimated in their ill-planned assault on Hachinosu, it seems obvious that the Blackbeard pirates did not escape unscathed either. Experts cite the cessation of all activity by Marshall D. Teach and his crew of savages and cutthroats ever since the war as proof that they too needed time to recuperate from their heavy losses.
The World Economy Newspaper however (as loathe as we are to admit it) did offer a few choice insights, which we have not been able to independently verify as of yet. We are also uncertain as to what sources allowed Big News Morgan to describe the battle as if he'd witnessed it from a bird's eye view, but being an honest and transparent and dedicated source of news that we are, we did not wish to withhold potential information from our dear readers.
The WEN claims that, despite having been left to die by his ostensible comrades, the 14th division commander Speed Jiru led the rearguard in a spirited if foolish countercharge. Yet, in a contest of foolishness and incompetency, few could trump the Blackbeard pirates, who prematurely drunk on their victory, were incapable of preventing the enemy from reaching their ships. (It goes without saying that if our brave marines had been present, they would have never allowed the Whitebeards to breach prepared positions and reach their target.)
Sadly, that's where Speed Jiru's luck ran out. For before the first of the newly captured vessels could set out to sea, Avalo Pizarro reorganized the lines and drowned the Whitebeards in a sea of bodies. When the sun set over the battlefield, not a single Whitebeard pirate remained alive, lying dead amongst Blackbeard's slain who easily numbered thrice their own. And featured prominently amongst them was the Corrupt King, Avalo Pizarro* himself, his head blown apart when Blenheim dived into it with several metric tons of dynamite. Surely it is a lesson that bravery will get you nowhere and is useless as a virtue when it comes to ensuring the survival of a military organization.
This means, that when combined with the loss of Sanjuan Wolf, Blackbeard is currently down two of his senior officers. To make matters worse for the fledgling Emperor, just before his position was overrun, Speed Jiru put a torch to every tar-soaked vessel moored on the beaches in a spiteful act of arson. The resulting chaos didn't help either, the bumbling Blackbeard pirates doing more to spread the fire than extinguish it. Eventually, the flames lit by Speed Jiru died down, but not before they had reduced Blackbeard's entire armada to cinders. Thus, while no one will deny that he has the strength to stand amongst the other Emperors as their equal, he will no doubt be licking his wounds for a very long time.
This comes as a stroke of luck for the Whitebeard Remnants who are currently very busy kidnapping and forcefully dragging the populations of entire islands off to places unknown. This drastic change in their MO is likely a result of a regime change, with Marco having been removed from his post as commander in chief for the incompetence and callous abandonment of his allies. His successor is Firefist Ace, who after a year of being suppressed by the first division commander, is obviously very eager to make his immature ideas of leadership into reality. Already, marine experts are predicting that the complete dissolution of the Whitebeard Pirates is not far off. We can only hope that his youthful folly will accelerate the demise of his wicked band of crooks and criminals.
On to more positive news, Uta's live streaming shows have now been expanded across the globe. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, as thousands have outright stated that her uplifting music is the only thing holding their hope upright in these trying times. Especially when faith in traditional institutions is justifiably at an all-time low.
And as always, please follow us to never miss an update on the best news reports this side of the Red Line.
This was Marineford Daily reporting.
*Let it be known that the marines claim credit for his death, as the notorious criminal was no doubt still suffering the from the severe and possibly fatal wounds inflicted upon him by Vice Admiral Garp during the Summit War. As such, he could have dropped dead at any moment and that he died during the Payback War is a pure coincidence.
"What a load of bollocks."
"What's a load of bollocks?"
"This Marineford Special Edition coverage of the Payback War. I mean, look at it!" Sarquiss exclaimed, waving the offending article about in Bellamy's face. "Whatever happened to journalistic integrity?"
"The truth doesn't sell. It's as simple as that." Bellamy answered, taking the newspaper and riffling through it. "People only want to see what they want to see and have their thoughts and believes confirmed. All so that they can be outraged and feel justified in doing so. It's why you seldomly see good news being published."
"That's rather cynical of you. If you have such a low opinion of the official news outlets, why do you keep paying for them?"
"Because, as aggravating as they can be, it's still better than being completely oblivious to what's going-on in the wider world. You just have to be able to read between the lines."
"I suppose. Most of the events described in the article did happen in one form or another. Now, if they had gotten the motivation right, we'd have an almost truthful piece of journalism."
"They were correct on one count at least, though this is the one case where I wish they hadn't been. The Whitebeards and their allies have been gutted by this war." Bellamy grimaced. Sarquiss was tempted to do the same.
If anything, gutted was an understatement. Of the sixteen division commanders the Whitebeard pirates had boasted prior to the Summit War, only six commanders were left after the catastrophe that was Hachinosu.
"Seven actually. Karma got himself and Rakuyo out of there at the last minute. The advantages of being a fishman, I guess. That said, they are currently semi-comatose from the long swim, so it'll be a while before Rakuyo is ready for duty."
"I mean, they are the cream of the crop as far as commanders go, but…geez. Izou and the others are going to have their work cut out for them if they want to rebuild."
The amazing thing was, that even in their much-reduced state, the Whitebeard remnants were stronger than Bellamy's entire network of allies. And that was when one included Gecko Moria amongst that number, which went to show how ridiculously powerful the late Emperor's armada had been. Or Blackbeard for that matter. Bellamy certainly hadn't been lacking in ambition when he decided to surpass these titans in his quest to become the strongest man alive.
"Yeah. Marco and the others have been busy little bees, evacuating as many people as are willing to safer locations."
If Whitebeard's death had left chaos in his wake, the Payback War made peaceful life an impossibility in his former territories.
"Doesn't that mean that they'd be vulnerable to attack? If they're gathered up in one small area, Blackbeard or one of the others could take them all out in one swell swoop."
"That is a worry, but Izou is of the opinion that it probably won't get that far. The other emperors were willing to let Teach be because they viewed Marco as the bigger threat. Now, they're going to be actively hindering him, which should keep him from being able to amass a force strong enough to easily finish the job."
"And with the sort of losses he's suffered, a close fight is going to be the last thing he wants right now."
"Exactly, you get it."
"Still seems like a risky gamble."
"Not like they have much of a choice left, to be honest. It was either this or spread out to protect as many islands as they can. They just made the choice to set up as much of a deterrent as they can, rather than wait to be picked off one by one."
"And you had no hand in the decision-making process, huh?" Sarquiss asked his captain, one eyebrow raised. Bellamy's responding smile was the very picture of innocence.
"I may or may not have thrown in my two cents here and there."
"Captain."
"Yeah?"
"I may not have observation haki, but my bug sense is pretty close."
"So?" Bellamy cocked his head, as if he did not understand. Sarquiss was undeterred.
"You weren't being particularly quiet either."
"Eh…" Sweat drops began to coalesce on Bellamy's brow, even as his eyes began darting about seeking a viable exit. There were none.
"You gave Marco and Ace a four-hour lecture." Sarquiss said, giving his captain a deadpan look.
"…"
"Each."
"It was for their own good?"
"Whatever you say, captain. Whatever you say." Sarquiss sighed. It wasn't as if it really impacted him in any meaningful way either, so the fate of the commanders' hearing didn't matter. "Though, that does mean the Whitebeards will be laying low for a while, right?"
"We won't be moving together if that's what you want to know."
"What are we going to do next?"
"Well, I may have an idea or two."
– Bellamy –
I'd made a lot of promises in my time, but I liked to think myself a man of my word. Of course, I'd also done my best to only make arrangements which benefitted me to some extent whenever possible, so keeping them wasn't much of a burden. That being said, the manner in which such promises were fulfilled could vary a lot, depending on the circumstances and available resources at the time. This meant, plans needed to be flexible enough to adapt to new variables which inevitably turned up, though in this particular case it probably wouldn't have mattered if the original plan had been as rigid as a brick."Law-buddy, could you repeat that last bit again? Because I think my hearing may be going."
"I know for a fact that your hearing is just fine, Springtrap-ya. I gave you a medical checkup last week. But just in case senility is setting in early this year…"
No matter how lovingly and care takingly a plan may have been crafted, no matter how painstakingly potential loopholes were explored and no matter how skillfully the rules of the game may have been bent… none of it mattered if the variable changed the game itself. In such cases, there was nothing to do but accept fate and go back to the drawing board. Though because this bore repeating, this didn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.
"…I awakened my devil fruit."
Having an awakened devil fruit user onside was a huge boon to any mission. Furthermore, when one considered who my next target was, an awakened Op Op Fruit was literally a game changer.
"I'll probably regret asking this, but how'd you do it?"
"Beats me. I'm just as clueless as you are." Law shrugged irresponsibly. "All I know is that something...clicked as I was desperately searching for a cure to Doc Q's shrinking disease."
In the original timeline, Trafalgar Law's expanded skillset post time-skip included the ability to switch souls in between bodies. Something which he demonstrated to great effect on Punk Hazard to a bunch of people, including but not limited to Tashigi and Smoker. It stood to reason that in order to shuffle souls around, he'd have to be able to extract and implant a human soul first. Or at least something close enough to it for the difference not to matter.
"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order."
"Springtrap-ya. Please, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't like the face you're making right now. You look incredibly…hungry." Law said, wrapping his arms protectively around himself.
"I'm sure you're just imagining it." I reassured him. I probably would have succeeded too, if the freeloader raiding my pantry hadn't decided to join the conversation.
"The beanstalk is right, midget. You looked like you found the legendary goose that lays golden eggs and couldn't wait to carve it up."
"Ah, shut up ya big lug."
"Not calling me a pufferfish anymore?"
"It doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely."
Anyway, if one went back to my own wrangling on the question of identity, the hypothesis that the soul was intrinsically linked to the body it was born into had been shown to be fundamentally flawed. However, just because it was flawed didn't mean that there wasn't a kernel of truth to it. If we staked our hopes unto Kuma's odd interactions with Bonney at Marineford, assuming for a moment that it hadn't merely been a result of Dr. Vegapunk's programming but also the echoes of his soul… If that were to be the case, Law should be able to extract the scraps of Kuma's soul from his body, tattered and frayed as they may be. And more importantly, if we eventually were to be successful in returning his soul to a semblance of healthiness, to reimplant it into his body.
Mind you, I had no idea if this was even possible and even if it was, the herculean task of fixing a disembodied soul was way outside my own field of expertise. However, I did have – in some cases tentative – connections to people who might be able to help.
Alchemy was an art that was not fully understood by anyone. However, what most would agree upon is that it wasn't merely the facilitation of chemical reactions. Rather, its core was the manipulation of the metaphysical, to foster the awakening of latent potential and ultimately bring forth into the world that which was impossible to exist. If anything could aid in the restoration of a soul, it would have to be alchemy and as it so happened, the greatest alchemical mind in the world owed me a rather large favor.
I'd say it was worth a shot.
Of course, before I could call in Myskina Alcier to help, I'd have to secure Kuma's body first. Thankfully I knew precisely where the former Warlord would be at this point in time, unless I'd done something horribly wrong to change that. Barring that hopefully unlikely scenario, Kuma's mindless body should be guarding the Thousand Sunny against all comers. Or at least that had been Disco's last memo.
My friends had been surprisingly ok with the idea of kidnapping Bonney's dad, including Bonney herself who eagerly pulled out a lengthy piece of chain, custom made for just such an occasion. A construct of solid seastone, which she claimed was a belated father's day present. None of us had the courage to disagree that it was a thoughtful gesture.
Long story short, our little fleet of three ships and a submarine made way for the Sabaody Archipelago. Full of hopes and dreams, blissfully unaware of the noose tightening around our necks.
Author's note:
And that's the end of the war. Final tally is as follows:
BB's losses are Sanjuan Wolf (KIA), Avalo Pizarro (KIA), Van Augur (wounded, in a coma), Catarina Devon (wounded, lost an eye), Blackbeard (will edit the last chapter to reduce one arm to just bones, the flesh having been burned off) + uncountable number of grunts. This puts him down 3 of his original 10 titanic captains (though Kuzan hasn't joined yet).
WB losses KIA: Blamenco (6th division), Blenheim (9th division), Curiel (10th division), Kingdew (10th division), Atmos (13th division), Jiru (14th division), Fossa (15th division) + some allied captains.
So, all in all a decisive victory for BB but not a bloodless one.
This also marks the end of the second "volume" so to speak.
The first year of the timeskip was meant to lay the groundwork for any explosive growth in strength in the future (which Bellamy will need to beat Doffy & the Yonko), but it was never meant to be enough to completely change the scales of this war. That seemed like too much for just a single year so the WB pirates were the focus during this war. It'll be the last time that Bellamy plays second fiddle to any large world events. (At least that's the plan atm).
In the second year, the little shadow war Bellamy has going on with Doffy begins to heat up as the grace period is now over, the Tenryubito start moving against him more actively to get revenge and Bellamy tries to survive everything else the evil god (me) decides to throw in his direction.
Though before all of that, I'm going to take a break to refine the future plot a bit, because this story kinda got derailed (a lot) from what I'd planned out when I first started posting in July of 2023.
So, in case anyone has read to the end of this author's note, thank you for sticking with me so far and see you next time.
Ok, so seems BB will still be struggling and his growth will likely be hindered enough for a Bellamy and the rest to grow in power to match him.
Still feels like more damage should have been done, bit its an acceptable 'win' in a sense.
Ace will likely be training harder till he can confirm he can beat Teach in a 1 v 1 by himself, or at least enough that he will do better than last time.
Pizzaro is dead, so likely his and Wolf's fruits are up for grabs when the resurface, BB lost his two biggest heavy hitters, and Shanks can likely do more too damage him now that the War has ended, a few attacks here and there could likely cost him another captain or two if lucky.
Weevil's a problem, but we shall see how long that lasts, I'm hoping by the time Luffy shows up they can plan a final assault with WB remnants and Bellamy's growing armada too finally take him down.
Relocating the populace of WB's islands is a genius idea, probably Sphinx so they can make sure WB's sacrifice wasn't for nothing.
I imagine Marco is retiring to focus on protecting and training others to prepare for their last chance, or do whatever.
Maybe Izo will stick with Bellamy for a better chance at growing in power, its worked so far for him.
Still feels like more damage should have been done, bit its an acceptable 'win' in a sense.
Ace will likely be training harder till he can confirm he can beat Teach in a 1 v 1 by himself, or at least enough that he will do better than last time.
Pizzaro is dead, so likely his and Wolf's fruits are up for grabs when the resurface, BB lost his two biggest heavy hitters, and Shanks can likely do more too damage him now that the War has ended, a few attacks here and there could likely cost him another captain or two if lucky.
Weevil's a problem, but we shall see how long that lasts, I'm hoping by the time Luffy shows up they can plan a final assault with WB remnants and Bellamy's growing armada too finally take him down.
Relocating the populace of WB's islands is a genius idea, probably Sphinx so they can make sure WB's sacrifice wasn't for nothing.
I imagine Marco is retiring to focus on protecting and training others to prepare for their last chance, or do whatever.
Maybe Izo will stick with Bellamy for a better chance at growing in power, its worked so far for him.
- Location
- Vancouver
This part is a little weird because it seems to be Bellamy's thoughts, but then Squariss reacts to them.
Totally fair. Thank you so much for writing this, it's an awesome fic!
- Location
- Wherever I feel like being
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Just binged this fic. Really great stuff and an excellent series of butterflies here. Ace surviving was unexpected but I'm hoping that the Bellamy crew will be able to help Kuma, as well as start gathering a few more allies. Even if they're not the Strawhat Grand Armada, the Bellamy Fleet should hopefully be able to gain more members to assist them. Might end up with the Kuja joining if only because the Strawhat Grand Armada hasn't formed yet. Also, if the Mera Mera no Mi isn't in Dressrosa, does that mean that it's going to fall to Bellamy to deal with the puppeteer?
I kinda pictured it as Bellamy talking to himself and Sarquiss reacting.
Glad to have you aboard!
Interlude: Elegia I
New
– Byron –
According to Foxy's report, the Bear King had absconded with a ship and the directions to a luxury resort, held within a bottle the Foxy Pirates had fished out of the sea. Unfortunately, while certainly more helpful than nothing, it hadn't provided as much of a clue on the Bear King's whereabouts as Byron had hoped. Especially as it quickly became apparent that Foxy didn't have a clue on how to reach the resort Helena's brother was presumably headed towards. He didn't even remember what the resort was called, leaving the Harmony Pirates once more with a cold trail. While annoying, this suited Byron's purposes just fine for two reasons. Firstly, it was an excuse to spend some more time with the Foxy Pirates. After all, expecting that a single Davy Back Fight and a ten second stint as a member of the Harmony Pirates was going to foster any sense of belonging and loyalty in Foxy was naïve and unrealistic. And even if Foxy abided by the rules and intended to keep his oath of loyalty to his new captain (who had immediately sent him off to reclaim his old crew), it didn't mean the rank and file of the Foxy Pirates were going to accept being made into Bellamy's affiliates so easily.
As such, Byron needed to create more bonds between them and his crew while maintaining a hierarchical relationship. The easiest way he could think of being to slip into the role of a teacher to improve their frankly, abysmal combat skills. It said a lot if even Judy could beat most of them in a duel. Considering the long hours of dedicated supervision that were required to get a whole crew's worth of recruits up to snuff, they were going to need months at the very least.
Months, which Byron refused to spend on an abandoned island in the middle of nowhere. Which brought him to the second reason. If they needed to dally and dawdle anywhere while waiting for another clue, it may as well be somewhere that Byron had always dreamt of visiting. The Island of Music.
Elegia.
Formerly home to the Elegia Kingdom, a kingdom that had birthed some of the greatest musicians in the world and been the beating heart of the musical world. During its prime, it had laid claim to providing the best musical education in existence and it had also been where Byron's great-great-grandfather had first learned how to play the piano. Byron himself had never visited, but it had been a dream both his father and he had hoarded for years prior to…the incident. Unfortunately, by the time Byron had become independent and capable of affording the journey, the Kingdom of Elegia had been wiped out in its entirety by Red Haired Shanks.
Honestly, Byron hadn't thought the Emperor the type of person to massacre an entire population down to the last man, woman and child. However, it was undeniable that sometime between his arrival and departure, the prospering kingdom had been utterly destroyed in its entirety. Which went to on to show that you really couldn't judge a book by its cover.
Turned out that the rumors were ever so slightly exaggerated. Instead of massacring the entire population, down to the last man, woman and child…Shanks had only massacred the entire population nearly down to the last man, woman and child. For upon landing upon the island's shores Byron was greeted by a chipper young woman, who revealed herself to be the world's newest musical prodigy.
"Hi, I'm Uta! Nice to meet you.!"
"The pleasure is all mine, miss Uta. My name is Byron, a travelling musician."
Byron had always understood himself to be a musician first and a pirate second. As such, he had developed a habit of not hoisting his colors unless there was a pressing need in order to avoid the potential hassle involved. Foxy and his crew hadn't been that hard to convince either for two reasons. One, nobody in the world and nobody in their right mind wanted to fly that travesty of a flag Straw Hat Luffy had damned them to on a whim. And two, while it may have been on a technicality, Fox and the members of the Foxy Pirates were no longer part of the Foxy Pirates.
After all, when Byron had poached Foxy in a Davy Back Fight, the man had lost his rights as a captain and the responsibilities attached thereunto. Of course, he had regained them mere moments later, but as it was, he'd been ordered to form a subordinate crew. That every recruit happened to be a former Foxy Pirate didn't change the fact that it was legally, it being pirate law notwithstanding, a "new" crew who were entitled to their own flag. While they couldn't use the same one the Foxy Pirates had been flying originally, anything was better than what had been displayed on their mast when Byron chanced upon them. The Foxy Foxy Pirates had leaped at the chance to redesign an appropriate Jolly Roger. However, until they could agree on what it should look like, they had agreed to be a "peaceful travelling artisan troupe" for the duration of their visit to Elegia.
"How was your journey? We don't get that many visitors around here, apart from the semi-regular cruise vessels passing by or the occasional pirates hunting for the former."
"Thank you for asking. We did run into a pirate crew a couple of weeks ago, but we came out of the exchange unscathed. In fact, you could say that particular crew doesn't exist anymore."
"Good."
Which had all been a stroke of genius on Byron's part, because from the very first moment it had become apparent that this friendly, cheerful young woman harbored an intense aversion for all things related to piracy. It was apparent in the disturbance of her song, in the melody of her mood, in the momentary discord of her bearing. Byron hadn't known that one could pack so much vehemence into a single good while wearing such a bright smile.
"I'd have thought that more musicians would make the pilgrimage here, considering what Elegia used to be."
"You're the first in years actually. It's just been Gordon and I ever since the massacre."
"That was truly a tragedy and a great loss for the musical world." Byron nodded, completely truthfully. "I hadn't believed Red Haired Shanks to be the type of person capable of such…evil, but I was wrong."
"I hadn't either. I don't remember what happened, but I woke up to see Elegia in ruins and the Red-Haired Pirates sailing away with all our treasure."
"I'm sorry. I am being terribly insensitive." Byron apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."
"No, it wasn't your faut. You couldn't have known, and I don't usually talk about it." Uta replied, forcing out a smile. It was a brittle one. "I'm not sure why I told you either. You're surprisingly easy to talk to. Maybe it's because you're a musician too?"
"Or you were simply lonely." Byron thought. Not that this wasn't understandable. If she was being honest, Uta hadn't had many friends to call her own upon whom she could rely. Even with her rapidly expanding fanbase, the communication was surprisingly one sided. Hoping that any relationship could be equal, when one side put the other on a pedestal, was a doomed endeavor from the beginning.
Then again, people could surprise you as Judy demonstrated by wrapping Uta up in a hug. Both Uta and Marie froze, their hair standing on ends though for vastly different reasons as you could no doubt imagine.
"Er…wha…why?" Uta stammered, her hands flailing aimlessly.
"You looked like you could use a hug."
Thinks likely wouldn't have ended well for Byron's bartender if it hadn't been for the incredibly vulnerable look on Uta's face. Judy had a way of breaking through people's defenses and getting them to open up, as had been the case with Helena, which bordered on the supernatural.
As such, Marie calmed down in a reasonably quick manner and joined them, turning the embrace into a group hugging session by dragging Helena and Porche along with her. Foxy attempted to join in too, his face a crying mess, but was prevented from doing so by Shura wrapping him up in so much wire that he disappeared from sight. The rest of the Foxy Foxy Pirates wisely decided to hang back until Uta regained her composure.
"I'm not usually like this, you know? Don't know what came over me just now."
"We saw nothing." Byron promised, offering her a handkerchief.
He pointedly did not ask for it back.
Meeting Gordon was like a breath of fresh air for Byron. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed having someone he could call his equal within close proximity, someone with whom he could hold an intellectual conversation on their joint passion. Talking with Gordon let Byron return to a time when he'd been nothing but a simple aspiring musician learning from a teacher, for that was what the former king was at heart. His had been a life devoted to nurturing talents, something that hadn't changed despite losing everything to flames that had consumed his kingdom.
Not to mention that his knowledge vastly exceeded Byron's own. Nobody could deny that Byron was a master musician in his own right. However, much of that was based on his own experiences as well as rudimentary trial and error. It had been a process that should have taken decades, shortened to mere years by Byron's raw talent. Yet, whereas Byron's education had been forcibly halted in his teenage years, Gordon's had never stopped. Perhaps, aided by his more youthful dexterity, Byron may have been the better performer but the more time he spent with the former king the more Byron found himself slipping into the role of a student. And he loved it.
"You would have fit right in during our glory days. I've not seen many who could have matched your gift." Gordon said, giving Byron a standing ovation of one once the impromptu recital came to an end. Considering who was giving it, it was high praise indeed.
"Uta being a notable exception I suppose." Byron's grin was proudly returned by Gordon. "Her voice is divine. You've done well with her."
"Ah, not everyone can be blessed by the gods of music. She didn't require much from me, only simple guidance. But she is young yet and could use more peers around her."
The prospect of giving up the pirate life and settling on Elegia was incredibly tempting. It was a promise of a simpler life, a peaceful life. If it hadn't been for the life debt he owed to Bellamy, Byron may have accepted Gordon's implicit offer. Still, a life debt he did owe, and a promise was a promise.
"Perhaps, once I've put my affairs in order." Byron replied in a wistful tone, his fingers beginning to dance once more across the piano keys. "It would be wonderful to play in an orchestra once more. Music was always meant to be played and enjoyed together."
"Very true. Very true. Regretfully, I sadly cannot offer a full ensemble at the moment, but perhaps a duet will suffice in the interim." Gordon offered, pulling out an old but lovingly cared-for violin. "That is, if you'll humor an old man?"
In response, a bright smile spread itself across Byron's face, one that had been missing since his childhood days.
"It would be my honor."
And so, the days passed on by, Byron discovering music anew with Gordon while Shura spent his time training the Foxy Foxy Pirates in the arts of haki and the rokushiki. Byron did occasionally pop by to help them along with his music, boosting alertness and concentration levels, easing fatigue and improving motivation, but for the most part he concentrated on his own lessons.
Meanwhile, Uta commandeered the company of Judy, Marie, Helena and Porche to play all sorts of games. Some were childish, some were not but all of them were ones which could not be played alone. For the most part though, they simply spent their time exploring the city ruins with Uta as their guide, ostensibly hunting for treasure that none of them were sure did actually existed. Helena did attempt to stay aloof, but was soon swept along by Uta's enthusiasm. Judy and Marie in particular seemed to enjoy being young adults again instead of wanted pirates, an experience they mostly had to wave goodbye to after their encounter with the Celestial Dragons on Sabaody.
By the second week of their stay, the Foxy Foxy Private International Requisition And Treasure-hunting Expedition had done what they did best and organized a carnival fair, complete with joy rides, games and food stands. Heavens knew when they'd found the time, but Uta was delighted. Gordon had mentioned that she'd grown up with barely any contact with the outside world, making this her first visit to the fair.
She laughed at the comedy skits, growled good naturedly when she lost at one of the rigged games and squealed for joy when she inexplicably won. She even took part in many a play, turning a theatrical performance into a musical, much to the delight of her audience. And with every day, Byron could hear a little of the dark clouds in Uta's voice draining away, turning it into an ever clearer crystal gem.
One worthy to delight the world and bring happiness to all who'd listen. The two weeks he'd spent on the island were no doubt some of the most wonderful he'd experienced in his entire life. The highlight of which were the evening concerts with Byron on the piano, Gordon playing the violin and Uta lending it the finishing touch with her vocal accompaniment. Even when he knew he shouldn't, Byron found himself occasionally wishing that this state of affairs would go on forever.
Then…Judy happened.
"By the way guys, you'll never guess what Uta and I found today. A living transponder snail! Anybody else curious about what's inside? Now, how do I turn this on…there we go!"
One of the video recording type. More specifically, one which held within it the truth of what had happened to Elegia 11 years ago. A visual record of all the death, the destruction… and most importantly, who had been truly responsible.
"If you're watching this, look out! This girl named Uta is dangerous!"
And Judy had projected the damning truth onto a wall. In front of everyone.
"Her song can destroy the world!"
Including Uta.
The recording was cut off with a flash and a scream, the screen turning dark. Yet, as loud as the devastation immortalized within the video had been, it was utterly dwarfed by the deafening silence that followed. Nobody dared to move. Nay, nobody dared even breathe, for it felt as if the tension would choke them if they did. All eyes instinctively looking everywhere else, anywhere else except that one specific spot where Uta was sitting, her head bowed and her hands balled into trembling fists.
Eventually though, something had to give.
"Uta…" Gordon's hand never reached his ward's shoulder. Naturally, it also wasn't capable of transmitting the comfort the aged musician wanted to express. None of the assurances or the apologies of the former king received a chance to move beyond his lips, because the moment the first syllables were voiced, Uta shot up and fled the room. The heavy doors slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing throughout the grand hall like a hundred accusations.
Someone hiccupped.
Five hundred heads turned as one, necks craning as a thousand eyes focused on the figure standing frozen next to the now inert transponder snail. After breaking out of his shell during the Davy Back Fight, Judy had become increasingly more boisterous and outspoken, taking the initiative more often and his steps filled with more confidence. One which a man could only obtain by successfully defending his lady and could not so easily be snuffed out under normal circumstances. These weren't normal circumstances.
None of that confidence was present in his bearing now, his face draining of all color over the course of the recording until it bore closer resemblance to a ghost compared to anything else. Now, faced with the accusing stares of almost every living soul within a one-mile radius, Judy's tongue decided that enough was enough and went on strike. Which explained why it took him nearly a whole minute to force out the words, words which would leave lasting scars on Judy himself for the rest of his life.
"I-I didn't know…"
In the distant future, Foxy would mark this day in his bestselling memoirs, as the day on which the Compassionate Captain Judy transitioned from being a boy into a man. A titan of his age, who sought to fully understand the consequences of his actions, regardless of how insignificant they might have seemed at the time. But that was a tale best reserved for another time and that day was far off yet.
"UTAAAA!"
As such, when Gordon stormed out of the hall in search of his ward, he left behind a crowd of five hundreds pirates soullessly staring down a single individual, whose eyes in turn refused to budge from the tip of his shoes.
Author's Notes:
I'm back!
Oh boy, the Elegia arc and this is gonna be a rollercoaster here. Especially the fact Uta is gonna have some issues to work out and Byron and his crew are gonna have to escape this alive. Plus with the eventual appearance of Tot Musica and also the Red Hair Pirates and their chief Shanks showing up eventually.
Happy New Year 2025 by the way! 🎉 🎉🥳 🥳
- Location
- Texas
Judy's not smart enough to eat fruit of any kind without strict observation. He could choke on air, and not sure if that'd be bad or not.
Last edited:
YuffieK
(Verified Ninja Princess)
"Compassion and Mercy are not weaknesses. To offer such things to an enemy, even in the midst of a battle to the death, is truly the greatest strength of all." - Foxy the Grey Fox, Memories of the Great Pirate Era. United Sorbet Press, South Blue, 1st printing 1552 SCC
Last edited:
"If you want to be a hero, be a real hero. You don't have to act tough. Be strong enough to be gentle." - Larry Cullen, brother of Peter Cullen and inspiration behind the iconic character of Optimus Prime.
Byron is has a big job to do.
Well... Judy was always supposed to be the shonen main character type... you know, the one who bumbles around like an idiot for the first 500 episodes.
Marie would be devastated which would make Byron sad. So probably bad.
I love it!