-PORTGAS D. ACE-

╒══════════════════╕"When I first met you, I honestly didn't know you were gonna be this important to me."╘══════════════════╛

Fear, anger, courage, pain, despair, hope.

There were mixtures of emotion flashing through everyone's eyes.

Blood splattered everywhere and limp bodies lay cold against the hard land as Pirates and Marines try their best to kill one another, swords placed above their throats and guns pressed on their temples.

Screams of pain and agony can be heard on each side of the group as one body falls after another.

It was an all out war, a war that the marines themselves have decided to create.

No one seems to have the upper hand, given that both sides have people who are great in combat, people who have abilities that can fend off opponents, and people with strong will that even death itself cannot faze.

The marines were confident, focused on the thought that the person chained up on the execution board above will never be set free.

But they were too confident.

They belittled the pirates.

They belittled the strength a family has.

The pirates shouted in glee when Fire Fist Ace, with the help of his little brother, was set free.

The marines grunted in disappointment and anger when they saw the blazing flames casting an image of the Whitebeard crew's jolly roger.

Even with the prisoner free, the war was still on. The pirates who charged at the Marineford have now decided to retreat, given that their mission was now complete but the navy, who have recovered from shock, didn't allowed this.

Canons exploded, bullets were fired, blades clashed, and fists meet.

Countless groans, unidentified screams, and incoherent orders from the supreme can be heard all over the place, it was a warzone never before seen.

As much pain and casualties the pirates give to those who were on their way, the marines never fell as they try to push and fight them all, especially the admirals.

Kizaru, who was usually a slowpoke, was now moving in the speed of light as he hunts down the first division commander of the whitebeard pirates, Marco the Phoenix, who unfortunately, got cuffed with seaprism and was trying his best to pull it off.

Aokiji, on the other hand was fighting head to head with the 'outcast' himself, Portgas D. Ace as he protect and help his brother, Monkey D. Luffy, in the process. They were a great duo, making it hard to hit one of the two.

Then, there was Akainu, the one who claims that whatever happens, 'justice' will prevail. He was watching all things go down south as his mind was running fast, thinking of orders he need to give in order to win the battle.

The pirates were half way there, they were almost out of the navy's radar, until something unexpected happened.

Akainu, seeing an opening, suddenly jumped into action. He decided that if he cannot execute the son of the late pirate king, then he will kill Strawhat Luffy, the offspring of the 'world's worst criminal', Dragon.

Everything happened fast, one minute Strawhat was on the floor, eyes filled with shock seeing Akainu aiming for him then after a second, Fire fist suddenly popped out of nowhere between them, covering for his little brother as he takes the blow.

The said admiral pierced through the young pirate's back to his chest making every one freeze. It was like time has stopped as each one, even the marines, stayed still, eyes focused on the scene before them.

Everyone was shocked, especially his crew, his captain, and his brother.... Luffy.

The agony in his eyes cannot be simply explained with words.

The marines who recovered from the incident immediately went back to action, taking the pirates' taken aback expression as an opportunity to slaughter them all.

Portgas D. Ace, who was the reason behind the crew's effort and strength to fight, was there, kneeling limp before his brother as Luffy tries his best to keep him up. He was whispering to the younger raven as blood started trickling from the side of his mouth down to his chin.

His dull eyes were suddenly filled with fire, his bloody mouth twitched into a sad grin as he hugged his brother tighter.

Seeing that the freckled raven was now breathing heavy and his eyes were starting to fall, she finally raised from her seat, heels clanking as she made her way down the platform.

Meeting the cold concrete that has nothing but blood, she silently but gracefully strode across the ongoing war.

It was quite funny, really, that no one, not even a single soul, took a glance at her as she walk slowly to the ravenette's direction. Marines never questioned her existence and pirates never attacked her form.

Was it because both sides think she was an ally and never a foe?

Maybe.

"I...can't raise my voice ...to let everybody ..hear me ...anymore" the voice was weak, but her ears surprisingly picked up his words as she stroll closer and closer to the brothers.

"Can you tell them.... what I'm about to say now?" the older ravenette breathed, head starting to hung low. Her usual dark eyes shimmered with sadness, the pain radiating from the freckled man can be extremely felt even at her distance.

"Pops! Everybody! And you.... Luffy" He continued, voice starting to break. The younger one's eyes widened, not believing that what he was hearing right now... was his brother's last words.

"Thank you... for loving someone... like me... who is good for nothing... And who has such a bad blood in his vains... Up to today.." His eyes were glistening, tears starting to fall as he broke into a sad grin, giving his last words.

"THANK YOU!"

The moment Portgas D. Ace fell from Strawhat Luffy's hold, the woman immediately stepped into action.

Him falling unconscious was her signal.

Her cue.

With one last look to her surroundings, the woman's eyes suddenly met a pair of silver orbs, the ones she was sure she'll never see again after turning her back to this place.

With one final nod, Edward Newgate, gave her his last grin before everything stopped.

"ARRETEZ"

The woman's form suddenly emitted a faint gold light towards her surroundings, engulfing the whole place, the whole war.

Time froze in it's place as it left only the silver head moving.

The marine headquarters was too big and she can only hold the time; base on her special watch, for about three minutes.

Wasting no second, she sped up to the now limp body of the ravenette and pulled a string of his locks, placing it inside a flask she was holding as she drags a corpse of some marine near with her free hand.

Forcefully shoving the drink inside the dead navy's mouth, his body started to change slowly into what Fire Fist looked like; his charcoal locks, his thick eyebrows, his closed eyes, his pointed nose, his thin lips and his freckled cheeks. Even the ragged clothes and large hole on his chest was imitated successfully.

After the transformation was done, the silver head checked her watch and saw that only a minute was left. Moving as fast as she could, the woman pulled Portgas out of Strawhat's hold, replacing him with the cold impostor.

Before placing the ravenette onto her back, she quickly pulled a hidden syringe behind her ear, injecting a substance into his arm and after a few seconds, his body was starting to turn invisible. Before his body become completely unseen, she hurriedly picked him up, stumbling a bit.

The woman was about to walk off when something small beside the frozen Luffy caught her attention.

It was a burning vivre card.

She immediately picked it up and shoved it inside her pocket before looking forward.

As soon as she took her first step, time started ticking once again.

Marines and pirates looked at the woman curiously as she limped her way out of the war but no one gave her a second glance, given that everyone was busy with the chaos around them.

With heavy puffs of breath, she shook her head as she slowly walked out of the warzone.

"I promised you that I will finish your last task for me Oyaji, and I will not break it."