One Piece- Memories After All

Chapter 4- Pain of Pleasant Memories

The screen played again showing the after-effects of the war. It showed Blackbeard’s appearance along with his crew in Marineford and his clash with the Whitebeard. Luffy is still sitting in front of his now-dead brother and crying. His eyes were all white and his mouth was wide open. It looked like his brain stopped functioning. Akainu who was thrown by Whitebeard earlier was on Luffy’s tail again. Jinbei was trying to protect the unconscious Luffy but Akainu still managed a hit.

On the other side, the clash of Whitebeard and Blackbeard was also futile for the old Yonko. He knew death was the destination. He told Teach that he was not the one carrying Roger’s will and screamed his last words “One Piece is real”. He died standing straight with Naginata in his hand. Teach laughed and covered him with a black cloak when he emerged again from the black veil, he gained the ability of Gura Gura No Mi.

People in the room were shocked by one after the other revelations. Whitebeard suddenly remembered what Shanks had told him. He explicitly said that Blackbeard Teach wanted his position. He wanted to dethrone him. But Whitebeard dismissed his warning.

Shanks may be the youngest and laid-back Yonko but he holds the knowledge far bigger than him. He was Roger’s prodigy. He had seen the secrets void from the world. His instincts are widely better than the old veterans. However, he was not given an ear when he went out of his way to warn about the upcoming bloodshed. What can they do now there is no medicine for regret.

Shanks was seething right now, looking at the kid he and his crew adore so much in such despairs. He can feel Ben’s Haki as well who felt the same as him. He wanted to chastise Ace for his muddle-headedness. In his nonsense rage, he broke Luffy and the sacrifices of all the people who died. But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything to Ace who was motionlessly seeing the play.

“This is what happens when you think the world is all about you, Whitebeard” Shanks gritted out.

“Brat….” Whitebeard sighed “I do not regret my decision, no matter what if one of my own is threatened I will go to protect them”

“And what about those who are left behind, your scattered crew and allies, the territories under your protection, and the pirates who died? Are they not as much of a son to you as the commanders?” Shanks knew he should not say this but he was aggrieved for his child. The kid should be goofing around the seas with his brightest smile, that is the only expression for him. But now he is critically injured. No one knows when or if he will come back.

“Everyone who joined my crew is my son, don’t you dare mock that brat. They went to the battle on their own will. They made the choice themselves. They knew it was a war and death was reality”. Whitebeard raged. And people around him feel his aggressive aura.

“The choice they didn’t have to make if you were a better judge”, Shanks replied with the same aggression. The older Yonko’s crew gritted their teeth at Shanks’s proclamations. They knew they cannot fight right now but they wanted to get back on him for insulting their father.
Shanks ignored them and locked his gaze on Ace. The same Ace who fights the lost battle with the Admiral because he threw a few words at the old Yonko was not reacting when he was arguing with the same man.

Ace was gazing at the screen showing his broken brother, dead captain, and comrades and laughing traitor. For some reason, he didn’t feel anger but only guilt and sadness. He was unconsciously releasing the aura that will not let anyone approach him. The walls Luffy break to reach him are building again. He was locking everyone out.

People related to the pirates and especially the young rookie were grieving and sobbing. The worst was the straw hats. They keep remembering how Luffy protected them in different ways but he was all alone when the sky was falling on him.