Steel Heart

Ch 53 - Hijack

The world might have called it a war but to Nana, what she saw was more like an apocalypse. Fire rained down from the skies as the sea around them froze with ice. The ground and air shattered around them with bright beams of light shot through the sky. The sounds of battlecries and clashing swords rang out like a dull roar, accompanied by the percussions of cannonfire. It was as if the elements themselves were at odds with each other and death polluted the entire atmosphere.

Whitebeard and his fleet of 47 pirate ships had stormed into Marineford, with Whitebeard himself making a surprise entrance by coming up from under the water. He had coated his ship, as well as three others, with the resin from Sabaody and it had emerged from the inner bay at the heart of the naval base.

To Nana, Whitebeard was like the Almighty himself. He had a daunting stature, a formidable presence, and a power that literally shook the world. She watched as he used his Tremor-Tremor power to create tsunamis and and waves that would put shaka time to shame on Wahino island.

"Do you see, Nana?" Rayleigh asked quietly, "Do you see what awaits you and your nakama in the New World?"

Nana nodded with her eyes glued to the screen and fear gripping her heart. Even if she did make some progress on Wahino, the most she has done was be able to control and utilize her metal glove to suppress water. It was not enough. She was not strong enough to be able to protect her nakama. Not against the men that were displayed on the monitors in front of her.

Nana scoffed at herself. She squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head. Just a week earlier, she had boasted that she would be able to take on an Admiral. She had said she would tear apart their so-called justice. God...how hot headed am I? At my level...I can't even stand up against a Warlord, let alone an Admiral...

The more she watched the battle, the more distant her dream felt to her. I even made such a selfish request to Luffy and say that we won't kill anyone with my weapons. Even defeating these opponents is questionable...let alone be able to show them mercy?! How stupid of me. How naive of me. Luffy, why the hell did you agree to it?!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The very familiar scream knocked Nana's senses back. Her head shot up and she looked frantically at the monitors. "Did you hear that, Rayleigh?!" she gasped, "That...that was Luffy!"

The cameras were locked on the platform so Nana couldn't see her captain but she knew his voice when she heard it.

"ACCCEEEE!" her captain screamed through the speakers.

Nana choked back a sob that was rushing out of her throat. "He did come...Luffy did come for his brother," she said with a mix of relief and nervousness.

She heard a booming voice come through. "You came here to rescue your brother? Do you know who you're messing with?! A squirt like you will be dead meat!"

The camera panned over to Whitebeard and Nana saw her captain, standing before the powerful man, on the masthead of his ship.

"Shut up! That's not for you to decide!" Luffy shouted back.

Nana's eyes widened as her hands flew to cover her jaw dropped mouth. Luffy!

"You wanna be the King of Pirates, right?!" Luffy barked defiantly back at the Yonko, "But...the one who'll become the King of Pirates....IS ME!"

His last proclamation echoed not just through the Navy Headquarters but it also rang out through the crowd of Sabaody.

Nana's eyes filled with tears as she choked back another sob. That's right...Luffy is the one who will become the King of Pirates. If he says he'll do it, then he'll do it. To hell what everyone else thinks.