Chapter Text

Sabo read the article in his hands trying desperately to will his frozen heart to beat once more. He read it again, and again, and thrice more past that, yet the words on the page never changed. His stupid, foolhardy twin had rushed headlong into a battle with his crew’s traitor despite being told not to go and he lost. He lost and now he was chained in Impel Down and slated for execution. Tearing his top hat off his head, Sabo tangled his fingers into his blonde hair tugging much too hard, desperate for the pain to ground him before he could spiral. 

“Seas, you damned idiot! Why can’t you ever listen?!” Sabo choked out throat aching at his refusal to cry as he yanked even harder on the wavy locks wrapped around his fingers. 

Luffy would be so disappointed. His big brother always hated that years in a noble house before he was claimed by Luffy had him hurting himself to stay in the present and not dissociating from the world around him completely as he played the part of a perfect son. It was almost always subtle, nails digging hard into palms to draw blood that stayed hidden in a clenched fist so Luffy made sure they stayed trimmed short. Hands running through hair tugging too hard and catching on knots in the loose curls so Luffy filled balloons with flour to squeeze so his hands stayed occupied and brushed his hair every single day to keep it as free of tangles as possible. Even at 19, it was a habit that never fully broke, especially once he wasn’t under Luffy’s careful watch. 

Sabo took a deep breath finding solace in the pain before taking another and another. Over and over again humming the song Luffy always sang to them under his breath until finally his heart no longer felt like a block of ice frozen in his chest and ivy wrought in iron wasn’t strangling the oxygen from his lungs. They weren’t weak little kids who had to follow their big brother’s lead like when they were brats anymore. Each brother was strong in their own right. Ace had become a commander on the crew of the World’s Strongest Man. Sabo had gone into Dragon’s care at 14 with both of his brothers’ blessings and rose in the ranks until he was the revolutionary’s second in command even going so far as to trust the brother of his son with his signature fighting style. Luffy became the youngest Yonko in history claiming the title when he was only 19 by taking down Kaidou and Big Mom one after the other when he entered the New World. He kept it with ease in the five years since. 

The D. Brothers weren’t weak and never had been. Sabo may have not been born with the Will of D. in his veins, but he was raised by and alongside it. Molded by the hard hands of a punch happy marine’s sporadic appearances, by ferocity and stubbornness to the point the word quit wasn’t in his vocabulary, and above all of that the loving touch of an older brother that even as children was larger than life. No, Sabo wasn’t weak and the Marines and World Government would regret the day they thought they could put his twin on that platform and get away with it. 

Sabo jammed his top hat back on his head, hair once more covering a tattoo on the back of his neck that few knew existed and even fewer knew the meaning of, and swept out of his office paper in hand. Swift steps carried him straight to the office of his brother’s father, there were plans to be made. Yes, the world would regret the day they went after the younger brother of Monkey D. Luffy. 

Marco cursed when he saw the headline, rushing straight to his father’s side. Ace had left against orders to chase down Teach, not calmed in the slightest that he had made it in time for Thatch to survive. The cook still hadn’t woke even over a month after the attack but the nurses were all optimistic that it would happen eventually. They believed the cook’s mind had shut down to process the betrayal of a long-time brother trying to kill him. Ace didn’t care that he was the only reason Thatch had survived though. No, he had left full of anger and rage, fought the traitor, and lost, his injured body handed over to the marines in exchange for a warlord position. 

“Pops, have you seen today’s paper, yoi?” Marco asked grimly. 

At the shake of his old man’s head, Marco placed the offending paper into his father’s waiting hand. Crossing his arms and staring out to the sea, Marco worried for his youngest brother as their father read the news of the young man’s capture. An angry growl had his attention back on the old captain and Marco had to fight down a shudder at the dark look on his father’s face. The paper was passed amongst the commanders who had gathered until it landed in Izou’s hands who tossed it into the sea with a slew of colorful curses after reading it. 

“Why did he have to chase after that filthy traitor?” Marco grumbled feeling his flames flicker about him in irritation. 

“What are we going to do, Pops?” Izou asked seriously. “It’s scheduled for two weeks from now and stopping this will mean war.”

“Then we go to war, my son.” Whitebeard said anger in his tone as rage burned bright in his eyes. “They knew what would come from harming my family and the consequences of their actions will rain down from us with a fury like no other.”

“Call up our allies, Marco, inform them that war is on the horizon and Marineford will be our battleground. Tell them all to meet us there.” The Yonko ordered taking up his bisento as he stood to his full height. “Izou, set our course for Marineford. We have no time to lose now that I have a wayward son to bring home.”

“The Marines have stolen one of ours and intend to take the head of our youngest!” Whitebeard roared conqueror’s haki wrapping protectively around all of his children as they all snapped to attention at his voice. What could they say, they’re always fiercely protective of the ship baby and commander or not Ace was their youngest crew member. “We’re not just going to stand idly by for them to spill the blood of ours, are we?”

“NO!” The entire crew roared back bloodlust and anger clogging the air. 

“Then set sail, my children, we head to war!” Marco and Izou were the first to jump into action rushing off to their assigned tasks. The rest of the commanders were right behind them heading off to prepare their respective divisions for the battle ahead. 

The crew in its entirety moved as one. Every man took their position to man their massive ship. The nurses rushed off to the infirmary taking stock of and preparing as much medicine as they could in advance. Whitebeard sat back in his chair watching as his children worked around him. The Marines wanted a war and he’d make them regret waging it against his family. 

The crew of the Red Hair Pirates watched as their captain repeatedly banged his head against the mast of their ship. At first, they’d been confused but once the paper that had started the breakdown had been passed throughout the crew they all quickly understood. Their captain was desperately hoping to wake up from the dream where the world government was really that stupid. 

“The fuck are you thinking Senny?!” Shanks whined. “Taking in and announcing the execution of one of Whitebeard’s sons?! Anchor’s little brother?! It’s like he’s begging to end the world!”

“Benn!” He shrieked, spinning to face his first mate and shaking him by the shoulder. “I’m dreaming right?! It’s just a funny little dream and I’ll wake up soon because the world government absolutely wouldn’t be that ignorant as to what this will bring!”

“You’re not dreaming, Boss.” Benn answered drily shrugging off the hand on his shoulder. Shanks simply buried his face in the now empty hand and groaned, a long-suffering entirely done with this bullshit thing. “The Marines and World Government are indeed being that stupid.”

Shanks threw up his hand as he started pacing all over the deck. This was destined to end horribly for one side or the other without a doubt. If Whitebeard won then he’d be at war with the World Government until one or the other finally fell. Luffy and his crew too because Ace was his little brother and that meant there was exactly no chance that their Anchor wasn’t going to get involved. If they lost, both were dead and that would put Shanks out of a drinking buddy and the kid he viewed as his son. Shanks very much did not want that. 

“What am I supposed to do here?!” Shanks whined, stopping his pacing to face his first mate again. 

“I couldn’t begin to tell you, Boss.” Benn said with a shrug of his shoulders. “But, you know as well as I do, that if you stand by, do nothing, and something does happen to Ace then Anchor will never forgive you.”

“Fuck.” Shanks cursed passionately with a full-body shudder before he returned to banging his head against the mast. “I didn’t even think of that!”

“You’re going to give yourself a concussion, Boss.” Benn said but it did nothing to stop Shanks from banging his head on the mast as he thought through his options despite knowing there was really only one choice. 

The first mate did understand though because their Anchor was a terrifying creature when someone he considered his was threatened. They’d only seen it once before leaving Dawn Island all those years ago but at 10 years old their little Anchor had dragged a handsy merchant out of the bar after he copped a feel with Makino and beat the man within an inch of his life. 

The guy wasn’t strong by any means but he was a full-grown man and seeing a child as bright and happy as Luffy just go dark was a very shocking thing. Benn wouldn’t be surprised if that man never sailed anywhere near Dawn Island after that incident. He’d be surprised if the man was ever able to sail again, period. Anchor was brutal in the way he’d attacked and both he and Shanks bore scars from stopping their son from finishing what would have been his first kill that day. 

There was also the fact that two Yonko-level pirates were going to be involved in this war and that would be devastating let alone if Luffy brought along his monster-filled crew. Adding Shanks to the mix would make it a miracle if anything remained of Marineford when the battle was over. But, if Shanks didn’t show up at all then Luffy would be upset at the least and furious at the most if something did happen to his little brother. He might never talk to Shanks again and the older Yonko adored his claimed son so he decidedly didn’t want the younger Yonko angry with him. So he was left with the choice of helping to completely wipe Marineford off the map or avoiding the war entirely. 

“Set sail for Marineford.” Shanks mumbled with a defeated sigh. 

Benn laughed as he walked away to give the orders because really his captain did all of that whining as if he ever actually had a choice at all. Shanks however stared out at the sea in dread. They were pretty far from Marineford and there was a solid possibility that they would be too late even heading there now. It was Anchor though so the crew would be making sure they traveled as quickly as possible. Luffy would be satisfied even if he only showed up at the very end, right? Shanks shook his head harshly knowing there was no use fretting over an outcome he’d only find by making it to Marineford. Instead, he’d wait and hope the dread building in his gut wasn’t foreshadowing something horrible. 

“I’m surrounded by absolute idiots.” Mihawk sighed as he burned the paper that was evidence of all his current stress. 

He understood well that not many knew the high places Fire Fist Ace had connections past his place in the oldest Yonko’s crew, but truly how absolutely moronic did the marines have to be to even think that this was a wise course of action. The young man’s public relations were known in every area of the Grand Line as well as tales of his fighting prowess. The Marines did not know who Portgas D. Ace was but his brother’s allies certainly did and not a single one of them would let this offense pass them by. It was an open secret among Strawhat’s entire Grand Fleet that neither the Whitebeard Pirates nor their territories were to be touched as long as his little brother sailed under that flag. 

If catching Ace wasn’t enough there was the frankly insulting fact that the Marines refused to take Luffy and his allies seriously. The brat was the youngest to ever achieve the title of Yonko and he didn’t do it by being weak because his fleet had no part in the battles against Big Mom and Kaidou that got him his title. No that was Luffy and his monster-filled crew with a bit of backup from the Kidd and Heart Pirates. Luffy was a charming force of nature making friends in high and low places on every single island he stepped foot on the marines had no clue just how deeply his network ran nor did they understand that Luffy commanded even more respect and loyalty than Whitebeard himself received from his allies. 

Luffy’s allies were in kingdoms and nations all over the Grand Line, in princesses and kings, in Warlords like himself, hell the man even had people in the marines who were more loyal to him than the institution they swore to serve. Whitebeard’s allies would help, of course, but they weren’t as enamored with the old captain as Luffy’s were of him. The old captain had lost a lot of respect over the years since Kaidou took over the homeland of the man Whitebeard had proudly called his brother and the man did nothing in retribution.

 Privately, it lost him plenty of faith among his Allies for all that none of them ended their connections to the Yonko. They would fight but were just as likely to turn tail and run if that’s what it meant to stay alive. More likely than not were the ones that held a senseless grudge of some kind or another that would betray the old geezer by buying into a lie that would undoubtedly be used. Pirates in general weren’t know for their loyalty staying true and most allies were fair weather companions at best. 

Luffy’s though, Luffy’s allies would walk into the depths of hell with a smile if Luffy asked because they knew that he would do the same. Because the man had proved it over and over again freeing nations, countries, and kingdoms from oppression and threats as easy as breathing because a friend asked it of him and he never asked anything in return past food and safe harbor. 

The Marines all thought the pirate naive, but he was genuinely just that kind. He was also just that dangerous because there is nothing more deadly than a man who holds favors in high and low places yet only uses them in emergencies instead of to increase his own standing. The low-level ones held the same breed of insanity as Strawhat Luffy and followed him more devoutly than most would religion. A mass of technical cannon fodder that could put up a hell of a fight before falling that he could throw at any problem but never did. Let alone the people in Luffy’s pocket that had power; three warlords, two Yonko, three kings and princesses, and the entirety of the revolutionary army. 

The sheer stupidity had Mihawk sighing again as he stared at the burning paper in his fireplace. Luffy had had plans in place for this exact situation for years and the Marines didn’t realize that they had just signed not only their own death warrant but that of the entire World Government as well. Mihawk didn’t mind much though because Luffy probably wouldn’t even need him to get involved he’d only have to stay out of the younger man’s way and keep his promises. He’d keep his position while the government still stood and get to laugh his ass off as they fell. He hoped there wouldn’t be too many casualties before Luffy claimed his victory. 

“Father!” Vivi cried as she rushed into the man’s office making him lift his head from the paperwork before him. 

“What is it, Vivi?” Cobra asked frowning when she dropped a paper in front of him on the desk. 

“It’s starting.” She said calmly. 

“Wha-“ The king cut himself off as he read the front page article. “It would seem so, Vivi, it would seem so.”

“I’ve already sent a letter out, Luffy knows of our support.” Vivi said firmly. 

“Well done, Vivi.” The man answered before turning to Pell. “Lower the World Government’s flag and bring the Strawhat one out to fly. We may only now be stating it publicly but our loyalties have lied for years and still do now with the ones who actually did something for this country.”

“Of course, My King.” The guard said with a bow before rushing off to see the task done. 

Luffy, everyone, I hope to see you again soon. 

Across the Grand Line, the scene repeated with letters being sent with the same bird dropping the paper and the Jolly Roger of the Strawhat Pirates raising to fly high above countries and kingdoms in the place of the World Government flag. With each flag raised there was one common theme among each and every place, in one way or another they all owed their respective freedoms to Strawhat Luffy. They knew exactly who would send aid if they called for it and now with the Marine’s misstep, they’d unashamedly made their true loyalties known. The World Government would burn and the next King would dance among the ashes with bloodthirsty glee. 

Sanji hummed under his breath as he prepared the midday feast his black hole of a captain called lunch. It was only through years in a kitchen feeding hundreds of patrons that he was able to keep up with the man’s stomach. He could hear a loud argument happening on deck and was surprised that Luffy hadn’t used the distraction to barge in demanding to be fed with all his usual cheer. 

“Luffy, no!” He heard Usopp screech followed shortly after by a loud and painful sounding crash. 

Sanji nodded his head in unseen thanks to his crew mates for their sacrificed sanity to keep their whirlwind of a captain out of his kitchen for as long as possible. It was nice, after all, to occasionally be able to cook in peace. A glance at the time had him adjusting the flames on his stove to keep food from burning as he gathered the berri to pay the Newscoo he could see on the horizon. 

He was shocked when a small sack of letters was dropped into his hand along with the day’s paper but he resigned to leave that for later as he first glanced over the back of the paper in his hand. He was back at the stove stirring one of his dishes one-handed when he flipped the paper to the front. Sanji didn’t register his actions at all as he slapped all the burners off on the stove with an agitated curse and rushed out to the deck grabbing up the bag of letters that suddenly made much more sense on his way. In his wake was a cigarette he never felt fall that was crushed under his foot during his hasty exit. 

Sanji didn’t give a single glance to the crew mates that he shocked with his sudden appearance, instead heading straight toward where Luffy was tussling around the deck with Usopp and Franky. He had to dodge a few stray rubber limbs before he managed to find his voice again. 

“Captain!” He said urgently, immediately getting not only Luffy’s full attention but that of the entire crew. The crew rarely actually addressed Luffy by his title especially when onboard the Sunny and the Yonko preferred it that way. They were so much more than a captain and his crew, they were a family. 

Franky and Usopp released Luffy immediately while Robin, Nami, Chopper, and Brook all rushed closer to find out what had happened. Jimbei and Zoro both shifted in their own positions listening in from their places at the helm and against the mast respectively. Once Luffy was free Sanji was quick to pass the paper off to him. The cook had to force down a shudder when he saw incandescent rage like he’d never seen from Luffy before take over his captain’s face as the man lost control of his haki and his hair flickered between black and pure white.

 The sea and wind around them raged with Luffy in response to the outpouring of conqueror’s haki, large waves crashing around them but never disturbing Sunny herself. The crew stood calm in the force that could bend nature itself to their captain’s will, they had all kneeled for their King before and knew well that he would never let harm come to them from his own abilities. Still, they worried because for all the battles they’d fought at their captain’s back nothing had ever made their sunshine incarnate look like that. 

“Set sail for Marineford, now.” Luffy ordered darkly no smile to be seen as he gripped the paper in his hand with a force just shy of shredding it. “They’ve taken Ace. This means war!”

“Aye, Aye, Captain.” Jimbei was the first to respond, voice angry and grim as he spun the ship about to head back towards the Red Line. 

“There’s more, Captain.” Sanji said, dropping the bag of letters into his hands. “It’s starting.”

“So it is, shishishi.” Luffy responded a dark chuckle falling from his vicious grin as he opened and scanned letter after letter. “So it is.” 

“Nami, Robin, sort through these and notify the Fleet. Assign them each one of our land-based allies, they will need the support in place before the fallout that will come from the battle at Marineford.” Luffy said seriously as he passed the stack of opened letters to Nami. “Also let the fleet know that unless it’s a ship manned by one of our friends it’s on sight for all marine vessels. We’re going to put a dent in their cannon fodder long before the execution date.”

“Luffy, you’re terrifying when you actually act as smart as you are. You know that, right?” Usopp said with a shudder as his only response was a feral grin from his captain. 

“We proved with Robin years ago what happens when they come for my crew. The marines are fixing to learn the painful way what happens when they decide to lay hand on my little brothers.” Luffy said with a bloodthirsty grin that was shared among the entirety of the Strawhat crew. No one fucked with the Straw Hat Pirates for a reason after all.