An Eternal Bond

Betrayal

With his blade dripping with blood as it was pulled from Oyaji's chest, you'd be surprised to know that Squard was a close ally.

Jaws dropped, eyes wide, it felt like time had stopped the moment the blade made contact.

Before anyone could stop me, I was already at the Moby Dick, Marco pinning Squard down behind me while I checked on Oyaji.

"Why did you do that?! Answer me, Squard!"

"S-Shut up! You guys made me do it!"

I furrowed my brow and looked over at him. "What...?" Oyaji fell down on one knee, making both me and Marco have a bit of a panick.

"Oyaji, please be careful!" I said, putting my hand on his leg.

"Stop perpetrating this farce, Whitebeard!" Squard ordered. Whitebeard? But he calls his Oyaji...

"Squard, I don't know what's going on with you, but I—"

"I know about your deal with the navy! You have assurance that the Whitebeard's and Ace get out of here safely!"

He turned to the battle raging below. "Listen up everyone! We've all been trapped!" He paused for a pant... not sure why, but he did. "You never told me that Ace... was the son of that hateful Roger!"

My teeth automatically gritted, my hand balling into a fist. Excuse me?

"When you found me, I was alone. And you knew full well why I was alone. Because Roger  killed my whole crew, who had fought alongside me for so long. I despise Roger, and you know it! You didn't tell me Ace was the son of Roger because you want to make him King of the Pirates!"

Marco looked at me as I shook with anger.

"You we're already betraying me at that time. But I didn't know and even befriended Ace! I must've looked so stupid at the time! And then, your beloved Ace got caught!"

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!!"

"Y/N!" Marco held me back as I tried to jumped over his shoulder. "Let... me... AT HIM!!" I kicked and hit at Marco for him to let me go in a blind rage.

He insulted Oyaji, Ace, the whole crew! How else am I supposed to react?

Squard pointed at the outskirts of the bay. "See? We followed you here, sacrificing our lives to save Ace's!" Just as he said that, there was an explosion in the distance cause by the Kumas.

Marco put me down, although I hadn't calmed down all too much. I listened carefully, hearing the other crews feel conflicted about following Oyaji here.

"It's a miracle I could stab you once." Squard said, opening his arms. "I'm ready for it. Kill me."

I looked to the explosions, not far in the distance, hearing not only the loud booms but also the cries of my comrades.

"Oyaji, don't tell me you traded us... For Ace's life!"

"...Squard."

He looked over at me, my hair falling over my face ominously, although it wasn't intentional. "Think about it this way: the most powerful person in this war, and the most troublesome to the navy is Oyaji. And I assume someone of the navy told you?"

In the midst of Squard answering, Marco sliced at his neck with his hand while shaking his head. He's done that once before when I was mad, no, furious with one of our former crew members, and someone other than Ace tried to calm me down. I think you can guess who.

"Don't play innocent! You're his precious youngest daughter, and Marco's his first division commander! I know you knew!"

Oyaji sighed and looked straight at Sengoku. "It's true that Ace is Roger's son. It seems that the navy used that to their advantage to anger the one who'd be most affected by it."

"Enough of this!" Sengoku yelled. "Aokiji!"

On his command, Aokiji jumped up and froze the remaining snail, which somehow got into the hands of Buggy.

Oh yeah, Buggy's here!

"Shame on you, Whitebeard!!"

My eyes widened and I looked down at Crocodile.

"I have no recollection of being beaten by such a weakling!"

He really could've... but like many, age is starting to get to him. Taking off the things supporting him and his health, I... I don't know.

With a loud thud, Oyaji slammed the end of his spear on the ship, lifting his left hand. "You do realize what you've done, right, Squard?"

"You thrust a sword into your father's chest... You're such a stupid son!"

I smiled and turned around towards the other ships in the bay. Oyaji would never kill one of his own. One of his sons.

The bay watched as Oyaji brought Squard close to his chest. "But I love you, son, even if you are a fool."

"Cut the crap... you sold our lives to..."

"Who brought your upright and loyal heart into the darkness? Tell me."

"...An admiral of the navy."

I blinked and looked at Marco, the back at him. The navy? The NAVY?! Well of course he stabbed Oyaji if it was instructed by the NAVY!

"He said he would save us allied pirates if I slew you."

"So that's what Akainu told you." Oyaji said. "I know how much you hate Roger, so much that I can feel your pain. But, Squard, it's ridiculous to lay the blame on a child for the sins of his father. Did Ace do anything to you? You and Ace have weathered agony, joy, and pain together, so many times along with the others, isn't that right? I don't give a damn about who Ace's father is. We all met at the wide sea by chance!"

He looked over at me.

"Think about it this way, Squard. You know what Y/N loves to say to Ace when he's feeling bad about his father? She always says the same thing: It doesn't matter what's flowing through your veins, but what's in your heart. Not only the two of you, but all of you I think of as my children, whether it be by blood or by heart."

Squard's sword clattered to the ground. Oyaji stood up and walked passed him. "How ridiculous to say that I sold one of my sons!"

He punched the air and the frozen waves soon shattered, allowing the allied crews to leave should they choose.

"Did you call me a weakling? Please, Croco brat." I hid a snicker, hearing Oyaji say Croco brat so seriously. "I'm just a human with one heart. People would call me a devil or a monster, but I can't stay the strongest forever. If I can save this one man's life, I will earn my right to retire from the world."

"THOSE OF YOU WHO'LL FOLLOW ME, LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR IT!!"