Fire in our hearts | Portgas D. Ace x OC

11. Rescue

Another day went by.

Ace had left, alone. Everyone was apprehensive. Some mourned for Thatch, others worried about Ace.

On all these days, my brothers tried to cheer me up, even a little, and pull me out of the depressing hole that I was in.

Most of the time this did not work.

My father, Whitebeard, was also anxious. I think he felt even worse for me, he was worried about me. I hadn't eaten properly for a while, I didn't smile anymore, I didn't leave the room...

I just hoped that he would come back safe and sound. But that was all. A hope.

I had a hard time accepting that he had dropped everything without worrying about the consequences. The night before I had told him that I loved him. He just threw away everything I could feel and went after someone else, putting his life at risk, for pure revenge.

After a while the newspapers announced that he had been captured by the navy and that Teach was now a shichibukai.

I will never be able to explain the feeling I felt inside me when I read that his execution had already been scheduled to take place.

It was as if they were tearing me up inside.

When we received the news, my father, the captain, had made the decision: we were going to rescue him, no matter what it took.

It broke my heart to think of him in that cell at Impel Down, but I had to be strong, for his sake. Without rest, I trained day and night until we arrived in Marineford. The rescue and escape plan had been devised by the best strategists and commanders.

There was no way it could go wrong.

When we were under the water, entering Marineford, tears insisted on falling from my face. It was the most decisive moment.

Izo squeezed my hand and gave me a comforting look.

- Calm down - Izo said. - Everything will be all right.

Memories struck my memory in a nostalgic way.

Tree house, Fuusha Village, 10 years earlier...

Luffy, Ace, and Sabo were sleeping peacefully while I admired the moonlight through the window.
The stars were especially beautiful that night, and I wanted to admire them before I had to return home.

- Grace?

Ace's voice distracted me from my thoughts. Joining me by the window, we were silent for a few seconds until the boy next to me decided to speak.

- I have to ask you something.

- Hmmm?

- What would you think... if the king of pirates had a son?

- If Gold Roger had a son? Hmmm... I think I would feel jealous.

- Jealous?

- Yes! His father must have had so many cool adventures, and I would love to hear about them all.

- Don't you think his son would be a burden to the world? That he should never have been born?

- Of course not! Why would I think that?

When I turned to Ace, he had tears in his eyes.

- Thank you ...

At that moment it had hit me. Portgas D. Ace was the son of the king of pirates.

As the ship began to surface, I began to analyze the situation before me.

An escalation of one hundred thousand elite troops prepared for battle. Fifty Navy ships are stationed around the island with cannons lining the coastline. And in the front line of all this are no less than the Shichibukais, including my sister Hancock.

At the back of the island, Ace is located at the top of the execution tower. Looking after him are the three Admirals: Kizaru, Akainu and Aokiji.

I looked from a distance watching Ace's gaze get a drop of hope when he saw us coming. My heart broke a little more when I saw him all bruised up, chained like that.

My father climbs to the front of his ship as he greets Sengoku, no longer clutching his medical equipment and ready for battle.

- Father!!! - Portgas shouted in the midst of despair.

Suddenly, he hits the air, shattering it like a mirror before causing explosions, shocking the navy soldiers.

Aokiji jumps out of his seat and uses Ice Age to freeze the waves before they hit.

He tried to attack father, but he easily stopped the attack, hitting the admiral's ice in the process and breaking it. Aokiji strikes back at the edge of the bay and uses his powers to freeze there as well. With the bay now frozen, Whitebeard's ships cannot move and the navy begins bombarding us with cannon fire.

Kizaru also tries to make his move, firing down a series of light beams toward father. However, he is stopped by Marco, who is covered in blue flames after the attack.

Akainu decides to act, producing a colossal magma fist that obliterates the iceberg, also creating volcanic projectiles and destruction of one of our ships in the process.

- Go light the candles on a birthday cake instead, you brat.

Little Oars Jr. counters, but because of his size he is an easy target. One of the shichibukais, Kuma, uses the power of his paw fruit to strike him, wounding him completely.

Ace looks at the scene in horror and asks them to stop, but it's no use. Oars is hit from all sides, and even though he insists and almost manages to reach Ace, he collapses fainted in Marineford.

In the midst of all this battle, suddenly, screams are heard, and a number of people literally start falling from the sky.

- Luffy???!?!?!?!

I go into shock when I see none other than one of my best childhood friends, Luffy, falling out of the sky with despair along with a host of other creatures.

- Do you know him? - Izo raised an eyebrow.

- Yes! He is Ace's brother!

- Ace! I've come to rescue you!!!

- Luffy....!!!!

I ran out like the wind from where I was, with other crewmates trying to stop me, only to see him face to face.

- Luffy!!!!

I hugged him and he hesitated for a moment.

- Wait a minute, who are you? - he looked for a few seconds at my face - PENNY!!!!!!!

Luffy lifted me up and twirled my body in the air, making me smile and have an ounce of hope in the chaos.

- My brother... Penny... you shouldn't have come...!!!!