Blue and Red phoenixes

Chapter 11

Ann get out of the navigator room and quickly went to Whitebeard's room, Ace's vivre card in hand. While passing, she saw that Ace's door was still closed, her haki confirmed that Marco was in fact asleep.

She hesitated but went against disturbing her brother. With Ace being defeated, Marco won't be able to rest for a while.

When she arrived, the nurses were examining Whitebeard, Ann waited for them to finish before talking. The atmosphere on the ship was already tense, with what happened to Ace, it will be now heavier.

The nurses left soon after Ann's arrival. Ann explained what was going on to Whitebeard and showed him the burning vivre card.

"Did you tell someone else? Marco?" Her father asked.

"No, I went straight to you. Marco is still sleeping, Pops"

Whitebeard sighed, looked at his perfusions and back to her. "Go get everyone, girl."

Ann let the vivre card with her father and went waking up the commanders who were still asleep and those who were distributing their duties to their division. She woke up Marco first and went after the others.

When they returned Marco was discussing with Whitebeard. His face was imbued with shock, Whitebeard must had told him about Ace. All commanders placed themselves around their captain, Ann was a little in retreat, behind Marco.

Whitebeard took his time before he announced, "Ace had been defeated."

The commanders looked at him, shock was on all their faces. Nobody talked. After a while Thatch spoke. "How can you be so sure, Pops?" It wasn't that Thatch doubted of the news but more the fact that he couldn't accepted it.

"Ace didn't call this night" Ann answered. "I confirmed it with his vivre card" Whitebeard showed the burning paper at everyone.

Thatch shallowed with difficulty his saliva, before continuing "Pops, what are we going to do?"

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Ann sat down on the ground of the crow nest, beside of her brother. Marco was hunched, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Ann waited for the good time to start a conversation, but she didn't need to.

"He will be executed, right?" Ann could hear the tightness in Marco's voice.

"Without doubt." She answered honestly. "But I don't think that this family will let the marines do it, no?" She tried to chill him.

Marco's lips twitched "Yeah, you're right, yoi." His gaze returned at the horizon. After a while Marco put his head on his sister's shoulder, Ann passed her arm around him. "You won't let him die, right Red?" Marco whispered. Ann didn't know if Marco meant her to heard but she responded anyway. "I won't, Blue" She kissed his forehead. "I won't"

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Ann went to recuperate Stricker at Banaro island. The island was totally devasted. Ann didn't just take Stricker, she took a look where the confrontation took place.

The town had been destroyed, yet apart of a small place in the center, all the remains of the building were in circle. She found Ace's hat caught on an end of wood. When she looked at the circle, she saw that half was burnt but not the other. From the mark, Ace had used the flame emperor technique. The other half had been certainly protected somehow by Teach's power. Not for the first time Ann asked herself, what type of power Teach had.

Ann rummaged through the surroundings to search Ace's dagger and bag, but she didn't find any. They had certainly taken them. Ann sighed and squeezing Ace's hat she returned to Stricker.