Dragon's Heart [One Piece]

Chapter Nineteen

~Ace's POV~

It was pure chaos, all around me. Pirates and marines were battling head to head neither side refusing to back down. It was my own fault for getting captured, why did they all have to go so far to try and save me? I'd gone off on my own, I messed up and got sloppy. This was my burden to bear, I'd never wanted to drag any of my family down with me. Luffy was at his limit. He struggled so desperately to free me. I didn't see any way for us to make it out alive. Everything looked pretty bleak. Akainu was closing in on us. I had to keep him away from Luffy!

Luffy stumbled, as he faded in and out of consciousness, no longer able to keep going and I felt my heart drop as Akainu stepped forward. I had to do something, quick. I couldn't let him kill my little brother. Without thinking I dove in front of Luffy and braced myself for impact. I'd rather die and give him the chance to escape than watch him die in front of me.

As Akainu swung his fist of lava, I felt something brush past me. There was a fleeting moment where I felt as if someone had grabbed me by the shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. The scent of sunshine and daisies wafted in the air around me. What was that?

I turned to look over my shoulder trying to discern what had happened and why I was still standing. Akainu was frozen in stunned silence staring at a cloaked figure that had appeared between us. Who was it? Why were they protecting us?

"Y-you're supposed to be dead." Akainu looked visibly shaken.

The cloaked figure looked beyond Akainu, turning their gaze upward to the scaffold we'd just escaped from. "I warned you, Sengoku." A soft feminine voice sounded from beneath the cloak. "You brought this upon yourselves the moment you threatened my son."

What?! Who the hell was under that cloak? The figure reached up and untied the strings at the neck of their cloak keeping it securely in place before lifting it away and tossing it to the side. I stared in awe at the woman. She looked young, though I knew she had to be in her late thirties. Her ebony hair was long and fell down her back. She turned her head in my direction and offered me a warm smile. Her eyes were a bright green with subtle hints of gold reminding me of hot summer days.

"It's alright, Ace. Take Luffy and get to safety." Her gaze fell to Luffy lying unconscious at my feet. Those bright summery eyes were overflowing with love and warmth as her gaze fell on my younger brother. I managed a look to the scaffold to see Garp's reaction. Was this Luffy's mother?

"Ace!" Marco appeared in a burst of blue and gold flames and froze as he spotted the dark-haired woman with the summery golden green eyes. He choked on a gasp, "L-Lily?! You're alive?!"

"Long time no see, Marco." The beautiful woman smiled.

Akainu lunged thinking the woman was distracted.