Searching for Brothers [One Piece fanfic]

Chapter XLV: Run

Chapter 45
THIRD PERSON P.O.V.

Clementine swallows thickly as she watches as all the marines attention and attacks shifts to her younger brother after his little show of power.

Part of her wants to smack her head while another part of her beams in pride. Of course, Luffy was also one of the few people who can wield the Emperor's Haki. She should have expected it, and she knew with proper training, Luffy would truly carve his name into the history of pirates.

Clementine grits her teeth as she's blocked by marines, moving to kick them away. But before she could, they're pushed away from her.

"Clementine! Go! Hurry!!"

"Go and rescue Ace!"

"We'll hold them back for now!"

Familiar faces greet her with grins, and Clementine can't help but beam back at them in appreciation. Men she has met during her stay with Whitebeard all pushed her ahead. Her heart swelled as the men that were alliances with the Whitebeard pirates surrounded around her and Luffy, protecting them from marines that attacked, allowing them to move forward.

"Thank you guys! Thank you!" Clementine cries out, almost choking up as she runs beside Luffy.

Her gaze looks up along with Luffy's, both of their eyes meeting Ace's gaze of disbelief.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE ACE!!!" Luffy and Clementine's voice sync together as they run up the slope of concrete that was created by Ivankov's men, Luffy taking a lead while Clementine made sure no one moved to follow them, slicing away at the marines that attacked her and Luffy from behind.

However, when she looked away from a Luffy for a split second, a loud boom echoed, her head snapping up to find that Garp stood in front of them, blocking their path ahead.

The blonde female's heart clenched as she read Garp's pained expression. In just a second, memories of the old marine patting her head when she was a child runs through her mind. While she was not his true grandchild, he had treated her like one whenever he had visited Ace and Luffy. Perhaps it was because she was a girl, Garp treated her gently compared to how he interacted with grandsons. Garp was sweet to her, Clementine's eyes tearing as she remembered him clumsily but softly brushing her hair with his large hands.

"GRAMPS, MOVE ASIDE!!!" Luffy yelled, not slowing his pace or showing a single ounce of hesitation.

"I SHALL NOT, I WILL NOT MOVE, LUFFY! I'M THE VICE ADMIRAL OF THE MARINE HEADQUARTER! SINCE LONG BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, I'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH PIRATES! IF YOU WANT TO GET THROUGH HERE, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO SO AFTER KILLING ME!!!"

Clementine can't help but look away as she grits her teeth. Without even looking at Luffy's face, she knew that his determination was set at that moment. And she didn't have the heart to witness as Luffy's fist connected with Garp, the old marine flying through the air and crashing to the floor below.

She only swallows thickly in response and follows Luffy, her feet connecting to the wood platform, proudly standing in front of a kneeling Ace.

Ace swallowed, his chin tilted up to look up at his sister. Gone was her delicate features, her long wavy blonde hair was missing as well, cut choppily  and unevenly to her shoulders, a few parts longer seeing as it was sliced off during the battle against Lucero. Clementine gaze shifted to the kneeling freckled man for a second before moving to the fleet admiral in defense, her gaze ice cold and deadly as she glared at the man who began to glow.

Clementine had heard stories in the past. But never would have she imagined to actually witness the power of Sengoku the Buddah. Many haven't, and enemies who have, never survived to tell the story.