The Devil's Grin - A One Piece Fanfic (Snail-like Updates)

A Battlefield is a Living Graveyard

Current watched as her friends amongst Whitebeard's crew began fighting with the marines. A faint light glowed within her cloak which she quickly covered with her hand. As she did so the edge of her cloak began caressing her cheek as if comforting her.

"Your dad's cloak would do the same thing sometimes," Fate spoke up beside her. "Moving as if it had a mind of it's own."

"It's a fragment of his," Current responded. She couldn't help but wonder if she had seen the glow. "He once told me it held a fragment of his soul within so that he could always be there for me."

"That is a possibility," Fate nodded. "It would surprise me if he has an overly large soul capable of fragmenting. He has far too many abilities in my opinion."

Fate looked at her coyly.

"I wonder how many abilities of his you inherited?"

"All of my abilities that are similar to his are from items he gave me," Current smiled before pulling out her lamp and bell. "Even my ability to travel the world in a blink of an eye is through his cloak."

"Maybe your right," Fate sighed. "Maybe I'm seeing things as I want them to be. But that doesn't change the fact that you can really change the flow of things, especially with my help."

Current's eyes closed slightly as she tried to discern what the woman was after.

"This war will flow towards the death of one person, Ace, regardless of what these mortals try." Fate looked at her before scanning the battle before them. "But you and I can change that. Redirect it towards another instead. Which is why i wanted to make a deal with you."

"Deals are my father's thing, not mine." Current turned away to look out to the sea. She could feel Temp approaching. "Go offer him one."

"I already did. He didn't like it."

Current laughed. "He must have been on the losing side. He's never been the type to accept a loss from anyone but my mother. I don't like losing either."

"There is always someone who loses in a deal," Fate growled slightly. "If not you or your father than the other side does."

Her words suddenly made her remember something her father once said to her when she was little.

The secret of a good deal is to make both sides get something they want. That way even if there is loss somewhere nobody making the deal feels it. Of course only the smartest can discern if the deal they make is such a deal. Most deal makers always try to get the most out of the deals they make. Me? I try to give equal value but most feel like I give to much. Some feel like I take too much.

His eyes were always sad at that last part.

"Who do you want to die instead of Ace?" Current asked as her eyes scanned over towards him. Over his head sat glaring red numbers like a clock counting down. Only the numbers were going up while a black negative line sat before them.

Fate smiled.

♤♡◇♧☆♤♡◇♧☆♤♡◇♧☆♤♡◇♧☆

Tempest sat within the wave summoned by Pop's sea quake. They had decided earlier that this was the best way for her to get involved. That way she could say she was nearby and was pulled by a storm towards the battle. Then she would simply play with the storm on the side keeping the World Government on their toes.

Suddenly she felt a boat get caught up in the wave. It seemed to be a marine ship which made her hope it would be crushed by the wave as a little payback for imprisoning Ace. With that in mind she waved her hands forward nearly doubling the size and speed of the wave.