– Ace –

A year was not a long time in the grand scheme of things. Yet, Ace's world had been turned upside down within that very same span of time. Thatch had died. Whitebeard had died. His adopted family was in the process of dying all around him. All because Teach had become a completely different beast from the one Ace had fought on Banaro Island.

Marco's flames were flickering unsteadily, a dim shadow of their former glory, valiantly trying to close the gaping hole in the first division commander's chest. If he hadn't eaten the specific devil fruit he had, Marco would likely be dead by now instead of slowly crawling towards recovery. That Marco had only been wounded trying to save Ace's hide made things all the worse.

Admittedly, Ace's answer to Marco's wounding had been to try and reduce Teach to a pile of ash, but that had been a measured response in his opinion. Not that it mattered all that much because the bastard had escaped mostly unscathed. If Sabo's pipe hadn't crushed Teach's right shoulder while Ace and the bastard had been embroiled in a contest of wills, it wouldn't even have been that much. As it was, Ace had to satisfy himself with merely reducing Teach's right arm down to a sequence of charred bones, all the flesh having been turned to ash by an emotionally laden fireball. That Teach was still proving to be more than Ace and Sabo could handle in their current state was a damned blow to Ace's pride. Perhaps things would have been different if Doc Q hadn't interfered, but all the excuses in the world wouldn't change the fact that they were losing.

Slowly perhaps, but they were losing and nothing they did seemed capable of changing that.

Sabo's dizzying sequence of strikes, each and every single one powerful enough to turn rocks to rubble, wasn't enough. Ace's famed firefist, its heat honed until it could turn sand to glass and lakes into deserts, wasn't enough. To be fair, it wasn't as if Teach was shrugging off their attacks. He certainly felt them, screaming in pain with every bone they broke and every burn they inflicted. The issue was that the bastard powered his way through agony that should have sent any normal human into a coma.

Too focused on taking out Teach's remaining good arm, Ace barely got his own up in time when the emperor wannabe swung his skeletal arm like a flail. The follow up kick was blocked by Sabo before he was forced to swerve out of the way of Teach's grasp… right into the path of Van Augur's bullet. Blackbeard's sniper going down moments later to Izou's answering fire was only a cold comfort as Sabo's left leg collapsed out from under him.

"Sabo! Are you alright?"

"Ace, right! On your RIGHT!" Saba's warning, as heartfelt and urgent as it was, possessed the limitation of being carried via the medium of sound.

"Oh, crap."

When he was sent bouncing in a painful looking manner, all Ace could do was create a small barrier to slow Teach down. It wouldn't delay him for long, but it was enough for Ace to right himself and come skidding to a stop next to Sabo.

"Ace, didn't you say you nearly fought this monster to a standstill on your own?" Sabo asked while flexing his muscles to stem the bleeding.

"He wasn't anywhere near this strong a year ago." Ace answered, his eyes not leaving Blackbeard for even a split second. "I hate to admit it, but he may even be stronger than Pops used to be."

"…we're definitely going to need to get Marco patched up. Though, I don't think that guy is going to let us go."

"Sabo, can you walk?"

"I can limp. Don't try too hard, Ace."

"I know. Just get out of here."

"We'll be back before you know it." Sabo promised, slinging Marco over his shoulder, wincing slightly from the sudden weight. "Ok, I may need a little help."

Sabo made it all of three steps before Ace had to provide support, lest he and Marco become intimately familiar with the ground.

Then Ace's barrier faltered.

"There you are, Ace…"

"FOR LOVE!"

"Love?"

Hancock's heel slammed into Teach's shiny black nose, just as his face peeked through Ace's barrier, both kicker and the kicked disappearing behind the flames. Ace and Sabo spent a few seconds staring in incomprehension before they looked at each other and shrugged as one. They could question why the notoriously man-hating Warlord was here once they'd gotten patched up.

----------------------------------------

Thankfully, Law and the other medics were able to stabilize Marco and fix Sabo's leg. An added benefit was that without the need to divert all energy to keeping his body alive, Marco was able to return to the land of the living and start giving orders once more. Though, that came with its own issues.

"Why, Marco? We have Teach on the ropes! Why are we pulling back?"

"Because we've lost this one, Ace. We need to get out while we still can, yoi."

"What do you mean, we've lost? Teach might be holding up a bit better than expected but can't you see that it's just a matter of time now?"

"That's time we don't have. Look around us, yoi!" Marco snapped, gesturing towards the wider battlefield. Ace wasn't convinced. "Open your eyes and take a good look!"

"Sure, they caught us by surprise earlier, but the others are handling themselves just fine. Heck, Izou even won his fight and Hancock is here. Now, we just need to hammer in the final nails into the bastard's coffin!"

"Yes, we could do that, yoi. But have you thought about how many coffins we'll have of our own to bury alongside his?" Marco screamed back. "Our boys are spent, physically and more importantly, mentally. Maybe not the other commanders but the rest? They're done."

"The Kuja…" Ace tried but Marco cut him off.

"The Kuja will not fight your battles for you." The Pirate Empress interjected herself into the conversation, striding imperiously into their midst. "We promised to save Luffy's brothers. We have saved them. Now, we will leave before Blackbeard digs himself out of the hole I've buried him in."

"Hancock!"

"You heard her. The Kuja secured us an escape route but nothing more, yoi. One, which I can't afford to waste by arguing with you. Not if I want to send our friends home alive." Marco sighed. "Tell me honestly, exhausted as we all are, can we kill Teach and his officers before our friends are dead?"

"So, we're just going to run away with our tails tucked between our legs? Let Teach get away scot-free after all he's done? Don't you realize that we'll never get a better shot than this!"

"…I know. I know this better than anyone." Marco softly admitted. "I know I'll not be able to assemble a force like this ever again. Whatever influence I had, whatever sway I had…it's well and truly spent now."

"All the more reason to finish the job today! Hancock, we can take him! Sabo is fine now and Izou is free! I don't know who you made your promise to, but I'm sure they'll want this as well. It won't even take that long if you turn him into stone like you did with Sanjuan Wolf…"

"That beast is somehow immune to my powers, but I know you are not. If I have to petrify you to keep my word, I will. Do not test me, male."

"You heard her, Ace. Yes, we could keep fighting with or without her, but at what cost, yoi? A third of our division members? A full half? More? Would it be really worth risking everyone's lives on that uncertain gamble? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that that is what Pops would have wanted?" Marco's whispered words took Ace's breath away as he took in the pained look in his friend's eyes. "Because I can't."

"…neither can I." Ace said, closing his eyes in resignation. Marco was right. Demoralized as the Whitebeard pirates were, their ability to use haki was going to be gutted, if it wasn't drained already trying to resist Doc Q's ability. And fighting without haki was essentially suicide. No vengeance was worth the cost of burying everybody he loved in the course of attaining it, he'd learned that at Marineford. If Whitebeard had still been here, he'd have slapped Ace over the back of the head for being an idiot. Just like he'd done, when he decided to hunt down Teach after Thatch's murder. If only he had listened. "Go. I'll buy you some time."

"Don't die, yoi."

"Against these chumps? They won't be able to even touch me."

It looked like Marco wanted to say more but like the first division commander had said earlier, he didn't have the time to waste. Giving Ace one last worried look, Marco turned around and flew in the direction of their ships. A look which had been wholly unnecessary by the way. Ace wasn't planning on dying here today or anytime soon.

Come what may, they could deal with Blackbeard another time. Ace's mission was to ensure that the Whitebeard Alliance could successfully disengage and the best way he could think of how to do that was…fire. Lots and lots of fire. A wall of fire to separate the pursuers and the pursued, one hot enough to burn most of Blackbeard's chaff to cinders.

"Great Flame Commandment…"

If it had been a year ago, Teach would have easily absorbed the entire construct, though it would have taken him a few minutes. However, Ace's haki hadn't been the only thing to receive Rayleigh's attention. He'd lost track of how many lessons the Dark King had beaten into him, but a fair few had been focused on hammering out the kinks in the way he used his devil fruit. Disappointingly, it hadn't been enough to defeat Teach, not when he wielded two of the most powerful devil fruits in existence. However, it would suffice for this.

"…Flame Emperor's Palace!"

The air rippled as the general temperature of Hachinosu rose to sweltering heights. Blackbeard pirates everywhere stumbled back and away from the sudden wall of heat that erupted in the face of their advance, spanning the entire length of the island. Urouge and the few who had been holding the line likewise backed away from the pitch black wall of fire, shielding their faces as best as they could.

A brief bout of dizziness cost Ace his footing just as his vision clouded itself black. Thankfully a pair of arms propped him up before his face could introduce itself to the ground. He really shouldn't have used all that haki all at once. One might think that he'd have gotten used to this feeling by now after all those spars with Rayleigh, but it was just as disorientating as the first time.

"Don't worry, I've got you."

When his vision cleared again, his eyes confirmed what his ears had already known. Izou was there, looking slightly singed but otherwise fine, providing support that Ace desperately needed. His legs felt like jelly.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"Izou, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"Good job on the barrier, Ace. Even Teach should need a while to break through that one." Izou gave him a tired smile. "Let's go join the others."

However, once they reached the ships they found most of the Whitebeard pirates milling about and not boarding the ships like Ace had been expecting them to be. It wasn't as if Weevil were blocking their way either, because he'd hightailed it out of there. Perhaps Hancock trying to turn him into a local landmark just like Sanjuan Wolf had convinced him that caution was the better part of valor. Or maybe it had been his mother screeching into his ears, who knew?

Though when they approached the spot where the various captains were huddled around Marco, they all stopped to look in Ace's direction.

"What's going on guys? Weren't we leaving?"

"Well Ace. We'd love to but here's the thing." Islewan replied, his normally jovial face showing none of the usual cheer. "Weevil and the big guy were damn effective in what they set out to do."

"Wait… don't tell me…"

"We have far fewer ships left than we thought we did." Jiru spoke up, answering the unspoken question. "Someone is going to have to stay behind. That someone might as well be me."

----------------------------------------

– Speed Jiru –

Being a good leader meant a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For some, it meant being a visionary, able to inspire others to greater heights. To others, being a leader was to be a teacher, guiding and mentoring others to come into their own. To others yet again, a leader should set a framework – create an environment as it were – in which their followers could flourish. And if one were patient enough to consider one more example, a leader was someone who led by example.

This was by no means an exhaustive or even extensive list. Like there had been thousands if not tens of thousands of noteworthy leaders over the course of human history, be it in roles large and small, their styles of leadership had greatly varied also. Naturally, due to the finite length of the human lifespan, most became proficient in only one or maybe two methods of leadership. Considering how much thought and effort went into each one, expertise in one style alone was already a feat worthy of recognition.

Pops had been a master of all four.

There had been a reason that fiercely independent and eminently prideful pirates flocked to Whitebeard's banner and it hadn't been his strength. Oh, for sure, Pops' had been powerful with or without his devil fruit and there was no denying that he'd been worthy of his title. Yet, to Jiru's mind, that wasn't who Pops had been at his core. Unlike the crews of Kaido or Big Mom, the Whitebeard pirates hadn't feared their captain. They had loved him.

Was it any wonder then, that when he'd been promoted to the position of commander all those years ago, Jiru had looked to Whitebeard as an ideal to aspire to? His fellow commanders had been no different, though the specific aspect they tried to emulate differed. Unlike his more charismatic or frankly speaking, more clever brothers, Jiru quickly decided that he wasn't going to revolutionize the way his division was run.

He wasn't going to be able to provide some grand vision to inspire those under his command, because he himself was merely following Whitebeard's vision. So instead, Jiru had focused on leading by example in his everyday life. Him volunteering for the rearguard was merely an extension of his usual modus operandi.

"Absolutely not! Having somebody stay behind is tantamount to ordering them to die!" Ace exclaimed, violently shaking his head. "I won't do it! I refuse!"

"You wouldn't be ordering. I'd be volunteering." Jiru calmly replied before wincing in pain. His belly stung something fierce, but that was only to be expected after getting stabbed by a sharp implement. "Plus, don't you think it's pretty arrogant of you to assume you'd be giving the orders? Marco is still the commander in chief, you know?"

"That's not the point!"

"You're right. The point is that unless enough of us stay behind, we're all going to die. If we don't delay their pursuit until we're done boarding the ships, we're all going to die. And if we don't get those under Pops' protection to safety, they're going to die."

"Pops would never choose to sacrifice someone to save his own life! We shouldn't either."

"Well, Pops isn't here."

If it had been anyone other than a Whitebeard pirate, they would have been torn to shreds immediately. Though, seeing as it was one of Whitebeard's sons who had uttered those damning words, the response was a deafening silence.

"…Jiru. You…you…" Stammered Ace. Jiru didn't let him finish.

"Pops isn't here anymore precisely because he recognized that not everyone could make it out alive at Marineford. But Ace, you're right on one thing." Jiru said, struggling to maintain an even voice. "Pops wouldn't sacrifice another for his own gain. He never did. Instead, whenever there was a sacrifice to be made, he would make it himself."

"Jiru, are you sure about this, yoi?"

"…yeah. I'm not sure what Devon hit but she hit something important. Not sure how I'm still not dead, to be honest. Barring a miracle…well, this is going to be my last chance to be the hero, you know? Or the gallant knight. I'm not picky."

"You always did like your knightly fairy tales, yoi."

"So, hurry up and get the damsel out of here, Marco." Jiru smiled. It was a brittle one. "This is my moment."

"Wait a minute! You're wounded, Jiru. If anyone is staying behind, it's me! I owe all of you my life! As if I'm going to watch you…"

"Jozu, if you please."

"…die-put me down! Jozu! I said PUT! ME! DOWN!"

Ace would probably never forgive him for this, but this really was for the best. While one wouldn't know it from how loud he was hollering, the hothead was truly and completely tapped after setting up the barrier. After all, he wouldn't be helplessly slung over Jozu's shoulder like a sack of potatoes otherwise. That said, Jiru wasn't in a much better state himself, but at least he could still put up a fight. At least a little one.

"Do you have a plan, yoi?"

"I spotted where they hid their ships and thought we could make a rush for them. It should distract them more than just a bunch of us standing around on the beach."

"Good luck, yoi. And I'm sorry."

"Just keep that bottle of Alabastan Red ready for me, Marco."

Gathering up his trusty lance, Jiru moved away from the main group and towards the fiery barrier separating them and the Blackbeard pirates. Flames so hot that even from a hundred meters away the heat washed over him in waves. Behind him, he could hear Marco explaining the situation to their comrades, feel their surprise and their fear. Jiru didn't blame them. Who in their right mind, wanted to die?

Especially when one of the ostensible leaders was – however involuntarily – being taken to safety. For Jiru though, there had been no other choice. He had loved Whitebeard, and he loved the Whitebeard pirates still. He simply could not bear to watch that legacy die. Whether he liked it or not, Ace had become a symbol after the Summit War. Despite their defeat today, or perhaps precisely because of their defeat, he remained the sole symbol that had any hope of preventing the Whitebeard pirates from scattering to the four winds.

Hence, his survival was non-negotiable. Jiru on the other hand had only ever been a middling commander. Strong and powerful in his own right but in hindsight, he'd been happy to rest on his laurels. As a result, he simply didn't have what it took to be Whitebeard's successor. Few did.

Did that change the general sense of unfairness about this whole situation? Where someone's survival seemingly depended upon their future usefulness? No, it did not. In a way, Jiru was a coward who was running from responsibility, having left the most difficult task to Marco. Whereas Jiru had only volunteered himself, he'd left the unenviable task of organizing the rest of the rearguard to his friend. Leadership meant leading by example, true, but it also meant making difficult decisions when it came down to it. And Jiru had found that he couldn't bear to make them.

Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes and turned his focus inwards. With his consciousness drifting in the gentle darkness of his mind, thoughts and questions passed him by like whispers in the wind. What was working? What was not? What reserves did he still have that he could call upon? How many would stand beside him he wondered. How many would cry? Who would their anger be directed towards? Blackbeard? Marco? Him? Would they be able to delay the Blackbeards long enough for their friends to escape these waters?

The sounds gradually vanished as the ships left port, the noise of bustling crowds gone without a trace. Ace's cries disappeared last of all, carried across the waves like a particularly persistent echo. Until at last, all that remained was the feeling of dwindling warmth on his face and the silence around him.

A hand landed on his shoulder. A familiar hand.

"You stayed, Fossa?"

"Well, not just me." The 15th division commander replied, taking a deep draft of his ever-present cigar. "We couldn't let you hog all the glory by yourself, eh?"

"I'm old. Too old to keep up with youngsters like Haruta and Ace. Thought I may as well go out with a bang while I still can." Blenheim said, stepping up to Jiru's left. Rakuyo soon joined them, followed by Squard, Karma, Brew and half a dozen others. And behind them, two hundred grim-eyed pirates, all of them staring down the flickering barrier with determined looks.

"Our ships are gone anyway." Karma shrugged when Jiru glanced in his direction. "What's a captain without a ship to do, other than aid the journey of those who still do?"

"Plus, I don't like running from a fight. Once was enough." Rakuyo said, adding his own two belli. "Not before giving them a bloody nose in any case. I won't be able to sleep at night otherwise."

"The bastards owe me a new ship. I mean to collect." Squard grumbled.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Ace's barrier came down, able to resist Blackbeard's power no longer. The howling horde began to move, thirsty for blood and vengeance. And Jiru? Jiru met them halfway.

With a smile.