Ch. 9- Eternity and the Brink

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, and Kumi © Me

After a while, the Straw Hats finally made it back to Trans Town and headed to the inn to take a much-deserved rest after their battle. Chopper tended to everyone's injuries, and Aika got a real browbeating from Yadoya and Kumi for "scaring the living heck outta us". As for Luffy, he just headed upstairs and went straight to sleep, but no one bothered to wake him, because they knew he needed it just as much, if not more, than they did.

Luffy woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed and lighter…not to mention hungry, which is why he is sitting at the table, eating a hearty meal that Sanji had made for him.

"Glad to see you're up and about, Straw Hat," Yadoya said. "Hey, can I ask you guys something?"

"Sure," Nami said. "What's up?"

"Do you people know anything about bats?" Yadoya asked.

"Bats?" Pato repeated.

"Yeah," Yadoya answered. "You see, people have been saying that large bats have been flying around town at night, so I've been going out to investigate."

"This is the first I'm hearing about any bats," Robin said.

"Same here," Zoro added.

"Maybe we ought to look into this," Brook chimed in.

"I got a better idea," Usopp said. "Let's not and say we did."

"You dumb-ass," Sanji said. "You know we can't do that. What if Old Man's Red involved in this, somehow?"

As everyone discussed the information Yadoya told him, Luffy and Aika noticed Pato walk out.

"Pato?" Aika asked before she followed after him, along with Luffy, Blizzard, and Kumi. Soon, they found him, sitting outside.

"What's up, Pato?" Luffy asked.

"…Boss," Pato answered. "I'm sure he's the one everyone's talking about."

"…Pato…" Aika muttered, concerned.

"If only I could hit him…hit him with my true feelings!" the raccoon-dog said, clenching his paws. "I want to show him how I really feel!"

He then looked to Luffy and the others.

"You guys…you'll come with me, won't you?" he asked. "I want you to be there to see me…to see me knock some sense into him!"

"…Luffy," Blizzard said as he looked at the Straw Hat Captain, who had his eyes concealed by his hat. "It's your call…what do you wanna do?"

A pause…but then Luffy walked up to Pato and knelt down in front of him.

"You're serious about this, aren't you, Pato?" he asked.

"Of course I am!" Pato exclaimed.

A pause…but then Luffy grinned.

"Then we'll help you," he said. "Right, guys?"

"Right!" the Straw Hats exclaimed.

"Really?!" Pato asked. "Oh, Luffy, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed.

Aika then went up and hugged Pato, who blushed a bit.

"We'll always help you, Pato!" she exclaimed.

"Nukikiki!" Pato giggled.

"Since these bats are showing up at night, we'll probably wait until then to see if we can find Old Man Red," Luffy said. "Until then, we better get ready."

"Good idea," Nami said.

Usopp gulped nervously.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "Anything with bats sounds like real bad news!"

"Usopp, Pato's our friend," Chopper said. "The thought of being attacked by bats at night scares me, too, but we have to do this!"

"I guess," Usopp muttered. "It's just that we never found that Devil Fruit he was looking for!"

"That's what I'm hoping for, actually," Zoro grinned.

"YOU'RE NOT MAKING THINGS BETTER, YOU JERK!" Usopp barked.

XXX

Later that night, as the sun set behind the sea, the Straw Hats followed Pato in search of Redfield. They didn't have to look very long, though, for they soon found him, standing atop of the bell tower in the plaza.

"Boss!" Pato cried.

"What…?" Redfield questioned as he looked down. "You're still here?"

"This little guy here!" Nami shouted. "He has something he wants to say to you!"

"It's almost mealtime for me, you know," said Redfield. "Can't you greenhorns just let me eat in peace?"

He then threw down a bunch of leaves…which soon transformed into clones of the Straw Hats…and the Luffy clone had on a red buccaneer's coat, draped over his shoulders, like a cape.

"What?!" Usopp questioned.

"No way!" Chopper exclaimed.

"So it's gonna be like that, is it?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette.

"So be it, then!" Brook exclaimed, drawing his sword.

Blizzard licked his lips, growling viciously.

"Since they're our doppelgangers," Nami said, "it might not be a good idea to fight ourselves."

"So we'll have to take on different opponents," Robin said.

"As long as I can still take on the cook," Zoro said.

"Hmph!" Sanji scoffed. "I'd kick your ass, even if I wasn't the real deal, Moss-head."

"Let's just get this over with," Franky added.

"Aika," Luffy said. "Since there are no clones of you and Kumi…you go with Pato. Help him knock him some sense into his boss!"

"Right!" Aika said as she turned into her wolf form. "Leave it to us!"

"As long as we stay out of the fight," Kumi said.

"Okay, Pato," Luffy said. "It's up to you, now! We'll clear a path for you!"

"Right!" Pato nodded.

"LET'S GO, GUYS!" Luffy shouted before he and the rest of the Straw Hats charged at their doppelgangers, while Pato, Aika, and Kumi ran after them.

"Boss!" Pato cried. "I understand, now! You can't just abandon me!"

Redfield glared at Pato as he, Aika, and Kumi kept running to him. As they did, the Straw Hats fought with their clones.

CHOMP! Blizzard bit down on the fake Zoro's swords, blocking his attack, while Luffy ran up to the fake Sanji.

"Gum-Gum STAMP!" he shouted as he attempted to kick the fake Sanji, only for him to block his attack, as well. "Then how about THIS?!"

WROING! Luffy wrapped his leg around the fake Sanji before he threw him at the fake Zoro, causing them both to crash into the wall of a house!

"I hope no one was in there," Blizzard said.

"If they were, too bad," Luffy said.

Meanwhile, Usopp and Chopper, who is Kung Fu Point, found themselves facing the fake Nami and fake Robin, the latter using her Fata Morgana illusion to confuse them.

"Dammit, this isn't good!" Usopp cursed. "How do we figure out who's who?!"

"I got this!" Chopper said as he sniffed the air before he pointed to the Nami and Robin that looked like small children. "There! That's the real ones!"

"Okay, then," Usopp said as he held up his Black Kabuto. "Certain Death-"

Before he could do so, the fake Robin crosses her arms.

"Mil Fleur!" she shouted. "Gigantesco Mano!"

Then, both Usopp and Chopper found themselves trapped in a giant hand!

"AAAAAHH!" they screamed.

"We're trapped!" Usopp cried.

The fake Nami pointed her Sorcery Clima-Tact at them, preparing to hit them with her Black Ball Raiun Rod attack.

"Oh, man, what do we do?!" Usopp asked.

"Wait!" Chopper said as he shrunk into his Brain Point, easily squeezing into the fake Robin's giant palm before he shifted into his Heavy Point, pushing Robin doppelganger's hand open.

"Yes! You did it, Chopper!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Thanks, Usopp!" Chopper said.

"Now, it's my turn!" Usopp said before he pulled out a Flash Dial, pressed the button, and released a blinding flash of light, blinding the fake Nami and Robin!

"AAAAAAGH!" they screamed, shielding their eyes.

"Now, Certain Death: Green Star!" Usopp shouted. "DEVIL!"

TWANG! BOOSH! Firing a Pop Green from his Black Kabuto, Usopp unleashed a giant Venus Fly Trap on the fake navigator and historian, who tried to run, only to be snatched up in the jaws of the plant.

"My copy and I…we're not one and the same!" Pato cried as he kept running with Aika and Kumi. "It has to be me, and me only!"

"Firebird STAR!" the fake Usopp roared as he fired a giant flaming bird at Zoro and Sanji, but the former used Wado Ichimonji to deflect the attack and cut straight through!

"WACHOO!" the fake Chopper shouted in Kung Fu Point, attempting to punch Sanji, but the cook dodged his large hoof.

"Bien Cuit GRILL SHOT!" he shouted before he kicked the fake reindeer in the chest, leaving a grill-shaped burn.

Concurrently, Nami and Robin found themselves facing off against the fake Franky and Brook.

"Franky ROCKET LAUNCHER!" the fake Cyborg shouted as he fired rockets at the girls.

"Milky Ball!" Nami shouted as she set up a wall with her Milky Clouds, and then hardened them with Haki, thus defending herself from the rockets.

"Nicely done," Robin praised.

"Thanks," Nami smirked. "Now…Mirage Tempo!"

With a swing of her Sorcery Clima-Tact, Nami then created a mirage, concealing her and Robin, much to the confusion of the fake Franky and Brook.

Then, the girls reappeared behind them, with Robin crossing her arms.

"Cuerpo Fleur!" Robin shouted, and not long after, four doubles of Robin appeared behind the two, grabbing them. "DOBLE CLUTCH!"

KRAAAAAK! A sickening crack soon filled the air.

"It has to be ME helping you, Boss!" Pato shouted as Aika and Kumi helped him climb up to the bell tower. "Not as your tool, but as your ally!"

The fake Luffy and fake Blizzard charged at Franky and Brook, the latter looking scared out of his skull.

"Gum-Gum BAZOOKA!" fake Luffy shouted while the fake Blizzard delivered an X-Fang. However, Franky blocked, due to his metal front.

"Nice try, boys!" Franky shouted with a grin. "Your turn, Bones!"

"Right-o!" Brook exclaimed as he jumped into the air, playing a tune on his guitar. "Party Music!"

Soon, the Luffy and Blizzard clones found themselves entranced by the tune of Brook's music.

"And now for Moonlight Lullaby…NIGHT SLASH!" Brook exclaimed before he drew Soul Solid and swung it in a circular motion, creating a powerful air compressed slash.

"Strong RIGHT!" Franky roared as he shot his right fist at the two fakes, both attacks colliding.

"All right!" Luffy shouted. "Let's finish them off, guys!"

"Right!" the Straw Hats agreed before they all shouted the names of their attacks, one-by-one.

"RED HAWK!"

"FANG OF THE HELLHOUND!"

"PURGATORY ONI GIRI!"

"FLANCHET STRIKE!"

"FIREBIRD STAR!"

"HEAVY GONG!"

"BLACK BALL RAIUN ROD!"

"GIGANTESCO MANO; SLAP!"

"RADICAL BEAM~!"

"BLIZZARD SLICE!"

All their attacks hit their respective opponents, thus turning them all back into leaves.

"Yes!" Luffy cheered.

"We did it!" Nami exclaimed.

"Yeah, but did the raccoon make it?" Zoro asked before everyone looked up to see Pato, standing in front of Redfield on the bell tower.

"Please, Boss!" the little raccoon-dog cried as he bowed his head. "Please…I'm begging you…YOU GOTTA TAKE ME BACK!"

"Please, Mister Redfield," Aika pleaded. "Pato just wants to be with you, again!"

A pause…but then Redfield scoffed.

"I just can't make you understand, can I?" he asked. "The task of becoming the King of the Pirates takes a certain amount of…resolve. 'Pirate King' Gol D. Roger, and the next best thing to him, Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate, Silvers Rayleigh, Shiki the Golden Lion, Sengoku the Buddha, and Garp the Fist…those now old men who paved the way for the Great Pirate Era…I've had to give up so many things to surpass them. Sympathy, generosity…all my obligations."

He then looked down at Pato.

"Pato…please, try to understand," he told him. "Having you at my side was just another weakness for me."

"Boss…!" Pato whispered in horror.

"I gave up my sympathy…my generosity…and then you," Redfield continued. "Now, without those things holding me back, I've finally obtained what I sought for so long."

He then held up a purple melon-shaped fruit with swirls on the rind.

"The Bat-Bat Fruit; Model Vampire," said Redfield.

Everyone gasped in shock as Redfield held up the fruit…and took a bite before he threw it aside.

"I shall now become an immortal vampire," he said, "and give up the very last obligation I had that held me back…"

He then disappeared in a red flash before reappearing in front of Pato.

"Huh?" Pato muttered.

"No! Stop!" Luffy shouted.

"Pato, get back!" Aika cried.

"…My humanity," Redfield grinned…before he kicked Pato right into a building.

"PATO!" Aika, Nami, Chopper, Kumi, and Blizzard cried.

"RED!" Luffy roared as he charged at Redfield, raising his fist…but then Red disappeared, causing him to miss. "WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"LUFFY!" Blizzard shouted. "HE'S OVER HERE!"

As he said this, Red reappeared near the docks…with a familiar, motionless shape in his arms. To everyone's horror…it was Yadoya!

"Miss Yadoya!" Aika cried.

"Let her go, you bastard!" Sanji shouted.

"W-what's he gonna do to her?!" Chopper asked.

Redfield grinned…revealing a pair of sharp fangs in his mouth. Then…he moved his head closer to Yadoya…opening his mouth close to her neck.

"Oh, my god…!" Robin whispered. "STOP HIM!"

"Don't you DARE!" Sanji roared as he started to run towards the old man…but it was too late.

In a flash of red light, Redfield bit down on Yadoya's neck…and then, dropped her pale, motionless body on the ground, and when everyone uncovered their eyes…they saw that Redfield had changed into a vampire with red hair and beard, long ears, dark purple fur, long ears, fangs, bat wings growing out of his elbows, and long dark red claws.

"You…you bastard!" Sanji cursed. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TO MISS YADOYA?!"

"I feasted on her youth, of course!" Redfield exclaimed. "That's what vampires do, after all! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"

Luffy jumped down from the bell tower, glaring at Redfield while Nami, Chopper, and Aika checked on Pato, who, surprisingly, came out with little injuries.

"It's back!" Redfield shouted. "The power I had when I was young! The power that was stolen from me with age! If only they could see me now…the men who succumbed to their age! Thanks to this Devil Fruit, time has turned back…AND RETURNED ME TO MY OLD SELF! BAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"…You…!" Luffy hissed. "I'll never let you get way with this! ZORO, SANJI, BLIZZARD! LET'S GO!"

"Right!" the rest of the Monster Quartet shouted as they ran at Redfield, who glared at them.

"Not so fast, boys," Redfield said as he waved his arms, and suddenly, everything went dark around them.

"What the hell?!" Zoro questioned as he looked around. "Where'd he go?!"

"I don't know, I can't see him!" Sanji shouted.

Blizzard growled as he looked around…and as he turned, a fist punched him in the nose!

"AGH!" he yelped. "DAMMIT, LUFFY, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU PUNCH ME FOR?!"

"Sorry!" Luffy cried. "I thought you were him!"

"Looking for me?"

The two turned to see Redfield, glowering down at them before WHAM! He punched them both in their jaws, sending them crashing into the ground.

"LUFFY!" Nami, Zoro, and Sanji cried.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika shouted.

"BLIZZARD!" Chopper and Kumi yelled.

"Damn you!" Zoro roared as he charged at Redfield. "3600 CALIBER PHOENIX!"

With a circular swing of his sword, he sent an air-compressed slash at the vampire-man, who jumped out of the way and flew to him.

"What the-?!" Zoro questioned before SLASH! Redfield slashed him in the chest with his claws, knocking him down!

"ZORO!" Robin cried.

"Oh, man!" Usopp shouted. "This guy's too fast!"

"You bastard!" Sanji shouted as he jumped up, attempting to kick Redfield in the jaw, but Redfield grabbed his leg and threw him into a wall!

"SANJI!" Usopp cried.

"Dammit, this isn't good!" Franky cursed. "Our strongest guys can't beat him?!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!"

Redfield turned, only to be punched in the gut by Luffy, whose arm is imbued with Haki. Redfield grunted as the punch forced him back, but then grinned at Luffy.

"Was that supposed to hurt, boy?" he asked.

"Huh?!" Luffy muttered.

"Let me show you how to throw a real punch!" Redfield shouted before he raised his Haki-imbued arm and punched Luffy in the stomach, sending him crashing into a wall. Then, he looked down at his own two hands.

"Newgate…Roger…" he muttered. "With them around, I was forced to give up my ambitions."

Blizzard jumped at Redfield from behind, attempting to bite him with a Steel Fang, but Redfield disappeared, causing him to bite nothing but air.

"I lived out the rest of my days in Impel Down," Redfield continued as he sent a red shockwave at Blizzard, sending him flying into the air and crashing into the bell tower. "Then, Roger was executed, and soon after, Newgate was severely weakened by age! But I…I will finish what they started!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!" Zoro and Sanji roared as they both charged at Redfield at once from both sides, but the vampire-man countered by punching Zoro in the jaw, then kicking Sanji in the ribs, sending them both to the ground!

"This body of mine will never know age!" Redfield shouted. "I will become the true Pirate King and rules these seas! BAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"

"…B…Boss…!" Pato groaned as he tried to get up.

"Pato!" Aika cried as she went to help him up. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah…I think so," Pato answered.

"…You stupid old man…you know nothing…!"

Everyone looked up to see Luffy, pulling himself out of the hole in the wall he made when he crashed.

"What did you say, Straw Hat?" Redfield asked.

"Age doesn't matter!" Luffy barked as he stood up. "Old Man Whitebeard…he was strong…way stronger than you are now, you old bat!"

Redfield sneered at Luffy's words.

"Don't make me laugh!" he shouted. "He wasn't even a shadow of what he was in his prime! There's no way that me or my powers of immortality are inferior to him! And I speak, not just for him, but Garp and Sengoku, as well! They retired because their age wouldn't allow them to use their abilities the way they used to! A brat like you who hasn't once been old doesn't know what it's like!"

"…In that case," Luffy started as he walked toward Redfield, "show me. Show me what it's like to be old!"

"Huh?!" the Straw Hats questioned.

"Big Brother, no!" Aika cried. "You can't!"

"Now that I can do!" Redfield exclaimed as he clenched his fist, which gave off a red aura. "Have a taste…of what it's like to age!"

WHAP! He grabbed Luffy by his neck, and slowly, the Straw Hat Captain's body became skinny and wrinkly to the point where his clothes almost didn't fit. His limbs became bony, and his hair became white as Blizzard's fur.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika cried.

"LUFFY, NO!" Nami shouted.

"You realize by now that you'll lose your powers, right?" Redfield asked. "Your strength and energy will all be repossessed, not to mention your dreams, STRAW HAT!"

With that, he threw Luffy into another building!

"LUFFY!" the Straw Hats cried, worriedly. A pause…but then Luffy came staggering out of the dust, panting and shaking.

"I…I'm fine," he said. "Even if I do get old…I'm made of rubber…so I'll be fine…!"

"Lies!" Redfield shouted as he ran at Luffy and punched him in the face, sending him down to the ground. "You see? Your body won't move the way you want it to…"

Luffy grunted as he stood up, only for Redfield to kick him back down, again.

"One-by-one, you won't be able to do the things you once could…"

Luffy stood up, once again, and attempted to throw a punch, but it only came as a light tap of the fist to Redfield, who punched him down, again!

"No matter what you're able to dream up…"

BAM! Another punch from Redfield.

"No matter how much you dream…"

WHAM! Another punch.

"Your body will ultimately let you down, and your hopes and dreams will be shattered!"

WHAM! THWAM! BAM! Luffy kept getting beaten down, over and over, but still got back up every time.

"BIG BROTHER!" Aika cried as she tried to go out and help him, but Usopp held her back.

"No, Aika, don't!" Usopp shouted.

"But he needs help!" Aika argued. "Let me go!"

"In time," Redfield went on, "you begin to accept your age, and you give things up in turn as you slowly but surely creep closer to death!"

"Maybe…you didn't hear me," Luffy said as he stood up, once more. "Age…doesn't matter! Old Man Whitebeard didn't give up…no matter what life threw at him! He kept fighting, no matter how badly he was hurt! He never gave up until the day he died! He saved Ace…he saved his crew! He never gave up on anything!"

"SHUT UP!" Redfield roared as he attempted to punch Luffy, once more…only for the aged rubber-man to grab his fist at the last second.

"And I'm not just talking about him," Luffy started. "Grandpa…Rayleigh…unlike you, they never used their age as an excuse…to give up on what truly matters! Somebody who gives up their dreams as easily as you have…could never surpass the likes of those old men!"

With that, he pushed Redfield's fist away, to his shock.

"You…!" Redfield hissed.

"I would never cast my friends or my little sister aside," Luffy continued. "I would never see them as a weakness! That's why…that's why…THAT'S WHY YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO BEAT ME!"

Hearing that caused Redfield to growl in anger.

"Now there's a theory," he hissed as he clenched his fist, which turned black with Haki. "DO YOU REALLY THINK IT WILL HOLD TRUE~?!"

Luffy soon went Gear Second and countered Redfield's punch with his own. However…the former's punch proved to be stronger, for he soon struck Redfield in the jaw and sent him crashing into a building!

"Hold true?" Luffy repeated, stumbling a bit as he did. "Hell if I know…but what do I know is that I'll never give up like you did! No matter how old and wrinkled I get…no matter how little I'm able to move…I'll never give up on my dreams for as long as I live! Someone who gives up so easily like you did…HAS NO RIGHT TO STEAL THE DREAMS OF OTHERS!"

Redfield sat amongst the rubble…looking down, dejected and clenching his fist in anger…and yet, he said nothing.

"Boss…!" Pato whispered…before he put on a determined expression and ran out into the battlefield.

"P-Pato!" Aika exclaimed.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Kumi asked.

"…What he thinks is right," Blizzard answered as he stood beside them.

Soon, Pato stood in front of Redfield, glaring angrily at Luffy and shouted, "Don't you dare deny my Boss his dream!"

Redfield looked at the little raccoon-dog in surprise.

"Pato…you…!" he whispered.

"Boss…it's like you always say," Pato said. "They weren't always as they ended up! To die…a mere shadow of your former self…is painful! So that's why…THAT'S WHY BOSS WAS SO EASILY ABLE TO GIVE UP ON EVERYTHING THAT MATTERED TO HIM!"

"Pato…" Aika muttered, sadly.

A pause…but then Redfield seemed to smile before he stood up.

"That's enough," he said.

"Boss…?" Pato asked as he watched him walk passed him and toward Luffy.

"I've had to use borrowed youth to chase borrowed dreams," Redfield said. "It's just as this young man says…"

He then placed his hand on Luffy's head, and at first, the Straw Hats thought he was trying to use some sort of attack on him, but when they looked closer…they saw that he was returning Luffy to his original age. The raven-haired young man looked himself over, and his skin return to its normal pallor, and his body was free of wrinkles, and had returned to its normal physique.

"I'm…back…!" he said.

"Big Brother!" Aika exclaimed, happily.

"It's true," Redfield said. "I have been giving up…out of the fear that I would have to entrust my dreams to others." He glanced at Pato as he spoke.

"Boss…" Pato muttered.

"Though the death and retirement of those from the old generation re-ignited a flame within me," the vampire-man continued as he walked towards the aged Yadoya, "I succumbed to age and gave up, yet again."

"Instead of seeing what mattered most to me," Redfield said as he placed his hand on Yadoya's face, "I chose the easy way out and went as far as to seek eternal youth."

Soon, he restored Yadoya to her natural age, to Sanji and Chopper's relief.

"You've opened my eyes, Straw Hat," Redfield said…having returned to his human form. "The King of the Pirates…to achieve something using borrowed dreams and borrowed youth is no achievement at all!"

Luffy smirked and Pato smiled broadly.

"Thus, I make this vow!" Redfield exclaimed as he turned to face Luffy. "From this moment on, this ugly old pirate you see before you will surpass the likes of Newgate, Roger, and all the others! Even if I must do it alone, I WILL BECOME THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"

On that, he unleashed a powerful red shockwave, creating a huge gust of wind, and yet the Straw Hats stood firm.

"For an ugly old man…he sure is something…!" Zoro grinned.

"I got a bad feeling about this…!" Usopp whimpered.

"Oh, stop being a wimp!" Nami barked.

"…Even if…he's alone, huh?" Pato muttered sadly, but then his expression turned to one of seriousness. "No! That's not true! You're not alone!"

Redfield turned to look at Pato, who stood beside.

"One man and one raccoon-dog!" he exclaimed. "I, too, will make a vow! I will always stay at your side…and fight with you and protect you until the bitter end!"

The Straw Hats all smiled at this.

"And I don't care how many times I'm pushed aside! Even if I'm kicked or punched away…nothing will keep me from following you, Boss! No matter what, I WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON MY DREAMS, EITHER!"

Redfield chuckled at this.

"Such brazen words coming from a little thing," he said as he looked at Luffy, who grinned. "Perhaps I've been taught him a bit too well…wouldn't you agree, Straw Hat?"

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.

"Nukiki!" Pato giggled.

"Well…there you have it, Pato," Redfield said, prompting the little raccoon-dog to look up at him. "One man and one raccoon-dog…our first step on a new ambition! Perhaps we should make that our mark. Straw Hat Pirates…we will defeat you and leave our mark on the world, once again!"

He pointed his rapier-umbrella at Luffy, who grinned.

"That's the way to do it, old man," he told him. "Still…you won't beat me!"

As Luffy spoke…the red coat that his doppelganger wore earlier flew down towards him. He soon caught it without looking and draped it over his shoulders like a proud cape.

"The one who will become King of the Pirates," he started, "is me!"

With that, Redfield and Luffy soon charged at each other!

"Gum-Gum GATLING!" Luffy roared as he threw a flurry of Haki-imbued punches at Redfield, who opened up his rapier-umbrella to block the attack. Then, he swung his weapon at Luffy, who jumped over him and attempted to kick him in the jaw, but Redfield blocked that with his hand and pushed Luffy away.

"Pato! Help me!" Redfield called.

"Right, Boss!" Pato exclaimed as he transformed into his pen form. Then, Redfield wrote down on a few leaves and threw them into the air, and the leaves transformed into icicles, which flew at Luffy in an attempt to skewer him!

"Look out, Big Brother!" Aika cried.

Luffy grunted as he dodged the icicles, then ran to attack Redfield again. However, the old man grinned as he held up another leaf and threw it into the air, and not long after, he shrouded Luffy in darkness!

"Oh, no!" Nami cried. "He can't see him in there!"

"Relax," Zoro said. "Luffy's got this."

In the darkness, Luffy stood completely still and shut his eyes, relying on his Observation Haki to sense Redfield's next move. He then opened his eyes before turning around, landing a roundhouse kick in Redfield's jaw and causing the darkness to disappear.

"Ugh!" Redfield grunted, but then he smirked. "Not bad, boy…Rayleigh taught you well!"

"Heh!" Luffy smirked.

"Still…I won't give up so easily!" Redfield shouted before he flew up into the air, his cape fanning out like a pair of giant bat wings. Then, he dived down towards Luffy, who jumped away at the last second. However, the impact Redfield made was so powerful, he created a tremor that sent rocks shooting up from the ground, which nearly sent Luffy flying had Usopp not been there to catch him.

"Thanks!" Luffy said.

"No problem!" Usopp grinned. "Now hurry and get back in there!"

"Right!" Luffy said as he charged at Redfield again.

"Try this on for size, Straw Hat!" Redfield shouted as he sent more leaves at Luffy, and they all turned into a torrent of seawater, which hit Luffy directly!

"GAH!" Luffy cried as he fell down, feeling weakened by the seawater.

"Is that the best you can do?!" Redfield questioned. "Huh?!"

A pause…but then Luffy growled as he stood up and ran at Redfield again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHH!" he roared as he stretched his arms back. "Gum-Gum BAZOOKA!"

WHAM! Luffy slammed both fists into Redfield's stomach, causing him to cough up blood, but then he growled as he slashed Luffy in the arm, forcing him back.

"Damn!" Luffy cursed, holding his wound. "No way am I gonna lose to you, dammit!"

"Neither will we!" Redfield shouted, holding Pato in his pen form. Then, he wrote down on another leaf, which then transformed…into Akainu's Magma Cerberus. "See what you can do about this!"

Luffy grinned.

"You think your little parlor tricks are gonna scare me?!" he asked. "Think again, old man!"

Then, he leapt up into the air.

"You can do it, Luffy!" Sanji shouted. "Kick that old man's ass!"

"Beat him, Luffy!" Nami yelled.

"Big Brother!" Aika exclaimed. "You're the only one who will be the King of the Pirates! I KNOW YOU CAN WIN~!"

Luffy grinned at this.

"Gear…THIRD!" he shouted as he bit down on his thumbs and blew air into his arms, making them huge. "Armaments Hardening!"

SHEEN! His arms soon turned black with Haki.

"DIE, STRAW HAT!" Redfield roared as he sent the Cerberus at Luffy.

"GUUUUM…GUUUUUUUM…ELEPHANT GATLING~!"

WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM! The Straw Hat Captain began to pummel the Cerberus to nothing.

"Impossible!" Redfield exclaimed…but then Luffy reappeared in front of him…a flaming fist stretched out behind him.

"It's over," Luffy hissed. "RED HAAAAAAAAAAAAWK!"

BAM! With a flaming punch, Luffy sent Redfield flying into the air…and yet, the old man seemed to smile before he crashed into the ground. For a moment, he lied there, and Luffy panted as he tried to catch his breath. However…he, as well as everyone else tensed when he saw Redfield's hand twitch. Slowly, the old pirate stood to his feet, dusting off his clothes and straightening his collar before he looked at the Straw Hats, who all (except for Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami) looked poised to fight…but then, Redfield dropped to one knee, prompting to change out of his pen form and run to his side.

"Boss!" Pato cried. "Are you okay?!"

A pause…but then Redfield simply pet Pato on the head.

"…It seems the gap was far too great to overcome," he said as he looked at the Straw Hats once more. "As of now…there's only so much that we can do."

Hearing that, the Straw Hats came out of the fighting stances, while Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook all sighed in relief.

"The 'gap' of which you speak of is this," Sanji said, with Chopper sitting on his shoulders, "and there's a hell of a lot of it, in this world…for an old man, you sure are tough."

Chopper smiled and said, "Looks like we win this time!"

"Yeah," Pato answered, "but next time…I'll be the top raccoon-dog!"

"I AM NOT A RACCOON-DOG!" Chopper shouted as Sanji walked away.

Robin just chuckled before she looked at Pato, smiling warmly.

"Looks like you finally found what you really wanted, huh?" she inquired.

"Nukiki!" Pato laughed. "We'll make you regret the day you showed mercy on us!"

"I see," Robin said. "I look forward to that day of regret."

"Oh! Before I forget!" Nami said as she pointed at Redfield. "You better not let the things you stole from us go to waste, got it?!"

With that, she walked away with Robin.

"You're not too bad for an old-timer," Zoro said. "If you happen to get an ace swordsman on your crew. I'll gladly accept his challenge."

"And I will gladly refuse it!" Usopp barked.

"Come and call me out as well!" Franky exclaimed, his hair styled in its usual pompadour. "You'll never find a freakier guy than me!"

"Uh…no thanks," Pato added.

Blizzard then walked by, but then stopped.

"You better hold true to that vow of yours, Pato," the wolf-dog said. "Redfield needs you more than you'll ever realize…so don't ever let your loyalty to each other die."

"Mm!" Pato nodded. "I got it…thanks, Blizzard."

Blizzard just stood there before he walked away, smiling. At that moment, Brook approached Redfield.

"It just came back to me," the skeleton said. "Your name, young Pato…it was the same nickname you had when you were just a rookie…eh, Patrick Redfield?"

Redfield only looked away at this.

"Giving your name to this little raccoon-dog," Brook went on, "it was like he was the son you never had…so I was certain from the very beginning that you wouldn't just up and abandon him."

Redfield chuckled before he looked up at the skeleton.

"What really surprises me," he began, "is how much you've changed after all these years…Humming Brook."

"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled before he turned and walked away.

"Hey!"

Redfield and Pato turned to look at Luffy, who had Aika sitting on his shoulders and Kumi sitting beside him.

"My Big Brother's gonna be the next King of the Pirates, not your boss!" Aika declared with a grin.

"Nukikiki!" Pato laughed. "We'll see about that!"

"We'll be sure to give it our all, next time we meet," said Redfield.

"You better," Luffy said. "Otherwise, it'll just be boring! Shishishi!"

He then turned and walked away with the rest of his crew, heading towards the Sunny.

"See ya!" Luffy called as he left.

"…Hey, Aika," Kumi said.

"Hmm?" Aika hummed. "What is it, Kumi?"

"Are you okay with just leaving things the way they are like this?" Kumi asked. "You're not gonna give Pato a goodbye hug or something like that?"

"I would, but then things would be weird," Aika said. "Since he went back to Mister Redfield, that means we can't be friends, anymore. Next time we see each other, we'll be rival pirates under different flags…right, Big Brother?"

"Yeah," Luffy answered.

"I'll admit…I did want Pato to join us," Aika said, "but then, that would make me selfish. Pato's where he belongs, now, and he's happy…that's all I really wanted for him."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "That's really grown up of you, Aika."

"Shishishi!" Aika giggled. "Yep!"

Kumi smiled…as the memories of all the events that took place over the course of their adventure before she looked up at the D. Siblings.

'Luffy and Aika…they seem so much closer, now,' she thought.

XXX

The following day, the Straw Hats set sail from the Island of Promises to continue their voyage. Yadoya and the townsfolk thanked them for everything they had done and told them they were welcome to come back anytime they wanted. Of course, not long after, they were being chased by the Marines, but after a brief scuffle, they quickly lost them using a Coup de Burst.

For some reason, both Redfield's and Luffy's face in the newspapers, which really got Sengoku ranting to Garp, who couldn't help but laugh at his grandson's antics.

At Trans Town, Redfield sat alone on the docks, his umbrella opened to keep the sun off of him since now that he is a vampire, he could no longer walk, or else the sunlight would hurt him. Pato sat in his lap, quietly.

"…They're gone now, Boss," Pato said.

"Yes," Redfield agreed.

"They sure were a crazy bunch…but they were nice, nonetheless."

"Indeed, they were."

A pause…but then Pato sniffled.

"Boss…I'm so frustrated!" the little raccoon-dog said, tearfully as he pulled his hood over his eyes. "I…I'm gonna get stronger, okay?!"

Redfield smiled as he pet his head.

"Those tears…they help," he said as both he and Pato look up to the sky. "From now on…this is where our dreams begin…my son."

Pato smiled at this.

'…That boy…he sure was an interesting one,' Redfield thought. 'Newgate…you handed the rudder over to us…and Roger…the way you proudly wore your straw hat…that boy reminds me so much of you…I'm sure…one day…he'll become greater than any of us, combined!'

THE END

AT LAST! It's finally finished!

Man, when did I start this? Like back in January or something? I honestly never thought I could pull something like this off, but here it is!

Thanks to gamePsycho11, yellowpikmin88, and chaoscontrolmaster for all the help they gave me along the way. Couldn't have done it without you guys!

Now then, I'm gonna maybe do some more Magi stuff, then get started on that Black Lagoon fic I wanted to do, and then (that is if Dressrosa's not finished) Pirate Warriors 2.

So, review please!