Garp was a man of few fears.

In fact if you asked anyone that knew him they would say he had none.

Even those that didn't strictly know Garp saw him as a man who feared nothing.

There was however, one thing.

More precisely, there was one person.

Potgas D. Keira.

His daughter-in-law.

Luffy's mother.

Ace's aunt.

Whilst never entering piracy herself, this particular Portgas did captain her own merchant ship. Her crew, predominantly but not strictly female - was more feared than that of the Snake Princess, Boa Hancock. Widely known for their brutal treatment of pirates foolishly attempting to steal their goods, Keira was not a person to be messed with, nor was her explosive crew. Her less than law abiding ways had also caused a great deal of speculation as to whether 'merchant' was really the correct status for one so violent. 'Pirate that sells things peacefully to average citizens' may have been a more accurate term.

It was therefore no wonder that Garp had paled significantly upon seeing her ice-breaker Lady Liberty slice its way though Aokiji's tsunami of ice with ease. If there was one thing Garp knew, it was never get between a mother bear and her cubs and under no circumstances (if you wish to survive) do you threaten the cubs. Which was exactly what the marines were currently doing to this mother bear.

Not good.

"GAARRRPPPP!"

He cowered slightly at the voice of his 'family member'.

Despite the multitude of other marines standing in her way, he would undeniably be singled out as the main aggressor.

Roger help him.

Swallowing the lump uncomfortably lodged in his throat Garp's mind raced frantically trying to find a way to diffuse the angry blonde woman. Although millions of possibilities darted through his mind most of which were incomprehensible schemes that wouldn't have worked even if he had the resources and a lot more time, Garp simple reigned himself to his unfortunate fate and ran.

Ace and Luffy shared a look as her voice registered with them.

Marines are gonna get it now

The battle had come to another standstill as people stopped to assess the intrusion of another key figure that roamed the seas.

The boys stole the opportunity to push forward towards their freedom.

Thinking that this was by far the best present their mother/aunt had ever given them. Whilst always a busy woman, as one could imagine, Keira had always made time to go see 'her boys' at least once a year, usually laden with gifts to make up for the eleven months she hadn't been around. A tradition that only stopped after both boys had made it out to sea themselves.

Evidently that had been a mistake.

"I'M NOT HAPPY GARP!"

She was getting impatient.

Never good.

The Lady Liberty gracefully shredded the ice heading directly for Keira's troublesome teens.

She knew she had to blame them partly. Neither of the two were angels, but when she had given them to Garp to take care of- over 17 years ago now- the deal was he would raise them and look out for them until they turned 18. Therefore, in her eyes the main culprit in all of this was Garp.

"Ahhh..."

Sengoku was thoroughly confused.

He considered himself the person that, unfortunately, knew Garp best and yet never, had he seen him this way before.

Eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar- definitely not smiling- eyebrows disappearing into his hairline (something else Sengoku had thought impossible), body trembling more violently than during an Edward Newgate earthquake and quivering under a lump of conspicuous sheet metal.

Not normal.

He didn't have time to think on it though, as he searched the sprawling mess for Fire-fist and Strawhat, who under no circumstances would be leaving this island.

Well, that's what he thought.

-On board the Lady Liberty-

"He doesn't seem to be responding Captain"

"No it would appear not. Ester, you're in charge until I return, anyone is fair game if they attack. Zaika set up as necessary."

"Understood Captain" chorused from the two women.

Allowing her Kaze Kaze power to consume her, Keira pushed off the side of her ship heading directly for Ace and Luffy.

Step one: save Ace and Luffy

Step two: get Ace and Luffy as far away from here as possible

Step three: Kick Garp's butt.

...Step three may have to be rescheduled.

A fairly straight forward plan, which Keira believed covered all the bases quite nicely. Touching down gently, Keira now separated the boys and a rather furious Admiral Akainu.

"My apologies, Admiral, but I have quite the desire to take these two with me. Surely this won't be a problem?"

The only response that Akainu could give was a lava fist aimed directly at her heart. Deflecting his hand with her sea-prism edged sword, Keira only raised an eyebrow in response and tut-tutted in a disappointed fashion.

"Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" Keira waved a hand dismissively. "No matter. See, when I asked if I could take them, I wasn't really asking you. I was merely being polite. We'll be taking our leave now. Come along boys."

Akainu glared at her as he felt the trickle of blood run down his fingers, hearing the gentle plops as it hit the ice.

"Not going to happen"

A smile graced Keira's lips as she watched the taller man attempting to intimidate her by oozing lava. It was actually having an opposite effect as if he continued to melt the ice on which he was standing; he'd find himself dropping into the ocean beneath them. Not particularly intelligent, but highly amusing.

"I told you that it wasn't optional"

Frustration was now rolling off him in waves of lava as he looked past her shoulder only to see Ace taking out other marines with his 'fire bullets' that had been attempting to encircle the problematic family. Having let her sword drop to her side, Keira was in no position to deflect the punch being bestowed this time. What Akainu wasn't aware of was that the sword, for the most part, was a prop. One of which Keira had no real need of as she let the fist sail through her completely. Disappearing for a second, Keira re-materialised slightly further back, yet still in front of her boys.

"Well, not that this hasn't been fun, but I have a delivery to make, which I really can't afford to be late with."

Turning her back to the somewhat stunned admiral she slung Luffy over her shoulder before grasping Ace's shoulder.

"Time to go, Ace"

Shaking his head Ace's lower body became engulfed with flames.

"I can't leave, Pops is still here."

Seeing that he wasn't going to budge, Keira sighed.

Way too much like his father.

"Here, take Luffy and get on the ship. I'll get Whitebeard."

Ace's hesitation ended as he swiftly made his way towards the ship with his brother, other Whitebeard pirates falling in behind him to ward off any marines still trying to stop them. Flipping out of the way of another magma fist, Keira launched herself back into the air, quickly scanning her surroundings.

There was no way Whitebeard was going to live.

Even if she managed to get him back on board, the hole in his chest was near irreparable.

That didn't mean she wasn't going to do it though.

A promise is a promise.

However this time she could go one better. Un-strapping her giant fan from her back, she intricately spun it around her body forming a whirlwind of air, raising herself higher into the sky. Manipulating the force she created, the wind swept along the ground ensnaring Whitebeard pirates along with those who appeared to be allies. Jumping out of the current herself, she directed the tornado like structure towards the ships, releasing her power it as it got close enough to disturb the ships.

Whitebeard, Whitebeard, Whitebeard...

Bingo.

Disappearing almost completely into the breeze, Keira managed to weave her way through the rather bamboozled marines to the man of the hour.

"Come on old man, I'm on orders to get you back on the ship."

Now, standing next to Whitebeard, she realised a slight problem.

"You're huge."

Whitebeard sweat dropped over the woman's comment.

"Really?"

"Umm..."

Still trying to work out how much force she was going to have to use in order to move him, without her being his cause of death, Keira did a quick sweep of her surroundings while pushing back the onslaught of marines with a quick flick of her fan. Everyone was momentarily distracted as a large rumbling sound took hold of the Headquarters. The sound increased as Little Oars Jnr. regained consciousness, pushing himself upright before collapsing backwards.

"Well, that was helpful."

Whitebeard glared down at her for the second time.

He could now see the source of which to blame for all of Ace's sarcastic comments.

There was no way this woman could not have been the one to rub off on Ace.

"Actually..."

He did not like the sound of that.

The way her face had just lit up, it was bound to be nothing good. She looked exactly like Ace when he thought of doing something completely and outrageously stupid that would no doubt cause trouble.

"How high do you think you could jump?"

"In this condition you'd be lucky if I could get off my knees."

"Damn."

And just like Ace when his ideas were thwarted by Marco or any of the other commanders, the spark poofed into oblivion.

"Okay, plan B."

"I think I'd rather take my chances with the marines..."

"Don't be obtuse, I want Ace out of here and that's not going to happen if I leave you."

"Your concern for my safety is overwhelming" Whitebeard drawled.

Keira whilst being able to dish out sarcasm had issues in picking it up when directed at her, possibly why Luffy struggled with sarcasm at all.

"No problem! Now, let's go."

Encasing the two of them within the eye of a tornado structure, Keira tapped her chin thoughtfully. Aokiji, unsure of whether to go after the escaping pirates or Whitebeard, chose the latter as Kizaru swept past him hunting down the escapees. Making a javelin of ice, he hurled it towards the tornado structure protecting Whitebeard. Keira merely stood as she watched it heading straight at them before bouncing back and collecting three marines not swift enough to dodge.

"What a dipshit. He didn't honestly expect that to go through, did he?"

Whitebeard shrugged, stretching his wounds and making him grimace as he slumped further forward.

"Oh right, getting you back on the ship."

Her plans were made infinitely easier as Little Oars Jr. managed to stumble to his feet, this time without falling over again. In a semi-dazed state, Oars was able to stumble his way over to the pair. He appeared to be completely unaware of the marines' attempts to stop him as he continued forward, squashing many of them under his feet.

"Ace?"

"He's on the ship Oars."

Nodding dumbly, Oars became encircled by the wind tunnel as he bent down and carefully scooped up Whitebeard and Keira. Whilst Oars hobbled towards the ships, the remainder of the pirates had gathered up the majority of themselves. The group left behind consisted mainly of Buggy and his current group of followers. As Oars managed to clamber on to one of the un-destroyed boats capable of carrying him, Keira let the whirlwind shield fall. Almost completely drained from over-using her ability, she let her body fall down off Oars' hand towards her own ship, only slowing herself enough in order to prevent deck annihilation.

"You alright Captain?"

"Fine Ester, just make sure we're the last out of this hell-hole."

Lying still for a minute, Keira groaned as she pushed herself up,

"Still got one more thing to do."

Step three

Sengoku was not impressed.

Whitebeard may not live but the pirates had destroyed marine headquarters and then thought they could just LEAVE?

Where the hell was Garp?

His idiot family was making a mockery out of the world government.

"Oh Gaaaaarrp, Gaaaarp, Garpy, Garpy, Garpy, you're not hiding from little old me are you?"

Said individual, was indeed hiding. Curled up in the foetal position Garp rocked back and forth in his makeshift shelter of the debris from the fallen execution tower. His under breath mutterings became a mantra of, "Please don't find me, please don't find me."

God was not on his side as the plank of steel covering his head was pushed aside by a none-too-impressed daughter-in-law.

"Ahh, here you are Garp, I've been meaning to have a word with you."

Cracking her knuckles she stalked closer like a panther on a hunt. Garp on the other hand, could do nothing but whimper slightly as he tried to wriggle deeper into the platform wreckage. It wasn't working.

"Not a chance Garp."

Marco had taken control of giving out orders as Whitebeard had been rushed inside to see what the doctors could do.

"Set the sails! Get out in open waters! Don't fight unless you have to! Go! Go!"

"Ya think?"

Ace, never being one to really be allowed to help out with moving the ships in normal circumstances, had taken up residence at the stern of the ship taking on the defensive role by firing his 'flame pistol' at approaching marines.

"Okay let's blow this joint"

"Are you alright Captain? Your knuckles are bleeding."

"We've just partaken in a war Ester, bloodied knuckles aren't going to kill me," Keira glanced back up at her first mate's worried expression. "It's not my blood anyway."

Wiping the blood away on her pants, she made her way over to the helm taking over from her navigator, Cynthia.

"Are we the last out?"

"Yes Captain"

Smirking more broadly than before, despite feeling more exhausted than she'd ever felt in her life, she addressed Zaika.

"You're up."

Now...where are my baby boys?

Grinning almost manically, the ebony-haired woman held up one hand with her fingers spread.

Five

Four

Three

Two

Boom

Shanks hadn't been sure what to expect when he sailed into Marine Headquarters, but it was certainly not this. Standing on the prow of his ship, he spied Sengoku. Looking a little grey around the edges and literally soot-covered, Shanks raised an eyebrow at the man's half missing beard, frayed and still fizzling. He was silent for a moment, then another. Then he couldn't contain himself and burst out laughing.

"You pissed off Mother Portgas, didn't you?"