Banner Of War

Dante didn't usually sleep most nights. Not out of a sense of insomnia, more-so due to the fact he didn't need it. Hell, if it weren't for his brain still convincing him he needed sleep after a previous life spent relying on it, he would have never slept again.

Last night he expected it to be far more difficult to sleep than it actually was. He'd already gotten used to Yamato's snoring, as horrible as it was, and had prepared himself for a night of restlessness. Despite the high tensions and life threatening battle about to happen, Dante slept like a damn baby.

When he woke up, he found that it was quite early given the slowly rising sun on the horizon. He decided to spend a few hours just watching the sky, enjoying the silence. This was the last shred of peace he would have for a while, after all.

As it was, there was only a few more hours of sailing left, and then they would arrive. Nervousness was a trait unbecoming of a man of Dante's power, yet still he found himself tapping his foot against the desk, an odd mixture of anxiousness and excitement.

A fight to the death. Two enter, one leaves. He was nervous at the prospect, yet he couldn't help but smile at the thought.

'Finally.'

He grinned at the rising sun, the pure blue of the sky.

'A challenge.'

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The air was eerily quiet at Marineford. In the early hours of the morning, Ace had been dragged across the ocean and dumped in a shoddy cell in Marine Headquarters, waiting for the time the execution would begin, 10:45am.

Ace had immeasurable confidence in Whitebeard to save him. He knew that the old man would move heaven and the earth to keep him safe. Yet, even still, Ace didn't want him to. He didn't want to risk the lives of his friends, his family, over his stupid mistakes.

Unfortunately for him, Whitebeard had called in the cavalry. Every member of the Whitebeard Pirates, from the Division Commanders to the janitors had been called to action. Just what the Marines wanted.

Sengoku wanted to make a show of it. Wanted Whitebeard to feel pain, to die both metaphorically and physically, to show the world that even Edward Newgate was vulnerable to Marine Justice.

For that purpose, Ace needed to die. So, as the clock struck 10:30, Sengoku called for Ace to be brought to the stand. He was bound to the platform, watched over by his current strongest forces: Garp, Kuzan, Ryokugyu and Fujitora.

The last had been a lucky find thanks to the Marine's searching for powerful individuals. A blessed find, even, because The Marines needed all the help they could get for the coming war.

10:35. Still no Whitebeard. All eyes had been locked onto the Gates of Justice, waiting for Whitebeard and his crew to stumble through on the Moby Dick. 5 minutes ago, the broadcast began. Across the world, millions began to tune into the start of the War. Sengoku began the announcement.

"Today, a great victory was had for the Marines. Today, a scourge upon these lands will perish, and with him will come another great blow to the plague that is the Pirate Era."

10:41. Nothing. Not even a hint of the bastard could be found. Ace started smiling. They'd not die here today, not for him. Sengoku continued his spiel.

"Portgas D Ace, better known as Fire-Fist Ace, you are hereby charged with collusion, piracy, crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy, and loitering. Your plea is irrelevant. This court deems you guilty. For these acts, you shall suffer the greatest punishment. Death."

10:42. Sengoku was slightly put off. He expected Newgate to be here almost a half hour ago, raiding the G1 base in a frenzy. A small bead of sweat ran down his brow. Where was Whitebeard? Had the Red Devil intervened? Were they colluding?

"Not only are you subhuman for your acts of piracy, but you carry a great burden with you, Ace! It must have been incredibly hard hiding such a secret to the World, but we here at the Marines encourage honesty, so it is my pleasure to announce something else to the World today."

Ace's expression turned to one of horror. Shame boiled in his stomach. Terror bloomed.

"Not only are we cleansing the world of some Pirate trash, but on this day we snuff out the final remnants of Gol D. Roger's legacy in its entirety! Isn't that right, Gol D. Ace, bastard son of the Pirate King?"

Shock. Grief. Pain. Fear. Across the world, the mere mention of Roger's name brought woe. Not due to Roger's own actions, no. Rather, it was the repercussions that brought such fear to the World.

None spoke of it, but the Great Cleansing was a sore spot on the minds of all, even more so to every man woman and child that lived during the cleanse. Thousands upon thousands, entirely undeserving of such a cruel fate. All so that Roger's bloodline could be erased. Clearly, those deaths were in vain.

10:44. Sengoku cleared his throat, preparing to have the executioners act, a smile across his face. Garp held down his fists on his knees, physically restraining himself from doing anything to help Ace. His heart almost broke to pieces when he saw the pleading look in Ace's eyes, desperate for Sengoku to stop announcing his heritage.

"The only mercy we grant you is that which you have granted to your victims. A swift demise."

10:45. Hell broke loose, rising through the ocean ahead of the Marineford Bay. The Moby Dick slowly ascended, coated in a barrier one would use to enter Fishman Island, stood in the front lawn of the Marine Headquarters.

Even with the gigantic ship appearing from the depths, Sengoku had his focus elsewhere. Stood atop the Moby Dick, an intense glare on his face, was Whitebeard.

It did not take a genius to see that he was pissed. He slammed the butt of his Naginata to the deck, and thousands of Whitebeard Pirates began to open fire on the cannons positioned around Marinefords walls.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of cannonballs were fired. Shortly after, the cannon crews were dead, their stations unmanned. The only option for the Marines now was a head on battle. Sengoku nodded his head at Kuzan, and the ocean was frozen, freezing the Moby Dick and a large number of pirates alongside it. All that saved them was the heat from Marco's flames thawing them.

Whitebeard raised his blade and pointed it at Sengoku.

"Attack, my children! We will not rest until Ace is returned to us!"

Sengoku lifted his hand and pointed at Whitebeard.

"Bring them to Justice! No Pirate is outside the law!"

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The Deadweight had been sailing for the last few days straight, and now had reached the Gates Of Justice, the entrance to the Marine Channel, allowing access to both Impel Down and Marineford.

Of course, the Gates wouldn't be opening for Dante any time soon, not intentionally at least. That wasn't a problem for him though, since Dante quite easily threw the gate open when the Deadweight reached it.

After they entered the Channel, it would only take a few minutes to reach Marineford. Dante had been taking notes on the major players in the conflict, and had an idea of how he wanted to capitalise.

If he allows Whitebeard to die, as heartbreaking as it would be to a great many people, Dante would have one of the most powerful Fruits in the world to make the basis of a new Devil Arm. Unfortunately for those great many people, knowing this, Dante was no doubt going to let Whitebeard die.

He could also bring down Sengoku and take his Fruit, however Dante wasn't confident that it would benefit him too much. What could the weapon offer him that Whitebeard or even Balrog couldn't? Then again, it wouldn't hurt to take it. At the end of the day, it would be stupid to say no to a free power up.

Dante resolved to think on the matter later, as they were coming up on the shores of Marineford, now seeing the giant form of both Oars Jr. and the Moby Dick assaulting the G1 base. Yamato seemed to be shaking in anticipation, tightly gripping onto her Kanabo.

"It's time, Yamato. You ready?"

"Yes. I can't fail, not now. I refuse to."

"Heh, nice mindset. After all this, I'll introduce you to some friends. See if we can all have some food on the Deadweight together."

She turned to him, the both of them sitting on the bow of the ship.

"As wonderful as that sounds, we should focus on the now."

"Yeah, you're right. Don't wanna get too caught up in the future. Alright, here's how this'll go."

Dante pointed at the base ahead of them.

"We get in there, we grab Ace, and we don't let anyone stop us. Any questions?"

Yamato shook her head and mock saluted.

"Sir, no sir!"

...

"Never do that again."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not."

Dante resigned himself to his fate and sighed, leaning back and holding his arms behind his back against the deck, kicking his feet as the boat travelled, hearing Yamato's snickering to his side as he did so.

"Something funny?"

"Sir, no sir!"

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ."

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Sengoku looked on at the battlefield. The Marine forces were slowly being pushed back by the onslaught of Whitebeard Pirates. Oars Jr. needed to be dealt with, his size and presence was far too difficult to deal with. The Marines hadn't had a giant in their ranks for some time, so the best bet was to outsource.

"Send in the Shichibukai."

The 7 Warlords had been reduced to a much more pitiful state than they had once been. Hancock had been disavowed from the group, Crocodile had been exposed as a criminal, and Blackbeard was nowhere to be seen.

What's worse, Doflamingo had arrived later than anyone else, and was mumbling something to himself about 'being valuable'. Moriah was long dead, the same with Kuma. His untimely demise meant that the PX-9 initiative hadn't been completed.

The Marines, desperate for manpower and aid in any form, had forced Crocodile to fight for them in the War, with the World Government offering a reduced sentencing in exchange for his service. The man was all too eager to accept, unwilling to rot for the rest of his life.

And so, the Shichibukai in this Summit War were numbered only 4. Jinbe, Mihawk, Doflamingo and Crocodile. That, however, was about to change.

"I refuse to fight these men, Sengoku! I cannot battle them in good conscience knowing all that they have done for my people. I respect Whitebeard far too much to go against him."

Sengoku growled and gritted his teeth. He was about to chastise Jinbe for his cowardice and announce him as a traitor, until his Haki sensed something arriving. He turned his gaze to the waters beyond Marineford's gate, and felt dread pool at the bottom of his stomach like a block of lead, heavy and cold.

Sailing through the waters was the Red Devil Dante himself, having finally made his appearance, alongside a woman he'd never seen before. Another unknown, even worse.

Dante spoke at a regular volume, yet it was heard around the world and by everyone on that battlefield. His arrival heralded the Marine's greatest fears coming true.

"Hey, fellas. Sorry I'm late, you wouldn't believe the traffic out here."

Dante jumped high off the bow of his ship, leaving his cremate to anchor the vessel before it crashed into the ice floor. He landed elegantly, only a single bend of the knees indicating he felt anything at all from such a tall jump. The War had all but stopped in this moment, silence reigning on the battlefield.

Dante walked calmly across the ice, his footsteps measured, his gait casual. After a few moments he was situated at the very front lines of the Pirate forces, staring down an army of fearful Marines and the upper brass of the High Command. He smiled.

"Got room for one more?"

For a second time that day, all hell broke loose. Dante reveled in the chaos.