One Path Forward

Ivankov and Jinbe were demonstrating the forms of Newkama Kenpo and Fishman Karate respectively, as well as explaining the philosophy behind each of them to Cherry simultaneously. She had insisted upon doing it that way in spite of their protests, saying that it would 'save time'.

They were naturally doubtful she could properly follow along in this fashion, but figured if Cherry was wasting her and their time, that was on her.

Contrary to their expectations, however, she not only was able to listen well enough to both of them to ask questions, she also demonstrated the forms they showed her before their very eyes. Cherry even realized her own mistakes by comparing herself to their demonstrations and corrected them without their input.

""What kind of monster are you?"" They both asked her at the same time.

"The cute kind?" Cherry smiled at them in a very not-cute sort of way.

They could only shake their heads at her in exasperation.

"I can see something ahead!" Called a pirate in the lead ship's crow's nest.

Cherry hopped up there to see what he spotted and frowned a bit at what she saw.

Jumping back down, the others had gathered to hear what it is.

"There's a blockade of marine warships ahead of us blocking the way passed the Gates of Justice. Not only that, there is a massive wall of ice behind them that stretches for miles and I think it has actually redirected the current straight through the gates into Marineford." Cherry explained.

"It seems we don't have a choice in the matter then. The only way out is through Marineford." Jinbe commented.

"Doesn't matter to us, only to the cowards." Crocodile spoke derogatorily.

"It DOES matter, Croco-boy. They realized the truth somehow and are waiting to ambush us. This'll be much harder than we had hoped." Ivankov rebuffed.

"So what? We'll just kick their asses!" Luffy said, all gung ho.

Ace smacked him upside the head. "Idiot, they have three admirals, the fleet admiral, and the geezer with them. Not to mention we'll be greatly outnumbered and out-gunned."

"Maybe we should slow down, stall for more time for Whitebeard to come?" Buggy said, trying to hide his timidity.

"If we do that, in the worst case they might come to us and we'll be much further from our escape when we're forced to fight them." Inazuma observed.

As they spoke, they quickly approached the waiting marine warships as the current was quite fast. There was only one option.

"Charge forward, stop for nothing! Fight like your lives depend on it, because it does!" Cherry shouted, amplifying her voice for all to hear.

There was a half-hearted cheer in agreement, as they were all terrified of dying or being sent back.

"What are you all being so chicken for! Where did your balls go! You're pirates! This is a moment that will go down in history as a glorious victory against the bastards who tortured you!" Buggy shouted, raising a sword aloft. "And if you follow me, I'll lead to an even grander destiny! As the crew of the next king of the pirates! ME!"

The ships erupted in cheers bordering on hysteria.

"He's awfully good at that..." Crocodile admired honestly. He almost envied him, if he didn't know Buggy was all talk.

...

On the marine warships blockading the current.

"Vice Admiral Bastille reporting, we've spotted ships approaching approaching us. I believe they're the warships that were sent with Vice Admiral Onigumo to bring the prisoner. There is no sign of Whitebeard." Bastille spoke into a den den mushi.

Sengoku furrowed his brow. 'That doesn't sound like something Whitebeard would do. Is he not behind this?'

"Intercept them." Sengoku ordered.

...

The marine warships ahead of them started to move towards them. They were paddleboats so they were able to go against the current somewhat.

"Damn, they won't even let us pass them before they try to kill us." Cherry said annoyed. "Bring me cannonballs! I'll give them a taste of the ol' Garp special, hehe."

The pirates began passing the cannonballs directly to Cherry in a line to keep them coming efficiently.

Cherry picked up the first cannonball, got a feel for the weight, and reared in back in a pitching pose.

*Crack*

It broke the sound barrier by a wide margin. She had been holding back when she was chucking them at Garp previously. Of course, Garp had been holding back too.

The cannonball slammed into the bow of the closest ship just above the waterline and exploded, ensuring that it would start to take on water immediately.

Cherry got serious and wasted no time grabbing the next cannonball and launching it. Once she got a rhythm going she became like a machine.

Luffy hadn't seen Cherry like this before. She had taken on the guise of an efficient killer. The others were also a bit unnerved at this cold and merciless side of her, except Crocodile who saw a bit of himself in her.

The marines on the approaching ships were starting to panic, even Vice Admiral Bastille. Cherry was throwing cannonballs faster than a dozen cannons could fire in succession. Moreover, her accuracy was deadly, dealing a crippling blow with each shot.

He and his captains tried to block the cannonballs, but they always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anytime it looked like they might intercept one, it would turn out to be a curveball and hit a different ship instead.

Reluctantly he called for the ships to retreat to Marineford. At this rate they would only be sunk before the real fight even started. They would lose half their ships before even entering their own cannon's effective range.

The pirates would fall once they entered Marineford regardless. Admiral Aokiji had made certain of they had no where else to go, having quite a bit of time freezing the water both wide and deep.

Seeing the marines flee before them, the pirates got a morale boost and cheered.

Cherry let out a breath. Fighting so seriously without a worthy opponent was mentally exhausting. It was mind numbing in the same way sweeping the courtyard back home in the dojo was.

Their course was set and they sailed directly through the Gates of Justice and into Marineford. There was no signs of Whitebeard anywhere, unfortunately. They had hoped that Whitebeard might be waiting off in the distance or something.

No such luck.

Aokiji had also frozen a large ring around Marineford, to make it that much harder to break out.

"Well shoot." Cherry spoke, annoyed. "Guess I'll have to do THAT after all. We'll have to get closer to the ice wall, though."

No one knew what this mysterious technique she'd mentioned was, as she had refused to say much of anything about it. Only that it should be powerful and likely dangerous.

As they turned their ships to make for the wall, there was a beam of light that stretched from the fortress to the lead ship. At the end of which, Admiral Borsalino suddenly appeared.

He quickly scanned the pirates dressed as marines and spotted two that looked like Ace.

"There are two of you? I guess one is a fake." He flashed and kicked the closest one off the ship. That one happened to be Bon Clay, disguised as Ace to increase confusion.

"Not that one then." Borsalino quickly discounted, as the real Ace would have easily taken that attack they had no armament haki applied, due to his logia fruit.

He flashed again and grabbed towards Ace who tried to avoid his grasping, haki coated hand to no avail. At the same time, he was already forming the beam of light he would return with.

Only two people were close enough and fast enough to even attempt to intervene. Cherry, who was already thrusting at Borsalino's head with her spear. And Luffy who had entered Gear Second the moment he saw the flash.

Luffy didn't attack Borsalino, however. Instead he latched onto Ace and held on for dear life.

Borsalino easily dodged Cherry's attack and dragged Ace back to Marineford, albeit at a considerably slower speed than he arrive. He could turn other people into light like himself after all.

All of this happened in the span of a single second.

"Damn it!" Cherry shouted, turning her gaze towards Marineford. Everyone else was momentarily shocked at just how ruthlessly efficient Borsalino could be when he was actually trying.

"You want war? I'll give you a war." Cherry muttered with a frigid stare. She didn't care so much about Ace, but that idiot Luffy had gotten himself caught too. She knew they wouldn't spare him, regardless of who his Grandfather was.

All the powerhouses in the fortress could feel her eyes upon them. Most couldn't tell who it was, but they thought if that person didn't die today, then the World Government would be in serious trouble in the future.