Chapter 100

Grandline, New World, Solaris island

While Azul was watching the sun sinking down behind the edge of the ocean far off in the horizon Shanks had silently disappeared to wake up his crew. Going by said mans body language, Red-hair was tense and justly so. After all Whitebeard didn't carry the title of strongest man alive for nothing. Something that even one of the four emperor's of the sea had to respect.

As the sun had disappeared from the sky completely and darkness engulfed the small normally so relaxed island the villagers ignited many torches to illuminate the major places around the island. This, coupled with the heavy atmosphere that had descended on Solaris after everyone had learned of Whitebeards appearance, brought a rather eery quality with it as shadows danced in the flickering light of hundreds of torches as if ghosts and spirits of the past were dancing and mocking the people still remaining in the land of the living.

Thus the party that had raged until a couple minutes ago was already forgotten, replaced with a nervous anticipation for what was to come.

Shanks all the while had thrown his black cape over his shoulders and sheathed his saber at his hip and was now sitting with a contemplative look on his face on a tree stump a little away from the majority of his crew, no doubt gears turning in deep thought.

While Azul was still sitting with Robin in his arms the Moby D.i.c.k had gotten close enough to the island and was now letting rowboats down into the ocean after which the crew of the Moby D.i.c.k began to board said rowboats except a select few that were to remain behind and guard the ship for any kind of reason.

With splashing sounds that grew louder the closer the small sh.i.p.s got the Whitebeard pirates soon arrived at the beach of Solaris, the gigantic figure of Whitebeard amongst the first to set foot on the island. Under the crunching of the sand beneath his feet Whitebeard walked over to the now assembled crew of Shanks and the the calmly sitting Azul that was observing Whitebeard as said man came closer.

'Truly, strongest man alive is indeed a fitting title. Only masters spirit has illuminated the night just as strongly and that was at the end of his life...' Azul thought to himself with a neutral look on his face with memories surfacing in the back of his mind, his masters grinning face flashing forth now and then.

Around 10 meters away from the red-hair pirates Whitebeard came to a stop and mustered the line-up before him with a calm expression on his face. Only seconds later Shanks pushed his way through his tense crew and walked over to stand opposite Whitebeard whos body was bathed in the flickering lights of the nearby torches, giving his already intimidating figure a menacing quality that sent shivers down many a sailor.

"It has been a long time since we last met, Whitebeard..." Shanks said in a diplomatic fashion, not knowing the reason behind Whitebeards sudden appearance on Solaris, to keep every evenue on how to proceed from there open to him.

"The last time we met you were just a cabin-boy under Roger together with that funny rednose. What happened to him?" Whitebeard replied with a monotonous voice that grolled like the crashing waves in its deepness.

"Ohh, Buggy? We split up after the captains execution. Last I heard of him he was somewhere in the Eastblue, no doubt causing trouble for everybody, bwahahahaha" Shanks answered with a humorous tinge to his ruminations causing him to laugh a little that slowly subsided after a few seconds leaving silence behind in its wake.

"Why are you here, Whitebeard?" Shanks asked, all humor gone as if a switch had been turned.

Though before Whitebeard could reply another voice interrupted the mens discussion.

"He is here because of me, or...us? Either way, you get my point." Azul said with a monotonous voice while his huge frame stepped forth from the shadows, craddling Robin in his arms while said woman clung to him like a sleepy Koala to its tree.

As he did so the eyes of a few Whitebeard pirates widened once they laid eyes upon Azuls enormous height that wasn't all that much shorter then their captains while shivering under the mans passive aura that surrounded him like a cloak making a few of the mens knees shake slightly.

"I see that my daughter has gotten rather attached to you...and so have you it seems, gurararara" Whitebeard said after a few seconds while Azul came to a standstill besides Shanks, Robin craddled in his arms like a precious gem.

"...Attachment is the wrong word I think. But I do care for her a lot, yes. I suppose that makes you my father-in-law or something, right old man? Hahahaha" Azul answered at first blankly which soon morphed into a slight grin on his face which was accompanied by his chuckling, dumbfounding alot of the sailors listening in on their conversations.

"GURARARARARARARARARA! You are one shameless little brat, aren't you? Gurarara" Whitebeard replied, his bellowing laughter echoing over the beach in its penetrating deepness.

Shanks meanwhile had developed a little sweatdrop on his forhead as he now understood why Whitebeard truly had come to Solaris frustrating him just a teny tiny bit in the process.

After all he had sacrificed his passive drunkeness for those two morons before him which had taken him weeks to accomplish!

"Besides the matter with my daugther there is another matter we need to discuss." Whitebeard said while sitting down into the warm now slowly cooling sand beneath him.

Whitebeards words caused Shanks to perk up again while Azul only nodded.

"Give me a second. I'll put Robin to bed real quick." Azul said his feet igniting in billowing flames after which he disappeared in thin air causing the men watching to widen their eyes due to his speed while Whitebeard only nodded and Shanks let himself fall down into the soft sand not too far away from Whitebeard.

Appearing at their hut Azul opened the door and walked inside. Pulling the cover back he put Robin down and after taking of her clothes put the cover back over her while Robin was mumbling something incomprehensible in her sleep, bringing a soft chuckle out of Azul.

After checking everything was in order he left again and with burning legs appeared on the beach once more where he sat down next to Shanks and Whitebeard, the three forming a triangle between them.

"Now, what is so important that couldn't wait for us to reach you in a few weeks old man?" Azul asked Whitebeard who had just received a gigantic sake bottle from his subordinate from which he took large gulps with streaks of the sake running down the side of his mouth.

"I assume you've read the newspaper recently?" Whitebeard asked Azul while sipping on his drink, which in turn caused Shanks sharp mind to make a few connections in seconds.

"Not really. Haven't really had the time nor interest I guess. Why? Anything major happened?" Azul asked back while Whitebeard chuckle slightly at Azuls words.

"Must've been a good vacation then, gurarara... The world government has relocated its headquarters into the new world. Though that was only their intro move. War is coming, boy! And you will be right in the center of it, along with my daughter. None of your fault though. Her history would catch up with her one day one way or the other. That was one reason why I took her in so willingly. She is one of the few that may contribute to the outcome that will decide the slowly approaching conflict." Whitebeard said, all amus.e.m.e.nt absent from his voice while he spoke into the darkness of the night, only illuminated by the torches that adorned the beach.

"Into the new world? Interesting...any idea what their next move may be?" Azul asked while his thoughts ran a 100 miles per second as he was combing through the infos he just received. He had always known that a war was coming and he had been looking forwards to it. But so soon? That had been out of his expectations. It was becoming clearer to him by each passing second that he needed to advance on his path so that he could attain the rank of a master. Otherwise the conflict that was soon to come would become that much harder for him while also taking care of Robin in the process.

"Hmm, nothing too concrete as the world government controlls sharply what reaches the ears of outsiders these days. An inside contact of mine tried to hint at something when he attempted to contact me not too long ago. He said something about Kizaru but was cut off swiftly afterwards before he could finish his explanation. Though for him to blow his cover he must have poked at a hornets nest and found something rather disturbing in the process..." Whitebeard said, taking another gulp from his flask.

After a few minutes of silence between the three Shanks spoke up, changing the topic slightly.

"You know, your old subordinate Teach has been sighted in Dress Rosa alongside Doflamingo, Whitebeard. No doubt that he is up to something again that crafty little f.u.c.k..." Shanks said while unconciously tracing over the three scars that adorned his left side of the face.

"I am aware of that. I have ordered Ace to return. Once he has I will be visiting my wayward son myself..." Whitebeard rumbled into the night causing Shanks to perk up while Azul was ignoring their conversation mostly.

Yes, he had a claim to Blackbeards life but he wasn't important enough these days to go out of his way to hunt the fat f.u.c.k down himself. If Whitebeard wanted to kill the man himself let him do so. Advancing on his path took priority at the moment and Blackbeard didn't really pose a challenge to him anymore anyways...

"Say old man, do you mind us tagging along until you reach Dress Rosa? I need to get back to Paradise to pick up my ship." Azul asked, interrupting Shanks and Whitebeards conversation.

"No problem. Though what about Robin? Is she to join you back into Paradise?" Whitebeard asked, setting down his flask of sake.

"It is up to her. I would be happy to take her along with me but I will not decide her path for her." Azul responded while leaning backwards on his hands, holding Whitebeards gaze all the while after they had made eye contact.

"Hmmm, I suppose I cannot refute your statement...fine. Let her decide for herself though I would feel more comfortable if she stayed within reach while the world government is in such an uproar."

Whitebeard responded to which Azul only smiled before he replied.

"Don't worry about the world government. If they attempt anything I'll rip them to shreds. And should I not be able to I can still grab Robin and run away. So long as they cannot fly they will not be able to catch us." Azul said while being completely at ease to which Whitebeards rumbling laughter echoed over the beach once again.

"Fine, you convinced me enough brat. Now how about you show me around this island a little? After all a little vacation for myself doesn't sound all that bad, gurarararara!" Whitebeard said to which Shanks chuckled and Azul grinned.

The gigantic rubberduck would soon find itself another victim and Azul couldn't repress his glee at that prospect. The old man won't know what hit him, hehehe!

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

Grandline, New World, Marine Headquarters

"Fleetadmiral Sengoku sir! We have a situation sir! Whitebeard is on his way to an island red-hair Shanks is believed to be residing on! We could have another teritorial conflict on our hands sir!" the marine captain called into the now eerily silent room in which eyes had been widening at the uprupt interuption of the peace they had experienced until now.

"Bloody hell! Always these damn pirates...Prepare a platoon of sh.i.p.s to contain the shockwaves their conflict could cause for the other island that are under their protection. Should one of them loose a potential fight it could come to a sacking of civialian settlements under the loosers protection by other upcoming pirates. We cannot allow that to happen!" Sengoku ordered after which the captain saluted and disappeared down the hall again. Sengoku meanwhile turned around towards the new admiral with a contemplative look on his face after he shook his head.

"Now, let us continue with this nonsense." Sengoku said while walking back to his desk to continue reading the inauguration phrases that were mandatory for one reason or another and each admiral had to hear them as soon as they took the position. Utter nonesense in his opinion...

What he did not see though was a small transpondersnail used to spy on people that was glued under his table with a direct connection to the Maichyo who were already bustling to bust out the newest edition of their papers for the world to know what the big players were up to...