Chapter 221 - Chapter 223

Days after the battle, the core members of Gotei sat inside Amell's office. They were here to hear the truth of Im and Shanks. Something Amell had withheld from them for years at the request of Shanks himself.

"As you all now know." Shanks began, "I am Im's son. And, Im, has for the last one thousand years or so, been the ruler of this world. In the beginning, before the world government, she was one of the many rulers, but not the only ruler."

"So, she is older than the boss then," Vash said and everyone glanced at Amell.

"I... Well, possibly," Amell sank down in his chair. "Give me another five hundred years and I'll be the senior."

"Anyway," Shanks shook his head at his masters sulking behaviour. "My mother is... Was," Shanks stuttered a little, "A very special individual. And, her two powers worked in balance and they are the reason that she was able to stay alive for so long."

"Immortality? If so, why is she dead now?" Byakuya asked.

"Not quite. She was... immortal, in a special way. Perhaps I should begin by saying why the World Government was created." Shanks took a breath and placed two swords on the table. "This is why. This is my sword," He rested his finger on one of them and then rested another finger on his mother's blade. "And, this is hers. The reason my mother founded the government was to protect these two swords."

"Why? Are they perhaps weapons of mass destruction?" Vash said with an excited smile.

"Not quite! They're keys to my mother's immortality. Or more accurately, they are keys to a door that guards the World Government greatest secret." Shanks placed the two swords tips against each other and they merged together to create one beautiful golden blade. "Inside that room lies the fountain of immortality, as my mother named it." He held up the blade for everyone to see. It was beautiful and shined like a bright golden star.

"Your mother's immortality comes from a fountain? That's new," Toshiro said, "I have never heard of this? Is it only you two that knows?" Kuzan said, obviously referring to Amell and Shanks.

"Including my mother and the five elders, no one else knows. Kong didn't even know my mother existed. She created the position of the five elders to make sure she still had power whilst she could stay hidden from the world."

"This is quite the development." Bradley leaned back in his chair. "But, you said there were two parts to your mother's powers? What is the other one."

"Right, that would be her fruit. The reason she won the great war all those centuries ago. It's an incredible devil fruit. One of the first to be found. Probably the strongest one, but of that, I'm not sure. But, it can not be used without the fountain." Shanks separated the blades again and now they looked like two ordinary unbreakable swords.

"Allow me to explain." Shanks took another deep breath. "Her fruit was of the growth type. For each meter she grew in height, so did her power. But, the drawback and the reason only she could use it was because by each growth spurt, she lost years of her life equivalent to how many times more powerful she grew. For every meter she grew, she gained three times her current strength, but that also took away thirty years of her life. So each use of the fruit is three times the power but at the cost of thirty years of life. She could have killed us all in that fight, and Lubbock is lucky to be alive. What killed her, in the end, was her life force running out." Shanks almost fell another tear.

"That's why she needed the fountain?" Toshiro concluded what everyone was thinking.

"Yes. Despite the name, it doesn't actually grant full immortality, just an extension of life force. When I ran away, I took this sword with me, meaning I took away her access to that life force."

"Okay, but, if the sword is that important, why did she not come after you? She hid in the shadows like a coward." Cal said coldly.

"Another curse for drinking out of the fountain. The further she is away from it, the faster she ages. She created the five elders and the system around them so they could handle all her business as she needed to always be within the castle."

"So, what happens now? The fountain isn't destroyed is it?" Byakuya glanced at his grandpa. If someone could get through a door that can't be opened without keys, it would be Amell.

"No, it's not, dear grandson!" The Enigmatic emperor gave Byakuya a look that almost froze the boy solid. "I'm not that impulsive."

"Shanks and I talked about it extensively. Do you wanna announce it, boy?"

"Gladly!" Shanks turned to the people and straightened his back. "Together with the Gotei, we will create a new organization. I still believe in my mother's original plan, which was to simply protect the fountain from people who should not be made aware of its existence. That I believe, is still to be my mission."

"My organization will serve as gatekeepers to the fountain. The Gotei will take the World Governments place as the peacekeepers, like Amell's original plan was. I have no desire to control or rule the world like my mother. I want to see the fountain protected, that has always been my mission, and will continue to be for generations."

"Wait, you will drink from it?" Lubbock said, his teeth had grown back thanks to Amell, but his pride would most likely never heal.

"No! My action as guardian will be to seal that room. The keys can not be destroyed, so I will protect them. I believe it was the influence of the fountain that drove my mother mad in the first place. From what I learned, my mother used to be a benevolent ruler. But, after finding the fountain, everything changed. I will not make the same mistake as her."

"Good to hear!" Amell said. "Well, now that you are all been brough up to speed. It's time for me to leave, my wife and kids are waiting and I'm dying to see them." Amell clapped his hands and he disappeared from his chair.

"Wait... I-I had more to say," Shanks looked at the now empty chair with disbelief. Toshiro just chuckled at him, "You're his disciple, right? You should know his ways. He hates trivial conversations. A perk, or a curse for living for far too long. He only cares about essential things, and when that is done, he stops caring. Quite the efficient, but highly annoying personality.

Bradley looked around, "Okay, lots of work to do. We don't have time to sit around here. Get going!"

"But, I lost all my teeth in that war, I demand a weeks vacation!" Lubbock stood up on the table while glaring at Bradley.

"So what? I had to kill my best friend with my own two hands. His blood will never wash away, I now I carry a sin heavier than any other. But, you don't see me crying for a vacation. Get over it!" Bradley teleported away, leaving Lubbock chocked.

Vash walked up next to Byakuya. "I never realized how much Bradley has given up for the Gotei. I mean, I'll gladly kill my best friend, that's just who I am and such. But, how does he do it? He's not like me, is he?" Vash for once sounded sincere and oddly worried.

"My father has the strongest will I have ever seen. Maybe even stronger than Lord Amell. I respect him highly. For how he manages all of this, I suppose he has faith." Byakuya glanced at Vash before leaving the room.

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On an island somewhere in the world, Amell appeared out of thin air. The island wasn't that large, it had a tiny little forest with a small-sized manor standing in the middle of it. That was his destination, a place only he knew about, a place only his family were welcome to. This was an island raised from the ocean floor by Amell himself.

Before he reached the forest, a familiar eagles cry was heard and beyond the treeline, a shadow, impossibly massive appeared. "Orlando, how I've missed your stupid smug face." Amell's voice was naturally powerful so Orlando had no problem hearing the words that left his mouth. The giant eagle struck down with his talon and Amell met it with a powerful fist. The ocean behind them split in two from the sheer force behind the clash.

"what? Why are you so mad? I said I've missed you a lot!" Amell pushed back and toppled the eagle over. "You still can't take a joke, can you?"

Orlando stood, up with his back straight and his arrogant gaze piercing through Amell.

"Okay, I hear you. But, you have to forgive me, I had so much on my plate that I simply forgot to bring you along."

"KAA!"

"Hey! You don't call someone that! And, the battle wasn't that great, you didn't really miss anything! haven't you had a great time here with Gold? Where is your other half by the way?"

"KAA!" Orlando became even more prideful than before.

"Caring for the babies, I see. And, how many tiny Orlando's do I have to worry about now?" Amell chuckled at the thought of gifting his children eagles as mounts.

"KA!"

"WHAT!? What are you two? Some kind of Sex demons?" Amell almost fell backwards, "How is that even possible? How is Gold not dead yet? Did she really birth a hundred and fourteen babies? That's insanity!"

"Ka!"

"Don't tell me that, I know you guys are special. Especially stupid!" Amell laughed at his own joke, much to Orlando's annoyance.

"We should head in, I can't wait to meet Sylvia and the twins again. Been so long since I saw them." Amell jumped up on his partners back but Orlando didn't take off. Instead, he sat down on the ground.

"What? You're protesting?"

"Ka!"

"The joke? You're offended by a joke? Wasn't it you who told me way back that you are a powerful and prideful King eagle? You know, way above us mortals in standing? Do you remember that?"

"Ka!"

"I will not apologize! I can just walk on my own." He jumped down and started to walk towards the manor in the distance.

"KAAA!" Orlando took off flying on his own and quickly left Amell behind in the dirt. Even without his mount, he arrived within minutes of walking. The manor gave off a welcoming and cosy radiance of light.

"Finally, I'm home." He walked inside the door, and immediately Sylvia came flying into his arms. Lucky that he was who he was or he and Sylvia would have been thrown out of the door by the force from their collision.

"You're back, and you're not dead! Thank the heavens!" Sylvia snuggled into his embrace, trying to squeeze her husband to death.

"No, don't thank the heavens, that's where my dad is. Thank yourself instead. You are the one constant thing that keeps me going. Without you, I would be completely lost."

"You sure haven't lost your smooth-talking. Well said, Portgas D Amell." She took his hand and led him inside.

"Where are we going?"

"Where do you think?" Sylvia turned around and winked, "The twins are sleeping, and Mama's thirsty!" With a smile on her face, she dragged her man inside the bedroom and the door was slammed shut.

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End