552Sorry this came out later than usual, I'm currently overseas and it's hard to find time to write.
Also, if the format seems off or something, I wrote this all in my phone so inform me please.
I Do Not Own 'One Piece' or 'The Gamer'
She smiled at the mirror, watching her older brother gobble down those gigantic donuts like there was no tomorrow. It's times like these, she'd hope he could forget about the scar on her face, and show himself freely.
Domain Of The Gods, Mariejois
[Boa Sandersonia]
Sidestepping away from the spear jab, I propelled a fist forward, snapping the man's head back with a Haki-infused punch. He crumpled limply on the floor, his lifeless body falling onto their fellow comrades who dropped earlier in the same way.
"Scum," I sneered, reverting back to my normal state.
These types of people deserve zero sympathy for what they're doing. If it were up to me, I'd slaughter as many of them as I possibly could.
Nevertheless, my gaze shifted around the small skirmish.
Marigold had just engaged two guards herself. She pummeled the first one of them down, then took a deep breath, and spewed out venom on the last.
A fitting end for these monsters.
"Shut up and DIE!" I winced a little at the outcry, surprised to catch Henry cleaving through someone with rage I'd never witnessed from him.
He was tenacious, unyielding to their plight. To be completely honest, considering what they've done to everyone...that's perfectly fine by me.
Although, seeing how brutal Henry could get is still jarring.
"How much farther?" My sister asked, jogging over to where we were.
"It shouldn't be too long," He responded, quickly taking the lead, though I could sense how exhausted he was becoming. It's either the adrenalin was working overtime or his endurance is above that of what I'd expected.
The cuts and bruises around Henry's body weren't abnormal separately, but with them together I'm genuinely confused regarding why the black-haired teen hasn't felt its effects.
Back on Amazon Lily, we are all taught the basics of first aid amongst several other things. Once this is all over, I'll see what I can do with those wounds.
Hopefully, he doesn't do anything foolish until then.
"Not much longer," Henry noted, cutting through an alleyway with haste.
We followed him trepidatiously, zig-zagging through different pathways to decrease any unnecessary time spent.
That's when he stopped at the corner, motioning for the rest of us to stop as well.
"There it is...Rosward's home."
As the three of us gazed at the grand entrance of the mansion, my eyes couldn't help but widen with amazement.
The building itself stood tall and elegant, boasting multiple floors with intricate architectural details that spoke volumes about the wealth and status of its residents.
The exterior walls were made of a pristine white color that glowed in the sunlight. The windows are large and perfectly arranged, each adorned with ornate shutters that were painted in a deep shade of green, adding a touch of sophistication to the already exquisite design.
At the front of the estate, there was a wide entryway that led to a set of double doors adorned with golden handles, giving an impression of pure opulence. As we walked closer, I couldn't help but admire the well-manicured lawn surrounding the mansion, with its vibrant flower beds and neatly trimmed hedges.
This was the status of a Celestial Dragon.
"Sandersonia...Marigold…" Henry peeked over his shoulder to look at us. "Can you two check if anybody's down below? More specifically a little girl?"
I nodded, taking a few seconds in composing myself, and closed both eyes.
Reaching out with my Haki, a myriad of small translucent blue lights flickered within sight, their confused and terror-stricken emotions are clear to differentiate.
These people were slaves.
Nevertheless, a much smaller figure could be discerned amongst the pack, huddling into themselves that felt especially familiar.
"There are about a dozen or so of them underground, multiple children as well," I explained, pulling the sensing ability away. "They're all terrified."
I'd be feeling the same if I were in their positions too.
"Good to know...it's better to double-check on these things." He frowned deeply, "They're probably being held in the cellar."
That made sense as in the first year of being held captive, the three of us are thrown into some basement-like chamber until being forced to work tirelessly before having a mark etched onto our skin. Afterwards, we were forced to eat Devil Fruits, and elder sister was...she was forced to do... — I visibly cringed for a split-second and gritted my teeth, though quickly returned concentration to the task at hand.
No time for those horrible memories.
"So how will we get in?" My younger sister questioned, appearing to prepare herself for whatever he had intended. "Is there a secret entrance somewhere?"
Henry must've understood what to do considering how attentive the man's face was most of the journey. Honestly, I'm rather curious about what he's been pondering throughout our whole trip here.
Is there some hidden code to this place?
Perhaps we must sneak into an obscure passageway?
Just what plan could he be conjuring up?
"Front door."
...
Eh?
"Eh?" Marigold mimicked my mental thoughts.
Henry just grinned.
"We'll bust through the front door and destroy anyone who gets in our way," The dark-skinned teen explained, beginning to unsheath his blade. "There's no time for diddle-daddling until we're all out of here."
For some reason, I didn't know what to express other than sighing. Perhaps I ought to reign in my expectations from now on.
Nevertheless, he's correct in that we ought to be quick, though I'm not certain about this particular manner of approach.
I will not going to lie and say barging into a Celestial Dragon's home didn't sound enthralling.
So with those thoughts, both I and Marigold stood head-first as we bulldozed our way into the house by busting down the door including a portion of the wall.
Naturally, the residents inside were already on alert.
"What is going on?!"
"Invaders! Invaders are attacking!"
"It must be those damned Fishman!"
Unfortunately for the few guards stationed nearby, they're only able to look onward as we smash their faces in. There's no time on their part to even realize who's attacking until they've dropped.
Sadly for us, more seemed to come out of the woodwork.
'Of course, a good chunk of the guards are going to be indoors protecting the Celestial Dragons.' I groaned, letting Marigold shoot poison down one of the many hallways.
"Come on, it should be somewhere over here!" The dark-skinned teen called out, causing my sister and I to redirect our attention towards following him.
I blocked a spear stab with my Haki-infused forearm, then used that very limb to crush their neck by slamming it into the wall.
We then pushed together as a unit, though I noted how vicious Henry was, watching him shout 'DIE!' several times over and tear through yet another one of those guards.
Back home, we're always taught restraint, lest our Haki becomes uncontrollable and wild. The whole sequence is rather jarring considering how cheerful and outgoing he's usually been.
It's honestly very odd noticing the switch-up.
"Here it is," He said, taking out a keychain from a guard's waist. "Now we'll be able to open the hatch with this and remove the collars."
Ah, that's right.
I was wondering how he'd get the key, but Henry knew this place best, so him knowing who had it made sense.
"There they are! Get them!" A shout emanated from one of the hallways, discerning several guards rushing our way.
"More scum…" Marigold scowled, then transformed into her hybrid form and I followed quickly behind.
"Conserve your Haki, Mari." I instructed, narrowing my eyes at the targets closing in on us. "Best to save it for those that actually need its use."
Henry had opted to stay back and let us do the work. A wise choice since he's obviously become tired.
It didn't take the two of us long to destroy the filth. Even with holding back our strength, they're quite garbage for so-called 'being protection'.
What pathetic trash.
"Just to the left and at the corner, that's where the hatch is," Henry stated and we followed those directions.
Luckily, there weren't any other pesky guards lurking about, and we're able to lift the chain off the hatch without much issue.
Looking inside, however, was a different story.
The chamber is dark and filled with an ominous stillness that causes goosebumps to form on my skin. The only source of light is a flickering lamp in the top-right corner of the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
In the dim light, several frightened figures huddle together, their eyes wide with terror. The sounds of their panicked breathing is the only noises aside from the occasional creaking of the old wooden floorboards beneath our feet. Their faces are pale and twisted with anxiety, making their features unrecognizable.
Overall, it's a sight that was all too familiar.
"Don't worry we're not here to hurt you," I explained, gesturing to our attire. "Just look at us."
Probably the right move not to bust in here with our hybrid forms active.
"She's right, we're one of you." Henry reiterated, slowly walking into the center of the room. "To be completely honest, we've come to find someone here."
Straight to the point as always.
"Should we free them?" Marigold questioned, clearly looking a bit uneasy at just leaving with one person.
I frowned.
We didn't know who these people were, but abandoning all of them here left a bad taste in my mouth. Freeing one little girl and leaving the rest to their fate was far too cruel.
"Don't worry, we'll get you all out."
That's when I turned to the right, watching Henry step forward and dangling the keychain.
"I've got the key right here. Those stupid Celestial Dragons never cared about having separate keys for the slaves." He smiled gently, gradually scanning around the vicinity. "Everybody here deserves the chance to see the sun. Fate shouldn't be a factor whatsoever."
I stared in silence.
It was as if both of his eyes were gleaming, shining brightly in this darkened room. There wasn't any other way to describe such a thing except one word.
Warmth.
"But first I'd like to ask…which one of you isKoala?" He queried, interrupting my line of thinking.
There's a distinct pause as everyone is just sheepishly staying quiet.
"Trouble…trouble…I don't want trouble." A voice murmured, but considering that we were in a closed-off space, it had echoed to where everyone could hear.
Hugging their back against the wall was a skinny girl who possessed long, unkempt brown hair combined with distinctively large and round eyes. She had on a dirty, short-sleeved collared shirt, which they wore under dark overalls and a smudge on her right cheek.
The most disturbing part was the fact that she's smiling, almost like it's instinctual.
Just what the hell happened to this little girl?
"There you are," Henry sighed in relief. "For a second, I thought you'd be somewhere else."
Ah, so this is the 'Koala' individual. The little girl didn't even appear to be ten yet. I'm certain I've seen her before with the other workers.
She looked up at him, the smile growing much more prominent, one could say it's rather creepy.
"Do you want me to clean your room, master?"
I tried to fight back a wince but failed in doing so.
This poor little girl...just what did they do to mold her into this?
"What?" Henry uttered, though I noticed his right hand twitching a bit. "Koala...I'm not your master, I'll explain all of that when we're all safe."
She continued to smile eerily.
"I'll do my best, please don't hurt me again."
I watched Henry take a very noticeable pause, oddly not responding to that and simply used the key, removing the chains which subsequently negated the bomb going off.
However, I could justfeelthe anger coming from him. The same sensation when he was pummeling the guards from before.
Naturally, because we're going to free the little girl, the others opted on speaking up right now.
"Free us quickly!"
"Don't leave!"
"Get us outta here…please!"
Ah, right…the others.
"Can you two free the others?" He handed the keys to me, still carefully examining Koala's condition. "Be quick, but don't be stupid, those bombs are still an issue."
We both nodded.
Fortunately for us, all the keys were of the same type, meaning they'll open the collars.
With some effort and time, all the slaves are finally freed.
"We're free!"
"I can't believe this is happening!"
"Thank you so much!"
"It's nothing," Really, it wasn't. Any decent person would free them.
Henry moved to us after checking that the bombs were…wait…where the hell did the collars go?
I was certain there were a lot more of them around, but they've just disappeared.
What in the world happened?
"Alright…let's head towards the old man now," He stated, prompting the two of us to halt in puzzlement.
That's not what we're supposed to do.
"Aren't we meant to wait by the gate?" I questioned, skeptical of why this should happen all of a sudden.
Henry seemed to notice, facing us by shifting around, and audibly sighed.
"Do you wanna see Hancockor not?"
That…well…hit anerveon me.
I looked at Marigold and she glanced back.
Knowing our elder sister was safe is something we wouldn't ever give up on, especially with how hectic everything has been.
We knew our choice.
He smiled, seeing our faces and knowing what the retort would be.
"Then let's go and track those two down," Henry exclaimed, a determined gaze shifting into the forefront. "I'm sure they've gotten themselves in trouble somehow."
Just as we climbed out of the hatch with the other slaves, loud footsteps could be heard from within one of the rooms in our close proximity. From the sounds of it, it's started to come closer by the second.
"Guards, are you all done out there?"
Someone else was still here.
[Avery Henry]
"Guards! I wish to know if the intruders were taken out!" A grumpy voice demanded.
We were on high alert once again, seeing the double doors from one of the rooms being opened.
"Damn that Rosward for inviting me here without even showing up himself!"
Rosward?
Just who the fuck is yelling down the hallway at this time?
It's then when a man with blonde hair styled in a bob-cut revealed themselves.
He has bushy eyebrows and a long thin mustache with no upper teeth apart from two large buck-teeth. Their apparel consisted of a thick white suit adorned with medal-like knobs on the front.
The clothes gave it away immediately.
Saint Pluming, [Celestial Dragon]
(50/50)
I sneered, shifting to face the man as they drew nearer.
"What in the world is going on?!" He gasped and I had to force myself not to snort. "Why are Rosward's pets on the loose?!"
Saint Pluming looked at the floor around him with a horrified expression, finally noticing the guards laying around motionless.
I'm not one of my immediate concerns, but I'll gladly say that his face was priceless. The idiot was quick to compose himself though.
"You, green-haired one, you will come over here and be my horse!" He pointed at the ground. "Escort me out of the premises immediately! The rest of you shall protect me from those lowlife creatures!"
Nobody did anything, only watching the man which obviously got him more frustrated.
"Do you know who I am, animals?!" He shrieked, their thumb pointing at themselves.
I took the initiative and began walking forward, even as the man started to shout more.
"I'm Saint Pluming! That means I've been born a god!" The Celestial Dragon bellowed, grinning like it meant something. "So you're to get on your knees and let me sit on you!"
I didn't say anything, continuing to merely stroll ahead with a hand gradually moving to my waist.
"That's right, it seems one of you at least has the brainpower to—"
I don't think the sisters could comprehend what I'd do next as a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the hallway. Blood spewed onto the shirt, and some onto my face, as my blade swung in an upwards direction.
The body dropped, letting out one small gasp for air before dropping silent.
I…killed him.
…
'Good fucking riddance.'
"She willneverlisten to people likeyou."
The rest of those scum should go down the same way.
'Ya know, I get it now…' I sighed deeply, putting my sword back into its sheath. 'I think I've finally understood why Kratos slaughtered all the gods on a spiritual level.'
I hope the Sun Pirates kill a chunk of them — fleeting hope, but a man can dream. These despicable creatures deserve a much worse fate than death, which is the bare minimum at least.
"We should kill all the guards, there will be no witnesses on their end," I said coldly, still facing the dead Celestial Dragon. "The rest of you saw nothing,right?"
Many of them blanched, though the slow nods I'm getting seal the deal.
"Good…" I contemplated for a second until I took the opportunity to move a guard and positioned them where it looked like they attacked the Celestial Dragon.
Let those bastards come to their own conclusions.
oooo
Quest Complete:
Kill A Celestial Dragon
Rewards:
+2 perk points
+5 to [Bloodlust]
+1 to [Sword Mastery]
+New Title: God Slayer
oooo
Oh…that's quite a lot of notifications.
I'll look into them when I've got the time for it.
"You killed him…" One of the slaves said, and I'm sure the rest of them were thinking the same thing.
They were in awe and I just scoffed.
"Yeah, I did…so wh—" My right knee collapsed to the floor. Pain erupted from my chest as I'm forced to take a breather.
Overexerting was starting to bite back and I could justfeelthe exhaustion craving to take over.
"Henry, are you alright?" Marigold asked, placing a hand on my shoulder, though I could tell she was still rather shocked about me ending the self-proclaimed god.
"Yeah...I...I'm just a bit out of breath," I waved her off, thankful for the gesture.
Truthfully, I've been tired for a while now. Being a bit above the average One Piece human in terms of physical prowess can only get someone so far.
Nevertheless, I'll get through this before I drop.
I kneeled down by the dead Celestial Dragon and reached for their waistline, removing the golden gun and the holster.
Whilst I didn't know anything about guns, I'll admit that this is some high-grade shit.
God's Judgment, [Very Rare Grade]
Even the game seemed to agree. It seems swords and guns have different types of 'grades'.
Regardless, it's best I address the few dozen freed slaves.
"Who here knows where the Celestial Gate is?" I asked, seeing a few hands being raised. "Good, once you reach it just follow the rest of the slaves and get the hell out of here."
They paused and glanced around at each other then didn't hesitate to run off, though I noticed some picking up the weapons of the dead guards.
Better be safe than sorry.
"Thank you so much!"
A dozen or so of them would shout while turning their heads and others began to wave at us. I don't think seeing all those slaves running and crying tears of joy will ever get old.
With that out of the way, it's back to the current matters at hand.
"Sandersonia…could you perhaps…?"
"I was already on it," The green-haired Amazonian explained, then pointed off in the distance. "And they're that…way?"
She paused, appearing somewhat confused.
"What are they doing?"
The teen looked apprehensive and worried in her response.
"Fighting people."
Fighting?
Well, shit.
"I'll take her," Marigold said, shifting into her hybrid form and picking up Koala as the little girl just kept smiling weirdly while being silent. "Let's move."
I nodded and followed Sandersonia as she took the lead once again.
You better be alive, shitty geezer.
Near Pangaea Castle, Mariejois
I just kept moving, running so fast like I've never done before.
Tiredness be damned.
The sound of the building collapsing to the ground unceremoniously caught my attention. Slaves were still scrambling about and running for their lives.
We've already wasted too much time, I'm not even sure we'll make it back before Cipher Pol or those so-called 'God Knights' come after everyone...hard.
"We're getting close," Sandersonia stated, while her sister tensed up for yet another fight.
Personally, even with my blood still pumping on overdrive, I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to see through this before I've dropped.
The injuries I possess haven't gone anywhere, it's only a matter of time until my body gives out.
'What happened with the rescue mission? Did they survive? Are we heading straight into a trap?' It's only a matter of when shall these questions be answered. Hopefully, it's for the better of things.
"There!" Sandersonia pointed up ahead, and indeed, a skirmish was taking place.
We stopped our running after reaching a vantage point, curiously glancing around the battlefield.
And what a site it was.
Debris and rubble were scattered all over, filling the streets. Bodies littered every corner as people clung to their deceased loved ones.
Absolute carnage on all fronts.
Nevertheless, my eyes gleamed in the distance, noticing that someone was on the floor and I recognized what it was.
It's the Cipher Pol Agent from before, laying there unmoving despite everything going on.
Who's-Who is dead, a good chunk of his corpse was destroyed and appeared to have long since been turned to stone. [Observe] not even showing anything simply tells me he's gone.
Unfortunately, the fighting was still going on right now.
A body crashed onto the floor as the person let out an audible gasp, the dust clearing up allowing me to see them clearly.
Reginald, [Slave]
(220/480)
The old man…
He looked dizzy while gradually standing up, clutching his head while doing so. It looks like he's had a concession of some sort.
Then, terror used that golden opportunity to strike.
A wind sickle maneuvered itself like a missile, hitting him directly in his face.
"AAAAGHH!" The ex-pirate fell straight onto his back and into the ground.
This time…hewasn'tgetting back up.
My body froze as Sandersonia kept running to where the old man dropped.
Time has seemed to slow down for a period, slowly giving me clarity with each passing moment. My hands twitch violently while the rest of my body is finally catching up to what's happened.
I stared onwards, like a deer standing still while looking directly at headlights.
Action finally came when my blade was unsheathed and a battle cry came out of my mouth.
I ran at the source, not caring to even use [Observe, and attacking them with wide swings. The [Running] skill boosted my speed valiantly in every slash attempt.
However, it was as if their body was bending around my strikes like paper.
Relentlessly, I continued, uncaring about the progress being made.
They jumped back to gain some distance, flicking their fingers at speeds I couldn't even comprehend and the condensed air pressure landed on my chest.
-8 HP (30/90)
It didn't diminish my wrath.
"Get back here and let me kill you!" I screamed, coughing up a storm, and stumbling with each step as I'm hit once more.
-10 HP (20/90)
"LET ME FUCKING KILL YOU!"
I fell down, trying to clutch ontosomethingand force myself to them.
-5 HP (15/90)
"Kill you…let me…" Somehow I'm still capable of speaking.
They flicked again, this time landing on my right shoulder.
-4 HP (11/90)
I dropped to the ground, spitting out a glob of blood.
"You…kill…"
The woman was moments away from flicking her fingers again until a blur moved past me and attacked.
They struck, causing the roof beneath them to collapse, but the woman was much…much faster, leaping to kick off of the air itself and zig-zagging with puffs of tiny smoke following close behind.
Boa Hancock, [Slave]
(348/370)
She seems to be doing alright, if those health points were anything to go by.
"Henry!" I heard the voice of Sandersonia shout from down below me. "He's unconscious, but alive! We need to carry him!"
I moved like I'd never done so before, passing by more debris along the way. Turning around the corner, my body stiffened at the sight.
Laying on the ground and breathing heavily was Regi.
One didn't need to be a medical expert and know that the gash was horizontal across his face is severe.
"God dammit, Regi."
The wounds he's received were deep, and it's honestly a miracle that he's even alive right now.
"You promised me that you'll live and I'm going to make that happen." I'm unsure if those words were registered by him, but I continued working either way.
I didn't know a thing about First Aid, or whatever you'd call it in this situation, but applying pressure onto the wound seemed to be the first step…right?
His breathing gradually softened with each intake.
"Please…stay with me, old man."
I still didn't know how I'm capable of moving with all these injuries.
Marigold had come by with little Koala and brought a cart in a short period of time. Regi and my own blood was now all over both of my hands and shirt.
What a fucking mess.
"My job is complete," The woman stated robotically, for some reason still sticking around here, and looking down on us from above.
I turned around again andglared, feeling my legs shaking a bit as I'm beginning to stand up until a hand grabbed onto my shoulder.
"Henry, you need to calm do—"
"Get off of me!" I shrugged the arm away, moving towards the blonde-haired woman who looked at Regi's fallen body with content.
I climbed up the rubble once again and reached my previous spot, eager to start round two.
However, it seemed the woman had an entirely different agenda.
She lifted her right leg and I knew what was about to occur, using the [Observe] skill to learn their identity.
'MADS Clone' Stussy, [Undercover Agent]
(666/690)
I knew who this was, but didn't care about their significance, all that mattered was knowing that they'll die someday.
Even so…she got away…and all I'm left with are wounds from trying to stop it all. Stussy had used Geppo to already be far off into the distance and out of sight.
A small part of me wanted to slump over and rest, finally giving in to the body's demands. The wave of exhaustion was creeping up onto my soul.
'Forget it, at least not right now.' The old man's already down, the sisters don't need another person following behind. Less be said about the traumatized little girl.
At this point, I was beyond livid, watching the faint sounds of fires crackling in both the distance and all around fueled a different source within me to act.
I stood up, back straight against the pain, and began to climb the rubble just like the previous times.
Something needed to be done.
"Henry?" I heard Hancock's voice as I'm passing by her. "What are you doing?"
I ignored it.
The ascension brought me to the top of the destroyed home, a surprisingly good view of the chaos going around the 'Holy Land'.
My mouth twisted and formed the most vicious snarl I could muster.
That anger and despair I was embroiled in, however, morphed into a much more sinister feeling. The familiar sensation which wished to provoke me into tearing everything to shreds back during the Colosseum fight resurfaced and can only be described in one word.
Fury.
I faced the smoldering hot flames of Mariejois, unbothered by the people sprinting away. My glare latched itself on the castle that seemed to loom over everyone, not too far off in the distance.
And it was at that point, I just didn't care about the consequences anymore. The insubstantial amount of anguish I felt didn't oblige me in doing so.
Words came flying out.
"It might take five years, ten years, or at the end of my life...but I'll be back! And I'll kill all you worthless pieces of fucking garbage!" The aftermath can be damned, I'm not bending down to anybody.
I tried wiping the tears that formed as the sheer animosity in my voice skyrocketed.
"The Celestial Dragons! The Five Elders! And the son of a bitch that sits on the 'empty' throne!"
I knew what would presumably transpire in the future, but I was not standing by so the Revolutionary Army or the Straw Hats could save the day.
No…
HELL NOO…!
"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU! YA HEAR ME?! ALL OF YOU!"
An invisible force continued exploding outwards like a massive tsunami engulfing a city. For just this singular moment, the world bent to my whims as the expanding flames surrounding the area dispersed.
I started to shout at the top of my lungs, teeth stained with blood. The notification screen began buzzing wildly as people in the vicinity began dropping like flies.
"JOYBOY AND HIS PROPHECY BULLSHIT CAN KISS MY ASS!"
To hell with destiny! It goes against freedom itself!
There's no way I'm waiting for a destined savior to come fix everything!
The Cipher Pol Agents...The Admirals...or even the damned super weaponthey have in their possession. All those ignorant and corrupt Marines…
"EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU FUCKERS WILL BE HUNTED DOWN!"
There's no place they'll be able to hide once I'm finished.
I'll end them all.
My nails dug into their palms enough to draw blood.
'The Five Elders want a great cleansing...?'
oooo
New Perk Gained!
Conqueror's Haki
The user possesses the disposition to stand above all.
oooo
'...I'll give it to 'em.'
My Server: QG8WraudFB
Shiro's Discord Code: wd3tUYWVCd
Oh Henry, do you really think people didn't hear your screaming?
Contrary to what the MC has said, I'm actually very intrigued about how the whole "Joyboy" thing going on.
I always saw Luffy as a sort of the random shoehorn thrown into the mix.
In my opinion, Ace was meant to be the destined chosen Sun God Nika. Roger said his son was going to be the person who surpassed them, Whitebeard was grooming him for Pirate King, and the Marines like Sengoku knew what he'd potentially become if let loose.
This part is just a theory, but it's sort of implied that Shanks was looking for Ace to give the Devil Fruit to. The guy's ultimate attack is literally a sun.
Ace = Failed Joyboy
Random Question: If you were in One Piece, what would be your ideal crew?
For me it'd go something like this;
Myself (Captain),
Law(Doctor),
Yamato(Journaler),
Robin(Poneglyph Reader),
Franky(Shipwright),
Yassop(Sniper),
Nami(Navigator),
Killer(Combatant),
Thatch(Cook),
Jinbe (Helmsman),
Alber(Scout),
Tama(Cabin Girl/Ninja)