The frozen plaza of Marineford resembled a graveyard of shattered wills.
Thousands of men—veteran pirates who had survived the New World, and elite Marine officers who had trained their entire lives for this day—lay unconscious across the blood-stained permafrost.
The sheer, untamed magnitude of Monkey D. Luffy's Supreme King's Haki had washed over the battlefield like a tidal wave, entirely erasing the consciousness of anyone lacking the absolute resolve to stand against it.
The immediate path to the execution scaffold, which just moments prior had been choked by an impenetrable shield wall of Marines and heavily armored infantry, was suddenly, empty.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice, amplified by the Den Den Mushi, still echoed ominously across the freezing bay, his words permanently altering the political landscape of the world by exposing Luffy's lineage.
The son of Dragon the Revolutionary.
The brother of Portgas D. Ace.
But to the Straw Hats pushing themselves across the ice, the global ramifications of that announcement meant absolutely nothing. The only thing that mattered was the reality standing right in front of them.
The halberds had dropped from the executioners' hands.
And Ace was still breathing.
"Heh."
"To be my Captain."
"This is a given!"
"LET'S MOVE!" Zoro grinned like a devil and roared, the green-haired swordsman running just half a step behind his captain. Blood poured freely from a massive gash on his forehead, half-blinding him, but his grip on his blades was absolute.
"Damn right!"
"We'll get Ace, Luffy!" Sanji added, grinning as well, his black suit scorched, his bruised leg screaming in agony with every footfall.
Some day, they were going to stand at the top!
This was nothing!
They took advantage of the shock and continued running!
Sixty yards away.
Then fifty. The towering wooden scaffold loomed larger, a terrifying monument of wood and iron.
But crossing the open ground in the center of a war zone was an invitation to the true monsters of the sea.
Admiral Akainu's magma was already boiling over on the northern front, and Aokiji was rapidly reforming his ice from the shockwave. The gap in power was a chasm they could not cross alone.
For these rookies, a few long range attacks would work as well!
"Hey..."
"Tired much?"
Light suddenly drifted into the space beside Monkey D. Luffy.
He matched Straw Hat's frantic sprint, but his boots weren't touching the ground. His hands rested casually in the pockets of his black coat which was entirely wet and grimy with blood.
A few drops occasionally dripped and turned the ice red. Of course, the red wasn't his own.
He had been busy 'working', to the surprise of no one.
Zoro and Sanji instantly tightened their muscles, their eyes darting to their floating companion. The man tossed battleships from kilometres away and had just fought the World's Strongest Swordsman to a standstill.
Why was he here now.
Didn't he only promise to let them reach Marineford?
They didn't believe the Reaper would develop a conscience and suddenly help them save Ace.
What's his motive?
But they held their tongues and their blades.
If they could avoid a fight with him, they would.
Light turned his head, looking sideways at the steaming, bloodied rubber boy running beside him. A slow, genuine smile of pure amusement spread across Light's face.
'Tsk tsk...'
Light really couldn't believe there were people like himself and this boy living in the same world.
Ah, right.
He wasn't from this world.
"Ah... no matter how many times I see it, you're really perfectly suitable," Light stated, his voice carrying over the sound of their pounding footsteps.
" "
Luffy ignored Light.
He kept his eyes locked on the scaffold, though his ear twitched at the False Deity's words. He remained entirely silent, pushing his burning lungs to carry him faster.
He wasn't interested in working under anyone.
He was here to save Ace!
"Say, I offered you a job earlier, and you declined to work under me," Light continued, the dark amusement dancing in his eyes as they crossed the forty-yard mark.
"Hunhuhhuh..."
"I can respect a man who refuses to bow. How about this, then... if you won't work for me, how about a permanent alliance? As equals?"
'Is he serious? '
Zoro and Sanji thought but kept their mouths shut for the moment.
The proposition hung heavily in the freezing air. An alliance with the killer of a Celestial Dragon.
An alliance with the man who had destroyed Marine Headquarters building.
An alliance with the man who seemed driven by the sole purpose of eradication all 'criminals' , as he called it, crazily killing people he considered bad.
Step!
Luffy's slippers slammed against the ice.
"Oye Light guy!"
"You're getting weirder!"
He finally turned his head slightly, his dark eyes locking onto Light's face.
"Permanent alliance... that means friends forever right?! What are you saying?!"
At this, Light let out a sudden, genuine laugh. "Haha!"
"Ah well... it's because you're so different than me, of course!"
GRIN.
Light replied honestly, an unapologetic grin of acceptance on his face.
Back in Impel Down, he had realised it.
The system wasn't perfect.
He too, wasn't perfect.
And Luffy, Luffy was the perfect complement to him.
He had already liked Luffy, after all, it was impossible to hate the boy.
But with Sengoku's reveal of Luffy's background just now...
He had made up his mind!
"Luffy, I need your help."
"I want to make a New World."
He looked deep into Luffy's eyes.
"I can ensure no filth remains in this world."
"But... there will be things I cannot do."
Light put forward his hand.
"Be my friend, Luffy!"
And so, God asked for the Savior's hand.
.
.
.
A/N: Peek into Light's mind:
'Bonney has been very disobedient lately, tsk!'
'...And I can't have Bonney chew my ears off later.' God thought, annoyed at His Angel.
Will Luffy accept? Do you think Light can change? No ulterior motives?