Loser

The battlefield erupted into chaos as Gaku and Luffy pushed forward alongside a contingent of Whitebeard's pirates, bolstered by Whitebeard's direct order to protect them. Marines and pirates clashed violently around them, but the two surged ahead with single-minded determination.

"Stay close, Luffy!" Gaku shouted as he cut down another wave of marines with a precise Rankyaku.

Luffy grinned, his energy renewed. "I got this! Let's save Ace!"

As they advanced, Gaku couldn't help but glance back at Whitebeard, who stood tall despite his bloodied state. He had been stabbed, shot, and beaten, yet his presence on the battlefield was still awe-inspiring.

"That old man's something else," Gaku muttered, impressed. Lili, clinging tightly to his back, nodded silently, equally awestruck.

Suddenly, an air slash tore through the battlefield, aimed directly at Luffy. The sheer speed and force of the attack left both Gaku and Lili stunned, but before it could land, Mr. 1 (Daz Bones) leaped in front of Luffy.

His steel body tanked the attack, sparks flying as he deflected the blow. "It's the boss's orders," he said gruffly, glaring in Mihawk's direction. "The marines are my enemies. Now go!"

Gaku tensed up, his instincts screaming at him to challenge Mihawk. The world's greatest swordsman was a true test of skill, and part of him itched to face him. But a strange, ominous feeling crept over him—a foreboding sense that this fight wouldn't end well if he pursued it.

"Damn it," Gaku muttered under his breath, turning away reluctantly. "I don't have a death wish today."

Mr. 1 engaged Mihawk in a brief skirmish but was quickly overpowered, the sound of clashing steel echoing behind them. Before Mihawk could resume his pursuit, Crocodile stepped in, stopping Mihawk's advance.

"Straw Hat," Crocodile said dismissively, his golden hook glinting. "You're getting in my way. Go."

Luffy didn't hesitate, shouting his thanks as they pushed forward once again.

I nazuma, still recovering in Ivankov's hair, was summoned to the battlefield by the flamboyant revolutionary. Ivankov's commanding voice echoed above the chaos: "Inazuma! The boy needs your help!"

Inazuma stepped forward, his scissors in hand. With a swift motion, he used his powers to slice the floor and create a direct path to Ace's execution platform.

"Thank you!" Luffy shouted as he raced ahead, Gaku nodding appreciatively.

The marines realized the threat and began to converge on the duo, but Gaku stayed back to hold them off. "Go on, Luffy. I'll keep them busy down here!"

Kizaru appeared, his body gleaming with light, but before he could attack, Whitebeard intercepted him with a massive quake, forcing the admiral to shift his focus.

Luffy sprinted forward, his eyes locked on Ace, but as he approached, someone landed in front of him. Monkey D. Garp, the legendary hero of the marines, stood between his grandson and the execution platform.

"Luffy," Garp said, his voice heavy with emotion, "if you want to save Ace, you'll have to go through me."

"Grandpa!" Luffy shouted, pleading. "Move out of the way!"

Garp's face twisted in pain, but his resolve didn't waver. "I can't. Ace is a pirate, and I'm a marine. This is how it must be."

Their shared memories flashed through their minds: Garp training Luffy and Ace as children, his laughter as he scolded them for their antics. Now, those moments felt like a lifetime ago.

"I don't want to fight you, Grandpa!" Luffy begged, tears in his eyes.

"Then Ace will die," Garp replied solemnly, clenching his fist. "It's your choice, Luffy."

With no other option, Luffy activated Gear Second, steam billowing from his body as he charged forward. The clash was brief but intense, their fists meeting in a thunderous impact. Garp hesitated, his love for his grandsons overpowering his duty, and he intentionally missed his strike. Luffy's punch connected, sending Garp flying out of his path.

Luffy reached the platform, but Sengoku transformed into his massive golden Buddha form, preparing to crush both brothers. Luffy inflated his body with Gear Third, tanking the blow and destroying the execution platform in the process.

Amid the chaos, Mr. 3 revealed himself, disguised as an executioner. Using his wax powers, he created a makeshift key, freeing Ace from his chains.

The moment of relief was short-lived, as cannons fired relentlessly, creating a massive explosion. The battlefield fell silent for a moment, and many feared the worst. But then, a fiery pillar erupted from the smoke, revealing Ace, now free, with Luffy in his arms and Mr. 3 following close behind.

They landed beside Gaku, who smirked. "Finally, I get to talk to the infamous Ace."

Ace immediately recognized Gaku. "You're the guy who was chained up near me... Thank you for helping my brother."

Gaku shrugged. "Luffy did most of the work. I just followed his lead."

The trio, now united, faced a horde of marines, but together they carved through them with ease. Their combined strength reignited hope in the pirates, who fought with renewed determination.

Suddenly, Aokiji appeared, declaring, "You won't escape alive."

Ace stepped forward to counter him, using a fiery Mirror Flame to melt Aokiji's Ice Block: Pheasant Beak, creating a massive cloud of steam that obscured their movements. Using the smoke as cover, they began their retreat.

Whitebeard, standing tall amidst the chaos, gave his final order. "All pirates... retreat! That's an order!"

The crew hesitated, unwilling to leave their captain, but Whitebeard's booming voice left no room for argument. "I'm just a relic of the past... Your lives are the future. Now GO!"

With a final, earth-shattering quake, Whitebeard split Marineford in two, creating a path for the pirates to escape.

As they fled, Akainu taunted Whitebeard, calling him a coward and a failure. Enraged, Ace turned to confront the admiral, but Gaku stepped in.

"Don't fall for it!" Gaku barked. "If you stop now, all of this will be for nothing!"

Ace argued, but with the help of Luffy and Jinbei, they managed to convince him to keep moving.

"I'll hold him off," Gaku said, his voice cold and determined.

Luffy cried out in protest, but Gaku silenced him with a reassuring glance. "Go. I'll catch up."

He turned to face Akainu, introducing himself for the first time to Ace. "Remember my name: Gaku. Now go."

Without another word, Gaku charged at Akainu, ready to give everything to ensure the others escaped.

The battlefield of Marineford raged as Gaku stood face-to-face with Akainu, the magma-fueled admiral whose presence radiated unrelenting heat and malice. Ash and embers filled the air as Akainu's lava dripped onto the ground, melting stone and steel alike.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," Akainu said, his voice cold and venomous. "But what you're doing here? Suicidal. Do you really think you can make a difference?"

Gaku wiped the sweat from his brow, his burned arm trembling but steadying as he gripped the handle of a broken blade he had picked up. "Difference or not... I'm here. That's all that matters."

Akainu sneered. "Then die like the fool you are." He launched a massive fist of molten lava, but Gaku sidestepped it with calculated ease, the attack obliterating a nearby wall.

Rather than directly engage, Gaku began walking in an unpredictable pattern. His steps were calm but deliberate, and the way his body shifted in and out of the smoke made him appear as though he was in multiple places at once.

Akainu's brow furrowed, his Observation Haki barely able to discern Gaku's true position. "What kind of trickery is this?"

The admiral unleashed a devastating Ryusei Kazan, molten magma fists raining down from the sky in all directions to eliminate every illusion. Gaku leaped into the air just as the ground beneath him erupted in flames.

"You missed," Gaku said sharply, descending in a spinning kick that struck Akainu on the shoulder, pushing him back several feet.

Akainu's eyes widened briefly. "Not bad... for someone about to die."

Gaku transitioned into the unorthodox techniques he had developed during Project Mirage. With a sharp crack, he dislocated his shoulders, elongating his arms unnaturally to whip them toward Akainu like serpents. The sudden maneuver caught the admiral off guard as the whip-like strikes lashed against him, drawing blood even through his hardened body.

The marines watching the fight gasped in shock at Gaku's bizarre tactics.

"You're like a cockroach," Akainu spat, recovering quickly and launching another magma-laden punch.

Gaku blended back into the crowd of combatants, using their chaos to mask his movements. Hidden amidst the soldiers, he waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. When Akainu turned his back, Gaku lunged with a blade aimed directly for the admiral's neck.

But Akainu was faster. He turned and caught Gaku's arm mid-strike, his magma-coated hand searing into Gaku's flesh.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air as Gaku's arm began to smolder under Akainu's grip. Yet, despite the immense pain, Gaku didn't scream. His teeth clenched, his eyes burned with defiance.

Before Akainu could finish the job, Lili, Gaku's black cat, leaped onto the admiral's face, hissing and scratching wildly. He urinated on Akainu's chest, forcing him to release Gaku in utter disgust.

Both Gaku and Akainu froze, their expressions shifting from shock to revulsion.

"Disgusting!" Akainu roared, swatting at the cat.

"Lili!" Gaku snapped, glaring at his companion.

"What?" Lili hissed, jumping back to Gaku's shoulder. "I just saved your life!"

Shaking his head, Gaku used the opportunity to retreat, his arm dangling uselessly by his side. Activating his Observation Haki, he located Luffy and Ace not far ahead.

"They're almost out," he muttered, his vision swimming from blood loss.

Gaku snapped his fingers, creating a deafening shockwave that caused Akainu to momentarily flinch. It was all the time Gaku needed to sprint away and rejoin the others.

"Gaku!" Luffy shouted as the swordsman approached. But before they could regroup, Gaku sensed danger.

Kizaru appeared out of nowhere, his light-speed slash aimed directly at Luffy. With no time to think, Gaku shoved Luffy aside, sacrificing his already-burned arm to intercept the blow.

The arm was severed instantly, blood spraying across the battlefield.

Kizaru clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Missed my target."

Gaku staggered back, clutching his stump. Then, with a grim smirk, he kicked his severed arm toward Kizaru. "I don't need it anyway."

Luffy and Lili screamed in horror.

"Gaku!" Lili yelled, fear showing through his eyes. "You idiot! Run! You can't fight like this!"

"I'm losing too much blood," Gaku admitted, his voice weakening. He turned to Luffy and Ace, his tone cold and commanding. "Go. Now. Finish this."

Gaku faced Kizaru, his remaining strength slipping away.

"This is our third fight," Kizaru said mockingly. "You never learn, do you?"

"I don't need to," Gaku retorted, blood dripping from his lips. "Because this is the last one."

Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Gaku launched one final assault, aiming to impale Kizaru's heart. But the admiral's light-speed reflexes proved too much. Kizaru sidestepped effortlessly, delivering a precise counterattack that sent Gaku crumpling to the ground.

Vision fading, Gaku heard Lili's desperate cries in the distance. His mind replayed the word "win" over and over again, a bitter mantra mocking his failure.

As his consciousness slipped, he unleashed a massive wave of bloodlust, startling even Kizaru, little did everyone, including Gaku knew, was that it was the birth of someone stronger.

This sensation of utterly defeat, was what would push Gaku to even further heights, it would serve as a cataclysm to awaken what Project Mirage took from him : His un-ending thirst for victory.

It was the same thirst who pushed him to become the best at the project mirage before it ultimately got a basic task for him, as it was as natural as breathing for him, he didn't want to seek that victory, as it came to him regardless.

Project Mirage quickly showed to be none other than a simple side quest for him, even though it wasn't the idea, Gaku excelled at whatever they put him through, a bit too much, which in turn led him to become the husk of what he was before, a human who's comfort zone annihilated his huge potential, until now that was.

"You're not a man," Kizaru muttered, his usual calm tone tinged with unease. "You're a beast."

Gaku's fading gaze caught a glimpse of Ace battling Akainu in the distance. A fleeting

thought crossed his mind:

Did I really make a difference?

Then, darkness consumed him.