Salvation

New Marineford, New World. 

"So what's the curse of the Clone-Clone Fruit?" 

Akainu was still talking to the Five Elders. 

"You guys are emphasizing its cursed, so what makes it cursed?" 

"Because of the nature of the fruit, all of the users eventually develop multiple personalities. These personalities tend to clash with each other, effectively making the user insane." 

"....." 

Akainu became silent. He could figure out the fate of someone who would lose their minds because of their fruit." 

The Elders spoke his thoughts. 

"The user of the Clone-Clone Fruit will always choose to die of their own accord, without exception." 

Bounty Island. 

"Snake Princess!" 

Elder Nyon approached Hancock and Luffy. Hancock fell on her butt and started breathing heavily. 

"We'll start treating you right away! Blue Fan, start treating her and Luffy n-" 

Hancock lifted her hand to stop Elder Nyon. 

"Blue Fan, help the others first. Luffy and I are okay." 

"Yes, Snake Princess!" 

Blue Fan ran over to Caria who was hyperventilating in Jessie's lap. Ran and Sweet Pea went over to Frantz who lay unconscious. Hancock looked at them working frantically with a worried expression. 

"They'll live." 

Luffy mumbled beside her. She looked down on him on the ground. 

"They'll live, Hancock. They still have unfinished business." 

He spoke with such confidence Hancock couldn't help but smile. She looked at Elder Nyon. 

"You arrived at a perfect time. All hope was lost. We were completely defeated." 

"Well...That's because we arrived some time ago." 

"Huh? What do you mean...." 

A look of realization appeared on Hancock's face. 

"You waited until the enemy let his guard down and was severely weakened to attack." 

"I did." 

Elder Nyon spoke with a nervous tone. 

"That's....That was the right choice. Good going, Granny." 

"Huh? You're not angry?" 

"Why would I be angry that you watched as Luffy and I fought for our lives while you waited in a safe place? You saved the day, didn't you? Although, we did all the work." 

Elder Nyon looked at Hancock with a frown. 

"Will it kill you to not be passive-aggressive?" 

Hancock looked at the wounds on her body. 

"It might." 

Elder Nyon sighed. 

"Snake Princess." 

Cosmos and Rindou approached Hancock with Marguriette behind them. 

"What about the situation with the citizens fighting?" 

Hancock closed her eyes and spread her senses. 

"It seems the sudden disappearance of half the population, after thousands of them exploded, stopped the riots. Everyone must be too terrified and confused to move." 

She opened her eyes. 

"Although, it will turn into hysteria after they're left alone with their thoughts for too long." 

She looked over at the Supreme Five. Caria and Frantz were getting emergency treatment, Astrid and Jessie were beaten up to the point of being unrecognizable, and Luka's status was still unknown. She sighed. 

"Snake Princess, Frantz is ready to be moved to the hospital!" 

Ran shouted. 

"Caria is ready too!" 

"Alright, carry them to the hospital as fast as you can!" 

"...That will be another battle. The hospital must be overrun right now." 

Elder Nyon mumbled. 

"I don't care. We just need their equipment. Blue Fan and Ran can handle the rest. Let's get going!" 

Elsewhere on the island. Emilio's clones had carried him to an isolated part of the island. They removed the arrows lodged in his body and started to treat him. 

"We all took on different roles when posing as the citizens. Thanks to that, we know countless fields of expertise, including medicine." 

Felix looked down on his original self with a smile. Beside him were El Nino, La Parca, and El Verdugo. 

"Emilio, with so many of us there's a chance we can make a full recovery. Organs, blood transfusion, anything you need to survive, we can get it from ourselves. That's how powerful our devil fruit is." 

"The one who survives is the winner." 

El Verdugo added. 

"We can hide out, recover, and try again." 

"That's if you want it though." 

El Nino added. Emilio looked at all of them while he was being treated. 

"So what do you say? Round two?" 

Felix asked. 

"....How are you guys here?" 

Emilio asked a question of his own. 

"Once I deactivate a clone, all their memories, emotions, trauma, and experience flow into my mind all at once....I saw all of yours, so I know you were deactivated. So why are you guys here when I didn't summon you." 

"Survival instinct, I guess." 

El Verdugo answered him. 

"Your subconscious must've summoned us to save your life when you were on the verge of dying." 

"Then answer me this....Why is my mind so clear? For the first time in decades, my mind feels clear." 

Emilio stretched his hand towards the sky. 

"For the first time in a long time, I'm not cursing life." 

El Nino smiled. 

"It's the same for us. It feels like the first time were created. Everything feels so new and fresh." 

He laughed. 

"It's a great feeling." 

The others nodded in agreement. Emilio dropped his hand at his side. 

"I see..." 

He smiled. 

"I'm dying, aren't I?" 

He looked at his clones who looked down at him with a smile. 

"You were lying when you said I can survive if I want, Felix." 

Felix shook his head. 

"I'm not lying. You can survive, but that's only if you wish for it...Do you wish for it?" 

"The rest of you don't, right? You all wished to die on numerous occasions." 

"I won't deny that." 

Felix laughed. 

"By the way, are we just going to ignore the fact this guy is basically talking to himself by talking with us?" 

"Not the time, El Nino." 

La Parca hit El Nino on the head. Emilio burst out laughing. His smile grew as he scanned all their faces. 

"El Verdugo, you're the first clone I've made with a personality of its own. I made you so that I could be the perfect Cipher Pol agent. You're my ideal." 

"Hey, what's with the sudden praise?" 

El Verdugo wore a huge grin. Emilio looked at Felix. 

"Felix, I made you as cover for my time on this island. You acted as my public persona for a long time. Out of everyone here, I was jealous of how you get to live a good life with people who adored and loved you. I'm sorry I took that away from you." 

"It's our life, so there's nothing to apologize for." 

Emilio looked at La Parca. 

"La Parca, I must apologize to you too. All you've known your entire existence is slaughter. I made you so I would always be able to carry out any mission without my feelings getting in the way." 

La Parca bowed. 

"It was an honour." 

Emilio looked at El Nino. 

"El Nino, I made you because I longed for the innocence I once I had. I longed for a time when I could be excited about being alive...Although, your sense of morals was questionable." 

"He was nothing but a brat." 

"Shut up, La Parca! Why did you have to ruin my moment?!" 

El Nino pouted as he argued. The clones stopped treating Emilio as he sat up. He looked at all of them. 

"Thanks for everything." 

They all smiled and bowed before speaking in unison. 

"Emilio, thank you for giving me life!" 

Emilio nodded. 

"See you all later." 

The clones all turned into light and disappeared. Emilio slowly stood up and stretched his wounded body. Blood stained the bandages wrapped around him. He looked at them before ripping them off with a smile. 

"You can come out now." 

He spoke as he looked at a boulder nearby. Connor and Kelly stepped out from behind the boulder. 

"How long have you known?" 

Kelly was the first to speak. 

"For a while." 

Emilio pointed at himself. 

"I'm your senior in Cipher Pol, after all." 

"So you knew everything." 

Kelly sighed. 

"Wait, is that why you beat the crap out of me whenever we were training?" 

Connor asked with a frown. 

"Nah, you were just too weak it pissed me off." 

Emilio laughed. 

"I knew the World Government would have agents here other than me as insurance. So, I figured they placed agents here." 

"But you killed a few of them over the years." 

"Well, they weren't good at their jobs and were on the verge of being exposed. You two were born and raised here, so it was hard to suspect you. So, I left the sleeper agents alone." 

"Well, thank you for sparring my life." 

Kelly and Connor pulled out guns and pointed them at Emilio. He laughed seeing that. 

"Tell me, are you here to kill me because I failed my mission?" 

"That goes without-" 

"You're lying." 

Emilio cut Kelly off. 

"The reason you want to kill me is because I destroyed the island. You want to protect your home." 

He sighed. 

"This is the problem with Sleeper Agents. They all risk joining the place they grew up." 

"...What proof do you have?" 

"Your actions, Connor. Kelly gave Strawhat and the others a hint about my ability, instead of trying to tricking them when they sought her out for help. And then there's you, Connor. It's true Felix gave you a clue to give to the Supreme Five, but he knows you're an agent too. So why he choose you regardless? That's because he knew you would protect the island." 

He pointed at the both of them. 

"You two are traitors of the World Government." 

Kelly and Connor frowned but didn't refute him. 

"Don't worry. I've already accepted my loss. I won't try to destroy the island anymore. Besides..." 

He gestured to his wounds. 

"......" 

Kelly and Connor silently lowered their guns. 

"Any messages you wish to pass on?" 

Kelly asked. She and Connor had tears in their eyes. 

(Hey, hey. You were trying to kill me just now. Why do you two look like you want to cry?) 

Emilio sighed. 

"It's best you guys quit. You're horrible agents." 

He laughed. 

"Other than ways you can trick the government to buy time until it's too busy to remember this place, I have nothing to pass on." 

He showed a lonely smile. 

"I killed or betrayed everyone I called a friend after all." 

Suddenly, Luffy's face flashed in his mind. 

"Ah, there was one thing." 

Connor and Kelly's eyes widened when heard what he wanted to pass on. 

"Will you pass it on?" 

They looked at each other and nodded. 

"Thanks." 

He sat on the ground next to a boulder. 

"Then, can you leave this place so this sinner can die alone like he deserves?" 

The two of them looked at each other and bowed. 

"Thank you for your years of service!" 

They straightened their back and then left. Emilio smiled. 

"Now, which service were they thanking me for?" 

"I wonder." 

He looked to his side. Tate was sitting beside him. 

"Wow, I'm surprised you're here to pick me up. I must really be going to hell." 

"Of course. You know how petty I am. I need to watch my murderer die with my own eyes. Besides, only hell would take people like us." 

The two of them laughed a bit before focusing on the sunset on the horizon. 

"I don't intend to apologize." 

Emilio mumbled. 

"I know. You're just that kind of guy. Besides, I refused to listen to your warnings." 

Tate punched Emilio's shoulder. 

"I still think ambushing me like that was a dick move." 

"I beat you fair and square." 

"You wish! I was just shocked that you were the one who came to kill me! Otherwise, I would've kicked your ass!" 

"If that's how you feel, we can have a rematch in hell!" 

"That's fine by me! I'm gonna kick your ass for all of eternity!" 

 As the two argued the sun was vanishing beyond the horizon, and night was starting to announce itself. 

"Hey." 

"What?" 

"You better spend all of eternity apologizing to everybody when you see them in hell. Bow down and don't lift your head until they forgive you, no matter how many centuries past. Do that, and we're even." 

Emilio smiled and closed his eyes. 

"I'll think about it." 

The sun had set, night had fallen; and so did the curtains on Emilio Madero's life. 

The greatest sinner had finally found salvation.