"You rotten urchins," three boys as close as siblings ran out of a restaurant after running from a meal.
"Damnit we could have stayed longer if you hadn't shouted again Luffy," the older of the two dark brown hair children and the oldest of the entire group chastised.
"I'm sorry," the youngest of the group shouted as he clutched his straw hat as he ran.
"No you're not," the blond shouted as he looked over his shoulder at the youngest.
Instead of answering the youngest laughed. As they ran they passed a man with a pink feathered boa and sunglasses over his eyes. The youngest's eyes and the man met for a brief moment sending a chill down the boy's spine. The elder man's face broke out into a smile as he watched them. "What's wrong Luffy," Ace, the oldest asked.
Luffy shook his head not trusting himself to answer the older brother. "N-nothing," the youngest answer.
All three boys ran out of town into junk yard commonly known as Grey Terminal, and then they went passed that, the Goa Forest. "Seriously," Sabo stated glaring at the younger one. "You need to stop forgetting that stuff."
"I'm sorry," Luffy insisted as he crossed his arms.
The other two didn't look convinced, but knew they couldn't teach him how to behave when they themselves didn't win any behavior rewards. "How about we go catch something for the Dadan," Sabo suggested as he watched the two glare at one another.
Luffy's smile stretched so his face could barely contain it and exclaimed in excitement. Ace and Sabo couldn't help but smile as well. Truly both of them considered themselves both cursed and blessed with this young boy they call brother.
"Okay," Sabo called by a wooden board as both Luffy and Ace stood across from one another.
"Today I'm going to win," Luffy proclaimed.
Both Sabo and Ace looked at one another already knowing the outcome. "Yeah right," Ace couldn't help but put in. "That's what you said yesterday."
Before Luffy could say anything else Sabo shouted. "One two three . . .GO!"
Both Ace and Luffy ran at one another, and Luffy threw a punch with Ace effortlessly dodging it. Luffy growled and tried again, but it too failed. Luffy shouted, "Gum Gum no Pistol!"
Ace didn't even bother dodging it as it hit the ground and reversed to Luffy himself. "I told you rubber isn't meant for combat idiot," Ace stated as he crossed his arms.
"And that's 25 victories for Ace and none for Luffy," Sabo read diligently.
"Just you wait," Luffy shouted. "When I'm ten I'll be super strong!"
"And I'll be thirteen," Ace stated.
Both of them glared at one another as their normal ritual after every spar. "Alright alright," Sabo stated pushing the two hot headed brothers apart. "Lets get hunting so we can go home."
Both the dark brunettes stomachs chose that moment to growled. Sabo laughed and all three grabbed their weapons running through the forest ready to hunt anything that crossed their way. Before they even left the clearing a giant tiger leapt into view. The oldest two flinched back as they saw it. It was the tiger they had named Tiger Lord. Luffy didn't move an inch suddenly the Tiger Lord ran passed them without so much as stop to look back. "What was that about," Ace wondered out loud.
"You didn't hear her," Luffy asked innocently.
Both Sabo and Ace turned to look at the youngest and smallest of them. "You can understand that beast," Sabo asked.
"Yeah can't you," Luffy asked as he cocked his head to the side.
"N-no we can't," Ace answered for them both.
"She said danger is coming," Luffy translated.
"I don't believe you," Ace stated as he crossed his arms looking away from his younger bond brother.
"I'm not lying," Luffy insisted as he waved his arms over his head almost hitting himself with the metal pole.
"We know you aren't," Sabo stated putting a hand on Luff's shoulder. "Ace is just being stupid."
Ace didn't answer as he pointedly ignored them both. Sabo sighed knowing how stubborn he could be. Ace started to walk away, and then turned to the other two. "I'm hungry let's get some gator today," Ace said.
He didn't need to look at Luffy to know he was happy about the choice of food.
Later that night when Luffy was asleep in the tree home they lived in Ace and Sabo sat across from one another looking at the dying fire. "About what Luffy said earlier," Ace started off. "We have to keep whatever it is far from him as possible. That man could also hear voices of creatures, or at least that is what Shitty Gramps said once when he was drunk."
"I read that it is rare to hear the voice of all things," Sabo stated. "To think Luffy could do it without any effort is strange. But about the danger do you think we should be worried."
"Don't know," Ace stated, "we don't even know what the danger is."
