Author's Notes: This story is written in First Person's Point of View. Odd chapters are Sabo's and even chapters are Koala's, unless stated otherwise. Comments are heavily appreciated as we sail in this ship. Yes, this will be a pairing in later chapters but this will be more like a study of their relationship than the actual romance. Hopefully will also have humor.

I do not own One Piece. Roger does.

Sabo | A Pirate's Life

When they said being a pirate means risking your life to the sea, I expected somewhere along dying valiantly over a great war… NOT with a gunshot five minutes after setting sail. If I knew better, I reckoned that was the shortest pirate life in history and very much enough for Ace to ridicule me for a lifetime – not that I had much lifetime with the explosion knocking me out.

Death was very black, very wet, and very loud. It felt very alive as well that I was beginning to doubt if the people who claim what death is like really knew what they were talking about. They talked of heaven and hell but they didn't mention how death felt very sea-like. Maybe this is where pirates go when they die, some kind of sea after-life.

Or maybe I wasn't really dead after all.

For sure though, this limbo is very loud. Maybe because my 'last moment' involved a gunshot and a very big explosion, that the sound seemed to stretch for eternity that it took shape, form, odor, texture and taste. Hell, I was sure this eternity is intelligent enough to hold a conversation – not that I was interested talking to loud… sounds.

Some time after all this I finally saw something that wasn't part of this loud limbo. It was a light, the kind I always saw at the end of tunnels me, Ace and Luffy end up, and colors that weren't screwing with my other senses. And speaking of senses, I could finally feel my toes (I was not aware I hadn't until now), fingers, chest rising and falling—

"Ah, vhe is still alive!"

It was an unfamiliar voice and judging from the soft bed, ceiling light, and clean blanket, I was back in hell called my family's house. This bastard is probably my new tutor father got to correct my behavior.

"Vhy is vhe not opening vhis eyes?"

"Probably because it's too bright. Ivankov will you— thank you." The lights dimmed and I could hear shuffling of chairs. The second voice sounded familiar but not enough to make out a face. That sent alarm bells to me. Any faceless person I could distinctly recognize is either a bandit or worse – a friend of father checking if I am compatible for his daughter. I shut my eyes tighter and tried holding my breath in hopes I'd be considered dead and be left alone long enough for me to escape.

"Ah, vhe is awake after all." Crap.

"Child, open your eyes. Can you see?" The second voice spoke again and for some reason, his tone made me obey.

That was the first time I felt the pain in my eyes, like someone poured acid all over my face. And maybe they did poured acid on my face; with the trouble I caused them. I was probably mutilated. Maybe these people weren't tutors and marriage solicitors but rather prison guards to make sure I was kept in the room forever, unless I shame the Outlook family.

I bit my lip hard to keep from screaming from the pain. I wasn't sure if I could still cry but I tried not to just in case. I shut my eyes again and focused on breathing steadily instead. From the effort I was doing now, I probably broke a rib or two too.

"Ah, and vhe is dying again."

"Then throw another Healing Hormone."

"Are vyou kidding? Vhe already lost 10 years of vhis life! Dragon-san, what if vhe wants to live an old man?"

"It's either he dies young or dies now."

"Fair point. Fufufu! EMPORIO CHIYU HORMONE!"

I blacked out again, the loud limbo welcoming me.

Hhhhnnnnggggghhhhh…

"So you are finally awake, boy."

hngyadlgadfi..?

A chuckle. "I'll wait for you to recover and speak normally."

Nnnngh…

I was dreaming about Ace strangling our little rubber brother Luffy when my laughter died halfway and I found myself in an unfamiliar white bed. I felt a little lightheaded, very hungry, and a numb throbbing sensation on the left side of my face. Sort of… warm.

"I take that you're well enough to talk…?"

I blinked and turned my head to see a gaunt man sitting beside my bed. His whole face was covered in some red tribal tattoo and his eyes never left the papers he was currently skimming through. He looked familiar…

When I didn't reply, the man finally turned to face me. Ah, so the face tattoo apparently only covered half of his face. "Can you?"

I nodded halfway before stopping. The tattoo guy quirked his lips into a small smile, probably because of my stupid silent reply. "Uh… m'yes..?" Wow, that hurt. I coughed and felt my throat burn that my eyes begin to water. So maybe I looked that pathetic that tattoo man offered me a glass of water and rubbed my back.

And let me tell you, that was the most awkward thing I had ever experienced; having tattooed strangers rubbing your back in a cautious way while you are gulping water like your life depends on it.

At least, I felt a bit better.

We stayed in that awkward rubbing and drinking until my throat stopped feeling so parched. "Thank you…" I barely managed to whisper, my voice still raspy. I covered my mouth before the coughing fit started again. When I finally, finally, managed to feel more normal, I started my interrogation. "Where am I? And who are you?"

Tattoo man ignored my question. "How are you feeling?"

Well, that went successful… not. This guy is definitely a new family guard. "Fine. I'm alive," I sourly replied. I guess I shouldn't expect much when one is to live as a prisoner of one's family forever. "So… why keep me alive? Funerals are cheaper than lifetime prisoners."

"What?"

"You guys should have left me to die!" I half shouted before coughing. That wasn't intimidating enough so I glared as well. "I… I rather die than live here…"

Tattoo man handed me a tissue. Great, the glare didn't work, I'm crying, stuck here for eternity, and have a sympathetic tattoo man guard looking at me like a sorry pathetic excuse for a life. I did not accept the tissue.

The bed rocked, reminding me of my lightheadedness and my first question. "Where am I?"

Tattoo man handed me another glass of water. "On a ship. You will stay here until you fully recover." He paused and looked at me, glass still in his hand. Why does he have to look so intimidating? I took it and drank before he continued, "By then, you're free to go."

What? "Free..?"

"You're a pirate, right? I saw your flag. I'm sorry I couldn't recover it. It was burned beyond recovery." Oh.

He looked at me, as if measuring my reaction. I tried to keep a brave front, an apathetic front… not teary eyes. I looked away, feeling more than sorry for my flag than necessary. Probably because my flag wasn't the only one dead.

If there was one consolation to this was at least, tattoo man wasn't one of father's.

"That was reckless of you."

I narrowed my eyes, though I refuse to look at him. "You don't know anything."

"I know you're too young."

"I can't wait to be older. I don't have that luxury." I rubbed my tear stained eyes only to find my left one tightly wrapped in bandages. Right, tattoo man saved me. "Thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing."

Both of us went silent after that. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him watching me, probably curious what I'd do next. When I didn't budge, he went back to his papers. Hm, maybe if I stay still long enough, he'd get bored and leave me be.

It took five minutes, and I knew this because I counted, before I looked at him again (I was never the patient type). "So… who are you?"

"Dragon."

That was definitely a code name (a lame code name; who names their child Dragon?!) but I let it slide. He's probably in hiding, though I don't know any Dragon from the wanted posters I last saw. Still… "Are you a pirate?"

Tattoo— Dragon smirked. Or maybe it was a smile but his face looked too strained. "No."

This guy is definitely not the one to talk much.

"What about you, pirate? What's your name?" …At least, about himself.

A question for a question; sounds fair enough, "I'm Sabo."

"So, Sabo… what's a kid like you—"

"I'm not a kid." I didn't like his tone and I really didn't like where this is going.

"— raising a pirate flag? In front of the Celestial Dragons, no less."

I really, really,didn't want to answer that. Answering means telling him my past, something I'm not too keen sharing it to suspicious strangers.

"…Then Sabo, will you tell me what is your relationship with the nobles? More importantly," he brought out my crest, "the Outlook family."

I tensed and a thousand thoughts crossed my head. Actually, there was only one and it was how should I escape. The worst-case scenario came to mind: this Dragon tattoo guy is hoping to ransom me for a pretty beri.

Dragon seemed to notice my unease but chose to ignore it and continued. "You don't have to talk. I know." Where is the door?! "And from the brief encounter we had at the Goa kingdom," Wait, encounter…? "I have a feeling you were running away."

Running… Then it finally clicked. Cloaked man… tattoo man… Dragon… he… he was the one back at Goa. The only one who listened to me, understood my fear and anger at the blood running through my veins… "How..?"

"Nobles rarely become pirates with everything at their feet, do they? So," he handed me my crest and his firm hold of my hand, telling me to keep it, made me take it back. "Let me ask again. What is your relationship with the nobles?"

"I… I was one."

"Was?"

Maybe because I was still too tired to defend anything or I wanted to believe that this man could be trusted enough, but I found myself answering his two questions, which pretty much everything and my whole life.

I talked about the Outlook's, the nobles in general, and how they think and act. I talked about my good of nothing parents, didn't felt sorry when I cursed them, and tried my best not to close my fist tight enough to bleed.

"Gray Terminal was heaven compared to that hell. Ace and Luffy—"

"Luffy?"

"My brothers. They're friends I met in the forest and they didn't care that I was a noble."

That was the first time Dragon stopped me in my narrative. I looked up and saw him looking far to the east. "What's he like?"

"What who's like?"

"Luffy. How is he?"

Of all things to be curious about, why did it had to be my brother? My little brother… I narrowed my eyes. "He's… he's fine," I answered, keeping my voice as calm and even as possible.

Fortunately, the vague reply seemed to satisfy him enough and he turned to me again to continue.

I got more cautious and did not mention Ace again. I knew better than to brag about Ace's existence to strangers, and insightful enough from the time I knew him that he was raised in the mountain to be kept hidden from the world because of his lineage. Fortunately, Dragon didn't ask about Ace.

When I reached to the burning of Grey Terminal, Dragon stopped me the second time and recounted the events in his eyes, filling me details about what happened after I was caught and locked away. As much as I wanted to ask if he saw two boys around my age, if he saw Luffy and Ace, I kept quiet. I have to hold on to hope that my brothers are safe, just like I did when I wrote my letter of farewell to them.

When I reached the part where I set sail, he stopped me for the third and final time and narrated how he saved me and brought me here.

Everything felt a little clearer by then and the lightheadedness I felt was gone. Still the bed kept rocking despite my vision going normal. It was a steady rocking almost as if—

"We're in the sea," my eyes went wide. I was so distracted that I didn't notice until now. I threw the covers and scrambled clumsily out of bed. I stumbled on my steps and cursed as pain shot through my legs and feet at each hurried step. Still, the sea…

"On my ship." Dragon was at my side looking over the window as well.

"Where are we heading to?" I asked, my eyes locked at the endless blue. It feels strangely… heavenly, despite being in another ship; from a stranger who I still have my suspicion.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at me, as if measuring me. Whether he was sizing me up for ransom or how much I'll put up a fight if I resisted, I didn't get to think ahead. "Grand Line."

Well that wasn't what I was expecting. "Why..?"

He paused again, still sizing me up. I didn't know what to expect this time and from all the talking and not forcing me to do anything, made me think that maybe, maybe, this guy isn't a bad guy…

"Tell me, Sabo… do you know the Revolutionary Army?"