A young man with blond hair and blue eyes stumbled as he was practically thrown into a room of a ship by the man who he-had no choice to but to-call father. The blond who had red hand print left by one of the two who gave birth to him felt only hatred to them. How he wish he was running free in the forest, climbing through the rotten trash of the home he claimed. He was given anything but the only thing he craved the most. In his dreams he always saw them the two wildest children he has ever met. The house deep In the woods that was practically falling apart. How he would give anything to go back. He sighed as he messed up his slick back hair, and grabbed the hat he loved. He opened the closest he had and took his dark blue tailcoat. This was his last chance for freedom, if he escaped this boat he was never coming back unless it was to rob it blind himself.

"I'm board," a man with black hair and freckles complained as they steadily got closer to the noble ship that they were stalking to loot.

"Quit complaining," man with hair that made him look similar to a pineapple ordered. "You can have your fun soon enough."

"Nobles are so boring to fight," Ace sighed. "Can't we fight Marines instead?"

"And have you burn their supplies before we can loot them," Izo asked him. "Sorry but that just won't do."

"With you on board we need as much food as we can get," another man named Thatch teased as he put an arm over the youngest shoulder.

Soon enough they pulled alongside the ship, and Ace couldn't help but jump over. The other Whitebeard Pirates smirked among themselves at the hot head before following him over. Sabo smirked to himself as he heard the scream of the distressed noble knowing exactly which noble it was. Sabo slipped down the halls to where the lifeboats were. He heard an excited chatter as he came closer and used the shadows of the night and ship to hide. A man with brown hair that stuck out appeared with Marco a bit behind. Sabo took the pipe, that he had borrowed from his bed, and swung it. Both Thatch and Marco barely had the chance or time to dodge it having not sense the young man. "What a fine evening gentlemen," Sabo stated. "I apologise for the abrupt attack, but I can't leave any witnesses upon my departure."

Marco frowned dodging yet another swing dragging Thatch with him. "Must still be a bit more rusty than I thought," the young man stated as he managed to hit Thatch's hair that always stuck out. "Looks like a hunting trip is in order after I leave this ship."

"Hold on," Thatch called. "You must be a guard for the nobles here. Why do you use a pipe? Do the nobles not pay you enough."

The young man brought a gloved fist covering his lower lip as he chuckled. "You must not be familiar with the pride the other nobles have," Sabo stated. "They wouldn't let their own servants use such a disgraceful weapon let alone someone of my stature."

"So you a noble," Marco concluded.

Sabo hummed in thought before he thought of the best way to phrase his response. "More like a noble that wishes for something more in life," Sabo stated. "I must hurry though. Or I won't be able to gain my only desire. I am a very desperate person. I am sure I needn't tell you fine gentlemen what a desperate person can do."

"Hey guys what's taking so long,"Ace asked casually as the blond noble swung.

"Look out Ace," Thatch shouted as Ace unknowingly walked into the path of the weapon.

Before anyone could do anything the weapon landed its blow. Sabo's eyes widen as he recognized the man. Ace stumbled but didn't fall, and he turned to the person his hands blazing. However at the sight Ace's own eyes widen in shock. "No way," Ace breathed. "WHAT ARE YOU-."

"Shut up you hot headed idiot," Sabo hissed. "I should be asking you."

Marco frowned at the familiarity between the two. Ace's fingers kept twitching at his sides towards the other, but for once he didn't act out on his impulses. Sabo leaned on his pipe as he stopped trying to attack them without warnings. He was now leaning on it as any noble would a cane. Ace turned his back to the noble as he continued to look over his shoulder. "I'm a pirate raiding this ship," Ace stated.

"Isn't that Whitebeard's mark," the noble asked with a smirk on his lips.

Ace smile became brighter on the response. "Yeah pops is the greatest man I've ever met," the noble's own smile became just as bright, but an underlined proud look sent both the fourth and first commander in awe. The noble reached into the pocket of his coat looking at Marco. "Here," the noble stated throwing something to him.

Marco caught it on reflex before looking at it. In his hand was a telescope that had red rubies decorating the side. "I know this can never be enough but consider this a thanks for looking after my brother," Sabo stated.

Marco and Thatch looked at the noble in a new light. Sabo started to walk pass them before Ace grabbed his shoulder. "Hold on Sabo," Ace ordered. "Where are you going?"

Sabo's shoulders stiffened before he calmly answered, "I am taking a lifeboat of course."

Ace squeezed Sabo's shoulder letting the other know he wasn't fooled. "I am not lying," Sabo stated. "I am procuring a lifeboat so I can absconded."

"You don't talk fancy like that unless you know I won't like your answer," Ace said lowly.

"Fine," Sabo stated. "I'm leaving those people! This is my last chance, if I don't leave right now I will have no choice but to be a full noble. Tomorrow I will be turning 18. I can't live with myself if I become what I so desperately hate. I rather die."

Ace didn't say anything before pulling Sabo closer. Ace's fist hit Sabo right below his ribs making Sabo's breath abandon him. Sabo's weapon fell as he fainted. Ace moved Sabo onto his shoulder picking up the pipe as he did. "I'm heading back first," Ace said in a controlled voice. "I'm going to drop him off in my room."

Thatch asked, "Are you a noble too?"

Ace stopped and said slowly, "We aren't blood brothers. We are more like brothers than anyone else."

Marco nodded and then turned to Thatch, "We should get the supplies. Ace you tell pops about your passager."

Ace nodded as he walked away with the young man on his shoulder.

Sometime later Sabo began to groan as he stirred awake. As he tried to rise a sharp pain warned him against it. He wrapped his arms around his midsection, and cursed as he remembered who was the one who had done so. "Welcome to the world of the living," he heard a cheerful voice call.

Sabo turned towards the voice after faintly remembering it. He saw the man with the pompadour hairstyle sitting by the door holding the pipe he had been using before as a weapon. "Trying to kill me off so soon," Sabo asked with a quirky smile as he grabbed his top hat.

"Oh I'm not," Thatch assured the noble born young man. "However some of the crew might. Your lot hasn't left the best of impressions on many people."

"I can understand that," Sabo nodded. "When I was little my father said if I went with him he would leave my brothers alone. Then two days later I found out they planned to burn them and an entire town in the junkyard right outside the city walls that very night."

Thatch choked on air staring at the young man in front of him. "What," Thatch rasped as he tried to regain his breath.

Sabo glared at the wooden wall in front of him lost in memory of that night. The door opened to reveal Marco who was taking in The scene of Thatch coughing and Sabo lost in memory. "Sabo right, yoi," Marco asked. "Pops want to see you."

"May I have my pipe back," Sabo asked looking pointedly at Thatch.

Marco said, "Sorry but some of the crew are a bit weary about a noble carrying a weapon."

Sabo frowned but didn't argue any further. Sabo followed them out and saw the hateful eyes staring at him, but he didn't respond with anything less than a wide smile. As soon as they reached the chair Sabo's eyes went wide. He saw the largest man in the world even as he sat strapped to numerous machines - he was no less intimidating. Sabo saw a smiling Ace to one side, probably the only reassuring face in the entire crew. The captain of the pirates looked down at Sabo. "So this is the brat my son has brought over," Whitebeard commented looking down at the blond hair youth.

Sabo gave Whitebeard a polite smile, and gave a bow worthy of his birth. "Captain Whitebeard it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Sabo stated. "I hope this idiot hasn't said anything too embarrassing about me."

"Never heard of you before today," Marco stated for them all. "This idiot never stops talking about another brother of his though."

Sabo gave Ace a dry look and Ace scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "I must ask if you are going to be after my head like your brother was," Whitebeard asked Sabo asked.

Sabo hit Ace with the pole he somehow snagged from Thatch on the walk here. All the commanders and pirates alike looked at the noble in shock. Thatch looked at where he put the pole in his hands to see a rolled up towel instead. "What was that for," Ace asked as his head reformed from the flames.

"I have told you over and over if you can't beat them run," Sabo yelled. "Stop turning to flames so I can hit you."

"No way," Ace argued. "That would hurt more!"

Sabo frowned and sighed before turning to Whitebeard. "To answer your question sir," Sabo said. "No I won't go after your head. Unlike my idiotic brother I am not suicidal let alone stupid."

"Hey," Ace shouted as he turned red.

"Besides I have anew dream since an incident that happened when we were children," Sabo stated with a serious look. "Until I can find it I would like to stay aboard so I can be close to my brother."

Whitebeard said nothing judging what this noble born child had said to be truth or lie; him dangerous or honest. To Sabo those judging eyes reminded him of another entirely, one that was young and gullible in anyway other than in judging a person. Whitebeard lifted his bottle of sake and took a long swig and then looked at the blond hair youth. "Very well," Whitebeard answered. "However you must prove to my children on your own. They will not take to you as kindly as I have."

"I understand fully well," Sabo answered smiling.

With that everyone dispersed leaving Sabo to look around. Thatch grinned walking up to him. "Man you got some skills for a noble," the pompadour man laughed slapping him on the back. "You made me look like a rookie with that switch technique."

"Try stealing food from a hungry D and you will be able to pull it off," Sabo snickered.

"Now that's dangerous, yoi," Marco commented.

"Hey if I didn't learn how I wouldn't survive," Sabo stated. "Luffy is a D too."

Marco and Thatch traded looks of horror thinking of a young Ace and trying to imagine a young Luffy taking to the seas. Sabo laughed at both Marco's and Thatch's faces as Ace walked over. "You forgot to mention that he is a whole lot weaker than either of us," Ace stated as he hit Sabo hard in the back.

Sabo didn't even stumble, but both Marco Thatch had been on the reviving end of such a friendly pat and knew how strong it was. Marco swallowed trying to calculate how strong he was compared to the commanders. "So Sabo," Ace started.

"I'm not going to stay here for any longer than I have to," Sabo started with a bland look.

Ace shrugged leaning back on the rails. "Just had to ask," Ace chuckled. "Sorry about not coming to get you. "I thought you would be better off there."

"Luffy didn't," Sabo stated reaching into his blue tail coat.

In his hands were a bunch of already opened envelopes. Though the three could only see one or two fronts it had the messiest handwriting any of them had ever seen. One said: To My Big Brother and on another it said To Sabo. Thatch grinned brightly and said, "This Luffy sounds like a good little brother."

"He's the best little brother in the entire world," Sabo said proudly. "Me and Ace basically raised him."

"Didn't you have adults around," Marco questioned.

Before Sabo could answer Ace put a hand over his mouth. "We had adults," Ace said with a warning look.

Sabo raised an eyebrow but didn't try to remove Ace's hand. Thatch rolled his eyes obvious that he was use to Ace being so closed off. Marco had a small thin smile at Ace's attempt to not give anything away. Sabo eventually got tired of Ace having a hand over his mouth and bit it hard. "Don't treat me like Luffy," Sabo scoffed.

A young boy with ruffled red hair and a green leotard on came over casting a wary glance at Sabo. "Hey Ace," Haruta called as he came towards the fire man. "Lets go entertain ourselves somewhere else."

"But I want-," Ace started before Sabo interrupted him.

"It's fine Ace," Sabo said. "If I'm going to gain trust I have to do so alone. Think of this like how Luffy gained your own."

"Just don't do exactly what Luffy did," Ace said after another second of silence.

"I doubt I have to go that far," Sabo assured him with a smile.

Ace sighed before he allowed Haruta to drag him away. Marco frowned as he had watched them in the discussion. Though their words made little sense it sounded as if there was a story there one that Ace hadn't bragged about.

"Well I'm going to start on lunch," Thatch announced to both blonds. "If you need anything just ask."

Sabo grinned and then turned to walk around deck. "Where are you going, yoi," Marco asked.

"Just exploring," Sabo stated. "I cannot stand in one spot all day."

"Don't go too far," Marco stated. "Some of the crew is more decent than some, but a lot of them hate nobles."

Sabo grinned but didn't answer as he walked away. As soon as he made a sharp turn he almost crashed into another person with a top hat. "Ah you must be the noble our Ace had brought over," the man said as he stroked his mustache that looked similar to Whitebeard's own. "My name is Vista. I must say that is a fine hat you have."

"Yeah I've had it for awhile," Sabo said as he fingered the rim of his top hat. "I must say I was a bit surprised to see the last of my brothers finally acquired a hat of his own."

"Oh," Vista smiled. "Are you talking about Ace? He said his little brother Luffy got it for him for his going away present. He was drunk when he told us, but then again he was trying to kill pops then."

Sabo started laughing and at Vista's questioned look Sabo tried to calm down to answer. "I would love to see Ace when he's drunk," Sabo sighed contentedly. "I could only imagine how honest he is."

Vista stared at the younger man who was looking at someone else Vista turned to see who, and grimaced when he saw it was Namur. "I wouldn't bother him," Vista suggested. "He doesn't normally warm up to people easily."

Sabo frowned before turning to Vista once again. "Why not," Sabo asked as he tilted his head slightly to one side flipping his top hat a bit more as well.

"I don't like humans," Namur growled evidently had been listening in on the two conversations.

Sabo smiled and stated, "I just wanted to find out the truth from those lies the nobles liked to put down in books."

Namur looked at Sabo with mistrust evidently on his face, but didn't turn away. "I heard that there's a place that fishmen lived on the Grand Line," Sabo started off.

Namur nodded slowly but didn't say a word.

Later that evening when Ace went to find his brother for dinner he saw both Namur and Sabo talking. "Oi Sabo," Ace called.

Sabo jumped down from the barrel that he had been using as a seat waving goodbye to his new friend. "What is the matter, Ace," Sabo asked.

"Nothing," Ace answered. "Just dinner is happening soon want to go eat."

Sabo didn't have time to answer as his stomach gave an ear-splitting roar. Sabo scratched his cheek in embarrassment and said, "Sorry it has been a while since Shitty Gramps has been over. Despite the beatings he has made sure I have not starved."

"Well you were the other brat," Ace snickered.

"Yeah and you were brat," Sabo said with a quirky smile. "That didn't change though."

"Hey," Ace protested taking a swing at Sabo who had ducked with practiced ease.

Both smiled as they walked side by side. It had been a while since brother had seen one another. The only thing missing was the smallest of them. Sabo felt guilty, but he refused to show it.