We're Brothers!
By: Liete
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters portrayed.
A/N: Figured I'd post this over here, too. I found a list of one word prompts and selected 50 of them as a challenge to myself to write one sentence fics about the ASL brothers. This contains spoilers for chapter 794.
Introduction
Ace had no idea that the boy he spit on in lieu of an introduction would one day be even more precious to him than life itself.
Complicated
As a child, Luffy's needs were not complicated: good food (including lots of meat), a place to sleep, and the company of his brothers.
Making History
When Ace was in the paper not long after his departure, Luffy knew he had a lot of work to do if he wanted to one day be even more infamous.
Rivalry
Any rivalry Ace, Sabo and Luffy may have had was only meant to drive each other to become better versions of themselves—they wouldn't make it out on the sea otherwise.
Unbreakable
They may have been mere children, but the vow of brotherhood they made to each other was more sacred than anything an adult could ever hope to have.
Obsession
Even the slightest mention of Ace or Luffy would make Sabo stop whatever he was doing to read the newspaper article that contained it, causing more of a need for damage control than Koala or Hack would have liked.
Eternity
Torture at Porchemy's hand felt like forever, but for Luffy it was far better than an eternity of loneliness.
Gateway
The gate that separated Goa from Grey Terminal was more like prison bars, keeping Sabo from his freedom and his brothers.
Death
It tore Sabo up inside when he realized that Ace had died thinking he'd been killed in that boat ten years ago.
Dead Wrong
The world had been wrong about Portgas D. Ace being an unwanted son of a demon, although the only one who heard the final proof of that was broken almost the moment the words were uttered.
Running Away
Ace found that refusing to run away because he had people he loved to protect was more fulfilling than refusing to run away because of his pride.
Seeking Solace
Whenever Luffy had a too-close brush with death—which was more often than he'd admit—his favorite thing to do was to curl up with Sabo, while Ace stood nearby and only halfheartedly scolded him.
Excuses
Sabo eventually stopped making up excuses for why he hadn't once had a spark of recognition up until the moment it was too late.
Vengeance
Luffy learned from Shanks that it was pointless to hold grudges, but he knew he'd never be able to bring himself to forgive the people who had taken Ace from him.
Love
Luffy fell in love for the first time when he was seven—with a freckled nose above a seemingly permanent scowl, and soft blond hair that shown in the sunshine.
Tears
It was only after Luffy and Bartolomeo were out of sight that Sabo broke down into tears, out of pure happiness that he had been able to see his little brother again.
My Inspiration
Ace was content to let people think he'd just made a mistake when he got the tattoo on his arm—it was enough that he knew the true meaning.
Never Again
Never again would he have to endure the unbearable agony of losing a brother, Sabo swore to himself as he clutched Luffy's vivre card.
Failure
For as long as he lived, Sabo's greatest failure was not being there to protect his brothers—Ace from death and Luffy from heartbreak.
Breaking Away
After meeting Luffy's crew, Ace knew he was leaving Luffy in capable, trustworthy hands.
Forever and a Day
Now that Sabo remembered, he was never going to let Ace or Luffy go ever again.
Lost and Found
Ace eventually gave up telling Luffy to stop crying as he carried him from the cave he'd gotten lost in.
Colors
Had it been under other circumstances, the colors produced by the trash heap fire may have been beautiful to watch from the vantage point of their hideout.
Exploration
When being a pirate gave Ace the ability to explore and do as he pleased, he wished Sabo could have shared in such freedom.
Seeing Red
Celestial Dragon or not, Ace wanted to tear the bastard limb from limb, until every bit of his anguish disappeared.
Forgotten
They were supposed to be the people most precious to him and he had forgotten them.
Dreamer
When Luffy's sanity finally returned, it was as though he'd awoken from his dreams only to realize he was living the nightmare.
Burning
He had never actually seen Ace use the move, but it was only fitting for Sabo's first act as the bearer of Ace's devil fruit to perform his signature fire fist.
Out of Time
It seemed fitting that both Ace and Luffy would unconsciously use conqueror's haki the moment before the other could be killed.
Knowing How
It would take some getting used to having a logia devil fruit, but Sabo knew that Ace would guide him through.
Fork in the Road
When faced with the path of least resistance or the path of adventure, Luffy always went the way he would have taken with Ace or Sabo.
At Peace
To die for his little brother, in the arms of his little brother, surrounded by the people who loved him and whom he loved in return, Ace could only smile as he slipped away.
Separation
Seeing Ace off at the coast only hurt a little bit, since Luffy knew they wouldn't be apart for very long.
Everything For You
Luffy didn't care what enemies he made, what places he had to infiltrate or what challenges he'd endure—he was going to save Ace no matter what.
Slowdown
The world seemed to slow almost to a stop as Akainu lunged at Luffy, allowing Ace to make his one last sacrifice on behalf of his younger brother.
Heartfelt Apology
"Sabo," Ace thought as his grip on both life and Luffy began to slip away, "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to look after Luffy anymore."
Challenged
Luffy felt it was entirely unfair that he was the only young one among the three of them, when it made being the winner impossible.
Exhaustion
Dadan often wondered if prison wouldn't be a better option than watching after three troublemaking brats.
Accuracy
"You gotta aim first, you can't just throw a punch," Sabo said with a sigh as another of Luffy's Gum-Gum Pistol punches went way off the mark.
Shattered
Up until the moment that Luffy felt Ace's lifeless body slip from his grasp, he'd been so sure that they were both invincible.
Patience
It wasn't just Makino's teachings that taught Ace patience—when you had a little brother like Luffy, it was essential.
Shadows
On a chilly night by their campfire, Ace and Luffy were surprised to find that Sabo was proficient in shadow puppetry.
A Place to Belong
Being with Sabo and Luffy, Ace felt like it had been a good thing he'd been born, after all.
Breakfast
Breakfast was the most important meal of the day—so much that they made sure to enjoy it at least three times every morning.
Echoes
Late at night on the Thousand Sunny, Luffy would talk to the darkness and swear that Ace and Sabo would answer him.
Falling
Seeing the news of Ace's death in the paper, the ground gave out beneath Sabo, until he was falling into darkness.
Answers
There had sometimes been visions dancing at the edges of Sabo's memory—images of smiling faces and happiness he'd chase but could never quite catch—that came into clear view and answered the question of why he'd always felt an aching emptiness for ten years.
Innocence
In the days when they lived alone together, the world seemed enormous and full of possibilities.
Enthusiasm
Whether it was fighting tigers, eating ramen, or jumping out fourth story windows, they gave everything 110% more effort than required.
Friendship
Ace hadn't considered that he thought of Sabo as a friend up until the moment Luffy asked if that's what Sabo was, but it made perfect sense.