Disclaimer: I will say this once. Eichiro Oda owns One Piece, and all its characters. I own only the OC:s in this story.

Chapter 1

"Dragon has a mission for me?!" The rude awakening the blonde had received was a past incident. Sabo jumped out of bed and faced his early guest. "What is it?"

"You´ll have to ask him," Bunny Joe replied.

He found a shirt and pair of pants, amongst the clothes spread out on the floor. His blue coat was hanging safely and unwrinkled at the closet door.

"Yesterday´s clothes?" Joe asked.

"No. The day before."

"Hm."

"Where is he?" Sabo opened the window, and the wind ruffled his hair. As usual in Baltigo, there was some activity at the ground below - various people working out, performing cleaning duties, or just strolling around while declaring their opinion on the lousy weather or the even worse government.

He looked longingly at the ships in the harbor, and the sea beyond. Maybe he would get to travel somewhere, for this mission. He didn´t mind Baltigo, but a little change wouldn´t hurt.

"At the office. He´s waiting." Joe saw where he was looking. "I wouldn´t put my hopes up. Many of our soldiers are out already."

"I know. I´m not." He pulled a hand through his hair, messing it to perfection, before finally putting his hat on.

Five minutes later, he was standing in front of the leader of the revolutionaries.

"Good morning." Dragon looked inept in front of a desk filled with papers and books. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and constantly made small movements, as if sitting still made him restless.

"Hi."

"A ship arrived yesterday," Dragon said.

"I know that."

"We got guests too. A former marine have joined our cause."

"What?! Is this a joke?"

"In exchange for safe shelter, he has brought information for us. Secret, of course."

"He´s a spy."

Dragon smiled. "No. He didn´t come alone. His family came with him."

"His family?"

"Four children. Betweem 7 and 13 years old. He wouldn´t risk taking them here if he was infact an enemy."

"Maybe he wants to gain our trust."

"It´s good to be suspicious. But trust me on this one."

"Yeah, okay." Sabo shrugged. "What do you want me to do?"

"While the ex-marine works with us, his children needs looking after."

"You´re ordering me to babysit?"

"I´m not ordering, I´m requesting."

"Then I deny. They´re old enough to look after themselves." Dragon stared at him, until he was getting nervous. He slowly backed towards the door. "I´ve got training to do, so…"

"You´re free to leave." Dragon nodded his head once.

"Thanks." Sabo fumbled behind him to find the door knob. All the while, the intimidating gaze of the head revolutionary rested on him, making him feel uneasy. After closing the door behind him, he took a few calming breaths, before making his way to the dining hall.

In the revolutionary army, eceryone was equal and the same, but during meal time, an informal order was established. The dining hall consisted of several, round tables, each consisting of between 5 and 10 seats. You were never to sit alone. If you did, everyone would assume you had a bad day, and basically avoid you until the next meal. Sabo had never eaten alone once.

The other thing you ought to know is the placing. The researchers, the soldiers, the higher-ups all have different areas. It is just the way it is, Sabo had always presumed.

Without thinking, he turned right towards the tables closest to the windows. Only one of the soldier tables was occupied, by earlyrising men and fishmen , who greeted him heartily as he pulled a chair from another table to join them.

"Good morning," he muttered in response. His comrades could sense his bad mood. It brought the earlier excitement down a few notches, and a tense silence appeared. This is why people eat alone, Sabo thought.

"What's up?" One of the men asked him after a while.

"Nothing," he answered. "Just a stupid mission. Anyone wanna go workout at the cove today?"

The question was ignored. "What mission?"

He sighed. "Nothing special. Just some looking after grown children that Dragon asked me to." He continued to scoop porridge in his mouth, while there was silent around the table. The revolutionaries exchanged glances that Sabo didn't notice.

"I babysat once," one of the fishmen revealed. "It was tough, for sure. The kid became one of the best in her class."

" Only 'one of the best'? Two children I watched over became leaders for our operations in West Blue."

"That's nothing! I helped train one of the soldiers who escaped a marine prison this year!"

"My kid scored highest at an intelligence test."

"Mine constructed the intelligence test!"

"My student holds the current record in running around Baltigo!"

Sabo looked on in disbelief. "You've turned babysitting into a competition?"

"Of course. The kids are the future. It's only right that we perform our best while looking after them."

Sabo smiled smugly, and stood up. "I just remembered something I have to do. Goodbye, guys."

"Bye. And good luck!" They called out after him.

He swallowed the rest of the breakfast on his way to turn in dishes. "Thanks!"

"Vi'm glad that vyou changed vyour mind!"

"Yeah, yeah. Where are they?" Sabo tried to sound uninterested, but deep within he was excited over his new task. The okama, that had helped save his life a few years earlier, nocked once before opening the door they were standing in front of.

"In here. Oh, one of the boys are tired after the trip here, but it's nothing to worry about at all."

They came into a room whose design Sabo recognised well, from his first months at Baltigo. The only difference was that this hospital room was larger, and it was crowded. A man sat in one chair, while three children stood spread out in the room. His fourth child, a tiny boy, was laying on the bed, his eyes closed.

Sabo raised a hand. "Hey."

"Good day," the man said, his voice monotonous and professionally polite, making it sound like he was greeting a business partner. Sabo swallowed, but continued to smile as he looked at the children.

There was nothing glorious or heroic, or even impressive about them. A tall, light-skinned girl, clearly the eldest of the siblings, stood leaned against a wall, her eyes directed at the roof and her expression as blank as her father's. The two remaining children, a girl and a boy, seemed to be in about the same age. Neither of them was looking at him - the boy hid his face behind a book, and the girl looked down at the floor, making her hair cover her face, on which only a sharp blush could be seen.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sabo."

"I already know what your name is. And don't pretend it's nice to meet us, you had no choice but to be here, did you?" the man said.

"Eh, actually, I..." his voice trailed off and he looked over his shoulder at Ivankov.

"Sabo-boy volunteered to take this responsibility. Vi assure vyou vyour little darlings are in good hands."

"What he said." Sabo took a breath and stood a little taller.

"Hm. Well, I got work to do so good luck." The ex-marine stood up and brushed past Sabo. He stopped right outside the door. "Would you maybe show me the way?" he told Ivankov, without looking at him.

"Of course." Ivankov patted Sabo's shoulder before leaving.

As he looked back, he saw all children now stared at him. Even the boy in the bed had awoken.

Sabo smiled, and placed his palms against his hips. Trying to sound enthusiastic, he said: "Anyone up for breakfast?"