PROXY Memories
Summary: Sabo's memories are mixed. There are ones of his childhood, but they're asleep. There's the future where everything went wrong, clinging in despair. Last, of a life in world where One Piece is just a story, keeping him whole. But then, a young Sabo meets and befriends a retired Whitebeard pirate in the Revolutionary Army, forever changing the timeline. TimeTravel!Sabo | SI-OC!Sabo
Disclaimer: One Piece (c) Eiichiro Oda
Plot ideas Inspired by: Overcoming an Era by Beyond Kailani, Like a Ship into a Storm by Tsume Yuki's, I'm not ready for a new life by An Bouwer; Saving My Brother(s) by PurplelaVanilla, This is gonna be fun by BlueAutumn12, and probably too many ASL as well as time travel fics I've read.
Au Notes: Hello! I'm kinda nervous in posting this up as this is probably my first fic in the One Piece section of FFnet. Just letting you know that this is also cross-posted on AO3 under the same name. It's been a while since I haven't written something and this fic was created after reading so many great OP fics out there. A special shout out to BlueAutumn12, as if it weren't for their crazy super hilarious as well as great time travel fic, I probably wouldn't have the guts to make this. xD
Well, Enjoy!
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Chapter 1: Blue Screen of Death
"Also known as the blue screen or BsoD,
an error screen on a computer system after a fatal system error or a system crash:
when the operating system reaches a condition where it can no longer operate safely."
– A certain well known Operating System
Chapter Summary:
Sabo finds out that time travel has consequences.
Huh? Who's this?
His name is Sabo.
Or at least he calls himself by that name now. From 'the world before' he knows he's had a different name—a different life even—before he made a deal with some Random Omnipotent Being he'd rather not say the name of. Names had power anyway. He's alive somehow through divine intervention. His life preservation instincts knew better than to piss off 'the benefactor', not when the said patron has stripped their original Earth given name in return of having full knowledge of the life to come.
He has no regrets on dying though. Call him a martyr if you will. His work in cybersecurity intelligence had given him the mindset that as long as his information was passed on to save others, he was content with death. He doesn't claim he was an entirely good guy in his past life as he's manipulated sides to fight with each other before, but when it came to the safety of civilians or people, in general, he'd help them in a heartbeat. He's used to the duality of life; he'd bounce back and keep believing despite seeing the worst of what humanity has to offer.
This part of him was his foundation, the glue that held him together.
But he is also Sabo too, a broken young Revolutionary Chief of Staff that had seen his world fall apart in front of his eyes.
It is (was) irreparable that he had gone to back; back as far as he could. Even if it meant risking it all. His timeline, what was left of the Revolutionary Army, the pirate world, they all held no meaning when those who mattered to him were gone.
Dead.
As if Ace's murder in the hands of Fleet Admiral Akainu had Sabo being at the wrong place, moment, and time wasn't enough.
It all had started when he hadn't made sure to entirely kill Jesus Burgess at Dressrosa which had then led to the destruction of Baltigo Headquarters. The worst mistakes were made during the Reverie giving the Celestial Dragons and in extension the Marines the upper hand. Blackbeard then made his attack on those that he held dear. And then when crucial events mattered happened... he was elsewhere. Just like Marineford, the event he never forgave himself every single day for not remembering his memories.
History repeated itself.
He failed Dragon, Koala, Hack, his Commanders, the alliance, and most important of them all…
Luffy.
His last remaining brother hadn't even gotten a proper burial—there was no headstone for him to visit like Ace's grave—his body was lost at sea in his final battle with Marshall D. Teach. He had failed Ace again in his promise for his youngest brother. The one he had sworn to protect at all costs. All that was left were empty promises.
Cold desperation.
Agonized regret.
Heart hollowing pain.
Utter Self-loathing.
He had made an All-or-Nothing agreement with the very same Omnipotent Being to defy time itself and thrown his life with abandon. However, one doesn't travel back in time without dire consequences. It goes against laws and order of the universe that are held in place. Even the Devil Fruit with the power that delves with time travel could only go forward. Yet, he didn't care back then. Going back was his plan moving forward. What was left of this Sabo was scattered in fragments—so much its soul was in disrepair to support his full existence—that it needed to cling to another to keep it stable, whole.
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A 10-year-old Sabo woke up surrounded by Revolutionaries on Dragon's ship, the Viento Granma. At first, they think they're dealing with a just distraught injured amnesiac boy. Both Ivankov and Kuma are patiently waiting for their leader on how to handle the situation. In that same vein, Monkey D. Dragon was in the middle of making his decision on whether to let the boy stay or not when it occurred.
The blond noble boy's hands flew gripping his head and gritted his teeth. It doesn't help; the pain worsens. Too many memories. Too much information. Overwhelming emotions were drowning him.His 10-year-old brain couldn't handle it. He whimpers, and the tears fall like a broken dam. The medical staff panic as blood comes trickling first through his nose, and then his ears. Before Sabo loses his awareness to the dark abyss, he gives Dragon a desperate pleading determined expression.
'Please, let me Live!'
Sabo passes out; it's Ivankov that volunteers and asks if he could offer assistance to the child through the abilities of his devil fruit. The medical crew immediately issue orders for those present to give them room and what privacy they could get in the large hall area. People disperse quietly in different directions, away from them.
The atmosphere of the room darkens as the members of the army who have shifted and stood in the opposite of the large hall are reminded the worst fallout of the Gray Terminal. Kuma's hand fidgets towards the religious book he holds under his cloak, a tic that only Dragon and only a few others know would show up when he's bothered by something. Dragon, despite the stoic demeanor he's masked in front of his fellow Revolutionaries, feels unsettled as well. Nonetheless, he's seen what horrors the World Government lets the Celestial Dragons do, Dragon is reminded of that he too has a son that is slightly younger than Sabo.
"Sir?"
Dragon blinks with his unchanging poker face as it's their ship's Navigator trying to get attention on what were his next orders. He doesn't hesitate. Other than Sabo, there were other refugees that had sworn themselves to join his cause thanks to the Gray Terminal fire. It was unwise to linger longer than he needed to in East Blue.
"We're sailing straight towards Loguetown. We'll restock via our contacts thereby docking away from prying eyes," Dragon said giving no room to argue, "and then after, we make way to Twin Cape after we cross Reverse Mountain. I know a doctor there."
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Sabo wakes up about a day later with his head still pounding as if a world boxing champ made it their personal punching bag. His body feels like a ton of lead and he figures for the first time in those few first minutes that his field of vision is limited to one eye. He doesn't get up though, fearing that dizziness will attack him through his disorientation. Instead, he doesn't move and lets his eyes adapt to the lighted room around him.
This time around, the bare white medical room is secluded, not the expansive hall that he first woke up to. He sighed in relief that there's no one there at the moment. Sabo needed time to process his thoughts, what he barely remembers before passing out. He tries to remember what memories he has.
As it turns out, it's a fucking jumbled mess.
So, as nausea hits, Sabo ignores in remembering of 'before' and focuses on the now. He focuses on breathing. Sabo muses that his long-term memories, in the meantime, were shot to hell. If the high temperature he feels on his forehead is of any indication, any more heavy thoughts and his mind would pull a Blue Screen of Death on him and swallow him back into unconsciousness. It's something that he'd rather avoid.
Thankfully, the door opens and the medics are in the room again and they notice he's woken up.
"Sabo? How do you feel?"
There are so many words Sabo can swear up and down to describe how he feels right now, but he settles for lamest one possible.
"Not g'ud," he slurs, "Dizzy." It's the best he comes up with without thinking.
The medics nod at this and seemed more focused that he's responding to their question. He's given water and a bit of food to eat before he's ordered to get some rest again. The whole day becomes a blur of the same routine as Sabo's mind is refusing to touch the danger zone which is his memories. Sabo realizes at this point he's running on instincts alone, but that's okay. He'll survive first and think later.
Over the next two days it's the same thing, but miraculously he's now sitting on the bed, his headache is gone, and he can take a few steps around his bed before he's too weak to walk to try again or hurts from aggravating his injuries. It's progress nonetheless, but yet again, he's far too aware he can't live like this and avoid accessing his long-term memories forever. For the time being, the nurses and the doctor who looks after him are focused on his burns so there's no risk of infection.
It's that night that something else happens that's unusual. The Revolutionary leader approached his bed and lets Sabo know they will meet up with another doctor on at an island's lighthouse in the morning. The boy only gives one word in response.
"Okay."
Dragon's face while is still stoic, his eyes show subtle signs of confusion at the boy's reply that had shown no refusal or even one with a thought process.
"You don't want to think over it?" he asked the blond child.
"Can't."
When the man doesn't say anything to the reply, Sabo clarified, "Can't think too much. Every time I want to remember something, my head hurts."
Dragon nods in turn. "Alright. Get some rest, child."
There's an odd of feeling of warmth that Sabo feels even when the man leaves the room without any word of comfort. Even if he hasn't tried to remember, there are parts of his emotions that feel the man expresses his kindness in such a way. A way that he distinguishes as safeness and familiarity. Sabo's sure that he physically hasn't spent that much time with the man, but his emotions have on instinct.
Sabo doesn't understand why.
He shrugs and looks forward what the next day will bring.
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Next morning, his official second breakfast is a bowl of apples that Crocus—the guy rocking the flower suit which Dragon hinted was the doctor—offers after he examines Sabo's injuries. Sabo's quite sure that the adults aren't in the mood to share about his condition since he's left in the makeshift outdoor kitchen to eat. His only babysitter is another goggled hat wearing Revolutionary that's reading today's newspaper. Meanwhile, Sabo sees everyone else at a reasonable non-hearing distance in a small huddled group that consisted of Dragon, Ivankov, Kuma, Inazuma, and Crocus. He's not sure how things will go on from here but keeps munching on what was his 6th apple until it's an apple core and throws it away.
Still, Sabo's annoyed that they're treating him like an extremely fragile object and questions why they couldn't tell him what's really wrong with him. In a huffing fit, Sabo automatically grabs the next fruit in the bowl without looking, bites it, and forcefully swallows it down his throat.
He immediately regrets it.
Urk.
RANCID!
He drops the (stale?) fruit choking and drinks (read: empties) a pitcher of orange juice trying to get rid of the taste and is still failing. Sabo's tears are still falling down his cheeks in a reflex of just how atrocious the fruit tasted. When juice and water fail, he's raiding the food storage boxes to replace the goddamn awful (BLeRuGH!) taste that went down his throat throwing what was left of his common sense in manners out the window.
"Oi, kid, what are you—" his current caretaker does a double take from reading the newspaper as he spots what the kid drops from eating and is ransacking the storage cabinets. He's seen that swirly pattern on very specific fruits.
Devil Fruits.
Ah, shit.
The designated caretaker cringes, panics, and immediately calls for the higher-ups.
Throughout the commotion which was probably the noisiest Crocus has experienced in recent years (barring his time with the Roger Pirates), when he gets to where the brat was left with the Revolutionary members, he's shocked that they find the brat swallowing a tablespoon of salt of all things. The wincing and squinting of one experiencing the taste of sea salt on the blond brat's face have caused various reactions among the members who are huddled at the outdoor kitchen in a hurry.
The brat's caretaker is sweating bullets trying to apologize to his leader. Ivankov and Inazuma are trying to stop the brat from consuming another spoon of salt, with the large-headed Okama holding the boy by the scruff of his clothes and the younger one failing to pry the spoon away from their charge. Kuma oppositely has he lips curved upward, looking amused at the situation if anything. Dragon reacts similarly, with the only clue of the entertained glint in his eyes but settles on sighing and turned to Crocus.
"I apologize for ruining your food stock, you'll be compensated."
Crocus snorts in exasperation and nods in acceptance but fake coughs loud enough to get everyone other than Dragon his attention. "Brat," he addresses the boy with the cravat in a deadpanned tone, "as much as I'm informed that Devil Fruits taste awful, too much salt isn't good for your current health."
Sabo sheepishly quietly with his 'leftover' wisdom, this time, hands Inazuma the spoon he's been holding. Inazuma retaliates by shoving a glass of water to the brat and thankfully Sabo doesn't protest drinking it down.
The larger Okama though is still unsatisfied with the kid's antics and points to the bitten fruit. "Sabo-voy, you should never eat thingz you don't recognize withvout asking first!"
"But Iva-chan! It was in the bowl of apples and I thought it was safe!" Sabo protests, barely managing to lay the glass down on the table (Ivankov was still hanging him in the air). Inwardly he knows he's guilty as charged in not being more aware of his surroundings, considering the fruit is colored blue which was a stark difference to red or green for that matter.
Before Ivankov plans to lecture the boy back, it's Kuma who questioned, "Boy, do you feel any different? As far as I'm concerned, I don't recognize the fruit. It doesn't match any fruits I've seen in the Devil Fruit encyclopedia or heard of through pirates and marines alike."
Kuma's statement is enough to quieten down everyone in the room, as nearly everyone there is a Devil Fruit user, minus Crocus and the caretaker.
"Umm, err—"
Before he says anything further, his eyesight with his remaining eye changes as if someone put a blue filter on it. What the—?!
INSUFFICIENT MEMORY SPACE DETECTED.
MEMORY EXPANSION AND DEFRAGMENTATION REQUIRED.
Sabo then remembers that it was as if he was looking at a digital screen, but his other part of his mind is confused on what was this all about since he has little contact with Cyborgs on the Grandline. Bits and pieces on information about digital programming and coding are leaking in through his vision, thinking over what could have caused this. Meanwhile, the other Sabo of his mind is panicking just what sort of Devil Fruit he had eaten by mistake, the only Devil Fruit in his experience was a Logia and not whatever this was. The stabbing pain in his head is back in full force. Why of all times—
EXPERIENCING MEMORY OVERLOAD.
TO AVOID A FATAL CRASH, REBOOTING IN 3… 2… 1…
Hold it! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Sabo winces as his vision dims and before he loses himself the darkness once again, he most likely freaked out those Revolutionaries/his family. Huh? Family?
As his mind forces him to sleep, he does sense something different about him subconsciously.
RESTARTING AND UPDATING...
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Sabo wakes up screaming to Ivankov's absurdly large face (yet again). Seriously, he figured he's not going to die because of the Marines, but getting a heart attack waking up to the oversized face that's far too close for personal space. The medical tent that belongs to the flower doctor shuffles with everyone (minus his previous random Revolutionary caretaker) around it and now it's Ivankov that's getting lectured by Crocus. Although, he does notice everyone else is here, his head feels far lighter than it had been in days.
"You've only passed out for two hours. How are you feeling?" Crocus asked as Ivankov has retreated with a huff at the back.
Sabo leaned his head as if gauging how his body felt. "Tired. Other than my burns, my head doesn't hurt anymore."
"Do you remember your past?" Crocus questions with a notebook and pen in hand.
"No," Sabo said resolutely. He doesn't; not the memories as the child he is supposed to have right now. He leaves out the details of a life that would classify his current situation in living and breathing what was supposed to be a fictitious story. Also, he had memories that were from this world's future. It feels unreasonable, but for some reason, the fruit he ate seemed to harmonized his memories. Although, having multiple personalities were a different can of worms.
"But you can think more clearly now?" Crocus continued. A nod. "Good. Now, let's do a small mind exercise."
Sabo's confused. "Huh?"
For this exercise, Inazuma volunteered and sat on the chair next to Sabo's bed. "Sabo, since you have eaten a Devil Fruit, usually you would acquire a unique ability. However, to know how it works you need to ask what is the fruit's name through your mind. The fruit should answer and give you information on what fruit you ate."
It's creepy, but when that question does come through his thoughts he's given the answer.
"I ate the Dēta Dēta No Mi," Sabo blurts the name out of his mouth. "It's a Paramecia on data/information/archiving."
Although what comes out of his mouth is different than what comes out spelled in front of his eyes, unseen to the rest of everyone else.
REALITY INTERFACE CREATION.
His mind gets two contrasting reactions. One seems hesitant what the words mean, as even in the years to come he hasn't heard of such a term or phrase. The other, hoo boy, the other was disturbingly giddy at the prospect; it was right up his alley. He doesn't have time to explain to his other half, as what Sabo had said caught Inazuma's interest.
"Sabo, what sort of information are you talking about, here?" the okama asked.
"Well, so far it's about my Devil Fruit—"
SCANNING (FRONT) SUBJECT...
DEVIL FRUIT SCAN COMPLETE: CHOKI CHOKI NO MI
Sabo did a double take, "Ne, Inazuma-san?"
"Yes?" Inazuma's preplexed at Sabo's sudden short attention span.
"You wouldn't have eaten the Choki Choki no Mi, right?"
Both okamas in the room spluttered at the blonde's question. Dragon and Kuma are giving conspiring looks to each other on the new development.
Crocus, on the other hand, perked up with interest at their reactions. "What about Ivankov, Kuma, and Dragon over there?" he asked in wonder.
Sabo stares at them for a few seconds before pointing them out. "Ivankov-chan has the Horu Horu no Mi, Kuma-san's the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, and Dragon-san's— Mmpf!"
"Aaand that's enough," Inazuma huffed interrupting that particular information from coming out of the boy's mouth.
Dragon merely shrugged, but then ordered the doctor calmly, "Please do a health reevaluation on Sabo without asking things that are... invasive with what we do."
The doctor sighed in resignation putting his hands up in surrender. "Alright, it was my fault for not keeping an eye on the food that I have turning into a Devil Fruit out of nowhere."
If he never sailed the seas with the Roger Pirates, he'd be hard pressed to believe that these people were the Leaders in the Revolutionary Army. And even if Monkey D. Dragon isn't as crazy as Gol D. Roger or Garp for that matter, he's still a D., and all of them usually attracted their share of crazy people. Seeing that he was currently involved, maybe he should prepare a shelter for the incoming storm (just in case); the Ds are known for causing that.
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It's weeks later that Sabo finally arrives in Baltigo, the main Headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. Whether intentional or not, he's already decided to join. There are a couple of reasons for this. The main one being is that one part of his heart is happy and content in staying here. The other half of him supplies with the reason of possible security breach on information of Dragon's Devil Fruit being the main source of worry. Despite that, Sabo's not sure what to make of his situation. To him, it feels like he has two different personalities that are living in him at once. It's only thanks to his Devil Fruit capable of Indexing (storing and sorting mass information) that he's saved from going insane from too many memories and emotions.
There was also a warning from his Devil Fruit that his childhood memories were forbidden to touch (for now).
Both of Sabo are aware that they'll merge into one person one day, but they're waiting for the last piece of the puzzle that will eventually heal the fragmented personality that they have right now. It's no secret that the very thing that will do that would be their younger self's memories. The Chief of Staff barely remembers his childhood memories when he succumbed to the worst depression that the future caused for him, as he suffered the brunt of stress through time travel. On the other spectrum, Sabo who has no experience in the world that the One Piece revolves around is a there as a constant rock for the other him to keep living. He isn't bothered. He's stable enough to exist having memories of his own with the exception of his erased name.
They're aware that if the memories of Sabo's childhood were released now, that their current body couldn't handle it. Having two minds was chaotic enough without the fruit, adding in a third into the mix with a traumatic experience of being shot by a Celestial Dragon was the last thing they wanted to do. It's the Sabo who's more technologically informed that put a foot on his other counterpart that the last thing he wants is for both of them to suffer a literal Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) as they did so previously. The Chief of Staff personality grudgingly agreed. So in the time being, they would wait for the right moment.
Waiting while injured wasn't in their (both personalities') realm of expertise though. Nevertheless, the Revolutionaries were kind enough to supply Sabo with books in the medical section of the base, it very quickly had gotten boring given his Devil Fruit powers to absorb information quickly and easily stores it into his mind as Encyclopedia Knowledge or Archiving. The moment that the medics are called in one of their weekly meetings, Sabo leaves a note 'Gone exploring' and hightails out of the area. He does for the life of him move carefully, in respect of the doctor that has been applying and changing his bandages every now and then.
It's at a time like this that both of his personalities are in sync. The thrill-seeking adventure of obtaining new information as he explores compels Sabo to wander around the base. It's different from what Sabo the Chief of Staff remembers, as previously, he was more focused on surviving and sticking to the few people who saved his life. Knowing he can trust these people, Sabo's interested as to who's lurking around during the times when he was younger. Especially when his other self likes to experiment with their Devil Fruit and is teaching him in between the time they usually stroll around on how it truly works.
Reality Interface Creation is probably the ultimate paramecia fruit that the Revolutionaries need; translated as the Data Fruit, it's the superior tool of information, where the user can create personal digital interfaces and manipulate data constructs like one would interact with a computer hologram but bringing it to the realm of reality. It would have been wasted in the hands of someone who'd relied on brute force, but in hands of a mad genius, it probably would change the world. For better or worse.
It's a good thing his other self is a genius in code and is sane (enough) for that matter.
The Chief of Staff shudders if the Marines ever know, and it'll be sought out as much as the Ope Ope no Mi, the fruit that Trafalgar D. Law had (has?). He's very sure that he'll be shipped off and be experimented by Vegapunk himself, or killed so the professor would get his hands on it. If it meant that he'll have to train his younger body to get his stealth abilities to an art, he'd do it in a heartbeat once he's recovered from his injuries. Plus, he's fond of this other him that's so patient in teaching him the ropes and keeping him from collapsing emotionally. To Sabo who has lost so much, it's endearing how his other self is always there to encourage him to not give up and even laugh.
So far, though, they haven't accessed anything fancy with the Fruit's abilities and it's only focused within their vision so their stamina doesn't get overwhelmed. As much as the Chief of Staff is so impressed by the Holographic Projection and Interaction abilities bringing them to hover in the air as if they were real, his other self had strictly stopped him from further using it when they accidentally fainted (nearly caused a BsoD too, damn it!) and glitched because their injured body couldn't handle it yet. He was scolded relentlessly by his (older?) personality as he (the other) grumbled (cursed so colorfully Chief Sabo wanted to wash his mouth with a bar of soap) about messed up 'registry' and 'algorithms'.
That afternoon though, Sabo was exploring one part of the base that he remembered the rooms being empty with the first time he visited in the past (which was months after he arrived). However, at present, he noticed that they were filled with all sorts of things as if people would frequently go there. Sabo predicted they were empty as most were on a large scale mission Dragon and the other officers were on. Taking advantage of the situation, Sabo was field testing Data and Knowledge Manipulation on what his body knew of Observation Haki by slowly loading via Information Transferal to lessen any unwanted side-effects when he sensed a single person in the area.
Curious, Sabo peeked into the room.
There inside, is a man that he estimates is in his 50s with white short hair, a scar that slashes over from the tip of his left eyebrow down his nose until his right cheek, and has oddly square-shaped glasses. Even though the man is silently reading a book, Sabo's eyes dart straight to the man's forehand which sports a distinctive purple cross tattoo.
It was the simplified mark of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Chief of Staff was nervous, as, in the past, he had no recollection of knowing a Whitebeard joining the Revolutionary Army. He would know if there was someone still there at the time when he remembered during the War of the Best. He was frequently assigned to background checks by Dragon for the RA's members. Unless… that this person was already dead at the time.
Did the RA have a connection to the pirates that his elder brother had joined, considered as family, and he never even realized it?
As the Chief of Staff feels sick with constricting drowning grief, the other takes his place and lets him rest in the back of his mind to recuperate. It's not the first time his self that comes from the future needs to sleep off the heartbreak, especially when it comes to things that are changing differently from what his timeline is like. Sabo who's the personality that comes from Earth inwardly sympathized at his other self that's so broken. He doesn't take offense to the weakness, and carries on with the situation by using the Chief's memories on how he would react to this. All the same, he'll keep a good head on his shoulders and strives to steer this opportunity into something worthwhile.
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Sabo was an unusual kid, Cyrus thought, thinking about how they first met.
A retired pirate he may be, but his observation skills are still sharp since the days he's joined with the crew of the Strongest Man in World. Cyrus hadn't realized he missed his family of hundreds of siblings until he met a rascal that could be about eight to twelve in age, snooping and hiding around the Headquarters of the Revolutionaries. His antics had reminded him of Thatch who would drag some of his siblings to initiate unholy pranks on the Moby Dick to the amusement of Oyaji, their Captain. He was tempted to bring the little scamp back to wherever part of the RA base he was from, at first.
Cyrus also does refrain from commenting the kid's bandages on his head and the healing burned skin over his left eye; he's not a hypocrite, considering how he often sees his own jagged face in the mirror.
And then when the kid abruptly freezes, senses the nurses coming from another floor heading their way... Cyrus realizes that Sabo has Observation Haki as the brat makes the universal sign of putting a finger to his lips to keep quiet. After, he vamooses out of peripheral vision and hides away in-between two bookcases of what was a small library.
Intrigued at the display, Cyrus lies to the medical staff like it's the most normal thing in the world. He was formerly Whitebeard's Commander in intelligence for years. They buy his act and leave; Cyrus rolls his eyes as he comes to the conclusion that they lack Observation Haki as Sabo hadn't been hiding his presence from a Haki user. Once they're gone (more aptly when they're at the other end of the base), the kid comes out and slowly bows to him as Cyrus notices he's taking into account of his injuries.
"Thanks for the help," he said politely, "I'm Sabo."
"Cyrus," he replied gruffly, pleasantly surprised that Sabo's not intimidated by his scarred face. "What's a kid like you wandering around in a place like this?"
"I was bored," he shrugged, "and Dragon-san with everyone I know like Iva-chan, Kuma-san, are busy away from Headquarters." His attention is then diverted to the bookcases that are aligned in nearly every corner of the room. "Is this a library?"
The now Revolutionary files away the information that the kid knows Dragon of all people and two of his current commanders directly. "It's more like a small one; the books they store here are on general knowledge." He doesn't mention about a larger restricted one yet, minding the fact that will give a reason for the kid to find it himself.
"Oh."
"So, Sabo," Cyrus decided to cut to the chase, "how did you sense the medical staff from a good distance away?"
"Observation Haki," Sabo said without missing a beat.
The former pirate choked. "What?! How—"
The boy's eyes lift up as if he remembered, "Well, I saw some of the adults were practicing when I first got here and asked."
But that doesn't explain anything whatsoever on how the kid learned it in the first place! Cyrus griped in his mind. With his book forgotten, Cyrus' attention is on Sabo, who like the mystery he is, is now innocently obliviously curiously staring at the former pirate. Said former pirate cursed in his mind on why, oh why, he's born with the tendency to always question things and solve mysteries even if it meant to put his life at stake. If Oyaji was here, the old man would laugh out loud and indulge him an order to search for answers.
He's saved from his indecision when their stomachs rumbled in the demand for food.
Sabo laughed weakly, a hand rubs behind his neck, his face all red in embarrassment. "Uh… I haven't eaten lunch?"
Cyrus snorted at the boy's comment, "Pot, meet kettle."
He waved Sabo off from apologizing.
"Come on, I'll let you in the cafeteria for the officers, I think you'd want to avoid your pursuers," the older man winked in a conspiring manner.
It's from there on the mini food black hole of a blond boy sticks around him like a chick that's marked him its mother through the following days with a grin so wide it resembles a D. The other Revs have noticed, but are probably too afraid to comment on it when he's in their vicinity. Not when they know he's a former pirate with a jagged face. Despite they know Dragon trusts him, Cyrus is aware that only very few know he's from a Yonko crew, Edward Newgate's.
He wonders if all this attention he's getting is what Marco feels like when he's in mother hen mode and taking care of their new siblings every time Pops adopts another person into the family. Huh.
As for the medics, well... he may have made some frenemies out of them. They were friendly enough as Sabo's been more cheerful since Cyrus lets the boy follow him around without a fuss. Unfortunately, they still bear petty grudges as he's the reason Sabo's out of the medical ward when he's supposed to be there under their supervision.
Like he cares what they think. Pirate in Revolutionary Clothing, remember?
He's just following by example; the adopting family part, just minus the kidnapping.
Oyaji would be proud of him.
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It's only when Dragon in his already busy schedule makes time for the both of them to talk about the kid he gets answers.
Answers that he honestly wouldn't have wanted to learn if he didn't know the kid.
"He's eaten a Devil Fruit?"
"More correctly, the Dēta Dēta No Mi, also known as the Data Fruit," Dragon elaborated, with his back facing Cyrus and facing towards the east at the balcony, "The power to manipulate information, data itself. I think that should explain all the things on how Sabo learns everything he has interest in faster than any person could."
Most of the pieces are falling into place in Cyrus' head on how ridiculously fast the kid learns something and starts applying it with frightening speed. It doesn't take a genius why the kid was under Dragon's protection. Well, other than the fact the man had found the boy suffering amnesia after he was shot at by a Tenryuubito, a World Noble (the bastards that- No- He doesn't need to get into that dark part of his mind right now). Sabo's fruit itself was invaluable to anyone who dealt with information. Worse, if that power was to fall into the wrong hands.
No matter how one could sugarcoat it, the bitter truth was that due to his Devil Fruit abilities, Sabo will be a target as long as he lives.
So what if he's not a pirate anymore by status, he's still a Whitebeard by heart. They protect their own.
There's an uncomfortable silence before Cyrus breaks it. "And what about Sabo? What does he want?"
Dragon's lips curved into a smirk. "Now that's an interesting question I asked Sabo after I explained to him what we do." The Leader of the Revolutionary Army turned to his subordinate dramatically, "You know what his answer was?"
The former pirate doesn't answer. Regardless, when he sees his leader, the Most Wanted Man in the World, smiling as wide as his middle initial name, he knew then and there that a storm was coming.
"He said he wanted to be free," laughed Monkey D. Dragon grinning in a way that would cause most Marines or World Government officials running in the opposite direction, "but most important of all…
… he said that he will change the world."
.
.
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To Be Continued...
Au Notes: I've been wanting to see a Devil Fruit that's technology/data/information based for ages but haven't found any (with the exception of Devil Fruits that have a Gamer interface). I really want to go crazy with this and see how it goes.
Let me know what you think. ;) Thanks for reading and I hope you have a nice day wherever you are!