Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
Chapter Four: A Word before Death
Luffy didn't want to die. Not really. But, he could see no way out. So why worry? Why struggle? His crew was strong. Zoro was strong. They'd carry on and reach their dreams. Luffy grinned and drew in a large breath.
"NAMI! USSOP! SANJI! ZORO! ACE! SABO! Sorry, but I'm dead!" he yelled out happily, the intensity of his yell dropping slightly after naming his dead brother.
"OH NO YOU'RE NOT!" a voice bellowed. "DRAGON'S BREATH!" The execution platform creaked and shook and finally fell as the stone it was built on cracked and buckled.
"Who flashily interrupted my flashy execution?!" Buggy demanded. Out of the dust came a tall figure.
A top hat.
Long coat.
Was that a napkin around his neck?
There were goggles on his hat, the brim hiding most of his face.
The coat was black.
He wore a blue vest.
Blond?
Luffy blinked as the man looked up, intense dark brown eyes boring into Buggy.
"Sabo?" Luffy whispered. The man turned to him and smiled.
"Little brother," he said before turning back to the clown. "How did you let yourself get caught by this guy?" he asked. Luffy just laughed.
"He ambushed me!" Sabo's left shoulder dropped slightly, closing his eyes in exasperation. Luffy thought there was a large sweatdrop on his right temple, but that had to be his imagination.
"Right," the blond said. "Well, what say we take him down?" he asked, unslinging a pipe from his back. Luffy laughed and started things off with a Pistol.
"It's good to see you again, Sabo," Luffy told his long lost brother, grinning as bright as the noonday sun.
"It's good to see you too, Luffy," Sabo told him, a touch wistful. There was nothing quite like realizing you had a younger brother and that he was about to die at the same time.
"Ne, Sabo, sail with me," Luffy asked, eyes shining... or was that just the sun reflecting off of them?
"Sorry, I have commitments elsewhere," Sabo declined, thinking about his responsibilities with the Revolutionaries. And possibly Koala. Dragon also came to mind, but more in the 'wait-until-I-tell-him-his-son's-my-brother' kind of way. Hum... that was one reaction he'd need a camera on hand for. And what about Ace? He'd have to find out what the hothead was up to. Suddenly, that nickname was so much more fitting! Luffy pouted, letting out a quite 'muu~!' "I'll keep in touch this time, Luffy," Sabo promised, handing him a piece of paper with his den den mushi number on it. "Call me when you get a snail!" he said, trying to get away. There was work to be done!
"Remember to look for my bounty!" Luffy entreated him, finally letting go.
He never saw Sabo's flinch at that comment.
/?/
A/N: A~nd a slightly less likely scenario, but who's to say Luffy yelling like that wouldn't have jogged a few things loose? Plus, I like the idea of Sabo interrupting Luffy's 'execution' in Loughtown.