Hi guys! It's that time of the week again :) As usual, thank you for all your reviews! I get so much energy seeing you guys enjoying this! In fact... I am happy to announce that although I had a solid ending in mind for this story... there's now... going to be a sequel! I'm very excited about it. It's going to be very fun, although it will take me some time to get the sequel out in comparison to this one as I'm still plotting the sequel out.
By the way, my feel free to chat me up anytime at rynoa26 on tumblr!
Chapter Seven: Halfway Point
"I don't know about this, Koala... "
It was not the first time that Sabo had said these very same words. He and Koala had spent over an hour planning—or rather arguing about—their next move. Sabo still felt uneasy for dragging everyone into his personal affairs, but Koala had done a very good job in pointing out they were all heading in the same direction anyway. Now, they were finally back on the ship, about to embark to their next destination.
It was that part that Sabo was still most unsure about.
"Sabo-kun… Please quit worrying so much. You're not going to lose track of him. I told you, they're definitely heading to Alabasta! And on the chance that they did end up in Little Garden, they won't be leaving the place any time soon. Trust me, we'll get ahead of the game this way."
Sabo bowed his head, the brim of his cap casting a shadow over his expression. It wasn't as if he didn't trust Koala's instincts. He just couldn't help but to feel his stomach knot up in guilt, knowing he was moving away rather than towards where his little brother currently was. Coupled with the sense of agitation that he now had about his brother's crew… There was little that could put him at ease at the moment. He let out an inaudible sigh. "...Sorry, Koala."
"It's fine, I get it." A quiet rustle and the sound of a zipper being unzipped followed her words. Sabo stared down at his hands, clasped anxiously as they hung between his legs. "If I could meet Tiger-san again…" Koala continued, the tilt in her voice wistful, "I would probably be feeling the same way you must be."
Sabo's lips attempted to form a smile, but the warmth of the gesture didn't quite reach his eyes. Koala's words were meant to be soothing, he knew this, but they did nothing to quell the storm of emotions that had been troubling him since he had regained his memories. This time, his lack of response lingered in the air between them for too long. Koala cleared her throat.
"A-Anyway," she continued, her voice picking up its confidence again. "Just remember, while we head to Drum, Max and the others will report back on the status of Little Garden. So we really do have every angle covered, don't you think?" With that said, Koala finally stepped out of the dressing room, now sporting a marine uniform of her own. She flashed Sabo an encouraging grin before dragging him off the crate he'd been sitting on.
"Now, come on! Let's get ready to steal an eternal pose! For Alabasta!"
While their passage to Drum was going a little more smoothly with more hands on deck helping out, the change in weather was something none of them had adequately prepared for. The marine vessel, having originated from Loguetown, possessed little in terms of appropriate wardrobe for the winter climate. And Whiskey Peak, not exactly thriving in business both due to the mismanagement of Baroque Works' agents and the more recent wave of destruction it faced, had little to offer to them as well.
"Well, these uniforms are at least somewhat warm…" Koala mentioned as she adjusted the long sleeves of her shirt.
Small, white droplets of snow were slowly drifting down from above. The crew withheld their complaints as they steered the ship past the dangers of the Grand Line, knowing that warm food and lodging awaited them soon.
The only one that seemed unperturbed by the weather was Sabo. Having nothing better to do to occupy his time, the blond had taken over the crow's nest. He spent the last few hours gazing into the horizon in silence, lost in his thoughts.
"You're going to end up becoming a snowman, Chief."
Koala's voice drew Sabo's attention and it was only then that he noticed he was almost completely covered in snow. He let out loud sneeze and shivered, quickly getting up to his feet to shake off the snow.
"Here, take this."
A hot cup of coffee was shoved under his nose. Sabo grabbed it and immediately felt the warmth of the cup seep in through his gloves. He gave Koala a mutter of gratitude.
"You're welcome," she replied simply. Without another word, she settled down next to him, leaning over the edge of the nest and looking out into the sea. Together, they waited in silence until they finally caught the first sight of Drum Island.
Much to their surprise, as they neared the island, they were welcomed by a huge crowd of people lined up along the snowy mountain coast.
"The marines are here!"
"The marines have arrived!"
But although they were mostly met with smiles, the revolutionaries were too keen to miss the strange tension that the citizens were doing their best to hide.
When they set down anchor and lowered the bridge, Sabo and Koala were personally greeted by a large, broad-shouldered man. By the look of his attire, he appeared to be one of the King's royal guards.
"Welcome. My name is Dalton," the man said, introducing himself with a short salute. "I have to admit that we did not expect a visit from the marines. Forgive me, but may I ask why you are here?"
Despite his polite tone, Sabo noted that this man, too, was more uneasy than he wanted to let on. The blond put on a pleasant smile as he answered, deciding to stick to their original script until they had gathered more information.
"We've come to speak to your King. There is a request we'd like to make of him."
The change that took place at his words was immediate. A noticeable hush fell across the clearing, and, out of the corner of his eye, Sabo spotted a few civilians discreetly pull out a pair of guns.
Dalton, clearly astute enough to realize that he needed to take hold of the situation before it escalated, was quick to respond to their request.
"I'm afraid that will not be possible. This country no longer has a king."
At that, Sabo and Koala exchanged grave glances.
"Please, tell us what happened," Sabo said.
"This may take some time. If you would, please follow me. I will show you to the village."
The crowd around them slowly began to disperse as Sabo, Koala, and about half of their crew followed Dalton into the village. On their way, a pair of large, white bears walked past them and bowed their heads. Sabo, instinctively, did the same.
"I see that you are familiar with the Hiking Bears. Have you been here before?" Dalton asked, sparing them a quick, curious glance.
"Ah, no actually," Sabo said, scratching his cheek a little sheepishly.
Koala hid an amused grin. "Well, I have," she pointed out. "Though, it's been a while since my last visit to the Drum Kingdom. Still, they're cute, aren't they? Not a sight that's easy to forget," she joked.
A few members of their crew chuckled alongside her agreeably, but Dalton only grew quiet once more.
"...This country no longer bears that name," he said grimly. He said no more on the subject until they arrived at the village. The two followed him into his house while the rest of the revolutionaries headed to the nearest inn, to rest up and stock up on supplies.
Once inside, Sabo and Koala took a seat at the table and watched as Dalton filled up a kettle with water and placed it on the stove. As he left that to heat up, he turned towards the fireplace and the room soon grew warm as a thick set of flames rose to life. Dalton stood up, and Sabo noticed then the indecision etched in the man's body. His body half-turned towards them, but at the last moment, Dalton murmured a quiet apology and returned to the kitchen. He took his time there, keeping himself busy until he could no longer put it off. The kettle whistled sharply, and moments later, Dalton joined them at the table, setting down cups in front of them and filling them with warm tea.
"Will you tell us what happened?" Koala asked, her voice gentle.
Dalton set the kettle down and let out a heavy sigh.
"It happened only about three months ago," he began gravely. "A small crew of pirates led by a man called Blackbeard invaded our country. It was then that the King, Wapol, abandoned this country."
Koala sucked in a surprised breath, and Sabo—
Sabo's lips flattened into a thin line. The statement drew an unpleasant memory to the forefront of his mind. His hands clenched into tight fists under the table.
"There is no army left on this island," Dalton continued in that same, grim voice. "During the time of the attack, the royal army immediately recognized that those pirates were too strong for them to fight against, so they, alongside Wapol, ran away from the island." Dalton paused here to stare at the two. Their reaction to his tale must have assuaged whatever had been plaguing him ever since they had arrived here, for it was with much more confidence that he spoke next.
"The people in this island don't have much faith left in the government. With only ourselves to rely on now, we have started to stand on our own feet. We want to build a peaceful, fair nation. But that man will surely try to come back and destroy everything we are working towards." Abruptly, Dalton placed his hands on his knees and bowed his head deeply. "Please, help us!"
The desperation in Dalton's voice resonated deeply in Sabo's heart. The tense muscles in his arms trembled silently as his fists clenched even tighter.
"Old man…"
There was a small echo in his mind, a flash of an image. He remembered a younger version of himself, kneeling on the ground, sobbing helplessly as smoke filled the air and the fire behind him burned and burned and burned. A dry, ashy taste gathered under his tongue.
"This town stinks worse than Gray Terminal. It smells like people rotten to the core!"
Sabo knew, intimately, that in this era, those in power were too often corrupt, rotten people who only cared about themselves and looked down on those they felt were beneath them. Even before he had regained his memory, he had known this well. He'd let the anger he felt towards this unjust, despicable world raise him to be the man he had become. But never before today had he remembered so clearly this sick, heavy feeling that sank in his stomach. How could Wapol forsake his people so easily? How could anyone?
"If I stay here… I'll never be free!"
Sabo closed his eyes. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face and his breath grew heavy. I don't… I don't want to remember this! he thought, the nausea curling deeper as the image of his father, callous and cruel as ever, loomed in his mind.
"If you have the time to sit around drawing pictures, why don't you go to your room and study?!"
His mother's voice, cold and sickeningly sweet, resurfaced.
"If you marry a royal, our family will be able to live easy!"
The bitter, lonely feeling that he had carried with him through a large portion of his childhood emerged from deep inside his heart.
"All they ever cared about was their status and fortune. There was never a place for me in that house."
"Sabo-kun?"
Koala's hand settled on his forearm, but a sudden sharp pain jolted through him as he was anchored back to the present. Sabo winced and shook off her touch to clutch the side of his aching, throbbing head. When he opened his eyes, his vision blurred.
"Shit…" he mumbled, blinking slowly through the sting in his eyes. There was an unbearable pressure in the middle of his brow, tightening and tightening as the rush of his darkest memories continued to hit him.
"Sabo?!"
The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness were the words he had once shouted with all the despair his small body could emanate, words that he had subconsciously carried with him all this time.
"I am so ashamed to have been born a noble!"
TO BE CONTINUED
On the next chapter of Chasing the Remnants! "Doubts" Sabo is forced to face his fears earlier than he expected. Meanwhile, Koala continues to worry a lot. Hang in there, Koala.
