Short chapter, but it's been months and this is what I have so deal with it.

Chapter 9

Delta placed his hands at his sides and shook his head. "Do it again. That was all wrong."

Sweating profusely and breathing heavily, Sabo and Ace looked at their sensei with pleading eyes. Ace grimaced. "But we did everything you said exactly! What did we do wrong?"

"Sorry, are you questioning me? Do you think I'm lying to you?"

They put up their hands. "No, no, no, sensei!" Sabo said, "Just wondering, swear! Come on, Ace, let's get back in position…"

Ace looked ready to argue, then took a look at Delta's face and thought better of it. And they did the whole drill again.

Of course, they really had done it perfectly that first time, but in Delta's opinion, a little repetition never hurt anyone. Little lies were just a part of his teaching style. And let it be known, this was his first teaching job.

After another two more rounds of their perfectly done training regimen, Delta decided the boys were done for the day.

They really were getting good, Delta thought as he watched two of his three disciples shakily walk back to their home in the woods. But then, they were skilled before he came along, and nearly a two years of training had only helped matters.

He smiled. When they were older, they'd be serious monsters.

"Tell me again why Luffy isn't here?" Ace said.

"Already told you," Delta said. "He needs to learn how to use his devil fruit better, and for that, he needs some serious dedication."

"Yes, but he already can use it!"

"Not well enough. We're going in intervals in his teaching. It'll probably be two more weeks before I'm satisfied for now. It's a difficult power to understand. Rubber men have it tough, it's not simple to work with like a fire fruit."

Ace grinned. "There are fire devil fruits? That's so cool! Way better than Luffy's shitty thing at least."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's a unique devil fruit for just about everything you could think of."

"Like a rock fruit?" Sabo asked.

"Seen it."

"How about an ice fruit?" Ace asked.

"Seen it. And that's a good one."

Sabo snickered. "What about a fart fruit?"

"Aren't you supposed to be the mature ones? That sounds more like something Lu would say."

Ace smacked Sabo. "Yeah, what's wrong with you?"

"Shut up Ace," Delta said. "I saw you smile. You're no better. Just a little brat pretending to be an adult."

Ace's mouth dropped. "I did not smile!" he growled.

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Oh look, we're back at the house."

Indeed they were. Beside the log shamble of a home the bandit's stayed in was a slightly smaller shamble of a home where Delta and crew lived. Nothing special, but it worked.

Inside, Delta warmed up some meat they'd cooked the day before as dinner for the three of them. He'd get some for Luffy whenever he got back. They ate quietly, Ace and Sabo too tired from practice that day to make much conversation. Delta was okay with that.

Then they went to bed. Or Sabo and Ace did. Delta always liked to stay up till Luffy was back to make sure he was safe. Call it his motherly worrying side.

But then he heard muttering coming from the boys' room a little while later. Strange, usually they were fast asleep by then.

He knew he shouldn't have but curiosity got the better of him and before he knew it, he was at their door, listening in. He was snooping. On children. What had he become.

"How can you talk back to him like that?" Sabo asked.

Ace said, "I don't know, I just do… how can't you?"

Sabo's voice was empty. "He scares me."

"What?"

"No, I like him. He's great. He's the best teacher in the world, but… Bluejam."

They were silent for a moment too long.

"Yeah," Ace finally responded.

"That anger, that rage," Sabo said.

"That power." Near awe in Ace's voice. But also fear. More hidden than Sabo, but not invisible.

For Delta, it was like a punch in the gut.

"I think you just have to get past that," Ace said. "Remember, he did what he did to help us. He would never hurt you."

"Yeah, I know that. But it's hard. It was just so… much. Makes me feel like he's some volcano, always on the brink of explosion."

"Maybe skip a few lessons?" Ace offered. "Say you're sick of something, to get some time away from him."

"Maybe… good night, Ace. Thanks for listening."

"Anytime."

Delta walked away from that, wanting to throw up and hit himself for going against his better judgment and listening to a private conversation. Sabo was scared of him? It hurt. And not because he liked his Sabo of the future like a brother, no, four years in the past had taught him more and more to treat them all like the different people they were. It hurt because he was supposed to be a mentor, a teacher to help these kids become the power they were meant to be. He loved them. God, he was a mess.

Bluejam was an accident and mistake; a bout of anger from nearly six months ago taken to the very extreme. He'd almost forgotten about it, the kidnapping, the fire, and when he realized how it had played out the first time- Sabo losing his memories while everyone thought he died, he couldn't control himself.

People still sometimes found pieces of the pirate in random places to this day.

But he never realized how much he'd traumatized Sabo, and even Ace to an extent. Who knows what he'd done to Luffy, significantly younger than the others.

The front door opened. Luffy was back. He couldn't think about it anymore. Later.

-o0O0o-

Five days later, Delta had come to a decision. Only time would tell if it was the right one. He'd already talked it out with both Dadan and Makino, so he was good there. The boys would be fine. He had a small boat made for him out of Foosha Village, and a supply of food and water.

Like Ace said that night, maybe they just needed some distance to get over this mental hurdle.

Now he just had to tell them.

"You're what?" Luffy yelled. "No!" Tears brimmed in his eyes. Delta had to look away.

"Time to see the world and all that," Delta said. "Plus it's only for, say, a year or two. You'll survive."

"I don't wanna' survive! I wanna' be with you! Let me come with!"

"Not this time, Lu."

Ace breathed hard. "What about our training? You're just gonna' stop?"

"You guys know what to do. Even now, I'm basically glorified supervision."

"That's not true and you know it!"

"Now's not the time to be getting nice on me, Ace. You'll make me change my mind."

"Don't stop, Ace!" Luffy cheered. "We love him! Make him stay! Make him stay! Make him stay!"

"Shut up, Luffy!" Ace yelled. "I don't give a shit about him, got that? It's his training I want, not him!" He turned. "You hear that, Delta? I don't care! Got it?"

Delta just smiled fondly. "Even if you don't, I'll miss you." He looked at Sabo. "You too."

Sabo looked unsure what to say, so he kept quiet. He seemed so sad.

He was a monster, Delta thought. He turned around and made his way to the boat. "Don't forget my lessons! And keep your skills sharp!" He got in the boat, turning to his students. "You better be ten times better by the time I'm back, got it?"

"I'll be a hundred times better!" Luffy roared, huge globs of tears and mucus running down his face.

"Of course!" Ace said, almost challengingly.

Delta looked at Sabo. He seemed to be struggling with himself. Finally, his legs firmed and he shouted, "I'll become the best! Like you!" He was shaking.

"I expect no less," Delta said. "Well, see you boys later! I've got some errands to run! Have fun!"

And as he sailed off, listening to the crying shouts of Luffy, the angry yelling of Ace, and the voice of Sabo trying to calm them both down, he instantly regretted his decision. But it had to be done. For all their sakes.

Plus, for however interesting Goa was, the rest of the world was so much better.