A/N~ Two chapters in a day because I love you guys and I just REALLY wanted to get this one out because I LOVE this part of the movie. It's like, the happy fun time before the complete cluster-cuss of everything else.

I wanted to make it longer, but I wasn't sure what else I could add to it, I'm afraid DX I hope you enjoy it regardless!

I OWN NOTHING. NOT THE SONGS, NOT ONE PIECE OR TITANIC.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10: An Irish Party in Third Class

Sabo had known something was amiss the moment Ace had slipped his hand from his, leaving behind the small note without even a twitch of his brow or a quirk of his lips as he and Luffy departed.

Watching them go, he'd quickly made sure no one was looking – Belinda was too busy chatting with the other women and Outlook and Stelly had since retreated to the smoking room with the other gents, but there was no shame in being cautious – and opened the note.

Minutes later, he was standing at the foot of the Grand Staircase at the appointed hour, his gut churning nervously despite knowing he had no real reason to be nervous. Perhaps it was due to the fact he was sort of going behind his parents back – then again, what else was new? – or it was because he'd tried and failed to decipher the true meaning behind the words scrawled on the note burning a hole into his palm.

'Make it count. Meet us at the clock.

You won't regret it.'

(Luffy's handwriting and spelling was atrocious, but readable.)

It sounded simple enough, but he wondered what their plan was. What did they want Sabo to do? Would he regret that if he followed through rather than regret not going at all?

He was driving himself up the wall. He really had to stop overthinking stuff, seriously, it wasn't healthy. Sabo shook his head, casting the doubts and worries away.

This is Ace and Luffy, he reminded himself with a firm mental slap on the cheek that almost became physical when it didn't work the first time. They wouldn't make me do anything I wouldn't want to do, or anything that could get me into serious trouble.

He knew that for a fact, after barely two days of knowing them. And yet that didn't surprise him in the slightest. He smiled to himself.

Spend a full day with someone and suddenly it's like you've known them all your life.

He took a steadying breath as he looked up, instantly spotting Ace and Luffy standing at the top of the stairs with their backs to him, studying the ornate clock with its carved figures of honor and glory. They both had their favored hats back, though they'd yet to put them on. Luffy was twitching where he stood on Ace's left, obviously hating that he had to sit still for any length of time, whilst Ace was like a statue…apart from his tapping foot.

Smiling and shaking his head at their apparent inability to be patient, Sabo climbed up the sweeping staircase.

His footsteps must have alerted Luffy, for he was the first to turn around and spot him. The moment he did, his whole face lit up like the sun and he quickly nudged Ace with his elbow. Ace turned, blinked, gaped a little, and then he was smiling too.

I wonder if they even expected me to show up.

"I knew you'd show up!" Luffy chimed, disregarding social protocol again as he leapt at Sabo, wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist in a crushing hug that made Sabo wheeze.

Well that answers that question, Sabo mused as he gingerly returned Luffy's embrace with a friendly pat on the back, holding himself back from ruffling his hair just in case. With the beaming bundle of joy still in his arms, face buried into his shirt, he looked up at Ace who, in turn, smiled fondly at the scene before him like the big brother he was, watching his two little brothers –

Sabo flinched, paling.

Two?

Since when had he started thinking of Ace and Luffy as his brothers? Since when had he included himself as one of theirs – and that he was younger than Ace, which in reality he was and that sucked – without their permission? No, no no no, Sabo was just a friend of theirs, a good friend. He couldn't ask for any more than that, not after they'd already given him so much. Besides, it was downright weird on top of being selfish to think such a thing in the first place.

I'm just a friend. Nothing more.

"You okay, 'Bo?"

Luffy's voice drew Sabo from his thoughts – he had a knack for that, it seemed – and he looked down at the big brown eyes staring up at him in concern. "You kinda spaced out for a sec," Luffy said, tilting his head the same way a puppy would, and the result was unfairly adorable.

Despite his dampening thoughts, Sabo managed a smile. "Yeah, I'm alright, Lu," he replied, his smile growing when Luffy emitted a squeak of joy at the nickname – it rolled off Sabo's tongue so easily, and Sabo wondered why, but he wasn't opposed to it. He turned to Ace, his new smile a sly and playful thing. "I'm curious, though, as to why you thought it was necessary to pass me a secret message? Are you spies on a secret mission or something and you want me to join you, is that it? I honestly wouldn't be surprised at this rate."

Ace chuckled, knocking Sabo's hat back a touch to ruffle his blond head roughly like it was second nature, and Sabo, if it were even possible, grinned harder at the gesture. "Something like that I suppose," he said.

And then Ace's smile was like that of a cat with its favorite toy, a gleam in his silver eyes to match.

Sabo was suddenly very afraid, for it was the same smile he'd adorned when he'd told Sabo to spit over the rails, and he swore to God if he had to spit here –

"You wanna go to a real party?" Ace asked. Luffy lifted his head from Sabo's shirt and snickered.

Sabo blinked.

"…bugh?"

One minute, Sabo was surrounded by splendor and perceived perfection, luxurious gowns and caviar and tedious conversations that even his starving mind chose to discard.

The next, he was surrounded by lively music, drums and fiddles, accordions and tambourines and uilleann pipes blaring loud and proud without restraint. There were cheers and shouts and 'yips' of joy and laughter, stomping and hopping and drinking and brawling all around in the third-class general room.

A man with an outlandish frizz of hair was laughing at the top of his lungs, a strange 'yohohoho!' sound that was more fitting for a pirate than a musician, and he was absolutely shredding the violin with joy as he and his band-mates played an old Irish tune with reckless abandon, stomping their feet and prancing about on what Sabo could only assume was their 'stage'.

A kid with a long nose was dancing with a blond young man with a strange eyebrow and a young lady with vibrant orange hair – Usopp, Sanji and Nami if he recalled correctly, he remembered meeting them earlier that same day – all three of them laughing fit to burst. Their hands were joined as they circled a younger boy wearing a vibrant pink hat – Chopper, or something equally cute – who jumped up and down in place with a childish giggle.

On the other side of the wide room, a woman and a very big man with oddly colored hair – and…no trousers, was Franky really Robin's husband? – were spinning across the dance floor arm in arm, the big man throwing his head back with wild laughter whilst Robin giggled merrily, her blue eyes bright and alive with mirth, fond exasperation and love for the man that spun her around and dipped her in their wild dance.

A young man with vibrant green hair – it was impossible to forget Zoro, whom he still owed big time for getting him lost on the deck – was in the middle of a drinking game with two other men on the table next to Sabo's. He was clearly winning if the crap eating grin on his face was anything to go by.

Ace and Luffy were in the center of the dance floor in the middle of some sort of incredibly complicated jig – and damn they were good – their once pristine clothes disheveled, their hair wild and free from ponytails and gel respectively, their shirts untucked and sleeves rolled up to their elbows, and only heaven knew what they'd done to their tailcoats. They were beaming like there was no tomorrow, linking their arms together and spinning around, their laughter like wind chimes, like the warmth of sunshine after a dreary storm, and it carried even over the music. Several heads turned at the sound, and all of them bore smiling faces.

And sitting at a table made for two, squashed between three other men, a drink in his hand and his cravat loosened around his neck, his sleeves rolled up, stomping his foot to the beat of the cheery Irish melody, Sabo was happy.

Scratch that, he was euphoric, laughing loudly with his head thrown back, clapping and stomping along to the beat, not a care in the world.

Ace and Luffy were right. This is a real party.

"So, you're the Sabo kid we've heard so much about, yoi?" asked the guy on Sabo's immediate left. He was strange looking fellow with a head of blond hair cut in a manner that reminded Sabo more of a fruit's leaves than actual hair, and half-lidded eyes that were a far contrast to the wide smile he wore across his narrow face. He certainly seemed nice enough, if not the slightest bit intimidating even with that odd verbal tick, but he was a friend of Ace's. That was good enough for him.

"Yes, that'd be me," Sabo almost yelled over the music and dancing still going strong. "I take it you've heard quite a bit about me, then?"

"Indeed we have, yoi. They're really fond of you."

"No kidding!" The guy on Sabo's other side, a tall man with hair that seemed to defy gravity and a slight blush coating his cheeks that suggested intoxication, scooted closer as he chugged down his drink. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you guys were childhood friends or long-lost brothers or whatever! I'm Thatch, by the way!" He extended his hand for Sabo to shake, and boy did the guy have a firm grip. "Pineapple over there is my brother Marco –"

"Oi."

"And this pretty little thing over here is Izo, also my brother!"

"I'll happily shoot that pompadour right off that block head of yours if you carry on, Thatch," said Izo, and then he smiled over at Sabo like he hadn't just threatened to shoot somebody in the face. "What they say is true, though. I heard they saved your life last night, and the three of you spent nearly the entire day together."

Smiling back, Sabo nodded and stared down into his glass, the alcoholic liquid swishing within. "Yeah, that's right. I owe them a lot, just for that," he said softly.

There was a loud crash from the table behind them. Startled, Sabo whirled around in his seat.

Zoro and Sanji had gotten into a fight, yelling ridiculous insults at each other – moss-head and dart brows? Not bad, but Sabo could've easily come up with better – and with a vicious kick, the blond cook had split the table in two, the green-haired boy barely dodging. The two were literally butting heads, glaring and snarling like rabid dogs when a man with a large hat and a braided mustache stomped over, his peg-leg clopping against the floorboards loudly. With a solid kick to both their heads with his flesh foot, the boys were down for the count, faces smashed pitifully against the ground with their butts in the air, lumps growing to comical proportions on their heads. The man – Zeff, right? – yelled at them to knock it off as a chorus of laughter erupted from the spectators, drowning out Sanji's heated rebuttal of defiance. Sabo was quick to follow suit.

How long has it been since I've seen a brawl like that? Since I've heard such loud and cheerful music? How long since I've been able to let go?

Back when he'd first escaped his parents, Sabo used to hang around the alleys and trenches were the homeless banded together, circling campfires and telling stories, dancing and singing. Barely six years old, Sabo had been enthralled by their way of living, how they seemed happy despite being penniless, dancing and prancing and singing without a care because they were free to do so. Sure they were eventually shooed away by authorities, but it was fun. Whenever there was a party going on, Sabo had readily joined in, and they had gladly accepted him despite being confused as to why a boy would seek the company of 'ruffians' in the street.

To be 'back' again, in a sense, delighted Sabo beyond belief. It was like coming come after so long and being welcomed with open arms.

Nobody cared that he was a noble. Nobody cared about wealth or power beyond what was reasonable, nobody expected anything from him. All that mattered was that they were free, to dance, to sing, to have a good time and not answer to anyone. And the people liked him because of who he was, not what, and not because of what he may or may not have had in his pockets.

Contrary to popular belief, Sabo was very broke.

"Have they asked you to go with them yet?"

Sabo blinked, realizing that Izo had addressed him. "P-pardon?"

Izo chuckled at the stutter. "I said, have they asked you to go with them once the ship docks? They really do like you, you know. We've barely known them ourselves for a few days and we can tell right off the bat."

"You're something special to them, kid," said Thatch, throwing an arm around Sabo's shoulders with a soft, knowing smile. "Even if they haven't asked you, you should really think it over. And if not them – which, really, would be dumb-ass of you – you're more than free to come along with us! Ever heard of the Whitebeards?"

Sabo nearly choked on his drink, and he spluttered as Marco unhelpfully thumped him on the back. "T-The, the Whitebeards?!" he croaked once he caught his breath. "I've come across a few of your guys back in Southampton. You're one of the largest gangs with members spanning most of the world!"

The three men grinned brightly. "Ah, so you have heard of us! Good to know!" Thatch squeezed Sabo's shoulder once more before letting him go. "We offered Ace and Luffy to join, too. Luffy seemed okay with the idea if only to make some new friends, but Ace hasn't decided yet. We hope he does. He's a good kid. Hell, all of you are."

"We don't mean to pressure you into making any decisions, yoi," Marco appeased just as Sabo was ready to keel over with the number of offers being thrown out in the open (or maybe he was starting to get tipsy). "You do whatever the hell you wanna do, kid. We just hope that whatever you decide to do in the end that you'll be happy and live without any regrets."

There it is again, living without regrets. Is this sort of thing passed around a lot or…?

Still, Sabo offered the men a smile. "Thank you. I'll think it over. Not entirely sure a big family such as yours is what I'm after, though – ah, no offense!"

Izo chuckled, Thatch laughed, and Marco smiled and shook his head. "None taken, kid, don't you worry about it," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Not everyone wants to be a Whitebeard and that's fine, yoi. But just out of curiosity, what is it that you really want to do? After talking to Ace and Luffy, I kinda figured 'freedom' was obvious, but…is there anything else you're after? Something beyond that?"

Sabo mulled the question over and over in his head, absently swirling his drink in his glass. He looked over at the dance floor, where Ace and Luffy had finished their jig and were bowing to their audience, drenched in sweat and grinning wider than Titanic herself. He looked around at the other clapping and cheering people, all happy and lively…

And then he remembered what it was like above deck with the nobles, sipping their expensive drinks from their immaculate glasses, flaunting their wealth and status.

The people down below were happy, but it didn't change the fact that they had nothing while the nobles had everything. It didn't change the fact these people were oppressed day by day simply because they were born in lesser classes, working tirelessly just for a place to rest their heads at the end of the day, whereas nobles had everything handed to them on a platter, never lifting a finger.

The world was beautiful, and it held wonders beyond even Sabo's wildest dreams, wonders he yearned to see for himself. But it was also corrupt, cruel and ugly, and held secrets that many fought to cover up to better their image.

Perhaps seeking freedom didn't just mean escaping the clutches of his parents and gallivanting into the sunset. Perhaps he could use his freedom to help others achieve it, too. He could expose those who stepped on others for their own personal gain, do some good, and shove his own heritage where it belonged.

That would work. That would be my freedom.

Sabo smiled. "I may have some ideas," he replied, but said nothing more as he took another sip of his drink. Thatch whined about 'kids keepin' secrets, that's no fun!' whilst Izo and Marco exchanged their own secretive smiles. Maybe they had an inkling of what the blond was thinking.

"Hey, Sabo!"

Looking up, Sabo smiled wider when Luffy and Ace sauntered over, still beaming like idiots as they briefly greeted Marco, Thatch and Izo. Sabo stood from his chair, grabbing his hat from the table and plopping it back onto his head before folding his arms and smirking.

"I didn't know you guys could dance at all, let alone like that," he said. The brothers only laughed.

"Yeah, we may have a few hidden talents up our sleeves," said Ace, and then without warning he reached out to grab Sabo's arm. "Now, enough talk! Come dance with us!"

Sabo's smirk promptly fell faster than an anchor in the ocean, eyes popping wide.

"Wait, w-what?" he stuttered as Ace and Luffy – who'd already seized his other arm lest he tried to get away – started dragging him onto the dance floor with everyone else as a new song started up. Instead of helping him, Marco only smiled and waved him farewell whilst Thatch and Izo laughed at his misfortune. Sabo whined. Traitorous bastards.

"No, wait, guys stop," he said, trying to tug away one more time and failing, "no, nononono I can't –"

Ignoring his protests, Ace looped an arm around Sabo's shoulder on his left, and on his right, Luffy wound his arm Sabo's waist, and then they did the same to each other. "Shut up and get with it, Sab!" Ace laughed. "This is a party, am I right? What's the point if you're not gonna get up and dance?!"

"Yeah, dance with us, 'Bo!" Luffy cheered, squeezing Sabo's waist a little more.

Sabo gulped. "But – but I don't know the steps!"

"Neither do we, just go with it!" Ace grinned. "Don't think about it, just move!"

And Sabo, after rolling his eyes with a tolerant sigh, he conceded, wrapping an arm around Luffy's shoulders and the other around Ace's waist. It was an odd arrangement for dancing, even for them, and yet it worked like fitting the pieces of a puzzle, the gears in a clock. It felt right.

And then they started moving.

"EEP!" Sabo squeaked as the three of them spun and bounced around the dance floor, only just managing to avoid others dancing around them as they skipped and hopped to the beat of the blaring, lively music.

They were awkward at first, tripping over their own feet constantly, but they all soon got the hang of it, finding their own rhythm, and delighted laughter bubbled out of them moments later. The steps were fast, complicated, and they were shining with sweat, but not one of them cared. They were having far too much fun to worry about the state of their dress.

A space opened around them and people watched them go, clapping as the band played faster and faster.

"I'm gonna be sick!" Sabo cried.

"Me, too! Sanji fed us lots and lots when we came down!" Luffy said with a laugh as they spun faster.

"My God, that was some of the best food I've ever had, I can't throw it up now! That guy is seriously the best cook in the world!"

"I know, right?! I'm gonna have him on my crew as my cook when I become a pirate!"

"You're not gonna be a pirate, Luffy!"

"Hey, let's get up on the platform!" Ace called, pulling the younger two with him to where Usopp and Sanji were currently dancing with impressive skill and synchronization.

The trio hopped onto the platform, the other boys moving to the side to give them space, and after shaking his already messy hair from his face Ace tapped his feet and twirled deftly in another jig, grinning over at Sabo and Luffy smugly as they watched, agog. When he finished, Luffy puffed his chest out with a stubborn pout, not about to be shown up by his big brother, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets and attempted to outdo Ace with his own lively jig, sticking his tongue out at the freckled man as he did so.

Cheers and laughter erupted around them.

"You try, Sabo!" Luffy said through heaving pants for breath once he was done. Everyone turned to Sabo expectantly.

Shrugging, Sabo decided he couldn't keep his public waiting any longer and tossed his hat over to Usopp, who caught it with a bit of fumbling. Flicking his head back to rid a stubborn curl from his face, Sabo planted his hands on his hips, and then he was off.

He'd learned how to dance during his third year on the streets after watching a group of traveling performers all the way from Ireland. Their movements were incredible, beautifully synchronized, and unable to help himself he'd approached them after the show and asked if they would teach him a few moves before they left for the next town. They'd been more than happy to, and he was so glad they had, for now he got to watch as Ace and Luffy's jaws fell to the ground at his dexterous footwork, shoes thumping against the floorboards and kicking high as he jumped and tapped and twirled, and then he bowed with a flourish, complete with a flick of a glove-less wrist.

The crowd went wild.

"Son of a bitch!" Ace cried with a breathless laugh, raking a hand through his hair in disbelief. Sanji and Luffy were cackling, practically leaning on each other whilst Usopp had yet to pick his own jaw up from off the floor. "You never told us you could do that!"

Straightening from his bow and panting, sweat trickling down his brow, Sabo grinned toothily. "Neither did you!" he teased back. "To be honest, though… I think the fact that I might be a liiiiiittle drunk sort of plays a factor in that," he added, pinching his thumb and forefinger together.

Ace threw his head back and laughed again. Luffy wasn't far behind.

As the band began a new song, faster and just as buoyant as the last, Ace reached out and took Sabo's hand, then he grabbed Luffy's and pulled them over. Once Sabo and Luffy joined their hands they began to spin in a circle like a merry-go-round, going faster and faster. The rest of the world was but a blur, and considering the amount of alcohol he'd just consumed, it didn't bode well for Sabo's stomach.

"Ace–Ace, no!" he cried as they picked up speed, but he was grinning wide and laughing, giddy like a child half his age. "Stop, wait, no seriously stop it's too fast – kyaa!"

"'Kyaa'?! What are you, a girl?!" Ace crowed.

"WhoooaaaaAAAAH I'M GETTING SO DIZZYYYYYYYYYYY!" Luffy hollered, laughing for all he was worth before they finally slipped on the polished wooden floorboards, tripping over their own feet and tumbling off the platform in a pile of tangled of limbs and untameable giggles.

Laying there on the floor, squashed underneath Ace and Luffy, Sabo felt tears sting his eyes even as irrepressible glee shook his frame.

Back above decks in the smoking room, the atmosphere was quiet and tame, smoke from cigars and meager chatter of politics and other such tiresome things filling the air as the noblemen sat and gathered around various tables.

Outlook and Stelly were two of the few, the older man chatting to Pell and Chaka over further arrangements for Sabo's oncoming wedding ceremony. Stelly quietly puffed away at his own cigar, not paying attention to the conversation when it had nothing to do with him.

Said conversation was brought to a halt when Bluejam arrived, tapping Outlook on the shoulder to gain his attention. The noble politely excused himself from Pell and Chaka before turning to his bodyguard. "What is it? You're disrupting an important meeting," he snapped.

Bluejam bowed his head. "My apologies, sir," he said, "but I went to your rooms to make sure Sabo was there, as you asked. The rooms were empty."

Outlook blinked. "What? What do you mean they were empty? He's not there?" he hissed. Bluejam shook his head. Outlook seethed.

Damn that boy, always causing trouble and making his life that much harder than it needed to be. He'd thought bringing him aboard a ship where he couldn't run off, where he would be able to keep a much closer eye on him and everything he did, would ensure the brat was on his best behavior until the moment they stepped back onto American soil.

Evidently, that was not the case. Instead, he only managed to get into more trouble than ever before, on a bloody ship!

Despite all that, however, luck was still on Outlook's side. He had a good idea of where his wayward protégé had disappeared to this time.

Pursing his lips into a frown, Outlook turned to Bluejam. "Go to the third-class decks. He's bound to be down there."

With them.

By the time the next song started playing, the violinist – Brook, Luffy had supplied – and his band eagerly taking whatever requests were shouted out from the crowds, Sabo was certain he was a) a little bit drunk or b) merely intoxicated due to the euphoric sensation of having the absolute time of his life.

He hadn't had this much fun since he was ten years old, wandering the streets during the festive season and admiring the beautiful lights and indulging (stealing) some of the best food he'd ever tasted.

This party was just like all of those, only much better, much louder and the food and drinks were actually free. And this time, he was with good company.

The party was still going strong even hours into the night, and there was some sort of arm wrestling competition on the table nearest to the center of the general room. Zoro, the 'undefeated champion' was up against Franky, two men struggling to overpower one another with grinding teeth and sweaty brows, the onlookers cheering them on. Robin was the appointed judge so to speak, watching each match with a focused yet highly amused gaze.

"S'cuse me!" Luffy squeezed through the observers and pinched two of their many (many) beers from the table. "Gonna grab these for Ace and Sabo. Hope you don't mind, Zoro!"

"Yeah, no problem, whatever," Zoro grunted through his teeth, not taking his eyes off Franky for a second.

Bouncing back, Luffy handed the beers to Ace and Sabo – he didn't like the taste of alcohol, and he was still too young to drink in the first place. "Bottoms up!" he crowed.

"Cheers!" Sabo quipped, and the two young men tipped their heads back and drank. Sabo was parched, all the dancing and laughing and falling on his ass draining him dry. He knew beer wasn't really the best solution to dehydration, but right now it was the only one. Besides, the beer was really good.

When he'd had his fill, he lowered his glass, about a quarter of liquid left in it. He let out a long, utterly satisfied sigh. "Damn, that hits the spot." He then looked over at Ace and Luffy, who were watching him with rounded eyes. "What?"

Ace blinked, eyes darting between his own half empty glass and Sabo's. "That…that's not water, y'know."

Sabo grinned, a sharp, sly thing. "You think a first-class guy can't drink?" he probed. He was rewarded by a shaky yet impressed grin from the older man whilst Luffy stared at him in apparent awe, eyes sparkling with admiration.

The moment was sort of ruined when some drunken guy stumbled into them, barging into Ace's back and spilling both their beers all over him and Sabo. He didn't care much – it wasn't the first time he'd been sprinkled with beer and it wouldn't be the last, plus he'd always hated his suits.

But Luffy had caught the brunt of it. And when Luffy cried out, doused in alcohol with some of the burning liquid getting into his eyes, something dangerous stirred within the pit of Sabo's chest and flashed like lightning in his eyes.

Son of a –

"Hey, get outta here!" he snarled the same time Ace did, and they shoved the stumbling drunkard away. As one, they turned to a soaking, spluttering Luffy. "You alright, Lu?" they asked, both laying a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Luffy nodded and scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hands.

Then the older pair looked up at each other in surprise and blinked.

"Hey, stop copying me!" they shouted, again, in unison. "What did I just say?! I said stoppit you bastard! WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' A BASTARD?! YOU WANNA FIGHT ABOUT IT?!"

Stuck in between them, Luffy threw his head back and laughed, clutching his sides. "Y-you, you guys are hilarious! You – you should see your faces!" he said between gasps of mirth.

Sabo and Ace, who were inches apart and formerly snarling at each other in anger but not really, looked down at the laughing teenager and couldn't fight the urge to grin back. Well, at least he was alright.

Sabo briefly wondered as he swept a strand of damp hair out of Luffy's eyes with a soft brush of his finger as the boy beamed up at him, if he'd ever cared about anyone enough to get angry over spilled beer.

A loud thump followed by smashing glasses and a resounding cheer marked the end of the arm wrestling match, and Robin declared Zoro, once again, the winner. Franky wasn't a sore loser though, and he congratulated Zoro on a SUPER job well done with a hearty laugh and a good old slap on the back. Among the spectators were Usopp, his older sister Nami, Sanji and Chopper, and the red-haired girl grinned wide and smug as she held out her hands expectantly, humming in gleeful content as the three boys reluctantly fished through their pockets and handed her what Sabo could only assume were her winnings. They all must have bet on who they'd thought was going to win.

Maybe it was the alcohol getting to his brain, or maybe it was the idea of a welcome challenge presenting him. Either way, Sabo rolled up his sleeves again and tipped the brim of his hat down a touch, the resulting shadows it cast over his eyes giving him a sinister form, complimented by a wolfish grin.

"Your strength is impressive, Mr. Roronoa," he announced as he approached the table, and all eyes fell on him. He smiled a little bit wider. "How's about you try your hand against mine?"

Ace and Luffy gaped at him, and jaws comically dropped all around. "HAH?!" they barked.

Usopp, Chopper and Sanji were right behind them, as well as several other spectators. Nami and Franky looked at each other and then at Sabo, surprised. Robin looked pleasantly amused, as always, and Zoro…

Well, Zoro must've seen something in Sabo's smile or the way he held himself so, for the green-haired lad looked him up and down with a thoughtful gleam in his eye before grinning right back, and he beckoned him to the table with an upward tilt of his chin. "Why the hell not?" he said. "Let's see what you've got."

Sabo chuckled and took a seat opposite Zoro, not bothering to remove his hat. He had a thing going on here, like Jack the Ripper or something, and he wanted to keep it up for as long as he could. He remembered how he'd done something similar back on the streets to intimidate the living crap out of whichever poor bugger he'd chosen to mug. It was just as fun against Zoro as it had been back then against lesser men.

"I'll have to warn you, though," he said with a casual air, resting his elbow on the table ready to clasp hands with his opponent, "I have incredibly strong hands. Snapped a man's wrist with one finger when I was ten."

(And that was absolutely true. Apparently, gripping pipes and climbing walls and stuff for five years did wonders to the bones in ones' hands and left Sabo with incredibly, almost unnaturally, strong fingers. He never questioned it. It made shaking noblemen's hands so much more entertaining.)

A chorus of 'ooooh's and collective shivers floated around the group gathered around the table, as well as some eager snickers. Zoro only smirked, not as intimidated by Sabo's little threat as the rest of them, or even believing it. "Hands don't matter if your arm's weak," he said. "It's called an arm wrestle for a reason – grk!"

He grunted when Sabo's hand nearly crushed the knuckles of his own, and the match hadn't even started yet.

He looked at Sabo, aghast, obviously not expecting a noble to have such a solid grip, and the noble in question grinned like the devil. "Warned ya."

"Mother of God and her wacky nephews," whispered a man standing behind Sabo – it sounded like Thatch, actually. Perhaps he and his brothers had decided to get in on the action. Sabo wondered who they'd bet on, if at all.

Zoro blinked, stunned. And then he grinned again, almost manically, a new and penetrating glint in his eye that matched Sabo's. "Alrighty then, Sabo. Challenge accepted."

His blood was on fire, his heart was thumping, people were betting for and against him, Ace and Luffy were watching and grinning with anticipation somewhere on his left, and though it was just a dumb arm wrestle of all things, Sabo was buzzing with excitement.

Robin raised her hand in the air, smiling down at the two challengers. "Alright, I assume you both know the rules by now, so we'll get started," she announced. The combatants nodded with affirmative grunts.

"Ready…set…"

She threw her arm down.

"Go!"

The battle was intense.

What Sabo lacked in upper arm muscle, he more than made up for with the outstanding and apparently painful grip he had on Zoro's hand as the two battled for dominance, fighting to pin the other to the table, never averting their eyes for an instant.

Cheers sounded all around, avid Zoro supporters shouting loud and proud and others rooting for the 'new kid'. Over all of them, however, Ace and Luffy's were by far the loudest in Sabo's ears.

"You can do it Sab, kick Zoro's ass!"

"Come on, 'Bo! You got this! Sabo!"

It was with their screaming motivation that Sabo grit his teeth, squeezed Zoro's hand harder, and with all his might he pushed his opponents hand to the table with a loud and rattling THUMP!

"Match over! Sabo wins!"

A moment of silence followed Robin's declaration, the wrestlers staring at each other in shock and disbelief. And then shouts and cheers burst forth from the crowds. Again, Nami collected her winnings (as did Sanji, surprisingly). Once again, Ace and Luffy's crowing voices trounced the others.

Sabo and Zoro sat back in their chairs at the same time and let out heaving breaths of exhaustion. Their hands ached something awful – though Zoro was the only one nursing his whilst Sabo just shook his out – and they shared matching grins.

"Damn," Zoro chuckled and stood up, hand braced against his chest. He was probably going to have to get that looked at. Good thing Chopper was on standby. "You're pretty good."

"And you are a worthy adversary, good sir," Sabo replied, dropping the early act with a short, bantering curtsy, but his words were sincere. They would have high-fived, but their hands stung like an absolute bitch and neither of them were willing to fracture any more bones than they might've already.

Ace and Luffy pushed through to grab Sabo by the shoulders and shake him in their excitement, the youngest raven doing an impressive imitation of a hyperactive bunny rabbit. "Sabo that was awesome! Your hands must be real strong to do that to Zoro!" he cried.

"You're just full of weird surprises, ain't ya?" Ace crowed, throwing an arm around Sabo's shoulders and squeezing him in a side-hug.

Sabo could only laugh. "To tell you the truth, I haven't done that in ages," he admitted.

Above the cheers and clapping, Brook's jolly and infectious laugh rang aloud in the air, all eyes and beaming faces turning to him at the peculiar sound. "Yohohoho! I hope everybody's having a good time tonight!" he called.

Yips and shouts and cries of agreement filled the room in reply, Sabo's own voice joining the uproar. Combined with the alcohol and Ace and Luffy shouting and laughing by his sides, he couldn't help it.

If it were even possible Brook grinned went wide and wider still, his violin tucked under his chin and his bow raised like a conductor's baton. "I'll take that as a yes!" he laughed as the shouting died down a little. "Alright, I understand that we have a new friend joining us here tonight from above decks, so to thank him for gracing us with his bright smile and visiting our humble abode –"

"Ain't nothin' humble about this abode and you know it, Brook!" shouted a guy Sabo only somewhat remembered meeting before the dancing had started – Jonny, right? Or was it Yosaku? Ah whatever – and his claim was met with more laughter and an accepting shrug from the tall man on the stage.

"Ah well, I suppose that's very true, yohoho!" he laughed. "Anyways, I think it's about time that we played him our favourite song to commend this wonderful occasion! What say you, Yorki?!"

Brook turned to a younger blonde man with an odd mark under his eye. He grinned wide under the brim of his ugly green cowboy hat and faced the expectant crowd. "Who here wants to sing along to another round of Bink's Brew?!" he hollered.

Excited cheers filled the room in reply, Luffy jumping up and down whilst still having a death grip on Sabo's left arm, and Ace punched the air with delight. Sabo was grinning, thoroughly confused but grinning and just as enthusiastic all the same. Hell, he was surprised his face hadn't grown numb from how much he'd been smiling, like he hadn't done so in years.

A piano played about five notes before a quartet of violins, including Brook's, followed by the light beating of a drum – drum, empty crate of beer, whatever – filled the room with delightful music once more. The tune was slower than the previous fast-paced jigs they'd been playing since Sabo's arrival, but it was soothing, a welcome change of pace.

The song had only just begun and already Sabo was lost in the melody, swaying from side to side with Ace and Luffy's arms around his waist, his draped around their shoulders.

Then the singing started, loud and joyful as ever.

Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho~! Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho~!

Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho~! Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho~!

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Bink's Brew,

Sea wind blows, to where who knows? The waves will be our guide!

O'er across the ocean's tide, rays of sunshine far and wide,

Birds they sing of cheerful things in circles passing by!

Bid farewell to weaver's town, say so long to port renowned!

Sing a song, it won't be long before we're casting off!

Cross the gold and silver seas, the salty spray puts us at ease!

Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends!

Sabo had never heard the song before. He didn't know where it originated, didn't know the meaning, didn't know why everyone was so excited to hear it, and yet warmth filled his heart like no song ever had. Every note seemed to seep and resonate deep in his very bones, and with Ace and Luffy by his side, he couldn't help but dance and try to sing along.

In the corner of his eye, he could see Robin and Franky dancing along, pressed together, hand in hand and smiling fit to burst, more so when Chopper stepped in to link his hands with theirs. Nami and Zoro were linked at the arms, swaying back and forth to the beat and belting the song together in harmony(?) with others around them. Sanji and Usopp, arms draped around each other's shoulders, kicked their legs out to the beat in a sloppy attempt at a cancan.

They were laughing. Everyone was laughing, having the time of their lives as they clapped and stomped their feet and sung at the top of their lungs. You couldn't even tap your foot to the music in first-class.

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Bink's Brew,

Pirates we eternally are challenging the seas ~

With the waves to rest our heads, ship beneath us as our beds,

Hoisted high upon the mast our Jolly Rodger flies~!

Somewhere in the endless sky, stormy winds are blowing by,

Waves are dancing, evening comes, it's time to sound the drums!

But steady men, and never fear, tomorrow's skies are always clear,

So pound your feet, and clap your hands till sunny days return~!

For the second time that night, Sabo felt tears sting the corners of his eyes even as his scarred face broke out into a mile-wide grin, even as he held Luffy and Ace closer, even as the jovial song of the sea and friendship and freedom filled the air, even as he belted along with the others with another round of joyous 'yo ho ho's.

He laughed.

God, I'm so damn happy…

A/N~ I saw an opportunity to use Bink's Brew, and I seized it. This was one of my favorite chapters to write, seriously, listening to Jig's and Reels to get in the mood was a blast XD

Reviews are writer chow :3