A/N: I hope everyone is doing alright! I had a hell of a time deciding whether or not to split this into 2 chapters or leave it as one long(er) chapter and I ultimately decided to do two chapters. Because you guys have been so awesome and I didn't want to just end it like that with no warning.
VictoriaJL: Thank you! :D
Nileenax: I am a blushing mess! / Thank you! I'm so glad you like it so much!
Mullkkkkkk: Thank you! :D
Mirumy: Ahhh thank you for reading my story even though it's just in english! Gracias por leer mi historia! 33 I can't promise I'll write a story like that but I will tell you that I do have a story in the works that will take place partly in alabasta. I don't know when i'll finish it because it needs a lot of editing.
GreenDrkness: I LOVE Bonds too! It was one of my first fics too. I'm sure more asl fans have read it at this point but just in case someone hasn't, i had to recommend it ofc. (even if Mithril yells at me for it hehe 3)
Sundrawnshadow: No, thank you for reading! :D
Matt: This is an asl bros story. Tbh, except for Luffy thinking about his crew in the first few chapters I haven't even given a thought to his crew. So, no. These three are the only ones back.
Midnight: I had fun faking it ;) And same answer, No. Ace Sabo Luffy are the only ones back.
How'd your exams go? :D (I'm sure you did great!)
The voice of all things: I'm glad too! :D I think these boys are better together, forget canon xP Thank you for commenting :D
Narya Anime: He'll get there eventually. I don't really see Ace asking about her? I don't know if Ace would really care much about other pirates, the same way Lu doesn't. lol And technically Luffy did talk with Sabo about his walking-talking skeleton :D And even if they did get to talking about their nakama, you won't get shipping-type conversations from me. I'm a gen hen. No ships sailing from this port. Thank you for the comment :D
Since Sabo hadn't run off again this time, Outlook didn't put bars over his window and Sabo was more than grateful for it. It'd make things easier when he did actually escape again.
After breakfast, he was standing by the window staring outside while finalizing his plans of escape. He'd spent most of the night and morning working on them. It was all mental work, as he didn't want to write anything down and risk someone coming across it.
While he was thinking about what to do and where to hide after he set his plan into motion, he heard his door swing open. He turned around, and found Outlook standing there and doing a very poor job of attempting to hide his sneer.
Seeing Sabo standing by the window and obvious that he had been staring out it, Outlook's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"You'd better not be thinking of running away again Sabo. I already told you enough with these dumb games." Outlook told him.
Sabo had to work to not roll his eyes in contempt. He needed to watch it if Outlook was already suspicious of him just from standing by the window.
"Of course not...Father." Sabo responded, fighting back the urge to gag. Outlook looked as if he didn't believe him for a second. Sabo almost couldn't blame him, since that was what he actually had been doing.
But this whole mess was Outlook's fault, so he did blame him.
"Now, you are to resume your lessons immediately and there will be no arguments about it. You wasted so much time running around playing, that you are severely behind in your studies." Outlook told him. Sabo grimaced. This wasn't going to be fun.
"You will spend the mornings doing your lessons, and in the afternoon, you will join Stelly in accompanying me to work. Is that clear?" He asked. Sabo clenched his fists and looked at the ground.
"Yes...Father." He choked out, disgusted at the word. He didn't look up but he heard Outlook 'humph'.
"Very good. You will start immediately. Go clear your desk and get ready for your tutor." Outlook ordered him, before promptly turning around leaving, closing the door behind him.
The clock sounded deafening in the silence that followed his departure. Despite the fact that it would be worth it in the end, right now, Sabo couldn't help but feel the weight of loneliness start to close in on him.
The first few days had been nothing short of difficult. The only time Sabo was left alone was in the bathroom or at night when he was supposed to be asleep. Outlook was determined that Sabo wouldn't run off again.
The lessons weren't so bad. He had eleven years of knowledge in him, so homework was a breeze. Since he was getting caught up relatively quickly, Outlook didn't throw a fuss when he finished his lessons early each day. He still wasn't left alone of course, but it did give him some time before he had to go to work with Stelly and Outlook.
He'd outgrown the clothes in his closet, so his mother had taken him shopping for more. That was probably more unpleasant than having to go to Outlook's office.
His mother poked and prodded him as he was trying new clothes on. She chose most of his outfits for him, and they were all gaudy as hell. He did manage to convince her to buy him a set of clothes similar to what he'd worn when he was with Luffy and Ace.
She only agreed because she did like the outfit (which made Sabo not as thrilled to be wearing it). She bought him a new hat too because it was fraying at the edges a bit. That surprised Sabo. He thought he was going to have to beg her to buy him another one.
When he asked her about it, she said that even though Outlook didn't like him wearing the hat, she did. It made her proud cause it made him look like his father. The only way he didn't gag at the thought was because he didn't see what she meant, and he needed the hat.
When they returned to the house, she made him put on the gaudiest one they bought, and she paraded him around in it. Stelly could see how uncomfortable the clothes made him, so he was giggling up a storm. Sabo had to resist the urge to punch him.
The only reason he put up with it was because she had bought him the parts he needed to help him escape. She didn't realize it of course. When she asked about the parts, he explained that he saw some other noble of higher status tinkering with something similar and he wanted to try his hands at it.
He hadn't actually seen anyone tinkering with anything, but she didn't need to know that. Hearing the other noble's name she immediately agreed to it and bought him all that he needed. She was clearly delighted by the idea of him engaging in activities that might help boost their status. It made him sick.
Luck seemed to be on his side though. The entire day before and of the Celestial Dragon's arrival, Outlook had been running around doing things so he wasn't forced into his lessons nor did he have to join him and Stelly at his work place.
He was left to wander (with a guard accompanying him of course) so he headed to the docks to check out the boat he planned on stealing. Even though he was rebellious, he was still a noble so the guard didn't question him as he hopped on the boat to take a look around. He did grab the rope mooring the boat just in case Sabo tried to run off though.
Sabo didn't care. He wasn't leaving today anyway. He examined the wheel trying to calculate the size and everything of it. When he finished with that, he took note of front area of the ship. Once he was satisfied with his look around, he hopped off the boat and they left.
As they were walking back, his stomach growled. He almost forgot where he was and was about to call for his brothers so they could go hunt. Instead, he just stood there with his mouth wide open. His guard stared at him and after he showed no signs of moving, his guard asked, "Is everything alright Young Master?"
Sabo blinked and he snapped out of it. He turned to his guard and said, "Ah, I'm fine. Just...readjusting to being here again.."
The guard nodded in understanding. "Your father left some money with me in case you were to become hungry. Shall we go and find you something Young Sir?" He suggested.
Sabo fought back a scowl; he wanted to say no, because he didn't want to rely on that man's money if he could help it but his stomach growled again and left him with no choice in the matter. Sighing, he started towards where some food places were. He almost stopped in at the ramen shop but changed his mind.
He wouldn't eat there. Not without his brothers.
He stopped in at some buffet he couldn't be bothered to remember the name of. After startling the staff and his guard with the size of his appetite, he decided to head "home" to begin working on his plan.
He had already started work on the motor that he was going to need the same day that his mother bought the parts for it. His parents simply took him throwing his all into his work as proof that he had finally given up on those "silly pirate games".
He finished work on the motor halfway through the day before the Celestial Dragon's arrival so he turned his attention to getting everything else ready for him to leave. This mainly involved him stapling his outfit together that he was going to be using as his decoy. He would have sewn it but he didn't have the materials to do so. (Nor did he have the patience for it, but that was beside the point.)
Once his clothes were all attached together, he scrounged around his room for anything he could use to stuff his "dummy". He used the paper for his homework, he tore out pages from the books around his room, anything he could find. Once his clothes were full he stapled his hat to the top. The size wasn't exactly right but from a distance it should be good enough to look like it's him on the boat. He made sure there were no holes and once he was satisfied he hid his dummy under his bed. He left the motor where it lay on his desk; there was no need to hide it since his parents knew he was working on it.
Hiding it would probably just make them more suspicious.
That night was an annoyance in more ways than one. It just seemed to drag on slower the more he wanted it to be finished with.
Dinner was a noisy affair as Outlook had thrown a small party and was bragging about something or other to the other nobles that attended. His mother stuck him back in the itchy, ugly outfit from before for the party.
He had to grin and bear it. It would all be worth it in the end after all. Only a few more days and he'd be back with his real family. Once the party finished without a hitch, Outlook was too drunk to fuss at him as much as he normally did.
After a few hours of pretending to be asleep, he sat up and grabbed the machine and the dummy. He packed all the other stuff in a sack and jumped out the window. He headed straight to the dock to set up for tomorrow. Before reaching the docks, he stops by the entrance the harbor area and where he thinks the crowd will generally end. He pulls a few barrels together off to the set and sets his bag with his hat, clothes and shoes in it, behind them. He moves them around and doubles checks that it doesn't look suspicious. Once satisfied he heads toward the dock and climbs into what was now his boat. He mumbled a quick apology to whoever he was robbing.
"It's for the greater good. Well, it's for my good anyway."
He sets his stuff down and gets to work setting his machine up. He had programmed a set direction and once one, it should take the boat on the same path he took last time. He attached the motor to the very bottom of the rear end of the boat. There were two lines connected to it. One led to the button to start the motor and the other that he attached to the wheel. It had a small propeller to help push the boat. He was still going to have the sail unfurled and was going to use the wind to help move the boat.
The motor was small and could push the boat on its own if need be. He just didn't want to rely on it so he hoped there would be some wind. He couldn't have it too big or risk someone hearing it. Once that was finished he grabbed a rope that was the on the boat and tied the boat to one of the pillars of dock under the water. He then undid the rope holding the boat above the water. Less work for him the next day.
He dug out a knife and some binoculars, and laid those on the table next to button for the machine.
Next, he got to work setting up and attaching his dummy-self to the wheel of the ship. That didn't take long and soon he was getting off the boat to head back.
"Oh! One last thing." He remembered. He hid a cloak he'd grabbed under one of the barrels on the dock.
Now that he was finished with his preparations, he headed back to the house and hopped back into bed. He needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was a big day after all.
The next day arrived all too slowly and way too quickly. Sabo didn't need to be woken by one of the staff for all the noise in the house. His mother was fussing, loudly, about what she should wear. Outlook was answering lots of calls that kept arriving, even though he was nursing a hangover, he also was being quite loud. Sabo didn't care what Stelly was up to.
Over breakfast, Outlook announced that while Sabo's behavior had improved, Outlook still didn't trust him not to run off. Sabo fought off shrugging. He couldn't exactly blame him since that's exactly what he would be doing today.
Once the guard had been set up in his room, Outlook brought him into his room and not so gently ordered him not to try any funny business. Sabo just grit his teeth and nodded. While Outlook was double checking with the guard one last time to "not take his eyes off of Sabo for even one second", Sabo just walked over to his desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.
Outlook was pleased to see that Sabo was finally resigned to his fate and taking his studying seriously. Satisfied he took everybody and Sabo was finally alone.
Well, almost.
But it was a matter of time before his guard fell asleep again.
In the meantime, he sat down and began writing his letter to his brothers. Several drafts (and crumpled pieces of paper) later, he sat back, satisfied. A snore interrupted him admiring his work. Chuckling, he looked over and, sure enough, the guard was fast asleep. This job was no less boring than it was the first time.
He folder his letter and put it in an envelope and left. He didn't even bother to give one last look to the room or the house he grew up in. He didn't care. It wasn't his home. He hated the place. He walked right out the front door and straight to the post office. Since today was a "holiday" it was closed but tomorrow the letter would be sent and that's what mattered.
Now that he was finished attending to his last matters here, he turned, facing towards the harbor. HIs gut twisted in stomach, for multiple reasons.
Nervous: hoping he would be able to pull this off without a hitch. Things had changed a considerable amount; maybe the Celestial Dragon wouldn't shoot at him this time? He scoffed. No. The idiot would still take a shot.
Excited: he almost felt like his older self again, taking on another mission. Reckless endeavors such as this were what he was used to, albeit not with him so tiny and powerless, but oh well. Slightly scared: what if..what if this whole plan fails? What if he has to go back to...there. He was getting nauseous at the idea of it. He didn't know if he could actually live with himself if he had to go back.
Lonely: he missed his brothers. A lot. He couldn't wait to see them again. He just hoped that this plan of his worked and that nothing else changed so he could safely return to them.
Shaking his head, he was done thinking on the matter. He didn't want to be late and, more importantly, he didn't want to psych himself out. So, he set off. His path took him wide of the harbor; it wouldn't do for anyone to see him and stop him before he could even reach the water. Since he had swung by the area overnight and set everything in place, he had nothing on his person that he needed to set aside as he reached the land's edge. He didn't even have his hat. In fact, he was wearing just shorts and a simple tank top. The less amount of clothing he on him, the swifter he could move through the water.
He checked his position; he was to the side of the harbor's edge, as close as he dared to go. He entered a bush right on the water's edge and pulled some of the branches aside, enough that he could see, but not enough that any of the busybodies with binoculars could easily spot him as they wait for the Celestial Dragon to arrive.
Figuring it was about time for him to be heading off, he quickly slipped into the water. He took a massive breath and then dove under water. He began swimming in the water along the path that he had mentally drawn for himself. He would swim as quickly to the closest edge of the harbor wall as he could, and he would use that as cover if he needed to take a breath anytime. He was certain no one would be looking at the walls or even the water right at the wall's edge so he knew he'd be safe from sight.
As he swam, he let his mind wander for a moment. He was always fascinated with how different things were under the water's surface. Everything seemed to be in motion yet so still at the same time. The quietness was almost soothing. He appreciated the way his body was easily able to navigate through the sea.
He really did feel for Devil Fruit users. This was an experience he'd be sore to have to lose out on. If he had been able to find Ace's fruit before he'd come back, he knew he'd miss this.
But as things were, that didn't really matter so much anymore so he brought his attention back to what he was doing. His breath was running out so he popped up and took a very fast breath before diving back under the waves. He swam towards where the boats had been docked. He counted the shadows on the water's surface till he arrived at the one he'd be stealing. He swam to the side out of view of the audience and hauls himself onto the boat as quietly as he could.
He did a quick sweep of the place, making sure everything was in place. Once he was done with that, he grabbed a pair of binoculars that was on the boat and faced the horizon. He was able to make out the approaching figure of the Celestial Dragon's ship. He smirked, placed the binoculars back down while picking up the pocket knife that he had left lying there the last night. He walked to the back of the ship and pressed the start button on the motor. After he unfurled the sail, he left the ship the same way he'd entered it.
Back in the water, he swam towards the pillars of the dock. Already he could see the rope losing slack as the boat started to pull away from shore. He quickly pulled out the knife and cut the rope before it started pulling on the dock. The last thing he needed was for the dock to be destroyed and have attention drawn to the boat before it was well on its way.
He kept hidden under the dock until he heard the commotion of the crowd having finally noticed his ship. He peeked his head above the water and once he was certain that everyone was sufficiently distracted he pulled himself up onto the dock. He grabbed the hood he placed under the barrel and put it on and slipped into the crowd.
He began weaving his way through the crowd, making sure to keep his head down but also trying to keep away from anyone who might recognize him. Halfway through the crowd he heard the Celestial Dragon's shot ring out followed by the sound of his ship exploding. He didn't turn to look and instead kept moving.
Reaching the back of the crowd, he headed where a cluster of barrels sat. Once hidden from view by the barrels, he turned and looked towards the ocean one last time. He paid no attention to the mumbles and cries of distress, nor the flurry of movement amongst the gathered audience.
The boat went right where he had wanted it to go and right on schedule, the Celestial Dragon did indeed shoot at his ship. Pleased that his plan worked, he smirked. Deciding not to linger any longer, he turned and continued onwards towards the forest, as the flames from the boat explosion lit up the harbor and the smoke filled the sky.
He had originally planned to just lay low in the forest that night, but it wasn't as simple as he had intended. (Of course, it wasn't. He shouldn't have been surprised.) There were still a few lingering guards checking the forest to make certain that absolutely no one had survived the fire.
So instead of calmly resting and waiting the night out, he had to play hide and seek with the guards. Not that they knew he was there, of course, but it was still a pain making absolutely certain to stay out of their sight.
Finally having enough of it, he waited for his chance and made a break for further into the forest. He found the tallest tree he could as quick as possible and scampered up it. Exhausted from being on edge and all the running around he fell asleep.
That night he dreamt.
Children ran through a forest laughing and smiling.
A youth stood on a ship laughing with his friends.
The same thing but a different youth.
And then another one.
There were explosions. Gunfire. Just fire.
A youth engaged in a difficult one on one fight.
And another.
Another fight with another youth.
And another with another.
All the fights started blurring together.
More explosions.
More gunfire.
More fire.
Blood. Lots of blood.
And then…
He woke up.
Next chapter is the last chapter! It will be posted tomorrow. Probably. If my dumbass self don't forget to.
