So sorry about the long wait, I was actually in Japan and that's why I couldn't update. It's a long story but pretty much I got a scholarship to go visit a Japanese school for two weeks and live with a Japanese family (they are the nicest family in the world.) I can say from experience that One Piece is a huuuuge deal there. While I was there it won an award for selling over 300 million copies worldwide, that is the most ever sold for graphic novels. So go One Piece! Please forgive me for not updating in so long.
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"That's the town that Garp work in?" Ace asked as he fidgeted in his seat. It didn't look all that special to him.
Sabo nodded, "it doesn't look like much because their trying to keep a low profile but the town is really carefully monitored. You can't get in or out without approval. The two were silent for a minuet as their car approached the tiny town.
Sabo's plan had thoroughly impressed him. It was the kind of dangerous fool hardy thing that Ace usually came up with and Sabo denied. Through Sabo's connections he learned that Garp was in charge of overseeing Luffy's Foster case. Meaning that where ever Luffy was Garp had sent him there. If they found Garp then eventually they would find Luffy. Sabo had narrowed it down to either stealing the files from him of trailing him until he eventually led them to their little brother.
"Are we going to break in then?" Ace asked curiously only getting a laugh from Sabo. Memories of when they were kids and Sabo did the same thing flickered back to him, it really did feel like old times. Except for the fact there was no Luffy sleeping away in the backseat of complaining about being hungry.
"Being with the revolutionaries has its perks." Sabo said holding up two I.D. cards for each of them. Ace took his and closely examined it,
"You called me Mr. Hando?" He had been expecting a better fake name. Not something so lame.
Sabo snorted in amusement at the name. "Don't blame me take it up with Koala, she made these."
At the mention of the pretty red head Ace looked at his brother sideways. "So you and Koala?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sabo coughed at that one, the question had clearly caught him off guard. Instead of looking at Ace he kept his vision on the road ahead of them.
"Why would you say that?"
Ace shrugged, "She's pretty and you two seem pretty close."
This time it was Sabo's turn to turn to Ace. "Same with you and Marco, and I have it on excellent authority that you go for blonds."
He laughed at that. The next time he saw Marco he would have to tell him that one. That was pretty funny especially for Sabo. His sense of humor was usually a bit dryer and darker. In the past it was always up to Ace and Luffy to make stupid jokes.
"Stay calm." Sabo reminded Ace as they approached the roadblock that led into the town. Sabo rolled down his window as a marine walked over to them.
"What's your business in town?"
"Health inspection." Ace said holding up his fake I.D. for them to see. He felt enormously stupid for the lame backstories. He and his friends had been dreaming about getting their hands on these forever and now that they finally did it was so he could pretend to go inspect restaurants. Still the marine seemed mollified. He nodded for the other man to lift the gate so they could pass.
"That was a close one." Ace remarked dryly nearly disappointed by how anticlimactic it was. He had been expecting a little more of a struggle after all this was a marine base town.
"Don't jinx it." Sabo warned him as he pulled into a crowded parking lot and killed the engine. Ace followed suit and hopped out of the car looking around. For such a high security place it seemed normal enough. Houses, coffee shops, trees, pedestrians etc. Right now it looked like they were in a parking lot for a high school or something. It worked out well because this way no one would be able to tell Sabo's car from all the other high school students.
"So what's the plan?"
"Stay here for a second, I need to go get our passes verified." Ace nodded as he leaned against the car watching Sabo leave. Even after a day he still couldn't believe he was once again with one of his brothers. There were days were he would feel growing hopelessness at ever seeing his brothers again. Now being back with Sabo he really didn't know how he had survived being away from both of them for so long. He hoped they would find Luffy soon. The growing worry that he held for his brother was threatening to boil over. As a bell rang he watched as teens began to trickle out of their classes. Even from across the parking lot Ace could still hear the annoying jabber of high school students. Luffy was fourteen now, that meant he was already in high school. Ace's chest ached painfully at the thought. He remembered Luffy's smiling ten year old face like it was yesterday. He was always the sweet innocent one of the trio, hard to imagine him as a freshmen.
Ace scanned the students curiously. Sabo looked just like he had when he was fourteen, complete with his childish dimples and everything. Ace briefly wondered if he still looked the same. Sabo had no problem recognizing him.
The students were beginning to thin out now all of them going off to class. To Ace's mild interest a small group of friends stood in the schools yard staring directly at the streets. About eight of them all very different looking then each other. The green haired one, body builder and skull mask ones being the most noticeable. Even after the second bell rang signifying they were late the eight of them stayed there. They were talking amongst themselves and laughing loudly as they waited. Clearly they were all good friends.
Bored again Ace turned his attention to his phone. Thatch had spammed him in the few days he had been gone, each time sending him pictures of crying kittens. Marco had also shot him an angry text about the old man's wrath at learning Ace had ditched school…again.
"Are you sure he is coming?" The teenager's voice drifted over to him.
"No one's been able to contact him all weekend and he missed school yesterday."
Ace tuned them out as he deleted another round of sobbing felines. He was seriously considering blocking Thatch's number.
"LUFFY!"
Ace's head shot up at that. Had someone said Luffy or had it been his imagination?" It had definitely not been the first time it had happened, but he could have sworn he had heard it. After all it wasn't that common of a name.
He scanned the area hurriedly before his glance quickly turned to the teenagers. They were all waving excitedly as a boy ran up to them. Instantly stiffening Ace took a step towards them. Across the parking lot he could make out a head of black hair before he was tackled into a hug by the group of students. Ace took another step towards them as a blur of red came into view.
As they broke away from the hug he froze staring at the black haired boy, on his head he wore the familiar red baseball cap, much more worn out now. Even as the group of students started to enter the school Ace remained frozen staring at his little brothers face.
For all these years he had been so scared Luffy would have forgotten them. When they were split up Ace and Sabo were 13 and 14, already teenagers who had been starting to mature. Luffy however had barley been ten. Still a little kid. What if he was like a different person now? But the second he saw Luffys impossible smile he knew he had worried for nothing. Still the same kid he and Sabo had helped raise.
That was enough to unfreeze him as he started to run over to the group. Ace found his voice in time to scream his little brothers name. When Luffy didn't respond he tried again, loader this time.
Luffy froze and turned around to scan the parking lot. Ace slowed slightly waiting for familiar chocolate eyes to meet his grey ones. However before Luffy could spot him he was pulled inside the school by the green haired boy. His friends yelled at him impatiently as they began to sprint already late for class.
Ace stood shocked for a second refusing to lose his chance to hug his brother again after all these years. There was no way this could wait for the end of school. He took up running again this time faster.
Before he could even make it across the parking lot Sabo grabbed his arm slowing him down.
"Ace what's wrong?" Concerned blue eyes met his but he just continued to the school too impatient to stop.
"Sabo I saw Luffy!"
Sabo's eyes widened as he quickly followed Ace across the lawn and into the school.
"Are you sure!"
"Yes." Ace said firmly as they broke into a run into the school doors. However when Ace finally reached the inside of the school the hallways were practically deserted, he had no idea which way Luffy and his friends went.
Sabo came to stand next to him as the two of them looked down the complicated mess of hallways. This was definitely a large high school. Still Ace was far too excited to loose heart now, after all these years he was about to get his whole family back.
"What did he look like?" Sabo asked as they started down the nearest corridor. His tone matched Ace's perfectly. Clearly Ace hadn't been the only who felt guilty for missing the ending of Luffy's childhood.
Ace thought back to the brief moment he had seen his face. "He's taller now." He said thoughtfully. He had been so far away it was hard to get a good look. "He's super…Small." Ace said trying to find better words to get his point across. At least compared to Ace and Sabo he was. Still for a regular fourteen year old Ace supposed he was probably pretty normal. He looked very athletic, like the star athlete on the track team.
"I don't think I would have recognized him without his hat." Ace admitted sheepishly.
Sabo smiled secretly thanking Shanks, still watching over Luffy even after all these years.
"Let's go find him." Ace said excitedly pulling Sabo away.
XXX
I feel bad for making this a cliff hanger so here is a spoiler of next chapter
Luffy stared bored up at the clock wishing for the class to be over. Right now he had a pounding headache that was making black spots dance in the corners of his vision. Needless to say Tech was not happy with him. His gaze turned towards the door wishing he could leave already. Not that he was the best student in the first place but right now it was only adding to his pain. His ribs felt like they were going to slide out of place at any second. Besides him Chopper threw him a concerned look which he brushed off with a smile. Chopper worried too much. As he returned his blank stare to the open doorway something unexpected happened, the fire alarm rung.
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I know you want to kill me for the cliff hanger. If I continued the chapter would be really long and end on an even worse cliff hanger. I am also super bummed about it so I will try to update soon. I will do my best to put the new chapter out on Saturday. Also by that time the last paragraph might change a little bit. Now that I have two fics going I wanted to start updating this one every Friday. Seeing as it is now 12:30 am on Friday I am off to a good start. But this is also very bad because I have to be up early tomorrow to drive my OLDER brother to work, yes my OLDER brother because he can't drive and is a dum dum face. Anyway on a more mature note thank you all so so so much for reading my story it makes me so happy. Please tell me what you think. Sorry again this chapter is so late.