:note:

*re-appears*...My health at the moment is, poetically put: "Quite shit."

...So, until I am better again there will be a delay on chapters. This shouldn't last forever, and hopefully by the end of next month the updates will be back to normal!

Disclaimer: I swear there's some manga writers who don't even know what fanfiction is.

(P.S ...I didn't mean to make Sabo and Haruta a couple xD.)


Fate must really despise Ace.

Bad luck stalked the man, similar to the way animals stalked their pray before killing them off.

Why was Ace thinking this though?

He wasn't a lucky man.

Afterall, the word 'luck' isn't a word many people would say to explain a situation such as being thrown off the roof of a colosseum by an imaginary Voice in your head. Not only that, but now he was waking up to a sweaty; obviously panicking man carrying him on his back. Not the way Ace had expected or preferred to have been woken up too.

That is- he wasn't expecting to wake up at all.

Before he had time to frantically check the should-be wounds on the back of his head, the running figure halted in his tracks, clearly searching for something in the ocean? in front of them, a slight sigh escaping his lips as he search failed.

Thinking this was the best time to escape, Ace slowly leaned back, doing his best not to alert the carrier of his aching body that he was awake; before the said carrier turned his face round to face Ace.

Ace had to blink multiple times to make sure what he was seeing wasn't an illusion, his pupils widening within seconds.

"Vis-?!"

Suddenly a gush of wind blew his words away as the Vista-look-alike suddenly ran into a deserted corner, throwing Ace off the carrier's back and onto the floor harshly;causing his aching pains to peek again, his mouth scowling. "Vista! What..."

Seeing that he was again back on solid ground, Ace immediately reached up to check the wounds on his head, preparing for the pain to soar down his neck. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, gripping the back of his head harder to make sure what he was feeling wasn't his head becoming numb.

That wasn't right.

It, it had felt fine, perhaps even better than it did before he had fallen.

Turning his hand into his fist,clenching his fingers, Ace's eyes glazed over in thought.

That's impossible though. Wasn't there blood pouring from my hea-

"A-Ace...No way. That can't be you?" Words suddenly broke Ace from his thought, the said ex-commander peering his eyes up to the stuttering man before him; guilt passing through him as he saw the pained look of his old friend's eyes.

Deciding it would be best to fill the silence, Ace shook his head, weakly smiling as he stuttered out his words. "Vista, is that really you?"

Immediately as those words were said, Vista rushed over to Ace; throwing his arms around the freckled one's as his body began to shake. "It's a miracle!"

Surprised, Ace screamed a little, unable to breathe due to the swordsman grip around his body. "Air, air Vista! I need to breathe." The guilt hardly faltering with those words, Ace furrowed his eyebrows, inwardly agreeing with the mustached-man's statement.

Bringing a tissue to his face, Vista cleared up his eyes, before throwing the said tissue at Ace's face. "H-how are you even alive?! You died in front of all of us, there was no way you could survive a hit like that! Does this have to do with you not being in your grave? But that's impossible, someone stole you from there."

Flinging the sodden tissue away, Ace turned to Vista with widened eyes; getting up from where he was sat. "You were at th-my grave? When?"

"..." Vista went silent, his arms beginning to shake.

"...Vista?" Ace questioned again.

Seeming to ignore the freckled man's question, Vista eyes shadowed, his thoughts obviously plaguing the conversation they were having.

"That can mean only one thing."

Confused, Ace moved closer, reaching out to the now silent swordsman. "What can do you mean, one thing?"

Finally moving from the spot he was glued too, he slowly un-sheathed his sword; picking up the pace of his feet as he shouted towards Ace. "I hope that somewhere, up there in the heavens, you can hear me Ace! I wont let anyone control your body like this! You bastard-!"

Ace blankly stared at him, repeating in his head what his companion just said. "..."

...W-what?

Barely moving inches away from Vista's attack and out of his thoughts, Ace quickly leapt to the side, gulping as he stared at the wall behind him sliced in half, then inwardly shitting himself as he peered over to receive the furious glare which Vista was throwing him.

His mouth suddenly becoming dry, Ace stared with his pupils enlarged, barely uttering out two extremely accustomed words from his mouth. "Oh shit."

Swinging his sword once more, Vista blatantly ignored all the signs of civilization; crushing the houses and stalls around him, causing for people surrounding the area including Ace to scream and run to safer places.

"Y-you scum! You'll die for what you've done!"

Peering his head around his shoulder, Ace ran rapidly down the center of the street, grinding his teeth as he came to a halt; deciding in trying to calm down his fired-up brother. "V-Vista!- shit." Another attack pin-pointed towards Ace, the ground shattering in front of him as he ducked once more into another shadowed street. "You have the calm down. I know it seems completely impossible but it's really m-"

Still though, Vista ran towards Ace, ignoring all attempts at conversation as the swung the sword at Ace's neck; wind gushing behind him as his sight was filled with a street without his target. Turning around in the opposite direction, he spotted the man rushing into a house, flinging the door behind him shut.

Kicking open the door without struggle, Vista sprinted up the stairs; slightly growling at the returned sight of his half-dead brother standing by an open window.

Seeing the place as a dead-end, Ace gulped, turning around the face the un-pleasant sight of his enraged brother; bringing up his hands once more as he took a step back. "Vista. It's me. Ace. Your brother."

Looking to see no recognition of accepting that fact on Vista's face, the fire-thrower twitched; clenching his fingers into a fist as he continued to shout back at his brother.

"U-uh I have proof!" Ace began to awkwardly laugh, bringing his hand behind his head as the sent the man a half-hearted smile. "Do you remember that time when your top-hat went mysteriously missing and turned up in your cabin with it dyed pink and fake bunny-ear's attached to it? Well what' you know? It was me. Isn't that funny? There's no way that anyone else knows about that incident so how about you stop attacking me now."

"..." Vista continued to stare dangerously at Ace, causing the said fire-thrower to inwardly sweat-drop.

Okay. So maybe that didn't help the situation.

"Not only do you steal his appearance," Finally muttering out words, Ace brought all his attention to his brother, eyes narrowing at the threatening tone he was using. "But to steal his memories as well!" Vista started to shake once more, bringing his sword closer to the fire-user, holding it horizontally towards him. "You will never be forgiven!"

Twitching, Ace brought up his fist hesitantly, not wanting to fight back against his brother. "I already told you Vista it's not like th-" Yelling interrupted his words, as the floor below him suddenly shattered from another one of Vista's sudden attacks, causing him to jump back; completely forgetting about the open window behind him. "S-Shit!"

Falling from the window with shock, Ace crashed down onto a building below; easily breaking through the ceiling and down into a hole?- which was placed in the building itself, before crashing into someone below.


Haruta stared at Sabo with narrowed eyes, her senses peeking every time a sound was echoed around her.

Easily noticing the commander's uneasiness, Sabo raised an eyebrow, ushering the waitress dressed in clothes representing a bumble-bee to another table. "Is there something that's bothering you?" He asked bluntly, causing the said commander to twitch and send her gaze somewhere else.

"How can you not recognize it?" Haruta's sight peered over to the place where everyone in the restaurant was staring at, their faces mortified with shock.

Smirking as he too glanced over to the sight, he laughed, flinging his hand up in the air with his finger straightened. "Have you never seen a hole before?"

Twitching again, Haruta turned to face the smirking man, grumbling under her breath. "Of course I have!" Placing her elbow on the table, she held her chin in her palm. "Just not in a place like this. Don't act like it's not weird."

Bringing his hand down, Sabo nodded, keeping silent as he brought the cup placed in front of him to his mouth; slowly sipping it's contents and placing it back down. "I admit, I am curious on how such a hole got there in the first place, but you've got to stop staring at it like that. Your face might stay that way."

Jolting from her spot, she inwardly hissed at the man; grumbling more under her breath as she saw him smirk once more. "Yeah, yeah." Bringing her other hand up, she waved it in the air, trying best to steer the conversation. "Anyway, I've been wanting to ask you this the whole time, but why have you brought me here?"

Tilting his head at such a question, Sabo blinked, sending a grin at Haruta. "For something to eat."

Eyes slightly widening from the idiocy of the blonde, she slipped her chin from her palm, banging her head harshly on the table, a "Tch!" followed by a sigh passing her lips as she held her head. "I know that! But why do you want something to eat?- And don't you dare say because you were hungry."

A chuckle suddenly split from the blonde's mouth, causing Haruta to raise an eyebrow. "Why, do you have a problem with the food? I here they serve fantastic Lemon Souffles here." He said, his stomach grumbling loudly.

Haruta continued to stare at the man with a dis-pleased look, making Sabo smile. Bringing his hands up in the air, he tilted his head, sending Haruta a small smile. "Would you believe me if I said that I just wanted the good company of someone whilst I eat?"

Instantly grabbing the fork placed by her and throwing it towards the blonde's head, she sent him a irritated look, a threatening glaze directed at the blonde. "Don't think I'm an easy push-over for your words Sabo. Tell me honestly why you brought me here."

Bringing his hand out of sight and instantly in front of his face, Sabo's smile faltered, gently placing the fork down onto the table once more; silence suddenly balancing between the two. Haruta kept her gaze at the man, not twitching once at either movements he did.

Sighing, Sabo leaned forward, whispering out his words. "Because Haruta, both of us have a common goal in mind."

Leaning back slightly, Haruta narrowed her eyes, listening intensely to the man's words. "A common goal?"

His smile growing wider at the others acknowledgement, Sabo lifted up a newspaper which was placed by his side, putting it less-than-gently onto the table. "You were a crew-mate of Portgas D. Ace, correct?"

Twitching at the mention of his name, she sadly gazed down to the newspaper placed in front of her, biting her lip as she thought how to answer the question. "What of it?"

"Then you would agree that this whole competition for his devil-fruit is repulsive and something that must be stopped, no matter what." Sabo immediately responded, his face suddenly becoming shadowed from the light.

Startled by the sudden question, she continued to stare at the newspaper with widened eyes, easily noticing the emotion the man was showing before her. Swallowing her words down, she faintly nodded, her eyes becoming glazed once more as she thought of the events which had happened recently. Shaking her head out of her thoughts, she turned her look away from the newspaper and onto Sabo, curiosity edging in her voice. "Why would you care about that though?"

"..." The blonde remained silent, it being the first time since she met the man, slightly unnerving Haruta as she looked on. Twitching again, she banged the table harshly with her hands, ignoring how loud she was being as she startled Sabo from his thoughts.

"I'm guessing that you want some kind of help from me, correct? So you can at least tell me why you want to do, whatever it is you're planning to do."

Staring at her with empty eyes, he smiled ever-so-slightly, nodding. "If you want to know," He ushered silently, mirroring Haurta's actions earlier by placing his chin in his palm; his eyes directed at the newspaper.

"The reason is purely personal. For I can't stand by and let my brother's devil-fruit to be taken away as easily as that."

Silence.

Piecing together each word, Haruta stared at the man with huge pupils; stuttering out her words. "W-Wait."

Holding her hands in front of her, allowing for her previously threatening position disappear, she gaped at the man. "Hold up a second. Did you just say-?"

Nodding once more, Sabo looked up from the news-paper, forcing a smile. "Ace, he's my brother."

"..."

"Are you feeling okay? You're not looking so good."

"..."

"Haruta?"

Barely stuttering out her words, Haruta blinked a few times, before screaming a loud "EH?!" and once again banging her head onto the table.

Smirking, Sabo laughed weakly at her actions; nodding his head as he sighed out his words. "I don't get why so many people react like that when I tell them."

"Y-you're nothing alike!" Haruta bellowed, once again ignoring all signs of quieting down as she brought her head up from the table. "You really expect me to believe a stranger I met in the middle of nowhere to be Ace's brother?!"

"Ah." Sabo pointed his finger up, causing Haruta to lean back further, but still capture her attention. "You're wrong there. This isn't just the middle of nowhere now, is it?" Haruta blinked, her eyes saddening at the recognition of his words, her head slowly nodding. "And that is why I want you to help m-"

'PURUPURUPURUPURU'

"Huh?" Haruta jumped from her seat, alerted by the familiar noise which came from the blonde's pocket; raising an eyebrow the blonde sighed with irritation.

"Well then." Sabo said with a grin, clapping both his hands together as he stood up from his seat. "It is a shame to be leaving you this soon Miss Haruta, but I must go."

Blinking, Haruta just stared at the man blankly, her eyebrows twitching once more at the man's declaration. "...What?"

Putting the Transponder-Snail on silent, he slid another object out of his pocket, placing it in front of Haruta. "It seems my colleague has finally wondered where I have run off too."

Staring at the item he placed onto the table, he turned his head away. "Please do try your best to be at the right place and the right time, I'll be counting on you." Sending Haruta a smirk before she could question once more, he turned away towards the exit, leaving Haruta staring at the item in shock.

"Did he just?" Her eyes shadowing, she gripped hardly on the edges below the table, flinging the table high into the air, alerting the other customers, as she bellowed towards the exit. "T-that idiot! He seriously thinks he can just leave me here like this?!"

Leaving the wreckage behind her, she stormed her way towards the door; fuming by the ears as she ignored all the shouts and warnings around her.

Suddenly, she collided with something that was falling above, sending her and the thing?- into the direction of the hole and down underground.

Cursing as she hit the floor with a crack, she whipped her head round to see that thing that she collided with, halting at the sight.

Gasping, she stuttered; her heart undoubtedly missing a beat as she stared into the eyes of an old friend's face, tears immediately swelling up in her eyes.

"...Ace?"


Long note, I'm sorry D:

Sorry for the fact that was mainly an Sabo & Haruta chapter, but this helps the storyline. AND ROBIN AND USOPP ARE APPEARING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. So don't kill me :D

Replies:

xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: I know D: You've gotta love him though :D I am really excited/dreading to write that chapter where they fight, 'cause I know that I'll wanna get everything right. I hope you enjoyed this chapter s'well!

Eternal-DreamWriter: No problem! At least I'm not the only one :,) It's so horrible though! & I have updated!

yukiko hyuga-chan: I'm glad you enjoyed the previously chapters... Sorry about messing them up! I love Vista. I did ever since he appeared with that amazing mustache of his. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

HarukaSennen: Lucky! & I have updated! I hope you enjoyed it!

aqua-empress: Thanks! I kinda just ramble on them. I was ill when I wrote that, so the words I wrote probably didn't make sense half the time-hence why Vista is a crybaby, and Sabo is a flirt. I didn't mean that Sabo and Haruta stuff in a -ughthatissocringeworthy- kind of way. But you'll probably find that out soon :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

scatteredPhilosopher: Mauaha. Yeah, I like that description of Vista! Luffy may/may not be in trouble there. Whoops. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and good luck with your ficlet!

FayTheFreedom: I haven't wrote that much in of Luffy yet, only of times when he will seem angsty-like. I am all for non-angst-Luffy. I'm glad you like it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

CrazySarahify: That fight...Oh dear lord. What have I gotten myself into writing?! :D And yes! I have updated!-I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

fairyofthelake: Poor Vista...I'm glad you found it funny though! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Satirates: Do not fear! With the trusty help of my knowledge of all languages -aka Google Translate- I understand what you're saying! So there's no problem about writing it in French, I don't mind! And the fight? That is going to be a longgg chapter. No problem! And thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

RobinLynnSpade: Hehe, I'm glad you enjoy them! Honestly I think I just ramble on too much. I may have made Vista change moods radically, one minute he's shocked and lost for words, the next he's crying and then he's angry. Whoops. Marco signed with his real name, being badass like that. :D Believe it or not, I was wondering whether Luffy should find out Ace is alive by using a scenario like that...But naaaahh. Not dramatic enough ;D I-I need to write shorter replies o_o"

02FireRains: *joins in with your shouting* NO VISTA! NOOO. I was honestly no where near thinking I was writing anything Sabo/Haruta moments...But it happened. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

sairakanzaki: H-he hasn't :D I already have planned how that is going to happen. And Ace's reaction should be valid when reading this chapter, I mean the man just got pushed off a building! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

uncageduzu: Thanks! I have updated! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the review!

Purplela Vanilla: Whoops. I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. The feels when Sabo appeare- (read the manga :D) I always was searching for a story like this, and seeing there was none, I shrugged a lil' and decided to make one myself! You have no idea how much relief you have given me by saying that. I wanna' keep Ace's character -in check. I myself feel sorry for Vista. Didn't- kay maybe I did. Mean to do that to him. I have updated! I hope you enjoyed it :D

MelodySchnee: Ah, kay. ACE-SWAN IS OKAY. You like Sabo/Haruta?... I didn't mean to write it, but if more people like it than hate it, I'll keep it. Long live...SaHa? Can't blame the crew for not knowing what they don't know... OUR AMAZING PINEAPPLE IS GOING THROUGH SOME... I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Diclonious57: That's one of the many mysteries that will be revealed :D

sakura240: Okay. Two people. LETS DO THIS. Hi Kura and Berry! Everyone seems to be looking forward to that fight, even myself. Should be a couple of chapters before it happens though. I honestly never thought of that. He'd need to make another 2 of himself so he could cheer for all of them! I have another chapter!- So I hope you enjoy it!

Lady of the Shards: I'm glad you find this story exciting! Sorry about the delay, but I have another chapter for you! I hope that you enjoyed it!

Thankyou for reading! :D

-KayaaHiko