I decided to give you some very blatant clues with this one :P Though there's still a lot hidden that you'll have to look for. Oh and I drew Sabo :D If you're interested in seeing the video of me making it you can visit my YouTube channel (link is on my profile). And some awesome people made fan art! Someone even drew Sabo which is awesome XD You can find the links on my profile.

Also I've added the omake to the last chapter if you wanna check it out.

Oh and you get to see Sabo's morbid side :D

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and got nothing interesting to say.

"Evening, gentlemen," a bemused voice rang against the stone walls, causing all present to search around for its origins. Eventually their gazes rested on a dark silhouette in the far corner of the room. They could faintly make out the figure's white teeth as his mouth curved into a wicked grin. "It has been far too long."

Marco's eyes narrowed. He hadn't heard that voice in a while, he mused. He wasn't sure if he was glad to see him again. Something told him that the Blue Gentleman had been hiding things from them and he hated going along with him but had no choice—most of the gang refused to hold a funeral for Ace until they had Blackbeard's head and he knew that having as informed an individual as him on their side was to their advantage. Plus, he couldn't leave his fellow commander without a proper send-off, right? That's why Oyaji agreed to ally with such troublesome kid, but he still didn't like it. If it was to avenge Ace, though, he would tolerate. "You finally showed up yoi."

"Indeed I have." The man, still veiled in black shadows, removed his hat and gave a mocking bow. Once the accessory was placed atop his head once more he shoved gloved fingers into his opposing sleeve, pulled out a small rectangular device and threw it on the ground in front of the commanders. They all studied it curiously. "And I've brought treats. You'll find the recording on that to be quite fascinating." Of course, I've saved the best for myself.

"What is it?" Thatch asked as he stepped forward and picked up the black box.

"It's a tape, my good man."

"I know that! What's on it?"

Sabo's smile widened and he adjusted his coat. "You'll just have to watch and see, now won't you?"

Marco growled and grated his teeth. He hated how that boy seemed to treat everything like a game. "Stop playing around," he commanded in a low, dark voice.

Sabo's smile shifted from amusement to contemplation. He felt like using the commander's irritation to stir up some trouble. "You want to know if it mentions Portgas, hm?" Their silence confirmed his theory. "I must admit I find it interesting how attached you were to the boy."

Marco bit his lip as the Blue Gentleman lowered his head and neared, hiding his face with the rim of his hat. He stopped right in front of the phoenix. His mouth was all Marco could see—a wicked smile that ran across his face. And then he slipped a piece of paper into his hands before continuing on past him to Whitebeard himself. The Blue Gentleman gestured a nod before proceeding to the room's second exit on the far wall, leaving in a much more casual fashion than before.

After watching the blonde walk out, Marco turned his attention to the folded paper in his hand. When he opened it his mouth gaped and eyes opened wide. It was a picture of Ace's face, his eyes closed. He dashed out of the room and chased after the ally in the dimly lit halls. Surprisingly he managed to catch up to him; he hadn't pulled a vanishing act like he did before.

The commander grabbed onto the man's shoulder and stopped him.

"What the hell is this yoi?"

"If I had to guess, it's your comrade's face," Sabo teased, not turning around.

"Cut the crap! What… Where did you get this?"

"You know," Sabo began, "I found it strange that you got so depressed when he died. I understood that the members of your gang treated each other as family, but you seemed to take his death the hardest."

"Answer the question yoi."

"But then I came across something interesting."

"Oi, I said—"

"It's admirable of you to take in a boy from the slums." He felt Marco's hand twitch. "I find it curious, though, that I can't seem to find out anything about him from before that point. Why is that?"

"…" Marco released the Blue Gentleman and allowed his arm to fall to his side. The other began walking away immediately but he didn't bother to pursue him.

"I expect an answer when next we meet," Sabo stated, waving as he turned the corner at the end of the hall.

This should be fun.

Sabo grinned as he readied his latest recording. It wasn't from Blackbeard's hideout that time, though—no, it was Whitebeard's. After being so caught up in what the traitor was doing he completely forgot about his suspicions of the old man's intentions and did nothing to learn more. Earlier that day when Luffy told him that Ace was about ready to return to Low Town, however, he was reminded. Before his uninvited visit to their leader he snuck around the hideout, placing tiny surveillance and recording snails wherever they would go unnoticed, just as he had done with Blackbeard weeks earlier. He didn't have visuals before, though.

The blonde was most excited to see the phoenix's hidden reaction to that photo. Law had a habit of taking pictures of his patients throughout their recovery to see how well it was going. He didn't trust his memory, for various reasons.

That picture specifically was taken right after Ace's surgery and due to blood loss he could easily be mistaken for a corpse. No doubt Marco made that assumption when he unfolded the paper. Sabo knew it would cause the commander to be more suspicious of him now that he saw his comrade's photographed 'corpse' but was willing to take the risk in the hope that the phoenix would be more likely to let something slip on film. After learning a little about the enigmatic blonde, Sabo grew curious. Not much was known about Marco and, after thinking about it more, he saw that the same was true for Ace. After a short search all he uncovered was that Marco became Fire Fist's caretaker a little over a decade ago. Nothing else could be learned on the streets so he decided to dig deeper and spy on the gang.

Sabo grinned as he turned on the screen, it becoming the only light to illuminate the dark night. Things had been going well for him lately—his search for information had reached a point where he could formulate a plan to get back at Teach, his shoulder wound was almost healed and Luffy was going along well with his proposition to the Straw Hat gang.

Sabo watched from the shadows as a group of nine arrived. He grinned when he saw the all-too familiar raven-haired boy and decided to look over the others. He'd gathered a fair amount of information on them and knew their names, aliases and fighting styles but no more. After all, he didn't want to invade the privacy of his brother's friends.

"This is the place," Usopp announced, scratching his head when he noticed there was no sign of the other party. He knew he decoded the message correctly—otherwise Luffy would have said something.

"Are you sure? I don't see anyone…" Nami stated, squinting to see through the darkness.

"Did you misread it, shitty long-nose?" asked the smoking blonde. Sanji stood alert but tried to hide his tenseness with a show of calm as he took a long drag of his cigarette. Luffy's brother or not, after hearing so many disturbing stories about the Blue Gentleman he wasn't about to trust him. Their leader was a good judge of character but he might not have noticed the man was mentally unstable because they were related.

"Of course I didn't!"

"Then maybe you got lost," Zoro said, arms folded.

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

Sabo's grin widened. He expected his brother's gang to be that lively. Luffy was carefree and so were his comrades. It was a nice contrast to the attitudes of the nobles; he could see what attracted the boy to them.

"Look! See here?" Usopp pointed to the black note with white lettering, noting the first and second lines. "It says to meet at the northwest passageway at 6:10."

The northwest passageway was a space between Low Town and High Town that was largely unoccupied. The few buildings that were there were rundown and deserted. Originally it was a part of East City before the populace divided based on social status. No one dared go there because, should they be caught, they could be put in danger. Going close to High Town's walls was forbidden; the nobles didn't want filth near their private utopia. That made it the perfect place for a shady meeting like the one they were about to encounter.

Franky leaned over his comrade to get a better look at what was written. "You sure bro? It doesn't really look like a time."

"Yes I'm sure! He used different symbols to throw off anyone who saw it and wasn't supposed to read it."

"Or you're overthinking it," Sanji noted, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke.

"Oi!" The sniper turned to his leader pleadingly. "Am I right, Luffy?"

"Shishishi yep!"

The long-nose turned back to the cook. "See?"

"What do you want, a medal?"

"…" Usopp decided to drop their argument. Everyone was on edge knowing that they were going to encounter one of the underground's most elusive figures. "Anyways, this is the place. See here?" He pointed to the second set of numbers. "Those are the coordinates. We're exactly where it says, right Nami?"

The redhead took a map out of her pocket and unfolded it. She scanned its surface after looking over what the note said. "Yeah, this should be it."

"You are correct," Sabo stated as he stepped into their view. He found it amusing how they all paled when they saw his form under the moonlight—all except Luffy. He tipped his hat to them with a smile. "Straw Hats—it's a pleasure."

The blonde recalled their reactions with a smile as he loaded one of the recordings. Before it could start, however, someone sauntered into the room casually. He glared at the intruder.

"Can't you leave me in peace?" he asked as the man walked over and sat beside him on the couch.

"Not while you're in my hideout," he replied.

"As a surgeon aren't you supposed to respect the privacy of others?"

"Now when have I ever done that?"

"Point taken," he replied as they stared into the empty room that had been recorded.

"What are you looking for, exactly?"

"I'm curious about someone," Sabo noted.

"Who?" Law asked, leaning against the back of the cushioned surface. His associate didn't answer and instead watched the screen intently, waiting for movement as he sped through the film. Law turned to watch as well and narrowed his eyes when he saw to figures enter the space.

"Him," Sabo announced, pointing to the blonde man with half-lidded eyes. "Newgate's going to retire soon."

"And?"

"And he's the one who's supposed to inherit the gang—Marco the Phoenix. Thing is that, despite his high-rank and notoriety, I don't have much on him. He's a mystery."

"You sound like Luffy," Law mused, a tiny grin pulling at one edge of his mouth.

Sabo rolled his eyes. "Fine—he's enigmatic. That better?"

"Much so," stated the surgeon. "The other one?"

"Thatch—fourth division commander. I'm surprised you don't know them."

"I only bother with the interesting ones."

"He fights using a double-sword style."

"Then maybe I'll re-evaluate that gentleman."

They both quieted and turned their attention back to the recording.

The commanders sat down at a table—they were in the lounge—and Marco placed the picture in between them. Thatch studied it closely and his eyes widened when he likely assumed it to be Ace's corpse.

"The hell…"

Marco's head was leaning on his arms, eyes covered by them. He looked disgusted.

"What is this?"

The blonde sighed and raised his head, looking bitterly to the piece of paper. "I don't know yoi."

"What did you do?" Law asked, eyeing the paper on the screen suspiciously. From that angle he couldn't see what was on it but knew it has something to do with his top-hat-wearing associate.

"Remember that photo I took from you?"

"…"

"Yeah."

"Sick bastard," Law said, smiling all-the-while. He was always fond of the ways Sabo messed with people. They were always so creative and delightfully cruel.

"I find that ironic coming from you."

"At least I don't go around photographic corpses."

"Yes, you do."

"Only sometimes," he corrected.

"And you're the one who took that picture, not to mention he's alive. Your statement is invalid."

"Shut up and play the damn tape," Law commanded.

"Very well, then."

"You know what this means, right?" Thatch asked, looking with concern to his friend. His face was contorted into a look of seriousness, which was uncharacteristic of him. "He knows where Ace's body is!"

"…I know."

"We have to tell Oyaji, or… or… We have to do something—he's dangerous, Mark."

Marco sighed. "Don't know if we can."

The redhead blinked owlishly. "Why?"

"I think he has something on us yoi. When I went after him he said some things."

"…Like what?"

"He knows about Ace—how he came to join us yoi. But I think there's more… He was threatening me when saying that yoi."

"He knows you well," Law teased.

Sabo glared at the dark-skinned man, his head resting lazily on his closed fist as he contemplated what he was hearing. "It wasn't a threat, per se."

The surgeon gave him a bemused smirk. "Then what would you call it?"

"A warning," the blonde stated, never looking away from the image on the screen. "I've grown rather fond of their group so I don't plan on harming them. That being said, should they try anything I am fully capable of defending myself. I just wanted him to know that I'm five steps ahead."

"That's still a threat, Blue," Law said, adjusting in his seat.

"I suppose so."

"Threatening how?"

"He knows more than he's letting on; if we make a move against him, he'll act yoi."

"So what? We could take the brat."

Law chuckled at that. It was rare for anyone to underestimate the blonde, seeing as his reputation was so wide-spread, but when someone did he found it amusing. Most people revered the Blue Gentleman as the one manipulating the underground from the shadows. While that was partially true, it wasn't in the way they thought. Still, every once in a while there would be one person who wouldn't think much of him. That person was always someone unacquainted with the rumors, of course.

Marco heaved a sigh and gave the redhead a dull glare. "I'm not talking about a fight yoi. He knows about us—our names, our skills, our pasts—and he'll use that to his advantage. The whole point of this business is to stay hidden. If any of that gets out we're screwed."

Thatch's brow furrowed in thought. "Then what'll we do?"

"…I don't know. He's interested in Ace's past yoi. Wants me to tell him why there's no trace of him before we took him in."

"Think he knows?"

The phoenix shook his head. "I'm sure he'll find out though."

"Interesting," Sabo noted, leaning in to show his attentiveness.

"What, that they're on to you?"

"No, that I was right."

"About what?"

Sabo's face contorted into a confident smirk. "About Ace having a little secret."

"…You're going to find it out, aren't you?"

"But of course," he replied.

"You do realize that your focus is shifting, right?"

"…Yes."

"At least you're not entirely hopeless."

"…"

Sabo looked up at the large mansion before him, staring at it with fondness. Shanks returned the day before but he hadn't had a chance to visit him—too busy looking over various recordings. He was going to make his move soon and wanted to amass as much knowledge about the inner workings of the Whitebeard and Blackbeard gangs as he could before that happened. Because of that he hadn't been to see his father figure.

As he approached the oversized building he noticed that his partner was gone. Giving the area a quick once-over, he spotted the teen climbing a tree near one of the bedroom windows and sighed.

"You're that afraid of him?" he shouted over to the boy, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Not afraid," Law began from one of the highest limbs, "just not stupid."

"I doubt he'll kill you."

"He'll try, at least."

"Suit yourself," Sabo said in surrender, unlocking the front door. Shanks gave him a spare key many years ago when he told Sabo to consider himself a part of the family. He looked at the small, metal item with nostalgia as he removed it from the lock, twisted the door handle and entered.

As he made his way into the living room he heard sounds from the kitchen—no doubt Luffy. When he peered into the room, however, he was met with an interesting sight; Ace was standing over the stove, cooking, with Luffy hovering around him, watching the food with excitement and a watering mouth. He knew that Ace cooked for Luffy during the past week as a show of gratitude, but he never actually saw him do it. He looked so out of place that the blonde almost burst into laughter. The mighty Fire Fist Ace, recent housemaid—priceless.

Shanks was sitting at the table reading the paper and drinking coffee—for once.

"Trying to control your addiction?" Sabo asked with a smirk, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

The redhead's face lit up at the sight of his eldest son and he broke into a smile. "I'm not addicted, just…" He searched for the word.

"Heavily dependent?"

"Yes—wait, no!" Shanks shook his head when he saw the blonde's devilish expression. "Cocky brat."

"I try," Sabo replied.

"Sabo!" Luffy shouted as he ran over and gave his brother a tight squeeze. He hadn't visited in quite some time, having been busy collecting info, so the brothers were happy to see each other again. Thought they were only apart for a few days they missed each other; those two were so used to being together that being separated felt strange.

"Hey, Lu," he greeted, returning the hug. He caught Ace eyeing him, likely surprised by his open show of affected, and gave him a wicked smile. The other turned sharply back to the pan he was cooking with, his face tinting ever so slightly. Sabo noticed during his last visit that the fire user was getting along quite well with his little brother—dare he say 'growing attached'? Possibly. It amused the blonde to no end knowing that the man who despised nobles to their very core was taking a liking to one. What kind of 'liking' was ambiguous at the moment, but he has his suspicions.

"Greetings, Ace," he began, emphasizing that he was calling him by his name and pulling Luffy taut with his form just to see the man's reaction.

Ace glowered at the blonde from his spot at the stove, letting out a quick "cheh". He didn't know why but something about the noble's expression was pissing him off. And why was he clinging onto Luffy? They were brothers, right? Wasn't that… strange for either of them?

Shanks looked between the youths and grinned. It didn't take long for him to notice the hidden implications in his elder child's actions—that the man who went by the name of Portgas held some sort of feelings for his cute, little son. He noticed it, too, when observing the stranger interact with Luffy. It didn't seem to be anything big—not lust nor love nor admiration—but there was something there, like gratitude or interest. It was small, but Ace was feeling something for the teen. He wasn't so sure about how he felt about that. As a father he wanted to protect his sons from any dangers and a commander of the Whitebeard gang was more than just an idle threat. Why did he allow the boy to stay with them again? Oh right—he cooked, allowing Red Hair to be lazy. Taking in enemies had its perks, it seemed.

Luffy released his brother with a quick "shishishi" and smiled up at him. He went on about all the things Ace made for him over the past week, drooling all-the-while. Before he got too into it the blonde's index finger brushed his lips, quieting him. His large eyes gazed up at the older, blinking curiously.

"Not now, okay, Lu?" he said, waiting for the younger's nod. "It's about time for our dear friend to have that hole of his looked at, correct?"

"Oh, right!" Luffy exclaimed, fisting his palm in a show of recognition. He remembered Sabo calling him late the previous night, explaining that he would drop by with Law in the morning. After that 'incident' with the dismembered corpses that Sabo refused to tell him about, his brother had been staying at the surgeon's hideout when in Low Town, seeing as one of his enemies had located his.

With a smile the raven-haired boy grabbed hold of Ace's wrist and ran with him out of the room and up the stairs, eliciting moans of pain from his poor victim. Really, he was too quick to forget that the freckled man was still injured.

Having the youngest two out of the room, Sabo turned to the redhead with an unwavering calm. The scarred man did the same and for a few moments they stayed in silence.

"What's the real reason you're not drinking, Shanks?" he asked, seemingly disinterested. "Afraid he might try something?"

The gang boss sighed. "Luffy's too trusting. He's a good kid but after everything he went through you'd think he'd develop some common sense."

Sabo smirked. "He's not one to linger in the past."

"That couldn't be more true," he remarked and, again, they went quiet.

"I assure you that he won't harm Lu. He may be an enemy but he has honour—he won't attack his saviour."

Shanks again heaved a sigh and looked into his coffee cup, watching his reflection as he massaged his temple. "If it were just that I wouldn't be worried," he stated. After noticing that look in his eyes—the unknown feeling the man held for his son—he wasn't too concerned with a fight breaking out or finding Luffy dead one day. Even if he tried something it would be a simple task to dispatch the injured commander, though Shanks wasn't known for being that violent. It's not his affiliation but his name that bothers me. And then…

The blonde's eyes narrowed as he analyzed his father's expression. He knew something.

"Took me a while but I remembered him. Can't believe they actually found each other, though."

"…What do you mean?" For once it was Sabo left in the dark. The serious look on Red Hair's face was unbecoming, seeing as the man was usually fun-loving and carefree.

"Hm? You don't know?" Shanks look genuinely surprised at the question. "I thought Luffy would have told you."

"Told me what?"

"That brat's the one who took in Luffy when he was little, before I went to get him."

"…What?"

Looking the wooden building over, Shanks grimaced. His eyes darted around the small, dilapidated hut, hoping that it wasn't the place he was looking for. With a solemn expression he saw the landmarks surrounding the shanty home and was sad to see that it matched Luffy's description of the area perfectly. He was afraid of that. The boy who cared for his newly-adopted son was living in conditions not unlike what he did as a child. It was a sad, sad sight. And, to make matters worse, Luffy said that the boy was all alone. There wasn't even a door to block out intruders…

Gathering a deep breath, Shanks stepped inside. Upon entering he was greeted by a disturbing sight; the child that lay there—around ages seven or eight—was still, covered head-to-toe in dirt and grime, laying there in soiled and tattered rags. His breathing was heavy and uneven, face flushed a deep red in show of his fever, looking barely conscious. Though Luffy told him that he was sick—that he was left to fend for his illness alone—he wasn't prepared for the heart-wrenching sight. Shanks was desensitized to most of the horrible things that occurred in Low Town, having lived through it all himself, but children were his weakness—especially after what happened to Luffy.

Quietly Red Hair took a few steps nearer to the resting boy, kneeling at his side. Dark, clouded eyes peered up at him. They widened as much as they could in their fevered state and the child made a move to get away but was pushed down by firm yet gentle hand.

"Shh, it's okay," Shanks said in a whisper, attempting to quell the younger's worries. No doubt he was scared of getting maimed or killed—that sort of violence was commonplace in that part of the slums. "I'm here to help."

The child shot him a questioning gaze, trying to make sense of what was going on through his muffled and confused thoughts. It was hard to understand anything with how sick he was.

Shanks placed a pack he carried over his shoulder onto the ground and opened it, removing some cash and a container of pills. He also placed a cooler near to the child, trying to show him what it was. Contained inside was a large sum of food the redhead picked up on his way.

Again he moved to the bag and took out a large, unmarked cloth, covering the small boy's frame with it. From the cooler he grabbed a container of water. He put one of the pills inside the child's mouth and lifted his head slowly to give him a sip of the liquid, allowing even his raw throat to swallow the medicine. Seeing that he didn't resist, Shanks gave him an empathetic smile. Though his illness was easily curable, the people of Low Town would often succumb to ailments like that, unable to afford proper treatment. The fact that his condition was so bad off was a testament to just how horribly impoverished he was.

"Who…" the boy began with a raspy voice, unable to finish the thought. Seeing how clouded his vision was, it was likely he couldn't see very well.

Shanks smiled. "The boy you helped was my son," he stated, organizing the various items he brought so that they weren't so obtrusive in the tiny, cramped shack.

"Where… Where is he?" he asked, still breathing heavily, wanting no more than to see the kid again. After going out a few days earlier he never returned. He'd been so worried about the child but could do nothing about it, lacking the strength to go search for him.

The redhead's smile broadened as he noted the concern on the younger's face. That was the person Luffy called "brother". He didn't seem to be such a bad kid. "He's in High Town receiving treatment. Consider this 'thanks' for watching over him in my absence."

The fevered boy's eyes narrowed. "…A noble?"

"He didn't tell you?" There was no response. Shanks decided to drop the subject, paying no mind to it. "Sorry, but this is all I can do for you. Take the medicine twice a day, alright?"

The kid nodded and, satisfied with what he did, Shanks made to leave. He glanced back once, silently hoping that what he gave him was enough to aid his recovery. It wasn't easy for him to get to Low Town unnoticed at the time because there was too much going on so that was all he could do. He wondered how long it would be before the two children would reunite—a month, maybe?

Omake

Law: Didn't you want to gather info on Whitebeard?

Sabo: What do you think I'm doing?

Law: Spying on a pineapple and Elvis.

Sabo: …They're his commanders.

Law: And they're talking about Fire Fist, not Whitebeard.

Sabo: Ace is a part of his gang.

Law: Do you really think Portgas has something to do with Whitebeard's plans when they think he's dead?

Sabo: …

Law: You're just upset because he's taken an interest in Straw Hat.

Sabo: I have no idea what you're talking about.

Law: That's some brother complex you have, Blue.

Sabo: Shut up, you stupid panda.

Law: Your insults lack their usual vigor.

Sabo: -eyebrow twitch- I'm trying to watch the tape!

Law: You're doing a bad job of it.

Sabo: GAH! You're impossible!

Law: That I am.

Sabo: Get out before the urge to disembowel you becomes too much and I place your organs alongside your collection!

Law: My, what graphic imagery. But I think I can take you.

Sabo: -scoffs- Your nodachi can't slice through my bo staff.

Law: No but my ability can.

Sabo: -whispers- …Shit. I forgot about that.

Law: You know, I could very easily add your heart to my collection.

Sabo: -narrows eyes- You wouldn't.

Law: Remember last time?

Sabo: …

Law…

Sabo: …

Law: I want that picture back.

Sabo: …Seriously? That's what this is about?

Law: I don't like when people mess with my files.

Sabo: Deal with it. The pineapple has it now.

Law: -unsheathes nodachi- I don't care. Get it back.

Sabo: Why do you keep pictures of your patients anyways?

Law: I like having a record of all the holes I've patched up.

Sabo: …That's disturbing. I know some people who can help you. What me to call them?

Law: …Just shut up and watch the damn tape.

A/N: REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THIS CHAPTER! EVERYTHING! Well, that's that. I've been having so much fun with Sabo/Law interaction lately. It's just so fun to write. Oh and be happy! This chapter is over 4,060 words and I was going to cut out the flashback and put it at the beginning of the next chapter but I was feeling too damn nice to do that to you.

Oh and for people who forgot: the chapters before this can be considered the 'prologue'. This is where everything really begins.

Next chapter at 411 reviews! ...I can't believe I just said that. Can we seriously get that many reviews? Wow. Just... wow. I just can't imagine...

To my lovelies~

Mon Esprite Libre: Ha! This story is the farthest thing from realistic :P But I'm glad you like.

Miishai: I've been trying but sleep eludes me! Hehe yes, he is Luffy's temporary nanny :P

samettikettu: Lol still waiting? XD

Portgas D. Paula: Lol I was going to have him attack but I thought it would be out of character. Shanks is really laid-back even in the face of danger (remember Marineford?) so I don't think he'd attack unless provoked and Ace was cleaning... Hardly provokative behaviour XD

trisha23flow: Well they already have feelings for each other, it's just not love. I can't really stand those stories that rush into relationships :/ Plus the story just officially began this chapter, so... Hehehe yes, gotta love the randomness of it!

hiragizawa: Why would I stop it? I've stated numberous times that this and Resolve are my favourite stories to write. I'm just too busy and too injured to update constantly. If anything I would drop Skip. Lol glad you like it?

Stelra Etnae: IF he finds out :P Hehe Shanks being back is only a good thing for some of the characters... Poor Law.

Shinju Ryuuzaki: Hehehe Ace randomly became their manservant.

TheLegendOfFangirl: Here it is!

azab: Showing that scene would have been pointless :P I only include parts that actually matter, otherwise we would still be before the time skip... Lol it's not that great. It's pretty much the same as what's been going on so far.

Kitsune Foxfire: Nope he doesn't know :P But Shanks does hehe... Sorry about the omake... Completely forgot to add it =_=; But it's up now!

Neko-VongolaPrimo: Lol yes he does XD

MeikoKuran999: Well Ace isn't liking Luffy in that way yet, just getting easily embarassed because he's getting comfortable around him and letting his guard down. He's grown so much T^T If you reread the chapters you'll be like "wow he was such an ass..."

Diclonious57: ...Yeah things? o.o

Sully-van: My hand is... getting better slowly u_u

Son Goshen: Well there's more to them but probably not what you're thinking :P Yep, it's just so odd isn't it? Originally I was going to describe him wearing Shanks' apron hehe... Lol yes Sabo finds it just as amusing as we do.

LinaFair: Well, just remember that finding out ANYTHING takes a long time in this story :P Your question was answered here. They still think he's dead. If he told them I would have put the scene in. After seeing a picture of his 'corpse' they'll probably think he's a ghost XD

Naru-sama: Glad you like it!

seireidoragon: Lol slow down, we're not at that point yet. Gotta let things unfold properly or the entire plot will fall apart. The meeting with the Straw Hats will be shown in segments over the next few chapters.

StrawberryGirlKairi: I was gonna do it that way but Shanks is really laid-back and it wouldn't have fit his character. Yeah, I've been having issues with writing because of my hand being the way it is =3=

RoXaS707: I'd say this chapter was pretty fun :P Got a look into Sabo's darker side. Hehehe yes, you gotta love the irony in that XD

WeissDragon: Lol as a warning there still aren't going to be many fights :P Some torture, but not so much fighting. They've already had their meet-up. I'm just going to be showing it in incriments.

Sealing Mistress: Hehe glad you did XD

Gundum-grrl: You're welcome~

Starry Roses: YES. Everything written in that chapter holds relevence for later, ESPECIALLY Sabo's talk with Ace. But people didn't seem to notice many of the hints... =_=; The bonus chapter is like a monster! Just looking at it terrifies me! It's almost as long as Skip and it's only HALF WAY DONE!

RenwolfChan: There will be cute AceLu moments. But not for a while. As you've probably guessed, Ace is leaving next chapter.

SraoshaLuna: Glad you do :) Hehehe yep.

itachifangirl2424: Glad you like :)

Darkspider: Yep :P It's like that. Though it won't be forever... Law actually wasn't up to something back then. He is now, but not when he was a kid. Hehe I'm happy you're enjoying it~

Jellyfish-Chu: I'm happy you like it!

weird yume: Lol you shouldn't review just to raise the number XD I'll get enough either way because I have like the best readers ever.

Katasana: Hehe yep! There's SO much to get to before the end... And I still haven't decided on the end!

ASLfangirl: Hehe that's awesome XD Yep, that's why he enters through the window.

Cyborgnetics: Well he's not that important right now, just using him to relay info to Sabo. His role doesn't start until later.

SelfcreatedCharacter: Thanks! Glad you think highly of it :) Hehe all of your questions will be answered... eventually.

spoons-are-evil: I posted the link on my profile! Your drawing is awesome! :D Lol yep isn't it weird? He's gonna go back to being an ass though ;) It's A LOT more complicated than that. In fact it's annoyingly complex. But we'll get to that later. Awe it's your fav? That makes me so happy ;_;

(So that's all! Funny thing about this chapter: it gave me more complex ideas for the plot! And the weird thing is that the plot developements I just came up with have hints for them in earlier chapters O.o I honestly don't know how that happened. Adieu~)