I had a lot of fun with this chapter. And I don't even know why. Maybe it's because I got to show a very different side of Sabo. Anyways, enjoy!
Oh! And I have a new story out called Within. It's cliché but maybe some of you will like it :)
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. Nope. Not at all.
When Luffy finally woke, he was more than a little disoriented. At first he didn't seem to know where he was and just stared at the ceiling, but after a while he turned his gaze to the image of his adoptive father smiling down at him.
"Morning," he greeted tiredly, eyes still heavily lidded.
"It's almost midnight, you know," Shanks began, hunching to rest his forearms on his knees. "I called Benn. He's going to keep an eye on you for a while."
Luffy's face scrunched into a pout. "Going to Low Town again?"
The redhead nodded. "To see an old friend," he explained, his tone giving the impression that he would say no more. Despite being father and son, there was a rule between them that stated neither should pry into the other's nighttime affairs. It made life a lot simpler. "I won't be gone too long."
Giving a slow nod, the patient's face fell. "What about Sabo?" He was the one who normally looked after Luffy when Shanks was gone and the boy liked it that way. "Is he gone, too?"
The redhead furrowed his brow as he contemplated the best way to answer that. "Sabo's here, but…" He scratched his head and looked to the ceiling. What could he say that wouldn't worry the teen? "…He's a bit preoccupied at the moment."
Luffy saw through him in an instant. "He's upset?"
"A little," Shanks confirmed.
"A lot," the boy corrected.
"…Yeah, alright, you win. I think all that stuff with Whitebeard's getting to him. And you know how he gets when you're sick." Seeing the saddened look on the boy's face, Shanks gave a soft grin. "He'll be back to normal in the morning."
Instead of replying, Luffy turned to face the ceiling. He really wasn't himself when he was like that. Still, after a moment of pondering the boy opened his mouth. "You might want to check the wine cellar."
Blinking for a moment, Shanks wondered what he was talking about. Then it clicked and his eyes widened. "That little—" He cut himself off and hopped from his seat, immediately dashing to the bedroom door.
Watching his father leave, Luffy smiled. He closed his eyes as he heard the man tumble down the stairs frantically as he made for his favourite storage area. It'd been far too long since those two talked. Maybe that incident was a good thing.
Shanks' mouth gaped, looking much like a fish as he stared, dumbfounded, at the blonde sitting at the kitchen table. Wine glass in hand, he swirled the liquid around, getting a good look at it before having a taste. It became apparent that the noble was too late to save his precious stash when his eyes met with two uncorked bottles resting against the white tablecloth.
Upon closer inspection his lip quivered. "Sabo! That's the expensive wine!" He felt betrayed. To think one of his boys would steal away his liquor…
Dark, partially-lidded eyes motioned over to the redhead's figure in the doorway, seemingly uninterested in the one who stood there. After analyzing him, the blonde went back to staring into the dark red liquid in his glass, taking yet another sip. "You prefer rum, don't you?"
Shanks pulled his mouth into a taut line. "I can appreciate a good wine."
"Well then your collection is missing a few items, I'm afraid," came the aloof reply. He picked up one of the bottles and filled the glass once more.
Resigning to the loss of his liquor, Shanks sighed and headed over to the table, taking a seat across from the youth. "Something happen? You never drink," he noted.
Sabo absently swirled his drink once more, watching at the liquid kissed the glass' rim. "Many things, Akagami," he answered.
Narrowing his eyes, Red Hair turned his gaze to the blue tailcoat his son still wore and the fresh stains that accompanied it. He couldn't say he was unaware of the youth's escapades, nor the damage caused by them, but the steadily increasing frequency of those operations was unsettling. Before it would be on occasion—blood was only spilt when he was in serious danger. As the years went on, though, that seemed to snowball into much larger affairs.
He was getting hurt more. As much as the blonde tried to hide it, Shanks was all too aware of the bullet wound he received a few weeks ago. At the same time he was doing the hurting, as well. Sabo was treading a very dark path but, to be perfectly honest, the noble expected that. With everything that happened—all the way back to his birth—there wasn't much of a chance for him to grow up normal. Interrogation was in his blood—a part of everyday life. And with a gang boss as his main role model growing up, how could he turn out differently?
Though he couldn't blame the youth, he couldn't help but miss the old Sabo sometimes.
Resting his forearms against the tablecloth, Red Hair relaxed himself. "Is this about Low Town or High Town?" he questioned, looking through the tinted green bottle between them.
Sabo set his glass down, staring blankly at his gloved hand where several flecks of red dotted his palm. "I'm not too sure myself." Closing his eyes, the blonde leaned back and relaxed. "You're lucky, Shanks."
The man in question raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
A half-hearted smirk crossed the youth's face, looking far more broken than it usually did. "Despite all of the power and wealth you've amassed, you're still just a commoner—no different than Newgate."
Shanks remained silent, sliding the mostly-full wine bottle his way. He studied the label a moment before gulping it down.
"Luffy and I… we're not like you. We can't escape. Bluebloods don't get second chances."
The redhead closed his eyes. "So that's it," he stated, running a hand through his hair. Heaving a sigh, he looked at the youth. "What are they having you do this time?"
"Escort—trivial matters with an eastern diplomat. Unfortunately that means I'll have to make it to port."
It was starting to make sense. "And with all the trouble you've been causing in Low Town…"
"Exactly," he confirmed, raising his glass to once more ghost against his lips.
Shanks snorted. He hated when his boys went down to Low Town dressed in noble garb. Not only did it warrant danger but in the case of an attack they wouldn't be able to use their usual skills as a means of self-defence; there was too high a risk of someone catching onto their other personas. Luffy wasn't must of a problem because Shanks never sent him down there, but Sabo? He was a different story. Once, twice a month he would do that very thing. The worst part was that he resigned to take his identity to his grave. He would rather get killed than fight back and risk exposure. That scared Shanks more than anything.
Sabo's sigh pulled the older from his thoughts.
"What a fun day tomorrow will bring." The sarcasm oozed from his voice, coating his every word. His face fell soon afterwards. "It would be better were it not for Newgate's knowledge of me."
Shanks paused, about to take another sip, and scrunched his brow. "What do you mean?"
"Seems he and my father are somehow acquainted," the blonde announced, tone light and calm as he rubbed his finger against the rim of his glass. Shanks choked, almost spitting a mouthful of wine across the table. Sabo didn't react to that, simply carrying on as if the man wasn't gasping for air. "Whether he was referring to you or the human filth I live with remains unsaid."
The redhead took deep, frantic breaths. Eventually they slowed but his face still held a look of shock. "W-well…"
"No matter," Sabo interrupted. "All that I care is that he knows who I am. And that's a problem."
"Dahahahaha!" Shanks laughed, catching the other off-guard. He caught the odd look the boy gave him and settled, still smiling. "Whitebeard won't say anything. He's a good man, even if I don't get along well with him. You're safe."
Sabo narrowed his eyes. "This coming from the drunken sot he calls his enemy."
The noble pouted. "I'm not the one who chugged my finest wine."
"How much rum did you drink while attending to my brother?"
"…"
"Exactly," he said with a grin.
"C'mon, Ace, let's head back," Thatch suggested as he trekked behind the youth, glancing left and right into the darkness.
"No chance," the freckled man replied bluntly, pushing past branches and shrubbery. "I know that damn place and we're going to find out what the hell went on there."
The commander sighed. When would the kid learn? He just got back from someplace in High Town after getting stabbed by Teach and already he was out looking for trouble. Really, Ace was too much of a handful! And Thatch, being the kind older brother, volunteered to go with him to avoid losing him again. After what they saw on that tape, though, he'd rather be anywhere but there.
It was stupid, really. Ace was absolutely certain that he knew the place where the video was filmed—said he recognised the room. Thatch didn't know how the hell he could recognize it after only seeing a small corner but even if he did, what did it matter? As deranged as the Blue Gentleman appeared, he was still their ally—or was supposed to be, at least. They shouldn't be snooping around, trying to learn a thing or two about him. It wasn't right. But the idiot in front of him would hear none of it.
"Che," Ace sounded with annoyance, absently reaching for the top of his head, "doesn't feel right without my hat." The night before he realized he forgot his orange accessory at the nobles' mansion. He didn't wear it at all during his stay there, which was probably why he left it in the first place. Now that he was out in the familiar dark of the Low Town outskirts he was starting to miss the damn thing. It didn't feel right to be running around with his face fully exposed.
Thatch blinked at that then palmed his face in a show of exasperation. "You're worrying about your hat at a time like this?"
Ace glanced back at him. "What can I say? I love my damn hat."
The redhead released a shuddering breath, shaking his head in disbelief. The kid had no sense of danger, none at all. Maybe that's why Oyaji and Marco would joke about getting him a babysitter. Actually, they might have been serious. But who could honestly keep up with the hothead? He only paid attention to things that piqued his interest and he never listened to anyone—except maybe Oyaji.
"Here!" Ace exclaimed as he pushed past the bush, leading the pair to a cement wasteland. Emptiness stretched on with only one road far in the distance. It was the only route to High Town and even further was the famous stone wall that protected the nobles, acting as their first sign of defence against any Low Town filth laundering outside the place.
On the other side, though, far beyond what could be seen from the road, sat a run-down, cement shack. With how old and broken the place was, it was easy to overlook. That didn't stop Ace, though. As soon as he saw it he stormed up to it, completely uncaring that inside may lay a madman.
He didn't even use the door. The window was closer so he hopped in, ignoring the complaints his partner mumbled behind him. He didn't care. Why should he? Breaking and entering through the front door wasn't exactly the smartest idea.
At first he was greeted with pitch darkness. Folding his arms and tapping his foot, he awaited the arrival of his redheaded friend with the lantern. When he finally entered—through the door—the illumination was just enough to light the whole room. Ace thought it best to refrain from using his ability during what he referred to as a 'covert mission'. Outside was so dark you could only make out shapes but if he used his devil fruit power and someone was watching they would know exactly who it was. And he didn't have his damn hat to mask his face!
Giving the room a quick once-over he noted that it was, indeed, identical to the video. There was a table in the corner with the same traces of blood marking up its wooden surface. Then there was the chair. And damn did it look messy. The blood from that night—from the victim they saw on the recording—was still there, staining the cold, gray floor. It was covering the chair, making its colour dark and disturbing.
That wasn't all. When the freckled commander knelt down he spotted a few teeth scattered about. They were hard to notice but from what he could see they were likely from the same person—not that he knew anything about dental identification. Call it 'blind estimation'.
"Hey," Thatch started, "I don't think anyone's been here for a while."
Ace turned to him curiously and watched as the older commander's fingers slid across the table, bringing layers of dust along with them. Nodding, the freckled youth had been about to say the same thing. No matter how brutal the Blue Gentleman turned out to be, he didn't seem the type to leave his—what should he call it? Base?—in such disarray.
"It's probably been a few weeks," the redhead noted. "I doubt we'll find anything."
He bit his lip. Thatch was probably right. He might have left the base knowing they'd look for clues. Hell, the bastard probably expected it of them. Still, Ace wasn't about to give up that easily. "There's got to be some hint to what he's doing. Keep looking," he commanded, combing the eastern wall with sharp eyes.
He could hear Thatch sigh.
The glint from a gun under the table caught his eye. He picked it up and brushed it off, studying it closely. It didn't seem to be out of the ordinary and there were no bullets left. He didn't trust it though. There had to be something strange about it, right? So, instead of putting it back he dropped it into his green and black striped bag. Maybe someone back home would be able to tell him about it. He wasn't much of a gun lover, himself.
"Ace," Thatch called once again.
The youth lifted from the floor and spun around. "What is it?"
"This," he replied, pointing to a syringe left lying on the floor. It rested beside a small stool in the corner of the room close to the window, left drained of whatever it once contained.
The freckled man knelt down and looked closely at it. "…The hell?"
Law clambered down the stairs into his lair, rolling his shoulders after a long night of work. He supposed he was making fairly good time. How many prizes had he collected that night—seven? That had to be a new record. Most he would only manage one or two, if that—especially after word started to spread about his little game. People were being cautious. The ones who could afford it started purchasing seastone accessories so that he couldn't touch them. The surgeon didn't feel that was fair but who was he to complain? So long as he could meet his goal, all other matters were trivial.
Heading into the open living room he scowled. He wasn't too thrilled to see Sabo lying on his couch after their little spat in the morning but he wouldn't protest; he was the one who gave the blonde a key, after all. He only had access to the top level, so what did it matter? And he'd been staying there on and off for the past two weeks because his tiny, little hideout had been scouted by Blackbeard's men—how that buffoon managed to organize a gang that size was beyond him.
Law sauntered up to the dingy, old couch and stared down at the sleeping blonde, sending him one of his darkest glares. That eccentric little noble had the guts to return to his lair after accusing him of treating Straw Hat simply to turn a profit. While that was true, to an extent, he didn't need Blue to point it out so venomously.
The surgeon kneed him in the side—not lightly, either. He heard the noble groan and watched his face contort briefly into a look of pain before settling once more. Then two dark eyes were staring up at him, still mostly lidded with sleep.
"…Law?" the blonde questioned with a bit of a yawn. Judging by his voice, he wasn't fully coherent.
"And so the mighty blueblood opens his eyes. You look like shit."
"As do you," Sabo stated, closing his eyes and snuggling deeper into the fabric of the couch.
Law furrowed his brow. He was about to kick him again for treating his lair like his own but decided against it. It was almost four in the morning and he really wasn't in the mood for arguing with the man. He just needed to get the bag waiting in the hall to the cellar and he could rest. So he prepared to walk away.
"About Luffy…" The blonde's voice faded as he drifted in and out of sleep. "You were right."
The surgeon froze. Those three words, never before uttered by the cocky blueblood sleeping behind him, were enough to get him to turn back around.
A weak smile crossed the noble's features. "I hate how you see right through me, Trafalgar. That's why…" Again, he trailed off. "Sorry," he uttered, softly groaning as he adjusted himself.
Law's eye's narrowed and he sent a quick jab to the blonde's side once more, causing him to cringe in much the same way he did earlier and open his eyes. They shared a glare.
"The hell?" exclaimed the noble, rubbing his most recent wound.
"Don't you ever apologise to me again, Blue. It's disgusting."
Sabo blinked as his wakefulness returned. "…Seriously?"
It was only then that Law got a clear view of the blonde flushed cheeks. He scanned his features and hazy eyes, painting a picture in his head. "You're drunk?"
Sabo broke eye contact, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not drunk per se. Just…"
"Tipsy?"
"Exactly," he confirmed.
Law couldn't' believe he was having that conversation with the Blue Gentleman of all people. What would the members of the Whitebeard gang say if they saw him then? "You're a moron. I haven't seen you touch alcohol since we broke into Akagami's wine cellar."
"…"
"You did it again?" Silence was his only reply. He ran a hand across his forehead, still not believing he was having that conversation with Sabo. "Just get some rest, Blue. I'll proceed with the verbal bashing upon waking."
Barely awake to begin with, Sabo slumped back into the couch and drifted off. Law listened to his shallow, even breaths and sighed, giving him one last glance before shuffling back out into the hall, grabbing the back of organs and throwing it over his shoulder.
"Really, who's the older one?"
Omake
Sabo: -puts down glass- I think I'm done, Shanks.
Shanks: Dahahahaha! Told you I'd win!
Sabo: -rolls eyes- This wasn't a drinking contest.
Shanks: I beg to differ.
-front door opens, Beckman enters-
Shanks: Benny! Come sit! Sabo's a lightweight so I need a new challenge!
Benn: Do you really think you should be drinking right now?
Shanks: Why shouldn't I be?
Benn: Don't you have a meeting to get to?
Shanks: Hm? That so?
Benn: -sighs- Yes, Shanks. Remember, down in Low Town. That's the reason I'm here—to keep an eye on your son while you're gone.
Sabo: What? I can watch Lu.
Shanks: Nope. You're too moody. I don't need your depression to rub off on him.
Sabo: Like that would happen.
Shanks: And now you're drunk, so that's a double 'no'.
Sabo: You're always drunk. Oh, sorry, I meant 'heavily dependent'.
Shanks: And you're a lightweight.
Sabo: -eyebrow twitch- I told you, this wasn't a—
Shanks: Alright Benn, he's upstairs. Maybe I should go up there one more time, see how he's doing.
Benn: He's fine, Shanks. Just go.
Shanks: Mmm… alright. I trust my first mate.
Benn: First…? We're not pirates, Shanks.
Shanks: -blinks- We're not?
Benn: -sighs- Are you sure you'll be alright for the meeting?
Shanks: I'm fine!
Sabo: He's not.
Benn: I can see that.
Shanks: But I swear we were pirates! Benny was my first mate and I was a Yonko.
Sabo: -disbelieving- A… Yonko?
Shanks: Yeah! And I met Luffy at Windmill village and I lost my arm to save him. C'mon, you remember that, don't you Benn?
Benn: …Not at all.
Sabo: See? Delusional.
Shanks: Dahahaha! Must've all been in my head.
Sabo: Clearly.
Shanks: -mumbles- Or maybe you're all delusional…
A/N: Well hope you liked! Oh and just as a reference for Law's last line, Sabo's 21 and Law's 19 in this so Sabo's supposed to be the older one. Please drop a review and tell me what you think~
To my lovelies~
samettikettu: So do I XD I will~
Recordatio001: Mmm... that's not quite what happened. It wasn't that their relationship was crumbling, more that Sabo was panicking which led to their fight. Hope you enjoyed!
Awakened-Masterpiece: Lol it wasn't that he gave the liquor to Luffy but that when Luffy was little he would drink while watching him XD Bad parenting right there. The main reason he showed that clip was to show what he found (or part of it - he's hiding some stuff) and partially it was a scare tactic. Whitebeard knows who he is so he's showing how dangerous he could be. And he was mocking them by not showing everything and basically saying 'figure it out' :P Hope you liked this chapter!
Akashica: Lol he did XD Not like he woke him up. Nope, Sabo isn't gentle at all. But what you've seen so far is just the beginning muahaha!
xxxWhite-Wing13xxx: If you think that's bloody then just wait until later in the story. There's this one scene that's going to be the goriest thing I've ever written. I'm actually pretty excited for it! :D But I'll probably have to put in a warning... Funny thing is, it's speeding up and yet it's going to take forever to finish writing the whole thing XD We're not halfway yet.
buslimpan: Lol you like deranged Sabo? Good! Because there's going to be far worse than that in the future muahaha! You'll tart to understand how Law feels in about two arcs when I reveal some more significant events involving their pasts. Nope, even Luffy's planning :P Well, sort of.
Bluebird42: A little weird but I enjoyed writing it so we can be weird together XD That was the full scene :P After that was when Sabo called Whitebeard and told them about what he found on Teach. There'll be more graphic things in the future, though, so look forward to it! Or... dread it? I don't know, but I have one scene planned that might force me to change the rating to M. I love when reviewers ramble. It's entertaining XD
azab: Glad you like ^^ Well if you pay close attention to how I describe Sabo vs how I describe the Blue Gentleman you'll notice that the way he acts/behaves, talks, even the type of banter he uses (as Sabo he often uses random French while as the Blue Gentleman he calls people by 'good sir' and the like, for example) and the way he carries himself is a bit different. So it's harder for him to tell. Hope that helps :) Here's an update!
Diclonious57: I know right? XD
Naru: The omakes are a lot of fun for me, too :) You'll get to see more of Sabo being brutal, don't you worry! And Luffy won't be in it too much this arc (because of his condition) but the next arc will be more focused on Ace and Luffy so hopefully you'll enjoy that!
RenwolfChan: You're welcome~
OwO: Lol there's going to be A LOT of romance in this story (hence why one of the main genres is romance). I just don't like rushing it and I'm not a believer in 'love at first sight' and hate when stories start with a couple just suddenly getting together. That combined with the other aspects of the plot (like there being 4 main characters instead of 2) makes it so adding in romance would feel off if I did so now. But it'll be there eventually and I'll try to make it as natural as possible :) In fact later the story is going to focus more on romance than the main plot (it'll be on and off later). If you look I added hints in earlier chapters, some of the other reviewers noticed ^^ So just sit back, enjoy, and I'll get to the romance when I can~
Mon Esprite Libre: I have fun with mind games, being a psych student and all, so expect more in the future XD
Sully-van: I mentioned this to another reviewer (azab) so you can read that for the full explanation but basically Sabo acts very differently when disguised as the Blue Gentleman and changes his tone and the way he speaks enough to make it less obvious. Hope that helps :)
spoons-are-evil: Actually... the top hat plays into the story so I can't answer that XD Yep, they do, but not the same way Luffy and Sabo do. Their connection runs a little deeper. If you think that was brutal then just wait for this one scene I have planned hehe~ Honestly it would end very badly if Ace realized right there. But I can't say why :P Nope, he won't. Not until the end of the arc. Hehe that will be revealed this arc, don't worry! Yep, and if you paid read the special you'll know that she was also Shanks' wife :) And yes, it is more complicated than that :P I love long reviews so don't worry about it XD
onyx roxanne: That was my favourite part to write XD Here's an update~
Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, your feeling is correct. Haha yes, poor Shanks can use them as an excuse for his drinking XD Oyaji knows everything, honestly :P That part's going to be fun! But it's not coming up for a while... (Yes you can XD He would make an awesome father, seriously.)
youshouldn'tneedtoknow: Yes it is :(
Son Goshen: Lol XD I will!
WeissDragon: I'll answer those questions when I do the little extra! Not enough people left questions hehe...
Guest: Glad you like!
Guest (2): Like I said I don't use the mobile so I don't know ^^ I just use my laptop. Sorry!
mad100141: Unfortunately this arc isn't focused on Luffy so we won't be seeing him much until next arc.
Yana5: Like Law said, he'll be fine :)
itachifangirl2424: So happy you like it that much! XD You're welcome~
XxSaorixX: Very good observation there! Lol a lot of people seem to think he's like the Cheshire Cat XD Here it is~
Guest (3): Here it is!
seireidoragon: Here it is!
Stelra Etnae: Hold on to those opinions of Sabo and Law - might come in handy in the future ;) Involves Law, huh? Interesting theory~ Though I can't say whether it's correct or not :P Yes he does. Just wait until you get to see his really scary side muahaha. Don't worry, there'll be a chapter (or half a chapter, depending on how long I can stretch it out) focused on them coming up soon. Not the next chapter, though. Here it is~
(And that is today's update. Feel free to leave questions for the characters if you have them! Adieu~)