Authors Note: Hi folks! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Posting this a little early as I sense some people may be in need of a distraction from everything that is going on so I hope this helps a little!
Thank you to Wordlet for beta'ing!
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Chapter 14: Everyone is a Road
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Consciousness returned to Ace in increments. First was the sensation that he was laying down flat, on a surface much softer than any he was used to. He thought dumbly there might even have been a fluffy pillow under his head and that was a rare luxury indeed. Second was that his body ached something fierce; from the tip of his toes to the top of his head; an ache had settled into his very bones that left him feeling sluggish and weak. It had become a familiar sensation to him in the last few years, recurring every time he submerged himself for a wash, and told him that he had had an unfortunate and unexpected encounter with water.
He remembered the days when he used to endlessly tease Luffy about his reaction to water. He'd ignored the complaints every time he had to fish him out from wherever he had fallen that it made the rubber boy's limbs feel like lead weights; that moving became next to impossible and his head went fuzzy and lethargic. It was only when he had eaten his own half of the mera mera no mi many years later and felt the full effects of the power that water had over devil fruit users first-hand that he had realised that - possibly - his little brother hadn't been exaggerating.
Unlike some devil fruit users he'd encountered over the years, Ace had never regretted losing the ability to swim, despite the dangers it posed to a life at sea, but he really didn't like it when he was caught unaware by it.
Pushing aside the remaining lethargy, Ace cracked open one eye before slamming it shut again with a weak groan. Wherever he was, it was far too bright.
A soft gasp from somewhere to his left was the first indication that he wasn't alone, followed in short order by a gentle, melodic voice. "You're awake!"
Ace shot upright from where he lay, alert and ignoring the lingering stiffness of his limbs. The thin blanket that had covered him fell from his shoulders and pooled in a heap into his lap.
Hovering nervously a few feet away, a young girl with mousey brown hair and startling blue eyes waved at him uncertainly. She couldn't be any older than fifteen or sixteen, Ace thought, and could barely be called a threat but he kept her in his direct line of sight until he chanced a look at the rest of the room for anything untoward. All that met his scrutiny was a circular bedroom, sparsely furnished with only the most basic of possessions. Strangely, there were a lot of paintings of cows on the walls.
The girl took a few halting steps forwards, causing Ace to snap his full attention back to her.
"Thank goodness you're awake!" she said, smiling gently. Ace allowed himself to relax. She had the same type of smile as Luffy; open and honest. "I was so worried that I was too late! I didn't know how long you were in there for!"
Ace frowned, feeling the odd droplet of water running down the back of his bare neck that told him his hair was still damp. "Um, what exactly - "
"Oh, I'm being so rude! Here, please drink this!" She darted forward and picked up a glass from the bedside table, offering it out for him to take. He stared dumbly at the white liquid. She smiled reassuringly. "It's very good, I promise. It'll help refresh you," she tried to reassure him, nudging the cold glass into his hands.
Ace eyed it warily. He gave it a discreet sniff and frowned. It smelt like, "Milk?" he asked, before he took a large swig. The cool liquid felt good on his slightly sore throat and tasted amazing. The girl hadn't been wrong, it was very refreshing.
The girl beamed and nodded. "Yes, it's fresh this morning! My name's Moda! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Ace shook her offered hand, noting the calluses on her fingers that told of a life of physical labour.
"Portgas D. Ace," he replied. He looked out of the window closest to him. All the view offered was gently rolling green hills and blue skies that gave away nothing about his location, but it certainly wasn't the small town he had been in earlier. "Um, I don't suppose you mind telling me where I am?"
"At my farm," said Moda. "I saw you in the river at the bottom of the field and you looked like you were struggling! You were completely submerged! So I fished you out and brought you home with me when you wouldn't wake up," she explained, a worried frown appearing on her face. "You're very lucky it's not a very strong current or I'd never have gotten you out!"
Ace couldn't quite stop the groan of dismay before it left his mouth. He shook his head wearily, his memory returning to him in a flash. That was right. He had been in town, intending to pick up some more ale for the ship since he and Sabo had cleared out their supply and follow up on a lead on Blackbeard. He hadn't been hopeful. All the other islands they'd stopped off at the last few weeks had either no news at all or misinformation. He had gotten hungry half-way around his tour of the town and ducked into a little restaurant. It had only been when the waiter had asked for the payment that Ace had realised he'd forgotten to bring any beli from the ship with him. He had had no choice but to resort to the old dine and dash.
He remembered wishing he had forced Sabo to come with him rather than letting him remain behind on the ship. Dine and dashes were never all that much fun alone, and they hadn't had much opportunity for them to eat out on the islands they'd stopped off at, both instead preferring to keep to their own company and making competitions from who could catch the most meat or fish.
Ace had wondered if Sabo still liked ramen. It had been one of his favourites when they were kids and he had taken every chance he could to usher his brothers into any restaurants that served it. Thatch had asked him, his first birthday aboard the Moby Dick, what he would like for a birthday meal and, in a fit of nostalgia, Ace remembered requesting ramen, much to the chef's surprise and delight.
The rest of his search of the town had led him to a local man, a Dr. Black Beard – a large and imposing man whose coal black beard and head of curly hair had looked remarkably like Teach from behind.
Ace winced when he remembered how quickly he had lashed out at the man with a fierce kick. He hoped he hadn't injured the man; he hadn't exactly muted his strength, choosing instead to let his recent frustrations and anger get the better of him. His plan from the night before to loosen Sabo up a little with alcohol to see if it made him a little chattier had not exactly gone as he'd planned. He'd ended up spilling more about himself and Luffy – again – than he had learnt about Sabo, and the blond didn't look like he was any closer to getting even a handful of his lost memories back despite Ace sharing every little thing he could in an effort to get him to remember something. Anything at all. But Sabo was still annoyingly talented at changing the subject.
What had been a useful skill when they were kids to wheedle their way out of any chores Dadan threw at them was now just infuriating to be on the receiving end of. Ace didn't even know Sabo had done it most of the time, not until he realised he hadn't had an answer to a question he'd asked over an hour before.
Thinking of the blond, Ace frowned, glancing at the sun now high in the sky. He must've been gone for several hours by now and he wondered what Sabo was doing. He should probably get back to the ship.
Ace glanced back to Moda, who stepped back a little and was now perched on a small stool a few away. She was gently smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt. The cheap cotton looked stiff and heavy, and the bottom few inches were stained with mud and water, making it much darker red than the rest. Ace noticed his own shirt and boots hanging in the corner of the room and took a moment to appreciate and feel slightly guilty that Moda had put his own needs and comfort before her own. She wouldn't have known, but sleeping in damp clothes after a dunking in a river wouldn't do him any harm at all.
Speaking of which, Ace clenched his hands into the blankets. "No one can ever hear about this," he muttered to himself. It was not something he was at all proud of and getting tossed into the river by irate locals was more like something that would happen to Luffy rather than Ace.
"Did you say something?" Moda asked.
Ace shook his head quickly. "No! Well, yes, thank you for saving me." And there was no doubt in his mind that she had. He could have been in serious trouble had Moda not spotted him floating downstream.
She smiled warmly. "You're welcome!"
"Um, how'd you manage to carry me?" he asked. Unless Moda was hiding her own devil fruit, she was a scrawny, lithe little thing and he couldn't picture her carrying his sorry, half-drowned ass all the way from the river.
"Oh, I used the milk float and Clarabelle!" Moda explained.
Ace frowned. "Clarabelle?"
"Yes, she's my best cow!" She twisted to point at one of the pictures on the wall.
Really no one must ever know about any of this, Ace thought, suppressing a groan, determined to take the knowledge he'd been carried by a cow to his grave.
He glanced around the room, looking for any distraction possible to forget the entire embarrassing incident, when he realised how quiet it was. He would've thought a farm would've been noisier but there didn't appear to be anyone.
"Are you here all alone?" he asked.
Moda's smiled slipped and her gaze dropped to her lap. "Yes. It's just me. My parents are both chefs and they're away at sea right now."
Ace nodded once. It wasn't an uncommon story. It wasn't just pirates and marines who set out to sea to make a living. "How long have they been gone?" He crossed to the window to peer out at the vibrant green fields.
Moda shrugged. "About a year. I'm not sure when they'll be back next."
"And you manage to run this place all by yourself?" he exclaimed, spinning around in surprise.
She laughed lightly. "Well it's true it's hard work but I'm lucky that the cows mostly take care of themselves. It would be good if I could get a few more people besides the locals to buy our milk though. Then my parents might not have to work away as much. And of course, there would be a lot less waste."
"Waste?"
She nodded, hair bouncing around her shoulders. "Yes, I have more milk than I can sell." She bit her lip nervously. "My parents are always saying food waste is terrible and I know I should try and do more but I haven't plucked up the courage to go to the base yet."
Ace frowned. "Base?" he repeated, curiosity peaked.
"Yes, there's the G-2 marine base not far offshore to the north," she explained.
Ace's heart sank. He wasn't worried about the presence of the marines since it was very unlikely they'd pose a threat to him, but Sabo had said that Teach had been avoiding places close to marine bases as he hopped from island to island.
His hunt had hit another dead end.
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The town was picturesque. The beautiful grey stone buildings and cobbled streets made an idyllic scene set against the backdrop of the rolling fields off in the distance and the cry of gulls overhead. He loved harbour towns like this, Sabo thought, stepping aside to let a few carefree children dash past him, racing towards the harbour wall.
The only thing he didn't particularly like about it was that Ace had somehow managed to completely disappear in the winding streets.
He'd had no luck wandering aimlessly in search of the pirate, so he had turned for the docks, thinking if Ace stuck to his usual habit, he would ask the local fisherman and sailors if anyone by the name of Blackbeard had been around recently.
But… nothing. Not even a glimpse.
Sabo sighed and started for the nearest boat.
"Excuse me!" he shouted, waving a hand to catch the attention of the men aboard. "Any of you heard of a man by the name of Blackbeard?" Find Blackbeard; find Ace, was Sabo's hope.
"Nah, mate!"
"Oi, second time I hear that name today!"
Sabo spun on the spot. It took him a second to locate where the voice had come from. Tucked behind the larger fishing boat, a lobster boat was bobbing, so small Sabo had to look down in order to see the old man smiling cheerfully up at him.
"Don't suppose you could be kind enough to point me in his direction?" Sabo smiled charmingly.
"Sure, just head up that lane an' keep followin' it 'til you reach the town square. He's usually round there this time a day," he said.
"Many thanks," said Sabo, tipping his hat.
"You wanna be careful while ya in town!" the old man added quickly. Sabo paused to listen, and the man's words caught the attention of a few other fishermen. "Me daughter said there was some sorta commotion up there earlier."
A couple of passing fishermen slowed down at the news, coming to a halt next to Sabo and staring down at the lobster boat's captain with interest.
"Really?"
"Did someone run off with one of the mayor's daughters again?"
The old fisherman shook his head quickly. "No! She heard someone got tossed into the river!"
"Come off it, ya old geezer! They did not!"
"Yeah! Besides that piddly little stream is hardly a river! Ain't gonna hurt no one if they get thrown in!"
Not an ordinary person, Sabo thought quickly, but it would hurt a devil fruit user. He stared up the lane that would lead him into town, ignoring the other fisherman's continued jibes at the old man's story. He wondered if it was possible Ace had actually found Blackbeard.
"Oh, shut up the lotta ya!" the old man shouted at the other men, but his gruff words were dampened by the fact he was smirking. "My girl ain't no liar! You go on up to town, lad, and you'll find Black Beard," he encouraged Sabo. "The doctor sure is popular today, I gotta say!"
"Doctor?" Sabo asked sharply. He might not know much about the man, but he did know that Marshall D. Teach was not a doctor.
The old man stared at him. "Yeah, the town doctor. Ain't he who ya lookin' for?" Sabo smiled tightly, his heart sinking and nodded once. "I hope you ain't gonna buy out the town supply of medicine like those damned marines do! We're a small island. We don't come by some of that stuff easy, ya know."
"Of course not," Sabo assured him.
Internally, he groaned and hurried in the direction of the town square. He hoped that Ace hadn't done anything rash but he also had a horrible suspicion that he might soon be literally forced to fish for the errant pirate.
xxx
Ace stood one hand on his hip, a gentle breeze ruffling his shirt and hair, and occasionally sipping from another cool glass of milk that Moda had only been too happy to share, listening to her explain her recent troubles. Ace had the feeling the young milk maid hadn't had a sympathetic ear for quite some time and was happy to listen. It was the least he could do after she had saved him.
He was quite impressed by her courage. He's not sure many people would go as far as to arrange a boat to take her to the base just so they could sell milk.
"In the end, I couldn't do it. Those marines are a little scary and when they come to town for supplies or on their shore leave, they're always super grumpy!" she finished bashfully, swinging her feet and letting them bounce against the stone wall she was perched on next to him. "I mean, what if they said no? Maybe everyone in town will stop buying from the farm too!" she worried.
Ace didn't think it would come to that, personally. It seemed like a pretty small island and he doubted there was another dairy farm hidden away.
"I can see why it would be pretty intimidating to ask them," he agreed. He doubted they would even let a civilian dock at the base.
He grimaced at the thought he probably came across just as intimidating to the islanders as the marines did when he kicked Dr. Black Beard. He didn't blame them for throwing him into the river. He's more than a little annoyed at himself for how he handled the entire situation. He'd seen first-hand only a few weeks ago back on Drum Island the devastation some pirates liked to cause, and the aftermath the islands were left to deal with. He knew he should be more conscious of the image he projected as a Whitebeard Pirate. He would hate to be as feared by locals as the marines were. Respect rather than fear is what Whitebeard had inspired in Ace and he hoped more than anything to emulate that same feeling in others. He knew by the very nature of being a pirate that there would be no escaping the fear that that would incite in people, but that didn't mean they needed to fear Ace.
He scrutinised the girl where she sat atop the wall out the corner of his eye. He really did owe her one for saving his life, and that milk she had him drinking really did taste exceptionally good. It really is such a shame that so much of it goes to waste.
He threw back the last of his drink. "You tried writing to this base?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Moda nodded. "Yes, a few times but I never get a reply," she said, sadly.
Ace hummed thoughtfully. It wouldn't surprise him if the mail room just never handed any of them over to the officers. And that just wouldn't do.
"Write them another letter," he said firmly.
Moda gaped at him, scrambling quickly to catch the glass he returned to her. "But - "
"Write another and I'll deliver it to the base myself. It's the least I can do," he admitted, refusing to second guess his offer. A pirate going to a marine base was undoubtedly a risk but Ace figured it was a justified risk to help someone who had gone out of their way to help him.
Moda gawked wordlessly for several seconds before she recovered her wits. "You will?! But… you're a pirate! Isn't it dangerous for you to go to a marine base?" she asked, nervously.
Ace snorted. "Hardly the most dangerous thing I've ever done." That honour probably went to trying to kill Whitebeard. "Like you said, I'm a pirate," he grinned.
"Well, if you're sure, that would be a wonderful help!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing on the spot.
Ace waved off her gratitude. "Go write them one now while I get my things."
"You're sure it won't take you out of your way?" she asked, wringing her hands together.
"No, I've got to go past it anyway." He wasn't sure if that was strictly true but it wasn't like he had any more leads on Blackbeard to follow up on, he thought darkly.
"Thank you so much, Ace-san!" She scurried past him and back inside the small thatched farmhouse. Ace followed her at a more sedate pace, leaving her to scribble a letter in peace at the kitchen table. He purposely took a few extra minutes to wash up in the bathroom, taking the time to clean the worst of the river gunk off his bag and hat. He had no idea what his brother would think of a side excursion but he was sure he would be on board with it. Sabo may not remember her, but Moda reminded Ace keenly of Makino back when they were kids. They had the same sweet nature.
Moda met him at the door and Ace was amused to see she looked to be vibrating with excitement, a stark white envelope in her hands.
"Thank you again for doing this! You really don't have to," she said.
"I want to," he assured her with a grin. She returned it easily and handed him the letter. It took her a few moments to actually relinquish her hold on it and Ace didn't blame her. She was effectively putting her future into a stranger's hands, after all. "I'll make sure to personally hand it to an officer."
"Thank you! Will you go straight there?" she asked, following him towards the front door.
"Nah, I gotta find my brother first – hopefully he hasn't wandered off somewhere – and then we'll go. We've done everything we needed to here now anyway," he explained, settling his hat securely on his head and opening the door.
A brief glimmer of flashing steel was his only warning before the top of his head exploded in pain. He dropped to the floor like a stone, grasping his smarting head. That was gonna bruise, he thought with a groan. Behind him, Moda shrieked in shock.
"Jeez, Sabo!" he whined, forcing his watery eyes open to stare up at the familiar figure silhouetted in the doorway. The blond was leaning in the doorway, idly twirling his pipe between his lithe fingers, one eyebrow raised in question and a deceptively pleasant smile on his face. "What the hell was that for?" he moaned, gently rubbing at the bruise forming underneath his hat and slowly rolling to his feet.
Sabo rolled his eyes and levelled him with an unimpressed look. Ace had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from breaking out into a grin. He didn't think it would go down well if he did but it had been a long time since he had been on the receiving end of that look and he had missed it. It was the only look that could immediately get Luffy to listen. When they had lost Sabo, he had tried replicating it as best he could whenever he needed their little brother to really pay attention to him, but he had failed miserably. Luffy had told him it looked like he was pooping instead. He had quickly quit after that.
"You know exactly what that was for! The town doctor, Ace? Really?"
Ace grimaced at his brother's scolding. He had forgotten how quickly small town gossip could spread. "Yeah, yeah, I know it was stupid. I would've apologised to Dr. Black Beard had they all given me the chance!" he said, in an effort to avoid a full dressing down. Nervous shuffling behind him reminded him they weren't alone. "Ah, Moda, this is my brother, Sabo. Sabo, meet Moda. This is her farm."
"A pleasure to meet you, Moda," Sabo greeted, a charming grin breaking out across his face and making the young woman blush.
"N-nice to meet you too, Sabo-san!"
"I can't believe Luffy thinks you're the nice big brother," Ace griped, still rubbing his head.
Sabo's gaze snapped to him. "I am the nice one," he defended. "I did that for your own good, therefore I'm being nice."
"You hit me harder than Gramps!"
Sabo laughed. "From what you've told me about Garp, I really doubt that!"
"Well, was the haki necessary?" he muttered.
The blond shrugged easily. "You have a hard head, you'll be fine."
Ace glared at him but his only reply was a cheeky grin. "Whatever. I'll get you back for it later. Right now, we have a job to do." He gestured towards Moda, who had been watching their exchange, wide-eyed.
"A job?" Sabo repeated, glancing between the two of them, trying to work out what he was talking about. Ace was pleased to see he looked more curious than exasperated. "I thought we already had a job?"
"We do but since that's hit another dead end," he scowled, "we can do this in the meantime since it's important. Where the hell did I drop that letter?" he muttered, looking around. Moda cleared her throat and tentatively held up the letter she had saved from being squashed in his fall. He grinned. "Excellent! I promise not to lose it again! We need to deliver this for Moda as a thank you for helping me."
"Ah," said Sabo, a knowing smile breaking out across his face. "Don't you mean 'saving you'?"
Ace felt himself flushing in embarrassment. He supposed it had been asking too much that Sabo hadn't also heard that he'd been thrown into the river.
Sabo smirked and turned to Moda. "Thank you for saving this idiot. I hope it didn't cause you too much trouble."
Moda shook her head frantically, her hair flapping around her face, a small blush still staining her cheeks. "Oh, it was nothing! Really! I didn't do that much!"
"In return for helping me - " he stressed with a sharp glare at the blond to silence anything he might have to say, "- I said we would deliver this to the marine base."
Sabo quirked an eyebrow. "Marine base, you say?" he asked softly, blue eyes sparkling with interest.
Ace smirked. "You up for finding some trouble?"
"I don't think we'll have to look too hard. Trouble always seems to find us," the blond retorted.
"I don't want you getting into trouble!" Moda exclaimed, looking a little alarmed at the thought.
Sabo shrugged off her concerns. "We won't, don't worry."
She sighed in relief and laughed lightly. "I never thought pirates would be so generous!"
Ace was surprised to see a somewhat rueful smile break out across his brother's face.
"I'm not a pirate," the blond corrected the young girl gently. "By all accounts, I was a pretty rubbish one when I tried my hand at it."
Ace frowned, a wave of confusion washing over him. He couldn't understand why Sabo would think that. He hadn't been a bad pirate. He'd barely had a chance and Ace really doubted he would've been terrible.
"So, why are you trying to contact the marines anyway?"
"Oh, I'm trying to sell them the farm's milk! Would you like to try some before you go?"
"Sure, why not. Might as well know what Ace is peddling," said Sabo easily, a teasing smile lighting up his face.
Ace caught Sabo's elbow as he made to follow Moda into the kitchen, forcing the blond to a halt. "Why would you say that?" he finally managed to force out, the words tumbling out in a rush.
"What?" Sabo asked, eyes wide.
"That you were a bad pirate?"
It was only because of his hand that still rested on his arm, that Ace felt the blond tense beneath his touch. Outwardly, Sabo remained unmoved and his face artfully neutral.
"Well, wasn't I?" he asked, voice soft but flat and without a hint of emotion. "From what you've told me, our greatest treasure wasn't gold or jewels; it was each other. You, me and Luffy. I couldn't hold onto that. And good pirates don't lose their treasure, Ace."
Rendered into silence at his brother's admission, Ace let Sabo slip from his grasp. He was left staring blankly at the wall as the blond retreated into the warmth of the kitchen.
Stunned, and feeling more than a little blindsided, Ace leaned back against the wall, guilt pooling in the pit of stomach and rising up to leave a bitter taste of regret in his mouth. He'd had no idea that Sabo had managed to interpret any of what he'd shared with him in such a way that it left him feeling like he had failed.
He hadn't failed. He had dragged himself from the depths of the ocean that had threatened to become his final resting place and become a part of a group that opposed one of the greatest forces in the world. He might not have known it at the time, but he had saved their little brother in Logue Town. He'd found Ace and had selflessly been helping him, putting both of his brothers' needs before his own. He hadn't failed; not at anything.
"I couldn't hold onto that."
No, Ace thought weakly, squeezing his eyes shut tight against the memory of his brother walking away from them, each step taking him closer to Outlook's clutches and the weight of his sacrifice falling heavily on trembling shoulders. We couldn't hold onto you.
Moda's joyful laughter and Sabo's light chuckle filtered down the hallway. Ace drew in a deep, steadying breath. As much as he wanted to storm into the kitchen and shake Sabo until he understood he had never lost anything in the first place, he felt like the opportunity to address Sabo's comments right then had passed. He probably wouldn't appreciate it if Ace brought it up in front of Moda, sweet as she was. He would focus on the mess and confusion he had somehow managed to cause his brother once they had helped Moda and were back on their way.
He would fix it, Ace vowed. They had plenty of time.
xxx
"Safe travels!"
Sabo glanced back over his shoulder to see Moda waving enthusiastically at the entrance to the farm, one arm wrapped around her cow, Clarabelle's neck. He tipped his hat one final time while Ace shouted farewells in return.
"She seemed nice," he said.
"Yeah she is. Are you sure you don't mind coming with me to deliver her letter?" Ace asked quickly, glancing hesitantly out from under the rim of his cowboy hat.
Sabo blinked, surprised by the question and the uncertainty in the other's voice. Ace had been acting stiff and oddly unsettled since their conversation in the hall of the farmhouse and Sabo couldn't understand why. He decided he wouldn't push the pirate, however. If there was one thing he had learnt about Ace in the last few weeks, it was that he was better off when left to do things in his own time. He was sure Ace would say something if he felt Sabo needed to know.
"Are you kidding?" he chose to say instead, throwing Ace a blinding smile. "You've just handed me a legitimate reason to break into a marine base! Of course I'm coming along!"
Ace laughed. "How many marine bases have you snuck onto with illegitimate reasons over the years?"
Sabo shrugged, unrepentant. "A few. While you're playing postman, I'll see if I can find anything interesting to take back to Baltigo with me. And you can't tell me that at least one part of this base isn't going to end up on fire by the end of the day! I can't see you passing up the opportunity to terrorise some marines!" he joked.
"Terrorising some marines is an added bonus," admitted Ace, grinning widely. Sabo was pleased to see some of the tension he was carrying drop from his shoulders at the idea.
"I guess the marines on the Grand Line could do with a reminder why it's best not to mess with any Whitebeard Pirates. You know, since you guys typically spend so much time drifting in the New World," he said, lightly.
"Oh!" Ace exclaimed loudly, taking a playful swipe at Sabo who danced out of reach easily. "Big talk from someone who doesn't even have a bounty!" he retorted.
Sabo paused and turned to him, head cocked. "I have a bounty," he explained, puzzled. "Nearly all the known Revolutionaries have one."
Ace nearly tripped over his own feet in shock. "You do?" he spluttered.
He nodded quickly. "You know Dragon's the most wanted man in the world, right? Of course he has a bounty."
"Are they the same as the ones issued for pirates? Dead or Alive?" he asked, striding to catch up to Sabo.
"Yeah. The World Government don't care either way but the bounties are hardly ever given out unless we're brought in alive since it's harder to prove," he said.
Ace frowned. "I've never seen a wanted poster for a Revolutionary before."
Sabo scoffed and shook his head. "That's because Revolutionaries are considered more dangerous than pirates."
"What?" Ace asked, flatly. "Why?"
Sabo stopped in his tracks and turned to the confused pirate. "Okay, say our bounties were made public and a strong bounty hunter decided to take up the challenge and come after one of us. What could happen?" he asked.
Ace squinted at him, his grey eyes dark and calculating. "Is this a trick question? You'd get caught, wouldn't you?"
Sabo smiled and nodded. "One possibility. Or me and the bounty hunter could start talking to one another." Ace looked completely bewildered. "If me and the bounty hunter started talking, the bounty hunter could come to the realisation that us Revolutionaries are doing good work. Work that benefits ordinary people and not just the nobility. That bounty hunter could decide to join the Revolutionary Army instead. Then the World Government would have another strong Revolutionary to contend with," he explained. "That's why they only ever send Cipher Pol agents after us because they're so warped to the Government's way of thinking it's a lot less likely we'll be able to 'corrupt' them."
Ace whistled, low and impressed. "Okay, but does that really happen?"
"Zoro used to be a pirate hunter, but now he's Luffy's first mate," Sabo pointed out. "We're constantly recruiting new people all the time. The less people blinded by the corruption of the tenryuubito, the better chance we have of making a change. The South Blue is free," he said, his smile soft and proud. "It'd be amazing to see that everywhere." It had taken a lot of hard work and sacrifices but the seas of the south were now free of slave traders and civil wars. The corruption of the tenryuubito had begun hundreds of years ago, quickly spreading like a disease, tainting everything and oppressing the masses. It was only visible when people stepped outside the box, and those that were brave enough to do that were considered some of the most dangerous in the world.
Ace, who had been silent nodded once, like he had heard Sabo's silent thoughts, and nudged him in the shoulder, propelling him forward again. Sabo fell into step easily beside him.
"So, what's your bounty, then?" he asked.
Sabo smirked. "Take a guess."
The pirate took a few seconds. "3,000,000 beli?"
"Who do you take me for?!" Sabo asked, somewhat offended by the low figure. He hadn't had a bounty that low in years.
"Higher?"
"A lot higher!"
Ace huffed. "Well mine's 550,000,000 beli," he started.
"Getting warmer," he admitted.
"Really? Higher or lower?" he demanded shortly; eyes narrowed. "Sabo! Is yours higher than mine? Come on! Just tell me!" he cried.
"Why?" the blond snickered. "This is much more fun!"
"See! You're mean! You're the mean brother! I don't care what Luffy says!"
Sabo could only laugh in response, picking up the pace until he was running down the narrow lane and back toward the ship, Ace hot on his heels and needling him the whole way.
XXX
Next Chapter: Navy Headquarters
As always thanks for reading and I'd love to know what you thought! Stay safe everyone!