Author's Note: Hello everyone! So sorry for the long wait on his chapter, I was dealing with some serious writer's block :( I do hope that all of you are doing well and staying safe out there! ENJOY!

To too addicted to fiction: Aw thank you so much for the compliments! I'm very glad that you enjoyed the chapter :)

To Aquarica: Nope, Sabo is definitely not suited for the wastes, poor guy XD More ASL goodness to come in future chapters ;)

To Alsheon: Yeah, I think you're right *sweat drops*. I try to spell check all my chapters before posting them but since I use the word 'rogue' a lot in this story, I think I just get them mixed up sometimes and miss correcting it since they're so similar in spelling. Thanks for pointing it out! I'll try to be more careful about it in the future.

WARNINGS:

- Brief gore (body remains)

- Grief/mourning

- PTSD

As they drove into the trenches, both Ace and Sabo were eerily silent so Luffy and Stefan did all the talking. Despite the fast speeds they were traveling at, he often reached over to pet the fluffy dog and tell him how cute he was…which seemed to amuse Ace but not Sabo.

Probably because Luffy had to reach across him to get to the dog they'd haphazardly stuffed in the sidecar with Sabo.

"Surely you have two sidecars." Sabo said loudly over the wind, leaning away in disgust when Stefan began to lick his face aggressively. Ace just chuckled under his scarf.

"Sorry, Blondie, I've just got the one. Don't you like animals?"

"I-I do…but not when they're very much in my personal space." Sabo replied, drawing a giggle from Luffy. It was kind of fun to see the ever respectable pureblood so out of his element. "Aren't we there yet?"

"We're getting close." Ace replied, eyeing the horizon, "Let me know if you see anything familiar, Lu."

"I will!" He answered while adjusting his goggles so he could see a little better. Unfortunately, pretty much all of the sand dunes looked the same and there didn't seem to be many structures around besides old machine wrecks. However, after about ten more minutes of riding, Luffy tugged on Ace's sleeve and pointed out an old, partially hidden sign.

Ace immediately turned towards it, slowing down so they could check it out.

When they came to a stop, Luffy jumped out off the bike and rushed up to it, carefully brushing a layer of sand off the front so they could read what it said.

"What's it say?" Luffy asked, bouncing in place excitedly as Ace knelt down and scanned the slightly decayed words. At least…he was pretty sure they were words.

"It says, 'Welcome to Dawn Island'." Luffy's eyes lit up at the familiar name while Ace sent him a knowing grin. "We're close, Lu. The house has got to be somewhere around here."

Without giving Sabo a chance to squeeze out of the sidecar, they bounded back to the bike and headed past the sign, determined to find the building they were looking for. As they rode, they passed a few demolished buildings, but none seemed familiar. Eventually, they came to a particularly tall dune, forcing Ace to ride around it.

When they emerged on the other side, Luffy gasped.

There, looking a little worse for wear but so familiar, was what could only be his childhood home. Everything looked like he remembered and he couldn't help the excitement from bubbling up inside.

"Is…is this it?" Sabo asked, eyeing the structure carefully, "I'm surprised it's still standing."

"Not everyone can live in citadels." Ace replied, making the pureblood clamp his jaw shut. Luffy wasted no time leaping off the bike and trotting forward with Stefan at his side, scanning the decaying building with bright eyes. Memories of his Mom and Dad playing games with him and laughing at his antics came to the front of his mind, bringing a soft smile to his face.

That is, until he saw evidence of the attack.

Luffy's smile fell as he walked towards the broken window, eyeing the claw marks on the sill. Even after so many years…

He jumped when Ace put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, Lu?"

"I-I…I'm not sure." Luffy admitted, eyes glued to the claw marks. Soon all the good memories were eclipsed by ones of that day and his knees began to shake. That vampire showing up out of nowhere…attacking his parents, seeing their bodies-

Ace quickly turned him around and hugged him to his chest, keeping him from looking at the old building with a hand on his nape. Luffy sniffled against his brother's shirt, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"Sorry…I-I…sorry."

"It's okay, Luffy." Ace soothed, speaking in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "It's not your fault. Listen, why don't you stay out here with Stefan while Sabo and I look inside." He found himself nodding and allowed his brother to lead him back to the bike where he settled down in the warm sand. Stefan quickly laid down next to him and placed his head in his lap.

Though he was excited to see his old home…there were just too many bad memories associated with it. Maybe it was for the best that he stayed outside.

Sabo resisted the urge to go over to the clearly upset Luffy and comfort him. He wasn't sure what would be appropriate given his role in keeping the human in captivity for so long. So he stood a ways off and let Ace take care of it. The other vampire was surprisingly soft with the boy and soothed him with gentle words.

He pressed his lips together as he watched the brothers interact and looked away, towards the house that had caused Luffy so much distress. Though, in reality, it wasn't the building's fault…it was whatever had happened here. All he knew was what Ace had yelled to Marco during his angry tirade. A vampire had attacked and killed his parents…using poor, young Luffy as a blood slave.

What Sabo couldn't understand was where a vampire powerful enough to kill two Denali and abduct their son had come from. This place wasn't all that close to any major citadels and, given Ace's power, he assumed their parents were quite skilled themselves. Maybe a rogue had stumbled across their little home and attacked on a whim?

'Or perhaps the attack was planned…' Sabo mused, taking in the damage to the home, 'If they knew about Luffy's blood, it would make sense.'

"You coming?" Ace asked when he stepped in front of him, towards the front door. The pureblood glanced backwards at Luffy before answering. The boy seemed upset, but okay. He was currently petting Stefan's head methodically while wiping at his moist eyes.

"Yeah."

Getting inside the building wasn't too difficult given the age of the home, but they did release quite a bit of dust in the air upon disturbing the long dormant place. Sabo coughed but stepped inside the home after Ace, eyes trying to take in everything at once. It wasn't too impressive but he supposed it was appropriate for a small human family.

Remnants of furniture could be seen around what used to be the living room, but one of the couches were broken like someone had been thrown into it. Sabo walked by the walls, examining the old knitted work decorating them. It was, he supposed…homey.

"It…it hasn't changed much." Ace muttered from his left where he was examining what was clearly supposed to be a kitchen. The other vampire then picked up shattered picture frame and smiled thinly. "Feels like ages since I was last here."

"I do believe it has been ages." Sabo replied while walking around the intact couch towards a hallway that he assumed led to a bedroom. However, he stopped when he saw what was on the floor. Face scrunching up in pain for sweet Luffy, he knelt down in front of the bones that had once been the boy's parent. Ancient blood stains littered the carpet around the bones, letting him know that they hadn't died a peaceful death.

Ace's breath caught behind him when he joined Sabo.

"God, he told me what happened b-but-" Ace trailed off and fell to the floor next to Sabo, dropping the picture frame on the carpet. The fiery vampire reached for the bones with a shaky hand, but stopped, unable to bring himself to touch them. "C-Can you tell me if it's male or female?"

Sabo's gaze fell to the floor.

"It's a woman I believe."

"Mom." Ace all but sobbed, placing a hand over his mouth. The intense grief the vampire felt was almost tangible as he cried, emotion pouring out from every part of his body. Sabo wasn't sure what to do but decided to place a hand on Ace's shoulder.

This whole time, he'd thought about Luffy and his sorrow…but this was Ace's parent too.

While Ace pulled himself together and looked for something to gather up his Mother's bones in, Sabo continued to search the home. He made sure to look for anything that might be significant to the brothers, but there wasn't much left after years of corrosion. In the bedroom, he did find an interesting hidden compartment beneath the floor but it was empty.

When he walked back into the living room, something occurred to Sabo. While most of the items were in various stages of decay, there were spaces where things were simply gone. Perhaps the attacker had taken more than just Luffy…or maybe the home had fallen victim to raiders? It was difficult to tell.

"Have you found Dragon yet?" Ace asked in a quiet voice as he cradled a bag that held what was left of his Mother close to his chest. Sabo shook his head.

"No…not yet. Perhaps he fell outside?"

Ace sighed.

"Maybe, but then recovering him might just be impossible."

Sabo's expression softened at Ace's expression. Though he was trying to be strong, he was obviously just as affected by this place as Luffy.

"Don't give up. We'll find him." Sabo answered, trying to encourage Ace. They'd come all this way for the purpose of burying their parents and he intended to support them as best he could. Even though he and Ace had their differences, Sabo recognized that this was important and, frankly, he needed the help.

Stefan was actually the one who located Luffy's father in the dunes outside the home. Unfortunately, there wasn't much left…just a few scattered bones, but they had to assume it was him. Luffy started to sob when they began gathering the remains so Sabo pulled him close like Ace did, trying to comfort him.

By the time they finished building two graves and burying the remains, the moon was high in the sky and the wastes were chilly. Ace chose the spot, a shaded area just behind the house, and Sabo etched the names into the boulders using a knife.

Rouge.

Dragon.

Both the brothers requested that he leave off the 'D'. No one else needed to know who lived there.

Between Sabo and Ace, Luffy stood with a thistle plant clutched in his hands. He'd finally stopped crying once the graves were complete but his eyes were still puffy and red. Without saying a word, he walked towards the graves and gently placed a piece of thistle on both of them reverently.

"Sorry it took so long to give you a proper b-burial." Luffy managed, reaching out to caress Rouge's stone, "I just want you to know that Ace and I are okay…and-and…I miss you." Sabo stood at a distance, watching in silence as they mourned the loss of their family members. At his feet, Stefan whined with tail limp.

"It's terrible, isn't it." He whispered to the dog, "All this time, I've seen humans as less than us…but they have families, mourn their dead…I feel like a horrible person Stefan."

The dog just looked up at him and tilted his head.

Sabo sighed.

"Sorry, I know you're just a dog…didn't mean to dump my emotional insecurities on you."

Later that evening, Sabo took Stefan back to the bike, leaving Ace alone with Luffy. They sat quietly for a while, just staring at the graves they'd created. The moon above them was full and shone a beautiful light on the meager stones that now served as a marker of life for two important people. The night air was chilly so Luffy had long since scooted over and leaned into Ace despite the fact that he was a vampire and was naturally cold-blooded.

The boy didn't seem to care.

Ace glanced down at his little brother, concerned at how quiet he was being.

"How are you holding up?"

"…okay, I guess." Luffy replied, voice broken from how many tears he'd shed over the past few hours, "I-I just wish I could've done something…back then."

"You were a child." Ace emphasized, squeezing the boy's shoulders, "There was nothing you could do." Of course, he felt the same way. The amount of thoughts he'd had that started with 'if only' were staggering.

"I know," Luffy said with a sniffle, "it's just hard to accept."

With that, the two returned to a comfortable silence for a few minutes, just thinking. Ace found his thoughts wandering to the future while he was certain Luffy was thinking of the past. What would he do if he came face-to-face with Whitebeard? Was it really a good idea to go with Sabo to the Catacombs? Even traveling with Luffy, his desire for revenge hadn't waned and he was fairly certain the pureblood would try to stop him if he attacked the Elder. Even beyond that, what was his plan for the future?

Continue to travel with Luffy…? But what if he wanted to live with his own kind…

Everything was so uncertain.

"What're you thinking about?" Luffy asked innocently, looking up at him with those big, round eyes. Ace bit his lip at the question and turned back to the graves in front of them.

"After we do this thing with Sabo…what do you want to do?"

"Want to do?" The human echoed, frowning slightly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you want to go find those human friends of yours? Live with them…" Ace swallowed hard at the thought of having to leave Luffy. He wasn't sure he was ready for that. The boy snuggled up to him just smiled and placed his head on Ace's shoulder.

"I want to let them know I'm okay, definitely, but I also want to stay with you for a while. Everything else we can figure out later."

"You…mean that?"

"Mn." Luffy affirmed, yawning under his breath, "Cause you're my big brother 'n stuff and I wanna get to know you better…y'know, out here. Where we're free." While Ace gaped down at the boy, he fell asleep, snoring softly on his shoulder.

Ace couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the kid's innocent response and pull him closer. He hoped they could have this for at least a little while longer. There was still so much he didn't know about Luffy and he desperately wanted to get to know him too.

'Don't worry, Mom…Dragon.' Ace thought when his eyes went back to the graves, 'I'll look after him.'

Sanji woke up early, like he preferred, and made his way to the kitchen (his favorite place in the Moby Dick). The cooks all greeted him kindly, which was a refreshing change from Germa. His Father hated it when Sanji tried to cook, saying that it wasn't proper for a pureblood. Not here though. Even Thatch, one of the Commanders, could be found in the kitchen most days.

"Good morning!" Thatch greeted, flashing him a smile as he cooked what looked like an omelet, "You wanna help us out again today?"

"Yes, if that's okay." Sanji answered while rolling up his sleeves. The commander just laughed at that.

"Sure it is! You don't have to ask every time ya know."

'Habit.' Sanji thought as he donned an apron. The Moby Dick was so different from Germa that it was taking some getting used to. Everyone generally seemed to like each other and the humans were well taken care of. He was very happy he decided to bring Cosette here where she had a chance at life.

Sanji had checked up on her after the 'D' Ace attacked and was pleased to see she was fine. In fact, she already seemed healthier and more at ease after being in the Moby for just a few hours. Showed just how much a good environment could affect your health.

"I heard we're having another big meeting today."

"Yep…" Thatch answered, flipping up his omelet with incredible skill, "Kidd said he heard from his Dad that the Council is going to decide what to do about us today. Depending on how many side against us, we'll have to start making preparations beyond what we're already doing."

"What would that entail?" Sanji questioned, curious how the Whitebeards would handle the upcoming war. His family would start producing chemical weapons and gather their war machines together.

"First, regardless of how the Council responds, we need to clear the city." Thatch continued, "If the humans stay there, they'll be caught right in the middle of this mess. Law is already making space in the back of the citadel for more arrivals and we've talked about using Kidd's machine to expand beyond the walls if we need to."

Sanji hummed at that. He wasn't sure exactly how many humans called that ancient ruin their home, but it had to be a lot. Capturing them all would be an enormous undertaking, especially given the time limit.

"Second, we'll need to gather our forces and those of our allies. I bet some of the Council members will side with us and hopefully they'll be willing to donate their forces." Thatch stopped speaking for a moment to plate the omelet, garnishing it with herbs. "Third…well, we're going to need more blood than usual on hand, so we'll have to harvest more from the humans than usual. It's going to be hard of them and I hope they'll forgive us for it."

Sanji was surprised at the sorrow in the Commander's voice. He actually seemed concerned about the humans…

"I didn't used to care…but little Luffy and Ace reminded me that we were all once humans to." The other vampire added with a huff, "I mean, not you and the other purebloods obviously, but the rest of us weren't always vampires. I know that everything we do is to protect them, but what if there's a better way to do things?"

Sanji wasn't sure how to respond and simply shrugged. He had grown up in this system and had no idea how to change it. That being said, it was nice to hear someone else sympathizing with humans. He'd always felt more loved by them than his own family and did hope to free them someday.

Once he was finished in the kitchen and breakfast was prepared for the citadel, Sanji took a walk around the courtyard. The sun had only just risen and its rays shimmered on the water located in pockets around the citadel. It really was a beautiful place and so free of graveyards. Sanji glanced at one of the two stables near him, noting that some of the humans were awake and enjoying the nature just like him.

It was peaceful, but the occasional bits of sand that made it over the wall brought him back to reality. Eustass Kidd had the right idea. Why did they have to keep their beauty to themselves when they could restore the whole world? Hopefully the machine would work and maybe someday, Sanji would be able to see this kind of greenery in the wastes as well.

With that mental picture in his head, Sanji leapt up to the top of the wall. He was immediately hit in the face by hot air, which was unpleasant but it didn't stop him from imagining what it could look like. Right now, it was a vast desert, but they had technology that could change that.

He stayed up there for a few minutes until the heat and arid sand became almost unbearable. However, just before he returned to the coolness of the inner citadel, something caught his eye.

Something…green.

It was a flash in his peripheral vision, but he was certain it had been green. Sanji frowned and stared at the dune in question, but nothing moved. Was it just his imagination?

Zoro's heart raced as he ducked behind the dune, barely escaping detection from the vampire on the wall. He'd timed his approach with the guard rotations, but then one had appeared out of nowhere, almost spotting him. Thankfully, his beige cloak gave him protection not only against the elements, but also prying vampire eyes.

Nami and Usopp had been against his return to the citadel, saying there had to be another safer way to rescue Luffy, but Zoro went anyway. They'd essentially left the teen to take all of their punishments on himself and there was no telling if he was still safe in there or not.

He glanced over the dune again. The wall of the citadel had a conveniently large hole in it that had yet to be fully repaired. Zoro wondered how that happened but praised whoever was listening for the convenient entry point. He could slip inside when no one was around, find Luffy, and make good on his promise.

Admittedly, it wasn't a great plan, but he couldn't wait any longer to go for Luffy. He'd been a prisoner for long enough. But just before he made his approach, someone cleared their throat right behind him. Zoro whirled around with sword drawn, eyes wide at the sudden appearance of a blonde vampire.

He was wearing a suit of all things and sat with his legs crossed, looking both bored and interested at the same time. Zoro's gaze flicked to the wall. Had he jumped all the way from there!?

"Yo." The vampire greeted, surprisingly cordial for a blood-sucking monster, "I wouldn't recommend sneaking in there right now. They're on high alert for pretty much anything." Zoro grit his teeth and held the blade higher, but the vampire only gave it a passing glance.

"Leave or you'll regret it." He growled, hoping the blonde couldn't hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He'd promised Nami, Usopp, and the others that he'd be careful…not get caught. Was this vampire going to turn him in?

"Nice hair." The vampire suddenly put in, motioning towards the green under his hood, "I mistook you for a stray bush from the wall."

"Wha…a bush!?" Zoro shot back, suddenly offended, "Well your eyebrow looks like a pinwheel!" The vampire blinked at him and chuckled slightly, as if amused by his come-back.

"You're funny, human. So tell me, what're you doing sneaking around the Moby Dick?"

Zoro went silent even as the vampire pulled out a cigarette from his suit pocket and lit it right in front of him. Who was this guy? He didn't remember seeing him around the citadel the last time he was there…maybe he was new? If the Whitebeards were recruiting, that was bad news. Their organization had a hard time dealing with the members they already had.

"None of your business."

"Seeing as I caught you, it kind of is." The vampire shot back, "Look, I could just drag you inside and find out later, but I'd rather we talked out here." Zoro gulped when the blonde puffed out a circle of smoke, eyeing him carefully.

He was right. Zoro wasn't a match for him (as much as he hated to admit it). He wasn't a match for any vampire as he was now.

"Why would I tell you when you're going to capture me anyway."

"I'm not, honest." The vampire retorted, "That is, unless you're planning something unsavory."

"I…I'm here to rescue my friend."

The blonde hummed in surprise.

"Really? Who?"

"His name is Luffy."

The vampire seemed surprised at the name and immediately took another drag from his cigarette. Zoro just watched the man closely, body tense in case he changed his mind and decided to attack despite his assurance that he wouldn't. Did he know Luffy?

"Hate to tell you, but your friend isn't here anymore." Zoro's eyes opened wide at that statement and he leaned forward towards the vampire in shock.

"W-What do you mean?"

"His brother took him into the wastes just days ago." The blonde continued, adding to Zoro's confusion. Luffy had a brother? "No idea where they are now."

Zoro felt his arm go limp, causing his sword to touch the sand at their feet. So…Luffy was free? Someone else had helped him? A part of him was frustrated with himself for taking so long but at least his friend wasn't a prisoner anymore. Still, something about the blonde's explanation bothered him.

"I didn't know Luffy had a brother."

"Neither did he, apparently." The vampire said with a shrug, "But Ace was pretty-"

"Wait, wait…Ace!?" Zoro hissed, stomach dropping violently.

"Yeah, his older brother."

Zoro's blood went cold. Ace was the name of that vampire who'd kidnapped Luffy in the first place! His friend wasn't safe…he'd just been passed from one captor to another. They knew for a fact that this 'Ace' was obsessed with Luffy but now he was calling him his brother!? Zoro's thoughts swirled inside his head, each bringing with them a worse scenario.

Most likely, Ace had gotten tired of having to share Luffy with the rest of the citadel and decided to take him somewhere more secluded.

"Which direction did they go?" Zoro demanded, putting up his weapons as he prepared to leave. No way was he leaving Luffy in that psycho's hands!

"East, I think." The vampire answered, watching as Zoro stood to his feet and adjusted his cloak, "You're seriously going after them on foot? You'll die."

"Who said I was on foot?" Zoro muttered as he rushed back to where he'd hidden the jeep Nami had stolen for him from the garage. He could feel the vampire following him but he didn't dare stop. Luffy was in more danger than ever and, worst of all, he wasn't sure where he was.

'I'll just have to wing it and hope I get lucky.' Zoro determined as he uncovered the vehicle and hopped inside. The vampire walked up to the driver's side with hands in his pockets.

"You going to stop me?"

"No." The vampire quickly replied, looking over the car, "I can see you're determined to do this and I can respect that. Hope you find your friend, bush-head."

"It's Zoro." He quickly shot back, not liking the nickname. Zoro was surprised to see the vampire's eyes widen at his name, almost in shock. Weird reaction. "Now leave me alone, curly-brow!"

Sanji could only watch the human drive away as he tried to process the name. Zoro. He'd heard it over and over from his closest human friend, Kuina.

"Zoro, who's that?"

"My brother!" Kuina chirped, smiling despite the beating she'd received only a few minutes before. Sanji was trying to distract her from the pain by asking her questions about herself. "He's kind of an idiot but he's a determined, loyal idiot. I hope he's okay and hasn't been caught…"

Sanji swallowed hard. He couldn't believe he had just had a conversation with Kuina's brother and hadn't realized it! It made sense in retrospect…the swords, the strange colored hair (that he was positive Kuina had mentioned at some point). How had he not noticed?

Shaking his head to re-focus, Sanji dug into his pocket for a particularly helpful piece of technology: a scout-bug. He swiftly activated it and sent it to land on the jeep's bumper.

He'd already lost Kuina…Sanji would be damned if he let anything happen to her brother.