Wrangling three children is surprisingly both harder and easier with one unconscious.

Child-him has barely twitched since falling back asleep, and the sight of him slumped against him, thin blanket gripped tight in his fist and the other snagged firmly onto Sabo's shirt has made said brothers quiet and behaved. Neither have done more than ask what time it is, eyes trained carefully on his tiny counterpart. Luffy had started sniffling, curled up close to his brother, but Ace had quickly shushed him and pulled him closer. The eldest brother had refused to let go of his pipe since they left the forest.

Sabo knew it was better not to comment on the surprisingly docile diligence. It probably helped that Luffy has refused to let go of his hand. Their youngest had clambered onto the bed the moment Sabo sat down in order to latch onto the both of them, one hand twisted into Sabo's coat and the other around Ace's hand. Neither of them even considered protesting. Ace was nowhere as openly needy to cling to anyone, but it was obvious from how tightly he gripped Luffy's hand that he needed the contact. If Luffy weren't rubber Sabo was sure Ace would have broken his hand.

Sabo didn't regain all his memories to just forget how his brother was, however. As an adult, Ace was an entirely different person– but Sabo never got to meet that person. The only Ace he's ever known is the one in front of him now. Whatever ends up happening, he will handle it.

They're both alive to be handled. He will take anything if it means remaining in the dream he has now.

Even when it hurts once he wakes up.

At least I won't be alone, he muses. If I wake up, I'll have… I'll have Koala again, and Hack, and Dragon. Maybe someday we'll be able to get Kuma back. Wincing at the thought of his failed mission and friend, he turned his thoughts back to Dragon.

The man had sought him out, once the boys had fallen asleep. Sabo had only left for a moment, having found himself feeling surprisingly suffocated watching the affection and worry between the brothers. He really was happy his younger self was okay; and seeing Ace and Luffy so relieved was enough to make anything worth it.

But it was a scene of a situation he himself never got to live. Something that wasn't real at heart, that he knew was fabricated by his own wishes, and never able to be fulfilled.

"You four seem close," Dragon said, and Sabo cursed himself for how he jumped at the man's approach. Even in a dream where they were technically stranger's Dragon's presence had not registered as anything to be watchful of. "My apologies," he murmured, but his eyes creased in amusement. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Sabo breathed out slowly, fighting not to raise his hand to feel his heart pounding. "It's fine."

Dragon only hummed. He did not appear to be saying anything anytime soon, simply leaning against the rails next to Sabo and watching the ocean quietly. For a while, Sabo just tried to relax. It was good to see his leader again. Even if the other did not recognize him. Even if it made his chest ache the slightest bit, giddy with the sight of a familiar face he hadn't truly had time to miss while with his brothers.

"So, how goes business?" Sabo eventually blurted out. He chuckled sheepishly when Dragon shot him a look for that and tried not to fidget against the sudden burst of longing. "Taken on any slaves eager to join your cause?" He hoped he didn't sound as hopeful as he felt.

Dragon raised an eyebrow. "...Anyone you're looking for?" He eventually asked. Sabo forcefully relaxed and carefully did not look into the other man's eyes.

"A girl," He eventually got out. Futily, he swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "She has orange hair, and… and she's pretty young." If the timing in this dream is all the same, Koala should be around as young as his own brothers again. He could barely match up the images in his head from his headstrong best friend to the soft spoken and wary child he had grown up alongside. "...She wants to help others like her, someday."

He could feel Dragon's gaze, heavy on his face. He slumped further against the railing and ignored the reflexive twitch of his hand to cover his scar.

"I see," Dragon said coolly.

They stood in silence for a while longer, Sabo attempting to breath inconspicuously and Dragon alternating between outright watching him and watching the horizon.

"You don't plan to stay." It wasn't a question.

"No. We don't."

He had tried to deny it, at first. Seeing Dragon again had something unsettled in him finally steadying, slotting back into familiarity. It was immensely comforting, to see both Dragon and Iva– to be on board a ship again.

But…

Once the initial burst of adrenaline and familiarity had faded… He was struck by just how wrong it still felt. Being around the revolutionaries again, seeing so many familiar faces and places that should be nothing but comforting– It felt like a rock in his throat that he was failing either to cough up or swallow down.

Because he knew that he could not stay with them. He may be home, but it couldn't be forever. If he gave in and went with them, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo would have to come with him– he refused to leave them behind again. But a future with the revolutionary army wouldn't be any different from now; constantly on the run, being hunted, fighting the people who were supposed to protect you… He couldn't do that to them either. This was their chance to have as normal of a childhood as possible, one they never had the chance for in reality. One that Sabo could make sure they were safe and happy, where he could protect and train them to be strong together like they were supposed to all those years ago.

The future they never got.

He could not waste this precious, temporary time redoing reality– not with the dream of his brothers right there in front of him.

It's just a dream . It's not selfish of him to want to spend it with his family, is it?

"We would have trained him, if he wanted," Dragon eventually said. Sabo fought not to close his eyes.

"I know."

"He could have joined us."

"I know."

Dragon regarded him for a long moment. Finally, he pulled away from the rail. Sabo looked up only to blink in surprise as a slip of paper was pressed into his hand. Dragon's eyes glinted knowingly.

"Come find us if you change your mind."

It had been rough, leaving the man behind. He had refused to look back and walked forward with Little Sabo carefully tucked into his arms, Luffy trotting by his side and Ace at his heels. He didnt need to see how Ace kept glancing back nervously to know Dragon watched them go.

He also didn't need to hear Luffy quietly ask if he was okay to know his unease at leaving wasn't hidden well enough from his brothers.

Sabo sighed quietly and fingered the vivre card, tucked carefully into his inner coat pocket. Both boys looked up at him at the sound.

"When… when you were talking to that guy ," Ace's face wrinkled thinking about how Dragon is Luffy's dad. "What you said– are we really not gonna stay?" He quickly looked away again, clearly uncomfortable. "You look like you wanted to. An' he promised to train Sabo."

Sabo slumped, but he was unsurprised the boys had eavesdropped. At least they didn't hear anything actually bad . "Yeah. Unless you guys want to stay here," He mentioned offhand and despite everything felt a little warm for how both boys vehemently shook their heads, visibly relaxing.

"Are we going to go back to Windmill village?" Luffy spoke up quietly. Sabo hummed.

"Not yet, and only to say goodbye."

Ace gripped his pipe tighter to his chest. "We have to go back to high town to steal a boat, don't we," he said. His voice was small, but nearly his entire tiny frame shook with suppressed anger. Sabo quickly hid his shock when he tucked his pipe against his back in order to cling to Sabo's coat alongside Luffy.

Sabo stared, but Ace refused to meet his eyes. He didn't comment on the sound of tearing fabric when Ace's grip tightened. "I don't want us to go to high town."

"We can't," Sabo blurted out, and surprised himself with his own vehemence. "...At least not until Younger Me heals a bit more," he said more gently. "He's healed a lot while on Dragon's ship, but we should still wait a while longer before we set sail in case he gets then, none of us will need to go into High Town for anything more than selling some skin and stuff." He'd honestly rather never go there at all, but any extra cash they could collect from crocodile hide and furs they hunt would no doubt be prove useful elsewhere.

Ace didn't respond but Luffy grinned widely. He tugged on Sabo's coat happily, grip already relaxing. "That's good," he chirped, "I don't want Sabo to go there again." Sabo smiled down at his little-littler brother and carefully resituated his smaller self in his arms just to feel the weight against him.

"I won't make him go back," he promised. "I'll steal a bigger boat once he's healed up enough, and then we can sneak out during the night." He didn't say that he wanted to wait for the celestial dragons to leave. His younger self's health took priority— it just lined up nicely with the noble's visit. He slowly tried to relax, not wanting his tension to leak to the body in his arms, or the boys at his heels.

He missed the way Ace's face darkened just the slightest bit further. his grip grew tight around Sabo's coat.

"No," Luffy said, shaking his head violently. "I don't want Sabo to go there."

Sabo stopped walking. He pointed at himself. "Both of us?" He asked incredulously. "I may be your brother, but I'm also a grown adult. You think I can't handle some rich stuck up nobles?" He said it teasingly, but inside Sabo was dumb struck. Luffy had always been perceptive, but it wasn't as if he hadn't made perfectly clear that he's strong. He killed Bluejam with one hand!He would clearly be fine sneaking into the city to steal a single, small ship. It's not the first time he's had to sneak anywhere, so why—

"You don't want to go," Luffy mumbled, annoyed. "Sabo hates it there. He says it stinks." Ace shuffled and hesitantly nodded. While he wouldn't meet Sabo's eyes, Luffy stared unwaveringly at him. Both boys planted their heels in the dirt challengingly and pointedly refused to let go. "You can't go."

For a long moment, Sabo just stared. Neither boy shied away even when the silence grew uncomfortable, Sabo struggling to make sense of the situation and the boys staying stubbornly silent.

Slowly, Sabo knelt. He cradled his tinier form over his knees, careful to avoid jostling his new burns. "Luffy," he started quietly, "Eventually, I will have to." He pushed Luffy's hat down with one hand when the little boy opened his mouth to protest. "No, listen to me. I am your big brother, and I am responsible for you three now. You're right that I don't want to go, but sometimes people have to do things they don't like if it means protecting someone they care about."

Luffy's lip wobbled. Sabo's heartbeat stuttered in panic when his eyes filled with tears. "L-like Shanks," he said. Sabo relaxed and smiled sadly.

"Yeah, like Shanks. But I won't be losing an arm or anything! I'll only be there for a little bit and the worst I'll get is some discomfort. No one will even see me. Its not like anyone would recognize me anyway!" Ace glared at him, but he finally released Sabo's coat in order to cross his arms instead. Sabo grinned at him and shot forward to ruffle his hair just to hear him yell and swat at his hand. "I'm your big brother now too, Ace, you shouldn't have to worry about me. I'm here to protect you."

He laughed when Luffy shakily breathed in, rubbing away his tears. The little boy grinned so warmly at him Sabo felt it would be only necessary to burst into flames— if only he knew his brothers wouldn't panic at the sight of them. "Y-Yeah," Ace mumbled. "You're still shitty though," and Sabo only laughed harder. If little Sabo wasn't so out of it in his arms he would have yanked the three of them into a hug.

"Just a few days," he promised. "We'll figure it all out together."