Well hi everybody! Look who came back with a peace offering *nervous sweating*
But yes, to put it bluntly, I have been super busy. It's actually a miracle I've gotten a chapter of this finally done, and more chapters plotted out for further down the storyline. When I'll get to those chapters? Hopefully soon, but don't quote me on that. I've been working on the sequel to book 2 of my series The Wardens of Strar which I'm hoping to self-publish next spring and plotting up the 3rd book. I've also been trying to fix my health, so that has been keeping me occupied too. But here we go, we've got a chapter of the Portgas Clan, and I hope you all enjoy it :D
Chapter 7
Dadan had heard screams echoing all day and night long. Her men all shivered and huddled in a circle for the entire time, while Luffy and Ace slept upstairs. Ace who had been sleeping all day, for what was probably a good reason. Rouge had appeared early that day, muttered something about a CP agent and Sabo being an idiot and shitheads about to be murdered, and disappeared with all their kitchen supplies and gardening tools. Not even ten minutes later people began screaming in the mountainside.
Well, whatever she was doing, Dadan wanted no part in it.
Hesitantly Dadan made her way out the next morning after the night of terror. Walking through the forest was like a bleeding horror movie. She kept finding bodies and bloody trails and it was freaking her out. Especially when Dadan heard a scream get cut off just as suddenly as it began.
Dadan sobbed. "I shouldn't have come out here..."
"Why did you?" Rouge's voice startled her.
Dadan paused, looking up to see Rouge perched on the trees. She wavered in and out of her solid form as she landed before Dadan. Her eyes were murderous, but her eyes gleamed hungrily, and there was a thrill within them.
How the fuck was she enjoying this?
"It's been such a long time since anyone has hunted me." She smirked darkly. "I hope they like the mess I'm leaving behind."
Dadan naturally paled and took a step back. "Wh-What's been going on, Rouge?"
"I told Sabo not to get caught," Rouge huffed, kicking a body at her feet. Another suited guy. "But he must of, and they must have found out there was a witch here."
Dadan blanched. "What-"
"So I used all your stuff, set up a bunch of traps to not tap into Ace's magic, and watched these dumbasses murder themselves," Rouge chuckled. "But I have a lot of people to kill. Whoever has heard that there is a Portgas witch here has to die. Cipher Pol first, Sabo's family next, and perhaps even a Celestial Dragon-"
"WHAT?!" Dadan screeched.
INSANE! THIS WOMAN WAS INSANE! SHE WAS FLICKERING IN AND OUT OF LIFE AND SHE WANTED TO MURDER EVERYONE!
"I might need to even kill off his entire staff to be sure. Perhaps even the King of Goa. Anyone who knows about us needs to die," Rouge said smoothly, as if talking about the bloody weather. "I can't have this news get out, but I'm running out of energy fast. Setting up traps helped Ace regain some of his strength, but that won't last forever."
"Maybe you don't need to go to that length."
That was a man's voice. An unfamiliar man's voice. Dadan bristled, but then froze when she saw a vaguely familiar face-
The Dragon brat. The little shit who used to beat her bandit clan up was dropping down from the trees. The little savage!
Dadan sobbed.
Why was she surrounded by crazy people?
"Dragon!" Rouge grinned.
Of course. Of course they fucking knew each other. Dadan sighed heavily. Her heart skipped a beat when Sabo peaked out from behind Dragon, staring up at Rouge nervously.
Rouge smirked. "I thought I told you not to get caught."
Sabo blushed.
"What was it? 'I'll be fine' you said, 'I'm sneaky enough' you said," Rouge mocked. "Rahahahaha, you got caught and interrogated and they sussed you out instantly!"
Dadan froze. Sabo told them about Ace? Sabo sold out Ace to the Celestial Dragon? Her blood boiled, she opened her mouth, but paused when Sabo inhaled sharply, choking on his breath. That was when Dadan noticed it. Rouge wasn't angry. Why wasn't she angry?
"Why aren't you angry?" Sabo snapped, and she finally noticed the tears in his eyes. "Dadan was right, I put Ace in so much danger-"
Rouge softened and knelt down, ruffling Sabo's hair gently. "Sabo, you're just a kid, and I saw everything. I followed you, even as a ghost. It was why I had time to set up traps here. Sure, Ace is going to go into a coma at this rate, but I pushed through and made sure nobody could snatch him up. You never said a word, Outlook played guessing games and Laskey, the CP-0 agent, is a smart son of a bitch. There's a reason he guards the Celestial Dragons personally." She stood back up and eyed Dragon. "What I'm curious about is how you're here with Dragon."
.::.
She forgave him? Just like that? Sabo shook his head, shocked, because he had thought she'd kill him. He had ratted out Ace and Ace had been put in so much danger. The only reason Sabo was free now was because of Dragon. He had taken out the guards dragging Sabo back to that damn prison of a mansion, and Sabo's parents. And normally that would have been satisfying, but h had put Ace in so much danger. Dragon offered Sabo a place within the Revolutionaries, but Sabo pleaded with him to bring him to his brothers first.
He couldn't help people if he betrayed his own brother. He couldn't help save the world if Ace was trapped and broken and moulded into someone he wasn't just to please some snotty nobles.
"Not to be rude," Dragon began. "But I thought you died, Portgas."
Rouge grinned sharply, Sabo almost shivered at the look. "Yeah, fuckers got me killed for getting pregnant. Avenged Baterilla yet?"
Sabo frowned. Baterilla?
Dragon's expression turned solemn. "Not yet. But one day."
"I'll hold you to it." Rouge nodded. "So, why save Sabo?"
"He reminds me of someone..." Dragon murmured, and his face hardened. "He recognised how terrible this world is under its rulers, way earlier than even I did."
"I see." Rouge crossed her arms.
"I offered him a place with us, the Revolutionaries, but he was desperate to see his brothers first."
Rouge smiled. "Do you know one of his brothers is Monkey D. Luffy?"
Dragon paused, but the shock was quickly swiped off his face. Sabo was amazed how fast that was actually.
"The other is my son."
Dragon frowned thoughtfully. "Yours and Rogers."
Rouge smiled. "He was the only man whose kid I would have, and I guess we both unfortunately have the issue of our loved one beings hunted for simply being who you are. It's why you're not here for him."
It clicked then. Dragon was Luffy's dad. Sabo wasn't sure what the think of that. It was clear Dragon wasn't in Luffy's life, but Sabo respected what he was doing. Trying to save the world from it's own corruption.
But it had left Luffy alone for years. Luffy who was afraid of being alone now.
"Yes, but unlike you, I never died." Dragon grimaced. "I chose another path, and Luffy will one day choose his own."
"Agreed." Rouge frowned. "You said I wouldn't need to kill everyone who knows about Ace. Tell me, Dragon, why shouldn't I burn down your old man's home like his men did to mine?" She smiled sharply. "Why shouldn't I ruin it like they did to Baterilla?"
"Because you know there are innocent people here."
"There were innocent people on Baterilla too," Rouge said coldly. "And it didn't stop the Marines from murdering every single baby and pregnant mothers. Everyone I knew lost someone that year. That horrible, miserable year."
Sabo's blood ran cold.
"It didn't stop them from getting me killed," Rouge spat. "And right now I am in a very bloodthirsty mood."
"But we both know you aren't the World Government or the Marines," Dragon said smoothly. "You won't kill for no reason."
"I'd have a reason." Rouge examined her nails. "Petty hatred."
Dragon snorted. "You are known for being petty."
Rouge chuckled. "What's the plan, Dragon?"
"We fake their deaths and then get them out of here."
"I don't know if that will work for Ace..." Rouge admitted, staring past Dragon's shoulder, her brow furrowed. It was something she did every so often, stared into the distance. Rouge shook her head. "No, I think whatever calls us knows when we die. I... I don't know what it is, but even now it calls me after my death. Ace, when he turns twelve-"
Dragon stiffened. "Whatever it is may know he's alive if they feel the same calling as the rest of you do."
"We're going to be on the run forever," Rouge sighed. "But it wasn't as I hadn't predicted this outcome either. I was always ready for it. I just didn't think we'd have people showing up at our door to try take Ace so soon." Her eyes hardened. "Sabo would make a great revolutionary."
Sabo startled. "What?"
Dragon chuckled. "I agree."
"You want to change things Sabo." Rouge stared him down. "You don't just value your own freedom and your loved ones. You want that for everyone, don't you?"
Sabo frowned. "Is that really possible?"
"It's a slow process," Dragon admitted. "But we're working on it."
"But what about Ace and Luffy?" Sabo asked desperately. "I haven't even seen them!"
"Of course you'll see them," Rouge said, crossing her arms. "But if whatever calls to us can track Ace there is no way he can be on a revolutionary base. It's impossible. It'll put everyone at too much risk."
"Then I'll stay with Ace and Luffy." Sabo crossed his arms.
"If you don't mind being a target, sure." Rouge shrugged. "But I feel like you might be more helpful to Ace as a Revolutionary."
"Why?" Sabo frowned.
It didn't make any sense.
"Because I think you will be Dragon's right hand man one day," Rouge said, smiling. "I think you will be one of the main reasons why the World Government is taken down, and you'll maybe even discover what calls us so much. If you don't want to, I'll respect that, but it's going to be dangerous for here on out. We can't stay with Dadan anymore."
Dadan hung her head, and Sabo swore her shoulders were shaking. Rouge reached out and squeezed one reassuringly.
"I could drop Luffy back off with Makino." Rouge frowned. "But the little shit will put up a fuss, someone will notice and get some info out of him."
Dragon snorted. "Not so secretive then?"
"Hell no."
Dragon smirked. "He will be an interesting one."
"Yeah, you're going to have your hands full with this one." Rouge crossed her arms. "Sabo's a little shit."
"You're the worst," Sabo grumbled.
"No, bad men with bazookas are the worst," Rouge cooed. "They try to blow you up."
He shook his head at the thought. Sure, she had a point, those were the people who wanted Ace, and they were the people Dragon and his Revolutionaries were fighting against. Sabo hardened his resolve. He didn't want to leave Ace and Luffy, but this world was corrupt. It wouldn't let them remain safely together.
"I want to join the Revolutionaries." Sabo stared up at Dragon, standing firm.
"Are you sure about this? It's a dangerous life," Dragon said solemnly.
"I'm sure."
"Then welcome to the Revolutionary Army, Sabo. I'm Monkey D. Dragon." Dragon frowned at Rouge. "You're welcome aboard my ship, Rouge, you and the boys. I'll drop you off wherever you wish."
"Alright. I'll join you for a time. Let me go get the boys and our things." She softened when she faced Dadan. "And I guess you should say goodbye."