LW: So, this flashback arc will be another couple chapters, but bright side, more KLAS boys shenanigans.
Rubber King and Mirror Master - A Cursed Legacy! Tiger Forged Bond!
We rejoin the boys in the depths of winter, doing what you'd expect from them…. Being chased by a giant bear
"FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!"
"This was all your fault Luffy!"
"I wanted to fight the tiger, not a bear!"
"Less talking more running!" Sabo shouted as the bear gains on them, and all seemed hopeless until a scruffy old man comes running in the opposite direction. First, he throws a large hammer at the bear, stunning it and stopping it in its tracks, before closing the distance while it was unable to attack
"Who's this crazy bastard?" Ace mutters
"Whoever he is, he has a death wish" Kaos agrees
"I've seen him around Grey Terminal, his name's Nagari" Sabo answers, just as the bear gets up "Run old man, he's going to kill you!" he then shouts, but Nagari seems to just ignore him, then, just before the charging beast hits him, a rush of something fills the clearing, kicking up the snow, and when it clears Nagari was fine, the bear was just standing there right in front of him
"Leave these boys alone. It's time to return to the forest" Nagari requests, the bear growls in response, at which point it turns into an order "I said, Turn around and leave us be" which seemed to work, given the bear almost looked to sigh and pout, before skulking back into the forest
"Well damn, the old guy's tougher than he looks"
"He stopped it…. Just like Shanks" Luffy grins widely
A little later
"Wait, you used to be a pirate Captain Nagari!" Sabo shouts as the 4 kids and one old man set up a campfire to roast the fish they'd caught before the whole bear incident
"Indeed" Nagari drones, as he tends to the fire
"Eh I already knew that much, he did the cool thing, old pirate captains do that" Luffy almost cackles
"Cool thing?"
"Yeah the thing you did with the bear, I saw Shanks do it to a Sea King over a year ago" Luffy explains
"Oh, I see" Nagari says with a chuckle and awkward scratch of his head
"He never seemed tough enough to be a pirate" Sabo mutters "Not to me, he was just weird. Course that doesn't say much as lots of people in Grey Terminal are weird, but this guy would gather junk all day and then hammer it into… I don't even know other guys, and Bluejam's crew would make fun of and pick on him, but he's just sit there and take it, never fought back, or even said a word. Seemed pretty weak and frail to me"
"Or those dumbasses weren't worth his time" Kaos argues, getting a nod and grin from Luffy "Shanks was the same, just laughed off a mountain bandit wrecking a the bar he was in and spilling booze on him, because the guy just wasn't worth beating the shit out of, or even getting mad at, just laughed off when the fucker left"
"Yep, Pirate Captains don't care about what losers think of them" Luffy says, puffing up his chest
"Hopfully Ace learns to do that before becoming captain, or he'll set a bad example" the purple haired kid smirks, and Ace, rather than beat the shit out of him, just gave him the smallest part of the fish when he split the first one between the 5 "Better, petty rather than violent"
"So Nagari, you're clearly no pushover, probably still pretty badass even given your age, so why are you here in a dump like Grey Terminal, instead of out there on the ocean?" Ace asks as they munched
Nagari hums "That's, not exactly a pleasant story"
"If it's a problem we can drop it, we're not going to pry or force you to talk" Ace assures him, but the old man just laughs
"Oh it's no trouble at all, just wanted to forewarn you boys before I shared is all. I presume you like everyone else, know of the famous pirate Gold Roger?" he asks, Ace's face screws up while the others are focued on Nagari so don't notice
"Of course we do" Sabo says with an eye roll
"He's the king after all" Luffy cheers
"He started the whole pirate craze from what we've heard" Kaos smirks but nods
"Well, back in the day my crew challenged Roger and his men to a fight, a fight that we lost"
"That sucks" Luffy frowns "But I guess the pirate king SHOULD be a great fighter and have a crew of powerful pirates too, so it makes sense"
"Put in our place, we all split up. Everything went downhill after that, until I ended up in this place. Frankly, it makes me wonder if my life was worth anything to begin with, never mind now" Nagari sighs, puffing his pipe and blowing a small smoke ring
"You fought the king, win or lose that makes you cool" Luffy assures him
"The fact you fought him and lived to talk about it even a decade later helps, you're made of strong stuff Nagari" Kaos adds
"Doesn't feel like it, especially not after me and my crew were beat to shit by Roger and his. Because that's the thing about pirates, one man is never enough, it's the strength of the entire crew that matters, and the men who sailed on the Oro Jackson, were the best of the best on my generation, their teamwork and camaraderie, it was an honor seeing them fight side by side, even if it was as an enemy" Nagari concludes smiling softly as he goes back to his pipe, at which point the boys notice Ace had wandered off
"Hey, where'd Ace go?" Luffy whines, having just gotten Nagari to agree to train him, and now realizes Ace has vanished, 5 minutes behind his brothers
Sabo sighs deeply "Yeah about that, things got kind of awkward a minute ago, I'll explain…"
WHAT! Roger was Ace's Dad, and he never told us, what the Hell?" Luffy shouts
"He, really doesn't like talking about it, plus it's a super big secret, so please don't blab about it in random conversations ok?" Sabo begs, as he and Kaos pack up the remaining fish and wave goodbye to Nagari "Or mention it to Ace, I want to keep living at least a few more years"
"I don't get it" Luffy hums
"It's a mystery to me too" Sabo agrees "But Ace has issues, with his father, and let's just leave it at that"
"Hard to see how, Roger was already dead before Ace was born, far as I can tell" Kaos sighs but agrees, the boys making the trek back to the hideout in silence
"Hey Ace, so this is where you disappeared to, didn't know you'd be home already" Sabo greets as the 3 return and enter the hideout
"Hey Ace, didn't know Roger was your dad and you hate him!" Luffy shouts as he follows Sabo in, his head meeting the floor as fast as Ace's hits his folded arms, courtesy of Kaos slamming his fist into the back of his head
"That's literally the opposite of what we discussed!"
"Luffy" Ace says, his voice, oddly calm "Kaos. Who told you guys about my father?"
'Shit, goodbye world I didn't even get to see another island'
'Play dumb Luffy, for once in your life behave as if you literally are retarded'
"Oh, Sabo told us" Luffy chirps as he gets up off the ground, still grinning like a moron
'Whelp, we're boned' Kaos and Sabo mentally cry, before actually crying when Ace started to beat the 3 of them black and blue
"Never speak his name in my presence again!"
"I just want to hear cool pirate stories!" Luffy whines
"At least give me a minute to explain myself Ace, jeez"
"I'm not sure why I'm being attacked, besides not stating clearer that Roger was DEAD before Ace was born, so he has no memories or stories of Roger. Though that does make me wonder why you hate him so much!"
"Yeah, come on Ace we're brothers, we're not supposed to have secrets between each other"
"Plus at least you know who your parents are, you whiny little shit!" Kaos shouts, the head trauma finally getting to him "Me and Luffy don't even have that, just a physically abusive old geezer who only hears what he wants and punches things until they comply!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH! You bastards are dead to me, you hear, it's over between us" Ace pants, exhausted from fighting all 3 of them as well as the few blows they managed to get in past his guard due to his anger
"Well fuck you too Roger's bastard!" Luffy shouts, getting one last combo punch from Sabo and Kaos who would really like the rubber brainlet to SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!
Dadan Bandit house
"We will have a visit this spring" Dadan reads with a frown "Dogra! Mogra! The fuck is Goa?"
"It's the country and island we live on Boss, Mt Corvo, Fushia Village, and Grey Terminal are all part of the Goa Kingdom" Dogra explains
"I knew that" Dadan blusters
"Huh, so you can read, neat" Morga smiles, then whines as Dadan smacks him with the newspaper like a misbehaving dog
"Anyway, these dumbos are making a big deal about this visit, but it's not like these prissy bastards are going to haul their asses all the way up our mountain" Dadan scoffs "Not that I'd want to see any of those pompous windbags anyway. Celestial Dragons, they can all fuck right off"
1 week later
After their fight, Luffy went off to get training from Nagari, Kaos went who the fuck knows, and in a strange parallel of future events, Ace decided alongside Sabo to try to kill that giant tiger, failing every day no matter what he tried, the animal didn't even seem all that bothered by the boys, more swatting their attempts away and chasing them until it got bored.
"Maybe we should use poison mushrooms in the bait next time" Sabo brainstorms "Or, given it's still a cat even if it's a huge one, maybe we should try catnip to distract it, then stab it! Hello, are you even listening to me?" the blond scowls as Ace just keeps walking "So…. how do you think Luffy and Kaos are doing? It's been a whole week since we've seen hide or hair of them, Luffy with his secret training and… I honestly don't know where the lanky bastard fucked off to, but it's probably important. Don't you think we should at least check up on them or something?" Ace keeps moving silently "You know how Luffy is, by now he should be crying and whining about how hard his training is and that he wants to come back" more silence "Shit, what if that magic sword thing finally killed Kaos, and that's why we haven't seen him?"
Ace takes another 10 or so paces before stopping and turning his head "You say something?" he asks with a disinterested expression
"Oh fuck right off, I know you care and worry about those 2 dumbos even if you're hiding it under your cold-hearted asshole persona. They're our little brothers, at least admit to SOME concern!" Sabo shouts
Ace shrugs "They left us remember? Not my problem if the brats get themselves killed" he huffs, but before Sabo could retort, both boys had to leap out of harm's way as a massive tree tilts and falls with a loud creek and crash
"Oh…. Opps!" Shouts a voice from the tree's base, which as the dust settled was revealed to be Luffy, Nagari following not that far behind him "Sorry, are you ok?" Luffy calls, before realising who he nearly just killed
"Luffy?!"
"Ace! Sabo!" Luffy cheers "What's up guys how's it been? It's been a pretty busy week huh?"
"You could say that, we've been fine" Sabo laughs awkwardly, while Ace just frowns
Nagari's Camp
"Is that a tiger?" Sabo mutters, looking at the hanging board "Well, you clearly haven't become a better artist since we last saw you"
"It's my target, wanna see my newest super cool move?" Luffy asks excitedly, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet
"Sure, let's see what your training has got you" Sabo nods as Luffy swings his arms to build up power
Gum Gum Pistol
Luffy's arm shoots forward at incredible speed, the only problem was it completely missed the target, sailing right past and clocking Nagari on the side of the head
"Impressive distance and power…. Your aim still sucks though" Sabo chuckles
"What kind of training you been giving the kid?" Ace asks off to the side near where Nagari pulls himself to his feet
"Nothing really, I've had him chop some wood every day which might be increasing his strength, and essentially given him somewhere to train, but that's about it" the old man as he settles down once again
Ace hums, then closes his eyes as he remembers the last time he saw the man "You hate him too, don't you?"
"I'm afraid I don't follow this conversation" Nagari shrugs
"Because he defeated your old crew" Ace continues as if he hadn't said anything
"Ah, you mean Roger" Nagari realizes "I was rather devastated, that much is true, but the only reason I lost was because I wasn't strong enough, in that respect, he taught me a valuable lesson"
Ace's eyes snap open and he turns in confusion "What, by kicking your ass?" he asks, probably unconsciously not linking this incident with every time Garp came to visit him and kick his ass as 'marine prep' or whatever bullshit the old man was spouting that time.
Nagari chuckles "in a way, yes. Gold Roger was a man of extraordinary character indeed, and that's why I…"
"Cut the crap old man, if Roger's so great then why does everybody hate him?" Ace shouts
"Did those men who hate and complain ever face Roger in battle, or even seen the man with their own eyes? In the pirate game, defeat means death, but Roger chose to spare not only my life but my entire crew's. If any of them ever faced Roger they should be grateful to still be here. Complaining is a luxury men like us don't get to have often.
"If Roger had a son, you think he should be grateful too?" Ace scowls, finally getting to the root of the problem
"Honestly, I'd feel sorry for him. Regardless of what he does or where he goes, his father's name would haunt him for the rest of his life. With a Legacy like that, I would understand how someone could grow to resent or even hate the man, a man they've never met, never will. I'll tell you this, if I were his son I'd never have become a pirate, his name would be a mark on my record from the moment I stepped onto the sea, and it would do me no favours but instead just paint a target on my back"
"What do you know you old coot? I'm sick of your lectures, if you think you're some strong pirate then fight me!" Ace shouts, leaping at Nagari with his pipe, only for the old man to block it with almost comedic ease
"Holy crap" Sabo whispers, him and Luffy drawn over by the yelling
"I wouldn't advice this boy, like I said before, when pirates fight you bet your life"
"I'll never lose to the likes of you!" Ace sneers as he lunges with his pipe, Nagari stands and dodges the strike, holding off Ace with his hammer staff, his age less of a hindrance than the 2 spectators would have expected, before with a single counter disarms Ace and sets his hammer on the boy's shoulder
"You've got a lot of growing to do yet boy" Nagari hums
"Screw you, I don't need another lecture. Now get this over with already"
"I'll spare you the lecture, and a violent death if you come with me" Nagari states, removing the hammer and leading the boys down to a hidden cove not far from his campsite
Elsewhere
Shing
ZAP
"Ow! Fuck!" Kaos hisses as he's blown back, his hands twitching from the backlash, Hebi embedded in the boulder in front of him
'You're not strong enough yet' the voice purrs, green eyes snap open, tilting to the shadows around him
"I can see that" Kaos groans "Hebi, has so much inside her, and I've barely scratched the surface" he sits up, moving to pull the currently still katana shaped weapon from its furrow
'Why are you trying so hard? You don't even want the Captain's Hat'
"I don't, but I do want to stand alongside my brothers. I don't care what flag I stand under, all that matters is WHO is there beside me. Whether it's KLAS, KLAUS, KL, or some combination in between, I still need to prove myself capable of actually being a pirate" Kaos sighs deeply, Hebi reforming into her default as his hands close around her hilt
"§The master is growing, but you're still just a hatchling§" Hebi hisses, coiling around his forearm without biting him
"But I have to start somewhere, it might as well be here and now"
'Agreed, and there is one thing, that might work well for you, if you're not worried about, scaring people, or potential collateral damage'
Kaos' eyebrows rise "I'm listening
Back with the others
"HOLY SHIT IS THAT A PIRATE SHIP?!" Sabo shouts, shocked that was what the old man had been hiding down here "Is that what all that junk you were collecting was for?"
"Correct, it's been slow progress working all alone, but it's still coming along nicely. Though speaking of, you boys are pretty tough, think you could lend a hand?" Nagari asks, surprisingly both newer boys
"Why would I do that?" Ace asks with a scoff
"Because I didn't smash your head open like a ripe melon you little punk"
"That explains why Ace has to help but why do I have to?" Sabo whines
"Well, you did follow us, and seem to have nothing better to do" Nagari hums
"This stinks of child labor"
"Well the East is notoriously lax with those laws, to the point the other Blues laugh at us, so too bad kiddo, you're going to work" the old man laughs
"This is bull, I so have better things to do with my time, like hunt that damn tiger" Sabo shouts
"I can throw in some tiger hunting tips if you want"
"Really… I'll consider it" Sabo concedes
"Hey geezer, what are you going to do when the ship's complete?" Ace asks, sounding genuinely curious
Nagari smirks and takes a drag from his pipe "Why head out to sea with it. And hopefully, reunite with my old crew out in the vast sea"
"Are you sure you're still able to?" Sabo asks in concern
"Why wouldn't I? I was a captain once before, it's not like I'm some young rookie, I know what I'm doing" Nagari defends
"That's kind of the issue" the blond mutters, not wanting to vocalise 'YOU'RE AN OLD MAN'
"No matter how old you are, you can always chase your dreams. I'm sailing again once this ship is complete, and no man can stop me. You kids got a problem with that?"
"Nope" Luffy answers with a grin
Sabo shrugs "Well, I'm sure as hell not going to stop you"
"Whatever. You spared my life so I'll help you build that ship, for now. Because I'm beating you tomorrow!" Ace declares before walking off
"I don't know why I expected anything less. Hey Luffy, you seen Kaos on your travels?" Sabo asks with a sigh
"Yeah, he's already come down to check up on me a couple times since Nagari took me on as his apprentice. Maybe he'll be around tomorrow" Luffy responds with a shrug
"Another pair of hands would speed things along, especially given I don't think Ace will be working all that hard, nor be able to," Sabo sighs, worried his brother will eventually piss off Nagari enough that he actually kills the stubborn dumbass.
It took another week of before Kaos next visited and he was more than happy to help the others build Nagari's ship, mostly out of his own curiosity, but also because he could see one thing the man was doing, unconventional training under the guise of other tasks, as well as teaching skills that would be useful for life as a pirate. None of them would ever be shipwrights or anything, but given this was the East Blue, not the Grand Line, as long as it can float it should stand up to the minor storms that occasionally rock through the local island chains. And so the 4 fell into a routine, working for Nagari, building parts or construction sections of his ship, then learning aspects of piracy from the man and sparing with each of them, Kaos and Luffy very slightly more as they needed something to do when he sent Ace and Sabo into the ocean to swim for stamina training.
Winter slowly crept away into a late spring, which was common enough in Goa that it was just called spring. And once more Luffy manages to miss all his accepted targets in a spar and smack Nagari right in the nose
"Opps, sorry"
"Always the face,damn brat" Nagari mutters as he stands "You kids have been doing this enough, there's more to being a pirate than beating someone senseless with a pipe. Surely you want more than just strength?"
"Yeah, but that junk comes later, we need to be stronger now!" Sabo argues "Because the strongest one of us gets to be captain"
" Or I have the troublesome job of picking the captain if I somehow win this game" Kaos sighs, Hebi forming a walking stick/cane sword due to a rather severe sounding crunch to his lower leg from one of Ace's pipe swings
"Remember, whoever beats the tiger wins!" Luffy shouts, a little annoyed Nagari hadn't been listening their first meeting
"The tiger, again" Nagari sighs "I agree that the Captain needs to be strong, but there's something more important than just brute strength. There's another kind of strength that can triumph over any foe" he says, getting all 4 boy's attention
"Can you teach us that?" Sabo asks
"Oh, curious now are you kiddies?" Nagari chuckles "It… slipped my mind" he says with a deep belly laugh, pissing off 3 of them, and getting an eye roll from the 4th
That evening
Nagari pauses his hammering, feeling a presence behind him. Turning he sees one of the boys was still awake, and had come down to him for some reason "Hello, can't sleep? Sorry if the banging is keeping you awake, I was sure I was far enough away not to disturb you" he apologises, but Ace just stares at him
"What does it take to be a captain?" Ace asks directly, not beating around the bush at this late hour "If there really is a way to be stronger I have to know what it is! So tell me damn it!"
Nagari sighs "Ok, I'll tell you" he says before dropping down to where the boy had been standing "Even after all these years… I don't know" he admits "Frankly, I don't think I was a good captain, but my crew, they clearly thought I was, right to the end they called me captain without a hint of doubt or hesitation. So in a way, I'm still Captain of the Nagari pirates, even if, it's only me these days, not because of my physical strength, but because of the approval and will of my crew. That's the true test of a Captain, to be a man that others will follow into battle or even the Gates of Hell with"
3 more days passed and the ship was finally ready for its maiden voyage, all 4 boys there to see it sail
"We did it!" Luffy cheering bouncing around like a toddler on a sugar high
"Yeah we did, and it's a beaut" Sabo grins
"I'm still surprised we made something seaworthy, an old man and 4 kids, just doesn't seem right" Kaos chuckles, but there it was
"The girl won't pass an inspection, but she'll float" Ace argues "Which is all the geezer wanted after all"
"I couldn't have done it without your help, at least not for another few years at the minimum, thank you boys" Nagari says from the helm
"So… are you really leaving right now?" Sabo asks, an air of melancholy filled the kids, realizing this might be the last time they see the old man
"Not quite yet, there's one last loose end to tie up before I go. You still need to complete your training" Nagari laughs, as the boys blink in confusion "So… are you boys ready to go tiger hunting or what?" Nagari asks with a wide grin, which the foursome mirror perfectly
"Yeah!"
The forest
"So, we're really doing this" Luffy mutters, cracking his knuckles as Sabo and Ace ready their pipes and Kaos uncoils Hebi into a sword shape
"Yeah we are. And we better because here it comes" Sabo hisses, the rumble felt as much as heard as the massive saber tooth tiger lumbers through the forest in their direction
'Well, he's certainly not gotten any smaller' Nagari thinks sarcastically as he watches from a far enough distance he will only have to step in if the boys get in trouble, but can otherwise just observe
Predictably, Ace took point, in that he charged straight at the tiger, leaving the others in the dust "The kill's mine! I'm a lot faster now!" Ace shouts as he dodges a paw swipe and runs up the tiger's front limb, then leaping off to land a pipe swing directly to its face. The tiger groans and seemed to wince, but otherwise was unharmed, as seen from how easily he tail whipped Ace away from it, slamming him into the ground with a thud
"Get over here! You gotta pay attention to me big guy" Sabo shouts, getting a weighted line around the tiger's neck before it could pounce on the downed Ace "Just give up already!" he groans as he pulls, causing the tiger to tilt in the blond's direction, before with a mighty swing of its neck pulled Sabo toward him instead, before proceeding to bitch slap him into the ground same as Ace.
"Ace, Sabo" Luffy gasps, then screams as the tiger turns his attention to him 'Please work this time' he thinks, swinging his arms around like always before launching a "Gum Gum Pistol", for once hitting the target dead centre, but the rubber boy's fist bounced right off the tiger's nose, not even slowing the animal down
"Luffy!"
"Shit, run away dumbass!"
'This is getting out of hand' Kaos thinks as Hebi thins and rounds out, forming into something best described as a rapier
"I don't wanna die!" Luffy screams as he falls over in his retreat
SLAM
Just before he could be killed though, the tiger's paw was stopped by Ace and Sabo's crossed pipes, the animals' position then compromised….
Traptrix: Ensnare
…by a large quantity of barbed wire coiling around its hind legs
"You guys saved me" Luffy gasps
"Yes, no move before somebody drops their load or the wires snap" Kaos orders, pulling Hebi's tethers tight as the tiger struggles to free itself
"So heavy, I thought we were strong" Sabo groans, as even sharing the weight with Ace, the tiger's paw was huge and not something he'd be able to hold up for very long
"It's because we still lack the most important part. That other strength the old man was blathering on about" Ace argues "We've come too far to die now. Ok guys new plan: Teamwork!"
"What?" Luffy and Sabo shout, in shock after hearing noted lone wolf Ace suggest such a thing
"Ah, seems these boys might actually learn something from this fight" Nagari chuckles from the hillside
The 3 roll out of the way as the paw drops "We're not fast enough to stop it but with Luffy's help we might be able to make something happen. Kaos, cut him loose before you start getting dragged around and help Sabo keep it's attention, me and Luffy will get the big guns ready
"Fine with me" Kaos nods, Hebi returning to her normal form, the wires retracting but at least managing to cut into the tiger's flesh as it was recoiled. He then moves opposite Sabo and spun Hebi around and swung at the tiger's face, both sticking to opposite sides to keep it's attention spread and unfocused on either boy
"Luffy, grab those trees and walk back until you can't stretch any further" Ace orders and Luffy complies "Kaos, Sabo get it to come over here!"
"Got cha, Kaos you're on that side be more annoying!" Sabo yells just as the lanky kid accidentally complies, by slicing the tiger's ear, and removing the very tip
"Opps…. Well guess I'm gonna die if this plan fails!" Kaos shouts as he's now the tiger's only target, and so runs toward Ace and Luffy praying this actually worked
"Almost…. There. You know what to do now Luffy, fire at will!"
"Gum Gum…." Luffy begins,
"Rocket!" Ace bellows as he flies through the air, swinging his pipe just as he hits the tiger dead in the throat, toppling the beast and knocking it down in one blow
"We did it!" all 4 cheer, then the realisation sets in
"We just helped Ace be the captain" Sabo mutters
"FUCK!" Luffy screams
"Not how I expected this to turn out, but oh well" Kaos shrugs before falling back and lying down tiredly
Ace sighs "Shut up and stop complaining, I'm not going to be the stupid captain ok"
"What?" Sabo, Luffy, and even Kaos shout
"What, but why?" Luffy adds, managing to keep the whiny tone from his voice
"I don't know, doesn't feel right. You guys kicked just as much ass and were just as important in taking the tiger down as I was, I just dealt the final shot"
"Fair enough" Sabo nods agreeing with his logic
"Though that's just for now, one day, I'll kick so much ass you'll all be so impressed you'll be begging to join my crew" Ace boasts, and all was once more right with the world in his brother's eyes.
"I couldn't have asked for a better ending, my work here is done" Nagari mutters to himself, happy to see the boys had learned what he was trying to teach them, and that it was now time to set sail, while he still had some good years left in him.
About a month later
"Can you 2 dumbasses stop tempting Mother Nature to fuck with us!" Kaos shouts as he reels Luffy in after nearly being thrown off the top of their base due to the current storm, of which all of them were having the moment of pirate cosplay and telling the storm to do its worst
"You clearly don't understand how pirates work, we tempt the fates so future adventures and more importantly fights are more fun and interesting" Ace argues over the wind
"I have to agree… but the fact the storm is starting to damage the structural integrity of the treehouse makes me lean closer to Kaos side" Sabo retorts
"I don't know what that means, but save me!" Luffy screams
The next day, just as Sabo pointed out, the base was kind of trashed, meaning they had to resupply and rebuild, as well as explain to Luffy that a telescope would be too complicated to make out of the scrap they would find in Grey Terminal, and to wait until they had a real ship before they just buy one to put on it. So the 4 boys split up ti get as much material as possible to rebuild and improve their base
"Not much wood this month, but a new pipe is always a bonus" Sabo mutters to himself as he carries a small stack over his shoulder, then stops and gasps "No way! Shit is that an actual telescope? Luffy's gonna freak when I bring this back to him" the blond laughs as he picks up the small scope and pockets it, only then do some scruffy looking thugs, and head thug Bluejam make their presence known
"Who would have thought that one of the 4 Grey Terminal Brats was from a noble family" the pirate captain scoffs, just loud enough for Sabo to hear
"Oh really, and who told you a rumour like that?" Sabo asks, getting ready to fight, then grimacing as he realises he was completely surrounded and on his own.
"Try not leave much of a mark on him, the noble priss will complain and might not give us as much money if his precious angel is damaged" Bluejam orders as his men lunge at Sabo
"You jerks want a piece of me, come right and get it!" Sabo growls as he dodges and kicks one of the thugs in the face, just before a barrel comes rolling right at them, the barrel exploding to reveal Ace and Luffy, who swing and punch at the first pirate they come across
"My aim's getting better" Kaos chuckles as he slides down the same trash pile he'd shoved the barrel down "Hey Sabo, need help with these assholes?"
"Not even a question, with the 4 of us, even real pirates don't stand a chance. The real question is if he's ready to kick all these asses or just watch me do it for him?" Ace grins viciously
"In your dreams" Sabo chuckles, readying his new pipe as Luffy swings his arms and Kaos begins to spin Hebi
"Well since I'm dreaming, you have no problems with just ploughing through all these underlings and taking out the captain here and now?" Ace taunts, getting devious smirks from his brothers at the thought.
"Yosh! KLAS pirates attack!" Luffy screams as the foursome charge, smacking aside or cutting down henchmen on their way to Bluejam himself, who in response draws his pistol and fires a shot at Ace's feet, prompting the boys to duck into cover, Luffy and Kaos on the right while Ace and Sabo were on the left.
"Just give up nice and easy kiddos" Bluejam orders
"We never give up you hear us!" Ace retorts, only for the fact they're all still kids to rear its ugly head as they're grabbed from behind and manhandled into compliance, Ace and Sabo being held by the neck, Luffy face first in the dirt and Kaos with a boot on his chest. Things were looking rough, when armed goons in what looked to be hazmat gear and rifles rocked up for possibly the first time in Grey Terminal history, as well as a man in a hot hat, and smug aura
'Shit, my dad's here' Sabo thinks with a shiver
"He's caught and we didn't harm a hair on his noble head, so take him and pay up" Bluejam grouses as the noble nods and the thugs move to allows him to inspect Sabo
"Get away from him!" Ace shouts as he tries to free himself from his captor
'He wanted to find me so badly he hired pirates? Something's not right here, but I just don't see it' Sabo thinks, a grimace growing on his face
"Those other boys, they tempted Sabo into a life of debauchery and wickedness" Sabo's sperm donor sneers
"Hey fuck you, Sabo was like that before we even showed up in this place!" Kaos shouts, getting a boot to the ribs for his troubles
"Give him back you stupid jerk!" Luffy screams
"You clearly don't understand, Sabo is of noble birth, he's meant to walk the path that I laid out for him, and you degenerates have tried to steer him into the path of a petty thief. Why do it, was it for my money?"
"Screw you and your money!" Ace bellows as he continues to squirm until he's slammed face-first into the ground
"Hey, you stupid pirate, stop being so careless with how you handle that ruffian, you'll get his delinquent blood on my nice clothes, it's disgusting" Sabo's Father sneers, wiping blood from his cheek with a silk handkerchief
With the man holding him distracted, most likely because he assumed the job was over, Sabo was able to slip free "Hey stop hurting them. Those boys didn't tempt me to do anything, I left because I chose to, I made a decision for myself"
"I'll discipline you for his act of rebellion later Sabo. Men take him away" 2 hazmat goon grab Sabo and begin to drag him away "As for the others, deal with them as you see fit" the noble dismisses, not caring what happens as long as they weren't around his son any longer
Bluejam smiles "No problem sir, you've already paid us quite handsomely, we'll ensure these brats never darken your path ever again. I'll spare you the gorey details, they might sour your delicate sensibilities"
Sabo panicked before he shouts "Bluejam stop. Call them off Dad I get it!"
"Get what?" the noble asks
"Don't do it Sabo!"
"We'll think of something"
"I'm gonna kick all your asses once you get off me!"
"I'll do whatever you say, live whatever life you've mapped out, just don't hurt them. They've done nothing wrong, I can't stand to see them hurt like this, they're my brothers, they're all I care about in this world" Sabo begs, eyes misted with unshed tears
'Shit, I don't think Sabo was meant to admit that, are we going to be released or murdered in front of him by tight britches for that statement?' Kaos wonders with a grimace
"If that's what you want, then go home and stop playing pirate in this trash heap with these low-born ingrates" Sabo's father ordered, Sabo whimpers, but nods, the haxmat goons letting go of him as it was clear he wasn't going to resist any more, tears streaming down his face as he's lead away, the other 3 boys yells and screams for him to run and be free echoing in his ears
"So boss, what do we do with these brats?" one thug asks
"Take 'em to the hideout" Bluejam orders
Bluejam pirate's ship
"You cheating bastards, untie me and fight!" Luffy shouts from his position tied back to back with Kaos and Ace in a triangle/circle configuration?
"Why'd you bring us here, you should have just killed us" Ace scowls
"As much as I don't want to die…. Ace is right. Why are we still alive?" Kaos asks peering over Ace's shoulder at Bluejam
"Must be nice, being a noble" Bluejam comments, not answering and probably not even listening to the boys yells or questions "To them, we're no different than the trash heaps we're forced to live in. They just sit back and laze around, while we do all the dirty work. It's a pretty cushy life your buddy's living I'd say"
"You have no idea what you're talking about" Ace argues
"Pirate life is way better than being a stupid noble!" Luffy shouts
"Plus, from what Sabo tells us, being a noble as a kid, just means assholes telling you what to do all hours of the day" Kaos adds, basically agreeing with both of his brothers on this one.
Bluejam takes another swig and chuckles "You brats are so hopeless I can't even. Men, untie them and be quick about it. Why do you think a kid from a noble family ran off into the shithole that is Grey Terminal? He was mocking you and everyone else in the Terminal, same as adult nobles do when they're bored and want the plebs to do something to amuse them"
"Like that Smelly guy Sabo told us about?" Luffy mutters as the 3 stand now they've been untied
"I hate to break it to you boys, but blondie's no friend of yours, never was" Bluejam continues, annoying all 3 of the kids
"You don't know a damn thing, Sabo isn't like those pompous assholes!" Ace shouts
"Yeah, he's our brother, he even said so in front of everyone!" Luffy adds
"Yeah sure whatever you kids say. But the important thing is, you're not going to go bother that boy or his family anymore are you? Because if that's the plan I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill all of you right here and now, I did promise that rich prick he'd never see you again after all. Best for all of you punks to just let him go and let the brat live his life"
"No way! We made a promise!" Luffy screams, before getting a light slap to the back of the head
"We don't have to storm the gates right now Lu, we have plenty of time. Might even be more fun to rock up to Hightown with a pirate ship and rescue him from his gilded cage" Kaos hums, clicking his tongue with a smile that doesn't quite fit his face
"You're shitting me? You want to leave Sabo in that Hellhole!"
"No, I want to wait for his father to get complacent and drop his guard, then shove a cannon up his ass to see if it will dislodge the polearm he's clearly got stuck up there" the taller boy growls
"Anyway if you boys are done fantasizing I have a bit of a proposition for you" Bluejam smirks at their confused faces "Until a while ago I had a bone to pick with all 4 of you for what happened involving Porchemy, but with the gift of time and hindsight, I'm actually kind of impressed how tough a bunch of kids actually are. The problem, and reason for this offer, is that I'm a little short-handed due to some of my guys being dead and all that, so I need some extra muscle to move some cargo for me" the pirate explains "It's actually quite a simple job, I have some packages I need you to distribute all throughout Grey Terminal, you'll see them marked on the map to your left with X's. Think of it like a reverse Treasure map, rather than digging up where the X is, you put one of these items, then move on to the next"
"Ok, we're listening" Ace says, acting as the trio's spokesman "But what about pay?"
Bluejam twitches slightly, but his smile widens, these kids might actually be worth his time.
Grey Terminal
"My head's tired, why are we doing this? Hauling stuff's no fun when Sabo's not around" Luffy whines, 1 box in his arms, the other on his head, while Ace and Kaos had one under each arm same as the goons
"You're not the only one Luffy, I want to go rescue Sabo too, but we have to at least give him a chance to live his own life, and if that doesn't work and he comes back… then we win" Ace states
"Plus, I never said NOT to rescue him, just not to run in half cocked like the thugs we usually beat up in the Terminal and Lowtown" Kaos adds with a sigh "I want Sabo back too, but we don't stand a chance against High Town's security if they're actually trying"
That evening
"So, what do you think Sabo's doing right now?" Luffy asks as the three lie in bed
"Sleeping" Kaos answers flatly "He's the one who usually sleeps through your questions and snoring
"I thought we agreed to not worry about Sabo, for now, he'll be fine, that bastard put to much effort into finding him to do anything bad the same day" Ace adds, giving his 2 beri "Just go to slee…" he stops already hearing Luffy's snores "Dumbass" he muttered, getting a hissed cackle from the middle sibling
Next day
"You know, we've been waiting on you" Bluejam comments as Luffy, Ace and Kaos make their way to near the middle of Grey Terminal
"Sorry about that, the storm broke our clocks, so we're kind of eyeballing this shit" Kaos apologizes with a tired shrug
"Do you have any more boxes for us to move?" Ace asks
"Yeah, I got a fair few left to haul, and I've got a bigger job for you boys to do later tonight, but we'll discuss that closer to the time" the pirate answers, to which the boys nod and collect more boxes to distribute
Hightown
'They're gonna burn it all to the ground, kill all those people and nobody even cares! I need to do something, anything to stop this. Ace, Kaos, Luffy, I'm coming for you, if nothing else, I'm going to save my brothers' Sabo thinks as he runs through the streets of Hightown, Adrenaline and panic rushing through his veins
TBC
LW: Well, things are coming to a climax, and as someone who knows where his story's heading, I can see how Sabo's past here and now, affected and shaped his future in the current manga.
Also, what Hebi and remnant were talking about, wasn't Traptrix, but something Kaos hasn't used in the current storyline, flashback, or main series ….. yet.
Fun fact, between this chapter and the next, I'll have seen Film Red, which should be fun :)