Ch. 10- Brotherhood
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
The memory shifts once again, revealing the Straw Hats inside some sort of disheveled old cabin...and inside was Luffy, who had been tied up to a wooden post while Porchemy and his minions surrounded him. The boy barked and shouted, demanding to be let free, but they refused to let him go.
That's when Porchemy approached him with a gigantic mallet.
"You damn kid!" he shouted as he slammed the mallet on Luffy...only for it to bounce right off him, causing the other pirates to shriek in surprise.
"I told you my body's made of rubber since I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, dummy!" Luffy exclaimed.
"So he's one of THOSE guys?!" one of the pirates questioned.
"This kid's a freak!" another shouted.
"Just once, I wish people would go one day without calling Luffy a freak," Usopp muttered.
"Shh~!" Nami shushed. "Something's about to happen."
"...Just in case," Robin said as she crossed her arms, causing four arms to appear on Aika's shoulder which then proceeded to cover her eyes and her ears.
"Hey!" Aika exclaimed.
"Kumi, you too!" Blizzard exclaimed as he covered Kumi's eyes with his paws while Chopper covered her ears.
"Shut up, you whining fools!" Porchemy shouted as he glanced down at Luffy, who glared at him in defiance. "A Devil Fruit, huh? Looks like this kid's for real..." He then looked over at one of the pirates. "Get me a pair of gloves."
"Y-yes, sir!" one of the pirates answered as he ran to get a pair.
"You guys," Porchemy ordered as he pointed to some other pirates, "tie the kid up to the rafters."
"Yes, sir!" the pirates answered as they untied Luffy, but then tied him up to one of the rafters before he could attempt to get away. Then, one of the pirates came back with a pair of brown gloves...with spikes on the knuckles.
"...Oh, my god...!" Nami whispered in horror.
"Don't tell me...is he gonna...?!" Usopp questioned.
"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Chopper added.
"Listen up, you brat," Porchemy said. "That money that Ace stole from us is very important to our crew, understand?" He then held up the gloves so Luffy could get a good look at them...and needless to say, the boy looked rather unnerved. Then, he grabbed Luffy by the head, causing him to whimper in fear. "So, since you seem to know where it is, you need to tell us...NOW."
"N...no way!" Luffy shouted. "Never!"
Porchemy growled before he pushed Luffy back, causing him to swing backwards...and when he came forward, he was punched across the face by Porchemy's spiked gloves...which made the Straw Hats cringe as blood sprayed into the air from Luffy's face.
"It worked!" one of the pirates exclaimed.
Porchemy pulled his fist away, the spikes dripping with blood...while Luffy whimpered in pain. Tears stung at his eyes, threatening to fall, but he didn't cry...not yet, at least. Still, the sight was enough to leave the Straw Hats horrified.
"...Shit...!" Sanji cursed.
"...I don't know if I can watch this...!" Nami whispered.
"Me, neither," Robin said. "I used to be able to see this sort of thing without a problem, before, but now...to see Luffy like this..."
"I know," Zoro replied. "It's sickening."
"You should know better than to piss off a pirate, boy," Porchemy threatened. "Our captain, Bluejam, is very brutal."
Luffy whimpered, the pain from his open wounds becoming too much to bear before he began to sob and scream.
"It hurts!" he cried. "It hurts so bad! I'm scared! Somebody, help me! Mommy, help me!"
"...He's so desperate for help," Brook began, "he even calls out for his dead mother."
"Poor Luffy..." Chopper whispered, sadly.
"W-what's happening?" Aika asked. "I thought I heard Big Brother scream."
"Don't worry about it, Aika," Robin answered.
"But-" Aika started.
"She said don't worry about it!" Blizzard barked. "Now keep your eyes and ears closed!"
'No way she needs to see this!' the wolf-dog thought.
"You guys go out and find Ace and Sabo," Porchemy ordered. "I'll deal with the boy."
On that, his men went out to look for the two boys in question while Porchemy remained behind.
"All right, kid," he said. "I'm sure you don't want to get punched again...now tell me where the money is!"
"N-no!" Luffy shouted. "I won't tell you!"
BAM! Porchemy punched Luffy across the face again, causing him to cry out in pain, again.
"Talk, you little bastard!" he shouted. "Where is it?!"
"I said I won't tell you!" Luffy cried. "Go to hell!"
BAM! He got punched again.
"Damn brat!" Porchemy growled. "Why won't you talk?!"
He punched Luffy across the face again, causing him to cry out in even more pain. Punch after punch, Luffy's screams and pleas for help got louder...and eventually, some of the Straw Hats just couldn't take anymore. Nami, Chopper, and Usopp forced themselves to look away, but they could still hear the sounds of screams. Robin could only lower her head, grimacing in disgust, sickened by Porchemy torturing her captain. Franky and Blizzard growled in rage, but they knew they could nothing to stop it...but the sight was enough to make their blood boil. Zoro, Sanji, and Brook were the only ones who could keep watching in stunned silence.
"...I don't know why," Sanji began, "but...it's almost amazing that he's still so defiant."
"I thought I respected him before," Zoro said, "but...this just blows me away."
"It's times like this I'm glad I don't have blood vessels anymore," Brook added.
Thankfully, Aika and Kumi still had their eyes and ears covered. The others knew that they, especially the former, wouldn't be able to handle seeing such torment.
Eventually, it grew to be dusk...but Porchemy was still punching poor Luffy, the spikes stabbing and cutting into his flesh and drawing more blood than before. Chopper couldn't even begin to imagine how much blood he might've lost by now...but Porchemy wouldn't relent. It only got worse when his men came back and said that they couldn't find Ace and Sabo, causing him to punch Luffy even more savagely...and at that point, Luffy no longer had the strength to scream.
By now...he was covered in blood and lacerations...but Porchemy wouldn't let him go.
"...How long is he gonna keep punching him?" Usopp asked. "It's like Luffy's not even alive, at this point."
"He must still be alive," Robin said. "If he fell unconscious, the memory would've faded to black, by now."
"...This is just too much," Nami whispered, her heart breaking and her eyes tearing up at having to see the boy who would become her fiance being beaten so horrendously.
Even Aika was in tears. Even though she had her eyes and ears covered...it was almost as though she could sense her half-brother's pain.
"Stop it...please...!" she begged. "You'll kill him!"
"I don't know what's happening," Kumi muttered, "but I really wish it would stop, already."
"...You know," Zoro began, "despite the situation, I can't help thinking that we don't give Luffy enough credit, in spite of how stupid he acts. He has no reason to help Ace, and yet he hasn't ratted him out, at all...even when he was a kid, he's still a man."
"Yeah," Franky agreed, "but...if nothing's done soon...!"
Just then, Porchemy stopped punching Luffy, seething with rage.
"...Just talk, already!" he barked before he punched him again. "This is getting ridiculous, kid!"
"Porchemy, stop!" one pirate cried. "Even I can't look at this, anymore! It's obvious the kid won't talk! Let's...let's just let him go! Have some mercy, will you?!"
"...At least someone actually has a heart," said Robin.
Porchemy growled before he kicked the man to the ground.
"Look for those two brats if you got time to stand up for this kid!" he shouted. "Don't you get it?! Our lives are at stake if we don't get that money back! We're already late in bringing it to Captain Bluejam!"
The Straw Hats, save for Aika and Kumi, gaped as they heard those words coming from Porchemy's mouth and the expression on his face.
"Of course," Zoro muttered. "It's the same 'alpha male' mentality with these morons. He's not torturing Luffy out of some sick thrill. He's doing this because he's afraid of getting punished by his superior...or worse."
"You know, I shouldn't really be surprised," Nami said.
"Answer me, damn you!" Porchemy shouted. "WHERE THE HELL IS THE MONEY?!"
"...I...I won't tell you...!" Luffy whimpered, weakly, yet still full of defiance.
"Rrrgh!" Porchemy growled as he kept punching Luffy again and again. "I SAID TALK, DAMMIT! YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING, EVENTUALLY! STOP KEEPING SECRETS LIKE YOU'RE A GROWNUP! TALK!"
"I...won't tell you...!" Luffy repeated. "I won't tell you! I won't tell you! I'll never, ever tell you!"
A pause...but then Porchemy glared before he took off the blood-stained gloves...and grabbed his sword.
"Fine," he hissed. "If you won't tell me...YOU CAN DIE!"
"NO!" Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Blizzard, and Brook cried...but just as Porchemy was about to make due on his promise, the wall suddenly burst open...and Ace and Sabo came leaping out from behind it!
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" they yelled.
Aika gasped, having pulled Robin's hands away from her eyes, before she beamed brightly with tears of relief falling from her eyes.
"BIG BROTHER ACE AND BIG BROTHER SABO!" she exclaimed.
"It's about damn time they decided to show their asses!" Blizzard shouted. "What the hell kept them?!"
"I think they were trying to hide their treasure first," Chopper said. "Still...they should've realized Luffy might've been in danger, sooner."
"Well, at least they showed up now," Nami said as she watched Ace strike a pirate in the head with his pipe.
"Outta my way, punk!" he shouted.
"Porchemy, that's him!" cried the pirate that tried to stand up for Luffy, earlier.
"He's the kid who stole the money!" shouted another.
"What?!" Porchemy questioned.
"A-Ace...!" Luffy exclaimed.
"RAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!" Ace roared as he lunged for Porchemy...only for him to grab the ten-year-old boy by the throat. "GUH!"
"Well, you saved me the trouble of looking for you, you punk!" Porchemy said. "Your little buddy here was so damn tight-lipped!"
"Get your...grimy paw off me!" Ace choked, struggling to get free. "SABO!"
"Take THIS!" Sabo shouted as he appeared behind Porchemy, quick as a flash, and slammed his pipe against the back of his head, causing him to drop Ace, who coughed as he rubbed his neck.
"Porchemy!" the pirates cried as the brute fell to the ground.
"Yes!" Aika cheered. "He got him! Way to go, Big Brother Sabo!"
"You do know he can't hear you, right?" Kumi asked.
"So?" Aika asked. "I'm still cheering, anway! Yeah, go get 'em!"
Porchemy seethed as he turned to face Sabo, rubbing his head.
"That really hurt, kid," he said. "Don't you know what happens when you pick fights with a grownup? Huh?!"
"Hey!" Ace shouted. "Your opponent is behind you, Porchemy!" He then glanced over at Sabo. "Quick, get Luffy outta here!"
"Got it," Sabo nodded. "Be careful...the guy's got a sword."
On that, Ace rushed Porchemy again, this time being a little more prepared. Porchemy attempted to slash him with his sword, but Ace fluidly dodged the strike. In fact, every slash Porchemy made, Ace deftly avoided each attack with the same kind of acrobatic skill that Luffy would later show when he was a teenager.
"Do you see that?!" Usopp questioned. "He's avoiding all his attacks like they're nothing!"
"That Ace sure was something, even back when he was a kid!" Franky exclaimed.
"Such impressive skill!" Brook added.
"...I hate to say it," Zoro started, "but even I wasn't THAT good back when I was his age."
"So you admit it, then," Sanji smirked.
"SHUT UP!" Zoro barked.
As for Sabo, he managed to swipe a knife from one of the pirates before he used it to cut Luffy down from the rafters, then caught the boy in a fireman's carry.
"Gotcha!" Sabo exclaimed. "Ace, I got Luffy, now let's amscray!"
On that, he began to run...until he realized Ace wasn't following him, causing him to stop and turn to see the D. Carrier glaring up at Porchemy.
"Ace, we gotta go!" Sabo shouted. "Come on!"
"No way," Ace answered. "Go on without me, I'll catch up!"
"Oh, not this again!" Sabo bemoaned. "Dude, we need to go!"
"Once I set my sights on an opponent," Ace started, "I never back down!"
"Is he serious?!" Nami questioned. "He's worse than Luffy!"
"...Hold it," Sanji said. "Ace is Gold Roger's son, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Usopp asked.
"Think about it," Sanji said. "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, does it?"
"Come to think of it," Robin started, "Rayleigh used to say that when Roger chooses his opponent, he would never run away."
"Wow...Ace really is Roger's son!" Chopper gaped in amazement.
"What did you say to me, you brat?!" Porchemy growled.
"Ace, don't!" Sabo cried. "The guy's on a whole other level! He'll mop the floor with you!"
"Do you little bastards understand?!" Porchemy questioned. "This isn't a damn game, you know! You stole our money, so you need to be good little brats and hand it over!"
"We're making a better use for it," Ace said in defiance.
"What did you say?!" Porchemy yelled.
"Dammit...!" Sabo cursed as he gently put Luffy on the ground. "Hey, wait here, okay?"
"Uh-huh," Luffy nodded before the blonde-haired boy ran over to Ace's side.
"You're too damn reckless, you know that?!" Sabo asked. "Why the hell do you do this, all the time?!"
"...I never back down," Ace answered.
"Don't be so damn naïve!" Porchemy barked as he swung his sword, and Ace attempted to block the strike, but the blade actually managed to cut off part of his pipe. "Me, losing two a couple of snot-nosed little kids?! I'd quit being a pirate before then!"
"Then we'll make you quit!" Ace and Sabo shouted before they both jumped at Porchemy, who laughed maniacally as he began to attack. Luffy gasped as he watched the scuffle, and the Straw Hats cringed whenever the sight of blood, either from the boys or Porchemy, sprayed into the air. However, as the scuffle went on...Luffy suddenly began to waver before his eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he collapsed...causing the memory to fade to black.
"What happened?!" Usopp questioned.
"It was Luffy," Chopper answered. "He lost so much blood, he just couldn't stay awake much longer, so he must've passed out, right then and there!"
"So what happened to him afterwards?!" asked Aika, worriedly, but she soon got her answer when the darkness faded away, revealing the forest, only now, the sky had gone dark, indicating that night had fallen. The only thing breaking the silence...was Luffy's loud wails.
"WAAAAAAAAAAH~!" he sobbed, his whole body, arms, hands, feet, cheeks, and forehead covered in bandages, and tears and snot running down his face. He sounded less like he was scared and more like how he would if he were crying for his mother.
"Oh, thank goodness," Nami said. "He's okay."
"Phew!" Aika sighed in relief. "That was close."
"You know, Ace," Sabo said, "that was seriously not cool. You gotta kick this habit of yours. Next time we see those guys, we bolt, got it? It's not worth dying over!"
Ace just ignored him, trying to repair his broken pipe.
"Seriously," Sabo said. "Bluejam's gonna be pissed...I just know he and his goons are gonna be after us!"
"That was so scary~!" Luffy sobbed. "I thought I was dead for sure! WAAAAAAAAAHH~!"
"Poor Big Brother," Aika said.
"...Are you sure this is the real Luffy?" Kumi asked. "Because last I checked, hardly anything scares him."
"Kumi," Blizzard spoke up. "Let's not forget, Luffy's only about 7 years old, here. Sure, he may be courageous now, but not everyone starts out that way. I'm sure that when Luffy was a child, a lot of things frightened him."
"...I guess," Kumi said.
By now, Ace had gotten fed up with Luffy's crying, so he growled as he jumped down from the tree root he was sitting on.
"WILL YOU STOP THAT DAMN CRYING, ALREADY?!" Ace questioned. "GOD, I HATE CRYBABIES AND COWARDS LIKE YOU! MAN UP, ALREADY!"
Just like that, Luffy clammed up, to Ace and Sabo's surprise, before he bowed his head down.
"Thank you...!" he said...before he began sniffling again.
"Rrrgh, will you stop it?!" Ace growled in annoyance.
"Ace, calm down!" Sabo exclaimed as he held him back. "The little guy's just grateful! It's no big deal!"
"...Hey," Ace said, causing Luffy to look at him. "Old Man Garp tells me you've done some crazy shit, but none as crazy as this! Why didn't you tell them about our stash?! Don't you realize they would've killed, even if you are a kid?!"
"...Because," Luffy began, "I was afraid you wouldn't wanna be friend anymore if I told them."
"...Oh, Luffy," Nami said, sadly.
"There you go again with this 'friends' crap," Ace muttered. "It's not worth you getting killed! Why the hell do you wanna be friends with me so badly, anyway?! Ever since we met, day in and day out, I've been giving you hell, and you still insisted on following me all the way out here! I mean...I'd actually be impressed if you weren't so dumb! I've put up with all your nonsense for this long, but now I gotta know! Why are you so damn desperate to be friends with me?!"
"...Because," Luffy said...before he raised his head. "Because I don't know who else to turn to! I can't go back home to Windmill Village, and I hate being around the mountain bandits...so I had to follow you, otherwise I would've been all alone! And sure...getting beat up hurts, but being lonely is a lot worse!"
"...Poor kid," Franky said.
"When you think about what happened with those kids in the village," Robin began, "it makes perfect sense. Luffy was so desperate to have friends, he'd be near just about anyone around his age...even if those people treat him badly."
"...Big Brother's right, though," Aika said, sadly, remembering how she used to be ignored and ostracized by the other kids back in Punk Hazard. "Being lonely does hurt more than getting beat up."
Ace's expression seemed to soften a bit.
"Well...where are your mom and dad?" he asked.
"...I don't have a Dad," Luffy replied, "and my Mom is...is...!" He then sniffled and shook his head, trying to fight off tears.
"...Oh, jeez," Sabo muttered, he and Ace now feeling guilty for they treated him, earlier that day.
"Grandpa's the only family I got," Luffy said, "but every time he comes to see me, all he does is beat me up and say that I have to be a Marine, but I don't wanna be one!"
"...So...you feel better when I'm around?" asked Ace, causing Luffy to nod his head. "And you feel even worse when I'm not around, huh?"
Luffy nodded his head again.
"...Lemme ask you something," Ace said. "Do you think...I deserve to live?"
"Of course I do!" Luffy shouted.
"What?!" Nami questioned.
"Of course Big Brother Ace deserves to live!" Aika exclaimed.
"Why in the world would he ever ask something like that?" Brook asked.
"...All right, fine," Ace said. "I'll stick around with you...but listen up! I hate spoiled little brats like you, got that?!"
"Hey! I'm not spoiled!" Luffy shouted. "I'm strong!"
"Psh!" Ace scoffed. "Puh-lease! You were screaming for your dead mom earlier, you little mama's boy! In fact, all you ever do is cry!"
"I am NOT a mama's boy!" Luffy argued. "And how could I not cry?! I was punched by spiky gloves! Anyone would cry if it hurt that much! I'm only seven years old, but I'll get stronger when I'm ten, like you!"
"Don't go comparing yourself to me!" Ace barked. "I was never a crybaby when I was seven, either, you twerp!"
"I'm gonna be stronger than anyone!" Luffy yelled. "I'm gonna be a great pirate, like I promised Shanks I would be!"
"You, a pirate?!" Ace questioned. "As if!"
"I'm gonna be one!" Luffy shouted as he got up in Ace's face.
"Are not!" Ace spat.
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"ARE NOT!"
"ARE TOO! INFINITY!"
"D'oh!" Ace grunted in annoyance.
"Ha-ha! I said infinity and you can't top it~!" Luffy teased in a singsong voice before sticking his tongue out. "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah~!"
"Why you little...!" Ace growled while the Straw Hats chuckled.
"Looks like they really are turning out to be brothers," Robin smiled.
"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled.
"Okay, okay, that's enough, you two," Sabo said as he pushed them away. "Jeez...now listen, in case you forgot, we got a bit of a problem here."
"We do?" Luffy asked, and Sabo nodded his head in response.
"Bluejam and his buddies are bound to be looking for us after what we did," said Sabo. "Like you said, Ace, they won't hold back, even if we are kids. They'll kill all three of us without a second thought."
"Yeah, probably," Ace said, nonchalantly.
"This forest that I've been living in is actually really close to their hideout," said Sabo. "They're covert pirates...so what if one night, I'm a little too tired and sleep a little too hard?"
"You're dead," Ace answered, bluntly.
"Yeah, way dead," Luffy affirmed.
"These two don't really understand the concept of subtlety, huh?" asked Usopp.
"Apparently not," Franky replied.
"Exactly," Sabo spoke. "Which is why I need your help." Soon, he, Ace, and Luffy huddled up together, whispering amongst themselves. Whatever it was, Ace and Luffy must've liked it, for the former gave a small grin while Luffy giggled.
"What are they saying?" Kumi asked.
"Dunno," Chopper answered.
The memory shifted, once more...and they were met with the sound of Dadan screaming from inside her house.
"What in the hell is a third kid doing in here?!" she questioned.
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy stood before Dadan, the third looking like he was still sleeping while standing up while Sabo scratched the back of his head and grinned.
"So you must be Dadan," Sabo said. "I'm Sabo. Ace and Luffy said I could stay here. It's nice meeting you!"
"Sabo?!" Dadan questioned. "I heard about you! So now I got another mouth to feed?!"
"Why am I not surprised?" Nami asked.
"I guess it would make sense," said Sanji. "This place looks pretty outta the way. Who'd expect pirates to come looking around for kids at a bandits' hideout?"
"Wow!" Aika exclaimed. "Big Brother's Sabo's so clever!"
Despite Dadan's protests, it looked like Sabo was there to stay, to Luffy's glee. The Straw Hats smiled at how delighted he looked, and even Ace seemed rather pleased. In fact, his smile looked rather genuine compared to his surly expression. If the Straw Hats didn't know better, it looked like Ace was opening up a bit.
The memory shifted, and it showed Ace, Sabo, and Luffy running out of the house. They were still in bandages, but it looked like it didn't bother them at all.
"Hey, get back here, you three!" Dadan shouted. "You've got chores to do!"
But the three boys didn't care.
"Let's go, you guys!" Sabo exclaimed.
"Luffy, you better keep up, or we're leaving you behind!" Ace called.
"I'm coming!" Luffy replied.
Usopp couldn't help chuckling at the sight of the three boys, running off into the forest together to get into all sorts of mischief. It reminded him of his childhood days, running through the streets of his village, shouting that pirates were coming over and over, and going off to explore the woods, pretending to be a pirate that was looking for adventure. It was rather heartwarming to see.
Soon, the Straw Hats were treated to a montage of memories. There was this one where Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were at the creek, eating a large fish they caught. Luffy wanted to show off a new "move" that he had invented that would deflect cannonballs. That's when the Straw Hats realized he was talking about the Gum-Gum Balloon, in which he proceeded to inflate himself. However, he had a bit of trouble holding his breath in.
Ace, unable to resist, punted Luffy into the water like a rubber ball, where he bounced along the surface. Not long after, though, a crocodile soon emerged and swallowed him whole, causing the Straw Hats to gasp in horror.
"Oh, no!" Aika cried.
"Relax, I'm sure he's okay!" Sanji replied as he grabbed Aika's shoulders.
After the memory shifted, it showed Ace, Sabo, and Luffy walking through the forest, carrying the dead crocodile over their heads. Judging by the color of the sky, it looked like they were heading back to Dadan's hideout for dinner.
"See?" Sanji asked. "They're okay."
"Phew!" Aika sighed. "Thank goodness."
"You know, it's almost hard to believe these are the two guys that Luffy would look up to," said Nami. "I mean...Ace was kind of a bully and Sabo, though reasonable, wasn't really much better."
"Time has a way of changing things, Miss Nami," Brook pointed out.
"That's true," Nami nodded.
The following day, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo were out on an open field, and it looked like they were trying to have a sparring match. There was even a chalkboard that counted how many wins and losses they had. It was here that attempted to use his signature move, the Gum-Gum Pistol...but that quickly backfired on him, his fist falling just short before hitting Ace or Sabo before it bounced off the ground, which caused Luffy to punch himself instead.
"What the hell..." Ace started...before he kicked Luffy in the face. "ARE YOU DOING?!"
"GUAAAH!" Luffy cried as he fell to the ground.
"What good are rubber powers, anyways?" asked Ace.
"That shouldn't have happened," Aika said. "Big Brother should've hit Big Brother Ace, right?"
"Well, Aika, you don't get the hang of your Devil Fruit powers right away," Robin said.
"Yeah, Luffy was still a kid, back then," Franky added. "He doesn't really know how to use them much, yet."
"Yeah, like me," Zoro added. "You think I got the hang of using three swords at his age? Fat chance."
"Again, you admit it," Sanji muttered.
"THAT'S IT!" Zoro barked as he jumped at Sanji, and soon, the two started fighting, once again.
"Oh, boy," Nami muttered in exasperation.
Then, it was Sabo's turn to spar with Luffy, who attempted to use another new move called the Gum-Gum Shielf, where he stretched his fingers out to block Sabo's attack...but that didn't really work out very well, either, though Sabo seemed more impressed than Ace was when he stretched the fingers back, then let go, causing them to smack Luffy in the face and send him to the ground.
"That wouldn't have made a very effective shield, anyways," Nami said.
"Yeah, you're right about that," Sanji agreed.
"Well, Luffy," Sabo said as he scribbled a number on the chalkboard. "You lost to me and Ace 50 times, each. Ace has 24 wins and I have 26 losses. Damn, looks like Ace beat me again!"
"I want another go!" Luffy barked.
"No way," Ace answered. "100 sparring matches a day. You can try again, tomorrow."
"Just wait until I'm ten!" Luffy rebuked. "Then I'll kick both your asses!"
"Psh!" Ace scoffed. "Sabo and I will be 13 by then! You'll still be 3 years behind us, no matter how old you get to be!"
Luffy only pouted at this...but then his pout turned into a frown when his stomach began to rumble.
"Hungry~!" he whined.
Soon after, Ace's and Sabo's stomachs decided to growl, too, causing them both to blush a bit and the Straw Hats to chuckle.
"Okay, okay," Ace said. "I guess we did work up an appetite. How about we go scrounge up dinner?"
"Sounds good to me," Sabo replied.
"Yahoo!" Luffy cheered. "Food for me!"
A while later, the trio were down by the creek again, watching some crocs bathe in the sun.
"Okay, who's up for some croc stew tonight?" asked Ace.
"Crocodile meat sure does taste good," Luffy grinned, licking his lips.
"Just don't get yourself eaten this time, Luffy," Sabo added. "Last time, you were lucky the croc swallowed you whole, since your body was so big."
"After Ace kicked him into the water, that is," Usopp pointed out.
"Just sit and watch, okay, Luffy?" Ace asked. "You can't swim, so you'll just get in the way."
"CROC MEAT~!" Luffy shouted as he jumped at the large reptiles.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Ace questioned as he jumped down. "I TOLD YOU TO WATCH, YOU MORON!"
"Good grief," Sabo mumbled before he followed suit.
"Oh, boy," Nami muttered.
"Go get 'em, Big Brothers!" Aika called to the trio.
After a fairly long battle with the crocs, the three boys emerged triumphant.
"They seem to be getting along quite well, now," said Brook.
"Yeah," Chopper smiled. "Plus, it looks like Luffy's gained a bit of weight, so that means he must be eating well."
"Looks like we know where Luffy got his hunting skills from," said Zoro.
The memory shifted, once again, showing the Gray Terminal, but for some reason, it appeared that Luffy was nowhere to be found. All that was seen was some sort of man wearing a cloak and pulling a small wagon behind him...but for some reason, he seemed to wobble a bit, like he couldn't keep his balance.
"All I see is some weirdo in a cloak," said Kumi. "Where are Ace, Sabo, and Luffy?"
Blizzard smirked as he watched the hooded figure...who had shoes that looked like they belonged to a particular top-hat wearing boy. Without warning, he followed the stranger.
"Blizzard?" Chopper asked. "Where are you going?"
Blizzard glanced back before nodding his head to the cloaked figure, then proceeded to follow him, which prompted the others to follow, as well, entering the city of Goa. Needless to say, this part of the city didn't really look as clean as Nami had described.
"Jeez, this place looks pretty rough, don't you think?" Zoro asked.
"Well, Goa is actually divided into several sections," Nami said. "There's the Great Gate, Edge Town, the Town Center, High Town, and the Royal Palace. We must be in Edge Town, the roughest part of the kingdom. High Town is where the nobles live."
"Basically, this city is divided by class, right?" asked Zoro.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Nami answered.
"I take it Edge Town is the rougher part of Goa, am I right?" Robin queried.
"Yeah," Nami replied.
"I think I might like it here," Franky grinned.
Just then, a group of street thugs appeared and surrounded the hooded stranger.
"Okay, buddy," one of them said. "Just drop what's in the wagon and you won't get hurt! ...Not much anyway...hehehehe...!"
The man didn't answer, to the annoyance of the thugs.
"Hey, didn't you hear us?!" asked one of them.
"...Shut up, you idiots," the man spoke...in a familiar voice, which caused Aika to gasp before a wide smile appeared on her face.
"I know that voice!" she exclaimed.
Before the thugs could process what was going, a metal pipe suddenly appeared out of the man's cloak and struck one of them in the side. Doing so caused the cloak to drop, revealing Ace, Sabo, and Luffy, sitting on each other's shoulders, totem-style.
"If you're gonna rob somebody," Ace began, "you should pick your victims a little more wisely!"
"It was them all along?!" Chopper questioned in surprise.
"Yep," Blizzard grinned.
"Wow...that's actually really clever!" Usopp exclaimed.
"Oh, crap!" one of the thugs cursed. "It's those three devil kids!"
"Run for it!" another one shouted.
"Sabo! Luffy!" Ace called. "Let's go!"
"Right!" Sabo and Luffy shouted as they went on the attack. The fight didn't last too long. Even Luffy didn't have that hard a time taking one of the thugs out. The Straw Hats couldn't help being impressed. Once the fight was over, the boys got back in their disguise, with Luffy being on the bottom, this time. They had gone to sell the crocodile skin they had gotten for some money for their "pirate funds", although Nami complained that they should've gotten a thousand Berries extra.
After that, the Straw Hats found the trio entering another part of the city...and needless to say, there were speechless. The streets practically sparkled in the light of the sun, and the people were all dressed up in fancy outfits. Even the pets were wearing fancy clothes.
"This must be the High Town," Nami said.
"I figured by looking at all the rich folk," Usopp replied.
"Even the animals wear fancy stuff," Aika noted.
"My word," Brook said. "The streets here really are clean!"
"Look!" Chopper called. "There they are!"
The Straw Hats spotted Ace, Sabo, and Luffy in their disguise.
"Man, we really got some good money for that croc skin," said Sabo. "Now there's even more money we can save for a pirate ship!"
"Man, our luck just gets better and better," Ace grinned.
"Guys, I'm hungry," Luffy complained.
"No surprise there," Sanji muttered.
"Don't sweat it," Ace said to Luffy. "I promise, we'll eat some delicious ramen soon enough."
"What's ramen?" asked Sabo. "Is it good?"
"You never had ramen before?" Ace asked. "Oh, man, it's amazing!"
"Anything is fine by me," Luffy replied, "just as long as we get to eat."
The trio eventually arrived at a very fancy-looking restaurant. In fact, it looked more like a five-star hotel than anything else.
"Doesn't look too bad," said Sanji. "If only I could taste what the food is like inside."
"Now I'm hungry," Aika said, prompting Sanji to reach into his pocket and hand her a gingersnap cookie.
"Here you go, kiddo," he said.
"Yay!" Aika cheered as she took it and munched on it. "Thanks, Sanji!"
"I want a cookie, too," Usopp said.
"That was the only cookie I brought," Sanji answered.
"Oh, come on, that's not fair!" Usopp barked.
"Shh~!" Nami shushed. "Guys, look."
The disguised trio walked into the restaurant, where the host greeted them with a bow of his head.
"Welcome, sir," he said before he looked up and gasped. "AAH! Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid we don't serve your kind here!"
"Kind?" Zoro repeated with a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hmph!" Franky scoffed. "Typical that they don't like to serve someone who looks like something the cat dragged in."
"It's places like these that I hate the most," Sanji growled.
"I would like a private room, please," said Sabo in a deep voice as he held some sort of golden pendant with a flower emblem on it, causing the host to gasp.
"Oh! Of course, sir!" he exclaimed. "What an honor to have a nobleman in our humble restaurant!"
"They think they're nobles?" asked Aika. "Why?"
"Must have something to do with that thing that Sabo held out," Usopp answered.
"It seems to hold the crest of some noble family," said Brook.
"...I wonder..." Robin muttered.
"What is it, Robin?" Zoro asked.
"...Nothing," Robin answered. "Don't worry about it."
A while later, the boys were now in their private room with bowls of ramen set down on the table before them, and before long they dug right in, slurping up noodles quicker than anybody could blink. It was only in a matter of 3 minutes that they had finished the soup off.
"I want another-" Luffy started before Ace and Sabo covered his mouth.
"Watch it, idiot!" Ace whispered.
"Sorry...!" Luffy squeaked.
"Ahem!" Sabo cleared his throat. "Another three orders ramen!"
"Right away, sir!" the waitress answered from outside the door.
The Straw Hats watched as the boys continued to gulp down bowl after bowl full of ramen. It almost surprised the Straw Hats how much Ace and Sabo were eating, keeping up with Luffy plate for plate. Then again, they were growing boys. At least that's how Chopper saw it anyway.
At some point, though, Luffy got a bit careless and stretched his arm to grab another bowl of ramen, which tipped the staff off as to who they were. Once the host was on to them, the boys decided it was time to finish their meal and make a run for it.
"Stop, you thieves!" shouted the host. "You didn't pay!"
"Luffy's first dine-and-dash," Zoro smirked.
"Ha! He really was a delinquent back then!" Franky laughed.
Even Aika couldn't help laughing.
"Aika, that's not funny!" Nami scolded. "You're not supposed to leave a restaurant without paying first!"
"Really?" asked Aika.
"You know, we would save a lot more money if we actually did that," Usopp said. "I mean, we are pirates."
"Oh, please," Nami sneered. "We're not THOSE kind of pirates. Even I have standards, you know!"
"Man, that ramen was so good!" Sabo exclaimed.
"I told you so, didn't I?" asked Ace.
"Mm-hmm!" Luffy nodded, having stuffed some ramen in his mouth before he ran out. The boys ended up landing on an awning, which they bounced off and landed safely on the ground. Then, the boys began to run, heading back towards the forest, but as they did, they passed by a man who seemed to be dressed just like Sabo.
"W-what the-?!" the man questioned. "Sabo?! Sabo, is that you?!"
Sabo seemed to tense up as he glanced back at the man.
"So you're still alive?!" the man asked. "Please, you have to come home!"
"Who's that guy?" Usopp asked.
"No clue," Sanji replied. "Although...he looks a bit like..."
"Hey, Sabo, you know that guy?" Ace asked.
"Yeah, who is he?" Luffy asked, too.
"Uh...I've never seen him before!" Sabo answered. "He must be mistaking me for someone else! Let's go!"
On that, the boys ran while the man continued to call out to Sabo, who didn't respond.
"...He was lying, just now," Aika spoke up. "I think Big Brother Sabo does know that man."
The memory shifts, once again, and this time, the boys are standing on a cliff that overlooked the sea.
"I'm not hiding anything!" Sabo shouted to Ace and Luffy, who both confronted him.
"Now what's going on?" Nami asked.
"Hell if I know," shrugged Usopp.
"Really?" asked Luffy.
"Of course he's hiding something," Ace said. "All right, Sabo, spill the beans! You think it's cool for you to keep secrets from your friends like this? Huh?!"
"...I keep telling you," Sabo said as he looked away, although he had a bit of a guilty tone in his voice. "It's nothing."
Just then, Ace and Luffy grabbed Sabo by the neck, beginning to strangle him.
"AGH!" Sabo gagged. "W-w-what are you doing?!"
"Tell us what you know, right now!" Ace barked. "Or else I'll beat it outta you!"
"OKAY, OKAY! LET ME GO!" Sabo cried, and Ace and Luffy released him, allowing him to catch his breath before he sighed. "Okay, look...I'm...the son of a nobleman."
A pause...but then, Ace and Luffy shoved their pinkies up their noses.
"So what?" they asked.
"Oh, come on!" Sabo yelled. "You're the ones who asked, you jerks!"
"Big Brother Sabo is the son of a noble?" asked Aika.
"That's right, Aika," Robin replied.
"...Poor kid," Sanji muttered.
"Truth is," said Sabo, "both my parents are alive. I was never an orphan to begin with...and the man who called out to me today was my father."
Ace gasped silently at this.
"I lied to you guys," said Sabo, "and I'm really sorry."
"Well, as long as he's sorry, I forgive him," Luffy spoke up.
"Honestly," Ace began, "I'm actually really shocked, Sabo." He then turned to look out to the sea. "If you were a noble, how come you lived in the Gray Terminal instead?"
"...I'll tell you why," Sabo replied. "I ran away from because..."
He then began to convey to the two boys about how his parents never appreciated him and always took him for granted, like he was some object or piece of property, rather than a human child. They'd make him study in his room for almost all hours of the day and become a "proper" nobleman so that he would marry a princess and earn his family a higher status. There was even one point where Sabo had been bullied by another boy of a noble family, and he even pulled a knife on him, but when Sabo told his mother, he was the one who got scolded while she begged for forgivness from the other family.
"All they wanted was an heir to protect their money and status," said Sabo. "...They never wanted...me."
Sanji scowled at the scene before he looked away, clenching his fists. Robin and Chopper also couldn't help feeling sorry for Sabo, for they also knew the pain of having relatives that didn't show any genuine love to you. Aika was also shocked by this, for while she and her mother were rich, her mother never treated her like some piece of property.
However...Nami was practically in tears.
"What's wrong, Big Sis Nami?" asked Aika in concern.
"...When I was little," Nami began, "I used to complain about how we never had enough money. I wanted to live in a rich house with lots of fancy clothes and I didn't have to steal anything. Sabo...he had the life I always wanted...but it wasn't happy." She then wiped her eyes. "I guess...money can't really buy happiness after all."
Aika looked at Nami sadly before she held her hand, causing the navigator to look down at her before she smiled and picked her up.
"Thank you, Aika," she said as she hugged her, causing Aika to giggle.
"If I didn't marry some rich girl," Sabo continued, "they'd see me as nothing but trash. It was because of that they made me sit with a tutor every day, and my parents would fight all the time because they thought I was never good enough...I was nothing but a giant burden to them." He then chuckled mirthlessly. "It's kind of ironic, isn't it? I have my parents...and yet, I still feel alone...just like you guys."
"...Big Brother Sabo..." Aika whispered, sadly.
"The nobles hate the Gray Terminal," said Sabo, "but if you ask me, it's a lot better than being in that suffocating place."
"...So that's it, huh?" asked Ace.
"If I were him," Sanji began, "I'd leave, too."
'I actually already did leave,' he thought.
A pause...but then, Sabo stood up on his feet, facing Ace and Luffy.
"Ace! Luffy!" he said. "Let's go out to sea, one day! We'll leave this country together, so that we can live free! I wanna see the world and write a book about it! And navigation is actually something I like to study! Let's grow stronger and become pirates, okay?!"
Aika beamed as she began to see the wonder and whimsy in Sabo's eyes...the same kind she would get whenever she talked about being a pirate, like her brothers.
"Heh!" Ace grinned. "You don't even have to convince me! One day, I'm gonna be a pirate and win, win win! I'll be famous, all over the wrold! I'll prove the world that I'm not some piece of trash that doesn't belong here! No matter how man people disapprove of me, no matter how many people, hate me...I'm gonna become a great pirate, and then I'll show them all! There's no way I'll run away from anyone! Who cares if they call me a bastard?! I will spread my name throughout the world!"
"I'm gonna be a pirate, too!" Aika exclaimed, to the Straw Hats' surprise. "One day, I'll have big adventures and I'll make a name for myself, just like my Big Brothers do! I'll live as free as I wanna live, and Kumi's gonna come with me!"
"That's right!" Kumi declared as she stood at Aika's side.
The Straw Hats couldn't help but feel proud of their youngest member's declaration.
"Shishishi!" Luffy giggled as he stepped forward. "In that case...I WANNA BE...!"
A wave crashed as Luffy shouted his dream out to the heavens, causing Ace and Sabo to gape in surprise.
"...Did he really say what I think he just said?" Ace asked.
"HAHAHAHA!" Sabo laughed. "You really are funny, Luffy! I can't wait to see what you'll be like in the future!"
"...Well...at least he knows now," Blizzard smiled...although it seemed rather bittersweet. "...As for the other one..."
The Straw Hats also frowned...for they also knew what Ace's fate would be.
"But this is a bit of a problem, isn't it?" asked Sabo. "I mean...we all wanna be captain, right?"
"Yeah, that's actually something I didn't expect," Ace replied. "I was hoping you'd be my navigator or something."
"Wait, you mean you guys don't wanna be on my crew?!" asked Sabo.
"Hell no," Ace and Sabo said, bluntly, causing Luffy to gasp, but then he crossed his arms and pouted.
"Fine," he mumbled while the Straw Hats chuckled.
Soon, the memory changed, once more, revealing Ace, Sabo, and Luffy in the forest, standing before a stump...which had three sake cups.
"We'll decide our future at another time," Ace said as he held a bottle of liquor.
"We might all wanna go out to sea separately!" Sabo pointed out.
"Hey, Ace!" Luffy exclaimed. "Isn't that Dadan's booze? Did you steal that?"
Ace only smirked as he popped open the bottle.
"Did you know about this?" he asked as he poured the sake into the cups. "If you exchange cups, it makes us brothers."
"Brothers?!" Luffy asked, excitedly. "Really?!"
"...Hey, wait a sec," Aika said. "They're using sake. When Big Brother and I did this, we used chocolate milk, instead."
"That's because if he ever gave you booze, I'd skin him alive," Nami replied. "So don't go getting any ideas, missy."
"...Yes, Big Sis," Aika muttered.
"When we become pirates," Ace began, "we might not sail on the same ship together, but the three of us will always be brothers! No matter where we are, no matter what we do...this bond will be never be broken!" He then raised his cup while Luffy and Sabo raised theirs. "From now on, these sake cups are a symbol of our brotherhood!"
"CHEERS!" the trio exclaimed while the Straw Hats smiled warmly at the sight. It was this moment that ignited the fire of their brotherhood...a bond that would never be broken...or would it?
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy: *standing over a dead tiger* Yeah!
Makino: Hi, Luffy!
Luffy: Makino, you're here!
Garp: So now I got three idiots who wanna be criminals, huh?!
Sabo: That old man's gonna kill us!
Ace: Then it's time for us to grow up. Who's with me?
Next time: Independence
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