Ch. 12- A Brother Is Lost
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
"You know," Usopp began, "crazy as it was...Luffy still had a pretty good childhood, didn't he?"
"Yeah," Nami smiled. "He looks so happy. He found two brothers who accepted him for who he is. No he's not so lonesome, anymore."
"Not just that," said Zoro, "but they all shared the same dream: to be pirates."
"...I gotta wonder, though," Aika began, "did Big Brother actually want to have Big Brother Ace and Big Brother Sabo as one crew?"
"That would explain their pirate flag," Robin answered.
"Hey, keep watching," Franky spoke up as he pointed at the memory, which showed Luffy sitting under some blankets with Sabo, who held a book in his hands and a lit oil lantern."
"Okay, Luffy, what does this say?" Sabo asked as he pointed to a word.
"'M-M...mis...mischie...'," Luffy tried to read the word, but he seemed to stutter a bit.
"I'll help you," Sabo said as he read the word to him. "'Mischievous'."
"Mischievous," Luffy repeated. "I did it!"
"Aww, that's so nice!" Aika exclaimed. "Big Brother Sabo is teaching Big Brother how to read!"
"It makes sense," Nami added. "Sabo seemed to have a proper education, unlike Ace and Luffy."
"Sabo was always so thoughtful of Luffy," Robin added. "He must take his responsibility as an older brother very seriously."
"Just like with me, right?" Aika asked.
"That's right, squirt," Franky answered as he gently pet Aika on the head. "Sure, Luffy may goof around with you, but he can be serious when he has to be."
"What are you two doing?" Ace asked as he pulled up the blankets and entered. "Don't you know how late it is?"
"Luffy asked me to teach him how to read," Sabo answered.
"Read?" Ace repeated. "Psh! Please...why should he need to learn how to read? He's gonna be a pirate."
"You never know, Ace," Sabo replied. "Being a pirate means you might have to be ready for anything."
"If you say so," Ace shrugged. "Though I doubt it, highly."
"Boy, are you gonna be proved wrong," Sanji muttered.
"Indubitably," Brook agreed with Blizzard nodding his head.
The memory shifted and it showed the boys exploring the Gray Terminal again.
"There's gotta be some extra wood around here, somewhere," said Ace. "We need to repair the roof before the next storm hits. Find anything, yet, Sabo?
"Nope!" Sabo answered.
"Sabo!" Luffy called. "Find me a spyglass, okay?!"
"A spyglass?" Sabo asked. "What for?"
"Because it's cool!" Luffy answered.
"That would be his reason for it," Nami said, even though she cracked a smile.
"Hehehe!" Sabo chuckled. "Sure thing, Luffy, hang on." On that, he went off to find said item. After what seemed like a few minutes, though, he didn't come back.
"Must be taking a long time to find that spyglass," Franky commented.
"Well, it is a giant trash heap," Chopper added.
"...No," Blizzard said. "Something's not right here."
"What do you mean?" Kumi asked.
"...Hey," Ace spoke up, causing Luffy to look up at him. "Sabo's taking a while to get back, isn't he?"
"Maybe he's taking a leak," Luffy replied.
"Nah," Ace shook his head. "Nobody takes this long to take a leak...maybe we should go and find him."
Luffy nodded his head with a look of seriousness before he and Ace grabbed their pipes and walked off. However, for some reason, they didn't call out for him, and at first, the Straw Hats seemed a bit confused, but then they remembered that the trio was infamous in the Gray Terminal and around Edge Town. If anyone heard them, they'd probably be ambushed.
As Ace and Luffy rounded a corner, they suddenly heard a voice.
"What are you doing here?!"
Ace, Luffy, and the Straw Hats all gasped upon hearing Sabo's voice.
"Heh. I never thought that the son of a noble would be hiding out around here...much less be one of those three troublemakers, eh, Sabo?"
"H...how do you know that, Bluejam?!"
"Bluejam?!" Ace questioned before he broke into a sprint. "Come on, Luffy!"
"I'm coming!" Luffy answered as he ran after him.
"Bluejam?" Brook repeated.
"The pirate that that Porchemy bastard was working for," Nami answered, and soon after, they hear the sounds of a scuffle.
"Now don't hurt him, boys," said Bluejam from somewhere up ahead. Soon, Ace and Luffy had reached Sabo's location and found their brother, completely surrounded by a group of pirates, one of which had a rather disheveled appearance. His hair was unkempt, his clothes were a bit tattered...even his teeth didn't align right.
"So that's Bluejam," Sanji muttered. "Ugly son of a bitch."
"No kidding," Zoro concurred. "Look at his teeth."
"Eww~!" Aika grimaced.
"Luffy, quick!" Ace called as he grabbed a barrel. "We'll throw this barrel at 'em, and while they're distracted, we'll rush 'em, got it?"
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded.
"Okay," Ace said as he and Luffy placed the barrel on top of a mound of trash. "Now!" They pushed the barrel, causing it to roll toward the Bluejam Pirates, who gasped as they saw it rolling towards them, and once they had lowered their guard, Ace and Luffy came leaping out, taking out one of the pirates as they did before they joined Sabo's side.
"What is this, Sabo?" asked Ace, jokingly with a cocky grin. "You started a party and didn't invite us?"
"Sorry," Sabo replied, the same grin on his face.
"It doesn't matter," Ace said. "The important thing is you're okay, right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sabo answered, although he seemed a bit winded.
"Come on, we can take 'em," Ace said. "With the three of us working together, there's nothing we can't do!"
"That's right!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Yeah, go get 'em, Big Brothers!" Aika cheered.
"You damn brats!" the pirates cursed as they charged at the brothers.
"The quickest way to end this," Ace began, "is to take out Bluejam!"
"Yeah!" Luffy agreed before they brothers charged forward while the pirates moved to intercept them. Of course, the brothers easily dispatched them with their superior skill. Even Luffy was holding his own surprisingly well, using his pipe to block and deflect strikes before he went in for the attack, himself.
"Wow!" Aika exclaimed. "Look at Big Brother go!"
"Even though he hasn't completely mastered his Devil Fruit powers," Blizzard began, "all that training Luffy has been doing with his brothers is paying off."
"They've all improved," Zoro pointed out.
"That takes care of them!" Sabo exclaimed as the last pirate fell. "Now for Bluejam!"
"Let's go!" Ace shouted as the brothers charged...but Bluejam smirked before he pulled out a pistol from his coat and fired it just six inches in front of Ace, causing him to stop in his tracks.
"Crap!" the older D. Brother cursed as he, Sabo, and Luffy ducked for cover.
"Wait, why is Luffy hiding?" Kumi asked.
"Yeah! He's made of rubber!" Chopper added. "Bullets shouldn't hurt him!"
"I don't think he knows that yet," Sanji replied. "Come to think of it, I don't think Luffy's ever been shot at before."
"Hey, I think you're right," Usopp answered. "How did Luffy learn that he was bulletproof, anyway?"
"Look!" Brook exclaimed as he pointed to the memory.
"All right, you three snot-nosed runts," said Bluejam. "Just stay right where you are."
"You think we're afraid of you and your damn gun?!" Ace questioned, although he was only looking around the corner from his hiding place. However, if he had been paying attention, he would have seen two other pirates sneak up on Sabo from behind. Before the blonde-haired boy could put two-and-two together, he was grabbed and taken away.
"AAH!" Sabo cried. "H-HEY! LET GO!"
"Sabo!" Ace cried, only for him to get grabbed, as well, and not long after, Luffy was pinned to the ground.
"Oh, no!" yelled Aika, worriedly.
"This can't be good!" Franky shouted.
"Put me down, you bastards!" Sabo barked, only to stop struggling when he saw several soldiers approach, all of them wearing uniforms and gas masks while armed with rifles.
"Who are those guys?" asked Chopper.
"I don't think I wanna know," Usopp answered.
"Uh-oh," Nami muttered. "Don't look now, but look who's with them."
The Straw Hats looked and then gaped as they saw that it was Sabo's father.
"Well," he started, "it looks like we got here just in time."
"Father...!" Sabo whispered in dismay.
"He doesn't have a single scratch on him, Master," Bluejam said to Sabo's father. "Just like we agreed."
"I get it now," Robin said. "Bluejam is working for Sabo's father."
"Of course," Blizzard muttered. "Give these kind of pirates a reason to line their pockets, and they'll even roll over for you."
"W-what are you doing here?!" Sabo questioned.
"It's time for you to stop all this nonsense, Sabo!" his father shouted. "You're coming home, right now!"
"I'm not going back to that hellhole!" Sabo shouted. "You can't make me!"
"Yeah, you tell him, Sabo!" Luffy cheered.
"You're not going anywhere!" Ace added, which caused Sabo's father to glower at the two with disdain.
"...Ah, I see, now," he said, glancing back and forth between the two. "It's all the fault of these boys. They've led my son down a path of evil."
"What?!" Ace questioned.
"That's not true!" Aika shouted.
"That sounds like something Garp would say," Sanji said.
"No," Nami said. "That sounds like a World Noble would say."
"Give Sabo back to us!" Luffy shouted.
"Give him back?" Sabo's father repeated. "Foolish brat. Sabo is my son! It is the responsibility of every child to live accordingly to the wishes of their parents who gave them life in the first place!" He then pointed an accusing finger at Luffy. "You have a lot of nerve, manipulating my son into running away from home! What would I expect from some common rat children?!"
"Common rat?!" Ace questioned.
"...What a horrible man," Brook said with disdain.
"How could he think that?" Nami asked.
"Because it's just like Sabo said," said Sanji. "His father treats him like property, not like a real son."
Kumi only remained silent, although she had this look of unease on her face.
"What's wrong, Kumi?" Aika asked.
"Uh...nothing," Kumi answered.
"Perhaps you brats are merely after my fortune," Sabo's father surmised.
"That's a load of bullsh-" Ace started, only to get his face slammed into the ground and his blood to spurt out, some of it landing on Sabo's father's cheek.
"AAH!" he cried as he pulled out a handkerchief. "Watch how you handle these children, pirate!" He then wiped the blood off. "You got that inferior filth's blood on me!"
Zoro growled, wanting to slice the man in half, but he forced himself to keep calm. After all, this was a memory, and they were only here to watch, no matter how much they hated it.
"I wasn't manipulated!" Sabo shouted. "I left of my own free will-"
"Silence!" Sabo's father ordered before he gestured to the soldiers, who went to take the blonde-haired boy while the nobleman turned to Bluejam and his crew. "Now then...I trust you pirates will handle those other boys?"
"Hehehe..." Bluejam chuckled. "Of course, Master. We already received our payment. We'll deal with these boys so they never come anywhere near your son again."
"W...wait, what?!" Aika stammered.
"Did he really just order them to kill Ace and Luffy?!" Nami asked.
"...What kind of man is he?" Chopper asked, worriedly.
"...He's a monster, that's what he is," Sanji answered.
"As I said," Brook began, "he is truly horrid."
"I can't believe that guy and Sabo are father and son," Usopp commented in disbelief.
"W-wait, Bluejam!" Sabo shouted before he turned to look at his father. "I...I understand now...Father."
"Oh?" Sabo's father asked, although he had this grin on his face...that grin that a person would wear when they had acheived checkmate. "And what is it that you understand?"
Sabo bit his lip and looked as if he was on the verge of tears, while the Straw Hats looked at him sadly, knowing the expression of defeat on his face.
"No, Sabo!" Ace shouted. "Don't do it!"
"I...I'll do whatever you want," Sabo answered. "I'll live my life the way you want me to live it and not complain...but only if you promise not to hurt these two. That's all I ask. Those two...are my irreplacable brothers."
"Sabo...!" Ace gasped.
"Big Brother Sabo...!" Aika whispered with tears in her eyes while the rest of the Straw Hats lowered their heads, knowing that Sabo had to have been feeling a lot of things: pain, sadness, and regret. Even Robin couldn't hold back her tears, knowing the feeling of sacrifice, all too well.
"In that case," Sabo's father began, "you're coming home, now! No more of this 'playing pirate' garbage!"
Sabo just silently began to follow his father, as did the soldiers, while Ace and Luffy watched.
"Sabo, no!" Ace called out. "Come back!"
"Shut up!" shouted one of Bluejam's men as he slammed Ace into the ground again, but the ten-year-old remained defiant.
"Don't go with them, Sabo!" cried Ace. "Just run away! Luffy and I will be fine! We were gonna go to our freedom together, remember?!"
"Sabo, don't go!" Luffy begged, tearfully.
"Are you really gonna let it end this way?!" Ace questioned, trying to hide his sadness with anger. "Sabo! SABO~!"
Sabo kept walking...but the Straw Hats could see the tears of regret in his eyes. Soon...the memory faded, once again.
"...Big Brother Sabo...!" Aika whimpered as her tears fell. "How could that happen?! Why did his daddy take him away?!"
"...Some people...think they're entitled," Robin answered. "They think they own everything...even their own children."
"Besides, Sabo had no choice," Zoro said. "If he went against his father's wishes, Ace and Luffy would be killed...he really is their brother, in this regard. He was willing to give up anything, even his happiness, for their sake."
"But it's so unfair!" Kumi spoke up.
"You think that matters to people like the nobles, Kumi?" Blizzard asked. "You've seen it yourself! People like them don't care about people that they think are beneath them!"
Kumi bit her lip as images of a certain string-man appeared in her mind.
"Thank goodness, though," Robin began, "that Sabo didn't grow up to be like his father. Dragon was right in making him his second-in-command."
"But all this has got me wondering," Franky began, "what the hell happened after he left?"
"I think we're about to find out," Sanji answered as a new memory appeared. Ace and Luffy were sitting on the ground, tied in a shack that looked like the one Porchemy used to torture the latter in. Around them were Bluejam's crew, while Bluejam sat in front of them.
"Untie us, you jerks!" Luffy shouted.
"Why did you bring us here, Bluejam?!" Ace questioned.
"...Those nobles," Bluejam spoke as he leaned back in a chair. "They sure got it made, don't they?" He then looked to the brothers and smirked. "Don't you think so, too?"
Ace and Luffy only sneered at him.
"They look down on the likes of us," Bluejam continued, "think that we're nothing but trash while they live their happy, carefree lives in the High Town. Don't you think that that boy is better off living as a noble?"
"What the hell are you gabbing about?!" Ace questioned.
"Yeah! Pirates are way better than nobles!" Luffy added. "Sabo says so!"
"Heh," Bluejam smirked. "I feel sorry for you two. Untie them."
The pirates proceeded to untie the boys, who stood up while clutching their pipes.
"A boy who lived in High Town came all the way down here to Trash Mountain to cause a ruckus," Bluejam said. "Now why he do something like that?" He then looked at Ace and Luffy. "I bet deep down, he probably hated you guys, too."
"Stop talking about Sabo like you know him!" Ace shouted.
"Yeah! He's our brother!" Luffy added.
"Yeah! Don't talk about him like that!" Aika yelled.
"Hahahaha!" Bluejam laughed. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble...but you're never gonna see your 'brother' again. If you two are planning to go and get him back, I'll have to kill you both. If you really care about him, just let him be."
"...This guys makes me sick," Blizzard hissed.
"You know, it just hit me," Usopp said. "Bluejam was talking about the nobles with...envy. Like he wanted to be one."
"I could see it, too," Aika said. "Whenever he spoke about the nobles, he'd have this look on his face."
"But why would a pirate like him wanna be a noble?" asked Sanji.
"I think it's because Bluejam's not like most pirates," Nami answered. "He spends most of his time on land...almost like a bandit."
"But Sabo hated the High Town!" Luffy yelled.
"Forget about him," Bluejam told him. "Trust me, he's better off. You'll understand when you're a grownup." A beat passed. "Actually, there's still a matter to be settled between us...that incident with Porchemy...but I don't really care that moron anymore. What I'm saying is I like strong people like you, regardless of how old they are. I'm pretty short on men, right now...and I got a job for you guys. Wanna help me?"
"...What kind of job?" Ace asked, suspiciously.
"Here," Bluejam put down a map, dotted with X marks. "This is map of the Gray Terminal and Trash Mountain. I just need you to deliver some goods for me. Just take them to all the spots marked with an X, got it?"
"...I don't think I like the sound of this," said Nami.
"Neither do I," Aika added.
"...How much are you willing to pay us?" asked Ace, causing Bluejam to smirk before the memory faded again.
"Is Ace really gonna trust someone like him?" asked Usopp. "Look at him! He's got 'shady' written all over him!"
"Why would Ace want to work for someone like him, anyway?" Chopper asked. "Or for that matter, why hire Ace and Luffy at all? Why not somebody else?"
"It doesn't make sense, really," Robin answered, but before they could talk about it more, the memory shifted, and the Straw Hats saw Ace and Luffy with the pirates, carrying crates with red flags on them.
"Ace," Luffy said while holding crate in his arms and another crate on his head. "I don't like it when Sabo's not around."
"I don't like it, either," Ace replied, "but we gotta be patient. I miss him, too, but...honestly, I don't know which of these will make him happier."
Luffy only pouted at this.
"Those poor boys," Nami said. "They seem so lost without Sabo."
"What'd you expect?" Sanji asked. "They were a trio...seeing them apart like this is hard for anyone who's known them for so long."
"Look," Ace said. "Let's just see how things work out, okay, Lu? Sabo's strong, you know! If he really hates it up there in High Town, he'll come back to us on his own...I'm sure of it!"
Hearing that seemed to cheer Luffy up...but not by much.
"Fire Fist does have a good point," said Blizzard. "Although...I still can't help thinking something might be wrong. I keep having that feeling in my gut."
The memory changed, once more, revealing Ace and Luffy in the treehouse. All that could be heard was the sound of the broken clock ticking while the brothers' sake cups hung underneath it. Meanwhile, Luffy and Ace were liying on their futons, both looking rather dirty from the day's work.
"...I wonder if Sabo's okay," Luffy spoke, wide awake.
"Shut up and go to sleep, already," Ace said, harshly. "We said we'd forget about Sabo for now...he's probably better off, anyways. Anyway, we got more work to do tomorrow, so get some sleep."
"...Ace is in denial," Zoro said.
"What makes you say that?" asked Aika.
"It's clear he misses Sabo, too," Zoro answered. "He just didn't know what to do about him because Bluejam's words confused him."
"...There's one thing I don't understand," Kumi said. "Luffy told us that Sabo died a long time ago...but then he showed up at Dressrosa. Why would Luffy think Sabo died after what happened the other day?"
Before Chopper or Blizzard could answered, the memory shifted again, revealing Ace and Luffy in the Gray Terminal, once again, but they seemed to be standing at a shoreline, where a pirate ship waited. It looked rather rundown and moss-ridden, though.
"Is that Bluejam's ship?" Franky asked. "She looks pretty rundown, huh?"
"Judging by the growth of moss and the slight woodrot," Nami said, "I'd say they've been docked here for about 2 years or so."
"So I was right," Robin said. "Bluejam left the sea, a long time."
"Hmph!" Blizzard scoffed. "He calls himself a pirate, but he doesn't even try to go back to sea again? What a sellout."
"What do you mean 'Burn down Gray Terminal'?!" Ace suddenly yelled, causing the Straw Hats to turn and see him and Luffy confronting Bluejam. "Why the hell would you do something so heinous?!"
"Shut up, you idiot," Bluejam said. "The people of the Trash Mountain will hear you."
"I knew he was a bad guy!" Luffy shouted. "Ace, quick! We gotta tell everybody!"
"I told you to keep it down," Bluejam said before he looked to two of his men. "Hold them down."
Soon, two pirates grabbed the struggling brothers.
"Look, this wasn't my idea," Bluejam said. "The oil and explosives you planted around the other day are gonna be used to make a fire that will kill everyone in Trash Mountain. "
"They're gonna what?!" Aika questioned.
"What the hell are they thinking?!" Zoro asked.
"What kind of depraved person would do something like that?!" Usopp shouted.
"I guess you two are just children, after all," Bluejam said, "to get so upset like this." He then approached the two boys. "But now that you know about our plan, I can't let you get away."
Ace glared up at Bluejam while Luffy made a nervous noise.
"There's one thing I've been meaning to ask you before I start the fire," said Bluejam. "Isn't there a stash of treasure you kids are hoarding?"
Ace and Luffy both gasped at this.
"H-h-h-how did you know that?" asked Luffy.
"Luffy!" Ace shouted.
"Oops...!" Luffy squeaked.
"That answers that question," Bluejam smirked. "So...where is it?"
The brothers didn't answer, glaring up at him in defiance.
"Hmph!" Bluejam scoffed. "Fine then. Be that way. Men! Take them to the shack and tie them up! They can burn with the rest of the trash."
"Oh, no...!" Aika whispered.
"That creep!" Franky growled. "Who the hell does he think he is?!"
"He's mad, that's what he is," Robin answered. "Someone who would burn innocent people alive is nothing but scum."
"You took the words right outta my mouth," Nami added.
The memory shifted once again...but all the Straw Hats could see were huge, red flames, hungrily burning up anything they could touch...and Ace and Luffy were tied up to the support beam of Bluejam's shack, the latter crying in fear.
"Oh, no!" Aika cried in horror. "They're trapped!"
"And there's fire everywhere!" Chopper added. "How are they gonna get outta that?!"
Ace grunted as he cut through the ropes with a glass shard.
"Okay, we're free!" he exclaimed.
"AAH!" Luffy cried as he began to pound his fists on the ground. "ACE, IT'S SO HOT! WE CAN'T GET OUTTA HERE!"
"Shit!" Ace cursed. "I never meant to get caught up in this mess!"
"WAAAAAAH~!" Luffy whined. "IT'S TOO HOT!"
"STOP COMPLAINING OR I'LL LEAVE YOU BEHIND!" Ace barked.
"Uh...I-I mean...it's not hot!" Luffy exclaimed.
"That's not nice!" Aika shouted. "They could die in there! Why would Big Brother Ace say that?!"
"Ace doesn't intend to actually leave Luffy behind," Zoro said. "He's saying it can get a move on. If Luffy spends all that time whining, how are they gonna get outta there?"
"As harsh as that sounds, he's right," Franky added.
"...He still could've put it another way," Aika muttered.
"It doesn't matter, Aika," Blizzard said. "It's in the past, now."
"Come on, Luffy!" Ace called. "We're getting outta here!"
Luffy looked at his older brother, worriedly.
"...It'll be okay," Ace reassured. "I promise, I'll keep you safe!"
Luffy's eyes went wide...because for once, these words did not come out as blunt or harsh. They actually showed genuine care.
"O-okay!" Luffy nodded, and with that, the brothers rushed out of the burning shack, trying to shield themselves from the flames. All around them, there was fire and smoke, and the sky was red. It was almost as if the Straw Hats were seeing Hell, itself. Robin had Aika hide her face in her chest to keep her from getting traumatized any further.
Eventually, Ace and Sabo had to stop, and they both panted heavily as smoke and hot air filled their lungs.
"I hope the people from the Trash Mountain are okay!" Luffy spoke up.
"We should be worrying about ourselves, right now!" Ace replied.
"Even as his own life is in danger," Brook began, "Mister Luffy still continues to worry about others."
"He's always been that way," Nami said.
"Dammit..." Ace said before he began to cough. "Where the hell are we, anyways?! There's so much fire and smoke, I can't tell which way we can go to get outta here!"
Soon he and Luffy began coughing again.
"This isn't good," said Chopper. "They're starting to suffer from smoke asphyxiation. If they stay there much longer..."
"WHO THE HELL SAID YOU COULD ESCAPE FROM US, YOU BRATS?!"
The brothers turned to see Bluejam and his crew...but for some reason, they looked crazed...almost demonic with sadistic expressions on their faces.
"Bluejam?!" Luffy questioned.
"You're the one that started this damn fire!" Ace shouted. "Why the hell are YOU still here?!"
"That is strange," Blizzard spoke up. "How come he's still there, anyway?"
"Shut up, you brat!" Bluejam barked. "There's no hope for us, now...this wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. Human beings sure are strange creatures. When we're thrown into the deepest pits of misfortune...we start to laugh."
"...That look in their eyes," Sanji began, "I've seen it before. They've gone off the deep end."
"What does that mean?" Aika asked.
"They've gone mad, that's what," Robin answered.
"...Luffy, let's get outta here!" Ace called, sensing Bluejam's unhinged behavior, but before he and Luffy could get too far, two other pirates intercepted them.
"Come on, now," said Bluejam. "Since we did this job together, we might as well die together, too!"
"...Yep," Usopp said. "He's gone cuckoo."
"No way are we dying here with you!" Ace shouted.
"You're far too cold, Ace," Bluejam said. "You know...you still haven't told me where your treasure is hidden. We'll take it before it's lost in the fire! Now come on! Tell me where it is!"
"You guys are all about to die," Ace began, "and all you can think about is treasure?!"
"Sheesh," Usopp muttered. "And I thought Nami was greedy."
"Excuse me?" Nami glared.
"Uh...it's a compliment, of course!" Usopp replied, chuckling nervously.
"Well?" Bluejam asked. "Are you gonna tell me or not? If you aren't going to salvage it, I may as well."
Ace paused, and the Straw Hats stared, anticipating his answer.
"You're full of it!" Luffy shouted. "Ace and Sabo worked hard to get all that treasure!"
"Shut up, Luffy!" Ace barked, causing the boy to look at him in surprise before he looked to Bluejam. "...Fine...you win. I'll tell you where our treasure is."
"Huh?!" Luffy muttered. "B-but Ace! You and Sabo worked so hard to-"
"Sabo would understand!" Ace retorted. "Right now...our lives are more important than treasure...do you understand, Luffy?"
Luffy's eye went wide in realization before he nodded his head.
"Yeah...I get it," he said.
"Good," Ace replied before he looked to Bluejam. "The treasure is hidden in a tree at the other side of the Gray Terminal. There's at least 50,000 Berries in there. Take it! It's all yours!"
"Yeah! We can always get more treasure, anyway!" Luffy added. "Uh...w-we can, right, Ace?"
Ace smiled and nodded his head. "Of course we can."
"Good boys," Bluejam praised, mockingly. "When it comes down to it, children really do know their place...but just in case..."
Suddenly, two of his men grabbed the boys, to theirs and the Straw Hats' shock.
"H-hey! What is this?!" Ace questioned. "What the hell are you doing, you bastard?! I told you where we hid the treasure! Let us go!"
"There's every chance that you're lying," said Bluejam. "You boys are coming with us."
"Of course they wouldn't make it that easy!" Franky exclaimed.
"This can't be good! They're gonna skin 'em alive!" Kumi cried.
"What a load of crap!" Ace yelled. "You're gonna get us all killed! Just go get it by yourself, you son of a bitch!"
"DON'T PUSH ME, BRAT!" Bluejam shouted as he pulled his gun out at Ace, who gasped. "...I swore to myself that I'd use your treasure to make a comeback and exact revenge on those damned nobles! They think that they're better than everyone...even that damned 'brother' of yours! To them, we're nothing but trash!"
"...Oh, boy," Zoro said. "I know what happened: Bluejam got screwed by the nobles. They made him some false promise and now they don't need him anymore, so they're getting rid of him along with the rest of the trash."
"I almost feel bad for him, now," Aika said. "...Almost."
"Sabo's not like them!" Luffy denied.
"Face the facts, you dumb-ass!" Bluejam barked. "That boy is one of them! He was only hanging out with you two because it made him feel superior! His parents are rich beyond imagining, and he was only with you two out of some cheap thrill! You call that noble kid your brother?! He's probably laughign at you little turds, right now!"
"Shut up!" Ace barked. "Don't talk about our brother that way!"
"Yeah!" Luffy shouted. "Sabo just wants to be free!" On that, he bit the arm of the pirate who was holding him, causing him to cry out in pain as he dropped the boy.
"Why you little-!" the pirate growled as Luffy drew his pipe, but then, SLASH! The pirate cut through the pipe with his saber, causing it to break in half...and Luffy felt his confidence dwindle.
"Luffy! Run for it!" Ace cried, but the boy was frozen with fear as the pirate raised his sword.
"A-ACE! HELP ME!" Luffy cried...only for the sword's blade to hit him right in the face, and blood soon sprayed from the wound while Luffy screamed in pain.
"LUFFY~!" Ace screamed.
"OH, NO!" Chopper shrieked.
"He's gonna get skewered!" Usopp yelled.
"I can't look!" Nami said as she covered her eyes.
"I'll kill you, you damn brat!" the pirate cursed as he held the tip of his sword over Luffy's heart, preparing to stab him right through...but as he did, Ace seethed with fury, his eyes seeming to flash red and his teeth gritted before he took in a deep breath.
"LEAVE MY LITTLE BROTHER ALOOOOOOOONE!" he roared...and soon after, a powerful shockwave burst forth from his very being. Soon after...the pirates collapsed, even the one that was holding Ace, while Bluejam and the Straw Hats gaped in awe.
"Th...that was...that was...!" Franky stammered.
"Conqueror's Haki!" Brook finished.
"...Even at 10 years old...!" Sanji whispered. "The kid's a freaking beast!"
"So cool...!" Aika said.
"...He's Gold Roger's son, all right," Blizzard added.
Bluejam growled before he stamped his foot against Ace's chest, causing him to cough up blood.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, YOU LITTLE BASTARD?!" he questioned while Ace struggled to push him off.
"Ace!" Luffy cried.
Bluejam took off the safety from his pistol before aiming it right at Ace's face, who glared at him in defiance.
"Big Brother Ace!" Aika shouted.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU BALD-HEADED SON OF A BITCH! LET GO OF ACE!"
Out of nowhere, Bluejam raised his sword, blocking an axe that was being wielded by none other than Dadan.
"Miss Dadan!" Aika beamed.
"Thank goodness!" Brook exclaimed.
"D-Dadan?" Luffy asked in surprise as he noticed her, as well as the rest of the Dadan Family. "What are you doing here?!"
"Luffy!" Dogra said as he gently picked the boy up. "Man, you look terrible! Wait...where's Sabo?"
"Sabo's not here," Luffy answered, "but he's okay!"
"...Wow," Chopper whispered. "Do you see that? Just a few months ago, they couldn't stand Luffy."
"And now, they're treating him and Ace like they were always one of them," Nami smiled. "It just goes to show you just how much stronger their bond has grown. If I didn't know better, I'd say Dadan developed a real maternal instinct with Ace, Sabo, and Luffy around."
"Indeed," Robin concurred.
"You're that boss monkey from Mt. Colbo!" Bluejam realized.
"That's right," Dadan answered. "I'm Dadan, the bandit, and for some blasted reason, I was forced to raise these two little monsters! And now that we've saved 'em..." She turned and bolted. "LET'S SCRAM, BOYS!"
"YES, BOSS!" the bandits shouted, one of them carrying Luffy over his shoulder while the Straw Hats sweatdropped.
"...Really?" Nami asked, dryly.
"Ace! Let's go!" Magra called...but Ace only glared up at Bluejam, holding his pipe.
"...No," Ace hissed. "No matter what...I'll never run!"
Upon hearing that, Dadan stopped in her tracks.
"Ace, are you insane?!" Dogra asked. "We all know how dangerous Bluejam is! You're just a ten-year-old kid! You've got no chance against a pirate like him, don't you get it?!"
"I-I wanna fight, too!" Luffy cried as he struggled to get out of the grip who was carrying him.
"Oh, no, not you, too!" the bandit shouted.
"Never fails," Blizzard said as he remembered when Luffy was bitten by Hody back on Fishman Island. "Even when he's injured, Luffy refuses to run away from a fight!"
"Take Luffy and go on without us!" Dadan called to her bandits.
"What?!" one of them asked. "But...but boss!"
"Just leave it to me," Dadan answered. "Ill see to it that Ace comes back with me!"
A pause...but then the Dadan Family nodded before they took Luffy and literally ran for the hills.
"Hurry up!" Dogra shouted. "Move your asses!"
"Boss!" Magra called back. "Please make it back alive! You, too, Ace!"
"No! Wait!" Luffy cried as Ace and Dadan got farther and farther way...until they disappeared beyond the flames. By the time bandits had reached the forest, they watched as the fire grew bigger and bigger. The bandits waited all night for Dadan and Ace to emerge...but they did not.
All they and Luffy could only do was cry as the fire continued to rage on...and the Straw Hats gaped in horror at the holocaust of the Gray Terminal.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Dogra: SABO WAS SHOT DOWN AT SEA BY A WORLD NOBLE!
Ace: WHERE ARE THEY?! LET ME OUTTA HERE SO I CAN KILL 'EM!
Dadan: You're just one kid! WHAT CAN YOU DO?!
Luffy: Ace...I'm begging you, please don't die...!
Aika: *gasps silently*
Ace: Listen up, Luffy! I promise you, I'm never gonna die! Like I could leave my weakling of a little brother alone!
Next time: The Promise
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