SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 40 out, this is Chapter 41 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors, myself included, sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairings: Ace/Sasha, familial Luffy/Sasha, patriotic Law/Sasha (Might end up as a Law/Sasha pairing later if I end up killing Ace at Marineford and if reviewers don't mind the age gap)

Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Oda Eiichirō-sensei. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except my OC.

Chapter 41: Arc 4: Ace and Luffy! Hot Emotions and Brotherly Bonds!

"What in the world is happening?" Chopper asked, turning back as fire clashed with smoke and creating a pillar of flames mixed in smoke.

"It's a fight between flame and smoke?" Usopp wondered.

"He did say he ate the Mera Mera Fruit." Sanji noted.

"But, Luffy, is it true that guy's your brother?" Nami inquired.

"Yeah." Luffy nodded. "His name is Ace."

"You having a brother isn't that surprising, but what's he doing in the Grand Line?" Zoro questioned.

"We aren't really blood-related," Sasha answered. "But Ace's a pirate; he left the island three years before us to find the One Piece."

"Anyways, let's hurry back to the ship." Nami suggested. "Let's escape before anyone comes after us."

"Hurry up and load the stuff!" Nami instructed. "We're leaving right away!"

"Are we leaving against just after we finally reached the island?" Chopper asked as he proceeded to carry a bag of supplies.

"Yes," Vivi replied. "We only stopped by this town to get what we're going to need. Now, we're going to head up the river into the interior of Alabasta. Our next destination is Erumalu, the City of Green."

"Okay, let's set sail!" Nami gave the order once Zoro pulled up the anchor.

"Y'know..." Sanji started.

"I get the feeling we're missing someone..." Usopp stated.

"For the love of..." Sasha hissed.

"That moron!" Zoro fumed.

"Is it really okay to set sail without Luffy?" Chopper wondered as the Going Merry sailed off.

"The Navy will be all over the harbors." Nami reminded. "We need to hide the ship first."

"There should be a cove ahead that's hidden from view." Vivi added.

"So, we'll wait for things to cool down, then look for Luffy." Sanji explained.

"There he is!" Nami reported, scanning the shore via the binoculars in the crow's nest. "It's Luffy! I found Luffy."

"Yeah," Sanji confirmed, using a second pair of binoculars. "That stupid face is definitely his. Huh?" he blinked when he saw Luffy extend his arm towards ship.

"I'm back!" Luffy declared, heaving himself on board the Going Merry and crashing into Sanji, Sasha having scooped Chopper into her arms and retreated to safety.

"Not again..." Zoro muttered.

"Sorry about that, Sanji." Luffy chuckled.

"Do you not know how to learn your lesson?" Sanji fumed. "I oughta gut you whole!"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused?" Nami chided. "Try to act somewhat like a captain."

"Sorry." Luffy muttered. "That's right!" he remembered. "Ace!"

"Is it okay to just leave him there?" Usopp inquired.

"I guess he'll be okay." Luffy shrugged. "Ace is strong."

"He's strong?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah," Sasha nodded. "He hasn't eaten the Mera Mera Fruit for long, but Luffy had never beaten him in a single spar."

"He's real strong." Luffy agreed.

"There's a flesh-and-blood person you could never beat?" Nami was astonished.

"I guess the big brother of a monster is an even bigger monster." Usopp mused.

"But I'll win now if we tired." Luffy declared.

"I assume that's another groundless claim." Zoro sighed.

"Who can win what now?" Ace questioned, jumping on board the ship.

"Ace." Luffy beamed. "This is the crew I was talking about."

"Thank you for taking care of my little brother." Ace told the crew.

"Oh, not at all." the crew, minus Sasha chorused.

"He might be a bit much for you to handle too, but..." Ace grinned.

"No, not at all." everyone else replied.

"Take care of him." Ace requested.

"You probably have lots of catching up to do." Sanji stated. "Why don't you come in? I'll make some tea."

"No, that's okay." Ace assured. "Don't do it on account on me."

"Talk about unexpected..." Usopp gaped when Ace lit Sanji's cigarette on fire.

"Still can't kick that narcoleptic habit, huh Ace?" Sasha teased.

"Shut up." Ace retorted.

"I would've expected him to be as reckless as Luffy." Usopp was awed.

"No, this sensible man can't possibly be Luffy's brother." Nami was in denial.

"He's a nice guy who cares about his brother." Zoro gaped.

"The sea is just full of surprises." Sanji noted.

"Don't let his current demeanor fool you." Sasha snarked. "The first time aniki and I met him, he was a sulky and angsty brat."

"Oi Sasha, don't demolish my first impression." Ace whined, finally focusing on the young female who was constantly in his thoughts for the last three years.

"What first impression?" Sasha snarked back, her eyes glittering in amusement.

"Baroque Works!" Vivi recognized the incoming Billions fleet. "Those are the Billions ships."

"Those guys again?" Luffy sighed.

"Luffy, I'll clean them up." Ace requested and leapt onto his Striker.

"Let's see how skilled this Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates really is." Zoro remarked, Ace setting off to face the Billions fleet.

Letting his Striker submerge into the ocean, Ace leapt over the five ships and landed on his resurfacing Striker. "Fire Fist!" he let loose a powerful stream of flames, annihilating all five ship with a single blow.

"Ace is one of us now!" Usopp cheered. "Cheers!" he, Luffy and Chopper clinked mugs.

"Who said I was joining you?" Ace deathpanned.

"Here's to delicious drinks!" Usopp corrected.

"Don't worry about it." Nami assured. "They're always looking for an excuse to drink to."

"Medicine is horrible!" Luffy declared.

"Should you be agreeing to that, Chopper?" Sasha asked, looking up from her sketchpad at her fellow healer.

"Ace, are you sure you won't join us?" Luffy asked, chewing on a slab of meat.

"I'm chasing a certain man." Ace replied. "His name is Blackbeard."

"He's the pirate who attacked the Drum Kingdom." Vivi gasped.

"He used to be a member of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates." Ace added. "One of my men. But he committed the worst possible sin on a pirate ship: he killed a crew member and jumped ship. So, as the Commander, I gotta find and get rid of him."

"So, that' why you're chasing after him?" Usopp realized.

"I came here because I caught wind that Blackbeard was seen in Yuba." Ace stated.

"Then, your destination is the same as ours." Nami gaped.

"We've just entered the Sandora River." Vivi spread out a map. "First, we'll land at Erumalu, then head straight for the interior of Alabasta to reach Yuba here. The leader of the rebel army is in Yuba here." she pointed to the spot Yuba was marked.

SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.