SailorStar9: With Chapter 143 uploaded, I present Chapter 144 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, sibling Luffy/Sasha and Sabo/Sasha, Background Protector!Law/Sasha

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

Chapter 144: Arc 11: To Live Up to the Promise! Departures of Their Own!


After the mourning period for Sabo was over, Ace and Luffy renewed their training routine.

"Here I come, Ace!" Luffy charged forward, swinging an arm. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" he let loose his punch, Ace barely managed to dodge the outstretched arm.

"Again?" Sasha sighed, the attack backfiring on Luffy.

"What the hell was that?" Ace burst out laughing. "You call this a fight? No matter how much force you put into it, there is no point if you can't hit me. I told you, rubber isn't suited for battle."

"Shut up!" Luffy fumed. "Don't say that!"

"What?" Ace fired back. "Are you trying to say that I'm wrong? You're just an anchor that's immune to bulletfire."

"Don't make fun of the Gomu Gomu Fruit!" Luffy retorted. "Someday, I'll make you cry! After all, I've thought up of a technique more powerful than a pistol."

"Luffy, great work." imaginary Sabo praised. "Your arm stretched a lot further than it did yesterday."

"Sabo, you're too soft on Luffy!" Ace accused.

"I really have become strong!" Luffy cheered. "Stronger than I was yesterday."

"Hey, Sabo!" both brothers turned, only to be met by silence.

"Sabo was such a kind older brother." Luffy sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ace snapped. "Would you rather that I died instead?"

"I never said that!" Luffy fired back.

"But that's basically what you mean!" Ace glared.

"Here we go again." Sasha shook her head.


Time passes...

"I'm gonna win today!" Luffy swore, swinging his arm as he charged at Ace, who retaliated with a kick to the younger boy's cheek.


About two years later, Ace had turned thirteen and Luffy and Sasha just turned ten.

It was in the middle of the night a few days after Sasha celebrated her birthday when the half-asleep Ace heard feet shuffling and the door to the children's shared bedroom creak open.

"Oi, Luffy." Ace reached over to shake Luffy awake. "Wake up. Something's wrong with Sasha."

Both 'D' siblings then followed Sasha to the seashore where a sphere of deep blue light emerged from the ocean.

Ace tried to reach out to the seemingly trance like Sasha, only to be blocked off by an energy shield.

"The time has come." the light sphere droned, hovering in front of Sasha. "For ten years, I've slept in the depths of these oceans, waiting for the time for you to appear. Awaken, Ocean Dragon Empress." the light then erupted in full, forcing Ace and Luffy to cover their eyes.

Still in a dreamlike trance, Sasha reached out a hand, the light orb taking the form of a winged dragon. The dragon's head lowered onto Sasha's offered hand and pulsed in power, before engulfing Sasha in its power, as swirls of water surrounding the girl.

"Ex-quip: Water Drayk Armor!" Sasha intoned the magical words, the most basic of her battle armors was donned on her body, complete with an aqua-trimmed crystal fencing sword in her hands.


With her power awakened, Sasha was able to join the two boys hunting.

"Sapphire Whirlwind!" Sasha sent a water tornado at the giant centipede that had Luffy in its jaws and forcing the centipede to drop Luffy. Ace took the chance and stabbed the centipede's hind with his pole.

Against Garp, however...

With Ace and Luffy beaten to the ground, Sasha released a 'Water Serpent' at the aged Marine, only to have Garp dissolve the elemental construct with an Armament-Haki infused punch.


Time passes...

Puberty had hit Ace when he turned fourteen and he found himself seeing Sasha in a different light.

His pride not letting him to confess his problem to Dadan, he pulled Dogra aside one day and explained.

The short bandit cast a fugitive look at Magra and the two men sat Ace down for the 'Birds and Bees' talk.

The heat that spread over the freckled teen's cheeks easily dwarfed all his previous Sasha-related blushes, but now that he had 'The Talk'...

He couldn't look at Sasha in the eye for days.


He hadn't meant to kiss her.

Sasha had just managed to summon her third battle armor: the 'Hydromancer Robe', and in her euphoria, she had flung her arms around Ace, who was closer to her and things just spiraled from there.

The force of her sudden glomp had sent both youngsters to the forest floor.

Taking a whiff of her familiar scent of fresh sea-spray and without thinking much of the consequences, Ace nuzzled Sasha's exposed shoulder and gave her a small bite on the skin; her yelp of surprise was enough to jolt them both into reality. Blushing furiously, Ace scrambled off, mumbling apologies.


"I like you."

Sasha blinked at the sudden confession from the almost 16-year-old Ace who had her trapped underneath a tree.

"Well, fancy that." Sasha sniped, refusing to back down.

Cupping Sasha's face with his larger hands, Ace forced her to look at him in the eyes, "You like me, too." he stated matter-of-factly.

"So, what made you stop being so oblivious?" Sasha grinned teasingly.

"Makino-san." Ace replied and claimed their first official kiss as a couple.


On the evening before Ace's departure...

"It's tomorrow, then." Sasha rested her head on her lover's shoulder, the couple were watching the sunset inside the hideout.

"Yeah." Ace nodded, his arm around his partner's waist.

"Give me your hand." Sasha looked up.

"Yeah." Ace offered his wrist and watched as Sasha recharged his flower bracelet with her Divine Haki.

"Good, now you're all set." Sasha nodded.

"Just one more thing." Ace corrected. Reaching into his trousers pocket, he retrieved a metal promise ring.

"Ace, this..." Sasha looked at him.

"I know it's nothing fancy." Ace admitted, slipping the ring onto Sasha's finger "But I want you to have this; it's a promise, one day, I will marry you."


The next day...

"Take care, Ace!" Luffy waved, the bandit group, along with Makino and Woop Slap, saw the now 17-year-old Ace off.

"Sure!" Ace nodded. "Luffy, Sasha, I'll see you later. I'll be going on ahead."

"Right." Luffy agreed. "And when we set out to sea in three years, we'll be much stronger."


Three years later...

With his 'Gomu Gomu no Pistol' tech honed, Luffy set out to sea with Sasha in tow.


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