A/N: DON'T JUDGE ME XD

Okay so… I caved. The reviews were just so sweet, and everyone on tumblr is sharing so much ASL love right now, I decided we were going to have double updates this week. This is the last time I'm breaking schedule unless Oda wrecks me on ASL again though! I won't be posting the next chapter til next Friday xD

To That Random Guy: Thank you, and I'm sorry for your intense feels D: Hope this helps!

To Weird-Sunny-Chan: Thank you, and let's be devastated together D: Group hugs in the ASL community! All I had to do to adjust for canon was make it a little more obvious that Sabo could have been in much worse shape if Ace hadn't intervened :X

To bibliophile030: Thank you, and yes, Dragon knows it's his Luffy, but he won't disclose that info :) So only the readers get to know he's springing into action because Luffy is his son.

So here's another super early update because I'm passing on the love, and because this is the last chapter before things start setting in motion for Luffy's rescue. Thank you so much, guys!

Dedicated to Beyond Kailani; thanks for beta'ing this for me like a million times now, and granting me permission to break schedule twice :D You're the best imouto-chan ever. NOW STOP ENCOURAGING MY SAD HEADCANONS FOR MY 'DON'T TELL' FIC T.T

Bonds of Sea and Fire

Chapter 4: You Are Not Alone

"I don't even vant to know how long vyou've had these injuries vithout treating them."

Sabo flinched at the reminder, but he couldn't deny that Iva had done a much better job at cleaning and bandaging his wounds than he had. Iva also had the luxury of quality supplies, and the medicine he'd administered to help numb the pain was practically heaven. He was currently lying on a cot aboard a large ship - Dragon's ship, or so they'd been told - in a room with Ace and Iva. The room itself wasn't very large, but there was plenty of space for Iva to move around freely without crowding Ace.

The freckled youth was sitting against the far wall next to a small table laden with several plates of food. Ace was barely keeping his eyes open, reluctantly eating without bothering to see what he was putting in his mouth. He probably wasn't even tasting it. Sabo's own mouth was watering a little at the smell, which reminded him he hadn't eaten since that morning either.

"Soon," Iva told him as if reading his mind, giving him a stern look. "Be patient, Sabo-boy. Vyour injuries could have been much vorse. Vyou're lucky to have survived at all, and especially lucky to come out of this vith nothing more than scars."

"I know, and it's all thanks to Ace saving me," Sabo croaked, swallowing some of the saliva to help wet his throat. He was still trying not to think about how much worse it could have been - if he would have survived at all - if Ace hadn't been there. His eyes flickered back to his brother, who had gone tense at Iva's words. "Can you stop reminding us?"

Ace scowled and looked away. He hadn't spoken more than two words since he'd given in and followed Iva, not even to deny their hospitality or claim he didn't need any help. He'd discarded his pride and his defenses for Sabo and Luffy's sakes. Sabo wasn't sure if he should be worried or grateful Ace had recognized he had no choice but to accept help from outsiders. He couldn't help anyone if he ran himself into the ground, but getting him to actually listen to that was a chore. The tension in the room was thick, but Iva, who gave off the impression of not caring about tact or subtlety, gracefully chose not to push the issue. Anyone could see Ace was still coiled too tightly, too close to snapping and unleashing his pent up anger.

"Vell, in any case," Iva broke several minutes worth of silence, standing up. "Vyou need to rest. Have some food, but don't overdo it. Vyou'll leave first thing in the morning, and not a moment sooner. Understood?"

"Yes," Sabo answered, tearing his gaze from Ace and looking up at Iva. "Thank you, Iva-sama. U-um… Dragon-san," he said the name with uncertainty, but he pressed on. "Will we see him again?"

"Vho knows vith him," Iva shrugged. "Vhy?"

"I just wanted to thank him for listening to me before, back on Dawn Island…" Sabo averted his gaze.

"I'll be sure to pass vyour message along if vyou leave before he returns, Sabo-boy."

"Thank you," Sabo said again, voice softer this time.

"Thanks."

Both of them turned to look at Ace, who was glaring at the corner of the small room.

"Vhat vas that, Ace-boy?" Iva prompted, despite having obviously heard.

Ace glared at the okama, but his gaze wavered from exhaustion and humility when he caught sight of Sabo out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't soften his glare, not when he was still so frustrated and tightly wound, so he bowed his head instead, directing his glare to the floor to avoid further antagonizing. He was trying to show gratitude, after all. "Thanks," he repeated quietly.

"Mm," Iva acknowledged, quirking an eyebrow before turning back to Sabo. "I'm sure vyou two vill have lots to talk about, but try not to push it. Vyour vounds vill heal in time."

Sabo looked at Iva again, swallowing. He hadn't asked during the bandaging process, but Iva's words from earlier were still haunting him. "Will I be able to see…? Out of my left eye, I mean."

"Vyour eye vas not damaged as badly as it could have been. Vyou got to us in time. I believe vyou vill regain your vision as long as vyou allow vyourself time to heal."

Iva turned and left the room after that, and a heavy silence settled over the two exhausted boys. The sound of scraping wood drew Sabo's gaze to his freckled brother, but he didn't speak as Ace dragged his chair over to sit right next to the cot. He brought the food over next, setting a plate on the edge of the bed, stacked with an assortment for Sabo to pick from. "Do you need help?"

"Just sitting up," Sabo answered quietly. "Whatever Iva-sama gave me for the pain helped a lot. I just don't have any energy."

"Let me know if I hurt you," Ace mumbled, a tremor in his voice at the implication that helping in any way could actually hurt him.

"You don't have to treat me like glass," Sabo told him softly, reaching out with his right hand to clasp Ace's for a moment. "I'll be fine, remember? I just have to heal first."

"Yeah," Ace squeezed his hand for a moment, then carefully and gingerly helped move the blond into a sitting position so he could have some food. "How do you know that Dragon guy?"

Sabo started to fidget with the onigiri on his plate, thinking of how to explain himself and struggling to come up with an answer. There was so much to explain, and he honestly couldn't think of where to start, even though he and Ace had no distractions preventing them from talking anymore. His silence dragged on for several moments, making Ace sigh.

"I'll go first," Ace offered quietly. "And tell you what happened after you went back with your parents."

"Don't call them that," Sabo bit out harshly, startling Ace. He'd never been the one for violent outbursts or sudden shouting. For a moment, his visible eye flashed with hatred, and it was such a foreign emotion to see on Sabo's face that Ace didn't even know how to react.

After several moments of awkward silence, Ace spared Sabo from having to explain himself or think about apologizing for his outburst by continuing. "After you went back, Bluejam offered to hire Luffy and I to help with some odds and ends jobs. I'm the one who told Luffy we should. It was to distract us both from you being gone, and to get more money for our pirate fund."

He turned away so he didn't have to see the look Sabo was giving him. "I know it was a stupid idea, okay? I wasn't thinking. I let Bluejam get in my head."

"What do you mean?" Sabo asked once he'd swallowed his bite of food. "Get in your head about what?"

"About you. About whether or not you'd be better off with your f-with those people," Ace quickly corrected himself. "We thought… I thought you'd be okay. That if it wasn't okay, you'd come back. Luffy never believed you belonged anywhere but with us. He was right. We should have just gone to get you."

"You would have been killed," Sabo argued, shaking his head, then wincing sharply. The medication helped a lot, but not if he moved so sharply. "I went with them to keep you both safe. Coming to get me would have been stupid."

"Whatever," Ace shot him a look, not wanting him to move again. Sabo obliged by taking another bite of the onigiri on his plate. "We didn't realize it at the time, but Bluejam had us help set up the gunpowder and oil that was used to start the fire."

Sabo stilled, but Ace pressed on before he could try to ask.

"We got caught in it. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late to run. Bluejam had us tied up and everything," Ace practically growled. He stopped talking for a moment, pain flashing in his eyes. "Luffy… he tried to be really brave, but you could tell he was terrified. I had to yell at him to keep him focused. It was too hot to breathe. I had to threaten to leave him behind." He closed his eyes at the memory, swallowing hard.

"Ace," Sabo his name quietly, setting the food down for a moment. Eating too fast was actually painful anyway. "Luffy knows what you really mean when you do that. Even if he doesn't act like it."

"So what?" Ace spat harshly, some of his anger sparking back up as he looked to the blond. "The last time I saw Luffy was during that fire, and he was screaming for me because I made him go on without me."

"And when we find him again, you can make it up to him," Sabo snapped just as harshly. "Ace, stop thinking like that. Do you remember the last time I saw Luffy? He was screaming for me too, and I willingly walked away from him. You know right now he's probably thinking that you're going to come save him, right? He probably doesn't think I'm coming at all. So stop."

Ace opened his mouth to argue, then closed it with a frustrated sound.

"Thinking like this isn't like you at all," Sabo continued quietly.

"Yeah well until today, I never really had to think 'this could be the last memory I have of my brother'," Ace said quietly, and it was clear he meant Sabo as well as Luffy.

"It won't be," Sabo said with an understanding gaze. "For me or for Luffy. So keep it together. We have to be strong if we expect the same from Luffy."

"Yeah…" Ace clenched his fists for a moment, taking a steadying breath. The anger seemed to drain back out of him, and it was clear he was exhausting himself with his outbursts. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sabo picked up another piece of food, not even looking to see what it was as he resumed eating, waiting for Ace to continue.

It took Ace a few moments, but he continued before Sabo could grow impatient. "We were trying to get out of the Gray Terminal when Bluejam and some of his guys caught up with us. They got betrayed by the nobles and left to die with the rest of the 'trash'. Bluejam wanted to know where our pirate fund was."

"You told him, right?" Sabo asked, dread knotting in his stomach. He really hoped Ace hadn't done anything rash to actually set Bluejam off.

"Of course I told him," Ace practically growled, hackles rising at the implication he would have risked Luffy's life for treasure a second time. Hadn't they both learned the first time? They'd already been over it, and they'd both agreed to never make that kind of stupid mistake again.

"Sorry," Sabo whispered, ashamed for asking when he realized why Ace was offended.

"Anyway, it didn't matter. He thought I was lying, or that we should die together with him or something. He'd lost his damn mind and wasn't even making sense. We tried to get away, but… his lackeys grabbed us and he started going on about how he wanted his revenge against the nobles. He started badmouthing you."

Ace shot Sabo a sideways glance. "For all the good it did, we told him how wrong he was. Luffy even got free for a second." He looked away. "I'm not getting into more detail than that. I probably couldn't even explain it all if I tried. Let's just say Luffy got hurt while I was still being held back, then Bluejam almost killed me. Dadan and the other bandits showed up and saved our asses."

"Dadan did?" Sabo asked, his voice softening and his expression going from one of worry to relief.

"Yeah. She even stayed behind with me to help when I didn't run," Ace muttered. "She's the only reason I made it out of that stupid fire. We didn't make it back home for a couple days though. The other bandits took Luffy with them while Dadan and I were facing Bluejam. He should have been too hurt to be out of bed, but when Dadan and I finally made it back…"

Sabo's eyes were drawn to the straw hat hanging on Ace's back, throat tightening. "Luffy left his hat behind and fooled the bandits into thinking he was sleeping… but he went out looking for you guys?"

"Yeah. We didn't even know he was gone until Makino rushed in and told us Bluejam used Luffy as a hostage to steal a boat from Windmill Village. That's when I decided to go get you so we could go after them."

"They let you?" Sabo questioned softly.

"...yeah," Ace glanced at his lap. "Dadan even made the others pack some supplies for me. You know the rest."

"I do," Sabo agreed quietly at the reminder of their reunion. For several moments, it was silent again, with Sabo looking wearily to his remaining food and Ace still staring down at his lap. It was Sabo who broke the silence, his voice hushed. They couldn't hear anything outside the room, so Ace had no trouble hearing him despite how soft his voice had gotten. "I wrote you a letter, you know. To you and Luffy. I wasn't going to go without saying goodbye, but I had to leave."

"Why?" Ace gave him a searching glance now, and Sabo couldn't help but pick up the accusatory note in his tone. "Why did you try to leave like that? Why not come back to us?"

"At the time it seemed like a good idea. You know why I couldn't go back. That man would have done whatever it took to bring me back if I stayed on the island. He would have hurt you, Luffy, the bandits, and maybe even Makino-san. Anyone who got in his way or who he thought he could use against me. You don't understand what they're like, Ace. Not really."

"Enlighten me then," Ace responded dryly, causing Sabo to frown at him.

"You only saw what it was like on the surface," Sabo's voice was tinged with disgust, coming out harsher when he thought of the society he'd been raised in. "When I found out about the fire, that it was approved by the royal family and everyone knew about it… I was frantic. I wanted to warn you and Luffy, and all the people living there, but I couldn't escape. I made it to Edge Town but they wouldn't let me out. Every single person in that place thought it was fine. No one was worried, no one was concerned they were killing people. The nobles there think they can do whatever they want just because they were born noble, and anyone suffering as a result is at fault just because they weren't born noble."

Sabo closed his eye, grimacing as if recalling something particularly heinous. "That's where I met Dragon-san. In Edge Town. The guards had beaten me to stop me from trying to get out or shout warnings, and he found me in the street. I didn't know who he was, and I only know his name now because Iva-sama said it. I told him what I knew about the fire and he believed me. He listened to me. I was desperate, Ace. I didn't think anyone would actually hear me anymore… but he did. I told him everything I felt about the Goa Kingdom, and how ashamed I was to have been born a noble, and then I passed out. I woke up bandaged and leaning against a wall on a sidestreet."

"Sabo," Ace whispered, the sarcasm and bitterness completely gone. He was staring at his wounded brother with a mix of horror and distress.

"When I first went back, they tried to force me to say I was threatened into spending time with you and Luffy, and that anything we did wasn't my fault. They tried to pin all the blame on you two, and even when I refused, the officials were paid off to report it that way anyway. I was locked away in a big fancy cage and I couldn't breathe."

Sabo opened his eye again, looking to Ace with tears starting to well up. "Being with you and Luffy, and even Dadan and the old man and everyone on the mountain, every day felt like I was with family, and anywhere we went felt like home. Dadan yelled at us and said she hated us, but she cared about us. The old man was a complete psychopath sometimes, but he still wanted what was best for us. Makino-san never once treated us like we didn't matter, accepting us easily because we were Luffy's brothers. And you… you and Luffy accepted me even though I was born noble, even though my being there put you in danger, and I felt happy and free all the time."

A strangled sound caught in his throat. "Can you imagine what it was like losing all of that, going back to that place…? I knew you and Luffy would be okay without me, even if you weren't happy about it. You two had each other and everyone else, but I had no one. I was always being watched, always being judged. The people who were supposed to be my parents, who stole everything I cared about away from me to force me to live for their ambitions, didn't even want me there. You were there on the docks with everyone else when I almost died, Ace, and did you hear anyone shouting my name? My parents, were there, and they were probably more concerned that I was causing a scene than if I was going to die!"

A soft sob broke free, causing Sabo to hide the visible half of his face with right hand, jaw clenched. He couldn't see Ace's expression or even hear a reaction from him, but it was too late to try and hold anything back. "I had to try and leave when the chance came up. I never knew if it would come again, and I would have regretted it forever if I hadn't tried, and… and even though I almost died for it, I don't regret that I tried to leave! I was already dying in High Town anyway! Luffy was right before, being alone is worse than being hurt, and being forced to be alone is even worse than that!"

He jerked in surprise at the sudden grip on his right shoulder, bracing himself for a hit, but it never came. With a careful touch Sabo hadn't thought Ace was capable of, at least not with how worked up the freckled boy was, Ace was pulling him into a hug, grasping him tightly. He was careful not to put any pressure on the bandaged areas, and his face remained hidden, but his grip on Sabo was shaky. He was barely holding back his own emotions.

"When we find Luffy," Ace whispered. "We're going to be free, Sabo. We won't go back to Dawn Island, and you'll never have to go back to those people. It'll be the three of us, and we'll stay together this time. We'll get stronger, and if anyone ever tries to force us apart again, we won't let them. None of us will ever have to be alone again, Sabo."

Sabo couldn't stop his tears at those words, moving his right hand to clutch at Ace's shirt as he finally allowed himself a moment to be weak and rely on his brother's strength. As much as he wanted to keep lying to himself and believing it didn't hurt, claiming he'd be okay, the pent up feelings he'd been fighting back since that day in Gray Terminal were breaking to the surface and flooding over him with no sign of stopping. He couldn't support Ace at all if he was crippling himself with lies and false bravado.

"You're right about Dadan," Ace whispered, voice cracking from the pain he felt at seeing Sabo's distress. "When she came to find us, they were looking for you too. And Dadan, she claimed to be our foster parent. She was an idiot and useless most of the time, but she does care about us. When we find Luffy, we'll send her a letter so she can let Makino know too - and even Jiji - that we're all okay, we're all safe, and we're going to live free."

"Yeah," Sabo whispered, his voice wavering at the idea. After spending that time in High Town, even if it wasn't really that long in the grand scheme of things, knowing he had a family he could claim as his own filled his heart with warmth. All that was missing was their reckless little brother with his clingy hugs and impossibly wide smiles.

Ace didn't pull away for quite some time. Sabo was thankful for that, not ready to lose the warmth of Ace's embrace or the tangible proof that he wasn't alone. It wasn't until his stomach gave a miserable growl that he remembered the plate of food on the bed, and Ace reluctantly drew back.

Sabo wiped at his eye, shuddering softly. "Thank you, Ace."

"No problem," Ace murmured, settling back into his chair and rubbing at his own eyes. While Sabo's visible cheek was still damp with tears, Ace managed to swipe away all evidence but the redness of his eyes from his own face. They sat there for several moments in silence while Sabo wiped away his tears, calming himself back down and letting Ace's words keep him from reliving everything that had been weighing him down and breaking his spirit.

"Besides…"

Sabo lifted his head when Ace continued, catching sight of an attempt at a playful glint in his gray eyes.

"What were you thinking, leaving Luffy in my care? You know I'm not the nurturing one. That's you. I would have thrown him off the mountain in two weeks, tops."

Sabo snorted, the motion abrupt and unexpected as laughter tried to escape. It may have been hysterical laughter, but it was laughter nonetheless. "Yeah right. You can act tough all you want, but you're the most overprotective of Luffy."

"It's definitely you," Ace argued, motioning to the food to remind Sabo to eat some more. The blond obliged, though his movements were starting to get sluggish. Exhaustion warred with his desire to keep talking to Ace. "You're the one who always tells me to stop yelling at him."

"Only because you're awkward at expressing yourself," Sabo said around a mouthful of food.

"Still, you're better with him," Ace sighed dramatically, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "He praises you as much as he argues with me."

"That means you're the fun one," Sabo realized in mock-horror, gasping. "I don't want to be the responsible one all the time!"

Ace opened one eye, then laughed, looking genuinely amused by the look on Sabo's face. "Well, I'd like to be taken seriously once in a while. Luffy actually listens to you."

"But that means he's pushing you for a reaction. He doesn't do that to me," Sabo continued, keeping up with the dramatic overreaction. "Ace, you have to teach me how to fight with Luffy more!"

"Sure, and I'll go find myself a top hat so I can be dapper like you," Ace snorted.

"Dapper, Ace? Really?" Sabo grinned at him. "But you do need a hat. Luffy and I have been talking about that."

"Secret conversations to turn me into one of you hat-wearing weirdos? I really am left out."

Sabo finished the plate without responding, and Ace took it to set on the table nearby. "Anyway," Ace spoke up, hiding a yawn behind his hand as he sat back down. "You should get some rest. Those weird guys said they'd get us a map and supplies, so we'll set out first thing in the morning."

"You need to sleep too. You're barely even awake right now," Sabo pointed out. He shifted to lie back down, but it was a slow and painful process that left him out of breath by the time his head touched the pillow.

"I will," Ace promised, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sabo studied him incredulously for several moments. "In the chair?"

"It's fine," Ace shook his head at Sabo's concern. "I've slept in worse places. So have you."

"Why don't you just share the bed with me? There's plenty of space."

"You're injured," the raven-haired boy argued.

"Ace," Sabo started to push himself up again, but Ace put a hand on the unbandaged part of his chest, holding him down so he didn't hurt himself. "Will you do it for me then? If you won't do it for yourself."

"What?" Ace stared at him, uncomprehending.

"I slept almost all day on that boat by myself. I couldn't even hear you, let alone see you. Right now, I don't think I could sleep, even with how tired I am, if I can't be sure you won't disappear," Sabo said quietly, his voice wavering just a little. "Can you just forget I'm hurt for now, and sleep where I can reach you without having to look for you?"

"..." Ace looked away, throat tightening at Sabo's words. "Yeah," he agreed quickly, trying to keep his own voice calm. It wasn't like he couldn't understand. The entire reason he'd planned on sleeping in the chair next to the bed was so he could keep Sabo in reach, in case nightmares tried to fool him into thinking he'd lost his blond brother in that horrible explosion.

He looked back to Sabo, seeing the understanding look in his dark blue eye, and stood to help him shift closer to the wall. Once there was room for Ace, he blew out the two lanterns Iva had left burning, easily finding his way back to Sabo's side in the darkness. The cot wasn't luxurious in any way, but it was softer than most of the places Ace had slept in his young life. The last thing he did before settling beside his brother was take Luffy's hat off to keep it from getting crushed, carefully draping the cord over the back of the chair so it wouldn't be out of his reach. He had to see it safely back to Luffy, after all.

He made sure the blanket covered them both, though at Sabo's request he pulled the blanket off the wounded boy's left side.

"It hurts if it gets too warm," Sabo explained softly.

"It's alright," Ace said, not wanting Sabo to worry about inconveniencing him. "Just let me know if you need anything, okay? You don't have to deal with any of this on your own. That's why I'm here, right?"

"...thanks, Ace," Sabo whispered, shifting a little closer. Ace slid an arm under his neck, making it easier for Sabo to rest his cheek against Ace's shoulder. "If I start to have a nightmare, will you wake me up?"

"Yeah. Do the same for me, okay?" Ace mumbled. He stared up into the darkness, telling himself he was focusing on the ceiling over them. He couldn't actually see it. "I don't have nightmares much anymore, but if I was going to have any, it'd be tonight."

"Same here."

Neither one of them spoke about Luffy. They both knew he'd be having nightmares all alone, and reminding each other of that wouldn't help. They needed to focus on preserving their strength and focusing on finding him. Luffy would be alright. No matter how bad it got, they were both confident Luffy would recover from it as long as they could get to him before Bluejam killed him.

Ace closed his eyes before long. Even if he had been able to find something to look at, his eyelids had been heavy since before Iva left, and with his earlier outburst of emotion, he felt drained enough to sleep for a week if left unchecked. Still, even with the exhaustion settling over him like a thick blanket he couldn't shake off, sleep did not come to him quickly. His nerves were still on high alert, and while he managed to stave off the horrible scenarios his mind could easily supply about Luffy and what his little brother might be going through, it wasn't until he heard Sabo's breathing even out that his body began to relax.

He hadn't tried to fully come to terms with just how close he'd come to almost losing Sabo that morning. Any hesitation on Sabo's part, on his part, any number of things could have gone wrong and cost Sabo his life. Ace wasn't usually the type to dwell on 'what if', but that was part of what made the whole situation so terrifying for him.

If there was one thing he took away from the entire experience, it was that he didn't want to live a life filled with 'what ifs'. He had regretted the way he'd initially treated Luffy, leaving him to Porchemy's mercy, letting the nobles take Sabo away, and not fighting harder to make it home to Luffy before the younger boy felt the need to go looking for him. If Sabo lost his sight because Ace had allowed himself to be talked into charging after Luffy, he would regret that too.

Most of all, he would regret it if the last memory he had of Luffy truly became the last.

Failing wasn't an option. He had to find Luffy. Once he did, the three of them would live freely, without regrets. He would make sure Sabo never had to go through the loneliness of trading his freedom to keep his brothers safe, and he would make sure Luffy never had to watch one of his brothers walk away from him the way Sabo had been forced to do.

He couldn't promise safety forever, or that he'd be able to alleviate any of Luffy's fears that one of his brothers could be hurt. The sea was vast and free, but it was dangerous too. The best he could do was promise that he would never fail hi brothers again.

It was that thought that had him drifting off to a dreamless sleep, his body shutting down to finally start recovering from the strain he'd been putting it through. The ship could have capsized in the night, and it was likely neither boy would have stirred.

...

Morning was an entirely different story. Ace awoke to the sound of Sabo groaning in pain, causing him to nearly bolt upright. He just barely remembered to hold himself back, given that Sabo was still leaning on him, but the visible part of his face was flushed with pain, and his breathing was labored.

"Sabo?" Ace very carefully pulled his arm back and untangled from his brother, looking down at him. Light filtered in through a small round window over the bed, indicating it was late morning or mid afternoon. Ace didn't waste energy worrying about time of day it was, instead rolling off the bed and onto his feet to go find someone to help Sabo.

He didn't have to go far. The door opened just before he reached it, with Iva coming inside. He still wore his cloak, but the hood was down and his hair was even fluffier than the night before.

"Vell vell, look who is finally avake," Iva commented. "Vyour supplies are ready and Dragon has marked off the areas vyour pirate has not been seen."

"Something's wrong with Sabo," Ace blurted out, looking at Iva with worry in his eyes. "He's in pain."

"Of course he's in pain," Iva commented, waving a hand. Even if he was slightly dismissive, he still walked over to the bed, which was the only thing keeping Ace from lashing out at the casual tone. "He vill be fine, Ace-boy. I vill make sure you have plenty of medicine for him. Vyou vill have to be the one to make sure he does not overdo it. Understood?"

Ace nodded solemnly, swallowing in relief at Iva's assurance that Sabo would be alright. "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Vell, vhat a change from last night," Iva said with approval. His touch wasn't as gentle as Ace would have liked as he reached for Sabo and lifted him into a sitting position. Sabo's eye fluttered open, going wide immediately, but Ace quickly moved into view and met his gaze.

"Sabo," he breathed in relief. "Don't move."

"Ace," Sabo whispered. Relief coursed through his slender body at the sight of his brother, but he tensed again as the pain took precedence over everything else.

"Here," Iva held a small vial out to him, clearly prepared for him to have woken in pain. "Drink this, Sabo-boy. It vill help vith the pain."

"Th-thank you," Sabo stammered, almost greedily taking the vial from him to drink the medicine inside. He recognized it as the same medicine that had relieved his pain the night before.

"Ve vill not make you stay and eat vith us. To be honest, ve are behind schedule ourselves. But you vill follow my directions and make sure not to undo all my hard vork vhile you search for your brother. Understood?"

"Yes," both boys answered solemnly. Sabo was just trying to stay still until the pain faded, but Ace gave a low bow from the waist, closing his eyes and trying to show as much respect as possible.

"Thank you," Ace added, his voice low and humble as he collected Luffy's hat and slid the cord over his head once more.

"Mm," Iva acknowledged, looking pleased at the change in Ace's attitude. He helped Sabo stand, though it was Ace who helped the blond hobble from the room.

On the short trek to the stolen fishing boat, Iva explained in detail how Ace would have to take care of Sabo's bandages and what to look out for in case of infection. As Iva had told them, their boat had been stocked for their journey, and the map was in place with several red Xs through surrounding areas.

"Dragon vill keep an eye out," Iva told them. "But finding this boy is vyour mission, not ours. I hope vyou do not expect more than that."

"He's our little brother," Ace said firmly. "We'll find him."

"Thank you for everything, Iva-sama," Sabo murmured, looking to the large man with a grateful expression. "And please thank Dragon-san for me-"

"For both of us," Ace interrupted. He glanced over his shoulder at Iva, then back to Sabo. "You sure you're up to navigating?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I mean it this time," Sabo promised, forcing what he hoped was a confident smile.

"Don't forget vhat I told you about changing the bandages," Iva reminded Ace firmly. "And taking care of vyourselves. It's not my business vhat you do from here on out, but try not to get vyourselves killed."

"I have no intention of dying," Ace said firmly. "And I'm not going to let anything happen to my brothers."

Sabo nodded his agreement - to both claims - before limping his way to the helm. Iva was already turning to leave, satisfied with their responses.

"We're coming, Luffy," Sabo murmured. Ace put a hand on his upper back, shifting just a little more to the right when he felt bandages under the shirt Sabo wore.

...

The man leaned forward on his bar stool, elbows propped up on the counter. His stance was completely lax, as if he wasn't out on the open sea and conversing with a powerful known pirate. His cheek rested against his right hand, and his left lazily rotated a glass half filled with rum. The ice cubes clinked together with the motion, and a playful smirk touched his lips when it got the attention of the man on the other side of the counter.

"How much longer are you sticking around for, brat?"

His grin widened. He set the drink down, leaning off the counter and crossing one leg over the other. The sword on his right hip bumped slightly from the shift in position. "Oh, until my babysitter comes to drag me back, I'm sure. I couldn't pass up the chance to come here though, one chef to another."

"You're decades too early to be calling yourself a chef alongside me," the older man retorted, though he did smirk a little, as if amused. The expression fell away rather quickly though, his face adopting the same harsh look he usually wore.

"I've got a lot to learn," the other man replied, giving an infectious grin. "It's still hard to believe you're settling down. You seem mostly recovered… you sure you're not going back?"

There was a thud from nearby, causing both occupants in the otherwise empty bar area to look over at the door leading from the galley.

"I thought you said you lost your crew?" the younger man questioned, though he made no move to reach for his weapon. He merely seemed curious.

"Shut it, brat. That's just the eggplant."

...

A/N: :D Can you guess who that is?! Because I'm so excited! Okay, see you lovely people next Friday :3 Thank you SO much for all the support on this story, you have no idea how excited it makes me. I got several of the reviews while I was in the ER for a double ear infection yesterday and I kept squeaking out loud and startling people :X A guy with a tiny dog laughed at me.

~Mithril