A/N: Hello you wonderful people! In light of Kyoudai being posted late, and the excuse (Thanks MissJenca lol!) "It's Friday somewhere!", here's the next chapter 2 hours earlier than planned xD

So first off, my ear infection is mostly healed, but it's still giving me trouble. Thank you very much for everyone who offered their sympathies and well wishes! I've moved into the new apartment, and while it is out in the sticks and very rickety, there's reliable internet and electricity! woo! :3

Secondly, Kyaaaaah everyone has been so nice in the reviews! I think I responded to all, and to the guest reviewers, you guys are fabulous too. Thank you so much! I'm so excited to be sharing this story with everyone. You guys are incredible delights. Also, many of you got the answer right about the mystery scene at the end of last chapter.

To clarify, time is skipping around by a couple hours here and there, but there are no drastic skips unless explicitly stated. So maybe the scene at Shimotsuki took place before Dadan got the letter, etc, but the only time days/weeks go by is when stated in narrative. You can assume almost any scene is taking place in the same day if I don't state otherwise. I hope that's not confusing!

Alright. So, I mentioned in my other story, but I'll mention here as well. I got a rather unkind message on my tumblr about the possibility of shipping appearing in Bonds. I put a note on my profile page to clarify what will happen in my non-romance genre stories. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING IF THIS CONCERNS YOU!

Yes, Bonds of Sea and Fire will have romantic pairings in it, but No, they will not be the focus of the story, nor will they be featured as more than an implication that the characters feel more than friendship. Bonds is not a romance story, but romance is not completely absent. If that bothers you, or if you're concerned your NOTP might get mentioned, I'm sorry, but you might not want to read once I hit the time skip in this story (which will happen much later).

Now that that's out of the way (feel free to message me or ask if you have any concerns about it, I don't mind clarifying!) big super special thanks to Beyond Kailani, whom this story is also dedicated to, for being the best beta and imouto-chan I could ask for.

Oyaji = Pops/Old Man (considered a very informal/rude way to refer to a father/older man, and what the Whitebeard Pirates call Whitebeard)

Bonds of Sea and Fire

Chapter 5: Not Such a Bad Thing

"Eggplant?" He raised his eyebrow, but the older pirate - rather, older former pirate - ignored him.

"Get in here and introduce yourself if you're gonna eavesdrop, you damn brat!"

"D-don't tell me what to do, you shitty old man!"

Thatch's eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline at the small voice answering back, before a sappy grin broke out on his face. "Oi, Red-Leg Zeff, you telling me you went and followed Oyaji's example?" he teased, leaning over the counter again and downing the rest of his rum in one shot. He placed the glass down with more flourish than necessary, including it as a prop in his teasing manner. "You quit bein' a pirate to start a family?"

He should have seen it coming - really, he should have been able to dodge it - but he'd lowered his guard too much and he was slightly intoxicated, if he was being honest with himself. The peg leg caught him right in the jaw, knocking him several feet back and toppling the bar stool he'd been sitting on. His hair, which had been perfectly coiffed into a pompadour, became limp and tangled from crash landing head-first into a nearby table. He struggled into a sitting position in the middle of the wreckage, then began to work on fixing his hair.

That was the image he presented when the blond child stepped into the room. Something told Thatch even if he hadn't looked like a wreck when the boy had come in, that light blue eye would have remained unimpressed.

He was a skinny child, that was something Thatch noticed right away, even before he noticed the boy's unusually curly and only visible eyebrow. It was on the tip of his tongue to comment on the boy's size - after all, Zeff was a damn chef, just like he was - when he remembered the rumors surrounding Zeff's retirement as a pirate. Rumors of being shipwrecked and damn near dying of starvation. Hadn't the rumors also claimed there had been two survivors?

It wasn't like they heard every little rumor about every pirate who made a name for themselves or anything. Sure, Whitebeard kept an ear and an eye out for any promising young upstart who lacked proper guidance and had potential, but Zeff was not the kind of pirate who would've made a home for himself on the Moby Dick.

The only reason Thatch knew anything at all was because of Zeff's reputation as one of the best chefs in Paradise. His stint in the New World hadn't lasted long, but Thatch had heard enough and had always wanted to come and meet the man. It would still be a year at least, a couple more at most before the Baratie was up and running, but Thatch had still crossed all the way back to East Blue to see if the rumors of Zeff retiring to open his floating restaurant were true. There Zeff was, missing a leg with his clothes still a bit big on him, and an equally skinny ward following around in his shadow. He was positive Zeff and the little blond had gone through some form of starvation and bonded over it in some way, even if neither seemed particularly warm to the other.

"So, you gonna grow up and be a chef?" Thatch inquired, sitting up and slicking his hair back to try and save his image.

"I already am a chef," the boy retorted.

"Introduce yourself, brat. Either of ya."

Thatch grinned over at Zeff, then turned his gaze to the blond. "The name's Thatch. I came here to try and get some recipes off the old man, but he's being an ass about it. What's your name, kid?"

"...Sanji," the boy answered, looking slightly amused at Thatch's attitude. At the same time, Thatch saw a flicker of something almost unreadable in his light blue eyes.

Ah, so that's how it is. He really respects the old man. I won't push it, Thatch decided. "Anyway, I'm only hanging around a couple more days. Took me forever to find the place. I'm not very familiar with East Blue."

Sanji studied him a moment longer, then looked to Zeff.

"He's not staying here," Zeff snorted.

"I'll sleep in my own boat," Thatch laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "And I won't get in the way. I just wanted to spend some time observing."

"You're weird," Sanji concluded bluntly, which had Thatch sagging.

Children had always been his strong point in terms of impressing them or getting them to like him. He couldn't control them at all - Izou always said they flocked to him because he was a big kid himself and therefore had no authority over them - but he wasn't used to being flat out rejected like this.

"I've been told that before," Thatch laughed, trying to brush it off.

"Enough slacking," Zeff cut into their conversation, shooting Sanji a look. "Are you gonna get back to work or not, brat?"

"Grr…" Was that a growl? Thatch's eyebrows practically flew into his hairline at Sanji's bristling response.

"I am working, you old bastard!" Sanji insisted. "You're the one slacking off to play with some wannabe chef!"

"Wannabe?!" Thatch pushed himself up fully. "You little-"

"BOTH OF YOU," Zeff's voice boomed, making them both jump. "Get back to work!"

Sanji looked like he wanted to argue, but self-preservation kicked in before he could retort, and then he was rushing from the room with a muttered insult under his breath.

Thatch watched the blond scurry off, then blinked, returning his gaze and pointing to himself when Zeff kept staring. "Wait, me too?"

"I did say both of you," Zeff's eyes glinted with the promise of danger. "NOW GO!"

"Ack!" Thatch heard the resounding 'thud' of Zeff's peg leg against the floor, and before he could risk another kick to his poor - albeit still gorgeous - face, he was hurrying after Sanji. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, but if it meant getting to spend a bit more time watching Zeff work, he'd gladly help with some manual labor.

Besides, he hadn't seen any workers on the boat, and if Sanji was also recovering from starvation, he was bound to have some difficulty. The Baratie was nowhere near functional as a restaurant yet, and that wasn't even including the aesthetic work that needed to be done.

...

He'd lost count of how many days it had been. The barrel was never open on a schedule, or at any interval that helped Luffy figure out if it was even being opened twice on the same day or not. Sometimes it seemed like only hours between each opening and other times it seemed like it had been days since the last time he saw the sky.

Each time he thought the barrel might be opening, part of him decided he'd try to escape, while another part of him wanted to plead for something to eat, or claim he wouldn't escape if only to stop his captor from putting him back in the barrel.

Every single time, his pride won out and he managed what he hoped was a scornful look to show he hadn't been broken, but Bluejam never seemed bothered or even surprised. He'd comment on the smell - because it wasn't like he was letting Luffy out of the barrel to relieve himself - before literally dunking Luffy into the sea and leaving him submerged up to his neck while he refilled the barrel.

Sometimes, if he was feeling particularly cruel or if Luffy managed a weak insult - he'd chewed through his gag after the first couple of days and Bluejam hadn't bothered to replace it - he left Luffy in the water while they sailed, which always caused Luffy to knock into the side of the boat and jar his restraints. The only saving grace was that Bluejam secured him with a rope around the chest and didn't simply hang him from the wire again, and he was apparently too small to be considered bait to most of the carnivorous prey in the sea.

It always ended the same way, though. No matter what Luffy did or how much strength he tried to save, he was always put back in the barrel and ignored, cut off from the outside world with no strength. Maybe it was a good thing he was being kept in seawater. Not having any energy made it less painful that Bluejam wasn't feeding him. Every once in a while there was a brief gulp of fresh water, or a stale piece of bread that usually got stuck in his throat from the position he was bound in and how parched he always was. For the most part, Bluejam seemed satisfied as long as he was still breathing, even if he barely felt alive anymore.

He was sure at least five days had passed, but beyond that, he just didn't know anymore. He had vague memories of Bluejam fishing him out of the barrel and dragging him into a town, threatening his life to get money and supplies like he had back in the Windmill Village, but he could do little more than mutter a curse or two at Bluejam before he was being hauled back to the boat.

It was frustrating and humiliating. He wasn't strong enough to stop Bluejam from using him to steal, and he wasn't strong enough to free himself even when Bluejam left him alone on the boat. Saving his strength proved to be impossible when he had no food to build it up and the seawater was constantly sapping his reserves.

As if mocking him, the boat rocked abruptly, causing water to splash into his face and briefly choke him. He could hear Bluejam's muffled laughter in response to his coughing and sputtering, and the sound only made him grit his teeth once he got his breathing under control.

"Bastard," he rasped, wishing Bluejam would hear it. He was mostly confident that Bluejam wouldn't outright kill him, and he honestly couldn't think of anything Bluejam could do to make his captivity worse, so when he was sure the barrel wouldn't be opening, he was constantly doing anything he could think of to make Bluejam's journey less pleasant.

He closed his eyes again, starting to feel what little energy he had draining back out. Sleeping never brought relief as he was plagued by nightmares and unable to get comfortable, but his body still needed it and he had no control the impulse. He was starting to worry he'd slept for weeks without even realizing it. Was he even in East Blue anymore?

Was Ace going to be able to catch up to him if they kept going like this?

He quickly admonished himself for those thoughts. Of course Ace would catch up to him. Ace would chase him all the way to the end of the Grand Line if he had to.

With that comforting thought in mind, he allowed himself to drift off to a restless sleep.

...

"Damn it!"

Ace's fist slammed against the counter, nearly breaking the wood. The woman behind it flinched, but he didn't care if he looked threatening or not.

"Ace," Sabo, as always, was trying to be the calming influence, but it fell flat when his voice wavered and it came out pleading rather than soothing.

"I'm sorry," the woman bit her lip, looking to the boys with a mixture of sympathy and uncertainty. "We alerted the marines, but we haven't heard back…"

"Thank you," Sabo answered, closing his visible eye. "Ace, come on. We have to hurry. We only missed them by a day. Our boat isn't fast enough for us to waste time."

"But-"

Sabo opened his eye and gripped Ace's shoulder tightly. "This is good news, Ace. He's still alive."

Ace fell silent at Sabo's words, swallowing as the weight of that statement sank in. For almost two weeks - exactly twelve days - they'd been drifting from village to village with no leads, marking off every place on the map that had crushed their spirits. Sabo was the one in charge of the route, and each time they were met with another dead end, false lead, or crushed hope, it had taken a very visible toll on both of them. Their biggest fear had been that Bluejam had simply tossed Luffy into the sea and continued on alone. To hear that Bluejam was still using Luffy as a hostage for easy supplies and money was both infuriating and absolutely wonderful news.

"Yeah," Ace agreed finally, closing his eyes. He didn't ask the woman if Luffy had been hurt or crying. He couldn't stomach the thought of having it confirmed when there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn't like his imagination afforded any mercy there either, but at least some small part of his mind could try to rationalize that it might not be as bad as he thought. He opened his eyes again, a renewed sense of purpose and determination glinting in his there. "Do we need to restock on anything before we go?"

"No," Sabo shook his head carefully. "We can make it like this, and if we don't catch up, we still won't need more supplies for a couple days at least, maybe a week if we conserve what we have."

"Alright." Ace didn't bother thanking the woman as they left. He knew it wasn't her fault and that the small village probably wouldn't have stood a chance against Bluejam, hostage or no, but he still blamed her for not helping Luffy. He blamed them all, no matter how unfair it was.

It wasn't like he could blame them more than he blamed himself.

Sabo kept pace with him as he quickly made his way back to their boat, only stumbling once. It was automatic for Ace to reach out and steady him, though he didn't stop moving or slow down to make it easier. Sabo didn't ask him to, and if the stumble had been from pain, there was no indication to alert Ace to that fact.

They'd been pressing on like this ever since leaving Dragon and Iva's company, taking turns sleeping on the tiny boat or not sleeping at all some nights. Sabo did most of the navigating, but on the occasions where Ace had to help him change his bandages, he explained exactly what Ace would need to do to stay on course in case he needed to rest after the bandages were done.

They both knew Ace was pushing himself harder than he should, but Ace refused to admit it and Sabo couldn't bring himself to call attention to it. Ace kept telling himself he'd rest once they had Luffy back, kept promising his deteriorating health that it was only temporary, and so far it seemed to be enough to keep himself from collapsing.

"Get some rest once we're on course," Ace muttered to Sabo, avoiding looking at him. It wasn't like he was trying to pull rank with Sabo or act like he knew better, and even though Sabo knew that, he still bristled a little at the way Ace ordered him around.

"I'll rest when I'm tired," he answered quietly. "Just like you will."

Whether he was just too exhausted or too disappointed that their first real lead on Luffy hadn't felt like progress, Ace simply nodded.

...

"Just how much work are we supposed to do in a single day?"

"Stop whining. Aren't you a pirate, and a man?"

Thatch hung his head. He didn't know what was worse, that he was being reduced to taking orders from a tiny blond child or that he was also being reprimanded by the aforementioned child. Constantly.

"We don't have to do this much on our ship, and it's way bigger," Thatch replied, trying his best to defend his wounded pride. "Isn't Zeff planning on hiring some help around here?"

Sanji's visible eye narrowed for just a moment, but the expression was gone in a flash and he was lifting another sack of flour before Thatch could question his expression. "Not until we're ready."

"Alright," Thatch sighed. He grabbed several bags of flour at once, draping them over his shoulders - really, how did Zeff make manual labor on a small floating restaurant more exhausting than managing the entire fourth division of Whitebeard's pirates? - and falling into line behind Sanji for the trek back to the pantry. In the few days since he'd taken to staying near Zeff's quaint little restaurant, he'd done nothing but help carry, repair, and take inventory. Sanji hardly talked to him either, opting to speak only when he was arguing with Zeff or trying to explain a dish he'd attempted to make.

There were times when it seemed like Sanji was struggling with being around the food, but Thatch chalked it up as a side effect of the starvation he'd clearly gone through and made a point not to call attention to it. The last thing he wanted to do was make Sanji feel self-conscious while he was healing, especially considering Sanji wanted to be a chef as a profession. It was something he'd have to overcome, yes, but not at anyone else's pace but his own.

The only real silver lining to the whole arrangement was not having to deal with his responsibilities on the Moby Dick - although he did miss his family and he'd have to think up some great pranks to make up for his absence - and getting to eat a meal cooked by Zeff twice daily. Breakfast and dinner were Zeff's domain, while Sanji got his attempts at passable lunches.

Honestly, they weren't that bad. Especially not for a kid. Zeff however, was very strict on Sanji and in some cases when it happened to be a particularly salty or overcooked dish, Zeff would force Sanji to eat his portion and go find himself something else. Thatch never complained, although if Zeff told him to, he had to admit he would in a heartbeat. Was anyone actually stupid enough to anger Zeff to his face? He'd only done it once so far - and his face was still sore as hell - but Zeff gave off the same terrifying 'you will regret your decisions' aura Marco always managed so well in those brief windows between Thatch initiating a prank and actually following through with it.

"So kid," Thatch adjusted the flour on his shoulder, looking down at Sanji. The boy never made small talk with him, and any time Thatch tried to amuse or entertain him, he was met with a blank, unimpressed stare. "Were you born in East Blue?"

When Sanji didn't immediately answer, Thatch assumed he was going to be ignored again, but before he could keep talking to fill the silence, Sanji's voice finally came out.

"No."

"Oh. Well, where were you born?"

Sanji shot him what appeared to be an annoyed glance before he returned his gaze to the path they were walking. "North Blue."

"Any plans on going back there?"

"No."

"You like East Blue that much?"

"No."

"I… see," Thatch forced a smile so he wouldn't scowl. Scowling at children rarely got results. "Are you going to stay here until you grow up?"

"Old man," Sanji cut in, interrupting the questioning.

Thatch nearly dropped the flour, looking wounded. "I know I'm older than you, but I'm hardly an old man."

"Whatever," Sanji shook his head as they reached the pantry, setting his bag of flour down. "You're a pirate, right?"

"Yes," Thatch tossed his bags of flour to join the rest with relative ease. He could fight the fiercest pirates on the sea without breaking a sweat these days, but give him a short period of time serving under Zeff and he was ready to hide from responsibility - more than usual - and take a nap.

"Have you…" Sanji fidgeted, showing a shy side for the first time since Thatch had met him. "Have you heard of All Blue?"

"Eh?" Thatch leaned against the wall, regarding him curiously. "I've heard of it. Most people think it's a myth."

"It's not a myth!" Sanji swore vehemently. "I'm sure it exists!"

"Hey, I'm not arguing with you, kid," Thatch held his hands up in a placating manner. "Who am I to say if it exists or not?"

Sanji's severe look softened a little before he glanced away. "Well you're a chef, aren't you? Don't you want to find All Blue? It's a chef's dream."

"If being a chef was my only dream, maybe," Thatch said, and before Sanji could get worked up or accuse him of having no love for his craft, he continued. "Don't get me wrong, kid. I'm a chef, and I pride myself in it. Not a single dish I cook will ever be sent back, and no one will ever go hungry as long as I'm there to take care of them. I have a large family and a lot of them work under me in the kitchen, but no matter how carefree I act, no one will ever say I don't take my job as a chef seriously. Or that my hair isn't fabulous," he added the last part with a charming smile.

"If you pride yourself in being a chef, then why isn't it your dream?" Sanji challenged quietly.

"Because my dream is a lot more humble," Thatch motioned for Sanji to sit down since he could tell his legs were shaking and it had been a while since their last break. "I'm not looking for fame, or to make every recipe in the world, or to cook for kings and queens. Since I was a kid, I always had one dream and one dream only."

"What was it?" Sanji asked, curiosity betraying the nonchalant attitude he was trying to portray.

"To have somewhere I belonged," Thatch said simply, his charming smile melting into a more sincere one.

"Like a family?" Sanji questioned.

"No, not just a family," Thatch shook his head. "More than that. I wanted a place I could go back to where I felt home, where I could have fun and get scolded and feel loved and annoyed, all at the same time. A place where I could leave for any length of time, and when I came back, it would feel like I was never gone at all. It didn't have to be a typically idealistic scenario for me. I didn't need to imagine what a perfect home was, or the family I'd pick if I could plan it all out. I just knew when I found it, it would be perfect because it would belong to me, and I'd belong there."

"That sounds stupid," Sanji huffed, but he didn't really seem to mean it, so Thatch didn't take offense.

"Well, you never know if your dreams will stay the same, or if you'll find a more important one along the way," Thatch chuckled. "But for me, finding the place I belonged was all I needed, and I'll never give that up. I still have aspirations as a chef, but as long as I'm cooking to the best of my ability for the ones relying on me, I'm fine with my pace. That's not such a bad feeling, right?"

Sanji grumbled again, but the animosity Thatch had been sensing from him since arriving seemed to have waned, and the older man took it as a victory.

"Your old man-"

"The shitty old man," Sanji corrected with a scowl.

"Sure sure, that," Thatch waved a hand dismissively, "hasn't let me cook for you guys yet. I should get to at least once before I leave."

Sanji shrugged his small shoulders, causing Thatch to grin again.

"Before I go, I'll cook for you guys," Thatch offered. "And you'll see that I didn't compromise anything."

"If you say so."

...

The lid of the barrel creaked loudly, startling Luffy awake. His eyes flew open, but the light of the midday sun sent a searing pain through his eyes, making him flinch. He heard Bluejam's laughter, and immediately tried to stifle his sounds of discomfort.

His eyes opened again, slower this time as he felt himself being lifted. He had only barely started to adjust to the brightness outside the barrel when he felt the rope being secured around his chest. His stomach dropped immediately - in fact, he was sure it had fallen right out of his body - but he was too weak to vocally protest as he was dunked over the side of the boat again.

They were barely coasting along in the water, something Luffy was instantly thankful for. Over the past week - at least he thought it had been a week, and he hoped it wasn't longer than that - he'd been doing his best to daydream about the last time he'd played with his brothers in an attempt to block out the pain. It worked sometimes, if it was quiet enough for him to hear their voices in his mind, but it wasn't working this time. The sea bit at his open wounds and the rope dug into his bruised torso. The boat lurched once, causing him to slam into the side with a sharp cry, seawater flooding into his mouth almost instantly.

As he coughed and thrashed in his restraints, panic starting to override everything else, he was abruptly pulled from the water and unceremoniously dropped on the deck.

"You know, you wouldn't be in this position of your friends hadn't stolen from me."

Luffy choked up an alarming amount of water, and he couldn't even push himself up thanks to his restraints. He was forced to lie there, cheek pressed against the rough wood of the deck and eyes focusing on Bluejam's legs.

"Those little shits got too greedy," Bluejam continued, his tone almost lazy. "They could have just given Porchemy the money. I would have punished him, but I wouldn't have had a reason to deal with you three."

Luffy scowled, twisting his head a little to glare up at Bluejam.

"Nothing to say?" the pirate taunted. He seemed to be healing from the fire, and while the crazed look in his eyes wasn't gone, it had definitely dimmed. Somehow, it made him seem even more sinister than the craziness had. "That's fine. You don't need to talk anymore. Once I get to the Grand Line, I'll find someone to buy you and your friends' debt to me will be settled."

"Brothers," Luffy rasped.

"Hm?" Bluejam knelt, bringing himself closer so he could hear Luffy's weakened voice.

"They're not my friends," Luffy's voice came out in a growl, which brightened his mood just a little. He'd wanted to sound menacing. "They're my brothers!"

Bluejam started to laugh again. The sound grated on Luffy's nerves, making him bristle. He didn't think his statement was funny at all, and he hated the mocking tone of Bluejam's voice.

He couldn't move very much, he didn't have the strength to try stretching, and there was no way he could bite Bluejam… but the seawater had moistened his mouth. It took more concentration than he wanted to admit, but he managed to spit before Bluejam noticed what he was doing. It hit Bluejam square in the jaw, causing him to freeze.

For one chilling moment, Luffy lay there on the deck, meeting Bluejam's wide-eyed gaze with his own defiant one. He could feel the hostility radiating off the older man in waves, and he knew he'd invited more pain, but he didn't regret it. He couldn't just do nothing while Bluejam mocked the relationship he had with Ace and Sabo. They were his brothers, and the most important people in his life. He'd gladly suffer whatever punishment Bluejam thought up in retaliation as long as he knew in his heart he'd tried his best to defend them.

The fist came down without warning, and while the impact itself didn't hurt very much, the jarring sensation made his stomach roll and his vision go white for several moments.

"You ungrateful little shit," Bluejam's voice was a snarl. "I thought you'd behave with some time outside the barrel, but I guess I was wrong. You're gonna need to learn some manners, where you're going."

Luffy tried to focus on him again, but his vision was still swimming and he could taste bile rising in his throat. Tears stung his eyes. The urge to let go was almost unbearable. He wanted to curl up and cry until he ran out of tears. He wanted it all to be just one long nightmare, and when he woke up he'd be in the treehouse with his brothers, where Ace would scold him for getting worked up over a dream and Sabo would give him a tight hug while reassuring him a nightmare couldn't actually hurt him.

But no matter how badly he wanted it, he knew it wouldn't happen.

This wasn't a nightmare, and he wasn't going to wake up with his brothers. He didn't know if he was ever going to have a chance to see Sabo again, even if - when - Ace tracked him down and saved him from Bluejam.

He felt himself being shoved back into the barrel, the wire digging in and old wounds reopening under the assault, but one last sensation overrode everything else before he was submerged.

Wind.

A strong gust nearly stole his breath, causing him to open his eyes to look around one last time before he was shoved in the barrel. The wind was causing the sea to churn and their boat to toss in the waves. Bluejam started to mutter about going off course, but Luffy couldn't hear anything else as the barrel was sealed. A new fear started to sink in as the boat rocked hard enough to nearly tip his barrel over. If they capsized, would he sink to the bottom of the sea, never to see his brothers or the sky again?

"Ace," he choked out his brother's name desperately, as if the wind could carry it to his brother's ears and it wouldn't be lost in the darkness of his dank, wooden prison.

...

"Dragon?"

The tall man was silent as he stood near the mast, eyes closed. He'd heard his companion speak his name, but the chilling atmosphere around him was warning enough to those who knew him. He was focused and very upset.

"Don't bother him, Kuma," Iva's voice was flippant, almost exasperated. "He's been like this since ve left Dawn Island."

"I will wait until he is not occupied, then."

"Vyes, if that happens before ve reach our destination, I vill be shocked."

Dragon's eyes opened abruptly, making Iva jump. Kuma, as always, seemed impassive.

"Dragon?" Iva tried saying his name this time, but he waved his hand, somehow making the motion dismissive without being disrespectful. Still, Iva pressed for detail. It was in his nature, and if Dragon wasn't going to outright refuse to answer him, he'd persist. "Vere vyou still looking for the boy?"

"It's taken care of," Dragon said calmly, before turning to Kuma. "You wanted to talk?"

Kuma nodded once, sparing a glance at Iva. The okama queen looked miffed, but with Dragon's answer, he didn't push it.

...

"Thought we'd never get rid of you."

Thatch gave a hearty laugh, tossing his bag over his shoulder and grinning. "Well, I would have stayed longer, but you heard that guy yesterday."

Sanji crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. For once, Thatch mused, that frown was displeasure at the idea of him leaving rather than him still being there. He'd gotten his chance to cook for them the previous day, and while Sanji had remained unimpressed and distant at first, he'd gradually started shifting closer to watch Thatch work. Thatch had even explained some of his more complex techniques, grateful that Zeff hadn't interrupted or shown off his likely superior skill at that moment. Sanji would eventually be learning from Zeff, willingly or no, but he had to start slowly. If Zeff had undermined Thatch's impromptu lesson, it would have given Sanji a false sense of superiority. One of the most damning traits in any talented young chef, in Thatch's experience anyway, was arrogance. Too many believed their arrogance was merely confidence, and it was almost always their crutch.

Even the most seasoned veteran could still be taught a new lesson, and no one, no matter how brilliant, was ever too great for an opportunity.

"That guy?" Sanji asked, looking from Zeff to Thatch. "You mean the vagrant?"

Thatch almost winced. Sanji sure was a blunt child. He supposed it was a good thing, though, given that Zeff was to be his mentor and father figure. At least he knew Sanji also had thick skin. The man had been a wandering minstrel who'd been looking for land, and after feeding him, Zeff had sent him on his way. During the meal, he'd shared information he'd gathered - some of it in song - while lost and on his travels.

"Yeah. He said there are rumors Marco the Phoenix is in East Blue."

"You scared of that guy?" Sanji asked.

Thatch threw his head back with a laugh. "Not at all," he replied, mirth in his eyes as his laughter died down. "But he's here to drag me home and I'm not quite ready to go back. I need to get a good headstart."

"Here," Zeff shuffled forward and held a bottle - a rather large one - out to Thatch. "For your old man."

"Thanks," Thatch flashed a cheerful grin as he took the sake. "I'll give him your regards. Thank you for your hospitality. It was truly an honor watching you work."

He bowed, but only for a moment, because he'd anticipated Zeff's move. He dodged the kick with more grace than most would give him credit for, using the momentum to jump backwards off the Baratie's deck and onto his own quaint little boat.

"Just get outta my sight, brat," Zeff ranted, though Thatch was sure he saw a smirk ghost over Zeff's lips.

"Sure, sure," Thatch called back. "I'll let Oyaji know you're going down the same road he did!"

"Don't get cocky!" Zeff warned, and Thatch knew he was fully capable of coming after him.

He made sure to get his sail unfurled a little faster. He had a small ship that could comfortably take a few people on a long voyage, but whenever he set out, he usually did it alone. It helped that Thatch was rather adept at navigation as well as fighting, and he could easily catch his own food if he somehow got himself lost.

"It's not such a bad thing, is it?" he called back to Zeff, grinning wide as he pulled his anchor up. "Oi, Sanji, I better hear your name one day!"

"You will!" Sanji challenged, leaning over the rail a bit to watch Thatch go.

"Gonna be better than me?" Thatch challenged.

"Of course!"

"I look forward to it!"

"Will you both shut up?" Zeff crossed his arms over his chest. "You've got a long way to go before you can even think of making those stupid claims, brat. Now get back to work!"

"Shut up!" Sanji whirled around to look up at Zeff. "I'll show you!"

"Show me you can make your ass useful and get back to work!"

Thatch laughed again, their voices carrying as he started to sail away. He was still grinning to himself and thinking about how much he'd enjoyed his little vacation - as well as wondering how long he could evade Marco before he got caught - when the wind abruptly picked up, nearly slamming him into the helm.

An undignified sound escaped him as he held on for dear life, grateful no one had been around to hear it while simultaneously wishing Namur or even Vista were there to help regain control of his ship. He could already feel the wood yielding, changing directions as if bade to do so by nature itself.

"Well," he told himself, keeping his grip on the useless wheel at the helm and planting his feet as firmly as he could. His hair - his poor hair - would be suffering the effects of the unnatural gusts for days to come, he was sure of it. "Good luck finding me, Marco, old buddy… cause I have no idea where the hell I'm headed now!"

...

The sound of a body slamming into the wall practically echoed through the cabin. With a loud curse, Ace pushed himself up, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes and putting his hand to the wall to brace himself as the ship lurched, as if riding the swell of a particularly harsh wave.

This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to sleep in the first place.

It didn't matter how good Sabo was at navigating or how much better he was feeling. The irrational part of Ace's mind that had screamed at him not to leave Sabo alone had been right once again. Something had gone wrong.

He had no choice but to ride the current wave out, his body pressing into the wall due to the force, but as soon as it stopped, he was abandoning the blanket where it had fallen and rushing for the door. "Sabo!"

When he made it to the deck, his heart jumped into his throat. The wind was howling, nearly tearing into their sail, and Sabo was clutching the wheel hard enough to bruise himself. Ace wasted no time hurrying to his aid and using his body to try and shield Sabo from the elements, clutching the wheel so tightly the wood groaned and creaked under his hands.

"What's going on?!" he shouted over the roar of the wind.

"I don't know!" Sabo answered back, sounding frustrated and helpless, which had Ace's protective instincts flaring. "The skies were clear until a few minutes ago! And the maps…! they blew away!"

"Screw the maps right now, just hang on!"

It felt like the storm would never end as wave after wave crashed into their ship and the wind blew them even farther off course. They weren't taking on any water as far as Ace knew, but without their maps, finding Bluejam or even an island was going to be difficult. The thought sent fresh anger and frustration through Ace, but there was nothing he could do about it.

By the time the wind died down, Sabo was trembling from the cold and the obvious pain of his wounds being aggravated. He was barely able to remain standing. They were surrounded on all sides by nothing but sea, and the only indication of a direction was the fact that the sun was setting behind them. That meant they were still heading somewhat in the right direction.

"Do you need help getting downstairs?" Ace asked, releasing the wheel.

"I don't need to-"

"You can barely stand, we have no maps, and my navigating skills don't matter right now," Ace interrupted bluntly, shaking his head.

"You barely slept. You were only down there a couple of hours," Sabo argued, turning to look at him with an almost pleading expression in his dark blue eye. "You need more rest."

"I can't sleep now," Ace put a hand on his right shoulder. "You can barely stand. I promise, I'll switch with you again once you don't look like hell on your feet, okay?"

Sabo opened his mouth to protest, then abruptly shut it. He couldn't deny Ace's assessment of his current condition, and Ace's promise was a better deal than he usually got out of Ace when the freckled boy was being stubborn.

It also told Sabo how tired Ace really was, and the sooner he got some rest, the sooner Ace would have to do the same.

"Fine," Sabo muttered, averting his gaze. "But if you argue with me about this when I wake up…"

"I won't," Ace sighed, pushing a hand through his unruly hair and looking around. "I'll wake you up if I see an island."

"Wake me up if it looks like the wind might pick up again too," Sabo murmured, slowly and carefully making his way for the door leading to the cabin. "That couldn't have been a pleasant wake up call."

Ace snorted in response. "Yeah, no kidding. The cabin's a mess."

"We'll clean it up later," Sabo hesitated at the door, looking like he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head and went inside a moment later.

Ace took a deep breath once he was gone, looking around. He didn't know what to make of the brief storm. While frustrating, there had been something familiar about the situation that almost set his frustrations at ease. It had reminded him of that horrible morning when he'd been dragging Sabo's limp and bleeding body from the wreckage of his stolen boat and the wind had practically pushed them all the way back to shore.

Was it strange to wonder if the wind was a sign, or if fate was trying to guide them in the right direction? He could only hope that was the case, because if the next island they found - if they found one at all - had no leads or no possible way to help them get back on course to finding Bluejam, he wasn't sure he could take it. Not with how thin he was stretching himself. He could only push himself so far past his limits before he broke, and if anything could break him at this point, it would be having to start over from scratch while Bluejam took his little brother farther and farther out to sea.

...

A/N: Yes, I am going on my headcanon/the assumption that Dragon has some form of control over Wind. I've thought that for a long time, and 794 convinced me even more :3 Either way, he has control over wind in this story.

Also I promise you, Luffy will be rescued next chapter! It's also the longest chapter so far, although I'm barely started on chapter 7 and already up to quite a few words, so who knows xD

~Mithril