A/N: *flops around like a zombie trout* HEY EVERYONE xD I AM STILL ALIVE! Kinda. Quick update here: I'm still not done packing but the uhauls and plane tickets are all in order, and I'll be leaving next Friday, yay! Unfortunately, Kyoudai did not see an update this week and will not see one next week either, but I'm hoping to update Bonds before I head to the airport.
Thank you SO MUCH to the people who reviewed and faved/followed! I don't know if I managed to reply to everyone. It's been a busy week!
The last scene of this chapter was inspired by the tumblr blog "ask-the-boy-at-grey-terminal" (which if you're not following you should go look because their art is ADORABLE and it slays me), although I took it in a bit of a darker direction. If you follow me on tumblr, I'll be including a link to that particular inspiration with this chapter announcement.
Dedicated to Beyond Kailani-*SCREECHING PTERODACTYL NOISES*-for being the best imouto-chan ever, beta'ing through my pandemonium and frantic schedule-*FLAILING INTENSIFIES* and writing me an absolutely wonderful fic for my birthday, which I still haven't calmed down about. (No idea when everyone else gets to read it, BUT TRUST ME YOU'LL BE HAPPY ONCE YOU CAN! :D )
Lastly, I don't know when Sengoku became Fleet Admiral, but I fudged the details for the timeline here.
Ossan = An informal way of saying "ojisan" which translates to "uncle" or "middle-aged man", and the way Luffy refers to adult men he does not know.
Oyaji = Pops/Old Man (considered a very informal/rude way to refer to a father/older man, and what the Whitebeard Pirates call Whitebeard)
Tenryuubito = Celestial Dragon (I prefer to use the Japanese for it because Celestial Dragon sounds too pretty in my mind and I despise them)
Bonds of Sea and Fire
Chapter 9: Finding Freedom
"Luffy, slow down," Ace reached out to snack the eager boy upside the head, but Luffy managed to evade purely by accident while stretching his neck to allow himself to chomp down on another piece of meat on the table.
"I guess he's not hurting anything," Sabo said. "I mean, at least he seems to be feeling better."
Ace sighed, shooting Sabo an irritated glance before giving up and shrugging his shoulders. Luffy was seated between them at an actual table this time, and despite the immense amount of food Thatch had placed in front of them, Luffy was still eating the majority.
"You said he ate most of the breakfast you brought them and I still didn't fully believe it," Izo commented, tilting his head to the side.
Marco shifted one of the plates closer, a curious expression on his usually impassive face. As soon as the dish registered to Luffy, he latched onto it and swiped the contents up with two rubbery hands, shoveling it into his mouth.
"Marco, did you just…?" Izo raised an eyebrow.
"I wanted to see what he'd do, yoi," Marco commented, grinning when Luffy looked up at him.
Luffy automatically smiled back, then continued grabbing everything in sight.
Ace regarded Marco warily, but Sabo found himself smiling hesitantly, pleased to see how the older man was treating Luffy. He was no longer worried about Thatch or Izo, and though Luffy's overly trusting nature had him automatically at ease with all three pirates, it was still taking some time for Sabo to warm up to Marco.
"If it's in his reach, he'll eat it," Sabo clarified for Marco's benefit. "And pretty much everything is in his reach."
"I wasn't prepared for such a big appetite," Thatch joked, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning sheepishly. "I'm flattered he likes everything, but we're definitely gonna need to restock at Loguetown."
"Sorry," Sabo murmured.
"No, don't worry about it," Thatch said quickly, bringing his hands up in front of him and waving them back and forth to try and show that it wasn't anything to apologize over. "It's not a big deal at all, trust me."
"We don't have any money," Ace's voice was blunt as he looked directly to Thatch, almost challenging him to rescind the offer.
"Well, that's obvious," Izo stated dryly. "You don't even have proper clothing. And when's the last time either of you bathed?"
Ace snapped his mouth shut to glare at Izo, although Sabo had the grace to look flustered.
"We weren't really worried about that," Sabo explained. "But we were out in the rain a few times-"
"He doesn't mean anything by it," Thatch interrupted, scowling at Izo, who simply snorted. "He's just saying it should be obvious we're not expecting anything in return. You're not used to that, we know, but that's just how it is right now."
"If we don't feed you, you'll be unhealthy, and if we don't get you clothes, it'll look like we kidnapped you," Izo said. "If Loguetown wasn't so close, I'd just tear Thatch's clothes apart to make you something presentable-"
"Hey!"
"-but it's not a necessity," Izo finished, ignoring Thatch's pout.
Ace glanced away, but the weight of Marco's gaze had him turning to glare at the older man, almost challenging him. Marco remained silent, regarding Ace with the same curiosity he'd held when moving the food closer to Luffy. At first, Ace tried to ignore it, but every single person save for Luffy felt the tension thickening as Marco refused to avert his gaze.
Ace eventually opened his mouth to snap, only to shut it just as quickly with a childish glare. As irritating as he found the attention, he was trying to be on his best behavior. They saved Luffy's life, he reminded himself, turning his attention back to the food. He and Sabo were able to get plenty for themselves, though they had to hold their plates off the table so Luffy wouldn't automatically scoop them up.
Once all of the food was gone, Thatch swept the dishes up and carried them to the sink. Marco grabbed a few to help, but Izo remained seated.
"Now then," Izo started, "you were going to tell us how you wound up in this mess?"
"It was my fault," Luffy answered, looking up at Izo with an earnest expression, his hands over his round belly. "I was trying to find Ace."
"Idiot," Ace sighed, bringing his fist down on Luffy's head, though it barely bounced off his straw hat. "They don't even know about the fire."
"Oh," Luffy furrowed his brow. "Me and Ace helped Bluejam and his crew set the Gray Terminal on fire-"
"You didn't know," Sabo interrupted, frowning. "Right?"
"But that's not a good reason," Luffy mumbled, looking to his lap.
Ace shoved a hand through his hair, looking frustrated at the idea of Luffy harboring guilt over the choice he had made. "Maybe we should just start at the beginning," he sighed, exhaustion beginning to show again. They'd slept half the day away until Thatch had gathered them for lunch, but despite how much rest he'd gotten, his body still felt sluggish.
Sabo shifted with uncertainty, struggling to keep his face from giving away his anxiety. Despite being the one to agree to telling them, now that he was wide awake and less emotionally drained, it was difficult to keep himself from assuming the worst.
Izo nodded in agreement. "If it would help you talk more openly, I can tell you what I've guessed already," Izo offered. "And trust me when I say you won't surprise us with your sob stories. We've heard them all."
"Okay," Sabo agreed, offering Izo a hesitant smile. He wasn't sure if Izo had seen his discomfort and made the offer explicitly for his sake or not, but he was still grateful for it.
"We know you're not blood-related, but you're brothers," Izo stated plainly. "Just like us."
"Yeah," Sabo nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. He tried not to let it bother him that Thatch looked surprised by those words. Most people would easily assume Ace and Luffy were biological brothers because of their similar features, but Sabo stuck out as the blond with lighter skin. "Ace and I have known each other since we were five. We met Luffy nearly a year ago."
Marco leaned back against the counter, speaking up before Izo could. "We've also guessed that you were born a noble, yoi," he told Sabo. "And before you worry too much about how we'll act about it, I'll tell you now, I was too."
Sabo, who had automatically cringed at the words, found himself looking up with wide blue eyes. "You were?"
Ace's hand had gone around Luffy to rest on Sabo's back, but at Marco's admission, the freckled boy went still. Marco nodded once, carefully watching all three. Luffy was the only one who seemed completely unaffected, still happily patting his full belly.
"Wait, what? How did I not know this? I've known you forever," Thatch protested abruptly, whirling to face Marco. "You never told me that!"
"You didn't ask, yoi," Marco grinned lazily, seemingly enjoying Thatch's tantrum. "You only asked me if I hated them and I said yes."
"But…!" Thatch threw his hands in the air. "Marco, warning next time! You can't just drop a secret like that after all these years and not expect me to get worked up!"
"In all fairness," Marco's lazy grin became a smirk. "It was never a secret, and I did expect you to get worked up, yoi."
"Will you two knock it off?" Izo scowled at them both. "We're trying to have a serious conversation. You two can bicker later."
"How are you so calm? Ugh… Sorry," Thatch mumbled, bowing his head and missing the expressions on Ace and Sabo's faces. Both boys were staring, but while Ace looked uncertain and suspicious, Sabo looked absolutely floored by the exchange.
"I don't like nobles either," Luffy claimed, completely unfazed by the exchange. "They took Sabo away from us, and he doesn't want to be with them. He wants to be free, with us."
"That's…" Sabo's voice cracked for a moment, and he quickly coughed to try and hide it, before placing his hand on Luffy's shoulder and giving him a soft look. "That's right. I'm ashamed to say I was born a noble."
"Sabo," Ace murmured, clenching his jaw and turning to him. No one spoke for several moments, giving Sabo time to compose himself. Thatch was alternating between shooting wounded glances at Marco - whose smug expression had softened at Sabo's admission - and looking to the trio in concern like he wanted to say something to try cheer them up.
Before he could say anything tactless, Luffy broke the silence, his expression curious. "Mango?" he asked.
"Are you still hungry?" Izo questioned, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Thatch burst out laughing, doubling over and holding his stomach. He forgot all about his indignance at the reminder that Luffy was still getting some names wrong. "N-no," he stammered, struggling to hold back his amusement. "He means Marco."
"Mmf," Izo snorted delicately, daring a glance at Marco. Ace and Sabo followed his gaze, both uncertain about how the other man would react. They were both ready to defend Luffy if it looked like he might get angry.
"My name is Marco," Marco answered Luffy. He didn't seem irritated or angered, which had Sabo and Ace relaxing again. "But what is it?"
"You said you hate nobles, but does that mean Sabo too?" Luffy asked seriously. "He's my big brother, and I won't forgive anyone who hates him."
"Ah," Marco shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't worry, Luffy. I don't hate your brothers, yoi."
"Okay," Luffy smiled widely, eyes shining. While he looked and acted like he might not pay very close attention, Marco was positive he'd understood that he hadn't just meant Sabo - that he'd included both brothers in his statement on purpose - and it meant a lot to the rubber boy. "Thanks, Mango!"
Marco chuckled - if only everyone was as easy to please as Luffy - and smiled back. It was the first real smile he'd given in the brothers' presence. "Don't mention it, yoi."
"You really mean it?" Ace asked.
All three adults looked to him. His expression was guarded, gray eyes burning into Marco's own light blue.
"The part about not hating you, or the part about being born a noble?" Marco asked.
"Both."
Marco unfolded his arms, letting his hands rest on the counter behind him as Thatch tactfully went back to washing the dishes. "I mean it, yoi. Who and where we come from doesn't matter. We're pirates, and we all sail the same sea."
Ace held his gaze a moment longer, but he couldn't find any traces that Marco was mocking or patronizing them, and it allowed him to relax a little more.
Sabo took a deep breath, then shakily released it. "I ran away from home when I was five," he admitted. "That's when I met Ace."
"How old are you now?" Izo asked.
"Ten," Sabo answered. "Ace is also ten, and Luffy's seven."
"I'm eleven now," Ace muttered, keeping his gaze averted.
"Eh?" Luffy lifted his head to stare at Ace.
Sabo turned to face him as well, mouth agape. "Wait, what?"
Ace shoved a hand through his hair, sighing. His cheeks reddened, freckles standing out against his flushed skin. "My birthday was earlier this year. It's not a big deal."
"You said birthdays were a big deal!" Luffy protested.
"I said your birthday was a big deal, dummy," Ace argued.
"Oh yeah," Luffy furrowed his brow, then pouted. "But I still wanted to know when it was…"
"Well, that answers that," Sabo sighed. "I was wondering which one of us was older. I'll be eleven soon. Anyway…" he looked back to Izo, continuing before Ace and Luffy could start an argument. "We were stealing from the thugs in the Gray Terminal - that's the trash dump outside the city - and we wound up stealing from one of Bluejam's men by accident."
Luffy's body abruptly snapped back to normal, and he gave a happy sigh. Since he was no longer too sluggish to move around much, he turned in his chair and started climbing into Ace's lap instead. To his credit, Ace took the movement in stride, wrapping his arms around Luffy and helping him get comfortable. It sidetracked Sabo for a brief moment as he caught a flash of Luffy's content smile, which helped set him at ease.
"After that, I moved in with Ace and Luffy and the mountain bandits," Sabo explained. When he noticed Izo's quizzical expression, he smiled. "Dadan is the leader, and she raised Ace-"
"If you want to call it that," Ace muttered, tucking Luffy's head under his chin after pushing the straw hat off to rest on Luffy's back so it wouldn't be in his way.
"-and let the three of us stay with her and the other bandits until we eventually moved out. For, uh, reasons," Sabo glanced at Ace, the two of them sharing a quick glance and cringing. "Before we moved out, during one of our visits to the city, my biological father saw me."
Izo frowned thoughtfully, but didn't interrupt. He didn't seem surprised to hear that Sabo wasn't an orphan.
"We got away that time, but we didn't know he hired Bluejam to help him bring me back," Sabo explained, pain flashing in his eyes. "When we moved out, we made our own special fort in the trees and lived there for probably half a year? I wasn't keeping track… but it was home until a storm hit."
"It wasn't destroyed," Ace spoke up, keeping his voice quiet. Luffy had already fallen asleep, drooling heavily on his shoulder with his arms dangling at his sides and his knees on either side of Ace's hips. Ace had a secure hold on Luffy in case he started to slide, and his posture radiated protectiveness. It was clear he would rather deal with Luffy sleeping in his lap than let anyone take him away. "But we went to the Gray Terminal to find pieces to make repairs. We were ambushed by Bluejam and his crew."
"And the guards from High Town," Sabo added bitterly. He swallowed, fighting back a wave of shame. "If Bluejam hadn't had the gun, we probably could have gotten away."
"There's no use beating yourself up about it now," Izo reminded him.
"I know," Sabo looked to him with pain in his eyes. "But it still makes me angry thinking about it. I had to trade myself for Ace and Luffy or that man would have had them killed. I even dropped the telescope I found for Luffy…"
Ace exhaled loudly, but he didn't try to argue about whether or not he and Luffy could have made it if Sabo had run. In the heat of the moment, he'd told Sabo to go, but there was no point in denying now that Sabo had saved their lives. "You actually found a telescope for him?"
"Yeah… I was thinking about how excited he would have been," Sabo lowered his gaze to the table. "One of those guards stepped on it and broke it, though. I'll get him a brand new one sometime."
"We'll need one for our ship anyway," Ace added. "Don't worry about it right now."
Sabo lifted his head, then smiled and scooted into Luffy's vacant chair so he was sitting next to both of his brothers. "I spent some time locked up in High Town. I couldn't leave because I knew it would put my brothers in danger."
"Luffy and I were helping Bluejam while he was gone," Ace took over, keeping his gaze on the table. The background noise of Thatch washing dishes had vanished, and the weight of their silence made him uncomfortable. "I was trying to distract Luffy from Sabo being gone, and earn some money. Sabo and I had a pirate fund. That's the treasure Luffy was talking about before. We'd been saving for six years, and we planned to use it to set out to sea and become pirates. When Bluejam offered us the money to help out, we didn't know we were helping set out things like oil and gunpowder. I still don't know exactly why they were burning the Gray Terminal down, just that they were."
"It was because a Tenryuubito was visiting," Sabo answered, looking up. "The royals wanted to impress the Tenryuubito by erasing everything they thought was unsightly. The nobles all knew about it… no one was bothered by it." He clenched his fists, expression darkening.
"You used that word before," Ace pointed out, frowning.
"Jeez," Thatch breathed. "A Tenryuubito here in East Blue?"
Ace tore his gaze from Sabo, frowning at the three adult pirates when he noticed the grim expressions on their faces.
"It's not important right now, Ace," Sabo said.
"But that's the one who shot you down, right?" Ace's eyes darkened. "This 'Tenryuubito' tried to kill you."
"Shot you down?" Izo echoed.
Sabo closed his eyes for a moment, the smell of smoke assaulting his senses and causing his wounds to ache, almost as if they were searing into his skin all over again. It was Ace's hand moving to rest on his arm that drew him out of it, and he shifted closer to his brothers with a soft sigh. "Yeah. I used the Tenryuubito's arrival as a distraction to sneak out and steal a boat so I could set out to sea and find freedom. The next thing I know, Ace is shouting my name and I'm surrounded by fire…"
"That's not surprising," Thatch muttered bitterly. "The Tenryuubito think they're gods and they have the right to kill anyone they want for any excuse. I don't know what disgusts me more, that they exist or that the government lets them get away with it."
"Thatch," Marco looked to him, with a warning note in his voice.
"Sorry," Thatch turned away, clenching his fists. "I hate them."
"I'm wary of anyone who doesn't hate them," Izo added, looking to the brothers.
"That's how Sabo got hurt," Ace spoke up, sensing Izo wanted them to continue before Thatch - or himself for that matter - started to lose focus. "But Luffy was already gone by then. To make a long story short, me and Luffy were tied up on Bluejam's ship during the fire. While it was on fire," Ace clenched his jaw for a moment, tightening his arm around Luffy, who gave a happy sigh and snuggled closer in his sleep. "Bluejam thought he and his crew weren't going to be considered trash like the rest of us, but the nobles betrayed them. Even though we got ourselves untied, we couldn't find our way out before those bastards caught up. They'd lost their minds."
"Ace," Luffy mumbled, rubbing his face back and forth on Ace's shoulder in his sleep and causing the drool to go down Ace's arm. With a patient sigh, Ace shifted Luffy again so he'd stop squirming, settling on having Luffy's cheek pressed against his chest with his face angled towards Sabo.
Once Luffy settled back down, Ace lifted his gaze, flushing when he realized all eyes were on him. His blush only darkened when he saw the softness in their expressions, like they'd witnessed an intimate moment. "Something happened," he admitted. "I don't know how to explain it. I don't think it even makes sense."
"Luffy was threatened in some way?" Marco guessed, leaning away from the counter and locking eyes with the freckled boy.
Ace hesitated, nodding after a moment. "Bluejam's men had us trapped, and when he started badmouthing Sabo, we both lost our tempers. Luffy actually got free."
Sabo narrowed his eyes. When Ace had explained it to him, he hadn't elaborated. He'd said he couldn't explain it, and Sabo had been too exhausted to push. Now that Ace was trying to make sense of it, he found himself almost desperate to hear the rest.
"We only had our pipes to defend us," Ace continued in a quiet tone. "They had swords. Luffy… he got hurt. The sword went right through his pipe and cut his head. There was a lot of blood, and I remember he was screaming and rolling around on the ground."
Thatch nearly dented the sink, hissing and letting go before the metal became permanently disfigured. He quickly shook his hand and crossed his arms over his chest instead, muscles tense from how tightly he was wound.
"The bastard was going to kill Luffy," Ace explained, his voice strained as his eyes flickered to the sleeping boy. "I remember screaming at him, and then everything seemed to freeze. Like we were underwater or something. I don't know how else to explain it, but when that feeling went away, Bluejam and Luffy were the only ones still awake."
"Was it the first time you'd ever felt that way?" Izo asked.
"Yeah," Ace narrowed his eyes for a moment, then lifted his gaze to look at the older pirates. "Does it sound crazy?"
"Absolutely," Marco answered easily. "But not for the reason you think, yoi. You just described using haki - a kind of haki very few people have - and at your age, using it at all is damn impressive. We're not surprised, though."
"Why not?" Sabo asked hesitantly.
"Because he used it last night," Thatch explained, struggling to offer a smile of reassurance when he was still furious with the situation Ace had described. "When he thought I was attacking you. All of us felt it, but it wasn't strong enough to do anything to us."
"If you want, we can help you understand what it is later," Marco offered.
Ace opened his mouth, then closed it, an unreadable expression on his face. It looked as though he planned to protest on principle.
"Ace," Marco said, causing the other to look at him. "If you're worried about hurting your brothers with it, it is possible, yoi. Uncontrolled haki can hit everyone near you. At the same time, using it at your age isn't common. Unless you're in an extreme situation again, you probably wouldn't run the risk. You don't have to learn about it if you don't want to, and you don't have to worry that not learning about it could hurt one of your brothers, yoi."
Ace sagged in relief, then shifted himself a little closer to Sabo while being careful not to jostle Luffy. He didn't express his gratitude out loud, but he was sure Marco had seen it in his eyes. "After that, Bluejam almost killed me," he said, and despite the content of his story, he seemed completely relaxed now. "Dadan and the other bandits showed up to help us."
"But you and Dadan were separated from Luffy?" Izo asked, recalling Luffy's tearful claims from the night before.
"Yeah, we fought Bluejam while the others got Luffy to safety," Ace sighed. "But Dadan got hurt helping me get out of the fire, and the Gray Terminal was swarming with guards from the city. They were killing survivors. It took us days to get back."
He moved his hand up Luffy's back, lightly knocking the straw hat that nestled there. "He never goes anywhere without this hat. It's his treasure," Ace explained. "So none of the bandits even thought to check if he was really sleeping in our room or not when they saw a lump under the blankets with this hat at the pillow."
"He left it there so they wouldn't stop him," Izo stated.
"I'm actually impressed he thought of it," Sabo admitted, reaching up to lightly stroke Luffy's hair. It earned him a happy sigh from the sleeping boy. "He usually doesn't think anything through, or make plans. He must have been really desperate not to get caught."
"I didn't even have a chance to change my clothes or get anything to eat before Makino-san showed up," Ace said.
"Makino-san took care of Luffy before he came to live with the bandits," Sabo clarified.
"She was there when Bluejam showed up Windmill Village and used Luffy as a hostage to steal a boat," Ace's voice came out in a growl. "During the fire, I'd tried telling him where the pirate fund was to get him to let me and Luffy go. That's the only reason Bluejam was in the forest too."
"So you heard Luffy had been kidnapped, and then you snuck into the city to get Sabo so the two of you could rescue him?" Izo concluded. There was no need to make them repeat the incident with the Tenryuubito, for their sakes and Thatch's.
"Yeah," Ace nodded.
"Do Dadan and Makino know you're out here? I mean, I assume they know you're out here, but…" Thatch trailed off.
"They know," Ace answered, turning to Thatch. "Dadan let me leave, and Makino-san told me to be careful. We want to send them a letter when we get to Loguetown so they know we're okay and that we're not coming back."
Sabo nodded in agreement. "I'll miss them, but I can't go back to the Goa Kingdom. After what happened…"
"We'll help you get a letter sent," Thatch promised. "Do you have any other family you want to contact?"
Ace and Sabo exchanged a glance, clearly hesitant to answer.
"There's Jiji," Ace responded after a moment of careful consideration. "But Dadan can tell him."
"He's a marine," Sabo clarified, squirming a little. "He won't be happy with us for leaving."
"I really hope we don't run into him. I know Makino-san tried to contact him, but he doesn't come back very often so I have no idea when he'll actually get the message or make his way here."
"Well, even if he does find you, we'll help you get away if that's what you want," Thatch claimed, ignoring the glare Izo shot in his direction. "I mean, it's not like the marines like us much anyway."
"Thank you," Sabo allowed himself to smile again, looking over at Thatch.
"Well, now you know," Ace cut in, glancing to the adults and then back to Luffy.
"Mm," Izo agreed. "You three can go explore the ship or go back to the room if you want. We'll let you know when we dock. After we get you new clothes, you will bathe."
"O-okay," Sabo stammered, blushing at the stern order.
"Whatever," Ace agreed nonchalantly. "Here, Sabo, take him."
Sabo jumped down from the chair and held his arms out for Luffy. Ace was particularly careful with moving him. Even though Luffy often slept like a log, he didn't want to risk waking him up, and he didn't want to drop him on Sabo either. The blond was hiding it well, but it was obvious his injuries were still causing him constant discomfort.
None of the older pirates offered to help - even though Thatch clearly wanted to - having figured out that even if it would make things easier, the two older brothers were determined to take care of Luffy on their own. As soon as Sabo had a firm hold, Ace jumped down and knelt, allowing Sabo to drape him over his back.
"How does he drool this much?" Ace complained, standing back up.
"At least he's not chewing this time," Sabo joked, grinning.
Izo waited until the boys had gone - clearly heading back to Thatch's cabin to let Luffy sleep - before turning to Thatch and Marco.
"Fuck," Thatch swore, his friendly expression melting into one of anger. "They're just kids. All this talk about finding freedom and using haki to stop people from killing their little brother… it makes me sick."
"I thought they were older," Izo admitted. "I thought Luffy was younger, but Ace and Sabo seemed older."
"I don't care if that's too young for the New World, or Paradise," Thatch muttered. "I will personally babysit all three of them if I have to. We can't let them go back to being alone."
"We know you have a big heart, but don't be a moron," Izo scolded. "There's no way you can babysit three volatile little boys until they can defend themselves. We're not talking about a happy little village, Thatch."
"It's probably safer on the Moby Dick," Thatch argued. "Villages get raided all the time. Only completely suicidal pirates attack us at home, and even then no one ever really gets hurt."
"I'm not disagreeing with the idea of taking them home, you already know that!"
"Well it sounded like a disagreement, so I apologize!"
"Then why does it still sound like you're arguing with me?!"
"That's a really good question!" Thatch snapped in frustration, throwing his hands into the air.
"Are you two done, yoi?" Marco asked, raising his eyebrow at them.
Thatch shifted at the admonishing tone, and even Izo had the grace to look embarrassed for a moment. Neither one enjoyed being scolded, after all.
"We'll take them to Oyaji," Marco stated firmly. "We'll explain to him what they've been through, and that Ace has Haoshoku Haki. Along with him, we have a devil fruit user and a former noble with nowhere to return to. If they can't stay with us, then Oyaji will find a place for them. You both know that."
"What if they really don't want to stay?" Thatch asked, looking to Marco for reassurance.
"They'll come around," Izo answered, examining his nails and sounding sure of himself, even though his brothers knew he wasn't.
"Ace is the only one openly opposing the idea," Marco reminded them both. "I have a feeling he'll change his mind once he realizes he can trust us. I have no idea how long that'll take. Thatch, I swear, do not try to rush him, yoi."
"I would never," Thatch pouted, placing a hand over his heart.
"Don't be an idiot," Izo chimed in.
"Still glad we're here?" Marco couldn't resist teasing, lips quirking in a lazy smirk.
Thatch sighed dramatically, turning away to absentmindedly wipe down the counters. "Sadly, yes."
...
Light blue eyes narrowed, a look of disgust rippling in the reflection as one foot touched the water. The growing frustration boiled over in an instant, and he brought his hand down, slapping it against the water's surface to distort the image as much as possible. The action was immediately followed by a sharp wince. It took everything he had to muffle his yelp of pain, but it didn't matter how much he softened the sound. Someone heard it.
Someone always heard it.
He scrunched up automatically. The sound had drawn one of the others to come check on him, just like he'd feared.
"I'm fine," he muttered immediately. "Yes, it still hurts, no I don't want to lie down, no I don't need to have anyone look me over, and no, I don't want to talk about it."
"Yes, you're still blaming yourself?"
He scowled furiously at the addendum, shooting his brother the most indignant glare he could manage.
The older man held his hands up. "Hey, easy there. I'm not trying to start a fight. You know it wasn't your fault, right?"
"Thank you, it's only the two-hundred and tenth time I've heard it since we got to Fishman Island," he griped in response, turning his gaze back to the water. The ripples had finally stopped, giving him a clear view of unruly tawny hair and bandages wrapped around his forehead. Even the bright colors of the coral all around him did nothing to help cheer him up.
"Once you recover, we'll increase your lessons to four times a week. How about that?"
"Thanks."
"We could play a prank?"
"You're terrible at pranks."
The other man sighed. "Do you want me to leave you alone then?"
"Yeah. I want to be alone right now. Just," he quickly turned as his brother started to leave, "if we're ready to leave ahead of schedule, come get me?"
He tried not to ignore the heat rising on his cheeks as the older man smiled, flashing a toothy grin that scared their enemies but would always seem welcoming to his brothers.
"Oyaji isn't leaving you here, if that's what you're worried about."
"It would be easier than hauling everyone around on my account…" the younger boy winced at how petulant he sounded. "Thanks, Vista. But I do want to be alone right now."
"Keep your chin up, Haruta," Vista reached up to remove his top hat, plopping it on Haruta's head and chuckling when it slid down over his eyes. "You can show off your battle scars to Thatch once Marco and Izo drag him back."
Haruta grumbled, pushing the top hat up but not removing it. "Scars are cool anyway."
Vista headed off with another chuckle, knowing damn well that none of Haruta's wounds would actually leave scars.
...
"What is that idiot thinking?!" With an irritated scowl, the seething man slammed a fist on his desk, leveling his gaze at the shaking marine delivering the news. "How long ago did he leave?"
"A-ah, just a few hours ago, Fleet Admiral Sengoku," the marine stammered. "He received a message that he was needed in East Blue and he took off - we barely got an answer out of him as it is!"
Sengoku reached up to remove his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose to try and stave off the headache, even though he knew it was no use. "Of all the times for him to go to East Blue…" he replaced his glasses, fixing his narrow eyes on the marine again. "For now, we do nothing. We'll keep scouts on the lookout. Notify me immediately if the Moby Dick surfaces."
"Yes sir!"
...
"Luffy, stay close!"
It was probably the tenth time they'd heard Ace trying to keep Luffy from wandering off, and like the previous nine times, it had very little effect. It didn't help that they'd arrived right in the middle of some sort of event, with street vendors selling toys and treats that seemed specifically placed to entice children into pressuring their parents to spend money. The rubbery boy was dashing from stall to stall, trying to get a closer look at everything while Ace and Sabo did their best to yank him back without stretching his arms in a way that would draw unwanted attention.
"I forgot this might be happening," Izo admitted, looking around with a scowl. Since the streets were busy, more than a few heads had turned at their arrival. Marco had buttoned his shirt to conceal his mark, and they'd lowered the flag on their ship, but the trio of healing boys in ill-fitting clothes still garnered more attention than Izo liked. "I'm going to go get them some clothes."
"I'll go get the supplies," Thatch offered. "We probably shouldn't stick around here very long."
"Guess I'll watch them, yoi," Marco said, casting a sideways glance at their charges. Izo's stitchwork would have held up had it been any other child, but since eating, Luffy's energy had shot beyond their expectations and the shirt Izo had sewn to fit him better was sliding off one shoulder already. They weren't supposed to be straying too far from the docks, but Luffy was excited to see every single booth.
"Hey, Mango?" Luffy asked, avoiding yet another attempt by his brothers to wrangle him and somehow slipping free of both their grasps. He stopped at Marco's feet, tilting his head back to look at him.
"Hm? And it's Marco."
"Why is there a festival?" Luffy questioned. "We only had festivals like this on holidays, but it's not a holiday."
"Oh," Marco shrugged. "Who knows? It probably has something to do with the Pirate King."
"The Pirate King?" Luffy echoed, eyes shining and face lighting up with a smile. He went up on his tiptoes, causing Marco to chuckle. Light blue eyes narrowed imperceptibly when Ace and Sabo both tensed.
"This is the town he was born in," Marco explained. "And the town he was executed in. There's no telling what they're celebrating."
Ace scowled, moving forward and grabbing Luffy's arm. "Come on, let's get out of here. It's noisy."
"But Ace-" Luffy started to whine.
"I said it's noisy!" Ace practically shouted, giving Luffy's arm a sharp tug. It was the most aggressive Marco had seen him act in Luffy's presence, which was unsettling to say the least.
"Luffy." Sabo didn't have to give an explanation or try to bargain. His tone seemed to have the desired effect, and Marco could only observe as the rubber boy met Sabo's eyes and seemed to go docile, nodding. Ace's posture relaxed a little as well, but his expression was dark and hateful and he wouldn't look at any of them.
"Okay," Luffy agreed. "Ne, Ace, want to go watch the sea? We can go back to the docks!"
"Sure, whatever," Ace mumbled, tugging Luffy alongside him as he tried to navigate the streets and avoid the crowd. His grip would have easily bruised a regular boy, but Luffy's rubber arm simply adjusted to the pressure without him even noticing.
Marco and Sabo followed wordlessly, although Marco couldn't help but notice Luffy's forlorn glances at some of the food vendors they passed. He supposed it wasn't a surprise, given how much the boy ate on the ship when allowed, or the fact that Luffy was only walking away from the festivities for Ace's sake.
The vendors stretched out along every street. It had to be bad luck that they'd arrived in Loguetown on some sort of anniversary or event. Not only were they trying to keep a low profile, but something about the Pirate King had the young trio on edge, and Marco knew it was far too early to ask them why.
All he could be certain of was that it was Ace's issue, and it was serious enough to rein Luffy in with little more than a stern reminder from Sabo.
When they reached the docks again, the boys sat where they could look over the water, both older brothers keeping a hold on the younger so he wouldn't fall in. The mood was still darker than Marco preferred, and he glanced around to see if there was anything he could use as a distraction to cheer them up. The closest vendor was selling flavored ice treats, and on a whim, Marco headed over to purchase some.
"I wonder where Mango's going," Luffy piped up.
"His name is Marco," Sabo corrected, frowning and watching Marco walk away. "And maybe he wants some time to himself? Or he's giving us privacy?"
"I want to leave," Ace muttered, glaring down at the water. "I didn't know this was the place."
Luffy opened his mouth, but Sabo quickly interrupted. "Luffy, we shouldn't talk about it here. Wait until we're back on the boat and no one's listening."
"Why?" Luffy asked, frowning. He wanted to try and cheer Ace up as soon as possible.
"Because people here might start to hate Ace if you talk about it and they hear," Sabo explained in the simplest terms he could think of. "And even if those people don't matter, we don't want to cause a scene."
"Oh…" Luffy sucked his lower lip in, then scooted closer to Ace and wrapped his rubber arms around the older boy multiple times. "I'll never hate Ace."
"Idiot!" Ace scowled, but he didn't try to get free or push Luffy off. "I don't need a hug."
Sabo chuckled, knowing that reason wouldn't be enough to deter Luffy, but his chuckles faded when a shadow fell over them. He immediately tensed, realizing Luffy was using his ability. Ace realized it too, abruptly shoving Luffy off so his arms retracted. Both older brothers turned to see who was casting the shadow, identical distrustful glares aimed at the large stranger.
He could have been a pirate or a merchant, but there was no discernible trait to alert them to which it was. For all intents and purposes, he seemed like a normal adult.
Luffy twisted to look as well, still pouting from being pushed away, but his eyes focused on a meat skewer the man was holding, drool already building up in his mouth.
"What do you want?" Ace demanded, not caring if he was being impolite.
"You boys look like you could use a warm place to sleep," the man offered with a kind smile that made the hairs on the back of Ace and Sabo's neck rise. "When's the last time you had a proper meal?"
"We just had lunch," Luffy declared with a trusting smile. "Are you gonna eat that? Can I have it?"
"Oh, this?" The man held the skewer up, smile widening. "Afraid I can't give it to you, but if you're hungry you can come with me to my ship and I'll have my woman cook you something."
"Yay, food!" Luffy jumped up, but Ace and Sabo each grabbed one of his arms, jumping to their feet as well.
"Luffy, no," Ace snapped. "We're not going with this guy."
"You just ate," Sabo reminded him. "You can ask Thatch for more when he gets back!"
"But this nice Ossan has food!" Luffy protested, struggling when his brothers started to forcibly drag him away. He planted his feet, causing his arms to stretch as they tugged.
"Luffy!" Ace snarled in frustration, pulling on the rubbery limb in an attempt to gain leverage. "You idiot, you can't just trust anyone who offers you food!"
Sabo winced, actually losing ground as Luffy tried to go after the meat skewer. "Bloody hell, he got his strength back for sure!"
The man smiled kindly at them, but it was the same fake smile Sabo had seen in High Town and his instincts screamed danger. They could not let Luffy go with him.
"Luffy, I'm serious!" Ace tugged harder, yanking Luffy back a couple inches.
"Don't be so stubborn," the man chuckled. "I just want to help."
"We don't need your help. Go away," Sabo demanded. He knew they only needed to stall long enough for Luffy's arms to retract so they could drag him back to the ship, but Luffy's desire for food was giving him more stamina than usual, and his arms were still stretching.
The man extended one hand towards Luffy, but before Ace could do more than snarl in warning, poised to attack, a tray of assorted shaved ice was thrust in front of Luffy's face, derailing him from his quest for the meat. Luffy blinked, and the man stumbled backwards at the unexpected appearance.
"What's this?" Luffy asked, no longer pulling against his brothers.
"Shaved ice, yoi," Marco answered in a lazy drawl. His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes were icy, focused on the man who had been trying to lure Luffy away. Ace automatically shivered at the dangerous aura their chaperone was projecting.
They let go of Luffy's arms, which snapped back into place, allowing him to take the tray from Marco. "Ace, Sabo, there's lots of different colors!"
"Why don't you go wait on the ship?" Marco suggested, taking a step towards the very nervous man.
"Okay!" Luffy agreed brightly, already eating one of the cold treats. "Thanks, Mango!"
"Marco," Marco corrected absently, lips curving into a very dangerous smirk. Luffy might not have thought anything of it, but his brothers could easily tell that Marco wasn't even talking to Luffy now. He was introducing himself to the man. "Marco, the Phoenix."
The man went pale, dropping the skewer - which Luffy snagged automatically before it hit the ground - and taking a step back.
"Come on, Luffy," Ace mumbled, putting his hand on Luffy's back and guiding him back towards the ship. His eyes were unreadable when he looked up at Marco, and for just a moment, he could have sworn he saw the light blue of Marco's eyes change to fire. He had to tear his gaze away as they left, suppressing a shudder at the tension in the air, before looking down at Luffy.
Half the shaved ice cups were already empty. "And don't eat it all by yourself, idiot!"
...
A/N: Mama birb is angry! And not to worry, no one forgot about sending a letter. Also timelinewise, this would be directly prior to Fisher Tiger's death, a year after Corazon's death, and sometime in late February/early March.
To the guest reviewers: Y'all are lovely! Thank you so much! 'Mango' is sticking for a bit longer, and Garp has finally been notified of Luffy's kidnapping, so… we'll see what happens :3
That Random Guy: Kyaahhh don't make me blush xD (too late) I'm so excited, you have no idea :3 The friend I'm moving in with just finished the Skypiea arc so I'm gonna be watching One Piece with her when I get there. Marineford is gonna hurt (AGAIN ; ; ) And top hats are indeed classy. You've become 'That Random Dapper Guy' in my head.
SEE YOU GUYS ON MY BIRTHDAY!
~Mithril