Okay, so I have a lot of explaining to do. If you're just here for the story, then feel free to skip the Author's Note.
So why is someone who isn't Takuku redoing the story? Well, surprise! I AM Takuku! Yeah, funny story. After chapter 20 of the Original Twist of Fate went up, my computer straight up died with no chance of revival. So when I got a new laptop 2 years later I tried to log back in only to have my lazy habits bite me in the ass. I had saved my password on google, and I couldn't remember for the life of me what it was. So I went to change it only to realize that I had the same problem with my email. In one fowl swoop I had lost access to my fanfiction account AND my email! So I did what anyone would do after sulking for several months, I moved on with my life... or so I tried. I had such high hopes for this fanfiction. I had and still have a bunch of neat ideas for it. So after a while I was like "screw it!" and here we are. I will be making tweaks here and there, and I no longer agree with everything I wrote back then. Being older will change your perspective on things. I also like to think I improved on my writing since then, but I will let you be the judge of that! I hope you enjoy take two of my fanfiction baby!
I do not own One Piece!
Gotta hurry! Gotta hurry! Please be okay! Gotta hurry!
These thoughts were repeating themselves through Sabo's mind as he made a mad dash through town to get to the Gray Terminal. He had just managed to escape his "family". He used the term loosely since he considered Ace and Luffy to be his real family. Speaking of those two, he had to hurry! They were in great danger!
"Yes! The gate is still open!" He cheered as he ran through the gate. If the gate was open, that meant he still had time.
"Ace! Luffy! Where are you?!" He called out to his brothers in the hopes that they would hear. When he received no answer he called again. He ran around the large dump shouting and listening for any response.
"Sabo? Is that you?!" He finally got one from inside Bluejam's ship.
"Ace?!" Sabo called back as he climbed onto the ship.
"Sabo! You're back!" Luffy cheered. His voice was also inside. He found them both! He ran through the door their voices were coming from and froze when he saw the two tied up. Bluejam wanted his brothers to die in the fire?! As if he could hate the man anymore than he already did.
"Thank god you're here! Quick! Untie us before the fire starts!" Ace shouted in relief. This snapped Sabo from his brooding, and he quickly untied the two brunettes. Rubbery arms immediately circled around him as soon as they were free.
"Sabo! I'm so happy to see you!" Luffy cried into his chest.
"We can hug things out later, Luffy. Right now we need to get out of here." Ace said as he tried in vain to get Luffy to let go.
"Ace is right. We don't want to be caught up in the fire." Sabo pointed out, and Luffy reluctantly let go. He gave the two of them a tearful nod, and they all ran out of the ship. They dodged around trash heaps, and made a bee-line for the safety of the forest. They had just made it to the tree line when an explosion made them halt.
All three of them turned around as one to see the horror that they had just managed to escape. The first explosion was followed by several more, and screams rose into the air along with the smoke and ash. Sabo couldn't tear his eyes away. He was transfixed by the carnage in front of him, and he could tell from his peripheral vision that Ace and Luffy were too. The fire had reached its crescendo when he felt Ace pull at him.
"Dammit! We need to get further in!" He shouted, and Sabo forced his legs to move.
XxXxXxXxX
"We can't stay here any longer! We gotta move!" Ace demanded as he ran around their tree house, collecting their pipes.
"What? Why?" Luffy asked.
"You saw what happened, Luffy! The nobles took Sabo away and tried to kill us! Do you want them to take Sabo again?" Ace asked, and Luffy's eyes widened in clear panic.
"Hang on, Ace. Have you thought about this? I mean really thought about it? We need plenty of food, a compass, a boat-"
"Dammit Sabo! Of course I have, but those bastards could be rounding up survivors to kill right now. There is a small boat we can use that will get us to the next island, and we can really prepare then. But we have to get our asses moving!" Ace stressed, and went back to rounding up their few meager possessions.
"I doubt they'll act that quickly. A trip takes time and resources to prepare for. What's wrong with our original plan?" Sabo asked.
"Plans changed. Now hurry!" Ace said, and Sabo sighed in defeat. He was beyond reasoning when he got like this.
"I got our flag!" Luffy yelled as he came back down from the crow's nest.
"Good thinking, Lu! We don't want to sail off without it!" Ace declared.
"Look, if we're going to sail off anyway, then we should at least hunt for a gator or two at the very least." Sabo pitched in, trying to bring some semblance of forethought into this impulsive excursion.
"One will be enough. We don't have time for more than that." Ace said as he ran to the entrance of their tree house with pipe at hand.
"Do you not remember how much we eat?! Ace!" Sabo yelled after the freckled boy.
"Hurry, Sabo! Ace is right! We gotta get moving!" Luffy pitched in, and ran after Ace. Sabo growled in frustration before joining in on the hunting party.
XxXxXxXxX
Aaaaaceee! Saaaaboooo! I'm hungry!" Luffy whined for the umpteenth time since they left Dawn Island a few days ago. All three of them were in the small boat Ace had told them about, and were using their pipes as makeshift fishing rods.
"Shut up, or you'll scare the fish away!" Ace shouted back. He was clearly annoyed with Luffy's whining, and Sabo couldn't help but feel a little smug at this.
"If you had just listened to me, Ace, we would have plenty of food and Luffy wouldn't be complaining." he couldn't help but chime in.
"Oh what! And let those noble bastards take you again? Fat chance!" Ace growled.
"I don't want you to go away ever again, Sabo!" Luffy dropped his pipe to hug the blond. Sabo patted Luffy on the back.
"Don't worry Luffy. I'm never going back to those stuck up jerks." He gave his youngest brother a reassuring smile. He was rewarded with a bright smile that only Luffy could give.
"Say, what island are we going to anyway?" Ace asked after a moment of silence.
"Conomi Island. It's the closest one, and considering how a certain brother was ignored when it came to preparing for this trip-"
"Will you let that go? I'm not sorry, and I have no regrets in getting you away from that place!" Ace frowned.
Sabo sighed, and went back to his fishing. The other two quieted down as well. He understood where Ace was coming from, and on some level was very grateful, but it didn't take all that much time to hunt for a little extra food. Sabo shook his head, and hoped they caught enough fish to sustain them until the next island.
XxXxXxXxX
"Remind me again why you needed to tag along, Marco?" Thatch sighed in frustration.
"Because the last time you went to one of the blues alone you weren't heard from for three months." Marco explained like an exasperated mother.
"All I did was take a small vacation." Thatch mumbled.
"Small?" Marco scoffed. "Three months is a quarter of a year! The whole crew was worried sick!"
Thatch shrugged his shoulders and said, "Time flies when you aren't bogged down with paperwork."
"But you had a whole pile of it waiting for you when you came back." Marco responded, and leaned against the railing of the deck.
"You got me there, but I promise I wasn't going to go on vacation this time! Pop's wrath was enough of a deterrent to make me reconsider any future excursions." Thatch sulked a little, and Marco snorted. They drifted off into silence and Thatch thought back on what brought them to the East Blue to begin with.
XxXxXxXxX
Thatch waited with the rest of the crew that was out on the deck. Whitebeard had just gotten a call on the transponder snail form Jinbe of all people, and everyone wanted to know what business the fishman had with them.
"Do you think it has something to do with the World Government?" Jozu asked.
"Why the World Government?" Izo responded.
"Didn't you hear? They were thinking about making him a Warlord." Namur said, sounding proud of his fellow fishman.
"Even so, if the World Government wanted something from us, they'd come to us themselves. We aren't exactly hard for them to get a hold of." Izo pointed out.
"Maybe he's warning us of something to come, then?" Vista suggested, and was met with a chorus of thoughtful hums.
"Pops is coming." Thatch said, catching their attention. As soon as Whitebeard closed the door to his cabin, he was met by a sea of questions. He silenced them by pounding his bisento onto the deck. It wasn't hard enough to crack the wood, but it was loud enough to drown out his fellow crew members.
"Apparently Arlong took a group of human-hating fishmen, and started heading towards the East Blue of all places." Whitebeard announced once he was sure he had all of their attention.
"Why are they heading toward the weakest sea?" Marco asked.
"Jinbe doesn't know, but he called in a favor to have one or two of you go track him. And if Arlong starts something, end it quickly." Whitebeard's gaze flicked around the crowd as if he were deciding who to send.
"Just don't send Thatch. He'll disappear for months on end." Someone from the back remarked, causing a few of the crewmates to give him a sideways glance.
"I learned my lesson last time. I'll never go on another impromptu vacation for as long as I live." Thatch said with a frown. Some of his brothers still haven't forgiven him for the scare.
"I think this will be a good chance for you to prove it to us, Thatch." Whitebeard's suggestion was met by a few complaints from the others.
"He'll have a clear objective, and he'll be in contact the whole time." Marco said in defense for Thatch who was now feeling very grateful for the phoenix.
"Go with him Marco!"
"Yeah, he can't be trusted on his own just yet!"
"You know, that's not a bad idea. Go with him Marco. Thatch, if you do well, you will be trusted to do your next mission alone." Whitebeard said before he sat down in his chair.
Thatch hung his head, because he knew he didn't have a great defense for himself. "Yes, Pops."
"Go now, and be safe my sons."
XxXxXxXxX
Thatch and Marco stared out at the fishman's ship way up ahead. They had caught sight of them about halfway through Paradise, and had followed them ever since. There was no doubt in their minds that the fishmen knew they were being followed. Thatch guessed that they were just so overly cocky that they didn't bother with them.
"So by my guess, they'll be docking at Conomi Island in a few days." Marco said, as he pulled out a map of the East Blue.
"Why go to such a peaceful island in the weakest sea?" Thatch wondered out loud.
"My guess? They want to start trouble. Maybe it's a good thing Jinbe sent us after them." Maco folded the map and put it away.
"I agree. The people in the East Blue stand no chance against whatever they may be up to, but we can handle them easily." Thatch popped his knuckles in anticipation.
"Typical bullies. They go after people who can't possibly fight back and win." Marco glowered.
They returned to their thoughtful silence as they stared ahead. Yes, they could easily handle them, and they will stop whatever trouble they may start. Whatever their plan was, they were ready.