*Peeks from hiding place* Ehehehe! I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry about that. But I'm not dead! And I have a new chapter! So please put your pitchforks down! Like I said before, I don't plan on abandoning this story! I just took a reeeeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy long break. And I'm sorry about that! But I don't plan on doing that again anytime soon, so please put the tomatoes away, and I'll..
No, I said put them away.
Don't pick up the tasers.
Please back away.
Okay! Fine! I'll start on the next chapter right now! Just please don't hurt me!
I do not own One Piece.
Sabo massaged his temples. He felt a headache coming on. Not only did Ace completely lose it and tried to attack the Whitebeard Pirates, but now Luffy wanted to draw on his face. Sabo would've let him do it under any other circumstance, however, he didn't need Ace to become even more irritable than he already was. And to top everything off, he still needed to interrogate Marco and Thatch on why they followed. He could only count his lucky stars that Ace was unconscious right now.
"But it'd be funny!" Luffy pouted while holding a marker inches away from Ace who was chained to the mast of the small boat.
"No, Luffy! You can later if he has a narcoleptic attack, but now isn't the time." Sabo explained for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Hmph! Sabo's no fun!" Luffy sulked and put the marker away. Right now, Sabo was just glad that he left it. He had to focus on their unexpected guests, and he couldn't worry about Luffy getting into trouble right now.
Sabo turned to said guests, and asked, "Why are you here?"
"Why not?" Thatch shrugged his shoulders which irritated Sabo. He was thankful when Marco elbowed his ribs.
"Look, I'm going to be level with you. We followed because we aren't going to let three kids sail around by themselves." Marco said, and Sabo was glad that someone else other than him knew when to take a situation seriously. He didn't appreciate being babied, however.
"I understand your concern, but we don't need an adult to look over our shoulder. We can handle ourselves just fine."
"We never said you couldn't, but it still isn't right to just let you go off by yourselves." Thatch said while rubbing his ribs.
"So you're just going to follow us around?" Luffy asked, now interested in the conversation.
"Pretty much." Marco said.
"Did you hear that, Sabo?! They wanna be part of my crew!" Luffy jumped up and down excitedly, and Sabo silently questioned where he got that conclusion.
"I don't think so, Luffy. I think they're just being overbearing." Sabo sweat dropped.
"But they're sailing with us, and that's like being on the same crew!" Luffy's smile didn't falter.
"We aren't joining your crew, kid." Thatch said.
"Aw! Why not?!"
"We're already part of a crew."
"But we're sailing together!"
"Not under the same flag." Marco pointed out, and Luffy seemed to understand.
"Oh, ok. But let me know if you change your mind." Luffy said and Sabo raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Luffy to just give up like that. He still pestered him and Ace to be a part of his crew even though they refused every time. Maybe it had something to do with the flag. No matter what pirate crew they met, Luffy always showed respect to their pirate flag, even Bluejam's flag. Sabo guess that that had to be the case.
"I just have one question, though." Sabo said changing the subject.
"If you only wanted to follow us from the beginning, then why did you keep your distance at first?" Sabo asked. He just couldn't see the logic of hiding your identity, and then revealing it in a short amount of time.
"That was Thatch's idea. He thought you would be put at ease if you didn't recognize us." Marco pointed his thumb at his crewmate.
"An unrecognizable ship in the distance that follows us for days on end is supposed to make us feel better?" Sabo asked.
"Yeah, I know, I see the flaws now." Thatch rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
Sabo internally debated whether they were telling the truth or not. Sure their explanation made sense, but that could be a ruse to lower their guard. But, then again, why would big time pirates bother attacking three kids just starting their adventure? Not only that, but the evidence showed that they meant more good than harm. They saved a village, saved Luffy from drowning, and even helped cook a feast. Even now, they were proving themselves. They had every right to attack when Ace took the first swing, but all they did was dodge. Hell, they could still attack now with one of them out of commission, but they were just standing there, and explaining why they followed. Sabo decided they were telling the truth, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
"Alright, I believe you, but that doesn't mean I agree with you. We're just fine sailing on our own. We don't need you to look after us." Sabo said.
"Even so, we're still sailing with you." Marco said, and Sabo sighed. He knew Luffy would like the extra company, and he, himself was irritated but accepted it. It wasn't like they could beat Whitebeard Commanders. His concern was Ace. Things would get loud once he woke up, and explaining the situation to him would be next to impossible. Even if he did bother to listen he wouldn't believe him. Instead, he would go into overprotective brother mode, and insist that he be unchained to kick their asses. This was going to be a long week.
XxXxXxXxX
"LET ME GO!"
"Not until you've calmed down!"
"THEY NEED A GOOD ASS KICKING!"
"No they don't!"
"SO DO YOU, YOU TRAITOR!"
"Traitor?! What-"
"I'LL BASH ALL OF YOUR SKULLS IN!"
"WOULD YOU JUST CALM DOWN AND LISTEN?!"
Thatch silently watched the exchange between the two older brats from his ship. Ace had woken up around five minutes ago, and it hadn't been quiet since. He kept yelling and thrashing about, and wouldn't even listen to Sabo. He glanced over to Luffy, who was laughing at the argument. He couldn't help but think how well they would fit in on the Moby Dick.
"Do you think he'll tire out?" Marco asked.
"Hopefully, otherwise we won't be getting any sleep tonight." Thatch answered.
"Ace will be yelling all night." Luffy said as he stood on the railing.
"What makes you say that?" Marco asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He's too angry to calm down. Don't worry, after a few days he'll get tired. Do you have any food?" Luffy jumped down onto the deck.
"Are your brothers okay with you being over here?" Thatch asked.
"They're too busy fighting to notice."
"Well, in that case, I don't mind whipping up something for you. What would you like?" Thatch could never turn down a hungry face.
"MEAT!" Luffy yelled and threw his hands in the air.
Thatch chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm, and walked into the kitchen. Luffy followed while Marco decided to continue to watch the fight. Thatch picked up a hearty chunk of meat from the fridge, and started to cook it. He knew it wouldn't be enough to satisfy the brat's appetite, but he needed to portion their food somehow.
"So, you're heading to Haruna Island, huh?" Thatch asked snapping Luffy out of his trance from watching the meat cook.
"Yup! That's what Sabo said!" Luffy chirped.
"Did you know that island has a dojo on it?"
"What's a dojo?"
"A place they teach martial arts and swordsmanship." Thatch explained.
"Cool! I wanna see the dojo!"
"It's in Shimotsuki Village. You can't miss it!"
"I'll find my swordsman there!" Luffy said with finality in his voice.
"You're seriously getting crew members this early?" Thatch knew he asked him, Marco, and Pops to join, but he didn't think he was really looking for crew members already.
"Yeah! I already have my navigator!"
"Sabo?"
"Nope! Nami!" Thatch was surprised at the answer. He assumed that Sabo was the unofficial navigator of their small crew.
"Isn't Sabo the navigator, though?"
"He is, but he doesn't want to be a part of my crew." Luffy pouted some.
"But, aren't you crew members?" Thatch was more confused than ever.
"We are, but I'm not the captain. When I get old enough, I'll sail on my own, and I'll gather my own crew. Nami promised to wait for me. She's my navigator." Luffy explained, and Thatch finally understood.
"I get it. So you're just sailing with your brothers temporarily. You'll eventually start your own crew." Thatch clarified.
"Yup!"
Thatch finished cooking the meat, and handed it over to Luffy. It was gone within seconds. Thatch didn't know why he expected anything different. After all, he and his brothers proved to be bottomless pits at the last island.
"Why are you so determined to become captain of your own crew?"
"The King of the Pirates can't work under someone else." Luffy answered. Thatch had almost forgotten his obsession to be Pirate King.
"Okay, but why do you want to be King of the Pirates?"
"I promised Shanks." Luffy's hand subconsciously touched his hat. So Marco wasn't kidding him when he said the brat knew Shanks.
"Can I have more?" Luffy asked handing the empty plate to Thatch.
"Sorry, but we have to ration our food. If we eat it all at once, we won't have anything to eat until the next island." Thatch explained.
"That's what Sabo said." Luffy pouted.
"Then Sabo is a bright kid. C'mon, let's see if the argument is close to finishing." Thatch put the plate away and gestured to the door. The two of them walked back out and met up with Marco. Sabo was also on the ship, and Ace kept yelling from his position on the small boat.
"Luffy, you shouldn't go onto their ship without me or Ace knowing." The poor kid sounded exhausted. Thatch didn't blame him for being so tired. He appeared to be the only rational on of their crew, and that had to be taxing on the small brat.
"But I was hungry, and Thatch gave me food." Luffy deadpanned.
"Don't accept their food either. We have our own, and we don't need to bother them." Sabo rubbed his temples. He appeared to be approaching his wits end.
"But you wouldn't let me eat any, and I was hungry!" Luffy pouted.
"We'll eat more tonight, now please come back to the boat."
"No."
"What did you say?"
"I said no! Sabo is a meanie who won't share food! I wanna stay with Thatchy!"
"Luffy, I really don't want to put up with your stubbornness right now!"
Luffy stomped his foot and said, "I'm staying!"
"Don't make me tie you up too." Sabo looked like he would go through with his threat, but Luffy was either oblivious or didn't care. Thatch guessed it was the former. Luffy made a face at Sabo, and that appeared to be the final straw. Sabo reached for a nearby rope, and ran after Luffy. The straw hatted boy seemed to have finally gotten the picture and ran off. Thatch watched the kids run around on their deck, and realized that even a patient kid like Sabo had their breaking point. Thatch felt guilty for adding to the poor kid's stress.
"How did the brats manage to survive a week on their own?" Marco asked standing next to Thatch.
"I really have no idea. You would think they would've killed each other by then." Thatch looked at the chaos those three managed to create. One brat tied up, and yelling obscene things, and the other two running around the deck and yelling at each other. Thatch had a feeling that things would only get weirder from here.
XxXxXxXxX
Marco placed his tea back into the hot water. It had been hours since Sabo caught Luffy, and now Luffy was tied up next to Ace. All three of them had been yelling at each other non-stop. It was amusing at first, but now it was annoying. Marco went inside when a headache started to make its presence known. Marco figured that taking a break wouldn't hurt, and Thatch promised to keep an eye on them just in case one of them snapped.
Marco's thoughts drifted to the island they were going to land on the approximately six more days. He wondered if they would calm down before then. He had a feeling Sabo and Luffy would, but he had his doubts about Ace. The kid was hard headed, and hated their guts right now. He wondered if Sabo would keep him tied up if they reached the island before he calmed down.
Marco listened to the yelling outside, and he knew that none of them would be able to sleep that night. He sighed and resigned himself to a sleepless night. Thatch would probably doze off sometime after midnight. Marco envied Thatch's ability to sleep in the loudest conditions. But he guess that one of them had to be up to keep the brats from killing each other, especially since one of them had the advantage of being untied at the moment.
The noise from outside seemed to get louder, and Marco took a relaxing sip of his tea. He learned to relax in the loudest conditions from his time on the Moby Dick. His brothers and sisters were noisy bunch, and these kids hardly put a dent in the loudest meals he had to sit though. But dammit if they weren't trying. Marco couldn't help but think of how well they would fit into his weird, but fun family. He only hoped they would eventually accept.
XxXxXxXxX
Sabo stirred from his sleep. He gathered his groggy mind as much as he possibly could in his current state. He tried to figure out what had woken him. He kept his eyes shut to block out the light of the rising sun, and focused on his other senses. The waves were steady, and peaceful. The breeze was gentle and refreshing, it was nice and quiet…
Sabo jerked his eyes open and realized that it was indeed quiet. The only noise around was the flapping of the sails, the water hitting against the two boats, and the gentle snores for his brothers. This was the most peaceful it had been in days. The two idiots were still yelling by the time he fell asleep. He guessed they finally tired themselves out.
His gaze wandered over to Luffy, who had his head in Ace's lap. He felt guilty for snapping, and tying him up like he did. He lost his patience, and Luffy got a punishment he really didn't deserve. True, he wandered over to the neighboring ship and ate their food without informing him, but he should've handled it better. A lot happened that day and his patience wore thin.
He carefully untied Luffy, so he wouldn't wake him. He needed to make up for his behavior somehow. He glanced at the food rations they had, and felt a heavy weight inside his gut. He hated relying on others for help, but he really couldn't see a way out of it.
He climbed up to the next ship, and walked into the kitchen. Thatch was in there preparing breakfast for him and Marco.
"Morning brat. I bet you're glad to hear silence for once." He said over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I am." Sabo shuffled his feet. He knew what he had to do to make things up to Luffy, but he had no idea how to go about it with Thatch. Thatch seemed to notice that Sabo had something on his mind, and waited for him to speak. After three minutes of silence, he finally decided to just wing it.
"Um, I know this is rude of me to ask, but I was wondering how much food you have." Sabo looked at Thatch who didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"We have enough to last all of us to the next island."
"And by all of us you mean…?"
"You, me, Marco, Luffy, and Ace. Though, I doubt Ace would willingly accept my cooking again. Why do you ask?"
"I need to make things up to Luffy, but the only thing I could think of was giving him the rest of our rations. But I didn't want to do so without knowing if you had enough to share or not." Sabo hated to put their next meal in the hands to these guys once more, but the best way to get to Luffy was through his stomach. He knew he would get an earful from Ace once he found out, but he really didn't care right now.
"Ah, I see. Well, you don't need to worry. We have more than enough. Let the brat eat his fill, and I'll make an extra helping of pancakes for you both." Thatch said before moving the finished pancakes to a plate.
"How do you know to make pancakes for Luffy too?" Sabo asked bewildered.
"Please, I've seen how he eats back on the last island! The feast was barely enough to saturate you three! I know the provisions you have left won't be near enough to fill his stomach."
Sabo smiled softly before walking out. He hated that these guys decided to tag along without their permission, but right now, he was happy they were there. Now they had guaranteed meals, and extra guarding to keep Luffy from raiding their food. He was far from fully accepting their presence, but it was a start.
XxXxXxXxX
"Wake up, Lu."
Luffy was shaken awake. He opened his eyes and saw Sabo looking down at him with a small smile. Luffy was about to tell him good morning, but remembered that he was mad at Sabo. He frowned and turned his back to his blond brother.
"Luffy, I know you're angry, and you have every right to be. I'm sorry for my reaction yesterday. I was at my breaking point, and I took it out on you. That wasn't fair, and I'm very sorry." Sabo sounded like he was really sorry. Luffy turned back around looked at Sabo's face. He seemed to really mean his apology, and Luffy instantly forgave him.
"It's okay, Sabo. I forgive you!" Luffy smiled brightly, and Sabo sighed in relief.
"Thanks Lu. And to make it up to you, you can eat the food we have on this boat." Luffy jerked into an upright position, and felt his mouth beginning to drool at the thought of eating.
"Really?!"
"Yup! Have at it!" Sabo gestured to the food, and Luffy didn't need a second encouragement.
He dove toward the food, and started to tear into it. It was all pre-cooked, so he didn't need to worry about it being raw. But he would've eaten it raw if he had to. It was so good! Five minutes went by, and the pile of food was no more. Luffy rubbed his belly in satisfaction.
"Ah! That was tasty!" Luffy had completely forgiven Sabo for being mean yesterday.
"Glad you liked it. Now come on, Thatch is making pancakes." Sabo gestured toward the ship.
"Yay! Pancakes!" Luffy rocketed onto the ship, and burst through the kitchen door. Thatch jumped, and turned to Luffy.
"Pancakes!" demanded Luffy, and Thatch chuckled.
"I had a feeling you would still be hungry. Here, these plates are for you and Sabo." Thatch placed two plates stacked high with pancakes on the table. Luffy jumped into the nearest chair, and began to devour the fluffy breakfast pastries. Sabo walked in, and joined him.
Luffy was happy that Sabo was starting to get along with Thatch. He really liked Thatch. Thatch made good food, and was a good person. Maybe Ace would see that too once he woke up. Luffy didn't completely understand why Ace hated Thatch and the other guy. He guessed that Ace was being stupid, like he usually was.
"So, what do you brats plan on doing on the next island?" Thatch asked as he ate his own pancakes.
"I wanna see the dojo!" Luffy yelled. It sounded like a really cool place, and he just knew that he would find his swordsman there. He had a gut feeling about it. Thatch laughed at his enthusiasm.
"Eager as always, I see." A voice said from the entrance. Luffy turned and saw Pineapple Head in the doorway.
"Pineapple!" Luffy waved, and Thatch laughed harder.
"My name is Marco. Why can't you remember that?" Pineapple Head looked annoyed.
"Because you're Pineapple Head, Pineapple Head." Luffy said.
"Give it up, Marco. That kid will never call you by name." Thatch laughed.
Pineapple sighed and grabbed his own plate. He sat next to Thatch and began to eat his meal.
Luffy liked eating with these guys. The only thing that would make it better would be Ace. But Ace wasn't being nice right now. Luffy hoped Ace cheered up soon. Things just weren't the same without him.