Author Note: I'm back! Did you miss me? Posting this today in honour of our favourite captain's birthday! Can I just say, I love sharing my birth month with Luffy :D
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the earlier chapters!
Shout out to AuthenticAussie, my beta!
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Chapter 5 - Banaro Island Part II
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Sabo decided he was going to punch Ace as soon as he could. Hard.
Everything had been going swimmingly. The boarding party had all made it safely across and the cannon fire had disrupted the pirate crew's little party, throwing them all into disarray. If Sabo had been a more forgiving mood - and they hadn't been on their way to handing his brother over to the marines - he might have felt a little sorry for them. The pirates were startled, disorganised and in many cases extremely inebriated. The Revolutionaries had easily cut a path through the rambunctious crew, allowing Hack to sneak below deck in search of Ace.
Blackbeard's little sniper had posed no threat once they had him surrounded, all his attacks being geared towards long range fighting, and he had been easily incapacitated with a sharp blow to the head. The Doctor had been fighting surprisingly well considering he didn't look like he could even stand up straight, let alone fight, but he too had been overpowered. The only one who looked like he could deal some serious damage was currently wrestling with the ship's wheel, trying desperately to steer away from their pursuers. It was a losing battle – the Revolutionary's ship was being steered by the Captain and was significantly faster, capable of keeping pace easily.
The real trouble had started when Blackbeard himself had emerged from the depths of the ship, no doubt drawn out of his sanctum by the noise of the chaos.
Sabo swore loudly as the imposing and furious Captain stormed his way across the upper deck and towards the wheelhouse, tossing aside friend and foe alike if they crossed his path.
"Koala, any sign of Hack?" Sabo called, slamming his pipe into his opponent, trying not to flinch as an enraged roar sounded over the noise of the storm.
"Not yet!" she cried, elegantly dodging an incoming pirate. "Do you think we can avoid fighting him?" Koala wondered, before yelping in alarm as several loose planks, ropes and weapons flew past their heads. Sabo grabbed her arm and dragged her back towards the cover of the stairwell. The pair risked a look to the upper deck.
Blackbeard was stood just outside the wheelhouse, waves of darkness – seemingly seeping from the pirate captain himself – reaching out in wispy tendrils to grasp and pull at everything they touched.
Sabo watched, stunned as the planks in front of his feet began to shake and tremble before they were eventually ripped straight up, splinters shattering everywhere. With a deft swing of his pipe, he deflected the flying shrapnel away from himself and Koala, who was softly urging Hack to hurry up under her breath.
The blond had to wonder what in the world Ace had been thinking even attempting to go after this man. Even from several meters away, Sabo could feel the terrible presence Blackbeard was throwing off. It was overwhelming and he could easily imagine it crippling weaker men.
Sabo felt a penetrating gaze fall on him and he looked up. Blackbeard was looking straight down at him from the upper deck, a manic glint in his eye and a delighted smirk on his face. Sabo caught his gaze and felt a tremor of fear course through his blood. He tightened his grip on his pipe even as he carefully shifted away from Koala, unwilling to have her in the line of fire.
Apparently Blackbeard had the same knack as Luffy for instinctively seeking out the strongest threat.
"Koala, keep everyone away from the upper deck," the blond ordered before taking a running leap for the stairs.
"Sabo!" Koala screamed from behind him, but he ignored her. If they were to stand any chance of saving Ace, they needed Blackbeard distracted, so distract Blackbeard he would.
"Zehahaha! And just who do we have here?" Blackbeard inquired as Sabo gracefully landed several feet away from him. "I don't know whether to call you brave or foolish for attacking my ship."
Sabo smiled, ignoring the lashings of wind and rain whipping at his coat. "I like to consider myself both." Judging from the rather startled expression on the pirate captain's face, he hadn't been expecting that answer.
"How can I help a fine gentleman such as yourself?" Blackbeard asked, as more black tendrils spread out from his body.
"Oh, I'm far from being a gentleman," Sabo scoffed. This close to the man, Sabo could now see underneath his black garbs, Blackbeard was actually heavily bandaged and his coat was badly singed. There were small lacerations covering his bare hands and whilst he held himself confidently, Sabo could see a guarded weariness on his face.
Sabo allowed a small, proud grin to spread across his face as he observed the damage Ace had managed to do to Blackbeard before his capture. As expected, his brother hadn't gone down without a fierce fight.
Hoping the pirate was still feeling the effects of his altercation with Ace, Sabo braced himself, his right hand quickly forming the now familiar claw.
"Not one for talking, then?" Blackbeard smirked, raising his own hand. "Liberation!" he bellowed.
Sabo easily dodged the sudden barrage of crushed and splintered objects that threw themselves out of the darkness surrounding Blackbeard. He knocked aside what he could only assume was once a large mead barrel and made a sharp turn to the left before launching himself forward. Pipe raised defensively to cover his left side, Sabo pulled his right arm back. The familiar sensation of Haki coating his hand and forearm was welcomed and he punched his hand straight towards Blackbeard.
The pirate roared, in surprise or pain Sabo wasn't quite sure as he dug his Dragon Claw into Blackbeard's side. The momentum of his attack forced them both to crash into the wheelhouse. There was a cry of alarm from inside as a large shock wave shook the small structure, several large cracks appearing in the damp wood.
Sabo leapt back as Blackbeard took a wild swing at him, feet skidding several paces back on the slippery deck.
"Hm, don't meet many people who can do that on the Grand Line," Blackbeard panted with a grin, hand coming up to press against his side. His hand came away with a small smear of blood, but Sabo wasn't going to fool himself that it would slow Blackbeard down any.
"If we're going to do this," said Blackbeard, slowly pushing himself back to his feet, "will you at least have the courtesy of telling me why you're attacking my ship? You're looking at the new Warlord, you know," he bragged, arms spread out wide.
"I imagine the marines will only grant you that status if you hand over Fire Fist Ace to them, as promised," said Sabo, casually twirling his pipe. Blackbeard's eyes widened and his face went slack in surprise. Sabo smiled, blue eyes piercing into the pirate. "But I'm not going to let that happen," he promised, face darkening.
"Ah, news of Ace's capture's spread already?" Blackbeard crowed. "Has everyone heard how utterly pitiful he is when unable to use his Devil Fruit? His face was priceless when he realised how utterly useless it was to keep going but he still kept getting up! I might have to have the newspapers change the story. We can't have people admiring such pathetic bravery. And to think, it could have all ended so painlessly if he had just agreed to join my crew! Zehahaha!"
Sabo had to force himself not to react as Blackbeard continued to laugh, obviously finding the whole situation hysterical. He was silently cursing Ace though, as from what Blackbeard was saying, Ace had just kept coming at him, even past the point he realised he couldn't win. The pirate had no reason to lie and it certainly sounded like something his brother would do.
First Luffy using those ridiculous gear attacks, doing who-knows-what to his body in the process, and now Ace once again refusing to even contemplate a tactical retreat; Sabo was beginning to think that both his brothers were determined to give him a heart attack before he turned twenty-one.
But he had no time to ponder revenge on his brothers for causing him such worry; Blackbeard lunged for him.
Each blow they traded, Sabo could feel the shock waves pulsate through his lead pipe, jarring his shoulders as he braced himself. He didn't dare deflect with his arm – even coated with Haki he figured Blackbeard could probably break something. The man's physical strength was immense and Sabo unfortunately wasn't made of rubber like Luffy so couldn't absorb any of the blows that landed.
Clutching his pipe, he made to swipe directly for Blackbeard's feet but a flash of pain flared up in shoulder as he pulled his arm back. He shuddered as his whole arm trembled and his Haki dispersed as his concentration shattered. The blond had no time to dodge as Blackbeard's hand slammed into his side, sending him flying across the deck.
Sabo coughed and spluttered as he landed, the air knocked out of him. He forced himself back to his knees, weight resting heavily on his pipe as his feet fought for purchase on the wet deck. His hat fell from his head, rolling away cheerfully until it disappeared down the stairs to the lower deck. Sabo's hair was quickly dyed a honey blond as the rain and sea spray drenched him.
"I must admit, I admire your determination," the pirate laughed, head thrown back. "But playtime is over. Black Vortex," Blackbeard smirked, arm extending towards the blond.
Sabo jerked as his centre of balance was knocked off. Unwillingly, he lurched forwards, heading straight towards Blackbeard's outstretched hand.
Panicked, he thrashed wildly against the inky blackness, but his pipe and hands simply passed straight through the dark tendrils. He could feel every muscle in his back screaming against the tension as he tried to lean away from the gravity tugging at him. He cursed as Blackbeard made to grab him.
Desperately, Sabo forced away the dread threatening to overwhelm him and strained to focus his Haki through his hands and out into the pipe, the silver lead quickly tarnishing to shiny black as he swung it around. At this distance, there was no room for error and the pipe made contact with the side of Blackbeard's head. The pirate roared.
Sabo dropped to the deck like a stone. Panting heavily, he forced the exhaustion he could feel creeping along his limbs out of his mind. He winced as he rose to his feet, pipe once again its usual colour. He hadn't wanted to imbue it at all. It was one thing to do it himself, he thought as he stumbled backwards, but it required a whole other level of concentration to force his Haki into an object.
He lurched to the side as several large objects were thrown towards him from the darkness. He couldn't even guess at what half of them were, they were so crushed and deformed. He heard the railing behind him shatter as they gave way under the barrage.
Sabo blinked fiercely, trying to spy Blackbeard through the torrent of rain and projectiles but the man was well camouflaged in the growing gloom and Sabo didn't spot him until he appeared directly next to him. He had a single moment to admire the man's speed before one beefy hand wrapped around his throat. The second hand dug painfully into his shoulder, attempting to make him relinquish his grip on his pipe but Sabo held on tight.
"Zehahaha! I'm beginning to lean towards you being more foolish," Blackbeard grinned mockingly.
Searing pain raced up Sabo's spine as he was slammed against the wheelhouse. He reached up to claw at the hand around his neck, desperately trying to ease the grip, but only choking as the pressure increased. Black spots were beginning to cloud his vision and Blackbeard's smirking face leered down at him.
"No! Sabo!"
Blackbeard jerked around in shock as Ace's scream echoed over the storm.
The fingers around his neck loosened a fraction and Sabo greedily gulped in a couple of deep breaths before the pressure returned. Still, despite his own pain, Sabo was relieved to hear his brother's voice, as strong as always – even if he did sound petrified. The blond could only hope that Hack had listened to his advice and not removed Ace's handcuffs. The last thing they needed was for an injured Ace to try and charge to the rescue.
"Damn it," growled Blackbeard, releasing the Revolutionary's shoulder and stretching his hand towards the skies. Sabo stared in alarm at the movement.
"Captain! Stop! You're damaging the ship!" the burly man in the wheelhouse screamed. If Sabo'd had the energy, he would've been laughing at hearing fear from such a formidable man. As it was, he could barely draw enough breath to remain conscious, let alone laugh.
Blackbeard paused, realisation dawning on him and Sabo could see his beady eyes darting around the deck, taking in the damage he'd wrecked on his ship. If it were even possible, he looked all the more furious.
"Don't let them take Ace!" Blackbeard howled, throwing Sabo around in his grip like a ragdoll. Sabo winced as his neck felt like it was being stretched. He tried frantically to find some purchase with his feet but Blackbeard was holding him so high he could barely reach the deck with his toes.
"Why? Why are you doing this?" the pirate demanded, pulling Sabo close.
"H-he's my br-brother," Sabo rasped, taking great delight in the surprise that overtook Blackbeard's expression.
Blackbeard shook his head, suddenly looking far too amused for Sabo's liking. "Ace plays his cards close to his chest, doesn't he? I never imagined there was even one brother, never mind two! No matter. I'll kill you here, recover Ace and then go after your little brother, Straw Hat. He has quite the impressive bounty too! Zehahaha!"
White hot fury laced its way through Sabo, even as understanding slowly dawned on him. It was no wonder Ace hadn't backed down. If this monster had made any indication he was targeting Luffy, Ace would never walk away. His protective streak would have overridden everything else, even the tiny shred of common sense Sabo knew he possessed. Much like his own was now, Sabo acknowledged, as his eyes narrowed dangerously at the very clear threat against his little brother.
"You won't get to lay a finger on Luffy," Sabo managed to snarl, raising his pipe.
Blue eyes roved over Blackbeard's figure, quickly finding what they was looking for. Sabo knew he only had one shot as he raised his left hand and imbued it with Haki. Snapping his hand into his signature Dragon Claw, Sabo thrust his hand forward, aiming straight for the weeping wound on Blackbeard's chest.
The man hollered as Sabo's gloved fingers sank into the open wound. Sabo flinched as he felt something crack in his hand but Blackbeard's grip on his neck was finally relinquished.
The blond hit the deck hard, coughing and gasping for air. Ignoring his burning lungs and the throbbing pain in his neck and fingers, Sabo forced himself to his feet and staggered away from the screaming captain.
Sabo wasn't quite sure how he managed to get back to the Revolutionary ship. Everything was one large blur of movement and noise and chaos. One moment he was stumbling down the stairs to the lower deck, barely remembering to gather up his fallen hat, and the next he was in front of Koala.
The brunette started at his sudden appearance, just managing to catch his arms as his knees buckled. Sabo slumped against her shoulder, trusting her to keep him upright as he coughed, his lungs still screaming for air and throat still feeling the ghost of Blackbeard's hands trying to crush his oesophagus.
"Are you okay?" Koala screamed at him over all the noise of the storm, the pained groans of the injured, the shouting of orders and rushing of feet to carry them out.
"Ace," Sabo wheezed, taking a quick look around the deck, but he couldn't see any sign of his brother.
"Hack's taken him to one of the cabins. Had to knock him out," she said shortly. Sabo managed a nod, unsurprised that Hack had had to resort to such action. He felt Koala tugging insistently at his pipe, still clasped tightly in his fist, until he finally relinquished it. His hand felt very empty without it. He had half a mind to ask for it back but one stern look from his friend halted his demand.
"Sabo! Koala! Marine ship coming in from the East!" a young Revolutionary shouted, pointing over the railing.
"Captain! Get us out of here now!" Koala ordered, grip painfully tight on Sabo's arms as he struggled to his feet. He staggered to railing and peered out into the storm. He could just make out white sails on the horizon.
"Oh my- Sabo! Your neck!"
The blond swayed as Koala swung him around. He flinched as Koala urgently tugged the collar of his shirt down and stared in horror at what Sabo could only assume was the beginnings of a very impressive bruise.
"It's fine," he said, trying to pull away from her, but Koala was having none of it.
"It's not fine at all!" she screeched. "He could have killed you! I'm sure that would've really have pleased your brother!"
Sabo winced as the rant escalated in volume. He was vaguely aware of several crew members nervously shifting away from the fuming woman. Whilst a rare occurrence, Koala wasn't above using violence to get her point across and no one wanted to be in the firing line.
Sabo attempted to interrupt but his voice seemed to have deserted him and his throat felt like it was on fire. The throbbing in his hand had quickly spread up his arm and into his head and he wanted nothing more than to check on Ace, then possibly pass out for a week or two. He pushed away from the railing, fully intending to retreat inside. The Captain was more than capable of handling their retreat.
He blinked rapidly as his vision began to blur and he suddenly found himself flat on his back staring up at the sails and rigging flapping in the stiff wind.
Koala managed to catch his head, her quick reflexes saving him from a concussion on top of all the other pains he could now feel seeping into his body. He shivered as the freezing rain continued to pelt down on them.
"Someone go get Hack back out here! We'll carry him inside," Koala ordered before her gaze flickered back down to him. His body felt heavy and lethargic as she shifted him until his head rested on her knees as opposed to the hard deck. He saw Koala heave a sigh and shake her head slightly before reaching out to brush the damp strands of hair out of his face. "You can rest now, Sabo, you've done enough," she told him quietly.
Sabo closed his eyes, trusting in his friend's arms and finally allowing his aching body to relax as he succumbed to his exhaustion.
xxx
Awareness returned to Ace like a bolt of lightning. He jerked his eyes open with a weak gasp and quickly slammed them shut again as the early morning sun pouring through the porthole announced its presence. He could just make the faint cry of seagulls in the distance. Shielding his eyes with a hand, Ace forced himself up onto an elbow, ignoring his body's throbbing protests.
A quick scan of his body showed that someone had patched him up. His ribs were bound, his lacerations had been cleaned and he could feel a simple dressing covering the small gash to his temple.
Much to his relief, he could also feel the comforting heat of his Devil Fruit again, and a quick glance at his wrists confirmed the sea stone cuffs had been removed.
He forced himself to sit up and take note of his surroundings. He was on a bed, no one having bothered to cover him with sheets but his boots and belt had been thoughtfully removed. He was in a rather plain cabin, which he could only take to assume meant that they had managed to escape Blackbeard's ship. He certainly wouldn't have been given a cabin by anyone other than his brother.
But there was no sign of Sabo and even more worryingly, no sign that he had been in the cabin at all. The second bunk was empty, its mattress devoid of sheets and the chair by Ace's bedside had clearly been used as a table judging by the spare bandages and ointments that had been left behind.
Ace drew in a steadying breath and swung his legs to the floor. He was forced to pause as his body screamed at him to lie back down and rest but he ignored it. He needed to find his brother. He cast a quick look around for his boots and spotted them at the foot of the bed. He gingerly reached for them.
A small cough echoed from the doorway.
Ace jerked his head up and flinched as his back jarred painfully.
The young woman from Blackbeard's ship was smiling hesitantly at him, brown hair framing her face.
"The doctor will kill you for moving around so soon, you know," she said, taking a couple of steps forward. "We didn't have time to introduce ourselves earlier. I'm Koala. I work with your brother."
Ace glared and continued to pull on his boots. "I don't care," he mumbled. "Where's Sabo?"
"He's fine. He's in his cabin. You really should lie back down you know, those were some nasty wounds. Two days of rest won't have healed them," Koala said, casually linking her hands behind her back.
Ace shuddered as he acknowledged he had spent two days unconscious before he shook his head and glared at the young woman. "You're lying," he growled, his dark eyes boring into her. "If Sabo was really fine, he would be in here already chewing me a new one. But he's not. So where the hell is my brother?"
Koala stared blankly at him for several seconds before releasing a heavy sigh.
"Are you sure you, Sabo and Luffy aren't really related? You're all as stubborn as each other," she said, humourlessly. Ace just glowered at her. She frowned and sighed wearily. "Sabo is fine, I promise. And he really is in his cabin. He passed out from exhaustion as soon as we were clear of Blackbeard's ship."
Ace felt the tension drain out him instantly.
"Is he okay?" he asked quietly, memories of Blackbeard's hand wrapped around his brother's throat returning to him.
Koala snorted. "He pushed himself too hard, but that's nothing new. You'd have thought he'd have more sense than to go against Blackbeard when he was still recovering from fighting the CP9 agents at Enies Lobby," she said as she perched herself on the edge of the chair.
"I spoke to Sabo after that, he said him and Luffy were both fine," said Ace, a little confused.
Koala smiled. "Sabo didn't want Luffy to worry or feel guilty so he didn't say anything but he hurt his shoulder when he was taking out one of the marine warships," she explained easily. Ace rolled his eyes in disbelief even as his stomach knotted painfully at the thought of one of his brothers actually being on a marine warship, even if it was just to destroy it. "I know," Koala agreed with his silent disapproval.
"Anything else?" Ace prompted.
"He's black and blue like you," Koala continued, eyeing Ace's battered body, which was littered with bruises. "He fractured a couple of fingers trying his Haki coated Dragon Claw against Blackbeard. He can use Haki pretty well but he was already at his limit and it wasn't strong enough. The doctor said they'll heal in no time though," Koala assured him.
Ace nodded and rose to his feet shakily. Koala leapt up in alarm.
"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.
"To see Sabo," Ace insisted, walking slowly towards the door, mindful not to trip over his untied boot laces.
"I just told you how he was! I don't think walking around is going to do you any good at all," she said, quickly moving to block his way.
Ace scowled. "Look, you can either take me to Sabo's cabin, or I can wander around looking for it. Either way, I'm not staying in here," he said firmly.
Koala huffed and threw her hands in the air. "Why do I even bother? Come on, Sabo's cabin is upstairs in the officers' quarters."
Despite her obvious annoyance (Ace sensed that it was more concern than anything else) Koala kept the pace considerately slow, which Ace was extremely grateful for. He listened to the young woman's running commentary as they wandered through the internal corridor and up the blissfully short flight of stairs, using her voice to distract him from the burning ache in his back and shoulders.
He was panting and sweating heavily by the time they reached Sabo's cabin.
"Do you maybe want me to get you some painkillers?" Koala asked, biting her bottom lip worriedly.
Ace shook his head, leaning heavily against the door frame. "No, I'll be fine once I lay down," he offered her a weak smile.
Koala nodded and reached forward to open for the door for him. "I'll let the doctor know you'll be staying in here. It'll probably make it easier for him to check on his two most stubborn patients if you're in the same room. I'll make sure someone sends some food up for you guys in a few hours," she said with a soft smile, before turning and leaving Ace to it.
Ace entered the cabin cautiously, knowing his brother was a much lighter sleeper than he was and could wake up at any moment.
Unlike the cabin Ace had woken up in, Sabo's was dimly lit, a small curtain having been pulled across the porthole. There was just enough light for Ace to see that it was obviously solely for Sabo's use and there were various items – primarily books and what looked to be reports of various sorts – scattered over every available surface. Ace smiled fondly as he carefully picked his way over a couple of loose lead pipes which had been abandoned where they'd fallen.
He approached the bed warily, aware that if Sabo perceived a threat anywhere near his person, Ace could well end up on his backside half way across the ship before he could even blink. Ace's concern was unwarranted however, because as he finally caught sight of his brother he could tell immediately that Sabo was dead to the world. He was curled up on his side facing the door, one hand under his head and the other curled protectively around his midsection, carefully wrapped in starch white bandages.
Ace stared at the bandaged limb, guilt rising up to sit heavily on his chest. He glanced up to his brother's face. Curly blond locks fell across his cheek, covering his scar perfectly. He gently reached out and softly brushed the errant strands out of the way. The blond looked absolutely shattered, with deep, dark circles under his eyes.
Ace let his gaze drift down until he reached Sabo's neck. He hissed, gently pulling down the shirt collar so he could fully examine the heavy bruising that stood out harshly against Sabo's pale skin. He could see each individual finger mark, a testament to just how hard Blackbeard had squeezed. Ace choked as he realised the traitor could've easily have killed his brother.
His vision began to blur as hot tears threatened to fall. He drew in a few deep, shuddering breaths before carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed to kick off his boots. He reached down and slowly pulled up the light sheet at the end of the bed which Sabo had no doubt thrown off at some point. He laid down next to his brother, drawing the sheet up and around their shoulders protectively, creating a cosy cocoon, the small space quickly warming up with the natural heat radiating off of him.
Ace watched his unconscious brother, taking comfort from the soft breathing and silently vowing that Blackbeard was never going to get his traitorous hands on either of his brothers again whilst there was still breath in his body.
It was a long time before he finally succumbed to some much needed rest.
xxx
Pain bloomed in Ace's jaw, his head snapping sharply to the left and he dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He grimaced and reached up to cup his cheek. His brother may have a few damaged fingers but he could still throw a damn good punch.
Ace dared a glance at Sabo, who was stood over him, practically vibrating with anger and glowering at him. Ace tried not to flinch. He was the one who lost his temper and lashed out, never Sabo, and for the blond to do so now revealed just how terrified he must have been.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Sabo ranted, restlessly dragging a hand through his hair. "Why do you always let your temper get the better of you? Do you realise how close you came to being incarcerated in Impel Down? You could see the marine ship on the horizon! And do you really think Luffy would have just stood by and let you get executed? No, he would have stormed the place!" Ace did flinch at that because there was no denying their little brother would have done everything in his power to free him, regardless of his own safety and whether or not it was actually possible. "You are so damn lucky we overheard about the handover, Ace," Sabo panted heavily and Ace could see he was shaking.
"I'm sorry," Ace whispered weakly, dropping his gaze.
Sabo dropped to his knees beside his fallen brother. He firmly tugged Ace's hand away from his jaw and softly traced the blooming red mark. "You could have dodged that you know," he said with a defeated sigh.
"I deserved it," Ace said quietly, leaning into the gentle touch.
"I'm not gonna argue with that," said Sabo, before roughly pulling the other to his feet. "Seriously though, what were you thinking? You couldn't have thought of a better plan than chasing the guy halfway 'round the Grand Line?" he asked, as Ace let himself be guided back to Sabo's bed and firmly sat down. Ace stared at the floor silently. Sabo sighed heavily. "I guess I don't need ask if you're going to go after Blackbeard again, do I?" he said wearily.
"No," Ace said instantly. He turned to Sabo, who still looked far too tired for Ace's liking, despite spending the better part of the last three days sleeping. "He killed Thatch, and that's something I can't forgive. He also seems to have taken an interest in Luffy, which worries me," Ace admitted.
"Mm, he shared that little detail with me too," Sabo confessed, his frown deepening. "With you now out of his reach, he may well start targeting Luffy again," the blond muttered, his concern obvious.
Ace's chest clenched painfully at the suggestion, eyes falling to the heavy bruising still marring Sabo's neck. Worrying about his brothers was something Ace had quickly realised was a given, especially with Luffy. Sabo he could count on to have at least an ounce of common sense but Luffy had absolutely none.
Ace couldn't help the small shiver that ran through him at the thought of Blackbeard hunting their little brother. Luffy would put up a good fight but he would ultimately be overpowered. He may well remain completely oblivious to the danger he was in until it was too late.
"Do you think Blackbeard will go after Luffy straight away?" Sabo asked, worriedly.
Ace considered the question before slowly shaking his head. "I doubt it. If he's going to be denied Warlord status because he lost me, he'll probably sulk and lick his wounds for a while," he said, trying to recall what he knew about the traitor's behaviour. He honestly hadn't spent all that much time around him. The man had always held himself aloof from many other members of the Whitebeard Pirates. Ace had simply thought he was anti-social, not plotting murder and betrayal. "He may be an arrogant bastard, but he's not stupid. He knows we're aware his aim is Luffy now. He won't go after him until he thinks we're out the way," Ace concluded.
"We need to warn Luffy," said Sabo, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Hopefully he'll understand this is serious and be more cautious."
"Ha! Luffy, be careful? That'll be the day," Ace huffed. "All he ever does is worry me, stupid little brother that he is," he added. Sabo snorted lightly at the look of despair on his brother's face.
"I need to get rid of Blackbeard," Ace said quietly, resolute in his decision.
"I agree," said Sabo, finally smiling faintly. He lightly punched Ace's shoulder. "But maybe you can up with a plan, rather than charging in blindly. And you should probably speak to Whitebeard," he suggested.
"I made a promise with Luffy that we would live a life without regrets," Ace said, suddenly desperate for Sabo to understand him. "I can't let what Blackbeard did to Thatch go, Sabo, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
Sabo studied him thoughtfully. "Would you regret not seeing Luffy fulfil his dreams?" he asked quietly, eyes boring into him. Ace felt his face fall slack at the suggestion and he could offer the blond no response because they both knew the answer was a resounding yes. As much as he loved and respected Whitebeard and had vowed to make him Pirate King, it was Luffy he wanted to see flourish more than anyone.
"Come on, let's go see if we can raid the galley. I'm starving," Sabo said, abruptly changing the subject, much to Ace's relief. Sabo's words had cut deep. He really did need to think through his next course of action. Blackbeard clearly had the edge over him at the moment, but that didn't mean he was unbeatable.
"Where are you headed next?" Ace asked, as Sabo quickly went about the cabin trying to find his boots.
"Um, I imagine Dragon-san will want me back in the New World soon," Sabo said with a careless shrug. "You're welcome to stay with us as long as you want though," he added with a smile.
Ace gratefully returned it. Spending some time with his brother sounded exactly like what he needed right now.
His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
Sabo laughed "Come on, let's go feed that bottomless pit of yours," he teased, tugging Ace from the cabin.
xxx
"I thought the doctor said you should still be resting?"
Sabo glanced over the top of the reports in his hand at his brother, who was scowling at him from the doorway of his cabin, his recovered bag in hand. His hat was lost unfortunately, and Ace was already grumbling about having to find a new one.
"I am resting," the blond insisted, gesturing at himself. "See, I'm lying down and everything," he smirked as he returned his attention to the papers. He watched out the corner of one eye as Ace quickly stalked across the cabin, the Commander's possessions being discarded into a corner with a resounding thump before the papers were ripped out of his hands. Ace flung them carelessly onto the desk before dropping down, albeit very carefully as his ribs were still bound, onto the bed beside him.
"I was reading those," said Sabo, staring forlornly across his brother at the desk.
"Well, now you're not," Ace huffed, settling down onto his back.
"I hurt my hand, Ace, not my head." Ace snorted loudly and Sabo swiftly swatted him in retaliation. "I'm perfectly capable of reading a couple of reports," he grumbled but he made no move to reach for them, knowing full well Ace would only throw them somewhere else and he would never find them again – and he really did need to read them at some point.
"It wouldn't just be a couple of reports and you know it," Ace grinned before gently prodding his brother lightly in the forehead. "Besides, you still look far too tired. It's not a good look on you," he added.
Sabo frowned and slapped Ace's hand away. He was tired, he could admit that; it had been a draining few months despite many of the good results the Revolutionaries had been seeing, but he must look worse than he first thought if Ace was choosing voicing his rather unsubtle concern.
"Fine, you win," he conceded. He was pinning all the blame on his paperwork being late on Ace though when Koala came around demanding it. He was almost looking forward to seeing Ace's reaction to the small whirlwind of fury he called his best friend. Let Ace see how he liked having his face pinched and pulled, was all Sabo thought as he settled down and basked in the silence of the cabin.
Just as Sabo was beginning to nod off, Ace gently nudged his arm. "Thanks for coming after me," he whispered.
Sabo's eyes shot open in surprise and he gawked slightly at the Commander, who was steadfastly staring at the ceiling. He hadn't thought that Ace would ever bring himself to acknowledge Sabo's actions, either out of pride or embarrassment, but it seemed Ace could be just as unpredictable as Luffy.
"Don't mention it. You'd have done the same if it was me or Luffy," Sabo said quietly, a soft smile breaking out. He shifted until their shoulders were pressed together. He felt Ace lean into him ever so slightly in return after a moment's hesitation.
"I spoke to Marco," said Ace, clearing his throat, his face a little red which caused Sabo to smirk at his bashfulness. "He said they were relieved I was fine but he wasn't very impressed. He said to tell you, you have permission to punch me if I get any more reckless ideas," he huffed. Sabo had to wonder what on earth the First Division Commander had threatened his brother with to get Ace to tell Sabo that little piece of information.
Sabo chuckled. "I'd have done that even without Phoenix's permission," he assured his brother, only to receive a glare in return. "Was he okay with you staying with us?"
Ace nodded and Sabo could see the relief clearly on his face. He knew his brother had been worrying whether more time away from the crew would be acceptable since he had no plans to go after Blackbeard for time being.
"We're going to meet up in the New-" Ace started before being cut off as a shrill call sounded from the desk.
Purupurupuru. Purupurupuru.
Sabo groaned as he recognised the sudden noise invading the cabin as his den den mushi. He made to sit up but Ace grabbed his arm.
"Just ignore it," Ace implored, sounding remarkably like Luffy, but Sabo shook his head and leant carefully over his brother to snatch up the screaming snail from the floor.
"I can't ignore it. There are less than ten people in the world who have this number, you and Luffy included," Sabo told his brother, "it'll be important."
He clicked the connection as Ace groaned in despair.
"Sabo."
The Revolutionary froze as his breath caught in his chest and his eyes widened, the small snail almost slipping from his grasp. He hadn't heard that voice for years and for him to be calling now could only lead to trouble.
"It's Bartholomew Kuma. I have some information for you. It's about Straw Hat."
XXX
To be continued…
Ooh, another cliffhanger for you! Aren't I kind? As always, please let me know what you think. I'd be interested to hear what you thought of the action scenes, I'm trying desperately to improve on those so some feedback would be lovely!
Okay, with regards to power levels as I'm anticipating some people will wonder; I've always imagined Ace and Sabo to be pretty much even. I'd give the edge to Ace as I think he has more raw power but Sabo is more calculating, which is why he was able to take advantage of the damage Ace had done to Blackbeard.