A/N: Ok, first off, thank you Alsheon for correcting me last chapter. I can't believe I wrote that Brook had the Yami-Yami no mi rather then the Yomi-Yomi no mi last chapter! I knew he ate the Yomi, but for some reason I wrote Yami instead, so that was my mistake! I corrected last chapter, so once again, thanks Alsheon for the comment! And thank you everyone else for all your wonderful comments as well! They mean the world to me! Finally, it seems I might end up updating more regularly on Wednesdays now with school and all, so expect these chapters Wednesdays instead!
The day passed slowly, Sniper deciding to entertain both of the crews with his tales of adventure, without, of course, spoiling the future for the past crew. Ace, Luffy and Monkey sat beside each other, both Luffy's watching with wide eyes, both Choppers doing the same as well, and Usopp was watching in awe, knowing that his future self wasn't lying, though was exagerating some bits.
Both Sanji's were noodling around both Nami's and Vivi, the two Zoros still napping, though throwing snide remarks at their respective Sanjis, ultimately causing fights. Franky had finished examining the Merry and was instead working on new inventions that he was thinking up. Brook decided to finish playing his violin in favor of having some tea, calmly watching the sea while listening to the chatter on deck. Nami and Cat Burglar, after discussing a hundred plus ways to increase Zoros debt, decided to indulge the Sanjis, asking them for drinks or a better place where there was more shade. Vivi was awkwardly doing the same, not sure how to handle the twos attention as she followed Nami and Cat Burglar to a shaded part of the deck with chairs that the Sanjis set up.
Robin was still reading, though was coming to the end of the long book, and she was growing more and more intrigued as pages passed. She was only about 100 pages away from the end and knew that just this book wouldn't be enough. If they wanted all the answers they would need to find another book about the island, or else there would be too much guessing.
"How's it coming along Robin?" Cat Burglar asked, having left Nami and Vivi with both Sanji's. Robin barely looked up from the book.
"Very interesting. I have a feeling we'll need more then this one book though if we want to know whats happening for sure." Robin explains, glancing at Cat Burglar, who nods.
"Alright, though I don't know where we would be able to get another book about the island here at Alabasta." She says, thinking.
"Didn't we have a small stash of books here?" Robin asks, remembering when she first joined. There had been a few books onboard but she hadn't read any of them, choosing to read her own instead. Cat Burglar thinks, nodding.
"Yeah, I think we do, I'll go check. What should I look for?" Nami asks.
"Anything involving the islands name, or anything about making peace, or the past." Robin says, returning to the book. Cat Burglar nods, heading off to look for a book of the description.
"Any leads?" Nami asks her double as she watches her walk by. Vivi looks on in interest as well. Cat burglar shrugs.
"Not really, but we need more books about the island. You have a stash of books onboard somewhere, right?" Cat Burglar asks and Nami nods.
"Yeah, not much with these idiots on board, but Kaya gave us a few from her home before we left. I think they were in storage." Nami said. Cat Burglar nods, heading off to the storage room.
"And then, I kid you not, it was a rabbit and a dog!" Sniper says dramatically, the audience awing, Ace smiling in amusement.
"Really?! A talking Rabbit and Dog?! Like me?" Chopper questions, and Sniper nods.
"Yes yes, both talked and walked like you Chopper! We were already famous among them, after a slight cannibal incident..." Sniper says, trailing off. Monkey laughs.
"Shishishi, that was funny! Sniper thought they were trying to eat me!" Monkey laughs. Sniper pouts.
"Its not my fault! Robin was filling our heads with cannibal tribes and what was I supposed to think when I saw her biting your ear?!" Sniper whined, only causing them to erupt into a fit of laughter. Sniper was ready to continue with the story when there was a crash. A loud one. Water engulfed them suddenly and most could only scream in terror, the devil fruit users grabbing onto whatever they could to keep them from getting washed away. As quickly as the water came it dissipated, puddles surrounding the Going Merry as everyone picked themselves up, checking to make sure everyone was ok.
"What happened?! I leave for five minutes and you idiots... cause... trouble..." Cat Burglar said, marching on deck angrily before she slows down, noticing the newest addition. Everyone looked over to where the crash occurred, right beside the Merry, and could only blink in shock.
Right beside the Going Merry was a ship. A ship that was much bigger, brighter, and had a familiar Lion figurehead.
"Sunny!" Monkey shouted happily, catapulting himself over to the ship.
"S-Sunny?! W-wait! How did that giant ship get here?!" Usopp asked in shock, not understanding how such a giant ship had just appeared beside them. The past crew still watched in shock, though the future ones got over it quickly, smiling as they saw the familiar ship.
"She came with us." Roronoa said simply, jumping onto the Merry's railing and launching himself over to the Sunny's grassy deck where Monkey was cheering happily and running around. The rest of the future crew followed and the past crew didn't know what to do.
"T-That's a big ship!" Vivi said in awe, and the past members nodded their agreement.
"Are you guys coming or what?!" Monkey asked, a giant smile on his face. The past members looked at each other, but before they could respond Luffy cheered, running and launching himself over, much in the same way Monkey had, laughing all the while.
"It sooooo cool! There's a slide! And a swing! And grass!" Luffy shouted, naming the many things he saw. Everyone's interest went up and they soon followed after, wanting to see this amazing new ship. Zoro and Roronoa tied the Merry to the Sunny before joining the others.
"Sugoi~! There's so many cool things!" Chopper shouted, Luffy Usopp, and him all running around wildly.
"This is pretty amazing." Nami said in awe, admiring the grassy deck. The rest of the past members nodded in agreement.
"So whose ship is this?" Sanji asked, and suddenly the future members faltered.
"Uh, you know..." Tony started lamely, rubbing the back of his head and laughing nervously.
"Its uh... our... Vacation Ship!" Sniper said loudly, causing the past members to look at him skeptically.
"Our vacation ship?" Zoro asked in a tone that let everyone know he wasn't buying Snipers lie. Sniper nodded confidently, posing and raising his head.
"Yes indeed, our vacation ship! Franky here made it for us! Since Merry is so small for our growing crew we had Sunny here made to fit everyone more comfortably!" Sniper explained, and though still skeptical the past members nodded, the future members glad that they didn't question further and even happier at Snipers ability to lie.
"Wow, we have a vacation ship! Ace d'you hear that?!" Luffy asked happily, easily buying the lie. Ace nodded, smiling.
"It is impressive Lu." He said, ruffling his brothers hair.
"This ship looks like so much fun!" Chopper cheered, also buying the lie.
"Well the insides even better!" Franky boasted, posing as well. Everyone smiled.
"He's right, we even have an aquarium!" Tony added, making the past members raise eyebrows in skepticism.
"An aquarium?" Vivi asked, and the future members nodded.
"Yeah! Come on, I'll show you!" Monkey cheered, he, Sniper, Franky and Chopper leading the past crew to a tour of the Sunny, the rest of the future crew staying on deck, sighing in relief.
"Man, its a good thing he can lie." Black Leg said, heading off to the kitchen to see if everything was still the same.
"Im going to go train." Roronoa said in a bored tone, heading off to the observation room. Brook laughed.
"Yohohoho~! I hope none of my instruments were harmed!" Brook said before heading off below deck to check. Cat Burglar sighed.
"This day is just getting more and more crazy." She said, face in hand. Robin smiled.
"Did you happen to find any books?" Robin asked, and Nami looked in surprise, forgetting what she had been doing earlier.
"Oh, right! No, we didn't have anything on Merry." She said apologetically, but Robin waved it off.
"It was to be expected, but now that we've got Sunny back I can look in our library more, I think I saw a few other books before we came to the past." Robin said, already heading off. Cat Burglar nodded.
"Alright, I'll be on deck. Knowing our luck a storm will hit." Cat Burglar said. Robin smiled, nodding and leaving the deck. Cat Burglar sighed, glancing around and letting the surrealism finally hit her.
They were in the past.
Shaking her head she sat on the bench, leaning against the mast and closing her eyes. Only the Straw Hat crew would experience something as crazy as this.
No more then an hour later the crews were on deck, relaxing, when a voice spoke up.
"Straw Hats! I will take your bounties and become a number agent!" The voice called loudly across the Thousand Sunny's deck where the two crews were relaxing, waiting for Robin to finish in the library. They had almost forgotten they were at Alabasta trying to save Vivi's country.
"Shishishi~! More of these guys!" Luffy cheered excitedly while Cat Burglar immediately tried steering the future members inside.
"But N- Cat Burglar~! I wanna fight too!" Monkey whined, grabbing the doorway in protest as the red head wrangled all of them inside. She bonked his head.
"NO! If someone here in the past sees us it'll only cause us more trouble! Besides, this didn't happen in our past! Especially not seeing our future selves!" Cat Burglar shouted, pushing the last of the future members in and closing the door. The past members were fighting the few billions members that were outside wanting to fight, Ace helping and Vivi freaking out, but helping as much as she could. Inside Monkey was pouting.
"Man~! I want to fight!" He whined, only causing Cat Burglar to sigh once more, not bothering to explain again.
"It is weird though, I don't remember this happening in our past..." Tony said thoughtfully, Sniper nodding his agreement.
"Yeah, we just went to Yuba and after a while Ace left, that was it, we never took this long to get there." Sniper added.
"What does it mean though?" Brook asked.
"The past is changing." Roronoa said bluntly. Cat Burglar nodded.
"Whether its good or bad we wont know, but we should try and get home faster, if things change too much who knows what would happen!" Cat Burglar said fearfully.
"That's correct, and I think I finally know how to get us back." Robins voice spoke up as she walked over to them, leaving the library.
"Robin-Chwan~! I knew you would!" Black Leg swooned, noodling around her.
"What is it Robin-sis?" Franky asked. Robin held a book up, smiling.
"I'll explain to everyone, the fight is over." Robin said, nodding her head to the door leading to the deck. Everyone nodded, all filing outside where there were billion men scattered all over, Zoro tying them up and Sanji throwing them onto their boats they had brought.
"Robin found out how to get us home!" Monkey called happily, beaming. The past members looked over.
"Really?" Chopper asked.
"Mm, she said she'll explain to everyone!" Monkey said, plopping down on the grassy deck. This prompted everyone to sit down as well, Zoro and Sanji finishing up with the billions quickly.
"So, how do you get back?" Luffy asked.
"Its simple really. We were right to believe it was the island we were approaching that sent us back. The island, Heiwa, or peace, has a legend." Robin started.
"Its not a bad legend, is it?" Sniper asked fearfully, not wanting to be cursed. Robin smiled, shaking her head.
"No, in fact-" She was cut off when, for the hundredth time that day, they heard the cliche crash, interrupting the conversation. This time everyone was confused. Who else, or what else, would be coming back from the future? After all, everyone was here already, even the Sunny! There was a man there, still reeling from his fall.
"Ah man, that hurt." The mans voice was familiar to the future crew, minus Black Leg, Tony, and Brook. Monkey looked over in shock.
"Sa-! Oh... OH! Uh... TASO! Yeah, Taso! Hey, its-... uh, weird seeing you here too, huh Taso?!" Monkey asked, sweating furiously and making it painfully obvious something was up. The man who had just landed looked at him in confusion before noticing his surroundings, only furthering his confusion when he saw almost everyone on board had a double. He looked around some more, and then his eyes widened in shock, eyes almost too big for his face.
"A-Ac-?"
"Uh- hey! Taso, I gotta show you- uh... Something in the galley!" Monkey shouts, and soon Taso was being dragged away into the galley. Roronoa, knowing that no one from the past should overhear, stood up and guarded the door.
"Cat Burglar, Love cook, Brook, and Tony, you should probably go in." Roronoa said, and they did without question, though they were immensely curious as to what was happening. Sniper laughed awkwardly as the four left.
"So, uh, why don't I tell a story?!" Sniper asked nervously, and he tried his best to continue like nothing happened, though everyone from the past wanted to know who just showed up.
Inside the galley Monkey sighed with relief, 'Taso' still stiff with shock, eyes still wide and mouth slightly agape. Monkey just stood up, ready to explain things when the four Roronoa told to enter came in.
"Luffy, what going on?" Cat Burglar asks in her no nonsense tone as she enters, dropping the Monkey. Monkey laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, uh, you see, this is Sabo, my older brother that you guys didn't meet at Dressrosa." Monkey said, a little fast, and their eyes widened in understanding.
"That's why you resorted to your bad acting." Black Leg said matter of factly, and Monkey nodded. Ace and Luffy thought Sabo was dead.
"L-Luffy, did I just see who I think I saw?" Sabo questions in a soft voice, looking Monkey in the eye. Monkey shifted nervously, frowning, but nodding.
"Yeah... Sabo... That's Ace..." Everyone sat in silence, Sabo still in a state of shock, while the rest shifted nervously. Finally Sabo spoke up.
"H-How?" She asks.
"That's a bit confusing Sabo-san. You see, were in the past." Brook says, once again shocking the revolutionary.
"T-The past?!" Sabo all but shouts in his shock. They nod.
"But how? How is that even possible?" Sabo asks, trying to brush the shock away and figure things out.
"Actually, thats our fault, Robin-Chwan figured out how we got here and how we get back. She was just about to tell us when you appeared." Black Leg explained.
"So... about the past members..." Brook began, everyone frowning.
"Ace and past me don't know your alive..." Monkey said softly to Sabo who nodded.
"What do they know?" Sabo asks. Monkey frowns again.
"They know Ace is, um.. dead... and a little bit of how it happened, but nothing else." Tony explains, and Sabo nods.
"Should we tell them who you are?" Cat Burglar asks. Sabo and Moneky look at each other.
"Monkey already did some pretty bad acting, and it would probably only be a matter of time until someone figures something out." Black leg adds.
"Ace would probably figure it out..." Monkey says, agreeing.
"Our past is screwed." Cat Burglar groans, closing her eyes.
"It sure will be interesting." Brook says, almost laughing.
"Well, for future reference, everyone with a double, like Luffy Nami and I, are being called by our last names or nick names, like Monkey, Cat Burglar and Tony, to make it less confusing." Tony informed as everyone got ready to introduce the two newest additions. Sabo nodded, getting ready to face the past members. He was getting a little nervous, not that he would admit it. Monkey left first, a nervous smile on his face.
"Monkey, what going on? Who were those two?" Chopper asks curiously, everyone's heads swiveling to the group. Monkey laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
"Shishishi, well, uh, That's actually a funny story..." Monkey says, Sabo walking out finally, gaining everyone's attention once again. Ace's eyes narrow, but he otherwise doesn't say anything, waiting for Monkey to explain.
"Well... uh... Ace... Luffy... this is... uh... Sabo.." Monkey said, stumbling over the words. There was no real good way to introduce your dead brother to you past self and your other dead brother.
"Sabo?" Luffy asked, seeming to put the pieces together in his mind.
"Sabo, like... Sabo?" He asked, still not completely sure, his face turning red from thinking. Monkey nodded. It was quiet a moment before Luffy's face lit up.
"That's so cool! They have the same names!" Luffy said happily, the future members face palming. Ace still looked at Sabo with narrowed eyes, also trying to put the pieces together.
"Ace, Luffy, this is Sabo, your brother." Cat Burglar said slowly, hoping it would help them understand. Luffy frowned now, looking at Sabo again, and Ace's eyes narrowed even more. The intense stare Ace was giving Sabo unnerved him slightly and he had a feeling he knew how Ace would react.
"S-Sabo? I-Its... Its Sabo?!" Luffy stuttered out, standing up quickly. The past members eyes had widened at the information, watching the three closely.
"B-But... But Sabo-... Sabo died! S-Sabo... Sabo... Sabo!" Luffy screamed, running over to Sabo and wrapping his arms and legs around his brother tightly, crying loudly and openly. Sabo laughed, having deja-vu of when Monkey saw him again.
"Even in the past your still a crybaby I see." Sabo said matter of factly, causing Luffy to sniffle and glare slightly, Monkey glaring and pouting as well.
"Nu uh! Im not a crybaby anymore! See!" Luffy protested, trying his best not to let anymore tears fall, failing miserably. Sabo laughed.
"I guess not, huh?" Sabo asked, turning his attention from his baby brother to Ace who was standing up, making his way over to Sabo. Luffy, also noticing this, jumped off of Sabo, though reluctantly. Ace stood in front of Sabo, eyes narrowed, staring Sabo in the eyes.
"Your Sabo?" He asks, his tone making it hard to decipher his feelings at the moment. Sabo nodded.
"The one and only." Sabo said, trying to ease his nerves. It was unnerving to see someone you knew should be dead, yet was perfectly healthy, right in front of you.
"If you are Sabo then what did we promise each other as kids?" Ace asked, and Sabo's eyes softened.
"We would be the freest on the seas, no one to hold us back." Sabo said firmly, and it gave the past and future crew insight into Monkey and Luffy's intense want for freedom. Ace was silent a moment before he pulled his fist back and swung quickly, Sabo sighing and tensing in preparation for the hit, knowing it was coming. He was sent flying and there were many audible gasps. Ace had been the picture perfect brother, calm, polite, caring, and suddenly he was punching his supposed brother! Even the future crew was shocked, having not seen this side of Ace either.
"Shishishi~! He got you good Sabo!" Monkey laughed, and this only confused the crews more.
"Eh, I expected it, we both know how short tempered Ace can be." Sabo said, shrugging it off as he stood back up, only furthering the crews shock. Short tempered?! He was the opposite of that!
"Ace! Why'd you hit him?!" Luffy whined, though didn't do much to protest the action other then that. Ace shrugged.
"He deserved it! Where have you been all these years?! We thought you had died idiot!" Ace shouted, turning on Sabo who once again sighed, though Vivi butt in.
"Now now, before you start throwing more punches why don't we sit down so everyone can explain. I'd rather not have someone die here, especially when we need them to get back to.. their time." Vivi said, and Ace tsked.
"I wouldn't kill him, just... beat him up a bit." Ace said, and Sabo laughed.
"Like that would happen, we were always tied remember? Not to mention, Im from the future." Sabo said gloatingly, and Ace glared at him, acting the complete opposite of what he had around the Straw Hats. Everyone returned to sitting on the deck, silent until Luffy spoke up.
"So where have you been?!" He asks anxiously.
"Well, the answer to that is easy. That day, when I... 'died' I was shot down by a Tenryuubito and when I woke up I had no recollection of anything except for the fact that I didn't want to go back home. I had amnesia." Sabo said, shocking Luffy and Ace, as well as members of both the future and the past crew.
"T-Tenryuubitos?!" Cat Burglar asked in shock, not having known much about Sabo since she had been at Zou at the time when the others met him. Sabo nodded.
"Its a long story but I was saved by... a certain someone. Actually, if we are in the past, then Im still being trained right now." Sabo said, and Ace raised an eyebrow, Luffy tilting his head.
"Trained?" Luffy asked. Sabo nodded.
"This might come as a surprise, but I didn't become a pirate." Sabo says, and surprise it did. Ace and Luffy's eyes widened comically.
"Your not a pirate?! But why?!" Luffy asked in shock, and Sabo laughed.
"Well, I didn't remember that I wanted to be a pirate, and the person who saved me is the leader of a certain... Organization. That's where I grew up." Sabo explains, and everyone nods their understanding, though Luffy was pouting. Ace frowns.
"So how did you get your memories back?" Ace asks. Sabo looks down sadly.
"You said he knows? About the war?" Sabo asks Monkey softly, and Ace's heart sinks again, as well as the past members. Monkey nods mutely, also looking down and frowning. Sabo nods, taking a deep breath.
"When... when the war happened... it got a lot of coverage. Every snail and reporter was documenting every second of the war, from beginning to end. When... when the war ended papers were released almost instantly with the results. I had just gotten back from a mission with a friend when everyone was freaking out about what had happened. I walked into the main room where there was a paper on the table, one with the wars results. I faintly remember someone saying the news out loud, but when I saw... I saw your picture, and the words saying Fire Fist Ace had died... all my memories came crashing back to me at once." Sabo says softly, distantly as he remembered that day.
"My friend, Koala, said I started freaking out out of no where, had no idea what had happened to me. She said I was a mess and before anyone knew it I had passed out. They guessed I had gotten my memories back and when I woke up Koala was scared that I would leave the organization, but I said I would stay." Sabo said.
"After some events after the war we were eventually taken to an island that Lu- uh, Monkey just so happened to be on at the time. When he saw me it was the same way your Luffy reacted, crying, disbelief and clinging to me." Sabo said, laughing, causing Monkey to pout.
"Its not my fault! After all, I thought... I thought that both of you..." Monkey didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he would have said. Sabo nodded, bumping shoulders with Monkey.
"Yeah, sorry about that Lu." He says, and Monkey shrugs, still frowning and not responding. Everyone else was frowning, realizing how lonely Monkey must have felt, thinking he was the last of both of his brothers to survive.
"But... but your alive right now, right?" Luffy asked, and Sabo nodded.
"So we could find your past self?!" Luffy asked a little more enthusiastic. Sabo smiled slightly.
"I don't think that's such a good idea Lu, we already messed up the past a lot by telling you guys about... Ace, and now about me. Don't worry though, you will end up seeing me again!" Sabo said, and though pouting Luffy nodded.
"This day just gets crazier and crazier." Sanji says with a sigh, everyone nodding their agreement.
"What's gonna happen next, crazy marines show up from the future?" Usopp asks. Zoro smirks.
"Don't jinx it Usopp." He says evilly, and Usopp yelps, covering his mouth.
"I don't want to see crazy marines!" Chopper cries in terror, clinging to Zoro's face, blocking the swordsman's eyesight.
"Ah, if you don't mind, could you tell us how far in the past I am?" Sabo asks, speaking up over the commotion. Everyone turned to look at him, the past crew calming down.
"This is when we went to Yuba, so we believe its about 3 years." Cat Burglar explains, and Sabo nods.
"That's when you guys fought Crocodile, right? I remember reading about that, Dra-, ah, I mean, our organizations leader was pretty proud, it makes more sense now that we know his, uh, relation to... I'm just gonna stop talking."Sabo says, causing Monkey to laugh, leaving the past members confused.
"So we beat Crocodile?" Nami asks hopefully, hoping to alleviate some of the fear plaguing her when it came to her Captain challenging the Warlord.
"Nami~! We can't spoil the future!" Monkey whined, and Nami huffed in annoyance, but nodded in understanding.
"You said you guys knew how to get back, right?" Sabo asked, and they nodded.
"Robin was just telling us before you suddenly appeared." Brook said, and Sabo nodded, everyone turning back to Robin who smiled.
"Well, like I said before, it has to do with the legend surrounding the island we were approaching, Heiwa."