One Piece Goda belongs to. Author's notes bottom at.
Chapter Titles The Beatles belongs to.
Chapter Thirteen
I Saw Her Standing There (Pt. 2)
The lovely romantic park that Luffy and Nami went the other day started to look a little like Snow White's paradise, with pastel blue ribbons hung around from one tall wooden post to another, and sets of white fold-able chairs and tables stacked at one corner of the garden in preparation of the reception dinner. As Dadan and Makino strutted ahead admiring the decoration - Makino would compliment on almost everything while Dadan would pretend not to care, but at the same time, rearrange the flowers without anyone noticing - the three men tailed behind, Garp being last. Sabo and Koala had purposely hired non-Revolutionaries, given that Sabo's invited relatives consisted of pirates, former marine, labelled criminals, sweet commoners, business tycoons. A mix of everything you don't want to associate with the Revolutionary Army.
"You know what's funny?" Sabo said, as they walked to a wooden bench at one undisturbed side of the park, only to face the serene Grand Line ocean. "My real parents were the ones chasing the objectives of marrying me off, but to a royal, of course. Now that I'm really going to tie the knot, they weren't in the invitation list at all!"
"They were so mean to you, I don't like them," Luffy pouted with his arm folded.
Garp had nothing to say. Truth is, ever since the blonde man had appeared before him a few months ago for a heartwarming reunion, he had tasted a stronger bitter truth behind the world's fucked-up social hierarchy. With all his years devoted for justice, he did witness several cruel unfairness and inequality, but what was he to do? He was no Kuzan, to simply let his influential position go, as he know that he could protect more people with it. All he could do all these while was pulling a Smoker, sparing criminals with good deed, only to leave warnings and return to capture them the next time they face for battles. The more you step up the ladder, the more you realize the world is really fucked up, but also the more you will be tied with your responsibility of protecting the innocent commoners.
He really didn't blame his son for leading the supposedly most dangerous government-opposing army on the planet. If only he was there to save her, his own daughter-in-law...
He couldn't even save Ace, for fuck's sake.
Garp gave a pat on Sabo's shoulder, more like a manly, reassuring grip. "Kid, she's gonna be all your everything now. You need to protect her with all your life, you got that? I can't keep the entire Marines from hunting you guys..."
Sabo nodded, while Luffy paid attention as if he understood the conversation - well, if he was pretending, he was rather good at it.
"I won't blame you for anything, old man," the blonde said suddenly. "Ace's death... Wasn't your fault."
"Ace..." Luffy's eyes brimmed with tears. He was really a crybaby when it comes to his brother, worse off, he had two years of his life fighting off such heartbreaking scene which had often lingered in his mind before he mastered to control his thoughts. Luffy grinned widely as he wiped his tears with the sleeves of his red, unbuttoned shirt. "Ace is happy with his life! Nee, don't cry about it!"
Sabo disguised his horrendous sob as a snort. "I'm not crying, you are!"
Soon old man Garp joined the manly sobbing team, which earned them puzzled looks from Makino and Dadan from afar - 'what a bunch of crybabies,' Dadan commented.
Sabo nudged Luffy, arching an eyebrow with a playful smirk. "Hey, Lu. Want me to go for it?"
"You mean-"
"Yeah."
"Could you?"
"I've practiced a million times!"
"Do it! Do it!"
"Step aside, guys," the blonde man said. Luffy and Garp both gave him space, where he stood still, very stylishly, with both his fists being lit with flame. Sabo closed his eyes in full concentration. The flames on both his fist grew bigger, and soon, both his arms looked like they were engulfed in flames so majestically as if the fire was his wings. Swiftly, he threw his hands upwards, releasing a ball of fire onto the air above him - Luffy gaped in amazement.
Gathering all his strength, he jumped upwards, towards the fireball which remained burning brightly like a miniature of the sun. The heat was gathering around the fireball but Luffy and Garp remained at their spot, the former being excited for what he was going to witness and the latter being all curious, with a monologue of 'as long as you don't get yourself burnt'. Once Sabo's body was in the fireball, suspended in air, he made the fireball spun, as if it was a fiery Jupiter with rings around, along with himself. For a little moment, Sabo didn't really look like Sabo - instead, through the transparent flame, he looked as if he had jet black hair and freckles on his cheek. For a little moment, he looked as if he wasn't wearing any shirt on, but the Whitebeard jolly roger tattoo on his back was clear, as well as the 'ASCE' tattoo on his left arm.
For a little moment, he looked like their Ace.
Garp's jaw fell at the sight, and a little tear slid from his eye. Luffy was all excited and emotional at the sight, but although the Niagara falls rushed down his cheek horrendously, the wide grin never have left his face.
Once Sabo landed back on the ground, not noticing that he had accidentally burned some grass below his boots, the flames combusting off his body extinguished slowly. He raised one fist in the air, as if victoriously. "Thanks, Ace!"
Garp smiled as he watched those two young men.
"Man, Ace is gonna miss my big day, tomorrow," Sabo continued, readjusting his top hat.
Luffy threw his arm around Sabo's shoulder. "Don't worry, Sabo, you still have me! Shishishishi!"
"Thanks, Lu. Your snot is all over my shirt now."
"Eh, don't worry, don't worry," Luffy held his sleeve to brush on Sabo's shoulder, which was stained by Luffy's tears. "I'll just ask Nami to wash it for you later, she always does our laundry, sometimes Robin does it, but most of the times Nami would do it, she wouldn't mind."
"Course she wouldn't mind, if it's you," Sabo teased him. "Oi, after all, the old man approves, so watcha gonna do?"
"Heh?" Luffy rubbed the back of his head in confusion. He didn't manage to get the hint very quickly. He understood romance, a little, maybe, but he was just slow.
"Luffy," Garp interrupted suddenly, while moving himself next to them. "I'm a little worried that you're gonna breed a family of pirates if you gonna go with Cat Burglar Nami! But I guess that's life, eh. Even your grandma was originally a Marine when she was younger."
"Eh, so that means my mom is a revolutionary too?"
Garp gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Even Sabo's gonna marry someone of his own team, gahahaha! Did you grew up together?"
"Kinda," Sabo answered. "We've known each other since we were, younger. I was twelve when I first knew her... She was thirteen."
"Oh, the age where puberty kicks in!"
Luffy laughed, while Sabo blushed.
"So, how do you met Koala?"
Sabo was also very tempted to answer the question with "kids, in the summer of 1999..." but upon realizing that neither Luffy nor Garp would get the How I Met Your Mother book series reference, he abandoned the thought. Dramatically, he seated himself on the thin green turfing of the park and removed his top hat. Luffy and Garp joined him, easing themselves under the shades of a nearby cherry blossom tree. Casually, Sabo laid on his back on the turf, with his hands pillowing the back of his head.
Sabo was about ten years old when Monkey D Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army - also, the ferocious father of one of the most dangerous pirate in the seas, whichever sounded more badass - rescued him from his unfortunate shipwreck and brought him aboard the Dragon Express. Platform nine and three quarters might be filled with the witches and wizards with oddly-trained magical pets and Chocolate Frogs, but Dragon's ship was no less eccentric, if not mysterious and colourful at the same time. Initially, Dragon had agreed to release him once he recovered from the nearly fatal broken bones, emotional near-death fatigue and terrible burns that left his left eye scarred. But upon realizing the Revolutionary Army's true goal, he decided to stay - and plus, he was indebted to Dragon, who saved his life, after all.
By the time Sabo joined in, there weren't as much young revolutionaries near his age in the army. It was however logical, that young kids aren't that known to have experienced life-turning events resulting from the world's sick social injustice, and when they do, the grown ups would usually cover them at all costs, otherwise they would be annihilated. The only young revolutionaries he had seen around and befriended with is Starku Tony - the boy with the intelligence level of Vegapunk's, always secretly tucking his robotic red armor suit he had invented under his bed - and Loki - the dark-haired, lanky boy who was too passionate over the inequality of the World Government when Ohara was destroyed, as he hailed from there. He knew several other young ones, but they were nearing teens and were more often to be sent out for lightweight missions. And oh, there was this brunette too, the one he would spot training for martial art on the training grounds, if not, happily distributing pastries at the cafeteria during lunchtime.
By the time he was thirteen, he was jealous of the others being sent off for missions. Dragon insisted that he should still stay and train a little more, but the teen angst kicked in too early for the boy. He missed being on adventures - it's not that he hated being around the Headquarters, he sometimes would join several comrades out to restock their supply - and whatever thrill he had experienced battling monstrous animals and stealing loot from wandering pirates in Gray Terminal, was incomparable at all to his stay at the Revolutionary Army Headquarters. That was why he would sometimes sneak into the library and smuggle some of Dragon's logs and journal from his earlier adventures. Just for the sake of quenching the thirst for adventures.
There was one particular night whereby he was so tempted to take one of his adventure logs from the library. It was not empty by the time he got there, although it was already eleven thirty and everyone else had gone to sleep or super secret meetings. The girl he had recognized as the brunette of the martial arts, that Pastry Girl, was standing at the bookshelf of his choice, trying to reach the top shelf for a book.
He would want to help her, but he was rather embarrassed, but he was afraid Bunny Joe would caught him out of his bed again, so he ought to ignore the girl and take the book that he wanted. And then leave.
It was a little awkward how he hovered over her to reach for the book. He had never been so close to a girl - more or less his age, in especially. It made him weak in the knees, how a girl smelled like - lemon shampoo, and raspberry lotion. She smelled really good, it had been forever since he was around someone who doesn't smell like metal pipe, electronics, dirt, mud and sweat.
The girl flinched when she realized he was behind her. The moment he retrieved the book he wanted off the shelf, she turned towards him, stuttering at her spot. "Oh thank you, handsome top hat gentleman," he heard her say, suddenly. He initially did not get the meaning, but the girl was eyeing the book so much that he handed it to her - taking that she wanted to book in the first place. He let an inaudible sigh escape from his mouth, there goes a book of his choice.
The girl went off and propped herself on the gigantic pillow she had provided for herself alongside a mug of koala tea. Ignoring her, Sabo shrugged, and picked out another book from the same shelf. He returned to sit by the bay window of the library, legs folded after him on the floor. Examining the book in his lap, he mentally cursed. Well crap, he had read these already, and he was too lazy to go get another book.
He decided to wait, assuming that the girl would get bored of the log book - don't girls prefer John Green or one of those philosophical or history books, anyway? - and he would get the chance to have it all to himself. But the girl seemed to enjoy every page of the book, once or twice glance at him to smile. He was left dumbfounded, a little creeped out, if you must, but he wouldn't want to spoil his swag, so he hid his eyes under his top hat.
He grew sleepy over waiting, and later, they both fell asleep in the library for the rest of the night.
Endured the second week! Wasn't much of a downside, because I was really enjoying myself going around with music and doing that stuff I love and catching up while everyone gathered. The only challenge was sustaining my energy, because due to everything, I slept only 4 hours per day on average. Now I'm back in Joho, and the only thing left was my proposal defense presentation tomorrow morning!
I'm sorry this chapter wasn't LuNa-centric as well, oh.
As always, to readers, thanks for the reads, reviews, favourites and follows. I appreciated them very very much. I love you like I love fried chicken and ramen and teh tarik and shrimp dim sum and tom yam and roti Butterscotch Gardenia and mee hoon goreng.
