Chapter 5: Alcohol doesn´t affect Luffy

It was late, so Sabo and Nora had landed on Shukumei Island in the New World to rest and make the log pose set. Sabo had never liked the log poses used in the New World; there was always a chance that the island they were aiming for would disappear.

"Sabo, I´m tired" Nora whined, tugging at his arm.

"I know" Sabo said "Let´s go find an inn"

And that´s what they did, soon finding one. They rented a room and went in with Nora collapsing on to her bed right away. Sabo however, wasn´t tired.

"I´m going out to see the town" Sabo told.

"Okay, but don´t drink" Nora answered with a laugh, making Sabo roll his eyes "I won´t"

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Sabo was walking around the village when he felt a pair of eyes watching him. He walked to an empty alleyway so that he could see if he was being followed or if someone was just watching him by coincidence. When he heard the steps he knew he was being followed. He took his pipe and as soon as the other person was in sight he attacked, tackling the person easily and pressing the pole to his throat. What he saw made his eyes widen.

The person who had been following him was Luffy.

For a moment he just stood there before realizing to remove the pole from his brother´s throat. Luffy sat up, holding his throat. For a moment neither said anything, Sabo still in shock and Luffy trying to catch his breath.

"Lu-"whatever Sabo was about to say was interrupted by Luffy´s hand that met his face.

"What the hell was that for?" Luffy yelled. Sabo laid on the ground in shock; having expected Luffy to be at least bit more surprised from seeing him alive. They stared at each other for a long time before Sabo got up.

"I was waiting for a bit different reaction" he finally said. Luffy stared at him with an angry expression for a moment longer before braking in to a grin.

"Sabo!" he yelled, tackling his older brother to the ground.

"Yeah yeah, I´m alive" he said "Now get off!"

Luffy laughed, doing as his brother told him to.

"You don´t seem too surprised" Sabo said as he stood up, brushing dust from his clothes.

"Of course not; Robin gave me your letter" Luffy said, making Sabo freeze. She what?

"What letter?" he asked.

"Oh yeah" Luffy said, hitting his palm with his hand "Robin did say you were drunk while writing and that you probably wouldn´t remember it" he laughed "You know you shouldn´t drink"

Sabo sighed, massaging his temples.

"What was in the letter?" he asked. Luffy thought (yes, he can actually think) for a moment before answering: "You just told you were okay and with dad, then you told some things about out childhood and" Luffy laughed, causing Sabo to raise an eyebrow "And then you started to tell some things about Robin"

Sabo´s face went pale.

"Say what?"

Luffy laughed at his expression.

"Half of the letter was about Robin" he said "You were going on and on about how beautiful and hot she was, and how big her-"

"Don´t say anything anymore!" Sabo interrupted him, his face red as Shanks´ hair.

"You´re a pervert Sabo, has anyone ever told you that?" Luffy asked. Sabo shook his head, still embarrassed "I don´t think so"

Luffy laughed, making Sabo even more embarrassed.

"Damn that woman, I bet she read the letter too" Sabo thought, his face going pale again "I´m going to hear about it if I ever meet her again"

He knew Luffy was telling the truth; it´s not like his naive little brother would, or rather could come up with something like that. Besides, the things Luffy said did sound like Sabo´s own thoughts, not that he´d ever say them out aloud. He did think Robin was beautiful, hot etc, but if he had been clear headed he had never wrote that. And it was not like her looks were the only thing he liked about; she was also smart and fun in her own sarcastic and a bit sadistic way. But of course any of that hadn´t ended up in the damn letter… damn it.

"You okay Sabo?" Luffy asked, waiving his hand in front of his brother´s face.

"Yeah, I´m fine" Sabo answered, having already forgotten that his brother was there.

"You were thinking about Robin weren´t you?" Luffy asked, getting hit on the head.

"Shut up" Sabo muttered.

"You were!" Luffy said with a grin.

"Whatever" Sabo said with a sigh "How about we go get something to eat?"

"Sure!" Luffy said. Sabo smiled; some things never chanced. The best way to get Luffy´s attention elsewhere was mentioning food.

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They ended up in to a restaurant where Sabo tried to tell his brother that he shouldn´t drink but Luffy told that he could hold his alcohol just fine. That, of course, was a big plow to Sabo´s ego, but it still didn´t stop him from starting an eating competition with his brother. Soon Luffy started to tell Sabo about his adventures, from the whirlpool to Amazon Lily, stopping at the part where he and Margaret were at elder Nyon´s place.

"Ace would have wanted to know…" Luffy muttered. Sabo blinked, realizing he hadn´t told Luffy yet.

"Actually I met Ace a bit after he set sail" Sabo told, waiting for his little brother´s reaction. Luffy´s eyes widened "What?"

"It was only once, and I told him not to tell you. I wanted to do it myself" Sabo smiled nervously at the last part "But in the end I messed up that too"

Sabo´s small smile broke when Luffy´s fist met his face.

"Idiot!" Luffy yelled as his brother flew to the other side of the room, making the other customers look at them.

"Sorry" Sabo said simply, holding his face. Luffy sighed, lowering his hand.

"Do you want to hear the rest?" the younger boy asked, making the older one nod and return to their table. Luffy told Sabo how he sneaked in to Impel Down with Hancock´s help, met with Buggy, 3 and Bon-chan again and how he got poisoned by Magellan. The fact that Sabo paled when Inazuma was mentioned went unnoticed by Luffy, which his older brother was grateful for. He told how he was saved by Ivankov and Sabo made a mental note to thank the man later. Then Luffy told about Jimbei, Crocodile, Bon Clay´s sacrifice and their escape. He told about the War of the Best with a quieter voice, but it became normal again as he started to tell about their adventures in Fishman Island and victory in Punk Hazard.

"So what have you been doing?" Luffy asked, finally going to let his brother tell about his own life.

"My life has been pretty simple really; training, studying, missions given by Dragon, more training… it´s always the same" Sabo told.

"No parties?" Luffy asked and his brother gave him a look that said "are you forgetting something." When the idiot didn´t get the point Sabo said: "I usually avoid parties because of the alcohol."

"Right" Luffy said with a laugh "How many times have you gotten drunk after the first time? 10? 15?"

"Twice" Sabo replied, making Luffy spit out his drink.

"Only twice!" Luffy yelled "Sabo, pirates need to live a little!"

"But I´m a revolutionary" Sabo pointed out "And I can live just fine without alcohol"

"Agues so" Luffy said and then laughed "My first mate and navigator wouldn´t live without alcohol though"

Sabo laughed at this.

"I should go before my companion gets worried" he said, standing up.

"Your girlfriend?" Luffy asked, making Sabo look at him funnily.

"Where did you learn that word?" he asked with a laugh "And no, we´re just working together"

"That´s boring" Luffy pouted. Sabo stared at Luffy. Had he really chanced this much? Sure 12 years was a long time, but he had never expected Luffy to be even interested in those kinds of things. Realization that he was made Sabo even more embarrassed about the letter.

"Are you sure you´re not drunk Luffy?"

"Nah; you´d need much more than this to get me drunk" Luffy replied with a grin, making Sabo sigh. His little brother would definitely out drink him if he ever got a chance.

"Well it was great seeing you again, but I need to leave now" Sabo told.

"Can´t you come to meet my crew? The restaurant they´re partying in isn´t too far away; it wouldn´t take long" Luffy told "And then you could come to see our ship where our musician is keeping watch"

Sabo smiled; Luffy had actually learned to reason instead of repeating that he just wanted something.

"Sorry Lu, I can´t" the blonde said, sweat dropping when his brother yelled: "But I want you to come!"

"Maybe some other time" Sabo said, turning around to leave "See ya!"

"Okay, stay alive!" Luffy told and after a small pause added: "And punch my dad when you get a chance!"

Sabo laughed, promising to do so despite the fact that he knew he would get more than one punch after that. Not long after that he had left the restaurant he realized he was being followed again, but knew it wasn´t Luffy. He smirked, walking in to an empty alleyway.

"I know you´re there, Nico Robin" he said, turning around as the raven haired beauty stepped in to view.

"As sharp minded as always" Robin said, adding with a teasing smile: "Excluding that one time"

Sabo blushed slightly, knowing what she meant.

"So you met Luffy again?" Robin asked, walking over to him.

"Yeah" Sabo answered and continued walking, well aware that Robin was following him "You were eavesdropping on us, were you not?"

"Naturally" Robin said with a smile "Do you want to come take a look at our ship? I need to free our musician from the watch anyway"

"You should already know that I can´t" Sabo said. He really did want to spend more time with the beautiful archeologist, but he didn´t want Nora to worry.

"I´m sure Nora will be alright on her own" Robin said with a convincing smile. Sabo sighed; there was no way he could resist her. With those capturing blue eyes of hers she could turn anyone´s head, Sabo was sure of it.

"Alright then" the blonde said. Robin smiled; she knew he couldn´t say no to her…. the letter made it pretty obvious.

"I better not mention it though; Luffy already tortured him enough" she thought. If Sabo had realized that she had heard his and Luffy´s conversation about the letter, since she had started to spy on Luffy as soon as he left the restaurant, he was hiding it well.

"We´re here" Robin said as the Sunny came to view. Sabo stared at the ship with a lion figure head; he had never seen a pirate ship like that… or actually any ship like that.

"It looks… unique" he finally said, having been trying to find the right word. Robin laughed at this, guiding the blond to the ship. When they got on board they saw Brook climbing down from the crow´s nest. Robin glanced at Sabo, who didn´t seem surprised and definitely wasn´t scared.

"Hello Robin-san, I see you brought a friend with you" the skeleton said, looking at the blond man who was eyeing him with a blank face. Robin nodded, saying: "I came to free you from the watch for the rest of the night; you can go to party with the others"

Brook nodded, leaving the ship. He was a bit curious about his friend´s quest, but decided to let it be, at least for now. It wasn´t his business who she spent her nights with.

A.N: The next chapter will continue from where this one was left and it will have the M-stuff. You have been warned. Review!