I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

~Drawing Ever Closer~

Whitebeard stared out at the sea surrounding them as they moved towards Marineford from under the water. His eyes were hardened as he stared straight ahead, preparing himself mentally for battle, trying to avoid the distraction of worry for his youngest son. He didn't turn his gaze away from staring straight ahead, even as he heard Marco talking quietly with the nurses.

He almost felt like laughing, knowing that the brat would figure out the outcome of this war. The brat still seemed to be fighting it as he discussed the chances of Whitebeard living. Whitebeard ignored them, knowing he wasn't physically fit to fight in the war, and that this may very well be his last battle before he died. If the war didn't kill him, then his health problems most certainly would.

Marco was being sensible, though, and not making a huge fuss about it or discussing it with Whitebeard himself. The brat had been with him long enough to know he couldn't dissuade his Pops from fighting. The phoenix also knew not to make a huge fuss, as everyone's attention needed to be on their goal. Even if Whitebeard fell in the war, the captain would make sure his children did not fall with him.

~Marineford~

Sabo moved through the halls of the fortress, keeping a straight face as he passed several officers. Koala was following closely behind him as they approached the officer they were to report to. Sabo mentally went over his cover story so as to make sure he didn't mess anything up when they checked in.

They stopped at the table, the marine sitting behind it looking stressed as he dealt with the late arrivals. As he glanced up at Sabo and Koala he scowled at them before grabbing a new paper and the list of duties assigned. Sabo just stared at the man in boredom as he fell into his facade of being a noble turned marine.

"Names?" The marine stared at them in annoyance.

Sabo stared back with an air of authority. "Commander Outlook Sabo, reporting for duty."

Koala followed her partner's lead. "Lieutenant Koala."

The man began looking for their papers and as he read over Sabo's he paused. "You're a noble?"

Sabo easily recognized the tone of disbelief. "I am, you could say I didn't live up to my parents standards. This was their solution of having me save face for them."

The man scoffed. "Right." He went back to the papers before looking at Koala. "You check out just fine."

"Thank you, sir." Koala bowed her head.

The man stared at Sabo again before sighing. "Just do your assigned jobs without complaining and we shouldn't have a problem."

Sabo nodded before taking the paper handed out to him. "Of course, sir."

Koala took her paper as well before joining Sabo as they made their departure. She glanced at her paper to see her duties and almost groaned as she saw she was on clean up until it was time to fight. Though it looked like she had a shift attending to the needs of the Shichibukai. She perked up a bit at that.

"I get to help the Shichibukai with something." She showed Sabo the paper.

Sabo stared at it. "Yeah you get to be treated like a servant to their every whim."

"Sabo," Koala scolded.

"Sorry. You get to see Jinbei again then?" Sabo questioned as she pulled the paper away.

"Yeah." Koala smiled as Sabo turned his attention to his own duty list.

Besides basic duties there really wasn't anything on there for him to do. He paused as he reached the duty listed several hours before the scheduled execution time. Re-reading the words as he tried to see if he was dreaming or really being given such a chance.

"Sabo?" Koala watched him with worry.

"I am going with the fleet picking up the prisoner."

"You are?" Koala looked at the paper in shock.

Sabo nodded. "I wasn't expecting that."

Koala nodded and the two fell silent as they walked into a group of marines, not wanting to discuss plans. Koala kept glancing at Sabo, hoping the commander wouldn't do anything dangerous. He could easily take on the commander of the ship and break Ace out then, but that could prove disastrous as well. She really hoped Sabo didn't doing anything stupid without thinking first, though she knew it was Sabo she was thinking about. He'd find a way to get into trouble soon enough, whether he thought about it or not.

"Only a few more days," Koala whispered.

Sabo stopped and stared out the window. "Yeah."

~Impel Down~

Ace stared at the woman in front of him, trying to figure her out. Jinbei spoke hostilely towards her but she still seemed to show some respect towards the fish-man, an act that Ace noticed. She finally turned her attention to the men cat-calling to her and retorted to one of them, thought Ace didn't care.

Ace watched as she turned her attention back to him, stepping forward slightly as the chief-warden began spreading out his poison in preparation to attack the prisoners. Her eyes moved swiftly over the other guards, who had backed away from Magellan as well, making them further from the cell.

Her eyes turned back to Ace. "Luffy is here," She whispered so as not to be overheard.

Ace's eyes widened. "What? Are you serious?"

Hancock turned away. "I have no reason to lie. He thought you'd be mad at him."

Ace could only watch in horror as the woman walked away from the cell, the guards following, confused about her exchange with the prisoner. Ace slumped against the wall more, shaking as he digested what she said. He felt like screaming out for Luffy and he strained against the chains slightly. Damn it, why couldn't he do anything?

Hours passed, and Ace barely relaxed as he stressed over Luffy's well being. Soon Magellan and Domino stood before him again, intent on escorting him to the marine ship. As Ace was led from his cell, he tried to get an idea of the situation above from Magellan and Domino but both were stone-faced. Ace grit his teeth as he was taken onto the lift, Jinbei calling out to him not to worry.

As the lift slowly moved up, the ride was silent, but Ace had a sense of foreboding growing. The lift finally reached the desired floor and he was escorted off as they moved away from the lift, Magellan paused listening to the report.

"Straw-hat Luffy has entered Level Six," came from the transponder snail nearby.

Magellan grit his teeth before looking at the lift, He waved a hand ordering the men to cut the cables. Ace grit his teeth and tried to lunge forward at the men severed the lift's cables. He felt Magellan's hand on his head as he was forced down.

"Luffy!" Ace shouted loud enough to echo through the entire room.

~Sabo~

Sabo stared at the ominous prison looming before them-he never wanted to be near this place. He glanced back down at the dock as a group came out of the prison, led by Chief-Warden Magellan. It didn't take him long to locate Ace as he appeared from the prison. Taking a look at Ace's face scared the hell out of Sabo. He glanced back at the prison, knowing something inside had shaken Ace up pretty bad.

Onigumo arrived back on the ship, Ace in tow with several guards around him. Ace was sat down in the chair in the middle of the deck. Sabo moved forward slowly, he noted that Ace still had on the sea-stone cuffs as he knelt next to his brother. He slowly lifted a cuff, worried it would drain him but found them to be normal.

Sabo quickly attached them to Ace's ankles before standing and wrapping the chain around Ace's torso. As he knelt to make sure the shackles on the back of the chair legs were secure, he finally had the chance he was waiting for.

"Ace," Sabo whispered.

He felt Ace twitch slightly before relaxing a bit. "We're going to rescue you."

Sabo stood up and moved around his brother glancing back at Ace to assess his reaction. His heart clenched as Ace looked at him for a split second with fear filled eyes, his gaze flicking back to the prison before meeting Sabo's again. Sabo tried to decipher the look in those eyes: it was fear, which he understood Ace fearing his safety, but there seemed to be more to it.

As Sabo moved back into his position on deck, Onigumo began speaking to the men gathered. "Be on your guard, there was an incident inside Impel Down."

Sabo watched the man as he continued. "The ring leader of the incident is Monkey D. Luffy. Do not let your guard down."

Sabo felt his heart constrict as he stared at the man in shock, eyes flicking to the prison. He soon wiped the shocked looking off his face and masked it again. His eyes turned to Ace who had turned to glance at him slightly, he begged Ace to tell him it was a lie. Ace subtly shook his head before turning his gaze to the sky.

Sabo closed his eyes in despair and fear as a single thought went through his mind. 'Luffy.'

~End ch. 8~

So much sadness in this chapter! Marineford is about to start! I don't want to do this! But I have to! Also I really feel bad for Ace one brother breaks into maximum security prison, the other sneaks into the marine headquarters. Then Sabo has to worry about being found out by the marines, or Garp, and Luffy risking his life to rescue Ace.

Thanks again to my beta, Lady Spritzy, who has by the way posted a Tashigi and Zoro valentine's day story known as, Cross My Heart.

Reviewer's corner:

Miranda: Sabo will help save Ace, at least in some way.

kunf'you'z-ed: Well Sabo met Ace! Too bad both brother's are ready to have a heart attack due to their younger brother.

Well till next time then!