***Alright, so you guys might remember me mentioning a bonus I was working on that I was going to show at the very end of the fic after the epilogue. This is the first part of it. I thought that it would be better to divide it into 3 parts and spread it over the course of the story. I noticed with the last bonus being so long, a lot of you had trouble with keeping your place and finishing it in one go and this bonus is going to end up longer than that one, so I felt doing it in parts would be better. Plus, this first part fits really well with the flashback we'll be getting next chapter. It basically follows Sabo (who's dead - see the His Origins bonus if you don't remember) and ends at the same place The Darkest Memoir did, only showing more that you didn't get to see before and all from Sabo's perspective. The last part will be posted after the epilogue still and the 2nd part will be somewhere in between the two. It's sort of like a side story/recap and it follows Ace first being reborn all of the way until the end of the fic. Hope you guys like this idea!

Also, I started a new story along with Within called Flame and Phoenix. It's actually pretty similar to this story (the basic premise, at least) so you might like it. It basically detail what happens when a phoenix dies. Yup. Check it out if you think you might be interested!

Question: What's been your favourite bonus so far?

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece u_u Could you imagine if I did, though? I'd run the whole franchise into the ground :P

"Rebirth," Roger began, inhaling deeply as he readied himself for the unmovable words he was to utter, "is like a second death, only more permanent. Ace is gone." Rouge fell to her knees and clasped her head in her hands, unable to withstand the weight of those words. Her son would never return. Her lover was by her side in a moment, crouching down and holding her in a secure embrace, trying to keep her from falling apart. "He better make it."

"He will." Sabo let a few tears fall but continued to smile, watching the space where Ace was standing as though it was the last thing he would ever see. "Even if he doesn't remember. Even if he's someone else. He'll do it. Without fail."

"Now this I didn't expect," Sabo stated as he stared down at the infant cradled in his mother's arms. He looked around the damp, dark cell containing the pair and shivered. Ace was born a slave. After months of searching he finally located his brother's reincarnation—or what he thought was his reincarnation—he couldn't know for certain.

He sent the child a dull glare as he floated around, scrutinizing his 'home'. "You idiot. Your plan backfired." Though he said that calmly, he was wrought with worry. His brother was a slave. He was born a slave—wouldn't know freedom. Would he grow properly? Would he learn to speak? Surely his mother would teach him… right? Could she? She didn't receive much contact with other people unless she was to pleasure her 'master'. Sabo hated that word. It disgusted him.

Looking towards the woman gave him a bit of reassurance. She reminded him of Rouge—strong and determined in the face of adversity. Even in the blackness of the cell her radiance shone through. Her smile as she gazed fondly over her child made it feel like everything was going to be alright.

The illusion was broken with a look at her figure—bruised, battered, starved and ravished. She was broken. She was broken and clinging desperately to the only thing she had left: her son. The small, delicate bundle in her arms was the only thing she cared about… even though he was a product of rape. Yes, because she was a sex slave—an object to be used and thrown away however her owner pleased. It made Sabo sick.

Again Sabo looked to the frail human that used to be his brother. If he got the timeframe correct, he would be about three months old. Or was it four? He didn't feel like doing the math. Giving a weak smile, he neared him to get a closer look. Just like his mother, he was pale. Just like her, he was covered in filth. It seemed that they were only allowed to bathe when they were going to be used by their 'master', meaning that the boy was never given a chance. If Sabo could, he'd tear into whatever monster did that to them. He'd gouge out their eyes and pull their intestines through their nose. No, even that wasn't enough! But he couldn't do it. He couldn't because he was just a matter-less form. He didn't exist.

"Sorry, Ace," he whispered, giving the baby an apologetic look. "I can't help you this time."

The blonde's miserable thoughts were alleviated when he heard a soft, melodic sound. The woman was humming, holding her son taut against her form. Even in such a hopeless situation she could smile.

"A slave?" Rouge repeated. Her hand rose to her mouth as though to hide her shock. Even after all of the struggles of his previous life, her son was born once more into unfortunate circumstances. All he wanted was to see his brother's dream come true. That's all, so why…?

Sabo nodded calmly. He'd gotten over the initial shock some time ago. All that remained was bitterness. Could nothing go right for them? It seemed like their family was cursed: Roger had an incurable disease and was executed; Rouge had to die in order to protect her son; Sabo died while searching for freedom; Ace's lineage ultimately brought about his end. And then… And then even as another person, Ace got screwed over.

"There's nothing we can do," Roger stated, rubbing the arm of his lover in a soothing fashion, trying to chase away her sorrow.

Sabo clenched his fist. "There has to be something. If he stays there he's going to die. Again!"

"We can't," he repeated, shaking his head solemnly. "If we could I wouldn't have let Ace die at Marineford."

"…"

"He'll have to take care of himself."

"He's a baby! There isn't much he can do!"

"Then we just have to hope he'll pull through until he can take care of himself."

"I wish I could show you the sky," the mother said softly, cradling her sleeping child.

Sabo looked up from staring at the floor, a bit heartbroken over her words. That's right—Ace didn't remember the sky. Or the sun. Or the sea.

"It's so vast that it envelopes the world," she explained, smiling fondly at her memories. She brushed the short, dark strands away from his forehead as he shifted. "I'm sorry. There's so much you've never seen. If we weren't in here…"

"Don't say that," Sabo started, knowing perfectly well that she wouldn't hear him. He felt like he needed to tell her something, even though his words would never get through to her. "It's not your fault. Blame whatever slave trader put you in here."

"If only we could escape…"

"You will—otherwise he'll die and I am not letting that happen."

The woman curled in on herself, hugging the boy to her chest. "I want to go home."

Sabo bit his lip. He watched Ace's mother be forcefully dragged out of the cell by the collar around her neck. Each time she left, the baby would cry. He would whine as his only source of heat vanished, leaving him alone in the dark without any sort of security. All he had to lay on were thin, soiled blankets.

"Sorry, Ace," Sabo said to the one-year-old. "I wish… I could do something for you."

The infant's cries softened as he formed jumbled sounds, trying to communicate. The blonde sat right next to him, looking sadly upon his face, worrying over all of the repercussions his upbringing would likely cause. With how dark it was, were his eyes damaged? They'd been given a lantern but that was hardly good enough. Would his speech be impaired? Though his mother talked to him constantly he wasn't getting the kind of communication a normal baby would. What about—

Sabo froze as dark eyes stared back at him. For the first time he felt like Ace was seeing him. But that couldn't be right. The blonde didn't have a real form. He couldn't be spotted by the living. But… He wanted it to be true…

"…Ace?" he whispered hopefully, cautiously reaching his hand out to the small human. The infant continued staring at him, his gibberish becoming louder and more attentive.

When the tiny hand latched onto his finger he could feel it. He could feel for the first time in twelve years.

That couldn't be right. He was dreaming again.

"He saw you?"

"Yeah! Or, well… It looked like he saw me." The blonde sighed and scratched his head. He knew he was being ridiculous but that didn't change how great it made him feel. Even then, hours later, he could still feel the warmth of Ace's hand around his finger. That was the first time he made physical contact with anyone in over a decade and damn did it feel great. He'd forgotten what warmth was like. He forgot the texture of skin.

"Maybe he did," Roger mused, his usual grin disappearing into a frown, brow furrowed as he thought.

Sabo raised his head to look at the Pirate King inquisitively. "…What do you mean?"

The man's features darkened as he stared into the vast, white space around them. He let out and exhausted breath, allowing his arms to fall into his lap. "Sometimes they can see us," he stated, his voice lower than usual, "but… it usually means they're dying."

The blonde's eyes doubled in size as he took in those words. Then Ace was dying? It wasn't too surprising—one look at him and you could see how horribly starved he was—but it wasn't something he wanted to think about. He was only a year old. He'd barely begun to crawl because of the slow development the cell caused. All he wanted was a chance to live, but he couldn't even have that.

He dared not tell them about being able to feel the boy, nor that the infant was able to grasp him, for fear of what it might mean.

"Dammit!" Sabo cursed, slamming his fist into the ground as he watched the guards close the door to the cell. He glared hatefully at them, then turned with a softer look to the battered, broken form of Ace's mother. She was worse off than usual and was gone longer. The fact that she didn't immediately rush to her son was a clear indicator that something was wrong. What did they do to her?

She was thrown down onto the moist ground and watched weakly as the metal door slammed shut. For a moment she just laid there in a heap of limps, unmoving as she took deep breaths. Then, thinking nothing of herself, she dragged her beaten body to the young boy in the corner as his large, dark eyes stared at her curiously. Once she stopped, unable to fully move herself forward, the child crawled over with coos of happiness. She smiled genuinely, paying no mind to her injuries. It was just another day. After seeing her for so long, Sabo knew that she was used to the pain. It angered him to new levels. That's why he hated nobles.

The youthful woman pushed herself up against the wall with every bit of strength she had. Her arms stretched out towards her son, who rushed as fast as he could into her embrace with a cheery laugh. Once he spotted her neck he curiously fingered the gash he saw. She winced. Grabbing that hand gently in hers, she looked down at the raven-haired infant who didn't understand. His bright eyes melted away her tough exterior and she sobbed silently into her son's hair, holding him as close to her as she could. No matter how hard she tried or how long she wailed, she could not scream.

Sabo looked over the large, healing gash on her neck going all of the way down her torso. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, noting her silence as abnormal. Normally, no matter how hurt or tired she was, she would immediately start talking to her son when she returned. But, even though she was moving her lips, no sound was made. She was mute.

Sabo fell to his knees in front of the pair, lowering his hat over his eyes. Despite going through so much they took away her voice. That was all she had. That was all Ace had. She was the only person who he could hear speak. Without her… would he ever learn language? By a year old he should have learned his first words. By age two he would be forming sentences. At least, that's what was supposed to happen. He didn't get that chance, though.

Sabo listened to the woman's sobs—the only sound she could still make with no voice. The infant tilted his head in confusion. His mother made no noise and both she and Sabo knew that he wouldn't understand. Before then she would sing to him and call his name and tell him stories but no matter how hard she tried the words wouldn't come out. She cursed the raw flesh on her neck. So did Sabo. They cursed the man who caused her so much pain.

She cursed the world.

"Thatch?" Sabo called out questioningly as he approached the redhead from behind.

The man turned around and stared curiously at the ten-year-old, scrutinizing him. Blinking a few times, he turned from where he was sitting to fully face the blonde. "That's me. And you're…?"

"Sabo—Ace's brother," he replied simply.

"Ace's? I thought his only brother was Luffy."

"He… didn't really talk about me much. I died young."

The redhead smiled and motioned for the kid to sit next to him. Once Sabo did so, he decided to question him. "So where is Ace? He died two years ago but I never saw him around. Makes me feel forgotten," he joked.

"…He left a few months after arriving," Sabo stated as he looked around. They appeared to be in some sort of field—an area different from the usual emptiness—but the 'sky' was still a stark white void.

"Left?" Thatch raised an eyebrow.

"To be reborn," the blonde elaborated, still staring out at the area. He'd never been there before and it was still a shock to see anything of form in the usual emptiness.

"Oi, he actually did that?"

"Yeah. He thought it through, but… his plan backfired."

"…What do you mean?"

"That's why I came here. He just…" Sabo heaved a sigh, looking sorrowfully to the ground. "…I don't know how to help him. You two were close, so…"

He didn't need to finish; Thatch understood what he was trying to say. He wanted help. Something was wrong with Ace—or, rather, his reincarnation—and the blonde kid didn't know what to do. Seeing as they were just observers to the natural world, the redhead wasn't sure there was anything they could do. If there was, though, he would try. "Alright. Tell me what's wrong! I'm not in the habit of abandoning kids," he teased.

"I may look like this but my mentality is that of an adult, you know."

"Just get on with it."

"Fine—I'll show you."

Thatch's eyes widened as he took in the sight of a small, raven-haired boy in the arms of his mother. The child's eyes were vacant and out of focus, as though he couldn't be bothered to see anything. Any previous vigor he might have had was gone, replaced with stillness and a lack of care. He was deathly thin. With sunken cheeks and meatless limbs, it wasn't hard to see that he wouldn't last. It was only a matter of time.

The woman looked just as bad with the same shrivelled appearance and a large, fresh gash skewering her neck. She cradled her son protectively, rocking slowly from her seat on the floor, emptiness in her eyes as a few meek tears trailed across her pale skin. She looked like she'd given up.

After the shock from their initial appearance wore off, Thatch looked closer. His worry and sorrow was quickly replaced with anger when he saw that even the young boy had a collar around his neck—something that claimed him as an object and not a person. He was a child. The bastard noble dared to show his ownership over a one-year-old boy. The only redeeming factor was that he wasn't shackled like his parent.

"What… What the hell is this?" he asked, voice low and full of disbelief. He knew what it was—he was more familiar with the treatment of slaves than he cared to admit—but seeing it first-hand the way he was, and with his friend's reincarnation no less, was more than just a shock. It was sickening.

"…I think she fought back," Sabo said solemnly, looking over the pair with soft eyes.

"…What?" Thatch questioned, knowing full-well what he meant.

"She was gone longer than usual. I think she had enough and tried to free herself, so… they punished her." He gestured to the mark across her throat and the bruises and cuts all across her limbs. Her body was stained red. "They… They stopped feeding them. I-I don't know how long they're going to last..."

The redhead stared with wide eyes at the blonde, then turned with worry and fear to his old friend. "Dammit!" he cursed, slamming his fist into the nearest wall, wishing he could feel the pain that his outburst should have brought with it. He hated being a bystander.

The child's eyes flickered recognition for a moment and he turned his head in Thatch's direction. The dead pirate could only watch as the boy appeared to see the two forms across the cell. His tiny hands pushed his mother's arms away as he began crawling in the direction of the pirate, stopping a few feet away from him, the vacancy never leaving his eyes. He looked Thatch over inquisitively and then did the same for Sabo, before the tiniest hint of a smile graced his features.

"Ace…" the redhead whispered, dumbstruck.

Sabo clenched his fists. "He can see us," he began, "because… he's dying."

Immediately Thatch's head spun to face the blonde, eyes widening. "He's… dying?"

The boy nodded. "…Roger said that when people start to die they can see us. I want to help him, but… I don't know how." He let out a shaky breath. "He just wanted to see Luffy become Pirate King, that's all. Why… does all of this have to happen?"

The redhead swallowed. He approached the young child and knelt in front of him, giving the best smile he could manage. The little boy blinked a few times, returning with the upward curve of his lips, tiredly staring into Thatch's eyes.

"Don't sell him so short. He'll make it. Have you forgotten how stubborn he is?" He reached out absentmindedly to pat the boy on the head and was shocked when his hand made contact. He froze momentarily but never let his surprise show on his face and, instead, kept smiling. "Right, Ace?"

Sabo's hope returned. Over the last three months the mother and son gained some weight. Apparently their owner deemed their punishment to be over—he likely didn't want to please himself with a corpse. Ace was no longer able to see him. While it was sad to become non-existent once more, he preferred that to the boy dying. At least it meant his health was returning.

One thing that really lifted his spirits was that he was still able to make contact with the boy. He was all Sabo could feel and it seemed like the boy noticed when he was touched because he would always look around and feel the spot curiously. He didn't see, though.

"You're one lucky bastard, you know that?" Sabo asked from where he rested against the wall, looking over at the child that was dozing off. His mother had been taken once more, though she went without a fight. It seemed she didn't want anything worse to befall her or her son. Complying was the best way she could assure their safety, though the blonde hated to admit it.

Ace blinked a few times, trying to keep from sleep as he rested limply against the wall. He looked ridiculously tired but always did his best to stay awake until his mother returned. It was a routine he began back when he was just a newborn, so it was deeply ingrained into his behaviour.

Sabo smiled. "No one else would have survived this from infancy. Thatch is right—you're stubborn as hell," he stated as he ruffled the boy's hair. Ace's eyes opened with more alertness as he turned his head left and right, searching for the source of the touch. When he found nothing he raised one of his hands to his head, rubbing the spot curiously. That just made the blonde's grin widen. "You know, we may not be able to do much but we're still here. We're cheering you on so you have to make it through this, alright?"

The woman cheered in silence as her son waddled her way. She knelt down and wrapped him in a tight embrace, longing to call out to him in her sorrows. All negative emotion vanished when she was with him. She could forget about the labours her body endured and the humiliation brought upon her as long as no harm came to him. Sabo could see that clearly—it was written on her face. She was always like that, caring more for his life than her own.

The boy scanned his mother curiously and spotted the dark purple and brown discoloured skin coating her arms and chest. He frowned and furrowed his brow at this, asking if it hurt without saying any words. His concerns were met with a bright smile and a loving hand that wiped away the greasy strands from his face.

The blonde spun around and revealed a tray consisting of bread and some raw fruits, hoping to relinquish the toddler's worries. His face lit up and he devoured his half, his mother keeping an eye on how fast he chewed. He wasn't good with hard foods.

She brushed a hand lightly across the crease on his back, cringing as her touch curved to every bone and indentation. He was deathly thin. She was, too, but she didn't care about herself. Even at two years old the child was still tiny, not having enough nutrients to keep him growing properly. His eyes were beginning it sink back into his skull. She had no doubt that she looked the same but brushed it off. If she lost him she would lose everything.

Sabo looked over the pair worriedly. After the incident a while back they never retained a healthy weight and were always sickly thin. Even if it didn't kill them it was sure to shorten their lives and, regrettably, stunt Ace's growth. He hated that after two years they were still stuck there in that condition. They needed to get out.

The toddler beamed up at his mother after finishing his part of the meal and pushed the tray nearer to her, urging her to eat. She picked up the bread and shook her head, handing her son the remaining loaf. He stared inquisitively, trying to comprehend the action, before nodding and continuing his feast, albeit a lot slower than he had before. Sabo sighed at that. If she kept giving him all of the food she wouldn't last and Ace needed someone to look after him. If she died their owner would likely have him killed. He was dead weight. She didn't seem to understand that, though.

She ran her fingers through the tangled mass on his head, ridding it of the dirt that had caked onto it over the last few days. If they could ever get out, there was so much about the world that she wanted to show him and so many things they would do. Firstly, she would give him a bath. His first real bath. He would probably be scared. Then she would introduce him to every food! He could try meat for the first time. Cooked meals. Food that was fresh. He could see the sea and feel the rain he never got to experience. They could sit in the sunlight and watch the sky and not be bothered by worries of being separated or abused. And maybe, if they were lucky, they could find someone to teach him how to speak when she could not.

Sabo understood what she was thinking with just one look at her satisfied expression. He had to smile knowing that, despite everything else, his brother was born to a caring mother. At least there was one redeeming feature to his life. If only it was enough.

The blonde sighed as he watched over four-year-old Ace. He couldn't believe how long it'd been. And there were no changes; Ace was still unable to speak and was stuck with his mother in that disgusting, filthy cell. Time was running out. In another few years they would put him to work and, being male, he would be subjected to manual labour. The fact that slaves were treated horribly was one problem, but another was that he would begin to lose weight because they wouldn't feed him enough. The only thing that was keeping him from getting thinner was the fact that he got almost no exercise. Groaning, he supposed he should just be happy that he knew how to walk.

He looked over to Ace's mother sympathetically. It was hot. He couldn't feel it, but the looks on the pair's faces were enough. The fire leaping through the tiny, bar-filled window in the door was a clear indication as well.

The metal walls singed with heat, scalding any bare skin that dared brush against it. The woman ran over to her boy and hurriedly checked over the burns on his back. With nothing to treat it, she helplessly blew on the wound, hoping to ease his frantic cries. The mother ignored the smoke entering into the room through the barred window in the door and cried out silently for help. She cursed her disability then more than ever and stroked her child's shoulder in an effort to easy his fears.

A dark form appeared at the door through the smoke. Before she had time to react the door was forced from its hinges and slammed against the back wall. In the chaos of the fire, the woman saw a lean figure standing in the doorway. She huddled her son in her arms in a protective grasp as the person entered.

As he got nearer, Sabo made out some more of his form. He was a young boy, probably twenty-one or twenty-two, with a scar under his left eye. Clad in red, he moved nearer, straw hat accenting his short, black hair and large eyes.

Sabo froze as he took in the much older form of his youngest brother. "Luffy…" He hadn't seen him in a long time. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he spent most of the past four years with Ace, being sure that he was kept alive. It was a shock to see how much his brother matured, and even more of one to see him there, only a few feet away from Ace's reincarnation. And then he realized it: they were finally receiving help.

"Luffy, I can't believe…" He shook his head. "Forget that—just save them! Save Ace! I… I can't do it, so… please. Take them with you. They need you!"

Luffy bent down and reached out to the woman. She took his hand and rose to her feet with her child tightly grasped in her other arm. The man smiled at her confusion.

"Get out of here before the guards come. I'm going to open the rest of the cells."

Sabo groaned. "No, take them with you! This island is filled with bastards like that noble; if they go out on their own they're not going to make it! There's nowhere for them to run to!"

She nodded before large, burning tears streamed down her cheeks. The pirate gave her a small laugh before grabbing hold of her collar and shattering it in his hands. He continued to do this to the shackles on her arms and legs. He stopped to watch the black-haired boy in her arms, giving him a gentle rub on the upper half of his back. The little boy stared at the man curiously.

For a moment Sabo was hopeful. Did his brother understand who he was seeing?

"They're even using kids now?" Luffy scowled, disgust lacing his tone. Ace reached out to the stranger when he spoke and traced his lips, having lived in silence most of his life. With a weak smile at the child, the pirate proceeded to break his bindings gently.

The mother bowed repeatedly in a show of silent gratitude as the man turned and waved, heading to the next cell.

"Luffy, it's Ace! It's your brother! Don't you see that? He came back to see you. He… He even looks like he did…"

"Go. Keep him safe."

The mother nodded, trying to dry her tears, and ran for a hole in the wall that led to a staircase. At the top of the staircase was another hole that led to the outside. Hundreds of slaves rushed past her to escape. She followed suit, listening to another metal door being slammed off its hinges in the background, swearing to herself that she would protect her son and never let him return to a place like that. Even if it cost her life, she would protect him.

Sabo watched her go and then turned to his youngest sibling. He corrected himself internally, remembering that even in his current form Ace was still his brother—that he was now the youngest and the one they had to look after.

"Luffy… you have to find him again, no matter what, alright? Even if you don't recognize him, he's still your brother. He's been waiting for you, you know." Sabo clenched his fists, knowing that Ace's best chance of seeing Luffy become Pirate King was vanishing. He knew that rescuing the other slaves was important, though. After all, how many others were in the same situation as Ace and his mother? Judging by the length of the hallway, there were hundreds. The fire showed no signs of slowing and keeping them there would mean death. He couldn't help the nagging thought that Luffy leaving the pair behind was a grave mistake, though. They were escaping that hell but would they be safe? Somehow he couldn't feel optimistic. "Don't leave him alone, Lu. I can't do anything for him, but you can. Remember to search for him. Take care of him. I can't so I need you to do it, okay little brother?"

He received no reply—no acknowledgement—as the pirate ran off and headed for the next cell.

That small boy would finally be able to live. He could see the sun and rain and sky. He could try all of the world's foods and see every sight it had to offer.

They were free.

A/N: It felt so weird to write Sabo like this after Divide and Imagined Life XD But I hope you guys enjoy it! The flashback next chapter will continue from this point, so I thought posting part 1 now would fit really well. Don't forget to drop a review and tell me what you think :)

To my lovelies~

xxxWolvesInTheNightxxx: I'm glad to finally be able to write him opening up to Luffy! ^^

Honeydee: You flatter me XD Hehe glad you enjoyed! I tried to build it up well, but... I think I failed. I'm not very good with drama ^^; It's just that the fic kind of went in a totally different direction from what I originally planned. Originally the whole fic was about Ace adjusting but now it has this whole side-plot going on with what happened to Luffy and the whole thing with the Yami Yami no Mi user... It's not a bad thing, just different :P Then again I can say that for Imagined Life and Divide too... I will continue it! I just want to write a little more before posting to keep ahead - same with Flame and Phoenix. Yep, got 8 done. Just want to write 2 more before posting the next ^^ Haha that's how I felt when I started reading AceLu XD It's because I want to keep a certain pacing and doing that now would kind of ruin it. It's hard, but I will wait! Plus there are so many other things going on with the plot that I worry that once the AceLu scenes start I'll get distracted by them and will neglect the rest of the plot e_e Lol it's an accident that I was able to create chemistry between them. Lol first I need to finish writing Skip. This chapter's been giving me way too many issues.

mi-chan94: Well you know most of it from this bonus and The Darkest Memoir but I'll get to what happened involving the island next chapter ^^

MysterousEyez: Yes you are XD Everything you said in your review was very accurate. Hopefully the next chapter will shed some light on just how important being found and taken care of by Luffy really means to Ace. But, well, that's for the flashback to tell, not me!

deadlycute17: Glad you like! :)

Guest: Marco and Coby will show up again. I can't say anything about anyone else, though. Spoilers and all :P I just need to get through this arc about Ace's past first.

teengens: Glah you like! You'll be able to understand his freak-outs better after reading the next chapter ^^

Deadly In Pink: I'm glad you decided to continue it ^^ I will~ Lol well there's no guarantee their won't be deaths at the end...

samettikettu: Yep, that helps XD Lol well I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying it.

buslimpan: Gotta love Luffy! Yeah, a very long while XD But he learned the meaning when he needed to! Hope you don't mind this bonus being posted before the flashback chapter ^^

azab: You're welcome~ Glad you enjoyed! Hope you don't mind the bonus!

Neko-VonglogaPrimo: Nope, Luffy will always be like that :) Real life can be so time-consuming... slows down the amount I can write significantly u_u

Bluebird42: Lol XD Yeah, "I don't want to be alone" is probably a little too heavy to end a chapter off with...

TheBlackSpirit: Thank you :)

Diclonious57: Good question. I doubt it.

Zayy: You're welcome~ Here it is! Though it's a bonus. Hope that's okay.

Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, but I least they're helping a bit too. Oh yes. Very, very bad. Life-altering shit. But, well, he'll get through it! May depress some people reading, though. Exactly! He needs to open up a bit.

Guest (2): Sorry you didn't like it :/ Sad to say the rest of the arc is going to be written in the same way, so I'm afraid you might not enjoy it... :(

Son Goshen: Lol I know how you feel XD Maybe 'sweet' is a more appropriate word. Yeah, me too. Lonely characters tend to be easier for me to write because of my life and past. That's why I have trouble with Luffy, who's all happy and optimistic e_e (Doesn't it suck?! I forget to eat all the time and then end up sick because of it T^T)

spoons-are-evil: Yes he is ^^ Brook's songs always brighten the mood, don't they? Yep! Next chapter will follow all of the way up until he was found by Luffy! Everything! Not holding back! Well his mother isn't Rouge ^^; She's blonde like her, though. (If you read some reviews from last chapter, you might be able to figure it out)

Ace et Luffy: Really glad you're enjoying it! (Sorry, I can read and understand French but not write it... I'm out of practice hehe)

(As always, Thank you all for your support. And hey, you got more than usual to read since this bonus is over 5,000 words :D So hopefully you'll forgive me for posting this before I post the flashback chapter. That one's probably going to end up longer than usual, too, considering how much I have to cover. I plan on -finally- getting the next chapter of Skip up before that, though. Anyways, I'll see you all next chapter! Adieu~)