Day 2: Bonds / Nakama
(Idea: ace is more than happy to replace a father with a brother, two brothers in fact)
Two of the three children stood around the tree stump, the three little red cups a beacon of hope to Ace's eyes.
"Well, let's just leave it until the time comes," The eldest raven walked up to the stump, carrying a large bottle of sake. "Maybe we'll set out independently."
As Ace set down the large bottle, Luffy exclaimed excitedly, "Ahh! You stole that from Dadan!" Sabo shushed the youngest of the group with a small smile, watching the oldest of them to see what he was going to say next.
"Did you guys know?!" Ace asked excitedly as he pulled the cork from the bottle. These two would be his reason for living until he made a name for himself. Even after that, they would be his most important people. Pouring the bottle he continued. "We can become brothers if we exchange these cups of sake!"
Luffy the hyper brat that he was, looked like he was almost bouncing out of his skin at the statement. "Brothers? Really?!"
Carefully Ace poured the alcohol into the tiny cups, later they would protect and cherish them visible proof of their bond. But for now the cups would be the vessel of the promise they would share. "When we become Pirates we might not be on the same ship but our brotherhood will always be with us." The blonde had looked to him as he plowed though his little speech, lips curling up to show the missing tooth as he smiled at the impassioned words.
"Wherever you are, whatever you do, We'll always be bonded together!" Ace lifted his cup, speaking his promise to the two younger boys. And they followed suit, more than happy to have him, with his dirty blood as their older brother. He reared up a bit but held out the cup, hearing the clink of porcelain on porcelain. "So from now on, we're brothers!"
"Yeah!" Ace was more than happy to replace the bond he had with his father. Especially if these two would be his brothers. He would protect them the best he could. Because they had already made a solid bond.