Sabo woke up with a small start. Was there something going on? Did they set sail?

With a yawn he sat up.

… from the floor? When did he get onto the floor?

Shrugging, he got up, picked up his hat and goggles, and walked out the door.

Six heads turned to him.

Sabo blinked.

They blinked.

Six… people? But he only saw four hammocks and one bed. So there should've been only five people… right?

"Ah! When did you get here?!" Their voices cried out.

Sabo frowned. "Since Loguetown?"

Did they seriously not know he was here?

"Wait! Wait wait wait are you saying you were here since Loguetown? Why did you finally show yourself?!" A teen who looked to be close to Luffy's age yelled out. Was that a slingshot on him? You don't see that everyday.

"I just woke up." Sabo told him.

"YOU JUST WOKE UP? HOW COULD YOU SLEEP THROUGH ALL OF THAT?!" Another teen around Luffy's age screamed in disbelief. Oh she had a tattoo on her left shoulder? Interesting!

"What do you mean 'all of that'? What did I sleep through?" Sabo tilted his head.

"Well, we went through a storm, got sneezed off of a Sea King, went up Reverse Mountain, got eaten by a whale, and an old man got blown up." A young man spoke up. He looked to be closer to Sabo's age. And smoking a cigarette. Sabo never liked the taste of those.

Wait. What did he say?

"Did all of that really happen?" Sabo blinked in shock.

"YES!" A chorus of voices shouted out.

Blinking again, Sabo grabbed a hold of his hat.

"I must apologize, I must've been dreadfully tired to have slept through all of that." Or perhaps that's exactly why he slept so soundly.

(It was always so quiet back at his parents house.)

Sweeping his hat downwards, Sabo bowed in greeting. "Well despite the delay of our meeting, it is wonderful to meet you all. My name is-"

"Sabo?" The voice Sabo had been dying to hear finally spoke up.

There, sitting on the figurehead, was Luffy. The sun shined down upon him, setting the teenager aglow.

Sabo's wide eyes soaked Luffy in. Burning the sight into his memory. How in just like the poster, he grew into his hat. The poster, however, didn't show everything. Like how the bright red vest looked natural on him, as did the shorts. Or the fact that Luffy still wore flip flops. He could never wear a full shoe.

But there he was, mouth agape, eyes just as wide as Sabo's own. Eyes that never lost that light.

"Luffy." Sabo croaked out.

And just like that, his crybaby brother bursted into tears.

The two brothers ignored the shouts of shock that came from the crew.

"Sabo!" He stretched his arms out, wrapping around Sabo many times. And in an instant Sabo was holding his younger brother, sobbing into his shoulder.

"You haven't changed a bit, you crybaby." Sabo chuckled wetly.

"I'm not a crybaby!" Luffy cried out. He then went to look at Sabo, tears streaming down his face. "You're the crybaby!"

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "We can be both crybabies together!"

It felt wonderful to have Luffy laugh at that. Oh how blissful Sabo felt, to be with his brother once more. Not unlike a dream.

Luffy smelt more of the sea now. But still smelt of the jungle. He wasn't as heavy as he expected, but perhaps Sabo stayed strong enough for times like these.

Sabo felt like he could just hold onto his younger brother forever.

"Hey Sabo?" Luffy asked, still sniffling. "Why do you look like that?"

Like what? Oh!

Sabo's smile calmed down as he said, "oh I put on a little disguise!"

Luffy nodded. Probably remembering how the three of them dressed up in a coat for dine and dashing.

Sabo managed to get one of his arms out. With it, he went to pat his little brother's head.

"Sorry to interrupt but who are you?" Another voice piped up.

The man looked up to see a man and a woman standing next to each other wearing… very strange outfits. And was that two nines tattooed to the man's cheeks?

The woman though… looked familiar. Especially with that blue hair thrown up in a ponytail. She was looking at him oddly too.

"I'm Sabo. Luffy's older brother."

Shock ran throughout the whole crew.

"Luffy, why don't you introduce me to your crew?" He suggested. He could feel his tears slow down.

Luffy absolutely beamed at that. It was as if Sabo was looking into the sun.

The teen wiggled around for a moment, unwrapping himself from Sabo, and jumped down. Their hands stayed intertwined.

"Oh oh! This is Nami! She's my navigator! She's awesome and she steals things!" Luffy pointed excitedly at the redhead with the shoulder tattoo.

"H-hello." She stuttered with a blush.

"And this is Usopp! He's great at lying!" Luffy pointed to the kid with the slingshot. Wait, did he have a long nose? How did Sabo miss that?

"Why is that what you tell him?!" Usopp cried out.

The straw hatted teen then pointed to the blonde with the cigarette. "This is Sanji! He's the best cook ever! You can't have him though."

"Nice to meet you." Sanji nodded. Hm. His eyebrowed curled. It looked familiar too.

Sabo raised an eyebrow at the last thing Luffy had said. "I'm not going to steal your cook Luffy."

Of course Luffy nodded as if this made sense.

Sabo turned his attention to the two other people. "And who are these two?"

"Oh they're not my crew." Luffy said. He then went to pick his nose and turned to them. "Who are you again?"

The duo stared at him with disbelief. Yeah Luffy would do that to people. Sabo laughed at their reactions. Oh how he missed this child.

"I'm Mr. Nine!" The man with the crown and number nine tattoos yelled out.

"And I'm Ms. Wednesday!" The familiar woman shouted.

Sabo stared at her. She stared at him.

"Nice to meet you." He finally bowed to them.

He may become a pirate but he'll still have some manners.

When he got back up a certain rubbery finger started to poke at his face. Sabo turned to his brother intently staring at him. Sabo intently stared back. And for a moment he was flashed back to their childhood. Where they held staring contests. Ace always lost first. But Luffy and Sabo were almost always even.

Luffy blinked first.

Automatically Sabo said, "I won."

Luffy blinked again, before frowning. He shouted, "that wasn't a real staring contest! Redo!"

All he did was cackle at his little brother. "Oh but Luffy! Any moment could become a staring contest! Don't you remember?"

He laughed some more as Luffy pouted.

Smile calming down, Sabo gave a small nudge. "Was there something you wanted to say?"

It was so cute. Seeing how Luffy perked up.

"Yeah! Your face is all smudged!"

Oh. Hm. Probably from the tears Sabo had shedded.

"I should probably wash my face. I'll be right back. Okay?"

His heart melted at the smile he got in return.

Passing the group, Sabo went to the bathroom. That's where he left his supplies for things like this. First thing he did was sat his hat down. Next was to grab the soap. Sabo then took off his gloves, his coat, and his cravat. He rolled up his sleeves.

Unfortunately his hair is no longer long enough to pull back. Yet… he turned back to his bag.

Ah! There it was.

Sabo pulled out a headband. Putting it on, his hair stayed away from his face.

Looking up, he saw his eyes shined with light as his face was an absolute mess. His smile held weight with held back laughter.

Turning his head this way and that, he looked at the stains running down his cheeks. Hmm. Maybe he should make the scar under his eye look more realistic this time? It was pretty low quality. Anyone who saw it could tell it was fake. To be fair he didn't put much effort into it then as he just simply didn't feel like it. Not to forget the freckles were rather dashing. Should he make it more random this time? Or continue to draw it like he remembered Ace's freckles to be?

Decisions decisions…

Probably best to wash his face before drawing them on.

It didn't take long to wash his face. The soap was specifically made for faces. Sabo never really understood it, but Belladonna insisted he take it when he mentioned using makeup for disguising himself.

Sabo paused drying his face at the thought of Belladonna.

She risked a lot for him. She also risked a lot when she decided to join the revolutionaries.

A part of Sabo wondered if she would've helped him escape even if she wasn't a rev. Even if he hadn't made an agreement with the revolutionaries.

Looking back up to his reflection his eyes were empty once more.

Maybe he shouldn't let his hair go back to blond? He looked good with black hair.

(He looked like his brothers.)

With a steady hand, Sabo grabbed one of the eyebrow pencils. This time one that was more… water resistant. With accurate precision he put on his freckles. Exactly like they were previously. Exactly like Ace's was.

Would Ace gain more freckles? He's been out on the open seas for three years now.

That thought made the young man pause.

He… wanted to see Ace in person. The bounty poster he had gotten a hold of all those years ago was Ace's first one. And even then it didn't compare to seeing someone face to face. He could see that the most prominent freckles from before were still there… but anything else was up in the air.

His heart felt like lead. It felt like it was being crushed.

A part of Sabo was always jealous of Ace and Luffy. How they actually looked like they could be related by blood.

Was Sabo always destined to be a black sheep?

However he would gladly be a black sheep if it meant he could stay with the flock that consisted of Ace and Luffy.

Sabo tilted his head when a thought entered his head.

And the shitty old man he supposed.

He went right back to adding the last few freckles. It was time to add on the scar.

"Hey Sabo!"

Hand freezing from its place above the bag, Sabo registered it was Luffy.

"Yes Luffy?" He called out, continuing his movement to grab more makeup.

"Come on out! You're taking foreeeeever!"

Sabo's mouth quirked up into a small smile at that. Well, he can always work on the scar while talking to Luffy.

"How about you come in here?" He suggested.

The immediate 'okay!' made him chuckle. As he went on to make the first brushstrokes of his little painting the door opened.

"What you doing Sabo?" Luffy said as he entered the room.

"Fixing my disguise." He answered.

Shame he didn't have all the proper equipment for making a realistic fake scar. But his drawing would make for a good illusion.

"Why?"

Sabo glanced at his little brother in the mirror. He looked as confused as he sounded.

The man hummed. "Well, that Mr. Nine and Ms. Wednesday? They're not a part of the crew, correct?"

"Yeah we're just bringing them to their island." Luffy confirmed.

Sabo took a pause in his artistry to turn to fully look at Luffy. With a mysterious smile, he walked towards Luffy. Reaching out, he closed the door.

His younger brother still stared at him with those wide eyes. Full of confusion and a sort of innocence that only Luffy could still have. Or perhaps naïveté should be the more appropriate term.

"Luffy." He started softly. "I faked my death. I don't know how well known I am to the public outside our kingdom."

The emotion Sabo felt when Luffy's eyes sharpened was unknown.

"Not only that," he then smirked, "but I want my debut into piracy a surprise. And I want it to be big."

A mischievous smile grew on Luffy. Sabo's own smirk grew to match Luffy's. They giggled just like they were kids again.

At that moment Sabo didn't feel quite so empty.

An idea popped into his head.

"Hey Luffy?"

Luffy stopped giggling and went to look up at Sabo. "Hm?"

Sabo's smile widened. "When I'm done with this do you want to add some details?"

Luffy's smile grew too big for his face, helped by his Devil Fruit. "Yeah!"

So as Sabo continued on creating this optical illusion, Luffy began to tell stories. Mostly of what happened after he set sail.

At one point Sabo mentioned how he hadn't met this 'Zoro' that Luffy kept on talking about. Luffy laughed and said he was probably sleeping.

But as the story went on, jumping every which way, Sabo couldn't help but have a thought that wiggled in the back of his mind. He ignored it. It wasn't important. ~He wasn't important.~ All that mattered was Luffy.

There were parts of Luffy's story that almost made Sabo snap his utensils.

His little brother? Going against Arlong? Even Sabo had managed to hear about him. If only for a short time.

(Outlook and Didit hardly let him hear anything about pirates. After all, what if it causes a relapse? HA!)

Sabo managed to wiggle out that whole particular bit from Luffy. Of fucking course the Marines knew what was happening but didn't do anything to stop it. Encouraged it was more like it. Fuck. It was almost like what the seven warlords were.

Sabo lothes them all with every fiber of his being.

"Are you done? Is it my turn?" Luffy whined, breaking Sabo out of his thoughts.

Glancing between his brother's reflection to his own, Sabo saw that he was indeed done.

Ignore the dead eyes. Focus on the lively ones instead.

Luffy's bright eyes shine with excitement. He was more than ready.

"I want you to promise me one thing before I let you do this." Sabo said as he held up one finger.

"I promise!" A firm nod.

The man huffed out a laugh. "I want you to keep away from the freckles and the scar. Everything else is fair game."

Why did the look Luffy gave him when he said that made him feel like he said something bad?

It hurt.

"I promise!" Luffy was smiling again.

Maybe Sabo saw it wrong? He must've.

Luffy wouldn't look at him like that. Right?

Right.

Smiling, Sabo handed Luffy an eyebrow pencil. It was so funny to see his little brother stick his tongue out in concentration. Luffy squinted as he tilted his head left and right. Then, with a giant smile, he stood on his tiptoes.

Of course this made Sabo bend down a bit. Just enough for Luffy to reach his face without having to stretch.

Hearing Luffy's 'shishishishi's was like music to his ears. And it was so infectious.

Sabo found himself giggling like a child as Luffy drew a big fat circle on his forehead. He drew shapes on the sides of his temples, long lines under his chin, and probably words on his jaw.

But he kept his promise. He went around the freckles and scar.

Luffy always kept his promises.

After another moment of consideration, Luffy added one more dot by Sabo's mouth. "Done!" He crowed.

His little brother spun him around. Sabo looked at himself in the mirror. Then promptly erupted into laughter. Luffy joining not even a moment later.

Misshapen stars, a fish with legs and long hair, lines, random 'moles', and writing was all over his face. It almost looked like something that Luffy would do while Sabo was asleep. But instead of words like 'stupid', words like 'pirate' and for some reason 'pipe' were written down. But the most heart warming was Sabo's old Jolly Roger on his cheek. Just below the freckles.

Turning, Sabo was going to say something. Only to be interrupted by Luffy who said "my turn!"

He blinked down at his younger brother. His beaming younger brother.

"Do you want me to give you freckles too?" He asked, being polite.

Which. Made him shrivel up inside. Because Luffy was giving him that look again. He shouldn't have said that. Why did he say that?

"Okay." Luffy chirped.

Okay. It was okay.

Everything was okay.

Ever so gently did Sabo put the freckles on Luffy's face. For a moment he internally warred on if he should have Luffy match him with the freckles. But the want to be matchting won out in the end.

It was a bit surprising. How still Luffy was. Of course he still wiggled his fingers. But. It was just the fingers. The were no arms moving around. No swaying or foot taping.

It felt unnatural.

With the last freckle finished, Sabo looked at his work. His ~terribly~ soft hands cradled Luffy's face. So warm. Luffy… looked like Ace.

Looked like Sabo.

'Well… not exactly.' He thought with a short laugh.

He then drew a big fat circle on Luffy's forehead.

They both erupted into another fit of giggles.

Sabo hummed as he debated on what to write on Luffy. He drew some squiggly lines. And Luffy's new Jolly Roger. He drew a bushy curling mustache on his upper lip. Smiling, he realized what to write. He wrote 'Pirate King' on Luffy's temple. And his old Jolly Roger on Luffy's check. Underneath his freckles. On the opposite check where Sabo's own old Jolly Roger was.

Smiling, Sabo pulled away the pencil. "Done!"

He then pulled Luffy to the mirror, so he could see his reflection. He looked over Sabo's job. And Sabo couldn't help but feel nervous. Especially when Luffy's gaze lingered on the freckles.

Was the freckles really something that Sabo shouldn't have done?

But then Luffy smiled as he took in the rest of Sabo's work. Making Sabo's heart sigh in relief.

Turning his grin to Sabo, he cried out, "I'm going to show the others!"

He laughed at how his brother ran out. He turned back around to put everything away. Sabo tied his cravat back on, as well as put back on his gloves, coat and hat. For a moment he debated on putting his goggles around his neck. But it felt more right to have it on his hat.

He didn't look at himself in the mirror this time. He just went back outside.

Into the beautiful blue world of sea and sky.

"Wait you too?!" Nami cried out in shock, being the first one to see his face.

Both brothers erupted into loud laughter.

The feeling of warmth didn't die down even though his laughter did. Honestly this had to be the most content Sabo felt in years. It felt so sweet, seeing Luffy with his crew. His little brother had only him and Ace. But now. Now he had much more.

Luffy should never ever feel lonely.

If any of this crew were to hurt Luffy, break his trust, make him be all alone, Sabo would make them regret it. Dearly.

A cry of irritation brought Sabo out of his thoughts. Ah, Usopp managed to mess up Mr. Nine's outfit.

As Mr. Nine was retying his cravat, he said angrily, "a king should not be treated this way. You could've destroyed my jabot."

Which. Made Sabo pause. Because what? Surely this man was pretending to be a king. And also.

"Don't you mean cravat?" Sabo asked, tilting his head.

"Hm?" Mr. Nine looked up at Sabo. He put the broach back into place. "What's this about a cravat? No, I'm talking about my jabot."

This caused Sabo to frown. "No, it's a cravat."

Mr. Nine's own frown deepened. "It's clearly a jabot."

Sabo just stared at the man incredulously. Does he truly not know what garment he was wearing?

"After all, your jabot is similar to mine. You would think you would know what you were wearing baby." Mr. Nine sneered.

Oh hell no. He felt his blood pressure raise as he said, with a smile dripping with venom, "I see that you're quite ignorant with your wardrobe. After all, anyone who wishes to wear such items of clothing would know the proper names. And seeing as how you're lacking in such knowledge let me enlighten you. In the simplest terms, a cravat is a cloth tied. A jabot is sewn into the cloth. A cravat is tied in the front of the neck. A jabot is tied in the back of the neck. Do you understand now?"

Mr. Nine, and Ms. Wednesday as she had stayed next to her partner, stared at Sabo with wide eyes and open mouths.

Unfortunately Mr. Nine decided that he was determined to keep to his wrong opinion. As he gathered himself he said with confidence, "it's a jabot."

Oh Sabo was going to kill him.

Just as Sabo was ready to pop this man's head like a grape, Luffy walked over.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked.

Before Sabo could even say anything, Mr. Nine barged right on. "This imbecile doesn't know that what we're both wearing are jabots."

"Oh." Luffy said. He picked his nose. "You mean your fancy napkins? Aren't they cravats?"

Everyone turned to stare at Luffy. For Sabo it was with stars in his eyes.

"You remembered what they're called?" He asked, pride in his voice.

Luffy looked back at him. He pulled his finger out to flick a booger into the ocean. "Yeah. But that's boring so I still call them fancy napkins."

Once more did Luffy cause Sabo to laugh. He hadn't laughed this much since he was a kid.

Sabo just simply felt alive.

And here Sabo gets to meet Luffy! Also Bro lemme just say, I ended up starting a whole ass debate in a discord server about if Sabo was wearing a jabot or a cravat. It ended up with the riveting Revelation that Mr.9 wore a cravat as its tied, not sewn. The debate on what *Sabo* wears on the other hand continues 😂

Also just to let you guys know this is crossposted on Archive Of Our Own and Wattpad.

Also what isn't seen is Nami and Sanji talk and go "oh that explains the extra food, money, and overall stuff we clearly didn't get. Where did he even get this fancy stuff?"