Stepping from the ramp, officially off the ship, to the dock, and properly on Goa land, was surreal.

It had happened right there. He had stood right there, alongside his father and mother and step-brother / replacement. The king had stood exactly where he was right now, only now he was so much older. His ugly daughter now a just as ugly adult, standing next to an equally ugly man that must be her husband or fiancé. Surrounded by a just as ugly retinue of nobles as Sabo remembered, each face blending into the next.

Right there, where he had swung his fist. Right there, where he had been pinned by a marine. Right there, his last moments before being dragged off, collared, branded, caged. Kicking and screaming, biting and clawing, so sure that they could never take him alive.

It had been so easy for them. Not even a challenge. A joke. What a fool his child self had been, thinking if he just fought hard enough, that he would escape. Break free. Run away.

Pathetic.

(Or was who he was now the pathetic one?)

Get a grip! Sabo scolded himself. Stood aside, the rest of Jalmack's staff (slaves) arranged behind him. Bowed his head and inclined his back just so, hand elegantly to his heart as his master departed the ship behind him and strode in the direction of the Goa King. He rose and obediently followed at the exact distance expected of him and his rank. Close enough to dash forward and take a bullet, far enough behind to make sure there were no illusions about his status.

His eyes traced the unchanged walls of Goa. The tiered levels, separating scum from peasants from civilians from nobles. A metaphor for how the world worked, not that he'd realized that as a child. The impossible divide between classes, the untouchable nature of those in power.

Sabo grimly wondered if they'd burned down a new trash heap just before Jalmack arrived. How many people had died this time.

The procession began its way to the palace.

These streets were so familiar. Every alley, every building, even most of the trees and fountains and lamps were identical to what he remembered. Goa was too proud of its heritage to adapt, modernize, or upgrade, so any direction Sabo glanced in held memories of three absolute brats racing around laughing.

He remembered stealing from that store. Dine and dashing at that restaurant. Selling crocodile skins on that corner. Jumping over that wall. Running across that roof.

There were the gates to the trash heap. The Grey Terminal - did they keep calling it that, after it had been burned down and everyone died? Which meant the alley he had been beaten and collapsed in, the night of the fire, was right around that corner.

The Outlook Manor would be just that way.

And only then did it occur to Sabo that his parents and Stelly were probably here somewhere. He didn't particularly care.

There were only two people that he would actually care if they were to see him. Recognize him. Judge him for what he had become. (Reject him.)

And only one should be on this island.

Luffy.

The procession paused as Jalmack and the king stopped to admire the carvings on a particularly elaborate fountain.

Something twinkled in Sabo's observation haki and he glanced over towards the wall. And froze. His brain promptly glitched at the figure draped over the top, watching the procession as one would a normal parade.

Their eyes locked.

Luffy.

Ace blinked, coming to the inevitable conclusion.

Dadan and the bandits were running around screaming at each other. Mogra and Dogra looked panicked as they examined ropes that looked chewed through.

Luffy had run off to see the Celestial Dragon.

Crap.

Without pausing to say hi, Ace rushed off. There was no time. His brother was an idiot that the most incredibly bad things just happened around.

If someone was going to get eaten by a crocodile, it would be Luffy. If someone was going to eat a poisonous mushroom, it would be Luffy. If someone was going to casually bump into the most dangerous man in the world, it would be Luffy.

There was no way nothing was going to happen. Ace had better get there asap to keep his baby brother from being killed!

Luffy.

Luffy.

Luffy.

Luffy.

Luffy.

All Sabo's previous plans with Garp went straight out of his head. He could only stare, feeling his heart twist in complete adoration coupled with absolute terror.

Those big expressive brown eyes, staring at him with hopeful realization and joyful acceptance fast blowing past any denial and pain. That familiar straw hat, safely nestled over eternally messy black hair. Still so lanky and young, but at the same time he'd grown so much bigger than Sabo remembered!

Oh god. He still loved him. He still loved his baby brother so much. Sabo wanted, needed, ached to run over, grab his baby brother in a tight hug, swing him around with both of them laughing.

No!

Jalmack was right there.

But Luffy!

"Vice Admiral-!" he managed to hiss, getting Garp's attention.

"SABO!" came the scream, and an all too familiar rubbery body slammed into Sabo's chest full force, screaming and crying and completely incoherent at this point.

Ace was just in time to see Luffy launch himself. To hear him scream for their long dead brother.

Damn it, Luffy! How many times did he have to tell that idiot - the dead do not come back!

He rushed for the wall, not quite stupid enough to immediately launch himself after his troublemaking little brother, only to see -

It was all Sabo could do to freeze. Everything in him screamed, absolutely shrieked, to return the hug, to let the tears fall, to kiss that unruly mop of hair, exposed now with his hat dangling by a string around his neck.

He could not. He must not. Luffy had to get out of here now!

Thankfully Garp could still function, and he ripped a screaming Luffy away.

"My apologies, Saint Jalmack. I'll take care of this," the old marine quickly rattled off, before anyone - especially the Celestial Dragon - could say anything, let alone give any orders.

And Garp was literally running away now, Luffy tight in his arms.

"BUT IT'S MY BROTHER!" came Luffy's parting screech, quickly fading with distance. Garp could really move when he wanted to.

Sabo felt Jalmack's eyes, knew without looking that they were bright in interest and greed.

"Sabo, you have a brother?"

He had milliseconds, microseconds, to respond.

(He should put on a show of disgust. Wipe off his suit. Straighten his sleeves. Flick his fingers. Sneer at the street urchin that dared cross his path, let alone grab at him.)

(Impossible.)

Blank. Mask. Show nothing. It had never been more important for people to think he just. Did. Not. Care.

"No, Master. I do not."

"Aw. Pity."

And that was that. Jalmack's interest in Luffy evaporated into nothing. A brat who had caused a scene but been taken care of. Sabo would bet his master wouldn't remember the incident by tomorrow.

Complete success.

He had just disowned both Luffy and Ace.

Even if he didn't mean it. Even if it had been to save Luffy from slavery. He had just declared he had no brothers.

(Maybe it was true. Maybe it should be true. He'd never deserved them anyway.)

It was the right call. He had protected Luffy.

So why did he want to cry? Why was he sick to his stomach? The ground was a bit unstable beneath his feet as the procession continued to the palace, completely not paying attention to whatever his master was jabbering about with the King of Goa. Barely even noticed as they entered Goa Castle itself.

He really should be paying attention. It could come back to bite him. Hard. If he was asked something later and didn't know.

But it was all Sabo could do to keep his mask on. To continue walking just behind his master. Nod at appropriate intervals when addressed. Allow the royal servants to jabber on about their arrangements to settle his master and take care of his needs. Let them lead him, the Head Maid, the stewards, and a select number of other servants (slaves) to the rooms reserved for royal guests' attaché.

Going through his duties with his back shredded up had been easier. Crap. He was going to throw up. Maybe faint. He had maybe a minute or two to get somewhere private.

Sabo was vaguely aware of the Head Maid trying to ask him something. He waved dismissively for her to handle it as he stormed past her into his reserved suite.

He barely made it into the attached bathroom and to the sink in time.

Throwing up was miserable. He had to be so careful with his stupid uniform even now. Carefully removed his rings and gloves, set them aside on the counter. Same with his top hat, couldn't have that falling in. Pulled up his sleeves, used his now bare hands to rinse out his mouth and clean up his face. Waited for the worst of the dizziness to pass, then raised his head to the mirror to check that his shirt and coat were free of any splashes of sick.

Ace stood behind him. At least in the mirror, he did.

Sabo blinked and almost laughed. Wow. He didn't think he had fallen that far. Hallucinations were a new low. Ace was safely in the New World, on the Moby Dick, protected by Whitebeard himself. There was no way his brother was standing right behind him. Looking exactly how Sabo had imagined him from his bounty posters.

Proud. Strong.

Angry. Disgusted.

Yeah, that fit. (He was looking at Sabo, after all.)

Sabo would've said something. Greeted the apparition. Asked if it was here to kill him for his betrayal. But color seemed to be fading and everything was going a bit fuzzy and he wasn't quite sure which way was up anymore but he was definitely falling.

Ace hadn't really believed the blue monster was Sabo. It had to be a coincidence. A terrible, hurtful, stabbing irony, that the right hand of the man that murdered his brother looked like an older version of said brother.

Even, especially, when the man callously dismissed Luffy, when Garp tore him away from the man and ran off (and what the heck was Gramps doing here?!). When the man said he didn't have brothers, Ace believed him.

Even though the Celestial Dragon had just referred to the man as Sabo. Ace must have misheard. Or it was a horrible coincidence.

Because it couldn't be. It just couldn't. There was no way his brother was alive. There was no way his brother was this monster that terrorized slaves and kissed up to Celestial Dragons.

There was no way Sabo could dismiss Luffy and tell his boss they weren't related.

But there was something. Some pull in Ace that he couldn't let go of, refused to think too deeply about. He'd need to deal with this Chief of Staff anyway before getting to Sabo's murderer.

It wasn't as hard as he'd expected to tail the party to the castle. It wasn't particularly hard to dodge the CP agents even, as a couple had split off to follow Garp and the rest kept close to the party, watching out from the rooftops. Ace followed behind them, no problem. He had more than decent observation haki.

Which screamed at him whenever he looked at the Chief of Staff and he did not want to think about why that may be. Because it couldn't be Sabo. It wasn't possible.

The CP agents dropped to the ground and merged with the marines to follow the party inside the castle.

Ace managed a flip over an unguarded section of wall with the slightest use of his powers for lift. Hurried to a large window and was delighted to find he had a clear view of the party. Was able to follow them from outside as they continued along, up until the servants split from the Celestial Dragon. The marines and CP agents continued with the scumbag. Ace chose to follow the man in blue.

Pretty much as soon as the castle servants showed them to their rooms, the man split off from the others to enter his own small suite. Shut the door firmly behind himself.

Ace followed the wall around to the window into the man's room. It was actually open, had maybe been airing out. Plus it was huge, easily large enough for Ace to climb in. Not that a too small window could stop a logia.

The man was throwing up in the sink.

Well. That would make taking him out much easier. Pirates had no problems taking advantage of their enemies' weaknesses.

Or it should. But Ace couldn't strike. Could only stare and move closer. And closer.

It couldn't be Sabo. It couldn't be.

The man was cleaning himself up now. Had set aside his gloves, removed his hat. Lifted his eyes to the mirror, and time froze.

It was Sabo.

That blond hair. Those round eyes, wide with recognition, with hurt, one now surrounded by a horrible slave brand. (None of the freed slaves had mentioned that.) The angle of his jaw, shape of his nose, brow, ears. This was his brother. What the hell had happened to him?!

The man, Sabo, let out a choked sort of laugh sound, eyes glazing in an all too familiar way that Ace remembered and hated, for all he'd only seen it twice, and then Sabo was dropping in a dead faint.

Ace lunged forward and caught him. He hadn't even thought to do so, body acting on protective instinct.

(A desperate confession, a surety in those eyes that he would be despised for his lies, his blood, the station he'd been born into. Blank eyes and broken grin saying without words, 'I knew this wouldn't last'.)

(Complete, unconditional surrender to his blood father's will, once his brothers' lives were on the line. A willingness to destroy himself, to become everything he hated, to deprive himself of everything that made him happy.)

Sabo was heavy now, dense with muscle under all those layers of pretty clothes, but nothing Ace couldn't handle. He easily lifted his brother and brought him back into the bedroom to lay him on the bed.

It was Sabo. Undoubtedly.

Outlook had lied. Or… no, he hasn't actually said Sabo had been killed. Mogra had said Sabo had been killed. Outlook had only mumbled about him being gone, being taken.

Taken. Literally. Sabo had been taken and branded and enslaved and had lived through who knew what hell until now.

And Ace didn't care if Sabo had survived by terrorizing others. Didn't care what Sabo had done, been forced to do. Because Sabo had survived. His brother, his Sabo, was alive.

Ace found himself crying and cradling his unconscious brother's hands to his own chest.

Sabo was alive. Nothing else mattered.

Sabo slowly woke to a gentle hand just barely grazing the scarred skin of his face.

Ace was still here. Sabo was officially crazy now and he couldn't bring himself to care, because Ace was so gentle and his eyes so full of acceptance and love.

(Not here to punish him. Didn't hate him. Please don't let this dream turn into a nightmare. Just. Just for a bit. Because Ace.)

"Why throw away Luffy if you're just gonna be sick after?"

Sabo lifted his own hand and couldn't stop the tears when the mirage didn't disappear as he touched that gentle hand. Rested his own hand over it, pressed it down on his ugly scarred face. Breathed deep.

"I'm Jalmack's favorite," Sabo murmured. "What does a collector want if he finds out his favorite is part of a set?"

Ace's eyes widened in realization and horror. Sabo raised his free hand and he obligingly leaned over so that Sabo could gently touch his face. Run his fingertips over those familiar freckles.

"I will never let him brand either of you," whispered Sabo, voice quiet but resolute. "You will never be a dress up doll or attack dog. I'll kill him before that."

Ace took that hesitant hand in his own free hand. Took a deep, shuddering breath. "Why haven't you?"

"Escaped?"

"Killed him."

Sabo frowned. Shouldn't a hallucination created by his own mind know this already? Maybe he needed the reminder. Needed to say it out loud. The reason he couldn't just kill Jalmack to forever protect Ace and Luffy from him.

His shameful selfishness.

Sabo drew his hands away, unable to linger further on his painful, beautiful, hallucination. Closed his eyes. Fisted one hand over his chest. He was shaking, sweating, heart pounding so hard it was a wonder it wasn't audible. The other hand he let slide up to his throat. His collar, that would definitely be activated if he ever attempted, let alone succeeded, in killing Jalmack.

"I'm not ready to die," he whispered, exposing all his guilt and fear and desperation in a way he only ever could alone… or, once upon a time, with his brothers.

"YOU BETTER NOT BE!" exploded the… Ace?!

Sabo jolted to sitting up in shock at the loud sound, which certainly any hallucination of his should know better. But why was he worried about a sound that surely only he -

A knock came from his door.

"Chief of Staff? Is everything alright?"

Ace glanced at Sabo's shocked face. Smirked, that oh so familiar I'm-gonna-cause-trouble smirk, and got up to answer the door. Sabo lunged and tackled him to the floor, making far more noise than Sabo was comfortable with.

ACE?!

The Head Maid flung open the door and rushed in, clearly panicked by the crash. At seeing her superior wrestling with a laughing stranger on the floor, she quickly closed the door behind herself and locked it.

Anyone else and she might've either called for help or quickly excused herself. Only with this Chief of Staff, with Sabo, did she dare wait for instructions and/or an explanation.

Sabo groaned, both grateful and concerned that it was Mara and not one of the other slaves, or worse a Marine or CP agent.

This couldn't be happening. His head was still spinning. How could Ace be here?!

"Sabo?" she queried, genuinely worried. A bit scared, slightly panicked, as was he.

"Hello, ma'am! I'm here to kill a dragon!" cheered Ace from underneath Sabo. He'd been pinned while he was too busy laughing to fight, but couldn't bring himself to care in the least.

"No! You're not!" ordered Sabo, eyes more than slightly crazed. "You kill Jalmack, and CP sets off the collar of every slave he owns - including myself and Mara here! You idiot!"

That sobered Ace right up, his eyes jolting down to what he'd thought was just jewelry around his brother's neck. Remembered the way Sabo had reached for it during his confession of still being afraid of death. Then his eyes jumped to the middle-aged woman and noticed she had a slave collar too, also a less bulky one than usual, thought not as elaborate and expensive looking as Sabo's.

"… oh."

Sabo sighed at that acknowledgment of understanding and released his brother. Sat, almost collapsed to the ground and leaned against the bed for support. Ugh. This was too much so quickly after being sick and fainting.

How was this happening? Was it really happening? Was it too good to be true or his worst nightmare? He still hadn't fully processed Luffy knowing and now Ace is in the same room.

(And doesn't hate him? Does he not know?)

Whatever. Introductions seemed a good place to start.

"Mara, this is my idiot brother. He's a pirate. Ace, this is the Head Maid of Jalmack's staff. I doubt she'll report you. Be nice!"

Mara looked from Sabo to Ace in surprise. Not because they didn't look alike, she'd seen stranger siblings, just… "He's free?"

Sabo smiled slightly. Trust the practical Head Maid to immediately focus on what was really important. It helped him ground himself.

Somehow, Ace was here. So was Luffy, who had already caught Jalmack's attention once. He needed to keep them safe. Keep them free, at any cost.

"Yes. And he's going to be leaving so he stays that way."

The woman nodded quickly, in full agreement with Sabo's urgency. Yes, absolutely. Sabo's brother had to get out of here as quickly as possible. Sabo must be terrified having free family so close to Jalmack. If she'd had any family left, she would've been in a panic in a similar situation.

"What?! No!" protested Ace. "Sabo! I just found out you're alive and a slave and you expect me to just leave you here?! I came here to kill Jalmack anyway! Just tell me how!"

Sabo lunged forward to smack his hands over Ace's mouth. "Far too loud, Ace! You can't get caught! Don't do that to me! And I already told you - you can't kill Jalmack without killing all his slaves."

"Then we just have to get these collars off!" protested Ace, reaching forward and yanking at the deadly horror around his brother's neck.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Sabo shoved Ace away in a panic. Mara grabbed his shoulders in a desperation built on terror and hauled him well out of reach.

After a few seconds the beeping stopped. Sabo and Mara, both now sweating and breathing hard, sagged in relief.

"You idiot!" cried Mara. "You can't be rough with a slave collar! It triggers the bomb!"

Ace was so out of his depth. Was so used to being able to fight his way out of anything. The idea of something being impossible was… impossible. It made no sense at all.

(The last time something had been impossible, he'd been clinging to a bloody top hat, unfairly taking his anger out on Luffy, screaming that Sabo was dead and there was nothing they could do.)

(But Sabo wasn't dead! The impossible could happen! He just didn't know how!)

(He'd almost just killed Sabo.)

(No one had warned him about slave collars. Why had no one ever warned him? None of the ex-slaves the Whitebeards had helped had collars. How did they get them off? Could he do the same?)

Sabo's heart ached at the disoriented desperation on Ace's face. His poor brother. Who could've just kept being happy if he didn't find Sabo. But now that he was here?

"You didn't know," excused Sabo, reaching forward. Ace crept back and Sabo pulled him into a hug. Sabo could feel his brother's heart pounding at the scare. This was too much for him. For all of them. Because Luffy knew now too. Sabo sighed and squeezed tighter.

"Thank you for trying, Ace. But I need you and Luffy to stay safe. Stay free. That means staying away from Jalmack."

"I won't leave you!" protested Ace, practically begging. "You're alive, Sabo."

"So is Luffy," interrupted Sabo. "And you can actually help him! He's probably in a panic, right now. Probably going to do something stupid as soon as he gets away from Garp. Don't let him come after me, Ace."

Mara was wringing her hands, her eyes darting to that locked door every few seconds. Time was running out.

A knock came on the door. Someone jiggled the handle, rattling the locked door.

"Chief of Staff?" called a voice. "The dinner presentation and guard routines -?"

Sabo shoved Ace towards the window, grabbing his hat and gloves from where they'd been laid out on the bed. (By Ace. Sabo had left them in the bathroom. The simple yet kind gesture almost had Sabo hesitating and grabbing for his brother again. But no, no. He had his duties. Especially now, with so many eyes on him, he must not falter.)

He jammed his hat low over his head, deliberately shading his eyes, straightened his tailcoat, and swept elegantly out the room, opening and closing the door in such a way the messenger wouldn't have been able to see inside past him.

The Head Maid drew herself up, standing tall and firm. Took a step forward to block Ace from the door.

Ace himself was still standing frozen between the bed and window. Neither said a word in a silent battle of wills.

(Luffy knows. Luffy needed him too. Luffy needed Sabo too.)

Ace almost growled, shoving his own hat down to shield his eyes. He hated when someone bossed him around, and while Sabo had usually been right, he'd usually at least give Ace the chance to argue his point.

"I'm coming back," he muttered. "And I'm taking him with me."

The Head Maid, Mara, actually looked vaguely hopeful, in a wistful sort of way, for just a moment. But she continued blocking the door.

"I wish you could," she replied.