Chapter 38
Sabo watched Luffy fret by the railings. Vivi and Sanji had woken up, disorientated and exhausted, but before the Straw Hats could interrogate Sanji, who had went frightfully pale when the others began to blurt out everything they knew so far, Thatch kidnapped him to the kitchens and locked them both inside. Rouge had walked in right through the door, phasing out as a ghost, while Vivi and Nami went to the girl's bedroom to talk. Zoro immediately went to start training again, while Chopper lay below him, enjoying the breeze from Zoro's exercise. They had pulled the ship over to let Vivi send out a message to her father, by her pet duck (which why was a duck that size anyway?) but now they were back out on the ocean again.
"Shadow Lady was so angry with me... Now Vivi and Sanji aren't feeling well... And Ace has been kidnapped..." Luffy sulked.
"You did take the news in a rather immature way, Lu," Sabo said softly. "I know Ace and Rouge are strong, but even they can get in trouble. I can too, Luffy. We're not unbeatable."
Luffy's frown deepened. "You, Ace, Shadow Lady and Gramps are the strongest people I know. Shanks too-"
"And any of us can one day be beaten," Sabo insisted. "And unfortunately Ace didn't even get to fight back. He was trying to save his friend's life, and Teach took advantage of it."
"But we're going to get him back, right?" Luffy asked desperately, looking up at him, face full of misery and eyes tearing up again. "Right?"
"You're still such a crybaby," Sabo chided softly, nudging him gently. "Ace would mock you endlessly right now, Lu."
Luffy cut off his sobs and sniffed his snot back up, much to Sabo's disgust. "Not a crybaby," he insisted.
"A gross one," Sabo chuckled. "But Rouge was right, you need to mature more, Luffy, especially as the Captain of this ship."
"Vivi said the same thing..." Luffy admitted.
"She did?" Sabo blinked.
"When it came to asking for help..." Luffy said. "I followed her lead and bowed to Drum's people, even after they attacked us, but Vivi was right. We needed to talk to them, not fight, and we all did come to an understanding."
Sabo smiled. "Not bad."
Luffy grinned. "I'll do better."
"I know you will," Sabo said. "I have full faith in you, and if you don't, Law will probably start rearranging your organs."
Luffy paled.
"He's already stolen Ace's heart," Sabo said gleefully, enjoying how Luffy went even paler.
Law was such a great edition to their brotherhood. He could actually terrify Luffy and Ace. Sabo could only do it when he was really angry, but Law could do it even when he was happy.
It was such a rare and amazing gift.
"Traffy's so scary!" Luffy cried.
"Yeah, so you better improve for when you see him, otherwise you'll get it," Sabo teased, then sighed, sitting down next to Luffy. "We're going to get Ace back, I might not be by Rouge's and Thatch's side the entire time, but I'm still looking too."
"And if we find this guy first we'll beat him up and get Ace back-"
"Don't you dare go near him," Sabo scolded. "I'm going to give you a number to contact me with, and Rouge better do the same thing, so if you do find Ace, you contact us. We'll handle it."
Luffy looked ready to protest, but Sabo cut him off.
"I'm serious, Luffy. I don't want you or Law anywhere near this guy. Teach is dangerous. He stabbed one of Whitebeard's Commanders in the back and kidnapped another one, and Whitebeard is a very powerful man, as are his Commanders. Teach is also after the head witches, he must be, if he took Ace. You have to protect Vivi and Sanji." Sabo frowned. "And as for Sanji, I'm going to try look more into the Vinsmokes and find out how much of a danger they are to him, and to all of you. You'll need to be ready for if they try and do anything, because if Rouge is right about them, then you cannot let the Vinsmokes take Sanji back."
"I'd rather drown in my own vomit."
They both startled at that and as one Sabo and Luffy turned to face Sanji, who handed Sabo a cup of tea and Luffy a glass of milk.
"Thank you," Sabo said automatically. "Are you alright?"
"Not really, but I'll feel better soon enough," Sanji said softly. "I don't want to see any of the Vinsmokes ever again, and as far as I know, they don't want to see me either, but at that time they also didn't know I was a witch."
"What do you mean?" Sabo frowned.
"I've always kept my magic hidden," Sanji explained. "I never use it, and it isn't like it is a flashy thing. I feel people's emotions, and should be able to control them after all. I was told to keep it a secret by my mother, and by my ancestors when the Vinsmoke grimoire materialised into my hands when I reached twelve years old. There is only one person who knows I am a witch heir, until now, and that was Zeff."
"The old man knows?" Luffy tilted his head. "Did he teach you how to use your magic?"
"He didn't know how magic worked, so no. He's not a witch after all," Sanji said. "I learned a little from my grimoire, but as you all know, I don't use it. I'm so used to keeping it a secret that I kept it away from all of you as well, so I am sorry about that."
Luffy huffed. "Don't be sorry! Witches are cool, like Ace, Ace is a very cool witch, and when we get him back you can meet him, you and Vivi! Shishishishi, and you gotta meet Law too."
"I'd like that." Sanji smiled. "Thanks, Luffy."
Luffy grinned.
"Did your talk with Thatch and Rouge go well?" Sabo asked.
"Thatch and I mainly just cooked, but Rouge-san told me a lot of useful stuff," Sanji said. "She also wants to tell Chopper these things, like about the dreams and such things, to add to my medical notes."
"Dreams?" Luffy asked.
"Something about a throne room," Sanji offered.
"Ah, mystery dreams." Luffy nodded.
Sabo snorted. "Sounds about right. It does remain a damn mystery. I've been trying to find out more stuff about the head witches since Ace started having those visions in Sabaody, but I've had no luck."
"It certainly isn't easy to find out information on the head witches," Sanji mused.
"I can imagine it would have been even more difficult for you. There's not been a witch in your clan for generations, if that tale Rouge told us was right," Sabo said.
"It is true," Sanji sighed. "I can feel it from the grimoire. My last ancestor that was a witch was from hundreds of years ago who was burned alive at the stake with her father. What Rouge didn't know was that wasn't their only punishment."
Sabo stiffened. "It wasn't?"
"No. Somebody came in and wiped all of them out but one male Vinsmoke, and that was only so that the Vinsmoke Clan would live on to bring about another witch," Sanji said. "My grimoire told me this years ago."
Sanji summoned it to his hands, the grimoire appearing with a burst of magic. He opened it up, scanning the pages, before turning it to face them both. Luffy didn't bother to read it, but Sabo did. He didn't dare touch it though.
Sanji was right. Only one Vinsmoke had survived the aftermath of a massacre that nearly wiped them all out. Every other Vinsmokes, even those who had been distantly related, had been murdered. The grimoire didn't say who did it, just that the person had been enraged.
"I assume it must be to do with whatever is up there in Mariejois," Sanji said. Tucking his grimoire back into his lap. "But that right now is just a thought. My grimoire hasn't been able to tell me more."
"That's already helped give me more information than I had this morning," Sabo said. "Sorry for all the hassle though."
"No, it's fine," Sanji said, holding up a hand. "Rouge-san had eyed me when she warned us about Ace's situation, and I didn't protest. I really hadn't expected to faint, admittedly, but whatever this Teach person did to Ace, it must be very serious to cause such a reaction to all us witches whenever we hear about it."
"Still sorry for it," Rouge said, appearing next to Sanji, sitting right beside him. "It was a pretty crappy thing to do."
"I don't blame you at all, Rouge-san, if I need to blame someone though, then I'll blame this Teach bastard who started all this," Sanji said.
"Music to my ears," Thatch said, walking out the kitchen.
"So I forgot to ask, but why are you here, Sabo?" Rouge tilted her head.
"I was originally here to check up on the situation in Alabasta, but I see you guys and Princess Vivi will be taking care of things already," Sabo said, throwing Luffy a smile. "So instead I'm going to help you two investigate this sighting of Blackbeard."
"I don't know where he's going, but I don't like it," Rouge mused. "It's like he's on the same path as Luffy."
"Hopefully he ends up off course soon enough," Sabo said.
"Yeah, I don't like the thought of you kids running into that traitorous bastard," Thatch bristled, and Sabo caught sight of Thatch's hand going down to his side protectively.
That was where he must have been stabbed. Sabo caught Rouge's eyes, and she nodded, eyeing Thatch's side. Shit, that was going to be a long lasting wound, not physically, especially if Thatch had already seen Law, Law would probably have healed him, but mentally? Mentally Thatch was probably going to take a long time to recover from that betrayal. If what Sabo had heard was right, Teach had been aboard the Moby Dick long before Thatch had even joined.
Sabo couldn't imagine how Thatch was feeling right now. It was a betrayal as unimaginable as Ace or Luffy stabbing him in the back. Sabo just couldn't picture it. If that happened, Sabo wouldn't know what to do, only that Rouge would probably beat the crap out of them all, and Law would cut them all to pieces and reattach them to each other. Sabo almost shuddered at the thought.