Chapter 9: The Noble's Insidious Plan
*Luffy*
"That's not like you," said a hauntingly familiar voice behind him that made Luffy freeze, "To be so lost in thought, eh, Luffy?"
Luffy blinked, slowly raising his head while everything shifted around him as the kid Ace in front of him was suddenly gone like smoke. He blinked again, staring at his hands where Ace had been before the violent image of blood appeared on his palms once more. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he screwed up his eyes, determined to stay in the present.
He rubbed his hands roughly on his pants, not wanting to look until he was sure that he was in control of his emotions. He took a few long, deep breaths while waiting for his heartrate to slow down back to normal. Upon catching his breath, he finally opened his eyes again, looking around as he remained in a cold sweat.
Where was he? Was that really Ace? No, it couldn't be…? But… that was his voice though! How?
As he looked though, he realized that he wasn't in Dadan's house anymore and he was outside. Still, there was something weird about this place. It all looked strangely… familiar. He got back up and walked forward, glancing around at the tall trees and boulders scattered about—to the jungle vines that hung from above to the thick moss on the ground. It took him a few minutes, but he realized that he had seen all this before and the second that he realized it, he found it hard to breathe again.
He hurried on, sprinting the last few yards until he arrived…
…at their old training site.
It had been over two years since he last saw this place. He remembered that day so clearly because it was on his seventeenth birthday, the day he would set out to sea to become a pirate, and so he got up extra early to visit all his favorite spots one last time before leaving. He remembered stopping by here for one final training session by himself before he said goodbye to Dadan and the others before he left for Windmill Village.
As he walked around the old training site, he thought more of all his favorite spots again. The cliff that overlooked the ocean…? The boulders above the crocodile lagoon…? The biggest tree in the forest that still had their old hideout…?
He paused there, trying not to think of the treehouse. He and Ace couldn't bring themselves to keep living there after the fire. Especially after they learned what happened to Sabo…?
Luffy shook his head hard, tired of crying and not wanting to be reminded of one of the worse days of his life. But all of a sudden, the memories of the last time they ever visited the hideout came rushing back to play themselves over in his head.
After Ace fully recovered from the fire, he told Luffy he was going back to their hideout to get their things since it was better for them to live closer to Dadan's house from now on. As always, Luffy hated being left behind and choose to go with him, asking what he was talking about. Neither of them said a word the entire trip through the forest that day—neither of them in the mood to talk until they climbed back up the tree and Ace went around collecting their things.
*Flashback*
"We're really never coming back, Ace?" Luffy asked as he watched Ace stuff their things, just random stuff that they collected from the Grey Terminal, into a single bag. "Is it bad that we stay here?"
"No, I mean, I don't think I can come back here after today," he said, not looking at Luffy and instead glanced up to the wall where their sake cups remained hanging from the little fishing net they found. Luffy looked up at it too, trying hard not to cry at the sight of the three cups as Ace told him to stop crying.
Luffy sniffled, trying to keep his emotions from bursting out again as Ace could only sigh and threw the bag out the window to save them the trip of carrying it back down themselves.
"It's just… not home anymore. Not without Sabo," Ace grunted, still not looking at him.
Luffy bit his lip to hold back his cries, but he nodded in agreement, knowing that Ace was right. The three of them build this hideout together and without Sabo here, it just didn't feel right to come here anymore.
Ace ran an awkward hand through Luffy's hair as he passed by, telling him that they should return before Dadan thought they ran away again. Luffy followed Ace, having taken everything they had, save for the sake cups on the wall. A tribute to Sabo and their Brotherhood—as Ace called it.
*End of Flashback*
Luffy shook his head, wondering why he was thinking of all those sad days when he had happier ones he could think of…? Like this place! The training site had always been so special to him—this was the very same place where he used to fight and train with his brothers. It looked exactly as it always did and he walked around, staring at everything with a faint smile.
The wide clearing that was surrounded by trees on all sides while the pipe staffs that they had when they were kids, now covered with rust, were leaning up against the biggest trunk. The scoreboard that they used to keep track of their matches was still there, still worn out and the chalk almost completely faded from the old wood, and even the familiar rock that he once destroyed when he finally perfected his Gum Gum Pistol…? He even kicked out at one of the small shards of the destroyed rock, watching it tip over in the grass.
It looked exactly like how he left it.
If he had thought about it, he might've wondered how he was here. But he smiled sadly as he went to place his hand on the scoreboard, tracing the chalk gently as he thought back to those happy days.
"Those really were the best of times, weren't they?"
Luffy froze once again at the sound of that voice, but he didn't immediately turn around to look. He didn't know if he could stand to have Ace vanish again like he did before. As if he knew what he was afraid of, the voice spoke up again in that gentle, but slightly teasing tone, Luffy knew so well: "It's alright. You can look. I promise I won't vanish on you."
At that, Luffy slowly turned around, his heart feeling like it was being tightly squeezed, and there he was. Fire-Fist Ace—as Luffy remembered seeing him in Alabasta—was leaning up against a tree, looking at him with that smile that Luffy missed so much. His eyes shone brightly as he held up a finger to tilt his hat to look at him with a single burning flame at the tip.
"You're here a lot sooner than I thought you'd be," he said, smiling brightly. "But good thing that it's only temporary. You aren't supposed to be here just yet… little brother."
Luffy stared at him, unable to speak as he slowly stumbled over to him. "A-Ace?" he croaked out, terrified that he would disappear if he spoke too loudly.
Ace grinned a little wider and held out his arms with a simple, "The one and only."
"This can't be real," Luffy croaked out, shaking his head hard. "You're… you're supposed to be…?"
"Dead?" Ace asked brightly, pushing himself up from the tree and walking over to him, poking Luffy's forehead. And unlike his dreams—or rather his nightmares—this time Luffy could feel it… he could feel his brother's finger poking at him.
"I am," Ace confessed, never once losing his smile.
*Straw Hats*
The Straw Hats followed the memory of the two boys moving through the Grey Terminal as they looked for Sabo. Ace kept picking up scraps of metal and pieces of lumber every few feet—just anything he thought might be useful to repair their base—while Luffy wandered a little behind him, still looking for that telescope.
As Usopp watched, he had an idea to make a special telescope for the Sunny when he got back—one that could see for endless miles around in all directions. But just as he was mentally designing it, Ace suddenly dropped everything he was holding and pulled Luffy down to the ground.
"Ace—what?" Luffy cried out startled.
"Shhhh," Ace hissed, forcing his head down, his tone clear that now wasn't the time to question it, "Stay quiet."
"What's going on?" Chopper asked, not liking the tense look on Ace's face.
"Don't know but I don't think that Ace would be reacting like this if it wasn't serious," Zoro reasoned, his hand on a sword, though he was aware that it was useless. He couldn't help but feel like he was a little more in control of the situation like this.
"Voices," Sanji added softly, his head turned in one direction as the sounds of people talking could be clearly heard from nearby. "Over there…?"
Whether or not Luffy stayed quiet because of Ace's order or because he heard the voices too was hard to say. Either way, he kept his mouth shut as the two of them crawled up the mounds of junk and cautiously peered over where the voices were coming from. At the bottom of the hill was Sabo… and he was completely surrounded and outnumbered by several mean-looking adults.
"Oh, no!" Chopper cried out in worry, "He's in trouble!"
"Don't worry," Franky smirked as Ace and Luffy shared a look and they nodded together. "Like they're gonna leave their brother to fight that many on his own. Looks like some thugs from town want some revenge from a former beating."
"I don't know about that," Robin said with a slight frown as she got a good look at the men. "They don't look like ordinary street thugs to me…?"
"Wait…?" Nami started slowly, a horrible idea suddenly coming to her, "Are they…?"
"I never would have guessed that one of the infamous three troublemakers was a noble," of the men said—and judging from his clothes and demeanor, he was the leader of this whole thing. He was a tall man with short hair that was all tied back on the top of his head so that they looked like stripes, while the rest of it flowed down long and unkempt down his sides. As he sneered, they saw that he was missing half of his molars in an alternating pattern… but what really got them was the air of malevolence that surrounded him. They didn't know who he was, but there was just something about him that instantly made all the Straw Hats hate everything about him.
"Who's that?" Luffy asked quietly as Ace put a finger to his lips to silence him.
"Bluejam, how do you know that!?" Sabo yelled, answering the question unknowingly.
"Bluejam?" Brook repeated in confusion, knowing that he heard that name somewhere before, "Oh, I know that name! That's the pirate captain who they… robbed from… oh dear…?"
"Oh, shit," Sanji hissed, feeling a little sweat fall from the side of his face as he glanced at Ace, whose face went pale and was uncharacteristically fearful, "This is seriously bad. They may be good fighters, but they're up against heavily armed pirates now!"
"Is there anything they can do?" Nami asked nervously, not liking this at all.
"If they can distract him long enough to make a run for the forest, they could lose them inside the trees," Robin offered half-heartedly, "But…?"
"Bluejam?" Luffy repeated quietly before his eyes widened in understanding as he told Ace, "Sabo's in trouble!"
He looked ready to jump down and fight, but Ace grabbed him by the arm and hissed, "Not like that idiot." They were glad to see that Ace quickly grasped the danger they were in. If Porchemy was anything to go by, these guys weren't a laughing matter. As Ace looked around, he spotted an old barrel lying near them and he grinned at the sight of it. He snuck over to it, rolling it up to the side and slowly moving it over the ledge while telling Luffy to get inside.
"Just hold on," he said as Luffy climbed in and Ace was getting the positioning just right, "Once we hit the ground, we burst out and go all out against them."
"Okay," Luffy agreed as he waited for Ace to finish setting things up. Meanwhile, Sabo had been trying to talk his way outta fighting when one of the pirates tried to grab him from behind. Sabo instinctually kicked him hard as he yelled, "You wanna fight, bastard?!"
"In this case, there are only two things he can do," Robin said softly. "Fight… or flight."
"I vote for fight," Zoro smirked at the idea, his thumb flicking out a sword so that the blade could just be seen.
"You always chose fight," Usopp yelled at him. "He's just a little kid and he's up against pirates on his own! He can't win!"
But Sabo wasn't alone for long though. Ace had climbed into the barrel after Luffy just as he kicked them off so that they were rolling. They moved fast down the hill of junk and towards the pirates—who noticed it at this point and were completely distracted from Sabo for a brief second. Before the nearest pirate—the one who was standing behind Sabo—could react, the barrel went slamming into him and knocked him clean off his feet. The guy never even saw it coming since he was out cold before he even hit the ground.
At the same time, when the barrel collided, Luffy and Ace broke out and charged ahead to join Sabo.
"Ace! Luffy!" Sabo cried in relief, grinning wildly and was ready for a fight now that his back-up had finally shown up.
Luffy was stumbling around, looking slightly dizzy as he muttered, "My eyes are spinning…" and then he fell to the ground with a loud 'flop'.
Robin felt a little pink come to her cheeks at the sight. Though she knew they were still in danger, she couldn't help but inwardly swoon at how cute Luffy was as a little kid. No one else noticed this though for Ace turned to Sabo, quickly asking if he was alright, which Sabo reassured he was. Upon hearing that, Ace turned to face the pirates, still grinning—clearly not afraid as he taunted, "If all three of us work together, these guys aren't scary at all!"
"That's right!" Luffy exclaimed, getting back to his feet, his dizzy spell over with, "We even beat the Great Tiger of Mount Corvo!"
"Yeah, after fighting that thing, these guys don't seem that scary," Chopper said, thinking of that monster tiger.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that they'll win," Zoro muttered, knowing that wild animals were one thing to deal with… but humans were a completely different story. They weren't above using dirty tricks to get what they wanted.
The Bluejam Pirates were looking more pissed off than ever as they advanced, their weapons drawn and pointed at them. Thankfully, it was Ace who took charge, calling to his brothers, "To finish this fight quickly, we just have to go for the captain!"
Sabo dropped the supplies he gathered as he and Ace dodged out of the way of their swinging weapons. As for Luffy, he didn't even need to bother with the clubs the pirates were using as he let them hit him, only for the blunt weapons to bounce off uselessly—some even accidently hitting their own owners when they bounced back.
"Now that's teamwork!" Brook called happily as Luffy jumped up and head-butted one man.
"They're starting to really become a force to be reckoned with," Franky cheered on with Usopp and Chopper.
"They're all monsters," Nami said shaking her head, but still grinning like everyone else. She supposed that you had to get strong just to survive in a place like this. Upon taking out the underlings, the three of them ran at Bluejam—looking ready to finish the job.
"Yeah!" Usopp yelled, punching the sky eagerly, "You show him!"
But Zoro was frowning at the annoyed look on Bluejam's face. He didn't look worried at all—even with all his flunkies taken out and the three boys charging ahead with those pipes. It wasn't until his hand went flying to the gun that was tucked into his belt did he understand.
"Hell, they better run!" Sanji yelled, but even as he shouted, Bluejam had pulled it out and fired. Thankfully, it missed them but it was a narrow miss… just inches from Ace's foot—which was enough to stop them all dead.
"What!?" Ace exclaimed, having not guess he'd do that. That was when they all ducked and covered, with Ace and Sabo hiding behind what looked like a broken ship's mast, and Luffy actually covering his face with a plank of wood on the ground.
"Did he really think that would be enough to stop a bullet?" Nami asked as sweatdropped hung about her head. "Not that he needs it since he's bulletproof but still…?"
"I can see that these guys aren't used to fighting someone with guns," Sanji said with a frown. "I hope that they weren't over-confident."
"Yeah, but if they can just get in close enough they can still win! Using guns can be a bit of a hassle," Usopp said knowingly, "There's the loading and the gunpowder…? That's why they're for long-distance fighters because while they're lethal when they hit you, reloading can cause a lot of trouble in the heat of battle. It's easier to use swords because they don't need re-loading. That's why I use a slingshot! I don't need to worry about all of that!"
"Wow, you really know a lot, Usopp!" Chopper said in amazement.
"Hee hee," Usopp laughed, rubbing his long nose with his thumb. "What'd you expect? I'm Master Usopp! Of course I'd know something as trivial as that!"
"Why's Luffy-san hiding at all though?" Brook asked, not understanding why Luffy looked scared, as he poked his head around the board to look at the gun.
"Well, if they're not used to fighting against someone with a gun, then what are the odds of him knowing that he's bulletproof?" Zoro asked. "It's too bad… if they knew that, then he could've taken him on."
"Is this where he gets shot and finds out?" Nami asking carefully, not liking where this was going.
No one could answer that though as Bluejam had them where he wanted and laughed, grinning evilly as he warned, "Alright brats. Stay where you are."
"Like we're scared of a gun!" Ace yelled out, though he didn't sound as confident as he did a moment ago.
"Behind you, Ace!" Chopper screamed out, but it was too late. The boys were so focused on Bluejam, they didn't notice the extra men that jumped out from some random junk and grabbed him from behind.
"Damn," Zoro hissed, "It was a trap!"
"They must've guessed what they were going to do, and had some of them hide until they were distracted," Robin summed up as Ace and Sabo cursed at the men, fighting to get free.
"Move!" screamed Luffy's voice, and they saw that while they were watching Ace and Sabo being grabbed, another had Luffy pinned to the ground—it was hard to hear what he was saying with his face held down like that, but it sounding suspiciously along the lines of: "…or I'll send you flying!"
"They should've run while they had the chance," Robin whispered softly, biting down on her thumb anxiously.
"For once, I agree," Franky said, now starting to sound unnerve as he looked at the pirates—who were looking very pleased with themselves. "They look like they mean business. You think they're still angry about the loot they took from them?"
"Of course they would be," Nami said angrily, speaking from experience. "What kind of pirate wouldn't be angry at someone who stole from them?"
"Not only did their pride get injured by getting robbed by a bunch of pint-sized kids, but also beating up some of their men who worked directly for them? Yeah, I can't think of anything to say to that," Zoro acknowledged.
"Even if they give it back now," Sanji agreed with a frown, biting down on his cigarette, "I doubt that they'll be letting them go that easily."
"But they'll be alright won't they?" Chopper asked, looking scared.
"Y-Yeah," Usopp stuttered, trying to convince himself that as he let out a nervous laugh, "I mean, come on… Luffy obviously makes it out of this alive, doesn't he? I'm sure that they'll find some way to escape in one piece eventually. All they have to do is stay calm and run when they get the chance!"
But Zoro just kept frowning, that uneasy feeling back in full swing, and it was worse than ever. For some reason, he couldn't stop looking at Sabo, who continued to try and get free.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Sabo yelled, looking ready to bite down on the man's arm, but stopped dead, staring in the Straw Hat's direction with a horrified expression, as if he could suddenly see them. It was so sudden, that Zoro thought for a second that Sabo could see them… at least until he heard the footsteps behind them and he turned around—cursing himself for not being able to sense anything while within a memory.
But the shocked look on Sabo's face was enough to tell him that something was dangerously wrong. And what he saw made him freeze as well. A large group of men were approaching, each one wearing what looked to be gas masks and carrying loaded rifles as they marched. But standing with them was one man he did recognize… the same man that had called out to Sabo in one of the previous memories …?
Sabo's father.
"Is that…?" Nami asked slowly, staring at Sabo's father as her eyes widened in recognition.
"It is!" Usopp said, pointing wildly at him. "That's Sabo's dad! What's he doing here?"
"I don't know," Sanji said, his eyes narrowing as he and the armed men walked right passed them all to face the Bluejam Pirates, "But I can guarantee that it can't be good."
"You don't think that Sabo's dad isn't here to help them?" Chopper asked them.
"Looks more like he's the one behind the attack," Franky said, suddenly being vividly reminded of how that idiot Spanda used his battleships to attack Water 7 once upon a time.
"But why?" Chopper asked, not understanding.
Just then, Sabo's dad spoke, looking over them all with a cold look in his eyes. He looked annoyed, as if he could think of a million things he rather be doing than see his son in a place like this. Speaking of which, he was now looking at Sabo with disappointment as he said, "Looks like we came just at the right time."
"Father…" Sabo whispered in terror, too scared to move. At that one word, Ace and Luffy were also staring up with confused shock, unable to believe what was happening.
Bluejam looked over at Sabo's dad and said, in an oily voice, "Master, he doesn't have a single scratch on him."
"Master?" Usopp repeated hoarsely, "What's going on?"
"It sounds like…" Brook said softly, realization sinking in, "…that those pirates are working for him!"
"What?" Sanji yelled out. "Since when do pirates work for nobles?"
"Well, there are pirates who work for the government, or so they claim," Robin said, thinking of Crocodile with distain. "I guess anyone can be bought with enough money."
"What lowlifes!" Franky growled, "Instead of going out to the sea, they rather become servants?"
"And not just any servants," Zoro said angrily, "But Mercenaries… or thugs to do the dirty work for hire."
Bluejam turned towards the man holding Sabo, and gestured for him to come over—which caused the Straw Hats to tense up. Surely, he wouldn't order these men to hurt his own son…?
"HEY!" Sabo called, suddenly remembering how to move as he fought tooth and nail to get away. "LEMME GO!"
"Oh, I get it," Sanji growled, his hands curled into fists as Ace called out Sabo's name in worry. "Sabo refused to come back on his own, so this piece of shit hired them to bring him back by force."
"But why now?" Nami yelled. "He didn't seem to care before? He didn't bother looking for him for a long time now so why does he suddenly want him back home?"
"I can't say for sure, but if I had to guess, word's gotten out about his son being one of the three delinquents terrorizing the town," Robin offered, but suspected that there was more to the story than that.
"I see," Sabo's father said, looking over at Luffy and Ace as if examining a pair of stray dogs, before turning his nose up at them in disgust, "It must be because of these two. They led Sabo down a path of evil?"
"What'd he just say?!" Zoro yelled out, growing more pissed off by the minute.
"Path of evil?" Franky repeated at the top of his lungs, now seething, "Oh, I'll show him evil! Just wait until I get my hands on him!"
"Give Sabo back!" Luffy demanded though his threat didn't sound so threatening from where he was pinned to the ground.
"Yeah! That's right!" Chopper yelled out loudly. "Sabo doesn't want to go back with you!"
"What do you mean 'give him back'? Sabo is my child!" Sabo's dad asked him, as if arguing with someone over a piece of property. "It is the responsibility of every child to live according to the will of their parents who gave them life!"
"What kind of reasoning is that?" Brook yelled out feverishly, "Parents bring you into the world so that you do everything your parents tell you to do?! It doesn't work like that! Maybe if you treated Sabo like a son instead of a bargaining chip, then he wouldn't have run away!"
But Sabo's father went on by pointing a finger at them, accusing them of lying to Sabo and that they convinced him to run away from home.
"Are you attempting to steal my fortune?" Sabo's father went on to ask them with a sneer.
"Did they ever demand anything from you? I can't believe they're related," Nami cried out angrily. "If I had to live with that, I'd run too. Screw the money."
"What?! Did I just hear you just say that?" Usopp yelled at her in amazement.
"I love money. But there's a limit to what I'm willing to put up with! And if I had to live with someone like him?" she jerked her thumb at Sabo's dad, "I'd rather run for it while I could."
"What was that, bastard!?" Ace yelled, his face full of fury that they hadn't seen in awhile. At that, the pirate holding him slammed him into the ground to get him to shut up, Ace's face was cut on something sharp and blood splattered everywhere, including hitting Sabo's father's cheek.
As if getting hit with mud, he yelled as he wiped the blood off with his handkerchief, "Hey now, pirate, be careful how you handle these children!"
"That's right!" Chopper agreed, glad to see that he had, at least, some compassion.
"You got some of this inferior filth's blood on my face!" he finished, throwing the cloth away onto one of the garbage piles.
"WHAT?!" Chopper screamed out, immediately regretting thinking this guy had some kindness in him for even a second.
"I dare you to say that again!" Franky screamed out, silently praying to whatever deity that was listening to give him a chance to hit that bastard at least once.
"Just a few seconds," Zoro growled to himself, almost trying to will the memory to become real… just a few seconds to slice him to pieces… that was all he wanted.
The whole time, Robin had been quiet as she watched the scene as a new understanding washed over her. She had been with the Revolutionaries for the last two years, and she had seen a lot of things that made her feel sick. Dragon had been working hard for almost three decades to overthrow the World Government, and it was because of nobles like them could she completely understand why. These people were heartless monsters, so arrogant in the fictional world that they live in, they think they could do anything they wanted… that they were better than others and they could do no wrong.
This is just a hard view of what the world is truly like. Nobles like them and the Celestial Dragons are everywhere. They control everything with money and manipulation. In their minds, being born a noble automatically means that they are better.
But as she thought about Dragon, she felt her lips twitch a little in a smile. Even after joining them for those two years, she only met their mysterious leader a handful of times. It had been a surprise when she first laid eyes on him since he and Luffy didn't look alike. While it was easy to see the family resemblance with Luffy and Garp, it wasn't as clear with Dragon.
Robin watched everything silently as memory Luffy called out in worry upon seeing the blood on Ace's face. Personality-wise, Luffy was different from his father's calm and collected attitude… but as she watched the little boy still fighting to get free—refusing to give up—she knew that in other ways they were just the same.
"Soulless bastards," Sanji hissed, "Wish I could break his face."
Sabo had finally broken free from his guard and ran to his father, standing between him and his brothers, pleading desperately, "Please stop! They didn't deceive me! It was my choice to leave home!"
Sabo's father just glared at him in irritation and told him to be quiet as two soldiers grabbed him and pulled him back. Once Sabo was out of the way, he looked back to Bluejam and asked, "I trust that you pirates will take care of the others?"
"What does he mean by that?" Brook cried out, suddenly feeling a chill in his heart—not that he had one—but he didn't bother to laugh at his own joke.
Bluejam merely grinned at the idea, and continued to speak in that oily voice, "Of course we will, master."
"I feel like I'm about to be sick," Zoro said in repulsion.
"For once, we're in agreement," Sanji said, fighting the urge to throw up.
"After all, we've received payment," Bluejam went on, "Rest assured, I will finish these two so they never bother your child again."
Chopper's eyes widened and he cried out, "You mean they're…?"
Nami covered her mouth, unable to believe what he was saying. How could any father actually tell someone to kill his own son's friends?
"T-They can't really… how could…?" Usopp stuttered, feeling as if he was being punched in the gut with an iron fist. Franky was grinding his teeth together as he glared back up, feeling like he was about to lose his mind from seeing this.
"It's bad enough to force your kid to go back to a place where they're mistreated… but to say for his friends to be killed in front of him?" Sanji asked darkly, actually shaking as his own miserable childhood returned to him, "How much do you want to bet that he would've made him watch it?"
"I think that's what Sabo's thinking of too," Zoro commented softly, watching Sabo's eyes widen in horror.
"Wait a second, Bluejam!" he screamed out, looking ready to do just about anything as he glared back to his father. He then spoke, as if every word was hurting him, "Father, it's alright! I understand!"
His father looked down at him, his eyebrows raised as he asked coldly, "What do you understand?"
Sabo didn't say anything at first, but he was biting down on his lip—looking as if he was about to be sick and burst into tears at the same time.
"He isn't…?" Nami whispered as she recognized the silent defeat in his face. She knew that look in his eyes anywhere. For that same look had been on her mother's face as she stared down Arlong…?
"I think he is," Sanji gulped, knowing that there was only one way out of this mess at this point. Ace seemed to have figured it out as well for his eyes were wide with fear. "He has to choose between his dreams… or his brother's lives."
"There's really no other choice," Zoro said, feeling his respect for this kid rise greatly.
"NO!" Ace screamed out, "Don't do it, Sabo!"
Sabo's mouth was trembling as he finally croaked out, "I'll do whatever you ask." Every word looked as if they were physically hurting him, "I'll live just as you tell me to, just… don't hurt these two. That's all I ask. Please… they are my irreplaceable…" he paused for a fraction of a second before he finished, "brothers."
Luffy and Ace were staring at Sabo, unable to believe what they were hearing.
"Sabo…" Ace whispered in a tone of voice that they hadn't heard from him before.
"He's sacrificing everything…" Nami whispered, staring at Sabo, "Giving up his own freedom for Luffy's and Ace's sake…?"
Suddenly, everyone but Brook turned to look at Robin, who hadn't moved a muscle as she stared ahead—looking completely lost in thought. Though he was confused, Robin understood what the others were all thinking of. She suspected that she had much the same look when she said goodbye to her crew back at Water 7… back when she believed that she was sacrificing her freedom for their lives.
"There are some things more important than your own life," Robin said softly. "It's something I learned the hard way… it's not always about staying alive. When you make a choice, you have to figure out what's most important to you. You have to be able to live with the choices you make and hope you don't regret it."
"Robin-chan," Sanji said to her softly as Brook could only look sad. He didn't go through the same adventures as the rest of them did—so he did feel a bit out of place at times—but he knew enough to recognize a soul in pain. He reached out and placed a boney hand upon her shoulder, which she returned the kind gesture with a warm smile before looking back to see how this scene would play out.
Sabo's father thought this all over for a moment before he said in a serious tone, "In that case, come back home now! Stop with this ridiculous pirate game, right now!"
It wasn't an offer or suggestion, it was a command and he said it in such a way that it was clear that he meant to finish what he started and have Bluejam kill his friends. There was no second chances here if Sabo tried to leave again.
"It's not a ridiculous thing!" Usopp yelled at him, wishing that he could say it to him face-to-face. Sabo took a deep breath, his lip stop trembling as he held his head up and forced a nod in agreement.
"S-Sabo's really gonna leave?" Chopper whispered softly.
"There's no other choice," Sanji growled as he hated the feeling of helplessness here. "If he does nothing then the two people he loves the most will be killed right in front of him. It's the only way that all three of them can live…?"
Nami's eyes widened at that, remembering hearing those exact same words when the Arlong Pirates arrived at her home. How the doctor had pleaded with her and Nojiko to leave the island… how he explained how it would be the only way that the three of them could survive. Thinking back, she knew that he was right—though that didn't make it right. In the end, one of them was lost forever because they didn't do as he said.
Sabo didn't react at all. He didn't say anything, nor did he even look at anyone as he slowly turned and left with the soldiers—but as he left, they could see the tears in his eyes, his face filled with complete misery as he walked away from everything he treasured. His dreams… his freedom… and his sworn family.
"Sabo…?" Usopp whispered, suddenly stunned by this show of trust and love that these three had. He and Chopper suddenly started to cry as the others stood there, staring at Sabo's retreating back.
"HEY! Sabo, don't go!" Ace screamed after him, but then the pirate that was holding him, slammed his face back into the ground again, warning him to stay quiet.
Naturally, Ace kept screaming, "Sabo! Just run!"
Sabo stopped for a moment, though he didn't look at them, they could tell that he was listening to every word he was saying as he went on, "We'll be fine! We were going to share our freedom together, remember!?"
"Sabo, don't go!" Luffy begged out loudly, as if something was ripping out his heart.
Ace continued on, now sounding angry, "Are you going to let it end like this!?"
"Doesn't he understand that he's doing it for them?" Usopp asked in outrage.
"He does," Nami said, her eyes blank, still remembering this same helpless and angry feeling that had been in her heart when her mother gave up all the money she had for Arlong to spare her and Nojiko. "He just can't accept it."
Sabo still refused to look at them, the tears now falling down his face—and it was clear to them that he wanted nothing more than to do that… to run away and never look back… but he still couldn't bring himself to do it with the guillotine hanging right above Ace and Luffy's heads.
"SABO!" Ace screamed the loudest one yet, but nothing he said could change this… he was trapped there, watching Sabo being led away by the soldiers.
"Sabo!" Luffy screamed, fighting harder than ever to get himself up. Ironically, as Sabo continued to walk away, something small and broken fell out of Sabo's coat, and he stopped at that, looking ready to grab it…?
What it was actually made Nami cry.
"That's…" Franky croaked out, able to believe it…?
"It's… a telescope," Chopper cried out, feeling as though someone was squeezing his heart as a small, slightly dented telescope fell from his pocket and hit the ground with a dull clatter, "He actually found a telescope for Luffy…?"
But Sabo was pushed along while one of the soldiers stepped on it… breaking it even further so that it was just a smash bit of metal and glass. Brook and Franky had joined the 'Weakling Trio' as they cried at the broken shards.
"SABO!" Ace screamed out so loudly that it was as if he was trying to tear his throat… but still nothing. Sabo was led away, surrounded on all sides by guards as if he were a prisoner being led away to jail cell. Which, in a way, he was.
Zoro lowered his head, shaking it softly. Was this why they never heard about Sabo from Luffy? Was this the last time that they ever saw him? He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't see any other explanation.
"That's got to be one of the noblest things I've ever seen," Franky cried, pulling a handkerchief out and blowing his nose into it. "To give up your dreams all the sake of someone you love? Sabo… you're a true man!"
Sanji was now shaking in silent rage, feeling a deep surge of hatred well up inside him. Lowlifes who think they're better than anything ticked him off more than anything. He remembered those smart-ass, pompous jerks in the forms of his own brothers… he remembered how they felt like they could walk over everyone else and expect them to just deal with it.
"Damn those nobles to hell," he growled, puffing harder than ever on his cigarette as he tried to calm himself. "If they don't end up going to hell on their own, I'm going to kick each and every one of them down there myself."
"Wish I could have a go at them all," Zoro said angrily, his hands itching for a chance to slice them all into pieces.
Nami rubbed away the tears as Robin wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Chopper gulped, suddenly having a hard time using his throat as he asked in a quiet voice, "Is… is that were Sabo is now? You think he's still in High Town?"
Robin didn't speak, though she knew the answer to that.
And yet…? She closed her eyes as a memory came back to her own mind…?
*Flashback*
With the base surprisingly empty this day, Robin found herself feeling oddly lonely, especially missing the noisy chaos of her crew on days like this. That was how she found herself wandering around, seeing what she could discover as a way to keep her mind distracted.
Robin had been bunking with Koala ever since she arrived in Baltigo a few weeks prior. Yet with so many of her new friends on missions elsewhere, she was using today's solitude to familiarize herself with the base. She was still getting used to the various operations that were up and running—and she didn't want to get in anyone's way until she fully understood what each entailed.
She stepped into another section of the barracks, trying to find something to distract herself from the dull ache of being separate from her friends, and looked to the bunks in curiosity. It wasn't uncommon for several people to be bunking in the same room, but each bunk was decorated with their owner's personal touches such as letters, posters, photos, even various decorations that ranged from their favorite recipes, vacation flyers, and even music notes.
Robin always did enjoy seeing what someone would pin to their personal space for it revealed so much about them just with a single glance.
The one closest to the window though caught her attention when she spotted Luffy's face pinned to the wall. She approached, bending over the low bunk to see the wall properly, staring in amazement at what was there.
"Hey!" snapped a voice behind her, "Don't touch those or I'm gonna…? Oh, Robin!"
She looked back to find that the Chief of Staff—Sabo—had returned. Judging from the bandage wrapped around his hand and up his arm, she guessed that he had just returned from another mission. Sabo was still a bit of a puzzle to her, though she suspected that it was because she rarely spent any time alone with the man. He had seemed to be nice enough when they first met, but after their initial meeting he had been throwing himself into mission after mission—leaving for days or even weeks at a time.
Robin soon found out that this behavior was a very recent change; at least, judging from some of the others reactions whenever they found out he was heading out again. Even Koala and Hack were startled at the sudden serious attitude from their Chief of Staff. Koala had known Sabo for much longer than Robin had, so she asked her what she believed to be the reason for someone to change seemingly overnight like this.
"I believe it's because he's still mourning…" Koala's voice echoed in the back of Robin's head.
Sabo cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head in an awkward way before Robin realized whose bunk this was as she gave him an apologetic smile. Still, they both knew the damage had been done when Robin saw the map that was pinned to the wall with dozens of large X's on certain islands. Next to it were both the news articles about Luffy, Ace, and Marineford as well as both his latest wanted poster and Ace's old one. It looked like Sabo had also collected several news clippings that spoke of Luffy and the latest news about potential sightings of the Straw Hat captain.
It looked like Sabo had been trying to pinpoint the location where Luffy was.
"Have you any luck in trying to find him?" she asked and Sabo seemed to freeze up at that before Robin took a seat on the bed, looking at him sadly before clarifying, "Have you been able to find any trace of Luffy?"
She had been hoping for some kind of news about her captain, but for the last few months, there has been little to no information in the paper. Since Rayleigh had been at Marineford with Luffy, she could only assume that he was with him and training in secret. That made her feel a bit better with the thought that he was safe for the time being, but not hearing about any news was slowly driving her crazy.
And according to the rough X's made on the map, some of them even tearing the paper, told her that the owner had made them in frustration. Which could only mean that she wasn't the only one who was desperate for news.
"It was a surprise to hear that you were Luffy's older brother," she told him kindly, "I knew about Ace, though I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but Luffy never mentioned you."
At that, Sabo turned away, staring at the floor before confessing, "I'm not surprise. He probably thinks I'm dead. Not much point in mentioning a dead brother, right?"
Robin blinked at that but Sabo refused to properly elaborate, and instead brushed it off by confessing, "I was… in an accident years ago. I barely survived it. If not for Dragon, I know I wouldn't be here. But…?"
Robin patted the bed next to her, inviting him to sit and talk if he wanted a listening ear. He hesitated for a second but he did approach and sat down, running a hand over his bandaged arm as if trying to keep himself grounded from whatever thoughts in his head. She waited before he was able to find the right words. Though Sabo had refused to tell her exactly what this 'accident' was—she did learn that Sabo had been in a bad accident at sea when he was ten-years-old. Dragon had leapt into the sea to save him at the last moment… but when he woke up…?
"Amnesia?" she repeated in surprise.
"I know it sounds pathetic," he sighed with a bitter laugh, "And to be honest, a lot of that day is still a bit of a blur—but I think that's because it all happened so fast. What I do remember was that I was trying to escape from my parents control and so I stole a small fishing boat and went out to sea by myself. I didn't expect the Celestial Dragon's to fire on me like that. I remember trying to put the fires out…? But everything after that gets a bit hazy. That's where I got this."
He ran his hand over his left eye where his burn scar was before continuing, "When I finally woke up, I was waking up on the Revolutionaries boat. But due to the combined shock and trauma from the attack…? I woke up with no memories of anything before that moment. I didn't even remember my own name—it was only when they found that name on some of my things they fished out did I even know that much. All I knew for sure was that I didn't want to go back to my parents."
"That must have been so hard for you," she said sadly.
He gave a weak nod before finishing, "After I was nursed back to health, I stayed with the Revolutionaries and took up Dragon's cause as my own."
He looked down at his hands and went on, "I quickly found that fighting was second nature to me. Because of that, I quickly rose through the ranks. Eventually, I was named Chief of Staff. Dragon's right hand man."
"Hmmm… Straw Hat Luffy… the future King of the Pirates…. Fire-Fist Ace… the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. And now Chief of Staff Sabo of the Revolutionaries… I can't say I'm surprised Luffy has such wild brothers," she said as he actually smiled, looking generally happy for a second before he became sad again.
"Despite all of that though… I always felt like I was missing something. It was frustrating, because every once in a while I would feel like I was on the brink of remembering…? But then it would go away. I thought that if it was important it would come back sooner or later," he said, closing his eyes tightly. "The memories that I wanted to remember the most…? My life before joining the Revolutionary Army was just… blank… like empty pages from a story book." He opened his eyes before looking back at her sadly as he finished, "It wasn't until I saw Ace's face in the newspaper after the war of Marineford did… did the blank parts finally become clear. I remembered that Ace and Luffy were my brothers…? The memories came back so fast that I passed out and was unconscious for three days with a bad fever. Koala thought I was seriously going to die."
"I'm sorry," Robin said sadly.
"It makes me feel so stupid and angry with myself," he confessed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "The day when I finally got my memories back was at the same time one of my brothers died? What kind of sick, twisted joke is that? I wasn't even there to help! I knew that the war was going on but I didn't think…? I didn't realize…? By the time that I remembered it was far too late to do anything! Ace was dead… and Luffy was still missing! I heard that he escaped by submarine but no one knew where he was at that time! I was going crazy! I was begging Dragon for news! I wanted to go to Marineford and try to find something… anything…? It wasn't until about a week later did I get the news that he returned to Marineford did I finally feel like I could breathe again. But even now…?"
He paused at that as his eyes screwed up tightly, feeling tears burning there as she rested her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way.
"I don't think I could've said this to anyone else but you are my little brother's crewmate. So… can you… tell me about Luffy?" he asked softly. "What's he like now? What about your adventures? I… I want to know?"
Robin smiled and she told him what she could. She told him about how she first met him when she was still working for Crocodile. She told him about how he and his crew had been able to stop him and liberated the country of Alabasta… how they went to the sky and explored the ruins of the city of gold before Luffy ended up putting an end to 'God' before everything that happened at Water 7… Enies Lobby… Thriller Bark…? And then the chaos that happened at Sabaody.
Upon hearing of some of Luffy's reckless antics, Sabo burst out laughing.
"He hasn't changed!" he smiled, unshed tears sparkling in his eyes, "He's still the same as he was back then!" He lowered his head, his smile still sad as he confessed, "Thank goodness for that much. Since that day… I've been haunted by what Ace's final thoughts were? Could I have made a difference if I remembered sooner? What if I never lost my memories? I could've let them know that I was alive… and that we would all meet up again someday, like I promised. Could I have saved Ace? What about Luffy? Is he okay? I don't think I slept at all until I read about his return to Marineford because I was terrified to find out if he was alive or dead. If I lost him too…? I don't know what I would've done."
He looked back to her and said, "To think that I'd meet one of his crewmates like this?"
Robin just looked on sadly before telling him, "Don't feel guilty. I can't tell you how much guilt I felt when I first learned about what he went through—like you—it was far too late for me to have been able to help him. He helped me to fight my own demons but the time he needed me there…? I wasn't. I'm sure that the rest of the crew felt the same way. But… it's different for you, I know. But it's not your fault. Even if you knew, I don't believe you could've made it to Marienford in time."
His eyes were shadowed over with pain as he whispered, "Koala, Hack, and the others here keep telling me that. Not that it makes me feel any better. I'm… I'm afraid to know what Ace's thoughts were during his final moments. And to think that Luffy was forced to watch all that…? He loved Ace so much even when Ace wasn't the nicest to him? Luffy used to tell me that I was the nicer big brother between the two of us."
"Is that why you've been taking on so many missions all over?" she asked as he looked away, his cheeks glowing red, "Because you've been trying to find Luffy?"
Sabo sighed, his face looking miserable as he nodded.
"No one knows where he is. When you told us about the message he sent you in the paper… it made me feel better to know that he's still out there. But I just… I want to see with my own eyes that he's alright…? That's all I want. Once I can confirm he's alive and well, that will be enough for me."
Robin blinked in surprise at his words before looking behind her to the map again and knew that the X's were from places where he found nothing. Yet his words had her concerned as she asked, "Wait… you… don't want to see him?"
"I just… need to see with my own eyes that he's alive. That's all," he confirmed. "I can only imagine how much he's suffering right now with Ace's…? I just want to know if he's alright."
"And if you do find him and he isn't handling it well… would you still stay away?" Robin pressed but Sabo didn't seem like he was able to answer and she looked away.
"I may not know where he is right now," she began softly, "But I know where he will be in two years' time. If you like, you can come with me and I can reintroduce you both? I'll be there to help…?"
But Sabo was shaking his head hard at that and she asked, "So you really have no intention of meeting up with him again?"
"I… I don't know," he confessed. "I guess… I'm afraid of what will happen after? I mean… it's been ten years. Twelve by the time you all rejoin with each other. If he learns that I've been alive all this time…? He might feel like I abandoned him and Ace…? Which… he would have every right to think? I mean… I can only imagine just how much pain I put him and Ace through…? And the time that they really needed me… I wasn't there. There's nothing I can do to correct that. I've been absent from his life for so long now that… maybe it's better if I never see him again."
"And let him continue to mourn you along with Ace?" she asked with a frown as he flinched at her cold tone. "Sabo, I've seen you talk about the Ace you remember. I've seen you stare at Luffy's wanted poster…? I know you must dream of reuniting with Luffy someday. Why else would you be looking for him? Why run when you don't have to?"
"I know. I just… need time to figure out what I need to do. So please," he begged, "Don't tell him the truth about me. Not yet. I'm not ready for it."
She looked at him sadly, but she did nod in agreement even though she wasn't happy.
"I promise. I won't say a word. If Luffy is to learn the truth about you, it's best that it comes from you. But I think that you're overthinking it," she said as she stood up. "He's not the type to hold a grudge forever. He might be mad at you at first, but I think that seeing you alive would mean the world to him. I think he needs that comfort now more than ever to know that he's still someone's little brother. I know it's ultimately your choice in the end so I will respect your decision. But just remember this: Luffy deserves better than for you to continue to pretend to be dead."
She left him after that, his expression still miserable and confused as to what he should do.
*End of Flashback*
"I'm afraid that's something that we can't answer, Chopper," Robin said, watching Sabo disappear through the gate—reminding her so much of his adult version at that moment with how sad he looked.
"Damn it! How could it have gotten so bad so fast!?" Usopp cried at him, rubbing his head and messing up his hair. "I knew this was a bad idea! We shouldn't be here! We shouldn't have watched this! This isn't fun anymore! Let's get out of here before we see something we're really going to regret!"
"Captain. What do we do with the kids?" one of Bluejam's crewmates said, jerking his head down to the still struggling Ace and Luffy who was staring after Sabo with sorrow-filled eyes.
The memory faded just as Bluejam glanced over both boys before grunting, "Bring them back to the base."
"Hey wait!" Brook called hurriedly as everything went dark, "Why didn't they let them go!? Sabo went with them!"
"You honestly expected them to fulfill their promise?" Franky asked, looking over at Robin out of the corner of his eyes. Her own eyes were shadowed over by her hair when she kept her head down as she could only force a jerk of the head.
"They agreed not to kill them," she corrected, her hands like fists as it brought back memories of Spandam and that vile laugh of his, "But they never said that they'd let them go."
"Why those lousy…?" Sanji yelled out.
The images came back before Sanji could begin to swear properly, and they were now standing in a beaten-up old shack—much like the one where Luffy had been tortured by Porchemy. Speaking of which, Luffy was tied back-to-back with Ace, and he glaring around at the pirates. Despite all that was happening, he showed no fear as he yelled, "You bastards, untie us! Fight us again! This time we won't lose!"
"He's got balls, you gotta give him that," Franky said.
"Too bad that a big mouth doesn't win fights," Zoro countered.
"Why did you bring us here!?" Ace demanded, his wrists working hard to break the rope.
"This is their base?" Usopp asked, staring around them.
"What a dump," Franky said, his eyes narrowed at the pirates who were all smirking at the helpless boys, as if they knew something that they didn't, "You think that with the money that those nobles are paying them, they'd be able to afford better living conditions."
"Those nobles have it made, huh? You kids think so too, right?" said Bluejam's voice and they turned to look behind them to see him in a chair large enough to support his bulk. He merely looked down his nose at them with that same smug grin that pissed them off.
After taking a long swig of booze, Bluejam asked, "They look down on all of us and think we're trash, while they live their proud, carefree lives. Wouldn't you say he's better off living as a noble?"
"What the hell are you trying to say?" Ace demanded hotly, looking ready to fight.
"Pirates are much better, of course!" Luffy added, just as angrily. "Sabo thinks so too!"
Bluejam didn't seem fazed by their words as he took another swig of his drink. "I feel sorry for you two," he said before glancing at some of his men, "Untie them."
"Right," one guy answered as he pulled out a knife to cut the ropes.
"He's letting them go?" Nami said with a startled look.
"There has to be some kinda catch," Sanji said frowning. "They wouldn't let them go after all the trouble of bringing them here."
As soon as they were free, they jumped up, Luffy was glaring around at them all, almost foaming at the mouth for a fight, while Ace just stood there stiff as a board.
"Why do you think a child of a noble would leave High Town and go to Grey Terminal?" Bluejam asked them as if asking what the weather would be like tomorrow, "All nobles are the same, whether they be kids or adults. There's no doubt he thought we were all fools. In his heart, he was looking down on you as well."
"Well, that's your opinion now isn't it?" Franky called out. "It doesn't matter."
"Yeah, Sabo's not like that!" Chopper cried out angrily. And they were glad to see that they weren't the only ones who thought so.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Ace yelled stubbornly. "Sabo isn't like that at all!"
"That's right!" Luffy agreed without a shred of doubt, "we're brothers!"
Bluejam looked ready to laugh as he waved his hand down at them. "Is that so?" he asked sarcastically, "Then please forgive me. But you two won't ever be going near that kid again, will you? If you're planning to do that, I've got no choice but to kill you right here. If you think he's your brother, then it's better for him too if you left him alone."
"Does he really think that they would abandon him?" Brook demanded darkly.
"If we know Luffy, then no," Zoro answered him.
"But if they do try to take him back, then they'll kill them," Nami reminded them anxiously, "Just how are they going to get out of it?"
But Zoro didn't answer her; he was distracted by Ace's sudden expression… as if he was thinking over what Bluejam just said. Zoro frowned, wondering just what was going through Ace's head at that moment.
Luffy however wasn't even listening as he declared, "But Sabo hates High Town!"
Bluejam laughed, clearly not understanding why anyone wouldn't choose to be a noble before pointing out, "Just forget all about that. That's what kindness is. You'll understand when you're grown up. Oh… right…" he added, thinking something over. He then leaned back in his seat and asked, "We've had our differences in the past, what with that Porchemy's incident, but what's past is past." He then grinned almost evilly and added, "Or rather, I like strong guys like you. So, I've got a suggestion for you. It's not a half bad deal."
"A deal?" Chopper asked with momentary confusion.
"What kind of deal?" Nami asked, having been forced to make a lot of 'deals' with pirates when she was still a thief. Of course, she also knew that those pirates never intended to keep their end of the bargain, so she learned to take what she could and leave before things got ugly.
"I'm short on men at the moment," Bluejam offered, "Will you help me with a job?"
The suggestion took, not only Luffy and Ace, but the rest of the Straw Hats by surprise.
"Is he serious?" Usopp cried out incredulously, "What's he thinking?! After everything that's happened, after they helped to take their brother away, what makes him think that they'll help them with anything?"
"Not only that, but they were going to kill them earlier!" Chopper added.
"That might make it hard being friends," Zoro agreed lightly as both Luffy and Ace looked taken aback by the offer.
"Oh, it's a simple job," Bluejam reassured them, "There's nothing dangerous about it."
"Well, that doesn't sound so bad…?" Chopper said slowly.
"Which is why we shouldn't trust him," Franky asked, moving his sunglasses up so that he could glare at Bluejam.
Bluejam gestured to the barrel in front of him where a knife held a map covered in dozens of X's all over. Nami quickly looked over it before blinking in surprise, realizing that she recognized what it was. "It looks like…?" she began before Bluejam interrupted.
"I got a map of Grey Terminal here," he said, waving dismissively at the map, "You've got to carry some goods to the spots marked with an X. That's all. Are you up for it?"
"That's it?" Nami asked, immediately thinking that they were probably some kind of illegal substances that were being dropped off for exchange like weapons or some such. "These guys are planning something and I bet you all anything it has to do with these 'goods' of theirs."
Luffy looked as if he was about to tell Bluejam what he thought of him, but the biggest surprise yet came from Ace who said, "Alright."
The Straw Hats, Luffy included, stared at Ace as if seeing him for the first time as Ace asked, "How much will you pay us?"
Bluejam just smirked a little wider, and that was when the familiar darkness took over when the memory faded.
"I don't believe it! Come on, Ace! You're smarter than that! Damn, what the hell is he thinking?" Franky called angrily as they were left in the darkness again.
"Perhaps Ace was afraid that they wouldn't let them go if they said no," Robin suggested slowly, "If they could pretend to work for them for a little while, they could take the chance to run away. But…?"
"Yes, I don't like any of this either," Brook agreed, hugging his feathered boa around himself as if hoping that he could keep warm. "This whole thing gives my skin goosebumps… not that I have skin to begin with, Yohohoho!"
"No offense, Brook," Sanji said darkly, "But no one's in the mood for a joke."
Of course, before anyone could come up with any helpful suggestions, the memory came back and the first thing they saw was Luffy and Ace walking side by side, carrying several small crates—each one that had a small pole attached with a little red flag.
Most of Bluejam's crew was surrounding them, keeping a close eye on the boys to make sure that didn't run off. Luffy stuck close to Ace, with a frown that clearly said that he didn't want to be here. Ace just kept shooting the men dark glares—just daring them to try something.
"I'm guessing that these are the 'goods' that Bluejam mentioned?" Franky asked, looking at them all suspiciously as they walked alongside them.
"But what could they be carrying?" Brook asked, looking at all the X's and asked, "There's certainly a lot of it… you believe it may be treasure?"
"Like they would be delivering treasure where they know two boys who had robbed from them before would be helping them?" Nami demanded.
"Besides," Zoro added, watching Bluejam roll up the map after pulling his knife out of it. "They were all over the map. What kind of pirate spreads treasure out in so many places?"
"It's hard for me to tell but…?" Chopper whispered as he sniffed the air, "But I'm pretty sure I'm picking up… gunpowder?"
"Gunpowder?" Usopp repeated in surprise.
"Yeah," Chopper nodded, though he looked uncertain as he added, "It's hard to smell anything here in a memory, but I can also pick up traces of oil in there too."
"Gunpowder and oil?" Zoro said slowly, not liking where this was going.
"But if that's true, why are they putting them all over the Grey Terminal?" Nami asked nervously.
"Ace…" Luffy finally whined to his big brother, carefully moving to look at him since he was trying to balance a crate on top of his head, "I don't like it when Sabo's not around."
Ace didn't even look at him as he whispered back in a harsh tone, "Just deal with it. I want to go get Sabo too. But I don't know what would really make Sabo happy."
"What's he saying?" Nami demanded, getting angry again, "He's not seriously thinking that Bluejam was right is he? I mean, even Luffy sees that guy's rotten to the core!"
"It's hard to say at this point," Robin stated, looking at the sad look on Luffy's face. "They're not at all happy about this, but they aren't sure what to do."
"So what, they're just gonna leave him there?" Usopp demanded, unable to believe what he was hearing. "After everything they've been through…?"
"Yes, but it is understandable," Robin offered. "After all, Sabo does have parents, money, a home… it would be hard to walk away from all that unless you are completely miserable."
"That may be true, but don't forget that Sabo said so himself how unhappy he was with them!" Franky pointed out.
"Let's see how things go," Ace said, more to himself than to Luffy, "He's strong. If he isn't happy, he's sure to come back to us. We have to keep collecting the pirate fund in case that time comes."
"That's true…" Usopp said slowly, thinking it all over, realizing that there was some logic there. "I didn't think about that. I doubt those nobles be able to hold him in for long…?"
"But that's a problem in and of itself," Nami added with concern in her tone, "I doubt that his father would let him escape again that easily… and even if Sabo does, then they'll know that he'll go back to Luffy and Ace! And then they'd…?"
"Sadly, I believe that there may no longer be any other options. The only way that the three of them can live is for Sabo to stay in High Town and for Luffy and Ace to stay away," Robin whispered. "Other than just leaving this island completely, I see no other way to ensure their safety."
"But that's not fair!" Chopper cried out. "Then there's nothing that anyone can do?!"
"It's impossible to say," Zoro grunted as they followed the boys as they were forced to stack the crates in certain places before the memory changed again, this time they were standing at the edge of the Grey Terminal, near the sea where a large pirate ship painted red and a gruesome red skull out front. It appeared to be the late afternoon with a cloudy sky as Luffy and Ace seemed to be talking with the pirates.
"That's always a sad sight to see… a ship that isn't being taken care of properly," Franky frowned as he looked to the mold growing on the side of the ship and the large cracks here and there. Honestly, don't these guys even bother to take care of her? When was the last time they even went out to sea? Not that he would be willing to risk it, given its poor condition.
"Everything's ready, Boss," one of the pirates said with a proud grin. "We're all set. All we need is the signal and everything's ready to go!"
"Good," Bluejam grinned back. "Well done. And hopefully, this will be the last job that we'll do as the Bluejam Pirates."
Luffy and Ace looked at him in surprise to hear that and Ace questioned skeptically, "What? You mean you're quitting being pirates?"
"Why would you do that?!" Luffy demanded, in a tone that he couldn't believe anyone would want to give up being a pirate.
"Yeah, why?!" Chopper demanded.
"Because there's no more need for it," Bluejam answered in a bored tone. "We were made an offer that we couldn't refuse. Now that it's almost over, we have no more need to stay as criminals."
"Idiots," Ace snapped. "You all honestly think that you're gonna retire just like that?"
"He makes a fair point," Brook nodded sagely, "Once you leave and become a pirate, you normally can't ever return to a normal life."
"Now that we're finished, might as well tell you everything," Bluejam declared. He grinned evilly and said, with no hint of a joke in his tone, "Tonight, we're gonna set off those 'packages'. And when we do, the Grey Terminal will be nothing but a pile of ashes by tomorrow morning."
The Straw Hat's eyes all widen in horror as they realized what those boxes of gunpowder and oil were for.
"They're going to…?" Nami whispered, her eyes widening and a cold sweat poured down her face.
"What are you talking about?" Luffy demanded hotly.
"Don't you understand?" Bluejam demanded rolling his eyes, "We're going to burn down the Grey Terminal."
"Huh? Burn down Grey Terminal!?" Ace demanded in horror, sure that he must've heard wrong, "Why are you doing that!?"
"You fool, don't scream!" Bluejam scolded, looking around to make sure that no one else could hear them. "We can't let anyone else know about this!"
"Not let anyone else know?!" Usopp cried, remembering all the marks on that map, and just how much explosives must've been in each one of those crates. "If he sets all those things off then the entire Terminal will be going up in flames in no time at all! By morning there won't be anything left!"
Sanji choked as the cigarette dropped from his mouth as he whispered, "And everyone else along with it."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Chopper gasped.
"I mean they mean to burn everything! Including the people!" Sanji yelled out, "If that fire is as big as we're afraid of then by the time that anyone realizes what's happening, they'll be trapped with no way out!"
"WHAAAAATTTTT?!" Usopp, Chopper, and Brook all screamed.
"But why would they do something so terrible?!" Brook called in panic.
"This is serious! We gotta tell everyone!" Luffy yelled, looking ready to start running and screaming out what was going to happen to everyone he saw. "He's a bad guy, just as I thought!"
"For once, I have to agree with him," Sanji said, it was strange seeing Luffy as the rational one here.
"I told you not to scream," Bluejam said firmly, looking to his men and telling them to hold them down. Two of them came forward and grabbed the boys from behind and held tight as they fought and struggled to get free.
"But I don't get it," Franky yelled. "Why destroy the Terminal? What's the point?" But then Bluejam answered his question…?
"I'm not the mastermind behind this," he said coldly as they stared, baffled to why anyone would hire them to do such an evil thing?
"There was oil and explosives in the boxes that you guys carried yesterday and today," Bluejam confessed with a sick smile. Upon hearing that, both boys had turned ghostly pale at the realization what they did—understanding that they were now part of this.
"It's not their faults," Nami said at once, determined that they all understood this, "They didn't know."
"But they still feel responsible for helping them," Zoro reasoned darkly. "Not that I think Bluejam needed the help in moving those crates, but the idea alone is enough to make them feel guilty."
"There will be a massive fire that no one can escape from," Bluejam continued to explain to the boys with that same grin. It was clear that he couldn't have cared less for what they were doing.
"They're really going to kill everyone here?!" Nami cried out, thinking of all the people they saw rummaging through the junk here.
"Those soulless bastards don't deserve to live," Sanji growled, fire already appearing near his legs. "If we ever meet up with them for real in life, I'm going to kill them all!"
"Only if you save Bluejam for me," Zoro told him, his hand on his sword.
"This is bad!" Chopper cried out, tears now forming. "Those people are all going to be burned to death! I can't think of a worse way to go!"
"But can't someone explain why they want to do this?" Usopp called loudly as Brook and Chopper cried out in fear. "Who would want the Terminal burned to crisp? Getting rid of all that trash is one thing, but the people…?"
"No…" Luffy whispered softly, voicing what they were all thinking, his eyes widening in alarm.
"Are you out of your mind!?" Ace screamed out, now fighting harder than ever to break free.
But all Bluejam did was laugh at them—which only caused them all to become even angrier. For Nami, that laugh was too similar to Arlong's—the one he used after he killed her mother. One that sometimes still haunted her nightmares; these men were just like them. Evil monsters…!
"Even punk kids like you two are freaking out?" he asked smugly as he got up and slowly walked towards them, "But now you know about the plan. We can't let that go."
"I was afraid of that," Robin said softly.
"So they're really gonna kill them?!" Usopp screamed out.
"AHHHHH! Luffy-san and Ace-san are dead meat!" Brook called.
"They are?!" Chopper screamed.
"Would you all calm down?!" Sanji yelled while giving the three of them quick kicks.
"Why not just let them go?!" Franky demanded as the three lay on the ground with swollen bumps to the heads. "It not like they can stop it now, can they? And I doubt that anyone will believe them, but at least they can give them all a warning before it's too late!"
"I wonder just what those scumbags were promised to agree to all this," Zoro said softly.
"I want to ask you something before the fire," Bluejam said casually, bending down to eye level with them. "Say you two? Do you have a treasure hidden away somewhere?"
"Is he seriously asking about that now at a time like this?!" Sanji cried out.
Ace glared at him angrily, keeping his mouth shut, but Bluejam already knew that they did. "Care to tell me where?" he asked them. Predictably, Ace didn't say anything as his cold eyes continued to glare into his own.
But Bluejam didn't seem interested as he stood up tall again. "Fine, don't tell me," he answered them, waving his hand to his men and gave them their orders, "Tie them to the ship. They can burn with the rest of the garbage."
"WHAT?!" screeched most of the Straw Hats at that as the boys were taken inside and they had to run after them to see what was happening.
"You're letting your own ship burn as well?" Ace yelled at him as they were being tied to a post—Luffy kicking and screaming the whole time. "How are you all gonna get away?!"
"That's a good question," Franky said as he looked to the worn wood that had years of exposure of salt water and the elements ingrained in the wood, "But still, this ship is almost worn through. I doubt that it'll make it far anyway."
"No point," Bluejam told him with an unconcerned grin, "We won't need it anymore."
"How could they just abandon their own ship like this?" Usopp screamed out, thinking of the Merry and her sacrifice for them.
Meanwhile, Nami was feeling lost once more before she felt the flames of anger boiling inside her. Why won't they need it anymore? Why would they leave their ship—their home—here to burn? They must be planning to go somewhere? If she had to guess, the Nobles in High Town must have promised them some kind of comfort in exchange for their work but just how much was it for them to be out here like this?
Her thoughts were interrupted though when the two boys were tied to a post and left there as Bluejam and his men left, all of them looking excited like kids on their birthday. The Straw Hats stayed with Luffy and Ace, like hell they would've left them alone in any case, as they could only watch how the boys fought and struggled to free themselves once they were no longer under the pirates strict observation.
For hours they fought and pulled against the tight ropes, desperate to get out—the whole time they could hear the wind blowing outside… growing stronger and stronger with each passing second.
*Luffy*
Luffy just stood there gapping at his older brother, who continued to grin at him as if he had just told a funny joke.
"But… you're dead…?" Luffy said quietly, more to himself than to Ace.
"Pretty much," Ace answered brightly.
Luffy blinked a few times, trying to make sense of this. Ace was dead… he knew that. It hadn't been easy for him to accept, but he was able to move on from that; however painful it had been. But he was here with him… so that could only mean…?
"AHHHHH!" he screamed out in panic, gripping his head as he stared around him in horror. "THAT MEANS I'M DEAD TOO?!"
What had he done? How'd this happen?
"Oh-no my crew will kill me if I died!" he kept crying out. He died before he could become the King of the Pirates? He couldn't believe this! "Sabo is going to be disappointed with me for dying too!"
"Luffy…?" Ace said, but Luffy wasn't paying attention.
"So this is the great beyond?" Luffy asked himself, staring around him, "Oh, this all sucks! After those two years training with Rayleigh too! Well, they better at least have some good food up here! Oh wait… what if I'm in hell? Then that means that there can't be! WAHHHHH! You mean I'm in Hell?!"
"IDIOT!" Ace yelled and bonked him hard on the head to snap him out of it.
"OWW!" Luffy howled, glaring at Ace, "THAT HURT!"
"Dammit Luffy you aren't dead!" Ace shouted at him, for a moment this was just like how they used to argue ever since they were little kids. It was so familiar that Luffy had to stop—unable to stay angry with him.
For a few minutes, the two just stood there looking at each other. A light breeze swept over the training site, ruffling their hair as they continued to gaze long and hard at each other's faces. Finally, Luffy blinked.
"I'm not dead?" he repeated slowly, just making sure he heard that right as Ace nodded to confirm, the smile still tugging at his lips.
"No, you aren't," Ace said seriously as he gently bumped his knuckles against Luffy's forehead—silently telling him what an idiot he was being. "It's a long story…?"
"But I don't like long stories," Luffy whined, still not understanding any of this. Ace only grinned wider, and seeing that mischievous smile made Luffy feel as if his insides were being squeezed. He reached out, taking Ace's arm, the one that still bore his ASCE tattoo. He could feel him…? Could feel the warmth of his skin as well as how solid he was. He was here…? But…? He looked back up to Ace's face, whose face had become soft, his eyes full of affection.
"I know you don't," Ace admitted happily, "But you'll enjoy this one. Let me explain…"
(I was wondering when to put in that part with Robin and Sabo, how I thought that conversation would have gone so I figured here would be as good a place as any… I'm planning on taking a week or so off for a break after I finish up the chapter with Luffy's childhood. So about two more chapters before that break. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and the added parts!)