Chapter 9: Festival Goers
Everything was already in chaos by the time Ace arrived at the Moby Dick.
It turned out that Marco had loaned his car to one of their friends so that they could pick up those who were struggling to get there. Ace found this out after he got Luffy safely to Law's place, and was forced to just run as fast as he could for a few blocks before he was spotted by said friend. He didn't even hesitate as he squeezed into the back seat with about five other people, all of them elbowing the other to try and get some breathing room as they rushed to make it back to Headquarters.
Just as he was feeling claustrophobic—with his head pressed hard against the window—he could suddenly see the familiar building through the glass.
"Oh, my god…" he could only croak out with a muffled voice since he was still jammed inside with someone's foot kicking him in the ribs. But that soon forgotten about as he could only stare as part of the Moby Dick was engulfed in flames and his friends were desperately trying to put the fire out while others were being carried outside.
He and the others all tumbled out of the car when it finally parked across the street before they made a mad dash over to try and help before the fire spread. He took charge of one section as they poured water over the worst of the flames and smothered the rest with whatever they had on hand until a couple fire trucks finally arrived to help.
It took a while, but eventually, the fire died down until he was able to step back and get a full look at the damage. Half of the Moby Dick was still in good shape, but with the other half you could see the charred wood before it reached the other end which was nothing more than a crispy skeleton of the building.
"Damn," he hissed as he shook his head until Izo approached and patted his shoulder in a consoling way.
"Luckily for us, most of the fire remained inside the walls so it took it's time spreading," Izo informed him as he had ash smeared across his face and his hair was a limp mess. He wiped the sweat from his brow before he called out, "Right, let's tend to the injured before we can relax! Come on people! We got a lot of work to do!"
After that, Ace did what he could to comfort the members who were gasping for air or coughing the smoke outta their lungs. They had a few doctors and nurses in their employ that came running when they heard the news, and were already treating the people out in the parking lot as a couple ambulances were arriving.
Meanwhile, other members went rushing to nearby stores as soon as they opened to bring back medical supplies, blankets, and water for everyone as the injured were being treated. When Ace was able to catch his own breath, Vista insisted that he rest for a moment since he'd been on his feet for hours. Ace could only sigh, the sun already high in the air, before gratefully taking the bottled water to cool off but couldn't bring himself to rest for too long since the air was still tick with the smell of burnt wood.
At the least, he did decide to send a message to Law, informing him that it may be a longer than he first thought until he could pick up Luffy.
Funnily enough, it didn't take long for him to get an answer.
Ace could only smirk when he saw the threatening messages and middle-finger emoji looking back at him from Law's number. Yeah, that sounds about right. Luffy must've been driving him up the wall at this point and he smirked at the idea.
Meanwhile, the guy he was sitting next to noticed his old phone and asked him about the model. Talking about electronics seemed to cheer him up as Ace showed him and the guy talked about some of the more updated models and how he could trade in his old phone for a free upgrade and all that. It was clear to Ace that the guy was trying his best to put on a brave face and needed something to distract him so he nodded along, letting the guy talk his ear off as Ace silently hoped that Law hadn't given into any impulse to strangle his little brother.
"You know they have phones for kids?" the guy suggested when Ace told him a little about his brother. "They have GPS tracking and everything. It might help take some worry off you if the kid had one?"
"Ha! Luffy'd probably lose it in the first ten minutes after I give it to him, so no thanks," Ace said as he went back to trying to get him to lay still till the ambulance got here. Still, the idea wasn't necessarily terrible per say…? Perhaps he could just sneak the phone into Luffy's bag or something…?
He shook his head, deciding to worry about that later on and only sighed in relief when the first group was taken to a nearby hospital. It wasn't until past noon did things finally calm down enough for them to make a full assessment on what happened. After seeing his new technology-loving friend being handed over to the care of the paramedics, Ace looked around until he spotted Marco staring up at the Moby Dick—shaking his head the whole time—probably already thinking about how much this was gonna cost to fix.
"How bad is it?" Marco asked when he heard Ace approach.
"Overall? Most of them are just suffering from smoke inhalation or minor burns, according to the paramedics," Ace reassured him, "They seem to be responding well to treatment but they're taking a few guys to the hospital for observation just to be safe."
"That's good. Pops is up in arms about this," Marco exclaimed as he ran an exhausted hand through his blond hair as he added, "He's calling in from our allies all across the city, trying to see if anyone had any leads to what happened."
"So it really wasn't an accident?" Ace asked with a frown, dropping his voice as the two moved a bit further away as not to be overheard.
"Pops doesn't believe so," Marco growled, anxiety in his face, "And to be honest… I agree with him. Sure the building is old, but we got some top-rate mechanics and engineers in our crew who put their hearts and souls into decking out our headquarters. I get that accidents can happen, but…?"
He shook his head, not really sure what else to say before Ace frowned up at the half-destroyed building as he tried to think of something.
"Since the damage was worse over on this side, it means the fire started here," he pointed out before heading over to the side that was just the bare skeleton and added, "I'm gonna have a look around."
Marco nodded in agreement and the two began to shift through some of the wreckage to try and find a clue as to what happened. Ace couldn't shake the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he kicked over some charred remains of wood and coughed when he was soon covered in ash; but he didn't expect to really find anything. At least until a couple tense minutes later when his eyes spotted something on the farthest most side of the build where it looked like suffered the worse from the fire.
"Oi! Marco! I think I found something!" he called loudly, getting his attention. Marco quickly ran over to see what was going on as Ace showed Marco the faded footprints and the remains of cigars that had been under some destroyed bushes.
"Could someone smoking have caused it?" Ace asked him as Marco crouched down low to examine the offending materials.
"If they were cigarettes then I might believe that," Marco said with a frown, "But cigars? I don't know anyone in our crew who smokes on cigars."
That was when he also noticed a strange smell and upon glancing about, they realized that it was coming from under another broken board. Marco used a nearby stick to flip it and they saw a burnt and melted container laying underneath it. Though they could no longer read the label, the smell was unmistakable…?
"Lighter fluid…?" Marco whispered they stared at it, confirming their worst fears that this hadn't been an accident. Someone started the fire on purpose.
*End of Dream*
Ace could feel himself starting to come out of consciousness when he heard his name being called in a high-pitched voice and something small bounced onto his chest. He let out a grunt of pain and gasp of air before his eyes opened to find a familiar pair of warm, brown eyes looking back with a beaming smile.
"Ace!" Luffy called ecstatically.
"Yeah, yeah. It's me. Take it easy, buddy," Ace chuckled as he rolled onto his back as Luffy nuzzled his face against his in a contented way.
"You were away for a long time," Luffy informed him in a way that suggested that he thought Ace was unaware of this crucial fact.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry, about that," Ace said, still sounding tired but feeling so much better after getting some sleep. "It took a long time to get everything sorted out. By the time I felt that I had done everything I could… it was already getting late. But I picked you up after you fell asleep. Law said that he had fun."
"Really?" Luffy asked in excitement, "I had a lot of fun with Traffy too! Can I see him again?"
"I'm not sure but we'll see. Law is a doctor so his schedule is pretty full. But I'll be sure to ask him when I get the chance," Ace said vaguely, privately hoping that Luffy would just forget about it because he suspected that Law would rather be dragged by a truck over broken glass than have to be stuck with babysitting again. Ace would have to come up with another alternative for both of their sakes. And if the attack on the Moby Dick was deliberate…?
He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on that as he grinned up at the happy Luffy while telling him, "I'm glad to hear you had fun with Law."
"Shishishi! Yep! We had a lot of fun! Oh, he took me to the park yesterday and I ran into Zoro and his dad! He gave me a phone number so I can call Zoro whenever I want!" Luffy chirped up with a big grin as Ace looked back up with some relief as Luffy went on and on about everything Ace missed out on.
A thought suddenly came to Ace's mind when he learned about the phone number and asked, "Luffy? Would you like a phone?"
"A phone?" Luffy repeated in surprise.
"So you can call me if you had any trouble or anything," Ace informed him, "And you can call and talk to Zoro or any of your friends whenever you want? Would you like one? Or more importantly, do you think you can take care of a phone?"
"Aren't they expensive?" Luffy asked with a frown, not wanting to cost his big brother more money when he knew that he was saving up for something special.
"They can be, but what if I told you that I could get you a kid's phone for free?" Ace asked him and Luffy looked back with surprise as Ace explained, "One of my—coworkers—told me that I could get an upgrade for my phone and get a cheaper model for free if I do some sort of change in the plan. You know what, I think it's a good idea that I get you a cheap one so it won't be a big deal. I'd feel better knowing you had a way to contact me in case of emergencies. We'll look into it later for an early Christmas present."
Luffy grinned at the thought of being able to call his friends whenever he wanted before asking, "Was that yesterday when you were helping out at work? Traffy said there was an accident there?"
Hearing that, Ace felt a nervous tremble through his body. He always did his best to avoid talking about some of the more dangerous parts of his job whenever Luffy was around, and he couldn't say he was thrilled upon hearing Law talk about something that would make Luffy worry about him.
"Oh, he said that, did he?" Ace asked with a slight tense tone to his voice, "How'd much did he tell you?"
"Just that there was an accident at work and you went in to help them," Luffy said with his smile fading slightly before adding, "Are you alright, Ace?"
"Yes, I'm just fine," Ace reassured him, tucking some of his messy hair behind his ear, knowing that he had to give him at least a basic idea to what happened and explained as vaguely as he could, "I'm sorry if I worried you. See, there was a… slight fire at our Headquarters. No one was badly hurt and the building is still standing so all's well that ends well. There was a lot of clean-up that needed to be done so I wanted to do what I could before coming to pick you up. Hopefully, everything will be fixed soon. Who knows? We'll make it look even better than before!"
He knew that he was making it sound like what happened was only a minor accident when it had been anything but that. Still, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before Luffy learned about the fire and he thought it best to give him a basic idea rather than letting him learn the whole truth later down the line.
Luffy frowned at that as he muttered, "I see."
He looked sad for a moment before the worry was gone like someone used a magic eraser to wipe it off his face. "I'm glad you're safe, Ace! Can I help you guys out?"
Ace just chuckled as he ruffled Luffy's hair. The kid was honestly too sweet and innocent to be getting involved with people like them.
"It'll be alright," he promised, "None of our friends were hurt and we should have everything back up and running soon. But if we ever need your help, I'll make sure you know."
Luffy beamed proudly at that before blinking as if remembering something important and informed Ace, "Traffy said that you said if I was good, we'd get to go to the festival? You promised!"
Ace groaned, having forgotten about that before rubbing his eyes. Why'd he have to promise that?"
Luffy saw this and mistakenly thought that Ace believed that he had been bad and mumbled, "I was good! I was!"
Ace glanced back at his brother's worried expression and couldn't help but chuckle at the cute expression of concern.
"Alright," he said, "I'll take your word for it. It's not for a few weeks though…?"
"It's okay! I can wait!" Luffy promised before he leapt down from the bed and jumped in excitement while begging, "Ace! I'm hungry! Can we have breakfast now?!"
Ace could only smile as he forced himself to get up, all but being dragged into the kitchen as Luffy was drooling with anticipation. As Ace pulled out some pancake mix and began whipping up the batter, Luffy sat at the table as he continued on telling his big brother everything that happened at Law's house.
"Ace? Traffy has a dog named Bepo!" Luffy informed him as if he just revealed a big secret.
"Does he now?" Ace said, aware of the big, fluffy dog.
"Can we get a dog?" Luffy asked with pleading eyes.
At the question, Ace left the stove to look Luffy dead in the eye from across the table and smiled in a firm, but still light-hearted tone, "Hell no."
"Aw man…" Luffy moaned out with disappointment—which was immediately forgotten about as the smell of pancakes filled the house.
*Two Weeks Later*
Ace glanced up at the twilight sky as gentle flakes of snow drifted on the wind, a layer of frost already clinging to the ground so that it twinkled a little in the faint sunlight. He made sure to tug his scarf a little tighter around him as the cold was enough to freeze the inside of his nose where he could smell the fading scents of autumn. He didn't have time to properly appreciate it though because he was doing his best not to lose his balance as he felt like he was in one of those cartoons where the owner of a dog was being dragged along the ground when they took their pet on a walk.
In this case, said-dog was being represented by Luffy, who was dragging him down the street to the innermost part of the city.
Ace had never been there before so he was curious to see what it was like and when they arrived he couldn't help but let out a long whistle at the sight. Even with it being this late in the evening, he could see right away this part of the city couldn't have looked more different than Edge Town… there were tall, brightly colored buildings on either side of them that were so clean that they shone like diamonds. In the center of the city was another wall which held a beautiful palace that rose higher than a mountain as if they made it that tall just for the sole purpose of looking down on everyone else.
Normally, commoners like him, as the nobles politely referred to anyone who wasn't them, weren't allowed in this part of the city. But a few times a year, they would hold festivals where everyone was allowed to attend. This one was to celebrate the last few weeks of fall before winter came—which made it feel a bit more symbolic with the first snowfall of the year happening at the same moment.
"Are the others gonna be there?" Luffy asked eagerly as he held onto Ace's hand.
"Marco and the others? Yeah, they'll meet us here. They were busy with getting some supplies to help repair our headquarters and it would've been too much of a bother to come and pick us up since they would have to double back," he informed him. "We'll meet up with them when they get there. They should be on their way if not already there by now."
Soon music could be heard and not long after that did the voices of people followed as bright lights could be seen reflected from the buildings, signaling where the party was happening. Almost immediately after, they both picked up the smell of delicious foods and Luffy was digging his heels in to move as fast as he could.
The corners of Ace's mouth lifted into a grin as his hand being the only thing keeping Luffy from running off entirely. His little brother could be so impatient at times. No wait… he was always impatient, though that trait was made worse when the promise of food was waiting them.
Ace doubled his grip on Luffy's hand before reminding him, "Luffy don't go too far ahead, I don't want to lose you in the crowd."
"Yeah but Ace, you move so sloo~w," Luffy whined, wanting to see everything right now as he dragged Ace behind him. Ace couldn't blame him though and was also amazed by how many people were already gathered around in the very heart of where the highest nobles lived. They rounded the corner and there he could see the shining amusement park waiting for them. The bright lights… the rides…? Countless people already gathering to get through the entrance…? It was almost like something you could only describe as part of a dream. They hurried to join the crowd as they had to force their way through to the heart of the park. Immediately, they were surrounded by stands that offered food while others offered entertainment, games, and even rides.
He was so overwhelmed that he didn't know where to start until an eager Luffy, still clinging on to his arm, was wildly pointing to another direction to one of the nearby stalls and it wasn't a mystery to see what got Luffy so excited.
Fresh meat was frying over an open fire and a river of drool was falling from his mouth as he all but threw himself at the stall. Both he and Luffy were practically carnivores as he agreed to get them a taste and nodded before following the bouncing boy as he texted his friends where they were.
After that, Luffy had dragged Ace to see every stand that there was, had attempted to catch a gold fish from one of the games—though both had failed miserably in the process—before finally reaching the rides. The brothers were able to meet up with Marco, Izo, and Thatch a little while ago and they were all busy having as much fun as they could. With these many eyes looking out for Luffy, Ace was able to relax without as much worry as they walked down the many streets while deciding what to do next.
Soon enough they came across one of the rollercoasters and Luffy immediately wanted to go on it. But when he was turned away, it was as if someone had crushed his little heart when they refused to let him on since he was too small.
"Oh, come on! It's just one ride! Let the kid on!" Thatch whined as Marco tried to distract Luffy by pointing out the cotton candy stall nearby and offered to get him one to make up for it.
"Its fine," Ace reassured him as he dragged his friend away from the ride, "He's short. It's no one's fault for that. But I appreciate you standing up for him."
"Of course we would. He's your family which makes him our family," Izo reassured him as he patted Ace on the shoulder. "We'd all stick our necks out for the little man."
Ace grinned at that, feeling truly touched at that, before insisting that he and Thatch should hurry and get on the ride before Luffy noticed. It didn't take them long to convince them to take a quick trip as Ace rejoined Marco and Luffy—who had a massive amount of cotton candy for his troubles. Ace tilted his head over at the rollercoaster to Marco, who understood where the others went, and offered that they sit to rest.
Luffy was happy again as he munched on his treat, his feet kicking out on the bench in a content way, and obviously not paying attention to what anyone was saying as his face was full of puffs of cotton candy.
Using this moment of distraction, Ace leaned closer to Marco and whispered, "How is the rebuilding going?"
He'd hadn't been able to visit to visit their Headquarters since the old man had them searching the streets for more information on who had dared to launch an attack on them. The evidence of the cigars and lighter fluid was more than enough to convince them that they were being targeted by someone and they were determined to find them and make them pay before something like the fire happened again.
So far they were able to take care of a few lesser gangs, who were barely starting, and put them out of commission before they became problems, but apart from that, they hadn't had any luck in finding more answers.
"Going pretty well," Marco said, as he was enjoying some popcorn he got for himself. "We were left without power for a while, but we got it cleaned up and the outer part of the building is all but rebuilt. Gotta hand it to our boys, they work fast if they have to. It'll be awhile before we're able to make full use of the building again, but we're making it work with the other half. Pops is just glad that the storage for all the booze was left untouched in the basement.
Ace sniggered at that before whispering, "Any other clues on…?"
Marco shook his head back, "Nothing yet, I'm afraid. We're still investigating leads, but Pops is also having some of us looking into those kidnapping cases, so we're making slow progress."
"Really? He's that interested in that too?" Ace asked in surprise.
Marco could only nod but Luffy chose that moment to speak up, clearly not having been listening, as he pointed over to what looked like the largest ride. An enormous Farris Wheel that looked like it could touch the sky and Luffy was begging to ride that next.
"We should wait for the others…?" Ace offered but Marco hit his shoulder.
"You go ahead," Marco told him, "We'll rejoin you once Izo and Thatch come back."
"Oh, where'd they go?" Luffy asked curiously, finally realizing that half of them weren't here. Worried that Luffy would throw a fuss, Ace took his hand and offered that just the two of them ride. Like he hoped, Luffy completely forgot his question as they made their way to get a seat before anyone else. Bubbles were floating about them as colorful shops sold all manner of goods from around the world and Luffy couldn't stop grinning as they were able to get into a compartment with just the two of them before they were lifted into the air. Luffy had his face pressed against the window to stare out at the fairgrounds.
"Look, Ace!" he cried, as if nothing in the world could be as exciting as this, pointing out over the distance where they could just make out the dark horizon under the moon, "I can see the ocean from up here!"
"You really do love the ocean, don't ya, Luffy?" Ace chuckled as he looked on, feeling a sense of contentment.
"Yeah! It's where the pirates are!" Luffy reminded him and Ace tilted his head as he asked him something he'd been wondering for a while.
"Luffy? Why do you like pirates so much?" he questioned.
"Huh? Why wouldn't I? They're so cool!" Luffy answered like he expected Ace to already know the answer. He turned in his seat and went on, "Think about it! People who are free to go wherever they want to in the world? Can do whatever they want? Looking for treasure and adventure? What's cooler than that? I'd love to be free like that someday!"
"Freedom, eh?" Ace whispered, having never thought of something like that before. He wasn't sure what he could say to that, but the simple way that Luffy could see the world could make one think. Luffy wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch when it came to book smarts, but the boy could see things that others often overlooked. Perhaps seeing the world in such a simple way was what endeared him to so many?
Luffy climbed up into Ace's lap, as if he could sense some kind of loneliness coming from him and began telling him about a story about a giant elephant that had an old city on its back—or so he tried to explain it. It was clear he was struggling to remember some parts and seemed to be tripping over bigger words he never heard the kid use before so Ace had to ask in amusement, "Luffy, where'd you hear a story like this?"
"Traffy told me that's where Bepo's home was!" Luffy chirped and it took Ace a second to realize what he was talking about.
"Law told you a story…?" he asked slowly, not sure he heard that part right. Law sure didn't seem like the type of person who would sit and tell a story to a little kid?
"Yeah! He wanted me to go to bed early and I told him how you read me a story every night and he finally started telling me about where Bepo came from and it was a lot of fun!" Luffy told him. "I wanna hear the end of the story but I wasn't able to cause I fell asleep before that! Can I see Traffy next time you need to work?"
Ace could only force a smile as he remembered how Law had been sending him updates since the day he picked up Luffy. At first, it seemed innocent but it soon became clear that Law was just letting him know that he was working late—which was almost every night at this point—so that he couldn't just show up to drop Luffy off again.
The poor man went from being a mysterious figure… to a mess after looking after Luffy. Ace was almost afraid to ask what had happened to have traumatized him? Still, regardless of all that, Law had also been asking for regular updates on how Luffy was doing and even sent him a couple pictures of Bepo for Luffy to enjoy.
Ace shook his head, not really sure what to make of these mixed signals.
"We'll see," Ace said, knowing that it was all he could promise as they continued to rise up into the air and took in the view. Luffy bounced on Ace's lap as he pointed out to some of the rides that he wanted to go on next, even spotting a few carnival games from this height and begged that they go and play some more games after this.
"You sure about that? We tried before and lost badly," Ace reminded him, "They're all probably rigged anyway. We'd just be wasting our time."
"We can do it! We just need to find one we can win!" Luffy told him optimistically before adding in a sly voice, "Unless you don't think you have what it takes?"
"Oh, are you saying you don't have faith in me?" Ace demanded while smiling teasingly, "Well, fine! Challenge accepted! I have no choice but to prove you wrong."
Ace then grabbed Luffy around the middle and began to tickle him, causing the kid to roar with laughter as the wheel continued on its journey, now having reached the peek, which got their attention. Ace sat there with Luffy in his arms as the brothers stared out in awe at the lights that shone brightly for miles in all directions before disappearing into the dark at the very edge of the horizon where the ocean could just been seen glittering under the star filled sky. As they looked onwards, Ace couldn't help but wonder what was waiting for them out there and was suddenly aching to find out.
Suddenly, the life of a pirate didn't seem like such a bad idea.
Time seemed to stand still for a long moment as they stared from at the very top of that ride, with the world suddenly feeling so wide and vast that it felt like it could never end. He shifted his weight to keep his balance as Luffy let out a gasp of wonder.
But then the spell was broken when the wheel continued, slowly sinking down on the other side as they headed back down to earth.
"Ace! Can we go out there someday? I wanna see the world!" Luffy told him in a very serious voice, showing that he meant every word. "I wanna go on adventures with you when I'm bigger! Can we do that?"
Ace looked at him long and hard before he ruffled his hair, silently letting Luffy know just how much he cared about him. Luffy could only smile back, knowing that his big brother loved him just as much as he loved him in return and hugged him tightly. Ace didn't answer the question, instead they just decided to savor this peaceful moment as they admired the beautiful view in peaceful silence.
*Meanwhile*
Sabo was crouched down in the shadows of the building, breathing hard, as he tried to stick close to the wall to avoid being seen. He only had one chance at this and didn't want to risk coming back if he could avoid it. His family was sure to be at the fairgrounds tonight and so he was going to try to sneak into his family house to get his important documents. He was still kicking himself for leaving without them to begin with but he was almost certain that they were stashed away somewhere in his father's office.
He had wanted to sneak back and take them earlier, but he knew his family was infamous for hosting those disgustingly fancy parties here all the time so he was never sure when they would be out of the house long enough for him to search in peace. However, he did know that his family enjoyed going to the festival every year so he was certain that they were all there right now—most likely looking down on those they deemed 'low-life commoners' as they did so.
Still, this worked out perfectly for him since he was sure that the servants were going to have the night off as well. He grinned to himself before he crept more down the alley until the sight of his old manor came into view. It was already dark out and he was certain his family must've left early, remembering how much of a stickler his father was for being on time—if not early—so that meant that it wouldn't be much longer before the servants left for the day.
No sooner did he think that did the front doors finally open again to reveal a few of the straggling servants.
"Alright, I'll expect you all back bright and early tomorrow!" the head maid told them as they came out in single file. "Try not to drink at the festival if you're going, either! I don't want to have to listen to the master bark at us for showing up hungover tomorrow."
"Like we'd do something that reckless?"
"Yeah, besides, he'll just find a reason to tell us off anyway."
Sabo fought the smirk, remembering how much the servants liked to complain about his family and he would pretend that he wasn't listening just so he'd have a good laugh about it later. He always got along well with them since he made a habit of speaking to them politely, so they refrained from talking badly about him, at least. He was sure if he came out and told them what he was planning, they'd gladly help, but he didn't want to risk getting them in trouble.
It should be a quick mission… he hoped anyway.
One by one the servants left, until finally the old head seneschal appeared, locking the door behind him. Alright, it looked like everyone was out and now was going to be the perfect chance to strike! He was patient even as a trio of maids were standing at the front gate to talk for a moment before they walked down the street together, their excited voices fading into the night.
Sabo waited a few extra minutes before he was certain that everyone was gone and no one was doubling back. Gulping down hard, he moved silently across the street and rolled to duck behind one of the perfectly trimmed bushes to avoid any eyes that may yet be watching from the nearby houses. He knew the layout well enough to know that the window on the third floor had a broken latch—something that he was sure the rest of the household was unaware of.
As swiftly as he could, he scaled the spiked fence and jumped down on the other side, still sticking as low as he could to the ground as the street lamps shone a golden light from nearby. Normally, guards tended to patrol the streets in pairs, but he was aware that the majority of the city guard was sure to be on hand around the festival grounds to keep people in line and to prevent any trouble.
This couldn't have worked out better for him if he tried.
He moved around to the back of the manor, feeling like a little kid again while trying to sneak back into the house after being out all night—trying to avoid getting caught and punished by his family. He was forced to crawl at this point to avoid one of the cameras that watched the side—well aware that there was a blind spot that he could take advantage of to avoid being seen. While he doubted his family would ever risk it becoming public that their disowned son was caught sneaking into their house, he didn't want to risk having the police called.
He smirked in amusement at that until he was behind the manor and was confident that he avoided the worse of the security. Using the nearby tree, he was able to climb up to the lowest branch and heaved himself up, taking care to avoid leaving scratches off the stone of the building as to not draw attention that someone was here. He then swung over to a nearby balcony and then leapt upwards to scale the wall to the third floor and the window he was looking for.
Resting on the narrow ledge, Sabo was able to slip a small knife underneath and jiggle the lose latch until he was able to open the shutters and slid the window open until he could step inside. This room was hardly ever used save for one of his parents extravagant galas for particularly important people. Because of that, it hardly needed cleaning apart from the occasional dusting. That was why he was certain no one ever realized the latch only looked like it was closed securely.
Right now though, it was pitch dark and silent before he slipped out into the hallway to find his father's office.
His ears were tuned into even the slightest sound as he crept, taking care to avoid the few squeaky parts of the floor just to avoid being detected on the off chance someone was here. Moving as a shadow, he managed to make it to the second floor and found the room that he tended to avoid at all costs since he hated listening to his father laughing from his many low business tactics. Sabo didn't even want to know what he plotted in this room. That wasn't what he was here for anyway.
Once he slipped inside, he looked around the immaculate office as he began his search. He knew his father was sure to realize things were moved around, but he had little time to worry about that as he rummaged through the desk. The room was filled with a few filing cabinets and even the desk had several drawers and little compartments built in so he knew finding what he needed was never gonna be easy.
There was also the chance that his father threw out his documents—most likely burned them if he had to get rid of them—but he held onto hope that they kept those files just in case they needed them. After finding nothing he could use from the desk, he tried one of the filing cabinets…? Only to be forced to move onto the next one…?
He could feel his anxiety starting to spike when he came up empty there as well and went to the final cabinet in the corner and began looking through the drawers. Thankfully, having such a clean-freak for a father made his filing system very organized so he was able to shift through the files quickly. It wasn't until he reached the third drawer did he find it labeled 'Unfavorable'.
It was pretty small compared to the other drawers, but he soon found a file that had his name labeled there. Sabo realized they were uncharacteristically stuffed inside with various other documents and could only conclude his father threw them here in anger after he left. Of course his 'failure' of a son would be considered 'unfavorable'.
Sabo rolled his eyes at his father's drama, before he began looking through the papers until he smiled in triumph when he spotted his health records and even his birth certificate! Feeling better, he shifted them around before carefully sticking them into his bag, glad that the risk was worth it.
Just as he was double checking, making sure that he didn't leave something behind, he could hear it outside in the hall… voices.
He froze, panic settling in as he guessed that it seemed some of the guards or servants were still here after all. Or perhaps he wasn't as careful as he hoped and someone spotted him slipping in through the window…? He gulped before deciding to just grab all the files from the bottom drawer and shoved them all into his bag, knowing that he couldn't risk leaving anything behind this time.
Closing the drawer as quietly as he could, Sabo moved to press an ear against the door as he listened hard, trying to see what was happening. Judging from the footsteps, there were definitely two of them on this floor and he bit his lip as he tried to think of his options. He knew the front door was still locked and the only possible way that he could get out would be that one window upstairs…?
He was suddenly cursing his past self for sneaking out so often that his parents felt the need to get locks on all the windows…?
While the voices were muffled but they were getting closer so he held his breath, while moving back to stand at the wall in an attempt to hide. Less than a minute later, the voices were close enough for him to make them out.
"Why'd the master sudden call us to check his house at this hour?" he heard an annoyed voice ask.
"Said that he felt that there would be trouble with the entire family and staff out," another grumpy voice answered back.
"Pfft, uppity nobles," the first guy said, "Guess they're worried someone will make off with the fancy china they use for those stupid formal parties?"
Sabo couldn't help but smirk at that, deciding he liked this guy before he saw the doorknob turn. He sucked in some air, knowing that he'd only have one chance at this, and braced himself for the worse when the door opened. He remained where he was as the door came up to meet him, stopping just short of his face as the two guards entered. To his luck, Sabo was successfully hidden behind the door as they left it open, which blocked him from their view.
"What'd the master insist about us checking on this room specifically?" he heard the first guy asked. Sabo still couldn't see them with the door blocking his way but he could hear them walking around as they shifted through items.
"He just said that he was concerned someone would come to this room specifically," the second guy said and Sabo was mentally cursing his parents again. Damn his father for thinking ahead! He must've been expecting him to come back for those papers…?
Rather than sticking around, he decided to risk trying to sneak out while they were occupied. So he cautiously moved his head a little to see past the door and spotted the two armored guards looking in the corners of the room or peering out through the glass of the window at the grounds outside.
He knew that it was reckless, but also aware that it was only going to be a matter of time before they found him…? Sabo quickly snuck out from behind the door, moving as light-footed as possible as he moved around and trying to slip back through to the hallway—planning on hiding in another room until they left. He had just successfully slipped out before forgetting all about the squeaky parts of the floor. He stepped down and it let out a squeak that was as loud as a gunshot to his ears and he shut his eyes as he mentally prepared for what was to come.
The two guards let out cries of surprise and whistles were blown before Sabo ran from them. He left his favorite top hat back at his shared apartment since he didn't want to risk being spotted with it—and simply pulled up the hood of his coat as he bolted for the nearby stairs.
He took great pleasure in knocking over the various expensive-looking paintings and vases that decorated the halls. He was even grinning as he heard them smash as they hit the floor, trying to slow down his pursuers as he sprinted through the dark house as they screamed at him to stop.
'Like Hell,' he thought to himself in amusement, not at all having trouble keeping ahead of them. He was faster than them, having better cardio and not being weighed down by their armored uniforms. Plus, thanks to his uncanny knowledge of this house, he was able to run through several shortcuts, even losing them just before reaching the next floor. He sprinted to the right room, slamming the door shut behind him, before diving straight out the window as he made for the tree. Having done this so often that his body knew instinctively what to do as he swung from the branch before landing gracefully on the ground. He barely paused for breath before he ran straight for the fence while more whistles were being blown—meaning that it was only going to be a matter of minutes before back-up arrived.
Gritting his teeth, he swung his way over the high fence before running down the alley he hid down earlier, and just ran as fast as he could go.
Keeping a hand on his bag, he thought fast about what he should do. He was sure to be spotted running around the streets on his own before his eyes spotted the few flakes of snow and realized the festival was bound to be packed. Remembering how every year, his family would try to lock him inside his room as to avoid giving him any kind of rewards for his bad behavior—not that it stopped him since he would still sneak out and ran wild through the fairgrounds after they left. He knew that it was always so packed that it was the best way to get lost in the crowds and lose the authorities!
"Okay," he panted to himself, "Just gotta make it there and then lay low for a little bit before calling Koala or someone to come and pick me up. Sounds like a plan!"
With the plan in mind, he turned down another street and sprinted towards where he knew the park was waiting for him.
As he feared though, the guards were hot on his tail and he could hear the sirens behind him before seeing the flashing lights that had nothing to do with the festival. Sabo was forced to duck behind a random store front to avoid being seen as a car went by. He crouched there for several tense minutes until he was sure the car was gone before moving again. He choked out several sharp gasps as the puffs of breath could be seen in this cold air, his chest burning as he could only run, hiding whenever he could to avoid getting seen.
Eventually, he could see the bright lights behind the buildings and dashed down the nearest alleyway before he broke into where the crowd of people where. Relief rushed through him for a split second before he felt someone grab his arm. He let out a yell and he spun about to see that a guard had finally caught up to him and was grinning—thinking that they won.
At least, until Sabo punched the guy in the face, who went down like a sack of flour being dropped, and Sabo continued running. He felt his hood falling as he shoved his way through the swarm of people, not caring about the indignant looks and the 'rude' comments as he shoved past everyone.
But he underestimated the tenacity of the guards as two more had caught up and were calling over the crowd to clear the way. Sabo ran passed a stall that had a large jar with some of those chocolates that were in the shape of coins as part of a prize set. Inspired, he grabbed the jar and yelled out to everyone behind him, "FREE MONEY!"
He then tossed the contents of the jar over the crowd who—believing that it was real money—scrambled to pick them up. He knew it was a bit cliché but hey, if it works in the movies then why now try it here?
He grinned as he sprinted away and the crowd made it impossible for the guards to pass by and bought him precious minutes to escape. Sabo kept running past the stalls and several rides until he finally heard the whistles dying down and the shouting voices fading. At that, he paused, finally able to catch his breath, before leaning up against a sign that was pointing towards the bathrooms. He patted his bag, sighing in relief as he let out a shaky laugh.
He did it! He managed to get in and out with what he needed! He was pumping so much adrenaline that he couldn't feel any pain from the mad dash before, and even was tempted to shop around for something to eat from the stalls before calling one of his friends to pick him up…?
But then…?
"Excuse me, young man!"
Sabo felt his body freeze up as he looked up to see another pair of guards—different from the ones that followed him from the streets—and were sizing him up.
Sabo gulped before he stood tall, wondering if he should try to run again, as they approached.
"Something I can help you gentlemen with?" he asked, putting on a winning smile and hoping that he could think of another escape route on the fly.
"Sorry to stop you, but we just heard over the radio that a thief wearing a long coat was seeing escaping into park," one of them said as they approached. "Just wanted to ask you a few questions…?"
Damn it…! He gulped down and just politely nodded, realizing that these guys weren't part of the guys who had been chasing him across the city, so he may be able to talk his way out of this after all. He did his best to sound like he had been going on rides and the last roller-coaster had just been a bit too much for him. He was still panting and sweaty from his run so that made his story feel a bit more believable as he dug out his memories of the park. Only people who lived in this part of the city were always allowed to visit the park so often so he was able to describe some of his favorite rides in detail.
It seemed that the guards believed that a 'commoner' had been the one who broke into the manor and were pleasantly surprised to hear that they were speaking with a 'noble'. Therefore, it seemed unlikely to them that he was the one they were searching for.
"Yeah, I'm only sorry I got separated from my friends," he said with an awkward laugh. "I'll go ahead and text them, let them know I'm by the bathrooms. But I'm alright, sir. Thanks for asking about me though."
"Alright, well, I guess you can go. But… before you do…? Mind if we look at that bag of yours just real quick?" the guard asked as he noticed the stuffed-looking bag still at Sabo's side and Sabo could feel some cold sweat falling from his face. He knew he was screwed here. He knew if he refused then it would look suspicious…? But if he allowed them to look and if they saw his family name on them…?
Just as he was contemplating making another run for it, an unfamiliar voice called out, "Oh! There you are!"
At that, Sabo felt an arm wrap around his neck and lean up against him. Startled, Sabo looked to see a young man with black hair and freckles there as if he just stepped out of thin air. The man gave him a sheepish grin before looking to the guards and asked, "Is there a problem, sirs? I mean, I was just saying that I was gonna kill my friend for keeping us waiting, but that was just a joke."
"Huh? You know this man?" the guard asked in surprise as Sabo could only stare at this strange guy, having no idea what was going on.
"Oh, sure… he was with us for the last few hours, he's our ride outta here!" the stranger informed them like it was obvious and added, "Said he was gonna take a piss but never came back! We were wondering where he went!"
Sabo was now convinced that this guy was either drunk or making a huge mistake by confusing him as one of his friends. But when the man then winked at him when he turned his back on the guards, Sabo understood. This guy didn't know him at all but was trying to help get him out of trouble. Deciding to roll with it, Sabo grinned back and said, "Oh… right! Sorry for being so late! The line for the bathroom was beyond ridiculous! You think that they'd have an easier set up. It was a whole thing!"
"Dude, I told you… you could've taken a piss in the bushes if it was that bad," the stranger laughed.
"Really? And risk you using that against me forever?" Sabo laughed back, joking around as if he knew this guy for years before turning back to the guards.
"Anyway, sorry for any trouble we might've caused," the stranger said, thumping Sabo on the shoulder, "Normally, I wouldn't mind you hauling him off—I mean eating my leftover pizza yesterday should be considered a crime if you ask me—but the guy is the one with the car keys so it's not like we could leave without him. He's a bit on the odd side, sure. He's lived a very… sheltered life till now. So he's a bit awkward when talking to strangers."
Sabo felt his eye twitch at that but kept his mouth shut as he forced what he hoped was an awkward smile. His prayers were being answered and he wasn't going to risk having that taken away from him because his pride stung.
As the guards looked at each other, Sabo then felt something being pressed into one of his hands as the stranger asked, "Yoi! You think you can give me back my keys?"
Realizing what was in his hand, Sabo pulled it out to reveal a set of keys and dropped them back into the stranger's hand, making a show of it as he forced a laugh.
"Yeah, sorry about that," he told him as he slyly moved the bag behind his back and rolled with it. "I got lost on my way here, it's so crowded down this street!"
"No worries," the stranger grinned before tilting his orange cowboy hat at the guard, "Thanks for helping me find my friend. Keep up the good work, gentlemen."
The two finally became convinced they grabbed the wrong person and finally backed away. They apologized for the inconvenience and hoped that they enjoyed the rest of their night before they continued on with their search—not realizing that they had left him behind.
As they walked away, the stranger looked to him and chuckled, "Sorry. Didn't mean to grab you like that? I couldn't think of another way to convince them?"
"No, you really saved me. Thanks a lot for that. I owe you," Sabo said to the stranger who patted him on the shoulder.
"No worries," the stranger told him with a grin before adding in a whisper, "But what'd you do to get into trouble that these guys were breathing down your neck? I saw you running from them earlier."
Sabo rolled his eyes before whispering, deciding that he tell him part of the truth, "To make a long story short? Family problems. Took back some things that belonged to me and well… they didn't like that. But anyway, I wish I could thank you properly but…?"
"Actually, there is one thing you can do for me," the stranger informed him before pointing to a nearby stall that had one of those silly games and large stuffed toys hanging from the sides. Sabo recognized the game at once where you'd throw one of the rings onto spikes that were set on moving platforms. The man explained, "I'm trying to win one of these stupid games and I saw how you handled yourself against that guard by throwing those coins so I figured you could help me out with this one."
"Is this why you helped me?" Sabo whispered back as they approached the stall, "To help you win this?"
"Hey, I made a bet with my little brother that I could win a prize here and I'm not gonna go back to him empty-handed," the man said as he rolled his eyes. "My friends are looking after him by taking him on a couple more rides while I try my luck here. I can't go back without winning something cause then my friends will never let me hear the end of it. So stop talking and help me out here."
"Well, sure I'll try to help… but you should know that these ones are notoriously rigged…?" he offered but the stranger wasn't having any of it as he had a few rings handed to him by the stall owner. Rather than try to warn him, Sabo just pointed out a few pieces of advice as the stranger continued to try and hook the ring over one of the moving spikes.
"Damn, why are these dinky carnival games so stupid?" the stranger growled after the third attempt and still nothing.
"I'm telling you, they're near impossible to win for a reason," Sabo tried to reason with a laugh, "They're set up like this to take your money. Why are you trying so hard?"
"Hey, my pride is on the line here," the stranger countered as he put down a few beris for another try. Funnily enough, the two continued talking—mostly of the stranger's poor choices—until the stranger was now swearing at the employer at how this game was rigged and Sabo was laughing so hard that he could barely breathe.
Sabo couldn't help but admire this guy's determination though. He had a goal in mind and wasn't letting anyone stand in his way as he continued to play. Sadly, his sixth attempted was also a failure and Sabo was doubling over with laughter as the strangers' swearing got even more colorful.
By now, Sabo was emotionally invested and wanted to see him win so he began pointing out little details that his new friend didn't notice. Such as how one of the moving spikes was a tad slower than the others, or how one would stick at the end of the moving platform for about three seconds before moving again. It took them a few more tries, but at last, the stranger managed to hook one of the spikes.
"Yes!" he cheered, punching the air and declaring, "I knew I'd get there eventually!"
"Yeah, it only took you a million tries," Sabo pointed out, still chuckling as he wiped the amused tears from his eye. "Seriously, why'd go through all that for a toy?"
"So I can prove to my little brother that I could," the stranger said as he looked over the prizes, trying to decide on which one he'd take. Sabo looked up and realized that this stall had a theme with these stuffed toys known as the 'Fishman' series. There was one that looked like a humanoid octopus…? One that looked like some kind of shark with a stupid, spiked nose and…?
"I'll take that one," the stranger said as he pointed to one of the larger plush toys that Sabo wasn't able to get a good look at before he snatched it up and grinned proudly, "I think my little bro will get a kick outta that one."
He looked back to Sabo and said, "Well, looks like we're even."
"I don't know… I barely did anything…?" Sabo reminded him but the stranger shrugged.
"I guess then it'll be my good karma for the rest of the year," he offered. "Anyway, I think I see my friends coming this way so I'll leave you at that. You best get going before those guards realized they made a mistake."
"Yeah," Sabo agreed before holding out his hand, which the stranger shook. "I still don't know why you helped me, but I'm grateful. Thank you."
"No worries," he said as he turned his back on him before Sabo asked again.
"But… just why? You didn't know me? You don't owe me anything?" he questioned in confusion.
"Don't know," the stranger said with an unconcerned shrug. "Just that you just looked like you needed help there. I don't know what it was about, but you might wanna keep your head down for a little while?"
The stranger tilted his hat back with a winning grin before he left and Sabo watched on a little sadly. He didn't even think to catch the guy's name…? Yet as he turned, he heard a voice calling out, "ACE!"
The voice caused him to stop, that voice was eerily familiar to him. He turned back in time to see a little boy running towards the stranger with a big grin and a small group of people trailed behind him. Wait… he knew those faces! He'd seen them before…?
Sabo wasn't sure why he was staring at them as the stranger scooped the little boy up and into his arms, the boy's laughter so loud that Sabo could hear it over the noise around him. Sabo stared at the boy's face before his memory finally came back …? A little boy with messy black hair… a bandage under his eye… and a straw hat…?
As the stranger handed the toy over to the kid, his arm shook back his coat sleeve enough for Sabo to spot the red and white bracelet that seemed to sparkle slightly in light…?
Sabo was so stunned that he didn't even register what was going on until the boy swung around so that he was hanging off the stranger's back and the man laughed fondly before asking, "Luffy, aren't a bit too old for piggy back rides?"
"NEVER!" he cried out, grin becoming even wider as he felt his brothers heave him up higher as to not fall off.
"Luffy…?" Sabo whispered, trying to take a step forward but he had to leap back as another group of people passed by, and by the time that the crowd died down for Sabo to move forward again…?
They were gone.
*Later that night*
Luffy was fast asleep against Ace by the time they arrived home. Marco, Izo, and Thatch—who were quietly laughing and talking about the happy look on Luffy's sleeping face and agreed that it was worth the trip.
"Just a sec," Ace said as he took Luffy back to his room as his friends crashed on the couch. Having forgotten to do the laundry the day before, Ace took off Luffy's coat and shoes before just tucking him into bed, planning on getting some chores done tomorrow.
Just as Ace finished tucking Luffy in, he heard a soft knock at the door and looked up to see a smiling Marco there, pointing to the back yard, which Ace nodded in understanding. His friends liked to hang out with him at night, but with Luffy usually asleep early, it was hard to have fun conversations without risk of waking him up. So, his friends got together and built a small firepit outside for them to talk without worrying.
Though they called it a firepit, it was really more of a hole in the ground with some bricks around it as several large rocks were set up as seats for them. Still, it was enough for them as they laughed and talked over the warm fire. Ace was the one who got the fire blazing before he leaned back on the cold stone as he listened to them talk about plans for the holidays coming up.
"Yeah, I'm thinking it's just gonna me and Kiku going up to visit some family," Izo explained with a laugh, "It's been awhile and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. Plus, I really don't have any real excuses in not visiting them this time."
"No problem," Marco reassured him before he asked Ace, "How about you, Ace? A few of us are thinking on heading up to the more mountain areas and doing some camping? You can bring Luffy with you…?"
"I'd love too, but I can't afford any kind of camping gear at the moment," Ace informed them.
"Don't worry about that, I'm sure Thatch will pay for you," Izo offered as Thatch spluttered on the soda he brought.
"Hey!" Thatch snapped back as the rest of them laughed at the teasing.
"Seriously though, Ace. It's okay. You can have fun too," Thatch reminded him, "Makino should be back by then, right? I'm sure she won't mind looking after Luffy for a day or two…? If it's too much of a problem then we can find someone…?"
"No, it's not that," Ace reassured them, "It's just that I'm saving up for something for myself. I talked it over with Luffy, and he's really excited for it. I've been putting a little bit away for a while now and I'm getting close to getting something I've been wanting for years."
"OH? Do tell?" Marco asked in interest, "What is this mysterious object you're after?"
"A motorcycle," Ace grinned longingly, "I really wanna get a motorcycle."
It had been a dream of his ever since he was a kid to own his own motorcycle…? To race along the roads with the wind blowing passed him…? He had been longing for that dream for a long time. He remembered when he'd been looking through a motorcycle catalog and found himself staring at the model that he wanted more than any other and was so lost in thought about how it would feel to ride such a beauty…? It wasn't until Luffy leapt up onto his shoulders and asked what he was looking at did he snap out of it.
When Ace showed him the picture, Luffy's eyes got big and he asked if Ace wanted to get one for himself.
"Someday, kid…" he said, unable to hide the longing in his voice before Luffy kept insisting that Ace should get it.
"Just make sure you get the red one!" he told him, "Red's the best color!"
After hearing that inspiring bit of advice, Ace decided to just go for it. After he joined Whitebeard's crew and got his first paycheck…? He realized that dream may not be so far off after all. After paying off the bills for the month, he was careful to put away a little bit each time and now he was so close to earning enough for the model he'd had his eyes on.
"Damn, that sounds awesome!" Thatch groaned out at the thought, "Maybe I should save up for one myself!"
"Are you nuts? You're gonna die if you try to go out on one," Marco reasoned.
"What? No, I wouldn't! I'd be fine!" Thatch defended as Ace laughed.
"No, seriously, for your sake, don't do it," Izo said, patting his hand consolingly before Thatch spluttered indignantly once more. Without warning, Izo all but wrestled with him to the ground and Marco looked on fondly, like he was watching a pair of beloved pets playing with each other.
As Marco and Izo continued to make fun of Thatch, Ace felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. At first, he wasn't in any mood to answer, feeling so relaxed where he was, and let it go to voicemail. But to his surprise, the phone just kept vibrating—suggesting that the caller wasn't going to give up that easily.
As he pulled it out of his pocket, he checked to see that the calls were coming from Law, of all people. He arched an eyebrow in surprise at the sight, trying to figure out what could be the problem, and just assumed that the doctor was letting him know his week's schedule or something.
"Sorry, I gotta take this," he said to the others as he got up and walked a few feet away before answering.
"Law? This is a surprise. Wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon," Ace said, still smiling as his friends celebrated Izo's victory—save for Thatch—who was sulking. Ace barely paid attention to what Law said at first before a single word caused Ace's world to spin upside down while blood drained from his face.
His friends talked on for a couple more minutes, not realizing anything was wrong, before noticing the state of Ace's complexion. Marco was the first to notice as he glanced at Ace's rigid stance and horrified expression. He looked as if he was about to pass out where he stood while listening to whatever it was that the caller was saying.
"Ace? Ace, what's wrong?" Marco asked as his own smile faded and concern rose as the others finally noticed.
But Ace didn't answer him, he didn't even look at them as he started shaking and only croaked out in a feeble tone that they didn't recognize, "Are you sure?"
He fell silent as he could only grow paler by the second and the other three were even half-rising from their seats with worry. Ace waved them down before he answered, "N-No… no, I understand. I'll… I'll see what I can do. Thank you for warning me."
He slowly hung up, but his eyes were still wide with something that they didn't see from him often.
Fear.
"Ace? What is it? Did something happen? Who was that?" Thatch asked slowly, feeling anxious as he saw the panic-stricken look that Ace was giving them.
"Ace? What's the problem?" Izo pressed anxiously.
"That was Law…" Ace whispered, stumbling over before collapsing onto his seat, the light of the fire making him look almost ghoulish as he could only stare ahead.
"What did he say? Is it serious?" Marco asked urgently, urging him to tell them.
"He doesn't know who it was or why they did it but… but…? He said… just now, he was contacted by CPS for information on Luffy," Ace confessed, his breathing so shallow that they were afraid that he was about to pass out as he could only finish with, "He said they're planning to open an investigation to have Luffy removed from me."
(Wow, didn't see that coming, did you? Yes, Ace did run into Sabo but didn't think to ask the guy's name, but they did meet up and it won't be the last time. And no, it wasn't Sabo who called CPS. He'd never do something like that. But now the gang is gonna have to work together to help out Ace and Luffy! Hope you look forward to it and as to who it was who called CPS, that's an answer for later!)