Chapter 5: The Impossible
Luffy stared at the child before him and felt his heart shatter. "A-Ace?" He questioned his sanity. Did I hit my head too hard? He asked recalling the attack on the ship that had left him unconscious when they'd arrived on the island. Nononono. It can't be him. He suddenly reached out and began examining the child. He looked like Ace when he'd been little. Minus the white hair. He thought as he grasped the kid's face.
"Loof stop that." S-Fire pushed his brother's hands away. Did he forget me? He wondered. Other than Luffy calling him, his old name there was no reaction from the rubber teen. Until, S-Fire looked at Luffy directly.
"A-Are you really A-Ace?" Luffy questioned. Tears spilling down his cheeks as he examined the child's haki. Yes, this was Ace's haki. Yes, he looked like Ace, but how?
"It's really me." S-Fire said softly as he tried and was failing to control his own emotions as more tears ran down his cheeks. "Shitty Granps would hunt us as kids as his form of training. His fists of love hurt like fuck! Dadan did nothing to protect us from him. We had another brother who died; his name was Sabo!" By now S-Fire was trembling with his emotional outburst.
Luffy suddenly wrapped his hands and arms around S-Fire multiple times and pulled the boy towards him. The waterworks started. First with Luffy who had a full on meltdown. "ACE!" Tears, snot and with Luffy screaming Ace's name; left S-Fire with his arms full of a blubbering little brother. The scream of course brought his companions rushing towards them. Of course by then, S-Fire was loosing a battle with his own emotions and let them go, after all, he was just a toddler. The crying didn't stop as they both clung to each other.
When Jinbe, Chopper and Bonney came around the back of robot, the sight that they came to was one of a blubbering Yonko clinging to a small winged child who was crying just as loudly and clinging just as hard to the Yonko. "Luffy?" Jinbe questioned what had caused his captain to scream out his dead brother's name as he had.
Chopper went into doctor mode. "Luffy, are you hurt?" The reindeer rushed up to his friend and captain.
"It's ACE!" Luffy screamed as his chest heaved as he rubbed his cheek against the child. "My brother! My brother!"
"I'm sorry Lu! I'm sorry for everything!" S-Fire cried out. "I never should've gone after Teach! I should've asked for help!"
Jinbe's eyes widened at the words. It-It can't be! He thought. He had seen Ace die. Had watched in horror as Akainu's fist had gone through the young man's chest. Had seen how Luffy had reacted then.
"Is he going to be okay?" Bonney asked. Why is he calling out Fire Fists name? She wondered silently.
"I don't know." Jinbe answered truthfully.
"Luffy?" Chopper gently touched his friend's arm in comfort.
Luffy lifted his head to look at his friend. "C-Chopper." He stuttered. His face was red from crying, with snot running out of his nose and large wet tears flowed down his cheeks. "He's Ace."
"Huh?" Chopper questioned. Oh no! He thought in horror. Is he having a mental breakdown!? He knew that Ace was dead. He'd read the article and had cried for Luffy at that moment.
S-Fire stepped back as he tried to calm himself. "He's right. I am." He admitted having an easier time in regaining control over his emotions than Luffy was. The tears were still streaming down his cheeks but he was able to talk.
"That's impossible." Jinbe stated as he walked up to the duo. He knew how Luffy was after Ace's death and if this child thought he could fool him in order to harm his captain.
S-Fire was surprised to see Jinbe. His eyes widened as he pulled away from Luffy, his brother giving him a questioning look. "You are Jinbe. You tried to stop me from fighting Pops, but I was stubborn. So we fought for four days. Afterwards, you said it was one of your best fights and stated you'd like to go another round if I survived my fight with Pops."
Jinbe's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. He knew for a fact that there hadn't been anyone on that island when they had fought. "WHAT!?" He cried out in shock.
Chopper turned towards the fish man. "Big Boss, what's wrong?"
"It's can't be." Jinbe whispered. "But there's no other answer." He truly looked at the child. Yes there were differences but he still looked just like Ace. From the determined look in his eyes to his facial features. The child's look screamed I am Ace. "How?" He asked the boy.
"I think the World Government thought they could use me if I was one of their controlled clones." He looked at Luffy. "They took my blood and gave it to Dr. Vegapunk to have him create a Seraphim version of me who would be their mindless slave and do as I'm told. They have others here including a version of you, Jinbe." He looked up at the blue skinned sharkman. "You're so much bigger than I remember."
Jinbe gave a hearty laugh. "Well you're a lot shorter than I recall!" He said laughingly.
"Tch." The boy sounded slightly annoyed. "Yeah, well how do you think I feel?" He gave a dramatic pause as he looked at Luffy. "I just went from being the big brother to the little one!"
Having calmed down a bit, Luffy wiped his face of all the evidence of his breakdown. "Shishishi." Luffy laughed. "I'll try not to be a bad bother." S-Fire looked at him and looked very annoyed. Luffy suddenly remembered something and laughed a bit more.
"What?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Shishishi." Luffy laughed a bit more before grabbing the boy, S-Fire squawked at Luffy being all handsy. Luffy leaned forward with his biggest grin plastered on his face making his brother nervous. "I just remembered, you don't know something."
"Huh?" S-Fire asked quirking a brow.
"It's about 'Bo." Luffy clarified.
S-Fire suddenly got all sad. "Sorry I'm not him Lu." He bowed his head down in shame.
Luffy laughed again. "You don't have to be." Luffy stated. "He can be himself."
"Huh?" S-Fire asked confused.
"Sabo is alive."
S-Fire's wings dropped as he pouted a bit before his hand release the pipe. "T-That's not funny." He stuttered as he quivered slightly as his emotions began to build up again.
"It's not ment to be." Luffy said with a smile. "He's alive. He's a part of the Revolutionary Army. Is their Chief of Staff." His smile became a bit bigger. "'Mingo had your fruit, but 'Bo got it back and ate it."
The small boy looked over at Jinbe who chuckled. "They're calling him the Flame Emperor." He told S-Fire.
S-Fire looked up at his brother, his eyes begging him to end the joke when he realized there wasn't a punchline. It was the truth. His bottom lip bobbed a bit before he hugged Luffy tightly. His first friend. His first brother. His twin. The one he had cried silently for after his death; was alive! So for the second time in the last ten minutes; S-Fire cried.
After S-Fire had calmed a bit, Luffy had placed him on his back. The child clung to Luffy, with his head on Luffy's shoulder. Inhaling his brother's scent he found that it hadn't changed. He still smelled like partially cooked meat and dirt. He also felt safe for the first time awakening to this new life. S-Fire closed his eyes as he basked in the feeling of safety when he felt Luffy's arm wrapped around him and give him a bit more stability as they began jumping back upon the robot to begin examining it again.
Luffy's was so happy. He hadn't been this happy in years. His brother was back! He couldn't understand how really, but he was so happy that he was! Oh, he couldn't wait to share this with Sabo. Their family was back! It was a little different but it was back!
