Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There’s a baby.

There’s a- there’s a baby in Ace’s grandfather’s arms.

What the fuck?

Ace stares, baffled, as Garp stands, absently rocking side to side, the baby (a baby ) in his arms snoozing peacefully. He’s talking to Dadan, who has that look on her face that’s part fear, part anger, part pure resignation.

(Garp gets that look a lot.)

Ace turns, then, intent on being anywhere but here . He’s not dealing with this. He refuses to deal with this.

(A baby .)

Unfortunately, because the universe hates him, Garp glances over his shoulder just before Ace can disappear into the forest. His eyes fall on Ace, and Ace breaks into a run ( fuck fuck fuck gotta get away gotta get away gotta get away- ) as Garp’s eyes light up in recognition.

“Oh, Ace!”

Ace yelps as Garp catches up to him in what feels like milliseconds, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him over to the hut. Dadan is still standing there, mouth gaping in shock as she stares down at the baby in her arms. Ace snickers as he realizes Garp must have literally tossed the baby into her arms when he went after Ace. Sucks for her.

He stops snickering immediately, though, when Garp promptly grabs the baby from Dadan’s arms and drops it into Ace’s arms. Ace curses, immediately dropping it.

Garp – rather unfairly, in Ace’s opinion – laughs, easily catching the baby and plopping it yet again into Ace’s too-small arms, readjusting them until the baby is comfortably nestled there. Ace stands, uncomfortably stiff, the weight in his arms strange. He doesn’t like it.

“Meet your new little brother!” Garp says cheerfully, as if he hasn’t just said the most ridiculous thing Ace has ever heard.

Ace stares at the baby. He looks up. Back to the baby. Back to Garp. “…Little brother?!”

Garp nods, beaming, and- no. No . Ace is not dealing with this.

“I’m not taking care of it!” Ace – not desperately, he is not desperate to get rid of this, he’s just- just annoyed that he has to deal with it, that’s all – holds the baby out towards his Gramps. He needs it gone. He doesn’t even know anything about babies. He can’t be its older brother.

Garp waves a hand dismissively, ignoring his outstretched arms. “Dadan’ll take care of him,” he says, ignoring Dadan’s squawk of protest behind him. “You just have to…ah, protect him and shit.”

“No.” Ace shakes his head in denial. “No, you can’t make me.” The baby (which had somehow managed to stay asleep through being dropped multiple times) opens its eyes, pale brown blinking up at him. And, sudden panic flooding his veins, Ace shoves the baby further out at Garp. He- he doesn’t know how to take care of a baby , how is he- he can’t do this.

He doesn’t know how to take care of anything, really. The baby would eventually end up hating him, anyway- he’s a sin, after all. No point loving a sin. No point loving something that’s going to grow up and die hated.

Ace glares deeper at Garp, and, thankfully, Garp sighs and deigns to take the baby, holding it with too-large hands and cooing down at it, which is… weird , to say the least. Ace yanks his hands away, freedom finally attained, except-

As he’s pulling his other hand away, a small (so, so small ) hand reaches out and grabs onto Ace’s finger.

Ace freezes.

The baby’s grip is strangely strong, for such a small hand.

(It’s warm .)

The baby giggles, finger’s tightening around Ace’s single, larger one, and something loosens in his chest. Ace relaxes, shoulders dropping as he unconsciously edges closer to Garp. Garp obligingly crouches down, giving Ace easier access to the tiny human in his arms.

(He’s so small. )

“What did you say his name was again?” Ace whispers, staring down into the bright, happy smile shining up at him.

(No one’s ever looked at him that way before.)

Garp chuckles, softer than Ace’s ever heard him before, and says, “Luffy. His name’s Luffy.”

“Luffy,” Ace repeats, testing the name on his lips. Wonder fills him as he brings his other hand up, brushing a hand over Luffy’s cheek (his soft, so, so soft cheek). Luffy giggles, and Ace can’t keep an awed smile off his face at the innocent joy radiating up from the little boy in his grandfather’s arms.

(He still hasn’t let go of Ace’s finger.)

Luffy. That’s a good name. Ace absently plays with Luffy’s other hand, and thinks that maybe, just maybe, he could come to like having him here.

-

The baby’s crying.

The second baby that Garp forced onto Dadan is crying, and she so does not want to deal with this.

It’s been so long since she’s even had to be within miles of a baby – the last time she had a crying baby in her humble hut, she’d tried to ignore him as much as possible. Garp had dumped him on her; she’d had absolutely no responsibility to make sure he was happy.

She hadn’t been able to stand the crying. That’s the only reason he slept next to her for months. The only reason.

(He’s grown on her over the years, though, she has to admit.)

And, if taking care of Ace had taught her anything, it’s that babies do not shut up when they start crying if their needs aren’t met, so she groans, resigning herself to getting out of her relatively comfortable bed to tend for yet another baby she absolutely doesn’t want.

Before she can do more than sit up slightly, though, she hears a shuffling sound from upstairs.

She freezes, and not too much later, Ace tentatively pokes his head around the corner. He seeks out the small crib that Luffy’s being kept in, and seems to war with himself for a bit. Dadan watches as Ace bites his lip, and, hesitant, pads his way over, taking care not to make too much noise and to avoid stepping on the limbs strewn around the room.

Dadan slowly lays back down, so as not to let Ace know she’s awake, and observes.

Ace, finally reaching the crib, just stares at Luffy for a moment. Dadan knows he doesn’t know what to do, really, but she relaxes back further as Ace cautiously reaches a hand in and gently touches the baby’s small hand. Luffy pauses in his crying, sniffling and looking up at Ace, and then grabs at Ace’s hand.

Dadan has never seen such a wondrous smile on her brat’s face than the one that formed the moment Luffy grabbed onto his finger.

Luffy giggles, a bright, happy-sounding thing that makes Dadan feel all sorts of soft, despite her best efforts. Dadan watches, a small smile forming on her face as Ace relaxes, edging closer to the crib and reaching in to softly ruffle Luffy’s short hair.

Her brat’s eyes are brighter than Dadan’s ever seen them, a small, awe-filled smile adorning his face as Luffy reaches up to him with his other arm, smiling and babbling happily.

(They’re so cute together.)

Maybe Dadan could come to like having another brat to help take care of, after all.

-

Ace ruffles Luffy’s hair as gently as he can, marveling at the softness. Luffy giggles, bright and happy, and Ace has never felt this way before. No one’s ever been this excited, this purely happy to see Ace before. It’s always anger, or disgust, or indifference that meets him, a brat to Grey Terminal and a little shit to the Bandits.

He’s never seen this – he’s never been met with the pure, undying joy that shines in Luffy’s eyes.

Luffy babbles up at him, waving his other arm up at him, reaching as high as he can and squealing when Ace grabs the other hand. The smile that appears Luffy’s face at that moment almost makes Ace want to cry right then and there.

But, then, Luffy lets go of Ace’s hands (the absence of warmth feels so cold to him in that moment), and starts waving his hands up at him more aggressively. Luffy’s smile is rapidly disappearing, and Ace panics.

What did he do wrong?

A heavy hand comes down on his shoulder, and Ace jumps as a gruff voice says, “He wants you to pick him up, brat.”

Dadan, with an ease that surprises him, swings around Ace and gently scoops Luffy up in her arms, shushing him and rocking him back and forth. Ace, shocked, stares blankly at her. First off – seeing a soft smile on his caretaker’s face is just wrong. And, secondly-

 “It’s not like this is the first baby I’ve taken care of,” Dadan scoffs, as if she read his mind. She levels him with a deadpan look and says, “You were once one too, you know.”

Ace comes up short. That’s…true.

Weird .

Shaking his head to rid himself of that realization, Ace tentatively shuffles closer to Luffy, who’s stopped sniffling, but still isn’t as happy as he had been earlier. Dadan sighs, and says, “Hold your arms out, brat.”

Ace, deciding to listen to her for once, does so, and Dadan easily transfers Luffy to his arms, readjusting him slightly so Luffy’s head is supported. The weight of him is still unnatural, but Luffy sighs slightly, closing his eyes and smiling. Ace’s heart clenches, and he pulls Luffy closer.

(He promises himself he will do this as much as possible.)

Luffy sighs again, a soft and quiet thing, and snuggles closer to Ace’s chest. Ace’s breath hitches, just for a moment.

(He’s so small , so fragile in Ace’s arms. How…how can he trust Ace this much?)

Dadan, who rarely shows any sort of affection, ruffles Ace’s hair and walks back to her bed. “Don’t drop him, brat,” she says over her shoulder, but Ace barely processes it, still staring down at the small smile on Luffy’s lips.

He sits against the crib, taking care not to jar Luffy, and brings his knees to his chest, cradling Luffy close. He gently rests his head on Luffy’s softly-rising and falling chest, and is content to stay here, like this, holding his little brother in his arms, for as long as possible.

-

Two weeks later, Ace realizes that he hasn’t gone to meet Sabo since Luffy came. In the same instance, he realizes his best friend is probably an unholy mess of fear, anger, and annoyance at this point.

It’s about time he fixed that, he thinks. He’s just hoping Sabo won’t kill him.

-

“Ace! Where the hell have you been?!”

Ace ignores him, much to Sabo’s ire, quickly scaling the tree and grabbing Sabo’s hand. Sabo nearly jumps out of his skin. Ace has never been very prone to physical contact, almost never the one to instigate contact out of the two of them, yet now he’s tugging at Sabo’s hand and looking more excited than Sabo’s ever seen him.

What the fuck .

“C’mon, c’mon!” Ace says, pulling at Sabo’s hand impatiently, and Sabo has had quite enough of this, thank you very much.

“Hold up,” Sabo says, remaining planted in the tree and glaring at Ace. “You’ve been gone for two weeks, and when you show up – without any gold, might I add – you want to take me somewhere with no explanation? What the fuck , Ace?!”

Ace, eyes bright, says,  “C’mon, I need to show you something!”

“But what ?!”

“Just come on !”

Sabo sighs exasperatedly, but finally agrees, jumping down from the tree and looking expectantly at Ace. Ace, grinning brightly, tugs on Sabo’s hand. “We’re going back to the bandits’ place!”

Sabo stops and stares blankly at Ace.

“I’m sorry, the what ?!”

-

“You know, you’ve mentioned before that you lived with an old hag, but how did you not mention that they’re literal bandits ?!”

Ace gives Sabo a deadpan look. “Who else would live at the top of a mountain?”

Sabo pauses. That’s a fair point.

Not that he’s going to admit it, but still.

“Anyways,” Sabo says, determinedly changing the topic. “Why are we here? I thought you hated the bandits.”

“I do,” Ace says, striding towards the door. “I’m not here for them.”

He barges in, and immediately, a frustrated voice yells out, “Ace, take the other brat, or I swear to god, I’m going to throw him to the fucking Tiger Lord just so that he shuts up !”

“No, you won’t,” Ace says casually. Sabo snorts, before pausing.

Wait. The other brat?

Sabo follows his best friend inside, and Ace walks purposefully towards something in the back, where a heartbroken wailing sound is emanating from. He bends down, scoops it up, turns, and Sabo freezes.

That’s a baby .

“Ace,” Sabo begins extremely calmly. “Why do you have a baby?”

“Dadan wouldn’t let me bring him into the forest,” Ace says casually, as if that answers anything at all, absently rocking the crying baby from side to side. “So I had to bring you here.”

“You’re not bringing a five-month-old baby into the forest, you dumbass!”

“Yeah, that’s not a good idea,” Sabo says automatically, still taking in the fact that there is a baby in Ace’s arms.

Ace shrugs. “I’ve been going into the forest since I was three, he would’ve been fine.” He then turns his attention to the bundle in his arms, shushing him gently and freeing one of his arms so he can tenderly take one small hand in his own. The baby, who had still been fussing, quiets, teary eyes focusing on Ace’s face and hand grabbing at Ace’s.

Ace softens in a way Sabo’s never seen before, small smile curving his lips and eyes brightening, and Sabo doesn’t think he’s ever seen him this happy.

Ace’s always been bitter, and cold, and distant – even with Sabo, who’s come the closest to breaking down Ace’s walls. He’s glad this mysterious baby has brightened Ace’s existence up; has made his friend’s ever-present scowl disappear, if only for a little while.

He likes happy Ace better.

“What’s his name?” Sabo asks softly, leaning closer to Ace and peering into the baby’s face, brighter now.

Ace murmurs, still focused on the baby, “Luffy. His name’s Luffy.”

Sabo smiles at the contentment in Ace’s voice as he gently plays with Luffy’s hand. He reaches out a hand and brushes his fingers over Luffy’s forehead, gently soothing the lingering small, distressed wrinkles away.

Luffy laughs delightedly, babbling up at Sabo and waving his free arm around excitedly, and Sabo’s smile softens, fondness rushing through him. He doesn’t think- no, he knows no one’s ever looked upon him that delightedly. Not even his parents, who were supposed to love him, ever did.

It’s nice, having someone this happy to have him around.

“Luffy,” Sabo says consideringly, before grinning. “That’s a good name.”

- 

“Brat!” Garp bellows, striding up the hill towards Dadan’s place.

“Shut up , Gramps!” Ace hisses from inside, and Garp opens his mouth to scold him (the nerve of this boy – how dare he talk to his grandfather like that) but then pauses as Ace comes fully into view.

Ace sits, hunched over against the wall of the hut. A blonde-haired boy sits next to him – another grandson, that’s new – and they’re both glaring daggers at Garp. Garp opens his mouth again, ready to scold Ace for telling him to shut up over nothing, when he notices Luffy.

“We just got him to sleep, shitty Gramps,” Ace snaps. “Don’t you dare wake him back up.”

Luffy’s cradled in Ace’s arms, and Ace is almost protectively wrapped around him. His eyes burn fiercely, as if daring Garp to do anything to wake up Luffy. Garp lets himself unwind, letting his shoulders drop, and walks towards them. “Alright, alright,” Garp says, meeting Ace’s eyes. Ace glares at him suspiciously for a moment longer before dropping it, looking back at the baby in his arms.

(For a moment, staring into the burning depths of Ace’s grey eyes, it wasn’t Ace Garp was looking at, but Roger. Those eyes always burned so bright, so dangerously when one of his crew was threatened in any way, be it physical, or be it being teased for some reason.

Ace may hate being compared to Roger, but sometimes, that’s all Garp can see.)

Luffy lets out a little sigh, snuggling closer to Ace’s chest, and the two older boys soften , awe brightening their eyes as Ace places his forehead against Luffy’s and the blonde-haired brat reaches out, playing with one, small hand.

Garp’s never seen Ace this soft, this purely happy .

(When Dragon had given Luffy to Garp, Garp had considered not bringing Luffy up to the bandits. He’d done it with Ace, after all, and that…hadn’t gone well. Ace had grown up bitter, and hated, and unwanted, no matter how much Garp tried to show him otherwise.

“Was it good that I was born, Gramps?”

Garp’s never once thought no .

Ace has.

And ever since Garp had told Ace his parentage five years ago, Ace has changed. Before he knew the stupid, pointless truth about himself, he wasn’t quite as bitter, didn’t quite hate himself as much as he has learned to these past years.

(Garp made it his goal to live a life without regrets, when he first joined up with the marines.

He failed, that day when he told Ace the truth that made him believe the lie that he is a sin.)

Garp knows, now, though, looking at the protective set of Ace’s body, looking at the tender eyes of the other brat, that he doesn’t need to worry about Luffy facing that same fate. That he doesn’t have to worry about Luffy fading from the bright star Garp sees within him to the bitter, bruised, bent little boy that Ace had grown to be.

Luffy will never not know love, like Ace did.

Luffy will never not know happiness.

Luffy will never not know freedom .

Ace will make sure of that.

Garp knows that for sure, now.

And, Luffy’s changed Ace – changed him in ways Garp, watching wearily as time passed and Ace only seemed to grow more bitter, more bent, more bruised, as time passed, never thought he’d see. Ace is…lighter, now. He seems freer, like there’s something that’s calmed within him. Luffy and his bright, innocent, happy eyes and smile seem to have made Ace start realize that there is worth within him.

That he does deserve to be loved.

He’s not all the way there, not yet, but, watching the two little boys watch over their little brother protectively, well...Garp knows he’ll get there.)

“Are you just going to stare at us?” Garp startles as Ace snaps at him, jerking him from his thoughts. Ace is glaring at him (again). Garp lets out a quiet chuckle before making his way over and crouching next to them.

Garp says, grinning, “‘I’m not taking care of it,’ huh?” Ace flushes, pulling Luffy closer in an attempt to hide his face.

“Shut up,” he mumbles. The brat next to him snickers, and Garp side-eyes him as Ace says, “Oh, yeah. Shitty Gramps, that’s Sabo. Sabo, Shitty Gramps, or Garp.”

Sabo grins, big and gap-toothed, and says, “Nice to meet you, Garp!”

Oh, that won’t do.

“Call me Gramps, brat.”

Sabo opens his mouth, seems to think better against arguing, and closes it. “Okay, Shitty Gramps!”

“Brat,” Garp grunts, but there’s a smile playing on his lips and he feels too light to be too pissed.

(Ace is happy .)

Luffy blinks his eyes open and yawns, and Ace and Sabo immediately turn their attention back to him. Then, Luffy reaches out for Sabo, who sticks his tongue out at Ace, who pouts, and takes Luffy. Happy now, Luffy giggles brightly, and Sabo props Luffy on his lap and bounces him slightly. Ace plays with small feet, tickling them and drawing laughter from Luffy.

Ace smiles, small and joyful.

Garp relaxes back, and watches his three brats.

(He’s relieved.

He’s glad he actually made the right choice, this time.)

-

The door to Party’s bar opens, door slamming against the wall.

Makino looks up at the sound, an already-welcoming smile on her face before she catches a glimpse of who it is, and then her eyes widen in pleasant surprise. “Ace!” she exclaims. She quickly rounds the edge of the bar, hurrying towards the boy she’s not really gotten a chance to know, yet, but loves anyway. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she’s saying, when she finally realizes there’s more than one boy in her bar today. 

“And who are these two?” she asks, warm smile on her face as she glances at the baby in Ace’s arms before she meets the baby-blue eyes of the boy next to Ace.

Ace scuffs his feet a little bit, not meeting Makino’s eyes. “This’s Luffy,” he mumbles. He then jerks his head to the side. “And that’s Sabo.”

Sabo grins, bright and gap-toothed, and she can already feel her heart melting for him. “Nice to meetcha, Makino-san!” Sabo says.

“And nice to meet you too, Sabo,” she says warmly. She then shifts her attention to Luffy, whose eyes have just cracked open, sighing slightly as he stretches his too-small limbs. Ace and Sabo both instantly turn their attention to him, and Makino smiles as they both soften , smiles on their faces as they play with Luffy’s hands, Ace freeing one of his arms to do so.

“This is Luffy, then?” Makino asks needlessly, and they both nod distractedly, exactly two percent of their attention on her. Makino just laughs, not offended in the slightest.

Luffy shifts his attention to her, then, and she feels her heart melt at the gummy grin he gives her, laughing happily and babbling nonsense at her. Makino brings a hand up to gently poke at a small hand of Luffy’s and he giggles at her, and oh, she’s fallen in love already.

To force herself not to take Luffy off their hands and keep him forever – gods, he’s so cute – Makino stands back up. “I’ll go make us some food,” she says, and they both glance up at her, excitement shining in their eyes as they nod quickly.

“Yes, please!” Sabo says, and she can see the excitement in Ace’s expression as he looks at her before returning his attention to their baby brother. She makes her way behind the bar, pulling back two stools and grabbing a set of towels for them to perch Luffy on, and sets about making something simple for Luffy. It’s been a while since she’s had to make baby food, the last time being with Ace.

Ace and Sabo slowly walk over to the bar, perching themselves on the stool and remaining distracted with entertaining their little brother. Makino smiles secretively, watching out of the corners of her eyes as they coo and play with him. She knows Ace, at the very least, would not appreciate her attention.

She can’t stop herself from laughing outright when Luffy shrieks, throwing his hands out and smacking Ace in the face.

His shocked offense and Sabo’s instant teasing will be a favored memory for years to come, she knows.

(She also knows she’ll always remember the soft smile on Ace’s face as he plays with Luffy – the pure happiness shining through. She’s never seen Ace, the angry, bitter, lonely boy from the mountain this at peace.

She finds she rather likes Ace this way.)

“Here you go, boys,” she says, sliding a plate of food in front of them. They set upon the meat like ravenous dogs, food spraying everywhere and hands and faces greasy, but she simply laughs, already setting aside a few minutes at the end of the day to clean up before she opens the bar for the night crowd.

She goes ahead and feeds Luffy, scooping some of what she remembers was Ace’s favorite food as a baby into his mouth and burping him at the end. When she’s finished burping him, and he’s giggling happily in her arms, gnawing on her shirt, she turns to see Ace and Sabo staring at her with something like shock.

“What was that?” Ace asks, looking between her and Luffy with confusion. Sabo looks just as bewildered, and Makino sighs.

She asks, “Has no one told you about needing to burp babies?”

The bewildered confusion on both their faces betrays that answer, and Makino comes around to the front of the bar, shifting Luffy so that he’s propped on her hip.

“Does Luffy tend to cry after you feed him?” She asks, already knowing the answer, and true to her expectations they both nod their heads. “Babies need to be burped for them to expel the gas in their stomachs,” she continues. “Babies gulp down a lot of air when they’re crying, so this is how we get rid of that air. Otherwise, it ends up painful for the baby, and they end up cranky and annoyed.”

Both the older boys look horrified, looking guiltily at Luffy, and Makino hurries to reassure them. “It’s not damaging to them,” she reassures quickly, and stifles a smile at how they both relax minutely, shoulders dropping. “It just makes life easier for them – though, it can hurt them in the long run if it continues for too long, but don’t worry about it too much. Now you know,” she says gently, and Ace and Sabo both nod determinedly.

“Can you…” Sabo begins hesitantly, “Teach us how?” She glances over to see Ace’s hands twisting nervously, but his eyes are determined as he meets hers.

She smiles, “Of course, I can.”

Quickly preparing another bottle, she hands Luffy over to Ace, who holds the bottle up to Luffy’s mouth with the ease of someone who’s done it a hundred times before. She hands a towel over once Luffy’s devoured the entire thing (much quicker than Makino would have imagined – then again, he is a Monkey D., so she supposes she shouldn’t be surprised), and patiently guides Ace, then Sabo, through burping him.

They’re careful, and concentrated, and Makino feels pride welling up inside her.

Luffy lets out a happy little sigh, and Ace smiles softly, and Makino is suddenly, vividly hit with a wave of nostalgia.

Something about that softness, that kindness, is painfully familiar to Makino, and she quickly flicks her eyes up to take in the whole of Ace’s face with a new lens.

Her eyes catch on the freckles that dot Ace’s face, clustered like the stars in the clear, night sky, and oh , she knows whose son this is.

It’s hard to forget the kindest soul she’s ever met, after all.

A bittersweet sort of pain clenches in Makino’s chest, and the backs of her eyes burn with unshed tears.

A small hand slipped into a larger, callused yet warm one; stories about sailing, and pirates, and battles, and victories; fleeting, cherished love.

Portgas D. Rouge lives on in Ace, and Makino doesn’t know how she didn’t realize sooner.

She instinctively takes a step forward, but then pauses. Sabo and Ace have long since settled down, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor. Ace’s arms are spread wide, bright grin lighting up his face as he tells Luffy a story, gesturing along with it. Luffy, sitting in Sabo’s lap, has wide eyes and seems enraptured, and though Makino knows he isn’t quite to the age where he’ll understand what’s being said, the energy Ace is exuding is enough to fully draw him in.

Makino settles back down, sitting in the stool behind her. She won’t interrupt them. This moment isn’t about her.

They’ll have plenty of time during other visits. Makino can tell Ace all about his mom later (because she’s now suddenly, positively sure he’s not heard any of the stories that he should have been, and that’s a tragedy).

But they have time. Ace isn’t going anywhere.

And so, Makino watches Ace and Sabo and Luffy, three brothers in all but blood, and smiles.

-

It’s later that night, their stomachs full of Makino’s absolutely heavenly food and cheeks sore from how much they’d smiled during that visit. Sabo’s just watching the last remnants of the sunset through one of the windows in Dadan’s hut when Ace’s voice, unusually quiet and tentative, pipes up.

“Why does he trust me so much?”

Sabo glances behind him, seeing Ace sitting against the wall of Dadan’s hut, holding Luffy and looking down at him, a heartbreakingly fond look on his face. He’s stroking Luffy’s cheek gently with one finger, the now-familiar awed smile fully visible. Sabo can’t help the fondness that fills him at Luffy’s contentedness, obviously at peace in Ace’s arms.

Sabo shrugs slightly, turning around fully to face Ace, leaning back against the windowsill. “He’s a baby, and he decided he likes you. There’s not much more to it.”

“But why ?” Ace bursts out, but quiets at the small whimper Luffy lets out. Ace continues, voice painfully confused, “I haven’t done anything to deserve it. I’m- fuck, Sabo, you know whose son I am! I don’t des-”

Frustration quickly rises in Sabo, and- okay. Fuck this.

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there. One-” Sabo cuts in, giving Ace a firm stare, “-your blood means shit. Stop thinking that your entire worth is based off of your bastard of a father. And two…” he pushes himself away from the window, walking over and crouching next to his two brothers.

He reaches out and runs a finger gently over Luffy’s small hand, heart clenching as Luffy grabs onto his finger, even in his sleep. Sabo continues softly, “…It’s not about deserving. The fact is, whether we believe we deserve it or not, Luffy wants us.”

Sabo tilts his head up and meets Ace’s eyes, wide and uncertain, with his own, blazing and fierce. “Luffy trusts us, loves us, regardless of everything. And, honestly, given how much you do for him? If it was about deserving, I think you’d deserve his love more than anyone else.”

Ace takes in a shuddering breath, bowing his head slightly and pressing it against Luffy’s chest. Sabo looks away, pretending he didn’t notice the tears starting to trail down his cheeks and focuses on Luffy’s face – mouth tilted into a small smile and eyes shut.

He looks so peaceful.

Even surrounded by forest and away from any sense of what a normal baby would consider stability, Luffy remains happy. He trusts them so much to keep him safe, to keep him free .

Sabo smiles, impossibly fond.

He’s really lucky to have found a family like this.

“Thanks,” Ace mumbles into Luffy’s chest, and Sabo shakes his head fondly. As if he needs thanks for just saying the truth.

“Anytime.”

Outside, the stars shine on.

Chapter Text

“Makino!”

Makino smiles at Dadan as she crests the hill. Dadan and the rest of the bandits stand outside their home, trying not to make their eagerness for the cart she’s dragging behind her too obvious. Makino sees right through it, but only feels fondness for her friends in front of her.

“Here you all go,” she announces lightly, and they descend upon the cart like a pack of ravenous dogs. Makino simply laughs as Dadan sighs.

Dadan grumbles, coming up to her, “They could at least greet you properly.” Makino shakes her head.

“I don’t mind, really,” she says. Dadan snorts.

“Well, you should.”

Dadan turns to lead her into the hut, and Makino takes the chance to asks, “How have the boys been?”

“Pieces of work.”

Makino laughs at the predictable answer, following Dadan inside. She glances around, her eyes catching on her three boys, and a small smile plays at her lips. Though that number had only recently increased, they’re all hers, just the same.

Ace and Sabo kneel and crouch respectively in the corner, playing some sort of game with Luffy, who’s sitting up. He’s babbling excitedly at them, waving his arms around and clutching a ball in his hand. Makino sits and observes them, resting her chin on her palm and smiling.

Sabo sighs, then, and says, “Luffy, you’re supposed to roll the ball at us. See?” Sabo gently but incessantly works the ball from Luffy’s hand, before rolling it back to him. “Now you do it,” Sabo urges as Luffy snatches the ball back up from the ground.

Luffy stares at the ball in his hand for a moment, before looking up at Sabo.

Then, he just chucks the ball straight into Sabo’s face.

Makino and Dadan burst into laughter, and Ace actually collapses, laughing so hard that he’s clutching his stomach. It’s the silent kind of laughter, the type that actually hurts and makes it so that you can hardly breathe, and Makino feels so, so happy all that Ace has found this sort of joy in his life.

“Yes, Lu,” Ace manages to gasp out. He looks up at Sabo, and Makino can barely see the look of pure offense on Sabo’s face, but it causes Ace to collapse back on the floor, losing his shit yet again. “Just like that!”

Sabo finally manages to find his words, and says, “Fuck you, Ace.”

Luffy babbles happily, yelling, “Bah, bah, bah!” and waving his hands at Sabo, and Sabo softens, scooping Luffy off the floor and into his lap. Luffy then proceeds to, very intently, tell Sabo a story in a chorus of ‘ah’s, ‘bah’s, and shrieks.

All in all, it’s a very entertaining story. Makino’s impressed.

Ace’s finally managed to get his breathing back under control by the end of the impromptu story, and casts a glance around. His eyes land on Makino, and his eyes widen.

“Makino?” He asks, badly-hidden delight threading through his voice.

Sabo jerks his head up from where he’s entertaining Luffy, who currently has a firm grip on his fingers, and meets Makino’s eyes. Eagerness spreads on his face as well, and he quickly stands, propping Luffy onto his hip.

Ace reaches her first, and he looks up at her expectantly. “What’re you doing here?” He asks.

“Just wanted to say hi,” Makino smiles. Luffy finally notices her and babbles happily, and Makino laughs, taking him out of Sabo’s hands.

It seems that even though Luffy’s only met her once, he likes her.

She’s glad.

Sabo elbows Ace, then, and makes an obvious jerking motion with his head towards Makino. Curious, Makino holds Luffy close, and waits for Ace to stop scuffing his feet into the ground, meeting his eyes calmly when he looks up at her.

“I, uh,” Ace starts, looking back down at the ground. “I wanted to ask you something.” 

“What is it, Ace?” Makino smiles, gentle and patient.

Ace scuffs his feet into the ground, not looking up, and- “IwantedtolearnmannerstosetagoodexampleforLuffy.”

Dadan lets out a bark of laughter, and Ace glares at her. Makino thinks she knows what Ace said, but she still asks patiently, “Can you repeat that, Ace?”

Sabo snickers, and wheezes as Ace elbows him without even looking at him. “I said ,” Ace says, sending a glare at Sabo. “I wanted to learn manners to set a good example for Luffy.”

Oh, that’s-

Makino smiles, and just looks at Ace for a moment. A brilliant flush spreads down his cheeks, and Ace looks away, saying, “What?” defensively.

“Oh, I’m just thinking,” Makino says. Ace looks back at her, and she tells him, “You’re a good big brother, Ace.”

Ace turns bright red, and he scoffs in an attempt to hide it. “Yeah, yeah, Sabo thought it might be a good idea,” he mumbles, and Sabo gapes, turning around to face Ace fully.

“Yeah, well, you’re the one that told me you wanted to be a better big brother for Luffy!”

Ace flushes even redder, if that’s even possible, and Makino cuts in, feeling softer than she thought possible, “You both are such good big brothers.”

Their argument cuts off as quickly as it came, and even Sabo, now, has a deep red flush. Makino continues, bouncing Luffy slightly, “Luffy is very lucky to have you two.” Ace and Sabo get pleased smiles, looking away from her and blushing down to their very toes.

Makino takes mercy on them, then, and says, “Of course I’ll teach you manners, Ace.”

Dadan mutters under her breath, “Good luck with that, Makino.”

Ace smiles brighter, then, flipping Dadan off and looking at Makino. “Okay! Let’s start!”

Makino smiles, and Dadan lets out a barking laugh as Makino crosses her fingers in front of her in an X. “Booh! That’s not a polite way of asking for a lesson.”

Sabo bursts into laughter as Ace’s face goes blank in complete incomprehension. “Let’s get started?” Ace tries again.

“Booh!”

“Can you get on with it already?”

“Booh!”

“Just get fucking started already!”

“Booh!” Sabo collapses in laughter as Makino can’t hold in her laughter, then, and she asks, “Are you being serious?”

Ace frowns, crossing his arms. “This is the best I can do!” Sabo lets out another burst of laughter from where he’s rolling on the floor, and Ace turns a glare on him. “Like you’d do any better than me!”

Sabo gives Ace a deadpan look. “I know manners, I just choose not to use them.”

Ace scoffs, rolling his eyes.

Makino’s cheeks hurt . “Okay, let’s try something else. How would you greet someone?”

Frowning in concentration, Ace says, carefully and deliberately, “Who the fuck are you?”

Sabo, who’d just gotten his breathing back under control, loses his shit again. Dadan’s joined him on the ground.

“Booh!” Makino says, trying desperately to keep from collapsing along with them.

Ace frowns again. “Whom the fuck are you?”

“The whom isn’t the issue!” Dadan crows. Sabo lets out a loud laugh in response.

“Fuck you both!” Ace barks at them, before turning back to Makino. Makino admires his tenacity. “What is your name?”

“Booh!”

“What the fuck is your name?”

“If Luffy’s first word is ‘fuck,’ Ace, you will never live it down!” Sabo calls from the ground, snickering. The mental image has Makino struggling to hold in a cackle, and Ace looks down at the ground.

He mutters, “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this,” and Makino softens her smile, putting both hands on his shoulders.

Getting down to his level, she reassures gently, “Ace, the fact that you’ve reached out to me is already a great start.” She taps the bottom of Ace’s chin so that he looks up at her, and continues, “It takes time to learn manners. I guarantee that Sabo didn’t always have good manners. Plus,” she says, leaning in and whispering mischievously in his ear, “Dadan’s truly a godawful example of someone to learn manners from. It’s really not your fault.”

Ace snorts, then, and the slight tension that had been building up in his shoulders loosens. “Thanks,” he mutters, and Makino smiles wider.

“See, there you go! You are very welcome, Ace. Now, shall we try greetings again?”

Ace nods more confidently, and promptly says, “Who the hell are you?”

The relative quiet that had fallen on the hut during Makino and Ace’s moment shatters, and everyone bursts into laughter again. Makino joins them, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

Well , she thinks, watching Ace flush down to his toes again, at least he’s trying .

-

“Ah!”

Ace glances over his shoulder, checking up on Luffy as he lays on his tummy, being attended to by Sabo. He turns back to the pelt he’s making, then, after a moment of no more sounds emanating from their little brother.

As soon as he turns his back again, though-

“ Ah !”

Ace ignores it, sure it’s just baby babble as he plays with Sabo, but then Luffy screeches , “ Ah !” and Ace finally turns around fully.

Luffy’s staring at him, an almost expectant look in the set of his lips.

“What does he want?” Ace asks, looking at Luffy consideringly.

“I think…” Sabo trails off, shifting so that he’s in front of Luffy. Luffy shrieks again, waving his arms impatiently and his eyes are getting closer and closer to a glare. “I think ‘Ah’ is you, Ace.”

Ace frowns, and places down the pelt, coming towards Luffy. Sabo helps Luffy shift up off of his stomach, placing him so that he’s sitting on his butt. Normally, when Luffy’s adjusted by someone, he giggles at them, or at least looks at them.

Luffy hasn’t taken his eyes off of Ace.

Ace decides to see if he’s the one Luffy wants, holding his arms out and beckoning Luffy closer. “Hey, can you crawl over to me, Lu?” Ace asks softly.

Luffy immediately pouts, but starts slowly moving towards Ace.

It doesn’t take long until Luffy’s perched in front of Ace, looking up at him with that same expectant frown. Ace smiles, a small, embarrassingly soft thing that only belongs to Luffy, and says, “Good job!” Luffy’s still pouting at him, and Ace finally picks him up.

Immediately, like a switch has flipped, Luffy’s all sunshine and happiness, and he giggles as he grabs at anything of Ace he can find. Ace’s smile widens, a wondrous tinge to it. Sabo laughs softly, and comes over to them as Ace stands up. “I guess that was you,” Sabo says, bringing his fingers up and twiddling them in front of Luffy.

Luffy grabs at them, letting out a sun-bright laugh and shrieking, “Bah!”

Ace laughs then, honest and true, and grins at Sabo. “Guess we know what your name is to him, now,” Ace says amusedly. Sabo doesn’t respond, staring at Luffy with something like awe in his smile. Luffy grips tighter at Sabo’s hand, and then leans his head against Ace’s shoulder. Ace feels that same awe flood through his chest.

“We’re so lucky,” Sabo breathes, and Ace’s not sure he meant to say that aloud. But, it’s so, so true – Ace feels that same wonder, thinks that very same sentence every day. He never thought he’d ever deserve someone like Luffy in his life, all happiness and love.

(He never thought he’d deserve a friend like Sabo, either.)

“Yeah,” Ace says softly, running a gentle hand up and down Luffy’s back. He didn’t know gentleness until he met Luffy – didn’t know how to be gentle, really, and didn’t care to be, and then Luffy came. And, well. Luffy needs (deserves) all the care, gentleness, happiness in the world.

And Ace will always give it to him.

“Yeah, we are.”

-

“Hey, why don’t you just come and live with us?”

Sabo blinks at him from next to him. They’ve just finished their sparring session, having found a clearing just outside their hut. At first, they avoided bringing Luffy out (mostly out of fear of Dadan’s wrath – for supposedly not caring about them, she seemed oddly strict in her firm denial of them taking Luffy out into the forest on their own). However, Ace and Sabo hadn’t let up, arguing and pleading to be able to take Luffy with them when they sparred, at least.

(They don’t like leaving Luffy alone.

Luffy, little Lu, their precious little brother in all but name. He needs them now, more than ever, because the bandits don’t quite give him the attention he needs, he craves , and so it’s Sabo and Ace’s responsibility to care for him.

The few times they left him alone for the day, without fail, they always came back to a broken baby, sobbing and wailing and screaming for his older brothers. After they’d calmed him down, Dadan, quiet, so as not to disturb the precious baby now sleeping in Ace’s arms, said he’d been like this since he woke up to them gone.

Ace and Sabo looked down at their baby brother, lips parted into a small smile, and, even asleep, gripping Sabo’s finger tightly. He’d lit up upon seeing them, tears drying on his cheeks and a beaming smile meeting them as Ace had scooped him up.

(The final time they’d left him, he wouldn’t sleep without being held, crying every time one of them moved away from him.

They didn’t leave him alone, after that.)

And so, for a while, their pirate stash’s growth stalled. They sure as hell aren’t going to go into High Town with a baby, after all, and with Luffy not able to go into the forest according to Dadan, they were stuck. Ace didn’t feel resentful, not really, but it did get annoying after a while. Hence their constant badgering of Dadan into letting them take him in.

They’re strong. They’ll protect him.)

After enough arguing and bargaining and nagging, she’d relented, letting them take him out into the forest. Not too far, and never far enough that they couldn’t yell and the Bandits couldn’t hear them, but far enough that Ace could once again feel the freedom singing in his veins, the scents and sounds of the forest enveloping him in home .

Luffy loves it too, hands clapping eagerly and smile bright as the sun as he sits against a tree, watching them spar and babbling happily at every curse, yell, and cheer. And now, they’re sitting against a tree next to each other, shirts clinging to their backs and hair dripping with sweat. Ace won rock-paper-scissors, so he’s holding Luffy, sound asleep, in his lap.

Sabo’s still blinking at him.

“What?” Ace mumbles, looking away. He’d be crossing his arms to make his annoyance clear, of course, but the little brother in his arms kind of prevents that. “You practically spend all day with us anyway, and it’d be a lot easier if you just stayed here.”

He remains staring at the ground, the silence weighing heavier and heavier on him as the seconds tick by slowly. His grip tightens on Luffy, and he’s starts to say bitterly, “If you didn’t want to come, you could’ve just said so-”

Sabo’s chuckle cuts him off, and Ace jerks his head up when Sabo says, “Jeez, Ace, don’t get so dramatic on me.” Ace glares at him, trying to ignore the way his shoulders loosen in relief, and Sabo continues. “I was just thinking- you know what would be really cool?”

Curiosity sparks in Ace, and he asks, “What?”

Sabo grins- and it’s an excited thing, the one that brightens Sabo’s eyes and emphasizes the gap in his teeth, one that Ace knows means fun, and he leans forward, annoyance at his friend forgotten. “I was just thinking,” Sabo repeats, “About how cool it would be to have a treehouse.”

Excitement shoots through Ace, and he matches Sabo’s excited grin with one of his own. “D’you think we can get away with this? Dadan’s been a hardass lately.”

Sabo shrugs. “Probably? Luffy’s to the age where we can take care of him pretty easily, and as long as we don’t go too far from the hut and make sure the treehouse is safe, Dadan should be fine. Plus, Dadan can’t tell us what to do.”

“You’ve got that right,” Ace snorts.

Silence falls for a brief moment, then Sabo says, “So, we’re doing this?” Ace nods eagerly.

“We’re doing this.”

They share matching bright smiles, and Ace looks down at Luffy. “Guess what, Lu?” Ace whispers down at him. “We’re gonna have a treehouse. We’re gonna live out in the forest, away from Dadan and all the bandits and,” Ace shudders a little, “ Gramps .”

Luffy, even asleep, seems to smile slightly, sighing and gripping tighter at Ace’s shirt. Ace pulls Luffy closer, shares a fond look with Sabo, and grins, bright and happy.

Sabo says excitedly, playing with Luffy’s hand, “We’re gonna be free , Luffy.”

-

Building the treehouse is unorganized, destructive, and just plain chaotic. Their building skills are sorely lacking, no matter how much baseless confidence Ace has in them. The planks are messily nailed together, the walls are extremely uneven, and Sabo thinks Ace has crushed his thumb with a hammer at least seventeen times.

(Ace curses behind Sabo, and Sabo snickers.

Make that eighteen.)

It’s the most fun Sabo has had in ages .

They’re building a treehouse, a home , just for them. It’ll be so much different than anything Sabo’s ever experienced before – so much freer . They nail a ship wheel into one of the walls, build gaps into all the walls, providing a 360-degree view of the whole island, of the sea surrounding it, and it’s-

It’s amazing .

The sea is so blue . Their cliff provides an amazing view, and the wind brushing against their faces, the sound of the waves below them is everything Sabo could’ve wished for, but this -

Their cliff can’t compare to this.

Sabo knows, leaning out the window, holding Luffy on his hip and feeling Ace brushing against his shoulder, that this is what freedom feels like.

(When he’s here, the weight of his noble heritage feels like nothing.)

“Hey, hey, Sabo,” Ace breathes, the awe welling in Sabo’s chest echoed in his tone. Ace turns towards Sabo, and his eyes are brighter than Sabo’s ever seen, and says eagerly, “Let’s be brothers.”

Sabo freezes, and Ace continues, gesturing excitedly, “Luffy basically considers us his older brothers, and then we’ll always have that bond tying us together, no matter where we go! It’ll never be broken!”

It’ll never be broken.

A bond that will never be broken.

Ace seems to wilt a little bit at Sabo’s continued silence, but before more of that awful self-doubt masked by anger can creep onto his face, Sabo grins, feeling lighter and happier than ever. “Yeah!” Sabo says, and Ace’s eyes light up. Sabo turns fully towards him, and, hugging Luffy just a little tighter, says, “Yeah, let’s do it!”

Ace’s grin in response is brighter than the sun.

And, that night, Ace and Sabo share sake cups, clinking them with Luffy’s cup of juice.

Sabo doesn’t think anything will make him feel more at home than the feel of the burning alcohol coursing down his throat.

(It makes Sabo’s heart warm, just a little bit.

Two older brothers, one little brother.

Strange, maybe, but fitting.)

-

Luffy’s wail echoes around them, and Sabo groans, cracking his eyes open.

Ace yawns, his joints cracking as he stretches. “Whasshappening,” Ace mutters sleepily, and Sabo sighs.

“Luffy’s crying.”

This is the first time they’ve not had Dadan there, just in case something’s really wrong with Luffy or they can’t get him to fall back asleep, and it makes Sabo a little nervous, if he’s being honest.

(What if they do something wrong? What if they can’t get Luffy to sleep? What if Luffy gets hurt? What if-

No .

They’ll take care of him.)

Ace, ever the action-oriented person, gets up and makes his way over to Luffy. He rocks Luffy, for a bit, like they’ve done since they got him and seen Dadan do countless times before. Normally, this is enough to make Luffy quiet down and be happy again – as long as one of them is holding him, he’s normally happy.

But, this time, Luffy’s not calming down.

He’s getting louder.

Ace’s frown gains a panicked tinge to it, and he looks up at Sabo. “What’s wrong?” He asks quietly, and Sabo hums consideringly, worry starting to settle like lead in his stomach.

“Maybe it’s because he’s not used to this? Babies are bothered by really small things, sometimes,” Sabo guesses, and Ace frowns deeper.

“I guess that could be it.” Ace rocks Luffy for a moment longer, before he hands Luffy over to Sabo. Sabo quickly pulls him close, and Ace says, “Maybe he’ll be happier with you?”

Luffy grabs at Sabo’s shirt, and wails louder. Sabo brings him in, close to his head, and rocks from side to side. “Hey, Lu, it’s okay, we’re here,” he murmurs. He looks up at Ace. “He couldn’t be hungry, could he?” Ace shakes his head.

“We fed him literally a couple of hours ago. I don’t think that’s it.” Sabo frowns and nods in agreement.

Ace hesitates, then says, “Hey, lemme try something.”

Ace takes Luffy back from Sabo, and takes in a deep breath, seeming to steel himself for something.

And then, Ace starts singing .

Sabo watches in shock as Ace starts singing a song Sabo’s never heard before, murmuring it quietly to their baby brother. Ace sounds good , actually, and Sabo has absolutely no idea where he would have learned to do this.

Luffy starts quieting down some, looking up at Ace with an awed expression.

Sabo takes the opportunity, quickly coming over to Ace’s side and leaning over Luffy. “Hey, there we go, Lu,” Sabo says softly, gently running his fingers over Luffy’s forehead. Ace jerks his head up at him, easing off on the singing, and so Sabo gestures for him to keep going. “He likes it,” Sabo whispers. “Keep going.”

As if on cue, Luffy’s face starts twisting as if he’s about to start screaming again.

Ace quickly picks back up the song, and Luffy’s small, gasping sobs ease off into quiet sniffles. Sabo keeps smoothing down Luffy’s hair, murmuring sweet nothings to keep Luffy calming down.

But, really, Sabo knows it’s been all Ace calming him down.

Finally, Luffy’s frown has turned into a smile, and he giggles reaching up and playing with Ace’s nose. Ace smiles, then, soft and gentle, and pulls Luffy just a little closer. “Hey, there, Lu, glad to have you back,” Ace murmurs.

Sabo grins, ruffling Luffy’s hair. He tilts his head up towards Ace slightly, saying, “Where’d you learn to do that? You actually sounded pretty good.”

Ace flushes, looking down at the ground. He mutters, “I overheard someone in Grey Terminal soothing a baby one day. Nothing was helping them, so the mom started singing. That helped. I thought the same thing might help here.”

“Well, you were right,” Sabo says. Luffy giggles then, and Sabo’s grin softens. “Look how happy you made him.”

Ace looks down at Luffy, a smile playing off of his face.

They stay quiet, for a moment, just playing with Luffy and rocking him until he falls back asleep.

Finally, Luffy’s eyes close and his breathing evens out, and they settle him back into his crib. They crawl back into bed, sprawling out, limbs sprawled over each other.

Ace smirks, then, staring at the ceiling. “I guess I am the greatest, huh.” Sabo shoves him, drawing a snicker from Ace.

“Don’t push it, asshole.”

-

“Do you see them?”

“No, do you?”

“Yes, and I’m staying here, so don’t you dare try to shove me out of the way.”

“Well, budge up a little, I want to be able to see them too-”

“Will you dumbasses shut up ?” Dadan snaps, and her bandits immediately stop talking, and she huffs in satisfaction, stealing the binoculars from Dogra. She definitely sees more than a few elbow wars between her bandits, but as long as they stay behind the bush and stay quiet , she doesn’t really care.

She sets her gaze back on the tree in front of her. Well, more specifically, what is on the tree. Her brats’ treehouse is on there, and she needs to make sure they didn’t fuck it up and that they won’t die. This is all- it’s just so that they stay alive. Nothing more. It’s only because she’s scared of Garp.

Only that.

Her brats have built a hell of a treehouse, Dadan has to admit. It’s sturdy, if messy, and Dadan can’t see it falling down unless some freakshow of a windstorm happens. And they’re not in the Grand Line, so it’ll be fine.

Probably.

Her bandits have finally quieted down, and she can just barely hear a wailing noise bloom into being, echoing down from the treehouse. She can tell that her bandits want to go up and soothe Luffy – even Dogra and Magra seem antsy – but she’s fine. She knows Ace and Sabo can take care of it.

(She ignores the tenseness in her shoulders and the way her legs are halfway in the standing motion.)

Soon, though, she hears muttering, and then a faint humming sound emanates from the treehouse. Everyone around her relaxes slightly, and Dadan feels something a little like awe as Luffy’s wails slowly quiet down, and they can finally hear the humming more clearly.

No, singing .

… Ace singing.

She turns slowly to face Dogra and Magra, and they both have the same shock she feels painted all over their faces. Of the two of them, Dadan never would have figured Ace would be the one to sing Luffy to sleep.

And definitely not to sound good doing so.

But, he does sound good, and it’s helping, too – all they can hear now is Ace’s singing and faint sniffles from Luffy. There’s a second voice murmuring, and it’s Sabo’s voice, but he’s not singing. He just seems to be trying to comfort Luffy, but Ace is the one doing the brunt of the work.

After a little while, there’s no sign of distress coming from the treehouse, and silence descends upon the forest. Dadan waits for a moment longer, before signaling for her bandits to start heading back. “They’re gonna be fine,” Dadan grunts, forcefully shoving a few back onto the path. “You all don’t need to be worried anymore.”

(She ignores the way her shoulders have settled and relief is settling in her chest.

And the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.)

(She is so damn proud of Ace.)

Dogra and Magra share a look in front of her, and then Dogra says, “Are you crying, Boss?”

“SHUT UP!”

She winces as the shout echoes in the forest around them, and hopes that they’re far enough away, now, that it wouldn’t have echoed that far. Magra holds out a handkerchief, and Dadan snatches it up and noisily blows her nose into it. It doesn’t take long until they arrive back at the hut, and it seems strangely quiet, without those brats under her roof.

(She’s gonna miss having them living with her, not that she’d ever say that to them.)

(Though, not having the crying will be nice, she’s got to admit.)

She collapses in bed and falls asleep, relief the last thing she feels.

It’s the most peaceful sleep she’s had in ages.

-

Life in the treehouse is better than Ace could have ever imagined.

It’s freedom like Ace has never experienced before, the weight of his father’s legacy growing lighter and lighter and more and more forgotten as time goes on. Instead, it’s replaced with the feeling of joy he gets whenever Luffy grips his shirt and babbles happily up at him; the rush he gets when Sabo grins at him, sharp and cutting, and taunts him about being ready for a fight.

It’s replaced with a sense of complete and utter home .

Ace can tell Sabo feels the same way, his joy reflected in his bright eyes and uncontrollable laughter as they sprawl across the treehouse floor, falling into sleep more peaceful than Ace has experienced in a long time.

(They pretend not to notice Dadan and the others haunting the bushes surrounding their tree, those first couple of nights.

It does warm them, though, just a little, to see that they do really care about them.)

They live like this, for a while, and days turn into weeks turn into months. They make a pirate flag, too, carving their unbreakable bond even deeper, and live, freely and without regret. They’re happy, this odd family of theirs.

One time, they chance taking Luffy into Goa, skirting the edge of High Town and stealing from a well-known restaurant (seriously, if they don’t want to be stolen from, don’t leave a cart with food outside of the building, it’s really not that hard).

(Not that keeping the cart inside would’ve stopped them, but still.)

Luffy couldn’t eat anything other than some simple food, none of the meat that Ace craves, but what they could get for him still had his mouth watering and beaming with joy at the end of it all. In the middle of it all, Sabo disappears for a little bit, mumbling something about trying to find something for Luffy, but comes back empty-handed, eyes just a little wider and skin just a little paler. Ace sends him a questioning look, but Sabo shakes his head, so Ace doesn’t push it.

They return home, collapse into a heap on the floor, and Ace can’t stop smiling.

Luffy grows, turns a year old, and everything seems to be going right, for once, for Ace.

But, then, one day, Sabo doesn’t come home.

And everything starts falling apart.

Chapter Text

The rain’s pelting down on him, he's cold, he's hungry, he’s worried, but he won’t let himself falter. Ace hunches over, wrapping his arms around himself, and continues on. Luffy wants Sabo. Ace isn’t enough, this time.

Ace has to get Sabo back. Otherwise, well-

Is he really worth being called Luffy’s big brother?

(He doesn’t think so.)

It takes him a few hours to get to the terminal – by this point, daylight’s begun peaking over the horizon, the rain’s ebbed off, and Ace can see the familiar signs of the terminal – the trees thinning out, the sun peeking through, the smell of trash-

Except-

The smell is wrong. Normally, well, it isn’t great. Normally, all Ace can smell is mildew, and sewage, and that choking, overpowering rot. Normally, he’s pulling his shirt up to cover the smell of disease and murder and sex.

But, now, all he can smell is ash.

It’s overpowering and wrong and everything Grey Terminal should not smell like, and, with fear clawing at his chest, Ace breaks out into a dead sprint. He jumps between the trees, skidding left and right, and soon-

“Fuck,” Ace breathes out, skidding to a stop. He can feel himself shaking, horror a vice on his heart, ice flooding his veins.

Everything’s- everything’s gone.

The trash, the little huts that littered the landscape, the people that are- were living there- they’re all gone. There’s nothing left but ash and a deep, deep sense of terror still clawing at Ace’s heart. Ace just stands there, for a moment, mouth gaping in shock in a way that he doesn’t typically let himself do, before his senses return to him.

Sabo.

Where’s Sabo?!

“Shit,” Ace curses audibly, breaking into a run. Sabo’s been gone for days. This fire obviously happened recently, given that there’d been no mention of it from the bandits. The heaps are still smoking and Ace would have noticed something, the last time he went out, which was a few days ago.

Sabo could have been caught in this. Sabo could’ve gotten trapped in this, he could’ve-

No, don’t think of that, Ace tells himself furiously, panic flooding through his veins as he searches for any sign of his blonde brother. He’s fine. He’s fine. He’s fine.

He has to be fine.

(Sabo, his brother, his best friend, the first and only person to know who he was born to be and didn’t judge him, didn’t hate him for it. The first to find Ace, trust Ace, love Ace despite everything.

If Sabo’s dead, Ace doesn’t know what he’ll do.)

Ace searches frantically for his brother for what feels like hours, and- nothing. There are people searching around, and when Ace sees them shoot another survivor, he ducks behind a heap of ashes, fear clawing up his throat.

He has to survive; has to find Sabo; has to get back to Luffy.

The forest – his only safe place, his home – is blocked off, so Ace retreats towards the only place that the fire could not touch.

The shore.

He creeps along the rocks and ledges and brick that are the only thing keeping him from plunging into the raging rapids, moving until he’s sure he won’t be noticed. Then, he pauses, catching his breath and chancing a glance back to make sure he wasn’t seen.

No one’s coming after him.

Good.

Ace finally allows himself to relax, slipping down on the wall and looking out onto the water. Still, though, his heart won’t settle.

(Sabo’s still missing.)

A faint commotion sounds to Ace’s right, and he frowns, glancing over in that direction. And- a small ship is leaving the harbor, and a giant ship breaks through the morning fog at the same instant. Ace leans closer, frown deepening as he stares at the small ship. Because it would normally be suicide to try to set sail as a ship that huge is coming in, and who would dare to do that, and oh.

A black flag is being flown on that ship. A black flag that Ace knows is being flown.

“Sabo?” Ace whispers, staring desperately at the blonde head he can just barely see from his perch. Ace stands, edging his way closer, fear and relief in equal measure rising inside him.

His brother’s alive. Sabo’s alive. But- he’s in danger. The ship is huge, and the wake of the waves are ginormous, and-

Boom!

The world lights up in fire. 

Ace stares in shock at the smoke rising from his brother’s ship.

Sabo’s ship just got shot at.

His brother’s ship just got shot at.

“Fuck!” Ace curses, and he’s truly sprinting now, running, and running, and running towards his best shot at being able to dive in.

He needs to save Sabo. He needs to.

He gets as close as he can to the dock, finds the calmest bit of water to dive into, and stops. Breathes in, breathes out. He’s going to save his brother. For himself, for Luffy, for Sabo himself- there is no other option. He will.

He takes in a deep breath, holds it, and dives into the water.

-

He doesn’t get there in time.

Ace is a good swimmer, he’s had to be, given how many rivers you have to cross in the forest to get to Grey Terminal, but the water’s churning violently due to the ship, and it’s cold, and panic is like ice in his veins, making it hard for him to move.

He’s not fast enough.

A second shot rings out as Ace finally gets close enough to the ship to see the smaller, seemingly insignificant ship alongside it. He breaks above water for a split second, and watches in horror as the mast of the ship collapses down.

There’s a single flash of blonde through the flames, and then nothing.

No, no, no, no, Ace thinks desperately as he fights his way towards the wreckage. No, no, nonononono, c’mon, c’mon, keep fighting, you’ve gotta keep fighting, Ace!

(Please be alive, Ace pleads internally as the ship keeps going as if it hadn’t just maybe killed one of the most important parts of Ace’s life. Please don’t leave me. Luffy needs you. I need you.

Please.)

It takes far too long to reach the wreckage. The ship’s long gone, and Sabo’s small sailboat has turned into scraps of wood floating on the sea, and he still can’t see his brother. He swims closer, looking from side to side desperately, almost choking on the brine and debris littering the water as he gasps for air.

(He’s been swimming for almost an hour. It’s been hard enough for him to stay above water, and he wasn’t even fucking shot at. There’s no way-

No.

Sabo has to be alive.

He has to be.)

Finally, finally, finally, Ace spots a flash of blonde ahead of him, and, desperation and urgency fueling him, swims faster than he ever has before to get to his brother. Relief hits Ace like a train as Sabo comes fully into view, limbs going limp for a split-second due to the sheer force of it. Ace’s brother is clinging to a lone piece of wood, eyes scrunched shut and pain twisting his expression.

But he’s alive.

Sabo cracks his eyes open just enough, and Ace almost cries at the sight of the familiar blue. “A-Ace,” Sabo manages to choke out. As soon as he says that, his fingers relax slightly and lose their grip, and, to Ace’s horror, he immediately slips off the piece of wood and disappears under the water.

“Shit- Sabo!” Ace curses, diving under to grab onto his brother. Sabo’s sinking fast, but Ace manages to get to him, but Sabo’s heavy, so heavy, and Ace almost immediately starts sinking alongside him, and- no. No, this is not how it ends.

Ace ignores the burning in his everywhere and fights back up to the surface, focusing on getting to the shore alive. It takes far, far too long – he’s sore, he’s hungry, Sabo’s heavy, but-

Ace can’t let himself give up.

(When he needs just a little more, that little extra burst of energy to make it all the way, Ace focuses on Luffy. He focuses on his wide, brown and teary eyes that looked around for Sabo those few days he wasn’t there. He focuses on the small, gasping sobs that ripped  through his chest when he realized Sabo wasn’t coming. He focuses on the memories- of Sabo holding Luffy and Luffy smiling widely.

Luffy needs Sabo, too. Ace won’t let him lose a brother this early.)

Finally, finally, they make it back to the shore, and Ace drags Sabo up onto the sand before collapsing, gasping for breath. He did it. He saved Sabo. He finally allows himself to relax back, closing his eyes and giving up fighting the darkness creeping up on the edges of his vision.

Except-

Ace forces himself to open his eyes and glance at his prone brother, laying on the ground, burns covering the entirety of his left side. He takes in the lack of movement everywhere, including his chest-

Sabo’s not breathing.

“Fuck!” Ace barely manages to choke out, dragging himself up and over to his brother.

Thank fuck Dadan had seen fit to beat CPR into Ace’s stubborn head a couple months ago, when she’d learned of Sabo’s existence. Just in case, she’d said. Ace doesn’t know what he would’ve done if he didn’t know it.

“One, two, three, four,” Ace mutters, pressing down on Sabo’s chest with hands interlocked. Thirty presses. Breathe into his mouth. Thirty. Breathe. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Ace continues for what feels like hours, frantic urgency fueling him as the minutes pass by slowly. Hope is slowly draining from him, despair setting in, desperate tears beading in Ace’s eyes, but he refuses to give up.

He refuses.

Ace keeps going, and going, and going, and then-

Sabo coughs, and this time Ace actually collapses in relief. He drags himself back up seconds later, and manages to keep his composure for the seconds it takes to roll Sabo onto his side so he can cough the water out.

Then, he tackles his brother in a hug. “Thank god, thank god, thank god,” Ace mutters into Sabo’s unburnt shoulder.

(Sabo’s alive.

Sabo’s alive.)

Sabo gasps in pain when Ace tightens his grip, and Ace guiltily withdraws, just a bit. Ace takes the opportunity to more thoroughly examine him, wincing at the burns that cover the entirety of Sabo’s left side.

“A-Ace?” The tears that have been beading up in Ace’s eyes finally spill over at the sound of his brother’s voice, and Ace clings tighter onto his shoulders, mindful of the injuries, this time. “What…” Sabo’s voice trails off, his voice nothing but confusion.

“You were fucking shot down,” Ace chokes out. The memories haunt him – of Sabo’s ship, burning; of Sabo slipping down under the water; of Sabo laying on the shore, not breathing. Ace will be having nightmares for months.

Sabo’s still limp in Ace’s grip, but Ace sighs, a relieved smile on his face even as he says, “We need to get you some actual medical care, and then you’re going to tell me what the fuck happened.” Ace then, ignoring the pain in his everywhere, stands and, as carefully as he can, lifts Sabo onto his back.

His brother gasps in pain, still, and Ace murmurs an apology before saying, gentler than he’s ever been, “Go to sleep, Sabo. I’ll get you back home.”

Sabo doesn’t say anything, but the weight on Ace’s shoulder and slow, steady, reassuring breathing by his ear tells him Sabo listened. And- Ace’s in the most pain he’s ever been in his life, but, feeling Sabo’s heart beating against his back, he knows it was all worth it.

(Both of his brothers are alive.)

(He saved him.)

-

“Ace!”

Ace lets out a breath, relief slumping his shoulders as the hut comes into view. His legs are sore beyond belief, his lungs are burning, and it’s all he can do to not drop the precious weight on his back when he sees the hut. Sabo groans when Ace lets him slip a little bit, and Ace grunts, forcing himself to hike Sabo up further. It’s not gentle, but it keeps Sabo from falling to the ground, from agitating his already-horrible injuries, so Ace will take it.

“What the hell- wait, is that Sabo?!” Dadan asks as Ace edges closer, and quickly walks over as Ace stumbles one too many times.

Dadan takes Sabo off of his back, handling his blonde brother more gently than Ace has ever seen her handle anyone before, and Ace slumps, feeling lighter and heavier all in one. Magra comes in on Ace’s left side,  wrapping an arm around Ace’s shoulders, and Ace leans against him.

“What happened?” Magra asks as he gently steers Ace towards the door.

Ace mumbles, eyelids suddenly incredibly heavy, “Found Sabo going out to sea…this asshole shot at him…”

Magra hums and doesn’t press, but Ace can see the concern in his eyes when Ace glances up at him.

When they get inside, there’s already a clean white towel spread on the floor, and Sabo’s lain across it. Magra steers Ace towards Sabo’s right side, and then disappears with a quiet, “Be right back.” Ace is too tired to track him, and instead focuses on his brother.

Dadan – who is a lot calmer with the medical supplies and Sabo than Ace would have assumed – has already bandaged Sabo’s left leg and the minor injuries coating his body. Ace barely processes that, though, staring at his brother’s face.

His left eye is completely covered with a burn worse than Ace has ever seen before. It’s completely red (Ace knows enough about burns to know that red isn’t the worst it could have been, so he’s grateful for that) and shiny.

“We need more than this,” Dadan mutters, before she raises her voice. “Hey, Dogra! Go get some more powerful stuff from Goa!”

“On it!” Dogra says, already dashing out the door.

Dadan carefully lifts Sabo’s torso off the ground, quickly wrapping bandages around after she slathers it in a white cream. “This’ll have to do for now,” she mumbles, tying it off.

A cry suddenly echoes throughout the hut, and Ace forces himself to look up, his exhaustion making his head heavy. Magra comes from Ace’s left, and Ace slumps as he sees his little brother in his arms. Luffy looks completely distraught, little, gasping sobs shaking his tiny chest, but as soon as he sees Ace, his sobs pause.

“Ah!” he says, sniffling, reaching out for Ace. He then looks around quickly, and Ace can see the very moment that he notices Sabo, because he completely lights up, sniffling forgotten and Ace ignored. “Bah! Bah! Bah!”

“Luffy,” Ace says, voice raspy, already holding his arms out. Magra places Luffy in Ace’s lap, helping Ace readjust arms that just don’t want to move properly so that he’s holding him. Luffy instantly starts squirming in Ace’s lap, reaching desperately for Sabo.

Ace wraps his arms around his little brother just a little tighter, and places his forehead on the crown of Luffy’s head. “You can’t go to him yet, Lu,” Ace murmurs. “He’s hurt.” Maybe some of the desperation Ace’s feeling had seeped into his tone, maybe his exhaustion and pure relief had shown through, he doesn’t know, but Luffy quiets in his protests, settling down in Ace’s lap.

And then, he latches onto Ace, and lets out a quiet sigh.  “Ah,” Luffy whispers, nuzzling into Ace’s chest. Ace closes his eyes, pulls Luffy closer, and fights against the tears welling up.

He finally lets his exhaustion overwhelm him, and, holding one brother and feeling the reassuring warmth of the other next to him, Ace falls into unconsciousness.

-

Ace wakes up a few hours later, seeing darkness lightening up and the rising colors of the sunrise reflecting off of the wooden planks. He tries to move his limbs, and they feel...almost stiffer than normal. He sees a flash of white, and glances down to see his limbs are wrapped in bandages, firmly covering the burns and cuts he had gained in his mad swim through debris to get to Sabo.

He must have been really out of it if he missed getting bandaged up.

Luffy still lies in his lap, head propped up on Ace’s chest and fingers gripping loosely at Ace’s shirt. Ace smiles slightly, brushing his fingers up against Luffy’s hair, brushing it away from the soft, youthful face of his baby brother.

There’s a quiet groan from beside him, and Ace jerks his head over to see Sabo shifting from side to side, face scrunched up in pain and hands clenching at the towel beneath him. Ace lifts Luffy from his lap, careful not to reawaken him, and readjusts him so that his head lays on Ace’s thigh. Luffy squirms for a moment before he settles back down, sighing and gripping at the hem of Ace’s shorts.

“No, Ace, Luffy, please…” Sabo whispers, and to Ace’s dismay, actual tears start trailing down his cheek, the sole visible eye tearing up and scrunching shut.

Ace’s hands hover uselessly over Sabo for a moment, before he tentatively reaches over and grabs a bandaged hand. “Hey,” Ace whispers haltingly. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s alright…” Sabo’s face relaxes a fraction, and Ace continues, a little more confident. “You’re home now, Sabo,” Ace whispers, and as if that were the switch, Sabo relaxes fully. His face is still scrunched up slightly, but it’s from pain, not from any nightmare Ace can’t fight.

And then, he starts twitching.

His hand squeezes Ace’s, and Ace grips it back, desperately hoping. “C’mon, Sabo, wake up,” he encourages.

And Sabo does.

His visible eye cracks open, and relief slams Ace like a bus when the clear blue meets his own eyes. “Hey, asshole,” Ace says, not able to fight (and not trying, really), the wide smile that appears on his face.

Sabo blinks a couple times, eye scrunching shut before it reopens again. “…Ace?” Sabo’s eye, unfocused, but awake, stares blearily up at him.

“Yeah.”

Sabo coughs, and Ace looks around and sees a convenient cup of water resting on the other side of Sabo. He grabs it and tilts Sabo’s head up. “Drink,” Ace commands, bringing the rim to Sabo’s lips, and Sabo does, tentative at first before he gulps down the rest.

Ace relaxes back against the wall, placing a hand on Luffy’s back as he shifts on Ace’s lap, mumbling softly. “How’re you feeling?” Ace asks, immediately regretting it – it’s obvious that Sabo feels like absolute shit.

“Like shit…” Sabo echoes Ace’s thoughts, furrowing his brows. “What…happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Ace asks, raising an eyebrow. Sabo shakes his head hesitantly. “I don’t know what happened before this, but I saw you sailing out and you got shot down by some asshole.”

Sabo’s eye closes, and he mutters, “That’s right…I left, and then…fire.” Sabo’s hands ball into fists by his sides, and Ace feels a spike of guilt go through him at the fear that twists Sabo’s face.

But he has to know.

“How’d you even end up there?” Ace asks. He knows absolutely no reason that Sabo would be sailing out from a port in High Town, where as far as Ace knows, Sabo hasn’t been except when with Ace-

Except…

Sabo’s always known a little more about High Town than most – which places to go to for food, which alleyways are the best for avoiding the guards, which guards are the most likely to notice something’s amiss while others they can just walk right past and not get caught. Little, simple things that Ace didn’t question at the time, but now-

“I haven’t been entirely truthful,” Sabo says, scrunching his eye shut. His hands open and close nervously at his side. “I wasn’t born in Grey Terminal, and my parents aren’t dead, like I led you to believe.”

Ace gives Sabo a considering look, hand absentmindedly playing with Luffy’s hair. “Then, where were you from?” Ace feels like he should know, like the answer’s right in front of him, but it’s just not clicking.

Sabo glances up at him from where he lies on the ground, then looks away, whispering, “I was born a noble.”

Ace stares at him. That’s…not what he expected. Somehow.

“I…I understand if you’re mad at me,” Sabo says hesitantly, avoiding looking at him and staring at the ceiling.

Ace snorts. “Idiot,” he tells Sabo, with no heat. “Why would I care if you’re a noble? You already know my blood is way worse than that, anyway.” Even laying on the ground, Sabo seems to sink into the floor in relief, muscles that Ace didn’t even notice were tense loosening up. “I don’t get it, though,” Ace says, frowning. “Why did you leave? I’m assuming your parents are actually here, then?”

Ace’s always wondered what having parents would be like. He hates his father, wants nothing to do with him and it’s good that he’s dead. But his mother…Ace would’ve liked to know her.

Would’ve liked to know what it’s like to be loved, unconditionally and eternally.

(He killed her, though, so she probably wouldn’t have loved him, even if she was alive.)

“Stop,” Sabo mumbles, and Ace shakes himself from his rapidly spiraling thoughts to meet Sabo’s eye. He still manages to look scolding, even as he lays prone on the floor. “I know that look, and I don’t know why you started thinking that you’re hated or worthless or whatever bullshit but you need to stop.”

Damn Sabo for knowing him so well.

Ace snorts humorlessly, and says, “Fine. Well? Why’d you leave?”

Sabo looks away from him, and Ace has a feeling he’d be worrying his lower lip if half his face wasn’t wrapped in bandages. “Yeah, my parents are alive,” Sabo admits. Ace opens his mouth to respond – why would he leave his parents? – but Sabo continues before he can say anything. “But they weren’t really parents to me.”

Sabo clenches his fists, and frustration shines in his expression. “They just…wanted me for appearances. They wanted the perfect poster-child son, the straight-A student that wouldn’t argue anything and just wanted to rise in society.”

Sabo jerks his unburnt shoulder in something that might have been a shrug. “That’s not me, so I left,” Sabo says simply.

Oh.

Ace gets it, now.

“That’s dumb,” Ace says firmly, and Sabo snorts. “You’re you. They’re not going to change that.”

Sabo gives him a rare soft smile, and Ace blushes at the sincere gratitude he can see in it. “That’s why I left,” Sabo says, and Ace snickers.

“Good thing you did,” he says. “You would’ve driven them nuts if you had stayed.”

Sabo snorts. “I already was.”

Ace and Sabo share a grin before Ace’s falls away, replaced with seriousness. “So…how’d you end up back there, then?” Ace asks.

Sabo’s grin disappears, and he clenches his fists again – in anger this time, though. “I went down to Grey Terminal for some supplies, as you know,” he begins. Ace nods, and Sabo continues. “When I was down there, Bluejam and a couple of his men found me and grabbed me.”

“Shit- Bluejam’s crew?” Ace asks, aghast. They’d done a few things to piss him off, but Ace didn’t think they’d done anything recently enough for him to come after them.

“Yeah,” Sabo sighs. “My bastard of a father was with them. He’d hired them to find me after he saw me one time in High Town, apparently.”

“Wait, you were seen in High Town?”

“Oh, yeah, I wouldn’t have told you.” Sabo shifts, wincing slightly. His blanket shifts down, and Ace absentmindedly readjusts it, blushing at the smile of gratitude Sabo gives him in return. “One time when I went to High Town, my father saw me. I guess he wanted his property back now that he knew that I was alive.”

Ace clenches his fists. “Property?” He grounds out. Sabo nods. “That’s fucking bullshit.”

“Believe me, I know,” Sabo bites out, before continuing. “Anyway, my father told me to come back home. Of course, I didn’t want to – I fought and told him I’d just keep running away.”

“Then why didn’t you come back here?” Ace cuts in.

Sabo’s face twists into a glare, burning holes into the ceiling. “…He knows about you two.”

Ace freezes.

How would he have known about them? They’ve never gone anywhere near- fuck.

“He saw us when we went to Goa together, didn’t he,” Ace groans, facepalming.

“Yup. I don’t know what he was doing down near Edge Town – he’s all about them being commoners and trash and all that bullshit – but, anyway, you were occupied with Luffy, so that’s why you didn’t notice my father. That’s when he noticed me, too, actually.”

Sabo tries sitting up, then, but winces as soon as he moves even a little bit. “You just got blown up,” Ace says dryly, pushing down lightly on his unburnt shoulder. “Don’t push it.” Sabo sighs frustratedly but doesn’t argue.

“Anyway, Father threatened you two if I left. I don’t know for sure whether he knows where we live, but I wasn’t about to risk it.”

“We would’ve been fine,” Ace argues. Sabo gives him a glare.

“I wasn’t going to risk you guys – especially Luffy! He can’t fight yet!”

They both look at Luffy, who shifts slightly at the noise before settling back down. Ace frowns. “…Fine, but still, what led to you fucking going out to sea?!”

“The fucking fire,” Sabo says angrily. Ace stares at him as he bursts out, “They burned everything – the people, too! I couldn’t stand it! I had to get out!”

Sabo takes in a deep breath, wincing at the movement in his chest, before saying more quietly. “So, I sailed out, but I didn’t know the Dragon was coming. And, well, you know the rest.”

“…Yeah.”

They sit quietly, for a moment. Ace absently rubs circles into Luffy’s back, and Sabo stares at the ceiling. “…Hey, I’m...really glad you’re alive,” Ace says awkwardly.

(He tentatively grabs at Sabo’s hand, and Sabo doesn’t comment, simply turning his hand over so their fingers can intertwine.

The warmth of it (solid, alive) is reassuring.)

Sabo lets out a huffing laugh. “Thanks for saving me,” Sabo says, side-eying him and smiling as warmly as he can with half his face covered.

Ace coughs. “Anytime,” he says, and means it.

Sabo’s just about to slip back into unconsciousness, Ace thinks, when Luffy stirs. Luffy lifts his head up slightly, and rubs at his eyes before blinking up at Ace.

Ace lifts Luffy up further onto Ace’s lap, and Luffy sinks in as if he was born to be there, resting his head on Ace’s chest.

“Hey, Lu, look,” Ace whispers to his little brother. “Sabo’s awake!”

Luffy jerks his head up towards Sabo, eyes landing on him for the first time. Sabo tilts his head to the side slightly so that he can see Luffy, and Ace feels himself soften at the pure warmth in Sabo’s eyes.

“Hey, Lu,” Sabo says. Luffy stares at him for a moment before his confused frown shifts into a massive grin.

“Bah!” Luffy exclaims, squirming in Ace’s arms, reaching out for Sabo. Ace holds onto him, worry spiking, but Sabo gives Ace a look.

“He can come here,” Sabo says firmly.

Ace hesitates for a moment, before he says, “…Alright.”

He lets Luffy crawl out of his arms, and Luffy, more self-aware than Ace would’ve thought a one-year-old baby would be, tentatively places his hands on Sabo’s uninjured side of his chest. Sabo chuckles fondly, bringing an arm up (Ace sees him trying to hide a wince, but doesn’t call him on it) and wraps it around Luffy. He pulls Luffy down so that his head is resting on Sabo’s chest, opposite his heart.

Luffy just sinks into Sabo’s chest, a small, happy sigh escaping him as Sabo rubs gentle circles into Luffy’s back. Sabo watches Luffy as he closes his eyes, his breaths evening out, their little brother falling right back into a deep sleep.

And then keeps watching, even as his eyes start fluttering shut every few seconds, clearly on the verge of falling back asleep.

“You know he won’t disappear if you take your eyes off of him,” Ace says fondly, propping his arms behind his head as he leans back. Sabo shakes his head minutely, still refusing to take his eyes off of Luffy.

“I could’ve lost this,” Sabo whispers, and Ace doesn’t think it was meant for his ears. But then, Sabo looks up at Ace, and all Ace can see is pure gratefulness. Ace sighs, and shakes his head.

He says softly, “It was the other way around, Sabo.” Sabo eyes him, and Ace continues, “We almost lost you.”

Ace doesn’t know what he would’ve done, had Sabo not survived. Sabo’s his best friend, his brother, the one who’s saved his life time and time again and who knows Ace better than anyone.

Ace could’ve lost this.

It terrifies him.

Sabo lets out a chuckle, drawing Ace out of his thoughts. “Then, I guess we’ve just gotta be grateful we didn’t,” he says.

Ace stares at him for a moment, before tilting his head back and staring at the ceiling. “Yeah,” Ace says. “Yeah, we do.”

Ace knows he is.

Ace vows, then and there, that he’ll never take this family, this home for granted ever again. He’s never, ever, going to let Luffy and Sabo go.

Even if it kills him.

Eventually, Sabo’s breathing evens out, and Ace glances over to see his brother sound asleep, visible eye closed and expression relaxed. His arm remains tight around Luffy, their little brother’s hand curled into the loose cotton of Sabo’s shirt. They both look so happy, Ace notes, feeling utterly fond.

“Hey,” Sabo mumbles tiredly, apparently not asleep, “Get over here.” Before Ace has a chance to feel confused, Sabo’s hand is wrapping around Ace’s forearm, tugging incessantly until Ace, bemused, follows.

Sabo then tugs and tugs until Ace’s laid flat, head resting on Sabo’s arm, right next to Luffy. Ace remains stiff for a moment, the contact feeling slightly foreign and worry spiking at harming his brother even more. He slowly relaxes, though, as Sabo remains silent, seeming to have fallen asleep for real. Ace tentatively lets his shoulders loosen, taking in the feel and steadiness of Sabo, beneath and around him.

Ace then turns over onto his side, curling around Luffy. He throws an arm over them both, mindful of his and Sabo’s injuries, and closes his eyes.

The steady, solid, (alive), beating of Sabo’s heart and the warmth both surrounding him and rising in him has him fall into a deeper sleep than he’s had in a long time.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Ace! There’s a letter for you and Luffy!”

Ace blinks, taking the letter from Magra. “A letter?” He mumbles, casting a glance at Luffy, still curled into his side.

Magra, looking at Sabo out of the corners of his eyes, says, “It’s from Sabo. He must have sent it before he tried to sail out.”

Ace rips the letter open, feeling warmth at the mention of brothers on the front of the letter.

Ace, Luffy, did either of you get hurt in the fire? I’m worried about you guys, but I know you’re both alright (especially if you, Ace, made sure to not take Luffy into Grey Terminal like we agreed. I know it’s likely that you never even came close, but I can’t help but worry about you two.)

Ace snorts, saying, “Yeah, I had no idea about the fire. Still don’t know much, really.”

(You’re my brothers, after all.)

Warmth rises in Ace’s chest, and he spares a quick, fond look for Sabo before moving on.

Unfortunately for you two, by the time you get this letter, I’ll already be at sea. A lot of stuff happened, and I decided to set sail before you guys. My destination is anywhere but here. I’m going to become stronger so that I can be a pirate.

“Asshole. You almost died because of this.” Flashes of Sabo almost drowning; of him slipping off that plank; of his horrible, horrible burns and how he didn’t breathe for minutes assault Ace’s brain. He forces them down.

Sabo’s fine now. He’s alive.

Pirates are freer than anyone else in this world. We brothers should all become pirates one of these days! Then we can meet again out there.

The ocean is vast and free! We’ll meet again one day!

Ace casts a glance to Sabo, looking over the bandages and scars that he has practically memorized at this point. “We almost didn’t meet again, asshole,” Ace mutters. Another wave of relief hits him – Sabo’s alive , he’s safe , Ace saved him. He continues on.

Another thing, Ace, are you the oldest brother, or am I?

“I definitely am,” Ace answers, snickering at the indignation he can imagine Sabo having.

It might be weird to have two oldest brothers and one little brother, but the bond we share is the greatest treasure I have.

Ace forces back the tears that are pricking at the backs of his eyes.

He will not cry.

He will not cry.

Luffy’s still a baby; he can’t take care of himself.

Ace snorts at the blunt statements, glancing down at Luffy and placing a hand on his head, gently stroking his hair.

So, Ace, take care of him.

Take care of our baby brother.

“Of course, I will, dumbass,” Ace says, swiping quickly at the corners of his eyes, looking at Sabo for a moment. He stares at the letter, for a moment, before tucking it away, stuffing it under his clothes.

Sabo doesn’t need to know that the letter actually got there.

Ace will keep it safe.

Ace pulls Luffy close, hugging him to his chest, and falls asleep smiling.

-

Sabo has nightmares, after.

They don’t happen all the time, but when they happen, they shake Sabo to his core. The fire burns , spreading further and further across Grey Terminal, and Sabo can’t get there, and can’t know if his brothers are safe, just like the real incident-

Except, this time, his brothers are there, and- the screams of his brothers as they burn with the Terminal, though imagined, will always haunt him.

Whenever Sabo wakes up from these nightmares, he always thinks his brothers are gone, dead. That…that he’s alone.

Those nights terrify Sabo more than any other.

He hates them.

Unfortunately, they happen far more often than he’d like to admit.

Sabo gasps awake yet again, eyes snapping open and breathing heavily. He can’t see anything, he can’t hear anything, he can’t- it’s dark, but all he can remember is fire, and smoke, and pure, undying fear, and he can’t -

A snort penetrates through the fear fogging his mind, and Sabo, still panting slightly, tilts his head towards the sound. His eyes catch and his movement’s halted by a weight on his lap, and despite himself, he relaxes slightly, his heartbeat easing from its rapid pace.

Luffy, sound asleep, lays completely sprawled over Sabo’s lap. His head rests pillowed over the least-bandaged part of Sabo’s stomach, moving up and down in time with Sabo’s heightened breathing, and Ace lies next to him, hair brushing against Sabo’s shoulder.

Some of the fear knotting in Sabo’s shoulders loosens.

He smiles slightly.

His brothers are okay; they’re safe, right here in front of him.

Still, though, he can’t shake the nightmares from his brain; Ace’s screaming and Luffy’s crying, the fire swallowing both of them up. And he can still see Ace next to him, breathing noticeably against bandaged skin; he can feel Luffy, a weight in his lap and breathing steady against him, but the echoes just won’t go away .

Sabo shudders, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes, ignoring the burst of pain from his left as he presses harder. He sees stars, and it still isn’t enough . All he can picture is fire, is burning, both imagined and remembered. Sabo sighs, letting his arms go limp and staring at the ceiling.

He groans, forcing himself to sit up against the wall. He’s careful not to jar Luffy too much – he’s a deep sleeper, sure, but Sabo still doesn’t want to disturb that look of peacefulness on his little brother’s face.

He’s obviously not getting back to sleep tonight, not with the fear that’s still knotting in Sabo’s throat and flooding through his shaking limbs.

Then, Luffy shifts in his lap, gripping tighter to Sabo’s shirt and letting out a happy little sigh, and something clenching in Sabo’s heart eases . He feels impossibly tender as he gently brushes back the hair over Luffy’s brow, tracing the creases. The fear that’s made its home in Sabo’s heart slowly fades, being replaced with a softness that Sabo never thought he’d be able obtain.

Sabo’s brothers are alive. They’re safe, right near him, nowhere near any fire.

He doesn’t need to worry.

However, before he can fully settle down and give falling back asleep another try, Ace shifts next to him, eyes blinking open and flicking towards Sabo.

“‘Bo?” Ace mumbles sleepily, eyes barely cracked open even as they stare blearily at Sabo. Sabo chuckles, and it must still sound a little too shaken, because Ace’s eyes sharpen, opening more and focusing on Sabo. 

Sabo shakes his head. “I’m fine, Ace. Go back to sleep.”

And Sabo is; his brothers are safe, and alive, and breathing, and everything’s fine. But Ace stares at him, eyes narrowed, and then something shifts in his posture and a light enters his eyes. “Dumbass,” Ace mutters, and before Sabo can say anything to defend himself, Ace shifts closer, sitting up and pressing his shoulder against his.

And then he wraps an arm around Sabo’s shoulders, tugging him down so that Sabo’s head is resting on Ace’s chest.

Sabo freezes, even as warmth rises in his chest, replacing the last stubborn remnants of fear. Ace’s heartbeat thrums reassuringly in Sabo’s ear.

(Ace is never this physically affectionate.

The arm around his shoulders feels impossibly loving, and there’s none of the possible awkwardness between them, only a surge of gratitude that leaves Sabo breathless.)

“Go back to sleep, Sabo. We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere,” says Ace, calm and steady, and Sabo can feel the tension he didn’t realize was lingering releasing from his shoulders. He relaxes fully into his brother, and wraps his own arms just a little tighter around Luffy. His little brother mumbles something that might be approval, snuggling deeper into Sabo, and Sabo smiles softly, closing his eyes.

All he can feel and hear are his brothers, and Sabo falls into a sleep more peaceful than he’s had in ages.

-

They decide to stop going to High Town.

It’s not a hard decision, in the end. Sabo knows that if he went, he’d be found out. His dad would discover him. Maybe in a few years they’ll be able to go back, once the scars have settled and the walls of Goa don’t send fear spiking through Sabo’s chest, but not now.

Plus, honestly, there’s not much they need to do there. They’d already started weaning off the visits because of Luffy, it’s not hard to stop going there entirely.

(It’s not like there’s anything there other than trash, anyway.)

Instead, they stay in the jungle. They start bringing Luffy with them when they go hunting – they’re strong enough to protect him from anything that comes after them, and he loves the adventure. Whenever the wind starts blowing, ruffling his hair, he smiles and starts giggling madly. Whenever Ace and Sabo set him down by their scoreboard, finally able to return to their traditional training clearing, and start training, he’s clapping and babbling happily. They avoid going back to Grey Terminal – the trash has already started refilling, the dump returning to the desolate state it had been.

It makes Sabo sick, thinking of the Nobles treating things like nothing happened – as if they hadn’t killed hundreds for their selfish, selfish ideals.

At first, Ace had grumbled about things being boring without pulling Dines-and-Dashes for a while – to which Sabo responded dryly that they already hadn’t been doing that much, anyway.

Ace had flushed and muttered some excuse or another. Sabo just snorted.

Anyway, Sabo’s not worried about being bored.

It’s not as if their little brother doesn’t keep them plenty busy already, after all.

-

“C’mere, Luffy!”

Ace grins as a look of intense concentration forms on his little brother’s face, his face comically serious as he attempts to stand on two chubby, wobbly legs. Sabo, behind Luffy, chuckles and steadies him as he almost falls over.

“Go on!” Sabo encourages. “Go to Ace, you can do it!”

Sabo lets go, and Ace holds out his arms, beckoning Luffy as he stares at the distance between them. “Can you come here, Luffy?” Ace asks, voice pitched high, an utterly sappy smile on his face.

(If the Ace from two years ago could see him now, he’d undoubtedly be utterly disgusted .

That Ace didn’t have a baby brother who beams whenever he sees Ace and laughs delightedly at everything Ace does, though, so his opinion is irrelevant.)

Luffy frowns, and takes one small, hesitant step forward, chubby legs shaking. “That’s it, Lu, keep going!” Ace says. 

He takes another small step forward, before stumbling back. Sabo jerks his hands forward to catch him, but Luffy falls on his butt before Sabo can do anything. Luffy just laughs, though, and stands back up, and Ace snickers as Sabo visibly relaxes.

“Shut up,” Sabo growls, though Ace can see the hints of a blush forming on his cheeks, which just causes Ace’s grin to widen. Luffy wobbles forward a few more steps, staring at the ground and determinedly moving his feet forward. Sabo loses his scowl and grins, saying, “Good job, Luffy, keep going!”

Luffy keeps edging forward, glaring into the ground and edging closer, and Ace feels pride fill him as Luffy arrives in front of him. Luffy’s still staring at the ground, and Ace snickers at his little brother not realizing that he’s made it over.

Then, Luffy looks up at Ace, a beaming smile appearing on his face as he realizes that he made it. Ace laughs, scooping his baby brother up and planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Ace says, grinning, “Good job, Luffy!”

Luffy lets out a bright giggle, babbling happily at him as Ace pulls him closer. Sabo comes over and ruffles Luffy’s hair. A happy little shriek is startled out of Luffy as he waves his arms towards Sabo. Sabo laughs and takes Luffy from Ace, who pouts slightly at Sabo as he sticks his tongue out at Ace. Luffy latches onto the brim of Sabo’s hat, pulling at it and shrieking with joy as it falls over Sabo’s face.

Ace snickers as Sabo splutters, reaching up blindly to lift his hat from his face and hold it in front of Luffy’s face. Luffy beams , grabbing onto the goggles on the front, and Ace grins and moves closer, poking Luffy in one chubby thigh. Luffy gives Ace a gummy grin at the contact, and Ace feels himself soften, playing with one of Luffy’s hands and smiling softly as Luffy immediately wraps one small hand around Ace’s.

(Luffy always reacts like this, whenever Ace holds him or talks to him or plays with him, laughing happily and just being delighted whenever he or Sabo are near.

It still shocks him, sometimes, how much Luffy loves him.)

Sabo looks up and meets his eyes, and Ace sees the same burning resolve that sits in Ace’s heart reflected in clear blue.

They are never going to let anything happen to their little brother, this precious, precious thing of kindness of theirs.

-

Ace has a bit of a…habit, you could say.

“Fuck,” says Ace, tripping over a tree root, only being met with the snickering of his two brothers.

“ Fuck ,” says Ace, when he wakes up to a spider staring him in the face, only being met with Sabo’s exasperation and Luffy’s curiosity and following devastation as Sabo kills the spider.

“ Fuck !” says Ace, hearing the loud footsteps of who can only be his grandfather climbing up the hill, only being met with the excited laughter of Luffy, unfortunate enough to not understand the terror that is Monkey D. Garp, and Sabo’s equally terrified expression.

It's a habit Ace hasn't really had to worry about - he lives with mountain bandits, they can deal. But, then-

“Fuck!” says Luffy, pointing at Ace.

Ace and Sabo freeze, staring, utterly baffled, at each other before slowly turning towards their little brother. Luffy’s still looking at Ace, smile nothing less than delighted. “Ace.” Sabo draws out Ace’s name slowly, deliberately. “Did Luffy just call you Fuck? As his first word?”

Sabo promptly doesn’t wait for an answer, shocked expression quickly morphing into a gleeful grin. All Ace has time to think is oh no, before Sabo makes his way over to Luffy, crouching down next to him.

“Luffy, who’s that?” Sabo asks, pointing at Ace.

“Fuck!” Luffy says brightly.

“Fuck?”

“Fuck!”

A beat of silence.

Then, Ace lets out a groan, burying his face in his hands, and Sabo bursts into laughter.

“Oh my god,” Sabo gasps out, and it’s all Ace can do not to launch himself at his shithead of a brother as he absolutely loses his shit, collapsing onto the ground and clutching his stomach. “Luffy, you are my favorite person,” Sabo exclaims, reaching out and crushing Luffy to his chest.

Luffy, the little shit, just smiles a sun-bright smile.

“Fuck,” Sabo says, looking at Ace with a shit-eating grin. “Fitting.”

Ace is going to kill him.

Calmer than he’s been in his life, Ace says slowly, “Luffy, can you come here?”

Luffy immediately squirms to escape Sabo’s arms, who, still laughing, easily lets him, and comes over to Ace, and Ace crouches down in front of him. Ace asks, deadpan, “Luffy, what’s my name?”

“Fuck!”

“Are you sure about that?”

Luffy tilts his head confusedly, seems to think about it a little bit, and then nods decisively. “Fuck!”

Ace nods back at his brother. “Alright.” With that, Ace pats his little brother on the head and turns towards their bed.

He then grabs a pillow, puts it behind his head, and falls face-forward onto the bed. Sabo bursts into another wave of laughter, and Ace pushes the pillow just a bit harder over his ears.

He’s just going to ignore reality for a bit.

Ace mutters, “ Fuck ,” into the mattress.

Sabo crows, “That’s your name!” and Ace swears to every god that exists he is going to kill him.

-

“Hey, Makino!”

Makino jerks her head up, eyes widening as she takes in the three boys in front of her, one propped up on his brother’s hip while the other two look at her somewhat nervously.

“Oh, boys, it’s been a wh- oh, Sabo , what happened?” Makino cuts herself off, hurrying around the counter and crouching down in front of the boys.

Sabo, whose face had been unblemished aside from the bandages – which boys being raised in the woods are apt to have – last time they came down to visit, now has a massive eye-catching scar covering the whole of the left side of Sabo’s face.

Sabo laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Ah, well, it’s kind of a long story?” Sabo says, sentence ending in a questioning lilt. Makino looks at him, eyes flicking from scar to grin to the burns she can just barely see peeking out from under his shirt collar, and purses her lips. Then, she lets her shoulders drop, sighing and placing a hand on Sabo’s and Ace’s backs.

“I have time,” she says dryly, and both her boys laugh, Luffy echoing them happily while sucking on his thumb. Makino spares a slightly strained smile for Luffy, playing with a hand briefly as he reaches out for her, before letting them settle on the stools in front of the bar.

She can’t help but keep glancing over her shoulder at Sabo, now ribbing Ace and goading him into giving Luffy to him, and taking in the changes she sees in him.

(She’d heard, one day, of a massive incident in the kingdom next door to Windmill. She’d heard that a small sailboat, barely able to carry one person, had set out as a massive, royalty-holding ship arrived at Goa. She’d heard that the small sailboat had gotten shot down, and that there were no survivors.

(She’d heard that all everyone could catch a glimpse of before they got shot down was a flash of blonde; a blue and black jolly roger.)

She’d hoped it wasn’t the case, that one of her boys had been shot down so cruelly, but as the days and weeks went on without a visit from her boys, she’d started to lose hope.

She’s glad that fear hadn’t been proven true. 

Though, given the scars on both Sabo’s face and the ones she can see peeking out from under Ace’s sleeves, it was closer than she would prefer.)

Makino shakes her head, turning firmly away from the boys.

They’re alive; Sabo’s alive. She’ll get the full story at some point, but she doesn’t need to worry about them. They’re safe. That’s all that matters.

Makino puts the finishing touches on the plates she’s made, and turns, sliding them in front of Ace and Sabo and placing a smaller bowl of baby-friendly food in front of Luffy. “Here you go, boys,” she says, smiling, and can’t keep the warmth from flooding her heart at the way Ace and Sabo set upon their food like they haven’t eaten in days, yet still are sure to feed Luffy in between their own mouthfuls.

(She smiles proudly as, when they’re done, Ace burps Luffy perfectly.

They’ve grown so much, her three boys, but Makino thinks Ace is the one she’s proudest of.)

They push their plates towards her, and Makino sets them aside for later. The boys look at her warily, clearly expecting for her to push for the full story, but she simply asks gently, “So, what have you boys been up to?”

She’s not going to push for them to relive their trauma, Makino decides as Ace and Sabo slowly perk up, an unseen weight falling off of their shoulders as they express, in their words, the insanity of Luffy. They’ve been through so much, and they’re barely ten years old. Makino laughs and grins along with them as they grow more and more exuberant, and Makino thinks she’d do anything to keep those smiles on their faces.

No, they don’t have to tell her anything. They’re alive, and here in her home. That’s all she needs.

-

“Hey, brats.”

Ace glares suspiciously as Garp walks up to their dying campfire, but instead of giving them a Fist of Love or anything like that, Garp just snorts. He plops down, sitting cross-legged and taking a swig from the bottle in his hand. “No need to give me a look like that, brat. Training’s done for the day.”

Sabo snorts softly from beside Ace, and Ace shakes his head exasperatedly. “Training. Right,” Sabo mutters under his breath, and Ace snorts.

Luffy, asleep in Ace’s lap, mumbles, “Gramps…” before falling back into deeper sleep.

Garp’s face softens, looking almost…sad, as Ace plays with Luffy’s hair. “I need to tell you two something,” Garp says quietly.

Ace and Sabo share a look before looking inquiringly at Garp. “What is it?” Sabo asks.

Garp sighs, suddenly looking ten years older, and Ace feels unease twist in his stomach. “It’s involving Luffy,” he says softly. Apprehension knots in Ace’s stomach, and he unconsciously shifts a protective hand onto Luffy.

“I’ve told you that he’s my biological grandson,” Garp starts, and Ace nods slowly, the familiar sense of inadequacy in comparison to Luffy spiking before he shoves it down.

Not the time , Ace .

“What I haven’t told you is that my son is Dragon.”

Ace cocks his head in confusion, saying, “He’s a dragon?”

“Your son is Dragon ?!” Sabo exclaims at the same time, and Ace glances over to see that Sabo looks uncharacteristically shocked, uncharacteristically panicked at the thought.

Ace looks between his brother and grandfather and snaps, “Who the hell is Dragon?”

“Dragon the Revolutionary,” Garp says, completely unhelpfully. Sabo sighs, giving Garp a look before facing Ace.

“Dragon is…okay, I’ll make it simple. Basically, there’s a group of people out there, fighting to overthrow the World Government, to bring freedom to the entire world.”

Ace gapes at Sabo in shock. “That’s possible?!” He blurts, and Garp sighs, tiredly rubbing his face with his hand.

“They sure seem to think it is,” Garp mumbles.

Sabo continues, “Dragon the Revolutionary is the leader of the entire organization.”

Ace stares at Sabo in shock, before jerking his head to the side to Garp. “You can’t…be serious,” Ace breathes, and Garp looks so, so tired as he nods to Ace.

Sabo looks down at Luffy, then, and smooths his hand over Luffy’s hair. “Dragon’s as hated as Roger is,” Sabo says softly, and Ace freezes.

As hated as Roger is.

Luffy is-

Ace looks down at Luffy, snoring softly. "Dragon's...like Roger?" he asks hesitantly.

Garp nods, running a hand agitatedly through his hair. "Yeah," he sighs. "In some ways, he's worse."

"Dragon's known as the Most Wanted Man in the World for a reason, Ace," Sabo says, shrugging. "The government hates him. He wants to take them all down. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd hate Luffy as much as they hate you, or even more."

Something visceral in Ace, something deep, deep inside, revolts against that thought. Luffy – Ace's bright, happy, ever-joyful little brother – can't be treated as Roger. He can't be-

"He should have never been born."

"He can't be hated," Ace whispers unconsciously, and Sabo sighs, shifting closer and gently pushing Luffy's hair back.

Sabo says, softly, "But he will be."

Ace turns to Garp, a resolve he's never felt before washing over him. "We'll protect him," Ace says firmly. Luffy sighs softly, burrowing deeper into Ace's lap, and Ace's heart clenches at the sheer trust emanating from his baby brother. "We'll never let him go through what I-” Ace takes in a deep, shuddering breath before letting it out slowly. Ace continues, tone hard, “We’ll never let him feel hated."

Sabo snorts. "Of course we won't," he says, and bumps his shoulder against Ace's. "He's our baby brother."

Ace nods and looks down at Luffy, asleep and unaware, and misses the utterly fond look shared between Garp and Sabo.

I’ll protect you, Ace thinks, gently brushing back Luffy’s bangs.

Ace’s little brother will only know love. Only freedom, only happiness. He’ll never feel hated.

Never.

-

Ace scuffs his feet outside Party’s Bar, staring into the door tentatively. He raises his hand, and then hesitates, Sabo’s voice echoing in his ear.

“She won’t care, Ace,” Sabo says exasperatedly. “She already knows about my heritage, and she didn’t even react, really! She won’t give a shit about things that don’t matter.”

“There’s a difference between being the Devil’s son and being a noble,” Ace mutters, glaring mulishly at the ground, arms wrapped around his legs. Sabo sighs.

A frustrated edge lacing through his tone, Sabo says, “Not to Makino, or me, or Luffy there isn’t!” Ace remains staring at the floor, arms tightening around his knees, and Sabo rolls his eyes, propping Luffy up more firmly on his hip and coming over to sit next to Ace, shoulder to shoulder.

“Hey,” he says firmly. “I’m not just saying this. She won’t care.”

Ace stays still for a moment longer, before he nods slowly. “Okay, I’ll tell her,” he mutters reluctantly, after a moment, and Sabo relaxes back against the wall.

Sabo grins. “Good.”

Ace jerks himself out of his memories, shaking his head side to side. “C’mon, Ace, it’s not that hard,” he mutters. He stares at the door for a moment longer, before forcing himself to push the door open.

Makino’s behind the bar, looking over her shoulder first, recognition sparking on her face when her eyes land on Ace. She says, “Oh, Ace!” She turns fully, leaning against the bar. “I wasn’t expecting to see you,” she tells him, smiling.

Ace mumbles, “Yeah.”

Makino glances behind him, and asks, “No Sabo and Luffy today, then?”

Ace shakes his head. “Sabo’s training Luffy a little bit, and I wanted to come down.” He bites his lip hesitantly, then, and says, “I wanted to tell you something.”

Makino’s eyebrows furrow in confusion for a moment, but it disappears as quickly as it comes. She comes around the bar, comes towards Ace, and crouches down in front of him. “I’m all ears,” she says, smiling still.

(Will he ever see that smile again after he tells her?

Maybe he just shouldn’t-

“She won’t care.”

Ace takes in a deep breath.

He wants to tell her. He needs to be strong.)

Ace glances down at the floor, and remains silent for a moment before he mutters, “I’m Gold Roger’s son.”

He doesn’t look up at Makino – he refuses to. He can’t stand the possibility that she’ll reject him, that the warmth he can see in her eyes will be replaced with coldness, with hate. He can’t stand the possibility that he’ll lose the warmest person in his life other than his brothers, the one who’s always been there, the one who’s always so nice and he can’t -

Warm arms wrap around him, and Ace freezes.

“Oh, Ace,” Makino says softly, and there’s so much warmth in her voice, so much love . Ace closes his eyes and desperately tries to fight back his tears. Makino pulls him closer, and says, “I’m so honored that you’ve come to me with this.” She rubs Ace’s back gently, and Ace has never experienced anything like this before.

All he knows is Sabo’s sharp sarcasm and unyielding faith, Gramps’ harsh fists and too tight hugs, Dadan’s rough words and casual ruffling of his hair. The closest thing he has to gentle is Luffy, snuggling closer when he’s holding him, the way he wraps his arms around Ace’s neck and places his absolute trust in him.

Ace’s never experienced Makino’s gentleness, her pure care in the way she pulls Ace closer, but doesn’t crush him. He’s never experienced the soft brushing of hair away from his forehead, the tender feel as she runs her fingers through his hair. He’s never experienced the pure warmth that her hug gives him; the way he can rest his head against his shoulder and just be and not feel judged at all, as long as he’s in her embrace.

Makino pulls back slightly, and before Ace can let the coldness seep into his skin again, she taps the bottom of his chin, prompting him to tilt his head up at her. She reassures, smiling, “I love you, Ace. Your blood doesn’t matter to me.” Ace’s breath hitches, and, before he can convince himself not to, he throws himself back into her embrace, wrapping arms tight around her torso and burying his face in her shoulder.

Warm, safe, loving arms wrap back around him, and he sobs as she whispers, “You’re Ace, and no one else. I love you – all of you, including your blood. It doesn’t matter to me.” He breaks down, then, clutching at her and begging without words for her to keep holding him, to never let go.

Her hug feels like home; feels like Sabo’s grin, and Luffy’s bright giggles, and Garp’s booming praise, and Dadan’s grumbled worries.

It feels like love, and Ace wonders how he lived without it for this long.

“Thank you,” he manages to choke out, and Makino doesn’t say anything, but Ace can feel the shape of her smile against the crown of his head. The pure warmth emanating from it almost makes him sob again.

Then, Makino presses a featherlight kiss against Ace’s forehead, and he does actually start crying again.

It takes an embarrassingly long time for Ace to manage to pull himself together, but, when he pulls back and rubs at his eyes, grimacing at the blotchiness he can feel surrounding them, all he can see when he looks at Makino is warmth .

(She loves him. She loves him.

He’s loved.

It’s-

It’s amazing.)

Makino leans back, then, and gives Ace a small, soft smile. “You know, Ace,” Makino says. “I knew your mother.”

Ace gapes up at her, shock shooting through him. “…You did?” He breathes, barely daring to believe it. Makino nods, sitting down fully and beckoning Ace over. He hesitates for a second before following her over, and she wraps an arm around his shoulder, tucking him into her side as if he’s always belonged there.

He leans in, slowly relaxing, and Makino continues, “I met her when I was very small.” She lets out a soft laugh, and looks down at him. He looks up at her curiously as she says, “I think she might have been pregnant with you, actually.” Awe sparks in him, and he looks back down, an unconscious smile making its way onto his lips.

Makino’s arm tightens around him, just a little bit, and she says softly, “You look like her.” The words send a jolt through Ace’s body, and he jerks back, staring up at Makino with wide eyes. Makino reaches her free hand over and gently brushes over Ace’s cheeks, tracing his lips with a nostalgic smile. “Your freckles are exactly like hers,” she says softly. Ace brings a shaking hand up to his cheek, the backs of his eyes burning, and Makino continues, “Your smile, too, and your laugh.”

Ace can’t help the wondrous smile creeping up onto his lips, and doesn’t fight the tears trailing down his cheeks. Makino wipes them away with an understanding smile, and whispers as she pulls him close again, “I see her in you every time I see you, Ace.”

She runs a comforting hand over the back of Ace’s head as he buries his face into Makino’s chest, saying haltingly, trying to hold back yet another round of sobs, “No one’s…ever told me I look like her before,” he chokes out.

Makino holds him close, and Ace is thankful that she doesn’t comment on the growing wet spot on her shoulder and the way his shoulders are shuddering. “When I see you, Ace,” Makino says, soft but firm, “The first person I see is you. I see Rouge-san in you as well, of course, but I don’t see your biological father at all. All I see is you .” Makino leans back, then, and Ace rubs furiously at his eyes before meeting hers. She grabs hold of his hands, wraps them in her own, and says firmly, “I love you , Ace.”

She seems to be repeating it as much as possible, and Ace can’t help the warmth and pure happiness that rises in him at the thought.

She loves him.

(He looks like his mom.

Not his not-dad.)

Makino stands, then, and holds out a hand, and Ace is feeling too warm, too emotionally drained, too happy to decline the offer. He takes it and she pulls him up gently and leads him to the bar. He hops up onto his stool, and she bustles around for a bit, before placing a plate in front of Ace.

He looks down.

It’s his favorite meal.

Ace takes a bite, and tastes salt intermingled with the bursting flavor. Ace, uncharacteristically, savors it, ignoring the tears rolling down his cheeks and taking each piece of meat, chewing it slowly, thoroughly.

He finishes it, taking more time than he ever has before.

It’s the best meal Ace’s ever had.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Luffy, guess what?”

“What?”

Ace grins, big and excited, sharing a look with Sabo before meeting Luffy’s curious gaze. “We’re going to Grey Terminal – wanna finally come with us?”

They’d been taking Luffy with them into the forest for a while now – he’s strong, he’s fast, and they’ll protect him when he tries to take on creatures that just don’t agree with him. (Seriously, why does the dumbass think that attacking the Tiger Lord is a good idea? It’s literally ten times their size.) However, Grey Terminal is full of other dangers.

(Dangers like guns, and murderers, and people that will rip other things from you, regardless of your age.

Ace and Sabo are strong, but Grey Terminal is a whole other beast they’re not willing to lose their little brother to.)

But, now, Luffy’s four years old, and he’s already got a punch stronger than any Ace and Sabo have ever seen on someone his age (Ace blames their Gramps – he’s always talked about how strong Luffy was bound to be). Luffy’s strong enough to look after himself with Ace and Sabo nearby, so they’re willing to take him with them, now.

He deserves to have the freedom being able to go anywhere offers.

Luffy gasps in excitement, beaming up at him. “You guys are finally letting me come?” He asks, bouncing where he sits.

“Yup!” Sabo pipes in, and Luffy immediately jumps up, grabbing their hands and impatiently tugging them towards the ladder. 

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” Luffy urges incessantly, and Sabo and Ace share a fond look and indulge him.

It doesn’t take long to get to Grey Terminal – the trek is familiar to Ace, to Sabo, and even with Luffy tugging them randomly, not knowing where to go, really, they make it there in record time.

Luffy gasps excitedly as the trash heap opens up in front of them, soft, well-crushed leaves fading away in favor of broken glass and hard-packed dirt. “Whoa…” he whispers in awe, head jerking from side to side as if trying to take in everything at once. Knowing Ace’s little brother, he wouldn’t be surprised in the least if that were the case.

“Why didn’t you guys take me here before?! This’s so cool!” Luffy demands, spinning on his heel to face them. 

Sabo explains, like he has hundreds of times before, “There’s dangerous people here, Lu. We had to wait until you could actually throw a punch.”

Luffy crosses his arms and glares at them. “I’ve been able to throw a punch for longer than just today,” he complains mulishly, and Ace snorts before he can help himself. 

“If by ‘throw a punch’ you mean flail your arms at us, then sure,” he says amusedly. Luffy rears up, comically angry.

“I could to throw a punch!”

“You really couldn’t.”

“My punch is like a pistol, I’ll show you!”

Ace laughs. “I’m sure.”

Luffy frowns fiercely, glaring at him. “Don’t mock me!”

“I’ve known you since you were in diapers, I’ll do whatever I want with you.”

“Alright, alright,” Sabo cuts in, giving Ace a look that’s too amused to be truly scolding. “Are you really arguing with a four-year-old, Ace?” Sabo glances towards Luffy. “And, Lu, you do realize he’s just messing with you, right?”

Luffy puffs his cheeks out, glaring at Ace, and Ace laughs. 

“Alright, let’s get moving,” Ace says, and Luffy glares at him for a moment before huffing, grabbing Sabo’s hand and pulling him away from Ace.

Sabo laughs and says, “Bye, Ace, it was nice knowing you.”

Ace just snickers and follows after them, and Luffy soon forgets about his annoyance and latches onto Ace’s hand as soon as he matches pace with them.

“So, what do you think, Lu?” Sabo asks, though really the answer is plain in the pure awe that hasn’t stopped shining on Luffy’s face since they entered the terminal (with a quick break for Ace’s teasing of Luffy, of course).

Luffy echoes what’s shining on his face, and exclaims, “It’s so cool! I want to come here every day.”

Sabo snorts, “We’ll see, Luffy.” Luffy takes that as a yes, skipping happily forward and swinging their hands excitedly back and forth. Fondness wells up in Ace’s chest, and he lets his little brother drag him forward, a small smile on his face.

They walk, for a while, Luffy pointing out excitedly left and right things that draw his attention (he pouts, though, when there’s no telescopes to be found). Ace laughs, but internally, he vows to find his little brother one.

(No, he’s not being too soft, he just doesn’t want to deal with Luffy’s whining about not being able to find a telescope, what are you talking about.)

To distract himself from his not-softness, Ace says dryly, “I would’ve thought you’d have commented on the smell by now.” Luffy takes a big sniff, considers for a moment, then grimaces.

“Yuck! It smells bad!”

Sabo snorts and shakes his head fondly. “Never too late to notice, I guess,” he mutters, and Ace snickers.

“I guess not. Anyways, guys, let’s start heading to the city-”

“Well, well, well.”

Ace cuts himself off, looking to the side and seeing a man, standing cross-armed and smirking at them. Ace instinctively glances around and subtly pushes Luffy behind him, ignoring his muffled protest. “What do we have here?” the man asks.

A group of thugs surround them, brandishing swords and knives, and they obviously think these Ace and his brothers are weak, easy prey. 

“Just walking,” Sabo says casually, but Ace can see the slow excitement rising in him, the eagerness to fight that all three of them have – though Luffy hasn’t had a chance to stoke it quite yet.

The man says blithely, “Well, this is our territory.” They step closer, as if trying to intimidate them, and it’s really hard for Ace not to laugh.

They should know better – they’re not known as the two (soon to be three) demon brats of Grey Terminal for no reason, after all.

Sucks for them if they don’t know. They will soon.

“You brats are gonna regret coming here.” The thug who must be the leader smirks, stepping forward and casually slapping his knife and hand together. “This is our turf, and you’re trespassing.”

Sabo hums fake-consideringly, and Ace laughs as he says, “You know, I really don’t think I will. Regret coming here, that is.” Sabo grins, sharp and cutting. “All I see are some weak men who think two fourteen-year-olds and a four-year-old are easy prey when, in fact, you are the prey.”

That taunt is all it takes for the men to rear up in anger, glaring bullets into Sabo. “You’re definitely going to regret saying that.”

Ace takes the opportunity for what it is, and steps forward. "This, Luffy, is how you punch someone's lights out!" Ace says cheerfully, proceeding to do just that. The thug flies backwards, bursting through the back of the trash heap behind him that he was just thrown through. 

The thugs murmur in fear.

Ace steps back, bumping shoulders casually with Sabo. "Now you try!"

The thugs laugh. Ace and Sabo share a smirk. It’s their mistake, underestimating their little brother.

Luffy giggles, says, "Okay!" and jumps up to the nearest thug. The thug looks down on him condescendingly, and Luffy grins, a sharp, cutting thing he’s learned from Sabo, and proceeds to punch him into the trash heap behind him.

The thugs stop laughing.

Sabo grins. "There you go, Luffy! Keep going!"

Luffy keeps going.

The thugs don't laugh at all, after that. They don't really do much of anything, actually.

Two minutes later, the thugs are all defeated, Luffy having taken out a good percentage of them. Ace and Sabo had simply observed, keeping an eye on the knife-wielding thugs and keeping them from stabbing Luffy in the back. 

Sabo scoops Luffy up, swinging him up onto his shoulders, and says proudly, “Good job, Luffy!” Luffy laughs brightly, clinging onto Sabo’s hair and grinning madly as they continue trekking across Grey Terminal.

Ace watches, impossibly fond. Because- he’s seen, during his escapades to High Town and other kids down in Grey Terminal, that kids typically stop wanting to be carried around when they’re Luffy’s age. They plead independence, and their parents indulge them – freedom is key, after all. 

Luffy’s not like that, though. He’s always wanting to be carried, always wanting piggy-back rides and shoulder rides and to just be held. He always wants to be near his big brothers. 

Every time Ace doubts his worth, doubts that he deserves to have brothers as good as Sabo, as Luffy, his baby brother comes up to him and demands to be carried, and, well, who is Ace to deny him that?

It makes him feel wanted, feel needed, and drags Ace out of his slumps. 

Ace really is lucky.

Sabo’s grateful, too, Ace can tell. Sometimes, Ace catches Sabo grimacing, brushing fingers against bold scar tissue, face twisted into something a little like loathing. Ace hates that look on his brother, hates that Sabo hates a part of him that’s not his fault, that is a representation of his escape to freedom, of his desire to protect the two of them.

Sabo doesn’t see it like that, though. He sees it as abandoning them- Ace hates it.

But, once again, Luffy can take one look at Sabo, demand to be held, and Sabo’s face will soften, hand falling away in order to indulge their baby brother.

Luffy’s healed them both.

They’re so, so lucky.

“Where to?” Sabo asks Ace. Ace glances up at the sun, noting they have a good few hours before they have to start making their way back to the treehouse. An idea occurs to him, and he grins. 

He says, “If we’re introducing Luffy to fighting in Grey Terminal, why not introduce him to the other thing we do while down here?” Comprehension dawns on Sabo’s face, and he tilts his head up at Luffy before mirroring Ace’s grin with one of his own. 

“Let’s do it.”

Luffy asks, tugging at Sabo’s hair, “Let’s do what?!”

“You’ll see, Lu,” Ace answers, poking at Luffy’s thigh. Luffy pouts.

“But I want to know now!” Ace snickers at the petulance in Luffy’s tone.

“Wait and see,” Sabo says teasingly, teasingly bouncing Luffy on his shoulders, and Luffy sticks his tongue out at them.

“You guys suck.”

Ace and Sabo laugh. 

Good for Luffy, it’s not much longer until they reach the gates of Goa, high, towering stone walls rising above them. Luffy looks up at them in awe as they walk through, the guard not paying them a single bit of attention. “They’re so big,” Luffy says in awe. “What’re they for?”

A frown flashes across Sabo’s face, gone as quickly as it comes, and he says, voice deliberately light, “They’re meant to keep the people of Goa in, and the people of Grey Terminal out.”

“Why?”

Ace sighs. “It’s complicated,” he answers his little brother, and Luffy gives him a look, obviously not satisfied. 

Luffy asks more incessantly, “Why would they need to keep people in or out? Shouldn’t people be able to go where they want?”

Ace and Sabo share a loaded look, and Sabo closes his eyes wearily. “They should, yeah,” Sabo whispers. He opens his eyes, and says, “But that doesn’t mean the people in charge believe that should be the case.”

“That’s stupid,” Luffy says bluntly, and that startles a laugh out of Sabo. 

He says, grinning wryly, “Yeah, it is.”

They walk silently through the city, Luffy enraptured by the buildings, run down yet still full of life, that inhabit Edge Town. Ace shifts closer to Sabo and nudges him slightly with his shoulder, raising a concerned eyebrow at him. Sabo nods, and Ace lets his shoulder relax as Sabo gives him a grin.

Sabo whispers, “Aww, were you worried about me?”

Ace punches him.

All that earns him is his brother’s snickers.

Luffy finally asks, evidently sick of just looking at the buildings, “Will you guys finally tell me where we’re going?”

“Well,” Ace begins teasingly, drawing the word out. They stop walking, and Ace snickers at the look of frustration on his little brother’s face as Ace draws out the silence. Ace finally says, “We’re here, so I suppose I can tell you.”

“We’re doing a dine-and-dash,” Sabo finally says, cutting Ace a look. Ace shrugs, grinning unrepentantly, while Luffy tilts his head in confusion. 

“What’s that?” He asks curiously.

Striding forward into the restaurant – one that actually accepts them as they are, this time – Sabo whispers mischievously, “You eat, and then you run.”

Luffy’s eyes brighten, and as they take a seat (at a table next to a window, because they’re smart and plan ahead like that), excitement for both food and a good chase floods through Ace’s veins. 

A waiter comes up to their table, looking utterly bored. “What do you want?” The waiter says bluntly, and Ace snickers at the pure apathy in his voice. He really couldn’t care less about them, could he?

Well, as long as they get food, Ace doesn’t really care. Plus, it’ll probably make their escape easier.

“Everything!” Luffy says brightly. The waiter stares.

“Everything?”

“Everything!”

The waiter stares some more, glances at Ace and Sabo, then says, “Alright.”

All three of them share an excited grin as the waiter jots it down and heads back towards the kitchen. “This is your first time having restaurant food, Luffy, isn’t it?” Sabo asks, completely unnecessarily, – it’s not like Sabo’s been here the entire time, or anything. 

Luffy beams, “Yeah!” Ace frowns, then, a thought occurring to him.

“Would Makino’s food count as restaurant food?” Ace asks, and the three fall silent for a moment, the same uncertainty coursing through them. 

Sabo eventually decides, “No – she’s basically our big sister, I don’t think it counts.” Ace and Luffy nod at that sound logic. “Plus,” he adds, “Her food’s the best – it’s way better than any food we’d get here – though the food here is still really good.” Sabo nods, point made.

Dilemma dealt with, the three brothers fall into silence, the only noises being Sabo’s annoyed grumbles when Ace kicks him “accidentally” in the shin with his innocently swinging foot. Once Luffy catches on, he starts doing the same thing, and Sabo eventually snaps. 

“Will you two stop that?!”

Ace and Luffy share a look, and then turn matching bright, completely innocent grins on their brother. “Nope!” they say cheerfully in unison, and Sabo sighs.

And then starts kicking right back at them.

Their impromptu footsie-contest quickly turns into them leaning over the table, butting heads and on the verge of tackling each other. The only thing that keeps them from doing just that is the food arriving. Luffy perks up first, nose sniffing aggressively, and then Ace smells something absolutely mouthwatering.

The three share an excited look, squabble forgotten, and stare impatiently at the now-arriving waiters.

“Your food, sirs,” the waiter says boredly, and Ace barely gives him enough time to place the plate in front of him before he sets upon it like a ravenous dog. It tastes just as good as it smells, and though it’s not the best meal Ace’s ever had – that honor belongs to Makino’s rotisserie chicken – it comes pretty damn close.

“How is the food this good in Edge Town?” Sabo moans, mouth already greasy from his burger and fries. A waste, if you’d ask Ace – he should have gone for the much more delicious bruschetta chicken first.

Ace snickers as Sabo almost chokes on his burger, throat comically extended as he forces it down. Sabo glares at him and kicks him under the table, and that leads to yet another footsie war.

That Ace wins.

He totally does.

Then, as their footsie eases up, Ace realizes that something is very, very wrong.

The table is empty. 

They turn slowly to look at their little brother, who sighs, patting his stomach and letting out a ginormous burp. “That was so good,” Luffy sighs contentedly, and Ace and Sabo share a bewildered look before turning back to their brother.

“Luffy, did you just eat that all?” Sabo asks in disbelief. 

“Yup!”

“All…eighty-three dishes.”

“Yup!”

Sabo gives Ace a despairing look – one that Ace feels down to his very bones – and says, “Why.”

Luffy frowns at Sabo, obviously not understanding the question. “It was good!”

“Just give it up,” Ace advises, patting his brother on the back. “He’s not gonna feel bad no matter what we say.” After all, this is the little shit of a little brother that they’ve been hard-pressed to get to behave in any capacity, nevertheless in one that benefits him while also screwing with them.

Luffy loves screwing with them.

Sabo’s groan as he slaps a palm to his forehead echoes that feeling.

The waiter, evidently having noticed that they’ve finished, comes up to the table. “So, here’s your bill, we take cash only-”

“We’re not paying!” Ace’s blunt little brother interrupts, and the waiter blinks in confusion. Ace rolls his eyes but grins, already tensing his lower body for escaping. 

“Pardon?”

Sabo grins cuttingly, and says, “You heard what he said.” And then, Sabo stands, kicks out at the window next to them, and proceeds to throw Luffy through it. “Pleasure doing business with you!” he calls cheekily, following Luffy through.

Ace laughs, and, throwing the stunned waiter a mocking salute – picture perfect, like Garp taught him – and jumps out the window after his brothers.

Outraged cries echo down the alleyway as they sprint back towards the walls, and Ace laughs, wild and free, grabbing Luffy’s hand and sharing an euphoric look with Sabo. Sabo’s beaming, his worries and distress from earlier nowhere to be seen, and Luffy’s laughing brightly, practically skipping as the walls come into view.

Ace’s brothers are happy, he’s happy, and they’re free.

And he wouldn’t give this up for the world.

-

Makino makes her way up the mountain, slowly but surely approaching the hut she can now just see peeking over the top of the hill. She lets out a huff of relief, a slow smile lighting her face as she watches the last of the sunset rays dance over the grass in front of her.

It’s just before dark falls completely and totally over Dawn Island, and she has a surprise for her favorite boys.

She finally crests the hill, and makes her way over to the door. Before she can do that, however, the door crashes open, and before she knows it, a small, fiercely strong body has collided with her legs.

“Makino!” Luffy says brightly, beaming up at her from where he’s still latched to her legs. Makino laughs softly, crouching down and letting him hug her properly.

“Hello, Luffy.”

Ace and Sabo come running out, and warmth fills her heart as confusion falls away and is replaced with joy. “Makino!” they both exclaim, rushing over to her and hugging either side of her. She wraps her free arm around Ace and leans her head against Sabo, and they cling to her, just for a moment.

Sabo finally pulls back, and asks curiously, “What’re you doing here?”

Makino sits back on her heels a little bit, and tells him, “I have something I want to show you boys.” She stands, holding out a hand for Luffy and giving the other two a smile. “Why don’t you take me to your favorite open spot to see the sky?”

All three of their eyes alight with interest, and excitement is all she hears in Ace’s tone as he yells a careless, “We’re going to the cliff, Dadan!”

“See if I care!” is Dadan’s response, and Makino laughs as she’s pulled along, Luffy excitedly leading her forwards. He chatters excitedly at her, telling her about the amazing day he’s had – with teasing interjections from Ace and Sabo as he tries claiming that he’s the one that took down the tiger they ate for lunch that day – and it doesn’t feel long at all until they’ve reached the cliffside.

Ace says, sweeping his arms wide, “This’s where we always come to look at the sky or the ocean!” Makino looks out, sees the horizon meeting the calm, dark waters below, and grins.

“This is perfect.”

She sits, and beckons the three closer. “Come here, boys,” Makino says. Curiosity shining on their faces, they do just that, Ace and Sabo sitting on either side of her and Luffy settling himself in her lap without so much as a yes please. She laughs and indulges him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder.

“What’d you want us to see?” Ace asks, and Makino glances up, seeing the very last remnant of the bright colors of the sunset fade out of the sky. Makino smiles.

“It should be happening any moment now.”

They wait in silence, for a while, and then, as sudden as a storm forms above the sea, one flashing, beaming light streaks across the sky. Ace, the only one to have noticed it, gasps, and the other two follow his pointing finger, up, up, up.

More shooting stars fill the sky, and the awe that shines on her boys’ faces is worth every moment of the hike up to the hut. 

“Whoa…” Luffy whispers, tilting his head back against Makino’s shoulder. Light plays across his cheeks, his beaming smile just visible in the dark of the night. “What are those?”

“They’re shooting stars,” Sabo explains without looking away. “There’re these rocks in space, rocks that move much more quickly than you can imagine, Lu, and when they come close enough to here, they brush against the atmosphere and cause the brightness you can see.”

Luffy tilts his head curiously towards Sabo. “Why’re they called shooting stars if they’re not stars, then?” He asks. Sabo opens his mouth as if to answer, pauses, closes it, and looks to Makino.

“Why do they call them shooting stars?” 

Makino laughs a little, leaning back onto her hands and looking to the sky. “There’s no scientific reason,” she confesses. Five more streak across the sky as she pauses, and she says, “But, don’t they look like stars, even just a little bit?”

The boys stare at the sky, tens more lights streaking across the sky and reflecting off of their bright, wondering faces, and Ace whispers, “Yeah, they do.”

“And that’s why,” Makino says. “Humans come up with names that make the most sense to them at the time.” Ace and Sabo accept her answer without question, while Luffy tilts his head back towards her.

“Why do people do that?” He asks, and Makino laughs and pulls him closer.

“Just because,” she says, and Luffy frowns at her a little.

“That’s not an answer!”

“Humans like things that make sense, Luffy,” Ace explains patiently, and Makino, for a moment, flashes back to when Ace had been a small, impatient child who never would have had this sort of calmness while talking to a child. Now, Ace looks at Luffy fondly, indulgently answering every one of his questions and not getting annoyed in the slightest.

Makino smiles.

Ace has grown a lot these past few years. 

(She’s proud of him.

Of all of them.)

The shooting stars continue their courses across the sky, gifting them with a flash or five every so often as the moon makes its way across the sky. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy remain enraptured, eventually laying back so they can see the sky in its entirety. Ace and Sabo lay next to each other, heads in Makino’s lap, and Luffy sprawls over them, legs tossed over Ace’s chest and head resting over Sabo’s heart.

Luffy eventually nods off, and the shooting stars slowly start ebbing off, diminishing to five to two to one per minute, before all that remain in the sky are the bright stars, speckling the sky like diamonds. Ace and Sabo remain awake, staring into the sky in awe, as if it’s all they’ll ever need in life.

(Looking at Ace, and his small, wondrous smile, Makino is suddenly, fiercely reminded of the woman she once knew – the woman who Makino will miss for the rest of her life.

Ace looks eerily like her, happy and calm.)

Luffy sighs, snuggling closer into Sabo’s chest, and their expressions instantly soften, Ace placing a hand on Luffy’s knee and Sabo pulling Luffy just a little closer. The three boys look so happy, so at peace as they look up at the stars.

A formation of stars catches her eye, and she glances up, smiling at what she sees.

“Look up, boys,” she whispers. She lifts one hand up, following designs in the deep black night sky, stars dotting the endless expanse with bright, bold color. “What do you see?” she asks.

The older brothers’ lips purse in concentration, staring daggers into the sky. “I’ve…never learned the constellations,” Ace says hesitantly, and Sabo nods in agreement. Sabo’s hands twist in his lap, though, as if he’s hiding something, but Makino doesn’t press.

Makino asks, “Who says you need to know the constellations in order to find designs in the sky?” Ace and Sabo both look up at her in confusion, and she continues, tilting her head up to look at the stars. “When I look at the stars, I don’t look for the tried and true constellations that everyone knows.”

She draws in the sky, fingers trailing from star to burning star, and continues. “See, this one right above reminds me of the sea. See how it looks like a wave cresting, and it almost looks like there’s a ship bobbing along in front of it?”

Ace and Sabo follow her hand, eyes reflecting the bright lights that dot the sky. Ace says, “I guess I can see it,” but his lips are twisted doubtfully. 

“Or,” Makino says, “How about that one, doesn’t that almost look like someone grinning?” Sabo hums slightly in what might be agreement, and then snickers.

“Hey, Ace,” he says, nudging his brother in the side. “That area looks like your hair – god knows it’s that much of a disaster.”

Makino laughs as Ace jerks his head over to look at Sabo. “Well- look-” Ace says, comically offended, and then he snaps his head back to the sky, searching desperately in the sky for a moment before pointing up triumphantly. “That area looks like your stupid hat and goggle combination!”

“Asshole!” 

Ace and Sabo spend the next few moments snapping back and forth areas in the sky they find look similar to characteristics of each other, and Makino simply leans back, smiling, and watches them.

Despite their arguing, both of them have bright, happy smiles, and Makino can see their wonder reflected in their smiles. 

After a little while, Makino coughs, drawing their attention. “Look,” she whispers, pointing to a cluster of stars right above them. “What do you see there?”

Ace and Sabo stare at it for a moment in concentration, before their eyes light up. “It looks like us,” Ace whispers, and Sabo nods in agreement. And it does, Makino agrees. There’s two, human-like figures decorating the sky, standing tall and strong side-by-side, as if challenging the world to a fight. And then, between them, there’s a face-like design that has an eerily similar smile to their little brother. The stars almost look like they part around the three, as if giving them the stage that they’ll shine on when they set out one day. 

Because she knows that her boys are going to set out to sea one day, be freer and brighter than the sun.

And she can’t wait to see it.

-

“There it is!”

Ace laughs, letting Luffy off of his back at his impatient squirming and watching as he immediately sprints towards the bar. Sabo and Ace share a fond grin as their little brother, now a little over six years old, launches through the doors.

Luffy, unsurprisingly, has loved Makino since they first met – even if he doesn’t remember meeting her, really. She’s kind, and giving, and loving, after all. It’s hard not to like her.

Luffy’s laughter fades, cutting off completely as the door shuts behind him, but Ace simply crosses his arms behind his head, grinning as he and Sabo continue walking towards the bar.

Sabo stops in his tracks, and Ace glances back in confusion before his stomach drops at the pure terror on his brother’s face. “Ace,” he whispers. “That’s a pirate ship.” Ace snaps his head towards the shore, eyes catching on the black flag rippling in the distance.

There’s a pirate ship. Pirates like alcohol. Luffy had just run into the only bar in this entire village.

Fuck.

“Luffy!” Ace curses, swiftly speeding up into a sprint. Sabo matches him, and they reach the door quickly, sharing a determined look before bursting in.

They then stop in their tracks as, of all things, Binks’ Sake meets their ears.

What must be at least thirty pairs of eyes swivel towards them, the song only remaining carried by two obviously-wasted men before it cuts off altogether.

Makino looks up from where she’s behind the bar, and greets them with her typical welcoming grin. Luffy sits perched in her arms, and Ace feels some of the tension threading through his shoulders unwind at the sight of his little brother’s carefree grin.

“Ace, Sabo, welcome,” Makino says warmly, gesturing for them to take their typical seats at the bar. Except, there’s already someone there, not in their normal seats but there, nonetheless, so Ace and Sabo are just a little more tentative as they make their way over.

“Hey, Makino-san,” Sabo says, before Ace cuts in, taking Luffy from Makino, shifting his body slightly so that Luffy’s safely behind Ace’s shoulder and Sabo’s slightly-extended arm. Ace stares at the red-head sitting at the bar.

“Who’re you?”

Sabo slaps him upside the head at his rudeness, but Ace doesn’t take his eyes away from the person he assumes is the captain. He has an easy-going grin, obviously amused by Sabo’s muttered scolding and Ace’s clear ignoring of said scolding.

“Ace.” Makino’s chiding is laughing, and her obvious ease makes Ace relax just a little bit more, finally sitting down. Sabo sits in the spot between Ace and the captain, casually leaning back against the bar. Makino slides a plate of food in front of them, which Luffy immediately sets upon from his spot on Ace’s lap. “Be nice,” she chides, but the twinkle in her eye makes it clear she doesn’t expect anything better of Ace.

Good.

This stranger, this pirate, is near Ace’s family. Like hell he’s going to let his guard down around him.

“Mah, no worries, Makino-san,” the pirate says, grinning. “I’m Shanks – Captain Shanks, actually,” he adds, grinning cockily.

“Stop acting all high and mighty, Boss!” Someone calls over.

“Yeah, don’t act lame!”

“Stop trying to act cool for the lady, it’s not gonna work!”

“Lame, Boss!”

‘Shanks’ suddenly pouts, and Ace is vividly reminded of his little brother, sitting in his lap. 

Suddenly, Ace is a lot less afraid of this mysterious ‘captain.’

Sabo leans forward, and he has that small smirk that Ace knows means trouble. “So,” Sabo asks. “What are such strong, mighty pirates like you doing at this small-time East Blue port town?”

Shanks opens his mouth, closes it, and levels a suspicious glare on Sabo. “You know,” he begins, “I was all ready to be flattered, but somehow I feel like there was an insult mixed up in there.”

Sabo smiles, wholly innocent, and Ace stifles a snicker at the way Shanks’ glare narrows on him. One of his men, sitting at a table on Shanks’ right, says mildly as he flips the newspaper, “If you don’t get that he’s insulting you, Boss, you’re a lost cause.”

“Benn, this is mutiny,” Shanks says without turning around, and Ace bursts into laughter at the deadpan look that meets Shanks’ raised middle finger.

(Ace thinks he sees Shanks jerk his head over to him out of the corner of his eye, but shrugs, brushing it off when he looks up, and all he sees is Shanks pushing his empty glass forward, asking for another drink with a charming smile.

It was probably just a trick of the light.

What would a random pirate captain like Shanks have to notice about Ace, anyway?)

“Anyway,” Shanks says, cutting a look at his still-snickering men. “We’re here on vacation, of course.”

“Of course, of course,” Sabo responds, as if it were the obvious conclusion after all. “So, are you from the Grand Line?”

“Yup!” At this confirmation, Luffy perks up, leaning as far forward in Ace’s lap as possible.

“You guys’re Grand Line Pirates?” Luffy looks utterly delighted, straining against Ace’s hold as he tries to get as close to Shanks as he possibly can. He gives Ace a grumpy scowl, which Ace really thinks is unfair given he’s, y’know, keeping Luffy from face-planting into the floor.

“Dahahaha! We sure are!”

“Cool!” 

Shanks grins, a wild, free thing that Ace recognizes. After all, it’s hard to mistake the freedom he sees shining in his little brother’s eyes every day. “You like pirates, kid?” 

“Mm!” Luffy beams, nodding quickly.

“Then,” Shanks leans forward, whispering conspiratorially, “You wanna hear some stories?”

Luffy lights up, nodding eagerly and saying, “Yeah!”

Shanks laughs and starts storytelling, gesturing wildly, and Sabo leans forward, murmuring, “I think we just lost Luffy’s hero worship.” Ace feels he should be more upset about the possibility, but the pure joy shining in his little brother’s eyes as he bounces on Ace’s knee, trembling with excitement, is really hard to feel resentful about.

Ace tunes back into the conversation, catching the very end of the story.

“…and, that’s why we’re the strongest,” Shanks stresses the word strongest, and Luffy’s eyes narrow, lips twisting into a fierce scowl as he shakes his head vehemently.

“No, you’re not.” Luffy crosses his arms, and Shanks isn’t alone in looking at Luffy quizzically. 

Sabo asks curiously, “Who is the strongest, then, Lu?”

Luffy gives Sabo a deadpan stare – or as much as one as he can make since he’s, you know, six – and says, “Ace and Sabo! You’re my big brothers, so of course you guys’re the strongest! Ace and Sabo are the best!”

Ace freezes, before warmth floods his cheeks and he coughs, trying desperately to hide his pleased smile. Sabo doesn’t even try, grinning widely and scooping Luffy from Ace’s lap and crushing him to his chest. Luffy simply laughs delightedly, hugging the arm around his chest tight.

Warmth rises in Ace’s chest, and he smiles, ruffling Luffy’s hair and meeting Sabo’s eyes.

Wonder and joy shine in them, mirroring the feelings in Ace’s heart.

Shanks smiles, then, and it’s softer than anything Ace’s seen from him yet. “Guess I can’t really argue with that, can I,” he says softly, and Luffy nods vehemently. He then raises his voice, and says, “Okay, we’re not the strongest, but do you want to hear some stories about us anyway?” Luffy nods eagerly again, and Ace finds himself leaning forward slightly.

He’s excited, too.

(He’s never heard true pirate stories before.)

Shanks regales them on his adventures for hours, talking until the fading colors of the sunset reflect off Shanks’ red locks and Luffy slides down in Sabo’s lap, sucking his thumb and eyes drooping, but still swallowed up in the story.

(Shanks’ eyes seem to linger on Ace a few too many times during his storytelling for it to be coincidence, but Ace writes it off as simple curiosity.)

When Luffy’s eyes slide shut again and don’t open for a few seconds, Ace sighs, making to stand. “Shanks, thank you,” he says sincerely. Luffy’s brighter than Ace thinks he’s ever seen him – freedom shines in his eyes and the joy radiates from his smile.

If Ace had ever doubted his little brother’s desire to be a pirate, he’d have lost it all seeing the pure longing for the ocean in his little brother’s eyes.

“We’d love to stay and keep getting stories, but unfortunately, I think Lu’s about to pass out,” Ace continues, and Luffy’s eyes shoot open.

“No, ‘m not tired.” A yawn interrupts Luffy’s mumbled protest, and Sabo laughs, standing as well and propping Luffy up on one hip.

“If you could get through a sentence without yawning, I might believe you,” Ace teases, poking his little brother in the ribs. The fact that it doesn’t startle more than a faint giggle from Luffy proves his exhaustion, and even as Luffy mumbles more complaints, Ace and Sabo turn for the door.

“Thanks for the food, Makino-san,” Sabo tosses over their shoulders, shifting Luffy so that he’s on Sabo’s back. The last thing they notice is a laugh and a wave, and a chorus of farewells from the crew as they exit.

It’s quiet, on the way back, and Ace finds himself running the day back through his head.

“Ace and Sabo! You’re my big brothers, so of course you guys’re the strongest! Ace and Sabo are the best!”

Somehow, it still surprises him, even after all these years, how much trust and faith Luffy has in them.

“You know,” Sabo murmurs, mind clearly on the same track as Ace’s. Luffy lets out a soft sigh, settling down against Sabo’s back, eyes drooping and head limp on Sabo’s shoulder. “Every time Luffy does something like this, I always think he’s reached the peak of how happy he can make us feel.”

Ace gently brushes Luffy’s hair aside, heart clenching as Luffy leans into his touch, mumbling something incoherently. “And, every time,” Ace continues, utterly fond, “We’re proven wrong.”

“We’re so lucky,” Sabo breathes, barely audible as he smiles wondrously, looking forward, but mind focused on their baby brother. 

Ace feels that same wonder in his heart, his soul, his whole being, and smiles. “Yeah,” he says, fingers carding gently through unruly black hair. 

“Yeah. We really are.”

Chapter Text

“So cool! Tell me another story!”

Luffy’s eyes are sparkling, and Ace and Sabo are leaning forward, just as invested in the story as their younger brother, and Shanks likes these kids. He’d had a feeling he’d like them once he saw Luffy, bolting in and asking him about his hat with absolutely no fear; once he saw Ace, eyes blazing, and Sabo, smile frigid, fiercely protective of their younger brother.

He likes their protectiveness, fierce in its love.

And, seeing as they interacted with Luffy, their love so plain, so obvious, Shanks knew they’d get along just fine.

There’s just one thing, though…

“Luffy, you could stand to be a little more polite,” Sabo chides, but there’s fondness in his expression, and Ace laughs, bold and bright, and Shanks swears to god he’s heard that laugh before.

That specific inflection is very familiar; the bold, guiltlessly happy laugh, uncompromisingly free in the sheer joy it emanates. Shanks has heard it before, he knows he has, but where-

Ace looks up, and meets his eyes, his own crinkling in joy as he bounces Luffy slightly in his lap. “Do you have another story in you, old man?” Ace teases, and Shanks snorts, and is just about to snap back a retort, when his eyes catch on the light grey of Ace’s.

…Oh.

He knows those eyes.

Just like he knows that laugh, and that smile.

Those eyes, just like the ones that brightened in excitement whenever a fight was imminent; that glared, terrifying in their pure, undying anger when one of the crew was injured; that softened, understanding and loving, when Shanks had nightmares and needed a shoulder to cry on.

Shanks knows those eyes, but it can’t be.

Ace can’t be the baby Shanks looked for, for months, just on the off chance that the hunts on Baterilla were based in reality, just in case Rouge was pregnant, just in case he could possibly help.

(He can’t be.)

Shanks shakes himself slightly, giving the three boys a slightly strained grin and saying, “Well, one time we went to this crazy island where…”

As Shanks waxes poetic about his journey – the islands he’s been to, the people he’s met, the fights he’s fought, he scans Ace. He keeps it subtle, glancing at him every so often and flitting his eyes away as soon as Ace seems to notice. The more he takes Ace in, the more he notices. The freckles, Shanks knows. The slight, unique crinkling of the waves in his hair, Shanks knows. The bright, purely joyful smile that adorns Ace’s face as Shanks keeps talking, Shanks knows.

(He's her spitting image.

Ace is-)

Luffy slips down further in Sabo’s lap, eyes drooping and thumb firmly in his mouth, having been transferred there a little while ago, and Ace’s smile softens. Sabo pulls Luffy closer, grinning, and Ace looks utterly fond as he grabs one small hand of Luffy’s, absentmindedly rubbing circles into the back of it as Shanks finishes his story.

That soft smile is the last sign Shanks needs.

After all, very little matches the pure kindness that was all Shanks knew from Rouge’s smiles.

(Ace is.

He’s Shanks’ Captain and Rouge’s boy.

How?)

Ace sighs, and cuts Shanks’ next story (and his rapidly-growing crisis) off, saying, “Shanks, thank you.” His smile is genuine, and Shanks manages to keep his composure enough to grin and say farewell as the three boys make their exit, smiles on all their faces.

Then, he leans forward and buries his face in his hands.

Ace is Rouge and Roger’s son – the two people who are the closest thing Shanks has-had to parents.

Ace is Shanks’ Captain’s son – the boy Shanks spent months looking for in vain, desperately searching through his undying grief and never-ending pain.

Ace lived.

Overwhelming joy washes over Shanks, and he takes in a deep breath, burying the heels of his hands in his eyes. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and he presses harder, intent on keeping the emotion inside.

“Captain?” Shanks startles slightly at the tentative hand on his shoulder, Makino’s voice concerned.

Shanks takes a shuddering breath in, then opens his eyes, turning to face her. He meets her eyes, and she asks worriedly, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he says, not as convincingly as he’d like. Benn side-eyes him, and Shanks waves him off with a subtle jerk of his head. Benn listens, but the slight narrowing of his eyes betrays that Shanks won’t get away without talking to him later.

Makino gives him a suspicious look but doesn’t press, and places a new drink in front of him. He manages a slightly more convincing smile, and she smiles back, a little shyly. Even after knowing her for a couple weeks, she’s still so shy around him.

Shanks’ smile widens into a grin, and she ducks her head, a blush staining her cheeks as she focuses on making another drink.

(She’s cute.

He likes her, too.)

Shanks leans back, throwing his drink back and letting the tension drain from his shoulders.

Shanks’ll talk to Ace the next time they come down.

He won’t stress about it.

Instead, for tonight, he’ll drink, and rejoice over the revelation that his little brother in all but blood is alive.

Shanks tilts his head back, and smiles.

(Ace is happy.)

-

Shanks is not a subtle man.

That’s something that Sabo has come to realize, over the past ten minutes.

They’d come down from the mountain early that morning – upon waking up, Luffy had talked nonstop about Shanks, about how he’s so cool, and how he has the best stories, and how they need to go visit him, now now now. 

Sabo feels cheated of his rightfully-earned hero worship.

“Ace and Sabo! You’re my big brothers, so of course you guys’re the strongest! Ace and Sabo are the best!”

…Okay, maybe he doesn’t.

But Luffy had been bouncier than normal on the way down, endlessly tugging them down the hill and excitedly chattering about what he wanted to ask Shanks about.

Ace and Sabo had simply shared amused looks and indulged him.

Now, though, Sabo has realized two things.

One, that Shanks is much less subtle than Sabo thought he was, and, two, Ace is much more oblivious than Sabo thought he was.

Ever since they’ve barged into the bar and, to Luffy’s childlike joy, reunited with the Red-Hair Pirates, Shanks has been telling two very specific types of stories.

Namely, stories about the ‘Most Badass Woman Shanks has ever known,’ and ‘The Dumbest Pirate Captain Shanks has ever met.’

It’s fairly easy to tell, given how Shanks has been acting ever since they met, that these unknown pirates are indeed Ace’s parents.

Shanks has been looking to Ace to see every little reaction he’s let slip. Ace has shown no sign of noticing his lingering stares or the happiness that lights up Shanks’ face at every joyful exclamation he makes, and, well, Sabo can deduce that Ace is indeed more oblivious than Sabo had thought possible.

(Seriously, Shanks has managed to not mention Roger by name, but he’s talked about Rayleigh multiple times, talked about mustache mishaps, again, multiple times, and mentioned someone named Rouge – an incredibly badass, (and apparently incredibly terrifying, when angry) woman – more times than Sabo can count.

It’s really not that hard to guess.)

(Part of him is worried – the knowledge of Ace’s parentage is dangerous, after all. But Sabo can tell – the happiness, the joy, the pure relief in Shanks’ eyes as he looks at Ace – that’s real. He knows what it looks like when people are faking happiness, and Shanks isn’t.

He truly cares about Ace.)

“And when these two teamed up – seriously, it was something to behold. Captain, smiling maniacally, and Rouge, blonde hair twisted up into insanely cool braids with red hibiscuses weaved throughout. Them teaming up always meant something great was going to happen.”

Sabo glances over at his brother, and for the first time since they arrived, Ace’s eyes have widened. He’s staring at Shanks in disbelief, mouth gaping slightly, and there’s a new trembling in Ace’s hands as they rest on his thighs.

Shanks gives Ace another look, soft and fond.

Yeah, Sabo knows what he needs to do now.

“I’m terribly sorry, Shanks, but Luffy and I must go somewhere for a bit.” Ace snaps his head to Sabo’s, and he looks just desperate, just scared enough that Sabo softens his grin and gives Ace a reassuring nod.

And then – because he can’t be too nice to Ace – promptly shoulder-checks him and whispers, “Don’t be a coward,” in his ear.

Ace punches him (hard, that hurts) in the shoulder and gives him a glare, but the rising tenseness in his shoulders has lessened, so Sabo counts that as a success.

(Even if his shoulder hurts like a bitch now.)

Luffy jerks his head towards Sabo, pouting fiercely, and whines, “I don’t want to go yet, though!” Sabo sighs and picks Luffy up from his stool, placing him on the floor and crouching down to Luffy’s level.

“Hey, Luffy, I saw a beetle outside, do you wanna see it?” Sabo mischievously stage-whispers in Luffy’s ear, and Luffy’s mouth snaps shut. He nods eagerly and grabs onto Sabo’s hand, tugging him outside. Sabo snickers softly at Luffy’s immediate compliance and stands, and gives a cheerful wave over his shoulder.

He gives Ace, visibly nervous, a final reassuring smile, before the bar doors swing shut behind them.

(Ace will be fine.

Sabo knows he will.

Maybe…maybe this will be Ace’s chance to find the answer that Sabo knows he’s been yearning for all of his life.)

Sabo asks, then, “You wanna go to the beach, Luffy?” Luffy gasps.

“There are ocean beetles?!”

Sabo lets out a startled laugh, then says, “Yup!” Luffy excitedly tugs him forward, and Sabo laughs, scooping his brother up and swinging him up onto his shoulders. Luffy immediately grabs onto his hair, and Sabo smiles fondly, letting the childlike happiness of his little brother warm him.

-

The bar doors swing shut behind Ace’s two brothers, and Ace swears, he is going to kill Sabo when they come back.

The bar’s quiet – Shanks’ crew doesn’t realize what’s happened, Ace can tell, but they know something’s up. Half of them are trying to look subtle as they stare at Ace and Shanks, the other half aren’t even trying to hide their attention, wide eyes staring at Shanks and Ace.

Ace turns his attention to Shanks, clenching his hands.

(He didn’t expect anyone to find out.

What if-)

Shanks runs a hand through his hair, a rueful smile on his lips as he looks at Ace. “You finally figured it out, huh?” He says, chuckling wryly. Ace nods slowly, looking cautiously at the captain. Shanks gives Ace a measured look for a moment, before he raises his voice.

“Hey, guys, go back to the ship for a bit.”

“Aw, but boss-” Shanks gives the protesters a look – a firm, commanding one that Ace hasn’t seen on his face yet – and they quickly shut up before reluctantly muttering, “Aye, Boss.” They all file out, and the first mate (Benn, Ace thinks) gives Shanks an unreadable look, patting him on the shoulder and whispering something in his ear before following everyone out.

Makino stares at the door for a second, before giving Ace a once-over. Ace looks down, and feels her eyes on him, but can’t stop the slight jiggling of his leg or the nervous twisting of his hands, matching the queasiness of his stomach.

(He knows.

Shanks knows.

Ace doesn’t-

He doesn’t know how to deal with this.)

“Ace.” Ace jumps as Makino’s soft voice breaks into his brooding, and looks up, meeting her concerned but steady ones with his own, wide ones. She continues, “Do you want me to leave?”

Ace looks down at the bar, warring with himself for a moment before slowly shaking his head. Makino’s always been kind, and she’s been there for them in a way no one else, other than his brothers, have been. And she knows about Roger, and didn’t care.

Makino-

Ace’d like Makino to be there.

Makino looks at Ace for a moment longer, before saying, “Alright.” She makes herself busy cleaning some dishes, though, and Ace is grateful for the illusion of privacy.

He slowly looks back over at Shanks, who has a look that Ace can’t quite read on his face. Ace can tell, however, that Shanks is cataloguing all of Ace’s features, eyes bouncing from freckles to eyes to nose. He’s not judgmental, though, lips twisting into something Ace can’t quite read.

“So,” Ace says, breaking the silence. He crosses his arms in an imitation of protection. “You knew my parents?”

Shanks places his glass on the bar top and turns fully to face Ace. “…Yes,” Shanks says finally. “I did.”

“How?” How did you find out? How did you know them? Did you… Do you hate them?

Shanks looks at Ace for a moment, seeming to gauge something before he sighs. “I was a cabin boy on Captain Roger’s ship,” Shanks says, and Ace fights down the instinctual anger that spikes at the sound of his bastard of a father’s name. He continues, “And Rouge-san was a frequent visitor. She was the captain of her own crew and couldn’t be around all the time, but we were all allies, at the time.” Shanks chuckles sadly, then, a wry smile on his lips as he said, “It’s funny, really. Your parents were the closest thing I had to parents.”

“Mom was a pirate?” Ace bursts out before he can stop himself, and he catches himself leaning forward eagerly. All Garp had told Ace was his mom’s name – not that she had been a pirate.

Shanks laughs, and it’s a brighter thing than Ace has heard since they came in that day. “Yeah,” Shanks says mirthfully. “And, like I’ve been saying, she’s the most badass – and consequently, most terrifying – pirate captain I’ve ever met.”

“Including your Captain?” Ace asks doubtfully.

Shanks lets out a bark of laughter. “Including? Especially the Captain! I saw her kick Captain Roger’s ass way too many times for me to be more scared of him than her.”

Ace surprises himself with his own laugh, a startled grin forming on his face. “Tell me everything!” he says eagerly, and Shanks’ expression softens minutely, looking utterly fond as he looks at Ace. Ace feels almost shy as Shanks stares at him, but thankfully, Shanks chuckles and stops staring at him.

“I’m going to assume you don’t know much about your mom,” Shanks says, pausing briefly, just long enough for Ace to nod. Shanks nods slightly in response before saying, “Then I guess I’ll start from the beginning.”

“The beginning?”

Shanks snorts, and says amusedly, “Yeah, the beginning. By which case, I mean, of course, when I tried to pick-pocket her and ended up getting adopted.”

Ace blinks.

“What?!”

Shanks laughs loudly, then says, “Well, you see, I was a little shit of a seven-year-old – much like Luffy, actually – and…”

-

Sabo and Luffy return to the bar to see Ace pounding the bar, gasping in laughter. Shanks is grinning next to him and Makino, behind the bar, is smiling exasperatedly but fondly, and Sabo thinks he can guess that the conversation went well.

“Ace!” Luffy, ever the easily-excited kid, runs up to Ace, and Ace laughs, swinging Luffy up into his lap.

Ace asks, “You find anything cool, Luffy?”

Luffy nods, smiling brightly. “We went to the beach! There weren’t any beetles, which sucks, but I found a lot of shells!” Ace ruffles Luffy’s hair.

“Sounds like fun!”

Sabo takes the seat on the other side of Ace as Shanks, and gives him a punch in the shoulder. “I’m guessing it went well?” Sabo asks, and Ace glances at Shanks, grin softening with something a little like awe, and nods.

“Yeah, it did.”

Ace is smiling, and he seems lighter somehow – Sabo can’t quite put a finger on it, but Ace just seems freer than he had looked not even an hour ago.

Talking to Shanks had done him good.

Ace then punches Sabo right back, giving him a glare that’s just a little too happy to be genuine. “I’m still gonna kick your ass for ditching me,” he mutters.

Sabo snorts. “You can try.”

“Oh, you really want to do that right now?” Ace asks, cracking his knuckles.

Sabo shrugs, giving Ace a sly smile. “I’ll win.”

“My ass you’ll win.”

Sabo ignores Ace’s rapidly rising ire (he’s way too easy to rile up, it’s so much fun), and looks back over at Shanks. “Don’t suppose you could tell us the story that had Ace over here losing his shit, could you?” he asks, and Ace cuts his tirade towards Sabo off. He and Shanks share a look and both burst back out into laughter.

“Oh yeah,” Shanks says, interrupting himself with a laugh. “I was telling him about the first time I met Rouge – I was a little shit of a seven-year-old, much like this little monkey right here, actually,” Shanks says, patting Luffy on the head. Luffy rears up, immediately ready to defend himself.

“I’m not a little shit!”

“Yes, you are,” Ace and Sabo both drone in unison, and Luffy starts pouting.

Luffy says petulantly, “You always call me that. What’s it even mean?”

Ace and Sabo share a look. “It means,” Ace says, slowly, patronizingly, “that you’re a pain in our asses.”

Luffy considers that for a moment, before going, “Oh! Okay!” He beams, and Sabo sighs as Ace snorts.

Shanks gives them a bemused look. “Luffy,” he begins slowly. “You do know that being a pain in the ass is supposed to be a bad thing, right?” Luffy grins innocently and doesn’t answer, and Sabo leans forward.

“Once Luffy learned how to talk,” Sabo begins exasperatedly, “He made it his life goal to be as annoying for us as physically possible without actively making us angry.”

Ace picks up, “He’s gotten very good at toeing the line but not going completely over.” All three of them turn to look at Luffy, now cheerfully stuffing the food Makino had slid in front of him into his mouth. Shanks lets out a burst of laughter.

“That sounds exactly like something your father would do, Ace,” he says mirthfully, wiping a tear away from his eye.

Ace’s face immediately goes blank, and Sabo straightens up. “How so?” Sabo asks warily. Shanks chuckles, evidently not picking up on the annoyance in Ace’s countenance.

“Simple,” he says, still grinning. “Captain was always aiming to be the most annoying person on the planet. I think it started as a competition between him and Rouge-san to see who could annoy Rayleigh-san the most, actually,” he adds musingly.

Sabo snorts before he can help himself, and even Ace cracks a grin. “They did, huh?” Ace asks, and Shanks lets out a bark of laughter.

“Oh, man, Ace, when I tell you your parents were the most pain-in-the-ass pair of people on the planet for a lot of people, especially Rayleigh, you don’t even know.”

Shanks then goes on to regale Ace on the pranks his parents had pulled together (and, sometimes, with Shanks and Buggy) on the crew, and Rayleigh specifically. The stories range from mild (stealing everyone’s pants) to extreme (managing to string Rayleigh up in the ropes and causing him to wake up with a pounding headache and rage to match) to downright weird (sticking some soap in every container of marmalade on the ship – a small change, but it paid off, apparently).

Ace brightens more and more as Shanks continues telling his stories, and even as Luffy nods off against Sabo’s chest, Ace remains enraptured. Shanks never seems to run out of stories (or patience). Ace seems happier now, brighter, than Sabo’s seen him in a long time.

(There’s a lot Sabo needs to thank Shanks for.

Putting that bright, utterly free smile on Ace’s face will probably be the top one.)

Ace has even stopped seeming as annoyed every time Roger is mentioned, shifting from glaring every time he makes an appearance in a story to furrowing his brows and looking mildly annoyed. That’s a huge improvement, in Sabo’s book, so he makes a mental note to add that to the list of things Sabo is thankful to Shanks over.

“And then,” Shanks bursts out, slamming his glass back onto the counter. “Buggy was a buzzkill and ratted them out, so we never did get to see what Rayleigh would look like tarred and feathered and looking like a goddamn chicken.”

Ace bursts into laughter, burying his head in the crook of his elbow and pounding the bar with his free hand. Sabo snickers, his smile lingering on his face, and he plays gently with one of Luffy’s hands as he watches Ace continue to utterly lose his shit on the counter.

Sabo comes to the sudden realization that if they ever meet Dark King Rayleigh, they are going to have so much blackmail.

He snorts at the thought, and Ace gives him a questioning look. Sabo waves him off distractedly, intently re-zoning into the story. Ace gives him a suspicious look before returning his attention to Shanks as well.

The stories keep flowing, the moon starts its steady trek across the sky, and tiredness starts weighing on Sabo’s shoulders. The rest of Shanks’ crew had made its way back into the bar at one point, and laughter and cheer, the seeming default for this crew that they’re slowly starting to love, fill the bar.

Ace yawns, echoing the exhaustion Sabo can feel seeping into him, and Sabo side-eyes him as Ace looks at Shanks, seeming almost longing in his staring at him, before he says, “Sorry, Shanks, I think I’m about to crash…”

He yawns again, and Sabo huffs out a laugh before he stands up, swinging Luffy onto his back and giving Ace a hand up. “You think?” Sabo asks, grinning, and Ace flips him off as he uses Sabo’s hand to help himself up.

“Well, we’ve gotta go back home so that we’ll actually be able to function tomorrow,” Sabo says, and turns to make his way to the door. Ace trudges along behind him.

“Boys,” Sabo glances over his shoulder at the sound of Makino’s voice, and furrows his eyebrows in confusion at the concern he sees in the set of her mouth. She says, “Why don’t you boys stay down here for the night?”

Ace and Sabo share a confused look, before Ace asks, “Why?” He trails off into a yawn, and Sabo’s starting to understand why Makino would want them to stay behind.

Makino echoes Sabo’s dawning realization and says firmly, “You two look dead on your feet, and Luffy’s already fast asleep. There are beds upstairs, and you will take one so that you don’t get attacked by a boar or something like that on your way back home.”

Sabo shrugs and walks back towards Makino, and Ace, too tired to protest, follows. Makino smiles in relief, and leads them upstairs to one of the spare bedrooms in the inn that Makino never rents out.

There’s two beds in there, and Makino mentions something about making a third for their little brother, but Ace waves her off, mumbling something about, “Sleep together anyway, doesn’t make a difference.” Sabo nods to Makino when she looks to him for confirmation, and her face softens as she realizes just why they only need one bed.

She edges out of the room, grabbing the doorknob and smiles, whispering, “Good night, boys. Sleep well.” Sabo mumbles something that might be a thank you, and collapses forward onto the bed. Luffy mumbles and shifts on Sabo’s back, but doesn’t react otherwise, snoozing just as soundly as he was in Sabo’s arms as he is now on Sabo’s back.

Ace nudges Sabo in the ribs with a knee, muttering for him to, “Move over, or I’m gonna fall on top of the both of you." Sabo snorts and knows his brother is full of shit, but moves anyway, shifting Luffy so that he’s resting towards the middle of the bed and rolling onto his back.

Ace collapses on the other side of Luffy, and in unison they both curve in, their precious baby brother in the center.

“G’night,” Ace mumbles, already pretty much asleep, and Sabo chuckles, looking fondly at him.

“Night, dork,” he whispers to deaf ears. He then lays a feather-light kiss on Luffy’s forehead, throws his legs over Ace’s, and falls into a sleep more peaceful than he’s had in ages.

Chapter Text

“Shanks!”

Shanks laughs, scooping the little monkey up as he launches himself at Shanks. Luffy smiles a sun-bright smile, almost blinding Shanks with its intensity. “Hey, Anchor,” Shanks says, grinning, propping him up on his hip. Luffy puffs out his cheeks, smile flipping upside down into a frown comically quickly.

“Don’t call me that! I’ll be able to swim soon, just watch me!”

“Oh, really?” Shanks asks, ending the sentence in a bored lilt, and Luffy responds the intended way, eyebrows narrowing and he opens his mouth, raring to yell at Shanks again, before a deadpan voice cuts in.

“Luffy, you do realize he’s just trying to mess with you, right?”

Shanks snorts, glancing at the door. “Just had to rat me out, didn’t you?” He asks, lips twitching.

Sabo snorts, crossing the room and plopping down on the seat on the other side of an empty stool, where Shanks finally settles Luffy. Ace follows after his brother, smirking. “I really don’t think it’ll make a difference with Luffy,” he says dryly, glancing at Luffy out of the corner of his eyes. Luffy still looks just as annoyed, arms crossed firmly and glaring at Shanks.

“I’m not an anchor!” Luffy exclaims, arms flinging out in an annoyed gesture. Shanks snorts, leaning back against the bar.

“Keep telling yourself that, kiddo.”

“And don’t call me kiddo! I’m seven! I’m not a baby anymore!”

“Keep telling yourself that, kiddo,” Shanks repeats, tone even. Luffy rears up angrily, but as he’s about to yell, Shanks catches motion out of the corner of his eye, then says, sly grin tugging at his lips, “Here, have some juice!”

Luffy’s frown immediately falls away, sun-bright grin returning. “Thanks!” He says, and promptly chugs the whole thing in two seconds flat.

The whole room bursts into laughter, Shanks laughing most of all as he pounds his hand against the bar top. “See?! You are a little kid!”

Luffy gapes at him, then spouts, “That’s a dirty trick! You asshole, Shanks!”

Shanks can’t speak around his laughter, barely able to gasp out, “You’re a little kid!” before losing his shit again.

(Shanks barely hears a muttered, “I’m starting to think Luffy’s not the only little kid here right now,” from Sabo, and Shanks just cheerfully flips him off.)

Luffy huffs, turning back towards the counter (and accepting another glass of juice, Shanks notes gleefully). He glares mulishly at the ground, and Shanks is suddenly, vividly, reminded of Buggy being incredibly pissed off that Shanks “made” him eat that devil fruit.

It wasn’t his fault; Buggy’s just a grumpy asshole.

Shanks turns away from the kiddos, laughing at the thought, and waves Makino over for another drink. She gives him a smile, blush tinging her cheeks, and Shanks grins back, accepting his drink with a wink. He’s just about to keep flirting with her when the doors to the bar crash open.

“Make way for the Scrouge of the Mountains!”

Shanks spins around in his seat, leveling an unimpressed stare on the intruders. Really, it’s just rude of them to break in like this. Makino keeps this bar nice; people should respect that and be courteous to her.

The first thing Shanks registers is that the beard that the lead intruder is sporting is the ugliest thing Shanks has ever seen.

The second thing is that he’s carrying a sword, and doesn’t look like he’s used one in all of his life.

“Heh, heh, so you all call yourselves pirates, eh? First time I’ve seen pirates. You look like a sorry lot to me.”

Shanks barely overhears Ace whisper to Sabo, “Your face is what looks ‘sorry’ to me.”

He can barely stop himself from snickering alongside Sabo.

(Luffy’s completely occupied with something in his hands.)

“We’re Mountain Bandits,” the ‘bandit’ says cockily. “Don’t wet yourselves, we’re not here to bust up the place. Just sell us ten barrels of grog, and we’ll injure only to the bare minimum.”

The amused grins that had spread on Ace and Sabo’s faces fade away, replaced with stony anger.

They won’t have to handle anything, though, Shanks will make sure of that.

Makino says, voice steady even as sweat trails down her temple, “I’m sorry, we just ran out of liquor.”

“And before you ask,” Sabo cuts in, voice cold, “Everyone’s drinking the last of it.”

Shanks leans back casually, giving Sabo a warning look so that he stays out of it. “Yeah, sorry about that,” Shanks says breezily. “I guess we drank it all up. Here.” Shanks holds out a nice, unemptied bottle of liquor. “It’s still unopened.”

Shanks knows he’s not going to take it.

Sure enough, the bandit breaks the bottle, shattering its content and class all over Shanks’ face and clothes.

Shanks can only hope he managed to protect the brothers from the worst of the glass and alcohol.

He jerks a hand towards the older brothers, waving them down as they both make to stand up, righteous fury on their faces. Ace huffs as he sits back down, glaring at the bandit, but Sabo gives Shanks a considering stare, before realization flashes across his face and he leans back, much more relaxed than his brother.

Shanks grins a little bit- There’s one brother who understands what he’s doing. Now for the other two.

The bandit growls, “Who do you take me for? You can’t make a fool out of me!”

Yes, Shanks thinks. I definitely can.

“What good is one bottle of grog?!”

Shanks ignores the asshole, looking at the ground at the mess. “Oh, what a mess.”

The bandit, obviously annoyed at Shanks for ignoring him, brings out a wanted poster.

A wanted poster that says, ‘Wanted for 8.000.000 Beli.’

It is suddenly very hard for Shanks not to burst out laughing.

“My head’s worth 8.000.000 Beli. I’m a wanted man.”

Shanks resists the urge to say, “So am I,” but manages, because he is an adult.

“I’ve killed 56 people, mostly fools like you!”

“Wow, so impressive, a whole 56 people,” Sabo mutters, and Shanks has to force himself not to snicker along with Ace.

“Watch yourself – If you’re fond of breathing, I’d recommend sailing away from here so I never have to see your sorry faces again.”

Shanks ignores him once again, saying, “Sorry about this mess, Makino. Give me a rag and I’ll clean it up.”

“Oh, um…don’t worry about it.” Makino sounds completely overwhelmed, and Shanks feels bad, that Makino’s being put in a situation like this when she’s so unused to it. She’s staying admirably calm, though, which impresses Shanks.

Shanks sees a flash of movement and knows what the bandit’s going to do a split-second before he does, and quickly ducks down.

The bottles come crashing down. Immediately after, Ace tenses up, looking like he’s about to surge up and punch the bandit’s lights out. Honestly, Shanks wouldn’t really mind that.

Shanks sees Sabo grab Ace’s arm out of the corner of his eye, though, muttering something in his ear. Ace’s head snaps towards Shanks, and Shanks just gives him a smile before returning to cleaning the floor. Ace relaxes, but there’s an unhappy scowl on his face.

In Shanks’ peripherals, though, he sees Luffy growing angrier and angrier.

“So, you like to clean, huh?!” The bandit spats, harrumphing and sheathing his sword once again. “This ought to keep you busy for a while, then.”

The bandit throws a final, “Farewell, cowards,” over his shoulder, and Shanks remains on the ground, drenched.

Makino comes around, concerned, and Shanks waves her worries off. “I’m fine, Makino-san. No harm done.”

There’s silence for a moment.

And then, the bar bursts into laughter.

“He sure got you good, Boss!” Lucky crows, and Shanks lets out a guffaw of his own.

And then-

“You guys think that’s funny?!”

The bar falls silent, all eyes turning to the heavily-breathing seven-year-old standing up in front of them. Luffy glares fiercely at Shanks, fists balled by his sides.

“He made you look weak! Shanks, I thought from all the stories you told us you were stronger than that! You shouldn’t have been scared of them!”

Ace is looking at him also, gaze questioning, while Sabo is simply observing.

Shanks gives Luffy a considering look, before leaning forward and placing his hat firmly back onto his head. “Maybe when you grow up a little more, you’ll understand, kid. He just got some grog on me. Needless fighting doesn’t make you strong, you know.”

Luffy turns away in a huff, throwing over his shoulder, “Well, you’re a coward! And Ace, Sabo, you guys should have fought back, too!” Luffy starts stalking away, then, and Shanks reaches out to grab him even as Ace surges up to do the same.

“Hey, where’re you going, Luffy?” Ace calls, before Shanks could.

“To find a better- huh?” The bar falls even more quiet than it had been.

Luffy’s arm stretches out behind him, hand still clasped in Shanks’ own.

Shanks frantically searches around him for the chest, and curses upon seeing it empty. Lucky, way ahead of him, asks frantically, “Luffy, did you eat this fruit?!”

“Yeah. It was gross.”

Shanks groans, facepalming. “Luffy, that was a devil fruit. You’ll never be able to swim again and be made of rubber for all your life!”

Ace, who’s surged up and crouched down in front of Luffy and Shanks, stares at Shanks for a moment. Turns his stare onto Luffy. Back to Shanks. Back to Luffy. “Luffy,” Ace begins, sounding way too calm. “Did you really just accidentally eat a devil fruit?”

Luffy’s seeming to go into shock. He stares down at his hands for a moment, before looking back to Shanks. “I DID WHAT?!” Luffy yells finally, and Shanks finally snaps.

“YOU IDIOT!”

Ace sighs, grabbing one hand of Luffy’s experimentally tugging at fingers and bending them back. “Well, you sure are rubber,” Ace says dryly. He then swings Luffy onto his back, who remains quiet, still processing. He gives Shanks an apologetic look. “We’re gonna take him back home so that he can process,” Ace sighs, and Sabo snorts, giving Shanks a dry look.

“He’ll be fine. It’s his fault, anyway.”

They give Shanks their goodnights, with Ace giving Shanks one more considering look before heading out the door, and Shanks falls back against the bar. “Well, that just happened,” Shanks mutters, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Benn snorts, giving Shanks a look. “You know it’s your fault for leaving it out, right?” He asks dryly, and Shanks sighs, waving it off.

“Yeah, yeah.”

That sends another chorus of snickers through Shanks’ crew, and Shanks tunes them out, thinking about how things might change because of Luffy’s new devil fruit, and the events of this afternoon in general.

Shanks is sure things will be interesting, to say the least.

He can’t wait to see it.

-

The walk back to the treehouse is quiet.

Ace hikes Luffy a little further up his back as he slides down, the new, rubbery texture of his skin weird to feel. Even the motion of picking Luffy up and adjusting him feels different – like there’s more give to Luffy when he’s swung up. Which makes sense, but it’s still weird.

This will take some getting used to.

“We’re going to have to be more careful when he’s near water, now,” Sabo murmurs, and Ace pauses for a moment before continuing on, nodding.

Ace has known about the dangers of devil fruits for a long time, but having it this close to home makes it feel more real, somehow.

They’ll be careful. They’ll never let anything happen to their little brother.

Luffy shifts slightly on Ace’s back, not as asleep as Ace had thought, apparently. “I don’t actually think you guys are cowards,” Luffy mutters sleepily, gripping onto Ace just a little tighter. Ace snorts.

“We know, Lu. You were just having a little kid moment.”

Sabo snickers, and Luffy continues, a whiny tinge making its way in, “I still don’t get why Shanks didn’t fight back, though. He was humiliated!”

Ruffling Luffy’s hair and ignoring the hand that comes up to bat it away, Sabo says, “You’ll understand later, Luffy.” Ace nods and agrees, but- if Ace is being honest, he’s not quite sure, either.

What does Shanks gain by not attacking the bastard back?

All Ace knows is that it would have been really satisfying to see that dude get his lights punched out.)

Ace snorts, then, pushing those thoughts aside. “Seriously, though, those guys looked like whimps.”

“Aren’t they the guys that Dadan always complains about because they’re so weak that they always come to Dadan’s family for help during the winter?” Sabo snickers, and Ace pauses-

-and then bursts out laughing.

“Yeah, they are.”

All three of them continue laughing and trading jokes about the bandits throughout the walk back home, and soon, all the bitterness and confusion has faded from Luffy’s face, and Ace counts that as a victory.

Ace’s sure Luffy will be mulling on it for a while (much like Ace will be), but he’s not worried.

They finally make it to the treehouse, and Ace plops Luffy down, leaning back against the wall. Luffy instantly curls up next to Ace, pillowing his head on Ace’s thigh, and falls asleep, just like that.

Ace leans back against the wall, crossing his arms behind his head. “I really wonder what Shanks was doing, there,” Ace says, and Sabo gives him a quizzical look.

“You didn’t get it?”

Ace frowns at Sabo. “You did?” Sabo really hadn’t been helpful, just stopping Ace from attacking and muttering something about a lesson.

Ace didn’t get it, and still doesn’t.

Sabo sighs, leaning back and casting a look at Luffy. “It was a lesson,” Sabo repeats quietly, “About how some fights just aren’t worth fighting. I mean, we could’ve kicked the guy’s ass, even Luffy could have.”

Ace’s frown deepens, that thought mulling around in his head. For Ace, all fights have been ones that he’s gone into and won. The concept of getting completely humiliated, and not fighting back, is-

“Ah,” Ace says in understanding. “The bandit was trying to draw a reaction from Shanks. By not giving in, Shanks was the actual winner of that ‘fight.’”

Sabo says, “Yeah, pretty much. He’s basically saying to only fight the important fights. I’m not sure we’ll get a fight that Shanks considers ‘important’ here, though.” Ace snorts, because, yeah, Shanks is way too strong for that.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to wait until we set sail and get to meet Shanks again,” Ace says, and Sabo nods, laying down next to Ace. Ace slides down fully until he’s laid flat on his back.

“G’night,” Sabo mutters, already suddenly half-asleep, and Ace snorts, letting his own eyes close and the tiredness overtake him.

“G’night, Sabo.”

-

“You think Luffy will like it?”

Ace snorts, side-eyeing his blonde brother as they walk back from High Town towards Windmill. “It’s a bronze statue,” Ace says, deadpan. “Gee, I wonder if our little brother – who never once has shut up about wanting a bronze statue – will like the – oh, you’ll never guess – bronze statue you got him!”

Sabo gives him a sullen glare, and Ace snickers as Sabo responds mulishly, “Well, when you put it that way, I look like a dumbass.”

“‘Cause you are!”

Sabo punches Ace hard in the shoulder, and Ace jerks to the side exaggeratedly, laughing full out at Sabo’s grumpy expression.

“Hey, I’m sure he’ll love it, but will it beat mine? I don’t think so,” Ace says cockily, tossing his own gift for Luffy in his hand.

Like their little brother has every year, this year he’s asked for a telescope, and Ace finally has been able to find a decent one – in Grey Terminal, too, surprisingly enough. Sabo’d had to go into High Town to get his gift, the poor guy (Ace had gone with him, though, because solidarity and all that).

(Part of Ace still fears that Sabo’s not-dad will realize that Sabo’s still alive, even though Sabo looks nothing like he did all those years ago, and try to steal him away again.

Ace will never let that happen.

Never again.)

“Well, we’ll see,” is all Sabo says, and Ace smirks and accepts his victory for what it is.

Sabo elbows him in the gut, and just like that, they’re back where they started, bickering and punching each other.

They arrive at the village, and the utter silence that blankets over it causes unease to swirl in Ace’s stomach. “This isn’t normal,” Sabo says quietly, abandoning their impromptu elbowing-war and glancing from side to side. Normally, Ace would tease his brother about stating the obvious, but this time, he just nods, looking intently for any sign of anything that’s normal.

This silence is not a good omen, and nervousness knots Ace’s stomach as they walk on.

They start hearing mumbled crowd noises the further into the village they get, and Ace catches a glimpse of someone near the dock. He nudges Sabo in the side, muttering, “Over here,” and walks towards the beach without anything else. Sabo huffs but keeps pace with him easily enough, and it’s an uncomfortable quiet that falls between them as their walk slowly shifts to a run as more and more sounds carry over to them.

(Ace thinks he hears a scream.

That’s not a good sign, in any situation.)

They finally make it to the dock, and Ace’s stomach drops at what he sees.

Luffy’s being held by Shanks, clutching at Shanks’ shirt, and- they’re both drenched in blood, and- fuck.

Ace and Sabo share a horrified look before they cry out in unison.

“Luffy!”

-

Ace gets to their little brother first, dropping to his knees and meeting Luffy as Shanks puts him down. Sabo barely spares a glance for Shanks, instead dropping next to his two brothers as Luffy launches himself into Ace’s arms, sobbing his eyes out.

“I was so scared- but then Shanks- ‘nd I almost- but Shanks-”

Ace palms the back of Luffy’s head, petting his hair almost desperately, and murmurs, “Hey, hey, shh, shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you, we’ve got you, it’s okay.”

Sabo gently rubs Luffy’s back, murmuring comforting nothings into his little brother’s ear as he continues to sob. Ace and Sabo share a distraught look over Luffy’s head, both thinking the same thing.

What happened? How could we let this happen while not being around?

Luffy sniffles, then, his sobbing calming down, and Sabo murmurs, “Hey, Lu, you okay now? What happened?”

 “Shanks-” Luffy’s breath hitches, and he leans back slightly from Ace, rubbing furiously at his eyes. Sabo just now re-notices the blood Luffy is drenched in, and realizes that none of that blood is Luffy’s.

Luffy’s just fine, so the blood must have come from-

Sabo’s blood runs cold.

“Shanks’ arm!” Luffy wails, another sob ripping itself from his chest. He buries his head in Ace’s chest yet again, Sabo and Ace share a horrified look before slowly looking over up at their little brother’s hero.

Shanks is being attended to by everyone else, the doctor crouched in front of him and looking as calm as ever as he ties a tourniquet around Shanks’ arm.

Or rather, his lack of one.

“Shanks…” Ace breathes, eyes wide, and Sabo snaps his head towards Shanks’ face. It’s twisted into a pained grimace, and Sabo can see his hand clutching tightly at Makino’s. The part of Sabo that isn’t completely horrified is musing about how it’s not broken yet.

Shanks cracks an eye open, and manages a weak chuckle. “Hey, kiddos.” He coughs, cursing as there’s a particularily rough tug of string from the stitches the Doc is just now putting in.

Sabo says blankly, “Shanks…what…”

Makino and Shanks share a look, and Makino looks torn for a moment before she sighs, letting go of Shanks’ hand with a final squeeze and tender look, before she comes over and crouches in front of them. “The bandits from the other day came back today,” Makino starts, speaking more gently and calmly than Sabo and Ace, both sixteen and not children anymore, have experienced in a long time.

“The bandits? What could they have…” Ace asks, trailing off, and Makino sighs, all of a sudden looking older and wearier than Sabo thinks he’s ever seen her.

She says softly, “They came back while the Captain and everyone else was gone. Luffy was with me, as you both know, and, well…” Makino bites her lip before closing her eyes. “Luffy picked a fight with them, and they took offense to that.”

Sabo snaps his gaze towards his little brother – who’s now dozing, though not peacefully. Sabo can see the faint lines of distress cutting into Luffy’s forehead; the way his body’s just a little too tense. Ace runs a hand down Luffy’s spine, and asks shakily, “What happened after?”

“Luffy got beat up,” Makino says, looking guiltier by the second. “He couldn’t fight back – his devil fruit really didn’t help, in that manner, he doesn’t have enough control over it – and he was about to be…killed…when the Captain and his crew arrived back here.”

Sabo runs a hand over Luffy’s arm and clutches at his hand (warm, safe, alive) and Makino continues, as if it physically pains her, “The bandit was determined to get the final word, and he knew that Shanks’ crew was stronger. So he used a smoke bomb, took Luffy, and sailed out on a small raft.”

It’s an automatic instinct to jerk his hand to his left eye, phantom pains shooting through his scars. Ace side-eyes him, and prompts Makino to continue with a jerk of his head. Makino sighs, and, gentle, says, “Shanks swam out to get him, and a sea king burst out right before Shanks got there. It was too close.”

Sabo and Ace slowly turn to stare at each other, the same horrified shock making its home in Sabo’s gut reflected in Ace’s gaping mouth. Then, they look down at their little brother, and Ace pulls him closer, murmuring things that might be pleas or thanks or all of the above into his hair. Sabo spares a look of gratitude for Makino before he wraps his arms around his brothers, resting his head on the crown of Luffy’s head.

“Thank god,” Ace whispers, and Sabo nods, tightening his grasp. Ace’s breath is shuddering as he pulls away from Luffy slightly, brushing away his bangs from his face with trembling fingers, Sabo catches Ace’s hand in his, and, deliberate, twines their fingers together and places them over Luffy’s heart.

The strong, steady heartbeat causes the last of the tension to fade out of Ace’s shoulders, and Ace closes his eyes, resting his forehead on Luffy’s head.

Makino’s returned to Shanks’ side, and Shanks, who seems to have gone through the worst of the process, is leaning against her, looking completely worn out. The pain seems to have lessened, though, his face no longer as tense and brows less furrowed, and Sabo lets some more of his own tension release from his shoulders as Shanks cracks his eyes open and meets Sabo’s.

Sabo nudges Ace in the side, and, seeping in gratitude and unshed tears, Sabo says, “Thank you, Shanks.”

Ace nods vehemently, and Shanks lets out a pain-filled chuckle, waving the hand caught in Makino’s dismissively at them (and regretting it seconds later, if the wince that flashes across his face is any indication). “It’s just an arm – I’ve got two of those, you know, losing one isn’t a huge deal,” Shanks says, attempting at brightness but not quite reaching it.

Shaking his head, Sabo leans forward as much as he can without removing Ace and Luffy from his grip. “No, Shanks,” Sabo says, more serious and more grateful than he’s ever been in his life. “Thank you. Thank you for saving our little brother.”

Ace echoes, sounding as close to tears as Sabo feels, “Thank you.” Shanks gives them a considering look, and then a lazy grin spreads across his face.

“You’re welcome, kiddos,” Shanks says. And even though Sabo’s sure Shanks is in the most pain he’s ever been in his life, even though he’s missing an arm, which is a huge loss, Sabo also knows Shanks doesn’t regret anything.

He gave up his arm for their little brother, and he would do it again in a heartbeat.

Sabo gives Shanks one last strained grin, before exhaustion crashes over him with all the strength of a tsunami, his limbs going limp and eyelids heavy. A glance at Ace betrays that he’s feeling the same way. Sabo takes one last, long look at Luffy, grips at the back of Ace’s shirt with one hand and one of Luffy’s hands with the other, and lets himself succumb to the darkness.

The last thing he hears is his brothers’ breathing, steady and constant, as reassuring as anything Sabo can imagine.

-

“You’re really leaving today, huh?”

Shanks gives Ace a wry smile, thankfully no pain tightening his lips. It’s been a week since Shanks lost his arm, and Ace still catches Shanks making to grab or do something with his forcefully-amputated arm and stumble because of it. He always lands on his feet, but guilt still churns in Ace’s gut whenever he sees it.

He’s also thankful and filled with gratitude, though, and still the thought that he could’ve lost his little brother – one of the two things that makes Ace’s life worth living – haunts him. He hopes Shanks knows just how much he saved Ace, as well as he saved Luffy.

“Yeah,” Shanks says lightly, throwing one final item into a box before shutting it with a firm snap. Most of the Red Hairs’ stuff had stayed on their ship, but a surprising amount of stuff had made its way onto Dawn Island during their stay there. It’s gonna be weird, Ace thinks, to not see Shanks’ cloak draped over a chair in Party’s; not to see Benn’s ashtray on the bar or Lucky’s ever-present stash of snacks tucked away in the corner.

Ace is gonna miss them.

“Luffy’s gonna miss you a lot,” Ace attempts to say lightly instead of what he’s thinking, but the way he looks off to the side a bit from Shanks’ eyes must betray what he’s really feeling. The knowing glance Shanks shoots him confirms that entirely.

He surprisingly doesn’t call Ace on it, though, laughing softly. “I’m gonna miss Anchor too. We all will.”

Something softens in his eyes, then, and Ace furrows his brows as Shanks reaches into his bag and pulls out a box. It’s worn, but looks well-taken care of, and Shanks holds it like it’s something precious. “Here,” he murmurs, pushing the box towards Ace. “This is for you.”

Ace takes it, resisting the urge to shake it against his ear, and slides open the top.

In the box is an ornate knife, obviously well-used but just as obviously loved. It’s silver all around with gold engravings, and the hilt when Ace lifts it out fits his hand perfectly. Ace looks up at Shanks inquiringly. “Why’re you giving me a knife?” Ace asks. He’s always been one to fight hand-to-hand, only using a knife when he needs an advantage, which is almost never.

Shanks looks at the knife fondly, before he places a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “This was your mother’s,” He tells Ace. Ace snaps his vision back town to the knife, and his eyes burn as Shanks continues, “She gave it to me a year or so before Captain died- she must’ve known that it’d be the last time I saw her.”

Ace swallows back the knot lodged in his throat. “You…” He takes a shuddering breath in before continuing. “Are you sure you want to give this to me?”

Shanks shakes his head, smiling warmly. “It’s yours.” Something softens in his eyes, and he continues quieter, “It belongs to you, anyway. She’d want you to have it.”

Ace stares at the knife for a moment longer, then places it carefully back in the box. He hugs the box closer to himself and whispers, “Thank you, Shanks.”

“No need to thank me, kid.” Shanks brings Ace into a hug, still just as warm and secure as before he lost his arm, and says, “She’d be so proud of you, Ace.”

Closing his eyes, Ace leans into the hug and forces back his tears. Dammit, maybe he will cry after all. “I hope so,” he responds quietly.

“I know so.”

Ace doesn’t respond, but the way his arms tighten speak volumes.

Eventually, Ace leans back. Shanks doesn’t comment on the way he wipes at his eyes. “We should get back out there,” Ace redirects, and he has to fight back a blush at the completely fond look Shanks sends him.

“Alright.”

-

Shanks has only ever cried once while leaving someone behind while setting sail, but this might just become the second time.

As soon as he and Ace exit the ship, Luffy launches himself into Shanks’ arms and burrows his face into Shanks’ neck. Luffy’s arms wind multiple times around him and god damn Shanks is going to miss him. Even Sabo looks emotional even as he smiles while watching them, and Shanks resolves to give him a hug too before he leaves.

It’s going to be weird not being around these three kids.

Still, he doesn’t show his emotion- he’ll see them again, after all. No need to be sad about saying a farewell. Instead, he chuckles and says lightly, “You’re acting like I’m gonna die, Anchor.”

Luffy just buries his face in Shanks’ neck and mutters, “Shut up.” Shanks just smiles and rubs the kid’s back.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Shanks reassures cheerily. “It’s not like it’s goodbye!”

Luffy leans back and rubs at his eyes and grumbles, “Stupid Shanks. I know that.” Shanks laughs and puts his little Anchor down. He catches Benn’s eye from the deck of the ship and knows they really do have to get going soon, but he has something to do first.

He shouts up to the deck, “Hey, throw it down!” All three brothers send him a confused look, but Shanks doesn’t answer them and catches the package thrown down to him. Immediately, he tosses it to Sabo, who, startled, catches it.

“That’s for you.” Shanks grins as Sabo furrows his brows and opens it. His immediate delighted grin and laugh at the seastone pipe that awaits him makes all the travel and haggling that they’d had to do to get it worth it.

Sabo swings the pipe around, spinning it around his wrist like he was born to do it, and laughs excitedly. “Thanks, Shanks!” He chirps, before immediately whacking Ace in the arm with it. Ace spins around, offended.

“Hey! What was that for?!”

Sabo shrugs. “Because I felt like it,” he says cheekily.

“Asshole,” Ace scowls, but instead of launching himself at Sabo like Shanks half expected him to, he just crosses his arms. Shanks takes the opportunity, though, and looks down at Luffy. The kid’s standing in front of him, still, looking down at the ground.

Before Shanks can get too worried, though, Luffy looks up at Shanks and shouts, “I’m definitely gonna be a better pirate than you someday, Shanks!” He doesn’t even look like he was ever upset, fiery and passionate, and Shanks can’t help but laugh.

He teases, “You’ll never be a big pirate, Lu, you’re too little.” Luffy meets Shanks’ stuck-out tongue with one of his own.

Glaring, he shouts, “I will!” Luffy stands up straighter, and something about him causes Shanks to narrow his attention just a little further on Anchor; causes him to let his teasing grin fall away and regard him seriously.

Luffy continues, “One day I’ll have a ship and crew better than yours! And we’ll find the biggest treasure in the world!”

And then: “I’M GONNA BE THE KING OF THE PIRATES!”

Shanks regards him consideringly for a moment, before he chuckles softly and more than a little bit fondly. “King of the Pirates, huh?” he mutters, pulling off his hat and staring down at it. It’s served him well over the years.

He’s always just been a regent to the crown, though. It’s his time to pass it on.

Bending over, Shanks places the hat onto Luffy’s head. He hears a hitch in the little one’s already-wavering breathing, and it’s no surprise that Luffy starts sobbing again when he says, “Go ahead and keep this safe for me until then, okay?”

Shanks gives him a moment to collect himself, for once not teasing him about crying, and brings Ace and Sabo into one final hug. “I’m proud of you two, okay?” he says, leaning back and clapping them on the shoulders. He grins at them and ignores the way they both swipe at their eyes.

He glances at Luffy, who’s being held by a laughing Makino, out of the corner of his eyes, and murmurs quietly, “He’s gonna be great.”

Ace and Sabo share an overwhelmingly proud look, and Sabo states, “We know.”

“Boss!” Shanks shoots a look over his shoulder towards his ship, and sighs when he sees Lucky waving at him, clearly indicating it’s time to go. He ruffles the boys’ hair one final time, laughing at their complaints. He taps the brim of- Luffy’s hat, now- upwards and gives him a grin, saying, “See you at the summit, alright, Luffy?”

Then, he boards his ship, and gives the order to set sail. The last thing he hears is three boys’ cheers, and he smiles.

(“You’d have liked this kid, Captain,” Shanks murmurs a while later, giving the island, now a speck in the distance, one last long look before turning away.

He can’t wait to see what the future brings.)

Chapter Text

“What’re we gonna do about Luffy?”

Ace rips his eyes from where Luffy’s crouched, playing with a beetle in the grass right by the riverbed, tilting his head inquiringly at his brother. Sabo, eyes firmly on their little brother, frowns consideringly. “We’re slated to leave in a couple months,” he says softly.

Ace frowns slightly, shifting his eyes back to his baby brother.

He hadn’t thought about that.

Luffy’s only six years old. He’s already pretty strong – Ace and Sabo had made sure of that – but there’s a difference between being able to kick a tiger’s ass and being able to survive in the forest on his own and being able to take care of himself.

Well, he’d have Dadan, but she’s definitely an all-on-your-own-unless-you’re-literally-dying type. No, Luffy wouldn’t have her except for very specific circumstances, though Ace’d still trust her with their lives.

“We could wait to leave, I suppose,” Sabo interrupts his thoughts. The distaste on Sabo’s face at the very thought makes it very clear what he thinks of that particular idea. Ace doesn’t blame him. More lingers from their childhood than Sabo’s lingering aversion to small sailboats and normal top-hats, after all.

Ace shakes his head, “No, we’re going to leave at seventeen.” That does still leave the question, though – what will they do with Luffy?

“Could we…bring him with us?” Sabo asks hesitantly.

Ace opens his mouth to say, No, of course not, are you stupid? before pausing.

Luffy looks up from the shore, and beams at them, brim of his hat slipping down as he laughs happily and waves, before returning to poking the beetle around. The thought of leaving Luffy behind, their precious, ball-of-sunshine little brother whose biggest fear has always been being alone – Ace’s not sure he could stomach that.

Ace says, slowly, “Maybe we could?”

“Luffy’s strong – we’ve made sure of that,” Sabo says consideringly. “He’s fast, and he listens to us-” Ace snorts, and Sabo corrects exasperatedly, “Okay, listens to us most of the time.”

Ace sobers up, though, eyeing his little brother thoughtfully. He adds, “Plus, then, he wouldn’t be left at the mercy of Gramps for ten more years,”

Sabo shudders. “Okay, yeah, no, we’re definitely taking him,” he says firmly, and Ace nods vehemently.

No one should be left alone with Gramps for that long.

Luffy laughs brightly, and Ace feels his frown shift into a soft smile. Sabo echoes it next to him, leaning back.

“He’ll be fine,” Ace says. He’s not sure who he’s trying to reassure, really, but Sabo nods beside him.

“We’ll protect him,” he responds firmly. Ace agrees. They’ve never let their little brother get (too) hurt.

No, they’ll protect him. Just like they always have.

-

The scariest day of Ace’s life happens about a week before they plan to depart for good from Dawn.

It happens like this:

Ace and Sabo are taking Luffy on one of their routine trips to Grey Terminal – the thugs there have known better than to attack Ace and Sabo for ages, and they’ve been extending that courtesy to Luffy as well, which is smart of them. It’s been a while since they’ve had to be afraid of bringing their brother out with them.

They’re confidently picking their way across the terrain when Ace bumps shoulders accidentally with a passerby. Ace, being the polite, understanding soul he is, apologizes with a sheepish smile.

And promptly pick-pockets the man in payback. Seriously- if someone’s gonna be stupid enough to give Ace the opportunity, who’s he to turn it down?

Unfortunately, for the first time in ages, Ace gets caught.

“Hey, asshole, give that back!”

Ace spins around, tilting his head slightly in a way he’s learned from his brother, and says innocently, “Give what back?”

The man growls, edging closer to Ace while his friends start to circle around the three of them. “My wallet. I know you have it. Give it back.”

Ace pretends to consider it, humming and pulling the wallet out of his pocket. He throws it up and catches it a couple of times, before giving the thug a cocky grin. “How about…no,” he says cheekily.

The man gives Ace a burning glare, and then says, “You’re going to regret that,” and his men roar before charging in.

Sabo, beside Ace, sighs, and Luffy lets out an excited laugh as he launches himself at some poor, unsuspecting souls who have no idea just how strong their baby brother is. “Do you always have to pick these sorts of fights, Ace?” Sabo says exasperatedly, easily knocking a thug aside with a swipe of his pipe to the head. Ace laughs, easily punching another aside.

“Hey, it’s fun! And it’s good training for Luffy, too!”

Sabo sighs but doesn’t argue, and Ace glances over just in time to see Luffy jump up, a vicious grin on his face as he slugs one of the thugs in the face.

A proud smile is forming on Ace’s face, and then Luffy attempts to punch someone a few yards away, and his feet slip out from under him as his absolutely pathetic Gum-Gum Pistol goes way wide.

Ace sighs.

“Luffy, no devil fruit for now! We’ll train it when we get back home!”

Luffy pouts, spinning to face Ace, and opens his mouth to argue. Ace just snorts at the way his hat falls over his eyes, but then-

Bang.

Luffy gasps, voice choking off.

His hat flies off.

Ace jerks his head up to look behind Luffy’s head just in time to see a thug grinning viciously while holding a smoking gun in his hand.

“Gotcha,” he declares, casually stowing it away.

Ace snaps his head back to Luffy, horror clawing at his chest.

Luffy falls forward, limply faceplanting into the ground, and Ace just catches a glimpse of a bullet hole in the back of Luffy’s shirt before all-encompassing rage overwhelms him.

He leaps over Luffy, punching the absolute bastard that shot his brother harder than he’s punched anyone in his life, before he turns back towards Luffy.

Sabo’s already taken down the rest of the thugs, and is knelt down next to Luffy. The terror sinking a vice into Ace’s heart is mirrored on Sabo’s face as he tugs down Luffy’s shirt, ripping it easily to get at the bullet hole. “C’mon, Lu,” Sabo murmurs, hands shaking as he finally tosses the remnants away. Ace furiously swipes at his eyes, sprinting over.

If this bastard killed their brother, then-

Ace would make him regret it for the rest of his life.

(But- then- Ace doesn’t know what he’ll do for the rest of his.)

Ace drops down onto his knees on Luffy’s other side, hands automatically moving to put pressure on his back, before he and Sabo both freeze in confusion.

There’s no blood, and only a massive bruise is forming on Luffy’s back.

As if on cue, Luffy coughs, lets out a drawn-out groan of pain, and Ace almost collapses in relief, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Ow,” Luffy winces, bringing a hand to his back.

Ace quickly scoops their brother up, bringing him close. “Thank god,” he murmurs into Luffy’s hair, and Luffy makes a confused sound as Ace pulls him closer.

Sabo lets out a noise of understanding, and Ace tilts his head up slightly to see Sabo looking thoughtfully at their younger brother. “He’s rubber,” Sabo says slowly. Despite his supposedly calm visage – Ace can see through his blonde brother, can see his lingering fear in the way Sabo’s clutching at Luffy’s hand – Sabo’s voice is shaking slightly. “Bullets must not be able to pierce him.”

He addresses Luffy, then, voice softening. “How’s it feel, Lu?”

Ace reluctantly loosens his grip and lets Luffy slip down into his lap, and Luffy reaches a hand back again to prod around the bruise rapidly forming. “It hurts a lot,” Luffy bites his lip, visibly trying to hold in his whimpers of pain. “But it’s not too bad.”

Sabo lets out a breath. “Okay,” he says, taking one long look as if to reassure himself that Luffy’s still alive. “Okay. Let’s get out of here. We can take a closer look at it when we get back home.” Ace nods, and after a moment of deliberation, swings Luffy onto his back. Sabo scoops up Luffy’s hat and ruffles his hair before placing it back onto his hair.

This startles a laugh out of his little brother, and he says, giggling, “Ace, I’m not five anymore, you can put me down.”

“Hey, I thought you were dead for a bit, let me do this,” Ace mumbles, tightening his grip on Luffy’s legs. Luffy giggles again, not seeming to understand that Ace’s being serious, and rests his head against Ace’s shoulder.

(Seeing Luffy fall, gun smoking behind him, was the most terrifying experience of Ace’s life. The thought of losing Luffy- no, he can’t even imagine.

Luffy’s the best of Ace, of Sabo, of the world. Ace couldn’t live without him.

He won’t live without him.)

But, then, Luffy wraps his free arm around Ace, and lets one arm stretch so as to keep his hand wrapped in Sabo’s, and plasters himself as close to Ace as possible. His breathing is right by Ace’s ear, impossible to ignore as they silently hike back up to their home.

It’s reassuring.

(Maybe his little brother does understand, after all.)

-

The next few days are full of activity – it’s only five days until they plan to depart Dawn, and it’s only just now occurred to them just how much they need to survive on the high seas. Embarrassingly, it had taken a scolding from Makino for them to truly grasp the reality of the situation.

They’re setting sail. They need so much to survive- and Sabo isn’t planning on chancing anything when it comes to their little brother’s safety. Or Ace’s, of course, but he’s not seven, so. (Even if he acts like it sometimes.)

Sabo and Ace start taking turns going into High Town more, buying food and clothes and everything they can imagine they’ll need out there. Luffy’s bitter about not going, but- Sabo’s scars still burn sometimes. He’s not bringing his brother anywhere near that hellhole.

Two days before they leave, Ace and Sabo both go into High Town, leaving their brother alone for the first time in ages. Neither of them want to do it, but- they have almost everything, but it’s better to have both of them to double-check. And that turns out to be a good idea, because somehow they hadn’t bought a fucking compass before that trip, which would have been…bad, to say the least. They laugh about it, but still- stupid. Purely stupid.

It’s- weird, thinking they’re going to be leaving in 48 hours. But they’re all really excited, and Sabo falls asleep easily, eager for the last day before their departure.

-

Ace groggily comes to awareness, and the first thing he notices being that it’s still dark outside, and that he really shouldn’t be awake.

The second thing he notices is a faint scuffling sound from next to him, betraying a small pair of feet shuffling against the ground next to him.

Yawning, Ace instinctively shoots an arm out and snags his wayward little brother, tucking him between his and Sabo’s chests. “Isn’t it a little early to try sneak-attacking us?” Ace whispers teasingly, fingers moving to tickle their mischievous little brother, but pausing as Luffy doesn’t react.

Normally, when this happens, Luffy tries to sneak up on them, fails, Ace or Sabo bring him down and start to tickle him, and they’re met with their baby brother’s giggled protests and bright laughter.

Normal isn’t Luffy burrowing into Ace’s side, burying his face under Ace’s chin, small hands twisting into Ace’s shirt. Ace frowns, rubbing his little brother’s back comfortingly.

“Hey, Lu, what’s up?” Luffy just burrows further into Ace’s side at his words, and Ace shares a concerned look with a newly-awake Sabo. Sabo runs a hand over Luffy’s soft locks, gently smoothing them down.

“Luffy,” Sabo tries again softly. “What’s wrong?”

Their baby brother lets out a shuddering breath, blinking back tears, and Ace gently runs his fingers up and down his spine.

“I woke up and thought Ace and Sabo weren’t here,” Luffy mumbles into Ace’s chest. Ace and Sabo share a guilty look, remembering their return back after their trip to High Town earlier that day.

It had taken longer than they had thought it would, though, taking well into the night before they returned to where they’d left Luffy at Dadan’s hut. Luffy hadn’t seemed distraught when they had come back, only overjoyed to see them again.

It seems even their horrible-at-lying baby brother can hide things, sometimes.

“I thought you’d left again,” Luffy whispers brokenly, and Ace feels his heart break a little.

He sighs, guilt churning in his gut and running a hand over Luffy’s back, and says gently, “I’m sorry we had to leave you yesterday, Lu.” 

“We’re right here,” Sabo soothes, scooting closer and wedging an arm under Luffy so that he’s half-hugging him. “We’re never going to leave you. Sometimes we might have to leave you for a bit, but we’ll always come back.”

Ace says, soft but firm, “You’ll never be alone.”

Luffy peaks up at them through teary eyelashes, then, and Ace’s heart clenches at the way Luffy’s small hands clutch at his shirt, tears beading in those deep, brown eyes. “Promise?” His voice sounds small, in a way it so rarely has before, and Ace has never hated himself more, for making his baby brother this scared.

Ace wraps both his arms around Luffy, holding him close, and whispers, “Promise.” Sabo’s whispered agreement matches the tenderness of his stroking Luffy’s bangs out of his eyes, and, soon, Luffy falls asleep. His expression is smoothed out and peaceful, head resting on Sabo’s arm and hands still clutching Ace’s shirt.

Holding their little brother close, Ace locks eyes with Sabo, matching guilt and determination shining in his eyes.

They are never going to be the cause of their little brother’s fear, of making him cry, ever again.

-

“Ace, Sabo, Ace, Sabo, wake up, wake up, wake up!”

“Oof!” Something hard lands on Sabo’s gut, and he gasps awake, gasping for air that he can’t quite manage to get.

His brat of a little brother just laughs, saying brightly, “You’re awake!” He then launches off of Sabo, which knocks what little wind he’d managed to regain right back out of him, and tackles Ace. Ace’s eyes snap open and he lets out a choked-off scream of shock, before his eyes land on Luffy and his shocked face quickly twists into a scowl.

“Luffy, you little shit!” Ace growls, and Luffy grins brightly at him. Ace’s scowl quickly gains a mischievous tinge, though, and Sabo snickers as Ace quickly rolls over, pinning their little brother under him and tickling him. “How dare you tackle me!” Ace says teasingly, digging his fingers into Luffy’s sides, drawing gasping laughs from him.

“I- I had to!” Luffy says through his laughs, trying and failing to slap Ace’s hands away. “We-We’re leaving today! You had to get up!” Luffy quickly loses the ability to talk, giggling helplessly as Ace switches to tickling his feet, which have always been the most ticklish part of their little brother. Sabo just leans back onto his hands, watching and snickering at his brothers goofing off.

Ace finally leans back after a time, grinning down as Luffy desperately tries to catch his breath. “We are leaving today, huh?” Ace says, glancing at Sabo. Sabo glances outside, taking a moment to admire the sunburst of color across the horizon, before he nods, a grin of his own on his face.

“Yeah.”

It almost doesn’t feel real, to Sabo – Dawn has been his home all his life, and these past seven years with his brothers have been the best Sabo could’ve ever dreamed of. It’ll be strange, not waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and the breeze brushing across their faces and watching the sunrise play off the roof of their treehouse.

Luffy’s constant tackling of them to wake them up is sure not to change, though, Sabo thinks exasperatedly.

But – the world’s waiting for them. Freedom is only inches away; a world where Sabo’s no noble and Ace’s just Ace and Luffy can be as free and wild and bold as he could ever dream of. The forest has been freedom incarnate for Sabo for as long as he can remember, and the sea is everything the forest has times one thousand, from what Shanks has said.

He can imagine. He’s never felt freer than those times, goofing off with his brothers on their cliff, the sea at their backs and the sun lighting up their faces.

And soon, they’ll be out there, on the free, free waters.

Sabo grins.

He can’t wait.

Luffy, having finally caught his breath, hops up eagerly. “C’mon,” he says incessantly, grabbing and tugging at Ace’s hand. “Let’s go!” Ace seems to hum thoughtfully, grinning mischievously at Luffy.

“I dunno, do we really want to go now? I’m really feeling just sleeping in-” Luffy punches Ace in the side, cutting off his teasing proposal and scowling at him.

“I don’t want to wait. Let’s go now!” Ace laughs, giving up the act, and grins at Sabo.

“We ready to go?”

Sabo glances around, making sure all the supplies they’d finished packing the night before are ready, before looking back at Ace. “Yup, we’re ready!”

Ace swings Luffy onto his back, startling a giggle from their little brother, and says, “Then let’s go!”

Luffy beams.

-

Luffy is so excited.

Shanks had told him about all the things pirates can do on the sea, about how they’re able to go where they want whenever they want and do all the things they can dream of. How they chase their dreams, nothing stopping them from reaching their goals.

How they’re freer than anyone.

Luffy’s always loved the sea; the breeze ruffling his hair and the clear blue, so wide and free, larger than anything Luffy could’ve imagined, and he’s always wanted to travel it.

And he’s going to be a pirate- with his brothers, too! Ace and Sabo are the best, and Luffy can’t wait to see the world with them.

They’re not going fast enough, though, and Luffy can’t wait any longer.

He squirms off of Ace’s back, demanding, “Put me down!” Ace lets him, laughing, and Luffy grabs at his brothers’ hands, pulling them forward.

“Come on, you’re moving so slowly!”

Sabo says, holding firm and readjusting his grip on the cart he’s hauling behind him, “Luffy, we’re not going that slow, you’re just impatient.”

Luffy scowls at him, twisting his head around. “You. Are moving. Too slow!”

Luffy’s brothers just snicker at him, and Luffy huffs, turning back around and revitalizing his mission to pull Ace and Sabo forward.

(He misses the infinitely fond look shared between Ace and Sabo over his head.)

The village finally, finally, finally spreads out before them, and Luffy quickly lets go of their hands, running off ahead and jerking his head from side to side. He can’t quite find who he’s looking for. C’mon, where is she-

“Makino!”

Luffy launches himself at Makino, who laughs, drops to her knees, and catches Luffy. She wraps her warm, warm, warm arms around Luffy, and Luffy beams, looking up at her.

“Makino, guess what! We’re leaving today!”

Makino smiles, brushing Luffy’s bangs back from his forehead. “You are, huh?” She says, and Luffy nods eagerly.

A scoff from above him, and Luffy looks up to see the mayor looking at him disapprovingly. “A seven-year-old becoming a pirate,” Woop Slap says derisively. “What are those two idiotic brothers of yours thinking?”

Luffy jumps up from Makino’s lap, glaring at the Mayor. “I’m strong! And don’t call Ace and Sabo idiots!”

“Appreciate your defense, Luffy,” Sabo’s voice says dryly from behind him. A hand lands on Luffy’s head and ruffles his hair, and Luffy pouts, looking up at Sabo.

“I’m not five anymore, stop doing that!”

Ace laughs, and ruffles Luffy’s hair as well, which was not what Luffy wanted. “Never,” he says. Luffy’s just about to snap back, when Sabo turns his attention to Makino.

“Do you have the stuff we wanted?”

Makino says, “Of course,” and Luffy’s attention snaps to the big box Makino points to behind her. “It has food and supplies, though I really hope you have more.” She gives them a stern look, and Ace nods sheepishly while Sabo gestures to the cart behind him.

Sabo says, “Yeah, we’ve got everything. Thanks, Makino-san.”

They grab the box, and move on to the shore, Luffy bounding along beside them. He’s barely able to keep his excitement inside him, so he doesn’t.

“Ace, Sabo, we’re leaving! We’re gonna be pirates!”

Ace chuckles. “Yeah,” he says, wistful, and they all in unison tilt their heads up to gaze at the horizon beyond. “Yeah, we are.”

The ship they’re going to take is already prepared at the shore, and Sabo grunts as he places the box inside of it. Ace swings his backpack into it, and glances over his shoulder. “We’re almost ready to go, Luffy, so say what you want to!” He calls over, and Luffy quickly turns back towards the villagers.

“I’ll miss you!” Luffy says, launching himself back at Makino and wrapping his arms tightly around her. Makino hugs him back, and Luffy savors the warmth, savors the love that Makino emanates, and smiles.

Eventually, he releases her, hopping back, and Makino remains crouched in front of him. “What, no goodbye?” She asks, and Luffy frowns at her.

Is she stupid?

“I’m going to see you again! Why would I say goodbye?” Something unreadable crosses Makino’s face, but it soon melts back into her ever-present soft smile.

“Of course, how silly of me,” Makino says, and gives Luffy a fond pat on the head. “Stay safe out there, okay? Don’t give me too many heart attacks through the newspaper,” she laughs.

Luffy beams back up at her, and doesn’t promise anything.

-

“Well, this is it,” Sabo says consideringly, surveying the boat, and Ace nods.

“Alright.”

Makino looks at them expectantly as they clamber back out of the ship, and Ace quickly crosses over to her, initiating the hug that he once shied away from. “Stay happy out there, okay?” She whispers into his ear. He nods against her shoulder, feeling warmth at the happy in there, and not safe.

“I will.”

She leans back, giving him a warm smile. “Never forget we’re here, and we love you,” she says, soft but firm, and Ace tries to fight back the tears pricking at the back of his eyes, and gives Makino a smile softer than he almost ever does.

(He’s loved.)

“I will,” he repeats, breathing it out as he tightens his grip one more time before letting go.

Makino gives him one last, fond look, before turning to Sabo and giving him a tight, tight hug. “Keep these two out of trouble, alright?” She teases, not able to hold back her grin, and Sabo snorts, hugging her tightly in turn.

“With these two? I make no promises,” Sabo laughs, and Ace is going to ignore the exasperated tone. He’s nowhere near as bad as Luffy when it comes to finding trouble, thank you very much.

Luffy’s finished hugging nearly every villager lined across the shore, and Ace gives them all a friendly wave before jumping back into the boat, causing it to tilt side to side. Sabo follows in after him, and he catches Luffy as he launches himself at them.

“We ready?” Sabo asks, and Luffy and Ace give him identical beaming smiles, which is all the answer Sabo needs.

The untying of the cord holding them to the dock feels oddly final.

Luffy clambers to the front of the boat as it starts easing away from the shore, the gentle waves pulling it further and further out. “BYE, EVERYONE!” Luffy calls, waving, and everyone on the shore responds in turn, cheering and waving happily out at them.

They keep watching until the faces have blurred and the shore’s barely discernable, and then they turn to each other. “We’re at sea,” Ace breathes, awe all he knows, and his brothers have identical excited grins as they look at him.

“We are.”

They turn towards the horizon, and Ace smiles.

There’s a whole world out there, just waiting for them.

Ace can’t wait to see it.