Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Lost But Found

The war was over. Marines, Pirates and Celestial Dragons alike lay strewn across the shattered landscape of Mariejois. Fires roared in the distance, the smoke curling into a sky darkened with storm clouds and sorrow. The Red Line was cracked had cracks within it and like a damn ready to burst, the seas pushed through and converge for the first time in thousands of years as the flags of the World Government burned, torn and scattered like the pages of a forgotten story and at the heart of it all laid on the ground a boy glowing with white hair and violet eyes.

The boy laid on the ground with burns strewn across his body, a body that still glowed white. His strawhat had holes on it, from bullets that had been fired at him. Nearby his crew lay either dead, dying or unconscious. His violet eyes looked to the left of him and saw the red haired pirate he had admired, looked up to and saw as a father figure; whose left arm had been given to save the boy years ago.

"Luffy…!" A voice screamed out causing said boy to turn his head to his right. His breath stolen as he saw his only surviving brother rushing towards him.

Sabo dropped to his knees, cradling his brother in his arms. Sabo carefully held the boy in his arms, as blood gushed from his own stomach wound. He couldn't find Koala, Marco or Luffy's own ship doctor, Chopper. He saw that blood stained Luffy's straw hat or what was left of it and as he looked around he could smell that the air was thick with the smell of iron and ash.

Looking down he saw that Luffy's body still glowed with a faint eerie white. Not with life but with something older. Wilder. Divine. The power of the Nika fruit. It had never been the Gomu Gomu Fruit. Luffy's rubbery fingers twitched, his grin wavering like a flame in the wind.

"I… I did it," Luffy whispered, barely audible. "We're… free…" His breathing was warbled, sloshy like his lungs were full of liquid.

"No," Sabo choked out. "You don't get to go now. Not after everything."The embers of the Flame-Flame Fruit crackled around him, uncontrolled, as if the fruit itself mourned. His hand, burned and shaking, pressed against Luffy's heart. "Please," he whispered to the light glowing within his brother as he pressed his forehead to Luffy's. "I'd give anything. Anything to go back… just one more chance. Let me… save them."The light within Luffy pulsed around them before it then flared like an erupting supernova. The heartbeat of the Sun God thundered through the ruins. The world seemed to pause.

Time then hesitated. Inside that light, something heard Sabo's desperate prayer.

Nika. The true spirit of liberation. Of joy. Of freedom, but even gods had limits.

"I cannot return to the past," the voice said, gentle and mournful. "But I can give you a world where the story is not yet written. A place where your brothers might still be saved."

Sabo's eyes widened as felt the coolness of the light rush over him. It was like a warm hug, filled with love and a promise. Then everything went dark.

Sabo woke to the scent of pine and soft dirt. The sky above him was a vivid blue and impossibly bright. Birds chirped in the distance. The warmth of the sun felt too real. Like the universe was mocking him.

Sabo gasped as he sat upright, his chest rising and falling with shallow, panic set in as he tried but failed to place where he was. He looked down in shock and stared at his trembling fingers. His body, it was small. His hands were tiny, no burn scars. He was a child.

"No way…" he whispered, standing up on shaky legs. His clothes were tattered, he was once again in his old blue noble's clothes, dirty from the woods, but it was unmistakable. He remembered this. “No way…" he said again, louder this time. "I'm a kid?" His voice squeaked. He touched his thoat and it hit him like a cannonball. He was back. Back before Ace died at Marineford. Back before Luffy set out to sea. Before the tragedy of his supposed death, the war, the agony of loss. Before it all had gone wrong, so very wrong.

As he sat there, on the Goaian jungle floor absorbing all that was around him, and in that moment, he knew what he had to do. He had to save them, but first, he had to find both of them. "Ace…" he breathed. "Luffy…" He didn't waste a second. He ran, sprinting down the familiar paths of the jungle, ignoring the shocked faces of vagrants and bandits alike as he burst through foliage and ran through the terminal. He knew where Ace would be, it was simple to find him. Focusing, he engaged his observation haki easily and quickly spotted him.

The smell of oil, sweat, and garbage was so familiar it made Sabo's chest ache. His legs carried him fast and light over garbage heaps and hollowed out crates, skipping over gaps in the rotting boards like he'd never forgotten this place. He hadn't. Not after remembering Ace.

Then there he was, half hidden between the rusted hull of a broken ship and a makeshift shack, a boy sat cross legged on a wooden crate. His black hair stuck up in wild spikes, and his arms were crossed as he stared into a cracked can of stolen food like he was daring it to taste bad. He was small, malnourished and wore clothes with holes in them. He looked around six or maybe seven.

"Ace!" Sabo shouted, breathless as he rounded the corner.

Ace looked up immediately, frowning. "Huh? Sabo? What—what're you yelling for?"He looked the same. Scruffy, sharp-eyed, and already carrying that spark of something fierce behind his scowl.

Instead of explaining, Sabo did what came naturally to him, he flung himself forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the other boy. "Wha—HEY! Get off me, weirdo!" Ace tried pushing Sabo away but when he felt the other boy begin shaking he pulled back only to realize that he was crying.

"Ace," Sabo cried softly gaining a pout from the other boy who reluctantly allowed Sabo to hug him. "I thought you were gone…" Sabo's voice cracked, tightening his grip around Ace's middle. "You died, Ace. You really died."

Ace blinked, completely frozen. "What… are you talking about?" he said after a pause he pulled away and looked Sabo into his eyes. "We talked this morning. Did you hit your head?"

Sabo pulled back, eyes glassy, but focused. "You don't get it. Not yet. I'm not—I mean, I am me. But not this me." He stammered and knew it was coming out like gibberish.

Ace looked at him like he was insane or having a stroke. "What?"

Sabo sucked in a shaky breath. "I remember everything. How we grew up and when we met Luffy and-" He stopped himself, jaw tightening. "I remember a war that burned the world. I remember losing you. Watching the world fall apart. I think I died too, but now I'm here again. We're kids…again."

Ace stared, the frown never leaving his face, but something in his eyes shifted. Just a flicker. That deep, secret fear he always carried, the one that never left him. "You're serious," he said softly.

Sabo nodded. "I am."

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant sound of laughter and dogs barking in the trash heaps. Ace finally looked down. "You said I died?"

Sabo nodded again, more carefully this time. "You tried to protect Luffy. It was Marineford. You were so strong, Ace. You saved him. You saved everyone. But you…"

He trailed off.

Ace didn't speak for a moment. He picked at a crack in the crate with his thumb.

"…Was it worth it?" he asked, not meeting Sabo's eyes.

Sabo knelt down so they were face to face. "It was brave, you were so strong, but we lost you. Luffy never got over it. I never got over it."Ace looked away, his mouth tight. "I'm not letting that happen again," Sabo continued. "Not this time. I don't know how, or why, but I got a second chance and I'm not wasting it."

Ace's voice was quiet. "What are you gonna do?" He was still frowning like he was trying to figure out a puzzle.

"We're leaving," Sabo said firmly. "You, me, we're finding Luffy. Before Dadan's people mess him up, before the Marines come sniffing around, before anything gets worse."

Ace blinked. "Luffy? That name again. Who is he?"

"He's more important than you know. He's going to change the world." Sabo's eyes burned with something deeper than any child should carry. "He can't do it alone. We have to protect him. We're his big brothers!"

Ace sat in silence for a long moment. Then, he stood. "…Okay."

Sabo blinked. "Wait, really?" He asked a bit shocked that Ace believed him so easily.

Ace nodded once, firmly. "If you say something bad's coming, I believe you."

Sabo stared at him. Ace scowled. "What? You hugged me and cried like a baby. I'm not that cold."

A grin tugged at Sabo's lips. "You kinda are."

"Shut up," Ace muttered, already walking ahead. "Let's go get Luffy and if this turns out to be one big weird dream, I'm blaming you."

Sabo laughed quietly and followed obediently but deep in his heart, he knew; this wasn't a dream. It was a new beginning and he was so very happy because maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to do it right this time around.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

The road to Foosha Village was quieter than Sabo remembered. He knew it might be different, being that they were coming to the small village for the first time in this new life. Last time it had been Luffy who had dragged them both down the mountain from Dadan’s place to Makino because Ace had eaten a weird fruit and had gotten sick. This time there were no pirates on the docks. No trace of red hair’s laughter, or a certain famous straw hat. They’d come down early. A year or two too early.

The moment they stepped out of the jungle, Sabo felt it, a pull deep inside of himself. The same instinct that had guided him through war and death, now sharper than ever. It was the same feeling he’d had when he’d gone to dressrosa and found Luffy then.

“He’s close,” he muttered softly to himself.

Ace raised an eyebrow and looked at him. He scoffed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “What, can you sense him or something?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Sabo's eyes narrowed as he picked up a familiar sound of crying. It was a small and choked sounds that was coming from the side of the village’s well.

Ace stopped walking. “You hear that?”

Sabo didn’t answer as he was already moving. They turned a corner from the general store and found him surrounded by a small group of older kids, maybe nine or ten, that were standing in a loose circle around a tiny figure sitting in the dirt. He was tinier than Sabo remembered, but right now he held no hat on his head and there was no scar on his face. Just a little kid with wild black hair, bare feet, dirty shorts, and eyes brimming with tears. His fists were clenched, shaking with frustration as he tried to stand. One of the older boys suddenly pushed him roughly, making him fall back on his butt once again.

“Why don’t you just go away, Luffy?” The ringleader snarled at him

“You’re so weird. Always talkin’ to yourself or the ocean and pretending to be so strong; like you’re better than anybody else.” Another pushed him as soon as Luffy had stood once again, causing Luffy to fall onto his hands and knees; causing him to bleed a little.

“Yeah, and you smell like trash!” A girl yelled, making a face at him.

“You don’t even have a mom or dad! Nobody wants you here!” A boy pulled back his fist, about to punch the tiny boy.

Sabo’s heart cracked in two. This wasn’t the fearless boy who screamed defiance at the world and laughed in the face of emperors. This wasn’t even the boy he and Ace had met in the original timeline. This wasn’t even just Luffy, an unwanted, alone and aching child.

“Hey!” Ace’s voice rang out like a gunshot causing the bullies to turn around as one.

Sabo stepped forward beside him, eyes cold. “Pick on someone your own size!” He then realized that even he and Ace were small compared to these kids. “Actually—never mind; just leave him alone!”

The kids hesitated before one spoke.“W-who’re you?” The uncertainty was there but not them backing down.

Sabo didn’t answer because Ace suddenly cracked his knuckles. “We’re his big brothers.” He grinned because now that he thought more about it, he liked the idea of having a little brother. It meant there was something he could do, a legacy he could leave behind other than being Gol D. Roger’s bastard son.

There was a pause as the bullies stared at them with blank faces before the kids burst out laughing. “Brothers? Since when?! He doesn’t even have a family!” The ringleader yelled as the ridiculousness of it was just too funny.

Sabo’s eyes narrowed but before he could say anything Ace took a step forward, fists ready. Ah. Yes. Talking wasn’t going to work here. Sabo thought and as he raised a hand, he felt it. A familiar warmthof ancient fire that he’d held in his last life. The Mera, Mera no Mi. The air shimmered around him as a thin wisp of heat curled around his arm. He didn’t question it; instead, he welcomed it.

“I said—“ he began as he pulled back his fist as he rushed towards the leader, his arm bursting into flames as his fist connected with the older boys face. “leave him alone!!”He opened his palm, and with a whoosh, a small burst of flame roared to life in the air and like ants the kids scattered as they screamed.

“HE’S ON FIRE!” The girl screamed as she ran to get help.

“HE’S THE DEVIL!” Another boy concluded because what else could he be.

They began falling over themselves in panic as they ran. Sabo blinked, staring at his own hand. The fire was already gone but the warmth remained in his bones. His blue noble jacket and shirt had been destroyed by the flames. Truthfully he didn’t care either, because he was no longer either a noble or a revolutionary, just a brother.

“…No way,” Ace whispered in awe, as he suddenly felt twang of jealousy.

Sabo flexed his fingers slowly. Yes, I can be useful. “It’s the Mera Mera no Mi. I didn’t think I’d still have it…”

Ace stepped back. “You ate a devil fruit without me knowing?!” He whined but would forever refuse to admit he’d done such a disgraceful thing.

“No. I—” He looked at Ace, uncertain. “I think I brought it with me from my other life or the other world?” He truly was a bit confused how all of this even worked.

Ace stared at him like he’d just turned into a sea king. “That’s… That’s insane.”

Sabo gave him a tired smile. “You should get used to that.”

Suddenly a sniffle cut through the tension. Both boys turned. Luffy was staring up at them, wide-eyed, bottom lip trembling as his bloody nose dripped. “You…You scared ‘em away…”

Sabo knelt down to his level. “Yeah. You okay?” He reached to wipe Luffy’s tears away.

Luffy nodded quickly, rubbing his eyes with the back of his dirty arm. “I’m not cryin’.”

“You kinda are.” Ace countered with a smirk.

“Shut up,” Luffy pouted, glaring up at him as his anger flared.

Sabo laughed gently. “What’s your name?”

“Luffy.” He stood up straighter, chest puffed out as cheeks suddenly puffed like a chipmunk who’d stuffed its face. “Monkey D. Luffy!”

Sabo smiled wide. “Well, Luffy, I’m Sabo and this is Ace.” He pointed at the other. “We’re your brothers now.”

Luffy tilted his head. “Huh? For real?” He asked, hoping against all that this wasn’t a trick or a lie.

Ace looked at Sabo. Sabo gave a subtle nod. “For real,” Ace said, walking over to ruffle Luffy’s hair roughly. “Even if you’re scrawny.”

“I’m not scrawny!” Luffy shouted, fists raised in protest.

Sabo watched the two of them banter and felt something deep in his chest began to uncoil. This wasn’t the Luffy he remembered, but this was his brother who was small, vulnerable and utterly alone; but now he wasn’t and he’d never be again.

Foosha Village glowed gold in the late afternoon sun. The quiet buzz of closing shops and the distant sound of seagulls filled the air. For a small port town, life moved slowly, peacefully. Families wondered the stoney beach, as children laughed and collected seashells; but life near the only bar in town was just beginning to pick up.

“You live in there?!” Ace whispered, crouching beside the crawl space beneath Party’s bar, peering into the dark opening where dirty blankets were piled into a nest.

“Yup!” Luffy beamed proudly. “It’s warm in the winter and only a little leaky when it rains!”

Sabo knelt beside him, inspecting the space. It was no bigger than a cupboard. A few threadbare blankets were crumpled in the corner, and a chipped wooden bowl sat next to a small pile of crackers and dried fish. This wasn’t a room, rather it was a hole.

“…You’ve been sleeping here?” Sabo asked quietly.

Luffy shrugged. “Makino gives me food, and sometimes I sneak into the bar when it’s cold; but I like it here! It’s mine!” Luffy twiddled his fingers. “The mayor hates it if I live with ‘Kino. Says my existence will prevent her from finding a h-husband.” Luffy sniffled. “She’s the only family I gots though!”

Ace looked like he wanted to punch something. Sabo stood up, brushing dust off his already dirty pants. “Come on. We’re getting you out of there.” They turned towards the entrance of the bar.

“B-But…” Luffy stuttered. “The mayor!”

“If he so much as looks at you funny, I’ll punch that old fart in the face.” Sabo threatened. Seriously. Why would someone tell a child that his existence would cause another’s misery. Makino, the one he knew, never married only because she’d fallen for Shanks. Even Sabo, in that life, had seen it. It was never Luffy’s fault.

Inside the bar, the soft clink of glasses and gentle laughter filled the space. Makino, kind eyed and gentle as Sabo remembered, looked up in surprise when the door swung open and three muddy, scruffy boys tromped in like they owned the place.

“Luffy!” she exclaimed, drying her hands on a towel. “I told you not to track dirt in—”

Her voice caught as she took in the other two.

“Uh… hi,” Luffy said sheepishly. “These are my new brothers! This is Sabo and Ace!”

Makino blinked. “Your what?” She asked sounding genuinely confused. She came around the bar top and looked at the two older boys. From smudged faces to their malnourished condition.

“Brothers,” Ace stated gruffly, not keeping eye contact with her.

“Long story,” Sabo added with a faint smile.

Luffy ran up to her, grabbing the hem of her skirt. “Can they stay here with us too? Please? We’re a crew now!” His grin made her heart melt. She knew how much the four year old boy hated being alone.

Makino looked at all three boys who had wild hair, were scraped up, bruised from whatever trouble they’d found and sighed with that warm patience only bartenders and mothers possessed. “I suppose the crawl space isn’t going to hide you anymore.” She began to think of a place she could keep three rambunctious boys.

Luffy looked worried as he boy his lower lip in anticipation. “It don’t haveta be big. We’re small.” He stated causing the other two to look at him sharply.

Makino’s eyes softened. She hated how uncertain her little cousin was about her wanting h to live here with her. Ever since her Uncle Garp had left the boy here, Makino had tried her best to convey towards Luffy that he was loved and welcomed, but he always ran off. “You three can use the loft. I’ll clear out the old crates.”

“YES!!” Luffy cheered, throwing his fists in the air and spinning in a circle before wrapping his scrawny arms around Ace’s neck.

Ace tried to hide his grin. “Thanks.” He said with a disinterested look as Sabo smiled, watching her work. Still so kind. Just like before.

Later that night, after everyone had left for the night, the bar was quiet. Most of the regulars had gone home, and the boys were already spread out across the wooden floorboards of the loft, still wide eyed at having an actual roof over their heads. It was cramped, filled with old sacks of flour and unopened crates of sake, but to them, it was a palace.

“I got this blanket!” Luffy called, grabbing a burlap sack and wrapping himself like a burrito.

“That’s not a blanket, that’s a rice sack, dumbass.” Ace muttered, stealing an actual sheet from a storage crate.

Sabo sat near the small window, knees tucked up, the warm breeze carrying the scent of salt from the sea. He exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. They’re safe. For now.

The next morning, Sabo stood in the clearing outside the village near the old windmills, arms crossed, watching as Luffy tried to throw a punch at a small tree and mostly punched himself in the face.

Ace sat nearby, chewing a stick, unimpressed. “You seriously want to us to train?” He asked as he continued to sit on a fallen windmill wall.

Sabo nodded. “You said you wanted to be strong, right?”

Ace stood. “Yeah. Strong enough to never need help.”

Sabo smiled faintly. “Then let’s get to work.” He had the knowledge from his past life. He could technically train them the way he’d been trained by Dragon and the revolutionaries. He remembered everything. From fishman karate moves to how to use pressure points to knock out people without harming them. So Sabo taught them how to move quietly, how to hit harder, and how to fall without breaking something important. He remembered the drills from the Revolutionary Army he’d learned under giants like Hack, Iva, and Dragon himself. He couldn’t recreate the revolution here, but he could give his brothers a fighting chance.

“Balance isn’t just standing,” Sabo explained, crouching low as the sun blazed high above them. “It’s reading your opponent. Reading the ground. If your footing’s wrong, you’re already losing.”

Ace nodded, copying him perfectly. Luffy tripped over his own feet. “Are you okay?” Sabo asked with concern. He really didn’t remember Luffy seeming to have two left feet all the time. This was the tenth time he’d fallen.

Luffy popped up, grinning, blood on his lip. “I almost had it!”

Sabo laughed. “Almost. Let’s go again.” But then again, that determination was still the same.

By afternoon the other two were exhausted. Sabo was just sitting on a ruined wall’s edge watching them eat when he snapped his fingers, causing the flames inside of himself to flare to life. It wasn’t always intentional. Sometimes it flared up when Sabo was too focused on something else. Other times it danced across his arms when he got excited while explaining a move.

Luffy would freeze mid punch, eyes glowing like lanterns. “DO IT AGAIN!”

“What?” Sabo blinked.

“The fire! The WHOOSH! Can you shoot a fireball?!”

He’s like a mini pyromaniac. Sabo thought with chuckle as he held out his hand. A small flame flickered to life in his palm.

Luffy’s mouth fell open. “THAT’S SO COOL!”

Ace sat watching him, pretending not to care; but Sabo saw the sparkle in his eyes every time the flames came out. Total fanboy. “Not bad, right?” Sabo teased.

Ace crossed his arms. “Tch. I mean, it’s fine.” He looked away but was still side eyeing Sabo. “I guess.” He stated quietly. 

“You wanna try?”

Ace perked up. “Wait, really?” He suddenly felt a bit of excitement surge forward.

Sabo laughed and extinguished the flame. “Not unless you eat a logia fruit, sorry.” He laughed and silently wondered if that fruit was really gone from this world because he had this power or if Ace would one day find it. After all, this power came from his other life, technically the Mera, Mera no Mi hadn’t been found yet. Ace grumbled as he walked away.

Luffy bounced in place, still buzzing. “I’m gonna get powers too! Just wait! I’ll eat a whole volcano!”

Sabo laughed nervously because that’d so be something Luffy would do. “Please don’t.”

At night as they lay in the loft, sore and happy. Luffy snored with his mouth open. Ace curled up with a metal staff like a weapon. Sabo stayed up late, staring at the stars through the loft window. They’re getting stronger and they’re both happy. This is how it should have been. However, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t shake the shadow of what was still coming. The world outside wasn’t gentle and soon the Red-Haired Pirates and Shanks would soon arrive.

Sabo tapped his forefinger on his stomach as he recounted the story Luffy, his Luffy, had once told him of how he met the red haired man. He arrives after Luffy’s sixth birthday. Sabo thought. He stayed in the east blue until Luffy was a little over seven. So, sixteen to twenty months or a year and a half. Luffy had stated that Shanks seemed to be looking for something here in the east but he hadn’t known what it had been. He shook his head as he tried to clear his mind. I’ll think about it later. Counting backwards, Sabo barely got to eighty before his dreams were filled will nightmares to their future and his past. All the while a blue haired clown faced man seemed to make an appearance in his dreams shadowed by a red haired one.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Fate Comes Sailing In

The years passed quickly but not quietly. The three boys quickly became known for their chaos and their fierce protective natures. Still, Sabo wasn’t stupid to think fate wouldn’t come crashing down on them. He trained both Ace and Luffy, Ace more so than Luffy only because his older brother was determined to become stronger than even Sabo. So their bonds strengthened through training, through a stolen bottle of sake and declarations that none of them would abandon the other. Makino’s bar became their shared base where they slept and ate at; but once breakfast was gone nobody saw the three gremlins until lunch or dinner.

Then the day came, like Sabo knew it would. It started off as a normal day on the docks with the waves lapping gently at the shore as the sleepy port town of Foosha Village stirred to life. Seagulls circled lazily in the air, and fishermen hauled in morning catches while Makino swept the front of her bar. The world felt quiet, like it was holding its breath. Sabo had felt it first, a low thrum in his bones; his haki reached out and he felt something familiar. Then came the sound of a distant ship horn and joyous laughter.

“Luffy,” Sabo said, looking up from where they were skipping stones at the dock. “Someone’s coming.” The dark haired six year old boy looked up at Sabo before looking out towards the sea.

“A ship?” Ace asked, squinting into the horizon.

Luffy jumped up onto a crate, one hand over his eyes as he stared out toward the bay before he grinned. “There!” he shouted as he pointed. “A BIG ship!”

Sure enough, a large, well-worn pirate ship glided into the bay. Its red sails rippled in the wind, and its flag fluttered proudly from the mast. A skull with crossed sabers. Red-Haired Pirates. Sabo felt his breath catch. Here they come. He felt his nerves tighten as something in his belly twisted. He’d never met Shanks before the war. Having only ever heard Luffy’s stories of the man, he wondered if the man would live up to those tales.

Luffy, however, was bouncing on his toes. “Is that a pirate ship?! A real one?!”

Ace looked wary. “They don’t look like regular pirates…”

Sabo smiled faintly. “They’re not.”

As the ship pulled into port, the gangplank thudded down and the first man to step off wore a long, tattered coat, loose slacks, and a grin like the sunrise and hair as red as blood; Shanks. He laughed like the world couldn’t touch him. Behind him came a tall, broad-shouldered man with gray hair and a cigarette between his lips, Benn Beckman. Then came Yasopp, Lucky Roux, and the rest of the infamous crew, filing off one by one like walking legends.

Villagers watched in worry, but before anyone could say a word; Luffy’s voice rang out across the dock like a cannon blast. “HEY YOU!”

Sabo blinked. “Luffy—”

“Yeah, YOU! Red-hair guy!”The crew stopped in their tracks, turning to stare at the tiny, barefoot six-year-old glaring up at them from a fishing crate. Shanks raised an eyebrow as Luffy pointed at him, teeth bared in a wild grin.

“You better not cause trouble in this village or else my brothers’ll kick your ass!”

Both Ace and Sabo facepalmed.  “Did he just—” Ace groaned.

“He did,” Sabo said, stunned.

The pirates burst out laughing. Shanks threw his head back in amusement, clearly delighted. “You got some mouth on you, kid!” he called, walking a little closer. “And who are your brothers supposed to be?”

Luffy jumped down, grabbed Ace’s arm, and yanked him forward. “This is Ace!”

“Hey!” Ace grunted, stumbling forward causing Shanks to frown at the name, something about it seeming…familiar.

Then Luffy ran back, grabbed Sabo’s hand, and tugged him into the spotlight. “And this is Sabo! He can make FIRE! So watch out!”

Sabo rubbed his forehead. “Luffy, maybe don’t threaten pirates.”

“Wait, did he say fire?” Benn Beckman asked in a hushed tone as he stepped up beside Shanks, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Shanks chuckled. “He did.”

Sabo straightened up, meeting Shanks’ gaze evenly now. If they were going to draw attention, he might as well control the narrative. He gave a calm nod. “I ate the Mera Mera no Mi. I’m training them both.”

“Training?” Benn asked as he eyed the other two boys. Sabo smiled politely, but didn’t elaborate.

Shanks watched the three boys carefully, his usual easy expression softening, just a bit, but he wasn’t laughing anymore. “…They’re not normal kids,” he said quietly to Benn, under his breath. “You feel it too, right?”

Beckman nodded, taking a long drag on his cigarette, exhaling slowly. “The one with fire, his will’s like a bonfire. Controlled, but burning. Dangerous, if it wants to be.”

Shanks crossed his arms. “And the other one; Ace, was it? His Haki’s not bloomed yet, but his spirit’s like a powder keg. If that kid explodes, the world’s gonna feel it.”

“What about the little one?” Benn asked.

Shanks glanced at Luffy, who was now hopping around in a circle chanting “Real pirates! Real pirates!” while the older brothers pretended not to know him.

“…That one,” Shanks said slowly, “is like the sun before it rises. Still hidden. But once he wakes up…” He smiled faintly. “He’s gonna blind the whole world.”

Meanwhile, Ace yanked Luffy down from a crate. “Why’d you go and threaten a pirate?! Are you TRYING to get us killed?!”

“Nuh-uh,” Luffy pouted. “I told them you’d beat ‘em up!” Ace groaned as he facepalmed again.

Sabo chuckled, but his mind was spinning. Shanks doesn’t know me. Good. That means he wasn’t reborn. He turned back to look at Shanks, who was now talking to the villagers and handing out small treasures, laughing and drinking like an old friend.

Luffy ran up beside Sabo. “Do you think he’s really strong?”

“Yeah,” Sabo said softly. “One of the strongest people on the seas.”

Luffy’s eyes sparkled. “Think he’d fight me?!”

“Luffy…” Sabo warned.

Luffy was already daydreaming, fists raised. “I’m gonna be the Pirate King, so I gotta beat guys like him, right?”

Sabo’s heart squeezed at those words. There it was. That same fire. That same dream. Even in this world… it hadn’t changed. Destiny’s still pulling you forward, Sabo thought, watching him; but this time, we’re walking beside you.

Meanwhile, across the dock, Shanks and Benn were still watching the boys from afar. “…What do you think?” Shanks asked, swirling the drink someone handed him.

“I think,” Benn said slowly, “that we might be looking at the future of the sea.”

Shanks grinned. “Yeah. Me too.” His smile growing wider than it had in years as he watched as Ace picked up the small boy Luffy and tossed him onto Sabo’s back. “Ace.” He whispered mostly to himself when a memory popped in his mind. It was one where he was a child chasing after Buggy on the Oro when he saw Roger cleaning his sword, his sword that was named….“Ace.” Shanks stared at the boy in awe. It couldn’t be. He thought remembering that Rogue had died in the destruction of Baterilla and so had Roger’s child. But the more he looked at Ace, the more he saw Roger in him. Could it really be? He felt his chest constrict.

Beckman raised a brow at him. “What is it?”

“I think I need a drink, because I swear I’m seeing a ghost.” Shanks’ words warbled with emotion. “That boy Ace, looks just like my father.” He said quietly. Beckman’s hand touched his lower back in comfort. The movement caught Sabo’s eye causing the boy to frown for second before his attention was stolen by Luffy yelling about food and quickly followed Ace towards Party’s Bar.

Hours later Shanks and his men made their way into the bar during the down time. Makino was cleaning the bar top from the lunch rush as Ace practiced counting the berri made and Sabo put up two new names of banned patrons onto the chalk board which now had eight banned people from the bar along with their pictures and crimes against Makino under the pictures. Luffy on the other hand had a blank entry journal that wasn’t so blank anymore and was practicing his name over and over on how to spell it.

“Looks like school is in session.” Shanks mumbled to Beck who chuckled as both Ace and Sabo looked towards them.

Sabo watched the two men interact with each other from his corner of the room where he had a den den mushi snail and a camera snail sitting on the table, both animals were eating some lettuce from Makino’s garden in the back. Sabo frowned as he watched them, trying to figure out why the two seemed so…close…to each other. In his last life Luffy had never stated that the two were a couple. In fact it was well known that Shanks was a big flirt and lady’s man in their last life. So what changed? As he continued to watch them, he noticed how Shanks seemed to lean into Beckman and how the older man looked at the red head with such love and devotion. It only took a few more minutes before Sabo saw the unmistakable wedding bands on their fingers. His frown instantly turned into a smile.

Sabo leaned back against the wooden wall, watching the tiny den den mushi mimic his thoughtful expression as it chomped on its lettuce. So Shanks and Beckman were married. That…is definitely new. He tapped his fingers on the table. If this changed, what else did?

Already there were differences, they were subtle things at first, like how Makino didn’t jump quite as much when Luffy used to burst in yelling, or how Ace seemed to smile more than he use to. But this? This was big. Shanks was married and openly, happy and that wasn’t just a shift. It meant entire relationships, whole futures had been rewritten.

Sabo felt the familiar spark of curiosity and determination flicker in his chest. He glanced at Luffy and Ace across the room. Luffy was happily showing Ace something he’d drawn, waving the paper around like it was a treasure map. Ace pretended not to care, but the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth gave him away.

If I can catch these changes early, Sabo thought, maybe I can finally keep them safe. Both of them. Maybe all of us.

He pushed off the wall just as Shanks let out a big, boisterous laugh that was followed by Beckman elbowing him lightly, the gesture easy and familiar and full of love. Sabo took another long look as a broader smile crept onto his face.“Well,” he whispered, adjusting his goggles, “if the world’s going to change around me, I’m going to make sure it changes for the better.” With that, he stepped forward, ready to start figuring out just how different this timeline truly was.