Chapter Text
You laid on your bed on your back, scrolling through your new phone you had just bought. The new features, setting up cute wallpaper, checking out the camera got you grinning like crazy as you went through each corner of your new phone.
That's when an interesting thought crossed your mind, sitting up, you take out the phone numbers of your friends. Grinning and giggling to yourself, “Hehe~ let's prank them”, you mumbled to yourself. Dialing your friend's number on your new phone with a mischievous grin on your face.
Ready to prank them with your new phone number, you couldn't wait for them to pick up. The bell rang for a little longer than it's supposed to, and they picked it up. “Hello”, came an unfamiliarly familiar voice from the other side of the call.
“Hm?”, you wonder who it could be. Why would a guy answer your friend's call? That is rare, you check the number you had dialled. Was it wrong? No, then who was this man?
The man's voice could be described as sweet like honey, soothing, and a heaven to your ears. You have heard this voice somewhere though, you couldn't tell where.
“Can I talk to Ava?”, you ask to the man on the other side. It has to be your friend's number, there's no mistake in it.
“Hm? Ava? It seems like you have dialled the wrong number, miss. There's no Ava here”, he replies in a soft enchanting voice.
You furrowed your brows, “Hm? How can it be? I am sure I dialled the correct number”, you reply confused at what's going on. Did your friend's number get stolen? Did she sell it? Or something? But then, you would've known.
“Why don't you check and try again?”, he replied softly. You swear you have heard that voice somewhere. It sounded oddly familiar, that summer day like voice, the soft tone, the heavy accent; you have definitely heard it somewhere.
“Mhm alright.”, with that you cut off the call, however, you couldn't get that voice out of your head. It sounded way too familiar to be someone you don't know.
Once again, you dial your friend's number, focused, very carefully copying each number, checking it thrice before tapping on the call button. The bell rang again, longer than it's supposed to.
“She's not picking up”, you sigh awaiting your friend to pick up your call. As you're about to give up, the bell paused, someone picked it up.
“Hello”, again the same man's voice enters your ears. “Huh? Again? Why?”, you ask furrowing your brows. This time there's no mistake you had dialled the correct number.
“It seems like you dialled the wrong number again, miss”, the man replied softly with a little chuckle. You swear you knew that voice all too closely.
“It's not wrong. I checked it before dialing! Who are you? And why are you picking up Ava’s call?”, you ask, your voice laced with frustration. You wanted to prank your friend, it's all ruined because of this man; whoever he is.
“Well, uhm, like I said you might have dialled wrong—”, the frustration getting the better of you. You cut him off, voice laced with irritation, “I checked it thrice before dialling”
“Then, maybe she might have given you the wrong number on purpose”, he replied with a calm voice. Why was he so calm? How could it even be wrong? You have had her number for years. And always call her on this number, and nothing like this has ever happened before.
“Ugh, whatever!”, with that you cut off the call. There was no point in arguing with that man. It was utterly useless, could it be that 2 people can have the same numbers? Or was it a glitch?
“Must have been that”, you figured.
~ Next day ~
Upon meeting your friend, you tell her about what happened yesterday when you had dialled her number. Explaining everything, “So, did you change your number?”, you ask.
To your surprise, your friend; Ava, shook her head, “No, it's the same”
You both furrowed your brows in confusion, how could something like this happen then? The number was correct, everything was fine too. “Why don't you try dialing right now? Let's see if my phone rings”, Ava suggested.
You nod at the idea, “Alright, let's try”, bringing out your phone from your pocket. You dial her number in front of her, keeping the call on speaker. And to your surprise, her phone doesn't ring.
The bell is going, but her phone doesn't ring, it doesn't flash your number on her screen. The call isn't connecting to her phone or her number, even though you have dialled her number.
Cutting off the call immediately before anyone answers, you sigh, “Maybe there's something wrong with it. I'll get it checked today”
You got your newly bought phone checked by the store, however, there was nothing wrong with it. Still, they did what they could. Taking the phone back to your home, you thought maybe it was fine now.
Again, at home, you try dialing Ava's number. The bell rings, you gulp, will it be Ava? Or that man again?
When the ring pauses and someone picks up, the same man's voice comes from the other side, “Hello?”
You sigh in disappointment, it was him again. You didn't know what to say, it got connected to him again. Hearing no response from your side, the man speaks again, “Hello? Who is it?”
That's when the realization hits you, of where you had heard this voice. It sounded familiar to your favourite character from the anime series ‘One piece’. Though, it couldn't be possible, right? How can it be?
“Hi, it's me again. It got connected to you again”, you reply. You gulp, you wanted to make sure. Was it really who you thought it was?
“Uhm, if you don't mind, can I have your name?”, you ask softly, cautiously.
“Sabo, it's Sabo”, the man replies. Your heart drops for a second. The voice, the name, the accent, the tone; everything fits perfectly to him. But how is it possible? It's impossible right? He's a character. How could your call go through to a character?
“Sabo? Like— the Sabo from revolutionar—”, you pause, realizing what you had just said. Rubbing your temples in frustration, ugh, why did you have to say it out aloud?
“Yeah”, he replies. That made you more surprised, he replied just like that? Why?
“huh? Why would you reply like that? Are you stupid or what?”, you couldn't help but say it outright to him.
In response, you could hear him chuckle on the other side, “Well everyone knows. What's there to hide? But who are you, miss?”, he asks with a tone you couldn't decipher. It felt a bit heavy, why, you wonder. As if he was trying to gauge out your words.
“I— uhm, I'm y/n”, you reply softly. There was no other option you had. “And where from? You have been calling since yesterday y'know?”, he replies with the same heavy tone. Of course, that would pique his interest. How can anyone call revolutionaries so easily?
“Uhm, well- I'm from..”, you hesitate. You can't exactly tell him you're from another world, could you? That would be a bit too much for him right? So you decide to lie, “..Lougetown”, you reply.
Sabo has no business on this island, he would never figure it out. Never. Or so you thought at that time.
With that, you both started talking on call daily. Sometimes, he would hang up in the middle though, but you knew that was like him. You couldn't help but call him almost every night. You started loving talking to him, he is your favourite character after all. For sometime, you forgot that it wasn't even something normal.
When you explained your friends about it, they didn't believe you at first. But when they heard his voice from the other side of the call, they started believing you as well. What you guys couldn't figure was, why was it happening? And how?
One night, you're on the call with Sabo, telling him about various political stuff from here. Like democracy, laws, and all the stuff. He loved hearing them a lot, he enjoyed these talks a lot.
“That's interesting y/n. But I have a question”, he replied softly.
You hummed in responded, “Mhm sure, what is it?”
“These are so detailed and informative but where did you read those?”, he asks softly and curiously.
You choked on your breath almost, coughing lightly, “Where- that's uhm.. it's- it's a secret”, you reply hastily.
You could hear him pondering for a while on the other side but that was all. He didn't pester you with more questions, you sighed in relief. Maybe you should tell him the truth now. It was enough right? He is a character and you can never meet him, it's pointless, isn't it?
“Sabo, I—”, you try. However, he hangs up, “Sorry, y/n. I gotta go”
You exhale deeply, you should've told him. It will be better this way, yes it should be. You have talked enough with him. It has been weeks now, you should stop. Definitely. Tomorrow, you thought.
However, you couldn't bring yourself to tell him. You tried, you did but the words just wouldn't come out of your lips.
Then, one day, something unexpected happens, Sabo calls you. You answer, picking up the call.
“Y/n! I'm here. In lougetown”, he says excitedly.
Your heart dropped, breath got caught in lungs, he is what? Why? What for? He shouldn't be there according to the story. He has nothing to do there. What's he doing there?
“You're what? Why?”, you reply, holding your phone with shaky hands.
“Why? Well, I have some work here”, he replied casually.
“Work? Here? What work?”, you reply almost panicking. What's he doing there? And even if he goes there, he won't find you. Why couldn't you tell him before about this all? Why?
“Hm, well some celestial dragon coming here in 2 days right?”, he sounded casual and carefree even.
What? In what canon event did that happen? You don't remember anything like that happening in the series. It's way too out of context for you.
“Uh, yeah..”, you reply.
“Leave that all, more importantly, y/n, can I meet you?”, he asks softly and excitedly.
It breaks your heart, how can you reply to him? What can you say to him?
“Sabo- I.. I'm out of the island right now-w I can't meet you—”, you reply choking on your own breath. You wished you hadn't lied to him.
Silence. He doesn't respond for a while.
“Why don't you drop it already? Y/n?”, he replies in a serious tone.
“Huh? What?”, confused you stare at the screen of your phone.
“The lie”
Your heart sank deeper, how did he know? No, since when did he?
“You knew?”, you ask surprised.
“Yeah, from the start”, he replied.
“I- how did you?”, you ask biting down on your lower lip.
“Well, because, the range is too far for den den mushi to connect to you after all”
“Hm.. I didn't think of that”
“So, will you tell me about yourself? The real things not the lies”
“You wouldn't believe it”, you reply.
“Try telling me”, he replies softly almost reassuringly.
“I- uhm.. Alright”
And so, you explained him everything about yourself and your world and how your call got connected to him unexpectedly.
“I'm so sorry for lying to you”, you sniff feeling guilty for your lies.
“It's alright. I get you. It would be hard to believe and tell”, he replies softly.
“So, you believe me?”, you ask.
“Of course! No wonder the things you told me felt like out of this world”, he jokes with a grin. You could tell he was grinning on the other side.
You chuckle softly at his joke, “Mhm”