Work Text:
The World Government has fallen.
Monkey D. Luffy destroyed the last thing blocking out the light of freedom in Mary Geoise. Oh, people tried to stop them, but they were held back by the Straw Hat Grand Fleet and the Red Hair pirates
There weren’t many marines who joined the fight. Not after it split in two. One faction led by Fleet Admiral Akainu and the other by Coby the Hero.
The fight was by no means one-sided and a lot of lives were lost, but the Revolutionary Army helped change the tide of war. All but the strongest executives appeared to do as much damage as they could to Akainu’s men.
Coby was too busy fighting Akainu to remember much about what was happening around them but at some point Marineford started to crumble around them and the momentary distraction was enough for Coby to arrest the now former Fleet Admiral.
Akainu was tried for his crimes and executed.
Coby wasn’t there for it, none of his crew were. Instead they kept close to Hibari as she cried and clung to them for support. Because despite being responsible for ordering Buster Calls, upholding the Celestial Dragon’s demands for slavery and being complicit in many other crimes, he was still her father.
Later, organised with hushed whispers and passed around chisels, they placed a small gravestone nestled in the corner of a burned down island. Nobody lived there anymore and nobody but Hibari had a reason to return to the place she once called home.
That was the last peaceful moment they got before they were pulled back to reality. The Marines were shattered, many having abandoned their posts to take care of their family, others having deserted for having to uphold the so-called “justice” for so long. Nobody blamed them.
But the fall of the World Government left behind a power vacuum and the Revolutionary Army couldn’t be everywhere at once. There was no organisation left to stop bandits from pillaging and taking over villages and pirate activity went up after Luffy was crowned King of the Pirates.
So Coby rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
He was met with resistance, of course. People didn’t want to put their trust in the Marines after all the atrocities came to light. But Coby wasn’t alone. Those who fought alongside him in what people now call the Final Battle jumped at the opportunity to help fix things.
The new Marines, or as Coby preferred, the Navy, didn’t start out as a big organisation. Moving as one big force wouldn’t work when they were needed in so many places. So instead they came up with a system. It took a lot of planning but with the help of Helmeppo and Hibari, they figured something out.
They split their forces up into smaller crews led by New World veterans who taught the rest of the crew everything they had to know before setting out.
But it was difficult to make a dent in the new wave of crimes. Their response times were slow because it was difficult to find out where and when a crime was happening. Their information network hadn’t survived the blow done to the Marines. Nobody reported to people who didn’t help.
It made them reliant on the News Coo. Morgans still reported on what “Big News” he could find and what’s bigger news than bloodshed?
It only spurned the people on. If this new organization couldn’t actually do anything in time, then why did it matter? Some islands straight up refused their help and those who did were reluctant. In the end, it didn’t matter, not when they’ve managed to save the people they swore to protect but it still stung.
That is, until the Revolutionary Army swooped in. They saw what they were doing and offered their share of resources if they agreed to their terms.
Coby was surprised when the offer came. It was hard not to be when they’ve done nothing to earn it. The messenger themself looked reluctant but apparently you don’t deny th-
“Are you still working? This late?” An amused voice drifts through the room.
Coby startles, wincing when he hears his back crack from where he’d been hunched over his desk. He huffs and looks over. “The paperwork isn’t going to file itself, now is it?”
“You’re the Fleet Admiral. You can get someone else to do it.” Sabo waves him off. “That’s what I do and it works out perfectly fine!”
Standing in a window that Coby is sure had been locked before is none other than the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army.
“And you wonder why Koala yells at you so much.” Coby stands up and crosses his arms, eyes crinkling with fondness. “Now what can I help you with? We aren’t due for another inspection yet, are we? The last one wasn’t that long ago.”
One of the conditions of the deal. Nobody wanted a repeat of the Marines or the World Government, so the Revolutionary Army had the right to inspect the Navy whenever they wanted. Coby doesn’t mind. They’ve got nothing to hide, after all.
Their work with the Revolutionary Army also brought him a lot closer with their Chief of Staff.
Sabo shakes his head as he invites himself into Coby’s office. “Nah, I was just in the neighborhood and decided to visit my favourite marine.” Adjusting his gloves, Sabo grins. “It’d be a shame if he didn’t have time for visitors.”
Coby sighs rubbing the back of his neck with an apologetic smile. “Sorry Sabo, I have to finish this first.” His eyes glance back at the stack of papers on his desk. Setting up the Navy is a slow and grueling process but a necessary one if they want to uphold peace in the world.
“And when’s the last time you took a break, Fleet Admiral?” Sabo asks and by the glint in his eye, he already knows the answer. “It wouldn’t do for you to burn yourself out when you’ve finally got the ball rolling.”
Kingdoms all across the Grand Line are beginning to open up to the idea of the Navy again. It’s been three years since they’ve started and the Navy’s influence has been undeniable.
It helps that people see the Revolutionary Army as a force to keep the Navy in check. The Marines have already been overthrown once and there’s not much stopping it from happening again.
But Coby will make sure that the Navy won’t become as corrupt as the Marines did. And if it does? Coby would destroy it again.
But still, “I won’t burn out.” Coby swears. Sabo doesn’t look convinced. The revolutionary tilts his head and looks out the window. The sun is setting over the sea.
“How long have you been working?” Sabo asks. If Coby took a closer look at his face, then he would’ve recognised the look in his eyes. But unfortunately, Coby has already turned back to the paperwork on his desk.
“I think I started at..” Coby trails off, squinting his eyes at the paper. The lines blur in and out of focus. When did he start again? He woke up around three am to train, because he wouldn't have time for it otherwise and ate breakfast around five so.. “Six?" Coby thinks back on it before nodding. “Yeah, I started at six.”
“Have you eaten dinner? Lunch?” Sabo presses, moving closer. Coby winces. “I know your friends are out on missions so they couldn’t have reminded you.” Sabo’s shadow falls over the desk as he looms behind the chair. “How many meals have you missed today?”
“I’ve eaten.” Coby answers. His men have gotten into the habit of delivering his meals to him despite his insistence that it’s fine. Helmeppo had complained one too many times about Coby getting caught up in his work and the base took note. In the end, he’s stopped arguing about it. It allows him to eat and work at the same time so it works out.
Coby picks up a quill to continue on the paperwork only for Sabo to pluck it out of his hand. “Hey!” Coby half-heartedly protests. “I was using that!”
“Not anymore you’re not.” Sabo perches himself on his armrest. Coby flushes at the close proximity. “Actually, you’re done with work for today. I’ve got a much better use of your time in mind.”
Sabo’s grin is that akin to a Cheshire cat’s and it makes butterflies fly up in Coby’s stomach.
“What do you have in mind- Woah!” Sabo grabs him by the collar and hoists him closer. Coby can’t help the flutters of laughter as Sabo peppers his face with kisses before pulling back with a mischievous grin. “Oh I’ve got plenty of ideas.” Sabo leans closer, a promise of trouble on his face. “But I don’t think you want me making a mess of your office.”
Oh this man was making him red in the face, he just knows it. “Well that depends.” Coby kisses him with enough ferocity to tip Sabo’s hat off his head. He pulls back just enough to see Sabo freeze in place, his cheeks colouring as his fingers come up to rest over the place where Coby kissed him.
Coby grins. He loves stunning his lover whenever he gets the chance to.
Sabo recovers quickly, a devious and slightly feral grin tugging at his lips. “Oh so that’s how you want to play.” The flexing of his fingers is all the warning Coby gets before he’s swooped up from his chair.
Coby rushes to throw his arms around Sabo’s neck as Sabo leans down to pick up his tophat. “Wh-Sabo!” High-pitched and laughing, his voice can’t hide the absolute fondness in his tone as Sabo laughs and walks over to the window.
“What? You wanted to play games, so now we’re playing!” Sabo teases, his grin lopsided. One hand squeezes against his shoulder while the other is hooked around his legs. “You might wanna hold onto something love, I’m not wasting time on the stairs.”
Crouching down, Sabo lands on the windowsill, his eyes scanning the Navy base below. A few nearby heads perk up when they hear the commotion but most quickly get back to work after seeing what is going on.
Coby tries saving what little dignity he has left by hiding his face in his hands but knows that it’s useless. The Chief of Staff used to be a sight that made his men nervous, assuming an inspection was inbound and that they had to be on their best behaviour. Nowadays, it’s an open secret as to why he visits Headquarters so often.
Maybe if the Navy had rebuilt Marineford at the entrance to the New World, it would’ve been written off as a necessary visit. A routine stop and go. But the thought of any kind of power holding a position of such prominence left a bad taste. The rest of the world agreed and so the new Headquarters was moved and old Marineford was made into a trading hub instead. A place of the people.
He isn’t entirely sure when he started taking an interest in Sabo but it took a while for any kind of feelings to grow. He’d convinced himself that it was strictly a work relationship and an admiration for being able to make such change in the world. Helmeppo and Hibari’s shared glances whenever he said as much meant nothing, nothing at all!
It’d been agonising to watch people fawn over the man and the idea of Sabo being with someone else made his stomach curl. Yet he kept fluttering around the issue with the Chief of Staff being none the wiser. Getting assigned on so many missions with him certainly didn’t help either.
It all came to a head when it was just them and a trafficking ring. The ring had been trying to establish a new branch of slave trade with the power vacuum having messed with a lot of existing ones. Celestial Dragons didn’t exist anymore so their main buyer had gone up in smoke.
This group had been selling to a quickly growing bandit outpost. A very hush-hush deal because neither groups were strong enough to defend themselves against actual threats if needed. Apparently that was why only two people were assigned to this mission.
Taking down the trafficking ring was an easy thing to do. It only took a couple of punches for them to go down and when Coby turned around to check up on Sabo, he found the man crouching down, threatening the right hand man that now laid on the ground with a smile on his face, metal pipe dangling from his hand.
“Do you want to go out with me?” The words were blurted out and mortification quickly followed them. Sabo paused and grinned before throwing the guy into a wall.
Apparently, Sabo had been waiting a while for him to ask that. Coby wished that the ground would swallow him whole when Sabo told him how obvious he was. It got bad enough that Helmeppo and Hibari made a betting ring for how it would go down.
Almost the entire pirate world was in on it after Luffy absentmindedly mentioned it in a meeting. Sabo pouted when Nami banned him from it. Said he’d be able to influence the outcome.
“Wh- If you knew, why didn’t you say anything!” Coby cried out, hiding his face in embarrassment. Sabo smiled and held Coby’s hands into his own, pulling them away from his face. “Because I wanted you to be the one to say it.” Sabo admits.
They went on to get rid of the bandit outpost and Coby vehemently denies gaping when Sabo fought his fair share of the bandit. The man was showing off and that made it very difficult to focus on his own fight. Shaking his head, Coby forced himself to look away before obliterating the bandit leader. Sabo still denies stopping to watch Coby and getting clocked in the face for it by his opponent.
The two of them have been together ever since that day. They can’t always meet up because of their jobs needing them to be in different places but they make it work. Sabo frequently stops by, usually unannounced, and sometimes Coby gets to surprise Sabo whenever he’s away from Headquarters.
“Getting lost in thought, now are we?” Sabo muses, pulling Coby from his mind. He tilts his head to the side and smiles. “Or are you just enjoying the view?”
Coby huffs. “It’s a good view.” He mumbles before glancing around. They’re up in the air, high above the base as Sabo skywalks. When did they take off?
Sabo chuckles and holds him a little closer. “Then look as much as you like.” With that, the revolutionary lets them freefall. The ground gets closer and closer before Sabo uses a burst of flame to safely land in front of a small house, far away from the main base. “Here we are.”
Coby nods and shuffles to get out of the bridal carry but Sabo doesn’t budge. Instead he grins as he nudges open the door with his foot. “Sabo..” Coby warns but that only makes Sabo grin wider.
“Oh come on love, you’ve been on your feet all day. Can’t blame a guy for wanting to take care of you.” Coby grumbles but settles as Sabo crosses the room and places Coby on the couch. “There. Now stay still, I’ll get you something to eat.” With that, he’s off to the kitchen, Coby carefully narrowing his eyes at Sabo as he leaves.
“You’re not going to try cooking again, are you?” Coby calls out. “I don’t want to put out a fire again.”
Sabo playfully scoffs and pokes his head out from around the corner. “I’ll let you know that I’m a wonderful cook and I despise that accusation.” Coby huffs out a laugh. “You burned water. I think most of the chefs were ready to riot.” Coby points out.
Sabo grumbles as Coby hears him rummaging around in the kitchen. “Well it’s my job getting people to riot so I think I’m doing great.” Yet despite his grumbling, the sounds of something being reheated make Coby’s shoulders slump in relief.
He loves that man, he really does, but Sabo cannot cook for the life of him. The floor hidden under the carpet still has scorchmarks from when he tried using his Devil Fruit to do so.
Coby has almost dozed off when Sabo returns, plate in hand. Coby eagerly accepts it as Sabo joins him on the couch. He realises just how hungry he is and shovels the food down.
Sabo is staring at him with an overly fond look. Coby pauses his chewing before gulping the bite down. “What’s that look for?”
Laughing under his breath, Sabo softly shakes his head. “Nothing, nothing.” The warmth of his voice curls around Coby’s heart.
Coby hums, unconvinced but doesn’t push further. “So how was your day today? Did anything interesting happen?” Coby asks and Sabo’s face lights up and he launches into his retelling. “So it started when Koala found out that I had been letting people do my paperwork..”
Coby listens as Sabo regales him with the shenanigans of the day and can’t help but smile. It took a long time for things to settle in this new world. A lot of lives were lost to get here and for a while there was nothing but fear and uncertainty. But people still made the best of what they had to create even a semblance of peace.
The World Government is gone, the Marines have been reformed into something more honest and people are working together to heal what they can and rebuild the rest.
And Coby? Coby is right there along with them, Sabo at his side.
Coby doesn’t know what the future may hold but whatever it is, Coby knows they’ll face it together.