Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Sabo has known Ace since Sabo was three and Ace was four. Ace’s mum Rouge, she’s really nice and she pretty much adopted Sabo right away. Sabo had run away from home after being abused by his parents, again, and had been wondering in the Grey Terminal for a while when he met Ace and Rouge. Ace was a year older with messy and wild raven black hair and pretty silver eyes. And Rouge was a pretty woman in her early, maybe middle forties with long golden hair and with the same pretty silver eyes like had Ace had. Well, Sabo knew who Ace got his eyes from- Rouge.
Sabo never gave his ‘family’ a second thought after going and living with Rouge and Ace. Life was just much better with them and Ace seemed to enjoy being a big brother. Not long later, a man who Ace called Shitty Gramps and who Rouge called Garp-san, come by with a baby. Asking Rouge to look after it, calling the baby Luffy. Saying how he was his grandson and his son was an idiot who couldn’t look after the child, or something like that.
Rouge, being the nice and loving lady she was. Accepted to look after the little rug-rat and telling Sabo and Ace that they were both now big brothers.
At first, neither Sabo or Ace want anything to do with the baby. Cause, well, you know. It was a baby. It was loud and annoying and tiny and couldn’t do anything by itself. But despite all of that… Sabo and Ace were both draw to the laughter and giggles of the little thing. Since neither one of them had ever seen a baby before. Well, before Luffy come along that is.
Sabo didn’t care those ‘things’ that were might to be babies back in high town. They were ugly little creatures but this one… Luffy… their baby brother, he was adorable as hell and neither Ace or Sabo could deny that, no matter how either of them tried. Okay, maybe they could deny, but never with a straight face and never to each other or to Rouge, but to everyone else they could deny it to.
Neither of them knew why, but they were both drawn to the little creature and loved it when he smiled and giggled. They could do without the crying and whining and loudest, but they liked it when Luffy was quiet or just smiling and giggling. It was cute and adorable and after that, well, the two of them didn’t want Rouge to get rid of or return the little creature to Garp. The two of them accepted Luffy as their baby brother, as their family. And it was just one more person to add to Sabo’s new family that he loved more than anything.
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Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Ryouta forced his little sister to eat the fruit. He didn’t want to force her to eat but he had too. They have to survive! She has to survive! She’s only three! Ryouta also forced himself to eat and their mother. They can survive this! They have too! They can’t die here! Ryouta won’t let anyone of them die!
Ryouta didn't want to lose his family. He promised his father. He promised that he would promise protect his mother and baby sister to his father, so he was going to! He made a promise and he was going to keep it!
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Three years later…
Ryouta panted heavily as he held his little sister close to himself. He stopped breathing when he heard voices and people nearby. His sister didn’t make a sound as she was too scared and was shaking in fear. Their mother had just been murdered before their eyes and the people were coming for them, well, for Macey. For Ryouta’s little sister. Just because she was a devil fruit eater.
They both stood, in their Fire God temple clothes. Which was pretty much a white and red kimono, with small gold flames on it. They’re belonged and lived at the Fire God Temple for as long as they could remember. Well, for three years. For as long as Macey would clearly remember.
The people accepted the small family of three right away, with Macey being dubbed the Fire Goddess by them. Since Macey's devil fruit was just that, the Zoan type of a Fire God. The people at the temple worshipped Macey as if she was the Fire God itself, though calling young Macey the Fire Goddess since she is a girl. And to think, Macey eating the fruit has been a complete accident. They had been travelling for a long time and were starving, when Ryouta had find some fruits.
Ryouta and their mother Naomi had given Macey the fruit that turned out to be a devil fruit by mistake, not realising what it was. And the rest is history, from there, they travelled and someone from the temple had find them as Macey was using her fire powers to start a fire to keep them warm. To think, it could have been Ryouta or their mother who could have eaten the fruit but nope, it was little Macey. After the man had seen Macey use the fire from her devil fruit, he had dubbed her a ‘host’ of the Fire God and take Ryouta, Naomi and Macey to live with the Fire God worshippers at the temple.
Now, everything was on fire. Some men, pirates. They had seen Macey using her devil fruit as part of a temple ritual and knew that it was a devil fruit. They had decided that they were going to kidnap and sell Macey to the highest bidder. Though they had no idea what her devil fruit was, other than that it involved fire.
The temple and the people tried to protect Macey but they were overpowered by the pirates. Once that happened, Naomi had told Ryouta to take his little sister and run. To not look back, no matter what and to keep running. No matter what. The pirates couldn’t get hold of Macey.
Now, Ryouta was hiding with his baby sister in his arms. Not that’s she a baby really. She’s six after all. But compared to Ryouta, who was sixteen, she was a baby and she will always be his baby sister.
Now… to find a way to escape from here… but how and where?
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“Bunny! Boing! Boing!” three year old Luffy smiled as he jumped around like a rabbit with Ace and Sabo as they were looking for fruits. The two older brothers had a deal, whenever they had Luffy they looked for fruits and veggies and one, normally Sabo, would look after Luffy while the other, normally Ace, would go hunting for the meat. Luffy was too little to take hunting for rabbits or bears or wild pigs and the like.
The blonde brothers smiled at Luffy. “That’s right Lu. The bunny jumps around, boing, boing.”
The little raven hair boy looked at his blonde brother like he was stupid or something then pointed to where an actual rabbit was. He was trying to tell his brother that he could see an actual bunny rabbit.
“Bunny!” he beamed as he jumped towards it. “Boing! Boing!” and somehow the three year old had managed to catch it.
Okay… Sabo will admit, that was good and he does feel a little stupid for not the rabbit sooner.
“Good work Luffy,” the blonde six year old blonde praised the little three year raven hair boy. Seriously, how many three year olds can catch an actual bunny rabbit by themselves? Only one and that being Luffy, so of course Sabo was going to praise the kid. "Go show Ace?”
"Ace! Ace!” Luffy agreed jumping up and down but keeping a good hold on the rabbit that he had caught. “Mummy Rouge too! Mummy Rouge too!”
Sabo laughed as he ruffled Luffy’s hair. “Of course Lu, we’ll show Mummy Rouge too.”
“Yes! Shishishi!” Luffy laughed as he started to run off back to the little cabin that they lived in with Rouge and Ace.
Where was Ace right now? He was out hunting while Sabo was playing with Luffy and distracting him from Ace being away. Other wises, Luffy would tried to follow and help. That was why they had come up with the idea and plan of one of them staying with Luffy while the other hunted. Ace was stronger and faster than Sabo so it was easier to let him do the hunting so Sabo looked after Luffy. Since it was starting to get too hard for Rouge to keep up with all of Luffy’s energy, plus Rouge wasn’t been well lately either.
So that Rouge could rest and get better, Sabo and Ace take Luffy with them and try to get rid of as much of Luffy’s energy as possible.
“Sabo!” a red hair man beamed as he found them.
“Shanks!” Sabo smiled back. The red hair man had been a friend’s or something of Ace’s dad before he died and he knew Rouge really well. So Ace and Sabo liked him while Luffy, well, he adored Shanks.
“Shanks!” Luffy squealed a little as he jumped the man as well as managing to take him to the ground, while still managing to keep hold of the rabbit he had caught. Sabo has no idea how Luffy managed to do it, but he did it. “Bunny! Bunny!”
Poor bunny rabbit, it looked like it was being squashed by Luffy hugging Shanks.
Shanks laughed as he sat up and hugged Luffy back. “You catch that big mean old bunny rabbit yourself did you kiddo?”
Luffy nodded his head several times for yes. “Yeah!” Luffy was giggling too then Luffy was saying something about the rabbit not being big or mean or old.
“Where’s Ace?" Shanks asked as he got up and carried Luffy back to the cabin that the three boys live in with Rouge. “I haven’t seen him.”
“Hutting!” Luffy answered.
“Lu means hunting,” Sabo laughed lightly.
“Makes sense,” Shanks nodded then smiled at Luffy. “How about a story when we get back kiddos?”
“Yes!” Luffy cheered. “Story! Pirate King one!”
“Well who else would I talk about?” Shanks grinned at Luffy.
Sabo laughed and smiled as he walked with Shanks who was carrying Luffy. Sabo knew about who Ace’s dad was. Sure, Ace wasn’t the man’s biggest fan. It was because of him that Rouge and Ace are being hunted down but Garp and Shanks are protecting them so everyone and everything was going to be fine. No harm would ever befall them, any of them.
...
Right?
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Three years later…
Fire. That was all Sabo could see. Was fire. The Marines had somehow find them, they had found out that Rouge and Ace were here. And they were here with orders to kill! They were trying to burn down the forest where they were living to smoke them out.
Sabo has no idea how the Marines had found them, but he wasn’t going to let his best friend/older brother and his little brother/other best friend die or be killed just of who Ace's father was! Ace wasn't his father! Especially not after Rouge dying, after her sacrificing herself so that they could get away… the nine year old blonde wasn’t going to let anything happen to his ten year and six year old brothers! Not after watching and letting their mother die!
All Sabo has to do is steal a boat! It was as easy as that!
The only thing Sab didn’t take into account was that was a Celestial Dragon visiting and that they were even worse than the Nobles of the High Town.
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The water outside of Dawn Island…
"Big brother!” nine year old Macey shouted as she pointed to at the celestial dragon ship they had been travelling behind without them knowing. Her older brother, nineteen year old Ryouta come over. “Something’s going on! Look!”
Ryouta frowned at the sight of what his little sister and First Mate was talking about. A celestial dragon was blowing up a small ship that seemed to have a… a kid on it!? WHat the hell!?
“Ariel!” Ryouta shouted to their resident doctor and mermaid.
“Yes Captain?” Ariel answered floating over using a special air bubble.
“Shipwreck! Grab the kid please! He seems to be the only passenger!” Ryouta told her as he pointed to where the whole crew was now looking and seeing a blown up and burning ship. Ryouta would go himself, but he’s a devil fruit eater so he kind of can’t.
Ariel frowned noticing the wreckage. “On it Captain!”
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New World…
Shanks spat out his drink as he read the paper. What the hell… the Marines found Ace and Rouge!? There were bounties on Ace’s and Luffy’s heads?! Where’s Sabo?! Rouge died?! What?! Just, just what?!
“Ben!” Shanks shouted.
“Yes Captain?” Shanks’ First Mate said sticking his head into the Captain's Cabin.
“Who do we know anyone that’s close to the East Blue!?” Shanks asked grabbing Ben and shaking him. Clearly freaking out. “Rouge’s dead and the boys… the boys… they have bounties! But one of them seems to be missing and… What do I do Ben?!”
Ben sighed at his Captain’s panicked state. Ben could understand bits and pieces of what he was saying, but not everything. Shanks needs to come down and speak more slowly and clearly so Ben can understand him.
“Breath Captain breath,” Ben told Shanks as he did the breath in, breath out to show Shanks what he needed to do. Shanks copied. “Now, start from the beginning. What’s wrong?”
Shanks shoved the paper in Ben’s face, as if that explained it all. Ben moved the paper out of his face then sighed as he read the article that seemed to have Shanks so upset. Ben had to read it a few things to make sure that he was reading this right. Miss Rouge was dead? Ace and Luffy have bounties? Where's Sabo? The blonde middle brother was missing... oh...
“I’m sorry Shanks,” Ben said. He knew that Shanks, Ben's Captain, was close with his Captain's (Roger who was Shanks' former Captain) former lover and that Shanks went to the Eat Blue a bit to see her and her son Ace, plus two other kids Luffy and Sabo. If Ben remembers correctly. The three kids were alright, for kids.
Shanks was trying his hardest to not cry. “Ace and Luffy are on the run and I don’t know what happened with Sabo! Rouge’s gone and… we need to do something Ben! Who do we know that close to East Blue or can get there fast!?”
Ben had to stop and think for a moment. Who did they know that was near East Blue right now, who wouldn’t mind getting the boys for them…?
Damn it, here’s only one person who Ben could think of and Shanks wasn’t going to like it. Nor was Shanks was going to like the other only option of who could get there fast for them. Shanks was not going to be happy.
“There’s Eli, he’s in the East Blue right now,” Ben told Shanks who shivered at the idea. Eli was… Eli was not someone who did things for free or as a favour for a friend. He would want something in return. “Or there’s Whitebeard.” Shanks frowned at that opinion. His only opinions of saving Ace and Luffy and finding out what happened to Sabo was either his former Captain’s biggest rival and enemy other than Garp, (who isn’t a bad person. Both Whitebeard and Garp are pretty cool, for old men) or someone that Shanks knew he could trust but wouldn’t do this for free?
“There’s no-one else?” Shanks asked- looking at Ben with dire need. There wasn't another option? Shanks didn’t like either of the options that his First Mate had just given.
“Not that I can think of,” Ben answered with a shake of his head. "Sorry Captain, i can think of either Eli or Whitebeard."
Shit… who should Shank choice…?