Chapter Text
“I don’t get why you are chasing Teach so much,” Sabo said as he picked at the remanence of his meal. He had run into Ace by pure coincidence, but seeing as his mission was already over, he sent his crew back ahead of him. Sabo had his own boat, after all.
“It’s my duty.” Ace replied, face hard.
Sabo let the subject drop, knowing how stubborn his brother was. “Where do you think Loof is at now?”
Ace’s shoulders lost their tension. He looked thoughtful, tucking his hat back slightly. “Who knows? He’s left Water 7 by now. He’s heading to Sabaody.”
All the rookies did. Sometimes Sabo wondered why he didn’t join his brothers in the pirate life; chasing the adventure they had dreamt about as children. His eyes traced the scars lining his hand as he slipped his gloves back on. The Revs had saved him, just as he saved people too, now.
“I’ll stop by there and see him.” Sabo said. It had been a while since he had seen his younger brother. Their letters were few and far in between. He missed the rubber idiot. “Where are you off to?”
Before Ace could say, an ominous presence flooded Sabo’s senses. The way Ace stood quickly told Sabo he felt it too.
“Teach,” Ace growled, low in his throat.
He took off in the direction with little preamble, and Sabo chased after him. He would be lying if he said he’d been worried about his brother chasing Blackbeard on his own. Ace was strong, but he got in over his head at times. They didn’t have to run far, and soon Sabo was faced with a destroyed section of the village. Blackbeard stood atop a pile of rubble, and across from him was a rookie pirate Sabo remembered seeing. The Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law.
“Don’t you see it’s futile to run, Torao?” Teach roared, a sick type of glee in his voice. “You were destined to die by my hand the moment Nika favored you! Or, should I say Luffy.”
Ace and Sabo looked at each other at once. Luffy had always spoken about someone named Torao when they were young. As they grew up, it had pattered out to just a few comments here and there. Neither of them had ever met a Torao or knew how Luffy had met the man either. But Luffy was a terrible liar, so they assumed he was imaginary or something.
In the rubble, bleeding and holding onto a sword, the man looked to be shocked. He mouthed the name Luffy. His hands shook, just for a moment, before his face fell flat and his grip readjusted.
Sabo and Ace acted as one. Despite all the years they haven’t been fighting together, they had grown up fighting side by side. They were too attuned to each other. Ace shot a powerful blast of flames at Blackbeard, and Sabo followed just behind it, Haki-coated pipe poised to attack. Blackbeard reacted just in time, using his Devil Fruit to dodge the attack of flames, but Sabo had the element of surprise. His pipe managed to get his arms, and he sent Blackbeard flying.
Ace landed by his side, and Sabo sent a look back at Law. Law pushed himself up and lifted his hand. A sphere of energy passed through Sabo, and as his eyes followed it, he could see Ace reaching for him, his other hand covered in flames. Teach was faster than he had anticipated, and he raised his pipe up to take the brunt of the blow, when instead he was suddenly across the battlefield. Law’s sword was through Blackbeard’s shoulder.
His Devil Fruit, Sabo thought. Something with teleportation, because now Sabo stood where Law once did. Ace didn’t miss a beat, flooding Blackbeard with flames. Law collapsed once Blackbeard was sent back, Ace following his attack with another. Sabo rushed over to him and took in the damage. He was bloody, but it mostly seemed from minor lacerations. Law mostly seemed exhausted, perhaps from his power. Blackbeard was toying with him.
Luffy...What did Luffy have to do with Blackbeard?
“Who are you?” Law demanded.
“A friend, I think.” Sabo said. He watched as Ace and Blackbeard went against each other: fire and darkness. Blackbeard was rambling as they fought, and he almost seemed crazed.
“Elio,” He crowed, “Ace. Always protecting that impudent boy! Haven’t I killed you once before?”
“What are you blabbering about?” Ace snarked.
It was a bit of a blur from there. Ace and Sabo worked as a team, and Law stuck around to aid them out of tough spots. Blackbeard’s crew quickly came to break their makeshift team apart, and Sabo found himself protecting Law more than he was fighting Blackbeard. The man was already exhausted, and while he held his own pretty well, these were experienced pirates, not rookies.
“Get out of here,” Sabo said after fending off another attack. “Now!”
Law grit his teeth, looking angry at the order, but called up another spere and disappeared. By the time Sabo immobilized his opponent, energy started to pool at Ace and Blackbeard. Fire against darkness. Sabo backed off, taking cover as the two power sources battled. When it finally settled, he found Ace and Blackbeard still standing.
Now was time to end it. Sabo tucked his pipe away and channeled Haki to his hands. He darted between rubble and aimed for Blackbeard’s core.
And then his body was stuck midair.
“Sabo!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Sabo woke to the sound of beeping, a heart monitor. There was the smell of antiseptic; he was bandaged up and hooked up to an IV. He was in a place he didn’t recognize, and when he spread his senses out, he only recognized one person. Trafalgar Law.
“Don’t move.” Law said. He was bandaged but seemed fine. “You broke a few ribs and have some stitches I don’t want to redo.”
“Ace,” Sabo rasped out. Law’s face didn’t change, but his inner voice took on a sheen of remorse. “He’s dead?”
“Captured.” Law said. He handed over a newspaper. It read about Ace’s capture and awaiting execution. Sabo stared at it for a long time. “We’re heading to Sabaody. I barely got you out of the fight and we got targeted immediately.”
“Okay,” Sabo said. “Thank you for your help.”
“Do you know Nika?” Law blurted out. He looked embarrassed but schooled his features quickly.
Blackbeard had called Luffy that name. Sabo had never heard of it before, outside of the old legends Koala liked. Luffy had never mentioned it either, but Sabo knew he had changed his name once before. Leo to Luffy.
“You’re Torao.” He said.
Law’s frown deepened. He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. “Where is...where is Nika?”
“He’s on his way to Sabaody.” Sabo said. “Luffy, I mean.” Law leaned back in his seat. “How far are we from Sabaody?”
“A few hours.” Law replied. He sounded distant, as though he was miles away. “He’s alive?”
Sabo quickly felt out of the loop. “He’s alive.”
“Are you also a god?” Law asked.
“Uh, what?” Sabo replied.
Law’s face made a complicated expression. His voice clouded over with anger and jealousy. “How do you know him? Nika.”
“Luffy,” Sabo said again, “Is my brother.”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Luffy looked out at the sea, closing his eyes as the wind blew through his hair. Brook played a soft tune in the background, harmonizing with the seagulls flying by the Sunny. Zoro was asleep against the railing beside him, covered in bandages. Luffy stared at the pristine white for just a moment, before shame overtook him. He had no idea how Zoro got injured after Luffy fell unconscious, but he knew it had something to do with him. Luffy felt fine, and Zoro had identical wounds.
He needed to get stronger. He needed them all to get stronger. He couldn’t keep failing his people.
“Zoro,” Luffy said, “Have you heard of Haki?”
“No,” Zoro said. “What is it?”
Luffy smiled at him, a soft thing. He ran his fingers through Zoro’s hair. He remembered when Rayleigh was young and began to learn how to utilize his birthright. He would teach Zoro just as good.
“I will teach you.” He vowed. “You will be the strongest.”
Zoro nodded his head, like that was all he needed: his captain being certain of something. It had been a long time since Luffy inspired such a reaction out of someone.
“Luffy!” Nami called. She had her gardening gloves on, a small shovel in one hand and dirt on her cheek. She tended to her orange trees more when she was overwhelmed. “You have a letter from the News Coo!”
Luffy hopped off the figurehead and hurried over to Nami. As she said, there was a small envelope addressed to him. He ripped it open and smiled when he saw his mother tongue printed neatly. Sabo hadn’t contacted him in quite a while. He read it quickly, and his smile vanished.
Sabo was injured, Ace was captured and bound for execution, and Sabo had found Torao.
Torao.
He was mixed from feeling anguish over Ace’s capture, worry for Sabo’s injuries, and joy at Torao being located.
“What is it?” Nami said, worried.
“How far until we are at Sabaody?” Luffy asked.
Nami looked up at the sky and pursed her lips. “Two days, maybe three if the wind stays.”
“Okay.” Luffy said.
He turned on his heel and wandered into the library. Robin was there, as he had expected. She saw his expression and placed her current book down into her lap.
“Captain-san, is everything okay?” She asked.
“No,” Luffy admitted.
He handed her the note and quickly left to find the communal paper and ink. Nami kept the good stuff in her map room. He quickly started to write his reply, an affirmative that he would meet Sabaody in a few days, and that they would find a way to save Ace. He hesitated when he got to the topic of Torao.
Torao calls you Nika. What does that mean, Luffy?
Torao didn’t have clear memories of him; Luffy would bet his hat on it. It didn’t lessen the sting of Torao calling him that name.
“Ace is going to be executed?” Robin murmured, her eyebrows creased. “He’s from the Whitebeard pirates; there is no doubt the Marines want a war.”
“Do you know where he will be?” Luffy asked.
Robin shook her head. “I’ll keep an eye on the paper. It will likely be revealed soon.”
Luffy nodded his head. The letter he was writing to Sabo had a large ink stain where he left his pen on the paper for too long. He couldn’t lose Ace. He couldn’t do Torao wrong again. He needed to be strong.
“Luffy,” Robin asked. She was by his side now, and Luffy hadn’t even noticed her stand. She put a hand on his shoulder, careful as if she expected him to reject it. “Would you like to talk about it?”
“Torao doesn’t remember me.” He whispered.
Robin squeezed his arm. “Perhaps you should tell him how you’ve been feeling?”
She stood by his side as he stared at the paper. They didn’t speak. It was only when he grabbed a new page and dedicated it to Law that Robin left the room, only to return a few minutes later with a small snack platter for him. She sipped her tea and read her book by his side, and for the first time in a while, Luffy didn’t feel so utterly alone. Robin understood him better than anyone, now. Not even Sabo or Ace knew the truth of his past.
Why was it so easy to tell Robin, he wondered. Was it because she’d been hunting for his story for her entire life? Was it because she was villainized for learning his language? Was it because she was at the height of despair but still longed to live, just as he had?
Robin helped him seal the letters and joined him on the deck as he gave it to the impatient News Coo. She gave the bird a few coins to speed the delivery up.
“Everyone,” Luffy called, “Listen up. Ace is going to be executed in two weeks.”