#if ace and sabo reunion happened before sabo remembered anything. what then.

[luphins]

'Was it so easy to forget?'

#one piece #one piece fan art #one piece ace #portgas d ace #sabo #one piece sabo #one piece fanart #opfanart #op fanart #asl trio #asl brothers #anime fanart #artists on tumblr #digital art #my art #sabo the revolutionary #yeah asl brothers angst haunts my dreams just like it haunts sabo! #if ace and sabo reunion happened before sabo remembered anything. what then. #i'm so normal about them :)

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: Wano (Part One)

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)

shirahoshi seeing the sun for the first time is really a relatively minor and understated thing, among all the chaos and revelations of reverie, but it strikes me as one of the most meaningful little moments in the arc. 

i LOVE the luffy fanclub. i love that a meeting of the world leaders winds up being a who’s-who with assorted friends of one of the world’s most notorious criminals, and it brings me SO much joy to see them meeting each other and being able to connect. i feel the same way about coby and rebecca meeting.

in general, and i think i said this at marineford too, i love that the one piece world is developed and interconnected and alive enough to allow for these sorts of interactions. 

fucked up that this was almost a hundred chapters ago and we still have no clue what the fuck was up with this, isn’t it? 

i do find the introduction of im fascinating. up until this point we’ve had two presumed final villains- blackbeard and akainu- who were first established pretty far back at jaya and enies lobby (in robin’s flashback) respectively. meanwhile, im isn’t even seen until chapter nine hundred and something. it feels very late-game, but at the same time, their existence doesn’t contradict anything previously established, and in fact jives pretty well with a lot of information more recently revealed in dressrosa. 

in any case, when in doubt i do trust oda knows what he’s doing when handling his story, and i’m very excited to see what he does with this.

wano is SO PRETTY. i mentioned this before in fishman island, but i think wano is definitely the prettiest setting in the series to date. i think it’s obvious oda was both very excited to draw it and put a lot of work and research into his depiction of it, and wow does it pay off. wano is so bursting with life and detail, and frequently looks like an ukiyo-e painting come to life, and just- wow wow wow.

i love zoro and luffy’s reunion so much... i love how happy they are to see each other. it’s only been, what, a couple weeks in-universe? but luffy is pulling the full tackle-hug like he did for sabo at dressrosa. i love them.

i really like the outfits in wano, too!! zoro’s ronin look in particular i think suits him very well, and i also love luffy’s patchy yukata and robin’s geisha getup and they’re just very cool. this also applies to the non-strawhat wano characters, for the record, and kind of ties back to what i was just saying about wano being so full of detail. it has a very specific look, and everything from the outfits to the way things like the fire and the waves are drawn folds very neatly into that aesthetic. 

as i’m writing this i just finished on the paramount war posts, so with that fresh on my mind, i have to say i really like the way ace (or rather, his memory) is incorporated into wano. he’s not really a major presence- that is, the fact that he was there before luffy has no real bearing on the plot. but there are people who knew and cared about him and remember him fondly, tama and yamato, and it just really helps add to this feeling that ace was a person and his life and death had real and lasting affects. 

and it adds, too, to the fact that even if it took ace way too long to realize it, he was so thoroughly loved everywhere he went. 

i have a lot of thoughts on the intersection of food and heroism in one piece (i keep trying to compile a coherent meta post on the subject and mostly failing). but i’ll settle for saying that in wano luffy is a hero by his own definition, as someone who shares food with others, and i doubt he realizes that, but i think it’s really interesting. 

i know luffy’s fight with kaidou is kind of controversial in fandom but i love it, personally. it feels like a logical outcome for luffy to get his ass kicked the first time he tries to go up against a yonkou singlehandedly! he got wrecked when he tried to throw down with a shichibukai the first time, too, and this is just the next logical step from that. 

luffy’s always been an underdog starting from nowhere and working his way up and up and up, and i love that for him. of course he’s going to get messed up the first time he tries punching an entire order of magnitude above his weight class. and then he’s going to get up and try again, and again, and again until he wins. 

the act structure of wano is really neat, i think. it helps such a long and complicated arc feel a lot more structured and less interminable than it might otherwise, and it also gives specific breaks where we can cut away to the story happening on the outside world. 

honestly i really like the whole udon prison segment. it’s fun! i like it for similar reasons i like the colosseum mini-arc in dressrosa, honestly, which is that there’s no real stress because we know luffy is the scariest person there by a country mile so we can just watch him go ham, and that’s fun. it consistently cracks me up that absolutely nobody is worried luffy’s in jail. they’re all just like “yeah, he’ll be fine.” and they’re right! he’s having the time of his life!

wano’s cast is fascinating, because almost nobody is who they first appear to be. almost everyone is wearing masks, whether literal or not- fitting, for an arc structured after a kabuki play. everyone is playing roles, from hiyori to denjirou to kanjurou to yasuie, and everyone lies. 

this entire sequence at orochi’s party is one of my favorites in the whole arc- in fact, it was my favorite, until we reached a certain part i’ll get to in the next post. everything from komurasaki standing up for toko and slapping orochi to denjirou “killing” her to robin getting caught by the oniwabanshu and dissolving into petals to nami calling down a massive lightning bolt to cover their escape- it’s really good. 

i’ve written extensively before about the smile fruits and the themes of smile and laughter in one piece and how important the freedom to feel and express emotion is. suffice it to say that for all the atrocities orochi commits against the people of wano, it’s feeding the smile fruits to the people of ebisu town that is his greatest crime, and the revelation of just what happened to those poor people ratchets up the tragedy of wano tenfold.

i do think it’s interesting to think about how if denjirou had been just a little less committed to his role, zoro would’ve killed orochi right here. it really drives home that orochi is nothing- he’s weak, he’s cowardly, he’s just lucky and clever and cruel enough to be able to get much more powerful people to do his work for him. 

it’s infuriating that someone like him has been able to hold such power over the lives of the people of wano and ruin them so thoroughly, and that’s exactly the point. 

wano is the arc where oda says you Will care about the supernovas and i’m like yeah

hey, another of my all-time favorite luffy panels!! i honestly just think this one sums him up as a character in a line more than almost any other- “i’m always free.” 

just look at the detail on kidd’s metal hand holy shit holy shit. on occasion certain panels jump out at me that remind me that oda really is just, a genius at drawing on a technical level, even setting aside his writing and storytelling chops, and this is one of them. 

oda is really, really good at creating the sense of a darkest hour- a time when all hope seems lost. the other best example in the series is in water seven, when the crew seems to be falling to pieces, merry is marked for death, robin’s gone, and the aqua laguna is coming. here, too- nobody comes to meet the akazaya nine, and the one chance they’ve waited twenty years and staked their lives on seems in danger of slipping through their fingers-

but the point of making it so all seems lost is so that when hope does appear, it shines all the brighter, and feels all the more triumphant. it’s always darkest before the dawn, and we all know how wano has been waiting for the dawn. 

#the voyage so far #arc: reverie #arc: wano kuni #one piece #opmeta #not japanese #long post

[op-pirate-fleet]

[Writer spotlight] Bingo! (no.1) Lerya

Self-care issues [rated T] Ace & Marco, Ace & Deuce

As he came back from a mission, Deuce noticed he didn't see Ace around, nor could anyone confirm the black-haired man went to the informary, if just to make sure everything was alright. Deuce, as the person on board the Moby Dick that knows just how strange Ace's coping mechanisms are, goes in search of his former captain, to make sure the man was indeed unharmed from his first mission as a Whitebeard Pirate.

New World [rated G] Luffy & Ace & Sabo

Is it a new World because some people aren't in it anymore, or is it the New World as in a new adventure laying ahead for them. My reflection on Luffy and the Straw Hats entering the world - finding that the New World has quite a lot to offer them, even a reunion with those already behind the veil.

A New Beginning [rated T] Shanks/Makino, Roger/Rouge, Rayleigh/Shakky, Zoro/Sanji, Nami/Vivi, Franky/Robin, Luffy/Law, Koala/Sabo, Marco/Ace

After finding the One Piece and finding out it grants him a wish, Luffy wants to wish everyone of his Nakama back. However, it can't do that - so he chooses the next best thing, a chance at a new beginning in the next life.

A modern AU where Luffy's nakama remember when they meet him, or anyone else that remembers. Giving them all a new chance at what didn't happen the first time around.

Captivity [rated T] Ace & the Whitebeard pirates

Ace's thought process as he sits in Impel Down waiting his execution. Both the literal way of captivity, but also mind-wise, as his self-worth issues try to make him think he deserves this, and everyone would be better off without him there.

Kind of, or attempt at, character study of Portgas D. Ace.

Firecracker love confessions [rated E] Marco/Ace

Ace was normally so outspoken and loud, always knowing what to say. Except when, or after, he confessed. Luckily, words aren't always needed when conveying a message.

Touch starved [rated T] Luffy & Ace & Sabo

For a tactile person such as Luffy, who loved having older brothers to hug and cuddle and be around 24/7, no one knew what 3 years whitout, except the odd hug from Makino, would do to the future Pirate King. How would Luffy react to having people around him aal the time, when he forgot what that feels like.

Fix it: Luffy's use of the One Piece [rated T] Luffy & Ace & Sabo

My own interpretation of what 'One Piece' could actually be and how Luffy would use it. After all, Luffy's biggest wish would be to seal the seas with his Nakama, until all their dreams are accomplished.

I use my One Piece to go back, with all my Nakama, and our memories; to be able to save Ace and sail the seas together with, and until all the dreams of, my Nakama are fulfilled.

If you want, I can try and kiss it better [rated T] Marco/Ace

Ace liked, no, loved being on the Moby Dick, even more so now that he was commander of the second division and could spend a lot of time doing what he loved doing, navigating.

Only this slight crush on Marco was going to pose a problem, as he had no idea the man liked him back, or if he was imagining things. It was not like he was good enough for a man like Marco.

Under the sea [rated T] Luffy & Ace & Sabo

The sea is seen by many as a surface of water that carries them places, but the Sea sees those on her surface as those that love her, and some she loves back, just that little bit more. She had her favourites, but it took a while before she had a King, and now she'll do anything to protect her little King, as well as the two princes he calles brother.

#opfanfic #opbingo #lerya

[yukipri]

Hi. Can I ask about Sabolu/ AceLu #40

Thanks so much for sending this in! Sorry it took a while, my response is LONG ^ ^;;;

40. Describe their first time (if any).

Oooh boy, here goes

AceLu + SaboLu, in that order. 

This ended up being LONG, so this is just Part 1, Ace & Luffy -> AceLu version. I’ll make a second post with SaboLu! *SWEATS*

Mostly lead up on Learning about the Existence of Sex, as well as slight non-graphic mention of sex with the younger party age 17 at the end.

~~

Contrary to gossip among Ace’s more raunchy crew mates, there was nothing sexual going on between him and Luffy prior to Ace leaving the island. There weren’t really even any pre-pubescent growing-up episodes, or weird questions.

The reason being, neither of them had any clue what “sex” was.

Clueless Luffy aside, one might assume that Ace at least would have known. He certainly looks and acts like he does, and Luffy certainly assumed Ace Knew Things.

And of course Ace acted like he Knew Things! He’s the Big Brother after all, and he has his pride, and when tiny dumb lil Luffy stared up with his sparkly eyes, all admiration and expectation, of course Ace had to have an Answer.

And before, Sabo was there, laughing quietly when Ace turned to him in wide-eyed panic while Luffy was facing the other way. And Sabo would explain, simplified but not mocking of his brother’s ignorance, and Ace would turn around and boast about his knowledge to Luffy while Sabo snickered in the background.

So, when one day, Luffy sees a pair of frogs on top of each other, he turns his ever inquisitive eyes on Ace, and asks, “Ace, what’re they doing?”

And Ace turns to ask Sabo, and…

Sabo’s not there.

Hiding the stab of pain (which would turn into a full three hour bawling session if Luffy noticed), Ace thinks. What would Sabo say? What’s the Smart Right Answer?

“Luffy,” Ace says. “Look, the frogs started the pile for you. They’re asking to be stacked. So we should find more frogs to stack!”

Luffy accepts the explanation with glee, especially since it comes with a quest! And so the brothers spend the next hour finding additional frogs to stack on top of the first pair Luffy found, who croak indignantly at having their activity interrupted.

It continues like this, and seven years is a long time for two boys with little to no guidance to find misunderstandings to pile together, much like they piled together random animals they found in the middle of copulating (Look Ace! This morning, some boars wanted to be stacked! And look there, the bears want to be stacked too! The brothers certainly had no idea they were creating unwilling animal orgies).

When Changes began happening to their bodies, Ace makes up additional, well, Bullshit.

While Luffy accepts Ace’s words as the Real Grownup Truth, some part of Ace should have remembered that it was all stuff he’d made up in place of actual facts from Sabo. But as the years passed, he’d come to accept them as How They Are.

Their ignorance certainly isn’t just the boys’ fault. They live with bandits after all, and there’s certainly plenty of vulgar talk going around. But if any of the bandits try to explain in any greater detail when Ace starts showing mild interest, Dadan thwacks them, daring them to imagine facing Garp’s wrath when the marine discovers they’d corrupted his darling grandsons.

Makino and the Mayor come by and help with their education, but it’s mostly things like manners, how to read, and how to fix their ripped of clothes. Stuff like their Bodies is something they left to family.

But unfortunately Garp, of course, also avoids The Talk, because of all the many responsibilities he’d avoided in the raising of his grandsons, this is certainly one he’s especially keen to avoid. He gives Ace an incredibly vague explanation to “If you do the Do, make sure to wrap it!” before disappearing, leaving Ace to mutter to himself, “Wrap what?” An even more garbled and meaningless version is passed from Ace to Luffy.

Ace leaves the island at seventeen, confident and strong, and completely oblivious to much of what the world has in store.

Shortly after he leaves the island, Ace meets his first crew mate, one ex-med student who goes by “Masked Deuce.”

To Deuce, Ace looks like a fine roguish young man in his prime, his chosen Captain, and Deuce hates to admit it, but definitely popular with the ladies. At their first island together after escaping the deserted island where they met, Deuce is proven right when the ladies hanging around the brothels crowd out to wave and call at Ace. Deuce wonders darkly if they’re going to make a stop, but Ace just waves cheerfully back, and they continue on their way.

“They sure don’t look very sleepy for people who want to sleep so much!” Ace laughs, and Deuce thinks he’s one to talk. But they head back to their raft with supplies and without further incident. That’s when Deuce has his first Bad Feeling that something may be amiss.

A few years later, after they’ve joined Whitebeard’s crew, a drunken Deuce will screech that one day, he should get to bash Monkey D. Garp’s face in. Garp OWES it to him!!! After what Deuce went through, after realizing how freakin’ EMPTY and beyond neglected some parts of Ace’s education had been!!! The Whitebeards are lucky, because the Ace today exists because of Deuce’s suffering!!!

Because Deuce realizes quickly that when Ace heard that ladies want to “sleep with him,” he thought it was an offering to nap together. When Deuce asked with mounting horror whether Ace knows what sex even is, his Captain responded with the most blinding pure smile and enough confidence that Deuce almost believed him, “Naked wrestling!” When Ace saw animals copulating (and in one memorable case, a random human couple in the alleys), he took it upon himself to generously stack a third, and if possible a fourth creature on top.

Forget knowledge of the Act, Ace didn’t even know that some people, well, had Different Parts down there. And Deuce groaned and restrained himself from bashing his head against the mast, because why would he? According to Ace, he grew up 95% with mostly just himself and his precious lil bro Luffy. He knew a grand total of two women, Dadan and Makino. The former, the thought of whom naked made Ace pale, and the second, who only stopped by occasionally but certainly had no reason to uncover herself. Ace didn’t know what a textbook was, and squinted when Deuce desperately asked if he’d at least seen porn magazines.

Sure, some women have biggish chests, but so do fat people, and Ace’s chest isn’t so bad either if he says so himself. So of course Ace had no reason to assume anything else was different.

Deuce remembers the agonizing incident where he’d hired a few hookers to help educate Ace. The ladies had been cackling non stop, Ace had cheerfully announced, “Ah, I see, so they’re like Fishmen! Similar, but with a few different Mystery Parts.” And Deuce couldn’t even applaud Ace’s open-mindedness, because he was too busy wanting to dig a hole for himself to die in due to mortification, cursing how the subject of his embarrassment didn’t even share a sliver of his shame.

Ace slowly filled the gaping holes in his knowledge with help from his crew (mostly Deuce), taking his own ignorance in good stride and laughing brightly with each new discovery.

But the thing that concerned Deuce most, was every time Ace Learned Something New, he’d scratch his head and mutter, “Oh shit, that’s not what I told Luffy.”

Deuce is extremely concerned for one Monkey D. Luffy, and occasionally mutters a prayer for the unfortunate youth who had apparently obtained the vast majority of his worldly knowledge second hand through Ace.

But despite now having knowledge of sex, Ace still doesn’t particularly express any interest in trying it himself. He continues to just wave at the ladies and even men who want his attention, just as cheerfully as he had in the beginning.

When Deuce cautiously inquires why, Ace just shrugs. “You’re supposed to do it with someone you love, right?” And Deuce doesn’t really have the heart to tell him any different.

~~

Three years after Ace sets out for sea, Luffy follows.

The brothers’ reunion comes faster than expected, for which Ace’s grateful, because not only does he get to see his precious little brother again, he also has the chance to maybe correct some of the things he’d told Luffy growing up before Luffy spends too much time in the outside world.

And so when night comes in the desert in Alabasta, Ace takes Luffy aside and they go a ways away from the men’s tent where Luffy’s crew sleeps, far enough away that the fire Ace lights on his arms to keep them warm can’t be seen, and their voices are washed away among the dunes.

They’re catching up Ace wants to hear all about Luffy’s adventures, yes, but Ace also feels responsibility to clear up any misunderstandings he’d caused. And his crew had warned him, including his new Whitebeard family, that it might be dangerous to leave a little brother as adorable as Ace claimed in such complete ignorance.

Ace insists that Luffy is strong and can beat up almost anyone who wishes him harm, but their words still catch on something that makes Ace feel a weird twist of something in his gut. Would Luffy know what kind of intentions are behind a wandering hand, a lecherous sneer? Wouldn’t Luffy also assume sleeping just means napping? This is a new kind of potential danger, something that Luffy’s definitely not aware of, and the thought of it sneaking up on Luffy unawares makes something dark and ugly rear in Ace’s gut.

But a lot of Ace’s complicated doubts and fears are swept away by the desert winds when Luffy crawls into Ace’s lap and leans back against his chest. Luffy likes human contact, he always had, but Ace used to like to pretend he didn’t (they both knew otherwise), so Luffy usually wasn’t clingy unless he was feeling especially vulnerable. 

Luffy’s thin, rubbery arms wrap tightly around Ace’s torso, and his grip is strong, but vibrating, somewhere between shaking and tension. The flames on Ace’s arms sputter out, and Ace carefully puts his own arms around Luffy, now more open with himself than he’d been three years ago, and accepting of how he craves this too, and had felt starved of Luffy’s affection during their time apart.

It can’t be more obvious how much Luffy had missed him, and Ace feels the same.

Luffy’d grown over three years, from a gangly child who still worried Ace, to a still gangly but strong young adult who’d already begun earning a name for himself as a pirate. His lanky body fits perfectly in Ace’s arms, because even though Luffy’d grown, Ace’d grown too, and Luffy still feels petite in contrast.

Ah, Ace thinks as he squeezes Luffy tightly, burying his face in his little brother’s neck and drowning in his familiar scent, allowing himself to openly display his affection in a way he’d only done a handful of times on the island. Luffy practically purrs, leaning back and nuzzling Ace’s cheek, practically begging for more attention.

Something stirs in Ace’s gut as Luffy’s lithe form squirms against his bare chest, pushing fruitlessly against Ace’s unbudging arms before deciding that it’d be easier to just contort himself so he’s sitting facing Ace. And then suddenly their eyes are meeting, and Luffy looks so happy, and Ace thinks oh.

Someone I love.

Ace leans in to press their lips together, and Luffy is curious but doesn’t hesitate to push back and attempt to imitate.

It never crosses Ace’s mind that this is something that he shouldn’t be doing with Luffy. They’re Brothers, yes, but the word can mean a lot of things. Ace is Brothers with all the Whitebeard pirates too, and they’re undeniably a family and their bond means the world to him. The brother he shares with his crew is a bond of shared admiration for their leader, a bond of family through how they all see Whitebeard as their chosen paternal figure. It’s about a shared goal, a shared experience, a shared choice.

But brother in that context is different from brother with Luffy and Sabo. With Luffy and Sabo, their brother means an unbreakable bond, of connection that is stronger than anything they were born with, something that overcomes Ace’s hatred for his blood father, Sabo’s disgust for his heritage, and Luffy’s own missing parents. It means a willing and deliberate promise of permanence, a steady and stable treasure that will continue glowing at their core no matter how they change and grow.

It means love, Ace thinks, and knows Luffy feels the same.

~~

“So Luffy, that thing the frogs were doing?”

“Yeah?”

“This is what they were doing.”

“Oh, okay! So they were feeling good.”

“…Yeah, they were feeling good.”

Ace leaves it at that.

~~

(and then the war happens. And their first becomes their last.)

~~

*COUGHS* or DOES it?

ANYWAY, barely a “first,” but a long rambling rant, ty for reading

Get to know my Shipping Preferences & Ships Ask Meme

#YukiPri replies #One Piece #AceLu #Portgas D. Ace #Monkey D. Luffy #Text headcanons

[kbstories]

Sedimentation

sed·i·men·ta·tion (n.) The process of establishing and reinforcing meaning through repetition.

First and foremost, Ace is a big brother - not the only one Luffy's ever had, but the one he has left.

(Or: Luffy and Ace get more time at Alabasta because I said so.)

Tags: Reunions, Family Feels, Brotherhood, Introspection, References to (Presumed) Character Death, (It’s Sabo)

Set in Alabasta. No additional warnings apply.

***

Even for a man made of fire, Alabasta is an uncomfortably warm place to be. The ground is arid to the point every step will kick up dust, and a fine haze of sand lingers in the air that turns the horizon into an indistinct flickering mess and makes every swallow rasp in the throat with grit.

From his vantage point high above, Ace slouches with his legs hanging off the ledge of a flat-roofed house and lets his gaze roam the streets below. His unknowing hosts bumble about downstairs, the muffled sounds of banging pots and laughter announcing it’s time for lunch; for a moment, Ace holds his stomach that rumbles a complaint, loud and insistent.

Just a little longer, he promises himself.

Not a single cloud graces the sky with its presence and the population below with a modicum of shade. Nanohana is a ghost town at noon, its inhabitants fleeing into their homes for a nap until the weather outside stops actively trying to cook them alive. Things didn’t use to be this bad – at least, from what Ace can recall of his first trip here, back when he was still captain of the Spade Pirates – but a lot can happen in three years.

Ace pulls his lips into a pout, the heat immediately stealing whatever moisture is left on them. No sign of Monkey D. Luffy.

Fingers drumming a tuneless beat against the brim of his hat, Ace thinks. Perhaps it had been a little foolish to assume Luffy would show up just like that, much less anywhere within the spectrum of ‘on time’. Even this early into the Grand Line, the waves are tricksters and the currents are more likely to lead to ruin than to any expectable outcome. Still: There had been rumors of a rookie crew demolishing Whisky Peak mere weeks ago, and a bombshell report out of the kingdom of Drum announced the rather violent eviction of its current (now former) ruler. Ace frowns, remembering the state of things he witnessed himself not too long ago.

Good fucking riddance.

Well, Ace has always figured the day his little brother sailed across Reverse Mountain would be followed by chaos and destruction all around. With the world tilting on its axis and spinning more and more out of control with every passing day, it’s hard to say how it’s going to look like a month down the road, a year, two. The powers that be aren’t ready for someone like Luffy, not that Luffy would particularly care about that.

A fond chuckle bursts out of him at the thought. Whatever happens, Ace can't wait to see where all of it is headed.

First things first. Ace flicks his hat back on his head and gets up, patting sand off his shorts. It’s everywhere, stuck to his lashes and making the sweat on his back feel tacky and gross. He sighs. Shower first, then food. His meal will taste all the better knowing the tattoo of Father’s jolly roger is as it should be: untainted and shown off with pride.

And then, with some luck, he will finally be able to see his brother again.

*

Getting cannonballed into by 140 pounds of rubber is quite an experience, no matter how many times one has been subjected to it. On instinct, Ace’s arms shoot out to grab on to whichever piece of Luffy’s clothes he can reach and he turns in a lazy half-circle, automatically aligning his center of gravity around the excited bundle of limbs clinging to his head. It makes breathing an impossibility for a moment or five but it’s worth it every single time.

“Ace! It’s really you!”

“Hello to you too, Lu”, Ace laughs, his grin almost as toothy as his brother’s now that they can enjoy their reunion in peace and sans Marine meddling. In a play as old as time itself, Luffy settles with his legs bracketing Ace’s shoulders and his head firmly planted on–

“Oh! You still have your hat, too!”

–the top of his hat, chin nudging its crown into a more comfortable position with surprising gentleness. Ace can’t see the smile on Luffy’s face like this but he knows it’s there judging by the way dumbfounded astonishment morphs into fondness on the faces of his crew members.

Bowing as politely as he can, he smiles and says: “Portgas D. Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates... and Luffy’s brother. Nice to finally meet you.”

Among the sputtering of “Whitebeard? The Whitebeard?” and “Wait, brother?!”, a guy with green hair and three swords makes the fastest recovery from general disbelief. He nods at Ace and smirks, “Likewise”, voice heavy with a confidence that rivals Luffy’s own. Seems like he’s the oldest in the bunch, too, which isn’t saying much since they all look about Luffy’s age and– Is that a reindeer?

(It’s hard to tell as whoever it is currently is trying to hide behind the main mast, ‘trying’ being the key word.)

They’re all strong though, Ace can tell. Inexperienced and fresh-faced and full of potential, just like their captain. His smile only grows.

So this is Luffy’s crew.

“Oi Luffy, when were you gonna tell us you have a brother?”

Happily wriggling his feet against Ace’s stomach, Luffy hmms as if deep in thought. “Dunno!” is the answer he comes up with after careful consideration, and Ace chuckles along with some of the crew. “It never came up, you know? Ace has his own adventures and stuff.”

If the heat was tough before, it’s unbearable now with Luffy’s furnace of a body compounding the issue. Ace lets him stay, stepping on his brother’s ship with a murmured “May I?” and a quick nod from a woman with short, red hair. The caravel is small but charming and cozy, so much so Ace feels immediately at ease. One of the many worries nipping at his nerves ever since he saw the name Strawhat Luffy under the words DEAD OR ALIVE is laid to rest then and there.

“Hey Ace, what are you doing here anyways?”

By now Luffy’s practically humming with unspent energy; Ace sighs and unceremoniously dumps him on deck, fixing his lopsided hat and necklace smoothly. Luffy is undeterred, snickering and effortlessly climbing a few feet up the mast to look at his brother from there.

“Taking care of business”, Ace answers casually yet can’t help the way his smile slips a little. The memory of Thatch bleeding out in his arms is too fresh, too grim to repress entirely. Luffy’s head tilts to the side but Ace waves him away before he can ask.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it. I just figured if I’m already around these parts I might as well meet up with my baby brother.”

When he left that message on Drum, Ace had figured he’d just say hi to his brother, tell his crew to watch over him (or else) and be on his merry way to put down Blackbeard like the mangy fratricidal dog he is. It’s only after he’s successfully ticked off the second item on that list – the crew looks sufficiently humbled and that green-haired dude Zoro grins at him, clearly approving, and why does Ace feel like he just passed some sort of test? – that he finally realizes he didn't account for one thing in this brilliant plan of his.

Because his brother is Luffy, and the moment Ace makes to leave he finds himself the target of a kicked-puppy-look-of-doom so heart-rending he feels terrible for even thinking that way.

“Lu, c’mon now, I…”

“But Ace! It’s been three years and so much has happened and we just met and–”

And that’s that. The whiny note in Luffy’s voice effectively shreds through whatever resistance Ace has left (which, if he’s honest with himself, wasn’t much to begin with). At the end of the day, he missed his little brother and it’s not like life hasn’t taught him – over and over and over again – to cherish the fleeting moments he has with those he loves. Ace pinches the bridge of his nose and groans.

“Fine. One night, okay? One. I really have to go after that.”

Luffy cheers, gloom immediately forgotten, and it’s then that Ace notices his crew is breathing a sigh of relief, too. So they're already aware a sad Luffy is to be avoided at all costs. Good.

The blonde one – Sanji the cook, Ace reminds himself – asks him what he’d like to eat and without thinking he says, “Anything with jolokia in it”, and Sanji shrugs, “Alright, coming right up”, and strolls away in the direction of the galley before it crosses Ace’s mind that those peppers are really hard to find and he’s already had lunch just an hour prior. He distinctly remembers Luffy eating his weight at the bar earlier, too, and he is yelling for meat at the top of his lungs.

Oh well. Might as well try out Luffy’s cook and see for himself that his gluttonous brother is well cared f–

Someone clears their throat to draw his attention. “Mr. Portgas”, a woman says, voice pleasant and measured in a way only diplomats speak. On this ship, with that captain, finding someone so eloquent is the thing that ends up surprising Ace the most.

“Ace, please. What's the matter?”

She smiles, an obvious appreciation for his manners even if it doesn’t pierce through the troubled look swirling in her eyes. “Ace, sorry. I'm Vivi, then. Would you mind if we continue along the coast and up the river during the night? We, um, we have somewhere to be and time is of the essence.”

Ace blinks. Isn’t that a question for your captain? Then again, Luffy is currently busy hounding his cook for scraps and knowing him, he’s not really the authoritarian type anyways, captain or no. 

“Uh. I don’t really care, I can set off from wherever with Striker.”

Vivi follows the gesture he makes to his trusty fire-powered speed boat but her interest is polite, half-hearted at best. “I see. I appreciate it, thank you.”

Not we but I, huh? Be it paranoia or justified caution, Ace knows the devil is in the details and this Vivi, she has something to hide. Yet nothing disturbs the air of trust the others seem to place in her: A secret kept only from strangers, then.

“A-ceee.”

Ah. Ace shakes himself out of the analytical stare he’s fixed her with, and to Vivi’s credit she merely locks her jaw and stares back, all pretense stripped to reveal a core of steely determination underneath. Luffy is pouting at him, draped across the railing of the forecastle and clearly unhappy with the subtle tension rising around them.

“Stop being all serious and come here, I want you to meet Merry!”

Scratching his neck, Ace huffs a breath – “Alright, jeez. Give me a second.” – and he nods at Vivi, both an apology and a concession to what they discussed. “Let me know if I can help with… whatever’s going on. It sounds important.”

The smile she gives him is more genuine, this time. “It is. You’ve already done enough keeping the Marine off our backs, though.”

Ace shrugs, have it your way, and before Luffy can start getting annoying for real, he launches himself in a column of fire to his brother’s side. “Okay, then. Who’s this Merry?”

*

The Strawhats truly are a crazy bunch and Ace is fascinated. It didn’t take long at all for Sanji to bust out of the kitchen with a mouth-watering amount of food, and Luffy disappears from Ace’s side so fast he basically teleports to the cook’s side. Shaking his head, Ace climbs down the stairs leading up to Merry’s figurehead at a more measured pace, watching the crew deal with his brother’s antics like it’s nothing, as easy as breathing. Hands fly and insults right along with them as they somehow wrangle him into sitting down properly and keeping to his own plate (for the most part) and Luffy does, beaming bright as the sun in their midst.

It softens something in Ace’s heart to witness it – Luffy has grown in the time they spent apart, stronger in many ways and mellowed out in others and unchanged where it matters. Perhaps his crew doesn’t realize it yet but it’s no small feat, to accept him just as he is.

Then, a rubbery arm wraps around Ace’s waist and he’s pulled (literally rather than figuratively) into the fray.

Lunch is a loud and boisterous affair. Ace gives as good as he gets, fighting for every delicious bite from where he’s squeezed in-between Luffy and a guy as gangly and awkward as they come, and he can’t remember a time he saw devastation quite like when Usopp dares him to try his Tabasco Shot and it does absolutely nothing. “I fried my sense for spicy food years ago”, Ace admits between peals of laughter, and Usopp’s eyes light up before he scrambles to his little workshop haphazardly placed in the middle of the deck.

“Don’t go anywhere! You’re my test subject now!”

It’s a good while later that things start to settle down on the Going Merry as she makes her way up the Sandora River. One by one, the Strawhats disperse to their own corners of the ship, clearing out the mess left behind and cycling through their duties without a single input from their captain – be it by design or implicit understanding, it’s hard to tell. And while Luffy is all-too-happy to hog his brother’s attention, Ace soaks up the obvious joy radiating from his voice and the unique cadence of his laughter.

Crouching on one of Merry’s horns, head pillowed on the palm of his hand, he lets himself be regaled by story after story of their adventures, told in that nonsensical style of narration Ace knows better than his mother tongue. Luffy sprawls all over his ship’s figurehead like it’s an extension of his body, hands a blur as he acts out what he means with gestures and grimaces.

For being a crew from what is considered the weakest Blue, the Strawhat Pirates have caused quite the stir. Ace smirks. About time people stopped underestimating the underdogs.

After all, his mouth still burns from the final rendition of Usopp’s self-made tabasco, one the sniper declared as his new weapon with a glint of triumph in his eyes.

It dawns on him, as Luffy imitates climbing with clawed fingers and a short-lived scowl on his face (“–it was so high, Ace, and there was ice everywhere and no more bunnies to help us, you know? And then–”), that Monkey D. Luffy is a good captain. It’s not a lack of faith in Luffy’s abilities or a big brother’s sense of superiority that ever put that into question: The truth is that Luffy is trusting and kind-hearted to a fault, the devotion to his friends easily spanning all oceans and beyond. Absolute loyalty, rare as it is in this jaded world, is one hell of a double-edged sword to fight your battles with, and the Strawhats strive for it with the same fervor as the dreams they wrote across their hearts and souls.

It’s the same brand of recklessness that nearly got the Spade Pirates killed, back when Father was still Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, and Ace had a personal vendetta against the universe itself (and the man it called King) to carry out.

History has a nasty habit of repeating itself, of transmitting a sin from father to child and brother to brother, and Ace hadn’t known shit about that when they’d raised their cups of sake that day and swore to be family until the end.

Yet here Luffy is, giving out pieces of his heart and expecting everyone to fall into step beside him. Even their current quest across Alabasta seems to be driven by some favor or other – keeping a low profile, for one, seems completely antithetical to the small crew made large by their personalities – and Ace worries.

It's in moments like these that he wishes he wasn’t the only big brother Luffy has left.

“Ace?”

Luffy’s eyes are big and serious, hands having come to rest on his knees and brows drawing into a pensive line while Ace was lost in his head. It’s second nature to join him then, cross-legged and close enough to brush shoulders. “What is it?”, Ace asks quietly as he takes off his hat, lets it spin between his fingers – he offers it to Luffy, “Here”, a soft smile sneaking on his lips as his brother takes it and starts toying with it.

The distraction doesn’t work as well as it used to, and that’s alright. The main point is that, even as a kid, having something to keep his hands busy always helped Luffy parse through the thoughts bouncing around in his head.

Then, finally: “Where’s White-guy? He’s your captain, right?”

The questions are unexpectedly solemn, and Ace raises his eyebrows, waits for Luffy to elaborate. There’s a frustrated twist to his brother’s mouth, something small and annoyed.

“Like… It’s not fair. Does he know you’re all alone out here?”

Just like that, the pieces rearrange in Ace’s mind to produce a whole, and yeah, that would be a fault in Luffy’s eyes. “Hm, I get what you mean. Father…” Ace sighs. Where to begin?

“Every captain is different, and for him, we’re his sons. There was– Someone killed one of his sons, one of us, and Father didn’t want me to go after him but I insisted. It’s as if I tried to kill you, or you me. It’s unforgiveable, you see? So that’s why I’m here – I’m gonna bring that fucker to justice.”

A fraction of the anger seething within him seeps into Ace’s voice and it’s been years since he let himself be driven by hatred like this. But Luffy, he’s known Ace from a time everything that came out of his mouth was laced with lethal intent, and spite was all he knew how to reach for.

There is no unease in Luffy’s gaze now either, and when he returns Ace’s hat to him, his hands are steady and unbothered by hesitation.

“That won’t happen. Why would I want to kill you?”

Luffy says it with such earnestness, like he couldn’t come up with a single reason if given a hundred years to think about it; Ace laughs and puts his hat back on his head, and love surges through him like the fire in his veins.

“Exactly. It shouldn’t.”

“So your new dad is a good guy after all?”

“He’s the best”, Ace says with a conviction he feels down to his bones, and Luffy smiles right along with him. “I want you to meet him someday, Lu, you and your crew. I don’t think I can change your mind about who should be Pirate King–”

“Never.”

“–but you’ll like him. And you could meet my crew, too. And our flag ship looks like a whale. A big white one.”

“Really? That’s cool!”

“Right?!”

They laugh just as they used to whilst pretending to sleep at night, hushed and with their heads bowed close to each other as if to fit under the same blanket. It’s quiet for a while, afterwards, Ace listening to the lapping of the waves against wood and watching the cloudless sky go by and Luffy watching him.

Ace guesses he’s thinking of his inevitable departure tomorrow but there is little he can do about that. Even as his big brother, Ace can’t protect Luffy from everything in life.

The touch to his shoulder comes a bit sudden and Ace almost jumps, takes in the pensive look on Luffy’s face and then the careful motion of his finger as he traces heavy, inked lines: Gently, he writes A, then C, then E, and returns upwards to brush over the crossed-out S with his thumb.

“Do you think he’d be proud of us?”

Ace hums, glances down at the tattoo. It had been the first thing he’d gotten with his own money – paid with treasure, Sabo would’ve loved that – and it’s a little faded now but it still fills Ace with determination, to know Sabo is with him and his memory will continue to exist as long as Ace draws breath.

“Sabo? Yeah, I think so. He’d be happy we kept our deal and sailed out to sea.” Ace chuckles, rubbing his shoulder fondly. “Perhaps a little miffed that I’m definitely the oldest brother now but, well. What do you think?”

“Mhm, I think so too. And we’re free now, right? Just like we said.”

“Yeah. We are.”

Luffy huffs a laugh, leaning back against Merry and linking his arms behind his head like he doesn’t have a care in the world. No regrets, huh, Sabo? Ace’s chest feels warm with nostalgia and he makes himself comfortable, too, gazing towards the sea and imagining Sabo sailing ahead of them, eyes fixed on the horizon and his flag waving proudly in the wind.

We promised, after all.

#one piece #fanfiction #portgas d. ace #monkey d. luffy #one piece fanfiction #hi i love ace getting to be a big bro before inevitable doom strikes @ oda sue me #this fic is also on AO3! #my stuff

[touchmycoat]

Do you have any notes to show us from Second Chances?? How about your thought processes surrounding the building of the story and the world?

eheheheh re: world-building, so literally my only notes from Second Chances were two post-it notes that were island designs for St. Glass & Solum. I’m really into environmental design right? and i like to pretend i know enough about anthropology and geographical determinism to build two societies around physical factors in the environment. It was a thought exercise more than anything else but after i made it i wanted to put it in sdjkfjndjn you know how it goes

but uh, i lost those post-its before i even finished the story, so. You can’t see more of my excellent, amazing artistry, rip.

re: building the story... So I knew exactly what I wanted from Chapter 1: Ace gets the emotional catharsis of Marineford, gets to declare his desire to live this life he’s built with the Whitebeards, without fucking going through Marineford. Marco is A Hot Mess™ but gets him through it. There was a lot of fantasy fulfillment involved though, obviously (the fucking clothes and the fucking perfumes ksjdnfksdjf).

Chapter 2 I intended as a transition, so everything that happens in it don’t actually have much narrative weight? But whatever, I was really happy writing that Dadbeard-tells-story-about-baby-marco scene, and I liked older-brother-Marco-fighting-the-monster-trio-for-fun, and I liked Marco and Nami getting along very well, ‘cause Nami will oh-so-happily take material possessions and Marco is Your Local Service Provider in every way.

Chapter 3... is where i started losing it fjdknjjdnfjdnf. Okay so, obviously this was The Reunion Chapter, and I had a pretty well-formed concept of how to dramatize that. I remember getting really excited when the thought came that Sabo would try to kill Marco, even after getting his memories back. Also writing this is when I started being like, “ah so he’s also in love with Ace, checks out.” fucking @authenticaussi3 ‘s influence. Made a mental note to develop that next.

Chapter 4, i’ve officially lost my shit. i just. too many threads, too many things i wanted to do, it was ridiculous and laborious. I was also Stuck™ on the boat scene for the longest time? So I wrote the little Solum narrative as a palate cleanser, realized I planned out way too much inconsequential plot for where i wanted to take this, fast-forwarded through all my OC plot to get to Blackbeard & Impel Down, breathed a sigh of relief when I finally got to Ace & Sabo’s little burning sandbar conversation. Everything else was just... tying up loose ends.

(Okay so Chapter 5, I got horny. That’s... it.)

...I think the one thing that held steady throughout this entire fic was the blatant Marco whump. Like, this story is about other things in theory, but we been knew it was always about the Marco whump.

#lovely chromi thank you #personal #second chances #no depths is right i have zero notes everything just kind of happened #chromiwrites #asks

[raftels]

As requested, here’s a masterlist fic rec for the following categories 1) ASL brothers; 2) mugiwara nakama feels; 3) some shippy fics; and for those not really falling into any of the requested categories, I put in “others”. I took some liberty in the categorization whelp but hopefully this will do. And you didn’t ask for it but I put tiny notes on each rec’d fic bc I felt like it haha

If you wanna rec some fics that aren’t here, please, by all means, send them to me. If any of the link is wrong/broken, do tell me as well. If you want to rant/talk/squeal/cry/etc over any of the fics, I’m forever open to messages and let’s cry together.

aaand, if you haven’t been following fyeahonepiece, please do so  (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

anything about the ASL BROTHERS some might be toeing the line of shipping but i’ll put a warning for those

The Best Responsibility by echaryn Summary:  Watching Luffy and Sabo bond makes him...envious. Their obvious love and affection, the way they are always together, the trust between them... it makes Law anxious, and jealous at the same time. He lost his sister before...before he could even start to understand what being an older brother means. He's nobody's older sibling anymore, but it's still inside him, isn't it? Notes: clicked on this not really expecting much but jfc oda please let this be canon i beg you like i didn’t know i needed bigbro!law until this

Brother Complex and How It Traumatizes Others by Alsheon Summary:  In which, Ace let nothing be in his way to boast about his dear baby brother. Not even in the middle of War. And not agreeing means death. A painful death. Or in another sense, Ace stopped running but for an entirely different reason. Notes: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS ISN’T CANON LMAO this is legit my all-time favorite

What Happens When You Assume by revolutionarykoala Summary:  The Straw Hats are overjoyed to finally meet Luffy’s elusive brother Sabo. When they finally lay eyes on him however, they realise that assumptions are best to be avoided when it comes to the D. Family. Notes: in which asl confuses the shit out of everyone and yes it’s forever a mood and my aesthetic

Little Spitfire by VictoriaJL Summary:  My take on Ace raising Luffy with his caring and loving tendencies. Garp is an old geezer. Dadan throws tantrums. And the bandits are helpless, Oh, did I mention that the whitebeard pirates are completely and utterly in love with adorable little Luffy? Notes: i live for ace and sabo’s adventures in raising baby luffy lmao  

The Three Admirals by Miqila Summary:  What if Sabo, Ace and Luffy were the three admirals? Notes: i need more marine!asl fics

Triple Switch by Pachimew Summary:  In which Luffy can't find his hat, Ace is on his brother's ship, and Sabo is very confused. -Kinda self-indulgent. No ships. Pre-Saobody. Notes: swapped!asl loool another all-time favorite of mine

Through Time by xXDia-RoseXx Summary:  Ace and Sabo looking for Luffy wander into a cave and end up 12 years into the future. Through the craziness they meet their Little brother now 12 years older than them. What are two kids suppose to do when their Older-Little Brother looks at them sadly but smiles at them with glee? They try and make him happy again that's what! Notes: *screams into the sun* ASL!!!!!!!!!!!

To be made into Adults by The Eternal Empress Summary:  "When will you let me to adult things, Ace?" you ask, eyes shining bright and ears still wet behind. I pat your head as I smile. "When you're old enough." But, I know that isn't going to happen because I'll never let you become an adult (In which Ace and Sabo's brotherly love is contorted to a degree of no return) BrotherlyASL. AU. Notes:  me, at the ending: oh shiiiiit i didn’t expect that???

Same Difference by Beyond Kailani Summary:  AU. One small change can make all the difference...Someone thought lost returns Notes: the canon my asl babies deserved

The Legends of Kintaro (and Gintaro and Dotaro) by jamie15 Summary: It's Children's Day in the Kindgom of Goa, and neither Ace nor Sabo could care less. That is, until they find out what other day it is ... Notes: *slams fist on the table* this was so damn cute!

Moby Dick’s Tales by FreeFan1412 Summary: an AU where ASL ends up in the moby dick Notes: this one’s a series so just click on the author’s page and asl + whitebeard pirates is always a good laugh

(Wh)y is equal to 45 by The Eternal Empress Summary:  Ace is drunk, Sabo crashes into his room, their cat, Sunny, has been sitting by the doorway for days, and Luffy forgets the answer to (wh)y. (In which Luffy tries to find the value of y as well as the reason behind his brothers' and Sunny's mundane behavior, and the TV makes him remember the answer). Modern AU. Brotherly!ASL. Notes: i don’t wanna spoil anything but  i was shookt asdfghjkl this was so beautiful

Magical Messes and Panicking Professors: Welcome to Hogwarts by ScarletteSorceress Summary:  What do you do when you have three mischievous brothers sorted into three different houses? Well according to Headmaster Whitebeard and Professor Shanks you drink as much rum as you can before Marco can get to you. Magic spells, overturned cauldrons, and inter-house prank wars fueled by sibling rivalry; look out Hogwarts, life's about to get interesting. Hogwarts!AU Notes: asl + harry potter yes two of my favorite things

Bonds of Sea and Fire by Mithril Lace Summary:  After the fire in Gray Terminal, a worried Luffy sneaks out to go looking for Ace, only to wind up captured by Bluejam and taken from the island. When Ace finds out Luffy's been kidnapped, he sets out to retrieve Sabo so they can go after him, and a chance encounter at sea drastically alters their plans. Notes: my asl feels + them ending up with the whitebeard pirates

Not everyday is a good day, live anyway by cand13 Summary:  Not everyone tells the truth, trust anyway. Not everyone will love you back, love anyway. Not every game will be fair, play anyway. How else could anyone survive what they have and still be that lively? Notes:  ASL growing up with Whitebeard story

Somewhere to Belong by Pizza yum Summary:  Garp and Whitebeard strike a deal and Luffy, Ace, and Sabo are sent to live with the Whitebeard Pirates for six months. The trio and crew alike do not know how to handle the situation but eventually they figure each other out and the brothers find somewhere they feel like they belong. Notes: young!asl alive together is what i breathe for

Twist of Fate by Takuku Summary:  A One Piece AU where Luffy and his brothers set out after the fire in the Gray Terminal, and they come across Marco and Thatch of Whitebeard's crew. Things go differently from the original. Notes: it’s not as if im saying im weak for young!asl with the whitebeard pirates..........but i am

Ten Years Make No Difference by YohoAruto Summary:  What if Luffy was instead ten years younger than Ace himself? But as anyone would know,a life with Luffy is much more crazier and troublesome than it should be. It's just that the 'soon to be pirate king' is much more cuter. Notes: baby!luffy raised by ace and sabo YES also lmao at luffy’s first word

Come Morning, Together Again by mapplepie Summary:  One day, Ace woke up and decided shirts were overrated. Apparently it was contagious, because Luffy soon thought the same. Sabo just hoped he didn't catch whatever it was that was going around (but he does in the end, and he couldn't be happier). Time-travel. Notes: sabo is fucking done and this is the fix-it we all need

Surprisingly Addictive by ReluctantlyBratty45 Summary:  Just a story of Luffy being Luffy, but as a girl. Wacky adventures and awkward situations abound. fem!Luffy. Alive!Sabo. Notes: all i can say is that luffy’s lucky to be a boy in canon bc imagine how more protective his brothers could have been

Start of a Joke by loosingletters Summary:  A pirate goes to Impel Down and shares his cell with a political bargain chip and a wannabe noble. What sounds like the start of a really bad joke has just become reality for Ace. Notes: if asl never grew up together well there’s always impel down as a good meet-up point, i guess

Fix it, Sabo! by InsanelyWriteful Summary:  Sabo comes home to find that he really can't leave Ace and Luffy alone without some catastrophic event taking place in his absence. Now it is up to him to deal with the ultimate horror: A crying Luffy. Notes: ace trying to act cool despite panicking over making luffy cry lol

Sharp Knife of a Short Life by saraku Summary:  The Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. Notes: asl short series in which i live for my boys being alive

Meet the Family by siqwithaQ Summary:  Luffy's was probably the most interesting proposition Zoro had ever heard, so naturally, he just had to go along with it. Notes: PITBULL - that’s it, that’s the fic.

Family Reunion by Eiliem Summary:  After Ace's rescue from Marinford, the Straw Hats hitch a ride on the Moby Dick so Luffy can check up on his brother... and because they forgot to secure transportation of their own. Notes: what should have been canon before/during/after marineford arc tbh

Saving Ace Together by firefistphoenix Summary:  What if all the straw hats come together to save Ace? set after impel down and immediately towards Marine-ford. Also Thatch is alive and I intend to keep Ace and Whitebeard alive too. Notes: everyone alive is my kink

wish by spirit if by yes by midnightluck Summary:  Mostly, Sabo likes his job, even when it means trying to chase down pirates like Whitebeard in the New World to discuss important Army affairs. Okay, maybe especially then. Notes:  Reunion AU where Sabo's a lucky little brat, everyone's happy, and nothing hurts. Well, okay, some stuff still hurts. BUT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOW CANON HAD GONE ;___________;

Immortality is What We Leave Behind by BedlamAnjelle Summary:  The lines between mythos and humans were very clear cut, and Marco liked it that way. Everyone knew that the great Suzaku had deemed humans savage and was content to have nothing to do with them ever again. Which is why the phoenix lord buying two humans- young boys, no less- at the auction came as a shock. Especially to Marco. Just what was he thinking, yoi? Notes: all the kid!acelu feels and reluctant papa!marco ++ izou & thatch

Wild Blood by siqwithaQ Summary:  In a world where the King never died, Roger and Dragon try to raise their sons away from the government's eye. Secrecy turns out to be more of a challenge than they bargained for. Notes: im sad this hasn’t been updated bc we were getting to the really good part of toddler!ace and baby!luffy finally meeting

Young and Built to Fall by fingers-falling-upwards Summary:  Ace will save his nakama. He will save his father. And he will save his little brother and ensure Luffy's happiness even if it kills him. Again. Thankfully, he won't be doing it alone. Together, he and Luffy will change the world. Notes: a timetravel fix-it fic

Learning Freedom by elri(angelrider13) Summary:  They were slaves. One who had known freedom and lost it; one who had been born without it. Will a chance meeting give them something to live for? 15yo!ace and 3yo!luffy Notes: ughhh this remains as one of my all time favs jfc it’s so beautifully written and my heart aches on how young and innocent luffy is and how ace raised him up; warning for heavy themes; it’s been discontinued though bc people kept plagiarizing it asdfghjkl

Ten Years Difference by Stormy1x2 Summary:  It's amazing what differences there would be if there were a ten-year age difference between Ace and Luffy. For one thing, how on earth could Ace possibly feel good about himself leaving Foosha Village if his brother had been six-and-a-half instead of the canon fourteen? Notes: older!ace and younger!luffy + one piece canon sign me up

Ace in the Hole by Reign of Rayne Summary:  Raised as an assassin with no knowledge of his father and holding no drive beyond the orders he's given, Ace finds his whole world flipped by one small boy and a promise. Notes: older!ace and younger!luffy fics is my kryptonite

Gang Wars by samettikettu Summary:  In order to protect his most treasured possession, Ace joins the Whitebeard gang but soon finds out that protecting his brother is much harder than he had thought. When gang wars rampage and child welfare officers knock the door, Ace is lucky to have friends around him who are willing to help him and his four-year-old little brother, Luffy. Notes: ace raising luffy hell to the yes

A Pirate’s Resolve by Anjelle Summary: Luffy has finally reached his dream of becoming the Pirate King. He goes to visit Ace's grave to finally finish his journey. But really, there's more adventure awaiting him. When he arrives on an uninhabited island with his crew, he's attacked by a stranger. However, perhaps this boy isn't a stranger after all. [AceLu brotherly. No pairings] Notes: did someone ask for acelu feels??? here you go

Adopted by Default by Kitsune Foxfire Summary:  Moby Dick is anything but peaceful on a regular day. The crew is just well used to their special brand of crazy, however. So when an unexpected guest arrives, it throws everyone into disorder. Really, where the hell is this cheeky brat's crew? Someone needs to tell Ace that his ship-brothers are NOT babysitters! Notes: another all-time fav bc i live for luffy breaking the whitebeard pirates

Drunken Brocon by DemonKittyAngel Summary:  It isn't until the first time Ace gets drunk that they learn he has a brother. Doting on him has become a favorite pass time and they can see him thriving under the attention. Such a cute little brother. Which is why it comes as such a shock that he's a big brother. "Did I tell you about the time he got swallowed by the alligator, again?"   Notes: Drunk!Ace Brocon!Ace Family!Whitebeards

Breakout by Karukyuu Summary:  After being momentarily stopped during his invasion of Impel Down, Luffy wakes up one hour earlier. Not only does this spell the worst trouble Impel Down has ever seen, but also bestows the Marines with a most unwanted surprise. Notes: what do you mean this isn’t what happened

Never Save by siqwithaQ Summary: Ace's guardian angel might be something other than an angel. Notes: alternatively titled as “hurt me more dot jpg”

Soulmates!verse by Elri (angelrider13) Summary:  There was always one Angel and one Demon. No more, no less. One was pure, the other tainted. They were never meant to co-exist, and yet, they find themselves inevitably drawn together. Notes: there are 3 stories in this universe with basically the same theme of angel!luffy and demon!ace; warning (?): this also toes the line of being shippy between ace and luffy but well it depends on the reader i guess

Forgot to Hide the Bodies by siqwithaQ Summary:  Despite being lovers and sharing an apartment, neither Ace nor Luffy ever found out what the other does for a living — not to say that there haven't been close calls. Because, really, some skeletons in the closet are more literal than others. Ace/Luffy Notes: warning (?) acelu is shippy; but ok goodness this one made me laugh

Brave and Strong by samettikettu Summary:  Everything made sense now, why Sabo hadn't hugged him back and why he didn't say much to him during their brief meetings. Or why he hadn't waited till he woke up. Sabo blamed him for Ace's death. Notes: i didn’t know i needed yandere!sabo until this

Borrowing Days by Strange-Charms Summary:  Sabo was determined, he'd do this right. To make up for all those he'd missed. Notes: ahhh such a “quiet” and nice sabo and luffy brotherly bonding

Detective Loomes and the Phantom Thief by samettikettu Summary:  Detective Sherlock Loomes is the greatest detective in all England and he's tracking down the murderer who took his friend's life, a man called Moriarty. During his investigations, another criminal catches his eyes and messes up his head with his charming smile. It's the Phantom Thief Lupin! Sabo/Luffy Notes: everyone’s roles are great; warning (?): shippy sabolu

The Monkey Clan by loofahlover Summary:  Zoro had never thought that going out with Luffy would be easy. But that knowledge had not prepared him to meet with a senile old marine, an ex-mercenary, a half-drunk traveling salesman, a fireman with a questionable skillset, a shady government agent, and an even shadier sociopath. Notes: this was tagged as zoro/luffy but the focus was on the “monkey clan” and this was fcking hilarious and literally has been a rollercoaster from start until the end lmao I LOVE THIS

The Hat by Taisi Summary:  About a year before the Corrida Colosseum in Dressrosa, Sabo met one of Luffy's nakama. Well, they didn't actually meet. They spoke, but names weren't exchanged; other things were. Notes: so simple but sooooo good; AU drabble

NAKAMA FICS ALL of akurosa’s fics are a must-read!!! but let me list down my top ones from this author this is the price that has been paid in full (Some days, it's the ridiculously small things that break them and make them start over again.)   moments like this (simple and sweet Zoro&Luffy nakamaship moments)   Next Time Won’t You Sing With Me (The Straw Hats' ABCs. Short stories, all Luffy-centric with crew member interactions and sometimes, with Ace. notes: the last chapter (letter z) killed me hence, this) Like When a Fox Falls (Last time, he saved them. This time, they'll find him. A modern-reincarnation fic)  

2 Things by The StoryBooker Summary:  Zoro contemplates the things he does for his captain. Then he has a conversation with Rayleigh about what it means to be a first mate. Notes: im weak for first mates complaining about their captains

A Light Against The Dark Sky by zealousfreak27 Summary:  In which Robin Nico adopts six squirming children, becomes an object of interest for a famous elderly violinist, makes the acquaintance of a very interesting demolitionist, and learns to live again. Notes: pretty sure im gonna rec all kid!luffy fics tbh

Already Forever by Taisi Summary:  Hundreds of years from now, historians will never know what her captain was thinking, when he brought Enies Lobby to its knees with a declaration of war, when he attacked a Celestial Dragon on an island in an archipelago, and she won't be there to explain, "it was for a friend, you see?" (In which Nami comes to understand that the world will never understand Luffy.) Notes: nami’s thoughts are pretty much the fans’ thoughts

Always Gold by kokune Summary:  He's tied to a tree, his swords and crew are missing, and now some ten-year-old brat calling himself Sabo is waving around a lead pipe, demanding to know what happened to his little brother. Zoro closes his eyes and wonders if a bottle of booze will appear out of nowhere if he wishes hard enough. It's not like the day can get any weirder, anyway. Notes: post timeskip!SHs encounter young!ASL on Dawn Island

Copycat by Taisi Summary: And then, so quickly no one saw it happen, the man is reeling back with a broken nose, the creature is swept up and away, and Luffy- cradling it safely against his chest- looks as surprised as the rest of them. (In which there are absolutely no miraculous returns, and old wounds ache before a rain.) Notes: *wraps luffy in a burrito blanket*

Calendars and Kings by Taisi Summary:  "When I was little, all the other kids got treats and candies on my birthday too, so I didn't know it was special for me. Ace always said it was, but I thought that was just 'cause he was my big brother. I thought that since it was already a holiday, it didn't count!" Notes: just some nakama feels for all of us

Inversion by siqwithaQ Summary: "He wished things were different. He wished things would change." Notes: did someone ask for an ocean of angst in 1 chapter??? here you go

Inanition by Taisi Summary:  in·a·ni·tion, noun; lack of mental or spiritual vigor and enthusiasm; exhaustion caused by lack of nourishment. Notes: [In which Luffy's metabolism is faster than his doctor understands.]

Linger by Duzzie Summary:  AU. They're just a bunch of lonely kids in a hospital ward before he comes along: the boy with a smile like sunshine. Notes: what was that you wanted more angsty fics??? here you go

Smile Again by Taisi Summary:  His eyes are bright, and his mouth is stretched into a grin as wide as the world, and looking at him Usopp could cry. Notes: Modern AU, Nakamaship; there’s a lingering ache bc of the loss but the support of the mugiwara family is there

The Straw Hat by EmberEvolution Summary: The straw hat Shanks had given Luffy all those years ago finally fits on the boy's head. For anyone else, it would be an exciting event as it proves that they've grown from before. For Luffy, it's an event that triggered a panic fit and the reason behind it is simple: What if he outgrows his treasured straw hat? Notes: luffy has legitimate concerns ok

S We Walk the Beaten Path by soomin Summary: They were so close to the end that a few of them have actually begun to think about the ever after. However, Sabo warns the Strawhat crew that one of them will not make it to the afterwards if they go to Raftel, the crew thinks. It has always been pirate king or death. Not a single one thought that the “or” could one day be “and”. Notes: The highlight would have to be how each of the crew member reacted and tried finding a “solution”.

In The Bag by Kamu Summary: All pirates have hordes of treasure.It just so happens in this life, cats are the treasure in Luffy's. Notes: luffy as the owner of mugiwara!cats but this def needs the next part to update

Kizuna by YokoHogawa Summary:  Usopp carefully watches Luffy over the sandwich he is biting into, and he can’t help but worry. Sanji has an anxiety problem. Something wakes Zoro at the crack of dawn. Notes: nice approach immediately after the crew’s 3d2y reunion

Exclusivity by Taizi Summary:  A stranger flirts with the oblivious Luffy, and the Straw Hat Pirates reveal a possessive streak. Notes: ngl i’m weak for people being protective over luffy

Breadwinner by siqwithaQ Summary:  Because when the trouble doesn't find the Straw Hats by itself, the Straw Hats have to go looking for trouble. Notes: im still choking with laughter especially with the law-luffy-nami scenes lmao

Nothing but Trouble by Kitsune Foxfire Summary:  Marco and Thatch have had just about enough of the Moby Dick's newest passenger. Whenever Ace isn't trying to kill Oyaji, he's driving the rest of the crew insane with his bizarre habits. They're not even sure if they've picked up a feral dog or a person anymore. Who the heck raised this kid, anyway? Wolves? Notes: oh, ace, i love you

Unexpected Emergencies by blueh Summary:  Luffy had been alone most of his short life, with no one to love and no one to rely on. This all changed, however, when the Whitebeard Pirates stumble upon his lonely little island and take the four-year-old boy under their wing. Who knew that the little rubber brat would become one of Oyaji's strongest commanders when he grew up? Ha. The Whitebeard Pirates sure didn't. Notes: ahhh the bonding of luffy and the whitebeard pirates as he grew up was so nice

SHIPPY FICS aka i didn’t know i shipped anyone in one piece but damn these fics are good

An Interesting Proposal by petiteneko Summary:  If anybody told Smoker that he would have a casual conversation with his boss at a pirate's wedding, he would have thought them beyond insane. Law/Luffy Notes: wherein smoker’s sure he didn’t sign up for this bullshit and the wedding hall has got to be the “most wanted area in history”

Her Pace by Arithra Summary:  When Trafalgar Law first met Strawhat Luffy in the auction house on Sabaody, he like everyone else, assumed her to be male. It was a simple fact. A fact that would not survive their second meeting. Law/Luffy Notes: genderbent!luffy and as usual he/she is still so damn cute

Stow Away Captains by xairylle Summary:  Law sneaks into the men's quarters of the Thousand Sunny. Zoro contemplates on how to deal with it. And Luffy, well, Luffy is just Luffy. Notes: screaming over the predicament of zoro, sanji, usopp, and brook lmao

Youthful Years by grayclouds Summary:  Snippets and bits of seven years in Hogwarts during which Law hopelessly pines for Luffy. Law/Luffy Notes: the hp au every fandom needs

We’re Not Nuns by deadhemoglobin Summary:  Luffy went to prison. [[ZoLu, LawLu, Prison AU, warnings inside]] Notes: explicit Zoro/Luffy y’all and the premise was interesting

A Clash of Blades by Arithra Summary:  Mihawk had lived by the blade, had lived for the blade and the moment she lost her title she would die by the blade as well. Only Shanks ever dared to disagree. (fem!mihawk; Shanks/Mihawk) Notes: i thought mihawk looked pretty in oda’s genderbent drawing so i casually looked for a fic then this happened and jfc ngl this works sooo well and the fact that the author managed to keep them in character was super nice

ASL in Love by Kereea Summary: Three things would be true about the ASL Brothers’ relationships: they would be spectacular, they would be weird, and Shanks would not approve of his kids’ love lives. Marco/Ace Sabo/Koala Law/Luffy Notes: papa!shanks is the best and him raging over his kids’ “special others” is the best Hey, Mr. Star, I Think I love You (Please Love Me Too) by JuHuaTai Summary: Rising star actor, Marco Newgate, and the darling of the music industry, Spade, are just friends. Good friends who met in the most awkward of circumstances, and hold great respect for each other’s craft. Okay, a whole lot deal of great respect, and there might be a shade of crush here and there, but it’s a celebrity crush and that’s all there is to it.At least, that's what they kept saying. The whole world sure doesn't buy it one bit. Marco/Ace Notes: fluff goodness literally this is what you’d need if you wanna have toothache from all the sweetness also i cry over luffy being a youtuber

We’ll Look Back and Laugh at Ourselves by JuHuaTai Summary: Between his new boyfriend and his workaholic boss, Marco felt like he was surrounded by family issues of the father and son dispute variety. Maybe it was just a coincidence.Or maybe he should've listened to the office gossip more. Maybe then he'd figure it out sooner. Marco/Ace Notes: i relate with whitebeard and (later on) rayleigh

Thwarted by a Malign Star by DeadSkullB Summary:  “Fuck pirates, they're scum - except for Luffy, Luffy's fine… But he's not a pirate yet… that means it's fine, yeah, pirates suck,” Ace said matter-of-factly. Then his brain slowly caught up and he looked at the man - his face, not his very, very nice chest - with narrowed eyes. “Are you a pirate?” Marco smirked and pointed down at his chest. “You’re Marco the pine- Phoenix,” Ace stumbled over the word, heart having leapt to his throat and filled his ear with constant drumming. He didn't realize he spilled his drink - when had he gotten a refill? Marco/Ace Notes: came for the summary bc ace doting on luffy even as a marine is gold and stayed bc damn that was hot; nsfw & explicit obv

One Piece Soulmates AU by Charlie_Mou Summary: You have the name of your soulmate tattooed on your body but it's the name that will have the biggest impact on the world. Marco/Ace Law/Luffy Notes: The variety of One Piece Soulmate AU, mostly MarcoAce, LawLu, and others which isn’t written yet.

OTHERS of doughnuts and meat by dami_an Summary: "Where's my MEAT?!!" Behind the counter, Katakuri looks up from the sales ledger. He sighs, "Told you; this is a bakery. We don't sell meat here." "But you have meat buns!!!" Luffy whines. Notes: “in which katakuri's a baker and ends up befriending a seven-year-old luffy”; the exasperation of katakuri ftw and kid!luffy is the cutest basically a very wholesome shit i live for

The World Goes Around by WinglessCrows Summary: "How come you're called the pirate hunter, when you're a pirate yourself?"- How Zoro got his nickname and how his stupid captain was somehow involved. Notes: a headcanon i accept

Grandfatherhood by Keereea Summary:  Sengoku and Garp chat about Sengoku's discovery about Law. Notes: “Like Sengoku wouldn't tell Garp "crap I've join the 'my grandson's a pirate' club." warning (?): there’s a tiny bit of lawlu at the end

An Old-Hat Rivalry by lunarshores(damichan) Summary:  Three times Marco met a different man wearing the straw hat, and one time he decided to follow it. Notes: i just love the takes of authors on how marco and luffy’s dynamic is going to be and ugh the ending was so cute

A Song for the Heartsore and War-Weary by Summary: "Sorry, Ace," Marco murmured to himself as he riffled through the stack of old newspapers. "I don't know how it happened, but... I think I'm stalking your little brother." Notes: another take on marco and luffy’s dynamic asdfghjkl

Unsinkable by RikoJasmine Summary: The Straw Hats find out that their captain has one hell of a family. When asked about his mother’s whereabouts, Luffy simply grins and throws his arms out, gesturing to the endless expanse of sea around them. With complete sincerity, he replies, “The ocean is my mother!”An AU where Luffy isn’t entirely human, and water affects him differently than other Devil Fruit users. Notes: an interesting take on who luffy’s mother might be

Take It From Another Savior by JadeFlicker Summary: "You realize, by saving Straw Hat-ya, you may very well have indirectly changed or saved a lot of lives.” “You think?” “I know.” On their way to Wano, Law and his group just happen to meet the Red Hair Pirates. Notes: ahhh, i loved the “quietness” of this fic and some interactions between characters i didn’t think i’d be interested in seeing (hence this)

Like Cats and Dogs by PitViperOfDoom Summary:  It should be easy to judge a man by the shape of his soul, but Strawhat Luffy spits in the face of logic and predictability. Notes: i finally found a daemon fic yes

Law’s Adventure in the Thousand Sunny by LuffyForKing Summary: Law's thoughts on the crew's antics. Rated T for some swearing. Notes: basically, the strawhats broke law lmao

About You by pitchblackfingernails Summary:  “Is he serious?!” He heard faintly from Eustass-ya’s direction. And it seemed that he was. Because “Straw Hat” Monkey D. Luffy, dodged one, two bullets that flew in his direction, formed a fist, pulled his arm back, and then, with a shout, hit the face of one of the World Nobles with a force that sent the sucker flying halfway across the room, completely shattering the benches that were in the way in the process. And grunted in satisfaction, a fierce and proud look on his face. Law would be lying if he claimed that the sight didn’t make his heart skip a beat. Fucking hell. So that was Monkey D. Luffy. Notes: warning (?): it’s tagged as law/luffy but so far, it’s more on showing law’s pov on luffy pre timeskip

Every You, Every Me by tokyonightskies Summary: “Did you know, Roci…” Doffy begins in a voice that only spells out trouble. As if he knows something Rocinante doesn’t, has never thought about until it’s said and done. “That Sengoku keeps your marine file in his desk?” There’s something comforting about how unpredictable his brother is, something he can count on at least when there’s nothing else to rely on. He grabs a commentary on their great-great grandmother and puts it on top of the others, on the pile of papers he doesn’t really suspect his brother to read thoroughly. “I didn’t.” He responds tiredly as he shuts the drawer and leans against the wall, “Do I want to know how you know?” Doffy comes to stand next to him, tilts his head back until Roci can glimpse at his eyes from the side, and teases, “I looked, of course.” Notes: interesting take on what if roci wasn’t allowed to infiltrate the donquixote family and continued being a marine but it has only 1 chapter whelp; there are pairings tagged but then again no shippy thing at all since it’s not updated

Black Scab by tofu-melon Summary:  Having been raised by his grandfather since a young age, Luffy grows up powerful and intelligent enough to become part of the CP9... more precisely, he becomes their Chief Director. Notes: warning (?) it was tagged as Lucci/Luffy but so far it doesn’t have any yet

Drop-In Voyage by Lily Noire Summary:  So how does one go about visiting family on the other side of the globe? Easy: just board a ship. There's a pit stop on the way, you say? Dangerous, is it? No biggie, simply wreak havoc. And watch out for that fist! Strongest man in the world? Really? Then, surpass him it is! - Luffy did always have his priorities straight... somewhat. Notes: ahhh i wish the author would continue this bc i wanna see everyone’s reaction to their visit lol

My Family Can Beat Up Your Family by rose7anne101 Summary:  Big Mom decided she needed to make an unforgettable example of one of the Worst Generation, her chosen target: Straw Hat Luffy. Alive!Ace Notes: this is the canon we deserve wherein nobody died and luffy’s still wrecking havoc

Oh God, My Eyes! by Kitsune Foxfire Summary:  No one could ever really be sure what went on in Garp's head. So they weren't sure if his new cloths were some kind of strange D-related tactic, or if the man had actually lost his mind. If they'd just look at the date, they'd know. His cute grandsons always sent the most thoughtful gifts for his birthday. Notes: garp the grandpa ftw

Pets by clarobel Summary:  AU. Zoro was a stray until Shanks picked him up and adopted him. Now in a house with reindeer, kittens, fish and dogs, the green cat doesn't know who to trust. Luffy's delighted to have a new friend to play with, though! Notes: mugiwara as pets hell yes

The Justice of Freedom by Stelra Etnae Summary:  Garp is a pirate, Roger is a Marine? The Marine top-tiers are full of slacking drunkards and the Yonko are obsessed with rice crackers? Just what kind of chaos will unfold in a world such as this? A role-reversal AU where everything is upside down and no one is quite sane. Drabble series. Notes: im sCREAMING loool

Storm by  Kuroshi44 Summary:  Because even across the seas he would find a way to let his child know he cared. Notes: i can’t wait for a legit dragon and luffy reunion

Supernova Family by YohoAruto Summary:  There are laughter, shouting, fight, all the halabaloo. It's what families do! But we all have to wonder if this family can survive with eachothers? Just a regular Supernova Family. Notes: ok but i really love the supernovas and this modern au fic is gold

The adventures of the Supernova pirates by WhimsicalAnimeFan Summary:  This is the story of the Supernova crew, under their captain, Strawhat Luffy! Join Luffy as he travels the east blue and through the Grand Line to collect pirates for his crew! Notes: thank the heavens they’re not under one crew

Throne Without Direction by Som3on3 Summary:  "You have an old soul," Benn said and Luffy wanted to laugh, that's one way to put it, falling from the heavens and chained upon the earth. Instead he only gazed at the unchanging sky before smiling, "I'm just a free spirit." Notes: this had so much potential especially after the reveal in the latest chapter but it hasn’t been updated ;________;

**will add more from time to time

#one piece #fic rec #monkey d. luffy #portgas d. ace #sabo #what do you mean this is mostly asl fics.............i mean yknow #ANON SAN IT IS FINALLY HERE so you can stop spamming my inbox now lmao

[missmungoe]

I just finished reading Charybdis and it is painful and beautiful. Your whole multiverse is amazing, especially how Makino is so recognizably herself no matter what path she takes, and Shanks is just. Constantly awestruck by his wife. And after so much hurt, I cannot wait to see Makino finally come into her own. But there is one thing I've been thinking about since I got to that chapter: What would have happened if the Red Force's Den Den Mushi hadn't been too depressed to receive Makino's call?

First of all, please consider me absolutely DELIGHTED by this!! I love nudging my girl into roles that are pretty far out as far as canon is concerned (case in point: Emperor), but it’s still incredibly important to me that she is herself—that she doesn’t make choices she wouldn’t, and that at the core of everything she is or does there’s still that bottomless kindness and gentle nature.

(also, Shanks being perpetually in awe and smitten out of his ugly sandals by whatever Makino proceeds to say or do is the lifeblood of all my writing, ahahahahaha I don’t have a glaringly obvious kink or anything, not at alllll)

And you ask a really good question! I guess other than putting Shanks out of his misery sooner, it would have changed Sabo’s whole approach to getting Makino across the Grand Line. They would probably have stayed on that island longer, the Red-Hair Pirates coming to them rather than the other way around. The logical choice, with an eight month old baby to think about.

Of course, staying on that island, not getting away while they had the chance and with Blackbeard coming into possession of Sabo’s vivre card…

Okay now you’ve got me considering alternate storylines to a fic that’s already an alternate storyline of another fic, so have a teeny tiny AU, because I’m horrible:

“Are you sure you don’t want us to come and meet you?”

“No,” came the immediate reply, his voice firm—then, a little gentler, the words softened with a sigh, “No, just—just stay put until we get there. We’re not far.”

Makino tucked her lips together, and didn’t say she was tired of staying put, of waiting, of doing nothing but sit on her hands when she could so clearly hear the strain in his voice, and the evidence of all the things he didn’t say. She wanted to say to hell with waiting, to take their son and Sabo and find a ship, and to go back out to sea and find him. The Grand Line didn’t scare her anymore—not now, when he was so close. She’d been land-bound her whole life and she’d never felt this kind of restlessness, had never once coveted the horizon, but the longing she felt for it now was so fierce it stole her breath.

“Shanks,” she said instead, and didn’t bother pretending that her voice wasn’t breaking. Let him hear that she was far from untouched, that she was so close to shattering she was holding herself together out of nothing but sheer stubbornness. “How are you holding up?”

There was a beat—it was too long, and she fought to hold back her tears waiting for him to speak, before he finally said, “I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.”

And of course she knew that he wasn’t—knew that he was anything but fine. He’d believed her dead. A whole week, he’d thought her lost; had thought their son lost, and had mourned them both. Makino couldn’t imagine it.

She heard him exhale—heard the ragged quality of the sound, and the week-long exhaustion in it; the still-lingering grief. She would have been tempted to call it the hangover of the century, if she hadn’t known that he’d spent the week near-drowned with drink.

She didn’t like to think about how long he would have lasted in that state—couldn’t bear to even ask herself how much more he could have taken before it had been too much, before his body had just said stop. She didn’t know just how bad it had been, the days he’d thought her gone—the days he’d mourned her—but she could make a guess; Ben’s reaction to her call had said enough (his voice breaking, and she’d never even heard it waver), although nothing spoke louder than Shanks’ pensive stretches of silence while she talked. He’d always been chatty, had always been able to fill the silence with ease, no such thing as a lull in conversation while he was conscious to draw breath, and Makino tried to keep him talking now, if only to keep him going.

She didn’t blame him. And she could only imagine how she would have handled it, if she’d been the one who’d thought him lost. Not any better, and it hurt just brushing against the thought.

“I know,” Shanks said then. He sounded achingly tired. “I’m sorry. I just need to—I need to see you. I’ll be better when I do.” The Den Den Mushi tried for a smile, before it forfeited the attempt.

Makino didn’t agree, knowing it was already implied, and she couldn’t reach her voice past the knot in her throat. She felt it like a sickness, the need to see him. It had been two days since she’d first called, seeming the longest of her life. Two days where they’d kept in near constant touch, never straying far from the Den Den Mushi. Two days of Sabo giving her space, of taking Ace off her hands; two nights of drifting off with the receiver tucked between her hands and the sound of Shanks’ voice easing her into sleep, and of waking up to find him still there, the line still open, as though he’d spent the night just listening to her breathing. Two days to fill the week where he’d thought she’d been lost forever, and it wasn’t enough—nothing would be enough short of having him; of being able to touch him again.

Being at sea had made her selfish. Two days ago she would have given anything just to hear his voice and would have been content with that, but it was no longer enough. She needed to touch him, to have him so close she forgot there’d ever been distance between them; his arm wrapped around her, his warmth inside her. Makino thought she’d go mad from the waiting.

“How is Luffy?” she asked then, grasping for a distraction—anything to take her mind off the growing ache in her chest, that resonated in her whole body.

“Tagging along,” Shanks said. The Straw-Hats had showed up right on the heels of her call; she’d talked to Luffy briefly, but not since that first day. “He’ll be glad to see you.” A pause, and then with something that almost sounded like his old humour, “He’s not the only one. Something tells me I’ll have to share this reunion. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

It was difficult speaking, with her throat cinched so tight, but, “They can wait,” Makino said. She didn’t care if it was selfish, had never cared less about anything in her life. “All of them.”

There was a long silence. And there was too much in it, too many days and too many things yet unsaid between them, and she wanted to scream, just to fill it.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Shanks said then, as though in speaking the words, he was checking to see that it wasn’t still the case. It wasn’t the first time he’d told her, and Makino doubted it would be the last.

“I’m still here,” she said, not a rebuttal but a promise—a vow, and they’d given each other their share of those, but she’d never meant any of them as much as she did this one—and then, fiercely, the words from a different time but no less true, “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Shanks didn’t answer, but she saw from the Den Den Mushi’s expression the one that he had to be wearing. Not as though he didn’t believe she was telling the truth, but as though believing it was taking everything he had. But it was all she could give him, and she hated it—hated that she was so helpless, and that she had nothing more than words to offer him, to fill the distance, and that she couldn’t even give him something that didn’t require physical proof to believe.

She was searching for something to say to ease his burdens—to make him feel better. Something lighthearted and suggestive, to make him laugh, if only out of surprise. She could do that, Makino thought. She knew his heart better than her own; knew his soul like her own. She could make him laugh. Even if he’d forgotten how, if anyone could make him remember, it was her.

Restless and searching, she plucked at the fabric of Sabo’s coat, before smoothing her fingers over the thin slip of her nightdress underneath. She desperately needed a change of clothes. And shoes.

An idea struck her then, and before she could think, “I’d tell you what I’m wearing,” she said, with a furtive glance across the room, and dropping her voice to a murmur, “but there’s a really nosy innkeeper here, and I think she already suspects me of being indecent, so I’d rather not prove her right. Then again, I showed up on her doorstep in my nightdress, so I guess that one’s on me.”

The snail’s mouth inched upwards a fraction. “My proper girl,” Shanks murmured, and she could have sobbed at the endearment.

And spurred by it, “Isn’t this how you dress on the Grand Line?” Makino asked, her laughter trembling. Her tears had spilled over, and her hand shook around the receiver, but her smile this time didn’t falter on her mouth. “Or is that just your crew?”

His own laugh was startled, and it sounded thick, not the way it should be, not even close. It barely sounded like a laugh at all, but she’d take it. And she’d bring it back, Makino vowed; the whole, earnest sound of it. The loudest laugh she’d ever known, and it would be that again. They’d be okay, once they were together. They’d put themselves back together, a little worse for wear, but they’d survived before, cuts and scrapes and ten long years. They’d survive this, too. She’d make sure of it.

“Hey,” she said then, quietly, and heard how much her voice shook, but she didn’t care. And if she couldn’t give him anything but words, then at least she’d give him the only truth she could speak with her whole being behind it; one that wasn’t dependent on anything but the heart giving it. “I love y—”

She wasn’t given the chance to finish as the floor suddenly gave out beneath her, and she lost her grip on the receiver, the whole common room seeming to cave in on itself, taking her with it. And she couldn’t even muster the voice to cry out as she collided with the ground, the burst of stars behind her eyes choking a gasp past her lips instead.

Something struck her head, so hard and so sudden that she didn’t even feel it at first, before she did, and it was all she could do to throw her arms up to shield herself, the pain so fierce it numbed her whole body.

The ground beneath her shook, along with the whole foundation of the inn, and she’d curled herself together where she’d landed, afraid to move—afraid, suddenly, that the whole island was coming apart, that it was about to crack open, the sea swallowing her up—but then, as abruptly as it had begun, it stopped.

It took Makino a second to gather herself, to struggle past the shock of both the pain and the earthquake, the tremors seeming to linger in her bones. She lay curled on her side, and rolled over onto her back with effort, her head ringing, and her whole body seeming to echo it. She felt the soft rug under her hands as she fumbled to figure out where she was—felt little pieces of splintered wood and debris, scratching her palms.

She coughed, the dust making it difficult to breathe, and she could barely see anything, but—the big armchair she’d been sitting in had toppled, and the table where the Den Den Mushi had been lay in splinters. There were cracks running through the floor, forking up the walls, through the ceiling above her head. She thought she could spy the night sky through the clouds of dust obscuring everything else.

Something hot and wet trickled down her temple, gathering at her collar, and her head ached. The ringing in her ears hadn’t stopped, and she couldn’t understand what had happened—

“Makino!”

Shanks’ voice, something sharp and urgent in it. It sounded a little distorted, and she tried to figure out where it was coming from, but she couldn’t see the Den Den Mushi—couldn’t see anything, her eyes stinging from the dust.

She remembered Sabo then, and her heart lurched in her chest, seeming to jolt her whole body back into awareness. He’d been in the next room with Ace, with the kind but nosy innkeeper, but when she scrambled to push to her feet she only managed a single, pitiful attempt before she was brought back down, her body resisting the movement.

But then—a piercing wail from somewhere in the rubble; the sound struck her harder than the pain that lanced through her limbs, and she clenched her jaw against a sob, but still couldn’t push herself up.

Ace. She needed to find him. She needed to make sure he was alright, that he wasn’t hurt—

One of the broken floorboards creaked loudly, and her first thought was Sabo, but when she tried speaking his name her voice wouldn’t shape it, dust coating her tongue, the back of her throat. And blinking her eyes, she saw a pair of heavy boots stepping into her line of sight; black leather polished to shining, not a speck of dust on them, and for a moment she found the sight so incongruous, she couldn’t think past it.

A large hand reached down to pick up the discarded receiver, from the Den Den Mushi lying on its side. Dazed, Makino followed it—saw the fingers curled around the mouthpiece she’d been holding, black hairs dusting their backs and each of them bedecked with gold rings, some inlaid with precious gems.

Lifting her eyes with difficulty—just moving her head was painful enough to leave her dizzy, and she felt as a fresh flow of blood trickled down between her brows, along her nose to gather on her upper lip—she squinted through the dust. And it took a moment to fix her gaze on the person looming above her, his massive bulk filling her vision. He wore a black captain’s hat, the hem of his greatcoat brushing the floorboards as he straightened, the mouthpiece gripped in his hand.

He was holding the baby on his arm, her son still screaming, fat tears in his lashes and the dust leaching the red from his hair, and there was a second where mindless relief filled her, and gratitude for the stranger who must have found him.

But then he grinned, the languid stretch of it along his mouth baring his missing teeth, and with a sudden breath, Makino recognised him.

Her relief shattered, her heart constricting, like a hand had reached into her chest and seized it, realising abruptly who was standing above her.

From the Den Den Mushi came Shanks’ voice, loud and commanding across the line but breaking with distress now, nothing like she’d ever heard from him, her ever-steady husband—“Makino!”

“Sorry,” Blackbeard spoke into the mouthpiece, and the line went quiet. He grinned down at Makino, his grip around the baby unyielding.

“But your wife can’t come to the phone right now.”

#Anonymous #so basically what I'm saying is the endgame would be the same #I'd just come up with different ways to keep them apart #gosh #you don't want to know how many alternate storylines this fic has #one day when I finish it I will write the AU where they have to crash Shanks' execution #(and yes that would make it an AU of an AU of a sequel) #(could you believe this verse used to be just the one fic?) #Shanks x Makino #Red-Haired Shanks #Makino #One Piece #mungoe writes #otp: sing me sea shanties #Shanties for the Weary Voyager

[petite-neko]

Boyhood Blues - 09

Fanfiction: Boyhood Blues Story Summary: Actions, and inactions, have their repercussions. It may not be immediate but somewhere down the line, the effect will be seen. Chapter Characters: Ace, Sabo, Luffy, Law, Marco Pairing: LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, Universe Alteration, canon-typical violence, angst, A/N: Dear god. My apologies. I was too preoccupied with Stability and then my Birthday weekend and then I was just overwhelmed by over socialising AND THIS FUCKER WAS TOO FUCKING LONG. SERIOUSLY. ITS 11 FULL FUCKING PAGES AND THE ORIGINAL WAS JUST SHY OF 7. I go die now and potentially work on Stability 3

PS: This is an emotionally charged chapter!

.xxx. > Time/scene skip

.+++. > PoV change

Read on Ao3

Chapter 8 || Chapter 9: Trapped || Interlude

Being a dead man was boring, Ace decided.

It was more boring than waiting for your public execution in the metaphorical hell. Because, then, at least the public knew that you were still alive. At least they were waiting to see you one last, gruesome time.

The whole world knew.

Granted, the contrast between then and now was quite prevalent. Now? He had freedom – even if it was limited in a sense. He could actually move and walk and talk with his brothers and sisters. He wasn’t weighed down by the sense of the sea. He could laugh and eat and…

But only behind closed doors.

He couldn’t fight. He couldn’t train. He couldn’t even see the light of day. No. Not until he was healed.

He didn’t know which was worse. To be completely denied freedom, or have it tangible on his tongue but just out of reach.

Because the world thought him dead, and it was better that way. Better to be thought dead than to be hunted and defenceless and alive.

(He promised Luffy after all…)

It didn’t mean it wasn’t annoying, or it didn’t irritate the hell out of him. It didn’t mean his heart didn’t ache as he heard the sounds of battle and his brothers and sisters were potentially getting hurt. It didn’t mean he wasn’t pissed as hell because his goal was to be infamous, and he couldn’t do that while dead. His life was on a halt until his body could recover…

Sure, Luffy knew. Sure, his crewmates knew but…

(He wondered: did Gramps know? What about Dadan?)

He doubted it.

(Honestly, it was probably for the best. Gramps couldn’t keep secrets worth shit, and if Sakazuki found out the possibility that he was alive? The witch hunt would never cease. Just like Law said. Ugh, just thinking about that lava bastard gave him shivers.)

Ace sighed and placed his hand on his bandaged abdomen. He could still remember the pain as Sakazuki’s fist went through him. (And the yells and cries and screams of those all around him.) Sure, he wasn’t at death’s doorstep anymore, but it didn’t mean he was out of his yard. The doctor still hadn’t cleared him ready for combat as of yet. And while he protested and mocked Law when they were alone on his submarine, Ace wasn’t stupid. He was lucky to avoid dying that day. That if it weren’t for a misdirecting blow and Law’s immediate medical attention, he wouldn’t be breathing right now. He still had a long ways before he could even consider thinking about training, never mind an actual battle in the New World.

He hadn’t seen Law since the day that he had returned to his crew. Of course while they had strongly suspected that he was alive, with everything that Law had been saying, they still doubted. The reunion was very tearful before Law had explained the charade they were pulling, and the benefits of it all. Then Law went to have a very long discussion with the doctors.

And before that? Well, that was years ago. If he recalled, Luffy was… what? Nine years old, and he was twelve? (How much older was Law than them? He couldn’t remember actually.)

To be honest, he didn’t like Law at first. He was too broody. Too quiet. Too sullen. (Too like himself.) There just was this seriousness about him, not to mention how cold he had been. But eventually he softened out a bit. Enough for Ace to respect him. Not to mention… well... Aside from his constant complaining of Luffy’s crying, he didn’t make any comments when Ace broke down himself.

If Law had ever gotten his nose out of those books, they probably would have made good friends eventually.

But Law had left before that ever happened, and, if Ace was honest with himself, he was glad that never happened. Because by leaving, Law had been their lighthouse, even if the guy didn’t intend it.

Trafalgar Law had shown them the way out of that shore surrounded by rocks. Well, maybe not the exact path, but he showed that there was a way. Somewhere. And they just had to find it.

He knew Luffy admired Law. But Luffy was prone to finding people he idolised. There was Shanks, for example, and there were other things that left his little brother in awe. Sure, Ace didn’t know much about Law, but… he liked him. And now the guy had saved their lives.

And what the future held? Well, it would most certainly be something. Especially when Luffy finished training…

“Hey, what are you…”

“You can’t…”

“…Off limits…”

There was a bunch of chaos outside, and Ace could hear the scuffles above him, and confident steps walking towards the hatch that was the entrance to his… voluntary confinement.

And so he reached over, grabbing the weapon that was beside him. Risk be damned, he wasn’t going down without a fight!

(“And don’t even think about using your logia abilities for the first few months! The last thing you need is for all my hard work to be undone because your body can’t figure out what goes where.”)

Damn it. Damn it all! Had somebody suspected that he wasn’t actually dead? Or… were they insisting on entering the space that he had claimed as his for whatever reason?

At the very least self defence was a permitted last resort. He wasn’t going to sit there and be killed…

“Relax.” That was Marco’s voice booming out. He muttered something else that Ace didn’t quite catch before continuing. “What are you doing here?”

He heard another voice that sounded strangely familiar and yet he couldn’t recall ever hearing it before…

“Can I not come and see how he’s doing? Promise I won’t hurt him.”

Ace could hear Marco sigh before the hatch opened, and the beam of natural light shone down. It made him wince a bit, not accustomed to it at all. God, he hated being cooped up like this but they had to go on the move again, and they were vulnerable at sea, and nobody was to know that he was alive…

“Must be boring down here.” That mysteriously familiar voice spoke again as he jumped down. “At least you have some semblance of light.” He said, referring to the artificial lighting around the room. It was dim. Enough to not rouse suspicion.

The man before him wore blue, and he had this stupid hat on his head, a scar on the left side of his face. As the hatch was closed, Ace noticed the man’s hair was blond and…

Oh. Ace recognised him now. Yes, he saw this man once.

This was the man who saved his life.

“So,” Ace said, relaxing a bit and put down the weapon he had grabbed for himself within reach, “you’re the person who my idiotic little brother gave my vivre card to.”

To be honest? He hadn’t heard much about him. Why he never asked Luffy or Law about him, he didn’t know. Probably too busy catching up with Law? And mulling on the fact that he had to pretend to be dead. All he knew was that this guy was a revolutionary and his name was…

The revolutionary nodded, leading against the wall with his right arm. The left one sat on his hip casually. “Sabo. And, hey, that’s not a nice thing to say about somebody who broke into the world’s most secure prison to save you.”

Ace shrugged. “I’m not lying.” And laughed. “If anything, that proves he’s even more of an idiot.” But softly and carefully, his flesh and muscles were still tender beneath the bandages.

And Sabo laughed as well. “True enough. But that kid will do anything for those he cares about.”

Introductions aside… just what was he doing here? Hell, he had a lot of questions for him actually. Like, who was he? Why did he come to the war? What was his purpose?

Did he have ultimatums?

And was that a fucking pipe at his back?

“You look like you have a lot of questions on your mind, Portgas D. Ace. Go ahead, ask them.”

Ace had turned his gaze back up to his face and glared, only to see the sincere smile on his face. Sabo hadn’t made the comment in mockery, and the guy had been serious when he used his name, even though the world knew just what blood ran through his veins…

Seriously, who was his guy?

“Well, what are you doing here, first of all? Come to collect on a debt or something?”

With those words Ace’s eyes narrowed and he fingered the weapon at his side as a warning.

And Sabo? He smiled, not at all intimidated by Ace’s threat. “Unfortunately not.” His eyes were soft, glinting in this mischievous, playful manner that seemed familiar to him. “I can understand why you think that though. Some stranger coming up to a war that had nothing to do with him, risking his own life while doing so, is rather suspicious after all. No, I haven’t come here for that purpose, Ace, I came because… because I finally remembered something…” Those eyes misted over now, nostalgic. As if he was remembering that thing he just mentioned.

Ace only found himself more confused by that. Especially since Sabo knew just what was bothering him. Although, he supposed anybody would be thinking that…

But for Sabo to not have any ulterior motives? It was baffling to him. Why? Why did Sabo do it? And just what did the revolutionary mean by remembering something?

Did he just simply forget to do something after the war?

“What do you mean by remembering something?” Ace asked, and sure, yeah, maybe he was a bit rude and defensive but… “What the hell do you mean?”

Sabo zoned back into the present and he laughed with a nod. His hand went to adjust his hat, the dim light catching on something…

“Did Luffy or Trafalgar ever tell you why I came to Marineford?”

…Wasn’t that what he was trying to find out here? And he hadn’t even answered his first damn question! What was this? Just telling him to ask questions but not even giving him a full reply... Bastard.

Ace told himself to calm down before he became too aggravated.

“No, I wasn’t told much about you, not that I really asked either. And Luffy was too busy blabbering off about Law or to Law. And Law? He was more concerned that I wouldn’t go and do something he deemed as stupid, and injure myself beyond his repair.”

Sabo laughed again. For a man being interrogated, he was quite carefree, wasn’t he?

“Yeah, he’s really fascinated with Trafalgar, isn’t he? You guys are childhood… acquaintances, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Ace thought back to Luffy and Law and smiled, “something like that. He’s kinda… Luffy’s idol. Well, next to Shanks that is.” He only remembered back to Alabasta when Luffy had showed him Law’s bounty poster.

”Oh! Ace! Ace! Come here!” Luffy was laughing and tugging him along. His eyes were sparkling and Ace could only just wonder just what it was that made Luffy’s eyes sparkle like that.

Luffy had dragged him over to a room on his ship.

“It’s just right here…”

Luffy let go of his arm and started rummaging through a box. He was laughing and grinning. “There! I found it!”

He pulled out a piece of paper. “Look Ace!”

Ace looked at the paper. No… it wasn’t a paper, it was a poster. A wanted poster.

…The face looked vaguely familiar…

He looked down to the name.

Trafalgar Law.

Hah!

Ace found himself laughing.

“So that bastard really did become a pirate!”

“I know! We were right! I knew we were right! Ace! I can’t wait to meet him! Vivi said that her book said he was coming to the Grand Line! Maybe he already did? Hey, hey, Ace, could you see if you could meet him? Please?”

Ace laughed even more. “Sheesh, the last time I saw you this excited was eight years ago. Well, I am on my mission, but I’ll definitely keep my eye out Luffy.”

“Really? Oh thank you Ace! Do you think I’ll meet him? I hope I do….”

Ace rolled his eyes. Who would’ve thought? “I’m sure you will. Pirates tend to run into one another along the line. If the two of you make it through, you’ll definitely be meeting him later, I can guarantee that.”

“Shishishi, I can’t wait Ace!”

That boy…

Sabo smiled softly. “I see…” He was quiet for a short period of time again before startling.

…What was that guy doing?

“Oh! Right, back to what I was saying…”

(Well, he supposed the two of them had gotten lost in their own respective memories…)

“Well, if you think Luffy’s an idiot for trying to save his brother, you’ll think I’m a complete moron.” Laughter left Sabo – that guy liked to laugh a lot, didn’t he? “The moment I read the paper, I snuck into the nearest Marine Base and onto a ship in order to arrive at Marineford or Impel Down. And why?” He was smirking now. “Well I had no fucking clue as to why. Just that I was overwhelmed with this fury and your execution had to be stopped.”

…Well Sabo was correct in that deduction. He was a complete moron. Who the fuck did that? Over a stranger no less!

“…But it was that paper that started something. If it weren’t for that… I may not have ever fully remembered…”

Ace groaned. This guy going off on his tangents was really starting to annoy him…

“Can’t you explain things straight?” He had more questions than answers damn it! And, of course, Sabo was just taking so damn long to answer, which only created even more questions…

Sabo sighed and covered his left eye with the hand that was at his hip. “When I was ten I was in a tragic… incident and lost everything. My name. My memory. My age… I knew nothing of myself. Not who I was, nor who my parents were. Friends, family… it was all gone. The revolutionaries had found me and nursed me back to health. Sabo… that was the only potential hint to my past, since that name was on the belongings they found with me...” He sighed again, and his hand fell down as Sabo looked at it. “…It happened on a small kingdom in East Blue…”

Ace had to admit that he was sceptic to believe Sabo’s story, especially since the guy had started out with when he was ten. Perhaps he meant ten years ago? Because that sounded more plausible, to be honest.

But then Sabo had mentioned a small kingdom in East Blue…

(Of course, Ace wondered about Luffy talking about a Sabo character, but… of course it couldn’t be Sabo. There was no way. It was far more likely that they had just met a person with the same name, the world was a huge place after all…)

And Ace started putting things together. An accident… the guy’s name…

And he stared.

He just had to know…

“…How old are you now?”

(Ten. It happened when he was ten and…)

“Same age as you Ace, twenty.”

No fucking way. There was no fucking way…

(Didn’t Sabo say he had remembered something…? That he now knew his age and…)

There was this metaphorical hole in his stomach that had nothing to do with the literal one that had been there a few months ago. He wanted to hope. Oh how he wanted…

“But,” Sabo was laughing again, “I guess considering what your mother did, you’d definitely be the older brother, wouldn’t you?”

Ace felt the tears leaving him. How? How could he be so happy again? “S-Sabo?” Gods, he wanted it to be true! He looked. He stared. At this man. Trying, trying to find something – anything. Sure… sure, they both had blond hair, and sure they wore stupid hats and wore blue but…

The light flicked again on something on his top hat.

Those glasses…

“Sabo?!”

“Yeah. Goa Kingdom… sake… stealing from bandits and pirates and…” The smile on the other’s face was almost sad. It was so happy that it looked sad. His eyes were watering and –

Ace didn’t give a damn about anything else right now, no. He just jumped up and embraced the other in a tight hug.

Sabo was continuing to blabber on. “…It’s still a blur, and I don’t remember everything but – Ah! Ace! You’re burning me!”

“Ah! Sorry!” And Ace waved away the flame before rubbing the back of his head. “I’m just… I’m so glad Sabo… You’re… you’re alive. You’re you…” There were tears in his eyes as well, but he couldn’t give a damn about that. He stepped back slightly and took a long, good look at his brother. Sabo… Sabo… The smile that was on his face almost hurt, and he placed his hands on the other’s shoulders. They slid down slightly to the side and Ace clutched tightly, feeling his own shoulders trembling.

“We thought you had…” A sob broke through. He could still remember that day… “And when Gramps had heard what happened he… he took us in. Saying something about how dangerous it was and…”

Tears were sliding down his face.

“…Gramps missed you too, ya know? Dadan… Luffy…”

(It hurt. It hurt remembering the agony they had all gone through…)

“Luffy… he – he took it the hardest. And then… when we were stuck with the Marines it… it reminded us of when you left with your parents for our sake. Of just how trapped you were and how unhappy and… I know, I know Gramps didn’t mean to do it but… we felt trapped Sabo. That none of us could obtain our dreams…”

His legs couldn’t support him anymore, and his hands slid from Sabo’s shoulders as he sank to his knees.

“Thank you…. Thank you Sabo… thank you for coming back… Thank you for living.”

A sound notified him of Sabo sinking to his level and he felt arms tightly embrace him.

“Deep down,” he started softly, “I knew who I was. I didn’t truly forget. And seeing you in danger? It triggered something in me. Even though I didn’t remember yet, I couldn’t let my brother die.” Sabo squeezed him tighter for a moment. “And I’m just… I’m so glad that I was able to save you. That… you survived that.”

Ace could feel the way that Sabo trembled as well, and he wrapped his arms around him in return, clutching tightly to his back.

“Even… even when I still didn’t remember… I lost sleep, just staring at your vivre card. I needed to know that you were going to be alright Ace. I needed to see it grow in size…”

There just was something so comforting in the way the two of them trembling in one another’s arms. To know that the other was alive and safe and here.

And when Sabo had calmed down, he pulled away a bit, hands on his shoulders and just looked him in the eyes. “Back then, during the war, I put together the pieces. I figured that I probably was your brother, but I didn’t truly remember. Sometimes… I would have moments where I almost did… where I heard you and Luffy calling out to me as children. I could hear your laughter… foreign voices whispering foreign words…” Sabo was smiling and he let out a gentle sigh and shook his head. “But… I couldn’t… I couldn’t tell either of you. Not when I wasn’t too certain myself, when I didn’t remember. Because I wasn’t the boy you remembered, not really. And I couldn’t do that to either of you. Not until I remembered.”

As Ace thought about being told that, he closed his eyes and nodded. Really, he appreciated it. Luffy had taken it the hardest, and of course being the older brother he had to be there for him but… But it didn’t mean that Sabo’s death hadn’t affected him too. He just hid it and let it out in different ways. And, if he had learned that Sabo might have been alive? The prospect would’ve destroyed him. He wouldn’t have been able to rest until he had gotten an answer one way or another… and if Sabo hadn’t happened to be…

It would be worse than losing him the first time.

“Thank you. For that. For everything.”

Sabo was smiling down at him.

Ace brought his hands up, cupping Sabo’s face and brought their foreheads together.

“Thank you, brother.”

They stayed like that for awhile: just rejoicing in the simple fact that the other was alive.

Eventually, though, they parted and Ace relaxed with a laugh.

“I’m guessing Luffy doesn’t know?”

Sabo shook his head. “Luffy doesn’t have a vivre card. When I finally regained my memories, I decided I’d come to you first since I knew where you were.”

A light laugh left him and he nodded. “He’s decided to train for the New World. After what he’s seen, I must say I don’t blame him. In fact, it’s a really good idea to be prepared and a smart thing for him to do.” His brother had gotten himself far, he had strong friends, but the New World was tough. If Luffy didn’t feel prepared enough, then he should train.

Ace couldn’t back him up after all, and Luffy didn’t know about Sabo, and they didn’t have any way to get a hold of him…

“After all, he’s gained a fair bit of notoriety because of Marineford.” Luffy’s father being revealed to the world… and his actions during the war… then what he did afterwards to insinuate that he was dead… All in all, most definitely things that would earn one a higher bounty. “I was surprised though that they didn’t reveal that we were practically raised by the Marines. Would’ve given them more fuel to the fire…”

“Show.” Sabo answered far too quickly than he would have liked. “Remember, Marineford was broadcasted. If it was revealed that they harboured and raised the demon spawn without knowing, it would have shone a bad light upon them.” Then Sabo laughed. “Not to mention it would be practically publicising that being raised by Marines would make you turn to piracy. There’s, what, one known example already, and if you include Trafalgar and the two of you, that’d make a total of four.”

Ace laughed. “I suppose. And I doubt that Sengoku acknowledged Law on the battleground, or at least more than just stating that Law was there. He didn’t show us much softness after all. Although, who knows… he did raise Law for a few years…”

Sabo nodded. “I suppose you could say he acted rather professional.”

Ace smiled softly. “But don’t worry about Luffy. You’ll know when he comes back, it should be another year or so, but he’ll make the headlines for sure.”

.xxx.

“You two talked for quite awhile.”

Marco had come down to the lower deck after Sabo had left.

“Yeah… we had a lot of catching up to do.” Ace was tired, but a good tired. He hadn’t had a conversation like that in awhile, but his energy levels were still so low, and it had been so emotionally taxing…

“Catching up?” Marco sat next to him, handing him a basket of food. “You know him yoi?”

“Yeah.” But despite the exhaustion, Ace knew that he was grinning ear to ear now. He took out a piece of bread. “…He’s my brother. You know… the one we thought we lost?” He took a bite and chewed on that while Marco chewed on that information. “He didn’t know. Well, at least until a few days ago. Amnesia after the accident. Apparently something Luffy’s dad said was the last trigger to the lock on his memories. And, since he had my vivre card he came to tell me first.”

Marco was quietly watching him as he explained all of this.

And Ace sighed, bringing his head back as he thought about it. About family and losing them and regaining them…

“Marco,” he said with a pause and looked the other man in the eyes, “we need to protect the Old Man’s treasure. I don’t want to lose any more family… I-I can’t…”

A warm hand was on his shoulder now, squeezing tightly.

“And that’s why, Ace, why you need to stay down here and recover. For now, I will do the protecting until you can fend for yourself, and then we can do it together. But we – I – need you to stay safe until then, okay? None of us want to lose family either.”

Ace sighed but begrudgingly nodded. “I know, I know, I just… I hate being a deadweight Marco…”

“Better a deadweight than dead.”

And while Ace agreed, pretending to be dead still fucking sucked.

#monkey d. luffy #lawlu #portgas d. ace #sabo the revolutionary #one piece #fanfic:boyhoodblues #petiteneko:story #onepiece #tlaw #luffy #sabo #ace #marco #and shippiness was not intended at the end #but alas #view as you wish