#all in all i think leaving luffy to garp wouldn’t sound like such a weird thought to dragon ?? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chenziee · 3 years

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Romance Dawn for the East Blue

Inspired by @feriowind‘s blessed tweet about Yamato winding up on Dawn Island :)

Enjoy 4k words of the 4 brothers driving everyone crazy :D

[Read on AO3 or below the cut]

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Slowly blinking awake, Yamato struggled to remember why he was lying on the beach of some strange island, the smell of sea salt and trash mixing in the air into something almost worse than the confines of his prison of Onigashima. Almost. It was still freedom after all, and Yamato would gladly take this disgusting smell over his father threatening to place bombs on his wrists.

Looking around groggily, his eyes finally fell on the sad, wooden remains of a small boat, a boat that Yamato had been using to sail this unfamiliar sea during the past weeks. And he finally remembered the terrible events that had led him to this island.

Yes, it was a dark, stormy night, the likes of which Yamato had never seen even in the unpredictable New World, and definitely not since his escape in the peaceful and calm East Blue. He had fought to keep his boat from capsizing, fighting against the strong winds and ocean currents all by himself for hours… but then suddenly, a Neptunian so large it could only have come from the Calm Belt appeared. Yamato had managed to fight it off but unfortunately, his boat suffered too much damage from the power of his Thunder Bagua. He was then forced to swim to the nearest shore with the last bits of strength he had left—

"I saw the Lord of the Coast attack the fishing boat this person was sleeping in. It was really funny, when they woke up, they screamed so loud I think even the people in Fuusha heard. And then they fell in the water while trying to stand up. But the idiot apparently can't swim so I had to go fish them out."

Yamato froze in place at the boyish voice who was retelling his heroic battle so rudely. Wasn't he allowed to at least pretend?

Another boy, this one sounding even younger, started snickering then. "I like this person, Sabo! They’re so funny!"

"Luffy, you're the last one who should be laughing here," a third voice sighed. "Anchor boy." Yamato could almost hear the cheeky smirk on his face as he teased this 'Luffy'.

“Don’t call me that!” the youngest one cried, sounding like he was about to fight the other boy.

“Ace, don’t provoke him,” the first boy chided. “You’ll wake the idiot with your fighting.”

That was it.

“Will you stop calling me an idiot?!” Yamato shouted as he sprung up to a sitting position, an embarrassed blush on his face.

They all paused at the sudden movement, blinking up at him in shock. Yamato glowered at them one by one, taking note of how tiny these kids were—the blond and the freckled one looked no older than 12, while the other could be maybe 8. The blond was the only one dripping in water, just as much as Yamato himself was, and Yamato could only assume this was Sabo, the one who had pulled him out of the water. That would make Freckles ‘Ace’, and the youngest one ‘Luffy’.

Yamato had to wonder, though, how Sabo was able to save him all by himself. Yamato was 16 years old, a lot older than however old these boys were, and he was Kaido’s son—meaning he was already much taller than some adults. Although, he supposed he had seen stranger things and people a lot stronger than a human their size should have been. An image of Oden during his execution came to mind immediately but Yamato quickly chased the memory away.

“Oh look, the idiot’s awake,” Ace said lazily, looking thoroughly unimpressed by Yamato’s glare and simply returning it with one of his own.

Luffy, on the other hand, grinned brightly, hopping over to Yamato to stare up at him with stars in his eyes. “Are those horns? Real ones?”

Blinking, Yamato’s hand automatically reached up to touch one of his horns. “Yeah?” he replied slowly, unsure of what he was supposed to say. Was it that weird to people not from the Grand Line to see someone with features like this?

“That’s so cool! Join my pirate crew!” His grin only widened with his request—or demand.

Yamato tilted his head to the side. “You have a pirate crew?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, not yet,” Luffy said, a small pout appearing on his lips. “But eventually, I will be the Pirate King so of course I will have one!” he announced looking so proud and sure of himself and Yamato felt his lips twitch upward.

“Sure, King, I’ll tag along with you,” he laughed, seeing no harm in indulging the adorable kid. And who knew? Maybe he really would end up sailing with him. After all, in 12 years, the Nine Red Scabbards would come back to Wano and Yamato needed to be back there by then. He needed to help open the country.

And who was to say he couldn’t bring the Pirate King with him?

Sabo clicked his tongue then, walking up to Luffy and ruffling his hair. “Stop that, you don’t even know this person’s name.”

“Oh right,” Yamato said, hitting t he palm of his hand with his fist in sudden realization. “Sorry. I’m Kozuki Oden. You can also call me Yamato. Son of Kaido. Thanks for helping me.”

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“Ace! Luffy! What’s the meaning of this?!”

Yamato groaned; always a wonderful way to wake up. “Are you drunk again, you bull-gorilla? Go away it’s too early for this,” he shouted back, not even bothering to open his eyes.

There was a moment of silence until someone stomped over to stand right above Yamato’s head. “What did you just call me, you brat?”

Finally, Yamato blinked up at the person with long ginger hair, a cigarette between their lips, and looking decidedly female. He closed his eyes again, mumbling, “Oh you’re not my father. Whatever then.” As soon as he was done, he pulled his blanket over his head to try and get some more peace and quiet.

It might not have been his father but it still was too early for this.

“Dadan, shut up,” some one whined from somewhere around halfway down Yamato’s body.

“Yeah, what’s the problem?” another person joined in, their voice coming from Yamato’s other side.

Oh right. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy had brought him back to their place last night; this had to be the nasty old hag they mentioned. Definitely seemed like one.

“First Garp drops you two on me, then you bring in more and more kids with you? What do you expect me to do, this isn’t a daycare!” It sounded like the woman was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Finally, Sabo spoke up, sounding about as sleepy as Yamato felt, “Dadan, this is our brother, Yamao. Yamao, Dadan.” With that, he flopped back down, his head coming to rest against Yamato’s thigh.

“I’m not a pillow, you three!” Yamato snapped upon the realization of how the boys were laying with their limbs thrown all over the place, Yamato’s own body included. “And it’s Ya-ma-to,” he added with a sigh, already giving giving up on convincing them to not use Luffy’s nickname.

“Where the hell did you manage to pick up another brother,” Dadan complained and Yamato was starting to feel a little sorry for her. He had to admit that dealing with these three was like fighting a hurricane and it hasn’t even been 24 hours since he met them. At least now he was there, a responsible teenager to keep them in check. She should really be grateful he happened to… choose this island to land on.

“Alright, kid. I don’t care who you are you where you came from—” the woman paused, folding her arms over her chest as she stared down and Yamato— “but I will not feed you. One bowl of rice per day is all I can guarantee you.”

Yamato laughed, “That’s not necessary. Oden could do it, I would be a disgrace if I couldn’t take care of myself and my brothers, too.”

Dadan stared at him for a moment, blinking once, twice, before she threw he hands up in frustration. As she walked away, Yamato could hear her mumbling to herself about stupid brats who couldn’t be phased by anything and how she was going to ‘let Garp have it’ the next time he ‘bothered to show his sorry ass’ there.

Yamato simply shrugged and went back to sleep.

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Life on Dawn Island turned out to be surprisingly easy and, even more surprisingly, fun. It didn’t take Yamato long to get to know the forest, the mountain, and the Grey Terminal beyond it, running around the place with his little brothers like he was born there with them.

“Yamao, where are you going, that’s the opposite direction!” Sabo called after him in exasperation, pointing the right way.

A few days after his arrival, he went to retrieve his kanabo from the waters just off the shore. Ace had looked at him, asking why he was so desperate if it was the same weapon the father he so hated used and Yamato couldn’t admit he had a point but… he simply didn’t feel right without it. It was his weapon as well now, and the bull-gorilla wouldn’t take that away from him.

It took him three hours of diving but the happiness and rightness of his kanabo next to him was well worth the effort.

“What are you two anchors doing?” Ace shouted from where he was in the water and towards the two at the beach, looking incredibly annoyed.

Yamato and Luffy exchanged a glance before turning back to Ace and replying in unison, “Building a pirate ship from sand.”

Just then, Sabo’s head popped out of the water next to Ace. “I need a break,” he gasped, struggling to catch his breath after being underwater for so long.

“This club of yours better be made from gold, Yamao, or so help me,” Ace grumbled before leaving Sabo to rest and diving in instead.

Once he had his kanabo in hand, it became incredibly easy to hunt even the most ferocious beasts around, allowing Yamato enough room to stay back and direct the young brothers, giving them pointers and helping them with their hunting techniques. Usually, he simply watched, letting the boys do most of the hunt, even if it meant the prey got away sometimes. After all, making mistakes and losing was a good way to get stronger. So he let them do their own thing while making sure they were okay, and only jumping in when necessary.

“Okay, here’s the plan. We go around the river, then we split up. Me and Luffy will go up while you and Ace follow the riverbed. It’s risky, but on my signal, you will catch its attention and keep it distracted. Then me and Luffy jump down at its head. Hopefully that will at least knock it out so you and Ace can then come help us finish it. And Yamao—” Sabo paused, giving Yamato a hard, subtly threatening look— “if you run ahead screaming and scare it off again, we’re having you for dinner.”

Yamato could only gulp and nod obediently.

He even managed to impress the local Madonna, the cute pub owner Makino. The first time she had come to visit after Yamato had arrived, she immediately dropped all the food, alcohol, and children’s clothes that she had brought, and ran straight to him. She gave him all of her attention the rest of her stay. And even though Yamato wasn’t interested, he had to admit that being fawned over, and especially the jealous stares all the bandits were giving him, felt great.

“Oh my,” Makino muttered when she noticed Yamato. “Luffy did say Yamao was a little taller than him but…” she trailed off, her expression turning troubled.

“You don’t have any clothes big enough for him, do you?” Dogra asked, munching on one of the cones Makino had brought.

The young woman shook her head, sighing, “I think I’ll have to make them all from scratch. Yamao, can you come here? I need to take some measurements.”

"Yamao, you're blushing more than Ace did!" Luffy pointed out immediately, clutching his stomach as he doubled over in laughter.

Yamato made sure his hand was coated in haki when he hit the boy over the head.

Over all, he had to say he much prefered the life of a cool big brother over being a pirate crew’s' ‘young master’. It was a lot more fun, a lot easier to breathe. He never felt more free than he did while laughing and running around the mountain, plotting pranks on their brothers with Ace, or getting grounded— getting thanked by Sabo for running off and beating up the pathetic excuses for pirates who had hurt Luffy and threatened the boys' treasure stash.

Even Dadan's frustrated screaming felt more loving than anything the bull-gorilla of a biological parent had ever shown him. And no, it definitely wasn’t much more embarrassing.

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"I don't want to be a marine!" Luffy screamed one morning just as the others were getting ready to head out to work their brand new tree house base.

Both Sabo and Ace froze, turning to stare at each other for a moment with wide eyes.

"Run?" Ace asked in a whisper.

"Run," Sabo nodded seriously before they both turned to look at Yamato.

The teen simply sat there, turning his confused gaze between Ace, Sabo, and the direction from which Luffy's voice came a few seconds earlier. "What's going on?"

Ace and Sabo exchanged a glance once more, seemingly coming to a mutual understanding before Ace answered, "Go see for yourself. Luffy could probably use the help."

Immediately, Yamato was on his feet, heading outside to save his adorable baby brother from whatever monster he was facing. He was slightly suspicious of the high five Ace and Sabo had exchanged, not as sneakily as they probably thought, but as long as Luffy was in trouble, it didn't matter much to him.

As soon as he made it outside the little house, his eyes fell on the two figures fighting just a little bit away from the house. Obviously, one of them was Luffy, who was visibly fuming; growling and snapping his teeth like he was getting ready to literally bite the legs off of his target.

The target in question was a tall, although obviously much shorter than Yamato, and muscular old man clad in a bright red and white aloha shirt, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared Luffy down. He looked thoroughly unimpressed by Luffy’s pistol punches—which admittedly still left much to be desired despite Yamato’s efforts to help him out; it was only a question of time before he managed to find the right bang feeling. The man he was fighting looked vaguely familiar but Yamato couldn’t place that face no matter how much he wrecked his brain.

But it didn’t matter.

“Luffy, are you okay?!” Yamato called in alarm, rushing forward while preparing to swing his kanabo at the stranger.

The both of them turned to look at him then, identical angry expressions on their faces and suddenly, Yamato realized who the man reminded him of. It was more than obvious where Luffy got his personality and expressions. Maybe he should… not attack this person on sight?

Making the decision for him, Luffy huffed upon seeing him approach, raising his hand and making Yamato stop. “Stay back, I’m fine! I can kick gramps’ ass myself!”

“Who’s ass are you gonna kick?” the man snapped, his light punch making Luffy clutch at his head. “You can’t win against the fist of love, Luffy!”

Yamato blinked. That was obviously haki but… fist of love?

Ignoring Luffy’s complaints, the man gave Yamato an obvious once over. “And who are you? Wait—” he paused, looking like he just remembered something— “you’re Yamao, aren’t you?”

“My name is Ya-ma-to, and I’m Luffy’s big brother,” Yamato replied, not entirely sure why he even bothered to correct anyone on his name at this point. No one ever listened.

“Part of the family already, hm? You have an impressive swing; you’ll make a fine marine.” The grandfather nodded, grinning at Yamato in approval.

Yamato did a double take. “I’m not going to be a marine!” he responded immediately, the horror he felt at the though clear in his voice.

“Exactly! We’re gonna be pirates!” Luffy joined in, fully recovered and launching a new rubbery pistol punch, which went completely ignored.

Gramps puffed up, raising his fist threateningly in front of himself. “Nonsense! All four of you will be the strongest marines the navy’s ever had if I have any say in it!”

“No way!” Luffy and Yamato cried in unison, the both of them jumping at the man in a joint attack.

A second later the both of them were rolling on the ground together, clutching at their heads and trying to recover from yet another fist of love. Seriously, Yamato only just met this guy, why was he getting a fist of love? Or better yet, why did it sound like he was already considered a grandson? He didn’t even know his new grandfather’s name.

He guessed it was simply one more proof of his relation to Luffy. It was exactly the same to when Luffy had decided by himself that Yamato was the big brother now, not even half an hour after meeting him, and just like back then, Yamato was powerless in defying that decision.

Not like he wanted to. He would be lying if he said being considered family so easily, so warmly, so unconditionally didn’t make him happy. But still…

“I’m already a pirate,” he growled. Not to mention marines did nothing but fight Oden and the Pirate King’s crew. Like hell was he becoming one of them.

Gramps took a deep breath, looking like he was about to explode, but Yamato interrupted him. “The navy wouldn’t want someone with my blood anyway. They’d execute me on the spot,” he said flatly, looking the man straight in the eyes, trying to convey how disgusted by the institution, the world government, the current world he was. Like hell was he participating in that. He’d much rather wait patiently for the one who was going to change it all and support them.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, neither of them faltering as they stared each other down silently. Until finally, gramps grinned, a smile so similar to Luffy’s that Yamato startled.

“If blood’s the problem, all the more reason you should join,” he announced, the smile never leaving his face even as his eyes turned almost sad.

Yamato tilted his head to the side as he watched the man slowly look at Luffy before his eyes slid in the direction of the bandits’ house. When Yamato turned to look, he could see Ace turning around and walking away, Sabo quickly following with a worried expression on his face.

Well.

At least Yamato wasn’t the only one who obviously hated his biological family around here.

Deciding to leave Ace in Sabo’s hands, Yamato turned back to the problem at hand but before he could snap at the man, Luffy did so for him, “No. He’s joining my crew!”

“Over my dead body!” gramps roared in response, looking like he was going to go off on a rant.

Yamato, however, wasn’t about to sit around and listen to that. “No, over my dead body. Do you even hear how fucked up it is that you need to join the navy to be safe from getting hunted? Neither of us going there,” he growled, baring his teeth for good measure.

The old man paused, blinking at Yamato once, then twice, before he burst out in laughter, one so loud, so honest, and so contagious that, despite having no idea what was so funny, it made even Yamato want to laugh. All his anger was forgotten as his lips stretched in a grin, shaking his head at the sudden realization of how weird this entire situation was. He barely knew what was even happening but… it wasn’t like Yamato ever really paused to think about things. If it felt right, he’d go with it. If it didn’t, fuck it.

And this, incredibly, felt right.

It was only a long while later that gramps finally caught his breath enough to speak, “I like you, kid. Are you sure you’re Kaido’s son?”

As if hit by the bull-gorilla’s Thunder Bagua, Yamato stopped laughing, only staring with an open mouth as dread ran through him. “How?” he could only say after a dreadfully long moment of heavy silence. Or maybe it was only a second. But it was too much, and made Yamato feel too on edge. Ready to fight. He didn’t want to even hear the bull-gorilla’s name; definitely didn’t want to hear it in relation to himself.

Gramps looked at him as if asking if he was kidding then, but with his only answer being a glare, he started laughing anew. “Kid, if you don’t want people to know, or the asshole finding you, maybe stop introducing yourself with ‘son of Kaido’ to anyone you meet. You have poor Makino quite worried.”

Oh.

Whoops?

“Yamao, you’re stupid,” Luffy laughed.

The teen huffed, shoving hard at Luffy’s shoulder. “You’re stupid,” he hissed back, making Luffy stick his tongue out at him.

Yamato saw it only fair he do the same in return.

Just then, a dark shadow loomed over the both of them and they slowly looked up, only to see gramps looking down at them with an evil grin on his face, slowly cracking his knuckles. “Whatever you say, I will train you stupid brats into proper marines, yet.”

Yamato finally understood why Ace and Sabo’s immediate reaction was to run, then send Yamato as what he could now only assume being a sacrifice. There was no way even Yamato was going to be a fair match for this man. “Oh fuck,” Yamato cursed, scrambling to his feet to follow Luffy, who who was already hafway down the clearing away after taking the first popped knuckle as his signal to bolt.

“Watch your fucking language in front of your baby brothers!” gramps shouted after him just before something that might have been a pine cone flew past him at an impossible speed.

Yamato and Luffy exchanged a glance, identical grins spreading in their lips before they both took a deep breath. “ACE! SABO! HELP!!”

If they were to die today, they’d make sure to take the other two down with them.

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Hours later, Yamato lay awake in his bed on the floor of the mountain bandits’ cabin long after his brothers started snoring softly. He was exhausted from the day spent laughing and running away from gramps—or Garp, as he had finally learned earlier that evening once Dadan finally stopped hiding from the man—but as opposed to the others, he didn’t want to sleep.

Not when gramps and Dadan were busy talking on the other side of this thin wall. What had started as the two of them sharing their frustrations and complaints about their kids quickly turned into fondness as they instead told each other stories about the brothers and their antics. Yamoto wasn’t surprised the bandit knew exactly where their secret base was, just as he wasn’t surprised by Garp only pulling out the most embarrassing stories he probably could.

It was a good thing the other three had managed to pass out the second their heads hit their pillows or they’d be trying to fight the old man all over again over it.

Yamato, on the other hand, refused to miss out on a second of this. The adults might not have allowed him to drink with them, claiming Yamato was too young for that—to which he not-so-politely disagreed, but then Garp’s fist disagreed with him—but they couldn’t stop him from listening. Those were his brothers they were talking about and he wanted to hear all about the past ten years of their lives that he had missed.

And if he maybe got a little bit happy every time they brought Yamato up, well… no one had to know that.

“Yamao, I swear if you don’t stop laughing at their shitty stories, I will strangle you with your own hair.”

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psychedelic-ink · 4 years

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Arrival at the Maiden Island

We talked for I don’t know how long, sitting on opposites ends of the couch facing each other, our legs lying by each other’s sides over the cushions. We talked about things that mattered and things that didn’t, letting it hurt only a little at a time. He told me about his sister that ended up leading to him saying he despised bread. I had to laugh but that brought up Makino and how she’d make me and my brothers nice little snacks once in a while and how once Ace pretended there was a spider in my hair and my food went all over the place. It was his turn to laugh as I mimicked my panic state. This brought up Cora-san and how he was a walking disaster, clumsy as they came but how it was that man that saved his life… There was a silence for a moment before I mentioned Shanks and how he liked to act like a goofball but was really the greatest man I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was baffled that I knew one of the 4 Emperors of the sea so casually, I shrugged reminding him that they were people. From the Emperors we ended up talking about Whitebeard and how I never really got a chance to talk to him before the war but from what Ace had said and from the little bit that I did talk to him, he seemed like a great man – not just anybody gets Ace’s respect like that and for my brother to call him father…? I knew better than most what that meant to him… I tried, as casually as I could, to ask if he knew how the newspapers had heard about the connection between Ace and Gol D. Roger, Law explained that Sengoku had announced it to the world before Whitebeard arrived at Marineford.

And Vice-Admiral Garp let them.

Law must’ve caught on with my annoyance as he said that I was making the same face he did when people tried to feed him umeboshi. I reflexively shook and tucked my tongue out, thinking of the horrible taste, my reaction must’ve been amusing since he laughed so much that he had to hold his belly. I liked the sound of his laugh… I didn’t even notice that I had leaned my head on the back of the couch that was actually to my left as I chuckled, watching him laugh.

How long had I known this guy…? How long had he known me?! And we were chatting like old friends, like we’d known each other for years. Makino once told me that it might sometimes be easier to talk to a stranger than to an old friend, I didn’t really understand. Still, it had been what I told Nami after we took down Arlong and his goons, despite the fact that I considered her a friend before I think that’s when our friendship solidified. How long ago had that been…? Even so, I just understood it that moment, that moment when Law was laughing and my heart was light despite everything that had happened.

“I’m scared…” I admitted as his laugh died down, his golden eyes finding my grey ones as my head remained on the couch’s back “There’s nothing I want more right now than my brother to wake up… Nothing. And nothing I wouldn’t give to make it happen…”

“But…?” he asked, his deep voice calm and kind.

I took a deep breath “But what am I gonna say when he wakes up…? How’s he going to react…?” I saw Law frown in confusion “It’s the second brother that I can’t save… The second time that I’m too weak… The second time that all I can do is watch…” I took a deep breath to stop the tears that I felt brimming behind my eyes, I shift my gaze from his eyes to my hands, remembering the warmth of my brother’s hand on mine “I didn’t hold on to him… What if Luffy hates—” I stopped when he reached out to hold my hands.

“Hey…” I looked up at him, still feeling his thumb caressing my fingers as his hands held mine “I don’t know Straw Hat, I met him once and we ended up fighting some marines. And I also don’t know the specifics of what happened with Fire Fist.” He paused for a moment, licking his lips “But from what I’ve seen, I doubt there is anything you can do that’ll make him hate you.”

I meant to pull my hands away but he didn’t let me “You don’t know that.”

“I know that I’ve cut him up, touched his internal organs, stitched him back up, disinfected his wounds and more and I didn’t hear a peep out of him. Know when that changed?” I shook my head “When you’d scream. When you’d have a nightmare so bad you’d scream and then he’d react.” I saw him smile a bit “It’s not like he could do anything really, the guy is out for the count, but I’d say that says a lot about how he feels about his little sister.”

I smiled and I was about to say something when the door opened and Bepo came barging in “Captain!” he looked at us, blushed furiously, then left again closing the door behind him “Sorry!”

Me and Law looked at the bear, the door, then at each other. I saw his cheeks flush a soft shade of pink before he stuttered out some incoherent sounds and placed my hands over my knees before getting off the couch “Bepo! Stop being an idiot, what’s wrong?”

“Uh…” he started as Law opened the door, but I saw him glance between me and his captain a couple of times. Wonder why he’s being so weird “We’ve arrived at the designated area by the Pirate Empress.”

My eyes went wide “Hancock?!”

Law glanced over his shoulder and nodded “We met her and the Kujas on her way out of the war, while you were still out. She insisted in giving us shelter why you and your brother recovered.”

I raised him an eyebrow remembering the commotion it was to just have Luffy in the island “And you guys were allowed to get on the island…?”

He scoffed “No. This old lady was with them and made sure we weren’t allowed in the actual village, they arranged a bit off the bay for us to set anchor while you guys need my medical care.”

I smiled “Sounds like Granny Nyon.”

He nodded then turned back to his friend “I’ll go to the bridge for the surfacing of the sub and to meet the Empress.” He then turned back to me “Wanna come?”

I nodded without even needing to think “Yes! I have to talk with Hancock too.” I got off the couch as Law grabbed his hat and sword off the side. I followed the two through the halls, the sub seemed a lot smaller when you actually knew where you were going – not that I did, but I was with people that did. I hadn’t been in the bridge yet, there wasn’t much to see, Law took his seat, told me to hold on then started giving orders as I felt the submarine tilt then level out again. Law got up with his sword and tilted his head for me to follow them out, I did. A BIG door opened, letting the sunlight touch my skin for the first time since that fight with the marines and as I stepped out, it dawned on me that me and Law ended up talking the night away. The brightness of the day blinded me a bit, but as I blinked a couple of times, I could make out the island just beside us, some curtains with the Kuja mark blocking the view deeper into the island and Hancock standing with some of her warriors waiting for us.

The Heart Pirates brought a plank from inside the sub and connected the submarine with the shore, out of respect, I disembarked behind Bepo that followed behind Law. I hadn’t even stepped on land when I hear Hancock’s voice “How’s my darling Luffy and his sister? Any changes?”

“Straw Hat is still the same.” Law replied and I stepped out from behind Bepo “Tiger Luna’s been doing better though.” It was strange to hear him call me by my nickname, but I guess that the weird thing was that I’d started us on first names right off the bat. I wasn’t that different from Luffy in that.

“Hi Han—” she had her arms wrapped around me before I even finished.

“I’m so sorry, sweety.” I felt my heart jump at her words, then she pulled back to look me up and down “How are you feeling? How are your injuries? Have you been eating properly? Sleeping?”

I nodded “I’m alright, Hancock, thank you.”

“You’re welcome to come with us to the castle.” She invited immediately “I’ll have a room prepared for you and my warriors will be at your disposal.”

I lightly raised my right hand as she spoke “It’s alright.” I replied “I think I’ll stick here.” She seemed to go to speak again, but I beat her to it “I couldn’t bear to leave my brother.”

“I understand but—”

“She also still needs medical care.” Law interrupted the Empress with a stern voice that turned her attention to him “The fact that she’s walking around is actually worse since her worst wound can open back up at any time.” His golden eyes then glanced over at me “Plus she has the bad habit of not standing still.” And back to Hancock “So it’s better if she stays here anyway.”

She nodded “Alright.” Her voice now devoid of any of the emotion it had when she was addressing me “You won’t have to worry about supplies, I’ll have my warriors bring you food while you’re here.”

“That’s appreciated, we’ll need our own supplies for when we leave.” Law said.

Hancock nodded at him then stepped over to me again “While the men might be restricted to staying here, you’re always welcome among us, Luna dear.”

I nodded “Thanks.”

“Whatever you need, just ask.” She emphasized and I nodded again.

“Thanks Hancock.” She was about to turn away, but I grabbed her wrist, making her turn back to me “Not just for this, for everything.” I added as her eyes met mine again “We wouldn’t have made it to Ace without your help, I’ll never forget it. Thank you.”

She took my bandaged rough hands in her soft ones and smiled “I wish I could’ve done more.”

“You did more than you were meant to.” I replied honestly before I pulled my hand back behind my back, I could feel myself shaking even as she turned back to Law.

“If any of your men are caught beyond this point, they will be killed.” She warned in a cold tone.

Law grinned “Sounds fair.”

The Kuja ended up leaving and I hurried back into the submarine as everyone enjoyed the fresh air outside, I could tell by my shadow that my ears had shifted and my tail had appeared, I also felt my claws scratch he wall I was holding onto. It was happening again, I could feel my heart trying to jump out of my chest. I tried breathing like Law had showed me before but I still wouldn’t stop shaking “Hey.” I turned to find the captain walking over to me “You’re doing ok.” He slowly came closer, my eyes wouldn’t leave him for a second, I could tell it was my predatory instinct taking over but I couldn’t shake it “May I?” he slowly reached for my hand and I let him “Here.” He took my wrist to my eye level and showed me as he took my bracelet off, putting it in my palm and closing my fist “Hold onto this and close your eyes, try breathing then…” I found myself doing as he instructed, with my eyes closed, all I could see was the memories in the darkness, slowly, my heart calmed down and I opened my eyes again to find that Law was still there, I don’t know why that surprised me…

“Thanks…” I whispered looking at the silver bracelet in my hand.

“Do you know what triggers it?” I shook my head “C’mon…” I looked at him to see him walk back out “You need some fresh air.” I quickly caught up to him, feeling my body shift back into human as my predatory instincts slip away with the panic, then he raised me an eyebrow “How do you know the Pirate Empress?”

I smiled, it seemed so long ago “Me and Luffy crashed into her bath once.” He made a half surprised half impressed expression that only made me chuckle.

Once I was outside, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi pulled me over for a conversation over the fantasies that surrounded the island “Is it true that they’re all women?” “Yup.” “Do they ALL dress like the pirates?” “Yeah, but they can also break you in two with ease.” “Are there any female bears?” “No Bepo, I’m afraid not.” “It’s an island of women! Human women, you idiot.” “I’m sorry…” “Don’t Bepo, it’s a normal question.” “Stop enabling him, Luna.”

Ikkaku saved me from the eternal conversation with the boys by asking me for a tour of the island, which I obliged. I was sure Hancock wouldn’t mind, Ikkaku was a woman after all. We walked around, loads of the women on the island would talk to me and I tried to be as polite as possible, I noticed that the Kuja were at the bottom of the castle with those curtains raised and I knew what that meant. They greeted me and asked their questions, everything sounded the same “How are you?” “How’s Luffy?” “I know he’ll be alright, don’t worry.” “I’m sorry about your brother.” I was starting to regret coming into town. Ikkaku seemed to read my mind and pulled me over to other parts of the island. It was a nice stroll as my time with Ikkaky tended to be – made me miss Nami.

We returned to the sub at around dinner time, Law didn’t ask us where we’d been or what we’d been doing so I suspected that he had been the one to ask her to take me for a change of scenery. Poor Ikkaku, had the patience of a saint.

At dinner, I again noticed the absence of the captain “Penguin?” I called his attention from the bowl of pasta he was stuffing in his mouth, he glanced over at me “Where’s Law?”

He shrugged “The captain rarely joins us at meal times, he loses track of time easily when he’s working.”

I raised him an eyebrow “Is that so…?”

He nodded “Yeah, we take him dinner later to be sure that he eats something.”

I set my jaw “Huh.”

“I feel like you’re planning something.” He said and I grinned at him before getting up “Luna? Where are you going?”

“Infirmary!” that’s where I’d find him, I was sure. If there was a path I knew was from the infirmary to the mess hall and reverse. I opened his office door and there he is, eyes in a book with five other books opened around him, he was so in thought that he didn’t even look at me. Oh, he was asking for it.

I came up behind him and pulled the back of his chair until it tipped him behind “FUCK!” his eyes met mine upside down but I didn’t give him time to realize what was going on, I start pulling the chair with him still sitting on it “HEY! HEY! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Dragging you to dinner, you clearly can’t get there yourself.” I blankly replied.

“Put me down!” he demanded as I dragged him and the chair behind me.

“No.”

“Room. Shambles!” I looked over my shoulder to see he had his sword in his hand instead of a book “Amputate!”

I dropped his chair quickly enough to avoid the attack. I grinned through my sharp canines as he regained his balance after the chair fell. I held out my arms on my side, feeling the air shift around us “Tiger’s grip!” I shifted the air around his body so that I could hold him in place. He wasn’t happy but my white and black tail kept casually swinging from side to side as I held him in place “Grumpy panda, I was raised by mountain bandits with three unruly older brothers in a forest with giant animals.” I smirked “You lose the moment you’re not willing to go all out on me.”

“Shambles.”

I was where he had been before I knew it, feeling his sword to my back made my tiger ears perk up “You shouldn’t boast. It’s rude.”

I spin to my left, shove the sword out of the way and make him step back “This is fun. Shame you’re pulling your punches.”

He shrugged “I can be a bit sadistic and you’re still injured.”

“Oh, I can be very sadistic.” I grinned “Comes with package.”

He grinned back and I used my powers to lift his chair beside me, putting it straight as I sat on it. I motioned over to his sword as he sheathed it “A bit dramatic, no?”

He flipped me off “It’s called a fight or flight reaction.” I laughed before flipping him off too.

“Come on captain grumpy, it’s dinner time.” I said putting my hand down.

He started walking over to me “I’ll be there later.”

“No, you won’t.” I retorted, looking up at him “I haven’t seen you, even once, eat with your crew.”

He crossed his arms over his chest “How is that any of your business?”

“How is it not?” I counter and I see him blink a couple of times, with a lack of response I continue “Come to the mess hall, eat with your crew. The world feels less lonely when you eat with your friends, you know? Plus, the work will still be there when you come back.”

He sighed, rubbing his face “You’re not gonna stop nagging me until I say yes, are you?”

I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head once “Nope.”

“Fine then. Fine!” he looked at me “Get off the chair, I’ll meet you there.”

“Heck no.” I grinned “The chair can stay here, it’s not gonna run away.” I got up and hooked my arm on his, basically dragging him to the mess hall.

“You’re a pain in my ass!” he grumbled but I only grinned up at him.

“I have that effect on people!”

#burntsubmit #one piece oc #oc #monkey d luna #lunna-star-8 #submission

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marcoacesabo · 5 years

Text

Pizza Pie of My Eye

For the Anon that asked for “Pizzeria worker Ace who meets businessmen Marco and Sabo”. I’m so sorry I accidentally deleted the ask when I was trying to press edit. But here I hope you like it.

Under a read more since it got supper long

When Ace was ten years old he marched down the mountain to Foosha Village intending on asking Makino for manner lessons. He had it all planned out. He would learn how to properly thank people so he could show Red-Hair Shanks the right amount of respect.

After Sabo dying, Ace realize how grateful he was for the pirate saving his little brother. If he hadn't there would be a very big chance Ace would never have met Luffy, leaving him alone when Sabo was no longer with them. That would have been hell.

Luckily he did have his crybaby brother and it was the only thing keeping him sane those few months where he would turn to his left expecting his best friend’s input in the conversation. And finding it hollowly empty instead of the bright smile with a missing gap.

He did not expect to find the lovely barkeep- she was so pretty to him. As a child, he thought she was the prettiest person to ever live- over stress with rush hour. She was running back and forth, attempting to take orders, run the bar and cook at the same time. A boat of merchants had stopped at the village port, a common thing seeing the port charge in little Foosha was much less compared to the one in the city. It wasn’t that far of a walk so they park the ships in the little village and carry everything to the bigger market place.

The men upon that ship were much less understanding of her hurried apologies for being understaffed. They wanted their orders quickly, making snide comments to hurry.

Ace and Luffy had jumped in to help, allowing her to cook the food and run the bar while the two boys waited tables. Yes, they did end up breaking more plates then delivering to tables but it was fast paced and a little fun.

Luffy got the men to lighten up with his cheerful demeanor and Ace was able to weave and wave through the tables. He never thought being in a bar could be fun, but oddly it was. Sure some of the men made him want to break their faces but balancing the plates while dodging the various merry making keep him on his toes.

Once rush ended, Makino had taken them to the side. She gave them a bright smile, a warm thank you (causing Ace’s cheeks to burst red) and a nice little sack of coins for the three hours they help.

That was the first time anyone gave him money willingly. Ace had been struck in place awe of the coins. Makino had laughed when he looks lost, gently curving his fingers around the bag as Luffy cheered in the background.

“You deserve this Ace-chan. You worked very hard.” She said, eyes soft as the boy staring up at her with still the same amount of awe. “When you work hard you deserve a reward. I’m really proud of you and Luffy’s work.”

That was also the first time anyone ever said they were proud of him. When put the coins in the new pirate fund- the old one was stolen during the fire by who he didn’t know but it didn’t feel right without Sabo anyway- and oddly enough these few coins made him feel prouder than the stake he is used to taking by force.

Was it really a surprise he kept coming back? He returns for his lessons and if those lessons happen to happen after he helps around the bar a little, so what? It was fun, in a weird self-satisfying way when they close up and breath a sigh of relief that the day was down.

Makino kept giving them sacks of money, which Ace eagerly added to their growing fund. Oh don’t get him wrong, the two keep up their thieving ways and training but whenever they had a chance they would go down and earn some “honest” money.

It didn’t hurt that she feed them after hours. Her food was heaven, cooked far better than anything the bandits could offer. Then one night, she made them something he never had before.

“Pizza?” Ace took a look around the kitchen confuse on what he had to. “What’s that?”

Makino’s face broke into a wide smile “It’s my favorite food. I don’t usually make it for the bar since it takes so long but I thought you boy would love to try some. I wanted to teach you how to make it so you can have some whenever you like.”

Pizza Ace learn was the funniest thing in the world. His first attempts to make the dough spin in the air was a disaster but Makino had been patient. She taught them how to make the sauce, the toppings, and the dough throwing was downright art in her capable hands. Another thing Ace was grateful for.

No one ever attempted to teach him how to cook before. Maybe if they had, Ace would have found a new passion long ago. He adores it. The way flavors change when adding just a tad different ingredients? The way Luffy’s and Makino’s face lite up whenever he made something yummy? The simple knowledge that something he created brought people joy?

It wasn’t long before Ace was also helping in the kitchen, regulars getting custom to his dishes and able to tell the difference in who cooked what. Of course, Makino was no five-star chef, her food was pleasant but not awe-inspiring. Still Ace found his cooking was just as pleasant following her instructions, and he had always put a hundred percent into everything he found worthwhile.

Just as his manners improved, so did his cooking. Over the next few years Ace found just as much joy in cooking then he did in sparing. At some point, Makino’s kitchen became his domain and he somehow had a part-time job with her.

New dishes were added to the menu, little experiments that Ace took the liberty in creating. Makino places them under “Ace’s Dishes” and he glowed every time she arrived with updated menus, his latest creation under that header.

But his absolute favorite was creating a pizza.

New toppings, new sauces, new combinations. Everything about it was fun. Luffy certainly appreciated being a test dummy for each one too. His pizzas were even bringing in more customers, having heard the praises from varies sailors in the market place.

Even Garp, in his few visits, took pleasure chewing down on Ace’s famous pizza...after a brutal training of course.

Before Ace realize it, he was about to be seventeen the year he was to set out to be a pirate, his childhood dream. And he was conflicted. He wanted to set sail...but he didn’t get as excited as he used to about the idea of his pirate life. Instead, it felt like the days were counting down to doom, and he only had a few more months left of enjoying the simple life he set up. Disregarding the training, the hunting and the muggings he and Luffy contuine. Hey, he needed to keep strong plus it was really fun. He did stop dine and dashing, mostly due to knowing just how it was affecting the establishments. Sea knows he would hunt down anyone who dared to bail on the bill they owe him.

Makino, stepping up as a mother figure, took notice quickly. She brought it up one night with both boys eating in the bar after hours.

“Ace-chan, do you really want to be a pirate?”

Luffy stops eating sensing something was different in the way Ace stiffen up. “Of course I do, Makino. It’s my dream!”

“Dreams change sweetie, and there is nothing wrong with having your interest shifting. I’ve met adults with finished careers that find they rather be something else. People are allowed to change their mind, it’s part of growing.” She gave him a soft smile watching the oldest of the boys squirm “I would never stand in the way of your dreams. If you want to be a pirate then do it, but only if you truly want to”

It’s daunting how she can read him sometimes.

Ace opens then closes his mouth. After a moment he glances down at his hands unable to look at either of them. It’s something he been struggling with for a while, these thoughts of what he wanted in life, truly wanted. “I promise Sabo I set out at seventeen...”

It sounds like an excuse even to Luffy. He frowns “Does the idea of being a pirate not make you happy, Ace?”

“Of course! I want to travel, I want to own a ship but I just..”

Makino place a hand over his “What do you want Ace?”

“I...want to do what you do.” Waving a hand around the room, his voice gets low as if he is ashamed. “I like the idea of owning a place like this. Of cooking and serving and making money like this. I want...to sell pizza? But I promise Sabo-”

“Ace does what makes Ace happy, otherwise he wouldn’t be free.” Luffy interrupts sounds oddly confident. “You promise Sabo we be free. Are you going back on that promise?”

“But I want to sail too...”

“Then you can sell on your ship!” His brother chirps unaware how baffling his idea is. “We can get you a...floating restaurant! One that belongs to you and only sells Ace’s pizza!”

“A floating pizzeria,” Makino says sounding delighted. “Can’t you just imagine it?”

He could. He really could and Ace realize maybe for the first time in his life that this was what he wanted and which he is allowed to choose for himself, even if it’s not the grand life he always inversion. A simple life on the seas doing what he enjoys.

“Do you think Sabo...would forgive me? For not being a pirate?”

“Oh Ace-chan,” Makino says “There is nothing to forgive. Sabo-chan would think the same”

“Okay,” Ace says feeling tears peak his eyes but being so darn happy at an overwhelming eased mind. Luffy and Makino smile differently in size but equally warm just the same.

Using the money from the Dream Fund (rename after Luffy insisted it was no longer the Pirate Fund because it would make Ace sad) he got a startup tiny ship equipped with everything he needed to bake the pizzas.

And then he set out to sea chasing a new dream, the two waving him goodbye and eagerness bubbles of excitement in his tummy.

“Come on, I keep hearing about this place. Just one hour tops! Pops wouldn’t care if we are a little delayed!” Thatch whine tugging on Marco’s arm “Please Marco, I need to try it.”

Marco took a deep breath through his nose, trying to ease the frustration his brother was causing. “For the last time. No, we are not stopping in the middle of the New World Sea just so you can try some stupid pizza, yoi.”

“But we finished the mission. It’s not like we are doing anything important!”

“We have to get back. Two commanders missing could prompt someone to attack Pops.”

“Oh come on, no one is stupid to think they can take Pops, just cause we aren’t there.” Throwing his hands in the air his like the overdramatic little twerp he is Thatch whines in a high tone “You hate me. That’s why you won’t take me. You just hate me!”

In the last ten minutes of this conversation, Marco has felt his blood pressure rise by the tens. “Fine! If it gets you to shut up we can stop for pizza. But only for an hour, understand?”

Thatch cheers, hip-bumping Marco off the steering wheel and moving the Mini-Moby to the right once his hand closes around the wooden pieces all in a span of seconds. He’s darn lucky Marco has excellent sea legs and didn’t tumble over, otherwise, Thatch would have his foot up his ass. “Yes of course. Just want to try the secret sauce. I bet it’s got nothing on my veggie pizza”

Marco rolled his eyes “Figures you’re only doing this for your self-pride”

Thatch gives him a smile full of teeth “Pirate.”

Well, that’s a good point the blond figures. He crossed his arms with a huff “Anything else this..what’s the place call again?”

“Spade Pizza”

“Right, anything else it’s famous for, or am I just going to waste an hour on something dumb?”

“Besides good food and that it's floating on the sea?” Thatch shrugs a shoulder, attempting studly. Instantly Marco was on guard realizing this was another he was so determined to get him there. “The owner is really good looking. I’ve heard most of his customers have proclaimed their love to him just as much as his food.”

“No matchmaking yoi”

“I-I’m not!”

Marco gives him a look that screams he doesn’t believe him but drops it. The two sail for a few minutes, Marco nearly dozing off, when the pizzeria in question finally comes into view.

It’s big with varies ports built around it for anchoring ships. The thing is painted in hues of red and black, following a theme of playing cards and fire. There seems to be nearly full, but Thatch snatches the last port before a large vessel gets the chance, giving the men on deck a little shit eating grin when they holler in rage.

Marco doesn’t pay much attention if this turns to a fight Thatch can handle it, instead, he is jumping down to tie their ship to the wood and casually strolling to the entrance. When he pushes the wooden door, he’s hit with a delicious smell as varies workers come and go with different types of food. There are groups scattered around the tables, busy enough that it looks like a full house but not a rush that leaves workers scrambling.

The interior follows the same theme as the outside, and Marco is reminded of varies bars, but more promptly it reminds him of bars he would find in the East Blue. So the owner is from there?

Marco stops before a little stand, a sign with the words “Please wait to be seated” on it.

He looks around the room when a teenager rushes at him, wearing an apron around her waist with the restaurant spade logo. “Hello sir, welcome to Spade Pizza. How many will it be?”

“Two”

“Okay,” she picks up some menus from her little stand “I can sit you at the pizza bar or you can wait for a table? It is about a twenty-minute wait.”

“Bar is fine yoi”

She leads him to his seat, weaving and waving around tables of people having a nice lunch. Marco is surprised to find pirates, civilians, and marines alike. This place must be a neutral area, meaning someone strong had to be here to keep it that way.

He makes a mental note to report it back to Pops. Marco isn’t comfortable with someone so strong so close to their territories nor with such a successful business either.. There is a reason he is in charge of all the business matters for the Moby Dick.

“Here you are. Your server will over in a moment” She says waving at the two stoles which she places the menus in front of. It’s right at the edge of the bar, on near the wall and another next to a bright long red-haired man.

“Thank you yoi” She nods and scurries away back to the front. Sitting down Marco in the chair near the wall glances out of the corner of his eye at the obvious wig the man is wearing. Oh, it looks natural but he can spot a disguise a mile away. Question is why would this stranger be in disguise?

Did he find his mysterious strong enforcer already?

The man reaches up threading his fingers through his wig-hair almost nervously, smoothing it out with a sigh. He mumbles under his breath but Marco catches it due to his fruit entrancing his hearing “Okay be cool. Be cool. Sabo be cool. When he comes over, don’t you dare mess it up. Just ask for his den den mushi.”

Sabo huh? Interesting name. Where has Marco heard that-

“Hi, my name is Ace and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you off on any drinks?” A voice interrupts his thoughts. Marco looks away from the man who is turning a rosy shade to look at the owner of the voice-

And he promptly almost gets headed shotted by cupid. There is a version of a man standing on the other side of the bar. He is wearing the apron but no shirt showing off abs that could wash any clothes. An orange cowboy hat sits on soft looking raven locks, and the wavy hair falls on a face dotted with freckles. “I ugh..wah?”

Ace luckily seems to think he can’t hear him over the noise and leans over the bar just a bit “I said my name is Ace and I’ll be your server today. Can I start you off on any drinks?”

“One cola and a sweet tea” He manages to say after gaping at the man. “I’m waiting on someone”

Ace nods “Coming right up.”

He turns to leave but his eyes catch the other man and he lights up “Tobi! It’s been a while!”

“Tobi” or Sabo in disguises straightens, face redder than before “Hey Ace. Yeah I had a lot of jobs recently but I thought I drop in”

“No kidding. How did that business deal go? Did you get what your boss wanted?”

“Yes. I was able to find what he was looking for.”

“That’s great! I’m really happy for you. Oh hey, I saw a hair piece I thought you might like the other day so I bought it for you. Remind me to give it to you before you leave.”

Sabo looks like someone just gifted him the world, fingers playing with his hair. “You didn’t have to do that Ace.”

“Course I did. Hair as pretty as yours needs to have the proper accessories.”

Marco doesn’t know why but he doesn’t quite like the way Sabo is leaning towards Ace. He scowls at the long hair wig. You’re not even real. You can’t be pretty.

Ace eventually stop chatting with Tobi-Sabo, walking away to get Marco’s drinks while Sabo is left staring at him longingly. Then quite suddenly the red-haired turns to glare at Marco and it’s a silent challenge.

Love rival Those blue eyes say

Bring it on Marco’s own answer.

By the time Thatch joins them Marco is in a new found love and a newfound hatred.

#MarcoAceSabo #pre-relationship #Pizza Pie of My Eye Au #For what a nail: Ace gets a new dream #Luffy has taken his crew to Ace's place #Marco and Sabo are techinally bussniess men...just not good ones #Sabo in disguies so he can keep coming back #Yes Ace is unaware of Marco and Tobi affections #Thatch is very pleased

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piratetrafalguy · 7 years

Text

20 Years at Sea, Day 13 - AU

Title: Two and a Half Pirates

Rating: T

Summary: Garp thought he was quite brilliant when, in an effort to discourage Ace and Sabo’s ambitions of piracy, he gives them custody of his new baby grandson. After all, the two might have been teenage delinquents, but even they wouldn’t actually go out to sea with a baby in their care, right?

Hint: he is very, very wrong.(

An AU where Luffy is born 16 years after Ace instead of 3, and Sabo remains with Ace on Mt. Corvo instead of trying to set sail on his own.)

A/N: Wah, I ended up posting this late, and then forgot to even put it on tumblr. >_<

(Read it on Ao3 here)

Garp thought it was a brilliant plan, even if everyone else - Sengoku, Tsuru, Bogard, and even Makino and Woop Slap from down in the village - thought otherwise.

“What the hell is that?” Ace hissed, eyes narrowed in both suspicion and contempt at the little bundle in Garp’s arms.

Ordinarily Garp would have rewarded the sixteen-year-old’s tone with a righteous Fist of Love, but he was in a good mood, so instead he let out his usual booming laugh. Then, grinning, he bent down and moved the little bundle of blankets so both Ace and Sabo - who’d been shifting nervously at Ace’s side - could get a better look.

Ace wrinkled his nose, looking confused, while Sabo blinked in bemusement. Then Sabo’s eyes went wide. “Garp-san -” Garp’s grin faltered; hadn’t he told the boy to call him Gramps? “- is that… is that a baby ?”

Garp beamed. “Sure is!” he exclaimed, before promptly dumping said baby into Ace’s arms. Ace yelped and jerked away, almost dropping him, but Sabo lunged and caught him just in time - then ruined the act of heroism by immediately trying to shove the baby back into Ace’s arms, expression panicked. “Meet Monkey D. Luffy - your new baby brother!”

Dadan, who’d been warily watching the exchange from the doorway of her shack, started choking.

“Oh, no, not another one!” she cried, shaking her hand back in forth in front of her face. “No, no, it was bad enough with these two demons -” She pointed to Ace and Sabo, who were now playing an awkward game baby hot potato, identical looks of alarm on their faces. “- and I’m not taking care of another one! I won’t! I refuse, you ask too much -”

“You won’t have to,” Garp interrupted, a pinky stuck casually up his nose. “Ace and Sabo will take care of him.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, in which Sabo lost the game of baby shuffle, and everyone stared, slack-jawed, at Garp. Then -

“WHAT ?”

“You can’t be serious!” Ace sputtered, pointing at Garp angrily.

“They’ll kill him,” Dadan blurted, looking almost more alarmed than she had when she’d thought she was going to have to take care of the kid.

“We don’t know the first thing about babies,” Sabo protested, his panic rising even more when little Luffy - roused from his nap by all the commotion - started fussing in his arms.

Ace whipped his head around to stare at the baby, his horror apparently mounting at the realization that it also made noise.

Garp let out another loud laugh, then bent down to give his baby grandson’s tummy a poke. “You be good for your big brothers, now, Luffy,” he crooned, which, for some reason, made Ace and Sabo start freaking out even more.

“You’re insane!” Ace shrieked, eyes darting between Luffy and Garp, and looking even more disturbed when Garp’s cooing actually worked and settled the boy. Garp ignored him, choosing instead to watch in amusement as Sabo did an excellent impression of a cornered animal and stared down at Luffy, who blinked back up at him in sleepy curiosity.

“Wait, Garp - did you say Monkey D. Luffy?” Dadan asked in a strangled tone, catching everyone’s attention and cutting off the rest of Ace’s rant. “As in… as in your biological grandson? Dra- I mean, that man’s child…?”

“Eh? Oh, yeah, of course. He’s my son Dragon’s boy,” Garp said, picking his nose again. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I love him any more than you,” he added as an aside, nodding to Ace and Sabo. Wouldn’t want them thinking he was picking favorites or anything.

Dadan went white as a sheet, while Ace turned a lovely shade of puce. “THAT’S NOT THE-”

“Where are his parents?” Sabo interjected, before Ace could get any louder. “I mean… if he’s your son’s son, then why isn’t he…?”

Garp grunted. “They didn’t want him,” he said, which wasn’t entirely a lie. Up until presenting Garp with the news that he was now a grandpa to his first grandson by blood, Dragon had always claimed he didn’t want children. “And besides, his father is the most wanted man in the world - do you really think he’d be safe with him? If anyone found out whose son he was, they’d take it out on him.”

Sabo glanced sharply at Ace, whose mouth had snapped shut. Dadan made a pitiful noise behind them, no doubt at the prospect of being caught harboring not one, but two famous criminals’ sons.

Ace gritted his teeth and glared at the ground for second, then went back to scowling at Garp. “I’m still not taking care of him,” he growled, fists clenched.

Annoyed, Garp scowled back, and was reconsidering his temporary ban on Fists of Love when Sabo made a soft sound that caught both his and Ace’s attention.

Hoping Sabo hadn’t actually dropped Luffy, Garp turned, and was greeted with a sight that forced him to hold back a bark of laughter: Sabo looking down at Luffy with an expression of absolute wonder while the baby happily sucked on one of Sabo’s fingers.

Well, that was one down.

“See? He likes you,” Garp said, grinning, while Ace gave Sabo a look of utter betrayal.

“Sabo, get your hand out of his mouth, that’s disgusting -”

“Uh-huh,” Sabo said absently, completely ignoring Ace. Then, without ever taking his eyes off of Luffy, he asked, “What did you say his name was, again?”

Garp beamed. “Luffy,” he said, reaching out and patting him on the head. “His name is Luffy.”

~*~ (mobile users, there’s a cut here) ~*~

Dadan’s instincts to protect defenseless babies apparently overran her dislike of Garp’s devil spawn, because she made Ace and Sabo stay with her and the bandits instead of returning to their treehouse that night.

“Until I’m sure you can take care of him without killing him,” she said, while Ace sulked angrily against the wall.

“Why do you care?” Ace snapped, watching in disgust as Magra, off all people, walked Sabo through changing the little drool-monster’s diaper.

“Because I’ll be the one Garp takes it out on if he comes back and finds out you idiots let him get eaten by a bear,” she snapped back, a vein throbbing in her forehead.

Ace scowled and crossed his arms. “What do you guys even know about taking care of babies, anyway?” he challenged.

Dadan stilled for a second, an odd look on her face. “We managed with you, didn’t we?”

Ace blinked back at her. Oh. Yeah.

For some reason, the realization made him uncomfortable, which was why he was actually glad when Dadan ruined any maternal images he could have mustered of her by scoffing and adding, “At least this one’s cute. You were a pretty ugly baby.”

“You were. We have pictures,” Dogra supplied helpfully, while Sabo laughed and both Ace and Dadan sputtered.

Thankfully, the arrival of another bandit with a baby bottle spared Ace from analyzing the implications of the group keeping his baby pictures.

Once Dadan had showed Sabo how to hold the baby while he fed him, they all sat back and watched as the baby sucked down the bottle’s contents at an alarming speed.

“Is that normal?” Ace asked, in spite of himself. Nobody answered him, but Dadan looked pained again.

Once the bottle was empty, the brat’s eyes started to close, which only furthered Ace’s annoyance with him. If this kid was just going to eat, sleep, and poop, what was he good for?

Apparently this sentiment wasn’t shared by Sabo, who got weird, sappy look on his face, and settled the brat more firmly against his chest.

“How could anyone just… not want him?” he said softly, running his hand up and down the baby’s back.

“I don’t want him,” Ace pointed out, but, continuing with the theme of the day, everyone ignored him.

~*~

Four weeks later, and Ace still didn’t get why Sabo was so attached to the brat - or Luffy, as Sabo kept insisting they call him.

Ace remained stalwart in his refusal to take care of the kid, and Sabo had mostly stopped bugging him about it - especially after the third time he’d tried to get Ace to hold him, and Ace had dropped him. (Ace still didn’t see what the big deal was; the kid was fine, and hadn’t even cried all that much. Certainly not enough to warrant the violent clubbing Ace had gotten from Sabo’s pipe.)

Still, Sabo couldn’t be with the br- Luffy - every second of every day, and Ace knew it was only a matter of time before Sabo tried to force Ace to help anyway.

That being said, Ace didn’t think that time would come in the form of a screaming baby in the wee hours of the morning.

“Sabo, shut that kid up,” Ace groaned, rolling over and covering his ears with his pillow. When he received no response and the crying became louder, Ace picked up the pillow and tossed it in Sabo’s direction. “Hey, come on - Sabo, your baby is crying!”

Sabo didn’t move, though, or say anything, so after another minute had passed and the din became unbearable, Ace kicked off his blanket and sat up, feeling murderous. “Oi, Sabo!”

Intent on giving the blond a good kick, he shuffled over to Sabo’s bedroll - only to come up short when he found it empty. “Sabo?"

He frowned down at the bedroll, then gave the treehouse a once-over before finally settling his gaze on the door. Sabo’s pipe wasn’t leaning against the wall, like it usually was, and his hat was gone as well, which meant….

“No,” Ace muttered, feeling a sudden wash of horror. “No no no, you did not leave me alone with...”

A particularly ear-piercing wail split the air before he could finish his sentence, making Ace swear and turn towards the source of all the noise. He was going to strangle Sabo when he came back.

Knowing it was the only way he was going to get any peace and quiet, Ace started towards the baby’s bed, then stopped and swore again, his nerve failing. What the hell was he even going to do? He definitely wasn’t changing the kid’s diaper, if that was his problem (not that he knew how, anyway), and he had no idea where Sabo kept his bottles if he was hungry. He’d heard Sabo singing softly to the kid a few times when he just needed soothing, but Ace would be damned if he did anything of that sort.

He could just leave. Hunt Sabo down and make him come back and deal with this, which would have the added benefit of getting away from the noise, but...

But Sabo would probably kill him, and besides, as much as he claimed otherwise, even Ace wasn’t heartless enough to leave a crying baby all alone (which, come to think of it, was probably what Sabo had been counting on, the bastard).

“Alright, alright, I’m coming,” Ace fumed, and stomped over to the shrieking menace. As if sensing his presence, the baby’s cries got quieter as Ace approached him, though not nearly enough for Ace’s abused ears, in his opinion. To Ace’s dismay, however, he started right back up again once Ace was beside him - this time with big, heartbreaking sobs that shook his whole tiny body, and made Ace feel rotten despite his dislike of the kid.

“Hey, don’t… don’t do that,” Ace grumbled, staring into the little basket Sabo had fashioned into the baby’s bed. Ace was surprised when the kid - Luffy - actually listened, even it was just to downgrade to sniffling pitifully. Anything was better than the screaming.

Relieved but unnerved, Ace stuck his hand on the side of the basket and gave it a little rock, something he’d seen Sabo do a few times. “Uh, hey, yeah… see? Your… Sabo, will be back soon -” Or at least he’d better be. “- and then you can, uh… do whatever it is you do, and… why are you staring at me like that?” Ace asked, bemused, as he reached down to move the blankets away from the boy’s face.

Luffy gave another pitiful sniffle, his small, tear-stained face red from exertion. Then, before Ace could move away, he wrapped his whole, tiny hand around Ace’s finger.

Ace blinked down at him stupidly, mouth falling open as wide, innocent, impossibly liquid eyes blinked back at him.

“Oh,” he breathed, a strange, warm feeling exploding in his chest.

There was a chuckle from the doorway.

“Yeah,” Sabo said quietly when Ace turned his head, a dopey grin on his face. “He does that to you.”

~*~

Maybe, Ace decided later as he fed Luffy his bottle, Luffy’s hand still wrapped firmly around one of Ace’s fingers. Maybe a baby brother isn’t so bad after all .

~*~

“Ah, ah, ah!” Luffy cried, whole body wiggling as his arms reached for Ace - much to the chagrin of Sabo, who was holding him.

Ace smirked. “You hear that? He’s trying to say my name,” he declared smugly, picking Luffy up out of Sabo’s lap and swinging him into the air. “Ace, Ace, Ace - can you say Ace, Luffy?” Ace cooed, making silly faces and swinging Luffy higher with every chant of his name.

The Ace of six months ago probably would have spontaneously combusted if he’d seen himself doing something so stupid, but present-Ace didn’t care; that Ace hadn’t had a sweet, adorable baby brother who had a smile like sunshine and worshiped the ground he walked on.

Sabo rolled his eyes. “It’s just baby babble, it doesn’t mean anything,” he insisted sullenly, his arms crossed.

“Ah, ah, ah!” Luffy cried out, mimicking Ace and shouting every time Ace swung him into the air.

Ace lowered Luffy and grinned triumphantly at Sabo, who glared murderously back.

“It’s one fucking syllable, of course he’s going to have an easier time-”

“AH!” Luffy shrieked, and smacked Ace in the face with a flailing hand. Sabo burst into laughter, which in turn made Luffy giggle and make grabby hands towards Sabo.

“Hey, hey, I thought I was your favorite, Luffy. You can’t go abandoning your big brother so easily!” Ace protested, while Sabo shot him a smug look and moved to take Luffy back.

Luffy squealed in delight, wiggling even more and whacking both brothers with more flailing limbs. “Bah!” he cried, beaming up at Sabo’s face once Sabo finally wrestled him free of Ace. “Bah, bah, bah!”

Both Sabo and Ace froze. Then a slow, elated smile spread over Sabo’s face. “Bah,” he said, with much more reverence than such a syllable probably warranted. “I’m ‘Bah’!”

Ace snorted out a laugh. “Bah - what’s that short for, ‘bastard’? I think it suits-” He stopped and blinked, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “Are… are you crying?!”

“N-no…”

“You are!”

“Sh-shut up, asshole.”

“Ah!”

~*~

“He’s got you both wrapped around his little finger,” Dadan snickered one evening, after Ace and Sabo had decided to grace her with their presence (and three boars) for dinner.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ace grunted around the hunk of meat in his mouth, while Luffy banged a spoon on the floor and drooled happily in Ace’s lap.

“Really?” Dadan snorted, eyes darting over to Sabo, who was alternating between making silly faces at Luffy and glaring moodily at Ace.

There’d been a bit of an argument over who got to hold him, but Ace had won after pointing out that Sabo had been hogging him all morning, and that Ace was better at keeping him from putting strange things in his mouth while they were eating.

“Can I hold him, then?” Dadan asked, one eyebrow raised.

The grip Ace had on Luffy tightened. “No.”

“How about me?” Magra - who’d been fawning over Luffy since they’d gotten there - asked hopefully.

“If I don’t get to hold him, the rest of you don’t, either!” Sabo snapped, a vein throbbing in his temple.

“What happened to not wanting him?” Ace added, scowling at Dadan.

Dadan waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t want him when I thought I was the one who was going to have to raise him. I’m fine with him so long as he’s still your problem at the end of the day.” She leaned over and wiggled a few fingers in Luffy’s face, which elicited a happy exclamation of “Da!” from the boy. “Like I said - he’s kinda cute.”

“Of course he’s cute, he’s the cutest baby in the whole world,” Sabo interjected, as though they had been disputing it. “I mean, look at him! Those big eyes, that cute face…”

They all stopped to admire Luffy’s cuteness. Luffy, as if sensing the scrutiny, gave the room a big, gummy grin.

Sabo actually covered his face, as though shielding himself from the adorableness. Ace didn’t know what his own expression looked like, but from the way Dadan was staring at him, he figured it was probably just as stupid.

~*~

The days seemed to pass quicker than they had before Luffy came into their lives. Ace’s seventeenth birthday came and went, but the significance of it didn’t hit Ace until afterward, when Sabo’s started creeping up as well.

Because Ace remembered their big plans, the ones they’d been making since they were just kids. How they had both decided to ship out for a life of piracy and adventure as soon as they turned seventeen. Ace still wanted those things, and didn’t want to give up his dream, but at the same time…

“Hey, Sabo?” Ace asked one night in early March, just a few weeks shy of Sabo’s birthday. “What’s going to happen to Luffy when we leave?”

He heard Sabo suck in a sharp breath, then let it out slowly. “You’ve been thinking about it too, huh?” he said quietly, rolling over so Ace could see his face. Ever since Luffy had learned to crawl, they’d taken to sleeping with their bedrolls together so they could keep Luffy in between them (and wake up if he tried crawling off and over them).

Ace grunted an affirmative and tightened his grip on Luffy, who was tucked into the crook of Ace’s arm, sound asleep.

Sabo looked down at him, the corners of his mouth tipping up in what had become an unconscious reflex when it came to looking at Luffy, though the smile dropped just as quickly.

“I don’t know,” he said, and Ace could tell by his tone that this had been weighing on him just as much as it had Ace. “I… I still want to go out to sea, but at the same time…”

“We can’t just leave him here,” Ace finished softly, just the thought leaving a phantom ache in his chest. Maybe if Luffy were older, or could fend for himself…

Sabo’s brow furrowed, his eyes taking on that determined, calculating glint they sometimes got when he was planning something.

“Maybe,” he said finally, face spreading into a wide, sly smile. “Maybe we wouldn’t have to.”

“We couldn’t possibly take him with us,” Ace started to protest, only for his words to die in his throat at the look Sabo was giving him. “...could we?”

Sabo’s smile widened further. Then he told Ace what he was thinking.

“Gramps would kill us,” Ace said once Sabo had finished, sitting up now with Luffy pressed against his shoulder. Still, the thought couldn’t squelch the smile threatening his lips, or the growing hope in his chest.

“He’d have to catch us first,” Sabo pointed out wryly Then his face turned serious again. “We’d have to do it together, though, instead of leaving separately like we’d originally planned.”

Ace smirked. “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, and didn’t miss the way Sabo’s shoulders slumped in relief.

Luffy chose that moment to snuffle awake, his head popping off Ace’s shoulder long enough for him to blink sleepily. Then he settled back down, head turned and face tucked against Ace’s neck.

Ace chuckled and dropped a kiss to his crown. “What do you think, Luffy?” he whispered, his breath ruffling the boy’s hair. “Wanna be a pirate?”

~*~

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY’RE GONE?!” Garp bellowed six weeks later, nearly foaming at the mouth in rage.

“It’s not like I could have stopped them!” Dadan shouted back in a rare moment of bravery, nursing the lump Garp had already left on her head.

“YOU COULD HAVE TRIED!” Garp howled back, his anger the only thing keeping his panic at bay.

Ace and Sabo could handle themselves - Garp’s hellacious training regiment had helped see to that - but Luffy was only a baby! He could barely walk, let alone fight, or even swim - what if he crawled off the boat and fell into the sea? What if the boat sank and Sabo and Ace couldn’t get to him in time? What if he got eaten by a Neptunian?!

“And they said they were heading for the Grand Line?” Garp demanded, while horrifying visions of his baby grandson getting eaten by a sea monster danced in his head.

“Th-that’s what the letter we found said,” Dadan replied warily, backing up well out of Garp’s reach.

Garp ran a hand over his face and turned his back on her, swearing to himself. It wasn’t really the old bandit’s fault, he knew; Ace and Sabo had always been obstinate - Ace alone had stubbornness down to an art - and if they’d really been determined to leave, there wouldn’t have been any stopping them. Not unless Garp himself had stood in their way.

(Why hadn’t he come just two weeks earlier? Why ?)

Damn it, he’d have to tell Dragon, too, when he called for an update on Luffy. His son was never going to let him live this down.

~*~

“Garp-san was awfully angry,” Makino noted, setting down the three drinks her customers had ordered.

“As he should be,” Mayor Woop Slap grumbled. “Who takes a baby out to sea with them, and into a life of piracy, no less?”

“Oh, shut up, you old goat,” Ace snapped, grabbing his and Sabo’s drinks since Sabo’s hands were full with Luffy. “We were only gone for two lousy weeks, and we didn’t even go that far. Gramps probably sailed right by the island we were docked at.”

Woop Slap scowled, which seemed to amuse Luffy, if his giggle was anything to go by. “Whether or not you actually have yet, you’re still planning on it!”

“Yes, but not until Luffy’s old enough,” Sabo pointed out, accepting his drink from Ace and giving it a sip. “For now, we’ll settle for sailing around the East Blue to get a feel for things, and staying off Garp's radar. At least until Luffy gets his sea legs.”

“Or legs at all?” Woop Slap grumbled, tapping his glass against the countertop in agitation.

Makino laughed as though Woop Slap had been joking, then walked around the counter to hand Sabo the bottle of milk he’d requested. “I think it all sounds very exciting,” she said, giving Ace and Sabo a sunny smile that could rival Luffy’s.

“You say that because Garp didn’t threaten to murder you,” Dadan grumbled from her seat in the corner, still nursing her many lumps. Ace made a mental note to buy her a bottle of Makino’s best booze.

Sabo cleared his throat. “In any case, I think it goes without saying that none of you breathe a word of this to Garp,” he said, his serious face belied by the babbling baby reaching for his hat.

“Or we really will take off for the Grand Line, baby or no baby,” Ace added as emotional blackmail.

There was a slight grumble from the assembled conspirators - mostly Woop Slap - but Luffy’s triumphant laughter at finally reaching Sabo’s hat drowned most of it out.

#20yearsatsea #20 years at sea #one piece #one piece fanfiction #day 13: AU #asl brothers #asl #fanfiction #my fanfiction #monkey d. luffy #portgas d. ace #sabo #monkey d. garp #curly dadan #dadan family #alternate universe #Two and a Half Pirates

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