tags ; selkie!reader / established relationship / fluff / hurt/comfort / mean marines
requested ; hiii! i hope you are doing good! im the one that requested that one law x selkie reader and i wanted to ask if you would do one with sabo! T○T some evil marines stealed the selkie's pelt but sabo is going to save the day!! and thank you!!
you know better than to swim near marine ships.
you've spent your whole life avoiding them, slipping beneath the waves the moment you spotted white sails on the horizon.
today, you were too slow.
they caught your pelt before you could.
now it's locked away somewhere aboard their ship while you're hidden inside a tiny storage room, hugging your knees and trying not to cry too loudly.
without your pelt, you feel... wrong.
like half of yourself has been stolen.
you flinch at every bootstep outside.
maybe they'll sell it.
maybe they'll keep you forever.
the thought alone makes your breathing hitch.
then—
a loud crash echoes through the deck above.
someone shouts.
another yells, "we're under attack!"
the ship lurches.
your eyes widen.
more shouting.
wood splintering.
then fire.
bright orange flames bloom beneath the crack under the door.
panic surges through you until—
the lock snaps clean off.
the door swings open.
"...there you are."
sabo stands there, soot streaked across his face, pipe resting on one shoulder like this is nothing more than an afternoon errand.
the moment he sees your terrified expression, his smile softens.
"i've got you."
your lip trembles.
"...sabo..."
before another word can leave your mouth, you're already throwing yourself into his arms.
he catches you effortlessly.
"easy, sweetheart."
one gloved hand rubs slow circles across your back.
"you're safe now."
safe.
the word makes you cry all over again.
he lets you.
he always does.
once your breathing settles, he brushes a strand of hair from your face.
"they took your pelt, didn't they?"
you nod.
his blue eyes flick toward the hallway.
"...stay here for one minute."
"b-but—"
"one minute."
he kisses your forehead.
"trust me."
he's gone before you can protest.
outside comes another round of frantic yelling.
someone screams.
there's an explosion that rocks the entire ship.
less than sixty seconds later, sabo strolls back in carrying something carefully folded over one arm.
your pelt.
he dusts a little ash off the soft fur before holding it out with both hands.
"found it."
you stare.
"...already?"
he grins.
"they labeled the crate."
you can't help it.
a tiny laugh escapes between your tears.
he always made impossible things look easy.
you reach for your pelt with shaking fingers, holding it close the instant it's back in your arms.
warmth spreads through you almost immediately.
home.
it feels like home.
"...thank you."
sabo smiles, gentle enough to quiet every fear still rattling inside your chest.
"no."
he cups your cheek.
"don't thank me for bringing you back what's already yours."
you lean into his touch.
"...will they come after me again?"
his expression doesn't change.
it simply grows certain.
"they'll have to get through me first."
somehow, hearing those words from him makes the whole ocean feel less frightening.
he wraps an arm around your shoulders as the two of you step onto the deck.
the marine ship is already burning behind him.
"come on," he says with a warm smile.
"let's take you home."
and for the first time since your pelt was stolen, you know exactly where home is.
it's wherever sabo is waiting with open arms.
——————————————————
𐔌 ᛝ taglist .ᐟ : @chocolateshortcakesblog
this fic is written by @qwehwa 2026 / please do not feed any of my work into ai, copy, plagiarize, nor translate them into any other language— i will snap your neck.
Fire and Flame (Ace x Marine!Reader x Sabo) - Part 4
One Piece | Ace, Sabo | 5.3k | Masterlist
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Few things in the world frustrated you more than being limited physically.
Bullet hole in your stomach be damned, you refused to wait around while everybody else failed to figure out who shot you. Which is why you waited exactly a week as the doctors suggested and then immediately insisted on being caught up on everything that happened, regardless of your medical leave.
“Rear admiral, can I get you a chair?”
“I’ll be fine,” you reassured.
The idiot was dead. Which was something you were damned annoyed at.
Your men hovered around you as though you might collapse at a moment’s notice while you examined the body. You couldn’t get the best look at his face but it was far from familiar. He had no distinguishing features you could have picked out of a crowd.
You stepped away from the table and flinched at the rolling pain that shot through your torso. Seas, you really needed to lie down.
“Lieutenant,” you said. “Escort me to my office.”
He fell into step beside you as you walked down the halls. You knew you were moving slowly. He knew better than to mention it.
“It’s a true shame you landed the shot as well as you did,” he said. “We’ve examined both the bullet removed from you and the gun but found nothing of interest. He may not have been affiliated with the original group. Maybe just an opportunist digging around for scraps.”
You tried not to wince as a strange step made everything burn. “I sincerely doubt it. If he was alive, I could have cleared this up within the day.”
“It’s unfortunate, ma’am. It would have been a good opportunity to study your work. I’ve heard a great deal about it.”
You nodded in appreciation for the compliment. “And the scraps that I found.”
“Still under investigation, but it is most certainly stolen technology.”
It shouldn’t have taken them a week to conclude that but you weren’t going to complain too greatly. At least they had figured it out. It was more than you could say for most of the fools on your previous deployment.
You stopped at your office door. “I will be taking a walk to the ship to investigate later,” you said. “For now, I need a brief rest before I return.”
He paused. “The physician has said you are not allowed to work.”
“I’m not working,” you said. “I’ve been booked off work. This is my private investigation. You will just happen to be there.”
“Understood, ma’am. Please call for me when you are rested.”
You closed your office door behind you and it clicked shut firmly. You allowed yourself to stand there for a moment, hand resting against the handle and eyes closed as you breathed through the uncomfortable pain in your stomach. Still another few hours before you were allowed more medication.
You pushed yourself away from the handle.
First, some private rest and then you could mourn the pain. Your office, unfortunately, wasn’t well suited to any kind of lounging. There was a heavy wooden desk, a very comfortable office chair you couldn’t sit in without hurting yourself, and two plush seats on a carpet.
With the carpet already in mind, you made it one step forward before the door behind you opened.
You clicked off your gun’s safety and raised it so fast it sent a hot flash of pain through you.
Sabo stopped dead in the doorframe.
You didn’t lower your weapon.
“I warned you away from following me here,” you said slowly.
He stepped in very carefully and closed the door behind him. How had he walked through your base without being noticed, wearing a hat as obvious as that?
“I just overheard you say you’re not working,” he said.
You inclined your head slightly to the left where a surveillance snail sat against the wall. “You should be careful about taking that rule too far. I’m not looking to get myself trialled for treason.”
“I’ve disrupted the feeds. Nobody will see them.”
“Both?” you asked.
He nodded and you stared at him across the barrel of your pistol before you looked toward the snails. Both of them were sleeping, their heads lowered. You dropped the pistol to your side a little too fast and immediately regretted it.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
“No,” you said through your teeth. “I might not be working but I am going to report those snails going down the moment I have the chance.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “I won’t be in here for long. You haven’t returned to your house for over a week. I suspected you might have gotten out of your punishment.”
You straightened and holstered the gun. “I wish. They actually just wouldn’t let me leave the medical bay.”
“You were shot.”
“Astute. Should I worry that you realised I wasn’t returning to my house?” you asked. “I wasn’t aware I was under a full stakeout.”
Sabo shrugged, a little too casual. “You mentioned you’re investigating our organisation. That makes you a key person to watch.”
You hummed and braced yourself heavily against the desk. “Well, you found me. Is my plant dying?”
“I watered it.”
You nodded in appreciation. If you wanted to go up that hill – and you did want to – it would be an awful walk. Your legs were struggling after a day of little more than light standing, without adding a climb through cobblestoned streets. It was better than it had been for the past week though. At least now you could sort of sit up.
Sabo glanced toward your torso, far too obvious. You rolled your eyes and lifted the thin shirt you wore simply because it was easy to get on. The bandages wrapped half up your ribs and you pointed to the right side.
“It hit here.”
“Ah.”
His cheeks had turned slightly pink and you almost laughed.
“Spare me. You’ve seen more of my chest than this.”
He coughed and hid it with a small chuckle. “Not really in the same situation. Is it bad?”
“I’m alive.”
“That’s really not a good measurement of health.”
You shrugged and lowered your shirt again. “It’s better than what the guy who fired the shot looks like. I wasn’t meaning to kill but he threw off my aim.”
“You were aiming to cripple?”
“People generally talk more when they’re alive. Some talk enough for the dead though.”
Sabo chuckled. “You’re much sharper when you’ve been shot.”
You almost laughed with him at the complaint. It was a laughable realisation to think a member of the Revolutionary Army was standing in front of you, griping that you were a little meaner than usual. Maybe you had gotten a little close to the situation.
Maybe was definitely the wrong word to use.
“I don’t flirt very well when I’m in pain,” you said.
“I’m not asking you to flirt. I’m asking you to remain conscious,” Sabo defended, that pink growing deeper. “But I think you should probably rest more if you’ve got a bullet injury.”
“I’m resting,” you said. “That’s why you’re standing in the middle of my office and I haven’t pushed the alarm button even though it’s well in my reach.” But you smiled and pushed yourself from the desk. “Also, you enjoy it when I flirt. Don’t lie to me.”
“I’ve never lied to you.”
He said it so sincerely that it tripped you for a second. “Truly?”
“You haven’t lied to me either,” he said. “I see it as a fair trade.”
You hummed. “You have a lot of faith in that.”
He smiled but his gaze dropped to your hands and you noticed they were shaking slightly. “Can you please sit down? You look like you’re on the verge of collapse and I don’t think your medical officers will take kindly to me carrying you there.”
“You can always push the alarm,” you suggested.
But you braced a hand against the desk and slowly started to lower yourself. It was a mission in patience. Every movement sent new discomfort and aching through you but you eventually managed to manoeuvre onto your back, shooing away Sabo when he stepped forward as though to help you.
Then you took a deep breath.
“Sitting is hell,” you grumbled. “Are you happy now?”
He stared at you and then slowly sat down, cross-legged beside your shoulders. “It’s better. Where have you been sleeping?”
“In the medical bay but I’ll return home tonight,” you said. “Do you know how long you’re going to be around?”
“Until our investigation into your activities against us concludes.”
You hummed. Very vague. You had used that type of language before on far too many superiors to not see straight through it.
“Haven’t seen you in a while. I thought you might have had to use that reasoning you overheard,” you said. “Have you been granted approval to stick around then?”
“In a way. She did ask where I was so having information to present was good.”
“Does she know you’re currently sitting next to me?”
Sabo hesitated for just long enough that you laughed slightly. The feeling sent a horrible twinge of pain through you but lying down did make it considerably better. At least you no longer felt like somebody had set your torso on fire.
“Why did you tell me our safehouse was compromised?” he eventually asked.
“I didn’t,” you said. “I just mentioned what my men were investigating and you happened to overhear it.”
“It was pointed out to me some nights ago that narrating confidential reports to yourself is a pretty strange habit.”
You smiled. “So is repeatedly putting yourself in danger to speak to a rear admiral.”
Sabo sighed and inclined his head. “Is every woman turning into an interrogator lately?”
You actually laughed then and the pain that came with it made you wince. “It’s hardly a new development,” you said. “Is that why you didn’t return? Were you trying to figure out the best way to explain your accommodation?”
“I found a different couch to stay on,” he said with a small, strained smile. “One that required considerably fewer excuses.”
“Is it as comfortable as mine?”
He paused before he answered. “It exists.”
You hummed and tilted your head toward him. “You know as well as I do that I didn’t leave the balcony door open for you to take the couch.”
He looked purposefully away, though the corner of his mouth betrayed him. The painkillers must have been making you feel a little woozy because you felt quite light in your chest from the teasing. Because admitting it was caused by enjoyment of his company would be far too dangerous of a confession.
“How did you walk through my base so easily?” you asked.
“I’m also good at my job,” he said. “Nobody knows I’m here.”
“Except the owner of the office you’re sneaking into.”
He shrugged. “She’s been shot and is lying down out of reach of her alarm.”
“That’s not going to sound very good in your report.”
You weren’t worried. A single gunshot fired in this office, even from your hip into the wall, would bring every person in the base here within a moment. With the earlier incident, chaos was already rippling through your ranks. They wouldn’t tolerate the idea that a potential shot had been fired.
“You know,” Sabo said. “I’ve learned more about you today than I thought I would.”
“Terrifying knowledge,” you said. “It’s all publicly accessible if you know where to look.”
“Not that stuff but your men all seem very fond of you.”
“Oh, that I know,” you said. “I receive plenty of transfer requests to work under me which is always surprising because I give out way more paperwork than the average admiral.”
He shifted his weight. “Yet they’re still all very upset that you got hurt.”
“They’re also upset the other guy is dead. It makes their job of finding out who he is considerably harder.”
Sabo smiled. “You are a good shot. It makes me rethink how much I worry about that gun.”
“Please,” you scoffed. “Your haki is undoubtedly good enough to avoid a bullet.”
There was a twinkle in his eyes that confirmed exactly what you had suspected. “That’s presumptive.”
“What happened to not lying to me?”
“I haven’t lied,” he said immediately. “If anything, you’re the one lying right now.”
You frowned and it took you a second to realise what the joke was. The moment you did, a laugh caught in your throat involuntarily at the absurdity of it. You winced the second after and guilt flashed over his expression far too quickly.
You waved a hand to reassure. “We’ve moved from interrogation into puns? I think this is getting far too dangerous. Could you be a dear and push the alarm button on my desk?”
He looked up and purposefully stroked his chin as though thinking about it. “Would need an escape route first. Are your windows unlocked?”
“They are but both have at least two watchtowers with clear visibility to them.”
“And they’d fire even with a hostage?”
“I don’t think this hostage would go very easily. Even if injured.”
He shrugged. “Then sorry, but I don’t think I can take the risk. My partner is already going to kill me for breaking in here after I promised we would just watch the place.”
“Why? Doesn’t she trust you won’t get caught?”
“She knows I won’t but she worries,” he said. “And I did say I wouldn’t disappear.”
You reached up and caught the edge of his cravat. The smooth fabric between your fingers was relaxing as you pulled him closer, watching the flush spread prettily over his cheeks. But he followed you without complaint until he was leaning a breath away from you.
“Disappear as in get arrested? Or disappear as in spend some more time with me than you should?”
His eyes flicked toward your lips for a second, smile more comfortable with this position than he should be. “You’re injured,” he pointed out.
“Very much so. That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge me, does it?”
Sabo closed the distance for you, his mouth against yours right as there was a loud knock on the door. He paused and then laughed, actually laughed. The sound was soft against your lips and almost soothed your irritation.
Almost.
“Rear admiral?” called the voice outside.
“Do you need some help getting up?” he whispered.
“I’ll be fine,” you said and forced yourself into a seat despite the bolt of agonising pain that sent through your stomach. You caught the edge of the desk and hurled yourself to your feet, gesturing him back with your chin.
“It’s open!”
Sabo stepped behind the door as it opened and you focused your full attention on your lieutenant whose apologetic stare was only a balm to the pain and not to the interruption.
“I apologise ma’am but there’s a pirate vessel near our coast. I believe it may be connected to the temporary deal you struck with the crew.”
Oh. Right.
You had meant to meet up with Ace at some point to investigate the exact idiots who had shot you. And of course, he would make his way closer to your base rather than waiting patiently… you didn’t know why you thought it would be anything different.
“You’ll remember that I organised a discussion with Fire Fist Ace to discuss the path of the scavenger ship,” you said. “I must have missed the deadline. I suppose it’s time to set that right.”
Sabo moved and you had to stop yourself from looking toward him and seeing what he may have mouthed. Though it was a solid guess to assume it may have been in line with your lieutenant’s response.
“You’re still injured, rear admiral. Surely this can wait for your recovery.”
You somehow doubted Ace would just go away without an explanation. And… and also you had to admit, it would be good to see him.
“I will be fine,” you said. “Also, the snails in my office have stopped working. I want somebody in here to fix those immediately. They can come by while I’m out.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Before you moved away from the desk, you stepped carefully around it to withdraw a small box and a familiar, drawn flag. You held both out to your lieutenant who had pockets and no questions before you stepped through the door, shutting it behind you.
The pain was awful but you kept your pace brisker than it needed to be; if only so the hall would stay clear for a few moments longer before they arrived to repair the snails.
A ship was organised for you by the time you made it to port.
Your men sailed you out with determination and you took the time to provide an explanation to them about why this was important. “Now that I’ve been shot, I’m launching a personal investigation into the situation,” you said. “Which unfortunately means discussing the situation with Whitebeard’s crew as the ship came from their territory.”
“We could explain there was an incident and your meeting would be postponed,” one man suggested.
“No,” you said. “This meeting is mine to have.”
Their vessel floated lazily against the waves, sails drawn up as they watched your approach. This was further from their territory than they should be and yet it was unsurprising. The only funny part was the coincidence of it all.
Of the two wanted criminals who insisted on drawing near your home, both apparently decided a week was the longest they would go with no answer.
Ace was grinning the moment he saw you standing on your ship and you had to fight off the urge to return the expression. He wasn’t alone. Neither were you. Whitebeard’s men stood behind him, clearly just as wary as your own.
“Wait here,” you told your men as you stepped onto the gangway as it was placed down.
Whitebeard’s men held their weapons but did not raise them and for a second, you felt the wind whip around you as you walked toward their vessel. It was freeing after so long in the medical bay.
“Hello,” you greeted. “Have you grown this impatient for a meeting?”
“You said within the week,” Ace said with only a brief glance behind you. “It’s been longer.”
You probably shouldn’t be crossing onto a pirate ship injured. You knew that. It was far safer that you didn’t and yet… you preferred it to the idea of Ace coming onto your vessel where he definitely didn’t belong in friendly circumstances.
“I imagined the week was an estimation,” you said. “Not a deadline.”
He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly, we were just in the area and I figured we’d sail by. It wasn’t a check in.”
You took the final step from the gangway and the jolt sent pain through your chest. You winced and forced the expression away when you saw him notice it.
“Well, it’s been a hard week.”
“Yeah?”
You looked past him to the other pirates. Few stood out. It would be impossible to memorise every member of Whitebeard’s crew but being so close to their territory meant you had remembered the commanders at least. Aside from Ace, there were none amongst this small, wary group.
“If you’re working, I’m happy to go,” he offered. “We can talk later.”
“I’m not working,” you corrected. “I’ve been put on forced medical leave.”
His expression changed immediately. “Medical leave?” he repeated. “What happened? You’re hurt?”
Your men were doing a very poor job of pretending not to listen in on the conversation. You could see them all shuffling closer to the railing as you spoke so you raised your voice just enough that they could hear.
“I was shot in the stomach,” you said. “Turns out that’s rather bad for you if you’re not made of fire.”
He looked down at your stomach immediately which you expected. What neither you nor anybody else anticipated was him moving closer to you, closing the distance quickly. “Somebody shot you?”
“I wasn’t fast enough to pull the trigger first,” you said.
“Was it on your way back here?”
“No. The scavenger ship that prompted me to speak to you originally happened to have a culprit lurking on board. When I was looking for evidence, he ambushed me and well, he might have been quicker, but my shot hit true.”
Ace frowned. “How was there somebody on the ship? Didn’t you arrest them all?”
“I thought so. It would seem I was wrong.”
One of his men chuckled and you turned your attention past Ace to the other pirate. He was a broad, heavyset man with dark hair and eyes that reminded you a little too well of a rabbit caught in a snare.
He met your gaze without flinching and smiled easily. “Missing a man on your own ship? That’s rough for an admiral.”
You hummed and looked away from him. “It won’t happen again.”
Ace was still looking toward your torso and the loose fabric of your shirt where it was rising around the bandage.
“But why shoot you?” he asked. “If hiding worked, why come out?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” you said. “We’ll conduct the investigation locally but I do still want to see that other ship you mentioned. When I’m healthy enough, I can organise with you.”
“The only problem with that is we have no way to talk,” Ace pointed out.
“Then you’ll just have to be patient,” you said with a small smile. “At the moment, my doctor is already not sold on me standing for extended periods of time. I think he’d be rather upset if I set sail for an unknown destination.”
“Then why are you here? You should be lying down or something. Or… I mean, is it really bad? Do you need a better doctor?”
The man you’d spoken to before whistled lowly. “You sure about that, Commander? Bringing a Marine aboard sounds like trouble to me.”
“That’s not what I was doing!” Ace said immediately.
“Marco’s a good man, but healing somebody who’d put irons on all of us is asking a lot.”
“I’m not asking him to do anything.”
You raised an eyebrow at the exchange and cleared your throat. “I have a doctor, thank you. As you can see, he’s done a perfectly adequate job at treating the injury.”
You raised your shirt slightly to show off the clean bandages. Had you been speaking to Ace alone, you would have raised it a little more but with this many around you, pirates and marines alike, you’d rather keep a degree of professionalism. Even if you weren’t technically working.
He nodded firmly, annoyance still there but fleeting now. “Okay,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to wait.”
“Lieutenant,” you said over your shoulder. “Can I have those items from earlier?”
They were brought across the gangway and you extended them out to Ace. “I’ve recorded these,” you said. “So, you can have them back now.”
He reached for them and did a remarkable job of keeping confusion away from his expression even if his smile did turn more relaxed. He’d given you a gift the last time you’d seen him. It only made sense you offered one in exchange.
“Thanks. Sorry you got shot.”
You laughed. “That’s the first time I’ve heard that from a pirate,” you said. “Seems to me you should be celebrating.”
He shrugged. “You’re the only person that’s sailed into our territory in ages. It’s not like you’re giving us trouble.”
“Still doesn’t justify your sympathy.”
“You’re the first rear admiral I’ve met who didn’t try to kill me. I’m not ready to hate all of you yet,” he said.
You frowned. “They certainly shouldn’t be trying to kill you. You’re worth far more alive.”
“Could you tell them that, please? I’m getting really tired of it.”
You laughed despite yourself and immediately winced at the suggestion. Maybe the mandatory bedrest had been a good idea. This amount of standing and chuckling was really starting to take a toll on your muscles.
Still, it was fine enough to sail out this far. As annoyed as he had been a second ago, Ace’s smile suited him far too well for a pirate.
“I suppose I can only promise that should I ever need to, I probably will only try to catch you, not kill you.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think you could.”
“Oh?” you asked. “Would you be willing to risk your life for that?”
“Not when you’re shot,” he said immediately. “Or when you’re busy with work. I’m just saying, if they told you to, I think you might struggle.”
You gestured for him to take a step closer, leaning in as though you wanted to whisper something. He did so without even thinking about it, far too confident for his own good. You didn’t even need to move particularly fast.
You just reached out and lightly looped your fingers around his wrist, lifting his hand so you were holding it in front of you.
A faint red burned beneath his freckles; his dark eyes caught the light of the sun as he stared at you. He felt unnaturally warm. So much so that you thought for a second he might burst into flame fully. It was strange. When you had touched him before, you had felt warmth but it was not nearly as scalding as this.
“So,” you said.
“Yes?”
You tapped a finger against his wrist and he followed your gaze toward it.
“This was very easy actually.”
Ace blinked and then realised what you were saying and snorted, tugging his arm back and stepped away. “That was cheating,” he complained. “I thought you wanted to tell me something.”
“If I want to arrest you, is that all I need to do?” you asked. “Pretend I want to say something?”
He rolled his eyes but his grin was broad despite the red on his cheeks. “At least let me know that you’re going to try.”
“Should I start announcing any missions to you before I do them?” you asked. “So you can ignore it any other time?”
“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
The rest of his crew chuckled and you even heard a few laughs from your own men. It was a battle to keep from laughing at his bluntness. He was far too endearing for a pirate you should have captured in any other circumstance.
Although you supposed he still carried the immunity granted to him by his captain.
Despite the bounties most of the Whitebeard Pirates had, few admirals saw them as worth the effort. They stuck to their territory and there was no need to start a full-scale conflict yet.
You brushed the discussions you’d overheard from your mind. Those were useless. Nobody wanted to get into a fight of that magnitude.
“I’ll be in touch,” you said. “Thank you for your assistance.”
Before you could leave, Ace stepped forward. “Quick question, before you go,” he said. “Because they all think I’m going crazy. So are we still ‘not friends,’ or what?”
“Friends?” you repeated. “We’re not friends.”
But his smile didn’t fade and you almost returned it before you remembered there were people behind him who were definitely measuring your expressions. The last thing you needed was an accusation of friendship with pirates.
“Then what are we?”
“Temporary allies,” you said.
Ace thought about it before he nodded. “Okay, I can do temporary allies,” he said.
“You’re not entirely crazy, I suppose,” you said.
You moved to step onto the gangway but before your lieutenant could offer you a hand up, Ace held out his own. You stared at him for a second before you took his palm and allowed him to help you up. Every step back across, you could feel the eyes of your men watching you.
They moved the gangway and you didn’t look back at the Whitebeard Pirates for fear Ace might break through your efforts to not smile.
“Do you really think Whitebeard territory has been compromised?” one of your men asked.
“It always has been,” you said. “That’s not the question. The question comes when it starts influencing us.”
Your men were cagey about letting you return to your office when the ship docked and so you undertook the monumental climb back to your house. Several offered their help and you denied each of them in kind. It might have taken five times longer with constant breaks but you made it mostly alive.
You could barely breathe. But you were alive.
The blood soaked through the bandages in small patches when you collapsed onto the couch, pain so intense it made you nauseous. You extended your legs in front of you and tilted your head back, breathing slowly before you reached for your snail.
It rang only a few times before the receiver clicked and you smiled.
“Hello,” you said. “I thought this would make our lives easier.”
“Hi,” Ace responded and he sounded far too happy. “Is this what you meant when you said I wasn’t going crazy?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you said. “But this is a good reason to stop putting yourself into my men’s firing line whenever you want to say hello. Although I do ask you don’t tell too many people you have it.”
He laughed, so softly you almost didn’t hear it. “I won’t. Is this just for the whole investigation thing or do you really mean saying hi?”
“That depends on what time of day it is,” you said, smiling despite yourself. “But I won’t answer while I’m working.”
“Of course,” he said. “But you’re not working now so, hello.”
You smiled. “Hello, Ace.”
There was silence on the other side for a second before he coughed. “Yeah, that sounds way better than Fire Fist.”
Sabo is respectful enough that fucking you in Dragon's office is off limits but he's horny enough to know that other places around the revolutionary headquarters are not off limits.
Read the previous parts for context. Reader's gender is not mentioned, doesn't matter.
~7.1k words, not beta-read, there is ONE use of Y/N
Tags: Blood/violence/injury, abuse of power, suicidal thoughts
part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 || One Piece masterlist
Apparently, your parents were able to sell the narrative that you were kidnapped and coerced by 'young, criminal minds'. But you knew they knew. Your windows were locked. Two soldiers guarded you at all times instead of one. They took shifts at night—never really left your room.
You weren't even allowed to leave the house alone anymore, grounded until you could prove yourself. Scolded every day. You couldn't handle the way your parents looked at you. You couldn't handle being in your room, forced to study despite your injuries.
You could only helplessly watch as time passed.
I shouldn't have...
You tried to think it. That you shouldn't have tried. But, for some reason, you didn't regret your choices. You would've regretted not trying at all. At least now you knew there was no hope for you making it out there.
But something flickered amongst the pieces of your shattered spirit. It wasn't over until it was over. But that energy, that burning drive, had dimmed. Maybe one day you could find your strength again. But not today.
Distracted, you glanced outside the window. Seeing a familiar head of blonde hair across the street made your heart drop.
You thought you'd gone mad—it couldn't be Sabo walking beside his father, heading back to their home—but that bruise on his cheek was far too real. So was the way he turned when you called out his name in confusion (and fear).
You'd sprinted out of your home.
"What are you doing here!?" You asked, out of breath as your personal guards followed suit. It was weird seeing him stand in front of you after all that time.
Sabo winced when he saw the bandages on you, but gave away nothing else on his feelings. "I'm staying."
"What?" You couldn't help but think the worst: something had happened to Ace and Luffy. But if that were the case, you'd see him in a far worse state.
"Don't worry." He smiled weakly. Gone was the happiness that radiated off of him when he was with his brothers. You hated it. "Everything's going to go back to the way it was."
Bullshit. You bit the word back, not believing him for one second.
A guard tugged on your arm, "You need to go back inside."
"But, tomorrow-" You glanced back at Sabo who was already being dragged away by his dad. You didn't get a chance to tell him about the fire. Did he already know!? "Just a little longer, let me talk to him!"
Sabo didn't turn back as you were dragged back inside.
He didn't last one night at home.
His father still treated him like he was a failure, despite being the one to force him back. Everything was 'normal'... except for the stranger he spotted clinging to his mother's side.
Apparently he'd been replaced? A younger boy named Sterry followed him around, making unnecessary comments here and there. If you found Sabo obnoxious to babysit, you'd hate this one. The memories made him smile more than the thought.
He did his best to ignore his 'brother' until he mentioned preparations for the upcoming arrival of some important people.
"What?" It had to be a joke.
"We were told months ago! But I guess you weren't here, ha- AH!" Sterry's soul left his body when Sabo grabbed him, demanding an explanation.
His face disgusted him, not a hint of empathy as he explained what the royal family had in store for the Grey Terminal.
Sabo didn't believe him.
There's no way anyone would agree to destroying a whole population of people—humans couldn't be that cruel... But he wasn't taking chances. He grabbed his coat, hat, and trusty pipe, and jumped out the window as if second nature while Sterry watched in horror.
He needed the truth, and he knew where he had to go to get it.
It was hard to sleep on a night like this, knowing same time tomorrow, everyone in the Grey Terminal would die.
The guard who watched over you from the corner yawned, leaving to get the other to take over for the night.
However, the moment he left, you heard the lock on your window rattle.
"Huh?" You rubbed your eyes, sitting up. You tried not to shout as you saw Sabo jump into your room. "You- What are you doing here?!" You whispered harshly, not knowing when the guard would return.
He set his rusted pipe onto the floor quietly. Just as you were about to step out of bed, he crashed into your arms, shaking. It had been too long... There was too much that needed to be said, and not enough time.
So, despite your shock, you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him back.
The message was clear: I missed you.
"Is it true? Tomorrow..." He whispered into your shoulder, not letting go for even a moment. "Is that why you looked so scared today?"
Guilt ate away at you. If you had made it out that night, you could've told him yourself. You could've warned him.
"I'm sorry," You whispered, voice cracking.
Sabo shook his head, "It can't... How is everyone so normal about it-!" You put a hand over his mouth when his voice grew louder.
You had asked yourself the same question. "I don't know." How could people behave like monsters... "I don't know." You whispered again, quieter.
Did nobody else see the problem? You couldn't be the only two people—two kids—in High Town with a heart.
That's when you heard footsteps, quiet but there. "Sabo, you have to go."
"But-" He wasn't ready. He couldn't let you go so soon. He wasn't sure when he could see you again. He still needed to apologise. He still needed to tell you everything.
You ignored how glossy his eyes were and pushed him off. "It's no good if you're caught here. Go, warn them."
"Come with me." He grabbed your uninjured hand and tried to tug you towards the window, grabbing his pipe.
"Sabo."
"We can warn them together. You don't have to stay here." He pleaded, pulling harder.
"I can't!" You huffed, trying to keep your voice steady. "I can't- You- I tried already, just go without me. I'm not like you. I'm hopeless." You all but shoved him out the window, shutting it just as the guard entered.
Sabo had to force himself not to go back in there and drag you out. How could you say that about someone he cared about? He knew you wanted to be free, you had been trapped longer than him. Your cage came with extra barbs.
"You're not hopeless." He'd prove it. After this was over, he'd come back and take you with him. He'd kidnap you if he had to!
He jumped down and ran off into the darkness.
You woke up in a sweat, the consequences of your choice weighing heavily on you. Am I going to regret it? You didn't want to get up. You didn't get up until the maids were banging on your door.
How could you go about your day like everything was normal? You felt on edge, as if the house would collapse on you. Tonight, thousands die for the sin of being born poor. It could've very well been you had you not been "born lucky".
You wondered, as you walked downstairs, if Sabo ever made it out. He always did what you couldn't. Your question was answered as you overheard your mother on the phone.
"Oh yes, that boy. Must be a nightmare for his parents." She took a long sip of her tea. "Did you know he ran away again? They caught the demon running down our street this morning! I can't believe I let him anywhere near my child; no wonder my poor dear got into so much trouble."
The guards nudged you along once they felt you lingered. You glanced back at them, putting on your best smile. "Can we go to the market today?"
They had to ask your mother for special permission since you were still grounded. She only said yes because she was too busy gossiping on the phone to realise what she agreed to.
You hoped to bore the officers trailing behind you. It seemed to work as you stopped by every single store, inspected all their products, then moved on without buying a thing. The sun beating down on them didn't help.
You, however, had built the endurance to hellish shopping thanks to your mother.
They didn't last an hour before they were running to the nearest bench, "keeping an eye" on you from a distance. You gradually strayed further and further, reappearing now and then to let them know you were around. By evening, you had completely disappeared.
Suckers. You pretended not to let it get to your head, but honestly, your ego needed this small win.
Sabo's home was nearby. You didn't want to imagine what his parents were doing to him.
You crawled through the hole in the back of the fence, one that only you two knew about. You thought he'd be in his room, but you heard his loud sobs clearly. Too clearly to be coming from a higher level with closed windows.
You saw a small basement window left half open. Crouching down in the dirt, you were just barely able to make out Sabo's silhouette in the dark cellar. He kicked at the door desperately, but you could see him starting to wear out. How long had he been down there?
If I had gone with him... This could've been avoided. The regret you feared began chipping away at you. I wish, if only, what if. Thoughts that would only kill you slowly if you let them fester.
But you could only change what happened now. "Sabo." You whispered.
He had just been about to break his shoulder by ramming into the door. Instead, he stopped too suddenly and toppled down the stairs, landing in front of the window you were peeking through.
His nose was bright red, and his eye bags hung heavy. "You're here." He whispered, his voice raw from pleading to be let out. "I'm sorry, I couldn't get out!"
"Don't be. I should've gone with you." You tried to smile, knowing it would ease him. "Should've known you needed me."
"I-" His ears went red. "I, um, I couldn't warn them. But there's still time." He picked up a worn tool from the ground, one he'd clearly tried and failed to use.
He nearly took your head off when he threw a crowbar through the small gap. You're lucky his aim was trash.
"Do you think you can—"
"Yeah," You nodded, already lodging it between the metal frame and the ground to widen the gap for him. You were done watching.
Sabo began piling old boxes, crates, and barrels to climb out. He'd reached the top just as you'd snapped the window off its hinges.
"You're good with that thing," Sabo joked as he crawled out, hat in one hand and pipe in the other.
You gave the crowbar a trial swing before refocusing. "We don't have much time." One look at the sky and you were both rushing past the gate and onto the streets.
Sabo didn't want to jinx it. He didn't see you pause as you ran down the hills towards Edge Town. "Are you coming with me?" He asked hesitantly.
You were quiet, saving your breath for the full-on sprint you were in. But the look in his eyes made him impossible to ignore. "Yeah."
He lit up. "We'll save them!" He stated confidently between heavy breaths. "We're together, so I'm sure it'll be okay!" He almost laughed, jumping down the steps.
For a moment, you let yourself believe him.
You turned the corner slowly, one arm stretched out to stop Sabo from rushing out blindly. Every soldier had a photo in their hands, no doubt his. (Your parents wouldn't want to cause such a massive scene)
It would still be hard to do anything unnoticed. You grumbled, frying your brain for a solution. There had to be a way to get past them—at least one of you.
Sabo leaned over your arm once he heard an ear-piercing screech. The large, metal doors at the gate began to slide shut. Every shift of the gears rumbled through the ground.
"They're trapping them," Sabo gripped his pipe tighter.
"I know." It was one thing to hear about the plan, but another to see it in action. No fire yet, but it was sure to follow.
Once that door was shut, you weren't getting it open again. You were on a timer.
You slipped the bandages off your arm and wrapped them around the crowbar for a better grip.
Just one of us has to make it through.
"I'll get through and warn everyone before everything goes down. The military will focus on me."
You didn't know if they'd delay everything to get you back; you were nobility after all. But... there was always a chance. You'd rather take that chance yourself than have your plan hurt Sabo, or worse.
"I just need you to make sure the door stays open. I don't think they'd risk fire spreading here."
Sabo hated where this was going.
"No!" He didn't want to split up. It was too soon for him to say goodbye. "Can't we both go?"
You didn't have time to argue. "Sabo, unless you can think of another plan in ten seconds, I'm doing it."
"I just got you back!" He grabbed your shirt. Why did you take the dangerous part of your plan? "Let me go, I'm stronger!"
The kid in you wanted to remind him that you were older and more experienced. You resisted. "They have your picture. You'll be caught the second you step out." The top hat was hard to miss.
"But-"
"Sabo!" You grabbed his shoulder. "I promise I'll be okay!" You smiled, ignoring how your hands were shaking. You just needed him to believe you. "Do you trust me?"
He swallowed, blinking away the tears. He couldn't cry in front of you. "...yeah"
"I'll find Ace and Luffy. I'll get everyone before the fire starts. But I need you to buy me time." You looked back at the door, panicking when you saw how close it was to shutting. "I gotta go! Don't you dare get caught!"
Sabo only let go because he had to. You ran, your lungs tight as you dodged guards who were mostly unaware of your presence.
With all the strength you could muster, you tossed the crowbar through the gap in the large gear. These doors were old, and so was their mechanism. One piece of scrap metal was enough to make it screech to a halt, but not for long.
"Over there!" The guard's voice carried far, alerting all her comrades.
This time, you were much closer to the door when you were spotted. You slipped through—the soldiers operating the doors jumped from their positions to grab you, but you were faster.
You made it out by a hair, hearing the panic ensue behind you. Guards argued over whether they should give chase or shut the doors but you didn't give a damn anymore.
I'm out.
You honestly missed the Grey Terminal's stench, but now was no time to reminisce. There would be no Grey Terminal if you didn't hurry.
You kept running, jumping over sharp scraps and broken planks. You needed to alert everyone as quickly as possible.
You grabbed two sheets of metal off the ground and began beating them together as hard as you could, walking towards the people's homes. Any minute now, this place could erupt into flames.
"Get out of here! Everyone! You need to RUN!" You called out as loud as you could. "WAKE U—"
Something punched the air out of your lungs.
The ringing noise pierced your ears before you registered the sound of the gunshot that preceded it.
You tried to speak, but all that came out was a wheeze as you fell to your knees. You held your middle, watching as blood fell past your fingers into the ground, still warm. You coughed, watching as more blood escaped you. You couldn't tell where it was coming from.
"Cut that out," A man's voice from behind you warned. He pressed the smouldering end of the gun to your shoulder.
A long, navy-coloured jacket with golden tassels came into view. The smell of cheap booze and tobacco clung to him like cologne.
People here didn't dress that extravagantly. He was no guard, noble, or local.
Shit.
Pirates... Of course, they were involved.
You would've found it ironic that this was how you were taken down had you not been scared out of your mind, trying to keep as much blood in you as you could.
I don't want to die. You thought, letting your forehead hit the ground, hoping the pain would keep you awake. Hold it in. Hold it in. Don't sleep. I'm not done yet.
The world went black just as you began to smell smoke.
I'm sorry.
"Who was that!?"
The guards looked at the photo of Sabo, confirming it wasn't him.
"Doesn't matter, shut the damn door already!"
"If they're a noble's kid, their death'll be on our heads!"
Sabo snuck past the arguing guards, using the opening you had made for him.
They left the crank unoccupied. Your crowbar was thoroughly lodged into the gap. There was no pulling it either way. So he'd make everyone's lives harder.
Sabo began to quietly disassemble the parts, removing whatever he could by hand: gears, screws, loose metal. He didn't even know what he was doing.
Not enough.
He dumped the scraps between the large cogwheels he couldn't remove. It'd be harder for them to recover the pieces.
BANG!
The sound of a gunshot startled him to the ground. What was that? He tried not to think of the worst-case scenario, but the image of you soaked in blood was hard to brush off.
Getting distracted was dangerous.
His arm was grabbed roughly. "What do you think you're doing!?" Sabo didn't hesitate. He grabbed his pipe and slammed it into the man's head.
I have to keep the door open. But other officers began to notice him.
"Hey, you have to evacuate!" A guard called out until he realised who it was. "It's the kid! Get him!"
The smell of smoke washed over Sabo.
He saw the blossoming red glow of fire spread beyond the walls. What?! They were supposed to close the doors first. He was supposed to buy you time.
Please be safe. It was the only thought he could spare you before he faced the guards.
He didn't falter for a moment, even when they approached with rifles in hand.
"You have to keep the door open!" He held his pipe out ahead of him. "People are going to die! How can you be so heartless!?"
"He's crazy." A guard shouted as he brought the back end of his rifle straight into Sabo's chest. He coughed, stumbling to the ground. The pain of the impact shot through his jaw and to his eyes, making them water.
It hurts, but I can take it. You can't be the only one getting hurt for the sake of others.
"Stay away from the lock!" Another guard came in as he got up, knocking him back down.
Soon enough, he was surrounded by men wearing gas masks, beating him into the ground. Were these really the protectors of the people? Cutting off the poor's escape from a hell of their making, beating anyone who dared show a shred of empathy...
Worst of all, Sabo was born on this side of the wall. He couldn't tell if the nausea came from the kick to his stomach or the thought of being anything like these people.
They left him in an alley, bloodied and bruised, barely able to crawl. The wind blew dirt in his face, as if this wasn't bad enough. He hoped you were doing better than him—he hoped Ace and Luffy were far from this place.
He craned his neck, wanting to look at the burning sky, but saw a cloaked figure standing over him.
For a grim moment, he thought he was going to be beaten again. But the person crouched down instead. "What happened to you, boy?"
He tried his best to focus, but his vision swam. He barely made out the features of an older man with marks on his face.
Sabo's heart jumped. Maybe he'll listen. Even if he was being optimistic, trying had to be worth something.
"The nobles and-" He started, choking on his shallow breaths. He willed himself not to pass out. "And the royalty... are behind the fire." He reached for the man's hand, gripping it with the last of his strength.
"Please believe me." The right words, the right tone. If he could convince just one person, things could change. "This town smells worse than the Grey Terminal."
He swallowed a sob, thinking of all those people who cared for him more than his blood parents.
"It smells rotten." His hand shifted higher onto the man's cloak. Was he even listening? Did it matter? He needed this off his chest. "If I stay here, I'll never be free." No matter what he did, he kept being dragged back.
"I'm..." The cry bubbled out of his throat before he could stop it. "I'm ashamed of being born a noble!"
The man stared at him in shock, muttering something to him. Sabo had taken too many hits to the head to hear properly. But the man didn't have that dirty look ever noble had; he didn't look at Sabo like he was another dumb kid. He looked... pleasantly surprised.
"You- You're really listening to me! Aren't you?!"
The man nodded and Sabo felt the last of his energy drain from his body. He collapsed forward into the man's arms.
You woke up to tears falling onto your face. Small hands violently shook you until you opened your eyes. You couldn't hear—your ears still rang—but you could barely make out Luffy's face through the flames. He was shouting, so you thought.
Others you didn't recognise surrounded you, panicking, prodding at your injury. You felt numb until someone pressed right against the bullet wound.
Your mouth opened. If you screamed that night, you would never know. They wrapped it tight, pushing harder against. The pain radiated to the rest of your body. Trying to breathe felt like drowning. The air was thick, clogging your nose and lungs until you were choking again.
The strangers took you on their backs, grabbing Luffy too but by force. You had a chilling moment of clarity once you saw him reach towards the fire. Where's Ace?
Hot.
You boiled beneath a blanket, the sun beating down on your face. Your clothes stuck to you, damp with sweat, most uncomfortable around your shoulders and waist.
Gross. It was like the cloth was glued to you. You shifted, trying to tug your shirt up to let air flow, only to realise you weren't wearing one. Itchy cloth was wrapped around your entire torso.
Wait. You opened your eyes, squinting as unfamiliar light clouded your vision. Where am I?
You tried to sit, pushing your arms up underneath you. You felt your body shake, as if unused to the strain of your own weight.
That's when someone screamed in your ear.
Your arms caved and you fell back onto what you now realised was a futon. Now that hurt. You hissed, clutching right beneath your heart.
"THEY'RE AWAKE!!!"
If your mouth didn't taste like shit, you would've yelled at him to shut up. You watched as a little boy with a straw hat ran for the door, only to fall face-first.
"Luffy..?" You didn't recognise your own voice.
He ran back to your side in seconds, clearly trying not to cry. "What happened?! We thought you- You and Sabo... Why wasn't Sabo with you- Is- Is he okay!?" The poor boy looked exhausted. He was covered in bandages too, but at least he could move.
"Sabo... I don't know," You muttered, trying to remember if you saw him after you escaped. You hoped he was okay. "I was supposed to warn everyone. The fire—" Your breath stuttered, chest shaking once you remembered your glimpses into the chaos.
"You did!" Luffy grabbed your hand, his lip trembling. "We heard gunshots. People started running before the fire started."
"I..." You felt the crushing weight on your chest ease. You hadn't failed—not completely. It didn't matter how people got the warning, as long as they fled. "I'm glad."
About a dozen or so bandits burst through the door. The only reason you didn't panic was that they looked just as scared as you.
The largest of the men hovered over you. If you were any more delirious, you would've thought he was a rooster.
"Try not to move too much... You were hurt badly." He helped you sit up, bringing a cup of water to your lips. You didn't realise how much you needed it until you finished the whole thing.
Luffy sat beside you the entire time, like you'd vanish if he looked away. It might've had something to do with the fact that his brothers weren't here.
You were pretty sure Sabo got away, hiding in Edge Town. But...
"Where's Ace?" A risky question.
Nobody answered. Luffy hugged his knees to his chest and looked at the door. "Ace and Dadan... haven't come back yet."
Nobody corrected him. You read the room and stayed quiet. No wonder he looked so relieved when you woke up. You didn't know how long he had waited. Poor boy had been all alone.
The tension was short-lived as another bandit (how many were there?) burst through the door, out of breath, and with tears in his eyes.
"Those two-!" Everyone but you and Luffy stood.
"What is it!?"
"They're back!"
Luffy was the first one out of the door, shoving past everyone. You only had enough strength to pull yourself up to the window to see what was—
Holy shit, Ace was carrying someone thrice his size. You assumed she was Dadan. You'd never actually met before. Even with her injured, she was intimidating. She looked like she crawled through hell and lived out of sheer will.
They were brought inside quickly.
You felt like an intruder. Luffy bawled his eyes out, clinging to Ace, while Dadan was being treated. Everyone in that room looked like they belonged, except for you.
You understood why Sabo waited to tell them where he was from. They all lead difficult lives, no thanks to those in power. It felt insensitive to try and relate to their struggles when your life sounded like a dream.
You sat in the corner, holding back any reactions you had to the pain clawing at you so as not to distract them. That heat from before stubbornly clung to you. You were starting to think you had a fever.
"Another kid?" Dadan was looking straight at you while she spoke. You couldn't read her expression like you could others'. Was she angry? Upset? Oh god she hates me already.
"They're the boys' friend." The rooster-man whispered to her.
Everyone panicked when she sat up. They tried to coax her back down, but she looked like she'd swing if they got too close.
The crowd looked between you and Dadan.
"Friend, huh." She grabbed the jug of water set out for her and chugged it.
You gulped.
She glared at her men. "Are you lot gonna sit here all day? You better not be slacking!" It was fun to see everyone try to scramble out before she could throw anything at them. Though you had a feeling she did that to have a one-on-one with you.
Ace and Luffy, dense as ever, didn't leave. Ace was yelling at Luffy to stop crying when he finally noticed you. His eyes went wide.
"You!"
This is going to be awkward. You hadn't seen him in months, and while Luffy didn't give a damn, Ace did.
"Do you know what you did to Sabo!?" He stormed forward, only held back by Dadan grabbing the back of his ratty top.
"Ace."
"No!" He pointed at you. "They don't get away with disappearing and coming back like it's nothing. Sabo waited for you every day! And now you're here when he's gone home!?"
"He isn't... he shouldn't be home." You tried to keep your voice steady. Ace looked confused. "I helped him escape. We went to the Great Gate together the night of the fire."
Dadan dragged Ace down to sit on the floor in an attempt to calm him down. It didn't work. "Then where is he?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean—"
"I don't know!" You dipped your head down. "We split up. He stayed on the other side to keep the door open. We thought... I thought it would delay their plans. I even thought some people could escape, but I guess that was stupid."
"So he's alone."
"..." It was hard to take a deep breath with a hole in your chest. "Yeah, I guess so."
Ace was right to be mad. Your plan had been rushed, not thought out in any way. It was selfish too. You wanted to be the one running into the fight for once, and you wanted Sabo to stay back and stay safe.
"Enough of that." Dadan smacked Ace's shoulder. It looked like it hurt. "That kid can take care of himself, so drop it!"
She turned her gaze to you. You felt like a fish on land being approached by a bear.
"You got somewhere to go?" She asked, lowering her voice.
That wasn't what you were expecting. She didn't ask where you were from or why you were staying here. You could see why Sabo liked it here.
You shook your head.
She expected that answer, but still sighed. "What's your name, kid?"
You introduced yourself, just the name everyone called you by, no need to be overly formal.
"Well, I don't want to take in any more brats. But if you're gonna stay here—" You never said you were staying, but interrupting her felt like a bad idea. "—you gotta earn your keep!"
Your people instincts kicked in. "You've already done a lot for me. I'd be happy to help in any way you need me to." You gave her your kindest smile. Those years of practising your facade weren't for nothing.
She went still, staring at you with wide eyes like you cursed her entire bloodline.
Did I say something wrong?
That's when Dadan slow-turned to Ace and Luffy with a scowl. "You lot oughta learn a thing or two from them."
Luffy stuck his tongue out and Ace shot you a look (which you returned with a smug grin since she wasn't looking). Dadan was going to be on their ass about manners thanks to you.
"Now scram," Dadan made a shooing motion as she lay back down. "Ace stay."
"What, why?"
"Just do it. And Luffy, help them out." She could see you struggling to breathe. You wouldn't be going anywhere without help for days.
Luffy jumped up from the floor and grabbed your arm. "Let's go find some beetles! We can make them fight."
Being carried by Luffy was even more awkward than being carried by Sabo. He hauled you onto his back and ran out, letting your feet drag against the floor.
Screw these little boys and their abnormal strength.
The wind was comforting, carrying the smell of wet vegetation and the coolness that came with the end of summer. You didn't get this kind of weather in town.
"Which beetle do you want?" Luffy held two massive bugs to your face.
You weren't interested—still hung up on Sabo—but Luffy didn't give you much of a choice. "The one with the big horn on its head."
He pouted, "Aw, but I wanted that one."
I can't with this kid. "Then why did you ask?"
"Because you look sad."
The observant answer shocked you. You gave him a smile and shook your head. "I'm just thinking."
"...about Sabo?"
Maybe he wasn't as dumb as you thought he was. "Yeah."
"Me too." Luffy put the beetles down, letting them clash while he egged them on with a stick. "But it's okay, because he's gonna come. And if he doesn't, we can go get him!" Luffy's little giggles lifted your mood.
"Who's we?" You asked with a smile.
"Me, you, and Ace, duh!" He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"Me, who was shot, and Ace, who ran through fire and survived in the woods?"
Luffy frowned, picking up the bug who'd lost. "You think too hard."
You tried not to laugh when he seemed so serious. "You don't think enough."
Your attention was stolen by rustling from the bushes. You expected a wild animal. Instead, a short man with binoculars hanging from his neck walked out, stunned.
"Oh, Dogra!" Luffy waved, the poor beetle still in his hand.
Another bandit, you assumed, but he looked... scared? No, that wasn't the right word. It looked like he was reeling from shock, sweat running down his face.
"Ace and Dadan are back!"
"Yeah? T-That's great." He didn't sound ecstatic like the others. You found it suspicious, but kept your mouth shut. "You two should go inside... I need to talk to everyone."
A nightmare, that's what it was. Sabo's dead. The words tauntingly echoed in your head.
Ace was shouting, lashing out, denying; he even grabbed Dogra and raised a fist to punch him. Luffy cried when he realised it was too late, that nothing he could do would change the fact that...
Their brother was gone.
Killed by a Celestial Dragon.
It's not fair. His life hadn't even started—he didn't make it off the island, didn't die at sea as a proud pirate. He was shot down before the world got to meet him.
Your brain did what it did best. Spiralled.
If only...
You had listened. If he had gone while you stayed, would he have set off with his brothers instead? Would he have used a different port? Would he have waited?
If only...
You had a better plan. If you were smarter, if you thought things through that night, you could've both left together.
If only...
Instead of running that day, months ago, you told him the truth. That you wanted to go with him. You want to be a pirate, you want to follow him across the world on whatever adventures he'd drag you into. You wanted to see the world beyond books and paintings.
Did he die thinking he had no choice but to go alone?
Tears ran down your face. You couldn't hug yourself if you wanted to with the wound on your chest. Crying hurt, every violent movement of your lungs felt like it would tear more holes into you.
Then a truly vile thought infected your mind.
I should've died that night.
You wondered if the others thought so too.
You cried all night. Not non-stop, but enough to keep you miserable. You didn't recall falling asleep, but you woke up, tucked in with a fresh change of bandages and clothes set beside you.
Luffy wasn't far. He was asleep on the futon beside you, still sniffling.
Your head was full of fog. The sun wasn't as bright as it had been the morning before; warm blankets brought you no comfort. You pressed your head back into the pillow, hoping you'd fall asleep again.
You didn't want to be awake. You didn't want to think anymore.
There was a gentle knock at the door. A bandit walked in, holding a folded paper. There was no point pretending to be asleep.
"Good, you're awake." He handed it to you and quickly fled, as if afraid of your reaction.
A letter? You took the slip of paper, confused. Nobody should've known where you were.
Sabo
You saw his name scribbled onto the front.
...
He must've sent it before...
Could you even handle its contents in your state? You were tempted to hide it, read it when you were ready. But you knew you never would be.
If you didn't read it now, you'd never get to it.
Y/N,
I don't know where you went after the fire. I like to think that you found my brothers (or they found you). Either way, I believe you're okay! You promised after all.
Sorry, but when you get this letter I'll already be...
You wiped away the tear that landed on the paper.
...out at sea. My destination will be anywhere but here. I'm gonna become stronger and become a real pirate. Then, I'll ask you to join my crew!
I was going to ask before, but I guess I wasn't strong enough. I always looked up to you. You're just so cool! I couldn't imagine you saying yes until I proved myself. Would you have said yes?
Yeah. You would've.
I still have a lot to say... but I'd rather tell you in person!
One day, let's meet again! Somewhere on the wide open sea. But by that point, you might have your own crew. You'd make a great captain.
P.S. If you decide to stay with Dadan and the others, please take care of my brothers like you took care of me! They're my greatest treasure.
- Sabo
A noise you weren't familiar with left your mouth. You're so mean. How dare he leave you with such a heartfelt letter? How dare he make you smile when you were busy sobbing your eyes out!
How dare he promise to see you out at sea... Now you had no choice.
You didn't fight the smile on your face or the tears that burned your eyes.
Your future has never been clearer.
Time flew by.
In the morning, you'd help Dadan. Her words were loud and harsh, but you could tell you had grown on her. She didn't yell at you nearly as much as the other two, even if you were more comfortable starting trouble now.
It was freeing, not being afraid of adults. She wasn't your mother, and you were fine with that. 'Dadan' was her own class, more special than any parent in your life had been.
Every day, you went out to train—sometimes alone, sometimes with Ace and Luffy. You watched them grow in Sabo's place. Every day, they got a little stronger, a little closer to their dreams.
And every day, you pushed yourself to stay ahead. You were older after all! You couldn't let them show you up.
You became a fun challenge for them to overcome.
"It's not fair!" Luffy complained, trying to pull his arm out of the tree he'd punched a hole through.
"Pirates don't fight fair," You teased, poking the back of his knees with a crowbar you'd stolen. He lost his footing and, like a rubber band, his body snapped to the tree in seconds.
You winced in sympathy. "Better luck next time!" You moved just in time to dodge Ace's hit. You held the crowbar out, tripping him.
"Damn it—" He got a mouthful of mud.
To be fair, you guys had been at it for hours now. No wonder they were exhausted.
Seeing the orange hues paint the sky reminded you of the time. "Alright, that's enough for today."
"NO! One more!" Luffy called out, still stuck in the tree.
"Help your brother out." You told Ace as you stepped over him.
"Don't tell me what to do," He grumbled, but listened anyway. You seriously needed to teach him some manners.
They didn't know, but tonight was special.
Once everybody went to sleep, you snuck out, only taking a matchbox.
The stars were never this vibrant in High Town. You lay down on the grassy cliff overlooking the sea, letting the smell of salt lull you. Soon, you'll smell it all day, every day.
You held a single match out in front of the moon.
It didn't have to be exactly midnight. You smiled and pushed yourself into a relaxed, half-sit.
Shwip.
It sparked to life. You watched the wood burn slowly as the flame danced.
Warm.
You could've spent hours staring at it, but you had a life to get to.
"Happy birthday to me." You smiled and blew it out. The darkness reclaimed the area around you. You remembered when seventeen used to feel far away.
"I'll be setting off." You casually dropped that on Ace the next morning in the woods. You'd already 'bought' a boat months ago in preparation; you could've left while everyone slept but...
The boulder was your favourite seat! You wanted to sit on it in the sun one last time. You jumped off the stone, giving it a small farewell pat before walking past the stunned teen.
His 'tough guy' expression faltered. "What? Just like that?"
"Yeah, got a problem?" You teased.
"No I... thought you'd leave without saying anything." He knew you well. "Did you stick around to say goodbye?" You'd noticed that after Sabo, Ace had somewhat settled. You'd even argue that he matured!
"Hmmm... Not my style." You hummed, watching the waves crashing in the distance, your bag slung over your shoulder.
…
"Aren't you gonna tell Luffy?"
You almost laughed at that. What he didn't know was that you weren't even planning on telling him! He just happened to be at your last stop.
"You can do that for me."
Ace sighed, realising how much work you just dumped onto him. "He's not gonna be happy…"
You stuck your tongue out and smiled, "He'll forgive me, maybe when we see each other again out there." You paused. "Oh! And send Dadan my thanks! She did more for me than any blood family."
"Do it yourself! I'm not your messenger bird!"
You pretended not to hear him, staring at the Sun in the sky. "Would you look at the time! I gotta get going! Bye~"
"Hey!"
You ran, not for your life, or away from one. You ran towards a new start, your chest light and your bones buzzing with excitement.
You hoped the ocean was ready for you. You were more than ready to conquer it!
The End!
.
.
.
Bonus:
Many years later...
Sabo smiled at the paper, thumb brushing past your picture. Right below it: your name, DEAD OR ALIVE, and your bounty.
"One day," He tucked your wanted poster into his pocket.
A/N: WOOOO!! Glad to be done with this mini-series! I might make another where they meet all grown up but it depends on my mood ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Lmk if y'all are interested
Tags/CW: Self-harm is depicted and referenced throughout, blood (fic starts with a description of bleeding), emotional hurt/comfort, pre-relationship
Brief Summary: Certainly Sabo didn’t like you at all, surely he hated you. Surely, right?
A/N: I don't even know. Random self-indulgent fic I didn't even intend to write. I was going to work on something else but, well, this is here now. Hopefully it's not too painfully incoherent or OOC or anything.
ao3 link if you'd prefer
The water turned colors as it washed over your fresh and still bleeding cuts. From a slightly, dull, reddish clear, slowly to one that was almost pure red. It was a lovely sight, as it always was. The red continuously dripped and trailed down your skin, mixing with the water further. It stung, only for a second. Then you’d stop thinking about the pain and it would go away completely. You’d feel better soon, surely. You’d feel nothing again soon, at least.
The water eventually seemed to run out of heat, your cuts slowly stopped their bleeding, and that gave you a sign of how long you’d been watching the mix of red and water. You supposed you should clean up…this was your least favorite part.
You could never get them covered properly without wasting at least a few of the materials. You weren’t very good at this, though as you looked over your work, you wondered how they’d scar. You hoped they would, for a while, that they wouldn’t fully fade. You continued with this train of thought to yourself as you finished, stepping back into your dark and gloomy quarters.
You weren’t really sure what time it was, but the voices in the hallway told you it couldn’t be that late. Or perhaps, it was that late and people were returning to their quarters. You really couldn’t recall what you had been doing before you found yourself bleeding in the bathroom, but you supposed it didn’t matter. You would just sleep now, or try to.
You made your way towards your bed, you realized just how shaky you were. The blood loss was surely part of it, but you probably hand’t eaten either. Oh well, you’d worry about that tomorrow—
A voice from the hallway caught your attention. You knew that voice. You couldn’t particularly make out what Sabo was saying, but he sounded like he was in a good mood. You really liked him, though he surely didn’t like you. He was nice to you, but it was certainly out of pity. You would like to say he was your friend but…it was probably mere tolerance on his part.
Maybe it was weird and creepy of you to keep listening, but he was seemingly in the hallway right outside your door so it was hard not to. It’s not like you could understand the topic anyways, you just liked the sound of it. That was creepy, for sure.
Though he stopped talking and someone else chimed in, you recognized that voice too. Koala laughed at whatever it was he said and you decided you didn’t really feel like listening anymore. They were so close with one another…it would be wrong of you to ever wish for anything like that. You could not fit in, you did not belong, and it wasn’t even worth dreaming about at this point.
You covered your ears. You hoped they’d leave soon, go talk somewhere else. Anywhere you didn’t have to listen would be better. Your eyes stung a little, how stupid. Though, you surely deserved to feel like this, so it was fine. Maybe you should’ve hurt yourself a bit more.
********
Morning came and you once again found yourself listening to Sabo. Though he was talking to you this time! Not that you had really caught any of what he was saying, you were more focused on the fact that he was talking to you. How nice of him…to talk to something such as yourself.
“Are you listening to me?” He questioned and it snapped you out of your trance.
“What?” you dumbly responded.
“I was asking about your mission you just came back from. I mean, I already got your report about it but…” Sabo trailed off for reasons that were beyond your understanding.
You pondered his words for a moment. You didn’t remember a mission, nor a report, but he said so…and then something in your brain switched into place.
“Oh! I’m sorry, what about it?” you questioned, “Did I do something wrong?” a feeling of panic rose in the back of your brain at that. You pushed it away.
“No, just,” he hesitated. “Are you okay? You seemed kind of…off after you got back yesterday,” he finally got what he wanted to say out.
You cocked your head in confusion, “I’m fine. I always am. I don’t really know what you mean…” he paid attention to you? Something like you? Really? You were in awe.
“If you say you’re alright, then I’ll believe you,” Sabo smiled though something about it didn’t feel right.
You weren’t really sure what to say in response, but before you could try something he decided to take his leave. He said something about having work to do and with that, he was gone. Something about that left an unpleasant feeling sitting in your chest. You’d messed up, clearly. You made it awkward, you made him go away when he was nice enough to even think about you. So stupid. All you could do was stand there and watch him leave.
********
The mess-hall was always quiet at this time of day. Most people did not eat lunch at three in the afternoon, nor did they eat dinner. You and those who were getting back from or getting ready to leave for missions were usually the only people around at this time.
This was when you liked to eat the most. The quiet was nice, and sure you were technically eating leftovers but you didn’t really mind. Anything to get away from the usual crowd.
Though something new happened today. Someone you never saw in the mess-hall around this time showed up behind you, started speaking, and admittedly scared the hell out of you.
“So this is when you eat? I always wondered why I never saw you at the usual times,” Sabo spoke and you quickly turned around.
“What are you doing here?” You asked as you tried to ignore the fact that he had apparently noticed you didn’t come to meals. You couldn’t think about that.
“Got too into paper,” he moved to grab (too much for one plate) some of the leftovers for himself. “I didn’t realize I’d missed lunch,” he laughed.
The sound was infectious, and you laughed a little yourself. He practically lit up at the sound, though you missed it.
“That’s no good, you need to eat properly,” you reprimanded him. Hypocrite.
Sabo teasingly rolled his eyes at this, “I get it, don’t scold me,” he laughed again. The sound was almost soothing to you. “I guess I can eat while I work,” he mused seemingly to himself. “I’ll talk to you later,” he bid you farewell and you returned the sentiment.
Though a few moments after walking off, he turned and spoke again. “Do you…always eat by yourself?”
You paused for a moment as you thought about his words. What a weird question. “Yes, I do,” you answered and his expression faltered.
“Isn’t that lonely?” He asked another weird question.
“I don’t know. I’m used to it so, it’s hard to say,” you smiled and his expression faltered again. Your heart twisted in your chest. You messed up. You said the wrong thing. Stupid. So stupid.
“I see,” was the only thing he responded with. He stopped for a moment and said something else you didn’t catch, and then left.
You were so stupid. You suddenly didn’t feel like eating anymore. You left the mess-hall without anything, you could just eat tomorrow.
Unbeknownst to you, though, Sabo had stayed behind a moment. Just to be sure, he told himself, just to be sure you got food. Though you left shortly after he did with nothing in hand, and something twisted in his chest.
********
Blood. All you could do was stand there and watch the blood. It dripped, and dripped, down your skin and onto the ground. You didn’t care. You couldn’t find it in you. The cuts didn’t sting, they felt like nothing at all. You wished they hurt, at least a little.
You deserved the pain, you were so ridiculously stupid. You were lucky. You were lucky Sabo was nice enough to acknowledge your existence and talk to you at all, yet all you could do was mess up every conversation. He was nice enough to tolerate something as stupid and pathetic as you, and yet you couldn’t do a single thing.
He hated you, surely. He really was just putting up with you. He noticed things about everyone, he paid attention to everyone. It didn’t mean a single thing that he noticed you. He hated you.
You were so unbelievably pathetic. If only, if only you could behave properly. If only you could behave normally. If only you could just act like a person. If only you could just be a person. Yet you’re stuck being something entirely nonhuman. All you can do is pathetically wish things were different, wish you weren’t so useless, wish everything wasn’t such a challenge, wish you were human.
Your eyes started to sting, at least something was hurting. You continued, simply standing there, a piece of some glass you found washed up on the shore in hand, as the blood continued to drip and trickle.
Both the sounds of the shore and the fuzz in your head covered up his footsteps. It covered up the way he halted to a stop when he saw you, the blood on your skin shining in the light of the moon. His mouth hung open in shock for a moment, before he closed it and continued his way to you.
Sabo had figured you might be here, he knew you sat out here a lot when you weren’t busy. Had he maybe followed you a time or two to see where you went in your free time? Perhaps. Not in a weird way, he had assured himself, just because he was curious. Yeah. Though he’d never stayed long enough to see exactly what you did out here, in this practically secluded part of the island. This certainly wasn’t what he had expected.
All of a sudden a hand grabbed your wrist and another took the sharp object from you before you could even process what was happening. You looked at the owner of the hands and were completely shocked to see Sabo in front of you.
He was not supposed to see you like this, nobody was, but especially not him. You attempted to yank yourself from his grasp but his grip strength was too much for you. You wanted, you needed, to get away from him. You tugged and pulled and yanked and yet you couldn’t escape.
“Hey,” you realized he was talking, since when had he been talking? When had he even gotten here? Why was he even here? You had a million questions but you couldn’t ask them. “Hey, it’s okay,” all of a sudden his voice sounded really gentle. You stopped your attempts to get away, though you averted your gaze from him.
“Why?” Sabo gestured to your cut-afflicted, bloody legs, with your pants haphazardly rolled up for easier access. “Why did you do that to yourself?” He loosened his grip a little, but not entirely. He was worried you’d attempt to run away if he did.
You didn’t answer, you continued standing in silence, looking away from him.
“Alright. You don’t have to talk. Why don’t we get you back inside, yeah? Then we can get those cleaned up. I can carry you—“
“No,” you finally spoke, your tone a lot harsher than you meant for it to be. “No, it’s okay. I’m fine. I’m too heavy for that, and I can walk on my own. I can clean up on my own too. I’m sorry you had to see this, but I’m perfectly fine,” you finished and attempted to pull away from him again.
Though his grip tightened once more. “Clearly you aren’t. People who are perfectly fine don’t tend to hurt themselves like this,” he spoke and you said nothing in return. “Can you please let me help you?”
“I don’t need help,” you protested. “I’m perfectly fine on my own. I don’t even know why you care so much. You don’t even like me,” the words came out without you meaning for them to. Sabo’s expression did something you were too stupid to read.
“Where the hell did you get that idea?” He retorted, he sounded mad, maybe annoyed. “I don’t know who or what made you think I don’t like you, but that’s not true.”
You didn’t know what to say, you were dumbfounded. And before you could attempt to even formulate some sort of retort you felt yourself being lifted. You stuttered out something incoherent and he spoke again.
“You clearly aren’t going to willingly go with me, so I’ll take you inside myself,” he adjusted you in his arms and all you could do was continue to stay in a baffled silence. “You aren’t even heavy,” he plainly stated and if you were not blushing already, you were now. You didn’t even understand what was happening.
After what felt like both an eternity and a few seconds, Sabo stopped in front of a door that you presumed was his. He gently set you down, his grip returned to your wrist and he tugged you inside. If things were different, you might actually enjoy this scenario, you thought to yourself.
He shut the door behind him, “Sit on the bed, I’ll help you clean that up,” he spoke as he moved around to get what he needed.
“But, I-I don’t…! Why did you even bring me in here!” You got your mouth to move and he turned to look at you.
“I figured you wouldn’t like it if I took you to medical. You go off on your own to hurt yourself so, you probably don’t want anyone else to know. Was I right?”
You looked away from him and some sort of smug look crossed his features. “Thought so,” he teased and you simply continued to avoid looking at him.
“I don’t need you to help me. I can help myself. I’m fine on my own,” your voice came out quieter than you meant for it to.
Sabo made his way over to you, now with bandages and a wet cloth in hand. “You really do everything on your own,” he mused. “You’re not fine, clearly. I want to help you, and I’m going to. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.”
“Yes I do. That’s how it’s always been and that’s how it always will be,” you retorted and something in Sabo’s expression softened at that.
“It doesn’t have to continue like that, I’m right here, offering to help,” he smiled at you and something in you seemed to break at this. Tears were streaming down your face before you could do anything to stop it.
You pathetically wiped at your face. “I don’t need your help. I can’t accept it,” you spoke through sniffles.
“Then…do you want my help?” Sabo questioned, a question that seemed to break you further.
Without thinking, you nodded and he smiled, a soft smile. A smile you don’t think you’d ever seen him direct towards anyone else. “That settles that then,” he stepped toward you and led you to sit down. You no longer had it in you to protest. “Let’s get those cleaned up finally, yeah? Then we can talk a bit more,” he smiled, that same smile as before and you simply nodded.
You let him help you. You couldn’t recall the last time anyone had helped you. You couldn’t recall something such as this ever happening to you. It just made you want to cry more.
“There, that probably feels better, huh?” Sabo finished patching up your cuts and moved to sit beside you. “Can you tell me why you did that to yourself? Or, well, why you’ve been doing that to yourself? I noticed more than just those.”
You winced at that. You really didn’t want to answer, but he was being so nice to you…it would be wrong not to say something. “…I deserve it,” your voice came out small.
“What? No, no you don’t. Why do you even think that?” He sounded almost frustrated.
You didn’t know how to answer him anymore, “I’m sorry,” was the only thing that came to mind and he frowned.
“I don’t want you to apologize, it’s alright. I’ll drop it for now, okay?” You nodded at this and then started to get up.
“I’m sorry for making you deal with me…but um, thank you. I’m really sorry though. I’ll leave now. I’m sure you have better things to do or more important people to talk to,” you smiled and moved to leave but his hand, once again, found your wrist.
“You don’t,” he sighed, “I don’t want you to apologize, I just said that. It’s okay. I don’t think you need to be going off on your own right away though. Stay for a bit, okay? You’re my priority, especially right now.”
You flustered at this. “What..? Why…?”
“I care about you, did I not make that clear?” He questioned and you shook your head no. “Well, now you know for sure,” he teased.
“I really, really, don’t get you at all. I’m not…” you trailed off and he stood up himself. He went from grabbing your wrist to grabbing your hand in his own. You stared at him, dumbfounded.
“You don’t have to get me right now,” Sabo smiled, that gentle smile once again. “But I’m here to help you now, so maybe you can get me eventually. We can work on it, okay?”
Dumbfounded seemed to be your new state of being. All you could do was nod in response and he gave your hand a squeeze. “Then stay for a bit longer, okay?” You once again nodded and he smiled, a wide smile that made your heart feel funny. Though, admittedly everything he’d been doing had made your heart feel that way.
You wondered if it was really okay to accept his help, though you supposed it was also a bit too late to wonder that. Maybe, perhaps, it would be okay…to rely on him. Just maybe that would be okay…going forward. Sabo’s smile sure made it feel okay, and maybe that was enough for now.
Fire and Flame (Ace x Marine!Reader x Sabo) - Part 3
One Piece | Ace, Sabo | 5.3k | Masterlist
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“Rear Admiral, we have a situation on deck.”
You raised your head from the maps unfurled beneath your palms. The expression on your face sliced sharp enough through the poor man that he winced.
“A situation?”
“One you need to handle,” he clarified.
As though that told you anything.
You carefully rolled the maps and set them beneath the lip of the cartography table before following him up. Sunlight struck hard the moment you stepped onto deck, flashing white against the sea and hot across your brow.
You lifted a hand against the glare and found half your men spread in a tense crescent around Fire Fist Ace, their weapons levelled at his bare chest while he leaned against the railing with both hands raised.
What the hell was he doing?
A gull screamed as it passed overhead. You unholstered your gun, stepped through your men, and levelled it at his chest. “What is this supposed to be then?” you asked. “Have you grown a conscience and decided to hand yourself in?”
His smile faltered as he looked at the weapon but it remained in place. “Just here to deliver something.” He nodded his head toward a piece of paper in his hand.
You already had an idea of what it was.
And if you were right, it was incredibly stupid.
You stepped closer, gun still aimed at him until you were close enough to pluck the piece of paper from his fingers. You unfolded it to find your own drawing staring up at you. Right. The drawing disappeared into your pocket before anybody else might see it.
This didn’t need to be returned. He knew there was no reason to bring it back.
“It’s the same as the one we found,” he said with a nod.
You didn’t bother responding to that with a verbal answer. It mattered very little to you if two ships sailed under the same symbol.
“Why are you on a Marine vessel with paper scraps?” you asked. “Is this an intimidation attempt from your captain?”
He grinned, fast enough to catch the lie. “If you want to take it that way.”
“The Marines don’t care about threats,” you said, voice stern enough to carry. “Not even from a man like Whitebeard. I would advise you take your leave before my generosity runs empty.”
Fire Fist took a small step back and you followed him. He stopped without warning and your pistol brushed against his torso before you tugged it back. If it bothered him, he didn’t show it and his smile stayed loose and easy.
“Sorry,” he said. “You’re working?”
You frowned at him. “Yes.”
“Then when’s your next day off?”
Seriously? He seemed far too eager to get an answer and you couldn’t deny that you were faintly amused by it. What good would knowing your day off truly be?
“That doesn’t seem like an appropriate question for you to ask,” you said and tapped your nail against your gun pointedly. Three times.
His eyes dropped down to the weapon. “Days?”
“Yes. Fire Fist, I will not tolerate – ”
“Ace,” he said.
You paused. “What?”
“That’s my name,” he said with a nod that told you absolutely nothing about why he thought this information was relevant to you in the slightest.
“I’m well aware,” you said. “I’ve seen enough of your bounties to know.”
“Then you should call me that. It’s less formal.”
You stared at him, confused. Nobody had ever briefed you on how to handle this type of response in a working environment. You knew what you might have responded if the coat wasn’t billowing around your shoulders but…
Technically, the manual probably said you should attempt an arrest for his trespassing instead of offering him a free opportunity to leave. You considered it but then you would have to file the paper in your pocket as evidence. Which would not be ideal.
“You are terrible at retreating,” you said because what other response could you give him. “Go. I have no interest in provoking Whitebeard but if you push me enough, I’ll have to do it.”
“Do you have orders to capture pirates?” he asked.
You pressed your lips together. He was right, you didn’t, but you felt you shouldn’t give him too much leeway with that. Not when he already looked far too confident with the sunlight giving his skin a faint glow.
“I can only handle so much temptation,” you commented. “We are not friends, Fire Fist. If you keep presenting yourself to me, I will happily arrest you no matter the consequences.”
“Ace,” he corrected.
You stepped forward. “Get off my ship.”
“Okay but where –”
“If I want to find you, I know how to,” you said. “You don’t keep a low profile.”
He finally took the hint and relented, nodding to you before he jumped from your ship to the skiff below. It ignited into flame and he raised a hand in a wave that you did not return. You watched him go before you looked back at your men.
Some were uninterested, others amused, and a few obviously annoyed that you hadn’t taken advantage of the situation.
You holstered your weapon. “If they ever ask me to capture a pirate to earn their goodwill back, I have a good one lined up,” you commented.
They all laughed to themselves; mood dispersed by the acknowledgment of it. Most who sailed with you relished the opportunity to do only what they were told and nothing more though you were certain a few wished for more combat.
Still, that was an issue for them to take up with somebody else. You would not get into dangerous fights for fun.
“I will continue to chart back to our base,” you said. “If any of you see more pirates, I implore you to sail around them. They’re getting far too cocky lately.”
They gave their affirmatives and you looked once more toward the flickering shape of Fire Fist’s skiff. A very strange pirate indeed.
The drawing sat in your pocket as you docked outside the Marine base you were in charge of. Your men pulled up alongside the ridiculous scavenger ship, still floating there despite promises for somebody to come collect it and take it to an impound.
They had transferred the men you’d caught onboard easily but the vessel itself remained. Ridiculous. But it happened.
Orange evening light spilled through the streets of the town surrounding your base. It was a beautiful area with roofs hanging with plants and worn stone roads. It had been here long before the Marines identified it as ideal for a headquarters in the region and it showed. The further your steps carried you from your base, the older the buildings grew.
The warm smells of food cooking carried through the tight neighbourhoods and you stopped by a familiar woman to buy yourself something small for dinner before you continued to your personal home.
The climb was steep enough to pull at the muscles in your calves by the final turn. You might have slowed to admire the view if the footsteps behind you had not slowed too, always a few beats after your own.
The plant in your kitchen was wilting dramatically again, its leaves bowed over the rim of the pot, so you placed it in the sink and left water soaking through the dry soil while you changed. Once the uniform was put away, you brewed two cups of coffee and opened the balcony door.
The balcony looked across the whole town. Roofs descended toward the harbour in uneven rows before giving way to the cove, where your ship’s sails shifted faintly between the masts. Jungle climbed the surrounding hills so thickly that the last light caught only on the highest leaves. You had never found time to decorate, but there was a table and four chairs, one already freckled with rust at the joints.
You placed the two mugs safely away from that one and took a seat, watching a flock of small birds flit from roof to roof below.
The pastries you bought were fresh and buttery and the grapes had clearly been harvested that day because they burst with sweetness against your tongue. You plucked them from the vine lazily.
The second chair moved and you inclined your head in greeting.
Sabo sat with far less stiffness than he’d had when he first boarded your ship. He adjusted his coat slightly. You pushed your plate into the middle of the table and, after a moment’s hesitation, he took a grape.
“I see you did look around my room then,” you noted. “If you’ve learned where I’m stationed.”
He nodded in acknowledgement. “It was the only thing I found of any interest although I’ve recently learned there’s not much use to watching this base. Not much moves through here.”
You hummed. “I could have told you that?”
“Would you have?”
“Definitely not.”
Your hand bumped against his when you both reached for the vine at the same time. For a second, neither of you moved. The leather of his glove was smooth against your skin and you enjoyed the sensation for the moment.
Then you tugged a grape free and offered it to him. He took it from your fingers and you pulled another off for yourself.
“If you know there’s not much, why are you here?” you asked.
He didn’t answer.
You didn’t expect him to.
You knew there was a minor presence from the Revolutionary Army on this island. They moved into many of the towns surrounding active bases to try and destabilise the townsfolk and gather information. But the movement here was minor. They had far more important places to be and you doubted they had infinite resources.
Night settled slowly around the balcony. Insects started up in the trees below, and somewhere near the harbour a bell rang once before the sound thinned across the roofs. You left the lantern untouched. Moonlight silvered the rim of Sabo’s cup while the two of you emptied the coffee and plate without speaking.
Only when a chilled wind caught your hair did you rise to your feet. Sabo stood too; he reached for your cup while you took the plate. The cutlery clinked against itself as you lowered it into the sink, his coat brushing against your arm. He lifted the plant back to its spot on the windowsill.
You stepped away to light your lanterns before you took your usual seat on the couch. He hesitated for a moment before he sat down on the other side.
“I heard there are orders to all Marines to report any suspicious activity around their base.”
After so long in silence, his voice sounded a little strange. Not unpleasantly so. But in a way that shifted the peace.
“That’s true,” you acknowledged and reached for a thin blanket, draping it over your legs.
“Is this not suspicious activity?”
You glanced toward him, sitting perfectly normal in your living room. “It depends on why you’re following me?”
“If you mean to exchange questions, those aren’t quite the same.”
“No?”
“No.”
You tried to think of another question you could offer. The conversation from earlier arrived before you could think too deeply; Fire Fist’s eager insistence on a fact you already knew. One apparently more important than the guns aimed at his chest.
“Alright,” you said. “What’s your name?”
Sabo frowned. “You know that.”
“I do. But you’ve never given it to me.”
It was almost as though he was thinking about it. You knew just about everything Marine intelligence did which admittedly, wasn’t much more than a face and name. And an interesting fighting technique that had never quite been explained.
“Sabo,” he said.
You smiled and nodded. “No, this isn’t suspicious activity because I did not see it while I was working. And the reason I am here, punished, is for taking an initiative that wasn’t mine. I learned my lesson well.”
“So you’re letting me sit on your couch because you’re annoyed with your superiors?”
“Spite is a very strong motivator.”
“What happens when it runs out?”
You huffed. “Believe me, it won’t.”
He inclined his head in agreement. “I can relate to that,” he said with a level of conviction that implied something far deeper.
“And who are you spiting, Sabo? The World Government?”
He paused, stunned for a second when you used his name before the expression changed into something quizzical. Not as though he did not want to provide the information but more as though you had asked him for something he didn’t actually know.
You waited until he looked up at you.
“Do I get your name?” he asked. “Or am I stuck calling you Rear Admiral?”
The way he said the title almost made you laugh. His mouth twisted around the words as though he had tasted something particularly unpleasant.
“It can’t hurt you that much to say.”
“It feels like I’m insulting both of us by doing so.”
“Then I have half a mind to make you keep it.”
He smiled and you returned the expression before you offered your own name. One he surely knew. For you had no doubt in your mind that any information the Revolutionary Army could gather on you was already learned by him.
He didn’t repeat it back. Just leaned more against the chair.
His eyes lingered on you, attention turning inquisitive where it dipped away from your face and you almost laughed at the obviousness of where his mind had moved to.
“Are you wanting to continue something?” you asked.
He looked toward your face with a small smile rather than shame. “I’m considering things,” he said. “I can’t reasonably justify remaining around a Marine base when I have no intelligence that it might be important. Yet I feel like there’s something here I should be learning about.”
“I’m certain there’s evidence enough,” you offered. “Though, perhaps if you eavesdropped, you might hear we are currently investigating the spread of revolutionary ideals in the islands of this region.”
His smile grew the slightest amount. “I could hear that,” he said. “If I listened to the right sources.”
“Verbal evidence doesn’t hold up well though,” you mentioned. “You’d find out a great deal more if you were to find investigation records held in the main office of the base.”
You weren’t sharing the full truth, something that you were certain he knew. The details of the locked desk drawer and the keys sitting in the pocket of your coat were impossible to learn from mere eavesdropping, after all.
“The main office would belong to you,” he said.
You reached for your book and smiled. “Shockingly.”
You opened to your bookmark and smoothed out the pages, finding your spot with ease. It wasn’t a particularly good story but you felt compelled to finish it now that you were so close to the ending.
Sabo considered it. “Should I expect guns pointed at my chest the moment I step in?”
“I do work in my office,” you warned as you turned the page. “So that’s an accurate expectation to have. I wouldn’t recommend trying to enter to begin with.”
“It gives you far less deniability than here.”
You paused to look toward him. “It gives me no deniability at all. Even if I wanted to arrest you here, how would I? I have no weapon. No cuffs. I don’t even have a motivation. I wasn’t aware sitting on my couch was a crime punishable by imprisonment.”
He removed his hat and set it down on the table. “I’m not foolish enough to think you became a rear admiral through a gun alone.”
You smiled. “No matter how many ways you come to the question, you won’t get an answer that satisfies you anymore than what I’ve given already.”
“I’ve realised that.”
“Then why do you keep asking?”
He laughed; a sound so interesting you raised your head curiously to look at him, momentarily smiling on instinct before you wiped the expression from your face entirely.
“So I have an explanation for when others ask.”
You chuckled quietly. “Do they ask?”
“Not yet. But they will.”
“Then you’d better prepare your case now. Because unlike me, you’re still on the clock, aren’t you?”
He frowned, humour wiped away rapidly as he looked toward the balcony as though your question triggered a realisation. You wondered, briefly, if he would stand and leave then but when he turned back, he hadn’t moved.
“We don’t really have working hours,” he said.
“That’s a shame. I’m fond of strict hours where I can know what’s expected of me. It makes it much easier to know where I should stand or who I should talk to.”
“Even without it, it’s been a rather productive day,” he said and he sounded almost defensive.
You smiled patiently. “I’m certain. Although… if somebody was close enough to ask about who you’re speaking to, you might want to provide them with a heads up to avoid the safehouse beneath the bar close to port. The one with the crab sign.”
Sabo straightened, relaxation gone from him in a second. “What do you mean?”
You glanced toward the snail on your counter, still asleep. “If somebody turned on a light in a safehouse discovered by my men two weeks ago, the group staking it out would notice. And that would ruin my very comfortable evening.”
He grabbed his hat and immediately stood. So he did have a partner in the town then. Interesting. You’d thought he might be alone.
“They’re watching it now?”
“They are. Although, for interest’s sake,” you said as he began to leave, “That balcony door is always unlocked when I’m home. Should the inns be full.”
He hesitated at the door frame and looked over his shoulder at you as though he wanted to say something. Then he stepped out and closed it behind him. You looked back at your book and settled in, hoping to finish it by the end of the night.
Three days passed without any reports from your men about the Revolutionary Army. Nor did you see any signs of them yourself.
It was strange to admit to a slight disappointment though you didn’t linger on it for very long.
Your day off should have found you relaxing at your home rather than boarding a small sailing vessel for a trip far too long for your usual breaks. It wasn’t particularly pleasant either. You arrived on the island with a firm appreciation for your own ship and its steady movement through even the roughest of seas.
The sun beamed down against your skin as you walked through the port. You had been right. Ace was easy to find, even in regions with limited surveillance.
And here, in a town, you could just follow the crackle of flames.
You found him close to the edge of the buildings, sitting cross-legged with his back to you while three children crowded near. Small flames skipped between his fingers in the shapes of birds and bursting stars, bright enough to stain their faces orange even beneath the afternoon sun. Their laughter covered your approach, giving you time to lean against a wall and study the tattoo spread across his back.
The detailing was immaculate, dark ink following the shift of muscle beneath his skin. Freckles scattered over his shoulders and down his back around it, dense in some places and faint in others, like stars washed thin by daylight. It would take an eternity to count them all. You weren’t sure why the thought occurred to you.
You moved away from the pole you’d been leaning against.
You stepped on the small spark that had drifted to the ground and Ace’s attention snapped to you immediately, his smile brightening the second he saw you.
He was on his feet so fast he almost bumped you with his shoulder.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re… I thought you would only get here a little later.”
“I took an early ship,” you said. “Much easier to talk like this, isn’t it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, playing with the beads that hung there. “Yeah. I probably shouldn’t have shown up in the middle of a Marine ship. Thinking back on it.”
“Not the best idea you’ve had,” you agreed.
“Sorry about that.”
The kids were all staring at you so you smiled politely at them. They grinned back immediately, waving as though your acknowledgement made their days a little better.
“I’ll leave you to your audience,” you said. “Same place as last time?”
Ace blinked for a second as though confused before he nodded earnestly. “Sure! I won’t be long. When do you have to go back?”
“I have two hours,” you said. “I’m sure that’s enough time, no?”
“Of course.”
The restaurant owner raised a stern eyebrow when you pushed the door open. His warning from the time before lingered in the air. You likely should have chosen a different location but Ace enjoyed this place.
“He’s joining me again,” you said.
The man shook his head but nodded with his chin toward a table and continued to wipe down the counters. You stepped past to take a seat in one of the booths and looked through the window at the town going about its business. You rather liked the slight lean to many of the buildings in this area.
It was a strange little place. Two small children ran after a dog through the streets and a woman dropped a piece of laundry from her window that landed on a passerby’s head.
Nothing special and yet still comfortable.
You pondered that until the table shifted and Ace dropped into the seat across from you, shaking his hair back from his face. His hat was off and his breaths were a little quicker than they should have been.
“I do hope you didn’t run,” you said.
“It was a light jog,” he explained. “I’ve got something for you.”
He put a wooden box on the table in front of you and proudly tapped the top of it. You reached for it; confused and curious.
“A gift?”
“Kind of. You helped me with the flag so when somebody mentioned this, I thought I should let you know. We found it at the wreckage apparently but nobody really knows what it is. Jozu said it might be Marine tech and I realised you’d know better than anyone.”
There wasn’t much identifiable in the box. Most of it was scrap. Unidentifiable, twisted chunks of metal and wires but as you lifted it out, you recognised a few of the marks scratched onto the sides.
“This is ours,” you confirmed. “I don’t know what it was originally though. This was very purposefully destroyed. When smugglers get their hands on our stuff, before getting caught, they’ll often do this so we can’t trace it back to their source.”
Ace smiled proudly and leaned back in the booth. “Apparently that’s all there was on board. Everything else was cleared out. What do you think they were smuggling?”
“I’m not sure. The ones we chased dumped their cargo in the water while we were getting repairs.”
He frowned. “Two ships both getting rid of stuff? Do you think they’re running through our protected territory on purpose?”
You nodded with a bland disinterest. “Whitebeard is known for being efficient at keeping the Marines away. It’s hardly surprising that other criminals want to take advantage of the protection that type of thing affords.”
“Maybe we should go looking,” Ace mused. “Shouldn’t be hard to find out if there’s more of them.”
You hummed and dumped the metal back into the box, pushing it back toward him. “The only Marine bases in the surrounding regions are the one where I’m stationed and another to the northeast. Somebody has a breach, clearly. Unfortunate.”
He nodded, his grin far too proud. “Are you going to tell them how you figured it out?”
“Figured what out?” you asked.
He blinked. “You know, that people are smuggling things. You didn’t want to tell them about the drawing so I figured they weren’t meant to know we talk.”
You laughed softly. “No,” you said. “I generally don’t tell my men when I’m having lunch with a man I ought to arrest. But I won’t tell them about this anyway. I haven’t been given any orders surrounding technology smuggling. The last thing I need is another hunk of worthless wood taking up my docking space. It’s about one day from going missing.”
“Wait, the whole ‘not my job’ thing applies to when somebody might be stealing from you?”
“They’re not stealing from me,” you corrected. “I know exactly what’s in my office and the only thing that’s gone missing recently was a table lamp. And that was because somebody chewed through the cable.”
Ace frowned. “Like… one of your men?”
You laughed at the mental image. “No. I leave food for the mice under my desk and unfortunately, one of them misunderstood the invitation. I used to do it at my old post too until one bit my superior officer’s finger while he was lecturing me. I laughed so hard I was put on recruit training for two months.”
Ace snorted. “Is that really a punishment?”
“Believe me, yes.”
A plate of food was placed directly in front of you, markedly different from the three Ace received. You looked at the owner curiously.
“He hates this dish,” he said by way of explanation. “But you might like it. It’s favoured by most of our customers.”
“Appreciate it,” you said.
Ace grinned broadly at you as the owner moved away. “See. People like you a lot more already.”
“After one visit?” you asked. “I don’t think so.”
“Two visits,” he said. “Because you brought the letter here personally, right?”
“How would you know that?”
“I asked.”
You laughed softly to yourself. Of course, he asked about that information, out of everything he had. It was considerably less important than it should have been and yet… it made you a little happy to know that you had made him happy by doing so.
“I think the reason he tolerates me is because I pay for your meals,” you mentioned.
“I’ll pay this time. You can get the next one,” Ace said immediately.
“Next one?” you asked.
He nodded and paused eating momentarily to look at you. “When you travel out here again.”
“I don’t know why I would,” you said. “This is hostile territory and it’s not as though I have business in this region very often. If anything, I probably shouldn’t come out again.”
He gestured toward the box between you. “What about that?”
“I haven’t been given orders to investigate it,” you mentioned. “Even if I suggest it, it would be an operational risk. As much as you have decided that I’m welcome to visit you without consequence, I don’t think the others in your crew would have nearly as solid of an opinion.”
“Don’t worry about them,” he reassured. “They’ll listen to me. They might complain first, but they’ll listen.”
“Will they now?”
The dish you had been brought was good. Better than you had expected it to be. It reminded you vaguely of the flavours you found around the Marine base you were stationed at. Interesting. You supposed it wouldn’t take much guesswork to figure out where you were meant to be.
“If they give you trouble, I’ll just explain,” he said eagerly.
“How do you plan on explaining you invited a Marine presence into your captain’s territory without sounding faintly traitorous, hm?”
He pondered it before he inclined his head to you, conceding the point. “Okay, that probably wouldn’t go too well,” he acknowledged. “But what if you just come out to visit this island for a meal every now and then?”
“I’m not sure how far I should push this island’s dislike for me,” you mentioned. “You’re not too good at manufacturing visits, are you Fire Fist?”
His smile faltered before stubbornness took its place. “Fine. I’ll come up with a better reason.”
You immediately felt bad for your tease.
You looked down at the plate of food and the box. Admittedly, it was suspicious to have smuggled technology floating around. It would potentially, be the sort of thing you could notice and take a look into. Without anybody complaining.
You took another bite and hummed. But you would be working while you did it which would not fit in very well with his plans.
Unless…
“A wreckage carrying intact Marine technology would be more plausible,” you said. “If I was told about it by a concerned civilian, I suppose I would have to go and investigate to make sure there’s no danger.”
Ace raised an eyebrow, smile returning tentatively as though he didn’t want to commit to your plan without confirmation.
“It would get you one small win,” you pointed out. “I suppose I’d have to call you Ace. The moniker doesn’t quite suit an average civilian.”
His expression lit up. It told you everything you needed to know about how he felt about the idea.
The moon had risen by the time you arrived back at port; pale against the sky. There weren’t many lights on this part of the docks. Only a few had been flicked on at your arrival.
The air was cool and the waves blissfully calm, rocking the stupid little scavenger vessel against the pilings. You stared at it. Your men had done a good job stripping it for valuables (and you trusted that they hadn’t left anything) but you wondered…
You should just leave it. But curiosity led you around the side where a gangplank had been left lying against it. Your boots sent small fragments of wood into the air as you landed; the broken mast hung above you like a sombre gravestone.
Nothing waited on deck. You crossed slowly, fingertips dragging over rails rough with salt and fresh breaks, until you reached the stairs leading below. The air rising from the hold smelled of damp timber, old smoke, and trapped seawater. Darkness gathered beneath the first step, thick enough that the moonlight reached only a narrow strip of metal.
You drew your pistol and descended.
Something silver moved inside that strip of light.
You fired at the same instant their weapon cracked. The two shots struck so close together they became one violent sound, and heat punched through your stomach before pain followed. You staggered back with a hiss, one hand catching the rail as something heavy collapsed against the stairs below.
Floodlights flashed on and somebody shouted your title.
You pressed your hand to your stomach where blood bloomed hot between your fingers.
